Faeries and devils and imps -- Oh my! (oh, and cookies, too!)

Since the flap copy is in its final version, I decided it was okay to put it up here. This is what my book is about! And here's the first line:

The wolf tasted the babe's face with the tip of his tongue and pronounced her sweet.

I love first lines. I love beginnings of stories in general. I love it when characters haven't yet met and the reader witnesses their paths beginning to converge. I love meetings. And you know what else I love? Gingersnap-raspberry sandwich cookies! (How's that for a transition?)
This is the third year I've made them and they are becoming one of my favorites. Here's the recipe, originally from Martha:

1/4 lb (1 stick) butter
1/4 c veg shortening
2 c sugar
2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/4 c pure maple syrup
1 large egg, beaten
raspberry jam

1. Preheat over to 375; line baking sheets with parchment
2. Cream butter, shortening and one cup of sugar.
3. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon & ginger
4. Add maple syrup to butter mixture; combine.
5. Beat in egg.
6. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture until well blended.
7. Place remaining cup of sugar in a bowl. Measure roughly 2 tsp of dough and form into a ball and roll in sugar until coated.Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet, flattening a little into a disc with the palm of your hand. Space balls of dough 3 inches apart.
8. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes, turning baking sheet halfway through.
9. When cool, spoon about 2 tsp of raspberry jam onto one cookie and spread; then sandwich another cookie on top, making sandwiches.

These are very easy, and the texture is perfect for a sandwich. Just a little chewy so it doesn't crumble all over when you bite it. And one thing I love about ball cookies like this is they bake into perfectly round cookies of uniform size, like they're from a bakery or something. For some reason, I love that. Try these. They're awesome.

And you know what else is awesome? (See, I used that transition again.) This:

The lovely and talented and thoughtful Judy Wise sent me this print as a surprise because I loved the original so much when she posted it on her blog. She sneakily got my address from Alexandra so it was an out-of-the-blue treat and it really made my day! I LOVE it!!! My mom and Alexandra and I have loved Judy's work since long before we connected here on the blogs, and that is just one more reason to love this world of words and pictures that has widened my circle of kindred spirits SO dramatically. Thank you, Judy! Can't wait to meet you in person, either at Artfest, or sooner. Oh, and if anyone hasn't seen them, Judy is making dolls now, and they are so great it makes me hope that there is not a finite amount of talent and creativity in the universe, because if there is -- she is using more than her fair share!