It's Murder, My Son - Lauren Carr, Author

Chicken Breast Scampi
A Lauren Carr Favorite

Specialty of The Spencer Lounge at the Spencer Inn Resort on Deep Creek Lake, Maryland

In the lounge at the Spencer Inn Resort, their Chicken Breast Scampi was a favorite of the famous mystery novelist Robin Spencer, the Inn’s late owner. She would have it served over rice, though some guests would prefer to serve it over linguini. The Inn’s Chicken Breast Scampi is served with a Caesar salad and garlic Texas toast. Ms. Spencer would always accompany this dish with a glass of Orveito, an Italian white wine from her, now her son Mac Faraday, private stock. For the Inn’s guests, they recommend a nice glass of Pinot Grigio.

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs chicken breasts, bones and skinned, cut into 2 in x 1 in pieces
½ lb (2 sticks) butter or margarine
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 scallions, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
2 teaspoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dillweed
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken in a 9’x13’ baking dish.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic, scallions, parsley, dill, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the mixture over the chicken pieces. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over. Bake for another ten minutes. Turn oven to broil and put chicken under broiler for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. Serve over rice or linguini.

Recipe from The Mr. Food Cookbook, OOH it’s so GOOD! (copyright 1990)

It’s Murder, My Son – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

A noise outside made her jump out of the recliner.  She glanced at the clock.  Almost nine.  Could Chad have decided to come out when I mentioned my appointment with the divorce lawyer?  Maybe he does love my money more than he loves Rachel.  She listened.  Nothing except the wind signaling the blizzard’s approach.  Maybe I should call David?  No.  It wouldn’t look good if Chad found him here.  He’s already suspicious.  The German shepherd began scratching at the back door.  Not again, you damn dog!  When you aren’t wanting out or in, you’re digging up the back yard.  With a groan, she pulled herself out of the recliner and let the dog out onto the patio.  As long as she was up, she poured herself another martini and admired her reflection in the mirror behind the bar before returning to her seat for another sitcom.  Her mind sucked in by the television, Katrina was unprepared to fight when her killer attacked and pinned her down by her throat.'
“Did you really think I was going to let you leave?” she heard through the roar in her ears while gasping her last breath.

The front foyer of Spencer Manor stretched up two stories to the cathedral ceiling paneled in cedar.  Granite slabs made up the floors throughout the home, including the three steps that led down to the dining room which opened up onto the deck overlooking the lake.  Colorful afghans were draped across leather furniture in the living room, which was twice the size of the one in the home Mac’s ex-wife had won from him thirty days earlier.  Stone fireplaces commanded every room.  Every window and door provided a view of Deep Creek Lake.  This was just a small portion of what Mac Faraday, policeman and illegitimate son of mystery writer Robin Spence, inherited at her death.
When Robin’s solicitor tracked Mac down, he was just getting over a divorce where the court awarded his wife, who was having an affair with the assistant district attorney, their home as well as everything else of value.  Now Mac finds himself with more money than he could ever imagine.  He has become a retired policeman and multi-millionaire overnight.  But that’s not all he has become.  Mac also finds out that he has a ½ brother who not only lives in Spencer but who is also a policeman, as was their father.  And then Mac finds himself to be the owner of Gnarly a German Shepherd retired from the military with a dishonorable discharge.  Oh yeah, he also finds himself working with the police to solve several murders, both old and new.


2010
286 Pages
ISBN# 9781452819433

The Accident - Rich Myers, Author

Be the Star You Are! For Teens - Cynthia Brian, Author

Cynthia's Italian “Momma Mia” Apple Pie

3 varieties of apples, peeled and cut into chunks (I grew mine-they are tart, firm, yet sweet, green, yellow, and red. Make sure FIRM, not mushy)
Brown Sugar
Crushed Fennel Seed
2 Meyer Lemons (juice and rind)
1 Cup Raisins
2 Tbsp dried mango (optional)
2 Tbsp dried pineapple (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Cinnamon
Pumpkin Spice
All Spice
Cloves
Nutmeg
Vanilla
Butter (real)
Cinnamon Sugar

In a big bowl, I add the 3 varieties of apples until I have a huge mound. My apples were from my tree so all different sizes. Probably a dozen apples will do it. Squeeze the juice of one full Meyer Lemon (those are sweet lemons) and toss the apples. Finely grate the rind from one full lemon and add to mixture along with all the spices, brown sugar. Mash fennel seeds, add to the apple mixture. In another bowl mix the juice from the 2nd lemon with the cornstarch and vanilla. Pour onto apples and mix. Add the mango, pineapple and/or cranberries.

Taste an apple to see if you need more of anything.

Cook at 350 degrees until bubbling and browned.

For pie crust, you can use any pie crust recipe or even buy a pie crust if that's easier. My secret is to bake the bottom part of the pie crust for 10 minutes on 350 before filling, sprinkled with cinnamon and dab of butter. It makes the crust flaky on the bottom.

Put into your partially baked piecrust. Dot with small dabs of real butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. After rolling a top dough, place it gently on top of the big mound and with your fingers squeeze the edges over pie tin so that the juice doesn't escape. With a knife of fork, make a design on the top of the crust and prick a few air holes. (I made a STAR, of course) Brush the top of the crust with milk to make the crust brown perfectly. Add a few more cinnamon sprinkles.

Bake in 450 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes or until browned.

Your house will smell great. Eat with ice cream, gelato, or whipped cream.

ENJOY! Buon Appetito!

Cynthia Brian
Starstyle® Productions, LLC
www.star-style.com
PO Box 422
Moraga, Ca. 94556

Be the Star You Are! For Teens – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

‘The three tools for being a star and living your dream:

1. Smile – When you smile, you can’t be sad. A smile brightens the lives of those you meet, and their joy bounces back to you.

2. Have Fun – Every moment is more satisfying when you decide to be playful Having fun is adjusting your attitude so even life’s emergencies can be met with style and seen in perspective.

3. Be Wild and Whacky – Taking measured risks and putting yourself in potentially uncomfortable situations could be beneficial. Ask for what you want and don’t be afraid of failure. Remember that failure is fertilizer.


I could actually sit here and write a 10 page review for Be the Star You Are and still not cover everything. This book is one I plan to keep within reach at all times. The short stories are actually life experiences of not just the author Cynthia Brian but other that have contributed as well. The topics range from Achievements and Adapting to Dating and Letting Go. This book is written for teens but I’ve found them useful for all ages.

As I read the different stories, I found myself relating to most. Some from my younger years and some from my “older” years. I also found myself wishing there had been a book like this around when my own children were growing up. Be the Star You Are is actually more than stories. Author Cynthia Brian has included exercises that will help teach through action. In the chapter “The Gift of Affirmation” story author Davis Lunsford talks about his pastor sending a handwritten letter and a dollar bill every time Davis’ name appeared in the paper. To Davis, the letter was more important than the publicity and the dollar bill combined. In the exercise, Cynthia Brian suggests you write a letter to someone who encouraged you in the past. She suggests that you write a letter to someone you would like to pat on the back and then write a letter to yourself picking out something positive you’ve been doing.

One of my favorite chapters is called “The Gift of Financial Literacy” by story author Heather Brittany. Heather talks about allowances and how they were not a part of her and her brother’s lives. Instead, their mother allowed them to earn points. Instead of paying them to do household tasks, their mom created a point system. They made up a list of the things they both really wanted. Then there was a number of points attached to acquire each item. They listed things like movies, backpacks, special meals, bicycles, skateboards, skis, and even trips. When they saved enough points, they could cash them in for the items they wanted. Their mother even kept a bulletin board which showed the weekly tally of their points. They were being taught to work, earn and save their own money and spend it with care.

I could go on and on about the stories and lessons taught in Be the Star You Are. To me, this is a book that needs to be read by everyone with children. Actually it would benefit everyone to not just read this book but to listen and learn as you read. If my kids happen to read this review, you can bet that you will each be receiving a copy for Christmas this year in hopes that you too will find the stories and exercises helpful during the growing up stages of your own children.



2010

Morgan James Publishing

289 pages

ISBN# 978-1-60037-632-0

Quatrum Earth - Julie Achterhoff, Author

Crossing Oceans - Gina Holmes, Author

Flashing My Shorts -

Deadly Lucidity - Julie Achterhoff, Author

The Greer Agency - Harris Tobias, Author

Altoona Noodle Casserole

This is Mike Greer’s favorite dish down at the Regal Cafe. It’s a favorite at the author's house too. This is a healthy, gourmet version of this classic dish. Prep time: 40 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces whole-wheat egg noodles
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups nonfat milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 ounces canned chunk light tuna, drained
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup  breadcrumbs

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse. Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat broiler. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk and pepper and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in tuna, peas and 1/2 cup Parmesan until evenly incorporated. Then, stir in the noodles (the pan will be very full). Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the casserole with breadcrumbs and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Broil until bubbly and lightly browned on top, 3 to 4 minutes.
Serve and enjoy. Serves 6

Mavis - The Story of a Shelter Cat Who Found a Home - Edward T. Cook, Author

Sculpting the Heart - Surviving Depression with Art Therapy - Joyce White, Author

And the Beat Goes On - Tracy Krauss, Author

Adam's Treasure - Diane Wylie

The Way - Catherine MacDonald, Author

Button Hollow Chronicles No. 1: The Leaf Peeper Murders - Loni Emmert and P.I. Barrington, Authors

Amazing Crust Pizza 
  Loni Emmert and P.I. Barrington's favorite recipe

1 package of Yeast
1/4 Cup of Warm Water
2 Cups of Warm Milk
1 1/2 tsp of Salt
5 tablespoons of Sugar
5 tablespoons of Oil
6 Cups of Flour
Large pinch of powdered garlic
 Pizza toppings of your choice

Soften yeast in warm water, add 1 tablespoon sugar. Let stand for five minutes. Add warm milk, salt, sugar and oil. Add flour. Allow dough to rise and then punch down. Allow dough to rise again and then roll or spread out on your preferred pan type for pizza. For thin crust pizza separate dough in half and spread each half onto your preferred pan type.

Cover with your preferred pizza sauce and toppings, bake for approximately 25 – 35 minutes or until edge of crust is browned but not burned.

Cheese lovers: You can also sprinkle the edge of the crust with grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese before baking.

This simple recipe dough is amazing and delicious and can also be used for garlic rolls (add a second large pinch of powdered garlic and after baking smother with garlic butter) or dinner rolls (omit all powdered garlic), roll into balls and bake for 25-25 minutes or until golden brown.

"Crucifying Angel" Book 1 of Future Imperfect available now @ Desert Breeze Publishing & Amazon.com


The Leaf Peeper Murders – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

‘The lovely Indian summer midmorning sun of Button Hollow, New Hampshire, shown on her when the elderly Mrs. Anne Jolie Watson smelled trouble, literally. She had just begun to water the last of her flower beds when the unwelcome smell of chlorine rose to her nostrils like chemical petals on the wind. She sniffed the air in several directions trying to ascertain from whence the odor wafted. It seemed to permeate the entire front garden although the culprit was nowhere to be seen. She knew that smell. She had read about it in a national newspaper in a story about illegal drug laboratories popping up in the smallest, most unlikely of towns across America. The first clue to the nefarious activities, the story said, was the aroma of chemicals, chlorine being one of the first and most obvious. And chlorine was definitely in the air in Button Hollow. No, she assured herself, there was no mistaking the smell of chlorine. Why, one would have to be a fool not to recognize that illegal substance.’

Mrs. Anne Jolie Watson is a member of the newly instated Citizens’ Brigade set up by Mayor Tom Rutledge, as an attempt to give the Senior Citizens of Button Hollow something to do and feel needed. And there is no one more qualified to be included as a member of the Brigade than Anne Jolie Watson. If you don’t believe me, ask her yourself. Nothing happens in the town of Button Hollow that Anne Jolie doesn’t know about and no one comes into town without her knowing. If by some chance she misses something, she will make it her business to become updated, ahead of anyone else in the town. This is her town and it’s her job to protect it from all wrong doings. Of course, having her nephew as the deputy of Button Hollow helps keep her updated. After all, he’s the one who told her about the two murders in town. One was the town drunk and the other was the town prostitute. Well, it didn’t matter to Anne Jolie what the “profession” of these two citizens happened to be, they were still murdered and she would leave no stone unturned until she found the guilty person that took their lives.

Sheriff Jeff Ramsey has lived in Button Hollow his whole life and knows everyone, including the persistent Mrs. Watson. He really has enough on his hands without adding her help to his problems. Especially when she and another member of the Brigade decide to do a stake-out on the person that Anne Jolie just knows is responsible for all crimes going on in town. So, who will solve the murders first? The Sheriff or Citizens Brigade member Mrs. Anne Jolie Watson?

As I read The Leaf Peeper Murders I couldn’t help but laugh at the antics of Anne Jolie Watson. I feel sure that as you read this book, you too will get a good laugh and it will probably be because you too know someone that is of the same character as Anne Jolie. I know several. Even though this is a murder mystery, it’s still full of humor.

2010
Mainly Murder Press
ISBN# 978-0-9825899-9-1
167 Pages

Children of Dreams - Lorilyn Roberts, Author

Chinese Salsa Noodle Soup
  A Lorilyn Roberts Favorite


1 can of beef broth
½ cup fresh salsa (mild, medium, or hot)
2 tablespoons of chopped spring onion
3/4 cup frozen Chinese noodles
3 tablespoons of red or white cooking wine
a dash of pepper
¼ cup sour cream

You mix everything together except the sour cream on the stove and cook it long enough till the frozen noodles are at the consistency you want. When the noodles are the way you want them, then add the sour cream and stir until it’s completely mixed in.

I made up this recipe and so it’s one of my favorites:)


Children of Dreams – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

‘Nepal is the forty-eighth poorest country in the world. Out of a population of eighteen million, six million drink water we wouldn’t give to our dogs… later I would find out what drinking contaminated water could do to a seven-year-old child…. Nepal’s per capital income was only $180 per year, one of the lowest in the world and the lowest in South Asia, where the average per capital income was $350 per year. Of its eighteen million inhabitants, half live in abject poverty.’

‘I was surprised by my first impressions of North Vietnam. I had expected to see more than just vestiges of communism as a result of the Vietnam War. Quite to the contrary, the Vietnamese had adopted a lot of our Western culture – selling our music, speaking our language, and owning their own shops, resulting in a vibrant, capitalistic economy. My uneducated mindset of a people living in apathy or without freedom was turned on it head as the North Vietnamese appeared to be hard-working and content. They showed an endearing love for their children, were kind to me, and harbored no ill-will toward Americans.’

What would entice Children of Dreams Author Lorilyn Roberts to take a trip to Nepal, which is a small country positioned between China and India, and then to Vietnam? Children! Lorilyn’s ideal future, consisting of a happy marriage, advanced education and a family came to an end when her husband asked for a divorce. This was the man that she had put her own education on hold for so that he could go to medical school. And to make matters worse, shortly after the divorce, his girlfriend gave him something that she had not been able to: A child, Here she was with nothing but dreams that would never come true. At least that’s what she thought.

Her life was revitalized when God showed her a picture of a 3 year old little girl living with her father in Nepal. The only future this child had was unsanitary living conditions and food, then death. It would be a miracle if she lived to be 7. Lorilyn knew, after seeing this child's picture, that this would be the daughter given to her by God. Then, several years later, Lorilyn received a picture of another beautiful little girl living in Vietnam with her birth mother who could not provide for her. So now Lorilyn would have her family. Two beautiful daughters that would grow up knowing the love of a mother and the love of God. But these daughters didn't come easy. Nothing had prepared Lorilyn for what she would face while rescuing her daughters out of their dark world of poverty.

Through her journey of adoption in Nepal, Lorilyn was faced with problems that would have caused most of us to walk away from the idea of adoption. But through her determination and her strong belief that God had sent her to this poverty stricken country to rescue one of His children, Lorilyn stays to the end. Even later when she made her trip to Vietnam to rescue Joy, who would be her second daughter, she finds herself facing problems but of a different type. In Nepal she had to be content with the filth not only of the living arrangements but also the food and water. In Vietnam she must deal with an adoption agent that isn’t quite on the up and up. She's faced with deadlines, her adoption being put on hold with a promise that the paperwork will be completed soon, her being told that the child she was to adopt had been kidnapped, and then the US Embassay warning that her agent was under investigation and she may not be able to adopt this child that she had already grown close to.

Children of Dreams is a true story of Lorilyn Roberts’ hardship as she adopts her two beautiful daughters. I can honestly say that I’m proud to, even slightly, be able to say that I know someone with such a strong belief in God's will and one so brave. Her oldest daughter sums up her appreciation for her mother with these perfect words:

When Manisha, Lorilyn’s daughter from Nepal was asked “What does it mean to you to be adopted?” Her answer was “It means I didn’t grow in my mommy’s stomach but in her heart.”


2009Virtualbookworm.com Publishing, Inc.

225 pages

ISBN# 978-1-60264-386-4