December 2023
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links at no cost to you.
Hi, All!
Peace on Earth.
This sign is visible all year round in my hometown. It is the perfect reminder during the holiday season, as it is every day, that we are all striving for the same thing in this life—Happiness, Joy, and Peace. May you find all three this December.
What's On My Desk
Funny thing! I receive emails about Bo’s POV and how much you enjoy this part of my blog. It cracks me up. Yes, Bo is a ham.
However, one question flooded my inbox after Pompey Hollow Road was published last month: How did I think up the story idea of Pompey Hollow Road? I answered each email but thought I’d write about it here, too. I always love a little background about a book. Here’s hoping you do, too.
In 1952, my grandparents, Oscar and Evelyn, bought a salt-box house in Cazenovia, New York. They were ready to settle into retirement and enjoy their grandchildren with 180 acres, a pond called Lake Linda after their first granddaughter, plenty of trees, and a large barn. When Oscar and Evelyn began renovating the house, they discovered a passageway behind a wall from the basement to the attic. My grandparents researched the home and found it was built in the early 1800s. Furthermore, many abolitionists lived in and around Cazenovia, and the Underground Railroad was active in the town. These discoveries made my grandparents question their home’s history before the American Civil War.
The Home of My Grandparents, Evelyn and Oscar Peet, on Pompey Hollow Road, in Cazenovia, New York. 1952.
These stories of the house on Pompey Hollow Road were part of my childhood. In 2018, while researching for my novel Pompey Hollow Road, my sister and I had the opportunity to visit my grandparents’ home. I’d never been inside. However, my sister spent every summer with my grandparents and often stayed in the house. For her, it was a walk down memory lane. I was in awe of it all.
Inside the house, childhood memories come to life. A story began to evolve. Was Oscar and Evelyn’s home used as a safe house for fugitive slaves in the early and mid-1800s? Who lived in the home? Were they abolitionists? What were the names of the enslaved people who hid in the home's attic? And what were their lives like before arriving in Cazenovia? I wanted to write about these brave people—the men, women, and families who risked their lives for freedom and justice.
Pompey Hollow Road is the story that evolved from my imagination of childhood stories and my grandparent's red salt-box home in Cazenovia, New York.
Just Like Ziggy Is On Audible!
Anna just spent months in the hospital—more specifically, in the psych ward on the fifth floor.
Now, Anna’s home.
In the second book of The Fifth Floor trilogy, Just Like Ziggy, discover precisely how Anna’s recovery is progressing—or not! It’s hard to return to normal when the people you call family barely know you exist.
You can now listen to Just Like Ziggy as an audio book on Audible. If you’re new to Audible, take a look! You can find Just Like Ziggy, The Fifth Floor and thousands of other audio books.
Why Do Authors Count On Book Reviews?
So why are reviews so critical? The quick answer is that I am a tiny fish in a vast pond. Millions of books are published each year, so believe it or not, writing a 350-page novel is a cinch compared to getting noticed by thousands of readers. The more positive reviews a book receives, the better its chance of being recognized by other readers. The more readers I have, the more my fan base grows. And so on and so on.
I know you have taken a chance on my books. For this, I genuinely thank you.
If you’d like to leave a review for any of my four books, here are the steps to show you how:
What I'm Reading Now
I love book recommendations— here are a couple I'm reading now.
The Other Mrs.
by Mary Kubica
The Island of the Sea Woman
by Lisa See
Books On My Nightstand
The Silent Patient
by Alex Michaelides
Atomic Habits
by James Clear
From the Dog's POV
I heard my human tell a friend that she started the next book. Oh boy! Here we go again.
Just when I thought my days would consist of pup cups and puppy cones, my human sits down to her computer again—tap, tap, tapping on the keys. I heard her mention book two—a sequel to Pompey Hollow Road. It will be a long winter keeping my human on task—letting her only sit for so long before reminding her of our daily walks and belly rubs. I wonder if my human sees my dedication to perfecting her days.
Good Vibes
THE BEST PIE CRUST EVER!
My mom was an expert pie maker. The pie crust was exceptionally flaky and delicious. Today, I still use her recipe and have perfected it to taste just like hers. Looking back, it wasn’t so much about the pies as it was about spending time in the kitchen with my mom, baking, chatting, and enjoying each other’s company. Eventually, it became the grandchildren in the kitchen with Grandma, learning how to bake pies with flakey crusts and delicious filling.
This month, I want to share what my family has done for years—making and baking pies using Mom’s tasty pie crust recipe. Like most pies in many recipes, the pie crust begins with flour, salt, Crisco, and water. My mom’s pie crust recipe differs little from most cookbook recipes. However, some secrets make it the best and flakiest crust ever—and one we’ve used in our family for over fifty years.
A Thanksgiving 2023 pie made with my mom’s crust recipe.
Double Crust Pie*
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons Crisco
Iced water (Set aside a cup with four or five added ice cubes.)
Parchment paper
Butter
1. Mix the flour and salt
2. Using a pastry blender, cut in Crisco until pea-size pieces form.
3. Sprinkle four ice-cold tablespoons of water over the mixture and gently cut in using the pastry blender. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of water and cut the pastry again. Add, if needed, 1-2 more tablespoons of water, careful not to add too much. You want to avoid soggy pastry.
4. Divide the dough in half and form it into balls. Set aside while you prepare the countertop.
5. Dip your fingertips in and sprinkle the countertop with water droplets from the cup of ice-cold water. Place parchment paper on the wet surface to make it stick. Put the dough on the paper and place another piece of parchment paper on top. (Have a bit of flour set aside if you need it- you might need it if you add too much water to your dough.)
6. Press down on the dough between the pieces of parchment paper. Then, begin to roll out. Lift the top parchment paper and pinch the edges together. It will make for an even pie crust. (If your dough sticks, smooth a small amount of flour on the top of the crust.)
7. Keep rolling until you have the right-sized crust for your pie plate. (Place the pie plate over the crust for a visual.)
8. Place the crust on a pie plate and form to the plate.
9. Fill with filling.
Repeat steps 5 & 6 for the top layer of crust.
10. Lay the top layer of crust over the pie filling. There are different designs in pictures for the top crust. You choose. Or lay the top layer of crust over the pie filling.
11. Roll the edges. You can use a fork to press the crust or make a fluted, roped, or scalloped edge.
12. Prick the pastry with a fork or make slits to release heat.
Grandma places small dollops of butter around the top of the crust and then sprinkles it with white sugar. About 1 T. butter cut into small pieces.
13. Cover the edges of the pie dough with Tinfoil or a pie crust shield for ½ the baking time for single-crust pies.
14. Bake the pie according to the pie recipe you are using,
*If you are making a single-crust pie, making enough for two and using the extra crust for jelly turnovers is a plus. Roll dough and cut into 3” squares or triangles. Place ½ teaspoon of your favorite jelly on each piece, fold to form triangles, seal the dough with a fork, and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown. Be careful; these tasty treats are not only delicious but HOT inside. Cool before popping into your mouth.
Enjoy!
As Always,
Your support of my writing and novels has always brought me joy, and being invited to book clubs, school events, presentations, and Zooms is a pleasure.