Christmas Jars Cookbook | October Book Club

The book “Christmas Jars” by Jason F. Wright, is an all-time favorite of mine! If you’ve not read it… A young journalist named Hope starts digging around to discover the truth about a local tradition of anonymously gifting money-filled jars to people in need during the holidays. When she learns who the family is that started it all, she’s faced with the dilemma of publishing their names or burying the story. A beautifully written book about faith, family, and the power of giving, it started a national phenomenon that has touched the lives of millions of people.  If you don’t have a copy, get one!

And now, Jason and his wife, Kodi Wright, are giving us a new gift of warmth and kindness this holiday season—one jar, one recipe, one story at a time, with the “Christmas Jars Cookbook”.

Inspired by the heartwarming tradition of Christmas Jars, Jason and Kodi have created a unique cookbook that celebrates the joy of giving through delicious homemade recipes.

But it includes more than just food—it's also filled with real-life stories from people who have given or received cash-filled Christmas Jars, fun and creative craft ideas, and the sharing of other much-loved holiday traditions that you might be inspired to adopt.

With humorous titles like Rudolph's Maple Carrot Cupcakes, Kason's Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip, and Christmas Movie Caramel Corn, the recipes are designed to be lovingly prepared and given away to friends, family, and neighbors, much like the tradition behind the movement.

Whether it's a jar of Sift and Gift Hot Chocolate mix, a batch of Ginger Cream Cookies, or a heartfelt craft like Hope's Mini Decorative Wreath, the ideas will help you spread love and holiday spirit.

Perfect for the giving season, the Christmas Jars Cookbook reminds us that the best gifts come from the heart—and sometimes, from the kitchen. Get yourself a copy, and pick up a few more for gift giving!

Christmas Jars Cookbook
(Available on October 14, Pre-Order Now!)

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree | Book Release

Back in 1958, sock hops were the rage, aluminum Christmas trees were the future, and 13-year-old singer Brenda Lee was recording the soon-to-be-classic "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."

Now we have a delightful gift book—perfect for stockings, coffee tables, or under the tree—celebrating the song’s record-breaking revived popularity, with ideas for holiday parties, innovative decorations, cozy meals, and more.

Get the most out of your Yuletide celebrations and let the Christmas spirit ring with this full-color festive handbook to all things holiday! You’ll rock around your own Christmas tree this season with the beloved, nostalgic #1 chart-topping song as your guide to a host of holiday fun, from recipes and crafts to party games, decor ideas, and more!

At the Christmas party hop or hanging the mistletoe where you can see, you will get a sentimental feeling when you:

• Choose from over 30 recipes for food and cocktails such as pull-apart pastry puffs, Christmas morning casserole, ornament and gingerbread cookies, and a holly jolly espresso martini

• Welcome others into the celebration with fun games, party ideas, and a soundtrack for all your Christmas gatherings

• Relive your favorite Christmas memories as you dip into nostalgia and learn the fascinating history behind familiar traditions, such as hanging mistletoe, watching Christmas movies, or decorating cookies

• Make your home merry and bright with creative ways to decorate your door, set your table, and wrap your gifts

• Enjoy insights and stories from the song’s origins and legacy of singer Brenda Lee and songwriter Johnny Marks

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree gives you all the feels, fun, and festivities you love about the season. It’s an ideal gift for a family member or friend who goes all-out for the Christmas season and for yourself, because maybe YOU are that person!

Rock on in the new old-fashioned way!
Purchase Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Truly | a book by Lionel Richie

September 30

TRULY, a no-holds-barred memoir from the legendary Grammy, Oscar, and Golden Globe–winning superstar, Lionel Richie, is now available for purchase!

Beloved by audiences around the globe, Richie’s extraordinary journey has kept him at the top of his game for decades. He stands alone as a world-class showman, recording artist, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist—and now, television icon, having just completed his eighth season as a celebrated judge on American Idol.

Richie has continually defied conventional odds—with an unstoppable, crossover, multi-genre mass appeal as timeless as it is timely. His vast catalog includes anthem hits from his years as a member of The Commodores and from his enduring solo career, as well as the record-breaking charity collaboration (co-written with Michael Jackson) “We Are the World,” one of the best selling singles of all time that’s raised millions for famine relief in Africa. He also has the remarkable distinction of having written No. 1 songs every year for 11 consecutive years, and he’s one of only two songwriters in pop history to claim solo credit (music and lyrics) for the most No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits.  

​In this intimate, deeply candid memoir, Lionel seeks to inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don’t matter by chronicling lessons learned in the course of his most unlikely of success stories—from a painfully shy, “tragically” late bloomer grappling with ADHD to his dramatic transformation into a world-class entertainer and composer of love songs that have played like the soundtrack of our lives.  

Richie’s joyful message of encouragement is needed now more than ever. “I travel the world, and all people really want to hear is, ‘I love you,’” Richie says about what connects us most. “‘I love you’ is forever. And the day we realize we come as different tribes, but we all represent the global family of mankind… the day that happens, we will clearly be united, together, as one.”

Get your copy wherever books are sold. Get one - or a dozen - to give as gifts!
Order link: TRULY

30 Minute Meals with Six Sisters Stuff | September Book Club

As summer winds down, school starts, and our lives take on a more steady rhythm and routine, “What’s for dinner?” becomes an all too familiar refrain. A sandwich or hot dog before heading to baseball practice isn’t going to do the trick anymore…

"30 Minute Meals" by Six Sisters' Stuff to the rescue.

It features over 100 family-friendly recipes like Chicken Street Tacos, Instant Pot Butter Chicken, and Air Fryer French Bread Pizza. All of which can be put together and ready to eat in about 30 minutes. (Hallelujah!)

No fancy ingredients that require shopping in specialty markets and no complicated instructions that need a a culinary arts degree to decipher.

Everything is easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy - and the results are delicious, home-cooked meals on the table without a spending an eternity in the kitchen!

Could there be anything sweeter than that?

Well, yes.

This sanity-saver doesn’t skip appetizers, sides, or desserts! Everything’s here to make your meal prep easier, dinners tastier, and more time to eat together as as family then get on with your evening.

With 5 kids in the house now, I’m going to be leaning heavily on this new cookbook as the school year gets under way. I really appreciate how simply things come together—so simply in fact, I can get the kids involved in the process. I’ve noticed how much more willing they are to try a new dish if they’ve had a hand in making it. Win, win!

Get your hands on your own copy and make your life easier!
(Would also make a great gift for anyone setting up an apartment or home or new parents!)

ORDER: "30 Minute Meals" by Six Sisters' Stuff

Someone Is After Lulu Dupree | August Book Club

Ah summmmmatime! The excitement felt during early days of the season when sunshine and light evenings were a novelty has waned a bit. Now we’re tired. Tired and hot. My list of Things To Do this summer has long since been completed. August, once morning chores are done, is more about lazing around and keeping cool - both in temperature and temperament.

I can only handle bored kids underfoot for so long, then it’s into their swimming suits and off to the creek we go. There they can splash and play for hours as I sit in the shade and read. I stumbled upon the perfect little book for such an occasion,

“Someone Is After Lulu Dupree”,
by Josie S. Kilpack,
my August Book Club choice.

It’s about Lulu, who suffers a traumatic brain injury and loses a chunk of her memory as a result. Finding it impossible to return to a life she no longer understands (or wants) in Seattle, she decides to relocate and begin anew in Sedona, Arizona. Just one problem, someone is after her.

“For LuLu Dupree, what she doesn’t remember might just be the death of her.”

Jump into this great summer read and meet conflict avoiding, hyperfixating, neurodivergent Lulu, lover of crochet, desert night-hiking, eco-friendly cleaning business owner… and target of repeated attempts on her life.

”If she’s going to survive she’ll need to confront her past—both what she can remember, and what she’s managed to forget.

Determined to find answers before she is silenced forever, LuLu and her reluctant attorney begin navigating through clues and suspects, inching closer to confronting the shadows of her former self and apprehending the person who doesn’t want her to have this simple and peaceful life she’s worked so hard to build.”

Hide from the summer sizzle with this delicious escape following the clues as they are uncovered and see if you can figure out who’s after Lulu before the answer is revealed.

I enjoyed it so much, and am even more excited to learn this is book number 1 in the Lulu Dupree Mystery series—meaning there will be more to come!

ORDER: Someone Is After Lulu Dupree

The Magic in the Tragic | July Book Club

“The Magic in the Tragic: Rewriting the Script on Grief and Discovering Happiness in Our Darkest Days - A New Approach to Resilience, Grieving, and Healing in the Midst of Tragedy or Trauma”, is a long title but it aptly conveys its message.

Many chapters in my own life are marked by grief and loss. To all who have experienced such sorrow we know that you never “get over it”. You get through it, you continue to build your life and collect experiences that grow out from the space where grief left its mark, but it is always with you. This month’s book club recommendation charts a path through the pain illuminating peaceful spots of rest, reflection and healing.

Esteemed psychotherapist and bereavement counselor John Tsilimparis, MFT, shows you the ways grief and loss intertwine with beauty, tenderness, and human connection to empower you to build emotional resilience in a difficult world.

What if you could flip the script on the pain in your life and learn how to cultivate purpose and joy—not after grief but during it, not despite hardship but because of it? What if you could find a type of magic in your tragedy? A way to understand your emotions and reframe your grief that opens you up rather than shuts you down?

Drawing on his own story, scientific and philosophical evidence, the soothing effects of the arts and nature, and three decades of experience as a psychotherapist and grief counselor, John Tsilimparis offers a new take on adversity in The Magic in the Tragic. In these uncertain times, you'll be equipped to:

• Approach grief in an empowering way

• Acquire the tools needed to develop emotional resiliency

• Address fear and uncertainty head-on rather than avoid it

• Embrace difficult times without sugarcoating them

• Access the unseen beauty of your deepest emotions

• Discover the healing power and belonging of music, art, and nature

The Magic in the Tragic powerfully explores how the hardest things in life intersect purpose and meaning, splendor and connectedness. When you embrace the magic in your tragic seasons, you can step into the future with hope, knowing that even when grief comes, it comes with an invitation to new life.

If you are struggling or know someone that is, The Magic in the Tragic, is a soothing balm to the hurting soul. You can order a copy for yourself or a gift for another here:

ORDER: THE MAGIC IN THE TRAGIC

You can check out the PLAY LIST of songs mentioned in the book HERE.

Let's Eat! | The Simplified Cookbook

Know any newly minted adults who suddenly find they’re in charge of feeding themselves? Or maybe someone who’s been practicing for a while but knows a limited number of filling and familiar recipes? How ‘bout busy parents who just need to get some wholesome meals into the kids and still have some energy left after the ordeal.

For the recent grads or those bored with the same-old, same-old, “The Simplified Cookbook”, by Emily Ley, is your ticket to gastronomic happiness.

Life's complicated. Dinner doesn't have to be. In a world of complex recipes and multi-hour cooking marathons, here's your culinary rebellion: 60 ridiculously simple meals that prove delicious doesn't mean difficult. Each recipe is a gift to your future hangry self – just 6 ingredients, 20 minutes, and zero culinary degrees required.

Think of this as your "I can't even" cookbook. Had a day? These recipes understand. They're the ones that show up in sweatpants, bring the good snacks, and don't judge you for eating straight from the pan. From quick-fix comfort foods to "how did you make this?" dinner party heroes, these 60 assembly-style recipes are your new kitchen best friends. One book. All the go-to meals. Because sometimes the most loving thing you can do for yourself is to keep it simple.

Try the quiche, found on page 36!

As a mom of three running a company, author Emily Ley understands the daily dinner struggle firsthand. She’s turned her talent for simplifying the complicated into a practical guide for anyone who wants to eat well without spending hours in the kitchen.

I know a few 20-somethings that can use this, some 30-somethings that will want it, and some I-better-not-say somethings that will love it too!

Make someone’s day (maybe your own) and pick up some copies of “The Simplified Cookbook” to pass around! Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Desserts… and beyond. It’s all in,

ORDER: THE SIMPLIFIED COOKBOOK

Novel Threat | June Book Club

For the dad, grads, and any of you with a thirst for intrigue and espionage -with a touch of romance- I give you my June Book Club pick, “Novel Threat” by Traci Hunter Abramson.

In a world of covert codes, two CIA operatives must infiltrate a New York publishing house, where every word on the page could be a weapon.

Brandon Hale, a seasoned CIA case officer, contemplates walking away from the covert world of espionage to embark on a quieter path in publishing. But his plan takes an abrupt turn when a critical source within the Labyrinth terrorist organization is assassinated, leaving behind a cryptic message about a New York publishing house. Rather than submitting his resignation, Brandon finds himself going undercover at Monroe Publishing to stop the next terrorist strike against the US.

Kimber Seidel, a CIA finance officer with secret aspirations of becoming a novelist, enjoys a serendipitous encounter with a handsome book lover like herself on her way home from London. Though she cannot reveal her true employment to her new friend, Brandon Hale, she can't deny the instant spark that ignites between them. When Kimber's manuscript is unexpectedly shopped to Monroe Publishing as a pawn in the CIA's counterterrorism plot, Kimber must navigate the intersection of her literary dreams and her covert life as well as her deepening connection with Brandon.

Though each decoded message is leading Brandon and Kimber closer to the truth, it is also leading them into the line of fire, where the stakes are higher than anyone ever imagined.

June is the month of graduations, Father’s Day, weddings… and like every month on my calendar, one for reading! Pair all of them up nicely with the gift of “Novel Threat” a great early summer novel that will keep the reader on the edge of their picnic blanket!

Order: “NOVEL THREAT”

Becoming Girlilla | May Book Club

I get so excited about sharing inspiring stories with you!

This month of Mother’s Day (May!) I have a really lovely one. “Becoming Girlilla” by Jennie Smythe, Founder and CEO of Girlilla Marketing, mother and breast cancer warrior.

Like all success stories, it’s full of failures - which we like to call “set backs” because it sounds less painful. But Jennie has known the pain of uncertainty, the loss of her estranged father, she’s valiantly fought breast cancer, and stood her ground in an industry that can easily knock you over.

Becoming Girlilla highlights how resilience, authenticity, and passion can make a meaningful impact both online and in real life as Jennie candidly shares her path to success, full of sometimes surprising and oftentimes laugh-out-loud moments. Along the way, she’s navigated an industry that often underestimated her, fought through personal and professional hurdles, and rose to the top of her field.

A digital marketing trailblazer, Jennie’s memoir—Becoming Girlilla—is the unfiltered, inspiring story of her rise from unlikely beginnings to digital marketing powerhouse. Her experiences at Elektra, Disney’s Hollywood Records, YAHOO! Music, Warner Bros. Records, Clear Channel and more led her to launch her own Nashville-based firm, Girlilla Marketing, following a deathbed conversation with her estranged father.

Becoming Girlilla isn’t just about one woman’s resilience—it’s a call to embrace change, unleash potential, and make a positive impact in the world.

Order “Becoming Girlilla: My Journey to Unleashing Good - in Real Life, Online, and in Others” for someone who could use a little inspiration in their life - maybe that’s YOU!

Discover more at Becoming Girlilla and sign up for the newsletter HERE
Join @GirlillaMarketing on Facebook / Instagram / LinkedIn / TikTok / Online
Follow Jennie Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Jennie lives in Nashville with her husband, and their two children.

The Time Traveler's Masquerade | April Book Club

April showers bring May flowers, but in the meantime, we need something to do when the clouds let go of their heavy burdens. 

Enter my book club pick for the month, "A Time Traveler's Masquerade", by Sian Ann Bessey.

"Romance blossoms when Isla Crawford steps into McQuivey’s Costume Shop in London and is swept back in time to 1605, where she and Lord Bancroft attempt to thwart Guy Fawkes’s Gunpowder Plot.

One moment, Isla Crawford is inside McQuivey’s Costume Shop trying on a Jacobean-style gown for the parliamentary Autumn Ball, and the next, she is standing in an unfamiliar garden, barefoot, coatless, and at the mercy of a fierce storm. Confused, she seeks refuge in a Tudor manor, where she discovers that she has inexplicably traveled back to 1605, mere weeks before the culmination of Guy Fawkes’s infamous Gunpowder Plot.

Simon Hartworth, Lord Bancroft, finds his orderly seventeenth-century life disrupted when a mysterious woman appears on his sister’s doorstep during a storm. Intrigued by the stranger’s quirks and bewildering speech, he feels compelled to protect her and heed her warnings about a fatal plot against Parliament. As Simon is drawn into Isla’s dangerous scheme to stop the evildoers, he can’t help but also feel drawn to her."

How will Isla get back home to her own time? Does she want to? Will she unknowingly alter the course of history? Four centuries out of place, thrust into the midst of a treasonous plot, her heart and her head aren’t always in sync with one another. 

A fantastic fantasy, perfect for an Easter basket and for an afternoon when spring rains keep us out of of the garden but a book can transport us to another time and place!

Find your copy here: A Time Traveler's Masquerade

The Tides of Time | March Book Club

It’s been a while since I shared an historical romance with you, one of my favorite, “lose yourself for an afternoon” genres.

To remedy that, just in time for spring, I’ve chosen, “The Tides of Time”, by Sarah M. Eden, for my March Book Club pick.

This one’s a bit different, it includes some fantasy elements, and like iced tea and sunshine, the two pair together perfectly! Get it from Amazon or Shadow Mountain Publishing.

In 1793, a storm propels Lili forward through time, kindling a love that transcends the ages.

Fleeing the clutches of Robespierre’s revolutionary Tribunal in France, Lili Minet makes a desperate escape on a ship headed to England, but her dangerous flight takes an unexpected turn when a violent storm catapults her off the ship and eighty years into the future, leaving her stranded in the unfamiliar world of 1873 England.

When lighthouse keeper Armitage Pierce rescues a woman from the tumultuous sea, he does not anticipate her silent, cold response to his gallant efforts. Though he is wary of this woman and her odd behaviors, he finds she is just as wary of him. And he can sense that she is not telling him something of great import to her. Only Armitage’s grandfather, a man seasoned by the mysteries of the sea, can seem to penetrate Lili’s defenses to offer her support. But as Lili heals from the physical and emotional wounds of her ordeal and Armitage continues to offer light and safety to her, a tender friendship blossoms between the two.

Yet the shadow of danger looms as the threat that chased Lili from France all those years ago reemerges in her new present. Together Lili and Armitage must navigate the challenges of a love that defies the boundaries of time and the perils that reach across the decades to ensnare Lili. As the storm clouds gather, Lili and Armitage face the ultimate test—whether their bond is strong enough to rewrite the pages of history itself to save them and their love. 

So many lovely things happen this month … Daylight Savings Time (hooray for longer evenings!), Saint Patrick’s Day (corned beef and cabbage, yes please!), and Spring Equinox (new beginnings!)…

Add “The Tides of Time” to the list, and lose yourself for an afternoon in a storm of danger, passion and mystery!

Sarah M. Eden is a USA Today best-selling author of witty and charming historical romances, including 2019’s Foreword Reviews INDIE Awards Gold Winner for Romance, The Lady and the Highwayman, and 2020 Holt Medallion finalist, Healing Hearts.

She is a two-time “Best of State” Gold Medal winner for fiction and a three-time Whitney Award winner.

Walk On | February Book Club

Continuing a theme from January, my February Book Club choice is another great book to add to your personal support library.

"Walk On", by Stephen Panus, is an inspiring and emotionally powerful story which transcends grief, loss, and love, and provides anyone suffering from any form of adversity, struggle or hardship with rays of hope and a pathway for becoming the best version of themselves.

Stephen Panus has been a publicist, sports agent, artist, attorney, sports marketing executive, author, and motivational speaker. He’s represented an NFL Pro Bowl player and Super Bowl champion, a multiple-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and a “Dancing with the Stars” champion, international star tennis players, and serves as CEO of Twisted Hairs, LLC, a strategic advisory agency offering marketing, media & public relations services. Yet, the only title that’s ever mattered to him has been being a father to his two boys, Jake and Liam.  

When his elder son, Jake, was tragically and suddenly killed as a passenger in a reckless and senseless car crash at the tender age of sixteen in the summer of 2020, Stephen’s life imploded. Seeking to both survive and move forward, he wrote “Walk On” to confront his daily agony and inspire his family with a renewed and resilient faith in living and turning their pain into purpose.

Featured on "Good Morning America" as a GMA Book Club buzz selection in 2024, "Walk On" is an authentic memoir revealing a father's quest to turn pain into purpose after the tragic and sudden death of his beloved 16-year-old son, Jake.

More than anything, it's been said that "Walk On" is "a book for everyone because it can teach us all how to be better people."

Purchase Your Copy of "Walk On"

Shine Bright Anyway | January Book Club

Shine Bright Anyway

I don’t care who you are or how charmed others think your circumstances to be, sometimes life is just hard. Sometimes it’s VERY hard.

If now is one of those times, my book club pick for January is arriving right on time.

“Shine Bright Anyway” by counselor, Faith Broussard Cade, is a beautiful book with 90 messages to inspire hope. Faith gained a large Instagram following when she started posting daily handwritten positive affirmations or “love notes” on her account as she grappled with recovering from a traumatic brain injury.

Following that success, Faith has written her debut book which promises to show readers that they are enough even when the world says they’re not. Faith's hand-penned notes came from a place of trauma and brokenness originating from a commitment to healing from a car accident in 2018, the effects of which she still deals with today. It hurts. It slows her down. It makes her feel emotionally vulnerable and overwhelmed sometimes. But every day she chooses gratitude, love, and hard work. Sharing her struggles on her Instagram account has helped thousands of others do the same.

In this full-color book she pairs each handwritten note with a longer message to help readers:

• Overcome the wounds of the past through honesty and humbleness
• Replace feelings of inadequacy with the truth of your worthiness
• Prioritize self-care even when life is demanding
• Celebrate each day with gratitude and appreciation
• Believe in yourself when others say you can't or that you don't matter.

If life has left you feeling you are not enough or you are haunted by past choices, circumstances, or labels, “Shine Bright Anyway” will give you the encouragement to change your narrative. The expectations you live with today do not have to define you. You are enough.

“Shine Bright Anyway” is a beautiful little hard-bound volume that would be a lovely gift for oneself or anyone you care about. Christmas may be over, but birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, and “just because” are not.

Give the gift of “Shine Bright Anyway”.

Victor Hugo's Wonderous Feast | December Book Club

"Victor Hugo's Wondrous Feast: The True Story of How the Author of Les Misérables Invited the World to Love", is my December book selection.

1860 Guernsey, France

At the marketplace, a five-year-old girl is carrying a baby and crying, hungry for food. She is just one of the many needy children in the streets, and Adèle Hugo, wife of author Victor Hugo, is moved to make a difference. Victor is equally determined and organizes a Christmas party at the Hugo mansion and invites a few malnourished children, convinced that a good meal is what they need.

This first Christmas feast turns into weekly dinners every Monday where up to forty children are invited. For seven more years—week in, week out—children and adults come to the Hugo mansion for dinners and the annual Christmas feast.

This timeless, true story with beautiful illustrations will inspire young hearts to embrace empathy and do good works, especially during the holidays. Victor Hugo’s Wondrous Feast teaches that “to love is to act” and reminds us that it only takes one person to make a difference.

"Victor Hugo's Wondrous Feast” is the heartwarming, true story about the transformative power of love and good works, nurtured in the home of Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables.

GET YOURS: "Victor Hugo's Wondrous Feast”

Most Requested Copycat Dishes | November Book Club

ORDER: “Most Requested Copycat Dishes”

The weather is colder, the leaves are falling, the days are shorter and darker… Must be nearly Thanksgiving! While that BIG FEAST is fast approaching, there are other meals to be prepared each and every day.

If you’ve grown tired of the same-old, same-old and want some inspiration, you’re going to appreciate “Most Requested Copycat Dishes”

From fast-food classics to gourmet restaurant delights, “Most Requested Copycat Dishes” brings the restaurant experience directly to your home kitchen. From crave-worthy appetizers like Disneyland’s Jalapeño Cheese Stuffed Pretzels and PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps to mouthwatering main courses like Mizithra Pasta from The Old Spaghetti Factory and Gino’s East Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. Then finish off your meal with decadent desserts like Marie Callender’s Chocolate Satin Pie or Nothing Bundt Cake’s White Chocolate Raspberry Cake.

This cookbook presents more than 100 tested and perfected recipes that mirror their famous cousins. With insider tips along with step-by-step photo instructions for some of the trickier recipes, “Most Requested Copycat Dishes” can elevate your home dining experience whether you’re a seasoned chef or a kitchen enthusiast.

You’re sure to find a new favorite - or several - and maybe there’s even something so good it will make it to the big table on Turkey Day… This fall, my gift to you is recommending “Most Requested Copycat Dishes”, your tastebuds will thank me!

GET YOUR COPY OF: “Most Requested Copycat Dishes”

Lady Flyer | October Book Club

LADY FLYER

October is a slowing month. It lounges between the frantic back-to-school pace of September and the bring-on-the-holidays race of November. October is for taking the time to rest, reflect, and ready oneself for winter. For that reason, it’s a very good time to pick up a book!

“Lady Flyer” by Heather B. Moore, is the the book I recommend. It’s got some heft to it, so pull on your cozy sweater, grab a cup of tea, and curl up in your favorite book nook, you’ll be here a while.

Based on a true story and set against the backdrop of WWII, a young woman’s love of flying becomes an epic fight for identity and equality.

“In the quiet town of Houghton, Michigan, sixteen-year-old Nancy Harkness discovers a passion that ignites her heart in ways she never expected. The arrival of barnstormer pilots brings more than just the thrill of their daring stunts; it brings the promise of adventure. Nancy vows she will be a pilot someday.

Years later, as the dark clouds of World War II gather on the horizon, Nancy’s dreams take a new and daring turn. With unwavering determination, she envisions a squadron of female pilots. Yet, her path is far from clear. The male-dominated world of aviation pushes back, determined to keep women out of the skies.

But Nancy isn’t alone in her quest for equality. Jackie Cochran, a formidable aviatrix and Nancy’s rival, has her own dreams and ambitions for women in aviation. As they both navigate the turbulent skies of a nation at war, their destinies intertwine in a story of rivalry, respect, and competition.”

Author, Heather B. Moore is a USA Today best-selling and award-winning author of more than seventy publications, including The Paper Daughers of Chinatown and Under The Java Moon. She’s lived on both east and west coasts of the United States, as well as Hawaii, and attended school abroad, including the Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about anything in history and is passionate about historical research. That is evident in “Lady Flyer”.

Order your copy of LADY FLYER

So True A Love | September Book Club

SO TRUE A LOVE

September has arrived, and with it a changing of the seasons. Labor Day, regardless the weather, marks a turning point for many, from the idles of summer to the productivity of fall.

But all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, as the old saying goes, so make sure you carve out some time for yourself between business meetings, school drop offs, shopping, cooking and house chores.

15 minutes a day curled up with a book that plucks you out of the daily grind and places you in the midst of the danger and passion of two love birds embroiled in a Bow Street investigation is what I’m talking about!

“So True A Love”, by Joanna Barker, is my book club pick for this month of transition, September.

London, 1803

As the daughter of a renowned actress, Verity Travers is a privileged lady of high society—and the last woman one would suspect as having worked as a private investigator. But she has hung up that dangerous hat to live the uninspiring life of a gentlewoman. However, when she and her dearest friend become victims of an armed robbery, Verity finds herself swept back into the clandestine world of mystery and crime as she seeks to bring the thief to justice. There’s just one complication: the persistent and dashingly handsome Bow Street Runner Nathaniel Denning, who always seems to cross her path.

Verity is confident she could accomplish her work quickly if only Nathaniel would stay out of her way. Focusing on the task at hand becomes more and more difficult as his keen mind, quick wit, and determination to keep her out of danger muddle her progress—and her heart.

When the two rival investigators learn they are both pursuing the same cunning criminal, they must figure out how to navigate the delicate dance of cooperation amid a backdrop of increasing peril and an irresistible passion that sets their hearts ablaze.

I love to take a book out onto the porch or into the garden, any time of year, but right now, when the kids have gone back to school and the days are still warm, is when I have the best opportunity to do so. “So True A Love” is good company.

BUY: So True A Love

What In The World?! | August Book Club

I adore Leanne Morgan! She’s smart, she’s beautiful, she’s humble, and she’s sooooo funny! Relatable is the word most people use to describe her. Actually no. “Funny” is the first word, followed closely by “relatable,” but you know what I mean.

She took the time to share some laughs and stories when she joined me on my podcast, LOVE SOMEONE and while I was a fan before, that cinched our relationship. I’m one of her loudest, proudest cheerleaders now, watching her star ascend, applauding every new endeavor.

From raising babies and doing some stand-up on the side, to social media fame, to her smash Netflix special, Leanne Morgan is now a household name and marquee’s all over the country are lighting up with it as she smashes sold-out show after sold-out show. She’s wrapped up a movie with Reese Witherspoon and Will Farrel, and a new sit-com is in the works. What more is there to do? Well, write a book, I suppose… and she did just that!

“What In The World?!”, by Leanne Morgan, “A Southern Woman’s Guide To Laughing At Life’s Unexpected Curveballs And Beautiful Blessings” is available to preorder now.

“For a long time, no one pulling the strings in the comedy world thought that a woman over fifty from rural Tennessee could make it in the industry. But Leanne Morgan has defied the odds, reaching millions with her musings on hormones, low-rise britches, Weight Watchers, and her opposites-attract relationship with her husband, Chuck.

In her charming southern accent, Morgan brings readers inside her quest to find her voice after spending many years trying to figure out what that meant. Along the way, we learn how she grew up as a butcher’s daughter, landed a husband with health insurance, honed her stand-up technique selling jewelry at house parties, embraced the glories of aging, and surrendered to the comfort of wearing big flesh-toned panties.
 
Equal parts warm and hilarious, this book is a must-read by one of comedy’s rising stars—reminding you that every time life leaves you asking “What in the world?!,” something good is bound to come out of it someday.”

Pre-Order “What In The World?!”

A Kingdom To Claim | July Book Club

A Kingdom To Claim

Ready to escape reality for a little bit, letting the noise of the world fade into the background, and the roar and excitment of a Viking battle take its place? My book club pick for July will take you there!

“A Kingdom To Claim”, by Sian Ann Bessey, will immerse you in ancient culture, clashes, and a kingdom on the brink.

Wessex, AD 878

“Aisley’s young life was changed forever when her father accompanied King Alfred into battle and lost his life in a deadly skirmish with the Vikings. Now, almost seven years later, the Vikings are once again rallying on Wessex’s borders, and Aisley fears that her older brother may have treacherous plans to betray the king by aligning himself with the invading Norsemen. But when Aisley encounters a handsome nobleman in the market, she feels the first stirrings of hope. Though they met only once when Aisley was a little more than a child, she recognizes him immediately as one of King Alfred’s most trusted men.”

I enjoy my life so much, especially the chaotic parts, but I still need an escape every once in a while. Books, more than anything else, provide it. A few pages into “A Kingdom To Claim” and I am walking in Aisley shoes, sharing her doubts and desires, experiencing her insights and feelings as she practices her healing arts, falls in love, and fights for the future of her Saxon home.

Welsh born, Idaho state resident, author Sian Ann Bessey, transports us to a time and a place that is the stuff of legends, but really DID exist.

The lives of the Viking and Saxon people during the time of King Alfred’s reign, and the Viking invasions of the British Isles will fascinate you as it does me. Rich in detail and masterfully told, “A Kingdom To Claim” is historical fiction at it’s best.

Pick up your copy HERE.

Beneath A Crescent Shadow | June Book Club

“Beneath A Crescent Shadow”

New month, new book club pick!

“Beneath A Crescent Shadow” is from a genre I share with you a lot, historical fiction, but instead of a Victorian period piece, this one goes way way back to the Ottoman Empire toward the end of the dark ages.

Author A.L. Sowards has obviously done an incredible amount of research to be able to depict the era with such realism and fascinating detail.

“After an arranged marriage, Konstantin and Suzana must find a way to meet the demands of a conquering Ottoman sultan amid a torrent of setbacks and dangers much closer to their Balkan home.

The Balkans, 1373
A devastating battle claimed the lives of Konstantin’s father, uncle, and most of their Serb army, leaving him to rule as a vassal of the Ottoman sultan, a role he is wholly unprepared for. Between war, famine, and a persistent band of brigands, Konstantin is nearly bankrupt. He will need to find a wealthy bride to marry if he is to have any hope of saving his lands and securing his future.

A betrothal to Suzana, the daughter of a prosperous merchant, is soon arranged, and upon meeting her, Konstantin immediately feels hope that their marriage could someday grow into love. Yet, from the moment of Konstantin and Suzana’s betrothal, enemies threaten their lives, outlaws prey on their lands, and the terrors of Suzana’s abusive past haunt their fragile new relationship. As this onslaught of threats closes in, the two face challenges that will test their love, their faith, and their hope to save their people and win their freedom from the heavy weight of Ottoman oppression.”

Although it’s an arranged marriage, neccessary because Konstantin needs the wealth Suzana’s dowry will bring to him and his floundering kingdom, I loved that our two main characters fall for one another at their first meeting. I was cheering them on from the beginning!

As a reader I too felt the cold realities of the period, wartime, and the duties and expectations placed upon the young rulers. And, as each is only human, they must also overcome personal struggles, learn and grow as individuals, and find their place in a brutal world. When hope is a meager commodity, the ability to trust in one another helps them to work through past and current traumatic events, staying resolved and steadfast in their love and the execution of their overwhelming responsibilities.

It’s action-packed, with epic nail-biting battles too. History is so much more interesting when there’s a romance to guide you through it! Just the thing to take out into the garden or tuck into a beach bag.

“Beneath A Crescent Shadow, The Balkan Legends” is Book 1 in a new series, and once you’ve cracked the cover, your going to want to read them all! I know I do!

Order: “Beneath A Crescent Shadow”