Tag Archives: Writer

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

March 17, 2023 edenfreed Leave a comment

Happy St Patrick’s Day. We’re making cupcakes.

St. Patrick’s Day falls on the same day as my Liquid Friday blog this year, so there will be enough green beer and silly cocktails to keep you busy. To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, we’re going to make a batch of cupcakes. Since it falls on a weekday and I’m up to my eyeballs multi-tasking, we’ll use a boxed mix and keep it simple and flavorful. I’m tossing my corned beef in the crock pot with potatoes, carrots, cabbage wedges, and some peppercorns, so I can keep my oven free for baking.

Let’s get started.

Grab you favorite green cupcake liners and heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, we’re baking.

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 Box chocolate cake mix (I use Duncan Hines but really any brand will do)
1 1/4 cup Guinness to replace the water portion on the box
3 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil (yes, you can still substitute 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup applesauce for oil for lower fat cupcakes)

Before you put liners in your favorite cupcake tin, sprinkle some rice in between. This gives you a little air cushion so you have the perfect bottoms on your cupcakes. If you decide to skip the liners, grab two 9″ cake pans and fill equally for a chocolate cake that will make you lick your lips. Once your done baking, save the rice to reuse next time.

Mix wet ingredients and slowly whisk in the box mix until smooth. Pour 1/2 to 2/3 full into cupcake liners and bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 23 minutes (they’ll spring back when you touch them or a toothpick will come out clean).

While your cupcakes are baking its time to make the frosting. If you used a red velvet chocolate cake mix use the doctored cream cheese icing mix at the bottom of the page, otherwise mix up a batch of Bailey’s Flavored Buttercream(recipes below).

NOTE: If you’re serving children omit alcohol from icing-most alcohol will cook out in the oven for the cupcakes, but we don’t bake the icing, so just omit the alcohol.

Bailey’s Flavored Buttercream icing

2 sticks butter (8oz total) softened

1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar

1-2 teaspoon(s) vanilla sugar (blended sugar and vanilla bean)

3 Tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream Liquor

Hand or machine blend until smooth and fluffy. Put in a pastry bag and decorate cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles, party picks, or shaved chocolate.

Jameson Black Barrel Cream Cheese Icing

1 stick butter softened

1 package (8oz.) Phili Cream Cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons Jameson Black Barrel Whiskey

Since you have some liquid in this recipe, you won’t need any milk. If, however you omit the alcohol, add 1-2 Tablespoon milk.

Blend until incorporated and then whip for added volume. Spoon frost or use a pastry bag with this icing and top with some sugar crystals or a light dusting of brown sugar for extra flavor.

Whichever version you went with, I hope your cupcakes come out great and you have a safe and happy holiday.

Join my mailing list or keep checking back for new recipes, cocktails, authors and their books, and some of my crazy stories.

Liquid Friday with Eden Freed

Rainy Day Blues- well, Blue Curacao anyway

August 26, 2022 edenfreed Leave a comment

After a too brief beach visit to the Jersey shore on Wednesday(long story), this Jersey girl is missing ocean breezes and the feeling of sand under her toes. Knowing the beach season is coming to an end has me feeling blue and maybe I’ll just have a fun blue cocktail with Blue Curacao to perk me up.

Butler, the perpetual puppy, sits guard over a pair of my beach flip flops expectantly because he knows when I leave him with a sitter there will be many treats. Let’s face it, anytime is a good time for treats when you’re an impish Chinese Crested dog that’s too busy learning circus style tricks to figure out how to chase his own tail. There will be treats, that much we can be sure of.

As for the cocktail while I find a good book to sink my bookworm teeth into, lets make a Blue Lagoon.

Blue Lagoon Recipe:

1 fl. oz. Vodka- Belvedere if you got it

1 fl. oz. Blue Curacao

1/3 fl. oz. lemon juice

1/3 fl. oz. lime juice

Add 7-Up or other lemon lime soda to fill glass and garnish with starfruit slice and a green cherry. Have it with your favorite beach snacks and great book.

Here’s the reminder- Please use caution when drinking any alcohol beverage. We want to keep you partying and living life, so don’t drink and drive and don’t engage in any risky behavior. Save the SSC or RISK for a sober moment 😉

Liquid Friday with Eden Freed

Spring forward

March 11, 2022 edenfreed Leave a comment

Butler and I are anxious for the onset of Spring. It’s been a long Winter and we are so close to shaking off the long coats(even Butler) and embracing the sunshine.

Remember to set your clocks forward this weekend and hopefully brave the last of the snow we’ll see in 2022.

As for me, I’ll be sitting in a cozy chair, cuddling Butler, with a book in my hands while the snow falls. Hope you have something good to read. If not, please check out our previous authors.

Books worth checking out, Liquid Friday with Eden Freed, My Book

Knot A Criminal

March 4, 2022 edenfreed 1 Comment

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.

Books worth checking out, Liquid Friday with Eden Freed

Workshop Submissions for 2018 Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference

July 4, 2017 edenfreed Leave a comment

We are very pleased to announce that it is now possible to submit workshop proposals for the 2018 Liberty States Fiction Writers Conference.

You can submit your proposal at: http://www.libertystatesfictionwriters.com/workshopsubmissions/

We are looking for workshops related to writing, the readers’ track, and a young adult track geared toward younger writers. The writing and young adult workshops can be about craft, author wellness, the business of writing, promotion, self-publishing, etc. The readers’ panels can be either fun and games or workshops intended to bring readers into the mind of the author.

Looking forward to seeing your proposals. Feel free to forward this email to other writing groups and friends.

Registration for the conference is tentatively scheduled to open on September 1. The room block will be open before that date and we will provide additional information on room rates, etc. at that time.

Thank you!

Books worth checking out, Liquid Friday with Eden Freed

Featuring Caridad Pineiro book cover reveal for One Summer Night

May 12, 2017 edenfreed 4 Comments

I am pleased to feature a great author and friend Caridad Pineiro on my blog. Here is her newest book One Summer Night from the At the Shore series.

Blurb:

Maggie Sinclair has tried everything to save her family’s business. Her options are dwindling, and she needs someone who can turn things around—fast. Problem is, the only person who can help her is trouble with a capital T. The Sinclair and Pierce families have been feuding for nearly 30 years, but that hasn’t stopped Jax Pierce from noticing Maggie. And he likes what he sees—a lot. But getting involved would mean risking his family, his inheritance, and above all, his heart. Can Maggie and Jax keep their simmering attraction at bay—or will mixing business and pleasure bring nothing but heartache?

Excerpt:

With keen interest, Owen Pierce took note of the three women as they hurried away from the dais and into the Sinclair mansion.

“Put your eyes back in your head, Bro. She’s nothing but trouble,” Jon warned in low tones.

Owen bit back the retort that if anyone knew about trouble, it was his brother. Jonathan had always marched to a different drummer and had set out on his own as a teenager to explore what he wanted out of life. Now a successful entrepreneur, he had captured the media’s attention with his innovative designs and daring adventures. That left Owen to shoulder most of the burden of the family’s real estate business, as well as deal with his father’s anger over Jonathan’s latest newsworthy escapade.

He envied his brother’s carefree spirit and determination, especially as Maggie Sinclair marched back onto the patio with her friends, an angry bride, and an obviously inebriated groom. Both the bride and groom looked far from happy as they approached the elaborate multi-tiered wedding cake that had been wheeled out to the middle of the makeshift dance floor.

He worried the bride might plunge the long knife she held into her new husband, but luckily for the newlyweds, Maggie directed the blade toward the cake.

Jon playfully elbowed him. “Seriously, Owen. She’s not for you. Father declared the Sinclairs off-limits ages ago. He would have a stroke if he thought the two of you were involved.”

Involved with Maggie Sinclair, Owen thought and sighed with regret.

In a way, he’d been involved with her forever. He’d like to chalk it all up to a sloppy, hurried, and stolen kiss at eighteen and the allure of forbidden fruit. But since that kiss, he’d watched her mature into a smart, beautiful woman. One who was willing to work hard for the town and business she cared about as well as friends and family. With every encounter, he’d grown more intrigued with the person Maggie had become.

But his father had come down hard on them about mingling with the Sinclairs right after Maggie’s mother’s death. For years, they’d been unable to come to their Sea Kiss home, and even when they’d returned, they’d done so without their father, who refused to be so close to the family he thought had wronged him.

Not that Owen expected that Jon would kowtow to such rules, since his brother was the kind of man who didn’t hesitate to take what he wanted.

He arched a brow and met his brother’s blue-eyed gaze, which glittered with a mix of undisguised challenge and amusement. “Do you think you’re the only one entitled to a little adventure in your life?” he said.

Jon chuckled. “My kind of adventure is way safer than what you may be considering.”

“Why’s that, Li’l Bro?” he asked, appreciating the sight of Maggie in a dusty-rose gown that hugged dangerous curves. Her chestnut-brown hair fell to her shoulders in soft waves and framed ice-blue eyes and a sassy, sexy face that snared his attention every time he saw her.

Jonathan took a last sip of his champagne and barely stifled another laugh. With a shake of his head, he replied, “Because all I risk is an occasional broken bone, but that…” He jerked his head in Maggie’s direction as she stepped back beside Connie and Emma. “That will break your heart.”

Behind the Scenes Tidbits for the At the Shore Series:

Purchase Links (click any of them):

Amazon Kindle, Amazon Paperback, B&N, iBooks, Kobo: Coming Soon!

Caridad Bio:

Caridad Pineiro is a transplanted Long Island girl who has fallen in love with pork roll and the Jersey Shore, but still can’t get the hang of tomato pies. When Caridad isn’t taking long strolls along the boardwalk to maintain her sanity and burn off that pork roll, she’s also a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author with over a million books sold worldwide. Caridad is passionate about writing and helping others explore and develop their skills as writers. She is a founding member of the Liberty States Fiction Writers and has presented workshops at the RT Book Club Convention, Romance Writers of America National Conference as well as various writing organizations throughout the country. You can connect with Caridad at www.caridad.com. You can also find Caridad on:

Twitter at https://twitter.com/caridadpineiro
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Caridad.Author
Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/caridadpineiro/
Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/Caridad_Pineiro

Want to receive Caridad’s newsletter with exclusive content just for subscribers and special giveaways? Just visit http://bit.ly/2cbxlYw to sign up. Caridad values your privacy and will not share your e-mail or personal information.

Liquid Friday with Eden Freed

Liquid Friday with Author Kimberly Dean

December 9, 2016 edenfreed 1 Comment

This week we are featuring author, poet and songwriter Kimberly N. Dean and her romance novel Guilty Condolence (Sometimes You Have To Fall)

But before we indulge in her debut of a Military romance series, let us find out what does Kimberly suggest for a cocktail tonight.

I am normally a Corona Light girl, but this time of the year, I love Peppermint Mocha Mudslides! The candy cane garnish is a necessity though. I am greedy like that. During the holidays, I covet everything peppermint!

Ingredients

1 oz. Vanilla Vodka
1/2 oz. Peppermint Schnapps
1/2 oz. Coffee Liquor
1 oz. Chocolate Syrup
2 scoops Vanilla Ice Cream
Whipped Cream & Crushed Candy Cane for Topping

(Hint: 1/2 oz. = 1 tbsp.)

Instructions Combine vodka, peppermint schnapps, coffee liquor, chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream in a blender. (If using a tablespoon measure to measure the alcohols and chocolate syrup, put the syrup in last – it’ll come out more easily if the tablespoon has some alcohol in it.) Blend until smooth. Pour into the glass of your choosing and top with whipped cream and crushed candy cane. Enjoy Immediately!

GUILTY CONDOLENCE is my first endeavor outside of my usual genres of poetry and songwriting. It was a tad outside of my comfort zone, but these characters haunted me for a couple of years. They pretty much demanded that I write their stories. My current works in progress include an autobiography of sorts. It’s also a little out of my comfort zone. It’s titled Through A Mothers Eyes. It’s actually my journal from 2009/2010, and it chronicles my oldest sons battle with testicular cancer and his path to the MLB Draft in 2010. Also, in the works are Dark Acceptance Volume Two, Untimely Arrival (novella), and Flight Of Regret Volume Three, all from the Sometimes You Have To Fall series.

Blurb:
Sarie Elizabeth Anna

Sarie Anna has it all. Despite being raised by over-protective brothers, Sarie moves to Nashville and becomes the lead singer for the number one country rock band Carolina Fierce. But Sarie gives it all up to move back home to Norfolk Virginia to support the love of her life, Jasen Riggins.

Jasen Scott Riggins

Jasen Riggins’ life is not as it seems. Co-Owner of Anserve Inc., Jasen and the men of Anserve are civilian contractors to the United States Government. They handle any mission that the Government doesn’t want to acknowledge. Totally expendable, Black Ops. When a mission goes south, will Jasen and Sarie be able to overcome the tragedy? Or will Jasen be lost forever in the downward spiral of a Guilty Condolence?
Here are three of snippets from GUILTY CONDOLENCE.

Man, I know what you’re thinking. I know that you have every reason not to believe that I can take care of her. I was there that day too, remember? This is something that I live with every hour of every day. Fuck, I am getting your message loud and clear. Truth is, I have mad feels for Sarie. Feelings like I have never known before. Hell, man, it might just kill me to be with her every day, to see her with someone else, but I don’t trust anyone else to take care of her.”

“What is this, Jasen?” I opened it ever so slowly, afraid of what I would find inside. “It’s your boarding pass for the flight you are taking to Nashville in the morning. I know the guys are recording at the Bird, and you are going to join them. Lay tracks, watch, produce, do whatever the hell you want. Light a fire under Holland’s ass to get herself in gear and get moved here. I just want you to go and keep yourself busy for a few days.” I stare at the boarding pass and realize the return date to Norfolk. “Jase, this is for five days.” “Yes, it is. I figure with no complications we should be back around the same time. I want you to go and do your thing, baby. Singing is your mark on this ugly world we are living in. When you sing everything seems brighter somehow, more alive, pure, and beautiful. There is no war, no wrong, no evil. There is just you, touching every heart and soul with your voice, your words, your beauty. The world needs a song, and the world needs you to sing it.”

I turned my attention back to the Atlantic. The waves were pounding the beach in a fierce tempo that matched my anger crash for crash. Yes, today, I was in good company right here. Somehow though, the ocean was showing me just how ferocious she could be and my anger subsided into a mere aggravated state. Oh yes, the Atlantic was much bigger than me, and her brutality was much more than I could ever be. Yes, she eased my aching heart and my shattered soul.
About the Author,

Kimberly Dean lives with her husband and three sons in Conyers GA. Guilty Condolence is her first endeavor in the contemporary romance genre. She is currently working on Dark Acceptance which is volume II in the Sometimes You Have To Fall Series and Through A Mother’s Eye’s which is an account of her thoughts and feelings of her son’s cancer and his path to the MLB draft. Kimberly is the epitome of a die-hard baseball Mom and professes that her favorite team is the New York Yankees. Her favorite players are Tyler Austin and the Molina brothers Bengie, Jose, and Yadier. When she’s not at a game or watching a game, she spends her time with her family or reading.

Liquid Friday with Eden Freed

Liquid Friday with author Allysa Hart

November 4, 2016 edenfreed 1 Comment

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:
Shake 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 crosses 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 lives 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 learned 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 married 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.

Liquid Friday with Eden Freed

Liquid Friday with author Brian McKinley

October 28, 2016 edenfreed 1 Comment

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.

Drawing Dead: A Faolan O’Connor novel (Book 1).

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?

Drawing Dead is the Grand Prize winner of the Authors Talk About It 2016 Horror Novel Contest.

Brian McKinley

When your dreams all fail
And the ones we hail 
Are the worst of all 
And the blood’s run stale

I 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.

Liquid Friday with Eden Freed

Liquid Friday with Author Joshua J. Valentin

October 21, 2016 edenfreed Leave a comment

This week we are featuring a Christian fiction romance author Joshua J. Valentin and his Inspirational romance novel John’s LOVE.

But before we unravel this “Love to Remember” work, let us find out what is the drink that J.J. Valentin recommends for us on a Friday night:

I don’t have a particular favorite drink, but when I go to the bar I always order a Stella with a shot of Jameson.
I like this combination because Stella is one of the stronger lagers and Jameson is, well, whiskey. But although they are strong, they are both very smooth to drink.

Ingredients

1 measure of Jameson Caskmates near or on the rocks.

1 half pint of a cold Stella Artois.

Recipe:

Well this one does not need a genius to figure it out: First take a sip of your whiskey and then a sip of your beer.

So let us kick back and relax, finding inspiration in this drink mixture, while embarking on the journey into John’s LOVE:

Blurb:

One thousand years have passed in the heavens, marking the beginning of the Trial period. For every one thousand years, two soul mates are chosen to be reborn in order to test their love and faith through the trials and tribulations of life’s false reality.

John and Sarah are chosen.

The rebirth of soul mates is to go as planned: not a single soul shall remember the other until fate, inevitably, pulls them together. But from the sound of Sarah’s laughter, as John walks past her one day after school, fate is suddenly placed into his hands, as his love for her is so strong it breaks all laws and reminds him of whom she is.

In-depth story explanation: By reading the back cover of John’s LOVE it would appear that this is a story of romance and true love and, indeed, in many ways it is; however, there is a deeper love story embedded within: this is truly a story about God’s unconditional love and salvation for people who have hope and faith in HIM. John’s love for Sarah, in fact, is not so strong it breaks all laws and reminds him of whom she is; his memory of Sarah is given to him by God in order to test his faith and love in HIM. The trials and tribulations come into play when Satan torments John in his dreams and reality. In John’s dreams, Satan disguises himself as John’s own image and states he is his subconscious. He pleads with him to forget about Sarah and God, telling him that his visions are nothing more than a mental illness—“that what you can see and feel is the true and only reality.” Satan also manifests himself as Lucas: a handsome, charming man who will eventually influence Sarah and lead her down a path of self-destruction, causing John and Sarah’s destiny to unravel. In the end, John is forced to decide what is most important to him: his love for Sarah, which in turn holds his own destiny, or GOD.

Excerpt:

“A BLINDING LIGHT SHINES UPON JOHN AND SARAH as they stand amongst a crowd of countless souls. The time has come for them to fall back into life and forget all that they have experienced in the heavens.

John turns to Sarah, fighting back any signs of worry, grabs her hands and tries to comfort her with a smile. “I love you, sweetheart. Our love is unconditional and can never be forgotten. We shall rise out of love, through all.”

Sarah begins to tear, barely able to reply, “God has made you for me, and me for you. We will—we’ll forever be one.”

Aware of the possibilities of never reuniting, they desperately cling to one another; Sarah shakes, but John holds firm.

With their hands held tightly together, they are thrown down toward the earth. Never once does their eyes disconnect as they fall through the earth’s atmosphere and slowly fade away.

With one last breath, Sarah pleads, “Remember me! Remember me, Jo—”

* * * * *

“Hahaha!” Sarah laughs at her girlfriend’s joke as they stand outside on the steps behind their high school.

At that very moment, John and his friends are walking across the basketball courts when he hears Sarah’s loud, boisterous laugh. Somehow it seems familiar to him, so he looks to his left, and there she is with her long black hair, blowing in the wind, and her one-of-a-kind, genuine smile. His eyes and mind are locked on her as he is instantly reminded of whom she is and what she means to him: flashbacks of their past lives—in heaven and on Earth—flood his mind heavily. He tries to shake it off, thinking it might just be Déjà Vu, but he can’t; he’s stuck in this moment of love as if his life has just been pieced together. While his friends are talking, he hears nothing but her laugh, sees nothing but her smile, and is deeply in love with her goofy body movement as he watches her crack up in the distance. He doesn’t know where these thoughts and feelings are coming from, but it’s as if he’s known her all along. From a single glance at a girl he’s never met before, his soul cries desperately for love….”

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About the author:

J.J. Valentin was born in Brooklyn, NY on February 11, 1989. He spent most of his childhood growing up in Wallington, NJ: a small suburban town in Bergen County. At 17 years old, he moved to the Bronx, NY and attended college in Manhattan. In 2013, at the age of 24, he wrote John’s LOVE, which was then published in 2016.

Favorite Quote:
“When you see everything that happens in the world of science, and in the working of the universe, you cannot deny that there’s a captain on the bridge.” – Thomas Edison

Favorite book:
What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson