Mary Morgan's Blog, page 23

MAGNAR and DESTINY OF A WARRIOR are RAVEN Award Winners!

Wow! When I opened my email over the weekend and discovered I had won the Raven Award from Uncaged Book Reviews for Magnar and was Runner-up for Destiny of a Warrior, you should have heard my shout of joy! In all honesty, I didn't expect to win. Yet this gem for stories I cherished writing is one I'll treasure for a verra long time.

"Ms. Morgan continues her exceptional writing with this brand new series." Cyrene for Uncaged Book Reviews (5 stars for Magnar).

"The author writes an intricate ...

Friday Feast | Cookies and a Story in "Fixing Christmas" by Peggy Jaeger

Friday Feast is hosting my good friend and talented author Peggy Jaeger! We're celebrating her upcoming new Christmas story, Fixing Christmas! Before we take a peek into this delicious story and Peggy's recipe, let's hear what she has to say...

A Message from Peggy Jaeger

In Fixing Christmas – A Dickens Holiday Romance ~ Dorrit’s Diner, Abra Charles loves to bake. She bakes when she wants to binge on cookies, when she’s stressed, and when she’s trying to let her writing mind rest to figure out a...

Cover Reveal and Book Spotlight for "The Widow Wore Plaid" by Jenna Jaxon

I'm delighted to host my dear friend and talented author Jenna Jaxon! As some of you might know, Jenna has been a guest on our Medieval Monday blogs. We're celebrating the stunning cover for her upcoming new release, The Widow Wore Plaid. And what a beautiful cover it is! I've already pre-ordered my copy, and I hope you'll do the same.

For now, let's take a peek into Jenna's new story...

The Battle of Waterloo made them widows, but each has found new happiness. And Jane, Lady John Tarkington,...

Friday Feast | Welcome Samhain

And here we are once again. The doorway to the dark half of the Celtic year swings open on Sunday, October 31. This is the Celtic festival of Samhain, meaning “Summer’s end.” For me, it’s a time to reflect on the past year and settle in for the season. What have I accomplished? What do I need to let go? I try to maintain a positive attitude during this reflection.

On this day, I prepare a feast and leave out an extra plate for anyone passing through—be it spirit or flesh and blood. This is a...

A Humorous Cozy Mystery in "Death by Sample Size" by Susie Black

Please make welcome a lovely woman and a sister Rose from The Wild Rose Press, Susie Black! We're celebrating her debut new release, Death by Sample Size. As a special treat, Susie has a freebie for everyone! The Tavern is serving our best champagne, so grab a glass and let's first take a peek at Susie's new book...

A Message from Susie Black

The inspiration behind my story:

Like the protagonist in my Holly Swimsuit murder mystery series, I am a ladies’ apparel sales exec. From the start of my c...

Friday Feast | Bread and the Order of the Dragon Knights

Welcome back to Mary's Tavern for Friday Feast! My original recipe was for a butternut squash with pecans and blue cheese, yet after I prepped the scrumptious meal, I forgot to take a picture. You should have heard my gasp at the end of the meal. Hunger won out over the business of photo-taking. Though no worries, it's planned for the menu next month.

So, what could I possibly share on this Friday? Why not a bread recipe. I'm sharing one of our favorite football appetizers for a lazy Sunday. T...

Friday Feast | Mushroom and Pancetta Pasta

Welcome back to Friday Feast in Mary's Tavern! The week has been a long one (mostly with errands and nurse visits), yet I always have time once a week to make pasta for dinner. It's definitely a staple in the Morgan's cottage. If I haven't shared this before, I'm long overdue. My knight has Italian heritage within his DNA. He could live on salami and pasta. Even after forty-one years together, it remains his favorite.

This week's recipe can be tweaked to add other ingredients as well. I've also been known to sneak in a couple handfuls of baby spinach, swap out pancetta for bacon, and use Rigatoni instead of Orecchiette pasta. It's all what I have in the pantry, or what we're craving. Since I didn't have pancetta, I substituted bacon for this week's meal. And we do love our bacon.

Sláinte mhath!

Mushroom and Pancetta Pasta

Ingredients

8 oz. of chopped pancetta***

1-lb of mushrooms (I prefer cremini)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

12 oz. Orecchiette pasta (or your favorite)

***I often switch out the pancetta for bacon. In this photo I used 6 slices of bacon, chopped.

Directions

In a large skillet cook pancetta (or bacon) over medium heat until brown. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel. Leave drippings in pan.

Add mushrooms, garlic, shallot, salt, and pepper to pan. Cook 10 minutes until mushrooms are browned, stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta according to directions.

Add cream and broth to pan with mushroom mixture. Cook 2 minutes until slightly thickened.

Add pancetta or bacon.

Stir in cooked pasta, vinegar, and chives. Heat through and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

A Stranger’s Path, A Broken Promise, and a Second Chance in "The Texan's Favor" by D.K. Deters

Please make welcome my friend and a sister rose from the Wild Rose Press, D.K. Deters! I'm thrilled to have her with us today! We're celebrating her new book release The Texan's Favor. Psst, my copy is already downloaded on my kindle.

The Tavern is serving it's house brew in honor of D.K., so grab a pint and let's take a peek at her western romance...

Ambushed, Texas Ranger Jake Fontaine's a dead man until a Kansas spinster raises her shotgun in his defense. Despite the rogue lawman's obsession to bring in his brother's killer, duty demands he escort her to the next town.

Kat Collins is a thief, though an honorable one. She's on the run from controlling kin and aims to escape her past. Traveling with Jake offers the perfect cover—until her uncle finds them sharing a campfire and imposes his own kind of justice—a wedding.

Marriage will cost Jake his freedom but refusing may cost him his life. Kat figures he's bound to recognize her on a wanted poster. Would sharing passionate nights in his arms be worth the peril?

A Sneak Preview from The Texan's Favor

“Not that it’s any of your affair, Ranger, but I’m goin’ to St. Louis. I didn’t plan for any delays. You were in trouble, and I tried to help.” She lifted her chin. “Although you bein’ a Texas Ranger and all, I’d think you would’ve had the upper hand.”

He stuffed his hat back on. Contrary to his usual confidence around women, she baffled him. “Lady, you’re riding a horse to St. Louis, alone?” Stubborn woman, someone should be responsible for her welfare. Was Emmett involved with her decision?

She slammed the coffeepot to the smoking fire and a moment later stomped across the ground separating them. At over five-and-a-half feet tall and her boot heels adding an extra inch, she dug her forefinger into his chest. “Ranger, you question where I’m going? Don’t forget you’re in Kansas. Don’t Texas Rangers ride in—Texas?” She stretched the word Texas and placed her hands on her hips. “Did you lose your way?”

Her words strained his good intentions. He leaned forward, wrapped his hands around her thin wrists, and murmured, “Honey, it’ll be a cold day in hell before I ever lose my way to Texas.”

Available from these online retailers

,AMAZON | ,AMAZON CA | ,AMAZON UK | ,AMAZON AU | ,IBOOKS | ,BARNES & NOBLE | ,BOOKBUB | ,GOOGLE PLAY | ,GOODREADS | ,KOBO | ,TARGET

Meet the Author

D. K. Deters is a fantasy and historical romance author. She was a communications consultant before turning to a writing career. Like many historical romance authors, she's always had a deep interest in history, and the nineteenth century is her favorite. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her adult children and their families. Her hobbies include restoring old dollhouses and secondhand furniture. Christmas is her favorite time of the year.

Connect with D.K. Deters:

,Amazon | ,BookBub | ,Facebook | ,Goodreads | ,Instagram | ,Pinterest | ,Twitter | ,Website/Blog

October Treats and News

October is here and it’s one of my favorite times of the year. The weather turns chilly, the leaves change color and I get an excuse to binge-eat Halloween candy/chocolate, especially candy corn! As the wind shakes my windows, I love to curl up with a good book. N. N. Light feels the same way and they’re hosting a spooktacular giveaway. Sorry, couldn’t resist the Halloween pun. No tricks, just treats for booklovers! Everything from romance to paranormal to e-copy, print, and audiobook codes are being given away. You can even enter to win one of my books.

Go on, indulge your inner kid and enter this giveaway. The list is long and personally, I’d love to win myself but alas, I can’t. So, I’ll just live vicariously through the lucky winners. If there’s a particular book or prize you’d like to win, be sure to say which prize you want when you enter via Rafflecopter. Enter below and good luck!

Spooky Halloween Bookish Giveaway: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db7750135

Literary Giveaway Portal: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/literary-giveaway-portal

Medieval Monday News Update ~ For those who have enjoyed our Medieval Monday blog hops, I'm sad to announce it's been put on hold until Spring 2022. I hope you'll continue to follow the lovely medieval authors I've hosted and don't forget about our facebook page: Medieval Romance Lovers ,here.

I'm thinking of doing a Medieval Monday word and or recipe for these days. If you have an idea for Medieval Monday, please feel free to send me an email at: moirarose415@yahoo.com

Have a lovely week!

Friday Feast | Celebrating the San Francisco GIANTS

I'm sharing another passion of mine with everyone. Aye, I love my Guinness, but I also love baseball. Specifically, the San Francisco Giants! My t-shirt reflects the year the team moved from New York to San Francisco and the year of my birth. Verra awesome! From the age of ten, I've been a fan of the Giants. There was only a brief time they slipped into second place in my world when I bumped them in favor of the Cincinnati Reds. During the 1970's (in my young teens), I covered my wall with pictures of their catcher, Johnny Bench. He became my teen crush. Trust me, I was able to quote every stat from his games.

For my 15th birthday, my parents gave me tickets to see a double-header game between the Giants and Reds at Candlestick Park. It remains one of my fondest memories with my dad. The Reds won both games, and I still have the Red's baseball hat my dad bought for me.

Let's time-travel beyond those years. Teen crushes fade (but never forgotten), and my loyalty shifted back to the Giants. Through good times and bad, I have remained a fan. I even have the MLB (Major League Baseball) app on my cell phone and enjoy listening to the games on a break from writing.

It's been a phenomenal year for the team and winning the National League West a few days was spectacular to watch.

GO GIANTS!

Irish Dip

Ingredients

1-8oz. package of cream cheese, softened

8 oz. (1 cup) of Guinness Draught Beer**

¼ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

¼ teaspoon Hot Sauce (optional)

1 garlic clove, minced

8-10 oz. of Irish cheddar cheese (I use Kerrygold)

Directions

Put cream cheese in a food processor and pulse a few times.

Slowly add the Guinness, Worcestershire, and hot sauce.

Add the garlic and cheese

Process until smooth.

Put dip into a bowl, cover, and place in refrigerator overnight for flavors to blend.

**I’ve been known to use Irish ale or another stout beer. It’s entirely up to you.