Dead Write - Sheila Lowe, Author

Artichoke Mushroom Tart
One of Sheila Lowe's favorite recipes

1 unbaked pie crust
1 jar of artichoke hearts (in water)
Cooked, chopped fresh mushrooms (or a can of mushrooms, chopped)
3 eggs plus 2 egg whites
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup Swiss cheese
½ t dried thyme
¼ t cayenne pepper
1 t dry mustard

Preheat oven to 350.

Drain artichokes well, squeezing out the liquid. Roughly chop them, spread on bottom of pie crust. Spread mushrooms on top of artichokes. Spread cheese (shredded) over artichokes and mushrooms. Mix eggs and egg whites together. Add cream and spices, mix well. Gently pour egg mixture over all.

Bake in center of oven for 40-50 minutes until risen and nicely browned. A knife inserted in middle will come out clean when done. Remove from oven and let set 5 minutes.

If desired, add bacon or sausage, garnish with fresh thyme and serve with broiled tomato.



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

'His choice of pen had already told Claudia something about him. Even before she began to analyze the handwriting, she knew that he cared about the way things looked, that he had an eye for color and texture. And it was unnecessary for her to read the text of what he had written to understand what the symbolism meant in terms of the movement of the writing across the paper, the spatial arrangement, the writing form.'

Claudia Rose is a handwriting expert. She has been contracted by Grusha Olinetsky, owner of an upscale dating service, to analyze the handwriting of some of her clients. Grusha runs a strict service and if there are hidden personality traits among her clients, she wants to know.

As Claudia analyzes the writing samples given to her by Grusha she finds several that Grusha should be worried about. Several of her clients have raised what she calls "red flags." But what Claudia also discovers, is that she has been given the files of three clients who have recently died. All deaths seem to be accidental with no police involvement and could be just a coincidence, but Claudia doesn't believe in coincidences. And as she interviews Dr. Ian McAllister, who is responsible for medically checking out all of Grusha's clients, her suspicions of murder grow. But what motive could there possibly be for the deaths of three innocent clients who are just seeking companionship and love?

Sheila Lowe has been a practicing handwriting expert for more than forty years and her expertise shows in her book Dead Write. As each character was introduced and as each chapter was read, I became more and more involved with the story. This book is so intense that as I read I would find myself suspecting one character only to suspect another as I turned to the next page. It was a hard book to put down. So, if you love a really great murder suspense, this book is definitely for you.

Memories Are Precious, Alzheimer's Journey: Ruth's Story - Fran Lewis, Author

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
This Recipe is for Ruth

1 pkg (18.5 oz.) double chocolate muffin mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
1 pkg (6 serving size) chocolate fudge pudding and pie filling (not instant)
3 cups very hot water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix muffin mix, oil, 1/2 cup water and eggs in a 3 quart casserole dish. Stir with spoon until blended. Mix pudding mix and 3 cups of very hot water. Carefully pour over muffin batter. Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until pudding bubbles around the edges of the casserole dish. Great served with ice cream.

Memories are Precious - Alzheimer's Journey: Ruth's Story - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

'Alzheimer's is a deadly disease and does not discriminate. It is not a disease of the poor, the rich, the famous or the indigent. It is a disease that anyone can get at any time. It knows no boundaries and it does not care whether you are white or black or of any other race, religion or creed.'

Imagine going to sleep, waking up and finding yourself in a strange place. You have no idea where you are nor how you got there. You don't even know what you may have done after you arrived. This is the way I picture Alzheimer's Disease. It can only be like being in a "walking coma." You can move around but in a trance type stage. You can't remember where something as simple as a drinking glass is kept, even though you've kept them in the same place for years. You sit face to face with your own children or spouse and have no clue as to who they are. These have to be horrible, scary feelings.

In Memories Are Precious Ruth herself talks about her feelings and experiences in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Her first indication that something was wrong was when she started forgetting things. She couldn't remember what she had just eaten. She couldn't balance her own checkbook because she couldn't remember how to add and subtract. She went to the store, didn't remember going there and ended up getting lost going home.

Ruth talks about the things she had to give up... After driving the wrong way down a one way street, her car keys were taken away and eventually her car had to be sold. One day she took a second dose of her medicine because she didn't remember taking the first dose. This resulted in her not being allowed to dispense her own medicine. As the disease progressed, Ruth lost the two things that matter most to all of us. She lost her independence and her freedom.

In Memories are Precious, Fran Lewis talks about the responsibilities of being a caregiver to an Alzheimer patient. Her research on this deadly disease, and more importantly, her experience from being a caregiver for her mother has given her the ability to write Memories are Precious, filling it with tips on subjects such as safety, changes, how to find help and how to take care of your own stress levels. She discusses the role change of the child becoming the parent and the parent becoming the child and helps us understand those changes, offering advice that will help make the role change easier for the caregiver. She also talks about the importance of other family members and friends becoming involved with the patient.

As I read Memories are Precious, I found myself understanding this disease and the stress that is put on the family. This is one book that I feel should be read by everyone of all ages. As Fran Lewis says "It is a disease that anyone can get at any time." There is no way of knowing who will be next.

Jodi's Journey - Rita Hestand, Author

Cowboy skillet cornbread
One of Rita Hestand's Favorite Recipes
Heat oven to 400

3/4 cup of coarse ground cornmeal (usually use Lamb's)
1/4 cup of flour
1 tablespoon of honey
3 eggs
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 cup of milk

Mix dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients together in a bowl.
Heat a small iron skillet pour 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil roll oil around the skillet to coat. Make sure the oil is very hot pour mixture into hot skillet
Mixture should sizzle a little cook for about 1-2 minutes or until edges begin to brown and mixture begins to pull from edge.

Put in a hot 400 oven for 20 minutes and it's done. Butter to taste and you
will have two pieces of cornbread a piece, serves two to four people. I always use real butter, can't beat this cornbread. The very hot skillet makes a beautiful crust for the bottom that everyone will enjoy.For bigger dinner party double recipe and get a bigger skillet.

Jodi's Journey - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

"Your anger is like a dirty quilt, smothering you, it's time to get out from under it and get on with the living again, girl," the old man muttered with sad regret, as he tried uselessly to move something other than his head against the creaking bunk. "The wars been over nearly four years. You have to get over the hurt it has caused; you have to let it go, in order to heal."

After her brother left to fight for the south, dying in the process, and her father just ran away, Jodi has the full responsibility of caring for their ranch. Along with that responsibility is the task of getting her cattle, as well as the cattle belonging to other ranchers in her hometown of Esser Crossing, halfway across the country to market. This is a task her Forman Clem knows she can't do alone. His suggestion to her is to hire Hunt Johnson, the town's coward, to help.

Jodi doesn't take kindly to this suggestion. After all, how can a "coward" be trusted to be responsible for the future of Esser? But Jodi has a secret problem that she will tell no one and this cattle drive is her only chance of resolving that problem. As it turns out, Hunt Johnson has his own secrets and memories of the war that he too is battling with. So when they join forces, their own deep dark secrets almost get them both killed.

This is the second novel that I've read by Rita Hestand. My first book by her was Hannah's Man and I have to say that she puts so much love and feeling into every chapter of both books, that you can't help but love her work. She allows you to feel the pain and fears of each character, as well as the abundance of their love. I'm not a fond reader of western romances but I will read every novel that Rita Hestand writes with no hesitation.

The House of the Sphinx - Sarah Wisseman, Autor

CHEESE PUDDING - One of Sarah Wisseman's Favorite Recipes
(This is a great way to use up leftover bread and cheese)

Bread heels, stale bread, any kind of bread, torn into pieces

Cheese, any kind, cut into small chunks or slices. Good choices: cheddar, Jack, gruyere, Swiss, parmesan, Asiago (can use low-fat cheeses). Blue cheese if you like it, but not too much of it.

3 eggs (or 2 eggs plus one egg beater)

1 ½ to 2 cups skim or 1% milk (or mix of non-fat evaporated milk and fresh milk)*

pepper to taste

½ tsp dried parsley, basil, or Italian seasoning



Preheat oven to 350.º Use a deep casserole dish. Layer stale bread, alternating with sliced cheeses.

Fill casserole almost to top (pudding will puff up in oven). Moisten bread and cheese layers with some milk. Mix 1 ½ cups milk with eggs and spices; pour half of it over bread and cheese layers. If it looks like the other half will not reach top bread layer, add some more milk. The goal is to have most of the pudding submerged in egg-milk mixture (top layer can protrude a bit).

Bake uncovered for I hour.

*more milk may be needed if casserole is really big.
Variations: add chopped, cooked ham or cooked bacon

The House of the Sphinx - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

'Two weeks ago, when Abdul had sniffed his uncle's tobacco, he'd discovered a small, narrow object inside. His agile fingers had quickly untied the string and loosened the brown paper to reveal a cardboard tube that was labeled in a foreign script. Inside, he found a small glass ampule, pointed at one end. It was terribly fragile; the slight pressure of his questing fingers caused the thing to shatter in his hands, spilling fine dust on his aunt Safaa's pink headscarf lying over the chair back. Now his aunt Safaa was sick and nothing the doctors were doing is making her better.'

I followed Archaeologist Lisa Donahue and her physician husband James Barber through Wisseman's book The Fall of Augustus and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Now Wisseman takes the two on what was supposed to be a belated honeymoon in Egypt. But after James tries to help a fellow traveler and a native Egyptian that have taken sick with a mysterious illness that is causing high fever and blisters on their bodies, he finds himself being quarantined by the CDC. The disease, that is starting to spread, is thought to be a plot targeting foreigners, but who is spreading it and how? That is what Lisa and an old friend Greg must find out before it spreads beyond control.

The House of the Sphinx is written with history that only an Archaeologist such as Sarah Wisseman could write. She takes you through Egypt and describes the sites in such detail that if you close your eyes, you can almost see them. She also makes us aware of the possibility and simplicity of germ warfare. You become aware of how easily a disease that was once eradicated can be re-introduced to the world, even today. This is a book filled with education, not only in history but also in survival.

Publisher - Hilliard Harris
Published 2009
182 pages

Future Imperfect Book One - Crucifying Angel - P. I. Barrington, Author

Sophisticated Stir Fry Rice - One of
P. I. Barrington's Favorite Recipes and
Payce's speciality

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" Payce said before she had a chance to reconsider. She'd bitten his head off, the least she could do was feed him. "We can order pizza — or I can cook something — your choice." She smiled at him.

"All right. What's your specialty?" He smiled back, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned on the counter.

Payce hesitated. She wanted something impressive but nothing she'd shared with Ethaniel. She inwardly shook herself. Don't think about him, Payce. You're making dinner, not cheating on him.

"Hmmm," she said. "That depends on what I have in the fridge." She turned and pulled open the refrigerator door. After inspecting the contents for a minute, she called over her shoulder,

"You're in luck, McAllister. One of my specialties is Sophisticated Stir Fry Rice."


This version of fried rice owes its unique nutty flavor to sesame oil. The flavors combine to enhance each other while making it filling and tasty!


Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
2 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (corn oil is best)
4 eggs beaten to blend
2 carrots thinly sliced, diagonally optional
3 cups thinly sliced bok choy (stems and leaves)
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms (optional) stems removed, cap sliced
1/4 lb. snow peas, trimmed (slivered and stringed optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons asian sesame oil
3-6 green onions sliced

Preparation:

For rice:

Bring water to boil in medium saucepan (or steamed if you have a steamer), add rice and bring to boil again. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluff with fork, transfer to bowl and cool completely (Personally, I leave it hot). This can be prepared a day ahead--cover and refrigerate.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in wok or large, heavy skillet over high heat until hot buy not smoking. Add eggs until puffed around the edges--this is done by using a spatula to push the cooked part of eggs toward the back of the pan while tipping pan forward, allowing uncooked eggs to flow forward. (Note: You are not scrambling or making an omelette--keep reading) Continue to cook like this until eggs are no longer runny but still soft and fluffy. Cut the eggs with the edge of the spatula until they have a crumbled-like appearance and then transfer eggs to a platter or large plate..

Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in wok or skillet over high heat. Add carrots and stir fry for a minute. Add bok choy, mushrooms, and snow peas. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (I use plain salt and pepper) and stir fry until vegetables begin to soften, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the sesame oil and heat vegetables again and then add the rice and stir fry until mixture is cooked through. Stir in eggs and green onions. Serve.

Serves 4.

Crucifying Angel - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

'The heat sent mirage waves up from the ground, making the air in the distance wiggly and unfocused. Payce eyed the endless highway that ran through the desert toward the city the cops liked to call The Adult Disneyland and sped the unmarked car toward the first homicide scene of the day. Gavin sat silently in the passenger seat taking in the long highway and the endless desert around them. As they headed into town, a handful of cars passed them by, some filled to the brim with would-be partiers; others having one lone driver heading away from the one-armed bandits that ate up wages like candy.'

The year is 2032. The place is Las Vegas. The crime is crucifixion. Payce Halligan and her new partner Gavin McAllister are in route to their first crime together. After the death of her last partner, Payce became a loner and resented her boss coupling her with someone new, especially a foreigner. Gavin left Scotland Yard, after loosing his wife and son, to start life over. He was impressed with what he saw in his new partner but had a feeling that she might end up being a real problem for him. But Payce and Gavin pushed their baggage from the past aside and jumped into their first crime together.. the death of a woman hanging from an inverted cross.

As I read Crucifying Angel I had one author and book come to mind.. Stephen King and The Stand. P. I. Barrington has picked up where King left off with his story about Vegas. Reading Crucifying Angel was like riding a roller coaster that went up and up and when you thought it was time for it to come down it simply dropped a few feet and continued to climb. It's story, characters and time setting are all very realistic and believable. And the ending? There is no ending and I'm looking forward to Barrington's Future Imperfect Book Two - Miraculous Deception which comes out in June, 2010 and will continue the story.

ISBN #978-1-936000-19-7
Published by Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.
111 Pages
E-Book

Murders Do Not Come by Accident - Edward T. Cook, Author

Eggs Italiano
A favorite of Author Edward T. Cook

1 Jar of spaghetti sauce
6 large eggs
Italian bread

Place the sauce in a large frying pan, till boiling, place the eggs in sauce with the yolk intact . Lower the heat until simmer. Place the lid on the pan. Cook for around 10 minutes (Until eggs are cooked). Cut the bread into slices & pour the sauce & eggs onto the bread, add Parmesan cheese.

Ed

Murders Do Not Come by Accident - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

'She had just started to walk by a tightly clumped set of evergreens, when all of a sudden she felt a large heat searing pressure on her chest. She fell backwards, dumbfounded. She glanced down at her chest and observed a large set of deer antlers had penetrated her chest and lungs. Her last thoughts before she lost consciousness were why would a deer attack me?'

Karen Flowers was the first "accidents" to occur in the small college town of Marquette, Michigan. Within just a few days there would be three other "accidents" that Detective John Cook was starting to believe were more than what they appeared to be. Through his keen mind, police training and gathering of evidence he comes to the conclusion that they are not accidents but murders.

In Murders Do Not Come by Accident, Author Edward T. Cook takes us through the steps that only a well trained police officer, such as himself, would know. He leads us through the gathering of the evidence, it's admission to the labs, putting the puzzle together to acquire warrants, and finally, going after the suspect. This was an enjoyable book.

ISBN #1-58961-513-1
PageFree Publishing, Inc.
67 pages

Fast Track - John DeDakis, Author

Shrimp with Feta on Couscous (Quick & Easy)
A favorite recipe of John DeDakisServes 4
1 lb. fresh or frozen (thawed) medium shrimp
1 large or 2 small zucchini
2 jars of your favorite salsa (about 12 oz. each)
8 oz. crumbled feta cheese
olive oil
enough couscous and chicken broth for 4 servings

Halve and slice zucchini and sauté in olive oil. Add shrimp to pan and sauté until almost cooked through. Add salsa to pan and simmer until shrimp is cooked. Cook couscous in chicken broth according to package directions. Serve shrimp over couscous and sprinkle with feta cheese.

Fast Track - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

'I prefer to see the world not in blacks, whites and grays, but in rainbow colors. The contrasts can be stark, and there can still be room for individual expression, but there are boundaries, too. Choosing the right colors for the painting of your life can be an adventure.'.... But what if the painting gets messed up?... Color over it. Try something new. Don't just let the problem sit there. And for God's sake, don't destroy the canvas. Rework what's on it.'
(This is a quote from Fast Track that I feel we can all learn from.)

Lark Chadwick grew up knowing that her parents had been killed in an auto accident but no one would talk to her about the accident. So, when her aunt Annie, who had raised her, died of what the police decide to be a suicide, Lark goes on a quest to find the truth about not only her aunt's death but also the story behind the death of her parents. To her astonishment, she learns that they were killed when hit by a train and that she had been in the car too. Her escaping the accident left her with the nickname "The Miracle Baby." But how did she escape and why were her parents sitting on a railroad crossing with a train coming full speed ahead, lights and horn blowing? These are the questions that lead her to the truth and whys of the accident.

As I read Fast Track I didn't have the feeling that I was reading a book, but Lark's personal story was being told to me by Lark herself. It was as if she was sitting with me, telling me everything that happened to her as she searched for her past. I could feel her emotions and sense her fears. She became a person that I felt I actually knew.

The format of Fast Track in paperback is different due to its magazine size. I wasn't sure that I would like this concept at first but as time went along, I found it to be very practical and convenient. It stores nicely and is easy to slip into my bag without being bulky. I've grown to actually like the style and really loved the story within. But for the more traditional-minded readers, Fast Track also comes in hardback.

John DeDakis is a Senior Copy Editor at CNN in Washington where he edits and writes on "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer." It has been a pleasure to read and review his book Fast Track and I've just learned, through an email from Mr. DeDakis that his next book "Bluff" which is a sequel to Fast Track, is due to be published soon. Follow the progress of this next release through John DeDakis's website. I, for one, am glad to hear that he will continue with more stories featuring Lark. And I hope you will all enjoy his recipe for Shrimp with Feta.

Return to Whittakerville - Shirley A. Roe, Author

Creamed Turnips
Another Favorite from Shirley A. Row

Peel and dice turnips. Simmer 20-30 minutes until tender.
Mash and season with salt, pepper and butter; return to heat
a minute to dry. Stir in a little heavy cream. Season with small
amount of sherry.

Return to Whittakerville - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

"I lie here thinking of what could have happened to her with that lunatic. I wonder if Jebediah will ever leave us in peace? The man has been dead for twenty years but still he haunts me."... "I keep thinking about those years long ago when Martha's father sent you and I to find her in the wild Wyoming territory. Now it is as if history is repeating itself, but it is not my brother Jebediah that married Martha and disappeared, but his illegitimate son and Anna. If he is half the bastard that Jebediah was, Anna could be in great danger. I just feel so helpless."

In Dreams and Nightmares: The Martha Whittaker Story, Shirley A. Roe introduces us to the Whittaker family as they leave England, traveling across the ocean to end up in what will later be named Whittakerville, Wyoming. In Dreams and Nightmares, Martha and her three stepsons find a life that is filled with dreams of escaping Jeb Whittaker and nightmares that only a person as evil as he can bestow on his family.

In The Whittaker Family Reunion, Roe takes us to St. Louis where Martha and the boys have escaped to with the help of Jeb's brother Jeremy. The boys have grown into three loving men that have taken charge of their lives. As the family gathers for Martha's 40th birthday, disaster strikes again in the form of a stranger who stalks the family.

And in the final episode Return to Whittakerville, the disaster continues involving Martha and Jeremy's daughter Anna. Anna has left the family to travel to Whittakerville with the stalker. Anna is a very spoiled 15 year old that has always had her way and will let nothing stop her from acquiring whatever she wants. Some members of the family believe she left with the stranger to save the family, while others believe she left for selfish reasons. Will life with this man provide her with the sources to make her happy or will her life be another nightmare in Whittakerville?

I have thoroughly enjoyed all 3 books that make up the Martha Whittaker Story. I hated to see the family stories end but understand Roe will continue to write using the individual characters as the story source. Well Ms. Roe, I'm impatiently waiting.