Monthly Archive for September, 2010

25 Years Ago Today: Fiction Author, Poet and Former Singing Telegram Monica M. Brinkman

Published on September 29, 2010 in 25 Years Ago Today. 16 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

I’d like to welcome Monica M. Brinkman, a freelance fiction writer and poet, to my blog today. Monica has quite a humorous 25 Years Ago experience to share with us, but first, here is an introduction. Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, she relocated to San Jose, CA, where she co-wrote and appeared in a small musical, How Lucky Can You Get. All proceeds were donated to The Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Monica is a lover of all arts and has performed as a singer, actress, and voice of various radio commercials, along with dabbling in oil and acrylic painting. She now resides in the St. Louis area, which inspired her current fiction novel, The Turn of the Karmic Wheel. In June of 2009, she released, Into the Tunnel of Darkness, a short poetry/prose book. It has received five-star reviews and was a featured book selection for the month of February 2010 on the Manic Readers site. She is donating a portion of all book sales to the EBMRF Foundation, which uses all funds donated for the research of Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Thanks for joining us today, Monica. I have to tell you, this is the funniest 25 years post that I’ve had so far. Go ahead, tell our readers what you were doing 25 years ago!

MONICA: Twenty-five years ago began my life as a singing telegram. Go ahead…laugh. I’ll be chuckling right alongside you. Believe me, I didn’t wake up one morning and declare to the world, “My chosen profession is to sing silly songs to unsuspecting people.” Nor, did I ever think I would dress up in a tuxedo and sequined top hat, monkey with cymbals hanging from my neck and walk around in public.

Fact was, I didn’t really know what a singing telegram consisted of. Sure, I’d seen those old black and white movies where some young man, dressed in a white shirt, black pants and a ridiculous looking round cap, shows up at the main character’s hotel room, takes out a harmonica, blows into it producing some off-key shrill music, and then sings happy birthday.

That was my extent of any knowledge of singing telegram performers. They’d always been heckled and were supposed to be a comical part of the movie. I sure thought them funny, and weird.

After seeing an advertisement in the San Jose Daily News that read…Auditioning singers to perform at business functions, birthday parties and special occasions. Great pay, fun company,’ I thought my bubble had burst! Here was my chance to finally make it as a professional vocalist.

So, off I went to the audition wearing my best jeans and silk, paisley top. I stood at the side of the room waiting my turn to audition, listening to a young, thin, short, black-haired man sing ‘America, the Beautiful.’ He had a pure, powerful tenor voice. I didn’t think I had a chance, and he could dance like Fred Astaire; not my strong point.

The dreaded call came; my name rang out as a buffed, blonde, blue-eyed man motioned me to begin. I don’t even remember what I sang, but he must have liked it because he hired me ‘on the spot’; didn’t even ask me if I could dance.

Thus began my three-year stint as a singing telegram. I performed in my tuxedo and top hat, of course with monkey at my side, along with being a Mae West take-off. (Funny thing was, I had to use toilet paper to ‘enhance the cleavage’). No one ever questioned it. And we can’t forget the Dancing Valentine Heart, Mrs. Santa Claus or having a belly dancer accompany me.

Looking back at the experience, I wouldn’t change a thing. It taught me many lessons. Lessons about people such as, the quiet ‘Controller or Accountant’ type is the most fun, never embarrassed and always willing to play along, thoroughly enjoying and participating in the show. While the macho, buffed, slick CEO type would get embarrassed immediately and try to run away.

Most of all, I learned about myself. I was able to handle any situation, however painful or pleasurable, with poise, honesty, grace and dignity. What a lark! It is a time I will never forget.

You can read more about Monica’s work on her web site.

Check out her latest book, The Turn of the Karmic Wheel, on Amazon. If you like a mixed genre’ of horror, suspense, spirituality and a touch of the paranormal, this book is for you. “What goes around, comes around.” Truer words were never spoken, as evidenced by the complex interactions and fates of the characters in The Turn of The Karmic Wheel. When the residents of Raleigh begin to hear music and voices that aren’t “there”, and to receive frightening messages from no discernable source, it soon becomes apparent that changes must – and will – be made: to their everyday lives, to their relationships, to their bodies, and, most importantly, to their souls.

Properly Retire Your American Flag With A Veteran Service Organization

Published on September 28, 2010 in Something in Common. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

I recently received this press release and thought that it was valuable information to pass on, since the whole purpose of my children’s picture book The Flag Keeper is to raise awareness of U.S. flag etiquette. If you can’t find a local VFW or American Legion Post to retire your worn out flag, here is a fantastic option. Here is the press release:

An illustration from The Flag Keeper, a patriotic children's picture book about American flag etiquette.

Please, don’t throw that American flag into the trash! Do you have a old, frazzled flag that’s no longer fit for display, that’s laying around your office or home and you just don’t know what to do with it? Then send it to us! We will properly dispose of it according to federal laws.

Who are we? Visit our website at http://www.kitchentablegang.org for details about us and what we are doing to help veterans and our soldiers overseas, plus giving proper respect for ol’glory. See if we are worthy!

The Kitchen Table Gang Trust will retire your tattered, worn out and frayed American flags with full honors! Anything else is desecration!

Just send your flags to the not-for-profit Kitchen Table Gang Trust, 42922 Avenue 12, Madera, CA 93638-8866 and we’ll dispose of your flags in a proper and dignified manner with full honors and dignity pursuant to the United States Flag Code Section 8K (PL93-344), TITLE 36, CHAPTER 10, UNITED STATES CODE . The Kitchen Table Gang (formed over 16 years ago) is a “rag-tag” bunch of patriotic military types helping hospitalized veterans and our soldiers and Marines overseas with “Care” packages.

Our flag retirement ceremonies are held on Flag Day, June 14th each year and are conducted by MGySgt Daniel Kelley USMC and an all volunteer military honor guard with Eagle Boy Scouts assisting. The Kitchen Table Gang Trust also has a nationally recognized educational program for our young people and students, teaching them the history, traditions and respect for our national emblem.

When you send us a flag, please enclose a donation for this service which allows us to continue and expand our many patriotic programs. We do good things with your contributions (just ask any veteran or military service organization).

We are located at the junction of Highway 41 and Avenue 12 just down from the world famous red, white, and blue barn (with the fifty golden stars on the roof) on the way to Yosemite National Park.

As an alternative for our American Flag Retirement program, contact a veteran service organization for this service. Please, send us your flags!

For more information, visit the Kitchen Table Gang Trust at http://www.kitchentablegang.org.

25 Years Ago Today: Memoirs From The Asylum Author Kenneth Weene

Published on September 26, 2010 in 25 Years Ago Today. 9 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

I’d like to welcome my guest Kenneth Weene. Having studied economics at Princeton, Ken trained as a psychologist at Adelphi University’s Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies. He has also become an ordained minister and has worked as an educator, pastoral counselor, and psychotherapist. Most of that work was in New York where he was employed in a state hospital, for a county mental health clinic, for a pastoral counseling agency, and in private practice. Ken has been writing for over twenty years and has two novels published by All Things That Matter Press. Memoirs From the Asylum is his second novel. His poetry and short stories can be found on the web and in print.

Kenneth has quite a fascinating 25 years ago memory to share. I’m sure you will be as riveted to the story as I was.

KENNETH: Twenty-five years, a lifetime ago. We were living on Long Island, just close enough to Manhattan to enjoy and just far enough away to feel suburban. My wife was a painter, our son was in high school, and I was making a living as a not-very-garden variety shrink.

I worked with kids and with a lot of teenagers. My approach was active; we did stuff, fun stuff. We went to off-off-Broadway plays, we had meals in way-out ethnic restaurants, we went camping and whitewater rafting. We played paintball. We, means not the family but those kids and, if I could get them to, their families. It was all about building trust and attachment so that when I talked about the important stuff, those kids would figure I knew what life was about and I wanted them to be happy. Some of them are still in my life, keeping in touch, from time to time using me as a sounding board and advisor.

One girl, I’ll call her Maryanne, hasn’t kept touch, which is too bad since I really liked her. She was also the source of one of the weird things I remember from my life as a psychologist. One day she showed up at my office with a pipe bomb. A kid at school had slipped it into her pocketbook just before the assistant principal had grabbed him for something. Maryanne didn’t know what to do with it, so she brought it to her favorite shrink.

I locked it in a steel file cabinet and waited two days to call the police; I wasn’t going to tell them who had given it to me, and I didn’t want them knowing on what day that person came to my office – just a little precautionary paranoia.

When I had some free time – I knew there would be questions – I called the precinct. Two uniforms show up. Meanwhile, I’ve moved the bomb downstairs and outside. We had a well-insulated box we used for mail. In a previous life, it had been for milk deliveries, which meant it was well-made. I tell the cops where it is. They decide to call the bomb squad, which makes sense. Then these two bozos stand in my garden playing catch – with the pipe bomb.

My wife is making gasping sounds and herding our dogs into a room far from the potential blast. I go out and suggest to these guys that playing catch with a bomb that had been made by some kid might not be the smartest activity. I refrained from saying it might be their last; they figured that out themselves and put the bomb back.

Two hours later, when the bomb guys had taken it away, I get a call from the newspaper. They want to do a story. Last thing I want. “Pipe Bomb Found at Local Psychologist’s Office:” just the thing to bring in new clients. “Can’t you just ignore it?” I asked.

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“If it explodes or not. Tomorrow morning they’ll take it to the range. If it explodes, it’s news. If not, the hell with it.”

“How will I know?”

“Read the paper the next day. If it blows you’re on page three.”
I guess I should add I was on page three. Maryanne saw the article and asked how I had kept her out of it.

“Thanks,” she said. “By the way, that boy says he likes me. Do you think I should go on a date?”

Now the question some people have asked me: “How did being a shrink affect your writing?”

The answer: It helped me to appreciate the absurdity of human behavior, the wonderful illogic of life. There is a part of us that pushes us into the danger zones, that urges us to play catch with the explosive and to date the irrational. That skirting with danger can lead to growth and disaster. It can certainly make for good writing.

Find out more about Kenneth’s work on his web site. http://www.authorkenweene.com. Check out his book on Amazon.
What is it like to work inside a state hospital or to be a patient in such a hospital? What is it like to live inside the mind of such a patient? This tragi-comedic novel takes the reader inside the asylum, inside the worlds of three central characters: a narrator who has taken refuge from his fears of the world, a psychiatrist whose own life has been damaged by his father’s depression, and a catatonic schizophrenic whose world is trapped inside a crack in the wall opposite her bed.

Blog Interviews: Ancient Rome, U.S. Flag Etiquette and Writing

Published on September 24, 2010 in General News. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

I was fortunate to have been interviewed on two fabulous blogs this past week. As a former reporter, I was impressed by the unique slant that each interviewer brought to their set of questions.

First, I chatted with author Monica M. Brinkman at the site Meaningful Writings. There, I found myself talking a lot about my new patriotic children’s book The Flag Keeper. Monica asked me very interesting questions, such as: Are there vocabulary words or concepts in your book that may be new to readers? I responded with the concept of U.S. flag etiquette and treating the American flag with respect.

Somehow, Monica also managed to get me to admit my most embarrassing childhood memory and to talk about the time I got my aura read. You can see the interview here.

Also this week, romance author Deanna Jewel interviewed me on her site Deanna’s Tidbits. Deanna puts a really neat spin on her interviews by setting them at a virtual location. We held our interview at the Colosseum in ancient Rome and had a virtual toga party, complete with pictures. (Of the Colosseum … not the togas.) For this interview, I discussed my mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, which has a subplot relating to Greek and Roman mythology. We also discussed the craft of writing and the ups and downs of the writing life. You can read that interview here.

Two interviews, both very different from each other. I hope you enjoy them.

25 Years Ago Today: Debut Mystery Author Barbara Ross

Published on September 23, 2010 in 25 Years Ago Today. 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

I’m pleased to welcome one of my fellow Sisters in Crime, Barbara Ross, author of the debut novel The Death of an Ambitious Woman. In July, Barbara became one of the editor/publishers at Level Best Books which has produced an anthology of crime stories by New England writers every fall for the last seven years. The eighth edition, titled Thin Ice, will be released in November. Barbara and her husband divide their time between Somerville, Massachusetts and Boothbay Harbor, Maine.


Barbara, tell us what you were doing 25 years ago?

BARBARA: My daughter was born in 1984, so 25 years ago, I was a busy working mother with a husband, a house and two little kids. I thought of myself that way for a long time—so long in fact that when I wasn’t anymore, it took me a little while to figure out who I was. I used to say I had a perfectly balanced work and home life—too much of both!

The protagonist of my first novel, The Death of an Ambitious Woman is also a busy working mother with a husband and two kids. At the outset of the novel, Acting Police Chief Ruth Murphy finds out she’s been formally recommended for the job of permanent chief of the large, economically diverse suburban city where she lives. Then she senses something is wrong about the car accident that kills a prominent mutual fund manager (another busy, working mother), and Ruth has to choose between pursuing the murder and potentially losing the job of her dreams.

It was important to me to explore the theme of work-life balance. Not in the cartoonish, “My kid called the babysitter ‘mommy,’” sort of way we sometimes see, but to examine the accommodations everyone in a family makes to a career—any career. As Ruth investigates the victim’s life, she learns some things about her own.

Twenty-five years ago, Ruth Murphy was just starting her police career. As the book says, “Ruth thought of herself as a member of a second generation. The first generation of women, who filed the lawsuits, fought the unions and held fast through the years of litigation, had been largely too old or too long in the narrow disciplines of juvenile officer, dispatcher or meter maid to benefit from their own hard work. Ruth’s generation had reaped those rewards, but their tests had come in the station house.” Now, of course, women have been police chiefs in major cities like Washington D.C., Detroit and Boston. But there’s still a long way to go—across the country less than 1% of police chiefs are women.

The book isn’t about the changing nature of women in police work, or about working mothers and the choices families make, but both provide important background and context for the puzzle and pursuit of the killer.

Read more about Barbara on her web site. Also check out The Death of an Ambitious Woman on Amazon.

25 Years Ago Today: Paranormal Romance Author Caitlyn Hunter

Published on September 20, 2010 in 25 Years Ago Today. 10 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

I’d like to welcome my guest, author Caitlyn Hunter. Caitlyn lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with her husband and two canine pals, Des and Fletch. Though you’d never guess it to look at her, she is part Cherokee and loves putting a paranormal romance spin on the legends of her ancestors.

Snow Shadows is the first book in her Eternal Shadows series. The second book, Storm Shadows was released in May. She is currently working on the third book in the series. Meanwhile, Winds of Fate, based on the Cherokee legend of the Blowing Rock in North Carolina will be released later this year.

Marcus Tassel, a character from the book Storm Shadows is answering the question “What were you doing 25 years ago?”

MARCUS: Twenty-five years ago, she appeared in my visions for the second time. She’d materialized once before, but when she showed up again, I knew she would play a vital role in my destiny. Over the years, she would appear many more times. I never saw her face clearly and when I finally met her in real life, she was something of a surprise.

More than likely, I would’ve turned away from her if I hadn’t recognized her eyes. I couldn’t deny those eyes. Storm shadow gray, they burned in my memory, lit with happiness, ablaze with anger, or shadowed with despair, yet always glowing with the fire of her love for me.

Not only would she help break a curse I’d lived under for countless years, she’d go up against her greatest fear to protect me, and when I still turned away from her, she’d wage a fierce battle to show me what the Shamans meant when they spoke of “deepest love” in the curse. Most important of all, she would prove to me that even I, an immortal shape-shifter, could find eternal happiness.

I’m intrigued! Read more about Caitlyn’s books on her web site and blog. What’s hiding in the shadows of Eternity Mountain? An ancient Cherokee curse, shape-shifters, and eternal love for four blood-brothers…if they can break the curse to claim it. Check out Storm Shadows on Amazon.

The Flag Keeper Web Site Now Complete, Book Available for Purchase

Published on September 18, 2010 in General News. Closed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

The web site for my brand new patriotic children’s book The Flag Keeper is now complete. Please visit the home page for more information on the book, which was just released this week.

Elizabeth may be a little bear, but she treats the American flag with big respect. After Dad leaves for a trip, Elizabeth pledges to raise the flag all by herself and create her own Independence Day. This book is designed to teach children about U.S. flag etiquette through an educational fiction story. It includes discussion questions, flag facts, and an activity. The Flag Keeper is ideal for military families, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, classroom and library use, and for anyone who wishes to teach a special child about American flag etiquette.

The book is now available for purchase on Amazon and through The Flag Keeper e-store. Purchase The Flag Keeper for $8.99 in The Flag Keeper store using this coupon code at checkout: 2Q8UQD64, for $3 off the cover price.

Mark your calendar for Columbus Day weekend, the official online launch party for The Flag Keeper. On Oct. 9, CSN Stores will be giving away a $50 gift certificate to one lucky winner to spend on anything from dinnerware, to dog beds, to sofas and suitcases. With over 200 online stores to choose from, the winner will definitely find something to spend the one-time-use CSN $50 gift certificate on. All you’ll have to do is leave a comment to that Oct. 9 post and you’ll be entered into the drawing.

In the meantime, I hope you’ll check out the book and recommend the home page to friends who might be interested in a patriotic book for their children, grandchildren, Girl and Boy Scout troops, or classrooms.

Buy Killer Recipes and Support the American Cancer Society

Published on September 17, 2010 in Amazon Bookstore and General News. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

What better way to end “Fun With Food Week” than with a recommendation for a great recipe book? Killer Recipes, (L & L Dreamspell) compiled by author Susan Whitfield, is now available and features a variety of delicious recipes from mystery writers. Three of my recipes are included in the book: Terrormisu, Chicken Picatta and Tangy Cocktail Franks.

I have to admit, my husband is very amused that my name and recipes are included in a cookbook. We already established earlier in the week that I don’t like to cook. I’ve had some mishaps in the kitchen in the past, like Stupid Pizza. Don’t even ask. One time we were watching the King of Queens, the episode where Doug loans out Carrie to cook for his best friend the week before Thanksgiving. My jokester husband said he couldn’t do that to one of his friends…

But when I told him the recipes that I submitted for the cookbook, he verified that yes, Terrormisu is delicious and always a hit at cookouts. Chicken Picatta is the meal that he requests every year on his birthday. He admitted that was a good one and acknowledged that I’ve even modified the original recipe over the years, truly making it my own. He laughed outright about the Tangy Cocktail Franks, though, as it only has a couple ingredients and even a monkey can make it. He flipped through the pages of Killer Recipes and pointed out that my recipe had the least amount of ingredients of any in the book. Well, every cookbook needs some easy recipes in it!

And luckily, the book reflects the recipes of numerous authors so you just get my good recipes, not the bad ones! Best of all, all proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. Here is a sampling of the recipes and authors included in this fabulous book.

Lou Allin

* Bushwoman’s Bannock

Elaine Alphin

* Guilty Greek Shrimp

Cash Anthony

* Torn Spinach and Berry Salad
* Coo-Coo Coq au Vin
* Maced Moussaka

Allan Azouz

* Bourekas de Spinaka y Kezo

Linda Berry

* Ogeechee Pecan Bites
* Ogre’s Roll-ups

Maggie Bishop

* Twisted Pimento Cheese

Raven Bower

* Raven’s Apple Break
* Deadline Pintos & Corn Break
* Vampire-Free Pasta
* Daring Shepherd’s Lentil Pie

Pat Browning

* Spice-a-Roni
* Crabby Jambalaya

H.L. Chandler

* Dazed Angel Biscuits
* Bloody Marys
* Ghostly Gooseberry Pie
* Insomniac’s Overnight Coleslaw
* Hot tamale Pie

D.K. Christi

* Reckless Sailor’s Key Lime Dip

Mary Deal

* Stuffed-in-the- Trunk Mushrooms
* Mean Oatmeal Cookies
* Bleeding Hawaiian Breadfruit
* Slippery Elbows
* Vicious Vegetarian Lasagna
* Nut-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Kathleen Delaney

* Decadent Applesauce Cake

Jodi Diderrich

* Crushed Pineapple Torte
* Sliced Sweet Potato Apple Bake

Laura DiSilverio

* Bishop’s Bread

Keith Donnelly

* Clandestine Cheese Puffs
* Walloped Black Jack Pie
* Don’s Caesar Salad
* Mountain Center Diner’s French Fry Casserole
* Mary’s Country-Style Backbones

Conda V. Douglas

* Serial Killer Snicker Doodles

Carola Dunn

* Smashed Yams

Janet Durbin

* Suspect Peanut Butter Cookies

Elysabeth Elderling

* Lethal Fudge (no bake)

Melinda Elmore

* Deviled Eggs
* Radical Meatloaf

L. C. Evans

* Evil Gazpacho

Christy Tillery French

* Wacky Zucchini Bread
* Crazy Pumpkin Crisp
* Split Banana Cake
* Pretzeled Salad
* Perverted Pineapple Casserole

Bente Gallagher

* Warped Whoopie Pies

Marilyn Gardiner

* Grave-Robber’ s Coffee Mix
* Ornery Nut Spread
* Sherbert Smoothis Salad
* Corn Pone Pie

Betty Gordon

* Breakfast Before Mayhem

Amy Grech

* Audacious Shrimp Scampi

Beth Groundwater

* Fanatic’s Fruitcake Cookies
* Battered Vegetable Pancakes

Lynette Hall Hampton

* Cracked Coconut Pie
* Chilling Corn Salad
* Pepperocini Roast

Angelica Hart and Zi

* Killer Doll Dip
* Snake Dance Marinade

Michelle Hollstein-Matkins

* Howling Hot Apple Crisp
* Unfathomable Flourless Chocolate Cake
* Schizophrenic Sweet and Sour Pork
* Copious Cheesy Potatoes

Caitlyn Hunter

* Stirred-Up Apple Raisin Bread
* Creamed Cheese Dip
* Wicked Strawberry Pie
* Asian Pork Bites
* Shredded Apple Raisin Cole Slaw

Stacy Juba

* Cocky Franks
* Terrormisu
* Skinned Chicken Piccata

Teresa Leigh Judd

* Pumpin’ Bread
* Tell-Tale Tortoni

J.J. Keller

* Tainted Taco Soup

Susanne Marie Knight

* Murderous Sour Cream Muffins
* Tainted Tea Mix
* Feisty Mandarin Chicken Salad
* Dangerous Diner’s Chili
* Murder By Potato

Vicki Lane

* Ba’s Pound Cake
* Drowned Fish Chowder
* Plunger Mayonnaise
* Chopped Picadillo
* Filleted Catfish in the Manner of Vera Cruz
* Bold Butternut Squash

Joyce and Jim Lavene

* Mad Russian Tea

Miss Mae

* Meat Cleaver’s Taco Dip

Harol Marshall

* Flipped-Out Adirondack Flapjacks
* Jail House Asparagus or Broccoli Casserole
* Nut Case Tilapia
* Stolen Green Beans and Bacon

Tim Marquitz

* Demon-Fire Burritos
* Third-Degree Chicken Melt

James Mascia

* Assassin’s Apple Cabbage Soup
* Malevolent Buffalo Chicken Soup
* Potent Vegetarian Taco Soup
* Tetchy Garlic Tomato Sauce
* Ruthless Mediterranean Eggplant Lasagna

Iona McAvoy

* Clobbered Peach Cobbler

Mike Nettleton

* Sinister Scones

Judy Nichols

* Intense Cincinnati-Style Chili
* Kate’s Working Mom Pizza

Ernesto Patino

* Tortured Tortillas and Eggs

Anne Patrick

* Fiendish Fiesta Dip
* More Thrilling than Sex Cake
* Burglar’s Lasagna

Twist Phelan

* Pinnacle Peak Fry Bread

Cindy Keen Reynders

* Lawless Lexie’s Taco Salad
* Paws-itively Guilty Goulash
* Cop-a-Plea Pork Roast
* Gabe’s Jailhouse Ribs
* Saucy Lucy Spaghetti

Denise Robbins

* Pizza Witches
* Tipsy Chocolate Truffles
* Whipped Spezerillo

Carolyn J. Rose

* Mushrooms to Die For

Mark Rosendorf

* Sinful Sweet Potato Pie
* Wicked Tomato Basil Soup
* Cantankerous Corn Pudding
* Naughty Noodle Pudding
* On the Lamb Chops

Penny Rudolph

* Bueno New Mexican Posole
* Feuding New Mexico Black Bean Soup
* Horsing-Around Slaw
* Brazen New Mexico Salmon
* Tequila Chicken

T.L. Ryder

* Ruptured Dates
* Zombie’s Roast Turkey

Cindy Sample

* Outrageous Hot Chipotle Cake
* Trifled-With Chocolate

L. J. Sellers

* Lethal Three-Layer Fiesta Dip

Jacqueline Seewald

* Killer Cornbread Recipe
* Mystery Meatloaf

Kim Smith

* Cagey Breakfast Casserole
* Riveting Garlic Bread
* Easy Prey Rollups

Sylvia Dickey Smith

* Cutthroat Chocolate Pie

Morgan St. James

* Deadly Sisters Blueberry Breakfast Bake
* Illegally Easy Salad

Marta Stephens

* Flamed Indiana Fried Cabbage

Jane Toombs

* Bread Machine Finnish Limpa

J. D. Webb

* Mean McLean’s Famous Mac ’N Cheese
* Sauced Shepherd’s Pie

Loretta Wheeler

* Malicious Mosquito Toast

Susan Whitfield

* Cold Shot Brandy Alexander
* Nutty Brie
* Brittle Bones
* Evil Chocoholic’s Pie
* Pistol-Whipped Peacns
* Black-Eyed Salad
* Freaky Fried Apples
* Peppered Relish
* Egged Asparagus Casserole
* Grated Seafood Casserole
* Speared Broccoli Casserole
* Seedy Korean Beef
* Shotgun Chili
* Cracked Eggplant Parmesan
* Drunken Baked Bean
* Electrocutioner’ s Zucchini Sticks
* Pop-Eyed Spinach Pie

Karen Wiesner

* Breaded Pork Chops

Gayle Wigglesworth

* Coffin-oozing Brie (Baked Brie)
* Deadly Chocolate Pudding Cake
* Killer Cookies

Nancy Means Wright

* Boozed-up Figgy Pudding
* Guillotine Tuiles

Suzanne Young

* Deadly-icious Cracker Spread
* Sin-sational Shrimp Pasta

Convinced yet? You can check out Killer Recipes in my Amazon bookstore here. The book is available in print and ebook formats.

And if you missed the earlier posts in Fun with Food Week, here they are:

Meet Norma Huss, author of Yesterday’s Body
Norma’s book excerpt and her recipe for Garlic Chicken with Peanut Sauce, Noodles and Vegetables
Twenty-Five Years Ago Today excerpt and recipe for apple French toast
Meet Avery Aames, author of A Cheese Shop Mysteries

25 Years Ago Today: A Cheese Shop Mystery Author Avery Aames

Published on September 16, 2010 in 25 Years Ago Today. 13 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

It’s the fourth day of Fun With Food Week on my blog. Today, I’d like to welcome Avery Aames as my guest. Avery, author of A Cheese Shop Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, is the pseudonym for Daryl Wood Gerber. Daryl created the format for the popular sit-com, “Out of this World” and has won awards for her screenplays. She also writes short stories and suspense novels. Both Avery and Daryl like to read, cook, garden, and do amateur photography.

Daryl and I have known each other for awhile through the Sisters in Crime Guppies Chapter and it is a pleasure to hear of the success that she and her alter ego Avery have had. Below, her character Charlotte Bessette will tell us what she was doing 25 years ago. Charlotte is the Cheese Shop owner in The Long Quiche Goodbye, the first in A Cheese Shop Mystery series, by Avery Aames, Berkley Prime Crime, July 2010.

CHARLOTTE: Twenty-five years ago, I was eight-years-old, living in Providence, Ohio where I still reside, and I was driving my grandparents nuts. My grandmother would tell you that I had energy coming out my ears. Because she ran the local theater, she tried to channel my energy into creative endeavors like acting and dancing, but I didn’t take to them. Oh, sure, I was a pirate in Peter Pan and I did a bad version of a ballet in a whacky rendition of The Nutcracker, but I didn’t have a passion for the theater.

After school I loved hanging around Fromagerie Bessette–as the locals call it, The Cheese Shop. I’d drink in the aromas of Taleggio and Brie and hundreds of other cheeses and pester my grandfather with questions about how the cheeses were made. When I wasn’t at the shop or at school, I went climbing. The rocks out at Kindred Creek are incredible–craggy old things covered with moss. They’re slippery, but I liked the challenge. And I climbed trees. The hills of Holmes County are covered with interesting specimens.

My favorite tree stood on the back acres of the Vance farm. My best friend, Meredith, and I were always egging each other to climb higher. The white oak on her parents’ chicken farm was twice the size of everyone else’s. Her father said it was standing there long before the town of Providence came into being. As a student, I wasn’t bad. Around the age of eight-and-a-half, I fell in love with reading. Over the Christmas holiday, I read the entire collection of Nancy Drew books. I also read a book pressed upon me by my grandmother. A Wrinkle in Time. It left me with an odd sense of wonder about the world beyond. Even today, I get a chill thinking about the story. Twenty-five years ago was such an innocent time.

What a great story! And, A Wrinkle in Time is one of my favorite books also. To find out more about Avery, you can visit the blogs Mystery Lovers Kitchen, a blog for foodies who love mysteries, as well as Killer Characters. You may also read more about Avery’s books on her web site.

Check out The Long Quiche Goodbye on Amazon. Welcome to the grand opening of Fromagerie Bessette. Or as it’s more commonly known by the residents of small-town Providence, Ohio-the Cheese Shop. Proprietor Charlotte Bessette has prepared a delightful sampling of bold Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, delicious tortes of Stilton and Mascarpone, and a taste of Sauvignon Blanc-but someone else has decided to make a little crime of passion the piece de resistance. Right outside the shop Charlotte finds a body, the victim stabbed to death with one of her prized olive-wood handled knives.

Please post your questions and comments for Avery below. If you missed the earlier posts revolving around this week’s cooking theme, you can find them here:
Meet Norma Huss, author of Yesterday’s Body
Norma’s book excerpt and her recipe for Garlic Chicken with Peanut Sauce, Noodles and Vegetables
Twenty-Five Years Ago Today excerpt and recipe for apple French toast
Tomorrow, we’ll conclude the week with a look at the book Killer Recipes, a collection of recipes by mystery authors with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society.

25 Years Ago Today: Eric’s Apple French Toast Recipe

Published on September 15, 2010 in 25 Years Ago Today. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

As I indicated earlier in the week, cooking is among my least favorite tasks. Not only do I need to prepare meals in real life, I also have to make sure that my fictional characters stop and eat. What a drag, but it makes the characters seem more like real people. Since this is Fun With Food Week on my blog, I paged through my mystery/romantic suspense novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today to take a closer look at the characters’ eating habits.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my main character, Kris, actually enjoys puttering in the kitchen. In one scene, a stressed out Kris bakes chocolate chip cookies to distract her rattled mind. I considered sharing her cookie recipe, but I’ll be honest. It’s just the Toll House recipe you can find on the back of the package.
Instead, I decided to share her boyfriend Eric’s Apple French Toast recipe. Here is an excerpt from the book which mentions the yummy breakfast treat, with the recipe following below.

Kris found him near the stove, frying bread in foamy butter. Damp comb grooves slicked his hair. Instant shyness glued her in her tracks.

Eric set a yellow-streaked bowl into the sink and planted a lingering kiss on her lips. He tasted of mint mouthwash and cinnamon. “You’re not a health nut, are you? I’m making my special French toast.”

“It smells delicious.” Her face aflame, Kris shuffled to the window. Sunlight shimmered over the snow enveloping the parking lot. The sky couldn’t have been deeper blue.

“Have any plans today?” Eric asked.

“To call your grandmother and firm up her quotes for the story. Maybe drop by your parents’ house. Irene told me they have some of Diana’s paintings.”

“I’ve seen them in the storage room. I could take you if you want.”
“Only if it’s no trouble. I don’t want to waste your time if you’ve got something better to do.” Kris bit her lip, which felt naked without her standard shade of Plum Passion. She was treating him like a stranger.

“Nothing except correct papers. That can wait. We’ll pick up your car, then stop by your place so you can get changed.”

During breakfast, Kris loosened up a little. Eric made a mean French toast. He’d sandwiched the bread together, stuffing it with apples and sour cream, then dusted on confectionery sugar.

She looked across the table at him. “This tastes great. You must take after your mom and grandmother.”

“I do okay. Luckily, they send me leftovers.”

Here is the recipe:
Half cup apple puree (can dice the apples and mash them or use applesauce)
4 slices white bread not more than half inch thick
2 eggs
half cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)
maple syrup

Spread the puree on two of the bread slices and top each with the remaining slice. In a bowl, mix the eggs and milk until blended. Dip (but don’t soak) each sandwich in the egg mixture quickly on both sides. Put the butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the butter is hot and just foaming, add the sandwiches and fry on both sides until golden. Remove to plates and dust with confectioners sugar. Put a small scoop of sour cream in the middle of each if you wish and pour maple syrup over it.

Also check out the Garlic Chicken with Peanut Sauce, Noodles and Vegetables recipe shared earlier in the week by Norma Huss, author of Yesterday’s Body.

Tomorrow, we’ll meet Avery Aames, author of A Cheese Shop Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, and on Friday, we’ll take a peek at the brand new book Killer Recipes, a collection of recipes by mystery authors with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society.

Does anyone have a recipe to share today?

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