Welcome to Day 2 of my September Sweet Treats Giveaway! Today our featured Trinity Lakes Romance book is The Ocean Between Us by Meredith Resce. Meredith has kindly offered a BONUS GIVEAWAY connected to her posts (see below for how to enter the Grand Prize and Meredith’s Bonus Giveaway).
Let’s talk about sweet treats we can indulge in while reading The Ocean Between Us.
Today we’re journeying with Caleb and Alanah and talking about ANZAC cookies. They’re an Aussie golden biscuit made of oatmeal and coconut that are traditionally eaten in April on ANZAC Day (April 25).
In Trinity Lakes, the Aussies and Kiwi’s love their sports and play a fun game of footy on the Saturday closest to ANZAC Day. We have three football codes in Australia and New Zealand (AFL, Rugby League, Rugby Union) plus soccer. In September, it’s footy final season as we move into Spring. AFL is the game of choice in Trinity Lakes and Caleb loves his footy.
For our sweet treat today, we’ll enjoy a midnight snack of hot chocolate and ANZAC cookies with Caleb and Alanah. Can we tempt you to join us, or would you prefer a different beverage and cookie flavour – or to switch the time to morning or afternoon tea?
Here’s the book description for Caleb and Alanah’s romance story in THE OCEAN BETWEEN US:
Alanah, has set off on a trip of a lifetime.
Her best friend from high school, Sasha Kennedy, has invited her to Trinity Lakes, Washington State, to be part of her wedding party.
South Australia to Trinity Lakes is literally the other side of the world, so Alanah has a full schedule of adventure planned while she’s away. A summer camp counsellor; a trip to Canada; Sight-seeing in New York and Boston; and avoiding Sasha’s twin-brother, Caleb.
But a silly accident puts Sasha out of commission for all the planned adventures, and Caleb is sent to retrieve his former high school sweetheart from the airport.
Eleven years should be enough time to have cooled the love Alanah and Caleb once shared. Should be, but apparently not. This is not a great thing to acknowledge considering Caleb has just announced his engagement to someone else.
Six months of avoiding Caleb—worse—avoiding feelings about Caleb—is going to be a long time.
Welcome to Trinity Lakes, the warm and welcoming small town in east Washington state filled with charm, family, and friends, where fresh starts, second chances, and romance abounds.
Trinity Lakes Romance series can be read as standalone Christian contemporary romances. For a richer reading experience, and the opportunity to learn more about the characters who appear in multiple books, I’d recommend reading the series in order. The ebooks are available for your reading pleasure in Kindle Unlimited.
GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY:
Comment on today’s post to gain an additional entry in the Grand Prize Drawing. Register for the Grand Prize Giveaway (USA & Australian mailing addresses only) here 👉 https://www.narelleatkins.com/2024-september-sweet-treats-giveaway/
MEREDITH’S BONUS GIVEAWAY:
Comment on today’s post to gain an entry in Meredith’s Bonus Giveaway that includes:
- Ebook copy of The Ocean Between Us or Over the Rainbow (winner’s choice)
- Amazon US $20 or AU $30 gift card
Meredith’s Bonus Giveaway is open to readers who can access Amazon USA or Amazon Australia gift cards. To enter, please leave a comment on this post that includes your first name, last name initial and country. Additional entries can be gained by commenting on Meredith’s upcoming blog post (maximum of 2 entries).
Grand Prize and Bonus Giveaways will close at midnight on SEPTEMBER 28 (US West Coast time zone). Winners will be announced in a blog post on SEPTEMBER 30.
*Giveaway Update: Closing at midnight on October 2, 2024 (US West Coast time zone) and the winners will be announced on October 5.
Stop by my blog tomorrow for our Day 3 post featuring I’ll Always Choose You by Lisa Renee.
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*Many thanks to Meredith for providing a link to a recipe for ANZAC biscuits.
https://www.recipetineats.com/anzac-biscuits-golden-oatmeal-cookies/
I enjoyed this book too. I am changing to morning tea and have some Iced Chocolate and I want to have the anzac biscuits straight out of the oven. when mum made them they were honey biscuits (instead of the golden syrup) and just out of the oven they would curl up and were so soft and yummy.
Love ANZAC biscuits. And I love honey biscuits as well, like my grandmother used to make. AND her honey sponge roll with fresh from the dairy cream. I must stop before I go and start baking.
Thanks for your encouragement, Jenny.
Hi Meredith, I haven’t indulged in a honey sponge roll in ages – they are so good! 😊
Sooooo good. And you can’t buy them. I don’t think I’ve had one like Grandma used to make. I must dig out the recipe and give it a go sometime.
Hi Jenny, Morning tea sounds lovely. Honey biscuits would work for me. 🙂
Another book that sounds good as well!
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for stopping by. We hope (Narelle and all the TL authors) that you will have a chance to follow the series.
Best regards
Meredith Resce
Hi Kathy, I hope you’ll have an opportunity to read Meredith’s book. 😊
I’m definitely in! 😀 I love hot chocolate, and those ANZAC cookies sound delicious.
Elizabeth L., USA
Hi Elizabeth. Thanks for stopping by. I guess we should really pop the recipe in for the ANZAC Biscuits (we call the biscuits, which you would call cookies). It is a mix of butter, sugar, desiccated coconut, rolled oats and Golden Syrup. It was a recipe that the Aussie mothers during WW1 could bake and package in a biscuit tin and post all the way around the world to France, Turkey and North Africa as a gift for their boys so far away from home.
I can add a link in the post if you have your ANZAC recipe available at your website or someplace else. Or, we could add the recipe into the post.
Here is a good recipe and explanation of how the biscuit came into being
https://www.recipetineats.com/anzac-biscuits-golden-oatmeal-cookies/
Thanks for providing the link! I’ll also add it into the post. 😊
Hi Elizabeth, ANZAC cookies are delicious. When I was younger I used to make them without coconut became my dad was allergic, but they’d still taste good. 😊
This sounds really good!
Joannie S. USA
Hi Joannie. Thanks for stopping by. It does sound really good, both the biscuits (cookies) and the series, and I can vouch for both. Of course I am a little biased because I’m today’s author, but the series is special from a group of Aussie/Kiwi and one American author.
Best regards
Meredith Resce
Hi Joannie, Definitely! 😊
I’m more a hot chai and ANZAC biscuit person, and I love all the variations on ANZAC biscuits that have been created today.
Madi S. Australia
Hi Madi, The recipe variations are fun 🙂
Hi Madi, If it came down to it, I’d have lemon and ginger tea with honey as the hot drink with my ANZAC biscuit. I tried hot chai once, as it sounded interesting, but it wasn’t for me.
Thanks for commenting
Afternoon tea.
Amelia S. / USA
Thanks for dropping by.
Here is a recipe for ANZAC biscuits.
https://www.recipetineats.com/anzac-biscuits-golden-oatmeal-cookies/
Hi Amelia, Afternoon tea always works for me. I’d probably have hot tea with my ANZAC biscuit at that time of day. 😊
This sounds amazing as I Love hot chocolate and cookies SARAH T. USA
Hot chocolate is a good choice, though these days I’m a lemon and ginger tea, with honey, sort of hot drink person. In Australia, we call cookies biscuits, though I know in the US biscuits are something more like what we would call scones. It’s all yummy in the finish.
Hi Sarah, Hot chocolate and cookies works for me. 😊
I am relatively new to Meredith Resce’s work. I look forward to reading this. Last summer I read “Luella Linley: License to Meddle Series” and I loved it.
Hi Audrey,
I’m so glad you enjoyed Luella Linley and her shenanigans. I had fun writing that series. I hope you get to connect with the Trinity Lakes series sometime, as well. Blessings
Hi Audrey, Meredith’s Luella Linley series is excellent! She recently released a novella connected to the series – Sky High – that I also loved. Luella makes a cameo appearance in the story. 😊
Love hot chocolate… not much of a coconut eater, so I would look for another type of cookie. 🙂
I’m a fan of hot chocolate as well. My next favourite afternoon tea treat would be a honey sponge roll with fresh cream, like my grandmother used to make. Thanks for dropping by.
Hi Colleen, My dad was allergic to coconut and I learned to rework recipes to avoid coconut. I used to make ANZAC biscuits for him without coconut and they still tasted good. 😊
I love hot chocolate but not at midnight. I would choose either morning or afternoon. I have no idea what ANZAC cookies are so I would choose either chocolate chip or sugar cookies.
Carolyn F. USA
Hi Carolyn,
thanks for dropping by.
Here is a recipe for ANZAC biscuits, and a bit of a history of what ANZAC stands for, and how the biscuit (cookie) came into being. Quite interesting.
https://www.recipetineats.com/anzac-biscuits-golden-oatmeal-cookies/
Hi Carolyn, Hot chocolate and choc chip cookies are a fabulous combination at any time of day, lol. 😊
I love the covers on this series. Debra P. USA. God bless you.
Hi Debra, The covers are pretty and look good together. 😊
I have never tried ANZAC cookies before. They sound so good! -Kai B., USA
Hi Kai, I hope you’ll have a chance to try them. They are delicious. 😊
I enjoy morning tea with something, unfortunately, gluten free.
Hi Debra, We’ve been experimenting with baking gluten free choc chip cookies and have found they’re a good alternative. 😊
Debby USA
As an American of Scottish ancestry, I’m not surprised that a recipe featuring oats is popular in Australia. It seems that wherever we Scots go, we bring our love for oats. So far both books from this series feature Australians arriving in Washington. I love stories that feature people from different cultures figuring out what they have in common.
Hi Judith, I also have Scottish ancestry and love my oats. I’m making a chocolate slice later today that includes oats in the recipe. The different cultures is a common theme in many of the Trinity Lakes books. Australia and New Zealand share a common language and a lot of similarities with USA, Canada, Britain etc. but there are differences that can be fun to explore in fiction stories. 😊
Another new to me author and another good read in this series. I love hot chocolate. I’ve ever had Anzac cookies but I’d try them! I am a big fan of cookies!
Hi Barbara, I’m glad you enjoyed Meredith’s book. Her story introduces the summer camp that features in a few of the stories in the series. I never say no to hot chocolate, lol. I hope you’ll have a chance to try ANZAC cookies (or something similar). 😊
I love ANZAC biscuits.
Mary P Australia
Hi Mary, They are delicious 😊
The book sounds great. I’ve never had those kind of biscuits before, I love tea with honey.
Hi Cindi, I hope you’ll have a chance to read Meredith’s book. 😊
I love ginger and lemon tea with honey.
Thanks for commenting.
Blessings
Meredith Resce
I’ve read Over the Rainbow by Meredith and enjoyed it 🙂
Natalya L. USA
I’m glad you enjoyed’Over the Rainbow’. Hope you get to the rest of the series. 🤓
Hi Natalya, I’m glad you enjoyed Meredith’s book. 😊
new to me author
BN
USA
take the hot chocolate and ANZAC cookies
They are good. 😊
Poor Sasha! To have all those exciting adventures planned and then get injured…
As far as cookies and cocoa, sounds good to me!
Patty R.
USA
Hi Patty, In the story, Sasha is so disappointed to miss out, poor girl. Cookie and cocoa works for me. 😊
We just had the best ANZAC biscuits I’ve ever tasted at morning tea for our Omega Writers’ Conference.
Hi Meredith, I’m glad the conference ANZAC biscuits were good. 😊
I like hot chocolate, but I have never had the cookies, Bridgette S. USA
Hi Bridgette,
It’s always fun to try something new.
Thanks for entering the giveaway.
Meredith
Hi Bridgette, They are good. 😊
I love hot chocolate and those biscuits sound yummy! I have a sweet tooth, so I’m always down to try something sweet that I’ve not had before!
Katie R.
Hi Katie,
Those biscuits are yummy, and we can pretend they are good for us with rolled oats and coconut in the recipe. 🙂
Thanks for entering the giveaway
Meredith
Hi Katie, The biscuits are delicious. 😊
Hot cocoa sounds perfect with the biscuits! I enjoyed watching rugby during the Olympics this year.
Heidi R.
USA
Rugby is a fun game – though I don’t understand it as much as I do the Australian Rules Football. Rugby seems to be similar to the American gridiron.
Thanks for entering the giveaway
Meredith
Hi Heidi, I like watching rugby. 😊
Looks like a fun book!
Annie H, USA
Hi Annie, I hope you’ll have an opportunity to read Meredith’s book. 😊
I would enjoy some hot tea and try your ANZAC biscuits please!
Stephanie H. USA
I’m guessing they don’t sell ANZAC biscuits in the American supermarkets, so perhaps you’ll have to look up the recipe and try making a batch. They are best served warm from the oven anyway.
Thanks for entering the giveaway.
Meredith
Hi Stephanie, yes, definitely try the ANZAC biscuits. 😊
Iced tea since it is still hot here with the ANZAC cookie. Cherie J-USA
Iced tea, hey? They sell that here in Australia, but it isn’t the popular drink it seems to be in the US. I haven’t had it to be honest.
Thanks for entering the giveaway
Meredith
Hi Cherie, iced tea is refreshing. 😊