Angelia Sparrow's Blog, page 38

Being Thankful

I am thankful for many things today

For a house.
For food, and plenty of it, enough that I need to clean out the freezer and see what's there.
For wheels. Even if one set is in the shop 250 miles away, we still have a second vehicle.
For my husband, who always loves me, even if he never says it. He shows it in a million ways.
For my kids, who are proud of their mom, and love her and aren't ashamed to snuggle, even in their teens.
For my oldest, who is willing to be on the cover of a book from Inkstained Succubus Productions (we're doing the shoot tomorrow)
For my parents, who love and believe in me.
For my sisters, especially the one whose been my biggest fan since I was 15.
For you, my net friends, some of whom are friends in the real, whether we've met or not.
For you, my readers. without whom...

For 2192 words written on serial, 267 on Cliff, giving me 31944 for the month.
For edits on 2 novels of mine and 2 of others that need doing. I have never been so pleased to be staring into Editing Hell.

For another year above ground and functioning. The deer accident rattled me badly.

Holiday shopping

So, Black Friday. The media driven consumerist-orgy that tips stores into the black for the year.

I've been out there and fought the crowds. I've stayed home and watched movies.
But my favorite is to do some online shopping, from people I know, and have the gifts delivered to the recipients (usually 500 miles away)

Unique gifts say to the recipient, "I thought enough of you to go looking, and not just get you another turnip twaddler."

To help your shopping:
Books
Pink Petal Books has a discount:
Customers can use code "smallbizthanks" to get 10% off their order,
including already discounted releases. The coupon is good through the end of
the month.
(I have several books out with them, same-sex, opposite sex and my children's religious books)
http://pinkpetalbooks.com/

The Literary Underworld will be running sales and give aways.
And if you sign up for our (very low traffic) newsletter, you get a coupon code!
http://literaryunderworld.com/aboutus.sc

All Romance E-books will be having sales. It's never as good to buy from a distributor as it is direct from the publisher or author. But the Inkstained Succubus books will be 15% off.
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

Support Independent Music!
Tom Smith, The World's Fastest Filker, has inspired more than one of my stories with his songs: http://www.tomsmithonline.com/

S.J. Tucker, the Skinny White Chick, has been growing and developing as an artist for the last 7 years. Her new stuff is just amazing. http://skinnywhitechick.com/

Alec Adams, Heir to Heather Alexanbder's music, is found here: http://www.faerietaleminstrel.com/inside/

If you like more of a rap edge, and less folk, The Great Luke Ski might be your taste: http://www.thegreatlukeski.com/

And of course, the grandmother of us all, Leslie Fish. http://lesliefish.com/

And then there's Etsy

At the Den of Debauchery's Gift Shoppe, you can use the code Holiday2012 to get 15% off your order.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/valarltd

Other Etsy shops I like:
For bath goods and art, it's Wizard at Work: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WizardAtWork
Phoenix Fire does lovely Jewelry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PhoenixFireDesigns
BeautyWatcher has awesome ornaments: http://www.etsy.com/shop/beautywatcher
For your Steampunker, Rosewood Stitches: http://www.etsy.com/shop/RosewoodStitches


Shop small!


Watch This Space for more news
If you are an author, a musician or an artisan, let me know, and I'll include you in the next post!

Halloween Photo Dump

My oldest son, headed out to the pub for a pint with the droogs  And have a favorite Halloween Story:http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20041025/pumpkin-f.shtml

The Great Old Pumpkin
By John Aegard
25 October 2004

You must know, Doctor, that I did not choose to seek psychiatric help. I have no faith that I shall exit this room a healed man; I know now that I have been destined for the asylum since childhood. No mere conversation with you can steer me clear of that fate. That said, let us proceed with this court-compelled farce before my mad prattle provokes your crabbiness further.

As you are no doubt aware, I am the issue of solid Dutch stock—the prosperous Van Pelt family of St. Paul. Mine was a comfortable and happy childhood, and I spent much of it in the devoted service of the Great Old Pumpkin. For him, I cultivated an annual pumpkin patch—mostly Autumn Gold and Big Max, as I thought he would find the Atlantic Giants tacky. I also evangelized him in the community, relating the tale of how, every year on Hallowmas Eve, the day when the spiritual most strongly encroaches on the substantial, this mightiest of gourds would rise to revel across the world with the most sincere of his adorers. My neighbors were understandably skeptical; after all, not once had this superbeing ever chosen to grace my pumpkin patch or any other place in our town. I vowed that I would coax him into my backyard, and I set out in the manner of a learned man to discover how I might do this.

(go read the rest! Peanuts and Cthulhu!)  

Halloween Eve

From "Serpents"

Of all the djinn in all the deserts of Arabia, Arqam was the most curious. He never passed a human dwelling, as he rode the night winds, without stopping to peer inside. He never passed a chest or jar, but he had to peek within.

All the elder djinn said he would come to bad end and it was his grandmother's human blood making him such trouble. None of them were surprised the day he was taken.

Arqam had ventured far to the east, leaving behind the sand and oases of his native Arabia, into the lush jungles of India, where the foreign white men ruled the local people. He listened to the clipped accents of the English, the soft music of the Indians. He peered into bungalows and huts, disregarding the privacy of Her Royal Majesty's Major General and the lowest of the pariahs with equal aplomb.

He watched the brown women in their colorful saris and the pale ones covered and corseted and fainting in the heat. He watched the men as they worked. In time, he grew sleepy and made a hammock of vines near the outskirts of a small village.

As he lolled in the steaming night, a distant cousin found him. “Arqam,” it hissed, its low guttural voice making him uneasy.

“Yes?” He peered over the edge of the hammock and saw what had addressed him. Although ghuls were a sort of djinn, Arqam's people had little contact with them. They served Iblis and haunted the graveyards. His folk lived invisible in the air. Arqam looked around but saw no graves. “May I help you, cousin?”

“I am Shahib, the fire that consumes the dead. Why do you wander so far away? No mind, all have heard of Arqam, how he sticks his long beautiful nose into every house and everyone's business.” The ferocious little grey thing crouched beneath his hammock. “I'd check your curiosity soon enough, pretty cousin.” Shahib's laugh was ugly and he batted at the hammock.

Arqam did not move from the hammock. As long as he stayed within, the protective spells would not let Shahib touch him. Shahib tried again, and the breeze of his hand's passage disturbed Arqam. Arqam looked down at the hideous creature, grey and snarling beneath him, its corded arms too long, like a hyena's front legs.

“Leave, Shahib. Follow the vultures and find some carrion. You do not feast upon djinn this night.” Arqam rolled over and pretended to sleep.

From below him, he heard the evil chuckling of the ghul. “A pity. It is said the djinn know more of congress than even the sensualists of India. But I do not tempt you, my pretty cousin.”

Arqam feigned sleep. He felt the hammock quake where Shahib shook one tree as he departed. But he remained safe, and in time, he fell asleep.

Monday goodies

Classic Molasses Popcorn Balls Recipe
This recipe makes wonderful crisp-chewy caramel popcorn balls that taste a bit like Cracker Jacks. Add some peanuts to make them even more Cracker-Jacky, and be sure to use a molasses with a nice flavor for the best result. Makes about 40 classic Halloween popcorn balls.
This easy popcorn ball recipe calls for plain granulated sugar, but feel free to use brown sugar to give them a richer flavor.

Ingredients:
1 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. light corn syrup
1/4 C. molasses
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
8 quarts (1 gallon) popped popcorn, unpopped kernels removed


Instructions:
1. In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, molasses, butter, and salt.

2. Bring to a simmer, and cook over medium for about 3 1/2 minutes.

3. Pour mixture over popcorn.

4. Mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula.

5. With greased hands, form into popcorn balls.

6. Let cool on greased baking sheets or waxed paper.

Halloween goodies

A Not Work Safe excerpt from Spellbound Desire

















 He stared into my eyes like some cheesy romance hero and just like those books said, about a dozen butterflies banged around in my stomach, trying to escape. I felt ridiculous.

“Gonna bite me again, are ye?” he asked, one hand coming up to stroke my chin. I rubbed against it like a cat.
“No,” I whispered. “The quicker we get this out of the way, the better we'll work together. Stupid distractions.” The words didn't even feel like mine. Too real and sincere by half.

“Least said, soonest mended,” he agreed.

His mouth covered mine, the goatee silkier on my face than I'd expected. I liked the feel of it there, liked the feel of his lips on me. He tasted nice, a little smoky from the barbecue. He touched my lips with his tongue and it wasn't slick and awful like the few fumbling kisses I'd had in my teens before I gave up on kissing.

I hesitated, and then opened up for him. He came in gentle, like a visitor looking around instead of trying to gag me by shoving in all at once. I liked the sweetness. His tongue tasted even smokier and I sucked on it just a little as he ran it along mine.

I heard some soft moans that might have been mine and the hard breathing that definitely was. I pressed closer, needing to feel more of him against me, the leather and the skin both.
He snorted a chuckle and broke the kiss.

I smiled as I realized I was practically in his lap. Blame the mana, because D. J. Admire had never sat astride a man's lap. “Again?”

“Aye and as many as you want.” One of his hands slid around to cup my breast. “And anywhere you're wanting them.” He tugged me up to kneel up over his lap and pulled me down for another kiss.

This time I got his vest open, the little hooks on the front working just like the ones on the wicker chest I kept my few photos in, and he tugged my shirt out of my jeans. I rubbed against the chains on his kilt, sensitive enough to feel every link through the soft denim.

“And where are you wanting to kiss me?” I asked as I licked his scar out to his earlobe and the other all the way up to his eyebrow.

He undid my bra and I realized I was topless, in the lap of a near-stranger, dry-humping him through leather and denim.

“Oh lovely,” he sighed and planted a soft kiss on each nipple. I shuddered as my whole skin broke out in goose bumps. He looked up and gave me a smile which went wicked with mischief. That made those stupid butterflies feel like they were the size of bats and everything down below went gooshy.

He ducked his head and flickered his tongue over each nipple, back and forth, right, left and right again. I bucked against his lap, against the growing bulge I could feel under the kilt. I finally got it into the right place, and rubbing along the seam of my jeans and I rode it hard.

“More, please, more!” Well damn, even my dialogue was being written by Harlequin instead of Raymond Chandler now. Fucking mana. I wondered if the mana would make the fucking better, because I wanted him inside me, all of that nice, thick cock I'd seen during our little mental mutual masturbation session.

He just chuckled again. “All you need, lass.” He took a firmer grip on me and started to move us both.

For a second, I went into combat mode getting my leverage and ready to fight against being thrown, but he just laid me back on the sofa very gently and opened my jeans. I didn't want to be fucked on my back, but somehow, I couldn't get my protest out around his mouth.

My jeans were gone and so were my panties. His kilt stayed between us and I rubbed up against that ridge, wanting it, not wanting it, and needing to have him in me before I went off like a bottle rocket.

He was down to my tits again, but not lingering. Then it was all soft beard and softer lips on my belly. It should have tickled, but instead I just wanted him to keep going. Each one of the kisses tingled and burned almost as sweetly as my captain did.

He kept going, right on down. He hovered for a moment, taking deep breaths like he was smelling the most delicious dessert in the world. I wondered if I should have at least trimmed my bush. Bran, lovely man, didn't seem to care that I was completely au natural. He plunged right in, fingers, teeth, tongue and lips everywhere until I screamed.

Big mistake, Admire. Shouldn't lose control like that, especially when you're not the only office-cum-apartment on the floor. I giggled at that, since my office-cum-apartment really was full of the second item.

Two loud pounds on the door didn't give me time to realize I was being intruded upon, before my landlady, Frau Blucher—name withheld to protect the psychopathic-- barged in.

I glanced around, glad the sofa blocked most of us from view.

“Admire! What the hell? You sounded like you were being murdered. Just you and your dyke girlfriend, huh?”

Bran hadn't stopped. He hadn't even noticed the intrusion and was still flicking his tongue over my clit and running two long fingers in and out of me. I pounded my fist on the back of the couch as I came again and swatted his shoulder. “I'm fine, ma'am,” I managed.

“Tell the bitch that combat boots with a skirt are so last season. Your rent is due in three days, Admire. Be on time for once in your life and maybe I'll forget this little lesbian scene. It's illegal in Tennessee, you know.”

Bran chose that moment to pop his head up and look around. “Lesbians? Where?” he asked Frau Blucher, his burr thicker than ever. I looked at him, his hair mussed and sweaty, his face glistening, yet earnestly hopeful, and burst out laughing.

Frau Blucher stared at him, then me, and shook her head. “Rent, Admire. Six hundred dollars, three days.” She slammed the door behind her.

A Mixed Cauldron today

Excerpt, from Spellbound Desire :


Bran came in around mid-afternoon carrying a big basket.

“Up, my lovely. I have a plan for the afternoon that is involving you, a large picnic hamper and a very private grove out-of-doors. Since you didn't seem to fancy the sofa in the alley, that is.”
I rolled over and reached up to him. “I'd rather picnic on the floor and spend the evening in my own bed. At least I know where all the lumps are there. And I'm not liable to end up with a pine cone up my ass.”

Bran sat down on the edge of my bed and kissed me. “Don't be making me jealous of the pine cones, darlin.”

I covered my butt with one hand. “I don't think so. I like you front and center, big guy.” I got one hand under his vest and teased his nipple, then stroked the rosary. “Besides, I didn't know you were the jealous type.”

“When you get a good thing, you hold onto it.”

“Mm-hmm.” I wrapped both arms around his waist and snuggled in to him, smelling leather and Bran and happy.

“Now, up, ya lazy bint. Let's eat, the chicken salad's getting warm.” A teasing swat landed on my ass. I considered staying put for more swats. “And the chocolate's melting.”

I sat up and kissed him for that. I'd been practicing the shield every chance I got, and I slammed it up now so that he couldn't hear me or feel how much he got to me.

“Nicely done, Admire,” he said, and kissed me again. “You're getting better.” I felt a push at the shield, but it wasn't a battering ram. “Definitely better.”

I got up and threw on a pair of jeans and shirt, without a bra. I wasn't big enough to need one, really, and it was just us, going out for a twilight walk in the woods. Besides, I didn't want to fool with it out there and end up with the cups full of acorns or pine needles.

“Gorgeous.” He grasped my shoulders and kissed me, which made me feel weird. He'd felt weird all evening, kind of possessive, like I was his property, his girl. I wasn't liking this new side. “Now, take me where there are trees, woman. How can you live in the concrete all the time with never the grass under your feet?”

“City girl.” I shrugged. “Come on, we'll go out to Shelby Forest. Got some ice packs for that picnic basket or are we moving into the ever so romantic 'getting salmonella together' phase of the relationship?” I grabbed a couple from my mini-fridge's freezer compartment. I almost never used them.

“And who are you picnicking with when I'm not here?” he teased as he opened the insulated basket. I saw a few freezer packs in there already.

“I keep them for hangovers.”

“Oh and here I thought it'd be for when your pixies beat you up.”

“I don't arm wrestle the supernatural.”

“I do.” He grinned and hefted the big basket like it was empty. “Trees, or I perish of smog and stone.”

I drove north to Shelby Forest. The first shelter was full of folks having a potluck. The second, deeper in the woods, was empty.

“This'll do.”

I parked and he carried the hamper to the shelter. He spread a tablecloth and laid the food out. The man knew how to plan a picnic supper.

We ate and then packed away the remnants and stashed it back in the trunk. He didn't repack the blanket, but draped it over one shoulder and offered me a hand.

“Come on, virgin girl, out into the woods and I'll show you what real loving is like.”

“No pinecones,” I warned before taking his hand.

“Only if you beg very sweetly.”

All Kilted Photo Dump

In honor of Spellbound Desire , an all kilted photo-dump.

Halloween

If no one ever made a Brimstone vid to this, it was a crime against fandom.

No excerpt, because today is release day!

It's here, It's here!

Have you ever wondered if the universe would collapse should Naomi and I write a heterosexual novel? Guess not. This one arrived last summer, all raring to go.

And now it's HERE!
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10339-spellbound-desire.aspx

You can read the first chapter there.
Spicy excerpt soon.

BTW: the tattoos on his biceps read "From Ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night, may the good Lord deliver us."