C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 59
November 30, 2021
Wednesday Special Spotlight Holiday divine desert
Talk about a dessert that delivers, this divine cheesecake takes…well, takes the cake! Whether you’re hosting the party or on board to bring something tasty, this dressed up treat will make heads turn, and mouths water. Perfect for holiday gatherings or celebrations, with a total prep and bake time of 5 hours and 30 minutes (includes refrigeration), this cheesecake easily serves a crowd of sixteen of your closest cohorts.
Toblerone Caramel Cheesecake
1¼ cups Oreo Baking Crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
3 packages (250 g/8.82 ounces each) brick cream cheese, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 eggs
⅓ cup caramel ice cream topping
1 bar (100 g/3.52 ounces) Toblerone Swiss Milk Chocolate, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Mix crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Press mixture onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake. Cool cake before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.
Spread caramel topping over cheesecake just before serving. Garnish with chopped chocolate. Enjoy!
While you’re waiting for the cheesecake to set in the fridge, take some well-deserved ‘me time’ along with a peek at my latest time travel release.
True freedom happens only when you choose to be free.
Eleven-year-old Drake Bailey is an analytical thinker and the genius of the Timekeeper crew. However, no logic or mathematical acumen can change the color of his skin, or prepare him for this third Timekeeper mission in antebellum Georgia. To survive, Drake must learn to play the role of a plantation slave and when confronted with the brutality, hatred, and racism of the deep south, he’ll have to strategically keep one move ahead of his sadistic captors to ensure his lineage continues.
In a dark world of Voodoo, zombies, and ritualistic sacrifice, the Timekeepers must ensure a royal bloodline survives. Can Drake remove both literal and figurative chains to save both himself and a devout slave girl from a terrible fate? If he can’t summon the necessary courage, humanity could stand to lose one of its greatest leaders.
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, 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.
November 29, 2021
Tell Again Tuesday Hate or love series
What Do You Love About Series?By Karen Witemeyer
Not long ago, in my Facebook group, The Posse, a reader asked me this question:
“When do you begin planning a new series? What is that process like?”
Unlike some authors who have a constant fount of ideas bubbling through their creative centers, I tend to have tunnel vision. I focus on . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:November 25, 2021
Friday Feature No-Tomato Crockpot Chili
Recently tomatoes have been cut from our diet. Catherine loves tomatoes and many of the recipes she cook are tomato based. Here’s the issue: tomatoes are part of the nightshade family, along with a few more of my favorite foods such as peppers and eggplants. In some people the nightshade plants make arthritis worse and eliminating nightshade foods can help keep arthritis at bay. The problem comes when one family member loves tomatoes and the other one now has to avoid them.
There are very few, if any substitutes for tomatoes, so Catherine has been on the hunt for ways to make her favorite dishes without tomatoes for the non-tomato eating half of our family, yet please the tomato-loving member. It’s been tough, especially with chili season upon us.
So, she set out to conquer the problem. Here’s one of the recipes she came up with: No-tomato Crockpot Chili. We hope you’ll enjoy it.
No-tomato Crockpot Chili
1 pound ground beef
½ large onion, diced
One garlic clove, diced – optional
2 cans of beans*
1 small can diced chilies, if the non-tomato eater can eat them without issues
1 can beefy mushroom soup (I used Campbell’s soup)
¼ cup water, or less if you want a thicker chili
Chili powder to taste
Spaghetti – optional
Salsa, your heat preference for the tomato-eating family members
Cheese for topping – optional
Break up ground beef in a large skillet and brown along with the diced onion and garlic.
Add beans and bean liquid, diced green chilies, soup, water, and chili powder to crock pot. Stir to mix well.
Drain beef mixture of fat and place in a crock pot. Stir to mix.
Cook on high for 2 hours or until hot, or on low 4-6 hours or until hot.
At serving time, place spaghetti in bottom of bowl and add beef chili.
For those who can eat green chilies and tomatoes, top their bowls with ¼ to ½ cup of salsa and 1 teaspoon of green chilies to each cup of the beef-soup-based chili. Stir lightly to combine.
*The bean liquids help make up for the loss of the volume of the tomatoes. You can use seasoned or unseasoned chili beans, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, or lentils. Your choice and you can mix and match beans types.
While your chili is cooking, settle into a comfy chair and check out our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
November 23, 2021
Wednesday Special Spotlight Thanksgiving
“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor . . . I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being . . . That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks . . . And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions.”
George Washington, October 3, 1789
November 22, 2021
Tell Again Tuesday Write what you experience
Using Life Experiences in WritingBy Pamela Gibson
I often hear “write what you know, draw on your own experiences to provide your characters with actions and emotions.” I suspect, as writers, we do this without even thinking about it.
Six years ago today the greatest adventure of my lifetime came to an end. Here’s what I wrote on that day. . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:November 18, 2021
Friday Feature Third Man on the Left
I love stories about heroes, especially female heroes . . . every day, unsuspecting women who step up when others are in need or in peril. Sometimes it’s superhuman feats, more often mundane. Look around you, they are all around us, but they may not recognize themselves as such.
It may even be you…today or tomorrow.
I was blessed with a strong, spirited mother who covertly instilled strength in me by her daily actions and zest for life. Her four sisters shared her essence and passed it on to their offspring. They were everyday heroes displaying inner strength, perseverance, and selflessness while relishing life and sharing endless love. They did what they had to do expecting no reward.
I lost my mother over twenty years ago but she still inspires me every day and encourages me when times are tough. My adult daughter is strong-willed, independent, and of outstanding moral character. She was named in honor of my mother and I think she inherited more than her name.
The main character, Dani, in Third Man on the Left is a young woman who unfortunately did not have the best environment growing up. Her father was mentally and emotionally abusive causing Dani to be an insecure young woman. After years of her father’s negative upbringing, she believed his claims that she was incompetent and flawed.
As an ER nurse, Dani knew better but took the blame for the death of a toddler patient. To redeem herself, she volunteers for a six-month medical mission to Tanzania. When the mission is savagely attacked, her very survival and that of four others depends solely on her. Her competency is put to the ultimate test.
Many of us don’t know what we are fully capable of until we are tested. We may be surprised by the results, especially if we see others in distress. After years of abuse Dani believed that seeking help from others was a sign of weakness. Trauma can affect how one feels about themself and how they relate to others. Many everyday heroes neglect their own well-being when others are in need.
Being strong doesn’t mean going it alone. Get help, seek assistance and counseling if needed. Especially if like my heroine, Dani, you have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or any type of abuse: physical, emotional, mental, sexual…seek help. There is no shame or stigma in needing or asking for assistance to help you heal. You are not alone. You don’t have to go it alone. Even heroes need help sometime.
Abuse, whether physical, emotional, verbal, or sexual, can have long-term effects on mental health and one’s life. I encourage every victim to get help to heal the physical, mental, and emotional scars of trauma and abuse.
Remember trauma and abuse are never your fault.
“All the best heroes are ordinary people who
make themselves extraordinary.”
-Gerald Way
While you think about that quote here is an excerpt from my new book:I have nothing left, I can’t go on. Her spirit was finally failing her. She had given it her all. “What now?” she cried out loud. She could feel hysteria closing in.
She had failed them, failed all of them and they would die just like Anna did. It was all up to her and she had let them down. They trusted her, just like Sarah did. Blackness started to encroach and this time she could not escape its mandatory invitation. Though the eternal darkness scared her, she welcomed the finality, the escape from her misery that it provided. She was ready to let go.
Saka’s voice beckoned her back as a small hand tugged at her shoulder.
“No, no, no.” Over and over again was all she could say. She had no more in her. The thought that this was all for nothing was more than her spirit could bear. The child’s hand shook her a little harder pulling her back from her descent into nothingness.
“Miss Dani, look. Look.” Her head, weighted with the suffering of the last few days, was so heavy that Dani had to concentrate on lifting it to see Saka’s face. Eyes wide and questioning, he pointed and Dani’s eyes followed his finger as she raised her head. Through her tears of despair, she detected motion and wearily stood up as she reached for the gun on her waist. All her energy was directed at focusing her vision to identify the movement ahead. Using the back of her hand she wiped the wetness from her eyes.
Figures, men in the distance were staring in their direction, but not approaching. People. Her spirits soared, but then caution reeled her in. Are they rebels? Some of them were dressed in fatigues. Had they figured out the path she had chosen and waited to meet up with them here? She placed her hand on the pistol in her waistband; she could not afford to take chances. Backing up, she reached into the rickshaw for the AK-47 without taking her eyes off the approaching men. Slowly she lifted the lethal weapon firmly into both of her hands and stood in front of the stretcher and the children. Unlocking the safety, she positioned herself for the worst, she would not go down without a fight. Her finger closed in on the trigger.
“Kids, get behind me. Stay back.”
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as her eyes tracked the movement of the looming men and her arm muscles tightened. The heavy metal in her arms offered security, but she knew it would only be temporary. For several minutes she observed them as they started toward her. The closer they came, the more her fingers on the gun grew restless. Warily she watched them approach, her mind racing for options. Only moments ago she was ready to give up, but now she had to protect her helpless brood.
Book Blurb
Tragic stories are common in the ER but nurse Dani takes the blame for a toddler patient’s death personally, confirming her abusive father’s belief that she is inept. To prove her competency and redeem herself of overwhelming guilt, she volunteers for a humanitarian mission trip to Tanzania where she can focus on doing good.
Prior to leaving she meets the love of her life, Noah, who says he will wait for her. However, her mission partner/physician, Carter, is a surfer poster boy who has a thing for Dani. Noah’s gut tells him something about the picture-perfect doctor is off but the expedition goes on.
Weeks into her trip the mission is savagely attacked by rebels and Dani is a microsecond too late to prevent her coworker from a devastating injury but saves him from certain death…for now. More rebels are on their way and Dani escapes into the jungle with four lives who are now solely dependent on her for their very survival. The ultimate test of her competency has begun. Was the strike on the mission random or was she an unsuspecting dupe in a smuggling deal gone bad?
Author Bio
The summer after high school graduation, Roni worked two jobs to pay for nursing school. During the midnight shift as a waitress, a charismatic young man at the counter flirted with her for hours as he consumed seven cups of coffee. Their first date was eventful enough to be a book itself! Forty years and two kids later, the love story continues. Just like her novels, life can’t be too simple and you must make it an adventurous ride!
Her favorite place to write is in her hammock at their small Michigan cottage where she literally dodges the feeding hummingbirds while being serenaded by the lake’s loons. Besides writing, she loves hiking, biking, and antiquing. The pandemic has taught me to savor time with family and dear friends. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.
Find Roni on her Web site.
Contact her vial Email.
November 16, 2021
Wednesday Special Spotlight WILDCRAFTING
Have you been diligently gathering dried material for Halloween and Thanksgiving bouquets? Decorations? Herbs for the winter? Besides the cultivated types, there is material provided by nature.
Dock – is a wild plant with unique seeds. It’s very difficult to dislodge them from the stem. I delight in using them for just about everything from giving extra height to a fresh bouquet to adding substance to a dried arrangement. Wildcrafting is fun. At the nursery, we have dock gathering parties roaming the countryside to gather nature’s bounty. The old chicken coop is stuffed by Labor Day with great bundles of drying dock.
Cattails – The minute you see the slightest tinge of brown, they must be picked and hung to dry to avoid a burst of bird nesting fluff that will explode later. Pick early.
Spirea – This wonderful, deer-resistant shrub leaves long stemmed seed heads. Harvesting will encourage a second bloom.
Two invasive foreign species are Purple Loosestrife and a road side, reed grass called Phragmite. Might get wet feet, but worth it for the interesting tassels. A hunting and gathering day is really fun, but beware of traffic, deep ditches that are hidden by grass, and, of course, poison ivy/oak. Always wear jeans, long sleeved shirt and preferably gardening gloves.
Common cultivated plants for drying are Statice, Strawflower, Gomphrena.
Last but not least are little pumpkins. Really a type of seed pod, real name Physalis – common name Oriental Lanterns. They are the making of fall dried bouquets. A perennial that is, I kid you not, the ugliest plant you’ve ever seen, produces these delightful seed pods in the fall. They like shade. Do plant them behind the garage or someplace you don’t want to see every day. They are also invasive and will take over a cultivated bed with great gusto.
Here’s a glimpse into my new Cozy Mystery Release, MURDER AT THE LOOKOUT. It is 4TH in the Detective Kevin Fowler series.
When is it not fun to be a blond?
What happens when a blond beauty hits town like a tornado stirring up memories and causing turmoil? Detective Kevin Fowler and his wife, the former Beverly Hampton, owner of the local newspaper, are settling into blissful married life. Although Beverly is sanguine over the demand on Kevin’s time by the good people of Hubbard, she is more than dubious when his duties include the escort of a drop-dead gorgeous female from his past.
There is some concern over the persistent vandalism of residential mailboxes, but an infamous arsonist has decided peaceful but dull Hubbard would make a great place from which to operate. He brazenly locates down the block from the detective and his wife.
What bait and tackle shop in the village has a dual purpose? Kevin ponders why two goons have invaded town shooting at and attempting to kidnap and murder three women. A state patrolman, aptly nick named Rooster, teases Fowler at the riotous scene of a traffic accident where the press, not the police, wins the day.
Another mystery and adventure with a satisfying ending unfolds in peaceful Hubbard, New York, small-town Americana, where Detective Kevin Fowler keeps an ever-vigilant watch.
Emma Lane is a gifted author who writes cozy mysteries as Janis Lane, Regency as Emma Lane, 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.
November 15, 2021
Tell Again Tuesday Writer take care of self
The Importance of Self-Care For WritersBy Lucy Mitchell
Our writing lives are at times joyful and heavenly, but they are also fraught with creative emotional pain and suffering. We go through continual phases of hating and loving our writing, dealing with writer jealousy, working through rejection, failure, chasing that fast moving and unobtainable object called a writing dream {enter your dream} and on certain days feeling a million years away from it.
Our poor little creative hearts go through so much; they’re either . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:November 11, 2021
Friday Feature Reasons why to get Audiobooks
My publisher, Parliament House, encouraged me to turn my Southern Gothic Horror book Koush Hollow into an audiobook. Before I made that commitment, I decided to investigate the benefits of audiobooks. And was I surprised! Here are just some of the things I learned that you may find interesting:
For your listening pleasure, enjoy a sweet cocktail from New Orleans that pairs perfectly with the audio version of Koush Hollow.
BEST-EVER HURRICANE from Delish
2 oz. light rum
3 oz. dark rum
6 oz. passion fruit juice
6 oz. orange juice
2 tbsp. grenadine
Ice
2 Orange slices
2 maraschino cherries
In a large liquid measuring cup, combine rums, passion fruit juice, orange juice, and grenadine.
Pour over iced-filled glasses.
Garnish each glass with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.
Find the original recipe at Delish.
Here’s a brief intro to my new audiobook. Click the audible link below to hear more.
After her father’s untimely death, Jenna Ashby moves to Koush Hollow, a bayou town outside of New Orleans, dreading life with her wealthy mother. As the 16-year-old eco-warrior is introduced to the Diamonds & Pearls, her mother’s exclusive social club, she comes to the troubling realization that secrets are a way of life in Koush Hollow: How do the Diamonds & Pearls look so young, where does their money come from, and why is life along the bayou disappearing? As Jenna is drawn into their seductive world, her curiosity and concerns beg her to uncover the truth. However, in this town where mysticism abounds and secrets are deadly, the truth is not what Jenna could have ever imagined.
Leigh Goff is a young adult author with type 1 diabetes who is inspired by caffeine, enchanted spells, and unforgettable, star-crossed fates.
Although she’s terrible at casting any magic of her own, she is descended from the accused witch, Elizabeth Duncan of Virginia, who went to trial in 1695 for charges including bewitching livestock and causing birds to fall from the sky.
You can find more information at www.LeighGoff.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
November 9, 2021
Wednesday Special Spotlight Special Spiral Cookie #Recipe
I used to make these Pinwheels for my kids when they were in elementary school. The recipe is pretty easy and quite versatile. By that I mean, you can flavor and add color to both layers. Example: add cinnamon or almond flavoring to the chocolate dough, and add peppermint flavoring and pink food coloring to the white one. Can you imagine eating a purple and green spiral cookie on somebody’s birthday? Or how about a red and green cookie on Christmas?
And just before you put them in the oven, you can also top them with sprinkles, candy shapes, or just plain sugar. Use your imagination to make the most interesting of cookies for any holiday or celebration, because experimenting is part of the fun with this dough.
Grama Tina’s Spiral Cookies
¾ cup of softened butter
1 cup of white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
cocoa powder, peanut butter or Nutella – optional
rainbow sprinkles or candy shapes – optional
5 drops of food coloring – red, yellow, pink, orange, black – optional
1 teaspoon of cinnamon, almond, or nutmeg – optional
3 or 4 drops of flavoring – peppermint, lemon, etc. – optional
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Lay parchment paper on 2 large cookie sheets or grease well.
In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Then beat in the egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour with baking powder. Add to butter mixture in 2 additions, stirring until it becomes a soft dough.
Divide dough in half. Add cocoa powder (and/or cinnamon, peanut butter, Nutella, or mint flavoring). Mix and set aside. Now move to the other ball of dough. Leave this white and add mint or a cinnamon flavoring or any flavoring you like and coloring. Remember – both the colors and flavors should go together well.
Roll each ball out flat, and then place one on top of the other. Take one end and slowly roll this up into a log. Length-wise or width-wise determines how large your cookies will be.
Once you’ve completed rolling the dough, wrap it in plastic and place in the refrigerator until chilled. This could take up to 2 hours, but you can leave it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
When you’re ready to bake, take the log out and remove the plastic covering. Beginning at one end, slice the cookies about ¼” thick and place them on the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for about 10 minutes – you want them to be a lovely golden brown. Let cool and serve.
**HINT – using a piece of thread instead of a knife, makes it easier to cut the dough.
Ophelia’s Curse is a suspenseful and intriguing novel from start to finish. The story will give you goose bumps and have you sitting on the edge of your seat. In short, this story will tickle your senses on a level that you’ve not known before. The thin line between witchcraft and terror is remarkable and written as if Tina Griffith had the gift of pure magic. This is an hypnotic and provocative book. And just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, the twists and turns prove you wrong.
On Hallow’s Eve, as the veil between the two worlds was thinning, the face of the full moon was lit up like a Christmas tree. The dead would soon come alive, the alive would dress up as the dead, and witchcraft had a way of piggybacking off other spells. This was the ideal night to be a witch, for the effectiveness of all incantations, divinations, and other avenues of magic, was perfect.
Jayla is a clever witch, who had been cursed in her teens by her friend, Ophelia. Since then, she has had to retrieve dark souls from shrewd men in order to survive. While she has taken hundreds of souls in her lifetime, this story is about her trying to take the one which belongs to Roger Casem – the man she accidentally fell in love with.
Could she kill him, as she had done with the others? If she wanted to continue living, she must. But today, when his eyes skimmed her body with unbelievable passion, she began to recognize her own needs. As she blushed and turned her face away from him, Jayla did the only thing she could.
AMAZON
Tina Griffith, who also wrote twenty-seven children’s books as Tina Ruiz, was born in Germany, but her family moved to Canada when she was in grammar school.
After her husband of 25 years passed away, she wrote romance novels to keep the love inside her heart. Tina now has eleven romance novels on Amazon, and while all of them have undertones of a love story, they are different genres; murder, mystery, whimsical, witches, ghosts, suspense, adventure, and her sister’s scary biography.
Tina has worked in television and radio as well as being a professional clown at the Children’s Hospital. She lives in Calgary with her second husband who encourages her to write her passion be it high-quality children’s books or intriguing romance.
Stay connected with Tina (Griffith) Ruiz on her Facebook group Tina Speaks Out.
