Tasty Tuesdays–Taco Tuesdays with Sloane Taylor

Tags

cookbook author, food blog, Mexican food, Sloane Taylor, taco recipe, Taco Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays

from Sloane Taylor

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

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.

Learn more about Taylor’s cookbooks, Date Night Dinners, Date Night Dinners Sizzling Summer, and Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire on Amazon.
Connect with Sloane at website, blog, Facebook and Twitter.

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Tasty Tuesdays–Rocky Road Buster Bars from Sharon Ledwith

Tags

cookies, Dessert, Recipes, Sharon Ledwith, Tasty Tuesdays, The Last Timekeepers, YA FAntasy

from Sharon Ledwith

Just when you thought it was safe to go into your pantry…BAM! You’re hit with a hankering for something sweet and chewy. I’ve got just the treat that will satisfy your taste buds, and perhaps take you on a nostalgic trip back to grandma’s kitchen. These Rocky Road Buster Bars are great for morning or afternoon breaks, and pair well with a cup of tea or coffee. With a total prep and bake time of 45 minutes, you can easily whip up a few batches for bridal or baby showers, or spoil your bookworm friends at the next book club meeting.

Rocky Road Buster Bars

1½ cups graham crumbs

½ cup butter, melted

1½ cups flaked coconut

1½ cups chopped pecans*

1 package (300 g/10.58 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1½ cups miniature marshmallows (we use the colored marshmallows)

1 can (300 mL/10 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

3 squares semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line a 13×9-inch pan with foil or parchment paper, with ends of foil/paper extending over sides.

Mix crumbs and butter, press onto bottom of pan. Top with layers of coconut, nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Drizzle with condensed milk.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, melt chocolate squares as directed on package.

Drizzle chocolate over dessert. Let stand until firm. Use foil/paper handles to lift dessert from pan before cutting into bars.

*Substitute dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins or chopped apricots for the nuts.

While you’re waiting for the bars to bake and set, take a seat in your favorite comfy chair and crack open one of my books. May I suggest a trip back in time with The Last Timekeepers?

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures…

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past to restore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.

Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.

The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:

The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book #2 Buy Links:

MIRROR WORLD PUBLISHING ׀ AMAZON ׀ BARNES & NOBLE ׀

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.

A Writer’s Garden-The Trials and Triumphs of Landscaping by Chris Paxson

Tags

A Writer’s Garden, Chris Paxson, Garden blog, Garden devotion, garden tips, No Half-Truths Allowed: Understanding the Full Gospel Message  Bible Study book, Proverbs 9:10 Ministries

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Chris Paxson, one half of the co-founding team of Proverbs 9:10 Ministries. Chris will be sharing her 30 years of landscaping trials. Welcome, Chris!

           

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• 

• 

Almost 30 years ago my husband and I built a house on a sloping piece of land in the fertile soils of southeastern Pennsylvania, USA. It’s a mostly wooded lot, with rocks, roots and vines that can make you want to call landscaping quits more than once! Still, thirty years and many more landscaped areas later, every spring makes us glad that we persevered and stuck to the challenge.

• 

• 

            There are some things that a beginning gardener, like me 30 years ago, would be better off knowing. First and foremost (or the one I wish I had known) is that it’s best to buy many of the same plant, and plant them together for effect. Being void of that knowledge, I spent many years shopping at the local garden center buying a variety of four-inch potted plants and spreading them out. I’m still grappling with the problems from that mistake to this day. Some other things I’ve learned in the process are that only certain plants grow under the shade of walnut trees that are poisonous to most plants. If a plant tag says “sun/part shade” it does best in mostly sun. And I’ve learned that sometimes you have to sacrifice a plant that’s not doing well, rather than trying to save every sprig of anything that’s alive, if you want to keep your sanity!

            Life as a Christian has some of the same attributes as the life of a gardener. It takes perseverance to learn about God through prayer and Bible study. There are some things it’s better off knowing from the start, like the fact that God is Sovereign over every single thing. Having that knowledge makes it easier to understand the Bible and helps in dealing with everyday life! During your walk you’ll encounter rocks and boulders of sin that you have to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to dig out of your life. You’ll encounter temptations like vines and roots that constantly threaten to trip you up. And, last but not least, it’s often better to narrow your focus. You’ll have things that you’d like to hold on to, but that only tend clutter up your life like sprigs of individual plants that are good, but in your garden only become eyesores. You need to let go of those.

            Thirty years of trial and triumph makes you able to relax and enjoy the journey. So keep planting and watering. Try new things. Dig out the old and replant it somewhere else. if that doesn’t work, toss it, or hand it over to someone else. Narrow your focus to what’s most important. Most of all, love God and do everything for His glory alone. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31

About the Authors:    

Chris Paxson & Rose Spiller are co-founders of Proverbs 9:10 Ministries and co-hosts of the No Trash, Just Truth Podcast. They have been teaching Bible Studies for over 20 years and have written many of their own studies. Along with teaching together, they speak at conferences and retreats. Their second book, The Bible Blueprint – A Guide to Better Understanding the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, an overview of each of the 66 books of the Bible, is due out in this summer. They are in the process of writing their third book, Deciphering Revelation. Connect with Chris and Rose:

Links to Proverbs 9:10 Ministries & No Half Truths Allowed

Website:  https://proverbs910ministries.com

Proverbs 9:10 Ministries on MeWe:  https://mewe.com/p/proverbs910ministries

Instagram: proverbs910ministries

No Trash, Just Truth! Podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/615385 can also be found on all major podcasting sites, Rumble, & YouTube

No Half-Truths Allowed – Understanding the Complete Gospel Message

by Christine Paxson and Rose Spiller

Authors Christine Paxson and Rose Spiller were frustrated at the fluff and heresy being pedaled as “Women’s Bible Studies.” Many studies are shallow and emotion-based, not grounded in the truth of Scripture, and they found this particularly true in regard to the Gospel Message. Because of a genuine concern for salvation and what was being witnessed, they wrote their Book and Bible study, No Half-Truths Allowed: Understanding the Full Gospel Message (Ambassador International, May 8, 2020, $15.99). When it comes to proclaiming the Gospel message, half-truths, vague notions, and generalizations can be dangerous. What are the important truths we need to know and share with others? Is it enough to believe that God loves us and wants a relationship with us? Is it enough to “ask Jesus into our hearts”? Is it enough to recite the “sinner’s prayer,” or do we need to repent of our sin? Is going to church and serving others enough? Is what Jesus suffered more than just a gruesome death on a cross? If Jesus, who is fully God, was crucified, did God die on Good Friday? Is God mad at us when we sin and happy when we’re behaving? Can we lose our salvation? If you’re not sure of the answers to any of these questions, join Christine Paxson and Rose Spiller as they explore the answers to these and many other questions.

A Writer’s Garden, Chris Paxson, garden tips, garden blog, Garden devotion, Proverbs 9:10 Ministries, No Half-Truths Allowed: Understanding the Full Gospel Message  Bible Study book,

Musings from a Writer’s Brain –The Greatest Gift: An Unplanned Sequel by Karin Beery

Tags

Avoiding Marriage, contemporary fiction, Essay about Writing, Karin Beery, Musings from a Writer's Brain, Writing a series

I love reading a series, but I never planned to write one—it’s tough remembering all of the names, dates, and descriptions of every characters, place, and event. I’m tired just explaining it! I was happy writing new characters in new places for each book.

But then something strange happened…I found myself without a book contract.

Okay, that’s not really strange. I’ve spent more of my life without a book deal than I have with one, but after having two books published in two years, I expected (wanted, hoped) it would continue. It didn’t. It was partly my manuscript, partly a series of unfortunate events. Regardless, I could see a big hole in my publishing schedule.

Enter the panic.

Enter the tears.

Enter my friend Jessica wanting to know why the crazy ex-girlfriend in Practically Married was named after her. (It wasn’t—Jess is named after a girl I knew in high school, but don’t tell my friend.)

Jessica’s question got me thinking—why would Russ have dated Jess if she was crazy? And if she wasn’t really crazy, why would he have broken up with her?

My friend gave me the greatest gift you can give a writer: inspiration!

One question led to another led to another led to another. And then, because I don’t understand the point of fiction without kissing scenes, I had to give Jess a love interest, but wouldn’t it be great if she wasn’t interested?

The ideas took off and a few months later I’d written Avoiding Marriage: A Practically Married Novella.

This time, I did the work myself—hired editors, designers, and formatters to self-publish my first book. My first novella. My first sequel! It’s been a stressful, exhilarating, frustrating, exciting time, and I’m happy to be in the home stretch. Avoiding Marriage is now available to buy!

But … then I read the reviews:

“I know there are other books with these characters, so I am looking forward to reading more about them in the future.”

“I wanted to keep reading to see what happens next, so I’m looking forward to the next in the series.”

“I want [another] novel that shares more of what happened between [Jess] and Russ and with her mom. I want to know what happens to Felix, Carter and her mom.”

Looks like the series will continue…

Avoiding Marriage

 by Karin Beery

Two years ago, Jessica Miller made a mess of her already confusing life. Now, she’s back in Boyne Heights, and she’s determined to fix her reputation. She can’t seem to avoid the past that haunts her, but that’s the joy of small-town life—word spreads and people remember. Intent on her mission, however, she faces her past head-on, taking a job with her ex-boyfriend while avoiding her grandmother’s attempts to find her a new one.

Avoiding Marriage is available on Amazon

About the Author:

Karin Beery grew up in a rural Michigan town, where she wrote her first novel in high school. Today, she writes contemporary stories with a healthy dose of romance. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s reading, editing, or teaching it. In her free time, she enjoys watching University of Michigan football and action-adventure movies with her husband and fur babies.

Connect with Karin on her Website, Facebook, Twitter and Bookbub

Wednesday Writers–Living Water by Allison Wells

Tags

Allison Wells, Christian fiction, Living Water, redemption, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers! Today’s guest author is Allison Wells who will be sharing about her book Living Water, a modern retelling of the Bible story of the woman at the well. Welcome, Allison!

Living Water is the story of a wallflower in a family of prize-winning roses. Based on the story of the Woman at the Well in John 4, Roxie DePrive only wants one thing – to be loved unconditionally. That desire leads her to get married fresh from high school to the first boy who pays her attention. But when that marriage is short lived, she marries again, and again. She gets married five times in all, just like our Samaritan woman in the New Testament.

I’ve always wondered what led that woman to be married so many times. Was she five times widowed? Did her husbands leave her? What happened in her life? We know that because she went to get water at mid-day, she was not a popular woman in town. Most of the village women would have gone to the well early when it was still cool. They would have traded gossip and laughs as their children ran around playing. This is a big social time for the women of the village.

But not our dear girl, she was excluded from that. She did not walk with the other women, she did not trade recipes and stories. She was likely the story on everyone else’s lips. A woman fallen from grace for some reason or another.

So I wrote her story in a modern era. Starting with her high school years in the 1990s (anyone who came of age in the 90s will love the references) and carrying Roxie through to the 2020s, we see her transformation from senator’s daughter and a first time bride to social pariah who is rumored to be a man stealer. Roxie is pushed away from polite society after her five marriages.

Just like the woman in the Bible, Roxie is at an all time low when she meets Jesus in the form of a kind pastor who offers her living water. Neither woman understands what that is until it’s explained. And then, oh, then how their lives change. In John 4 we see the woman put down her water jar and run back to town to tell everyone about the Messiah.

Y’all. The social pariah of the town literally ran to those who scorned her to tell them about Jesus. That’s powerful stuff there. She was the first evangelist. That’s the power of Jesus coming into your life.

Roxie’s life is strife with sin and condemnation. But because someone believed in her and encouraged her, she turned her life around. I do love a good story of redemption and this is a big one. No matter how many times you stumble, God will always be there to pick you up. He guarantees it in Psalm 37:24.

I hope and pray that this story of redemption will resonate with all readers. No matter your past, you have a future with God in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Living Water

By Allison Wells

As the lackluster youngest daughter of a U.S. Senator, Roxie DePrive spends her life thirsting for one thing: to be loved unconditionally.

So, when her first boyfriend turns into her first marriage, Roxie’s life undergoes a drastic change. And when that first marriage doesn’t work out, she marries again.

And again.

Until Roxie marries five times.

The first marriage is puppy love, then dangerous love, convenient love, wishful love, and one that might possibly be the real deal.

And yet, none of the men she marries can quench the thirst she feels in her heart. It’s only when she meets a man who knows her entire life and all her mistakes that Roxie learns the power of something else-the deep and abiding peace of Living Water.

A modern retelling of the Woman at the Well in the New Testament, Living Water shows us that no matter our past, it’s God’s love that truly quenches the thirst of our souls.

Excerpt:

Remi came into the restaurant mad as a hornet. He was muttering and sputtering what I could only figure were expletives in French.

“What’s the matter?” I asked as I chopped peppers across from him. There had been no hint of anger when I had left our apartment an hour before. I wondered what would cause such a change in demeanor so quickly.

“Stupid government,” he said before ranting again in French. “My visa has expired. I have to go back to France.”

I stopped my knife mid-chop. “Go back? Why? Can’t you stay here?” I knew Remi had his own life, but I was asking for purely selfish reasons. Remi had been such a wonderful friend to me. I didn’t want to lose him.

“I have tried to extend it, but it’s been denied. I will be deported within the week,” he said, throwing his hands up in the air. “I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave this restaurant and you, cherie. And I cannot leave Becca.”

I began chopping again, hoping the repetition would help me think. An idea came to me immediately. “I know! Why don’t you and Becca get married?”

Remi’s face softened and he looked at me. “Ah, Roxie, I wish it could be. But est impossible.”

I came around the table we were working on and took his hands. “But why? It would allow you to stay here. And I admit, Remi, I need you. You’ve been such a great friend to me.”

“Roxanne,” Remi sighed. “We have not told you and Erin the whole truth. Becca and I are in love, yes. But the reason she moved in so fast is that she is trying to get a divorce from her husband. So we cannot get married because she already is married. He is what you say about Josh – a bum.” Remi looked down at his shoes, embarrassed.

“I had no idea,” I whispered. “My divorce was over pretty quickly. But we had an annulment. Can’t she do that?”

He shook his head. “No, apparently not. I see no way through this. But it kills me to think of leaving Becca. I was going to propose to her and everything. You know, after the divorce was final.” He pulled a little ring box from his pocket and showed me a modest, but dazzling, little engagement ring. I shook my head at the shame of it all.

Surely there was an answer somehow. Later that day as we were preparing for dinner, several men in black came to the restaurant asking for Remi. Chef Tallant burst through the kitchen doors from the front room in a tizzy. “Remi, you need to go. Immigration is here!” Chef Tallant was a hard boss, but he treated his employees like family and he had grown increasingly fond of Remi. He pushed Remi’s arm in an effort to slide him out the back door.

“What do you mean immigration is here?” he asked, his voice high. “I thought I had more time!” Remi looked from Chef to me, his eyes pleading.

Thinking quickly, I stood next to Remi and dug into his pocket. I opened the ring box and put it into his hand and shoved Remi down on his knee. The door burst open and three men in suits stood in the doorway just in time to see my fake excitement at a wedding proposal that had not actually happened.

The men looked at the scene before them. Chef Tallant stood mouth agape. Remi on the floor before me with a ring extended. The rest of the kitchen looked shocked. Hopefully this plan would work.

“What’s going on here?” asked the one in front. His eyes narrowed and his mustache twitched.

“Shh,” Chef said, waving a hand at the man. “Do not interrupt this beautiful moment.” He had caught on immediately.

Remi looked distressed, so I quickly piped up, “Yes, I will marry you!” I grabbed the ring and put it on my finger. I was relieved it fit. I bent down and hugged Remi, helping him back to his feet. Quietly I whispered, “Play along.”

Once he understood what I was doing, he jumped into the role. “Oh, cherie, I am the happiest man today!” And he kissed me. It was probably the most dramatic kiss I had ever received in my life; I had to stifle a laugh.

Once the moment was over, everyone in the kitchen applauded. Everyone, that is, except for the three uniformed men who had intruded. “What the devil is going on?” the first one asked again.

“Don’t you see? They are in love!” Chef exclaimed, shaking his round body before him. “I will make you the best wedding cake! I will make all the food for your wedding!” He came over to us and kissed us both on the cheek.

“Remi Bonhomme? You will have to come with us,” the man with the mustache said. He took two huge steps toward us.

I cozied up to Remi and batted my eyelashes at the men. “You can’t take him, we just got engaged!”

Want to read more? You can find Living Water at Amazon,  Barnes and Noble, and monsterivy.

About the Author:

Allison Wells is an author, avid reader, and sweet tea addict. She graduated from Clemson University and began writing books as a way to escape the doldrums of newspaper reporting. Allison is married to a wonderful man and they are raising one red-headed teen daughter and three wild boys in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Check out her daily adventures on social media. Her motto is, “Life is Short, Eat the Oreos.”

Connect with Allison on Facebook: Instagram: Goodreads: and YouTube

Wednesday Writers, Allison Wells, Living Water, Christian fiction, redemption,

A Writer’s Garden–Tomatoes, Tomatoes by Gail Sattler

Tags

A Writer's Garden, Gail Sattler, Garden blog, Gardening in Canada, growing tomatoes, Mercury Rising, tomatoes

Welcome to A Writer’s Garden where writers who are gardeners or just love gardens will be sharing their garden and flower stories, as well as a bit about their writing. Today’s writer/gardener guest is Gail Sattler, who loves to plant tomatoes!

Welcome, Gail.

To anyone who has followed me in previous years, here I am again, with yet another, and hopefully better informed, attempt at growing a small garden. Mostly, though, my goal is to grow another successful tomato garden, this time with tomato plants that I grew from seeds myself. Of course buying plants is still a possibility, but hopefully, this year I will succeed and not buy anything except packages of seeds!

Here is what I have planted, with the addition of oregano as an afterthought.

We have growth!

Even my oregano is growing.

As time goes on, everything is a little bigger. I’m pretty excited about this. I think most of them will be big enough by the time I can plant outside. A friend told me that I can plant them outside when the temperature doesn’t go below 10 degrees (Celsius) at night. For now, I’m putting them outside during the daytime for them to soak up the sunshine.

The more leggy plants 2^nd from the right (below) are cucumbers. They are doing the best. I was told I didn’t need to start them inside, but oh well. They’ve got a head start. I’m the most proud of these tomatoes. They are a variety called Manitoba, which is where I am from, so I’m really looking forward to these.

This is what I’m aiming for, this is my tomato garden last year, which is on the west side of my fence in order for them to get the most sunshine. All of these were bought as plants, but I hope my home-grown ones this year will be even better.

About the Writer/Gardener:

 Gail Sattler lives in Vancouver BC (Canada, eh!) where you don’t have to shovel rain. A grandma of two beautiful little girls, Gail and her husband and two dogs are staying home and social distancing despite missing the little ones. Visit Gail’s website at www.gailsattler.com

I don’t have a new book out, but if anyone is interested, please check out my last 2 on Amazon, The Other Neighbor – which is a romantic suspense, and Mercury Rising – which is an adventure with supernatural elements.

Mercury Rising

by Gail Sattler

Michael wants to save his daughter, but first he’s got to save the world.

Michael and Charlotte meet when Michael is trying to find Ashley, his missing daughter who has fallen into drug abuse, and Charlotte is searching for her son Jon, a brilliant and aspiring young scientist who has also gone missing.
Ashley and Jon should have nothing in common, but after the murder of Jon’s favorite professor, they become ensnared in a tangled web that becomes worse with every new discovery.
When Michael and Charlotte join together to figure what their children have become involved with, they, too, are sucked into a sinkhole for which there are no answers, only more questions.
When all seems lost, will they all recognize the source of strength offered to them, and… will they take it?

Wednesday Writers–Borrowed Lives by Carol McClain

Tags

Carol McClain, Children affected by parental addiction, Clean fiction, Excerpt from Borrowed Lives, opioid addiction, romance, Wednesday Writers

Welcome to Wednesday Writers! Today’s guest author is Carol McClain who will be talking about the topic of opioid addiction and how her mentorship of people afflicted with the problem helped lead her to the writing of her book, Borrowed Lives.  In addition to the post, Carol has provided a book excerpt from Borrowed Lives. Welcome, Carol!

Thanks, Catherine.

My county in Tennessee at one time boasted being the third worst county in the nation for opioid addiction. For several years I mentored reformed addicts and worked on a board to help them. You couldn’t understand the bondage of sin and drugs until you worked with these women. Only a minority remained sober. Even after years of sobriety and dedication to the Lord, I’ve watched people sink back into addiction. It is heartbreaking.

The stories I heard shocked me: parents simply leaving their children to fend for themselves, fathers teaching sons how to deal and how to make meth, cops losing their job and status because of addiction, the permanent loss of children through the social service system. Many of these people started using at a startling age—many not even in their teens.

I wanted to tell their tales. I wanted to show the effects of human cruelty, but ultimately, the triumph of human love.

We teach our children how to sin by our own poor behavior. By example we prove the cause/effect of Exodus 34:7. “… yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

But don’t despair over my tidbit of research. God never abandons us. Dedicated believers live lives that heal themselves and others. In the end, our faith is one of hope and redemption.

And my novel Borrowed Lives contains a healthy dose of goats and humor and romance next to its pathos.

Borrowed Lives

by Carol McClain

God Only Lends Us Those We Love for a Season

Distraught from recent tragedy, Meredith Jaynes takes pity on a young girl who steals from her. Meredith discovers “Bean” lives in a hovel mothering her two younger sisters. The three appear to have been abandoned. With no other homes available, Social Services will separate the siblings. To keep them together, Meredith agrees to foster them on a temporary basis.

Balancing life as a soap maker raising goats in rural Tennessee proved difficult enough before the siblings came into her care. Without Bean’s help, she’d never be able to nurture these children warped by drugs and neglect—let alone manage her goats that possess the talents of Houdini. Harder still is keeping her eccentric family at bay.

Social worker Parker Snow struggles to overcome the breakup with his fiancée. Burdened by his inability to find stable homes for so many children who need love, he believes placing the abandoned girls with Meredith Jaynes is the right decision. Though his world doesn’t promise tomorrow, he hopes Meredith’s does.

But she knows she’s too broken.

Chapter 1

Something crashed downstairs.

Meredith Jaynes bolted up in bed. John? Rosemary?

She shook sleep from her head and listened for another sound.

Nothing.

Just a dream.

Then porcelain shattered.

Not a dream.

She tossed off her covers. Out of habit, not onto John’s side. While her heart hammered, she slid open the bedside table to grab her Walther .22. Meredith strained to hear. She prayed for silence. She slipped in the cartridge then ratcheted a shell into the chamber and released the safety.

Once more something clattered like a tipping chair or a marionette tap dancing on the hardwood floor.

She tiptoed into the hallway.

Below her, the distinct bleating of goats wafted up the stairwell.

Goats? Inside?

She reengaged the safety on her .22 as she scurried down the stairwell.

In the kitchen, Oreo, her black and white Nubian who looked like her cookie namesake, eyeballed her with cocked head and slit pupils. With a bleat from her perch on the table, she dug into the loaf of bread Meredith had brought home from the farmers’ market.

Meredith leaned against the doorjamb and breathed again. The metal of the gun she held chilled her through John’s shirt—one she hadn’t washed, so his scent would surround her. She shook terror out of the way and slipped the gun onto the countertop where the weapon clacked against the toaster.

“Oreo, off my table!” She strode to the nanny and grabbed her collar.

Oreo skidded across the golden oak surface gouging the wood with her keratin hooves.

Meredith clenched her teeth and groaned. “Oreo, Daddy finished this tabletop only ten months ago.” Before Rosie …

She shook the thought away and let out a breath. Another sanding and polyurethane would mend the scratches.

But her heart? Nothing would fix the gouges and scars.

Want to know what happens? Borrowed Lives is scheduled for release soon. You can find out more by signing up for McClain’s newsletter and checking Carol’s blog for information on the book’s release date.

About the Author:

Carol McClain is the award-winning author of four novels dealing with real people facing real problems. She is a consummate encourager, and no matter what your faith might look like, you will find compassion, humor and wisdom in her complexly layered, but ultimately readable work.

Aside from writing, she’s a skilled stained-glass artist, a budding potter and photographer. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and soon will own two doelings who must be bottle fed.

You can connect with her at carolmcclain.com. You can also find her at Facebook and Instagram/twitter: @carol_mcclain

Wednesday Writers–Forever Under Blue Skies by Valerie Massey Goree

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Australia, clean romance, Forever Under Blue Skies, Sweet romance, Valerie Massey Goree, Wednesday Writers

Today’s Wednesday Writers guest is author Valerie Massey Goree with the Story Behind the Story and an excerpt of her latest release, Forever Under Blue Skies. Welcome Valerie.

Thanks, Catherine.

My latest release, Forever Under Blue Skies, is very close to my heart. It is based on the first novel I ever wrote, way back before everyone had a computer. Not to give away my age, but I bought a word processor back then and decided to write a story using details of my mother’s family roots in Australia.

I’m not sure how long it took, but I slogged away while teaching fulltime and raising two teenaged kids. Although I had participated in a few mini workshops on writing, I didn’t attend a full-fledged conference until my book was finished. I chose Mt. Hermon Writers Conference as the venue to present my masterpiece.

Needless to say, my novel was not a hit. Although a multi-published author told me the story had good bones, I had a lot to learn about the craft of writing fiction. My first sentence had three adjectives describing the weather!

I set aside that novel, but kept on writing and attended as many workshops as I could. I also joined American Christian Fiction Writers, probably my best writing related decision.

Fast forward. After publishing five novels, I decided to go back to my first. Oh, my. I read my printed copy and understood why the novel was rejected at Mt. Hermon. But I stuck with the basic premise and found that my original research from library books was spot-on as compared to recent internet information and details gathered when my husband and I visited Australia.

I grew up in Rhodesia, a former British Colony in central Africa, and I speculated that since Australia was also a former colony in the Southern Hemisphere, the architecture might be similar as well as the vernacular. I was right, even down to the bullnose roofs shading verandahs.

 I didn’t have to change much in that respect, although I completely revamped my plot. As far as the time period goes, I kept the story set in 1983 as the Australian Government changed their immigration laws in 1985. My story as written now, couldn’t take place after those laws were enacted.

I relied on details from my great-great-grandparents’ family tree for my story, even to using the town of Bendigo. Now, my family never lived on a sheep station, but that’s the joy of writing fiction.

Forever Under Blue Skies

By Valerie Massey Goree

Travel to Australia to solve a family mystery? Sure, Marlow could do that. But she didn’t take into consideration the vast outback, nor the owner of the sheep station. Widower, Jake Barclay, is everything her late husband was not—honorable, considerate, a pure gentleman. She came prepared with sunscreen, but hadn’t built a high enough screen around her heart.

Jake was dubious about Marlow’s reason for visiting his station and thwarts her plan at every turn. Until he sees how she interacts with his vulnerable, young daughter.

If they solve the coded message, can Marlow return to Texas, or will Jake offer her a forever home in the outback?

Excerpt:

Jake picked up his hat and ran his fingers along the brim. He studied Marlow as she returned the documents to the file in her fancy handbag. Attractive, confident, and way too fascinating for his peace of mind.

She turned a bright smile upon him. “Well?”

“Well what?”

“May I come home with you?”

There’d been no hint of flirtation in her tone, yet Jake’s neck warmed. This American woman with smoky gray eyes—whom he had known for an hour at most—had come into his world like a flash of lightning and was going to bring refreshing showers or destructive storms. Maybe both.

“No.”

Her eyes widened. “Why not?”

“This quest of yours can be resolved through the post.” He began to stand, then sat again. “How long were you in Melbourne?”

“Two weeks.”

“Why didn’t you write and ask me to locate Graham’s letter? Milton obviously told you a lot about me and has my address.”

She cleared her throat. “He, uh, said you weren’t interested in genealogy and suggested I arrive unannounced. That way you’d be more likely to hear me out.”

“Well, dear old Milton got that wrong.” He glanced at his watch again. “It’s been…interesting, but I have to complete my business before dark. Leave your contact details at the hotel.” Jake placed cash on the table and called a farewell to Annie.

Marlow hurried outside after him. “We’re not done.”

“Yes, we are.” He started to shake her hand but decided against another reminder of her soft skin. Muttering, “G-day,” he turned on his heel. His destination was a block down from the hotel, but common sense told him to take the long way. Alone.

Want to read more? You can find Forever Under Blue Skies Amazon

About the Author:

American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award winner Valerie Massey Goree resides with her husband on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.

After serving as missionaries in her home country of Zimbabwe and raising two children, Glenn and Valerie moved to Texas. She worked in the public school system for many years, focusing on students with special needs. Now retired in Washington, Valerie spends her time writing, and spoiling her grandchildren.

Novels include: Deceive Me Once; Colors of Deceit; The Stolen Lives Trilogy, Weep in the Night; Day of Reckoning; and Justice at Dawn, to be released soon. Valerie’s latest novel Forever Under Blue Skies, is now available from Amazon.

Valerie loves to hear from her readers.

Check Valerie’s website to learn more about her books. Connect with Valerie on Facebook

A Writer’s Garden–Through the Garden Gates with Morgan K. Wyatt

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A Writer's Garden--Through the Garden Gates with Morgan K Wyatt, beefsteak tomatoes, Catherine Castle's garden blog, Garden blog, heirloom tomatoes, tomatoes

photo by Morgan K. Wyatt

The Tomato Plant that Wouldn’t Die

Let me preface this by saying I like tomato plants and gardening. I don’t set out to kill plants. In fact, any errant plant that pops up in my garden I’ll allow it to grow and until it shows me it’s a weed, then it’s history. Currently, I have honeydew, cantaloupe and acorn squash thriving in my garden I didn’t plant. All you composters out there, don’t compost seeds. What does all this have to do with a tomato plant?

Plenty. Gardening is a major love of mine with the tomato plant being the heart of the planting season. The tomato plants always produce plentifully ensuring late summer batches of salsa. This year was different for several reasons. A healthier eating style encouraged me to plant almost every vegetable we’d regularly consume. Put in two extra gardens to handle the demand, and planting a few melons along the fencerow. I have two major enemies of young plants, rabbits and my dog.

The rabbits enjoy new plants and seedlings while my dog alternates between watering them and nipping off the blossoms. My answer to these problems was chicken wire and bobcat urine. Each bed had an impenetrable fence worthy of Fort Knox. A heavy dose of bobcat urine powder kept the varmints away. Didn’t do much for flying insects or birds, though. A bird net went over the fencing.

I only planted two tomato plants in my garden, a cherry, and beefsteak one. Last year, my overabundance of tomatoes had my neighbors eventually hiding from me when they saw me with my tomato basket. Two plants should be more than enough for two people.

Something weird happened this summer. It rained. Might not sound like a big deal to you, but drought and triple-digit temperatures are the norms for central Indiana. Cooler temperatures and constant rain had my beefsteak tomato plants leaves turning up. Always on the lookout for any type of disease, this had me searching the gardening sites for answers. The plant could be suffering from anything from insect infestation to a fungus that would contaminate the entire garden. The same garden where herbs, peppers, and broccoli resided. Similar to all those who search symptoms online I assumed the worst, a fungus that would cause my garden plot to be unusable for years!

The beefsteak tomato plant would have to go before the garden was history. The website advised cutting open the roots once you pulled up the plant to check for the fungus. A contaminated plant would have an oozy black interior. My enormous plant spread about five feet wide. It took some effort to cut back the branches even to get to the stem. I lifted the much smaller plant to the picnic table for the primitive autopsy. A slender cut with the steak knife revealed a green interior oozing water. The plant wasn’t sick. I’d ripped a vigorous, growing plant out of the ground. Killed it. I was a plant killer. A very bad thing to be when you’re a gardener, a plant lover.

Embarrassed at my misdiagnoses, I stuck the remnant of the plant back in the ground and watered it. Stupid Internet site. I reviewed other causes of folded leaves. One reason was the plant was getting too much water and not enough sun. Hmm, that sounded more likely than the garden killing fungus.

As for the plant, despite ravages caused by a paranoid gardener, the plant continues to grow and produce tomatoes like crazy. Then there was the day I found the evil tomato caterpillars. My shrieking startled the neighbor’s dog. My dog knew I took my gardening too seriously and only opened his eyes from his prone position on the lawn.

Now, I like to take a live and let live attitude about most creatures, but tomato caterpillars do not get that luxury. The little beasts met their death under my flip-flop. As for the plants, they’re doing well-producing dozens of tomatoes. My hardy beefsteak plant has returned to his overwhelming size despite my vicious pruning.

Consider that rabbits, a grazing canine, weird weather, the dreaded tomato caterpillar and a neurotic gardener all plagued the defenseless vegetable plant. It deserves a shot of plant food and should be immortalized in gardening history as the plant that would not die.

 

 

About the Author:

Author Morgan K Wyatt came into gardening organically, as a farmer’s daughter. Her favorite thing about gardening is the miracle of the seed, which is why she prefers to start plants from seeds. She’ll also never pull a volunteer veggie, but will transplant it to the appropriate section. When not elbows deep in the soil, she writes romantic suspense, contemporary and sweet romances. You can learn more at www.morgankwyatt.com.

 

 

True Love Never Runs Smooth

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romance between your characters, SMP Authors Blog, True love never runs smooth, writing tips about conflict

photo by Catherine Castle (c)

I’m over at the SMP Author blog today talking about true love as it relates to conflict with our characters.

Anyone who’s ever been in love knows there are bumpy spots in the road of romance. Your fictional love stories are no exception. As writers of romance Shakespeare’s quote should be one thing we always remember when building our stories. We must make it hard for our hero and heroine to get together. The road has to be uncomfortable. The conflict has to be strong. And we must make them suffer.

So how can we make our characters suffer for the sake of love?  Come join me at the SMP Author Blog for a few tips ton how o make sure the course of true love never runs smooth in your books—at least until the end of the story.