C. Margery Kempe's Blog: Lady Smut, page 196

Millions in the Dark

A View of My Driveway During the Storm

Dear Friends,

Millions in the Northeastern United States remain in the dark following our October snowstorm.  Large sections of the state of Connecticut is still out.  Some of our passionate Nights of Passion crew have been in the dark and are still out.  Some of the guest authors have not yet sent in the winners of their contests, because they are out of power.

Oh, here's one now.  From Rebecca Royce–The winner of her contest is Jessica Subject.

I will be posting the rest as I get them in.  I have been getting emails from phones, as so many don't have computer access right now.   There's little I can say to be of comfort, except that I'm thinking about you.  I also want to thank the crews from Michigan and Oklahoma that have been spotted coming into Connecticut to help restore the power.  THANK YOU!  I'm sure there are crews from other states here too and THANK YOU!   Hopefully the power will start to come on soon all over the state and the Northeast.

In the meantime, consider if you haven't heard from someone, they might be in the dark.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Life, Susan Hanniford Crowley

Cooking Up a Good Story by Gerri Brousseau

Over the course of the last few Thursdays, I have been posting comfort food recipes.  It got me thinking about the similarities between cooking, following a recipe, and writing a novel.  Ok, so you had to know this was coming … right?  In cooking you have your list of ingredients and your instructions as to how to put those specific ingredients together to make your dish.

When I am cooking, I first ask myself what I want for dinner.  I mull this around in my mind and come up with an idea for a meal.  I gather all the ingredients, put them together in the order according to the recipe, and before long, dinner is ready.

In much the same way, when I am writing, I first come up with the idea for a story.  I mull this around in my mind and let the idea stew (pun totally intended).  I gather (think about) the ingredients, the characters, what they will be like, what is important to them, what are their motivations, their goals, their conflict, the plot, and the dialogue.  I research if I need to.

Once I have my ingredients for the story, I think about how I will put it all together.  How I will create a recipe, if you will, to make my idea into a novel.  Sometimes while I'm writing, I find that my recipe, I mean story, needs a little something.  Some spice maybe?  Is the love scene the right spice to toss in at this point?  I know sex sells, but when is it too much?  Have you ever read a book where there seems to be a sex scene on every other page, so much so that it interrupts the flow of the story?  So, can your recipe be too spicy?

Filed under: romance [image error]

Sweet Bread and Busy Days

A few weeks ago, I wrote about life as a rat race.  Truth be told, the rat race is still going on but there is a light at the end of a tunnel as the holidays near and the prospect of spending time with family grows closer.

Anyway, as I continue to ride the roller coaster of life, I've come to realize something about myself, I like to bake. This is nothing new as I have baked since childhood, but I came to realize specifically that I bake to clear my mind, especially when I have a lot to do (like this past weekend).

Now this may seem counterproductive but it actually forces me to focus more on the work on hand. Kind of like running or reading or ny other type of stress reliever. The lesson learned here is an easy one. Sometimes you need a break to get more done. Change the pace, mix it up and increase your efficiency. It may not always work but you'll eventually find a rhythm and a stress reliever that works for you.

And now to leave you all with a recipe. This one turned out really well for me this weekend.

Portuguese Sweet Bread

1 cup milk
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Warm the milk and add the sugar and the yeast. Stir and let sit for about 15 min. to proof (the yeast will foam). Add the foamy yeast mixture to the rest of the ingredients and mix by hand. The dough will be sticky. After mixing, cover and let it sit in the bowl to rise 1-2 hours. Punch down and let rise again in the bread pan for another ½ hour. Bake for about 30-35 min. at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Makes for a great writing snack. Enjoy and happy writing!

Filed under: Recipes, Toni Kelly, Writer's Life [image error]

Halloween and Day of the Dead

Hi[image error] everyone,

I know you expected Debralee but unfortunately she's one of the thousands out of power because of our recent snow storm.  I'm filling in for her.

Last night was filled with Halloween festivity–pumpkin carving, pumpkin seed roasting, and waiting for Trick or Treaters.

These pumpkins are on my dining room table, and my daughter is preparing to put glow sticks in them and put them outside on the front steps.  [image error]

Our cat Buffy supervised the work, watching my daughter carefully making sure everything went just right from ripping out the guts of the pumpkins to the carving of the faces.

When the work was done, Buffy went into the living room to watch "Hocus Pocus."  I think she's a real Sarah Jessica Parker fan.

As Halloween fades, the Day of the Dead is upon us.

I understand that in Mexico, Nov. 1 and 2 are considered the Day of the Dead.  Nov. 1st being All Saints Day and Nov. 2nd being All Souls Day.  In some places Nov. 1st is to remember dead children (Day of the Innocents or Day of Little Angels) and Nov. 2nd is for adults.   People clean the graves, erect altars,  and decorate them and bring the favorite food and drink of the departed.  They decorate with sugar skulls and marigolds.  They bring toys for the departed children.  It's a time for families to get together and pray for departed loved ones.  Often families will picnic on the grave.

I haven't been to Mexico or other places in the world to see the Day of the Dead celebrated.  What I understand is secondhand knowledge.  If you have participated in this sacred celebration, we would love to hear from you.   If you would like to know more, visit  http://www.dayofthedead.com/

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Day of the Dead, Halloween traditions, Susan Hanniford Crowley [image error] [image error] [image error]

A Tale of Halloween Costumes and Contest by Heather Long

Halloween comes around once per year and every year it requires costume shopping, but before costume shopping can begin, we have to come up with a costume theme.  Once upon a time, this simply involved what I was in the mood to do.  I've worn a costume on Halloween every year since I was five years old.

As a child, I wore them to go trick or treating. As a teenager, I wore them to escort the kids I babysat around to trick or treat.  By the time I was in my twenties, I wore them to costume parties and to the office.   Finally, we arrived in my thirties and it wasn't about my costume anymore, but about my kiddo's.

Finding the Right Costume

The first year it was pumpkin, then a princess.  The princess costume was really great the second year she wore it because it was the full yellow, Belle regalia while we were partying it up at Disney World for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party.  Every year, she was a princess, a fairy and even a cat.  Then last year, it got exciting.

She wanted to be something different and she wanted Mom to play.

She was Alice in Zombieland and I was the Queen of Hearts that had to chop off her head. Macabre?  Absolutely.  Fun?

And how!

This year, it's Medusa with all her slithery, crawly snakes (shudder) and I'm the peacock, the holy bird of Hera who keeps a watchful eye over the gorgon.

Yes, my daughter has an imagination.

Once Upon a Time…

Once upon a time, I dressed up as an Indian maiden, a cowboy, a witch and even Batgirl (something I have in common with my daughter). Dressing up was about having fun and getting candy.  Now, dressing up is about the story and the play and delighting in the wonderful fun that my daughter creates.  It's the one day a year, I don't have to come up with the story.

I just have to play the part.

Of course, next year she wants to do gladiators with me as a lion or cavemen with me as a dinosaur.  Not sure what I think of that yet.

What's your favorite thing about dressing up for Halloween?

Now for the contest:  One lucky commenter will win Marshal of Hel Dorado ebook from Heather Long and an additional ebook, winner's choice from Heather's backlist.  This is a worldwide contest. Void where prohibited by law.  The deadline is Oct. 31, 2011 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.  To be eligible, answer what's your favorite thing about dressing up for Halloween in the comment box.  To learn, more about her books, visit her website below.

Heather Long

www.heatherlong.net

Filed under: Heather Long, romance, romance novels, western romance [image error]

Holiday & Halloween Movies by Jennifer Iszkiewicz

Holiday movies, you've got to love them, right?  Whether you're singing along with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in "White Christmas," cringing as Steve Martin wipes his face with John Candy's underpants in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" or marveling at the fullness of Charleston Heston's beard in "The Ten Commandments," you love them.

Tried and true favorites, aired at specific times of the year, you embrace them as you would an old friend – heck, you've waited a year for them!  You're mission is clear:  to hunker down on the couch with a beverage of choice and possibly even a loved one, while giving said flick as much attention as your busy schedule will allow.   A particular, 'do-not-disturb' offering in my house is that 1964, stop-animated Rankin/Bass classic, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."  All of a sudden, I'm five years old.

Everybody knows I love the Fall, so pound for chocolatey pound, I contend that no holiday movies provide quite the guttural punch of Halloween movies. Most specifically, horror movies.

I'm not a horror fanatic, heck, I write romance but there are moments on celluloid that have stuck in my craw and refuse to let go.  Admittedly, I'll behave or react in certain situations because of how I've been influenced by movies.  Pathetic as it sounds, such is the power of the cinema.

There are all kinds of "Top Horror Movie" lists out there but my favorites don't necessarily involve the mattress sucking, flames of hell action of "Nightmare on Elm Street" or terror of Leatherface and his chainsaw.  Still, they are disturbing in their own ways.

As Halloween approaches, I  hope you'll consider the movies that won't let go of your brain "Hello, Clarice" and what it is about them that causes you to react so strongly.  If you'd rather opt for the saccharin e sweetness of  Charlie Brown (except for when Charlie gets a bag of rocks for his trick-or-treating endeavors, while his rotten friends get candy), you're not alone.  Take comfort in the fact that Macaulay Culkin will exact revenge on his tormentors and the season of song and mistletoe  looms on the horizon.  Here we go -

"Here's to swimming with bow-legged women." – Quint, Jaws (1978)  Sure, I'd board the Orca with Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss but I can't go in the ocean and not think carcaradon carcharias is going to get me!

"I said I'm not going to hurt ya.  I'm just going to bash your brains in" – Jack Torrance, The Shining (1980).  Big, scary hotels, crazy writer stuff, 'nuff said.

"We all go a little mad sometimes.  Haven't you?"   Norman Bates, Psycho (1960)

Closing shower curtains in hotel rooms is still a problem for me…

"Never say 'who's there?' – don't you watch scary movies?  It's a death wish."  Ghostface to Casey, Scream (1996).  Cheesy movie but a classic line!

"The Game is tailored specifically to each participant.  Think of it as a great vacation, except you don't go to it, it comes to you."  – Jim Feingold, The Game (1997).  Probably nobody else would associate this movie with Halloween but clowns in the middle of the night?  No thank you!

"I'm afraid to close my eyes, I'm afraid to open them."  Heather Donahue, The Blair Witch Project (1999)  I steer clear of rock piles in the middle of nowhere unless they're really big, like Stonehenge!

"We accept you as one of us.  Gobble!  Gobble!" – Freaks, Freaks (1932)

Often real life is stranger than any fiction somebody can create.  This movie was unsettling but I'm proud to declare that it's also one of Rob Zombie's favorite horror movies!  That's right, son.

"Dance for me, Show Pony!" – Jennifer, I Spit on Your Grave (2010)

A writer in the middle of nowhere…. gee, why didn't I think of that?  If you can get through the brutality, the pay off is huge.  Especially for female audiences.  Jennifer kick's ass.

"Fuck off, hairball!"  – Luis Creed, Pet Sematary (1989)

Does anybody else feel the need to check under beds before they lay down?

"It's lonely being a cannibal.  Tough making friends." – Colonel Hart, Ravenous (1999)

I've never felt colder or more sick to my stomach in a movie theater ever!

And the best-est, most image-evoking line is… *drumroll please* ….

"I met this 6-yr old child with this blank, pale emotionless face and the blackest eyes… the devil's eyes.  Dr. Sam Loomis, Halloween (1978).  He continues, "I spent eight years trying to reach him and then another seven, trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply – evil."

Can anybody get past the holiday without peering out the window for Michael Myers?  From the creepy William Shatner mask, to the jumpsuit and crazy hair, it's a disturbing character.  The fact that he lurks around in the dark and be-heads dogs, doesn't help his cause.  And the music…  sometimes, late at night, I have to watch the beginning with the sound off.  John Carpenter was – and is – a genius!

So, how did you do?  Could you figure out the movies from my quotes?  Come up with some of your own?  There sure are enough titles to accommodate all of our tastes.  Happy movie watching!

–Jennifer Iszkiewicz

 

Filed under: Jennifer Iszkiewicz, movies

Halloween Paranormal-Scope, Contest & News

Happy Halloween!  For your enjoyment today, we have three blog entries and two contests.  We'll begin with the Paranormal-Scope and contest, then you'll see a fun article on movies by Jennifer Iszkiewicz, and a blog article and contest by Heather Long.

Now let's get paranormal.  Though I'm not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planet, I am intimately linked with the paranormal in the world.

The week ahead for:

Aries

A leprechaun sat drinking on your doorstep last night and left you a pot of good luck.

Taurus

Fortunately for you, you manage to avoid a grumbling group of Orcs, and now you have smooth sailing ahead.

Gemini

Pixies think you're great and are singing your praises.

Cancer

Unicorns have touched your drinking water.  Enjoy the great feeling and drink deeply.

Leo

One of the fae finds you fascinating and has spoken highly of you to others.

Virgo

You are charmed this week.  Look for all the good things coming your way.

Libra

You've been invited to party with the werewolves.  Others are noticing you.

Scorpio

Don't let tough times get you down.  The pixies dusted you with fairy dust when you weren't looking.  Others will admire your shine.

Sagittarius

A hippogriff has landed at your doorstep.  It's time to explore and show off your talents.

Capricorn

Hell hounds may scare people but if they like you, they are great protectors.

Aquarius

A house gnome likes what you've done with the place and has left you a charm for good fortune.

Pieces

An attractive vampire has crossed your path and admires you from a far but would like to be up close.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Now for the Contest:  To one lucky commenter who answers the three questions correctly, they will win an ebook of their choice from my backlist.  The contest ends at 8 pm Eastern Time and is void where prohibited by law.

1.  What is the name of Morticia's carnivorious plant in the TV series The Addams Family?

2. What is the name of the spider belonging to Wednesday Addams?

3. What is the name of the Addams family's pet lion?

Good luck and have fun.

Filed under: contest, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

Contest & Interview with Dana Fredsti

Please welcome the fascinating and hilarious Dana Fredsti back to Nights of Passion! Dana is also Inara LaVey and between the two of them they write horror, romance, mysteries and thrillers. Dana will be giving away an ebook, so be sure to enter the contest in the comments below. Dana's had a fascinating life already and she's got a lot of great stories to tell. So let's jump right in:

When the zombie apocalypse comes, what's going to be more important: a screwdriver or duct tape?

That's a toughie. I mean, with a screwdriver you have a potential weapon (right through the ear, as shown in the original DAWN OF THE DEAD) and you can tighten door hinges, etc., for better security. Duct tape, however, has been proven invaluable time and again in any number of situations, including quick and dirty repairs when time is of the essence, tying someone up (zombies

aren't the only dangers in the zombacalypse, y'know…) and is also strong enough to help put together a makeshift barrier. The McGyver in me is going for the duct tape… But I may change my mind after my next book 'cause I now intend to have Ashley and the other survivors explore

these things… AND I have a poll going on Facebook! See what you've done, Ms. Kempe?!

Hee hee! I like to cause trouble. How can you keep spirits up while fighting off zombies?

The cheap answer is good wine, but that's not the best idea during a zombacalypse unless you are in a damn secure location. If you are, then an ample supply of books would definitely be on my list in order to take my mind away from the fact the world has turned into a mobile charnel house. While actually FIGHTING zombies? Erm… try to take pride in a job well done?

Okay, seriously, If you have a sense of humor, make sure you try and hold onto it. You're going to potentially be fighting off the shambling corpses of people you once knew. You might see friends and loved ones torn apart and devoured in front of you. For me personally, if I had someone to fight for and protect, be it friends, family or my cats, I think I could hold it together, keep a sense of humor, and maintain some optimism, no matter how misguided it might be under the circumstances. Take those away from me and…

Damn.

I think I'm going back to the answer of good wine. LOTS of it.

Wine is seldom a bad choice. That's my excuse for stockpiling anyway. Why should everyone be able to wield a sword?

Aside from the fact sword-fighting is just really cool, if you have to fight your way through a swarm/herd/clutch/insert-favorite-word-for-multiple-zombies-here, odds are good you're not gonna have time to pause and aim a firearm OR have time to reload once you shoot your wad, so to speak. Knowing how to wield a sword not only gives you an edge (sorry, sorry…) in terms of a weapon that can be used multiple times (provided you don't get it stuck in a particularly thick zombie skull and make sure to sharpen it during your down time), but the agility required to really be good with a blade is going to work in your favor when making your way to safety. Martial arts training is also great in terms of agility, evasion, and avoiding getting close up and personal with one of the walking dead.

I know Susan should be asking you this question: Can you trust a vampire during the apocalypse?

Only if they don't sparkle.

And I would think a smart vampire would do his/her best to keep humans alive during a zombacalypse because otherwise their food source is gonna be wiped out. I suspect some sort of symbiotic relationship would have to develop between vamps and humans. I  also suspect the vamps would be in more danger of being staked than humans of being drained.

Given that you're such a horror maven, what are your Halloween plans?

On the night itself, holing up at home with boyfriend, cats, wine and horror movies! The Thursday previous we're going to go to the Night Life at the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. It's zombie themed, including zombie makeovers, wandering zombies, and… well, let me just cut and paste from their website here 'cause it's really cool:

Just days before Halloween, NightLife will be overrun with zombies! Take a crash course in zombie neuroscience with Zombie Research Society advisor Bradley Voytek, and learn how zombie-like symptoms would manifest themselves in real life. You won't want to miss horror maven and hostess Peaches Christ and her Zombie Drag Show and Costume Contest (un-dead attire  encouraged!). And dance the night away at Miss Misery's "Zombie Prom". Undead makeup artists will be on hand for those who want to channel their inner zombie. Plus, check out real brain specimens, hear from horror author Mira Grant, sample the latest in zombie video games, even go on a zombie apocalypse adventure through the museum. In the planetarium, catch the Life and Death of Stars at 6:30 and discover how some stars live on as "zombies" in the after-life, followed by two showings of Life: A Cosmic Story. Music by DJ Tomas Diablo. Zombie NigthLife is a Bay Area Science Festival event. It's going to be a night to dismember!

Wow, that sound like a lot of fun! I hope it was. Now tell me if you can how many cats is too many?

Oooh, this is a toughie… I would say once you have so many that you can't give each individual feline plenty of love and attention, and maintain a clean house… you've got too many. This is for personal residences. I know of rescue facilities who have many feral felines who don't necessarily want to be pet, but they thrive in a clean, safe and warm environment with regular food. For some people, more than one is too many. I say they are wusses.

That was a bit of a cheat, as I know Dana does some rescuing of cats, so her home can sometimes have a few extra kitties snuggling in. What does a jaguar's breath smell like?

Hmmm… I have had my hands licked by jaguars, but I have not gotten my nose up close and personal with their breath. I've smelled other big cat breath, including tigers, and it's kind of warm and meaty and primal.

I knew you had worked with big cats, but I couldn't remember which ones specifically. I'd love to get that close to a tiger. Speaking of wild experiences you have had, can you tell us a little about your own experiences in the not-so-glamourous world of movie making? Best or worst experience?

If it's not cheating (although I am willing to cheat), let me refer you to The Skeleton Wore Fishnets, an essay I wrote about my experiences on Princess Warrior. It pretty much deals with the good, the bad, the ugly, and the wet T-shirt contests.

And for a quick answer here, I really enjoyed doing sword choreography on ARMY OF DARKNESS. I was one of the Deadites and a sword captain for the choreographers, Jan Bryant and Dan Speaker (Jan gets first billing 'cause she was onset more often; Dan was working on HOOK at the time as well). Getting to choreograph my own fights and then perform before camera in the courtyard of a really cool castle film set… It just doesn't get any better than that.

Part of why you are so awesome and why no one will mess with you come the zom-pocalypse! Why do people find Ashley  irresistible? The humour or the scares or is it the romance?

I'm not really sure since I haven't gotten a lot of feedback to this point, but the positive reviews I've gotten do mention the humor as a high point.

Fair enough: here's a more fair question. What makes a man irresistible?

A sense of humor, empathy, the ability to have actual conversations, someone who thinks cats are as cute as I do, an appreciation for bad movies as well as good ones,… and who doesn't mind being open-minded and exploratory when it comes to sex!

Word! Can there be romance without laughter?

For me, absolutely not. I don't care how good looking a guy is; if he doesn't have a sense of humor, his sex-appeal is immediately cut in half for me. He would have to be the world's best kisser EVER to even start to compensate for that lack. Who would I watch bad movies with?!

LOL! So, can you recommend a good wine?

Oh jeez, that would be an entire blog post on its own! Red? White? Sparkling? Price point? What varietal? Are you gonna share or drink it all by yourself? I can recommend all SORTS of good wines, baby!

I should have known better. I love hearing your assessments of wines on Facebook. Now the real treat: here's an excerpt that shows off many of Dana's skills. If you want to win a PDF copy of the book, leave a comment telling us how you're prepared to face the zombie apocalypse and still find time for love. Dana will choose her favourite.

"Mmmm, baby, you smell so good."

I giggled as Matt nuzzled against me, sniffing up and down my neck and shoulders. It tickled, and he sounded like a Saint Bernard with asthma. Disgusting and cute at the same time.

I thought I heard a rustling sound, and jumped. Pushing Matt away, I ignored his pout pulled my sweater back down and jeans back up, scanning for any passersby wandering the woods behind campus after dark. Not too likely, really, especially when the weather was chilly and overcast. Plus the grove of redwoods where we'd spread our blanket was pretty much private.

So I turned and shot him my sweetest smile, hoping to salve his bruised male ego.

"Pass the champagne, 'kay?"

Matt still pouted a little, but filled a little glass flutes with some Italian bubbly.

"It's Prosecco, not champagne, Ash," he protested with a light air of condescension. "It's not champagne—"

"—Unless it comes from Champagne," I finished for him. "I know, I know." I didn't have the heart to tell my wine-snob-in-training that my ex had also exposed me to top quality wine back in the day. I didn't complain, though. I got to taste some prime stuff without suffering through the cheap white zins of the world.

And right on cue, Matt decided he'd sulked long enough and shot me his winning grin.

"Enjoying the picnic, Ash?"

I nodded. How could I not? I mean, how many college guys took the time to pack full-on picnics? We're not talking a bucket of KFC and a six-pack. Nope, roast chicken, bread, brie, and bubbly. Bread knife, cutting board, and cloth napkins. He'd even brought a small camp lantern, but had turned it off in order to be less conspicuous. My ex had never gone to this much trouble.

Yeah, all in all, I'd rather be seduced with sparkling wine than Pabst Blue Ribbon.

I wonder what Gabriel serves his dates, I mused somewhat guiltily. Soy wine?

I took another sip and used my free hand to hide a delicate little belch that bubbled out of nowhere. Bubbly burp, I thought, and I started giggling.

Whoa, tipsy much? I probably should have had more of the food before diving straight into the alcohol.

Matt didn't mind.

"What's so funny?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. Good thing, 'cause I couldn't stop giggling now that I'd started.

Matt started nuzzling my neck again, making low growling noises that vibrated pleasantly against the sensitive skin, both tickling me and turning me on. One thing led to another and we were soon happily back where we had left off.

Then he added something new to the repertoire. It was a weird, low, moaning sound—not the usual "Oh, baby" and "You're turning me on." No, this noise was strange enough to break through my lust and alcohol haze.

I stopped in mid-kiss.

"What was that?" I mumbled."

"What was what?" The sound had stopped, and it was pretty obvious Matt hadn't heard a thing. He continued stroking my hips, insinuating his hand between my thighs, stroking me through the denim. I squirmed with pleasure even as my ears strained to pick up anything out of the ordinary.

Nothing except the cracking of ancient redwood branches. The forest gave off a loamy smell tonight, causing me to wrinkle my nose a bit.

Giving a mental shrug, I turned my attention back to Matt, specifically the bulge beneath his jeans. I teased him, rubbing one hand along the outline of his erection while nibbling gently on his neck in a way I knew he liked. His free hand caressed my breasts, first one, and then the other, thumb softly flicking against the nipples, a move guaranteed to drive me wild.

We were both moaning with desire at this point, all panting with eagerness to take things to the next level … when suddenly his hand squeezed my left breast way too hard.

"Ow! That hurt!" I smacked him on the shoulder, hard.

"Huh?" Matt lifted his mouth from my earlobe. "What the hell did you do that for?"

But he squeezed again, nails digging in this time. A rattling moan sounded close to my ear. The ear not next to Matt's mouth.

Suddenly the forest smelled rank.

"What the fuck?" I said. "Get off me!" I shoved Matt rolled away from the moaning. The hand on my breast stayed there, accompanied by a nasty tearing noise, like the sound of a drumstick being ripped off a whole chicken.

Matt grabbed the lantern and flicked it on. I looked down and gasped in grossed-out disbelief. The glow revealed a rotted hand clutching my 34-C, ragged nails digging into the flesh. Even worse, said hand was attached to an equally gross arm …

And nothing else.

"Omigod, that's disgusting!" I suppressed the urge to hurl the contents of my stomach.

"Jeez, babe, what is your damage?" Matt sat up, sounding mortally offended.

I didn't have time to deal with his petulance. I was too busy dislodging what looked like a cheap Halloween prop from my boob. It didn't take much effort; the thing seemed to have lost all of its oomph.

As Matt lifted the lantern, I found out why.

The top half of what was once a young woman squirmed on the mossy ground next to our blanket. Her torso trailed off into strings of intestines and other bits of unidentifiable organs. Chunks of flesh were missing from her face and neck.

Two spooky, milky-white eyes stared at me above a bloody hole, chewed gristle sticking out where her nose used to be. Her mouth opened and closed hungrily as she used her remaining arm to pull herself onto the blanket.

I choked back a definitely hysterical laugh as I wondered if this counted as a lesbian encounter. Then my stomach twisted in serious knots, and I threw up.

"Holy shit!" Matt got a good look at our visitor as she pulled herself slowly, relentlessly towards us. "Holy shit! What the fuck is that?"

I shook my head, holding back my own "holy shits" through a sheer force of willpower.

"I don't know," I said, babbling more than talking. "But it's ugly and it felt me up and I think it's trying to eat us." I fumbled in the picnic basket and grabbed the bread knife.

"What are you doing, Ash?" Matt's voice rose an octave as I turned back to what had to be the grossest picnic crasher ever.

I didn't say anything, though. I just brought the knife down as hard as I could into one of Miss Thang's ears, shoving with all of my strength to push the serrated blade deep into whatever was left of her brain … and hoped that the movies didn't lie.

Filed under: Author Interviews, C. Margery Kempe, contemporary romance, contest, erotic romance, fantasy romance, Guest Blog, Halloween Bash, Halloween festival, Horror Stories, Interview, Kit Marlowe, mystery romance, paranormal romance, Romance suspense, urban fantasy, Warrior women, What inspires you?, ZOMBIE [image error]

Things That Go Bump In The Night by Gerri Brousseau

Each season seems to bring with it certain classic tales.  Christmas brings us "A Christmas Carole," by Charles Dickens, and when I think about Halloween and of some of the favorite stories I enjoyed at that particular time of year, I can't help but recall "The Legend of Sleepy Hallow," written by Washington Irving.

According to Wikipedia, the story is set circa 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town (based on Tarrytown, New York) a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow.  It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a lean, lanky, and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut, who competes with Abraham "Brom Bones"  Van Brunt, the town rowdy, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer, Baltus Van Tassel.  As Crane leaves a party he attended at the Van Tassel home on an autumn night, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman, who is supposedly the ghost of a Hessian trooper who had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during "some nameless battle" of the American Revolutionary War, and who "rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head".  Ichabod mysteriously disappears from town, leaving Katrina to marry Brom Bones, who was "to look exceedingly knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related". Although the nature of the Headless Horseman is left open to interpretation, the story implies that the Horseman was really Brom Bones in disguise.  Alas, poor Ichabod, meeting his fate over the love of a woman.

I'm certain when one thinks of tales of the macabre, however, we cannot go without mention of Edgar Allen Poe.

Wikipedia tells us Edgar Allan Poe (born Edgar Poe, January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre.  He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction.  He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

When I was in college, fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your mindset, I had to take one semester of Poe.  One of my favorite stories of his is "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Poe first published in 1843.  It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye".  The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the floorboards.  Ultimately the narrator's guilt manifests itself in the hallucination that the man's heart is still beating under the floorboards.

This brings me to the master of suspense and the psychological thriller, Sir Alfred

Hitchcock.  Who would ever forget that shower scene in "Psycho"?  I understand Janet Leigh was never able to take a shower again after that, but only bathed.   I read "Psycho" initially received mixed reviews, but outstanding box office returns prompted a re-review which was overwhelmingly positive and led to four Academy Award nominations. "Psycho" is now considered one of Hitchcock's best films and is highly praised as a work of cinematic art by international critics.

In this season of ghosts and witches, what is your favorite tale of the macabre?  Dare to speak the name …. Dare to share …. but beware of things that go bump in the night.

Filed under: romance, Things That Go Bump in The Night [image error]

Contest & Halloween Menu by Annie Nicholas

Every year a group of us take our kids out trick or treating together. This year I decided to host a prep party before our monsters go door to door, a quick easy meal full of fun.  Not just for the kiddos either.
For the amount of people that will be showing up I'll be doing this buffet style and keeping it simple.
The menu:

Goblin Fingers
Ingredients
•     vegetable dip
•     4 long carrots
•     1 medium carrot
•     softened cream cheese
•     sliced-almond
•     baby carrots
Instructions

To prepare them, just fill a serving bowl with your favorite vegetable dip. Wash and peel 4 long carrots for fingers and 1 medium carrot for a thumb.
With a paring knife (a parent's job), cut a flat, shallow notch in the tip of each carrot. Then use a dab of dip or softened cream cheese to glue a sliced-almond fingernail atop each notch.
Stick the fingers in the dip, as shown, and serve with plenty of peeled baby carrots for dipping.

Mummy Dogs

Ingredients
•     1 11-ounce can of refrigerator breadsticks
•     1 12-pack of hot dogs
•     Yellow mustard
Instructions

For each mummy, separate one breadstick from the roll and use kitchen shears or a knife to slice it in half lengthwise to create two thinner strips.
Wrap one strip at a time snugly around the hot dog. Depending on the size of the hot dog, you may not need all of both strips. Leave about 1/2 inch of hot dog exposed for the face area and continue wrapping the top of the hot dog.
Bake the mummies on a cookie sheet at 350º for 15 to 18 minutes or until the breadstick wrapping is golden brown.
Remove the mummies from the oven and cool them for 5 minutes. Add yellow mustard eyes just before serving. Makes 12 mummies.

Melon Brain

Ingredients
•     1 small seedless watermelon
Instructions
1.     Use a vegetable peeler to remove the entire green rind, exposing the inner white rind.
2.     Slice off the bottom of the melon to create a flat base that will keep it from rolling. With a toothpick, outline squiggly furrows that resemble the folded surface of a brain.
3.     Finally, carve narrow channels along the tracings with a sharp paring knife (a parent's job) to expose the pink fruit beneath the rind.

Here's a video link:  http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/melon-brain-688972/
I found all the above recipes at www.familyfun.go.com
And finally for dessert Tombstone Brownies

There's no official recipe for this since I only found the picture but I'll use a brownie mix and sugar cookie premade package. Then use chocolate icing to glue the cookie to the brownie and decorate with a candy pumpkin and green colored coconut.
Happy Halloween! I'm off to hunt down a tombstone shaped cookie cutter.

Now for the contest:  One lucky commenter will win a pdf ebook from Annie Nicholas.  This is a worldwide contest. Void where prohibited by law.  The deadline is Oct. 31, 2011 at noon Eastern Time.  To be eligible, say "I need one of Annie's books" in the comment box.  To learn, more about her books, visit her website below.


Annie Nicholas
www.annienicholas.com


The Vanguards Series
Sometimes a woman needs to root for the under dog.

Filed under: Annie Nicholas, Halloween meal and treats, recipe [image error]