Download your free ebook today, this offer end on Christmas Eve 12/24/2024
Around the holidays, I think back to my childhood and it was the Christmas lights, more than anything, that made me happy. The same still works today and I find myself leaving the holiday lights up all year and just changing the color for the next holiday.
It’s the Grinch! We found him at Shadybrook Farms
Maybe it’s my inner Year of the Rat and love of all things shiny, but I go for long rides looking at the lit up houses and to every possible light show working a two hour ride(well, I make the mister drive it).
With five children there is always the need to keep them entertained, so light shows are a big hit and help get them outdoors on cold evenings, when they’d otherwise be engaged in video games & online media.
We also do outings to Science Museums, Zoos, Art Galleries… and you can see a lot of them pull out all the stops for Holiday festivities.
Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights
In the spirit of our Liquid Friday blog, I have to leave to you with a favorite holiday drink- hot chocolate!
Hot Chocolate Recipe below
Ingredients: (4 big servings)
8 ounces dark chocolate chips(semisweet) or chopped brick chocolate
4 Tablespoons sugar (or equivalent in your favorite sweetener)
5 cups milk- we use lactose free and omit the sugar, but any heat stable milk substitute works
Save your add-ins for the side and let guests customize their beverage
Add-ins:
Marshmallows
Peppermint sticks
Whipped Cream
Cinnamon stick
Pinch Cayenne Pepper, really warms you up
Directions:
Warm milk and chocolate in a pot on low to medium heat(stirring continuously to avoid scalding milk) until chocolate has melted and mixture is hot, add sugar to taste- alternatively you can put your milk and chocolate in a crock pot and keep it warm while children play outside
Stir again before serving as chocolate will settle
Serve warm and let guests choose their own toppings, for a special treat
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.
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.
Though I try and celebrate everyday, Halloween is extra special for me. I decorate, bake, make up goody bags with lots of candy, snacks, and prizes for my trick or treaters(sometimes overwhelming them with my costumed dog- Butler), but it’s all in fun.
In that same playful spirit, I am releasing my newest book, Desperately Seeking Vampire: Help Wanted Romance Series to Kindle unlimited and ebook on Amazon (link below the image)
Get your copy now and tell me what you think of it. Does it get you in the mood for some spooky fun?
So easy to get spooky!
I’ll be mixing up a batch of cocktails this evening, before I break out a bottle of Apothic Red Wine and my favorite NY aged cheddar. You can turn any drink spooky with a black olive stuffed cocktail onion. If you’redrinking adult beverages take and Uber or Lyft home and save that blood for a vampire.
Today, I started my day by spending some time with the Perpetual Puppy and then heading out to see Blue Beetle. Overall a great movie- go see it if you can.
Still, my wandering heart wasn’t satisfied and I packed up half the crew and headed out to the beach. The sky was blue and the wind dragged sand off tiny pebbles, revealing hidden beauty.
Still more treasures were unearthed and I was shown shells of every color and size by the minions and the Mr. But the beach had one final treasure in store for me, a miniature library full of books and magazines. I’ll be dropping off copies of my books for eager readers, becuase everyone should have something to read on a long beach day.
Treasure!
I’ll be heading home for a cocktail (recipe below) and listening to Neil Gaiman on Audiobooks on the way.
PIÑA COLADA RECIPE: adults over the legal drinking age and responsible enough to not drive only please.
Ingredients-
1 1/2 OZ BACARDÍ RUM Of CHOICE
2 1/4 OZ PINEAPPLE JUICE
1/2 OZ CREAM OF COCONUT
Fill a tall glass with ice. Blend your ingredients and pour over ice. Garnish with a piece of fresh Pinapple and maraschino cherries. Just Yum!
Double, triple, or just make a pitcher for sharing with company- even a hit in the winter.
It’s Mardi Gras and we couldn’t be happier! We’re making enough sweets and treats to keep us busy until Fat Tuesday(shrove Tuesday), but rather than give you a recipe, we’ve got a FREE ebook short story for you today on Amazon.
Just click the link below to download your copy (this weekend only) and get you in the Mardi Gras mood. Relax with a nice chicory coffee and some warm beignets or a slice of King’s Cake. Pick your favorite jazz artist from Louisiana and enjoy our short story.
If you enjoyed King of the Mardi Gras, leave us a review and check out our other books. Our All Tied Up In Knots series has 2 full books and 6 short reads- perfect to keep you busy between Mardi Gras parties.
Laissez les bons temps rouler. 🎺 (Let the good times roll.)
We’re past the middle of Dry January 2023 and two weeks into Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. What better time to mix up a batch of Virgin Hurricanes and check out the parade?
To see this year’s parade route, click on the link below. Recipe to follow.
Tonight’s featured book is Knot A Criminal from Eden Freed’s All Tied Up In Knots Series. Scroll down to see tonight’s cocktail and a note from the author, herself.
Holly is on the run from the past that involves a double homicide. She has no recollection of the events and wants to keep it in the past for a reason, she might just be the killer. Focusing on the future has Holly hopeful to learn pyrotechnics from a master of more than one skill. As she begins to fall for him, her past starts catching with her. Now, she is torn between her desire for love and the fear of what she might be capable of.
From Eden-
I’ve always considered myself to be a people watcher., but at best you only observe a small piece of their story. Imagination has to fill in the gaps. Could the people a few feet away from you in a shopping center be a couple in love, people going about their daily routine, spies, or aliens… whatever they are is left up to the flights of fancy your mind wants to take you on, no basis in reality required. Often we draw our own conclusions based on our own real world scenarios, hopefully none of them involve aliens, but I won’t judge either way.
The hardest thing to do is get people to stick to each other like magnets and if you’ve ever tried to fix up two of your friends or associates, you know what I’m talking about. You might push them in the right direction and find out their poles didn’t align and they just bounce off of each other. I do the same thing when I write, seek out the couples that need to flip around until they just fit right and connect in a way that is meaningful and lasting.
Knot A Criminal is the second full length BDSM novel in the All Tied Up In Knots Series. A little mystery, a lot of kink, and some New York excitement all go into making this book an interesting read. I hope you enjoy Holly and Johnathon’s adventure as much I did writing their story for you.
Excerpt from Knot A Criminal
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have bragged that I could do it blindfolded with my hands behind my back. I didn’t expect him to take me up on it.” From a distance DJ Sean smiled at Crystal and gave a little thumbs up while picking up the coffee.
“Do exactly what blindfolded?” Crystal stood up. Her expression changed from one of curiosity to vexation. The sound of her knuckles cracking told me everything. She was getting ready to stomp over to Mr. Riley’s and let all hell break loose.
“Calm down, just the balloons,” I said and motioned for her to sit. “I made a death’s head moth and an owl.”
“Next time tell me that first. I was about to go open up a can of whoop-ass on him, boss or no boss. To think of everything that I went through to set it up so Johnathon would play you right after the interview, I’d have to go over there and stomp him into next week if this didn’t work out,” Crystal said.
“You didn’t!” I exclaimed.
“The hell I didn’t,” she laughed. “Remember when you were with Paul, how you said that you submitted an application for an interview with Johnathon Riley. I nearly pissed myself. Johnathon and I had a nice conversation about you. I never gave him your last name, so he wouldn’t know you from any other Holly on the street. Then, I made him wait until I was certain you had an interview for the job. No harm in keeping a man waiting.”
“That’s illegal at the very least, isn’t it?”
“Where you see legal issues, I see opportunity…”
Hypnotic and Absinthe make this cocktail dazzling
Tonight’s Steampunk Themed Cocktail: Blue Skies Ahead
Ingredients:
1 ounce Absinthe
2 ounces Hypnotic- one of my absolute favorite’s to mix cocktails with
1/2 ounce sour mix
2 ounces 7-up
slice of starfruit and green cherry garnish
Fill half a glass with ice and pour in the ingredients (add the soda last for a little fizz), garnish with slice of starfruit and green cocktail cherry. It’s a simple drink with a great presentation. Remember: Drink responsibly and don’t drink and drive. Be safe and have fun.
Tomorrow we’ll be eating Pączki (traditional Polish doughnuts) sipping Hurricanes, and celebrating the last day of Mardi Gras. We’re including you in on the fun with a FREE download of King of the Mardi Gras: A Short Story From Eden’s Garden, available FREE on your Kindle App Tuesday 03/01/2022 for one day only!
Hurricane Cocktail- a rum lover’s favorite
Classic Hurricane Recipe:
2 ounces of light rum
2 ounces of dark rum
3 ounces of passion fruit juice
3 ounces of orange juice
2 tablespoons grenadine syrup
1 tablespoon lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
shake and pour into a hurricane glass filled with ice
garnish with orange slice and a cherry and serve
And while you enjoy this drink, check out the fun FREE (only on March 1st) short story below:
Excerpt: “My entire body shuddered remembering how he made me cry out with pleasure. I would never get enough of Duke Alexis, not ever, but I couldn’t keep him. With a title came expectations, duty, and obligations for nobles that interfered with little things like love.“
edenfreed.com 