Saturday, April 14, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Author Recipe: Cornish Pasty
Written by Nell Dixon
Cornish Pasty
Tradition is that the pasty shape represents the quarter moon with blunted horns. This is the emblem of Astarte, Goddess of the Phoenicians who came to Cornwall to trade tin.
Ingredients:
| 1lb (450g) shortcrust pastry | 12oz (350g) chuck or stewing steak (diced) |
| 4 medium potatoes | 2oz (50g) butter |
| 1 onion - peeled | 1 egg - beaten (for glazing) |
| 4oz (100g) swede | Salt and pepper to taste |
Directions:
Roll out the pastry to ¼" (5mm) thick and cut into four 6"(15cm) circles ( larger if you want a man-sized pasty - you can use a dinner plate as a template). Cut the potato in small cubes or flakes directly on to the pastry. Next cover this with the swede (if you are American - rutabaga) then add some of the onion, diced up and the meat. Add a dot of butter and season well. Dampen the edges of the pastry and fold in half to form a semi-circle. Pinch and turn the edge over to make a rope like effect (this bit is quite thick - the tin miners used to use this bit as a kind of handle to eat the main part of the pasty without getting dirt on their food and they would throw that bit away). Some people jab a knife into the top to make a 'steam-hole'. Brush with beaten egg and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake, in a hot oven (425°F-Gas mark 7, for 10 minutes then lower the temperature setting to 350°F-Gas mark 4 for 30 minutes.
Eat, hot or cold.
Easter Holiday - Blurb
Cornish farmer, Noah Penwarren is sworn off city girls, especially deceitful ones. Posy Carmichael is a city girl through and through. When romantic sparks start to fly will Posy’s secret end their Easter romance before it’s even begun?
Excerpt from Easter Holiday
Posy flinched as she eased the car forward into the rut she’d been trying to avoid. Behind her, the tent poles and pegs clattered and rattled as she jolted along to the gap in the boundary. She placed the car in reverse and backed into the entrance of the field ready to turn around.
The rear wheels skidded on the muddy grass. Posy changed into first gear and hoped she would manage to get out ahead of the tractor she could hear approaching down the narrow track. To her dismay the wheels of the car span around as she revved the engine, failing to gain any purchase on the soft ground.
“Noooooo.” She moaned and gave the accelerator a last desperate nudge. A fine spray of mud shot from the back of the car to coat the back window.
The blue nose of a tractor chugged into view and stopped in front of her. Posy sucked in a breath. The way her day was headed she’d probably get told off now for trespassing. She lowered the window as the driver of the tractor dismounted from his cab and came over to her.
“I take it you’re stuck?” The man bent so his head was level with her window.
“I was trying to turn round.”
Posy had a glimpse of dark blue eyes and a rugged jaw before the owner of the tractor stood leaving her with a view of green farm overalls.
“I’ll pull you out with the tractor.” His voice sounded resigned as if he were used to tugging stranded motorists from the entrance to his fields every day of the week.
Posy opened the car door and went to get out. Her shoe sank in the soft earth, with a soft, squelching sound.
“Do you want me to help?” She wobbled on one leg trying to extricate her foot from the sticky gloop.
“You’re fine. Just stay in the car and put it in neutral with the handbrake off when I tell you.”
She slipped back into her seat and tried to scrape the mud from her shoe onto the car mat. The previously unsmiling lines of his mouth had now softened into the hint of a grin as he began to attach the rope to the front of her car. Clearly, he found her encounter with the mud amusing. If she hadn’t felt so mortified at being stupid enough to get both lost and stuck Posy might have considered her rescuer attractive.
(C) Nell Dixon 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Author Recipe: Lorna Doone Dessert
Written by: Lisa Orchard
Since I’m a chocolate lover (more of a chocolate addict!) this dessert is now a tradition at our family holidays. The combination of the chocolate with the whipped cream is “to die for.” I love taking it to functions because it’s always a hit, and people think you’re an awesome baker. Little do they know this is the only dessert I can make! Well, at least the only one I want to make. Some people have raised concerns about the raw eggs in this, but when you add the yolk to the hot chocolate, it actually cooks them. So, no worries! I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as my family and friends have. If you have any questions shoot me an e-mail atlisa.orchard1@hotmail.com.
Lorna Doone Dessert
Ingredients:
1 package Lorna Doone cookies crushed
Add melted butter to cookies (this is the crust so add as much butter as you prefer; about ¼ to ½ of a stick)
1 7 oz Chocolate chips
2T Sugar
2-1/2 T water
4 egg yolks
1 teas. Vanilla
4 egg whites
Crush Lorna Doone cookies and add melted butter for the crust. Put crust in 10” baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until crust starts to brown. Combine chocolate chips, sugar, and water in double boiler until blended. Remove from fire and add egg yolks, beat after each one. Add vanilla. Chill for a short time maybe 10 to 15 minutes or until the pan is cool to the touch on the bottom.
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into chocolate mixture. Spread over cooled cookie crust and top with whipped cream.
**I usually double this and put it in a 9x13 dish.
~~~
Blurb:
This book opens in a small town in Michigan where fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at her Aunt and Uncle’s with her sister, Lacey. She’s not happy with the situation until she befriends a girl named Jackie. The three girls stumble upon the ruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman. One of the officers investigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death. Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organize their own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their own fact-finding mission. The Super Spies can’t understand why anyone would want to murder the “Cat Lady” until they start digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirty years ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and attempt to bring this information to the police, only to be reprimanded for meddling in the inquest. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they also struggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legal loophole allowing the killer to go free. To make matters worse, the police don’t even believe them. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spies realize it’s up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer.
Alarm bells rang in Sarah’s head—this has to be out of character for someone who never leaves their home. She turned back and whispered to the other girls. “Hey!”
Jackie poked her head out. “What?”
“The storm door’s open.”
“So?”
“So…what do I do?”
“Duh…Ring the door bell.”
Sarah shrugged and pushed the doorbell. It let out an irritating buzz and she had the feeling it had been broken long ago and never fixed. She dashed down the stairs. The cats scattered, alarmed by the sudden activity. Reaching the shrubs, Sarah hid with her sister and Jackie.
Gasping for breath, Sarah waited for a reaction from the old woman. Her heart pummeled her ribs and she pressed her hand to her chest to calm it.
After a few minutes, Sarah started to pace. “Well…nothing’s happened.” She peeked out from behind the shrub and saw the screen door hanging ajar. “I bet she’s not even home. I’m going to try again.”
Jackie shrugged. “Be careful, remember she’s a witch.”
Sarah shook her head, and then peered out from behind the shrubs. Once again, she climbed the stairs. She was braver this time and it didn’t take her as long to make it to the door.
She looked inside, her heart lurching in her chest. She tiptoed to the picture window and peered through it. Gasping, she ran back to the entryway. Pulling it open, she lunged inside.
Sarah stared, unable to tear herself away. Shock ran through her body like an electrical current as she eyed the scene before her. The crumpled form of the Cat Lady lay on the living room floor, just inside the door. No life flickered in the old woman’s staring eyes. Her mouth gaped open in a silent scream and her hands were up around her head as if she were warding off blows. Turning away from the Cat Lady’s body, Sarah gagged as the coppery scent of blood assaulted her. There was blood splattered everywhere, on the wall, on the carpet and under the Cat Lady’s body.
Suddenly, Sarah’s throat constricted and she gasped for breath. Fearing she would faint, she stumbled back out the door and collided with Jackie and Lacey on the porch.
Jackie grabbed Sarah’s arm and shook her. “What are you doing? Are you crazy? I never said to go inside!”
Sarah didn’t speak—she just stared blankly at the porch.
Jackie shook her again. “Are you under the Cat Lady’s spell?”
Lacey whimpered. “Hey, Sarah….can you hear me? Sarah?”
“She’s under the Cat Lady’s spell,” Jackie said waving her hand in front of Sarah’s eyes.
“Oh my---,” Sarah moaned and clutched Jackie’s arm.
“What is it?” Jackie shook her again. “Speak…say something!”
“Th-th-the C-C-Cat Lady, sh-sh-she’s,” Sarah stuttered.
“She’s what?” Jackie demanded.
“Sh-she’s dead.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
What's New?
It's new release day at Astraea Press. Check out the great releases we have for you today!
What happens when a rebel meets a runaway?
He’s not looking for love...
Confirmed bachelor Theo Cavanagh is dashing and free-spirited. Not for him a career in the clergy, the military or politics - he’s more interested in wine and horses. But when Theo happens upon a pretty but thoroughly exasperating young fugitive, he soon finds himself caught up in her adventures, and in a passion that can’t be denied.
She has to search her heart...
Unconventional Sophie Devereux is more comfortable climbing trees than the social ladder. An audacious escape from scheming relatives is only the start of Sophie’s mission to achieve a long-held dream, but Sophie carries a secret that inspires hatred, envy and greed. She can’t outrun the danger that stalks her, or her powerful response to Theo which leaves Sophie shaken to the core and questioning her deepest, most enduring desire.
Price: $2.99
Buy it HERE.
Michael Drake, a part-time private investigator and part-time jazz club owner, starts the day as he has many others, doing a favor for a friend. In doing so, he falls right into the middle of a torrid affair. As Michael tries to decide whether or not to tell his friend of his wife's indiscretion, she is murdered.
Through no fault of his own, Michael is entangled in a murder plot that reaches back to his days in college. The problem lies in the fact that, in clearing himself, he may implicate the friend that he intended to help. That is only the beginning when murder and passion collide in a small south Louisiana town. When the true killer is revealed, Drake must deal with the consequences and the lives he helped destroy.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
What’s Your Passion?
Written by Ruth Hartman
My newest book release, “Better Than Catnip” is about a woman who runs a stray cat shelter. Hmmm. I’m sensing a theme here. She cares for, feeds, live-traps, and has neutered any and all cats who cross her path. This story is also a romance. Roxy, the heroine, meets Max, the hero. (Yes, they’re named after my cats. I just couldn’t resist!) Max’s son Derek must work at the shelter for community service after he gets in a fight at school. The main problem? Derek is terrified of cats.Check out “Better Than Catnip” to answer those questions.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Behind the Scenes: Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang
An island occupied by Nazis makes life hazardous,
but for an adventurous nine-year-old girl
bent on escape, it could be deadly.
Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang might be a children's novel, but it has adults gushing with enthusiasm, as well. Steeped in WWII history, Lizzie's story is based on the life of my friend, Ruth Davies, who lived through the German occupation of Guernsey Island. Her life was an adventure before it had hardly begun, and it's those adventures I share with today's child, through the Channel Islands Resistance series.To make things more fun, and to help kids keep the facts straight, Ruth and I have taken it upon ourselves to enlighten readers as to which parts of the book are real and which are make-believe.
We're traveling through the book chapter by chapter, chatting about her memories and bringing the past to life.
Before we jump into chapter one, here's a little about the book:
Lizzie Browning loves nothing more than her tiny, island-home of Guernsey, but when German bombs drop on her crystal beach, her peaceful world is shattered. For months, the big war on the continent has been nothing more than stories in the paper, but as the enemy takes over Guernsey, the war rushes to her doorstep. For Lizzie, younger brother Andre, and cousin James, the time to escape is now, and they know just how to do it.
Phillip Seifert, the odd boy from down the street, has all the markings of a genuine Nazi-lover. Lizzie knows better than to trust him, but he somehow manages to weasel his way into James’ good graces. Phillip joins the gang in their audacious escape plan, and Lizzie can do little more than pray he doesn’t get them all shot. But Lizzie soon learns that God doesn’t always answer prayers in the way she expects. He might actually plan for them to live under Nazi rule…forever.
Beware! If you haven't read the book yet, there might be spoilers. You can solve that problem by purchasing your copy of Lizzie and the Guernsey Gang today.
Ruth, tell us about your younger the brother, the one six year-old Andre Browning is modeled after. What's his real name? Do you have any other brothers and sisters? And what sort of relationship did you have with them?
I have two younger brothers; Les (Leslie) is the one nearer Andre’s age. My baby brother – Clarence (Clar) is 4-1/2 years younger than I, he is the one who had the mass of blonde curls. We were very close as brothers and sister, I always remember having my baby brother with me everywhere I went (wonder if I was the baby sitter??). I can remember lots about the things we did and games we played. When the 3 of us got into one bed, I told them bedtime stories, I feel quite ashamed because they were not bedtime Bible stories but Hans Christian Anderson. Every night they would ask for Hansel and Gretel, and the wicked witch who was going to eat them, my voice matching that of a really wicked witch. They liked the frights, at least – that is my story.
Did you have a cousin like James that you liked to play with?
There were several cousins who lived within minutes of our house, the two boys Paul (James in the book), and Ken were very friendly with my two brothers. Ken is still alive and Les still visits him about once a month. Ken’s Dad, my uncle, was killed during the war, 6 children in the family who never really knew their Dad. There were/are other cousins, but these were the ones we were with every day, went to the same school too, always on the beach together after school.
 |
| Suffolk Beach |
Before the Germans came, what did the beach mean to you? How close was it to your house and how often did you play there?
Before the Germans came, beach was our second home, we went swimming every day, in fact, we hardly came out of the water, we were fortunate to live just a few minutes’ walk away. What we did then would not be allowed today, because we were all diving off the rocks, diving off the sea wall when the tide was in, and our mothers were home and dads were at work, not one of us drowned, there were always older people on the beaches and that was considered a sufficient safety measure. More often than not our Mom would have to come to get us off the beach; we had no watches and were quite oblivious of the time. Sadly this didn’t last long, I can’t remember exactly when they mined all the beaches and coastline, In my estimation that was the most cruel thing the Germans did – no swimming for almost 5 years (and no soap), don’t think absence of soap bothered us too much at that age.
 |
| London, 2009 |
What did you think of the possibility of being sent away to England?
When we heard about evacuating the Island in May 1940, most of us were very excited at the prospect of going to the UK, none of us realised that our parents may not be travelling with us, no men were leaving the Island, so definitely no fathers or elder brothers (over 16). Quite a few mothers did travel but were separated from their children almost immediately. I had visions of staying with an Aunt, Uncle and cousin in London, not realising that London was a more dangerous place to be. I think arrangements had been made for us to stay with my Grandparents near the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire, I had been there once before just 9 or 10 months previous, which was my first time out of the Island. At the time of the evacuation nobody ever mentioned the likelihood of German occupation, I think the main reason was the difficulty which could arise in obtaining food and other essential supplies, seeing the Islands were so close to France and the enemy at that time was also very close to France. The thought of bombing raids was the furthest thing from most minds.
Author April W Gardner lives in Georgia with her computer nerd Air Force husband, ten year-old bookworm son, and eight year-old art-loving daughter. The Gardners enjoy watching nature shows, visiting national parks, and eating popcorn and chocolate every Friday during family night. April writes her Lizzie stories for God, her precious children, and every other kiddo who loves a good adventure. She is also the author of the Creek Country Saga, an inspirational historical romance series for moms.
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