DAY 3: A recipe and an excerpt from author Justine Alley Dowsett

As the weather gets colder and we start spending more time inside, it’s definitely the right season to curl up with holiday foods and some heartwarming books. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with the air fryer and discovered that you can fill wontons wrappers with just about anything and they will be delicious. So for a holiday spin on this idea, why not try my Cranberry and Brie stuffed wontons?

You can, of course, use canned cranberry sauce, but to make your own:

Slow-cooker Cranberry Sauce
1 bag (approx 2-2.5 cups) fresh cranberries
½ cup sugar
Orange zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch of cinnamon
Put everything into the slow cooker and leave on low heat until the cranberries break down and a jammy consistency is reached. Chill, then serve. Freezes well.
 
To make the wontons:
Fill store-bought wonton wrappers with a teaspoon of cranberry sauce and a small piece of brie cheese (goat cheese or cream cheese would probably also work here). Dip your finger in a glass of water and run it along the edges of the wonton before folding in half on a diagonal. Press the edges together to seal. Lay the wontons in your air fryer, careful not to overcrowd them. Drizzle lightly with a neutral oil and air fry at 200’c for 6 minutes.

As for a book to pair these with, why not check out my winter-themed fantasy romance, Uncommon?

Ebook:
Mirror World store
Amazon
 
Paperback:
Mirror World store
Amazon
 
About the book:
Would you write a love letter to a stranger?
Rygal Saline has always stood in his sister’s shadow. As heir to the Clan Chief, Rhea has been trained in the art of leadership and warfare. Rygal is just, well, Rygal.
 
After several years away at a College in Ismera, Rygal returns to Jaram for his father’s funeral only to find a letter from his sister. She’s gone, she’s sorry, and she expects him to take her place as the next clan chief. Never envisioning a place for himself within the clan, let alone taking on the responsibilities of leadership, Rygal finds himself alone and out of his depth. 
 
Desperate for companionship and for someone he can turn to for help, he writes a letter to every eligible maiden on the continent, hoping to find a wife. The letters travel far and wide. Most are rejected until an accident of fate sends Rygal’s letters into the hands of two women for whom they were never intended, setting in motion a plot that threatens to bring Clan Jaram to the brink of war.

Read on for an excerpt from Uncommon...

An Uncommon Excerpt:

“Rhea left?” The words were out of Rygal’s mouth before he even realized he had spoken.

Cael, a man of few words, nodded. Micah frowned.

“Maybe she went out for a walk or a ride to clear her head?” Rygal suggested. Then looked from Cael to Micah, waiting for one of them to confirm his theory or at least agree it was possible, but Micah simply lowered his gaze to the letter in Rygal’s hand.

“Something tells me you’d better read that, kiddo.”

Reluctantly, Rygal broke the seal with his thumb.
 
Dearest Rygal,
I’m sorry.
I hereby renounce my claim to the title of Clan Chief of Jaram.
You are the Clan Chief now, little brother. Do our people proud.
Rhea.
 
Shock flooded Rygal. He read the letter again, then twice more, but it still didn’t provide him with any more information. She’s gone, she’s sorry, and I’m the Clan Chief now. Why, Rhea? What the hell are you thinking? Rygal was very much aware of his own inadequacies. His father had drilled them into him over the course of his life. You’re the one father trained for this. You’re the one he chose. He hated me. He was always thankful he had you and I would never be the one to take his place.

He thought of the clan, but he just couldn’t fathom how they would react to the news . It was just simply something no one had ever considered. Rhea had been father’s choice of heir and Rygal had just been there, in the background, trying to figure out where he belonged and what he wanted to do with his life.

Rygal looked around the room to find Cael watching him, his expression as impassive as always, and Micah, curious and expectant. Rygal shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Micah, I’m going to need someone to go after Rhea,” he said before he’d really had a chance to think it through.

“You want us to bring her back?”

Rygal toyed with the idea, trying to picture it. “I don’t think a herd of horses could drag Rhea where she didn’t want to go,” he concluded. “Just catch up to her and…” he thought about it some more, biting his lower lip, “…see that she gets where she’s going safely. I don’t want anything bad to happen to her.”

Micah nodded slowly, still watching him. “What’d the letter say?”

Rygal swallowed apprehensively. “That, uh…” He paced a few steps, turning away from Micah and finding Cael there, blocking the doorway. He stopped, turned back and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. “Rhea’s not coming back. She wants me to be the next Clan Chief.”

Micah shook his head with pursed lips as if he had expected this answer all along, even though he didn’t like it. “In that case,” he said, “Cael, you go after Rhea.” He put up a hand before Rygal could protest. “I’m staying here because someone’s got to help you. You’re going to need a good right-hand man.”

Rygal’s heart leapt to his throat. Me? Lead the clan? I barely know them.

Cael departed, not waiting for further instruction. Rygal turned to Micah, his lifeline in all this. “You really think the Clan will name me in Rhea’s absence?”

Micah shook his head again. “I can’t say. But Rygal, whatever happens, just know I’ve got your back.”

Rygal swallowed the uncomfortable lump in his throat and nodded before turning and taking in the wide view of the keep and the snow-covered peaks beyond. Clan Jaram. The snow was falling steadily now, swirling around his father’s tower, maybe soon to be his tower. You can see it all from here. Vast, wild, and untamable. Can this really be where I belong?

About the author:

Justine Alley Dowsett is the author of over ten novels, and one of the founders of Mirror World Publishing. Her books, which she often co-writes with her sister, Murandy Damodred, range from young adult science fiction to dark fantasy/romance. She earned a BA in Drama from the University of Windsor, honed her skills as an entrepreneur by tackling video game production, and now she dedicates her time to writing, publishing, and occasionally role-playing with her friends.