Sharon Ledwith's Blog, page 16

Author Stella May's Delicious Treats and her latest Time Travel Romance Read are on the Menu this Easter...

I've got fellow time travel author and friend, Stella May in my virtual kitchen today, baking up some of her delicious Almond Meringue Cookies just in time for Easter. Perfect to serve at your family gatherings, or tuck into your children's Easter baskets, these sweet treats won't disappoint, but will disappear! So, without further ado, I'm handing off the spatula. Take it away, Stella...

This recipefor a classic meringue dessert is easy to prepare and wonderful to eat. Myfamily loves these cookies as a sweet after a good dinner. If you choose to usevanilla extract, you’ll have a classic méringue desert called La Bise (kiss in French). Bon appetite! 

Almond Meringue Cookies 4 eggwhites, cold eggs right from the fridgePinch ofsalt¾ or 1 cupof white sugar (I use organic raw cane sugar)1 tbsp. almondor vanilla extract12 wholealmonds

Preheatoven to 200° F.

You need ahand or standing mixer. Mix egg whites and salt on high-speed to theconsistency of dense foam.

Add sugarby small portions, mixing well. Try not to stop your mixer while adding sugar. Add almondextract.

Covercookie sheet with parchment. Spoon mixture into 12 cookies. You can use anice-cream scoop.  Place one whole almondon top of each cookie.

Bake for 1hour. Lightly touch the cookie. It will have a firm crust and a soft center.That’s ideal. Turn off the oven and leave the cookies inside the oven for 1hour.

Remove from the oven to cool completely. Enjoy!

Here's a little to intrigue you on Stell May's latest time travel romance.

Aftermonths of working like a woman possessed, Nika Morris kept her promise. ColemanHouse is finished. It’s gorgeous. Spectacular. Brilliant.

It’sbreaking her heart.

Becauseonce the new owners move in, she’ll be cut off from the time portal to 1909, whereshe met and fell in love with Eli Coleman. Now stranded in her own time, she’swaited months for the key to reappear in its hiding place. Only it hasn’t. Whichmeans Eli must have believed the terrible things she was accused of.

Backin 1909, Eli is stunned at his best friend’s deathbed confession of a shockingbetrayal. Nika—his Daisy, his time-traveling wonder—was innocent. Once he findsthe key, he wastes no time stepping through the portal, determined to makethings right.

Butthe moment Eli stumbles into her shiny, noisy, confusing future, herealizes reconciliation won’t be simple. There is more than one emotionalbridge to rebuild before he and Nika can return to the time their love wasborn—and live their destiny out to the fullest.

Amazon Buy Link

Talented author Stella May is the penname for Marina Sardarova who has a fascinating history you should read on her website. 
Stella writes fantasy romance as well as time travel romance. She is the author of 'Till Time Do Us Part, Book 1 in her Upon a Time series, and the stand-alone book Rhapsody in Dreams. Love and family are two cornerstones of her stories and life. Stella’s books are available in e-book and paperback through all major vendors.
When not writing, Stella enjoys classical music, reading, and long walks along the ocean. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Leo of 35 years and their son George. They are her two best friends and are all partners in their family business.

Follow Stella on her website and blog Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

So, You Want to Write a Book���

When I told a friend of mine I was thinking about writing a book, she saidto me, ���Ah, you have something to say.���I frowned, and said, ���No. I just havethis awesome story in my head.���

So, with those words planted in your mind,���Let me tell you a story������ 

My journey to publication started in the mid-90s.One evening while I was reading, I thought how simple the structure anddialogue was in this particular novel. Youcan write, a voice urged inside my head. Let me tell you, I almost fell offmy chair. But the words rang true for me. So, I decided to act on this truth,and took a writing course���Writing yourNovel���where I met a great couple of like-minded would-be writer gals.Together we started a writing support group, and I wrote my first novel���aparanormal romance. This manuscript caught the eye of an agent, but I washardly ready, and I see that now. What I needed to do was to hone my craft andget better and better with the process of writing. And that takes making lotsof mistakes at the expense of your ego. In other words: lots of rejection, rejection,rejection! Ouch!

Then one night, during my writer���s group,one of my friends said something that floored me. She mentioned that I hit mytwelve-year-old character���s voice bang on. So, this got me to thinking���how hardwould it be to write a young adult novel? It was a stupid question. Of courseit was hard! After thinking about what my friend had said to me, I decided I���dchallenge myself and write not just a novel���but a series���that would appeal tomy son, who at the time was the target age of my audience. Since I���ve alwaysloved the time travel genre, it was a no-brainer for me.

Time travel to almost twenty-five yearslater, and it turns out that I had plenty to say! About my writer���s
life. Aboutthe writing process. About my journey to publication. And about the feeling Ifinally had holding a printed copy of my first book, TheLast Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis . Let me tell you that was abitter-sweet moment. Bitter because I didn���t realize the amount of work thatlay ahead of me to continue on with my journey as a published author. Sweetbecause all those years���seventeen to be exact���I���d worked so hard to achievegetting published, had actually paid off. Perseverance, they say, truly wins inthe end.

So, you want to write a book? It begins with INTENT. Back when Istarted blogging, I was so green and didn���t have much to offer writers or evenknew what to say. I was scared, insecure, and filled with tons of self-doubt.BUT I moved forward with tenacity and embraced the desire to be a publishedauthor, and dare I say, Bestsellingauthor. I���ve built my blog, and my writing career brick by brick, word by worduntil I���ve amassed quite a collection of helpful and heartfelt content toassist anyone who is remotely interested in delving into the murky, yetexciting world of writing and all the challenges a writer might face. Today, Istill have a long way to go, but I���m definitely on the right track with mygoals and aspirations as a young adult author.

It is my hope that you find my free PDF ebook Tips,Tricks and Tools for the Tenacious Writer insightful, inspiring, andilluminating as you begin your writing journey or just need some tips, tools,or tricks to help you shine in this crazy publishing business. All the best.All the success.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZONAUTHORpage for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.

So, You Want to Write a Book…

When I told a friend of mine I was thinking about writing a book, she said to me, “Ah, you have something to say.”I frowned, and said, “No. I just have this awesome story in my head.”

So, with those words planted in your mind, “Let me tell you a story…” 

My journey to publication started in the mid-90s. One evening while I was reading, I thought how simple the structure and dialogue was in this particular novel. You can write, a voice urged inside my head. Let me tell you, I almost fell off my chair. But the words rang true for me. So, I decided to act on this truth, and took a writing course—Writing your Novel—where I met a great couple of like-minded would-be writer gals. Together we started a writing support group, and I wrote my first novel—a paranormal romance. This manuscript caught the eye of an agent, but I was hardly ready, and I see that now. What I needed to do was to hone my craft and get better and better with the process of writing. And that takes making lots of mistakes at the expense of your ego. In other words: lots of rejection, rejection, rejection! Ouch!

Then one night, during my writer’s group, one of my friends said something that floored me. She mentioned that I hit my twelve-year-old character’s voice bang on. So, this got me to thinking—how hard would it be to write a young adult novel? It was a stupid question. Of course it was hard! After thinking about what my friend had said to me, I decided I’d challenge myself and write not just a novel—but a series—that would appeal to my son, who at the time was the target age of my audience. Since I’ve always loved the time travel genre, it was a no-brainer for me.

Time travel to almost twenty-five years later, and it turns out that I had plenty to say! About my writer’s
life. About the writing process. About my journey to publication. And about the feeling I finally had holding a printed copy of my first book, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis . Let me tell you that was a bitter-sweet moment. Bitter because I didn’t realize the amount of work that lay ahead of me to continue on with my journey as a published author. Sweet because all those years—seventeen to be exact—I’d worked so hard to achieve getting published, had actually paid off. Perseverance, they say, truly wins in the end.

So, you want to write a book? It begins with INTENT. Back when I started blogging, I was so green and didn’t have much to offer writers or even knew what to say. I was scared, insecure, and filled with tons of self-doubt. BUT I moved forward with tenacity and embraced the desire to be a published author, and dare I say, Bestsellingauthor. I’ve built my blog, and my writing career brick by brick, word by word until I’ve amassed quite a collection of helpful and heartfelt content to assist anyone who is remotely interested in delving into the murky, yet exciting world of writing and all the challenges a writer might face. Today, I still have a long way to go, but I’m definitely on the right track with my goals and aspirations as a young adult author.

It is my hope that you find my free PDF ebook Tips, Tricks and Tools for the Tenacious Writer insightful, inspiring, and illuminating as you begin your writing journey or just need some tips, tools, or tricks to help you shine in this crazy publishing business. All the best. All the success.

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHORpage for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.

An Easter Banquet and Cozy Mystery Read Compliments of Author Janis Lane...

Nothing tastes better at Easter then baked ham. Therefore, this is the perfect time of the year to share one of my favorite meals with you. The recipes are easy to prepare and are a wonderful combination of flavors that will have your family and friends asking for seconds. 

Baked Ham with Raisin Sauce 1 ham (Cured) bone in or out by choice Whole cloves 1 can pineapple rings, reserve juice Water 1 or 2 dashes of bourbon or white wine, optional Maraschino cherries to decorate, optional 
Preheat oven to 350° F. 
Score ham ⅛ inch deep. Place 1 clove in each square. Use a toothpick to hang pineapple rings around the ham. Don’t forget the sides! 
Cover bottom of a large pan with ¼ inch of water, also bourbon or wine if you’re using it. Add ham then cover with aluminum foil to avoid drying out. Remove foil twenty minutes before serving. 
Cook 10 minutes per pound or until warmed through. Check often to avoid over cooking. 
Insert cherries into pineapple rings at serving time. 
Spicy Southern Raisin Sauce 2 tbsp. flour 2 tbsp. sugar 1 pinch salt ⅓ cup dried raisons ¼ cup water 1 pinch powered cloves ⅛ tsp. powdered cinnamon 3 tbsp. vinegar 1 tbsp. butter 
 Mix flour, sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Add raisins and water. Simmer a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add spices, vinegar, and butter, blend well. Ready to serve over ham slices. 
Cut pineapple rings in half. Add pineapple and cherries to the ham platter when you serve. 
Acorn Squash ¼ squash per person 1 tsp. butter per squash quarter, softened 1 heaping tsp. brown sugar per squash quarter Reserved pineapple juice 
Preheat oven to 325° F. 
Mix butter, brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons pineapple juice in a small bowl. 
Microwave squash or bake in the oven until tender. This can be done earlier in the day. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Quarter and arrange in ovenproof casserole dish. 
Add brown sugar mix to center of each quartered squash slice. Warm on low heat in oven until ready to serve. 
Marinated Raw Asparagus 3 spears per person 1 bottle spicy Italian salad dressing 
Wash asparagus and place in casserole dish. Cover spears with spicy Italian salad dressing or your favorite type. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove spears from dressing then set on decretive platter. Use tongs to serve. 
Here is a peek at my latest cozy mystery for your reading enjoyment. 

When is it not fun to be a blond? 

What happens when a blond beauty hits town like a tornado stirring up memories and causing turmoil? Detective Kevin Fowler and his wife, the former Beverly Hampton, owner of the local newspaper, are settling into blissful married life. Although Beverly is sanguine over the demand on Kevin’s time by the good people of Hubbard, she is more than dubious when his duties include the escort of a drop-dead gorgeous female from his past.

There is some concern over the persistent vandalism of residential mailboxes, but an infamous arsonist has decided peaceful but dull Hubbard would make a great place from which to operate. He brazenly locates down the block from the detective and his wife.

What bait and tackle shop in the village has a dual purpose? Kevin ponders why two goons have invaded town shooting at and attempting to kidnap and murder three women. A state patrolman, aptly nick named Rooster, teases Fowler at the riotous scene of a traffic accident where the press, not the police, wins the day.

Another mystery and adventure with a satisfying ending that unfolds in peaceful Hubbard, New York, small-town Americana, where Detective Kevin Fowler keeps an ever-vigilant watch.

Amazon Buy Link

Emma Lane is a gifted author who writes cozy mysteries as Janis Lane, Regency as Emma, and spice as Sunny Lane. 

She lives in Western New York where winter is snowy, spring arrives with rave reviews, summer days are long and velvet, and fall leaves are riotous in color. At long last she enjoys the perfect bow window for her desk where she is treated to a year-round panoramic view of nature. Her computer opens up a fourth fascinating window to the world. Her patient husband is always available to help with a plot twist and encourage Emma to never quit. Her day job is working with flowers at Herbtique and Plant Nursery, the nursery she and her son own. 

Look for information about writing and plants on Emma's new website. Leave a comment or a gardening question and put a smile on Emma's face.

Stay connected to Emma on Facebook and Twitter . Be sure to check out the things that make Emma smile on Pinterest .

Guest Post: Having No Regrets by Author Alicia Joseph...

Wrinkles cover her thin-skinned ninety-two-pound body, compliments from her eighty-seven years of living in this, at times, tumultuous world.  But she's as easygoing as they come, mostly unbothered by external noise. 

She's a headstrong, entirely capable, and stubborn woman. I love all of those qualities about her.  She minds her own business and lives the way she wants. She talks to me in her beautiful Irish accent. She was born on a farm in Ireland. She rode a horse to school with a trap in the back where kids hitched rides on the way. She misses the horses. The farm had rabbits and dogs and pigs, but she loved the horses the most. 

A couple years ago, her son privately talked to her doctor to persuade the doctor to tell her she couldn't drive anymore. One day she joined me for a walk with my dog Phil and she had a disgruntled look on her face. I asked what was wrong. 

"I know my son told my doctor to tell me I can't drive anymore. I'm not stupid." She looked up at me with her thin lips pressed bitterly against each other and her short brown hair swaying in the breeze. "But I do what I want. He's not the boss of me." 

Later that day I was sitting on my front lawn with Phil and her garage door opened. Seconds later, a blue van backed out of the garage and down the driveway. She pulled into the street and gave me a wave from behind the wheel as she passed. 

She'd found her keys. She's determined like that. 

Another day I was walking Phil past her house, and she was in the garage pounding out a dent in her car. I asked her what happened. She said she hit something in the garage but had to hurry because her son would be over soon. I asked if she needed help, she answered, "No, just don't tell my son."  

That made me smile. Most everything about that special woman makes me smile. I wish to be more like her. I was down one day and told her about it. She told me she doesn't think about thoughts that bring her down. I imagine that isn't something she just started doing in her later years. I'm sure she lived by that adage even when she was younger and raising six children. She talks of her past without regret or resentment. She had a hardworking husband, (whom she also tells me wasn't the boss of her) but times weren't always easy, especially the early days in Ireland when work was hard to find or when one of her children took their own life. 

None of her pains from the past show on her face now. At least none that I can see, though it doesn't mean it isn't there. She chooses to live as happily as she can. Not many people make that choice. Some live bitterly and filled with anger. When my nieces and nephews were young, they'd come over and play in the street. Naturally, they'd make a lot of noise. She'd always come outside, not to yell about all the racket, but to sit on her front porch and watch the kids play because she loved to hear the sound of children's laughter. 

Margaret lives across the street from me, and she loves to sit at her front window with her cat. No matter how bad of a day I may be having, when I see her face at the window I always smile because she waves at me with such excitement, huge smile and arm waving fast and high, as though she'd been waiting all day to see me. I will miss that when the day comes where she is no longer at the window. Hopefully that won't be for a while.

Margaret came over a couple days ago to tell us she and her son and daughters are going to England but won't be stopping in Ireland. She doesn't have much family there anymore and doesn't want to impose on the ones still there. We sat and got to talking and she shared with me how happy she is that we are neighbors. She went on about how comforting and safe she feels that we are right across the street from her. Margaret doesn't live alone. She has her daughter, and her son stops by almost every day, yet still she appreciates that we are neighbors. 

That meant something to me, and I hope she knows how much I appreciate that we are neighbors, too.

Here is a glimpse into one of my books. I hope you enjoy it. 

“When a train runs over a penny, the penny changes form, but it can still be a penny if I want it to be. Or, I can make it be something else.”

Lyssa and her best friend Abbey discover a hideout near the train tracks and spend the summer before sixth grade hanging out and finding freedom from issues at home. Their childhood innocence shatters when the hideout becomes the scene of a tragic death.

As they’re about to graduate from high school, Abbey’s family life spirals out of control while Lyssa is feeling guilty for deceiving Abbey about her sexuality.

After another tragic loss, Lyssa finds out that a penny on the track is sometimes a huge price to pay for the truth.

AMAZON BUY LINKS KINDLE - PAPERBACK



Alicia Joseph grew up in Westchester, Illinois. She has many works-in-progress that she hopes to finish soon. Life permitting.

When she is not writing, Alicia enjoys volunteering with animals, rooting for her favorite sports teams, and playing “awesome aunt” to her nine nieces and nephews.

Learn more about Alicia Joseph on her blog . Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter .

A Healthy March Break Brunch Served Up by Author and Artist Linda Lee Greene...

 Saturdays are universally hectic. Itineraries for this special day of the week are mind-boggling in their Mach-speed, complexity, and crowded activities. But it is also the time before the starting pistol shoots us into a frenzy to steal a few moments to reconnect with our loved-ones, and even with ourselves. Saturday morning renewals in my house back in the days when my kids were still at home, and admittedly when life was slower and simpler, routinely began with all of us gathering together for a sit-down breakfast. Bacon and eggs, toast, juice, and sometimes pancakes were often as not on the menu. It is easy to imagine people of today longing for those laidback weekend mornings, but nowadays convenience is a necessity and usually wins out over nostalgia. 

The following low calorie, low carb, and high protein recipe that serves 4 is a good one to include in our whirlwind playbook. To meet that convenience factor, it can be made ahead of time, in 30 minutes of the evening before for instance, refrigerated, and then reheated at the appropriate time in the microwave at 50% power. For breakfast, serve it with fruit and a slice of a Keto-friendly bread or bagel slathered with cream cheese. I prefer Neufchâtel because it is lower in fat and creamier than standard cream cheese. 

This tomato and egg recipe is also wonderful for brunch accompanied with cooked or fresh veggies and a chunk of a hearty bread. At times, I heat it up for dinner. Paired with a side of steamed spinach and carrots, a slice of homemade and healthy bean flour bread, a glass of a tasty bevvie, I then settle in for the rest of evening with a belly full of satisfaction. 

BREAKFAST TOMATOES

4 lg. firm tomatoes, cut in half, scoop out pulp and seedsOlive oil spray1 tsp. salt – preferably kosher or sea salt1 tsp. black pepper1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. dried thyme8 small eggs if available, or 8 large eggs with the excess whites  discarded or reserved for another recipe½ cup grated Parmesan cheese4 tbsp. grated parsley for garnish 

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Place the hollowed-out tomatoes in a baking dish, spray them with olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme. 

Break one egg into a small bowl or ramekin and then slide it into a tomato half. Continue this process until all 8 tomato halves are filled. Top each half with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. 

Bake until egg whites are set, about 20 minutes. Use a large slotted spoon or spatula to scoop tomatoes onto a serving platter or into an airtight container. Garnish with parsley and serve or refrigerate. 

In multi-award-winning author Linda Lee Greene’s new release, Garden of the Sprits of the Pots, A Spiritual Odyssey, ex-pat American Nicholas Plato gets lost one fateful Saturday morning in Australia’s outback and happens on a pintsized hut on a lonely plot littered with hundreds of clay pots of every size and description. 

Driven by a deathly thirst, he stops. A strange little brown man materializes out of nowhere and introduces himself merely as ‘Potter,’ and welcomes Nicholas to his ‘Garden of the Spirits of the Pots.’ Although Nicholas has never laid eyes on Potter, the man seems to have expected Nicholas at his bizarre habitation and displays knowledge about him that nobody has any right to possess. Just who is this mysterious Aboriginal potter? 

Although they are as mismatched as two persons can be, a strangely inevitable friendship takes hold between them. It is a relationship that can only be directed by an unseen hand bent on setting Nicholas on a mystifying voyage of self-discovery and Potter on revelations of universal certainties. 

A blend of visionary and inspirational fiction, and a touch of romance, this is a tale of Nicholas’ journey into parts unknown, both within his adopted home and himself, a quest that in the end leads him to his true purpose for living. 

Garden of the Sprits of the Pots, A Spiritual Odyssey is available in eBook and/or paperback. 

AMAZON BUY LINK 

Multi-award-winning author and artist Linda Lee Greene describes her life as a telescope that when trained on her past reveals how each piece of it, whether good or bad or in-between, was necessary in the unfoldment of her fine art and literary paths.
Greene moved from farm-girl to city-girl; dance instructor to wife, mother, and homemaker; divorcee to single-working-mom and adult-college-student; and interior designer to multi-award-winning artist and author, essayist, and blogger. It was decades of challenging life experiences and debilitating, chronic illness that gave birth to her dormant flair for art and writing. Greene was three days shy of her fifty-seventh birthday when her creative spirit took a hold of her.

She found her way to her lonely easel soon thereafter. Since then Greene has accepted commissions and displayed her artwork in shows and galleries in and around the USA. She is also a member of artist and writer associations.

Visit Linda on her blog and join her on Facebook. Linda loves to hear from readers so feel free to email her.

Cover Reveal: City of Ruby; Crimson Winter Volume 3 by Justine Alley Dowsett...

Mirror World Publishing and Sapphyria's Book Promotions present the cover reveal for Crimson Winter: City of Ruby by Justine Alley Dowsett.

Show what makes you weak, so they fear what makes you strong...
About Crimson Winter: City of Ruby:
Reeling after the fall of the Kingdom of Taiyou, Yukari Namikoya and her remaining allies find themselves reduced to scared refugees hidden far below the earth in the Temple of Machalite. The dreaded Lady Lilyth rules in Taiyou now and threatens to bring the whole world under her dominion one piece at a time.

And what the Lady Lilyth can't control, she plans to destroy.

In a desperate bid for the survival and freedom of the various races of Crimson Winter, Yukari must seek to uncover secrets the Vile Emperor has kept hidden for a millenia and in order to do this, she has to journey to the last place she'd ever thought she'd go - the Ruby City.

Genres: Young Adult, SciFi, Fantasy, Adventure
Release Date: April 17, 2023
Meet the Author:


Justine Alley Dowsett is the author of over ten novels, and one of the founders of Mirror World Publishing. Her books, which she often co-writes with her sister, Murandy Damodred, range from young adult science fiction to dark fantasy/romance. She earned a BA in Drama from the University of Windsor, honed her skills as an entrepreneur by tackling video game production, and now she dedicates her time to writing, publishing, and role-playing with her friends.
Social Media Links:

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/mirrorworldpublishing

Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/mirrorworldpub

Amazon:
http://amzn.to/2obPWUL

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28439132-mirror-world

Blog:
http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.wordpress.com/

Publisher Website:
http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-d6tf8fpn4_mjraKjM-hUQ

Scary Things or Imagination by Paranormal Romance Author C.D. Hersh...

Years ago, a teaser news story from Huffington Post popped up in Catherine’s email about a mysterious “star jelly” found in the RSPB Ham Wall nature reserve in Somerset, England. Being paranormal buffs (which, for us, includes sci-fi), naturally, Catherine looked up the article. There are a lot of theories out there, but not much positive proof about what this substance is. Some people postulate that the jelly is slime mold, a form of cyanobacteria, the remains of regurgitated amphibians, or frog spawn. Personally, all of the above are too ordinary. As paranormal fans, we like the more supernatural of the explanations that says the “star jelly” is related to the sighting of a strange meteor like object seen over the reserve last week—an extraterrestrial substance dropped to earth from the meteor shower.

This isn’t the first time “star jelly” has been found. Records dating back to the 14th century mention finding this gelatinous material after meteor showers. It’s been called star jelly, astral jelly, star rot, star shot and astromyxin. Non-paranormal believers say it’s coincidental that people find star jelly after meteor showers. Curiosity about finding a meteor rock leads them to places they wouldn’t normally go, and they find the substance, which has been there all along. In other words, they want to believe it’s this baffling substance from outer space.

Star jelly has been a part of several fiction stories. Sir Walter Scott’s novel The Talisman, H.P. and Lovecraft’s short story The Colour of Space.

Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts, and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after.

Their paranormal series is titled The Turning Stone Chronicles.

They are looking forward to many years of co-authoring and book sales, and a lifetime of happily-ever-after endings on the page and in real life.

Follow C.D. Hersh on social media:

Website

Soul Mate Publishing

Facebook

Amazon Author Page

Twitter

Good Morning Bread and the Comma Conundrum by Author Helen Carpenter...

During the editing of one of our books, commas turned into a major topic of discussion. Yes, well, my daughter and I were writers, what did you expect? We liked commas and we also liked to slice commas from our writing, so we have a conflict of interest. For example, in the first two sentences of this paragraph (and this sentence too), we used commas. We could have used a comma in the third sentence before the "and," though we chose not to. Either way would have been correct.

Another example is the title of this post. A comma would change the entire meaning. By omitting it, we imply (or say) the recipe below is a good (delicious) morning bread. Had we included a comma (Good morning, bread) we would be saying good morning to our bread. That would also fit, since the bread is definitely worthy of salutations.

Like bread, commas have lots of uses. You can splash them around in personal and geographic names, in numbers, before quotations that indicate speech such as "she said," and in lists. If you're the user of a certain word processing software, you can make your commas curly or straight and either style gets the job done.

I don't claim to be an expert on commas but I'd be happy to hear your take on this very important punctuation. Let's eat breakfast while we have the discussion. If you're not hungry, then we'll say, "Let's eat, breakfast."

Breakfast Bread
1½ cups dried mixed fruit (we used one 5-ounce package of mixed cranberries, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries, and filled in the remainder with dried cranberries)
½ cup warm tea, any flavor
1 package regular yeast
½ cup warm water
2 tbsp. butter
½ cup coconut milk
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup nuts of your choice (we used pecans and pistachios)

Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

Soak dried fruit in bowl with warm tea. Set aside.

In separate bowl, add yeast to warm water. Set aside in a warm draft free location.

Melt butter.

Mix coconut milk, sugar, honey, salt, and egg. Add melted butter and stir. Next, add yeast and water mixture and stir.

Mix cinnamon and flour. Add to liquid ingredients and mix well.

Drain fruit. Add fruit and nuts to dough. Use your hands to mix, adding additional flour by tablespoons if necessary.

Let dough rise 1 hour. Punch down, divide in half, and shape into two equal loaves. Put loaves in prepared pans and let rise 40 minutes.

Heat oven to 350° F. Bake loaves 30 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes and remove to rack.

Serve warm or cold with butter or topping of your choice.

Once upon a time there was a mother/daughter author duo named Helen and Lorri, who wrote as HL Carpenter. the Carpenters worked from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories was unreal but not untrue. Then one day Lorri left her studio to explore the land of What-If, and like others who have lost a loved one the magical place lost much of its magic. But thanks to family, plus an amazing group of wordsmiths named Authors Moving Forward (AMF), the magic is slowly returning.

Helen Carpenter loves liking and sharing blog posts from other authors. She lives in Florida with her husband of many years  and appreciates everyday, especially those without hurricanes.
Stay connected on her blog and Facebook.

Guest Post: When My Life Passes I Will See Dolphins by Author Anne Montgomery...

The expression “I saw my life pass before my eyes,” is generally used by someone who has had a near-death experience. While I have no idea what may occur when the end nears, I have always liked that thought, as long as one only has to recall the pleasant events.

Once, off St. Kitts, I witnessed four tiny juvenile drum fish dancing in a row before a reef

 

Sometimes, I consider scenes that might appear in my head when my time comes, and I find it is a rather Forrest Gump-esque list: The night at Girl Scout camp on an island in Upstate New York, snuggled in my sleeping bag, a cool breeze wafting through the pines, lake water brushing up against the rocks. An elk in Colorado, maybe ten yards between us, his majestic antlered head and dark brown eyes freezing me in place, before he turned and disappeared silently into the forest. A dive in St. Kitts where I witnessed four tiny spotted drum fish, each no bigger than a thumbnail, long black-and-white fins waving as they danced in a row before a reef.

And now, I have a new vision to carry with me.  A few days ago, in the sea off the north shore of St. Croix, we spotted three bottlenose dolphins from our dive boat. We quickly donned our scuba gear and descended to a shallow area white with sand. We knelt on the bottom and waited.

And waited.

Thirty minutes later, chilled from inactivity, we gave up, and swam away, perusing a group of coral heads down over the edge of the sand. Cold and tired we headed back toward the boat. The dive master, E.T., and I were the last in the water. We waited below the boat as other divers ascended.

While diving in St. Croix we spotted three bottlenose dolphins from our boat, so we donned our scuba gear and dropped in to join them.

Then, E.T. grunted to get my attention. She pointed at three dolphins that swam directly toward us, their snouts dipping with each gentle push of their tails. The largest, a female perhaps eight-feet long, silvery-gray with a white belly, was escorted by two smaller males. The female eyed me and guided the others over my head. I could have reached up and touched her as they glided past. Then, she dove to the bottom and stuck her nose in the sand. She stirred up a white cloud, rolled onto her back and lay on the bottom, while the males playfully nudged her. Soon, she twisted, launched herself off the sand, and they disappeared.

We waited. And they returned, over and over playing before us. Then, the female stopped, touched her tail to the sand and straightened. I had always thought of dolphins as curved creatures, but she now stood perfectly straight, snout pointed toward the sky, fins out, a signal perhaps to the males who approached and straightened as well, clinging to her sides, motionless.

They appeared as a marble statue, majestic, magical, holding the pose above the sand, her bearing that of an empress. Then she twirled and the males followed. What came next can only be described in one way: dolphin sex. I felt like a voyeur but could not turn away. I will let you fill in the rest.

At one point, overwhelmed by the beauty, this gift I’d been given by the sea, I touched my hand to my heart. When I gazed at E.T., she had done the same. We stared at one another, knowing we had shared something special.

When we finally ascended, I was speechless. Those who know me would be astounded at the idea. And I am still unsure my words here do the experience justice.

 I hugged the dive master, a woman I had met just a few hours earlier.

“E.T., when I’m dying, I will remember this,” I said.

It was only then that I noticed the elegant tattoo she bore on her right hip: a dolphin. 

To view my dolphin video click here. 

Allow me to give you a brief intro to my latest women's fiction novel for your reading pleasure.

The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archaeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Amazon Buy Link
Anne Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. She worked at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter, and ASPN-TV as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery has been a freelance and staff writer for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces.

When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.

Learn more about Anne Montgomery on her website and Wikipedia . Stay connected on Facebook , Linkedin , and Twitter .