Sharon Ledwith

Escape to the past and have a blast.

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Author in the Kitchen: Summertime Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella Served by Cookbook Author Sloane Taylor…

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Ah, late summer. Wouldn’t you rather be lazing by the pool or relaxing on your patio or deck, and not trying to figure out what to make for supper? Got you covered! How about pasta with fresh Mozzarella? Mix up a big salad and uncork a bottle of your favorite chilled wine then kick back.
 

Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella

½ package any curly pasta
3-4 plum tomatoes, diced
¾ cup olive oil
fresh basil leaves
1 clove fresh garlic pressed
fresh mini Mozzarella balls quartered
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta al dente.

While the pasta is boiling, sauté garlic in olive oil for 1 – 2 minutes. Don’t let the garlic burn or your dish will be bitter.

Drain the pasta. Place pasta in a serving bowl.

Add the oil/garlic mixture, Mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Toss well.

Serve the Parmesan on the side.

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.

 

                         

Cover Reveal: Lady by LCW Allingham…

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Mirror World Publishing and Sapphyria’s Book Promotions present the cover reveal for 
Lady by LCW Allingham
About Lady:
In the year 1464, while England recovers from the devastation of the War of the Roses, Baron Alexander FitzRoland is dying in his northern castle. His young wife, Rosalynde, recovering from the stillbirth of her first child, succumbs to despair like a dutiful lady should.
When the castle gates are threatened, only Alexander’s reputation as a brutal fighter is enough to frighten off their opportunistic enemy. The proper thing for Lady Rosalynde to do is to pray and submit to devastation. Instead, she puts on her husband’s armor and rides to the gate disguised as the baron.
From there, things only get more complicated. Between mastering the art of war, meeting with witches, struggling with self-doubt and maneuvering her complicated relationship with Alexander’s lover, Robert, Lady Rosalynde balances on the razor thin line between duty and destiny.
Release Date: September 17, 2024
Meet the Author:
LCW Allingham (she/her) is a Philadelphia area author, artist, musician and editor. Her early education was uniquely rich in the arts, learning music, performance and fine art all of her life, but she was always compelled toward the written word and storytelling. She received her degree in journalism and wrote home renovation articles before turning her focus exclusively to fiction. Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and publications and she is an editor for the Collection of Utter Speculation series, and her horror novella, Muse, was released in April 2024, to critical acclaim.
In 2022 she co-founded the indie press, Speculation Publications, with her long-time editorial partners and serves as executive editor. She writes in many genres but particularly horror, fantasy, historical and speculative fiction. She is an active feminist and human rights advocate and lives in Pennsylvania with her family, her pets and her ever expanding art collection.
Lady is her debut novel.
Connect with the author :
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3XisNUB

Guest Post: Gardening is like Writing by Paranormal Romance Author C.D. Hersh…

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The warm days this week enabled us to take a stroll through the yard, another put-our-butts-in-the-writing chair avoidance tactic. We found a slew of winter weeds scattered throughout the landscape. Some tiny-leafed, prostrate thing has taken over a portion of the easement making it the greenest it has been in years. Buckhorn plantain spills out between the path steppingstones. Flat rosettes of chickweed carpet the stone gully in the backyard, and henbit, with its scalloped leaves and purple stems, juts out of the grass—or at least what passes for grass in the lawn. 

We’re letting the unidentified weed taking over the easement and the lawn. It’s green, low growing, and doesn’t look like it would need much mowing. But after an afternoon of surfing weed identification web sites (another avoidance tactic), we’ve come to the conclusion that we might have to dig out this patch of weeds and eradicate it every other spot we find. You see, if we’ve identified it correctly, we’re harboring shot weed, also known as hairy bittercress. Oh, it looks innocent enough, but when it sets seeds the slightest touch will send hundreds of seeds shooting out in a three-foot radius across the lawn into flowerbeds and pathways looking spots to hide and root. 
Fighting weeds in the garden is a full-time task. It starts in early spring with digging out winter weeds like plantain, chickweed, and henbit from the paths and flower beds. By the time we get those eradicated the dandelions rear their yellow heads. After that it’s pigweed and purslane and nutsedge and Canadian thistles and Jimson weed and ground ivy and goose grass. Spring and summer progress marked by an army of weeds marching through the garden. We hoe and pull and mulch and spray, and they just keep coming. The only thing that keeps them under control is persistent daily effort—and maybe a hard, hard freeze. 
Like the cycle of weeds in the garden, writers face different challenges along every stage of our careers. As soon as we think we have a handle on our craft and profession something new springs up and surprises us. The beginning writer’s weeds might be learning the basics of the craft or finding that story idea or dealing with writer’s block. For some it’s getting to the end of the book, or figuring out what to do with the sagging middle. For the more skilled, unpublished writers the weeds that need pulling could be social networking, getting an agent, or getting published. Whatever the weeds in your writer yard there’s one universal truth—they will always be there. Our job is to figure the best way to control them. 
We’re not a beginning writers. We know how to write. That has been reinforced with a number of contest placements. We have a good grasp of the skills and have been published. We know our stories and the characters. We even have books waiting in the wings to be written. But we still have writing weeds to pull—BIG ones.
We haven’t finished our series—yet.
We want to write in several genres, which presents branding problem and sometimes an identity crisis.
While we have some social networking and internet connections there isn’t a large following wanting our books—one of the biggest weeds for a lot of writers.
Currently, we spend more time blogging than writing the books.

Gertrude Jekyll, one of the most important British landscape designers and writers, once said, “There is no spot of ground, however arid, bare or ugly, that cannot be tamed into such a state as may give an impression of beauty and delight. It cannot always be done easily; many things worth doing are not done easily; but there is no place under natural conditions that cannot be graced with an adornment of suitable vegetation.” 

Gertrude’s advice applies not only to the garden, and all those weedy patches, but to writing as well. The road to success isn’t easy, but we can accomplish it. We can transform those bare, ugly pages into something overflowing with suitable vegetation (the best words and story we can make). When we finally reach that goal it’s worth the work. So, pull those weeds out of your writing garden and create something beautiful!

We’re going to try this year to get rid of our biggest weed and finish our next book.

What are the writing weeds that are stopping you from creating your masterpiece? Do you have a plan to pull them out?

While you figure out what weeds to attack here’s an excerpt from the first book in our series.

Blurb for—The Promised One

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.

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.

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. 

EXCERPT

The woman stared at him, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. “Return the ring, or you’ll be sorry.”

With a short laugh he stood. “Big words for someone bleeding to death.” After dropping the ring into his pocket, he gathered the scattered contents of her purse, and started to leave.

“Wait.” The words sounded thick and slurred . . . two octaves deeper . . . with a Scottish lilt.

Shaw frowned and spun back toward her. The pounding in his chest increased. On the ground, where the woman had fallen, lay a man.

He wore the same slinky blue dress she had—the seams ripped, the dress top collapsed over hard chest muscles, instead of smoothed over soft, rounded curves. The hem skimmed across a pair of hairy, thick thighs. Muscled male thighs. Spiked heels hung at an odd angle, toes jutting through the shoe straps. The same shoes she’d been wearing.

The alley tipped. Shaw leaned against the dumpster to steady himself. He shook his head to clear the vision, then slowly moved his gaze over the body.

A pair of steel-blue eyes stared out of a chiseled face edged with a trim salt-and-pepper beard. Shaw whirled around scanning the alley.

Where was the woman? And who the hell was this guy?

Terrified, Shaw fled.

The dying man called out, “You’re cursed. Forever.”

Amazon buy links for all the books of the series 

The Promised One (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 1)

Blood Brothers (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 2)

Son of the Moonless Night (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3)

The Mercenary and the Shifters (The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 4)
 

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! 

The first four books of their paranormal romance series entitled
The Turning Stone Chronicles Series page are available on Amazon. Their standalone novella, Can’t Stop The Music, is in the Soul Mate Tree collection with twelve other authors from various genres. 
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.

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.

You can see excerpts of their books, connect with, and follow C.D. Hersh at:

Website

Facebook

Amazon Author Page

Twitter

Celebrate the Civic Holiday with a Classic Minestrone Soup and a Young Adult Summer Read…

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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. Cin cin!

Classic Chicken Minestrone Soup
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided

½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken
breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup sliced carrot
½ cup chopped celery
5 cups chicken stock (or beef stock
if you prefer)
1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes
with basil, garlic, and oregano
1(15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans,
drained and rinsed
1 (15.5 oz.) can kidney beans,
drained and rinsed
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 small zucchini, quartered
lengthwise and cut into ½ inch slices
½ cup frozen cut green beans
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ cup ditalini pasta
Salt and freshly ground pepper to
taste
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or
more to taste (optional)
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Fairy Falls, or if you’re feeling really
adventurous, a trip back in time with The
Last Timekeepers? Whichever you choose, I guarantee either
series will take you on a journey far away from the unpredictability of life.
Salute!

Here’s a glimpse of the premises of both my young adult series.

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

Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries

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.

Welcome to Fairy Falls.
Expect the unexpected.

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:

The Last
Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book #3

MIRROR WORLD
PUBLISHING
׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

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

MIRROR WORLD
PUBLISHING
׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

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

MIRROR WORLD
PUBLISHING
׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

MIRROR
WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES
& NOBLE
׀

Blackflies
and Blueberries, Book Two Buy
Links:

MIRROR
WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES
& NOBLE
׀

Sharon
Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure
series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery
series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading,
researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and
single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist
region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and two shiny red e-bikes.

Learn more
about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON
AUTHOR
page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.

BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The
Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE

Author in the House: When Passions Collide by Cozy Mystery Writer Janis Lane…

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Some of you know my day job deals with plants in all sorts of ways from wedding flowers to church bouquets to perennials and annuals. I call it playing in the greenhouses. It is one of my passions. The other is writing. Mostly I have not given any of my characters, either historical or contemporary, permission to dialog about gardening.

With Whispers of Danger and Love, I am exposing my love of plants through the personality of Cheryl Esterbrook, a landscape designer. She has other things to think besides the hunky detective who lives next door. Cheryl is stuck with a mobster who hired her to design a complete landscape in two weeks and a creepy former boyfriend who will not stop annoying her.

This book is a romance, an adventure, a mystery, and a glimpse into the world of plants. Did I love writing it? You bet I did! Hope you enjoy reading. My favorite plant? Crocosmia. For more info on this lovely plant, please click here. If you like humming birds crocosmia, also known as falling stars and coppertips, is a plus for your perennial garden.

Here’s a little more from my cozy mystery. I hope you enjoy it.

When Cheryl realizes her new next-door neighbor is someone she loved as a young girl, she immediately puts the brakes on her emotions. Never again would she allow the gorgeous hunk of a man to break her heart.

Ruggedly handsome Detective David Larkin isn’t used to pretty ladies giving him a firm no. He persists, even as Cheryl fights her own temptations. The two struggle to appreciate each other as adults, even as they admit to deep feelings from their childhood.

Read more of the cozy mysteries by Janis Lane on Amazon

Janis Lane is the pen-name for gifted author Emma Lane who writes cozy mysteries as Janis, 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.

Word Witches and Magic Snacks by YA Paranormal Author Leigh Goff…

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Writing can be a deliciously creative endeavor. We all know that food fuels the mind, so why not indulge in a few tasty treats to keep your energy levels high and your inspiration flowing? Whether you’re tackling a daunting deadline or embarking on a brainstorming session, here are a few fun snacks that are sure to satisfy your cravings and fuel your writing process.

Let’s start with the magical combo of chocolate and coffee. The velvety goodness of dark chocolate pairs perfectly with a steaming cup of coffee, creating a harmonious blend of flavors that can give you that extra boost of creativity. The caffeine provides a jolt of energy, while the sweetness of chocolate adds a touch of decadence to your writing ritual. Take a break from your keyboard, savor a moment of bliss with this duo, and let your imagination run wild.

If you’re looking for something a little more spellbinding, tap into your inner child with a plate of colorful, bite-sized snacks. Think mini sandwiches, fruit skewers, or a bowl of mixed nuts and popcorn (see fun recipe below!). Not only are these treats fun to eat, but they also offer a variety of flavors and textures to keep your taste buds entertained.

By incorporating fun snacks into your writing routine, you can indulge your taste buds and invigorate your mind. Whether you opt for the enchanting chocolate and coffee combo or explore a whimsical array of bite-sized treats, these snacks will add an extra sprinkle of enjoyment to your writing sessions. So, grab a snack, sit back, and let the magic happen as you embark on your next writing adventure.

Sweet & Salty
Marshmallow Popcorn

8 cups popped popcorn, we use air
popped popcorn

1½ cups pretzels
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
12 big marshmallows
½ tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup M&M’s 

Lay popcorn and pretzels on a large baking sheet
that has been lined with a Silpat baking mat. Parchment paper will work, too. Set
aside. 

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium
heat. Add brown sugar and corn syrup. Cook until melted and combined. Add
marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla
and salt. 

Evenly pour the marshmallow caramel mixture over
the popcorn and pretzels. Gently stir until the popcorn and pretzels are well
coated. It will be sticky! Stir in the M&M’s. Taste and season with
additional salt, if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
The popcorn will stay sticky and soft! 

Note – if you need the recipe to be gluten-free,
make sure you use gluten-free pretzels. You can also use peanut M&M’s or
stir in peanuts! 

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).

 She has three published novels, DISENCHANTED, BEWITCHING HANNAH, and KOUSH HOLLOW. She is also a member of SCBWI and a graduate from the University of Maryland.


Learn more about Leigh Goff on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Photo and recipe from Two Pease & Their Pod Marshmallow
Popcorn Recipe