COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUEST AUTHOR KAYE SPENCER AND MEAT & POTATO PASTYS

Today we’re joined by Kaye Spencer who shares a recipe for Meat and Potato Pasty and a bit about A Permanent Woman, her latest romance which is part of the Lassoing a Mail-Order Bride anthology. Learn more about Kaye and her books at her website. 

In my story, Simon Driscoll needs a wife so he can get custody of his grandchildren. Tessa Morris needs a fresh start and a new reputation. Desperate men — and women — sometimes take desperate measures...but can she be A Permanent Woman?

This excerpt from A Permanent Woman is from Simon and Tessa’s first meeting.

A fiery flush rose up Simon’s neck, and his button-up shirt collar felt like it was strangling him. She was a fine looking woman—creamy smooth skin with a rosy complexion and bright intelligent eyes. Her hat, perched just so on top of the curls pinned up on her head, accentuated her neat, tailored and expensive traveling outfit, which hugged a good figure.

Her gentle touch and the hint of roses hovering about her stirred memories of long ago summer evenings rocking on the porch swing, watching the stars come out, holding hands and sipping lemonade, listening to the owls conversing in the tops of the cottonwoods in the yard, then retiring to the bedroom and slipping between cool sheets—

He jerked back to his senses. Damn it to hell, he’d no business entertaining bedroom thoughts about a woman. And a total stranger at that. It wasn’t part of the arrangement; besides, it not being a fitting topic to broach with a lady. A man could get himself into all sorts of trouble thinking of a woman the way he was thinking of her.

“Miss Morris, it’d be best if we don’t—”

“—waste any more time with formalities? I concur, so I’ll move right on. I admire your determination to assume responsibility for your grandchildren. And please accept my condolences for the loss of your son and daughter-in-law. Such a needless tragedy. With your wife gone but these four years, you’ve had more than your share of troubles.” She clucked her tongue in sympathy and rested her hand upon his knee as if it were the most natural thing to do.

Simon mumbled his thanks, his hands sweating and his mouth as dry as cotton.

“Let’s get to the heart of the issue, shall we?” She sat back, giving space between them, and Simon exhaled in relief.

“As you can see from my appearance, I have a sturdy and healthy constitution. I am of good moral character, although you’ll have to take my word on it, as I am willing to trust you. I’ve lived most of my life in a quaint little lakeshore town I’m sure you’ve never heard of.” She gestured in a generally easterly direction.

 “I have your advertisement here.” Reaching into her handbag, Tessa brought out a paper with a torn, jagged edge, and smoothed it out on her lap. “To further address your requirements, I am well-educated, I keep a decent house, and I am acceptably versed in culinary endeavors. My meat and potato pasty and whitefish chowder are highly regarded…”

So, on that food note, here is a hand-me-down family recipe for a meat and potato pasty that came to me via my maternal grandmother who brought it with her when she and my grandfather moved to Fort Morgan, Colorado from Lamoni, Iowa by way of Oral, South Dakota in 1922.

Meat and Potato Pasty

Ingredients:           

2-1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cold shortening

1/3 cup ice cold water (may need more or less)

2 or 3 medium sized potatoes, finely chopped (peeled or unpeeled)

1 pound (approximately) cooked or uncooked beef cut into small pieces (If already cooked, use larger pieces. If raw, lightly brown the meat in hot lard in a skillet to seal in the juice)

salt and pepper to taste

chopped onion (optional)

butter

1 large egg, beaten

For filling, mix meat, potatoes, onion, salt, and pepper together. Spoon mixture into each pasty bowl, filling until 3/4 full. Top each mixture with approximately 1 Tablespoon butter. Place the top crust over the bottom crust.

For crust, sift flour once, measure, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, sift again. Cut in shortening until pieces are size of small peas. Add ice water, a small amount at a time, and mix with fork just enough to make flour hold together. Continue mixing until it is neither sticky nor crumbly.

Divide dough into pieces according to the size and number of pastys you want to make. Keep in mind you need one bottom crust and one top crust per pasty. Roll the pieces out onto a floured surface.

Place one piece of rolled-out dough in container that holds up the sides, fill with meat and potato mixture. Brush a film of beaten egg around the edges of the bottom and top crust so the edges stick together. Place top crust over bottom crust and crimp them closed. Remove pasty from the bowl and place on baking sheet to bake. Repeat for other pastys, leaving space between each on baking sheet. Brush top crusts with beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes to an hour until crusts are golden brown.

Lassoing a Mail-Order Bride

A woman would have to be loco to become a mail-order bride...wouldn't she? Leaving everything behind and starting fresh in the untamed west is the answer to a prayer for these ladies! A beautiful socialite needs a husband fast —but her husband wants a bride for life. A pregnant young lady becomes desperate —almost as desperate as her soon-to-be husband, who just inherited his sister's kids. A man is in love with a woman he can’t have —or can he? A woman’s reputation is tarnished and professional career compromised —she runs, but she can't hide. Will they all find love with strangers they've never met who are set on LASSOING A MAIL-ORDER BRIDE?

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR ADRIENNE DEWOLFE

Adrienne deWolfe makes a return visit to Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers today. Adrienne is a #1 best-selling author and the recipient of 48 writing accolades, including the Best Historical Romance of the Year Award.  Learn more about Adrienne and her books at her website. 

Bawdy Songs for a Sassy Siren:

Pistols and Petticoats

Schlock.  That’s what my high school English teacher called my best attempts at poetry when I was enrolled in his Creative Writing class.

But the joke’s on Mr. Snooty, ‘cause nowadays, I’m a bestselling author, who writes bawdy rhymes for her latest heroine: a wise-cracking, pistol-packing torch-singer, who headlines in Dodge City’s infamous Long Branch Saloon (1879.)  

I have to admit, I’m having a ball writing schlock.  (So go suck a lemon, Mr. Snooty.)

I’m not exactly sure where the inspiration for Sadie Michelson’s songs came from in my new novella, Shady Lady, which is featured in the Historical Western Romance Anthology, Pistols and Petticoats.  For decades, I’ve been terrified to write anything even remotely like poetry for public consumption, thanks to a certain harrowing writing class.

 

To make matters worse, I get knee-knocking scared whenever I have to sing.  In another of my high-school era tragedies, I stood in an auditorium, packed with students and parents, and forgot the lyrics to my Christmas solo.  (Did I mention I HATED high school?)

Needless to say, Sadie is nothing like me.  A red-headed siren with a rapid-fire wit, my lusty heroine isn’t intimidated by corrupt lawmen, drunken hecklers, raunchy gamblers, or sniveling high school teachers.  Sadie gave me the courage to write poetry again – even if some of it might raise a stodgy eyebrow: 

"Then came a Texas cowboy,

A downright orn'ry guy.

Bulgin' at the chaps, he was,

With notches on his fly ...”

(Lyrics from Shady Lady by Adrienne deWolfe)

Sadie sings the previous verse about her hotheaded, gun-slinging lover, whom rival bawds have nicknamed the Rebel Rutter.  (I’ll leave their reasoning to your imagination.)  William “Cass” Cassidy also sings bawdy songs.

But not all my lyrics are naughty. (Darn, huh?)  I penned two ballads and a love song, called Destiny, for Sadie to sing when she and Cass return in my upcoming Historical Western Romance, Devil in Texas (Book 4, Velvet Lies, Summer 2014.)  Here’s a sneak preview of Destiny:

Suns may rise, stars may fail.

Worlds collide; love prevails.

Through all time, you and me,

Heart to heart, destiny.

(Lyrics from Devil in Texas by Adrienne deWolfe)

So now you’re probably wondering:  Did I ever muster the courage to sing solos again?  Yes, I did!  Years and years later (in another state, under another name,) I appeared in a variety show.  Nobody booed.  (I’m pretty sure none of them were comatose!)

Pistols and Petticoats (A Historical Western Romance Anthology)

From bestselling authors Barbara Ankrum, Adrienne deWolfe and Sharon Ihle come three fresh novellas, featuring three firebrand ladies, each determined to make her mark while making her match. Adrienne’s contribution is:

Shady Lady - 26,000 word prequel to Devil in Texas (Velvet Lies, Book 4)

Fiery singing sensation, Sadie Michelson, thinks falling in love is bad for business—until William "Cass" Cassidy, a hotheaded gunslinger, sets his sights on wooing her. But when a Texas Ranger arrives in Dodge City to extradite Cass for a crime of passion, Sadie must use all her wits and wiles to lure the law from her man's trail. And that means risking everything—including Cass's love.

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HEALTHY LIVING--AUTHOR AND EDITOR PATRICIA FLAHERTY PAGAN GIVES BACK

Patricia Flaherty Pagan writes, edits and facilitates writing workshops in Texas. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Spider Road Press, an independent press specializing in short fiction. Today she joins us to discuss a passion very close to her heart. Learn more about Patricia at her website. 

Heroines Reading Heroines

Lots of us like to read books about strong women. I know that I enjoy reading about clever sleuths like Cordelia Gray, gritty truth seekers like Tess Monaghan, adventurers like Elizabeth Gilbert, and helpful optimists like L. M. Montgomery’s Anne. While revising my mystery novel, I fell into the intense and exciting practice of writing flash fiction. Precision rules. Every word must prove its merit. When I recently began assembling a collection of flash fiction by strong women, I had an idea. I could do more than marry these very short tales of suspense to literary explorations and entertaining Sci-Fi stories. There were real heroines out there, making a difference in women’s lives every day. Why not donate part of the proceeds from the collection to these women helping women? In that way, those who purchased the book could become heroines as well.

But how to best help women? According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, affects 7.7 million American adults, and women are more likely to suffer from this serious health issue. Brave servicewomen, reliable first responders, and strong survivors of the private wars of rape and domestic violence can all face this disorder. Yet hope exists. Across America, counselors at rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters and veterans’ organizations are making a difference. Personally, I count as friends a couple of women who counsel those with PTSD, and a couple of women who live with it every day.

So, I decided to donate five percent of the proceeds from the anthology that I edited, Up, Do: Flash Fiction by Women Writers, to rape crisis and veteran’s services. Giving back felt great! I selected agencies and groups in the states where I have lived and traveled, as I have seen the impact that these organizations have on their communities. In my adopted city of Houston, the Houston Area Women’s Center offers an array of vital services, including helping survivors of sexual assault. Both the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center and SARSSM of Maine have supported rape survivors in cities that I know and love. In addition, Disabled American Veterans helps returning female (and male) vets access many forms of concrete and emotional support.

I am proud to announce that through initial sales of the Up, Do anthology, my small press, Spider Road, has been able to make small donations to each of these important charities. If sales continue at the same rate, I hope to donate to rape crisis services in Rhode Island and Vermont, as well as to other veterans’ groups. Furthermore, I am so excited by the process that I have decided to give five percent of the proceeds from every title that Spider Road Press publishes to charity from this point onward! 

Up, Do: Flash Fiction by Women Writers

A collection of thirty-three intriguing, very short stories by talented women. It includes surprising tales by award-winning short fiction writer Kathryn Kulpa, popular romance novelist Donna Hill, suspense writer Eden Royce, award-winning science fiction writer Melissa J. Lytton and many others. A part of the proceeds from each sale is donated to rape crisis and veteran’s services.

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BOOK CLUB FRIDAY -- GUEST EDITOR MARCI BAUN

Our Book Club Friday guest today is Marci Baun, an editor with Wild Child Press. Marci is here today to talk about the Freya’s Bower Dreams & Desires anthologies she edits each year. The proceeds from these anthologies, there are now four in the series, are donated to charity. -- AP

One of my favorite types of books to read is a themed anthology. These appeal to me for a number of reasons: I love to see what each writer creates from the theme, I love that each story can be read within an hour or less, I love the variety, and often I find new authors whose books I’ll buy. For me, it’s like opening a box of See’s chocolates, knowing that I’m going to love everything I eat, but not always knowing what I am going to get.

There is definitely a challenge to writing a story for an anthology like this. How do you keep it fresh and yet cohesive to the anthology? It’s a challenge, but one that, if you trust your characters, and you’ve done your research, is possible to attain.

Trust is a double-edged sword. Sometimes, it works, and, sometimes, it doesn’t. But it does make for interesting writing and reading because when left to her own devices, a character will always surprise you. There will be times she will make an unexpected decision, lead you right into a cul-de-sac, give you the bird, and walk away laughing because she knows now you have to find some way out of that impossible situation. In those instances, the delete key becomes your best friend. In others, she takes pity on you, saunters back with a bounce in her step and a twinkle in her eye, and proceeds to show you--with a brilliance that can only be genius--why she’s the character and you are merely her storyteller.  Suddenly, the cul-de-sac is a boulevard, and you are traveling down it at warp speed without a seatbelt. And the story that at first appeared ho-hum turns into a modern day masterpiece, or at the very least, an entertaining tale with a satisfying end.

These are the types of stories you will encounter in our themed anthology Dreams & Desires. Since their inception, I have been the editor. And every year I am champing at the bit to see what the authors have cooked up. This year was no exception and certainly didn’t disappoint. From a Wild West bordello to a science fiction self-discovery to the chiming of a woman’s biological clock to urban fantasy and spicy M/M to paranormal and shape shifters, the stories of this anthology reveal the dreams and desires of nine very different people.  Each story is a journey told by some interesting characters who were allowed to come out and play. Some are beautifully poignant, some made me laugh, some made me gasp, and all delighted me.

All of the net proceeds of these volumes in this series benefit a specified battered woman’s shelter or an organization that provides support to battered women’s shelters. The stories, cover art, proofreading, and editing are donated to ensure as much money as possible goes to the chosen charity. This year’s beneficiary is A Window Between Worlds (http://awbw.org/). This non-profit provides art therapy training and art supplies to battered women’s shelters free of charge.

Thanks for being our guest today, Marci! I hope many of our readers will check out the Freya’s Bower website and purchase one of the Dreams & Desires anthologies. -- AP