September 2024 Monthly Letter

Dear Reader,

Hello! Didn’t we just go through turning the calendar five minutes ago?

Did you know the term “Time flies” is from an ancient Roman poet named Virgil?  He wrote an epic poem Georgics, where the famous line “tempus fugit” appears. It was originally written in Latin sometime around 29BC and is translated to “time flies.”  More fodder for fans of trivia.  😊

Even though it’s early September we still have some hot weather ahead, especially if you’re in the South.  And, I don’t have to tell you how hot it’s been this summer. Phoenix broke their own heat-wave record of 100 days over 100 degrees! I don’t know about you, but when the temperature is about to burst the thermometer, I don’t feel too much like cooking so I will share some easy recipes besides digging into a carton of ice cream.

Kids are going back to school, and I am sure there are mothers and fathers out there who are doing cartwheels!   The month of September also brings the Autumn Equinox, when we have an equal number of hours for daylight and night. Equinox=Equal.  Days will be getting shorter until December 22 when we will experience the shortest amount of sunlight for one day, and then the brightness begins to return.  Nature is a remarkable thing.  There’s also a lot going on in the night sky. If you live in an area that isn’t polluted with a lot of light, you can easily see the planet Jupiter. More trivia.

The cats are still running my life and I am very happy about it, and so is Harvey.   He thinks they belong to him.   If you don’t have a pet you don’t know what you’re missing.  I’m serious.  There have been countless articles about the therapeutic value of having a pet, particularly the unconditional love they give you. They also give you a purpose, even if it means cleaning up after they decided to mangle an entire roll of toilet paper and drag it through the hall.

On to book news. I’m proud to announce ON THE LINE made the New York Times Best Seller list, on the heels of TINY BLESSINGS. I am so very grateful to all of you who have supported my books. PROOF, the fourth novel in the Lost and Found Series is on sale now. While it is the last book in the series, I like to revisit my characters and have them make cameo appearances in other books, so keep an eye out for Luna and Cullen next year.

The girls from the Santa books will be returning at the end of October in SANTA’S SECRET where they find adventure in the beautiful Amalfi Coast of Italy. But before the holiday festivities, there are visits to Geneva, Switzerland where Amy’s dream of seeing the Hadron Collider (you’re going to have to read the book to find out what that is) comes to fruition. Nina visits Milan, Rachael and Randy try to stay out of trouble, while Francesca and Giovanni are on a quest to ferret out Giovanni’s mother’s secret recipe. Yes, there will be lots of food, fun, and a touch of romance. It is Italy, after all.

This month’s contest will have two winners who will receive a couple of Sisterhood novels along with the latest book in the Sisterhood series BACKWATER JUSTICE (available now at the library and will be on-sale in paperback in December), and the three books mention above ON THE LINE, PROOF, and TINY BLESSINGS.

Stay well, healthy, and strong!
All the best,
Fern Michaels

September 2024 Recipes

On to easy recipes while you scurry around getting kids off to school or turning over your summer wardrobe.

Grilled cheese sandwiches.  Here are a couple of my favorites.  BTW, did you know you can substitute mayonnaise (the real stuff) instead of butter?  I recently discovered that many diners use it in place of butter.

Grilled Swiss Cheese, Bacon & Tomato – I like it on Rye Bread

Make sure the bacon is cooked first.

*Slather up two slices of bread with either butter or mayo.  Place slathered side down on medium heat in frying pan.

Place 2-3 slices of Swiss cheese on each slice of bread.  When cheese starts to melt top with bacon and a slice of tomato.  Let melt for another minute.  Carefully flip one of the slices over and place on top of the other – cheese meets cheese.   Yummy.

If you want a little tang:
Sourdough bread
Provolone
Cheddar
*Same routine as above substituting cheeses

Even more tang:
Your choice of bread
Monterey Jack
Jalapeno peppers – as much heat as you can stand
*Same routine as above substituting cheese and adding peppers

For something fresh and easy try a Caprisi salad or sandwich.

Get fresh mozzarella, I mean fresh, not the stuff hermetically sealed.  If you can.

Fresh beefsteak tomato

Fresh Basil

Make ¼ inch slices of the cheese and tomatoes.

Lay them out like a fan alternating cheese, tomato, basil leaves.

You can make a sandwich out of this, or serve it with bread on the side.

Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar.  It looks refreshing and tastes delicious.

Note:  never refrigerate fresh mozzarella.  It makes it hard.  You can keep it in a cool place for up to a week. Cheese never lasts that long in my house.