Mona Hodgson - [Hearts Seeking Home 01] (47 page)

BOOK: Mona Hodgson - [Hearts Seeking Home 01]

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Buffalo
was the nickname given to the American bison due to its resemblance to the Old World water buffalo, although the two are only distantly related. For ease of reading in my stories, I’ve chosen to use the more common name,
buffalo
.

What you might call a recipe, others might call a
receipt
. Both refer to a set of directions for cooking a particular dish.

Speaking of recipes, remember the Company potatoes Boney served in the dutch oven at the campfire? Well, it’s a modified version of the Company Potatoes recipe by Jodie and her mother, Marjorie, who won my Wagon Train Recipe Contest. The recipe came from Jodie’s grandmother. Good news! It’s included at the back of this book. Congratulations, Jodie and Marjorie!

The unusual letter ß (esszet) you see in the word
Großvater
, translated as Grandfather, is the letter used for the double
s
sound in the German language.

Also, while I’m not writing my personal or family history in my fiction, bits and pieces of my experiences do make their way into my characters’ journeys. That’s the case with Davonna Kamden’s memory loss and personality shifts. Her symptoms are that of what we now recognize as dementia, and in some cases, Alzheimer’s disease, my mother’s unruly dance partner.

Please join me for the next two novels in my Hearts Seeking Home series. In
Mountain Whispers
, the folks in the Boone’s Lick Company set out from Fort Kearney with their wagons, intending to complete their trek west. At the
end of their journey, will they enter the promised land or discover they’ve left it behind?

I look forward to our time together, discovering the width and depths of our true home—God’s heart. Until then, love and hugs.

Your Friend,

Mona

T
HE
W
INNER OF THE
W
AGON
T
RAIN
R
ECIPE
C
ONTEST!

C
OMPANY
P
OTATOES
by Jodie & Marjorie

1 lb. frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
^*(We cubed fresh Yukon Gold potatoes.)

1 pint Greek yogurt (Or sour cream, Grandma’s original ingredient.)

1 can cream of chicken soup (Boney wouldn’t have had a can of cream of chicken soup on the trail, so he most likely would’ve used chicken broth, cream, and flour as a substitute.)

1 cup chopped onion (Adjust to your preference.)

1 cup shredded cheese

Salt to taste (We didn’t add salt to the recipe.)

Crushed potato chips (We used about a cup, crushed, to evenly cover the top.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 × 13 pan with cooking spray. Combine everything, except the crushed chips, in a large mixing bowl. Spoon into baking pan and level. Spread a bit of extra shredded cheese on top! Cover the pan with foil, then bake 45 minutes.

Remove the foil, add the chips to top, and bake another 15 minutes. Allow it to set for a few minutes, then cut and serve. Enjoy!

^*If you’re using frozen potatoes, allow them to thaw a few minutes before attempting to add them to the other ingredients.

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am so thankful for all who moved through the various stages of this story with me.

My hubby, Bob, who takes care of everything else.

My agent, Janet Kobobel Grant of Books & Such Literary Agency.

My editor, Shannon Hill Marchese.

The entire WaterBrook Multnomah–Random House team.

My prayer partners.

A big thank-you to all of those listed, and to all who aren’t, who made it possible for me to accomplish my dream of writing novels for you.

A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR

M
ONA
H
ODGSON
is the author of The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek series;
Dandelions on the Wind, Bending Toward the Sun
, and
Ripples Along the Shore
in The Quilted Heart series; and nearly thirty children’s books. Her writing credits also include hundreds of articles, poems, and short stories in more than fifty different periodicals, including
Highlights for Children
,
Focus on the Family
,
Decision
,
Clubhouse Jr.
,
The Upper Room
,
The Quiet Hour
, and the
Christian Communicator
. Mona speaks at women’s retreats, schools, and conferences for librarians, educators, and writers, and is a regular columnist on the
Bustles and Spurs Blog
.

Mona and Bob, her husband of forty-one years, have two adult daughters, two sons-in-law, and a gaggle of grandchildren.

Learn more about Mona, find readers’ guides for your book club, and view her photo album of current-day Saint Charles, Missouri, at Mona’s website
www.MonaHodgson.com
.

You can also find Mona here:

Facebook at
www.facebook.com/pages/Mona-Hodgson-Author-Page/114199561939095

Twitter at
www.twitter.com/monahodgson

Pinterest at
http://pinterest.com/monahodgson/pins/

And be sure to follow Mona’s blog at
MonaHodgson.com
.

Coming in January 2014 for the first time in print—together in one book!

When three women form a quilting group in St. Charles, Missouri, just after the end of the Civil War, their growing friendships carry them through the burdens of life and the joys of love. Available now as individual eNovellas!

Read excerpts from these books and more at
www.WaterBrookMultnomah.com
!

The Sinclair Sisters
of
Cripple Greek

Four sisters, each seeking their own place in the world, travel to the booming mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado, in the late 1890s. Kat and Nell Sinclair arrive only to discover their husbands-to-be have abandoned them. Ida follows her sisters West with dreams of big business, not of finding a beau. And Vivian, the youngest, flees a shameful past, hoping to find redemption in the hills of Colorado. Will the four sisters find the promise of God’s love in the bustling mountain town?

Read excerpts from these books and more at
www.WaterBrookMultnomah.com
!