The Run-Away Couple - Maggie Tideswell, Author

Beef Bourguignon(A Marcus Special)

Marinade:
5 cloves garlic, smashed
3 fresh bay leaves
2 carrots, peeled and halved
2 ribs celery, halved
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
One 750-ml bottle red wine, such as Burgundy
4 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch chunks
Stew:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces slab bacon, cut into lardons
1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 to 4 cups beef stock
3 fresh bay leaves
1 bundle fresh thyme
1 pound red bliss potatoes, quartered
1/2 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped, for garnish
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

For the marinade: Combine the garlic, bay leaves, carrots, celery, onions and wine in a large bowl or container. Add the beef; cover and let sit in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight. (This is a really important step: it makes a huge flavor difference.)

For the stew: Remove the beef from the marinade. Strain the veggies and bay leaves from the marinade and discard. Reserve 2 cups of the marinade.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat a large, wide pan or Dutch oven with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and toss with the flour; do not flour the beef until you're ready to brown it. Add the flour-coated beef to the hot pan, but be sure to not crowd the pan; you will need to work in four batches. Brown the meat well on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the pan to a baking sheet.

After the first two batches, deglaze the pot with 1/2 cup of the reserved marinade, scraping up any browned bits. Drain the liquid into a small bowl. Add more olive oil to the pan to coat and cook the remaining two batches of meat. Add the meat to the baking sheet. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup marinade, scraping up any browned bits.

Add the bacon and cook until it gets brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms, carrots, celery, garlic and onions, and season with salt. Cook until the mixture starts to soften and becomes very aromatic, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup marinade and deglaze the pan, stirring up any browned bits, 1 minute. Add the beef. Stir to combine and cook until the wine has reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add enough of the beef stock to just cover the surface of the beef. Toss in the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Cover the pan, bring the liquid to a boil and put in the oven.

Cook the beef for 2 hours. During the last hour of cooking time, add the potatoes. Cover the pan with the lid and put the stew back in the oven to cook for an additional hour.

Remove the pot from the oven and skim off any excess grease from the surface of the stew. Garnish with the chives and serve with crusty bread to sop up all the sauce.

The Run-Away Couple - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Lightning flashed through the tiny leaded windows, followed a few moments later by rumbling thunder.  That musty, earthy smell of old buildings hung in the air.  That must be what the inside of a grave smelled like.  Goosebumps covered Piper's arms.  There was no railing, leaving a pit around which the stairs curved.  Piper leaned against the stone wall until the wave of nausea eased.  It was eerily quiet.  Piper heard slow footsteps on the stairs below her.  Somebody real was in the stairwell with her.  Piper ran up the last few steps to her floor.  About to rush for her door, she staggered half a step back when it creaked open and a woman came out of her room.  The woman had a basket in one hand like a chambermaid but cleaning rooms at this time of night?  The woman wore a long black cloak, the hoody of which had been pulled up over her hair and face.  Who was she?  "Hello, can I help you?" Piper said.  The woman partially turned her head and peered at Piper past the hoody with a very clear blue eye.  When she heard something behind her, Piper spun around and screamed.

Piper's sister Eloise was getting married.  Piper was to serve as her maid-of-honor and until she reached the chapel of this ancient lodge she had no idea that the best man would be Marcus.  Both sisters had known him since childhood.  He spent as much time at their house as he did at his own.  He and Eloise were best friends but Piper had been his pawn.  He loved to play pranks on Piper making sure he got the best of her and many times even making her cry.  And now she had to put up with him at her own sisters wedding.  Without a doubt he had a prank to prank all pranks in mind to really make a fool out of Piper.  But this time she would be prepared.  There was no way he would ever get the best of her again.

After the wedding Piper started wondering about her sister's choice for the wedding.  What had she been thinking to have her wedding in a lodge that was so creepy.  She was ready to go to her room, gather her belongings and head for home.  She didn't want to spend another hour in this place nor with the best man Marcus.  Seems those plans just weren't going to happen any time soon.

This book takes you to a 'haunted' lodge where Piper's sister and soon to be husband will say their vows.  You'll learn the story of the 'haunts' and why they occur.  But... you'll never begin to guess the ending of this beautiful, erotic love story.  It sure ended with a surprise for me.  Now I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see what surprises Author Maggie Tideswell has in store for her readers.

Royal Pane Down Under - David and Linda Broughton, Authors

Dave's Good Old BBQ Sauce

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups quality tomato sauce, or ketchup
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (more or less, suityourself)
3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder (or more,  depending on strength)
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup Coke
Optional ingredients
2 oz local honey
More diced onions,  Vidalia or Texas Sweets

1 cup (or more) finely diced Jalapeno peppers (orwhatever kind you like)
Half cup finely shredded cheddar or provolone cheese
Salt to taste
A few dashes of Frank's Louisiana Hot Sauce, orsimilar not to hot variety like Green Tobasco

Sprinkle of Oregano flakes,
Dash of dried Basil,
Smidgen of Thyme,
Cayenne pepper to your desired heat level.

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan overmedium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until ingredients are completelyincorporated. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer until flavors have meldedand sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 to 40minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Ifnot using right away, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Letting it standat least overnight in the fridge helps the flavors meld into one harmoniousflavor, rather than many individual flavors put together


The first part makes a basic barbecue sauce, theoptional ingredients will make it your own. Don't be afraid to experiment.  A tablespoon of Hershey's cocoa powderdoes interesting things, so does a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter. You canadd ingredients as spices you might not consider. Want a little more zip butnot heat? Add a smidgen of Dijon mustard, or a touch of horseradish sauce. Iknow, you were always told not to play with your food, but why not? If you'repaying for it, and the one that's gonna eat it, it's all up to you. Only youknow what tastes suit you.


Royal Pain Down Under – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; A Book and A Dish; Think With Your Taste Buds


(This book has an added bonus.  The Author is giving you a 1/2 off code for your copy of Royal Pane Down Under through Smashwords.   Here is your code  HM48Z)


When the cheeseburgers arrive Ash about falls out of her chair.  The things are huge, probably bigger than those of the Red Top back home.  They’re certainly thicker.  No wonder they’re that price.. Ravenous Ash manages to eat only one of them.  They taste fantastic.  She has the other put in a to-go container.  On a whim, Ash has the waitress get the owner to her table, acting as if she has a complaint.  When the owner comes to the table, she tells him she won’t pay that for those burgers.  Before he can say a word, she hands him the check with a ten thousand dollar pack of bills, “That’s what I’ll pay for these burgers.”  The man if flabbergasted, totally speechless.  Exactly the effect she wanted to have on him.  She and Rodger get up to leave.  She tips the waitress a thousand dollars because she can.  Outside, Rodger quips, “What do you fancy yourself?  Some kind of Robin Hood or something?”  Ash smiles, “Something like that, when I get unexpected funds like those t the mill, I like to spread it around to those that deserve it, some of it, anyway.  Some folds give to charities, I do a bit of that myself.  I also like to help out hard working people that are doing things right.”

Ashling Pane is a woman of many faces and she doesn’t mind exposing them all when the need arises.  One of her best friends just happens to be the President of the United States. After she saved his life twice, his career once, and rescuing his daughter from kidnappers, he has declared that she has free run of whatever she might need or think she might need. Nobody dares say different.  This friendship has helped her accomplish her tasks in more ways than one.  Ash normally works recovering high dollar items for major insurance companies.  Her fees are high but her success rate is even higher, since she never gives up.  On a case where she recovered a famous violin ‘Lady Blunt’ she also recovered a young Russian immigrant, Roz, that was being and used against her will.  After taking her in, Ash discovers the girl’s musical talent affording her any instrument her heart desires to help make up for what she has been through.  Money for that job was good but when Ash is asked to go to Australia to free those being enslaved by a man named Aldridge Ainsworth, the offer becomes more than she can afford to turn down.  The Queen herself is making the request and offering her over $188,000,000 and that doesn’t count whatever she and her team might find along the way. 

As it turns out, Ainsworth has the natives working the mines producing uranium as well as gold and silver.  As the mines and compounds are attacked and the slaves freed, Ash and team find themselves collecting what ends up being several billion dollars in gold, gems, art and money hidden within the compounds.  Even after making the team members rich beyond their belief, Ash still has more than she can ever begin to spend.  Therefore she becomes ‘Robin Hood’ of sorts, taking from the criminals and giving a hand up to the working class. 


Royal Pane Down Under wasn’t a disappointment.  Ash Pane is still the person that you would love to be friends with while hoping that you never get on her bad side.  If she likes you, you will always be in good hands. If she doesn’t like you, don’t step into her path.  She is one macho woman who even the most macho men fear.  This would make a good character for Angelina.

Subspecies - Mike Arsuaga, Author

PAPA's Beef Stew

( A Recipe from Mike Arsuaga for those cold nights)

Ingredients:

2 tsp. of finely chopped thyme leaves

3 large onions

3 stalks of celery

8 oz. baby portabella mushrooms

1 lb. red potatoes

1 lb. beef cut for stew

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup sherry

2 cups pre-sliced carrots

1/3 cup flour

1 32 oz. box of beef stock

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Prep:

Remove stems. Chop thyme leaves.Slice onions and celery thinly. Cut

mushrooms into quarters. Cut potatoes into bite sized pieces.

Steps:

1. Preheat stock pot on med-high 2 to 3 min. Separately, season beef with salt and pepper. Brown beef.

2. Stir in onions. Cook 10 to 12 min or until onion is soft. Stir in

sherry. Cook until most of liquid evaporates, about four minutes.

3. Add celery, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots plus beef and onions to heated stock. Stir in flour for thickener.

Bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Serve.

Subspecies - Guest Review by Matthew Morrison 

In Subspecies, Mike Arsuaga suspends the readers disbelief in horrific mythical

creatures by creating realistic settings, emotive characters (creatures,

really), and a very compelling plot.  The reader is initially lured into what

appears to be a fast paced Action/Adventure/Mystery.  Only too late does the

reader discover that this is actually a classic love story of Vampire meets

Lycan.  Mike Arsuaga explores, in detail, the frequent and varied expressions of

the couple's monster love.  Even after spilling the blood of innocents, he stuns

the reader with a style that eventually evokes sympathy for the plight of these

poor predators. 

Author of "Subspecies, Inc." Best Erotic Book for 2011 on

            the Preditors & Editors Reader's Poll. The sequel

            "Children of Subspecies" won Best Cover. Both are

            continuations of award winning  "Subspecies" about the deep

            love between two special beings as they shepherd lycans and

            vampires (The Subspecies) to their destiny within Creation.

            Coming soon, episodes four and five, "The Tenth Legion" in

            February and "Lagrange Point" in May.

Check out the full synopsis and excerpts of all stories at http://mikearsuaga.weebly.com

            or http://cynthiaarsuaga.weebly.com

The Fright Factory - William R. Potter, Author

Spooky Witches Fingers

(A Potter favorite!)

Yield 60 cookies

Ingredients

·         1 cup butter, softened

·         1 cup confectioners' sugar

·         1 egg

·         1 teaspoon almond extract

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         3/4 cup whole almonds

·         1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel

Directions

1.    Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.

2.    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.

3.    Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time onto a piece of waxed paper. Use the waxed paper to roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped cookies on the baking sheets.

4.    Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.

5.    Remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze a small amount of red decorating gel into the cavity; replace the almond to cause the gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie.

The Fright Factor – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

‘Wesley saw motion from the corner of his eye.  Jesse wandered into the room.  “Howzit going?”  He had a length of chain and a padlock.  He looped the chair between the two chairs, pulled up the slack, and then clicked in a lock.  With a second length of chain he secured Wesley and Robin to the cast iron fireplace.  Where Robin had been able to slide along the floor earlier, they were now secured in place.  Jesse showed them both a candle with a hole drilled through the middle near the base of the stick.  He set the candle in a brass candle holder on the coffee table.  He walked to the kitchen and returned in a few seconds with a long red stick, obviously dynamite.  He used duct-tape to fasten two more sticks to the first and he set the three next to the candle.  He then took a long string that looked like a fuse and threaded it through the hole in the candle.  Wesley wasn’t sure what Jesse was doing but he knew it wasn’t good. Jesse took the camera off his shoulder strap and began to film Wesley and Robin.  Brandi entered the room with a long butane fireplace lighter.  She wiggled her ass for the camera and licked the end of the starter seductively and then headed for the candle.’

Wesley and Robin Tate are your average run of the mill couple.  They have spent their lives raising two kids and running their own restaurant.  As far as Robin knows, the restaurant has been doing great allowing her to be a stay at home wife and mother who is on the Board of Directors for a non-profit group which raises funds for children’s charities.  They have been able to put both kids into law school and new it was just the two of them.  No problems in their lives.  That is unless you count the credit card bill that Robin has opened and found to be extremely maxed out and in the rears.  Wesley handles the financial portion of the business and Robin knew he never let the balances get out of hand and he has always paid them off each month.  Apparently they aren’t as comfortable as she thought.

Wesley, on the other hand, knows exactly why the balance is so high.  One mistake six years ago and he’s still paying for it.  He has to bring his and Robin’s lives under control.  The first item to repair is their love life and what better way to start the mending than to take Robin to a cabin at the lake for a few days.  This would surely put the romance back into both of them.  And it might have worked if Brandi hadn’t shown up.  Robin met her while getting things from the car in the pouring rain.  She said her car had broken down a few miles back and she needed to use the phone to call a tow.  Being where they were, the phones weren’t receiving signals so Robin decided she could sleep on the sofa for the night and get help the next morning.  That would turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life…as well as the lives of several others.

I read The Fright Factory in two days during spare time.  How…I couldn’t put it down.  If you like shows such as CSI and Criminal Minds, you will want to read this book.  In fact, it could easily be made into a Criminal Minds show.  But I have to warn you.  It’s VERY graphic and also has a few erotic settings so it’s not for the weak nor the youngsters.  I also wouldn’t suggest you read it at night while alone.  Also, I don’t think I will be finding myself staying in a cabin at the lake for quite a while.   Potter, you’ve done it again!

Sojourn With A Stranger - Keta Diablo

Crockpot Spinach Dip

(A favorite recipe from Keta Diablo)

Ingredients:
§  8 ounces cream cheese cut in cubes
§  1/4 cup whipping cream
§  1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
§  2 tablespoons chopped pimento
§  1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
§  1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
§  2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
§  2 teaspoons grated onion
§  1/4 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled

Preparation:
4  Combine cream cheese and cream in slow cooker.
4  Cover and cook on LOW until cheese is melted, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4  Add remaining ingredients; cover and cook on LOW for about 45 minutes longer.
4  Serve with raw vegetables, crackers, or crusty bread cubes

Sojourn With a Stranger - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

“The doll was on my pillow when I returned to my room.”

“What madness is this?” Derek paced the hallway.  “Someone is up to no good.”  When he stopped to look at her, she reminded him of a frightened child.  Her cheeks were pale, her eyes ringed with dark circles.  “I’ll get to the bottom of this.  The Bible and Baby can not walk from that trunk in the attic,” he looked toward the ceiling, “and suddenly materialize in your bedchamber.” 

“Poor man.  The master has finally met a problem he doesn’t understand and doesn’t possess the ability to control.”

 “What is that supposed to mean?  I tell you, someone in the manor dupes you, Raine.”

 “No, Derek.  A spirit placed the objects in my room, a tormented, recently passed spirit.”

“You drag the ghost into the conversation again.  Tell me, what are you insinuating?  You mean to say Cinda’s-?”

“How would I know?”  She hissed the words and wrung her hands.  “You can’t expect me to know what evil machinations occurred before I arrived.”

“Evil?”  He felt his forehead wrinkle.  “Nothing evil transpired.  Lucinda lost her mind, took her life.”  Despite the facts surrounding his wife’s death, a niggling fear crept up his spine.  “If evil played a part, I swear I wasn’t aware of it.”

* * *

Derek Stafford’s father Julian never misses a chance to express to his two sons that the first to provide him with an male heir will inherit Stafford Manor.  Lyman, being the oldest of the two has tried unsuccessfully to produce the male heir but so far his efforts have produced three daughters.  Derek, through an arranged marriage, tried with the death of each child and his wife Lucinda losing her mind, ending with her walking into the river committing suicide.  So, as time goes on, Julian’ pressure for an heir strengthens.  

When disaster strikes one of the ships owned by the Staffords, leaving two dead and one 18 year old young lady alive, Derek and Julian come up with an idea that is sure to produce a male child.  All they have to do is convince the girl, Raine Brinsley, to go along with their scheme and acquire a little help from the Madeline, the local ‘healer’ and all problems will be solved.  What they never expected was the ghost of Lucinda to come into the picture as a protector for Raine.  Lucinda tries desperately to make Raine understand that her life and the death of her babies were not natural and that she will be next if the killer isn’t exposed.  But will Raine understand the clues before it’s too late?

 Sojourn With A Stranger is a story that includes greed, a touch of history and is iced with the paranormal.  By combining all of these into one story Author Keta Diablo has created a beautifully, erotic love story that keeps you on the edge. It was a very enjoyable read.

Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

Buy Sojourn With a Stranger on KINDLE: http://amzn.to/gQLMV2

Also available on NOOK: http://bit.ly/gS6XvG

Keta Diablo’s Author Web Site: http://www.ketadiablo.com

179 pages