What's Cooking With Jamie McAllister?

We asked our authors to share with us some of their favorite recipes.  Be it food or drink. This is what we got.

Written by Jamie McAllister

This versatile recipe, courtesy of Jamie and James McAllister, is a snap to make. Pair it with chicken or fish for a healthy side dish.

Quinoa-Veggie Pilaf

Ingredients:

1 cup white quinoa

2 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp. butter

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

Directions:

1.) Add chicken broth and butter to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add quinoa and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, over low heat until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid, approximately 15 minutes.

2.) While the quinoa is cooking, chop the red onion, red pepper, and green pepper. 

3.) Add the quinoa to a serving bowl and mix in the chopped veggies. 

4.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately as a warm side dish or place in the refrigerator for a cool summer side.

About the author: Jamie McAllister is the author of “The Mermaid” in the upcoming anthology By the Bay 2: More East Beach Stories, to be published in 2017. She is a freelance writer in Virginia Beach. For more information about Jamie and her work, please visit her website: www.mcallisterwe.com 

Meet The Nonprofit: Sinkinson Dyslexia Foundation

Written by Jamie McAllister

When you pick up a copy of By the Bay: East Beach Stories and By the Bay 2: More East Beach Stories, you are getting more than two amazing beach reads. You are also helping to support grassroots organizations doing amazing things for people in Hampton Roads. 

A portion of the proceeds from both By the Bay anthologies are donated to nonprofits dedicated to literacy in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. The anthology authors are proud to support groups that go above and beyond to encourage and promote reading in the communities they call home.

One of the nonprofit groups our anthologies support is Sinkinson Dyslexia Foundation. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, SDF is a 501(c)3 that trains volunteers in Orton-Gillingham, an approach used to teach children and adults with dyslexia how to read. Tutoring is offered free of charge to individuals living in low to low-middle income households. The group offers up to 100 hours of free one-on-one tutoring with a volunteer. Many students work with their tutor for more than a year.  

Since 2014, Sinkinson Dyslexia Foundation has 

* received 152 applications for free reading tutoring

* tested the reading levels of 70 students and

* matched 62 students with a tutor

Eighty-six volunteers have received specialized training from SDF, and the group proudly reports that 12 students have fully graduated. (To graduate, participants must meet or exceed average reading scores for their age or grade level.)

All of the By the Bay authors are proud to support Sinkinson in their efforts to bring the joy of reading to those with dyslexia.

To learn more about Sinkinson Dyslexia Foundation, visit their website at www.sinkinsondyslexiafoundation.org. Follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sinkinsondyslexiafoundation.

About the author: Jamie McAllister is the author of “The Mermaid” in the anthology By the Bay 2: More East Beach Stories, published in 2017. She is a freelance writer in Virginia Beach. For more information about Jamie and her work, please visit her website.

The Mermaid

Today we have an excerpt from "Mermaid" by Jamie McAllister.

But first let's read her blurb. 

Tad Phillips just lost his job and his apartment. When he is haunted by a mermaid in East Beach, he thinks he may also be losing his mind.

Wow!  Don't you want more with that?

Well here's a bit more,  check out an excerpt from her story.

Author Interview: Jamie McAllister

Have you met our author Jamie McAllister?

No?

She's the author of "The Mermaid".  If you click on the AUTHOR INTERVIEW TAB you'll find an interview that we did with her as well as a few photos.

Each of the contributing authors submitted a question for this interview.  Which makes for an interesting interview.

So stop by and check out Jamie's interview.  Here's just a sample of one of the many questions.

What is your favorite genre movie and is it the same genre that you like to read?

I’m terrible at watching movies because I just don’t have the attention span for it. But when I do watch a movie, I like comedies. I also really enjoy super cheesy sci-fi flicks with awesome titles like Lavalantula, a movie about giant spiders that spew lava and terrorize towns. Those movies may not mean to be funny, but they make me laugh anyway. While I enjoy reading books that are funny, I tend to gravitate to mysteries. I enjoy all mysteries, from cozy/traditional to hard-boiled PI and true crime.

Favorite Book of 2016 - Jamie McAllister

Writers read!  And here is one of our By the Bay 2 authors’ favorite books of 2016.

Written by Jamie McAllister

Book Title: Take the Monkey and Run (A Call of the Wilde Mystery) 

Author: Laura Morrigan 

Genre: Mystery

Setting: New Orleans, Louisiana

Format: Print and Kindle 

Pages: 304 

Publication date: July 5, 2016 

Publisher: Berkley 

Opening Line: She sat calmly, unaware of the killer waiting to strike.

Review: What’s not to love about a series featuring a veterinarian turned animal behaviorist who can talk with animals? This is the fourth installment in the Call of the Wilde mystery series, and this time we travel with Grace Wilde as she ventures to New Orleans to communicate with a cat that may hold the clue to the whereabouts of her missing owner. Almost as soon as she arrives in the spooky Southern city, Grace is up to her eyeballs in mystery. This book is filled with interesting characters, including a little Pomeranian named Elvis who thinks he’s the King.

About the author: Jamie McAllister is the author of “The Mermaid” in the upcoming anthology By the Bay 2: More East Beach Stories, to be published in 2017. She is a freelance writer in Virginia Beach. For more information about Jamie and her work, please visit her website.

Holiday Traditions: Christmas

Written by Jamie McAllister

Christmas at the McAllister house is a laid-back affair. Still reeling from the rigors of preparing a gourmet Thanksgiving meal the month before, my husband James and I like to take it easy on Christmas. All of my family is in Michigan, and my husband's family is out West, so it's just the two of us for the holiday. We wake up in the morning and unwrap presents under the curious and watchful eyes of our two cats, Scooter and Darcie. We spend the day relaxing, and at dinnertime we grab Chinese take-out. We end the day by curling up on the couch and looking at the pretty lights on the tree and listening to Christmas carols.

About the author: Jamie McAllister is the author of “The Mermaid” in the upcoming anthology By the Bay 2: More East Beach Stories, to be published in 2017. She is a freelance writer in Virginia Beach. For more information about Jamie and her work, please visit her website. 

Beyond Boobs! "Breast" Ball Golf Tournament

Written by Jamie McAllister

As the owner of McAllister Writing & Editing, it is a great privilege to be able to volunteer my time and talents with Beyond Boobs!, a nonprofit based in Williamsburg, Virginia. The group is dedicated to helping young breast cancer survivors enjoy every moment of their lives post-diagnosis. I interview those the group serves, known affectionately as “Boobers,” and I also speak with their friends and family members, as well as volunteers, donors, and medical personnel. I share their stories on the blog to spread the word about the great work Beyond Boobs! is doing in the world.

Each spring the group holds a golf tournament to raise funds for their mission, and I often join them at Ford’s Colony Country Club in Williamsburg. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, and hanging out at the event gives me the chance to meet the folks I speak with for the blog in person. I also get the chance to hang out with the Good Health Fairy as she uses her sassy style and eye-catching attire to spread the group’s message of love and hope!