Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They've written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after, and that’s why they write romance.
Monday, March 18, 2024
We Hate When That Happens
Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They've written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after, and that’s why they write romance.
Monday, March 11, 2024
Dinner the St. Patrick’s Day Way
from Sloane Taylor
Presenting the traditional St. Patrick's Day meal most North Americans will enjoy with a cold Harp Lager, Guinness Stout, Killian's Irish Red Lager, or Smithwicks Ale. But here's a newsflash, Boyo, except for the beer you'll never find corned beef served anyway on the Old Sod. That's right. Our Irish brethren look at us in amazement, but that's never stopped us Yanks from creating traditions. So pour another wee dram and let's get cooking.
Corned Beef
Cabbage
Carrots
Potatoes
Bakery Rye Bread
Horseradish Sauce
Mustard
Irish Beer and plenty of it
Corned Beef
1 5lb. corned beef brisket*
2 med. onions, peeled and quartered
4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 bottles of beer
water to cover
Preheat oven to 300 F°.
Place beef in a Dutch oven. Add remaining ingredients, including spice packet that comes with the beef.
Bring to a boil on stovetop. Place in oven and roast for 3 hours or until meat is fork tender.
*Don't stint on the beef. It cooks down to approximately half. I learned this lesson the hard way.
Here's a tip from my butcher Raoul. Always buy corned beef flat cut. It has less fat than the point. Therefore you get more meat for your money.
Vegetables
6 med. red potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 carrots, scraped and cut into 2" pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into 2" pieces
1 med. green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges
1 cup corned beef cooking liquid
water
You can prep all the veggies and store in a large container covered by cold water until you're ready to cook them. Refrigerate so vegetables remain crisp.
Place veggies in a large pot. Stir in corned beef cooking liquid. Add water to cover vegetables by 2 inches. Cover pot. Set cooking temp at medium. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat so the pot doesn't cook over, but maintain a soft boil. Cook about 30 minutes or until veggies are fork tender.
Horseradish Sauce
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. fresh chives, snipped short
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well.
Transfer to a serving dish, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Dea Ithe!
Sloane
Friday, March 08, 2024
NEW RELEASE for STELLA MAY
Romance author Stella May kicks off her new series, Rostoff Family Saga, with New Dawn. This engrossing novel touches your heart as well as your spirit.
Love wasn’t part of their agreement. Neither was being caught in a brutal web of lies.
International playboy and owner of a jewelry empire that spreads across three continents, Dmitry Rostoff holds a memory close to this heart that not even his best friend Vlad Albrecht knows. When Dmitry learns the Russian ballerina, he had a passionate affair with died in childbirth, bitterness and hate overrule all other emotions.
Taking the baby out of Russia is an impossible snarl of red tape, but Dmitry gets his way, even if he leaves a trail of chaos in his wake.
Natasha Sokolova planned to turn over the baby to Dmitry then walk away. Instead, she is on a plane to San Francisco with the baby and a cold, emotionless man who makes her heart pound with scorching attraction.
The family matriarch and evil to her core Elizabeth Rostoff plots to gain control of the baby, no matter what it costs or who it hurts, and will do anything to make that happen. She blackmails Marie Dubois, the manager of their elite Paris store, to seduce Dmitry. But Marie reneges on the deal when former Special Forces officer Vlad Albrecht storms into her life.
Once in America, Natasha finds herself entangled in a sticky web
of lies created by the brutally calculating family matriarch. A web that forces
Natasha to make a heartbreaking deal with the devil to protect the children—and
man—she’s come to love.
AMAZON BUY LINK and OTHER SUPPLIERS
Stella May is the penname for Marina Sardarova who has a fascinating history you should read on her website.Stella writes fantasy romance as well as time travel romance. She is the author of 'Till Time Do Us Part, Book 1 in her Upon a Time series, and the stand-alone book Rhapsody in Dreams. Love and family are two cornerstones of her stories and life. Stella’s books are available in e-book and paperback through all major vendors.
Monday, March 04, 2024
SIP & SCRIBBLE
By Leigh Goff
Wine tasting and writing fiction may seem like two very different
realms, but when you look closer, you'll see that they share intriguing
similarities. Both experiences involve sensory exploration and the art of storytelling.
I recently began a journey into wine tasting and am now studying for my level 2 certification (yes, the homework rocks). How wine tasting appeals to me was similar to how I feel about writing. After some research, I discovered there was a connection. Just as a wine taster engages their senses to explore the intricacies of a wine, a fiction writer harnesses the power of sensory details to bring their story to life.
A highly skilled winemaker tends to the grapes and the winemaking process to produce a wine like a Napa Cabernet that boasts flavors of ripe blackberries, velvety dark chocolate with subtle hints of cedar, culminating in a full-bodied magical experience on the palate. When I craft a story, I construct compelling plots, drawing on my sensory experiences to enhance them and then refine the work through editing and revision. In my first novel, Disenchanted, the story I created was filled with sensory details. I wanted to immerse the reader in the magic of Sophie's world, her star-crossed romance, and the haunting history of Old Wethersfield.
Some writers through the centuries, such as Jane Austen, were
known to imbibe on too much wine. Research from the University of Graz
shows that drinking wine enhances creative thinking for writers. Of course, it
does! Now winemakers are harnessing the art of storytelling to enhance their
connection with consumers. Using a new phone app called Winerytale, the
user can read the story about a wine of their choice and learn about the
winemakers.
While wine tasting and writing fiction may seem unrelated, the parallels are undeniable. Both pursuits involve sensory exploration, layered complexity, subjective interpretation, storytelling, and a blend of artistry and craftsmanship. The next time you savor a glass of wine or dive into a captivating novel, take a moment to appreciate the shared essence of these two worlds, where sensory delights and imaginative tales intertwine.
Cheers!
Learn more about Leigh Goff on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
Monday, February 26, 2024
Bite into Something Delicious
From Sharon Ledwith
Cookies are high up on my family’s snack list. Heck, some would consider them a breakfast. These oatmeal cookies can be served as both. They are so easy to make, and you can use only chocolate chips, raisins, or leave out both if you prefer. Make the combo your own.
Did I mention these tasty morsels possess soft centers, crispy edges, and a mind-boggling chewy texture? Well, I just did. Wink. Face it. These cookies are a family favorite for a reason, and now they can be your family’s favorite, if you dare to wander into the uncharted territory of baking from scratch.
With a prep time of 15 minutes, chill time of 1 hour, and cook time of 10 minutes, they’re the perfect cookies for impromptu bake sales for your kids. Eat them either warm and fresh or prepare these treats in advance for family gatherings or a much-needed dessert when someone pops by unexpectedly. You’ll be glad you did.
Thumbs up Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Combine the flour,
baking soda, and salt in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes.
Add egg and vanilla. Mix until creamy and well combined, about 1 minute.
Blend in flour mixture and mix on low speed just until incorporated, about 30-60 seconds. Stir in the oats until combined.
Then add the chocolate chips and raisins and mix until well distributed. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Scoop 16 equal-sized balls (about 2
tablespoons/45g) of cookie dough, roll into even balls, and place 6-8 cookies,
about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart, on each prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly
with your fingers. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes or until edges of
the cookies are set and lightly browned, and the centers look under-baked,
pale, puffy, and dry.
Remove baking sheet from the oven and let cookies
cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes, or until firm enough to move. Transfer them
to a wire rack and let cool completely. The cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3
months.
While you’re waiting for the cookie dough
to chill, pop on the kettle or turn on the coffee pot and settle into your
favorite chair with one of my books. May I suggest a nostalgic visit to mysterious Fairy Falls or perhaps go back in time with The Last Timekeepers? Just remember to keep some
cookies for yourself. After all, you deserve a break from the craziness of the
world.
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading, researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and a moody calico cat.
Learn more
about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON
AUTHOR
page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.
BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The
Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE
Friday, February 23, 2024
COVER REVEAL for STELLA MAY
Romance author Stella May steps away from her time travel books to bring us a new series, The Rostoff Saga. Here's the cover and intro for New Dawn, Book 1 of the exciting four book series, that releases March 8. Here's hoping there will be more to follow.
Love wasn’t part of their agreement. Neither was being caught in a brutal web of lies.
International playboy and owner of a jewelry empire that spreads across three continents, Dmitry Rostoff holds a memory close to this heart that not even his best friend Vlad Albrecht knows. When Dmitry learns the Russian ballerina, he had a passionate affair with died in childbirth, bitterness and hate overrule all other emotions.
Taking the baby out of Russia is an impossible snarl of red tape, but Dmitry gets his way, even if he leaves a trail of chaos in his wake.
Natasha Sokolova planned to turn over the baby to Dmitry then walk away. Instead, she is on a plane to San Francisco with the baby and a cold, emotionless man who makes her heart pound with scorching attraction.
The family matriarch and evil to her core Elizabeth Rostoff plots to gain control of the baby, no matter what it costs or who it hurts, and will do anything to make that happen. She blackmails Marie Dubois, the manager of their elite Paris store, to seduce Dmitry. But Marie reneges on the deal when former Special Forces officer Vlad Albrecht storms into her life.
Once in America, Natasha finds herself entangled in a sticky web
of lies created by the brutally calculating family matriarch. A web that forces
Natasha to make a heartbreaking deal with the devil to protect the children—and
man—she’s come to love.
Stella May is the penname for Marina Sardarova who has a fascinating history you should read on her website.Stella writes fantasy romance as well as time travel romance. She is the author of 'Till Time Do Us Part, Book 1 in her Upon a Time series, and the stand-alone book Rhapsody in Dreams. Love and family are two cornerstones of her stories and life. Stella’s books are available in e-book and paperback through all major vendors.
Monday, February 19, 2024
AGING GRACEFULLY - MAYBE
by Anne Montgomery
I have worked out most of my life. I started ice skating at
five. I skied and swam. When I was 24, I started officiating sports and called
football, baseball, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball games, an avocation I practiced
for 40 years. When I was 30, I got my first health club membership and I have
had one ever since.
So, I’m a long-time gym rat. I’ve lifted weights, utilized aerobics equipment, and practiced yoga, but I’m primarily a lap swimmer. I mention this because recently I turned the golden corner for those of us who spend time at the gym. The reason? Silver Sneakers.
For the uninformed, Silver Sneakers is a health and fitness program that provides gym access and fitness classes for people 65 and older. It's covered by some Medicare plans. That means I no longer have
to shell out those monthly fees to the health club.
The idea, of course, is to keep old people moving so they’re
less likely to succumb to problems like heart disease, broken bones from falls,
high-blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. If people get exercise,
chances are they won't become ill or injured, which keeps those Medicare costs
down.
I've been swimming laps regularly for 35 years, so I am pretty
comfortable working out.
I was feeling pretty smug the day I walked into the club and
asked to be moved to the Silver Sneakers rolls. I had just finished swimming a
thousand meters – sadly, I used to swim two thousand, but as I’ve already intimated,
I’m old.
“Of course! I’d be happy to help,” a tall, twenty-something
smiled down at me. “Sit right here. Just show me your ID and your membership
card, Ms. Montgomery.”
I noted he was very solicitous.
After putting the important bits of information into the
computer and handing me my new key fob, he placed both elbows on the desk.
“Now, we can provide you with a free one-hour counseling session.”
“What for?”
He tilted his head. “To help you learn how to work out.”
I squinted. Did I look like I needed help finding my way around
the gym? Did I look like I spent my days on the couch eating Ding Dongs? Did I
look like I didn’t know a free weight from a foam roller?
Then, I had an I-glimpsed-myself-in-a-store-window moment. I know
you’ve done it. You walk by a reflective surface and the person you see staring
back is not the one you always imagined. I was forced to consider how this nice
young man saw me. He smiled sweetly. I stared back, realizing I might now
appear to be a little old lady.
I said I’d think about the offer. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to
see if there’s anything I’ve been missing. I thanked him and left. Though I
stared at the floor whenever I got close to a window.
This is my latest release. It’s Native American Literature and U.S. Historical Fiction. Picking a genre definitely is not easy.
The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.
In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.
Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.
Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archaeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.
Amazon Buy Link
When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.
Learn more about Anne Montgomery on her website and Wikipedia. Stay connected on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.