Six and a Half Tips

and a Recipe for Perfect English Muffins

by HL Carpenter

You don’t have to be British to enjoy hand-made English muffins, which is fortunate for the heroine in our young adult novel, The SkyHorse, since Tovi Taggert and her family are southerners through and through.

The Taggerts are also fans of fun, easy menu additions for Sunday morning brunch or a special breakfast. English muffins are a snap to prepare, require only an hour to rise, cook quickly on a griddle or frying pan (no heating the oven!) and taste great, either plain or with butter, jam, or your favorite topping. An added bonus is the delicious, yeasty scent of fresh bread that fills the kitchen.

Here are tips to help you make perfect muffins.
1. While the yeast is dissolving, fill a 13” x 9” pan with hot water and place it in your unheated oven. Muffins rise best in a warm, humid environment.

2. If your recipe calls for honey, spritz your measuring spoon with cooking spray. The honey will slide right off the spoon.

3. Instead of using a rolling pin and cookie cutter to form your muffins, divide the dough into even parts. Then press out the dough pieces in your hamburger patty mold. You’ll get just-the-right-size, perfectly round muffins.

4. Once your muffins have risen, hand-transfer them to the heated griddle. They’ll keep their shape better than if you try to slip a spatula beneath them.

(Bonus tip: Prefer using a spatula? Dip the edge in cornmeal so it slides easily under the muffins.)

5. To test for doneness, lightly tap the top of the muffins with your fingertip. A hollow sound means your muffins are cooked.

6. When you’re ready to toast, split the muffins with a fork instead of a knife. Your toppings will fill the resulting nooks and crannies.

And here’s the perfect recipe for Perfect English muffins.

What you’ll need:
2-3 quart bowl
Standard-size cookie sheet
Griddle or frying pan
1 package yeast
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
3/4 cup shortening
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal

Dissolve yeast in bowl in warm water for five minutes. While yeast is dissolving, sprinkle cookie sheet with a light coating of cornmeal.

Add flour, shortening, honey and salt to yeast-and-water-mixture to form dough.
Coat dough with flour; knead until elastic.

Divide dough into 12 equal balls. Use a hamburger patty mold or the flat end of a glass dipped in flour or sprayed with cooking spray to flatten each ball into a 3-inch circle. Put the muffins on the cookie sheet as you form them.

Cover the cookie sheet and let the muffins rise for an hour.
Heat the griddle or frying pan to 375 degrees (no oil necessary).

Cook the muffins, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.

Split with a fork, toast, and enjoy with your favorite topping.

While your enjoying those delicious muffins, how about settling in with a good book?

Tovi thinks finding a flying horse is fabulous luck - until a mysterious stranger says finders aren’t always keepers.

When fourteen year old Tovi Taggert moves to Honeysuckle Hollow to take care of her grandmother, she has a hard time fitting in. For one thing, she’s been tagged with the hated nickname Too-Tall Tovi. For another, everyone at Honeysuckle Hollow High believes Tovi played the Choking Game with someone else’s boyfriend – and made out with him besides.

As if she doesn’t have enough problems, after the latest stand-off in the school hallway, Tovi finds a gorgeous speckled egg nestled in a feather lined nest.

She takes the egg home – and mysterious visitors begin appearing almost immediately. Even more worrisome, whatever is inside the egg starts chipping its way out.

When the egg hatches, revealing a winged horse, Tovi’s troubles multiply.

As she struggles to return the horse to the magical land where he belongs, Tovi must make a courageous decision – and accept what that decision will cost her.

To read the first chapter of The SkyHorse, please click HERE.

BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon

HL Carpenter is a mother/daughter writing team. Learn more about HL Carpenter on their website and their latest story “Going Where You Look”, published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers.

Meet the Legendary and Oh-so-stylish She-Aba…

…who is Lilith’s BFF in the prequel to The Last Timekeepers series, Legend of the Timekeepers. She-Aba is with us today and has plenty to say about following your dreams and standing out in a crowd.

Thank you for coming to chat with us today, She-Aba. Why do you think Sharon Ledwith chose you to represent her?
Because I have the most style and flair when it comes to representing others. I look at a person and see their best qualities, then work with the right fabrics and accessories to bring out their natural beauty and make them stand out. Sharon knows this. I know this. I mean…look at my shoes. Aren’t they stunning?

They are indeed. What is your birth date?
I was born fourteen years ago on the day after my parents arrived here from Atlantis.

Here? Where do you live? What is it about the area that drew your parents?
I was born and raised in the Black Land. I’ve heard that it’s named for the rich, dark soil found in the river and the valley we live near. Since there was too much instability going on in Atlantis—you know, stuff like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions—my parents decided to immigrate here and start a new life. And I’m so glad that they did seeing as their homeland blew up and sank into the ocean.

Wow, your parents certainly made a good decision. Tell us a little about yourself?
Well, ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to dress up people, and help them look their best. My father sits on the Black Land’s high counsel, so I make sure his beard is braided, his hair is oiled and scented, and his clothes are of the highest quality. Oh, and I also have red hair. Apparently that’s not very favorable in the eyes of the Black Land natives.

Huh? Why not?
Red is a color reserved for their gods and goddesses. The natives think red is magical, and anyone with red hair is considered a freak of nature.

I see. What’s your favorite music?
Ohhh, I love the sound of crystal bowls being played! It makes my whole body hum and vibrate.

Will we be seeing more of you or are you stepping out of the lime light?
I don’t understand what you mean about the lime light? Is it like the moon or sun light? These are very confusing questions! I’m sure Sharon Ledwith has future plans for me if that is what you mean.

What do you do to relax?
I create beautiful sashes, satchels, and shoes to go with all the outfits I put together. The end results are truly extraordinary.

Okay, so what gets you excited?
No contest. Shoes. Oh, and finding the right suitor.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor, chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry?
What is this ice cream you speak of? There is no such thing here in the Black Land. Again you confuse me with your babble. You need to wear a Babel necklace. It’s all the rage for a Timekeeper. Plus it would help me to understand what you are saying. If you are talking about a favorite food, then I like drizzling honey over freshly baked bread. Mmmm.

Do you believe in ghosts?
No. But I do believe in dark vibrations. I’ve seen it firsthand.

Why should the readers be interested in your story?
What a silly question! This story is about finding your true purpose. Why we are here and what we have to do. That’s what life readings are for. Why would anyone NOT be interested?

What is a life reading?
Life readings are scribed on a small ceramic disk called a life seal. See the one I’m wearing on my spotted-animal cape? I fashioned it to look like a broach. Originally a life seal is blank, but once the high priestess from the Temple Beautiful has had a chance to assess you based on your karmic development, she goes into a trance and records her impressions on the seal which then becomes your lifetime occupation.

That sounds complicated. What is your lifetime occupation?
My original lifetime occupation was supposed to be to design clothing for the people of the various positions in the court and temples. Then one day the inscription on my life seal completely changed.

Changed? How?
That’s for me to know, and you to find out…

Here’s a little sampling of Legend of the Timekeepers set to be released this August 30th.

There is no moving forward without first going back.

Lilith was a young girl with dreams and a family before the final destruction of Atlantis shattered those dreams and tore her family apart. Now refugees, Lilith and her father make their home in the Black Land. This strange, new country has no place in Lilith’s heart until a beloved high priestess introduces Lilith to her life purpose—to be a Timekeeper and keep time safe.

Summoned through the seventh arch of Atlantis by the Children of the Law of One, Lilith and her new-found friends are sent into Atlantis’s past, and given a task that will ultimately test their courage and try their faith in each other. Can the Timekeepers stop the dark magus Belial before he changes the seers’ prophecy? If they fail, then their future and the earth’s fate will be altered forever.

If you haven’t already checked out my young adult time travel read, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, here’s the blurb…

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.

To read an excerpt of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, please click HERE.

Check out The Last Timekeepers series Facebook Page.

BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon Link
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, The Last Timekeepers, available through Musa Publishing. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

GOOD SUMMER EATING

Summer is here and it's time to eat gobs of ice cream and not feel guilty. So today HL Carpenter shares the delicious recipe for No Bake Ice Cream Sandwich Cake. Take it away, HL!

We wish we could say Gramma shared the recipe for this scrumptious dessert with us while we were writing The SkyHorse. After all, what better way for her granddaughter, Tovi, to stay cool on a sweltering summer day while tending a horse hatched from an egg? But we must admit the sweet treat was around long before The SkyHorse trotted into our lives.

If you like to have dessert on hand for those daily ice cream cravings guests, this cake keeps well in the freezer. It’s expandable, too. Just use a bigger pan, more ice cream and extra whipped topping. When it comes to ice cream, more is better, right?

No Bake Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

What you’ll need:
One package (12 bars) of ice cream sandwiches
One container (8 ounces or larger) of whipped topping (or make your own with a pint of whipping cream and 3 tablespoons of sugar)
Garnish of your choice: Sprinkles; chopped nuts; caramel, chocolate or other syrup
Glass or plastic pan with a lid



Directions:
Arrange six ice cream bars in a crisscross pattern in the bottom of the pan. (You may have to cut the bars to make them fit. Of course, then you’ll need to eat those little left-over pieces—who said chefs have an easy life?)

Spread a layer of whipped cream over the bars.*

Crisscross the remaining six ice cream bars on top of the whipped cream.

Slather another layer of whipped cream over the top and sides.

Decorate with sprinkles or chopped nuts, or drizzle with caramel or chocolate syrup.

Cover and freeze 2-3 hours or overnight.

Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving to soften.

*For a richer cake, add a layer of syrup and/or chopped nuts over the whipped cream.

While your delicious cake is chilling, how about settling in with a good book?

Tovi thinks finding a flying horse is fabulous luck - until a mysterious stranger says finders aren’t always keepers.

When fourteen year old Tovi Taggert moves to Honeysuckle Hollow to take care of her grandmother, she has a hard time fitting in. For one thing, she’s been tagged with the hated nickname Too-Tall Tovi. For another, everyone at Honeysuckle Hollow High believes Tovi played the Choking Game with someone else’s boyfriend – and made out with him besides.

As if she doesn’t have enough problems, after the latest stand-off in the school hallway, Tovi finds a gorgeous speckled egg nestled in a feather lined nest.

She takes the egg home – and mysterious visitors begin appearing almost immediately. Even more worrisome, whatever is inside the egg starts chipping its way out.

When the egg hatches, revealing a winged horse, Tovi’s troubles multiply.

As she struggles to return the horse to the magical land where he belongs, Tovi must make a courageous decision – and accept what that decision will cost her.

To read the first chapter of The SkyHorse, please click HERE.

BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon

HL Carpenter is a mother/daughter writing team. Their young adult novel, The SkyHorse, is available on Amazon and at Musa Publishing. Learn more about HL Carpenter on their website.

I'll be back Monday. Until then...

Happy Eating!

Sloane Taylor

RAGIN' CAJUN JAMBALAYA

by Rita Monette

Jambalaya is a favorite meal for Nikki Landry. Without the wine of course, because Nikki is the main character in my YA book, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island.

This is the closest to my mom's recipe I could find. I see some recipes where they serve it over rice. The rice should be steamed with the ingredients (as shown) for best flavor.

Bon appétit!






RAGIN' CAJUN JAMBALAYA

1 lg. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ cup chopped celery
1 lg. bell pepper, finely chopped
1 ½ lbs. sliced sausage (kielbasa or andouille)
2 lbs. cooked shrimp, chicken, crawfish, or any combination
2 tbsp. olive, vegetable oil, or bacon drippings
1 cup fresh, chopped tomatoes, optional
1 ½ cup uncooked long grain rice
3 cups chicken or seafood stock
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. black pepper **
1 tsp. white pepper **
1 tsp. cayenne pepper **
1 tsp. thyme
1 tbsp. file
1 tsp. oregano
2 bay leaves
Tabasco or Louisiana hot sauce to taste

Place a large, heavy pot on the stove at medium to medium high temperature, sauté sausage in oil until well browned; drain well.

Add chopped onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper, saute until almost tender.

Add seasonings and continue to sauté for 1 minute. If desired add fresh, chopped tomatoes.

If using chicken, add cooked chicken pieces to take up flavors.

Add chicken or seafood stock and rice. Turn heat down to gentle simmer and cover for about 20 to 25 minutes.

If using cooked shrimp or crawfish, add at the end of cooking time to prevent breaking down.

Add hot sauce to individuals taste. Serve with favorite wine and French bread.

**Whimps use ½ teaspoon each of black, white, and cayenne pepper; "Cajuns" use 2 teaspoons each.

While your jambalaya simmers, take a peek into young Nikki Landry's life.

Papa says every legend starts with a truth. But what is the truth behind the legend of Ghost Dog Island?

BLURB:
Moving is nothing new for ten-year-old Nikki Landry. Her fisherman father relocates their raggedy old houseboat several times a year in search of better crab fishing spots. However, their latest move has brought her to a mysterious bayou where she feels like something is watching her and her beloved dog Snooper from a nearby island. But when Papa tells her about a local legend that something sinister might be living nearby and stealing the souls of dogs, she fears for her constant companion’s life. Join Nikki as she seeks to discover the truth behind the legend…before it’s too late.




To read an excerpt from The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, please click HERE.

Rita Monette was born and raised in Southwest Louisiana. After retiring from her “real” job as an administrative assistant, Rita began doing what she always wanted to do…write and paint. Five long years later, Musa Publishing offered her a contract for her debut middle grade novel, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, which also includes her artwork. Her stories are set in the beautiful, yet mysterious, bayous and swamps of her home state. Rita now resides with her husband, four lap dogs, and one lap cat, in the mountains of Tennessee.

Learn more about Rita Monette on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

I'll be back Monday with Jan Springer. Until then...

Bon Appétit!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, DUSTY CRABTREE!

In case you haven't seen it on Facebook, Dusty Crabtree is throwing a huge party for Shadow Eyes's one-year anniversary - a one-month blog tour!

To top it all off, Dusty is giving away a KINDLE FIRE along with other prizes!

It all began on her blog with a list of tour stops and a link at the bottom to Rafflecopter. Below are the links to all the stops.

Let the games begin! And may the odds be ever in your favor…

February 24th – The Paperback Princess (Why Young Adult Urban Fantasy?)

February 25 – Little Hyuts (Shadow Eyes Behind the Scenes Excerpt)

February 26th – Nomi’s Paranormal Palace (Author Interview)

February 27th – More Than a Review (Review)

February 28th – Tina’s Book Reviews (Writing about Teen Issues from a Moral Perspective)

March 1 – YA Book Addict (Review)

March 2 – Living Fictitiously (Personal Experience in Shadow Eyes)

March 3 – Colorimetry (Author Interview)

March 4 – Melissa’s Bookshelf (The Story of My Cover Art)

March 5 – Becky’s Barmy Book Blog (Writerly Tips and Tricks)

March 6 – A Reading Daydreamer (Inspiration Behind Shadow Eyes)

March 7 - Ja citam, a ti? (Review)

March 8 – Urban Fantasy Reviews (The Theme of Hope in Shadow Eyes)

March 9 – Deborah’s Books (Review)

March 10 – Sharon Ledwith (5 Truths and 3 Lies)

March 11 – Coffee, Books, and Me (Cast for Hypothetical Shadow Eyes Movie)

March 12 - Blkosiner Book Blog (My Soundtrack for Shadow Eyes)

March 13 – Heart of a Bookworm (Review)

March 14 – Books are Sanity (My Journey in Becoming an Author)

March 15 – Buried in Books (Top 10 Ways I Shape a Character)

March 16 – For What It’s Worth (Top 10 Favorite Quotes from Shadow Eyes)

March 17 – Sarah Daniel (Character Interview with Patrick)

March 18 – Helen Katsnis (Author Interview)

March 19 – Anatea’s Bookshelf (My Top 5 Favorite Book Series)

March 20 – Reading Under the Stars (Review)

March 21 – Leisure Reads (Inspiration for the Main Character Iris)

March 22 – Books, Books, and More Books (Review)

March 23 – Book Briefs (Review)

Click the Rafflecopter image below to take you to the Rafflecopter giveaway where you can enter all sorts of different ways! Don’t forget you can post a comment on all the

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Have a wonderful week. I'll be back Monday with regency author Susan Lodge. Until then...

Happy Writing!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

A Tasty Treat is Berry Dark Chocolate Pie

Dusty Crabtree dropped in today to help me out while I conquer edits on soon to be released novels. Her book and recipe are both awesome. Take it away, Dusty. :)

I've been an overly creative person, my mind constantly swimming with artistic things and creative ideas. Before I started writing, that creativity often found an outlet in cooking. I started with intricate recipes, then added my own spin on them, and turned some of them into my own.

This is one of my favorite creations, mainly because I absolutely love berries and chocolate together! It's tart and fruity with the intense dark sweetness of chocolate.

Also, seeing as how Iris, the main character in my YA urban fantasy Shadow Eyes, has violet eyes and her favorite color is naturally purple, I thought this strikingly dark purple pie would definitely be fitting. I hope it wins you over like it would Iris.


Berry Dark Chocolate Pie
2 chocolate piecrusts
16 oz. package frozen blackberries, thawed and drained or 2 cups fresh
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
½ cup blackberry jam
3-4 tbsp. or ½ package of Jell-O sugar-free chocolate fudge pudding mix
1/3 cup lemon juice
½ tsp. almond extract or vanilla extract if preferred
1 container 8 or 9 oz whipped topping
1-2 oz. dark chocolate squares, grated or shaved or use chips

Combine blackberries, sweetened condensed milk, blackberry jam, pudding mix, lemon juice, and almond extract. Beat on medium high speed until well blended and thick, about 2 minutes.

Spoon blackberry cream mixture over 2 chocolate crusts evenly. Refrigerate for a total of 4 hours.

After about 1 hour, top with whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings. Continue to refrigerate for another 3 hours or until set.

Serves 16

While the pie is chilling, pour yourself a lovely glass of wine and curl up with Shadow Eyes.

Iris thought she could ignore the shadows...until they went after everyone she loved.

BLURB:
Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil. But she is the only one who can see them. She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier.

Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters. First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend.

As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be.

EXCERPT:
I meandered slowly to my locker. Even though I didn’t need anything, I rummaged through it as if I were searching for a tool on a job that paid by the hour. The longer I waited, the less people and, therefore, shadows would be waiting for me when I stepped into the parking lot.

I hated crowds and tried to avoid them as much as possible. Three years of dealing with the visions had taught me how to cope in various ways, but I’d never gotten used to walking among herds of people that were ignorant of the truth I was forced to see. It was like being the only one wearing ultraviolet glasses that unveiled every germ and bacteria around me and having to constantly witness unsuspecting people touching things and getting into things that are disgusting and potentially dangerous. Some people would feel lucky to have such insight. Me? I felt trapped, helpless, and exposed.

Luckily, since it was Friday, everyone wanted to get away from school as quickly as possible. By the time I stepped outside, the parking lot was basically empty. Only a few cars belonging to football players remained.

I began to trek the long distance to my car, which was at the end of the lot due to my near tardiness every day for the same reason I always left late. However, even though the lot was void of people, a couple of dark figures loomed over and around a yellow Camaro to my right. I recognized it as Marcus Beaman’s new car. He was a well-known football player and had been bragging about the birthday present for three months since he got it in June.

Why were these shadows out in the parking lot without any humans around? The bizarreness of it made me pause, and my mind began fabricating all possible explanations—none of which I could do anything about. Lost in my thoughts, I must have peered at them with critical eyes just a tad longer than was safe. One of them stopped, inclined its head to glare at me, and flashed an evil grin. I shuddered, closing my eyes tightly in an attempt to erase the image and pretend the scene away as I cowered toward my car like a timid little girl.

I threw open the driver’s side door, jumped in, tossing my backpack on the passenger seat, buckled my seatbelt, and locked the doors. As if that would help.

Watch Shadow Eyes book trailer on YouTube.

BUY LINK

Learn more about Dusty Crabtree on her blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

I'll be back Monday with the Queen of Hot Jan Springer. Until then...

Happy Reading!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

What Unknowns Lurk in Your Child's School?

Samantha Combs is a Southern California author who enjoys writing YA paranormal romance and supernatural fantasy, along with creating books for the Middle Grade audience.

When Samantha's not writing, she spends time with her husband and two children. Her guilty pleasures include reality television, the Food Network channel and shoes. Samantha truly believes she can accomplish anything if she has the right pair of shoes.

I love writing and I am in awe of the technological advances of our lives. E-readers and similar gadgets are bringing the written word to a generation that might never have discovered books otherwise and every time I see a kid pick one up to read something it fills me with joy to be a small part of that process. If a child can connect with literature because he or she did so electronically, a connection still was made. I am excited to see what our world has in store for literature and excited to be along for that ride.

THE DETENTION DEMON
Samantha Combs
ISBN 978-1-61937-238-2
Musa Publishing



BUY LINK

A raggedy group of delinquents, thrown together by circumstance, get the opportunity to prove if rumors about the detention teacher being less than human are true and discover it doesn’t take years of friendship to bond together and overcome evil.

BLURB:
Wayne is a Junior High school boy who just got detention for fighting in school to protect his longtime best friend, Gumby. But recently, there have been stories about detention. Kids have mysteriously disappeared, creating creepy rumors about detention class. Now, Wayne finds himself trapped in there with school bully Bubba Dugan. Keeping his distance from Bubba won’t be Wayne’s only problem. In fact, those rumors about the detention teacher don’t seem like stories at all.

With his best friend Gumby, a crew of delinquents and a surprising late addition, a pretty cheerleader harboring a secret crush, Wayne and his group of misfits will have to band together to outwit the detention teacher. He’s protected his best friend from harm his whole life…..but, can he protect him and everyone else against something that might not even be human?

EXCERPT:
If Mr. Levi was scary and intimidating in the stories circulating around the schoolyard, I decided right then and there, it was justifiably so. He was probably the freakiest person I had ever seen in my life. Oh, he was dressed normal enough in brown corduroy pants and loafers, and a regular white button down shirt with some kind of funky vest over it—the same outfit half the male teachers in school wore. He wasn’t too tall, he didn’t look like he worked out, and he had short hair with a big bald spot like one of my mom’s old boyfriend’s on top. Everything seemed reasonable and ordinary until you got to the face. Here was where we took a sharp turn out of Normalville and screamed headlong into Freak Town. Mr. Levi’s face featured a long, hooked nose, barely a slash of a mouth and his eyes were sunken back in their sockets. They didn’t have any color to them. They were actually black; so black that I had to look hard to make sure there were any eyes in the sockets at all. I don’t know how long I stood there looking at him because suddenly his papery thin eyelids closed and opened over those black, sunken holes, and the thin red slash parted and Mr. Levi spoke his first words to Gumby and me.

“You must be Marsh and Spencer.” The raspy, crunchy quality of his voice reminded me of the sound the piles of dried leaves make when I rake them in November in the front yard, all brittle and breakable. I could see cracks in the corners of his lips, like he hadn’t spoken for a long time. Next to me I felt Gumby trembling, but I wasn’t about to give this creep the satisfaction. I’d promised my mom I was just going to do my time and be out of here, and that was exactly what I was going to do.

BUY LINK

Connect with Samantha Combs on her Fan Page, blog and Twitter. You're always welcome to email Samantha.

I'll be back Wednesday with a new menu. Until then...

Happy Reading!

Sloane Taylor

Children Are the Keys to Our Future

And now, children are the only hope for our past.

Sharon Ledwith is a brand new, uber talented author you definitely want to read. Her writing is YA, but this old lady enjoyed The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis and can't wait for the next book in the series.

BLURB:
When Amanda Sault and her four classmates are caught in a major food fight at school, they are given the choice of suspension or yard duty. It was a no-brainer. A two-week crash course in landscaping leads the kids to discover a weathered stone arch buried in an overgrown backyard. Instead of a forgotten lawn ornament, it turns out to be an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis. Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from an evil force—the five children, along with two offbeat adults, are sent on the adventure of their lives to save the Earth from an uncertain future. The Timekeepers’ first mission lands them in England in 1214, where they must find an adolescent Robin Hood and his band of merry teens before history is turned upside-down.

EXCERPT:
Amanda Sault silently studied the words she just scrawled: May 1st, 1214—Games and songs and revelry, act as the cloak of devilry. So that an English legend may give to the poor, we must travel to Nottingham to even the score.

She frowned. She was the Scribe. Amanda knew that meant she was supposed to understand what this riddle meant. But she didn’t have a clue. All she knew was that she, her four annoying classmates, and two offbeat adults were standing in what was left of the lost continent of Atlantis and they were supposed to be the Timekeepers, the legendary time travelers handpicked by destiny to keep Earth’s history safe from evil. But no one had told them how they were supposed to do it.

Their problem: no matter what happened—good or bad—they weren’t supposed to mess with the past. Period. Dot. End of story. Amanda felt hot liquid build in her throat. Her thumb traced the words of the arcane riddle. Their first Timekeeper mission. Amanda knew this wasn’t the end of the story.

This was just the beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, The Last Timekeepers. Book one, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, debuted May 18 from Musa Publishing. To read more about the book, or purchase, please click HERE. Keep up with Amanda and the world of The Last Timekeepers series on Facebook.

When not writing or digging up the past, Sharon enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. She lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.

Visit Sharon on her blog and Facebook. She is only a tweet away. Feel Free to click HERE.

THE PSYCOHOUSER

The Psycohouser knows your fears and takes you one step farther into the darkness. This eerie person looks deep into your soul and has the ability to control all your emotions.

Who is he?

A talented author that knows how to grab and hold his readers until the very end of each of his well written novels, the spell-binding Cornell DeVille

here to thrill and chill you with LOST IN THE BAYOU, an awesome YA story that captivates readers of all ages.

Not familiar with Cornell and his work? DeVille considers himself an Imagination Director. A member of the Baby Boomer generation, he was influenced by the state-of-the-art technology of the fifties—television. He was influenced by the great storytellers of the day, including Hollywood icons like Walt Disney, Alfred Hitchcock and Rod Serling. Rather than spend his summer days outside playing baseball, Deville preferred the world he could find within the covers of a good book. At an early age, he fell in love with the works of Jules Verne, Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson, and H.G. Wells.

Early memories remained with him throughout the years and continue to influence his writing today. A lover of adventure, mystery, and fantasy, DeVille’s writing leads the reader on a journey that allows them to escape the real world and venture into a special realm where anything can happen.

DeVille grew up in the Kansas City area, where he lives today with his wife Rosie, their bichon-poodle Hannah, and a Himalayan Persian cat named Billy.

LOST IN THE BAYOU
Cornell DeVille
ISBN: 978-61937-080-7
Musa Publishing
Euterpe - Young Adult

The bayou is a risky option. But becoming alligator seems a lot less terrifying than what’s waiting in the cellar.

BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

BLURB:
People disappear in the bayou. And that’s exactly what fourteen-year-old Robin Sherwood needs to do — before her Uncle Conrad snips her toes off with his rusty garden nippers.

When her parents’ private plane disappears in the Voodoo Swamp, Robin’s uncle moves into the multi-million dollar Sherwood Estate as her guardian. It doesn’t take Robin long to figure out there’s something not quite right about Uncle Conrad — besides having a metal claw where his left hand used to be.

Weird changes to crazy when he explains the bizarre game he has planned — a game that will leave Robin dead and Uncle Conrad the sole heir to the Sherwood fortune. In order to escape his devious plan and its deadly consequences, the bayou may be Robin’s only chance. It’s a risky choice, but becoming alligator bait seems a lot less terrifying right now than what’s waiting for her in the cellar.

EXCERPT:
In Louisiana, summer wraps around you like molasses. Thick and sticky. July is hot and humid. Always. August is worse. And the summer of 1963 has been a record breaker so far.

This morning, the sky is cloudless. It’s muggy, and there’s no hint of a breeze to blow away the pestering flies or the lingering stench of whatever crawled under the porch and died a few days ago. The only possible relief in sight is a dark bank of clouds in the south over the bayou. If it holds together, we may get a storm later tonight to cool things off. I hope so.

The rhythmic buzz of locusts fills the air, but it stops suddenly as a deep rumble comes up the road. My heart races as the sound rolls across the terrace and toward the covered veranda where we’re waiting.

There’s an uncertain look in Andy’s eyes when he glances up at me, and his voice is thin as water when he speaks.
“He’s coming.”

“It’s going to be all right.” I squeeze my younger brother’s narrow shoulders and give him a reassuring smile while trying to hide my own fear of what’s heading toward us. Since our house is quite a distance from the wrought-iron entrance gates of our estate, we have a minute or so before the car gets here.

When I turn around and glance at my reflection in the window for one final check, the awkward image staring back at me is disappointing, as usual. Being fourteen is frustrating. Honestly. I’m all knees and elbows, and the white dress makes my freckles show up too much. The permanent made my hair way too kinky. And my eyes are puffy from crying all night.

But I’m stuck with it for now. That’s another bad part about being fourteen: You can’t change anything. And there’s nothing I can change now before the car carrying our visitor gets here—including the fact that the court has appointed him our new guardian.

Andy stares down the long driveway toward the entrance, waiting and watching. When I spin him around to adjust his necktie, big-eyed smiling frogs stare back at me. Frog neckties must be the rage with eleven-year-old boys this summer. Actually, I don’t know why I’m even bothering. His tie is a clip-on. There’s nothing to adjust.

My fingers scratch through his scruffy blond hair to make it look as if someone combed it. A quick swipe of my hand wipes away the tiny beads of sweat glistening on his pink forehead. If Mom were here, she’d open her purse and pull out a Kleenex, lick it, and scrub some dirt from our faces—that special dirt only mothers can see. It always embarrassed me when she did that, but I wish she were here to do it now.

The sound is getting louder. And closer. The locusts have gotten used to it and started buzzing again, their cadence in time with the seconds ticking by. Andy and I stand side by side at the porch railing, waiting to face whatever the future has in store for us.

BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Learn more about Cornell DeVille on his website and blog. Keep in step with him on facebook and Twitter.

I’ll be back Wednesday with a new menu. Until then…

Happy Reading!

Sloane Taylor
Sweet as Honey...Hotter than Hell