Sometimes it takes a while to get to get the e-books up and approved, but this one sailed through. I’m hoping the paperback will be released soon, but in the meantime I’m so excited to share this with you.
Knot A Psychic, is book number 9 of the All Tied Up In Knots Series. It is the third full length book and a crossover book between the All Tied Up In Knots Series and the Help Wanted Romance Series (supernatural & monster books). I wanted a fun way to mix things things up in time for Halloween, so I hope you love this book as much as I do.
Many of you know me from my side job as a Psychic Reader. I’ve always had a love of all things carnival. I think I have Seaside Heights and Six Flags to blame for my cheap thrills addiction. Now, I chase carnivals, whether its for the beautiful belly dancers, clever balloon twisters, candy floss (cotton candy) and sweet makers, henna artists, or other entertainers who knows, I love them all.
Having worked with many other entertainers over the years has given me some insight into the personalities behind the performance. Instead of killing the magic, it has done the opposite and I often find myself making pilgrimages to one faire or another for the rush of adrenaline fueled by thrill rides and excited screams.
My children are equally big on cheap thrills and we get season passes for places I know they’ll stay from the time they open until they shut down for the night. Whether it’s a magician or the thrill of lit up carnival rides after dark that get’s you, you know that feeling of excitement.
Before the big venues shut down for the season, I’m going to go on one more roller coaster (as soon as the weather lifts) and maybe have one last candy apple before Halloween.
Now, back to the book… Knot A Psychic
Here is the blurb:
Mystic, psychic reader extraordinaire, can help everyone else with their troubles but is completely lost when it comes to her own messy life. Her whisperers offer advice but she can’t force people to bend themselves to her will and change the future for the better. It cost her the love of her life, Mike, because he refused to listen to her pleas and succumbed to injuries caused by a motorcycle accident. Bereft, Mystic decides to live her life out alone, away from people.
Johnathon Riley convinces him to do one more gig, an annual event for charity. Chaos ensues, when a serial murderer comes to destroy the only person who might be able to identify him, Mystic. Together with Detective Steve Turner, Mystic is determined to flesh out the criminal, even though it means attending a BDSM event on a cruise under a different identity with no way out if things go wrong.
Ghoulish fun at Six Flags in Jackson, NJ
Since I always include a segment about the author and a recipe, let’s combine the two. I’m a huge fan of apple picking and apple cider-hot, cold, with alcohol… doesn’t matter-just love the stuff. Since I’ve picked up a gallon of apple cider which will last about a day with the imps in the house. It’s cocktail time for me.
Top Shelf Caramel Apple Cocktail-’cause you deserve the good stuff
Ingredients:
Ice
Apple Slices for Garnish
Chopin or Belvedere Vodka
Butterscotch Liqueur
Apple Liqueur
Apple Cider (to taste)
Caramel Drizzle
Fill tall glass with ice and add equal portions (1/2 jigger of each) of Vodka, Butterscotch Liqueur, and Apple Liqueur. Add apple cider to taste and drizzle over caramel for that syrupy sweet taste. Garnish with a slice of orchard fresh apple and serve.
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.
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.
But before we venture into the Halloween spirit of her supernatural world, lets enjoy a drink that Reyna personally recommends:
The Drink: Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster
I first encountered this drink reading Douglas Adams’s “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and I was smitten. It was described as “like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon, wrapped ’round a large gold brick.” It has also been described in the novel as “the alcoholic equivalent to a mugging; expensive and bad for the head.” Yum.
Ingredients and Instructions:
Fill a 28-oz. hurricane glass with crushed ice. Add the following in order:
1 oz. Everclear® (The ice should sizzle.)
1 oz. Bacardi® 151
1 oz. apricot-flavored brandy
1 oz. triple sec
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. orange juice
1 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. Tom Collins mix
Stir, then top off the glass with ice. Drink. Slowly.
WOW! My only comment is that if I were to drink this slowly, I’ll never get to check out Rayna’s book. So how about grabbing a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, kicking back and relaxing with her book in hand. Now we can start indulging!
The Book Blurb:
Troubled psychic Fia leads a double life. As a ground pounder for Search And Rescue, she finds the lost and vulnerable living and brings them to safety. As a servant to an ancient and indifferent Psychopomp, her mission is no less crucial – to help the suffering dead cross over to the afterlife. Her worlds collide after a distraught woman with a gun disappears into the woods and the rescue becomes a body recovery.
When a frantic hammering erupts from the empty SAR team trailer, Fia appeals for help to Cam, irascible Brit, mentor and Psychopomp aficionado. But nothing is what it seems and a straightforward case soon goes sideways. Will Fia and Cam be able to uncover the shocking truth behind the final act of a desperate woman and free her tortured earthbound spirit?
Book Excerpt:
“Can you tell me about the baby?”
Cam lifted a shoulder and then stared at the bottle in his hands. “Not much to tell, really. It was 1975 and I was working a job in Kings Worthy.” Glancing at me, he elaborated. “That’s in England. It’s a very old place. It was listed in the Domesday Book – you know, the survey taken in 1066?”
I bristled a little. “By William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest. I know. I was a history major, remember?”
Nodding, Cam took up the story again. “Anyway, I was busy trying to lay the ghost of a Victorian clergyman who had taken up residence in the old church. At the same time, there was an archaeological dig taking place in the churchyard. They were interested in the old Anglo-Saxon burials and they eventually unearthed the skeletal remains of a young woman.” He took another drink and affected nonchalance as he continued the story. “Lying between the long bones of her legs, they found the skull of a full-term infant, but the fetal leg bones were still clearly within her pelvic cavity.”
“A coffin birth?” My eyes went wide at this thought.
Cam nodded again. “It happens. A pregnant woman dies and is buried and because of pressure from the gases that build up during decomposition, the dead fetus is expelled from the equally dead mother.” Looking down at his hands again, Cam picked at the label on the bottle. “Anyway, shortly after this find, the cries of a baby could be heard coming from the graveyard. It so disturbed the archaeological team that no one wanted to dig anymore and the work came to a grinding halt.”
“And did it also disturb you? Cam, I can tell this is difficult to talk about.”
Cam rolled his eyes and exhaled deeply, his words were clipped. “Yes, right. It bothered me a great deal. The baby was an innocent and completely blameless, yet she was left to suffer horribly for centuries.”
“But wasn’t the mother with the baby? How did you finally help her to move on?”
“I went into the churchyard with Zackie late one night to find the baby. The mother was nowhere to be found, so I assume she crossed over shortly after her death.”
“She left the baby?” My mouth hung open, aghast at the thought of just taking off and leaving an infant.
“She probably didn’t know the baby remained. In her time, the belief was that unbaptized infants went to Limbo, so in all likelihood, she died assuming that the baby would find its way and be taken care of.” Cam shrugged again. “Who knows? All I know is that earthbound souls of infants are a rarity, so most of the time, they move on with no difficulties. Something went wrong for this one.” Cam frowned as he stared into the middle distance for a beat. “But, you know, as soon as she saw Zackie, she quieted and stopped crying. Getting her to go through the portal was a breeze compared to the clergyman. I had to work another two weeks before the clergyman moved on.”
About Reyna:
REYNA FAVIS holds a Ph.D. in biology and brings a scientist’s critical eye to the unseen world, imposing logical consistency and mechanistic detail to the unexplained. A proud and militant introvert, Reyna exerts her power as mistress of the dark arts of introversion through her blog, Introvert Broadcasting Network. When not writing, she responds to callouts as a canine handler for search and rescue. She lives in Warren County New Jersey with her husband, a search dog and a coterie of pets.
This week we are featuring paranormal suspense author Brian McKinley and his Authors Talk About It 2016 Horror Novel Contest Grand Prize Winning novel : Drawing Dead. We will also take a look at Ancient Blood: A Novel of the Hegemony (Order Saga Book 1)
But before we indulge in the succulent pages of his books, let us find out what drink does Brian recommend for our readers on Friday night.
“My favorite drink is Diet Mt. Dew
but Faolan’s favorite drink is a blood-and-scotch, no ice. The scotch acts as an anti-coagulant for the blood, which needs to be in there. When vampyrs drink straight alcohol, it is too astringent and leads to dehydration. ”
As good as Foalan’s drink sounds, we suggest not to use “real” blood, as some of us are only part-time Vampires. A good substitute for this occasion is Blood & Sand Cocktail thought to be named for a 1922 silent film starring Rudolph Valentino.
Ingredients:
Scotch 3/4 oz.
Cherry Liqueur 3/4 oz.
Juice from Blood Oranges 3/4 oz.
Sweet Vermouth 3/4 oz.
Ice
Preparation:
Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into Cocktail glass. Flame orange zest over the top of the glass.
So let us kick back relaxing with this delicious beverage in hand and get a little nibble of Brian’s books. What am I saying? Lets go full force an bite right into them, just like Faolan would have.
Faolan O’Connor spent his life killing for men like Legs Diamond and Lucky Luciano, and now it’s his turn to face the music. But when vampire Darcy Killian offers him immortality, Faolan enters a world of violence, wealth, and power beyond anything he’s ever imagined.
Driven by ambition and guilt, Faolan fights his way up the ranks in a battle to justify his sins with success. He’s learned the hard way that relationships are vulnerabilities and friends are just enemies in disguise, but he also knows that he can’t conquer a city alone.
Aided by an emotionally-crippled genius and a warm-hearted call girl, Faolan builds a loyal crew with which to challenge the tyrannical Killian s rule. However, will this re-awakened humanity prove a fatal flaw or his ace in the hole? With his life and the future of the city he loves at stake, can Faolan play his cards right or is he drawing dead?
When your dreams all failAnd the ones we hail Are the worst of all And the blood’s run staleI wanna hide the truth I wanna shelter you But with the beast inside There’s nowhere we can hide
– Imagine Dragons, “Demons”
Blurb from Ancient Blood: A Novel of the Hegemony (Order Saga Book 1)
Avery Doyle loves vampires; he’s read every novel, seen all the movies, and researched the folklore. When his first one-night-stand, Caroline, turns out to be a true vampire on the run, he jumps at the chance to leave his ordinary life and join her as a “child of the night.” The honeymoon ends, however, when Caroline’s brutal Creator Sebastian enslaves them on his island estate and Avery must confront the dehumanizing reality behind his dreams.
In order to survive, Caroline and Avery take their place as servants in Sebastian’s household during a gathering of the most powerful vampires on Earth, the Hegemony, and soon find themselves involved in the myriad intrigues and deceptions that form the night-to-night existence of The Order.
A society of wealth, power, and inhuman decadence whose existence is protected by human complicity and disbelief, The Order is the immortal aristocracy hidden behind the giant corporations and political leaders of the world. Sebastian, however, has a plan that will change The Order forever and shatter human civilization.
To avoid this terrible fate, Avery and Caroline will not only have to defy the most powerful creatures on Earth, but also confront the darkest aspects of themselves. For in the world of the Hegemony, even victory may cost them their souls . . .
A fast-paced thriller that both re-imagines and pays tribute to the traditional vampire, Ancient Blood is a story of love, ambition, sacrifice, and betrayal that is frighteningly human.
About the Author
Brian McKinley doesn’t really exist. He’s a constructed mortal identity used by a relatively young Vampyr in order to publish the truth about The Order. Due to the world-wide influence of The Order and its minions, these accounts must all be published as fiction; however, they are all very real and actually happened. Sometimes the names and sequence of events have been changed to protect the innocent, the guilty, and to keep from getting sued.
Brian is no longer a typical Vampyr and, for this reason, lives in hiding and writes from a secret location. The real “Brian” lives a life of danger and excitement; he loves Star Trek, Game of Thrones, and Boardwalk Empire as much as he loves Chicken Fried Steak. He’s a reader, a role-player, and a dreamer who doesn’t believe that “liberal” is a dirty word. He’s lived many lifetimes and is eager to share as many of them as possible with his readers.
You can follow Brian on Twitter: @BPMcKinley
You can also follow this link for his Facebook page.
This week we are featuring a romantic suspense author Alice Orr and her book A Villain For Vanessa, (Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 4)
But before we venture into her books, let us find out what cocktail is Alice’s favorite for a Friday night.
My favorite cocktail is a Cosmopolitan on the sweet side. I’ve been informed that Cosmos are no longer in vogue, but I’ll take the chance of being un-chic because I like the way they taste.
Ingredients:
1/2 oz Fresh lime juice,
1 oz Cranberry juice,
1/2 oz Triple Sec,
1 1/2 oz Citrus-flavored Vodka.
Preparation:
Mix all the ingredient in a shaker with ice. Strain into cocktail glasses. You can garnish with a lime wheel.
Two families are shaken to their roots. Vanessa Westerlo must find her roots. Bobby Rizzo is torn between Vanessa and his true roots. They are all tormented by love – past and too present. Meanwhile a man has been murdered. And that is the most tormented tangle of all.
Alice Orr is known for “Delicious suspense spiced with a love story.” She does it again in A Villain for Vanessa.
A Villain for Vanessa is Book 4 of the Riverton Road Romantic Suspense series set in Riverton, New York. This book features the Kalli family and the fortunate people who find safety and welcome at the Kalli homestead on Riverton Road. A Wrong Way Home is Book 1 of the series and A Year of Summer Shadows is Book 2. A Vacancy at the Inn is Book 3 and introduces the Miller family of Riverton Road Hill.
Suddenly, after two and a half decades of silence, Angela Kalli’s niece had decided to reappear. Bobby Rizzo’s legal training and life experience had taught him to ask one question when a person acts in an inexplicable way. What does she want? Whatever the answer might be, Vanessa Westerlo’s agenda was far down his list of priorities. He was here to protect Angela, even though experience had taught him something else too.
Family history is a tangled story with the truth nearly impossible to unwind. Many of those tangles had a secret at the center, like the secret at the center of today. He was the only person Angela had told about her niece’s arrival. She’d arrived at Bobby’s office a few days ago, more unhinged than he’d ever seen her.
“Why are you so upset?” he’d asked.
“You have to swear you’ll never breathe a word to anybody. Otherwise I’ll walk out now, and you can forget I was ever here.”
Angela perched on the edge of the chair by his desk like a frightened bird. He’d never seen her frightened, and he certainly didn’t think of her as a bird.
“If you are here as my client, I’m obligated to keep everything you say confidential.”
Talking like a lawyer to someone he cared so deeply about felt awkward, but it put her at ease.
“Then I am your client,” Angela said, settling down a little. “I need your help to bring my niece back into my life, whatever the cost may be.”
Bobby didn’t like the sound of that.
“What is it you want me to do?” he asked.
Throughout the conversation that followed, the voices of his common sense and legal judgement had screamed through his gut like a freight train telling him he was on a dangerous track. That train continued to roar as he paced the narrow airport terminal now, waiting for Angela’s niece to arrive.
Was she coming to Riverton to continue the feud he’d heard about that day between her mother and Angela? Was Vanessa Westerlo here to take revenge? Or could she be motivated by idle curiosity? Angela cared so much. What if her niece didn’t care at all? Indifference would be the worst kind of wound to a heart as open as Angela’s.
“I won’t let that happen,” he said aloud to the empty terminal.
By the time the plane landed and taxied down the short runway, Bobby was on the tarmac and ready, his resolve as unshakable as if he were in front of the toughest jury of his career in a case he absolutely had to win. Then he saw her and something unfamiliar and unwelcome happened.
Bobby experienced a powerful ripple, like a seismic shift along a crucial fault line far beneath his controlled surface, threatening to rise and turn him suddenly less resolute. All because of a resemblance that couldn’t have been more obvious between the aunt he represented and loved like a mother, and the niece this young woman had to be.
Thick, dark hair was the first thing he saw, with a kind of life that seemed to spring from a vibrancy at the center of her. She was halfway across the distance from the plane when she turned her head quickly. Angela made that same move when she was impatient, as she could often be, even with him.
More often though, she’d been his encourager, the person who scolded him back on track when he strayed off course. Without her, he would not have won scholarships to college and law school. Without her, he wouldn’t be what he had become. He steeled himself against his first startling reaction to the striking young woman headed toward him now, who was so capable of causing Angela pain.
“Excuse me. Are you Robert Rizzo?”
ALICE ORRis the author of 15 novels, 3 novellas, a memoir and No More Rejections: 50 Secrets to Writing a Manuscript that Sells. A former book editor and literary agent, she now follows her dream as a full-time writer. A Villain for Vanessa – Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Book 4 is Alice’s latest novel. Here’s what readers say. “I was gripped before I was off the first page.” “After this story, I have become an Alice Orr fan.” Alice is known for “Delicious suspense spiced with a love story.” She does it again in A Villain for Vanessa.
But before we venture into her book, let us hear from Lynn, what drink does she recommend for Friday night to go with our reading.
Drink? Usually cherry brandy when I’ve got cramps or can’t sleep. Otherwise, when I’m out, I love something sweet. And being a chocolate person and more of a sweet craver than anything I love a Brandy Alexander. Yeah, these days it’s hard to find a bartender that can mix them, but they are an absolute dream, a chocolate soda that gives you angel wings! (It goes down real easy, so be careful you won’t realize how powerful it is) The recipe on line says a Brandy Alexander, (served straight up without ice!), grated nutmeg, 3 cl (1 part) Cognac and 3 cl (1 part) brown Creme de cacao, 3 cl (1 part) Fresh cream. (If you are making it at home around Yule, try substituting eggnog for the cream). Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.(The recipe I found didn’t say it, but I think there should be crushed ice in the mixing cup, that’s what you strain out). Sprinkle with fresh ground nutmeg. And the place to drink it is Cobbs Mill Restaurant, it was originally a prerevolutionary grain mill in Weston, Connecticut. It is my favorite restaurant in all the world and shows up in my novels occasionally. Upstairs you sit and look out over the mill pond, but go down to the downstairs dining, to the small bar tables right alongside the waterfall. Sit at the little table, if you aren’t love, you will be soon. (Cobbs Mill closed, reopened–I was there with my husband and sons for my birthday this year–then closed again. Watch the website, they say its getting ready to reopen! Go, and you may see me there, holding a cream colored cocktail glass up high in celebration of all that is warming and sweet in life!
Blurb:
In ORR: FATAL DNA I combine my love of seance and history with a hidden treasure that has been lost since the Revolutionary War, and a present day murder of a billionaire patron at Oyster River Research. Although Grace Farrington only wants to continue her pioneering research, one of her on again off again lovers is accused of murder, but in this book she had three intriguing men pursuing her. However, she also is the being persued by a cold blooded murderer. Finally the puzzles–two sets–are ultimately solved with some clever DNA sleuthing, psychic adventures, her cast of New England eccentrics.
Excerpt:
Oyster River Harbor, King’s Colony of Connecticut
July 15, 1778
Captain Elijah Dell squinted at the thunder clouds closing in over the slate-gray sound. Hours till sunset but rolling fog already obscured distant Long Island, an evil omen for this day’s work. White caps foaming the crests of growing waves that now pounded the beach sand. Standing closer to the sea, his daughter-in-law Rebecca stared out, paying no heed as the advancing yellow foam lapped over her boot tips. With such a Devil’s storm brewing, would Christopher dare it in only a two man sloop? Instead, should they take Elijah’s fishing boat tied back in the harbor? It would handle the waves but stand out in Wallabout bay causing the British to question. Nay. Elijah shifted his left arm again, must’ve hurt it when the sail shifted, now it was numb and that added misery to the cold that sat on his chest, making breathing painful. Getting old, when all a man wanted was to be home soaking up warmth before his hearth fire. But there was Eli– his youngest boy and Mae’s last living child. Now Eli suffered with the rest in that hell hole of prison ship under the decks, in stinking July heat: Eli, Samuel, Willy, and Jacob. If Christopher would sail to Wallabout this day, and he would for enough coin, then Elijah must crew no matter how badly he felt. Did they have enough to ransom Eli and the others? Elijah turned his eyes from the surf. Now in these times, he had to watch for dangers from the land too as his own former friends and neighbors might turn him over to the British as a traitor. Movement. He squinted, now he could see two figures coming out of the trees, down to the beach, two women in blowing capes. One unnaturally tall, Long Liz, his sister, her blonde hair streamingwith gray, and beside her trudging in the sand, that brown faced servant, Posey. Liz was his sister, but her husband Seth was a wealthy Loyalist, siding with King George, who would have them all hanged. Elijah sneaked a look to the whitening sea and curse softly. Over the dark, rolling water he could see the top of a sloop’s gray canvas sail. Better get Loyalist Liz out of here, before Christopher makes land. Elijah turned suddenly and felt dizzy, he had to stop and catch a painful breath, before he trod forward in the deep sand. Rebecca was hanging back as cold Liz’s imperial manner always cowed her. His sister waited above the black-green sodden mounds of seaweed at the high water line not wanting her fine linen cloak to get stained. As he approached, she looked directly in his eyes. Most women he always had to look down to, but Liz was his equal in ungainly height.
She spoke first. “Storm coming in.”
“Hear the red coats will be getting here first,” he said a bit coldly.
“Our King’s soldiers protect us.” Her voice lost some of its hauteur and held sisterly concern when she said, “You look terrible, Elijah, your face is gray.”
“Tis the poor light.”
“You’re an old man, who should be home before your firestead.”
“Even the flames are cold without my Mae.”
Liz looked away in shame. “I was not there when you laid your wife to rest.”
“Half the town of Oyster River was not there,” he said bitterly. “None of your good King’s friends showed up to respect a woman they’d known their whole lives.”
“They know your son for a rebel.” There was a silence, then Liz said painfully. “I should have been there…but Seth forbid it.”
Elijah nodded. “The Lord God has ordained that a wife must obey her husband. Mae would have understood that.”
Looking pained she said, “What would the Lord think of our town splitting so?”
“I seek no war with King or Rebel. I only wish to fish and be left alone.”
“But your son…”
“Eli listened to his fine friends. They joined a militia to battle the injustices of freeborn Englishmen not allowed to speak on their destiny, but a Connecticut Colony man should not have been fighting in New Jersey! Now Eli pays for his folly, rotting in a prison ship.”
“Then you know where he is?”
“Perhaps imprisoned in Wallabout bay with Jacob Hoyt , Samuel Chapel, and Willy Jamison. That’s where we think they took them after the battle.”
“Seth says the military will subdue Connecticut, as they have Boston and New York. When that happens, the rebels–or anyone who treated with them–will be expelled. Where will you go? The Indies? Not west into the dark forests with the painted savages…” She actually sounded pained…..
Lynn lives in Connecticut and has written radio and television scripts and texts for comic books. She lives in the woods… often avoids writing by talking to friends. She talks to chipmunks, the squirrels, robins (spring), raccoons (night), frogs (summer), fish (fast), deer (seldom), tulip trees and occasionally large, intelligent rocks.