Meet Rose
She fell in love with a mysterious stranger. Then he disappeared.
Rose is young, idealistic and ready to fall in love. When she meets Alexander Villasenor, a handsome refugee who has escaped a ruthless military junta, she is captivated by his charm and mysterious past.
Their romance blossoms, but Alexander is haunted by the fate of his wife at the hands of the junta. When he decides to return to his homeland to fight the regime, he leaves Rose behind.
What Alexander doesn’t know is that Rose is pregnant with his child.
Suddenly, Rose faces an uncertain future. Will Alexander survive? Will he return? And what will become of the child he doesn’t know exists?
The Vase of Broken Flowers is an adventure romance about love, sacrifice and the choices that echo through generations.
Now available on Amazon in paperback and eBook.
RECIPE: Stuffed Chicken Breast
I love this recipe; it’s easy to make and tastes like a million bucks.
Ingredients
1 deboned chicken Milanese (cut flat)
2 slices of ham
4 slices of cheddar
4 asparagus spears
1 egg, beaten
½ cup of Panko or bread crumbs
½ cup of parmesan
1 pat of butter
Directions
Mix the parmesan and bread crumbs in a blender.
Spread the chicken breast out flat.
Layer in the ham, cheese and asparagus spears.
Fold the chicken meat around the stuffing. (Some cooks use a toothpick to hold it shut).
Dip the breast in egg and roll it in the bread coating. Place the breast on a cookie sheet. Put a pat of butter on top.
Bake in the oven at 425 F for 25 minutes. Pull out and slice in half to ensure the breast meat is cooked white.
Serve with rice and salad.
Enjoy!
Book Review
The Measure
By Nikki Erlick
This is a speculative fiction novel set in the present. The premise; what would happen if everyone knew when they were going to die?
One morning, every adult on Earth wakes up to find a box sitting on their doorstep with their name on it. Inside the box is a length of string. No explanations as to where they came from, and no indication of their purpose.
However, it soon becomes obvious that the length of string correlates to the amount of time before you die. Those with short strings only have a few months to live; those with long strings can expect to live a full life.
Naturally, everyone reacts differently. Some take it in their stride, others quit their jobs and grab their bucket list, and others shoot up the neighborhood.
It sounds weird, but the author takes a common-sense approach to the premise. The novel follows the lives of half a dozen people who cope with their new-found knowledge as best they can, dealing with their own expectations as well as family, friends and loved ones.
The novel, written in 2022, takes place in contemporary North America and is framed in the current dystopian political climate. A feckless politician exploits the situation to scare his way into the White House by demonizing those who have short strings.
Others react with humanity and compassion, fighting on behalf of those who have been cursed. In the end, the latter prevails, and humanity comes to grip with mortality.
Obviously, no one will ever know their ultimate fate, but Erlick’s pensive and thoughtful exploration of how those who manipulate perceived differences for personal gain is highly relevant to the world’s current situation. I highly recommend The Measure!
Bonus Book Review
Yesteryear
By Caro Claire Burke
You’re either going to love this satire, or hate it.
Natalie is a Christian ‘tradwife’ influencer who has built up a marketing empire by portraying herself as the perfect mother, wife and homemaker.
But all is not what it seems. Beneath the façade, she is a boiling pot of paranoia tormented by those who see her as a feminist sellout. Her husband Caleb, a drugstore cowboy who wouldn’t know the business end of steer if it bit him, gets embroiled with the family nannie. Their online manipulations and personal peccadillos soon propel them towards potential calamity.
Suddenly, Natalie finds herself transported back to the mid-19th century, living on a cattle ranch in the rugged Idaho wilderness. Every modern convenience is stripped away, leaving her struggling to survive.
In the literary spirit of Robert Louis Stevenson, Burke uses an absurd premise to skewer contemporary cultural and moral obsessions with acidic accuracy. All of the characters are portrayed scathingly; nobody is spared. The result is both entertaining and revolting, like voyeuristically watching a car accident in slow motion.
I have to admit, I read the book because of all the hype surrounding it; read it at your own discretion, or wait for the inevitable Hollywood adaptation in the near future.