July 1, 2017
Happy Fourth of July – Independence Day! Please stay safe as your little ones light sparklers and attend your local 4th of July celebration.
In this Issue:
© Quote of the Month
© Check This Out
© Featured Author
© New Releases
© Author Recipe of the Month
© Upcoming Events
© Coming Next Month
Quote of the Month: “Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.” ~~ George Washington (1732-1799, First US American President, Commander of the Continental Army)
Check This Out:
We took our youngest grand-daughter to Medieval Times in Dallas for her 10th birthday and she got “knighted”! She’s a princess of the realm! Here are a few pictures:
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The Case of the Meddling Mama is the third book in my PI mystery series. I’ve visited my son and his family in Arizona for several years. Knowing the Phoenix area as a frequent visitor made me think that would be where the detective partners (Alex and Nick’s dads) might retire. While the guys are busy, Nick’s mother wants more. I projected a lot of myself into her feelings about Arizona, and why she would want to return to Michigan.
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Once again, Alex O’Hara is up to her ears in mysteries. After surviving an attempted murder, all she wants is R&R time with Nick Palzetti. But his mother leaving his father (“that horse’s patoot”) and moving in with Alex puts a crimp in their plans. Then Nick leaves on assignment and the teen she rescued from an abusive father believes his buddy is doing drugs. Meanwhile, Alex has two easy cases to take her mind off her shaky relationship with Nick—a philandering husband and a background check on a client’s boyfriend. Piece of cake.
Excerpt
“Alexandra, is that you?” Maria Palzetti, Nick’s mom and self-appointed office manager, called out as I came in through the back door of the agency.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“It is I,” Maria corrected as she bustled down the hall. Short and a little on the plump side, she always looked stylish. Today, she wore a floral infinity scarf over a soft lavender short-sleeve sweater and a gray skirt. Her salt-and-pepper hair framed her face on which she wore light make-up. “Always remember to use proper English.”
“Yes, Mother,” I said, hoping my grin would take the sting out of my smart-aleck response. After Mom died, Maria had become the closest thing to a mother, even though she never tried to take Mom’s place. Actually, she was my mother-in-law—she just didn’t know it.
And I wasn’t saying.
Buy Links
Author Links
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New Releases This Month:
J U L Y 1
Under the Spell
Book 5: Incognito Series
Alex Lynch has spent a lifetime working toward owning the Triple Aces Ranch. His dream has finally come true when Gina Calhoun—the girl he’d loved—drops back into his life, seemingly out of nowhere.
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J U L Y 3
The Hook Up
Keeping his hands off this sexy single mom is tougher than it looks. . . Ellie Sanders needs a few marketing tips to take her pleasure aid business to the next level. Enter former Navy man, Tyler Hendrix.
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J U L Y 6
No Rest for the Wicked
The Heart of a Hero Series prequel
Joanna Devlin has been tasked with escorting her estranged husband, Michael, to Cork to join Sir Arthur Wellesley's intelligence-gathering ring. Can Michale and Joanna learn to trust each other again and help Sir Arthur fight Napoleon?
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J U L Y 1 0
Denying the Duke
Lords and Ladies in Love
The Duke of Bedford needs an heir, but he is no longer the same man he was when he and Lady Patience made promises for their future. She loved him once but refuses to marry him because she’s convenient.
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J U L Y 1 0
The Billionaires Private Scandal
Invested in Love Series
Brandon destroyed her family, her trust, and their secret affair. She's not a spoiled socialite anymore, and this billionaire can keep his explanations...
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J U L Y 1 1
Survival Instinct
To get to her, they’ll have to go through him. This ex-Special Forces soldier will protect a beautiful writer from a madman determined to destroy her.100% release-week proceeds go to Cystic Fibrosis charities.
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J U L Y 1 5
The Man from Cymene
Book 1 of the Narrative of Riven the Heretic
Part 1 of the Arcanian Chronicles
Trygare kan Ingan was a boy of 16 when the Drune priest prophysied he'd be the father of kings. Now he has to leave his home forever to bring that prophecy about. Nothing goes as anyone expects, however...
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J U L Y 1 8
Exposed
A woman in hiding. A past to resolve. A Marine to the rescue.
Gwen’s convinced her day can’t get worse, until her blackmailing ex-fiancé finds her living in the small Colorado town of Elkridge.
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J U L Y 2 5
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Knight Quests
Knights of the Swan #2
For a Knight of the Swan in 15th century England, falling for the enemy is an act of treason...
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Fly Away With Me
Book 1: Blue Moon Harbor
When Eden Blaine’s search for her ailing mom’s long-lost sister takes her to a tiny Pacific Northwest island, romance isn’t on her agenda. But destiny intervenes: in the shape of sexy seaplane pilot Aaron Gabriel.
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Peaches are my favorite fruit, and their short season makes them all the sweeter. In Smoke & Secrets, Ross Stevenson makes Mel Hathaway a surprise dinner with peach cobbler for dessert. In Mel's words, “Peaches are God's compensation for southern summers.”
Peach Cobbler
with Pie-Like Crust
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½ cup sugar
1 tbl cornstarch
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
4 cups peaches (about 6), peeled and chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbl butter or shortening
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbl sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ c milk
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· Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt. Work in the shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, slowly add milk, a tablespoon at a time, and work with hands until mixture forms into a ball. Chill 30 minutes.
· Mix ½ c sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in 2 quart saucepan. Stir in peaches and lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 2 quart casserole dish. Keep mixture warm.
· Roll crust dough to thickness of about ¼ inch. Use crust whole or cut into lattices and weave on top of peach mixture. If using whole, to avoid tearing the crust, fold it into fourths, then transfer onto peach mixture and unfold. Cut around the edges and crimp. Or use store-bought crust and use the time saved to read a book.
· Bake 25-30 minutes. Read while it's baking, then again when enjoying.
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He’s home to shed his destructive past. She’s back to make him atone for it.
Arson. Secrets. Betrayal.
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Nikki Brock grew up in Tennessee narrating her life in one form or another. She married her real life hero, and after a stint programming computers, going to grad school, and being a mom, she sat down to write a story. When not writing she can be found drinking coffee, going to estate sales, or binge-watching television shows involving British accents. She lives in the Mississippi Delta with her family and two talented dogs in a diva of an old house which always needs something involving writing checks and which is home to a ghost who smokes.
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With much gratitude, until next time…keep reading.
Maxine
Spark your imagination and entice your mind
Be adventurous in your own mind
Take a journey into a new world and be inspired
Enjoy the pleasures of reading ~~
It does the mind and body good.
Above photo from Pinterest
Why We Celebrate the Fourth of July - Declaration of Independence for Kids – FreeSchool video from YouTube
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