Friday Spotlight: Susan Lodge #recipe #historial #newrelease

Susan Lodge is a delightful lady and a terrific author. When you meet her she makes you smile.

I'm delighted to say, Author Susan Lodge, is here with a delicious recipe that is easy and delicious. Take it away, Susan.

The world moves faster now and we all have time crunches that take away from home cooking. But here is the perfect meal for when you are really pressed to feed the family.

Quick Pasta Bake

300gm (10oz) dried pasta Penne works well

1 large onion chopped

3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed

4 rashers of thick bacon cooked and chopped into bite size pieces

1-2 tbsp. of olive oil

125 ml (4 oz) water or wine

400gm (14 oz) tin of plum tomatoes

1 tsp. dried mixed herbs

110 gm (4oz) of hard cheese grated or mozzarella sliced

Salt to taste, Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180°C or 350°F. 

Cook the pasta for the prescribed time on the packet.

In a large pan gently fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes until soft and transparent. 

Add tomatoes, water/wine, bacon, and mixed herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer gently for five to ten minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. 

Combine the drained pasta and tomato mixture and turn in to an oven proof dish.

Sprinkle with cheese and bake ten minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. 

Nice served with a green salad and some crusty bread.

Here is a peek at my Historical Romance releasing this fall through Crooked Cat Publishing. This is a tale of treachery and passion set against the backdrop of Nelson's Navy. I hope you enjoy it.

The naval frigate was his life. It was her nightmare.

Spring 1803

Daughter of England’s foremost code breaker, Jane Charlesworth is the only person thought capable of deciphering a vital Government document.  But when a naval frigate is sent to enlist her services and transport her to Malta Jane is filled with horror. Haunted with terrible memories of an earlier voyage, she has no intention of putting herself under the protection of the Admiralty ever again.

Anxious to be at the forefront of the action, as the Peace with France crumbles, Adam Marston is livid when his ship is diverted to collect a reluctant blue stocking whose accusing eyes and insolent manner hold nothing but contempt for him and his orders.  Sparks fly when Captain and code breaker find they have different ideas on how to handle a French attack, a malicious Chaplain, and boisterous midshipmen.

Duty and desire collide as Malta approaches  but Jane is determined that her judgment will not be clouded  by  the Captain who, once he has dispatched his Rebellious Cargo , will sail out of her life and back to his convoy. But as the ship docks Jane’s life becomes a nightmare and she is forced to gamble that Adam is the one person she can trust.

As passion battles with duty will future orders throw them together or tear them apart?

Susan Lodge’s first publication was a story for a UK national woman’s magazine. Heady with this breakthrough, she went on to write her first novel. She loves writing contemporary and historical romance, usually with a large dose of humour. Susan believes the romance genre lends itself superbly to funny moments, as love can make people act very oddly.

Susan has a science degree and always wanted to be an astronaut, but instead spent most of her career in the Civil Service. She would love to secure a seat on Richard Branson’s space flight. However, to find the funds she needs to either write a best seller or win the lottery.

After working in several cities including London and Bristol, she and her husband moved down to the Hampshire coast to raise their family.

Catch up with Susan on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Wednesday Travel Adventure - Cows, Potato Peel Pie & WWII #travel #prizedrawing

The July cruise kicked off out of Southampton, England arriving the next morning in the Channel Islands with a port of call in Guernsey. We had signed up for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society tour which ended up being more than about the book.

On the tender heading for the port of St. Peter on Guernsey

As we bumped along in a 1953 bus, we coved the highlights in the book set on the island and our tour guide pointed out the discrepancies in the book. 

The luxury coach---fun, but bumpy ride

 She also made a game of spotting a Guernsey cow. Did you know the only milk and butter that can be sold on the island has to be from their cows…no imported dairy for them. We made a stop at a small café to sample said product, and yes, I can vouch for yummy. The milk is nice and rich with a hit of sweet, the golden yellow butter so rich and creamy it is probably good I don’t live on the island. Butter isn’t something I consume much of these days, but there…hmmm, think I'd be in trouble.

Guernsey cow

Along the drive around the island, while our drive avoided the mad bicyclists that are abundant in the area, our guide also shared some of its history, including the WWII German occupation. The Channel Islands were the only area of the British Commonwealth to be occupied by the Nazis. Guernsey, as I’m sure the other islands, suffered.

In 1940, before the Germans arrived most of the young men had left to join the British army, but most of the children were evacuated to England and Scotland. A good thing, since as the war drug on food became a luxury. The German soldiers had no problem taking what they wanted and letting the inhabitants fend the best they could. The army established major gun bunkers around the island in an effort to sink ships and shoot down planes flying through the English Channel. The few Jews living on the island were deported to concentration camps in Europe, but several camps were built on the Island to house a lot of the inhabitants used for forced labor in building the bunkers and other things.

One of the hidden gun installiations

A big gun with the ability to shoot several miles.

Loved all the history of Guernsey, but the beauty also impressed me. In fact, this was one of my favorite stops on a two week cruise.

 

Be a Follower (not to late too follow) of this blog and leave a comment to any or all Monday/Wednesday posts during the month of August and you're entered. the more times you comment the more times your name is entered.

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Musings: Times are Changing and So Am I #update #changes

As I indicated in a prior post there are new genres in my future. Lizzie will continue to work the paranormal and heat angle, but her other personalities are taking off into different genres.

 

Nan will tackle YA with an angst driven story of a young teen dealing with her first brush with the loss of a loved one, and is also doing lots of historical research for a story set during World War II.

Another side of Lizzie is, L.M., who is happily buried in a snarky women’s fantasy that a couple of agents have asked to see once it’s complete.

In addition to these two new personalities, Lizzie has been asked to submit all the DEAD series to Decadent Publishing, which means a few tweaks on things pointed out in the first round edits of DEAD Awake. Speaking of DEAD Awake, the pre-sale date kicks off August 25^th. Love the new cover and can’t wait to see the future ones and how they tie the series together.

So there you have my current path. Plus, to go with all the above there is a long list of ideas waiting in the cue for their turn by the various personalities.  

Friday Spotlight: Chris Pavesic shares on Alice in Wonderland #fantsy #anniversary

150 Years of ALICE 

by Chris Pavesic 

Liddell & Boyd (Alice in the looking glass works)_by Karl Beutel 2011

 

2015 marks the 150th Publication Anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The story itself originates in 1862 when a girl named Alice Liddell and her two sisters rowed from Folly Bridge, Oxford, to Godstow with Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson) and his clerical friend, Robinson Duckworth. During this journey the girls were told the first version of the story to keep them entertained. Later the work was expanded and published in the version we now know and love. 

Alice by Arthur Rackham 1907 Bridgeman Art Library

 

For me, the character of Alice has always been a remarkable one in childhood literature. She displays an inner strength in every situation, no matter how bizarre it may be (and in Wonderland the situations are never normal!). In an interview for ScreenCrave, Tim Burton explains his attraction to the character of Alice:

It’s a story about somebody using this kind of imagery and this kind of world to figure out problems and things in their own life, and what’s fantasy and reality and dreams and reality — how they are not separate things, that they’re one thing. It’s how we use those things to deal with our issues in life.

For example, when she falls through the earth, Alice does not react with terror. She thinks, she talks to herself, and she analyzes what is actually happening and what may happen in the future. Even though it is a bizarre situation, Alice deals with it in a logical way:

'I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think--' (she was rather glad there WAS no one listening, this time, as it didn't sound at all the right word) '--but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia?' (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke--fancy curtseying as you're falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) 'And what an ignorant little girl she'll think me for asking! No, it'll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.'

Alice retains this quality throughout the novel and its sequel. She is curious, logical, and prepared to give as good as she gets in arguments. It doesn’t matter if Alice speaks to a caterpillar, a rabbit, a footman, a grinning cat, or a queen; she works to make sense and to analyze the situation. 

Warehouse 13 Character of Alice Lidell

 

It is this type of boldness that attracted me to the character and the tone I tried to emulate in my story, Wonderland, which is based on parts of both Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Wonderland is set in a version of modern-day America, but still maintains the fearlessness, strength, and curiosity of the original character. One reviewer on Amazon.com writes:

Chris Pavesic’s Wonderland is set in the U.S. and references modern events. You will see all of the characters that you know and love from Carroll’s work, but they are in relatable forms for those of us “across the pond.” For example, the Tea Party takes place at a sorority house during pledge week. The dormouse is a pledge from a near-by fraternity who has overindulged in alcohol. One of his “brothers” has used a Sharpie marker to draw a mouse nose and whiskers on his face.

There have been many versions of Alice’s story through the years, including (but not limited to) the Disney animated version, the Resident Evil franchise, and the most recent version by Tim Burton. The character of Alice has appeared in many different television programs, including Warehouse 13. The images of Alice and her Wonderland compatriots appear almost everywhere on household goods, clothing, and technology.

Salvador Dali Alice Adventures in Wonderland

Artists have taken inspiration from the works to produce vivid and beautiful interpretations of the characters and the world. For example, the “Alice in Wonderland” works are considered to be one of the rarest and most sought after Salvador Dali suites.

If you are interested in attending an event celebrating anniversary of this, please check out the following information at the Lewis Carroll website. The site lists 95 events in 11 countries.

For a free copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, check out the Project Gutenberg edition online.

Here is a brief introduction to Wonderland, the latest fantasy book by Chris Pavesic. Enjoy!

You may think you know her story.

You don't.

 Throughout her life Alice has faced fear and isolation, but she has never given up hope. In the City by the Bay she has one last chance to find happiness; one last chance to find friendship; one last chance to find Wonderland.

Click here to watch the YouTube video.

Read excerpts from all of the books written by Chris Pavesic on Amazon.

Chris Pavesic is a fantasy author who lives in the Midwestern United States and loves Kona coffee, steampunk, fairy tales, and all types of speculative fiction. Between writing projects, Chris can most often be found reading, gaming, gardening, working on an endless list of DIY household projects, or hanging out with friends. Learn more about Chris on her website.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Monday Memories/Update: July Winner Annoucned & August Drawing #prize #scotland

I'm delighted to announce the winner of July's drawing is Patricia Nichols. Congratulations! Contact me on FB with a direct message so I can get your info to send the gift certificate.

AUGUST PRIZE

Have you wondered what's under a Scot's kilt? In addition to the pack of cards to add interest to your games of solitaire(?) or hearts, you will find out the answer to a burning question when you win the August prize. But if you don't participate, you don't have a chance of winning.

How you ask? Simple

Be a Follower (not to late to follow) of this blog and leave a comment to any or all Monday/Wednesday posts during the month of August and you're entered. the more times you comment the more times your name is entered.

Friday Spotlight: Rhea Rhodan #romance #paranormal #magic

Two haunted souls seeking peace find each other instead

 

Kidnapped by human monsters, Grace Thorne was ripped from her quiet intellectual life and left deeply scarred. She’s hidden herself for five years, but there’s no escape from the nightmares of the past, or visions of the future. When one foretells tragedy, she gambles her fragile defenses on a haunted man to prevent it—only to discover love is the biggest risk of all. 

Jack Daggery doesn’t need a mirror to know why people avoid him, nor does he care. After years working deep undercover, immersed in betrayal and death, all he wants is some peace and the quiet security company he co-owns.

Dagger has no idea why the foul-mouthed little server of questionable gender bothers him. But he does know that living with the ghosts of his past was hard enough without being tormented by the mysterious thorn in his side. Or finding how much he needs her.

 

Finding Grace - Excerpt

 

 “Someone’s going to die.”

Dagger was already late. He didn’t have time for this shit. Especially not this pint-sized, purple-haired shit. The voice was surprisingly rough coming from the small frame, and the way the kid moved didn’t quite…well, there were a lot of those in the catering business. Thank God he’d finished getting dressed.

 He’d thought the employee coat room would be a safe place to make a quick change, what with the party being well underway and all. Why would a server be in here now? They should all be busy. 

Wait, that raw voice had been responsible for some damn creative cussing he’d heard a minute ago through the not-so-thin door. If he’d heard it, everyone else in the place must have, too. It had followed the loud crash that could have only meant the brutal end of a lot of glass. Someone had barked something after that, but the only word that made it through the door to Dagger’s ears was "fired."

Okay. So, not just short and queer in at least one way, but foul-mouthed and currently unemployed, too. Dagger shook his head.

"What do you mean, ‘someone’s going to die’? Is that supposed to be a threat?” Not that Dagger could blame the kid. He took a step closer anyway. "And why tell me?"

The little purple head cocked to the side. “You might be able to stop it. You're security, right?"

If Dagger had been expecting an answer, that wasn’t it.

“Actually, I'm a guest," he said through gritted teeth.

He and his partner had been invited to the charity ball by a prospective client. The CEO was only in town for the night. He’d refused to give Blackridge his business until he'd met both of them. So here was Dagger, squeezed into the biggest tux the rental place had buried in the back, making his best attempt to be presentable so they could land the account. The kid wasn’t buying it and he doubted anyone else would, either. He knew who he was, or who he’d been, anyway. The way he looked on the outside wasn’t the half of it.

The kid thrust up his chin about a foot and half below Dagger’s and glared at him through large, dark-tinted glasses. Brave little shit, anyway.

"Yeah, right. And I'm Paul-fucking-Bunyan. You fit in with these mothball penguins like Babe The Blue Ox in a goddamn china shop. I just don't want anyone to get hurt, okay? Look for a green van. I gotta go." He pulled a wool cap over his ears, shrugged on an over-sized ratty jacket and ducked past Dagger’s grab, fast. Damned fast.

Dagger hesitated a moment before following. Yes, he was late. But no, he really didn’t want to be here. And what if the tip was solid and he ignored it? There was that, after all. 

When he stepped out the back door, he could see the kid stomping sneakered feet under the streetlight at the bus stop in the falling snow. That thin jacket didn't look like it was going to make it through the winter and now the kid was out of a job. The pang of empathy he felt caught him off guard. It had been a long time, but he still remembered what it felt like to be cold and broke, if not queer and undersized. 

A green van rounded the corner just as he was about to step back inside and face the party. When he looked back at the streetlight, the kid was disappearing into a bus.

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath and stepped into the shadows, watching while it pulled into the parking lot and cruised slowly through.

His eyes roamed the rows of late-model, high-priced German cars and a few even pricier imports, then back to the green panel van. That didn’t mean the piece-of-shit on wheels didn’t stick out here as bad as he did, tux or no.

The van moved back onto the street and Dagger turned to go back to the party again, fighting his disappointment at the loss of a reprieve. Then he stopped. It wouldn’t hurt to wait five more minutes, just to make sure the van didn’t come back. He really kind of had to, didn’t he? Just in case the kid wasn’t some whack job trying to get someone in trouble or something. He moved inside the door, leaving it open a crack, and checked his watch.

Five minutes and there it was again, cruising even slower this time, positively skulking. He pulled out his phone and called Farley, his next-in-command at Blackridge, told him to bring whoever was in town and available ASAP.

By the time he’d clicked off, the van had driven out of the lot and was sitting at the stoplight. The back plate was visible, but the number was obscured. It could have been due to the gray slush spattering up from the street, but Dagger didn’t think so.

He waited and watched through the slit in the door until his men pulled up. He filled them in, deployed them to observation points and checked his watch again.

And grimaced. Paul wasn’t going to like this, not at all.  

Finding Grace is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple/iBooks, All Romance ebooks, and other fine e-tailers.

Rhea Rhodan resides in Minnetonka, Minnesota and has been telling herself stories since long before she could write. She attended the University of Minnesota with a focus on Journalism, then Brown Institute for Broadcast Journalism. After many adventures, misadventures, and a couple of short marriages, she found the love of her life in Regensburg, Germany, and has been living happily ever after since. 

She journaled those adventures extensively (some might say rabidly) beginning in middle school, but didn't combine her writing and story-telling until several years ago, when one of the stories grabbed her by the throat and shook her like a rag doll until she gave in and wrote it. Having tasted freedom, her muse refuses to return to the confines of her head, and has successfully turned the tables, keeping her at the keyboard to appease it.

Her stories always contain at least a touch of magic or a twist of the paranormal. Why the romance? Because she believes in happy endings, and helping people imagine them inspires them to create the magic for finding their own. 

She welcomes feedback and fan mail rhea@rhearhodan.com  You can join her on Facebook and Goodreads, too. Rhea is always happy to meet new friends. 

http://www.rhearhodan.com

http://www.facebook.com/rhearhodan

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6152084.Rhea_Rhodan  

 For (very) occasional updates with great drawings, subscribe to Rhea's newsletter by sending an email to: rhea-subscribetonewsletter@rhearhodan.com with the word "newsletter" in the subject line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WednesdayTravel, etc. - A Birthday to Remember #travel #Gunniness #cruise

 



 

This year celebrated my birthday in one of the best ways ever. Most years there is a family get together to mark the occasion and friends may call and set up coffee or lunch, but mostly a quiet day doing what I need to do like any other day.

Not this time! The cruise my husband planned over a year ago also included my birthday, so the actual date found us in Dublin. When we were looking at things to do in Dublin’s Fair City, though it wasn’t fair that day, and he wanted to go to Guinness Brewery and that was fine with me. I enjoy a good pint.

The day started off on the ship and with a surprise from the cabin staff.

 





What I saw when we walked into our cabin after breakfast!



 

 

Then I saw this.

 

Husband insisted on taking a picture.



 

After lunch we headed off on our adventure to Guinness via a ship excursion. Interesting tour and our guide was fun. After the tour we ended up at the top lounge for our free pint. The young man pouring our pints offered to take a picture and I commented we definitely needed a birthday picture to share with the family. He wanted to know if it really was my birthday and did I have ID. Showed him my driver's license and that led to another free pint. We continued to talk with him while drinking our brews and once the free one was finished he offered another on him. By that point, pounding a couple of pints so quickly due to our time schedule, I felt a little tipsy and declined. What a shame!

 

Hoisting a pint on my birthday at the source with the delightful Sergueri! Don't you love the no makeup look I'm sporting!





Windjo and I with the flower.


 

Back on the ship, dinner produced a birthday cake with the crew staff and a lot of our fellow passengers signing me Happy Birthday. After dinner we did our usual stop in the lounge outside the dinning room and the server came over before we left and presented me with a paper flower he had made with a paper towel and a straw.

                       

                                   And a BIG thank you to my honey for making this birthday so special!

 

And that's it for the best birthday yet!

 

Last Wednesday post this month...if you want to enter the drawing for a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate Follow this blog and comment on any Monday/Wednesday posts. Winner will be announced Monday as well as the drawing for August.