Kate Collins's Blog, page 84

Best Saga Ever!

Okay, I’m a Game of Thrones fan. Yep, one of those crazies who watch the clock on Sunday night, get all comfy on the couch and turn on the TV at 9:00 and dive into the next episode to see what’s going on in the Seven Kingdoms of King’s Landing, Winterfell, Westros and the like. I don’t answer the phone or take a break of any kind even though it’s HBO and I can pause the action and rejoin later.
Yes, I’m truly addicted. Get all excited when I see the opening which is brilliant and just love watching. And the music...love the music. Yep, I need therapy but best I can tell so do a lot of others out there.
I can’t remember any other show I’ve been this ga-ga over. I loved West Wing. Wouldn’t miss an episode no matter what but even that at the end got tiresome.
Not GOT! It ramps up the action, the steaks, the vulnerability of the characters. GOT this is no-holds-bared show. Main lovable characters get killed off, fave pets get murdered, people suffer, good guys don’t always win. It’s a got a mission that’s going to get worse before it gets better and its great seeing how the characters adapt.

And so many of the characters are powerful women!! One of my fave parts! They don’t stand around blabbing about how their man did them wrong but they are the generals and leaders and are in charge of the battles and governing. They are the best! GOT is great for women’s image. Girl power on steroids!
And all this and I’m not a fantasy or Sifi fan at all. I mean this show has dragons and magic potions and priestesses and bad queens and all the things that make fantasy a great read for some but not me...except now. I’m all in on this one. Even a queen riding her dragon into battle is a thrill for someone who is not into dragons at all.
So my question to you is, is there...has there ever been...a TV show you were obsessed with? One you left a party early to go home and see even though you could get it on demand to see it later? A show where everyone knew not to bother mom or dad when their show was on? Have you ever been obsesses over a TV show the way I am with GOT?

Do You Like Political Suspense?

by Maggie Sefton





We mystery readers read a diverse selection of books---Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, Suspense, Detective fiction, Historical fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance.  The elements of good story-telling are the same throughout all the genres of fiction.  And as mystery writers, we also get a LOT of different stories to tell.  Today I'm highlighting the first book in my 3-book Molly Malone Mystery Suspense series----DEADLY POLITICS.  Below, I've included the backcover description.  I hope some of you give it a try.  It's available in tradepaper and E-books, of course.

Welcome to Molly Malone’s world----
Politics is a blood sport in Washington, DC, and only the strongest survive.    Like the politicians she’s rubbed shoulders with for a lifetime, Molly Malone is smart and tough and savvy enough to stay out of trouble---most of the time.  However, trouble has a way of finding Molly.
Years ago, Molly Malone was driven from Washington, DC by political back-stabbing, scandals, and personal heartbreak.  But now, circumstances have forced her to start a new life in the one place she swore she’d never return to—the city that broke her heart---and face the ghosts and the enemies from her past.
As the daughter of a respected United States Senator and once the wife of a rising star young Congressman, Molly has seen it all in Washington politics---the cynics, the sincere, and the schemers.  But the brutal murder of her Congressional staffer niece brings Molly up close with Washington’s darker side.  “The beautiful monuments and parks are deceiving.  Washington can be ugly.”  How ugly, Molly’s about to find out.  There are other schemers out there who may not have won elections, but are more powerful than the politicians they ensnare.  

GOT A DOZEN TOMATOES? MAKE SOUP!

By Mary Kennedy

                                                           
 This is a great soup recipe and so easy! Only 45 calories a serving, so it's healthy, too. You need 12 Roma tomatoes (I think you could use other tomatoes, like the tomatoes on the vine pictured below but I used Roma because they were on sale).                                                 Ingredients:12 Roma tomatoes1 large carrot1/2-1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth3 large basil leaves1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (go easy on this, or you can omit it altogether)olive oil spray, or just drizzle on some olive oilsalt and pepper Directions:    Preheat oven to 400.             The first thing to do is slice the Roma tomatoes length-wise and cut out some of that whitish "stem" you will see on each half. Next, layer the tomato halves (cut side down) on a parchment lined baking sheet.  I found a kind of parchment paper that had aluminum foil on the back, so that was great and make clean up a breeze.                                                         Cut the carrot into thin strips and lay them on the baking sheet, too. Mist everything with olive oil, if you have a mister, if not, just drizzle olive oil on the veggies.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges of tomatoes turn brown. Remove from oven and carefully remove skin from tomatoes. Some people use tongs. I think it's easier to just use a fork and please be careful. The tomatoes will be very hot. Place the tomatoes and carrot in a blender, add basil leaves and one teaspoon of balsamic vinegar (vinegar is optional). Add half a cup of the broth, you can decide if you want to use the other half, if the soup is too thick. Now blend everything and check the texture. Add the rest of the broth, if it's too thick. If you want the soup a little creamier, you can add half an 8 oz package cream cheese. This is optional and will change the calorie count. Garnish with basil, if you like. This soup freezes really well and now's the time to make it! Enjoy...and stock the freezer for those long winter days ahead of us.  Mary Kennedy

The NOT So Inky Dinky Spider

by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett

I loathe bugs. All bugs. I don't even like Lady Bugs, and they're cute. (Sometimes we have an invasion of them--and that's just icky.)

During the winter, I seem to kill a lot of white spiders that hang around my kitchen and I only notice when I'm about to make a pot of tea. It gets worse with spring and fall ande there's lots of screaming and the fly swatter gets hard use. (BTW, I never use poison to kill bugs. Just swats and my shoes.)

I've often referred to my family's summer cottage as "bug haven." Any time you're near water, there are sure to be BUGS--ad especially spiders. Some I can deal with. The very delicate Daddy Long Legs usually stay in the corners of the bathroom or the enclosed porch. If they don't bother, then I won't bother them.

Last weekend, scores of baby spiders hatched and I must have killed 20 or 30 of them that walked across my desk and/or computer screen. Never saw this before, but hope this means in the long run there will be for less of the little black-and-white spiders that seem to live in that room. (They usually stay away from me, too.)

Wednesday, while I was working on the computer, I saw a some kind of icky bug with an inch-long ant-like body with long brown wings get caught up in a web on the outside of my porch window. As I mentioned, I loathe bugs, but I felt sorry for that winged creature when Mr. Fat-bodied brown spider came out of nowhere and attacked said bug, wrapping it in a cocoon of webs. I looked away for a few seconds, but by the time I looked back, Mr. Spider had dragged his prey away for what he probably considered a delicious meal. (*Shudder*)

And then there are the fat, juicy-bodied black spiders who RUN-VERY-FAST . Not only do they RUN-VERY-FAST, but they have excellent hearing. Yesterday, I was busy editing the first draft of Victoria Square Mystery #5 (Yule Be Dead), when I spied a particularly HUGE--Hagrid-sized-- version of an icky black spider. I started screaming (Mr. L is glad not to be around when this happens) VERY LOUDLY, and Mr. Icky panicked while I was panicking. He was on the wall near my bookshelf, a particularly tricky area to get to. And while I was screaming and slapping at him with the swatter I keep in my office for just such emergencies, he escaped underneath the space between the baseboard and the carpet. I read where bugs (maybe even spiders) don't like vinegar water, so I grabbed my squirt bottle (which also lives in my office) and squirted the corner like crazy, disturbing a Daddy Long Legs I hadn't known was there. (It smelled like a pickle jar in there for several hours.)

I'm generally freaked out by all bugs. Hell, to me, would be to meet up with all the bugs I've killed over a lifetime and and be stuck with them crawling over me for eternity. *Extra BIG Shudder*

Anybody got a safe bug repellent recipe?

A Fast Summer Meal--Flatbread Pizza

In the summer, I look for quick meals to make, not only for convenience but so I don't heat up the kitchen for too long. This week at the grocery store, I picked up a pack of thin crust flatbreads.  A six pack--size 12 x 4 each--was on special. It was available in plain, wheat, and garlic.  I bought the plain. Our toppings jazz it up.

I'd picked up fresh local tomatoes (our garden tomatoes aren't ripe yet) at the nearby Amish market and used those, along with turkey pepperoni, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese and spices. Here is the recipe I use to make a quick, healthier version of pizza.

Warm the six flatbread pieces for five minutes in a 375 degree oven on 2 cookie sheets.  Then...

3 lbs. tomatoes, sliced VERY thin  Place on a platter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 tablespoons sugar (You can omit the sugar for a healthier topping.)

1 pack turkey pepperoni (I use Hormel, 6 oz. pack)

5 tablespoons oregano or more if you like spicier

1 cup Parmesan cheese

16 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese (I use part skim.)

After the flatbreads have warmed five minutes, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Spread the tomato slices on top.  Sprinkle with oregano.  Cover the tomatoes with the pepperoni, then spread on the mozzarella cheese!  Bake in 375 degree oven for ten minutes.  The edges of the flatbread should be crispy.

I hope you enjoy it!

Big B-day Bash...in or out

Happy Birthday Auntie KiKi…
Reagan Summerside here. No one loves birthdays more than Auntie KiKi. She’s been thirty-nine for the twenty years. This year Mamma and I outdid ourselves. We’re throwing a surprise party for her out at Tybee island right there on the beach. We’re having  BBQ and Chantilly made this terrific cake. KiKi loves champagne and we’ll have lots of flowers everywhere.  No Southern birthday’s worth a hoot without flowers.
Every year I get my dear auntie a scarf or sweater or maybe take her to lunch. Well this year I want to do something different, something special…something fun!  I was thinking of kayak lessons. Lots of water here in Savannah, if you don’t mind the alligators. Or what about skydiving or parasailing? Can’t you just see KiKi jumping out of a plane?
Or I could give her yoga lessons but I can’t really see her in downward dog. What about a new bike or getting her hair dyed blue? Maybe a trip to Disney World?


What do you think I should give KiKi for her birthday? What do you want for your next birthday? Are you a birthday person? Celebrate your B-day all week long? Love having big parties with friends and family? Love those surprise B-day parties? Think they are the best or are you more low-keyed. 
Auntie KiKi isn’t low-key anything so I don’t think that will work for her but she doesn’t like a lot if icing on her cake, she’s much more a cake person than the icing part. What about you? Lots of icing or not so much? 
Here’s a recipe for the cake I’m going to make for KiKi. It’s her fave and mine too. It’s one of those poke holes in the cake and add delish drizzle cakes. Just love those things.
Fiesta Lemon CakeYou’ll have a fiesta on your table when you use this recipe to make a light, lemony, fluffy, and festive lemon-accented cakeIngredients10 tablespoons butter1 1/2 cups white sugar3 eggs1 tablespoon grated lemon zest2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk3/4 teaspoon lemon extract1/3 cup white sugar1/3 cup butter1 1/2 tablespoons water2 tablespoons fresh lemon juiceDirectionsPreheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a Bundt pan.Cream 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Blend in the lemon peel.In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, soda and baking powder. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk to creamed butter mixture. Add lemon extract Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 50 minutes cool 5 minutes, then turn out onto serving plate. Prick hot cake with skewer or fork and pour on lemon topping.Combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup butter and water in a saucepan and heat until butter melts. Add lemon juice . Spoon over hot cake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

Florida Conference. . .Hot, Hot, Hot!

by Maggie Sefton


I just returned to Northern Virginia (Dulles Airport) from the huge RWA Conference
which was held in Orlando, Florida, this year.  The conference moves around the U.S. every year.  The RWA conference focuses on readers, so there were a lot of readers there, and I do mean a LOT.  Nearly 3000.  Naturally, writers of all kinds of fiction show up for this yearly event which is always held in  July.  July 26 through 29 this year.  In the midst of Summer.  In Orlando, Florida.  And in case you didn't know. . .Orlando, Florida is in the middle of Florida.  Not near any of those beautiful Florida coasts.  Oh, No.  Orlando is smack dab in the middle of that peninsula.  No coastal breezes.  Nothing.  Nothing but Dead Hot Air.

Aiyeeeeeee!

That was my first response when I stepped out on my lovely conference hotel balcony.  The Walt Disney World Dolphin is a beautiful hotel with all the amenities anyone could want.   And I was fortunate to get a balcony.  So---Reality hit me upside the head the moment I stepped out on that nice balcony with chairs and table.  Beckoning me to sit outside and relax.   Ohhhhhh, yeah.

Whack!!!  Are you crazy? 

That sizzling Central Florida hot air sent me right back inside the air conditioned hotel room.  Well, darn, I thought to myself.  Good thing the RWA conference was right in that very hotel.  No need to go outside in the stifling heat.  Then---Reality reminded me of something else.  A month before,  I had bought tickets to visit Disney World while there.  I was going to  skip an entire day of conference sessions to visit the famous "Mouse House."  It had been many years ago when I last visited Disney World with my family.  

What were you thinking???  

Uh, oh.  I considered going to visit Mickey and the Gang plus Tomorrowland and Frontier Land and Adventure Land. . . . for about ten seconds.  Then, I chalked the idea up to the list of Bad Ideas I'd entertained over the years  and decided to see if I could turn in the ticket.  Well, Disney World doesn't credit you or refund you for tickets not used.  Instead,  the Disney World hotel office told me the tickets would be good until December 31, 2018.  Yes, that's next year.  So, I'll see what the future brings.  None of my family could come this summer.  Let's see about next year.  In cooler weather. :)

SUMMER VACATIONS AND FEELING NOSTALGIC,

By Mary Kennedy                          
                                                              
 Do you feel nostalgic when you think of summer vacations? I've been thinking a lot about North Carolina, during these long, hot summer days in the northeast. We lived in Kinston, NC for ten years (if there are any Tarheels reading this, you know that Kinston is 90 minutes east of Raleigh and about 50 minutes from the coast.) We used to take the kids to Nantahala for white water rafting. The scenery is beautiful...                                                               You get quite an adrenaline rush on the river...                                                        
 And it's reasonably safe, if you're careful. Of course, some people actually enjoy falling in the water, but I'm not one of them.

We used to enjoy trips to Fontana. Again, the scenery is breathtaking, and the kids enjoyed taking a tour of the dam..
                                                        
                                                North Carolina has some terrific beaches. I was very lucky that Emerald Isle was less than an hour south of Kinston. It was fun to zip down there with a picnic lunch, take a quick swim and just enjoy ourselves. Here's a picture of the famous "sea grass" that keeps the dunes from eroding.                                                                 Much of the coastline wasn't built up back then, and we'd spread a blanket and pretend we had our own private beach.                                                             When the kids were little, it was more convenient to stay in a house than a hotel. When we were in Powder Horn, NC, we'd rent a house with spectacular mountain views, like this one. No one for miles around (at least, the houses were designed to make you feel that way) and a huge deck. Perfect place for reading and relaxing, in between trips to local attractions and white water rafting. And that mountain air! You really do sleep better in the mountains.  Or maybe it was just sheer exhaustion from taking little kids on vacation.                                                             When we were at the beach, we always rented. Not only is it more convenient with kids, but it saves money to rent a house or condo because you can have meals there.                                                              
   It didn't have to be fancy, but it had to be right on the water.
                                                         


How about you, do you sometimes long for vacations that are long gone by? I know I do! I think it's time for a trip back to North Carolina..it's a beautiful state and I miss it..  

Shopping At Outlets

by Karen Rose Smith


Do you shop at outlet stores? 
Last evening I visited the Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg.  There are plenty of stores there from Gertrude Hawk's chocolates to Christmas Tree Hill. But at the end of July I like to shoe shop.  The shoe stores range from Skechers to Bass to Easy Spirit. 

At the end of the summer, the sales are terrific! I found shoes from 50% to 70% off. What I like about the outlet stores is the volume of specialized merchandise in each store.  I usually shop online.  But sometimes it's nice to see merchandise "in person.
I also use these trips to the outlets for research.  I need to clothe and accessorize many characters, especially in my mysteries.  A visit to the Coach or Van Heusen outlet stores help me do that.  There's a terrific leather shop there too that sells jackets to portfolios and brief cases. 

For more practical reasons, I like to spend time in the kitchen shop. I always find something I "need."  The store also has unusual items like a mini grocery cart I can fill with spices for a Christmas gift.  From spatulas to Kitchen Aid mixers, I can see the latest styles and gadgets that my sleuth who loves to cook can use. 
I enjoyed the summer evening so much that I might have to visit the outlets at Rockvale Outlets in Pennsylvania Dutch country in Lancaster where my Daisy's Tea Garden series is set.

DIY or Pay!

I was listening to the radio and this guy said that people get more pleasure from spending money on having things done for them than in buying stuff. I think this means that we feel better about having our house cleaned for us than buying a pair of shoes.
So do you agree? Or would you rather do the work yourself, save the money and use it for something else? I needed to drain the water off my driveway so that it would stop flooding my basement and got a quote of 3500 bucks. Then the plumber came in and said I had a collapsed pipe and that was another 3500.
I made a damn with asphalt for the water and got RootX to unclog my pipes and all for about $200 and saved a cool $6300. But it was a lot of work! And I had the time. If you have a full-time job and cannot squeezed in these big projects you have to pay for them.
My kids work full-time and have cleaning service to keep the place livable and save their marriages. They got tired of spending all weekend doing chores and I so get that. 
So my question to you is, what do you think is a good thing to pay for? House cleaning to save the marriage? Painting the house? Shoveling snow? Picking up the laundry? Cutting the grass? Shoveling the mulch? (This one I did pay for! That stuff is so darn heavy!)Anything electrical or plumbing related?

Or are you a confirmed DIY no matter what?