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Sherri Stewart

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE NOVEL

March 2021 Newsletter

March 2021 Newsletter
It’s Field trip time!!!
Join me for a trip to the Big Easy!
Sherri Stewart
 
Favorite NOLA Restaurant: Brennan’s
Favorite NOLA Site: Oak Alley
Favorite NOLA Movie: Double Jeopardy
 
Ten Things that Will Shock You about New Orleans

1. Covid isn’t the only reason for mandatory masks.
It's illegal to ride on any Mardi Gras float in the city without wearing a Mardi Gras mask.

2. NOLA is the birthplace of the poker game, as well as craps.
The first game of poker was played in the city in the 19th century using a 20-card pack of cards.
3. New Orleans has the Largest Urban Park in the US.
Located in New Orleans, City Park is one of the largest parks in the nation and was once a popular spot for Creole men to meet and duel to settle their scores with swords, pistols, and Bowie knives.

4. New Orleans was the birthplace of the Mafia in the US.
New Orleans is the first home of the American Mafia because it was the original destination for Italian immigrants.
5. NOLA is the home of Grits.
Popular in the city, grits originated from sagamite, a mixture of Indian corn boiled with either bacon fat or butter.
6. New Orleans is home to a pyramid.
 A pyramid tomb in St. Louis Cemetery was built by actor Nicolas Cage. Many theories surround the creation of the tomb, including one rumor that the actor is a member of the Illuminati.
7. Hurricane Katrina affected an area roughly the same size as the United Kingdom. 
It was the largest and third strongest hurricane ever recorded in the United States.

8. Most of the tombs in New Orleans are not built above ground because of the high water table.
They were built above ground to continue the tradition that was popular in Roman Catholic communities in Spain and France.

9. Most of the mansions have floor-level mirrors.
Women once used these mirrors to ensure their ankles weren’t showing.
10. Shiny colorful bead necklaces, also known as “throws,” are now synonymous with Mardi Gras

The city estimates around 25 million pounds of beads get thrown into the streets each year.
www.travelawaits.com
http://www.experienceneworleans.com/facts.html
 
 
A Song for Her Enemies—Fresh Off the Presses
 
She has the voice of an angel,
but the devil is listening
!

 
After Nazi soldiers close the opera and destroy Tamar Kaplan’s dream of becoming a professional singer, she joins the Dutch Resistance, her fair coloring concealing her Jewish heritage. Tamar partners with Dr. Daniel Feldman, and they risk their lives to help escaping refugees. When they are forced to flee themselves, violinist Neelie Visser takes them into hiding.
Tamar’s love for Daniel flowers in hardship, but she struggles with the paradox that a loving God would allow the atrocities around her. When Tamar resists the advances of a Third Reich officer, he exacts his revenge by betraying the secrets hidden behind the walls of Neelie’s house. From a prison hospital to a Nazi celebration to a concentration camp, will the three of them survive to tell the world the secrets behind barbed wire?  

A Song for Her Enemies is the story of a talented young opera singer and the bittersweet love that grows amid the tyranny and fear of World War II. Set against the backdrop of neighbors willing to risk their lives in the German-occupied, war-torn Netherlands, A Song for Her Enemies is an inspiring and beautiful novel celebrating the resilience of the human spirit and the determination of Christians in the face of persecution. It is a novel for everyone seeking to understand the pain of the past and be inspired to embrace hope for the future. https://amzn.to/2M09u0n
 
Eggs Benedict from my favorite
restaurant in New Orleans: Brennan’s

Serving Size: 8

No dish says brunch better than Eggs Benedict.
A world-renowned classic that is timeless. 
 
To assemble dish, place one heaping tablespoon of the hollandaise in the center of warm plates. Using the spoon, make a little well for the English muffin; top with Canadian bacon; then top with 2 eggs each. Then top with more hollandaise sauce. Garnish with fresh chives or chervil.
 
Meet June Foster

An award-winning author, June Foster is also a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. She is the mother of two and grandmother of ten. June began writing Christian romance in 2010. She penned her first novel on her Toshiba laptop as she and her husband traveled the US in their RV. Her adventures provide a rich source of information for her novels. She brags about visiting a location before it becomes the setting in her next book.

To date, June has written over twenty contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels and novellas. She loves to compose stories about characters who overcome the circumstances in their lives by the power of God and His Word. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find freedom to live godly lives. She's published with Winged Publications. Visit June at www.junefoster.com to see a complete list of her books.

Tell us about where you live.

I am privileged to reside in Cullman, Alabama. It is a small southern town of a little over 15,000. I love living here because most people still hold Christian values. The teenagers say yes, ma'am and yes, sir.

One almost finds a church on every corner. If you came to visit, you'd find green tomatoes, fried okra, and catfish. People will treat you politely and remind you to return when they say "y'all come back now."

Tell us about the setting of your newest book.

The setting of The Inn at Cranberry Cove is the fictional name for the real-life community of Ilwaco, Washington. Here's the story behind the story.

Twenty years ago, my husband and I lived in Washington state – in Olympia, the capital. I love the Pacific northwest and frequently set my stories there. In fact, the first five or so were inspired by the forests of Douglas fir, majestic mountains, and lakes and streams that are perfect for fishing.
One weekend during our time in Washington, we decided to travel west as far as we could go until we reached the ocean. Our trip brought us to a delightful B&B in Ilwaco in the southwest corner of the state, between the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. I hadn't realized that a sleepy, historic fishing town nestled there.

The B&B was once an old place of worship, and today boasts of guest rooms, lush gardens, and a large meeting room where the sanctuary used to stand. At the time we were there, I hadn't written my first book, but years later, upon thinking back to the lovely inn, my imagination began to percolate and The Inn at Cranberry Cove was born.

Today the B&B is owned by a sweet couple by the name of Leanna and Kevin Moos and is now called the Inn at Harbor Village. The picture on the cover of my book is the real inn that the Moos graciously allowed me to use.
 
Here is a bit about June’s newest book!
Keep reading for a recipe from The Inn.

The Inn at Cranberry Cove
After her boss fires her on unfounded grounds, twenty-nine-year-old Ashton Price leaves Denver for Cranberry Cove, Washington. She's inherited her aunt's B&B and is determined to carry on her legacy. Upon preparing for guests, she learns of a century-old tale of treasure within the inn. Many have searched for the illusive gems but to no avail. She discovers a man working on the inn's grounds, but is he the gardener Gina Price hired? Perhaps he's searching for the hidden treasure.

James Atwood, corporate executive, works in the Atwood's thriving cranberry business. Tragedy strikes, and he's numb and riddled with guilt. Befriended by Gina Price, he finds solace working evening and weekends in the fresh earth, fescue grass, and aromatic blossoms of the inn's gardens, helping to divert his mind from his dishonest cousin Robert, bent on destroying the Atwood business. He continues tending the grounds after Gina passes, and the new owner believes he's a gardener. After she calls late one night upon hearing a prowler, James races to her rescue and discovers his feelings are more than protective.

Ashton's first guests, the Claxtons, appear out of nowhere saying they've had reservations for a year though she finds no record of a deposit. She chalks the failure up to faulty accounting before she arrived. When an elusive intruder continues to make frightening midnight visits, Ashton fears for her own safety and that of the Claxtons. But then, their odd comings and goings cause Ashton to wonder. Are they really vacationing visitors from California, or do they have other motives for staying at the inn?

Can two people allow the majestic northwest and fragrant coastal air heal their wounded hearts? Will they discover the secret of The Inn at Cranberry Cove?
 
 
A recipe Ashton Price serves at the Inn at Cranberry Cove:
Ashton's Easy Clam Chowder

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 2 (6.5-ounce) cans chopped clams, juices reserved
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup half and half*
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon excess fat; set aside.
  2. Melt butter in the stockpot. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, vegetable stock, clam juice and bay leaf, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in potatoes.
  4. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes.*
  5. Stir in half and half and clams until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.
  6. Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.

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