Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label romance. Show all posts

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Sea Cliff - Mary Deal, Author



ZUCCHINI-TOMATO PIE

 2 cups  Zucchini, chopped
1 cup Tomato, chopped
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups Milk
3/4 cup Bisquick
3 Eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper



Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease or spray 10 inch quiche dish or 10 x 1 1/2 inch pie plate.  Sprinkle zucchini, tomato, onion and cheese to cover bottom of dish.  Beat remaining ingredients until smooth (15 seconds in blender on high; 1 minute with hand beater). Pour over ingredients in dish.  Bake about 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool five minutes. Serve.

Sea Cliff - Review by Martha A. Cheves

All her life, her father reminded that she didn't know how to do anything competently.  He'd painfully flick her ear, or slap or kick her when he was frustrated.  He'd use a board if he had one in his hand.  He destroyed what little self-confidence she had and denied her any opportunities to prove her abilities.  In one way or another he'd convince himself he was right...  and it wasn't just Rachael that was rewarded with his abuse... He griped about raising two kids alone.  He cursed her mother for having died, then mumbled something about it being better anyway because she was another burden to him.  He was vicious and self-serving.  Rachael's brother Brandon's grades were poor.  He had a broken arm and ended up making excuses about how it happened.  

Rachael is a writer and the book she is working on at the moment is about the life of a fictional woman who has gone through abuse as a child.  Her character finally meets a man who seems to be able to take her as she is, hang-ups and all.  But due to her abuse, the character has a hard time accepting affection of any kind... just like Rachael herself.

I don't normally read romance novels.  Most seem to be the same - girl meets guy, they have their problems, they have their heated intimate times, fight, finally get together and live happily ever after.  This book was so different.  The author talks about the abuse and the damage it can do to a child and how it carries on into adulthood.  And on top of that, she has written a beautiful story that I, who doesn't like romance novels, had trouble putting down.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Once in a Blue Moon - Vicki Crum, Author



Garlic Knot Pizza Bake
(The Author's own special dish)

Garlic Crust

2 tubes pre-made biscuit dough
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder, divided
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Pizza Filling

1 lb. ground beef
1 jar marinara sauce
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
12 slices pepperoni

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the garlic-knot crust: Cut each biscuit round in half (or quarter it, if the package makes extra-large biscuits), so they’re about the size of a half-dollar.Dip the biscuit pieces in melted butter, then place them in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and top with 1 tsp garlic powder and parmesan cheese. Shake to coat.Pour coated dough balls into a large casserole dish, spreading them out in an even layer. Set aside.For the rest of the pizza: Place ground beef and ½ tsp garlic powder in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook beef, breaking it up into crumbles with the back of a spatula until it’s fully browned. Drain and mix with marinara sauce.


Once in a Blue Moon - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Casey's gaze latched onto the bike and the broad, leather-jacketed back of the guy who guided it deftly through traffic as though he and the bike were one.  She ached with the need to see him better, to learn something about him...where he'd come from and where he was headed.  To climb up behind him and hang on tight, feel the warm wind caressing her face and whipping through her hair.

Casey Montgomery had this attraction for what she called the alpha-male type.  Those classified as the 'bad boys', 'mavericks', 'renegades.'  Those men whose inbred machismo blinded them to any other needs but their own.  This attraction has brought her nothing but trouble and pain in the form of heartaches.  She had promised herself to swear off this type of man, yet here she is actually running down a total stranger that fits that bill.  And run him down she does until they both are caught at a red light. Looks like she has done it again.

I don't normally read romance novels.  Most follow the same story line - boy meets girl; girl falls for boy; both try to fight their attraction;  both find they can't;  boy and girl end up as a couple.  Well... this book was going to be the same, so I thought.  Wrong!  Author Vicki Crum threw a curve that was a total surprise to me.  It turns out that Casey has a secret and doesn't even know it.  I kept turning page after page to see when and how this secret will be brought to light and how it will affect Casey's life and mainly her love life.

Thursday, June 30, 2016

He's Married - Maggie Tideswell, Author



Beef Bourguignon 

Prep:
15 min
Cook:
3 hr 45 min

Ingredients

Marinade:
5 cloves garlic, smashed
3 fresh bay leaves
2 carrots, peeled and halved
2 ribs celery, halved
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
One 750-ml bottle red wine, such as Burgundy
4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch chunks
Stew:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces slab bacon, cut into lardons
1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 to 4 cups beef stock
3 fresh bay leaves
1 bundle fresh thyme
1 pound red bliss potatoes, quartered
1/2 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped, for garnish
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

For the marinade: Combine the garlic, bay leaves, carrots, celery, onions and wine in a large bowl or container. Add the beef; cover and let sit in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight. (This is a really important step: it makes a huge flavor difference.)

For the stew: Remove the beef from the marinade. Strain the veggies and bay leaves from the marinade and discard. Reserve 2 cups of the marinade.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat a large, wide pan or Dutch oven with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and toss with the flour; do not flour the beef until you're ready to brown it. Add the flour-coated beef to the hot pan, but be sure to not crowd the pan; you will need to work in four batches. Brown the meat well on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the pan to a baking sheet.

After the first two batches, deglaze the pot with 1/2 cup of the reserved marinade, scraping up any browned bits. Drain the liquid into a small bowl. Add more olive oil to the pan to coat and cook the remaining two batches of meat. Add the meat to the baking sheet. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup marinade, scraping up any browned bits.

Add the bacon and cook until it gets brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms, carrots, celery, garlic and onions, and season with salt. Cook until the mixture starts to soften and becomes very aromatic, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup marinade and deglaze the pan, stirring up any browned bits, 1 minute. Add the beef. Stir to combine and cook until the wine has reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add enough of the beef stock to just cover the surface of the beef. Toss in the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Cover the pan, bring the liquid to a boil and put in the oven.

Cook the beef for 2 hours. During the last hour of cooking time, add the potatoes. Cover the pan with the lid and put the stew back in the oven to cook for an additional hour.

Remove the pot from the oven and skim off any excess grease from the surface of the stew. Garnish with the chives and serve with crusty bread to sop up all the sauce.



He's Married - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Her stomach knotted painfully and her fingers automatically found the black stone around her neck. Black, to match her shoes.  Dane saw the movement and touched the stone with his index finger. “Is this a superstition?” He grinned and winked at her. “It won’t save you, you know, once I get you alone.”  Between his chuckle and the cold stone against her sternum, her situation couldn’t be worse.
She hadn’t thought much beyond the wedding ceremony and reception, and then only in terms
of the honeymoon Dane had been so secretive about. Her going-away dress had topped the list,
and then she’d worried about what to pack if she didn’t even know where they were going.
The wedding night and sex for the first time hadn’t come into it.  She had better think about it now, because this was it, it was about to become a reality.  They had never been alone together, not really. In the frenzy of wedding arrangements, there had always been people around with the potential of interruption. This was the first time they were truly alone.

Eloise and Dane are married.  They love each other, at least Eloise thinks they do.  But how.  They have only known each other a few weeks.  It was almost a meet, date a few times and tie the knot.  And now it's their wedding night.  They are headed to the Honeymoon Suite and Eloise knows what that means.  But that simply can't happen!  See, Eloise has a secret that only she and her doctor know about.  There is no way Dane will still love and want her after he finds out!  

Then Eloise returns to the place of her wedding in the Hottentots Holland Mountains.  It looked the same but not quite as Gothic as the rainy night of the wedding a week earlier.  That is until she runs into Hugh Fleming and when he suggested that he knew she would be back she felt a bit of uncomfortable fear which will only increase as the horrors of the lodge begin to take place.

This is an erotic book but also a horror mystery.  It keeps you on edge until you discover where the events from the past are coming from and when you determine if they are actually repeating themselves or if its all in Eloise's head.  A really interesting book.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Vital Temptations: A Heart's Betrayal - K. L. Lewis, Author



K. L.'s Simple Lemon Pie
(Great for any holiday or occasion. I usually make this on Thanksgiving Day)

Freshly squeezed lemon juice-1/2 cup, or 1/4 if you want it less lemony
2 Egg yolks (Can use full eggs, but need to beat well to reduce clumping)
1 Can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk (Sweetened)
Pie shell of liking (I prefer the 'Ready Crust' graham cracker, reduced fat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix juice, yolks and milk together and pour into your pie shell.  Bake 10-15 minutes or refrigerate overnight. 

*Can add meringue to top it off, but I'm not crazy about meringue



Vital Temptations - Review by Martha A Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

The two chatted for several minutes as Bethany continued studying him.  Something about him reminded her of her dad, who always told her to look for a sense of humor in a man.  His beautiful complexion and perfect lips and teeth were an added bonus; she loved a man who took pride in his oral hygiene and nails.  His pearly white smile sparkled at her when he spoke.  Bethany sensed that he was much younger than the guys she usually dated and she was unimpressed that he came to the conference unprepared; nonetheless she accepted his offer for lunch since she hated eating alone.

Dr. Bethany McNeal has just met the love of her life - Dr. Brent Anderson.  Both are attending a conference at the Seattle Children's hospital.  The unprepared Dr. Anderson takes the only available seat left which is next to Bethany.

Just a couple years earlier Bethany had found herself in a relationship with a man she really loved and trusted.  Turned out trust was the last thing he should have been given.  They parted ways with her being extremely cautious when it came to men.  Brent finally broke through the wall she had built and she had fallen so in love with him that she knew there would be no other.   But... Brent came with secrets, both past and present.  Secrets that should end any feelings she has for him.  When she finally learns what he has been hiding from her the pain is unbearable but nothing can kill her love.

As I read Vital Temptations I found myself rooting for Bethany.  Hoping she would open her eyes and see what was going on around her.  Hoping she would listen to her best friends Danielle and Caleb.  Listen to them when they tell her there are other women.  Listen when Danielle introduces her to Charles who falls heavily for her.  This love story will keep you in suspense all the way to the end, wondering what is going to happen to Bethany.  I knew how I wanted it to end.  I'll not tell you what I hoped for but will tell you that it didn't end the way I wanted it to which is good because I think it ended just the way it should.  I had a hard time putting this book down and if you're a fan of a good 'what is she going to do' you'll be glad you picked this one up.


Saturday, August 29, 2015

The Run-Away Couple - Maggie Tideswell, Author



Beef Bourguignon(A Marcus Special)

Marinade:
5 cloves garlic, smashed
3 fresh bay leaves
2 carrots, peeled and halved
2 ribs celery, halved
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
One 750-ml bottle red wine, such as Burgundy
4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch chunks
Stew:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces slab bacon, cut into lardons
1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 to 4 cups beef stock
3 fresh bay leaves
1 bundle fresh thyme
1 pound red bliss potatoes, quartered
1/2 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped, for garnish
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

For the marinade: Combine the garlic, bay leaves, carrots, celery, onions and wine in a large bowl or container. Add the beef; cover and let sit in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight. (This is a really important step: it makes a huge flavor difference.)

For the stew: Remove the beef from the marinade. Strain the veggies and bay leaves from the marinade and discard. Reserve 2 cups of the marinade.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat a large, wide pan or Dutch oven with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and toss with the flour; do not flour the beef until you're ready to brown it. Add the flour-coated beef to the hot pan, but be sure to not crowd the pan; you will need to work in four batches. Brown the meat well on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the pan to a baking sheet.

After the first two batches, deglaze the pot with 1/2 cup of the reserved marinade, scraping up any browned bits. Drain the liquid into a small bowl. Add more olive oil to the pan to coat and cook the remaining two batches of meat. Add the meat to the baking sheet. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup marinade, scraping up any browned bits.

Add the bacon and cook until it gets brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms, carrots, celery, garlic and onions, and season with salt. Cook until the mixture starts to soften and becomes very aromatic, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup marinade and deglaze the pan, stirring up any browned bits, 1 minute. Add the beef. Stir to combine and cook until the wine has reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add enough of the beef stock to just cover the surface of the beef. Toss in the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Cover the pan, bring the liquid to a boil and put in the oven.

Cook the beef for 2 hours. During the last hour of cooking time, add the potatoes. Cover the pan with the lid and put the stew back in the oven to cook for an additional hour.

Remove the pot from the oven and skim off any excess grease from the surface of the stew. Garnish with the chives and serve with crusty bread to sop up all the sauce.



The Run-Away Couple - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Lightning flashed through the tiny leaded windows, followed a few moments later by rumbling thunder.  That musty, earthy smell of old buildings hung in the air.  That must be what the inside of a grave smelled like.  Goosebumps covered Piper's arms.  There was no railing, leaving a pit around which the stairs curved.  Piper leaned against the stone wall until the wave of nausea eased.  It was eerily quiet.  Piper heard slow footsteps on the stairs below her.  Somebody real was in the stairwell with her.  Piper ran up the last few steps to her floor.  About to rush for her door, she staggered half a step back when it creaked open and a woman came out of her room.  The woman had a basket in one hand like a chambermaid but cleaning rooms at this time of night?  The woman wore a long black cloak, the hoody of which had been pulled up over her hair and face.  Who was she?  "Hello, can I help you?" Piper said.  The woman partially turned her head and peered at Piper past the hoody with a very clear blue eye.  When she heard something behind her, Piper spun around and screamed.

Piper's sister Eloise was getting married.  Piper was to serve as her maid-of-honor and until she reached the chapel of this ancient lodge she had no idea that the best man would be Marcus.  Both sisters had known him since childhood.  He spent as much time at their house as he did at his own.  He and Eloise were best friends but Piper had been his pawn.  He loved to play pranks on Piper making sure he got the best of her and many times even making her cry.  And now she had to put up with him at her own sisters wedding.  Without a doubt he had a prank to prank all pranks in mind to really make a fool out of Piper.  But this time she would be prepared.  There was no way he would ever get the best of her again.

After the wedding Piper started wondering about her sister's choice for the wedding.  What had she been thinking to have her wedding in a lodge that was so creepy.  She was ready to go to her room, gather her belongings and head for home.  She didn't want to spend another hour in this place nor with the best man Marcus.  Seems those plans just weren't going to happen any time soon.

This book takes you to a 'haunted' lodge where Piper's sister and soon to be husband will say their vows.  You'll learn the story of the 'haunts' and why they occur.  But... you'll never begin to guess the ending of this beautiful, erotic love story.  It sure ended with a surprise for me.  Now I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see what surprises Author Maggie Tideswell has in store for her readers.

Sunday, July 5, 2015

The Belle and the Officer - B. J. Robinson, Author


Recipe for a Southern Barbeque
(B.J. Robinson's Special Recipe)


I’m from the South and my husband is from the North, so I was used to Southern barbeques. What he called barbeque was simply plain grilled to me, so we had to mess our differences. He grills his with no sauce, and I use Kraft honey barbeque sauce on mine. He enjoys steaks and burgers. I enjoy those, but I also enjoy hot dogs and chicken legs as well as boneless lemon-pepper chicken breasts, which he doesn’t like. I like to make homemade potato salad, but he doesn’t eat it. He opts for a baked potato. That’s okay. I have leftover potato salad, and the flavor goes through it, and it’s even better the next day.

In the South, we use barbeque sauce. I thought since this book was a book about the North and South, and the characters enjoyed barbecues and fish, I provide a southern barbeque. The northern one is easy. Just put it on the grill plain, at least my husband’s version.

Step 1: Grill the meat until lightly browned and sauce. Some put sauce on it while it is raw. I do. He waits. It works either way. I like mine not burnt, but dark and a little black won’t hurt me.

You can also barbeque fish or shrimp. Love them both.

Step 2: The Potato Salad:

Peel, wash, and clean about three pounds of potatoes or use a five-pound bag if you have someone else to help you eat the salad. Boil potatoes and three eggs. Peel eggs and chop. Dice pickles, olives, green onions, and use about one teaspoon mustard, if you like it. Leave out the onions if you don’t care for them. Some people do not use the mustard in the potato salad and use only mayo. I like both. If you like, you can use spicy mustard. I usually use the yellow.

Mix and include the mayo to taste. Season with salt, pepper, or seasonings you enjoy. Tip: If you refrigerate the potato salad and let it get cold, and you have used the green onions, you will find the flavor goes through it more. You will need to refrigerate it regardless to keep it from spoiling, but some people like to eat it while it’s fresh and hot. I enjoy mine cold.

To me, a barbeque is not one without potato salad. I have discovered I also enjoy the Amish potato salad and if I don’t have time to make my own, I will buy a container of it from Publix, but I still like my homemade the best.


The neat thing is you can make the potato salad to suit your tastes by putting in or leaving out what you please. If you’ve never tried a southern barbeque, you might find you like it. However, my husband still doesn’t eat potato salad and will put no sauce on his meat. He wants it just plain grilled. We used to enjoy this potato-salad recipe for family gatherings of any type. It goes well with many dishes besides barbecue. Fried chicken and potato salad is a given. It goes well with beef stew. For the Fourth of July, we always had barbeque and potato salad. Enjoy. 


The Belle and the Officer - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Alice held the cold metal key in her palm.  She'd keep it on her until her beloved returned.  He didn't have to tell her to visit and remember him.  Memories fought each other in her mind.  Visions of them on picnics, at family barbecues, fishing in the great Mississippi River that ran behind their homes.  He didn't have to tell her to remember.  How could she ever forget?

Lonnie was the love of Alice's life but there was a war going on and he had decided to defend the South.  He promised her that it would be a short war and over in no time, then they could announce their engagement, be married and love forever in the home he had built for her.  'Oh please let that be true, she prayed.'

To pass the time and be of help Alice worked in the hospital that housed the southern boys who were wounded.  She became the light in the eyes of some of the patients giving them hope and encouraging them to hang on and get well so they can go home to their own families.  Then came a Union Colonel named Bert Russell with his own wounded and needing a place for them to be care for.

As Alice got to know Colonel Russell, she couldn't help but feel a slight tingle in her heart but how could that be when she loved Lonnie.  So when Lonnie shows up in the hospital in a Union uniform instead of a Rebel, Alice found her whole life about to change.

This is a beautiful love story as well as a story in history.  The feelings Lonnie had for Alice as well as the feelings Bert developed for her had me cheering both on and wanting more.  The outcome will leave you wanting more too.


Saturday, March 23, 2013

Calm Before the Storm - B. J. Robinson, Author


Chicken Dumplings
(From the kitchen of B.J. Robinson)

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 or 2 packages frozen dumplings
½ Tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
½ Tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

Brown flour and make homemade gravy or take another shortcut and buy three packs of brown gravy mix and a pack of chicken gravy mix.

3 or 4 chicken bouillon cubes
Use onion, garlic, and other seasonings to taste.

If you're from Louisiana, you might decide to sprinkle on some Louisiana Hot Sauce to taste.

I love old-fashioned chicken and dumplings like my former mother-in-law always made, but I love an easy shortcut when I have a taste for dumplings and no time to prepare and roll the dough. I still like to make my gravy for them homemade. Experiment and find what works best for you. This recipe will make a huge pot of dumplings to feed an entire family. We had a large family and one big pot made the meal.

In Calm Before the Storm, my newest romantic suspense, Vera and Douglass agree on something after being apart for years. They both enjoy chicken and dumplings. Want homemade chicken dumplings without all the work of rolling the dough or using drop dumplings, try using frozen dumplings such as Plantation-Style Food Frozen Dumplings. There are other brands, but this one is my favorite. I like the dumplings flat instead of thick. Now, no one I know makes dumplings as great as my former mother-in-law who taught me to cook "the real" homemade ones, but with a busy lifestyle, these serve the purpose. The dumplings taste homemade because everything else is homemade. Prepare your chicken by boiling a hen as usual. You can let it cool and take the skin off, the take the meat from the bone, or you can cut up a whole chicken and boil it, depending on your family's taste. Some people may like white chicken gravy, but I like to brown the flour as I was taught, and I like brown gravy with the chicken taste. Season to taste.

 
Calm Before the Storm by B. J. Robinson– Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

“We’ve been feeding and medicating her intravenously and trying to get her to eat, but all she does is push food around on her plate. I found toast crumbs in her sheets and the bacon strips she tried to hide. She pretends to eat and thinks she’s fooling us.”

Vera said, “I wonder how long she’s been pretending.”

“Not sure, but she’s down to 60 pounds. If she makes it, she’s going to need help.” Sally patted her shoulder. “There are some wonderful Hospice workers who’ve been in and out sitting with her. I’m sure you’ll meet them shortly. It won’t be long before the doctor is due to make his rounds.”

“Hospice?” Vera’s eyes widened. “I don’t understand. She’s not dying. We’re going to get her the help she needs.”

Sally patted her shoulder again. “Like I said, it doesn’t look good. You need to prepare yourself for the worse, just in case. Short of a miracle, we don’t expect her to make it.”

Vera felt like she was going through the repeat of a nightmare she'd lived six years ago when she watched her mother die in the same hospital where her sister, who was suffering from Anorexia Nervosa, an eating disorder, was being treated. Her sister was all she had left. She'd left their hometown years ago when she found that her boyfriend Douglass and her best friend were seeing each other behind her back. But when she walked into the hospital, there he stood waiting to offer his comfort in any way she might need. And he stayed by her side all the way to the end. Would the shot Nurse Sally gave her sister to help her rest turn out to be the last shot of her life?

It wasn’t until Douglass’ best friend Mark’s wife went into the same hospital for minor surgery and didn’t make it back out, that Vera started putting two and two together and came up with one. Something wasn’t right. Both her sister and Mark’s wife were on the mend and could have lived. What happened to them. They all seemed to never wake up after their last shot was given to allow them to rest. And rest they did, forever.

As I read Calm Before the Storm I thought I would be reading a ‘romance’ or ‘love story.’ I was halfway right. The shock for me came when I discovered that this was also a ‘suspense’/’mystery.’ The love that is reflected between two people as well as their love and respect for God is so beautiful but then the devil sticks his hand into the pot and people start dying. I had a hard time putting this one down and I have to admit that I NEVER guessed the ending.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Love of a Stonemason - Christa Polkinhorn, Author

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!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Dream Walker - Velda Brotherton, Author



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.
 

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Sojourn With A Stranger - Keta Diablo



Crockpot Spinach Dip
(A favorite recipe from Keta Diablo)

Ingredients:
§  8 ounces cream cheese cut in cubes
§  1/4 cup whipping cream
§  1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
§  2 tablespoons chopped pimento
§  1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
§  1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
§  2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
§  2 teaspoons grated onion
§  1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled

Preparation:
4  Combine cream cheese and cream in slow cooker.
4  Cover and cook on LOW until cheese is melted, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4  Add remaining ingredients; cover and cook on LOW for about 45 minutes longer.
4  Serve with raw vegetables, crackers, or crusty bread cubes


Sojourn With a Stranger - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

“The doll was on my pillow when I returned to my room.”
“What madness is this?” Derek paced the hallway.  “Someone is up to no good.”  When he stopped to look at her, she reminded him of a frightened child.  Her cheeks were pale, her eyes ringed with dark circles.  “I’ll get to the bottom of this.  The Bible and Baby can not walk from that trunk in the attic,” he looked toward the ceiling, “and suddenly materialize in your bedchamber.” 
“Poor man.  The master has finally met a problem he doesn’t understand and doesn’t possess the ability to control.”
 “What is that supposed to mean?  I tell you, someone in the manor dupes you, Raine.”
 “No, Derek.  A spirit placed the objects in my room, a tormented, recently passed spirit.”
“You drag the ghost into the conversation again.  Tell me, what are you insinuating?  You mean to say Cinda’s-?”
“How would I know?”  She hissed the words and wrung her hands.  “You can’t expect me to know what evil machinations occurred before I arrived.”
“Evil?”  He felt his forehead wrinkle.  “Nothing evil transpired.  Lucinda lost her mind, took her life.”  Despite the facts surrounding his wife’s death, a niggling fear crept up his spine.  “If evil played a part, I swear I wasn’t aware of it.”
* * *
Derek Stafford’s father Julian never misses a chance to express to his two sons that the first to provide him with an male heir will inherit Stafford Manor.  Lyman, being the oldest of the two has tried unsuccessfully to produce the male heir but so far his efforts have produced three daughters.  Derek, through an arranged marriage, tried with the death of each child and his wife Lucinda losing her mind, ending with her walking into the river committing suicide.  So, as time goes on, Julian’ pressure for an heir strengthens.  

When disaster strikes one of the ships owned by the Staffords, leaving two dead and one 18 year old young lady alive, Derek and Julian come up with an idea that is sure to produce a male child.  All they have to do is convince the girl, Raine Brinsley, to go along with their scheme and acquire a little help from the Madeline, the local ‘healer’ and all problems will be solved.  What they never expected was the ghost of Lucinda to come into the picture as a protector for Raine.  Lucinda tries desperately to make Raine understand that her life and the death of her babies were not natural and that she will be next if the killer isn’t exposed.  But will Raine understand the clues before it’s too late?

 Sojourn With A Stranger is a story that includes greed, a touch of history and is iced with the paranormal.  By combining all of these into one story Author Keta Diablo has created a beautifully, erotic love story that keeps you on the edge. It was a very enjoyable read.


Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat
Buy Sojourn With a Stranger on KINDLE: http://amzn.to/gQLMV2
Also available on NOOK: http://bit.ly/gS6XvG
Keta Diablo’s Author Web Site: http://www.ketadiablo.com
179 pages

 
Design by Wordpress Theme | Bloggerized by Free Blogger Templates | coupon codes