Deborah Anderson

Deborah Anderson has written for Focus on the Family, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and numerous other publications. She is a member of SCBWI, TWV, ACFW, CWG, and FCW. Married 31 years, Deborah and her husband enjoy country living in the Midwest. She also spends her time rescuing cats, reading novels, and taking nature walks. Deborah recently completed a supernatural suspense novel for young adults. You can contact Deborah at: DAnderson955@aol.com. Visit her at www.deborahkanderson.com.

Diary of A Crazy Writer

Stock Your Cupboards

Have you ever developed mad food cravings—while reading a novel?


I certainly have, more times than I can count.


A few months ago, I plopped down in my trusty rocker, grabbed a book, and pored over the pages. As I read along, the character suddenly smelled bacon frying. The author described the skinny pieces of pork in vivid detail, the precious little lamb chop.


My stomach rumbled as I flipped to the next page. Bacon. Hmm.


I eyed the clock: 2:00 a.m. It was too late to go out, unless I wanted someone to mug me, which I didn’t, so I pressed onward, trying to stay focused on the story.


Before I could finish the next chapter, the salivating began. A BLT doesn’t sound bad right now.


I set the book aside, tiptoed to the kitchen, and rummaged through the refrigerator. I didn’t have any bacon, let alone the rest of the ingredients to make a BLT. I tapped my finger on my chin. You shouldn’t cook this late anyway.


Although I’d done so before, my behavior didn’t make my husband too happy, let me tell you. Banging pots and pans in the kitchen in the middle of the night made him think a burglar had invaded our home—not a pretty sight—poor thing.


And poor me.


A woman holding a spatula is no match against a man packing a pistol.


But at least no one was injured.


Now that I think about it, wandering out to get a sandwich in the middle of the night probably would have been safer.


Anyway, I’ve come to the conclusion that authors should put food disclaimers on their novels. Since there’s no such thing, though, I’ve compiled a short list to prevent other readers from going through what I have.


Warning: The following list can be hazardous to your waistline. If you’re trying to lose weight, replace the fattening foods with healthier tidbits, such as raw carrots, celery, cauliflower, fruit, etc.


• For an Amish novel, stockpile lots of sweets. Those gals do some serious baking.
• If you’re reading a mystery/suspense/thriller, or a supernatural suspense, have something crunchy on hand to get you through those edge-of-your-seat moments. Chips, nachos, or pretzels should do.
• For a romance, well, let’s be honest. Food’s the last thing y’all are thinking about.
• Oh, and for historical novels, I suggest bacon, potatoes, and other hearty morsels of food. Those women knew how to put out quite the spread.


These are just a few of the genres/foods that come to mind. If you really want to get serious about this, you can check out this new e-book: Novel Morsels: Your Favorite Authors Bringing Recipes to Life. These authors definitely had us readers in mind, God bless their hearts.


Just think, you can write down what you need for the recipes in the book, go to the store, and stock your cupboards first. When one of those cravings hits, you’ll be all set.




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