Monday, October 31, 2022

“HAIL TO ‘SHOOTING STAR,’ MY SPIRITUAL BROTHER!”

 


 From Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

 

“Before the palefaces came among us, we enjoyed the happiness of unbounded freedom and were acquainted with neither riches, wants, nor oppression.”

 

Tecumseh, Chief of the Shawnee Nation

 

While conducting research for one of my earlier novels in which Native Americans are prominent, I learned that pumpkins and other types of squash originated with North America’s Indigenous people as long as 9000 years ago. In farm fields nestled betwixt and between modern-day large cities and small towns for hundreds of miles in any direction from my home in sprawling Columbus, Ohio, pumpkins loom large at this time of year, as do Native Americans, especially in this my country’s National Native American Heritage Month. History tells us that Ohio was the stomping grounds of a number of formidable and famous Indigenous persons, Tecumseh, the warrior chief of the Shawnee Nation, one of the most celebrated among them, not only in Ohio but across the nation and beyond. As I focused my camera on the wagonload of pumpkins, that contemporary American enterprise of something so purely Native American did not hold me fast to present time. On air saturated with misty currents, my imagination was carried back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the time of Tecumseh and his people’s struggle against the expansion of the United States into their Ohio land: the word “ohio” translated as “beautiful river” from the native tongue.



            In Tecumseh’s time, the field in which the wagon now sits would likely not have been an open landscape at all, but rather, as far as the eye could see primeval woodlands of rotund and towering deciduous and coniferous trees would have abounded, plots so thick with vegetation as to be nearly impermeable. It is said that Ohio’s ancient woodlands were the greatest among all others on the planet, and I can picture in my mind’s eye Tecumseh and his young braves, like England’s Robin Hood and his men, making tactical use of the forests in their defense against the white invaders. In the end, no matter how significant was the camouflage, or how targeted were the bows and arrows and hatchets of the Shawnee, those weapons were no match against the muskets and cannons that were the stuff of the arsenal of the palefaces. At the culmination of a series of the terror-filled decades wrought by the European colonists on the area’s Indigenous people, they had no other choice than to give way in Ohio and flea to the safety of neighbor-tribes south and west of them. Like so many of my Cherokee kin who were removed from the lush mountains of Tennessee and the Carolinas by the new government and established in reservations in the wastelands of Oklahoma, the remaining Shawnee were also distributed to reservations west of Ohio. Try as they might to get rid of them, the authorities could not have gotten them all, and that day as I snapped photo after photo, I swear I heard Shawnee whispers afloat on the air: “We are still here, holed up in the foothills of the Appalachians. Come to us and we will embrace you, our sister.”



            Whether fact or fiction, it is recorded that a shooting star appeared in the heavens at the moment of Tecumseh’s birth, and the term became his nickname. I prefer to accept is as fact for the reason that a shooting star is so very emblematic of the dynamism of the man. At the time of his death at age 45, that handsome, gallant, wise, canny, and noble Native American had survived the slaughter of his father and older brother as well as countless numbers of his contemporaries at the hands of the colonists. Foreign colonists of several stripes had devastated and then stolen the native’s hunting grounds, plundered and then burned their villages and crops, infected them with diseases, cowed them with alcohol, forged unfair treaties and broke them regularly, and made fatal inroads towards obliterating their culture and identity. In battle upon battle, Tecumseh as leader of an alliance of resistance fighters he had amassed from native tribes across the continent, he and his braves fought the oppressors. Despite the cruelties and injustices the palefaces had committed against his people, Tecumseh refused to tolerate inhumane treatment of his militia’s white prisoners of war.

Well into the late 20th century, Native Americans were labeled as “savages” in American films and other modes of popular culture. It was the misinformation-diet upon which Americans fed. The official website of the National Native American Heritage Month reads:

 

“During National Native American Heritage Month, we will explore the heritage, culture, and experience of Indigenous peoples both historically and in American life today, while also sharing the various ways the National Park Service collaborates with Indigenous communities.

 

            “America is a vast land of many cultures dating back thousands of years to the original inhabitants of the land. Today, programs, partnerships, and parks preserve and share the stories and heritage of Indigenous people. National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages, and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation. It is also a time to evaluate our pledge to maintain the meaningful partnerships we have with Tribal Nations and renew our commitment to our nation-to-nation relationships as we seek to ensure every community has a future they deserve.”

              I wonder what Tecumseh would make of this measure of recompense, of amends-seeking on the part of the United States? Is it enough to whitewash what in my estimation is my country’s actual “Original Sin.” Perhaps Tecumseh would accept the effort as enough, at least as a beginning, for after all, a bigger heart than that of most others pulsated in his chest. As for me, I am forever at loggerheads between my love of and loyalty to my country and my shame over its sins against its Indigenous people. William Henry Harrison, Tecumseh’s most persistent and consistent nemesis, said of him upon his death, “[Tecumseh] was one of those uncommon geniuses, which spring up occasionally to produce revolutions and overturn the established order of things.” Even so, in the battle that killed him, Tecumseh’s palefaced victors stripped him and scalped him and peeled pieces of his skin from his body as souvenirs in a frozen land far north of his soul’s homeland. While the Indigenous portion of my DNA is Cherokee rather than Shawnee, still I mourn for Tecumseh, and at the same time I salute him: “Hail to ‘Shooting Star,’ my fellow Ohioan—my spiritual brother!” As it turned out, he was my noisy spiritual brother on that day not so long ago that I photographed the wagonload of pumpkins parked in his front yard.©

 

***

A wrong turn during a weekend road-trip gets ex-pat American, Nicholas Plato lost in Australia’s forbidding outback, a journey that terminates at a lonely plot scattered with hundreds of clay pots of every size and description. A timbered door ajar at the front of a pintsized hut at the plot’s center seems an open invitation. Driven by a deathly thirst, Nicholas stops. A strange man materializes out of nowhere, introduces himself merely as ‘Potter’, and welcomes Nicholas to his Garden of the Spirits of the Pots. The stupefying indication of his further words and body language is that Potter has expected Nicholas at his bizarre habitation. Staggered by such familiarity by a person on whom Nicholas has never laid eyes, his first instinct is to get in his car and hightail it back to civilization as fast as wheels can transport him. But something compels him not to leave right away and keeps him coming back.

Although they are as mismatched as two persons can be, a strange friendship takes hold between them. It is a relationship that can only be directed by an unseen hand bent on setting Nicholas on a mystifying voyage of self-discovery and Potter on revelations of universal certainties.

A blend of visionary and inspirational fiction with a touch of romance, this is a tale of Nicholas’ journey into parts unknown, both within his adopted home and himself, a quest that in the end leads him to his true purpose for living.

https://www.amazon.com/GARDEN-SPIRITS-POTS-SPIRITUAL-ODYSSEY-ebook/dp/B09JM7YL6F/



  

#ShootingStar, #Tecumseh, #ShawneeChief, #ShawneeNation, #NativeAmericans, #IndigenousPeople, #NationalNativeAmericanHeritageMonth, #pumpkins, #squashes, #Ohio, #OhioRiver, #BeautifulRiver, #GardenOfTheSpiritsOfThePots, #LindaLeeGreene

             

 

Sunday, October 23, 2022

A HEARTY WELCOME TO AUTHOR HELEN CARPENTER TO MY VIRTUAL KITCHEN

 

Enjoy a Breakfast Sandwich Paired with a Fabulous Pear Dessert

By Author Helen Carpenter

 

I've invited fellow author and friend Helen Carpenter to share her recipes for a delicious breakfast sandwich and a pear dessert with us in my virtual kitchen today. These tasty delights can be enjoyed any season of the year at any time of day. –Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

 

Cheese sandwiches for breakfast anyone? Oh yes—and this simple-to-make chewy and crunchy cheese melt combo is the sandwich of choice. Chewy mozzarella, crunchy fresh green peppers and onions, spicy pepperoni, and Italian seasonings deliciously stacked on buttery English muffin rounds make breaking your night's fast a pleasure.


 

Melted Cheese Sandwich


6 English muffins, store-bought or hand-baked
1 tbsp. butter, softened
12 slices (1-oz each) mozzarella cheese
1 sweet onion
1 large green pepper
6 oz. sliced pepperoni
Garlic salt
Italian seasoning

Split each muffin in half and lightly butter the outer side. Place one-half of each muffin buttered side down in frying pan.

Top each muffin half with 1 slice of mozzarella, 1 sweet onion ring, 1 green pepper ring, and 1 ounce of pepperoni. Season to taste with garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Add another layer of mozzarella. Place remaining half of muffin on top, buttered-side up.

Fry sandwiches in covered skillet, turning once, until cheese melts and sandwich is heated through. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Once you’ve scarfed down the sandwich, it’s time for dessert. We like to bake here in Carpenter Country, and we love to eat what we bake. Today we want to share one of our favorite recipes with you. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.


                                                                                     


3-2-1 Pear-Up


3 pears, peeled and sliced
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. oatmeal
2 tbsp. pecan pieces
2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon, if you prefer)
1 tbsp. butter
1 spritz nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°F

Spritz the bottom of a 9" round pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Toss the pear slices in the lemon juice and add them to the pie pan.

Measure the sugar, oatmeal, pecan pieces, flour, and spice into a plastic baggie. Shake to mix. Add the butter and knead the bag with your fingers until the mixture resembles soft crumbs.

Empty the bag of topping mixture into the pie pan on top of the pears.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the pears are soft.

Tips and tricks


Add a tablespoon of butter on top of the pears if you like a syrupy juice.
Experiment with different types of nuts for different flavors.
Raisins or dates add a sweet touch.
Top each serving with sweetened whipped cream for extra yum.

 

The last one is my personal favorite. 

Helen 

***



Once upon a time there was a mother/daughter author duo named Helen and Lorri, who wrote as HL Carpenter. The Carpenters worked from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories was unreal but not untrue. Then one day Lorri left her studio to explore the land of What-If, and like others who have lost a loved-one the magical place lost much of its magic. But thanks to family, plus an amazing group of wordsmiths named Authors Moving Forward (AMF), the magic is slowly returning.

 

Helen Carpenter loves liking and sharing blog posts from other authors. She lives in Florida with her husband of many years  and appreciates every day, especially those without hurricanes.

 

Stay connected on her blog and Facebook. 

 

#MyVirtualKitchen. #LindaLeeGreeneAuthorArtist, #HelenCarpenterAuthor, #MeltedCheeseSandwich, #PearDessert, #AuthorsMovingForward, #AMF

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

MY INTERVIEW OF ROMANCE AND COOKBOOK AUTHOR SLOANE TAYLOR

 

Romance and cookbook author Sloane Taylor never met a romance that wasn’t made even better by time spent in the kitchen. She is also the leader of AUTHORS MOVING FORWARD (AMF), a group of writers who work together to promote one another’s books, of which I am a member. I am thrilled and grateful that she said ‘yes’ to my request to interview her. –Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

 

“Hello Sloane and welcome.”

  

Thank you for having me out today, Linda. I appreciate this opportunity to sit down with you and chat.”

 

“In 50 words or fewer, please tell readers what you want them to know about the personal you?”

 


“I’m a complete romantic and proud of it. I love when my husband opens doors for me or makes reservations at a restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, I know there’s a real world that’s not always nice but I enjoy and appreciate the niceties of life and kind acts.”

 

“In 50 words or fewer, tell readers what you want them to know about the writer you, if you will?”

 

“I wrote and had published 17 sexually explicit romance books. There are only so many positions! I needed a serious change. So, I let my real passion in life, cooking and creating new recipes, take control. My favorite uncle piqued my interest in cooking when I was just a little girl. I am always grateful he did that for me.”

 

“What motivated you to begin writing?”

 

“After my first husband died, images, like in a silent movie, began playing in my head. They were driving me crazy. The only way to stop them was to write down the scenes in a notebook. An author friend introduced me to a publisher and a new career was started. The ride has been crazy, but definitely fun.”

 

“Do you shoot for a grand purpose and/or a message for readers in your work?”

 

“No, I never thought about a grand purpose. When I was writing romance I wanted the world to retain a bit of romance—to keep the magic of love alive.”

 

“Do you write in a specific genre, or in a range of genres?”

 

“Now I write cookbooks with no desire to change paths. I have four published cookbooks, about to release the fifth, and the sixth is in the early stages of recipe testing. That’s the part my husband likes best as he’s the official food tester.”

 

“Tell readers about your latest book: Include the title, blurb, purchase link, and photo of the cover. And what motivated you to write this book?”

 

“Italy and romance are synonymous to me. The country is steeped in amazing history. Along with that, Italian cooking and the beautiful presentation of the food, especially the order of courses, has always intrigued me. The mouthwatering aromas when meals are cooking win over even the pickiest eater. And the dishes are easy to prepare. A handful of this, a pinch of that, and the cook has created a wonderful meal for all to enjoy. Add a glass or two of a good wine and the evening is sure to be a success.

 

“Here's a bit from my Italian cookbook:”

 

Date Night Dinners Italian Style



Good food, good wine, good company—the three main ingredients of a great date night.

Why fight the restaurant crowds when you can create romance in your own kitchen? Italian cuisine, with its time-honored mealtime traditions, is a natural fit for an intimate night in.

Award-winning romance author Sloane Taylor makes it simple to select and prepare a mouthwatering menu to spice up that special night!

•All recipes are proportioned for two—and expandable for a crowd or freezable leftovers.

•No exotic or hard-to-find ingredients. Everything you need is in your pantry or fresh at your local grocery.

•Easy, healthy, easy-to-follow recipes, from prep to presentation.

•Mix-and-match to create a unique dining experience, or follow Sloane’s sample menus.

•Wine pairing suggestions to complement each dish.

•Cooking tips to effortlessly move your date-night agenda from the kitchen to…wherever you’ll most enjoy

Night Dinners Italian Style is part of Sloane Taylor’s “Meals to Make Together” series.

 

Amazon Buy Link https://www.amazon.com/dp/1737224801

 

 

“Do you have a work in progress (WIP)? If so, please give readers a sneak peak of it?”

 


“Hot Men Wear Aprons is almost ready to release. The goal is to have it out by late October. This book is geared for the King of the Kitchen and the New Guy at the Stove. Because it is a man’s cookbook, the contents include grilling, breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes. It took two years to create and test, and then to retest all the recipes to fine-tune them.”

 

“In your best dream for your future, where would you like to be both in your personal and writing life?”

 

“I would love to spend six months in Europe, traveling from country to country, taking cooking classes, making friends, and preparing sumptuous meals. Hey, a girl can dream. Right? LOL In reality I’d like to teach young children the fun side of cooking, and then write a cookbook strictly for 6 – 13 year-old boys and girls. To me that would be fun!”

 

 

 “In 10 words or fewer, please share with readers your personal motto? In other words, what gets you up in the morning and keeps you up and going?”

 

“The cursed deadline! They hang over every writer no matter what.”

 

“How do you prefer readers to contact you directly?”

 

“The best way is through my website http://www.sloanetaylor.com/ Those messages shoot into my inbox the second the writer hits send.

 

“Thank you again, Linda, for allowing me to spend time with you. It’s been fun!”

 

Sloane

Facebook (20+) Sloane Taylor | Facebook

Blogger https://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com

Twitter (19) Sloane Taylor (@sloanetaylor2) / Twitter


#Romance, #Cookbooks, #ItalianCooking, #SloaneTaylor, #MealsToMakeTogether 

 

 

 

Sunday, October 2, 2022

AN INTERVIEW OF AUTHOR ANNE MONTGOMERY

 

Author Anne Montgomery and I are fellow members of AUTHORS MOVING FORWARD (AMF). It is a group of writers from various parts of the world whom on a daily basis works very hard to promote one another’s books by way of posts on our individual blogs, as well as sharing on an array of social media sites. Added benefits are the friendships that blossom and grow among us and an inside track on some really great reading. I highly recommend Anne Montgomery’s work. Not only is it entertaining, but it is also educational.

 

It is my great pleasure to shine my particular spotlight on author Anne Montgomery. –Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

 

AN INTERVIEW OF GUEST AUTHOR

Anne Montgomery

 


 

 

In 50 words or fewer, tell readers what you want them to know about the personal you?

I enjoy doing a wide variety of things. I’ve been a sports reporter in TV and print, a teacher, an author, and an amateur sports official where I worked football, baseball, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball. I’m a foster mom and love rock collecting, scuba diving, and playing my guitar.

 

In 50 words or fewer, tell readers what you want them to know about the writer you?

 

It’s rather surprising to old friends that I’m an author, since I rarely read when I was young. I’m dyslexic, which I didn’t realize until I was in my forties, so my becoming a writer was completely unexpected.

 

What motivated you to begin writing?

 

I began writing stories when I became a TV sports reporter. Later, when I was deemed no longer pretty enough to be in front of a camera, I moved into print reporting where the stories got longer. Jumping to novels was just an extension of what I was already doing.

 

Do you shoot for a grand purpose and/or a message for readers in your work?

 

I’ve written about many diverse topics: PTSD, child abuse, religious cults, archeological looting, history, rape, domestic violence, and the degradation of our environment. I want readers to stop, think about the world around them, and consider what they can do to make our planet a better place for all creatures.

 

Do you write in a specific genre, or in a range of genres?

 

To my agent’s dismay, I write in many genres, which makes it hard to keep a reader base. My books have been categorized as contemporary fiction, suspense, young adult fiction, historical fiction, and women’s fiction. I write about what interests me.

 

Tell readers about your latest book: Title, blurb, purchase link, jpeg of the cover.

What motivated you to write this book?

 

I was hired to write a magazine article about a man who was buried 900 years ago in the mountains of Arizona. My research became Wolf Catcher.

 


 

 

The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.


In 1939, archeologists uncovered a tomb at the Northern Arizona site called Ridge Ruin. The man, bedecked in fine turquoise jewelry and intricate bead work, was surrounded by wooden swords with handles carved into animal hooves and human hands. The Hopi workers stepped back from the grave, knowing what the Moochiwimi sticks meant. This man, buried nine hundred years earlier, was a magician.

Former television journalist Kate Butler hangs on to her investigative reporting career by writing freelance magazine articles. Her research on The Magician shows he bore some European facial characteristics and physical qualities that made him different from the people who buried him. Her quest to discover The Magician’s origin carries her back to a time when the high desert world was shattered by the birth of a volcano and into the present-day dangers of archeological looting where black market sales of antiquities can lead to murder.

https://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Catcher-Anne-Montgomery-ebook/dp/B09MV1H4N3/

 

Do you have a work in progress (WIP)?  If so, please give readers a sneak peak of it?

 

Based on a handful of old letters and inspired by a true story, Forgotten Sons is about the mysterious death of a soldier at the end of World War II. I am also working on a modern-day novel about an interracial couple living on the Caribbean island of St. Croix.

 

In your best dream for your future, where would you like to be both in your personal and writing life?

 

I’d like to live on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands where I currently have a home. However, right now, I only have the option of visiting. While a Netflix series based on one of my books would be lovely, good health and peace might be even better. 

 

In 10 words or fewer, please share with readers your personal motto? In other words, what gets you up in the morning and keeps you up and going?

 

Don’t fear failure and always have a sense of humor.

 

How do you prefer readers to contact you directly?

 

annemontgomeryauthor@gmail.com

 

Is there anything else you want to share with readers? Please keep it short and simple.

 

            When choosing books, every once in a while reach for something different.

 

Anne Montgomery, thank you kindly for your participation. –Linda Lee Greene Author/Artist

#AnneMontgomery, #WolfCatcher, #Archaeology, #AmericanAuthors, #ContemporaryFiction, #Suspense, #YoungAdultFiction, #HistoricalFiction, #Women'sFiction