Any Season Chicken Salad

We were talking about chicken salad at work yesterday and it got me thinking, I make the best chicken salad in the whole wide world. After all the talk it got me hunkering for some so I made it today. Now I'm begging my hubby to save me some. He's on his second trip to the frig as I speak. I should have made double because now I remember the last time I made it people were fighting over the last bit. So to keep the peace in the land, here's the recipe and take my word for it, if there are more than two of you, make double. You won't be sorry. ANY SEASON CHICKEN SALAD 1 whole rotisserie chicken. (I’m especially partial to Sam’s Club but have used others like Farm Fresh’s Culinary Circle Rosemary Garlic.) Skinned, deboned and coarsely chopped. ½ Granny smith apple, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped. 2-3 Tbs Miracle Whip. 1Tbs mayo. 2 Tbs sweet relish. ½ c chopped walnuts (may add more if you like). 1 celery stalk, sliced length wise and coarsely chopped. 1/4 c onion finely chopped (optional). Ground black pepper to taste. Mixed ingredients and enjoy. The key to this fantastic chicken salad is the rotisserie chicken because the seasonings are cook through and through and by chopping the ingredients coarsely you get all of the other flavors. You may also substitute cranberries or grapes for apples if you like or use some of each. This chicken salad is great for sandwiches, on a bed of lettuce or with a nice garden salad. Even a nice cracker will do. Bon appétit.

Retribution, an ecerpt

RETRIBUTION

“What the hell!” Denver blinked back to reality but not fast enough before Mr. John Doe’s hand shot up and clamped around her throat. So much for the coma. Instinctively her fingers curled around his wrist, tightened, but she didn’t exert any pressure. Confusion and fear lit his eyes, shining like the full moon, or was it anger. It shimmered across her skin like a blast of cold windy air when someone opens a door in the dead of winter. She stared back as she patted the back of his hand. Energy sizzled through her fingers and up her arm. She forced herself to not snatch her hand back, but continued to caress his skin. “Where?” His voice sounded dry and strained. He tightened his grip as he sucked in a breath of air. “Are they?” Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, he stood and back walked her to the wall. “Not here.” Denver tried to soothe but it didn’t work. His hand squeezed tighter, cutting off what little air she reserved in her lungs. Okay, now would be a good time to get this man off me. “Listen buddy,” Denver coughed, “It’s all right. Nobody here’s going to hurt you. Let me go.” “Why?” His voice sounded stronger than it did a second ago. She could make him, would make him in another second if he didn’t release her. Denver curled her lips up into an ominous snarl and grunted a laugh. Being mindful of his injuries, yet ignoring his grunt of pain, she pivoted. Her body changed positions so fast in the blink of an eye she had released his hand from her neck, pinned him against the wall and had her face an inch from his. “Because--” she knew her eyes flared red, then instantly went back to brown just as she curled back her lips to show the points of her fangs descending from her gums. “--I said so.” “Aw hell.” His voice slurred. “You’re one of--” The muffled grunt escaping his throat hurt as much as the pain riddling through every bone and muscle. Not being able to hold his weight any longer, he went down on one knee, almost dragging the woman to the floor with him. “Hang on.” She grasped his arm and slung it across her shoulder, hefted him up and walked him back to the bed. Propping him against the side, she cursed just as lights exploded inside his head. He felt his eyes roll to the back of his head and once again had no control over the darkness as it overtook him. Reed let the thunderous clouds close in on him. He was too tired, in too much pain and too sick to care. Not sure where he was, what was going on or who the woman was standing guard over him, he drifted on a wave of nothingness. Her voice floated above him like a summer’s breeze. Although he couldn’t grab it he knew it was there. In more ways than one, he considered her voice an anchor. It kept him from plummeting too far into the darkness. It was what he heard before he grabbed on to it and allowed it to pull him out of the void he’d been trapped in for too long. Every day his body waited for her to enter his room. He didn’t care what time. Hell, time meant nothing to him. All he knew was it was the sweetest thing he’d ever heard. Warm. Soothing. Arousing. She’d talked to his body as if he knew her, but he didn’t. He didn’t know anyone. Not in this town wherever it-- he was. The trail of the serial killer he’d been following was almost cold until an anonymous tip brought him to the town. . He thought it was one person until he’d stumbled on their hideout. Four men of various sizes and age sat around a beat up television, plotting out their next kill. They had already killed his brother, claiming they were cleansing the earth of vermin. He was next on the list. They knew who he was and probably where he was. His only hope of survival was to kill them before they killed him or anyone else like him. Thoughts of bringing them in for justice were long dead. That was one road he’d never travel on again. Justice and fairness meant nothing to these people. They wanted to cleanse the earth. He was going to help them. Denver. Yes, she’d introduced herself to his unconscious self on the first day and he’d not forgotten her name. Denver, like the town in Colorado, she’d said with a chuckle. She wiped a blessedly cool cloth across his forehead. She always knew what to do. The warm caress of her fingers across his skin, on more than one occasion, made his mind sizzle. The pain riddling his body was from more than his injuries. From the first time she’d touched him, he’s wanted to make her his own, brand his being into her soul but he could never reach out. And now, now he’d done nothing more than try to break her neck. Thankfully he was unsuccessful. “Open your eyes, John.” Her voice slid through his mind, making his heartbeat slow in response. “Reed.” He didn’t move. Couldn’t if he wanted to because of the pain it was best to lay still. “My name’s Reed.” “You got a last name… Reed?” He didn’t answer. Denver didn’t press the subject. “How are you feeling, Reed?” She asked without missing a beat. “Like I’ve been hit by a Mack truck.” “You probably have.” Her hand continued to caress the side of his face. Slowly he opened one eye then the other and stared up into her face. Damn, she was beautiful. Like an angel descended from the heavens to pull him back. Sucking in a ragged breath of air that hurt more than he thought it would, he pushed up. “Whoa! Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Her hand cupped his shoulders and with a gentle tug pushed him back to the bed. “Shit.” On a better day, she wouldn’t have been able to do that, he told himself as his body descended back to the mattress. “I’ve got to get out of here. They’ll be here soon.” “Who are they, Joh—Reed?” “Them. The ones…” His voice slurred off when he moaned. “The ones who tried to kill me.” “Nobody’s going to try to kill you.” Denver turned away from the bed and lifted a syringe from the table. “You need to get some rest.” “No.” Before he could breathe another protest, she swiped the portal to the IV sticking out of his arm and injected the medicine. “Go to sleep, Reed. Its oh-two-hundred dark. You’ll feel better in the morning.” “Doubt that. He didn’t finish the sentence. The gray pressing into his mind gave way to the darkness. “I’ve got to get out of…”

Retribution

Denver Hamilton’s secrets have never been revealed to anyone… any human that is. She made sure of it, changing her life as it was warranted. Decades have passed and what she thought was a final stop is about to change. Everything she’s lived for, everything she’s hidden will come to light and all because of the day he came into her life. Reed was on the trail of a serial killer. He didn’t know he was the prey. He has never trusted anyone with the secrets he held within, especially not one of them. But now, his life depends on him trusting someone. Her. They aren’t even supposed to exist, but they do. Few and sparsely hidden, they will have to fight if they want to survive. The danger they’d been running from has closed in and has pitched two ill fitted lovers together. As the tables turn they will have to decide if what they feel for each other is enough for survival or will it destroy them both, as the hunted become the hunters.

Maiden of the Mist

Lia refuses to believe merfolk have but one true lone. One mate. If that were true then she wouldn’t have had a man fall to her from the sky. Paul’s life is in a shambles. It was one thing to have his fiancé walk out on him, but to do so with his business partner. What is there to live for? If he hadn’t hit his head when he fell into the water fall he would have thought he was going crazy when he woke with a mermaid in his tub. Can the far-fetched tale she’s dishing out be true. How much love will it take to bring them together forever?

A cool rainy day

I don't know if it was the sound of the rain hitting the ground outside my slightly opened window or the cool breeze filtering past the curtains, but I was over whelmed by feelings of home and comfort. I know I should have been writing like I promised but instead I found myself in the kitchen pulling out cook books. Dinner was already planned but not started yet, but the cook books were open on the counter and I found myself flipping through the pages. I remember when I was a younger one of my most favorit past times was sitting in the kitchen watching my mother cook, listening to her stories and instructions on how to do this and how not to do that. And interesting enough, momma rarely used a cook book. She only used it for her famout fruit cake. However, while she talked cook books were open in front of me and I loved perusing the pages, studying the pictures and dreaming of me in the kitchen cooking some of the recipes. As oddly as it seemed, when my mother died in 2002, the first thing I remember doing after the formalities where over, was getting those cook books and putting them in my suit case. They belonged to me, only me. So here I am today, feeling nostalgic and warm inside. It's been twenty years but Gracie is still there. Will always be. Who knows, maybe I'll make a walnut pound cake or some home made soup today.

Samsons and Delilah, excerpt

“Did you get it!” Several of the council members demanded all at once. Her gaze traveled along the row of chairs facing her. Each face peppered with excitement. She’d made no waste of time to get to the council chamber. Maybe thirty minutes had passed since she’d ridded the planet of the creature.
“What, no how are you? Are you hurt?” Delilah dragged her battered body into the council chamber, trying to ignore the pain rippling through her flesh. With each step and she swore her bones rattled. She braced her body against the pain slamming through her body and attempted to ignore the trembling of her muscles and the dizziness that threatened to knock her on her ass.
“Are they safe?” Said the Counselor Excelsior.
“No, damn it. They are not safe.” Her gaze trailed across each face starring at her. “They traveled through before I could destroy them.”
“Then the decisions made.” The high councilor’s voice bellowed. “You will…” he stood, walked over to where she stood and glared down into her eyes. “You will find them by what ever means necessary and destroy them.”
“Don’t you mean bring them back?”
Shaking his head, “They are too dangerous. Destruction is the only--”
“So be it.” Turning, Delilah limped to the door.
“For the goddesses sake, get yourself checked out and healed first.”
***
Standing naked in front of the medical scanner was not her idea of foreplay. She turned her body so all surfaces were scanned before stepping into her designated cubby. Poked and prodded, scanned, wrapped and rubbed, she didn’t know how much more of this she could take. Time was of the essence. With each second they detained her from her task, the farther the crystal got and the colder its trail grew.
Everything had been programmed into the transport portal. Her cover was in place and language chips were imbedded into her cerebral cortex. The general location of the Cerulean Crystal was planet Earth, circa 2012. She only hoped the gate was right this time. The previous times she spaced walked through the portal and entered earth’s atmosphere the gate had been off by twenty-four hours. The first time, Kennedy was already dead and the second, she propelled through on September twelfth not eleventh and the Al-quadians had already succeeded in their threat and thousands of humans had been killed. Disgusted and beaten because she felt the failure was hers for not getting to the planet on time, she’d vowed to never return to earth, now knowing that was a threat she was unable to keep.
Readying herself, she stepped up to the gate and waited. Glancing over her shoulders at the centurions standing behind the protective glass, she closed her eyes, tightened her fist around the protective crystalline sapphire dangling around her neck and sucked in a breath and waited for the pain to be over. It hurt for a second before it stole her breath and not once has she landed on her feet.
The gravitational pull of the portal itched along her skin, reminiscent of a thousand kunzite bugs crawling along her arms. Shivering, she tired to relax her arms and knees. Stiffening up would not make her landing easier.
The air dissipated around her head, grew hot, burning her lungs. Before she could object she was propelled through. Damn, she hated her job.
***
“What the hell happened here?” Jordan Samsons stood over the corpse of what he thought was a body. It was hard to tell since it appeared to be turned inside out. Blood. Gore. Death. That was his job. He’d been a homicide cop for as long as he cared to remember, but never had he seen anything like this. Stepping to the side when the assistant medical examiner tossed his lunch, Jordan shook his head and turned away from the mass of flesh contaminating the alley.
He stepped over to his car, leaned his body against the side door and pulled his cell from his pocket when it started to ring. “Talk.” His voice came out hard and cold. Listening to the voice on the other end, he allowed the frown tugging at his lips to surface. “No.” He listened further, swallowing pass the disgust churning in his gut. Not from the death he’d just played witness to, but to the request of his supervisor to come in to the station house to meet his new partner.
“Can’t.” He added. “I’ve got a possible murder on my hands.” Possible my ass. No way could this happen to a body by accident. “Alright! Give me an hour to wrap up here.” He slammed the phone shut before the caller said anything more. Damn.
A partner.
Whose cheap idea was it to give him a partner? He hated partners. He hated having someone tag along with him. He hated having to answer questions, hated having to give explanations and worse yet, he hated having to baby sit. He’d been a loner for almost ten years and he planned on keeping it that way. Forget what his captain said about some police exchange program they were participating in with another country. The last thing he needed was some, stupid ass bloke who could barely speak English hanging on to his pants legs, trying to figure out why our security is better than theirs.
Fuck.

Happy New Year!

What a fantastic year we had, wouldn't you say? Even with the bittersweet I am so blessed to know have. It's hard to believe 2011 has come and gone in the blink of an eye. I thought I'd take a moment and reflect on the things we've done together this past year.
I had several books released and I certainly hope you have purchased them. If not, don't delay. I have it on good authority that they are really good. I believe you will enjoy them. Now lets see,
February 2011 Sleeping Beauty was released and by my alter ego, Alexis Ke released Midnight Indulgences and the Scorpion Queen. I spent a week in April at the annual Romance Slam Jam conferance in Baltimore, Maryland. I always love going to Slam. I have found over my writing career it is one of the best conferances I attend on a regular basis. From the meet and greets to the work shops to the banquets it is the best. Also this past year, my book Masquerade was a finalist for an Emma Award for book of the year and best romantic suspense.
I have tried to network and have as much fun as humanly possible with the many book clubs and my readers. I can't thank you enough for the multitude of support you have shown me over the years. I am so blessed to have you. I also attended the Authors After Dark con that took place in Philadelphia this past August. Wow, what fun we had. Also August was a sad time for readers and writers when we lost our sister Leslie Esdaile Banks to cancer. She is deeply missed. In August my alter ego also released The Shadow Box and Invisible Love which was a part of the anthology 'What White Boyz Desire.'
Oh, I almost forgot. In June my book Crown and Glory was released. It is in memory of my bestest best girl friend who died of breast cancer in 2008. She inspired this book whose heroine is a breast cancer survivor. I am donating all author proceeds from the sale of this book to the fight against breast cancer. I hope you will help the fight and purchase this book. In November, I also lost another dear treasure. My aunt, died of pancreatic cancer. There will always be a special place in my heart for her but I know she's up there in heaven chillin with my mom.
I have several projects in store for 2012.