Thursday, January 6, 2011

Fun Facts About Coffee


Today we are delighted to have the talented and fun Michelle Miles guest blogging for us today. Author of the popular Coffee House Chronicles books, Michelle is a prolific, intriguing writer. Check her out today!


Fun Facts About Coffee
By Michelle Miles

I’m so excited to be a guest of this new blog! I was excited when Jen asked me to come over and check out their new digs. It’s still shiny and new, isn’t it? I’ll try to keep the paint splatter to a minimum. ;)

I’ve been procrastinating on this blog entry for a couple of days, thinking I would come up with something witty and brilliant for a post. Something that has meat and people can sink their teeth into it. My CP gave me some brilliant ideas on the evolution of the coffee bean, different ways coffee is enjoyed around the world, and other similar things. But I couldn’t get my brain to function that way. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t come up with anything informative much less witty.

So this morning as I was driving to work, the radio station I listen to does a spot call “Did You Know?” One of the fun facts was that people who drink coffee were less likely to commit suicide than people who didn’t drink coffee. Hm, I thought. I guess that means I’m safe seeing as how I drink my allotted two cups per day. And I know my man is safe because he single-handedly keeps Starbucks in business.

Recently, I received a gift that was a set of Irish coffee mugs. I was so delighted about this, I ran out and bought a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream. Do you know how delicious a cup of coffee is with a healthy splash of Bailey’s? It’s to-die-for. The only I had missing on my coffee was s dollop of whipped cream (and we all know that’s not conducive to keeping a girlish figure).
Then, I perused the Intarwebs, looking for All Things Coffee. When I ran across some interesting facts. For instance: The United States is the world largest consumer of coffee followed closely by Brazil, who happens to be the largest producing country. Juan Valdez would be proud, don’t you think? The highest per capita consumption, though, occurs in Northern Europe. Those crazy Finns, Swedes and Danes love their coffee almost as much as my husband loves his Americano. The largest exporter of coffee is Italy, birthplace of the espresso, coffee bars and biscotti. The French enjoy their espresso with baguettes and croissants; the English prefer their coffee at tea time and we Americans like coffee any old time.

Now that I think about, it seems I have provided you with some information about coffee. It’s at least something you can file away in the Useless Information File for future use. You never know when you’ll need facts about coffee.
Here’s another fact about coffee. My new novella, THE COFFEE WARS, is now on sale at Cobblestone Press for $3.99. Here’s the blurb:

All's fair in love and coffee. In this war, the only thing that matters is a lot of hot steam!

Lilly owns the new up and coming, Java Perks. She’s determined to be the number one coffee house in town, crushing her competition down the street, The Bitter End.

Meeting the mystery woman in his coffee house, David immediately wants her for himself. After a hot encounter on his desk, he can’t stop thinking about her. Until he learns she’s the owner of the place trying to put him out of business.

When David confronts Lilly accusing her of using him, she throws down the gauntlet. Now the two are at war and may the best woman win!

I would love it if you’d pick up my new book today. I have a coffee habit to support after all. ;)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michelle Miles found her love of writing buried in the fantasy books of Patricia A. McKillip and the beautiful romances of Victoria Holt. It wasn’t until her high school years she decided to take up the pen and try her hand at writing. She created faraway lands, space adventures, and even princesses who just wanted to be saved. Never learning to plot, she always believed that jumping in feet first was the way to go and has since become a self-proclaimed Pantser, writing sexy contemporaries and sizzling action/adventure.

Her contemporary Coffee House Chronicles, include TALK DIRTY TO ME and NICE GIRLS DO, which are currently available from Samhain Publishing. TAKE ME I’M YOURS, SEX LUST & MARTINIS and THE COFFEE WARS are now available through Cobblestone Press.

She resides in North Texas with her cat, her Man and her son. Visit her website at http://www.michellemiles.net to sign up for her monthly newsletter and read her daily blog, Ye Olde Inkwell.

13 comments:

  1. Michelle:
    Interesting blog on coffee. And there are so many uses for coffee besides drinking. Dry coffee is great as a deodorizer for the refrigerator, freezer, and garbage can.Then when you're finished, the grounds make a good addition to a compost pile.
    I quit buying Bailey's Irish Cream, Devon Cream and other flavors. They tasted too good on everything from ice cream, to ice!
    Good luck on your book!

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  2. Can you believe it has been only about 6-7 years that I have been drinking coffee? Before that I could not stand the taste of it. But now I love it! Great post!

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  3. You make my coffee taste EVEN better! Wonderful blog. Enjoyed.

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  4. Great blog post, Michelle! We use coffee grounds in our veggie garden...Starbucks often saves them and puts bags of them out for gardeners to take home.

    I loved The Coffee Wars--the sparks always fly in a Michelle Miles book!

    -Maddy

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  5. The book sounds great! Plus I am a coffee fanatic. Nice post!

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  6. Michelle, you make me feel disloyal because I drink tea instead of coffee. LOL

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  7. Michelle, I love coffee. Thanks for the info about my favorite drink (well, after wine). I too like Bailey's in my coffee. Here's another favorite coffee recipe: Kahlua and coffee. Before you pour the coffee and Kahlua, put lemon juice and cinnamon sugar around the rim of the cup. Put in the liquore and coffee, then top with whipped cream sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Yum! I can't wait to read your coffeehouse series.

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  8. Hey Cari - that sounds yummy! I'll have to try that!

    Thanks everyone for stopping by! :)

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  9. I saw your link for this post on the Cobblestone group loop and had to stop by!

    The Bitter End is the perfect name for a competiting coffee shop, I think. Love it! Sounds like a great book. Congrats on the release.

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  10. Oh no! Please don't put me on suicide watch, but I never drink coffee. Gulp. I love the blurb for your book though!

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  11. Michelle, my love of coffee is almost as obsessive as my love for Louboutins. Coffee craving is more easily satisfied (and more cheaply!) Fascinating facts about coffee indeed. Thanks for making a coffee-nista!

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  12. LOL Linda - I don't think you have anything to worry about! :)

    Hello, Mirando! Always fun to run into a fellow Cobblestone author!

    Misty - See? We're definitely twins. ;)

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  13. Great post, Michelle. there are tons of uses fof Coffee aside from drinking it (dare I say blech?! lol) Thanks for stopping by. Come anytime!

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