Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 55

Review: THE WRONG NUMBER by R.L. Stine

 

It all began with a few crankphone calls. Then a random number to some place on Fear Street shakes thingsup. A dead woman. A masked maniac. And a murder charge. Talk about dialing thewrong number.

 

Now two teenage girls were on atrail to find the real killer. But are they way over their heads?

 

A good, scary read!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: THE ADVENTURES OF SHRINK MAN by R.L. Stine

 

A superhero that shrinks to thesize of a bug sounded kind of dumb. Not if you’re a fan like Danny. Soon, Dannystars to have his own Shrink-Man adventure. And what an adventure it becomes!He becomes a dog chew toy, gets into a fight with a grasshopper, and rides asneaker like a Bronco. A good read!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: ZOMBIETOWN by R.L. Stine

 

There’s no such thing aszombies…right? That is until the zombies from a movie come out of the screenand set their hungry eyes on you. It’s a wild zombie adventure! Another greatread by one of my favorite all-time authors.

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: ONION SKIN by Edgar Camacho

 

The drawings were pretty cool, butthere was much going on that it’s a little hard to get the story. A food truckbeing chased by bikers? Why? But I must say it was kind of funny seeing thebiker fall off a cliff.

 

The text was too small to read.You can only try to get the story through the pictures. I liked the motion inthe drawings. That made the pictures fun to look at. As far as the story goes,I just didn’t get it. My rating is really based on the illustrations.

 

Rating:3 stars

Blog Tour: DARK WALKER series by Shelly Campbell

DARK WALKER SERIES

Shelly Campbell

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GENRE:   SpeculativeFiction/Horror/ Dark Sci-fi

 

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BLURB:

 

Series Blurb:

 

Whenwe were children, they told us monsters weren't real. They were dead wrong.

 

It’sjust a closet door with a skeleton key, but when David opens it, he unlocks agateway to a sinister world that’s bent on destroying everything and everyonehe loves. Some doors are better left closed.

 

Embarkon a thrilling journey with the Dark Walker Series, and be transported into aninterdimensional tale of monsters, lies and self-discovery. Where the terror ofdarkness is real and the line between ally and enemy is as thin as a blade.

 

"Equalparts coming of age story and otherworldly horror, Gulf probes the depths ofloneliness, loss of identity and childhood trauma. It is a true treat for fansof the genre and had me clutched in its razor-clawed hands from the first wordto the last.” -C.M. Forest author of Infested

 

Book One Blurb:

 

Seventeen-year-oldDavid is fading from his world, like a Polaroid picture in reverse. He longs tofeel connected to something bigger.

 

Whenhis brothers discover the new extension at the rental cottage comes with alocked door, David finds the key first. Expecting to claim a bedroom, he opensa dimensional gateway instead, exploring abandoned versions of his world indifferent timelines, 1960s muscle cars alternating with crumbling cottages.

 

Exceptnow the dimensional bridge won’t close, and something hungry claws the door atnight. David scours for clues to break the bridge, but each trip to the otherside makes him fade more on his. Even if he succeeds, he risks severing hisconnection to his own world, and dying on the wrong side, forgotten.

 

Book Two Blurb:

 

Thereare doors that open to other worlds, but it’s no fairytale on the other side.

 

Ithought otherworldly monsters bent on devouring my whole world starting with myfamily trumped everything. Turns out, I was wrong. My world's only one ofthousands facing annihilation from the maneaters that tried to eat me alive.Charlie saved me, rolled into my life on a motorcycle, and rescued me.

 

Problemis, I’m the Embassy’s property now. They’re the interdimensional agency taskedwith stemming the flow of ravenous aliens into our universe, but they seem moreinterested in studying me. I crashed a gateway in a way they’ve never seen. TheEmbassy wants to replicate that. I think they want to use me as a war weapon.

 

IfI don’t convince Charlie to help me escape, I’ll be an Embassy scienceexperiment for the rest of my short life, or worse, eternally trapped in thedark hell that fills the spaces between worlds.

 

 

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Excerpt One from GULF:

 

Certain myfamily is gone, I cross to the five-panel in two strides, twist the key intothe lock, and push the door.

 

It doesn’topen.

 

Of course itdoesn’t, idiot. It’s still hung like a closet door. It opens out, not in.

 

I pull.

 

Mirror.

 

That’s thefirst thought that strikes me as I take in the exact duplicate of the livingroom I’m standing in. Same green, crushed velvet sofa bed sagging behind me.Identical chipped melamine cabinets. Same painted windmills on the porcelaintile backsplash—wait.

 

No me.

 

No reflectionof me. Tentative as Alice in bloody Wonderland, I pull the black skeleton keyfrom its hole and crane my head through the doorway. No dirty breakfast dishes,but when I look over my shoulder, there’s still stacks of egg-yolk spackled tinplates beside our sink. Crumpled under one arm of the hide-a-bed is my plaidblanket, but the one in front of me is empty. Looks dusty.

 

“What the hell,Everett?” This is creepy.

 

The olebugger’s built an exact mirror image of the room next door. Where on earth didhe find the twin to that green monster of a couch? There’s even a springbeckoning through the same spot in the back cushion.

 

Got an eye fordetail, hasn’t he?

 

Same woodstovetoo, only this one has a cold, crusty frying pan on it. I can still feel theheat on my back from ours across the wall.

 

The pineplanking creaks under my next step, and I jump and then smile, but I’m prettysure it ends up as a snarl. An odd feeling consumes me whole, the one I hadjust before Sam Ren and his gorilla wingmen beat the piss out of me behind theDairy Queen. A curdled sense of approaching doom slithers through my lungs.

 

Get out.

 

Primal instinctpresses me back a step toward the door, but I hold fast there, like a dumbass,like I waited while Sam Ren eased toward me in the Dairy Queen parking lot.

 

Shaking out myhands and hissing through my teeth, I scan the room trying to identify what’swrong, because something is. Something is very wrong, and it’s not just theduplicate room, or the draft emanating from here at night. It takes a fewseconds to pin it down. The out-of-place thing. My throat spasms when I see it.I swallow and shift to the balls of my feet.

 

“Window,” Iwhisper.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

At a young age, Shelly Campbell wanted to be an air show pilot ora pirate, possibly a dragon and definitely a writer and artist. She’s piloted aCessna 172 through spins and stalls, and sailed up the east coast on a tallship barque—mostly without projectile vomiting. In the end, Shelly foundwriting and drawing dragons to be so much easier on the stomach. Shelly writesspeculative fiction ranging from grimdark fantasy, to sci-fi and horror. She’dlove to hear from you.

 

http://www.shellycampbellauthorandart.com

https://twitter.com/ShellyCFineArt

https://www.instagram.com/shellycampbellfineart

https://www.facebook.com/shellycampbellauthorandart

https://www.tiktok.com/@shellycampbellauthor

 

 

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GIVEAWAY

The author willbe awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Book Blast: DISHING LOVE DAILY by Susanne Clark

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotion. The author will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Dishing Love Daily and Other Secret Ingredients (trademarked in Canada and the US) is more than a cookbook. Chef Suzy shares her collection of cherished recipes that focus on healthy, fresh, easy-to-find ingredients, appealing to both the novice and experienced cook. She will also guide you to and through a revolutionary, adaptable approach to bringing mindfulness and positivity into the kitchen. It's a timely, relevant and original concept in food craft that weaves our energetic imprint into a meal and into the hearts of those who sit at our table. It's a powerful, creative concept in awareness that will transform the everyday endeavour of nourishing our bodies into a life-changing act of nourishing our souls. Come on, let's get dishing!

Read an Excerpt

Choice

At the heart of this cookbook and my life, is one word: choice. It’s also at the heart of yours. This one word has all the power, purpose and potential to create an intention for nourishment and positivity. Ask yourself: What do I bring to the table? What is my purpose? What am I going to cook today? Who am I cooking for? How can I make a difference? Why is this important? Be curious, joyful and open to the inspiration and answers that are on their way. And remember, sweet, beautiful reader, you are an alchemist . . . in your kitchen and beyond. Trust me when I tell you that there is a tangible shift which can be tasted and felt as you learn to trust your power of intention. Honour time, your choices, and their consequences. You are the question and the answer, to what’s cooking in your kitchen and who sits at your table. I’m offering you a new foundation in food-craft that weaves your energetic imprint into the meal and the hearts of those who sit at your table. Come on, let’s dish some love.

Chef Suzy xo

About the Author: Susanne Clark, a.k.a. Chef Suzy, earned her Red Seal in Culinary Arts in 2009 at SAIT in Calgary, Canada, apprenticing at Hotel Arts under the talented supervision of Duncan Ly and Karine Moulin. Upon graduation, Chef Suzy established Magnifique Cuisine, a successful catering business in the Calgary area. She also worked full time as the in-house executive chef for one of Canada's original Dragons' Den entrepreneurs, W. Brett Wilson, cooking for his Home Office team and a global circle of business and community leaders, artists and celebrities.

Suzy's first and continuing career as a mother of four empowered and vibrant daughters formed her vision of food as an expression of love and a foundation for healing and sustaining our most important relationships. Suzy loves to travel and seeks out every opportunity to enjoy culinary experiences around the world. She has been married to the love of her life, Richard, for 36 years.

Book Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dishing.love.daily
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefsuzyclark
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dishing.love.daily
Twitter: https://x.com/chefsuzyclark
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanne-clark-04a73157

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Blog Tour: QUIET THE WAVES by Michael Ross

QUIET THE WAVES

Michael Ross

 

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GENRE:  Romantic Thriller

 

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BLURB:

 

ForRyan Gould it's just another pay day, collect a car from Portugal deliver it tothe UK. Nothing too complicated - until he decides on an unscheduled stopoverin Northern France, in the city of Rennes, a quiet drink in the town square,where life would have turned out so differently if he not noticed the girlsitting on the bench was sobbing her heart out.

 

Fromthere onwards his life twists and turns out of control until he finds himselfin police custody charged with abduction and a journey to get to the truth. Thegirl on the bench, Claire, had misled him from the very beginning; who was she,and how had she managed to wreak so much havoc in his life?

 

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ExcerptTwo:

 

What the hell is up with me? Have I no mind of my own? Ikneel on the cobblestones and throw her my most sympathetic smile. Hopefullyshe recognises the sincerity.

        

For the first time she lifts her head and looks me in theface, well in the eyes actually - and I’m smitten. She is attractive withpiercing light grey eyes that meet mine head on. I was right she is no morethan thirty years old, with jet black hair that does not quite match her verypale skin.

 

I ease myself up to a standing position. “Look, if nothingelse, let me buy you a drink. I’ll bugger off if you want to be on your own.I’m not hassling you, just trying to offer a bit of support.” I do my best tosound earnest because it’s the truth. Her pain is so obvious it is impossibleto ignore. All at once I remember I have an almost full pack of tissues in mypocket. I take a couple out and pass them to her along with the rest of thepack.

 

“Here. Blowing your nose wouldn’t hurt just now.” Her angryexpression dissipates when she sees the smile on my face.

 

“I tell you what,” I say “I’m going to get a Coke at thecafé over there. If you want to come and share a Coke or something, that wouldbe great.”

 

Her head drops and she mumbles incoherently.

 

“Sorry, what did you say?”

 

“A large latte would be good.” Her voice is both delicateand cultured.

 

“No problem. Come over whenever you want.”

 

I walk back to my table, fully aware that for some crazyreason my heart is beating as if I sprinted across the square. I purposely sitfacing away from her direction, the last thing I want is to come across as astalker.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Born and raised in Bristol, England I now live halfway up amountain in the Welsh Valleys, with my partner Mari and our rescue dog Wenna. Ihave a BA in English Literature from Bristol Uni and after creative writingclasses at Cardiff Uni I won prizes for short stories. I write with a smile onmy face.

 

I have self-published (including Quiet the Waves) five short storyanthologies and five novels

 

Website http://www.michaelrosswriter.com

Facebook www.facebook.com/michaelross.writer

Twitter https://twitter.com/mikerosswriter

Email mikerosswriter@outlook.com

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Waves-there-wrong-person-ebook/dp/B0D7TG2564/ref=sr_1_1FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

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GIVEAWAY 

Theauthor will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Blog Tour: 100 THINGS DURAN DURAN FANS SHOULD KNOW AND DO DURING THIS LIFE by Sandy Lender

 

100 THINGS DURAN DURAN FANS SHOULD KNOWAND DO DURING THIS LIFE

Sandy Lender

 

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GENRE:  Entertainment

 

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BLURB:

 

Best-selling,award-winning author and life-long Duranie, Sandy Lender, offers a delightfulguidebook to the fun and sometimes wacky events that bring a fandom together.100 THINGS DURAN DURAN FANS SHOULD KNOW & DO DURING THIS LIFE is a unique,positive, optimistic, totally new take on exploring nostalgia alongside yourBFFs with the supergroup that continues to provide the dance track for so manypeople’s lives.

 

Thisnon-fiction foray into Duran Duran history is unlike any biography you’ve readbefore. Instead of dry stats and facts, it’s a reminder of the joy andpositivity that comes from obsessing over a shared musical interest. Hereinyou’ll find a series of random acts “to do” and trivia you might have forgottento celebrate. To-do: Dive in and celebrate again!

 

 

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ExcerptThree:

 

2. To Do

 

Ignore the haters.

 

Being a Duranie has made me a source of ridicule for most ofmy life. Since 1984 when I heard “New Moon on Monday” and became a fan, bullieshave made fun of me for my exuberance and snobs have looked down on me for mymusical preferences. Forty years is a long time to endure strangers (and someacquaintances) mocking you for something you love and enjoy, but it helps yougrow a thick skin. It also helps you learn to ignore bullies and haters inother areas of life.

 

I encourage you to do the same if you find someone laughingat you because they don’t “get” the genius behind a supergroup that’s beenmaking music since 1978.

 

I encourage you to find your Duranie tribe and enjoy theamusing ideas in this book.

 

 

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GUEST POST

 

Lifelong Prep Work for Latest Release

The research and prep work you asked about for my newestbook “100 Things Duran Duran Fans Should Know & Do During This Life,” hasbeen ongoing most of my life. Basically, I lived the research phase.

I’ve been a Duran Duran fan since 1984. I’ve been to morethan 30 of their concerts. If we want to talk about the fancy concert with theOrlando orchestra in the early 2000s, we can do that because I was there. If wewant to talk about the show under the huge moon in the Rocket Garden of theKennedy Space Center, we can do that because I was there. If we want to talkabout the emotional devastation of John Taylor playing “Lonely in YourNightmare” to a small crowd of fans at an L.A. hotel after telling us he wastaking a break from the band, we can do that because I was there. Remember theguys covering The Animals’ “The House of the Rising Sun” at the VooDooFestival? I was there.

Now, I’m the first to admit that I’m terrible with numbersand dates. Ever since I underwent a couple bouts with chemo in 2008 and 2011,numbers have been tricky. I’ve lost the ability to “recollect” dates. For someof the research & prep, I sat next to my album and CD collections todouble-check each and every mention of a release for this book. I had to pullthe “Into the Arena” boardgame out of the closet to make sure I had the rightmanufacturer and date listed in the book. That sort of research & prep camefrom the memorabilia in my house.

Then, when it came time to edit, I approached a biographerwho has her own Duran Duran titles. Jen Selinsky is amazing, and she made surethings were accurate. She offered suggestions and helped curate a fabulous bookabout a fun and quirky fandom!

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

SandyLender is an international best-selling poet and award-winning author offantasy, literary fiction, poetry, and short story work. She’s a constructionmagazine editor by day and author of #GirlPower fantasy novels by night, livingin Florida to help with sea turtle conservation and parrot rescue. You canfollow her author page on Amazon, check her website at SandyLenderInk.com, orsubscribe to her newsletter at https://bit.ly/SSReNews.

 

Witha four-year degree in English and thirty-year career in publishing, Sandy’ssuccesses include traditionally and self-published novels, hundreds of magazinearticles, multiple short stories in competitive anthologies, a handful oftechnical writing awards, a handful of creative writing awards, and the 2023Michael Knost Wings award. Sandy’s been writing stories since she was knee-highto a grasshopper when her great-grandmother shared her odd little tales ofsqueaky ghost-spiders around an apartment complex in Southern Illinois. Thestories have developed to include strong young ladies working with dragons tosave worlds from terrible fates, but those pesky spiders still show up fromtime to time.

 

There’salways something brewing at Sandy Lender Ink headquarters where some days, youjust want the dragon to win.

 

AmazonAuthor Page: https://www.amazon.com/Sandy-Lender/e/B00304ZIIC

Website:http://www.sandylenderink.com/

Newsletter:https://bit.ly/SSReNews

 

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GIVEAWAY 

Theauthor will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Blog Tour: KILLER MOTIVES by Bonnie Traymore

 What if you found out your husband was cheating?

What if his loverturned up dead?  

Killer Motives

Hudson Valley SeriesBook 1

by Bonnie Traymore

Genre: PsychologicalThriller, Suspense  

Readers' Favorite 2023 Silver Medal Award Winner,Mystery-Murder
Audiobook Reviewer 2023 Best Mystery Award

"Thisbook has all the twists and turns that make a thriller worth reading"- Amazon

Victoria’s life isn’t as perfect as itseems. But with two homicide detectives on her doorstep, it's aboutto get a lot worse.

Still reeling from the shockingdiscovery that her husband is having a passionate affair withhis real estate client, Victoria struggles to process themind-blowing news that Nick’s lover is dead—brutallymurdered in cold blood on the very same evening sheuncovered the truth.

And now two detectives are on herdoorstep, waiting to question both of them. Is she a suspect?

Withlittle hard evidence and no shortage of suspects with "killermotives," Detectives Jack Stark and Lexi Sanchez are underintense pressure to solve the high-profile murder case that rocks thepicturesque village of Tarrytown just as the town is gearing up forthe area’s annual Halloween festivities and an influx oftourists.

As Victoria sets out to clear herself and findout the truth, she’s faced with two terrifying possibilities—eitherher husband is a murderer or someone is out to get them.

Conflictedabout her marriage and emotionally raw, she sets out to find thetruth about what happened that night.

But does shereally want to know?

Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena,Jeneva Rose, Sarah Pekkanen, Kaira Rouda, or Shalini Boland.

"Thisbook was exciting, had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, revenge, afantastic who done it and some crazy twists and turns!"-NetGalley

"A compelling and suspenseful thrillerwith intriguing twists and turns." - Amazon

"Greatbook! Great storyline!" - Amazon

"This book isawesome sexy & suspenseful!" - Amazon

Forfans of Daniel Hurst, Shari Lapena, Shalini Boland, Kaira Rouda,Minka Kent, Jeneva Rose, or Leslie Wolfe.

Amazon* Audiobook* Bookbub* Goodreads

It all started with a single womanmurdered in her brand-new home. This was your basic crime investigation withits group of possible suspects, which included the realtor that had an affairwith the victim and his jealous wife. The mystery certainly lures you in rightaway. We dig deep into the killer motives. Who would want to kill the woman andwhy?

As the investigation slowlyprogresses, we see what the fear and stress of the situation does to therealtor and his wife, who firmly believed in her husband’s innocence. But thenwho was the real killer? The wife takes it upon herself to find out.

Boy, all these secrets certainlycome out in the end!

A fascinating read from start tofinish. A good one!

Rating:4 stars

 BonnieTraymore is the award-winning, Amazon best selling author ofpage-turner mystery/thrillers that hit close to home. Her booksfeature strong but relatable female protagonists. The plots exploredifficult topics such as jealousy, infidelity, murder, and the impactof psychological disorders, but she also includes bits of romance andhumor to lighten the mood from time to time. She's an active statusmember of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers ofAmerica.

Website* Facebook *Twitter * Instagram* Bookbub* Amazon* Goodreads

Followthe tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10Amazon giftcard – 1 winner,

Audiobookof Killer Motives – 2 winners!

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Book Blast: FRESH GROWN by Andrea Kristin

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Andrea Kristin will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Written, photographed, and designed by Andrea, this book is filled with firsthand imagery and knowledge direct from the farm. For beginners and experts alike, its unique insights, stunning visuals, and practical approach make it an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to fully utilize and enjoy their fresh produce. Featuring over 50 types of vegetables (with applications for far more), from asparagus to zucchini and everything in between, it will help you reap maximum benefits, stretch your dollars, and make it all go farther than you ever thought possible while deepening your appreciation for nature's delicious bounty.

Filled with:
- stunning images
- staple recipes
- creative uses
- cooking + storage tips
- preservation guides

A book you'll return to time and time again— a staple in any home kitchen.

Read an Excerpt

As I write this book, I am snacking on a crisp garden carrot. The sun shines brightly through my kitchen window and casts a golden glow across the table while I battle its glare on my laptop screen. Outside, we are in the throes of harvest season on the farm. Denis and the crew are working hard to bring the remaining vegetables into storage before the heavy frost comes and shuts our market garden down for the winter.

Farming is so seasonal. Eating from a garden is so seasonal. During the summer here in Central Alberta, we grow a delicious variety of produce in our market garden. We all feel rich from it. And then our six months of northern winter hits and eating local grown becomes about digging into our reserves (storage, pantry, and freezer) to keep enjoying whatever garden pleasures we were able to save.

It's been a learning curve for me, dealing with this wide variety and seasonal influx of fresh vegetables. Wanting to feed my family wholesome, nutritious food and learn how to make good use of our bounty, it has taken me years to gain all the knowledge and experience I am excited to share with you here. I hope this book will be a valuable resource for you (as it is for me)— a guide to vegetable usage, an inspiration, and a solid, practical starting point to build your creativity. So here we go.

About the Author: 
Andrea Kristin and her husband have been growing vegetables on their organic market garden farm outside of Edmonton, Alberta for nearly a decade. They sell at farmers markets and feed their local community through their thriving CSA program (@greyarrowfarm). In this book, Andrea draws from her wealth of firsthand knowledge to walk the reader graciously through all the ways to use, store, and enjoy your vegetables. She shares a bounty of insightful information, including which parts of each plant are edible, how to use them, what to do with your excess, and the various ways to preserve them to last throughout the year.

https://andreakristin.ca/
https://greyarrowfarm.ca/
https://www.instagram.com/greyarrowfarm/
https://www.facebook.com/greyarrowfarm

https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Grown-Essential-Guide-Vegetables-ebook/dp/B0D7QN6Q64
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