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Today my guest is Laurie Kingery whom I met last year at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in Minneapolis. She’s a neat person. Here’s Laurie:

“I’d like to tell you about my “other mother,” Helene, not because my own mother wasn’t wonderful, but because Helene was so unique.

Helene was born in Transylvania–no, she wasn’t a vampire! J– and more specifically, the German portion of Rumania, between World Wars I and II, for her family were culturally Germans and spoke German, not Rumanian. She married Gustav, an engineer, and the two settled down to live happily ever after. She gave birth to two sons. Then World War II struck, and though neither of them had any sympathy for the Nazi cause, Gustav was forced into the German army, and Helene was forced to cope alone with her two small sons. They endured many hardships while Gus was away.

But when the Germans were defeated, the Russian army overran eastern Europe, including the place where Helene and her sons lived. She and her sons had to flee, for the Russians were brutal conquerors and showed no mercy to the Germans. She feared for the lives of her sons and herself, and also for Gustav, whose whereabouts at the end of the war were unknown. Though it was difficult for her to talk about and she often held back tears with difficulty, she told me of this perilous journey.

Plagued by hunger, she had to use every bit of resourcefulness she had. At one point they ended up in a refugee camp, at another, she had to fend off rape. But the story ends happily—they made their way to West Germany and freedom, and eventually she and her sons were reunited with Gustav.

Because of Gustav’s skills as an engineer, and despite serving in the German army, they were allowed to come to the United States where Gustav worked in the American defense industry. Their first residence in the United States was an apartment in Columbus, Ohio. Here they met my parents, who coincidentally had just returned from a posting in West Germany with the U.S. Army. My parents and Helene and Gustav hit it off right away. In part, because my father’s heritage was German and they had just been living there, but also because of Helene’s warm friendliness and willingness to babysit for my parent’s toddler—me!

My grandparents lived far away, but Helene became like another grandparent to me, singing to me, telling me stories—and listening to me try to tell stories—and treating me to her delicious cooking. She became a staunch friend to my mother, who as an Army wife lived far from her old friends and family. Helene was a perfectionist at cooking, housekeeping and needlecraft. Helene and her husband became citizens as soon as possible and were filled with a fierce patriotism for their new country.

Helene was widowed fairly early in life, but she told me Gustav continued to visit her in her dreams. She supported herself into old age with her sewing, and after my parents passed on, Helene became my other mother, my “Mutti,” as I called her, using the German word. She was very proud and supportive of my career as a writer. Helene died a few years ago, and I miss her. Though the details of her ordeals in World War II and postwar are somewhat sketchy in my mind, since it’s been years since she told them to me, her brave life makes her a fitting addition, I think, to Lyn Cote’s Strong Women, Brave Stories blog.

Now for my Mexican-style recipe:

TACO CASSEROLE

Nonstick cooking spray
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
½ t. garlic poweder
1 envelope (1.25 oz.) taco seasoning mix
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350. cut a 2 ½ qt. baking dish with cooking spray
In a skillet, brown the beef. Drain off excess fat. Add onion, garlic powder, taco mix and tomato sauce. Mix and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream and cottage cheese, Place half the crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of the prepared pan. Add enough meat to cover. Top with half the sour cream mixture and half the cheese. Repeat layers. Bake 30-35 mins. Or until the cheese melts and the casserole is heated through.–Laurie”

Now Laurie’s latest Love Inspired Historical, The Outlaw’s Lady, debuts in mid-August. For more info, drop by her website. Or to purchase it click here.

Thanks, Laurie, for the story and for the recipe.–Lyn

Though Her Inheritance Forever will not be out until the 18th of this month, this is the day I have for it on my blog. I’m really excited about this book. The heroine Alandra was just a little girl in the first book The Desires of her Heart. Fifteen years have passed since Dorritt and Quinn married and began life southwest of San Antonio. And Alandra has finally come of age. This is her story.

In 1836 Texas, Alandra Sandoval is the Tejano lady of Rancho Sandoval. She is determined to show the world of men that she, a woman, can run the ranch successfully without a male by her side. Yet she still longs for future love and a family.

Scully Falconer, a loner, is the top hand on a nearby ranch. He has given his loyalty to the Quinn family and doesn’t ask more than honest pay for an honest day’s work.

Alandra, the lady of Mexican descent, and Scully, the American cowboy, think they have very different paths set before them. But greedy relatives burst onto the scene, threatening to change their way of life. And when General Santa Anna crosses the Rio Grande and marches north to keep his rendezvous with destiny at the Alamo, Alandra and Scully’s lives will never be the same.

The Library Journal says Lyn Cote “demonstrates her skill at creating strong female protagonists in compelling stories that will captivate historical romance readers.” HER INHERITANCE FOREVER attests to Cote’s ability to create page-turning, riveting romances with wonderful historical details that also allow readers to watch the forming of the Texas state.”

If you wish to pre-order it, just click the cover to the right. If you can’t find it at your local library, bookstore or Walmart, please ask for it. And let me know if you enjoy it! –Lyn

My guest today is Donita K Paul!

Here is a recipe from her DragonKnight. It is delicious as a summer treat.

Mistress Maye Ghint’s Fruity Cheesecake

from the menu of The Goose & The Gander (A tavern in DragonKnight)

1/2 C. crushed nuts, pecan or almonds are best
1/2 C. boiling water
1 package (4 serving size) of any flavor sugar free gelatin dessert
1 C. cottage cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
2 C. thawed whipped non-dairy topping (one 8 oz. bowl)
Spray the bottom and sides of a spring form pan, or 9 inch pie plate, with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with 2/3 of crushed nuts.

Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl for about two minutes until powder is completely dissolved. Pour into blender container. Add cheeses. Blend on medium speed until smooth.

Pour into large bowl and gently fold in whipped topping.

Pour into prepared pan, smoothing the top, and sprinkling the remaining crushed nuts around the outer edge.

Refrigerate for four hours or until set.

Garnish with fruit if desired.

Donita’s current release is The Vanishing Sculptor, WaterBrook Press, June 2009

Meet Tipper, a young emerlindian who’s responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how can she save her father and her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions-including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon-and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.

After an early retirement from teaching, Donita K. Paul dove into a second career of writing. Her stories have captured the imagination of the students she left behind plus their parents and grandparents. Donita lives in a hobbit hole not far from Pikes Peak in Colorado. She enjoys cooking, beading, stamping, knitting, and her grandsons. Not necessarily in that order.

Visit Donita’s website to purchase her books.

My guest today is Author DiAnn Mills, a sweetheart with a sweet tooth. I can’t wait to try out her pie!

Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has over forty books in print and has sold more than 1.5 million copies.

DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. Visit her website.

DiAnn Mill’s latest novel: