Robbie Cheadle's Blog, page 44

Guest Post: Haunted Halloween Holiday by Robbie and Michael Cheadle.

I am over at beetleypete blog with a post about my new book, Haunted Halloween Holiday, and a short reading. Thank you for hosting, Pete. If you don’t know Pete’s blog, he shares excellent short stories and series, and lots of great posts about life in the UK, present and past. Do go over and have a look around.

beetleypete

Robbie and Michael have a new book out! Just in time for Halloween too.

Robbie and Michael Cheadle are delighted to present their new book for children, Haunted Halloween Holiday. This book, for children aged 5 to 9 years old, is illustrated with Robbie and Michael’s fondant and cake art and introduces new fantasy characters including Count Sugular, Witch Honey, and Baby Howler.
You will also find our old favourite, Sir Chocolate, featured. He’s in the thick of the Halloween Party, helping the Nougat Clown brothers, Hoot and Flute, deal with Toot’s anxiety and depression.

Clink on the link to listen to a short reading from Haunted Halloween Holiday:

About Haunted Halloween Holiday

Count Sugular is delighted when the Sugarpop Bats invite his family to a Halloween party at the Haunted House. He and his wife, Witch Honey, decide to hire a caravan and enjoy a weekend away with their…

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Growing Bookworms – Interactive books for children – Part 2: Digital books

I am over at Writing to be Read with this month’s Growing Bookworms post which discusses interactive digital books for children. Thank you to Kaye Lynne Booth for hosting.

Writing to be Read

Last month, I discussed physical interactive books for children and their benefits. You can read this post here:

This month, I am sharing the pros and cons of digital interactive books for children.

Firstly, what is an interactive eBook?

An interactive eBook is an ebook that has elements with which the reader can directly interact. This type of ebook has a lot of touchpoints where the reader can interact with videos, audio recordings, links and other content.

I read several articles about the benefits of eBooks for children and the experts believe that reading print books to toddlers and small children results in a better reading experience for the child. Research shows that children and parents/caregivers interact more frequently with one another when they are reading a paperback book and turning pages, and the quality of their interactions are better. This translates into better language development, literacy and bonding with…

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Robbie’s Inspiration – Recipes from around the world: French bouillabaisse

It’s been a lovely weekend. The winter seems to be behind us and the daily high is 28 to 30 degrees Celsius. The garden is bursting with spring flowers and my mother has been busy planting her purchases from last weekend.

I made Bouillebaisse, a traditional Provençal fish stew from Marseille, France. My mom loves fish dishes, so this was for her. For dad, I made Durban chicken curry.

Ingredients

1.4 kilograms white fish, I used Hake

500 grams Norwegian salmon

500 grams shelled prawns, uncooked

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1/2 a fennel bulb, finely chopped

2 leeks, finely chopped

olive oil for cooking

15ml orange zest

15ml crushed garlic

5 ml turmeric

Black pepper to taste

7.5 ml thyme

1 bay leaf

6 Roma tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes, chopped

2 cups fish stock

2 cups chicken stock

Method

Heat the oil in a large pot. Fry the onion, fennel and leeks for 5 minutes until soft. Add the orange zest, turmeric, thyme, black pepper, and crushed garlic. Add the tomatoes and allow to simmer for 20 to 15 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and become mushy.

Boil the kettle and prepare the stock. Lay the fish pieces skin side up over the vegetables. Pour the stock over the fish and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the fish. Add the prawns and allow to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until pink all over. Meanwhile, remove the skin and break the fish into large chunks. Add the fish back to the pot and the stew is ready to serve with garlic bread. Do not overcook the fish or it will go tough.

Robbie’s Inspiration: Book Release Tour for The Winding Road: A Journey of Survival by Miriam Hurdle

Thank you for hosting my launch tour today, Robbie. I’m thrilled to be here to share my new book with your friends.

During the launch tour, I want to talk about memoir writing. Here is my topic for today.

How did I write my memoir?

Collecting data

During my fifty-three weeks of the cancer journey, especially the six months of full-time bio chemotherapy, I was so sick that all the days blended in together.

Emails – As soon as I found out about my cancer, I emailed the updates to my family and friends. They emailed back to show me their support. I saved all the emails.

Records – I kept all the medical records in a binder with tabs to organize the doctor’s referrals, doctor’s appointments, visit summaries, insurance authorizations, testing instructions, testing results, lab results, treatment schedules, and discharge summaries.

Journals – Whenever my head was a little clear, I wrote my journal. Sometimes I just wrote on scratch paper. I saved all the writing.

Mails or cards – Family and friends sent me the get-well cards periodically. I kept all the cards and I still have them.

Organizing Data

Starting in 2016, I attempted to write my story. I wrote tidbits to post on my blog. They were superficial information from my memory.

I got serious about writing my story in 2020. The first thing I did was copy and paste the emails in chronological order. I read them repeatedly to reacquaint myself with what had happened. I highlighted the details pertinent to my story.

I reread my journal and transcribed the parts relating to my treatment onto the computer.

Selecting Data

Life is not linear. There were many parallel events that happened during my cancer journey, especially during the time I was diagnosed. Some of the events played significant roles at this juncture of my life. Some were important, but they would need explanation and become a distraction from my focus. During my editing, I deleted the distractions. There is a difference between an important detail and a rabbit hole. I paid attention not to creating many rabbit holes hidden in the fields.

Writing Process

I took part in the NaNoWriMo Camp in July 2020. After I collected, organized, and selected my data, I wrote my first draft and posted it on NaNoWriMo. Then I submitted my first chapter to my writing group at the beginning of 2021. The group gave me some positive feedback about needing improvement on the presentation of my story.

In the following year, I read books and took classes on memoir writing. I continued to do writing and rewrite, edit, and re-edit the manuscript. I rearranged my chapters and began the memoir with my focus first, then brought in the backstory afterward. At the beginning of 2022, I submitted my first chapter to the writing group again. This time around, the members said my story was compelling and that I was honest in telling my story.

It is the members of this writing group who facilitated my final presentation on The Winding Road: A Journey of Survival.

The book information.

About The Winding Road: A Journey of Survival by Miriam HurdleBlurb

In the summer of 2008, Miriam Hurdle was diagnosed with melanoma-an aggressive and invasive cancer in her internal organs. The survival rate before 2008 was low. Besides risking harsh treatments for a slim chance of survival, Miriam had hoops to jump through. By the time she received treatment at the beginning of 2009, her cancer had progressed from stage II to stage IV. It was a rough and uphill winding road. But alongside her was support and encouragement. Accompanied by the love of her family and community, this is Miriam’s journey of faith and miracle. It is a heartwarming story of resilience, courage, and the will to live.

My review

In 2008, Miriam Hurdle was diagnosed with a life threatening and unusual melanoma. There were no signs of this tumour that was stealthily growing in her body and she discovered its presence quite by accident. This turned out to be the first step towards her successful fight against this disease. Finding the cancer early did not help spare her any of the trauma of the intense treatments that followed, but it did give her a bit of time to find the right doctor to treat her and decide on the best treatment plan.

My mother is a cancer survivor so this story was intensely personal for me. As Miriam’s shock at her diagnosis and search for the best way forward unfolded, I recalled my own experiences at my mother’s side as the news and subsequent decisions rocked our family.

Miriam’s descriptions of each step of her journey, from visiting an unsympathetic first doctor to finding the right doctor to administer her treatment, planning time off work for the treatment, planning the financial aspects of the treatment and the time off work, and planning day-to-day aspects like meals, and getting to appointments are all detailed and make this story highly relatable.

Miriam had support for amazing family and friends and this in itself is a testament to her excellent character and kind nature.

Miriam reveals in vivid detail the particulars of her treatments and the effects they had on her body, both mentally and physically and the reader walks in her shoes with her.

An incredibly powerful book about a strong woman’s fight for survival against high odds. I recommend it highly.

Purchase links Amazon

Amazon US

Book trailerAbout Miriam

Miriam Hurdle is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Her publications include Songs of Heartstrings, and the children’s book, Tina Lost in a Crowd. Her poetry collection received the Solo “Medalist Winner” for the New Apple Summer eBook Award and achieved bestseller status on Amazon.

Miriam writes poetry, short stories, memoir, and children’s books. She earned a Doctor of Education from the University of La Verne in California. After two years of rehabilitation counseling, fifteen years of public-school teaching, and ten years in school district administration, she retired and enjoys life with her husband in southern California, and the visits to her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters in Oregon. When not writing, she engages in blogging, gardening, photography, and traveling.

Contact Miriam Hurdle

Website/Blog: https://theshowersofblessings.com

Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/Miriam-Hurdle/e/B07K2MCSVW

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17252131.Miriam_Hurdle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mhurdle112

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miriam.hurdle.1

Smorgasbord Bookshelf – New Book on the Shelves – #Children’s – Haunted Halloween Holiday by Robbie and Michael Cheadle

Thank you to talented author and blogger extraordinaire, Sally Cronin, for this delightful post about my new book, Haunted Halloween Holiday. If you don’t know Sally’s books and blog, you are missing out, so do go over and visit.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Delighted to share the news of the latest release from the writing team of Robbie and Michael Cheadle. Haunted Halloween Holiday 

About the book

Haunted Halloween Holiday – Count Sugular is delighted when the Sugarpop Bats invite his family to a Halloween party at the Haunted House. He and his wife, Witch Honey, decide to hire a caravan and enjoy a weekend away with their family. Includes some fun limericks to introduce the various characters.

An early review for the book on Goodreads

James  Five Stars – September 1, 2022

Haunted Halloween Holiday, an adorable and insightful children’s book written by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, is their latest delectable creation to offer recipes, colorful tales, and a crafty imaginary setting that’s been delighting readers for years. The imagination of this mother-son duo continues to impress me, offering a simple yet versatile group of fairytale-esque characters who live in a world…

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Robbie’s Inspiration – Recipes from around the world: lamb knuckle and green bean casserole

This weekend was a busy one. I spent a lot of time with Mom. I had a crafting afternoon with her on Saturday and we all went out for dinner, Dad included, in the evening. On Sunday morning, I took her to the nursery to purchase her spring plants. They were delivered today and she is happily working out where to plant them.

I only cooked one dish this weekend because we went out. Well, actually I also made ratatouille with mushrooms, but as that is a side dish in my house, I don’t count it. I also made this rather divine lamb knuckle (you can use chops) and green bean casserole).

IngredientsThis serving comprises ratatouille and lamb knuckle and green bean casserole

Make a mix using 125 ml (1/2 cup) cake flour, 15 ml sage, 15 ml organum (dried), 15 ml parsley, 15 ml dried rosemary, zest of one lemon, black pepper and salt to taste.

1.5 kg lamb knuckles

2 onions, peeled and diced

Olive oil for frying

6 small carrots (peeled and chopped)

600 grams green beans, topped and tailed and chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup red wine

60 ml tomato paste

15 ml garlic flakes

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Roll the lamb knuckles in the flour mix until they are thickly coated. Retain any left over mix for the sauce.

Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan, brown the lamb and set aside. Loosen any brown bits using a little of the wine. Add a bit more olive oil and fry the onions and the carrots with the garlic flakes.

Add the red wine, tins of tomato, tomato paste, chicken stock, any additional flour mix, and green beans. Bring to the boil.

Layer the lamb at the bottom of the casserole dish and pour over the liquid mixture. Cover with the lid and put in the oven to cook for 2 hours. Top up liquid with chicken stock if required.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Recipes from Around the World: Italian meatballs in tomato pasta sauce

Mom has recovered from the stomach lining infection she had and is eating much better. On Saturday, I made Italian meatballs in tomato pasta sauce which she enjoyed very much. On Sunday, Terence made his signature dish, chicken risotto, which is always delicious.

My sister has not yet sold her house here in Johannesburg so she will be commuting to Cape Town at 6am every Monday morning and coming home on Thursday evening. I don’t envy her; those early flights to Cape Town require getting up at 4am which is not something I like doing. It makes me tired for the whole day if I get up before 5am.

Today, I am sharing the recipe for these delicious Italian meatballs and my homemade tomato pasta sauce recipe.

IngredientsPasta sauce

3.2 kg Roma tomatoes, skinned (I skin them by putting them in a large dish and covering them with boiling hot water. I leave them for about 5 minutes and usually the skin comes off easily. If not, I repeat the performance. The second hot water dunking always works.

15 ml sweet basil

15 ml white sugar

15 ml parsley

15 ml garlic flakes

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped.

Italian meat balls

2.2 kgs ground beef

Salt and pepper to taste

3 eggs

5 slices white bread soaked in 2 cups (500 ml) milk

1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)

15 ml garlic flakes

15 ml parsley

2 medium onions, grated

MethodPasta sauce

Skin the tomatoes and chop into eighths. In a large saucepan, gently fry the onion until it is clear. Add the salt, pepper, sugar garlic, basil, and parsley. Add the chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil and allow to reduce for 20 minutes. Turn down and simmer for 2 hours.

Here is the video of the tomato pasta sauce reducing:

Italian meatballs

In a large basin, break up the minced meat. Place the bread in the milk to soak, add the salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the three eggs. Once the bread is soft, break it into small pieces using a fork. Pour into the mince and mix. Add the egg, onion, garlic, parsley, and cheese. Mix well, I use my hands.

Shape the meat into balls. Heat oil in a frying pan and shallow fry all the meatballs until they are 80% cooked.

Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer gently for a further 20 minutes.

Serve with the pasta of your choice.

This is the meatballs frying. If you want to know why they are so huge, you’ll have to ask the Chartered Accounted what kind of golf balls he uses, as his dimensions for a golf ball and mine are quite different.

Robbie’s Inspiration – Review of books by Victoria Zigler and Annette Rochelle Aben

Where’s Noodles? by Victoria ZiglerWhat Amazon says

Noodles is a strange red creature with a squeaker in his tummy, who just happens to be the favourite toy of a West Highland White Terrier named Lilie. At least, he is now, since the bushytailed squirrel and cuddly triceratops fell apart while she was playing with them – totally not her fault, by the way!

Now noodles is missing.

Lilie’s sure she left Noodles on the living room floor when she went walkies. But when she comes home and goes to fetch him so they can have a nap together, Noodles isn’t there.

Where’s Noodles? Is he somewhere else, or is he lost forever?

My review

This is an adorable book for young children about a West Highland White Terrier named Lilie. Lilie is full of energy and fun and loves the toys in her toy box. At the time of the telling of the story, Lilie’s favourite toy is a cuddly red toy with bits of wool sticking out all over it, called Noodles. Lilie loves to play with Noodles and she also likes to sleep with Noodles.

One day, Lilie goes out for a walk, leaving Noodles neglected in the middle of the floor. When she comes back, tired out and ready for a sleep, Noodles is nowhere to be found. Does Lilie find Noodles? You will have to read this delightful little book to find out.

Purchase Where’s Noodles by Victoria Zigler

Amazon US

Cubby and the Beanstalk by Victoria ZiglerWhat Amazon says

When Cubby’s Mother tells him to take their old goat to market and sell her so they can buy food, Cubby ends up trading the goat for a bag of magic wishing beans. His Mother is furious, and in her rage throws the beans outside and sends Cubby to bed. You may think that was the end, but you’d be wrong! In fact, it’s just the beginning!

Loosely based on the stories of ‘Jack And The Beanstalk’ and ‘The Magic Cooking Pot’, this is the story of a hungry little polar bear and his journey up the beanstalk to the home of the magical giant skybears.

My review

This is a delightful retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk involving animal characters and a most intriguing pair of Sky Bears. The first part of the story is nicely told and aligns fairly closely with the original story but once Cubby climbs the bean stalk and sets off on his adventure beyond the clouds the story takes quite a different path. I enjoyed this version more than the original and thought it would be less scary and more appealing to modern children.

Cubby is a cute little polar bear who lives with his mother in a cottage. They are struggling to survive and Cubby’s mother is forced to sell their goat, much to the grief of Cubby. Cubby’s exchange of the goat for magic beans is the beginning of a change of fortune for him and his mother. I liked the fact that the greedy element of the original was removed and replaced with kindness and the fulfilment of basic needs.

A lovely book for children that I highly recommend.

Purchase Cubby and the Beanstalk by Victoria Zigler

Amazon US

Tell me a story: in 99 words by Annette Rochelle AbenWhat Amazon says

It has been a desire of mine since I was a young person to write stories. I had to start somewhere, so I chose to start by writing very short stories.That bring said, I welcome you to a collection of short stories, very short stories as each of the stories is only 99 words in length. Meet memorable characters. See something of yourself in many of the scenarios. Experience a wide range of emotions. Be inspired to write stories of your own. Return to your favorites and enjoy them again and again.

My review

I have been a fan of Annette Rochelle Aben’s poetry ever since I first met her in 2016. She has a knack of producing uplifting poetry that feeds the heart and soul. When this book of 99 word flash fiction came out, I grabbed a copy to see if she could replicate the same deep emotion in prose. To my delight, I discovered that she most certainly can and this collection covered a wonderful spectrum of human experiences, all of which have an uplifting tweak at the end sue to the the writer’s ability to find positivity and opportunity in all situations.

These are a few of my favourite pieces from the book: Advancement, Bedfellows, Building On A Dream, Cash For Cars, Dead Letters, Determination, Gnome More, Hear Me Now, I wish I May, No Means No, The Gift, The Pact, and Winter’s Wonder.

Some stand out lines for me:
“This is the face of a woman who has learned to carry on!”
“She gladly traded the feel of the mice running across her legs at night over her father’s demands.”
“The junkyard owner glanced up as the older man was leaving. It was worth a few coins to see him smile.”
“Every day she could stand was a victory over the weeks she’d spent in a hospital bed.”
“Loneliness takes on many forms. Needing to be needed is one.”
“Like watercolors, in light rain, the sun was disappearing.”
“Lazy and sporadic. Swirling as though it had no plan. Fat dancing flakes.”

Tell me a story: in 99 words is a delightful selection of enriching short prose.

Purchase Tell me a story: in 99 words

Amazon US

Poetry in the Evening with Robbie Cheadle

I was delighted when the talented Rebecca Budd recited one of my poems from Behind Closed Doors recently. Rebecca has the most beautiful voice and my poem really came to life. Thank you, Rebecca.

Poetry in the Evening with Robbie CheadleWelcome to Poetry in the Evening.

I am honoured that Robbie Cheadle has given me permission to recite her poem, “We love you, Daddy, from her book “BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, a collection of unusual poems. This poem reminds me of my Father, who passed several years ago. Even now, the memories of our conversations, which go back to my childhood, strengthens my courage and builds my resilience.

Robbie Cheadle is a prolific writer whose book genres span the ages of children, young adults, and adults. In order to clearly separate her children’s books from her adult books, she writes for older readers under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle.

I invite you to join me in reciting Robbie Cheadle’s poem, “We love you, Daddy”.

You can listen to Rebecca Budd’s recital here: https://ladybudd.com/2022/07/22/poetry-in-the-evening-with-robbie-cheadle/

Robbie’s Inspiration – Recipes from Around the World: Chicken Tikka Masala

This is the first time I’ve attempted to make Chicken Tikka Masala and I made some improvisations so it may differ quite a bit from the standard recipe. It tasted very nice and my family enjoyed it and have already asked me to make it again.

Last week was a little crazy as my mom had to go into hospital for a lot of tests and a gastroscopy. I was a little panicked because she only saw the doctor on Tuesday and he wanted to do the procedures on Wednesday. She had x-rays and a scan on Wednesday and the procedure on Thursday because I said it was to much for her to be at the hospital for such a long time on one day. The gastroenterology ward doesn’t have beds for pre-operation patients, but rather they wait in the waiting room before and after the scope. That is why I thought it would difficult for mom who gets backache and other problems from sitting on hard chairs for long periods. Anyhow, the results were negative for stomach cancer and liver failure, thank goodness, and she is being treated with medications for a bacterial infection of the stomach lining. Not pleasant, but quite treatable. Unfortunately, my mom was the only member of the family who did not like my chicken tikka masala but she doesn’t like spicy food even if its mild.

Ingredients

2.4 kilograms skinless chicken breasts cut into thirds (not to small or they cook to quickly)

3 cups single cream plain yogurt

1 1/2 Tbspns garam masala X 2

1 1/2 Tbspns lemon juice

1 tspn black pepper

2 tspns ground ginger

2 medium onions, peeled and diced

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 Tbspn garlic flakes

2 x 240 gram tubs tomato puree

1 tspn turmeric

1 Tbspn coriander

2 Tbspns sweet paprika

salt to taste

1 tspn cayenne pepper

3 tspns sugar

1 cup chicken stock

2 tins coconut cream

Method

Mix the yoghurt, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, 1 1/2 Tbspns garam masala, and ginger. Add the chicken chunks and leave to marinade for 1 hour.

In a saucepan, fry the onions until transparent and then add the garlic, 1 1/2 Tbspns garam masala, paprika, coriander, turmeric, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the canned tomatoes, and tomato puree. Cook until bubble start to form, then add the chicken the yogurt mixture. Bring to the boil and then turn to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Turn off the heat and add the coconut cream. Serve with rice or naan bread.