Harley stepped out onto the veranda, muting the party’s celebrations with a close of the patio doors. A cold breeze kissed her face, and she breathed it in, a welcome change from the ballroom’s thick, warm air.
The party was a great success, with music, dancing, friendly conversation, and, of course, cocktails.
She walked along the veranda, her kitten heels tapping against limestone tiles, the crisp night air seeping through the silk of her dress. Across the snow-covered lawn and above the pinewood forest, the white, rounded peaks of the Smoky Mountains glowed in the moonlight. A few stray snowflakes danced in the night, illuminated by light from the ballroom.
She drew her attention to the forest, where a light appeared, then darted between two pine trees. She closed her eyes, opened them once more, and steadied her gaze on the spot. Now only the tree branches swayed in the darkness. The light had disappeared.
Was it a ghost? she wondered. No, just a beam of moonlight reflecting off the branches. She smiled to herself.
She was glad the ghost of Mariselle Roberts was now at peace, that they had revealed her story to the world. However, it saddened her that it had taken the deaths of two other women for this to occur.
Margaret Reed’s story, too, had been told in its entirety, correcting a false piece of the town’s history.
The ghosts of Notchey Creek, it seemed, were at rest.
Harley took in one last breath of brisk air before deciding to head back inside. The wind blew down from the mountains, sweeping through the pines, and up the lawn, stirring up small fluffs of snow through her hair.
She, too, felt content there among her friends, family, and the characters of Notchey Creek. Like her, they were quirky, funny, and perhaps flawed, but they were also genuine, authentic, and nuanced.
This was where she belonged—here in Notchey Creek.
Books in the Harley Henrickson Mystery Series
The Mist Rises Over Notchey Creek
The Ghosts of Notchey Creek
Loving and Dying in Notchey Creek (premiering in 2020)
Smoky Mountain Morning
6 ounces hot black coffee
2 ounces Tennessee whiskey or bourbon
1 tablespoon Demerara syrup or brown sugar syrup*
whipped cream (optional)
* * *
Combine coffee, whiskey, and syrup in a heat-proof mug and stir. Top with whipped cream.
*recipes on following pages
Demerara Syrup
2 cups Demerara sugar
1 cup water
* * *
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir constantly and do not bring to a boil. Once sugar is dissolved, remove pan from heat. Allow to cool. Store in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator.
Brown Sugar Syrup
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup hot water
* * *
Combine sugar and water. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool. Store in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator.
Holiday Cheer Cocktail
2 ounces Tennessee whiskey or bourbon
1 ounce apple brandy
1/2 ounce Cognac
1/2 ounce Bénédictine
1 dash Old-Fashioned bitters
Candied fruit (optional)
* * *
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Stir. Pour in a chilled martini glass. Garnish with candied fruit, if desired.
Hot Buttered Whiskey
6 ounces hot water
2 ounces Tennessee whiskey or bourbon
1 tablespoon Demerara or brown sugar syrup
1/2 tablespoon butter at room temperature
* * *
Pour hot water, whiskey, and syrup in a heat-proof mug. Add the butter and stir vigorously until fully incorporated.
Mayor Montgomery’s List of Grievances Hot Cocoa
6 ounces prepared hot cocoa
2 ounces Tennessee whiskey or bourbon
whipped cream (optional)
* * *
Combine hot cocoa and whiskey in a heat-proof mug and stir. Top with whipped cream.
Grandma Ziegler’s Gin Martini
3 ounces London dry gin
1 ounce dry vermouth
Twist of lemon or cranberry (optional)
* * *
In a cocktail shaker, combine gin and dry vermouth, along with a handful of ice. Stir. Strain and serve in a martini glass with a twist of lemon or a cranberry, if desired.
Christmas Cider
6 ounces of hot apple cider
2 ounces Tennessee whiskey or bourbon
1 ounce Demerara syrup or brown sugar syrup
* * *
Combine apple cider, whiskey, and syrup in a heat-proof mug. Stir. Garnish with a slice of apple and/or a cinnamon stick.
Rusty Nail
3 ounces scotch or Irish whiskey
1 ounce Drambuie
1 dash aromatic bitters
Orange peel (optional)
* * *
In a cocktail shaker, combine scotch, Drambuie, and bitters, along with a handful of ice. Stir vigorously. Strain into a double rocks glass. Garnish with orange peel, if desired.
Sip by the fireplace.
Whiskey Eggnog
4 ounces eggnog (store bought or homemade)
2 ounces Tennessee whiskey or bourbon
whipped cream (optional)
ground nutmeg (optional)
* * *
Combing eggnog and whiskey in a glass or mug. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with ground nutmeg.
Opha Mae’s Cosmopolitan
2 ounces vodka
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce cranberry juice
1 ounce lime juice
* * *
Combine vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir. Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Acknowledgments
I would like to say thanks to my editors: the irreplaceable and amazing, April Schlee, of Proofreading by April, my proofreader and very good friend; Sarah Welch of Yellow Bird Editors, my developmental editor; and my cover designers, line editors, and copy editors at BookBaby.
I would also like to thank my husband, Drew, for his continued encouragement and support, as well as his invaluable assistance in our home “cocktail lab,” helping me create Harley’s drink recipes.
Last but not least, I would like to express my warm appreciation to my many readers, who not only take the time to read the books, but also leave reviews. Your words of encouragement mean so much to me, and solidify my decision to continue the Harley Henrickson Mystery Series. I truly write these books for you. Thank you.
Author’s Note
As many of you may know, the Great Smoky Mountains are rich in Cherokee history and folklore. Appreciating this cultural legacy, I wanted to incorporate it somehow into the series. In doing so, I felt the legend of “How the Redbird Got His Color” or “How the Cardinal Became Red”—as told by Harley to Beau—was a great introduction, as well as an insight into Harley and Beau’s relationship. The legend itself is paraphrased from a version I found in “History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees” by James Mooney.
On a second note, I first learned of the game pool checkers (as played by Ed Atlee outside his barbershop), as a child watching The Heartland Series, a beloved local television program popular in East Tennessee. The Heartland Series is an invaluable resource, beautifully detailing the history and culture of East Tennessee, as well as the Great Smoky Mountains.
In addition, you probably recognized many of the chapter subtitles from popular holiday songs, works of literature, and poems by Robert Frost (“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”; “A Winter Eden”); the Sherlock Holmes novels (A Study in Scarlet); Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol; and the song “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, to name just a few. I had fun coming up with these subheadings and plan to conti
nue the practice in future books.
Cheers to everyone and wishing you a wonderful holiday season!
* * *
~ Liz
About the Author
Liz S. Andrews is a native of East Tennessee and was blessed to grow up near the Great Smoky Mountains, the playground of her childhood and adolescence. She has a professional background in English literature and higher education. She is also an amateur mixologist and whiskey lover. The cocktails Harley Henrickson creates in the book are her and her husband’s creations. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, and hiking with her dog, Scout, a golden retriever/labrador mix. She currently resides with her family in Western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh. The characters of Tina Rizchek and Grandma Ziegler are winks to her love for the 'Burgh.
Please follow her website at: lizsandrews.bandzoogle.com for book updates, giveaways, and fun Notchey Creek lore. Or connect via email at: [email protected]
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