Guest Author: Ericka Scott

It’s Christmas Eve and Literary Escapism is excited to welcome author Ericka Scott. Ericka is celebrating the release of her first full length novel, Crisscross.

Crisscross (noun): A web of deceit entangling a bestselling author and her small son, two ex-lovers, and a killer with a knack for cruciverbalism and a thirst for revenge.

A psychic, and skeptic, and serial killer…

Lia Morgan has seen portents and signs since she was a teenager; however, few people believed her, including her own family. Although estranged, Lia travels across country to aid in the search for her missing sister, Sylvie. What seems to be a simple case gets complicated fast when Lia discovers her sister had a plethora of secrets, including a small son. Is her sister running from an impending paternity case like the police assume, or is her disappearance the work of a serial killer as her friends suspect?

An anthropologist and crossword puzzle fanatic, Jared Trimble is a packrat with a PhD. His world is grounded in the here and now, with no room for paranormal mumbo-jumbo. When Jared’s asked to work as a consultant on a missing person’s case involving a series of crossword puzzle clues, he’s conflicted. One part’s thrilled. The other part is suspicious; worried he fits the description of suspect more than investigator. All that is forgotten when he realizes his ex-lover, Lia Morgan, is the missing woman’s sister.

While Lia follows signs and portents, Jared uses his wits and experience. When the two collide, nearly forgotten passions flare. As the final clue is revealed, the solution brings them both into the bull’s-eye of the serial killer’s target.

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History of the Yule Log

The earliest known burning of a Yule-style log was in ancient Egypt in about 5000 BC to honor Horus, the sun god. The Sumerians had a similar ritual. To the Celtic Druids, this was Fionn’s Day, a solar festival, and the log was burnt after dinner. Oak logs symbolized life; pine logs represented death. It signified the end to a dangerous time between Samhain and Yule.

Celtic Britain and Gaelic Europe used a large tree or log to fit into their hearths. They anointed it with salt, holly, wine and evergreens. After it burned, the remnants were kept to light the next year’s log. The ashes were highly prized – apparent protection against evil and lightning. Birch, oak, willow and holly woods were most often used.

In 68 BC, the Romans adopted Mithras, Persia’s sun god, into their Saturnalia Festival. For 10 nights they burnt a Yule-style log to usher in Mithras’ strength. The Saxons and Visigoths also celebrated the Winter Solstice Festival with fortune telling by the fire. Charred log remnants were kept because of their so-called magic powers. The log itself symbolized good against evil.

The Yule Log is also integrally associated with the Wild Hunt. The hunt has historically been associated with such figures as Woden, Herne, Satan, Odin, Hecate, and Diana, all of whom bear either horns or horned helmets. The nature of the hunt depends largely on location. In Britain, the Wild Hunt consisted mostly of wolfs or hounds chasing evil beings from the land and warning mortals of invaders. Among Germanic peoples, the hunt was far more sinister. It was a force of evil populated by ghosts and witches. Travelers who heard the horns of the hunt would throw themselves to the ground in the hopes of remaining undiscovered, for mortals crossing paths with the hunters were generally killed and their souls forced to accompany the Hunt forever.

The Wild Hunt takes place during the winter when the wind blows the strongest and storms begin to brew. It begins on October 31st and ends on the eve of May (April 30th). The height of the hunt takes place on Yule, December 21st, the shortest day of the year. On that day, Yule fires were lit to keep the hunters at bay.

Christians soon integrated this tradition into their Feast of Lights (which later became Christmas) by burning a log to symbolize the end of the world’s darkness and the rebirth of Christ as the light of the world.

With the absence of fireplaces in many modern homes, the tradition of burning a Yule log is not a widespread tradition. However, if you want to keep the Yule log fires burning (sorry for the pun), you might consider baking a Yule log cake. Here’s my favorite recipe.

Chocolate Decadent Yule Log
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet baking chocolate
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coffee flavored liqueur

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 10×15 inch jellyroll pan and line with parchment paper. Sift flour with baking powder and salt and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs on high for several minutes until they are very pale and fluffy. Gradually add in the sugar, beating 1 to 2 minutes more or until very thick. Gently, but thoroughly, fold in the flour mixture.
  3. Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of water with the 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the baking soda, then gradually stir into the melted chocolate until smooth. Quickly, but thoroughly, fold chocolate mixture into batter.
  4. Pour batter into prepared 10×15 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Lightly sift an even layer of confectioners sugar over a cloth napkin or tea towel (do not use Terry-cloth). Flip the cake out of its pan onto the prepared cloth as soon as it comes from the oven. Carefully peel away the parchment paper. Lightly dust top of cake with confectioners sugar, then trim away any crisp edges. Starting with one of the short sides of the cake, immediately roll the cake up in the cloth, jellyroll style, and cool thoroughly on a rack.
  5. For the Filling and Frosting: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the confectioners sugar until smooth, then blend in the vanilla extract and coffee liqueur. Blend in the melted chocolate. Unroll the cake and spread about 1/3 of the filling evenly over the surface. Roll the cake back up.
  6. Arrange cake roll on serving tray, then frost generously, swiping with an icing spatula to form the long ‘bark line’ design. Swipe ends of cake in a circular motion to simulate the tree-rings of a cut log. Decorate log as desired with holly leaves and berries, evergreens, and snow.

Ericka Scott is a multi-published, bestselling author of seductive suspense. She’s written stories for as long as she can remember and reads anything under the sun (including the back of cereal boxes in a pinch). She got hooked on romantic suspense in her college days, when reading anything but a textbook was a guilty pleasure. Now, when she’s not chauffeuring children around, wishing she had a maid, or lurking at the library, she’s spinning her own web of fantasy and penning tales of seduction and suspense. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and three children.

Get a behind the scenes look at her writing and zany family on her blog.  She also loves friends, so come friend her on mySpace.  She’s also on Facebook and Twitter.  You can find out more about her books at www.erickascott.com.
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Contest Time!  Ericka is offering up aecopy of her novel, Crisscross, to a lucky reader.  In order to get your hands on one of these puppies, all you have to do is answer this simple question: What is your favorite holiday recipe? International entries are welcome, but shipping may be delayed a little!

As always, there’s more ways of getting your name in the hat:

  • +1 for each place you post about today’s contest on your blog, social network, or anywhere you can. Digg it, stumble it, twit it, share it with the world. Wherever you share it, make sure you add a link to it along with your answer.
  • +1 for sharing your favorite recipe – meaning how would we make it.  What’s the ingredients and directions.  I love finding new recipes and this is so giving me the chance to do that.  ;)
  • +1 to any review you comment on, however, comments must be meaningful. Just give me the title of the review and I’ll be able to figure it out from there.
  • +1 Join the Literary Escapism Facebook page and/or follow LE on Twitter
  • +2 subscribe to Literary Escapism – either via a reader or email (see the RSS button at the bottom of the sidebar)
  • +10 purchase any novel through LE’s Amazon store sometime during this contest and send a copy of the receipt VIA email for your purchase to: myjaxon AT gmail DOT com. Each purchase is worth ten entries, but it has to be through the LE Amazon Link.

The contest will stay open until December 31th, at which time I’ll determine the winner with help from the Research Randomizer and the List Randomizer.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

4 Comments

  1. My favourite Christmas recipe is either Tourtiere or maple sugar pie, neither of which I make very well. My grandmother could always make them perfectly and whenever I asked her she just said she added a little of this and a little of that. That doesn’t help someone who needs and actual recipe in front of her.

    +2 email subscriber

  2. Love both the interview and the recipe. The books sounds wonderful and the recipe amazing!
    Here’s our fave:
    Chocolate Cherry Cookies
    Mix together:
    1 1/2 cups flour
    1/2 cup cocoa powder
    1/4 tsp. salt
    1/4 tsp. baking soda
    1/4 tsp baking powder.
    Set aside.
    Cream:
    1 stick softened butter
    1 cup sugar
    1 egg
    1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
    When mixture is fluffy, add the dry ingredients. Cookie dough will be thick. Shape dough into 1″ balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the center of each cookie with your thumb. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of each cookie.
    In a small saucepan, mix together:
    1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
    1 can sweetened condensed milk
    8 Tbs. maraschino cherry juice
    Stir till melted. Spoon approximately 1 heaping tsp. frosting over each cherry. Bake at 350′ for exactly 10 minutes. Let cool at least 5 minutes before removing from pan. Makes 36-48 cookies.

    I’ll give you a mention on my website too!

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