Monday, December 21, 2020

Finders Keepers - Maggie Tideswell, Author

 




My dearest Miss Hastings,

It is with impatience I await the moment of meeting you in the flesh again. I wish you well until our wedding day on October 31 and I hope an All Souls’ celebration would augur many happy years with your presence gracing my humble home as my wife.

Forever yours,

Henry Du Pré

Your betrothed husband.



Lenora Hastings has just arrived at what will be her new home. There are no lights in the windows, no fire on the hearth, causing questions to pop into her head. If the wedding had been arranged for tomorrow, she had seen no evidence of it. Where were all the servants Henry was supposed to have? It didn’t seem like a bride had been expected at all. And after meeting Henry himself there were even more questions.  Henry himself worried her. He didn’t seem to be old enough. She had expected a man at least twice her own age. This man certainly didn’t look close to forty.   Then, after being shown to her room for the night, a spine-chilling scream not even the weather could diminish filled the night.  Henry explained it as being the wind telling her not to let it distress her and to lock the door behind him opening it to no one but him. 

After a light meal Lenora was able to doze off.  The next morning, though, brings another surprise.  The man that appeared at her door made a statement that brought shock even more shock to her mind.  The voice sounded grating, husky, like that of an old person, and his statement was “I am your husband, Henry Du Pré.”  So, who was the man from the night before, who was screaming, and how is all of this connected to Lenora and her husband to be Henry?

If you think the suspense ends there, think again.  This book is full of surprises from the living and just maybe the non-living.  If you like a good suspense, ghostly book with some romance thrown in, you’ll love Finders Keepers.


Thursday, October 29, 2020

Dead To Life (Sara Mason Book 3) - Mary Deal, Author



Huli-Huli Chicken

 

3 lb. bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 thighs)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce 
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. Sriracha
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 pineapple, cut into wedges
2 green onions, thinly sliced
 

DIRECTIONS

Season chicken all over with salt and pepper and place in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, chicken broth, Sriracha, garlic, and ginger.Pour marinade over chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 6 hours.Heat grill or grill pan over medium heat. Add pineapple and cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes.Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade, then bring marinade to a boil in a medium sauce pan over high heat. Boil until it is the consistency of a thin barbecue sauce, about 9 minutes.When pineapple is done cooking, remove from grill and add chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook, turning occasionally and basting with sauce, until skin is crisp and chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes in total. Serve pineapple and grilled chicken together, garnished with green onions.

Serves 3-6

 
Dead to Life - Review by Martha A. Cheves

Sara Mason and Huxley Keane are still on the hunt for proof that his brother Rocky, who turned up as a MIA during the Vietnam War, was indeed dead.  After receiving a box full of letters from Huxley's mom, the two sit down to read the letters in hopes that the information would provide some of the most defining clues leading to verifying that the key that was found in the Vietnam jungle did belong to Rocky.  The key was one given to Rocky by his fiancee, Emma Ellis.  It was to the apartment she shared with her sister Evelyn in San Francisco and would give him access to a place to stay if he were to return unexpectedly.  But shortly after Rocky became MIA, Emma's sister Evelyn took her own life and Emma may have moved to Hawaii.  With this piece of information, Sara and Huxley begin their search in San Francisco in search of information that will lead them to Emma in Hawaii and the possibility that she will have the matching key that will confirm the one found in Vietnam was indeed Rocky's.  

As always, Author Mary Deal takes you through page turning tunnels as you join Sara and Huxley in their search for Emma and the key.  You'll see the life changing events that put Emma into an investigation by not only the Hawaiian police but also the San Francisco Police.  You'll find yourself trying to understand how and why such a level headed person could turn into what Emma turned into.  

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Dear Sugar and Other Sorrows - Irma Fritz, Author



Irma’s Quiche Baskets

Ingredients:

1 pkg Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry
4 oz Gruyere Cheese (approx. 1 cup)
6 slices of bacon
12 thin slices of red onion, with rings cut in half
4 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
A pinch each of pepper and nutmeg
Cooking spray 

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 400  Thaw puff pastry (2 sheets) at room temp for about 40 minutes.
Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray
Cook bacon until crisp, blot on paper towel, let cool and crumble
Slice onion
Grate cheese
Mix eggs with cream and spices
On floured surface roll each sheet of puff pastry into a 9x12 rectangle
(be sure to press out the “fold” lines!)
Cut each sheet into 6 squares = 12 squares total
Place each square into a muffin cup – dough will extend over top
Divide cheese, bacon & onion among the 12 cups
Fill egg mixture to no higher than ¾ from top
Fold the overlapping corners of each square to make a “basket handle”
Bake about 10 minutes, switch position of pan, and bake another 10 minutes
Lower temperature to 375, bake until pastry is golden brown and wooden toothpick comes out clean

Yield: 12 servings

I like to serve the quiche baskets as a breakfast treat with fresh fruit, as a party appetizer, or with a simple mixed green salad for lunch or dinner.

Dear Sugar and Other Sorrows - Review by Martha A. Cheves

When I first started reading Dear Sugar and Other Sorrows I was captured by the first story which was made up of letters sent back and forth between to people who were very special to each other.  I couldn't wait to get to the end just to see how things came out between them.  Then I started reading the story about Lyzzie who was a recovering drug addict.  Would the person who got her there in the 1st place take her back down the same path?  And the stories went on with more stories of sorrow and heart wrenching pain.  Each one having me turning the pages just to see exactly how they would end.  

I will have to warn you, the reader, that the stories are 'dark' and somewhat upsetting at times, but they show us just exactly what life around us can truly be.  The stories are true eye openers to a those of us who are shielded from the gates of hell that some actually live in.

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Secrets and Lies (Lies Mystery Book 4) - Andrew Cunningham, Author



Los Lobos Guacamole

5 Ripe Hass Avocados, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup medium red onion, diced
3/4 cup medium tomato, cored and sliced
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp chili serrano, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/8 cup fresh lime, juiced

Mix it all together and salt to taste.


Secrets and Lies ("Lies" Mystery Thriller Series Book 4) - Review by Martha A. Cheves

They crept up the stairs.  There were three apartments in the three-story building.  They wanted the one on the second floor.  It was an old building and the stairs creaked a bit.  He tried to step on the outside part of the step.  They were less likely to creak.  But it was the middle of the night and they had seen from the street that the lights were off in all three apartments.  Hopefully they were all sound sleepers.

The explosion literally knocked us out of bed.  But seconds after the explosion, we found ourselves on the floor, me on my side of the bed and Sabrina on hers.  What most likely happened was that we instinctively moved to safety at the thunderous sound.  In the couple of years we had been together, Sabrina and I had been shot at so many times, we were probably working on sheer muscle memory.  If you hear a loud noise that sounds suspiciously like a gunshot, chances are it is, so you move - fast - even when you're asleep.
 

Del Honeycutt and bestselling author Sabrina Spencer have just experienced a gunshot that will open their world to more mysteries and secrets they either could have imagined.  They will learn the full story behind the grouchy guy living in the building known as Seymour and the beautiful, gay, second-grade teacher known as Mo.  That one gunshot will take them through the Everglades as they try to solve the mystery of a plane crash that happened twenty years earlier, along with solving the mystery of what everyone was searching for then and now. 

I've read all of the "Lies" Mystery books and they just keep getting better and better.  This one really took me by surprise as I learned the secrets and the reasons behind the secrets.  So... looking for a real, on the edge book, I recommend, not just book 4 but all of the "Lies" books.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.







Thursday, August 27, 2020

What If? - Fran Lewis, Author



Creamy Vegan Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine Alfredo

400 g fettuccine
1 1/2 C raw cashews, soaked for 20 minutes in hot water
1 C fresh water (1/2 a cup if using tofu instead of cashews)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 C finely chopped white onion
2 large portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced
4 C thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 C dry white wine (vegan friendly)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
1 tsp dried parsley
4 C fresh baby spinach
1 C low-sodium vegetable stock

Vegan Parmesan (Optional – Can also buy a Vegan Parmesan Product)

2/3 C raw cashews
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt


Instructions

To make the vegan parmesan, combine ingredients together in a food processor until a fine crumb or meal is formed. Store in a jar or container in the fridge. This will last up to 3 weeks.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles to al dente. Drain but do not rinse.  Meanwhile, rinse and drain cashews from the soaking water and add to a high-powered blender along with water, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice. Blend until very smooth.  In a large pan over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil for 2 minutes until soft and fragrant.  Add mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. When mushrooms are half cooked and start to release some moisture, stir in minced garlic, sea salt, and ground black pepper and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.  Once mushrooms have shrunk and released all their water, add in white wine (or replace with an equal amount of low-sodium vegetable stock, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon juice) and simmer for 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in fresh basil and dried parsley, and cook for another minute.  Stir in the cashew cream, spinach, and slowly stir in 1 cup of low-sodium vegetable stock. Stir for about 4 minutes.  Add noodles to the pan and toss to combine everything well, and coat noodles in sauce for 3 minutes.  Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegan parmesan and toss to combine. Serve with more vegan parmesan and ground black pepper as garnish.


Recipe notes

If you are reheating leftovers, heat in a pan adding small amounts of vegetable stock a bit at a time while tossing the noodles to thin out the sauce again.


What if? - Review by Martha A. Cheves

What if? - There were no more planes or trains.  All you needed to do was think about being somewhere and you were there.  There was only one race where your face may look a little different but your skin colors were the same.  Would the world be a better place?

What if? - You came to the edge of town and saw a sign that read "You are leaving the town of MUNDANE AND NO EXCITEMENT."  As you walk out of town you come across a crossroad.  One sign informs you that its road leads to the town of "NOWHERE - Keep Wandering."  The second road reads to the town of "Decisions.", The third to the town of "Surprises" and the fourth to a sign that tells you to "Just Walk in This Direction and You Will find Out..."  Which road will you take?

Through her short stories, Author Fran Lewis has given us a few situations to test our minds as we see where the stories lead to and end up.  Did the characters make the right decision?  Better yet, do we agree with their decisions?  What if?

Sunday, August 9, 2020

While You Slept - R. J. Parker, Author

 

Richard’s Dog Rolls
(This is my own invention and is a hybrid of a hot dog and a sausage roll (a British snack of sausage meat in puff pastry).  It’s great for parties and very quick and easy.

You’ll need:

Pack/tin of frankfurters
Packet of readymade puff pastry
Onion marmalade
Ketchup and mustard

Unroll sheet of puff pastry and cut off a strip just under the length of a frankfurter and enough to roll it around one.
Place frankfurter on pastry and using a knife, spread some onion marmalade the length of the frankfurter before rolling it up.  Leave a little of the frankfurter poking out from each end.
Repeat with other frankfurters and then place on a baking tray.
Bake in the oven on a high heat until puff pastry looks golden brown.
Serve hot and dip them in mustard and ketchup!


While You Slept - Review by Martha A. Cheves

He was wearing the smile of her daughter.  A cut-out mask of her five-year-old's laughing features with holes cut out of her eyes for his to look through.  Maisie's innocent countenance on his adult body resonated cold at Lily's core.  But she couldn't rush out into the garden.  She wasn't at home.  She was at work.  The intruder and her lawn were over sixteen miles away.  The motion detector in her garden had sent an alert to the app on her phone.

Lily Russell has just come face to face with a man via her security camera and phone.  Who is he?  What does he want?   And the questions in her mind continue to grow when one morning she and Maisie wake up in their own beds just to find out that they are no longer in their own home but in a place that has been duplicated.  The only difference between where they are and their real home is there is no way out. 

This book has kept me on my toes from the very beginning.  I raked my brain trying to determine who was doing this to Lily and Maisie and why.  The answer to those questions?  You'll find out at the end. I was totally, 100% shocked with the ending. Very intense book.  

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Butterfly Lake - Robert J. Saniscalchi, Author



Tex’s Favorite Chocolate Cake

1-3/4 cups All purpose flour 
1-3/4 cups of Sugar 
 ½ cup Cocoa
1/3 cup instant nonfat dry Milk 
1-teaspoon Baking Powder
1-teaspoon Salt
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup Vegetable oil
3-Large Eggs
1-tablespoon
Vanilla extract

Cake Mix
In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, dry milk, baking soda, salt
Add 1-1/4 cup water, oil, eggs, vanilla and whisk everything together in large bowl
Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper coated with cooking spray then added contents of bowl and Bake at 350 and let cool when done.

Icing for Cake

¼ cup butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup milk
3-1/2 cup Confectioners’ Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Sift Sugar and set aside, heat butter and mix in a large bowl with cocoa, milk, vanilla, then add sifted Sugar and whisk until smooth.

Pour Icing over chocolate cake and enjoy!

Butterfly Lake - Review by Martha A. Cheves

Sam and Bill McCoy were from Southern Georgia.  Sam, the oldest, smartest and tallest, might have been considered plain-looking, were it not for his tangled mop of hair and his scraggly beard; Bill, on the other hand, was not too bright, albeit not from lack of trying.  He had always been slow - he just couldn't help it - but he was intelligent enough to follow his big brother and do whatever Sam told him to do.

Tex is from Texas.  In the Fall, he had invited his best friend Rob to his ranch for fishing and riding horses.  Rob has returned the favor by inviting Tex and his family to his lake cabin in the mountains of Pinecrest, PA.  The two men, both in their mid-forties, had been close friends since their days in the jungles and villages of Vietnam.  Rob was a decorated Army field medic, and Tex a decorated Marine sniper.  

When the unthinkable happens, Tex, Rob, Sam and Bill will meet and that's when the suspense begins.  Their travels will take them through the mountains in their attempt to bring justice to the little town of Pinecrest.  But their task doesn't come without life threatening events that may make them missing in action.

This book is full of twists and turns that kept me wanting more.  It gave me admiration for not only Tex and Rob, but also for the author.  Looking forward to his next book of adventures with these two guys.

 
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