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Eighty-two percent of Americans form an
opinion about someone after viewing the contents of their refrigerator. I guess
that means folks are routinely sneaking a peek in the fridge, which, in and of
itself, is a little creepy.

Still, when I read the statistic, I just
couldn’t help myself. I bounded – in my mind I bound – off to the kitchen and
opened the door to see what the stuff in my refrigerator might have to say
about me.

There’s an awful lot jammed on those shelves –
some things, quite frankly, I’m not sure I want to look at too closely – so I
decided to list the foods that jumped out at me, figuratively speaking, of
course.

Fifteen containers of mustard, all used at
some point and lining a door rack, stood out. Now I’m not a complete wack job.
They are different kinds of mustard: honey, spicy brown, sweet hot pepper,
Coney Island hotdog, roasted garlic, and Jack Daniels horseradish, to name a
few.

I did a little research and found an article titled “What your
favorite condiment reveals about your personality.” (In case you think I made
this up, here’s the link: https://www.dressings-sauces.org/what-your-favorite-condiment-reveals-about-your-personality.)

“Mustard usage is strongest among consumers
age 35 to 64 and is also favored by those who consider themselves ambitious,
self-disciplined and family-oriented,” the article said. “Mustard lovers also
rate themselves as more shy than any other condiment-favoring group.”

All of that worked for me, accept the bashful
part. Shyness is simply not incorporated into my DNA.

Also in my refrigerator, just above the
mustard, were fourteen bottles of hot sauce. (Perhaps I’m a hoarder. I’ll have
to revisit this possibility.) Again, all containers had been previously opened.
They included Chipotle Tabasco, West Indian Hot Sauce, Brimstone Caribbean Red,
Orange Pulp Habanero, and Big Black Dick’s Hot Cayman Islands Rum Sauce. (It’s
a real thing, so stop snickering.)

Who craves hot sauce?

“If you are a man aged 18-34 living in the
south or west, you probably prefer hot sauce to all other condiment sauces,”
the above-mentioned article said. “You likely. . . are a competitive
risk-taker. . .(and are) more happy, ambitious, spontaneous and risk-loving
than other condiment users.”

While I’m a woman and the age bracket is wrong
– I’m 62, but I’m pretty sure I look much younger – the rest is spot on.

Elsewhere in the fridge there are two crisper
drawers, ostensibly for fruits and vegetables. And one does, in fact, house a
large array of colorful healthy foods. However, the other drawer is filled with
. . . chocolate: dark and milk, chips and cookies and my favorite toffee and
caramel and nut confections. Wee Snickers bars peek from the clear plastic
edges of the drawer. Multiple varieties of those chocolate slabs Trader Joe’s
elves place by the checkout counter rest, half eaten, in a pile. That drawer is
stuffed to the brim with sweet things, as if, perhaps, my unconscious mind is
prepping for the zombie apocalypse.

“A sweet tooth has been shown to be linked to
a willingness to help people out, but chocolate lovers are also emotionally
vulnerable,” said another online article. “They’re charming, flirtatious and
may even have a penchant for drama.”

While the rest of the fridge was filled with the usual stuff –
eggs and bacon and milk, myriad cheeses – I love cheese! – yogurt and
containers of things that should have been pitched long ago – it was the wine I
focused on. There are always a few bottles chilling, as well as others in racks
around the house. (Think the aforementioned zombie apocalypse here. One must be prepared.) 

So, what does all this say about me? I haven’t
a clue. Unfortunately, the statistic did not come with an answer key, which
might have proved useful. So, I considered what mustard, hot sauce, chocolate,
and wine all have in common. What did I come up with? They’re all pretty much indestructible.
Really. Have you ever seen mold on mustard, hot sauce, chocolate, or wine? No!
of course not. They have the half-life of plutonium. Proof: I visited the
Cayman Islands nine years ago, which is when I acquired my Big Black Dick hot
sauce. And it’s still perfectly fine.

What this all says about me remains elusive. Perhaps you’ll have
to come over, sneak a peek in the fridge, and tell me what you think.

Please allow me to give you a brief intro to my latest women’s fiction novel for your reading pleasure.

The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.

Anne Montgomery 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.

When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.

Learn more about Anne Montgomery on her website and Wikipedia. Stay connected on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.

This easy and delicious crock-pot supper is the perfect dish to break into the autumn season, and is much cheaper than booking a trip to Hawaii. Head cook and author extraordinaire, Vonnie Hughes is certain you and your family are sure to enjoy this tasty island dish. So, shake out that grass skirt, and take it away, Vonnie…

SWEET HAWAIIAN CROCK-POT CHICKEN

2 lbs chicken tenderloin chunks
1 cup pineapple juice
½ cup of brown sugar
⅓ cup of soy sauce

Combine all ingredients together and cook on low in your crock-pot (slow cooker) for 6 hours. That’s it!

Because this does not contain vegetables you need to serve this either with a crisp green salad that contains red bell peppers for colour, or with a couple of vegetables such as kale and shallots tossed for a minute in garlic infused olive oil so that the crispness contrasts with the chicken.

Here is a peek at Vonnie’s latest romantic suspense.

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.

BLURB:
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.

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.

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?　

Please click the link to read more from Lethal Refuge.

Vonnie Hughes 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.

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.

All of Vonnie’s books are available on The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.

Learn more about Vonnie Hughes on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Goodreads.

Wine tasting and writing fiction may seem like two very different
realms, but when you look closer, you’ll see that they share intriguing
similarities. Both experiences involve sensory exploration and the art of storytelling.

I recently began a journey into wine tasting and am now studying
for my level 2 certification (yes, the homework rocks). How wine tasting
appeals to me was similar to how I feel about writing. After some research, I
discovered there was a connection. Just as a wine taster engages their senses
to explore the intricacies of a wine, a fiction writer harnesses the power of
sensory details to bring their story to life.

A highly skilled winemaker tends to the grapes and the winemaking
process to produce a wine like a Napa Cabernet that boasts flavors of ripe
blackberries, velvety dark chocolate with subtle hints of cedar, culminating in
a full-bodied magical experience on the palate. When I craft a story, I
construct compelling plots, drawing on my sensory experiences to enhance them
and then refine the work through editing and revision. In my first novel, Disenchanted, the story I created
was filled with sensory details. I wanted to immerse the reader in the magic of
Sophie’s world, her star-crossed romance, and the haunting history of Old
Wethersfield.

Some writers through the centuries, such as Jane Austen, were
known to imbibe on too much wine. Research from the University of Graz
shows that drinking wine enhances creative thinking for writers. Of course, it
does! Now winemakers are harnessing the art of storytelling to enhance their
connection with consumers. Using a new phone app called Winerytale, the
user can read the story about a wine of their choice and learn about the
winemakers.

While wine tasting and writing fiction may seem unrelated, the
parallels are undeniable. Both pursuits involve sensory exploration, layered
complexity, subjective interpretation, storytelling, and a blend of artistry
and craftsmanship. The next time you savor a glass of wine or dive into a
captivating novel, take a moment to appreciate the shared essence of these two
worlds, where sensory delights and imaginative tales intertwine. 

Cheers!

Leigh Goff 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).

This is a favorite
of mine to use when I have leftovers. Actually, I plan so I have the right
ingredients, but don’t tell my secrets.

In late summer when
veggies are in top form, the sparkling green of fat bell peppers has my mouth
watering. Fry up a bit more summer sausage for breakfast than you need. Pull
out of the freezer that small bit of ground beef you cooked up with onion. Add
a bit of chopped green onion, a dash of garlic salt. Mix with tomato soup which
is undiluted. Use a ½ can if you only make up two; a whole can for four
peppers. Add 1½ cups of white or wild rice that you had left over and tucked
into the freezer. Voila! You are ready to assemble.  All ingredients are already cooked, so you are
just baking the peppers, microwave or oven.  

Now if you don’t
have leftovers then this is the recipe, that serves 4, to follow. 

Preheat oven to 350°
F. 

Cut the top off
peppers and discard stems, chop tops into small sizes and leave in bowl.  Remove seeds from peppers and arrange in
baking dish.

Mix remaining ingredients
in bowl with chopped tops and then spoon into peppers. Cook for about 30
minutes. Sprinkle with the parmesan.  May be
refrigerated and served next day. Warm in oven or microwave. 

Late summer harvest
presents many choices for salads and dessert. A side dish of fruit and a slice
of cheese (so many excellent selections). Corn bread is also a great taste with the
peppers. 

Enjoy! 

Here is a brief intro to the cozy mystery series Emma writes.

MURDER in the JUNKYARD sees the demise of a man no one likes, a romance, and plans for a wedding as Detective Fowler and his friends keep their small-town America free from danger.

Detective Kevin Fowler is furious that low life has targeted his town where people live in blissful safety. Brenda Bryant is out junkn’ for good things when she stumbles over the grotesque body of a man beloved by no one. Suspense heats up when large sums of money are found in two different places. Drug money is suspected and Brenda targeted by someone who wants the money returned. Detective Fowler faces surprise after surprise as he peels back the surface of Hubbard, New York and deals with its shocking underbelly. Meanwhile romance infiltrates the group of friends with a wedding in the making.

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.

A good friend of mine invited me to jump on an Instagram show she
does weekly. The topic was all about jealousy and envy, especially the
green-eyed monster kind. I was intrigued, so of course I gave her a definite
yes. As the conversation grew, I thought about how jealousy and envy seeps into
the minds and actions of authors and writers. Yes, there’s comparison-itis,
when an author compares his or her books and career to that of a highly
successful author. How do they make it so easy? *Seethes* Why can’t I get a
break? *Grumbles* What am I doing wrong? *Head desk* And the gut-punching
laments go on and on. It’s like these famous authors got a free pass, and we’re
looking for any scraps they can toss our way. But, what if I told you that
there was a way to get the author life you’ve been working toward? It’s not
easy by any means, but it’s doable.

Stay in your lane. That’s it. Told it was doable, but with today’s
distractions an author has to deal with, it’s darned hard. Writing. Editing.
Revising. Submitting. Rounds of edits. Book cover design. Formatting.
Publishing. Book launch. Book promotion. Book marketing. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
The problem is we authors are too busy looking in the rear view mirror, side
mirrors, odometer, gas gage, and in front of us, that it’s no wonder we can’t
get to where we want to go. So strap on a pair of blinders and move forward.
Stop for gas. In other words, rest and recharge. Check the GPS. Are you going
in the direction you want to go or in circles? If you write for young adults,
why are you in Stephen King’s lane? Yes, learn from him by all means, but don’t
be envious of his accomplishments. They’re his and his alone.

Learn to pace yourself. The cliché, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’
holds merit even by today’s standards.
Do what’s right for YOU. Write what’s
right for YOU, not what’s trending. The famous authors you love to hate got
there through their own grit and merit. Yes, they had help. Yes, they had
support. Yes, they made it. But only through their tenacity, and because an
agent or publisher thought they were ready. Don’t let the green-eyed monster
come out and destroy your integrity as an author or writer. Shove it in the
back seat and buckle that beast in. You’re the driver. You’re in control of how
you respond to how well other authors are doing in your circle or your world.
Keep your focus. Stick to your plan. Stay. In. Your. Lane.

This advice isn’t easy, especially when you’re more interested in
what other authors or writers are doing. The grass is always greener on the
other side of the fence is not really what it seems. You didn’t see the work
that was put in to actually make that grass perfect and luxurious. You don’t
realize what successful authors have gone through to get to where they are now.
Many flat tires, oil changes, recharged batteries, brake jobs, and a whole slew
of other repairs and challenges have prepared them for the long haul of their
publishing dreams. Learn from their journeys, but please, stay in your lane.
You’ll be a better writer if you do.

Does the thought of another author’s success make you cringe with
jealousy? Have you ever gone off course in your writing career because you
decided to follow a famous author’s path instead of your own? When something
amazing happens to an author you know personally, do you reach out and express
your happiness for them? Or do you say nothing? Would love to read your comments. Cheers and thanks for taking
the time to read my blog. I appreciate you!