Sharon Ledwith

Escape to the past and have a blast.

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This Canadian Thanksgiving, Go Undercover with The Last Timekeepers…

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This particular Canadian Thanksgiving, I’m so grateful to find a new home for my young adult time travel adventure reads, and would love to share the premise of Book 2 with you on our bountiful and blessed holiday… 
Did you ever wonder what it was like to fight the Nazis on your home soil during World War Two? 
In the second installment of my YA time travel adventure series, The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, my characters must join forces with the Dutch Resistance in order to figure out their Timekeeper mission while in Amsterdam during 1942. It was sure a different world through their adolescent eyes, and trying to keep one step ahead of the Nazis proved to be quite a dangerous challenge.

Only a true hero can shine the light in humanity’s darkest time.

When fourteen-year-old Jordan joins his second mission with the Last Timekeepers, he and his companions are thrust into Nazi-occupied Amsterdam during World War 2. 

Tasked with locating a powerful, ancient book before it falls into enemy hands, Jordan and his fellow Timekeepers are plunged into a fight far more dangerous than anything they’ve faced before. With help from the Dutch Resistance and a mysterious baron, they must stay one step ahead of a regime determined to silence the truth. 
As danger closes in, Jordan discovers that true courage is forged through trust, sacrifice, and the strength of those beside you. But will that be enough to change the past – and protect the future? 

A fast-paced adventure rich with historical detail, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS AND THE DARK SECRET is the second book in Sharon Ledwith’s series of novels for middle grade and adult readers alike.
EXCERPT

“I wonder what else is
down here.” Drake beamed his cell phone across the basement, hitting jars of
jams, pickles, and relishes. His stomach growled.

Jordan pulled the cheese
from his pocket and handed it to Drake. “Trade you for your phone.”

“Best. Trade. Ever.”
Drake passed his phone to Jordan.

Jordan walked over and
grabbed a jar of pickles off the dusty shelf. At least they wouldn’t arrive at
the baron’s place hungry. He hoped his uncle had managed to stop Amanda’s
bleeding. His hand tightened over the jar, the ridges of the lid cutting into his
palm. A scrape from behind the shelves made Jordan jump.

“Hello?” he asked,
pushing jars aside. He flashed the cell phone into the small, dark area.

“Who ya talking to,
Jordan?” Drake asked with his mouth full of cheese.

“Shhh, Drake.” Jordan
listened. Hearing nothing, he shrugged and turned back around.

“I thought I heard—”
Jordan stopped and pointed the phone at Ravi. His jaw dropped. “A-Are you
serious, Sharma?”

Drake spat out his
cheese, snorting with laughter.

“Is there a problem?”
Ravi asked, tying the bowtie of his tuxedo.

“You look like a penguin
with attitude!” Drake slapped his knee.

“Say what you want, but
I’m glad we didn’t hit the cleaners on the way to school now,” Ravi replied,
pulling down his sleeves, “or else I wouldn’t have these dry clothes.”

Jordan chuckled.
Suddenly, he heard a door creak open, followed by heavy footsteps squeaking
down the stairs. Panicking, Jordan stuffed Drake’s phone in his track suit
jacket’s pocket and waved Drake over by the shelves. Drake slipped behind
Jordan just in time, before the small light bulb above the bottom of the stairs
clicked on. Jordan swallowed hard. There, staring directly at Ravi was a portly
man in a blood-stained apron. Tufts of blond hair sprouted from the sides of
his balding head. His brown trousers were pulled up past his waist, making him
resemble an evil garden gnome. In one of his hands, he held a huge butcher
knife, its blade flecked with blood.

Wielding the knife, the
man pointed at Ravi. “Who are you?”

Ravi licked his thick
lips nervously. “The name’s Bond. James Bond.”

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures…

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.

Children are the key to our future. And now, they
are the only hope for our past.

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:

The
Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book 3

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

The
Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book 2 Buy
Links:

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

The
Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book 1 Buy Links:

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Legend
of the Timekeepers, Prequel Buy
Links:

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES
& NOBLE
׀

A Recipe and a Read: Homemade Hummus and a Time Travel Romance Read by Author Stella May…

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There is a lot of
debate about the origin of hummus; whether it’s Greek, Egyptian, or Lebanese.
It is thought to have originated in Lebanon and traveled all over the Middle
Eastern regions. This unique food has been prepared for hundreds of years and
is well-loved around the world.

So, what is hummus?
Hummus is a bean dip made primarily by blending cooked chickpeas, tahini (a creamy sesame seed paste), garlic,
lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and seasonings. Once you make it at home,
I promise you will never return to store bought.

There are wonderful foods
you can dip into hummus. They include broccoli, carrot and celery sticks,
cauliflower, cukes, pita chips, pretzels, radishes, and any other crunchy
veggie. Let your imagination soar.

Stella’s Easy Hummus

5-6
tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ tsp.
sea salt
2 lg garlic
cloves, finely minced or grated
⅔ cup Tahini 
6-8
tbsp. ice water
3 cups
of cooked (pre-soaked overnight) chickpeas or 30 oz canned chickpeas
¼ cup
extra virgin olive oil
1
pinch black pepper
paprika
and freshly chopped parsley for garnish

In
a food processor – combine
5 tablespoons lemon juice, salt, and garlic. Pulse to combine then let
it rest for a few minutes.

Add
Tahini and blend until thick and smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed
with a spatula.

Add
ice water 1 tablespoon at a time with the blender running. Stop and scrape
down the bowl as needed.

Drain
the chickpeas then pour them into the food processor along with the
olive oil and pepper. Blend until completely smooth, about 5 minutes. Scrape
down the bowl a couple of times. Add more ice water to reach your desired
consistency.

Season
to taste with more salt and lemon juice if needed.

To
Serve – transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle the top with paprika
and sprinkle parsley.

Enjoy!

A jaded CEO. A fiercely focused ballerina. A love that defies all society’s rules.

SoHo,
1962

JJ
Morris, successful CEO, leads a secret double life, playing saxophone to his heart’s
content in his hole-in-the-wall dive bar. Yet he can’t escape the feeling he’s
slowly petrifying into just another jaded millionaire. 

Then a
gorgeous blonde steps into his bar and shakes up his world. Certain this fierce
little swan of a woman is exactly what’s missing in his life, he maps out a
plan to wed her by Christmas. With or without his snobby mother’s approval.

Most
women would be thrilled to learn that the tall, handsome bar musician is, in
fact, a wealthy prince charming. Verochka Osipoff is less than impressed. She’s
focused on becoming a prima ballerina, and everything hinges on her next audition.
She can’t afford distractions, especially a rich playboy slumming it in SoHo.

Yet the
heat of their attraction melts Verochka’s heart like warm chocolate. But JJ’s
world is a cold, glittering nest of vipers. And their venom could destroy their
love song before the first movement ends.

EXCERPT

The sound of a
saxophone halted her steps. That deep, velvety voice grabbed her by her throat,
and refused to let go. Holding her breath, mesmerized, Verochka stopped, then pivoted. Where did it come from? Straining
her ears, she looked around, searching the almost empty street. Guided by her
hearing, she glanced at the closed doors on her right. The Broome Street Bar.
Inside, the sax murmured its enchanting tale, sad, and touching, and
heartbreaking.

Mon Dieu! What must one feel to play like that?

Verochka
closed her eyes
and swayed to the music. Her arms by their own volition lifted and moved in a lazy,
unhurried wave. She visualized the dance in her mind, something slow and
sensual. Strange, but she never paid attention to jazz before. Then again, she was
never partial to any music except classical.

To her there was nothing and no one
compared to Tchaikovsky. But the soulful notes of that sax fascinated her as
much as the famous opening theme from Swan Lake. When the sound trailed off,
she felt almost bereft. She craved to hear more. Will the musician play again?
Oh, she hopped so. She’d wait for it.

Outside?
On the sidewalk at almost ten at night?

Unwise, not to mention
quite dangerous. Granted, this spot in SoHo was not prone to crime. But still.
A young woman alone was bound to attract some attention.  Verochka
looked at the closed door of the bar, biting her lip.

To go inside, or
continue on her way? The wisest thing to do, of course, was to turn around, and
go home, to her tiny apartment. It was late. She must rest before her wake-up
call at 5:30 AM. All morning classes of Madame Valeska started at precisely 6
AM, and God forbid if any of the dancers were late even by a minute. The wrath
of her teacher definitely equaled to her worldwide fame as a former principal dancer
of The Royal Ballet.

Tired after the long
day of classes and rehearsals, then cleaning the premises, Verochka barely kept upright. She hated her after- hours janitorial
obligations, but promise was a promise. And Verochka
Osipoff never broke her word.

No matter how spent
she was, each and every evening, after all the dancers went home, and the
school was closed, she headed to the closet for a broom and a bucket. At first,
she didn’t mind it at all. It was an arrangement made in heaven. An eighteen-year-old
orphan from France, determined to reach her dream, Verochka arrived at the doors of the famous New York ballet school
with nothing but fifty dollars to her name and a small satchel that belonged to
her father.

After her initial
shock faded, the formidable Madame Valeska, the owner of the school, ordered Verochka to change into her leotards,
and dance.

Her final verdict
delivered in a grumbling voice was like a heavenly music to Verochka’s ears.

“You have a potential,
Miss Osipoff. I’ll take a chance on you, and let you stay for a probationary
period of three months. After that, we’ll see.”

Verochka’s
elation was huge,
but temporary. The school was obscenely expensive. No way she was able to afford
the tuition. There was a stipend, but applying for it took only God knew how
long, with no guarantee that it will be granted in the end.

On top of it, she was
a foreigner, all alone in the strange country, and barely able to speak
English.

Madame Valeska, quickly
assessing the situation— more accurately, feeling sorry for her— offered Verochka a deal: the education in
exchange for cleaning services. A tiny room in the attic as a temporary place
to live was added to that offer. To Verochka,
it was like a Christmas gift she could never have dreamt about.

Overwhelmed, moved to
tears, Verochka grabbed the
opportunity with both hands. After a while, she got her stipend for the gifted
and unprivileged students, thanks to Madame Valeska’s help, and was able to
cover most of her tuition.

The convenience of
living on the premises saved her the expense of a rent, and occasional
participation in corps de ballet’s performances made everything else
manageable. She didn’t need a lot of food, as her extremely strict diet fell mostly
into yogurt and fruit category. As to clothes— she learned at her dancing parents
knee the skill to mend tears and repair pointe shoes.

Two years later, Verochka was still living in the attic,
and still mopped the floors, and cleaned the premises. But it didn’t matter. Her
main goal to become a prima ballerina of The Royal Ballet took the precedence
over everything else.

Ambitious? Maybe. But,
as her father always said, you must dream big. Otherwise, what was the point? So,
she dreamed big, and worked like a woman possessed in order to reach that
dream. She was content, and happy, and along the way, fell in love with New
York, her new home. Her only home. She learned English, and became quite fluent
in it, even though her accent stubbornly refused to be erased.

Of course, she missed
France, and Paris, and small street cafes, and long strolls along the Seine. Oh,
the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and sprinkled with powdered sugar beignets!
Sometimes, she could smell them in her dreams.

But most of all, she
missed her parents. She was sure they were looking at her from heaven, smiling,
proud of her accomplishments.

Her occasional nostalgia
was usually sweet, and short, like a children’s lullaby.

But not tonight.

After finishing her
duties, Verochka was ambushed by a sadness
so huge, she almost doubled down with it. Suffocated in the large empty
building that housed the ballet school, she was lonely, isolated, until she
couldn’t bear another minute longer locked inside. Hence, her impromptu evening
walk that brought her in the middle of SoHo, to the Broome Street Bar.

The plaintive sounds
of sax reached her ears again.

Oh,
yeas, please.

Listening to those
seductive low rumbles, she wondered about the player.

Available at BOOKStoREAD, AMAZON, and GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS.

Stella May is the penname for Marina Sardarova who has a fascinating history you should read on her website.

Stella writes fantasy romance as well as time travel romance. She is the author of ‘Till Time Do Us Part, Book 1 in her Upon a Time series, and the stand-alone book Rhapsody in Dreams. Love and family are two cornerstones of her stories and life. Stella’s books are available in e-book and paperback through all major vendors. 

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. 
Follow Stella on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

 

Author in the Garden: Celebrate Fall with a Garden Full of Mums and a Cozy Mystery Read by Janis Lane…

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It’s almost that time of year again. Nothing is more refreshing
than a vivid blue sky accented by fiery leaves of the hard woods, yellows of
the aspens and some maples, and various reds of the underbrush. Many shades of
orange and yellow are accented by the dark greens of spruce and pines. Autumn
is foliage showing off and we love it. It’s nature’s last hurrah before the
settling of wintertime and rest.

The flower gardens are looking a bit seedy (they have cause
as they are making next year’s seeds.) Have your Hibiscus, Rose of Sharon,
Obedience Plant finished? Sunflowers are nodding their heavy heads with birds
and rodents feasting on the bounty of oil rich seeds. For relief we turn to a
plant we nicknamed, MUM, but it is so not mum as it speaks with rich fall
colors on a plant that stays tidy and easily tucked into existing gardens. Chrysanthemum has
been shortened to mum; the real name almost forgotten.

Are mums perennial? Do they survive the freezing temps and come back next
year. The answer is . . . maybe. Indeed, the plant is cold hardy at least to
agricultural zone 4/5. So why have so many gardeners been disappointed when the
mums succumb to the cold? Might be from too much love? Actually, mums are
fairly tough plants that need little attention to thrive. The problem is a shallow
root system. Simply put, it cannot stay in the ground during frost heaves which
come and go with a changing temperature.

Give it up. You aren’t about to run out every time a warm day and a frost
freeze night happens. It’s probably many more nights than you suspect. Mulch is
the best remedy. A good mulch will cut down on the possibility of the shallow
rooted plant being thrust out of the ground and left high and dry to die.

 Two other remedies: Stick a pot or
two of your favorite colors in a corner of the garage and give a sip of water
occasionally. It might work; worth a try.

Next is treat the low-cost mum plant like an annual and don’t worry about
it. Just buy new next year.

 I’ve done all of the above with
various successes. I refuse to give up new and different colors, so I buy every
year. I, also, cover my favorite yellows with solid mulch and try to remember
to trim until the 4th of July. (Otherwise, they grow leggy and
unattractive.) I’ve been known to pot up an unusual color I want to try and
save and tuck it into a corner of the garage. It works maybe half the time. I
don’t get upset with failures, as I remember mums are not expensive and I can
replace them as autumn approaches. It’s a lovely plant; indulge and enjoy.

Here’s a look at one
of my cozy mysteries to warm your heart: MURDER AT THE LOOKOUT, 4TH
in the Detective Kevin Fowler series. 

When is it not fun to be a blond? 

What happens
when a blond beauty hits town like a tornado stirring up memories and causing
turmoil? Detective Kevin Fowler and his wife, the former Beverly Hampton, owner
of the local newspaper, are settling into blissful married life. Although
Beverly is sanguine over the demand on Kevin’s time by the good people of
Hubbard, she is more than dubious when his duties include the escort of a
drop-dead gorgeous female from his past.

There is some concern over the persistent
vandalism of residential mailboxes, but an infamous arsonist has decided
peaceful but dull Hubbard would make a great place from which to operate. He
brazenly locates down the block from the detective and his wife.

What bait and tackle shop in the village has a
dual purpose? Kevin ponders why two goons have invaded town shooting at and
attempting to kidnap and murder three women. A state patrolman, aptly nick
named Rooster, teases Fowler at the riotous scene of a traffic accident where
the press, not the police, wins the day.

Another mystery and adventure with a satisfying
ending unfolds in peaceful Hubbard, New York, small-town Americana, where
Detective Kevin Fowler keeps an ever-vigilant watch.

Amazon Buy Link

Emma Lane is a gifted author who writes cozy mysteries as Janis Lane, Regency as Emma, and spice as Sunny Lane. 

She lives in Western New York where winter is snowy, spring arrives with rave reviews, summer days are long and velvet, and fall leaves are riotous in color. At long last she enjoys the perfect bow window for her desk where she is treated to a year-round panoramic view of nature. Her computer opens up a fourth fascinating window to the world. Her patient husband is always available to help with a plot twist and encourage Emma to never quit. Her day job is working with flowers at Herbtique and Plant Nursery, the nursery she and her son own. 

Look for information about writing and plants on Emma’s new website. Leave a comment or a gardening question and put a smile on Emma’s face.

Stay connected to Emma on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to check out the things that make Emma smile on Pinterest.

Now that School’s Back, Cookbook Author Sloane Taylor Serves Up a Pizzeria Perfect Recipe…

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This easy recipe is perfect for busy weekends
when all you want is a tasty meal and a cold beverage. I use sausage, but don’t
let that stop you. Add on whatever toppings suit you right after the meat. The
cooking time remains the same. The secret to making this pizza extra good is
the grated Parmesan cheese. Our grandson, Dakota, works at an Italian
restaurant and offered this suggestion. GREAT addition.

MENU
Quick & Easy
Pizza
Salad with Creamy
Garlic Dressing
Dry White Wine –
Pinto Grigio or Cold Peroni Beer

 

Quick
& Easy Pizza

1
lb. Italian sausage, preferably bulk type
1
tube refrigerated pizza dough
2
oz. tomato paste, freeze remainder to use in other recipes

Chicken
stock, not broth
1
tbsp. garlic powder, not salt
1
tbsp. oregano1
tbsp. basil
1
tsp. sugar
Freshly
ground pepper to taste
Parmesan
cheese, grated
Olive
oil to drizzle
1
½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded 

Preheat
oven to 425°. 

Place sausage in cold frying pan set over
medium heat. Break into small chunks as you sauté it until no longer pink,
about 15 minutes. Adjust heat so as not to burn sausage. If you use link
sausage then squeeze it from the casing before frying. 

Scoop tomato paste into a measuring cup. Stir
in enough chicken stock to bring the blend to just under two-thirds cup. Mix in
garlic, oregano, basil, sugar, and pepper until well blended. You may need a
little more stock to make the mixture more sauce like. Don’t add too much or
your crust will soggy. 

If you use a pizza pan then sprinkle just
a little cornmeal or flour on. This helps absorb the moisture while baking to
maintain a crisp crust. It isn’t necessary with a pizza stone. 

Spread out the dough on the pan/stone. Smear
sauce on top and spread to the edges. Grate a healthy amount of Parmesan over
the dough. 

Cascade sausage and your other toppings onto
the pie. Drizzle with oil. Bake 12 minutes. 

Remove pan/stone from oven. Scatter mozzarella
across the top. Turn off the oven then set the pizza inside. Allow pizza to remain
until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. 

Cut into squares and enjoy!

May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with good friends, laughter, and seated around a well-laden table!


Sloane

Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning author with a second passion in her life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.
To learn more about Taylor go to her website Stay in touch on Blogger, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Taylor’s cookbooks, Hot Mean Wear Aprons, Date Night Dinners, Date Night Dinners Italian Style, Sizzling Summer, and Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire are released by Toque & Dagger Publishing and available at all book vendors.

Guest Post: Dedicated to the One I Love by Epic Fantasy Author Carol Browne…

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When you pick up a book, do you turn
quickly to chapter one, or do you check out the dedication first? Perhaps, like
me, you are intrigued to know who the book is dedicated to and why? If there is
a name but no explanation for it, I always wonder what that person did to have
their name immortalised in this way.

If you’re an author, your work might not
necessarily be dedicated to the one you love. It could be to someone you
respect, admire, or have reason to thank. Many dedications are humorous and
playful and there are many examples of these online, but if you have put your
passion and energy into a novel, which is a time-consuming and difficult
undertaking, the dedication ought to be as weighty as the dedication you needed
to write it.


In my first book, The Exile of Elindel, the dedication reads, ‘For Harry’, and
readers might speculate that he is my husband, son, brother, or whatever.
Actually, Harry was my dog for sixteen years and he saw me through one of the
most challenging periods of my life. I don’t think The Exile of Elindel would exist had I not had Harry to give me a
reason to get up every morning when everything was falling apart.

After Book 1, my ideas for a sequel
solidified into a novel mainly because a close friend wanted to read it. So, Book
2, Gateway to Elvendom, was dedicated
to that friend, Pat Longmuir. Even an audience of one is sufficient reason to
write a book!

Books 1 and 2 called for a third book to
tie up all the loose ends and bring everything to a satisfying conclusion. When
it was written, I knew it should be dedicated to the memory of my niece, Bryony
Cawley, who was tragically killed while only in her early 30s. She had left
England while very young and lived a fearless, adventurous life in other lands,
so we were apart, but I remembered a conversation we had two weeks before her
death. It occurred to me at the time that she was wise beyond her years and when
she died, I wondered if she had learned everything she needed to and gone on to
something better. I didn’t know what to do to honour her life, but I wanted it
to be recorded somewhere. Dedicating Wyrd’s
End, the third book in my trilogy, to Bryony seemed to be a good way for me
to pay tribute to the memory of this very special human being.

As writers we can always thank people in
the acknowledgements at the end of the book, but to dedicate an entire book to
someone is a unique tribute and a lasting memorial to a person who has had a
significant impact on the author’s life. After all, when you have put something
out into the world which will exist as long as literature does, it seems
fitting to make your dedication a special gift to posterity.

Here is a brief intro to Book One of Carol’s exciting trilogy.

Banished from Elvendom and forced to seek refuge among the Saxons, young Elgiva faces a grim future – until she crosses paths with Godwin, a Briton enslaved by the people she must now call allies.

When a dark power rises to claim dominion over Elvendom, Elgiva and Godwin set off on a dangerous quest for the legendary Lorestone: the only thing that can stop the looming darkness. With a reluctant elf boy as their guide and a stubborn pony by their side, they must navigate the treacherous land and harness ancient magic before it’s too late.

As battle lines are drawn, Elgiva must embrace her true heritage, and Godwin must learn to wield the secret power he possesses. But can they find the Lorestone in time – or will Elvendom fall forever?

An historical fantasy adventure set in 6th century Britain, THE EXILE OF ELINDEL is the first book in Carol Browne’s The Elwardain Chronicles series.

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK

Once upon a time a little girl wrote a poem about a flower. Impressed, her teacher pinned it to the wall and, in doing so, showed the child which path to follow.

Over the years poems and stories flowed from her pen like magic from a wizard’s wand.

She is much older now, a little wiser too, and she lives in rural Cambridgeshire, where there are many trees to hug.

But inside her still is that little girl who loved Nature and discovered the magic of words.

She hopes to live happily ever after.

Stay connected with Carol on her website and blog, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Author in the Kitchen: A Zucchini Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe and a Sweet Romance Snippet by Catherine Castle…

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Traditional carbonara sauce has an egg and cheese sauce added to the spaghetti just before serving. I don’t care for eggs added to things at the last minute, so I eliminated the eggs and sauce and came up with my own version of carbonara. I hope you’ll like it as much as we do.

Zucchini Spaghetti Carbonara ala Catherine

6 slices thick bacon

4 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
2.5 oz. can sliced black olives, drained
1 cup diced or chunked ham
1 med. zucchini, cut lengthwise and sliced thin
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Divide bacon into 4
and 2 slices. Prepare 4 slices for microwaving by placing between 2 paper
towels on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 3 minutes until crisp. Remove
from paper while still warm and crumble. 

Dice remaining 2
slices and place in a large skillet, cooking until crisp. 

While bacon is
cooking, boil water for spaghetti and cook as directed on package until pasta
is firm. Drain fully when cooked. 

While pasta is
cooking, sauté ham and zucchini with diced bacon until zucchini is tender. 

Drain any excess
liquid from the pan. 

Add olives and
cooked drained spaghetti to zucchini and bacon, tossing to mix. 

Remove from heat and
add parmesan cheese, tossing quickly to keep cheese from clumping. 

Top with crumbled
bacon and serve. 

Makes 2 generous main dish servings or 4 side dishes. 

Note: additional cheese may be sprinkled on top of pasta
after serving, if desired. 

This dish makes up
quick, so you won’t have time to read a book while it’s cooking, but after the
dishes are done, check out Catherine’s sweet romantic comedy with a touch of drama, A Groom For Mama. Here’s a snippet… 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Second Edition Coming Soon

Multi-award
winning author
Catherine Castle 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.

Follow her on
Twitter
@AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.