Murder in Paradise with Terry Ambrose + Book and Latte #Giveaway

We are delighted to welcome award-winning mystery author and Crime Fiction Examiner reporter Terry Ambrose as our special guest.

Details on how to enter today's "Book and Latte" giveaway are at the end of this post. 

First please welcome Terry...

For ten years, I was a member of Kiwanis International. The focus of Kiwanis clubs is to improve the lives of children by doing community service. For the past fourteen years, our web design business has supported local clubs by helping them to have better websites. After that many years, I suppose the concept of trying to help others is somehow ingrained in me.

A couple of years ago, I came up with the crazy idea to try and raise money to help support literacy in Hawai’i. The project was always intended to be a model of partnering—find an organization that was already dedicated to improving literacy and work with them, get other authors to contribute their stories, find an editor, a book designer, etc. I’m proud to say the plan worked and we’re about to launch Paradise, Passion, Murder: 10 Tales of Mystery from Hawai’i.

There were a number of other authors who had already written stories set in Hawai’i. Multiple organizations were already working to improve literacy in the state. And the coolest, most heartwarming, thing of all? Everyone who joined the project was passionate about helping others learn to read.

Our writing team includes JoAnn Bassett, Gail Baugniet, Frankie Bow, Kay Hadashi, Laurie Hanan, Jill Marie Landis, AJ Llewellyn, Toby Neal, and CW Schutter. Most of our stories are about characters from our existing series. We’ll take you from the Big Island to the North Shore of Kaua’i, where you’ll find the Tiki Goddess Bar. Our characters’ stories involve family drama, Hawaiian legends and history, and everyone’s favorite subject, murder. Whether you want a funny locked-room mystery on a tour bus on the far side of Maui or a prison breakout with an unwilling escapee, we’ve got them all.

The beneficiary from this project is Read Aloud America, a Hawai’i 501.c.3 organization dedicated to improving literacy in the Aloha State. Everything for this anthology was donated, so Read Aloud America receives 100% of the royalties for soft-cover and e-book sales. Learn more about the authors and books on our website at hawaiianmystery.com. (Preorders available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.)

Unfortunately, none of our authors write foodie mysteries, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy eating. One of my favorite things to eat is (yum!) cookies. I have a problem, however—I’ve got celiac disease and am gluten intolerant. 

Fortunately, that doesn’t mean I can’t indulge. Last year when I was here, I shared a recipe for Coconut Macaroons and this year I wanted to bring in another gluten-free cookie recipe. This time, I have Chewy Dark Chocolate Meringue Cookies. This recipe was originally published in the December 6, 2015 Parade. We tried them right away and they lived up to their name…the chewy chocolate melts in your mouth.

Chewy Dark Chocolate Meringue Cookies

(Makes 36)

Ingredients:

4 egg whites

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup sugar

12 oz 70-72 percent cacao dark chocolate, melted and cooled

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, plus walnut halves for garnish

1/2 cup chopped dried cherries or cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites, lemon juice, vanilla and salt until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in chocolate, walnuts and cherries.

3. Scrape half of batter into a large zip-top plastic bag. Cut a 3/4-inch hole in one corner of bag. Pipe 2-inch cookies onto prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining batter and a clean zip-top bag. Top each cookie with a walnut half. Bake 15 minutes or until outside is set and dry. Cool completely on sheet pans. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.


Note: We’ve tried these with dark chocolate and semi-sweet—both are just as delicious. You can also get creative with the topper. The recipe calls for walnuts, but if you really want a chocolate orgasm, try a Hershey’s Kiss. Oh, yeah, now we’re talking.

About Terry Ambrose

I write the McKenna Mystery series, the License to Lie thriller series, and novellas for the Lei Crime Kindle World. I started my business career as a skip tracer—the guy who tracks down deadbeats when they disappear. My job earned me the nickname of “Loan Shark” and taught me many valuable life lessons such as—always keep your car in the garage. Learn more about me at terryambrose.com.

Book and Latte 

GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway is now over.
Congrats to Celia Fowler, who won...

Leave a comment for Terry with your email address on this blog post
by Friday, January 8th (Midnight PST) and you are entered to win...

Paradise, Passion, and Murder

and a
 $10.00 Starbucks Gift Card

Preorder on Amazon
or Barnes & Noble.

This giveaway is inspired by Terry's own "Book and Latte"

giveaways every month in his excellent newsletter, "The Snitch,"
which includes author interviews, tips on avoiding scams, recipes,
book reviews, photos from Hawaii, and fun contests. 

Click here to learn more and subscribe 

to Terry's newsletter "The Snitch."

And don't forget to leave a comment on this post
with your e-mail address to be entered in our
"Book and Latte" giveaway...