An introduction: I was very fortunate to have been invited into an amazing online writer’s group in the summer of 2013. At current count there are 81 members in this group, and they range from newbies to well-established hybrid and traditionally published authors. They write in every genre and form imaginable. The Kiss Anthology, in which I have a short story, The Graveyard Kiss, will also feature 30 writers from this group. The anthology is due out at the end of the month and will be available for free. Yes, the groups’ bestselling authors are contributing right along with all of us lesser knowns. And that says A LOT about the great group dynamic.

I thought you might like to meet some of these fantastic people and check out their writing. I haven’t found the time to read all of these writers, but I’m hoping you will find a few that sound interesting to you.

Plus!! Each writer is also contributing a favourite recipe. Yes, I made them ‘tithe’ to the blog. Why not??!!

So, without further ado, here is my first Writer Wednesday!

Made by Michael Meyer

Spicy Cajun Seafood Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces smoked andouille sausage, diced (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bell peppers, red and/or green, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
One 8-ounce bottle clam juice
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 pound firm white fish, such as halibut, grouper or black sea bass, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (21 to 25 shrimp)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt
Cooked white rice, for serving

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook the sausage until browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted and the meat is well coated, about 2 minutes. Add the Cajun seasoning, garlic, peppers and onions and continue to cook until the vegetables are softened, 5 minutes. Add the clam juice, tomatoes and 4 cups water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and increase the heat to bring to a simmer.

2. Lower the heat slightly and simmer until the stew is thickened and the flavors are melded, about 30 minutes. Gently stir in the fish and shrimp. Cook, making sure the stew is not bubbling vigorously, stirring once or twice, until the shrimp and fish have just turned opaque, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Season with salt and serve over rice.

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OMG! This looks SO good!! I wonder if it would work without the sausage?

This was the meal that Mike and Kitty ate on their first date. Want to know more? I’m guessing you have to read The Three Kitties That Saved My Life.

AN UPLIFTING TRUE STORY OF LOVE – from love and loss to love renewed – a feel-good read

Losing loved ones is an awful fact of life; losing one’s loving spouse, one’s day-to-day partner through life, especially in the prime of life, is one of the most unbearable tolls that we humans are forced to endure. This is the true story of my journey from grieving widower, not caring if I lived or died, to the once-again happily married man I am today, a man who both loves and cherishes life. My three kitties have given me a new zest for living.

Equally inspiring and entertaining, my story begins with loss and tears, but it ends with lots of love and laughter. I think that you will find yourself moved by my journey.

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Michael Meyer is a retired English professor. He literally taught at universities throughout the world: Thailand, Saudi Arabia, the Virgin Islands, and he spent the last 25 years of his 40-year career at a California community college. He lives in Southern California wine country with his wife, Kitty, and their two adorable rescue cats.

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