#NaNoWriMo 2012 comes to an end...

Another year and more goals. Argh. Well, lemme be honest, November sucks for NaNoWriMo. Or in my case NaNoRevMo (National Novel Revision Month). It was tough times all around. So on the word count front I am.... Yup! Technically I won because I wrote over 71,000 words for The Facility. Mind you I wrote this over the course of 18 months in addition to this past November. However, due to deadlines for my Collection and work and other things arising I did not get to revise beyond Part 2 (there are four parts in all). Count in that the piece is 95% complete, meaning that a portion of Part 4 still needs to end (I know the ending just need to scribe it), leaves me a bit bummed.

I did meet my end of November deadlines though so that is high-five worthy! And looking over the goals I wrote like for myself this year, creatively anyways, I met them all. So that makes me happy. Writing my goals for 2013 I feel uplifted and secure in being able to meet them and knowing I'll continue on with revisions and writing for The Facility and Family Album looking forward to their completion.

That being said here's my new goal for The Facility.

New goal: Finish revisions by January 15, 2013 to send to beta reader(s).

So that sums up NaNoWriMo (or NaNoRevMo) for me. We'll see if I pursue either again next November.

Happy Holidays and writing and eating and all that good stuff! 

(Giving) Thanks to my YA Critique Partners!

'Tis the time of year to give thanks for what you have. And many times that translates to who you have in your life. Of course I'm thankful to ALL my friends, family, and fellow foodies for their support through a rough year and rough times ahead. For all the warm fuzzies, well wishes, shoulders to vent and cry on, and baked goods galore. Y'alls are the best. But I did want to take a moment and thank those who have been especially helpful for a writing project I've been tackling. Being NaNoWriMo month and me focusing on a complete revision of my young adult (YA) novel I wanted to take a moment and give HUGE, MAGNANIMOUS thanks to my critique partners for this young adult project, tentatively titled The Facility. Your reading and re-reading (and re-reading) as well as your advice, well wishes, and kindness has been helpful beyond expression. :-)

While I have a growing list of great people and fellow writers to thank for my growth as a writer from the time I started in junior high to now I'm singling out the ladies who have aided me in getting more confidence as I pursue the YA project that had been in my mind since I started undergrad and just never thought I had the chutzpah to pursue. Well, nine years later here it goes.

I met my CPs on WriteOnCon when there was a launch for a kind of blind dating of potential CPs. You posted your project to the forum and looked at what others posted and you inquired with each other and submitted work. If you liked each other's style then you connected and from then on things went very well for me!

Amy Christine Parker

What I admire most about Amy is not only her writing style but her organization and ability to get stuff done. Amy's debut The Silo is coming out next year with Random House and it's a whopper lemme tell you. When I read the first few pages I was thinking to myself "This is so good. I want to read more! Crap, I hope she likes my work!"

Amy hones into her characters and their deepest fears. (If you've read her stuff on Fiction Femme Fatale you'll know what I mean.) Her contemporary work is original and something I'm confident readers will grasp on and relate to. It hits you from the first page and you relate to everyone in some way, the good and the bad.

Amy has been great with helping me think on the bigger picture and connecting the dots on things I may not have seen in my work. We're all pretty critical when we read a book and think "Well why didn't the writer think of that?" Amy is that reader who aids you as writer to zone in on that so the story doesn't go off-kilter at any point and you can enjoy the piece. In my latest revision her advice has been astoundingly helpful and also hit points that I had been questioning myself.

Jenny Coon Peterson

Jenny is a magnificent world builder and has a deep love for the young adult and the fantastical. She's been incredibly helpful in terms of moving things along and also digging deeper into what should urk the reader. Which is totally what I was going for! Jenny has helped me tighten action scenes and push deeper in terms of the larger piece so that it moves faster and doesn't drag.

Jenny is also an idea person. She has amazing premises and thoughts on how to move things along. Every NaNoWriMo I'm amazed and in awe of how much material she produces and how deep she goes into the worlds she creates. The first novel I read of hers reminded me of Harry Potter. When I read it and reread it, I wanted to get lost in it again, but I had to give her critiques asap! Knowing her love for Potter I saw the influence but also her own twist and originality in creating a cool group of people and a multitude of layers for a series that I'm certain will be embraced by readers.

Nicole Settle

Nicole is a phenom when it comes to pacing. Every time I read her work I'm amazed at how much happens in so few pages. Her prose is fast-paced but you get so much in the details of what she adds in. From her work I learn precision. I keep reviewing her stuff in the hopes that it'll seep into my brain by osmosis. She hits the darkside of things in her writing while always maintaining to insert a bit of hope.

Nicole has been great in letting me know what works even if I'm concerned it doesn't while also noting tweaks and changes in details, characters, and scenes. And because of her knowledge of the genre she pinpoints aspects of these characters lives I should consider for later on.

Nicole is also a baking nut like myself. Baking bonds so many people.

I'd also like to give thanks to Carrie Bastyr who read preliminary bits of this work. Her advice has also helped as I revise the series.

These ladies have helped me immensely in the revision stages. Having CPs who are avid readers and detailed critiquers will advance your work by leaps and bounds, I promise you.

So, as I plug away on the 3rd draft and look over the insightful comments from my CPs, I just wanted to extend a very big, interwebz, pre-Thanksgiving THANKS for all your help and support. Your advice, your persistence, your wonderful writing first and foremost, has inspired and helped me grow. And I'm super glad we connected via WriteOnCon. :-)

Interview with The Brownie Boy (A home grown business taking you back to your favorite memories.)

On my first of three, yes three, trips to Smorgasburg this year I was introduced to The Brownie Boy. What stuck out was the lovely sea-foam colored banner and of course the reasonable pricing. And, as you know, I am always on the lookout for the newest in baked goods in NYC. I owe it to you to spread the word after all.

The Brownie Boy is Mario Grosso, a new entrepreneur in the food field and the man knows his brownies! Each time I went to Smorgasburg I urged those with me to try his delightful delicacies. My fave is his walnut brownie, but the dulce de leche was the first to catch my eye. Mario noted that he takes great pride in making his bars the right consistency. I replied that I highly appreciated that.

My friends, food bloggers and foodies alike, who've tried his brownies and blondies agree, he's one of the new bakeries that we have to watch out for as The Brownie Boy business grows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The ‘Story’ section of your website nicely details the memory of sneaking that first bite of a really good brownie. Do brownies (and blondies) hold a particular memory for you? Was this the dessert that made you passionate about baking overall?

I have always loved brownies more than any other dessert, and I think that a lot of people can relate to the scene in my story. Brownies are very popular with kids, and very nostalgic with adults; they are true crowd pleasers. Brownies were one of the few treats that my mom would bake in the oven. So, brownies definitely hold a special place in my heart. What made me passionate about developing my own recipes was discovering the overwhelming amount of disappointing brownies on the market, and the tendency of people to not only rely on boxed mixes, but consider the results authentic. The inspiration behind The Brownie Boy is the 1950s, before the advent of brownie mixes, artificial flavors, and preservatives; an era centered upon baking from scratch. At the same time, the mission of The Brownie Boy is to take the “one bowl” dessert from simple to gourmet, by using the finest ingredients to create a scrumptious assortment of unique flavors. There has been no greater feeling than being able to share my interpretation of the perfect brownie!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Brownie Boy was officially introduced to the larger public at Smorgasburg this year. How has that experience been for you as a new vendor? Do you plan on going to other fairs during the year or next summer like Hester Street Fair or Brooklyn Flea or branching out in other ways around the city?

Being at Smorgasburg has been an absolutely amazing experience, and a great platform for launching my business. For sure, there is a chance that I might expand to other markets and fairs next year, or even delve into wholesale, but the top priority for me is to open an online shop. Smorgasburg has been great for building a customer fan base and putting my name and product out there, for which I am extremely grateful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Despite the name will The Brownie Boy extend beyond bars? Are cupcakes or cookies in the future as delicious and easily transportable baked goods?

There is a possibility of expanding the menu beyond brownies. I actually sold cookies at Smorgasburg on two separate occasions. Once, I offered a milk and dark chocolate chunk cookie with fleur de sel; on another, I offered a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie with fleur de sel. Both of these flavors sold out and received great feedback. It was good to let customers know that I have other recipes in my repertoire (and that I’m capable of baking other goods besides brownies), and even better to know that they really enjoyed them. However, I definitely want to establish myself as a brownie company before officially adding different products to the menu.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Red Velvet Brownie! This is being rolled out at Smorgaburg this coming weekend. Yet, there had been a previous variation. I was particularly excited to see this was on the menu but you’ve perfected it. Red velvet can be quite controversial in the baking world as to what makes it ‘good’ or ‘real red velvet.’ What, for you, makes good red velvet?

That’s right! And they sold out pretty quickly. Since its introduction, Red Velvet has become my second most popular flavor, following Dulce de Leche. I had to play with it because my original recipe and design was not package-friendly. I’m very happy with the new results.

I’ve had a lot of mediocre and/or faux red velvet, so it was my goal to offer something worthy of the name. In my opinion, authentic red velvet needs to have buttermilk, vinegar, and only a hint of chocolate. As a chocoholic, it was pretty hard to resist using too much chocolate in the recipe, but I restrained myself! Turning red velvet into a brownie was particularly difficult, while staying true to the traditional recipe, because buttermilk tends to give baked goods a fluffy, tender, and light crumb. But, after painstaking experimentation, I figured out a way to keep my red velvet brownie dense and fudgy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your brownies and blondies are fabulously moist yet not under cooked at all! My friends and I noted this when we tried both blondies and brownies at Smorgasburg a couple weeks ago. Making bars can be such a challenge with finding the right texture between dense, fudgy, and cakey, and people can be particular. Do you think that the right texture is what captures the perfect brownie or is it more about the flavor or a mixture of both?

Thank you! One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to baked goods is lack of moistness. I’ve had my fair share of dry brownies, and that’s one of the many reasons for starting this business. I am very opinionated when it comes to the taste and texture of brownies. I do not believe in cakey brownies (there’s cake for that!), so I always strive for dense with a texture balanced between fudgy and chewy. In terms of flavor, brownies should be rich and bold. I have a “go hard or go home” philosophy with flavor. So, in short, I do think that texture is what defines a brownie, but flavor is just as important (it can have the perfect texture, but it still needs to taste great if you want people to eat them!).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of The Brownie Boy’s trademarks is using the best ingredients, like fleur de sel on top of the dulce de leche brownie, are there other types of flavors you may be trying during the season(s), and be inspired by as fall becomes winter becomes spring? Or will The Brownie Boy focus on expanding what is offered year-round?

That’s right. I am trying to elevate the brownie to gourmet dessert status by using premium ingredients. For example, I use Valrhona and Callebaut chocolates, King Arthur Flour, and Nielsen-Massey vanillas. Every ingredient plays a critical role in the final outcome of a finished product, so it is very important that each is of the highest quality. It is extremely likely that I will introduce seasonal flavors in the future. I always have flavor ideas running through my mind, including two personal favorites – pumpkin and peppermint, both of which are considered seasonal. At this stage, it’s more important for me to build a ‘base’ menu of flavors that are available year-round. Then, I’ll start focusing on flavors with limited availability.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beyond Twitter, Facebook, and your website are there any other types of social media that you’re on? You've already had features on the Village Voice blog and Just Desserts NYC, so will The Brownie Boy have a blog in the future? Also, how else can people attain goods once Smorgasburg ends later this month?

Those are definitely the best sources for information, especially my official website. It’s also a good idea to “like” us on Facebook or “follow” us on Twitter to stay in the know regarding the latest recipe experiments, special deals, and all other business updates. I don’t think that The Brownie Boy will venture into the blogosphere, but you never know! Once the 2012 season of Smorgasburg closes, I am hoping to open an online store. I’ve gotten a lot of inquiries regarding shipping from out-of-state visitors and locals alike. I’m also looking into wholesale as well, so you may be able to find my brownies elsewhere in the city!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Thanks so much for the interview, Mario. Wishing The Brownie Boy continued success. And I'll definitely be ordering the red velvet. 

DUB Pies for #SandyRelief

In light of the recent events of Superstorm Sandy affecting many in the tri-state area, especially New York City and New Jersey, the giveaway I had intended is now to feed those in need post-Sandy.

I want to sincerely thank Gareth of DUB (Down Under Bakery) Pies for being generous in providing 16 pies to people who've been affected by Sandy and may not have had a hot meal in a week or so amidst many losses.

Gareth informed me that DUB has their own storefront in Brooklyn called The Pie Shop where visitors can not only get pie but their daily caffeine fix. I'm glad to hear this homegrown business was one that was not hit hard by Sandy last week. I'm always happy to hear about eateries that start off small whether online or mainly in markets and then grow because of steady patronship and good product. DUB Pies is one of those such success stories.

DUB Pies has been named the Meatiest Meat Pie by The Village Voice and has been noted in New York Magazine and Time Out New York. 

I will be delivering frozen or warm pies from DUB's menu. I'm reaching out to Occupy Sandy to aid in providing warm and delicious pies to those in need. If you have any further information or know of others who may be in need of items don't hesitate to let me know via email and also check Occupy Sandy, Food Bank of NYC, and Red Cross on ways to help Sandy Relief efforts.

A little about DUB Pies...

What makes DUB Pies different from other savory items you may have eaten? First off, it's pretty much all savory (except for offering the American staple apple pie). Second, these are some hearty pies stuffed to the gills with meat and/or veggies in non-traditional crust that is both buttery (made with shortening/lard) yet thick and not so much flaky to cater to the fullness you'll feel after eating it. What makes NYC a food mecca is that you can get so many variations on ethnic cuisine and DUB is no different. Gareth is a native of New Zealand and brought his native culinary skills and ingredients to NYC to broaden our pallets in terms of the meaty/savory pie realm.

National Novel Writing Month (#NaNoWriMo) 2012

As NYC and NJ residents begin to heal post-Sandy November begins, holidays approach and well, it's that time again. NaNoWriMo officially begins today and I'm doing it people. I. Am. In!

While I know the goal for NaNoWriMo is to start something new and write at least 50,000 words in 30 days or so I am going to pull an Erin Morgenstern and revise a piece in progress. (Last year, Erin had posted a letter of support to NaNoWriMo participants about how she was revising her best-selling book The Night Circus during NaNoWriMo.)

My goal is to completely revise the latest draft of my young adult (YA) novel in progress tentatively titled The Facility. I received feedback from my critique partners on the near-finished piece at the end of the summer and have yet to really sit down and tackle revisions. Via their helpful comments I believe I have a good sounding board for doing a full revision from start to finish and then hand off the finished product to a beta (avid) reader friend of mine once I'm done. So let's hope I can complete my goal for this year of finishing this book.

My username on NaNoWriMo is jenn.bakerhenry. So feel free to hit me up via the NaNoWriMo board.

Happy Writing!