C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 27
February 27, 2024
Wednesday Special Spotlight Bite into Something Delicious
Cookies are high up on my family’s snack list. Heck, some would consider them a breakfast. These oatmeal cookies can be served as both. They are so easy to make, and you can use only chocolate chips, raisins, or leave out both if you prefer. Make the combo your own.
Did I mention these tasty morsels possess soft centers, crispy edges, and a mind-boggling chewy texture? Well, I just did. Wink. Face it. These cookies are a family favorite for a reason, and now they can be your family’s favorite, if you dare to wander into the uncharted territory of baking from scratch.
With a prep time of 15 minutes, chill time of 1 hour, and cook time of 10 minutes, they’re the perfect cookies for impromptu bake sales for your kids. Eat them either warm and fresh or prepare these treats in advance for family gatherings or a much-needed dessert when someone pops by unexpectedly. You’ll be glad you did.
Thumbs up Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour, leveled
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup raisins
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium size bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes.
Add egg and vanilla. Mix until creamy and well combined, about 1 minute.
Blend in flour mixture and mix on low speed just until incorporated, about 30-60 seconds. Stir in the oats until combined.
Then add the chocolate chips and raisins and mix until well distributed. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Scoop 16 equal-sized balls (about 2 tablespoons/45g) of cookie dough, roll into even balls, and place 6-8 cookies, about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart, on each prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with your fingers. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes or until edges of the cookies are set and lightly browned, and the centers look under-baked, pale, puffy, and dry.
Remove baking sheet from the oven and let cookies cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes, or until firm enough to move. Transfer them to a wire rack and let cool completely. The cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
While you’re waiting for the cookie dough to chill, pop on the kettle or turn on the coffee pot and settle into your favorite chair with one of my books. May I suggest a nostalgic visit to mysterious Fairy Falls or perhaps go back in time with The Last Timekeepers? Just remember to keep some cookies for yourself. After all, you deserve a break from the craziness of the world.
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading, researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and a moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.
BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE
February 26, 2024
Tell Again Tuesday How do you write?
Story ShiftBy D’Ann Mater
There are two kinds of writers in this world. Well, perhaps three.
Plotters
Pantsers
Hybrids
Plotters plan the story before writing. They know where it’s going and what comes next.
Pantsers are those who write “by the seat of their pants.” They have an idea, sometimes very detailed, but they simply start writing and let the story play out on the page.
Hybrids are those who do a little of both.
I’m a pantser, through and thought. Not that I haven’t plotted. My books with Guideposts required a fair amount of plotting for approval of the story. But apart from God’s grace, that is not my method.
Instead, I . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:February 22, 2024
Friday Feature Cover Reveal
On June 6th, 2024, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, my new historical fiction novel will be released. Your Forgotten Sons details the life of Sergeant Joseph “Bud” Richardville who was drafted into the Graves Registration Service as the Allies prepared for the invasion of Europe.
Bud’s story came to me via a packet of letters in a Ziplock bag, correspondences that were lovingly preserved by his family members and entrusted to me in the hope that I would tell Bud’s story and that of the men with whom he served.
And now I have.
I want to thank the artistes at Next Chapter Publishing for producing such a lovely and poignant cover.
Your Forgotten Sons
Inspired by a true story
Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to the Graves Registration Service where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?
Pre-Order your copy todayAnne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.
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.
February 20, 2024
Wednesday Special Spotlight Enjoy a Bewitching February
A forbidden love. A dark curse. An impossible choice…
Descended from a powerful Wethersfield witch, sixteen-year-old Sophie is struggling to hide her awkwardly emerging magic, but that’s the least of her worries. When a dangerous thief tries to steal her mysterious heirloom necklace, she is rescued by the one person she’s forbidden to fall for, a descendant of the man who condemned her ancestor to hang. He carries a dark secret that could destroy them both unless Sophie learns how to tap into the mysterious power of her diamond bloodcharm. She will have to uncover dark secrets from both of their families’ wicked pasts and risk everything, including her soul to save them from a witch’s true love curse, but it will take much more than that.
February is for bewitching romances–get Disenchanted, a YA witchy fantasy romance inspired by the historic Wethersfield Witch Trials–available in paperback and e-book at Mirror World Publishing and Amazon!
Leigh Goff writes young adult fiction. She is a graduate from the University of Maryland and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI).
Born and raised on the East Coast, she now lives in Maryland where she and her husband enjoy the area’s great history and culture.
Learn more about Leigh Goff on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.
February 19, 2024
Tell Again Tuesday Catching your dream
Fun Friday!By Joanne Guidoccio
February 15, 2024
Friday Feature Writer’s Imagination
People frequently ask how and where we got our ideas to write one story let alone a series. Honestly, sometimes it’s not easy, almost like ramming your head into a huge cement abutment. Yet thankfully, storylines and scenes magically appear in our minds. Sometimes more than we want.
Every book demands who, what, where, and why. The plotline. From time to time that necessity confuses those images into a gnarled mess but, we work through it.
So how do we find ideas that allow our imaginations to run rampant? Magazines, movie credits and old telephone books are marvelous for coming up with character names. Be sure to follow the mix and match theory. That means do not use the full name of any one person or you might find you have a lawsuit in the making.
We love to travel and a billboard often sparks our imaginations or other people on the road, even pit stops offer fodder for a new story. Those diners and rest stops are a wealth of fodder to an author.
The grocery store is another great place to gain ideas. For example – the next time you’re in the store take a good look at the lady scanning your purchases or maybe it’s the bagger who draws your attention. Maybe on this trip you notice something different about one or the other. Maybe something different in her dark brown eyes as if they’re hiding a secret. Of course, you can’t ask, so you allow your imagination to take over. What if she’s a crime stopper by night? After a hard day on her feet, she shrugs out of her sweat-filled uniform then into black jeans, a black turtleneck, and low-heeled boots. She shakes out her chocolate brown hair from its topknot and it cascades to her shoulders…You get the idea.
As writing partners, we bounce ideas off each other with the C in C.D. Hersh writing notes as we drive down the road. After a few days or so we revisit C’s list and start the occasionally wonderful, but more often heart wrenching, practice of elimination. After all, what writer doesn’t love his/her words? We do our best not to judge or tick off each other too much since we’re married. Besides, we love each other and seeing one another happy makes us happy.
Here is a little about our shapeshifter series on Amazon. We hope you enjoy reading about them as much as we did writing them.
TITLE: The Turning Stone Chronicles
GENRE: Urban fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
HEAT LEVEL: Sensual
Three ancient Celtic families. A magical Bloodstone ring 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 our paranormal romance series The Turning Stone Chronicles available on Amazon.
You can find our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
February 13, 2024
Wednesday Special Spotlight Valentine Gifts
Valentine’s Day is TODAY. Maybe you’ve received flowers or candy or jewelry or even a new electronic device for a past Valentine’s Day. In fact, what you got might just be the most memorable gift you’ve ever received, or perhaps it was the gift of your heart.
Today I have a date for breakfast out, a movie and dinner. My sweetie-pie hubby is a romantic that has done some special things over the years but, never the same thing two years in a row.
Several years ago I got the offer of breakfast out and whatever gift I wanted. I’d been thinking a lot about it. A diamond tennis bracelet was high on the list until I saw the price. I wandered through the gift shop at Cracker Barrel where we had breakfast and a turquoise scarf caught my eye, but it wasn’t anything that said “That’s the gift!”, so we left with full tummies and empty hands.
Hubby had to get something at Home Depot so I wandered through the seed section and purchased some peas, carrots beans, cucumbers and zucchini seeds for my garden, but those didn’t fall in the gift category.
Then, as we were leaving the store I saw it—the gift of my heart for that Valentine’s Day.
You might wonder what I’d find in Home Depot. In fact, if my husband told his friends he got me a Valentine’s gift from Home Depot, they’d probably hoot him out of the room. But, there it was—an anthurium.
“You don’t have any more room for plants,” my husband said. And he’s right. My window sills are crammed full. I tried to walk away, but the plant kept calling to me, so I went back and picked it up.
This Valentine’s Day gift didn’t cost a lot of money. But every time I look at it reminds me of my mother, who received an anthurium from Dad when I was young. I can see that flower so clearly in my mind’s eye. It’s the one Valentine image from my youth that has stayed with me.
Another Valentine gift that didn’t cost much also remains lodged in my memory: A jar of green olives for my mother and a second jar of black olives for me. If you think those are odd gifts consider the fact that my husband and father were out together shopping for gifts for Valentine’s Day. Mom had recently been diagnosed with diabetes, so candy was out. At the time neither my dad nor my husband had a lot of money to spend. While in the pickle aisle of the grocery store, one of them said, “They like olives, don’t they?” And so it came to pass that we got olives and cards for Valentine’s Day that year.
As romance writers it’s easy to stress the bigger than life aspect of love—the stars-in-their-eyes, hot, lustful can’t-keep their-hands-off-each-other part of romance. In our efforts to make the love stories passionate and keep things moving, I think we sometimes miss the heart of the love.
Olives for Valentines were strange gifts, I know, but the gift wasn’t the important issue that year. What counted was my husband and my father tried to give Mom and me something they knew we would like. That year I learned a big lesson about gifts, love, and Valentines.
Gifts don’t always come in fancy packages that have hefty price tags. Love doesn’t always have to be hot, lustful, or starry-eyed. And the best Valentine is about caring and being with the one you love, no matter what stage of life, love, or romance you are in.
When I look at my anthurium I’ll remember that … and two jars of olives.
Have you read a story where something has been inserted about a “special” day or gift that made the characters seem genuine? Share your story in the comments with us.
Perhaps a book that we’ve written would give you your valentine gift. While our series is a paranormal genre, there are love stories in each one. You can find our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
February 12, 2024
Tell Again Tuesday Writing
Cultivating Generosity in the Writing Community: 4 Mindset ShiftsBy Rachel Toalson
Writing can be a lonely pursuit.
Composing books requires hours of solitary work, shutting ourselves away for short 10-minute bursts or hour-long sessions. And not just one shut-away chunk of time. Hundreds. More.
I don’t mind being alone. I’m a solitary person. I run alone, spend the bulk of my weekdays alone while my kids are in school, write alone (most of the time). I live in a house full of people, and maybe that’s why this alone-time is so valuable to me. My days are also filled with . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:February 8, 2024
Friday Feature Picking a genre is No Easy Task
The moment I mention the impending arrival of a new book, prospective readers ask, “What’s the genre?”
“Well, um…it’s hard to say,” I respond, staring at my shoes, wondering why such a simple question has no equally simple answer.
I have a tendency to write stories without giving thought to where they might fit in literary culture. So far, my titles have been variously listed as soft-thriller, contemporary fiction, romantic suspense, historical fiction, women’s fiction, and young adult fiction. So you can see why labeling my work tends to make my head spin.
Still, identifying a genre for your novel is important.
A Light in the Desert is a suspense novel.
“We use genre as a way to identify the category of a book. Where it should be sold in a store. Or who its competition will be,” long-time literary agent Steve Laub wrote in his blog article Does Genre Matter? “The best way to describe it is to say that publishers and booksellers sell books out of boxes. The boxes are labeled “Romance” “Thriller” “Mystery” etc. Before we resist that exercise I would claim that we consumers buy books out of those boxes. It is quite possible that the boxes were created by us (the consumers).”
Wild Horses on the Salt has been called women’s fiction and suspense with a touch of romance.
There is some dispute about which English book should be called the first novel. Some believe Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote of La Mancha, published in 1605, deserves the honor. Others opine that Daniel Defoe’s 1719 Robinson Crusoe should get the nod. Either way, neither author had to think too hard about genre.
“In 1719, when “Robinson Crusoe” appeared, many people considered “the novel,” in itself, to be a genre,” said Joshua Rothman in his The New Yorker article titled A Better Way to Think About The Genre Debate. “The novel was a new thing—a long, fictitious, drama-filled work of prose—and its competitors were other prose genres: histories, biographies, political tracts, sermons, testimonies about travel to far-off lands. What set the novel apart from those other prose genres was its ostentatious fictitiousness.”
Clearly, modern-day authors can find labeling their work infinitely more complicated than those early novelists. Look at today’s overwhelming number of possible fiction genres. The Book Industry Study Group’s list of fiction topics includes approximately 140 genres, all of which can be combined in what seems like a never-ending number of possibilities.
The Scent of Rain was marketed as young-adult fiction.
I’ll admit, sometimes I’m jealous of my romance-writer friends, their covers bursting with muscled torsos and over-flowing bodices that leave not a hint of confusion about what type of story resides inside. Still, as difficult as pinning down that perfect genre might be, there’s no way around it, especially if you want to contact agents, or publishers, or editors, or reviewers, because those folks are pretty specific about the types of book they’re interested in. If you want to be considered an amateur in the publishing world, go ahead and send a query about your sci-fi, apocalyptic, young adult romance to someone who has made clear their genre of choice is Regency historical fiction. (And you were wondering why you hadn’t heard back.)
While some authors may be tempted to leave the genre decision to others, remember you wrote the book. You know the story and the characters better than anyone. Ultimately, you should choose. An article on the blog Rock Your Writing called How To Figure Out Your Book’s Genre suggests you consider, “who is the mostly likely to seek out this particular type of book, buy this type of book, and enjoy this type of book.”
While the decision on genre is yours, it’s the reader we authors need to consider, because, as Laub pointed out, if our “baby” is in the wrong box, maybe those readers won’t find it.
The Castle is contemporary women’s fiction/suspense
Ancient ruins, haunted memories, and a ruthless criminal combine with a touch of mystic presence in this taut mystery about a crime we all must address.
Maggie, a National Park Ranger, is back at the Castle – an ancient Native American pueblo carved into the face of a limestone cliff in Arizona. Maggie, who suffers from depression, has been through several traumas: the gang rape she suffered while in the Coast Guard, the sudden death of her ten-year-old son, and a suicide attempt. As part of her therapy Maggie volunteers at the local rape crisis clinic.
Maggie has several men in her life. The baker, newcomer Jim Casey, always greets her with a warm smile and fills pink boxes with sweet delicacies. Brett Collins, a scuba diver, is doing scientific studies in Montezuma Well, a dangerous cylindrical depression that houses a deep spring filled with strange creatures found nowhere else on Earth. Then there’s Dave, with whom she’s had a one-night stand, and her new boss Glen.
One of these men is a serial rapist, and Maggie is his next target.
This is my latest release. It’s Native American Literature and U.S. Historical Fiction. Picking a genre definitely is not easy.
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, archaeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate beadwork, 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 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.
February 6, 2024
Wednesday Special Spotlight Home-Style Dinner in a Bowl
This one-pot Ham and Split Pea Soup is tremendously heart-warming and comforting, and absolutely ideal to make with that leftover holiday ham. Healthy and delicious this hearty soup is loaded with tender split peas, tasty ham, and lots of veggies for lunch or dinner! Soak the split peas the night before for a total of 10 hours before you begin. With a prep time of 15 minutes and a cook time of 2 hours, 5 minutes, this mouth-watering ‘meal in a bowl’ serves 6 of your closest pod members and freezes easily. Perfect for those looking to shed those pounds and want to eat healthier. I’d say that’s a win-win, wouldn’t you?
Home-Style Ham and Split Pea Soup
2 cups dried split peas, green or yellow2 tsp. olive oil1 large onion, chopped3 ribs celery, chopped2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped3 cloves garlic, minced4 cups chicken broth, low sodium or no sodium added4 cups water1 bay leaf½ tsp. dried thymeSalt and pepper to taste1½ pounds meaty ham bone or ham shanksSoak the split peas. Add the split peas to a pot and cover with 2 quarts of cold water. Soak overnight.
Sauté vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds or until aromatic.
Add remaining ingredients. Pour in the chicken broth, water, and stir. Add the split peas, bay leaf, dried thyme, and ham bone. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 1 ½ hours.
Finish the soup. Carefully remove the bone from the soup, cut off the meat, and dice it. Return the meat back to the soup. Cook on low for another 30 minutes or until soup has thickened. Discard bay leaf and serve.
NOTES:
Always rinse your peas thoroughly before soaking or cooking to remove any dirt particles.
If it looks like your soup is too watery, remember the longer it cooks, the thicker it gets.
Add a little smoked paprika to the soup to enhance the smokiness of the ham.
If you don’t have enough ham, add some cooked bacon to amp up the flavor.
This soup can be kept refrigerated for about a week, or frozen for up to 3 months.
While you’re waiting on your soup to cook, how about taking a break by delving into one of my books? May I suggest a visit to Fairy Falls, or if you’re feeling really adventurous, a trip back in time with The Last Timekeepers? Whichever you choose, either series will entertain and engage, pulling you into another time and a different place.
Here’s a glimpse of the premises of both my young adult series.The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures
Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past to restore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.
Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.
Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries
Imagine a teenager possessing a psychic ability and struggling to cope with its freakish power. There’s no hope for a normal life, and no one who understands. Now, imagine being uprooted and forced to live in a small tourist town where nothing much ever happens. It’s bores-ville from the get-go. Until mysterious things start to happen.
Welcome to Fairy Falls. Expect the unexpected.
The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:
The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book #3
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book #2 Buy Links:
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The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book #1 Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
Legend of the Timekeepers, prequel Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mystery Series:
Lost and Found, Book One Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
Blackflies and Blueberries, Book Two Buy Links:
MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading, researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and a moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.
BONUS: Download the free PDF short story The Terrible, Mighty Crystal HERE
