C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 115
May 14, 2018
Tell Again Tuesday Claiming the title “Best Selling Author”
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
When are you a bestselling author?
By D.E. Haggerty
It seems everyone is a bestseller these days. Every time I turn around, yet another author has added a large banner proclaiming herself ‘best seller author!’ on her website. I admit to a minor twinge of jealousy (slight understatement) whenever I see the words ‘bestselling author’. In fact, I may become a stalker at that point and go onto Amazon and check the rankings of . . .
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May 10, 2018
Friday Feature Italian Meatloaf meal from Alicia Joseph
Guest
Alicia Joseph
Shares an
Italian Meatloaf meal
This is a delicious meal that my family loves. I love it because it’s easy and takes no time at all to prepare. Serve with mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. Don’t forget the Chianti. You deserve it.
ITALIAN MEATLOAF
2 slices rye bread
2 slices white bread
½ cup milk
1 medium onion, chopped fine
4 sprigs parsley, chopped fine
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. oregano or Italian seasoning
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Tear both breads into soft bread crumbs. Soak them in milk for about 5 minutes.
Combine onion, parsley, meat, cheese, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Drain milk from bread. Add bread to the bowl and mix until well blended. Shape into a loaf. Place in shallow baking dish. Dot with butter or margarine.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
Pour tomato sauce over the loaf and sprinkle with oregano or Italian seasoning.
Bake for 20 or 30 minutes longer or until done.
Mangiare Bene!
Alicia
Here’s a little from Alicia’s latest book.
“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.
Prologue
1993
I was jerked from my sleep while the phone was still buzzing its first high-piercing ring. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside my bed. It read 4:17 a.m. I knew something was wrong.
The second ring was abruptly broken up and my mother’s muffled voice carried into my room. I was already sitting upright in my bed when my bedroom door squeaked open. My mother’s slight figure appeared as a shadow near my door.
“Lyssa? You up?” she asked.
“What’s wrong?” My voice was no louder than a whisper.
I watched my mother slowly make her way into the dark room. I couldn’t make out the expression on her face, but the stiff movement of the outline of her body was hesitant.
She turned on the lamp and sat down beside me. Her face was pale. She let out short, shallow breaths. It seemed difficult for her to look me in the eyes.
“What is it?” I asked. “What’s happened?”
Finally, my mother looked at me with pain in her eyes. “Lyssa . . .” She smoothed her hand gently across my arm. “Abbey’s dead.”
I took in her words without an ounce of denial. The reality of what my mother had told me was instant.
My best friend was dead.
AMAZON BUY LINK
Alicia Joseph grew up in Westchester, Illinois. Her first novella, Her Name, was published by Musa Publishing in 2014. Her Name is a sweet, romantic story about a woman who believes the beautiful woman she dreams about is the real love of her life.
Loving Again is her second published novella. Alicia is currently working on a new novel called A Penny on the Tracks, a coming of age story about love and friendship. Alicia has many works-in-progress that she hopes to finish soon.
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 .
May 8, 2018
Wednesday Special Spotlight Marci Boudreaux #sweetromance #newrelease
Shines On
If sweet romance is your thing then this book is for you. Marci Boudreaux deals with real problems that people over twenty-five encounter and turns those situations into beautiful love stories. She is a writer you definitely want to read. Here’s a brief intro to her newest book.
Reporter Andrea Davidson isn’t running from her mistakes. There’s no escaping the career-ending mess she fell into back home. But she is moving forward, and is halfway to a new life in California when someone breaks into her motel room. She’s lost her computer and her dignity, but that’s only the beginning of her newest problem: local news editor Graham Bradley.
Graham Bradley doesn’t know a thing about the newspaper business. A widower with a promise to keep, he’s got more than just his own personal welfare riding on this small-town paper. The last thing he needs is a pushy woman with a secret in her past and a vicious red pen throwing all his mistakes and insecurities front and center on his desk. Faced with an impossible choice, Graham hires Andi, but hopes she’s not just the last-and maybe worst-in a long line of bad decisions.
Saving the small-town Gazette is the second chance both Andi and Graham need. But with bill collectors calling, Andi’s past catching up fast, and the chemistry between them making work next to impossible, will Andi and Graham get the second chance they both desperately need? Or will their demise be the next big headline?
Amazon Buy Link
As a teen, Marci Boudreaux skipped over young adult books and jumped right into the world of romance novels. She’s never left. Marci lives with her husband, two kiddos, and their numerous pets. She is a freelance writer appearing monthly in a variety of local magazines as well as a contest editor. She now focuses on writing and her work as a content editor.
Romance is her preferred reading and writing genre because nothing feels better than falling in love with someone new and her husband doesn’t like when she does that in real life.
Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.
May 7, 2018
Tell Again Tuesday Power of a good newsletter
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
By Rebecca Heflin
Never underestimate the power of a good newsletter. Sadly, with Facebook’s constantly-changing algorithms, your posts may be getting little-to-no-reach. But newsletters give you a direct line of communication to your readers. They are the perfect tool to announce new releases, contest wins, sales, or to simply share what’s new in your world. They can be sent monthly, quarterly, or whenever you have news.
So, what’s the skinny on newsletters? . . .
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May 3, 2018
Friday Feature Mediterranean #diet #recipe from Eris Field
Guest talks about
Baked Chicken with Artichokes and Tomatoes
by
Eris Field
After a long winter, one yearns for a light entrée with the magic combination of olive oil, lemon, garlic, and oregano (all part of the heart healthy/dementia defying Mediterranean diet) that will make you think of sunshine, soft breezes, and sand between your . . . toes. This recipe serves four.
Baked Chicken with Artichokes and Tomatoes
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ tbsp. lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ tsp salt and fresh pepper
2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
Pinch of salt and pepper
14 oz. can of artichokes, drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Combine drained tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Pound chicken breasts to even thickness between two sheets of waxed paper. Slice each breast into 2 horizontal pieces. Salt and pepper the meat.
Chop artichokes into smaller pieces. Put handful of artichoke in a casserole. Lay chicken over them. Scatter remaining artichokes over chicken. Cover with tomato mixture.
Bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over top and broil for 5 minutes or until golden.
Serve with noodles or pasta such as orzo.
At some time in our lives, many of us will be refugees–people fleeing from traumatic situations such wars, earthquakes, fires, floods, or the aftermath of debilitating illness, death, divorce or betrayal. Help for some may come from family members, friends, and spiritual leaders. Within the medical profession, it is often psychiatrists who help those who have been traumatized by such events. No Greater Love is a contemporary, international romance featuring a psychiatrist and a nurse who help those who are refugees only to discover that they are the only ones who can save each other. The story moves from East Aurora in Western New York to Leiden and Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
Descended from legendary Circassian beauties once sought for Sultans’ palaces, Janan, a survivor of an earthquake in Turkey that killed her family when she was eight years old, was adopted by an older, childless couple in East Aurora. Her adoptive father was raised with a cousin, Carl, who, in 1939 at the age of 5, had been sent from his home in Leiden by his Dutch-Jewish father to his uncle in the US to save him from Nazi occupation of The Netherlands. Now, 28 years old, Janan has spent her life working as a nurse, caring for her parents, and, after their deaths, helping the aging Carl.
When Pieter, a young Dutch psychiatrist who Carl mentored, comes to Buffalo to be evaluated at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, he meets Janan and knows the sweet power of love for the first time. He also knows that, even if he lives, treatment for leukemia may leave a man unable to father children.
Realizing she has fallen in love with Pieter and fearing that life is passing her by, Janan asks him for one night. During that one night, cloistered in Room 203 of the venerable Roycroft Inn, Pieter teaches Janan the eight different kisses of seduction. It is a night that changes the lives of all.
Amazon Buy Link
Eris Field was born in the Green Mountains of Vermont—Jericho, Vermont to be precise—close by the home of Wilson Bentley (aka Snowflake Bentley), the first person in the world to photograph snowflakes. She learned from her Vermont neighbors that pursuit of one’s dream is a worthwhile life goal.
As an impoverished student nurse at Albany Hospital, Eris met her future husband, an equally impoverished Turkish surgical intern who told her fascinating stories about the history of Turkey, the loss of the Ottoman Empire, and the painful experience of forced population exchanges.
After years of working as a nurse, teaching psychiatric nursing, and raising a family, Eris now writes novels–international, contemporary romances that incorporate her interest in psychiatry, history, people from different cultures, and the problems of refugees.
Although the characters in Eris’s novels are often from other countries—The Netherlands, Turkey, and Kurdistan— her novels are usually set in Western New York–The land of Father Baker, Jericho Road Refugee Center, the Buffalo Bills, Wings, and snow–chunky rain snow, lake-effect snow, horizontal snow, the snow of thunder snow storms, dry, fine snow, curtains of wet heavy snow, and whiteouts.
Learn more about Eris Field on her website. Stay connected on Facebook.
May 1, 2018
Wednesday Special Spotlight Chris Pavesic
Shines On
Chris Pavesic as the author to read when you want spellbinding stories with top-notch characters. Pavesic’s latest collection is powerful and showcases the true talent of this award-winning author.
In this wide-ranging collection of steampunk, dystopian, and fantasy short fiction, award-winning author Chris Pavesic presents vibrant female characters in compelling narratives. This rich compendium includes previously published stories as well as new fiction.
Praise for “Going Home“: “This is an excellent short story that is full of surprises for the reader. Martial law is about to be imposed in the colony. A secret room, trips on a train and a clandestine meeting are all part of this superb steampunk short story. Most highly recommended.”–Off Grid & Loving It
Praise for “The World in Front of Me“: “This reminded me a lot of the Lakeside community in Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, but I won’t say anymore about that for fear of giving away spoilers. But fans of Gaiman should really enjoy this story. Fans of strong women who make tough choices should enjoy this as well.”–Karissa Sluss, Author.
Praise for “Heart & Mind“: “The author has managed to weave an intricate web about being true to yourself. One shouldn’t be guided or led by others. Above all, feel the magic in your own heart.”–Chief, USN Ret…VT Town
AMAZON BUY LINK
Chris Pavesic is a fantasy author who lives in the Midwestern United States and loves Kona coffee, steampunk, fairy tales, and all types of speculative fiction. Between writing projects, Chris can most often be found reading, gaming, gardening, working on an endless list of DIY household projects, or hanging out with friends.
Learn more about Chris on her website and blog.
Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and her Amazon Author Page.
April 30, 2018
Tell Again Tuesday Leeches
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
Highlighting Petie McCarty’s research into Regency medicine and the use of (shudder) leeches.
Coming from a scientific background and career, I’m no stranger to research so I eagerly dove into research for weeks for each of my novels before the first draft ever started, checking everything from habitat and indigenous species to climatic conditions of the location chosen for the story. The level of research doubled with Duke du Jour as I immersed myself in the whole Regency era. What shocked the stuffing out of me was the background work I did for the humorous scene where my hero suffers a leech application after he faints upon. . .
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April 26, 2018
Friday Feature #breakfast with Lizzie T. Leaf
Guest talks about
Spicing up your morning with a breakfast sandwich
by
Lizzie T. Leaf
This recipe makes two amazing sandwiches.
Photo Courtesy of majacvetojevic Pixabay
SPICY BREAKFAST SANDWICHES
2 sausage patties
2 eggs
2 tbsp. butter
2 slider buns
2 tbsp. jalapeno cream cheese
2 tbsp. salsa
Preheat oven to 210° F.
Fry sausage on medium heat. Place pan in oven to keep warm while you continue.
Break eggs in a small bowl. Mix well. Melt butter in a small frying pan. Add eggs and scramble. Cut in half and then fold over. Place pan in oven to keep warm while you continue.
Spread cream cheese across the bottom of each bun. Smear salsa on top of cheese. Layer on sausage and then egg.
Place top bun on your masterpiece and indulge.
Here is a little from my latest spicy romantic release. I hope you enjoy it.
Following the Powers directive to unite soul mates, a Scottish Cailleach’s magic will have repercussions in several realms.
Mixed-blood author Ian McCabe, grandson of Fae and gods, tries to deny his powers while hiding his true origins from the human world. When he discovers mortal, Emma Grant unconscious at his front door, his world starts to change.
Tour director Emma Grant leads a group of senior ladies through Scotland. The breakdown of their bus on a rural Scottish backroad has her sloshing through the rain and mud on foot. Her efforts to seek help results in a fall that knocks her unconscious. She awakens to find the man of her dreams staring into her eyes.
Both feel an instant attraction, but will his secrets and her distrust of men keep them apart.
A few lines that tweak a grin.
Yep, at this rate, a long three weeks lay ahead. No one had told Emma that the dozen school teachers ranged in ages from sixty-nine to eighty-eight. Good grief, what happened to women at this age sitting on the front porch and enjoying their rocking chairs?
Mildred waved away the correction “Of course, dear. Whatever you say. I just want to know, will we see any men in kilts soon? I want to see what they wear under them.”
Dirty old woman. She asked that question at least half a dozen times before we got on the bus and stated the reason just as often.
Read the first chapter on Amazon.
To read excerpts from other books by Lizzie T. Leaf please click onto Amazon.
Lizzie T. Leaf loved books since she opened her first one. Her dream was to write them herself. Lost in the hectic day to day world of family, job, laundry and housework, writing became a distant memory. When the twinkling ember did spark, it was usually doused by someone demanding their share of her time.
Lizzie’s life went full circle. The desire to put the stories that continued to play in her head on paper emerged stronger than ever, and at a time when there was someone who encouraged. Now she lives her dream.
Learn more about Lizzie T. Leaf on her website and blog. Connect with Lizzie on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
April 24, 2018
Wednesday Special Spotlight #newbook by @pagehalffull Susan Lodge-Captain Rockford’s Reckoning
Shines On
New Release for International Best Selling author Susan Lodge! Crooked Cat Books is proud to release the brilliant historical romance Captain Rockford’s Reckoning . This book is bound to be another best seller for the creative Ms. Lodge.
Esmie Elstone is thrown into panic when she hears of Captain Rockford’s return. But she is determined that the days of him interfering with her life are over. Destroying her chances of a happy future on his last visit, had resulted in her being foisted on her Aunt for a third pointless season in London.
To alleviate the boredom of society life, Esmie helps run a discreet betting enterprise under the guise of a sewing club. But there are some things you just shouldn’t wager on, and Esmie’s integrity is soon put to a dangerous test.
Richard Rockford had known Esmie almost all her life. As neighbours, Admiral Elstone had depended on Richard to keep an eye on his daughter when he was away at sea. The responsibility he had always taken on willingly. But her cruel and thoughtless actions, from the day he had left four years ago, had shaken him. Now he was back and wanting answers.
But when Esmie tumbles into a treacherous conspiracy, can he really turn his back on her?
AMAZON Buy Link
Susan Lodge’s first publishing success was a story purchased by a major UK magazine followed by a drawer full of rejections. Finally a breakthrough gave her the confidence to seek and secure a publisher for her historical romance novels Only a Hero Will Do and Rebellious Cargo.
After working in several cities including London and Bristol, she and her husband moved down to the Hampshire coast to raise their family.
Learn more about Susan and her books on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter and her Amazon Author Page.
April 23, 2018
Tell Again Tuesday This Takes Work
A blog series where we shamelessly share posts from others that we have enjoyed.
9 Similarities Between Blogging & Relationships
By Lucy Mitchell
Here are some similarities between blogging and relationships:
1.In a relationship there will be some special moments leaving you breathless and tingling; a surprise romantic dinner, a love note pinned to the fridge, hand holding in the cinema and a smouldering look across a busy bar. Once you have a blog you will also experience. . .
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