Tag Archives: Party

Halloween Edition Liquid Friday Blog

It’s time to celebrate. The decorations are up, the pumpkins have been carved, the puppies are in costume, and a big bucket of candy is waiting outside for my trick-or-treaters. I’ve got some party foods in the oven, including pigs-in-a-blanket and spooky English muffin pizzas for the kids. Since I’m having children at the party, I will have some spooky mocktails for them and something a little stronger for me. Make sure you pick one color with alcohol and one color without and please if you are using a punchbowl, put the nonalcohol version out. Keep the over 21 version safely away from children and make sure guests that are drinking are not driving-I can’t stress this enough.

I’ve spent this month getting my newest book, Knot A Psychic out on Amazon in the many forms readers like, so I’m completely batty at this point. After the big release I grabbed my favorite horror books from Stephen King, Anne Rice, Clive Barker, and some of the original greats and have been reading. It’s Halloween here all year, so scary books are not in short supply.

This is also the last day 10/31/2025 to pick up your free Kindle copy of Knot An Actress, book 1 of the All Tied Up In Knots series. Don’t wait until the free offer is gone.

With the snacks in the oven and the timer set, it’s time to start making the mock/cocktails. See the recipes below and let me know which is your favorite.

Pick one for adults and one for children (different colors so there are no mix ups).

Dracula’s Teeth- sure to knock the teeth off your favorite vampire! It’s a fun twist on a Kir Royale.

Adult version-(this has alcohol, so drink in moderation and don’t drive or operate heavy machinery)

Making for children or alcohol free peeps-omit all the alcohol (use the substitutions) and put in cute spooky glasses-yes you can add some fangs ’cause its fun. I’ve also used clear plastic cups with lids and bat stickers-huge success.

What you’ll need:

Wax or Plastic Vampire Teeth

Martini Glasses or Champagne Flutes

A bottle of CHILLED Champagne, Spumante, or Moscato depending on your taste (substitute sparkling cider for children)

Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur (substitute 1/2 ounce blackberry juice and 1/2 ounce black cherry juice for children)

Enough Grenadine to dip your fangs in

Recipe- double, triple, or quadruple as needed

1 ounce Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur (5 ounces if you make it by the pitcher)

5 ounces Champagne, Spumante, or Moscato (entire bottle if you make it by the pitcher)

Enough grenadine to dip your glasses in and fangs to garnish your glasses(see image above for inspiration). What I like to do is take a small plate and pour about 2 ounces grenadine onto it and just refill as needed when rimming glasses. You can also add some red dusting sugar if you have sparkly vampires.

  1. Rim your glasses and soak your fangs in grenadine.
  2. Add 1 ounce Chambord to your glass.
  3. Fill to just below the rim with 5 ounces or so of your favorite bubbly.
  4. Garnish glass with fangs, and serve cold.

Purple People Eaters

Remember, if you are making this for ADULTS THAT DRINK ALCOHOL(over 21) you can use the alcohol version. If you are making this for children or adults that don’t drink alcohol, double the amount and put in cute glasses(not shot glasses).

What you need:

Gummy eyeballs, lots of them!

Shot glasses (or fun cups for children)

Vodka (substitute 7-up or Sprite for children)

Blue Curaçao (substitute Blue Kool-aid for children)

Sweet & Sour Mix (omit for children)

Grenadine (Thicker red kool-aid works fine if you don’t have any on hand)

Cranberry juice- the redder, the better

Ideally, you’re looking to get that purple color so play with ingredients if you don’t like the shade.

Recipe:

1 1/2 ounces vodka

1 ounce Blue Curacao

1 ounce sweet & sour mix

1 ounce grenadine

1 ounce or more cranberry juice

Add all ingredients to a measuring cup or pitcher and pour into shot glasses. Add gummy eyeball, serve.

Remember if you are serving this variation for children, make sure everything (including your grenadine) is alcohol free. Double or triple the recipe for children and don’t forget the gummy eyeballs. Yes, you can make this all in a punch sized bowl, but I prefer cups with lids for small children. (2024 Target had these cute eyeball shaped glasses with lids, perfect for children that want some spooky fun- or you can decorate paper cups with a self adhesive googly eyeball just saying)

Mocktails & Mayhem

Cranberry Mint Mojito Mocktail

For dry January we have some fun mocktail recipes. Since the Lunar New Year is just weeks away we have guest author, Deserie Kelly, with some book previews.

Book 1

https://a.co/d/0EXoxo9

A bullied orphan. A life-changing martial arts contest. An ancient rivalry showing its bloody claws…

Chinatown, New York City. Silver is tired of never fitting in. After years of teaching at her adoptive uncle’s kung-fu school, the loyal seventeen-year-old is depressed to see a mediocre student promoted above her. So she’s thrilled at the chance to redeem her honor by competing in a high-level tournament where the winner performs the complex dragon dance during Chinese New Year.

Training hard to win, the determined young woman forces herself to ignore the instant attraction she feels to a handsome boy at a rival school. But after she emerges victorious, Silver is horrified when her triumph is rewarded with a deadly attack by a demon-in-disguise.

On the run from a sinister enemy she can’t remember, with only the cute kung fu master as an ally, will this accomplished fighter discover her destiny before her flame is eternally extinguished?

Book 2

https://a.co/d/43OTdF1

Kuàilè Shu has just settled into a new life and found her place in Silver’s Kung Fu school where she has both admiration and respect from other students, friends, and immortals. She’s now a junior in high school with all the hopes and dreams of any girl, mortal or otherwise: finding the perfect prom dress, going to college, finding love. Then, Monkey shows up…..
Thrown in the whirlwind of jealousy, insecurity and a mission she has left incomplete, Kuàilè bets all on a mortal existence. But is giving up immortality the right choice when a demon capable of possessing even the immortals themselves is after her and those she loves the most?

Book 3

https://a.co/d/86N1SSK

Kelly, one of the Zodiac Shifters, has a terrible secret that has kept her from pursuing love. She has all but given up on ever having happiness, but life is full of surprises. Jamin, for all his size and strength, is just as shy. Despite their personal hangups, it looks like the stars might finally align on the couple until tragedy strikes.


Silver is ready to have her baby when the magic begins to fade around her. Damian is off battling demons that have the worst timing, and that says a lot for a dragon capable of freezing time. Silver isn’t sure she’s even ready to be a mother. Fushi is there to help, but Silver needs Damian, now!


Can Kelly overcome her own dangerous secrets to save the love of her life or has time run out on her as a Zodiac Shifter? Will Silver have her baby on the earthly plane or make it back to the Jade Palace in time with Damian? Find these answers and more in the latest Tales of the Zodiac Shifters story: No Time for Regrets-Tales of the Zodiac Shifters Book 3

Tales of the Zodiac Shifters series has more books to come so catch up now before you are left behind.

Cranberry Mojito Mocktail Recipe

Before we get started, since I have diabetics in the family, I also offer substitutes for sugar whenever possible in my recipes.

Ingredients:

2-3 Tablespoons fresh or frozen cranberries

5-6 cranberries to garnish

1/2 ounce simple syrup/ or sugar free lemon lime soda

1/2 lime for juice

1 slice lime for garnish

1 sprig (7-8 leaves) mint for mix

1 sprig mint to garnish

Seltzer

(Optional) Alcohol free/ sugar free rum flavoring

Ice

You’ll also need:

Mortar and pestle to muddle cranberries and mint

Spoon to mix

Glass with ice and straw to serve

How to:

  1. Muddle cranberries and mint together until flavor is released
  2. Mix in simple syrup or sugar free lemon lime soda
  3. Pour over glass filled with ice and garnish with lime wedge, cranberries, and sprig of mint.
  4. Serve and enjoy

If you have trouble finding cranberries and mint you can use mint flavored seltzer and unsweetened cranberry juice or use cranberry juice cocktail (sugar free cranberry juice mixer) and omit the simple syrup/sugar free lemon lime soda.

Friday the 13th, December

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- Cover Reveal

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.

New covers for the Tales of the Zodiac Shifters series

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.

Book 1

Time of the Silver Dragon

Time of the Silver Dragon: Tales of the Zodiac Shifters – Book 1 https://a.co/d/a9XTJxm

Book 2

No Time for Immortality

No Time for Immortality: Tales of the Zodiac Shifters – Book 2 https://a.co/d/1nKb6e3

Book 3

No Time for Regrets

No Time for Regrets: Tales of the Zodiac Shifters – Book 3 https://a.co/d/dbd6unx

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.

Have a great weekend!

Liquid Friday on Location

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.

Happy Mardi Gras

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.

King of the Mardi Gras: A Short Story From Eden’s Garden https://a.co/d/3AbiBmK

Desperately Seeking Vampire: A Help Wanted Romance (Help Wanted Romance Series Book 1) https://a.co/d/02rPlny

So have a happy!

Halloween Happenings

New Book for Spooky October

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)

https://a.co/d/eBe60IM

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.

Virgin Hurricanes and Mardi Gras Happenings

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.

https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades/

Virgin Hurricane Recipe-

Ingredients-

  • 2 cups Passion Fruit Juice
  • 1 cup Orange Juice
  • 1 cup Pineapple Juice
  • 1/2 lime to 1 lime depending on taste
  • A generous pour of Grenadine syrup for that lovely color
  • Lemon lime soda of your choice- diet is ok, but remember that fruit juice has lots of carbs
  • Ice
  • Garnish: orange slice and cherry, lime if you like it tart

Directions

  • Mix fruit juice in pitcher (recipe can be doubled) add half the lime and more if needed
  • Add grenadine syrup for taste, sweetness, and color
  • Set mix aside- grenadine will settle so make sure you mix just before pouring into glasses
  • Fill Hurricane glasses with ice
  • Pour glasses 2/3 to 3/4 full with fruit juice mixture
  • Add lemon lime soda to thin juice, stir, garnish, and serve

Your guests will have so much fun watching the parade with these mock-tails they might even forget there’s no alcohol in them.

Don’t forget to read King of the Mardi Gras: A Short Story From Eden’s Garden and Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler (let the good times roll).

King of the Mardi Gras: A Short Story From Eden’s Garden https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079WJGTC7?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_0C3FZZN11XBYTYARGCXJ

Liquid Friday with author Allysa Hart

This week we are featuring author Allysa Hart and her new book Adopting Katie.

But before we indulge into this new adventure lets find out what cocktail does Allysa recommend for this Friday evening.

My fave drink is Hypnotiq and Sprite. I dont know if it has a name I just like it because I don’t like the taste of alcohol and that tastes like sparkling punch.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 oz Hpnotiq® liqueur
  • 1/4 oz Sprite , 7-Up®  or Slice Soda

Mixing Instructions:
hypnotiqShake ingredients in a cocktail shaker together with ice.
Then Strain into a shot glass.
Drink Cold.

OK, lets load up on that cocktail, kick back and relax, slowly indulging in its sweetness while exploring the pages of Allysa’s book Adopting Katie

 

Blurb:

FOREWARD BY #1 Best Selling, Multi-Genre Author Breanna Hayse-
“Every now and then, the literary world is touched by a new talent that has the ability to both change your heart and lift your spirit. This author hits the mark on what the dynamic truly represents and I so proudly recommend this book to any who embrace the love of natural ageplay and desire a realistic view of what the lifestyle means to so many who practice it. Today, I hand over the crown to Ms. Hart as the new queen of contemporary ageplay and am truly excited to see what else she has in store for her readers in the near future.”

A successful CEO by day, Katelyn looks forward to the minute she adoptingcrosses the threshold to shed all of her adulthood stress and worries and become a carefree, mischievous little mess maker. Her husband and Daddy, Mark, is one of the most beautiful people, inside and out, that she has ever met. His dominance turns on all of her switches, but she learns quickly that he means what he says and testing Daddy is not in her backside’s best interest.

Mark is not alone in his endeavor to create a safe and loving environment for Katie. His best friends, Keith and Rose, round out their little family. Being intimately familiar with alternative lifestyles, the couple love and spoil Katie in abundance, but never think twice about turning her bottom red if she steps out of line.

Surrounded by her loving Daddy and adoring Auntie and Uncle, Katie learns that the love, safety, and guidance of this family are what help to make her feel complete. Exploring the little girl who adopt-3lives inside, the one that she has hidden for far too long, she spends her time building elaborate Lego structures and playing in her special tree house that Mark built by hand.

When tragedy strikes, Katie’s idyllic life is shattered and it takes all of the love, support, and discipline of her family to pick up the pieces and put them back together. However, will love and spankings be enough? Katie is not convinced. She doesn’t believe anything will ever be okay again.

“An unexpected journey into love, loss and Little-hood, I can cheerfully recommend this sweet story to any and all ageplay lovers who like their books to focus more on the cuddle and spanks than on the cootie-catching stuff that happens between Big Sheets.”
-USA Today Best Selling Author Maren Smith

“If you ever put yourself in danger like that again, I will take you over my knee and spank your little bottom until I am convinced you have adopting-2learned your lesson… How does that promise make you feel? Because make no mistake about it, Baby, it is definitely a promise.”

 

 

 

About The Author:

I am a full-time mom to a sassy, strong-willed, loveable little girl. Okay, so she is all me. I am on the wrong side of 30, and I have been allysamarried to my best friend for over eight years. Like most couples, we have our ups and downs, but I could not imagine doing life with anyone else by my side. We are Southern California transplants, currently residing in a very rural part of the east coast. I have two crazy dogs that I adore, even though they drive me out of my ever-loving mind, most days.

I have recently rediscovered my love of words and decided to become a writer. My first story is my heart and soul, and it reaches into the depths of all that is me. I also create covers, promos, and logos for  authors. I have met some amazing friends on this journey that I now happily call family. Without my family members, whether biological or chosen, I would not be half the person I am today. Their constant love and support keep me afloat.