Carla Neggers's Blog, page 18

The strawberries are in!

Summer is here, and so are fresh local strawberries. I’ll be making my strawberry meringue roulade recipe. It’s a special treat we save for company because otherwise we’d eat the whole thing ourselves! That it’s naturally gluten free is a plus, given our little guy with celiac. We love fresh local strawberries for great smoothies, granola and yogurt and shortcake or straight out of the box.

We used to pick our own strawberries and had a strawberry patch when our daughter was small. We had to leave it behind when we moved. I enjoy picking wild strawberries, but they a… Read More

Together for the first time!

For the first time, the first books in my Sharpe & Donovan suspense series are available together in a special collection. It goes on sale on July 1st but you can pre-order it here. What a great way to get caught up or introduce a friend to FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan as we wait for  Thief’s Mark to debut on August 29. 

Rock Point (prequel novella)

Father Finian Bracken meets FBI agent Colin Donovan for the first time…and discovers the dangerous secrets he left back home in Ireland.

Saint’s Gate (1)

Art crimes expert Special Agent Emma Sharpe is summoned back to a Ma… Read More

Happy haikus, brainstorms and running

One week until my half-marathon! I’m delighted and inspired to be running on behalf of David’s House, a wonderful charity that “provides a home-away-from-home and support for families with children receiving treatment through the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.”

Today the long weekend and gorgeous weather brought out lots of runners, walkers and cyclists. My route along the river took me past flowering trees, a covered bridge and several beautiful Vermont farms. I ran in silence for the first five miles and solved a pr… Read More

Visit the town of Knights Bridge

Knights Bridge is a fictional, quintessential small New England town in western Massachusetts, much like my hometown on the edge of the Quabbin Reservoir—the “accidental wilderness,” it’s often called, created in the 1930s when four small Swift River Valley towns were depopulated and razed to provide drinking water for metropolitan Boston. Newcomers often say time stopped in Knights Bridge, but, of course, it hasn’t. It just feels that way.

Here are some ideas for what we can do on a visit to this little New England town:

Have breakfast or lunch at Smith’s just off the town … Read More

Recipes inspired by Red Clover Inn

Scones and muffins are a treat at any breakfast but especially at a country inn. While on a short break, visiting relatives, attending a wedding or on a rambling vacation, I love to wake up to warm goodies fresh out of the oven. Here are recipes for wild blueberry muffins and simple, plain scones that would be perfect for Red Clover Inn. I use them in my own country kitchen!

Ingredients:

1 cup wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2 cup all-purpose white flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar (up to ¼ cup for sweeter muffin)

½ teaspoons salt

1 egg (slightly beaten)

1 cup milk (preferably w… Read More

Irish writing retreat

Hello from the southwest coast of Ireland! I’m here on a three-week writing retreat. The grass is green, the flowering trees are in bloom, wildflowers are everywhere and the lambs are taking their first steps in lush pastures. What an inspiring place to write. As much as I love New England and look forward to being home again soon, I’m enjoying this jump on spring. Most of all, I’m enjoying this dedicated time to write. I’m working on The River House, the next book in my Swift River Valley series, and any last-minute edits on Thief’s Mark, next up in my Sharp… Read More

8 Must Haves for the Ideal Stay at a Country Inn

I love country inns, whether tucked in the mountains of northern New England, looking out on an Irish field or on a quiet street in a quaint English village. In Red Clover Inn, marine archaeologist Charlotte Bennett and rugged DSS agent Greg Rawlings find themselves sharing a rambling inn in the heart of a quintessential small town Knights Bridge, Massachusetts.

Red Clover Inn is about to undergo major renovations. That got me thinking about what I’d love to see when it reopens to the public.

What makes for an ideal country inn? Here are some of my favorites:

A great breakfast

A fresh, plentifu… Read More

RED CLOVER INN is here!

Red Clover Inn is in stores today! I hope you enjoy the story, whether it’s your first visit to little Knights Bridge or you’ve been visiting since the Swift River Valley series debuted with Secrets of the Lost Summer. 
… Read More

“Pub” day is tomorrow (not that kind of pub!)

My latest book, Red Clover Inn, debuts tomorrow. I have a sticker noting the date on my calendar, but, seriously, I don’t need reminding. After months of work, much of it solitary, I love seeing one of my books in stores, whether online or physical. I especially love that now readers have the chance to dive into a story I’ve given my all.

I’m deep into writing my next book, enjoying the work, but tomorrow I will pause to celebrate “pub” day. Flowers for my office, and champagne at dinner. Most of all, I will toast each and every one of my readers, with a huge “tha… Read More

Strawberry Meringue Roulade

I had my first meringue roulade a few years ago at White Horses Restaurant in Ardmore, Ireland, smothered in fresh-cut fruit, and I’ve been playing with recipes ever since. The photo is one of my roulades. It’s unadorned, so imagine it dotted with cream and berries. (It tastes great even unadorned!)

To celebrate the arrival (soon, soon!) of spring, here’s a simple recipe for strawberry meringue roulade. Feel free to experiment with fruit, lemon curd and whatever else strikes your fancy.

Strawberry Meringue Roulade

Ingredients

4 egg whites

1 c superfine sugar

1 pint he… Read More