Fun Friday!

 

 

Anything is possible when you have the right friends to support you.

Send a friend a good book today. 

WOW {Warm Oven Wednesday}

 

Creamy Chicken and Rice Bake...Another great recipe from Pinterest!

Ingredients:

• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (10 3/4 fl. oz.) cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bag (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot medley, thawed
• 2 cups cubed, precooked chicken
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked instant white rice
• 1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking dish. 
COMBINE evaporated milk and cream cheese in baking dish with wire whisk until smooth. Add soup, water, garlic powder and pepper; mix well. Add vegetables, chicken and rice. Cover tightly with foil. 
BAKE for 35 minutes. Uncover; top with cheese. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. 
FOR FREEZE AHEAD:
PREPARE as above; do not bake. Do not top with cheddar cheese. Cover; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
BAKE, covered, for 45 to 55 minutes. Uncover; top with cheddar cheese. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Crosshairs (Natchez Trace Park Rangers) by Patricia Bradley

 Book Description:  Investigative Services Branch (ISB) ranger Ainsley Beaumont arrives in her hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, to investigate the murder of a three-month-pregnant teenager. While she wishes the visit was under better circumstances, she never imagined that she would become the killer's next target--nor that she'd have to work alongside an old flame.

After he almost killed a child, former FBI sniper Lincoln Steele couldn't bring himself to fire a gun, which had deadly and unforeseen consequences for his best friend. Crushed beneath a load of guilt, Linc is working at Melrose Estate as an interpretive ranger. But as danger closes in on Ainsley during her murder investigation, Linc will have to find the courage to protect her. The only question is, will it be too little, too late?

My Thoughts: I always eagerly await a new story from Ms. Bradley.  I was waiting for this third book in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers and this book didn't disappoint .

Of course since this is the third book it is a stand alone.  So don't be afraid that you missed too much.

When Ainsley Beaumont arrives in her hometown to investigate a terrible murder she unknowingly becomes the target of the killer.

But Lincoln Steele, even though he going through his own personal crisis, crosses paths with Ainsley.  This is where the story becomes engaging.

To be honest as a pretty good armchair detective I didn't see who the killer was until he was named.  

I love it when a story has me so engrossed I forget to look for clues and just read trying to follow the author's lovely description of the town and relationships.  Small town charm with a killer on the loose.

A lot of danger and excitement mixed with sweet romance.  A not.to.missed.suspense.read!

Daily Wisdom for Women 2022 Devotional Collection

 Book Description:  Every day for an entire year, you will be inspired by scriptures, devotional readings, and prayers that that no matter what challenges or difficult times come, God is firmly in control and His ways are good. Daily scripture readings follow a Read through the Bible in a Year plan that you may choose to complete alongside the devotional.

My Thoughts:  Every year I look for a new and inspiring devotional.  This year I found this one... Daily Wisdom for Women.

It's a lovely,  hardback,  just right size for a devotional.  

There is a devotional for every day of the year. Every devotional has a scripture at the top of the page and then at the bottom of the page there is a short prayer to go with the devotional.

After perusing the book I found that the devotionals are well thought out and quite scripture based.  A win-win for me.

Plus it's a pretty book.  Also, the right size for putting in a bag or on a desktop.

This little devotional makes a wonderful gift.

*This book was provided for review by Barbour Publishing*

The Red Cottage by Hannah Linder

Book Description:  Meg Foxcroft has never minded the tattling village gossip or her uncle’s ill-tempered rebukes. After all, she has Tom McGwen—and one day, they will build their own cottage, paint it red, and live a wonderful life.

But then the unthinkable happens. Meg is attacked, her uncle’s apothecary shop goes up in flames, and when she wakes up in the arms of an eloquent lord, she remembers nothing. Not even her own name.

In a frantic race against time, Tom plunges into dangerous water, bent on sheltering Meg from harm and discovering who wants her dead. Even if she despises him. Even if it’s now the handsome lord she casts her smile upon.

As danger swells and truth comes crashing around them, Meg must confront the past and decide who she trusts—and loves—before the enemy makes the final strike.

My Thoughts:  A new to me author who does not disappoint.

This story of hardship and love takes on a new vibe when it comes to Gothic Style Regencies.

Meg Foxcroft grabs the readers heart and just when all seems lost life seems to get even more difficult for Meg.

And then so many things begin to happen and Meg really doesn't remember a thing.

Then Tom, whom Meg really doesn't like at all decides that he is the only one who can find out what is happening to Meg. 

Is it her uncle?  The mean bully acting out and trying to look innocent?  Or is it someone with a vendetta against Meg and her family and Meg is in the way?

Such a great read with just enough action and adventure to lure the reader into the love life of Meg and what her choices will bring her.

You'll want to read this mix of mystery and gothic regency. 

A not to be missed story!

*This book was provided for review by Barbour Publishing*

Lost in Darkness (Of Monsters and Men) by Michelle Griep

 Book Description:  Travel writer Amelia Balfour’s dream of touring Egypt is halted when she receives news of a revolutionary new surgery for her grotesquely disfigured brother. This could change everything, and it does. . .in the worst possible way.

Surgeon Graham Lambert has suspicions about the doctor he’s gone into practice with, but he can’t stop him from operating on Amelia’s brother. Will he be too late to prevent the man’s death? Or to reveal his true feelings for Amelia before she sails to Cairo?

My Thoughts:  When I signed up for this blog tour I did not read the book description well or it didn't register.

So, as I began reading this novel I was expecting something ever so different.  My mistake not the author's.  

This is about Frankenstein.  Frankenstein, the title character in Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel Frankenstein, the prototypical “mad scientist” who creates a monster by which he is eventually killed. Lonely and miserable, the monster turns upon its creator, who eventually loses his life. 

The story begins innocently enough but as the reader continues in the story, it definitely takes on a different aura. 

This is the most unusual story but great for this time of year.  If you enjoy all things monster and kind.of.innocent then you'll love this read.

Even though this is the most unusual story, especially for a mystery/romance reader such as me, I found the story fascinating and so close to the original Frankenstein story with a few exceptions.  Unfortunately, I also found this story extremely sad.

Michelle Griep is a master story teller so you may love this novel.

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!

Happy book birthday to Shattered Amish Identity by Mary Alford! This suspenseful new release is out now. Order here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DWN2NSQ7/