Where Angels Fear - Sunny Frazier, Author

Lennie's Devil's Food Cake

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda


Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup (about) sour cream

For food cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Sift in flour, cocoa and baking soda. Stir to combine. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes separately in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)

Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. (Can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)

For Frosting:
Melt unsalted butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Whisk in cocoa powder and vanilla. Whisk in 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup sour cream. Whisk in remaining 1 cup sugar. Gradually whisk in enough of remaining sour cream to form spreadable frosting.

Where Angels Fear - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

Revelers writhed to the discordant music. Masks covered many of the faces, leaving identities to the imagination, but not much else. Conversation was confined to body language.

"This is the main dance area so people can get acquainted," Connie-the-tour-guide explained. "There's a small stage up front for exhibitionists, and smaller rooms for shy types. They're wired for close circuit TV for voyeurs. The torture room is still under construction on the second floor."

Christy Bristol chided herself for agreeing to make a house call. All she needed was the birth date to do a horoscope. But the client insisted on a "face-to-face meet." And as Christy finds out, the horoscope isn't for her client but for her husband... who is missing. Thus starts Christy's voyage into the world of S&M, through a secret club called the Knights of Sensani. Admittance to this club is through a red matchbook, three of which were found on three different men that ended up in the morgue. Christy was given her matchbook by her client who's husband it turns out is a member of this elite group. And according to his horoscope, his time to be rescued is running out. Will Christy find him before he turns up in the morgue? Or will Christy end up there herself? Travel with Christy and her ex-roommate Lennie as they take on this after dark world of erotic sex and torture in their attempt to save her client's husband.

When I read Fools Rush In, which was the first of the Christy Bristol Astrology Mysteries, I thought Frazier had peaked in her writing and that there was no way she could top Fools Rush In. I have to admit that I was wrong. Where Angels Fear is even better and will keep you wondering who and why all the way to the end.

Stir, Laugh, Repeat - Review by Donna Bramblett, TX

BUTTER PECAN COOKIES - Donna's Favorite Cookie Recipe

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar
1 cup margarine
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Cream sugars & margarine. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Drop by small teaspoons on cookie
sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. When cool, fill
with frosting (recipe below).

Cookies are better when not real large and are soft. In my oven, I only cook them seven minutes...so you may need to experiment a bit. When I take them off of the cookie sheet and remove them to a wire rack to cool, I "scrunch" them a little so they are crinkled.

FROSTING

1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 box confectioners powdered sugar
1 tsp. margarine
1 cup chopped pecans

Let cream cheese soften to room temperature and mix well with sugar and margarine. Stir in pecans and put filling on one cookie and top with another (sandwich style).

These look pretty in a big crystal bowl and I have served them from a baby shower to a family reunion. My cousin gave me this recipe years ago and she said she has made the frosting adding melted chocolate and put it between peanut butter cookies. I haven't tried it, but if you like peanut butter (oh, but you don't like chocolate) it might be good.

Stir, Laugh, Repeat - Review by Donna Bramblett, TX

I recently ordered your cookbook “Stir, Laugh, Repeat” and it came in the mail yesterday. I sat down last night to glance at it and couldn’t put it down….I read it from cover to cover!

I loved the format and all of the stories you added on each page just put a special touch to the book. After reading it, I feel like I really know you and your family. I know your sons-in-law are Yankees, you are a lover of cheese, but you dislike chocolate…well not all chocolate..you have a weakness for white chocolate and I would venture to guess that you never take yourself too seriously. I also loved the fact that you use every day ingredients and don’t mind admitting that you and cakes do not have a love affair. It was such an easy and enjoyable read. I will be waiting for the second book which I understand is now in the works.

I have some pages marked for things that will be first on my list to try. One of them is the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Mini Pies on Page 144. This will be a great addition to a brunch and it is so simple. It made me wonder…”now why hadn’t I thought about that?” Another recipe I definitely have to try is the Cracker Bars on Page73 and I may do a “Martha trick” and use regular chocolate instead of white chocolate. I could mention several others, but I think you have the idea that I really am enjoying Stir, Laugh, Repeat.
Donna, TX

Less Dead - Laura Elvebak, Author

Easy and Tasty Meatloaf

Preheat oven to 375
Ingredients:
3/4 lb hamburger
1/4 lb ground pork sausage
1 small can stew tomatoes
1/2 cup of plain bread crumbs
1 egg
Pinch of oregano, tarragon, thyme, garlic salt

Prepare:
Mix thoroughly all ingredients in a bowl
Pour into a loaf pan (I use glass)
Cook for 1 hour

Less Dead - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

Fifteen-year-old Jessica Keeling's eyes stung as she forced them open. Milky eyes stared into hers, the eyes of a dead man. For a moment she couldn't breath. She opened her mouth to scream, but instead tasted death. The smell of stale urine and dried blood filled her nostrils.

Jessica, or Jade as she called herself, was a street kid and had been since her father dropped her off at a Starbucks and never returned. Now she was in big trouble. The one person who said he knew her father and would help bring them together was dead. But this wasn't just any man, this was a Councilman. Did she kill him? She couldn't remember. In fact she couldn't remember anything after having a drink at Numbers, the club where they were to meet. Now she's on the run.

Rube is Jade's only friend in the world and he's worried. He's not seen her in a week and that's just not like her. He turns to the only person that he feels will help who is Niki.

Niki is an ex-policewoman who works as a counselor at Open Palms which is a shelter for run-away kids. Jade had been there before and Niki had seen the potential in this young girl through her ability to dance. So through her sources on the street and through Open Palms, she and Rube strike out to find Jade. Their fear for her survival climbs as other young street girls are molested and murdered. Will they find her in time or is it already too late?

Less Dead turned out to be a book that I really had problems putting down. Every page brought a new problem for Niki and Rube. And every time I thought I knew who was to blame for the murder of the Councilman and the street girls, is found that I was wrong. Less Dead will really keep you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages.

Less Dead is the 1st in the Niki Alexander series. Lost Witness will be released September 26, 2009. I can't wait!

Stir, Laugh, Repeat - Review by Debra Purdy Kong

Debra Purdy Kong's Favorite Recipe
Scalloped Potatoes:

4 medium potatoes very thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped.
1 cup of shredded old cheddar cheese
1 can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup of milk
1 clove of garlic

In a greased casserole dish, arrange half of the potatoes and half of the onion. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers. In a small bowl, combine soup, milk and garlic. Spoon over potato mixture. Cover, bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Unocver and bake 10 more minutes or until potatoes are tender. Makes 6 side-dish servings.



Stir, Laugh, Repeat - Review by Debra Purdy Kong

Easy Recipes and a Personal Touch, May 27, 2009
By Debra Purdy Kong "mystery writer" (Port Moody, BC) - See all my reviews

When it comes to creating recipes, I have little imagination so I turn to cookbooks for ideas. My problem with many of them, though, is that the recipes are either too complicated or the ingredients too hard to find. So it was with great pleasure that I discovered Stir, Laugh, Repeat by Martha A. Cheves. Her straightforward recipes reflect her southern U.S. background and use simple, affordable ingredients. Cheves provides a number of money-saving tips which is greatly appreciated.

If you love cheese and white chocolate (not together) you'll love this book because the author's a fan of both and features these items in several recipes. As a bonus, Cheves also offers personal stories and a practical tip with each recipe, which gives the book a personal touch.

My only quibble is that it'll be hard to keep the book open when I try some of the recipes, which is why I usually prefer coil bound cookbooks. Also, there are a couple of ingredients such as Parker House rolls that aren't available here in Canada so I'll have to find a substitute. Meanwhile, I really need to start on that banana pudding recipe!

Face of Destiny - Melanie Read, Author

Vinegar Pie Crust

In one Bowl Mix:
1 egg
4 teaspoons white vinegar
5 tablespoons cold water

In Another Bowl Mix:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 teaspoon salt

When the second bowl is mixed well, combine it with the wet mixture. Divide dough in half. Roll each half out and place into pie pans. Makes 2 pie crusts.

Face of Destiny - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

"So, you're going to stop flying...... Women in love are very possessive. They don't want their man going off and getting killed." Kelby turned back to his glass and took a swallow of scotch. "Your Dorothy won't be any different. Once she's got you nailed down, she'll nail your feet to the floor." This was Kelby's take on women and love.

What does a World War I pilot do with his life after the war? Answer - If you're Nick Kelby you go to work for the US Postal Service as an airmail pilot. Sure the risks are great. The odds of survival are very low. Between the conditions of the planes and the lack of a decent weather forecast the chances of surviving are very slim. But if your love for flying and adventure are as great as Kelby's, you live for the challenge. Kelby has had his dance with death through crashing his planes. Will his luck run out when he crashes in a field in Ohio or will he survive to fly again?

Victoria is a nurse who runs a local clinic in the town of Hagers Lake, Ohio. She served her time as a nurse during the war and is now ready to settled back in her hometown to take on the cuts, broken bones and sometimes birthing of babies. But that isn't all she finds as she performs her duty of taking care of the people of her little town. Victoria knows the pains and death of war but is she prepared to handle the beatings administered by a drunken husbands inflict on their wifes and kids? And can she save them from the possibility of beatings that could easily turn into death? Victoria's life plate is full with her devotion to her work but she soon finds there is room for more when Kelby crashes his plane into her life.

I really enjoy a book that entertains me as well as teaches me. Face of Destiny is one that has done both. This book was very well researched and it shows through the story itself and the history of the Airmail pilots and the conditions of life after World War I.

The Voice of Anton Bouchard and Other Stories - Brian L. Porter Author

Shrimp and Chicken Jambalaya

Seasoning Mix (1/4 tsp Cayenne, 3/4 tsp White Pepper, 1 tsp Kosher Salt, 1/4 tsp Thyme, 1/2 tsp Rubbed Sage, 1/4 tsp Dried Basil, 1/2 tsp Black Pepper)

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Cup Diced Andouille
1/2 Cup Diced Onion
1/2 Cup Diced Bell Pepper
1/2 Cup Diced Celery
1/2 Cup Diced Fresh Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce
3/4 Cup Enriched Long Grain Rice
1 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Garlic
1/2 Cup Diced Chicken (Cooked)
1 1/2 Cup Medium Shrimp
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Italian Parsley
3 Tbsp Finely Sliced Green Onions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together the Holy Trinity (Onion, Celery, Bell Pepper).
In a Cast Iron Dutch Oven, melt the butter over medium heat, add the Andouille and cook until it just starts to brown. Add 1/2 of the Holy Trinity, cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the diced Tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Add the Tomato Sauce and cook for another minute. Add the Rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the Stock, the remaining Holy Trinity, Seasoning Mix, Worcestershire, and the Garlic. Taste the broth for seasoning, particularly salt. Add the Chicken, stir well and put the pot in the preheated oven. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. After the twenty-five minutes stir in the raw Shrimp, Parsley, and Green Onions, place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until the Shrimp are cooked through. Serve with French Bread and your favorite Beer.

The Voice of Anton Bouchard and Other Stories - Review by Martha A. Cheves, author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

Short story "Red Sky in the Morning"... 'Prior to surfacing completely, the submarine's commander, Captain Simon Merrick had ordered the periscope raised, and he knew as soon as he put his eye to the scope that something wasn't right. Although the submarine's chronometer showed the time as eleven o'clock in the morning it appeared quite dark on the surface. There appeared to be an incredible red tinge to the outside world. While he tried to make some sense of what he saw his communications officer, Mike Regan had been trying without success, to make contact with the base at Rosyth.'

What Merrick and his crew didn't know as their submarine surfaced from the deep waters was that they were about to "Enter the Twilight Zone."

Enter the Twilight Zone yourself as you read "The Voice of Anton Bouchard" which will have you wondering why a serial killer suddenly stopped killing. Read "Breathing to Death" to see how and why women with medical problems are being killed. "The Sound of Silence" will have you traveling with a young lady, who after a wreck, is carried off to what could be nothing less than the castle of Dracula. These stories and many more that make up this book will carry you into the "Zone."

Blood Bar - Norman Applegate, Author

Eggplant Parmigiana

2 or 3 large firm eggplants
bread crumbs
vegetable oil
2 eggs
your favorite spaghetti sauce
2 to 3 cups mozzarella cheese

Peel and slice eggplant, dip in egg and coat with bread crumbs, heat oil in pan until hot. Fry eggplant until golden brown, drain on paper towels. Preheat oven to 350.
Coat bottom of pan with thin layer of sauce, layer eggplant, sauce, cheese until you have 6 or 7 layers ending with cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes removing foil for the last 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.


Blood Bar - Review by Matthew Morrison

All hell breaks loose, literally, in Norm Applegate's latest and greatest of the Kim Bennett series, Blood Bar. Norm's precisely detailed descriptions of unholy battles and unholier alliances between the world of vampire and human kept me turning page after page. Applegate's fusion of gothic mayhem and modern urban settings is seamless.

When the readers of Twilight grow up, they will thoroughly enjoy the gritty style of Applegate's storytelling. Readers and cult-like followers of Anne Rice's narratives should cautiously approach the wit and speed of Blood Bar's central characters. These semi-eternal beings will not aimlessly banter and brood. They are much more likely to leap off the page directly into minds of their unsuspecting victims. Once inside their host, they begin rapidly depleting the readers will to do anything except to submit to the sweet release of finishing (the book).