Helen C. Johannes's Blog

Happy March! It's the month of Spring! Trees bud, snow melts, grass awakens, winds blow kites and clouds (and all sorts of things forgotten in yards) around. Days grow longer and temperatures climb while winter coats are shed and no one worries about lost gloves. 

In celebration of this delightful seasonal greening, I'm featuring FREDERICK FLY-CATCHER in ebook for 99 cents ALL MONTH LONG. Go to https://books2read.com/u/4Ekjo0#! to select your preferred reading app.

In addition, FREDERICK FLY-CATCH...

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many of us are planning our holiday dinner menus. If your family is looking forward to the traditional pumpkin pie, wonderful! However, if you're looking for alternative desserts, or need an extra one if company is coming, I have a recipe for you. And it looks super festive, too! 

This family recipe for Apple Upside-down Cake is at least 70 years old, so definitely tried and true! Simple, everyday ingredients. It'll look lovely on your brunch table if tha...

If your garden is overproducing like mine, you'll want to do something with all those fresh, luscious, ripe red tomatoes. We are big fans of BLTs, but a sandwich a day only uses one of those big tomatoes. Of course, there are tacos and salads and sliced tomatoes on pizza and little tomatoes, halved and fried in butter. But even that isn't enough to keep up with the harvest. 

We used to can tomatoes, but we've moved away from that to making batches of spaghetti sauce and freezing meal-sized contai...

My guest today is cozy mystery author Susie Black, whoselatest release, Death by Jelly Beans, will be available Sept. 4. It’s #5in the Holly Swimsuit series with these clever cartoon covers. 

Let’s dive in with the set-the-tone Blurb:

Mermaid Swimwear President Holly Schlivnik discovers theBainbridge Department Store Easter Bunny slumped over dead and obnoxiousswimwear buyer Sue Ellen Magee is arrested for the crime. Despite herdifferences with the nasty buyer, Holly is convinced the Queen ...

My guest today is author C.E. Brown whose latest release is SEEINGGRAY, a YA Urban Fantasy, published by The Wild Rose Press. 

I have to include her bio right away because I love what shesays about her cats.

Author bio:

C.E. Brown has lived most of her lifein the Pacific Northwest, close to family and friends. She loves to travel,always searching for magical places to help inspire creativity. C.E. atteststhat she has a very patient and understanding husband, a wildly creative son,and thre...

Hooray for Summer!

I love berry season and I love sweet treats, so today I'm sharing a favorite recipe for a pie made without a pie plate. It's based on the French Galette, which can be sweet or savory, but it's made by spreading your pie crust on a flat surface rather than in a pie plate. And then you fill it with a cream cheese base topped with 2 cups of sliced berries. Mine has half fresh strawberries and half fresh blueberries. Here's a photo to whet your appetite. 

To make this, you'll need t...

Today NN Light Book Heaven has posted a beautiful Author Spotlight on yours truly, featuring all of my books. Please stop by to learn 10 new things about me: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/helen-c-johannes-abs

Hope to hear from you soon!

Ahearty “Welcome back!” to my fellow TWRP author Karen Hulene Bartell. She’s sharingthe details on her latest release, the second in 2024. 

Title – FoxTale

Author –Karen Hulene Bartell

Genre –Paranormal Romance

Publisher –The Wild Rose Press

BookBlurb –

Heights terrify Ava. When a stranger saves herfrom plunging down a mountain, he diverts her fears with tales of Japanese kitsune—shapeshiftingfoxes—and she begins a journey into the supernatural.

She’s attracted to Chase, both ph...

My guest today is an author after my own heart, someone withwandering feet and an itch to travel to new places, someone who is inspired bywhat she sees. Please welcome Karen Hulene Bartell, a multi-published authorwhose latest release is the paranormal romance Kissing Kin. 

I’m always intrigued by how book ideas are birthed. What wasthe inspiration for Kissing Kin?

Whenever I visit provocative places, encounter newexperiences, sample different ethnic foods, or chance upon stimulating people...

Welcome to the month of March, where seasons change and snowstill sometimes flies. A perfect month for showcasing a cozy mystery by noneother than Mary Ann Jacobs, whose debut novel Don’t Mess with Me, is thefirst book in her Berkshire Mysteries series. 

I’m always fascinated by how writers become authors. Everyoneseems to find their own particular path. What have the steps been on yourjourney to being a published novelist?

When I taught school, I always wantedto write. I published a poe...