C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 18
July 29, 2024
Tell Again Tuesday What time is it?
Could you time travel?
Decisions, decisions…By Cindy Tomamichel
Travel to a different country is often mind blowing enough to disorientate a person. New food, climate, language and the loss of the familiar is all a lot to take in. Imagine how much harder it would be to travel in time. What sort of personality would adapt, and who would fail? . . .
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July 25, 2024
Friday Feature New Book
Be sure to get your copy today!
On Wednesday April 24th our new book Ghosts and Gardenias, the first book in our Haunting of Garnoa Road Series.[image error]went live on Amazon. Available now on your Kindle or in print for a short period.
One reader said the book is, “Fun filled, fast paced…”Another reader said the book is, “An excellent and enjoyable read! From the first page to the last, it grabbed my attention and refused to let go. The storyline is awesome!”“You’ll be rooting for the heroine, but there will be a roller coaster of twists and turns.” From another reviewer.Here is a sampling:Susan longed to feel the antique silk touching her body. She flipped her long hair behind her shoulders, then held the dress to her chest measuring the tiny waist to her own. The dress might fit, at least for as long as she could hold her breath.
The gardenia scent grew stronger. Susan twirled around to face the cheval mirror, the dress still held to her. The last rays of the evening sun, coming through a rip in the attic window curtain, glinted off the mirror, blinding her for a moment. She touched the glass, gasping when her hands met the ice-cold edge. Rubbing the goose bumps on her arms she took two steps backward.
Her reflection, misty and spotted by the mirror’s worn silver backing, stared at her. When she stepped closer to the mirror the image blurred even more. She blinked, trying to clear her vision.
As she reached for the mirror, the gardenia scent changed from pungent to rotting. Another flash of light glinted off the mirror. Susan’s breath caught in her chest as she tried to sort out what she saw. Two overlaid images, both her yet different, stared from the silvered glass.
The more prominent image wore a pristine version of the dress Susan held to her body. No yellowed streaks marred the silk. The lace caplet billowed around her shoulders as though caught in a breeze stirred by a midsummer storm. Mahogany curls adorned her head like a crown—a sharp contrast to Susan’s long, flowing hair. A pair of green eyes, a near match to her emerald ones, stared out of the mirror.
Heart racing, Susan clutched the fabric in her fist. She moved to the right. The two images parted briefly then merged. She moved to the left. The same thing happened. Squeezing her eyes shut, Susan willed her pounding heart to slow and ignored her instinct to drop the dress and run.
A trick of the light. Nothing weird is happening. There’s a rational, logical explanation.
Gathering her courage, Susan fluttered her eyes open and peeked at the mirror. Her reflection had been replaced by the Victorian woman. A low moan rolled from the glass. Dropping the gown on the floor Susan skittered backward.
If this taste interest you in our newest book Ghosts and Gardenias is available now on Amazon, the first book in our Haunting of Garnoa Road Series.
Here is the links for our other books to add to your collection:
You can find our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
July 23, 2024
Wednesday Special Spotlight Breakfast Made Better
who loves cooking and sharing a new book.
I love to cook, especially when the dish is easy, and this one is. My family enjoys these omelets for breakfast or lunch. For breakfast I add a fruit salad and toast. Lunch is when I include a small green salad, or sautéed green veggie, and a croissant to round out the meal.
Fluffy Omelet
2 eggs per person*
1 tsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
Pinch of salt
⅓ cup shredded Mozzarella or your preferred cheese
⅓ cup thinly sliced sauteed mushrooms, optional
¼ cup of chopped green bell peppers, optional
Use two bowls to separate egg whites from yolks.
Add a pinch of salt to the whites then beat them with hand mixer on high speed until it forms firm peaks.
Add yolks, one at a time, and continue to beat at low speed until well blended.
Warm a skillet on medium heat, add butter and olive oil. Turn the heat to low and pour in eggs. Cover with lid and let it set 2 – 3 min.
Sprinkle on cheese.
Scatter sauteed mushrooms and bell pepper across the omelet.
Cover for another 1 min, then use a spatula to flip over half of the omelet. Turn the omelet over and cook for 1 min.
*I use large brown eggs straight out of the refrigerator.
Here is a peek at my new series, the Rostoff Family Saga. New Dawn is book one soon to be followed by New Hope, New Life, and New Horizon.
Love wasn’t part of their agreement.
Neither was being caught in a brutal web of lies.
International playboy and owner of a jewelry empire that spreads across three continents, Dmitry Rostoff holds a memory close to this heart that not even his best friend Vlad Albrecht knows. When Dmitry learns the Russian ballerina, he had a passionate affair with died in childbirth, bitterness and hate overrule all other emotions.
Taking the baby out of Russia is an impossible snarl of red tape, but Dmitry gets his way, even if he leaves a trail of chaos in his wake.
Natasha Sokolova planned to turn over the baby to Dmitry then walk away. Instead, she is on a plane to San Francisco with the baby and a cold, emotionless man who makes her heart pound with scorching attraction.
The family matriarch and evil to her core Elizabeth Rostoff plots to gain control of the baby, no matter what it costs or who it hurts, and will do anything to make that happen. She blackmails Marie Dubois, the manager of their elite Paris store, to seduce Dmitry. But Marie reneges on the deal when former Special Forces officer Vlad Albrecht storms into her life.
Once in America, Natasha finds herself entangled in a sticky web of lies created by the brutally calculating family matriarch. A web that forces Natasha to make a heartbreaking deal with the devil to protect the children—and man—she’s come to love.
AMAZON BUY LINK and OTHER SUPPLIERS
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 with her husband. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Leo of 25 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.
July 22, 2024
Tell Again Tuesday What’s more fun?
Creative WritingBy Cindy Tomamichel
So, want to know a good way to get instant imposter syndrome? Say yes to teaching a course in the topic! I was asked recently to teach a class in creative writing at my local community centre, and happily agreed. After all – what can be more fun than writing? Talking about writing, that’s what!
Oh, my sweet summer child. I weep . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:July 18, 2024
Friday Feature Gardening Tips
Theme gardens can be fun for adventurous gardeners who want to shake things up.
Colorful annuals. Their raison d’etra, reason for living, is to bloom and
make seeds. To keep them full of their bright and beautiful blossoms frequent culling
of the old blooms is the s secret. Paying attention to color combinations will
enhance bedding petunias such as blue and yellow; red, white and blue; primary
colors-red, yellow and blue; all pastels.
Perennials are friends forever. The trick here is to plant staggered bloomers. Daffodils and tulips for spring give way to lupine and peonies in April and May. June is for roses (and brides) and July owns lilies. Hibiscus and other members of the family (Rose of Sharon) for late summer, and we all appreciate summer’s wind up with splashes of intensely colored mums and sunflowers. There are many beautiful perennials to be planted in between. Careful attention to foliage varieties is also important for a successful perennial bed: spiky Crocosmia, spreading Dianthus, and pretty round-leafed Baptismia australis which has an herbal gray cast to its foliage.
Butterfly and humming bird gardens are always fun. Certainly the tiny hummers appreciate blooms where they can dip in and steal a drop of nectar, but I’ve seen them take a tiny taste of flat but colorful yarrow. My son gifts me a huge fuchsia for Mother’s Day which is the very day I usually spot the first humming bird. They love this plant! Hummers prefer trumpet shaped blooms they can dip their long bills to drink the nectar, but I have observed them sipping from a daisy.
Shade gardens are wonderful underneath shaded walkways. Besides the enormous varieties of hosta, spring bulbs can be followed with blue bells and other shade loving perennials. Brunneria is a precious substitute for hosta. Deer treat it with disdain. Begonias have a large variety for annual shade; my favorite is non-stop begonia in their vivid colors. Spring blooming shrubs are glorious such as rhododendrons, azaleas, dogwood and many others that liven up the woods before the trees leaf out.
Cutting gardens are wonderful for those who appreciate fresh cut bouquets for inside. Reserve a bed especially for: gladiola, tall zinnias, phlox, sunflowers, snapdragons, lisianthus, lilies, just a few of the varieties that are splendid cut flowers.
… which leads me to call attention to my latest Cozy Adventure/ Mystery, Whispers of Danger and Love.
The heroine is a landscape architect who speaks gardening. She struggles with a client who demands a cutting garden mid summer, (and a hunky detective who seems bound to destroy her plants.) I enjoyed relaxing in her garden even as I created it from my own imaginings. It was also fun to watch the sparks fly between a couple who knew each other as children but must readjust their thinking as adults.
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.
July 16, 2024
Wednesday Special Spotlight a C.D. Hersh family #recipe
CALICO FUDGE
1½ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. peanut butter
12 marshmallows, cut into pieces
Cook milk, sugars, and salt to soft ball stage. Remove from heat.
Add butter and peanut butter. Beat until creamy.
Lay marshmallows one inch apart in a greased pan. Pour fudge over the marshmallows.
Cut into squares when cold.
Here is a little about our paranormal series, The Turning Stone Chronicles.
We hope you enjoy it.
Three ancient Celtic families. A magical Bloodstone that enables the wearers to shape shift. A charge to use the stone’s power to benefit mankind, and a battle, that is going on even today, to control the world. Can the Secret Society of shape shifters called the Turning Stone Society heal itself and bring peace to our world? Find out in the series The Turning Stone Chronicles series.
Links for our other books are on our book page or under the menu at the top of the post.
July 15, 2024
Tell Again Tuesday 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid
Playing Chess and WritingBy Winnie Griggs
Hi everyone! Winnie Griggs here. I hope you all had a fabulous Independence day and took a moment amid your celebrations to give thanks for this wonderful country we live in.
As I’ve mentioned before, the first book in my new Sweetbrier Creek series, An Amish Christmas Match, will be coming out on Sept 24th. The hero, Seth Beiler, makes hand carved chess sets and chess actually plays a big part in the story. So today I thought it would be fun to do a post that’s a little bit different – I call it How Playing Chess Is Like Writing A Book
I do play chess, but it’s been years since I’ve actually played the game and I was a mid-level player at best. But I did enjoy the challenge and the need to think strategically, to try to see several moves ahead.
At first glance, chess and writing a book might seem worlds apart. However . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:July 11, 2024
Friday Feature A Glimpse of Living with a Blonde
Now before anyone gets upset, this was approved, reviewed, critiqued, and edited by the “C” of C.D. Hersh, Catherine, who happens to be my wife.
Oh, did I mention she is blonde? There are all kinds of blonde stories, some good some bad, but you always wonder if they are really true. Well, the one I’m about to relate is true and Catherine will confirm it, if asked.
First, a bit of background. Several years ago while we were writing Blood Brothers, the second book in our series, The Turning Stone Chronicles, we made a trip to Cleveland, Ohio for a conference and research. Our series is based in Cleveland, so we wanted to get a look at the location. We spent a day driving around the city. Noting where various important landmarks were and what was close by. All to make the book more authentic.
Now for the story. That year’s Christmas letter, which Catherine always writes and I proof read, gave me a big laugh. Catherine came running into my office wanting to know what I found that was so funny. I told her she had stated we had been to Cleveland three times that year doing research on our book.
She said, “Yesssss?”
Me, “We didn’t go to Cleveland three times.”
“Oh yes we did,” she replied. “Once we drove all over downtown, then we went to the restaurant district and then to the shipping area where we staged the fight scene.”
“We only did the drive all over downtown.” I replied. “The other times we went via Google street maps in my office.”
“Huh, no we didn’t. I got street names and restaurant names on the second trip and the third helped solidify what the buildings looked like in the area for the fight.”
“No, dear,” I calmly replied. “Those other trips we sat in my office with the dual screens, one facing your side of the desk. We did spend most of two days, but we didn’t leave the house.”
“But, but,” my blonde wife replied.
“Here, look at our travel log for the year. One trip to Cleveland.”
“Oh,” she replied, defeated. “I guess I’m being blonde.”
And that folks is what a glimpse of living with a blonde is like.
Here is a little about our paranormal series, The Turning Stone Chronicles .We hope you enjoy it.
Three ancient Celtic families. A magical Bloodstone that enables the wearers to shape shift. A charge to use the stone’s power to benefit mankind, and a battle, that is going on even today, to control the world. Can the Secret Society of shape shifters called the Turning Stone Society heal itself and bring peace to our world? Find out in the series The Turning Stone Chronicles.
The Promised One, book one:
When homicide detective Alexi Jordan is forced to use her shape shifting powers to catch a paranormal killer, she risks the two most important things in her life—her badge and the man she loves.
Blood Brothers, book two:
Shape shifter Delaney Ramsey’s daughter is missing, and she is bound by honor to protect the man she suspects of the deed. To bring him to justice, she must go against her code, the leader of the secret shifter society, and the police captain she is falling for.
Son of the Moonless Night, book three:
Thrust back into the world of paranormal huntress, Deputy Coroner Katrina Romanovski must unravel a string of murders she believes are vampire attacks. When she discovers the shape shifter she’s in love with is the murderer, she must reconcile her feelings for him, examine her life of violence against paranormals, and justify deceiving him in order to bring him to justice.
The Mercenary and the Shifters, book four:
A desperate call from an ex-military buddy lands a mercenary soldier in the middle of a double kidnapping, caught in an ancient shape shifter war, and ensnared between two female shape shifters after the same thing … him.
July 9, 2024
Let’s Get This Cookbook Party Started
Who doesn’t love the Christmas holidays? Wait you say this is the middle of summer. What better time to start thinking about what you’re going to do than now. Plan ahead!
Best part of the holidays is you get to bond with family and friends, shop till you drop for that perfect gift, decorate the house to your heart’s desire, plan a meal worthy of gracing your table, and attend all those fabulous parties. Wait…hope I didn’t exhaust you already? Yes, we ALL love holidays and celebrations, no matter what time of year they fall, but it can get a little (okay, a lot) overwhelming when it comes time to prepare for those holiday meals and parties when you’re working a full-time job, and taking care of your family’s needs.
How about some relief from the stress and pressure of figuring out what to serve your hungry guests during holiday get-togethers, events, or celebrations?
Cue a holiday-inspired cookbook written by the following thirteen busy authors, of various ages and genres:
Carol BrowneHL Carpenter
Sara Daniel
Dominique Eastwick
Leigh Goff
C.D. Hersh
Vonnie Hughes
Alicia Joseph
Emma Lane
Sharon Ledwith
Anne Montgomery
Chris Pavesic
Sloane Taylor
These wonderful writers have created recipes that will make your life easy and simple when it comes time to prepare tantalizing appetizers, tasty beverages, mouth-watering cookies, and decadent desserts.
The ABCDs of Cooking with Writers is your go-to recipe book for entertaining over the holiday seasons, hosting events, or celebrating that special day. Compiled by Sloane Taylor—a gourmet cook in her own right—and designed by mother-daughter duo HL Carpenter, the included recipes have been tested and approved of by the most finicky family members. Oh, and did I mention that it is FREE!
So why not have your cake and eat it too? Yes, pun intended. You’ve got nothing to lose, and time to gain when you download The ABCDs of Cooking with Writers. There’s a recipe for every holiday, celebration, or event in your life. Give yourself a gift this holiday season with a cookbook from thirteen writers who share their favorite recipes and tips to help relieve the stress in your busy life.
Download your FREE E-Pub cookbook at Smashwords.
July 8, 2024
Tell Again Tuesday Author Rewards
5 Unexpected Blessings of Being an AuthorBy Julie Klassen
Become a published author is my lifelong dream come true. I have written stories from a young age and, if I’m honest, wanted the pleasure of seeing something I wrote on a library shelf or in a bookstore. But over the years I’ve realized there are far greater pleasures and blessings on this writing journey. Here are just five of them, in no particular order: . . .
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