It's 1880.
Catherine's got to escape from her hometown in Virginia. She heads west to marry a childhood friend she hasn't seen in 17 years. She needs a fresh start and he's got a booming business in Paradise Springs. She'll do almost anything to get there. . .except reveal her true last name.
Race heads west set to avenge his brother's death, with a body aching for sleep, and determined to avoid the conniving lady with a throw-away heart. But it's a long, cramped, chaotic train ride from Omaha to Sacramento.
The only thing these two agree upon: they despise each other. And something evil's on board. As they gnaw on each other's nerves, a holdup, hijack, kidnapping and gold mine swindle shove them together, then push them apart. Fiery, opinionated and quick to react, can they team up long enough to throw the devil off the train?

AUTHOR BIO:
Stephen Bly is a Christy Award winner for westerns and author of 105 books of fiction and nonfiction, some of them co-authored with wife, Janet. They live in north-central Idaho at 4,000 ft. elev. on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. They have 3 married sons, 4 grandchildren, and 1 great-grandchild.

Throw The Devil Off The Train can be ordered through your favorite local or online bookstore, such as www.Amazon.com. It's also available through http://BlyBooks.com


STEPHEN BLY’S SPICY ELK CHILI

Many of you have asked me. . .well, only one, maybe two. . .for my world famous recipe for chili. This is an expected and anticipated dish at every Wild Game Feed potluck at our northern Idaho church each November. It’s also a staple at our Broken Arrow Crossing events in the summer. Broken Arrow Crossing is the false-front town I’ve built beside our house. Wife Janet calls it our ‘theme yard.’

So, now the secret’s out. You can create your own chili sensation, Bly-style.

Ingredients:
2-4 pounds of elk meat (for my pals in Quebec, that’s Wapiti meat)
1 16-ounce jar of Pace salsa (“medium” for most gringos; I prefer “hot”)
2 cans of Hormel Chili With Beans (life is too short to wait for beans to soak)
1 green bell pepper (make sure it’s crisp…the red or yellow bells will work good too)
Several fresh jalapeno peppers (don’t wimp out; leave the seeds)
An unending supply of Montreal Steak Seasoning
Red Tabasco Sauce

Directions:
Apply for an out-of-state elk tag from the Idaho Fish & Game Department. Clean your Winchester 1895, 405 caliber rifle. Fly to Idaho and camp deep in the forest along the upper stretches of the north fork of the Clearwater River. Shoot your elk (whether you taxidermy the head or not is your decision). Pack meat in dry-ice and take it home with you on the plane. OR. . .accept that package of wild game meat your brother-in-law keeps trying to give you every Christmas.

The night before. . .put one cup of water, 2-4 pounds of elk (steak or roast) in the crock pot. Season with Montreal Steak Seasoning to taste. Turn that sucker on low, then go to bed.

Sometime the next day. . .drain most of the juices off the meat (yes, you can make elk gravy for breakfast, provided you don’t put it on biscuits that come out of a tube). Place meat in very large pan (the one on the bottom shelf at the back that takes forever to yank out). Dump in your two cans of Hormel Chili Beans (or more if you’re feeding the starting offensive line of the Green Bay Packers, or their equivalent). Important note: never use cheap canned beans that taste like they were soaked in fast food restaurant catsup.

Gut out your bell pepper and carve it into ½ inch squares, then sauté (that means fry ‘em in a skillet, but don’t burn ‘em black or let ‘em get mushy). Toss them in the big pan.

Cut the stems off the jalapenos, quarter them and toss them in. If your fingers blister while cutting the peppers, you have to invite me over for supper. Add a bunch more Montreal Steak Seasoning (bunch=6 tads) and red Tabasco.

Stir everything together and simmer the chili for an hour or so. (Simmer is what happens when you ought to throw another log in the stove, but you wait until half-time of the football game and the fire almost goes out.)

Now, it’s time for the taste test. After stirring the chili again (wooden spoons seem to be less susceptible to corrosion), take a small taste. You may want to add more Tabasco. (Note: if an obnoxious nephew is visiting, let him test the chili. It’s about right if he spends the rest of the day out in the yard with his head buried in leaves, sand, or snow.)

Serving size: this varies. Most times, the bowl is scraped clean with only 10 to 12 people. But, with luck, there will be some leftovers and you’ll get to have it cold for breakfast for several days.


NOW AVAILABLE! Throw The Devil Off The Train, western romance by Stephen Bly

Order through your local bookstore, your favorite online bookstore such as www.Amazon.com or get an autographed copy from http://BlyBooks.com/store.htm

Labels: elk chili recipe, Stephen Bly, Throw the Devil off the Train, western fiction

Here are a few more pictures of the kittens! The first is Sawyer and Hilo meeting. Hilo becomes very excited around the kittens, and I actually think the kittens like her too. The best way, right now, for them to play, is for me to hold Sawyer and then Hilo sits on the end of my bed. That way she doesn't jump and if she gets to crazy I can step back and put space between us. Hilo has gotten very good about sitting. When I do this, Sawyer begins purring. Hilo noses the kitten, licks her, and Sawyer licks her back and rubs his head against Hilo's. Very sweet!

My daughter is head over heels in love with these kittens. She loves to cuddle them and they seem to like it too. For not having been handled much before coming here they have adapted well to our almost constant attention.

The kittens like to jump to the edge of my bathtub. I found them one morning playing around the plants on the far edge, which are next to the window. Sawyer lost his balance and made a grab for the leaf but he ended up sliding into the bathtub. They are very adventurous and a lot of fun to watch.

Labels: dogs and cats, kittens

We took our sweet baby kitten to the vet today for its first shot and discovered it isn't a girl it's a boy! Yep a boy! We were suspicious over the weekend but we're obviously not very good at this. They thought the momma cat was a boy and she turned out to be a girl…and pregnant…and delivered kittens on April Fool's Day. So there you go!

We have named our sweet boy Sawyer, after the bad boy in the TV show LOST. He's definitely a pretty boy and he likes to take things away from his sister. But he's sweet and loves to purr. So the name fits.

And now for the winners! Since we chose a name that wasn't suggested, I am drawing 5 winners! If you are one of the winners who entered my contest, please contact me via leanna (at) leannaellis (dot) com and give me your snail mail address and I'll send you one of my books! Thanks to all of you for the wonderful suggestions!

Winners:

Carrie Padgett
Angela from Kentucky
RubyKat
Jenny
Christy

Congrats! And don't forget to send me your information!

Blessings,

Leanna

The kittens are very rambunctious! They are much more comfortable with us now. Since they haven't been handled much in the past, we are very pleased to how they have become accustomed to us, getting in our laps, purring for us, playing with us. They are very sweet. Our other animals are not too happy by all of this. Miracle, our 7 year old cat, growls at them. We let her stay in the bathroom with them, supervised of course, and she watched them playing for a long time. She's curious but very mad. Our sweet lab, Liberty, was curious about them but she scared them and they hissed and spit at her. So she lost interest. Hilo, our labradoodle, is very curious about them but she is too rambunctious to be near them. So we continue to introduce them. Don't forget to toss out a couple of suggestions for names, and you will be entered to win one or more of my books. If we choose the name you suggested then you'll win 5 books! But if we choose a name of our own, then I will draw 5 winners and give each a book.

Labels: book giveaway, contest, kittens

The kittens arrived yesterday evening. They were nervous and scared at first but they are now playing and purring for us. So sweet! The gray one will be my sister's cat, and the blond one is ours. We thought she was a girl but now we're not so sure. So please suggest some boy names! I'll draw for the winner(s) after we visit the vet on Monday.

Labels: contest, kittens, names

Last chance to enter the name the kitten contest! If you suggest the name that is chosen by us to name our new kitten, then you will win 5 of my books. If no one suggests the name we pick, then I will choose 5 winners to get a copy of one of my books! So make some suggestions. I will make the drawing on Monday! If you've already entered, you can suggest some other names to be entered more than once. That sweet little face needs a name!

Labels: book giveaway, contest, kittens, win books

Hi, y'all! I'd like for you to welcome Rachel Hauck today! She's discussing her latest book and it sure looks good!


Dining with Joy by Rachel Hauck

Thanks for having me today!

I’m no genius in the kitchen, but my heroine, Joy Ballard, finds herself doing a job she can’t do for all the right reasons. She’s a cooking show host who can’t cook!
When I started this book, that premise got a good laugh from those who heard it. Then, I’d ask, “But what’s that story about?”
The person would shrug. “I don’t know.”
“Yeah, me neither.”

I had to ask a lot of questions about what a woman hosts a cooking show when she can’t so much as fry eggs. I didn’t want an insincere, lying heroine. She’s not a manipulator or conniver.

Joy simply found herself filling a job she was asked to do – by her father. She was great in front of the camera. Just not behind the stove.

Not long ago, I stood on stage at church with my worship team praying before the service started. Head back, eyes close, I said in my heart, “Lord, help us. You have to help me. I’m so weak in leading worship. I cannot do it without You.”

While I’m a decent singer, and I can lead the people to worship Jesus, I’m not a musician. I’m not one who can skillfully bring the band and the worship sound together. And until I found myself with a “starting over” band, I never realized how gaping this weakness was for me.

A few days later, I was thinking of all the great worship leaders, singers and musicians. Of great writers. And I just felt weak and inadequate in the two main callings of my life.

Again, I went to the Lord. “Why can’t You find a good worship leader for church? Why can’t you help me be a more successful writer? I see people who are good at what they do, succeeding.”

This is what He said to me. “… most people won’t give me their weaknesses.”

I was stopped cold. I understood that a lot of times God invites us on a journey to participate with Him in some aspect of our lives or others, but because we are not good at that thing, or because we are weak with fear or shame or whatever, we say no.

It’s in our weaknesses His strength is manifest. God is not looking for mighty men and women, He’s looking for weak men and women in which HE can show His might.

Don’t misunderstand, God loves excellence, skill and devotion. While leading worship practices, I have to be excellent as I can be to bring the team and songs together.

I’ll never have a recording or national ministry as a worship leader, but for our little church in Florida, I’m God’s girl. For now.

That, in some ways, is Joy’s journey. She said yes to her father’s desire.
Can we say “Yes?” to our Father’s desire for us? Offer Him all of our strengths AND weaknesses? He’s more than willing to overcome.

In my story, Joy’s secret is revealed and takes a pretty good tumble, but love is waiting to catch her. In the form of cowboy chef and hero, Luke Redmond.

Sigh… Love wins.

One of the things Joy discovers along the way is her father’s banana bread recipe. It’s delish!

Here it is:

Charles Ballard’s Banana Bread
From Connie Spangler

1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1t. baking soda
1/2t. salt
1/2t. cinnamon
2 eggs
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup oil (I use canola)
1/4 cup plus 1 T. buttermilk
1t. vanilla
1/2 cup choc. chips
1/2 cup p.butter chips

In a large bowl stir together flour, sugars, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine eggs, bananas, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Fold in chips. Pour into a greased 9-in. x 3-in. loaf pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until it tests done. Cool on a rack 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Tips for baking banana bread:
DON'T over mix the batter, just until moistened. Banana bread is always best if after its cooled to wrap up and serve the next day.

ENJOY!

RACHEL’S BIO
Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and writes books from the second floor of what she calls her “turret tower.” A gift from the Lord. Besides “Dining with Joy,” Rachel has written fourteen other novels. Also out is “Softly and Tenderly” which Rachel wrote with country artist, Sara Evans.

Visit her web site at www.rachelhauck.com


Blessings!

Labels: chef, christian author, cooking, cowboy, inspirational fiction, Rachel Hauck

Here are the latest pictures of our little kitten. All of the kittens are growing! They're about 6 weeks old now, and we are going to get them in about a week and a half! We're very excited! But we still don't have a name! So please make some suggestions. In an early post I described my giveaway of books, so you can look at that! When we settle on the name, I'll make the drawing.

Our kitten is the little blond one, hiding behind the gray one. My sister is adopting the gray one. We could use some suggestions for that name too! They are both female, or so we hope!

Welcome, Julie Carobini! She's here to talk about her latest book, FADE TO BLUE! That is a gorgeous cover!

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Sure! I write seaside stories filled with faith, flip flops, and waves of grace. My family and I make our home on California’s central coast, and I’ve written five novels plus hundreds of published articles on everything from parenting, to team building in the workplace, to Christian surf dudes on a mission.

2. How did you become interested in writing?

My father wrote magazine articles on the side, including interviews with entertainers such as Fred Astaire and Fred MacMurray. Always loved that! I too became an article writer almost twenty years ago, but I always yearned to create fiction. I wrote two novels that did not sell, but as they say, third time’s a charm, and my debut novel, Chocolate Beach, released in 2007 (re-released with recipes in 2011 as an eBook). By that time, I had a renewed faith in God as well as a redefined focus on the kinds of stories he was leading me to write.

3. What compelled you to write a book on this subject?

Ever since the inception of the Otter Bay Novels with Sweet Waters, I’ve wanted to set a book with the famed Hearst Castle as its backdrop. So much intrigue and mystery about that real castle on the hill and its eccentric, yet astute owner. Of course, novels are more than their location. So after writing the 2nd of these stand-alone novels, A Shore Thing, even I longed to know what happened next for the big-hearted, single mom from that story. Fade to Blue satisfies that curiosity … :)

4.What is the main theme or point that you want readers to understand from reading your book? Are there any other themes present in the book?

Writing this story was much like holding a seashell, constantly turning it over in my hand. Though they’re often tossed into the sea with nary a glance, seashells are intricately beautiful—even when broken. The more I examined the shattered life of Suz—the heroine of Fade to Blue—the more beauty I found. Only the One who restores our souls can make that happen.

5. Are there some specific lessons you hope readers will learn and apply to their lives after reading your book?

I hope readers get lost in the story and the beautiful setting, that they revel in God’s creation as much as I did while writing it. I also hope they experience the Good Shepherd’s gentle leading (Psalm 23), and fall in the love with the concepts of forgiveness, sacrifice, and grace—as much as they do the breathtaking locale.

6. What makes your book different than any other books similar to yours that are in circulation today?

Although I’ve been compared to some amazing writers—something that humbles me—I also know that God made each one of us uniquely. I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5. One unique aspect of my books is the focus on God’s creation of the sea and everything in it. My characters have loved dolphins, sea lions, otters—even giant, glowing sea anemones. But they take that admiration a step further by drawing closer to the God who made such beauty.

7. How does the book intertwine with God’s call on your life and how you are currently serving Him?

This story reminds me not to dwell on the past, but to prayerfully, joyfully--and "hope"fully--move forward. Such lessons there! Suz Mitchell made mistakes in her past—so have I—yet healing brokenness and restoring souls is God’s business. Praise him for that!

8. Do you have a favorite Scripture verse?

I have more than one favorite, but this one’s been spinning in my mind again lately: Psalm 19:14 NIV, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

9. When you are not writing, what do you like to do? Do you have any hobbies?

I love to comb the beach, to jog the sand with Charlie the Dog, and take coffee
breaks with my husband -- so adore that man!

10. As we close, is there anything else you would like to add?

Just that I hope people reading this are encouraged to follow their heart’s desires with the Good Shepherd as their guide. God took all the lows and highs in my life and created something new with them. Although I’d always wanted to write, I had no inkling that I’d be writing beach-themed novels one day. I just kept praying and writing and seeking until an idea popped into my head. I followed that idea, and now find myself talking about my fifth novel filled with "waves of grace." Be encouraged!

Website: www.juliecarobini.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fade-Blue-Otter-Bay-Novel/dp/0805448748/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_5

Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Fade-to-Blue/Julie-Carobini/e/9780805448740/?itm=2

CBD.com: http://www.christianbook.com/fade-to-blue-otter-bay/julie-carobini/9780805448740/pd/448743?item_code=WW&netp_id=864211&event=EBRN&view=details

Labels: beach reads, books, Christian fiction, Inspirational author, Julie Carobini, summer reading

What an honor to have received this award! http://jenniferarcher.blogspot.com/

I will have to work up my list of obscure facts about me as well as formulate my own list of fantabulous bloggers!

Don't forget, I am still running the contest for naming our kitten. We have not chosen a name yet. So please keep the suggestions coming! You can read the post below this one to get the full scoop!

It's been a rough couple of weeks around here as many of you know from the posts on my FB page. For those that don't know, my father-in-law passed away last week. Obviously, it's been very difficult. One thing about my father-in-law is that he LOVED animals. He had a dog and several cats. He had a new cat that he believed was a boy but that 'boy' turned out to be a girl when she delivered 5 kittens on April 1st. When we went up to Kansas City last week for the funeral, we decided to adopt one of the kittens. She is too young to leave her momma yet, so she'll be coming to our house in the next few weeks. The problem is: trying to find her a name! We have four very independent thinkers around here and we cannot seem to agree. At first, we thought we would name her Annie, because my daughter was in the musical last fall. However, not everyone likes that name. So we have come up with: Hula (as in Rock-a-hula baby because we love all things Hawaiian!), Beatrix (as in Beatrix Potter), and Harper (for Harper Lee). Alas, we have not yet agreed. So I'm appealing to you for help!

Here's the contest, offer as many suggestions as you would like. If we choose the name that you have suggested, I will give you a set of my books: Elvis Takes a Back Seat, Lookin' Back, Texas, Ruby's Slippers, Once in a Blue Moon and Facelift. If we do not choose a name that is suggested here, then I will still giveaway 5 books, one to each that I draw from those who offered suggestions here.

In the above picture, the kitten we will be bringing home is the one on the left. So go ahead: make a kitty name suggestion!

Labels: book giveaway, contest, kittens, names