C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 6
July 15, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight Strangers in the Night … and in the Day
Blog about meeting a complete stranger.
I started to wonder when I’d met and conversed on any deep level with a stranger last, besides clerks and baggers at the grocery and Kmart, or the dentist’s receptionist. I’m always telling the baggers how to put the produce in so they don’t bruise my bananas. I just hate bruised bananas. They probably don’t consider my dictatorial instructions conversation, though.
We did meet a new hygienist at our last dental appointment, but it’s hard to say much when she’s digging tartar off your teeth. A few mmmphs and gurgles don’t really count as conversation, and she was so focused that she hardly said a single word. If she’d have been more talkative I might have been able to use her as this blog example. Still, I don’t think any of these examples are what the blog prompt meant by meeting.
We’ve spoken to a bunch of strangers at an authors’ panel about our books and writing. And we ate hamburgers and chili at 9 p.m. with another author who lived in the area. But we sorta know her because she’s on the author loop, so she doesn’t qualify as a complete stranger. Again, not what I think the blog prompt really meant.
I did meet a complete stranger the other day when we went to lunch with my husband’s former coworkers. I even introduced myself to her, and, darn, if I didn’t forget her name within seconds. I even repeated it, too. I’m sure I’d remember her if I saw her again, and I remember the sweet stories she told me about her niece. That’s probably as close as I’ve come to meeting and chatting up a stranger in some time.
The thing is, as writers, the hubby and I usually spend most of our time holed up in our respective offices, heads buried in the computer, or social media, or some other writing related chore. Lately, because it’s been brutally hot in our state, we’ve closed all the window blinds and lowered the AC. Home has been our center of orbit with the heat and humidity. Not many strangers wander into our house. We keep the doors locked, because I’ve got a thing about that.
The more I thought about it the harder it became to write a blog about meeting a stranger. Which is pretty ironic, since that’s what we write about. Strangers meeting other strangers and falling in love.
They say, write what you know. With what appears to be a lack of stranger experience to use for our romance novels, it’s a good thing we have vivid imaginations.
When’s the last time you met a complete stranger? Did you leave a stranger or make a new friend?
July 14, 2025
Tell Again Tuesday Blogging your book
How to Start a Book Blog (Without Getting Lost in the Plot)By Amanda Coopersmith
Want to share your latest reads, land early review copies, or connect with fellow book lovers? If so, it might be time to learn how to start a book blog of your own.
Ready to turn the page? Here’s how to claim your bookish home on the web.
What is a book blog? . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:July 10, 2025
Friday Feature Summertime Sweetness
Peach Crumble
1 – 15.25 oz. can peach chunks in heavy sauce
½ tsp. cinnamon
1½ tbsp. cornstarch
¼ cup apple juice
Pour peaches into a small saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 1 minute. Stir constantly so the mixture doesn’t burn. If the sauce is too thick add more apple juice one tablespoon at a time.
Scoop peach mixture into an ungreased 1 quart, or slightly smaller, ovenproof casserole. Individual ramekins work well, too.
Topping
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
2 tbsp. butter or margarine, cut into bits
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Combine flour and sugar in a small bowl. Add butter bits then use your fingertips to blend the mixture into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over peaches.
Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until topping is a lightly golden.
Serve smothered in whipped cream.
May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with good friends, laughter, and seated around a well-laden table!
Sloane
Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning romance author with a passion that consumes her day and night. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.
To learn more about Taylor go to her website. Stay in touch on Blogger, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Taylor’s cookbooks, Hot Men Wear Aprons, Date Night Dinners, Date Night Dinners Italian Style, Sizzling Summer, and Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire are released by Toque & Dagger Publishing and available on Amazon.
July 8, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight International Kissing Day
If you haven’t kissed your significant other, your children, your parents, or other family members today, get offline and do so. After you read our blog, of course, because July 6th, was International Kissing Day and it’s never too late to smooch.
Kissing Day was first celebrated in the UK and now is an international celebration in all the countries where kissing is part of the culture. Kissing was not a custom of many indigenous peoples and is believed to have been introduced to indigenous peoples through European settlement. Hooray for Europe!
According to recent research, kissing is also good for you too. It burns calories (about 2-3 calories a minute), it’s good for your heart (it creates an adrenalin that causes your heart to pump more blood), it helps prevent tooth decay, is a stress reliever, and it boosts your immunity. And if boosting your health isn’t enough reason to have a few smooches, consider this … it just feels good.
There are many ways to kiss. Here are a few:
• Passionate kisses
the goodnight kiss that lasts forever when you’re young and head over heels in love
the French kiss
the hickey kiss
the upside-down Spiderman kiss
the bittersweet kiss, often shared between star crossed lovers as they leave each other
• Affectionate kisses
kissing the boo boos away
the top of the head kiss
the forehead kiss, a motherly sort of kiss
the awkward first kiss
• Greeting kisses
the European double cheek kiss of greeting
the kiss on the cheek, often the hello and goodbye kisses we give friends and family
• Insincere kisses
the betrayal kiss of Judas
the air kiss often practiced as a sham action
the kiss of death
• Kisses that don’t involve touching lips
the Eskimo kiss, rubbing noses instead of touching lips
the butterfly kiss, done by fluttering the eyelashes against the cheek
hand kissing, a lost art except in historical romances which can be romantic or a greeting to a lady
the kiss you smack into your hand and throw to someone
body kisses (‘Nuff said’)
Writers of romance often concern themselves with the more passionate kisses, but there’s something to be said for using sweeter kisses in our stories too. Not every kiss shared by a couple is going to set off fireworks. Sometimes you need the love without the rollercoaster ride to add some levels to the romance. Consider incorporating some sweeter, more affectionate kisses in your love scenes. You might be surprised at what happens between your characters when they hold back a little on the ardor.
Have you kissed someone today?
Perhaps a book that we’ve written may help set the mood.
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Susan Trowbridge is the victim of mistaken identity, trapped in the past by a ghost and a haunted wedding gown. To return home she must discover the identity of the ghost’s murderer. Can Susan stop the murder, or will history repeat itself, with her as the victim this time? And if she does stop the murder, must she return home and leave the man she has come to love?
Duncan Hawthorn is a man battling his own demons. But when Susan falls into his life, Duncan finds himself inexplicably attracted to a woman he thought he hated. Should he believe she is in danger? Should he believe her irrational claims that she is from the future? Either way, he realizes he will lose the woman who has become his salvation and his true love.
Second Edition Coming SoonJuly 7, 2025
Tell Again Tuesday Fiction Writing
A Guest Blog from Stephen King—Yes, that Stephen King By Jerry Jenkins + Stephen King
Okay, let’s get a few things straight right from the top:
• This is going to be a very long post, but I’m not going to apologize for it because: 1—I need to brag about how I know Mr. King; 2—I promise it’ll be content-rich; 3—You’re going to learn Voice merely by osmosis, beyond what he’s teaching overtly; and 4—You’ll be glad you invested the time. So grab your favorite beverage and settle in…
• Though I work the inspirational side of the fiction writing fence and he the horror, we at one time happened to share the services of the same audio reader, the legendary Frank Muller, who remains, even post mortem, the unquestioned creme de la creme of that field.
• We first met by phone when Stephen called one day to discuss how we might aid Frank’s family after he suffered a motorcycle accident that would eventually take his life. Then Stephen and I met personally in 2004 when we visited Frank in rehab, where he lingered for several years.
• Stephen and I share a rabid love of baseball (he the Boston Red Sox, I the Chicago Cubs).
• I have been accused of trying to scare readers out of Hell.
• Stephen has been accused of trying to scare the hell out of readers.
• We read each other’s work and respect each other and still keep in touch via email.
• Writer’s Digest considered us strange enough bedfellows to feature us in a cover story.
• I will insert myself into Stephen’s blog only occasionally to adjust for the fact that the piece is nearly 30 years old, yet remains poignantly applicable.
• I expect it to stimulate spirited conversation, however be advised that my team and I will excise any off-topic comments. This is not the place to discuss Stephen’s use of naughty words, or his political, cultural, or religious views. Let’s stick to the subject of fiction writing.
I asked if I could share with you sections of his iconic piece from the 1986 . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:July 3, 2025
Friday Feature July 4th
As today is the celebration of the birth of our country we thought it appropriate we take a break from featuring books and authors and feature our nation. There have been many who have made it great, sung songs and written about what it means. But one of the most moving we have heard is the story told by Red Skelton of his school master and the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.
July 1, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight Collaborative writing
Lots of people we know look at us as collaborative writers and say, “I don’t know how you two do it. I’d kill my spouse if I had to work with him/her.”
Well, we’re both still alive and well and loving working together.
So what’s our secret? For the inquisitive minds who want to know, here are a few reasons why our writing partnership works.
• We like each other and respect each other—a lot. Respect is paramount in any working relationship.
• We’ve been together more years that we’ve been apart. As a result, we know each other very well.
• We have complimentary talents and we recognize that. Donald is a great idea and plotting person, and Catherine is good at the technical part of writing, the grammar, spelling, punctuation, and etcetera.
• We laugh a lot when we’re working together, even if it’s a serious scene. Nothing brings people together like laughter.
• We plot our stories in detail, but still allow room for the characters to take us to unexpected places. When they do what we haven’t planned, both of us have to sign off on what has happened before it makes it into the book.
• We’re willing to throw ideas, scenes and whole sections of each other’s writing out. There are no sacred cows in our partnership.
• Our methods of collaborative writing are fluid. Sometimes we create using a totally collaborative effort, literally writing together line-by-line (we’ve created a number of our plays using this method). We might revamp something one of us has created as a solo writer, or we might work with one of us functioning as the major writer and the other as editor. Changing things keeps our interests up and our egos in check.
• And last, but certainly not least, we keep the lines of communication open. Writing is usually a solo job, but when you’re working with someone else, you have to let them know how you feel about what’s being plotted, written, and critiqued. If you don’t, then you can stifle the creative flow as well as the collaborative relationship. When we plot and one of us throws out a hasty, “I hate that idea!” (and we’ve done that) there are no hurt feelings on the part of the other person. We will ask for clarification as to why, and the protesting party must come up with a reasonable excuse, but we never get upset, want to quit working together, or get a divorce over it.
We can’t speak to the writing methods of other co-authors, although we have read that some write opposing chapters or each take a point of view, something we haven’t tried yet. However, as a married couple and co-authors, we do feel we bring something unique to the table—a spark we hope will take us a long way on our writing journey. A spark that enriches our personal relationship. For us, that’s enough reason to work together as C.D. Hersh.
Have you ever co-authored something? What worked for you in that relationship?
June 30, 2025
Tell Again Tuesday Beginning writing
Advice for Beginning Writers By Amy Wilson
Some writers have been scribbling stories for so many years, they can’t remember a time when they weren’t writing. Others—like me—specifically remember when they decided to attempt a novel and began typing their first paragraphs. I want to share some advice for beginning writers here who might be feeling overwhelmed, insufficient, or daunted by the road ahead. . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:June 26, 2025
Friday Feature Mayonnaise
I enjoy cooking and making healthy food for my family and, of course, sharing the recipes that are our favorites. Here is the recipe for my yummy homemade mayo that tastes great on sandwiches, as the basis for salad dressing, along with a topping for chicken and fish. Needless to say, we are not buying store-bought mayonnaise since…forever.
Homemade Mayonnaise
1 large egg (must be room temperature)
1 cup (240ml) neutral oil (I use light olive oil)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
I don’t use salt and sugar
In a tall container or a food processor, add oil, egg, lemon juice, and mustard.
Place an immersion blender at the bottom. Start blending without moving it until the mayonnaise begins to form. Then slowly move the blender upward until the ingredients are fully combined.
If using a food processor or whisk— add the oil slowly in a thin stream while continuously blending or whisking until the mayo thickens.
You can add a little seasoning like salt or a pinch of sugar. I don’t. Or experiment with flavors by adding garlic, herbs, or a touch of hot sauce.
Transfer the mayo to an airtight container and refrigerate. It lasts about 1 week in the fridge.
Enjoy!
Here is a peek at book one of Stella’s time travel romance series for your reading pleasure.
One key unlocks the love of a lifetime…but could also break her heart.
Nika Morris’s sixth sense has helped build a successful business, lovingly restoring and reselling historic homes on Florida’s Amelia Island. But there’s one forlorn, neglected relic that’s pulled at her from the moment she saw it. The century-old Coleman house.
Quite unexpectedly, the house is handed to her on a silver platter—along with a mysterious letter, postmarked 1909, yet addressed personally to Nika. Its cryptic message: Find the key. You know where it is. Hurry, for goodness’ sake!
The message triggers an irresistible drive to find that key. When she does, one twist in an old grandfather clock throws her back in time, straight into the arms of deliciously, devilishly handsome Elijah Coleman.
Swept up in a journey of a lifetime, Nika finds herself falling in love with Eli—and with the family and friends that inhabit a time not even her vivid imagination could have conjured. But in one desperate moment of homesickness, she makes a decision that will not only alter the course of more than one life but break her heart.
’Til Time Do Us Part is available in Kindle and Paperback at AMAZON.
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.
June 24, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight Talking Heads
We’ve all seen it. Those long passages of dialogue where readers get lost because the author hasn’t bothered to clue you in to who is speaking. Perhaps we’ve even written them ourselves. Here are three hints to help keep talking heads at bay. Or answer the question of which character is speaking at the time.
1. Don’t write extremely long sections of dialogue without giving readers a clue as to who is speaking. If you’ve gone half a page without some indicator of who’s speaking, consider giving the reader a hint.
2. Use dialogue cues to help identify speakers, but use them sparingly. While he said, she said usually disappears to readers, when you have a string of them at the end of sentences it makes the page read awkwardly. Sprinkling a few here and there is helpful.
3. Use action tags and inner dialogue to help identify characters. This helps break up the monotony of he said, she said. The sparingly rule works here, too.
Do you have a hint you like to use to help keep your characters from becoming talking heads?
Please share them in the comments.
