RHP « Robin Writes

Boonville, Missouri B&B owner Kriss Royer has created a very wonderful cookbook – these are all recipes she’s served to her own guests at the High Street Victorian. Based on their reviews, Kriss is certainly doing something right:

“The food was top notch…”

“…incredible homemade brownies, breakfast, and cinnamon rolls…”

“Breakfast was amazing with Kriss’ signature pineapple boat and a delicious Tiramisu French Toast.”

“…the breakfast was to die for…”

“What followed can only be described as an 8th wonder… this breakfast was better than any breakfast I’ve EVER had! My husband and I stayed in a hotel in Paris that had topped my list of amazing presentations of food.”

“All I can say about the breakfast meal is…WOW. Normally, I don’t eat much in the morning, but I couldn’t help myself with this delicious meal.”

These are just some of the reviews out there – I could go on and on, but I also want to tell you that these are NOT difficult recipes. Most of the ingredients you’ll probably already have on hand, and it takes less time than you’d think to prepare them in your own kitchen.

In fact, on Monday I made the Chocolate Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce – after reading this cookbook over and over and seeing Gene Royer’s fantastic photos, I had to take the plunge. It was totally worth it! I should probably add that, since I had no strawberries, I substituted a mixed berry blend for the sauce. Yum!

You can get your own copy of INNspiring Breakfasts at the RHP store, in local bookstores, online via Amazon – there’s even a Kindle version – or you can stop in at Parable Books in Columbia, Missouri on Saturday, June 1, and meet Kriss too!

I want to introduce our new summer intern, who will be working with us from now until August. She’ll be working on manuscript selection, editing, marketing, and book launches, plus some social media and website work. I’ll let her tell you more, but want to add that she’ll be posting here on a regular basis about her experiences:

Hello all! My name is Melanie Whithaus and I’m interning with Rocking Horse Publishing this summer. I’ve lived in the St. Louis area much of my life, attended Marquette High School in Chesterfield and graduated in 2010. I’m currently studying creative writing and small press publishing at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. After I graduate from SEMO next spring, I hope to go to graduate school for a master’s degree in fine arts. Ideally, I would love to go to New York University, but more than likely I’ll be attending UMSL and staying in the St. Louis area.

A little about myself: I’ve been writing since I was eleven, but didn’t begin to take it seriously until I was in high school. My work has been featured on websites such as deviantart.com and fanfiction.net, and much of my writing can be found one my blog at melwhithaus.wordpress.com. My writing is known for its raw and straightforward voice and no-holds-barred style. I released my first chapbook of original poetry this spring. I have poetry published with Umbrella Factory Magazine and Scapegoat Review, and short stories with Crack the Spine literary magazine and The Rusty Nail literary magazine. I won the cover design contest for Southeast Missouri Writer’s Guild anthology, The Mighty Rose Anthology, and I am a co-editor for the literary magazine, Wednesday Night Writes.

But in addition to writing, I’m very interested in publishing and SEMO just happened to offer a minor in small press publishing. When I first started attending college, like most freshmen I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life; once I settled on English with the small press minor, I knew I was in the right place. Literature and writing have always been a large part of my life and I would not be the person I am today without their influences. When I graduate with my MFA, I want to work in with an independent publisher. I find indie presses to be much more personal and hands-on than working for a large press. I want to know that I’m actually making a difference in someone’s life by publishing his story.

I have one internship with SEMO’s small press already under my belt, but I want more experience in the field so I can be at the top of my game once I graduate. I contracted Robin in hopes of gaining a second internship. She was excited to hear about my interest in the press and now here I am, working for her. I look forward to this summer and the experience I will gain.