Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts

Monday, February 8, 2016

Dark Money - Larry D. Thompson, Author


Jackson Bryant’s Huevos Rancheros
By Vicki Thompson (Larry's Wife)

This is an old-fashioned “seat of your pants” style recipe.  It is actually more of a cooking method than a recipe but it is a crowd pleaser.  Have fun with the flavors you add to match your family’s tastes.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 to 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 to 2 large eggs per serving needed: 4 to 6 eggs for 2 cans each of tomato products – add more cans for more eggs.

2 or 3  8 ounce cans of plain tomato sauce
2 or 3  8 ounce cans of plain diced tomatoes
1 or 2 TBS Salsa – homemade or your favorite prepared – this becomes spicier as it simmers
1 – 2 tsp ground cumin
1 – 2 tsp ground red pepper to taste red pepper taste increases as it cooks so start cautiously and add during the simmer to taste as mild or hot as wanted

Extra salsa for serving on the side
Corn chips of choice
1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
Mexican crema as desired
Diced onions as desired

Method


In a deep sided skillet add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salsa and seasonings.  The sauce needs to be slightly deeper than an egg.  Bring the sauce to a full boil and turn down to simmer about 20 mins.  The longer the sauce is simmered the deeper the flavor becomes.  Crack eggs one at a time and drop into sauce in separate sections of the sauce to poach the eggs in the red sauce.  For a two egg serving place two eggs close to each other.  Simmer covered for 12 to 15 minutes until the top of the eggs begin to look white; with a large spoon move the eggs slightly in the sauce to see if the egg is too liquid or is beginning to firm up.  The eggs are best when they hot all the way through, the yolks are still liquid and the whites are firm but not hard. The cooking time differs based on the type of pan, how hard the simmer is and how deep the sauce is.  When learning how I liked to cook mine I would scoop one egg into a bowl to see how cooked it was slipping it back into the pan if necessary.   Line bowls with chips and spoon the eggs and sauce on to the chips.  Add cheese, hot sauce, salsa, onions and crema to taste.   I save left over sauce for more eggs another day or for soft tacos the next morning.

Dark Money - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

"Walt, he's losing a lot of blood.  Pressure is 45 over 20.  Heart is racing at 120 and respirations are rapid and shallow."  Walt called the emergency department at Harris Methodist Hospital to advise that the governor had a chest wound and relay the vital signs.  As they hurried away, they got a report that Edward Hale was dead and Kevin O'Connell was wounded.  Tears came to Walt's eyes as he heard the news.  He was overwhelmed with the thought that he and his team had failed.

Walt Frazier had known Jack Bryant since Desert Storm when he pulled a beam off Jack's leg after an attack by the enemy.  Eventually Walt left the army, joined the Texas DPS and was currently the lead in security for Governor Rob Lardner.  Jack became a powerful lawyer, made his billions and turned his career into a pro-bono which allowed him to help those in most need of a good lawyer.  But when the governor was shot while attending a political Halloween party Jack was assigned to the position of special prosecutor and finds himself participating in the identification of and search for the shooter.

At the very end of this book the Author quotes number 10 of Elmore Leonard's Ten Rules of Writing.   'Leave out the parts that the readers tend to skip.' - believe me, he succeeded!  Yes I'm one of those that has a tendency to 'scan' read.  Not with this book.  I read EVERY word and EVERY word held my attention.  It's filled with murder and suspense as well as politics.  It's not only an enjoyable work of fiction, it's also an eye opener as you learn just how deceitful our political representatives really are.  This book will entertain as well as educate.  I find it a book I would highly recommend to anyone.


Friday, July 4, 2014

Chick and the Homestead Chickens of Grymme Creek Hollow - David Boyette, Author


Tater Jack
(A Chick Special)

Tater Jack is similar to Latkes a Yiddish potato patty but with a slight difference.  In Tater Jack you don't use any flour or corn starch

1.  Take 2 medium sized unpeeled potatoes and boil them in a pan of water until done.  You can nuke them in the microwave or bake them in the oven but boiling is better.
2.  Mash the potatoes in a bowl, skins and all.
3.  Add just enough buttermilk and mix until everything is the consistency of paste.
4.  Preheat a skillet with oil for about 10 minutes on medium heat.  Bacon drippings also work really well.
5.  When the pan is hot, spoon out the desired size patty in the skillet and let them cook for about 10-12 minutes, flip them over and cook another 10-12 minutes.  If you add cheese or onion, allow 3 minutes more for cooking.  When done the Tater Jacks should have a golden brown crust.  Serve up with the toppings or condiments of your choice - sour cream works great.


Chick and the Homestead Chickens of Grymme Creek Hollow - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

Many years ago a young man from the city decided to be a pioneer so he loaded up his belongings and started a homestead in Grymme Creek Hollow which, by the way, was in the Ouachita Mountains.  It didin't take long for the young man to decide this wasn't for him so he packed up his personal belongings and moved back to the city.  Legend has it that the chickens he left behind decided to make their own homestead out of what was left behind.  These chickens became the Homestead Chickens of Grymme Creek Hollow.

The homestead chickens were divided up into family groups known as broods.  In each brook there was a Mother Hen who was in charge.  The roosters in the brood were not in charge.... Among some of the more influential broods of the homestead were Midhens which were a combination of killer security guards and nannies.  The leader was the Superior Mother Hen - Hypatia Rosecomb.  She is advised by a group of Mother Hens which make up the Council of Aunties.  There were also different classes of chickens which determined their pecking order.  Like most, there were the upper class chickens and there were the lowerclass which were called coopies or coop chickens.

The Pinfeathers family was the smallest and poorest chickens of the coop.  They were June Pinefeather, the Mother Hen; Walter Pinfeather, her rooster; and of course their chick which they named Chick.  Chick was a born explorer.  Nothing amused him more than running around investigating everything that made up the homestead, even if it took him to the outskirts of the upperclass.  But his real trouble came when he spotted a chick younger than him being bullied by another chick.  His defense of this chick, named Peq, brought the anger of the bully's mother who just happened to be Aunty Hysidia, the 2nd most powerful Aunty in the Council.  Second only to the Superior Mother Hen.  Her anger has her pressing charges against Chick's father Walter for what boils down to theft and treason.

I read a lot of books but this book is one that I can't say enough about.  We spend our lives hearing about bullying, discrimination, politics, and everyday life in general, but after a while it just becomes words that we hear but don't listen to.  As I read Chick and the Homestead Chickens I would be reminded of things happening around me.  As Peq is bullied I pictured the kids on the news that attempted to kill their friend.  As I read about the order of the broods, I pictured the different housing districts we have within every city.  As I read about the Aunty Council, I pictured the court systems we have in effect.  And as I read about the Superior Mother Hen, I pictured our presidents and their cabinets.  This book, which made me laugh also made me pay attention to my own surroundings.  This is a book that can be read by those of all ages and they will all learn something from it.  OH YEAH!  You do realize I learned this from a Chicken!  Great Book!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Tranquillity Initiative - Joan Meijer, Author



Stewed Chicken
(This was my favorite of my grandmother's
recipes and is well known in my family as "Gonny's Chicken.")


One chicken, whole (remove the skin if you want, it will taste less sinful)
1 can black olives if they're small 2 if they're big
2 jars green olives with pimento (without juice or it will be too salty)
1 large chopped onion
10 cloves of garlic whole but peeled
1 8-oz can stewed tomatoes
25 sliced mushrooms
2 green peppers chopped
1 cup water or chicken broth
2 bay leaf
2 t. dried parsley, oregano, and basil
allow everyone to salt and pepper to taste

Put in large pot. Cover.  Cook all ingredients simultaneously over low heat for 2 hours or until chicken is falling off the bone.

My grandmother taught me to cook with a pinch of this and a dash of that. She also taught me lots of whatever's in the icebox cooking. There are never any true amounts in this recipe - It's kind of a refrigerator delight. If you have carrots or other root vegetables throw them in. You can add potatoes or sweet potatoes to the mix. If you don't like peppers don't throw them in. The stewing in the vegetables is what makes this marvelous - and using different vegetables if you have them adds to the flavor. The one I wrote at the top is my personal favorite.

If you want a thicker gravy take the chicken out of the pot. Melt 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch in one tablespoon of cold water, add to broth in the pot and stir over medium low heat until the gravy thickens

Serve with Quinoa or rice and salad. If you eat potatoes it goes really well with mashed potatoes.

Depending on the size of the chicken it serves 4-6 people.

The Tranquillity Initiative – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

According to his records in the administration office, the young man, dressed in the color-coded coveralls of a porter, was a civilian who had been recruited by an independent contracting company from the Philippines.  In reality, he had been raised in the suburbs of Astrakhan and had traveled to the Philippines to live with a distant cousin in hops that he would be recruited to work in the American action.  Because he was wall-eyed, and darker than most of their local recruits, he appeared unintelligent to the Americans.  They never looked at him twice.  In the far corner of the Quonset hut, near the exit reserved for garbage collection, the young man unobtrusively removed the two red, white and blue Tranquillity bombs from a regulation canvas shoulder bag.  It was a familiar bag, one that he – like the other native workers – used for picking up garbage around the base.  Quickly and skillfully, he transferred the flag-colored bombs to the ragged native carrying case in which he stored a warm jacket and his lunch.  It was a tight fit getting them in, but he managed.  Stealing from the U.S. Air Force was a well-organized activity at this base.  The young man and his friends had been taking bits and pieces of armament for months.  To date, he had been most proud of the small surface-to-air missile he had managed to spirit off the base.  He had believed that a theft of such gigantic proportions would probably remain the high water mark of his life.  He had not counted on the portability of Tranquillity.

When it appears that the war with Astrakham had no end, a group of men inside the high loops of the US Government took it upon themselves to re-up the Tranquillity Bomb.  They all agreed that this would be the best way to end the war as well as show others that the US would prevail no matter what.  The group had no doubts as to the destruction that would be inflicted upon Astrakham if the Tranquillity Bomb was used.  This particular bomb was designed to silently disburse the deadly disease known as Anthrax.  The one thing the group didn’t count on was theft of two of these deadly bombs.

The bombs looked like bowling pins and decorated in red, white and blue were easily smuggled out of the country and into New York City by a group of young people posing as bowlers that carried their own balls as well as their own ‘lucky’ pins wherever they went to compete.  What they didn’t expect was to find the real threat of the bombs.  This came when one was opened in the attempt of removing the explosives, which were non-existing.  When they realized their mistake, it was too late.  Their fate and deaths were sealed.  The only thing left to do now was to take revenge on the US by dropping the 2nd bomb from one of New York’s highest buildings.  This will be payback for the destruction inflicted upon Astrakham.

Senator Richland Powell and CDC doctor Cassandra Williams find themselves in a race for not just their own lives but the lives of millions as they attempt to find who has the second bomb.  In a city the size of New York, their chances are slim.  Powell feels there is a connection between the Anthrax in Astrakham and that in New York but can’t quite prove it.  Cassandra feels the connection too, especially since it was her own grandfather who invited the Tranquillity Bomb.  His interest in Anthrax flowed down to Cassandra as well as her own father, making them two of the most renown experts in the field.  With that, Cassandra knew the two cases were connected.  She just had to prove it and find the other bomb before time runs out and the terrorists have a chance to seek their revenge. 

This book will scare the heck out of you because it’s possible.  It will scare the heck out of you because it’s typical.  It will scare the heck out of you because if it happened the people of the US would most likely receive no warning.  This book has the making of a great movie!  It’s simply so real that you find yourself actually seeing the events as being possible. I really enjoyed this book.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Undertaker - William F. Brown, Author

"Brown Family Pumpkin Bread"

3 1/2 cups of flour
2 1/2 cups of sugar
2 tsp of baking soda

2 tsp of cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of nutmeg
1 cup of vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup of water
2 cups of canned pumpkin
Nuts (optional)
Sift the dry ingredients together.  Mix the pumpkin,water, oil, and eggs together.  Pour into dry mixture and mix well.  Pour into 2 greased, medium loaf pans.  Bake in 350 degree oven (preheated) for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Cool completely before removing from pans.  It's great for the holidays!

The Undertaker – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds Dessert

TALBOTT, PETER EMERSON, AGE 33, OF Columbus, died Sunday at Varner Clinic following a tragic automobile accident.  President and founder of Center Financial Advisors of Columbus.  Formerly of Los Angeles, a 1999 graduate of UCLA and a lieutenant, US Army Transportation Corps.  By authority of Ralph Tinkerton, Executor (See also TALBOTT, THERESA JUNE, wife, accompanying).  Funeral services for both at 2:00 PM tomorrow, Greene Funeral Home, 255 E. Larkin, Peterborough, Ohio.  Internment, Oak Hill Cemetery, following.

‘That was me.  I was Talbott, Peterson Emerson, 33 years old, and formerly from Los Angeles.  I had graduated from UCLA and I had been a lieutenant in the Army.  Coincidence?  I didn’t think so.  There was only one of me and I didn’t die in the Varner Clinic or anywhere else last Sunday.  I was an aeronautical software engineer and I had never been to Columbus or heard of Center Financial Advisors much less been its President.  Still, when you’re looking into a set of hard, dark eyes and a .45 automatic, it’s hard to argue the fine points.’

According to the papers, Pete Talbott was dead.  He and his wife had both died in a car accident.  But…Pete was very much alive and living in Boston.  His death wouldn’t have bothered him that much if whoever was responsible for this notice hadn’t brought his wife Terri into the picture.  Terri had died of cancer and this funeral notice was nothing but a lack of respect to her making him determined to get to the bottom of both notices.  He would also have never learned of his own death had it not been for the big, burly man named Gino sitting next to him with a gun pointed at his head.  He would also have never met Sandy whose husband had died a year before but apparently had just died again.  Confusing?  Imagine what they felt as they uncovered several deaths that had taken place at least twice. 

Racing around the states, being chased by the very people who are supposed to protect them, Pete and Sandy find themselves being blamed for not only murders of innocent people but also those committed by the mob.  As the puzzle starts to become clear, Pete and Sandy begin to understand why people are ‘dying’ twice.  They also begin to understand who is behind this and why as they discover how high up the ladder the arm of ‘un’justice really reaches.

Have you ever read a book that keeps going and going and you see yourself running out of pages with no possibility of a ‘happy ever after’ ending?  That is what I was facing with The Undertaker.  As the pages ran out I could see no possible way for Pete and Sandy to escape cliff-hanger after cliffhanger.  Could this be one of those books that simply don’t end with a smile.  You'll have to read The Undertaker and find out for yourself.  I truly enjoyed sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the ending.


Sunday, November 27, 2011

Chill Run - Russell Brooks, Author


Granny's Bajan Sweet Bread
(A Russell Brooks Favorite)

2 lb Self Rising Flour
1 lb brown Sugar
3/4 lb Butter
1/4 lb Shortening (optional)
1 grated coconut (approx 3 cups)
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
Raisins - Optional
Cherries - Optional
Makes approximately 3 medium sized breads 

Coconut Filling (optional)
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 tbs Sugar
1 tsp essence
2 tbs water
• Put all ingredients in small pan & place on low fire
• Stir continuously for approximately 3 mins or until sugar is dissolved.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients together (except fruit). Mix butter & Shortening into mixture, using fingers, until mixture resembles large bread crumbs. Add fruit to mixture. Use enough liquid to bind mixture together. This could be coconut water, milk or just plain water. Knead dough for a few minutes. The longer you need the dough, the firmer the bread becomes. Sweet bread is traditionally a firm bread, but some people like it soft & crumbly. The choice is yours. Grease & flour loaf pan. Fill pan halfway with dough. Place a slender line of coconut filling lengthwise down middle of dough. Put remaining dough on top. Cut light crisscross pattern on top with a knife for decoration (optional). Bake for 30-45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
Tip
For a crisper top, place a small pan with water at bottom of oven while baking.


Chill Run – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds Desserts

Eddie bit down hard to avoid himself from trembling.  The finger that his father used to point at him came from the same hand that used to spank him.  Wait a minute.  Why am I being scared?  This is why I’m always on the ropes, because my father always instilled fear in me.  Edward’s eyes narrowed as he spoke.  “You quit school, left this house on your own, and got that little job at the bookstore.  Now you’re living from paycheck to paycheck, running around like a hamster in a wheel. Running around and not going anywhere – that’s you.  You squandered everything that your mother and I invested in you.  Once you decide to do something meaningful and stop writing nonsense, then I’ll help you.”  He then finished off the last of his sweet potato.  The tightness at the back of Eddie’s throat suddenly went away.  He felt his pulse beating hard in his neck, something he never felt before.  It was bad enough to be kicked when he was down. But now his dad had crossed the line.  I stood up to Patrick at the bar, why shouldn’t I stand up to you?  “Dad, all I have to say to that is that I can respect you all the way.  You came from nothing and you became a pharmacist.  You faced an uphill battle to become what you wanted.”  His father didn’t appear to hear what he said.  He wasn’t landing his punches.  “And that’s why you are so wrong, in every way.”  Eddie felt the shock and awe around him at the table as everyone simultaneously stopped eating.

Eddie Barrow, Jr. has finally confronted his father and stood up for himself.  Eddie had always wanted to be a writer but that wasn’t what his parents, especially his father, wanted him to become.  The lack of support from his family is what caused him to move out of their home and seek a life of his own.  But, of course, independence came with its own ups and downs.

Eddie’s best friend Corey, who had once saved his life, became his roommate but he had his own problems, mainly the lack of a job.  So when Eddie lost his own job there was nothing else to do but find another way to make himself known and stop the rejection letters that were coming in from the publishers after reading his manuscript.  Through the help of Corey’s girlfriend Jordyn, the perfect publicity stunt was set up and put into action.  They would never have guessed that this best laid plan would end up in murder with Eddie, Corey and Jordyn all three running for their lives.

Chill Run is a fitting name for this book.  The twists and turns will keep the chills running as the trio has no choice but to find the real killers and expose them.  But how do you make that happen when the person in the background pulling the strings has people in his pocket that can prevent you from reporting what you know to the police?

Not only does Chill Run have the action, suspense and a laugh now and then, it also speaks to the reader.  Eddie’s family has shown no support for his choices in life.  They insist that he follow their dreams for him and not his own.  For a determined person like Eddie, this gave him no choice other than to do something he would have never even considered otherwise.  And now his only goal is to keep himself and his two best friends alive, again without the support of his parents.  Chill Run is a story that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.

To enter Russell's contest to win a free copy of his book simply write a comment and leave your email address with your post, but hurry because the contest ends 11/30/2011.  Russell will be giving away 10 copies of his book Chill Run.



Author
Twitter - @AuthorRussell

Buy your copy today Chill Run

Friday, July 29, 2011

A Deadly Hand - Carol Costa, Author



BAKED CHICKEN WITH ARTICHOKES AND MUSHROOMS
(a favorite dish from Carol Costa)

4  Boneless. skinless, chicken breasts
1 can artichoke hearts
1 package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Drain artichoke hearts and chop.  In bowl mix all ingredients expect chicken.
Place chicken in casserole dish.  Spread muxture on top of chicken.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour or until chicken is done

A Deadly Hand – A Dana Sloan Mystery – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds – Desserts

“Slim pickins,” he said, letting his body slide into the reclining position against the sturdy dumpster.  He reached into another pocket of the filthy overcoat he wore and pulled out a pint-sized bottle of wine.  He held it up to the light.  It was almost empty.  Shrugging his thin shoulders, the man drank from the bottle, draining it in a few swallows.  Then, he struggled to his feet and pitched the bottle into the dumpster.  Turning around, the derelict suddenly realized that he was no longer alone in the alley.  A stocky figure dressed in a dark overcoat and a wide-brimmed hat had joined him.  “Hey, buddy,” the bum called out.  “Can you spare a dollar?”  The newcomer stopped and took a piece of currency out of his overcoat pocket and waived it at the derelict with a black-gloved hand.  Delighted by this gesture, the derelict stumbled forward to meet his benefactor.  With his eyes fixed on the currency, he didn’t notice that the stranger had taken out another object from another pocket.  The derelict was still concentrating on the currency, intent on making it his.  He made only the slightest sound of disbelief as the bullet entered his stomach…Satisfied that his prey was dead, the shooter stood back and looked down at the stranger who had just been murdered.  Then, the gloved hand reached into a pocket once more and withdrew the final item.  One by one they were dropped onto the lifeless man’s body.  Five playing cards from an ordinary deck were now a part of the murder scene.  The cards were the Ace, King, Queen, Jack and the Ten of Spades…a Royal Flush.’

Dana Sloan is an investigative reporter for The Globe.  Her boyfriend is Detective Al Bruno.  The combination of an investigative reporter and a police detective make for a very touchy relationship.  Dana’s boss Sam comes to her with his belief that his mentor and friend, retired reporter Leona had been murdered and not died of natural causes while living in the Peaceful Pines retirement home.  After talking to the director of the home, and   confirming that Leona was murdered, Dana decides to go undercover working as a receptionist for Peaceful Pines.  Bruno, who is busy trying to turn up clues as to who the “Royal Flush Killer” might be, doesn’t have time to listen to Dana’s suspicions.  Not even when the murder of a political figure’s wife seems connected to her investigation. 

While running on a shaky relationship to begin with, Dana is hit extra hard when Bruno ends up arresting her when he finds she has given refuge to his number one suspect in for the Royal Flush killings.  So, who is right?  Dana believes he is totally wrong in his suspicions and Bruno feels the same about hers.  Will this become a no win situation for both of them?  I’ll give you one clue…they are both wrong.

As I read A Deadly Hand, I was tossed from one suspect to another and like Dana and Bruno, I too was wrong.  This was an ending I simply didn’t see coming.  This is my kind of mystery!

2011
251 pages
Avalon Books (Hardback)
Worldwide Mystery (Mass-Market Paperback)
ISBN# T978-0803497993



Monday, June 27, 2011

Old Loves Die Hard - Lauren Carr, Author


Cincinnati Three-Way Chili

As the owner of the Spencer Inn, the mountaintop five-star resort in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, Mac Faraday can indulge in the finest of food and wine cooked for him by his world re-known chef. But when he is home relaxing before the fire at Spencer Point, he loves nothing better than to sit down to a plate full of Cincinnati Three-Way Chili, the way his adoptive mother used to make when he was growing up in Georgetown.
To make this a real comfort meal, serve with a tossed salad, Texas Garlic Toast, and beer in a frosted mug.

Ingredients:
Chili Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 large onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound chopped beef
1 1/3 cups canned tomatoes, with juice
1 green pepper, minced
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon basil
1 small bay leaf
1 pound Spaghetti Noodles
Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
16 ounce Can Kidney Beans
Chopped Onions

Directions:
Heat the butter or olive oil in a dutch oven. Add the onions and garlic. Saute until golden brown. Add the meat and brown. Add the remaining chili ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered until desired thickness, approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours. Simmering also blends the seasoning to bring out the flavor. Mac prefers to have his chili be “slightly runny”. Gnarly likes his chili thick. When the chili is about done, prepare the spaghetti noodles according to package directions.

To Assemble the Dish:
Layer Spaghetti Noodles. Top the spaghetti with chili. Sprinkle chili with Shredded Cheddar Cheese.
For Cincinnati Four-Way:
Spaghetti, chili, chopped onions, cheese.
For Cincinnati Five-Way: (Gnarly’s Favorite: after which he has to sleep in the guest room)
Spaghetti, chili, kidney beans, chopped onions, cheese.


Old Loves Die Hard – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

“We did have a good marriage,” she choked out. “If I hadn’t made that one mistake—” Clasping her arms around his neck she tried to kiss him.
 
While diving backwards to dodge her lips, he released her hold on his neck. “You threw me out of my own home.” He folded her hands in her lap. 
 
“You were always such a gentle man.” Each word came out slowly and deliberately in her effort to appear in control. 
 
“Funny,” Mac said, “that’s not what your lawyer told the judge.” 
 
“Stephen told him to say that.” Her tears fell anew. “If he hadn’t seduced me – he made me all these promises and told me how you didn’t treat me right and how I deserved so much better than our little house in the suburbs with its little lawn and…He said that I deserved so much more and that he could give it all to me because I deserved more…” She tried to make her smile as becoming as possible in her condition. “What about us?” 
 
“There’s no us, Christine.” 
 
“You can’t abandon me like this Mac,” she cried. “I’ve lost everything. I’ve got nothing. When Stephen left…” She broke into heavy sobs. “Oh, Mac…” She collapsed into his lap.

Mac Faraday is Christine’s ex-husband. She left him for greener pastures that have now turned brown due to no more money on her part. Stephen Maguire promised Christine the stars but when her money ran out, so did Stephen. 

The divorce virtually put Mac on the streets. Christine was awarded their home and everything that went with it. But, to Mac’s surprise, he inherited his birth mother’s estate and everything that went with it. In other words, Mac went from being dirt poor with nothing but a policeman’s salary to becoming filthy rich and retired. Now, Christine wants another chance. 

When Christine appeared at Mac’s door, she had had more than enough to drink and he knew he couldn’t just put her out on the streets in her condition so he decides to put her up in the penthouse of the five-star hotel that was part of his inheritance. His plan was to deal with her the next morning after she sobered up. What he didn’t expect was to find not just Christine, but also Stephen–dead in his own private quarters of the hotel.

Old Loves Die Hard was a jewel to read. Mac is the perfect ex-policeman turned wealthy character.  Archie, the computer whiz that lives in the guest house, is taking on a more personal role in this Faraday Mystery. But my favorite character has to be Gnarly the Kleptomaniac dog.  Gnarly was actually a member of the military that was given a dishonorable discharge for reasons unknown to Mac. 

Old Loves Die Hard has everything…murder, suspense, politics, action and humor. As the plot of the story takes you back into the past, I feel the ending will come as much a surprise to you as it did to me. Author Lauren Carr, hooked me with It's Murder My Son so I'm asking her to "Please keep this series going!"

2011
239 pages
ISBN#

 
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