C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 32
August 28, 2023
Tell Again Tuesday What do you do if you’re stuck?
The Hole in Your Goal By Greer Macallister
Right now, I’m in one of my favorite stages of the writing process: the early first draft. I’ve chosen the subject, done the research, loosely outlined what needs to happen when, and picked my beginning and ending points. And now I’m just cranking, cranking, cranking out the words as fast as I can.
I write out of order. Always have. So at this stage, as I craft a scene, if I get stuck or things just aren’t seeming right, guess what? I just . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
August 24, 2023
Friday Feature COVER REVEAL New Book Release
Regency romance author Emma Lane and Soul Mate Publishing are proud to share the cover for The Baron and The Vicar’s Daughter. Here’s a peek at this new book.
Lord Sutcliffe meets a pretty miss on a dusty country road and rescues her from an embarrassing dilemma. It must have been magic as his intention was only to steal a quick buss. Instead, he is astonished to find himself involved in a passionate kiss which leaves him shaken to the core. Frances, the vicar’s eldest daughter, should have put that impudent, frivolous lord in his place. Why she responded to his kiss the way she did, she’d never know, only that the feelings were too delicious to resist.
Frances consumed with prejudice and the baron filled with pride enter a relationship which begins with them both skeptical they would ever measure up to the roles they are destined to play. What did he know of estate matters? He was born a military man. How could he convince a vicar’s daughter to join him and fill his lonely days as well as the long nights? Will her quest to fill her mother’s shoes cause Frances to turn away from the passionate, happily ever after love of her own so freely offered?
This book is dedicated to young love everywhere and to a special young lady, ERM. Many thanks to an understanding publisher and her staff.
Amazon buy link.
Janis Lane is the penname for gifted author Emma Lane who writes cozy mysteries as Janis, 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.
August 22, 2023
Wednesday Special Spotlight You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto
I didn’t plant tomatoes this season, but at summer’s end, little bundles of them in paper or plastic bags will show up at my back gate, the largesse of my sweet neighbors and friends. I am prepared for the bounty better than in previous years, because I came across an intriguing and simple recipe to preserve them found in the Spring/Summer 1995 issue of “The Cook’s Garden” catalog that has been tucked away and forgotten among my cookbooks all this time. Sadly, at least from my perspective, the “Cook’s Garden,” the mail-order and seed supply house of Londonderry, Vermont has since been assimilated into the W. Atlee Burpee Company. I am therefore, so happy to still have in my possession this edition of the catalog as a memento of the innovative and famous organic growers’ enterprise.
Founder of the “Cook’s Garden” and author of the catalog Shepherd Ogden writes that this recipe for oven-dried tomatoes promises to be as good as anything found in a store. A further benefit is that it is so easy to prepare. Once properly dried, the tomatoes will keep in the refrigerator for several months, to be used as the base for tomato sauce, tomato-based soups, topping on pizza, tomato powder, tomato chips, and tomato pesto. Rehydrate the tomatoes by marinating in a bit of salad dressing and then enjoy them in salads or on sandwiches.
These dehydrated wonders are good to have on hand to perk up your dishes throughout the year, even during winter.
OVEN-DRIED TOMATOES
4 pints of Principe Borghese or San Marzano tomatoes or other Roma heirloom varieties
1 tbsp. sea salt
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup olive oil
2 sterilized jars (pint-sized canning jars with lids and seals, or canning jars with self-sealing lids)
Preheat oven to 150° F
Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place on cookie sheets, flat side up. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
Set in a warm oven. When tomatoes are completely dry (12 to 24 hours), pack in pint jars, alternating with a layer of basil leaves. Continue to build layers of tomatoes and basil leaves, and at the top of the jars, drizzle in olive oil until all contents are coated. Place in the refrigerator where the tomatoes will stay fresh for several months.
Rich and spoiled-rotten Olivia Montoyo Simms wouldn’t know how to cook up a meal even if she was so hungry that “her belly was gnawing on her backbone,” to borrow an old-timey expression. But Olivia has no match in the ways of wooing a man to her risky schemes. A gorgeous stranger at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas has all the goods to satisfy any girl’s appetite, but unknown to Olivia, he just might be the one guy who also has what it takes to wangle her comeuppance.
Was it chance or destiny’s hand behind the movie-star and gambler’s curious encounter at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas? The cards fold, their hearts open, and a match strikes, flames that sizzle their hearts and souls. Can they have the moon and the stars, too? Or is she too dangerous? Is he? Can their love withstand betrayal? Can it endure murder?
While the cards at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas fail to distract them from their troubled pasts, on the side, the actress and the gambler play a game of ‘will they won’t they’ romance. Meanwhile, an otherworldly hand also has a big stake in the game. Unexpected secrets unfold brimming with dangerous consequences, and finally, a strange brand of salvation.
Amazon Buy Links Paperback – Kindle
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.
August 21, 2023
Tell Again Tuesday Conflict in a story
Writing Tools: Conflict!By Susan Hanniford Crowley
If everyone is happy throughout a book, readers will quickly drop it. Readers want to see how characters struggle through conflict to attain happiness at the end. There are seven main forms of conflict in literature. . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:August 17, 2023
Friday Feature Weeping Mulberry
When we moved a mile out of the village to enjoy a bit more acreage, my thoughtful roommate (hubby) brought home a weeping mulberry tree. He didn’t want the children to miss the one next door where they had munched on the berries from toddlerville time. The new one is planted right outside my office window where, long after the children have fledged, I enjoy the righteous festival of backyard birds.
As July nears and the outside air takes on that hot, breathless quality of full summer, red berries appear on the long strands of the mulberry. Left alone the streamers (weepers) would eventually reach the ground, but our resident and gracious deer families keep them neatly trimmed.
The backyard feast begins each year when the red berries appear. I wonder the secret of the amazing elixir Mother Nature offers up free for the taking. My children found those low hanging treats when they were barely out of diapers. Disappearing underneath and nearly giving me a heart attack, they would reappear unapologetically with stained fingers and smeared red lips with chubby cheeks and wide grins.
Mulberries are tasty, no doubt about it. Right now, as I peek out the window, I see a gray squirrel, robin, catbird, cardinal, and a European starling munching away contentedly and in complete harmony. They are eating the red berries not waiting for the dark black fruit with rich purple juice of the ripe ones. There are no guarding thorns. The berries hang underneath the foliage, hiding I presume. The taste is sweet and juicy, flavorful but mild compared to a blackberry for instance.
Mention of mulberry trees appears in certain verses in the Bible. China cultivated them as a favorite food for the silkworm’s business. UK imported them hoping to replicate the silk trade but choose the wrong type, black berries instead of the white ones beloved by the silk caterpillars. Shakespeare mentions a lass falling asleep underneath the tree. My weeper has been dwarfed, cultivated to stay small and cascade gracefully.
The foliage is dense, and no doubt appreciated by all the small visitors. I once witnessed a Cooper’s hawk sit on an outside branch frustrated as it was too large to push through the tightly woven branches. Perhaps not hungry for berries, he flew away finally empty-beaked.
A chick-a-de circled and came in hot for a navy ship type landing. It ducked inside quickly. The branches are quivering here and there as first one and then another partakes of a free lunch. Highly recommend a mulberry to your home garden. Once a year, it becomes a lively and interesting place to view nature at its finest.
E Janis Lane
Here is a little from one of my cozy mystery books under my pseudonym Janis Lane. I hope you enjoy it.
Abby Naycomb, wildlife photographer, found more than scintillating images of the birds of Central Florida. A handsome park ranger turns her world upside down even as a criminal stalker seeks to threaten her life.
Who knew trespassing in the restrictive area of a Florida State Park to get the perfect shot of the sand hill crane family would wind up with Abby Naycomb, wildlife photographer extraordinaire, meeting the most handsome park ranger in the world? Mating/nesting birds were the subject of her quest but finding those intense blue eyes in the lens of her camera was distracting and hormone inciting.
Adam Rawlings, millionaire park ranger, was as shocked as Abby when she accidentally discovered a murdered man buried in a shallow grave in the sand.
Face to face with an exciting relationship with Adam, the perfect man, leaves her no excuse for backing away from a growing intimacy. Vagabond Abby must consider relocating if she wants to continue an invaluable relationship with Adam, the original hometown hero.
Abby struggles as she continues to work deep in the breathtaking wilds of Central Florida while trying to ignore the menace of a serious and threatening stalker. Her task was to reexamine long held premises and prejudices while admiring the southern flora and fauna through the lens of her camera. Bird and nature lovers alert.
SHORT TEASER
Busted in Bird land. Still…what a calendar he would make with that uniform, that smile, those shoulders. She stifled a sigh of pure visual pleasure.
You had better stop it, Miss Smarty. He has the authority to fine and kick you out of the park permanently if he so chooses. Holy Moly– love a uniformed hunk!
Stoppit!
She stifled a giggle which was riotously rolling around deep inside her, threatening to break out. He continued to loom, gazing thoughtfully while she fidgeted in her warm nest sheltered by the dune. Surrounding them, the sporadic wind blew the smell of something baking in the sun. With her face turned upward and her eyes half-closed against the glare, she awaited her fate. She offered a weak smile while trying to bring into focus his face which was back lit by the bright sunlight. It couldn’t hurt, she thought, and tried for puppy dog eyes pleading for mercy.
“Leave this area, and I’ll forget your lapse of good manners–this time. Don’t let me catch you trespassing on restricted lands again. This is a nature preserve. Visitors may not wander about– especially during nesting season,” he added giving her a stern look. “And that goes for well-meaning, good-looking, lady photographers as well.”
BUY LINK
Janis Lane is the penname for gifted author Emma Lane who writes cozy mysteries as Janis, 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.
August 15, 2023
Wednesday Special Spotlight a Family Favorite
This recipe has been in my family since forever. It is a very popular dish for Georgian and Armenian people who absolutely loved their beans. My mother used to make it, but I put a little twist of my own to make it easier. Mom usually soaked dry beans overnight, then cooked them the next day. I use canned beans, and it tastes the same.
The Georgian recipe for mashed beans calls for the finely chopped walnuts. I add them on occasion.
You can eat this dish warm or cold, over bread or crackers like a pate, or just as a side dish.
MASHED BEANS
1 can dark beans
1 can light beans
2 lg. onions, I use plain yellow or Vidalia Oil
Oil of your choice, I use sunflower or avocado oil
1 tsp. khmeli suneli, the traditional Georgian spice, and a MUST*
Salt and pepper to tasteFresh parsley, chopped – optional
Fresh cilantro, chopped – optional½ cup walnuts,chopped fine – optional
Open bean cans, wash the brine off, and soak in cold water for 10-15 min.
Dice onions fine. Pour oil into a medium-sized pot. When the oil shimmers add onion and sauté until they are slightly yellow and tender, but not caramelized.
Stir in beans. Cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 3-5 min on low to medium heat, stir occasionally. When beans are fully cooked, some will crack, remove pan from the heat. Mash beans with a potato or wire masher. The mixture should have some chunks, so be careful not over mash. Let beans cool for a few minutes, then add khmeli suneli, salt, and pepper.
Add parsley, cilantro, and walnuts if you’re using any of them.
*If you can’t find khmeli suneli then use this substitute:
¼ tsp. coriander seeds, ground
¼ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. dried marjoram
¼ tsp. dried dill
1 pinch dried red chili pepper
A jaded CEO. A fiercely focused ballerina. A love that defies all society’s rules.
SoHo,
1962
JJ Morris, successful CEO, leads a secret double life, playing saxophone to his heart’s
content in his hole-in-the-wall dive bar. Yet he can’t escape the feeling he’s slowly petrifying into just another jaded millionaire.
Then a gorgeous blonde steps into his bar and shakes up his world. Certain this fierce
little swan of a woman is exactly what’s missing in his life, he maps out a plan to wed her by Christmas. With or without his snobby mother’s approval.
Most women would be thrilled to learn that the tall, handsome bar musician is, in fact, a wealthy prince charming. Verochka Osipoff is less than impressed. She’s focused on becoming a prima ballerina, and everything hinges on her next audition. She can’t afford distractions, especially a rich playboy slumming it in SoHo.
Yet the heat of their attraction melts Verochka’s heart like warm chocolate. But JJ’s world is a cold, glittering nest of vipers. And their venom could destroy their love song before the first movement ends.
EXCERPT
The sound of a saxophone halted her steps. That deep, velvety voice grabbed her by her throat, and refused to let go. Holding her breath, mesmerized, Verochka stopped, then pivoted. Where did it come from? Straining her ears, she looked around, searching the almost empty street. Guided by her hearing, she glanced at the closed doors on her right. The Broome Street Bar.
Inside, the sax murmured its enchanting tale, sad, and touching, and heartbreaking.
Mon Dieu! What must one feel to play like that?
Verochka closed her eyes and swayed to the music. Her arms by their own volition lifted and moved in a lazy,
unhurried wave. She visualized the dance in her mind, something slow and sensual. Strange, but she never paid attention to jazz before. Then again, she was never partial to any music except classical.
To her there was nothing and no one compared to Tchaikovsky. But the soulful notes of that sax fascinated her as
much as the famous opening theme from Swan Lake. When the sound trailed off, she felt almost bereft. She craved to hear more. Will the musician play again? Oh, she hopped so. She’d wait for it.
Outside? On the sidewalk at almost ten at night?
Unwise, not to mention quite dangerous. Granted, this spot in SoHo was not prone to crime. But still. A young woman alone was bound to attract some attention. Verochka looked at the closed door of the bar, biting her lip.
To go inside, or continue on her way? The wisest thing to do, of course, was to turn around, and go home, to her tiny apartment. It was late. She must rest before her wake-up call at 5:30 AM. All morning classes of Madame Valeska started at precisely 6 AM, and God forbid if any of the dancers were late even by a minute. The wrath of her teacher definitely equaled to her worldwide fame as a former principal dancer of The Royal Ballet.
Tired after the long day of classes and rehearsals, then cleaning the premises, Verochka barely kept upright. She hated her after- hours janitorial obligations, but promise was a promise. And Verochka Osipoff never broke her word.
No matter how spent she was, each and every evening, after all the dancers went home, and the school was closed, she headed to the closet for a broom and a bucket. At first, she didn’t mind it at all. It was an arrangement made in heaven. An eighteen-year-old orphan from France, determined to reach her dream, Verochka arrived at the doors of the famous New York ballet school with nothing but fifty dollars to her name and a small satchel that belonged to her father.
After her initial shock faded, the formidable Madame Valeska, the owner of the school, ordered Verochka to change into her leotards, and dance.
Her final verdict delivered in a grumbling voice was like a heavenly music to Verochka’s ears.
“You have a potential, Miss Osipoff. I’ll take a chance on you, and let you stay for a probationary period of three months. After that, we’ll see.”
Verochka’s elation was huge, but temporary. The school was obscenely expensive. No way she was able to afford the tuition. There was a stipend, but applying for it took only God knew how long, with no guarantee that it will be granted in the end.
On top of it, she was a foreigner, all alone in the strange country, and barely able to speak English.
Madame Valeska, quickly assessing the situation— more accurately, feeling sorry for her— offered Verochka a deal: the education in exchange for cleaning services. A tiny room in the attic as a temporary place to live was added to that offer. To Verochka, it was like a Christmas gift she could never have dreamt about.
Overwhelmed, moved to tears, Verochka grabbed the opportunity with both hands. After a while, she got her stipend for the gifted and unprivileged students, thanks to Madame Valeska’s help, and was able to cover most of her tuition.
The convenience of living on the premises saved her the expense of a rent, and occasional participation in corps de ballet’s performances made everything else manageable. She didn’t need a lot of food, as her extremely strict diet fell mostly into yogurt and fruit category. As to clothes— she learned at her dancing parents knee the skill to mend tears and repair pointe shoes.
Two years later, Verochka was still living in the attic, and still mopped the floors, and cleaned the premises. But it didn’t matter. Her main goal to become a prima ballerina of The Royal Ballet took the precedence over everything else.
Ambitious? Maybe. But, as her father always said, you must dream big. Otherwise, what was the point? So, she dreamed big, and worked like a woman possessed in order to reach that dream. She was content, and happy, and along the way, fell in love with New York, her new home. Her only home. She learned English, and became quite fluent in it, even though her accent stubbornly refused to be erased.
Of course, she missed
France, and Paris, and small street cafes, and long strolls along the Seine. Oh,
the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and sprinkled with powdered sugar beignets!
Sometimes, she could smell them in her dreams.
But most of all, she missed her parents. She was sure they were looking at her from heaven, smiling, proud of her accomplishments.
Her occasional nostalgia was usually sweet, and short, like a children’s lullaby.
But not tonight.
After finishing her duties, Verochka was ambushed by a sadness so huge, she almost doubled down with it. Suffocated in the large empty building that housed the ballet school, she was lonely, isolated, until she couldn’t bear another minute longer locked inside. Hence, her impromptu evening walk that brought her in the middle of SoHo, to the Broome Street Bar.
The plaintive sounds of sax reached her ears again.
Oh, yes, please.
Listening to those seductive low rumbles, she wondered about the player.
Who was he? Or was it a she? Why was that melody so sad, so sorrowful?
Available at BOOKStoREAD, AMAZON, and GOOGLE PLAY BOOKS.
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.
August 14, 2023
Tell Again Tuesday Writing Old School
MY 2023 ANALOG TOOLBOXBy Meredith Bond
When we talk about analog tools, we can mean anything from the pen you write with and the paper you write on to worksheets, notecards, and physical bulletin boards. I like to think it means . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:August 10, 2023
Friday Feature Spot “Telling” in Your WIP
We’ve all heard the admonition “Show, don’t tell.” When we show we are producing better writing that will capture our readers. Showing, instead of telling, lets editors and agents see you are not an amateur.
In spite of hearing the phrase over and over, many writers don’t know how to recognize “telling” writing. Writing that tells analyzes, generalizes, editorializes and summarizes instead of making the writing interactive and sensory for the reader. Naturally, there will be some generalizations and summarization in your writing, but you need to make sure these elements are in the minority, not the majority of your book. You need to show what’s happening so the reader can create in her own mind the picture you, the writer, want to share.
To locate telling writing look for:• Passive sentences. Often passive sentences, especially those with the word was in them, are a tip-off you might be telling instead of showing. The sentence Sally was angry, is telling.Sally’s lips drew down into a thin, taut line, her jaw working side to side,
shows us Sally’s anger. We can deduce from the picture that is painted how Sally feels because we know that look.• Passages that have very little sensory information. You can tell us the woman smelled good, was sexy, and she knew it, or you can show it by sayingJohn turned to watch her as she strolled between the restaurant tables, her hips swaying like a belly dancer in slow motion. As she neared she tossed her hair behind her shoulder, casting the scent of violets and vanilla in waves toward him. The fragrance made him salivate. Her perfectly manicured nails trailed along his shoulder as she passed by. He shuddered under her touch and she smiled as he looked up at her.
Here we know what the woman smells like, how she walks, how John reacts to her and how she reacts to him. Much stronger than just saying she was sexy.• “LY” adverbs. ‘LY” adverbs rob sentences of conciseness and force, making your writing weak. Which sounds stronger? The man yelled loudly orThe man roared, the sound drowning out the radio.
The dog’s tail wagged happily orThe dog’s tail wagged in time to his barks as he bounded around the room.
The taxi drove very slowly down the street, orThe taxi crept at a snail’s pace down the street.
Get the picture? By adding active verbs, sensory information and using fewer “LY” adverbs, you are showing the reader a snapshot of what’s happening.
Here are a few telling phrases. Choose one, or two if you’re ambitious, and see if you can come up with a better picture.
• disgruntled employee• old paper• fanatical nun• skinny lunatic• frazzled motherShare in the comments what you’ve come up with so everyone can see what you created.
Here is a little about our shapeshifter series that is to be five books with the first four already out on Amazon.
TITLE: The Turning Stone Chronicles
GENRE: Urban fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
HEAT LEVEL: Sensual
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
Book one of the chronicles titled “The Promised One” available on Amazon
In the wrong hands, the Turning Stone ring is a powerful weapon for evil. So, when homicide detective Alexi Jordan discovers her secret society mentor has been murdered and his magic ring stolen, she is forced to use her shape-shifting powers to catch the killer. By doing so, she risks the two most important things in her life—her badge and the man she loves.
Rhys Temple always knew his fiery cop partner and would-be-girlfriend, Alexi Jordan, had a few secrets. He considers that part of her charm. But when she changes into a man, he doesn’t find that as charming. He’ll keep her secret to keep her safe, but he’s not certain he can keep up a relationship—professional or personal.
Danny Shaw needs cash for the elaborate wedding his fiancée has planned, so he goes on a mugging spree. But when he kills a member of the secret society of Turning Stones and steals a magic ring that gives him the power to shape shift, Shaw gets more than he bargained for.
Book two of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “Blood Brothers” available on Amazon.
When Delaney Ramsey is enlisted to help train two of the most powerful shape shifters the Turning Stone Society has seen in thousands of years, she suspects one of them is responsible for the disappearance of her daughter. To complicate matters, the man has a secret that could destroy them all. Bound by honor to protect the suspect, Delaney must prove his guilt without losing her life to his terrible powers or revealing to the police captain she’s falling for that she’s a shape shifter with more than one agenda.
The minute Captain Williams lays eyes on Delaney Ramsey, he knows she’s trouble. Uncooperative, secretive, and sexy, he can’t get her out of his mind. When he discovers she has a personal agenda for sifting through all the criminal records in his precinct, and secretly investigating his best detective, he can’t let her out of his sight. He must find out what she’s looking for before she does something illegal. If she steps over the line, he’s not certain he can look the other way for the sake of love.
Book three of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “Son of the Moonless Night” currently available on Amazon.
Owen Todd Jordan Riley has a secret. He’s a shape shifter who has been hunting and killing his own kind. To him the only good shifter is a dead shifter. Revenge for the death of a friend motivates him, and nothing stands in his way . . . except Katrina Romanovski, the woman he is falling in love with.
Deputy coroner Katrina Romanovski has a secret, too. She hunts and kills paranormal beings like Owen. At least she did. When she rescues Owen from an attack by a werebear she is thrust back into the world she thought she’d left. Determined to find out what Owen knows about the bear, she begins a relationship meant to collect information. What she gets is something quite different love with a man she suspects of murder. Can she reconcile his deception and murderous revenge spree and find a way to redeem him? Or will she condemn him for the same things she has done and walk away from love?
Book four of The Turning Stone Chronicles titled “The Mercenary & the Shifters” available on Amazon.
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.
You can also find our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
August 8, 2023
Wednesday Special Spotlight Heavenly Honey Bun Cake
Some recipes take me back to a time when life was simpler—a.k.a. living with my parents, eating their food, and not having to any pay bills or a mortgage. As the name suggests, this cake tastes exactly like the honey bun I used to buy during my high school days. Trust me, just one mouthful of this sugary bliss propels you back to those days where all your happy memories and good times of the past, still exist.
A warning to the wise: it’s quite a sweet cake and not for those who are watching their waistlines, so wait until after you’ve blown your New Year’s Resolutions to try this delish dish. I’ve found this is the perfect cake to serve during holidays, celebrations, or perhaps as an indulgent dessert at your monthly book club.
Heavenly Honey Bun Cake
1 package of yellow cake mix (432 g or 18.25 ounce)
¾ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (250 g or 8 ounce) container of sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C).
In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, and sour cream. Stir by hand approximately 50 strokes, or until most large lumps are gone. Pour half of the batter into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over the batter.
Spoon the remaining batter into the cake pan. Be sure to cover the brown sugar and cinnamon well. Twirl the cake with a butter knife or icing knife until it looks like a honey bun or whatever design you want to make.
Bake 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Frosting
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread across the cake while fairly hot. Serve warm.
Tastes wonderful if served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
While you’re waiting for the cake to bake, take a seat in your favorite comfy chair and crack open 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, I guarantee either series will take you on a journey far away from thoughts of paying bills or putting in a load of laundry.
Here’s a glimpse into one of the books from Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, my teen psychic mystery series.
The only witness left to testify against an unsolved crime in Fairy Falls isn’t a person…
City born and bred, Hart Stewart possesses the gift of psychometry—the psychic ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them. Since his mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Hart has endured homelessness, and has learned ways to keep his illiteracy under wraps. He eventually learns of a great-aunt living in Fairy Falls, and decides to leave the only life he’s ever known for an uncertain future.
Diana MacGregor lives in Fairy Falls. Her mother was a victim of a senseless murder. Only Diana’s unanswered questions and her grief keeps her going, until Hart finds her mother’s lost ring and becomes a witness to her murder.
Through Hart’s psychic power, Diana gains hope for justice. Their investigation leads them into the corrupt world threatening Fairy Falls. To secure the town’s future, Hart and Diana must join forces to uncover the shocking truth, or they risk losing the true essence of Fairy Falls forever.
Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.
Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, and Smashwords. Look up her Amazon Author page for a list of current books. Be sure to check out THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS TIME TRAVEL SERIES Facebook page.
August 7, 2023
Tell Again Tuesday Novel Writing
When You Have a Story to TellBy Joanne Guidoccio
In a recent post on the Writer Unboxed blog, award-winning author Kathleen McCleary shared advice about novel writing. Here’s an excerpt from that post:
Here’s what I do know about how long it takes to write a novel: . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
