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It’s getting to be that time of year again…

Pie time!

Yes, I know the main course for Thanksgiving is turkey, and lipsmacking fixings are also on the brain, but let’s face it:

We live for the pie.

My latest series, Totlandia, broke this week on Amazon. It has nothing to do with murder, but with launching both The Housewife Assassin’s Guide to Gracious Killing in October, and The Housewife Assassin’s Killer Christmas Tips in December, it’s fun to think of something other than assassins, terrorists, and dead bodies so close to a holiday that is built around food, folks and fun.

(Yes, I stole that slogan from McDonald’s. But no, it doesn’t mean I’ll be feeding my family from there on the big day.)

I came up with the idea for Totlandia while on my book tour for my novel, The Baby Planner. I so enjoyed the opportunity of delving into the tsunami of emotions women experience during pregnancy, and loved writing about how our feelings color our view of ourselves: our lives, our relationships, our future.

My book tour was hosted by baby planners all over the country, and was attended by many women who were in playgroups. As I watched their interactions with each other and with their children, I realized there was a story to be told about women in that particular time of their lives: when new friendships are forged while our children are too young to choose their friends themselves.

We parents seek out others who share our hopes, dreams and values. What we come to find out is that true friendships are tested over time, and under the most stressful circumstances. It’s one thing to enjoy a conversation while sharing a park bench on a sunny afternoon. It’s another to feel comfortable enough to divulge a heavy heart, over a scary medical prognosis, or a separation, or a shady past.

We all have secrets. We have to weigh the definition of friendship with that of our ability to trust, and to honor a friend’s trust.

Totlandia is all about friendships and trust. Granted, the setting and circumstances are sometimes over-the-top farcical, and sometimes tragic. Then again, so is real life.

To celebrate the launch of the Totlandia series, I’m throwing a recipe contest!

Here’s how it works:

Between November 11th and 22nd, submit an original thanksgiving recipe with a photo of the dish to the Totlandia facebook page. The ten best recipes will be compiled into a book and released with Totlandia Book 3 and the authors dubbed honorary “Foursies” of the elite Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club!

The first 50 participants will receive a free copy of Totlandia The Onesies: Book 1

What’s better than your name in print? Your recipe in print!

When: November 12-November 22 at 12pm Est.

How: Post your original recipe and photo on the Totlandia Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/totlandiatheseries

Winners will be announced on Dec 21, 2012.

In the meantime, here’s an excerpt of Totlandia — and my very own recipe for Chocolate Walnut pie.

Enjoy, and good luck,

— Josie

Josie’s Chocolate Walnut Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

3 eggs

2/3 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of butter

2-3 squares of 70% dark chocolate

1 cup corn syrup (I use dark)

1 cup or more of walnut bits

A splash of Amaretto (my secret ingredient!)

1. Melt the margarine and the chocolate together, stirring until chocolate is smooth.

2. Add beat the eggs, then add sugar, salt, syrup and amaretto. Stir again, until everything is mixed thoroughly.

4. Stir in the walnuts.

5. Pour it into your unbaked pie shell.

6. Bake at 375 degrees F,  until the pie is set: around  40-50 minutes, or until pie is set.

7. Yes, it smell great and tastes best hot! Still, let it sit for 30 minutes before slicing.

About Josie Brown

Josie Brown is the author of these novels: The Housewife Assassin Novel Series, including The Housewife Assassin's Handbook (Book 1) [2011, Signal Press] The Housewife Assassin's Guide to Gracious Killing (Book 2) [2012, Signal Press] The Housewife Assassin's Killer Christmas Tips (Book 3) [2011, Signal Press] The Housewife Assassin's Relationship Survival Guide (Book 4) [2013, Signal Press] The Housewife Assassin's Vacation to Die For (Book 5) Totlandia (Novel Series), including Book 1 / Fall; Book 2 /Winter; Book 3 /Spring [2012, 2013, Coliloquy] The Baby Planner [2011, Simon & Schuster] Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives [2010, Simon & Schuster] Impossibly Tongue-Tied [2006, HarperCollins] True Hollywood Lies [2005, HarperCollins; 2010 Diversion Books] Her novel, Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives (Simon & Schuster), has been optioned by Jerry Bruckheimer for a dramatic television series.