Apricot Pecan Banana Crinkle Cakes

Apricot Pecan Banana Crinkle Cakes

I arrived home at lunchtime the other day to a house filled with the scent of these beautiful little snack cakes fresh from the oven that Spouse had just baked. I enjoyed one still warm with a coffee at lunchtime as a delicious little mid-day treat. The household teens gobbled up the rest of them and I was barely able to salvage a few to take a photo later in the day.

We experiment quite a bit with banana snack cakes and muffins to create new ways to use up the never ending supply of over-ripe bananas on the counter-top. I'm beginning to think the kids are not eating them because they know if left behind, some delicious snack cakes or muffins will be coming. These were a very tasty example of one of those experiments and although I knew the pecans would work well, I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed the chopped apricots and Chinese five spice  in these. They are well worth a try for a mid-week easy baking project to add to lunchboxes and brown bag lunches or to enjoy as after school snacks.

Makes 12 to 18 depending on size of pans or if using muffin tins.

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp  Chinese five spice powder (or substitute cinnamon)
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 tsp orange zest, finely minced
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat sugar and oil in a bowl. Add eggs, mashed banana and orange zest.

Sift together dry ingredients and fold into banana mixture alternately with orange juice.

Fold in apricots and pecans.

Bake in greased and floured mini loaf pans or in paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Muffin sized cakes will take only about 15 to 20 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don't over bake.

Apricot Pecan Banana Crinkle Cakes

I arrived home at lunchtime the other day to a house filled with the scent of these beautiful little snack cakes fresh from the oven that Spouse had just baked. I enjoyed one still warm with a coffee at lunchtime as a delicious little mid-day treat. The household teens gobbled up the rest of them and I was barely able to salvage a few to take a photo later in the day.

We experiment quite a bit with banana snack cakes and muffins to create new ways to use up the never ending supply of over-ripe bananas on the counter-top. I'm beginning to think the kids are not eating them because they know if left behind, some delicious snack cakes or muffins will be coming. These were a very tasty example of one of those experiments and although I knew the pecans would work well, I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed the chopped apricots and Chinese five spice  in these. They are well worth a try for a mid-week easy baking project to add to lunchboxes and brown bag lunches or to enjoy as after school snacks.

Makes 12 to 18 depending on size of pans or if using muffin tins.

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp  Chinese five spice powder (or substitute cinnamon)
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 tsp orange zest, finely minced
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat sugar and oil in a bowl. Add eggs, mashed banana and orange zest.

Sift together dry ingredients and fold into banana mixture alternately with orange juice.

Fold in apricots and pecans.

Bake in greased and floured mini loaf pans or in paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Muffin sized cakes will take only about 15 to 20 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don't over bake.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

10 Quick and Easy Bite-Size Meals (Perfectly Freezeable too)

10 Quick and Easy meals that are perfect to be made ahead and frozen. They make the perfect toddler lunches, appetizers orserve for dinner with your favorite sides. We love them with potatoes, pasta, rice, veggies or even alone. They are perfectly pop-able and totally scrumptious!

CLICK ON PICTURES TO OPEN RECIPE and ARTICLE (Recipes are at the bottom of the pages)

Continue Reading »

10 Quick and Easy meals that are perfect to be made ahead and frozen. They make the perfect toddler lunches, appetizers orserve for dinner with your favorite sides. We love them with potatoes, pasta, rice, veggies or even alone. They are perfectly pop-able and totally scrumptious!

CLICK ON PICTURES TO OPEN RECIPE and ARTICLE (Recipes are at the bottom of the pages)

Continue Reading »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Mess Hall

The Mess Hall

The Mess Hall

51 Bourke St 

Melbourne, VIC 3000

Ph: (03) 9654-6800

Website

Up at the top end of Bourke Street, The Mess Hall is pretty nondescript. I must have walked past it dozens of times without noticing it, and the first time it caught my eye was out of sheer necessity. We'd just had dinner at nearby Shimbashi, followed by gelato at Spring Street Grocery. It was about 10 pm, and we weren't quite ready to call it a night, but definitely weren't up for hitting a nearby bar. (What can I say? I'm a grandma and sometimes even the notion of a nightclub or even a quiet cocktail bar is just too exhausting to contemplate!) We just wanted somewhere warm where we could sit and keep chatting. The Mess Hall was open and had a free table - success!

I felt a bit self conscious just ordering hot drinks, and checked with a waitress if it would be okay before we sat down, but there was no problem at all. Even though the four of us literally only ordered a cup of tea each, the staff were really friendly and super-chilled. So nice of them! The plates of food being delivered to nearby tables looked and smelled fantastic too, so we decided that we simply must come back and try their food.

And that's exactly what we did a couple of weeks ago on a Friday night! Cheers to the weekend!

Campari soda 

A Campari soda was the tipple of choice for both Adrian and myself - although it was pretty funny, one came out obviously stronger (i.e. much redder) than the other... no idea why! We actually swapped after the first couple of sips because Adrian got the stronger one and found it too bitter, and I was dissatisfied with my insipid one. I want ALL OF THE CAMPARI!

Being super indecisive, we spent ages umming and ah-ing over the menu, which is a concise list comprising a few starters, some pizzas, pastas, salads and three "main plates", but all ended up choosing pasta or risotto. I actually threw out the receipt before writing up this post, and the menu online seems to be a bit out of date, so I don't have exact prices for the dishes, but the pastas and risotto were all around the $22 mark, and the dessert was about $11.

Pumpkin-filled pasta with burnt butter, sage and amaretti biscuits 

No surprise, I went for the dish that had pumpkin, burnt butter and sage. I know that it's classic to crush sweet amaretti biscuits over this type of dish, but I'd never tried it before. Newsflash: it's amazing. The pasta parcels were filled with soft, sweet pumpkin, and I loved the nutty burnt butter and the herbal hit of the crisp sage.

Risotto of the day - prawns, shrimp, fresh peas - $22.50

Even though I only tried one spoon of the risotto, I was really impressed by it. The rice was perfectly cooked, and had a wonderful rich seafood aroma, and was generously studded with prawns and shrimps. (The specials board, intriguingly, listed "prawns" and "shrimp" as separate ingredients).  It can be hard to find a good risotto around town - there are many good ones, but also many very bad ones, and I'm especially wary of seafood risottos - but this was excellent. I highly recommend it if it's on the specials board!

Chicken, ricotta & walnut tortellini w goats cheese and mushrooms

Sandra's chicken, ricotta and walnut tortellini was also a winner. The tortellini themselves were generously sized, and the mushroom sauce was quite intense, but in a pleasant, rather than overpowering way. The walnuts seemed to be an unusual addition (perhaps common in Italy, but not one that I see too often here), but fit in really well with the dish, providing both flavour and texture. This also reminds me that I really must try making that pasta with walnut sauce that Nigella made on one of her Christmas specials many years ago!

Orange chiffon cake

The only letdown was dessert - we shared a piece of orange chiffon cake, and whilst it was pretty nice (moist, and with lots of nice pieces of candied orange), it felt a bit small for something that cost over ten dollars.

Despite the dessert, we really liked The Mess Hall - they serve well made, tasty and unpretentious food in a relaxed yet buzzy environment. I'd definitely want to go back! Whilst the risotto and pastas we tried were indeed, very good, we saw a few plates of their pork belly dish being ferried around and it looked and smelled incredible!

The Mess Hall

The Mess Hall

51 Bourke St 

Melbourne, VIC 3000

Ph: (03) 9654-6800

Website

Up at the top end of Bourke Street, The Mess Hall is pretty nondescript. I must have walked past it dozens of times without noticing it, and the first time it caught my eye was out of sheer necessity. We'd just had dinner at nearby Shimbashi, followed by gelato at Spring Street Grocery. It was about 10 pm, and we weren't quite ready to call it a night, but definitely weren't up for hitting a nearby bar. (What can I say? I'm a grandma and sometimes even the notion of a nightclub or even a quiet cocktail bar is just too exhausting to contemplate!) We just wanted somewhere warm where we could sit and keep chatting. The Mess Hall was open and had a free table - success!

I felt a bit self conscious just ordering hot drinks, and checked with a waitress if it would be okay before we sat down, but there was no problem at all. Even though the four of us literally only ordered a cup of tea each, the staff were really friendly and super-chilled. So nice of them! The plates of food being delivered to nearby tables looked and smelled fantastic too, so we decided that we simply must come back and try their food.

And that's exactly what we did a couple of weeks ago on a Friday night! Cheers to the weekend!

Campari soda 

A Campari soda was the tipple of choice for both Adrian and myself - although it was pretty funny, one came out obviously stronger (i.e. much redder) than the other... no idea why! We actually swapped after the first couple of sips because Adrian got the stronger one and found it too bitter, and I was dissatisfied with my insipid one. I want ALL OF THE CAMPARI!

Being super indecisive, we spent ages umming and ah-ing over the menu, which is a concise list comprising a few starters, some pizzas, pastas, salads and three "main plates", but all ended up choosing pasta or risotto. I actually threw out the receipt before writing up this post, and the menu online seems to be a bit out of date, so I don't have exact prices for the dishes, but the pastas and risotto were all around the $22 mark, and the dessert was about $11.

Pumpkin-filled pasta with burnt butter, sage and amaretti biscuits 

No surprise, I went for the dish that had pumpkin, burnt butter and sage. I know that it's classic to crush sweet amaretti biscuits over this type of dish, but I'd never tried it before. Newsflash: it's amazing. The pasta parcels were filled with soft, sweet pumpkin, and I loved the nutty burnt butter and the herbal hit of the crisp sage.

Risotto of the day - prawns, shrimp, fresh peas - $22.50

Even though I only tried one spoon of the risotto, I was really impressed by it. The rice was perfectly cooked, and had a wonderful rich seafood aroma, and was generously studded with prawns and shrimps. (The specials board, intriguingly, listed "prawns" and "shrimp" as separate ingredients).  It can be hard to find a good risotto around town - there are many good ones, but also many very bad ones, and I'm especially wary of seafood risottos - but this was excellent. I highly recommend it if it's on the specials board!

Chicken, ricotta & walnut tortellini w goats cheese and mushrooms

Sandra's chicken, ricotta and walnut tortellini was also a winner. The tortellini themselves were generously sized, and the mushroom sauce was quite intense, but in a pleasant, rather than overpowering way. The walnuts seemed to be an unusual addition (perhaps common in Italy, but not one that I see too often here), but fit in really well with the dish, providing both flavour and texture. This also reminds me that I really must try making that pasta with walnut sauce that Nigella made on one of her Christmas specials many years ago!

Orange chiffon cake

The only letdown was dessert - we shared a piece of orange chiffon cake, and whilst it was pretty nice (moist, and with lots of nice pieces of candied orange), it felt a bit small for something that cost over ten dollars.

Despite the dessert, we really liked The Mess Hall - they serve well made, tasty and unpretentious food in a relaxed yet buzzy environment. I'd definitely want to go back! Whilst the risotto and pastas we tried were indeed, very good, we saw a few plates of their pork belly dish being ferried around and it looked and smelled incredible!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Chocolates And Its Varities

Chocolate is manufactured through a long refining process. It is a by product of the tropical tree known as Theobroma cacao. The beans undergo a fermenting process and then it is dried and roasted. The resultant product is cocoa butter (a fat used in food and chemical industry) and chocolate liquor. The taste of the chocolate is determined by the amount of cocoa butter and the chocolate liquor. Aside from that, it contains sugar and other ingredients. Here's a brief guide on the type of chocolates that are dominating the world.

The first one was developed by Mayans and Aztecs. They trampled the seeds of cacao tree and added spices then they added hot water. This royal drink was given to Emperor Montezuma and he drank 50 cups of it. This drink was similar to the drink of Gods. It is an acknowledged fact that with one cup of drink one can cover a mile without any food or other substance. With ravages of time, various types of chocolate emerged. Here's a quick snapshot of the same.

Type of Chocolates

Although the markets are decked with different type of chocolates, but the main categories are

White chocolateMilk chocolateDark chocolate

Now let's dive into deep details

White Chocolate- These are made up of cocoa, emulsifier, butter, vanilla, sugar and added flavors. Zeroing in this chocolate will make you glutton free. Additionally, in some countries this is not called as chocolate, as it contains lesser amount of cocoa solids. It has a mild flavor that can be used to make Chocolate Mousse, Panna Cotta and other delectable desserts.

Milk Chocolates- These are made up of 10-20% of cocoa solids (consisting of cocoa and cocoa butter) and 12% of milk solids. This is an ideal chocolate used for baking, except cookies.

They tend to be sweeter than dark chocolates and have a milky white color and less amount of chocolate taste. It is difficult to temper it and it is subject to overheating.

It is made up of condensed milk or milk powder; hence the amount of cocoa is reduced to a great extent. The 40gm of milk chocolate chips contain 17.6% of fat and protein of 2.9%.

Dark Chocolate- This chocolate comprises of high doses of cocoa solids and has a very little amount of milk. It can be categorized as sweet dark chocolate, semi sweet, bitter sweet or unsweet. Depending upon the taste and preferences one can pick.

Sugar Free Chocolate- The Million dollar question is how to reduce the calories and enjoy it. The answer is by banking on sugar free chocolate. This type of chocolate is particularly helpful for people suffering from the diabetes. Only a portion of the chocolate is digested and absorbed through the intestinal tract, so the blood sugar and insulin level doesn't rise to a high level.

This makes it a perfect sweetener for every individual.

Soft Centered Chocolates- These fine smooth chocolates are engrossed with flavored cream or chewy center. They taste best when cakes are topped with whipped cream.

Before concluding, let's get whacky. Here are some interesting facts

According to a BBC report, consuming chocolate causes more extreme and longer brain buzz than a kiss does. So, go on, what are, you waiting for?

It led to the creation of the oven. Strange but true!

Aside from that, this chocolicious chocolate helps to extend the life. The heart attack survivors or who has suffered acute myocardial infection saw enormous benefits of eating it.

In epilogue, consuming a chocolate is a part of well balanced diet. Consume it in right proportion and remain healthy- the buzzword.

Patisserie Uno stands No. 1 bakery amongst all the cake shops in Mumbai and it will be apparent on visiting one of our esteemed branch. Patisserie Uno's renders many sorts of confectionery items and all kind of cakes in Mumbai, our cakes are in great demand. Patisserie Uno not only delights your party with taste but also adds excitement to your celebration.

Chocolate is manufactured through a long refining process. It is a by product of the tropical tree known as Theobroma cacao. The beans undergo a fermenting process and then it is dried and roasted. The resultant product is cocoa butter (a fat used in food and chemical industry) and chocolate liquor. The taste of the chocolate is determined by the amount of cocoa butter and the chocolate liquor. Aside from that, it contains sugar and other ingredients. Here's a brief guide on the type of chocolates that are dominating the world.

The first one was developed by Mayans and Aztecs. They trampled the seeds of cacao tree and added spices then they added hot water. This royal drink was given to Emperor Montezuma and he drank 50 cups of it. This drink was similar to the drink of Gods. It is an acknowledged fact that with one cup of drink one can cover a mile without any food or other substance. With ravages of time, various types of chocolate emerged. Here's a quick snapshot of the same.

Type of Chocolates

Although the markets are decked with different type of chocolates, but the main categories are

White chocolateMilk chocolateDark chocolate

Now let's dive into deep details

White Chocolate- These are made up of cocoa, emulsifier, butter, vanilla, sugar and added flavors. Zeroing in this chocolate will make you glutton free. Additionally, in some countries this is not called as chocolate, as it contains lesser amount of cocoa solids. It has a mild flavor that can be used to make Chocolate Mousse, Panna Cotta and other delectable desserts.

Milk Chocolates- These are made up of 10-20% of cocoa solids (consisting of cocoa and cocoa butter) and 12% of milk solids. This is an ideal chocolate used for baking, except cookies.

They tend to be sweeter than dark chocolates and have a milky white color and less amount of chocolate taste. It is difficult to temper it and it is subject to overheating.

It is made up of condensed milk or milk powder; hence the amount of cocoa is reduced to a great extent. The 40gm of milk chocolate chips contain 17.6% of fat and protein of 2.9%.

Dark Chocolate- This chocolate comprises of high doses of cocoa solids and has a very little amount of milk. It can be categorized as sweet dark chocolate, semi sweet, bitter sweet or unsweet. Depending upon the taste and preferences one can pick.

Sugar Free Chocolate- The Million dollar question is how to reduce the calories and enjoy it. The answer is by banking on sugar free chocolate. This type of chocolate is particularly helpful for people suffering from the diabetes. Only a portion of the chocolate is digested and absorbed through the intestinal tract, so the blood sugar and insulin level doesn't rise to a high level.

This makes it a perfect sweetener for every individual.

Soft Centered Chocolates- These fine smooth chocolates are engrossed with flavored cream or chewy center. They taste best when cakes are topped with whipped cream.

Before concluding, let's get whacky. Here are some interesting facts

According to a BBC report, consuming chocolate causes more extreme and longer brain buzz than a kiss does. So, go on, what are, you waiting for?

It led to the creation of the oven. Strange but true!

Aside from that, this chocolicious chocolate helps to extend the life. The heart attack survivors or who has suffered acute myocardial infection saw enormous benefits of eating it.

In epilogue, consuming a chocolate is a part of well balanced diet. Consume it in right proportion and remain healthy- the buzzword.

Patisserie Uno stands No. 1 bakery amongst all the cake shops in Mumbai and it will be apparent on visiting one of our esteemed branch. Patisserie Uno's renders many sorts of confectionery items and all kind of cakes in Mumbai, our cakes are in great demand. Patisserie Uno not only delights your party with taste but also adds excitement to your celebration.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Stars at Night, are Big and Bright...

...{clap, clap, clap, clap} Deep in the Heart of Texas (and LA!)

Yes.  Please do a little *squeal* with me.  That IS Jim Parsons.  Eating a cookie.  Eating a cookie made in my little ol' kitchen.  Seriously.

Jim Parsons and I went to the same high school.  I believe he was a freshman when I was a senior, so with class sizes of 700+, we probably passed in the halls, but never met.  BUT, I *know* people who *know* him.

{It's kinda like that whole 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon thing, kinda.}

When someone from your hometown makes it big, you root for them.  When someone from your hometown makes it big...and is gracious, and kind, and funny, and down-to-earth, you root for them even more.

AnyWAY...I had the opportunity to make cookies for Jim's 40th birthday party.  (Yes, he's 40.  No, I don't know what kind of face cream he uses...it's working, whatever it is.)

Jim is a Texas boy, and like any good Texas boy, wanted Texas theme cookies.  So, that's what he got.

Texas cookies all around: Texas, Texas maps, Texas stars, Texas bluebonnets, armadillos, boots and hats.
{More details on the decorating later this week.}

People, put the Spring/Klein area of Texas on your radar.  We're home to Lyle Lovett; we're home to Shelly of Cookies and Cups; and yes, we're home to Jim Parsons.  And we couldn't be more proud!

{Happy Birthday, Jim!  Welcome to your 40's.  It's good here.}

PS...coveting that tablecloth. 

{PPS...thank you, Todd!!!} 

See the How-to Texas Cookies posts: part one & part two.

...{clap, clap, clap, clap} Deep in the Heart of Texas (and LA!)

Yes.  Please do a little *squeal* with me.  That IS Jim Parsons.  Eating a cookie.  Eating a cookie made in my little ol' kitchen.  Seriously.

Jim Parsons and I went to the same high school.  I believe he was a freshman when I was a senior, so with class sizes of 700+, we probably passed in the halls, but never met.  BUT, I *know* people who *know* him.

{It's kinda like that whole 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon thing, kinda.}

When someone from your hometown makes it big, you root for them.  When someone from your hometown makes it big...and is gracious, and kind, and funny, and down-to-earth, you root for them even more.

AnyWAY...I had the opportunity to make cookies for Jim's 40th birthday party.  (Yes, he's 40.  No, I don't know what kind of face cream he uses...it's working, whatever it is.)

Jim is a Texas boy, and like any good Texas boy, wanted Texas theme cookies.  So, that's what he got.

Texas cookies all around: Texas, Texas maps, Texas stars, Texas bluebonnets, armadillos, boots and hats.
{More details on the decorating later this week.}

People, put the Spring/Klein area of Texas on your radar.  We're home to Lyle Lovett; we're home to Shelly of Cookies and Cups; and yes, we're home to Jim Parsons.  And we couldn't be more proud!

{Happy Birthday, Jim!  Welcome to your 40's.  It's good here.}

PS...coveting that tablecloth. 

{PPS...thank you, Todd!!!} 

See the How-to Texas Cookies posts: part one & part two.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Hunted by Ednah Walters

Hunted by Ednah Walters


Bran and Lil may have escaped an attempt to lure Lil to the dark side, and recovered the contracts damned people signed with Bran when he was a soul collector, but someone forgot to tell them that no one switches sides or cancels contracts without consequences.

Hunted by an unknown but powerful enemy, Lil, Bran and the Guardians must seek help from unlikely sources to avert total annihilation of the Guardians. When they finally face their enemy, one of them may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Purchase a Print copy for just $5.85!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble 

Praise
All in all, Hunted is a very enjoyable read, especially for those who enjoy angel/demon books. This one has everything you want in an angel book while still maintaining its own distinct feel.
~TeresaMaryRose

This series is addictive.
~Author Kate Kaynak

AMAZING! There is not enough words to describe how much I loved Hunted. Ednah Walters has outdid herself if that is even possible.
~Megan McDade

Author Ednah Walters

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy boys mysteries, hence Stratemeyer influence, before I graduated to Mills & Boons (starting with Janet Daily's Shutter the Sky) and the rest is history.

I enjoy good love stories, tingly mysteries and wondrous adventures. When I finished my college and decided to be a stay-at-home mother, I devoured books like they were going out of production, until reading just wasn't enough. So I started to write.

I've written picture books, contemporary and romantic suspense, biracial/multicultural books, and finally YA fantasy. Awakened is the first book in The Guardian Legacy series. I'm working on book 2, tentatively named Betrayed. When I'm not writing, I do things with my family, five children or my darling husband of 18 years. I live in a picturesque valley in Utah, the setting for my series.

Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook

Tour Schedule

Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 4/25/13


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hunted by Ednah Walters


Bran and Lil may have escaped an attempt to lure Lil to the dark side, and recovered the contracts damned people signed with Bran when he was a soul collector, but someone forgot to tell them that no one switches sides or cancels contracts without consequences.

Hunted by an unknown but powerful enemy, Lil, Bran and the Guardians must seek help from unlikely sources to avert total annihilation of the Guardians. When they finally face their enemy, one of them may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Purchase a Print copy for just $5.85!

Amazon * Barnes & Noble 

Praise
All in all, Hunted is a very enjoyable read, especially for those who enjoy angel/demon books. This one has everything you want in an angel book while still maintaining its own distinct feel.
~TeresaMaryRose

This series is addictive.
~Author Kate Kaynak

AMAZING! There is not enough words to describe how much I loved Hunted. Ednah Walters has outdid herself if that is even possible.
~Megan McDade

Author Ednah Walters

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy boys mysteries, hence Stratemeyer influence, before I graduated to Mills & Boons (starting with Janet Daily's Shutter the Sky) and the rest is history.

I enjoy good love stories, tingly mysteries and wondrous adventures. When I finished my college and decided to be a stay-at-home mother, I devoured books like they were going out of production, until reading just wasn't enough. So I started to write.

I've written picture books, contemporary and romantic suspense, biracial/multicultural books, and finally YA fantasy. Awakened is the first book in The Guardian Legacy series. I'm working on book 2, tentatively named Betrayed. When I'm not writing, I do things with my family, five children or my darling husband of 18 years. I live in a picturesque valley in Utah, the setting for my series.

Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook

Tour Schedule

Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 4/25/13


a Rafflecopter giveaway

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Covert Dreams by Michael Meyer

THIS INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED SUSPENSE THRILLER by Michael Meyer has been compared to Robert Ludlum’s Bourne series, and the writing style has been compared to that of Dean Koontz. #2 on Recommended Thriller/Suspense list at Goodreads 

Imagine waking up remembering intimate details about a country in which you have never traveled and fluently speaking a language that you have never spoken. B.J. is living the ideal life. He has a great wife, a wonderful job. And yet he is experiencing life-like vivid dreams of Munich, a city he has never visited.

Stan Halsey is a professor in Saudi Arabia, who sends for his wife to join him. She arrives, and, in the blink of an eye, she vanishes, leaving no trace of ever being alive in either the United States or in Saudi Arabia.  COVERT DREAMS is a fast-paced international suspense thriller that moves from Munich to the burning sands of Saudi Arabia. What is real, and who is responsible for the terrifying nightmare?

This book is a fast paced thriller that kept my attention throughout.  There are two main characters and each has his own plot going on in the book.  First we have BJ, a hard working man who is trying to earn a living.  Things are going well until he starts having reoccurring dreams of a city he's never visited and a woman he does not know.  As the dreams turn into nightmares his life begins to unravel.

Then there is Stan.  He and his wife decide to start over after the death of their son and the plan is to take a job in Saudi Arabia.  Stan arrives first and when he goes to the airport to meet his wife he finds she isn't there.  When he reports her missing he finds that there is no record of her existence.  There is no visa in her name, no flight itinerary, nothing.  Since no one believes she is real he begins the hunt to find her himself.

This was a griping book with these two men as the central characters.  Both are going through their own nightmare on their own.  The characters were well developed and I wanted to know what was going to happen to them next.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THIS INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED SUSPENSE THRILLER by Michael Meyer has been compared to Robert Ludlum’s Bourne series, and the writing style has been compared to that of Dean Koontz. #2 on Recommended Thriller/Suspense list at Goodreads 

Imagine waking up remembering intimate details about a country in which you have never traveled and fluently speaking a language that you have never spoken. B.J. is living the ideal life. He has a great wife, a wonderful job. And yet he is experiencing life-like vivid dreams of Munich, a city he has never visited.

Stan Halsey is a professor in Saudi Arabia, who sends for his wife to join him. She arrives, and, in the blink of an eye, she vanishes, leaving no trace of ever being alive in either the United States or in Saudi Arabia.  COVERT DREAMS is a fast-paced international suspense thriller that moves from Munich to the burning sands of Saudi Arabia. What is real, and who is responsible for the terrifying nightmare?

This book is a fast paced thriller that kept my attention throughout.  There are two main characters and each has his own plot going on in the book.  First we have BJ, a hard working man who is trying to earn a living.  Things are going well until he starts having reoccurring dreams of a city he's never visited and a woman he does not know.  As the dreams turn into nightmares his life begins to unravel.

Then there is Stan.  He and his wife decide to start over after the death of their son and the plan is to take a job in Saudi Arabia.  Stan arrives first and when he goes to the airport to meet his wife he finds she isn't there.  When he reports her missing he finds that there is no record of her existence.  There is no visa in her name, no flight itinerary, nothing.  Since no one believes she is real he begins the hunt to find her himself.

This was a griping book with these two men as the central characters.  Both are going through their own nightmare on their own.  The characters were well developed and I wanted to know what was going to happen to them next.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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