C.D. Hersh's Blog, page 9
May 6, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight Cowgirls in Kitchen
Hi everyone! Time for another edition of Vintage Recipes here at “Cowgirls in the Kitchen”! Oh, golly, I had a lot of trouble deciding what recipe to feature today–so guess what? I had to include more than one! I think you will enjoy all of these and they are for very different types of “eating pleasure”, but none of them are hard to make (you know my rule about having to be something easy if I make it!)
This first one is one my best friend’s mom used to make sometimes when we were all over at her house and hungry. I had never had these before, and I begged my mom to make them, but with my dad’s work schedule, we rarely had leftover mashed potatoes, which is a key ingredient for these . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:
May 5, 2025
Tell Again Tuesday The Writing Craft
Writing Tips 40 Experts Wish They’d Known as BeginnersBy Jerry B. Jenkins
How I wish I had known as a teenager what I know now!
At 19 I worked full-time as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper.
I loved my job, but I was ambitious and wanted to see if I could sell a story to the Features editor. I worked hard on one, on my own time, and submitted it with photos.
The editor’s response crushed me.
In red pencil at the top of the first page, he’d scribbled:
“Great pictures. Bad story.”
Humiliated, I forced myself to approach his desk.
“Sir,” I said, “could you tell me what’s wrong with this so I can fix it?”
“Sure, Jenkins,” he said. . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:May 1, 2025
Friday Features Cinco de Mayo
Many people believe Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day. Nope, that is actually September 16. May 5 celebrates the Battle of Puebla which was Mexico’s victory over France in 1862. Another interesting fact – Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo more than the people in Mexico.
I met a wonderful lady in the Hispanic aisle when I was shopping for these ingredients. Lydia literally took me by the hand and taught me a great deal in just a few minutes especially about tortillas and refried beans which I’m sharing with you. I am thankful for Lydia and the time she spent with me.
MENU
Guacamole & Tortilla Chips
Beef Tacos
Flour Tortillas
Rice with Tomatoes and Onion
Refried Beans
Mexican Beer – Corona, Dos Equis, Modelo, Tecate
Guacamole
This dish can be made hours in advance of your dinner and stored in the fridge.
2 lg. ripe avocados
1 tbsp. (15ml) onion, chopped fine
5 drops Tabasco sauce
1 med. tomato, peeled and chopped
⅛ tsp. (.60ml) cumin
⅛ tsp. (.60ml) garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Cut avocados in half. Lift out pits and save. Scoop out avocado from shell and place into a glass bowl. Mash with a fork. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Taste for seasoning and adjust to suit you.
Place guacamole into a serving dish. Bury at least one pit into the dip. This helps keep the avocado from turning black. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Photo by The BlackRabbit on Unsplash
Beef Tacos
1 lb. (500g) 90% lean ground beef
½ med. onion, chopped
1 cup (250ml) canned tomato sauce
2 tsp. (10ml) chili powder
½ tsp. (2.5ml) garlic powder
½ tsp. (2.5ml) dried oregano
½ tsp. (2.5ml) paprika
½ tsp. (2.5ml) ground cumin
½ tsp. (2.5ml) cayenne
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 220° F (100°C).
Brown beef in a large skillet set over medium heat. Be sure to stir and break up clumps. Stir in onion and cook 3 – 4 minutes.
Pour tomato sauce over meat mixture. Sprinkle on spices. Stir well. Cook 5 – 8 minutes longer, stirring often.
Pour into an ovenproof dish. Set in oven until ready to serve.
Flour Tortillas
1 package store bought flour tortillas
When you return home open the package, separate tortillas and lay directly onto your kitchen counter for 10 – 15 minutes. Restack tortillas, wrap lightly in a paper towel. Replace them in their original package, seal, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat a flat skillet over medium heat. Lay in a tortilla and warm for a minute or so. Turn. Fold tortilla in half. You now have a perfect taco shell.
Lay shells on a plate and serve.
Rice with Tomatoes and Onion
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
1 med. onion, sliced thin
2 cups (200g) rice, not instant
2 cups (450ml) chicken stock, not broth
2 cups (450ml) water
14½ oz. (411g) can diced tomatoes
Heat oil in a large saucepan set over moderate heat. Swirl oil to coat pan bottom. Add onion. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until onion is transparent but not brown.
Pour in rice. Stir well for 2 – 3 minutes to coat all the grains. Do not let the rice brown or the dish will be bitter.
Stir in stock, water, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until rice absorbs all the liquid.
If need be, keep rice warm in a low oven until you’re ready to serve.
Refried Beans
1 can refried beans*
2 strips bacon
Scoop beans into a microwaveable bowl.
Fry bacon until crisp. You want to render as much fat out as possible. Eat the bacon (no joke) and then stir the rendered fat into the beans.
Depending on how powerful your microwave is, heat for 1 – 2 minutes before serving.
* Buying canned beans is much easier than using dried pinto beans for this dish and probably better tasting. Be sure the can reads Authentic Refried Beans. La Preferida is the brand Lydia recommended. She was right. It was delicious as it has bits of bean in it instead of just being a heavy paste.
May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with good friends, laughter, and seated around a well-laden table!
Sloane
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.
April 29, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight Friends
Yes, we all want to have friends, but sometimes you have to hit delete.
Take the time to look at those friend requests. If something feels off, click delete.
Ever since we were wee tots, the notion that we had friends was intoxicating. Pals, buddies, chums, mates: whatever you call the folks with whom we share an affinity, the mere thought of them evokes feelings of warmth and happiness, ebullience and high spirits. With friends, what could go wrong?
Well, today, a lot. I’m talking here about certain Facebook friends. You know, the ones whose pictures you barely look at, before gleefully clicking on their Please Be My Friend- requests, all in the hope of adding another notch on your friend-list belt, which, of course, proves to everyone in cyberspace just how popular you really are.
But here’s the thing. We need to be careful whom we clutch to our electronic bosom. When I first began the considerable task of building my platform – that heady combination of social media accounts that today, as much as solid writing, determines whether an agent, editor, or publisher will sign an author to a contract – I didn’t pay any special attention to the folks who wished to befriend me.
Then, I started getting odd messages from men. “Saw your picture and had to contact you. What a lovely smile!” one bearded gentleman exclaimed. “How sweet!” was my initial thought. Then another mentioned something about “cuddling” and still another bemoaned his status as a divorced man, saying he was “lonely.”
After a few of these overtures, I started taking my time. I’d actually check out my possible friend’s page and I noticed a few similarities. First, their postings were woefully slim. In many cases just a few photos, which might show them in uniform – admit it ladies, uniforms are sexy – or with small children and/or cuddly little dogs. Some claimed to have attended school in exotic locales like Budapest or impressive places like West Point. Others offered that they could think of no better way to spend an afternoon than shuttling between farmers’ markets, or sipping wine, or watching a romantic sunset. It was a quick glance at the About section that showed all of these online admirers had but a handful of friends – or none at all – and little or no background information that finally had my spidey senses tingling.
So, who are these electronic suitors? Scammers in many cases, who are after your personal information in an attempt to steal your identify. Or people who want to befriend you, then share a sob story to convince you – kindhearted soul that you are – to part with some of your hard-earned cash.
The logical response is to only friend people you know. But for authors, and other people doing business on the Internet, that’s not possible. We are trying to build a clientele. What can we do? Slow down. Take a breath. Then click on your possible new friend’s page. Ask yourself, does something feel off? Once you’ve look at a few of these requests, you’ll catch the pattern. While they might look damn cute in that uniform, go ahead and click delete. You’ll be glad you did.
Here is a brief peek at Anne’s latest release.
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?
Praise for Your Forgotten Sons
“Although a defty crafted work of original fiction, “Your Forgotten Sons” by Anne Montgomery is inspired by a true story. An original and inherently interesting read from start to finish, “Your Forgotten Sons” will prove to be an immediate and enduringly appreciated pick.” Midwest Book Review
“This was a quick, riveting read that really challenged me to think differently about our servicemen and women, especially those who take on the jobs that don’t get heroically depicted in the media or news…I really highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a different take on American history. I left it with a newfound appreciation for the unsung heroes.” Bekah C NetGalley
“This is the truth. It’s gritty and painful and bittersweet – and true. When you think you’ve read every perspective of WWII, along comes Bud to break your heart.” Bridgett Siter Former Military Reporter
“Anne Montgomery writes a strong story and I was hooked from the first page. It had a great concept and I enjoyed that this was inspired by a true story…It was written perfectly and I was invested in the story. Anne Montgomery has a great writing style and left me wanting to read more.” – Kathryn McLeer NetGalley
Available at Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Kobo
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.
April 28, 2025
Tell Again Tuesday Old or Young authors
The Benefits of Publishing OlderBy Milo Todd
As the years go by, the average age of debut authors seems to get younger and younger. There’s plenty of reasons why this is great: the YA genre embracing authors who are the ages of their characters, the removal of societal assumptions that younger people can’t contribute to art in a meaningful way, the increase in opportunities for younger writers to access helpful resources, etc.
Conversation about this reality would stop there if two things didn’t start to emerge from this trend: . . .
April 24, 2025
Friday Feature Plotting on the Parkway
It’s getting kinda antsy at the C.D. Hersh household, because we’ve got book number five in The Turning Stone Chronicle series to finish plotting plus another in our Haunting of Garnoa Road Ghost series. We do our best plotting on the road and we don’t have any upcoming trips. Our paranormal romance series was conceived on a looong cross country trip after we saw an exit road sign for a place called Turning Stone, New York. A bit of brainstorming and a series was born.
Plotting on the road makes the time go faster for Donald, who drives, and keeps Catherine (who writes the notes in longhand a lot of the time) from seeing all the crazy drivers tailgating us and zipping between semi-trucks and our safety zone. Nothing drives Catherine nuttier than watching an F-150 Ford with a full RV cap try to squeeze into a space that barely fits a smart car, without giving us a signal! She truly believes all the imaginary braking with her right leg, while in the passenger seat, contributed to her arthritis and future knee replacement. Fortunately, we aren’t considering traveling anywhere near the Jersey Turnpike where everyone drives like maniacs, although we think quite a few drivers we’ve encountered must have had lessons from a Jersey driving school.
So what’s the point, you ask?
Here’s a few things we’ve learned during our loooong drives:
• Aging knees don’t like being cooped up in a car. Imagine that.
• It’s really hard to read plot notes written months ago while driving on a bumpy interstate.
• It’s even harder to write on a bumpy interstate road.
• Catherine should really transcribe her notes as soon as we stop.
• Especially when words written while driving on the buzz strips on the shoulder of the road make her notes look like an EKG reading.
• The new flash stick recorder we got works better than the old fashioned pencil and paper, although it does allow Catherine to still see all the nutso drivers, and when Donald transcribes the notes they’re not always coherent. Catherine’s a blonde. BTW, she’s writing this, so don’t take offense, ladies.
• We like plotting almost better than writing—or maybe it’s the traveling we like.
• Donald plots very well—most of the time. However, Catherine always has to throw a few suggestions out the car window. Isn’t that what a collaborator is for?
• We need more road trips because we have more books left to write.
• Writing with a collaborator is fun!
How and where do you plot your books? Or do you travel—oops, write—by the seat of your pants?
April 22, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight Quotes for Writers
Everyone has some rule or principle they live by. Here are a few we’ve found that apply to writers. Maybe you’ll find one that appeals to you.
• Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any—Orson Scott Card
• It is perfectly okay to write garbage–as long as you edit brilliantly—C. J. Cherryh
• Books aren’t written, they’re rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it—Michael Crichton
• Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good—William Faulkner
• The greatest rules of dramatic writing are conflict, conflict, conflict—James Frey
• The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do—Thomas Jefferson
• I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose—Stephen King
• All the information you need can be given in dialogue—Elmore Leonard
• Tell the readers a story! Because without a story, you are merely using words to prove you can string them together in logical sentences— Anne McCaffrey
• There’s no such thing as writer’s block. That was invented by people in California who couldn’t write—Terry Pratchett
Which one of these would you choose to live by as a writer?
April 21, 2025
Tell Again Tuesday Newsletters
Ready for a Newsletter That’s Yours? Switch from Substack to WordPress.comBy Rob Pugh
If you’ve been running a newsletter on Substack, you might be feeling some growing pains. Maybe you’re watching those 10% fees eat into your revenue as your subscriber base grows. Perhaps you’re hitting the limits of Substack’s customization options. Or you might be concerned about truly owning your content and audience data.
Whatever the reason for exploring alternatives, . . .
For the rest of the blog go to:April 17, 2025
Friday Features Thinking better of your self
Set Big Goals! I’m not kidding. Make plans to carry out how you’re going to achieve your humongous goals. This is so important. Think about it. If you’re going on a trip, you enter all the info in your GPS or purchase a map to mark out your destination. Businesses need business plans or the bank manager will look at you sideways when you come asking for a loan. What’s the difference when it comes to planning out your life goals?
Mark down your Values and Ideals! Set your big goals based on your values and ideals. Don’t make your goals to easy to achieve, instead aim high, and the higher the better. For example, some authors I know (me included) would love their novel or novel series to be turned into a movie. Or some authors would love to sign with a traditional publishing company, while others would rather go it alone on the self-publishing route. A word of caution—know thyself—don’t set your goals so far out of reach that you give up before you even get started.Measure your Successes! This is so important. Define what the standard is for YOU, and no one else. Understand your strengths and weaknesses, and use both to help you accomplish your goals. Form alliances with other like-minded individuals or groups and delegate when necessary.
Stop comparing yourself to others! This is so hard NOT to do. But if you continually compare your successes to other people’s successes you’ll find that there’s always one person doing better than you. Better sales. Better book covers. Better stories. Better life. STOP IT! Your plans are not their plans. Stick to YOUR plan and keep positive. The best thing you can do for yourself is to develop a positive mental attitude and keep moving forward with purpose.Recognize your Accomplishments! When someone you admire pats you on the back, don’t shrug it off. Take it. Embrace it. It’s good for you. People have a habit of fluffing off compliments, especially when they’ve earned it. So my take advice and savor that pat on the back for a job well done. Besides, it’s good for us to stand in the spotlight—it makes us shine all the brighter!
Reward yourself! This is the icing on the cake. Make sure you select a reward that is consistent with the goal you have just achieved. Signed a book deal? Go out for supper to celebrate or buy those beautiful shoes you keep passing in the store window. Graduated university? Car keys please! You get the idea. When I have a book release, I usually reward myself with an expensive bottle of cognac and a cigar (and I don’t smoke!). Go figure.So, how do you bolster your self-esteem? Love to hear your voices…
Depending on the time of day, pour your favorite beverage then head to your comfy reading spot and all a good book to seep into your soul. May I suggest a visit to mysterious Fairy Falls, or if you’re feeling really adventurous, a trip back in time with The Last Timekeepers? Whichever you choose, either series will transport you to another time and place, taking you away from the troubles of the real 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 husband and is happy to spend many hours with her amazing grandson.
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
April 15, 2025
Wednesday Special Spotlight List Making
If you’re like us, you have a to-do list. It’s filled with the mundane – but necessary – things that must be accomplished to make life run smoothly: go grocery shopping, pay the bills, do the laundry, call the plumber to unstop the toilet. Sometimes these things, and life in general, can get in a writer’s way. But just sitting down at the keyboard isn’t the only thing a writer needs to do. There’s more to writing than putting words to paper or on computer screens. Here are a few suggestions we came up with for your to-do list. Don’t just write – feed your soul and your muse too.
1. Read. Read books, magazines, newspapers, the back of cereal boxeswhatever you can get. Writers must be readers.
2. Visit McDonald’s at lunchtime and pretend you’re a kid again. Buy a Happy Meal, eat it slowly, play with the toy, play with your food, make kiddie noises, and watch the other kids play. Writers must be able to get into the skins of other people to write realistically.
3. Make a journal entry. Write about your dreams, your past, your goals, your feelings. Free-write to let creativity reign. Writers must tap into the unconscious, creative brain functions that allow characters to come alive, ideas to bubble to the surface, and creativity to flow.
4. Take a walk, jog around the block, visit the gym. Writers need exercise to stay healthy.
5. Spend time with people. Writers can’t be lone wolves all the time. We need the stimulation of companionship to recharge.
6. Pull your lawn chair under a tree and look up at the sky. Writers need time to stare into space and dream.
7. Sleep late, go to bed early, take a nap. Writers need their rest so they can be alert to the world around them.
8. Remember a time when your emotions ran high and re-experience it. Feel the anger, love, hate, fear, loneliness, sadness, courage, and jealousy. They are part of life. Writers must be able to pull emotions to the surface in order to write with passion.
9. Close the office door and spend time by yourself. Writers need to be alone to create.
10. Write today, tomorrow, and every day. Writers aren’t writers unless they spend the time doing the one thing, they, by their very nature, can’t avoid doing. Spill your passion onto the page and release the magic into your writing life.
