Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Recipes 'n Reads:Author Marsha R. West's Yummy Pot Roast Recipe and Mystery Novel, COMPROMISE, AND JQ's New Release!

 

Recipes 'n Reads Series
Guest author Marsha R. West

What a great blog post today! Two important features:

***My guest is mystery author and friend, Marsha R. West.

***I am announcing my new release, Your Life with Jesus: How to Spark Memories and Write Your Spiritual Memoir is now available in eBook and paperback! Find out all the details after Marsha shares an mmmm--good recipe and her romantic suspense novel, COMPROMISE, below.

Your Life with Jesus: How to Spark Memories and Write Your Spiritual Memoir
J.Q. Rose

****

Series by mystery author Marsha R. West

Let's welcome mystery author Marsha R. West to the Recipe and Reads series which is scheduled every third Wednesday of the month. Marsha shares her favorite recipe and the reasons why she chose this particular one. And Marsha has brought along one of her mysteries, COMPROMISE, with twists and turns that will keep you reading! If you enjoy stories with mature protagonists, then you will be delighted with Marsha's stories.

Welcome Marsha! Thanks for sharing your recipe and book with us today. Your dish is one of my favorites! Please, tell us all about them!

Thank you so much for inviting me to stop by, J. Q. As it turns out cooking and eating play big parts in my books. But for today’s post, I chose the crock pot roast, potatoes and carrots that Kathy, the daughter of my heroine in COMPROMISE, makes when she invites her mother Jessica to her home. Kathy has an ulterior motive. Because of the “accidents” that have happened to Jessica, Kathy, her husband, and her sister want to convince Jessica to stop protesting the use of Worley Construction, the company Jessica holds responsible for her husband’s death five years ago. Comfort food like pot roast can go a long way to soften up a person.

Now this is actually a meal I prepared in a crock pot for many Sundays when our daughters were young. We’d come back into the house after church and oh, my, the yummy smells. Then we moved away from eating so much beef. Hope you will try this recipe and you’ll give COMPROMISE a try, too. It’s my Hallmarkish type book with a murder on page two!

The recipe below is from Cooking Professionally, an online site where I find lots of recipes. Originally, I made the roast the way my mother told me—a little of this, a little of that. Taste and add what’s needed. My mother was a great cook. I thought you might need something a little more specific. LOL I did use this recipe just a week ago when we had a cold front come in. The roast was fall-apart-tender. Enjoy! Thanks again, JQ.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1 pound small potatoes, scrubbed and halved

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2" pieces (I use baby carrots)

• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/2" wedges’

• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced• 4 cloves garlic (I used tsp of chopped garlic)

• 1 sprig rosemary (I use dried)

• 1 (3.5 pounds) beef chuck roast

• Kosher salt to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1

In the bottom of a slow cooker, whisk together broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and cornstarch. Add potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and rosemary.

Step 2

Season beef with salt and pepper, then nestle into vegetables. (I put the roast in the bottom and the veggies on top.) Cover and cook on high until roast is fork-tender, 5 hours (or 8 hours on low). (I did 5 ½ hours on high.)

Step 3

Thinly slice roast and arrange on top of vegetables on a platter. Skim fat from extra juices in slow cooker and drizzle over top. Serve warm.

****


COMPROMISE
Marsha R. West
Romantic Suspense
Back of the Book

Widowed, shopkeeper, and transplanted Texan Jessica Allen fights to protect the green in the New Hampshire town of Tidbury, settled by her late husband’s family. New Hampshire of the beautiful fall leaves, picturesque Christmases, and sometimes brutal winters. She’s angry to learn developers plan to use Worley Construction, a company she holds responsible for her husband’s death. When a member of the board of selectmen is murdered, family and friends encourage Jessica to run for the seat. Will threats force her to compromise her principles?
Developer Jeff Hudson wants to build a retirement center on the Tidbury Green. Despite Jessica’s opposition, he believes he can convince her of the need for the center and that its place on the green will leave plenty of room for all of the town’s activities. But has he partnered with an unsafe builder? How much money will he lose if he breaks the contract to please Jessica? Her position on the board of selectmen may cause a conflict of interest and force them apart. Will more people have to die to save the green?

Will Jessica be forced to compromise to find her second chance at love?

Thanks for being my guest, Marsha. I will definitely cook this. Sounds so tasty and tender. I already know I loved COMPROMISE! 

Click here to download the eBook or to order the paperback edition of COMPROMISE 

About Marsha R. West

A retired elementary school principal, a former school board member, and theatre arts teacher, Marsha R. West writes Romance, Suspense, and Second Chances. Experience Required.

Author Marsha R. West
The theme of her ten books is second chances, including a 4-part series titled The Second Chances Series. She believes in Happily Ever Afters. Her husband picked up a plaque for her on one of their several trips to Maine that states her philosophy exactly. Everything will be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it’s not the end. The Heroines and Heroes in her books are in their 40s and 50s with their parents and children often playing supporting roles.

She has her own weekly blog and monthly newsletter. Her e-books can be found on Books to Read—which lets you choose your format— AMAZON, B & N, KOBO, iTunes, and other sites. Print books are also at Draft 2 Digital, Indie Lector Stores, and Amazon. 

Sign up for her Newsletter by clicking the link here NEWSLETTER MRW Press LLC (list-manage.com) 

Connect with Marsha online:

Author website to find all of her books with links and her blog

Twitter  @Marsharwest

Goodreads

****

I am thrilled to announce my eBook, Your Life with Jesus: How to Spark Memories and Write Your Spiritual Memoir, is now published! The paperback will be available soon.
So, you're probably wondering what this book is about and how it can help you. Read on.
SNIPPETS FROM EARLY REVIEWS:
“Topic aimed at women from a Christian perspective.”
“Content engages the reader to recognize the power of her own stories.”
Your Life with Jesus
J.Q. Rose
“Biblical references with prompts are excellent.”

****
The purpose of this Christian-based book, Your Life with Jesus, is to spark memories of your life experiences so you can use them when writing your spiritual memoir. This book guides you in penning your sacred story and invites you to journey into a deeper faith experience.
Part One of the book includes information on ways to ignite your memories and tips on writing stories readers will want to read. Part Two suggests forty topics for journaling. Each topic, designed to awaken your life experiences, is accompanied by a verse from the Bible and a writing prompt. Not every topic will resonate with you. Select the ones that stir you.

This book will open your heart to know God is speaking to you as you pray, plan, remember, and compose your stories.

Take the time now to create your spiritual memoir. Download your copy so you can preserve those special memories of Your Life with Jesus

Click here to download the eBook at amazon.com
Click here to download the eBook from major digital booksellers. The paperback edition will be available soon!

Thank you!!



Tuesday, October 31, 2023

IWSG Blog Hop: My National Novel Writing Month (NANO) Experience, Updates #IWSGbloghop

 

Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop
#IWSGbloghop

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 and/or to visit the bloggers this week.

HAPPY NOVEMBER!
HAPPY IWSG DAY!!
(HAPPY AND SAFE HALLOWEE
IF YOU ARE CHECKING IN EARLY!!)
Author J.Q. Rose



Thank you to our awesome co-hosts for the November 1 posting of the IWSG Blog Hop--PJ Colando, Jean Davis, 

🍂🍂🍂🍂




November 1 question
November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?

When I first heard the term, NaNo, I thought it was a word comedian Robin Williams coined in his 70's TV show, "Mork and Mindy." It wasn't. Mork always said, "Nanu, nanu." 

NaNo actually is the shortened term for the National Novel Writing Month challenge held every November. Writers all over the world try to write a 50,000 word novel in just that one month. Some make it and some don't. 

There's no shame in not achieving the goal of 50,000 words because a writer is a winner when actually sitting down and writing!
Time to Write!!

I took on the challenge 13 years ago. I wrote my story which turned out to be only 20,000 words. I assumed I was done. I didn't know then that I could have started another story and another story because the word count is what winning is all about, not the completed novel. If a person writes 50,000 words, she wins! Nano doesn't care if it's 50,000 words that go together and make sense. There is no oversight on quality of storytelling.  We can understand the first draft is the worst draft.
"You need to start somewhere." Anne Lamott

I was thrilled when I received a contract from a publisher for the much revised and longer story. Since then, BWL Publishing released the book, Dangerous Sanctuary.
Dangerous Sanctuary

Pastor Christine Hobbs never imagined 

she would be caring for a flock 

that includes a pig, a kangaroo, and a murderer.

 


I haven't done NaNo recently. I found re-vising the project is time-consuming. Let's face it, writing all those words under a deadline makes one write a lot of "stuff." If I ever do it again, I'll have a lot of the story and characters and setting decided before starting the writing. Hopefully, that will eliminate chasing the story down the rabbit trails.

Looking forward to reading about your Nano experience. Please leave a comment below.


🍂🍂🍂🍂



UPDATE:

Speaking of revising your writing.....This month, I changed the book cover and updated and added new content to my nonfiction eBook, Your Words, Your Life Story: A Guide for Sharing Memories. I will have the paperback updated soon. Because it includes journal pages, the title is Your Words, Your Life Story: A Journal for Sharing Memories.

Your Words, Your Life Story:
A Guide for Sharing Memories

by J.Q. Rose
Available from your favorite online bookseller
Image created by Draft2Digital




I revised Your Words, Your Life Story because I have a second book on writing life stories and sharing memories that will be released in mid-November, Your Life with Jesus: How to Spark  Memories and Write Your Spiritual Memoir. I am marketing the two books together as a series, Books for Life Storytellers Series. I will have a companion book out in May--at least that's the plan now. Fingers crossed that making this series will be successful.




🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

Have a beautiful November, 
the month of Thanksgiving!


T H A N K S

T hanks for time to be together, turkey, talk, and tangy weather.
H for harvest stored away, home, and hearth, and holiday.
A for autumn’s frosty art, and abundance in the heart.
N for neighbors, and November, nice things, new things to remember.
K for kitchen, kettles’ croon, kith and kin expected soon.
S for sizzles, sights, and sounds, and something special that about.
That spells THANKS for joy in living and a jolly good Thanksgiving.
– Aileen Fisher
Thank you to 37 November Quotes To Welcome The Amazing Month (ourmindfullife.com) for sharing this delightful poem.

The Rose Courier--Yes, you can still get the next edition in your inbox!


The Rose Courier
Click here to receive the Rose Courier 
delivered quarterly to your inbox. 
However, if I am bursting with news I can't wait to share,
 I will send out a Special Edition!
Filled with photos, updates, new book releases and more!


Click here to be notified when a new article is posted on the J.Q. Rose blog.

Click here to visit more Insecure Writers Support Group  
members participating in this month's IWSG Blog Hop!

Click here to follow me on Facebook at J.Q. Rose, Author.

Thank you for stopping by today! And for clicking around this post!!




















Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Recipes 'n Reads Series with Susan Bernhardts' Recipe for CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TRUFFLE TORTE and a Halloween Mystery, #recipesnreads, #mystery

 


Recipes 'n Reads Series
Guest author Susan Bernhardt

Let's welcome my friend and talented mystery author Susan Bernhardt to our Recipe and Reads series which is scheduled every third Wednesday of the month. Susan shares her favorite recipe and the reasons why she chose this particular one. And Susan has a mystery that is perfect for the Halloween season, The Ginseng Conspiracy. It is one of my favorites in her Kay Driscoll Mystery series.

Mysteries by Susan Bernhardt

Thank you for sharing this yummy chocolate dessert with us today!

Thank you so much, J.Q. for inviting me to be on your new blog series, Recipes 'n Reads.

Before you know it, Halloween will be drawing near...the days will get shorter with a chill in the air. Time for some hot tea and a thrilling mystery. Curl up with a killer...The Ginseng Conspiracy.

In the Halloween cozy The Ginseng Conspiracy, Kay Driscoll and her friends, the free-spirited herbalist Deirdre and the untamed modern woman Elizabeth, discuss new clues over tea and pastries at Sweet Marissa's Patisserie, their crime-fighting headquarters.

Below is the recipe for Kay's favorite chocolate dessert. She had two pieces of this shockingly rich, chocolate torte at Sweet Marissa's as she agonized over the frightening events that occurred the evening of a Halloween Ball, when she witnessed a murder.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte 

I often make this scrumptious Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte for dessert.  

 CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TRUFFLE TORTE 


INGREDIENTS
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch of salt 3/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp raspberry-flavored liqueur or 2 tsp. vanilla extract
Cocoa powder, for garnish
Raspberries, for garnish

DIRECTIONS 
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan.

 2. Combine the chocolate, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until the chocolate is finely ground. With the processor running, add the boiling water through the feed tube and process for about 15 seconds, until the chocolate is completely melted. Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl, then add the butter and process for about 5 seconds, until the batter is smooth. Add the eggs and Chambord and process until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the edges of the torte are puffy and cracked and the center is just set (it will still look moist). Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes (the torte will sink as it cools). Cover the pan and refrigerate for 3 hours.

4. Remove the sides of the springform pan and invert the torte onto a flat serving platter. Lift off the bottom of the pan and peel off the parchment paper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to garnish the torte.

5. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and garnish with the raspberries.

 * * * *

ABOUT SUSAN

 Like Kay Driscoll, in her cozy mystery, The Ginseng Conspiracy, Susan is a retired public health nurse who volunteers at her local free clinic. She also writes the Irina Curtius mysteries that take place in Manhattan. 

Mystery Author Susan Bernhardt
An avid reader of mysteries, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Wisconsin Writer's Association. Susan's town in northern Wisconsin is the inspiration for the quaint setting of her Kay Driscoll novel. Ninety-five percent of American ginseng is grown in this region. When not writing, Susan loves to travel, bicycle, kayak, and create culinary magic in her kitchen. She works in stained glass, daydreams in her organic garden, stays up late reading mysteries, and eats lots of chocolate.

Click to visit SUSAN'S FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE 

* * * * 


The Ginseng Conspiracy by Susan Bernhardt

BACK OF THE BOOK:

 On her way to attend a Halloween Ball, Kay Driscoll, a newcomer to town, witnesses the murder of a local professor. When the official coroner's report rules the cause of death to be accidental and the community accepts the judgment, Kay decides to uncover the truth for herself. Through her personal investigations, Kay exposes a complex conspiracy, woven deep within the thriving local ginseng industry, that involves some of the more prominent figures and families of Sudbury Falls.

With her new friends, the free-spirited herbalist Deirdre and the untamed modern woman Elizabeth, Kay discusses new clues over tea and pastries at Sweet Marissa's Patisserie, their crime-fighting headquarters. As Kay gets closer to the heart of the conspiracy, additional murders happen in quick succession. Before long, Kay learns that the villains are gunning for her, too. Phil, her musically talented but preoccupied husband, determined to keep her safe, withholds from her the one thing she needs most: the truth.

LINKS TO SUSAN'S BOOKS

The Ginseng Conspiracy (A Kay Driscoll Mystery Book 1) - https://amzn.to/2DglFzk

Murder Under the Tree (A Kay Driscoll Mystery Book 2) - https://amzn.to/2T9v5C1

Murder by Fireworks (A Kay Driscoll Mystery Book 3) - https://amzn.to/2QClpyl

Paradise Can Be Murder (A Kay Driscoll Mystery Book 4) - https://amzn.to/2DBp0do

Murder Misunderstood (A Kay Driscoll Mystery Book 5) - https://amzn.to/2SWzUCy

The Neighborhood (A Kay Driscoll Mystery Book 6) - https://amzn.to/3RApkKB

A Manhattan Murder Mystery (An Irina Curtius Mystery) - http://amzn.to/2cPlxqq

Dress to Kill (An Irina Curtius Mystery) – https://amzn.to/3kJuzrF

* * * *

 


The Rose Courier
Click here to receive the Rose Courier 
delivered quarterly to your inbox. 
Filled with photos, updates, new book releases and more!


Click here to be notified when a new article is posted on the J.Q. Rose blog.

Click here to follow me on Facebook at J.Q. Rose, Author.

Thank you for stopping by today! And for clicking around this post!!


Recipes 'n Reads:Author Marsha R. West's Yummy Pot Roast Recipe and Mystery Novel, COMPROMISE, AND JQ's New Release!

  Recipes 'n Reads Series Guest author Marsha R. West What a great blog post today! Two important features: ***My guest is mystery autho...

Popular Posts from Last Year