Tuesday News—Two Weeks and Counting

The release of Firefighter Daddy is only two weeks away...July 13...and yes, I’m counting! It’s also available from eHarlequin.com.

I’m having new bookmarks printed—this time with the bookcover on the back. They’ll be ready tomorrow. As always, if you’d like one, please send your snail mail address via the email address on my website and I’ll send you one.

RT Book Reviews gave Firefighter Daddy an awesome 4-Star review.

Firefighter Mitch Donovan is a devoted father trying to adjust to life after the tragic death of his wife. Rory Borland, or “Miss Sunshine” to her students, is his daughter’s teacher and his mother’s tenant. As proud of her hippie roots as he is befuddled, Mitch and Rory are as different as night and day. As they get to know each other, Rory is not sure she is ready to be a mom to one small child. McKenzie’s characters are warm and inviting and keep the reader entertained throughout the story.

I’m thrilled!

Are you on Facebook? If so, it would be great to have you as a friend and a fan!

Next Tuesday News Day I’ll be posting a list of my upcoming guest blogs and book signings. I’d love to have you drop by if you can.

Until next time,
Lee

Firefighter Daddy—The Inspiration

William R. De Avila School
Haight Street, San Franciso

Some books are inspired by a character, others by an event. Firefighter Daddy (Harlequin American Romance, July 13, 2010) was inspired by a former elementary school that's located a few short blocks from the world-famous intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets.

From the moment I saw it, I had my story.

Happy reading!

Until next time,
Lee

Friday Food for Thought—Two More Risotto Recipes

Today I’m serving up my two top favorite risotto recipes. I hope your family loves them as much as mine does.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage
a pinch of dried chili peppers
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 & 1/2 cups arborio rice
4 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1/2 cup water with 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar)
1/2 cup Asiago cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Gently saute the onion and garlic till soft. Season with sage and chili peppers. Stir in the cubed squash. Add the rice and stir for about 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups of hot stock (reserve 1 cup of stock for later) and white wine. Bring to a boil, give it a good stir, cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir the rice and then cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup of stock, cheese and parsley. Stir until everything is heated and the cheese has melted. Serve and enjoy!

Butternut squash risotto is great on its own or served as a side dish. Enjoy!

And now...saving the best for last!...my absolute favorite risotto recipe. Trust me, it's delicious!

Shrimp Risotto with Spinach and Green Peas

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon rind, finely grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1& 1/2 cups arborio rice
3 & 1/2 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1/2 cup water with 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar)
3/4 pound cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Gently saute the onion and garlic till soft. Season with lemon rind and salt. Add the rice and stir for about 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups of hot stock (reserve 1 cup of stock for later) and white wine. Bring to a boil, give it a good stir, cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir the rice and then cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of stock, shrimp, spinach and green peas. Stir until everything is heated through.

Variation: Omit the frozen peas and replace with blanched sugar snap peas.

This one is great as a main dish. Serve with a salad and, if you choose, your favorite chilled white wine.

Most of all, enjoy!

Until next time,
Lee

This Week's News

I was beginning to wonder if summer would ever arrive here in the Pacific Northwest, and finally it has. Two warm sunny days, back to back. Hurray!

On Saturday my critique partner, Rachel Goldsworthy and I presented our blogging workshop to an enthusiastic audience of romance writers in Vancouver, BC. It was a fun day, and on the way home I found the coolest T-shirt to wear at my summer booksignings. It's turquoise and has a print of a VW hippie van on it - a lot like the one on my bookmark.

I'll post a photo of the T-shirt soon, possibly with me in it.

This week I have made great strides on clearing out my office. And yes, I know what you're thinking.

Wasn't she talking about this last year?

Yes, I was. My excuse? I've been busy! Now that I'm making progress, I'm also back to daydreaming about furniture, and this just might be the most beautiful chair I've ever seen.

It's a Harlequin wingback chair from a company called MacKenzie-Childs. Could there be a more perfect chair for the office of a Harlequin author named McKenzie? I think not.

Alas, I'm afraid it's out of my budget. But a girl can daydream, right?

Until next time,
Lee

Putting the FUN in Fundraiser

I came across this blog by Eddie Ross, Inc. the other day and had to share because it combines two things that are very near and dear to my heart—scouring secondhand stores and flea markets for fabulous vintage finds, and raising funds for a cure for melanoma through the Noreen O’Neil Foundation for Melanoma Research and The Wistar Insitute.

The event was called A Date with a Plate and I have to ask, is this not the happiest and most beautiful tablescape you have ever seen?

Can you see yourself sitting here for lunch or dinner with seven of your BFFs, perhaps on a lovely terrace? Shaded from the sun, of course!

For the full story, though, you really must visit to Eddie Ross’s blog to discover how he put it all together.

I’m inspired!

Until next time,
Lee

Tuesday News

On Saturday, June 19 my critique partner Rachel Goldsworthy and I are presenting a fun, interactive workshop - Blog a Little, Blog a Lot, or Not - to the Greater Vancouver Chapter of Romance Writers of America. Guests are welcome.

Last Tuesday I forgot to mention that four new Harlequin American Romances were released.

The Sheriff and the Baby
by C.C. Coburn

Walker: The Rodeo Legend
by Rebecca Winters

The Best Man in Texas
by Tanya Michaels

Second Chance Hero
by Shelley Galloway

Check out the covers and back cover blurbs at eHarlequin.com. Rebecca Winter's Walker: The Rodeo Legend is the first book in Harlequin American Romance's first-ever not-to-be-missed continuity series. Happy reading!

Until next time,
Lee

Friday Food for Thought— Mediterranean Risotto

Here’s another of my favorite risotto recipes.

Mediterranean Risotto

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 cups arborio rice
3 and 3/4 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1/2 cup water with 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar)
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup black olives, pitted and sliced in half
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Gently saute the onion and garlic till soft. Season with oregano. Add the rice and stir for about 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups of hot stock (reserve 3/4 cup of stock for later) and white wine. Bring to a boil, give it a good stir, cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir the rice and then cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add the remaining 3/4 stock, cheese, olives and parsley. Stir until everything is heated and the cheese has melted. Serve and enjoy!

Tip: if using regular sun-dried tomatoes, soften them in boiling water for 5 minutes before chopping.

Variation: add some chopped prosciutto (Italian ham) along with the cheese.

This risotto goes well with a big green salad, and a glass of red wine if you’re so inclined.

Bon appetit!

Until next time,
Lee

Tuesday News

Revisions to The Wedding Bargain are coming along nicely, I’m happy to say.

Went to one of my favorite farmers’ markets on Saturday and came home with a bag of garden-fresh produce—baby salad greens, Swiss chard, and some delicious turnips that went into a pot of stew on Sunday—and tickets to the local Shakespeare festival’s production of The Taming of the Shrew in July. It’s one of my favorite Shakespeare plays and I’m really looking forward to it.

Six of my neighbors had garage sales on the weekend and from one of them I acquired a huge concrete urn for my patio. And it was FREE! Now I have to make a trip to the garden center to buy plants for it.

I didn’t participate in the sale but I had two boxes of books that were looking for new homes. I put them on a table at the end of the driveway with a “FREE BOOKS” sign, and all but eight disappeared.

Have I mentioned that I’m now on Facebook? I even have a Lee McKenzie - Contemporary Romance Author fan page. Now I just need some fans.

Oh, wait...

Until next time,
Lee

Friday Food for Thought—Vegetable Risotto

I love risotto because, depending on the serving size, it can either be a one-pot meal or a delicious side dish. This month I’m serving up four of my risotto recipes, starting with one of my favorites.

Vegetable Risotto

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
3-3/4 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1/2 cup water with 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
1 zucchini, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup corn kernels, cooked
1/2 cup Asiago cheese, grated

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Gently saute the onion, garlic, red pepper and zucchini until soft. Season with salt and the basil. Add the rice and stir for about 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups of hot stock (reserve 3/4 cup of stock for later) and white wine. Bring to a boil, give it a good stir, cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir the rice and then cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add the remaining 3/4 stock, the green onions, corn and Asiago cheese. Stir until everything is heated and the cheese has melted.

Variation: to make this a little more elegant, add steamed asparagus spears along with the corn and green onions. Okay, so I happen to think asparagus is elegant!

Optional: garnish with sprigs of fresh basil.

This recipe makes four entree-sized servings or eight side servings.

Enjoy!

Until next time,
Lee

PS: for more of my risotto recipes, check back every Friday this month.

Tuesday News

I attended the Write On, Vancouver Conference this weekend. Great workshops and speakers, reconnected with old friends, made some new ones and, best of all, got to spend time with my Harlequin editor, Johanna Raisanen.

This week I’ll be busy with revisions to The Wedding Bargain and plans for the July 13th release of Firefighter Daddy.

On Sunday while I was still in Vancouver, I bought a butternut squash risotto cake a take-out deli counter. A delicious twist on risotto, which is something I make fairly often, so this month I’m going to post my favorite risotto recipes on Food for Thought Fridays.

Until next time,
Lee