Updated: Apr 23, 2023
I'm thrilled to announce that The Healer of Briarwood, featuring Doc Brody and Katharine Kiely, has arrived!
The Healer of Briarwood highlights the best and worst of humankind, and through it all, it is the hope of a better tomorrow and the love of family and friends that remind us how precious and joyful life can be, even during the darkest of times.
I hope you enjoy reading this romantic western adventure as much as I did writing it, and whether you are here for the first time or returning to Briarwood and Hawk’s Peak, the Gallaghers and I thank you for joining us on the journey.
The Healer of Briarwood
A man with a healer’s touch. A woman with a healer’s heart.
Doctor Finnegan Brody tends his patients, keeps to himself, and vividly remembers the heartaches and trials from the Civil War and why he devoted his life to healing. He watches the townspeople live their lives, loving and laboring alongside one another, and wonders if one day he will give a woman as much time and dedication as he gives the people of Briarwood.
Katharine Kiely has a deep-rooted stubbornness to never give up, even if it means leaving behind her comfortable life by the sea to protect her father’s health and help expand his empire. When she finally arrives in Briarwood to convince the Gallaghers a spur line should cross their land, nothing goes as she expected.
Finn, with his knowledge of healing the people, and Katharine, who learns how to heal with her heart, join together as the townsfolk of Briarwood face challenges and choices that could alter their way of life forever.
Welcome to Briarwood and Hawk’s Peak, where friendship, love, and hope conquer overwhelming odds.
Audiobook Giveaway
This is super simple. All you have to do is enter the giveaway by completing the form below. If it is not visible on your device, you can click the image below and the form will open in a new tab or window. There are twenty-five of these beauties who will get new digital homes, so there are plenty of chances to win. The winners will be randomly drawn on December 28, 2020. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older. Codes are through Findaway Voices, and they work for readers in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, and EU. Twenty of the audiobooks will go to newsletter and blog subscribers, and the other five are open for anyone to win.
Thank you for visiting!
We can all use as much joy as we can get right now, from whatever source possible. For me, I find my greatest peace at home, much like the Gallagher family, and one of my favorite things to do at home is "play" in the kitchen.
Within the festive pages of the latest Christmas issue of Victoria magazine, one will discover a treasure of delectable recipes, halls decked in gorgeous greenery, and colorful spreads of holiday cheer. Victoria never fails to deliver plenty of joyful images and stories.
Among the recipes is one for a Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Glaze, and I thought to myself, "Self, I bet the Gallaghers would really like one of these cakes for the holiday." Then I wondered who would bake it. There's Tilly at the café, but then Elizabeth and Amanda are both excellent bakers, and then I just got hungry and craved gingerbread cake.
Of course, none of that happened. My mother actually found the recipe, showed me, and she's the one who thought of the Gallaghers, but hey, my version works, too, because I'm almost always thinking of the Gallaghers these days.
Did you know: Ginger root originally hails from China. However, I did not know, but should have, that gingerbread houses originated in Germany in the sixteenth century. We have the Brothers Grimm to thank for popularizing gingerbread houses in Hansel & Gretel, but which came first? The fairytale or the treat? I have not found a hard answer to that question. The softer gingerbread desserts, like the cake in this recipe, were more popular in America, and George Washington's mother reportedly created a recipe that was passed down through the generations. I'm just happy that someone at some point in history realized that the medicinal ginger root also made for delicious desserts.
Excerpt from An Angel Called Gallagher
(from somewhere in chapter one)
Catie listened to the light rustling, and finally the door closed with the women on the outside. She shouldn’t have dared. Reason seemed to have little place in her mind at the moment because she peeked around the edge for a glimpse. Starved for human companionship, Catie was desperate to call out. Almost. When the women had disappeared around the other side of the barn, she trudged through the snow to the front of the coop. Careful not to disturb the chickens too much, she collected as many of the leftover eggs as she could carry wrapped in her scarf. Her gaze flitted over the hens once, and Catie shook her head.
“You’re safe from me, little ones. I haven’t fallen that far yet.”
As quietly as she came, she disappeared back into the woods.
The unfamiliar voices halted Catie’s progress into the rough-hewn cabin. Smoke rose from the narrow chimney, and the scent of cooked meat caused her stomach to clench. A smile formed on her red lips, though her happiness did not last. It appeared to be three voices and none sounded like her father. Catie held the eggs close to her chest and walked alongside the perimeter until she could comfortably peek inside the window.
Three men stood or sat in various stages of undress, snug in the nearly barren cabin. One of them turned something in a hot pan sitting precariously over the wood and coals in the fire, even as she wondered how they’d come upon her home so quickly. She looked into the sky where the sun shined directly above her. Her excursion to the chicken coop had taken longer than she realized.
She looked again at the men through the window, careful to remain out of sight. They’d used the last of the firewood. In the months she and her pa had lived in the solitary cabin, she’d not seen another soul come around.
Catie waited for each man to turn around so she could glimpse their faces. She was convinced none were her father now that she’d at least seen their backs, as much as she might have hoped otherwise. The third man turned, and an inaudible gasp escaped her lips. If ever there was a man in her past life she didn’t want to meet again, it was him.
(A second excerpt where there is a lot of baking for a holiday gathering)
CATIE WORKED ALONGSIDE Amanda under her direction in the kitchen, rolling out dough, stirring sauces, and mixing the fruit fillings for pies. They depleted half of their store of canned fruits, and Kevin had assured them there was plenty of meat in the springhouse when Elizabeth asked him to check on their supply. Catie had never seen so much food in one place, and she was in awe at the women’s ability to create so many things from a few ingredients.
By the time the sun began to fade, they’d prepared half a dozen pies, three cakes—including the spice cake Loren was so fond of—more loaves of bread than Catie imagined anyone would ever need—and had added a dozen jars of canned vegetables to the bounty. All the while, Catie thought of the missing boy. She could be the one lost and alone in the snowy wilderness, uncertain of where to go or who to trust, if not for the Gallaghers. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks for herself and one of hope for Cord Beckert.
Excerpts from An Angel Called Gallagher copyright © MK McClintock
I hope you make time every now and then to escape into a good book and relax with a pot of tea, or your beverage of choice, and a tasty treat.
The Tea: Forests Tea tea from Mountain Rose Herbs
The Treat: Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Glaze (see below)
The Book: An Angel Called Gallagher, book 4 of the Montana Gallagher series.
Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Buttermilk Glaze
I won't be reprinting the recipe here because it's not mine, and no modifications were made this time, except to the baking time. The recipe calls for 50-60 minutes, but 40 minutes was perfect. It could have gone to 45 minutes, but any longer and I think it would have been too dry. Victoria gets a big thumbs up for this delicious and flavorful recipe, which you will find on page 104 of this lovely edition, and you can also get the recipe online HERE.
I did not have sanding sugar in the pantry, which is what the cranberries and rosemary would have normally been dipped in, so I just used granulated. You might think more glaze is needed, but no way. The amount in the recipe, drizzled this way, is perfect.
This cake wants to be eaten and enjoyed. My editor would say that cake cannot want anything, but I will have to disagree this one time. This cake has feeling!
I picture Ethan Gallagher enjoying a bite of this cake, then I think about what Brenna would think of me thinking about her husband eating the cake, and then I stop thinking . . . and this is where my editor would highlight all the uses of "think."
I did not wait before sampling.
Enjoy!
Be well, be kind, and stay safe!
—MK
Updated: Dec 1, 2023
A freezer filled with berries means enjoying summer-style desserts all year round. The snow was coming down as the aroma from this tasty dessert filled the kitchen. Paired with a delicious Highland-blend tea, the spread offered a nice and relaxing setting for an afternoon writing break.
Of course, Rhona and Charles would not have had berry cobbler in either Scotland or England, but since the cobbler is a "relative" to the puddings they would have enjoyed, we're okay with the leap. They would, however, enjoyed copious amounts of tea.
Did you know: Cobblers (the dessert, not the shoe repair folks) originated in the British American colonies. English settlers had to get creative when they couldn't find all of the ingredients and equipment needed for their traditional puddings. They stewed up wild berries (I'm guessing they were wild), topped with uncooked biscuits or dumplings, baked it, and voila!
Enjoy an Excerpt from Blackwood Crossing
“This is not a fight you want.” Charles held his pistol steady on the rider closest to him and moved from the shadows.
“Ye canna shuit us both.”
“But we can.” Devon walked his horse forward on the other side. “Slowly remove your guns and toss them to the ground.”
Charles watched them closely, and when they didn’t comply, he shifted his horse until he stared directly at both riders. “My friend will assist, but I promise you don’t want that. Drop them, now.”
Slowly the men pulled the guns from their belts, but it was the loud report of Devon’s revolver that drew Charles’s eyes to the man slumped over in the saddle.
“Your friend chose wrong.” Charles watched the handgun drop into the snow. “Good. Now, I’m willing to let you live, but you’ll first explain why you’re following us.”
“Don’t care none about ye blokes. We’s wants the lady.”
Charles eyes narrowed. “Curious. You thought we would simply hand her over? Who hired you?”
“I’m not sayin.’ Ye’ll go and kill me anyhow.”
“I won’t, actually. You have my word as a gentleman.”
The man appeared to consider his options. His eyes darted back and forth between the two pistols pointed at him and his dead companion. “I don’t know the bloke’s name. Artie met ‘im.”
“Your name?”
“Dyson.”
Charles lowered his gun. “What were you to do with the lady?”
“Take ’er to Moulin Kirk.”
Charles slid his pistol back into the fine leather holster and grabbed Dyson’s horse. “Remember what happened to Artie. If you happen to meet your employer, tell him to stay away from Miss Davidson.”
Devon motioned for the man to get off his horse. “You’ll want to walk quickly or you will freeze to death.”
“Ye can’t leave me here without me horse.”
“Be grateful you’re leaving.”
Excerpt from Blackwood Crossing copyright © MK McClintock
I hope you make time every now and then to escape into a good book and relax with a pot of tea, or your beverage of choice, and a tasty treat.
The Beverage: Highland Blend Tea from Edinburgh Tea & Coffee Company
The Treat: Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler (download PDF here)
The Book: Blackwood Crossing
Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler
Don't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. Try blueberries or strawberries if you prefer them, or mix up the spices a little. Perhaps you really like cinnamon, so use that in place of the Five Spice powder in the recipe. I happen to like a touch of black pepper in desserts, so I might had a smidgen of that. Not all experiments turn out well, but playing around with them a bit is a nice way to unleash a little creative freedom and create a dish you really enjoy. If you're not a seasoned cook or baker, avoid making adjustments to large amounts of dry ingredients, butters, liquids, etc.
Did you know: While you can make a substitute allspice with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, allspice itself is not a blend. It is its own unique spice made from the dried berry of an evergreen tree native to Central America and the Caribbean. It is one of my favorite spices to use in autumn and winter baking because the aroma alone is so tantalizing.
The yield on the original recipe was 5, but that meant large, heaping servings (like the one in the picture above). I reduced it to 6 servings, but really you could get 7 or 8 since each serving packs a lot of satisfying flavor.
For your convenience, you can download a PDF copy of the recipe here.
Enjoy, and thank you for visiting!
