Guest Post from Author Cindy Thomson

Today we have a special treat - a guest post from Cindy Thomson.  Cindy is the author of the recently released Annie's Stories and its prequel Grace's Pictures.  Today Cindy shares a little about the special foods that play such an important part in a traditional Irish Christmas.  

With a month until Christmas Enjoy this gift from Cindy and be sure to check-out 

Cindy's live Facebook Christmas party on Monday December 1st 

5:00pm - 7:30pm EST  http://on.fb.me/1wTigIz!

Giveaways, chats, and guests are on the schedule!

Trim, County Meath Ireland from Flickr credited William Murphy

Why is it holidays seem to revolve around food? Possibly because sitting around a table to eat is the best way to bring families together for conversation and good times. I used food in my latest novel, Annie’s Stories, to evoke a sense of home for Annie who was searching for that place after her life was disrupted. (You can find some of the recipes from that novel here.)  http://cindyswriting.com/2014/07/06/early-20th-century-recipes-from-annies-stories/

Since my stories feature Irish characters, and much of what I’ve written centers on Ireland and Irish culture, I’d like to share some traditional Irish Christmas recipes with you.

Christmas dinners traditionally feature a roasted goose. Turkeys are a more recent substitution. Other dishes included three types of potato dishes: roasted, boiled, and mashed. You might also find roasted parsnips, cabbage, and brussels sprouts. For desert you’d have plum pudding. On St. Stephen’s Day (Dec. 26) you would serve Irish Spiced Beef.

If you’d like to learn about some Irish foods like mash, bread sauce, and celeriac, check out a post I did for the Irish Fireside. http://irishfireside.com/2013/12/16/christmas-dinner-irish-style/

Plum Pudding is no quick dish to make. Perhaps that’s why there are traditions about the family helping. Below is a recipe I copied. I’ve never made this myself. I’ll stick to cookies. But if you’re adventurous, go for it. I’d love to hear how yours came out. (You can contact me through my website www.cindyswriting.com)

Christmas Pudding from Flickr, credited: Peter Hilton 

Traditional Christmas plum pudding recipe

By CHEF MICHAEL GILLIGAN, Irish Central Staff Writer.

10 eggs
1 cup white flour 

4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice


2 teaspoons nutmeg
4 ounces chopped almond pieces

1 grated apple
1 pound light brown sugar 

1 medium carrot, grated (this optional ingredient probably crept into the recipe 

    during WWII when fruits was in short supply) 

Rind and juice of an orange and a lemon

3 pounds raisins use some currants, some yellow, and some sultanas. The more 

    variety in fruits, the better the pudding. 

8 ounces candied cherries or natural dried cherries

24 ounces bread crumbs

12 ounces candied peel (candied pineapple chunks, citron, mixed peel)

1 pint of Guinness

5 tablespoons of hard liquor 

1 pound butter or finely minced suet if preferred

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Rub the raisins and other fruits with the flour and spices. The flour adheres to the stickiness of the fruits and gives the pud a nice even texture.

Cut the butter into fine pieces and mix well with the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl mix the liquid ingredients. When the liquids have been well stirred, add them to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix all together very well.

The batter should be a bit loose, a little thicker than a cake mix. If it’s dry like bread dough, add more Guinness.

My mother would grease a big square of unbleached muslin and pour the pudding into this, tying off the top with string. In these modern times, heat-proof bowls are an acceptable substitute for the cloth bag method...and much easier.

Line the bowl with parchment paper; fill to within an inch of the top of the bowl. Cover the batter with parchment paper and use a lid for steaming. Sealing the top of the bowl with foil will work if there is no self-lid for the bowl. Fill the pot in which you are steaming the pudding to just below the top of the pudding bowl and gently boil for at least 12 hours. I use the slow cooker for this and it works very well. Depending on the size of the bowls used, you may get about three puddings from this recipe. I triple it and get at least a dozen quart-sized puddings. (Big family!)

When the pudding has cooled, remove it from the bowl, dribble brandy (or any other whiskey-type stuff) over the top of it, letting as much sink in as possible. Seal the puddings in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. (Don’t let the aluminum touch the pudding as there is a reaction that dulls the foil and I suspect this is not good for the pud or the people eating it.)

Let it sit for as long as possible before serving. Three or four months is not too long. Occasionally dribble the pudding with a shot of the spirit of your choice: brandy, whiskey, bourbon, etc.

Traditionally, the pudding was steamed again for an hour before serving. There are two possible methods: Remove the wrapping, return the pudding to the original bowl, and steam again for an hour.

Turn it out on a heat-proof serving plate and proceed to the lighting process that follows the brandy butter recipe---or---unwrap the pudding, place it on the serving platter, and microwave for 10 minutes at 50 percent power. The microwave method, though obviously not traditional, works exceptionally well, and has become traditional in my family!

Brandy Butter (Hard Sauce)

1 cup butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar


1/2 cup brandy (or whiskey, Irish or otherwise)

Soften butter. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until it’s fluffy. Slowly add an equal amount or more of confectioner’s sugar. You will see that the mixture changes texture. 

Slowly add the brandy after this textural change in the sugar/butter blend. Beat further until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Spoon the brandy butter into serving dishes and chill until firm. When turning the mixture into the serving dish, finish off the top by swirling it into a circular pattern with the bottom of the spoon for a decorative effect.

Garnish everything with Holly in berry if you have it.

To light the plum pudding, pour a generous cup of Christian Brothers Brandy (none other!) on top. There’ll be a little puddle on the plate. That should light pretty easily and the blue flames will creep up the sides.

Douse the lights in the dining room to bring in the pudding to the acclaim of all at the table. Don’t be disappointed if the flame is out quickly. That’s how it goes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cindy Thomson is a writer and an avid genealogy enthusiast. Her love of history and her Scots-Irish heritage have inspired much of her writing, including her new Ellis Island series with Tyndale House Publishers. Cindy is also the author of Brigid of Ireland and Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland, and is co-author of the baseball biography Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story. In addition to books, Cindy has written on a regular basis for numerous online and print publications and is a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Cindy and her husband have three grown sons and live in central Ohio. 

Visit her online at www.cindyswriting.com or on Twitter: @cindyswriting.

Trading Secrets ~ Review

Trading Secrets
By Melody Carlson

Micah Knight has been keeping a secret for six years.  And the time for the truth has now come.  Her Amish pen-pal thinks she is a boy.  But it wasn't her fault that Zach Miller came to that conclusion. She just never cleared up his misunderstanding.

But when an opportunity to meet face-to-face presents itself Micah has to make a decision.  But does she admit the truth to the person who could very well be her best friend?  Or does she hide the truth yet again and avoid revealing her secret?

Micah's decision could make for one interesting spring break!

This is a book that is sweet and profound.  During life we have choices to make and those choices have an impact on not only our own future but on the futures of those around us.

So many books geared for teens are angst-filled gloom and doom tales of woe.  Trading Secrets won't leave you feeling depressed when you put it down.  This is a meeting of two worlds that create a deeper understanding and appreciation of what we have.  The majority of this book takes place over one week and it is a week which Micah won't soon forget.

If you've read Melody's previous English-meets-Amish books for teens (A Simple Song, My Amish Boyfriend, or Double Take) you know what to expect.  But if you haven't don't worry because these books can stand alone.  You'll take a glimpse into the Amish lifestyle from the view of someone who, like you, is not Amish.

I was provided a copy of this book by Revell through their blogger program in exchange for my honest review.


The truth may set you free--but it might also land you in some uncomfortably hot water.

Over the years, Micah Knight has exchanged many letters--and many secrets--with her longtime Amish pen pal, Zach. But Micah's kept quiet on the biggest secret of all--the fact that despite her name, she's a girl.

Now Micah finally has the chance to meet her pen pal face-to-face. She wants nothing more than to experience life on Zach's Amish farm, but she's more than a little anxious. Will he be angry at her for deceiving him all these years? And will she risk losing his friendship to find something more?


Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than two hundred books, including the Dating Games series, the Life at Kingston High series, Double Take, A Simple Song, and My Amish Boyfriend. She has received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. Melody and her husband live in Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com.

Let There Be Light ~ Review

Let There Be Light
By Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Illustrated by Nancy Tillman

Share with your little one how God created the world around them out of His love.  Let There Be Light is a retelling of Creation that will engage and share the wonder with young readers (or listeners).  

Each day is beautifully illustrated so that each layer of Creation is visually expressed adding meaning to the actions that are portrayed by word.   

The beauty, perfection, and peaceful harmony of God's Creation is observed on the sixth day when animals and humans were spoken into existence. 

I love the joy that is expressed in God's reaction to His Creation and enjoyment He took in enjoying it on the seventh day.  This is sure to become a favorite book with the little one's in your life.  This would also be a welcome addition to a Children's Church/Nursery program.

With Christmas just around the corner this would be a lovely gift even for a little one who is soon to be expected or a special little someone who likes to cuddle up on your lap for a story before bed.  The illustrations are lovely and just add to the whole delightfully experience.

I was provided a copy of this book through the BookLook blogger program in exchange for my honest review.    

Book Description

A boardbook edition of the popular Let There Be Light, the story of Creation from Nobel Peace Prize winner, bestselling author, and cultural icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu paired with Nancy Tillman, the phenomenally successful New York Times bestselling children’s author/illustrator of On the Night You Were Born.

Now available as a board book, Let There Be Light combines the love and warmth of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu with the extraordinary talents of bestselling illustrator Nancy Tillman. This retelling of the biblical story of creation vividly portrays the wonder and beauty of God’s creation on each of the seven days. Using Archbishop Tutu’s lyrical text from the* Children of God Storybook Bible* and Tillman’s remarkable illustrations, this popular book brings the story of creation to life for readers young and old.

About the Authors

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his lifelong struggle to bring equality, justice, and peace to his native country of South Africa. He is the author of numerous books including the Children of God Storybook Bible, God’s Dream, and Desmond and the Very Mean Word. From 2007 to 2013, Tutu was the founding Chair of the Elders, a group of global leaders who are working to promote the shared interests of humanity. In 2013, he received the Templeton Prize for advancing spiritual progress in the world. He lives in South Africa with his wife, Leah. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

Nancy Tillman is the author and illustrator of the bestselling picture book On the Night You Were Born; its companion journal, The Wonder of You; The Spirit of Christmas; and the New York Times bestsellers Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You and The Crown on Your Head. She also created the mischievous cat Tumford fromTumford the Terrible and Tumford’s Rude Noises, and illustrated It’s Time to Sleep, My Love, by Eric Metaxas.

The Christmas Cat ~ Review

The Christmas Cat
By Melody Carlson

When Garrison Brown's grandmother died, he had to find her beloved cats homes.  But finding homes for six cats is more difficult than one would think it would be.  Especially with the requirements his grandmother wanted followed.

But Garrison is determined to follow her instructions and hopefully have all the cats placed within a couple of weeks.  And with his severe allergies to cats the task is twice as daunting.  But a good home is a must.

The Christmas Cat is delightful story that will warm your heart as Garrison seeks to honor his grandmother and fulfill her last wishes.  Garrison also learns that some decisions can't be rushed.

Garrison is at a crossroads in his life, trying to discover where he belongs after years abroad.  And a young woman, a troubled young man, a grandmotherly neighbor and a household of cats are about to help him discover just who he really is.

If you love Christmas stories The Christmas Cat is one you want to read.  And what Christmas story would be complete without a heart-touching revelation that evokes a change for the better?  This is a feel-good book that will leave you with a smile and a warmth in your heart.

Do you someone in your life who loves kitties?  Or all animals for that matter?  Well, this is the perfect Christmas book to give them this Christmas season.

I was provided a copy of this book through Revell's blogger program in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

He felt his face flushing as Cara opened the door. Wearing a garnet-colored knit dress and with her dark hair pinned up, she looked even prettier than he remembered. Suddenly he wished he'd thought to bring a hostess gift. Like a cat.

After years abroad, Garrison Brown finds himself at the home of his beloved grandmother who has just passed away. He must sort out her belongings, including six cats who need new homes. While he hopes to dispense with the task quickly--especially since he is severely allergic to cats--his grandmother's instructions don't allow for speed. She has left some challenging requirements for the future homes of her furry friends.

Can he match the cats with the perfect new owners? And is it possible that he might meet his own match along the way?

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than six million. She is the author of several Christmas books, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, andChristmas at Harrington's, as well as The Christmas Pony and A Simple Christmas Wish. She received aRomantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more atwww.melodycarlson.com.

Safe Haven ~ Review

Safe Haven
The Peacemakers 3
By Anna Schmidt

Suzanne Randolph made a mistake and her career is the causality.  But she has a chance to resurrect both her career and her dream.  Just under 1000 displaced refugees are being brought to America as guests of the President.  But these guests are confined to a camp in Oswego, New York, and they will be sent back to wherever they came from when the war ends.

Suzanne needs to find the story.  The story that will make the difference in the lives of these people who have lost everything.  The story that will erase her mistake.  The story that will make her career. And meeting Theo Bridgewater just might be the story she's looking for - his aunt, uncle, and young cousin are three of these displaced people who have no future until the war's end.

But there is more to Oswego than Suzanne expected and she just might rediscover the Light that was once the focus and center of her life.  And maybe she'll find the peace she once had.

Safe Haven is the perfect conclusion to the Peacemakers series.  Unlike the first two books, this book is set entirely in America and not Europe.  The war in Europe is drawing to a close and we are able to discover the fate of Joseph and Beth; Ilse, Franz, and Liesl; and Detlef Buch.

Taking place over a little more than a year we discover little known facts about life in America for both the few displaced persons who managed to be allowed entry into the country and even the fate of POWs who were brought here.  This is Historical fiction that will touch you and leave with a thirst to discover more about this troubled and turbulent time that left a mark on the world.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Shiloh Run Press through BookFun/TBCN in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

When journalist Suzanne Randolph hears about FDR’s plan to bring a boatload of displaced WWII refugees to America, she knows it may be her last chance to redeem her flagging career. Suzanne follows the story to Oswego, New York, where she meets Theo Bridgewater, a Quaker dairy farmer from Wisconsin who has come to reunite with his uncle and aunt and cousin. Theo’s fight to spare his relatives the return to Germany becomes Suzanne’s fight as she does everything that the “power of the pen” can muster to help win public sympathy for the cause.


About the Author:

Anna Schmidt is a three-time finalist for the coveted RITA award presented annually by Romance Writers of America. Her novel A SISTER’S FORGIVENESS gives Anna her fourth finalist honor for the Reviewers’ Choice Awards from Romantic Times magazine. She has won that award twice before.

Anna is the author of over twenty-five works of historical and contemporary fiction including her most recent series—THE PEACEMAKERS – set in World War II.   All God’s Children was released last fall and tells the story of Beth—an American Quaker trapped in Nazi Germany where she finds herself fall in love with Josef—a young German medical student who is determined to save his beloved homeland from Hitler’s oppressive regime. Publisher’s Weekly had high praise for the novel noting that "The activities of the White Rose resistance group, as well as the prisoner uprising at the Sobibor concentration camp, are more than simple historical context. Schmidt seamlessly integrates these actual events, and the courageous real-life individuals who fought against Hitler’s regime, with her fictional characters and their story, to produce a strong tale of hope and love in the face of insurmountable obstacles."

In Book 2 Simple Faith, Anja--a young Danish woman and friend of Beth’s continues the fight against tyranny as she helps Peter, an American airman shot down over occupied Belgium, return to his base in England. The final book in the series—Safe Haven—was published in September, 2014 and is set in America—in the small upstate New York town of Oswego where a disgraced journalist tries to revive her career telling the story of the refugees from Europe who spent eighteen long months held in a fort there waiting for the war to end.

Radically Normal ~ Review

Radically Normal
By Josh Kelley

You don't have to live crazy to follow Jesus...

Do you ever feel that you're just not good enough to call yourself a Christian?  Do you feel guilty when you attend church services because you aren't out on the mission field taking the Gospel to other countries?  Did you grow-up with the understanding that only those who were out actively preaching and pointing out the sins of others the only true believers?

Well, this isn't the message Jesus taught.  Jesus reached out to the sinner, but He didn't do it from a position of power.  He didn't try to draw attention to Himself - He even asked those He healed to speak not of this.

Living life with a 9 - 5 job is not a sin in God's eyes.  You can find joy in this life living the life God gave you.  How you live a normal life can be a witness to those around you.  You can get rid of the guilt and live with a hope to your future new life.

I really enjoyed reading chapter 17 This Life Matters we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (God) and how we treat our bodies can be a sign of how we honor God.  And our care for others, Christians or non-Christians, is an outward reflection of God's care for the least of these and our love for Him.

Normal is good and not something to be ashamed of, so be Radical by being you!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher though BookFun/TBCN in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

What if being a radical Christian didn’t have to mean selling everything and becoming a missionary to India? What if it could mean settling down and enjoying your normal, God-given life in extraordinary ways? It’s time to reexamine the Bible, put an end to the guilt, and get on with living the abundant life Jesus promised. Radically Normal: You Don't Have to Live Crazy to Follow Jesus is an invitation to do just that. Along the way it takes a new look at several old challenges:

How to be a good Christian (and witness) with out being weird

How to find greatness in your everyday life

Why spiritual stuff isn’t innately better or holier than earthly stuff.

How holiness leads to happiness and obedience is meant to increase joy.

Why selling all your possessions is not necessarily holier than keeping them.

How enjoying this life is meant to increase your desire for the next.

Read an excerpt.

About the Author:

Hi, my name is Josh. I grew up in western Washington in a loving Christian home. In 1999, I graduated from LIFE Pacific College in San Dimas, CA, with a BA in Biblical Studies and a minor in Biblical Languages. Later I did graduate work in Biblical Studies at Trinity Western University in Langley, Canada and was also an adjunct professor at Pacific Life Bible College in Surrey, Canada for one year. Marilyn and I met at college and got married in 1999. We have two daughters who are the joy of our life. Aside from my family and my God, my two greatest joys are reading a good book and enjoying the all the glories of this world God has made - from sunsets to good food and drink with friends.

Since 2007, I've been the the pastor of The Gathering Christian Church. Prior to that, I was an assistant pastor at His Place Community Church and continue to serve as their “Bible expert.” I'm also on the President of the Board of Directors for our local homeless shelter, The Friendship House.

Seven Steps to Authorpreneurship ~ Review

Seven Steps to Authorpreneurship 
by Rochelle Carter

Have you ever wanted to write a book?  Well, writing a book is only the first step.  Publishing it is second.  And the most important part is letting the world know it is out there.

Getting the word out is a full time job in and of itself and Rochelle Carter shares various strategies on how to accomplish this goal.  Writing is your business and now is the time to learn how to do it well.

Offering tried and true methods and unique tricks others have employed you will soon be able to put these strategies to work for you.

From social media blasts to opening a One Book bookstore find the perfect fit for you and your book. And don't forget to use blogs and bloggers in your strategy, who knows you too may be featured here!

I was provided a copy of this book through BookFun/TBCN in exchange for my honest review.  

About the book:
Endorsed by bestselling authors and industry professionals, these 7 Steps are THE guide to approaching your writing career like a business.

Whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction, multi-published or aspiring to publication, independently published or contracted with a publishing house, you need The 7-Step Guide to Authorpreneurship. This how-to handbook will guide you through each phase of your writing career to create a business that generates regular income while allowing you to do what you love. Loaded with well-organized information, plus practical tips and strategies, this guide will become a trusted resource you consult again and again as your build your career.

In a market flooded with advice for writers, there are very few books merging the concept of being an author and an entrepreneur. This guide is the first to truly take authors from concept to execution. The end result is a blending of the entrepreneurial spirit with writing talent to create a successful business achieving the personal and professional goals writers aim for.

Authors, create your own success!

About the Author:

Rochelle Carter is the Publisher at Ellechor Media LLC, an award-winning publishing company with three imprints. She is the international bestselling author of The 7-Step Guide To Authorpreneurship, a book widely endorsed by bestselling authors and industry professionals that is designed to help authors have a successful career.

Carter has received national recognition for her leadership and professional achievements, including the 2014 Stiletto Woman in Business Award for Entrepreneur of the Year. Her imprints have published over 40 books in less than three years, 98% of which enjoy 4-star or higher Amazon ratings. Her titles include award winning novels and international best sellers.

Carter’s next venture will be focused on creating Independent, Innovative and Iconic 21st Century authors through The Authorpreneurship Project.