Jennifer Hallmark shares her recipe and some Thanksgiving thoughts with us today.Thanks, Jen!

What do you think of when Thanksgiving rolls around? Words that come to my mind are family, turkey, dressing or stuffing, football, Black Friday, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. And don’t forget the leftovers. I’ll share a fun recipe at the end of my post.

During this time of year, many people also practice gratitude. On Facebook, while shopping, and at church and family functions, some will slow down enough to consider how blessed we really are. We think about those who are important to us. We become grateful for our jobs, people around us, freedom to worship, as well as obvious blessings like a roof over our head and hot water.

Just about the time we’re full of turkey and appreciative of life itself, Black Friday hits and its back to every man for himself. Our schedule overflows with shopping, Christmas plays, dinners, and decorating. All thoughts of how fortunate we are become lost in the hustle and bustle of the holiday itself.

But what if for one moment we slow down? Why not take the time in the days following Thanksgiving to process the “thankful” leftovers and take that into our holiday season? Leftovers like…

• Gratitude for a chance to renew and restore relationships.
• Contentment for what we have instead of focusing on what we don’t have.
• Realization that the most important things in life aren’t bought or sold. Only loved.
• Kindness as we allow our gratitude to flow from ourselves out to those around us during the holidays.

As we approach the Christmas season and the New Year, let’s practice these Thanksgiving leftovers, transforming them into something new and wonderful.

And if you have any leftover turkey, here’s a recipe I think you’ll enjoy.

Jen’s Brunswick Stew

2 pounds leftover turkey, chopped

1 pound smoked pork, chopped

1 pound ground chuck, browned and drained of grease

1 box of chicken broth

2 cans cream-style corn

2 cans whole kernel corn, drained

1 can green peas or lima beans (I use limas)

3 cups potatoes, diced (add or subtract to your liking)

1 small onion, diced

2 large cans crushed tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup Worcestershire sauce

½ cup BBQ sauce

2 tablespoons hot sauce

After you chop the turkey and pork, and brown and drain the ground chuck, mix all ingredients and simmer until tender. I usually add the tomatoes after the potatoes and onions are almost tender. You can add extra broth or tomato sauce if more liquid is needed.

Enjoy!

Jennifer Hallmark is a writer by nature, artist at heart, and daughter of God by His grace. She’s published over 200 articles and interviews on the internet, short stories in several magazines, and been part of four book compilations: A Dozen Apologies, Sweet Freedom A La Mode, Unlikely Merger, and Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage. She is currently shopping her contemporary southern fiction novel, When Wedding and Weather Collide.

http://www.jenniferhallmark.com

http://writingpromptsthoughtsideas.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/jenniferhallmark

https://www.facebook.com/authorjenniferhallmark

https://twitter.com/JenHwrites

https://www.pinterest.com/jenlhallmark989/

Thanks so much for sharing with us, Jen,  and readers may order Jen’s NOT ALONE here:

http://www.amazon.com/Not-Alone-Confronted-Infertility-Miscarriage/dp/1937063550/

Thanks for visiting us this week, Deborah – meaningful thoughts on gratitude here! And Deborah’s giving away an e-copy of her novel, Love Comes Calling, to one commenter.

GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING

As Thanksgiving comes, I usually tell my Father in Heaven what I am grateful for. Things like family, our home, health, finances; all the standard stuff. And that’s all okay, but shouldn’t I be thankful for those all the time?

The obvious answer is “yes.” However, as I ponder this question, I’m led to wonder if there is more I should acknowledge. Something I might not ordinarily think of, or that I take for granted every day. Little things I might even pray about, but forget the answer came from Him.

For instance, we’ve all heard about people who pray to find a good parking space (and many of us have done so ourselves) before driving where they know the cars will be packed as tight as brown sugar in a measuring cup. Even though I have good intentions to thank the Lord when I find a spot right in front of the building,  my haste to get out might crowd out reverent thoughts. I can’t tell you how many times, in any given situation, I remember all too late when the Father answered a prayer and I forgot to send up a simple thank you.

I recently made a firm decision to take time during morning prayer to credit God for everything I can think of, great and small. Things like giving me another day of life, for the breath he’s put into me, for being closer to me than that breath. I’ll even thank Him for answers to prayer I haven’t seen yet. Good start, right? But I keep going as far as time will allow, because I know I’ll never run out of things to thank God for.

What it all comes down to is finding something to thank the Lord for in every situation. Even the bad ones. I also like to develop the characters in my stories with that same attribute. In my most recent book release, the once-beautiful heroine has been disfigured in an auto accident, shattering her career as a prima ballerina. But with God’s help she bounces back and makes a life for herself. Only when a handsome stranger walks into her life does any of it begin to matter.

My prayer is that we can all rejoice and thank God in everything.

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day!

After years of reading books and watching movies with an element of romance, Deborah M. Piccurelli’s desire to write romance and romantic suspense novels came naturally. She is active in her church and is an advocate for sanctity of life. Deborah is the author of two novels, a novella and several cause-related newspaper articles. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. As one of the winners in a contest by The Christian Authors Show, details of Deborah’s writing journey can be found in the 2013-2014 edition of the book, 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading. Deborah lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two sons.

Deborah’s contact information:

Website: www.deborahmpiccurelli.com
Twitter: @DebPiccurelli
Facebook: www.facebook.com/deborah.piccurelli
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/DebPiccurelli

June’s newest novel, What God Knew, released two weeks ago. An intriguing title, and look closely at these hands on the cover …

Neonatal specialist Dr. Michael Clark is passionate about saving the lives of premature babies. But the pediatrics department at El Camino General can’t provide the care many of his preemies require. Now he wants to build a specialty hospital where he can better offer medical treatment for his young patients.

Tammy Crawford is an accomplished geriatrics RN who wants nothing to do with her sister Joella’s religious beliefs. She’s independent and doesn’t need anyone, including God in pursuing a new job as a nurse practitioner.

When she falls in love with the intriguing Michael Clark, she must reconsider her resolve to devote herself completely to her career and not become distracted by a romantic relationship. Now the obstacles are insurmountable. She’s in love with a man from another culture and a different race.

Michael acknowledges his growing affection for the beautiful nurse yet can’t ignore his brother’s deep racial prejudices.

Can two people as different as night and day find a life together?

Thanks for stopping in, and discover more about What God Knew at  http://tinyurl.com/pdd6prs

My debut novel, In This Together, releases on November 18, 2015, and  Dottie, the heroine, has opened up a space in my heart. It’s 1946 and she’s the kind of gal you’d want for a friend – steady, reliable, a hard worker, and as loyal as thistles sticking to your pants.

The only splash Dottie makes when she walks into a room comes from her mop pail. World War II is over, but it took her only son. Still, comfort gradually comes to her as she faces each new day and makes do the best she can.

As she prepares nutritious meals and cleans at Helene’s boarding house in her little Iowa town, who would guess Dottie also yearns to hug her daughter Cora in California and hold those two grandbabies she has yet to meet?

But Al, the widower next door, watches Dottie trudge home exhausted each night, and schemes how he might befriend her. She has no idea how much she has in common with her lonely neighbor.

I hope Dottie finds a place in your heart, too! The Vintage Line of Wild Rose Press categorizes Dottie’s story as super sweet, which means there’s not even a reason to blush in this heartfelt midwestern tale. You can see more about the novel at:

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6492

I’m so glad to welcome Dora Hiers this week. Her recent release of Burk’s Surrender, the third novel in her Harmon Heritage Series, is reason to celebrate! So she’s doing an exciting giveaway to a commenter: a coupon redeemable for ELEVEN Christmas Extravaganza e-books. Wow – be thinking of some brilliant comments!

Title of Latest Release: Burk’s Surrender

Release Date: 9/18/15

Deputy City Manager Burk Harmon has always been the strong one for his family, but recently those responsibilities have dwindled. When Lacie Heatherton, Assistant Director for Parks and Recreation, ropes him into a city-sponsored trip to the mountains with fifty seniors, Burk has two things on his mind: considering a possible promotion and wooing Lacie past friendship and into a future. Lacie has emotional scars and a thirteen-year-old daughter to remind her that men can be cruel and unforgiving. Can Burk convince Lacie to relax her “no dating” policy or will he surrender his dreams of family and love?

When You Need to Recharge  By Dora Hiers

Struggling to find a job? Feeling stomped on by co-workers? Going through marital problems? Family discord. Rebellious children. Financial challenges. Medical issues. Or maybe you just lost a precious family member or friend.

You name it, and we’ve probably all faced it at some point. Pressure gains momentum as a culmination of events and issues take turns with their punches. Or it could be one major incident that knocks us until we’re staggering backward like a fighter in a boxing ring, squeezing the breath from our lungs until our vision blurs, the voices around us fading into oblivion.

We each handle stress differently. Some people thrive on it. Others tug the blanket back over their head and sleep. I tend to…

Run! Not run away because we all know that doesn’t solve any problems. But run to the mountains.

Peace speaks to my soul here. Whispers that everything’s going to be all right, that life is more than writing and books. That God is in control and that He’s infinitely greater than my paltry problems. Being here brings God more into focus, and the pressure lifts. I can breathe deep again, liberated from the chains of worry that squeeze my chest.

If we can’t break away for a weekend, then this is where I run…

Not quite the same, but it’s nice to escape my desk and the mountain of tasks demanding my attention and slip away for a few minutes.

This year has been crazy busy. While I’m beyond thrilled that four of my books released between May and September, that also meant long hours hunched over my laptop, trying to keep the momentum going with my current work-in-progress and the extra writing related to marketing four books. You know how, at times, events just keep piling on your calendar until suddenly you’ve lost control? That’s me this year, somewhere about April. I definitely needed a recharge, so we headed for the mountains over a long weekend.

It’s the same for hero Burk Harmon in Burk’s Surrender. As Deputy City Manager of fictional Harrison, NC, he deals with stress every day in his job, and as the oldest of the Harmon siblings, he’s been the glue that held his family together since their celebrity father’s tragic suicide. But he has a few weighty decisions to face. Like if he’s willing to risk his family’s emotional well-being with the increased visibility that accepting the City Manager’s position would demand, and moving beyond a decade of being “just friends” with Lacie. When she invites him to tag along with her and fifty elderly seniors to the mountains for a city event, he jumps on the chance to recharge. That, and spend time with her. 🙂
Where do you go to destress and recharge?

He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him,

whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! ~Isaiah 26:3 TLB

He’s my yesterday, my tomorrow, my today.

He’s my redeemer, my hiding place, my refuge.

He’s the grace who covers a multitude of wrongs, the beauty in my ugly, the bridge to forever.

He’s the restorer of my soul, the quiet in my storm, the still water of perfect peace.

He’s my champion, my hero, my rock.

He’s the sweet spot in my day, my reason for being,

my very next breath. ~Dora Hiers

A little about Dora…

After a successful auditing career, Dora left the corporate world to be a stay-at-home mom to her two sons. When her youngest son no longer wanted her hanging out at school with him anymore, Dora started writing Heart Racing, God-Gracing romance. She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and her local chapter, Carolina Romance Writers.

Dora and her real life hero make their home in North Carolina. When she takes a break from cranking out stories, she enjoys reading, family gatherings, and mountain cabin getaways. She despises traffic, bad coffee, technological meltdowns, and a sad ending to a book. Her books always end with a happily-ever-after!

Connect with her on Fiction Faith & Foodies, Seriously Write, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

Purchase Link: http://bit.ly/17u3Im3

Welcome Bonnie!
Thank you for having me, Gail. This is such a treat.

Thanks for offering a print copy of Butterfly Dreams to one of our commenters. Now, please tell us the most intriguing fact about you.
I’m not sure how intriguing this is, but here goes. I am married to a clinical, Ph.D. psychologist with whom I celebrated fifty years of marriage in August. Probably most folks don’t know, but shrinks (as we jokingly call them) don’t have a good marriage track record. Only a very few whom Dave went to grad school with are still married. One of our oldest couple friends (he, Gary, is a psychiatrist) celebrate their anniversary the same day we do, and Peggy is one of my most faithful prayer warriors. God does put amazing people in our lives.

Could you share how your desire to write originated?
OMGosh! Ready for this? I had been a member on a huge prayer chain for several years, often prayed a few hours each day for needs. (Obviously, I was an empty-nester at that point.) I had started reading Christian novels, one of which was Deb Raney’s Playing By Heart and Stephanie Grace Whitson’s A Garden In Paris.

But, I had this desire, this vision, to share how the internet could influence lives. So, one evening I was tearing up lettuce for a salad, and I heard this voice. “Write my Word.” I truly heard it in my heart. I stopped the lettuce-tearing and ran to my computer. What I eventually produced was a non-fiction called Email Angels.

Never published, but still on my heart. That year at Mount Hermon I presented the idea to both a publisher and an editor. Neither had the concept of internet prayer chains. It was too soon.

So interesting – maybe someday, still! Which of your manuscripts excites you most, and why?
I didn’t think it would, but I love Butterfly Dreams the most. Betsy’s personality was so much fun to get into, as well as the quirky personality of her mentor, Bett. I had never written in first, deep POV before, so that was exciting. I am currently working on a sequel to Butterfly Dreams. Betsy deserves one.

How do you work the natural world into your latest work? (landscape, seasons, weather, etc.)
That is easy since I now live in Arizona, but lived for many years in Southern California. I use both venues in my writing. I truly love both locales. For instance, when I finished writing Butterfly Dreams, set in Scottsdale, we were having what we laughingly call “a cold snap”- in the nineties, down from 114 degrees.

My second published novel A Winning Recipe is set both in Newport Beach and Scottsdale. A Recipe for Romance, both a stand alone novella and included in a collection published by Forget Me Not Romances, is set totally in Newport Beach.

One of my next novellas is set in Pennsylvania, my home state, but Family Secret, which I hope will be published next year, takes place both in Scottsdale and Sweden.

How does your location affect your writing, if it does?
Heat in Arizona and opulence in Southern California both affect my writing. I really do try to write “what I know” as far as locality. I know the streets, I drive or have driven them for years, I know all the outskirts and fun things that happen in each. Hopefully, readers from those two states will relate, but I also hope readers from far and wide will enjoy learning about Fountain Hills and Scottsdale, Arizona and Newport Beach, California. Both great places I am blessed to have lived.

What authors have inspired or mentored you?

Inspired: Definitely Randy Alcorn and Deb Raney, both powerful writers whom I’ve been blessed to meet and establish a friendship with; Stephanie Grace Whitson (if she could write about Paris, I decided I could write about Sweden); Dan Walsh and Dr. Richard Mabry, both of whose novels are outstanding; and, sadly, posthumously, Christy Dykes whose personality was even more outstanding than her writing.

Mentored: Barbara Warren, A.K. (Alice) Arenz, Christina Berry Tarabochia, Cynthia Hickey. All have encouraged me to never give up and have become good friends. But my first mentor, Beverly Bush Smith, now deceased, pushed and shoved me to attend my first writing conference (where I met Joseph Bentz who convinced me to go to Mount Hermon). There are still two books of hers in print, and I encourage others to seek them. Look up Joseph’s, too.
Mentored AND Inspired: Gayle Roper who started the Fiction Mentoring Clinic at Mount Herman the first year I attended, and who accepted newbie me in it. She suggested I make a list for Betsy. (I believe I have collected all of Gayle’s novels.)

Thanks, Bonnie – keep writing!