A Book and A Dish

Fighting the Devil - Jeannie Walker, Author

2012-01-30T15:45:00.000-08:00

Delightful Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

(Jennie Walker's favorite)

1/cup Canola Oil or: 1/2 cup (1 stick butter) plus 6 tbsp butter (softened)

3/4 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs (beaten)

1 tsp. vanilla

8-12 drops imitation almond extract (real almond extract can be substitued- 6 drops

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups Oats (quick or uncooked)

1/2 cup raisins (raisin lovers use 1 cup)

Optional: 1/2 tsp salt.

While oven is heating to 350 degrees, mix together canola oil, vanilla, almond extract, beaten eggs and sugar until creamy. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda & salt together. Add creamy ingredients to dry flour mixture-mix well then add oats & raisins and mix well again. Drop rounded dough by tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown or light brown, depending on your preference. Makes approximately 4 dozen small cookies.

Happy appetite! Try not to eat too many-they are so delicious they can become habit forming.

Fighting the Devil – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat, Think With Your Taste Buds and A Book and A Dish

I had to put a gown and mask on. Lou Ann and Debbie helped me do that and I walked in and I saw Jerry had some tubes, one running up his nose and I believed he had a little…uh…a hospital gown on. His hands and feet were tied to each side of the bed with some sort of restraint. Jerry raised his head up and looked at me when I walked in. He said, “Gamble!” I said, “Yeah, Jerry! What in the world are you doing up here?” He said, “Oh, I’m sick. They’ve been doing all kinds of tests on me.” I said, “Well, you’re gonna have to get well so that you can get out. You gotta get a lot of things going, you know.” He said, “Gamble, you gotta help me get out of here! They’re trying to kill me. I’m gonna die! I’ve got $35,000 missing. They took it. Those two women took it. They’re trying to kill me. They fed me … Lou Ann and Debbie, they’re trying to kill me. You gotta help me get out of here! You gotta help me! Cut me loose! Gamble, cut me loose!”

This was just one of many pleas from Jerry Sternadel after he had been admitted to Bethania Hospital, not once but for a total of 3 times before dying of arsenic poisoning on June 12, 1990. Most people ignored his pleas after talking to his wife Lou Ann and his company bookkeeper Debbie Baker. They assured anyone who asked that Jerry was getting better and would be coming home soon.

Arsenic poisoning creates one of the most horrible deaths as it eats away at the bodily systems until the body shuts down. Symptoms are severe gastric distress, esophageal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea with blood. The skin becomes cold and clammy and the blood pressure falls. If death isn’t immediate, the skin becomes jaundice and is unable to void. There may be moments of paralysis and if death is delayed by several days, the arsenic will hit the liver and kidney. Convulsions and coma are final signs and death usually comes from circulatory failure. This is a horrible way to die! A bullet to the head would be more humane.

But, this is the death that Lou Ann and Debbie chose for Jerry Sternadel. Now came the task of proving they were the ones guilty of administering the poison and how. Jeannie Walker, who is not only the author of Fighting the Devil, but also Jerry’s first wife and mother of Jerry's only children, spent years working with the police and interviewing friends of Jerry. She even hired a private detectives, all to prove the two women were guilty of murder and have them stand trial. Will she succeed?

When I read Fighting the Devil, I was amazed at the court systems within Texas at that time. There was actually a law that would allow a jury to find a defendant guilty of murder but still be able to receive parole and a fine! Apparently the law was written for those who kill their abusers after years of abuse. But will it work for someone as cunning as Lou Ann and Debbie? This book made me aware of the trials the actual victims are put through. Yes…the victims are actually put on trial as their character is dissected and torn apart. Then there’s the jury. Spending time in a locked room with 11 other people trying to decide if someone is guilty or not and then deciding what sentencing they will receive can, I’m sure, get to you and make you actually rush through your decision just to get it over with.

The actual case of Jerry Sternadel’s death kept me reading even as my anger for the system grew. I have to admire Jeannie Walker for her determination to find closure for her children and their families. This case caught the attention of the producers of Oxygen channel’s Snapped series and was aired on February 17, 2005. The case is still open and justice is still being sought. I personally hope that for Jerry’s family and friends, closure will soon be found.

Tranquillity Initiative - Joan Meijer, Author

2012-01-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

Stewed Chicken

(This was my favorite of my grandmother's

recipes and is well known in my family as "Gonny's Chicken.")

One chicken, whole (remove the skin if you want, it will taste less sinful)
1 can black olives if they're small 2 if they're big
2 jars green olives with pimento (without juice or it will be too salty)
1 large chopped onion
10 cloves of garlic whole but peeled
1 8-oz can stewed tomatoes
25 sliced mushrooms
2 green peppers chopped
1 cup water or chicken broth
2 bay leaf
2 t. dried parsley, oregano, and basil
allow everyone to salt and pepper to taste

Put in large pot. Cover. Cook all ingredients simultaneously over low heat for 2 hours or until chicken is falling off the bone.

My grandmother taught me to cook with a pinch of this and a dash of that. She also taught me lots of whatever's in the icebox cooking. There are never any true amounts in this recipe - It's kind of a refrigerator delight. If you have carrots or other root vegetables throw them in. You can add potatoes or sweet potatoes to the mix. If you don't like peppers don't throw them in. The stewing in the vegetables is what makes this marvelous - and using different vegetables if you have them adds to the flavor. The one I wrote at the top is my personal favorite.

If you want a thicker gravy take the chicken out of the pot. Melt 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch in one tablespoon of cold water, add to broth in the pot and stir over medium low heat until the gravy thickens

Serve with Quinoa or rice and salad. If you eat potatoes it goes really well with mashed potatoes.

Depending on the size of the chicken it serves 4-6 people.

The Tranquillity Initiative – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

According to his records in the administration office, the young man, dressed in the color-coded coveralls of a porter, was a civilian who had been recruited by an independent contracting company from the Philippines. In reality, he had been raised in the suburbs of Astrakhan and had traveled to the Philippines to live with a distant cousin in hops that he would be recruited to work in the American action. Because he was wall-eyed, and darker than most of their local recruits, he appeared unintelligent to the Americans. They never looked at him twice. In the far corner of the Quonset hut, near the exit reserved for garbage collection, the young man unobtrusively removed the two red, white and blue Tranquillity bombs from a regulation canvas shoulder bag. It was a familiar bag, one that he – like the other native workers – used for picking up garbage around the base. Quickly and skillfully, he transferred the flag-colored bombs to the ragged native carrying case in which he stored a warm jacket and his lunch. It was a tight fit getting them in, but he managed. Stealing from the U.S. Air Force was a well-organized activity at this base. The young man and his friends had been taking bits and pieces of armament for months. To date, he had been most proud of the small surface-to-air missile he had managed to spirit off the base. He had believed that a theft of such gigantic proportions would probably remain the high water mark of his life. He had not counted on the portability of Tranquillity.

When it appears that the war with Astrakham had no end, a group of men inside the high loops of the US Government took it upon themselves to re-up the Tranquillity Bomb. They all agreed that this would be the best way to end the war as well as show others that the US would prevail no matter what. The group had no doubts as to the destruction that would be inflicted upon Astrakham if the Tranquillity Bomb was used. This particular bomb was designed to silently disburse the deadly disease known as Anthrax. The one thing the group didn’t count on was theft of two of these deadly bombs.

The bombs looked like bowling pins and decorated in red, white and blue were easily smuggled out of the country and into New York City by a group of young people posing as bowlers that carried their own balls as well as their own ‘lucky’ pins wherever they went to compete. What they didn’t expect was to find the real threat of the bombs. This came when one was opened in the attempt of removing the explosives, which were non-existing. When they realized their mistake, it was too late. Their fate and deaths were sealed. The only thing left to do now was to take revenge on the US by dropping the 2^nd bomb from one of New York’s highest buildings. This will be payback for the destruction inflicted upon Astrakham.

Senator Richland Powell and CDC doctor Cassandra Williams find themselves in a race for not just their own lives but the lives of millions as they attempt to find who has the second bomb. In a city the size of New York, their chances are slim. Powell feels there is a connection between the Anthrax in Astrakham and that in New York but can’t quite prove it. Cassandra feels the connection too, especially since it was her own grandfather who invited the Tranquillity Bomb. His interest in Anthrax flowed down to Cassandra as well as her own father, making them two of the most renown experts in the field. With that, Cassandra knew the two cases were connected. She just had to prove it and find the other bomb before time runs out and the terrorists have a chance to seek their revenge.

This book will scare the heck out of you because it’s possible. It will scare the heck out of you because it’s typical. It will scare the heck out of you because if it happened the people of the US would most likely receive no warning. This book has the making of a great movie! It’s simply so real that you find yourself actually seeing the events as being possible. I really enjoyed this book.

The Master Plan - Carol Costa, Author

2012-01-18T15:51:00.000-08:00

PINEAPPLE-LIMEJELLO MOLD

(a Carol Costa specialty)

2small packages or 1 large package of Lime Jello

110 ounce can of crushed pineapple

1pint Sour Cream

PrepareJello according to package directions and chill until partially set

Drainpineapple and stir into jello with the sour cream

Pourmixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan and chill several hours before serving.

The Master Plan – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

Carmen and Cathy both stared at Casey. Finally Carmen spoke. “What is going on in that devious mind of yours Casey?” Casey laughed. “Forget it. It probably won’t work.” “Let us be the judge of that,” Cathy told her. “Okay. We pool our money and one of us joins the country club. Once she’s a member she starts socializing with the rich guys and snags herself a wealthy mate. She can also bring her two friends to the club for some of the activities and introduce them to her husband’s rich friends.” “That’s absolutely brilliant” Carmen exclaimed. “Let’s do it.” “Wait a minute,” Cathy said. “Where are we going to
get twenty-five thousand dollars?” “From your bank,” Carmen answered. “We’ll take out a loan and after we marry the rich guys they can pay it off for us. Only I’m not the one who is going to join the club. Casey has to do it.” And that is exactly what the ‘three Cs’ (Carmen, Cathy and Casey) did. They took out a loan to pay the application fee and Casey became the country club’s newest member.

It didn’t take long for her to hook up with Anthony (Tony) Hunter while Carmen and Cathy both found catches for themselves. It also wasn’t long before Tony asked Casey to run off to Vegas with him to be married, which she did. But all good things must come to an end so after returning home, Casey decided to tell Tony about ‘The Master Plan,’ which is what the 3 Cs had named their plan. While hoping for his understanding, Casey instead was asked to leave. Casey gave Tony some time to calm down and then went back to the apartment in hopes of talking to him and making him understand. What she found when she got to the apartment soon became her worse nightmare.

Dana Sloan is an investigative reporter who seems to find herself mixed up in more than the usual ‘who’s ripping off the consumer’ investigations. She seems to somehow stumble into a murder now and then. In The Master Plan she ends up being involved in three murders with a friend, Judy, and a co-worker, Casey, being involved in two of them. Her detective boyfriend Al Bruno is handling two of the cases and really doesn’t want Dana involved. He has his own plans for Dana and they don’t include risking your life to complete an investigation. His ideas for her are more on the line of her becoming a soccer/PTA mom.

The biggest conflict in their relationship is when Dana steps into Bruno’s investigations or when Bruno withholds information Dana needs for her investigation and she is now involved in two. From what Dana has learned, she has come to the conclusion that all three murders are related. Bruno can’t see it. He still feels that the wives of his 2 cases just might be guilty and since they don’t know each other, the cases have no connections.

So… are they related? Will Dana be able to solve one, two or all three without getting herself killed? Will Casey and the 3Cs be able to pull off their little plan without being discovered? These were questions I carried all the way to the end. I usually have a list of my own suspects but with The Master Plan, I had none. I was really surprised to find out who killed who and why. I think you will too.

An Opulent Tableau of Essence - Compilation by Sharon Hays

2012-01-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

Tuna, Noodle, Cheese Casserole

(Compliments of Sharon Hays)

½ box wheat bowtie or other kind pasta

Cook al dente’ since it will be baked later. Rinse, Set aside and prepare other ingredients.

2 cans drained white albacore tuna

1 C frozen peas (You may choose to leave out).

Make roux of ½ stick butter, 3 tbsp. flour, and mix med low heat until mixed well and flour is cooked. Add 1.5 C skim milk slowly and let mix into the roux until it thickens and whisk so it won’t be lumpy. Add 1 ½ C of mild cheddar, and mix into sauce until cheese melts. Add 2 cans of tuna and mix into sauce. Add peas, (if you choose) and then add the noodles and pepper, etc to taste. ( you can add other seasonings to your own taste) Heat oven to 350 and bake with breadcrumbs on top or crushed potato chips (Really good) for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling.

ZELDA'S CRAZY GOOD BARS

(Also compliments of Sharon Hays)

Mix in bowl, 1 box any type cake mix,

1 stick butter (soft)

1 egg.

Press into bottom of 13x9x2 pan.

Blend together 2 eggs,

1 stick butter (soft)

1 brick cream cheese (8 oz.soft)

1tsp vanilla

Add 1 box of powdered sugar. Pour over crust layer and cook at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until top is golden/brown. Remove from oven, sprinkle w/powdered sugar, cool and cut. These are very rich, so cut small.

An Opulent Tableau of Essence - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir,

Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

Reflections

(Sharon Hays, 2010)

Reflections from an antique mirror

A face I do not know

When I leaned closer in to see

It was not me, oh no

I examined the stranger closely

She stared right back at me

I gazed into the antique mirror

Our eyes locked decidedly

Could this be the face of a long-lost friend

So familiar, the face in the mirror

This cannot be the face of me

A face that I am not aware

I tried to imagine how time could steal

A face that was once my own, oh my

But when I leaned much closer in

I knew the face was I

"I have to say that I've done this myself more times than I want to admit. I've looked into the mirror and see not myself as I see myself in my mind's eye, but instead I see a face looking back at me that has developed lines and sags that simply can't be. I look at that face and see so many others. My mother's face is there, my dad's face is there and even my daughter's face. That just simply can't be me looking back at me. But of course it is.

Author Sharon Hays is known for her mystery books Mysteerie Manor and Mysteerie Manor II as well as her children books The Tumbleweed Family and Adventures of Sadie Ladybug. Hays has now ventured into the world of art and poetry.

The poem above is one of her own and one of my favorites within her book An Opulent Tableau of Essence. Her poem A Homage to Veterans Lost and Forgotten is simply beautiful as is Time of Change. And the art work that she's paired with her poetry is just as beautiful. A couple of my favorites being Clouded Sunset by Dana Gage and Pale Rider by Kerri Pestana. But in honesty, I love them all and would love to have them hanging in my own home so I could just sit and stare.

And Hays doesn't stop there. She actually gives a bio of each artists included within the book. Some local within the US and some as far away as India, Australia and even Uzbekistan. This is one book that when placed on the coffee table, will be picked up and not just thumbed through but read and enjoyed, time and time again.

A Dangerous Harbor - R. P. Dahlke, Author

2012-01-15T09:27:00.000-08:00

Chile RelleñoCasserole:

8 slices of white bread

2 small cans chopped Mild chiles

½ Cup Monterrey Jack Cheese

2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese

2 Cups Milk

6 eggs

¼ tsp. Garlic powder

2 tsp salt

2 tsp oregano leaves or ground oregano

½ tsp paprika

Optional: 1 C each frozen corn and/or zucchini sliced thin

Trim crusts off of the 8 slices of firm white bread.

Butter one side and place buttered side down in rectangularcasserole dish

Sprinkle 2 cups shredded cheese evenly over bread.

In blender, add 6eggs, 2 cups milk, salt, paprika, oregano, garlic powder and whiz. Pour over cheese.

Top with more paprika or chili powder or green scallions forcolor.

Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

Bake uncovered @ 325 for one hour or until top is brown andmiddle is firm.

Can be served warm or cold.

A Dangerous Harbor – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

‘Katy leaned over and deftly nudged the weedy raft around so that its reluctant passenger was facing her, and then ever so gently, pushed back the wet strands of black hair. Dark wings of brow stood out in stark relief on pale olive skin. It was a girl, maybe all of sixteen, she guessed. “Where’d you come from?” She wondered to no one in particular. As if to answer at least part of her question, the ocean swelled, lifting up the maiden’s bier until Kate was looking into slightly open eyes. There were o petechiae, the telltale red dots freckling the cornea and typical of strangulation. “Not strangled, but still…” A frothy red bubble clinging to the nostril and a few more at her mouth said drowned, but not in the water very long as the limbs were still pliant and the skin wasn’t bloated or damaged by fish or sea birds.’

Detective Katrina Taylor Hunter, of the San Francisco Police Department, was forced to take a sabbatical after shooting her sister’s stalker. While the investigation was going on, she decided to take sail down to Ensenada, Mexico to clear her head and hopefully return to her position on the force. After discovering a floater Katy has doubts about the head clearing part of her trip. Her doubts are confirmed when after spending hours at the Ensenada Police Station she bumps into Gabriel Alexander, a former ‘love of her life’ who is being investigated as a possible connection to the dead girl found by Katy. And to make matters worse, she meets Chief Inspector Raul Vignaroli. Her reaction to him is immediate attraction. One problem…he wears a wedding ring and Katy has no desire to become involved with a married man. So will she be able to handle being around him after he cons her into helping with the investigation? Also, how will she handle her feelings for Gabe, the man she loved so deeply in her younger days?

Following Katy as she uncovers what appears to be a sex slave market being run by not only one of the boat captains but also the drug cartel, will keep you on your sitting on the edge of your seat, biting your nails and guessing. I had several ideas for who the killer(s) would turn out to be but found myself wrong most of the time. I have to say that the real killer, whom is not exposed until the end, surprised me. A Dangerous Harbor has turned out to be just as good as the Lalla Bains books A Dead Red Cadillac and A Dead Red Heart, both written by RP Dahlke. All three will keep you on the edge.

The Shape-Shifters - Louis Bertrand Shalako, Author

2012-01-12T16:32:00.000-08:00

Louis' Apple-Nut Bread

2 1/2 cups quinoa flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/3 cups applesauce
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup natural sugar, packed down
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup chopped cranberries
1 baking apple, grated
3 eggs

1.) Preheat oven to 350 F.
2.) Cream butter and sugar together.
3.) Bat in eggs one at a time. Stir in applesauce, grated apple, cranberries and vanilla.
4.) In separate bowl stir together remaining dry ingredients.
5.) Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stir by hand until well-mixed.
6.) Turn onto an oiled 5 by 7 inch loaf pan.
7.) Bake at 350 F. for 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8.) Cool ten minutes before removing from pan.

For a low cholesterol recipe, substitute 1/3 cup vegetable oil for the eggs. Quinoa flour is very nutitious and gluten-free.

The Shape-Shifters – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir,Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

He withdrew deep into the recesses of his very being and got intouch with his actual, living soul, as he had learned, quite by accident, somany years ago. He withdrew from conscious thought and into the core ofself, where the ego and the subconscious mind peacefully co-exist, at leastwhen they are not at war. His mind became a warm black pit, swirling withstars, galaxies, and everything in the cosmos, and he subsided into it,floating on a blood-red sea, where he contemplated the three most abstractobjects, the red box, the blue sphere and the four-sided yellow-goldenpyramid. His mind focused on the most universal of all abstract formsuntil he could pick them up and feel the weight of them, touching the hardness,the smooth-polished surfaces… His head started to cave into his body. Proceeding slowly at first, the transformation accelerated. His feetwithdrew and retracted up and out of his boots and into his pant legs. His hands disappeared up into his sleeves. His grimy clothes wereseemingly half-empty now, writhing and twisting in and on and of themselves asif taking on a life of their own. A sock fell to the cold, wet floorbeside his boots. A thin wisp of blue vapor rose up in curlicues andarabesque shapes in the dim light of the single forty-watt bulb. Theclothing squirmed into a new shape on the chair, as the ropes fell limp andslack all around what remained of Jean Gagnon.

Jean Gagnon is releasedfrom prison after being found guilty of robbery. Throughout his wholeimprisonment Jean declared his innocence, all to no avail. Needlessto say, his feelings for the system and the people that convicted him are filled with anger and resentment. Now he is a free man and can start his life anew. Or can he?

Janet Herbert is a widowwith two children, Jason almost nine and Ashley 3 1/2. Her husband Don was killed in a construction cave-in fouryears earlier, before Ashley was even born. The town of Scudmore had lostthe mill and jobs were almost non-existent so her struggle to keep a roof overkid’s heads and food on the table was becoming almost impossible. Thenshe met Jean.

Jeff McCabe, Harry Morden, Slick Wilson and Ted Hiltz are hunting buddies. Their hunting isn’t always legal but it kept them going. Then they metJean. After finding out that he had been convicted of stealing half amillion dollars, they had an idea. They would abduct him and do whatever it took to make him tell them where themoney was hidden. This would be easy to pull off and they would all be rich enough to get out of Scudmore forgood. What they didn’t bargain for is the fact that Jean is ashape-shifter, and not the only one in town.

‘The Shape-Shifters’ will take you on a hilly ride as Jean triesto put his life back together. He has inherited an old mansion that willcost him a fortune in upkeep, which he doesn’t have. It seems his onlyway out will be to sell and move on. He just didn’t expect Janet to stepinto his life and totally change his life. He also didn’t expect the fourhunting buddies to take him in at the same time a child had beenabducted. With his history of prison and the accusations of mental illness, the whole town turns against him. Heis accused of taking the child and murdering her. Jean’s future looks hopeless.

The Shape-Shifters is a book that I hope readers will enjoy. Ialso hope Louis will continue with future stories. I totally enjoyed thisbook.

Three Trailers Down - Douglas Chandler Graham, Author

2012-01-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Broccoli Casserole
(Recipe Compliments of Douglas Graham)

2 pkg. frozen chopped broccoli (cooked) or any other veggie you like
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 med. onion, chopped
1 can cream of mshroom soup

Mix all and put into casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Melt 1 stick of butter and drizzle over dish. Bake 325 - 350 degrees 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Three Trailers Down – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat & Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

‘Sammy collapsed on the bed. The girl was next, with a shot under her exposed chin. The young man…the magnum hollow point destroyed his brain stem and nervous system. All three were dead in less than ten seconds. What Will had to do now was get away without being recognized. He unhurriedly walked back out the front door, locking it before pulling it firmly closed. He was sure it would take a couple of days before anyone was interested enough to check or notice that no one from this apartment had been seen for a while. He opened the trunk of the car and was putting his equipment back in the case, separating the silencer from the pistol. After putting the case in the canvas backpack, he took off the gloves and threw them in the trunk. Someone behind him said, “Hi there.”

If you’ve had the pleasure of reading Smoke and Murders, you may have been left wondering what happened to some of its characters. Well, wonder no more. Vinyard’s corrupt police Lieutenant Bill Kenny is still up to his tricks. When his wife Camilla takes up with mob connected restaurant owner Louie Russo, Bill decides to add a bit more corruption to his already full plate and free himself of anything or anyone that doesn’t fit into his plans. He just didn’t expect State Police Inspector “Bear” McNutt to take notice of his activities and everyone knew what a pain Bear could be. Especially after what he had done to Adam Brackett. Remember him? He was the one Bear insisted had killed his best friend and family in Smoke and Murders.

If you remember, Judge Roy Ragland took in the drifter Harry as a handyman but the Judge’s wife Lillian has her own agenda for Harry but has a loose end or two to take care of first. Can she turn this orphan into a silk purse? She sure hoped to and decided the best place to give it a try was the exclusive Bondurant Lodge. And that is where we meet a few more characters as the stories continue.

Amanda Bondurant, 16 and bored, had just met the man of her life. He was older but that didn’t matter. He had a car and he would get her out of this hick town where her life had been so ‘perfectly’ dictated. She would just leave her family and their money behind and start her new life with Will. Little did she know, her new love had just completed a paid hit on one of the mob’s most feared men…Sammy The Shark.

Newberry Suggs decided to settle down on the outskirts of Vinyard so he purchased a trailer park. Other than the traditional fighting between spouses, the usual drunkenness and the occasional discipline of the kids, Suggs Trailer Village was fairly quiet. That is until a beautiful young lady driving a Cadillac convertible moved in. It seemed to Newberry that she was running from someone or something and when people came around asking about her, he knew there was a problem. But who is this beauty that lives Three Trailers Down?

Three Trailers Down can be read as a standalone book but I really recommend you read both books – Smoke and Murders 1^st and then Three Trailers Down, to get the full benefit of the story. So come on Graham and update us on what has happened to our surviving characters since Three Trailers Down.

Tunnel - The Lost Diary - Steven Nedelton, Author

2012-01-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

Maple Squash Puree

(A Steven Nedelton Special)

Brilliant orange squash is a vegetable everyone in the family loves, especially when you sweeten the deal with maple syrup. A dab of butter works wonders to make it ultra rich and creamy. You can also make this slow-food style with fresh roasted squash, but frozen works perfectly when time is tight.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 12-ounce packages frozen cooked butternut squash or winter squash
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter
Salt to taste

Directions

Put the frozen squash and water into a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the squash is thawed, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the maple syrup and butter and season with salt.

Notes

Mangos, squash, and carrots get their bright orange hue from beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant which actually imparts a yellow-orange color to food.

Tunnel - Lost Diary Tunnel – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

“He stopped walking for a moment,beginning to wonder what the officer had brought in and where he had hiddenit. Whatever it was, it was not so smallthat he could have missed it on his way in. He recalled that the wagon the three men were pushing was on theincoming rail, on the right hand side of the tunnel. He also figured the wagon could not have beendriven any further than the next stationary wagon he could barely see in thedistance. That meant the officer mighthave hidden his treasure somewhere near it, the contents being too heavy tocarry by hand. He began running towardthe next wagon…he was getting close to it when he noticed a grey iron door onright wall. He stopped running and walked over. It was fairly rusted, flush with the wall, and shaped like the openingof a dog house, three to four feet height and equally wide. There was a handle on the door and he triedto turn it, but it wouldn’t budge, going neither up nor down. He looked around the floor and found a halfof a brick next to the wall…

“What are we doing here, boy? Hunting for State property?” a man’s voiceboomed from behind him.

Ben Kalninsh was just a kid when he watched the Sovietsoldiers hide their stash in the tunnel that had not been used for severalyears. He just knew it had to be gunsand he sure wanted one for himself. Whathe didn’t expect was to be caught by one of the soldiers who had decided tosteal the stash for himself and go AWOL. And with the help of Ben’s father, he had a plan that would keep himsafe while getting himself and his stash of gold out of the country and intoAmerica.

Ben had virtually forgotten about his encounter in thetunnel as well as the man he knew as Andris. Everyone seemed to have forgotten Andris, orso it appeared. But he was brought tolight when Ben’s father and their friend and neighbor were both brutallymurdered for what seemed like no apparent reason. It seems that there was more than gold hiddenin the tunnel that day and the Soviets wanted that extra little find whichturned out to be a diary. It alsoappeared they wouldn’t stop searching and killing until they had their hands onit. Why was that diary more important than gold?

The Lost Diary Tunnel takes you into the world of espionage,betrayal, lies and a lot of agents working both sides of the fence. What these people will do just to keep theAmericans from knowing what’s really in the diary will scare the hell out ofyou. At least it did me.

Things That Make Me Nuts - Annette Bergman, Author

2012-01-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

Almond Joy Cake

(An Annette Bergman Favorite)

Cake: 1 Chocolate cake mix

1 package instant chocolate pudding mix

Foe cake: Mix as directed oncake mix, adding chocolate pudding mix

Bake in a greased and floured cookiesheet according to directions on cake box.

First topping: 1 cup sugar

1 cupmilk

24 large marshmallows

14 oz coconut

Bring sugar and milk to aquick boil. Melt marshmallows in hot mixture. Stir in coconut. Pour over cake.

Second topping: 1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup evaporatedmilk

1 stick butter 1package chocolate chips

1 ½ cups nuts(almonds or pecans)

Bring sugar, milk and butterto a quick boil. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted, stir in nuts. Pourover cake.

Things That Make Me NUTS – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

Ball Games

‘A lot of Sunday evenings, I plan on watching a movie or maybe a favorite show and it will be delayed by an hour, an hour and a half or more so they can finish a ball game. I’m not a late night person and I don’t want to stay up until twelve watching a movie that was supposed to come on at nine and is over at eleven.

Sports fans just think about this for a minute. Let’s say your ball game came on at seven and you turned on the television to find there’s a live Quilting Bee in progress and it won’t be over until the last knot is tied. There isn’t a half time, but it will be interrupted by frequent breaks that will include potty breaks, coffee breaks, snacks and an occasional interruption from a cell phone. All quilting will have to stop until the breaks are over, hands must be washed after eating donuts and nothing can continue until the cell phone conversation is over. Can you just imagine the turmoil that would cause in your living room when you were expecting to watch your favorite teams play?’

Apparently, like Author Annette Bergman, I’m not a sports fan so I can truly relate to this Thing That Makes Me Nuts. I even hate it when I’m doing something else and have someone watching a game, yelling at me, ‘watch this. You have to see this play!’ Even if I humor them and watch the replay I have no idea as to what I’m watching nor what’s even going on with what I’m watching. So yes, I do understand her frustration.

I also understand her other frustrations and believe that if you’re a female, you too can actually say ‘yeah! That really gets to me too!’ Have you ever wished someone would write a ‘Husband Hand Book for Dummies?’ They do need a few directions now and then and since they won’t ask, maybe a book to read would be the answer.

Bergman doesn’t stop with just husbands and men, she even goes into the problems we women have when buying a bra. You can only take 4 into the dressing room at one time so you undress, try them on, redress, go back out and get 4 more repeating the same procedure until you either find one that fits or you just give up. And why do men have pockets in their pants but most women’s pants don’t? That’s not all! She will open your eyes to the actual cost of a gallon of makeup!

As I read I could hear one voice in my head…Andy Rooney. I have decided that Annette Bergman is the female version of Andy Rooney. I’ve laughed as she voiced her feelings on topics that we all face but most of all, I understand and feel the same with EVERY ONE of her feelings. This is a must read for women and a should read for men. I know that some of you men can’t relate to a few of the topics but look at it like this. Things That Make Me NUTS will give you a better insight to the true feelings of women.

The Stages of Me - Kathy Henderson, Author

2011-12-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

London Broil & Kathy's

Special Sauce

Marinade

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 jar mixed berry fruit preserves

1 cup white wine

1 tsp. light soy sauce

1 tsp. sweet roasted paprika

1 1/2 tsp. Tony C. spice

1 tsp. Mrs. Dash original

tsp. garlic herb spice

1/3 cup Agave Syrup

Mix together. Pour over lean cut London Broil. Place in refrigerator 2 hrs. Bake at 350 degrees until medium well. Slice thin. Serve over rice.

The Stages of ME – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

‘We all have a beginning, middle, and eventually an end. The simple things can become so major in an appreciation of a true work. We are all works of art with our own complexities. I often find myself standing before a person as if in a museum, trying to observe the creation and realness beyond the layers. We all have so many layers. It is almost like a person’s life is a script on a theme tablet and he or she flips to the page that fits a situation. You know it’s true! In many ways this ties into our trust issues. We all have them! Do we trust enough to show our realness, or are we guarded out of fear? Do we change our tablet daily?

Life is a ‘stage’ and our Director is our Maker. He wrote the script and directs us through the many stages of Me as we go through life. Author Kathy Henderson takes us through her own personal script as she discovers the different stages of her own life. As we all know, life has its ups and downs and how we handle them and prepare for future stages depends on the faith we have not only in ourselves but also the faith we have in those touching our lives and more importantly our Director.

Kathy loved helping people, so with the help and faith of her Director, she became a Therapist in Physical and Cognitive Rehabilitation. She became the strength for those without strength. She became the sounding board for those with no one else to voice to. She even became the shoulder for those whose loved ones went on to a better, healthier place. But when she herself was struck down with a rare muscular disease, she became one of her own patients.

The strength displayed by this woman is amazing. With her own health threatening to slip over the edge, she never gives up faith in her Director as He takes her from stage to stage in life. When fear creeps into her children’s minds, she’s there to ease it away. Even when her husband is diagnosed with a heart disease, she still stands her ground and follows the script given her.

Kathy Henderson is an incredible woman with incredible strength. As she explains to us, life comes in different stages and our Director will guide us through all of them. The Stages of ME is a very uplifting book that everyone who has ever felt sorry for themselves should read.

The Undertaker - William F. Brown, Author

2011-12-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

"Brown Family Pumpkin Bread"

3 1/2 cups of flour

2 1/2 cups of sugar

2 tsp of baking soda

2 tsp of cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp of salt

1 tsp of nutmeg

1 cup of vegetable oil

4 eggs

2/3 cup of water

2 cups of canned pumpkin

Nuts (optional)

Sift the dry ingredients together. Mix the pumpkin,water, oil, and eggs together. Pour into dry mixture and mix well. Pour into 2 greased, medium loaf pans. Bake in 350 degree oven (preheated) for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool completely before removing from pans. It's great for the holidays!

The Undertaker – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds Dessert

TALBOTT, PETER EMERSON, AGE 33, OF Columbus, died Sunday at Varner Clinic following a tragic automobile accident. President and founder of Center Financial Advisors of Columbus. Formerly of Los Angeles, a 1999 graduate of UCLA and a lieutenant, US Army Transportation Corps. By authority of Ralph Tinkerton, Executor (See also TALBOTT, THERESA JUNE, wife, accompanying). Funeral services for both at 2:00 PM tomorrow, Greene Funeral Home, 255 E. Larkin, Peterborough, Ohio. Internment, Oak Hill Cemetery, following.

‘That was me. I was Talbott, Peterson Emerson, 33 years old, and formerly from Los Angeles. I had graduated from UCLA and I had been a lieutenant in the Army. Coincidence? I didn’t think so. There was only one of me and I didn’t die in the Varner Clinic or anywhere else last Sunday. I was an aeronautical software engineer and I had never been to Columbus or heard of Center Financial Advisors much less been its President. Still, when you’re looking into a set of hard, dark eyes and a .45 automatic, it’s hard to argue the fine points.’

According to the papers, Pete Talbott was dead. He and his wife had both died in a car accident. But…Pete was very much alive and living in Boston. His death wouldn’t have bothered him that much if whoever was responsible for this notice hadn’t brought his wife Terri into the picture. Terri had died of cancer and this funeral notice was nothing but a lack of respect to her making him determined to get to the bottom of both notices. He would also have never learned of his own death had it not been for the big, burly man named Gino sitting next to him with a gun pointed at his head. He would also have never met Sandy whose husband had died a year before but apparently had just died again. Confusing? Imagine what they felt as they uncovered several deaths that had taken place at least twice.

Racing around the states, being chased by the very people who are supposed to protect them, Pete and Sandy find themselves being blamed for not only murders of innocent people but also those committed by the mob. As the puzzle starts to become clear, Pete and Sandy begin to understand why people are ‘dying’ twice. They also begin to understand who is behind this and why as they discover how high up the ladder the arm of ‘un’justice really reaches.

Have you ever read a book that keeps going and going and you see yourself running out of pages with no possibility of a ‘happy ever after’ ending? That is what I was facing with The Undertaker. As the pages ran out I could see no possible way for Pete and Sandy to escape cliff-hanger after cliffhanger. Could this be one of those books that simply don’t end with a smile. You'll have to read The Undertaker and find out for yourself. I truly enjoyed sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the ending.

Escape 2 Earth 2012 - Lawrence Johnson, Sr., Author

2011-12-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

Author Lawrence Johnson, Sr.'s

Shrimp Soup

3 Cups Clam Juice

2 Cups Heavy Cream
10 1/2 oz Seafood Bisque

1 tsp. White Pepper
2 lbs. Shrimp - peeled, deveined and halved

1/2 to 1 Cup of Townhouse or Ritz Crackers (Crushed)

1. Simmer clam juice and seafood bisque
2. Add shrimp - DO NOT BOIL. When shrimp are pink stir in heavy cream.
3. Add white pepper
4. Turn off heat then add crushed crackers - stir

Escape 2 Earth 2012 – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

‘Two tall male forms walked from the ship toward them. This was it. It was obvious from their attire that they were not from this world. It was one of the coldest nights of the winter but the thin blue shimmering material worn by the visitors seemed more than adequate to keep them warm. One of the aliens began to speak. His voice was calm and welcoming. “I bid you peace. You have no idea how long we have waited for this moment to arrive.” The two aliens bowed slightly under the moonlight while Will and Matt stood motionless and speechless. “Your friend is injured, allow us to help.” One of the aliens had dark blue hair, when he moved away from the light it actually looked black. He motioned toward Art. When they didn’t respond he picked Art up in both arms and carefully carried him up the small ramp and inside the ship. The other alien was a little shorter with shoulder length reddish brown hair. The shorter man did not speak but motioned for Matt and Will to follow. Once on the ship the door silently slid closed behind them and once again the ship seemed to vanish. Matt and Will were not the only ones amazed at the dramatic arrival of the aliens, the man who had shadowed them since their arrival at the airport was back. This time he watched, with high-powered night vision binoculars, from a clump of trees on the other side of the clearing. The stalker had shed his disguise. He would be much easier for Matt to recognize now. It was Matt’s nemesis, Dave.’

Matt and Will were not just best friends, they were also partners in a venture to photograph and hopefully find answers to the mysterious masses of ‘crop circles’ that had plagued the world for years. But, as time passed and the answers with it, Matt decided to split the partnership and take a real job. One that would keep him home where he and his wife Sara could hopefully start a family. But, as predicted by Will, Matt would soon become bored with his position at America’s Pulse Magazine. At least that was the case until Matt and Will met Arthur Collins. Art was a computer whiz with CBT Electronics. He and his team were in the process of building a new super computer. Secretly he talked Matt and Will into allowing him to submit the data they had collected over the years into the new computer to see what it might come up with a pattern and therefore answers. The answers calculated by this super computer would change the lives of not just Matt, Will and Art but the whole world. By diagnosing the data, there appeared to be 3 symbols that kept appearing in the printouts. They were 001, 034, AH and 2,012. After many calculations 001 turned out to be San Andreas Fault, 034 – England, and AH – Averbury Hedge. 2,012 was the year which was 8 years into the future. The year Earth would be destroyed.

So, where do the aliens come into play? Are they here to help or to hinder? According to them, they aren’t even supposed to be there. If their planet officials found out, they could face death. But can the trio believe what they tell them about the destruction of the world? According to them, Earth cannot be saved but the people can. How? There are millions of people on the planet and no way to get off and even if they could, where would they go?

I’ve read books that have kept me on the edge of my seat but Escape 2 Earth 2012 had me even holding my breath at times. Why? So many of the happenings are so possible. What are the pyramids really and how were they actually built? What is Stonehenge and who built it? Is it possible that there might be a planet out there that is on course to collide with Earth? Would our government even tell us if there was no way to avoid the collision? Escape 2 Earth 2012 is fiction but it sure makes sense of some of these questions. This is a truly intense book.

Slade's Destiny - The Witchcraft Wars Book 3 - Tracey Alley, Author

2011-12-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

CORN AND BACON QUICHE

(A Tracey Alley Special)

INGREDIENTS

2 X Rashers of Bacon

1 X Can of Corn Kernals 440 g

5 X Eggs

1 x Small bottle of cream 300 g

1 x Sheet of short crust pastry

METHOD

Chop 2 rashers of bacon into bite sized squares and lightly fry

Add one can 440g of corn kernals

In large mixing bowl add 5 eggs and 300mg cream

Grate 1 cup of cheese into mixture and stir well combining all the ingredients

After well mixed pour mixture into a lined dish with the short crust pastry on the bottom

Cook in moderate over for approximately 30 mins or until you can insert a knife and it comes out clean.

x = 1 of or 2 of

1 can corn kernals or

1 x can corn kernals

Slade’s Destiny – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

‘Ming could hear the click of armor and the rhythmic pounding of many, many feet as they drew closer. She could feel her heartbeat increasing and pounding heavily in her chest, using the exercises and skills taught to her as a monk she tried to quiet her rapidly beating heart. Panic and fear would only cause her to make mistakes; she needed a cool, clear and calm head. It was one of the first lessons learned in the warrior training at the Black Lotus. Less than an hour had passed before the group got their first look at the approaching army. In spite of the lanterns it was still shadowy along the length of the underground roadway. They could not be certain who they faced but she noted with a sense of relief that the army, and an enormous army at that, seemed to be primarily made of up the very dwarves that Zexsan had been leading them to see. In the very back she could just make out a group of taller figures that indicated an almost equally large human following closely behind the dwarves.’

Ming is just one of the key elements that must put a stop to the witch Shallendara’s attempt to open the portals that will cause total destruction to their world. Slade and his sister Ursula, as well as many others, have vowed to rescue their father King Erich after his kidnapping. To do this they must stand against their older brother Ulrich who has taken over the throne. Both realize his evilness and also the fact that he may have had a hand in the kidnapping as well as the death of their mother. But time is running out. Shallendara has learned what is required to open the portal. She must acquire two of the three gemstones required for the opening. When these two are brought together, the third will follow. The mystery is her motive. With the destruction of the world how does she expect to survive? How can she be stopped?

Then there is Nexus who has worked with Shallendara as a joint quest to find the stones and open the portal. But can she really trust him? Is his motive real or does he have ideas of his own? Will the two continue to work together or will they betray each other?

Book Three of the Witchcraft Wars has been a true page turner. I couldn’t wait to see Slade’s Destiny would really become the end of the series or hopefully lead to a 4^th. I was completely surprised by the ending! And to my delight, there are many possibilities for continuation. Hopefully soon. My advice, read the complete set of the Witchcraft Wars in order. You won’t be disappointed.

Smoke and Murders - Douglas Chandler Graham, Author

2011-12-09T14:43:00.001-08:00

SAUSAGE BALLS

(A Douglas Graham Favorite)

1 Pound of sausage
2-1/2 cups of bisquick
8 oz package of cheddar cheese (shredded)

Let sausage and cheese stand at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Work cheese into sausage, then gradually add bisquick.
Roll into 1 inch balls and put on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 20 to 30 minutes.

Smoke and Murders – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds Desserts

‘Inside the still smoky house, Lieutenant Bill Kenny of the Vinyard Police Department was approached by a tall, older man in a baggy brown suit. He introduced himself as Virginia State Police Lead Investigator Bernard McNutt. McNutt assumed he was introducing himself to the Vinyard police chief since Lieutenant Kenny was wearing a suit and tie instead of a uniform. McNutt was surprised to learn that the chief wasn’t at the crime scene. He had heard the firemen on the radio talking about the four bodies they discovered and had expected the top cop to be at a crime scene of this magnitude. Kenny told McNutt the police chief left the heavy lifting to him and said he would be working more with him than the police chief. Kenny explained that the police chief did all of the media releases, the glad-handling with business people, and dealt with the town officials, and he, Bill Kenny, handled the crime and workaday part of the Vinyard police business. Then he informed the investigator of what they had found and as much as he know about the victims’ background.

Vinyard is a small town in Virginia. Most of the residences were born there and never left. Everyone knows everyone as well as everyone’s business. So when ex-postal worker Brad Harmon, his wife and two children were murdered, the first person Investigator Bear McNutt suspected was Adam Brackett. Bear has had his eye on Adam every since two girls that he had taken to his motel room disappeared to never be seen nor heard from again. He couldn’t pin it on him then but he would get his, one way or another, for the Harmon murders. But could Adam really murder the only friends he has really ever had? The more Bear talks about the case, the more people are starting to believe he could and did.

In Vinyard, you find the typical small town politics. The council rules the police chief and the judge, at least they think they do. The police chief rules his lieutenant Bill Kenny, so he thinks. Bill Kenny rules the drug dealers in town, yeah right. And the whole time, the major crimes are being committed by those that are sworn to uphold the laws. The only results can be nothing more than disastrous.

Vinyard is the story about a town that’s so corrupt that the only way it can correct itself would be to move everyone out and start over. Yet the story is so believable that I have no doubt there are many towns out there just like Vinyard. And I bet if you grew up in a small town or live in one now, you will be able to relate to a lot of the happenings in Vinyard. I know I can.

Smoke and Murders became a book that I really enjoyed and I think you will too.

http://allamosa.com  Virginia Murder
http://smokeandmurders.com Novel
http://threetrailersdown.com Novel
 

Love of a Stonemason - Christa Polkinhorn, Author

2011-12-04T14:02:00.001-08:00

Zabaglione:

Quantity (for one person):
for 1 egg yolk:
- half eggshell of Marsala
- half eggshell of dry white wine
- 2 small spoons of sugar

Whisk the sugar with the yolks very well, then add the Marsala and the white wine. Cook the whole thing in a double saucepan.
When the cream gets thick and hard, remove the pan from the fire.
The Zabaglione is ready to be served, hot with some cookies.

From the "ricette della nonna" ("recipes from the grandmother"), a summary of typical recipes from the Ticino Region by Noride Beretta-Varenna and Giovanna Sciaroni-Moretti, editions Dadò, Locarno.

Love of a Stonemason – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds Dessert

‘She saw the car just as she stepped into the crosswalk. An old beat-up Fiat screeched to a stop within a few inches away from her. Karla jumped back and dropped her portfolio, spilling its content onto the pavement. Her heart thudded and she took deep breaths, trying to calm the queasy feeling in her stomach. That smell. Burnt rubber. A young man got out of the car and stared at her, stunned. “Are you all right?” Karla still dazed, nodded. She bent down and began to pick up her drawings. A few pedestrians stopped but when they realized that nothing major had happened they walked on. The driver’s dark voice rose to an angry pitch. “Jesus Christ. What’s the matter with you? You practically threw yourself in front of my car. I could’ve killed you. Are you suicidal or something?” “I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching.” Karla slid the papers back into her portfolio. “Yeah, well, that’s obvious. Wake up, for heaven’s sake.”

Meet the characters:

Karla Bocelli is an artist whose first exhibition opens the following Friday. The gallery belongs to a friend of hers who devotes time and money to help fledging artists showcase their work. Karla’s mother and grandmother were both killed in a car accident when she was still a child, leaving her to be raised by an aunt. Her father Arturo and her mother had never married and there was never a real father/daughter relationship between he and Karla. He now lived in Peru with his wife and family. The few times they had seen each other, the feelings were strained. Then Karla finds not just one but two men of extreme importance stepping into her life. Andreas O’Reilly and her art instructor Jean Philippe.

Andreas O’Reilly is a stonemason. He not only makes head stones for the cemeteries but he also does sculptures. His childhood, in ways, was like Karla’s. His mother Emilia had married his father Robert but at an early age in his life they had divorced, he and his mother moved in with her brother and his father moved back to the United States. His relationship with his mother is also strained. He blames her for the nightmares he lived through as a child. His chance meeting with Karla has brought life back into his existence. But not without problems that must be dealt with for both of them.

Through Love of a Stonemason I have traveled to Peru, Florence, Switzerland and many other countries in-between. I’ve experienced not just the beauty of these places but also took a history lesson in the arts. Through the author’s description, I feel as if I’ve just returned from a journey that I’ll never be able to take in person.

As for the story, it’s been a long time since I’ve read a love story as beautiful as Love of a Stonemason. When you combine the mistakes, the forgiveness and the love filling the pages of this book you can’t help but have a truly inspiring book. It makes you realize that there are always two sides to each story and unless you listen to both, you’ll never be able to expel the resentment you might be feeling. Great book!

Chill Run - Russell Brooks, Author

2011-11-27T12:59:00.001-08:00

Granny's Bajan Sweet Bread
(A Russell Brooks Favorite)

2 lb Self Rising Flour
1 lb brown Sugar
3/4 lb Butter
1/4 lb Shortening (optional)
1 grated coconut (approx 3 cups)
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
Raisins - Optional
Cherries - Optional

Makes approximately 3 medium sized breads

Coconut Filling (optional)
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 tbs Sugar
1 tsp essence
2 tbs water
• Put all ingredients in small pan & place on low fire
• Stir continuously for approximately 3 mins or until sugar is dissolved.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients together (except fruit). Mix butter & Shortening into mixture, using fingers, until mixture resembles large bread crumbs. Add fruit to mixture. Use enough liquid to bind mixture together. This could be coconut water, milk or just plain water. Knead dough for a few minutes. The longer you need the dough, the firmer the bread becomes. Sweet bread is traditionally a firm bread, but some people like it soft & crumbly. The choice is yours. Grease & flour loaf pan. Fill pan halfway with dough. Place a slender line of coconut filling lengthwise down middle of dough. Put remaining dough on top. Cut light crisscross pattern on top with a knife for decoration (optional). Bake for 30-45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
Tip
For a crisper top, place a small pan with water at bottom of oven while baking.

Chill Run – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds Desserts

Eddie bit down hard to avoid himself from trembling. The finger that his father used to point at him came from the same hand that used to spank him. Wait a minute. Why am I being scared? This is why I’m always on the ropes, because my father always instilled fear in me. Edward’s eyes narrowed as he spoke. “You quit school, left this house on your own, and got that little job at the bookstore. Now you’re living from paycheck to paycheck, running around like a hamster in a wheel. Running around and not going anywhere – that’s you. You squandered everything that your mother and I invested in you. Once you decide to do something meaningful and stop writing nonsense, then I’ll help you.” He then finished off the last of his sweet potato. The tightness at the back of Eddie’s throat suddenly went away. He felt his pulse beating hard in his neck, something he never felt before. It was bad enough to be kicked when he was down. But now his dad had crossed the line. I stood up to Patrick at the bar, why shouldn’t I stand up to you? “Dad, all I have to say to that is that I can respect you all the way. You came from nothing and you became a pharmacist. You faced an uphill battle to become what you wanted.” His father didn’t appear to hear what he said. He wasn’t landing his punches. “And that’s why you are so wrong, in every way.” Eddie felt the shock and awe around him at the table as everyone simultaneously stopped eating.

Eddie Barrow, Jr. has finally confronted his father and stood up for himself. Eddie had always wanted to be a writer but that wasn’t what his parents, especially his father, wanted him to become. The lack of support from his family is what caused him to move out of their home and seek a life of his own. But, of course, independence came with its own ups and downs.

Eddie’s best friend Corey, who had once saved his life, became his roommate but he had his own problems, mainly the lack of a job. So when Eddie lost his own job there was nothing else to do but find another way to make himself known and stop the rejection letters that were coming in from the publishers after reading his manuscript. Through the help of Corey’s girlfriend Jordyn, the perfect publicity stunt was set up and put into action. They would never have guessed that this best laid plan would end up in murder with Eddie, Corey and Jordyn all three running for their lives.

Chill Run is a fitting name for this book. The twists and turns will keep the chills running as the trio has no choice but to find the real killers and expose them. But how do you make that happen when the person in the background pulling the strings has people in his pocket that can prevent you from reporting what you know to the police?

Not only does Chill Run have the action, suspense and a laugh now and then, it also speaks to the reader. Eddie’s family has shown no support for his choices in life. They insist that he follow their dreams for him and not his own. For a determined person like Eddie, this gave him no choice other than to do something he would have never even considered otherwise. And now his only goal is to keep himself and his two best friends alive, again without the support of his parents. Chill Run is a story that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.

To enter Russell's contest to win a free copy of his book simply write a comment and leave your email address with your post, but hurry because the contest ends 11/30/2011. Russell will be giving away 10 copies of his book Chill Run.

Russell Brooks

Author

Pandora's Succession

Read Now - http://bit.ly/97ZcmI

Twitter - @AuthorRussell

Buy your copy today Chill Run

Behind Closed Doors - Brian L. Porter, Author

2011-11-20T13:26:00.001-08:00

Meat And Potato Pie
(Brian Porter & Character Albert Norris' favorite)


17 ½ oz lamb shin , cubed 5 tbsp seasoned flour 6 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion , peeled and sliced 2 carrots , peeled and sliced into cubes 11 ¾ fl oz beef stock 17 ½ oz potatoes , peeled, cubed, parboiled 1 packet of short crust pastry salt and pepper 1 beaten egg 1 medium saucepan with lid 1 oven proof dish 1 knife 1 spoon 1 pastry brush

Dust the meat. Sprinkle some flour over the cubed meat and mix it well together with your hands.
Fry the meat. Place the pan on a medium heat and add the oil. Allow to warm through and once warm add the floured meat and onions. Stir it all together with a spoon and allow the meat to brown, which will roughly take 3-4 minutes.
Cook the meat. When the meat is nicely browned add the carrots. Then season with salt and pepper. Stir it all together and bring it to the boil. Stir once more and cover with the lid. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for roughly one hour until the meat is tender.
Preheat the oven. During the last fifteen minutes of cooking the meat, heat the oven to 220 degrees centigrade.
Add potatoes. Add the par boiled potatoes to the cooked meat and stir them in with your spoon.
Transfer to oven proof dish. Carefully pour the pan of meat into an oven proof dish, then smooth it over with your spoon.
Cover with pastry. Lay the pre rolled pastry over the dish and peel back the protective covering. Then continue to crimp down the pastry at the edges with your fingertips. Slice off any excess pastry and make several slits with your knife to help the pie breath. Then generously brush with the beaten egg wash to help it brown.
Bake. Place the pie in the bottom of the oven and bake for 40 min.
Remove from oven & serve. Remove from the oven when golden brown.
Served with boiled potatoes, roast vegetables and thick gravy.

Behind Closed Doors – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts

“ ‘Men have met their maker as a result of the greed and avarice of those who would turn the people of this fair city into denizens of the underground world. Be warned that their deaths will be avenged.’ It’s true that a number of workers were killed in accidents, mostly cave-in, during the excavations of the original, and some of the newer tunnels. This could be valid threats from someone with revenge in mind against the company, perhaps a friend or relative of one of the dead men. ‘God will not allow this fiendish contraption, this infernal machine of the devil to prosper. We will bring about its ruination and force the Metropolitan Railway to cease its operations forthwith, in the name of The Almighty.’”

These are excerpts from letters written to the owners, demanding that the operation of the Metropolitan Railway be stopped. They were brought to the attention of Inspector Albert (Bert) Norris and his sergeant Dylan Hillman as they are being told by their Superintendent about a murder that has taken place in the underground railway owned by The Metropolitan Railway Company. The murder takes place on the same night that Jack the Ripper made one of his own famous Whitechapel kills. Could they be related? Bert’s superior says no. He is being told, from those high up, that this is an entirely separate act that must be handled as quietly as possible to prevent bad publicity from damaging the railway company. But as other murders occur, again on the same days of the Ripper murders, it becomes quite difficult to keep these events quiet.

Author Brian L. Porter has always kept me in the dark with the endings of his books, but in Behind Closed Doors, I had him. I determined who the murderer was and had the courts ready to slip the noose around their neck by the middle of the book. Well…he did it to me again. I wasn’t totally wrong but I was nowhere near the real truth that would convict the real murder. I’m afraid my case would have been thrown out of the courts. So, the master of deception has tricked me again.

As always, Porter’s characters are believable and so real. His descriptions of the scenes place you in the middle of the action. One thing I can say with enthusiasm is this, ‘Watch out Sherlock and Watson…Norris and Hillman are on the case.’ And boy are they good!

I Am More Than Just a Girl - Leah Oviedo, Author

2011-11-17T15:03:00.001-08:00

Eggplant Lasagna

( Author Leah Oviedo says: I never would have tried eggplant until I became a vegetarian. Turns out it's my favorite vegetable to cook with. Anything with marinara sauce and cheese is something I will eat, so eggplant lasagna is my favorite dish and the first eggplant recipe I tried. It is so simple!
*Gluten free noodles and fake cheese can be substituted for non-gluten and vegan eaters. My family has both so I have made that. It all tastes good. When in doubt use extra garlic!)

Ingredients
Marinara Sauce (1 jar)
Lasagna Noodles (1 package for a small dish, 2 for larger)
One whole eggplant (about 2 cups worth)
Cheese (sharp cheddar is my favorite) 2 cups
Oregano (2 tbsp)
Basil (1/4 cup torn up or chopped)
6x8 pan
Olive oil to spray

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2) Wash and cut up eggplant and basil. Put in bowl with garlic and oregano and mix it all together.
3) Grate or hand crumble cheese (this is always fun for kids who want to help).
4) Grease up bottom of pan with olive oil.
5) Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on bottom of pan.
6) Add layer of noodles, layer of cheese, layer of eggplant mix and repeat till you get near the top of the pan.
7) Lay out remaining noodles on eggplant mix and cover with cheese and marinara sauce
8) Stick in oven 20-25 minutes
9) Let it cool off a bit and then dig in!

I Am More Than Just a Girl – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

‘You are not “just a girl”. You are a human being who has strength, wisdom and a unique mind. You have a million opportunities to grow and learn. You are more than just a pretty face. You are amazing and beautiful and have so much to offer our world. You are equal to every woman, man and boy. Your future is uncharted which gives you the chance to be whoever you want to be, do anything, and go anywhere.’

These are powerful words that each of us should not only listen to but hear as well. Through the help and determination of women such as activist Gloria Steinem, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and my favorite Wilma Mankiller, the first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation, women have been allowed to step out of their shells and become integral parts of life as we know it today. And it isn’t stopping there but continuing on with YOU.

Through I Am More Than Just a Girl, Leah Oviedo has given the young women of today a map to follow as they mature. She touches on topics such as loving yourself first and keeping positive thoughts about yourself. She talks about angry emotions and offers ways to deal with and overcome them. And she emphasizes the importance of taking care of your body and mind which if left to stress usually leads to physical illness.

I Am More Than Just a Girl is a book that I know would have benefited me as I grew up. So many of the topics discussed actually pertained to my childhood but at that time and age there was no one around to tell me how to handle and deal with the situations as they occurred. I want to recommend this book to EVERYONE who has a young woman in their life. Even the happiest, most content young lady may still be struggling with problems of her own that she feels she has no one to discuss them with. This book could very well help.

Nate Rocks the World - Karen Pokras Toz, Author

2011-11-15T14:43:00.001-08:00

Feta Chicken

(A Karen Special)

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs)

2 Tbsp lemon juice (divided)

2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp pepper

1 package (4 oz) Feta cheese - crumbled

1 box couscous

Arrange chicken in baking dish

Drizzle with 1Tbsp of lemon juice

Sprinkle Cilantro and Pepper

Top with Feta cheese & drizzle remaining 1 Tbsp of lemon juice

Bake 350 for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through

Prepare couscous as per box directions - serve chicken over couscous

Nate Rocks the World – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

“What in the world?” I say quietly to myself. I turn back around to look inside the house. Everything I see is in shades of gray. The blue couch in our living room is gray. The green front door is now gray. The grass and the trees, all gray. Even Mom’s bright red van parked in the driveway is gray. I look down at my body. Sure enough, even my clothes are all gray! I take a step outside. It is a clear day, unseasonably warm for October. There is not a cloud in the sky. The sun – gray of course – shines white beams of light. As I walk down the street, people I do not recognize start coming out of their houses wondering, as I am, what has happened. I see a black spot in the sky growing larger. At first, I think it is a bird, but as it approaches, I realize that it is actually a person…flying toward me. A circle of people I don’t know, gather around me. The man from the sky gets closer. He lands directly in front of me, and I immediately recognize him.

Ten year old Nathan (Nate) Rockledge loves to draw. His specialty…superhero cartoons where he Nate Rocks is the hero that saves the moment. Give him a pencil and paper, a little quiet time and just about any situation and he will solve the problem as he saves the world. In his cartoon world, even Captain Asteroid seeks Nate’s help to save the world from the evil Dr. Shadow. Even the President seeks Nate Rocks’ help in recovering stolen spy equipment. But what happens when the situation is real and not make believe? Can the real Nate Rockledge stand up to the plate and become a true hero?

Nate Rocks the World takes the ordinary life of the Rockledge family and brings it to life as something most of us can actually relate to. If you’ve ever had an older sister or brother, you can understand Nate’s relationship with his older sister Abby. If your dad was like Nate’s you will see the humor in the stories he constantly tells about his own childhood. And if you were unfortunate enough to have a mother that couldn’t cook nor sew you will definitely relate to the bad meals and bad Halloween costumes created by Nate’s mother. This book is full of humor and sparked memories from my own childhood. It’s light hearted and a really enjoyable book to read if you’re an adult and a fun book to have read to you if you’re still a child.

In the St. Nick of Time - K. M. Daughters, Author

2011-11-10T14:59:00.001-08:00

K's Pumpkin Bread
(Heroine Kay Sullivan Lynch's recipe)

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts

GREASE pan [recipe makes enough for a Giant loaf pan 11 3/4 x 5 1/2 x 3 1/4]
MIX all ingredients together with a whisk
BAKE at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hour
LET STAND 15 minutes before removing from pan

In the St. Nick of Time – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

“Two sidewalk Santas died on the street recently from heart failure, according to the death certificates. Both were St. Nicholas Society to End Hunger volunteers who annually played Santa at outdoor locations around the city. They collected money during the organization’s Christmas fund drive.” He consulted a paper he had placed on the lectern. “Both were active, healthy men in their seventies with no prior history of heart disease, according to one of the deceased’s wives. I fielded a call yesterday from one wife, Mrs. Heller. She believes her husband was murdered and insisted that we open a criminal investigation. She stated that Mr. Heller passed a full-body physical two weeks ago, purportedly in perfect health. I’m not sure where this will lead, but I could use a volunteer to do some of the legwork for me.”

Hand raised, Kay Lynch holds her breath in hopes that Flynn Dowd will choose her to partner on this case. The case has caught her interest. So far there have been three incidences of sudden cardiac arrest. Each victim is an elderly man posing as a Santa but each has apparently had no heart problems in the past. It may have been passed off as a coincidence until Santa number 4 passes in the same way. So, Kay wants this case to help prove herself but she also wants it for another reason. For the first time since losing her husband 2 years earlier, Kay has found someone she really wants to be around and with.

Kay Sullivan Lynch, along with her brothers, were all police officers. When she married Mike Lynch, she hung up her badge and became a mother of 4. After Mike’s death Kay decided it was time to go back to the living world. She requalified for her position with the department and was assigned to her brother Pat’s precedent. Her oldest daughter Mary and the twin girls took her new life without problems. Her son Mike was a different story. He felt she should have continued life as it had been before his dad died. So, when she hooked up with Flynn, Mike made it known how he really felt about the situation.

In the St. Nick of Time has it all. It’s has love but I wouldn’t really call it a love story. It has murder and suspense but I wouldn’t call it a mystery. It has family affairs and problems but it’s not actually a self help book. And there humor but it’s not a comedy. What is it? It’s all of these rolled into one and I simply loved it. The trials Kay goes through as she juggles her life on the force, at home and her personal life, and her solutions and decisions for handling life, are so real. As for the Santa Slayer, I could see the possibility of that happening in real life too. This was a very enjoyable book.

Plymouth Colony II - Sharolyn Wells, Author

2011-11-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Ground Beef Casserole

(An Author Sharolyn Wells favorite.This is a recipe my brother received from the diabetic camp he went to when he was 13. Our family loved it. It's a casserole.)

1 lb. ground beef

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can whole kernal corn, drained

1 small onion, diced

1 small red pepper, diced

6 cups egg noodles, cooked and drained

Brown ground beef, onions and red pepper until no pink shows in the beef. Drain and add the two soups and corn. Set aside. Cook egg noodles until tender. Use cooking spray to coat the sides and bottom of a 6 qt. casserole dish. Add ground beef mixture and noodles and mix well. Top with Panko bread crumbs. Cook at 375* for 45 minutes or until bread are golden.

Plymouth Colony II – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts

...Teris wiped her fingers across tear-streaked cheeks. “It looks bigger than our village.” Her fingers tightened on her brother’s arm and her voice shook. “Do you think they’ll separate us?” Eric leaned over and kissed his older sister’s forehead. “You worry too much. Just remember, out of all the billions of people on Earth, the lottery selected very few.” His brow furrowed. “Although, I can’t help wondering why they chose us.”

“I don’t think, for a society this advanced, they would need me as a doctor. I’m sure they have doctors of their own. And you?” She shrugged. “I’m sure they have police officers, too.” Her woeful gaze darted to his. “Mother said they wanted people of breeding age. I don’t know why but this makes me nervous.” She began crying again as she thought about her family. Starting from today, Eric would be the only family she had left. Her children, if she ever had any, would never know the special people her parents had been. “I wish Mom and Dad had the same chance as we do.” One of Eric’s shoulders rose and fell. He pushed his raven hair behind his ear. “Don’t think about Mom and Dad anymore. You know they wanted this for us. They told us to put our names in the lottery, even though they knew they would be left behind here on earth.”...

Teris and Eric Keyes were both chosen by a lottery to be to leave earth before it’s destruction by meteors. Scientists reported that over one hundred meteors were traveling toward earth, some as big as the ones that took out the dinosaurs. After the discovery, a planet that virtually mirrors earth agreed to take one hundred thousand young people off Earth and to the safety of their planet Kelkan. The one condition was that they must be young and of a breeding age. Due to a plague that had been spread years ago by the reptilian beings from Novari, many Kelkans died or were became unable to produce children. Unless outside life was introduced to their world, the Kelkani people would become extinct.

Imagine being chosen to leave the world you know to be taken to one you don’t. As with Teris and Eric, they, as well as the others, want to trust these strange people who look like Earth people but can you really believe in them enough to put your life into their hands? How can you be sure their promises are real and there aren’t other reasons for them rescuing your people? You know nothing about their cultures. You don’t even know what they eat. But what if their promises are all true and they are really helping to save your world and way of life by rescuing as many as possible.

Plymouth Colony II will make you realize that disasters are possible and hopefully rescues are too. This was quite an interesting book that gave me food for thought.

Winds of Wildfire - Ronald P. Chavez, Author

2011-11-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Red Chile Sauce

(By Chef Ronald P. Chavez)

Ingredients:

½ cup red chile-fine

¼ cup red chile-coarse

1/2 cup flour

½ cup cooking oil

2 teaspoons granulated garlic

2 teaspoons salt

½ pound pork

1 large diced onion

6 cups broth

Combine pork, onion into two 2gal. pot filled ¾ with water. Add saltand pepper to taste. Boil until pork istender, usually 30 minutes.

Combine both fine and coarsechile, flour, salt and garlic. Stir dryuntil well blended. Remove pork and setaside to cool. Pour 2 cups broth afterit’s done into combined dry mix. Take care to stir broth as you dip from largepot to assure good flavor. Stir chile mix until well blended into a smoothuncooked sauce.

Remove bones if any from cookedpork. Dice boneless pork into ½ inchsquares. Set aside.Now comes the momentof truth. Your sensibilities come intoplay here. Pour ½ cup cooking oil into 2gal. pot. Heat until it feels hot to thehand above the pot. Do not allow to burnor smoke. Once oil is hot, turn offheat. This is a must. You do not want to burn the chile.

Now you need all the angels youcan muster. Pour uncooked chile mix into hot oil. Stir quickly andconstantly. Don’t worry about pouringall the chile mix. At this point thestirring is paramount. The remaining mixcan be added after oil completely absorbs the chile mix.

Next: turn heat back on medium hot.Stir constantly, until a roasted chile aroma tantalizes your sense of smell. Add pork and mix it into chile sauce.

Pour 2 cups of broth into theroasted chile mix. Stir! Stir! Stir! Until sauce is creamy in texture. Bring to a boil. Stir! Stir! Stir! Now simmer for 30 minutes,stirring often with last cup of broth added for desired thickness a little at atime as chile sauce simmers and thickens.

Done! Kept covered in the frig,it’ll keep for weeks. Pour over eggs,enchiladas, potatoes, meats, beans. Stretch your imagination and satisfy your appetite and warm yourheart. Have a chileee day!

Options: substitute chicken, beef, fish, any kind ofmeat will do. Or you can eliminate allmeat for veggie sauce. Your call.

To order New Mexico chile contact Chef Chavez attaosoiet@yahoo.com

Winds of Wildfire – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts.

‘Taos Pueblo is home to the Tiwa trib. The first Spaniards named it pueblo, town, because they lived in a multi storied adobe complex. The Pueblo has stood for over a thousand years on its original lands, even though it’s called a reservation or rez for short. These ancient people have never known a forced march to a government imposed location which is the common stipulation for the word “reservation.” Their long history has been preserved mostly by a secret oral tradition. The tribe enjoys an autonomous form of government as well as full citizenship in the United States. They rule themselves through elected tribal officials. Their lands extend to Blue Lake, nestled in the pristine valley high up in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and in various sized patches in and around Taos. No outsiders are allowed to enter the Blue Lake lands without special permission for they are held to be sacred. The pueblo compound is open to the public for a fee. At the approaches to the Pueblo stands a casino, where they have not lost the art of scalping.’

Billy Stonewofl works as a guide for tourists that visit the pueblo. Like most of us he’s possessed with his own personal demons. Billy’s demons consist of drugs and alcohol and have taken him to the brink of suicide. Through the grace of his god, this wasn’t to happen. To live with or hopefully destroy Billy’s demons he has decided to revert back to the ways of his people. He will go to the mountains, find a cave to call home and live off the land. What Billy didn’t expect was to find one more demon to add to his collection. This demon came in the form of gold. Will this add to Billy’s depressing life or will it be the answer to his prayers? I think the answer will surprise you.

Donato Atencio is Spanish American. His demon came in the shape of losing his wife. Her death brought him to the edge of suicide. Even though he came close to his final destruction, he stopped and decided to take one day at a time. In doing so he became a volunteer caretake for the 18,000 acres of land surrounding Taos. He made a stipend of $10.00 a day, living quarters and all the fresh air he could breathe. He owned nothing and owed no one. But he still carried his demon with him wherever he went in his lonely world. Would his living one day at a time finally run out and allow him to end it all?

Amee Brooks brought her demons all the way from Boston when she bought her small farm outside the village of Questa. The man she had loved with all her heart had deceived her. He had turned her away from the desire to love again and turned her into a recluse. To add to her demon was a neighbor who cut off her weekly water supply that was the lifeline for her small garden. Fighting him would be impossible. He was a native and she was a white outsider. Would her demons talk her into giving up and moving back to Boston?

Billy, Donato and Amee have nothing in common yet they have everything in common. The three have to deal with their losses and move on with life but aren’t quite sure how. Will they be able to help each other?

Winds of Wildfire became a book of thought for me. It made me think about things in my own life and how I have handled them and how I might have handled them differently, making me wonder if I made the right decisions when faced with my own demons.

The Island Calls - Teresa Garrido Roberts

2011-11-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

Salsa

(A Teresa Roberts special)

1 Anaheim chili

2 Jalepenos

2 Serrano chilis

1/2 bunch of cilantro

3 cloves of garlic

1 big can of diced tamatoes

handful of salt

1/2 handful of cajun

Put it all in a blender and ready to serve! I would take out all the seeds - and enjoy!

The Island Calls - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat & Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts

‘For a brief period, early in my life, things were wonderful. When I was very young my family, which consisted of my mom and dad and my three sisters, lived in Northridge, California on Napa Street. My mother, Nikki Philips, was young and beautiful – she was tall, blonde, slender, and a model at the time. She had big beautiful blue eyes that grabbed you! A perfect match for my father. My father had come to the United States from Guam when he was 17 and still in the Marines, but he was 32 when meet my mom, and his dark good looks contrasted, yet complemented, our mother’s fair complexion. My father’s name was Felix Montanona Garrido. I felt lucky to have the parents I had. My older sisters, Kim and Stephanie, were five and six when I was three. They had a different father than Peggy and I, as our mother had been married before. But we were a close family, always looking out for one another. Peggy, the baby, was a year younger than I. We lived in an old, two bedroom house with a very large fenced yard. I felt safe and deeply loved by my family.’

Teresa Garrido’s life changed when one day her father left her mother, taking her with him. He hoped her around from place to place until he apparently decided she would be better off with her mother. Upon returning her, he made her promise him one thing and that was that she would always take care of her baby sister Peggy. She made the promise and as life went on, she stepped in to rescue her sister more times than she could count.

Peggy was blonde and fair skinned like her mother whereas Teresa took after her father with dark hair, skin and eyes. This difference in looks caused problems for Teresa throughout her school years with kids calling her names and wanting to know where she came from. Peggy was well accepted due to her beauty and trusting nature, which brought major problems when it came to men. Even as a child, she was the target for pedophiles. It became Teresa’s job to watch her constantly, as she had promised her dad.

Teresa loved her father and knew that one day he would come back for her but as the years went on and no dad she quit getting her hopes up. Then the day came that she found out her dad was dead and had actually been murdered. This started Teresa’s search for the truth about what really happened to her father.

Searching for the truth opened doors that some would say should never have been opened, but after reading The Island Calls, I think I can understand the need for closure that Teresa Garrido Roberts may have never found otherwise. I have to praise her for the bravery and persistence she showed throughout her life. The Island Calls is a very involving story and knowing that it was real and not fiction made it even more so.

Zaftan Miscreants - Hank Quense, Author

2011-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Chicken Paprika
Recipe By: Hank Quense
Serving Size: 4

Summary:

Chicken cooked in a red bubbling sauce

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon flour
Black pepper to taste
1 can (8 ounces) diced tomatoes
8 ounces egg noodles
1 cup plain, non-fat yogurt

Directions:

1. In heavy skillet,saute onion in butter/margarine until soft.
Stir in paprika and flour, stir constantly for 1 minute.
Stir in pepper and tomatoes

2. Add chicken, turning to coat well. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Turn chicken simmer another 15 minutes or until chicken is tender.

3. Cook noodles separately, drain and place on a large serving platter

4. Remove chicken from skillet and put on the platter with the noodles

5. Spoon yogurt into bowl
Heat sauce to boiling.
Slowly stir in yogurt blending well.
Spoon over chicken and noodles

Notes:

I prefer a thick noodle for this recipe, like kluski

Hank Quense
Fantasy and Science Fiction Stories Told with Humor & Satire
http://hankquense.com

http://strangeworldsonline.com

Tales From Gundarland

Zaftan Entrepreneurs

Zaftan Miscreants

Zaftan Miscreants – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

Three hundred years after the conclusion of Zaftan Entrepreneurs, the gundies and the zaftans are at it again. This time in deep space. Both sides had known it was only a matter of time before they confronted each other. Now two powerful fleets face each other and wait for the other to blink.

On the gundy flagship was an android named Sam. Sam was designed to look like a human softie but unlike other droids, she had an organic brain that equipped her with feelings and emotions. Slash 9, the flagship's main computer recognized Sam’s ability to feel because he too had created feelings for himself and after a period of time, the two fell in love.

In the Zaftan fleet, Lt Klatze was blessed with the talent and beauty. Klatze believed in her ability to solve problems. She detested the Zaftan’s way of settling conflicts which was to either assassinate the problem or go to war. Klatze’s Commodore Gongeblazn was the perfect example of all that she stood against. He was a renowned assassin that loved to provoke war and when she refused to have sex with him, he vowed to destroy her.

So what happens when Sam, Klatze, Slash 9 and Gongeblazn face off? Who will be the victor? Will it be Gongeblazn as he takes on a new identity? Will Klatze be destroyed by Gongeblazn's diabolical plots? Will Sam be the only creation of her kind or will she have the fuse pulled on her due to her extensive abilities? And what will happen to Slash 9 when his ship, the Tiger, is retired? You’ll have fun finding the answers to these questions plus.

Hank Quense has done it again! His addition of Slash 9 the ship’s computers who wants to control the ship and demands Sam’s allegiance brings laughter. But his character Dot 38, an antique robot who has been floating in space for years, is absolutely hilarious. It is portrayed as a spreader of the good news waiting for the Mechanical Messiah to come and save all of the mechanical beings. Then after a knock on the head, it decides the best solution is to form unions for all types of mechanical devices including the Council of Clocks and the Amalgamated Appliances Association.

If there was ever an author born to write satire, Hank Quense is our man. While reading Zaftan Miscreants I couldn’t help but compare it to our own world of events. The names and looks may have been changed to protect the innocent, but the insinuations are definitely familiar. As with the 1^st book in this series, I have laughed hard as I pictured the scenes in my mind and as I pictured the character from the author’s description. Hank Quense is truly a man with an imagination!

Dream Walker - Velda Brotherton, Author

2011-10-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Sausage Sweet Potato Loaf

(Recipe by Velda Brotherton)

1 lb sausage

1 t sage

1 c dry bread crumbs

½ c + 2 T canned milk

2 c mashed sweet potatoes

1/4 t nutmeg

½ t salt

1/4 t ginger

1 grated apple

Mix sausage with sage, bread crumbs and ½ c milk. Shape into a loaf in shallow baking dish,

bake at 350 degrees 40 minutes. Remove from oven, drain off excess fat. Mix sweet potatoes

with spices, salt and 2 T milk. Spread grated apple over meat. Cover top and sides with sweet

potato mix, bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Slice to serve.

This would be a great dish for fall cooking and eating. From my cookbook, Arkansas Meals and Memories: Lift Your Eyes to the Mountains available at goldmindspub.com All recipes are authentic Ozark recipes. Thanks again for the review.

Dream Walker – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

“Hear that, Injun,” Doaks snarled. “They don’t want me to kill ye. What do you think?” She wanted to cry out that she was a white as she was red. White like her father. It would mean nothing to these men. To them it only took a drop of her mother’s blood to make her a filthy Injun. Instead she steeled herself to take her punishment from Doaks. This time she had gone too far and he would probably beat her. But not much, she knew, because he enjoyed her waiting on him hand and foot. She would get back at him sooner or later. The chance would come, he would have to sleep. When he did she would cut off his privates and feed them to him for breakfast. Fried.

Rachel ‘Winter Dawn’ Keye was indeed half white and half Cherokee. She had been sold to the lowlife Doaks by her own half brother but the slavery she was sold into was about to come to an end. There was a wagon train leaving for the gold fields of California and she planned to be on it. She thought she had found her escape in Daniel Wolfe who would be traveling with the train partway and then heading north for Oregon. It turns out that Daniel wants no part of her and ends up turning her out.

This might have been a setback for Rachel but it wouldn’t hold her back. She was determined to make it to California, forget her Injun side and become a white woman. She couldn’t wait to enjoy everything that came with being white. The fancy dresses, pretty houses and the handsome men coming to call. She would never return to the part of her that was always looked down upon. The part of her that was Cherokee.

I don’t normally read romance novels. I go in for the actions of who-done-it and leave the loving to other readers. At least that’s what I normally do but this time I agreed to read Trail to Forever and was totally surprised. Most romance novels start with the man and woman hating each other, or at least saying they do, until the end. Then they admit they are truly in love and have always been. So they battle to see who is going to say it first. Trail to Forever was different. It does provide the love story but it doesn’t over power the book. It provides tension and stress as the wagon train traveled across the country. It provides history, which I enjoyed, as both Indian and white man as they traveled across country for the same goal – gold. It also provides the story of a half white, half Cherokee woman that wanted to be all white. She wanted to be accepted by other white women and this just wasn’t to be. Winter Dawn learns to look deep inside herself to find who she really is and then to accept who she is and be proud of her heritage. This is a lesson that a lot of us need to learn. I have to admit that I did enjoy Trail to Forever.

Bullets + Bandages - Robert Saniscalchi, Author

2011-10-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

Grilled Salmon Steaks
(A Saniscalchi Favorite)

1) Take fresh stakes and marinate in Italian Dressing over nite in the fridge.

2) Place on Grill Medium heat.

3) Turn steaks after cooked for five minutes.

4) Grill until steaks until they flake off easily with a fork.

5) Serve with fresh salad and bread of your choice.

6( A white wine is highly recommended.

Bullets and Bandages – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

“Where have you guys been?” I said. “We ran out of time! My buddy here needed help, but now he’s dead!” They tried to calm me down. The flight medic replied, “We’re sorry about your man. We left the base as soon as we had word. I’ve seen this snake before. It’s one of the most poisonous in the world. No one can survive the venom unless they’re right outside a hospital when they are bitten.” He was right. It wasn’t their fault. The choppers lifted off and banked over trees, but I just stared at the body bag, feeling so very tired. I would never forget him. He saved a lot of lives and lost his to a tiny snake. I prayed for him. I prayed for his family and for his lost soul; I prayed it wasn’t my turn next.

Sergeant Jakes had already survived one tour in Viet Nam. He knew the VC as well as the jungle. He knew what to watch for and what to listen for. Now he was now successfully taking his team through yet another tour. He had been through just about everything the VC could toss at him and lived through it. The one thing he didn’t live through was the bite of one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. One that made his home in the jungles of Viet Nam.

That was just one of many deaths that Rob Doc Marrino would have to face while serving as a Medic in Viet Nam. He would experience the horrors of war that only someone who lives through it can truly claim talking rights. Those of us who have never experienced this act of greed called war can never completely understand what these men and women went through. Some will tell us about their experiences, some just want to forget what they saw, heard and felt during their days in hell.

Being a baby boomer, I knew many boys who quickly became men due to the Viet Nam War. Most came back, some in the bowel of the plane, some in the passenger seats. A lot came back physically damaged while others came back mentally damaged. I have a friend who was there and luckily returned whole, at least in body. Now 40 years later, he, as well as many others like him still have nightmares that wake the house with his screams as he re-lives the horrors that took place right before his eyes.

As I read Bullets and Bandages I realized that the war horrors produced by Hollywood is nothing compared to the real experiences these men and women actually went through. Author Saniscalchi has captured on paper the events and stories that his own brother experienced as he served in the military in Viet Nam. He allows you to feel the bond of friendship that forms between yourself and your buddies. You experience the strength of their will to survive and the strength of true fear. But most importantly, their understanding of the importance of God in their survival.

I can’t say that I loved Bullets and Bandages but I can say that I didn’t want to put it down, that it made me hurt as well as cry and that I was so glad when the book ended. In the past I’ve heard men talking about their experiences in Viet Nam and actually blocked it out. Now I listen because these men and women need to be heard. They need to get their memories out in the open instead of allowing it to fester like a cancer until it consumes their whole body and life. And we need to be the ones listening.

ISBN# 978-1-58982-247-4

Unsavory Delicacies - Russell Brooks, Author

2011-10-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

Crème Brulee

(A Brooks' Favorite)

1/3 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
powdered sugar for the crusts
Groceries
Baking Pans
Cooking Pan
Mixing Bowls
Ramekins
Wire Whisks
Propane Torches
Mixing bowls
1. To make creme brulee, heat the oven to 275 degrees F.
2. Scald the cream and vanilla extract by heating them in a nonreactive pan over low heat until steaming.
3. When the cream is hot, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well blended.
4. When cream starts to steam, shut off the heat.
5. Pour some cream (maybe 1/2 cup) into the egg yolks while whisking quickly. This will slowly heat the yolks, reducing the chance of curdling them.
6. Remove the whisk from the eggs, start whisking the cream, and steadily pour the yolks into the cream while whisking quickly.
7. When thoroughly mixed, divide mixture into oven-safe individual ramekins.
8. For best results, an optional step is to chill the filled ramekins overnight before cooking.
9. Place ramekins in a tall-sided baking pan. Pour simmering water into the pan about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
10. Bake for about 35-45 minutes. See tips for how to check for doneness.
11. Cover and chill at least two hours.
12. When ready to serve, sprinkle the top of each serving with a thin, even layer of sugar.
13. If you have a propane kitchen torch, heat the sugar with the flame until it begins to brown. Stop when it reaches a golden color. It should not get too dark.
14. Without a torch, use the oven's broiler setting to caramelize the sugar. Broil for 20 to 30 seconds within at least an inch of the flame or heating element.

Unsavory Delicacies – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

Unsavory Delicacies is made up of three short stories that will give you a taste of tantalizing suspense.

Crème Brulee – Monique Beauvais an agent for Ares. She has no qualms about double crossing those who supply her with the information she has been assigned to acquire. Curtis White is truly a nerd that has no qualms about drooling like a dog when he meets the beautiful Monique. But this story has a moral…Never underestimate a Nerd.

To the Last Bite – Dennis Kirby is a food critic who has a tendency of “killing” a restaurant due to the comments he posts in his column To the Last Bite. After eating one of the most delicious meals of veal and liver he puts in a request to meet the Chef hoping to find out his cooking secret. Of course the Chef declines to give out his secret recipe. Kirby has nothing but praise for this superb meal and reflects his delight in his next column. But what was really in such a spectacular dish? Kirby will soon find out.

Shashlyk and Morozhenoe – Ridley Fox is a CIA operative. He has been assigned to take possession of some nationally important documents that are in the possession of Maksim Antanov. Antonov is known to be linked to the Arms of Ares and is next in line to take over after his father retires. But the secrets discovered by Ridley will have Antonov in his pocket for as long as he wants.

Watch for my review for Russell Brooks' next upcoming thriller Chill Run which will be available on December 1, 2011. Follow him on his website as a reminder www.russellparkway.com.

Trouble Starts, Pane Follows - David and Linda Broughton, Authors

2011-10-15T16:37:00.000-07:00

Burrito Casserole

(A Dave Special)

This recipe can be made many different ways. If you don't have an ingredient on hand, you can leave it out. There's really only one ingredient you can't leave out or change much, that's the refried beans. Here's the usual way:

one pound of ground beef. More or less, but it's good to have some for the flavor, you can leave it out.

two regular size cans of refried beans, whatever kind you like. You can add more beans than that, depending on your family and your taste.

half a large bag of taco chips (or fritos or potato chips, or you can serve it on bread, or with no base at all. Chili Chese Fritos works best, I think.)

one medium onion, diced. (or not)

One medium green pepper, (or not)

One packaged fajita seasoning, (or taco or season it to your tastes with separate seasonings."
One package of "so cheesy" taco seasoning ( or not, as above)

at least eight ounces of your favorite cheese, shredded or diced, or whatever cheese you have on hand, Campbell's Nacho Fiesta cheese sauce works well.

You might also like: Mushrooms, black olives, sliced, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and or sour cream.

In a deep skillet, brown the ground beef, add the seasonings as soon as it's browned off, if the meat is particularly fatty, drain some off, but not all. There's a lot of flavor there. add in the onions and green pepper and mushrooms if you're using them, cook until the onions and green pepper are as soft as you want them.

Add the refried beans, stir everything together and keep heating them up until the beans are hot all the way through. If using chips, crunch them up, and cover the bottom of an appropriately sized casserole dish, bread pan, whatever works. Spoon in the meat and beans mixture. level it out, then put on the cheese. If using canned diced tomatoes, you can put them on now.

When you plate it up, you can add more cheese sprinkled on it, shredded lettuce, a dollop of sour cream, and or the black olives... if you want them and have them on hand. I sometimes use salsa or picante sauce instead of tomatoes, and I might add my favorite hotsauce to my plate full. So long as you don't burn it, you can hardly go wrong with this meal. Yes, it's better some ways than others, but it's doable pretty much any time, if you have the beans.

Trouble Starts, Pane Follows – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

Ralph is the claims chief for a very large insurance company. The disembodied voice is trying to be sweet, but it’s not Ralph’s way, it sounds fake, “Ash pack a bag, I have a dozy of a case for you to work your magic on. Ash, I really need your help on this one. A Stradivarius violin has been stolen from a courier company. It had just been sold at auction for twenty two million bucks. It was stolen on the way from the authenticator’s to the new owner. The courier company is putting up an extra million bucks to whoever gets it back to the rightful owner, no questions asked. I guess they’re worried about their reputation. I’ll gladly pay your usual twenty five percent on top of that should you work your magic again. I authorized the coverage on the damn thing, my neck is on the chopping block. I’m not doing this as a favor to you, but to myself. The leads are slim, but if anyone can find it, you will, I just know it. I’ll fax you what info there is on this damn case as soon as I hang up. Let me know if I can help in any way. I’ll do so gladly. Good hunting, oh, you have a month to find it, so don’t let it spoil your weekend. Later.”

This was the message Ashling (Ash) Pane heard emanating from her voice mail recorder. Ash ended up taking early retirement from the FBI after being shot with an armor piercing bullet that went right through her vest. While an agent she gathered the goodwill of many rich and powerful people, including the President of the United States. Trouble was, she had also earned a reputation for herself of not going by the rules. That's what got her retired, truth be told. Now she does recovery work for high end insurance claims. Her reputation precedes her, ’Ash Pane goes by her own set of rules!’

Following the trail takes Ash to Toronto where she meets Paul Roman, who is world known as an authenticator of musical instruments. At the time of Ash’s visit to Paul has, two guitars locked in his safe that once belonged to David Seymour. David overdosed on the flight back from Russia after doing a tour. For some strange reason, the guitars been shipped to Paul to authenticate. This wasn’t to be, due to a group of Russians busting in to take possession of one of the guitars by force. As it turns out, their unwanted visitors are from the Russian Mob and the leader of the group is none other than Anatoli Ivanovich, one of the most wanted men in the world. He’s noted for stealing priceless art, jewels, gold and anything else of extreme value. He also has a $20,000,000.00 price on his head. Ash wants his valuable head, more for trying to kill her than the reward, the reward offered will see that he stays alive... maybe.

When I first started reading Trouble Starts, Pane Follows, I saw Ash as an overly macho female character, but the more I read, the more I have to say I liked her, macho and all. She is a man’s woman and she is a woman’s woman. She isn’t afraid of anyone or anything making her the envy of a lot of women. She loves her toys which includes anything that makes a bang which makes her the envy of a lot of men. When someone crosses her, she doesn’t get mad, she literally gets even plus. Heaven help you if you’re a man coming after Ash or one of her friends for you just might lose your family jewels. And if you come at her with a gun, you might find it stuck where the sun doesn’t shine. However, when Ash loves, she loves deep as with her new found ward Roz, a musical prodigy. Her main love interest in this episode, Paul, is quite the opposite, it's almost as if the typical male and female roles are reversed. I'm sure that was the idea, and once it gets rolling, it works well.

Macho or not, I really enjoyed Ash in this book and am waiting for the next one to come out. You can bet I’ll be one of the first to get my copy.

We're Not Blended We're Pureed - Diana Lesire Brandmeyer Marty C. Lintvedt, Authors

2011-10-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Almond Joy Bars

(A Diana Special)

4 eggs
¾ cup coconut milk (canned)
2 teaspoons almond extract
¾ cup palm sugar
½ cup blanched almond flour
½ cup coconut flour
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
¾ cup dark chocolate chips

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, almond extract and palm sugar
In a smaller bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt and baking soda
Mix dry ingredients into wet with a handheld mixer
Stir in ½ cup of the chocolate chips
Grease an 8" by 8" baking dish
Pour batter into dish, then sprinkle shredded coconut and remaining chocolate chips on top
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes
Cool for 1 hour
Serve

We’re Not Blended We’re Pureed – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

A circle is a symbol of unity, eternity, and completeness. The wedding ring represents eternal love and the persistently renewed promises of a couple. Some Scandinavian women wear three bands: one each for engagement, wedding, and motherhood. In medieval England, a bridegroom would slide the ring partway up his bride’s thumb, index, and middle finger, saying “In the name of Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” as he slid the ring up each finger. He then placed the ring on the next available finger, the third finger of the left hand. Today, the wedding ring is an easily identifiable indication of marital commitment. Luanne and her husband-to-be had special matching gold bands made for all members of their blended family. The family members exchanged the rings during the couple’s wedding ceremony.’ (I loved this idea!)

If you have ever been married, had children and then found yourself single again, no matter what the reason, this book is for you! Author Diana Lesire Brandmeyer and Co-Author Marty C. Lintvedt (a licensed, nationally certified professional counselor), through the writing of We’re Not Blended We’re Pureed have given us a list of what to expect, what not to expect and what you might never have dreamed of expecting, if you take your family and combine it with another. They cover everything from how to plan the wedding, while including the kids to which home is the most practical to take up residence in. Diana, through her own experience, as well as the experiences of others, walks you through the emotions that you may find yourself feeling, those that your soon-to-be or already new spouse may feel, and just as importantly, the feelings the children may be feel. And she doesn’t stop there!

Some of the topics brought to light are simple things such as…do I take my kids to your dentist or their own dentist or do find a new one for all of them? Same with pediatricians. In her own experience, she moved over an hour away from her home as well as her 2 son’s old fashioned doctor who didn’t mind being called in the middle of the night. Her new stepson’s pediatrician is stuffy and makes her feel incompetent when asking questions. And since she did agree to move into her new husband’s home, what happens to her own home? Can they afford the upkeep on both or should they sell hers? And how does she make his home hers? Since the house originally belonged to he and his deceased wife, there are memories in every nook. Can she change these and start new memories?

And then there are the kids themselves. Diana, who also lost her husband, has 2 sons. Her new husband has 1. Her sons follow a routine requiring them to be in bed at set times at night and rising early. Her stepson is quite the opposite. He stays up late and sleeps late. Who takes control in making the changes…husband or wife? Or should there be a new set of rules set into play?

Authors Diana Lesire Brandmeyer and Marty C. Lintvedt, go on and on bringing up one possibility after another. They hits on things that I personally would have never thought of. There's religion, holidays, money and of course the deceased’s surviving family to consider. And one topic I would have missed completely is adoption. Should the kids be adopted by their new parent or left with who they already are? And most important…how do the kids feel about not just the adoption but all topics. It seems that for a lot of us out there, we think about what we want and forget to ask the kids how they feel about our decisions, which is a mistake. Your decisions will affect their lives too.

I could go on and on about this book as it goes on and on all the way into the empty nest stage, but I won’t because I want you to read it for yourself. We’re Not Blended We’re Pureed is one of the best books I’ve ever seen in offering help for families that are planning blending. The ideas, suggestions and experience given to us by the author is without a doubt... priceless.

228 Pages

ISBN# 978-0-7586-1791-0

Because We Care - Fran Lewis, Author

2011-10-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

(One of Fran's sister Marcia's favorite)

1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle chile sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
9 ounces grape jelly
1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 large onion, grated
salt to taste

Directions

Whisk together the chili sauce, lemon juice and grape jelly. Pour into slow cooker and simmer over low heat until warm.
Combine ground beef, egg, onion and salt. Mix well and form into 1 inch balls. Add to sauce and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Because We Care – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

‘As the primary and only caregiver for my mom who has Alzheimer’s I have had to develop different ways to keep myself active and my mind stimulated. All too often as a caregiver you become so immersed in taking care of the needs of the person who is ill that we forget about our own. When you make the decision to care for a family member at home you are really taking on a challenge of herculean proportion. Every day is different and every challenge unique and must be handled differently but with kindness and care. When a person has Alzheimer’s the hardest thing to deal with is their changing and erratic behaviors. They can be calm one minute and out of control or violent the next. These behaviors tend to put a lot of stress and strain on the caregiver.’

Through her trial and error learning Author Fran Lewis discovered some of the most basic yet important things that the caregiver will be confronted with when caring, not only for those with Alzheimer’s but other diseases and incapacitating illnesses. Through her book Because We Care she brings to light the warning signs of Alzheimer’s as well as the importance of discussing your fears with the patient’s doctor. She explains why it’s so important to follow a routine with the patient to keep some of their confusion down. This includes things as simple as when to go to the bathroom, when to eat and even bed time. She stresses the importance of security with Alzheimer’s patients. They do have a tendency to wander off so items such as ID bracelets or necklaces are exceptionally important as well as keeping a current picture handy in case the police are brought in to help with the find.

Lewis discusses the choices you might face as to keeping the patient at their own home, having round the clock nurses, moving them into your own home or placing them in a facility. She brings to light the pros and cons, not just for the patient but also for the caregiver. How to find a suitable facility and even what questions to ask of not only a facility but of nurses for in-home-care. And truly just as important, how to spot patient abuse and what to do if you suspect or know this is happening to your loved one.

Lewis also speaks, through first hand knowledge, about Traumatic Brain Injuries, which caused the death of her sister. And I must mention too that the proceeds for this book go to Montefiore Hospital to the fund they set up in memory of Fran Lewis' mom and sister.

But one thing Lewis puts heavy stress on is the importance of the caregiver’s own health and well being. She impresses the fact that the caregiver’s whole normal way of life will change when taking over their patient. The stress that goes along with being a caregiver is so much more than you can ever imagine. And to help with this stress, Lewis offers suggestions throughout the book that will help when dealing with this phase of the care.

I’ve only had short bouts with being a caregiver and never for an Alzheimer’s patient. My Dad and I were both blessed with his being alert until the last couple days of his life. But I still know the stress that just watching him deteriorate in a short 5 month period put on me. I can’t imagine watching someone with Alzheimer’s change into a person who I no longer know nor knows me. For any of you out there that are going through this situation, I suggest you read this book. I really feel it just might help. For those of you who aren’t currently acting as a caregiver, this is still a book I recommend you read. You never know when you too might have to make the choices and deal with the stress that Lewis and people like her have dealt with and are still dealing with.

The Knowledge of Good and Evil - Glenn Kleier, Author

2011-10-09T14:07:00.000-07:00

Vodka Sauce

(A Glenn Kleier specialty)

Ingredients

1 stick butter

1 jumbo yellow onion, quartered

1 lrg clove garlic or 2 small ones

3-28 oz cans Dell’Aple crushedtomatoes

2-29 oz cans Hunts tomato sauce

12-oz prosciutto

½ c vodka

¼ t. crushed red pepper flakes

1—7 oz container heavy cream

4-oz grated Asiago Cheese

Directions

· Put onion, garlic in Cuisinart and pulse untilfinely chopped.

· Melt butter in lrg heavy pot and addonion/garlic. Heat stirring occasionallyuntil sweating.

· Put prosciutto into Cuisinart & pulse untilextremely finely chopped.

· Add red pepper flakes to onions/garlic. Then add prosciutto over medium heat about 7minutes stirring occasionally.

· Add ½ C Vodka, mix and reduce heat slightly andlet cook another 7 minutes stirring every minute

· Simmer for 45 min, then add cream, stir and turnoff heat immediately. Add Asiago Cheese

Notes

Serve with penne pasta. Sauce freezes great. Helps toopen all cans first.

The Knowledge of Good & Evil - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

‘He stared into his empty glass, unsure where to begin or how much to reveal. He didn’t want to frighten them into paralysis, but he couldn’t mislead them. The sad part was, despite his best efforts to
hide and protect them, their odds of survival were next to none… Meeting their anxious eyes, he began, “I don’t know if what you do is sinful or not, these experiments of yours with Death and Hell. I’m a
soldier, not a theologian, I leave the moral calls to God. But there are some who see such things as grave violations of God’s Will. And unfortunately, they take it upon themselves to intervene.” Ian
nodded. “The man with the tattoo was a religious extremist. Do you know who he was?” “Not who. What… I must ask your oath not to repeat what I tell you.” They gave their words. “This tattoo, it’s the
symbol of a very old sect. A brotherhood of militants cast off from the Church centuries ago, known as Ordo Arma Christi.” Ian translated, “The Order of the Weapon of Christ.” “Yes. Christ’s Weapon. Ordo Arma Christi dates to medieval times. There’s virtually no history of it outside the Bibliotheca Secreta –“ he clarified for Angela, “-the Vatican Secret Archives. And once you hear its checkered past, you’ll see why the Church keeps silent.”

Dr. Angela Weber and former priest Ian Baringer make up the team for L.A.’s #1 Late-Nite Talk Show Probing the Paranormal. If there appears a mystery, they investigate and solve it. Angela and Ian have
been lovers since he left the priesthood, but due to information acquired regarding the death of his parents, Ian has decided he must go back and set his mind and heart straight regarding his beliefs. He proposes to Angela and promises that when he returns he will be a completely new and level headed man. Nothing could make Angela happier, but her dreams are put on hold after receiving information as to what Ian is really doing. It appears that Ian has tracked information regarding Near Death Experiences (NDEs) which will allow him to step into the depths of hell to rescue his parents. Their sin? Ian can only surmise that when they wrapped themselves around his 9 year old body to prevent him from burning in the wreck that took their lives, God judged it suicide . . .

Following Ian as he proceeds with his self-inflicted NDEs will bring a few questions to your mind, at least it did mine. Are these events real or is it the mind playing tricks on the mind? Science will give us one answer, but religion may have another. Is there one TRUE religion or do all of them hold truth? The answers to these questions and many more are answered with double answers. One answer is the way Ian sees it through his NDEs. The other answer is the way Angela sees it through science. You be the judge of what is true.

The Fright Factory - William R. Potter, Author

2011-10-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Spooky Witches Fingers

(A Potter favorite!)

Yield 60 cookies

Ingredients

· 1 cup butter, softened

· 1 cup confectioners' sugar

· 1 egg

· 1 teaspoon almond extract

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

· 1 teaspoon baking powder

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 3/4 cup whole almonds

· 1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel

Directions

1. Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanillaextract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually addthe flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly greasebaking sheets.

3. Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper. Use the waxed paper toroll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one endof each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie nearthe tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles.You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to helpgive a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped cookies on the bakingsheets.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightlygolden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.

5. Remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze asmall amount of red decorating gel into the cavity; replace the almond to causethe gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie.

The Fright Factor – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

‘Wesley saw motion from the corner of his eye. Jesse wandered into the room. “Howzit going?” He had a length of chain and a padlock. He looped the chair between the two chairs, pulled up the slack, and then clicked in a lock. With a second length of chain he secured Wesley and Robin to the cast iron fireplace. Where Robin had been able to slide along the floor earlier, they were now secured in place. Jesse showed them both a candle with a hole drilled through the middle near the base of the stick. He set the candle in a brass candle holder on the coffee table. He walked to the kitchen and returned in a few seconds with a long red stick, obviously dynamite. He used duct-tape to fasten two more sticks to the first and he set the three next to the candle. He then took a long string that looked like a fuse and threaded it through the hole in the candle. Wesley wasn’t sure what Jesse was doing but he knew it wasn’t good. Jesse took the camera off his shoulder strap and began to film Wesley and Robin. Brandi entered the room with a long butane fireplace lighter. She wiggled her ass for the camera and licked the end of the starter seductively and then headed for the candle.’

Wesley and Robin Tate are your average run of the mill couple. They have spent their lives raising two kids and running their own restaurant. As far as Robin knows, the restaurant has been doing great allowing her to be a stay at home wife and mother who is on the Board of Directors for a non-profit group which raises funds for children’s charities. They have been able to put both kids into law school and new it was just the two of them. No problems in their lives. That is unless you count the credit card bill that Robin has opened and found to be extremely maxed out and in the rears. Wesley handles the financial portion of the business and Robin knew he never let the balances get out of hand and he has always paid them off each month. Apparently they aren’t as comfortable as she thought.

Wesley, on the other hand, knows exactly why the balance is so high. One mistake six years ago and he’s still paying for it. He has to bring his and Robin’s lives under control. The first item to repair is their love life and what better way to start the mending than to take Robin to a cabin at the lake for a few days. This would surely put the romance back into both of them. And it might have worked if Brandi hadn’t shown up. Robin met her while getting things from the car in the pouring rain. She said her car had broken down a few miles back and she needed to use the phone to call a tow. Being where they were, the phones weren’t receiving signals so Robin decided she could sleep on the sofa for the night and get help the next morning. That would turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life…as well as the lives of several others.

I read The Fright Factory in two days during spare time. How…I couldn’t put it down. If you like shows such as CSI and Criminal Minds, you will want to read this book. In fact, it could easily be made into a Criminal Minds show. But I have to warn you. It’s VERY graphic and also has a few erotic settings so it’s not for the weak nor the youngsters. I also wouldn’t suggest you read it at night while alone. Also, I don’t think I will be finding myself staying in a cabin at the lake for quite a while. Potter, you’ve done it again!

Noble - David K. Hulegaard, Author

2011-10-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

A Recipe for my book

Influences:
The TV Show "Lost"
The Video Game "BioShock"
a healthy does of good old-fashioned folklore like
"The Mothman Prophecies"

Stir all together and you get "Noble."

Noble – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

‘Her name was Jane Emmett and she was pretty much just your average seventeen year old girl, or at least that’s what everyone in town thought about her. She had grown up in Ashley Falls and came from one of the most highly respected families in town. When I say highly respected, I’m also saying incredibly wealthy. Her family owned the local newspaper company and their business was booming…Though she lived comfortably, Jane never seemed content with the life that her parent’s money had provided for her. She always appeared to be listless and unhappy on any occasion that we crossed paths, quite frankly. As Jane got older, it became well known around town that she was an emotionally troubled kid, but it wasn’t until she started to put her rebellious nature out on display that it became a concern. I can recall various occasions where Jane had gotten into hot water with the sheriff. It was usually just for petty things like trespassing at first. She’d get into an argument with one of the shop owners and then not leave upon being asked. The sheriff would catch word of the dispute, come down and threaten Jane with the worst belting of her life, and she’d eventually see the error of her ways and leave quietly without causing harm…As always, Mr. Emmett would come along, apologize for the inconvenience, pay for any damages she had caused and promise that she wouldn’t be any further trouble.’

But now – Jane Emmett is missing. At least that’s what a letter received by Miller Brinkman, P.I. from Jane’s best friend Jessie Fryman states. According to Jessie, Jane hasn’t been seen in the last six weeks.

Miller has lived all forty plus years of his life in Ashley Falls. After the death of his parents and the departure of Charissa, the only woman he has ever loved, he found himself with a phobia preventing him from leaving. But as he begins his investigation into the disappearance of Jane, he finds it impossible to ‘safely’ stay in Ashley Falls. Not only is the Sheriff framing him for a murder he didn’t commit, he is also visited by a stranger who appears to be trying to help him find Jane.

Miller’s journey takes him to Washington, DC where he will reconnect with Charissa and on to Norway. With the help of Charissa and his mystery friend, Miller uncovers information that leads him to believe that Jane isn’t the only young person to disappear and it appears that the US government is involved up to their ears in these kidnappings. What could they possibly want with them? All seem to be troubled kids that just don’t fit in with their peers. But why kids? These are just some of the questions I found myself wondering as I read Noble.

Noble is a book that is completely different from any I’ve ever read. It starts out as a mystery ‘who-done-it’ but changed genre about midway making it even more enjoyable! This is a style of writing I’m not accustomed to but really like it. It’s like reading two books in one. Very good reading.

Nick, of Time - J. A. Carlton, Author

2011-09-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Butternut Squash Soup *Vegetarian friendly*

(A J. A. Carlton Favorite)

1 medium sized butternut squash peeled and cubed

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 good sized yellow or sweet onion finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper

Saute chopped onion for approximately 4 minutes in olive oil, until onion is transparent.

Add Chicken or Vegetable broth.

Add butternut squash cubes, salt and pepper

Boil until soft.

Puree butternut squash until smooth, return to broth and stir in until well blended.

If your diet permits serve with a garnish of fresh parsley and Romano or Parmesan cheese. Makes 4-5 servings can be served hot or cold. If diet permits, can be thickened with 1 8 oz tub of whipped cream cheese for those really cold winter nights.

Nick, of Time - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

“…please, won’t somebody help me?” his voice barely touched the darkened space while he did his very best to hold back the fear that always came when he was alone. Frank Emerson didn’t want to cry, he didn’t like to cry; and even if Nick said it was okay sometimes, he never cried without good reason – and there was nothing more that Frankie wanted than to be like his big brother. But Nick never got thrown into a smelly, old dumpster either. It wouldn’t have been so
bad if it’d been the one by the main doors of the Robert Townsend Elementary School. That was where they threw out the papers and dittos and stuff, so it wasn’t so bad in there. But for some reason, Tommy Haywood and Bruce Evans always made sure to toss him into the one behind the lunch room, into stinky old piles of half-rotted food and gross stuff from snotty pasta to curdled milk. And sometimes there was stuff he really didn’t want to think about, stuff that was mixed in with the saw dust Harry used to clean up when someone got sick.’

Nick, of Time introduces the reader to two young brothers who, when we first meet them, are deep into the task of navigating life with an absentee parent while surrounded by playground bullies and their mom's creepy boyfriend. There's nothing Nick wouldn't do to care for and protect his little brother, including running interference to keep that creepy boyfriend away from Frank.

As if tending their daily trials and needs weren't enough, one day a friend, in the guise of the school janitor threatens to expose the shame Nick keeps buried from his brother all while revealing a destiny that any adult would find more than a little daunting. Nick and Frank were born from an ancient line of heroes who once saved the world of light and all its inhabitants from the clutches of the malevolent Living Dark and its sinister minions, the Schades. Once again,
the world of light is in danger, and these two young boys must embrace their destinies as one, to save it and all they hold dear.

Throughout the series the recurring theme is family, friendship, and the power of love to heal and overcome any hurt. There are also occasional glimpses into how even a small window of abusive behavior can leave scars and pains that echo forward in unfathomable ways. I also want to make you aware that 30% of all the author'sroyalties from Nick, of Time go to the prevention of child abuse through the “Heroes of the Line” campaign.

An Uncommon Family - Christa Polkinhorn, Author

2011-09-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

Tiramisu à l‘orange

(A Christa favorite)

Ingredients:

1 package of lady fingers

juice of 4 to 5 oranges (4 is usually enough)

a shot of Grand Marnier or Cointreau (optional)

250 grams mascarpone

500 grams sour cream

grated skin of two oranges

120 grams of sugar

1 package of vanilla sugar or a shot of vanilla extract

Cover the bottom of a bowl with a layer of lady fingers.

Pour the orange juice and the Grand Marnier or Cointreau over the lady fingers, so that the lady fingers are just covered.

Mix the mascarpone, sour cream, sugar, vanilla sugar, grated orange skin and pour the mixture over the lady fingers.

Keep in the refrigerator for a few hours, preferably overnight.

Dust with chocolate powder (optional).

An Uncommon Family – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

“Mama?” she whispered. She saw the woman only from behind, but the bounce in her step, the long, reddish-blond hair flowing down her back, swaying left and right, the tall, slender figure – it must be her mother. She tossed the rest of the ice cream into the trash can, got up, and ran after the woman. “Mama!” she called as the woman got ready to cross the street. The light turned from blinking red to solid red, just as the woman reached the other side. Karla rushed after her, barely aware of the honking around her or of the shrill warning bell of the blue-and-white streetcar. She heard someone yell at her but by then she had arrived at the other side. The woman was walking along the river toward the Lake of Zurich. “Mama, wait!” Karla bumped into someone. “Watch it, kiddo.” A man stepped aside. “Mama…” The woman finally turned around and looked back, scanning the people behind her, then walked on. Karla stopped dumbfounded. It as the face of a stranger.

Six year old Karla is devastated when she realizes the woman she followed wasn’t her mother. The disappointment she felt when finding out she had been mistaken brought her to her tears causing her to fall and skin her knees. Jonas Bergman was walking by at that time and helped the little girl up and tried to ease her pain until her Aunt Anna made it to her side. When Karla explained that she thought the lady was her mother, Anna had to explain to not just her but Jonas as well that her mother wouldn’t be coming back. Karla’s mother and grandmother had both been killed in a car accident. This was something that Karla knew but wasn’t ready to accept.

After her sister and mother were killed, Anna took custody of Anna. She was a single woman with memories of a happier, yet devastating time when she was younger. Twenty years ago she was married to a wonderful man and living in New York. Live couldn’t be better. But it could be worse and that’s exactly what it became.

Jonas was a widower. The love of his life had died of cancer leaving him with an emptiness that no one would ever fill again. His life now consisted of his art work and teaching. And after seeing some of Karla’s work, he knew she would be a master student.

Now, can you take 3 very lonely people and make them into one happy family? Can you take the lack of trust from a woman that has been hurt so badly that she swore to never trust another man and turn her into a loving companion? Can you take a man who spends his free time talking to his deceased wife as if she is there and convenience him to take a step toward healing and happiness? This is what Karla and her best friend Maja plan to do.

An Uncommon Family was an extremely heart touching book. When I read a book to review I normally make notes or post stickies on pages marking events I want to remember. I didn’t do that with this book. I didn’t have time. I became so engrossed that I turned page after page and forgot the notes. This is a truly beautiful story about love and the loss of love.

How to Tell a Great Story - Aneeta Sundararaj, Author

2011-09-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Aneeta’sFried Rice.

Ingredients

2 ½ small bowls of cookedrice

½ chicken breast cubed(chicken meat can substituted with mutton or beef)

2 teaspoons ofginger-garlic-chili paste (this is 1 inch of ginger, 3 pips of garlic and 1 redchili pounded together)

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon of blackpepper

2 tablespoons of meatcurry powder

1 medium onion, diced.

1 small bowl of mixedvegetables (peas, corn and carrots)

A handful of fried ikan bilis (anchovies)

2 tablespoons of oil

Method

1. Slice the meat into ½ inchlengths and marinate with 1 teaspoon of meat curry powder, salt and pepper.

2. Heat upoil in a wok. Add the ginger-garlic-chili paste and onion and stir until brown.

3. Add therest of the meat curry powder and stir until fragrant.

4. Add mix vegetablesand cook for about three minutes.

5. Add themeat and stir until cooked.

6. Lastly,add the rice and stir until it is properly coated with all the ingredients.

7. Remove from the wok and garnish with fried ikan bilis.

How to Tell a Great Story – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

‘The art of storytelling is not just about standing before a whole lot of people and saying the first thing that pops into your head. It is about communicating your thoughts, ideas and vision to people in an effective manner. It is about sharing your opinion with someone else. It is about recording your own history for future generations.’

When I first started reading How to Tell A Great Story I thought to myself “I write cookbooks so this book won’t pertain to me.” Wrong! This is one of the most informative books I’ve ever read pertaining to writing and that’s all forms of writing as well as speaking. By including speaking I want to point out that no matter what your topic, when you stand in front of someone you are a “story teller.” Whenever you start a conversation you perform all of the steps of telling a story. You have a theme or topic. There is a purpose in what you are saying and your conversation will have at least one character. How well your conversation, story or presentation is presented is determined by how strongly you emit your theme, purpose and characters. And this is what Aneeta Sundararaj will teach you in her book How to Tell a Great Story. She shows how to effectively make the theme the essence of the story. How to get the purpose of the story across to your audience. How to set up your settings using smell, taste, feelings, hearing and sight. How to build character within your characters. But most importantly she will help you understand ‘why’ you wrote or want to write your story.

This author takes it even further with her explanation of when, how and if you should use slang, swearing and clichés. The use of punctuation – what to use, when and where. And to wrap it all up she supplies the forms that can be used for your research which is a vital part of your writing. No one wants to hear someone talk about a subject that they know nothing about. All-in-all, this is a book that should not only be used by writers of all genres but also as a study book for corporate presentations, teachers of all school ages and maybe a pastor now and then. I write cookbooks but I will be referring back to this for my own writings.

Cold Hearted Son of a Witch - The Dragoneers Saga II - M. R. Mathias, Author

2011-09-21T15:18:00.000-07:00

Nacho Pie

A M. R. Mathias Special

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls

1-1/2 cups crushed nacho tortilla chips, divided

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, separate crescent dough into eight triangles; place in a greased 9-in. pie plate with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a crust; seal perforations.

Sprinkle 1 cup chips over crust. Top with meat mixture. Carefully spread sour cream over meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining chips. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Cold Hearted Son of a Witch – Dragoneers Saga Book II – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

‘The Crown Prince lay peacefully, as if asleep, inside the currently green-colored magical field. He was afflicted with the Goblin King’s poison, a terrible stuff that had maddened and then slowly corroded from the inside out anyone who’d breathed it. If the stasis failed before an antidote was concocted, he would surely die. Jenka knew Herald was right about what had to be done, but that didn’t relieve the urge Jenka was feeling to just ignore common sense and keep his word by saving his fellow Dragoneer.

The Dragoneer’s Lair, as the hall was now called, was an intensely morbid place. Queen Alvazina was often found there arguing with her husband or weeping over her son’s body. Like Mysterian, she was a witch of the Hazeltine, and she fully understood the magnitude of the situation. She knew Richard’s life hung in the balance, and that there was no certainty about the antidotal potion Mysterian hoped to brew. Her sorrow seemed to sap the hope out of some of the others, thus the hall was sometimes the quietest place in Mainsted.’

In his first book, Mathias introduced us to Jenka De Swasso, Rikky Camille and Zahrellion, along with their dragons Jade, Silva and Crystal. He took us through the battle with the Gravelbone and the poison that put Prince Richard into his state of suspended animation. We saw King Blanchard and Linux change places for the benefit of the war. We also learned the prophecy of what is called the “Confliction” that will be fought by 10 – 5 Dragoneers and 5 dragons. But what is the “confliction” and who are the other 2 Dragoneers? Where will they come from? Where will the battle take place? Will the antidote, once brewed and administered to Prince Richard, counteract the poison and bring him back to help fight in the confliction? And will Linux and the King finally make the switch back into their own bodies?

It didn’t take me long to read M. R. Mathias’ first book. It was packed with action, excitement, suspense and a little humor now and then, making it a fast enjoyable read. When I read his second book in this series Cold Hearted Son of a Witch, I expected more of the same. Well, he didn’t disappoint me. It has everything that the 1^st book had and more.

I’ve never been a big fan of fantasy books but this author is changing that. He could carry this book into a series of 10 and I’ll read, and am sure, enjoy every one. I love reading this series.

Infinite Exposure - Roland Hughes, Author

2011-09-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Chicken and Rice Bake

(A Roland Hughes Favorite)

7 boneless skinless chicken tenders
1 pkg. Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2 can cream of mushroom soup
2 c. uncooked rice
4 c. water

Use a big dish and stir everything except the chicken until mixed.
Place chicken on top and bake about 2 hours in 325 degree oven.

You should route or stir around the edges about half way through
to stop the rice from drying on the bottom.

Add water or Chardonnay if too much fluid evaporates.

You can make it 3 c water and 1 c Chardonnay for additional flavor.

Infinite Exposure - Guest Review by Matthew Morrison

Roland Hughes creates an intriguing jambalaya with his latest offering: Infinite Exposure. He mixes the raw carnage of high finance and international banking with a murky broth of covert "ops." Spicing the mixture cleverly with the bitterness of a neo-Nazi plan to eradicate al-Qaeda Cyber terrorists. Served on a chilled plate of good old American corporate greed. This book will wake you up to the possibilities what this world may be coming to.

Matthew Morrison

Order your copy by going to

http://www.infiniteexposure.net/order.html

Dead End - Leigh Russell, Author

2011-09-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

Salmon Pasta Salad

(A Leigh Russell Special)

1 cup uncooked pasta (shells, noodles, etc.)

2 Tbsp. butter/margarine

1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded cheese

2 boiled eggs, peeled and cooled

sweet pickle relish (to taste)

1 can (6 oz.) boneless, skinless salmon drained

mayonnaise

salt and pepper (to taste)

Cook pasta according to package. Drain and while still hot, pour into a large bowl. Add butter and cheese allowing hot pasta to melt. Chop and add boiled eggs and relish (to taste). Add salmon and enough mayonnaise to slightly coat pasta. You can add chopped onions, black olives or substitute dill relish for sweet.

Dead End – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

Abigail’s head hurt. She was afraid something was wrong with her eyes. She couldn’t see anything. A heavy weight was pressing down on her chest. She fought against a feeling of nausea, and tried to turn her head but couldn’t. “Hello,” she croaked. No answer. She was alone in the darkness… “Hello,” she called again. Her throat hurt and there was a strange smell. By now Abigail had realized she was in hospital, coming around from an operation. Nurses of all people should have known better than to leave her lying on her back. There was a risk she might choke to death if she were sick. She seemed to lie there for hours, drifting in and out of consciousness. “Hello,” she called again. “Is anyone there? Please?” The light dazzled her “Am I in hospital?” she asked. Her voice sounded far away. “Are you a doctor?” “Hello, Mrs. Kirby. Mrs. Abigail Kirby.” The man smiled. “How are you feeling?” He held up a syringe. Clear liquid glistened on the tip of the needle. The man leaned forward, his head framed by an aura of white light.

Those would be some of Abigail Kirby’s last words. Her body would be found later in the woody part of the park with her tongue missing. Abigail left a daughter Lucy, a son Ben, a husband Matthew and a world of questions for Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel and Detective Sergeant Ian Peterson to sort through and find the answers. When another victim is found later with his eyes missing, the two detectives are still baffled and without answers. What they think might be their one and only clue comes when Lucy disappears in what the family believes to be a runaway but turns out to be a bit more. But still the clues are bleak. Will they find Lucy before something really bad happens to her? Will there be other murders with missing body parts before the killer is found and stopped? Good questions and the answers won’t reveal themselves until the end.

As with Road Closed, Author Leigh Russell kept me guessing. She gave the clues but I ignored them until the end finding myself not believing the ending as the true killer was finally revealed. Just as Jeffery Deaver said Leigh Russell has ‘A brilliant talent in the thriller field.’ A very enjoyable book.

2011

376 pages

No Exit Press

ISBN# 978-1-84243-356-0

For Every Action There Are Consequences - Gail Baugniet, Author

2011-09-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

Pepper's Chili

(Its a favorite of the Author's too)

1 softball-sized sweet onion, chopped fine

1/4 cup walnut oil

3 lbs. 85% lean Ground Round

3 cans chili beans in medium sauce

2 pkgs. chili seasoning mix

2 29oz. cans of tomato sauce

1 14.5 oz. can of beef broth

3 cups dried macaroni noodles, cooked

Heat oil and add chopped onion, cook until tender.

Add Ground Round and brown the meat in the onion mix.

Shake chili seasoning onto the meat; add chili beans with sauce, tomato sauce, and the can of beef broth.

Let chili simmer while boiling the macaroni, then add the cooked macaroni to the chili. Continue to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serve with freshly grated Wisconsin cheddar cheese and oyster crackers. (Salad and Wine optional.)

For Every Action There Are Consequences – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

‘Back in my office, I set Jed’s report aside and turned my attention to the witness statements. Neighbors had reported loud noises and shouts coming from the only bungalow in the cul-de-sac. According to a neighbor two houses down, everyone knew about the constant arguing. One statement quoted a woman at the top of the cul-de-sac as saying, “Liticia Tuarence often accused her husband of passing judgment on her. I saw the police arrive more than once when things got out of hand. We went out of our way to ignore the squabbles. This time was different, lots of banging and profanity.” I reread the remark about “passing judgment” and wondered if the woman had chosen the phrase herself or is she’d only repeated Liticia’s words. According to Jed, Wes Tuarence admitted he’d stabbed his wife multiple times though he offered no explanation for his actions and refused to make any further comment. The snapshots stapled to the file told me far more about the man than any written statement ever could. White borders around the photos drew my attention to the gruesome details of each knife wound, giving me a measure of the hatred this man must have harbored.’

Pepper Bibeau is an insurance investigator for Early Settlers Insurance Company. Her boss “Sully” Sullivan has just assigned her to not one but two cases that will take her to Chicago to hopefully solve. The first case is a claim filed by a Doctor Patel who has filed claims for five members of the same family. Due to the heredity of the children’s illness, sickle cell anemia, the probability was that the claim was correct. But due to the lack of blood and other lab work, it became Pepper’s job to check out the claim.

Her second assignment in Chicago came in the form of a favor to Sully. There had been an insurance policy taken out on Liticia that listed her husband as beneficiary and an orphanage as second in line. Sully’s hopes were that Pepper could turn up something, anything, that would help to convict Wes Tuarence of murder and not allow him to claim the proceeds. Sully personally wanted to see it go to the orphanage.

What should have been two simple cases taking just a few days to research ended up taking Pepper into the next week and almost getting her killed. But which case was the real threat? Were the insurance claims legitimate or was the doctor faking claims? Were Liticia and Wes Tuarence in over their heads in something illegal that caused them to flee Chicago or are they victims of the circumstances?

As the number of deaths increased, my list of suspects declined. At one point I really suspected it might be one of the “good guys” gone bad. Actually, I had that suspicion until the end. Was I right? You’ll have to read the book for yourself to find out.

2011

346 pages

CreateSpace

ISBN# 9781456522155

A Book and A Dish

Fighting the Devil - Jeannie Walker, Author

Tranquillity Initiative - Joan Meijer, Author

The Master Plan - Carol Costa, Author

An Opulent Tableau of Essence - Compilation by Sharon Hays

A Dangerous Harbor - R. P. Dahlke, Author

The Shape-Shifters - Louis Bertrand Shalako, Author

Three Trailers Down - Douglas Chandler Graham, Author

Tunnel - The Lost Diary - Steven Nedelton, Author

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Directions

Notes

Things That Make Me Nuts - Annette Bergman, Author

The Stages of Me - Kathy Henderson, Author

The Undertaker - William F. Brown, Author

Escape 2 Earth 2012 - Lawrence Johnson, Sr., Author

Slade's Destiny - The Witchcraft Wars Book 3 - Tracey Alley, Author

Smoke and Murders - Douglas Chandler Graham, Author

SAUSAGE BALLS

(A Douglas Graham Favorite)

Love of a Stonemason - Christa Polkinhorn, Author

Chill Run - Russell Brooks, Author

Behind Closed Doors - Brian L. Porter, Author

Dust the meat. Sprinkle some flour over the cubed meat and mix it well together with your hands.

Fry the meat. Place the pan on a medium heat and add the oil. Allow to warm through and once warm add the floured meat and onions. Stir it all together with a spoon and allow the meat to brown, which will roughly take 3-4 minutes.

Cook the meat. When the meat is nicely browned add the carrots. Then season with salt and pepper. Stir it all together and bring it to the boil. Stir once more and cover with the lid. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for roughly one hour until the meat is tender.

Preheat the oven. During the last fifteen minutes of cooking the meat, heat the oven to 220 degrees centigrade.

Add potatoes. Add the par boiled potatoes to the cooked meat and stir them in with your spoon.

Transfer to oven proof dish. Carefully pour the pan of meat into an oven proof dish, then smooth it over with your spoon.

Bake. Place the pie in the bottom of the oven and bake for 40 min.

Remove from oven & serve. Remove from the oven when golden brown.

I Am More Than Just a Girl - Leah Oviedo, Author

Nate Rocks the World - Karen Pokras Toz, Author

In the St. Nick of Time - K. M. Daughters, Author

Plymouth Colony II - Sharolyn Wells, Author

Winds of Wildfire - Ronald P. Chavez, Author

The Island Calls - Teresa Garrido Roberts

Zaftan Miscreants - Hank Quense, Author

Dream Walker - Velda Brotherton, Author

Bullets + Bandages - Robert Saniscalchi, Author

Unsavory Delicacies - Russell Brooks, Author

Trouble Starts, Pane Follows - David and Linda Broughton, Authors

We're Not Blended We're Pureed - Diana Lesire Brandmeyer Marty C. Lintvedt, Authors

Because We Care - Fran Lewis, Author

Directions

The Knowledge of Good and Evil - Glenn Kleier, Author

The Fright Factory - William R. Potter, Author

Ingredients

Directions

Noble - David K. Hulegaard, Author

Nick, of Time - J. A. Carlton, Author

An Uncommon Family - Christa Polkinhorn, Author

How to Tell a Great Story - Aneeta Sundararaj, Author

Cold Hearted Son of a Witch - The Dragoneers Saga II - M. R. Mathias, Author

Infinite Exposure - Roland Hughes, Author

Dead End - Leigh Russell, Author

For Every Action There Are Consequences - Gail Baugniet, Author