by Connie Kingrey Anderson, Creepers Mysteries Blog

Close your eyes and imagine the aroma of the sizzling country breakfast on Smokey Joe's long wooden table: browned sausage drenched in maple syrup, eggs fried in a cast iron pan, smoked country bacon, warm buttered toast, and light fluffy pancakes with a touch of vanilla.

When you play a role in Haunted Cattle Drive, you can hear the pounding hooves of the horses and the crackling wood in the campfire. You know sound effects can take your imagination to another place. But did you know you can pump up your experience even more when you let your sense of smell and your taste buds get into the act?

Make your own delicious country breakfast, then get the full sensational experience by reading Chapter 4 in Haunted Cattle Drive. Here's an excerpt:

The next morning, Harry, Gillian and Arvin woke up to the delicious smell of flapjacks and bacon.

"Rise and shine!€" Smokey Joe hollered from the kitchen. "Chow'€s on! Come and git it!"

The kitchen could feed an army of ranch hands, but the long wooden table was set for only four. A huge, empty stew pot hung in an open fireplace. Dusty fry pans, some with cobwebs, hung from the rafters. They hadn't been used in ages.

Harry and Gillian came into the kitchen, slid onto the benches, and pulled them up close to the table. A scrumptious country breakfast sizzled on the plates in front of them.

"Morning Smokey Joe." Harry picked up a fork and speared a plump sausage.

"Morning,"€ Gillian echoed as she reached for the maple syrup.

Smokey Joe lifted first one dusty boot, then the other over the wooden bench and plopped down in his usual spot. €"Morning everybody. How did you greenhorns sleep last night in that old bunkhouse? I hope the coyotes didn'€t keep you awake."

Oh, no,€ Gillian said. €"I couldn't close my eyes because...€"

€"...of Arvin'€s snoring. Isn'€t that right, Gillian?" Harry gave her a look.

"Uh, yeah." She stuffed her mouth with another fork full of flapjacks.

The door behind them creaked. Then Arvin pushed through in a hurry, untangling his twisted suspenders on the way. "Did I miss anything?" He wasn'€t about to lose out again like he had last night.

Smokey Joe handed him a plate. Better grab some grub while the gettin'€s good. You'€re the last one to the trough, Marvin."

€"That'€s Arvin,€" he said, as he started to pile on the pancakes. Then he turned to Harry. Hey, how come you didn't wake me up on the bus last night when the ghost appeared? Tell me what happened."

€"You had to be there Arvin,"€ Harry said.

"But I was there.€"

€"You were asleep!" Gillian said as she grabbed a piece of bacon just as Arvin reached for it.

Now that you'€ve got the hang of it, go to the campfire scene in Haunted Cattle Drive and cook yourself up some smoky sausage and beans. Make sure you add some campfire spices. It makes me hungry just thinking about it!