Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with MAUREEN FISHER!

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, MAUREEN FISHER, and her favorite recipe for FRUIT COCKTAIL CAKE!!

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HORSING AROUND THE MURDER
A Senior Sleuth Mystery Book 1
BY MAUREEN FISHER

Blurb

With horses, and goats, and a llama, oh my!
There’s secrets, and intrigue, and someone must die.

Abby, Dodie, and Clara Foster, three sisters, are astonished to learn they’ve inherited a dude ranch in the Alberta Foothills. Facing financial ruin, they host a week-long horse breeding symposium to attract more guests.

Hours into the symposium, a cowboy’s sudden death appears accidental. When the Mounties dismiss Abby’s notion of murder, she convinces Dodie and Zeke, their barn manager, to conduct a covert investigation without alerting the guests. Problem is, their quirky guests are the main suspects.

Chaos ensues when the senior sleuths tangle with one seriously amorous gelding (yes, it happens), a runaway stud, dwarf goats and their guard llama, a cranky stallion, drug abuse, deceit, and more danger. It doesn’t help that late-life romance ups the ante.

Warning: This book may contain inappropriate boomer humor.

“Great fun to read! I love it! Laughed out loud and enjoyed all the characters.”

“The physical comedy infused throughout gave me several actual laugh-out-loud moments – the mark for me of a great read.”

“I LOVED IT!!! What a fun cozy mystery.”

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Note from Maureen: I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Karen for inviting me to be a guest blogger.

People often ask me where I get my ideas for a book. Truth be told, plotting isn’t my strong suit. Luckily my brainstorming partner possesses an off-the-wall imagination. She used to be a vet’s assistant, and managed to get a stallion’s pride-and-joy wedged up her sleeve when she assisted the veterinarian on a semen collection mission.

With that in mind and after I figured out my intended victim for my new cozy mystery, I pretty much built the plot of my latest book, HORSING AROUND WITH MURDER, around that incident (which readers tell me is hilarious).

HORSING AROUND THE MURDER
A Senior Sleuth Mystery Book 1
BY MAUREEN FISHER

Two Brief Excerpts

To demonstrate confidence, I injected a swagger into my step as I approached the beast. The presence of horse droppings made me bob and weave, detracting from my can-do attitude. Fighting the urge to flee, I muttered, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“Nothing to worry about,” Zeke assured me. “Alamo’s real gentle.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” I said, “but didn’t everyone at the Alamo die?”

Zeke grinned. “Let’s get you mounted.”

I pretended his really great smile didn’t affect me. “I thought we were friends. You expect me to ride this … this … monster? Surely you have something …” I hesitated, wanting to say, “less scary,” but substituted, “smaller.”

“Alamo’s perfect for you.” He led the horse to a mounting block beside the fence. “Up you go.” When I didn’t budge, his grin broadened. “Don’t tell me you’re chicken.”

That got me moving. I adjusted my hat to a jaunty angle. With the help of the mounting block, much undignified straining, and an embarrassing quantity of muscle on Zeke’s part, I found myself on board Alamo, my legs spread to the max. It was a miracle my straining ligaments and tendons didn’t squeal out loud.

“Yowza,” I muttered. “I’m relying on you to scrape my remains off the trail.”

***

“Whatcha reading?” Dodie yelled across the lobby. “Financial Planning for Dummies?”

“Nope. Hard, Hung, and Horny: A Tender Love Story.

In response, my sister sucked in an audible breath and walked toward me with an odd stiff-legged gait, flared nostrils, and fixed expression.

“You look like you’re passing a kidney stone,” I observed.

“You have a … remarkable way with … words,” she said, staggering the last few steps. Once behind the counter, she flung herself into her chair with a grunt.

“What’s wrong?”

After a lengthy pause, she said, “Turns out cramming this year’s booty into last year’s jeans is the mistake that keeps on punishing.”

Once her words sank in, my effort to swallow my laughter resulted in an explosive snort.

Dodie scowled at me. “I always suspected you were a heartless bitch.”

“Those skinny jeans are the reason you’re late. Am I right?”

“Yeah. I’d planned to arrive early, but it took me half an hour and every muscle I own to close the zipper. I had to lie flat on my back. Came close to blowing an artery. Luckily my top hides the overflow.” She grabbed a handful of flesh to illustrate.

“Uh-huh.”

“Cool, eh?” She adjusted the tunic top over her rippling mid-section and finger-fluffed her white hair, which was cut and gelled into spikes with a magenta streak added. In spite of her weight, she looked fun, funky, and much younger than her age.

“You look great and so does your matching hair. Why are you limping?”

“These jeans are tighter than Spanx on a Sumo wrestler. My feet and ankles have ballooned two shoe sizes due to compression. The boots were snug to begin with, and now they feel like mediaeval torture devices.”

“God help you if you have to pee.”

“Didn’t think of that. I’ll need your help.”

“There are some lines I won’t cross. That’s one.”

Meet Author Maureen Fisher…

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Links to Maureen’s website, blog, books, etc.

HORSING AROUND WITH MURDER is available at:

Amazon:
MyBook.to/HAWM
(Universal link for ebook and paperback)

Kobo:  https://bit.ly/2DslJdU

Nook:   https://bit.ly/2BsyO6G

iStore: https://apple.co/2E47jC9

You will find all of Maureen Fisher’s books at http://booksbymaureen.com

Social Media Links

Website: http://booksbymaureen.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorMaureen

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MaureenFisherAuthor

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/845094.Maureen_Fisher

I hope you enjoy the recipe Maureen is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 414 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right-hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.

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FRUIT COCKTAIL CAKE
[Courtesy of Best of Bridge Cookbook]
[[10-12 Servings]]

When fast, easy, and a crowd-pleaser are the criteria, one of my best go-to desserts is Fruit Cocktail Cake from the Best of Bridge cookbook. Don’t let the thought of canned fruit cocktail put you off. This cake is delicious and decadent. Guests request the recipe.

Cake:

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 – 14 oz. can fruit cocktail with juice
2 cups all-purpose flour

Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk (not condensed milk)
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla (2 tbsp. rum is a superb substitute!)

To Make Cake: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs. Beat in sugar. Fold in all other ingredients, except flour, and mix. Add flour and mix again. Grease a 9” x 13” pan or a Bundt pan and pour in mixture. Bake for 45 minutes.

To Make Sauce: Heat sugar, milk and butter in saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla or rum. Pour over hot cake. (Makes a lot, but use all of it! The cake will absorb it.)

Serve warm with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or frozen vanilla yogurt. Keeps for several days refrigerated, but only if no one knows it’s there.

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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Maureen will give away an ebook copy of HORSING AROUND WITH MURDER to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, Maureen, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!