Mary Quast's Blog, page 7

Wintery Naughty Game Night

 The wind is icy, the snow is blowing, or it's simply a yucky night and going out isn't in the cards. What to do? Have an indoor Date Night.

One of the finest kinds of dates is one when you both put down your phones and enjoy some tech-free time apart. A simple way to do this is with a couple's game night. You'll be surprised by how much you enjoy each other's company with just a deck of cards or a pile of board games, whether you want to keep it private or have a number of people around.
If it's just the two of you, play a sexy game. Keep a bedroom board game or a deck of naughty cards on hand. Check out stores such as Lover's Lane for some fun couple games.

Get Outdoors for a Healthy Libido

 

Between weather and work, everyone spends too much time inside. It's probably time for you and your honey to get back outside in the fresh air if you both feel the consequences of a sedentary winter lifestyle. Toss on your warm gear and hit nature. Get your pulse circulating while admiring the incredibly lovely backdrop of a winter wonderland by going for a trek in the woods or a nearby park.

Walking in cold weather is beneficial to your health.

> Burn more calories

> Sleep better

> Cooler temps boost brain power

> Boost your immune system to fight infections

> Reduces stress

The bleakness of winter often brings about depression and can be responsible for a low libido. Head outdoors for a bit of fun with your honey. A little bit of winter sunshine can do wonders as well. Afterwards, warm up with a hot beverage or snuggle time for an improved libido.

Eagle Dance EXCERPT

Shebrushed the gray tips and white strands of hair that gave him such untamednobility. With a finger, she traced his face from his temple to his jaw, acrosshis lips, then scraping her nails along the fine hair under his chin. A man ofhis enormous size would be capable of great strength, and a gal could easilylose herself in his arms for more than one night. His gaze intensified underher scrutiny.

 

“Whatdo you see when you look at me?” he asked and lowered his eyes. Sinfully longlashes brushed his cheeks.

 

Sheconsidered him to be the most gorgeous man alive. His eyes mesmerized her. Somewould consider the unusual color to be eerie, but she saw a whirlwind ofemotions, from pain to hope, drawing her into his soul. Did his unusualappearance cause issues and uncertainty in his life? Despite his intimidatingframe, he exhibited control and gentle qualities in the tender way he’d heldher when they danced and the way he’d admitted his soft spot for animals. Inarms like his, a woman could find paradise in many ways.

 

Shecupped his face and forced him to meet her gaze. “I see a handsome, mysticalwarrior from another world.”

 

“Handsome,huh? I think you need your vision checked. I am nothing more than a simpleChippewa from Michigan.” His mouth was inches from hers. “However, I can bemagical and take you wherever you want to go.”

 

“Thendance with me,” she whispered.

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Ask the Author: "How did you become a writer?"

As a child, I was a daydreamer. I loved creative play and listening to my grandmother tell tales of her youth. As I grew older, I fell in love with books and learned to put words together to create my own stories. In high school I wrote silly love stories for friends and poetry. In college I learned from a wonderful professor the skills and freedom of how to use the words I knew rather than fancy words not in my everyday vocabulary. With such tools and the creativity in my mind, I became a writer.

Ironically, my first book "Painted Soul" published in 2004 was based on a short story I wrote in a notebook when I was 16 years old, visiting friends in England. "Painted Soul" became the first book in a series of five, three of which were published by Vanilla Heart Publishing.

The Soul Series has been pulled out of publishing and I've received the rights back. I am currently reworking the books and completing the series for future publishing.
I recommend to those who wish to write, to do so often. Keep notebooks full of stories and poetry. You never know when years later, one of those little tales will inspire something much larger. 😉

A Cozy Date Night

It's doggone cold out.
Here in Michigan, the temps are dropping and baby, it's freezing! Who wants to go out?

Is there anything better than watching a wonderful movie while cuddling with someone special?

Make Don't simply put on the same old boring movie, make it Date Night. Have some yummy snacks, mull some wine or spike that cocoa. then grab a clean snuggly blanket. *Clothing optional under the blanket.

For a bigger event, pick a movie in advance and plan dinner with a theme similar to the movie. Enjoy your dessert during the film. Be sure to save some whipping cream for afterwards.

If a night without the kids isn't an option, involve the whole family to plan the night. With a little extra effort, Netflix and chill will actually feel special again.

Thursday 13 - Favorite Heavy Metal Christmas Tunes

This is a list of my favorite Metal Holiday Tunes from the past. These are ones, I play year after year. In the last couple years and lately, some new holiday music has been produced. I'll make a new list of those on another date.

1.     Christmas Dreams – Trans-Siberian Orchestra

2.      Heavy Metal Christmas – Twisted Sister

3.      We Three Kings – Halford

4.      Walking in the Air – Nightwish

5.      Kidnap the Sandy Claws – Korn

6.      Naughty Christmas – Lacuna Coil

7.      Viking Christmas – Amon Amarth

8.      The Magic of Christmas – Dee Snider & LizzieHale

9.      On Christmas Day – Magnum or Christmas Truce –Sabaton

10.  Carol of the Bells – August Burns Red

11.  Mistress for Christmas – AC/DC

12.  X-M@$ - Corey Taylor

13.  Little Drummer Boy – Christopher Lee

For more fun and Thursday 13 lists visit: https://newthursday13.blogspot.com/

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Thursday 13 - Holiday Fun

 

Christmas doesn’t have tojust be for kids, but it can also be a time to relight that fire with yourhoney. Here are a few ideas to add some romance to your holiday.

1. Take a walk in the park
2. Go ice skating
3. Sip hot chocolate (or something a littlestronger) by the fire
4. Rent a cabin in the woods for a weekendgetaway
5. Share a dessert by candlelight
6. Cook a meal together
7. Have a leisurely breakfast in bed
8. Spend the evening at the theatre
9. Take a drive to "nowhere inparticular" and stop whenever inspired to enjoy the scenery
10. Park in a secluded spot (be sure to havelots of blankets) and gaze at the stars.

11. Watch a Christmas themed movie together.Enjoy popcorn and warm spiced cider.

12. Visit a local coffee shop you’ve never beenin

13. Go to a local tree farm. Cut down a freshtree. If you use an artificial tree, see if you can collect fresh greens andmake an outdoor arrangement for your porch.

For more Thursday 13 lists and fun, visit: https://newthursday13.blogspot.com/

Have a great Thursday! I'm heading to a From Ashes to New concert tonight!!!

Romance Novel Role Play

 

Flyboy enjoys telling folks that he is the inspiration behind the sexy scenes in my books. He also refers to himself as "Author's Research Assistant". Putting jokes aside, married fans have confided in romance author of how much fun they have with their spouse acting out scenes from our books. 

Couple counselors say such activity can bring a couple closer together. After all, couples who play together, stay together.

Read from an erotic book and play the characters.

Pick out your favorite romance novel or story. Read the scene aloud, each of you playing a character. Every time one of you have to read an ertoic passage involving touching or fondling body parts, read the action and then do the exact same thing.

A Taste of Family History

 Grandma Kleinbriel was a country girl at heart and could bake better than anyone I knew. She believed in using ingredients on hand. Her bread pudding was a favorite with me and my cousins. Lucky for us, she had a huge apple tree in her backyard.

I enjoy making this recipe for my boys when they are home. The best part is having Flyboy in the kitchen with me while I bake. Spike some warmed apple cider and enjoy some romantic fun in the kitchen.

Grandma’sApple Raisin Bread Pudding

Preheat oven 350

Grease 7x11 baking dish

 

Ingredients:

4 cups bread cubes

¼ cup raisins

2 cups peeled and slicedapples

1 cup brown sugar

1 ¾ cup milk

¼ cup butter (1/2 stick)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs beaten

 

·      In a large bowl,combine bread, raisins, and apples

·      In a smallsaucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, milk and butter. Cook untilbutter is melted.

·      Pour over breadmixture. Blend gently then pour mixture into prepared baking dish. 

·      In a small bowl,whisk together cinnamon, vanilla and eggs. Pour over bread mixture.

B  Bake 40-45 min

A Christmas Weekend Picnic

 Everyone is a kid at Christmastime,and I love when new holiday music comes out for the season that makes me have alittle fun. Teens in the ‘80’s demanded our favorite bands put a modernspin on Holiday Classics. Over the years, we’ve enjoyed covers and originals from AC/DC,Twisted Sister, Type O Negative and Korn just to name a few. I’m excited sinceCovid, so many bands are really letting their creativity flow and Holiday tunesare included.

Being from Michigan, I love to promotemy Mid-Western peeps and would like to spotlight a band from Minneapolis, MN.Friends who have caught them on the bar scene in the cities tell me they put on a hellava show and say the band is going places. Weekend Picnic releasedA Christmas Weekend Picnic EP, a must listen!

The EP opens with traditional Deck theHalls with jingle bells, a pause then BAM! Welcome to a heavier version of the classicholiday tune and more. Kinda like the Kool-Aid guy busting through a wall. Yeah,baby!

Weekend Picnic’s own tune, Wish List,is something of an ode to those who were kids in the 90’s and were creatingtheir wish lists. If you were making your list then, you’ll recognize a lot of thelyrics. Listening to the tune will make you nostalgic for being a kid. Who saysduring the season, you can’t be a kid? Come on head bangers, admit there isalways a kid inside of you and often comes out at concerts.

Thank God, they did a better versionof “All I Want for Christmas”. I want to hijack every retail store and slipthis one and Frosty into their Holiday Playlist. I’ll spend more time in shops.The darker sound in the reimagined Frosty the Snowman is F’ing awesome. I lovethe light-hearted tempo and vocals with sprinkling of the growls with a hint ofdark guitar. Fun stuff!

Wrapping up with “Have Yourself aMerry Little Christmas” shows a softer side of the band. Don’t let the word “soft”fool anyone. While classical music is played the focus is on the rich vocals ofEhren Thomas. While the musicians are the soft glow of a fire, Thomas’ voicewill wrap around you like a blanket on a cold winter’s night. This tune is a perfectromantic moment!

Personally, I think this release isnot only fun but also shows the diversity of the band. So grab your honey, afew holiday beverages and decorate the tree tonight. Feel like a kid again and end the evening with romance.

The EP is an example of the band's talent and humor. The videos that accompany some of thetunes are a hoot.  Watch on YouTube

A Christmas Weekend Picnic

Listen here : https://distrokid.com/.../week.../a-christmas-weekend-picnic

 

Now through Dec. 8, the band is givingback by donatingportions of proceeds to Marine Toys for Tots Foundation for kids in need now through December 8th!

For more information visit: https://weekendpicnicband.com/holiday...

For more information regarding WeekendPicnic visit: https://weekendpicnicband.com/