#COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR BETTY GORDON

After careers as a dance instructor, sculptor, and legal assistant, Betty Gordon followed her dream to write books that would entertain and challenge readers. Learn more about Betty and her books at her website.

I greet the Christmas holiday season with the same delight as the young and the young at heart. I enjoy everything about these festive days: shopping, decorating, cooking, looking at neighboring Christmas lights, and visiting with family and friends.

Christmas is truly magical for me and filled with childhood memories: putting cookies and milk out for Santa, quietly sneaking into the living room by the Christmas tree to catch a glimpse of the jolly old man in the red suit, and baking cookies with my mother and grandmother, which inspired “The Magic Apron.”

I was also motivated to write this short story collection because of a love for the elderly who are lonely and need simple contacts from their loved ones (“The Phone Call”), a fondness for clowns who bring smiles and laughter (“Santa’s Clown”), a love of history and the mysteries of what is possible in this life and beyond (“Christmas Past: A Forgotten Bride”), the mysteries of a pirate ship and the mystical union of two lovers (“Eternity”).

Holiday Meatball Appetizer

8 oz. can pineapple tidbits (drained)

1 jar (5 oz) pineapple preserves

1 small jar honey dijon mustard

1 cup dark brown sugar (packed tight)

1 tsp. curry (optional)

1 pkg. frozen Italian meatballs

Place first five ingredients in small saucepan and bring to boil.

Place meatballs in slow cooker. Pour the boiled mixture on top of meatballs. Cook 4 hours on High, stirring only twice.

The Magic of Christmas

This is a collection of five stories—suspense, fantasy, paranormal, and romance—which offer surprising twists and turns, embracing discoveries, hopes, and love. The include:

"The Phone Call"—One day and one minute in the life of Agnes Riley. Chicago winters can be cold and lonely for those in their twilight years. Case in point, ninety-one year old Agnes Riley.

"The Magic Apron"—A remarkable granny, a magic apron, and a tiny fairy guide a family toward forgiveness and unite them with love.

"Santa’s Clown"—Samantha covers her face with paint, wears a seductive sequined costume, pokes fun at sadness and creates laughter, but not everyone enjoys her antics in this tale that celebrates understanding and acceptance.

"Christmas Past, A Forgotten Bride"—A Christmas tradition and a young woman’s search for spirits lead to a story filled with fear, love lost, and mystical discoveries.

"Eternity"—Hurricane devastation, the Gulf of Mexico, a pirate ship, and a magical meeting between a handsome man and beautiful woman bring this story to life in an unexpected way.

Buy Links

paperback 

ebook