Now that the holiday madness is almost over it’s time for a little comfort food. My daughter Dru, who is a wonderful cook, offered this easy dinner. She
is creative in her use of herbs and spices and never fails to come up with a
mouthwatering meal that is easy to prepare. This is one of our favorites. Studs
and I have prepared many times and will many times more.

DRU’S
CHICKEN

½
lb. boneless chicken breasts or tenders

If
using breasts, pound them thin between two sheets of waxed paper. Use tenders
right from package

Sprinkle
seasonings onto chicken.

Pour
oil in a frying pan and heat on medium until is shimmers. Add chicken. Fry
until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, turn, and cook the other side the same
way. remove chicken from pan to a plate and set aside.

Stir
chicken stock into hot pan and scrape in any brown bits from the bottom and sides
of the pan.

Add
soup, mix well, the bring to a boil.

Stir
in rice and broccoli. Turn heat to medium low. Place chicken on top, cover and
let simmer about 5 minutes.

Serve
on individual plates. French bread is a nice addition.

Enjoy!

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

Sloane

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. 

What to do about doing nothing to do? The holidays can be a bubbling vat of stress on a good day. So, I’ve invited my fellow author, Anne Montgomery over during this crazy-business holiday season to hopefully add some serenity to your life with her wisdom about learning how to slow down, and take things easy. The blog floor is all yours, Anne… 

 

So, I
found myself in a rather precarious situation.

One
day, recently, I had nothing to do. Not a thing. Even the house was relatively
clean, and the laundry put away. There was nothing more I could do for the
garden, which was on its way to the summer desert-char season, where all things
green are reduced to sticks and straw. I could find no new reporters, bloggers,
reviewers, or book clubs to pitch my novel to. There was nothing to edit or
update. No e-mails to return or query letters to revise. And, gosh, with school
out for the summer, there were no teenagers to supervise, unless you count my
youngest son, who’s twenty and thinks he’s all grown up and doesn’t need my
guidance anymore.

It
was…quite frankly…frightening.

I know
what you’re thinking. In the inimitable words of Mrs. Blue, when she first
faces Forrest from her porch, “What are you crazy or just plain stupid?”

Now, as
a teacher, I don’t use the word stupid. Five letters, yes, but, in the
classroom, it’s lumped in with the dastardly four-letter variety. Still, when I
tried to explain the cause of my anxiety to a friend, he looked at me like I’d
lost my mind. Stupid, indeed.

I went
online and, because I had nothing else to do, I took what was billed as the 7
Minute Anxiety Test. I agreed or disagreed with all sorts of statements on a
link called the Calm Clinic:  I have sweaty or cold, clammy hands. I
am afraid of crowds, being left alone, the dark, strangers, or traffic. I am
able to relax.

That
last one gave me pause. Even when I go on vacation, it takes me a few days to
stop searching for a purpose, to find that sweet spot where I can take a nap or
crack a mindless novel in the middle of the afternoon without guilt. The
test results showed that I’d scored a 25 out of 100 on the Anxiety Scale:
Apparently, my case was nothing more than mild.

Still,
why the trepidation when I’m not under pressure? I put on my Sherlock
deerstalker cap and, since I had nothing else to do, I gave it a good think.
 I ruminated on the fact that I have spent perhaps an inordinate amount of
time being insanely busy. Sometimes, I flash back to my newsroom days, where
the frantic preparation for the next show could, at any moment, be wrenched in
a new direction, necessitating the tossing of the previous plan moments before
going live on the air. (I still have nightmares about not being prepared when
the red camera light blinks on.)

When I
first became a teacher, my panic at those relatively short TV segments seemed
silly when faced with the proposition of five hours each day staring down
children in the classroom, who glared back, waiting. I felt like an animal in
the zoo. I used to be a server in a restaurant in Washington, D.C. where very
busy people wanted their food “Right now!” As a sports official, decisions must
be instantaneous. There’s no, “Let me think about this and get back to you,”
allowed when it’s time to throw a flag or keep it neatly tucked in your belt.

And then, I paused. Everyone is busy. Our world dictates that we run
from one responsibility to another with crushing regularity. Busy defines us.
 And, clearly, I’m not the only one who feels a bit queasy when things
slow down. More than half of Americans – 55% – responding to an on-line survey
admitted to leaving vacation time unused in 2015, which totaled 658 million
days.

Perhaps
we’re just out of practice in regard to relaxing. Like anything else, one must
train to become adept at a skill. One can’t just jump in without extensive
repetition and expect to excel. So, I’ll solve my free-time anxiety problem by
devising a plan, creating coherent steps in order to discern the proper route
to relaxation, and then…

You know, all this
thinking is making me sleepy. Maybe, I’ll take a nap and ponder the problem
later.

Here is a brief peek at Anne’s Historical Fiction novel base on a real soldier.

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to the Graves Registration Service where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Praise for Your Forgotten Sons

“Although a defty crafted work of original fiction, “Your Forgotten Sons” by Anne Montgomery is inspired by a true story. An original and inherently interesting read from start to finish, “Your Forgotten Sons” will prove to be an immediate and enduringly appreciated pick.”  Midwest Book Review

“This was a quick, riveting read that really challenged me to think differently about our servicemen and women, especially those who take on the jobs that don’t get heroically depicted in the media or news…I really highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a different take on American history. I left it with a newfound appreciation for the unsung heroes.” Bekah C NetGalley 

“This is the truth. It’s gritty and painful and bittersweet – and true.  When you think you’ve read every perspective of WWII, along comes Bud to break your heart.” Bridgett Siter Former Military Reporter

“Anne Montgomery writes a strong story and I was hooked from the first page. It had a great concept and I enjoyed that this was inspired by a true story…It was written perfectly and I was invested in the story. Anne Montgomery has a great writing style and left me wanting to read more.” –  Kathryn McLeer NetGalley 

Available at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Kobo

 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 on her website, Wikipedia, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter. 

Need a hostess gift to bring to the holiday party or a tasty treat to add to the dessert table? I’ve invited my author pal Stella May to grace us with her presence (and presents) today, and share her sweet to-die-for chocolate chip cookie recipe. Better make a few batches in case extra guests show up for the holidays. The kitchen is all yours, Stella… 

My family loves their sweets. After several attempts, and not many of
them that good, the men in my harem voted the chocolate chip cookie recipe
below is the best of the lot. I hope you enjoy these sweet little morsels too. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 375° F. 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment
paper.

Blend both flours, baking powder,
baking soda, and salt in a medium size bowl. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars,
then stir in egg and vanilla. Mix until fluffy. Add coffee.

Add dry ingredients until combined,
then stir in chocolate chips. Mix well.

Use small ice
cream scoop to gather dough, roll each piece in your hands to make a ball.   

Place balls
on prepared cookie sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. 

Bake 15
minutes until lightly brown. Let them cool 5 minutes before removing from the
sheet.

Here is a peek at
Stella’s time travel romance novel for your reading pleasure. 

One key unlocks the love of a lifetime…but could also
break her heart. 

Nika Morris’s sixth sense has helped build a successful
business, lovingly restoring and reselling historic homes on Florida’s Amelia
Island. But there’s one forlorn, neglected relic that’s pulled at her from the
moment she saw it. The century-old Coleman house.  

Quite unexpectedly, the house is handed to her on a
silver platter—along with a mysterious letter, postmarked 1909, yet addressed
personally to Nika. Its cryptic message: Find the key. You know where it is.
Hurry, for goodness sake! 

The message triggers an irresistible drive to find
that key. When she does, one twist in an old grandfather clock throws her
back in time, straight into the arms of deliciously, devilishly handsome Elijah
Coleman. 

Swept up in a journey of a lifetime, Nika finds herself
falling in love with Eli—and with the family and friends that inhabit a time not
even her vivid imagination could have conjured. But in one desperate moment of
homesickness, she makes a decision that will not only alter the course of more
than one life, but break her heart. 

’Til Time Do Us
Part
is available in Kindle and Paperback at AMAZON. 

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

We’re now full throttle into the
holiday season, and I’d thought I’d share an interview I did with my Canadian publisher,
Lacey Bakker, who owns Pandamonium
Publishing House, and just celebrated their 10^th Anniversary
this past October. Woohoo! Congratulations to Lacey, and all the authors and
staff for this amazing accomplishment! This interview was originally done live
on Instagram, so below is the transcript. Enjoy…

1) When you started writing Lost and Found, did you
immediately know you were going to write a series or did that happen later in
your process?

You know, I thought I might be
writing a series with the same group of characters, but the original idea took
a turn for the better. I wrote Blackflies
and Blueberries first, which was inspired by my experience as a tutor for
the Muskoka Literacy Council, and a real-life psychometrist who my daughter personally
knew. I was going to play off this series (think like Nancy Drew or the Hardy
Boys). Then, I got a job at the local animal shelter, and everything came
together. This was the book that needed to go first in the series, needed to be
told, and comes from my heart.

2)  Why did you choose to set multiple stories in the
same town, and what makes Fairy Falls special as a backdrop for your stories?

This town is really the attraction
of the series, and the glue that connects all the stories. Fairy Falls seems to
bring out the latent or dormant psychic abilities in the relocated teen
characters of each book. There’s a reason for that, which I explain more in the
third installment, Sticks & Stones.
Let’s just say that the Druids who founded Fairy Falls in the 1800s had
something to do with harnessing the power that lies underneath this quiet
tourist town.

My intention for this series is to
pass the baton to a new generation who are more plugged in or in tuned with
their intuitive and psychic abilities. It’s kind of like ripping the veil away
from what’s been there all along.

3)  Animals play a huge role in your first book. How do
you capture their personalities so vividly, and are any based on pets or
experiences from your own life?

Actually, I based all the animal
characters in Lost & Found from
my job as an animal care attendant, and searched for any small quirks in their
personalities to create the unique furry characters you see in my book. While
tending to the animals at the shelter, I found myself wondering what they’d
say? How would they act and sound? What did they really think of humans? So,
chasing down the animal voices frolicking in my head, I wrote their story.

4)  If you suddenly had a psychic
power from one of your characters for a day, which one would
you pick and what
would you do first?

Oh, that’s easy! I’d love to
communicate with animals like Meagan does. I know it’s an attainable skill if
you study under someone who teaches this ability. Maybe one day, I may take the
course and see what materializes.

As for what I’d do first? Be of
service to a local animal shelter. I’d read as many of the animals’ energies as
I could. I’d try to bring some comfort, healing or peace to them, and find out how
they came to arrive at the shelter. I’ve seen so many stressed out or fearful
animals, it may help to walk in their paws, and see how I can help them adjust
to a situation they did not ask for.

5)  Your books feature such distinct characters. Do you
start with the story first or the characters, and how do you bring them to life
on the page?

Both, actually. The seed idea comes
from either an experience – like the animal shelter or being a tutor for
literacy – and then the characters arrive, ready to go, and let their story be
told. I used to live in cottage country, so I had the perfect backdrop and
experiences for the series. I do have a rough idea of the story, and where it’s
going, but it is a process, and sometimes those characters can take over and
run the show.

Bringing characters to life is
actually easy for me. However, put them in with other characters, and you need
to make each voice unique and believable. So, I give my characters’ flaws, challenges,
and adversities in their day to day lives. These are the traits readers need to
connect with, feel their pain, and relate to, or you’ve lost the point of
telling a story.

6)  Do you have any unique habits, rituals, or quirky
tricks to get into the “zone” when writing your books?

A dram of scotch. Just kidding. I
used to light a stick of incense before I sat down to write, but my hubby
complained of the smell. LOL! I still do it when I can, and sage my room once a
week when I’m in the writing mode. Call me eccentric or call me a witch. Either
way, I’m good with that. Calling in any angelic or esoteric help works for me
too.

7)  What’s the strangest or most random source of
inspiration that ever sparked a scene, character, or book idea?

A dream gave me the idea for the first
young adult series I created which I called The Last Timekeepers. However, for Lost & Found, it was a cat we had
named Shadow who set the stage for the lunging scene in the book. Trust me,
when you need to use welding gloves to transfer a cat from a dirty cage to a
clean one, your anxiety level goes ballistic. Another scene that comes to mind is
getting revenge on my son’s then-girlfriend by, let’s just say, getting
baptized by a murder of crows. It was so satisfying to write!

In Blackflies & Blueberries, the strange dome-like house that the
main character’s great aunt lives in, is a source of inspiration because it was
a real cottage on the lake where we used to live. Life imitates art, right?    

8)  If someone is curious about starting a series or
writing their first novel, what’s one piece of advice you wish someone had
given you?

That the whole writing process is a
journey, not a destination. Cliché, but true. Whether you’re writing a series
or a trilogy or a stand-alone novel, be in it for the long haul. Book series
could take you well over two decades or more. Trilogies, maybe one decade or
more. Even that stand-alone novel could take you years to write, depending on
the genre and research needed to fill its pages. Check in with yourself every
so often by revamping your writing plans, getting real about what kind of
writer you want to be, and how to show up in the world. Remember that slow and
steady progress assures success, and to be your authentic self. Always.

If these books piqued your interest
or you know of a reader in your life who’d love to dive into this series, and
discover Fairy Falls for themselves, please check out the links provided.
Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected.

Mysterious
Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mystery Series:

Lost & Found, Book One Buy
Links:

PANDAMONIUM
PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES
& NOBLE
׀

Blackflies
& Blueberries, Book Two Buy
Links:

PANDAMONIUM
PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES
& NOBLE
׀

Wishing
you and your family a safe and happy holiday season. Cheers, and thanks for reading
my blog! You can connect with me, learn about my books, grab some free
downloads for a short story, writing tips, or fun family recipes at my website:
www.sharonledwith.com

Busy shopping, wrapping and socializing? Ready for some rest and relaxation, but need to get going again soon? Kick back with a festive cocktail!

Here are two special drinks that you can enjoy as many as you like and not have a headache in the morning.

Cranberry Sangria by the glass mocktail recipe:

For each 8-ounce champagne glass you will need:

• 1/4 cup brewed Hibiscus Watermelon tea (we use Republic of Tea brand)
• 1/8 cup brewed Chamomile honey and vanilla tea (we use Twinings brand)
• Sparking apple cider
• 1 rounded TBS jellied cranberry sauce (smooth or whole berry)
• Fresh fruits (grapes, whole cranberries, pineapple chunks, peeled sliced star fruit, or peeled kiwi—or fruits of your choice)

Short skewer or sizzle stick. Thread fruits on a skewer or swizzle stick and set aside.

Place teas and cranberry sauce in the glass. Mix until sauce is dissolved. Fill glass with sparkling apple cider. Enjoy!

Mock Champagne by the Glass

One 8-ounce champagne flute
¼ cup white grape juice
1/8 cup Chamomile tea.
Ginger ale
Combine grape juice and tea in an 8-ounce champagne flute. Fill glass with regular or diet ginger ale. To give the drink a holiday flare, add a slice of star fruit and a couple of whole, fresh cranberries to the glass before adding the liquids.

Now kick back, relax with your drink and pick up a good book to read. You might even try one of ours that you can find over on our Amazon Author Page

ENJOY!



Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after, and that’s why they write romance.

In addition to writing Catherine and Donald love antiquing, traveling, singing, and going to the theatre. Catherine is also an avid gardener and has drawn Donald into her garden as a day laborer. They figure the couple who plays together and works together, stays together—and that’s just what they aim to do.

Second Editions Coming Soon:

Ghosts and Gardenias

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

Social Media Info:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Amazon Author Page
Twitter
Goodreads

Some authors produce quality books year after year and I have the utmost respect for them. They don’t churn out something quickly for the Christmas trade and other celebratory dates. Instead, they research and work, work and polish.

Here are a few of my favourites: 

Most books by Tami Hoag such as Down the Darkest Road and Live to Tell. I think my favourite is Still Waters. Why? Because her novels are so detailed, and the solution of the mysteries is never obvious. In fact, the character of the antagonists and protagonists holds the key to the solutions each time. For example, in A Thin Dark Line, it is the generations-old, warped solution of ways to protect a family that bubbles to the surface and the bloody mindedness of an ambitious female cop who stands up for her rights amongst male chauvinism that would chop most women off at the knees, that points the way to reasons for the crime and the discovery of the perpetrator(s).

Many books by Jayne Ann Krentz, not her very early ones where the hero was a dyed-in-the-wool MCP as was the fashion of the day, but her books from about 1998 onwards and also her historicals. Love the way her heroes say “huh.” It can mean so many things: they can be having a revelation, they may disagree with the heroine but they sure as hell are not going to say so, or it can be simply their version of a civil reply to modern discourse. My favourites are the Eclipse Bay series and her historicals written under the name of Amanda Quick such as Mistress (Regency) and The Third Circle (Victorian). Most of all, however, I enjoy her futuristic paranormals such as Siren’s Call set on Rainshadow Island and In Too Deep set in Scargill Cove. These appeal to me because of her light hand with the paranormal concepts and the quirkiness of the main characters. She creates otherworlds without belabouring the point. Sometimes writers create alternate worlds that require an immense investment on the part of the reader to learn the settings and morés of those worlds which can have the effect of having the reader skip pages and eventually put the book down. Not so JAK who, after many years of writing, knows just how far she can go to create a world not so very dissimilar to our own.

Obviously, I can’t go far without mentioning the greatest modern storyteller – Nora Roberts. I don’t like many of her earlier books which now seem dated, and I don’t feel that her paranormal ones are in the least bit convincing. However, I totally enjoy her recent single titles such as Tribute and Whiskey Beach. And I especially enjoy The Inn at Boonsborough series. I once saw a review where the reader criticised the Boonsborough ones because they had too much building detail in them. Now that’s the part I am intrigued with. I am not a purist romance reader, so I like a bit of meat with my coffee froth. I wait for each new release of Nora’s, as do thousands of others, not all of them women by a long way.

Stieg Larsson, in particular his series of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Anti-right-wing extremist and magazine editor-in-chief, what a shame most of his books were only found after his death in 2004. I suggest for those who want a touch of reality watered down with a little idealism, read Larsson. Whether you see the movies first or read the books first, I promise you will enjoy Lizbeth Salander, the toughest cyber-expert on the planet. 

Rick Mofina, a great suspense writer endorsed by the best suspense writers such as James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Sandra Brown, Tess Gerritsen etc. He is Canadian and so less inclined to use acronyms which can be a relief for a reader steeped in jargon which has to be researched. I thoroughly enjoyed Be Mine and my next choice is The Dying Hour. He writes about a crime reporter and unravelling detective in several of his novels, then switches to another team in his later books. If you like suspense and that ‘unable to put it down’ feeling, then choose Mofina.

Another one to keep an eye on: Going to read more by J.M. Gregson. Have just finished The Fox in the Forest about the murder of a well-liked town vicar. The murdered man is one of those rare characters whom everyone liked. Of course, the reader thinks “mistaken identity?” Gregson has an impressive writing record of both non-fiction and fiction. I enjoyed the British outlook to solving crime – stoic, authentic and painstaking – and the author’s writing experience showed by his excellent characterizations. No character was just a sketch. It was an in-depth exploration of people both likeable and unlikeable. 

So, what authors do you enjoy? Have you stopped to ask yourself Why do you like their writing?

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.