Leslie Keller Books

I'm being selfish, or maybe it's nepotism, but I couldn't discuss amazing charities without including EBeauty. This non-profit was established by my sister-in-law Carolyn Callahan Keller when my younger sister Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Carolyn and I are both survivors and when my brother, Mark and Carolyn asked what they could to to help Laura I told them she needed a wig.   The day my oncologist told me I had to undergo chemotherapy I got pulled over for a speeding ticket. I was speeding and deserved the ticket but the poor officer didn't expect me to burst into uncontrollable sobs.  Cancer is scary - you are battling for your life and then you add chemotherapy into the mix and everything gets worse.  Do the chemo and know that it is killing all of the cells in your body, or take the risk that you will survive without it. I knew I would lose my hair and it bothered me.  Of course, initially it's the vanity. I didn't want to lose my long

I'd never considered the ethnicity of cowboys in the American west. The old movies and television shows from the 50's and 60's always portrayed cowboys as either white or Hispanic. Of course, Hollywood is not known for an always accurate rendering of history. I found an interesting February 13, 2017 article on Smithsonian.com by Katie Nodjimbadem about an early cowboy named Nate Love, who was known as Deadwood Dick.  According to Nate's 1907 autobiography, he was a freed slave who traveled west and lived the real cowboy life - drinking, gambling and moving cattle along with some of history's famous and infamous cowboys.  You can find Nat's book on Amazon - The Life and Adventures of Nat Love. It's a brief accounting of his life. The article goes on to mention that many whites traveled west with slaves, which is another fact I never knew.  According to the 1860 census, 30% of the population of Texas were slaves. After the civil war, former slave owner

“I gave up on happily ever after. Maybe I'm not cut out for a relationship. Maybe, I just don't like being committed to one person for longer than two weeks.” Part Five “I thought I’d hang around and wait for the owner to sell me some of those delicious greens,” she said with a chuckle. Wyatt let his eyes roam over her from head to toes and back again. “I supposed it isn’t necessary to say you look different.” “A lot has changed since I’ve seen you.” She nodded in Charlotte’s direction. “It seems like you’ve had a few changes as well.” “Charlotte, this is Daddy’s best friend, Clare. I knew her when I was a boy younger than you are now.” Charlotte considered this for moment and then held out a chocolate smeared hand. Clare hesitated before accepting a delicate handshake. “Nice to meet you Charlotte.” “Are you mommy’s friend too?” “No, she never met mommy,” Wyatt responded quickly. “Now go wash your hands. We’ve taken up enough of Mae’s time a

Our journey through the many crazy criminals takes us this month to Arkansas. Don't think I'm picking on any one region - they all have dumb criminals. A reminder that crime really doesn't pay unless you are the person writing about it. This first one definitely gets a capital DUH for the criminal. Fox 6 News, 11/20/1y by Austin Kellerman LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- We get quite a few stories about bold and/or dumb criminals. We're not sure which category to file this one into quite yet... Someone swiped a TV from the waiting room at the Pulaski County Jail. The report was confirmed to the Arkansas Times by Lt. Cody Burks. The stolen television was a 24-inch worth about $120 three years ago, Burks told The Times. It was in the book-in/release lobby, an area open 24 hours-a-day. KHMO News Talk Sports 1/17/2017 by Harold Smith In Boone County, Arkansas, a man was arrested for stealing an outdoor video surveillance camera from a business. He was caugh

The Lookout Tavern is a one year old local sports bar and restaurant which I have been wanting to try. They advertise weekly events including music and have a small outdoor patio.  The parking is limited and it adjoins other commercial locations in the same mini strip shopping center.  My friends and I decided to take advantage of the anniversary celebration which included music by a DJ and free happy hour appetizers. They also had reasonably priced drink specials. This particular anniversary event included three kinds of chicken wings - barbecue, very hot and garlic.  The garlic was great and my friends liked the spicy. They also offered some kind of pork slider covered in a gooey cheese that looked like Velveeta.  I couldn't bring myself to try the entire slider but did try the meat.  Thumbs down on the pork as it was dry and stringy.  We gobbled up the waffle fries which were crispy and a nice variation to typical fries.  We had two small squares of the flat bre

I selected this book based on a recommendation.  It is not a mystery but more of a historical romance. I hesitate to classify it totally as romance because there is a touch of women's fiction involved as well.  This is the first book I have read by this author and likely will be the last.  My reason is due to the characters, not the writing. This book received more than 500 almost five star reviews on Amazon. This review include spoilers so be forewarned. Here is the book description: In mid-nineteenth-century Ireland, charming Kathleen and dashing Michael harbor secrets and dreams. Imagining a life beyond the kitchen and fields of the wealthy family they both work for, they plot to leave their homeland, marry, and raise the child Kathleen is secretly carrying. The luck of the Irish, however, is not on their side. Soon, they find themselves swept up in circumstances they never could have fathomed. Kathleen is forced to marry against her will and immigrate to

With Christmas just around the corner, this month's cocktail recipes are ready for your guests and will be the perfect gift to start your celebrations. Each recipe makes one cocktail so increase based on the number of guess you are serving. I love all things pumpkin and this drink will make you think you are sipping a blended pie. Pumpkin Martini 1.5 ounces of vanilla vodka 1.5 ounces Irish Cream liqueur, such as Bailey's 1.5 ounces pumpkin flavored liqueur such as Hiram Walker Dash of ground cinnamon Dash of ground nutmeg Pour the vodka and liquers into a shaker over ice. Shake well. Pour into a martini glass and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Garnish with a cinnamon stick - you may wish to leave out the ground cinnamon if you use the garnish. I must have pie on the brain because the next drink is a slice of apple pie heaven. Apple Pie Shot 1 ounce vodka 1 ounce apple cider 1 tablespoon whipped cream - use homemade from heavy whipping cream or use pre-