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.
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.
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.
We are featuring a paranormal teen fantasy this week, so we’ll keep our treats fun and light.
Time of the Silver Dragon: Tales of the Zodiac Shifter Book 1 currently available on Amazon
Storyline: After years of hard work, practice, and sacrifice, Silver has earned the honor of entering the coveted underground martial arts tournament in Chinatown. Her excitement is only matched by her fear of failure. Little does she knows that the tournament is not the end, but the beginning of trouble, trouble times twelve. After the tournament is over she must face the wrath of the grandmaster, her illusions about herself, and find out who her real friends are. She finds out that the myth of the twelve zodiac animals great race, the Jade Emperor, and even demons are real. In this frightening new reality, will she have the strength to save humanity?
Our recipe: Silky Onion Dip with veggies and crisps
Ingredients
1 container silky tofu
1-2 packages vegan onion dip mix
Fresh Veggies (carrot sticks, celery sticks, snow peas, sugar snap peas, cucumber slices, green and red pepper slices, blanched asparagus spears)
Crisps (your favorite chips, pretzels, or fried wonton wrappers)
Cut silky tofu into small squares and pulse in food processor with package of onion soup mix until blended. Add more soup mix to taste and put in a bowl surrounded by your favorite munchies- it’s that simple.
Serve your Silky Onion Dip and munchies to friends or just have a snack anytime. We absolutely love this with gingerale mixers (1 ounce pomegranate juice, matcha tea, grape juice, or orange juice to 4 parts gingerale).
Here comes another of Eden Freed’s short stories for our liquid Friday fun.
This one is a fairy tale based on Slavic and Balkan tales, written in collaboration with Dimitri Romanov. Enjoy this short read on Kindle or Kindle Unlimited. Glimpse the world of magic and fairy tales with Tartarus Bellows.
What should we drink tonight? What would you expect a hero of a Slavic or Balkan tale to have? Of course a nice glass of Rakia. You say there are many types: yes I agree, and the best one is Slivovitz, a plum brandy. You choose your brand, pour yourself a glass and stop wasting time. Kick back, relax and grab a copy of Tartarus Bellows for full enjoinment. Remember, it’s free on Kindle for the next two days. The book that is, not Slivovitz, sorry.
Blurb:
Our perfectly flawed hero Erroris embarks an adventure to discover that love is as ancient as the forest Baba Yaga lives in and maybe just as dangerous. Journey to the heart of the matter and find out if good really does triumph over evil and whether or not the devil does get his due. This short story is based on old Slavonic and Balkan tales with a modern twist. Would you be willing to brave the perils on earth and dive into the depths of hell for the sake of love?
Excerpt:
“Erroris, you pitiful excuse for a demon, get in there and drag out the wicked for judgment!” Likho screeched and angrily cocked his one eye at the lesser demon. “If I didn’t know any better I would think that you pitied these deviant mortals. Tartarus has a place for demons that fail to serve.”
Likho’s words caused Erroris to hold his tongue, lest the coals be raked across it again. He had no heart for his job. How could he help bring the wicked to justice when he had no concept of true evil? Can one know evil without first seeing good? There has to be more to this existence than torment and torture. What I would give for one mortal lifetime!
As if Likho could hear his thoughts, he walked over and squeezed Erroris’ mouth open forcing his tongue to hang out like the three-headed beast Cerberus’ after a run. Without releasing the pressure on the hollows of Erroris’ cheeks, Likho bellowed, “I don’t see it in there, but if you have even the smallest piece of goodness in you we will scare it out, once and for all. You will go live among the mortals. Once your talons begin to show, you’ll be back here and Zmey, the dragon guardian of Tartarus will slowly devour your black heart.” Likho loosened the grip on Erroris’ face and grinned a wicked smile that could inspire fear even in a demon.
Mustering what little courage remained, Erroris asked, “And if I’m good?”
Doubled over and clutching his abdomen with two clawed hands, Likho laughed. It was a sound that anyone in Tartarus seldom heard and it struck a dark chord of fear in even the bravest demon. The sound reached Zmey and roused the dark beast from slumber. It shook ash off its leathery wings and sharpened its claws on the jagged obsidian rocks where it bedded down. Erroris felt the sudden and unmistakable sensation of claws digging into his shoulders.
This week we are featuring author, ghost writer and coach Chris Redding and her new paranormal romance shape shifter novel Destiny of a Gargoyle: Book One When Gargoyles Love.
But before we immerse ourselves in the magic of her novel, we must hear from Chris Redding about her favorite cocktail for tonight:
Long Island Iced Tea is my favorite! Why that drink? Because when I was a bartender it was my signature drink. People came to the bar to ask me to make it because they’d heard mine was good.
Recipe:
Shot of Vodka
Shot of Gin
Shot of Triple Sec
Ice
Fill the rest of the glass with sour mix then a splash of cola.
Blurb:
Donal Foley was born in a time when magic ruled the Earth.
Gargoyles protected fairies from goblins. His family was a group of elite gargoyles who were assigned to protect a specific fairy. His father’s dereliction of that duty cursed his sons to become stone and wait.
Now reawakened in the twenty first century where no one believes in magic how is he going to convince his fairy that she is one and that she is in danger from a goblin?
He must do that without falling in love with her.
Excerpt:
The next morning, Meg was still wondering what mistake she’d made. What had she said that sent Donal running out of the bar?
She ended up taking the day off and now she was doing things that she normally had to attend to on weekends. Picking up dry cleaning and shopping for underwear were so much more pleasant when everyone else was at work.
Since she lived by the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, students streamed past her with backpacks and cups of coffee. Ah, to be young again.
Her first stop was to the supermarket for some food. With her canvas bags in hand, she entered the doors of the local supermarket, but something made her look behind her. She had the feeling someone was watching her.
She didn’t see anyone, except a young man who seemed out of place. And he looked like Donal. She blinked, but he was gone.
About Chris:
Chris Redding lives in New Jersey creating otherworldly stories. When she isn’t writing, she walks and does yoga. She is also a ghostwriter and a writing coach.
You choose your brand, pour yourself a glass and stop wasting time. Kick back, relax and grab a copy of 
edenfreed.com 