Meet Joan Koster, Another Author Who Celebrates Sassy Ladies, and Read About PRAIRIE CINDERELLA, Sculptress Vinnie Ream

I'm currently working on the 4th book in my "Sassy Ladies Series" and have found a kindred soul in Joan, whose series is called "Forgotten Ladies." I've read, enjoyed and highly recommend every one of them (see my Amazon reviews). Her newest release celebrates Vinnie Ream, the Victorian sculptress whose statue of Abraham Lincoln stands in the Rotunda of the U. S. Capitol.

About Joan

When she is not writing in her studio by the sea, Joan lives an 1860s farmhouse stacked to the ceiling with books. In a life full of adventures, she has scaled mountains, chased sheep, and been abandoned on an island for longer than she wants to remember. 

An ethnographer, educator, and award-winning author who loves mentoring writers, Joan blends her love of history, and romance into eye-opening historical novels about women who shouldn’t be forgotten and into romantic thrillers under the pen name, Zara West. She is the author of the award-winning romantic suspense series The Skin Quartet and the top-selling Write for Success series, and of multi-award-winning biographical historicals  including THAT DICKINSON GIRL, CENSORED ANGEL, and now PRAIRIE CINDERELLA.

Joan blogs at JoanKoster.com, American Civil War Voice, Zara West Romance, and Zara West’s Journal and teaches numerous online writing courses. 

An Excerpt From PRAIRIE CINDERELLA

The Capitol, Washington City, April 1866

“Ah, this is where you hide out.”

I snap my head up. The woman is a stranger, but I can tell she hasn’t come to make a purchase or praise my work. Beneath her fashionable hat, adorned with bunches of fake cherries, she wears the nose-pinched expression of someone smelling not the rose petal potpourri discreetly placed around the studio, but the stench of something foul.

She moves along the wall, studying the medallions on display. “These are yours, Miss Ream?” She glares at me. “You are Miss Ream, I presume?”

I grab the wet rag hanging on a hook by my work stand and wipe the clay dust from my fingers. “Vinnie Ream, at your service. All the works here are mine. And available for purchase.”

She puts on spectacles and peruses my newest work—the bust of a bare-breasted young woman, which I’ve christened Violet.

The woman straightens. “Heard about you. Had to see for myself.” She gives me a long stare. “I’m Jane Swisshelm.”

A polite greeting sticks in my throat. Everyone has heard of the razor-tongued, overly opinionated journalist who gave her all to the wounded soldiers during the war but then had the distinction of being fired by both Horace Greeley and the War Department for being too radical in her news articles.

I curtsy and force out a response. “You are most welcome to my little studio, Mrs. Swisshelm.”

“Little studio? You’re right here in the Capitol. That’s an honor deserving of a renowned artist like Clark Mills, not you. You look to be all of fourteen. But buxom enough, I guess. And all that hair. No wonder the men are rapturous about you. Be forewarned: I am not so easily persuaded by a bit of feminine fluff.”

She sails across to my bust of Lincoln and places her hand on top of the head as if my most important work is nothing more than a doorpost. “Heard you’re claiming the President himself posed for you?”

How dare this woman accuse me of lying? I bite out the words, “He did.”

“Well, my good friend, Mary Todd, disagrees. Says she’s never heard of you.”

“My arrangement was with the President and his secretary.”

“So you say.” She clasps her hands in front of her own less-than-generous bosom. “I’m here to tell you to drop the petition you’re circulating. You have no right to make a marble sculpture of him.”

I should grovel. Pretend to think about her suggestion. After all, I’m not sure what I am going to do. But I can’t. The woman reminds me too much of Ma and her dictates. So, I throw back my shoulders and firm my voice. “You can’t tell me how to pursue my career.”

She comes closer. “Give up the petition, or I’ll spread the rumor that your obscene woman in the shop window is actually you. A self-portrait, shall we say.”

“What? Are you blind? That looks nothing like me. That is a classical pose based on numerous renowned works of art.”

“It is unsuitable for you to show such nakedness, and an insult to all women. Men do not need their lust stirred by bared breasts.”

“It is a most appropriate work to be created by a woman. Why should only men be allowed to sculpt our sex? No one criticizes them for sculpting nude males.”

Her lips pinch together. “The only reason to create nudes of either sex is to titillate.”

“The human body is beautiful and wondrous. It must be. After all, the Lord has modeled a good many people in the nude.”

Swisshelm sneers. “Our good Lord has no place in this den of obscenity or in this discussion. Mark my words. If you continue the course you have set for yourself, you will be rebuffed in society.”

“Society, as you call it, doesn’t accept me now—an upstart girl from the wild prairie who works with her hands. But people who value excellent artwork support me with their pocketbooks.” Poker-hot anger overrides my commonsense. “Long after you are gone and your newspaper turned to dust, Mrs. Swisshelm, my work—nude or dressed—will endure. Do your worst. I’m going to get that commission.”

To learn more about Jane Swisshelm see my article: “Jane Gray Swisshelm on Congressional Behavior.”

To learn more about Vinnie Ream see my article “Vinnie Ream on Art and Nature.”

Why Joan wrote PRAIRIE CINDERELLA: The Story of American Sculptress Vinnie Ream Hoxie

Vinnie Ream was both celebrated and reviled in her lifetime. She was petite, outgoing, and female. The fact that she wanted to be a sculptress at a time when the art world was dominated by men who believed only European-trained artists were the best is what makes her success more incredible.

Yes, some of her success was due to chance. Because she was born in a log cabin like him, Abraham Lincoln at the height of the Civil War gave her permission to sketch and sculpt him during his afternoon naps. After his assassination, at the age of seventeen, she rose to prominence for her bust of him done from life. This led to her receiving the first sculpture commission given by Congress to a woman. Today, her statue of Lincoln stands in the Rotunda of the U. S. Capitol, where it is often seen during state occasions.

But it was not all chance. Vinnie Ream was an amazingly gifted woman who despite her lack of training excelled in art. She was also personable and smart.

Of course, such an accomplishment was questioned. How could a young girl sculpt the body of man? (Remember this was the Victorian age.) How could a frontier-raised American, who'd never been to Europe, be any good at sculpture? How did she get Congress to give her a studio in the Capitol and to vote her $10,000 plus a $5,000 bonus for Lincoln’s statue?

Naturally rumors flew. Some man did the work for her. She never met Lincoln. She traded favors with Congressmen to get the commission. Mark Twain went so far as to call her “the smartest politician of all.” This was to be expected at the time. What surprised me was that these claims are still made today by academics who wink and nod when they talk about her. That got me angry and that is why I wrote this novel.

In PRAIRIE CINDERELLA, I have tried to portray her as a complex woman who was driven to create but who also gave her all to take care of the people she loved. There are two love stories in this novel, and a happy ending. Vinnie Ream was amazing. I hope you will read Prairie Cinderella and come to love her as much as I do.

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Meet My Guest Robert Herold And Read About His Paranormal Romance THE DEVIL'S DREGS, Nominated For The Paranormal Romance Guild's Reviewer's Choice Awards

Hi! I'm Robert Herold, author of three novels with The Wild Rose Press and five novelettes in the Seattle Coven Tales, self-published on Amazon. I love history,

horror, chocolate, jazz, theater, and ethnic foods.

Before going further, I have a very big favor to ask. My novelette, THE DEVIL'S DREGS, has been nominated for the Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer's Choice Awards! The next step is a popularity contest. Please do me the very great honor of voting for my story! (They won't spam you or sell your email address. Any info they take is just to prevent people from voting multiple times.)

You don't have to have read it (yet!) to vote. If you like the cover, vote! If you don’t like the cover, vote! If you like chocolate or puppies, vote! Any promo helps.

Click Here to Vote

It's about halfway down in the list of nominees (in the novellas/shorts category).

Thanks heaps!

Here’s a bit about my story:

A witch has stolen Steven Metcalf's newborn son and intends to sacrifice the child to her dark lord. Steven and his two friends scour Seattle to rescue the infant, but the city has become infested with witches and their allies. Can Steven and company save the innocent before it's too late?

"The must-read paranormal series of the year." --  N. N. Light Book Heaven

My other work includes three novels, part of the Eidola Project series, and I’m currently working on the fourth. The series follows a group of 19 ^th-century ghost hunters who become entangled in deadly supernatural investigations. The team of ghost hunters includes Harvard psychology professor William James (a real-life ghost hunter), his female assistant, an African American physicist, a young woman who was a sideshow medium, and a traumatized Civil War veteran, each possessing unique strengths and weaknesses. The books also act as a distant mirror, dealing with modern themes, such as women’s rights, racism, and drug abuse—while conveying a cracking good tale. (Each of these titles has won awards, too, as has the series!) This series is available through all major online booksellers and can be read as an eBook or as a paperback.

I also write The Seattle Coven Tales, set in the contemporary world. They follow a graduate student (in history, of course!) at the University of Washington and his sommelier girlfriend who are lured into a world of witchcraft and become targeted for sacrifice. Can they escape a world where murderous witches seem to be everywhere? This series has won awards, too, and is only available through Amazon. (Several titles are currently on sale, and all are free with Kindle Unlimited.)

The Link to All My Books on Amazon

Robert as Ghostbuster

Why do I write horror?  I come by it naturally. As a boy, I wanted nothing more than to be a werewolf. When snow occurred, it provided me the opportunity to walk out onto neighbors' lawns halfway and make paw prints with my fingers as far as I could stretch. I would retrace the paw and boot prints, then fetch the neighbor kids and point out that someone turned into a werewolf on this lawn! (They were skeptical.)

As a teen, I helped with the creation of a haunted house, mostly as a gofer, and got to be a werewolf (oh, the joy) once the place opened. This haunted house was sponsored by a local rock station and was not for kids. It had many a frightful room that we repurposed in an old home before it was to be torn down. I, as the wolfman, was in a room with Dr. Frankenstein and the monster, and we all jumped at folks and delighted in their screams. Then, toward the end of the evening, in a moment of werewolf abandon, I decided to jump up onto the wall and grab the bars on a window to howl at the moon. Much to my chagrin and pain, the iron bars were actually wooden dowels that broke off, and I crashed down onto my werewolf tailbone. I howled in pain. People loved it! I, however, too embarrassed to admit my pain and mistake, limped the two miles home that night instead of begging a ride from someone with wheels. My lesson: One must suffer for one’s art.

In the end, I realized writing about horror was considerably safer and even more fun. I hope my work gives you the creeps, and I mean that in the best way possible!

Best witches, er, wishes,

Robert Herold, Author

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PROHIBITION--the 19th AMENDMENT--RATIFIED ON THIS DAY IN 1919

On this day in 1919, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes,” was ratified by the requisite number of states. My romance thriller BOOTLEG BROADWAY is set during this wild era. More booze flowed during Prohibition than when it was legal! When I first created the characters, I had nothing for them to do yet--I just knew I had to get my hero, the scatterbrained musical genius Billy McGlory, into one mess after another, each worse than the one before. The ending surprised even me--and I wrote it! It was an amazing era to research, especially in boozy New York City. It's Book Two of the New York Saga.

A 5-star Amazon review:

The Cat's Pajamas

Diana Rubino had me on the first page, and didn't let go until the end. Her writing evokes Depression-era New York City richly and thoroughly, from the rhythm of the language to the sounds on the street. You can practically hear the music and the clinking of glasses in the speakeasies.

Billy McGlory is a train wreck in the best possible sense. Ms. Rubino has written a brilliantly flawed character whose good intentions spin slowly but inevitably out of control. I couldn't stop tracking his descent into hell and wondering, as he does, how he'd get out of this. A beautiful character study and a fascinating story of the American Thirties in all their danger and dazzle. Bravo!

It's in print, on Kindle, and on audio with the animated New York native Nina Price.

getBook.at/NewYorkSagaBookTwo

Meet Thomas Goodman, Award-Winning Author of Fact-Based THE LAST MAN: A NOVEL OF THE 1927 SANTA CLAUS BANK ROBBERY

I honestly cannot remember how I heard of Thomas's book, but not long before the holidays, the title caught my eye--was it on Amazon? Facebook? Goodreads? I thought, jolly good! With Christmas around the corner, I'll read an uplifting story starring Santa! But little did I know....well, no matter how I found it, I'm glad I did--when reading the synopsis I saw that it was based on a bank robbery that took place in the small town of Cisco, Texas in 1927, and the leader of the pack was dressed as Santa. As a history nut fascinated with true crime books, I couldn't pass this one up! It was captivating to say the least--read my Amazon review--and when I contacted Thomas to invite him as a guest here, he graciously accepted. So read on--then don't miss out on this story that might have given Bonnie & Clyde AND the James Gang a run for their money (no pun intended)....

About Thomas

Thomas closely based his debut novel on a true crime the Associated Press dubbed "The Santa Claus Bank Robbery." He first ran across the story when he lived in the small Texas county where it all took place. He currently lives in Austin, where he has been able to conduct extensive research on the events and characters at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. 

About THE LAST MAN (2024 Spur Award Winner and 2024 Will Rogers Medallion Award Winner)

When Santa Claus enters a Texas bank just before Christmas in 1927, no one expects him to pull a gun. The fake white beard hides his identity from his neighbors while he and three others take everything. But their easy heist goes sideways fast when armed lawmen and citizens assemble to claim a new reward for dead bank robbers. Taking hostages, the gang forces a path through a frenzied and bloody shootout, setting the whole Lone Star state on their trail. One bandit dies in the getaway. One is executed in the electric chair. One swings from a rope in a mob lynching. The last man finds a life he always hoped for … if only he can keep it. Closely based on a true story, THE LAST MAN is a gritty Prohibition-era Western novel filled with flawed characters and second chances.

Excerpt

The man stood in the midnight shadows for a long time and studied the empty bridge that led into Juárez. Light spilled from the customs booth closest to him on the American side of the river. Two hundred yards away, a bare incandescent bulb glowed in a booth on the Mexican side.

Slow and casual, he told himself, and approached the bridge. He turned up his collar as if to block the chill wind, but mostly to keep his face hidden from the customs officer sitting behind the glass of the stateside cubicle. He kept moving. He wasn’t required to stop on this side.

He was halfway across the Rio Grande when headlamps from a car behind him lit up the bridge. In the beams, his silhouette stretched and wavered toward the Mexican customs booth. Brakes whined faintly as the motor rig slowed to his pace, but he continued walking and kept his face forward. The car advanced into his sidelong view. Lamps like chrome cones rested on wide fenders that curved gracefully down to become running boards. A gold star was painted on the side, encircled with the words “City of El Paso Police Department.”

He sighed and his shoulders slumped. It was going to come to an end sometime anyway, the other three being dead and all.

Purchase THE LAST MAN

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Meet My Fellow Wild Rose Press Author Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy, and Read About Her New Holiday Romance HOMEWARD BOUND HEARTS, and Delicious Pumpkin Bread Recipe

 Lee Ann and I are doing a blog exchange that includes holiday recipes (mine is struffoli, "honey balls"), and she is featuring HOMEWARD BOUND HEARTS, on sale December 16.

About Lee Ann

Lee Ann writes from the heart about everyday people caught up in often extraordinary circumstances. Although she makes her home in the small town of Neosho, Missouri in the Ozarks, she’s a native of St. Joseph, Missouri. When she’s not writing or reading, she may be teaching at church. She’s penned more than fifty full length novels, has been included in two dozen anthologies, and published many short stories and articles.  Her novels and short fiction have won awards. Her publishers include World Castle Publishing, Evernight Publishing, and The Wild Rose Press. She is widowed with three children. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and sitting on the front porch in what passes for suburbs in a small town.

About HOMEWARD BOUND HEARTS

A story of Christmas, faith, love and redemption, and a bronc rider ready to play Santa!

Take one saddle bronc ridin’ cowboy, Jeb Hill, the Hillbilly Hotshot, who suffers the worst injury of his career. Send him home to be cared for by a widowed nurse, Shelby Thacker, who struggles to pay her bills and support her two children. Add some friendship, then stir in a little attraction. Complicate things with the return of Jeb’s long absent father and throw in the Christmas season. Jeb wants an old-fashioned, heartwarming Christmas, but Shelby’s poverty destroyed her holiday spirit long ago. Toss in some faith, a country church, and a rodeo rider ready to play Santa Claus. Shelby’s and Jeb’s friendship deepens, but can they fulfill each other’s hopes and dreams?

JEBEDIAH ‘JEB’ HILL has ridden saddle broncs for years as ‘The Hillbilly Hotshot” but when he’s pitched hard into the dirt in an arena, it’s the last ride for Jeb. He feared he broke his back but the spinal fracture is serious enough to land him in the hospital. He’ll walk again but recovery will require months. The medical staff tells him he’ll walk but he won’t compete in rodeo again. Jeb has a choice – either he can check into a rehab facility or recuperate at home with an in-home nurse. He opts for the latter and returns home to the farm where he was raised in Northern Missouri.

SHELBY THACKER is a widowed home health care nurse, raising her two children despite her financial troubles. When she’s assigned to Jeb’s case, Shelby expects an older man and is surprised to meet a patient close to her age. She was hired to work with him each day but spend her nights at home.

Jeb isn’t the easiest patient and worries about staying alone at night when he can barely move. Shelby realizes his fears and returns on the first night. He offers to allow her and her children to move into the rambling old farmhouse while she’s on his case.

His expectations for a long recovery were dim but Jeb finds Shelby and her children, Levi and Lexi, to be cheerful companions. Although he’s not been around many children, he likes her kids. Shelby, armed with a list of the foods he likes, cooks up meals he truly enjoys.

As Jeb graduates from a walker to a cane, a friendship grows between them but Jeb soon learns Shelby is stubborn. Since he has more than enough money, he offers to help the struggling widow but Shelby refuses. She’ll earn her money and stand on her own two feet.

Since Jeb’s farm lies outside of town, closer to a small rural community, Shelby drives the children to school and back each day. Once the job ends, she plans to move back to her old house despite the disrepair. After his first doctor’s visit, Shelby and Jeb have an impromptu picnic at a scenic spot. They talk and kiss for the first time.

Shelby allows Jeb, who can now get around on a limited basis, inside her house so she can pick up a few things. While there, she finds part of the upstairs bathroom floor has sunk, which Jeb tells her is unsafe. He notes many other critical repairs needed before she moves back inside.

Dismayed, Shelby agrees she’ll stay at Jeb’s until some repairs are made. At the same time, her children get closer to Jeb. Levi plays soccer and Jeb attends the games along with Shelby and Lexi. When the stores begin having Christmas items, the kids dream about what they want for the holiday. Jeb learns Shelby doesn’t do much for Christmas. She hasn’t put up a tree since her husband died three years earlier and she can’t afford many presents. He learns her dad died around the holiday so Shelby has her reasons to be a Scrooge.

Jeb, however, wants a glorious Christmas. He plans for a tree, a fine dinner, many presents, and fun for everyone.

He and Shelby debate over how the holiday will be.  In the meantime, they also begin attending Jeb’s childhood church a few miles away from the farm.

Jeb’s mother died when he was twelve and his paternal grandparents raised him. His dad left soon after his wife’s death so Jeb’s relationship with his father is rocky. His dad, Josiah Hill, shows up wanting money. He’s been drinking but Jeb gives him cash and sends him away.

Shelby realizes genial, generous Jeb has a hard side, too, and isn’t sure what to think.

Shelby’s mom, Delia, was wary about Jeb at first and urged her daughter to avoid a relationship with her patient. She soon likes the man, too, and is a big part of their lives.

Halloween passes and by then, Jeb loves Shelby and she says she loves him too. Neither know where they will go from here and for the moment they enjoy life one day at a time.

Just before Thanksgiving, Shelby visits her house in town to retrieve some warm clothes and her children’s coats. As they arrive, she realizes something looks strange with the roof, then see part of it has caved in. Despite the danger, she rushes inside to grab the items she needs. Jeb follows her and pulls her out just before the rest of the roof gives away. Her house is now a wreck and unlivable.

Shelby is upset and has a hard time with the loss. Jeb steps up to help cook for the kids and offers his support.

They prepare for Thanksgiving but on the weekend before, Jeb’s dad returns. This time he’s sober, returns most of the money, and asks if he can stay. Jeb wants to refuse then relents and allows his dad to bunk in the hired hand’s room in the barn. If his dad drinks or causes trouble, he’ll be asked to leave.

Family and friends gather for a traditional Thanksgiving at the farmhouse. Shelby does some Christmas shopping and Jeb does more. He’s ready to put up a tree but his plans are put on hold when Shelby comes down with a bad case of the flu. Delia takes the children home so they won’t get sick and Jeb nurses Shelby.

He’s decided to ask her to marry him around Christmas.

A major winter storm is predicted and so Jeb reacts. First, he asks his dad if he wants to move into the guest room where it will be warmer. They have been rebuilding their relationship one day at a time. Jeb and his father make a trip to town to prepare for the incoming weather. They finally pick up a Christmas tree, plenty of groceries, last minute gifts, and a ring for Shelby.

Delia comes to stay at the farmhouse, so she won’t miss Christmas with her daughter and grandchildren. She and Josiah are getting along well and it seems there may be another relationship in the making.

They decorate the tree and prepare for Christmas. The predicted snow arrives and drops several feet. The church Christmas Eve program is cancelled but they hunker down, make merry, and prepare for December 25.

Jeb intended to propose on Christmas Eve but the right moment didn’t come.

At the same time, Shelby wonders where this relationship might be headed and thinks about a new job. She even considers finding a place to rent. They can’t stay with Jeb forever.

Early on Christmas morning, Jeb asks Shelby if she will be his wife and she agrees.

They decide on a New Year’s Day wedding and their future together begins with joy.

In the last chapter, readers will see some of their future and the book ends with Jeb as a blessed and happy man.

Excerpt

Her new patient arrived in a medical transport van, and she noticed gray shot through his black hair. So, he is old. Then she caught sight of his face, and her mouth dropped open. Mr. Hill wasn’t old at all, despite the salt-and-pepper hair. His lean face tapered to a pointed chin, and he sported a slender hawk-style nose. His eyes were the deep-blue of the ocean or the sky in summer. He isn’t old, and he’s very handsome.

When he stood, using the walker, Shelby realized how tall he was. Still, she remained professional. She introduced herself, settled him into bed, and positioned his body for comfort. When he didn’t object to the kids, she heaved a sigh of relief.

She chose the menu early from a notebook where she’d written down everything she received about his case, from his dietary preferences to the doctor’s orders. Shelby had a section on his medications and his medical history, and flipping through it as she cooked, she realized she’d missed his birthdate. In case he had a birthday coming soon, she wanted to know so found the date on his records.

He would turn thirty-one in December, which made him three years older. Nothing indicated his career, and she had guessed him to be an attorney or college professor or an advertising man. When Jeb mentioned he’d been a saddle bronc rider, Shelby had been stunned. It wasn’t a career she’d considered he might have. Once she knew, however, she understood and realized it matched his injury.

 

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Pumpkin Bread Tradition and Recipe

When we remember the holiday seasons of the past, we often recall the favorite foods or recipes we prepare. During my childhood, my family hosted a multi-generational Christmas celebration which included both sets of grandparents, a great-grandmother, often aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as my parents and siblings. Sometimes we included a family friend or two as well. Our table was abundant with offerings including everything from roast turkey to ham and the occasional quail from my dad’s frequent hunting trips. Side dishes included my great-grandmother’s sage and onion stuffing, mashed potatoes and homemade gravy, family recipe egg noodles, yeast bread or hot rolls fresh from the oven, and an array of vegetable dishes. Since Christmas was also my mom’s birthday, we had a bakery birthday cake along with other cakes and pies. Pumpkin and apple were always the two top favorites.

We also had pumpkin bread, which my mother baked in coffee cans for some reason I don’t know. I still bake it but either in a loaf pan or a cute turkey shaped pan I bought years ago. 

We also bake cutout sugar cookies, using well-used cookie cutters handed down over several generations. We first baked the cookies and frosted them with bright colors as a gift for Pop, my paternal grandfather, but it became a tradition which has endured long after his passing.

Although now the mantle of hosting Christmas for a smaller number of guests has fallen to me, I mostly make the foods our bunch has come to expect. It wouldn’t be Christmas without them, and I’ve added a few items from my late husband’s side of the family.

Pumpkin, though, isn’t just for Thanksgiving. Here’s my tried and true pumpkin bread recipe, sure to please almost anyone.

Pre-heat oven to 350 and prepare a loaf (or other) pan

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¾ to one teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (adjust to taste – some like it spicier than others)

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

½ cup canola oil

½ cup water

½ cup raisins and ½ cup walnuts to taste

Combine dry ingredients, add beaten eggs, pumpkin, oil and water. Blend well. Add raisins and walnuts if desired.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and fifteen minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Enjoy the holiday season with my fictional characters. They have their favorite dishes too. Try my tried-and-true pumpkin bread recipe for a delicious addition to any feast.

Have a wonderful holiday season. Take time to slow down and savor the moments!

Connect With Lee Ann

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/leeann.sontheimermurphy/ Personal page

https://www.facebook.com/leeannwriter/ Author page

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085056318192 Pen Name Page

https://www.facebook.com/authorPatriceWayne/ Pen Name Page 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard?ref=nav_profile_authordash 

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Other: https://allauthor.com/author/leeannauthor/

https://www.waterstones.com/author/lee-ann-sontheimer-murphy/2236830

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lee-Ann-Sontheimer-Murphy/author/B004JPBM6I?

Meet My Fellow Next Chapter Author James Quinn, Read About His New Release, Thriller GRAVEYARD OF SPIES, and an In-Depth Chat

 About James

James is the author of the "Gorilla Grant" series of spy novels including A Game for Assassins, Berlin Reload and the novella Gorilla Warfare which is currently being developed as a Hollywood movie.   He has also written the spy story The Fisherman and the short story anthology Clandestine. 

A professional intelligence and security consultant, he currently resides in the UK but likes to travel extensively around the globe; partly to research his books and partly for the adventure of it all! 

In his spare time he likes to play the drums, learn the guitar and enjoy the finer things in life.

About GRAVEYARD OF SPIES

An MI6 network betrayed 

A spy on the run 

A Father’s hunt for the truth

David Harkness, retired MI6 field agent and once a top operative in Tehran, has been out of the espionage game for decades.  Now living in self imposed exile in Barcelona, he has cut himself off from the cloak-and-dagger world he once knew.

But when a contact from his past tells him that his daughter has gone missing in Iran, David is plunged back into a world of conspiracy, double-cross and espionage. 

Set during the maelstrom of 1970’s Pre-Revolutionary Iran and the modern terrorism war between East and West, James Quinn’s Graveyard of Spies is a thrilling story of one man’s quest to discover the truth and protect what he loves the most – no matter what the cost.

An Excerpt From GRAVEYARD OF SPIES

* Note – I kind of like this scene in the book.  It is relatively unremarkable, but highlights perfectly the full spectrum of an intelligence operatives life when he or she is active.  One moment you can be at a grand garden party or dinner, the next you can be meeting your source in a supermarket car-park in the rain on a dismal Tuesday night and be boosting their ego up so that they will gather more information for you.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy.  JQ 

I have been invited to Bertie Vivian’s leaving party.  My lightweight summer suit has one of its regular outings. We are all gathered into the grounds of the British Embassy in Tehran.  It is a garden party as only the Brits can do it; marquee, sandwiches, buckets of ice-cold white wine and of course the obligatory cake that announces, Sorry to see you go…

Bertie as usual is the centre of attention, holding court with the Ambassador and his staff, talking about his retirement plans, which seem to involve buying a house a stone’s-throw from Lords Cricket Ground.

Davenport is, for one last time, in Bertie’s shadow, because he knows that this time next week, he will officially be declared the MI6 Head of Station in Tehran, a prize that he has coveted since the moment he got here.  Eventually, the future head of MI6 in Iran disentangles himself from the social aspects of his job and seeks me out.  We nod and move over to the shade of the garden.  Spies, even on their home turf, have a way of feeling more comfortable in the shadows.

“It all sounds rather unlikely?” says Davenport at our innocent-looking, but not so innocent meeting over by the garden fountain.  He has clearly read my latest agent report about Farah.

“It’s what I’m hearing from Sparrowhawk,” I say confidently.  

“Wouldn’t we have heard something from the CIA boys?  I mean, they have Tehran sewn up pretty tight?” counters the MI6 man.

I sipped at my ice-cold wine.  “The Americans own the government, but I’m less convinced that they know what’s happening on the ground here in Tehran, maybe not even throughout all of Iran.  They have gotten fat, dumb and happy.”

There is a commotion over by the marquee and someone calls for quiet, only later we discover that it is Bertie.  A radio is tuned properly and the volume is turned up.  People from the MI6 Station are gathered around it, like a doctor trying to listen to a heartbeat.

Davenport puts down his half empty glass of Champagne and starts to walk quickly over to the marquee.  I follow him but at a slower pace, confused about what is happening.  It is only as I get nearer that I can make out the words in Farsi from the BBC World News. 

It turns out that the Shah’s security forces have fired on a group of unarmed protestors in Jaleh Square.  Reports are sketchy, but the estimates coming in suggest that a dozen people have been killed, gunned down.  As the hour moves on, we start to get reports that the number has risen until finally it tops out at over one hundred dead Iranians on the streets of Tehran.  This day would later go down in the firestorm of Iranian politics and be known as ‘Black Friday’.

“The Iranians have lost the plot and the Shah has truly fucked things up!” I hear someone say by the buffet table.

“It’s the Ayatollah’s fault that bloody Khomeini is stirring the honey pot from Europe,” I hear another throw out to the crowd.

The following weeks are filled with tension and death on a scale that no civilised country should have to bear, but these are concerns for people far superior to me.  My concern is in running my sources and maintaining my cover on the street.  Policy is directed by London. I’m just a worker bee and my chief concern is for Farah, agent Sparrowhawk.  Farah, my Farah, is balancing the life of a teacher and that of my source inside the growing underground movements that are opposed to the Shah and his brutality.

Then, as is usual in all agent case managements, we hit our first snag.  Is it a big snag? Not at first, no, and with a little handling it could be contained.  But these things tend to grow to have a life of their own if left unchecked.

I meet her one night after work at a café we both know and she is late, which for Sparrowhawk is unusual.  When she finally arrives, she looks shaken, clutching her books across her chest in a protective manner. 

“What’s up?” I ask, confused by her body language.  No kiss on the cheek.  No smile.  No laughing.

“I have something to show you,” she says quietly.

“What?”

“Something has happened.  Something has happened to me.”

I frown.  My brow furrows.  “Okay… tell me.”

By way of an answer, she looks around the half-empty café to make sure no one is paying attention to us and then lifts up her jumper.  I see the bruises against the right side of her ribs and finger-marks around her wrists.  I remember gaping in horror at the time.

“Who did this?  When did this happen?” I say and I hear that my voice has dropped several octaves until it is an audible growl.

For a moment, it is as if my personalities have split in two.  The shock of seeing someone I love who is hurt, and then the cool detachment of the agent handler takes over and practicalities return. I go to the counter and order some more tea; partly to give myself a moment to calm down and partly to wonder how I should approach this.  Has she been robbed?  My mind is in a tailspin.

“Okay,” I remember saying at the time as I poured the tea.  “Tell me everything.”

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A Chat With James

             

Do you spend more time researching or writing?

Ohhh, that's a great question!  I think writing if I’m honest although I do enjoy the research part of the process.  I’m a travel/location fiend so I do like to look over where I’m setting the stories.

After that the writing element comes in waves for me – it's all or nothing!!  I either write like a mad man for several days and then I go through my drought spell while nothing happens for weeks on end.  Then I get my second wind and the process starts all over again until it is finished!  Its not a perfect system but it works for me.

Tell me about GRAVEYARD OF SPIES and where you got your inspiration for it.

GRAVEYARD OF SPIES is an espionage novel that takes place in Europe and Iran.  I wanted to move away from the usual action thriller style that I am known for and try something a bit more espionage grounded. 

Over the past decade I have worked with people from that part of the world and have become knowledgeable about the politics, history and culture.  I can even speak a limited amount of Farsi which I really enjoyed learning. 

Fundamentally GRAVEYARD OF SPIES is about the relationship between a Father and Daughter – its about family, it’s about how far you would go to protect your loved ones.  Of course all of this is told through the prism of espionage.  It’s probably my most personal book. 

How much of the book is realistic? 

Well, Iran is of course a real place with real issues and a real history.  Do terrible things happen there?  Absolutely yes.  As for the characters, well, that is half the fun, isn’t it, for the reader, trying to figure out how much of it is real.  

Lots (but not all) of the characters in the book are very, very real.  I drew inspiration from multiple sources for others.  And I’m afraid that’s all that I’m prepared to say about that. 

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

Writing has been very, very good to me.  I’ve had a great decade doing it.  Obviously I want the books to do well, but predominantly I want the readers to engage with the characters and to enjoy the stories that I write.  I think that should be the basics for any author. 

I have a plan to return to my original character, Jack “Gorilla” Grant – the MI6 spy/assassin, next year.  It’s the 10^th Anniversary for my first book – A GAME FOR ASSASSINS – and I’ve been asked to write a new “Gorilla” story to celebrate – which I’m really looking forward to. 

After that I have several ideas for a new book and new protagonist which I want to explore.  It will still be in the espionage genre, but with a bit of a crime and possibly horror twist added to it. 

Who is your role model? Why? 

To be honest I’m not sure that I have role models.  I know as an espionage author you are obligated to say LeCarre, Greene, Fleming, etc, - and I’ve enjoyed them all throughout my life and career.  I could also add in at least another dozen artists of all denominations that have inspired me throughout the years as well. 

I personally think the greatest achievement as a creative person is to develop your own momentum.  Be your own role model!! 

Share one fact about yourself that would surprise people. 

I have this thing, not quite sure I would call it a gift, more of a quirk.  But I can recognise faces even if I haven’t seen them for years or I may have only seen them once before.  It's sort of a human facial recognition system that probably has some medical term for it.  I don’t necessarily remember their names, but I know where it was I have seen them before and in what context.  It was an invaluable skill when I worked surveillance teams or covertly. 

What genre do you typically read? Why?

Oh, I’ll read anything that takes my interest – I’m certainly not locked to just spy thrillers.  I’m an avid reader and can have two or three books on the go at any one time.  At the moment I’m reading about Carravaggio, one about Vampires and one about Italy.  So a lot going on there! 

Share a favourite childhood memory. 

Going on an airplane for the very first time!!  It was amazing – I got to go up into the cockpit to talk to the pilots and they even let me press the button for the landing gear.  Imagine doing that in this day and age. 

I love to travel all over the world – I’ve been very lucky – and I think that love of travel stems from that sense of adventure. 

What do you think is the biggest challenge of writing a new book? 

It’s like climbing a mountain that you don’t know how big it is.  It’s easy to get to the top, or so you think, only to discover that you have barely left base camp.  Writing a book is like that.  It’s easy to get disheartened.  How many stories have I tossed away like that – probably dozens.  But then you get that right story, that perfect character or piece of dialogue and it makes it all worthwhile.  That’s what gets you through to the other side of the mountain. 

Then when all that is done you have the dreaded marketing to do...ugh.  Someone once said that writing a book is like finishing a marathon, only that when you cross the finish line and receiving your medal you get a punch in the face instead.  That’s writing.  That’s being an author!!  But at least it teaches us to be resilient.

Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages a day? 

I don’t do that.  Never have, never will.  That feels forced to me.  I write when I have something to say, that could be a paragraph or a whole chapter.  It works for me that way, but you do you. 

What are your thoughts on writing a book series? 

I’ve done it!  I started with the Gorilla Grant books and they have been very very popular.  There is a lot of hard work that goes into developing a book series, there is a bit of universe building, but its an awful lot of fun as well. 

I think the trick is knowing when to stop, put a cap on it.  Several well known authors stay too long at the party, I feel, and end up churning out the same old stuff year in and year out for decades.  It becomes more about the money after that and I always feel that the quality suffers as a result. 

I always had it in my head that the Gorilla books would only need 4-5 books to tell his full life story.  That was my end point.  So this new book that is coming in 2025 can be seen as a bit of fun, a segue way between the end of A GAME FOR ASSASSINS and the start of its sequel, SENTINEL FIVE.

But, no, I don’t intend to write Gorilla Grant books forever.  I want to stretch as an author and try new directions.

Great meeting you, James! I am impressed with your output of work, and your answers intrigued me to the point of shaking my head in wonder--especially saying we should all be our own role models! Extremely well thought out and well said! Much success with your Next Chapter books!