Catherine’s Comments–Five stars for Sally Brandle’s new book Sapphire Promises.

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5 star book review, Catherine's Comments, enhanced memoir of a POW survivor, Japanese POW, Sally Brandle, Sapphire Promise, WWII romance

I recently had the pleasure of reading author Sally Brandle’s new book Sapphire Promise. I must admit I’m a fan of Sally’s writing and have read a couple of her Romantic Suspense books from her Love Thrives in Emma Springs series books. So when I got the chance to read her newest book, which is an enhanced memoir based on the true story of a coming-of-age Dutch girl whose homeland was taken over by the Japanese during WWII, I was all in, and, once  again,  Sally did not disappoint. She deftly switched from her Romantic Suspense based books to a memoir-based book that kept me engaged in the story and devouring the pages when I should have been doing other things. A job well done on a book you don’t want to miss!

Sapphire Promise is a sweet WWII romance set in exotic Batavia, Java, in the Dutch East Indies colonial era. The heroine Annika Wolter is a young woman from a well-to-do family with dreams of becoming a nurse—dreams that will serve her well when the war comes right to her doorstep and turns her life upside down. Most of the stories I’ve read and films I’ve seen about WWII focus around the European war arena and the atrocities of Hitler. I found Annika’s story of loyalty, love and courage in the WWII Pacific war arena to be unique and informative. The author Sally Brandle weaves a love story that transcends the years and is suitable for a young adult or a more mature reader. You will not want to miss this beautifully crafted, inspiring and uplifting enhanced memoir of the romance, courage, loyalty of WWII  Japanese POW survivor Annika Wolter.

Sapphire Promise

By Sally Brandle

Loyalty to family. Trusting instincts. The will to survive. These virtues are deeply embedded in a mature Dutch teenager, Annika Wolter. Her attributes prove useful as she navigates typical coming-of-age insecurities and a blossoming romance with a handsome lieutenant in 1939 Batavia, Java.

Nothing prepares her for the distress of Hitler’s attacks on European countries followed by Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor, toppling her idyllic life in the Dutch East Indies colonial society and separating her from the man she loves. Uplifting events from a true story showcase how determination, nursing basics, and language skills keep a young woman and her mother alive in the worst Japanese internment camp in the Pacific. If you admire clever women and unfailing love in a tropical wartime setting, you will be captivated by Sapphire Promise.

You can find Sally Brandle’s book Sapphire Promise on Amazon

About the author/reviewer Catherine Castle:

Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle loves writing, reading, traveling, singing, theatre, and quilting. She’s a passionate gardener whose garden won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club. She writes sweet and inspirational romances and both of her books have won awards. You can find her award-winning books The Nun and the Narc and  A Groom for Mama on Amazon. Follow her on Twitter @AuthorCCastle, FB or her blog.

Tasty Tuesdays–Iris’s Batavian favorite Gado-Gado from Sally Brandle

Tags

clean romance, enhanced memoir, food blog, Gado-gado, Indonesian recipe, peanut sauce, Sally Brandle, Sapphire Promise, Tasty Tuesdays, vegetable dish, WWII romance

Iris’s Batavian favorite: Gado-Gado (Mix-mix in Malayan)

My Dutch-American friend, Iris (Annika in the story), grew up in Indonesia in the 1930’s. Their Indonesian cook knew gado-gado was her favorite dish and cooked it frequently using vegetables from their garden behind Mansion Iris. We often went to a Thai restaurant in Seattle where Iris could order something similar. The aroma, texture, and taste of food takes us back to favorite (in her case) memories. Iris’s story, Sapphire Promise, begins eighty years ago, where Gado-gado is mentioned several times. I hope you find the recipe timelessly appealing!

Yummy Peanut SAUCE ingredients

2/3 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy

1 TBL Soy sauce

2 tsp honey

½ to 1 tsp chili paste or substitute ¼ to ½ tsp cayenne pepper mixed in 1 TBL catsup

2 large garlic cloves diced very fine

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice 

1 cup water

2 TBL brown sugar

Veggies to steam/Blanch

2 bunches cleaned spinach-thoroughly washed and roots removed (reserve about ¼ of a bunch)

4 cups beansprouts*

2 cups green beans

3 red potatoes sliced thin (as if you were making fried potatoes) 

1 sweet potato sliced thin and cut into bite-sized pieces

Add ins from your refrigerator: sliced mushrooms, yellow snap beans, bok choy, Swiss chard

Fresh Garnish possibilities

4 or 5 boiled eggs, peeled and halved or quartered

1 cucumber, sliced thin on an angle

1 bunch of green onions, washed and diced from the white up an inch or so into the green stem.

Reserved fresh spinach, sliced radishes, tomato wedges or cherry tomatoes

Instructions for a meal that will serve four (ish)

PEANUT SAUCE made easy

Mix all the ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir regularly and don’t let it come to a boil or it will break. Cook for ten minutes while you clean, chop, and dice. You should be able to drizzle it, so if it thickens, add little dabs of water or coconut milk. Keep it warm on the lowest heat.

BLANCHED VEGETABLES with one pot

Fill a kettle of water big enough to put a six-inch-wide metal strainer/colander in it to a depth of four inches. Bring the water to a boil. You are going to blanche the veggies in it and the colander helps.

Cook the potatoes for about six minutes or until tender but not mushy. Lift them with the colander, shake off most of the water, and transfer them to a platter. Broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, and thinly sliced carrot will take about three minutes, green beans a bit less. Test them to not overcook.

Cook the beansprouts in the same manner for 3 minutes or until just wilted. While still in the colander, press out excess water. *Our local stores do not have sprouts at this time….hopefully in the future.

Add spinach and push the leaves under to submerge them – they will instantly wilt. Remove them, leave in the colander and press out excess water. Bok choy, swiss chard, cabbage, and other greens cook in the same manner.

Dumplings

I pan-fried and then steamed Tofu Vegetable Dumplings (Organic -Vegan). The packaged voluntarily appeared in my Imperfect Produce box. The two resident carnivores liked them alongside the above meal! My son wonders if peanut sauce is the ranch dressing in other parts of the world!   Enjoy a taste of Java!

Sapphire Promise

By Sally Brandle

Loyalty to family. Trusting instincts. The will to survive. These virtues are deeply embedded in a mature Dutch teenager, Annika Wolter. Her attributes prove useful as she navigates typical coming-of-age insecurities and a blossoming romance with a handsome lieutenant in 1939 Batavia, Java.

Nothing prepares her for the distress of Hitler’s attacks on European countries followed by Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor, toppling her idyllic life in the Dutch East Indies colonial society and separating her from the man she loves. Uplifting events from a true story showcase how determination, nursing basics, and language skills keep a young woman and her mother alive in the worst Japanese internment camp in the Pacific. If you admire clever women and unfailing love in a tropical wartime setting, you will be captivated by Sapphire Promise.

Available from Amazon in eBook, paperback, and Large Print  

About the Author:

Multiple-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves slow-burning romance into edgy suspense, motivating readers to trust their instincts. Growing up as a tomboy alongside brothers prepared her to work in a male-centric industry, raise sons, and create action-packed stories featuring strong women. She thrives on creating unintentional heroines who conquer their vulnerabilities and partner with heroes to outwit cunning villains. Penning Iris’s enhanced memoir presented a challenge to stay true to her life while portraying the colonial aspect of Sapphire Promise in a sensitive manner. Research and consultations with a variety of experts proved invaluable. Sally’s rescued Tuxedo cat, Shepherd dog, and Blue Heeler are her companions during long spells of writing or bouts of tormenting weeds in her garden. Afternoons she often spends riding on the wind with her thirty-one years young Quarter Horse.

Connect with Sally on her Website (EVENTS tab-offers for free Book Club zoom appearances): Facebook: Blog link

A Writer’s Garden-Plants and Pets by Sally Brandle

Tags

A Writer's Garden, flowers, Garden blog, Pawn, romantic suspense, Sally Brandle

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 Sally Brandle who will be sharing her garden and her garden pet partners. Welcome, Sally!

One thing about gardens, if you have good soil and rain, they will grow without any help. Of course, that includes persistent flowers such as forget-me-knots (aptly named as they reseed with fervor), wonderful geums, bee balm, euphorbia, Japanese anemones (also a bit pushy), iris, blue bells and a host of other plants which make their home in my yard. When I clip bouquets or prune, I’m generally not alone. Spock, the kitty, sees the pink harness and sits at the door. We have coyotes, and he chases birds, so he’s stays indoors otherwise.

• 

• 

My rescue pups, Ursa, the Heeler, and Maggie, the Shepherd, are willing to go outside and assist. When we brought them home and their outdoor help became a bit overzealous, we added a temporary (hopefully) wire barrier around the flower beds—at least until Maggie is out of her teen years. A former dog of ours was renamed from Dylan to Digger, as his determination to take out the yard ended up with us installing fake grass. We’ve had it for five or six years and love the easy care. We keep real grass down by the lake, but the no weeding or mowing advantage is hard to beat.

I was known as Sally G. Frog in college and spent my childhood loving frogs . . . now I cherish outdoor versions given to me by family and friends, and the occasional live resident.

• 

• 

Writing and riding my horse, Lance, who turns 31 on May 7^th, keeps me busy. I’ve published four books in four years and its time for me to take a break and pull a few determined groundcovers and remove weeds.

Here’s my work in progress to fill in the flagstone with a few flowers and polite ground covers. I’ll do an update on a post in October. I pulled three garbage bins worth of a nuisance ground cover from this area. Uggh.

My parting words for happy gardening are that if you see horsetails beginning to grow, dig down carefully as far as the root goes and get rid of them! Happy almost summer, and happy gardening!

About the Writer/Gardener:

I grew up in a family of vegetable and flower gardeners. When I lived in an apartment, potted plants sufficed. The sense of being one with Mother Earth calms me.

 I write clean/sweet romantic suspense. My stories contain sensual elements, mild swear words, and villains receiving non-gory justice—along with female friends supporting one another while they search for their perfect heroes.

The Targeted Pawn is a contemporary clean romantic suspense. If you enjoy smoldering romance, mercenary villains, and rescued animals, you’ll love escaping again to Emma Springs, Montana.

 Visit Sally’s website for an overview of her books and to see what she’s about to publish next!  www.sallybrandle.com

Threats forced her to flee Seattle. Honor binds him to Montana. A second chance at love tethers them together.

Elon Hardy’s romance skills are rusty after a loveless marriage ends, but upon meeting hunky rancher, Rane Calderon, sparks blaze hotter than her welding torch. To support her collegiate sons, she’s determined to acquiesce to the bullheaded, female-phobic boss until her divorce finalizes from her deceitful husband.

A woman Rane trusted ruined his life, and at forty, he won’t be fooled again. Blisteringly mad he’s hired a female bearing a man’s name, he fights attraction for the curvy, determined brunette while thwarting efforts to build a private prison atop his Blackfeet ancestors’ burial ground.

Can Elon and Rane realize love doesn’t have a “best used before date”? If you enjoy smoldering romance, mercenary villains, and rescued animals, you’ll love escaping again to Emma Springs, Montana.

Available on Amazon

Wednesday Writers—The Hitman’s Mistake by Sally Brandle is up for a Raven Award!

Tags

2020 Raven Award, clean romance, romantic suspense, Sally Brandle, The Hitman's Mistake, Wednesday Writers

This Wednesday Writers’ guest today is Sally Brandle.  Sally’s a regular guest on my blog series, and we are both part of Soul Mate Publishing. Although Sally will be talking about her book The Hitman’s Mistake, today’s post is a bit different from Wednesday Writers’ usual posts. However,  I thought the subject matter was worth the change. So, without further ado, let’s welcome Sally!

 

Hi, Catherine.

Thank you for allowing me to share wonderful news. The first book I wrote (at 61), The Hitman’s Mistake, finaled in Uncaged Book Reviews Raven Awards in the Mystery/Suspense category. To qualify for the semifinals of this neat award, my novel had to garner 4/5 Stars from their review team, then receive enough votes to land in the finals. To win, I am up against an Amazon Bestseller and a NYT Bestseller.

I’d really appreciate your vote. The final poll runs through Friday, August 1^st. I write clean (sensual without intimate scenes) stories weaving slow-burning romance into edgy suspense, motivating women to trust their inner gifts. To vote, simply click on the link below, scroll to the circle next to The Hitman’s Mistake in the fifth category and click. Then click on the ‘Vote’ button below the group. Reader support provides the motivation for me to keep writing. I’m at eight books, with three published in this series. Thank you for your love of reading.

A Note from Catherine:

I’ve read The Hitman’s Mistake and loved the book. If you like clean romance that’s full of suspense, I hope you’ll head over to the Raven Awards link and vote for Sally. It’s one vote per category.  To vote for Sally’s book once  you reach the page, scroll down until you come to Mystery/Suspense category, find Sally’s book The Hitman’s Mistake (she’s the first one on the mystery suspense list), click in the little circle to the left of the book, and hit VOTE at the bottom of the category box.

Raven Award Voting Link:

http://uncagedbooks.com/raven-awards-final-voting/

 

Here’s a peek at Sally’s book.

 

The Hitman’s Mistake

By Sally Brandle

 

Now it’s her life or his.

After Miranda Whitley stops crooked cops from assassinating a prominent Seattle judge, she’s next on the hit list, and her survival depends on the buff FBI Agent she’s had one awkward encounter with. But can she find him in time?

The last person Grant Morley expects to discover on his annual supply run to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?

Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade the killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent…an attraction which seems to be mutual. If you love sizzling chemistry, Montana’s mountain landscape, and fast-paced action, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller, The Hitman’s Mistake.

 

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves clean, slow-burning romance into edgy suspense stories. Sally left a career as an industrial baking instructor to bring to life stories motivating readers to trust their inner gifts

Sally’s Social Media  Website:  Facebook:  Instagram

 

 

 

Wednesday Writers–The Targeted Pawn by Sally Brandle

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book excerpt from The Targeted Pawn, clean edgy romance, romantic suspense, Sally Brandle, Sweet romance, The Targeted Pawn, Wednesday Writers

Today’s Wednesday Writers guest is one of my favorite suspense authors, Sally Brandle. She’ll be sharing an excerpt from her newest book, The Targeted Pawn, and talking about a research aspect that she feels made a big difference in her books. Welcome, Sally!

Asking for Help Garners Wonderful Contacts

by Sally Brandle

 

Engaging sensitivity readers prior to publishing helps writers craft authentic books. In The Targeted Pawn, my hero’s grandmother asked him to protect their ancestral Blackfeet cemetery, on land adjacent to his ranch. To ensure the accuracy of several scenes, I sought guidance from an acquaintance belonging to The Blackfeet Nation and Thomas Smittle, from the Oglala Lakota tribe. I’m fortunate that a horse owner at my barn put me in touch with Tom, who’s offered a wealth of information. He participated in the program depicted in The Mustang (2019), and then portrayed a lead character in the film. It’s a powerful picture worth viewing by adults, and a win/win for inmates and wild horses. Along with corrections on terminology, Tom provided insight into the teasing banter between him and his friends, which enriched my character, Rane Calderon. I strive for realistic portrayals and am thankful to my ‘herd.’

 

The Targeted Pawn

by Sally Brandle

Threats forced her to flee Seattle. Honor binds him to Montana. A second chance at love tethers them together.

Elon Hardy’s romance skills are rusty after a loveless marriage ends, but upon meeting hunky rancher, Rane Calderon, sparks blaze hotter than her welding torch. To support her collegiate sons, she’s determined to acquiesce to the bullheaded, female-phobic boss until her divorce finalizes from her deceitful husband.

A woman Rane trusted ruined his life, and at forty, he won’t be fooled again. Blisteringly mad he’s hired a female bearing a man’s name, he fights attraction for the curvy, determined brunette while thwarting efforts to build a private prison atop his Blackfeet ancestors’ burial ground.

Can Elon and Rane realize love doesn’t have a “best used before date”? If you enjoy smoldering romance, mercenary villains, and rescued animals, you’ll love escaping again to Emma Springs, Montana.

 

Excerpt:

Fired before she started? No, the Bull Boss couldn’t do that to her. Elon gripped the underside of the table edge, willing him to give her a trial run. One stinking opportunity to prove she wasn’t as worthless as Tim maintained. She bit her lip. There wasn’t enough cash to return to Seattle. “I drove here in good faith. Give me a chance, Mr. Calderon.”

Rane took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “You did me a favor helping my bull, so I’ll do the same.” He folded her letter and rested his fist on it. “Wasn’t expecting to accommodate a woman.” His glance flicked outside and back to her. “There’s an unused bedroom and attached bath down that hall.” His face softened for a split second before he flipped his thumb over his shoulder. “You may bunk in my grandma’s room. She didn’t handle stairs either.”

She’d handle him all right. Her fingers relaxed. “Sounds ideal. You have an MIG welder?”

He glanced around the kitchen, as if noticing the mess for the first time. “Yup. Welding can wait until tomorrow. Start by feeding the men at five o’clock. Plenty of grub in the storeroom through the door by the sink.”

“I’ll fix a hearty meal.” She palmed her locket. “I don’t have a cell phone. May I call my sons to tell them I arrived?”

“House phone’s on my desk in the far corner of the living room. No incoming calls after ten at night, Montana time. Anything else?”

“When do you cut checks?”

“On the fourth and the twenty-eighth.” He rifled through the stack and pulled out a photocopied timesheet. “Normally the men hand in hours three days earlier. I can take yours that morning.”

“Thank you. I can work through the weekend to catch you up.”

“Good. Other questions?”

Angel needed an advocate. “Just tell me where to park my car and oh…I, ah, have a dog.”

“Your car’s ok where it’s parked. Didn’t realize you brought a guest,” he said, in a voice turned soft as suede.

The calm before the storm? “Hadn’t planned to adopt a pet. A jerk tossed her from a truck on the highway an hour ago.” She clenched her fist. “I won’t abandon Angel. That’s what I named her.”

His boots scraped the floor as he pulled them in. He rose to his full height. “Angel can bunk inside, or I’ll find her a temporary doghouse.”

“I won’t let her bother you.”

“Dogs never do. If she needs kibbles, ask for Fred. He’ll find someone headed to town.”

The man did have a heart. For the first time today, she smiled. “Thank you. I’ll find something to feed her tonight,” Elon said.

Rane leaned over her, close enough to show dark stubble on his perfectly sculpted jaw. The guy’s black lashes appeared thick as paint brushes. His eyes glowed a deep shade of russet.

Flutters swirled in her belly. She blinked several times and leaned back.

With one fist braced on the papers, his chest stiffened into a shield. “Animals I trust, Ms. Hardy. Women are another story. A month’s trial, then we’ll talk.” He straightened and walked out, leaving a trail of spice-scented annoyance.

The front door slammed shut. Elon flinched.

So much for the misconception of a kindly old rancher. Nope. Her fortyish boss possessed the ability to morph into a hardened commander with one scowl from his squint-eyed, condemning looks.

She fingered the buttons on her blouse. How gracious of him to give her a month’s trial run. The divorce might take a year.

Rescuing Angel had helped win him over. They both needed a home until she got the settlement check, and she’d use the pup’s plight again if necessary. She removed a crusty saucepot from the sink. Stacking dirty fry pans cleared a space under the faucet to scour a water bowl for her dog.

Stagnant air surrounded her. “Uggh.” The place needed an open window and a stiff breeze. A metal ring hung from the middle of the lowered roller shade. Tugging it sent the blind snapping upward. She shoved open the pane of grimy glass on a window that faced her car. Dust particles danced in the filtered sunlight. Outside, the men gathered in the corral around the bull.

She collected Rane’s papers, crossed into the living room, and dropped them onto a desk capable of seating six. Angel would think she’d been abandoned again, but first she’d phone her boys.

Brandon didn’t have late classes. She punched in his number and smiled to hear his voice. “Hi. Hoped to catch you. Made it to the beautiful ranch. Cowboys and cattle.”

“Glad to hear, Mom. Beats deadbeat dads.”

She couldn’t agree more but wasn’t going to bad-mouth Tim. “Did Jeremy tell you the cost of his book?”

“I think he said two-fifty for a stupid, newly minted, print-only book. I’ll look for a part time job online tonight.”

The shameful practice of overcharging for a college book hadn’t ceased. “I’ll send him the money next week. I’d prefer you concentrate fully on schoolwork.”

“Okay. I’ll tell him. Thanks for leaving the freezer full.”

“You’re welcome. Tuesday’s my first payday. It won’t be a windfall, but we’ll manage. I’m sorry about the divorce drama.”

“We’re all better off without Dr. Deceitful judging our every move. We think he’s gone off the deep end.”

“Let’s not jump to conclusions. I’ll open a bank account tomorrow so I can transfer money to you, okay?”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Please be careful. Did you smash your phone?”

Her eyes teared from pride of their protective instincts and sadness at the reason. “I did. You boys mean the world to me. I’ll be back in Seattle soon. Love you.”

“Back at you.”

Her stalwart Brandon sounded worried. The handset wobbled into the cradle. “Damn you, Tim,” she whispered.

Want to read more?

You can find Targeted Pawn at Amazon:

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author, Sally Brandle, weaves slow-burning, clean romance into edgy suspense, motivating readers to trust their instincts. Growing up as a tomboy alongside brothers prepared her to work in a male-centric industry, raise sons, and create action packed stories featuring capable women. She thrives on creating unintentional heroines who conquer their vulnerabilities and partner with heroes to outwit cunning villains.

 

Social Media:

Website: http://http://www.sallybrandle.com/

Sally’s Blog link: https://smpauthors.wordpress.com/author/sallygfrog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012840931763

 

 

Tasty Tuesdays–Grandma Em’s Sauerbraten by Sally Brandle

Tags

entree, german food, Recipes, Sally Brandle, Tasty Tuesdays, Torn by Vengance

Romantic suspense author Sally Brandle is back in the kitchen today with her grandma’s recipe for Sauerbraten. Enjoy!

Grandma Em’s Sauerbraten Recipe

converted to an Insta Pot Pressure Cooker

2 medium onions, sliced thin

½ lemon, sliced thin

2 1/2 cups water

½ cup each Red Wine Vinegar and Red Wine

12 whole cloves

6 bay leaves

6 whole peppercorns

1 TBL each salt and sugar

1 tsp. ground ginger

4# Beef rump roast, fat trimmed from outside edges

Mix everything but the beef in a large pot. Add the beef and turn to coat. Refrigerate 24 to 36 hours (depending on how flavorful you want the meat) and turn meat every 12 hours. Remove meat and pat dry. Brown meat on all sides in:

2 TBL oil

Strain the marinade and only add back in the onion slices. Put the meat, marinade/onions in your pressure cooker (I used a Ninja Foodie) and pressure cook on HIGH for 20 minutes. I released the pressure, and added:

6 each potatoes, carrots, and small onions or shallots

Pressure cook on HIGH for another 10 minutes. Remove meat and vegetables.

Add 2 cups finely crushed Ginger Snap cookies to the liquid and put pot to SIMMER until it thickens. Serves 6 hearty appetites.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, throw the meat and marinade in a crock pot for 6 hours on HIGH and then add the veggies and cook another 2-3 hours.

∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼

Emma Springs is the fictional setting for my Montana town series with old-fashioned values. Grandma Em taught me to crochet when I was eight and cook when I’d sleep over at her home. An image of her cutting homemade egg noodles on her kitchen table is one of my favorite memories. I adapted her version of Sauerbraten to the new resident cooking toy, my Ninja cooker. I wrote the sweet/sour beef recipe into an upcoming book, The Targeted Pawn. The hero loved it, hope you do too.

 

Happy trails,

Sally

 

 

Torn By Vengeance    

Love Thrives in Emma Springs Book 2

By Sally Brandle

 

Look over your shoulder. He’s watching.

Corrin Patten is solidly on a path to make partner in a prestigious Seattle law firm when an ominous threat from her past turns deadly. She can handle circumstances necessitating a temporary move to the backwater town of Emma Springs, but its charming physician is another matter, as she’s issued a permanent moratorium on men.

Dr. Kyle Werner revels in trust from patients he regularly treats in a community he’s never wished to leave. Yet, Emma Springs lacks one thing, a woman to share his perfectly bucolic life. He’s read about pheromone attraction, but never experienced desire until meeting Corrin. They make an unbeatable team, but convincing her that his interest is sincere while they dissect layers of deceit requires the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Can they defeat the wealthy stalker bent on mistaken revenge against Corrin and destruction of the peaceful Montana setting?

If you thrive on tenacious heroines, sizzling attraction, and a shadowy villain with a grudge, you’ll love this prescription for thrills.

 

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves slow-burning romance into edgy suspense stories. Sally left a career as an industrial baking instructor to bring to life stories motivating readers to trust their inner gifts. Her rescue Aussie is her companion during long spells of writing, bouts of tormenting weeds in her garden, or afternoons spent riding on the wind with her twenty-nine year old Quarter Horse. Sign up for her newsletter at http://www.sallybrandle.com/ for freebies. The second book (without intimate scenes) in her Love Thrives in Emma Springs series, Torn By Vengeance, releases May 22nd, 2019.

Torn by Vengeance:

Amazon USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P1D33K1

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44148289-torn-by-vengeance

 

 

 

Free Book Friday–The Hitman’s Mistake by Sally Brandle

Tags

Free Book, romantic suspense, Sally Brandle, The Hitman's Mistke

One of the frequent visitors to several of my blog series, Sally Brandle, has a free book offer.

Her Contemporary Romantic Suspense The Hitman’s Mistake   (Love Thrives in Emma Springs Book 1) is

Free May 15-19 on Amazon!

Check out the blurb and her reviews below.

The Hitman’s Mistake

By Sally Brandle

Now it’s her life or his.

After Miranda Whitley stops crooked cops from assassinating a prominent Seattle judge, she’s next on the hit list, and her survival depends on the buff FBI Agent she’s had one awkward encounter with. But can she find him in time?

The last person Grant Morley expects to discover on his annual supply run to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?

Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade the killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent…an attraction which seems to be mutual. If you love sizzling chemistry, Montana’s mountain landscape, and fast-paced action, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller, The Hitman’s Mistake.

Get your free copy of The Hitman’s Mistake May 15-19, 2019

Check out these reviews!

USA Today Interview: https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/08/08/for-lea-sally-brandle-wednesday/

Haynet (horse enthusiast) Review: http://hay-net.co.uk/the-hitmans-mistake-a-review/

Night Owl Review: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Paulinemichael-reviews-The-Hitmans-Mistake-by-Sally-Brandle

5 Star Review from Tome Tender: https://tometender.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-hitmans-mistake-by-sally-brandle.html

Wednesday Writers–The Hitman’s Mistake by Sally Brandle

Tags

excerpt from The Hitman's Mistake, romantic suspense, Sally Brandle, Wednesday Writers

Today’s Wednesday Writer’s guest is romantic suspense author Sally Brandle. Today she has a short excerpt from her book The Hitman’s Mistake.

Welcome, Sally.

Thanks, Catherine.

Female friendships are an integral part of my storylines and a cherished part of my life. My husband, sons, and brothers rank high on my lifeometer, but often I need another woman’s perspective and guidance. One group of authors who continue to atta-girl and counsel each other are the women in my local RWA chapter.

I’m blessed with a wide variety of friends in my own life and try to capture the essence of women relying on each other’s gifts through the struggles of my heroines.

Eastside RWA Writer friends

In The Hitman’s Mistake, Miranda depends on help from her BFF, Corrin, to vanish. These women are polar opposites. Miranda chose to be inconspicuous while caring for plants in office buildings and Corrin aspires to occupy a mahogany partners’ desk in a prestigious law office. Their differences create an unbeatable team when they work together to defy a shady developer in the second book, Torn by Vengeance. Throughout both books, they aid the heroes in thwarting villains and counsel each other to trust in love for their happy ever after. They worry together, challenge one another, and offer boundless support. Those are the attributes of the women I surround myself with in real life, and I’m thankful every day for their presence.

 

 

The Hitman’s Mistake

by Sally Brandle

She needs his trust. After Miranda Whitley stops crooked cops from assassinating a prominent Seattle judge, she’s next on the hit list, and her survival depends on the man she’s had one awkward encounter with—buff FBI Agent, Grant Morley. But can she find him in time?

He needs the truth. The last person Grant expects to discover on his annual horseback trip delivering supplies to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?

Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade the killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent. Fortunately, love thrives in Emma Springs. If you covet sizzling chemistry, determined assassins, and Montana scenery, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller.

 

 Excerpt from The Hitman’s Mistake:

“Typical Miranda, always thinking of others.” Corrin squeezed the shifter knob. “You and me, we’re two Phoenix birds rising from the flames of our past. Please, be careful.”

“I’ll be okay. I promise.” Miranda smiled weakly. “Can I borrow your phone charger?”

Corrin stopped the car at a red light, yanked the charger from the lighter, and handed it off. “Don’t worry. I’ll be there for Shirley and Ike.”

A crowd passed in front of their bumper.

Miranda clutched the cord and hunkered in her seat. “I know.”

Outside Corrin’s window, a lone bicyclist dodged cars, trying to push through a swarm of traffic. Miranda’s next path sounded risky and unprotected, too.

Want to read more? You can find The Hitman’s Mistake at Amazon

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves slow-burning romance into edgy suspense stories. Sally left a career as an industrial baking instructor to bring to life stories motivating readers to trust their inner gifts. Her rescue Aussie is her companion during long spells of writing, bouts of tormenting weeds in her garden, or afternoons spent riding on the wind with her twenty-eight year old Quarter Horse. Sign up for her newsletter at http://www.sallybrandle.com for freebies. The second book (without intimate scenes) in her Love Thrives in Emma Springs series, Torn By Vengeance, is currently on presale and releases May 22nd, 2019. Book 3, The Targeted Pawn, was contracted by Soul Mate Publishing, too.

Connect with Sally at her Website: http://http://www.sallybrandle.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116238.Sally_Brandle

Monthly writing tips column: http://www.writer-writer.com/

 

 

 

 

Tasty Tuesdays–Author Sally Brandle’s Caramel Cake

Tags

cake recipes, Catherine Castle's Food blog Tasty Tuesdays, clean romance, clean romantic suspense, Emma Sprins Series, Mom's Double Caramel Cake, Recipes, Sally Brandle, Torn by Vengance

Author Sally Brandle is in my virtual kitchen today with a yummy Caramel Cake that even tempts me, and I’m not a great caramel fan. This, however, looks really scrumptious!

 

 

Mom’s Double Caramel Cake

 

Combine in a sauce pan:

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

 ¼ cup butter

  2 tbl water

 ¼ tsp salt

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until a little syrup forms a soft ball in cold water (234 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat and add:

1 cup Evaporated milk (not sweet/condensed)

 2 tsp vanilla

 

Cool well. Sift together in a mixer bowl:

 2 ¼ cup sifted all-purpose flour

 1 tsp each: baking powder, baking soda, salt

 

Add and mix for 1 ½ minutes:

½ cup butter (at room temperature)

  Cooled caramel sauce

Add 3 eggs. Beat at low speed to blend, then medium speed 1 ½ minutes more. Pour into 2 greased 9” pans or one 9×13” pan. Bake in a 350 conventional or 325 convection oven for 30 -35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake.

 

Caramel Frosting

In a saucepan combine:

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

 ¼ tsp salt

 ½ cup milk

 

Bring to a boil and cook slowly for five minutes or until slightly thick. Remove pan from heat and add:

3 tbl butter

 1 tsp vanilla

 

Cool slightly and add:

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

 

Beat until smooth and spreadable. Add a few drops of milk if too thick, a bit of powdered sugar if too thin. I frost the cake while slightly warm. Enjoy this heavy cake with vanilla ice cream.

 

This favorite recipe of my mom’s, went missing back in the ’60’s. She turned to Saginaw’s longest running (still going) radio program, Listen to the Mrs., to see if any listener had a similar recipe. A lovely woman mailed a typed copy (think manual typewriter) of her recipe—in red ink. For the amount of milk she’d typed ‘2’, tried to erase it, and typed ‘1/2’ next to it. Mom read it as 2 1/2 cups of milk and didn’t realize her mistake until further into the process. Being a child of the depression, she wasn’t about to dump the batch and start over. She quadrupled ingredients and made five caramel cakes. I snickered at her cracking a dozen eggs. Mom never scolded, but she uttered to me, “If you’re going to laugh, you’ll have to leave my kitchen.” I buttoned up and licked my lips as five glorious caramel cakes took shape. It was a sweet summer.

This recipe isn’t difficult, but a bit tedious. Grab your candy thermometer and plan a good 90 minutes. My family feels the effort supports the delicious and rich, frosted cake. Let me know if you agree.

 

Happy trails,

Sally

 

Torn By Vengeance    

Book 2  Love Thrives in Emma Springs series

By Sally Brandle

 Look over your shoulder. He’s watching.

Corrin Patten is solidly on a path to make partner in a prestigious Seattle law firm when an ominous threat from her past turns deadly. She can handle circumstances necessitating a temporary move to the backwater town of Emma Springs, but its charming physician is another matter, as she’s issued a permanent moratorium on men.

Dr. Kyle Werner revels in trust from patients he regularly treats in a community he’s never wished to leave. Yet, Emma Springs lacks one thing, a woman to share his perfectly bucolic life. He’s read about pheromone attraction, but never experienced desire until meeting Corrin. They make an unbeatable team, but convincing her that his interest is sincere while they dissect layers of deceit requires the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Can they defeat the wealthy stalker bent on mistaken revenge against Corrin and destruction of the peaceful Montana setting?

If you thrive on tenacious heroines, sizzling attraction, and a shadowy villain with a grudge, you’ll love this prescription for thrills.

Torn by Vengeance is available on Amazon

 

About the Author:

Multi-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves clean, slow-burning romance into edgy suspense stories. Sally left a career as an industrial baking instructor to bring to life stories motivating readers to trust their inner gifts. She’s currently editing her third book, The Targeted Pawn, featuring a heroine who’s earning a living as a welder but bakes to ease her frustrations.

 

 

Website: http://http://www.sallybrandle.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012840931763

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallybrandle/

 

 

A Writer’s Garden–Sally Brandle’s Overgrown Oasis Garden

Tags

A Writer's Garden, aggressive groundcovers, Author Catherine Castle's garden blog, overgrown oasis garden, Sally Brandle, The Hitman's Mistake

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 gardens—aka their books.

Today’s guest is Sally Brandle. She’ll be talking about the overgrown oasis she calls her garden.

Welcome, Sally.

 

Sunrise comes to the bottom of Sally’s garden

The best garden plants are those with stories. Many of my flowers are tender reminders of loved ones who have passed—whether they gave me the starts, or enjoyed sitting beside them on a shady patio.

A flat half-acre provides a palette. A sloped half-acre provides complications, back aches, and an attitude adjustment of perfection. Eight years ago I toted seventy or eighty wheel barrow loads of plants, slate, and stones from a home we’d lived in for fourteen years, to the new abode five houses away. We gained lakefront, and downsized by half. I write with a view of the top terrace of flowers and vegetables, trees, and lake—an inspiring and calming landscape. Bees and hummingbirds flit during summertime. Year round we enjoy bald eagles, cormorants, osprey, and countless birds. Neighbors on either side prefer manicured grass, we enjoy watching our feathered friends feast on seeds from the overgrown oasis I call my garden.

 

 

 

 

 

The four photos above present ground covers which mind their manners. Top left is Oxalis redwood sorrel, top right low orange ground cover. Bottom left is creeping thyme, bottom right Lilly of the Valley.  I’ve waved a thankful farewell to homes with invasive plants: lemon balm, veronica, and the dreaded snow on the mountain. The aggressive battle continues on the below specimens. Left: Vinca minor, right two other aggressive plants.

 

 

 

 

 

This bush below blooms in time for Easter.

This plot of ground wore me out. At present, I hire a helper to do a big pruning/weeding session in the spring. None of my family picked up the gardening genes I received from my mom and grandfather. The next best thing was to create a character who provides plants to downtown Seattle skyscrapers for a living. Greenery became her ally in The Hitman’s Mistake.

I hope all your gardening projects provide joy and a sense of accomplishment. A master gardener visiting once told me, “A little bit of grass is okay, relax and enjoy the beautiful flowers.”

 

About the Writer/Gardener:

Multiple award-winning author Sally Brandle writes clean, contemporary, romantic suspense stories hoping to empower her readers to connect with their inner gifts.

Growing up in a tightly knit, multi-generational community, Sally’s core values reflect those of the village where she was raised.

When she gets time away from her functional engineer husband and spirited sons, Sally hunkers down in her office. Her trusty Aussie, Tallulah, waits patiently at her feet for belly rubs as adventures unfold. For a head-clearing ride in fresh air, Sally saddles her Quarter Horse, Lance, and trots along wooded trails in the Pacific Northwest.

Sally holds a BA in Special Education from MSU and a Fine Arts Minor. She left a career as an industrial baking instructor so she could bring to life her stories of courageous women supporting one another, while they discover men who deserve their love. A member of Romance Writers of America, Greater Seattle RWA, Eastside RWA, and She Writes, Sally’s current series, Love Thrives in Emma Springs, is set in rural Montana. The first story, The Hitman’s Revenge, will be released by Soul Mate Publishing. Her newest series is Double Vision, romance with a scientific twist.

Warning: While there are no intimate scenes, Sally’s stories do contain sensual elements, mild swear words.

The Hitman’s Mistake

By Sally Brandle

She needs his trust. After Miranda Whitley stops crooked cops from assassinating a prominent Seattle judge, she’s next on the hit list, and her survival depends on the man she’s had one awkward encounter with—buff FBI Agent, Grant Morley. But can she find him in time?

He needs the truth. The last person Grant expects to discover on his annual horseback trip delivering supplies to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?

Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade the killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent…an attraction which seems to be mutual. Fortunately, love thrives in Emma Springs. If you love sizzling chemistry, determined assassins, and Montana scenery, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller.

The Hitman’s Mistake, a clean romantic suspense novel, will release on June 27^th from Soul Mate Publishing. You can order the book at Amazon

Visit http://www.sallybrandle.com/ for a chance to receive the epilogue and a free novella