Mary Morgan's Blog, page 15

Friday Feast | A Hearty Soup for the Harvest

Welcome to Friday Feast in the Tavern!

As most of you know, cooking and baking are wonderful stress relievers after a long day of sitting in my writer’s cave. And the heatwave has definitely broken here in my part of the state. Since I love to be in the kitchen, you’ll find me adding a scene about food in all my stories—from feasts to light fare traveling on horseback.

We are soup lovers in my family. Serve a bowl of soup with a garden salad or warm sourdough bread, and you have a perfect me...

Spotlight #NewRelease "The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven" by Jennifer Ivy Walker

Please make welcome to the Tavern a sister rose (The Wild Rose Press) and lovely friend, Jennifer Ivy Walker! We're celebrating her debut new release, The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven. Before we hear what Jennifer has to say, let's take a peek into her intriguing new story...

In this dark fairy tale adaptation of a medieval French legend, Issylte must flee the wicked queen, finding shelter with a fairy witch who teaches her the verdant magic of the forest. Fate leads her to the otherworldly realm...

Medieval Monday | Hildegard Von Bingen

For Medieval Monday, I’d like to spotlight a medieval woman I’ve admired for decades…

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) was a Benedictine abbess, Christian mystic, and proficient in musical composition, herbology, philosophy, medieval literature, and medicine. A visionary before her time, she refused to be defined by the hierarchy of the church, and the restrictions placed on women of that time-period.

The youngest of ten children, she came from an upper-class German family. Hildegard was ofte...

Friday Feast | To Celebrate a Queen

Welcome to Friday Feast in Mary's Tavern. Originally, the recipe scheduled for today dealt with light fare. We're in the middle of a historic heatwave, and I have not cooked or had my knight set a flame to the bbq in over a week. Yet with the death of Queen Elizabeth II, I decided to pull out my Royal Teas Cookbook I purchased at Buckingham Palace on my visit five years ago.

Though the Queen is not my monarch, I had great admiration and respect for her. She represented such strength and wisdom...

The Coffee Pot Book Club Presents "God of Fire" by Helen Steadman

Please make welcome to the Tavern the lovely Helen Steadman! We're celebrating the blog tour for her new book, God of Fire!

Grab a cup of mead and let's take a peek into Helen's fascinating story...

‘Love was surely the greatest punishment of all’

He’s a rejected immortal. But can this magical blacksmith fight against fate and overcome the darkness of his past?

Hephaestus fears he’ll never be accepted. Cast down from Olympus and raised by a powerful sea witch, he sets out on a quest to disc...

Medieval Monday | Word for September

Welcome to the first Medieval Monday for September! My favorite time of year, my friends! My writing cave is scented with a pumpkin pecan candle while I write this post. Absolutely in love with this time of year, even though we in the beginning of a massive heatwave. But that won't damper my happiness.

As I stated last month, I'm dedicating the first Monday of each month to a medieval word or phrase. If you've read my books, you'll notice I sprinkle my stories with a few of these ancient words...

Friday Feast Celebration | "Jazz House" by D.V. Stone

Welcome to a special Friday Feast in the Tavern! I'm thrilled to have a sister rose (from The Wild Rose Press) here with me today! We're celebrating D.V. Stone's new book release, Jazz House! I love the cover and have my copy waiting for me on my kindle. In addition, D.V. is honoring us with a treasured recipe from her mom.

Before we chat with D.V., let's take a peek into her new book. Grab a glass of champagne and settle in...

Jordan Vasilakis is on the run, living under an assumed name. Aft...

Friday Feast | Enjoying Leeks on a Summer's Evening

Welcome to Friday Feast!

I developed a fondness for leeks within the past five years. Like onions, leeks are a bulbous vegetable. They're part of the Allium (onion, shallot, garlic, scallion, and chive) family. Commonly grown as an annual for its mildly pungent succulent leaves and especially for its thick cylindrical stalk.

Did you know leeks are a native of Britain that have been grown for thousands of years there? They are particularly abundant in Wales.

Usually, I enjoy leeks with ga...

Medieval Monday | Music for a Hot August Knight

Welcome to Medieval Monday and hot August Knights!

I’ve often said that music feeds my soul for creativity. It stirs the muse and my writing soars. Dragon Knight’s Ring was an emotional story for me. Since this was the last book (published in August 2016) in the Order of the Dragon Knights series, I had to search for unique melodies—ones that would be epic.

Here is my playlist for Adam and Meggie’s story and the other Dragon Knights:

1. “A Celtic Lore” by Adrian von Ziegler, from the album ...

Friday Feast | Let the Football Season Begin

Welcome to Friday Feast in the Tavern!

As you can tell by the flag, we are true fans of the 49er's football team. I've been a fan most of my life and can say the same about my knight. Even though it's only pre-season, we've enjoyed watching a few of the games. A chance to view new and old players. There's almost a giddiness at the start of the football season. Even the family is taking bets on who will lead the pack.

For me, football signals the seasonal return of autumn, too. And you all kn...