From Viola Shipman, Author of The Charm Bracelet
OCTOBER 2017 ISSUE

The next Heirloom book is coming soon...The Recipe Box

I love fall!

Don’t get me wrong, I relish summer … the long, warm days, the afternoons spent at the beach or laughing on friends’ boats as we zip across Lake Michigan – the blue of the water indistinguishable from that of the horizon – ooh’ing and aah’ing over a kaleidoscope of light during sunset picnics on the beach. But autumn’s beauty and fall color inspires me creatively and spiritually. There is nothing like the stunning crimsons, golds and oranges of the sugar maples and sassafras that surround my cottage and fill my writing studio with colorful light. And the rituals of fall – apple picking, pumpkin carving, decorating for Halloween, gallery strolls through the amazing artist studios that fill my artsy hometown of Saugatuck, Michigan – make me excited to write.

But, more than anything, I begin to nestle again during the fall. Nothing beats making a big pot of soup or chili and letting the house fill with wonderful smells as I watch my favorite football teams play. And I am in heaven sipping cider and making a cherished fall dessert: My family’s apple crisp and apple turnovers, or pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting.

My new novel, The Recipe Box – which comes out on March 20, 2018, and is available for pre-order now – is inspired by my grandmothers’ recipe boxes and includes many of my family’s treasured dessert recipes (including the ones I just mentioned). I’m deeply proud of this new novel, which centers on a lost young woman's return home to her family's northern Michigan orchard and pie pantry, where she rediscovers her passion, reconnects to the women in her life and learns about her family's history through the treasured recipes in an heirloom recipe box.

I grew up in my grandmothers' kitchens, tugging at their white aprons embroidered with pretty flowers and strawberries. Their prized possessions were their recipe boxes. It was from them that I learned not only to bake, but also the history of our family and the food we loved to make from the treasured family recipes in their beloved recipe boxes.

After they and my mom passed, I became the keeper of their recipes. I truly believe this novel’s messages about recipe boxes, treasured family recipes, cooking together, finding ourselves and respecting our histories through the women in our lives will resonate deeply with you. We're losing our connection with our family histories, as well as the stories and recipes of our elders, whose sacrifices and journeys helped make us who we are.

While it’s fun to watch a 30-second video of a cake being made on Facebook, nothing compares to pulling out a beloved recipe card and seeing the history embedded on it: From the handwriting to the flour flecks, butter stains and frosting marks. When we make a beloved family recipe, it’s as though those we love are standing right next to us in the kitchen, their hands on ours again, teaching us how to roll out a perfect pie crust.

Here’s wishing you a fabulous fall filled with wonderful food, crackling fires, great books and warm memories.

Thank you for reading, and may I ask you to share this newsletter with other readers who you think may enjoy it?

A Fall Recipe: My Family Apple Crisp

My grandma, Viola Shipman – the woman behind my pen name, whose heirlooms, love, life and lessons inspire my fiction – always used to say, “Put in the extra effort in life and baking. The end result is always worth it.” I still abide by that philosophy to this day.

Which is why I’m so excited to share the recipe for one of my family’s most treasured recipes: Apple Crisp. And it’s not the same ol’, same ol’ crisp either … this one will make your knees buckle. Moreover, this is the recipe that is featured in the Prologue of The Recipe Box and a recipe on which much of the story is centered. It’s perfect for fall!

My family has made this apple crisp for as long as I (and they) can remember. To me, this is – without a doubt – one of the most delicious desserts I’ve ever had in my life … which is why I make (or request) it every time it’s apple season, summer through fall. It’s a mix of tart apples sweetened and spiced to perfection with a hard crunch topping so sweet and rich it will make your knees buckle (told you) … and then head back for seconds. You can also swap out the apples for blueberries. And it’s perfect to top with homemade vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Hope you love...enjoy.

Family Apple Crisp
Serves 12-16

Ingredients for Apple Filling:

5 medium-large Granny Smith apples
3 medium Honey Crisp apples
4 McIntosh apples
1 stick butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp baking spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp apple pie spice

Ingredients for Topping:

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions 

To make the filling:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and cut apples into wedges. Place in large bowl. In large skillet or saucepan, place 1 stick butter and melt over medium heat. Add apples. Slowly stir and turn over apples in butter. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, apple pie spice and baking spice to apples and butter and stir. Continue to stir until sugar and spices are incorporated and have coated apples. Reduce heat to low and cover apples. Cook 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Apples should still be firm, but slightly softened. They will finish cooking in oven.)  

To make the topping:

While apples are cooking, butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. In large mixing bowl, add sugar, flour and cinnamon and blend together with fork. Cut butter into pieces (large sized pats) and add to dry ingredients. Use pastry blender to cut butter into mixture. Cut until mixture resembles loose crumbles (will cut about 2 minutes; there will be some pea-sized pieces, but mixture should largely be an even, coarse crumble). Transfer cooked apples and sauce to 9x13 pan. By hand, sprinkle topping mixture over top of apples, distributing evenly. Firmly pat topping onto top of apples. Bake 50 minutes or until crust is golden. (Note: Apples will bubble a bit into topping.) Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Want The Perfect Christmas Present? How About A Book...Or Three?

I am proud to announce that I have THREE books that will be appearing in new formats this winter.

The Charm Bracelet will publish in mass market paperback on January 30, 2018. To date, The Charm Bracelet – about how the charms on a grandmother’s bracelet reconnect her to her too-busy daughter and granddaughter and remind them of their family’s history and of what’s most important in life – has been translated into over a dozen languages, become an international bestseller, been named an Indie Next Pick as well as a 2017 Michigan Notable Book of the Year. I’m so proud the themes in this book have resonated with readers across the world and that grandmothers are sharing the book with their daughters and granddaughters, sisters are passing it to one another and book clubs are discussing its deeper meaning.

The Hope Chest will publish in paperback for the first time on February 13, 2018. The Hope Chest, which I’m proud to say also became an international bestseller, is deeply personal on many levels: The lead characters were inspired by my uncle’s courageous battle with ALS – he exemplified grace and strength in the midst of this horrific disease – as well as my relationship with my father’s caregivers during the final years of his life, strangers who have now become family to me. I believe The Hope Chest serves as a sort of literary balm to the raw emotions of readers in this way too tumultuous time. It’s a beautiful story about the unconditional love and support of family and will remind you that hope can be found where and when you least expect it. 

Finally, The Recipe Box will release into the world in hardcover on March 20, 2018.

Nothing makes a better holiday gift than a book … AND if you order one of my books for the holidays – either for yourself or someone you love – just email me at contact@violashipman.com and I will send you a complimentary personalized, autographed book plate. It’s the least I can do to thank wonderful readers like you for your incredible support!

(And if you’re in the mood for a warm holiday read, my novella, Christmas Angels, is available as an e-book for only 99 cents. It reminds us that angels – in all forms – surround us, especially at the holidays, if only we choose to see them...)

Pre-Order at Any of the Following Retailers:

The Recipe Box
Hardcover coming March 20, 2018

The Hope Chest
Trade Paperback coming February 13, 2018

The Charm Bracelet
Mass Market Paperback coming January 30, 2018

Reflecting Back on My Book Tour...

Over the past two years, I’ve done nearly 100 events across the United States. I’ve visited bookstores, libraries, book clubs, women’s groups and community centers. I’ve spoken to a handful of readers and to an auditorium filled with hundreds of people. As an author, I spend much of my time alone (usually drinking coffee in an old, but very soft, robe), my characters my company. When I write, I don’t think of the outcome: How the book will do, what readers will think, the places I will visit. I’m in another world, joyously lost for months. And when I’m done, and I set out on the road, I still don’t know what you will think of my new work.

That's why I’ve been beyond thrilled that my novels have resonated so deeply with you. Moreover, I’ve been happy and humbled that so many of you have not only turned out to greet me at events but also that you’ve brought pieces of your lives and heart – your own family heirlooms – to share with me. I’ve been overwhelmed by the many, many readers who have worn charm bracelets and jangled them while I read. I’ve been touched by the family Bibles, quilts, photo albums, dishes and vases that readers have taken time to bring to events. And, oh, the family recipes and recipe cards you want to share! (More on this in the next newsletter...) Above all this, however, is the fact that you’ve shared your stories with me, your family histories, your dreams, hopes, sacrifices and souls. We’ve laughed together and cried together, and there is no greater joy for an author than when readers share as much of themselves as we do with you.

So, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Below are some photos from the wonderful events where I have met my readers. 

Upcoming Appearances

I am currently assembling my tour schedule for The Recipe Box (which will feature lots of wonderful food). I hope to visit a bookstore or library in a city near you. Stay tuned for details in the next newsletter. But, for now, I will be working on my next novel with this event already scheduled for 2018:

Wednesday, April 4th, 2018
12:15pm-1:30pm
2018 Texas Library Association Annual Conference
Dallas, Texas
Keynote Speaker, Opening Author Luncheon

More dates are being added all the time. Visit my tour page for updated details.

Happy Halloween and Fall from My Home to Yours