tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190763262024-03-19T03:48:38.012-05:00Sweet & Spicy...In & Out of the KitchenReady to ignite that old flame? Or perhaps spark a new one? Take your partner by the hand and turn on your stove. Sloane Taylor brings her creativity to the kitchen with easy-to-make meals sure to spark the intimacy and quality time you want with your special someone.Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.comBlogger1551125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-3494894666180147912024-03-18T00:30:00.041-05:002024-03-18T00:30:00.133-05:00We Hate When That Happensby <b>C. D. Hersh</b> <div><br /></div><div>Writing is full of challenges, from the perfecting the actual craft to getting the book published to mastering marketing. Along the way, if you’re like us, you’ve probably had your share of writing mishaps-things you hate to see happen.
Here are ten of our <i>We-hate-when-that-happens</i> moments. </div><div><br /></div><div>1. When we miss the wrong word in a sentence that spell check didn’t catch and send the piece to the editor for publication. Sliver and silver—both are spelled correctly but can’t be used interchangeably. </div><div><br /></div><div>2. When we see the transposed letters of a word in our blog comments AFTER the comment has been posted and you can’t get to it for a do over. </div><div><br /></div><div>3. When our hero’s eye color changes mid-book because somebody forgot to check the character sheet. (No we won’t identify the “somebody”) </div><div><br /></div><div>4. When the find and replace option in Microsoft Word replaces ALL the spaces between the words, instead of the one extra space after every sentence targeted, turning the manuscript into one loooooong run-on sentence. Yes,ithappenedtous. That’s why we don’t recommend using the <b><i>replace all</i></b> function. </div><div><br /></div><div>5. When everyone in the critique group hates our favorite part of a scene. That usually means there’s going to be a lot of rewriting. </div><div><br /></div><div>6. When your finger finds the delete key instead of the save key. Thank goodness for the UNDO function! </div><div><br /></div><div>7. When you realize the whole chapter you just finished doesn’t go anywhere, doesn’t move the plot forward, and that chapter has to be slashed from the book. </div><div><br /></div><div>8. When the critique partners love the secondary characters more than the hero or heroine. Ugh! </div><div><br /></div><div>9. When <b><i>we</i></b> love a secondary character more than a hero or heroine. (One solution is that means a second book.) </div><div><br /></div><div>10. When you close down the computer and it crashes the next time it‘s opened. This is why Catherine prints out a hard copy every time she creates new pages and stores them in a three ring binder. Paper is her friend. (She has the file drawers full to prove it. 20 at last count.
Do you have an I-hate-when-that-happens moment? We would love to hear it. Please share in a comment below so we don’t fell so inept.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSl54_WrVYNklhnoTzsqGNqu_E4-7zt2g6rd6XRhrm4SkEeHZCDcJBjkqAniQkZnkGHmAKqPFHQr5DUggNbbJ02czmwoTdqCb5YuJQlrUljSjGi05IH6tmJ-5xrP8W_B_nKTtWoIZbuFgOpe1PYxoto3ujCtL8tDYAV8-p4REY9GskDez9TJTtMQ/s320/C.D.%20HERSH.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="320" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSl54_WrVYNklhnoTzsqGNqu_E4-7zt2g6rd6XRhrm4SkEeHZCDcJBjkqAniQkZnkGHmAKqPFHQr5DUggNbbJ02czmwoTdqCb5YuJQlrUljSjGi05IH6tmJ-5xrP8W_B_nKTtWoIZbuFgOpe1PYxoto3ujCtL8tDYAV8-p4REY9GskDez9TJTtMQ/w187-h164/C.D.%20HERSH.jpg" width="187" /></a></div><br />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. </div><div><br /></div><div>The first four books of their paranormal romance series entitled <em>The Turning Stone Chronicles</em> are available in e-book format on Amazon. <em>Can’t Stop The Music,</em> their standalone romance novella currently out of print, won the 2018 Uncaged Book Reviews Contemporary Music Raven Award. </div><div><br /></div><div><em>Ghosts and Gardenias</em>, the first book in their time slip romance series <em>Ghosts of Garnoa Road,</em> will come out in the spring of 2024. </div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to writing Catherine and Donald love antiquing, traveling, singing, and going to the theatre. Catherine is also an avid gardener and has drawn Donald into her garden as a day laborer. They figure the couple who plays together and works together, stays together—and that's just what they aim to do.</div><div><br /></div><div><strong>Amazon buy links:</strong>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CCZQPW">The Turning Stone Chronicles</a> series page
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DUMODKI">The Promised One</a> (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 1) eBook
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVNFC8W">Blood Brothers</a> (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 2): eBook
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XK3E172">Son of the Moonless Night</a> (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3) eBook
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I01W2JC">The Mercenary and the Shifters</a> (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 4) eBook </div><div><br /></div><div><strong>Learn more about C.D. Hersh on their </strong><a href="https://cdhersh.wordpress.com/">Website,</a> <a href="http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/">Soul Mate Publishing,</a> <a href="http://amazon.com/C-D-Hersh/e/B00DV5L7ZI">Amazon Author Page.</a> Stay connected on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cdhershauthor">Facebook,</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorCDHersh">Twitter,</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/CDHersh">Goodreads</a>. Be sure to follow their <a href="https://cdhersh.wordpress.com/blog-2/">Blog.</a></div>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-59143770975646139762024-03-11T00:30:00.007-05:002024-03-11T00:30:00.152-05:00Dinner the St. Patrick’s Day Way<br />from <b>Sloane Taylor</b>
<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Corned Beef<br />
Cabbage<br />
Carrots<br />
Potatoes<br />
Bakery Rye Bread<br />
Horseradish Sauce<br />
Mustard<br />
Irish Beer and plenty of it</b></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Corned Beef</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GeTLm1PIVuKxqeqBSe0D1yv77Y9gAUznnxTi92bKZFgcEtfcWLm9DkH1JckSccdxzYJHB4sCSsInqynXjGrssLCT2eXJZDySEgGC5MAzQmfQmNfWG8BShHt559pa3JW1WlpMWQ/s1600/cornedbeefcabb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GeTLm1PIVuKxqeqBSe0D1yv77Y9gAUznnxTi92bKZFgcEtfcWLm9DkH1JckSccdxzYJHB4sCSsInqynXjGrssLCT2eXJZDySEgGC5MAzQmfQmNfWG8BShHt559pa3JW1WlpMWQ/s320/cornedbeefcabb.jpg" /></a></div>1 5lb. corned beef brisket<b>*</b><br />
2 med. onions, peeled and quartered<br />
4 peppercorns<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
3 bottles of beer<br />
water to cover<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 300 F°.<br />
<br />
Place beef in a Dutch oven. Add remaining ingredients, including spice packet that comes with the beef.<br />
<br />
Bring to a boil on stovetop. Place in oven and roast for 3 hours or until meat is fork tender.<br />
<br />
<b>*</b>Don't stint on the beef. It cooks down to approximately half. I learned this lesson the hard way.<br />
<br />
Here's a tip from my butcher Raoul. <i>Always buy corned beef flat cut. It has less fat than the point. Therefore you get more meat for your money.</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vegetables</b></span><br />
6 med. red potatoes, peeled and quartered<br />
6 carrots, scraped and cut into 2" pieces<br />
1 celery stalk, cut into 2" pieces<br />
1 med. green cabbage, cut into 8 wedges<br />
1 cup corned beef cooking liquid <br />
water<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Horseradish Sauce</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLDd5znTDk7SGnt2jfSAsil28IjF9bHOcVfWy14MiGZp2h43zi7XYqNbkwBjxfErG6BfFoWKmtzg1nEAkZbDr9J8iEc1nPf6R6S4RW2jtj2_q1jwrdLQUFB6gX7nkbTkx9sRafA/s1600/Horseradish+Sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLDd5znTDk7SGnt2jfSAsil28IjF9bHOcVfWy14MiGZp2h43zi7XYqNbkwBjxfErG6BfFoWKmtzg1nEAkZbDr9J8iEc1nPf6R6S4RW2jtj2_q1jwrdLQUFB6gX7nkbTkx9sRafA/s200/Horseradish+Sauce.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>1 cup sour cream<br />
2 tbsp. prepared horseradish<br />
1 tsp. fresh chives, snipped short<br />
<br />
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir well. <br />
<br />
Transfer to a serving dish, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.<br />
<br />
<i>Dea Ithe!</i><br />
<br />
SloaneSloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-33263049208438892702024-03-08T00:30:00.062-06:002024-03-08T08:05:07.485-06:00NEW RELEASE for STELLA MAY<p>Romance author <strong>Stella May</strong> kicks off her new series, <em>Rostoff Family Saga,</em> with <i>New Dawn</i>. This engrossing novel touches your heart as well as your spirit. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOsG6Bib8V8NAo9Q_IFFjGwKP7yX90eiw_7asOjmBW2FbicnM9rUntKqjhIQeX4FdA87ye2somULopx-ZCBKiwHw3kAtOt4EzWoaYbnGawaS-fCzDYSsqO5x2jjXD9XhbYtH01Q1OUD6WX5XU03poM1IKgExOeAxdQ8ukdwuxc2BdIgvlNmeAFw/s2700/Marina%20Rostoff%20Bk1%20Cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOsG6Bib8V8NAo9Q_IFFjGwKP7yX90eiw_7asOjmBW2FbicnM9rUntKqjhIQeX4FdA87ye2somULopx-ZCBKiwHw3kAtOt4EzWoaYbnGawaS-fCzDYSsqO5x2jjXD9XhbYtH01Q1OUD6WX5XU03poM1IKgExOeAxdQ8ukdwuxc2BdIgvlNmeAFw/s320/Marina%20Rostoff%20Bk1%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>Love
wasn’t part of their agreement. Neither was being caught in a brutal web of
lies.<o:p></o:p></i></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">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 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Albrecht knows. When Dmitry learns
the Russian ballerina, he had a passionate affair with died in childbirth, bitterness
and hate overrule all other emotions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/New-Dawn-Rostoff-Family-Saga/dp/B0CVD4RZ2R/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=ERUbb&content-id=amzn1.sym.cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_p=cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_r=132-1908785-3764143&pd_rd_wg=zZZEW&pd_rd_r=047e5d71-560a-4cb2-85c1-1a418614d50b&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" target="_blank">AMAZON BUY LINK</a> and <a href="https://books2read.com/u/4N8wy6" target="_blank">OTHER SUPPLIERS</a></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpiAvqApUVc-u6E_zQU-w1fTXyoHZ_JO92gJWaWk579v36QrcyChGpqF1XjCG5M2QoPmLzr1zXlXDGKOyar521nYB9tXj-DLfWuMixb2JU2zZOlmuj4O7lg15wf2xbM7phVGvOClkbZs8Wc43IG1SflpydlvQmDRpIBJjPBLE0ozK9WweF5Q/s713/Marina%20No%20Glare.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="713" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpiAvqApUVc-u6E_zQU-w1fTXyoHZ_JO92gJWaWk579v36QrcyChGpqF1XjCG5M2QoPmLzr1zXlXDGKOyar521nYB9tXj-DLfWuMixb2JU2zZOlmuj4O7lg15wf2xbM7phVGvOClkbZs8Wc43IG1SflpydlvQmDRpIBJjPBLE0ozK9WweF5Q/w206-h206/Marina%20No%20Glare.jpg" width="206" /></a></strong></div><strong>Stella May</strong> is the penname for<strong> Marina Sardarova</strong> who has a fascinating history you should read on her <a href="https://www.stellamayauthor.com/">website</a>.<p></p>Stella writes fantasy romance as well as time travel romance. She is the author of <em>'Till Time Do Us Part</em>, Book 1 in her Upon a Time series, and the stand-alone book <em>Rhapsody in Dreams.</em> 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. <div><br /></div><div>When not writing, Stella enjoys classical music, reading, and long walks along the ocean with her husband. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Leo of 25 years and their son George. They are her two best friends and are all partners in their family business. </div><div><br /></div><div>Follow Stella on her <a href="https://www.stellamayauthor.com/">website</a> and <a href="https://stellamayauthor.home.blog/">blog</a>. Stay connected on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stellamaywriter">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MarinaSardarova">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/stellamay1205/_created/">Pinterest</a>.</div>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-14148897228397863332024-03-04T00:30:00.028-06:002024-03-04T00:30:00.132-06:00SIP & SCRIBBLE <p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">By <b>Leigh Goff</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWukDkoMwRXzE8Jw3Pj4v-k2JPxz4XLEXC3htWRmKw0swdJX5PjPbjS0FaBsRCqafrhwi5LDaUYO-qMKkZ8ZMa6xGuSPd66iUQzirvJ2bqpU1uSgmo3Oz8ZoIaJ9xEBjb-jREXozAvLfUKchdxsTgw7zwBico7yykhVLjeTDFglWDV3SShPgRCRw/s616/G%2015%2024%20Feb%20Leigh%20Goff%20calculation.jpeg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="616" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWukDkoMwRXzE8Jw3Pj4v-k2JPxz4XLEXC3htWRmKw0swdJX5PjPbjS0FaBsRCqafrhwi5LDaUYO-qMKkZ8ZMa6xGuSPd66iUQzirvJ2bqpU1uSgmo3Oz8ZoIaJ9xEBjb-jREXozAvLfUKchdxsTgw7zwBico7yykhVLjeTDFglWDV3SShPgRCRw/w225-h166/G%2015%2024%20Feb%20Leigh%20Goff%20calculation.jpeg.webp" width="225" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2-iDXUfyVTUIaMWNgTpdk6BEmoDbq-oQpspbdOR8hPvaeMaxhwXBmf_yn8rSv9j1xX-s0PdSJW-eur4XPu8LCpeYYnm0vwY1awJGXZTsJD2_u54v0QcPSC-D3mhAQi5e0qsLKtlXinx6hb5qqkaK_zLyEH0hMd66KmjJwILQaV74jzZpzHEb3Q/s504/G%2015%2024%20Mar%20Leigh%20Goff%20Sip%20&%20Scribble.jpg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="504" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2-iDXUfyVTUIaMWNgTpdk6BEmoDbq-oQpspbdOR8hPvaeMaxhwXBmf_yn8rSv9j1xX-s0PdSJW-eur4XPu8LCpeYYnm0vwY1awJGXZTsJD2_u54v0QcPSC-D3mhAQi5e0qsLKtlXinx6hb5qqkaK_zLyEH0hMd66KmjJwILQaV74jzZpzHEb3Q/w298-h198/G%2015%2024%20Mar%20Leigh%20Goff%20Sip%20&%20Scribble.jpg.webp" width="298" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />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.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhmrgjFcZJkDt6fb2gCBtc7f0xpffRLVarJCNQLHAJWRFjSB_p7d52TR8PgnqbJBe1PlHyjiCkSutb9UQVkdbggyug5TP9xo8-8iGS_JnQIszNIItf0RnDt88FG6BHceOnwSQUjO_2vJapY4w0Z2PXuCdcT3uFtEUBHLW3oDhFi0ALGyOHLhV0w/s327/B%20Leigh%20Goff%20Disenchanted%20new%20jpeg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="218" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuhmrgjFcZJkDt6fb2gCBtc7f0xpffRLVarJCNQLHAJWRFjSB_p7d52TR8PgnqbJBe1PlHyjiCkSutb9UQVkdbggyug5TP9xo8-8iGS_JnQIszNIItf0RnDt88FG6BHceOnwSQUjO_2vJapY4w0Z2PXuCdcT3uFtEUBHLW3oDhFi0ALGyOHLhV0w/w199-h299/B%20Leigh%20Goff%20Disenchanted%20new%20jpeg.webp" width="199" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />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, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Disenchanted-Leigh-Goff/dp/0992049091"><i><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disenchanted</span></i></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, 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.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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 <i>Winerytale, </i>the
user can read the story about a wine of their choice and learn about the
winemakers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cheers!</span></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxlhnGncgBh-ZiPHMFd9lcn81ypt3NrUqOS1XDaaT_jIVdqE6yo7DwjnmPeDZ-jWZKe93e9cWl4W5_pWA4T0ZsGNba3Hyy0AxFU62XDLQMAOPrH0OCKOlY58yhIT1OJPjss5JtQ/s1600/Leigh+Goff-150+RET.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxlhnGncgBh-ZiPHMFd9lcn81ypt3NrUqOS1XDaaT_jIVdqE6yo7DwjnmPeDZ-jWZKe93e9cWl4W5_pWA4T0ZsGNba3Hyy0AxFU62XDLQMAOPrH0OCKOlY58yhIT1OJPjss5JtQ/w179-h269/Leigh+Goff-150+RET.jpg" width="179" /></a><b><div><b><br /></b></div>Leigh Goff</b> writes young adult fiction. She is a graduate from the University of Maryland and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI).<div><br /></div><div> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She has three published novels, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Disenchanted-Leigh-Goff/dp/0992049091"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DISENCHANTED</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bewitching-Hannah-Leigh-Goff/dp/1987976312/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29VET095OAGD6&keywords=bewitching+hannah+goff&qid=1689611806&s=books&sprefix=bewitching+hannah+gof%2Cstripbooks%2C84&sr=1-1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BEWITCHING HANNAH</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, and </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Koush-Hollow-Leigh-Goff/dp/B0BDC4K16G/ref=sr_1_1?crid=F9OFW63RUIKQ&keywords=koush+hollow+goff&qid=1689611847&s=books&sprefix=koush+hollow+goff%2Cstripbooks%2C81&sr=1-1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">KOUSH HOLLOW</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. She is also a member of SCBWI and a graduate from the University of Maryland.<br /></span>
<br />
Learn more about <b>Leigh Goff</b> on her <a href="http://leighgoff.com/"><b>website</b></a> and <a href="http://leighgoff.com/blog/"><b>blog</b></a>. Stay connected on <a href="http://facebook.com/leighgoffauthor"><b>Facebook</b></a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/authorleighgoff"><b>Instagram</b></a>, <a href="http://pinterest.com/authorleighgoff/"><b>Pinterest</b></a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9819621.Leigh_Goff"><b>Goodreads</b></a>.
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-22541022099645668362024-02-26T00:30:00.035-06:002024-02-26T00:30:00.130-06:00Bite into Something Delicious<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">From </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sharon
Ledwith</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">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. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thumbs up Oatmeal
Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies</span></b></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxWW-Z0uQ8zgbdy14xRIym2UZa8JHwYhwTUVAsDGeLwrdEcNYHIaTqPV0W4m6CJ5_UJ5mBptfu0iCALOEzoqkKzSiTaRqCFcPKkZLRZYu3fZeKvs_vDMsbMjEianBtGcD5Tjzp_b9SsHSkEfXzBGVAJ3MYX6mgIJWq7GW8KpQDnEorbfCxIdMMA/s4000/G%2024%20Sharon%20Oatmeal%20Raisin%20Chocolate%20Chip%20Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxWW-Z0uQ8zgbdy14xRIym2UZa8JHwYhwTUVAsDGeLwrdEcNYHIaTqPV0W4m6CJ5_UJ5mBptfu0iCALOEzoqkKzSiTaRqCFcPKkZLRZYu3fZeKvs_vDMsbMjEianBtGcD5Tjzp_b9SsHSkEfXzBGVAJ3MYX6mgIJWq7GW8KpQDnEorbfCxIdMMA/w188-h251/G%2024%20Sharon%20Oatmeal%20Raisin%20Chocolate%20Chip%20Cookies.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><br />1 cup all-purpose
flour, leveled</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ tsp baking soda</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ cup unsalted
butter, at room temperature</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">¼ cup granulated
suga</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">r</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ cup packed light
or dark brown sugar</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 large egg</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1½ tsp vanilla
extract</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1¼ cups
old-fashioned rolled oats</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ cup semi-sweet
chocolate chips</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ cup raisins</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Combine the flour,
baking soda, and salt in a medium size bowl. Set aside.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Add egg and
vanilla. Mix until creamy and well combined, about 1 minute.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Blend in flour
mixture and mix on low speed just until incorporated, about 30-60 seconds. Stir
in the oats until combined.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Then add the
chocolate chips and </span>raisins and<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> mix until well distributed. Cover and chill
for 1 hour.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Preheat oven to
350°F (175°C).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Line two baking
sheets with parchment paper and set aside.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">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 </span>airtight<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3
months.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">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. <span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">May I suggest a nostalgic visit to mysterious </span><a href="https://www.sharonledwith.com/books/mysterious-tales-from-fairy-falls-series/"><span style="background: white;">Fairy Falls</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"> or perhaps go back in time with </span><a href="https://www.sharonledwith.com/books/the-last-time-keepers-series/"><span style="background: white;">The Last Timekeepers</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">? Just remember to keep some
cookies for yourself. After all, you deserve a break from the craziness of the
world.</span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="BodyText1" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVKq7BZMVU-p_mr_400_61Yhjuw-NZGFMr6vB04EGBn5miZ_tMc2YNxSiAgmv-ILr7PCLid6_kXwEud2PQ6sknKuk0EYTLPDivILNVoAq4xFqeIv6NXMZop0qxrIn0piaHxpQRY0NSSwp4Mxzl4To1ZrvLVOaL1qs0_apMWlloFA4FoGitBs/s3888/Sharon%20Ledwith%20Author%20Shot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="2592" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVKq7BZMVU-p_mr_400_61Yhjuw-NZGFMr6vB04EGBn5miZ_tMc2YNxSiAgmv-ILr7PCLid6_kXwEud2PQ6sknKuk0EYTLPDivILNVoAq4xFqeIv6NXMZop0qxrIn0piaHxpQRY0NSSwp4Mxzl4To1ZrvLVOaL1qs0_apMWlloFA4FoGitBs/w191-h287/Sharon%20Ledwith%20Author%20Shot.jpg" width="191" /></a></b></div><b><br />Sharon
Ledwith</b> 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.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="BodyText1" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Learn more
about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sharon Ledwith</b> on her </span><a href="http://www.sharonledwith.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">WEBSITE</span></a> and<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><a href="http://sharonledwith.blogspot.ca/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BLOG</span></a>. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Look up her </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Ledwith/e/B0084DUHJO"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">AMAZON
AUTHOR</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
page for a list of current books. Stay connected on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SharonLedwithAuthor/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">FACEBOOK</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/sharonledwith"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">TWITTER</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/seledwith/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PINTEREST</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-ledwith-4a33b213/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">LINKEDIN</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/seledwith/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">INSTAGRAM</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, and </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821744.Sharon_Ledwith"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">GOODREADS</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BodyText1" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BONUS:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Download the free PDF short story <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Terrible, Mighty Crystal</i></b> </span><a href="http://sharonledwith.com/pub/The-Terrible-Mighty-Crystal.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">HERE</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span color="windowtext" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-17677722203414286662024-02-23T00:30:00.023-06:002024-02-23T00:30:00.147-06:00COVER REVEAL for STELLA MAY<p>Romance author <strong>Stella May</strong> steps away from her time travel books to bring us a new series, <em>The Rostoff Saga.</em> Here's the cover and intro for <strong><em>New Dawn</em></strong>, Book 1 of the exciting four book series, that releases March 8. Here's hoping there will be more to follow.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOsG6Bib8V8NAo9Q_IFFjGwKP7yX90eiw_7asOjmBW2FbicnM9rUntKqjhIQeX4FdA87ye2somULopx-ZCBKiwHw3kAtOt4EzWoaYbnGawaS-fCzDYSsqO5x2jjXD9XhbYtH01Q1OUD6WX5XU03poM1IKgExOeAxdQ8ukdwuxc2BdIgvlNmeAFw/s2700/Marina%20Rostoff%20Bk1%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOsG6Bib8V8NAo9Q_IFFjGwKP7yX90eiw_7asOjmBW2FbicnM9rUntKqjhIQeX4FdA87ye2somULopx-ZCBKiwHw3kAtOt4EzWoaYbnGawaS-fCzDYSsqO5x2jjXD9XhbYtH01Q1OUD6WX5XU03poM1IKgExOeAxdQ8ukdwuxc2BdIgvlNmeAFw/s320/Marina%20Rostoff%20Bk1%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><br />Love
wasn’t part of their agreement. Neither was being caught in a brutal web of
lies.<o:p></o:p></i></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">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 </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;">Albrecht knows. When Dmitry learns
the Russian ballerina, he had a passionate affair with died in childbirth, bitterness
and hate overrule all other emotions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">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.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpiAvqApUVc-u6E_zQU-w1fTXyoHZ_JO92gJWaWk579v36QrcyChGpqF1XjCG5M2QoPmLzr1zXlXDGKOyar521nYB9tXj-DLfWuMixb2JU2zZOlmuj4O7lg15wf2xbM7phVGvOClkbZs8Wc43IG1SflpydlvQmDRpIBJjPBLE0ozK9WweF5Q/s713/Marina%20No%20Glare.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="713" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpiAvqApUVc-u6E_zQU-w1fTXyoHZ_JO92gJWaWk579v36QrcyChGpqF1XjCG5M2QoPmLzr1zXlXDGKOyar521nYB9tXj-DLfWuMixb2JU2zZOlmuj4O7lg15wf2xbM7phVGvOClkbZs8Wc43IG1SflpydlvQmDRpIBJjPBLE0ozK9WweF5Q/w206-h206/Marina%20No%20Glare.jpg" width="206" /></a></strong></div><strong>Stella May</strong> is the penname for<strong> Marina Sardarova</strong> who has a fascinating history you should read on her <a href="https://www.stellamayauthor.com/">website</a>.<p></p>Stella writes fantasy romance as well as time travel romance. She is the author of <em>'Till Time Do Us Part</em>, Book 1 in her Upon a Time series, and the stand-alone book <em>Rhapsody in Dreams.</em> 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. <div><br /></div><div>When not writing, Stella enjoys classical music, reading, and long walks along the ocean with her husband. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Leo of 25 years and their son George. They are her two best friends and are all partners in their family business. </div><div><br /></div><div>Follow Stella on her <a href="https://www.stellamayauthor.com/">website</a> and <a href="https://stellamayauthor.home.blog/">blog</a>. Stay connected on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stellamaywriter">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MarinaSardarova">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/stellamay1205/_created/">Pinterest</a>.Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-32742321832036074822024-02-19T00:30:00.011-06:002024-02-19T00:30:00.140-06:00AGING GRACEFULLY - MAYBE<p> <b style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI",sans-serif" style="color: #1e1e1e; font-size: 16pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">by Anne Montgomery</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSEGAeFNa9qjSBkhvFLFLl2ineH6uZHe2EFGtRn51J6AlA9PMtP_1w1dh_tzuyfmKfcPeWoxh2toFkfVqwvYaVuF9dJMQ-qefLxNe1ciFm4rOn-S9KH1wYyFg35kVDwMff0KU3g/s276/D53+silver+sneakers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSEGAeFNa9qjSBkhvFLFLl2ineH6uZHe2EFGtRn51J6AlA9PMtP_1w1dh_tzuyfmKfcPeWoxh2toFkfVqwvYaVuF9dJMQ-qefLxNe1ciFm4rOn-S9KH1wYyFg35kVDwMff0KU3g/s0/D53+silver+sneakers.jpg" /></a></div>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.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">For the uninformed, Silver Sneakers is a health and fitness program that provides gym access and fitness classes for people 65 and older.</span><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> It's covered by some Medicare plans. That means I no longer have
to shell out those monthly fees to the health club.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><i><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I've been swimming laps regularly for 35 years, so I am pretty
comfortable working out.</span></i><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“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.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I noted he was very solicitous.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“What for?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He tilted his head. “To help you learn how to work out.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 21.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 21.0pt; margin: 21pt 0in;"><span style="color: #1e1e1e; font-family: "Noto Serif",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif;">This is my latest release. It’s Native American Literature and
U.S. Historical Fiction. Picking a genre definitely is not easy.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMwr-JZ_NzUWT4fT3RApZlPsP7H7W3nDaP1TI7hqlpjBkLfN-0Bs4C20ioYVmnBNmtWvCgCFiEZM7NksPtlyLLhPw0Ow0RtgtlfU3TF45Uz_7t_85k1kWMgAHebgywNOex_PBnAW9ABTls3F4XDegrhiT-NBxoTEHbwdJy3_Vp9GVbvo4wPA/s500/e27%20Anne%20Cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMwr-JZ_NzUWT4fT3RApZlPsP7H7W3nDaP1TI7hqlpjBkLfN-0Bs4C20ioYVmnBNmtWvCgCFiEZM7NksPtlyLLhPw0Ow0RtgtlfU3TF45Uz_7t_85k1kWMgAHebgywNOex_PBnAW9ABTls3F4XDegrhiT-NBxoTEHbwdJy3_Vp9GVbvo4wPA/s320/e27%20Anne%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.</span></i></b><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.</span></p></div><div><p><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MV1H4N3/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amazon Buy Link</span></a></h2><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></p></div>
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjy5ZsZ882RqdtX0cC7X3awnCHt9KLGZ4ot15s84XSM-fzuFRiw1tjToGXGRYuiMpXiiOXYecVmjhZI9LE_lhvEHN8SZHBXlTHcJ-xSNsvJLeX1rUrNJA1H0PbBysH53LwCc9MQ/s1600/Anne+Montgomery+Headshot+2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjy5ZsZ882RqdtX0cC7X3awnCHt9KLGZ4ot15s84XSM-fzuFRiw1tjToGXGRYuiMpXiiOXYecVmjhZI9LE_lhvEHN8SZHBXlTHcJ-xSNsvJLeX1rUrNJA1H0PbBysH53LwCc9MQ/s320/Anne+Montgomery+Headshot+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b>Anne Montgomery</b> has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. She worked at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter, and ASPN-TV as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery has been a freelance and staff writer for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces. <br />
<br />
When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.<br />
<br />
Learn more about <b>Anne Montgomery</b> on her <a href="https://annemontgomerywriter.com/"><b>website</b></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Montgomery"><b>Wikipedia</b></a>. Stay connected on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anne.montgomery.359?fref=ts&ref=br_tf"><b>Facebook</b></a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=82984029&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic"><b>Linkedin</b></a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/amontgomery8"><b>Twitter</b></a>.
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p><br /></p>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-6525243549957895112024-02-12T00:30:00.000-06:002024-02-12T00:30:00.132-06:00Enjoy a Bewitching February<p> From <b><span style="color: #000014; font-family: "Libre Baskerville";">Leigh
Goff</span><i><span style="background: white; color: #5a5a62; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 24.3pt; margin-bottom: 13.2pt;"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">February’s Featured Book is a witchy young
adult historical fiction with more than a hint of romance thrown in the mix.
<i>Disenchanted</i> is the perfect book to keep you spellbound through
the rest of winter!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A forbidden love. A
dark curse. An impossible choice…</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjfKhDInOWqyAS3CsNoHPMoeCpw1HYpsbkFc2uY6ClC-83YpXUOm9XHaKTTLW9exOlDUZ7jOIafZlZwVgu_p9CWLsbRT5leWKhni5NXFJBv6C7SuXEfAyKyMU1sCorOZyfvpW73ysAsNirl_qBRc1lapnfw4ZceeXLjUszcDzVxGN3ZqQOI7XdA/s300/G%2011%20G%2015%20Leigh%20chantedecover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjfKhDInOWqyAS3CsNoHPMoeCpw1HYpsbkFc2uY6ClC-83YpXUOm9XHaKTTLW9exOlDUZ7jOIafZlZwVgu_p9CWLsbRT5leWKhni5NXFJBv6C7SuXEfAyKyMU1sCorOZyfvpW73ysAsNirl_qBRc1lapnfw4ZceeXLjUszcDzVxGN3ZqQOI7XdA/s1600/G%2011%20G%2015%20Leigh%20chantedecover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Descended from a powerful Wethersfield witch,
sixteen-year-old Sophie is struggling to hide her awkwardly emerging magic, but
that’s the least of her worries. When a dangerous thief tries to steal her
mysterious heirloom necklace, she is rescued by the one person she’s forbidden
to fall for, a descendant of the man who condemned her ancestor to hang. He
carries a dark secret that could destroy them both unless Sophie learns how to
tap into the mysterious power of her diamond bloodcharm. She will have to uncover
dark secrets from both of their families’ wicked pasts and risk everything,
including her soul to save them from a witch’s true love curse, but it will
take much more than that.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="background: white; color: #5a5a62; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12.5pt;">February is for bewitching romances such as Disenchanted, a YA witchy fantasy romance inspired by the historic Wethersfield Witch Trials–available in paperback and e-book at <a href="https://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/product/disenchanted-by-leigh-goff-e-book-/12?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=5" target="_blank">Mirror World Publishing</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Disenchanted-Leigh-Goff/dp/0992049091/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2QEPB9TC3AWDR&keywords=leigh+goff&qid=1706912996&sprefix=leigh+goff%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Amazon</a>!</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxlhnGncgBh-ZiPHMFd9lcn81ypt3NrUqOS1XDaaT_jIVdqE6yo7DwjnmPeDZ-jWZKe93e9cWl4W5_pWA4T0ZsGNba3Hyy0AxFU62XDLQMAOPrH0OCKOlY58yhIT1OJPjss5JtQ/s1600/Leigh+Goff-150+RET.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxlhnGncgBh-ZiPHMFd9lcn81ypt3NrUqOS1XDaaT_jIVdqE6yo7DwjnmPeDZ-jWZKe93e9cWl4W5_pWA4T0ZsGNba3Hyy0AxFU62XDLQMAOPrH0OCKOlY58yhIT1OJPjss5JtQ/w179-h269/Leigh+Goff-150+RET.jpg" width="179" /></a><b>Leigh Goff</b> writes young adult fiction. She is a graduate from the University of Maryland and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). <br />
<br />
Born and raised on the East Coast, she now lives in Maryland where she enjoys the area's great history and culture.<br />
<br />
Her third young adult novel, <b>Koush Hollow</b>, a Southern gothic set in New Orleans, will release on September 1, 2020 from The Parliament House.<br />
<br />
Learn more about <b>Leigh Goff</b> on her <a href="http://leighgoff.com/"><b>website</b></a> and <a href="http://leighgoff.com/blog/"><b>blog</b></a>. Stay connected on <a href="http://facebook.com/leighgoffauthor"><b>Facebook</b></a>, <a href="http://instagram.com/authorleighgoff"><b>Instagram</b></a>, <a href="http://pinterest.com/authorleighgoff/"><b>Pinterest</b></a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9819621.Leigh_Goff"><b>Goodreads</b></a>.Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-20423659549413323842024-02-05T00:30:00.052-06:002024-02-05T00:30:00.135-06:00GIFT GIVING from the HEARTfrom <strong>C.D. Hersh</strong>
<h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">The C of C.D. Hersh talks about</span></h1>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Valentine Gifts</h1><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZToNRkfa0gl6UmDEYgFeZ0SCYQtKXE-EWOCxgQdZZBZdN0QDks25gyPxxsQmby6rb1qc1O8KskKgCZUhZfEvdxHSBaa9_ckDrTIXRpKjQejsm_B6L3s7GnvbJKqCxbJb3jb73Ehx9FeFHBk98PR6y0vYM2ZG4uie6feI2SblGMVlDTXrg5kvCg/s160/G%2012%20valentine%20image.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="160" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZToNRkfa0gl6UmDEYgFeZ0SCYQtKXE-EWOCxgQdZZBZdN0QDks25gyPxxsQmby6rb1qc1O8KskKgCZUhZfEvdxHSBaa9_ckDrTIXRpKjQejsm_B6L3s7GnvbJKqCxbJb3jb73Ehx9FeFHBk98PR6y0vYM2ZG4uie6feI2SblGMVlDTXrg5kvCg/w243-h243/G%2012%20valentine%20image.webp" width="243" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">Valentine’s Day is a short time away. Maybe you’ve received flowers or candy or jewelry or even a new electronic device for a past Valentine’s Day. In fact, what you got might just be the most memorable gift you’ve ever received, or perhaps it was the gift of your heart.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">This year I have a date for breakfast out, a movie and dinner. My sweetie is a romantic that has done some special things over the years but, never the same thing two years in a row.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">Several years ago, I got the offer of breakfast out and whatever gift I wanted. I’d been thinking a lot about it. A diamond tennis bracelet was high on the list until I saw the price. I wandered through the gift shop at Cracker Barrel where we had breakfast and a turquoise scarf caught my eye, but it wasn’t anything that said “That’s the gift!”, so we left with full tummies and empty hands.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">Hubby had to get something at Home Depot, so I wandered through the seed section and purchased some peas, carrots beans, cucumbers and zucchini seeds for my garden, but those didn’t fall in the gift category.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">Then, as we were leaving the store I saw it—the gift of my heart for that Valentine’s Day.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">You might wonder what I’d find in Home Depot. In fact, if my husband told his friends he got me a Valentine’s gift from Home Depot, they’d probably hoot him out of the room. But there it was—an anthurium.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">“You don’t have any more room for plants,” my husband said. And he’s right. My windowsills are crammed full. I tried to walk away, but the plant kept calling to me, so I went back and picked it up.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">This Valentine’s Day gift didn’t cost a lot of money. But every time I look at it reminds me of my mother, who received an anthurium from Dad when I was young. I can see that flower so clearly in my mind’s eye. It’s the one Valentine image from my youth that has stayed with me.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">Another Valentine gift that didn’t cost much also remains lodged in my memory: A jar of green olives for my mother and a second jar of black olives for me. If you think those are odd gifts, consider the fact that my husband and father were out together shopping for Valentine’s Day gifts. Mom had recently been diagnosed with diabetes, so candy was out. At the time neither my dad nor my husband had a lot of money to spend. While in the pickle aisle of the grocery store, one of them said, “They like olives, don’t they?” And so it came to pass that we got olives and cards for Valentine’s Day that year.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">As romance writers it’s easy to stress the bigger than life aspect of love—the stars-in-their-eyes, hot, lustful can’t-keep their-hands-off-each-other part of romance. In our efforts to make the love stories passionate and keep things moving, I think we sometimes miss the heart of the love.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">Olives for Valentines were strange gifts, I know, but the gift wasn’t the important issue that year. What counted was my husband and my father tried to give Mom and me something they knew we would like. That year I learned a big lesson about gifts, love, and Valentines.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">Gifts don’t always come in fancy packages that have hefty price tags. Love doesn’t always have to be hot, lustful, or starry-eyed. And the best Valentine is about caring and being with the one you love, no matter what stage of life, love, or romance you are in.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px; text-indent: 35px;">When I look at my anthurium I’ll remember that … and two jars of olives.</p>
Have you read a story where something has been inserted about a “special” day or gift that made the characters seem genuine? <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSl54_WrVYNklhnoTzsqGNqu_E4-7zt2g6rd6XRhrm4SkEeHZCDcJBjkqAniQkZnkGHmAKqPFHQr5DUggNbbJ02czmwoTdqCb5YuJQlrUljSjGi05IH6tmJ-5xrP8W_B_nKTtWoIZbuFgOpe1PYxoto3ujCtL8tDYAV8-p4REY9GskDez9TJTtMQ/s320/C.D.%20HERSH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="320" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSl54_WrVYNklhnoTzsqGNqu_E4-7zt2g6rd6XRhrm4SkEeHZCDcJBjkqAniQkZnkGHmAKqPFHQr5DUggNbbJ02czmwoTdqCb5YuJQlrUljSjGi05IH6tmJ-5xrP8W_B_nKTtWoIZbuFgOpe1PYxoto3ujCtL8tDYAV8-p4REY9GskDez9TJTtMQ/w262-h230/C.D.%20HERSH.jpg" width="262" /></a></div><br />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. </div><div><br /></div><div>The first four books of their paranormal romance series entitled <em>The Turning Stone Chronicles</em> are available in e-book format on Amazon. <em>Can’t Stop The Music,</em> their standalone romance novella currently out of print, won the 2018 Uncaged Book Reviews Contemporary Music Raven Award. </div><div><br /></div><div><em>Ghosts and Gardenias</em>, the first book in their time slip romance series <em>Ghosts of Garnoa Road,</em> will come out in the spring of 2024. </div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to writing Catherine and Donald love antiquing, traveling, singing, and going to the theatre. Catherine is also an avid gardener and has drawn Donald into her garden as a day laborer. They figure the couple who plays together and works together, stays together—and that's just what they aim to do.</div><div><br /></div><div><strong>Amazon buy links:</strong>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CCZQPW">The Turning Stone Chronicles</a> series page
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DUMODKI">The Promised One</a> (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 1) eBook
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVNFC8W">Blood Brothers</a> (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 2): eBook
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XK3E172">Son of the Moonless Night</a> (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3) eBook
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I01W2JC">The Mercenary and the Shifters</a> (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 4) eBook </div><div><br /></div><div><strong>Learn more about C.D. Hersh on their </strong><a href="https://cdhersh.wordpress.com/">Website,</a> <a href="http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/">Soul Mate Publishing,</a> <a href="http://amazon.com/C-D-Hersh/e/B00DV5L7ZI">Amazon Author Page.</a> Stay connected on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cdhershauthor">Facebook,</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorCDHersh">Twitter,</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/CDHersh">Goodreads</a>. Be sure to follow their <a href="https://cdhersh.wordpress.com/blog-2/">Blog.</a></div>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-16290340329452156122024-01-31T00:30:00.118-06:002024-01-31T00:30:00.288-06:00PICKING A GENRE IS NO EASY TASK<p> from <b>Anne Montgomery</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The moment I mention the impending
arrival of a new book, prospective readers ask, “What’s the genre?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Well, um…it’s hard to say,” I
respond, staring at my shoes, wondering why such a simple question has no
equally simple answer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I have a tendency to write stories
without giving thought to where they might fit in literary culture. So
far, my titles have been variously listed as soft-thriller, contemporary
fiction, romantic suspense, historical fiction, women’s fiction, and young
adult fiction. So you can see why labeling my work tends to make my head spin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Still, identifying a genre for your
novel is important.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjk-Ij6z_VPQ0nlPfOw0cyNjNxpShMw23GoqKEcS5Hm083PSlgzikLYiDa7XvjsMWqCZnKWzW6Vs7SqpUOuK3tTCMKDzEGkf5jTr0_cxpinOxOsJThUomZoRw47YohYljimz5b6-qv-4fmLhRmcG-Da5SKyXH_VE9EE9ft1DQRl6eXNwNXXA2fTQ/s850/G%2010a%20Dessert%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="528" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjk-Ij6z_VPQ0nlPfOw0cyNjNxpShMw23GoqKEcS5Hm083PSlgzikLYiDa7XvjsMWqCZnKWzW6Vs7SqpUOuK3tTCMKDzEGkf5jTr0_cxpinOxOsJThUomZoRw47YohYljimz5b6-qv-4fmLhRmcG-Da5SKyXH_VE9EE9ft1DQRl6eXNwNXXA2fTQ/w179-h288/G%2010a%20Dessert%20cover.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; padding: 0in;">A Light in the Desert is a
suspense novel.</span></i></b><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“We use genre as a way to identify the
category of a book. Where it should be sold in a store. Or who its competition
will be,” long-time literary agent Steve Laub wrote in his blog article Does
Genre Matter? “The best way to describe it is to say that publishers and
booksellers sell books out of boxes. The boxes are labeled “Romance” “Thriller”
“Mystery” etc. Before we resist that exercise I would claim that we consumers
buy books out of those boxes. It is quite possible that the boxes were created
by us (the consumers).”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_ehH15d7NOJ4wl58a3bu3RFKGgsxaFDnnrIOMrIhfS8zNik9eL_Reyr3dM_NCZqmnK6W3QodJoc-Ffdme9OcDuq44hyphenhyphenQngQXiwp0Aa8NCMZ_hRI2MIvxcPxAq1Xyl4SlUw5XWqkDvrBSA5DO_OcrkVwtnlr35fQhGWKoIFa7prmpqrruIswIaA/s500/G%2010a%20wild%20cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_ehH15d7NOJ4wl58a3bu3RFKGgsxaFDnnrIOMrIhfS8zNik9eL_Reyr3dM_NCZqmnK6W3QodJoc-Ffdme9OcDuq44hyphenhyphenQngQXiwp0Aa8NCMZ_hRI2MIvxcPxAq1Xyl4SlUw5XWqkDvrBSA5DO_OcrkVwtnlr35fQhGWKoIFa7prmpqrruIswIaA/w198-h298/G%2010a%20wild%20cover.jpg" width="198" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; padding: 0in;">Wild Horses on the Salt has been called women’s fiction</span></i></b><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">and suspense</span></i></b> <b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">with a touch of romance.</span></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">There is some dispute about which English book should be
called the first novel. Some believe Miguel de Cervantes’ <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Don Quixote of La Mancha, </span></i>published in 1605,
deserves the honor. Others opine that Daniel Defoe’s 1719 <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Robinson Crusoe</span></i> should get the nod. Either way,
neither author had to think too hard about genre.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“In 1719, when “Robinson Crusoe” appeared, many people
considered “the novel,” in itself, to be a genre,” said Joshua Rothman in
his <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">The New Yorker </span></i>article titled A Better Way to
Think About The Genre Debate. “The novel was a new thing—a long, fictitious,
drama-filled work of prose—and its competitors were other prose genres:
histories, biographies, political tracts, sermons, testimonies about travel to
far-off lands. What set the novel apart from those other prose genres was its
ostentatious fictitiousness.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit", serif;">Clearly, modern-day authors can find
labeling their work infinitely more complicated than those early novelists.
Look at today’s overwhelming number of possible fiction genres. The Book
Industry Study Group’s list of fiction topics includes approximately 140
genres, all of which can be combined in what seems like a never-ending number
of possibilities.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZUAfwL6K8JbEn447qshea6LP7YMJyaKACq0PakWzaD-OavrlK1iW-LxKGC-jTR5AL8pjr5JoMB1in02pWT6fIIOd3L5Rn3rXudwYYVIMQM6PIo5btTl1GbzMgmfK2iyVrOO6YNUN1GBzdLX8S6FC9ItvNgmzXTEnPJhFjtakBCtA-qsKAKdoRg/s450/G%2010a%20rain%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="300" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZUAfwL6K8JbEn447qshea6LP7YMJyaKACq0PakWzaD-OavrlK1iW-LxKGC-jTR5AL8pjr5JoMB1in02pWT6fIIOd3L5Rn3rXudwYYVIMQM6PIo5btTl1GbzMgmfK2iyVrOO6YNUN1GBzdLX8S6FC9ItvNgmzXTEnPJhFjtakBCtA-qsKAKdoRg/w184-h277/G%2010a%20rain%20cover.jpg" width="184" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; padding: 0in;">The Scent of Rain was marketed as young-adult fiction.</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I’ll admit, sometimes I’m jealous of
my romance-writer friends, their covers bursting with muscled torsos and
over-flowing bodices that leave not a hint of confusion about what type of
story resides inside. Still, as difficult as pinning down that perfect genre
might be, there’s no way around it, especially if you want to contact agents,
or publishers, or editors, or reviewers, because those folks are pretty
specific about the types of book they’re interested in. If you want to be
considered an amateur in the publishing world, go ahead and send a query about
your sci-fi, apocalyptic, young adult romance to someone who has made clear
their genre of choice is Regency historical fiction. (And you were
wondering why you hadn’t heard back.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">While some authors may be tempted to leave the genre
decision to others, remember you wrote the book. You know the story and the
characters better than anyone. Ultimately, you should choose. An article on the
blog Rock Your Writing called How To Figure Out Your Book’s Genre suggests you
consider, “who is the mostly likely to <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">seek out</span></i> this
particular type of book, <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">buy</span></i> this type
of book, and <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">enjoy</span></i> this type of book.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">While the decision on genre is yours,
it’s the reader we authors need to consider, because, as Laub pointed out, if
our “baby” is in the wrong box, maybe those readers won’t find it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34Rtv9TMzadNKsw0pFpg9vdZ3u6TCAqYmdvrBAsa4FitLTyKdN3eBycbQlX3-7AnOz6rTtvtDX_SLExMejhMCJ_b-p8reWUHV4P0uDLQIP-_plEL7MjzE2DRmgUJ6cQSBLsrZs2B_RnWjaNi7U66nb-T2mlcNCH_FnDVsK25oRTgccI9f6FDfbQ/s347/g%2010a%20castle%20cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="227" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34Rtv9TMzadNKsw0pFpg9vdZ3u6TCAqYmdvrBAsa4FitLTyKdN3eBycbQlX3-7AnOz6rTtvtDX_SLExMejhMCJ_b-p8reWUHV4P0uDLQIP-_plEL7MjzE2DRmgUJ6cQSBLsrZs2B_RnWjaNi7U66nb-T2mlcNCH_FnDVsK25oRTgccI9f6FDfbQ/w181-h277/g%2010a%20castle%20cover.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; padding: 0in;">The Castle is </span></i></b><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; padding: 0in;">contemporary women’s fiction/suspense<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;">
</p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 10.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">A reporter seeks
information on an eleventh century magician and discovers that black market
sales of antiquities can lead to murder.</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 10.5pt;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">In 1939, archaeologists
uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man,
bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate beadwork, 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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "inherit", serif;">This is my latest release. It’s Native American Literature and
U.S. Historical Fiction. Picking a genre definitely is not easy.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMwr-JZ_NzUWT4fT3RApZlPsP7H7W3nDaP1TI7hqlpjBkLfN-0Bs4C20ioYVmnBNmtWvCgCFiEZM7NksPtlyLLhPw0Ow0RtgtlfU3TF45Uz_7t_85k1kWMgAHebgywNOex_PBnAW9ABTls3F4XDegrhiT-NBxoTEHbwdJy3_Vp9GVbvo4wPA/s500/e27%20Anne%20Cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMwr-JZ_NzUWT4fT3RApZlPsP7H7W3nDaP1TI7hqlpjBkLfN-0Bs4C20ioYVmnBNmtWvCgCFiEZM7NksPtlyLLhPw0Ow0RtgtlfU3TF45Uz_7t_85k1kWMgAHebgywNOex_PBnAW9ABTls3F4XDegrhiT-NBxoTEHbwdJy3_Vp9GVbvo4wPA/s320/e27%20Anne%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.</span></i></b><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.</span></p></div><div><p><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MV1H4N3/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amazon Buy Link</span></a></h2><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></p></div>
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjy5ZsZ882RqdtX0cC7X3awnCHt9KLGZ4ot15s84XSM-fzuFRiw1tjToGXGRYuiMpXiiOXYecVmjhZI9LE_lhvEHN8SZHBXlTHcJ-xSNsvJLeX1rUrNJA1H0PbBysH53LwCc9MQ/s1600/Anne+Montgomery+Headshot+2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjy5ZsZ882RqdtX0cC7X3awnCHt9KLGZ4ot15s84XSM-fzuFRiw1tjToGXGRYuiMpXiiOXYecVmjhZI9LE_lhvEHN8SZHBXlTHcJ-xSNsvJLeX1rUrNJA1H0PbBysH53LwCc9MQ/s320/Anne+Montgomery+Headshot+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b>Anne Montgomery</b> has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. She worked at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter, and ASPN-TV as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery has been a freelance and staff writer for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces. <br />
<br />
When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.<br />
<br />
Learn more about <b>Anne Montgomery</b> on her <a href="https://annemontgomerywriter.com/"><b>website</b></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Montgomery"><b>Wikipedia</b></a>. Stay connected on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anne.montgomery.359?fref=ts&ref=br_tf"><b>Facebook</b></a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=82984029&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic"><b>Linkedin</b></a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/amontgomery8"><b>Twitter</b></a>.
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p><br /></p>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-54332026051657879762024-01-29T00:30:00.087-06:002024-01-29T00:30:00.345-06:00A WRITER'S IMAGINATIONfrom <b>C.D. Hersh</b> <div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgw-E9m4MO_yCKY4DTD1XxyfIWAOEOkGox-AiqylIyrYYpmK_2kiqyiKu1Awyy8J1tS_wLZFs3NaMMOF5cnRhIUDHnMTHLZZaOrEDf6-bViDEeu4VKzMBQG4sNgsV2luX6YDpyZLj8u6grYxW1QQmOriywLl1fi5hnhe564Y5aIykHXRRatyKDg/s640/G%2010%20Storytelling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgw-E9m4MO_yCKY4DTD1XxyfIWAOEOkGox-AiqylIyrYYpmK_2kiqyiKu1Awyy8J1tS_wLZFs3NaMMOF5cnRhIUDHnMTHLZZaOrEDf6-bViDEeu4VKzMBQG4sNgsV2luX6YDpyZLj8u6grYxW1QQmOriywLl1fi5hnhe564Y5aIykHXRRatyKDg/w281-h180/G%2010%20Storytelling.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><br />People frequently ask how
and where we got our ideas to write one story let alone a series. Honestly,
sometimes it's not easy, almost like ramming your head into a huge cement
abutment. Yet thankfully storylines and scenes magically appear in our minds.
Sometimes more than we want.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Every book demands who,
what, where, and why. The plotline. From time to time that necessity confuses
those images into a gnarled mess. But we work through it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">So how do we find ideas
that allow our imaginations to run rampant? Magazines and old telephone books
are marvelous for coming up with character names. Be sure to follow the mix and
match theory. That means do not use the full name of any one person or you
might find you have a lawsuit in the making.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We love to travel and
often our imaginations are sparked by a billboard or other people on the road,
even pit stops offer fodder for a new story. Those diners and rest stops are a
wealth of fodder too an author.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The grocery store is
another great place to gain ideas. For example – the next time you’re in the
store take a good look at the lady scanning your purchases or maybe it’s the
bagger who draws your attention. Maybe on this trip you notice something
different about one or the other. Maybe something different in her dark brown
eyes as if they’re hiding a secret. Of course, you can’t ask, so you allow your
imagination to take over. What if she’s a crime stopper by night? After a hard
day on her feet, she shrugs out of her sweat filled uniform then into black
jeans, a black turtleneck, and low-heeled boots. She shakes out her chocolate
brown hair from its topknot and it cascades to her shoulders…You get the idea.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As writing partners, we
bounce ideas off each other with the C in C.D. Hersh writing explicit notes. After
a few days or we revisit C's list and start the occasionally wonderful, but
more often heart wrenching, practice of elimination. After all, what writer
doesn’t love his/her words? We do our best not to judge or tick off each other
too much since we're married. Besides, I love my wife. Seeing her happy makes
me happy. </span></p><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div>Here is a little about our shapeshifter series on Amazon. We hope you enjoy reading about them as much as we did writing them.<br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b>TITLE:</b> The Turning Stone Chronicles</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>GENRE: </b>Urban fantasy, Paranormal, Romance</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>HEAT LEVEL:</b> Sensual</p><p>Three ancient Celtic families. A magical Bloodstone that enables the wearers to shape shift. A charge to use the stone’s power to benefit mankind, and a battle, that is going on even today, to control the world. Can the Secret Society of shape shifters called the Turning Stone Society heal itself and bring peace to our world?</p><p style="text-align: center;">Find out in The Series <i>The Turning Stone Chronicles</i></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DUMODKI" rel="noopener" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignright wp-image-1521 size-thumbnail" height="150" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5146AfRfQvL.jpg?w=100" width="100" /></a><b>Book one of the chronicles titled “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DUMODKI" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><i>The Promised One</i></a>” available on Amazon</b><br />In the wrong hands, the Turning Stone ring is a powerful weapon for evil. So, when homicide detective Alexi Jordan discovers her secret society mentor has been murdered and his magic ring stolen, she is forced to use her shape-shifting powers to catch the killer. By doing so, she risks the two most important things in her life—her badge and the man she loves.</p><p>Rhys Temple always knew his fiery cop partner and would-be-girlfriend, Alexi Jordan, had a few secrets. He considers that part of her charm. But when she changes into a man, he doesn’t find that as charming. He’ll keep her secret to keep her safe, but he’s not certain he can keep up a relationship—professional or personal.</p><p>Danny Shaw needs cash for the elaborate wedding his fiancée has planned, so he goes on a mugging spree. But when he kills a member of the secret society of Turning Stones and steals a magic ring that gives him the power to shape shift, Shaw gets more than he bargained for.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVNFC8W" rel="noopener" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1979" height="150" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZRd343hdL.jpg?w=100" width="100" /></a><b>Book two of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVNFC8W" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><i>Blood Brothers<i>” available on Amazon.</i></i></a></b><br />When Delaney Ramsey is enlisted to help train two of the most powerful shape shifters the Turning Stone Society has seen in thousands of years, she suspects one of them is responsible for the disappearance of her daughter. To complicate matters, the man has a secret that could destroy them all. Bound by honor to protect the suspect, Delaney must prove his guilt without losing her life to his terrible powers or revealing to the police captain she’s falling for that she’s a shape shifter with more than one agenda.</p><p>The minute Captain Williams lays eyes on Delaney Ramsey, he knows she’s trouble. Uncooperative, secretive, and sexy, he can’t get her out of his mind. When he discovers she has a personal agenda for sifting through all the criminal records in his precinct, and secretly investigating his best detective, he can’t let her out of his sight. He must find out what she’s looking for before she does something illegal. If she steps over the line, he’s not certain he can look the other way for the sake of love.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XK3E172" rel="noopener" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignright wp-image-3206 size-thumbnail" height="150" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fHv4R06YL.jpg?w=95" width="95" /></a><b>Book three of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XK3E172" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><i>Son of the Moonless Night</i></a>” currently available on Amazon.</b><br />Owen Todd Jordan Riley has a secret. He’s a shape shifter who has been hunting and killing his own kind. To him the only good shifter is a dead shifter. Revenge for the death of a friend motivates him, and nothing stands in his way . . . except Katrina Romanovski, the woman he is falling in love with.</p><p>Deputy coroner Katrina Romanovski has a secret, too. She hunts and kills paranormal beings like Owen. At least she did. When she rescues Owen from an attack by a werebear she is thrust back into the world she thought she’d left. Determined to find out what Owen knows about the bear, she begins a relationship meant to collect information. What she gets is something quite different love with a man she suspects of murder. Can she reconcile his deception and murderous revenge spree and find a way to redeem him? Or will she condemn him for the same things she has done and walk away from love?</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I01W2JC" rel="noopener" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-3206 size-thumbnail" height="150" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51YWcDcq1XL.jpg" width="95" /></a><b>Book four of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I01W2JC" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><i>The Mercenary & the Shifters</i></a>” available on Amazon.</b><br />A desperate call from an ex-military buddy lands a mercenary soldier in the middle of a double kidnapping, caught in an ancient shape shifter war, and ensnared between two female shape shifters after the same thing ... him.</p><p>The first four books of their paranormal romance series entitled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CCZQPW" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><i>The Turning Stone Chronicles Series page</i></span></a> are available on Amazon. Their standalone novella, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N9RDN96/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Can’t Stop The Music</i></span></a>, is in the Soul Mate Tree collection with twelve other authors from various genres.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCgFA_Am1tKXZiPonptjiiQGuX55XQkH5m9GBiNwJ-OS8BgBpYAEY48o3pkKC0Rv6-eKLYRIdnl9-swvViTXdKVruiQOVJfBQoU9LEiU3pi49DreZjeNKNGYmcdK71J9y4hIwluk10FUxhTde7LHNxrOUMir7IudoMdyNJfe_m7f9pzzkTkc/s320/C.D.%20HERSH.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="320" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCgFA_Am1tKXZiPonptjiiQGuX55XQkH5m9GBiNwJ-OS8BgBpYAEY48o3pkKC0Rv6-eKLYRIdnl9-swvViTXdKVruiQOVJfBQoU9LEiU3pi49DreZjeNKNGYmcdK71J9y4hIwluk10FUxhTde7LHNxrOUMir7IudoMdyNJfe_m7f9pzzkTkc/w199-h153/C.D.%20HERSH.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to the husband and wife co-authors whose pen name is <b>C.D. Hersh</b>. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s while co-authoring a number of dramas, six which have been produced in Ohio, where they live. Their interactive Christmas production had five seasonal runs in their hometown and has been sold in Virginia, California, and Ohio. As high school sweethearts, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after. Which is why they write it!<p></p><p>When they aren’t collaborating on a book, they enjoy reading; singing; theatre and drama; traveling; remodeling houses (Donald has remodeled something in every home they’ve owned); and antiquing. Catherine, who loves gardening, has recently drawn Donald into her world as a day laborer. Catherine is an award-winning gardener — you can see some of her garden on their website.</p><p>They are looking forward to many years of co-authoring and book sales, and a lifetime of happily-ever-after endings on the page and in real life.</p><h3><b>You can see excerpts of their books, connect with, and follow C.D. Hersh at:</b></h3><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdhersh.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cdhershauthor" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://www.amazon.com/C.-D.-Hersh/e/B00DV5L7ZI" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorCDHersh" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p></div></div></span></div></div>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-3262685579208112692024-01-24T00:30:00.012-06:002024-01-24T00:30:00.133-06:00Piping Hot and Satisfyingfrom <b>Vonnie Hughes</b><br />
<br />
This soup tastes great and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It's a must in our house whenever the weather turns cold.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">MINESTRONE SOUP</span></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrI0Upl8L-PYKXLZ1ReAkEpGvnw78bye-4VU2ZNilYJ_9ce25UbwrTJGx-uk9uLMW0H2Km54pNaAATChon7dzaYuQ-nAXJbgBUwVrqkAjlcvrdSrJQmfYBOiewfLdoULHmDefUg/s1600/B7+Jan+Minestrone+soup-3750040__340.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="510" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrI0Upl8L-PYKXLZ1ReAkEpGvnw78bye-4VU2ZNilYJ_9ce25UbwrTJGx-uk9uLMW0H2Km54pNaAATChon7dzaYuQ-nAXJbgBUwVrqkAjlcvrdSrJQmfYBOiewfLdoULHmDefUg/w290-h193/B7+Jan+Minestrone+soup-3750040__340.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>1 tbsp. butter<br />
4 slices bacon, chopped or ½ lb. gravy beef, minced/ground<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
½ lb. fresh tomatoes or 1 jar/can, chopped <br />
1 carrot, scraped and chopped<br />
1 potato, peeled and chopped<br />
2 sticks celery or other seasonal vegetable, chopped<br />
½ cup haricot beans that have been soaked overnight, green beans work too<br />
3 tbsp. macaroni<br />
3 tbsp. rice<br />
3 tbsp. spaghetti<br />
½ tsp. salt <br />
Pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Melt butter in a frying pan. Add bacon or meat and fry until crisp. Stir in onion and tomatoes. <br />
<br />
Carefully pour mixture into a slow cooker or pressure cooker. Fill pot halfway with water. Stir in remaining ingredients. <br />
<br />
Cook 2 hours in slow cooker or 15 minutes in pressure cooker.<br />
<br />
Here's a little from my latest romantic suspense. I hope you enjoy it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTUvtWxCFsm0PHX-auSh2B1w3YpDqq4PKT6Q_mTnJJIBF3RxQCP9MNVFh0KncAp5QNopb7kSsFQv9-RdvBFZDVH-C2FMa5_hbaOduVbVJAEof5zkXJR0ShBUXvi77Vx4PeQEc_A/s1600/Vonnie+Hughes+Medium+LR+cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTUvtWxCFsm0PHX-auSh2B1w3YpDqq4PKT6Q_mTnJJIBF3RxQCP9MNVFh0KncAp5QNopb7kSsFQv9-RdvBFZDVH-C2FMa5_hbaOduVbVJAEof5zkXJR0ShBUXvi77Vx4PeQEc_A/s320/Vonnie+Hughes+Medium+LR+cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i>Who can you trust if you can’t trust your own mother? Through the clammy fog, Celie Francis hears the chilling message. “I know who you are, Celie. I know where you live.” And in the terrifying aftermath she reconnects with her dysfunctional family in ways she had never imagined.</i><br />
<br />
<b>BLURB:</b><br />
Abused and abandoned as a child, Célie Francis knows better than to trust anyone. But after she witnesses a murder, she's placed in the Unit "New Zealand's witness protection program" where she's expected to trust strangers with her life.<br />
<br />
It's psychologist Brand Turner's job to ease witnesses into their new identities, not to protect them, but Célie stirs feelings in him that are far from professional. When it appears someone is leaking critical information that could endanger Célie, Brand will do anything to protect her. But first he has to convince her to trust him.<br />
<br />
Adrift in a frightening world, Célie would like to believe the handsome psychologist is everything he seems, but as witnesses are murdered and danger swirls around them, Célie must decide "can she trust Brand with her life? <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">BUY LINKS</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006VWZDZI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=sloanetaylor7-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B006VWZDZI&linkId=801c9f0e8f3539aac240da2b4e289ec7"><b>AMAZON</b></a><br />
<a href="https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/2817-lethal-refuge.html"><b>The Wild Rose Press e-book</b></a> - <a href="https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/546-lethal-refuge-paperback.html?search_query=Lethal+Refuge&results=2"><b>The Wild Rose Press Paperback</b></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lethal-Refuge-eBook/126808984"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Walmart</span></b></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhSiCaO6H87SwqgQ9hX59Z-HA2yR2DS9JT25dGOw1M5RREMYLljp8j_VGgCR0xgeKaTebqJUvAuwh005YPnpUzXBOUxaDmXMKZjlcPcxOfnjYxFlCFhO00u-j46SU2mBgvKrjbQ/s1600/vonnie-pr-photo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhSiCaO6H87SwqgQ9hX59Z-HA2yR2DS9JT25dGOw1M5RREMYLljp8j_VGgCR0xgeKaTebqJUvAuwh005YPnpUzXBOUxaDmXMKZjlcPcxOfnjYxFlCFhO00u-j46SU2mBgvKrjbQ/w239-h235/vonnie-pr-photo.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><b>Vonnie Hughes</b> is a multi-published author in both Regency books and contemporary suspense. She loves the intricacies of the social rules of the Regency period and the far-ranging consequences of the Napoleonic Code. And with suspense she has free rein to explore forensic matters and the strong convolutions of the human mind. Like many writers, some days she hates the whole process, but somehow she just cannot let it go.<br />
<br />
Vonnie was born in New Zealand, but she and her husband now live happily in Australia. If you visit Hamilton Gardens in New Zealand be sure to stroll through the Japanese Garden. These is a bronze plaque engraved with a haiku describing the peacefulness of that environment. The poem was written by Vonnie.<br />
<br />
All of Vonnie’s books are available on <a href="http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=vonnie+hughes&x=0&y=0"><b>The Wild Rose Press</b></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vonnie-Hughes/e/B003VNG4I0/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1456261356&sr=1-2-ent"><b>Amazon</b></a>. <br />
<br />
Learn more about <b>Vonnie Hughes</b> on her <a href="http://www.vonniehughes.com/"><b>website</b></a> and <a href="http://vonniehughes.blogspot.com.au/"><b>blog</b></a>. Stay connected on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/VonnieJHughes"><b>Facebook</b></a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5605111-vonnie-hughes"><b>Goodreads</b></a>.Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-17719502824961455932024-01-22T00:30:00.000-06:002024-01-22T00:30:00.137-06:00FREE FREE FREE<p>from <b>Sharon Ledwith</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtwf-MR-1HoLnOhPkn5lXl20vx0zNGFqzgMgRL6U8cGU_IvvVl2DHVSRYa5yy_y1LlZ5yY5CH0JHLQNdScwR9VFLx3OA77eJJ-BU5VG2tb8wwc-QpHP4fmE2CV2IHFwyoLHft4satXnd1-4sIjD5dxCUG8baeqXXIwvZacGvcxr-WwjpqZAuI8g/s300/F68%20f86-Sharon-Ledwith-Freebie-Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDtwf-MR-1HoLnOhPkn5lXl20vx0zNGFqzgMgRL6U8cGU_IvvVl2DHVSRYa5yy_y1LlZ5yY5CH0JHLQNdScwR9VFLx3OA77eJJ-BU5VG2tb8wwc-QpHP4fmE2CV2IHFwyoLHft4satXnd1-4sIjD5dxCUG8baeqXXIwvZacGvcxr-WwjpqZAuI8g/s1600/F68%20f86-Sharon-Ledwith-Freebie-Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p>Tips, Tools & Tricks for the Tenacious Writer is the perfect resource for writers who want to know the ins and outs of what it takes to be a published author. Available Free for download… <a href="https://www.sharonledwith.com/tips-tools-tricks-for-the-tenacious-writer/">https://www.sharonledwith.com/tips-tools-tricks-for-the-tenacious-writer/</a></p><p><strong>Forward… </strong></p><p>It begins with INTENT. Back when I started blogging, I was so green and didn’t have much to offer writers or even knew what to say. I was scared, insecure, and filled with tons of self-doubt. BUT I moved forward with tenacity and embraced the desire to be a published author, and dare I say, <em>Bestselling </em>author. I’ve built my blog, and my writing career brick by brick, word by word until I’ve amassed quite a collection of helpful and heartfelt content to assist anyone who is remotely interested in delving into the murky, yet exciting world of writing and all the challenges a writer might face. Today, I still have a long way to go, but I’m definitely on the right track with my goals and aspirations as a young adult author.</p><p>It is my hope that you find the following compiled content insightful, inspiring, and illuminating as you begin your writing journey or just need some tips, tools, or tricks to help you shine in this crazy publishing business. All the best. All the success.</p><p><strong>All Systems Go… </strong></p><p>First, let me introduce myself—my name is Sharon Ledwith and I write young adult fiction. My genres include: time travel mysteries (kind of like a mesh of fantasy with a splash of sci-fi meets Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys), as well as paranormal stories where teens deal with psychic powers like psychometry, telekinesis, animal communication—stuff like that.</p><p>My intention of this blog is to:</p><p>#1 Get you to know me as a writer, and post my experiences as an indie publisher of eBooks.</p><p>#2 Introduce and showcase my stories and characters.</p><p>In a nutshell—market myself and promote my work.</p><p>That’s it really. You see, writing is all about the reader. My goal is to influence and empower today’s youth—the next generation—through the stories I create. I believe everyone is here at this time with a mission and a purpose, and every child has something to add to our evolutionary advancement. Children truly are the keys to our future. It is my hope to unlock this portal.</p><p><strong>To Grow or Not To Grow… </strong></p><p>I am a dinosaur. I freely admit it. No, no, not the kind with fangs and scales—although my kids may have something to say about that—I’m talking about keeping up with the times. Technology is my biggest and scariest hurdle. It is harsh, unknown territory, and yet without computers, the internet, social networks, texting—I could go on, but you get the drift—there would be no growth, no challenges for our wonderful evolving lives. And let’s face it technology DOES make our lives a heck of a lot easier! Dinosaurs had to make way for humanity (actually, they had no choice in the matter), and so, I too must bow to the changes and challenges technology offers OR become like the scaly beasts of the past and disappear forever.</p><p>Here's a glimpse of the premises of both my young adult series.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chosen
by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep
history safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past to
restore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the
only hope for our past.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Imagine a teenager
possessing a psychic ability and struggling to cope with its freakish power.
There’s no hope for a normal life, and no one who understands. Now, imagine
being uprooted and forced to live in a small tourist town where nothing much
ever happens. It’s bores-ville from the get-go. Until mysterious things start
to happen.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Welcome to Fairy Falls.
Expect the unexpected.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 12pt; tab-stops: 152.25pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Last
Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book #3<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 12pt; tab-stops: 152.25pt;"><a href="https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-noble-slave-paperback"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">MIRROR WORLD
PUBLISHING</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">׀</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Timekeepers-Noble-Slave-ebook/dp/B09CZ1CQNX/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">AMAZON</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">׀</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-noble-slave-sharon-ledwith/1140033348?ean=9781987976823"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">BARNES & NOBLE</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">׀</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 12pt; tab-stops: 152.25pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Last
Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book #2</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Buy
Links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 12pt; tab-stops: 152.25pt;"><a href="http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-dark-secret-paperback"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">MIRROR WORLD
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<p class="BodyText1" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVKq7BZMVU-p_mr_400_61Yhjuw-NZGFMr6vB04EGBn5miZ_tMc2YNxSiAgmv-ILr7PCLid6_kXwEud2PQ6sknKuk0EYTLPDivILNVoAq4xFqeIv6NXMZop0qxrIn0piaHxpQRY0NSSwp4Mxzl4To1ZrvLVOaL1qs0_apMWlloFA4FoGitBs/s3888/Sharon%20Ledwith%20Author%20Shot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="2592" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVKq7BZMVU-p_mr_400_61Yhjuw-NZGFMr6vB04EGBn5miZ_tMc2YNxSiAgmv-ILr7PCLid6_kXwEud2PQ6sknKuk0EYTLPDivILNVoAq4xFqeIv6NXMZop0qxrIn0piaHxpQRY0NSSwp4Mxzl4To1ZrvLVOaL1qs0_apMWlloFA4FoGitBs/w191-h287/Sharon%20Ledwith%20Author%20Shot.jpg" width="191" /></a></b></div><b><br />Sharon
Ledwith</b> 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.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="BodyText1" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Learn more
about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sharon Ledwith</b> on her </span><a href="http://www.sharonledwith.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">WEBSITE</span></a> and<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><a href="http://sharonledwith.blogspot.ca/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BLOG</span></a>. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Look up her </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Ledwith/e/B0084DUHJO"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">AMAZON
AUTHOR</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
page for a list of current books. Stay connected on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SharonLedwithAuthor/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">FACEBOOK</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/sharonledwith"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">TWITTER</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/seledwith/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PINTEREST</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-ledwith-4a33b213/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">LINKEDIN</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/seledwith/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">INSTAGRAM</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, and </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821744.Sharon_Ledwith"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">GOODREADS</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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Terrible, Mighty Crystal</i></b> </span><a href="http://sharonledwith.com/pub/The-Terrible-Mighty-Crystal.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">HERE</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span color="windowtext" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-34670387907392020892024-01-17T00:30:00.031-06:002024-01-17T00:30:00.124-06:00Home-Style Dinner in a Bowl<p> from <strong>Sharon Ledwith</strong> </p><p>This one-pot Ham and Split Pea Soup is tremendously heart-warming and comforting, and absolutely ideal to make with that leftover holiday ham. Healthy and delicious this hearty soup is loaded with tender split peas, tasty ham, and lots of veggies for lunch or dinner! Soak the split peas the night before for a total of 10 hours before you begin. With a prep time of 15 minutes and a cook time of 2 hours, 5 minutes, this mouth-watering ‘meal in a bowl’ serves 6 of your closest pod members and freezes easily. Perfect for those looking to shed those pounds and want to eat healthier. I’d say that’s a win-win, wouldn’t you?</p><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Home-Style Ham and Split Pea Soup </strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4Kx97BcpI8dvKuTY4qO2ZPA0vX8NdmggtnvSDkkAqTi5OnXNEHLxUk_7Qiqxlwhdl1qiLYyoMumYcJivroDGWCtU9Zk8be_jHDMfxwULqa82dQLSH6rKHMKpZi-u5_bZdyPY_HGJG5cuC0SyUA_PzI0Hqgvm_2p9j1lFGqPqyXzO0zh1HX02qQ/s4000/G%208a%2024%20Jan%20Ham%20and%20Split%20Pea%20Soup%20in%20Bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4Kx97BcpI8dvKuTY4qO2ZPA0vX8NdmggtnvSDkkAqTi5OnXNEHLxUk_7Qiqxlwhdl1qiLYyoMumYcJivroDGWCtU9Zk8be_jHDMfxwULqa82dQLSH6rKHMKpZi-u5_bZdyPY_HGJG5cuC0SyUA_PzI0Hqgvm_2p9j1lFGqPqyXzO0zh1HX02qQ/w187-h250/G%208a%2024%20Jan%20Ham%20and%20Split%20Pea%20Soup%20in%20Bowl.jpg" width="187" /></a></div><br />2 cups dried split peas, green or yellow</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tsp. olive oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 large onion, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 ribs celery, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 cloves garlic, minced</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 cups chicken broth, low sodium or no sodium added</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 cups water</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 bay leaf</div><div style="text-align: left;">½ tsp. dried thyme</div><div style="text-align: left;">Salt and pepper to taste</div><div style="text-align: left;">1½ pounds meaty ham bone or ham shanks</div><p>Soak the split peas. Add the split peas to a pot and cover with 2 quarts of cold water. Soak overnight.</p><p>Sauté vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds or until aromatic.</p><p>Add remaining ingredients. Pour in the chicken broth, water, and stir. Add the split peas, bay leaf, dried thyme, and ham bone. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 1 ½ hours.</p><p>Finish the soup. Carefully remove the bone from the soup, cut off the meat, and dice it. Return the meat back to the soup. Cook on low for another 30 minutes or until soup has thickened. Discard bay leaf and serve.</p><p><strong>NOTES: </strong></p><p>Always rinse your peas thoroughly before soaking or cooking to remove any dirt particles.</p><p>If it looks like your soup is too watery, remember the longer it cooks, the thicker it gets.</p><p>Add a little smoked paprika to the soup to enhance the smokiness of the ham.</p><p>If you don’t have enough ham, add some cooked bacon to amp up the flavor.</p><p>This soup can be kept refrigerated for about a week, or frozen for up to 3 months.</p><p>While you’re waiting on your soup to cook, how about taking a break by delving into one of my books? May I suggest a visit to <a href="http://sharonledwith.com/books-fairy-falls.html">Fairy Falls</a>, or if you’re feeling really adventurous, a trip back in time with <a href="http://sharonledwith.com/books-the-last-timekeeper.html">The Last Timekeepers</a>? Whichever you choose, either series will entertain and engage, pulling you into another time and a different place.</p><p><u>Here’s a glimpse of the premises of both my young adult series:</u></p><p><strong>The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures…</strong></p><p>Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past to restore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.</p><p><em>Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.</em></p><p><strong>Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries…</strong></p><p>Imagine a teenager possessing a psychic ability and struggling to cope with its freakish power. There’s no hope for a normal life, and no one who understands. Now, imagine being uprooted and forced to live in a small tourist town where nothing much ever happens. It’s bores-ville from the get-go…until mysterious things start to happen.</p><p><em>Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected.</em></p><p><strong><em><u>The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:</u></em></strong></p><p><strong><em>The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book #3</em></strong></p><p><a href="https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-noble-slave-paperback">MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING</a> ׀ <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Timekeepers-Noble-Slave-ebook/dp/B09CZ1CQNX/">AMAZON</a> ׀ <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-noble-slave-sharon-ledwith/1140033348?ean=9781987976823">BARNES & NOBLE</a> ׀</p><p><strong><em>The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book #2</em></strong><strong> Buy Links:</strong></p><p><a href="http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-dark-secret-paperback">MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING</a> ׀ <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Timekeepers-Dark-Secret-ebook/dp/B01L9UHCFA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1472938586&sr=1-1#nav-subnav">AMAZON</a> ׀ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/mobile/w/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-dark-secret-sharon-ledwith/1124513193;jsessionid=1499A28F3D09694F1DD7B340A0024BEE.prodny_store01-atgap08?ean=9781987976199">BARNES & NOBLE</a> ׀</p><p><strong><em>The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book #1</em></strong><strong> Buy Links:</strong></p><p><a href="http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/fantasy/products/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-arch-of-atlantis-1">MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING</a> ׀ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Timekeepers-Arch-Atlantis-ebook/dp/B00XM55E74/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461602642&sr=1-1&keywords=Sharon+Ledwith">AMAZON</a> ׀ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-timekeepers-and-the-arch-of-atlantis-sharon-ledwith/1107106917?ean=9781987976038">BARNES & NOBLE</a> ׀</p><p><strong><em>Legend of the Timekeepers, prequel</em></strong><strong> Buy Links:</strong></p><p><a href="http://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/fantasy/products/legends-of-the-timekeepers-paperback">MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING</a> ׀ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Timekeepers-Sharon-Ledwith/dp/1987976053/ref=sr_1_3_twi_2_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437067767&sr=1-3&keywords=Sharon+Ledwith">AMAZON</a> ׀ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legend-of-the-timekeepers-sharon-ledwith/1116790991?ean=9781987976052">BARNES & NOBLE</a> ׀</p><p><strong><em><u> </u></em></strong></p><p><strong><em><u>Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mystery Series:</u></em></strong></p><p><strong><em>Lost and Found, Book One </em>Buy Links:</strong></p><p><a href="https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/lost-and-found-paperback">MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING</a> ׀ <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Found-Mysterious-Tales-Fairy-Falls-ebook/dp/B0713S1DCR/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493565088&sr=1-1&keywords=Lost+and+Found+Sharon+Ledwith">AMAZON</a> ׀ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-and-found-sharon-ledwith/1126287196?ean=9781987976281">BARNES & NOBLE</a> ׀</p><p><strong><em>Blackflies and Blueberries, Book Two</em></strong><strong> Buy Links:</strong></p><p><a href="https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/blackflies-and-blueberries-paperback">MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING</a> ׀ <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blackflies-Blueberries-Mysterious-Tales-Fairy-ebook/dp/B07QNSPTXZ/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=Blackflies+and+Blueberries%2C+Book+2+Mysterious+Tales+from+Fairy+Falls&qid=1556120945&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-fkmrnull">AMAZON</a> ׀ <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blackflies-and-blueberries-sharon-ledwith/1131285253;jsessionid=81F5E6C1D887B7395D57CC397EED0D3F.prodny_store02-atgap04?ean=9781987976540&fbclid=IwAR38L3FGJhej5e7q42vtA6WfN1icY3bVE67qjTHqre416CgZhSyf243kuVY">BARNES & NOBLE</a> ׀</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2OCRgFixQTUEt0gwZm6JmCWY0Cbc9p_t_OrW7RkteUVY0Dl58EwWDCUi2eaiaTtQhISA-jl1sr7pApMa7yXLa3wa3VsiEgtB9uH_HcxWGCmoEeuSwuKfDKK2vVPbtP-dosFdfuZuWKQuuZcb_ikLZao_xxozDHnA9WHEqGY2HJVb6Y1Z6lNnmA/s3888/Sharon%20Ledwith%20Author%20Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="2592" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN2OCRgFixQTUEt0gwZm6JmCWY0Cbc9p_t_OrW7RkteUVY0Dl58EwWDCUi2eaiaTtQhISA-jl1sr7pApMa7yXLa3wa3VsiEgtB9uH_HcxWGCmoEeuSwuKfDKK2vVPbtP-dosFdfuZuWKQuuZcb_ikLZao_xxozDHnA9WHEqGY2HJVb6Y1Z6lNnmA/w189-h283/Sharon%20Ledwith%20Author%20Shot.jpg" width="189" /></a></div><b>Sharon Ledwith</b> 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.<p></p><p>Learn more about Sharon on her <a href="http://www.sharonledwith.com/">WEBSITE</a> and <a href="http://sharonledwith.blogspot.ca/">BLOG</a>. Look up her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Ledwith/e/B0084DUHJO">AMAZON AUTHOR</a> page for a list of current books. Stay connected on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SharonLedwithAuthor/">FACEBOOK</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/sharonledwith">TWITTER</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/seledwith/">PINTEREST</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-ledwith-4a33b213/">LINKEDIN</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/seledwith/">INSTAGRAM</a>, and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821744.Sharon_Ledwith">GOODREADS</a>.</p><p><strong>BONUS:</strong> Download the free PDF short story <strong><em>The Terrible, Mighty Crystal</em></strong> <a href="http://sharonledwith.com/pub/The-Terrible-Mighty-Crystal.html">HERE</a></p><p> </p><p> </p>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-13984915131120351332024-01-15T00:30:00.002-06:002024-01-15T00:30:00.147-06:00Do You Have This Human Weakness?<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">by </span><strong>Catherine Castle</strong></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?-</em></strong></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>-Henry Ward Beecher</em></strong></h3><p><strong><em> </em></strong>When I read this quote I said, “Oh, that is soooo me.”</p><p>As a kid going into the library, I could never choose just one library book. Three was the minimum, and I’ve been known to go as high as seven, or ten, if I was checking out non-fiction for research or skimming. I always returned before the two-week borrowing limit was over and checked out another armload of books. Of course, back then I had the luxury of time on my side. No housework, cooking, gardening, or other jobs to do. I don’t read books as fast as I did as a teen, but I still collect them. I haven’t lost my love of books, or my weakness for the written word.</p><p>That love of books bled into bookstores, and my pocketbook, as I grew older. My kindle is filled with books: books I’ve bought, free books I’ve downloaded, and books given to me by other authors to review. In fact, I’ve even got books on my phone—a place I never thought I’d read books on. I have a stack of snail mail advertising books that I think I might like to buy someday. And we won’t even mention the home bookshelves. Or maybe we will, since this post is about my human weakness when it comes to books, and bookstores. They, too, are crammed full and spilling onto the floor with fiction of all genres, non-fiction of all sorts, cookbooks, crafting books, research books, writing books and even dictionaries. A quick glance around the shelves in my office and I can find at least 5 different dictionaries. Really, who needs that many dictionaries?</p><p>I am without doubt a confirmed bibliophile, a disease that apparently even Henry Ward Beecher had, as well as many of America’s wealthy homeowners, as witnessed by some of their great libraries.</p> <img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-8551 size-large" height="315" src="https://catherinecastle1.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/carl-sandbergs-living-room-library.jpg?w=529" width="420" /> <div><br /><div>Pictured above are the bookshelves in the living room of poet CARL SANDBURG. Every room, including the bathroom, and every hallway had shelves like these. All I wanted to do was stop and peruse them, but the docent wouldn’t let me. Sigh.<p>I’ve always thought it would be fun to work in a library or a bookstore. Being surrounded by all the tomes filled with historical knowledge, poetry, facts and tips about anything you were interested in, and stories that could carry you away to foreign lands, imaginary lands, and let you live vicariously through the characters’ lives has a great appeal. But as I grew older and the desire to own those volumes began to overtake me, I realized I wouldn’t make any money working at a bookstore, because I’d spend my entire pay on the store’s merchandise.</p><p>In fact, the disease, and the accompanying human weakness, is so bad that while signing my books at a bookstore, the author next to me mentioned a book that sounded interesting, and I popped onto my phone and downloaded it using my Kindle app. It was the only book bought at my signing table that day. LOL. When I attended the Lori Foster RAGT event and couldn’t find a book that interested me (which is a wonder in itself), I ended up buying books for my niece!</p><p>Here are just a few titles to which I’ve succumbed most recently. I’m in the process of reading some, some have been read, and others are on the TBR list.</p><ul><li><em>Alienated</em> by Melissa Landers</li><li><em>Gateway to Gannah</em> series by Yvonne Anderson</li><li><em>Iced Chiffon</em> by Duffy Brown (a cozy mystery)</li><li><em>Mama, I am Yet Still Alive: a composite diary of 1863 in the Confederacy</em>, Jeff Toalson, Editor</li><li><em>Best of the Covered Wagon Women</em>, editor Kenneth L. Holmes</li><li><em>Desperate Deeds</em> by Patricia Gligor</li><li><em>Confederato de Norte</em> by Linda Bennett Pennell</li><li><em>Hog Insane</em>, by Carole Brown</li><li><em>Dating Cary Grant</em> by Emelle Gamble</li><li><em>The Marital Bargain: Wife for Five Months</em> by Eris Field</li><li><em>Recipes to Create Holidays</em> by Sloane Taylor</li><li><em>Hair Calamities and Hot Cash </em>by Gail Pallotta</li><li><em>My Fair Guardian </em> by Suzanne G. Rogers</li><li><em>A Season for Killing Blondes</em> by Joanne Guidoccio</li><li><em>A Musket in My Hands </em>by Sandra Merville Hart</li></ul><p>This is only a sample of my 50 Kindle pages of books, plus a few print books from my shelves. I have many more on my wanta-buy-list.</p><p>What about you? Do you have the Bibliophile disease and the weak human nature that Henry Ward Beecher speaks of? Be honest and let me know how it has manifested itself in your reading life.</p><p>Catherine hopes you’d like to add her books to your list of wanta-read-books. Here’s a teaser from her multi-award-winning inspirational romantic suspense <em>The Nun and the Narc.</em></p></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTVnDMDUcCRVtAhq-XstgFiN6YFTYo7mM31o6rBJdETewXV0QqTDIMfqUJnymc9as2yelQ2L8hGwcORYjugWl4dSm65czAuLxJFljvEXi2TzWF9wfQW9ao-bPksQQHheN2dcHtmP9yGHkRUiPP5jJvPlDeGyLsosKiCNMG3N7SOrBV5aelJm-HA/s300/B%20Catherine%20Nun%20and%20Narc%20Cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="187" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQTVnDMDUcCRVtAhq-XstgFiN6YFTYo7mM31o6rBJdETewXV0QqTDIMfqUJnymc9as2yelQ2L8hGwcORYjugWl4dSm65czAuLxJFljvEXi2TzWF9wfQW9ao-bPksQQHheN2dcHtmP9yGHkRUiPP5jJvPlDeGyLsosKiCNMG3N7SOrBV5aelJm-HA/s1600/B%20Catherine%20Nun%20and%20Narc%20Cover.jpg" width="187" /></a></div>Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicable attracted to him, he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.</div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><b>EXCERPT</b></div><div><p><em>A drug deal!</em> <em>Of all the things Rafael could do, this was the worst. </em></p><p>Esperanza had fought so hard to keep her son away from bad influences. Now he appeared to be involved in the very thing she’d hated most. Margaret imagined Esperanza banging on the gates of purgatory, trying to get out and rescue her son.</p><p>She hesitated for a moment, hearing Mother Superior’s admonishment. <em>Stay out of trouble while you are in Mexico, Sister. </em></p><p>Silencing the nagging voice in her head, Margaret charged forward, protective instincts in full swing.</p><p><em>Stopping Rafael and talking to him about the dangers of drugs surely wouldn’t qualify as trouble</em>.<em> Bluntness, maybe, but not trouble. It was more like saving. Yes, that’s it. I’m saving him.</em></p><p>Margaret grabbed Rafael by the shirt. “I’ve been searching for you, young man.” She faced the stranger, giving him her best withering stare. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”</p><p>The man stuffed the plastic bag into his jacket pocket. “Who is this?”</p><p>“Some crazy <em>gringa</em>.” Rafael shrugged, hard, trying to escape her grasp.</p><p>The plastic bag contained something white. <em>Heroin? Cocaine? </em>Margaret tightened her hold and drew Rafael closer. She would save him whether he wanted to be saved or not.</p><p>“Get out of here,” Rafael snarled.</p><p>“What would your mother say if she saw this?”</p><p>Rafael’s expression darkened. “Leave my mother out of this!” He wrenched out of Margaret’s grip and spun around to face her. His expression morphed from anger to fear. “<em>¡Madre de Dios!”</em></p><p>The man’s head jerked around. “Get down!” he shouted.</p><p>Rafael took off running down the street as the top row of pottery in the stand exploded like popcorn.</p><p>Margaret jumped at the loud noise and whirled around searching for the source. The man removed a gun from his jacket, swung around, and scanned the area.</p><p>Margaret’s knees buckled at the sight of the handgun. Her body tensed, her gaze frozen on his weapon. He fired off a couple of shots. Heart thumping like a jackhammer, she ran for cover behind the open car door. The window glass shattered as bullets whizzed over her head. She scrambled into the car and crouched on the floorboard. Another row of pottery shattered, sending fragments into the car like tiny projectile rockets. Sending up a quick prayer, she covered her head.</p><p>Slamming the door shut as he passed, the man leapt over the trunk. He jerked open the driver’s door then jumped behind the wheel. Jamming the car into gear, he roared out into the market street. Shoppers and vendors screamed, leaping out of the car’s path.</p><p>Margaret scrambled into the passenger seat. “Stop this car immediately!”</p><p>“Keep down,” he ordered, “unless you want to get shot.”</p><p>The rear window glass erupted into the car’s interior, punctuating his words. The man fired at the attackers through the shattered back window.</p><p>“Shot?” Her voice rose an octave. “Oh, dear Lord in Heaven, what have I gotten into?”</p><p>“Trouble, Lady.” He fired off another round. “Big trouble.</p></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://amzn.com/B00CHU9DH2" rel="noopener" target="_blank">BUY LINK</a></span></h3><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXBjp_0xZgkUeKddnpLYs6KgHq-aI877SLgcQzJi_PqXe9DF6WSQBran8vRcBknbvLK_x9ueg-cG7LUWOv_-Jq2sSTDH5dIjmrCUuFzELSbVNjZ8tqRUhY04vPjH8ZCG6dJSlEMNuotsPKg9IkfJ6voIq-37DmyHq8TDUqqkgS2RW5qz44ul63A/s265/Catherine%20Castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="200" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXBjp_0xZgkUeKddnpLYs6KgHq-aI877SLgcQzJi_PqXe9DF6WSQBran8vRcBknbvLK_x9ueg-cG7LUWOv_-Jq2sSTDH5dIjmrCUuFzELSbVNjZ8tqRUhY04vPjH8ZCG6dJSlEMNuotsPKg9IkfJ6voIq-37DmyHq8TDUqqkgS2RW5qz44ul63A/w184-h243/Catherine%20Castle.jpg" width="184" /></a></div><div>Multi-award-winning author<a href="https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/"> Catherine Castle</a> loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer, she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing, she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. </div><div><br /></div><div>You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Groom-Mama-Catherine-Castle/dp/1682915700/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SEBZKV6W79F9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.geugIFIGubUVxAzg-MRlAw.dZDrSFExqOatYUdJ2kCq9dmoWgCn5qIpcjPsFsULiX0&dib_tag=se&keywords=catherine+castle+a+groom+for+mama&qid=1705095269&sprefix=catherine+castle+a+groom+for+mama%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-1"><em>The Nun and the Narc </em></a>and <em><a href="http://www.amzn.com/B074SZSGB1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A Groom for Mama</a>,</em> on Amazon and <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Catherine%20Castle%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>.
Follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorCCastle" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://facebook.com/catherinecastleauthor" rel="noopener" target="_blank">FB</a> or her <a href="https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/">blog</a>.</div></div>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-43119643219888090932024-01-10T00:30:00.052-06:002024-01-10T00:30:00.129-06:00MOUTHWATERING GOODNESS IN A BOWL<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">From </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sharon Ledwith</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Life is unpredictable, right? So, why not take an ordinary
minestrone soup full of fresh, wholesome vegetables, and make it a classic, by
adding an additional layer of flavor with tender, juicy chicken? I’ve enjoyed a
few variations of minestrone soup throughout the years, but this version takes
your taste buds to a whole new level! With a prep time of 20 minutes and cook
time of 35 minutes for a total of 55 minutes, you can create a tasty new meal
to feed your family or friends in under an hour. Add a fresh side salad, bread
to dip, and wine to sip, and you’ve got the makings of a traditional Italian
supper without living your country or home. <i>Cin cin!</i></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Classic Chicken Minestrone Soup</span></b></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">4 tbsp. olive oil, divided<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO88qUhZK2Q0B1ucif0nO-Bx5-v7eXVu3VQjizn77oFSS19BOnCACbz0JBG5sv8eyBDFG9G8Tja9igqKwOe6uAcNs4N6MUv6Uu9kecVawjscr1YwYVMc57KKaPK-wHNAmMYZzHcOrvp_tltwNc-9Qgrvj807jFRrGoMALT4yrXllyn7dySxctMwQ/s4000/G%203%2024%20Jan%20Sharon%20Ledwith%20Chicken%20Minestrone%20Soup.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO88qUhZK2Q0B1ucif0nO-Bx5-v7eXVu3VQjizn77oFSS19BOnCACbz0JBG5sv8eyBDFG9G8Tja9igqKwOe6uAcNs4N6MUv6Uu9kecVawjscr1YwYVMc57KKaPK-wHNAmMYZzHcOrvp_tltwNc-9Qgrvj807jFRrGoMALT4yrXllyn7dySxctMwQ/w173-h231/G%203%2024%20Jan%20Sharon%20Ledwith%20Chicken%20Minestrone%20Soup.jpg" width="173" /></a></div></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken
breast, cut into bite-sized pieces</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 cup chopped onion</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">2 cloves garlic, minced</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ cup sliced carrot</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ cup chopped celery</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">5 cups chicken stock (or beef stock
if you prefer)</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
with basil, garlic, and oregano</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">(15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans,
drained and rinsed</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 (15.5 oz.) can kidney beans,
drained and rinsed</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 small zucchini, quartered
lengthwise and cut into ½ inch slices</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ cup frozen cut green beans</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1 tsp. Italian seasoning</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½ cup ditalini pasta</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Salt and freshly ground pepper to
taste</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or
more to taste (optional)</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add chicken to pot, and sauté just until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
Remove chicken from pot; set aside.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pot; add onions
and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook until
fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add carrots and celery; cook for 5 minutes,
stirring occasionally. </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in chicken stock, diced
tomatoes, cannellini beans, kidney beans, tomato paste, zucchini, green beans,
Italian seasoning. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">Stir in chicken and ditalini pasta and cook until pasta is
tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and
black pepper. If soup is too thick, add a little water or stock. Garnish each
bowl with Parmesan and parsley.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">There you have it! A new twist on an old-world classic. Once
the dishes are done and family has dispersed from the kitchen, take a little
me-time for yourself. Top up your wine glass, then head to the closest couch,
and crack open one of my books. May I suggest a visit to mysterious </span><a href="http://sharonledwith.com/books-fairy-falls.html"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Fairy Falls</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">, or if you’re feeling really
adventurous, a trip back in time with </span><a href="http://sharonledwith.com/books-the-last-timekeeper.html"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
Last Timekeepers</span></a><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">? Whichever you choose, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">I guarantee either
series will take you on a journey far away from the unpredictability of life.
Salute!</span></p><p>Here's a glimpse of the premises of both my young adult series.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Chosen
by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep
history safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past to
restore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the
only hope for our past.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Imagine a teenager
possessing a psychic ability and struggling to cope with its freakish power.
There’s no hope for a normal life, and no one who understands. Now, imagine
being uprooted and forced to live in a small tourist town where nothing much
ever happens. It’s bores-ville from the get-go. Until mysterious things start
to happen.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Welcome to Fairy Falls.
Expect the unexpected.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:</span><o:p></o:p></u></i></b></p>
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Links:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p align="left" class="BodyText1" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/blackflies-and-blueberries-paperback"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">MIRROR
WORLD PUBLISHING</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">׀</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blackflies-Blueberries-Mysterious-Tales-Fairy-ebook/dp/B07QNSPTXZ/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=Blackflies+and+Blueberries%2C+Book+2+Mysterious+Tales+from+Fairy+Falls&qid=1556120945&s=digital-text&sr=1-1-fkmrnull"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">AMAZON</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">׀</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blackflies-and-blueberries-sharon-ledwith/1131285253;jsessionid=81F5E6C1D887B7395D57CC397EED0D3F.prodny_store02-atgap04?ean=9781987976540&fbclid=IwAR38L3FGJhej5e7q42vtA6WfN1icY3bVE67qjTHqre416CgZhSyf243kuVY"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BARNES
& NOBLE</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
</span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;">׀</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HE;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BodyText1" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVKq7BZMVU-p_mr_400_61Yhjuw-NZGFMr6vB04EGBn5miZ_tMc2YNxSiAgmv-ILr7PCLid6_kXwEud2PQ6sknKuk0EYTLPDivILNVoAq4xFqeIv6NXMZop0qxrIn0piaHxpQRY0NSSwp4Mxzl4To1ZrvLVOaL1qs0_apMWlloFA4FoGitBs/s3888/Sharon%20Ledwith%20Author%20Shot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="2592" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisVKq7BZMVU-p_mr_400_61Yhjuw-NZGFMr6vB04EGBn5miZ_tMc2YNxSiAgmv-ILr7PCLid6_kXwEud2PQ6sknKuk0EYTLPDivILNVoAq4xFqeIv6NXMZop0qxrIn0piaHxpQRY0NSSwp4Mxzl4To1ZrvLVOaL1qs0_apMWlloFA4FoGitBs/w191-h287/Sharon%20Ledwith%20Author%20Shot.jpg" width="191" /></a></b></div><b><br />Sharon
Ledwith</b> 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.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="BodyText1" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Learn more
about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sharon Ledwith</b> on her </span><a href="http://www.sharonledwith.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">WEBSITE</span></a> and<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><a href="http://sharonledwith.blogspot.ca/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BLOG</span></a>. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Look up her </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Ledwith/e/B0084DUHJO"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">AMAZON
AUTHOR</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
page for a list of current books. Stay connected on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SharonLedwithAuthor/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">FACEBOOK</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/sharonledwith"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">TWITTER</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/seledwith/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PINTEREST</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-ledwith-4a33b213/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">LINKEDIN</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/seledwith/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">INSTAGRAM</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, and </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821744.Sharon_Ledwith"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">GOODREADS</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="BodyText1" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BONUS:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Download the free PDF short story <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Terrible, Mighty Crystal</i></b> </span><a href="http://sharonledwith.com/pub/The-Terrible-Mighty-Crystal.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">HERE</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span color="windowtext" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-4368372403980207182024-01-08T00:30:00.077-06:002024-01-08T00:30:00.129-06:00THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">from <b>Anne Montgomery</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVN4qGxQfUSwBDe3V03Id-UiSVHPl6RBzbDCXRr9X48JfWhLNcwocWqjxCg_yLR4wXA5c0lEdzBDcetPCGGRYRhymtzTbDWovfnvvlUawSLeorA7cxGOD9hV6LlNTWT4OlV2VxpIoQ7_S6QW1ePLZLWLa8oDRpRY6UMdVBYnZ44QGNXpE0c_RumQ/s253/G2%2024%20Jan%20Anne%20Girl%20in%20Mirror%20pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="199" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVN4qGxQfUSwBDe3V03Id-UiSVHPl6RBzbDCXRr9X48JfWhLNcwocWqjxCg_yLR4wXA5c0lEdzBDcetPCGGRYRhymtzTbDWovfnvvlUawSLeorA7cxGOD9hV6LlNTWT4OlV2VxpIoQ7_S6QW1ePLZLWLa8oDRpRY6UMdVBYnZ44QGNXpE0c_RumQ/s1600/G2%2024%20Jan%20Anne%20Girl%20in%20Mirror%20pic.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><b><span style="background: white; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #404040; font-family: "inherit",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">A
preoccupation with beauty, fueled by 24/7 internet postings, has many
young women obsessed with their looks.</span></b></em><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather;">I’ve been working out in some form or another all my life.
Though I used to be more of a gym rat, today I primarily swim laps, a habit
that leaves me with goggle-eye indentations, smudged make-up, and wet hair
spiking in all directions. Often, due to the insanely short life span of some
of my Speedos, my suits tend to lack the elasticity required to hold my
68-year-old physique in place. I know what you’re thinking. Not a pretty
picture.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather;">But for the brief, big hair, sparkly spandex, workout era of the
80s, the health club has mostly been a place where pretty wasn’t important.
Perhaps that’s why she had me so nonplussed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather;">The attractive young woman, probably in her early twenties,
stared into her phone. Tight black shorts and a crop top encased her frame. She
pursed her lips and lifted her chin. Then, looking over her shoulder at the
mirror behind her, she snapped a series of selfies, shots aimed to highlight
her, um, posterior.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather;">I tried not to stare, but as I dried off after my shower and
dressed, I couldn’t help but sneak a peek, now and then. The camera clicked
away. She turned her hips a fraction of an inch and the snapping resumed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqiiFAo4Ra3oOTPN7nkPYlt56lA8DH7NHQhvB7hKptUVH7JK5lI8WoW2twarUgqTgHkBZAJIl43Rz-kGjqJVtqGmwuTQ9PGdmDRnmEuzDK_zJtGFXeOQLG_wTJop-bVGuUGJ9Mpf6Ktl0E3gbnerNmh5BbLAe1VgZHi5kmSl9CQ64jQmXxAuAYQ/s248/G2%2024%20Jan%20Barbie%20pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="248" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqiiFAo4Ra3oOTPN7nkPYlt56lA8DH7NHQhvB7hKptUVH7JK5lI8WoW2twarUgqTgHkBZAJIl43Rz-kGjqJVtqGmwuTQ9PGdmDRnmEuzDK_zJtGFXeOQLG_wTJop-bVGuUGJ9Mpf6Ktl0E3gbnerNmh5BbLAe1VgZHi5kmSl9CQ64jQmXxAuAYQ/s1600/G2%2024%20Jan%20Barbie%20pic.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br /><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #404040; font-family: "inherit", serif; padding: 0in;">Barbie’s perfect proportions created a generation
of women with body-image issues.</span></b></em></p><p style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather;">I grew up in the world of Barbie, a perfectly proportioned piece
of plastic that, no doubt, led to a generation of women with body-image issues.
And while there were also magazine and TV beauties to contend with, our
experience was relatively benign compared to the image assault young women must
deal with today: a 24-hour stream of internet images highlighting impossibly
beautiful, often photoshopped, people. Sadly, approximately 91% of women in the
U.S. are unhappy with their bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I’m a high school teacher and I worry
about the pressure that’s being placed on our young people. Those unhappy with
their looks can suffer from low self-esteem, which can lead to eating
disorders, early sexual activity, substance use, and suicidal thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I was approached by one of my
journalism students recently. She was writing a story about body-image issues.
“Ms. Montgomery, when do women finally become happy with their bodies?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Never,” I said, without thinking. Her
face fell. “I mean, when you get older, other things become more important.” I
scrambled to put a positive spin on my </span>answer but<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> could see the damage was
already done.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">A week after I first saw her, the girl
at the health club reappeared. This time, she faced a different mirror and,
after lifting the edge of her shirt to reveal solid abs, she began taking
pictures again. After myriad photos, she slumped onto a bench and scrolled
through the images, all the while frowning into her phone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As I gathered my things to leave, she
walked in front of another large mirror and paused, staring at the floor,
wanting, perhaps, to just pass it by. But something compelled her to stop and
lean in close, turning her face one way then the other, as she batted long
false eyelashes and tossed her hair.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Pretty can certainly be nice. In fact,
studies have shown that, fair or not, attractive people are more likely to get
hired, receive promotions, and have larger paychecks than those who might be
lacking in the pulchritude department. However, as those pretty folks will
eventually learn, physical beauty does not last.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“Ms. Montgomery, when do women finally
become happy with their bodies?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">“It all depends,” I should have said
to my student reporter. “Perhaps, when we focus on all the fabulous
opportunities life throws at us, face our aspirations head on, and surround
ourselves with people who love us and make us laugh, maybe then we stop worrying
about things that are really not important.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #404040; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">As I watched the girl wrench away from
the mirror, I hoped she might have goals to dream about, hobbies she enjoyed,
and people in her life who would love and cherish her, even on those bad-hair
days. I wanted to tell her, but I did not. I think there are some things we
just need to learn on our own.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">Please allow me to give you a brief intro to my latest women's fiction novel for your reading pleasure.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMwr-JZ_NzUWT4fT3RApZlPsP7H7W3nDaP1TI7hqlpjBkLfN-0Bs4C20ioYVmnBNmtWvCgCFiEZM7NksPtlyLLhPw0Ow0RtgtlfU3TF45Uz_7t_85k1kWMgAHebgywNOex_PBnAW9ABTls3F4XDegrhiT-NBxoTEHbwdJy3_Vp9GVbvo4wPA/s500/e27%20Anne%20Cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCMwr-JZ_NzUWT4fT3RApZlPsP7H7W3nDaP1TI7hqlpjBkLfN-0Bs4C20ioYVmnBNmtWvCgCFiEZM7NksPtlyLLhPw0Ow0RtgtlfU3TF45Uz_7t_85k1kWMgAHebgywNOex_PBnAW9ABTls3F4XDegrhiT-NBxoTEHbwdJy3_Vp9GVbvo4wPA/s320/e27%20Anne%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><b style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.</span></i></b><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.</span></p></div><div><p><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">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.</span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MV1H4N3/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amazon Buy Link</span></a></h2><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></p></div>
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjy5ZsZ882RqdtX0cC7X3awnCHt9KLGZ4ot15s84XSM-fzuFRiw1tjToGXGRYuiMpXiiOXYecVmjhZI9LE_lhvEHN8SZHBXlTHcJ-xSNsvJLeX1rUrNJA1H0PbBysH53LwCc9MQ/s1600/Anne+Montgomery+Headshot+2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjy5ZsZ882RqdtX0cC7X3awnCHt9KLGZ4ot15s84XSM-fzuFRiw1tjToGXGRYuiMpXiiOXYecVmjhZI9LE_lhvEHN8SZHBXlTHcJ-xSNsvJLeX1rUrNJA1H0PbBysH53LwCc9MQ/s320/Anne+Montgomery+Headshot+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b>Anne Montgomery</b> has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. She worked at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter, and ASPN-TV as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery has been a freelance and staff writer for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces. <br />
<br />
When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.<br />
<br />
Learn more about <b>Anne Montgomery</b> on her <a href="https://annemontgomerywriter.com/"><b>website</b></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Montgomery"><b>Wikipedia</b></a>. Stay connected on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anne.montgomery.359?fref=ts&ref=br_tf"><b>Facebook</b></a>, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=82984029&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic"><b>Linkedin</b></a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/amontgomery8"><b>Twitter</b></a>.
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p><br /></p>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-44596114810375179762024-01-03T00:30:00.014-06:002024-01-03T00:30:00.139-06:00LET THEM EAT SOUP!Okay, so it's not the best takeoff on Marie Antoinette's infamous saying, but that was my little way of announcing that January is <b>National Soup Month</b>. It's true. You can check it out on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_food_months"><b>Wikipedia</b></a>. In honor of this auspicious event, my January posts will be dedicated to soup, well, at least the Wednesday posts. So tie on your aprons and let's get cooking! <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cream of Mushroom Soup</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1oPT7O7bfekcoKFODWe5ZGwkNIqLLhyphenhyphen4Vx212Le14HajbiX0U0V7iEv8vAPAiaYP_MEnkoZjuIvd6QXt7bFhndmmH9RdJiXkst33BtJP6IqX4QNp1EpT61ebsXNlI4zRL0PLIQ/s1600/Mushroon+Soup+1+infa.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1oPT7O7bfekcoKFODWe5ZGwkNIqLLhyphenhyphen4Vx212Le14HajbiX0U0V7iEv8vAPAiaYP_MEnkoZjuIvd6QXt7bFhndmmH9RdJiXkst33BtJP6IqX4QNp1EpT61ebsXNlI4zRL0PLIQ/s400/Mushroon+Soup+1+infa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>1 lb. fresh mushrooms – use 2 or 3 different types<br />
8 tbsp. butter<br />
2 small shallots or scallions, finely chopped<br />
6 tbsp. flour<br />
1 qt. chicken stock *<br />
¼ cup dry sherry<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
½ cup heavy cream<br />
White pepper**<br />
<br />
Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Pull the stems and caps apart. Put pieces in a food processor. Run until chopped. The mix will almost look like a paste. Or fine dice the mushrooms by hand.<br />
<br />
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 10-12 inch skillet. Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté for 3 minutes. Set the skillet aside.<br />
<br />
In a heavy 6-quart saucepan, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Do NOT let this brown too much or it will be bitter. The roux should be no darker than a caramel/tan.<br />
<br />
Remove the pan from the heat. Allow to cool 10-15 seconds, then pour in the stock while whisking constantly. Return the pan to a medium-high heat and stir until the soup base thickens and is smooth, approximately 12-15 minutes.<br />
<br />
Stir in the mushrooms and sherry. Simmer for 15 minutes, but be sure to stir occasionally.<br />
<br />
Blend the egg yolks into the cream with a whisk. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of hot soup at a time until you’ve added ¾ cup. Reverse the process and slowly whisk the now-warm mixture into the soup. ***<br />
<br />
Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and season with pepper.<br />
<br />
Serve from a tureen or in individual bowls.<br />
<br />
This recipe makes 6 bowls.<br />
<br />
*You can substitute up to half the amount with dry white wine<br />
**In this recipe white pepper is used for its slightly sharper taste. There is no need to make a special trip to buy white pepper. Black pepper will work fine, just use a little more.<br />
***This may seem like extra work, but if you don’t do it the yolks and cream will curdle.<br />
<br />
Happy slurping!
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUd1yherxUQRFTjsQ_q-_nHacIZybUzR1VQIkhkzpD7VgenBPwNMfrW0OLilKR7Xu9ZxaCNcEbLxRCYegbSHmeScNJ0tN8rYMc8tq9IONd4m9_GEloGbMJkIVIZVYRqI9saQNxg/s1600/Sloane+Taylor+head+shot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUd1yherxUQRFTjsQ_q-_nHacIZybUzR1VQIkhkzpD7VgenBPwNMfrW0OLilKR7Xu9ZxaCNcEbLxRCYegbSHmeScNJ0tN8rYMc8tq9IONd4m9_GEloGbMJkIVIZVYRqI9saQNxg/s200/Sloane+Taylor+head+shot.jpg" width="142" /></a><div><b style="font-weight: bold;">Sloane Taylor</b> is an Award-Winning author with a second passion in her life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her <a href="http://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com/">blog</a> every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.</div><div><br /></div><div>To learn more about Taylor go to her <a href="http://www.sloanetaylor.com/" target="_blank"><b>website</b></a> Stay in touch on <a href="https://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>Blogger</b></a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/sloanetaylor2" target="_blank"><b>Twitter</b></a>, and <b><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></b>.</div><p></p><p>
Taylor's cookbooks, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/173722481x" target="_blank"><b>Hot Mean Wear Aprons</b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Date-Night-Dinners-Together-Romantic/dp/1732363528/ref=sr_1_4?crid=11MR82SC4LLD5&keywords=sloane+taylor&qid=1649522848&sprefix=sloane+t%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-4" target="_blank">Date Night Dinners</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Date-Night-Dinners-Italian-Style/dp/1737224801/ref=sr_1_2?crid=11MR82SC4LLD5&keywords=sloane+taylor&qid=1649522848&sprefix=sloane+t%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Date Night Dinners Italian Style</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Night-Dinners-Sizzling-Summer-Together/dp/1732363587/ref=sr_1_5?crid=11MR82SC4LLD5&keywords=sloane+taylor&qid=1649522848&sprefix=sloane+t%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-5" target="_blank">Sizzling Summer</a></b>, and <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Recipes-Create-Holidays-Extraordinaire-Together/dp/1732363560/ref=sr_1_3?crid=11MR82SC4LLD5&keywords=sloane+taylor&qid=1649522848&sprefix=sloane+t%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-3" target="_blank">Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire</a></b> are released by Toque & Dagger Publishing and available at all book vendors.
</p>
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Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-82812759963427558952024-01-01T00:30:00.001-06:002024-01-01T00:30:00.134-06:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: x-large;"><b>HAPPY NEW YEAR</b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9mtb0ZeufTaFTmh_gOGOqLTm-Yx130Vs6lzywZTuImSz0VochpLIJpYyNxn28tqT3cqoxpyobaZqfWLxcqV3wxbV66UwewiZZsE4HWg9h-bIz-QM3IOUqhZb5AIfjvoRCyXlSg/s1600/new+year.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9mtb0ZeufTaFTmh_gOGOqLTm-Yx130Vs6lzywZTuImSz0VochpLIJpYyNxn28tqT3cqoxpyobaZqfWLxcqV3wxbV66UwewiZZsE4HWg9h-bIz-QM3IOUqhZb5AIfjvoRCyXlSg/s320/new+year.jpg"/></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #7f6000;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To Everyone <span style="font-size: x-large;">All Around the World</span></span></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #7f6000;"></span></div>
<span style="color: #7f6000;"> </span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #7f6000;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">from Studs, Sloane, and all the Taylors</span></b></span></div>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-89138233793570684142023-12-25T16:07:00.002-06:002023-12-25T16:07:00.184-06:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Wishing You and Yours <br />
a very Merry Christmas</span></b></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_PISy3i80quZo0Wpr7s6VDNmn0saLSzSRoICqNsPQSQZMxW6sii7PHvSKi1qyc1pGPYWFnA3LOUtzCELbS_nt08xNYKaC5yAK0duBCpopDEvPbauY5jNCKzeDLIAZRjPU4u1nQ/s1600/victorian_christmas_by_funkygirl4ever95-d33n6jg.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_PISy3i80quZo0Wpr7s6VDNmn0saLSzSRoICqNsPQSQZMxW6sii7PHvSKi1qyc1pGPYWFnA3LOUtzCELbS_nt08xNYKaC5yAK0duBCpopDEvPbauY5jNCKzeDLIAZRjPU4u1nQ/s400/victorian_christmas_by_funkygirl4ever95-d33n6jg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">Along with<br />
Pleasant memories of holidays past!</span></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif">From the entire Taylor family</span></span></span></i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif"> </span></span></b></div>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-74860900281803385042023-12-20T00:30:00.038-06:002023-12-20T10:23:35.339-06:00AN EASY FAMILY FAVORITE<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">From
</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sloane Taylor</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now that the holiday madness is almost over it's time for a little comfort food. My daughter Dru, who is a wonderful cook, offered this easy dinner.<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> She
is creative in her use of herbs and spices and never fails to come up with a
mouthwatering meal that is easy to prepare. This is one of our favorites. Studs
and I have prepared many </span>times and<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> will many times more.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">DRU’S
CHICKEN<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MCOaQkSTdxxg5bYkBKyorhwIopf7xbZAUxx2rse9d7Ql7MjCqvkHTYQB8huR1308_CTk9YwP9nhjxUcs9WWrrvpAGi8sgl5cpDpq2_Q5B9yiGSljv4XmZL2rQqagvePV1iRk798MFRNkfycEOUwH8yeS7oova7n6d9v8-Tr_EVpcERbFWlYTMw/s2544/G%2024%20Dru's%20Easy%20Chicken%20Dinner%20FOR%20BLOG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2544" data-original-width="1908" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MCOaQkSTdxxg5bYkBKyorhwIopf7xbZAUxx2rse9d7Ql7MjCqvkHTYQB8huR1308_CTk9YwP9nhjxUcs9WWrrvpAGi8sgl5cpDpq2_Q5B9yiGSljv4XmZL2rQqagvePV1iRk798MFRNkfycEOUwH8yeS7oova7n6d9v8-Tr_EVpcERbFWlYTMw/w186-h248/G%2024%20Dru's%20Easy%20Chicken%20Dinner%20FOR%20BLOG.jpg" width="186" /></a></div>½
lb. boneless chicken breasts or tenders</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½
tsp. garlic powder</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½
tsp. onion powder</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">½
tsp. dried sage</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">¼
tsp. dried thyme</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1
tbsp. olive oil</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1
can cream of chicken soup</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1
cup chicken stock, may need a little more</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">2
cups Minute White Rice</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">1
small broccoli crown cut into flowerets</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sliced
baby bella or white mushrooms to taste</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">If
using breasts, pound them thin between two sheets of waxed paper. Use tenders
right from package</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sprinkle
seasonings onto chicken.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Pour
oil in a frying pan and heat on medium until is shimmers. Add chicken. Fry
until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, turn, and cook the other side the same
way. remove chicken from pan to a plate and set aside.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Stir
chicken stock into hot pan and scrape in any brown bits from the bottom and sides
of the pan.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Add
soup, mix well, the bring to a boil.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Stir
in rice and broccoli. Turn heat to medium low. Place chicken on top, cover and
let simmer about 5 minutes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Serve
on individual plates. French bread is a nice addition.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></span></p>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-42773302539642942852023-12-18T00:30:00.080-06:002023-12-18T00:30:00.143-06:00Two's Company and Three's a Crowdby <b>Catherine Castle </b><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIopF4JzcGbs31HJq15kvJASvJeIlejfDzBhDrQyzbwTIjhsT5oVvEsriDKyd0T56MM7VpOQDvbrpI5aefJ2WxkRsWUg_z4iPkTArzt1753jJbGSVkUH5LmgKGjbEM9dzC3LIs-3C0Er0O2XGT1Xxhyphenhypheng2tcHIrkQwpKdVwk2DJ4BGDG3LgMNniGQ/s293/B%20Catherine%20Castle%20Mama%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="184" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIopF4JzcGbs31HJq15kvJASvJeIlejfDzBhDrQyzbwTIjhsT5oVvEsriDKyd0T56MM7VpOQDvbrpI5aefJ2WxkRsWUg_z4iPkTArzt1753jJbGSVkUH5LmgKGjbEM9dzC3LIs-3C0Er0O2XGT1Xxhyphenhypheng2tcHIrkQwpKdVwk2DJ4BGDG3LgMNniGQ/s1600/B%20Catherine%20Castle%20Mama%20Cover.jpg" width="184" /></a></div><br />Today's writers guest is me, Catherine Castle. I thought I'd give readers a peek at my award-winning romantic comedy, with a touch of drama <em><span style="color: #d4207a;"><b>A Groom for Mama</b>.</span></em><span style="color: #d4207a;"> <span style="color: black;">One look at the quirky cover and you know you're in for some laughs. I mean, who puts Mama on their wedding cake? Can you find her?</span></span>
<p style="text-align: left;">So, take few moments and enjoy the excerpt.</p>
You’ve heard the old axiom, “Two’s company and three’s a crowd,” haven’t you?
Well, imagine you’ve made a deal with your mother to find a husband—a deal you don’t really want to keep. A deal you hope will keep her going to clinics to find a cure for her cancer. A deal that will force you to have a date for every test she takes. A deal that lands you a bunch of disastrous dates. And here’s the kicker, your ex-boyfriend is arranging and tagging along on those dates, at your request.
Yep. Two’s company and three is definitely a crowd for Allison Walters and her ex-beau Jack Somerset as they travel across the county to find a cure and <span style="color: #d4207a;"><a href="http://www.amzn.com/B074SZSGB1" rel="noopener" style="color: #d4207a;" target="_blank"><strong><em>A Groom for Mama</em></strong></a></span>.
<em> </em></div><div><i><br /></i>
<h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #d4207a;">A Groom for Mama</span></h3><div><span style="color: #d4207a;"><br /></span></div>
<em> </em><em>Beverly Walters is dying, and before she goes, she has one wish—to find a groom for her daughter. To get the deed done, Mama enlists the dating service of Jack Somerset, Allison’s former boyfriend.</em> </div><div><br /></div><div><em>The last thing corporate-climbing Allison wants is a husband. Furious with Mama’s meddling, and a bit more interested in Jack than she wants to admit, Allison agrees to the scheme as long as Mama promises to search for a cure for her terminal illness.</em> </div><div><br /></div><div><em>A cross-country trip from Nevada to Ohio ensues, with a string of disastrous dates along the way, as the trio hunts for treatment and A Groom For Mama.</em>
</div><div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #d4207a;"><b>Excerpt:</b></span></h3><div><span style="color: #d4207a;"><br /></span></div>
Allison snapped her suitcase shut and shoved it under the bed. “I don’t want to talk about the one who got away, or any other man, Mama. They grab your heart and break it—just like Daddy did to you . . . to us.”</div><div><br /></div><div>“Not all men are like your daddy,” Mama said. “There are good ones out there, too.”</div><div><br /></div><div>“Not in my experience.” Allison gave her mother a hug. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore, okay?” </div><div><br /></div><div>Mama’s silence told her she hadn’t heard the last of this subject. Her mother’s stomach growled, easing the way to a subject change. </div><div><br /></div><div>Laughing, she asked, “Are you hungry, because I’m starving. Come on, I’ll fix you some lunch. How does your favorite—tuna salad—sound?” </div><div><br /></div><div>“Lunch,” Mama echoed. “Oh, I forgot to tell you—Jack’s bringing something over.” The doorbell rang and Mama smiled sweetly. “You’d better run and answer the door, dear. I’m not taking the stairs too good, what with my arthritis and—” </div><div><br /></div><div>Allison cut her off. “Please don’t say it, Mama.”</div><div><br /></div><div>With a nod, Mama said, “Hurry then, before whoever it is thinks we’re not coming.”
“Do you need me to return and help you downstairs?”</div><div><br /></div><div>“No thank you, dear. I can manage.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Allison didn’t doubt that for a minute. Her already-stubborn mother grew more stubborn every day, if that was possible.</div><div><em><br /></em></div><div><em>It’s just the situation. I won’t lose my temper when we’re both so stressed, </em>she promised herself<em>.</em> <em>Time is too precious to waste on arguing.</em> </div><div><br /></div><div>Bounding down the stairwell as the bell rang, she shouted, “I’m coming! I’m coming. Keep your pants on!” She threw the deadbolt off and jerked open the door. </div><div><br /></div><div>Jack Somerset stood in front of her, his chin perched on top of a stack of Chinese take-out cartons. Shoving down her tingling gut reaction, she commanded her heart to stop jumping like an overexcited puppy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Except for a few more laugh wrinkles around his eyes, Jack hadn’t changed a bit since college. His brown hair still dipped over his forehead in a shaggy mane. A lopsided smile spread across his face when he saw her. He winked at her, his green eyes twinkling.</div><div><br /></div><div>“Well, if it isn’t the bride-to-be. Nice to see you again, Allison.” He jiggled the cartons balanced in his arms. “I brought Chinese. I remember it was your favorite. Moo shu pork, right?” He pushed past her and headed toward the kitchen, apparently as well acquainted with her childhood home as she. </div><div><br /></div><div>Grabbing her head between her hands, she squeezed her temples.</div><div><em><br /></em></div><div><em>Chinese. Of all the things he could have brought, he brought Chinese.</em> </div><div><br /></div><div>She’d broken it off with him in a Chinese restaurant . . . over moo shu pork. Very loudly and very violently. The pork and the pot of hot tea had landed in Jack’s lap when he tried to keep her from leaving the table. Did his choice of entrees mean Jack hadn’t forgotten the incident? She hadn’t, and she’d been unable to eat that particular Chinese dish since. </div><div><br /></div><div>Trailing behind him into the kitchen, she said, “You can put the boxes on the table.” </div><div><br /></div><div>He obliged then started taking plates out of the cabinets. </div><div><br /></div><div>A frisson of annoyance crept up her spine at the familiarity he showed in her mother’s kitchen. “Why don’t you just make yourself at home?”</div><div><br /></div><div>“I will.” He shot a boyish grin at her. “Been doing it for some time now.” He set three plates on the table then turned and dug into the silverware drawer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stunned, she watched as he laid the silverware out on the table just the way Mama liked them—the knife, fork, and spoon lined up on the right-hand side of the plate. He hadn’t been joking when he said he been making himself at home.</div><div><br /></div><div>What in heaven’s name had her old flame been doing in her absence? Courting Mama?
<h3><span style="color: black;">Want tor read more of this award-winning romantic comedy, with a touch of drama? You can find </span><a href="http://www.amzn.com/B074SZSGB1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A<em> Groom for Mama</em></a><em><u> at <a href="http://www.amzn.com/B074SZSGB1">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Catherine%20Castle%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a></u></em></h3><div><em><br /></em></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaPSatHIquhiZSbi7cYlHvFHruXOWpH1KEDe46Clv0liklLlRsmNfITvZ8C8K_YalSBtL9VLUHqxlaOpohlgb0kyTpZrZVwn-pscKkNJf7-Q6OrdoxaAyBB2YEumLXN0LLMtivcmNfZzFDbt-g2wcKZUK12-N6ZAtqL2iTxl6fDSZuo5qiz2fUg/s265/Catherine%20Castle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="200" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaPSatHIquhiZSbi7cYlHvFHruXOWpH1KEDe46Clv0liklLlRsmNfITvZ8C8K_YalSBtL9VLUHqxlaOpohlgb0kyTpZrZVwn-pscKkNJf7-Q6OrdoxaAyBB2YEumLXN0LLMtivcmNfZzFDbt-g2wcKZUK12-N6ZAtqL2iTxl6fDSZuo5qiz2fUg/w152-h201/Catherine%20Castle.jpg" width="152" /></a></div>Multi award-winning <a href="https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">author Catherine Castle</a> loves writing. Before beginning her career as a romance writer, she worked part-time as a freelance writer. She has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit, under her real name, in the Christian and secular market. She also lays claim to over 300 internet articles written on a variety of subjects and several hundred poems. In addition to writing she loves reading, traveling, singing, theatre, quilting and gardening. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances. You can find her award-winning Soul Mate books <em><a href="http://amzn.com/B00CHU9DH2" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Nun and the Narc</a> </em>and <em><a href="http://www.amzn.com/B074SZSGB1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">A Groom for Mama</a>,</em> on Amazon and <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Catherine%20Castle%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a>.
Follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorCCastle" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a> @AuthorCCastle, <a href="https://facebook.com/catherinecastleauthor" rel="noopener" target="_blank">FB</a> or her <a href="https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com/blog/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">blog</a>.
</div>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-316458373538854112023-12-13T00:30:00.051-06:002023-12-13T00:30:00.142-06:00Make Your Holidays Easierfrom <b>C.D. Hersh</b> <div><strong style="text-align: center;"><br /></strong></div><div><strong style="text-align: center;">We think writing and Christmas have a lot in common.</strong></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div>
Preparing for Christmas is like writing a book—not that anyone gets much writing done in the weeks before the holiday. The concept, however, is the same; start early and stay on target. <div><br /></div><div><b>For an easy Christmas holiday:</b>
Shop all year long, especially on vacation where you can get one-of-a-kind items, and avoid the mall rush.
Plan in advance. Knowing your menu weeks in advance and looking for recipes you can prepare ahead, freeze, or have on hand reduces stress in the kitchen and lets you enjoy the holiday too. Don’t want to cook ahead? Then remodel the kitchen (not before the holidays, of course) and get that second oven you’ve been wanting so all those green bean casseroles will fit in. Better yet, let someone else host. </div><div><br /></div><div>Get familiar with your Christmas dishes. Start using your Christmas dishes at the beginning of December so you don’t have to get them out of storage at the last minute. That 24 piece place setting of hollies and Christmas trees needs to be used more than once at Christmas dinner! </div><div><br /></div><div>Get next year’s Christmas cards as soon as they go on sale. After all, you have a pretty good idea how many you will need for next year, and they never go out of style. </div><div><br /></div><div>Begin next year’s Christmas letter now. Start in January and keep a running tally of the important things you want to include. If you bind the letters in a notebook you have a ready-made life journal. One stone, two birds. </div><div><br /></div><div>Make a goal list. Shopping done before Christmas, house cleaned thoroughly by the first weekend in December, trim the tree the day after Thanksgiving (since you don’t have to shop on Black Friday), Christmas cookies baked by the second weekend (or cheat and just buy them), the guest room readied right before your guests arrive, and so on. Tweak the list to fit your needs. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>For easy book writing:</b> </div><div>Write all year long, every day. Then when you take all that time off in December to get ready for the holidays, you won’t feel so guilty. </div><div><br /></div><div>Plan your book in advance. Some seat-of-the-pants writers claim too much planning takes the fun out of writing. We’ve done it both ways and have found thorough planning and plotting keeps us out of those pesky writer’s blocks. You just have to be willing to let your characters speak to you even if they don’t want to go where you’ve planned. </div><div><br /></div><div>Get familiar with your book and characters. Let the novel and your characters live with you daily. When you are thinking about the book all the time, the words come easily to the page and your characters’ voices sound more real. </div><div><br /></div><div>Get your ideas as soon as they come to you. Carry a notebook, or use your phone, to jot down everything that comes to mind about your current WIP or ideas for new books. Even if you don’t use the ideas now, they may work, with some tweaking, for something in the future. Writers are always writing and we need to capture those ideas when they come.</div><div><br /></div><div>Begin your next book now. Writers who don’t think about future projects while they are still working on the current one run the risk of writer’s block for their next book. A running log of ideas, thoughts, characters, or anything related to the next books will make coming up with the stories easier. We brainstorm when we drive places, capturing all our ideas, good or bad, in a composition notebook. In a single composition book, we have at least 10 new ideas waiting to be developed. Will we write them all? Maybe not, but we have ready-made journal filled with possibilities.</div><div><br /></div><div>Make a goal list. Set writing goals for yourself. Whether it’s 100 words a day, or 20 pages a day doesn’t matter. It’s the goal that counts. Tweak your goal list to fit your needs and you’ll be surprised how quickly those 100 words will turn into pages, and pages into chapters, and chapters into a book.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, this holiday season, when you are laying your gifts beside the nativity, under your Christmas tree, give a gift to yourself. Promise to start writing early in the New Year and stay on target. Who knows, with perseverance and a little luck, you could be tucking your brand-new book under next year’s tree as a gift to someone else.</div><div><br /><div>Here is a little about out shapeshifter series that will be five books with four already out on Amazon.<br /><p style="text-align: center;"><b>TITLE:</b> The Turning Stone Chronicles</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>GENRE: </b>Urban fantasy, Paranormal, Romance</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>HEAT LEVEL:</b> Sensual</p><p>Three ancient Celtic families. A magical Bloodstone that enables the wearers to shape shift. A charge to use the stone’s power to benefit mankind, and a battle, that is going on even today, to control the world. Can the Secret Society of shape shifters called the Turning Stone Society heal itself and bring peace to our world?</p><p style="text-align: center;">Find out in The Series <i>The Turning Stone Chronicles</i></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DUMODKI" rel="noopener" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignright wp-image-1521 size-thumbnail" height="150" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5146AfRfQvL.jpg?w=100" width="100" /></a><b>Book one of the chronicles titled “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DUMODKI" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><i>The Promised One</i></a>” available on Amazon</b><br />In the wrong hands, the Turning Stone ring is a powerful weapon for evil. So, when homicide detective Alexi Jordan discovers her secret society mentor has been murdered and his magic ring stolen, she is forced to use her shape-shifting powers to catch the killer. By doing so, she risks the two most important things in her life—her badge and the man she loves.</p><p>Rhys Temple always knew his fiery cop partner and would-be-girlfriend, Alexi Jordan, had a few secrets. He considers that part of her charm. But when she changes into a man, he doesn’t find that as charming. He’ll keep her secret to keep her safe, but he’s not certain he can keep up a relationship—professional or personal.</p><p>Danny Shaw needs cash for the elaborate wedding his fiancée has planned, so he goes on a mugging spree. But when he kills a member of the secret society of Turning Stones and steals a magic ring that gives him the power to shape shift, Shaw gets more than he bargained for.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVNFC8W" rel="noopener" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1979" height="150" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZRd343hdL.jpg?w=100" width="100" /></a><b>Book two of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OVNFC8W" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><i>Blood Brothers<i>” available on Amazon.</i></i></a></b><br />When Delaney Ramsey is enlisted to help train two of the most powerful shape shifters the Turning Stone Society has seen in thousands of years, she suspects one of them is responsible for the disappearance of her daughter. To complicate matters, the man has a secret that could destroy them all. Bound by honor to protect the suspect, Delaney must prove his guilt without losing her life to his terrible powers or revealing to the police captain she’s falling for that she’s a shape shifter with more than one agenda.</p><p>The minute Captain Williams lays eyes on Delaney Ramsey, he knows she’s trouble. Uncooperative, secretive, and sexy, he can’t get her out of his mind. When he discovers she has a personal agenda for sifting through all the criminal records in his precinct, and secretly investigating his best detective, he can’t let her out of his sight. He must find out what she’s looking for before she does something illegal. If she steps over the line, he’s not certain he can look the other way for the sake of love.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XK3E172" rel="noopener" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignright wp-image-3206 size-thumbnail" height="150" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fHv4R06YL.jpg?w=95" width="95" /></a><b>Book three of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XK3E172" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><i>Son of the Moonless Night</i></a>” currently available on Amazon.</b><br />Owen Todd Jordan Riley has a secret. He’s a shape shifter who has been hunting and killing his own kind. To him the only good shifter is a dead shifter. Revenge for the death of a friend motivates him, and nothing stands in his way . . . except Katrina Romanovski, the woman he is falling in love with.</p><p>Deputy coroner Katrina Romanovski has a secret, too. She hunts and kills paranormal beings like Owen. At least she did. When she rescues Owen from an attack by a werebear she is thrust back into the world she thought she’d left. Determined to find out what Owen knows about the bear, she begins a relationship meant to collect information. What she gets is something quite different love with a man she suspects of murder. Can she reconcile his deception and murderous revenge spree and find a way to redeem him? Or will she condemn him for the same things she has done and walk away from love?</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I01W2JC" rel="noopener" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-3206 size-thumbnail" height="150" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51YWcDcq1XL.jpg" width="95" /></a><b>Book four of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I01W2JC" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><i>The Mercenary & the Shifters</i></a>” available on Amazon.</b><br />A desperate call from an ex-military buddy lands a mercenary soldier in the middle of a double kidnapping, caught in an ancient shape shifter war, and ensnared between two female shape shifters after the same thing ... him.</p><p>The first four books of their paranormal romance series entitled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CCZQPW" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;"><i>The Turning Stone Chronicles Series page</i></span></a> are available on Amazon. Their standalone novella, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N9RDN96/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><i>Can’t Stop The Music</i></span></a>, is in the Soul Mate Tree collection with twelve other authors from various genres.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCgFA_Am1tKXZiPonptjiiQGuX55XQkH5m9GBiNwJ-OS8BgBpYAEY48o3pkKC0Rv6-eKLYRIdnl9-swvViTXdKVruiQOVJfBQoU9LEiU3pi49DreZjeNKNGYmcdK71J9y4hIwluk10FUxhTde7LHNxrOUMir7IudoMdyNJfe_m7f9pzzkTkc/s320/C.D.%20HERSH.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="320" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCgFA_Am1tKXZiPonptjiiQGuX55XQkH5m9GBiNwJ-OS8BgBpYAEY48o3pkKC0Rv6-eKLYRIdnl9-swvViTXdKVruiQOVJfBQoU9LEiU3pi49DreZjeNKNGYmcdK71J9y4hIwluk10FUxhTde7LHNxrOUMir7IudoMdyNJfe_m7f9pzzkTkc/w235-h181/C.D.%20HERSH.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to the husband and wife co-authors whose pen name is C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s while co-authoring a number of dramas, six which have been produced in Ohio, where they live. Their interactive Christmas production had five seasonal runs in their hometown and has been sold in Virginia, California, and Ohio. As high school sweethearts, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after. Which is why they write it!<p></p><p>When they aren’t collaborating on a book, they enjoy reading; singing; theatre and drama; traveling; remodeling houses (Donald has remodeled something in every home they’ve owned); and antiquing. Catherine, who loves gardening, has recently drawn Donald into her world as a day laborer. Catherine is an award-winning gardener — you can see some of her garden on their website.</p><p>They are looking forward to many years of co-authoring and book sales, and a lifetime of happily-ever-after endings on the page and in real life.</p><h3><b>You can see excerpts of their books, connect with, and follow C.D. Hersh at:</b></h3><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdhersh.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cdhershauthor" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://www.amazon.com/C.-D.-Hersh/e/B00DV5L7ZI" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorCDHersh" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p></div></div></div>Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-33902071359366976032023-12-11T00:30:00.000-06:002023-12-11T00:30:00.137-06:00CHRISTMAS BRUNCH IS SERVED<p>After we entertain Christmas Eve, we tear through the house cleaning up before the kids and grands come for brunch Christmas Day. This meal is wonderful because so much can be prepared well in advance and stored in the fridge until it’s time to cook. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>MENU </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Breakfast Soufflé </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Hash Browns </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Fresh Fruit Salad </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Mini Croissants </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Christmas Cookies & Leftover Desserts </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Mimosas</b> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iPqWPuOUB2u9h2R6hAMHdpeYwelGi53-GkAN0vu25Zbv-dytKbfMKSY-NtDaBFnQXpkTrl4cNWFwNesTV0gau-GWXTseGCXNWYoqxaoVNOrul-eDR7QenjbClKFL7Z2eBHMWiw/s236/Breakfast+Souffle.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iPqWPuOUB2u9h2R6hAMHdpeYwelGi53-GkAN0vu25Zbv-dytKbfMKSY-NtDaBFnQXpkTrl4cNWFwNesTV0gau-GWXTseGCXNWYoqxaoVNOrul-eDR7QenjbClKFL7Z2eBHMWiw/s0/Breakfast+Souffle.jpg" /></a></div>Breakfast Soufflé</b> </div><div>1 lb. (½kg) ham, bacon, or breakfast sausage </div><div>9 eggs, lightly beaten </div><div>3 cups (750ml) milk </div><div>1 tsp. (5ml) dry mustard </div><div>Diced green, red, and/or yellow pepper to taste </div><div>½ lb. (57g) sharp cheddar cheese, grated </div><div>½ lb. (57g) Swiss or Gruyere cheese, or a combination of the two, grated </div><div>Diced onion to taste </div><div>Freshly ground black pepper to taste </div><div>4 – 1 in. (2.54cm) slices Vienna or French bread, cubed </div><div><br /></div><div>Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). </div><div><br /></div><div>Dice ham or bacon. If you use ham, set aside in the bowl you use for the eggs. Fry bacon to the crispness you prefer. Drain on paper towels. If you use breakfast sausage, fry meat until no longer pink. Be sure to break up any clumps. Drain meat in a colander while you continue to prepare the soufflé.</div><div><br /></div><div>Add all ingredients, except bread, to eggs. Stir well. Gently stir in bread. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pour mixture into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch (33 x 22cm) glass baking dish. Bake 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center has no egg clinging to it. </div><div><br /></div><div>This dish can be assembled one or two days ahead of time. On serving day allow the soufflé to sit on your counter 1 – 2 hours before you bake it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Leftovers are excellent from the microwave. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Hash Browns</b> </div><div><i>If you need to increase the hash browns recipe for a larger group of people, it’s best to sparingly add more garlic powder. As is this recipe serves 6. Leftovers reheat beautifully.</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>3 russet potatoes (about 1½ pounds), peeled </div><div>1½ tsp. (7.5ml) garlic powder, not salt </div><div>Freshly ground pepper, to taste </div><div>¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil </div><div><br /></div><div>Shred potatoes on the large holes of a box grater or use the coarse grater disk on a food processor. Transfer them to a bowl of cold water. Allow them to soak for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and then rinse under cold water. You do this to remove the starch that makes hash browns gummy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Transfer shreds to a kitchen towel. Gather together ends of towel and twist over sink, squeezing firmly to wring out as much liquid as possible. This step creates crisp hash browns. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl and toss with garlic powder and pepper. Be sure to evenly distribute the seasonings. </div><div><br /></div><div>Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, press down to form a thin layer and cook for a minute or two. Stir and then press down again. Cook until a dark golden crust forms, about 5 minutes.
</div><div><br /></div><div>Turn potatoes in sections. This is easier than trying to turn the food as a whole. Continue to fry until hash browns are crisp and browned all over, 5 minutes or so. Transfer to paper towels to absorb excess oil. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Fresh Fruit Salad</b> </div><div>1 banana, peeled </div><div>1 pear, cored </div><div>1 tbsp. (15ml) lemon juice </div><div>¼ pineapple, peeled, cored, and diced </div><div>1 kiwi, peeled and sliced </div><div>10 seedless red grapes, halved </div><div>10 blueberries </div><div>10 raspberries, optional </div><div><br /></div><div>Slice banana into bitesize pieces. Scoop into a medium-sized bowl. Dice pear and add to bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice over fruit to stop it from turning brown and mix well. </div><div><br /></div><div>Gently fold in remaining fruit. </div><div><br /></div><div>Spoon into a glass bowl, cover with cling wrap, and chill until time to serve. Leftovers are still good the next day.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Mimosas</b> </div><div>1 bottle sparking white wine or champagne, cold </div><div>1 carton orange juice, cold </div><div>Tall slender glasses </div><div><br /></div><div>Fill glasses half full with wine. Tip the glass slightly as you pour to retain the fizz. Top off with orange juice. Don’t stir. That will destroy the bubbles. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with good friends, laughter, and seated around a well-laden table!
</i><p>
Sloane</p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUd1yherxUQRFTjsQ_q-_nHacIZybUzR1VQIkhkzpD7VgenBPwNMfrW0OLilKR7Xu9ZxaCNcEbLxRCYegbSHmeScNJ0tN8rYMc8tq9IONd4m9_GEloGbMJkIVIZVYRqI9saQNxg/s1600/Sloane+Taylor+head+shot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUd1yherxUQRFTjsQ_q-_nHacIZybUzR1VQIkhkzpD7VgenBPwNMfrW0OLilKR7Xu9ZxaCNcEbLxRCYegbSHmeScNJ0tN8rYMc8tq9IONd4m9_GEloGbMJkIVIZVYRqI9saQNxg/s200/Sloane+Taylor+head+shot.jpg" width="142" /></a><b>Sloane Taylor</b> is an Award-Winning author with a second passion in her life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her <a href="http://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com/"><b>blog</b></a> every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.
<p></p><p>
Taylor's cookbooks, <b>Date Night Dinners</b>, <b>Date Night Dinners Italian Style</b>, <b>Summer Sizzle</b>, and <b>Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire</b> are released by Toque & Dagger Publishing and available at all book vendors.
</p>
Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19076326.post-69186409605452491072023-12-06T00:30:00.035-06:002023-12-06T00:30:00.162-06:00EASY HOLIDAY BRUNCHFrom <b>Sharon Ledwith </b><div><br /></div><div>Want a fun twist the next time you’re serving up brunch at home or at your holiday getaway? Then dig into this Lip-Smacking Holiday Brunch Served with a Side of Supernatural Adventure. This easy recipe serves eight and takes a total time of thirty minutes to prepare and cook. Not a bad investment to put together a meal worthy of a five-star restaurant.</div><div>
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<b>Lip-Smacking Grilled Red Pepper Egg Cups</b><b><br /></b>
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4 large red peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded, deveined<br />
2 tbsp. (30 mL) olive oil<br />
⅓ cup (30 mL) smokey-style barbecue sauce (Experiment with different flavors)<br />
8 slices Edam cheese (We use Havarti herb and garlic)<br />
8 eggs<br />
¼ tsp. (1 mL) salt<br />
¼ tsp. (1 mL) black pepper<br />
2 tbsp. (30 mL) cilantro, chopped fine (optional)<br />
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PREHEAT outdoor grill to medium-high.<br />
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TOSS peppers with oil in a medium-sized bowl. Brush insides of peppers with barbecue sauce. Place cut sides down on grill. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly charred and slightly softened. Remove from grill.<br />
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PLACE a cheese slice inside each pepper half, pressing cheese against sides.<br />
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CRACK an egg into each pepper cup. Season with salt and pepper.<br />
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REDUCE heat to medium. Place peppers on grill over indirect heat. Close lid.<br />
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COOK 15 to 20 minutes, or until whites are just set and yolks are still soft, or to desired doneness.<br />
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SPRINKLE with cilantro and serve.<br />
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<b>Fried Potatoes</b><br />1 small Idaho potato per person, baked<br />
1 tbsp. butter per potato<br />
1 small onion, chopped fine<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
PEEL and slice potatoes when cool enough to handle. Set aside in a small bowl.<br />
<br />
MELT butter in medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add onions. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Adjust heat so onions don’t burn.<br />
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GENTLY stir in potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook about 20 minutes or until browned.<br />
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Once the dishes are washed and put away, I’m sure you’ll be ready to escape to your favorite spot for some quiet time. Why not relax with one of my books? May I suggest a nostalgic visit to Fairy Falls? Just remember to breathe in the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of the settings. Experience life along with my characters in their world.<br />
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<i>Fairy Falls was bores-ville from the get-go. Then the animals started talking...</i><br />
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The Fairy Falls Animal Shelter is in trouble. Money trouble. It’s up to an old calico cat named Whiskey—a shelter cat who has mastered the skill of observation—to find a new human pack leader so that their home will be saved. With the help of Nobel, the leader of the shelter dogs, the animals set out to use the ancient skill of telepathy to contact any human who bothers to listen to them. Unfortunately for fifteen-year-old Meagan Walsh, she hears them, loud and clear.<br />
<br />
Forced to live with her Aunt Izzy in the safe and quiet town of Fairy Falls, Meagan is caught stealing and is sentenced to do community hours at the animal shelter where her aunt works. Realizing Meagan can hear her, Whiskey realizes that Meagan just might have the pack leader qualities necessary to save the animals. Avoiding Whiskey and the rest of shelter animals becomes impossible for Meagan, so she finally gives in and promises to help them. Meagan, along with her newfound friends, Reid Robertson and Natalie Knight, discover that someone in Fairy Falls is not only out to destroy the shelter, but the animals as well. Can Meagan convince her aunt and co-workers that the animals are in danger? If she fails, then all the animals’ voices will be silenced forever.
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>BUY LINKS</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0713S1DCR/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=sloanetaylor7-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B0713S1DCR&linkId=ca5ae56e3f6f78189433ddd29df590d9">Amazon Kindle</a></b> - <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1987976290/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=sloanetaylor7-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1987976290&linkId=948965c671b80b97cf6abe28934d9420">Amazon Paperback</a></b> - <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-and-found-sharon-ledwith/1126287196?ean=9781987976281"><b>Barnes & Noble</b></a> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/lost-and-found-ebook"><b>Mirror World Publishing ebook</b></a>
<a href="https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/poetry/products/lost-and-found-paperback"><b>Mirror World Publishing Paperback</b></a></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjon88MYH5aNUNPO5HvnBp5FuX1KzbhEWJJ_EA5SI4ucrIx8a1zG9PeBWfz6UiZHk8kxlBFL24LxKrgOKSj8RBUJ5ppYq-zSQHlEk37Bu2ofI94w0B9E7YEr-Ph7aDyqjFAGds_ljh_SnFv1C9goAwU_Lif9nM0qPzNlNwvtHP2ogduPnlcm8VjcA/s3888/Sharon%20Ledwith%20Author%20Shot.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3888" data-original-width="2592" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjon88MYH5aNUNPO5HvnBp5FuX1KzbhEWJJ_EA5SI4ucrIx8a1zG9PeBWfz6UiZHk8kxlBFL24LxKrgOKSj8RBUJ5ppYq-zSQHlEk37Bu2ofI94w0B9E7YEr-Ph7aDyqjFAGds_ljh_SnFv1C9goAwU_Lif9nM0qPzNlNwvtHP2ogduPnlcm8VjcA/w183-h276/Sharon%20Ledwith%20Author%20Shot.jpg" width="183" /></a></div></div><br /><b>Sharon
Ledwith<b><b></b></b></b> 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.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="BodyText1" style="margin-top: 12pt; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Learn more
about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sharon Ledwith</b> on her </span><a href="http://www.sharonledwith.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">WEBSITE</span></a> and<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><a href="http://sharonledwith.blogspot.ca/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BLOG</span></a>. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Look up her </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Ledwith/e/B0084DUHJO"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">AMAZON
AUTHOR</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
page for a list of current books. Stay connected on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SharonLedwithAuthor/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">FACEBOOK</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/sharonledwith"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">TWITTER</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/seledwith/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">PINTEREST</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-ledwith-4a33b213/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">LINKEDIN</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/seledwith/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">INSTAGRAM</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, and </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821744.Sharon_Ledwith"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">GOODREADS</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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Terrible, Mighty Crystal</i></b> </span><a href="http://sharonledwith.com/pub/The-Terrible-Mighty-Crystal.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">HERE</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span color="windowtext" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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Sloane Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05455715196493185203noreply@blogger.com1