Chocolate Chip Cookie In A Mug - Oh, The Decadence!

I feel like I have to apologize for this blog. It's a recipe for something truly sinful and delicious and goes against everything my wife tells me do to, which is probably why I make it at 11 o'clock at night after she's gone to bed.

I'm talking about Chocolate Chip Cookies. (Bold and underline added for increased impact.)

Actually, in this case, we're talking about a single, hot, gooey, melts-in-your mouth chocolate chip cookie. The best part is this cookie doesn't take an hour to make as you mix the ingredients, roll them into balls, and bake them 12 at a time in the oven.

No, no, no. We're far more clever than that. This recipe takes five minutes to make.

And if you ask if it's a chocolate chip cookie replacement I'm going to slap you. Nothing can replace the chocolate chip cookie. Nothing. Ever! If I have the time and permission from the wife I prefer to make a whole batch of cookies, but when I'm feeling naughty and just want a sweet treat this yummy little devil hits the spot.

I discovered the recipe on FoodGawker a couple years ago, at which point it began popping up on food blogs all over the internet including The Comfort of Cooking, The Sweetest Kitchen, Pure Wow, and pretty much every Pinterest board related to deserts.

I've tried a number of different versions of this recipe, but this one is my favorite. I think the salt and the extra vanilla adds to the flavor.

A FINAL WARNING: Make this at your own risk... and then a drop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and pour a glass of milk. Ho-ho-holy heaven!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie In A Mug

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons flour
2 heaping tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Choose a microwave-safe mug or small bowl. Place the butter in the mug and melt it in the microwave. Don't burn it. The butter should be melted, not boiling.
2. Add sugars, vanilla and salt. As with any chocolate chip cookie recipe be sure to mix it well. I use a fork and mash/stir/fold until everything is well combined.
3. Add the flour, and stir until combined. It should look like real cookie dough. If it's too runny add a touch more flour, or if it's too stiff add a splash of milk.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Microwave it for about 30 seconds. If the top of the cookie still looks wet, microwave it for another 10 or 20 seconds. Keep in mind the cookie will continue to cook on the inside while it's in the mug, so you don't have to overdo it. Just get the top of it looking nice and cake like.
6. Drop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and let it start to melt as you poor yourself a glass of milk.
7. Go somewhere private where the kids and/or spouse can't find you. Let the cookie make love to your mouth. No need to give back. This is all about you. Just relax and enjoy!

My Favorite H.G. Wells Quote

The Island of Dr. Moreau is by far one of my favorite books. I first read it as a teenager and have probably read it more times throughout my life than any other book.

As a kid I even memorized the final paragraph. To me this single section of text reveals a profound insight to the human condition. It suggests that nothing we do can fulfill us—not acquiring wealth, not garnering fame, not being in control or chasing after power, status, love, sex, drugs, or anything else. It points to a source of peace far beyond ourselves to something much more esoteric.

The story in The Island of Dr. Moreau is an exploration of humanity's animalistic tendencies. Are we, by nature, animals, or are we held to a greater standard by the concept of morality? If morality does exist, who decides what is moral, and can it save us from ourselves?

In Wells' story this concept is presented by the character of Dr. Moreau, a mad scientist type who creates a race of humanoid beings by genetically modifying animals—pig-men, dog-men, leopard-men, and many others, though sometimes with nightmarish results.

The curious thing about this tale is that without the continued medicinal support of their creator the creatures revert to their more feral natures. Once they became self-aware enough to recognize the cruelty of what Moreau is doing they turn on him, but in destroying him they destroy what they need to survive, essentially destroying themselves.

At the end of the story the main character returns to civilization and struggles to find peace after all the horrors he witnessed on Moreau's island. He turns to astronomy and finds something he did not expect.

And I quote.

"Ah-hem."

Taps microphone.

"There is, though I do not know why there is or how there is, a sense of infinite peace and protection in the glittering hosts of heaven. There it must be, I think, in the vast and eternal laws of matter, and not in the daily cares and sins and troubles of men, that whatever is more than animal within us must find its solace and its hope. I hope, or I could not live."

Hope.

Sometimes it's as vague as morality, but according to Wells we can't survive without it. It can't be found in what we can see, taste, or touch, not in our troubles or our worries or our fears, but from somewhere else.

And maybe it's found in different ways for different people, but this much is clear: as I watch our society destroy itself under its myriad of petty arguments on racism, gender issues, politics, ethics, religion, and more, it becomes increasingly apparent that people need to shift their focus. The more time we spend obsessing on all these issues, fostering dissension, hate, and fear, the further we fall from hope.

Author Interview: John L. Monk

"Just ask yourself how many times in your life you've been forced to go to the emergency room. ... Even without the skills of our forebears, human life is delicate and nature is brutal."

—JOHN L. MONK

I came across John L. Monk's "Kick" while searching for something to read on a flight to Hawai'i in January 2015. John's intriguing story, sharp prose, and clever wit hooked me from the get-go and I've been a fan ever since.

Buy Hell's Children

His latest book, "Hell's Children," just hit the market. Though a departure from his usual genre it's a great read, and John's distinctive style isn't lost. The story revolves around a group of teenagers who find themselves the sole survivors of a sickness that has wiped out everyone over the age of sixteen. This story of survival pits society's "cabbages," teens who can only thrive in a coddling environment, against the "weeds," those tough-as-nails kids willing to do what it takes to survive.

To celebrate the release of his new book—and partly because I'm just plain nosy—I asked John for an interview, which he generously provided.

C.W. Ok, first of all, if the scenario in Hell’s Children actually happened, would John L. Monk be a cabbage or a weed?

J.L.M. Hah, I first conceived the whole "cabbages and weeds" view of the world by reading the autobiography of Ben Franklin and thinking, "Wow, he ran away at fourteen to start a business. Can you imagine the pampered, texting, video game-playing kids these days doing anything so gutsy, so ambitious?" I thought about the hard life Ben and the early Americans lived and how they could do so incredibly much: build a house from the raw materials at hand, feed themselves off the land, make their own clothing, birth a nation. Amazing stuff.

And to answer your question, I'd totally be a cabbage. I don't know how to do any of that stuff. Sure, I can fish, kill some poor deer or something and try to eat it. But to write the book, I spent a lot of time on Youtube figuring stuff out, reading articles online, that kind of thing. In a post-apoc situation, the Internet goes away. Danger lurks everywhere. Just ask yourself how many times in your life you've been forced to go to the emergency room. I can count six or seven times, all of them potentially life threatening. Even without the skills of our forebears, human life is delicate and nature is brutal.

The character Jack is unique. His survivalist parents taught him lots of stuff that’s lost on kids today. Is this how you were raised? If not, how did you devise Jack’s upbringing? Did you watch a lot of “Doomsday Preppers?”

Me raised like that? Heck no. I was raised by Jack Tripper and Andy Griffith and Whatchu-talkin'-bout-Willis. I watched a lot of TV. Ok, not entirely true—I went fishing a lot, ran out in the woods looking for snakes, shot guns while visiting my great grandparents in West Virginia, but that was about as grizzled as it got. My education was limited to whatever I could scrape from school and still get a passing grade. Mostly, I read fantasy and science fiction. That, at least, gave me some perspective on the level of my ignorance. To counteract that, I suppose that's why I got a degree in Anthropology. I learned a lot from that—how to think about people and understand why they do things. Empathy has been my biggest strength as a writer.

Oh, and about "Doomsday Preppers"—that show really bugs me. I love seeing all the preppers, what they do, all the ideas and stuff. But then along comes the stupid Nat Geo know-it-all at the end telling us (the audience) just how implausible the various doomsday scenarios are. And the arguments they use are pretty indefensible—provided there's no one around to defend against them, in which case they get to "win" or whatever. So I stopped watching it.

I couldn't agree more. The so-called "reality TV" is all about making fun of people. There's very little "real" about any of it.

If you want good survival stuff, go listen to podcasts like "The Survivalist Prepper Podcast" or "The Survival Podcast," or check out forums like "survivalistboards.com." The TV stuff is heavily-edited, exploitative, and unfair.

Your book explores some pretty dark aspects of humanity, and what teenagers of today might become in a world without electricity, supermarkets, and adult supervision. What sort of experiences have you had, or what research did you do, to capture all of that so vividly?

To be honest, I still remember what it was like in high school, on the playground, on the baseball team when the coach wasn't looking. Kids can be vicious, cruel, and shockingly stupid. And the ones that aren't are victims to the ones that are. Just look at some of the more famous "bullying" videos on YouTube and you'll see. But for a handy camera at the right time, those stories would never have seen the light of day. As for research, every day on Facebook turns up story after story of boys or girls beating up some old person for "disrespecting" them (if a reason is given at all). The research is all around us, it's abhorrent, and it's just getting worse.

Post-apocalyptic fiction isn’t a genre you’ve explored before. What made you decide to tackle this subject?

I've always loved the genre. I've read about twenty "Death Lands" novels by James Axler, "One Second After," "Lucifer's Hammer," "Alas Babylon," "The Stand," "Z For Zachariah," and a bunch more I can't recall. I love The Walking Dead. It's interesting to me. And there's an audience for it. I'm a writer. I sit in a chair for hours at a time sweating over commas and stuff—it's a lot of work. And when I'm done writing something, I want it to be read. Writing in a popular genre that I personally enjoy is a great payoff for all that work.

But despite the personal benefit (money, ego-stroking), I also wanted to talk about "kids these days." The story is sort of a wake-up call. Go read Angela's Ashes. Frank McCourt used to watch the men of Limerick ride the coal wagon to the mines every day. He describes all the kids standing along the road watching them, dreaming of the day they could do the same. Can you imagine "kids these days" wanting to work in a coal mine? Any kid caught wanting such a thing would be seen as an aberration—a "chump" for wanting to do hard work like a grownup. Smart kids in school are called nerds, at best, and beaten up at worst. Not that there's a lot of kids getting smart in schools these days, but that's another discussion.

Post-apocalyptic novels are the rage these days. How were you influenced by other books in this genre, and how did you design “Hell’s Children” to stand apart?

Those books I mentioned were heavy influences. I would read them and think, "What would I do in this situation?" With my limited survival knowledge, I rarely had a good answer. So that's another great reason I chose children to survive the apocalypse, and it goes back to the whole "cabbages and weeds" thing: I'm simply not that smart. I think I have a lot of empathy, so I know how kids would behave—how humans would behave. But knowing how to survive on my own without the benefits of civilization requires research. And research is time consuming. If I write about kids undergoing a terrible calamity (like all the adults dying), suddenly I don't have so much research.

Smart move. And it makes your story feel all the more plausible.

Exactly. Like me, the kids don't know very much. Shoot an animal, cut off a piece and eat it? Makes perfect sense to the cabbages in the story. For Jack's character, I had to research how to field dress an animal, and what parts you'd consume if you wanted to survive (hint: the organs—that's where all the vitamins and minerals are). So writing about kids was a great way to focus on story and less on data. Motivations and cause and effect. That's what people read books for. Not data.

I’ve always admired your prose. It’s concise, it’s clever, and very direct. Tell us about your writing process. What does it look like? How do you best like to work? Do you have any weird quirks? Do you write naked?

Haha. No, I've never written while naked. Too many dangly bits to deal with.

And thank you for the compliment on my typing practice—I try my best. Well actually, that's not entirely true. I make a serious effort to write something good, I read it a bunch of times, changing as I go along, get it edited, read it again two to three more times, changing as I go (putting in new typos and stuff), then I publish it. Then very nice readers tell me quietly about the remaining typos, which freaks me out (I get embarrassed about that kind of thing) and I go put the fixes in and hope nobody notices.

You do that too? No way!

And I write direct prose because when I try to write flowery stuff it comes out contrived. Sometimes I turn a pretty little phrase here and there, and that's always great. I try to get maybe one good turn of phrase in per chapter. Something memorable, if possible. Usually it's something funny. But I don't dress up every page in purple prose. And I don't have any weird quirks that I know of. I suppose you could say I pants all my novels, but a lot of people do that. I macro-outline the general story I wanna write, whether that happens or not. I jot a few sentences at the top of each chapter saying where I would like it to go (again, whether that happens or not).

What does John L. Monk like to do when he's not writing?

Read, eat, take naps, go to the movies, go out to eat (the dining experience), drink whiskey and hang out with my wife, or hang out with friends. I like fishing, but only if it's convenient, and right now it isn't. Really, I get a lot of enjoyment from the indie writing community. I love corresponding with other authors, seeing what they're up to, hearing them on various podcasts. Great fun.

What sorts of things have you learned about yourself while writing?

I guess the biggest thing I've learned is that I can start a difficult project, finish it, and not screw it up too badly. Finishing a novel is a major thing. Lots of people have tried, but only a small percentage of the ones who tried ever managed it. I've finished five so far, and that's a real confidence builder.

What books are you reading right now? Any new indie authors we should check out?

At the moment, I'm reading "Mutation" by Nerys Wheatley. It's a cool book with a different take on zombies. I'm also re-reading "Turning Pro" by Steven Pressfield. If you're a writer, read it. Also read it if you're anything else—the stuff in that book applies to just about everyone.

Have we seen the end of Jack and the “Hell’s Children”?

I sure hope not. I'm hammering away naked right now trying to write the next one! I hope to get it out before September, because of Amazon's horrible 90-day cliff where they drop you off the radar. But I won't compromise quality for speed. Once the book is ready, I'll think up a series name (ugh), slap that on both covers, and get it out there. Hopefully sales stay strong throughout. There's nothing more motivating than steady sales of book one when you're trying to write book two.

I think Jack is a fascinating character with a lot of potential. I look forward to where you take the story from here.

Read more about John's work at john-l-monk.com. "Hell's Children" is available now on Amazon, and don't forget to check out John's other books, including "Kick," "Fool's Ride," "Hopper House," and "Thief's Odyssey."

Author Interview: J.C. Stockli

"I have always been the under dog wrapped up in a little blonde package with a sometimes overwhelming sense of imagination. In a lot of ways, I'm still that little girl scared of the dark."

—J.C. STOCKLI

Sometimes I read a book just for fun. Other times I read a book and study it. J.C. Stockli is one of those writers who actually had me taking notes. Her style is crisp and smart, and her most recent novel, The Nothingness, is a gritty paranormal mystery that grabs you by the jugular and doesn't let go.

Stockli's work was so intriguing that I messaged her and asked if I could interview her. She eagerly agreed, much to my delight!

C.W.: Your book is very dark with some frightening imagery and ideas. I've gotta to ask, what were you like as a child?

J.C. Stockli

J.C. *Laughing* I was a pretty normal kid, the younger of two siblings, two parents, a dog and cat. I had a wonderfully playful grandmother, a real quirky aunt, and some rascally cousins whom I loved to visit with when growing up. There was a lot of make-believe in my childhood. Yes, I had an imaginary friend and I'm still terrified of the boiler monster in my basement. I always had nightmares, but forced myself to get into horror movies to get over my fears. I had a neighbor who was obsessed with the Poltergeist franchise, and I'm sure she helped to foster my fears, but I learned to love them. I have always been the under dog wrapped up in a little blonde package with a sometimes overwhelming sense of imagination. In a lot of ways, I'm still that little girl scared of the dark.

Your book delves into some truly harrowing realities about the lives of addicts. Your depictions of their struggles are very real and heart-breaking. What sort of experiences have you had, or what research did you do, to capture all of that so vividly?

Understanding that I looooooove when endorphins flare, I know I have an addictive personality. If it feels good—I want more—period. To that end, I have never ventured beyond tobacco and alcohol because I've just never trusted myself. Sadly, I've seen others around me fall to much harsher substances. Addiction is non-discriminatory. It cripples even the strongest and wealthiest, and it can be a subtle threat. I think that's why I wanted to weave that into my story. What originally started off as a mere fantasy in my mind transformed into a fictitious platform with which I could depict how easy addiction can be. There's a stigma wrongly placed on substance abuse, and I wanted to address that.

Give us some insight into your main character, Evie. What should would-be readers know about her?

Evie is your everyday girl. She's flawed, makes mistakes, but is in fact human and has a good heart. I didn't want her to be pristine. She's insecure, doesn't realize her own worth. I've had a few reviews where people have questioned why she would have been dumb enough to do action A or B, but in reality isn't that the human condition? Don’t we always question why people do some of the things they do? Evie is just like you and me, trying to figure life out.

The Nothingness is the first book in a series you're planning correct?

Yes, the Addictions of the Eternal series.

So what sorts of places do you see Evie going to in the future—emotional, mental places?

Evie is going to run the gauntlet with her addictions. The Nothingness is only her first exposure to the drug. She's going to have others who try to shield her from it, but she's got to taste it (so to speak), experience the high for herself, succumb to it, and hopefully free herself from it. The series will carry her through the highs and lows of addiction and through said journey we'll all slowly exit reality and become immersed within the fantasy of the vampire world lurking in the shadows.

Vampires are definitely the rage these days. What drew you to write about them?

I have loved vampires since I was a kid. Who didn't love The Lost Boys? Honestly, the fact that they have become all the rage is sort of surreal for those of us who have been mystified by the supernatural our entire lives. Am I right?

So true! I've got to ask, are you a Twilight fan?

*Laughter* I read and enjoyed the books for the YA value they offer. They challenged the convention of what vampires could be, which I enjoyed... but they were too soft for me, as most YA tends to be.

Ok. We can be friends. *Laughter* So what made you decide to depict your vampires in such a gritty, realistic way?

I didn’t want superhuman powers or the traditional convention of what a vampire could be. I’ve seen other authors tackle this subject, and some challenge the norm, while others embrace it, masterfully—I wanted to challenge it. I have this firm belief that all legend must stem from somewhere. That said, the concept of a tangible origin suggested a more realistic existence than the aversion to sunlight or flying bats with no reflection. I'm not saying that I do not value the cross and garlic stuff, but that’s not real life... unless we’re going to talk about the medical conditions behind it all. I decided I wanted to stray away from tackling the scientific angle, that's been done quite well already, but what about the sociological evolution? Or perhaps the spiritual origin? We’ll see this exposed as the series progresses.

I really liked your approach to vampires in The Nothingness. I think in recent years my taste for vampire stuff has been tainted by their treatment in Hollywood and in books like Twilight, but I felt like you breathed new life into the genre for me. I can't wait to read what you come up with next!

Thanks!

Your prose has such a distinct style. It's very beautiful. Tell us about your writing process. What does it look like? How do you best like to work? Do you have any weird quirks?

This story stemmed from a nightmare that lingered. When an image is so vivid that I can live and breathe it, then it's easy to tell it. I take every experience from my day to day and make mental notes. What was that smell? What did it stir in me? I love silent exchanges of eye contact, so each time I find myself envisioning Lucca staring across the room, I try to tune it to how my body reacts. Music is a large influence, again monitoring how my body reacts to a rhythmic beat. I cannot write in silence, I need to choreograph the scene to the song. Actual writing is haphazard for me. If I have an idea, I get it out quick. I email notes to myself constantly, sometimes a full scene or dialogue. I email notes to myself throughout the day and jumble it all together when I get home and in front of the computer.

What does J.C. Stockli like to do when she's not writing?

Well, it sure isn't folding laundry! I have a beautiful family to keep me company, and thanks to e-books, I have a virtual library in the palm of my hand at all times.

What sorts of things have you learned about yourself while writing?

I’ve learned to push myself out of my comfort zone. Every writer is an introvert, and sharing is difficult. Especially being an indie author, I’ve had to suck in a deep breath and put myself out there, put my writing out there. This was a huge leap for me, but now I feel freer, liberated. It’s been a cathartic experience.

What books are you reading right now?

I just finished a fantastic adventure, Mabel Bunt And The Masked Monarchs, and I’m currently reading My Hood Your Barrio His Beat. I love meeting fellow indies and experiencing their work, working with them and doing book reviews and character interviews on my blog www.jcstockli.com. Writers can contact me if they want me to feature their work.

You're awesome! Thanks so much for entertaining my questions.

Book two in Stockli's series, The Saving, will be available next weekend, October 2. The Nothingness is available now in print and digital formats from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. In anticipation of The Saving, The Nothingness is on sale this weekend for $.99. If you go to her blog she's offering a sneak peek of the next novel!

J.C. Stockli is scheduled to be part of the first ever Virtual FantasyCon, which runs November 1 to 8. Presented by Flavour of Fantasy, FantasyCon will be held online in a Facebook Event with panel discussions via YouTube, a Scavenger Hunt, Giveaways, and a Cosplayer Costume Contest with a daily prize for the best selfie and costume and a grand prize.

To learn more about J.C. Stockli's work, visit her blog at www.jcstockli.com.

John L. Monk Packs A Punch In "Kick"

For readers looking for quality indie books, you don't come across a modern action-adventure novel more tightly written and well crafted, than Kick, by John L. Monk. What an utterly original and exciting new book! It's one part super-hero, one part mystery, with a sprinkling of creepy, stirred together with a dash of sharp wit. The story follows Dan, an everyday kind of guy who has, unfortunately, committed suicide. As a consequence for his selfish life-ending action, Dan finds himself doomed to "possess" the bodies of society's criminals. Dan gets about three weeks in each body before he is "kicked out" by the body's original owner. In that time Dan makes it his mission to find out who they are, what wrongs they've done, and what justice they deserve.

It's a fascinating concept, executed in a fast-paced first-person narrative that hooks you from the opening chapter and doesn't let up.

John L. Monk holds a degree in anthropology, which makes him an ideal candidate to write a book so heavily involving the human psyche. Kick demonstrates his knowledge of human nature as he juggles a colorful arrangement of criminally-minded characters. John's story is strikingly original, fast-paced, surprisingly humorous, and lots of fun.

It's a shame that great novels like this can't get more exposure in the mainstream market. Kick is one of the few that deserve the attention.

Fool's Ride, the second book in this series, is also available, and, if I must say, is a wonderful follow-up. You can follow John on his blog at www.john-l-monk.com.

"Starling God" Lends Voice To The Voiceless

Author Tanya Sousa ventures into the unique realm of animal fantasy in The Starling God, a thoughtful and beautifully written story about the interconnectedness of our world. The book is a dramatically crafted reminder that we share this world with a great number of species. And that is no small truth. In fact, as the book suggests, it's a potentially dangerous truth to forget.

The story follows a rescued baby starling who is taken in by a woman with a heavenly bird sanctuary in her backyard garden. The starling soon learns from some of the other birds that he might be "The Starling God," a bird destined to help other starlings be more like the humans they revere. And so begins his quest to unravel the deep and often fragmented religion within the bird kingdom that views humans as gods.

Talking birds might seem strange outside of an animated movie, but Tanya introduces readers to her world in such a way that it doesn't seem off-putting in the least. The language of birds is rich, and stems from Tanya's own extensive study of the actual behaviors of animals and their clicks within the animal kingdom. The resulting story is a fascinating peek into the human world from the perspective of birds. At times we appear godlike. Other times we appear very, very strange and confusing.
Tanya writes with a rare passion, an articulate commentator on the world we live in from the point-of-view of the animals that she very clearly loves. Her message is profound, and the ending to "The Starling God" might even bring you to tears.

I've been familiar with Tanya's picture books for many years—including Fairy Feast, Ninny Nu's Organic Farm, and Life is a Bowl of Cherry Pits—and I'm glad to see her branching out into novels. Tanya's voice is unique and brave. I'm looking forward to what she puts out next.

Connect with Tanya on her website, www.radianthen.com, or on Facebook here.