Not grilling, burning, or even standing in line for books (though I would totally do the latter)! Read on for what I mean.

This month, let's combine two of my favorite things, books and barbeque! What do you get? Book-b-que!

In my daydream, this would be a get together where everyone eats grilled food and reads books. And since I'm creating it, the guests are all fantasy characters. You may recognize some of them from my novels. Some may show up in future books. 

Who do you like the best? Pick one, give her or him a name, and let me know. I'll publish it in the next newsletter and give you credit.

Read on for free reads, a book recommendation, a jigsaw puzzle, an easy recipe, the monthly newsletter contest, and more! I hope you have lots of fun! Feel free to bring your own favorite fantasy friend.

Burned Bridges (An Irene Rivers Thriller Book 1)

I discovered John Gilstrap through a daily blog called The Kill Zone where he posts regularly. The blog is intended for thriller writers, to help them hone their craft, through daily posts about writing and the author life. However, I find the posts are relevant to writers of all genres, so I never miss reading it. In fact, I read it a day late so I don't miss any of the excellent comments from other writers.

What fascinates me about John Gilstrap is that he is lives in my hometown of Martinsburg, West Virginia. (Okay, I have more than one hometown. We split our time between Florida and West Virginia.) I haven't met him, but he's a superstar, and I'm proud our state can claim him.

When the first book of his new series, a thriller with a female protagonist set in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia,  launched recently, I had to read it!

These days, I tend to read in the genres I write including fantasy, mystery, and romance. However, I like thrillers and have enjoyed many over the years. Burned Bridges is one of the best! It's a page-turner that grabs you and won't let go until you reach the end! I devoured it in a couple of days, and I can't wait for the next book in the series! Congratulations, Mr. Gilstrap! Five Stars!

Author Bio:

John Gilstrap is the New York Times bestselling author of Total Mayhem, Scorpion Strike, Final Target, Friendly Fire, Against All Enemies, End Game, High Treason, Damage Control, Threat Warning, Hostage Zero, No Mercy, Nathan’s Run, At All Costs, Even Steven, Scott Free and Six Minutes to Freedom. In addition, John has written four screenplays for Hollywood, adapting the works of Nelson DeMille, Norman McLean and Thomas Harris. He is contracted to write and co-produce the film adaptation of his book, Six Minutes to Freedom.

Back Cover Copy:

An electrifying new series featuring Irene Rivers (code name: Wolverine), the unforgettable FBI Director from New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap’s blockbuster, award-winning Jonathan Grave thrillers. Fans of action-packed page-turners by Catherine Coulter, Patricia Cornwell, and Tess Gerritsen are in for a treat, as Irene escapes the treacherous power games of Washington—only to face a new and equally deadly enemy in a rural West Virginia town . . .

She thought she and her loved ones would be safe here. The lovely farm nestled in the heart of West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle looks like the perfect refuge from the backstabbing maelstrom of DC politics. But this seemingly peaceful new home is anything but safe for former FBI director Rivers and her children.

Troubles begin when Irene’s 12-year-old nephew finds a dead body in a cave on the property. Grim evidence points to a long-ago murder and cover-up. Powerful forces will do anything—including kill again—to protect their interests. Soon Irene’s family is the target of the kinds of threats and intimidation she’s seen before from major crime syndicates . . . but this time, the enemy determined to tear them down is homegrown.

Then comes the attack she most fears. With everything she cares about at risk and an impossible deadline looming, Irene knows she won’t get any help from the local police force. And she’s burned too many bridges in Washington to get help from the FBI. This time, Irene Rivers is on her own.

Packed with nail-biting suspense, gripping drama, and searing intrigue, Burned Bridges takes readers into a compelling world of unseen dangers and unexpected heroes.

July Jigsaw Puzzle

Image created with Bing AI

I created this image for my current romantic fantasy in progress, The Cassadaga Christmas Cookie Catastrophe. It's a book plate that belonged to Kacey's aunt and depicts the garden and the cottage. The book is in the final stages of revision now, and I plan to submit it to my publisher by the end of September. Solve the puzzle to take a look!

Image Courtesy of Pixabay

This summer, my husband has a garden for the first time in many years. He was raised on a farm and growing his own veggies is a passion. We are already eating green beans, tomatoes, and peppers. The zucchini are just starting, and soon, we'll have watermelon.

As I may have mentioned, I'm not a fan of most vegetables, but the green beans from his garden which he picked right before grilling are fantastic! I'm actually looking forward to more!

If you don't have a garden, fresh green beans from farmer's markets or grocery stores will taste almost as good!

Here's the recipe: (Prep time 5 minutes. Cook time 20 minutes) Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients: 

 1 lb. (two cups) Green beans, snipped and rinsed

 1/4 C. Olive Oil

 1/4 Tsp. Garlic Powder (or to taste)

 1/4 Tsp. Onion Powder (or to taste)

1/4 Tsp. Italian Seasoning (or to taste)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine seasoning and mix with olive oil. 

Toss with green beans until well-coated

Grill in two foil packets or using a grill basket or cast-iron skillet over low heat for twenty minutes or until tender but not charred.

Plate and serve.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered the Beach Reads contest and referred friends to enter too! Winners were Cathy T. and Heather S. They have received their prizes.

Since we're all spending time outdoors this month, I decided to share a tip for easily removing pine pitch from your shoes. 

After I stepped out on our deck and right into a huge blob of pine pitch, I tried everything to scrub off my shoe. Household cleaners, super hot water, soap, even scraping it with my fingernail! I was desperate. Those were my favorite shoes.

Just as I was about to give up, I thought of nail polish remover. I have used it for getting rid of glue residue and a few other things over the years, but this was a first. Let me tell you, it worked like a charm! That pine pitch was completely gone in seconds.

So, since I loved that life-hack so much, I decided this month I would ask you to tell me your favorite tips and tricks. They can be anything to make life a little easier including cleaning, cooking, crafting, or anything cool. If I get some good ones, I'll publish them in the next newsletter and give you credit. Reply to enter the contest!

The July contest prize is another Winners Choice! A swag bag with a signed copy of one of my books plus a surprise gift or two, or a $20 Amazon gift card. (Non-US Residents will receive the gift card due to prohibitive shipping costs.) 

Contest closes at midnight on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Open internationally as noted above.

The Sea Witch and the Mage is the prequel novelette to Siren Descending. I recommend reading them in order.

Let me know if you would like one or both of these for FREE! I will send you BookFunnel links to download. It's easy and safe.

Please add this email address to your contact list to avoid the newsletter going to spam:

katherineeddingersmits@katherinesmits.com

Emails from me are never unsolicited. You received this because you signed up either through my website, a contest, or a service. I will never share your information with anyone else. Unsubscribe any time by clicking the button above. I'll miss you, but I don't want anyone to feel spammed.

Thanks so much for being part of this bookish community!