IWSG Blog Hop: Something Dark Today, the Darknet and Incognito Window

IWSG Blog Hop---the first Wednesday of every month.

Happy November!!

Hello and welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group Blog Hop! 

What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group?

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, a Facebook and Instagram group, Twitter, and a monthly newsletter. To find out more, click this link:  Insecure Writer’s Support Group

The purpose of the group is 

* to share and encourage. 

* Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. 

* Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. 

*It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! 

You're invited to become a member of this supportive group. Click here to sign-up to join.

Question for November 6

November 6 Question 

What's the strangest thing you've ever googled in researching a story?

The strangest thing I ever googled was the Darknet. In 2013, not many people were aware of the existence of the Darknet.

 Wikipedia describes the following uses of the Darknet

"Darknets, in general, may be used for various reasons, such as:

• Computer crime (cracking, file corruption, etc.)
• Protecting dissidents from political reprisal
• File sharing (warez, personal files, pornography, confidential files, illegal or counterfeit software, etc.)
• To better protect the privacy rights of citizens from targeted and mass surveillance
• Sale of restricted goods on darknet markets
• Whistleblowing and news leaks
• Purchase or sale of illicit or illegal goods or services^[20]
• Circumventing network censorship and content-filtering systems, or bypassing restrictive firewall policies"

Deadly Undertaking
Romantic Suspense
with a touch of the paranormal

I read an article about the secret web. I didn't believe it because it sounded like something in a spy novel, not in real life. But, sure enough, this amazing concept was a reality. I found it to be an excellent way to ......Oh, sorry I can't tell you since it would be a spoiler in my romantic suspense novel, Deadly Undertaking. (See how I wove this shameless plug into the IWSG blog post?)

In 2020 we have a window named "incognito," so browsing will remain secret and no one knows who is using it for searches. Doesn't that sound so James Bondish? 

And yet, the incognito window is something to use while browsing for keywords for your latest book or to update your older books. Keywords will pop up from everywhere not based on your browsing history. The search will reveal words beyond your personal interests. It isn't the Darknet, but I do feel like a secret agent when snooping in the incognito mode, and it feels great! 

Secret Agent
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors
from Pixabay 

<Looking around to see if someone is watching over my shoulder> Shhh...I'll tell you how to find the incognito window if you promise not to snitch on me. Click on the 3 stacked dots on the right of your Google search bar. You can choose the incognito window from the drop-down menu to go underground. Now, remember to keep it under your hat, kiddo. <wink>

Have you heard of the Darknet? (I won't ask if you are using it.) Have you used the incognito window? In the comment section below, please enlighten us with your experience using the incognito window--unless you want it to remain a secret! 

Click here to read another blog about the Darknet on the Focused on Story Blog.

Click here to visit the IWSG Blog Hop participants.
Thanks for stopping!

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EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Click here or on the JQ Rose Courier graphic at the top of the sidebar to have your copy of the JQ Rose Courier delivered to your inbox. You'll find out about new releases, giveaways, contests with prizes and what JQ is up to.
Thanks!

Discover Author Lorrie Unites-Struiff

I'm thrilled to have a chance to introduce you to multi-genre author Lorrie Unites-Struiff. She tells her clever stories with so much humor that you just have to smile after reading her work. She'll put a spring in your step once you experience her writing.

Let me tell you more about her. Lorrie Unites-Struiff is a native of West Mifflin, twenty minutes from downtown, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She writes in different genres for the pure enjoyment of entertaining readers. When she is not sitting in front of her computer, she’s often found checking out bookstores, leading her writing workshops, or having lunch with local authors.

Today Lorrie shares her inspiration for writing the paranormal romance and mystery, Gypsy Blood.

Welcome readers and authors,

 Thank you for being here with me today.

Let me tell you how I got my inspiration for Gypsy Blood.

Once upon a time, a good friend, an author in her own right, insisted she treat me for my birthday.

I won’t tell you which birthday, so don’t ask.

My friend took me to a quaint little restaurant where the food was scrumptious. Lo and behold, they had a gypsy fortuneteller seated at a table in the corner. Of course we indulged in both the food and having our fortunes told. The gypsy fascinated me and most of her predictions have come true. She nailed my lifestyle and my hopes.

It was an interesting and fun birthday celebration.

            When I returned home, my thoughts stayed with the gypsy. Being an author, I love to take interesting characters, mix in a few troublemakers and plot storylines for them. This gypsy impressed me with her intelligence and her thoughtfully chosen words, so I researched the gypsies of yore and found some very interesting reading. Their mysticism and beliefs held me captive. I admit, I am often carried away with research. The Romani have rich, colorful traditions, which I included in the book.

Isn’t every writer a research hound?

            Hence, Rita Muldova came to life, a homicide detective of pure Roma blood, her mother a gypsy seer with great mystic powers and her uncle, a great baker and violinist.

            Following today’s popular trend of many readers, I decided to use, and yes, add a little… well…okay, a lot of mysticism.

            What is a story without a love interest? I gave her a handsome hunk of a FBI agent from Voodoo City. Yum. My kind of guy.

          Her best friend on the force, Della, is a character unto herself. She has Rita’s back.

          When I threw in an odd serial killer, it turned into a heck of a wild ride. A fast paced read for all you paranormal/romance/thriller readers out there.

Try it, I think you’ll enjoy the ride.

Lorrie.

# # # #

EXCERPT

Detective Rita Moldova peeked around the corner to make sure the hallway was empty. Making a quick right turn, she slipped into the autopsy lab to have a few minutes alone with the body. She tucked her white shirt tighter into her jeans and zipped her windbreaker to stay warm in the chilly room. The harsh odor of formaldehyde hit her nostrils and stung her throat.

Her heart twisted at the sight of the young, auburn-haired woman lying on the stainless steel table. A white sheet covered her to the navel; bruises blemished the once pretty face. Contusions marred the pallid skin from elbow to shoulder. The gash on the front of her neck gaped, exposing open veins and torn tissue.

        Rita flipped her thick, dark braid back over her shoulder, snapped on one latex glove, leaned over the corpse, and peeled back an eyelid. In her bare hand, she clasped a star-shaped crystal hanging from the gold chain around her neck, an endowment from her maternal Roma bloodline. The crystal heated in her palm, warm energy pulsing up her arm to her shoulder. The face captured in the victim’s eye coalesced and stared back. Rita drew in a sharp breath. Bobby Driscoll! She had known him since high school, and now he worked as a uniform in her precinct.

    

Check Lorrie's website or write her for more info and the reviews.

Gypsy Blood is now available in e-book format at Amazon

Other links:

Facebook

Pinterest

Thank you, Lorrie for visiting today. Love your excerpt!

Today is the final day for the Coda to Murder tour. Race on over to Gail Roughton's Flowers on the Fence where we are discussing conflict in stories (and life.) Leave a comment to win prizes. They will be awarded after 9 pm tonight (Friday, March 22) Hope to see you there!!

Meet Crime Fiction Author Nancy Wood

Surrogate mother Shelby McDougall just fell for the biggest con of all
—a scam that risks her life and the lives of her unborn twins.

What a great way to kick-off the St.Patrick's Day weekend by introducing you to crime fiction author, Nancy Wood. Nancy and I are swapping blogs today. After reading her article, please hop over to Nancy's Author Interviews page at her website for my turn as her guest. She asks some serious and fun questions.

Enter to win a PDF copy of Due Date by leaving a comment below. Winner will be chosen Sunday, March 17 at 9 pm.

Nancy, please tell us how you decided to write crime fiction.

Why I tried my hand at crime fiction by Nancy Wood

There’s the old saying: “Write what you know.” Well, I tried that, and failed, miserably! I thought my manuscript, a coming-of-age story, threw new light on a popular genre. But agents and publishers steered clear. Wondering what I could change, I attended a workshop advertised as a “commercial fiction publishing workshop.” There, I learned a new saying: “Before you write anything, think about your genre.” And that’s when I decided to give crime fiction a try.

Before this decision, I hadn’t done much reading in the genre. As I child, I read the standard mysteries—Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown—but I loved adventure books even more. I devoured books like The Phantom Tollbooth, James and the Giant Peach, Charlotte’s Web, The Chronicles of Narnia. As I teen, I did read Agatha Christie and found them delightful. However, two stories by Edgar Allen Poe, The Cask of Amontillado and The Pit and the Pendulum scared me so much that I steered clear of the genre for years, not returning until I chanced upon P.D. James.

Once I decided to write crime fiction, I began to read it, exclusively. And I got hooked. The modern-day genre offers such a range and depth, encompassing engaging characters who we grow to know and love (think Sue Gratfon’s Kinsey Milhone and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum). The variety of topics is impressive, from sordid who-done-its to white-knuckle page turners that are as lyrical and nuanced as any work of literary fiction I’ve ever read.

My first drafts of Due Date were light-weight. The suspense was not there; the who-done-it aspect was too obvious; and my character, Shelby McDougall, was almost a caricature. But each time I went through the manuscript, taking out huge sections and adding new ones back in, layering and re-layering what was there, the story began to take shape. The cliff-hangers became more dramatic and with every chapter, I began to think of ways to up the stakes. As with all writing, what wasn’t on the page was just as important as what was.

I found that writing a book of crime fiction engaged me in a way that my other writing attempts had not. I created notebooks of timelines and plot outlines. I’d place clues here and there, then move them around. I played with chapter pacing and tension, adjusting action scenes with down time scenes. Deciding what to reveal and when to reveal was probably the hardest part: because Due Date is written from Shelby’s point of view, I had to structure the book so that the reader didn’t throw the book down in frustration over Shelby’s naiveté.

Writing crime fiction is challenging. I’m inspired and humbled by all the books I’ve read in this genre: mysteries, thrillers, suspense, YA mysteries, romantic suspense, geezer lit mysteries, hardboiled, paranormal romantic mysteries, PI mysteries, political thrillers. The writing is impressive and I could spend the rest of my life reading in this genre and still feel like there was more to read. If you don’t read crime fiction, I suggest you give it a try, and would be honored if you’d take a chance on Due Date.

Back of the cover

Twenty-three year-old Shelby McDougall is facing a mountain of student debt and a memory she’d just as soon forget. A Rolling Stone ad for a surrogate mother offers her a way to erase the loans and right her karmic place in the cosmos. Within a month, she's signed a contract, relocated to Santa Cruz, California, and started fertility treatments.
But intended parents Jackson and Diane Entwistle have their own agenda—one that has nothing to do with diapers and lullabies. With her due date looming, and the clues piling up, Shelby must save herself and her twins. As she uses her wits to survive, Shelby learns the real meaning of the word “family.”

About Nancy

Nancy lives in Santa Cruz, California, with her family, where she’s been lucky enough to make writing her career. For many years she made her living as a technical writer, working in software documentation. About six years ago, she set up her own shop and is now a writing consultant and contractor, happy to spend every day grappling with words and sentences.

Due Date is Nancy’s first published book and she’s now hard at work on the second book in the Shelby McDougall series.

Connect with Nancy here:

Nancy Wood's Website

Facebook Fanpage

Goodreads

Twitter

Meet Mystery Author W.S. Gager

Hapless reporter avenges his date’s death only to find the body count building. Will Mitch Malone get his exclusive before he is featured in the obituaries?

I'm thrilled to welcome my friend and mystery author, W.S. Gager, to the J.Q. Rose blog. Wendy just released her fourth book in the Mitch Malone Mystery Series, A Case of Volatile Deeds. We are swapping blogs today, so click on over to Wendy's blog to take in Mitch Malone's interview of Pastor Christine. Oh yes, he's always looking for a story!

Mitch Malone finally scores a weekend dinner with a cute receptionist, but true to his reporter instincts, an explosion in a high rise office building makes him stand up his date as he runs for an exclusive.

Mitch learns that much of what he knows about his date and her work aren’t what they seem. His world continues to twist when the police captain asks for his help and a city hall informant is found floating in the river. Mitch must keep his head down or a cute dog with a knack for finding dead bodies will be sniffing out his corpse.

Wendy is here today to let us in on some of the research she did for her latest release.

In A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS my crime-beat reporter/sleuth is given a dog by an anonymous source. Mitch is not a good person to take care of a pet and tends to forget everything but the story he is working on. This creates some complications for him especially when he has a female guest but the dog, a cocker spaniel named Molly, quickly proves her worth as she has an odd skill—she sniffs out dead bodies.

I did a bit of research on dogs and their noses. These specialized animals are called cadaver dogs and are used to locate dead bodies from killers, lost hikers or avalanche victims.

According to an article by two Miami Dade Police officers, in the last ten years these dogs called Human Remain Detectors and can distinguish between human remains, animal remains and other scents in various locations despite a criminal’s attempt to hide them.

Most cadaver dogs require training but Mitch’s Molly comes by the skill rather by accident. Mitch grumbles about having to take the dog for a walk for her basic necessities. The first body she finds is in the middle of the night and has washed up along the river. 

The second body she finds is buried at a construction site and it really makes Mitch think about her special talents and how it helps him find his exclusives. However, it makes the police a little suspicious when he finds two bodies within a 24-hour period.

# # # #

Here is an excerpt from A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS from the second body:

Molly sniffed along the base of the sand pile and my impatience grew.

“Come on,” I yelled. I just wanted her to do her business and come back. I did have a job to do. With my seniority and stories, I didn’t have to punch a time clock but it was Saturday night in the big city and I had crime to follow up. I needed answers to make sense of Tasha’s death.

Then, thanks to Molly’s bodily functions leading to the discovery of the body that washed up on the river last night, I made a mental note to get an identification and cause of death and hoped it wasn’t the man Donna asked about earlier.

Molly did a little circle and then started pawing the ground.

“Just get it over with.”

She stopped and looked back at me and did a little yip like I had given her permission for something. The digging started in earnest. “Molly, come.” If she wasn’t going to go, then we

needed to get going. This wasn’t her personal sandbox where she could get her digging fix.

She barked again and again and then dug. Had my dog been possessed? When had she become my dog? That thought stopped me. Did I want a dog? Could I take care of a dog? Did I really want to keep her? No. I wasn’t made to have pets and certainly not a dog who needed to be walked all the time. Not Mitch Malone. My motto was no entanglements. Unbiased observation of the human condition. Reporter extraordinaire, not parent to a pet. Nope. No way. Wasn’t going to happen.

I heard a muffled yip and brought my attention back to Molly. The dirt stopped piling up behind her and she turned, something in her mouth.

I rubbed my eyes to make sure I was seeing correctly. Molly held a pant leg with a shoe hanging out the end of it.

# # # #

BUY LINKS:

Amazon  E-book

Amazon Paperback

Barnes and Noble Paperback

About W.S. Gager 

Award winning mystery author W.S. Gager has lived in Michigan for most of her life except when she was interviewing race car drivers or professional woman's golfers. She enjoyed the fast-paced life of a newspaper reporter until deciding to settle down and realized babies didn't adapt well to running down story details on deadline. Since then she honed her skills on other forms of writing before deciding to do what she always wanted with her life and that was to write mystery novels. Her main character is Mitch Malone who is an edgy crime-beat reporter always on the hunt for the next Pulitzer and won't let anyone stop him. Her third book, A CASE OF HOMETOWN BLUES, was a finalist in the 2012 Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. A CASE OF VOLATILE DEEDS is the latest in the Mitch series.

Bodacious Blurbs Bonanza: Missing, Assumed Dead

Welcome to the Blurbs Bonanza appearing every Wednesday this summer!

My book blurb for Sunshine Boulevard  appears today on Marva Dasef's blog. 

Drop by to leave a comment. 

Prejudice, murder, insanity, suicide: Every small town has its secrets.

Blurb:

When Kameron McBride receives notice she’s the last living relative of a missing man she’s never even heard of, the last thing she wants to do is head to some half-baked Oregon town to settle his affairs. But since she’s the only one available, she grudgingly agrees.

En route, she runs afoul of a couple of hillbillies and their pickup in an accident that doesn’t seem...accidental. Especially when they keep showing up wherever she goes. Lucky for her, gorgeous Deputy Mitch Caldwell lends her a hand, among other things. Her suspicions increase when the probate Judge tries a little too hard to buy the dead man’s worthless property.

Working on a hunch and trying to avoid the Judge’s henchmen, Kam probes deeper into the town’s secrets and finds almost no one she can trust. With Mitch’s help, she peels away the layers of prejudice, suicide, murder, and insanity. But someone in town doesn’t like her poking around, and when they show their intentions by shooting her through the police chief’s office window, the stakes are raised. Kam must find out what really happened to her dead relative before someone in this backward little town sends her to join him.

And she thought Oregon was going to be boring.

Review (from Amazon):
**** Fast Paced Mystery

S.Durham - See all my reviews

This review is from: Missing, Assumed Dead (Kindle Edition)

Missing Assumed Dead by Marva Dasef

In this fast paced mystery suspense, Kam McBride is summoned to a small town in Eastern Oregon to settle probate on a property of a distant relative she wasn't aware existed, until now.

Kam agrees to go to Eastern Oregon only to appease her mother's wishes of obtaining any family photographs, or family documents, but when Kam arrives in the hot and dusty town, things get a lot more complicated as she delves into what really happened to her long lost relative, Salvadore Vasco, seven years prior.

As she slowly uncovers the town's layered secrets, with the help of a hunky sheriff deputy, and her life is threatened more than once, Kam realizes she's stumbled onto a much deeper mystery than she bargained for.

Ms. Dasef's harrowing action scenes and interesting characters drew me in to the end of this tight mystery, and there are some fascinating twists, which add to the flavor of this story. I felt the intimacy scenes were a little rushed, but that's the romantic in me, and sometimes Kam's character was a little too hard headed for her own good, but thankfully Mitch was able to gently steer her in the right direction. Occasionally, I was distracted by the `he said, she did this' passages, but all in all, Missing Assumed Dead is a solid and unique mystery, with great action and atmosphere, and interesting secondary characters. As an Oregonian, I definitely enjoyed this read and would recommend it for all mystery suspense enthusiasts.

S. Durham

Amazon Buy Link

                                                       

Review for The Good Neighbors

I think Rochelle enjoyed my short story, The Good Neighbors.  She asks, "isn't a good hearty laugh in the middle of Wendy's a great recommendation for a book?" I'd say so. Thanks, Rochelle. Glad The Good Neighbors made you smile and laugh out loud!

Jim and Gloria Hart first appeared in my mystery novella, Sunshine Boulevard.

Here's Rochelle's delightful review:

Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds from Michigan, always help out the neighbors in their Florida retirement community when asked. Who knew being good could turn out to be so bad?

I wish I could be a snowbird and have Jim and Gloria Hart for neighbors.  They’re so helpful and they sound like fun people to have around even if you don’t play golf.  Between solving the mystery of last year’s deaths at their Florida winter retirement community, helping a neighbor who fell in her bathtub and plant-sitting for a neighbors who surprised his wife with a Christmas cruise, they’re all round good people.  Besides, who ever got into trouble just plant sitting?

I disturbed the peace at Wendy’s because I was laughing so hard reading this while I had lunch.  It’s another great waiting room read—the kind of short-story you can devour along with a quick burger or while waiting to see the doctor.  But try not to laugh too loudly unless you want to tell people what you’re reading.  On second thought, go ahead.  Laugh out loud.  Don’t be afraid to let people know how much you’re enjoying Ms. Rose’s writing.  Isn’t a good hearty laugh in the middle of Wendy’s a great recommendation for a book?  Just try not to choke on your food or snort pop through your nose.

Price:  $0.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+Good+Neighbors+J.+Q.+Rose&x=13&y=17

All royalties from the sale of The Good Neighbors go to local food pantries.

Rochelle Weber is the author of Rock Crazy, a futuristic, sci-fi romance.

Abandoned, pregnant and bi-polar, Katie McGowan's going crazy on that God-forsaken rock, the Moon.  

Recipe: Basque Chicken and Chorizo Saute from Mystery Author Marva Dasef

Author Marva Dasef is my guest today. Her latest release, Missing, Assumed Dead, takes place in the high desert of East Oregon. My travels have never included that area of Oregon, so not only did I learn about that region of the country, I enjoyed reading another great mystery from Marva. Leave a comment and you will be eligible to WIN your own copy of Missing, Assumed Dead. The winner can have any one of the three file types (PDF, EPUB, PRC). Please leave your email address so I can notify you when you win.

Now, read on as Marva shares her recipe. Welcome, Marva.

I’m happy that Janet has offered up the challenge of providing a recipe. Since my book is based on the disappearance of a Basque sheepherder, and my intrepid heroine plus one visit the Old Basque Inn (a real restaurant in Jordan Valley, OR), I had to scurry off to the internet to find some Basque recipe I could actually manage to prepare. I was delighted to find that my “normal” cooking fit fairly well into a Basque kitchen. Thing is, I don’t cook to recipe. I’m generally winging it, pulling stuff out of the fridge that looks like it might go with whatever it is I’m building.

Here’s the “real” recipe, but note that I didn’t follow it exactly for various reasons. The excerpt following the recipe shows Kam and Mitch at the real Old Basque Inn.

(Original recipe at http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/basque-chicken-and-chorizo-saute)

Basque Chicken and Chorizo Sauté

4 ounces dry chorizo, sliced 1/4 inch thick

(Marva’s variation: I used turkey polish sausage since we keep the fat content low. Chorizo is definitely a fatty sausage. Tasty, but hell on the arteries.)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 whole chicken legs, split (3 1/2 pounds)

(Marva’s variation: As far as I’m concerned, use any parts of the chicken you like. I finally went with boneless thigh meat.)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips

2 medium red onions, thinly sliced

6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons shredded basil

2 large thyme sprigs

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup dry sherry

(Marva’s variation: Strangely, we happened to have some sherry, but it was sweet. I hesitated, then cut the amount to 1/2 cup so as to not make the dish too sugary.)

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

One 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and pressed dry

(Marva’s variation: I couldn’t find frozen artichoke hearts. Looking wildly about the culinary supplies, I decided that Brussels sprouts were the same size more or less.)

Crusty French bread, for serving (I cooked some rice to go with.)

1. Heat a very large, deep skillet. Add the chorizo and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned and some of the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a large plate.

2. Heat the olive oil in the skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until well browned, 15 minutes. Add the chicken to the chorizo.

3. Add the bell peppers, red onions, garlic and thyme to the skillet and cook over moderate heat until barely softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sherry, paprika and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.

4. Return the chicken and chorizo to the skillet. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Add the artichokes, tucking them in between the chicken pieces. Raise the heat to moderate and cook uncovered until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a deep platter. Stir the basil into the sauce and spoon over the chicken.

Serve with crusty bread (plus a side of rice)

Prejudice, murder, insanity, suicide: Every small town has its secrets.

by Marva Dasef http://marvadasef.com

EXCERPT FROM MISSING, ASSUMED DEAD

Mitch put the SUV in gear, turned right on Oregon Street, and again onto Wroten. A couple of blocks later, they pulled into the parking lot of the Old Basque Inn.

Kam sat still for a moment, admiring the façade. It obviously began life as a two-story house and was later modified for the restaurant. A covered porch with a railing ran the full length of the white building with green trim.

Inside, a smiling woman carrying menus greeted them. She seated them at a table covered with a dark green tablecloth. Gleaming white plates and salad bowls, with silverware neatly laid atop the folded napkins, were already set at the empty tables. It looked like Christmas inside with the red shutters and gold valances. Kam nodded appreciatively. From her seat, she looked into another room with a richly carved bar. Stemware hung from an overhead rack.

“Here’s the wine menu,” the waitress said, offering it to Mitch who passed it to Kam. “I think you likely know more about wine than I do. Being from the big city and all.”

Kam scanned the selection of mostly Oregon grown wines and was delighted to see an imported Basque wine called txakoli. “This tixa, um, is this red or white?” she said, pointing at the menu.

“Cha-co-li,” the waitress provided helpfully. “It’s a white but tends to taste bitter to an inexperienced person,” she said. “I’ll fetch the open bottle to give you a sip before you decide.” The waitress bustled away.

Mitch ordered for them both since he’d eaten at the Inn several times. “Trust me. You’ll absolutely love the chorizo.”

Kam looked dubious but said, “I’ll trust you with the food since you trusted me with the wine.” After a taste of the txakoli, Kam decided to go with the cultural flow. The food would hopefully rub off the raw edges of the wine.

Book Trailer:

Marva Dasef is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat.  Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation.  Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several already published books and a few more scheduled for 2011 and 2012 from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp Publishing.

MuseItUp Buy Link:  Missing, Assumed Dead 

Amazon Buy Link:  Missing, Assumed Dead  

Recipe: Carrot Casserole from J Q Rose

Welcome to Good Eats, Great Reads. This month of November is devoted to giving you delicious recipes and great stories. There are prizes in store all month. Today, please leave a comment to be eligible to win a copy of my mystery, Sunshine Boulevard.


The recipe I am sharing today is one I received from the ladies of my hometown church in Central Illinois. I have prepared it for big dinner occasions for years. It is one of my daughters’ favorites and they now prepare this carrot casserole for their families. Even people who do not like carrots, love this recipe. (How can you not when one of the ingredients is Velveeta cheese? Oh so sinfully good…and from the church ladies too!!) I hope you enjoy this tasty, oh-so-easy dish.

CARROT CASSEROLE

2 lbs carrots, sliced (into "wheels" shape, we call them)

1/3 c. brown sugar

1 stick butter/margarine

¼ lb. Velveeta cheese (I use more than this)

12 Ritz crackers

Boil carrots 10 minutes.  Drain and put in baking dish.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Melt butter and cheese together and pour over carrots.  Top with cracker crumbs and bake ½ hour at 350 degrees.


Of course with the recipes, you will also get a glimpse of a book to read while you're waiting for the food to cook. Today I include my mystery novella, Sunshine Boulevard, a quick, fun read. 

Here’s the trailer for my mystery/suspense novella, Sunshine Boulevard, available at Muse It Up Publishing, amazon.com, bn.com and major online booksellers.

Thanks for stopping in today. Come back on Friday when author Jim Hartley shares his Egg-cellent recipes and short story, Ten Years.

Good Eats, Great Reads Begins Today--Recipes and Books for You in November

Welcome to the Good Eats, Great Reads month long celebration of good food and entertaining books. Recipes you can use during the holidays for all the parties and get-togethers, and stories to help de-stress you from the planning, shopping, indulging, and excitement in the next two months. If this isn’t enough, many of the authors have generously offered their books as prizes in the drawings.

The recipes come to us from around the world—Irish, Mexican, English and more. There are main dishes, desserts, sides, and breads. I do not want you to miss out on one of them, so I have collected the recipes on the J Q Rose blog during this month of November and placed them in a FREE e-book collection available mid-November. It is my gift to you during this holiday season.

During this special time of year, we count our blessings. We know there are folks who are not as fortunate as we are. I hope this month of recipes will bring awareness to the problem of hunger in our local area. If you are able, please consider donating food to your local food pantry or send a cash donation so the pantry can buy food at discounted prices to stock their shelves. Thank you.

The Coffin Hop Horror Blog Tour Winner is Erin O'Riordan. I will send her a copy of Sunshine Boulevard. (It's still scary even in November!) Thanks to everyone who commented on the blog hop.

Come back tomorrow when I share a family favorite recipe and leave a comment to be eligible to win my holiday short story, The Good Neighbors.

Now get your cooking supplies and utensils ready to start a delicious month of recipes!