A friend from church just asked for a good sweet potato recipe and I was about to send this to her. Then I decided to post it here instead. Recently, the Northland Words Players theatre group hosted a fundraiser in an English style home across from the Mayowood Stone Barn where we’ll be performing A Christmas Carol for the next 3 weekends. Seventy guests were invited to attend this English-style banquet complete with top hots and urchins. One of the dishes I brought was this Crunchy Sweet Potato Bake, and it was a hit! It’s’ not your grandma’s sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top!

3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 7 medium), peeled and quartered

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon candied or crystallized ginger (you can find this in the spice section of a nicer grocery store … not Wal-Mart)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

TOPPING:

3/4 cup cornflakes, lightly crushed

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Place the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan  and cover with water. bring to a boil. Reduce heat; covera nd simmer for 12-18 minutes or until tender. Drain. Mash sweet potatoes with the sugar, milk, butter, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

2. Transer to a  greased 2-quart baking dish. cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through.

3. Combine the topping ingredients; sprinkle over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until topping is lightly browned.

Yield: 8 servings … or more if you are serving a lot of other foods.

You can make these with squash puree (cook a squash) or with pumpkin … canned. That’s what I did today and my family is kissing my feet. Okay, not quite, but almost! I’ve had to hide some for Thanksgiving!

Mix:

3/4 cup squash puree or canned pumpkin (if you double the recipe it’s nearly a full can of pumpkin pie filling)

1 cup milk – microwave it for 1-2 minutes

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 stick margarine/butter softened

2 tsp. salt

5 tsp. yeast

1/2 cup sugar

2 heaping T. flaxseed

Up to 4-6 cups flour (white or wheat) – don’t add until you read below…

Mix all together. Add just enough white/wheat flour until dough just doesn’t stick to sides of bowl yet isn’t too sticky.

Raise ONE hour in an oiled bowl.

Form into rolls – let rise for 1/2 hour

Bake in 400-450 degree oven (425 worked for me) for total of 10-12 minutes. Turn halfway at the 5-6 minute mark.

Cool on wire rack.

Hide until Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble … enjoy!

A few summers ago, Erica Vetsch and I set aside several weeks to work on our  novels together. I was famous for stealing 15 minute powernaps and Erica was faithful about equipping us with peanut M&Ms, Cheez Nips, and laughs. Now I’m thrilled to introduce all of you to Erica as a newly published author! “The Battered Bride” is her debut novel, but there are more to come. Before I even tell you about the book, Erica, or share my interview with her, I want you all to know that I will put the names of everyone who comments here into a hat and draw one name, and Erica will send the winner a signed copy of The Bartered Bride! If you aren’t the lucky winner, than for pity sake, order a copy … it’s only $2.49! That’s less than a copy of coffee and whole lot more fun!

I’m warning you … Erica weaves a captivating tale. The Bartered Bride is a quick read, because you won’t want to put it down. Take it from me, I homeschooled, put on make-up, fixed two meals, and swept the kitchen WHILE READING THE BOOK. It’s a great story and if you happen to be from MN and are familiar with the shores of Lake Superior, you’re in for an extra treat. I could almost feel the icy water splashing my face as I devoured the climax of the the story. Check it out for yourself!

(Check out Erica’s website where you can see her FULL picture and the FULL picture of her cover. Something funky is going on with my blog tonight.) 

About the Author ~

ERICA VETSCH is married to Peter and keeps the company books for the family lumber business. A home-school mom to Heather and James, Erica loves history, romance, and storytelling. Her ideal vacation is taking her family to out-of-the-way history museums and chatting to curators about local history. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Calvary Bible College in Secondary Education: Social Studies. You can find her on the web at http://onthewritepath.blogspot.com

 Erica Vetsch – Stories that Testify to Love

About the Book ~

Duluth, Minnesota in 1905 boasts more millionaires than any other U.S. city. Tycoon Abraham Kennebrae intends to marry his grandsons off to three of the wealthiest heiresses in town and allow Kennebrae Shipping to gain control of Duluth Harbor.

Tempests rage, in the board room, the ball room, and on treacherous Lake Superior. Will hearts and helms survive? Will God prove Himself sovereign over wind, waves, and weddings?

Jonathan Kennebrae, oldest of the three Kennebrae brothers, finds himself backed into a corner. Marry heiress Melissa Brooke or lose his own considerable inheritance. Can he find a legitimate reason to avoid the wedding and still keep his fortune? But as the wedding day approaches, does he want to escape?

 Melissa Brooke, only heir to her father’s empire, is bartered by her parents into a marriage contract to a man she’s never met. Can she trust him with her deepest secret? Can she trust him with her heart?

My Interview with Erica~

This is your first published novel, but I know firsthand that you’ve been writing for a long time. How many novels have you written over the years and what motivated you to persevere?
           I wrote five novels before beginning The Bartered Bride. Then, while waiting to hear back on whether the publisher would pick it up for publication, I wrote two more. (It was a long wait. )

           Motivations to perservere? Does sheer hard-headedness count? Actually, I love to write. I love to spin stories in my head. I also love a challenge and learning new things. I jumped into learning the craft of writing fiction and I haven’t stopped learning.

 I know you enjoy haunting museums with your family, so I assume you hit some hot spots in Duluth as you researched “The Bartered Bride.” Where did you go, and did you hear specific stories that inspired your story?
          Oh yes! The St. Louis County historical society, the U.S.S. Meteor across Duluth Harbor in Superior, WI. the Maritime Museum, Split Rock Lighthouse just up the coast, Fairlawn Mansion in Superior. Then there are the archives of the Minnesota Historical Society as well.

           The story for The Bartered Bride came about as a result of hearing the tale of the Mataafa Blow. In November of 1905, a massive storm hit Lake Superior and many ships were lost. Of particular interest to me was the fate of the Mataafa, which hit the Duluth Canal pier and spun sideways to ground on a shoal just off shore. All rescue attempts failed while the storm raged and those trapped on board were forced to spend a freezing night on a crippled ship. Duluth citizens turned out by the thousands to keep vigil on the shoreline. The image of those people all banding together to pray for and watch over those sailors became the basis of my novel.

Jonathan Kennebrae has two brothers who are also facing prearranged marriages. Will we be hearing their stories in months to come?
          Absolutely. The Marriage Masaquerade, which is Noah’s story, comes out early in 2010, and The Engineered Engagement, Eli’s story, comes out in the summer of 2010.

 What’s been your greatest challenge and greatest surprise as an author?
          The greatest challenge? Not getting so tunnel-visioned that all I do is write and focus on my writing instead of taking care of other things I need to do. My family would like to see more of me than just the DELL insignia on the top of my laptop.

           Greatest surprise? How all-consuming the writing life can be, but also how fulfilling it is. I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing. It’s a dream come true.

 What kind of books are on your nightstand and do your reading choices reflect your preferred writing genres?
          Right now, I’m reading Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones, one of the truly funniest people I’ve ever met. The Enclave by Karen Hancock, which I haven’t had a chance to start yet. I just finished Autumn Rains by Myra Johnson, a contemporary romance. And Mary Connealy’s Cowboy Christmas. I have very eclectic tastes when it comes to reading, but I mostly read fiction.

 Finally, what do you hope your readers take away from “The Bartered Bride”?
          First, I hope the reader is entertained, taken away from their daily life to another time and place.

          Second, I hope through Jonathan and Melissa’s struggles, the reader might consider their own beliefs about God’s sovereignty and goodness.

          Third, that through the story, the reader might gain a new interest in the history of MN.

 Okay … one more question … will you be doing a book signing in the Rochester area, and if so, when?
           I’m speaking at Cornerstone E. Free Church tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll be signing books there. That’s the only booksigning on the schedule at the moment, but I hope to do more in the future.

           Thank you so much for having me here, Vicki.

I was drawn to this book originally because of my lifelong fascination with Alaska, but the story proved compelling enough in its own right. Lydia Gray, married at a young age to a cruel and much older widower, is given a chance for a new life following the unexpected death of her husband. Of course, that new start in rugged Sitka, Alaska is complicated by a number of challenges and surprises, all of which contribute to an exciting, action-packed story that I highly recommend. Be forewarned, though – there was a “point of no return” for me beyond which I had to keep reading and couldn’t go to bed until I reached the end of the book. It was definitely worth it!

About the Author~

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 70 novels. She teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research.

Ephesians 1:18 has become a cornerstone verse for a new non-fiction book she’s been working on — its also become a cornerstone in her life. The verse reads, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.”

Tracie and her family live in Belgrade, Montana.

About the Book~

Newly widowed Lydia Sellers discovers that through an unforeseen fluke, she is the sole recipient of her husband’s fortune. But instead of granting her security, it only causes strife as her adult stepchildren battle to regain the inheritance for themselves.

Lydia, longing to put the memories of her painful marriage behind her, determines to travel to Alaska to join her aunt. Lydia’s arrival in Sitka, however, brings two things she didn’t expect.

One is the acquaintance of Kjell Bjorklund, the handsome owner of the sawmill. Second is the discovery that she is pregnant with her dead husband’s child. What will this mean for her budding relationship with Kjell? And what lengths will her stepchildren go to reclaim their father’s fortune? Lydia soon finds her life–and that of her child’s–on the line.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Dawn’s Prelude, go HERE

Wow! This book was wonderful!! I love adventure books, especially ones with pirates!

When I first got the book, I was disappointed because it was the book two in the series. (For some weird reason I like to read the books in order, strange I know!) But after reading The Blue Enchantress the book made since without reading the first book. Now I can’t wait to read the first book!!! I am very excited to see what other books M. L. Tyndall has to offer, also.

The lesson I learned in this book was not to judge a person you could ever meet, until you understand the circumstances that shaped that person’s life. I also learned that nothing is impossible with God. When times are hard and there seems to be no help, God has a rescue plan.

My favorite character has to be Abigail Sheldon. She becomes Hope’s good friend. I enjoyed reading about Abigail’s amazing witness for Christ. She really inspired me to become a better witness for Christ in my life!!!!!

One of my favorite parts of the book was when they (Nathaniel, Hope, and the others that were on the ship!) were stuck on a deserted island after the shipwreck. Nathaniel has to step up and be a leader and later on Hope becomes ill. They then meet Pirate Captain Poole, who rescues them off the island and later helps Nathaniel rescue Hope.

Thanks for reading my review and I hope you check out this really good book!!!!!!!   ~ Rachel

About the Author~

M. L. (MaryLu) Tyndall grew up on the beaches of South Florida loving the sea and the warm tropics. But despite the beauty around her, she always felt an ache in her soul–a longing for something more.

After college, she married and moved to California where she had two children and settled into a job at a local computer company. Although she had done everything the world expected, she was still miserable. She hated her job and her marriage was falling apart.

Still searching for purpose, adventure and true love, she spent her late twenties and early thirties doing all the things the world told her would make her happy, and after years, her children suffered, her second marriage suffered, and she was still miserable.

One day, she picked up her old Bible, dusted it off, and began to read. Somewhere in the middle, God opened her hardened heart to see that He was real, that He still loved her, and that He had a purpose for her life, if she’d only give her heart to Him completely.

She had written stories her whole life, but never had the confidence to try and get any of them published. But as God began to change her heart, He also showed her that writing had been His wonderful plan for her all along!

Her other current release in the Charles Towne Belles series includes The Red Siren.

About the Book ~

Betrayed by the man she longed to marry, Hope Westcott is about to be auctioned off as a slave to the highest bidder on an island in the Caribbean . After enduring a difficult childhood in an unloving home, Hope?s search for love and self-worth have led her down a very dangerous path. All she ever wanted was to find true love and open an orphanage where she could raise children with all the love she never experienced as a child.? But how can a woman with a sordid past ever hope to run an orphanage, let alone attract the love of an honorable man?

Determined to overcome the shame of his mother?s past, Nathaniel Mason worked for many years to build his own fleet of merchant ships in an effort to finally acquire the respect of Charles Towne society. Ignoring the call of God on his life to become a preacher, he forges ahead with his plans for success at a distant port in the Caribbean , when he sees a young lady he knows from Charles Towne being sold as a slave. In an effort to save Hope, he is forced to sell one of his two ships, only to discover that her predicament was caused by her own bad behavior. Angry and determined to rid himself of her as soon as possible, Nathaniel embarks on a journey that will change the course of his life.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Blue Enchantress, go HERE

Forever … that’s how long it’s been since I blogged. I took the month off from CFBA posts. That’ll start up again soon. Honestly, we’ve been up to our eyeballs this summer and I needed to extend myself a bit of grace. This is one area that I needed to let slide. I’ll talk more about that later. It really has been an amazing summer; full of surprises, challenges, hard work, growth, shrinkage … oh, so many stories to tell. I’ll try to get to all of that soon enough.

Today I want to tell you about a link that a friend referred me to on Facebook. Okay, so she referred a LOT of people to it, but I take these things personally. Here’s how the story goes:

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to splay violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was music playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. FInally, the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. ALl the parents, without exception, forced them tom ove on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence too over, no one noticed it. No on applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story (checked out on Snopes.com). Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment, at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conlcusions from this experience could be: If we do not a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing the best music ever written, how manny other things are we missing?

The Washington Post won a Pulitzer in the feature writing category of Gene Wiengarten’s April 2007 story about this experiement. The article was called “Pearls Before Breakfast.” Snopes reported on it at www.snopes.com/music/artists/bell.asp

I’m not going to insult anyone’s intelligence by throwing out the “take away” from this story. In fact, I think there are many take aways. I will tell you that I’m slowing down … being intentional in the moment … exercising mindfulness … practicing spiritual journaling as sa discipline … stretching … growing. Yup, it’s been a busy summer.

Adventure, excitement, romance, danger on the high seas……author Tom Morrisey has put it all together in his captivating new book Pirate Hunter. The skillful interweaving of two stories – 300 years apart in the timeline of history and yet strikingly similar – is an amazing technique that immediately draws the reader in and advances the plot most effectively. I couldn’t put this book down! As the tension mounted in both timelines, I felt somewhat apprehensive about how this was all going to turn out, but there was no need to worry – the ending is terrific, unpredictable, and most satisfying. I highly recommend this book!  ~ Lori

About the Author ~

Tom Morrisey is a mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological Society – Cave Diving Section.

He has launched, edited or contributed to numerous national publications and is an award-winning adventure-travel writer. A popular speaker, he is also active in both evangelism and the arts. Morrisey earned an MFA in creative writing from Bowling Green State University, and his fiction has been featured in numerous anthologies and magazines.

His first novel, Yucatan Deep (Zondervan, 2002) was a finalist for the Christy award, and he is the author of six novels, including Wind River and In High Places. In addition Tom has also written two nonfiction books: 20 American Peaks & Crags (Contemporary Books, 1978) and Wild by Nature (Baker Books, 2001). He and his family live in Orlando, Florida.

  Read the rest of this entry »

This book was pretty good. It was fun to see Shani the main character, to believe in God, and how she choose what God wanted her to do although the consequences were great. I liked it because of how her friends were close and helped each other and encouraged each other and that she had good friends. When I was reading the book it took me a bit to get the characters straightened out but it was still a good read. I look forward to reading her next book.  ~ Rachel (14)

About the Author ~

Award-winning author Shelley Adina wrote her first teen novel when she was 13. It was rejected by the literary publisher to whom she sent it, but he did say she knew how to tell a story. That was enough to keep her going through the rest of her adolescence, a career, a move to another country, a B.A. in Literature, an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, and countless manuscript pages.

Shelley is a world traveler and pop culture junkie with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. She writes books about fun and faith–with a side of glamour. Between books, Shelley loves traveling, playing the piano and Celtic harp, watching movies, and making period costumes.

The All About Us book series has its own home over on the Hachette website. Stop by and see what the five fabulous girls at Spencer Acadenmy are up to! Series Website.

Her other books in this series includes book one, It’s All About Us, oook Two, The Fruit of my Lipstick, and book three, Be Strong & Curvaceous. This present book is book four.

About the Book ~

Shani Hanna returns to SpencerAcademy for her senior year after an amazing summer spent with her friends Lissa, Gillian, and Carly. But the best part about summer was meeting Danyel Johnstone. Danyel is cute, smart, cool, and super nice. All Shani has to do is get him to see her as more than just one of the gang.

But when the girls return to school, they find a new addition to the distinguished student body: Prince Rashid al Amir of Yasir, an oil-rich desert kingdom in the Middle East. Prince Rashid moved to California to prepare for an eventual MBA at Stanford…and to romance his future wife: Shani Hanna!

It turns out, Shani’s family and the prince’s go back for generations, entwined in tradition, obligation, and family honor. In each generation, members of the two families have expanded their business interests through arranged marriage. Will Shani put aside her feelings for Danyel to pursue her family’s wishes? Or will God answer her prayers for an intervention?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Who Made You a Princess , go HERE

About the Author~

Adam Blumer lives in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with his wife, Kim, and his daughters, Laura and Julia.

He works full-time as a freelance writer and editor. A print journalism graduate of Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC), he served in editorial roles for fourteen years at Northland Baptist Bible College (Dunbar, WI) and Awana Clubs International Headquarters (Streamwood, IL).

He has published numerous short stories and articles. Fatal Illusions released by Kregel Publications (Grand Rapids, MI) is his first novel.

About the Book ~

An amateur magician, an unassuming family . . . a fatal illusion Haydon Owens wants to be the next Houdini. He has been practicing his craft and has already made four women disappear. All it took was a bit of rope and his two bare hands.

The Thayer family has come to the north woods of Newberry, Michigan, looking for refuge, a peaceful sanctuary from a shattered past. But they are not alone. Little do they know that they are about to become part of Haydon’s next act. Time is running out and already the killer has spotted his next victim. Who will escape alive?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Fatal Illusions, go HERE

“Fatal Illusions is an engaging, fast-paced read with a captivating storyline that grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go. Highly recommended!”–Mark Mynheir, homicide detective and author of The Night Watchman

“An awesome ride!”–Rosey Dow, Christy Award winning author of Reaping the Whirlwind

“Adam Blumer tells a fast-paced story that weaves together a serial killer, a physically wounded pastor and his spiritually wounded wife. The twists and turns will keep readers guessing.”–Rick Acker, author of Blood Brothers

Well, I blew it. I owe Conlan Brown a huge apology for not posting this review on time. It’s entirely my fault. I scooted away to a family reunion followed by a short trip with my dear husband to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. In all of the hullabaloo of getting kids sent in 2 different directions, making arrangements for the housesitter to care for the dog, and wrapping up work for myself … I failed to contact my reviewer about her review of The Firstborn. In fact, this never crossed my mind. SO … I’m posting this information now, and will write a lengthier review as soon as I hear from my reviewer … a friend who read this since I’m busy writing my own book right now. Mr. Brown, my sincere apologies … as well as apologies to your publisher!!

Meet the Author ~

Born in 1984, Conlan Brown was functionally illiterate until the fifth grade, when he learned how to read and write, as well as a love of story, from his grandmother. Conlan went on to start college at the age of sixteen, and now holds a Master’s degree in Communication, which taught him the academic principles needed to write Firstborn.Conlan lives on Colorado’s Front Range where he is working on his next book. He enjoys video editing, film scores, and developing high octane, thought provoking fiction that turns pages and excites the senses.

About the Book ~

Three supernatural gifts. Two thousand years of division. One moment of truth.

Hannah’s head hung, long brown hair in her eyes. Her face felt pasty with cold and fatigue and pain. Arms behind her back, she sat in a chair, wrists and ankles tied to the wooden frame, chair legs bolted to the floor. A cold car. A gun. Horror. Pain. Grief. Screaming. A windshield blistering with holes. Darkness.

It all came over her like a flood. A pouring out of pictures in her mind. But then there was one more thing. Not an image, but a feeling–that half a continent away someone else had felt it all happening too.

The Firstborn, those gifted with Foresight, Hindsight, and Insight at the time of Christ’s death are divided between themselves. And when an Islamic holy man is murdered outside of his mosque it becomes apparent that one of the Firstborn was to blame. Now, with the threat of a terrorist attack on an unspeakable target the Firstborn are spiraling out of control. Leaders are dying, members are being kidnapped, and unity is being forced. Three heroes, differently gifted and divided must work together to thwart those who would go too far.

Their breakneck race against time plunges them into a world of danger and through a gauntlet across the United States. From the Riverwalk of San Antonio, where Devin Bathurst, John Temple, and Hannah Rice must protect one another from assassination, to the gritty streets of Washington DC, a paramilitary compound in Pennsylvania, and ultimately back to our nation’s capital, the Firstborn must unite to prevent an impending atrocity from becoming reality.

If you would like to read the first chapter excerpt of The Firstborn, go HERE