Aug 26, 2015

Author Abigail Baker Interview and $40.00 Amazon Gift Card Contest


Abigail Baker Interview 
The Reaper's Kiss (Entangled Select Otherworld) (Deathmark) by Abigail BakerBBB: Which superhero could defeat any other superhero? AB: I have a lifelong crush on Spiderman. He may be lean and lack cool weapons compared to Superman or Batman or Wolverine, but he’s an agile badass who travels in the best way possible–spinning webs and swinging across the city. He’s a witty guy too. I am pretty sure that if he can’t get out of a situation or save the girl with his brawn, he can certainly do it with his wit.

BBB: What real-life science, pseudo-science, history, religion, or mythologies did you research for your book?
AB: I studied ancient Greek and Roman literature in college, so I pulled from those mythologies. I also looked at the history of tattoos that goes as far back as the Otzi Man found in the Italian Alps. The Otzi Man had roughly 61 tattoos that they believed helped him with pain. His discovery and tattoos got me thinking about tattoos and their magical purposes and why people wear them.
BBB: How would you title your autobiography?
AB: The Mother ****ing Boss: My life by playing against the rules
BBB: Have you perfected the perfect vanilla bean cupcake yet? If so, would you be willing to share the recipe here with the readers?
AB: I can’t take credit for this vanilla bean cupcake recipe. What I can say is that I’ve modified it depending on what ingredients I have (like if I don’t want to splurge on vanilla beans, I’ll simply leave that out).
This fantastic recipe is from Sally’s Baking Addiction, http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/04/20/very-vanilla-cupcakes/

VANILLA CUPCAKES

1 and 2/3 cup (210g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
2 egg whites
1/4 cup (60g) vanilla greek yogurt (or plain; or regular yogurt; or even sour cream)
3/4 cup (180ml) vanilla almond milk (or cow’s milk; or soy milk; or plain almond milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
seeds scraped from 1/2 split vanilla bean
VANILLA BEAN FROSTING
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
4-5 cups (480-600g) confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
seeds scraped from 1/2 split vanilla bean
salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Whisk in sugar – mixture will be gritty. Whisk in egg whites, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Split 1 vanilla bean down the middle lengthwise. Scrape seeds from half of the vanilla bean into batter. Reserve other half.
Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick.
Divide batter among 12 cupcake liners (or 24 mini) and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake for 8-9 minutes if making mini cupcakes. Allow to cool.
To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if mixture is too thick. Add salt if frosting is too sweet (1/4 teaspoon). Frost cooled cupcakes (I used Wilton 1M piping tip). There may be leftover frosting depending how much you use on each cupcake.
Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 7.
BBB: Please tell us more about The Reaper’s Kiss and the storyline that drives it.
AB: How far would you go to save someone you love? Ollie Dormier tattoos death into people, but her job becomes an ethical burden when she has to tattoo death onto her best friend. Desperate to save her friend and other loved ones, particularly one sexy, lumbersexual Grim Reaper named Brent Hume, Ollie becomes an unlikely and rather unwilling darling of a revolution against the Head of Death.
BBB: How many more books will there be in the Deathmark series?
AB: As of now, three books.
BBB: What sets the Deathmark series apart from other books in the same genre?
AB: Ollie is a Scrivener, a paranormal being who tattoos death into people. This concept is unique to the genre. Grim Reapers are not, however. But they are absolutely fascinating and the genre could use more grim reapers, I think. While Ollie does use her power when she needs to, she doesn’t use brawn to save the day. She uses her voice and wittiness and her reckless courage. I wanted to see a character like her in the genre, so that’s why I wrote her as I did.
BBB: What types of characters / creatures can readers expect in your world?
AB: Scriveners tattoo Deathmarks for the Grim Reapers. That is their basic skill, but there is much more to them that gets revealed later in the story. Grim Reapers are exactly what you think–they ferry souls to the Afterlife. There are Eidolons who are Grim Reapers for Grim Reapers and they are absolutely creepy. And there’s a mutt named Dudley. :-)
BBB: You’re a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?
AB: Rainbow. I’m a fan of all getting their chance to be seen.
BBB: If you could throw a parade of any caliber through the Entangled Publishing offices, what type of parade would it be?
AB: A conga line for sure. I started one during a birthday party for a Zulu friend in South Africa and it wrapped around his house and included everyone–young and old. It’s almost impossible to resist the pull of a conga line. I’d love to get the folks at Entangled Publishing offices on their feet and dancing like there’s no tomorrow. There would be cupcakes after it is all over.
BBB: If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be?
AR: Well, having just returned from South Africa, I’d like to trade places with Nelson Mandela. Seeing the world through his eyes would be enriching, humbling, and inspiring.
BBB: What’s coming up for you for the rest of 2015?
AB: I’m going to finish edits on book two of the Deathmark Series. One book closer to Ollie and Brent living happily ever after. In addition, I’m beginning a new book about a woman with PTSD who finds love in the most unlikely place. And, when I’m not writing, you will definitely find me hiking and trying to ski in the mountains (I emphasize “trying”).
Buy a Kindle copy of The Reaper’s Kiss from amazon by clicking here. – ONLY $3.99!

About Abigail Baker

Author Abigail Baker
Author Bio:
Abigail Baker shares her home with a cat endearingly named “The Other Cat” and two rescued mutts with mundane human names that people think are cute. In addition to writing about rebellious heroines, she enjoys hiking, discovering craft beers, baking the perfect vanilla bean cupcake, and rock climbing (going as far as scaling 800 vertical feet to the summit of Devil’s Tower National Monument in 2013).
Abigail won first place in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s 2010 Colorado Gold Writing Contest for Romance for THE BLOODSUCKER and first place in RWA’s Golden Network’s 2011 Golden Pen in Paranormal Romance for TATTOO OF YOUR NAME ACROSS MY SOUL (now THE REAPER’S KISS, Deathmark Book One). She regularly blogs about life observances, lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains, and can be easily found hiking any of Colorado’s best trails.
11 Quick Things About Abigail
Favorite Food? Donuts!
Favorite Color? Purple
Favorite Movie or TV Show of all Time? Bridesmaids
Favorite Drink? Coffee
Favorite Current Book? Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Favorite Season? Fall
Favorite Online Hangout? Pinterest
Favorite Animal? Stoat
Favorite Band or Musician? Florence + the Machine
Mode of Travel? (Trains, Planes or Automobiles) Car
Favorite Vacation Destination? Any place with mountains
Connect with Abigail
CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide.
Prize: $25.00 Amazon Gift Card
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