ANNOUNCING THE SUSPENSE SISTERS' ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CONTEST!

 

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Easy-Peasy Christmas Cake Cookies

Hey, fellow readers! My name is Kristen (pen name Kristen Hogrefe Parnell), and I’m blessed to be the mom of a two-year-old boy. That said, his attention span and my free time rival each other for brevity, but tis the season for baking Christmas cookies. And my son loves “making cookies.” (His version: beating a wooden spoon in a small mixing bowl while I get all the ingredients together.)

Enter the Christmas cake cookie hack. This idea is not original to me, but it’s a lifesaver this year. With three-to-four other ingredients along with a box of cake mix, you can have yummy Christmas cookies that taste like something much more complicated.

Here’s the link to the Pinterest post with dozens of cake cookie recipes that first inspired me: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/521080619405008854/

So far, I’ve made the Red Velvet ones, and my husband’s appreciation of them did not go unnoticed. (I won’t tell you how fast they disappeared, but it was … fast.)

In case you're not on Pinterest, here's the recipe for the Red Velvet ones I made:

Ingredients:

• 1 box Red Velvet cake mix
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 24 Hershey's kisses

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients (except for the Hershey's kisses)
3. Roll the dough into balls and place on the cookie sheet. (Tip: Put some melted butter on your fingers so the dough doesn't stick to you!)
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
5. Unwrap the Hershey's kisses.
6. While the cookies are still hot, press a Hershey's kiss onto each one (or leave some plain too).

This recipe is originally from the website: 5minutesformom.com. 

I wish I had a gorgeously staged picture of my baking achievement, but truly, this is it: a few cookies in a plastic Tupperware container. 

Even if you’re not short for time like I am, these cake cookies will delight your family and friends (and save you more time for reading books)!

Have you made Christmas cake cookies before, or what is your favorite Christmas cookie recipe? Wishing you a sweet, stress-less Christmas!

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE?

I love Christmas. The decorations, the traditions, the music, the food, the presents, and most of all, the chance to remember what Christmas is really all about - the birth of Jesus Christ.

There's one other thing I love about Christmas...the movies! There are so many wonderful Christmas movies. Among my favorites are "It's a Wonderful Life," The Bishop's Wife," "A Christmas Story," "Elf," "Christmas in Connecticut," "The Polar Express," "The Man Who Invented Christmas," "The Santa Clause," "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation," "Miracle on 34th Street," and my favorite movie based on Charles Dickens' book, A Christmas Carol - "Scrooge," with Albert Finney. (The music is awesome.) 

But the one movie I watch every single year is "White Christmas." The story, the music, the dancing...what else could anyone want?

So...do you have a favorite Christmas movie that you never miss?

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNER OF OUR NOVEMBER CONTEST!

Congratulations to Heather Mitchell for winning our November contest! She'll receive a $100 gift card for Amazon, Walmart, Christianbook.com, or Hobby Lobby. 

Thank you to everyone who entered. We'll start our monthly giveaways again in January!

OUR INTERVIEW WITH SHAEN LAYLE

 

Shaen is a USA Today Bestselling author and a Carol Award semi-finalist who writes inspirational cozy mystery from her home in the Midwest, where she lives with her artist husband, Danny, their two rambunctious but adorable boys, and their shelter pup, Violet. Trained as a literary novelist and with a decade of librarianship under her belt, Shaen loves discussing all things bookish with her readers on her website and on social media.

INTERVIEW

Tell us about your recent release.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK is book #8 in Guideposts’ new cozy mystery series, Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm. The series as a whole pays homage to Yorkshire veterinarian James Herriot, as well as the television show based on his life experiences, All Creatures Great and Small. The series begins when newly single thirty something, Harriet Bailey, leaves her home in Connecticut to take over her late grandfather's estate and veterinary practice in White Church Bay, a small seaside village in England.

In my book, Harriet stumbles across a mystery when she discovers an abandoned manuscript in her aunt Jinny’s dower cottage. The manuscript is written by famed historical author, Adelaide Evergreen and purports to tell the truth about a mysterious train crash that happened years before... a crash for which Harriet’s relative took the blame. Luckily, Harriet’s good friend from the states, Ashley Fiske, and her ten-year-old son, Trevor, are there to help her with sleuthing. Will Harriet and her friends find the truth at the end of the line?

What was your inspiration for this book?

When my oldest son, Aidan, was little, he loved trains. We watched Thomas and Friends shows on repeat, read about railways, and even visited the Kirkwood Museum of Transportation to see trains up close. I’ve always known I wanted to write a mystery that featured trains because of my son’s interest in them. When I began researching Robin Hood's Bay, which is the real town that the fictional White Church Bay is based on, I was delighted to discover all the interesting history behind the now defunct Scarborough & Whitby Railway. The line was very important to the town and is now reserved as a walking and biking trail called the Cinder Track. When I began imagining what stories that track had to tell, this story began!

What is your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite?

My favorite part of the writing process is researching and brainstorming. The creative process is fresh and full of possibilities at this point. It's so exciting! Once you get a few chapters on paper, the possibilities start to be a bit more limited, but this is necessary for a tight story. My least favorite part of the writing process is the final push to complete the first draft. I'm usually tired by that point and ready to move on to a new idea. Good things come to those who press ahead, though! Knowing I have readers waiting for a new story keeps me focused.

Tell us three things about yourself that might surprise your readers?

1) I used to play the flute and piccolo in my high school’s band.

2) I have ichthyophobia, which is the fear of fish! I feel about fish the way most people feel about snakes.

3) I have an adventurous spirit on occasion. I’ve white water rafted the Ocoee River in the Great Smoky Mountains and hiked Hezekiah’s Aqueduct, a functional Biblical aqueduct in Israel.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to spend time with my family and friends. I also enjoy reading, running, cooking, and antiquing.

What are you working on now?

I recently signed on as series lead for a new Guideposts’ series, The Gift Shop Mysteries! The series follows gift shop owner, Sarah Morgan, as she navigates life in her hometown of Port Huron, Michigan and solves mysteries alongside her family and friends. My story has a nod to inventor Thomas Edison, who spent his boyhood and early teenage years in Port Huron.

I’m also working on a proposal for a women’s fiction novel, which features a multi-generational storyline and a butterfly farm.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’d like to say a huge thank you to the Suspense Sisters for hosting me and my readers for continuing to seek out my stories. I appreciate you!

Where can your readers learn more about you?

Readers can find me at the following locations:

· Website 
· Newsletter Signup 
· Facebook 
· Twitter 
· Instagram 
· Pinterest 
· Goodreads 

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Harriet Bailey gets a wonderful surprise when Ashley Fiske, her friend from the States, brings her young son, Trevor, to White Church Bay for a visit. Harriet cannot wait to share the village’s charms with her friend, but she never predicted they would end up solving a mystery together! An unpublished manuscript by a famous British children’s author named Adelaide Evergreen has turned up in Harriet’s aunt Jinny’s cottage. The book claims to tell the truth behind an infamous and mysterious railway crash that happened in White Church Bay in 1917, on the fringes of the Great War.

As Harriet delves deeper into the mystery, it’s difficult to tell where literary license ends, and reality begins. And when it is revealed that Harriet’s relative may have had a hand in causing the train tragedy, the stakes become personal. Will she find the truth at the end of the line?

Buy Links:

Amazon 
Barnes and Noble 
Shop Guideposts 

Leave a comment, along with your email address, and you could win a copy of Shaen's book, ON THE RIGHT TRACK!

The Calm Before the Storm – Plus a Giveaway!

 

^{Do you feel it yet? Thanksgiving can be so stressful under normal circumstances. If you’re the one responsible for preparing the Thanksgiving meal, that stress doubles.}

^{There are family traditions to consider. Grocery shopping to be finished. Lists to be made to make sure you don’t forget anything, (I’ve certainly had to make more than one trip to the grocery store in the past!). Then there are the special food requests for those who might be allergic to certain ingredients. Coordinating with family and friends on who plans to bring what pie. You don’t want to have 3 pecan pies and no pumpkin or apple.}

^{And that’s just the beginning. Next comes the actual meal preparation. I usually start cooking the day before Thanksgiving. Sometimes earlier. I’m a planner.}  

^{Making sure the Thanksgiving meal comes off without a hitch takes a lot of organization and it’s easy to get frazzled when you’re in the middle of the storm.}

^{One thing I’ve learned through the years is that it’s important to take “moments” in between.}   

^{Before you find yourself frustrated, step away for a little quiet time with God. Be sure to thank Him for everything He has brought us through this year. And remember, it doesn’t matter if something isn’t perfect, or if there are no pumpkin pies. To me, those little “mistakes” are what leave lasting memories to smile about in the future.}

^{I’m giving away a copy of her upcoming book, AMISH COUNTRY KILLER. To be entered, comment and tell me how you cope with the stress of Thanksgiving meal preparation if you’re the chef or share a favorite Thanksgiving “mistake” that still makes you smile.}

^{Be sure to leave your email address in your comment. I’ll announce the winner soon!}

^{Here’s a little about AMISH COUNTRY KILLER:}

^{An unsolved mystery…}

^{Seeking the truth could be fatal.}

^{Reopening the investigation of her mother's disappearance puts chief of police Diana Fisher in someone’s lethal sights. As she delves deeper into the mystery, a murderer resurfaces, targeting the Amish community. Detective Micah Nissley, whose fiancée went missing a decade ago, joins forces with Diana to stop the threats and bring the killer to justice. But can they uncover the connection between Diana and the culprit before she becomes the next victim?}

^{Until next time, dear friends, Happy Thanksgiving!}

 

^Mary