Monday, May 21, 2012

Dark Moon - Maggie Tideswell, Author


Flop-proof Apple Pie
(Maggie Tideswell's special)

1x can pie apples
1x cup flour
1x baking powder
1x egg
1x cup milk + half a cup for caramel sauce
1x cup sugar + half a cup for caramel sauce
1x tablespoon butter + half a table spoon for the caramel sauce
1x pinch salt

Pre-heat over to 180 farenheit. Greaze a pie tin and layer the apples in the bottom. Cream butter and sugar very well together, add the egg and mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and add alternatively with the milk to the egg mixture. Pour over the apples and bake immediately in the middle of the oven for 30 mins until golden.
While baking the pie, mix together half a cup of milk, half a cup of sugar and half a tablespoon of butter together, bring to the boil and simmer over very low heat, stirring frequently, until the pie is done. Pour the caramel sauce over the pie immediately after removing it from the oven. Serve hot with cream, ice cream or custard.

Dark Moon – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; and A Book and A Dish

“Well, my girl, I hope that boyfriend of yours is ready to make an honest woman of you.  Congratulations. Everything looks fine so far.”  Though he smiled, there was hesitation in his voice.  Biting her lip to save her cheek, Storm lost the battle with the tears that had been threatening all day and doubly so after Trevor’s rebuff.  Andrew pulled her head down to his shoulder, rocking her from side to side, as he had done many times before.  He let her cry, and then, after what seemed like forever, he said, “There, there, it’s not the end of the world.  You’re going to make yourself ill.  Come on, chin up.  Trevor seems a good sort.  You’ve been dating him for long enough.  Why aren’t you on the pill?”  “It makes me ill, and as there was no reason to suffer, I didn’t bother.”  Calm washed over Storm.  “Uncle Andrew, it isn’t Trevor’s,” she mumbled hoarsely.

Storm Fenton has just had confirmed what she and her best friend Donna had suspected – she’s pregnant.  Problem is, she has been dating Trevor for almost a year and he isn’t the father.  Actually she didn’t even know the name of the baby’s father.  Her pregnancy is the results of a ‘rape’ that wasn’t exactly a ‘rape.’  Maybe it’s best called ‘consented rape.’  But to Storm’s surprise, she will soon meet her mystery man and when he discovers her situation, she can’t seem to shake him.  When she finally tells Trevor that she’s pregnant with another man’s child his attitude splits.  He assures her that she will never have the baby while assuring her that she belongs to him and he will have her through marriage.  His motive as well as his actions come from deep within and he seems sincere when it comes to wanting Storm for himself and does all in his power to keep her away from Jarred, the baby’s father?

Storm is a psychologist who tries to help Elle, an attorney, find a murdering/rapist who has killed 7 women already in a ritual fashion.  Elle also turns out to be his 8th victim and the only one that was spared her life.  But Elle’s life is not only disrupted by the rape but by the appearance of her birth mother who inform her not only that she is a witch but that the murder is her own son, making him Elle’s brother.  The two must band together to destroy him before he kills again and before he performs his final ritual that will give him the powers he desires.

So, who is the killer - is it Trevor or is it Jarred?  Or is it someone else entirely?  Who is really looking out for Storm’s best – Trevor or Jarred?  And which will end up with her in the end – Trevor or Jarred?  Dark Moon is one of the most unusual books I’ve read.  It has everything – murder, rape, witchcraft, fear and even love.  And it left me with a feeling that there just might be a book 2, I hope.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Winter Prey - T. M. Simmons, Author


Deviled Eggs
(One of T. M. Simmons'
Favorite Side Dishes to Accompany
A Yummy Texas Summer BBQ)

Preparation time: approximately 30 minutes

12 eggs
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. mustard
3 tbls. sweet relish
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbls. of Miracle Whip Light salad dressing
Dried parsley to garnish

Bring water and twelve eggs to hard boil. Turn down to medium heat and boil for ten minutes. Cool eggs. If I'm in a hurry, which I usually am, I'll drain the water and stick the eggs in the freezer.

Peel eggs and put whites on deviled egg tray, yolks in bowl.

It's best to add each ingredient separately and mash it into the yolks with a fork.

Mash in 1 tsp. cider vinegar
Mash in 1 tsp. mustard
Mash in 3 tbls. sweet relish
Mash in salt and pepper
Mash in 3 tbls. Miracle Whip Light salad dressing

Spoon the mixture back into the egg whites. Garnish with some dried parsley. Best if chilled in the refrigerator for a half-hour or so before serving.

You can adjust the ingredients to your individual taste. If you like it a bit tarter, add a little more vinegar and mustard. Sweeter, a bit more sweet relish. Enjoy with a yummy meal of Texas BBQ, which for us includes: ribs, brisket, sausage, beer-butt chicken, T. M.'s special potato salad, T. M.'s Yankee beans, ears of corn from the grill, French bread, and if room, any desserts guests bring along.

Winter Prey – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; A Book and A Dish; Think With Your Taste Buds

“Let’s get all of our cards on the table, Sheriff. You’ve got a monster due to start prowling the Northwood again in a few weeks. One that’s been around for three centuries and the same species of evil entity that I suspect killed my wife and son. But yours is – ”

“It isn’t mine,” Hjak interrupted in a level voice, but Caleb continued over the attempted disruption.
“—on a different timetable than that Colorado bastard,. Maybe you aren’t even sure the rumors of this thing are true, since you were probably a kid the last time it appeared. On top of that, from what I could find out, not many whites know about this one. So far, it’s always focused its kills among the Native American population.”

Caleb McCoy is a paranormal investigator that is accustomed to talking to both believers and non-believers of the supernatural entities so his conversation with Sheriff Hjak can go either way. After the death of his wife and son Caleb is positive that the same type creature that took their lives will soon be waking from its forty year sleep in its lair hidden deep within the mountains.

Lieutenant Colonel Kymbria James, R.N. has resigned from her military career to do something she never thought possible. She will now devote her life to raising her daughter Risa, but first she has problems of her own that must be resolved if she has any hope of doing this successfully. Her time spent in Afghanistan trying to help the soldiers cope with their injuries both physical and mental, her own husband dying in her arms as he called the name of another woman and her own battle with PTSD must be sedated before she can become the mother Risa needs and deserves. The best way to accomplish this is to leave the white-world medicine and give the Old Ways a chance. And to do that she must go back to her origin and her own people – the Ojibway Tribe of Native American Indians.

As Kymbria will soon find out, the healing will be disrupted by Caleb and the beast he seeks to kill. The creature the tribe calls a Windigo.  Its existence has been known for over 300 years but no one has been successful in destroying a Windigo.  Its pattern consists of waking up every 40 years to feed, keeping the number of humans it feeds upon to 16, always Native Americans. With Kymbria being an Ojibwa, she just may be his next meal but if that’s true, why is it trying to communicate with her? What makes her different? The answer was a surprise to me as I believe it will be to you too.

When I first saw the word Windigo it sounded familiar so I googled it. Sure enough, it’s a Native American entity that is believed to be a cross between Big Foot and a Werewolf. This knowledge gave Winter Prey and an even more interesting appeal to me. The author has combined history with folklore to give a mystery that is believable. All through the book I found events taking place that were a total surprise to me as a reader. Winter Prey is a very enjoyable read that might just have you looking out the window at night to see if you might see a Windigo.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

An Extra Topping of Horror - Darrell B. Nelson, Author


Easy Pizza Recipe
(A Darrell B. Nelson Favorite)


Forget Frozen Pizza, here's a quick and easy way to make your own.

Ingredients:

Prepared Pizza dough
Prepared Pizza sauce
One package of Pepperoni
One package of Mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the Pizza dough on a pizza screen.

Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the Pizza dough. Thick or light
depending on taste.

Secret hint: If you like your pepperoni slightly done, place them on the
pizza before putting on the cheese. The cheese will keep them from
getting crisp. If you like crispy pepperoni place them on top.

Spread Mozzarella evenly over the crust, use slightly less than you
think you want as it will melt and spread out. (If you have large clumps
of Mozzarella in spots and spots lacking in cheese, pick up the screen
and pizza an inch off the counter and spin it so it make one turn while
falling to the counter. This will even out the cheese.)

Put in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and
slightly brown.
Cut in slices and serve.
The choice of guests is up to you.
Enjoy.

An Extra Topping of Horror – Guest Review by Matthew Morrison

This one has it all:  ALIENS! PIZZA! TIME TRAVEL! A 50 FOOT CAT!

In An Extra Topping of Horror, Darrell B. Nelson takes over a sleepy little town and makes it the nexus of a rambling series of loosely connected (by time) vignettes.  It’s almost as if Stephen King’s character, Roland, in The Drawing of the Three sat down to a palaver with a John “Johnny Wad” Homes about the merits and detriments of applied String Theory, and somehow Mr. Nelson (no doubt, disguised as a lobster monstrosity) managed to record their conversation.  If one looks beyond the plethora of interplanetary inter play, in the end, this is a love story in reverse at least for one of the pair of lovers. 

I will place An Extra Topping of Horror on the shelf between the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and the Talisman by Peter Straub, just beneath my massive collection of Rodox!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Death Comes Silently - Carolyn Hart, Author


Curried Chicken Salad
(A Carolyn Hart special)

Simmer deboned chicken breast until done, approx. 20-25 minutes.
Cool, remove skin, chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Combine 1/4 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1/2 c. water chestnurs if desired
Mix then add to dry ingredients:
1/2 c. mayo
1/4 c. milk (or thin to desired consistency)
1 to 1 and 1/2 tsp. curry
Chill. Serve on lettuce. Serves two.


Death Comes Silently - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Annie was struck by the weariness evident in his broad face. He was Billy, big,
brawny, and muscular, but Billy without his customary equanimity. Tight lines
marked the corners of his eyes, bracketed his generous mouth. Instead of a
jacket and slacks or a suit, his usual dress for work, he wore a navy pullover
and jeans. His blue eyes had a lost look. "I know you support me, but that
isn't what matters at this point. There's a dangerous killer out there who will
remove anyone seen as a threat. Right now Henny is safe. Jeremiah's arrest
will reassure the killer that she doesn't know enough to be a danger. As for
the rest of you" - he looked at Annie, Emma, and Laurel in turn - "don't even
think of trying to investigate." Annie felt a deep twist of disappointment.
"Jeremiah's innocent!"

Annie Darling is owner of Death on Demand, a mystery bookstore. She is also a
volunteer for Better Tomorrow, a charity shop that offers groceries, clothing and
other needs for those in financial binds. Due to a scheduled booksigning for
author Emma Clyde, she switched days with Gretchen Burkholt. This switch turned
out to be fatal for Gretchen when she found a note in the pocket of a jacket
that had belonged to Everett Hathaway. Everett's body had been found two
weeks earlier floating not far from his overturned kayak. An autopsy listed
drowning due to unconsciousness as a result of hypothermia as the cause of
death. According to the voice mail messages from Gretchen to Annie's cell
phone, the note she found leads her to believe his death wasn't an accident but
murder.

There are three people who would benefit from Everett's death. His much
younger wife, his nephew who wants to manage the family advertising business and
his 16 going on 21 year old niece who wants to run her own life, with her own
money. So which hated him enough to want him dead? Could Annie be wrong and
Jeremiah is the guilty party? Or was Everett's death actually an accident and
has nothing to do with Gretchen?

I can't get enough of Author Carolyn Hart's books. She has entertained me with
all of her Death on Demand stories and I simply love her Bailey Ruth ghost
stories, which I hope she writes more of soon. With all of her books Hart
combines love, humor and a 'whole lot of mystery' making each page flip by
quickly to see what clue the next holds. You can't help but love this author.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

CRY into the WIND - Othello Bach, Author



This delicately flavored dish is a winner every time. Unlike regular spaghetti, this dish is light and so tasty that no matter how much you make, every bite is eaten. If you make it for friends and neighbors, be sure to hand them the recipe at the same time; otherwise, they will hound you to make it for them again and again.
Author Othello Bach 

FIDEO – (Mexican Spaghetti)
Pronounced: Feh-they-o

1 c. stewed tomatoes, slightly chopped
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
1 pkg. Fideo vermicelli (found in Mexican food section of market)
1 onion, minced
1 can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Garlic to taste

Brown vermicelli in a small amount of oil. Add garlic, chilies, onion and tomatoes. Stir in 2 cups of broth plus 1 cup water. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until vermicelli absorbs liquid, but do not let it cook dry. Serves 6.

Option, for complete meal: add 1 chicken, boiled and cut into bite sizes pieces.

CRY into the WIND – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; and A Book and A Dish
‘The shovel of the backhoe came down and for the next several minutes, the stranger dug a trench in the field. When he had finished, a gaping hole about six feet wide and twenty feet long lay before us. The pile of freshly scooped dirt called fiercely to my 8-year-old brother Thurmond, who couldn’t stay out of it. He tried to run up it and only slipped and slid because it was so loose. The rest of us simply stared. When the digging was finished, the man drove the backhoe onto his trailer, hopped into his truck, and pulled it up next to ours. He and Daddy unloaded our headboard and dresser, set them on the back blade of the backhoe, and tied them in place with rope. Without another word, the stranger climbed into his truck and slowly drove on down the road. Momma didn’t even try to blink away her tears. Eyes wide open, fixed on the trench, the tears flowed, uninterrupted. She didn’t even look away when Daddy said, “I’ll be back later with a tarp.” Clinging to Gordon, her skirt whipping in the wind, her hair blowing curls around her head, she just stared. Don and Mason glared at Daddy. I was six and had no idea what was happening and didn’t understand their menacing faces. Daddy turned and left. As the truck’s engine faded into the wind, I realized that I was looking at our next home, and I couldn’t have been more pleased. This was a thousand times better than living in the truck. In fact, as far as I could see, this was the greatest place anyone could live. Like rabbits! Sliding into our house and burrowing beneath the earth.’
CRY into the WIND is the childhood/teenage life of author Othello Bach. She was the oldest girl and the middle sibling of seven. When her father wasn’t crating them up and running from the landlords he was out drinking away his week’s earnings while she, her brothers and sisters and mother fended for themselves. The ‘home’ described above was one he created for them in a field. He never lived in the hole in the ground but spent his time in town going from bar to bar and woman to woman.
Tragedy is something Othello as well as her siblings grew up with and knew very little of anything else. The ultimate disaster hit when their mother died and the kids were put in a orphanage in Oklahoma and then another one later in Texas. The trials and tribulations experienced by not just these kids but other kids in the same situations is something I could never have imagined. From the abuse - sexually, mentally and physically – while living with their father, to the same abuse in the orphanage, I personally don’t know if I could have handled it. It took and takes a very strong person to endure what these kids went through. In CRY into the WIND, Othello tells and expresses it all, allowing you to feel not just her own pain but the pain of the other children too. She takes you through the lives of those who made it and those who didn’t. My question is – how can anyone make it under the circumstances these kids lived through?
I’ve never read a book quite like CRY into the WIND. It took me back to my own childhood when I was in 1st grade. We had a student, much like Othello’s and her brothers and sisters. He came from a very poor family and it showed in the clothes he wore and the shoes he didn’t wear because he had none. I can remember feeling so sorry for him. He had six toes on each foot and the other kids called him a freak, telling him he should be in a circus. The teachers weren’t much better. They allowed the kids to make fun of this little boy. Me? I just stood back and did nothing. Now I feel bad for not trying to either befriend him or stand up for him.
 
 
CRY into the WIND shines a lot of light on the way life of the poor was like in the 40s and 50s. Is it still like that today? Most of us will say no but I bet if we really opened our eyes and took off the blinders we might discover that some things never change. Read the book. It will make you more aware of your surroundings as it has me.

Friday, April 13, 2012

The Ocean and the Hourglass - Dan O'Brien, Author

Traditional Beef Stew
(An O'Brien favorite)
3 lbs boneless chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tbsp vegetable oil 
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp freshly ground pepper
2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red wine
3 cups beef broth
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch slices
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch slices
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in eighths
fresh parsley to garnish (optional)

On medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil to a large heavy pot (one that has a tight fitting lid).
When it begins to smoke slightly, add the beef and brown very well. Do in batches if necessary. Add the salt and pepper as the beef browns. Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon set aside. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flour will start to thicken the wine as it comes to a simmer. Simmer wine for 5 minutes, and then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and the beef. Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on very low for about 1 hour. Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, and simmer covered for another 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with the fresh parsley if desired.


The Ocean and the Hourglass – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

“What kind of book is this, Mr. Thompson?” his voice cracking as he asked. “Open the cover, Nicholas.” Nicholas met the librarian’s gaze and the old man’s trustful not restored his confidence. Opening the cover, the thick black hand cover gave way to cream-colored sheets that did not smell of musk or salt. They were blank. “The book is empty?” Nicholas was now thoroughly confused. The librarian, however, seemed utterly amused by the situation. “That is why there are rules, Nicholas. The book alone cannot work without the hourglass. And of course, it will not function with the imagination of one as special as you are.” “I don’t understand.” “Let me explain,” offered Mr. Thompson as he rose from his chair. Clasping his hands behind his back, he resembled a lecturer preparing to give a speech. “There are five rules to using the Book. They must be followed as I lay them down…
“The first rule is that you must always read the book alone. Never tell anyone that you have the book nor let anyone read it.”
“The second rule is that you must always read the book with the hourglass. Never are you to activate one without the other. Disaster lies in that course.”
“The third rule is that when reading the book you must never lose track of either item. If you were to be reading and the hourglass was lost, then you too would be lost. Keep both together.”
“The fourth rule is to always read the book as you wish it to be read. Never lose hope in the story, for you will be lost if you do.”
“The fifth and final rule is as important as the others, even more so if you believe as you should. You must never stop believing in heroes, Nicholas. You must believe with all your heart that good will prevail, that heroes will triumph no matter the odds.”

Nicholas Miles was from what has become such a common state of being for so many young boys and girls. He is being raised by a single mother who works hard but enjoys the bottle a bit more than she should. He has also become the punching bag for the bullies within his school. One morning, after his usual confrontation with these boys, Nicholas just couldn’t bring himself to go inside the school. This time the boys had torn his favorite comic book in half tossing it on the wet ground. Nicholas’ hero was the Mariner and the destruction of this book was the destruction of his comic book friend. With no money to replace the book, the next best place was the library where he could read until his heart was content as he enveloped himself with those who cared… the heroes of the oceans of a world far, far away. What he never dreamed of was Mr. Thompson introducing him to the very old, very special book and the hourglass which he had stored deep within the library waiting for that special person to come along. This book allowed Nicholas to write his own story and live it as it happened. Only he could create the beginning and the end and only he could decide the effect his decisions would have upon everyone involved in his story.
 
 
The Ocean and the Hourglass is one of the deepest books I’ve ever read. It awakens the reader to right and wrong in says that I personally have never give thought to. You may ask the question “what is right and what is wrong?” Easy answer? Maybe but “who interprets what is right and wrong?” We all know the 10 commandments, which are cut and dry in definition – aren’t they? What about the gray areas? Can we tell black lies, white lies and gray lies? Or are they all lies? Can we kill people to benefit the masses and it be ok? Are there black killings, white killings and gray killings or again are they just all killings? Are the killing wrong if they will save more then they kill? Are we in our current position by choice or by events and chance? Do events really play a role in the choices we make? As I said, The Ocean and the Hourglass is a deep book of thought. It started out as what I expected to be a children’s book but boy was I wrong as I got deeper and deeper into the thoughts it evoked within me.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The President Has Aids - Joan Meijer, Author


Shai Holzharts Curried Chicken
(I knew Shai back in the '60s. She was a Jewish Indian dancer and wonderful woman....She served this with rice and vegetables and was gracious enough to share the recipe. - Joan Meijer, Author)

12 pieces skinless chicken breast
1 pint sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 stick butter
1 cup slivered almonds
4 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons salt

Stew all together until the chicken is completely cooked all the way through and falling apart  about one hour.

Thicken gravy with
1 tablespoon corn starch
mixed in 3 tablespoons cold water.

Serve on large platter of white rice decorated with lightly steamed broccoli....Serves 6

The President Has Aids – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish
Sure glad nothing bad happened to you, Sir,” Metcalfe said, easing the older man back against the comfort of the leather seat. “Press’ll eat it up,” Ripley laughed. “I bet it’ll help my poll numbers.” He coughed and a gout of frothy, bright red blood spilled down his chin and a spread in a widening stain over the front of his light blue shirt. The look, on Metcalfe’s face was that of pure horror. He rapped on the window between the front and back of the limo, “Bill! Eagle is down. Eagle is down.” The President looked confused. Even though he was aware of the codes in which his Secret Service spoke, he could not figure out what was happening. He knew he was Eagle, but he wasn’t down. Down meant trouble and he wasn’t in trouble. “Hand me a tissue would you Joel?” Harris Ripley said, preoccupied with the fact that he could feel something like spittle running down and tickling his chin. Annoyed at being soiled, he dabbed at his chin with the tissue. Blood smeared across his jaw, but he was still unaware that he had been shot.
Harris Ripley is the president of the United States. While leaving a the Washington Hilton Hotel after giving a speech to the UAW, a lone gunman opens fire at Ripley as well as several others within the group protecting him. Secret Service Agent Joel Metcalfe literally throws Ripley into the limo and lays on top of him acting as a human shield. But unknown to Metcalfe nor the President, it’s too late. The President has been shot and neither realize this until after the limo pulls out heading for the Whitehouse.
Political reporter David McLaughlin was at the Hilton for this disastrous event in history but instead of being in a position to report he was in the nearest bar and had no idea as to what was taking place right before him. Instead of firing him, McLaughlin’s publisher moved one of his most brilliant reporters to the Obit section where he runs into Dr. Reginald Hotchkiss. Dr. Hotchkiss is not only the husband of McLaughlin’s ex-wife and step-father to his daughter but also a doctor of hematology. He has requested that McLaughlin call him later. He has some disturbing news that he feels must be made public. The meeting never takes place. Someone gets to Hotchkiss before McLaughlin.
The name The President Has Aids is a giveaway as to what the story builds up to but… the build-up is worth the read even if the title does give it away. The events and actions that take place to cover up the fact that The President Has Aids keep the pages turning. But who is behind this action? Is it the Vice President? The Surgeon General hopeful? The President’s wife? Or is it the President himself? And how did the President contract Aids? I had my own suspicions and couldn’t wait to see if I was right.
 
 
The President Has Aids is a very well written book that kept me hanging on to every word.

 
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