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.
Hello my friends, welcome back to my Liquid Friday.
Before we jump into a book, we need to grab something strong enough to handle this kind of excitement. so how about:
A Painkiller
Ingredients: 4oz Rum, 3oz pineapple-orange juice, 1oz crème de coconut, ice, nutmeg and toasted coconut for garnish (optional) Directions: In a cocktail shaker, combine the rum, juice and coconut with ice. Shake vigorously to mix, then pour into a cocktail class. Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve.
You got it! Great!!! As you start slowly sipping it, begin to feel its effect spreading throughout your body, But wait, before you give yourself entirely to its delight, lets talk about our book.
In the All Tied Up In Knots series we have a few short reads, ideal for brief interludes with books or the Kindle app.
#2. Knot A Geek is a flirty little quick read about two geeks working in a high power Electrical Engineering lab.
#3. Knot His Superior is a quick read with kinky love triangle where rank has nothing to do with a uniform.
Next week we’ll be talking about the second full length novel in the series – a little mystery, a little kink, and a lot of sexy romance.
A young aspiring actress, majoring in Theater Arts in her last semester of school, must overcome mediocrity and learn to take direction in time to be discovered by a talent scout during her final performance. Her new acting coach decides to teach her direction through a non-conventional method: introduction to BDSM. Will Violet have what it takes to learn the art of role playing or will she end up on the casting couch?
Why did I write the work? Life takes us on many twists and turns and in mine I have worn more hats than a the mad hatter. I’ve been a donut froster, short order cook, dos programmer, website creator, entertainer, boo-boo kisser , IT instructor, puppy mom, and even a nose for a brief period of time- though a good bottle of wine, figs, and excellent cheddar still gets me. We’ve all struggled in some way and I, through my writing, embrace the struggle. Women in acting careers have changed the moniker to actor becuase of the difference in treatment between male and female performers. I’ve been propositioned, grabbed, and manhandled as an professional entertainer, so I get it. Sometimes you just need to live the part for a while to get through it, and sometimes you fight back.
I hope when you read this, you find cause to smile and remember the power of naivety, and some kink. Live the part!
Life is full of all sorts of daily entanglements. Perpetual Puppy Butler’s biggest ones are deciding which squeaky toy in the box to drag out and whether or knot he sniffed something long enough. For the rest of us, interpersonal relationships take the most effort and go awry in the funniest of ways.
Knot A Geek, from the all tied up in knots series, gives you time in the life of a geek, and it’s a fun ride. Check it out here http://amazon.com/dp/B09S6JLBCX
I’m so excited that we, my partner in crime and I, are finally able to get some new stories out to you. Living with autoimmune illness can make shifts in weather dreadful, and this winter has been a beast. I’m waiting for my summer beach days where I can breath in the salt air or hit my favorite farm for tree ripened nectarines and a glass of homemade lemonade. In the meantime, I’ve decorated my window to the world for the next holiday and finished up this series (unless someone coaxes a sequel out of me).
Our All Tied Up In Knots series is bringing you new titles and some rereleases with bold new covers. Here is the list, you may recognize some of the works, but I have plenty of surprises in store for you. I’ll be posting the links as they become available. See below for our Perpetual Puppy, Butler’s take on things.
Knot An Actress- 1st in the series- formerly published as Violet Blooms, we’ve brought this story back with a new cover and a few changes. see if you can spot them. (Novel)
Knot A Geek- 2nd in the series- what could be more fun than a romp through a science lab? (Quick read)
Knot His Superior- 3rd in the series- I’ve heard that all is fair in love and war, but is it really? (FMF Quick read)
Knot A Criminal- 4th in the series- Balloons, Steampunk, and Kink, oh my! Holly is on the run from her past that includes 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 up with her. Now, she is torn between her desire for love and her fear of what she might be capable of. (Novel)
Knot Daddy’s Girl- 5th in the series- formerly: Sweet, With. Hint of Kink- Cala is a brat used to getting her own way. It’s simple, she only has to ask Daddy for something and she gets it. She’s about to find out that even the most powerful man she knows can be powerless to get her what she needs. Chef Pain is a man of principles, and no amount of money or power can intimidate him. He is a Dominant with his own power. He’s about to teach Cala, that power comes from within. (Short)
Knot a Photographer- 6th in the series- formerly: The Picture of My Heart- Julianne is an aspiring photojournalist making a living as a wedding photographer. Her muse is looking for something more and she finds it with Ann, famous artist Tadeusz Christov’s companion/model. The deeper Julianne probes, the more she discovers about Ann and Christov, until she isn’t sure what is real. The only thing she knows is what she wants, Ann. (FF short)
Knot A Bunny- 7th in the series- formerly: Rope Bunny- Candy wants nothing more than to be in Master’s Colt’s ropes. She’s new to the scene and hopes reality will one day match her fantasies, but when she meets DM Ethan Thompson she begins to wonder is she has been pining for the wrong Dom. (Short)
Knot A Princess- 8th in the series- Briar is a young mother and widow, struggling to cope with loss. No man can measure up to a hero that had given his life for his country, but that leaves Briar lonely. She bravely puts on Princess dress to entertain children at parties filled with rich snobs, so she can provide for her son. Then, this new age Cinderella gets noticed by the prince. Will this be just another gig, or happily ever after?
Butler the Perpetual Puppy has been spending his winter enjoying some well deserved snuggle time after his morning walks. Despite his ability to coerce snacks out of everyone, he is still a skinny energetic Chinese Crested powderpuff, with a very shaggy coat- the longest no shave November ever. This Spring he plans shave his winter coat, run around the dog park, and chase squirrels.
Since we are all in this together, I’ll do my part and put all of my books up on Amazon for free over the next few weeks (one at a time). This should save you from needing any packages or taking a trip out to grab a good read. Be safe.
Visit my author page for your free book starting Monday 3/16/2020
This wonderful short story or love, friendship and coming out, from Eden Freed is available free on Kindle , but only for a very limited time. Get it today or this Saturday December 8th or miss all the fun.
Oh, and I almost forgot the cocktail, with all the excitement promoting my short story. Silly me.
In the story, Lelo and Sasha seem to be more of teatotalers, so for tonight we will respect their choice and go with a nice cup of hot Earl Gray tea. Earl Grey is a flavored tea with probably the most known distinct flavor. It is a black tea base, flavored with bergamot orange rind oil. Bergamot orange is a citrus fruit with the appearance and flavor somewhere between an orange and a lemon with a little grapefruit and lime thrown in.
So brew yourself a nice cup of this delicious tea, and kick back with the free copy of Eat Dessert First.
Enjoy!
Blurb:
Lelo has the ultimate friendship in Sasha. A person that cares for her, supports her, makes her laugh and enjoy life. Will she risk it all and follow her heart for a chance at romance? What if Sasha doesn’t share her feelings, doesn’t understand and walks away? Is it worth risking the friendship?
Excerpt:
My pulse quickened as Sasha took my hand and led me into her freshly decorated bedroom. Libraries had only slightly larger collections of history books than she had amassed. Every wall of the room from the floor to the ceiling was lined with them. I felt unworthy and stood there in a sort of rapturous awe akin to a religious experience.
“When I move, I’m giving these to you, Lelo,” she laughed but her cheeks didn’t light up the way they used to.
“Don’t you want to read them again?” My question made her look up at the ceiling. As familiar as I was with the gesture, I didn’t understand her tears. We shared everything, even embarrassing things like our first dates and the first time we had our hearts broken. Silent tears were strange creatures that kept the distance between us, but they had become increasingly familiar over the years.
When I first moved to Somerville, in second grade, Sasha was my first friend. I was her only friend. We painted each other’s nails and shared the same stick of bubble gum. There was a certain shyness in her soul that beckoned me like a moth to a flame. The fire in her made me burn with a curiosity to know everything. We began our kindred search with history books.
Twenty years and seven address changes later we were still best friends. We posted book reviews and critiques, sent countless emails, and spoke on the phone daily, though seldom saw each other. Her father was stationed in Los Alamos and we were both finished with college. She wanted to be closer, so I found an apartment for her. With my best pair of Keds on, I helped move carefully sealed boxes out of the van and into the freshly painted apartment. We sat on the floor and ate Chinese food unfolding the food containers into plates.
“You want me to help you unpack?”
“I’ll drive you nuts with my library OCD. Everything has to be in the correct order or I’ll spend hours fixing it,” she laughed pointing to numbers on the boxes. I knew all of her nuances. There was nothing more I wanted than to tell her everything I felt in my heart, but the fear of losing our friendship stopped me.
“You sure? I can count, you know.”
“No, I’m good. It will wait until tomorrow,” she said, laying her head against my shoulder. Her silken tresses brushed against my neck and I wrapped my arm around her waist, holding her so close that I could feel her heart beating like a hummingbird’s. My gut told me something was wrong, but I was too afraid to find out what it was. Silently, I prayed that she would confide the torment of her soul, but the hush only grew between us until I said goodnight.
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.
Gray tea. Earl Grey is a flavored tea with probably the most known distinct flavor. It is a black tea base, flavored with bergamot orange rind oil. Bergamot orange is a citrus fruit with the appearance and flavor somewhere between an orange and a lemon with a little grapefruit and lime thrown in.
edenfreed.com 