Confessions of a Crazy Fox - Anna Maria Kolojaco Mullins, Author

Suzanne’s Pudding Pie

(Anna's daughter-in-law's recipe)

1 stick butter

1 cup sifted flour

1 cup chopped pecans

9½ oz Cool Whip

8 oz cream cheese

1 sm. box instant vanilla pudding

1 sm. box instant chocolate pudding

2 ¾ cups cold milk

1 Hershey bar

Combine butter, flour, and nuts. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 13X9 inch glass baking dish. Bake in oven for 20 minutes at 350°. Blend one cup Cool Whip with creamed cheese and spread over cooked crust. Combine both puddings with the milk (23/4 cups) following the directions on the package. Put this over the cream cheese mixture. Follow with the rest of the Cool Whip. Top with grated Hershey bar.

(My daughter-in-law, Suzanne Mullins, first brought this treat to a family gathering many years ago and the family has requested it for every gathering since and gave it that name. I’m not sure if it was originally a Cool Whip recipe or not but I often substitute whipped cream and make it outrageously decadent.)

Confessions of a Crazy Fox – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; A Book and A Dish and Think With Your Taste Buds

‘I stewed about it until New Year’s Day, 2010, and then I wrote Jimmy a long letter pointing out a lot of the things he and Jeannette had done to hurt me the last decade and if he didn’t put a stop to it, I was going to go ahead and release my story.  I had decided not to take the last offer I had, after Jim was diagnosed with cancer, but my sister inspired me to try again.  I knew I wouldn’t hear from my brother and posted on Facebook that New Year’s Day that my resolution was to publish my family memoir.  It did shock a few family members who couldn’t imagine what I had to write about or why.  I figured if Jeannette’s story was the one our extended family had been hearing all these years, perhaps it was finally time to broadcast mine.  That shouldn’t really surprise any of them.  They all know I write when I’m pissed and believe me, Jeannette pushed me way past that point this last time.’

I never research nor read other reviews before starting a new book and when I was sent a copy of Anna Mullis’ book Confessions of a Crazy Fox, I actually expected it to be a mystery, murder, suspense.  What I never expected it to be was the story of her life.  My first thoughts were borrrring!   And since I will decline a book before I’ll write a bad review, I almost turned this book down.  But I always give a book, any book, a chance and at least try to read the first 25-50 pages hoping it will appeal to me and that’s exactly what I did with Confessions of a Crazy Fox.

I read the first couple of chapters as Anna talked about her childhood, she sure had a streak of defiance!  I continued reading as she introduced her ‘guardian angel’ that saved her from being bitten by a snake.  When I read about her cousin Bobo I actually started feeling that I knew him.  Her parents turned out to be the kind we all wish for.  Their love for their family, friends and neighbors was something many only dream about.  Then tragedy hits, first with the death of her Dad and later her Mother and with each also comes the separation of family.  I’ve always said that the 2 things that bring out the worse in a family are weddings and funerals.  I’ve decided to add another to that list - money. 

Reading about the greed between the siblings actually reminded me of a few incidents within my own life after the death of my own parents.  I’m sure we can all relate to this greed at some level, either through our own experiences or through the pains we’ve watched others experience.  I personally feel that greed is the #1 cause of family problems throughout the world.  And greed isn’t just about money.  While reading Confessions of A Crazy Fox I finally realized that greed is nothing but jealousy.  Someone gets just a bit more, got a bit more or will get a bit more, bringing on a jealousy called greed.

I’m sure that by now you have realized I read the whole book.  Actually I had trouble putting it down.  It firmly points out that if you make someone mad enough your sorrow might just come back to haunt you by way of a book telling the whole world just how greedy you really are.  In Confessions of a Crazy Fox, Anna Mullins doesn’t just blow the top on her siblings she also includes her own sins throughout her life, and her honesty in admitting her own faults is one of the things that made this book so interesting.

Bitten - Dan O'Brien, Author

 

Rich and Squidgy Chocolate Cake

(A O'Brien Special)

 

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 cup softened butter (or margarine)

1 cup milk

2 eggs

2 cups cocoa

1 1/2 cups sugar

 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 320°.

2. Cream the butter with 1/2 cup of the sugar.

3. Add the eggs a little at a time. If the mixture begins to curdle, simply mix a little flour into it.

4. Once all the egg has been folded into the mixture, add the flour about 1/2 cup at a time until the batter is smooth.

5. Place the cocoa and the remaining sugar into a separate bowl and pour 1/4 cup of boiling water into it. Stir until fully combined.

6. Add the cocoa paste to the cake batter and fold gently until combined.

7. Add a little of the milk and stir gently. Repeat until there is no milk left.

8. Pour batter into a greased cake pan, and bake for 1 hour or until a knife no longer comes out wet. (The mixture may still stick to the knife when it is done - but it should a have a fudgy appearance.)

Serve with cream.

 

 

Bitten – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and A Book and A Dish

 

“Agent Lauren Westlake.  Yes, I know about you Agent Westlake.  What are you an agent of I wonder?” posited the woman quizzically.  “Right.  So yeah, anyways.  About the creature?”  The woman folded her hands across her lap and sat back.  “There are many creatures in this world, Lauren of the Lake Tribes of the West.  My question is what are you an agent of?  We all represent something in this world.  What do you represent?”  Lauren looked at the woman strangely, feeling claustrophobic.  “I am an agent of the federal government,” she replied mechanically.  The woman was not convinced with the answer.  “That is to say you are an agent of a rock, Lauren of the Lake Tribes of the West.  Would you like me to read your life?”  “My life?  Lake Tribes of the West?  I thought you had information about the creature.”  “I have information on a great many things, Agent Westlake.  What information do you have for me?  Nothing in this life is free.  A cycle of reciprocity, surrounded and envelopes us, even if we do not see it.”  Lauren gripped the edge of the chair, lifting her body.  “I think there has been a misunderstanding.  I thought you had something to tell me…”  The woman waved the agent down with a quick movement of her hands.  “Let me begin then.  I am called Hecate.  I serve as the guide from this world.  Not the only guide mind you, but a guide nonetheless.  I am an agent of wisdom and of truth.  And you, daughter of the Lake Tribes of the West, what are you an agent of?”

 

Federal Agent Lauren Westlake had been in Locke, Minnesota for just a few days and she is now conversing with a another crazy woman.  The first was Madeline Leftwich who for years sat every night at the train station waiting on her mother to pick her up.  Now Madeline is dead and the particulars of her death are what keeps Lauren in her seat as she listens to the puzzling comments coming from Hecate.  Madeline, as well as another woman found at the lake, had both been murdered by what appears to be the same ‘person.’  Both were mutilated with patches of skin removed.  After catching a glimpse of what Lauren believes to be the murderer, she is convinced it isn’t a person she’s perusing but a monster of some type.  From what she saw, it’s large and it’s hairy.  Definitely not human.

 

Dominic McManus has had his own encounter with Hecate.  She has given him hope for the future.  She has ‘read his life’ and assured him that there will be someone coming that will help him.  But Dominic sees his time running out and needs help fast.  Could Lauren possibly be the one he’s been waiting on? 

 

While reading Bitten, I felt as if I was reading a possible script for one of the supernatural shows on television involving vampires and werewolves.  I also felt that it might even be a script for Criminal Minds.  This book would fit both.  The questions I kept asking myself as I read were – is this monster a werewolf?  - is Dominic the monster?  - could it really be just a crazy maniac?  And then I would tell myself – if this book were made into a movie I would spend more time hiding my face from the screen as a got the heck scared out of me.  Bitten is a true thriller!

The Crystal Rose - D. L. Mains, Author

 

Yam and Apple Casserole

(One of D. L. Mains' Favorite Recipes)

2 - Medium Granny Smith apples (I’ve used Delicious or Macintosh)

2 - 16 oz cans yams (1 large can Princilla)

8 tbsp unsalted butter – melted (I’ve used reg. salted)

½ cup dark corn syrup (or honey)

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp light brown sugar

½ to 1 tsp cinnamon (I use the whole tsp)

1/8 tsp salt

Drain yams – combine with 6 tbsp melted butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in bowl and puree until smooth.  Spread half of mixture in greased 10” casserole dish.  Arrange half of apples (sliced) overlapping evenly.  Repeat layers.  Brush top of apples with remaining butter.

Bake until apples are tender and mixture is heated through.  (30 minutes at 350 degrees)

The Crystal Rose – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and A Book and A Dish

‘Keith hung up the phone, glaring at the receiver.  He turned his head to stare at the wall of the one room apartment where many pictures of his soon-to-be bride looked back.  He could see her beautiful face from everywhere in the apartment, except the bathroom, but he had a separate picture in there.  “Where are you, Dan?” he asked those faces.  “Why don’t you answer my messages?”  He reached across the bed and grabbed the box from under his pillow.  His chest swelled as he opened the velvet box.  The huge cubic zirconia twinkled at him.  He could see Sheridan showing off the ring to her friends.  How could he make her see they were made for each other, if he couldn’t even get in touch with her?  All his difficulties had to be Joel’s fault.’

Sheridan McLaughlin is a marine biologist that has found herself out of work.  With the economy, the market for research in her field of expertise is on hold and there appears to be nothing opening up within the near future.  On top of that her apartments have just gone condo so unless she decides to buy her unit, which is out of the question since she has no job, she must move.  Her only option is to go back ‘home’ to her godfather/uncle Joel and hope she can keep herself afloat by singing and tending bar at his dinner club The Crystal Rose.  Could things get worse?  If you call trying to change a flat tire with a spare that’s also flat in a rain downpour, then I guess it can get worse.

Russell Madison is a self made millionaire.  Everything he touches turns to money making him one of the most sought out bachelor around.  He also has the looks to go with his money which makes every woman he even glances at swoon for his attention.  That is every woman with the exception of Sheridan McLaughlin.  This wouldn’t be a problem if Sheridan didn’t end up owning the majority of The Crystal Rose, which Russell wants for himself.  So if it requires him engulfing Sheridan with his charm, he can handle that.  So he thinks.

What Sheridan nor Russell could have foreseen was Keith Cainam stepping into their lives to make sure there would never be a relationship between the two of them… business nor personal.  Keith had dated Sheridan years before when she worked for Joel at The Crystal Rose.  He played in a band that served as the entertainment now and then and his love for her had only grown over the years of their separation.  His determination to prove to her how much she means to him and how much he really means to her is his top priority.

So… will Sheridan keep the stone wall she is noted for up preventing both Russell and Keith out?  Will Russell keep his wall in tact while it protects him from feeling the pains that was inflicted on him by his mother years ago?  And will Keith make Sheridan take a really hard look at him and see his sincerity before she leaves him again? 

The Crystal Rose is a beautiful love story of both past and present.  The characters are well written and believable.  It’s filled with love and just enough suspense to make it a very enjoyable read.

Black Lightning - David & Linda Broughton, Authors

David Broughton's 
Chocolate Chicken

(The ingredients are all to taste.  David Broughton's nickname is 'TooTall' and from what he tells me, skinny people don't taste as they cook)

Lightly brown some chicken in a slight amount of oil in a big,  deep skillet.
When lightly browned, add mushrooms, if fresh, saute in butter with the chicken juices in the same skillet. Add diced onions and green pepper, saute until about half cooked. Add some water, or better yet chicken stock if you have it handy. cover the chicken. add some garlic, either fresh or powdered, but if you use powdered go lightly. You may add basil, fennel, or cilantro if you have it and like it. While it simmers, add three or five semi-sweet Hershey's chocolate kisses, two tablespoons of prepared cocoa mix, and a tablespoon of peanut butter, unless you're allergic, then of course you leave that out. Add some seasoned salt, some lemon pepper, then simmer until the water or stock is down to half. Baste well with the remaining liquid, cover with Swiss cheese, or whatever your favorite kind is. Allow to rest in the liquid. When you plate it, you can serve it on rice, with or without mushrooms. Portabello's are particularly good with this sauce over it.

The point here, is you can use things not ordinarily used as seasonings with the common ones to create new flavors. The chocolate and cocoa powder don't make it taste like chocolate, but give it a unique flavor, as does the peanut butter.
I also use peanut butter in my spaghetti sauce, just a bit, it adds a nice mellow flavor and cuts the acid of the tomato a bit.

This book review is written in memory of Linda Broughton who passed on to a better world last April.  Linda was the heart and love of the Circle H ranch series.  She is truly missed not only for her writing ability but also because of the person she was. Learn more about this beautiful woman by clicking on her name Linda Broughton

Black Lightning – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and A Book and A Dish

“I saw it all.  I was hiding in the closet, trying to stay safe from that man.”  Robinson raises her eyebrows, “What man?”  She blurts in her staccato way, “My stepfather—momma’s husband, Tom Gilcrest.”  Patting Josie’s back lightly, the detective asks, “So what did you see?”  Like a blast from a machine gun, the little slip of a girl fires out, “They were fighting again. I don’t really know over what, they were always fighting about something.  He shot her four times fast, then once more when she was lying on the floor.  He started soaking the house with gasoline.  When he went into another room, I snuck out.  I hid in the tool shed where the firemen found me.”  Robinson quits rubbing Josie’s back, to start writing things down, “So, we should only find the remains of one body?”  Josie replies only slightly slower, “No, there will be two.  I saw him dragging in a man… a dead man, I think.  I don’t know who it was.  He was dressed very raggedy, nobody I recognized.” 

Josie Stevens has just witnessed the murder of her mother by her stepfather.  Her father was murdered was murdered about a year earlier.  He grandmother, whom Josie was living with at the time, died after falling into a well and now her mother was gone.  Due to the fire, the only thing Josie has left in this world is the teddy bear with the big red heart given to her by her dad before he was killed. 

Detective Lizzie Robinson knows what it’s like to be alone.  At a young age she had found herself in the same position.  The only help Lizzie feels she can give this young girl is by calling her friend Natalie (Nat) Cohen who is the head of county social services child welfare and a ward of the court survivor herself.  So with the help of Nat Josie is placed in the care of Ben and Hannah who run a working horse ranch for orphans.  These two people took Lizzie and Nat under their wings years ago and helped shape them into who they are today.  Nat is sure they can do the same for Josie. 

As soon as Josie steps out of the car at the ranch she spots one of the most beautiful horses she’s ever seen.  She immediately climbs the fence and then onto the back of this black beauty, racing him across the corral and into the pasture.  This turned out to be a surprise to Ben since the black horse had been determined as too wild for the other kids.  He was amazed to see the kindred spirit that had immediately developed between Josie and the black horse.  What Ben didn’t know was that Josie could talk to the horses and they could talk back to her.  She was in a sense what some call a “Horse Whisperer.” 

Black Lightning is one of the most loving books I’ve read in a long time.  Josie has her love for the horses, Ben and Hannah have the love for all of the kids past and present that they’ve helped through the years.  They pride themselves in the knowledge that so many have gone to college and made something of themselves instead of just being allowed to slip through the cracks of society.  But love isn’t all that I found in Black Lightning.  It has just enough murder and mayhem to keep you wondering what will Josie’s stepfather do next to get his hands on the secrets he feels are hidden inside the teddy bear belonging to Josie.  This book turned out to be a real page turner that I really enjoyed.

So, if you’re a horse fan, a fan of suspense and/or a fan of touching love, don’t miss Black Lightning.  It has it all.

Subspecies - Mike Arsuaga, Author

PAPA's Beef Stew

( A Recipe from Mike Arsuaga for those cold nights)

Ingredients:

2 tsp. of finely chopped thyme leaves

3 large onions

3 stalks of celery

8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms

1 lb. red potatoes

1 lb. beef cut for stew

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup sherry

2 cups pre-sliced carrots

1/3 cup flour

1 32 oz. box of beef stock

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Prep:

Remove stems. Chop thyme leaves.Slice onions and celery thinly. Cut

mushrooms into quarters. Cut potatoes into bite sized pieces.

Steps:

1. Preheat stock pot on med-high 2 to 3 min. Separately, season beef with salt and pepper. Brown beef.

2. Stir in onions. Cook 10 to 12 min or until onion is soft. Stir in

sherry. Cook until most of liquid evaporates, about four minutes.

3. Add celery, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots plus beef and onions to heated stock. Stir in flour for thickener.

Bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Serve.

Subspecies - Guest Review by Matthew Morrison 

In Subspecies, Mike Arsuaga suspends the readers disbelief in horrific mythical

creatures by creating realistic settings, emotive characters (creatures,

really), and a very compelling plot.  The reader is initially lured into what

appears to be a fast paced Action/Adventure/Mystery.  Only too late does the

reader discover that this is actually a classic love story of Vampire meets

Lycan.  Mike Arsuaga explores, in detail, the frequent and varied expressions of

the couple's monster love.  Even after spilling the blood of innocents, he stuns

the reader with a style that eventually evokes sympathy for the plight of these

poor predators. 

Author of "Subspecies, Inc." Best Erotic Book for 2011 on

            the Preditors & Editors Reader's Poll. The sequel

            "Children of Subspecies" won Best Cover. Both are

            continuations of award winning  "Subspecies" about the deep

            love between two special beings as they shepherd lycans and

            vampires (The Subspecies) to their destiny within Creation.

            Coming soon, episodes four and five, "The Tenth Legion" in

            February and "Lagrange Point" in May.

Check out the full synopsis and excerpts of all stories at http://mikearsuaga.weebly.com

            or http://cynthiaarsuaga.weebly.com

Vanishing Act in Vegas - Morgan St. James, Phyllice Bradner, Authors

 

Lamb Chops with Sweet Rice

(This is one of those “take a handful of this and a pinch of that” recipes handed down from my mother. I’ve tried to translate it into real quantities, but feel free to take creative license. It has been one of my favorites for years... Morgan St. James  Phyllice Bradner)

4 to 6 Shoulder Lamb Chops

2 cups of instant brown rice

1-1/2 cups of water (after trying this recipe, you might want to adjust the amount of water to make the rice firmer or fluffier)

1/2 cup of golden raisins

1/2 medium onion, chopped

Sprinkling of cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the uncooked instant rice, raisins, chopped onion, water and cinnamon and place in the bottom of an oblong pyrex baking pan - size depends upon how many chops you use. You can also add sliced mushrooms and/or pine nuts as an option. Salt and pepper the chops to taste and arrange on top of the rice mixture. Cover the pan with tinfoil and bake at 350° for approximately 45 minutes. Time might vary due to the oven. The chops will be baked through, the rice will be fluffy and the flavor from the lamb seeps into the rice. There is a slight Mediterranean flavor to this dish.

Vanishing Act in Vegas (A Silver Sisters Crime Caper) – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of A Book and A Dish, Think With Your Taste Buds and Stir, Laugh, Repeat.

Poor Torch.  He finally lands a great contract as a special effects director in Las Vegas, bought a condo with a view of the strip and his grandmother and great uncle are planning on paying him a visit to help him ‘settle in.’  He loves them both but he also knows them very well.  Both are retired magicians and trouble seems to be what they conjure up the most. 

“Well, Mom, the last of my stuff is loaded.  I just wanted to say goodbye before I take off.”  She kissed him on the cheek, sensing her son couldn’t wait to hotfoot-it out the door and begin his life as a swinging bachelor.  Sterling turned the sound back on, but Flossie grabbed the remote and turned it off again.  She looked at her grandson and smiled sweetly.  “So, tottelah, your Uncle Sterling and I will be there in two, maybe three days.  You know your uncle is afraid to fly so we’ll just tune up the Caddy tomorrow and be on our way.”  “Whaa-“ Torch stared at her blankly.  “Torch, honey, you’ll need help getting things in order, and no one does that better than your Uncle Sterling and me.  I’ll set up your closets and kitchen and cook some good Jewish meals for your freezer and Uncle Sterling can putter around and help you hang pictures and do little odd jobs.”  Torch looked to his mother in desperation.  Flossie jumped up and tweaked him on the cheek.  “Look, Sterling, he’s so happy we’re coming, he’s speechless.  Good thing you bought a three bedroom.  I guess we’ll stay for three or four days.  Who knows, maybe longer if we get lucky.  Magic acts are big in Vegas again.” 

Torch’s mother Godiva Silver DuBois and his mother’s twin sister Goldie Silver decide to take a trip to Vegas too.  Godiva is a famous advice to the lovelorn columnist who’s column is called Ask G.O.D.’  She is also the millionaire widow of Max DuBois which gives her the time and money to do whatever she wants at any given time.  Goldie is an over-the-hill hippi antique dealer from Juneau, Alaska and Godiva can easily afford to treat Goldie to the trip to Vegas.

Godiva loves to write her column but her favorite hobby is dabbling into the mysteries of crime with her twin sister.  So, when Goldie flew to Vegas from her home in Alaska the two twins put their heads together to solve the murder of Mara  the Magnificent.  What the twins also discover is that Mara isn’t just a magician, she is also Torch’s girlfriend and she has a secret that blows them all away!

I fell in love with the Silver Sisters after reading A Corpse in the Soup.  Their antics as well as those of their mother Flossie and their Uncle Sterling will keep you laughing along as you try to solve the murder that they always seem to step into.  Vanishing Act in Vegas was one that really lost me as an amateur reader detective.  Every time I thought I knew who had done what to who and why, I found myself scratching my head to come up with another solution because my original was all wrong.  I couldn’t help but wish I knew these people.  They were so much fun to be around even when they found themselves in trouble. 

The Confliction - The Dragoneers Saga Book III - Michael Robb Mathias, Jr., Author

 

Porcupine Meatballs

(Mathias' Special)

 

1 package of beef Rice A Roni

1 egg

1lb ground beef

salt and pepper

take rice a roni and set aside seasoning. mix together rice, beef, egg and S&P together. roll into balls. brown in skillet then add seasoning packet and two cups of water.stir until mixed, then simmer for 20 minutes. can be served over rice or noodles.

 

The Confliction – The Dragoneers Saga Book III – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of A Book and A Dish, Think With Your Taste Buds and Stir, Laugh, Repeat

 

Jenka started looking at a charcoal sketch of a Sarax, with marks and carefully written text detailing sensitive and dangerous parts of the thing’s strange body.  Then he saw something else and pointed it out to Lemmy.  He was showing Lem a drawing of a bee’s honeycomb full of little tiny Sarax.  The queen was larger, ten times as large as the Sarax.  It was bulkier, too, formed like a larva, or a giant grub, with several long snaking limbs on each side of an elongated torso.  I wonder if they really follow that thing, said Lemmy, as he took the parchment to study it closer.  Jenka’s mind had moved on.  He was searching for anything else they could use to more effectively destroy the beasts.  He found a small wooden chest and forced it open with a sealing blade.  Inside were several hundred golden coins with a strange feline animal on one side and two lines with a slash through them on the other.  He wondered, for a long time, from where they had come.  Then he pondered where the Sarax had come from and a certain fear of the unknown began to creep into him like a chill.

 

Jenka, Aikira, Zahrellion, Rikky and Marcherion, along with their dragon mounts, are all dragoneers.  In books I and II, they have survived the Gravelbone and his magic as he waged war on their land.  Through their own magic they have survived the threats of the Sarax that had escaped from their star ship.  It was now their duty to guard the ship in hopes of preventing other Sarax from escaping.  

 

But the Sarax was just the first metamorphosis stage of these aliens.  They fed upon human met which gave them the strength to cocoon and later change into foul ivory-horned vermin masters like Gravelbone.  After becoming aware of this, the dragoneers found themselves being faced with the threat that there was something even more powerful than the Sarax.  With this knowledge also came the knowledge that the other being would be many times more powerful than the Sarax and the Gravelbones combined.  Then came their job to destroy this being before it destroyed them as well as the people they have vowed to protect.  But can they succeed before it’s too late.  And will they all survive?  The chances look pretty slim.

 

I’ve read all three of the Dragoneer books and as each came to an end I looked forward to the next.  When I saw that this was the last book I felt a bit of disappointment.  That is until I read the last line of the book telling me an new book and I hope series will be coming out in 2013.  I have to say that Author Michael Robb Mathias has one strong imagination and knows how to put it into words.  I look forward to reading any and all of his books.