Friday Afternoon Blog Tour with Cyndy Salzmann

Welcome to my Friday Afternoon Blog Tour with Cyndy Salzmann, author of newly released Crime & Clutter! Read below for something really special! Chocolate Household Tip Organization Tip Girlfriend-style Interview A Prize!

Triple Chocolate Pecan Brownies 1 package brownie mix 1/2 cup white chocolate chips 1/2 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package. Add remaining ingredients to batter. 3. Put batter in greased 9 x 9 pan. Bake 40-45 minutes until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

HOUSEHOLD TIP: Uses for salt... Add a pinch of salt to your coffee basket before brewing. This will make the coffee less acidic tasting. To clean silk flowers and plants, place them in a large bag with one cup of salt. Shake vigorously for a few minutes. Your plants will come out dust free. Remove rust from household tools by making a paste with salt and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Apply to rusted area with a dry cloth and rub.

ORGANIZATIONAL TIP: Too many books? If you find your shelves overflowing with books, consider donating them to your church library. If you want to read a book again, you can always check it out. Another handy tip is to slip a box in your closet to stash novels you've read. Then when a friend or family member who likes to read stops by, pass it along. For the books you do decide to keep, categorize them according to subject so you'll be able to find the book when you need it.

Cyndy Salzmann Author, Crime & Clutter GIRLFRIEND-STYLE INTERVIEW WITH CYNDY How many days do you wear your blue jeans before they go in the laundry? Jeans are so much more comfortable on the second day. Plus, laundry is the bane of my existence. I am always behind. My only solace comes from Gen 2:25, "They were naked and not ashamed." How many sizes of clothing do you have in your closet? In storage? I sometimes think I should have those little size rings in my closet 8, 10, 12, "none of your business." What is your comfort food? My mom's fried chicken and cream gravy. Especially in the summer when she serves it with homegrown tomatoes, green beans fresh from the garden and creamy mashed potatoes. Maybe this is why I should have those size rings in my closet... White chocolate? Milk chocolate? Dark chocolate? Definitely dark chocolate now that researchers say it is a "super food" that's better for you than blueberries. Plus I just found out that Harry & David sells dark-chocolate-covered blueberries. I can just feel the vitamins coursing through my body when I pop one of those babies into my mouth. What's your favorite mode of communication? E-mail, Instant Message, Land Line Phone, Cell Phone, Old-Fashioned Snail Mail Letter? I adore receiving a snail mail note or letter. There's something special about seeing someone's handwriting and knowing they took the time to write and post a letter. However, thoughtless person that I am, I always use email. What's your idea of a day of relaxation? Massage. Pedicure. Lunch. Movie. Bath. Bed. Ahhh... When you are stressed, who's the first person you call? I have this reminder on my fridge... "Go to the throne before you go to the phone." But I usually call my hubby at work to whine - unless it's Friday. Then I can make it to 4:30 and whine to my FAC friends. What's your biggest pet peeve? My husband and son's channel surfing. I want to scream, "Just make a decision and stick with it!" Who would play you in the Cyndy Salzmann Movie of the Week? My friend Marilyn recently told me that my new hairstyle makes me look like Renée Zellweger. (Marilyn is now my very favorite friend.) So, I guess I'd have to let Renee at least audition for the part... If you could do one thing over in life, what would it be? Work less. Play more. That is so shallow... Contest! Win two days of personal consulting from author and professional organizer Cyndy Salzmann. When she's not plotting a juicy mystery, Cyndy helps people bring order to their homes and sanity to their schedules. In conjunction with the release of Cyndy's latest mystery, Crime & Clutter, one lucky reader will win two days of personal organizing. Cyndy will travel to the winner's home and work with them for two days on the area of the winner's choosing. Maybe you need to tackle an overflowing storage area or the kids' toy room. Perhaps you'd like help setting up a system to deal with the paper that comes into your home. Or maybe you'd like to have Cyndy whip up a month's worth of meals for your freezer. Whatever you need - she is ready to help! So how can you win? Read on to find out! The goal of the contest is to get the word out about Cyndy's new mystery, Crime & Clutter. Each thing you do from the list below to help spread the word, entitles you to submit an entry. So the more people you tell about Crime & Clutter, the better chance you'll have of winning. Here's a list of promotional activities but feel free to use you imagination... Send an e-mail to friends or family members telling them about the book (one entry for each 25). Mail postcards (supplied by our office with postage paid) to your friends or family with a note about the release of the book (one entry for every 10). Post a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.christianbook.com, your blog or website (one entry each). Send a review to your local newspaper (two entries) and if it's published (an extra 10 entries). Recommend Crime & Clutter to your book club (two entries) and if they add it to their schedule (five extra entries). Request that your library order a copy of Crime & Clutter for its collection (two entries). Ask a bookstore employee if they have Crime & Clutter (two entries). If you take a picture of the book on the shelf, you get an extra entry. Interview Cyndy about her book for your blog or website (five entries). Set up an interview for Cyndy with a newspaper reporter or radio station - or do one yourself (10 entries). Set up an event for Cyndy to speak to your church or community group when she is in your area (10 entries). Host a Friday Afternoon Club at your home and inviting Cyndy via speaker phone (five entries). YOUR IDEA (e-mail info@cyndysalzmann.com to ask how many entries your idea will entitle you). HOW TO ENTER! Just e-mail some sort of verification of the promotional activities you completed along with your name, mailing address, phone and preferred email address to info@cyndysalzmann.com. Sadly Cyndy is not planning to make a trip to Australia for two days (LOL!)so while my American readers can enter the above contest, here is another for all my readers ~ a giveaway of a copy of Crime & Clutter. Post a comment and I will enter you in the draw! Entries close on Friday 27th April, 2007.