Celebrate National English Language Day on October 13th with Paranormal Romance Author C.D. Hersh...

While hunting for an October blog idea we came across the National English Language Day. This special day not only commemorates the day in 1362 when the British Parliament was opened the first time by a speech in English, rather than French. The day also celebrates the universality, uniqueness, and the evolvement of the English language over the centuries. 

Now the most common language in the world, English was brought to Britain by Anglo-Saxon migrants in the 5th-7th centuries. From those humble beginnings the language has grown by leaps and bounds, incorporating words from other languages, words and concepts developed as new inventions, medicines and progress of industry, technology and medical discoveries developed. Consumer marketing also contributed to the growth of English adding words like: Cheerios, Sugar Pops, Grapenuts, Mars Bars and Snickers. 

One of our favorite new-word categories includes imaginative writers like William Shakespeare, a brilliant actor, playwright, and poet, who lived in the late 1500s to early 1600s. Shakespeare is credited with coining, inventing and popularizing 1,700 words in the English language. Among those are: bedroom, downstairs, eyeball, gossip, hurry, jaded, kissing (one of our favorites for romance books and in general), rant, yelping, and zany. Green-eyed monster is one of Catherine’s favorite Shakespearian innovative phrases. 

Shakespeare created these words by adapting existing words, adding prefixes or suffixes, combining words, or “borrowing” words from other languages. He sometimes changed nouns into verbs. For instance, the noun “elbow” became a verb. Today everyone knows what it means to “elbow” someone. Our adaptation of English, which isn’t as common in other languages, is one of the things that has allowed English to grow so rapidly, often making it hard to keep up with the newest trendy words. This adaptability has made English unique and the most recognizable language on earth. 

"How recognizable?”, you ask. 

Ethologue, a research center for language intelligence, a primary official source for speaker data, estimates that around 1.53 billion people speak English, either as their mother tongue or as a second language. That’s enough people to make English the most common language in the world. 

So, this October 13 celebrate English! Look up some of the unique words of the Bard. Thumb through the 250,000 words in and Oxford Dictionary. Read Shakespeare or Jane Eyre, then a bit of Fan Fiction or Sci-Fi to see how English has blossomed and grown or just hang around an old beatnik or teen and see if you can figure out what new words the people of their eras invented. Last, but not least, write a poem or story and incorporate some of the “borrowed” words from other languages, using the invented words on the list below, or be like the Bard and create your own words. The world of the English language is all around you, explore it and the share this blog with a friend. Thanks for stopping by, and Happy National English Day! 

Partial list of “borrowed” words from other languages: 

French: ballet, entrepreneur, cuisine, adventure 

Spanish: hurricane, tomato, avocado, taco, potato 

Hindi: guru, shampoo, bungalow, pundit 

Japanese: tsunami, karaoke, tycoon, sushi 

Arabic: alcohol, algebra, sultan, zenith, safari, lemon 

German: wanderlust, kindergarten, rucksack, hamburger 

Aztec: chocolate, chili, coyote Indigenous American Indians: moccasin, chipmunk, hominy, toboggan Dutch: skipper, cookie, dollar 

Greek: metropolis, theatre, philosophy 

C.D. Hersh–Two hearts creating everlasting love stories. 

Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s.

As high school sweethearts, and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after. 

Their paranormal series is titled The Turning Stone Chronicles is currently out of print. They are looking forward to many years of co-authoring and book sales, and a lifetime of happily-ever-after endings on the page and in real life. 

Social Media Info:

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PROSIT! Celebrate Oktoberfest German Style From Cookbook Author Sloane Taylor...

Oktoberfest is the festival to end all festivals that is celebrated around the world but started in Munich, Germany for a royal wedding in 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to all the festivities held in fields just outside the city gates. And from there the world adopted this grand event. It runs from late September to the 1^st Sunday in October. Be sure to include plenty of German music when you celebrate.

MENU

Sauerbraten – Marinated Pot Roast

Boiled Potatoes

Red Cabbage with Apples

Rye Bread

German Red Wine – Spätburgunder which is German for Pinot Noir

Sauerbraten – Marinated Pot Roast

5 black peppercorns

4 whole juniper berries*

1 med. onion, sliced thin

½ cup (120ml) dry red wine

½ cup (120ml) red wine vinegar

2 cups (450ml) cold water

2 small bay leaves

4 lbs. (2kg) boneless beef roast, top or bottom round or rump

3 tbsp. (43g) lard or solid shortening

½ cup onion, chopped fine

½ cup carrots, chopped fine

½ cup celery, chopped fine

2 tbsp. (30ml) flour

½ cup (120ml) beef stock, if needed

½ cup (50g) gingersnap cookie crumbs

Use a mortar and pestle or a baggie and hammer to crush black peppercorns and juniper berries together.

In a medium-sized saucepan combine peppercorn mix, sliced onion, wine, vinegar, water, and bay leaves. Bring marinade to a boil over high heat. Remove pan from stove and let cool to room temperature.

Trim excess fat from roast. Set beef in a deep flat bowl or pot just large enough to hold it comfortably. Pour marinade over the top. Add more wine if marinade is not halfway up the sides of the meat. Turn meat to moisten all sides. Cover pan tightly with foil or cling wrap. Refrigerate for 2 – 3 days. Be sure to turn the meat over at least twice a day.

Preheat oven to 350° F (180°C).

Remove meat from marinade. Pat dry with paper towels. Strain marinade through a fine sieve set over a bowl. Discard spices and onion, but reserve marinade.

Melt lard in a Dutch oven over high heat until it sputters. Add roast and brown well on all sides. Adjust heat so as not to burn the meat. Transfer meat to a platter. Pour off and discard all but 2 tbs. (30ml) of fat. Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot. Cook over moderate heat until they are soft and light brown, 5 – 8 minutes. Sprinkle flour over veggies. Cook, stirring constantly 2 – 3 minutes or until flour begins to color. 

Pour in 2 cups (450ml) of reserved marinade and ½ cup (120ml) water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Return meat to pot. Cover tightly. Cook in the oven for 2 hours or until meat shows no resistance when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Transfer meat to a heated platter. Cover with foil to keep warm. 

Discard veggies. Pour liquid from pot into a measuring cup. Skim off fat. You need 2½ cups (570ml) liquid for the sauce. If you have more, boil briskly to reduce the amount. If you have less, add beef stock. Combine liquid and gingersnaps in a small saucepan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. The crumbs will dissolve and thicken the sauce. Strain sauce through a fine sieve. Keep warm on very low heat until ready to serve. 

To serve, carve meat into ¼ inch (.64cm) slices. Arrange on individual dinner plates or a large platter. In either case moisten the meat with a little sauce. Pass the remaining sauce in a gravy boat. 

*Rosemary is a good substitute for juniper berries. Use one fresh sprig. 

Boiled Potatoes

1 red potato per person, peeled and quartered

Chicken stock, not broth

Tap water

1 lg. bay leaf

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Butter to taste 

Add potatoes to a saucepan that holds them comfortably. Pour stock halfway up the potatoes. Top off with water, covering potatoes by an inch (1.25cm) or so. Add bay leaf. Set a lid on top.

You can do up to this point earlier in the day. Leave on the counter or stovetop until you are ready to cook.

Bring pan to a boil over medium heat. Adjust the lid and heat so the water continues a soft/light boil, but does not spill over. Cook 15 – 20 minutes, then test for doneness. A fork will insert easily. 

Drain potatoes and discard bay leaf. Sprinkle pepper over potatoes. Add butter. Stir carefully so as not to smash potatoes. 

Don’t have bay leaf? Add 1 tablespoon (20ml) or so of dried basil to the pot. When you drain the potatoes most of the leaves will be gone, but the good taste remains. 

Red Cabbage with Apples

2 – 2½ lb. (1 – 1.5kg) red cabbage

⅔ cup (150ml) red wine vinegar

2 tbsp. (30ml) sugar2 medium-sized apples, peeled and cored

2 tbsp. (25g) lard or bacon fat

½ cup (50g) onions, chopped fine

1 whole onion, pierced with 2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

5 cups (1.2L) boiling water

3 tbsp. (45ml) dry red wine

3 tbsp. (45ml) red currant jelly, optional 

Wash cabbage under cool water and then remove tough outer leaves. Cut cabbage into 4 pieces. Remove core. Shred easily by slicing each section into thin strips. 

Place cabbage in a large mixing bowl. sprinkle with vinegar and sugar. Toss with a spoon to cover the shreds evenly. 

Slice apple into thin wedges. Melt lard or bacon fat in a large pot. Add apples and onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until apples are lightly browned. 

Add cabbage, onion with cloves, and bay leaf. Stir well while pouring in boiling water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat so cabbage does a slow simmer. Cover and cook 1½ - 2 hours, or until cabbage is tender. Check occasionally to be sure cabbage is moist. If it seems dry, add 1 tbsp. (15ml) or so of boiling water. When cabbage is tender there should be almost no liquid in the pan. 

To serve remove whole onion and bay leaf. Stir in wine and jelly. This recipe freezes nicely.

May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with good friends, laughter, and seated around a well-laden table!

Sloane

Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning author with a second passion in her life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.

To learn more about Taylor go to her website Stay in touch on Blogger, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Taylor's cookbooks, Hot Mean Wear Aprons, Date Night Dinners, Date Night Dinners Italian Style, Sizzling Summer, and Recipes to Create Holidays Extraordinaire are released by Toque & Dagger Publishing and available at all book vendors.

Forget the Autumnal Equinox by Sweet Romance Author Catherine Castle...

Fall begins with this…

It’s officially fall at my house!

I know the official date is September 22 this year, and that the official calendar date occurs on the autumnal equinox when and day and night are almost equal—in most locations. I also know that now it’s officially spring in the Southern Hemisphere. But I digress.

As you might have guessed, I don’t follow the notion that fall begins on September 22, or sometimes on September 21 or September 23, depending on the difference between the Gregorian calendar and the time it actually takes the Earth to complete its orbit around the sun. Because it takes 365 and ¼ days for the Earth’s orbit the September equinoxes shift about 6 hours later each year, eventually moving the date by a day.

So, if I don’t recognize the Equinox as the start of fall, when does it start? Fall begins for me in the grocery store, night or day, and it depends upon when I spot this beauty on the produce stand.

Yep, you see it right. Fall begins for me when I find caramel apples in the grocery. I start watching for them in early September, savoring the thought of a crisp apple covered in caramel and chopped peanuts.  They come in packs of three at my Kroger and when my daughter lived at home it was one apple for each of us.  Then when she moved out, I usually ate the third apple when the hubby was at work and then resisted getting another package and hiding it from the family. Now that Hubby’s retired I have to split the last treat. But that’s okay, because when they’re in season he always picks up an extra pack for us. Last night he brought three caramel and cinnamon streusel crusted apples home. Can you say apple pie on a stick?

I justify this sweet treat because apples and nuts in moderation are good for you. Caramel not so much. Apples are loaded with fiber and quercetin, a natural antihistamine. When eaten on a stick, or off the stick, apples are a raw food. Nuts have good MUFA fats (Mono unsaturated fat) which means the caramel apple has no saturated fats and lots of fiber. A great combo for lowering my high cholesterol. I ignore the sugar for this seasonal treat. It only happens once a year and I just eat more fiber to counter the sugar’s bad affects.

Have I made you hungry for a caramel apple yet?  Just in case, here’s a link to an easy recipe to make your own caramel apples. Enjoy, and welcome to fall!

Where novice Sister Margaret Mary goes, trouble follows. When she barges into a drug deal the local Mexican drug lord captures her. To escape she must depend on undercover DEA agent Jed Bond. Jed’s attitude toward her is exasperating, but when she finds herself inexplicably attracted to him, he becomes more dangerous than the men who have captured them, because he is making her doubt her decision to take her final vows. Escape back to the nunnery is imperative, but life at the convent, if she can still take her final vows, will never be the same.

Nuns shouldn’t look, talk, act, or kiss like Sister Margaret Mary O’Connor—at least that’s what Jed Bond thinks. She hampers his escape plans with her compulsiveness and compassion and in the process makes Jed question his own beliefs. After years of walling up his emotions in an attempt to become the best agent possible, Sister Margaret is crumbling Jed’s defenses and opening his heart. To lure her away from the church would be unforgivable—to lose her unbearable.

~ Second Edition Available Soon ~

Multi-award-winning author Catherine Castle has been writing all her life. A former freelance writer, she has over 600 articles and photographs to her credit (under her real name) in the Christian and secular market. Now she writes sweet and inspirational romance. Her debut inspirational romantic suspense, The Nun and the Narc, from Soul Mate Publishing, has garnered multiple contests finals and wins.

Catherine loves writing, reading, traveling, singing, watching movies, and the theatre. In the winter she loves to quilt and has a lot of UFOs (unfinished objects) in her sewing case. In the summer her favorite place to be is in her garden. She’s passionate about gardening and even won a “Best Hillside Garden” award from the local gardening club.

Learn more about Catherine Castle on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to check out Catherine’s Amazon author page and her Goodreads page. 

Book Tour: Amanda Cadabra and the Hidey-Hole Truth by Urban Fantasy Author Holly Bell...

About Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth:

Amanda Cadabra’s life LOOKS perfectly normal...
But looks can be very deceiving.

In the picture-perfect English village of Sunken-Madley, a young covert witch is laying
low. Amanda Cadabra has her reasons.

Orphaned when her family’s van mysteriously plunged over a Cornish cliff many years before, Amanda is keeping herself to herself, quietly working for her grandfather’s furniture restoration company, hoping the world will leave her alone.

However, soon Amanda’s peace is disturbed by the arrival in the village of the inquisitive Inspector Trelawney, dogging her footsteps as he investigates the strange fate of her family. But the persistent detective becomes the least of her problems, as a restoration job at the Tudor manor propels the young witch into a swirl of mystery and intrigue.

Events quickly conspire to drag Amanda into the building’s murky past and its even more dangerous present. Armed only with her wits, her grumpy feline familiar, Tempest, and a wand, Amanda Cadabra is going in.

A body, ghosts, hidden passageways, and a host of unanswered questions soon emerge. Can Amanda dodge the inspector long enough to solve the Manor’s many mysteries and unravel her own past before the scandal of murder engulfs the village?

Exclusive Excerpt: The ancient magic of Sunken Madley

Rewind 2,000 years. In the South of England, and to the north of the great River Thames, a tribe is settling and spreading. They are the tribe called the Catuvellauni. The Ancient Forest that once covered the country is long gone, and they tend their flocks on the ground cleared for crops and pasture. Yet still there are deep woods, and here, within their shade, on a raised plateau, subterranean water is forced into the light of day at a spring. Beside it, a woman stands, a staff in her hand. With her is a young couple, waiting anxiously. For this is a place of magic, of healing, of insight.

The woman points her rod at the freshet and speaks the words of a spell. She passes her hands near the body of the girl. Together the three cast herbs and flowers into the tiny stream. The girl and her husband embrace the woman and with smiles depart. In the spring, a child will be born.

Follow the tour to read exclusive excerpts, interviews, and spotlight posts:

https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2026/09/book-tour-schedule-amanda-cadabra-and.html

Meet the Author:

Cat adorer and chocolate lover, British author Holly Bell’s life changed in a day. A best-

selling author friend convinced Holly that she could write cozy mysteries, after many years

experience with non-fiction, photography and video making.

Holly devoured all of the Agatha Christie books long before she knew that Miss Marple was

the godmother of the Cozy Mystery. Her love of JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings meant that

her first literary creation in this area would have to be a cosy paranormal. Since then, the

series has grown to include the genre of urban fantasy mystery.

Having derived immense delight from the adventure of writing Amanda Cadabra and The

Hidey-Hole Truth, its 8 sequels and 1 prequel to date, Holly has more in the pipeline, with

the 10 th book in the series now in the making. The third in the series Amanda Cadabra and

The Flawless Plan has just come out on Audible in audiobook format, joining the first two

books. The World of Amanda Cadabra shop for bookish gifts on Redbubble has just begun

rolling out its Sunken Madley School collection.

Holly lives in London, somewhere near the place that inspired her quaint, peculiar but

apparently perfectly normal fictional village. Readers will know better.

Her favourite feline is a black cat called Bobby. He is black. Like her favourite hat. Purely

coincidental.

Holly loves to hear from readers. Find her on the contact page of the amandacadabra.com

website, or on Facebook as Holly Bell Author. She always responds in person.

Links:

The Amanda Cadabra Urban Fantasy Cozy Mysteries (in order):

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth

Amanda Cadabra and The Cellar of Secrets

Amanda Cadabra and The Flawless Plan

Amanda Cadabra and The Rise of Sunken Madley

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidden Depths

Amanda Cadabra and The Strange Case of Lucy Penlowr

Amanda Cadabra and The Hanging Tree

Amanda Cadabra and The Nightstairs

Amanda Cadabra and The Twilight Toxin

Prequel: The Grange Trilogy - The Philip Rayke Mysteries

Prequel Short Story: Tempest’s First Day (Free on amandacadabra.com)

Audio books:

Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amanda Cadabra and The Cellar of Secrets

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amanda Cadabra and The Flawless Plan

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The World of Amanda Cadabra Shop

The Cassowary: Why We Should Care by Author Anne Montgomery...

It’s estimated that nearly 500 animal species have become extinct since the beginning of the 20th century. Among them the Passenger Pigeon, Japanese Sea Lion, Western Black Rhinoceros, Golden Toad, Caribbean Monk Seal, and Mexican Grizzly Bear, now gone forever.

And yet, for most of us, the absence of these creatures makes no difference in our daily lives. Perhaps that’s why some people roll their eyes when they hear about saving the tiny Snail Darter or the Polar Bear or the Gray Wolf.

But what if a creature existed that could change lives with its passing? And I mean change in a big way.

Meet the cassowary.

I first became aware of the giant, Australian bird that vaguely resembles an ostrich, but which sports a fabulously-colored keratin casque, while walking in the Daintree Rainforest – a UNESCO site like the Great Barrier Reef over which it hovers – that has one of the most complex ecosystems on Earth, hosting species whose ancestors date back 110 million years.

“The cassowary is extremely important,” our guide explained. “Without the bird, the forest would not exist.”

Daintree is primordial. Giant strangler figs crawl across the forest floor. Dappled sunlight sneaks though a thick green canopy. Massive ferns sprout from leaf-littered soil. The outside world is muted, and the sight of a dinosaur might not seem strange.

I learned the cassowary is a one-bird master gardener, a creature that combs the forest floor eating fallen fruits, even gobbling up plants that are toxic to other creatures. The bird consumes up to 150 different types of fruits. The existence of 70 to 100 plant species depends on the cassowary pooping out their seeds in a pile of protective, compost-like dung, the smell of which repels seed predators. The cassowary is a “keystone” species, which means a species on which others in an ecosystem largely depend, one that, if removed, would cause the ecosystem to change drastically.

So, no cassowary, no rainforest. But there’s more. Below Daintree are mangroves, a mucky area rich in bio-matter that filters down from the forest. All types of young creatures - crabs, jellyfish, snappers, jacks, red drums, sea trout, tarpon, sea bass, and even juvenile sharks - thrive in the protection of the fertile water of the mangroves.

 Offshore, the Great Barrier Reef follows Australia’s eastern coast. There, too, the nutrients from the forest help feed the tiny creatures that build the reefs. This fertilizer promotes the growth of phytoplankton which nourishes the zooplankton on which the coral polyps dine. Without this sustenance the coral dies, losing the ability to protect the shoreline from waves, storms, and flooding, which leads to loss of human life and property.

Also consider that roughly 25% of the world’s fish species spend part of their lives on the reefs. If the Great Barrier Reef dies – note that half of the more than 1,400-mile structure has already perished – vast fisheries could collapse leading to starvation that could ultimately affect billions of people.

Which brings me back to the cassowary. It’s estimated that only 12,000 to 15,000 of the birds remain in the wild. Loss of habitat is decreasing their numbers, as are attacks by dogs.  Another problem is humans driving too fast.

Why should we care?

I think the cassowary is but one example of the interconnectedness of life. Perhaps that's something we should think about.

Please allow me to give you a brief intro to my latest historical fiction novel for your reading pleasure.

The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century
magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.

In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archaeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

Amazon Buy Link

Anne Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. She worked at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter, and ASPN-TV as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery has been a freelance and staff writer for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces.

When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.

Learn more about Anne Montgomery on her website and Wikipedia. Stay connected on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.

Serve Up Shoreline Sour Cream Pork Chops this Labour Day…

Autumn in Canadian cottage country can be a beautiful, yet sad time of the year, and our Labour Day Weekend reminds us that the season is about to change over soon. Many cottagers or campers start to shut down their vacation properties in anticipation for those cold, winter months. However, some hearty souls keep their cottages or trailers open to make the most out of their investments, and have come to rely on nearby towns for their services and supplies. In my book series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, I created the world of a small, tourist town named Fairy Falls to accommodate the flow of cottagers and travelers all-year-round. Then, I added an uprooted teen with a psychic ability, an attitude, and mystery to solve into the mix and you can well imagine the upheaval it brings to that peaceful, tiny town.

 The following recipe boasts the most tender and succulent pork chops you’ll ever taste, whether you’re sitting on the shoreline or huddled in a warm, cozy cabin ready to chow down on dinner. With a prep time of 15 minutes, and cook time of 8 hours and 30 minutes in the crock pot, this meal gives you plenty of time to relax with your family or friends, and enjoy those last days of summer until fall kicks in at the cottage or campground.

What You Need:

6 pork chops

Salt and pepper to taste

Garlic powder to taste

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 large onion, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 cubes chicken bouillon

2 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Slow cooker

What You Do:

SEASON pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then dredge in ½ cup flour. In a skillet
over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil.

PLACE chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and pour over chips. Cover, and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours.

PREHEAT oven to 200° F (95° C).

AFTER the chops have cooked, transfer chips to the oven to keep warm. BE CAREFUL, the chops are so tender they will fall apart. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker on HIGH for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over pork chops.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with noodles or rice. *We actually used home fries, and it tasted like scallop potatoes with the sauce.

Seeing as you’ve got a long wait for those pork chops to cook, why not relax on the dock or sit by the shore, and visit the small, tourist town of Fairy Falls? You can start with Lost and Found, Book #1 of Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.

Guest Post: Her Name Was Vera by Time Travel Romance Author Stella May...

I’ve been thinking about writing this for a long time, but never put the actual words to paper. Something always stopped me. When the story is vital, and the memories are bittersweet, it’s very hard to transform into words your emotions. At least, it is for me.

So, the women of my family: my great-grandmother Tatiana, my grandmother Vera, my mother Karina, and my aunt Stella.  Even the names sound lovely, old-fashioned, and classy, don’t they?

Three generations, four amazing women who shared blood, but were as different from each other as night and day, or as only mothers and daughters can be. Four women, four fascinating life stories. 

Today, I will tell you about my grandmother.

Her name was Vera, but we called her Verunya. Even her daughters, my mother and my aunt, referred to her by that endearing nickname. No one in the family knew when exactly it started or who started it. But someone did, and it stuck. For three generations.

As a matter of fact, she had two names: Vera, which means “faith” in Russian, and Gulbahar, which means “spring flower” in Azeri. Why? My grandmother was unique in more ways than one. You see, her mother was from a prominent Russian family, and her father….. Well, here’s where we draw a blank. To this day, no one in the family knows who his ancestors were. But as the family lore goes, my great-grandfather was kidnapped as a child and raised in Iran in a Kurdish family. When he met my great-grandmother Tatiana (and no one is sure when or how he ended up in post-revolutionary Azerbaijan, a republic of former USSR) he was so lovestruck that he converted to Christianity to get permission to marry her. And so, Meshady Abbas became Artemy Kurdov. My grandmother Verunya was the only child of that unusual union.

To say that she was a complex woman is truly an understatement of the century. Stunning, strong-willed, capricious, multifaceted, she looked fragile like a china doll, but was stronger than steel. She was beautiful and knew it. She drove men crazy and enjoyed it.

But she wasn't flighty, shallow, or mean. There was not a single humble bone in her body, but she never hurt anyone on purpose. She worshipped at the altar of high fashion, but sold without hesitation her favorite dress in order to buy her two little daughters Christmas gifts.

She had a huge heart, and loved all four of us, her grandchildren, to distraction. And every time one of us would visit her, before she would open the door, she'd call out, "My dearest one has come!"

She was not your traditional grandmother. She was not traditional anything, period, and that was a huge part of her charm.

For me, she was a personification of everything female. Always dressed to kill, sporting an impeccable manicure and pedicure, she could apply mascara and her famous cherry red lipstick even half asleep. And grey hair? She refused to even acknowledge its right to exist.

She fell in love at 16 with a man who was almost twice her age. Needless to say, no one could stop her from marrying this dashing hunk who happened to be a popular jazz singer. My aunt was born less than a year after, and my mother three years later.

Then, tragedy struck. My larger-than-life grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. He died three months later, leaving a 20 year-old widow with two toddlers on her arms, no income to support them, and no place to live in a strange city. You see, my grandfather Sergey Periev moved his family from Baku, when my Verunya lived all her life, to Yerevan, where he was offered a position as a lead singer in Armenian Jazz band. The apartment they were living in was a rental for the members of the band only, so after his death my grandmother was asked to vacate it. And the year was 1942, the second year of World War II.

But instead of falling apart, this young girl, a child herself, grabbed her two daughters and whatever meager possessions she had, and returned home. With no help from the well-to-do in-laws, who decided they didn’t need an additional burden, she struck out on her own.

I can only imagine how scared she was. She needed to support her family, but had no real profession or formal education. What she had in abundance was sheer guts and a spine of steel. And a true gift that fate bestowed upon her: her amazing voice.

So, shaking off her own fears and insecurities, my Verunya stuck her perky nose up, squared her fragile shoulders, and set to pursue a career as a singer. And the rest was history. She became a star. In my former country, USSR, the name Vera Perieva was familiar to millions.

In her early thirties, she met her second love. Mikhail Kauffman was her impresario. It was a long, happy, and content marriage. But then cancer struck again, taking away the man who became a true father to my mother and aunt, and loving grandfather to my cousins and I.

When in 1991 our family relocated to the USA, Verunya tried really hard to adjust to her new country, but that proved to be a challenge. The language barrier, failing health, advanced age—everything added to the load.

She passed away quietly in her sleep on one brutally cold October morning, wearing an impeccable manicure and pedicure, with not a single grey hair offending her trade-mark mahogany mane.

Last February would have been my grandmother’s 105th birthday. I'm sure the angels threw a huge party for our Verunya, with my mom and dad, and all our dearest departed friends and family in attendance. And then the birthday girl sang, and her deep rich soprano flew over heaven making the Almighty sigh with pleasure…..

Talented author Stella May is the penname for Marina Sardarova who has a fascinating history you should read on her website. 

Stella writes fantasy romance and time travel and is the author of the family saga/trilogy Once & Forever, and fantasy romance Rhapsody in Dreams. Love and family are two cornerstones of her stories and her life. Stella's books are available in e-book and paperback through all major vendors.

When not writing, Stella enjoys classical music, reading, and long walks along the ocean. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband Leo of 35 years and their son George. They are her two best friends and are all partners in their family business.

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