First Fridays with the Crew - National Candy Month

Happy candy month! It’s official. June is National Candy Month. Or so says the National Confectioners Association. And why argue with them or anyone when the topic is so sweet. 

Join the Get Lost in a Story crew
& share your favorite candy!

Amanda McIntyre

Thinking back to my childhood favorites has to include the trek I used to take, quarter in hand, to the tiny neighborhood grocer called Arn's Grocery. Living in a small Midwestern town in the early sixties, it was nothing for me to walk three blocks alone down the alley to Grace Arn's store. A bell would ring when you walked in. The window air conditioning providing respite form the summer heat.

She had a glass candy case, where you could go around back and open it and search for as many penny candies as a small brown paper bag could hold. It was there that I discovered what was called the "Seven-up" candy bar. It was like getting a mini box of chocolates for a nickel. It was created by the Pearson candy company in 1930 and had seven little pillowed squares of chocolate with seven different fillings-brazil nut, butter cream, butterscotch, caramel, cherry, coconut, fudge, mint, nougat, and orange. I would savor each piece and thought I'd gone to heaven! Eventually it became too expensive to make and so they company retired it in 1979.

One of my favorites to this day is "Cherry Mash." Hand-dipped chocolates were first introduced in 1876 by Dr. George Washington Chase and sold at his mercantile-- GW Chase and Sons Mercantile, along with peanut candies. In 1918, the first Cherry Mash was conceived in the first of many plants with its popularity came a new plant with one whole floor designated to the "dipping crew." The onset of WWII hurt many of the candy companies, with the sugar ration and in the 40's , an investor of Pepsi plants bought the company and would take the candy to new heights, opening a plant in the 60's in St Joseph, Missouri that still stands today--100 years later producing the Cherry Mash and Mini Cherry Mash. Full disclosure; I have an Aunt in New York that I've shipped boxes of these delights to as she can't find them in NYC.

Jacqui Nelson

My favorites are many, but the first two that came to mind were chocolate bars from my childhood. Both were created by the Walter M. Lowney Company which was acquired by Hershey Canada in 1987. Thank goodness for Mr. Lowney!

Cherry Blossom 
A maraschino cherry and cherry syrup surrounded by chocolate, shredded coconut, and roasted peanut pieces. Made since the 1890s. A Cherry Blossom is super sweet -- and I mean SUPER sweet. When I was young, they didn't seem as sweet. Now they seem over-the-top decadent and it's a very rare and special day when I have one. I think I'll have to pick a day this June to be that special day!

Eat-More 
Dark toffee, peanuts, oatmeal, and chocolate. I searched but couldn't discover when Eat-Mores were first made, but I learned that their name was picked during a 1930s naming contest. An Eat-More was one of my favorites as a kid and now...that hasn't changed :)

Lizbeth Selvig

Asking me to pick my favorite candy is like asking to pick my favorite child. I swear--if it has sugar in it, I'm no more discriminating than an ant at a picnic! I have my current go-to faves because, despite the pictures I included--chocolate is truly unbeatable:  Kit-Kat dark, Milky Way Midnight Dark, and good old Three Musketeers! 

But I dug into my memory of buying penny candy at the corner grocery store when I was a kid and remembered these classics as well: Wax pop bottles and Candy Buttons. They weren't chocolate, but they were always big hits. I mean, how long could YOU chew the wax after the liquid was gone? 

And I can't go without my happy admission! It doesn't matter how many boos or thrown shoes I get, I LOVE Peeps! I can eat an entire package in one sitting and look for more. I don't know how they survive because nobody I know will admit to eating them--but I am an unapologetic fan. 

 
Angi Morgan
Favorite candy... hands down it's Watermelon & Toasted Marshmallow Jelly Bellys. 

I've always been a big fan of jelly beans. Okay, I've always been a big fan of candy--especially the kind without chocolate. My parents made a decision to not give me anything chocolate until I was seven or eight years old. And it just never grew on me. WHITE chocolate I discovered as an adult. YUM. 

I'm a seasonal candy eater. Since I closed my softball concession stand, I'm not around candy and resist the temptation. But I do allow myself certain things once a season. Like...candy corn for Halloween or a box of Queen Anne's milk chocolate covered cherries at Thanksgiving (not all at once). I would always get a chocolate-covered cherry when I visited my grandfather for Thanksgiving. When he got older, it was my thing to bring him a box along with a pumpkin pie.  Three Musketeers is my go-to travel bar if the store doesn't have sour cherries (I told you I like gummy stuff). AND A PAYDAY...well that's my football or softball candy. It doesn't melt on hot days and tastes great with any kind of drink.

Avril Tremayne

I love lollies! I'm usually not so crazy about chocolate, which practically makes me a traitor to Romancelandia - but as in all areas of my life, I make an exception for anything Italian. And since I'm currently travelling around Italy, I'm casting my vote for Baci! Not only is it a concoction of chocolatey hazelnut deliciousness, but it means 'Kiss' and that appeals to my romantic heart!



E.E. Burke
You'll probably laugh, but I really am not that tempted by candy and never have been. But I love chocolate in any form, cookies, pies, bars, you name it. One of my favorite places to treat myself is at the shop of a local artisan, Christopher Elbow. I adore how his chocolate looks and tastes! Each piece is a creative masterpiece. It's the perfect combination of two things I love--art and chocolate.

Almost Too Pretty To Eat
As it says on his website, they are "almost too pretty to eat." But don't miss out on the opportunity. If I've tempted you, you can find more goodies here: https://www.elbowchocolates.com/

Buy Local
Not only do I enjoy Christopher Elbow chocolates, I like supporting his business, which started in Kansas City. Do you have a favorite hometown candy shop? I'd love to hear about it.

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If you enter the drawing and post a comment, E.E. will draw a winner who will receive a box of Christopher Elbow chocolates! 

**DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT!

Hope you'll share your favorite candies with us!

❤️  Maybe they will become our favorites as well  ❤️

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Jacqui Nelson’s North of the Border with guest Rachel Goldsworthy

Who’s next on my North of the Border guest blog series? Today we have Rachel Goldsworthy, author of Kiss in the Wind.

Where does Rachel get her inspiration? How is Canada part of her inspiration? Read on and see...

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Tuning up a tale

Even silent movies had a soundtrack. When Canadian Mary Pickford became America’s Sweetheart in the early 20th century, the theatre pianist would signal danger with bass notes, emphasize on-screen sorrow with a minor key and andante through the upper octaves to announce a happy ending.

In my head, my stories have a soundtrack too – or at least the beginnings of one. When I was writing my first novel, the harmonica intro to Blue Rodeo’s “Bad Timing” teleported me straight to the treeplanting camps of northern BC, where the story was set. It was the whole package, both the tune and the words sung by Jim Cuddy, that did it for me. It took me years to write that book and through the whole process, all I had to do was slide the CD into the player, forward to Track 3 and when the muse (that would be Jim) said, “Hey it’s me,” I was instantly in a clearcut with a shovel in one hand and seedling spruce in the other, or behind the wheel of a pickup truck with a sticky clutch, cracked windshield and patchy paint job. It was magic.

I’ve had a song for almost every story I’ve written since that first foray into fiction.

When I joined the crew in Corsair’s Cove, I had two. Tom Waits’s “Shiver Me Timbers” describes someone sailing into the unknown to find what they’re longing for, which is how Corsair’s Cove – the place and the collaboration – came to be. For me, Tom’s raspy voice singing “my heart’s in the wind…” set the stage – or the sails – for the whole Corsair’s Cove experience. I also relied on Carly Simons singing “Let the River Run” to take me to Livy Tarbert’s world in a hurry.

In Kiss in the Wind, Livy left a safe life to pursue a dream when Great Aunt Ruby bequeathed to her and her cousins a chocolate shop in a tiny West Coast community. The town also had an insatiable appetite for truffles, a talking parrot that might or might not have been channelling Aunt Ruby, and a warm breeze that blew whenever that good-looking bar owner showed up.

Good Spirits is set in the 1920s when the US brought in Prohibition and Canadians became rumrunners. In both places, the Charleston was the dance for daring girls. My great-aunt was the muse for this one – not because she was a rumrunner (as far as I know) but she did get kicked out of a dance hall for doing the Charleston only a few miles north of the border. Every time I wondered what newly married cider-maker Hulda would think or do (or want to do), I imagined my Auntie Mary, with her short hair, short skirt and Charleston rhythm. Often, she and Hulda were of like mind.

Lately, I’ve been relying on Sara Bareilles’ “Brave.” Before the song’s half over, my head’s in Three Sheets, Betsy Lund’s fabric store.

I don’t have to turn on the GPS or search the glove box for a map or wrestle (much) with the demon Procrastination. It’s as if the music, and especially the lyrics, conjure a genie, a fantastical being that whisks me inside another person, one I made up, in a town I imagined.

So…Jim Cuddy as muse?

Hey, it works for me.

Green Spirits: A Corsair’s Cove Companion short story

It’s springtime in Corsair’s Cove, when trees bloom, tourists arrive and spirits get lively.

But for Betsy Lund of Three Sheets Fabric Shop, this year it’s not a happy season. She misses her beloved business partner. Someone – or something ¬¬– is using her quilting machines when she’s not around. And she can hardly get out of her own yard because her hedge is growing weirdly fast; she’s wearing out hedgetrimmers at an uncanny rate.

Orchardist Stan Redfern would love to do more than sharpen Betsy’s blades but his shy invitations are getting him nowhere.

Betsy isn’t even sure that romance is what Stan’s offering; her mojo eloped so long ago she can’t remember what it looked like.

When her hedgetrimmer gives up the ghost, she’s literally stuck, and Betsy has no illusions, or desire, that Prince Charming is going to ride up and save her.

What’s a self-rescuing middle-aged princess to do?

To read an excerpt from Green Spirits, visit the Corsair’s Cove blog. I hope you enjoy it!

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I write fun feminist fiction. In my stories (like real life), women try to figure out the right thing to do and then to do it. Also like real life, love and laughter show them they’re on the right track. Or maybe not the right track, exactly, but they can have a good time even if they’re a bit lost.

I love working with the Corsettes – Shelley Adina, Sharon Ashwood and Lee McKenzie – who are all award-winning storytellers. We share real estate, stories and apple fritters in Corsair’s Cove, the magical town that calls you back when you need it most.

Green Spirits and all Rachel’s books are available on Apple, Amazon, Kobo and Nook.

Corsair’s Cove website: CorsairsCove.com 

Email: Rachel@rachelgoldsworthy.com

Corsair’s Cove on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/corsairscovereaders

~ All pictures (except for the 1st) are supplied by today’s guest with their assurance of usage rights. 

E.E. Burke's Best of the West: A Bride That Needs Saving

Get lost in a new heartwarming romance from New York Times Bestselling Author Linda Broday

He may be a wanted man, but all outlaw Jack Bowdre ever desired was a second chance. Now he’s on his way to jail, completely unaware that his unexpected—and unexpectedly beautiful—traveling companion is none other than Nora Kane…his mail order bride.

Unaware that Jack is her groom-to-be, all Nora sees is a scoundrel. But when their stagecoach crashes and the truth comes spilling out, they’re suddenly left to fend for themselves—and each other. The longer they’re together, the stronger their feelings grow. Hounded by desperate men bent on doing them harm, Nora and Jack will do whatever it takes to find their happily ever after...but first, they’ll have to shake the devil from their trail. 

Read an excerpt!

The barrel-chested marshal smiled at Lenora. “Sorry that you have to endure this a bit longer, ma’am. He’s little more than a savage animal.” He said that like the outlaw had a case of rabies or something. Dollard continued in a tone full of righteous contempt. “Why, he’s so mean the rattlesnakes won’t even come near him. I heard his own kin disowned him.”

Lenora’s gaze followed the outlaw’s long legs and lean form from which enormous power radiated, felt his deep irritation and anger to be cuffed to the marshal. She’d read about men like this one who lived outside the law in dime novels that were all the rage back East. But reading about one and coming face to face with one in the flesh were two totally different things.

Awareness sizzled between them and when he turned his gaze to her, a rush of heat flooded her cheeks.

His chiseled features appeared hewn from the hardest stone that the good Lord probably reserved for those like him who lived outside the law. The marshal appeared barely able to contain him. In fact, she got the impression the prisoner merely bided his time until an opportunity for escape came.

He glanced toward the window, allowing her to study him better. The outlaw had uncommon good looks with a hard, angled jaw that sported brown stubble. The rise high on his nose indicated it had been broken few times. Ha! She wasn’t surprised at that.

But most striking were his gray eyes—gunmetal gray. At times they stormed, and other times, like when the marshal shot warnings and threats, they became icy and hard. But amusement colored his gaze when he turned his attention to her.

Lenora thought about leaning across the space and slapping his brazen face. Except she’d never struck anyone even though she’d been sorely tempted a few times.

The way he glanced at the door then back to the marshal told her he was planning an escape.

Lenora stilled and held her breath, her pulse racing. Would he use her somehow in his escape plan? Maybe take her hostage? Oh dear. She glanced at the marshal, wondering if he’d pull his gun and shoot him if he tried anything.

The handsome outlaw lifted a finely arched brow. “Here in Texas they make you pay to gawk, ma’am. But I reckon this is the first time a gentle woman like yourself has laid eyes on a born and bred killer. Who knows? Maybe you can come to my hanging. Now that’ll be a real treat.”

Beneath his mocking tone, she saw the layer of sorrow, felt his heavy heart, tasted his bitterness. She couldn’t bear the thought of him swinging from a rope.

Where to get Saving The Mail-Order Bride 

AMAZON  |  APPLE  |  B&N  |  KOBO  |  IndieBound

Q&A

E.E.: What turns you off like nothing else?

Linda: Whiny people who sit around constantly complaining about how they feel, why they can’t have a happy life, how everything is against them. I just want to shake them hard.

E.E.: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

Linda: Thank you for reading my books, believing in me, supporting me, and leaving reviews. I couldn’t keep writing if it wasn’t for my readers and knowing they’re waiting for my next one. I’m so grateful for each one and love them dearly.

E.E. What one thing about your hero drives his heroine crazy? And what one thing about your heroine drives her hero nuts?

Linda: Jack Bowdre counts whenever he’s trying to keep his temper down and it drives Nora crazy. And Nora’s insistence on always looking on the bright side makes Jack climb the wall. These make for some funny scenes.

E.E.: How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Linda: I’m always trying to think of ways to get characters together and keep them there and one day me and another author were brainstorming and she said to handcuff them together. Yes! That’s one sure-fire way to get to know one another fast! And it works. I loved torturing Jack and Nora by making them unable to part after cross words. The handcuffs made them stay and work things out.

E.E.: When I want to relax, I ___________.

Linda: Go to the movies. There is nothing better than sitting in a dark theater and watching a story unfold on the screen. It’s pure magic for me and so entertaining. I’m a movie addict.

E.E.: Have you read any good books lately that you’d recommend?

Linda: Oh yes! The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson! Oh my gosh, this was such a gripping story about 1930s life in the Kentucky mountains for people whose skin is blue. These people really existed and they were ostracized and treated like trash because of it. The main character was a horseback librarian, taking books to people living in way back in the hills. This is based on historical fact and such an interesting book.

E.E.: What’s coming next?

Linda: In September, Longing for a Cowboy Christmas releases – an anthology with Leigh Greenwood, Rosanne Bittner, Margaret Brownley, Anna Schmidt, and Amy Sandas. These stories will put you in the holiday spirit.

Linda's Awesome Giveaway: A $25 Amazon gift card, Two copies of Saving the Mail Order Bride.

Enter the raffle and leave a comment: 

How long would you be able to survive in the open with only the clothes on your back, handcuffed to an outlaw, and a posse behind you?

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Amanda hosts #storiesoftheheart-Jacqui Nelson

When Amanda asked me to share a story about courage or strength or joy or gratitude, my mind kept going back to flowers. What is it about flowers? I love seeing them, taking pictures of them, and sharing them. 

These days flowers give me courage and strength as well as making me feel joy and gratitude. Flowers remind me of my mom who passed away in 2017. She was a dedicated flower, plant, and tree lover. She spent hours tending her garden and also admiring others’ gardens. If I see a flower, I have happy thoughts of her. Flowers give me the courage and strength not to dwell in sadness. I’m grateful I get to see so many flowers. 

Sending a big THANK YOU to all the amazing gardeners out there who bring me (and everyone like me) so much joy. 

Jacqui Nelson lives near the seaside (in Victoria on Canada’s southwest coast) but she grew up on a farm (in northern Alberta on Canada’s prairies). She loves the ocean but misses the farm - and dreams of the day when she’ll have a home big enough for a pair of Corgi dogs and a flower garden.