Summer Recipes Keeping it Simple

Unlikely Merger is now available and for a limited time, 

it's FREE on Kindle!

Today's recipe comes from Suzy Moore, one of the authors of Unlikely Merger. Suzy has been a blessing to all of us at the WIP/PNP family since we were first introduced in 2013. She's helped us with administrative tasks on several big projects, and we're grateful for her time and efficiency! We were thrilled to have her join us on our latest book.

Marinated Summer Veggies

by Suzy Moore

My grandparents loved summer produce. Grandpa was an avid gardener and Grandma always knew

exactly what to do with the bounty. All summer long there would be a row of tomatoes ripening on the kitchen window sill, and the aroma of green peppers, green onions, and cucumbers hung in the kitchen like a welcome from the garden.

Many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins lived nearby. For the ones that didn't, summer was usually the time they came to visit, so there were lots of get-togethers and potlucks and barbecues at Grandma and Grandpa's house during those months of long days in the sunshine.

My favorite summer recipe is heavy on the "summer" and probably a little too simple to be considered a "recipe", but it's my go-to favorite any time we are attending a summer potluck, or just celebrating the season at home. The smell of the vinegar and cucumbers takes me right back, every time, to my grandparents' kitchen and all of those wonderful childhood summer memories.

There are plenty of variations on this basic rendition, and the amount of each ingredient can be tweaked to suit your individual taste.

You'll need:

2-3 cucumbers, peeled and very thinly sliced

1 large white onion, sliced into thin rings

Equal parts vinegar (I like to use apple cider vinegar) and sugar-approx. 2/3 cup

Dill and black pepper to taste

Layer the vegetables in a bowl and pour the vinegar, sugar and spices on top. Stir well to mix. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for as long as you can wait before digging in!

You can also add a teaspoon or so of your favorite oil, fresh tomatoes, chopped green peppers, and any other spices you may like.

Summer fare that is full of flavor and aroma, and simple enough to throw together quickly without missing out on any of the fun in the sun.  Happy summer eating!

****

Suzy Moore loves to get lost in a good story. She has a passion for the written word and for the many ways it can touch and uplift through the sharing of lives, stories, and most importantly the Gospel. She lives in rural Missouri with her husband and five children where she is a homeschooling mom, free-lance editor, and wanna-be farmer of all things natural and delicious. Connect with her on Facebook at her website. 

More from the Authors of Unlikely Merger:

FREE on Kindle
July 1-5

Friday, July 3:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Raelee May Carpenter

Thursday, July 2

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Phee Paradise

Wednesday, July 1

Jennifer Hallmark: 3 Questions Wednesday with Jennifer Hallmark

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Suzy Moore

Betty Thomason Owens: Unlikely Merger’s SAM List

Monday, June 29:

            

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Jennifer Hallmark

Sunday, June 28:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Patricia M. Dyer

Saturday, June 27

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Carole Towriss

Friday, June 26

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Julie Arduini

Thursday, June 25

Jennifer Hallmark: Traveling with Others by Phee Paradise

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Marji Laine

Summer Recipes Potato Salad and Cucumbers

Unlikely Merger is now available and for a limited time, 

it's FREE on Kindle!

We invited our authors to share some of their favorite summer recipes. Today's recipe comes from Jennifer Hallmark, one of the authors of Unlikely Merger.

My Favorite Summer Recipes

Jennifer Hallmark

When I think of recipes in the summer, I picture fresh vegetables straight from my garden. We usually plant broccoli, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, cabbage, potatoes, beets, corn, green beans, and pink-eyed purple hull peas. Yes, the peas are a southern must-have.

I love to share recipes, so today I’ll post two summer staples: potato salad and cucumber salad. It seems no family reunion or church social is complete without potato salad and some fixin’s of cucumbers.

The cucumber recipe is simple. You simple take 6-8 cucumbers, then peel and slice into a large bowl. Mix one cup of mayonnaise with either 2 tablespoons of vinegar or milk, depending on whether you like the vinegar taste. We prefer milk. Then add about a teaspoon of Morton Nature’s Seasons seasoning blend and whisk until smooth. Pour over cucumbers and chill. Enjoy!

My potato salad recipe is not too hard either. I place around four pounds of potatoes in a large Dutch oven, unpeeled, and boil until tender. I find they have a better consistency if I leave the peel on when boiling. Then I peel, and cut into cubes. I add four boiled eggs, chopped, and ¼ cup chopped onion (if you like onion). From here, I estimate. I’ll start by adding 1 ½ cups of mayonnaise, two tablespoons of prepared mustard, and ¼ cup of relish, either dill or sweet. I go back and forth, depending on whether I want the tang or the sweet. A couple of teaspoons of Nature’s Seasons seasoning blend and maybe a touch of pepper complete the salad. I stir it all up and then taste and add mayo or relish until it’s just right.

Yum! Delicious summer recipes, sure to please.

****

Jennifer Hallmark: writer by nature, artist at heart, and daughter of God by His grace. With over 200 articles and interviews on the internet, her attention has moved to southern fiction and YA fantasy.

Her first book published in early 2014, a multi-authored romantic comedy novella, called A Dozen Apologies. She is currently shopping her YA series, Journey of Grace: Realm of Ecclesia, and a contemporary southern fiction novel, When Wedding and Weather Collide.

She is also part of two compilation projects to be released later this year. Unlikely Merger is a romantic novella, a sequel to A Dozen Apologies. She’s also contributed to the anthology: Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage.

Jennifer shares a writer’s reference blog, Writing Prompts & Thoughts & Ideas…Oh My! with friends, Betty, Tammy, Allison, Karen, Cari, Holly, Anne, Robin, and Betty B.

Jennifer and her husband, Danny, have spent their married life in Alabama and have a basset hound, Max. Their daughter Mandy is married to Tim, and has given them two beautiful granddaughters, Ava and Sadie. Their son, Jonathan, is currently working in the food industry and trying to complete his degree in business.

She loves to read detective fiction from the Golden Age, watch movies like LOTR, and play with her two precious granddaughters. At times, she writes.

You can find Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

More from the Authors of Unlikely Merger:

FREE on Kindle
July 1-5

Friday, July 3:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Raelee May Carpenter

Thursday, July 2

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Phee Paradise

Wednesday, July 1

Jennifer Hallmark: 3 Questions Wednesday with Jennifer Hallmark

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Suzy Moore

Betty Thomason Owens: Unlikely Merger’s SAM List

Monday, June 29:

            

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Jennifer Hallmark

Sunday, June 28:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Patricia M. Dyer

Saturday, June 27

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Carole Towriss

Friday, June 26

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Julie Arduini

Thursday, June 25

Jennifer Hallmark: Traveling with Others by Phee Paradise

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Marji Laine

Book Release Day - Free on Kindle!

We're excited to celebrate the release of our latest collaborative novella, Unlikely Merger, the third book in The Heart Seekers Series. You'll meet the hero that READERS chose!

Today, July 1 through Sunday, July 5, Unlikely Merger will be FREE on Kindle. Get your copy, and please, tell all your friends about it!

No longer needed as her father’s nurse, Mercy Lacewell attempts to step into his shoes at his acquisitions firm. That means travel, engaging strangers, and making final decisions—nothing she feels equipped to do. If her best friend has her way, Mercy will simply marry one of the single, available men she meets, but they overwhelm her. So handsome and kind. And so many. Even if she felt obliged, how could she ever choose?

Should she shove all attraction aside and focus on her father’s business, or is God warming her heart with the possibility of forever?


In case you missed the first two books in The Heart Seeker Series:

Book One: A Dozen Apologies

Mara Adkins, a promising fashion designer, has fallen off the ladder of success, and she can’t seem to get up. 

In college, Mara and her sorority sisters played an ugly game, and Mara was usually the winner. She’d date men she considered geeks, win their confidence, and then she’d dump them publicly. When Mara begins work for a prestigious clothing designer in New York, she gets her comeuppance. Her boyfriend steals her designs and wins a coveted position. He fires her, and she returns in shame to her home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where life for others has changed for the better. 

Mara’s parents, always seemingly one step from a divorce, have rediscovered their love for each other, but more importantly they have placed Christ in the center of that love. The changes Mara sees in their lives cause her to seek Christ. Mara’s heart is pierced by her actions toward the twelve men she’d wronged in college, and she sets out to apologize to each of them. A girl with that many amends to make, though, needs money for travel, and Mara finds more ways to lose a job than she ever thought possible. 

Mara stumbles, bumbles, and humbles her way toward employment and toward possible reconciliation with the twelve men she humiliated to find that God truly does look upon the heart, and that He has chosen the heart of one of the men for her to have and to hold. 

Book Two: The Love Boat Bachelor

Romance is a joke. 

After the love of Brent Teague’s life came back into his world only to marry someone else, Brent is through with women. He might be through with being a pastor, too. 

Brent was so sure that God brought Mara Adkins home to him so they could marry and live happily ever after. Six months after her wedding to another man, that theory is obviously a dud. If Brent could be so wrong about that, who’s to say he’s not mistaken about God calling him to pastoral ministry? 

Tired of watching Brent flounder for direction, Brent’s feisty older sister boots him out of Spartanburg and onto a cruise ship. Brent’s old college buddy manages the ship’s staff, and he’s thrilled to finagle Brent into the role of chaplain for the two-week cruise. 

As the ship sets sail, Brent starts to relax. Maybe a cruise wasn’t such a bad idea after all. But there’s just one little thing no one told him. He’s not on any ordinary cruise. He’s on The Love Boat. 

What’s a sworn bachelor to do on a Caribbean cruise full of romance and love? He’ll either have to jump ship or embrace the unforgettable romantic comedy headed his way. 

Behind the Scenes of Unlikely Merger:

Wednesday, July 1

Jennifer Hallmark: 3 Questions Wednesday with Jennifer Hallmark

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Suzy Moore

Monday, June 29:

            

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Jennifer Hallmark

Sunday, June 28:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Patricia M. Dyer

Saturday, June 27

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Carole Towriss

Friday, June 26

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Julie Arduini

Thursday, June 25

Jennifer Hallmark: Traveling with Others by Phee Paradise

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Marji Laine

Tuesday, June 23

Write Integrity Press: Marji Laine's What’s a Boom-Hunt Road Trip?

Jennifer Hallmark: Why I Keep Saying Yes to The Proposal by Julie Arduini

Marie Wells Coutu: The Ultimate Bucket List

Deborah Dee Harper: DeeTrails ~ To Love a Weed

Monday, June 22

Write Integrity Press: Let the Road Trips Begin

Deborah Dee Harper: The Only Thing We Have to Fear ... Getting it All Wrong

Saturday, June 20

Write Integrity Press: Vote for the Hero!

That's When the Crazy Started ...

UPDATE: Unlikely Merger is available now! We will offer

the book FREE on Kindle July 1-5, 2015.

My Craziest Summer

Guest Post by Julie Arduini

I was in my early 20’s, fresh out of college and ready to start a new life. I was at a crossroads because I was new in my relationship with Christ but clueless how to live in a way that was pleasing to Him when I was still hung up on what others thought of me.

Entrusted
Available on Amazon & Kindle

I was also new in my first real job, matching senior citizens with not-for-profit agencies. It was a position that gave me the opportunity to network with the community. My friend wanted to help me along, so she invited me to join the local service club in town. Although I felt young, awkward and lost amidst a sea of older men, I decided to participate with her.

That summer the club was having a big meeting at the local hotel. It was a big deal and the members were expected to be there. Enough time has passed that I don’t remember what the agenda was, but I do recall being bored.

Bored and me never have a happy ending.

The leaders called for a break so I decided to explore the other conference rooms in the hotel. Another woman joined me and together we headed for the hallway where the walls seemed to shake from the rockin’ music.

“I think it’s a wedding reception.” I gestured for her to follow me as I decided to walk by.

And that’s when the crazy started.

A man from inside the party, where alcohol was definitely flowing freely, pointed to me and waved me in. I shook my head, panicked that I would be the pioneer wedding crasher long before Hollywood decided to make a movie about it. The guy wouldn’t take no for an answer and went into the hallway. He begged me to join him, taking me by the arm, and leading me inside.

Part of me was excited, it was the kind of unpredictable fun college had been. Yet, as a new Christian, the place was full of choices that were going to lead me down a path I didn’t want to go down anymore. Most of all, trespassing.

“I can’t be here. I’m not invited.”

He grinned, his glassy eyes full of spunk. “Don’t worry. I’ll vouch for you.”

I tried to back out. “I have a meeting. I really can’t be here.”

He reached for my hand. “C’mon, let’s dance. Bob won’t mind.”

I looked around trying to find who this “Bob” was.

The stranger continued. “He’s my best friend from college, the groom.” Then he dropped Bob’s last name. A name I knew.

I jerked my hand away and headed for the door. “That’s my dentist. I can’t be here.” I thought about when my next appointment was. Of all the times to have an appointment, it was Monday. I had a hard enough time facing the guy. He was young and resembled Top Gun Tom Cruise. Something my mom didn’t miss when she sent his news article to my college mailbox.

“You know him? You have to dance with him. Let’s go.” Oh this guy wasn’t giving up.

By then I was in an all-out panic. I back-pedaled out of there so fast that the college friend couldn’t keep up. I high-tailed it back to the stuffy meeting prepared to sit straight and pay attention for the rest of the day. And I breathed a prayer that Dr. Bob would never, ever know I crashed his wedding.

Monday came and I felt confident I was in the clear. I wasn’t sure why the guy was cleaning my teeth instead of being on a honeymoon but I wasn’t going to ask. He asked how I was and I gave the most uninterested tone I could muster.

He continued getting the tools ready, fixing the seat, turning the headlamp thing on. “Anything interesting happen this summer?”

I opened my mouth and he inserted the plaque-scraper-thingy. Even if I wanted to talk, I couldn’t, so I shook my head. Nope. Not one thing. Especially not Saturday at the hotel where his reception was.

“So, Julie. How did you like my wedding reception?”

Busted.

Thankfully, he laughed and asked why I didn’t dance with him and made sure his friend in his state treated me right. But I could never look Dr. Bob in the eye again.

That was a crazy summer.

****

Julie Arduini’s passion is to encourage readers to find freedom through surrender. She knows it has to start with her so she admits she’s surrendering “the good, the bad, and---maybe one day---the chocolate.”

She desires in her fiction to not only bring hope to those struggling with surrender issues, she wants to highlight the various Upstate New York settings she enjoyed for over three decades. Entrusted,Entangled, and Engaged pay homage to the beautiful Adirondack Mountains.

Julie is also one of the authors in the sequel to A Dozen Apologies,The Love Boat Bachelor.

She holds a BA in Communications from the State University of New York at Geneseo and is a graduate of the Christian Writers Guild. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the 2011 winner of the JournEzine Christmas Contest. Every other Wednesday she blogs at the popular site Christians Read. She enjoys reviewing books and encouraging others at juliearduini.com.

When she’s not writing, reading or blogging she enjoys taking amateur nature pictures and nurturing youth. With a heart to encourage others, she enjoys interacting with readers through social media and can be found throughout social media @JulieArduini.

She resides in NE Ohio with her husband and two children and is blessed to be a step-mom to two adult children and son-in-law who reside in Wisconsin. All of them know not to mess with her chocolate stash.

Behind the Scenes of Unlikely Merger:

Monday, June 29:

            

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Jennifer Hallmark

Sunday, June 28:

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Patricia M. Dyer

Saturday, June 27

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Carole Towriss

Friday, June 26

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Julie Arduini

Thursday, June 25

Jennifer Hallmark: Traveling with Others by Phee Paradise

Fay Lamb: Who Wrote Whom: Meet the Authors of Unlikely Merger: Marji Laine

Tuesday, June 23

Write Integrity Press: Marji Laine's What’s a Boom-Hunt Road Trip?

Jennifer Hallmark: Why I Keep Saying Yes to The Proposal by Julie Arduini

Marie Wells Coutu: The Ultimate Bucket List

Deborah Dee Harper: DeeTrails ~ To Love a Weed

Monday, June 22

Write Integrity Press: Let the Road Trips Begin

Deborah Dee Harper: The Only Thing We Have to Fear ... Getting it All Wrong

Saturday, June 20

Write Integrity Press: Vote for the Hero!

15 Tips for Writing Romance Novels

Writing love stories takes certain skills, so we asked our authors to share their tips for writing romance novels. It's interesting to note that in these 15 Tips for Writing Romance Novels, none of the tips were repeated.  

From Fay Lamb:

Charisse

• Make your heroes and heroine's likable from the start no matter what their issues are. 
• Don't dump back story; layer it. 
• Less is more when it comes to writing romance. There is no thin line between erotica and romance. Erotica is lust; romance is love.

From Joan Deneve:

 

Saving Eric

• Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. Make it natural, believable, with a   healthy dose of humor.
• Strong characterization. I'm convinced that the things we love about the hero/love interest are the qualities of our savior, Jesus Christ. Every girl wants a hero. Someone who will fight for her, love her unconditionally, and even be willing to sacrifice himself for her if necessary. 
• Keep it real. Yes, romance is larger than life and easy escapism, but it also serves a purpose. A good, well-written romance novel can illustrate how one is supposed to treat the important people in his life. I found when I was writing my debut novel, I began treating my husband like my heroine treated her love interest. A good novel should inspire one to be his personal best. 

From Jerusha Agen:

This Dance

• Subtlety, subtlety, subtlety. Don’t fall into the trap of writing in a bunch of physical contact (kisses, hand-holding, back-touching, etc.) with the belief you’re writing romance. Attraction is a must, but the most powerful romances are those that simmer with palpable tension and chemistry that readers don’t see realized (or at least not until the end). Add too much physical contact, and that simmer mundanely cools down before it can boil.
• Don’t skip friendship. Any smart reader will know the romance doesn’t have a lasting future if your couple doesn’t have the foundation of friendship that will outlast the on-again, off-again romance.
• Chemistry is key. If your characters don’t click, your readers won’t buy the romance.

From Betty Thomason Owens:

Amelia's Legacy

• The eyes have it. The very first thing that drew me to my husband was his eyes. I literally lost my train of thought at one point. 
• Mutual respect: kindness toward the object of their affection, and others, as well. 
• Humor. This is a strong point for me, especially if one can laugh at their own mistakes.

From Julie Arduini:

Entrusted

•  Give them a character flaw. 
•  Conflict. For every action, give a reaction. 
•  Don’t forget the middle. I love endings as much as anyone but don’t rush to get there. Make the middle as strong as the beginning and end.

Interviews with the authors of The Love Boat Bachelor:

Fay Lamb’s On the Ledge:

            Spotlight on Author, Julie Arduini, Port of Call: Cozumel with Nora Laing

            Spotlight on Author, Betty Thomason Owens: Port of Call: Grand Cayman with Eliana Grayson

Spotlight on Author, Joan Deneve, Port of Call: Limon, Costa Rica with Renee Kessler

Marji Laine, Joan Deneve, Betty Thomason Owens, and Theresa Anderson:

            Shannon Vanatter’s blog

Julie Arduini:

            The Love Boat Bachelor is Free

Write Integrity Press:
            Dream Valentine Dates

Don't forget, The Love Boat Bachelor is FREE on Kindle right now! Learn who the readers chose as Brent's true love! And see how his story ends? Or is it just beginning?

Valentine Memory: He Didn't Forget!

A Dozen Apologies is FREE this weekend. Get your copy now!

Our authors continue to share their romantic moments with us. Today's guest is Debbie Roome.

I was a gawky teenager – so skinny that I looked almost anorexic – and at a girls only high school. Valentine’s Day was always a mixture of emotion for me. I hoped and longed for a card to arrive in the letter box or be slipped under the front door. By sunset on the 14^th February each year, the hope slowly transformed into sadness and rejection. No one would ever love me – or so I thought.

Then I met Kevin and on the 1^st February 1986 we married. Two weeks later, the usual anticipation arose as I got up, dressed, and packed some lunch for work. Would he have remembered? I looked on the dining room table, checked under my pillow and by the telephone. Nothing.

 

Kevin came out of the bathroom and gave me a big hug. “Have a good day, see you later,” he said.

I nodded squeezing him back, trying to stifle the disappointment. He disappeared out the door and I headed for the bathroom to brush my teeth. A large cream envelope was propped up by the taps, my name written in flowing script across it.

Wow! He didn’t forget!

I opened it carefully and found a beautiful card, covered in red hearts and gold swirls, with a lovely romantic message inside. It was a moment of pure joy and healing, and one I will never forget.

About the Author:

Debbie Roome was born and raised in Zimbabwe and later spent fifteen years in South Africa. In 2006 she moved to New Zealand with her husband and five children. Writing has been her passion since the age of six and she loves to write stories that touch people's lives and turn them towards God. Over the years she has won many awards and trophies for her work, including placing first in the Rose & Crown Novel Writing Competition in 2009 and 2012. In 2013, her novel, Contagious Hope was a finalist for the Australasian CALEB Award. Debbie's writing has opened doors for public speaking and she is often asked to share her life story and her experiences as a writer. Her books are available through all the major online booksellers and titles include Embracing Change, Contagious Hope, Magnitude 7.1 & 6.3, Cyber-Bullying is Never Alright, and Loving Leanne. Fly with Me is due for release in March 2014. She also has a number of ebooks available through Amazon.com.

Connect with Debbie on the Web:

Blog

Website

Other Romantic Moments:

A Romance Writer's Anniversary

My Sweetest Non-Valentine Moment
Romance on Thanksgiving
The Valentine Gift that Can't Be Topped
Wrapped in an Unforgettable Memory
One Romantic Weekend

Exciting Announcement!

Now that the voting is over, we're spotlighting the authors of each chapter and revealing who created each hero. Check out the author spotlights on Fay Lamb's blog every day for the next two weeks. 

Author Spotlight: Jennifer Hallmark

Author Spotlight: Theresa Anderson

Author Spotlight: Debbie Roome

Author Spotlight: Marji Laine

Author Spotlight: Phee Paradise

Author Spotlight: Betty Owens

Author Spotlight: Paulette Harris

Bonus Blogs:

Jennifer Hallmark on Delighted Meditations "Chicken House Fire"
Phee Paradise "Where My Treasure Is"
Marji Laine "Heroes and Romance"
Jennifer Hallmark at the Borrowed Book "Finding Time to Write"
Riley Tompkins Interviews Mara's Parents Cara and Dane Adkins
Tracy Ruckman is interviewed at Author Culture