July 29, 2020 by Mary Ellis

Delicious 4-bean salad for a cool summertime dinner

Here’s one of my favorite summertime recipes. I pair this with hot dogs or burgers on the grill, fried chicken, or cold cuts for an easy supper on the porch or patio. Enjoy….and keep on reading!!

Four Bean Salad

Combine in large bowl:

1 can green beans

(note: all beans can be either home-canned or store-bought)

1 can yellow beans (wax beans)

1 can kidney beans (light red or dark)

1 can garbanzo beans

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped peppers-sweet (green, red or yellow or combination)

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped black olives (optional)

Add only enough dressing (recipe below) to lightly coat salad, then chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight. Before serving, if desired, drain off any runny dressing and add fresh. (1 or 2 tablespoons, or to taste)

Dressing:

2 cups oil (I prefer olive)

1 1/3 cups cider vinegar

2 cups sugar

2 1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

2 tsp. prepared mustard

1 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. Hungarian paprika

1 tsp. parsley (fresh or dried)

Heat oil and vinegar together, stirring in sugar and seasonings. Heat only until sugar is completely dissolved and seasonings are blended. Do not boil. Let cool and stored in a sealed jar in the refrigerator to use as needed. Shake well before using. This can be used on coleslaw and lettuce or spinach salad too.

July 15, 2020 by Mary Ellis

Enter the Summer of Suspense Contest

Enter the contest here: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=641599238951031625#editor/target=post;postID=1199018735457224063;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=6;src=postname

Winners will be announced on Monday, August 3rd!

Enter below!

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July 1, 2020 by Mary Ellis

The pandemic has changed American lives

The Covid-19 epidemic has affected everyone during 2020. Many have seen family members fall ill and in some cases, die from this insidious virus. Others have lost jobs and are suffering financial hardship through no fault of their own. Even if your family wasn’t as direly impacted, no one has gotten away unscathed. Graduations, baptisms, showers and weddings cancelled, dreams put on hold. We’re no longer allowed to play proper respect at funerals. Schools have been closed with the responsibility for education thrust upon parents. Parks, playgrounds, pools, amusements, theaters, and sports facilities shuttered. We haven’t been allowed to meet a friend for lunch, get a haircut, or attend our place of worship. I am not implying the shutdown wasn’t necessary, especially since my husband and I are “of a certain age” with serious medical conditions. But now that restrictions are lifting, I’ve come to three observations about American personalities.

We are impatient by nature. We can follow the rules for only a certain length of time. After that we want everything to go back to normal, myself included. We might be able to survive three months without a haircut, but not six. My British friends are still under lock-down and thriving better than my neighbors here. A summer without block parties? A fall without football? No hayrides, no Christmas caroling, no taking grandkids to see Santa at the mall? Enough is enough.

We don’t mind suggestions, but please don’t tell us what to do. We are far more independent than the rest of the world. If you observed the streets of Paris or Rome after lockdown was imposed, not a “creature was stirring.” Not the case in many parts of the US.

We don’t like living with uncertainty. We want definite answers and solutions to our problems. We don’t like all these ideas being tossed around regarding treatments or possible vaccines. Are masks good or bad or somewhere in-between? Everyone has an opinion but no one seems to have an answer.

God has the answer. God knows how this will play out and asks only that we trust Him and be patient. Not just for the month or June or the rest of summer, but until we feel safe again. And I know just how hard that can be.

These were my opinions. Please leave me a comment with yours.

My News? The Amish Sweet Shop, recently nominated for a National Readers’ Choice Award. You can find it in print, large print or e-book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or just about any other format. Happy Reading, Mary Ellis

Mary’s latest book is Island of Last Resorts. : Cut off from the outside world on a private island, can a crack team of investigators solve a cold-case murder before a rich madman picks them off one-by-one?

Buy it on Kindle for $8.79: https://www.amazon.com/Island-Last-Resorts-Marked-Retribution-ebook/dp/B07V5WP7KD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29THW1ZL5IRGO&dchild=1&keywords=island+of+last+resorts&qid=1592841809&sprefix=Island+of+Last+%2Caps%2C274&sr=8-1

March 19, 2020 by Mary Ellis

#1 in Christian Mysteries and Suspense at Amazon

From a Carol Award finalist and US Today bestselling author, Mary Ellis, What Happened on Beale Street: Cousins and private investigators Nate and Nicki head to Memphis at the request of their childhood friend Danny — but when they arrive, Danny is missing. Can Nate and Nicki unravel family secrets and solve a baffling mystery? A suspenseful Christian read! NOW $1.99 at Amazon, Kobo, and Google

December 3, 2019 by Mary Ellis

Christmas Contest on Suspense Sisters

We’re giving away some truly great prizes! You can cuddle up under this beautiful quilt while you snack on Brownie Brittle, gaze at your new Christmas ornaments, and read books by the Suspense Sisters! You’ll also get some great bookmarks to keep your place.

Driving? Listen to our audio books! Out in the cold? A gorgeous scarf from Israel will help you stay warm.

And you can keep all of your gifts in an awesome tote bag!

If we don’t give you every book you want? Use a $25.00 Amazon card to buy more!

Just follow the easy steps below to enter. Winner will be announced on December 23rd!

Thanks for following the Suspense Sisters, and please remember the Reason for the Season: Jesus Christ is born!

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July 3, 2019 by Mary Ellis

Sunset in Old Savannah, first time at this price in e-book!

Sunset in Old Savannah
By Mary Ellis

In this Southern mystery, a murder draws private investigators Mike Preston and Beth Kirby into a web of danger… From a Carol Award finalist who “has proven she can write an outstanding suspenseful book while keeping true to her faith and values” (RT Book Reviews).
$1.99 $14.99
Amazon Barnes & NobleGoogle Kobo

Christian Fiction

April 25, 2019 by Mary Ellis

It’s a Different World When It Comes to Plants….

As most of my readers know, I love traveling around the country for my fictional books. Whether my research takes me to big cities like Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans or Memphis, small towns like Natchez, Mississippi or Jesup, Georgia, or forgotten mountain hideaways like Balsam, North Carolina, I’m enchanted by the South. I love the slower pace, the slower speech patterns and the wonderful food. This past year I learned to love cheesy shrimp and grits, steamed oysters, and she-crab soup.

But since I’m a country girl who loves getting her hands dirty in my garden, I’m always intrigued by the plants which grow where the winters don’t get as cold and snowy as (northern) Ohio’s. Here are eight of my favorite plants that don’t grow where I live, plus the magnificent magnolia tree, which does grow here, but is far less common up north. (My photo is from one of my neighbor’s two magnolias in her front yard. Some people have all the luck!) All photos except the magnolia were taken on the coast of Georgia.

l) camellias – they were blooming everywhere in February! What a treat!!

2) saw palmetto – used often in landscape borders. According to one landscaper, it’s the berries that are being used in prostate research. Fan-shaped plant must have the “saw” teeth in order to have those berries.

3) palmetto palms – close to the ground, grows abundantly in all coastal natural areas

4) loblolly pine – aka, southern yellow pine. I saw huge forests of them in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South and North Carolina. For timber industry, it’s the most commercially important tree in Southeastern US.

5) yaupon holly – waxy leaves, red berries, grows wild in maritime forest, but the bush is a nice addition to yards too.

6) palm trees – I just learned some get coconuts, some don’t. Majestic trees, but don’t stand up well to hurricane force winds.

7) live oaks – the tree which most of us Yankees associate with the deep South. Cute little acorns. Keeps its leaves year-round, which means it’s always losing some year-round, so you’re never down raking or blowing leaves. And you almost never see one without the ubiquitous Spanish moss.

8) bamboo – found tall, thick stands of this used as privacy fences everywhere. Much cheaper than chain-link!! Some places it has become downright invasive!

9) magnolia – quintessential “Southern” flower (but it does grow up north too.) (on very bottom of post)

I know there are plenty of other southern plants that I didn’t include, but I saw these everywhere I went on St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island, Georgia.

Tell me what plant or flower you love to see on vacation that doesn’t grow where you live for a chance to win a copy of The Amish Sweet Shop. Please leave an email address. US and Canada only.

Happy Spring, Mary Ellis

March 13, 2019 by Mary Ellis

One Southern dish I learned to love…..

Whenever I travel to a new area of the country, I take my same old culinary tastes with me. The first time someone asked: Would you like potatoes or grits with those eggs? I asked: What exactly is a grit? Up north, grit is what you’re left with after the dentist cleans your teeth. Now twenty years later, I have come to love those little offshoots of white corn (also called hominy) especially if they’re buried under a thick layer of cheese and topped with grilled shrimp! I spent the month of February on Jekyll Island which holds an annual Shrimp and Grits Festival every September. Thousands turn up to sample and judge for themselves who has the best recipe. After spending three months on the barrier islands of Georgia to research book 3 of Marked for Retribution Mysteries, I ate cheesy shrimp and grits many times. (Note: photo on left taken at Horton Cemetery on Jekyll Island. Horton was one of Jekyll’s early settlers.) Here’s one recipe that’s both delicious and easy to make. Enjoy!

#1 In a medium sized skillet cook bacon or medium high heat to desired crispness then chop. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain bacon grease but reserve approximately one tablespoon in the pan for cooking the shrimp.

#2 Add the shrimp to the grease and cook until shrimp are no longer pink, around 5 minutes. (Optional: add chopped garlic or Cajun seasonings if you prefer spicy while cooking shrimp) I like to add a bit of lemon juice and salt and pepper.

#3 Follow the recipe on the box for Quick Grits. Bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Reduce the heat and add grits slowly, stirring constantly until the grits start to thicken. Then stir in 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheddar. Continue stirring cheese is melted. Can add milk or cream if necessary.

#4 Add the cooked chopped bacon to shrimp and reheat. Serve immediately over cheesy grits. Garnish with fresh parsley or chopped scallions if desired.

Here’s a little bit about my latest book, Sweet Taste of Revenge:

When a wealthy socialite, owner of the largest yacht manufacturer on the Gulf Coast, is found dead, PI Kate Weller is sent on assignment to investigate. Plenty of people would benefit from this socialite’s demise, including her daughter, Lainey. But Agnes Westin created plenty of enemies on her climb to the top, both socially and in business, many with a taste for revenge. When Kate arrives in the only town she could ever call home, Pensacola, she must face why she’s been on the run for years. As a child she witnessed the crime which sent her brother, Liam, to jail. Now someone wants to make sure her suppressed memories stay buried. Can she find Agnes Westin’s killer and clear her brother’s name before their hometown enemy silences them forever?

Find Sweet Taste of Revenge at Barnes & Noble or Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Taste-Revenge-Marked-Retribution-ebook/dp/B07KXWTDNM/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=145JCL2ENYEQ5&keywords=sweet+taste+of+revenge+mary+ellis&qid=1551367271&s=books&sprefix=sweet+taste+of+%2Cstripbooks%2C191&sr=1-1-fkmrnull

March 10, 2019 by Mary Ellis

Summer is coming…..

Are you pining for summer? Thinking about warm days? Sitting by the lake? Sipping lemonade? Sounds great. But to really enjoy summer you need good books, right? Well, how about sixteen stories by some of Christian Fictions most popular suspense and mystery authors?

You’ll find stories of suspense by Mary Alford, Christy Barritt, Patricia Bradley, Vannetta Chapman, Mary Ellis, Debby Giusti, Rachel J. Good, Ruth Hartzler, Shaen Layle, Ruth Logan Herne, Loree Lough, Elizabeth Ludwig, Nancy Mehl, Serena Miller, Samantha Price, and Alana Terry. All for just .99 cents.

SUMMER OF SUSPENSE is now available for preorder at Apple and Barnes and Noble. This anthology collection will release on August 6th. After the release week, the book price will be $9.99, so don’t miss out on this amazing read for just .99.

Apple: https://apple.co/2EhNTJV

Nook: https://bit.ly/2Gz6lAc

*On August 6^th, SUMMER OF SUSPENSE will be available on Kindle. It will be .99 for the rest of that week before going up to $9.99!

Now you can ignore the cold because, the SUMMER OF SUSPENSE is coming!

Have a great week, readers!! Mary Ellis

February 26, 2019 by Mary Ellis

Coming this summer….

Enjoy the best of Christian suspense in this sixteen book anthology by some of Christian Fiction’s most popular mystery and suspense authors. Stories of suspense by Mary Alford, Christy Barritt, Patricia Bradley, Vannetta Chapman, Mary Ellis, Debby Giusti, Ruth Hartzler, Shaen Layle, Ruth Logan Herne, Loree Lough, Amy Lillard, Elizabeth Ludwig, Nancy Mehl, Serena Miller, Samantha Price, and Alana Terry. All for just .99 cents.