Karen Docter's Blog, page 2

September 22, 2025

Karen’s Killer Book Bench #Sports #Romance: ICE IN THE BAYOU, A Bayou Kings Hockey Novel by Angel Nyx

KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site, so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!

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ICE IN THE BAYOU
A Bayou Kings Hockey Novel
BY ANGEL NYX

BLURB

Lucca Calvaricci

What do you do when your dreams go to Hell in a handbasket? You find a new dream.

At least, that’s what I did. It just took me a decade to do it.

See, once upon a time, I was flying high on the ice until an accident destroyed my hopes of going pro. Now, I want to start my own team, but to win over the league, I need the best in the PR business.

Enter Maxine Andrews. She’s sexy, sassy, and loves a challenge. This little spitfire keeps me on my toes, and I want to make her mine.

Maxine Andrews

I’m the best sports PR rep at Capital Time Media, and one of the best in the entire country. That’s not pride, it’s just a fact. When my boss informed me Lucca Calvaricci from Calvaricci Enterprises wanted to meet with me, I was intrigued. His company was into everything from real estate, to big pharma, and even cybernetics. What did he need me for?

Color me surprised when he told me he wanted to start his own professional hockey team and wanted me to pitch it. This was definitely a challenge I couldn’t back down from.

The only problem? The man was sex on a stick and I’d sworn off all men-excluding my son.

And yet, somehow he gets through all of my walls. But can I really trust him with my heart?

~~~

ICE IN THE BAYOU
A Bayou Kings Hockey Novel
BY ANGEL NYX

Editorial Note: Some editing for language

Excerpt

What do you do when your dreams go to hell in a handbasket? You find a new dream. Sometimes it just takes a little while to actually do that. I grew up on the ice. My earliest memories are from putting on a pair of ice skates and falling on my ass but getting back up to try it again. By my senior year of high school, I had college scouts working their asses off to convince me I needed to go to their school and join their team. Growing up in Minnesota, I knew I wanted to go to one of the schools in my home state. It took a bit of deliberation but I ended up at Willow Creek University in Blaine. I was a Cavalier and I f**king loved it. By junior year I already had scouts from professional teams checking me out. I was flying high.

And then I crashed and burned. Me and a couple of buddies went out one night, had a few drinks, and got stupid. You know how it is. You always think ‘It’ll never happen to me’. Trust me, that kind of thinking will be your downfall. I don’t really remember the accident but I remember the aftermath. My buddy, Jack, was driving and lost control of the wheel on a curve. I was told the car spun before slamming into, and through, the guard rail before sliding down the embankment and coming to a stop against a tree. The passenger side took the hardest hit. Looking at the photos from the accident, yeah, I can agree with that. The passenger side looked like a f**king accordion.

Of the four of us, I got it the worst. The accident shattered my entire right leg from hip to ankle. To this day, a decade later, I still have a limp, the cold makes it ache like a bitch, and there’s a nasty scar that I decided to leave the f**k alone after three skin grafts. I also have two plates in my leg, complete with pins. Going through metal detectors in airports is a bitch.

About Author Angel Nyx…

Angel Nyx is an author of mostly paranormal romance with a smattering of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, urban fantasy, and post-apocalyptic romance with some why choose romance thrown into the mix. Her passion for literature was instilled in her at a young age when her mother read her fairy tale stories at bedtime. Her vivid imagination helps her get in tune with her characters to bring them to life for her readers. She is also a mom, a reader, and an avid gamer chick.

She was once told that her ‘OCD is queen’ because it allows her to find errors in written word others miss. As a result, she has recently branched out to offer her proofreading services to other Indie authors.

When she’s not working, writing, reading, or gaming, she is usually relaxing to music, spending time with family, or finding new authors to fall in love with.

She has a long time love affair with the city of New Orleans, which is why so much of her work is set there, and plans to visit the city as often as possible in the coming years.

~~~

Links to Angel’s websites, blogs, books, #ad, etc.:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4pyqGrv

https://books2read.com/IceintheBayou

~~~

Special Giveaway:  Angel will gift one of her ebooks (winner’s choice) to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Good luck!

~~~

Thanks, Angel, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

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Published on September 22, 2025 05:00

September 19, 2025

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with THE PRODIGAL, Corpse Whisperer, The Series #Humorous #Paranormal #Suspense by H.R. Boldwood #Recipe ~ Autumn Orange Chicken

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with H.R. BOLDWOOD !

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, instead of one of my recipes, I will introduce you to a new author who will share a favorite recipe. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll also get a chance to check out some fantastic authors. Introducing author H.R. BOLDWOOD and her favorite recipe for AUTUMN ORANGE CHICKEN!

THE PRODIGAL
Corpse Whisperer, The Series
BY H.R. BOLDWOOD 

Blurb

Welcome to the world of The Corpse Whisperer!

Join me, Allie Nighthawk, a flat-broke zombie hunter, as I return to my hometown of Cincinnati and find myself knee-deep in murder, mayhem, and zombies. Can I solve not one but two murders, and get away unscathed when the good guys might not be so good and a presence from my past returns for revenge?

“If Anita Blake and Stephanie Plum had a lovechild, it would be Allie Nighthawk. One of the funniest and freshest takes on the zombie genre I’ve read, with genuine heart at the core of the humor and gore.” —Dana Fredsti, Author of the Spawn of Lilith series

The Prodigal is a 2021 Imadjinn Award finalist, and H.R. Boldwood is a Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the Thomas More College Bilbo Award for creative writing.

THE PRODIGAL
Corpse Whisperer, The Series
BY H.R. BOLDWOOD

Excerpt

FLAT BROKE AND BUSTED

Zombie hunting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when you’re down to forty bucks for gas, a half-pint of Jack, two packs of Ramen Noodles and a freakish skill that comes in handy sometimes — a skill like raising the dead. Most days that’s as useful as tits on a bull. But on a good day, I get paid for it.

Corpse whisperers like me don’t grow on trees. We don’t hang out shingles or advertise BOGO deals or offer 90 days same as cash. Ours is what you’d call a niche market, and frankly, some of us are less diligent than others about putting down the corpses we’ve raised. That’s where the hunting part of zombie hunting comes in handy.

Is this a morbid and occasionally sketchy way to pay the bills? Maybe. But I’m Allie Nighthawk, the best of the badass zombie hunters, and that’s how I roll. Unfortunately, after ringing in the New Year, I was also rolling broke.

You’d think that saving the world from deadhead-aged-don would pay well. Think again. I work for myself, subcontracting my talents to local law enforcement agencies. So, when the last month deserted my wallet, I emptied my bank account and paid for my weapons arsenal to be delivered to a new destination. Shipping munitions costs more than a black market kidney, not to mention there’s a shit ton of applicable rules, so I did what any cash poor arms aficionado would do. I hired Three Men and a Truck and lied my ass off. I told them they were shipping golf clubs. Lots and lots of golf clubs — and a fifty-gallon drum of something marked ‘golf balls.’

Problem solved.

After that, I threw the noodles and my clothes into a duffel, donned my thermal gear, and climbed onto my Harley Lowrider, vowing to make the most of an unexpected warm snap. Then I lit out of St. Louis and headed back to my hometown, Cincinnati.

There were more exciting places on earth, but I owned an empty house there — the house on Pitty Pat Lane that my father had left me when he died three years earlier. The house where I was born some twenty-six years ago. I hadn’t been back since Dad’s funeral.

Once I hit the outskirts of town, I made a point of scouting out my business prospects beneath the underpasses and railroad trestles, where biters tend to lurk. It was almost midnight — the perfect time for a recon mission since biters come out at night.

Knowing that I’d have a rent-free roof over my head was a great start, but if there weren’t enough zombies to wrangle in Cincinnati, I’d be rationing noodles and swiping ketchup packets from street vendors to make tomato soup. I’d seen lean times before, and I could get as creative as the next guy tracking down dinner. But I had limits. Dumpster diving was out of the question. Nobody knows better than a zombie hunter what comes out of dumpsters.

Something caught my eye in the glow of a streetlight. Two uniforms were rousting a skel beneath the Third Street viaduct. I veered off the exit ramp, stopped about thirty feet away, and turned off my bike to watch the show.

One of the officers caught me from the corner of his eye and waved me off. “Police business, ma’am. Back off, for your own safety.”

“Sure thing,” I said, not moving a muscle.

The suspect spun toward the sound of my voice. In the yellow glare of the halogen street lights, his face — pale and shadowed with several day’s growth — gave off a flat effect. But it was his vacant stare that made me look twice. To an uneducated eye, he could have almost passed for one of the city’s homeless.

Almost.

The string of drool that dangled from his lower lip and the tremor in his limbs suggested something else. Well, that and the way he twitched. He didn’t shiver. He didn’t shudder. He did the full-on undead boogaloo.

Only one thing twitches like that. Freshies — zombies infected within the last seven days. They come across as almost normal except for the whole drooling, twitching thing and the funky, ‘south of cheese’ smell they give off.

Target acquired, baby.

There were rotters in Over the Rhine. How many remained to be seen. With any luck, I’d be able to afford crackers for my ketchup soup.

Officers TweedleDee and TweedleDum clearly had no idea what they were dealing with. They mollycoddled the meatbag, trying to shoo him down the road like some hapless drifter. A dangerous mistake, expecting a freshie to cooperate — especially a twitcher.

TweedleDee hustled the rotter across the pavement. “Shelterhouse is over on Gest Street, sir. You can sleep it off there. Move along, now.”

The biter snarled, bared its teeth and twitched again. This had ugly written all over it. I climbed off my Harley and planted my feet shoulder-width apart.

“No need to get nasty, sir,” TweedleDum said, pulling his taser. “Just move along.”

The rotter lunged. TweedleDum fired.

That freshie twitched like frog legs on a hot plate. But it kept coming. After a second useless burst from the officer’s taser, I moved in, slipped my Ka-Bar knife from its sheath and plunged it into the brain stem of the biter. Right in the apricot, baby. Bogie down. Then I got arrested and hauled into the 51st Precinct. I hadn’t even been in town for ten minutes. A record, even for me.

About Author H.R. Boldwood…

H.R. Boldwood, the author of the Corpse Whisperer series, countless short stories, and an Imadjinn Award finalist, writes urban fantasy, mystery, and speculative fiction. In another incarnation, Boldwood is a Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the Thomas More College Bilbo Award for Creative Writing. Boldwood’s characters are often disreputable and not to be trusted. They are kicked to the publication curb at every conceivable opportunity. This author takes no responsibility for the dastardly and sometimes criminal acts committed by this ragtag group of miscreants.

~~~

Links to H.R.’s website, blog, books, #ad, etc.:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4prrVbW

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HRBold/

X – https://x.com/BoldwoodH/

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/hrboldwood/

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/H.-R.-Boldwood/e/B01LWY22MD/

BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/profile/h-r-boldwood/

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15625304.H_R_Boldwood/

~~~

I hope you enjoy H.R.’s favorite recipe today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 757 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. You can even look up past recipes by category in the right-hand column menu. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: If an author’s favorite recipe isn’t their own creation and came from an online site, you will now find the entire recipe through the link to that site as a personal recommendation. Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 AUTUMN ORANGE CHICKEN

Here’s a quick and easy recipe. Great for the Fall and fall off the bone tender:

1 Roasting chicken
I bottle of diet orange soda
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce.

Grease your roaster with cooking spray. Clean chicken inside and out and pat dry. Add the chicken. Pour the diet orange soda/soy sauce mix over the top

Cook at 350 degrees. Baste the chicken every 20 minutes until done, making sure to baste both the outside and inside of the chicken.

This is so yummy!

Happy Reading!

~~~

Thanks, H.R., for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

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Published on September 19, 2025 05:00

September 17, 2025

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: AN EX IN THE PUZZLE, Crossword Puzzle #Cozy #Mystery by Louise Foster

KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site, so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!

~~~

AN EX IN THE PUZZLE
Crossword Puzzle Cozy Mystery
BY LOUISE FOSTER

BLURB

I’m Tracy Belden, a single mom on my first solo case as a PI. Instead of creating crossword puzzles, I’m searching for my wealthy ex-husband’s second wife, missing for three days.

I was hoping she ran off with his money. Then, I found her body.

Now, the police are eyeing me as a suspect. To make matters worse, my precocious, 11-year-old son and my geriatric landlady are trying to solve the case without me. If my puzzle solving skills can’t lead me to the killer, I’ll be finishing my crossword puzzle in jail.

~~~

AN EX IN THE PUZZLE
Crossword Puzzle Cozy Mystery
BY LOUISE FOSTER

Excerpt

14 Across; 9 Letters;
Clue: Not eager.
Answer: Reluctant

CHAPTER 1

“Didja find the body?” Marcus, my eleven-year-old Korean foster son, thumped his backpack onto a kitchen chair without breaking eye contact. He walked over and planted himself between me and the coffee pot. He knew the danger. He just didn’t care. He’s a crime junkie.

He’d asked me the same question three mornings in a row. Monday through Wednesday. Every day I’d been on the case.

Tracy Rae Belden’s my name. Five-nine. Short, straight brown hair and a moderately slim form that owes nothing to selfrestraint. It’s also no secret I hit thirty-five last week.

I wanted to tell my boy-child I wasn’t looking for a body, especially not one of a possibly dead female. However, with the promise of coffee within sight, I ignored his ghoulish question. Instead of answering, I pivoted around him and walked to the small kitchen of our loft apartment. Grabbing a mug, I poured myself a cup of ambrosia.

Stuck in a car for the past ten hours on an overnight stakeout, I had avoided drinking too much liquid, especially caffeine. Suffice it to say I considered it within my parental rights to drink my pumpkin flavored coffee before answering him. One sip of the scalding liquid sent a jolt racing through every nerve in my body and brought a smile to my lips.

“Speaking of bodies… ” Mrs. Colchester, my seventy-plus landlady, looked up from cooking scrambled eggs long enough to wave my spatula at me. “I’ve something to tell you on the subject, ducks.”

Mrs. C’s British accent was a perfect complement to her newly acquired air of an English ex-patriot. Her mop of white curls and a short, plump figure were the icing on the cake.

I wasn’t sure how long the accent would last considering it was all of four weeks old. Every time I asked about the change, she acted as though I were the crazy one.

Right after the accent made an appearance, she decided I needed a maid and announced she would fill the position. The woman has been letting herself into my apartment Monday through Friday for the past month. She never lifts a finger to clean, but neither do I, and it’s my apartment.

Fortunately – or not – she also watches Marcus when I’m on a job. I’d planned to ask a woman down the street. However, since Mrs. C was here anyway, I decided to go with the flow and have her stay overnight.

The older woman continued speaking without waiting for a response. “Me cousin works with a man who says he saw a woman’s body in a gully by the new development, a mile or so from the estate. He agreed to talk with you.”

“I don’t want to talk to anyone about a body.” I wanted to sit in my apartment and drink coffee until I stumbled to bed. “Have him call the tip line.”

“I knew she was dead.” Marcus slammed a bowl and a box of cereal on the table. “Her husband set a booby trap to kill her during the party so he’d have an alibi. Our science class is going to work out how today.”

After making a mental note to do a background check on the science teacher, I turned to Mrs. C. Her announcement had jolted me awake faster than the caffeine. “Yesterday your theory was that she ran off.”

“And I’m holding to it.” Mrs. C stabbed the air with the spatula hard enough to send a chunk of egg flying across the kitchen like an angry bird with a death wish. “But it wouldn’t hurt for you to talk to the man.”

“T.R. will get the goods.” Marcus dribbled milk on his shirt as he pointed a spoon at me. “I’ll go with you.”

I put my head in my hands and wondered if I’d survive the conversation much less the investigation. The fate of Mrs. Randolph McKiernan, the former Ms. Cassie Reed of Black Oaks, Kansas, has absorbed the entire city of Langsdale, Nevada, since the wealthy woman disappeared Saturday night, three days ago.

She’d run upstairs during a gala she and her husband were hosting at their home and never came back. No one had seen or heard from her since. No ransom demands. No calls. Nada.

Her disappearance was like a mystery play had come to town. Was she dead? Had she gone hiking in the desert? Had she run off with a lover? Pick a theory. Everyone had one. Most included a trip to Las Vegas, a bright lure three hours south of Langsdale.

I imagine the woman in the South of France, living large with a huge chunk of her hubby’s money. After a second, longer sip of coffee, I smacked my mug on the table. I only hope she cleaned him out.

Why do I care?

The missing woman is wifey-number-two.

I was wifey-number-one.

Fifteen years ago, with my usual impeccable sense of timing and luck, I divorced my deadbeat spouse eighteen months before a stock tip earned him a fortune. He now has a mega-mansion on the outskirts of the city. I live in a downtown apartment and work three jobs.

After wifey-number-two went missing, a PI buddy I do research for asked if I’d help with surveillance. Since I’d just gotten my PI License, and stakeouts pay more than shuffling paper, I agreed. My second job, when I’m not watching exhusbands whose second wives have disappeared, is mailing items sold via infomercials.

In whatever spare time I have left, I create crossword puzzles and sell them to newspapers and magazines. The pay barely keeps me in flavored coffee, but it’s my first love and by far the most entertaining. A rare moment of silence had me hoping that the body disposal debate had ended.

About Author Louise Foster…

Louise Foster is the author of the Crossword Puzzle Cozy Mystery series. She didn’t pursue a writing career until well out of college. However, a lifelong love of reading and solving puzzles proved to be good training when the writing bug bit. While she enjoys reading many different types of books, from thrillers to fantasy to science fiction, mysteries have always intrigued her.

Working on jigsaw puzzles as well as crossword puzzles with her family has also been a constant part of her life. A habit that carries through to today.

In the Crossword Puzzle Mystery Series, her love of writing and solving puzzles came together. Hopefully, you’ll love the quirky characters and their high-spirited adventures as much she enjoyed writing them.

~~~

Links to Louise’s websites, blogs, books, #ad, etc.:

Kindle (and Kindle Unlimited) – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097Q7CWP2

Paperback – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1955458014/

Audiobook – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1NTSMK8/

~~~

Thanks, Louise, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

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Published on September 17, 2025 06:00

September 15, 2025

Karen’s Killer Book Bench #Paranormal #Cozy: A WISH IN TIME, Witches and Wishes Cozy Mysteries by C.A. Phipps

KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site, so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!

~~~

A WISH IN TIME
Witches and Wishes Cozy Mysteries
BY C.A. PHIPPS

BLURB

One wish, one woman in hiding, and one witch racing the clock.

I’m Patience O’Reilly—white witch, amateur sleuth, and ex-private investigator. My specialty? Granting heartfelt wishes with a touch of magic and a nose for secrets.

When a terrified woman shows up at Willow Gardens Retirement Community, she’s desperate for a safe place to hide. Retired social worker Lori Maber is doing her best to help, but the past has a nasty habit of catching up—and someone out there wants this woman silenced.

As I dig deeper, guided by my intuition and the magical whispers only I can hear, I begin to unravel a tangled web of lies, fear, and danger. My police officer boyfriend, Kyle, suspects I’m more than just a sharp ex-PI with good instincts—and he’s not wrong. But keeping my secret is harder than ever.

With my loyal terrier familiar, Lucky, by my side, I’ll risk everything to protect the innocent and make sure this wish comes true… before time runs out.

If you love magical mysteries with heart, humor, and a dash of danger, A Wish in Time is the perfect spellbinding escape.

~~~

A WISH IN TIME
Witches and Wishes Cozy Mysteries
BY C.A. PHIPPS

Excerpt

Being a white witch is both wonderful and exhausting.

My job is to help people by granting a single wish that lasts a lifetime. Not a fleeting desire or a momentary whim, but something that truly matters. Unfortunately, most people don’t know what they really want. They might think they crave riches, power, or beauty, but those things don’t bring real happiness. Without a witch’s assistance, many are disappointed with how things turn out. My wishes are meant to make the world a better place—one fulfilled heart at a time—and I love that.

As I pull into the Willow Gardens parking lot, Lucky is by my side, strapped in his harness in the passenger seat. He’s a scruffy little terrier with an uncanny ability to know when I get too involved. And I always get too involved. It’s my nature, which is why Lucky’s main job is to keep me grounded.

Today marks the start of a new job at Willow Gardens Retirement Community, though it’s familiar territory. I was here once before, granting a wish for two sisters who longed for the trip of a lifetime but hesitated to spend their children’s inheritance. Let’s just say, they had a fantastic adventure. Because of the nature of their wish, I kept a low profile and didn’t explore the place properly. In fact, many of our meetings were held in a café.

As I climb out of my car, the warmth of the midmorning sun kisses my skin. My long, flowing dress brushes against my ankles as I take in the surroundings. The village is expansive—cottages, apartments, a nursing home, even a small medical center—and the air is thick with the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming roses.

Immediately I feel it. The unspoken desires of the residents hum in the air, tugging at me, pulling my thoughts in too many directions at once. I take a steadying breath, center myself, and focus on the one I’ve come to help.

About Author C.A. Phipps…

C. A. Phipps is a USA Today best-selling author from beautiful New Zealand. An empty-nester, Cheryl lives in a small town with her wonderful husband, ‘himself’. Her extended family keeps her busy, and when she’s not writing, there is just enough space for a crazy mixed-breed dog who stole her heart! She enjoys spending time with family, baking, and her quest for the perfect latte.

~~~

Links to C.A.’s websites, blogs, books, #ad, etc.:

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/4glBdSZ

https://caphipps.com/products/a-wish-in-tme-ebook

https://books2read.com/A-Wish-In-Time

https://www.amazon.com/author/caphipps 

https://www.facebook.com/authorcaphipps

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-a-phipps

https://www.goodreads.com/caphipps

https://twitter.com/CherylAPhipps

https://www.instagram.com/caphippsauthor/

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

~~~

Special Giveaway:  C.A. will gift an ebook copy of A WISH TO DIE FOR, Witches and Wishes Book 1, to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Good luck!

~~~

Thanks, C.A., for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

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Published on September 15, 2025 05:00

September 12, 2025

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s : #CHICKEN BREASTS w/BRANDIED MUSHROOM SAUCE from Karen’s Kitchen

Photo courtesy of Alyson McPhee/Unsplash

It’s time for Karen’s Killer Fixin’s!

Over the years, I’ve filled two 4-inch, 3-ring binders with my own creations as well as recipes my family and friends were willing to share with me. I simply love to cook and want to share that love with my readers. Every Friday, I share a recipe that I think you and your family might enjoy. It might be a main course recipe from my own kitchen or a guest author’s favorite. It could be a cookie or a baked item. Candy. Salads. Whatever strikes the eye and fancy…which today is CHICKEN BREASTS w/BRANDIED MUSHROOM SAUCE from KAREN’S KITCHEN!!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe from my own kitchen, so today’s recipe should be one of those special ones you might pull out when you have company coming. It’s basically chicken but elevated to new heights. It’s flavorful and satisfying and oh, so, yummy! And, it really doesn’t take long to cook something special.

I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 756 recipes and counting with this posting. I hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. You can even look up past recipes by type in the right-hand column menu. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

~~~~~~~~~

CHICKEN BREASTS w/BRANDIED MUSHROOM SAUCE
[From Karen’s Kitchen]

(Serves 8)

8 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned
2 envelopes instant cream of chicken flavored soup mix
4 oz. Gruyere cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup prepared Caesar-Salad Dressing
1/4 cup cognac
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
2 T. minced parsley

With a meat mallet, pound the breasts to 1/4-inch thick. Cut cheese into eight 3×1/4×1/2-inch pieces. Place each in the center of a breast. Fold the edges of the chicken over the cheese and secure them with wooden toothpicks. Place in a shallow casserole and coat with salad dressing. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Drain chicken; pat dry. In a skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 2 T. salad oil. Brown chicken on all sides; transfer to a platter and keep warm.

Remove all but 2 T. drippings. In drippings, saute sliced mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add soup mix, heavy cream, 1/4 cup water, cognac, and parsley. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Return chicken to the pan and coat the tops with some sauce to cover them. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until tender. Remove wooden toothpicks before serving.

Happy Eating!

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Published on September 12, 2025 05:00

September 11, 2025

Congratulations Week 08-18-25, 08-25-25, & 09-01-25 Blog Giveaway Winners!

CONGRATULATIONS WEEK
08-18-25, 08-25-25, & 09-01-25
BLOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!


Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Tracey S. Phillips…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Tracey will gift a paperback copy (U.S. Only) of FOREWARNED to three lucky readers who comment on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, Tracey, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: JULIE McDONOUGH, K.A. BYLSMA, & TERESA WARNER!!

~~~

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Skye Griffith…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Skye will gift a print copy (U.S. only) of BONE HASH to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.

Thanks, Skye, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: BN100!!

~~~

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Eliza Kay…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Eliza will gift a “movie” style poster to one lucky reader to download who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s  blog.

Thanks, Eliza, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: MARY BIRK!!

~~~

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Kerry Hammond…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Kerry will gift a trade paperback copy (Print U.S. only; Kindle version if winner is international) of MYSTERY MOST INTERNATIONAL  to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.

Thanks, Cynthia, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: GLENDA M!!

~~~

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Melissa Storm ETAL…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Melissa will gift a box of paperback books (U.S. only) to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, Melissa, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: EILEEN AW!!

~~~

Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Matt Riordan…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Matt will gift a print copy (U.S. only) of WHILE THE GETTING IS GOOD to one lucky reader who comments on his Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, Matt, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: DIANA KAY HOSTETTLER!!

~~~

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THESE BOOKS, TOO!!


 

 

 

 

 

 

~~~

Karen/K.L. Docter’s books stand alone, even in the series. You can read them out of sequence. No cliffhangers. No cheating. Always Happily Ever After endings!

HAPPY READING!

(All giveaway winners are chosen by random.org from reader comments except Rafflecopter events or giveaways, which are determined and announced offsite by the publisher/authors. Thank you!)

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Published on September 11, 2025 05:00

September 10, 2025

Karen’s Killer Book Bench #Steamy #Paranormal #Romance: HIS DEMON MATE, Dark Immortals Book Two by Elise Whyles

KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site, so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!

~~~

HIS DEMON MATE
Dark Immortals Book Two
BY ELISE WHYLES

BLURB

He’s death’s outcast. She’s sworn to hunt his kind. Together, they could ignite the end of both worlds.

Condemned to wander for centuries, Angrail has become the monster even demons fear—driven by vengeance, haunted by blood, and unwilling to bow to gods or men.

Ephynia lives for duty. As the God of the Dead’s fiercest huntress, she’s never faltered—until the day she’s bound to the one man she was born to destroy. Angrail is darkness, temptation, danger incarnate…and the only ally who can keep her alive.

But fate is merciless. Enemies close in, old secrets claw free, and desire burns hotter than betrayal. To survive, Ephynia must decide if she’ll fight her bond—or surrender to the forbidden fire that could consume them both.

In a war between gods, demons, and desire, love might be the deadliest weapon of all.

~~~

HIS DEMON MATE
Dark Immortals Book Two
BY ELISE WHYLES

Excerpt

Tendrils of white and silver crept along the floor. Flowing over mangled warriors lying in tangled heaps. Rancid and uncomfortable, the air hung heavy with the carnage.

Swords and shattered spears protruded from mangled remains.
Angrail surveyed the damage with a knowing eye.

Pain washed over him and he straightened, none of those present were his to deal with — not this day. Drip, Drip, blood dropped along the steps, a slow spread of scarlet that soaked the stones. He moved through groups of the battle-weary, grief clinging to them like a second skin. So much suffering, none realized their fortunes. Be it good or bad, he could not say, only that they were yet of their home world and not of his.

For this night Death walked among them.

About Author Elise Whyles…

Elise Whyles, combines her love of mythology, magic, and mayhem to create the dark paranormal romances she writes. What could be sexier than a smoldering loner vampire, or a dragon willing to soul walk to save the woman he loves? If you’re looking for action packed, steamy romance, then you’re in the right place 🙂 There isn’t a promo head shot for the author.

~~~

Links to Elise’s websites, blogs, books, #ad, etc.:

Amazon Kindle:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CM1F68QN

~~~

Thanks, Elise, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

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Published on September 10, 2025 07:37

September 8, 2025

Karen’s Killer Book Bench Spotlight: FROM THE SHADOWS, Agents of STARR #Military #Romance by L. A. Remenicky

KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site, so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!

~~~

FROM THE SHADOWS
Agents of STARR Military Romance
BY L.A. REMENICKY

BLURB

When governments around the world cannot handle a situation, who do they call? STARR. STARR is a counterterrorism and security services organization. Their motto is simple: “Save the innocent – even if it means burning down the world”. They’re a global organization that skirts the borders of legal, but never unethical. This multi-agency has not found a job too big or too small for them. They all have one thing in common… Their agents are the best of the best. Some show their faces and others are just ghosts in the night. Be careful what you wish for, danger lurks in the shadows.

About Author L.A. Remenicky…

Love Stories With A Twist

Romance author, dialysis warrior, furkid mom, and Best Fiends addict. Lover of coffee, 80’s music, and all things romance. During the day she carves out writing time in between trips to the back door as doorman to her four-legged furry child. At night after spending quality time with her husband she chips away at her never-ending TBR pile.

~~~

Links to L.A.’s websites, blogs, books, #ad, etc.:

Amazon Kindle & KU:
https://amzn.to/47Pn4LF

Books2Read:
https://books2read.com/STARRFromTheShadows

www.laremenicky.com

https://www.facebook.com/laremenicky

~~~

Thanks, L.A., for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

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Published on September 08, 2025 05:00

September 5, 2025

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with THE TAINTED TEA LEAVES #Cozy #Culinary #Mystery by R.A. Muth #Recipe ~ Melting Moments

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with R.A. MUTH!

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, instead of one of my recipes, I will introduce you to a new author who will share a favorite recipe. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll also get a chance to check out some fantastic authors. Introducing author R.A. MUTH and her favorite recipe for MELTING MOMENTS!

THE TAINTED TEA LEAVES
Cozy Culinary Mystery
BY R.A. MUTH

Blurb

​Murder, magic, and misfits—secrets are steeping in Mockingbird Springs.

I thought life at Magickal Beans was finally settling down. Then my cousin Ross arrived from the U.K. with a posh accent, a mysterious past, and a flair for reading tea leaves. Letting him hang his shingle in a quiet corner of the coffee shop was supposed to be a quirky attraction.

Then he pretended to predict a murder, and someone had the gall to make it come true.

Now the police are pointing fingers, and Ross is suspect number one. It’s up to me to prove my cosmopolitan cousin is as harmless as his fish and chips addiction. When the tea leaves get murkier, my pets launch their own magical investigation.

Tension in town is heating up faster than a whistling kettle, and secrets are bubbling to the surface. To clear Ross’s name and get him back across the pond where he belongs, I’ll need every ounce of courage, caffeine, and charm I’ve got.

The Tainted Tea Leaves is a laugh-out-loud cozy mystery filled with mystical mischief, cheeky charm, and enough enchanted tea to keep a small town buzzing with gossip.

THE TAINTED TEA LEAVES
Cozy Culinary Mystery
BY R.A. MUTH

Excerpt

“Can I please get the dessert sampler?”

Although my pets waited for me at home, I couldn’t resist satisfying my sweet tooth. I wriggled in the booth to get comfortable and perused the handwritten listing of daily dessert selections on a sticky note inside the menu. Banana pudding? Red velvet cake? Peach cobbler? These were staples across most of the southern United States, especially in sleepy Mockingbird Springs, South Carolina.

“Sure, hon. I’ll be right back with it.” She disappeared into the back.

Bells over the door chimed. A gentle whirring preceded the arrival of a man dressed in a suit and tie who approached the counter in a motorized chair. He wasn’t anyone I’d ever seen around town. Given my aunt’s dabblings in federal affairs, he could be anyone from a government agent to a salesman looking to partner in her spirited moonshine side hustle. He rang the service bell on the counter with great enthusiasm.

Shelby came out of the back. “Well, hello, handsome. You hungry? Special of the day is chicken bog.”

Chicken bog was a regional pilaf-style dish with rice, chicken, and smoked sausage. The nearby town of Loris even hosted a Bog Off festival celebrating the dish.

“A bog with chickens in it? Why would anyone want to eat that?” the man asked, his voice heavy with a British accent. He wrinkled his nose and scratched the stubble on his chin. “Do the chickens live in the bog?”

Shelby’s eyes grew wide, and she giggled. “Oh, aren’t you a hoot and a half? And you sound just like that man on the Doctor Who shows. The doctor fella. You know who I mean?”

“Yes, I’m aware. No relations, ha ha.” The Brit raised his hands, palms out, as if in surrender. “I’m actually looking for someone. Perhaps you can help?”

My ears perked up. Our little town had grown in recent years due to an influx of new residents, but they all hailed from the north—places like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. International tourists were few and far between.

“Sure thing, darlin’. Who is it you’re lookin’ to find?” Shelby’s accent was already as deep as her roots in the town, but she laid it on a bit thicker.

I resisted rolling my eyes, but I might have done the same if I weren’t already in a part-time relationship with my former high school sweetheart. What could I say? The Brit was easy on the eyes. Raising the coffee mug to my lips, I took a sip I’d soon come to regret.

“Her handle on the family tree site is Zipper,” the Brit explained. “But her full name is Tziporah Esther Graham.”

Hearing my name out loud registered at the same time that I swallowed the coffee. I choked, coughing until tears ran down my face. My face heated up, and I knew a blush revealed my embarrassment over the outburst. Only one person messaged me on the family tree website, where I’d uploaded my DNA despite my aunt’s protests against it.

“Zip, honey, are you okay?” Shelby asked as she rushed around the counter with a damp dish towel. She simultaneously pounded me on the back and wiped the tabletop clean of the coffee I’d sprayed over it.

I regained my senses as quickly as I could and assured her I was fine.

“Zip? Tziporah? Are you one and the same? What a piece of luck that I found you at the first place I stopped into,” the Brit gushed, his accent making him sound like the love child of James Bond and Adele. He turned his chair and stared at me head-on. When I didn’t immediately reply, he said, “It’s me, your cousin Ross. Remember? You said if I was ever on this side of the pond to look you up in Mockingbird Springs, and, well, here I am! Aren’t you surprised?”

Surprised was an understatement. When I realized he was waiting for a response, I stammered, “Totally. Did I miss an email about your visit?”

“It wouldn’t have been a surprise if I’d told you. I bought a ticket and hoped for the best. Touch wood, cross your fingers, and all the rest of it.” He pushed a joystick on the arm of the chair. It lurched forward, and he navigated it toward me, settling at the end of my table. “And here I am.”

“Here you are,” I echoed. “How long do you plan to stay, and where are you staying?”

“Ten full days. Can you recommend a place? Preferably somewhere that offers a discount. I’m a bit skint after buying the round-trip plane ticket and hiring a dog sitter.”

“Skint?” I repeated.

“Broke. Hardly a penny to my name.” Ross sheepishly looked at the ground.

Aunt Corliss was used to me dragging stray animals home, whether it was a floppy-eared puppy I pulled from a dumpster or a three-legged cat my boyfriend Jones and I had found cowering in the alley behind a thrift shop. This would be my first time bringing home a stray human. Our house wasn’t the most accessible, but Ross should be able to navigate the first floor.

Besides, he was family, and Aunt Corliss often reminded me in a world where so many were intent on tearing each other down, it was important to embrace family—whether it was by blood, by love, or both.

It was settled. Before I could think twice about it, I offered, “I suppose you can stay with us.”

“That would be grand, but won’t your Aunt Corliss think I’m a dodgy muppet for getting myself into this situation?” The more he spoke, the more his accent grew on me.

“I’m sure she won’t mind at all. The living room sofa pulls out into a bed and everything. Are you hungry? I just ordered dessert, but the kitchen’s still open if you’d like some dinner. My treat.”

“Are you sure?” Ross smiled. “Because I’d hate to put you out.”

“Don’t be silly. I offered.” I handed him a menu and thought, After all, the poor bloke was skint.

About Author R.A. Muth…

Becky “R. A.” Muth is a coffee addict who married her real-life firefighter hero. They live in South Carolina with their adult sons and many pets. She loves interacting with readers on social media and by email. When she isn’t writing, Becky enjoys hanging out at the beach with her family and binge-watching Netflix with her dog.

One Author ~ Multiple Pen Names

Becky Muth – Sweet Contemporary Romance & Romantic SuspenseR. A. Muth – Paranormal Cozy Mysteries With Magical PetsRebecca Muth – Children’s Books

~~~

Links to R.A.’s website, blog, books, #ad, etc.:

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/4jt2Wku

Author website – www.beckymuth.com

Books – www.beckymuth.com/books

Substack (newsletter) – authorbeckymuth.substack.com

Social media content for authorswww.authorsgetsocial.com

Buy me a coffee – buymeacoffee.com/authorbeckymuth

~~~

I hope you enjoy R.A.’s favorite recipe today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 755 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. You can even look up past recipes by category in the right-hand column menu. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: If an author’s favorite recipe isn’t their own creation and came from an online site, you will now find the entire recipe through the link to that site as a personal recommendation. Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 MELTING MOMENTS

Hey, y’all. Aunt Corliss here. Melting Moments is a recipe that’s as old as the hills. I remember when my Granny made it, except she added a pinch of nutmeg, especially for special occasions. 

This time of year, when the leaves start to turn and autumn drops the temperature enough to where all you want to do is sit on the front porch and read, I like to add a pinch of my favorite pie spice blend. It’s the perfect way to welcome what I like to call Spooky Season.

These tasty treasures are called Melting Moments for a reason—they practically disappear the second they hit your tongue. Don’t blink or you’ll miss ‘em. Kind of like the sweet moments in our lives.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened like a lazy Sunday¾ cup cornstarch½ cup confectioners sugar (the dusty kind that poofs into the air and makes you sneeze)1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted so it don’t clump like bad gossipPinch of pie spice of your choosing

Instructions:

Start by creaming that butter like it owes you rent. Once it’s nice and fluffy, add in your dry ingredients—sifted, please and thank you. Mix it all together ‘til you’ve got a dough smoother than my cousin Dot’s third husband.Cover that bowl and let the dough chill in the fridge for about an hour. Yes, a full hour. Go take a walk, sweep the porch, or start an episode of that detective show with the charming Brit.When it’s ready, roll the dough into little balls—not too big or they’ll lose their dainty charm. Space ‘em about an inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. No need for fancy parchment. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are just a whisper of golden. Don’t you dare overbake ‘em, bless your heart.Let ‘em cool completely before frosting. I mean it. Patience is a virtue, darlin’.Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar2 tablespoons butter, softened1 teaspoon of honey (preferably local) or apple cider (without the extra sugar if possible), your choice

Instructions:

Mix it all up until it’s creamy and dreamy. You can tint the frosting if the spirit moves you—pastel pinks in spring, sunflower yellow for summer, or that spooky purple I like for Halloween socials.Slather the frosting on each cookie once they’ve cooled, then let it set like a good Southern lady’s perm.

Yields about 4 dozen if you don’t “taste test” too many along the way.

Happy Reading!

~~~

Thanks, R.A., for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

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Published on September 05, 2025 05:00

September 3, 2025

Karen’s Killer Book Bench #Historical #Crime #Thriller: WHILE THE GETTING IS GOOD, A Novel by Matt Riordan

KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site, so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!

~~~

WHILE THE GETTING IS GOOD
Historical Crime Thriller
BY MATT RIORDAN

BLURB

Amid the gangland wars of Prohibition, one fisherman’s long-shot play to secure his family’s future brings disaster to everyone he loves.

Based partly on family lore, Matt Riordan’s follow-up to The North Line is for readers of Jeannette Wall’s Hang the Moon and S.A. Cosby’s All the Sinners Bleed.

Eld should’ve known better. Hell, he did know better. But watching lesser men hit big paydays—men who didn’t fight in Europe—grew unbearable. So, when the opportunity arises, he reaches for a little something extra for his family, and even more for himself. With Prohibition expiring in a matter of months, his turn from fisherman to rumrunner was supposed to be temporary. It seemed the perfect plan. Even Maggie, Eld’s normally sensible wife, is on board.

Things don’t go to plan. Amid the region’s players battle to capture the biggest piece of a shrinking pie, Eld’s tiny family operation is caught in the crossfire. One bitterly cold night packing whiskey across Lake Huron costs Eld dearly, and his family even more.

Hunted by gangsters and squeezed by the Depression, Eld, Maggie, and the children are scattered: Eld to Canada on a doomed quest, Maggie and her daughter forced into finding sanctuary in a faith more cult than religion. When they finally reunite, they may not even recognize each other as the same people who crossed their fingers and threw the dice for a shot at a better life.

~~~

WHILE THE GETTING IS GOOD
Historical Crime Thriller
BY MATT RIORDAN

Excerpt

Eld watched his son raise the binoculars to his eyes. The boy didn’t put the strap around his neck, and Eld almost said something in the way of a warning about the binoculars finding their way overboard. He opened his mouth but thought better of it and said nothing. The boy had arrived at the age where telling him things wasn’t so much teaching as nagging, and a flash of annoyance was getting to be a familiar look on the boy’s face. Besides, Eld had picked up those binoculars in France.

Eld never said “war.” He always said “in France.” Even to himself.

They were good binoculars, too expensive to replace, but they weren’t French. Eld had plucked them from the mud near the body of an almost dead English horse. If those binoculars went to the bottom of Lake Huron it would be one less thing Eld had from France, which was fine by him.

“Yup,” Doc said, “that’s Charlie McCallister’s boat.” The boy held the binoculars one-handed and rolled at the hips with the swell. “He’s painted the old scow, blue of all things, but that’s his, all right.”

Doc turned and moved toward Eld, each step across the yawing deck light and certain. Eld watched him and knew how the world seemed an easy place to a young man, more so for a young man like Doc. There was no point in telling him otherwise. Doc would just stare at him, and anyway that information would reveal itself soon enough. Eld smiled at his son and took back the binoculars. He put the strap around his neck before sweeping the rolling blue for Charlie’s boat. It hadn’t been half an hour since the rain quit, but the sun was sparkling down the slope of the bigger rollers, forcing Eld to squint. It was indeed  Charlie’s boat, and Doc was right. He’d repainted it. Blue. If some dark November night Charlie didn’t come back on time, and his wife sounded the alarm, Eld and the rest of the fishermen in town would be out here looking for the upturned blue hull of his boat, in all that blue water. Charlie knew that.

“I don’t see any gear out,” said Doc.

Eld focused on the stern. Doc was right again. No nets were visible and no cork lines trailed from the stern. Charlie was nowhere in evidence either.

“He’s just drifting,” said Doc. “We in Canada? Close?” The boy looked at his father and cocked an eyebrow. “ ’Course, little thing like an international border, that wouldn’t stop Charlie from fishing.”

Doc had been out on deck when Eld dead reckoned their course on the chart table in the wheelhouse. Eld figured them at a couple miles over the Ontario line. He didn’t have the papers to fish here any more than Charlie did, but there was less competition than on the Michigan side. Fishing over the line was illegal, but Eld didn’t feel wrong about it. The fish didn’t know they were Canadians.

Eld put the binoculars down. “Let’s go take a look. Might be he needs help.”

Doc followed his father into the wheelhouse.

“That fool Charlie needs a tow, he’s gonna have to wait till we’re full up. We don’t have the fuel or the time to run him back twenty miles.”

“There’s been days I needed help,” said Eld, but he didn’t counter his son.

Lately Doc was given to expressing some unchristian sentiments, and when he did, Eld could hear those same words coming from Doc’s mother. He saw that thought for the poison it was and chose instead to think of Doc’s sentiments as a symptom of a youthful impatience. Anyway, they could sort out what to do when they talked to Charlie. Eld bumped the throttle arm twice with the palm of his hand and the engine clatter made further conversation impossible.

If Charlie needed help, he should be out on deck looking for it, but he wasn’t there. Eld weighed the possibility that Charlie was working alone, and that he had gone over. He’d be floating somewhere, on his back probably, in the twenty miles of open water between here and land, and there’d be almost no point in looking for him. Eld knew he would look anyway, until he had to run back for fuel. A whole tank of fuel burned and no fish to show for it would put his month in the red. That would make two out of the last three, and that would mean a conversation with Maggie. Like her son, Maggie would say Charlie was a damned fool and Eld didn’t need to make his family go hungry for every fool who got it in his head to be a fisherman. All of that was true, and reasonable, and just the same, Eld, if need be, would go looking for Charlie.

About Author Matt Riordan…

Matt Riordan grew up in Michigan but spent his early twenties working on commercial fishing boats in Alaska. After college, Matt drifted from commercial fishing through a variety of jobs before landing in law school. He then became a litigator in New York City, where he practiced for twenty years. He now lives with his family in Australia.

~~~

Links to Matt’s websites, blogs, books, #ad, etc.:

Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3HEHigq

Amazon Hardcover: https://amzn.to/46fkHQP

~~~

Special Giveaway:  Matt will gift a print copy (U.S. only) of WHILE THE GETTING IS GOOD to one lucky reader who comments on his Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Good luck!

~~~

Thanks, Matt, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

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Published on September 03, 2025 05:00