We are dangerously close to some major holidays and even my puppies are feeling the strain. My human boys are busy with Highschool and college exams, and my daughter is feeling the pre-holiday shopping frenzy at her job as orders get filled, possibly some for Santa himself. This leaves the two crazy canines starved for attention.
They bring me piles of toys to play with and prefer rough play to fetch. Every room has some of their toys and I’ve taken to using a grabber stick to pick them up instead of spending my day bending(clever girl).
It’s not hard to love them even though they act like toddlers, constantly needy for attention while awake. I brush them out, go through their treat fueled tricks (while trying to add new ones), and we enjoy playing and long walks together. What more could a girl want?
Butler has fully adjusted to having a little brother, and lets the tyke get away with a lot. He will drop a toy Mooshu wants, and play with another rather than fight for a toy. He is a wise and benevolent teacher and Mooshu has learned some tricks quickly, by watching Butler.
Butler’s grey hairs can’t stop his inner puppy and he outruns Mooshu and other dogs at the park, but pauses long enough to let them catch up.
Mooshu(left) Butler(right)
Mooshu is still recovering from his medical mishap. We are still sans diagnosis, but everything you can imagine has been ruled out which leaves me with the prospect that his bleeding is autoimmune. Before I subject him to another battery of tests, I’ll conduct some research. Unarmed with information as I was last time he had an emergency, I blindly agreed to do everything necessary and we were lucky to make it out of there.
With my autoimmune illness it took 14 years for a diagnosis, and every now and again I have my doubts that we hit the right one. I’m not a textbook case. The medication should have gotten me into remission in 6 months, but I’m still on it some fourteen years or so later.
We have already gotten one surprise on 23&me, and found genetic markers for a second autoimmune disease, which may be why my treatment is not having the desired results after hella more than 6 months.
Mooshu has similarly been tested. Every big genetic disease has been ruled out, but maybe he’s like me and not a textbook case for anything despite his frightening lab results and the spontaneous symptoms.
For now, I’m content to just support him and love him until we find out more or don’t find out anything at all- someone supported me through 14 years of medical failures, so it’s fair I do the same. I don’t see the need to run another battery of tests as we have ruled out all the colon stuff and would be looking for a needle in a haystack, with whatever is causing his issues. I’m not going to devote 14 years of his life to a diagnosis when he may not have that long, so here we are, ready to treat each event but no closer to knowing what the problem is.
Mooshu enjoying the outdoors
This situation brings me back to preparation for my wedding. Our church ran some pre-marriage classes and they asked us what was most important. We both said “love” and have stuck with that with everything we approach.
Embarking on writing, running three businesses, five children, and dealing with these two crazy pooches has been lessons in love everyday. I may lack a little practicality, free time, and money, but if all dogs go to Heaven I know I have two beautiful souls willing to sneak me in.
Butler smiling at me-
In the meantime, there are dog treats to bake, presents to wrap, and maybe even some pictures with Santa for the canids.
I’ll have some human and canid cookie recipes up next week, so stock up on goodies and check back.
What are your holidays plans? How do you manage having pets and people in a shared space for the holidays?
Desperately Seeking Vampire Hunter: A Help Wanted Romance (Help Wanted Romance Series Book 2) has been published and we’re pleased as punch, cranberry punch to be precise (recipe below).
Cranberry Punch for your Halloween Party (see recipe below)
About the Author:
Since it’s me, I’ll be candid. I am a beach loving Jersey girl with a spooky obsession. I blame all those books on cryptozoology and monsters that I read as a child for making me the lady that’s just bat-shit crazy over Halloween.
Even before the autumnal equinox, I’m busy as a bee preparing for Halloween. It’s my absolute favorite holiday and I kinda put a spooky twist on everything, even my favorite treat- candy apples.
When you are a fulltime writer and Mom to a large family, you learn to make due and save the splurges for science center memberships and walking sticks for our hikes. Instead of buying overpriced costumes, I let the imps pick out cool weapons and implements (gotta have swords) and make more unique costumes for Halloween with the aid of a sewing machine (or 3) we use year round for alterations and my ebay store (paying for the tiny sickly canid monster’s medical care with my earnings).
This year my youngest imp, Soph, decided to make his own costume and I couldn’t be prouder. I supervised while he picked out a pattern, shopped for fabric (coupons, coupons, coupons), and read the instructions to prepare himself. He pinned and cut everything out and slowly the garment began to take shape. There was a small accident with pinking sheers that left a little hole as he was trimming his edges, but he patched it up and you can’t tell even up close. Costume finished, he put it on and paraded around the house, victorious.
His older brother Esteban found some cool weapons in one of the many Halloween stores we visited. Spirit Halloween is his favorite store and he will probably stop by every one within a two hours drive of our home-it’s an obsession. This year he needs a black cape for his costume and is now completely out of children’s sizes that we have at home, so it may give Soph an extra sewing project to do before Halloween.
Unless it’s raining, the plan is to put our the big folding table complete with spooky tablecloth, the black flame candle, the book, and wait for a virgin to arrive-or something like that. We will have safe spooky treats like spider rings and candy for the thirty to fifty trick-or-treaters brave enough to stop by and let me ooh and ahh over their costumes.
This will be my first year having two crazy canids (dogs) to dress for Halloween and I haven’t even started on their costumes yet, so I have to play catch-up now and come up with something truly brilliant. Wish me luck.
Book Blurb:
After finding her twin brother murdered, Madison hunts down the suspected killers, only to find out they are vampires. She gets subdued, captured, and placed on trial by the Conclave. She knows too much to be allowed to live, but they seem hesitant to just kill her outright. Gabriel, one of the Obsidians, a group of Conclave’s enforcers, saves her life by offering to keep her captive for the rest of her life or until she willingly chooses to become a vampire.
She vows to kill them all, even the one who saved her life, while she bides her time and plots to escape. Madison would put a stake in his heart, but the longer she is around him the deeper Maddie falls in love with him.
To help put the ghost of her murdered brother to rest, despite never finding his body, Madison participates in his memorial celebration and all hell breaks loose as werewolves, bent on world domination, crash the event.
Will Maddie ever find out what happened to her brother’s body? Will she kill every last member of the Conclave or spend eternity with Gabriel?
A word from the Author, Eden Freed:
I hope you get to read Desperately Seeking Vampire Hunter: A Help Wanted Romance (Help Wanted Romance Series Book 2). Yes, Autumn is still in there, but we have switched focus to Madison for this book. I have some more fun in store for Book 3 and even bigger plans for the series. If you have KU, you’ll get to read them all for FREE. I’ve kept the price down for eBooks and you can always order a signed copy from me or get yours at one of my book signing events. If you’re saving your money for Halloween costumes and candy, ask your library to order a copy.
I always appreciate likes, stars, and shares for both the blog and the books, so thanks for making this Jersey girl smile. It take a lot of juggling squeezing in writing time with two amazing dogs and five busy children, but you keep me motivated, thanks. Enjoy the recipe below.
Cranberry Punch Recipe: Perfect for Cocktails, Mocktails, and little Monsters at the door
Ingredients:
64 ounces Cranberry Juice (cran-grape or sugar-free work great, too)
1 liter Gingerale or Lemon Lime Soda(can be sugar-free)
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
Optional: Gummy spiders, gummy worms, and gummy bugs to adorn glasses, eyeball ice cubes look cool floating in the punch.
Optional: Add 1/2 liter of your favorite vodka and 8 oz blackberry brandy for partygoers over 21
Instructions:
Mix ingredients in a large punch bowl with plenty of ice and serve. Have some Gummy body parts, eyes, spiders, worms… to adorn glasses for extra fun.
Caution: If serving children and adults, make it alcohol free. Children tend to try everything at a party, so its safer to stick with a mocktail. You’ll be certain adults can drive their children back home safely, if they haven’t ingested alcohol. If it’s only an adults party and you are drinking, pre-plan transportation (party bus, Uber, Lyft…), so everyone is as safe as can be. DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE
We’ll have this book available for purchase soon but in the mean time a little teaser is in order. Let’s start with the cover.
Since the vampires won’t be drinking cocktails, we’re making Assam Iced Tea- directions below.
About the book-
Madison is an a vlogger, filling her days with adrenaline and candy fueled adventures her brother arranges. It seems like the perfect life until her brother is killed.
She blames vampires for his murder, and after losing her temper in front of the conclave ends up beholden to Gabriel, oldest of the Obsidians.
On the other side of the world, Queen Autumn is bringing the clans together. Her dream of peace is almost within reach. Meanwhile, several high ranking members of the conclave and rival clans want nothing more than to see Queen Autumn’s plans foiled.
Madison is about to find out not all vampires are out for blood, but which ones can she trust? What happens when clan politics are put to the test?
Sometimes you just need to call in a vampire hunter.
Assam Iced Tea-
What you need:
Water
2 Heaping tablespoons Assam Black Tea
Lemon to taste
Honey or sugar to taste
Ice
I steep my Assam Tea in a small 2 cup glass pot for an hour- bitters have health benefits and I don’t rush the process. This also lets the tea concentrate cool naturally.
As this is now a concentrated tea, I fill a tall glass with ice and pour enough of the concentrate to fill in the gaps(usually 1/2 cup to 1 cup). Add a wedge of lemon or freshly squeezed lemon juice for a vitamin c pick me up.
We fell in love with this series with the first book. It has taken some time for the next two installments of the series to come in, but while you wait for book four- here are the new covers. Enjoy! I think they look every bit the porcelain like goddesses they portray. If you haven’t picked up the series yet, follow the links.
A limited number of books are available with the older covers, visit http://www.DeserieKelly.com for more information
We never have a Liquid Friday without a drink of some kind.
Outside of green tea which she drinks all day, Deserie is fond of 3 parts black tea (Assam is you have it- though any black tea works fine) and 1 part Passionfruit juice. No tapioca balls or sugar required- just serve over ice and enjoy.
We hope you try our mocktail and get some good reads in this week.
Hello my friends, today we will welcome novelist Michael Molloy, writer of romance and suspense, author of “The Acrimony of Matrimony,” a brand new romantic comedy set for debut on Sunday June 2nd on Amazon.
But first let us kick back and relax with his favorite drink, which is super appropriate when you pair it with his favorite food.
Here is a word from Michael J Molloy:
My favorite recipe is chicken parmigiana with fettuccine Alfredo. That’s my Italian side showing. I can eat that three days a week. My drink? With that meal, it’s got to be a glass of merlot. At other meals a bottle of Brooklyn Lager.
That’s right. Who ever said that you can only have one favorite drink? especially when enjoying it three times a week. Variety is the spice of life after all.
This time however, before we kick back and relax with the drink we must cook up some chicken parmigiana with fettucine alfredo.
Ingredients:
Chicken Parmesan
3 large chicken breasts (or 6 tenderloins)
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup dry grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
2-3 large eggs
1 jar marinara sauce of choice (I like the Victoria or Rao’s brand)
fresh Parmesan for topping
flavorless oil for frying (canola, vegetable, etc.) (several cups)
Pasta
1 lb. fettuccine (or other long-cut pasta)
salt
Alfredo Sauce
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups fresh Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved (make sure to use fresh!)
1 teaspoon salt
Serving/Toppings
fresh basil
salt and pepper
extra grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Chicken Parmesan
Start by prepping your chicken. Place your chicken breasts or tenderloins in a large ziploc bag, 2-3 at a time. Using the flat side of a meat mallet (or side of a can or other heavy object), begin to flatten your meat.
After you flatten your meat, cut the pieces into similar sizes. I usually cut one large chicken breast in half after flattening.
Before cooking the chicken, you need to get your dredging station ready. Get out 2 low wide bowls or pie pans. In the first, crack 2 eggs and add 1-2 tablespoons of water. Whisk those together and set aside (I set it near my stovetop).
In another low, wide bowl, mix together Panko bread crumbs, dry grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt. Set next to the egg mixture, near the stove top.
Next, prep your baking dish and oven. Turn the oven to 350°F. Get out a 9×13″ baking dish (or other wide, rimmed baking dish) and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large saucepan or heavy-bottomed pan, pour flavorless oil until it’s about 1 inch up the side of the pan. Depending on your pan size, the amount will vary.
Heat oil to a medium-high heat, until a sprinkle of water dropped in sizzles (will take about 5 minutes to heat up).
Once oil is hot, dredge your first 3 pieces of chicken, first by dipping in the egg mixture, and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Then carefully set each piece of dredged chicken into the hot oil, using tongs.
Let cook on each side for about 5-7 minutes. Each piece will take a different amount of time depending on the size and thickness. Once one side is browned and cooked, flip with tongs. Once chicken looks cooked, tap on the center with the back of the tongs, if it feels firm it’s probably cooked through. If you want to be sure, you can double check by making a slight cut with a sharp knife to ensure it’s cooked.
Once first batch is cooked through, remove and place in the prepared baking dish. If the oil starts to get too hot, you can turn it down to medium heat.
Once you start another batch of chicken, add a little more oil into the pan. Continue cooking until all the chicken is done. Place all chicken in prepared baking dish. Cover each piece of chicken with a couple spoonfuls of marinara sauce and then top with fresh Parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese melts and sauce is warmed through.
Pasta and Alfredo
While your chicken is baking, you’ll have time to get your pasta and Alfredo ready. Start by heating a large pot full of water over high heat.
Meanwhile, in a separate medium saucepan, add butter for Alfredo sauce. Whisk until melted. Once melted, add in heavy cream. Once mixture comes to a simmer, add in fresh Parmesan and salt, whisking constantly until melted together and smooth and creamy. Once thick and smooth, remove from heat and set aside. You will have extra sauce – I do this on purpose so I can add it to the leftover pasta when we reheat it.
Once pasta water is boiling, salt generously and add pasta. Stir pasta constantly while it’s cooking so it doesn’t stick. Cook pasta until just barely done, then strain and top with Alfredo sauce. Remove chicken from oven.
Serve pasta on plate topped with Parmesan Chicken. You can add extra marinara sauce or Alfredo to the table if anyone wants to top with more. Top with fresh parm and basil if desired – enjoy!
Notes
It really helps to have a meat mallet to pound out/thin your chicken before frying it. If the chicken is thinner it will cook more evenly, and will cook through without the crispy edges burning.
If you don’t have a meat mallet, try using a large rolling pin or some canned food, on its side.
Wow! After all this cooking, I hope we have enough to last us till Sunday, when we finally would be able to kick back with the new book. For now let us get our appetite going:
“The Acrimony of Matrimony”: A bungling young marriage counselor has difficulties bridging the differences of feuding husbands and wives, but he overlooks his own shortcomings in his long-term relationship with his girlfriend
Excerpt:
CHAPTER 12
With his veins on end as he stared at his mail order watch, Gavin’s forehead poured out beads of sweat. It wasn’t as a result of the humid eighty-three temperatures. No, not with the air conditioner on at full blast. He squirmed in his office chair wondering where his two o’clock appointment for that Thursday afternoon was. It was bad enough he pledged a commitment to attend the meeting with other marriage counselors that evening. He didn’t need to appear as a frayed mess when shaking their hands that night, although he was already quivering from zigzagging nerves.
Two twelve. With a deep sigh, Gavin rested his chin on his open right palm while staring at the window as if it was going to help get his clients in the office lickety-split. The fingers on his left hand marched to the cadence of a caterpillar to exacerbate the lateness.
Then a subtle knock on the door startled Gavin out of his skin. A bug-eyed glance at the door preceded an anxious clearing of the throat. In a raspy tone, Gavin called out to the party to enter.
The knob turned in stealth slowness. Gavin had enough anxiety vibrating his body for the afternoon. The tension mounted as the door opened in the measured speed of a sundial’s shadowy path. The head of a young man appeared like a prairie dog checking out his surroundings. In bewilderment, the man with a healthy head of black hair spoke up.
“Excuse me, are you Mr. McGuiness?” the young man inquired.
“Uh.” Gavin hesitated as he searched his wallet for his driver’s license to assure himself. “Yeah, that’s…that’s me. But you can call me Gavin. And you must be Chase Haglund.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Come in and have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
Chase came into full view as Gavin checked him out. The counselor’s new client was a strapping figure over six feet tall with distinguished chiseled handsome features. In his wake was an attractive woman with sandy brown hair flowing over her shoulders. Gavin noticed her holding up her left palm at someone in the hallway before closing the door behind her.
“This is my wife, Vickie.”
“Hello,” Vickie quietly addressed Gavin.
As Vickie entered the room, Gavin eyed her scanning the office. She ambled over to a corner and pulled across a chair, which she then placed in between the two seats meant for a husband and wife. Gavin’s Picasso face stamped his confusion over the odd behavior.
“Gee,” Gavin opened. “I know there’s some friction between the two of you, but you really don’t have to separate each other like you just did. I mean, the whole point of this session is to bring the two of you together. This doesn’t help it any.”
“I’ll explain in a while,” Vickie said passively.
Gavin squirmed in his seat, crisscrossing his fingers as he volleyed his sights on the couple. Chase looked out to the right and Vickie the left. The counsellor shifted his eyebrows, releasing a subtle sigh, wondering how much longer the stalemate would continue. Time to break the ice.
“Okay, friends.” Gavin slapped his palms on the desk. “Let’s get to the root of the issue.”
Vickie swiveled in her seat, facing Gavin head-on. With a pronounced sneer, she pointed at Chase, avoiding eye contact away with her husband.
“The bastard cheated on me!”
Chase turned to Gavin with extended arms.
“No,” Chase rebutted. “It was an honest mistake.”
“Uh, I don’t see how having an affair as being an honest mistake, Chase.” Gavin then turned to Vickie for the full story.
“A month ago,” Vickie began, “I came home early from an errand. I walked into our apartment and I found him screwing another woman!”
Chase cupped his hands as if in prayer, pleading to Gavin to hear his side. “She’s not telling you everything. You don’t have the complete picture.”
“I think I do,” Gavin countered. “This is some serious crap, my friend.”
Chase’s reddened scowl spoke volumes as he pivoted toward Vickie.
“Why don’t you show him what I’m talking about?”
Vickie pouted as she shrugged her shoulders. Twisting her slender figure as far as she could to her left, she shouted to the top of her lungs. “Okay, Tara, you can come in!”
Gavin reclined deep in his seat, curious as to where all of this mess was heading to. The person in the hallway made her appearance. Gavin’s eyes popped out of his head as the woman coming into the office bore a striking resemblance to Vickie.
“This is my identical twin sister, Tara,” Vickie deadpanned.
Gavin’s jaw dropped as his eyes volleyed from Vickie to Tara and back again. No, he wasn’t seeing things. But there were measurable differences. Whereas as Vickie wore her dark blonde hair straight down, Tara had hers done up in pigtails. Vickie hardly had any make-up on, but Tara painted her modest cheekbones in red rouge with eyeliner and mascara that could be seen for miles. Vickie’s attire amounted to a conservative sky-blue blouse with black pants to round things out. Tara wore a short-sleeved tee with dazzling pastels and hot pink shorts to complete her Kewpie doll appearance. And while Vickie shuffled into Gavin’s workspace, Tara pranced in on her tiptoes, clinging on to her gold lame change purse, clutched close to her belly. Tara placed herself gingerly on the chair, sandwiched in between her sister and her brother-in-law.
Gavin still had difficulty fathoming the exact basic features of the two women. Even as simplemindedas he was, the counselor had a gut feeling where this was going to.
“Well, then,” Gavin began “we do have an issue here. Vickie?”
“Like I said, I came home one day, and I found Chase screwing Tara’s brains out.”
Chase raised his right hand for a word in edgewise.
“Can I just say something?” He peeked around Tara to stare at his wife. “I thought she was you!”
“Oh c’mon!”
“She dressed like you. Wore her hair down. Even spoke like you – you know, not as perky as Tara usually talks.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, did you happen to notice the heart tattoo on her ass?”
“You’ve got a heart tattoo?” Gavin asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Tara giggled. “I had it done a few years ago.”
“Well, I’ve got a friend who’s got one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on his right bicep. It’s really cool. I think it’s Donatello.”
“Wow! Would you like to see my tattoo?” Tara was about to rise to unbutton her shorts, but Vickie quickly intervened.
“Please! Let’s not go there!” Vickie extended her left arm to force Tara to take her seat. The ditzy twin turned up her nose at her sister.
“Well, Chase,” Gavin began, “Vickie does have a point. You didn’t see that tattoo?”
“Look, Gavin, I’ve seen Vickie’s ass quite a number of times. I just took it for granted.”
“Oh!” Vickie exclaimed. “So now you’re getting tired of my naked body, huh?”
“That’s not what I meant! I love you whether you have clothes on or not.” Chase turned to Gavin while pointing at Tara. “She tricked me!”
“Yeah, but you have me a great orgasm, Chase,” Tara threw a wry smile at her brother-in-law. “You’ll have to admit, I give a louder scream than my sister.”
“Well, I at least act and dress my age of thirty-three,” Vickie argued. “You’re still reliving your teenage years!”
“Yeah, but how many men did you fuck before Chase. Two? Maybe three?” Tara turned to Gavin. “I did at least twenty-five! I lose track, though.”
“This is getting sickening!” Vickie yelled, pounding the chair’s armrest to prove her point.
“Oh, and by the way, sis, you were right. Chase is long and hard.”
“That does it! I’m getting out of here!”
Gavin sprang up to motion Vickie to sit back down.
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” Gavin commanded. “Let’s all get our heads together here.”
Chase bowed his head down with a subtle nod. Tara looked off into a corner with her lips twisted and arms folded across her chest. Vickie stared at the opposite corner with a reddened scowl. Peace was sort of restored. At least the vitriol wasn’t being exchanged back and forth.
“Now, Chase, the fact that you didn’t notice Tara’s…uh…well…assets, lends me to believe some complacency may have set in. You ought to let Vickie know that you don’t take her for granted. What about surprising her with flowers for no special reason? That’s one way of doing it.”
Chase softly nodded at the counselor’s suggestion.
“Vickie, while I can’t condone what Chase did, I can understand how he got duped into thinking Tara was you, tattoo or no tattoo. She put on a good performance that anyone could’ve made a similar mistake. I mean, if it was a brunette Chase was with, well, you might have a case there. But Tara played her role as you to a tee. I say you should cut him some slack here.”
“Humph! That’s probably how she stole Devon McGwire away from me in high school.”
“Who? Me?” Tara stretched her fingers across her chest.
Vickie tilted her head up to the far corner of the room while Tara shrugged her shoulders and gazed at her golden wallet.
“And as for you, Tara.” Gavin leaned across his desk with one eye squinted and the other wide as a saucer. “Perhaps you ought to take a closer look at yourself. I sort of agree with Vickie. Trying to relive your teenager years in your thirties might be a little, shall I say, weird. Maybe if you dialed down the craziness you might have a special man in your life. And who knows where that might lead to.”
“Hmm.” Tara flirted with batting eyes. “What are you doing this Saturday?”
“I…uh…I do go out with someone. She and I have been together for ten years.”
“Ten years, huh? Then how come there’s no ring around your finger? I would think you and her would’ve been married by now.”
“Well, we’re working on it.”
Gavin slapped his hands down on his desk as he brought an end to the session. He spotted Chase grabbing Vickie around her waist. Gavin took satisfaction that the couple buried the hatchet in resolving their marital upheaval. The counselor beamed as Chase and Vickie exited the office. Tara was about to follow them when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She pivoted and sashayed back to Gavin, taking him by surprise.
She whipped out a pen from her little change satchel and proceeded to scribble down on a small piece of paper.
“Here.” Tara smiled, finishing her writing and handing Gavin the slip. “That’s my number in case you’re in need of a little action.”
Tara puckered her lips and kissed the air before flashing her pearly whites. Gavin shot a wavy smile back at the tart as the latter followed her sister’s tracks.
The counselor plopped back in his chair as he was back to his lonesome self. Tara’s slip of paper? Well, Gavin gave it a good look before crumpling it up and tossing it in the waste can next to his seat.
He slumped like a sack of potatoes when, suddenly, he received an alert on his iPhone.
We look forward to seeing you at our marriage counselor group tonight at 7 pm!
A little reminder for Gavin that he was in need of forgoing watching Jeopardy! for the evening. He actually didn’t need that vibrating buzz to yank himself into Manhattan. Indeed, Gavin was very much looking forward to trading war stories with fellow practitioners. Maybe they also encountered ambulance chasers, clowns, operatic sopranos, and identical twins. Or was he the only counselor in town to attract this unique list of eccentric clientele?
About the Author:
A fan of authors Stephen King and Nicholas Sparks, I didn’t get the writing bug until about 20 years ago. I was influenced greatly by an English teacher I had during my years at Stuyvesant High School – Frank McCourt.
I have two traditionally published books to my credit, both through Gypsy Shadow Publishing. One is a contemporary romance novel entitled “The Diamond Man”. The second is a suspense novel called “Sadistic Pattern”, which was voted as a top-five book by Apple iTunes in April, 2019. I published another contemporary romance novel in 2021 entitled “Sweet Greetings from Carthage” and I’m now out with a women’s fiction story called “Allison Tinsley”. You can learn more about these books by going to my Amazon author page (http://www.amazon.com/author/michaeljmolloy). I’m also a musician as I’m the organist for the New York Aviators USPHL hockey team.
We’re privileged to be at Brook Hollow Winery this evening for an author meet and greet.
I’ve got a glass of the Rose, a perfectly grilled hamburger, and my bestie Dimitri for company. He hasn’t written anything this time but my vampire book is turning pages as we listen to John Cain singing.
We’ve been waiting all year to come out for this event and we hope you can make it. Deserie Kelly’s Zodiac Shifter trilogy and a Sci-fi book will be available in limited quantities. If you haven’t gotten your copy yet, why not get a signed one for yourself and a friend?
Come for a wine tasting and stay for the books!
Come joins us for music, stories, and lots of amazing reads!
I’ve heard from Dimitri himself that he will have balloons courtesy of MoonOnTheWater Entertainment so bring the kiddies.
Enjoy your Friday. Hope to see you tomorrow.
I’m going back to my Rose and the other authors. Ciao.
This week is so filled with celebrations, I want to take a moment and wish everyone Happy Mardi Gras, Happy Lunar New Year, Happy Valentine’s Day, and more. There is also a special birthday on Valentine’s Day, so happy birthday Claire- hope it’s the best yet!
If I missed any of our reader’s birthdays, I hope it was amazing and you had lots of fun.
Enjoy this last week before the Christian Lenten season begins and people turn to more spiritual pursuits.
During lent I look for organizations to work with either through sponsorship or stewardship to help out those in need, local and abroad. Since the troublemaker and I wear many hats that can mean entertaining for charitable walks, food pantries, fundraisers… or donating to some local charities or people in need.
For this weekend, however, I’m going to some festivals and parties. I’ll be making some hurricanes (see my 2023 blogs for the recipe and make them at home or somewhere you don’t need to drive to, just to be as safe as possible) and some gumbo for one party and spicy chicken skewers for the other.
I’m also stopping by a Super Bowl party with some treats. I don’t know who you want to win this Super Bowl Sunday, but I’ll be watching and then continuing with festivities for Mardi Gras and the Lunar New Year.
Then, just when the week is going to start and you think there would be a break to settle down, blam!!! I’ll be making chocolate covered everything for Valentine’s Day (candied orange rind, strawberries, marshmallows, and pretzels).
All scheduling aside, I find myself working at lightning speed on my pursuits because I live day to day with an autoimmune disease that can shut me down for a week or two at a time. If I seem a little maniacal it’s only because I know I am racing the clock to get things done before something like pollen, perfume, dairy, or weather forces me to take a break.
I find myself planning things just to keep motivated, not that I need the extra work with a house full of imps that drive me bonkers and the cutest dog in creation, but still… I feel like Alice In Wonderland some days with one pill that makes me feel smaller and another that makes me feel bigger. Better living through chemistry has its moments. I’ve had undifferentiated autoimmune disease for about 14 years since diagnosis (probably an additional 14 years living with it before the doctor discovered what it was) at this point and sometimes I need to just live through my stories because the body won’t cooperate regardless of what potion I drink or eat.
We all have things we work through and I know it can be hard at times. I find something wonderful and go with it as long as I can. A supportive partner or friend is also a game changer, and sometimes if all you can have together is misadventures remember to laugh about it.
On the plus side, Spring is on the way. A few conspiring rodents decided it, so let’s just go with that.
Some goodies for our readers-
Don’t forget these two treats are available on KU for a limited time and are also at a special price for download or paperback.
Its time for the Lunar New Year Celebrations to begin in earnest and while we search our favorite apps and museums for indoor and chilly outdoor events, Deserie Kelly has an upcoming offer you’ll want to put a reminder in your virtual calendar for. Don’t miss it.
Thursday, February 8th, 2024 (12:00PST) to Monday, February 12, 2024(11:59PM PST) you can pick up your Kindle exclusive eBook copy absolutely FREE just in time for the Lunar New Year.
Get Your Free Kindle eBook Copy!
Deserie: The Lunar New Year is something I look forward to celebrating every year. We hand out red envelopes so our friends have a little mad money to spend on their favorite treats and sweets, like candied lotus root and lucky red candy. This year as an added treat, I decided to offer up the first book in the Tales of the Zodiac Shifter Series as an eBook promotion for the Lunar New Year, so be sure to get your copy for the Kindle app.
Eden: I heard you were considering getting your dog a little brother.
Deserie: Absolutely, dogs are social animals and they enjoy life a lot more when they have company, just like people. Right now, I’m looking to adopt, if possible, another crazy Chinese Crested dog. I know lots of people enjoy the hairless variety of the breed, but our boy is powderpuff and with the chilly winters in NJ, its for the best to have a thick coat of fur even if that means searching a little longer.
Powderpuff variety do take a bit more grooming than other dogs, but daily brushing with a coat designed for the undercoat helps so much. He has a double coat, undercoat and people like hair. When groomed properly he looks like a little pony (almost a poodle cut). Chinese Crested are one of the better breeds for allergy sufferers and I have been living with allergies most of my life, so he’s perfect for me.
Butler the CC(Chinese Crested) is my constant companion at home and my best little writing buddy. with book three in the series about to debut, he has the patience of a saint and sit dutifully at my side until playtime. You might find his inspiration in my books, as I always have one character with his tenacity and love of snacks. I train my little fur baby on an ongoing basis so his mind stays sharp and quick, though he has a bit of a temper, making him a little devil dog.
Cute little beastie always gets me with his smile, so his mini tantrums are easily and quickly forgotten.
Eden: Do all of your books have dogs?
Deserie: So far all that have been published have a dog in them. It’s a little tribute to my best friend and the impact he has had on my life. I live with an autoimmune disease that can flare up at a moments notice. My little beastie tends to notice that they are coming and nudges me to let me know something is off (not to be confused with the demand for pizza crust nudges which are over the top or play with me now snuggles). He wasn’t specifically trained to do it, but there are some service dogs that are trained to alert for just that purpose. Service dogs are life altering for people that need them. It can mean the difference between going outside and being confined to the house, so I support organizations that train them for people.
You can read about a service dog in Jesse of the Apocalypse, my newest book.
We celebrate his gotcha day every year, but he may be a little bit spoiled. Just look at that sweet face and those keen eyes. I knew he was going to be trouble times twelve when we got him, because its so easy to fall under his spell and let the little infractions go.
He may be a little spoiled, but life is too short not to enjoy snacks and equal amounts of work and play time- same goes for people, too. Butler(named for the white “gloves” on all his paws) is my fur-ever friend. and will be getting a special treat for the Lunar New Year, something lucky for him, too. You can read more about him on my blog at http://www.DeserieKelly.com
Eden: Thanks so much for coming by with your free book and puppy love. I hope you have some fun over the Lunar New Year! Please come back and talk with us again when your next book is out.
Hello my friends, today we will welcome back K.M. Fawcett, author of Small Town Wilde Romance Book Series and will focus on Wilde Christmas: A Candlewood Falls Novel; book 2 in the series. But first let us kick back and relax with her favorite drink, which as you will find out soon is super appropriate for this season.
Here is a word from K.M. Fawcett:
Thank you for inviting me to the blog today!
I’m happy share one of my favorite drinks during the winter months and especially around the holidays—spiked peppermint hot chocolate. I love this drink so much that it made its way into my holiday small-town romantic suspense, Wilde Christmas. Bed and breakfast owner Lacey Wilde makes this for wounded warrior Dean Hunter while wrapping gifts together in her kitchen during a pivotal scene in the book. Wilde Christmas is free until the end of the year. Enjoy the story while sipping on a delicious spiked peppermint hot chocolate!
SPIKED PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE
Ingredients:
2 cups milk (skim, 2%, or whole) 4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped 1 oz peppermint schnapps 1 oz cream de cacao (optional) whipped cream (for serving) candy canes (for serving)
Directions:
1) Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. 2) While milk is heating, microwave chopped chocolate for 30 seconds. Remove chocolate and stir. Repeat microwaving and stirring the chocolate until it’s just melted. 3) When the milk reaches the scalding point (180ºF with bubbles on the side), turn off the heat and add the melted chocolate, whisking to combine. 4) Serve hot chocolate in glasses fortified with a jigger (1.5 oz) peppermint schnapps or peppermint schnapps and creme de cacao. (I used 1 oz of each) 5) Top with whipped cream and crushed candy cane pieces on top. Add a candy cane to stir.
Enjoy!
K.M. Fawcett
Now that we got our drink, let’s dive into the books.
As Lacey Wilde works to open her bed-and-breakfast in time for Christmas, she meets Marine veteran Dean Hunter — who claims her adopted military working dog is his! Can Dean and K-9 Remi protect Lacey from a mysterious threat? A suspenseful small-town romance to warm up the holidays.
And here is some more info about our wonderful guest K.M. Fawcett:
Whether her romances are set in a charmingly quirky small town or on a dangerous alien planet, award-winning author K.M. Fawcett writes emotional stories featuring underdogs and fish-out-of-water characters who find their place in the universe. She believes in happy endings, that humor is food for the soul, and that if true love can’t conquer it, then it probably deserves a good throat punch.
K.M. and her husband—the inspiration for all her heroes (and some of her villains)—own a dojo in NJ, where they teach Okinawan karate and weapons. Incorporating two decades of martial arts experience into her stories, she forges resilient, timeless characters who aren’t afraid to fight for the life and love they deserve.
I think most of us began as fearless children, the ones that wanted to jump the highest on the trampoline, swing highest, build a ramp and take it at top speed, sit on the edge of a cliff and looked down, rode the Cyclone as many times as they’d let us in a row(trust me it was a lot)… we set the bar high.
What separated us from the rest of the pack wasn’t a lack of imagination of the bad things that could happen with our stunts. To the contrary, we probably had the best imaginations of the horrors that could occur, we just didn’t let fear stop us. We didn’t let anything stop us. We ate that fear like it was sugar coated cereal on a Saturday morning.
While our friends cringed and covered their eyes, ours were wide open. We waited for that little terror to make us giggle and make us feel alive. We were the first to tell spooky stories by the campfire and approached Halloween with religious reverence. (Still the best day of the year)
We played out Horror movies in backyards and parks and got into character, complete with black trash bag capes and weird smelling leftover plastic Halloween masks. The thrill was everything.
And with classic horror movies like Nosferatu, The thing With Two Heads, Mars Needs Women, Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Black Cat, Fall of the House of Usher, the Phantom of the Opera… we got hooked on the terror and the monster themselves. In the 1908’s we saw so many great monster movie remakes. They were brilliant and we were so ready for them.
Then came slasher movies like the Nightmare on Elm Street, Sleepaway Camp, Halloween. Puppet Master… How many of us bought that Freddy Krueger glove and sat in the movie theater for the third or fourth time scaring the wits out of unsuspecting people? Okay, I did but it was all in fun.
We’ve watch so many great vampire films like Near Dark, the Hunger, the Lost Boys, Fright Night… and laughed at so many cheesy ones like Modern Vampires, Vampire’s Kiss, Subspecies, My Best Friend is A Vampire, Vamp… while we were reading incredible books like Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire (we’ll chat about that movie later).
And we ate up movies with jump scares like Poltergeist, the Evil Dead, Pet Sematary, the Exorcist, IT, Cujo, the Descent, Hell House and others because we couldn’t get enough. It’s in our blood.
Highschool ended and I packed up my things (movie posters included) to take with me to college. The first day I went room to room knocking on every door trying to find all the horror film fans I could and I brought out my shoebox of vhs horror films and we sat and giggled our asses off watching them. They were also the same group that went to comic book conventions and got the very best vampire/monster/horror comics, some wrapped in brown paper for mature audiences only-but they got them all the same in vinyl bags with backboards or cruised the mall for the bookstores and read every scary word they could find. You know your people and where to find them.
Now we are streaming horror films and playing the audio in our cars or as ringtones on our phones and why not? It’s all in fun, right? Break out the popcorn for viewers in the back while we drive to the latest horror film, horror book signing, vampire convention, book store hunt, or other dark broody adventure.
If your the choosy connoisseur and prefer a signed copy, those will be available directly from me at Vampires of New Jersey Convention on November 18, 2023 from 2p to 8p at QXT’s Night Club, 248 Mulberry St, Newark, NJ.
I’m going to be there and we’re going to have some fun, talk about horror films, books, comics… Promise I’ll keep the Freddy Krueger glove at home, so the scares will have to come from someone else this time (maybe).
Claire will be vending jewelry to die for and I’m going to have some kooky things like filled coffins, goodies, give aways, and we’ll also have Deserie Kelly’s Zodiac Shifters books.
edenfreed.com 