Nancy's Notes From Florida

Discount Book Sale
December 12, 2024

As a bonus for the holiday season, I’m offering my entire collection of ebooks for 50% off at Smashwords from now through January 1, 2025! It’s part of their End of Year sale and this is your chance to get my titles at a discount.

Get caught up on my Bad Hair Day series and maybe try some of my other books as well. Go here for all my titles:  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Nancy_J.Cohen

Or for The Bad Hair Day Mysteries only: https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/70740

Please share this super sale with family and friends!

GIFT IDEAS

For your hairdresser – Get her a print copy of FACIALS CAN BE FATAL. During the frenzied holiday season, hairstylist Marla Vail must peel back the truth when a client has a fatal facial at her day spa. https://books2read.com/FacialsCanBeFatal

Facials Can Be Fatal

For your writer friend/critique partner – WRITING THE COZY MYSTERY will help develop the characters, plot the story, add suspense, plant clues, and solve the crime to write the perfect whodunit or to add an element of mystery to any type story. https://books2read.com/cozymystery

For your friend who loves to cook – Gift her a print copy of A BAD HAIR DAY COOKBOOK with 160+ easy recipes, cooking tips, themed dinner menus, and anecdotes written by hairstylist sleuth Marla Vail. https://books2read.com/ABadHairDayCookbook

And if you want to give me a gift, remember that reviews are critically important to authors. You can leave a review on any book. It doesn’t have to be the most recent one. Either way, it would be greatly appreciated.

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here Dec 1 -22 to win a free T-shirt from Booklovers Bench. While you’re there, check out our Let’s Talk blog posts, On the Bench discussions, and weekly Puzzles.

And in case I don’t communicate again until the New Year (my new grandbaby is due in ONE week!), here’s wishing you a safe, happy, and joyous holiday season!

Nancy


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Gratitude and Grapes Wine Pairing Dinner
December 2, 2024

I greatly enjoy wine pairing dinners, and this one at Bonefish Grill met my expectations. The starter course was Pumpkin Whipped Feta on garlic-herb crostini topped with pepitas and honey along with Rombauer Chardonnay. I enjoyed the wine and the honey-dripped appetizer.

    

   

Next came Kung Pao Shrimp fried and tossed in savory Kung Pao sauce with vegetables and jasmine rice topped with toasted macadamia nuts. This was accompanied by Prati by Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon. The shrimp were crispy and savory although this dish was almost a meal in itself. I liked the accompanying wine choice.

For an entree, we had Winter White Salmon wood-grilled and topped with cranberry glaze and crumbled goat cheese served with bacon-pecan stuffing and green beans. This dish was interesting with a different topping than usual. I enjoyed it and the Rombauer Zinfandel.

   

Dessert was Apple Pecan Cheesecake with a warm apple cider glaze topped with candied pecans and diced apples. This came with a Rombauer Sauvignon Blanc, not one of my favorite wine varietals as it’s too fruity for my taste. The cheesecake was rich and creamy.

All in all, this was an enjoyable evening.

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win a free T-shirt for readers from Booklovers Bench!


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Wonder of the Seas 2024 – Day 7
November 30, 2024

Today we arrived at Coco Cay in the Bahamas after another amazing sunrise.

 

 

On the island, we browsed among the native craft market shops, sipped our favorite drinks (a rum punch for me), and lazed in a lounge chair while admiring the ocean view. This island has lots of attractions but Ann and I had been here before so no need to explore.

    

   

The barbecue lunch is always a treat. Not long after, we headed back to the ship to indulge in the air-conditioning.

 

 

Dinner tonight was in a specialty restaurant at Chops Grille. I had the goat cheese salad, the petite filet, and apple pie a la mode.

 

 

That night, we finally saw The Effectors II Crash ’N Burn Show. It was amazing. What impressed us was that it had an actual story. Four superheroes battled an evil villain who sought to capture them. Lasers and drones upped the intensity and added to the fun along with aerialists and the singers and dancers. This show was a great finale to our cruise.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed vicariously sharing my adventures. Now it’s time to plan the next voyage!


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Wonder of the Seas 2024 – Day 6
November 29, 2024

Today was a sea day. I had my early morning croissant then watched the sunrise. We had a full breakfast in Johnny Rockets.

   

Then we walked around looking for ducks and exploring the ship. We discovered a card room on one deck and a shuffleboard court along the jogging trail on Deck 5 along with a hidden spot with a great view. My favorite hangout is still the Solarium in a lounge chair facing the ocean.

 

  

Lunch was hot dogs at The Doghouse and dessert in the Windjammer.

 

At 2:30 in the Schooner Lounge, we attended a Taste of the Caribbean Tasting Experience where we learned how to make six different rum cocktails. My favorites were the Goombay Smash and the Rum Punch.

 

We had dinner in the Main Dining Room. My choices included Shrimp Cocktail and Onion Tart for starters, Lobster Tail for the entrée, and Baked Alaska for dessert.

 

 

The Crash ’N Burn production show was postponed due to rocky seas. Instead, the six vocalists performed with a live orchestra in a show that we liked a lot better than “Voices.”

Coming Next: Day 7 on Coco Cay


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Wonder of the Seas 2024 – Day 5
November 27, 2024

Today we visited St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands for our cruise on RCCL’s Wonder of the Seas. First we awoke to another glorious sunrise with the island in sight. I had my early morning coffee with a chocolate croissant in the Promenade Café before a full breakfast in Windjammer.

     

This may have been my umpteenth time visiting this island, but it was the first visit to this particular pier at Crown Bay. Shops waited for us along with a bevy of iguanas on shore.

 

 

Rather than spend our limited time shopping, we opted for a food tour. This was hugely fun and well worth the cost. An open-air vehicle took us to the center of town where our guide began a walking tour. We viewed several historical buildings and entered the post office that had an impressive mural on the wall.

 

 

Our first stop was the Sugarcane Grille in the Bunker Hill Hotel. Up the steps we went with no elevator available. At an inspiring outdoor setting, we had chicken curry, fried plantains & rice and beans. It was delicious.

 

 

We made an impromptu stop downtown by Main Street in a jewelry store. They had a bar where we sampled different rum varieties. The chocolate rum was the best and also had a risqué name that I won’t repeat here.

 

 

Then we went to The Tuck Shop for conch fritters and to learn how to make our own Painkiller rum drink. That was a fun experience.

 

 

In a jolly mood, we headed next to the Banana Split Sweet & Savory place for dessert, which was baklava and a chocolate cupcake. The guide gave us the option of staying in town or getting a ride back to the ship. We opted for the latter since all aboard time wasn’t far off. We did have time to browse in the shops along the pier before heading to our cabin for a rest.

 

Back on board the ship, we did a backstage tour for elite loyalty members before changing for dinner. My menu choices tonight were Caesar salad, shrimp in garlic sauce, and pineapple cake.

 

 

Following, Ann rose the Rising Tide bar that rose from Deck 5 to Deck 8.

We attended the “Intense” Aquashow that had been postponed from Day 1 due to windy weather. This was a glittery, high octane show with high divers, swimmers and dancers performing to loud music. It rained, and everyone fled under cover while stewards handed out towels. Then the skies cleared and a full moon came out for us to admire.

 

Coming Next: Day 6 and a Taste of the Caribbean Mixology Class


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