Ring in the New Year Russian Style with Author Stella May...

This is a traditional New Year’s dish for any person who was born or grew up in former USSR. To this day, not a single celebration goes without it.

The name of this salad in Russia is Сajiat ОЛИВЬЕ. For all the former republics that once upon a time were part of the USSR, this salad became a synonym for a New Year. It brings many of us a lot of bitter-sweet memories. 

There are many variations to Olivier Salad. The recipe below is how my family made it, and how I still make it every year on December 31^st. 

OLIVIER SALAD
5 large eggs
2 large Russet potatoes
2 carrots1 can green peas

2-3 pickled cucumbers, traditional Vlasic is best
1 English cucumber
½ cup fresh dill, chopped fine

½ cup green onion, chopped or 1 small sweet onion

½ cup mayo, maybe a little less

½ cup sour cream, maybe a little less

1 cup cubed chicken breast or boiled meat, optional

2 pinches salt

Pepper to taste

Boil eggs, potatoes, and carrots in the same pan. Drain and then set aside pan to cool. 

Cube all ingredients, combine them in the large bowl, mix gently. Add combination of mayo and sour cream. Some people use only mayo, others only sour cream. You decide which works best for you. You may want to use more or less mayo/sour cream mixture, depending on your taste. 

Stir in salt and pepper and fresh dill. Cover with plastic wrap and then chill until you’re ready to serve. 

Happy New Year! 

Stella

Here is a peek at Stella’s time travel romance for your reading pleasure. It also makes a wonderful holiday gift.

One key unlocks the love of a lifetime…but could also break her heart. 

Nika Morris’s sixth sense has helped build a successful business, lovingly restoring and reselling historic homes on Florida’s Amelia Island. But there’s one forlorn, neglected relic that’s pulled at her from the moment she saw it. The century-old Coleman house.  

Quite unexpectedly, the house is handed to her on a silver platter—along with a mysterious letter, postmarked 1909, yet addressed personally to Nika. Its cryptic message: Find the key. You know where it is. Hurry, for goodness sake! 

The message triggers an irresistible drive to find that key. When she does, one twist in an old grandfather clock throws her back in time, straight into the arms of deliciously, devilishly handsome Elijah Coleman. 

Swept up in a journey of a lifetime, Nika finds herself falling in love with Eli—and with the family and friends that inhabit a time not even her vivid imagination could have conjured. But in one desperate moment of homesickness, she makes a decision that will not only alter the course of more than one life, but break her heart. 

’Til Time Do Us Part is available in Kindle and Paperback at AMAZON. 

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 as well as time travel romance. She is the author of 'Till Time Do Us Part, Book 1 in her Upon a Time series, and the stand-alone book Rhapsody in Dreams. Love and family are two cornerstones of her stories and 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.

Follow Stella on her website and blog Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Out with the Old Year. In with the New Year…

Justine and I selling our reading wares...

First, I want to wish my readers and followers a very Happy New Year, and all the best in 2019! I can’t believe how fast 2018 flew by. I guess we say that about every year, I’m afraid. I usually start off a new year with a post on what’s happening in my writing life, any newsworthy tidbits, and what I hope to accomplish this year. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a book release in 2018, so I’ve had to reassess and reevaluate my future goals and plans. Something I believe we all should do on a personal and professional level at the end of every year.

That said, shall we get this new year started! In December, I had the pleasure of working with my publisher, Justine Alley Dowsett at a Christmas Market in Windsor. It was so refreshing to get out of my writing lair and meet potential readers. We chatted up eager holiday shoppers and sold many books during our three-week stint each Wednesday night. And I’m happy to report that there’s a lot of young readers out there waiting for the next book in my series, so I’d better get my butt in my chair and finish off the next novel! I also met a teacher who seemed quite interested in our books, and promised to pass along our names to her school’s librarian. Sweet!

At the end of December, I write down where I’d like to be in twelve months—one book published, one book written, outline next book, and how to reach more readers. This strategy usually works for me, but for some reason, I fell short in 2018. Hence the importance of reassessment. Now, everything would have worked out great if I hadn’t applied for a Canadian grant for the Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls series. A grant, by-the-way, I did not receive. Sigh. Glad I developed a thick skin throughout the years of writing! Anyway, I ended up submitting Blackflies and Blueberries, Book Two in Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls series, to Mirror World Publishing last winter, and I’m happy to announce that this book will be released in May, 2019. Woohoo!

In order to reach more readers, I hired a book promotion specialist last January, which helped with my social media presence and got my books out into the cyber-world. Time will tell if this is a good investment or not, but I realize that this publishing gig is a marathon, not a sprint, and patience is the name of the game. I truly believe that hard work eventually pays off, and I’m continuing to see slow and steady growth as an author, and in book sales. I’ve also revamped my website to make it ‘mobile friendly’, updated my author photo, and added a couple of free cookbooks on the site where some of my recipes are featured along with other prominent authors’ recipes. It’s a win-win for readers and foodies! Check out my mobile friendly website HERE.

I also want to announce that I’ve scheduled a week-long Birthday Book Blog Tour starting February 4^th and running until February 8^th to showcase my two book series, and give readers a sneak peek at my upcoming release in May. There will be an international Rafflecopter giveaway for the first book in The Last Timekeepers series and Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, plus Mirror World Publishing has agreed to put my books up for sale for the entire month of February! I’ll also be busy finishing up the next installment of The Last Timekeepers time travel adventure series set to be released in 2020, and will continue to connect with my readers on the numerous social media networks. So that’s all the news for now. Thanks so much for your continued support throughout the years. Readers Rock!

Below are the links to my website, blog, and social media accounts. Please consider following or connecting with me:

Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.

Writers Taking Stock…

In the Tarot Cards, the Seven of Pentacles is all about taking stock. Reevaluating what you’ve been working on for some time, and reflecting on what you’ve accomplished so far. The beginning of a new year is a perfect time this. It’s a time for assessment and future planning, as well as a time for a change.

I’m lucky to be with a publishing company who sets business goals for the year and shares these plans with their authors. Some of these plans include to publish a certain amount of books while keeping slots open for authors who are writing an ongoing series, featuring a new book each month with blog posts, videos, and discounts, attending many events and festivals, and producing audiobooks. They want to continue improving and growing, and so do I. Part of that growth includes building their brand. And that’s my goal too.

So how am I going to continue building my author brand? By blogging weekly, sharing interesting and helpful information on the social media, helping other authors achieve their goals, connecting with readers through events and visits, offering sales and giveaways, and of course writing more books. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I’ve not been able to get more of my books into the hands of my readers these last two years. This will change in the upcoming year with the publication of the second installment of The Last Timekeepers series, The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret later in 2016. I also plan to work on researching and outlining the third book in the series next year too!

My literary agent also has big plans as Walden House (Books & Stuff) has set up a satellite office in the UK, and will begin re-submitting the first book in my Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls series throughout North America and Europe. Patience is the name of the game when you’re working with an agent, and since I’m busy producing my time travel series, it’s a win-win for me. This is the beauty of developing an author brand. When potential publishers check you out, you’ve got a platform and a body of work already on the go. And that’s when all your hard work and persistent effort will pay off!

Finally, I can’t stress this enough, but having a positive mental attitude helps tremendously. It will not only carry you through the tough writing times where you’re lucky to get a paragraph written in a day or make enough sales in a month to buy a coffee and donut, but will see to it that you stay true to your dreams. Trust me, you’ll have good days and bad days, but if you take stock on where you’ve been and how far you’ve come as a writer, things will become brighter, better, and lighter. 

How do you take stock? Are you in a happy place now with your writing career? Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, and thank you for taking the time to read my blog! Cheers!