Stella May's Blog

by Stella May

In a little over a week, we in the United States will enjoy our Thanksgiving feasts with family and friends. It is a federal holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Outside the United States and sometimes called American Thanksgiving to distinguish it from the Canadian holiday of the same name along with related festivities in other regions. The modern national celebration dates to 1863 and has been linked to the Pilgrims 1621 harvest festival since the late 19th century. As the name implies, the theme of the holiday generally revolves around giving thanks with the centerpiece of most celebrations being a Thanksgiving dinner.

Documented Thanksgiving services in the United States were conducted as early as the 16th century by the Spaniards and the French. In those days Thanksgiving was observed through church services and feasting. Historian Michael Gannon claimed St. Augustine, Florida, was founded with a shared Thanksgiving meal on September 8, 1565.

In both Canada and America, family and friends gather for a special dinner and other celebrations on Thanksgiving. Traditional fare in the US includes turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin pie.

Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks. In my family, it’s tradition to go around the group and share thanks or toast to gratitude during the meal or dessert. The day offers the perfect time to look back at the past year and celebrate what you’re thankful for with family and friends.

From my family to yours, we wish you the happiness of good friends, the joy of happy family, and the wonder of the holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

Stella

Here is a peek at book one of Stella’s time travel romance series for your reading pleasure.

One key unlocks the love of a lifetime…but could also
break her heart.

Nika Morris’s sixth sense has helped build a successful business, lovingly restoring and reselling historic homes on Florida’s Amelia Island. But there’s one forlorn, neglected relic that’s pulled at her from the moment she saw it. The century-old Coleman house.

Quite unexpectedly, the house is handed to her on a silver platter—along with a mysterious letter, postmarked 1909, yet addressed personally to Nika. Its cryptic message: Find the key. You know where it is. Hurry, for goodness sake!

The message triggers an irresistible drive to find that key. When she does, one twist in an old grandfather clock throws her back in time, straight into the arms of deliciously, devilishly handsome Elijah Coleman.

Swept up in a journey of a lifetime, Nika finds herself falling in love with Eli—and with the family and friends that inhabit a time not even her vivid imagination could have conjured. But in one desperate moment of homesickness, she makes a decision that will not only alter the course of more than one life, but break her heart.

’Til Time Do Us Part is available in Kindle and Paperback at AMAZON.

Talented author Stella May is the penname for Marina Sardarova who has a fascinating history you should read on her website.

Stella writes fantasy romance as well as time travel romance. She is the author of ‘Till Time Do Us Part, Book 1 in her Upon a Time series which has three additional books, the 4-book series The Rostoff Family Saga, and the stand-alone book Rhapsody in Dreams. Love and family are two cornerstones of her stories and life. Stella’s books are available in e-book and paperback through all major vendors.

When not writing, Stella enjoys classical music, reading, and long walks along the ocean. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Leo of 35 years and their son George. They are her two best friends and are all partners in their family business.

Follow Stella on her website and blog Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

from Sloane Taylor

The Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a snowy winter we’ll not soon forget. Warm up your family with a hearty dinner that tastes great and satisfies the hungriest of appetites.

Chicken Pot Pie

CHICKEN

1 lb. chicken breast, boneless, skinless

Celery chunks

Carrot chunks

Onion chunks

Tap water

Fill a medium-size saucepan with water. Add celery, carrots, and onion. Cover and bring to a boil. Add chicken. Cover pan. Turn off heat and let the chicken sit in the hot water 1½ hours.

Remove chicken from pan to a plate. Discard water and veggies. Don’t wash the pan. Allow breast to cool then cut off any excess fat. Slice meat into bite-size pieces.

FILLING

⅓ cup butter

½ cup celery, sliced

½ cup carrots, chopped

⅓ cup onion, chopped

⅓ cup flour1

⅔ cups chicken stock

¾ tsp. garlic powder, not salt

¼ tsp. ground thyme½ tsp. dried sage

½ tsp. dried parsley

½ tsp. salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

⅔ cup heavy cream*

1 cup frozen peas, thawed is fine

Melt butter in the same pan you used for the chicken breast. Stir in celery, carrots, and onion. Sauté on medium heat until veggies are semisoft and onion translucent, 7 – 9 minutes.

Stir in flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Carefully pour in stock while stirring. Scrape pan bottom and sides to capture flour residue. Add garlic, thyme, sage, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir in cream then simmer on medium low until mixture thickens, 5 – 10 minutes, stir often to prevent burning.

Add chicken and peas. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.

ASSEMBLING THE PIE

2 premade refrigerated pie crusts

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Follow the directions on the pie crust package to prepare the pan for a two-crust pie.

Scroop filling onto bottom crust. Lay the other crust on top. Seal the edges by pressing the two crusts together around the rim. Trim off excess crust.

Mix egg yolk and milk in a small bowl. use a pastry brush to spread mixture across the top crust including the rim. Score the top crust with 4 – 6 thin slices. This allows the pie to cook better by releasing a little steam.

Bake 10 – 15 minutes then remove from the oven then cover the edges with aluminum foil so they don’t burn. Return pie to the oven. Continue for 30 – 35 minutes longer or until the top is golden brown.

Allow the pie to cool 10 – 15 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set properly.

*No need to run out to buy heavy cream. The following recipe is easy and works great for a any cooked dish that requires heavy cream.

Heavy Cream Substitute

¾ cup milk

⅓ cup butter

Pour milk into a small bowl then set aside. Don’t use milk fresh from the fridge or this recipe won’t work right.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave until melted. Allow butter to cool at room temperature.

Combine milk and butter with a hand mixer until well blended.

Use this substitute 1 for 1. Don’t use it as whipping cream. It won’t work.

May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with good friends, laughter, and seated around a well-laden table!

Sloane

Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning romance author with a passion that consumes her day and night. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.

To learn more about Taylor go to her website. Stay in touch on Blogger, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Taylor’s cookbooks, Hot Men Wear Aprons, Date Night Dinners, Date Night Dinners Italian Style, Sizzling Summer, and Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire are released by Toque & Dagger Publishing and available on Amazon.

 

from C.D. Hersh

Often, we are asked what our favorite book or author is. As writers there is another favorite that we have and that is certain sections of the books we have written. These favorite sections or excerpts become the lines shared to promote interest in the book. Today we thought we’d share some of our favorite lines from our paranormal romance series, The Turning Stone Chronicles

Each of these books is a standalone in that there is a HEA in each. However, you will understand the continuing characters and their relationships if you start with the first book in the series.

With that said we will start our excerpts with the first book, The Promised One.

Tucking his gift under her arm, she started to leave.

“Hey.” He pointed at the other gifts. “Aren’t you going to add yours?”

“Nope. I’ll give it to you later, when we’re alone.”

“Ooh. Something special. Mineral or animal?” His right eyebrow raised, his smile growing.

Alexi laughed. “Just embarrassing.”

“For you or for me?”

“I’m not telling.”

Sidling close to her, he backed her against the wall. “Come on. Just a hint,” he said, a purr in his tone as he placed his hand on the wall next to her shoulder and moved into her personal space with the ease of a lover. One of his famous melt-the-girl looks smoldered in his gaze. The golden flecks in his green eyes lit up like fireworks. Hot fireworks.

Enjoying his closeness and the raw sensuality emanating from him, she lingered for a minute, then slowly moved away. Standing this close she could get burned, and she wasn’t ready to play with fire . . . not yet. She shook her head. “Not a chance.”

He crossed his arms, obviously irked that she hadn’t succumbed.

“My irresistible charms work on everyone else. Why not you?”

Oh, if you only knew. She had to fight to resist him. She flashed him a smile. “Because I’m special. And I’m your partner. Keeping your back safe is more important than getting you on your back.”

He laughed, a deep, throaty, and utterly sexy sound.

She locked her knees to keep from melting into a puddle.

“I like the sound of that.”

Of course you would. She felt her face flame.

Now for the second book, Blood Brothers, excerpt.

Sylvia Jordan Riley winced as Falhman dug into her shoulder and extracted a bullet. He dropped the bullet into the trash and swabbed the wound. “You want to tell me how you got injured?” he asked as he reached for the needle to stitch the gaping hole.

“Chasing Promised Ones.” And the man who murdered my ex-husband.

“I hope it was worth this.”

“It was.” She’d torn Baron’s killer to shreds, but that wasn’t the best part of her news. “I’ve found someone who shifted with me by using the power from my ring.”

Falhman stopped stitching and stared intently at Sylvia, his eyes glittering with undisguised interest. “Is he a rogue shifter?”

“I don’t think he’s any kind of shifter. He seemed startled when the shift occurred.”

“A non-shifter who can use the ring without the incantation? What’s his name?”

“Temple. Rhys Temple. There’s only one problem.” Sylvia paused then continued, “He’s in love with Baron Jordan’s niece, Alexi.”

“I thought that whole family was dead.”

“She’s the last one left, and I think she’s on track as a Promised One.”

Falhman went back to stitching Sylvia’s skin with practiced ease. “Get rid of her and get him. If we can control someone with that kind of power, we can control the world.”

Sylvia looked at her superior. He made it sound simple. Kill Alexi Jordan and lure Rhys to the dark side. Piece of cake? Not if a Jordan was involved. From her recent dealings with Alexi, she knew there would be one heck of a fight if she tried to take her man.

The third book in the series, Son of the Moonless Night, has some new characters but continues the underlying story. Here’s the excerpt:

A head of lettuce and a grapefruit escaped from the paper grocery sack as Katrina leaned sideways on tippy toes to get the topmost lock. The vegetables rolled across the small concrete patio at the bottom of the stairway well and stopped against a leg of the wrought iron café table. Whispering an expletive, she pushed the door open and placed her purse and grocery sack on the entryway table just inside the door. Then she swiveled to get the runaway vegetables.

A very pleasant and interesting sight greeted her. A pair of dark trousers caressed a toned posterior of the man bending over to retrieve her vegetables. She fought to rein in the path her mind started down. Been too long, Katrina, she said to herself as the vision straightened and turned around.

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “I thought you had gone inside.”

The way he held the vegetables out in front of him made her wonder what his hands would feel like if he held her breasts in that manner.

“Hello? Are you awake?”

“Ah, ah,” Katrina sputtered as she focused on his face to get her mind out of the gutter.

“Okay. Awake, but not here yet.” The corner of his lips started to rise.

“You,” she breathed when she recognized him. “Where’s my grandmother’s afghan and my Cleveland Brown’s hoodie?”

“Nice to see you, too, and thank you, I’m feeling fine.”

She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “If you hadn’t run off I’d have known you were okay.”

The smile inched up the side of his cheek, lighting his electric blue eyes. “You worried about me. How sweet.”

“Sweet, my patootie. I just . . . You could have bled . . . Oh, crap. Where’s my stuff?”

He took another step closer to her. The deep blue ring around his amazing eyes seemed to darken.

She leaned back from him.

Without taking his eyes off her, he nodded to a brightly colored gift bag on the ground beside the door. “I got blood on the afghan so I had it cleaned. It wasn’t badly stained. The blood came out. The hoodie’s a different story. I couldn’t salvage it, so I bought a replacement.” Balancing the vegetables in one hand he lifted the gift bag to her. “Forgiven? Please?”

Book four, The Mercenary and the Shifters, gets more characters involved in the struggle. Here’s the excerpt:

Mike Corritore wheeled up the circular drive of the impressive house on Lakeshore Road and cut the engine on his motorcycle. After a quick glance around, he shouldered the bags containing his clothes, ammo, pump shotgun, and talwar sword. Then he headed for the carved front door. The doorbell echoed inside indicating the mansion had a cavernous entry hall. He searched the entrance stoop for security cameras and found none.

What the heck had he gotten himself into? A rich bitch, with no security on her home, mixed up with a bad syndicate spelled major trouble. With this chintzy level of security, it would take more time than he originally anticipated to make her house and business secure.

After a couple of minutes, the door opened.

“Can I help you?” asked an attractive redhead.

“I’m Mike Corritore. Here to see Fiona Kayler. Will you tell her I’ve arrived?”

The redhead looked him over, then braced her legs shoulder width apart and crossed her arms over her curvy bust. “Do you have identification, Mr. Corritore?”

Mike returned her once-over. Her porcelain complexion blushed pink at his bold examination, and she tossed her mane of wavy, mahogany hair defiantly.
Damn, she was gorgeous.

If she thought her insolent pose enough to keep him, or intruders out, she’d better reconsider.

“Hugh sent me.” He stepped forward but she blocked him.

“A driver’s license for your very expensive motorcycle will suffice,” she said, wiggling her fingers at him. When he didn’t comply, she stepped back and reached to the side of the door.

The distinct cachung of a gun cocking sent him flying to the right of the doorway.

“Identification, Mr. Corritore. Please,” she said as she leveled a pistol at him.

Mike dug in his rear pants’ pocket. “Hugh lied,” he said as he held out his driver’s license. “You don’t need protection.”

After inspecting his identification, she lowered her weapon and waved him inside. “For my business, Mr. Corritore. I’m capable of protecting my home, but I can’t draw my gun just anywhere.”

“You should get a conceal and carry license,” Mike said as he entered.

She put the safety on the gun and stashed the weapon in the table beside the front door.

“I take it you’re not the help,” he said, glancing around the entry hall.

She held out her hand. “Fiona Kayler. Nice to meet you, Mr. Corritore.”

“Mike,” he said, taking her hand. Her palm, warm and soft, told him she lived a life of leisure. But her strong grip screamed, No patsy. He held her hand a bit longer than he should have. She wriggled free and waved him to the left.

“Ladies first.”

With a nod, she led him toward a sumptuously decorated room. He followed, his eyes taking in the soft curves of her rear as she sashayed across the marble-tiled floor. Mike’s body reacted to the seductive wiggle of her bottom. She walked as sexy as she looked.

Keep your mind on the job, Corritore. He shifted his gaze away from temptation, searching the ceiling and corners of the entry for security cameras. If she had them, they were well hidden.

The measured click of her high heels on the hard marble tile floor disappeared as they stepped on the thick, white carpet of the living room. This room appeared cozier than the entry. A huge gold, gilt-edged mirror hung over the fireplace reflecting the scene outside the oversized plate-glass window.

She motioned to a seat beside the fireplace. Mike chose a location less exposed to the exterior, where he could watch the entrance to the room. Fiona dragged a side chair across the room to where he sat, positioning it at a right angle to his seat. Two vertical furrows appeared in the carpeting, bisecting their shoe impressions and the vacuumed paths in the thick fibers. Apparently, she didn’t use this room much.

“So, Ms. Kayler—”

“Fiona,” she corrected.

“Fiona, exactly what do you need me to do?” As he said the words, he had a lurid vision of what he’d like to do to this lovely woman. He shook it off. She was Hugh’s friend and in trouble. He had no business screwing around with damsels in distress. They were needy. The last thing he wanted.

“A couple of years ago I had a problem with smugglers. They brought in some hazardous materials which got me in trouble with Homeland Security and the FBI. They cleared me, but my business took a pretty big hit. To keep things afloat, I’ve had to get in bed with some rough characters recently.”

At the phrase get in bed with Mike cocked his eyebrow at her.

“Not literally,” she amended quickly, as a dusky pink blush crept over her pale complexion. “I need my security beefed up, so I don’t have a replay of two years ago.”

“Any good security company could upgrade you.”

“I also need someone I can trust implicitly. Hugh vouched for you, and I trust Hugh.”

“We should start with your home security. I didn’t see surveillance cameras at the door.”

“My home is perfectly safe. It’s my business I’m concerned about.”

Fiona crossed her arms over her chest, her body language closing off to further suggestions. Mike followed her motions. As he did, he spotted a red dot on her chest. The dot wiggled.

“Get down!” Mike shouted as he dove for Fiona.

They hit the floor as the pottery on the raised fireplace hearth exploded, sending shards across the room. Mike shoved Fiona behind the nearest chair then scrambled across the rug to the blown-out window. Removing his gun from his back-of-the-waist holster, he peered over the windowsill. Seeing no one in the driveway, he swiveled around to check on Fiona. The red laser point danced around the room, searching for a target.

We hope you enjoyed this look into some of our favorite lines from our books and maybe got interested to follow along with the story.

Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after, and that’s why they write romance.

In addition to writing Catherine and Donald love antiquing, traveling, singing, and going to the theatre. Catherine is also an avid gardener and has drawn Donald into her garden as a day laborer. They figure the couple who plays together and works together, stays together—and that’s just what they aim to do.

Second Editions Coming Soon:

Ghosts and Gardenias

The Promised One The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 1
Blood Brothers The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 2
Son of the Moonless Night The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3
The Mercenary and the Shifters The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 4

Social Media Info:

WebsiteBlogFacebookAmazon Author PageTwitterGoodreads

from Sharon Ledwith

This is the perfect casserole for any occasion, especially holiday feasts like celebrating Half-Way to St. Patrick’s Day. These super scalloped potatoes compliment any main dish you serve at your table. Tender potatoes in a creamy onion sauce baked to golden perfection would make any mouth water. Whether you’re serving spiral ham, pork chops, poultry or beef, this tasty side-dish makes six servings to share with family, friends, or friends of friends.

With a prep time of 25 minutes, cook time of 1 hour and 20 minutes, and a rest time of 15 minutes for a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes, you’ve got plenty of time to visit with your company, and enjoy a glass of your favorite libation. May I suggest a pint of green beer or perhaps a dram of Irish Whiskey?

Slainte!

Half-Way to St. Paddy’s Day Scalloped Potatoes

¼ cup butter

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup flour2 cups milk1 cup chicken broth½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon pepper3 pounds of white potatoes, sliced about ⅛” thickSalt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F

Sauce

To make the sauce, melt butter, onion, and garlic over medium-low heat. Cook until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Reduce heat to low. Combine milk and broth. Add a small amount at a time whisking to thicken. The mixture will become very thick, continue adding a little bit of liquid at a time whisking until smooth.

Once all the liquid has been added, bring to a boil over medium heat while continuing to whisk. Stir in salt and pepper and let boil 1 minute.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place ⅓ of the potatoes in the bottom and season with salt and pepper. Pour ⅓ of the cream sauce over top.

Repeat layers ending with cream sauce. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

Uncover and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes or until golden brown, and potatoes are tender. Broil for 3-4 minutes to obtain a golden top.

Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

This casserole is also a wonderful side-dish to include at your holiday get-togethers too, making a great substitute for mashed or roast potatoes. Try it. You just might love it!

Once dinner is done, and you’ve got some free time on your hands, why not dig into your next read? May I suggest my latest release?

Only a true hero can shine the light in humanity’s darkest time.

When fourteen-year-old Jordan joins his second mission with the Last Timekeepers, he and his companions are thrust into Nazi-occupied Amsterdam during World War 2.

Tasked with locating a powerful, ancient book before it falls into enemy hands, Jordan and his fellow Timekeepers are plunged into a fight far more dangerous than anything they’ve faced before. With help from the Dutch Resistance and a mysterious baron, they must stay one step ahead of a regime determined to silence the truth.

As danger closes in, Jordan discovers that true courage is forged through trust, sacrifice, and the strength of those beside you. But will that be enough to change the past – and protect the future?

A fast-paced adventure rich with historical detail, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS AND THE DARK SECRET is the second book in Sharon Ledwith’s series of novels for middle grade and adult readers alike.EXCERPT

“I wonder what else is down here.” Drake beamed his cell phone across the basement, hitting jars of jams, pickles, and relishes. His stomach growled.

Jordan pulled the cheese from his pocket and handed it to Drake. “Trade you for your phone.”

“Best. Trade. Ever.” Drake passed his phone to Jordan.

Jordan walked over and grabbed a jar of pickles off the dusty shelf. At least they wouldn’t arrive at the baron’s place hungry. He hoped his uncle had managed to stop Amanda’s bleeding. His hand tightened over the jar, the ridges of the lid cutting into his
palm. A scrape from behind the shelves made Jordan jump.

“Hello?” he asked, pushing jars aside. He flashed the cell phone into the small, dark area.

“Who ya talking to, Jordan?” Drake asked with his mouth full of cheese.

“Shhh, Drake.” Jordan listened. Hearing nothing, he shrugged and turned back around.

“I thought I heard—” Jordan stopped and pointed the phone at Ravi. His jaw dropped. “A-Are you
serious, Sharma?”

Drake spat out his cheese, snorting with laughter.

“Is there a problem?” Ravi asked, tying the bowtie of his tuxedo.

“You look like a penguin with attitude!” Drake slapped his knee.

“Say what you want, but I’m glad we didn’t hit the cleaners on the way to school now,” Ravi replied, pulling down his sleeves, “or else I wouldn’t have these dry clothes.”

Jordan chuckled. Suddenly, he heard a door creak open, followed by heavy footsteps squeaking down the stairs. Panicking, Jordan stuffed Drake’s phone in his track suit jacket’s pocket and waved Drake over by the shelves. Drake slipped behind Jordan just in time, before the small light bulb above the bottom of the stairs clicked on. Jordan swallowed hard. There, staring directly at Ravi was a portly man in a blood-stained apron. Tufts of blond hair sprouted from the sides of his balding head. His brown trousers were pulled up past his waist, making him resemble an evil garden gnome. In one of his hands, he held a huge butcher knife, its blade flecked with blood.

Wielding the knife, the man pointed at Ravi. “Who are you?”

Ravi licked his thick lips nervously. “The name’s Bond. James Bond.”

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK

Here’s a glimpse of the premises of both my young adult series:

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures…

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past to restore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.

Children are the key to our future. And now, they are the only hope for our past.

Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries…

In the small, quiet tourist town of Fairy Falls, a new-to-town teen, an unlikely hero who possesses an unusual psychic ability, is drawn into a mystery and is tasked with uncovering corrupt truths that threaten the town’s future.

Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected.

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:

The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book 3 Buy Links

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book 2 Buy Links:

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book 1 Buy Links:

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Legend
of the Timekeepers, Prequel Buy
Links:

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE

Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen
Psychic Mystery Series:

Lost & Found, Book One Buy Links:

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Blackflies & Blueberries, Book Two Buy Links:

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Sharon
Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure
series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery
series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading,
researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and
single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist
region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and two shiny red e-bikes.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON
AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.

BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE

 

 

 

 

From Sloane Taylor

Pasta Primavera is a perfect warm weather dinner, especially with a glass of cool, crisp white wine.

The word primavera means springlike in Italian, but don’t be fooled that this dish originated in Italy. Nope! Both Canada and the US claim the honor of creating Pasta Primavera. No one knows for sure which country invented this delicious dish, but the fact is that it didn’t come to be until the 1970s.

This recipe is for 2. If you are serving more simply increase the ingredients accordingly. Don’t prepare extra for another meal because the veggies get mushy when reheated.

Pasta Primavera

9 – 10 oz. cheese tortellini

2 tbsp. olive oil

5 baby carrots

⅓ red onion

½ red or yellow pepper

4 asparagus

⅓ seedless cucumber or small zucchini

3 tbsp. butter

8 or 10 sliced mushrooms

1½ tsp. garlic powder

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tbsp. lemon juice

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving

2 tbsp. parsley, optional

Cook pasta per package directions al dente, no longer. Drain into a strainer, retaining ⅔ cup of water for the sauce. Cover tortellini to keep warm.

Slice carrots in thirds lengthwise. You do this because carrots take so much longer to cook. Slice red onion into thin rings, but not too thin, then cut in half.

Remove seeds from pepper then cut into strips lengthwise. Set aside. Freeze the extra for another recipe.

Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Add to pepper bowl. Slice cucumber/zucchini about ¼ inch thick then add to pepper mix.

Pour oil into a Dutch oven set on medium-high heat. You need this size pan to properly blend the veggies. Stir in carrots and onion, sauté until crisp tender, 6 – 8 minutes. Stir often and adjust heat to prevent burning.

Lower heat to medium. Add butter, asparagus, pepper slices, and mushrooms. Season with garlic, black pepper, and lemon juice.

Gently blend in pasta and cheese. Add small amounts of reserved water to thin sauce to your liking.

Heat through. Sprinkle on parsley then serve.

May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with good friends, laughter, and seated around a well-laden table!

Sloane

Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning romance author with a passion that consumes her day and night. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.

To learn more about Taylor go to her website. Stay in touch on Blogger, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Taylor’s cookbooks, Hot Men Wear Aprons, Date Night Dinners, Date Night Dinners Italian Style, Sizzling Summer, and Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire are released by Toque & Dagger Publishing and available on Amazon.

From Carol Browne

When you pick up a book, do you turn quickly to chapter one, or do you check out the dedication first? Perhaps, like me, you are intrigued to know who the book is dedicated to and why? If there is a name but no explanation for it, I always wonder what that person did to have their name immortalised in this way.

If you’re an author, your work might not necessarily be dedicated to the one you love. It could be to someone you respect, admire, or have reason to thank. Many dedications are humorous and playful and there are many examples of these online, but if you have put your passion and energy into a novel, which is a time-consuming and difficult undertaking, the dedication ought to be as weighty as the dedication you needed to write it.

In my first book, The Exile of Elindel, the dedication reads, ‘For Harry’, and readers might speculate that he is my husband, son, brother, or whatever. Actually, Harry was my dog for sixteen years and he saw me through one of the most challenging periods of my life. I don’t think The Exile of Elindel would exist had I not had Harry to give me a reason to get up every morning when everything was falling apart.

After Book 1, my ideas for a sequel solidified into a novel mainly because a close friend wanted to read it. So, Book 2, Gateway to Elvendom, was dedicated to that friend, Pat Longmuir. Even an audience of one is sufficient reason to write a book!

Books 1 and 2 called for a third book to tie up all the loose ends and bring everything to a satisfying conclusion. When it was written, I knew it should be dedicated to the memory of my niece, Bryony Cawley, who was tragically killed while only in her early 30s. She had left England while very young and lived a fearless, adventurous life in other lands, so we were apart, but I remembered a conversation we had two weeks before her death. It occurred to me at the time that she was wise beyond her years and when she died, I wondered if she had learned everything she needed to and gone on to something better. I didn’t know what to do to honour her life, but I wanted it to be recorded somewhere. Dedicating Wyrd’s End, the third book in my trilogy, to Bryony seemed to be a good way for me to pay tribute to the memory of this very special human being.

As writers we can always thank people in the acknowledgements at the end of the book, but to dedicate an entire book to someone is a unique tribute and a lasting memorial to a person who has had a significant impact on the author’s life. After all, when you have put something out into the world which will exist as long as literature does, it seems fitting to make your dedication a special gift to posterity.

Here is a brief intro to Book One of Carol’s exciting trilogy.

Banished from Elvendom and forced to seek refuge among the Saxons, young Elgiva faces a grim future – until she crosses paths with Godwin, a Briton enslaved by the people she must now call allies.

When a dark power rises to claim dominion over Elvendom, Elgiva and Godwin set off on a dangerous quest for the legendary Lorestone: the only thing that can stop the looming darkness. With a reluctant elf boy as their guide and a stubborn pony by their side, they must navigate the treacherous land and harness ancient magic before it’s too late.

As battle lines are drawn, Elgiva must embrace her true heritage, and Godwin must learn to wield the secret power he possesses. But can they find the Lorestone in time – or will Elvendom fall forever?

A historical fantasy adventure set in 6th century Britain, THE EXILE OF ELINDEL is the first book in Carol Browne’s The Elwardain Chronicles series.

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK

Once upon a time a little girl wrote a poem about a flower. Impressed, her teacher pinned it to the wall and, in doing so, showed the child which path to follow.

Over the years poems and stories flowed from her pen like magic from a wizard’s wand.

She is much older now, a little wiser too, and she lives in rural Cambridgeshire, where there are many trees to hug.

But inside her still is that little girl who loved Nature and discovered the magic of words.

She hopes to live happily ever after.

 

from Sharon Ledwith

Legends. We love them. We can’t get enough of them. In fact, we NEED them. Legends connect humanity in ways we can’t fathom. A legend, by definition is a story handed down for generations among a people and popularly believed to have a historical basis, although not verifiable. In book one of my time travel series, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Amanda Sault, her four classmates, and two tag-along adults are whisked through an arch they find buried in an overgrown garden and transported to the mythical continent of Atlantis. They’ve been summoned to become Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from an evil force known only as Belial. Oh, BTW—they’re not just any Timekeepers—they’re the Last Timekeepers. No pressure, right? Well, maybe a smidgen.

The Timekeepers first mission involves going back to 1214 England, actually Nottingham to be precise. There, Amanda and her time traveling cohorts meet an adolescent Robin Hood, although he is known as Robyn Hodekin to the people of Nottingham. So, here’s the rub—in The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, what’s myth and what’s made-up? That’s when it’s up to the reader to seek the truth and dispel the lies.

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book One

Children are the key to our future. And now, they are the only hope for our past.

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her classmates land themselves in hot water after a cafeteria food fight, they’re assigned to yard duty as punishment. After the kids uncover a mysterious stone arch hidden in the overgrown backyard owned by the Witch of White Pines, they learn that it’s an ancient portal created by the lost civilization of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus, Amanda and her reluctant companions are swept into the secret world of the Timekeepers: legendary guardians entrusted with preserving history from a sinister force known as Belial. Their first mission? Travel back to 13th-century England to ensure a young Robin Hood fulfills his legendary fate.
But time travel comes with strict rules, and one wrong move could rewrite the past… and erase the future.

Packed with high-stakes adventure and a touch of ancient magic, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS AND THE ARCH OF ATLANTIS is the first book in Sharon Ledwith’s series of novels for middle grade readers and adults alike.

Excerpt:

They were almost inside the glowing archway. Its light felt warm and welcoming, like the rising summer sun. Treena stuck her thumbs in the straps of her khaki backpack as if it doubled as a magic parachute. Amanda mimicked Treena and grasped the straps on Jordan’s backpack that she was still wearing. Ravi was the only other person wearing one, so all the rest had nothing to break their fall if that light suddenly cut them loose.

The brilliant, fathomless glow swallowed Amanda, blinding her. Calm and silence overrode her senses. In that moment, two things happened—Amanda sensed that there was no separation between her and the others—as if they were all connected by these tiny threads of light. Second, she started to feel as though she were free falling, moving fast and out of control. She regained her vision, just as the white light exploded into a whirling rainbow.

Drake laughed. “Wicked! This feels like a ride at Disneyland!”

“It feels better than that!” Jordan replied. “I’ve been to Disneyland twice, and there’s no ride that even comes close to this!”

“It’s as if we can fly!” Treena shouted, doing a somersault in mid-air.

“It does feel wonderful, doesn’t it?” Melody said dreamily.

Amanda grabbed both ankles and flipped herself over. She giggled. This freedom, this feeling, this flux was awesome. The huge, spiraling rainbow surrounding the group of seven gently juggled them in mid-air like floating balls in a never-ending lottery game. She glanced over at Jordan’s uncle. His cheeks were sucked in, and his body flopped one way then another like a fish out of water.

“Is your uncle okay, Jordan?” she asked.

Jordan maneuvered over to his uncle by spreading his arms and legs wide as if he were a free-falling parachutist. He grasped his uncle’s shoulder and shook him. “Uncle John? Uncle John! Don’t make me slap you again!”

He reached over, grabbed Jordan, and kissed him on the forehead. “It’s all true, Jordan! It’s all true!”

Jordan squirmed. “What’s true?”

“Time flows through us,” he answered, his voice cracking as if he were a young boy again.

The whirling rainbow burst into shards of light, and they all touched bottom.

It felt soft—like a cushy trampoline—as Amanda, her classmates, Melody, and Professor Lucas bounced easily until they all stood still. Then the ground became solid again. Polished marble walls and finely crafted pillars materialized through the fading light. A sudden high-pitched buzzing noise made her wince. Everyone seemed to hear it too; they cringed in unison. The sound of waves crashing against a shore replaced the buzzing, and a set of deep purple curtains miraculously appeared in front of them. Amanda rubbed her eyes. In the time it took her to take a breath, the curtains were drawn. The brilliant white light that had pulled them into the stone arch now hovered between the open curtains. It started to radiate out, then draw in, out, then in, changing its shape with each rhythmic movement, until it finally transformed into a woman.

The woman was beautiful in an otherworldly way. She had long, fair, flowing hair adorned with quartz crystals. Piercing blue eyes stared back at Amanda like she was peering into her soul. She had a long narrow face with high cheek bones that tapered down to a firm chin. Her nose was long and slender. Amanda smiled at her. The woman smiled back. Her teeth were white, small, and even. She was perfect in every way. A rich-blue sleeveless linen robe adorned her slim body, accentuating her ivory skin.

I wonder if she’s a princess. Amanda didn’t doubt it, especially with all the jewelry the woman wore. A sparkling metallic snake bracelet wound around her left arm, a string of gleaming pearls and shells hung around her neck, and a silver belt strewn with various green, blue, and red gems hugged her waist. The only piece of clothing that didn’t seem to belong was a plain pair of woven sandals.

Melody pushed Drake behind her and took a few steps forward. “I demand that you tell us where we are!”

The beautiful woman gave Melody a gentle smile and nodded. She opened her arms wide and said, “Welcome to the Temple of Poseidon, in the City of the Golden Gates.”

Melody jerked. “I-I beg your pardon?”

“Atlantis,” Professor Lucas answered in a whisper. “We’re in Atlantis.”

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/4NE2kx

ADDED BONUS: The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis eBook is permanently free in all online bookstores! Welcome to Atlantis. We’ve been expecting you.

Here’s a glimpse of the premises of both my young adult series:

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures…

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past to restore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.

Children are the key to our future. And now, they are the only hope for our past.

Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries…

In the small, quiet tourist town of Fairy Falls, a new-to-town teen, an unlikely hero who possesses an unusual psychic ability, is drawn into a mystery and is tasked with uncovering corrupt truths that threaten the town’s future.

Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected.

Buy Links:

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:

The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book 3

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book 2 Buy Links:

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book 1 Buy Links:

UNIVERSAL BUY LINK ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Legend of the Timekeepers, Prequel Buy Links:

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Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mystery Series:

Lost & Found, Book One Buy Links:

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Blackflies & Blueberries, Book Two Buy Links:

PANDAMONIUM PUBLISHING HOUSE ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading, researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and two shiny red e-bikes.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.

BONUSES:

Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE

Download the free PDF writing resource Tips, Tools & Tricks for the Tenacious Writer HERE

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading, researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and two shiny red e-bikes.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.

BONUSES:

Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE

Download the free PDF writing resource Tips, Tools & Tricks for the Tenacious Writer HERE

Celebrating Independence Day: More Than Fireworks and Flags

As the sky lights up with fireworks and the aroma of barbecue fills the air, Independence Day is a time to celebrate freedom, unity, and the spirit of resilience that shaped our nation.

On July 4th, we remember the courage of those who stood up for liberty in 1776, signing a Declaration that echoed the dreams of generations to come. But beyond the parades and picnics, this day invites reflection: What does freedom mean to each of us today?

Whether it’s the right to speak our minds, the opportunity to pursue our dreams, or the ability to come together across differences, Independence Day reminds us that liberty is both a gift and a responsibility. It’s a moment to honor the past, celebrate the present, and look ahead with hope and purpose.

So as you wave your flags and gather with loved ones, take a moment to remember what we’re truly celebrating: the enduring promise of freedom, and the strength we find in standing together.

Happy Independence Day!

“A father is the one friend upon whom we can always rely. In the hour of need, when all else fails, we remember him upon whose knees we sat when children, and who soothed our sorrows; and even though he may be unable to assist us, his mere presence serves to comfort and strengthen us.” —Émile Gaboriau

Paranormal worlds are fun to create, but one of the biggest issues writers have to deal with when writing about were-animals is the clothing problem.

Traditionally, were-animals remove their clothes, or shed their skins if they are animals changing to humans, in order to accommodate their human/animal shifts. In the case of some, like selkies (seals who become humans), they also have to have their clothes (or skins) back in order to change back to humans.

Having to remove clothing before shifting into animals can be advantageous when the author wants to get the couple together, naked. Needing one’s clothing to return to human form can also create humorous situations, especially when the shifter is trying to hide why they are running around in their birthday suits.

When we began to develop our world of shape shifters, we had to address the clothing issue, in more than one way. Not only do our shifters become animals, but they can take other human forms, too. So, clothing created an additional challenge for us. Should we take the traditional route and have the shifters hide their clothes before becoming animals? Or should we just let their clothing disappear and reappear without explanation?

After bouncing several ideas off each other we decided that we would utilize the magic of the magical bloodstone ring, that is primarily responsible for the shape shifting in our world, to our advantage when addressing clothing issues, with a few twists. The magic in the ring would allow an animal shift to absorb the wearer’s clothing. The ring would become an integral invisible part of the animal, as would anything else on or in the shifter’s body or clothing. Except for the ring’s magic, nothing on his human form would be accessible to the shifter when he was in animal form. This rule allowed the shifter to be able to blend rapidly into the animal or human world and thus keep the action scenes moving. Unfortunately, this meant no humorous birthday suit scenarios or convenient naked scenes, but that was okay, since we decided to make the human shifting follow different rules.

When our characters shift from male to female, their clothing does not change. This rule has created its own set of problems. We have to be careful that we choose appropriate clothing when our characters are going to shift. A rapid exchange of clothes had to be written in once scene when one shifter mimicked another shifter and was about to be caught. We also had a few interesting male /female shifting scenarios created by this rule, especially when a male shifter ends up in decidedly female clothes. It’s not often that you see a male walking down the street in a dress, or tottering on high heels. Fortunately, with the unisex nature of clothing today, this shifting rule hasn’t created a huge problem for us the writers.

However, it did create a conundrum for the police and our main characters in our first book The Promised One. In this story a shape shifter is murdered and returns to the natural persona: a man. The problem was he had been shifted into a smaller female whose dress did not fit will over his muscular male body. Trying to keep the police from drawing the wrong conclusions keeps the main characters busy coming up with plausible explanations for a man in a dress that is too small for him.

The following is the excerpt from The Promised One that points out the issue:

The woman stared at him, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. “Return the ring, or you’ll be sorry.”

With a short laugh he stood. “Big words for someone bleeding to death.” After dropping the ring into his pocket, he gathered the scattered contents of her purse, and started to leave.

“Wait.” The words sounded thick and slurred . . . two octaves deeper . . . with a Scottish lilt.

Shaw frowned and spun back toward her. The pounding in his chest increased. On the ground, where the woman had fallen, lay a man.

He wore the same slinky blue dress she had—the seams ripped, the dress top collapsed over hard chest muscles, instead of smoothed over soft, rounded curves. The hem skimmed across a pair of hairy, thick thighs. Muscled male thighs. Spiked heels hung at an odd angle, toes jutting through the shoe straps. The same shoes she’d been wearing.

The alley tipped. Shaw leaned against the dumpster to steady himself. He shook his head to clear the vision, then slowly moved his gaze over the body.

A pair of steel-blue eyes stared out of a chiseled face edged with a trim salt-and-pepper beard. Shaw whirled around scanning the alley.

Where was the woman? And who the hell was this guy?

Terrified, Shaw fled.

The dying man called out, “You’re cursed. Forever.”

As you can see the change can be quite startling when not expected. Shape shifters can have a rather costly garment expense unless they are careful.

Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after, and that’s why they write romance.

In addition to writing Catherine and Donald love antiquing, traveling, singing, and going to the theatre. Catherine is also an avid gardener and has drawn Donald into her garden as a day laborer. They figure the couple who plays together and works together, stays together—and that’s just what they aim to do.

Second Editions Coming Soon:

Ghosts and Gardenias

The Promised One The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 1
Blood Brothers The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 2
Son of the Moonless Night The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3
The Mercenary and the Shifters The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 4

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