BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR KASSANDRA LAMB

Kassandra Lamb is a retired psychotherapist/college professor turned mystery writer. She spends most of her time with her characters in an alternate universe, the magic portal to which (i.e., her computer) is located in Florida, where her husband and dog catch occasional glimpses of her. Learn more about Kassandra and her books at her website. 

An Ice-Skating Rink in Florida for the Holidays... What Could Go Wrong?

I love holiday-themed stories! So around Book 3 of my Marcia Banks and Buddy series, cozies about a service dog trainer and her sidekick mentor dog, I decided to incorporate some holiday novellas into the series.

Most of the books focus on the military veterans for whom Marcia trains her service dogs, but I decided the holiday stories would focus on the tiny fictitious town in which she lives, Mayfair, Florida.

I had so much fun writing this story! It features some of Mayfair’s quirkiest residents, especially the two elderly matriarchs—Edna Mayfair, the sister of the now deceased founder of the town, and Sherie Wells, Marcia’s next door neighbor and head of the only African-American family still living in what is barely more than a ghost town.

The story opens as these women, with Marcia’s later-regretted encouragement, are establishing a local Chamber of Commerce, in order to plan a Christmas extravaganza for the purpose of attracting tourists to the town.

And the first thing the new Chamber decides to do is build an ice-skating rink—in Florida. What could go wrong with that?

The titles of the books in this series are all variations on classic book or movie titles, so I tentatively titled this one A Mayfair Christmas Carol. I’m a pantser, as in, I write by the seat of my pants, so I don’t always know where a story is going until it goes there. But as this story unfolded, that turned out to be the perfect title for it.

The ghost of Christmas past definitely gets stirred up for the Mayfair founding family when a thirty-year-old skeleton is unearthed during the excavations for the skating rink.

Marcia’s hunky, almost-live-in boyfriend is the detective assigned to the case, and as usual, Marcia (pronounced Mar-see-a, not Marsha) drives him crazy by butting into the investigation. It wasn’t my initial intention (remember, I’m a pantser), but the story ends up exploring the darker side of the history of Mayfair.

But don’t worry, it has a happy ending, as one of the town’s matriarchs receives a Christmas present beyond her wildest dreams.

A Mayfair Christmas Carol

A Marcia Banks and Buddy Christmas Novella

Mayfair’s newly minted Chamber of Commerce has gone off the rails. They’ve decided to build an ice skating rink—in Florida—for a Christmas Extravaganza. Excavation for the rink is barely started when a decades-old skeleton is uncovered, and its secrets threaten more than the town’s Christmas plans. 

Feeling responsible since the let’s-attract-more-tourists idea was hers initially, service dog trainer Marcia Banks is determined to help her police detective boyfriend solve the mystery, whether he wants her help or not. Maybe she can wheedle more out of the townspeople than he can.

Will she and her Black Lab, Buddy, keep the ghost of Christmas past from destroying what is left of Mayfair’s founding family, or will her meddling make things worse?

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Anastasia and the gang are taking today off 

to spend time with family and friends. 

We wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving.

AUTHOR PAULINE BAIRD JONES SHARES CHRISTMAS MEMORIES THAT INSPIRED TWO SCI-FI ROMANCE NOVELLAS

USA Today bestselling author Pauline Baird Jones never liked reality, so she writes books. She likes to wander among the genres, rampaging like Godzilla, because she does love peril mixed in her romance. Learn more about Pauline and her books at her website. 

One of the traditions that I share with the characters of Open With Care is going home, of the need to be home with loved ones for the holidays. I can still remember singing, “Over the river…to grandmother’s house we go” as a child. I was so excited it was painful, and as we’d sing, I’d peer out the car window and wonder if Santa was flying by overhead. Oh yes, I believed.

Now, I grew up close to both my grandmothers, so our “over the river” didn’t take that long. But our Christmas Eve was for my “over the river” grandma. As a child, I remember clambering out of the car, crunching across the snow toward a light square of welcoming warm and being met with loving hugs and a holiday treat—not a big one because my “over the river” Grandma had a lot of grandkids. That’s the other part of the memory. Lots of cousins and chaos. 

And then back in the car and home for the long night’s wait for Santa’s visit. Then my closer Grandma would join us for the unwrapping. She’d settle in a chair and exclaim over our presents and return our thank you hugs for her small gifts so carefully wrapped and so ruthlessly unwrapped.

But wrapped in all the memories, in the heart of them all is the love, so much love and joy at being together.

Going home for Christmas was both harder—and more special—after I married and we moved a long way from home. I remember one Christmas in particular. We lived in New Orleans at the time and had had the trip planned for several months when the weather turned on us.

It was feared that it MIGHT snow in New Orleans—yes you read that right; it didn’t actually snow—but they basically shut the city down and cancelled all the flights. Yeah, on a might. 

Luckily we were able to get out the next day, but it caused problems all along the line. I can still remember the face of the car rental agent when we explained why we were a day late. This was in Salt Lake City where it had snowed. And snowed. And snowed. It had snowed so much, they were hauling the snow out in trucks.

And we were a day late because of a “might” that didn’t happen.

That trip was defined by record-breaking snow (and our no snow beginning) and record breaking cold. The below zero kind that makes your jeans stiff.

And family hugs. Family love. Family time and the chance for our kids to experience an honest-to-goodness white Christmas.

In Open With Care I tried to capture that feeling of anticipation, but anticipation tempered with an adult perspective and with adult problems waiting for my heroine when she gets home. 

Of course, because this is fiction, there are more problems waiting for her than an aging parent to be dealt with. 

Open With Care

A collection of two sci-fi romances inspired by the spirit of giving

Unexpected guests come bearing gifts. This interstellar Christmas will be one for the ages…

Gini won't let her bickering family or the incoming blizzard dampen her holiday spirits. But nothing could prepare her for the uninvited houseguests. She's not sure if she's ready to exchange gifts with the man who broke her heart or the little green aliens on the roof. 

But the intergalactic visitors have a gift for Gini… a taste of the youth and love she left behind…

Jane MacKenzie has never opened a Christmas gift that transformed her world. At least, not until she accidentally opens a box to find a man who was lost in a blizzard over 100 years ago. Jane isn't sure how to handle the strange visitor and his otherworldly agreement…

But the Christmastime encounter may just open her heart to a love that can stand the test of time. 

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--PORK CHILI VERDE WITH MYSTERY AUTHOR LESLEY A. DIEHL

Believing humor to be good therapy, former psychologist Lesley A. Diehl has published several not-your-usual cozy mystery series and short stories featuring sassy, zany protags. Protagonist Emily Rhodes is only one of the characters to emerge from Lesley’s somewhat sane yet peculiar mind. Learn more about Lesley and her books at her website and blog.  

To Cook or Not To Cook

I love to eat, and I love to cook. The combination of these has gotten me into trouble throughout my life. But mostly it’s my passion for eating that has been an issue. Several years ago, I gained enough weight that I decided I needed to reduce, especially because I have back issues and don’t need to carry around more pounds than necessary. I returned to my tried and true diet approach. I used WW. For me it’s a sane way to reduce because it’s easy and provides a balanced approach to food. In my younger years, it took only several months for me to diet and reach goal weight, but because I cannot exercise the way I used to (even walking is difficult now), and my metabolism is wonky, it took 9 months for me to lose 15 pounds. My husband can attest to the fact that I do not cheat when I diet, so the slow rate of loss was frustrating, but worth it.

I have kept off the weight for over a year, and I’m terribly proud of myself. Recently, I visited a spine specialist who said he’d be happier if I was 10 pounds lighter! I told him it was not going to happen, so he finally backed off when he learned how long it took me to get to the weight I now am. Of course, he’s in his forties and very buff. His philosophy is that we should eat only to have the fuel to do what we really like doing. For those of us who are older, what we like doing is eating, having a glass of wine and talking about our medical issues. Why are all our medical people mere children who think they will never end up where we are? Didn’t I, a few years ago, scoff at those who talked about their illnesses all the time? Funny how a few years changes one’s perspective. 

I now practice moderation because it is necessary, but not fun.

As for the cooking passion, I still do it and make healthy, but tasty meals. Now here’s the odd part: none of my protagonists are cooks. Most of them don’t cook, and some of them can’t cook. For those who try cooking, they usually fail at it. It may be that I want to be better at something than the characters I’ve created who are younger than I, blonder than I, taller or thinner than I, and with the exception of the psychologist modeled after me, none of them have ever had weight problems. Do you suppose there’s a connection between their lack of weight issues and not cooking?

In the Big Lake Murder mystery series, the protagonist, Emily Rhodes is shorter than I, but much tinier. She was a preschool teacher who came to Florida and retired early, found she needed money because her life partner upon whom she was financially dependent died and left her not a cent. She took up a new career as a bartender and does a smashing great job of mixing drinks, which is kind of like cooking, especially if you load the drinks down with several olives or a lot of fruit. But here’s the interesting side of Emily’s life—she lives next door to a woman who loves to cook and bake and who makes Emily and her friends goodies daily. The most recent book in the series is Scream Muddy Murder, and it contains some of the neighbor’s recipes. None of them are healthy, but all of them are yummy. If you’re yearning for the best Key Lime pie, the recipe is included in the book.

Years ago, crockpots were all the fad. I have the one I bought in 1970 something. It still works, and I have discovered it is great for chili and for pulled pork. The wonderful thing about it is that it makes cooking easy. You throw the ingredients in with minimal preparation and let the pot, unwatched, do the rest. I understand there are updated versions of the slow cooker that do everything for you except eat the food. Although I’m tempted to buy one of these new cookers, I don’t feel like dedicating the space to it because both of my homes, New York and Florida, are small. 

Assuming Emily can find her slow cooker, I think this recipe for Pork Chili Verde might be something even Emily Rhodes could accomplish, or she could suggest it to her cooking fanatic next-door-neighbor.

Pork Chili Verde

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds boneless pork country ribs

Half an onion

8-10 tomatillos*

16 oz jar of salsa verde (I prefer mild, but go hotter if you like)

1 small can tomato sauce

16 oz can diced tomatoes

1 can cannellini beans, drained and added the last hour of cooking

salt and pepper 

Optional seasonings: I use Cajun seasoning, but you can add what you like: oregano, paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cilantro

Cut the pork into 1-inch chunks, season and brown in a large skillet. Place in crockpot. 

Sauté onion. 

Peel the little papery jackets off the tomatillos, cut into half inch pieces and add along with canned tomatoes and tomato sauce to the large skillet. 

Add the jar of salsa verde, cook down the concoction (about 10-15 minutes), then add to the crockpot. I then cook all on high for 6 hours. Your slow cooker may need less time or more. The pork comes out very tender, and the other ingredients blend together well. You know your croc pot, so test for tenderness.

Serve like chili in a bowl with shredded cheese on top if you like and warm corn tortillas on the side. If you have some left over but not enough for another full meal, add the heated leftovers to cooked macaroni or brown rice.

*Tomatillos look like green tomatoes with papery, beige jackets on them. Be certain you peel off the jackets. If you can’t find them, increase the amount of salsa verde. The dish will not taste as bright and fresh without the tomatillos, but it will be good.

While your chili verde is cooking away, I have another special treat for you. The first book in the series is only .99 cents until the end of November. Read it while you smell your evening meal cook.

Dumpster Dying

Emily Rhodes came to rural Florida for the cowboys, the cattle, and to do a little country two-step, not to fall headfirst onto a dead body in a dumpster. Ah, the golden years of retirement in the sunshine state. They’re more like pot metal to Emily, who discovers the body of the county’s wealthiest rancher in the Big Lake Country Club dumpster. With her close friend accused of the murder, Emily sets aside her grief at her life partner’s death to find the real killer. She underestimates the obstacles rural Florida can set up for a winter visitor and runs afoul of a local judge with his own version of justice, hires a lawyer who works out of a retirement home, and flees wild fires hand-in-hand with the man she believes to be the killer.

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--THANKSGIVING PLACE CARDS

We live in politically charged times. Chances are you’ll find your Thanksgiving dinner table will include guests with opposing views on many topical subjects. As hard as you try, it may be difficult to keep the conversation on neutral topics, but the least you can do is make sure relatives with polar opposite views are not seated near one another.

The best way to do this is with personal place cards. But who has time to make place cards when you’ve got a house to clean and pies to bake, not to mention the turkey, dressing, cranberry relish, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and everything else involved in preparing for hosting Thanksgiving dinner?

Here’s a quick way to designate who sits where with no crafting skills and next to no time involved. You can even put the kids to work on these.

While you’re running your errands, pop into the local craft or dollar store and pick up a bag faux silk autumn leaves. You can probably also find these at any big box store. Write each person’s name on a leaf. Want to get fancy? Add a dot at the ends of each letter. It takes no calligraphy skill whatsoever.

Go out into your yard and grab some broken twigs off the ground. We all have them this time of year.

Tie up each napkin with twine, jute, raffia, braid, string, narrow strips of fabric, or ribbon—whatever you have around the house. 

Break the twigs into approximately 4” lengths. Glue a leaf to each twig. Slip the twigs under the tied napkins. Voila! Individual place settings for each guest.

Here’s hoping your relatives are too busy enjoying the meal you’ve prepared to rant about politics or anything else on Thursday. We could all use a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving this year. 

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR LINDA CARROLL-BRADD

Historical romance author Linda Carroll-Bradd has widespread interests ranging from baking and crocheting to watching dog agility matches and reading thrillers by Swedish authors. Today she joins us to talk about a holiday story that almost went awry. Learn more about her and her books at her blog. 

Holiday Story Almost Gone Awry

I love writing romances set in the second half of the nineteenth century. In addition to the simpler lifestyle with fewer possessions and people needing to work together to put food on the table and clothes on back, new innovations happened every day. American society was an unobstructed melting pot during those decades. People from so many different countries comprised the citizens of towns of all sizes. (As has been traced by family genealogists, my ancestors on both paternal and maternal side arrived from Scandinavian and Ireland in the early 1800s. But I like to include some creature comforts so my stories usually occur after the Civil War.) The majority of the historical romances I write are set in small towns and usually one of the characters is first or second generation from a European country. I then delve into the ethnic customs of that country so I can include an interesting tidbit.

In A Vow for Christmas, my most recent novella, set in 1872 Gunnison City, Colorado, the only requirements were that the story takes place at Christmas time and that the heroine be a spinster mail-order bride. I made her of Scottish descent and researched foods, wedding customs, literature, songs, the plaid associated with her last name, etc. To build on the fish-out-of-water trope, I wrote her as introducing foods to the hero sheep rancher, like neeps (turnips), mince and tatties (seasoned beef and potatoes), and clootie dumpling (steamed pudding).

More than halfway through writing my story (with a looming preorder deadline), the plot approached preparations for the Christmas holiday. So I switched gears and went into research mode. Only to discover (to my great embarrassment) that the Scots hadn’t celebrated what they called Christ’s Mass since 1647. In Oliver Cromwell’s rule, Parliament in the United Kingdom had placed a ban against the celebration. Although the ban lasted only 15 years in Britain, the Scots maintained it until the late 1950s. Yikes!

Thankfully, I’ve been a writer long enough not to waste time in too long of a panic, and I pivoted. Instead of her bringing her holiday traditions to the family, she turned to the widower and his two small children. They share their traditions, and she finally learns about what she had always felt left out of while growing up around other children who celebrated the holiday. A save! Definitely I learned the lesson of making sure to do research on the critical elements before writing. Still, I’m very pleased with how the story turned out. I hope readers agree.

A Vow for Christmas 

Spinster Mail-Order Brides, Book 7

Vika Carmichael hopes a mail-order marriage to a Colorado rancher with small children will provide much-needed security. What she yearns for is a love match. But her new husband Chad seems set in his ways, including his devotion to his late wife. Will this family of three embrace her, or has she made the worse choice possible?

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FAMILY TRADITIONS WITH SUSPENSE AUTHOR DONNELL ANN BELL

When Donnell Ann Bell isn’t playing games (or reading a book) she’s hard at work on book two of her recently released Cold Case Suspense series. She began her writing career at the Colorado Springs Business Journal and Pikes Peak Parent Newsmagazine before turning to fiction. An award-winning author, including a two-time Golden Heart finalist, her books have been Amazon digital bestsellers. Black Pearl is her latest release. Learn more about Donnell and her books at her website. 

Family Traditions Come In All Kinds

When Lois invited me to blog about family holiday traditions, I almost passed. I come from a middle-class family where both parents worked full time, my dad traveled as part of his job, and the holidays often ran together between the hustle and bustle of preparation and the harried return of the workweek.

As I sat back and thought about what I could possibly share, I did recall something (not a holiday tradition necessarily), my recollections are more like every day of the week activities. We may have been an on-the-go, schedule-heavy family, but upon entering our house, you could count on three things: love, laughter, and somewhere on the premises, one or all of us were playing a game.

Whether it was chess, Scrabble, Twister, Volleyball, Monopoly, Clue, every card game on the planet, puzzles, charades, the list goes on, a competition was brewing. And what was really amazing was our love of games went from a family-sharing event to a friend-sharing event. Our house was constantly filled with people who just dropped by to see what was shakin’ at the Barnes’ house.

I can honestly say I don’t remember being bored. I also don’t remember a whole lot of privacy either.

But as I contemplate further, I realize game playing might in fact BE a family tradition. When I married and had kids of my own, guess what came naturally? You could count on love, laughter, and somewhere in the house a competition was brewing.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Black Pearl

A Cold Case Suspense

A cold case heats up when a 9-1-1 call puts police at a Denver murder scene pointing investigators to the abduction of a Colorado teenager fourteen years before. The connection? A calling card—a single black pearl—is found on the newest victim. Is the murder a copycat? Or has a twisted serial killer, thought dead or in prison, returned to kill again?

The hunt for a multi-state killer is on and brings together an unexpected team: a Denver Major Crimes police lieutenant; an FBI special agent who investigated the previous murders, a rookie FBI agent with a specialty in psychology; and the only living victim of the Black Pearl Killer is now a cop.

For Special Agent Brian DiPietro, the case is an opportunity to find answers. For Officer Allison Shannon, the case will force her to face down the town that blamed her for surviving when another did not. And for both DiPietro and Shannon, it’s a chance to find closure to questions that have tormented them both for years.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY ON A WEDNESDAY--EIGHT COWBOY-LOVING ROMANCE AUTHORS

Today for Book Club Friday we’re featuring an anthology of cowboy romances. We sat down with the six contributing authors to ask why they write western romances. Here’s what they had to say on the subject:

Susan Fisher Davis

I write western romance because I've always had a fascination with cowboys. I married one. I just don't think there's a man who works harder or loves harder than a cowboy.

Melissa A Keir

I grew up with two amazing young men who spent their summers on ranches working as cowboys and ridging the trails. Their stories inspired me to write about men like them. And who doesn't adore a good love story? I believe that we need more happily-ever-afters in a world filled with angst and drama.

Leslie Garcia

My love for cowboys—and horses—defies logic. The only claim my parents had to the cowboy life was that my father briefly rented a boat slip three or four spaces down from Roy Rogers' yacht. But I became infatuated with cowboys because a) they had horses and b) they saved the world time and again. When I got older, and met real cowboys working on a Texas dude ranch, I realized that they were just as solid and dependable as the fictional cowboys I used to cherish, and writing their love stories became another facet of a lifelong passion.

Debbie Desmartea

My dad was a cowboy who worked as a ranch foreman. I often had a secret crush on his summer hired help as a young girl. Love a man in jeans! He taught me the importance of honesty, respecting others, lived by the good book, played harmonica with my mother on piano and was strong as an ox. I consider myself lucky to be a part of a cowboy’s life.

Stephanie Berget

I was born loving horses, a ranch kid trapped in a city girl’s body. It took me twelve years to convince my parents I needed a horse of my own. I developed a lifelong love of rodeo when I married my own hot cowboy. The Bronc Rider and I traveled throughout the Northwest while I ran barrels and my cowboy rode bucking horses. I began writing to put a realistic view of rodeo and ranching into western romance. 

D'Ann Linscott-Dunham

Cowboy bred, born and will die! Grew up with my parents running a dude string in Colorado (summers) and Arizona (winters). My mom was a city kid who always loved horses. My dad was the real deal--he broke horses the old-fashioned way--by bucking them out--when I was a baby. He roped calves like a pro, and had aspirations that way, but a growing family prohibited life on the road. He taught me to ride when I was three years old and break (gentle) my first horse when I was eleven. Later, he worked on cattle ranches and instilled his love of ranching in me. 

A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe

Christmas has always been a time for romance and love. Join six amazing and bestselling authors of western romance as they weave the sexiest cowboys into the holiday season. 

What are you wishing for this Christmas? How about a Cowboy!

Stories in the anthology include:

“A Cowboy for Christmas” by Susan Fisher Davis 

When Reid decides he needs to do one last thing to honor his best friend, will Lucy, his best friend’s widow, understand or say goodbye to the cowboy she got for Christmas.

“The Cowboy’s Christmas Hand” by Leslie Garcia 

Ty Olivares grew up cherished and surrounded by luxury--and lies she didn’t discover until her ex inherited the ranch that should have been hers. 

“Tempting the Cowboy” by Melissa Keir  

Johnson and Debra must trust in their love and rely on each other, because when temptation comes calling, only the strong will survive.

“A Different Kind of Gift” by Debbie Desmarteau 

Will a chance meeting between a forlorn cowboy and a woman who gave up her dreams a long time ago lead to love or just another set of broken hearts?

“Saving a Cowboy’s Christmas” by Stephanie Berget 

Gina’s been a lot of things but rebound girl isn’t the next on her list… even for a cowboy that’s always been out of her league.

“Noah’s Christmas Faith” by D'Ann Lindun 

Faith Cortland has to protect her teenage sisters left in her care, so she refuses to let any man get close. Will Noah Carpenter be able to break down her defenses and show her she can trust him?

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--CAJUN THANKSGIVING TURKEY WITH AUTHOR JODI RATH

Moving into her second decade working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers, educational writing, marketing consultant work with authors, and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her eight cats. Learn more about Jodi and her books at her website. 

Biting Off More than we can Chew on the Holiday, Best Laid Plans, and Other Idioms

I’ll be the first to admit that I like to do those cute memes about happy holidays on social media. For the most part, my holidays are happy, too (she says tongue in cheek). I tend to do that—bite off more than I can chew on the holidays, that is.

The commercials all show happy Norman Rockwell picturesque families, and then we look at social media and see those family pictures of the whole gang gathered around the dinner table with big smiles on their faces. The truth is, many families have issues and prove to be dysfunctional. Don’t leave me quite yet—those of you that do live this life! This is not a bleak blog by any means!

My family is a dysfunctional family. So much so that I relate to Melvin Updale’s quote in the movie As Good As It Gets: “Some of us have great stores, pretty stories that take place at lakes, with boats, and friends, and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But, a lot of people, that is their story; good times, noodle salad. What makes it so hard is not that you had it bad, but that you’re pissed that so many others had it good.” I’m not thatcynical though. I love to make people happy and see people happy. This is where the blog turns around—promise!

Writing The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series has been excellent therapy for me. My protagonist Jolie Tucker is based on a lot of things I’ve been through with my biological father and my family. I lighten the mood in the series to add a lot of comedy for entertainment purposes. What I’ve been able to figure out is that, yes, there are a lot of issues with my past, my mom has issues, my grandma has issues, my bio dad was a huge letdown, and of course, I have issues. BUT I am happy. 

I’ve learned so much from the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes with family turmoil. As an adult, I’ve learned about boundaries and when to walk away from disastrous relationships. Most importantly, I’ve been able to realize that as much as my grandma and mom can drive me up a wall, they are at the same time my rocks. Both are strong-minded, independent women who know how to take care of themselves. And while I may not always see eye to eye with them (and vice versa), I would do anything for them as they would for me. They have been the ones to be present in my life through everything. 

One of the things I wrote for my protagonist, Jolie, to say in my upcoming Thanksgiving holiday book, Turkey Basted to Death, is “Why can family push your buttons so easily? Because they installed them!” I believe this to be true for all of us. But here’s the thing, there is nothing else in this world like the connection of family, and family comes in so many different forms. Those people and/or pets that are there for us, they are the ones that can drive us batty, but they are the ones we love unconditionally—warts and all.

So, from me—and my family (both literal and the Leavensport family from the Cast Iron Skillet Mysteries) Happy Holidays! Remember, along with giving an eye roll as needed during your holiday family gatherings, also give hugs!

Dutch Cast Iron Cajun Turkey Recipe

Ingredients:

6 to 8-pound turkey, patted dry

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup Cajun Spice Mix (see below)

1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup (or more) olive or vegetable oil

Note: If you’d like your turkey to have a crisp coat, heat oil in a large cast iron skillet. When hot, place the turkey in the skillet for 30 seconds, moving it around before placing in Dutch Cast Iron Pot.

 

Set a rack inside a large heavy Dutch Cast Iron Pot. Season turkey lightly inside and out with salt and pepper, then with spice mix, massaging it into the skin. Transfer turkey, breast side down, to prepared pan and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.

Remove turkey from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°. Mix celery, pepper, and onion in a medium bowl. Fill turkey cavity with vegetable mixture, scattering any remaining vegetables over bottom of roasting pan. Brush turkey with oil.

Roast turkey, basting occasionally, for 1 hour. Using paper towels, flip turkey. Roast, basting occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh registers 165°, 1–1 1/2 hours longer. Transfer to platter. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Cajun Spice Mix

Ingredients: 

5 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

Stir together. 

Note: You can make the spice mix up to one month ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Turkey Basted to Death

A Cast Iron Skillet Mystery

Welcome to Leavensport, Ohio where DEATH takes a delicious turn!

Thanksgiving is here, and Jolie Tucker has had quite the year! She is ready to sit back and relax with family and friends. But this is Leavensport, OH—so get ready for intense therapy sessions, dysfunctional family holiday gatherings, uninvited guests, and an inner-city teen advocate found DEAD—stabbed in the ear with the turkey baster! 

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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--HANDCRAFTED BIRDHOUSES

Because I’m a crafter, I’ve always enjoyed making holiday gifts for family and friends. However, I realize not everyone has the time, or perhaps the skill or confidence, to attempt making gifts. For those of you who appreciate handmade items, consider doing your holiday shopping at a craft fair. This time of year there are many craft fairs in various towns across the country. You can find a wide variety of items from jewelry to pottery to woodwork turned bowls and carvings to hand-knit and woven items to framed photographs and paintings and so much more. Many craft fairs will also feature handmade soaps, oils, jams, and other beauty and food products.

I love strolling through craft fairs, and I especially love when I come across a booth with unique items. Such was the case recently when I discovered these birdhouses. They’re crafted by artisan Walt Cottingham in Zirconia, NC. These birdhouses even feature little doors that open for cleaning. 

If you have a birder on your holiday list this year, you might want to consider one. Unlike many decorative birdhouses, Walt’s are totally functional works of art. Not only will your birder friend or relative love such a thoughtful gift, so will the birds.

You can contact Walt at wcottjr@yahoo.com.

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--F.M. MEREDITH ON THE INSPIRATION FOR HER CHARACTERS

Marilyn Meredith, who writes the RBPD mystery series as F.M. Meredith, is the author of more than forty published books. She once lived in a small beach town much like Rocky Bluff, and has many relatives and friends in law enforcement. Learn more about Marilyn and her books at her website and blog.

What Inspired the Character(s)

In the Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery series, there are multiple characters who have been in the series since or near the beginning. I’m going to write about the inspiration for a few of them, plus a couple of new ones.

I wrote the first book in this series when my son-in-law became a cop and came to my house every morning after his shift for a cup of coffee. He always shared what had gone on the night before, including tidbits about his co-workers. Of course a lot of what I heard spilled over into my books and the characters who inhabited them.

Detective Doug Milligan has been one of the main characters since the beginning. He was inspired by the police officers I knew at the time—young, married, and with children. Because these men were neighbors and I was friends with their wives, I had some insight into how what was going on in the families affected the job, and what they experienced on the job affected their families. Of course a lot of this became part of other characters.

Officer Gordon Butler has become the favorite of many of my readers. He’s had a rough time of it, both as a police officer and in his private life. He was inspired by one of the local cops who knew all the laws, operated by the book, worked hard, but bad and often humorous things happened to him.

Abel Navarro begins as an officer and becomes a sergeant as time goes on. From Mexican descent, he and some of his family members are loosely based on one of my sons-in-law. No my son-in-law is not a cop, but the dynamics of his large family has provided a lot of inspiration for ongoing characters. 

One of the newer characters is the police chief of the Rocky Bluff P.D., Chandra Taylor. She’s African American and tough. No, I don’t know any female police chief’s, but I have a friend who I see in my mind’s eye when I write about Chief Taylor. My friend once worked in prison as the assistant to the warden. Taylor is like my friend, shaped by the adversities in her life, but intelligent and capable, able to handle most anything--except romance.

Another new character is the daughter of the Rocky Bluff mayor. Kayla Duvall is a teenager who didn’t know her father until her mother, dying of cancer, sent her to live with him. I borrowed her looks from a darling boy who attends our church and who has an African American mom and Anglo dad. Like Kayla, he has blond curly hair.

For many years, I’ve been a member of the Public Safety Writers Association that is made up of many law enforcement officers. Of course I’ve made friends with many of them and some of them have also inspired characters in this series.

Bones in the Attic 

In a small town like Rocky Bluff, personal and professional often overlap, so Detective Doug Milligan is not surprised when his daughter Beth is the one who informs him a body has been discovered.

What is surprising is that the body is in a long-abandoned home that Beth and other students are turning into a haunted house as a fund raiser. The city granted permission for the project as long as it was limited to the downstairs for safety reasons. But one student, Mike Patterson, couldn't resist the temptation to look in the attic.

Detective Milligan stepped carefully a trunk and peered inside. Only a musty unpleasant smell emanated from the contents, not the noxious decomposition odor he'd expected. The skeleton crammed inside was still clothed in the remnants of what may have been pajamas.

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