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Friday Fotos – a stunning Lifou bay beckons

February 26, 2021 By Terry Leave a Comment

A stunning bay on Lifou Island — These waters just seem to be calling! What about it? Anyone for a swim?

Anyone for a swim? This stunning Lifou bay was so tempting! It was a warm day in the South Pacific. We’d been crammed into a rickety tour bus after disembarking and were hot and sweaty from the heat and humidity. Despite the less-than-five-star transportation, we weren’t complaining. This was a beautiful island in the South Pacific where everything just naturally gets a little ‘earthy.’ (If you catch my drift.)

This Lifou bay would have been the perfect place to cool off—except for one thing. We never would have made it back to the MS Noordam in time and might have had to stay on Lifou for a very long time. Come to think of it, maybe we did make the wrong choice in coming back! Learn more about Lifou Island here.

Want to see more photos from our trip? Here’s a link where you can check out all the entries in our travel journal.

Behind the story of Smothered by G.P. Gottlieb

February 23, 2021 By Terry Leave a Comment

G.P. Gottlieb has worked as a musician, a teacher, and an administrator, but she’s happiest when writing recipe-laced murder mysteries. Smothered is the second book in her Whipped and Sipped Mystery series.

Ideals are behind the story of Smothered

“One morning I was sitting in a neighborhood coffeehouse, imagining lives for the employees and other patrons, when I suddenly realized that it would make the perfect setting for a murder mystery,” G.P. said. “Maybe not actually in the café, but somehow connected so that I could write a ‘culinary’ mystery, with recipes. But I knew that I wouldn’t use the quantities of sugar and fat that typical bakeries use – I’d replicate the recipes I used to make for my children, the kinds that included vegetables and fruit in just about everything I served to those picky little eaters. And they never knew.”

G.P. added that when she began writing the series, she wanted to describe a business that was both a workplace and a warm hearth for those who spent their days baking, serving, and cleaning up. “In jobs I’ve held, I was always happiest when there was a feeling of camaraderie rather than a competitive or professional atmosphere that lacked caring. And I wanted to create a café that had a moral center Alene, the owner, wants to help her employees reach their potential, and Ruthie, the pastry chef, is opposed to using any part of an animal for food.”

In holding to that philosophy, she not only created the recipes in the book, but also made most of them vegan and gluten-free.

On a personal note

“My degrees are in piano and voice,” G.P. said. “I ran children’s choirs, taught high school music, and performed, then administrated a law school center until the day I was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer. During a year-long battle to eradicate it, I vowed to get healthy and fulfil my dream of completing a novel and getting it published – which happened in 2019. I’ve been cancer-free for six years now and hope to write as many books as I can with the time I have left!”

Doing food research is definitely something G.P. has enjoyed doing. “I used to conduct food tests in which I’d pick up 6 to 10 different versions of a pastry, like, say ginger molasses cookies. We’d usually have friends over to help with the tasting, and I’d take notes about what people liked best so that later, when I created a vegan, gluten-free version, it would still be chewy and gingery. What I learned about myself is that even if I don’t love a cookie, I’ll still eat it, which probably means I’m a helpful, accommodating kind of person, right?”

Learn more about G.P. Gottlieb at gpgottlieb.com. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.

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Super green spaghetti is a twist on traditional pasta night

November 7, 2020 By Terry Leave a Comment

super green spaghetti from https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/super-green-spaghetti/

Do you love your pasta, but get tired of tomato-based sauces? Whether your goal is to add more healthy greens to your diet or simply try something new, this Super Green Spaghetti is sure to fill the bill. This dish is a part of our regular meal planning rotation. It can be made in about thirty minutes, tastes great, and is guilt-free thanks to the healthy greens as the main ingredient. (If you want to see the original recipe, you can find it here.)

Super green spaghetti

For a very different and delicious dinner option, try this twist on traditional spaghetti. The original recipe and photo are courtesy of Jamie Oliver at https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/super-green-spaghetti/

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Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. dried spaghetti
4 cloves of garlic
8 oz. kale or spinach
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
parmesan or ricotta cheese for serving

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
Tear the stems out of the kale and discard, then add the leaves to the boiling water for 5 minutes.
Peel the garlic and add to the boiling water
Pour 1 1⁄2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a blender, then add in the parmesan.
Using tongs or a sieve, transfer the kale leaves and garlic straight into the blender and process until super-smooth. Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper.
Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions
Drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of cooking water.
Return pasta to the pan and toss with the vibrant green sauce, loosening with a splash of reserved cooking water, if needed
Divide between plates and serve with more grated parmesan or a dollop of ricotta

Notes

We normally don’t have ricotta cheese on hand, so unless we’re planning other meals that use it, we use parmesan for the finish.

Like all of my other recipes, Super Green Spaghetti can be made gluten-free easily. Simply substitute gluten-free pasta for the regular. It’s that easy. If you liked this recipe and want to see another of our pasta favorites, check out last month’s, Greek Penne and Chicken—a weeknight favorite.

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Behind the story of The Firefly Warriors Club by Susan Count

October 20, 2020 By Terry Leave a Comment

Susan Count is the best-selling, award-winning author of the Dream Horse Adventures Series. The Firefly Warriors Club is the first book in the Texas Boys Adventure series.

The beginnings of The Firefly Warriors Club

“They say—to write well, one must be a reader. But I will stretch out somewhere cozy with a book and promptly fall asleep. Instead, my creative spirit is nourished by solitude, time in prayer, and riding my horse on forest trails where we live in the glorious east Texas pine forest. One magical evening we were walking on a path and the bushes exploded with light. The grandchildren had never seen such a display of wonder, and their delight was my delight. That magical moment became a story of a magical encounter.”

Susan added that the book started as an adventure and became two boys on a mission to save the fireflies in their corner of the world. “The main character points out that insects are critical food for lots of creatures. More needs to be done save the environment or the natural food chain will implode.”

Finding the story

“Because of the young ages of my grand boys when I first started on The Firefly Warriors Club, I was determined to write it as a chapter book. Two plus years of struggle later, I allowed the story to dictate its form, and it became a novel. Sometimes the process of writing is as magical as fireflies.”

Susan said the best way for her to bring authenticity to the scenes and dialog is to hang out with her grandchildren. “I love to listen to them interact, and who but a ten-year-old could come up with a scene about the different colors of snot? Since I write for them, I can’t imagine writing a book without them. Their joy is my joy.”

Learn more about Susan Count at susancount.com

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On Borrowed Crime by Kate Young

October 6, 2020 By Terry 1 Comment

On Borrowed Crime is the first in Kate Young’s Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series.

The beginnings of On Borrowed Crime

“On borrowed Crime was inspired by actual cold cases located up I-85 here in GA. I-85 is an interstate that connects Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Along these roadways there are several rural areas where remains have been discovered. Most of these cases remain unsolved. I came across an article with a call for help identifying a Jane Doe’s remains, but being unable to help in the particular case, an idea for this story emerged.”

Kate added that she likes to use true crime stories as inspiration for her novels. “My characters are usually over-comers in their own right. While the story is cozy there are serious elements that are balanced out with levity, they are also followed by heart pumping edgy scenes. I think walking the fine line of cozy and mystery/suspense is what distinguishes my work from the average cozy mystery.”

Beware who you exercise with

When asked about her novel research, Kate said that her in-laws gave her some help with one of her characters. “While participating in their exercise class at their local senior center, they snapped a picture and texted me the image of one of their classmates. We had several conversations about this lovable and colorful senior, who became the inspiration for the Aunt Vi character in the Marygene Brown Series.”

Learn more about Kate Young at kateyoungbooks.com

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Behind the story of Hollyberry Homicide by Sharon Farrow

September 29, 2020 By Terry 2 Comments

Sharon Farrow is the latest pen name of award-winning author Sharon Pisacreta. A freelance writer since her twenties, she has been published in mystery, fantasy, and romance. Hollyberry Homicide is the second book in her Berry Basket cozy mystery series.

Bring on the holidays

Sharon said that because her last Berry Basket mystery, Mulberry Mischief, took place during Halloween week, she decided to set the next one in December. “This meant the town of Oriole Point would be in full holiday mode involving giant Christmas trees, a Santa parade, and the local theater production of ‘A Christmas Carol’. Once I knew my main character Marlee would be performing in the play, I jumped at the chance to work the ideas of ‘A Christmas Carol’ into my own story. I fell in love with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol’ when I was a child and first saw the Mister Magoo cartoon version on TV. I have seen every film adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and read the Dickens’ tale many times. It’s a timeless story because it deals with redemption, family, morality, forgiveness, and the ghosts of the past. Perfect ingredients for a murder mystery.”

And the family

“For each Berry Basket mystery, I start with a murder victim. I figure out how that person died and how my heroine Marlee Jacob will find that body. Then I brainstorm who would want this person dead, which leads to the creation of suspects. But before I come up with subplots and red herrings, I choose a one-word theme that permeates every aspect of the story. The themes in my previous four Berry Basket mysteries have been secrets, jealousy, greed, and justice. But in Hollyberry Homicide, the theme is family. However, there is little that is heartwarming or sweet about the family relations explored in the book. Family members share a history, a bloodline, and a past it can be difficult to escape from. And Hollyberry Homicide examines how the past often haunts the present, sometimes with dire results.”

Berry good choice

Although she loves berries, Sharon said she did not pick a berry-themed shop as the focal point of her series on a whim. It was, in fact, a very purposeful choice. “I live along the shoreline in western Michigan, which is where I set my Berry Basket Mysteries. And this region is known as ‘the fruit belt” for the entire country. The proximity to Lake Michigan affords us milder weather, ideal conditions for berries, peaches, apples, and grapes. Lots of vineyards are here, too. I was also inspired by The Blueberry Store in nearby South Haven, which served as a template for Marlee’s Berry Basket shop.”

From history to mystery

Sharon started out writing historical novels, but felt she needed a more in-depth feeling for the era. She said, “I jumped at the chance to volunteer as a docent for a historical park that recreated a 19th century farming town. I even convinced my mother-in-law to sew a lovely blue and white period dress for me to wear. (Although she was quite surprised that I didn’t know how to sew.) Each week, I worked in a different historic building in the village, greeting visitors and acting as their tour guide. My favorite buildings to present were the one-room schoolhouse, the general store, and a little Gothic revival farmhouse. Not only did I learn a great deal about that time period in the region, but I used that Gothic Revival farmhouse as the setting for a book I was writing at the time.”

These days, Sharon is writing mysteries, and her Berry Basket series is a valentine to the lakeshore town of Saugatuck, Michigan. “After spending several vacations in this charming village, my family and I decided to move here over a decade ago. A few months before we moved, my father died after a long, painful illness, which was emotionally draining for all of us. Because a fresh start was high on our agenda, we were drawn to the tranquility and scenic beauty of Saugatuck. Although I was writing a historical mystery series, I also wanted to find a way to thank my new home for giving us such a restorative experience. Both Saugatuck and nearby South Haven served as inspirations for my cozy series, with their quaint downtowns, Lake Michigan beaches, and colorful history. But I wrote my Berry Basket mysteries first and foremost as a way to say ‘thank you’ to this beautiful place that I am lucky to call home.”

Learn more about Sharon Farrow at sharonfarrowauthor.com

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Friday Fotos – a stunning Lifou bay beckons