Moira Keith's Blog, page 321

It’s Thrusday Already?!

How did that happen? Where did the week go? And more importantly…who ate my homework?! Kidding. Seriously though this week has flown by. Been reading about Egyptian and Mesopotamian Creation stories for class. That has been interesting. Been writing a LOT (except for last night when I took the night off for homework). Following the Rangers games with the lil zombies and enjoying their commentary on the game. And overall just plain busy as usual. So what am I doing here right?  I needed a music break…so here’s a little fun to kick off the downhill slide into the weekend.

Have a great Thirsty Thursday peeps!

Friday Five ~ Blood & Moonlight Favorites

These are some favorite bits and pieces of my current release Blood and Moonlight, the first book in my Moonlight Trilogy.

1. In this bit, the heroine, Kiara is scolding her best friend Reese for taking away all her fun when Kiara unsuccessfully attempts to distract Reese from the wolf outside the office by flashing her new shoe purchase. Reese is quite a character as you will see by her line:

My nervously twitching foot drew Reese’s gaze to my recently purchased Louboutin heels and her eyes glimmered, but even shoes weren’t enough to divert her attention from the man in the other room. “Nice try, Kiara, but your mastery in the art of distraction will not work this time. Just smile and be polite.”

“You take away all of my fun.”

“We’ve been living in this neon jungle for months now, yet you spend all of your time here. If this is fun—” She dramatically waved her arm around the office—”Then I’m seriously misinformed.”

2. In this bit, Kiara and Devlin are sitting in a bar. A woman practically throws herself at Devlin who brushes her off. This is the exchange after the woman walks away:

“Wow, do women typically throw themselves at you like that?”

A wickedly seductive smile crossed his face. “Upset you didn’t beat her to it?”

“Don’t hold your breath.” I tossed back the whiskey, stood, grabbed my purse from the bar and muttered, “Thanks for the drink.”

3. I’m quite fond of the interactions between Kiara and Reese and you will find that their friendship does add a certain something to the book. Here is a scene where Kiara is having a bit of difficulty getting out of bed:

“True.” Reese pulled my pillow away. “Now, you can get up willingly, or I can fetch a man to come roust you from the bed.”

I moaned as the relentless throbbing in my head exceeded the point of being bearable. “Damn it, Reese!”

“Sorry, but I need you to get up. You know…concerns about a concussion and all that.”

“No concussion—just a headache. Nothing a little caffeine won’t fix. And Reese, it’s far too early for you to be speaking of rousting. We’re not at court.”

4. Here you get a bit of interaction between the fae queen, Kiara, and Devlin. Mostly, I love this bit for the few comments I’m sharing from Kiara and Devlin.

“The court’s still suffering from your mother’s absence. Even though you are exiled, seeing to your needs, in this instance, was the least I could do.”

“Thank you.”

Her smile was forced as she slid her arm through mine and led me to the rear of the car. Her driver opened the trunk. “I am certain these will suit your needs.”

I peered into the small lit area and smiled. “A woman after my own heart.”

“Ah, some things never change, wee one. I remember your fondness for certain weaponry.”

A somewhat maniacal laugh bubbled out before I could stop it. I pulled the gun and several rounds of ammo out of the trunk. The seemingly, now-permanent male fixture in my life moved up next to me and took in the relatively small cache of weapons.

“Are you going to war?” he asked.

Armed with guns and the mp3 player in my pocket grounded me. They made me feel like I had some control over the situation more than anything else. “Not planning on it.”

5. And last but not least here is a scene in the wake of the aftermath that followed a kiss between Devlin and Kiara. This is again, interaction between Reese and Kiara:

“Really, it was nothing, Reese. A simple kiss that shouldn’t have happened.”

She scoffed. “There is nothing simple about a kiss between the Cinniúint. Besides, I have never known Kiara Morrigan to sit and sulk over a simple kiss.”

“What would you like me to say? That he set my insides on fire? That every inch of me wanted more? That when he pulled back from me and apologized, a feeling of rejection washed over me? Not good enough? Even though I knew that it shouldn’t have happened in the first place? And don’t use the word Cinniúint when you refer to him.”

“Oh for the love of god and goddess! You two need a serious counseling session. Too bad I don’t know a good shrink. They would have a field day with the fucked up views on relationships you two seem to have.”

“Quite a morale booster there, Reese.”

“I just don’t understand how two people can be so obviously attracted to one another and fight it at every turn.”

 

So there you have it. Five little tidbits. No they are not the only bits I love in this book. They are five of my favorites, but truly there are so many parts I loved, it was difficult to come up with even this small selection.Have a great Friday everyone. Sláinte!

Mid-Week Meltdown?!

You ever have those mornings where you wake up and think…there is something that I need to do – or that I forgot! I’m having one of those moments now. School? Nope. I checked the website, class is up and available a week ahead of schedule. Promo spot? Nope. Have interviews still to respond to and a few other things in the works, but nothing due this morning that I know of and I’ve scoured my email to be sure. Lil zombies? Did I leave them somewhere? Ah no, they are sleeping safe and sound in their beds. Fall asleep with the stove on? Forget to pay a bill? Nope and double nope.

I ran through everything I could possibly think of and I still have this nagging feeling that I am missing something. Guess I will have to let it go and put this obsessive focus on more productive pursuits like writing. Yes I did do that last night. Between plotting and writing I added a few words to my contemp western. Big goals for that to be finished soon. Thanks P.G. for the 1k in 1 hour marathon. Are you ready to go again tonight? We both have deadlines/goals that we need to meet. That is the beauty of connecting with authors. When you need a push, there are usually a handful out there willing to stand behind you and shove. I have quite a few I can rely on at any given time. Maybe they will help me remember what I’m having my mid-week meltdown over? Well, for what its worth, have a great Wednesday!

A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Sausage and Peppers

I love spicy foods. Problem comes into play with the little zombies. They don’t. So the nights they are away, I like to experiment with my cooking. Try a little spice. Kick things up a notch or two. Bring on the heat. One way I’ve found to do that is with Habanero infused olive oils. OMG, you want to talk about deliciousness.This recipe is the result of my experiment.

Hot Italian Sausage

Sliced Mini tri-colored peppers

sliced onion

minced garlic

Habanero Olive Oil

Red wine of choice.

Pour yourself a glass or wine. Turn the stove on low. Drizzle the olive oil in the bottom of the pan and heat. Toss in the garlic, onion, and peppers. Saute until they begin to soften. Add in the sausage and pour in wine, cook until the sausage is done. Serve over pasta or eat as an individual dish.

Simple. Delicious. And absolutely scrumptious! Now run along and check out these other fantastic recipes!


Pesto Making Season by Selena Robins – http://selenarobinsmusings.com/

The Sexy Spellcaster by PG Forte http://rhymeswithforeplay.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-sexy-spellcaster.html

 

Moonlight Madness!

Can I share with you a little secret? Writing and publishing a book truly test you as an author. At times you feel like you are on the edge of a great chasm and that one deep inhalation will send you plummeting to an uncertain fate. Other times you are absolutely one hundred percent smitten with every word you write and feels as if the heavens open up and smile down on you-stars align and all that jazz. Writing Blood and Moonlight did this for me on many occasions. As any of my early crit partners and friends can tell you, the book was a long time coming. A lot of tweaking. Analyzing. Re-tweaking. Edits. Edits. More edits. You get the picture…madness ensued from word one (and I enjoyed every minute of it, don’t let me convince you otherwise).

Now I’m pulling up a piece of rock, dangling my feet over the edge, staring out across the cavern and thinking, man this has been one hell of a ride! The moon is beautiful, the stars are a twinkling, and we are fast approaching a new moon. That’s right ladies and gents, the 17th the moon will prepare for it’s re-birth, if you will, and we will begin the kickoff of Moonlight Madness in celebration of the release of Blood and Moonlight. OMG! Whoot! Links and blurb information is to the left…check it out. So to celebrate this momentous occasion, we will kick it all off with a little giveaway.

For today anyone who responds to the following question, will be entered into a drawing for a $15 amazon gift card. So what is the question?

Think of your favorite stories and share what things made them so special in your opinion. Is there a common theme? Share with me and let’s dish on the magic and mayhem that make a story so loved by us. I will draw a winner on Sunday!

And So it Begins~

The big countdown is upon us. We are ten days out from the release of Blood and Moonlight. That’s right, I said TEN! Can you believe it? I know I can’t. This book has been a true labor of love. You’re asking, “But Moira, aren’t all books a labor of love?”

True, every book an author pens is a labor of love, just some more so than others. This was my ‘some more than others’ book. When people ask what inspired me to write, it was delving into the worlds of Kim Harrison, Laurell K Hamilton, and Vicki Pettersson. Urban Fantasies that just sucked me in and made me want to live in the pages of those books. Strong female characters that were flawed and full of potential and serious attitude. This book was measured against my own personal writing heroines.

So where do you go next after you’ve written your ultimate labor of love? You start working on the next book of course! A trilogy doesn’t write itself after all and I have a story to tell. So while Blood and Moonlight might introduce you to Kiara Morrigan, it is hardly the last time you will see her or her wolf and his Celtic brogue. Their story is just beginning. It’s mean for me to tease. I know, but I can hardly help myself. I’m excited about sharing this story with you.

So as we near the BIG day, I am looking to celebrate. I will be tortured…um interviewed rather, blogging, giving away, and just plain screaming from the rafters.

Devilishly Decadent Dip

Can you tell me one thing about dipped fruit that doesn’t scream decadence? This is a dip that seems to have made its rounds, but when I feel like I need a little spoiling, I will whip up a batch of this yummy sweetness. Having been introduced to this at a pot luck, the addiction took hold and I’ve never looked back. Did I mention it pairs well with pound cake as well and is so simple to whip up (which is a level of decadence as well). Need a serving idea? Fruit kabobs and a margarita or martini glass. Want a little extra decadence? take a wedge of lime, rub the edge of the glass and rim it with colored sugar – need I say more?

Basic Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package strawberry cream cheese, softened

2 (7 ounce) jars marshmallow creme

2 Tbsp orange juice

Directions

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add marshmallow creme and the orange juice. Blend the mixture until smooth. Enjoy!

Simple and decadent right? Now pop on over and see what friends are whipping up for their Tasty Tuesday blog editions:

Chocolate Cherry Dream Pie by PG Forte

Stress-Free Layered Salad by Nancy Lauzon

Decadent Angel by Sloan McBride

Aunt Noony’s After Glow by A. Catherine Noon

Sexy Sassy Saucy by Selena Robins

Sweet & Sassy (Oriental) Chicken Wings – Fab For Any Gathering! by Renee Wildes

Enjoy all the yummy goodness from all these wonderful authors!

Bewitching Bailey’s Cupcakes~

It’s Tasty Tuesday, where my fellow authors and I will share some sexy, fun recipes for you to try out. This week, I’m sharing the recipe for my Bewitching Bailey’s Cupcakes.

Here’s how you make the magic happen:

For the cakes~

2/3 cup of unsalted butter, at room temp

2 cups granulated sugar

2 lg eggs, room temp

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup of Irish cream

2/3 cup of water

2 TBSP instant coffee granules

4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with a mixer. Add eggs and salt and beat well. In a separate bowl,  combine the liqueur, water and instant coffee. Mix well. Set aside. In a third bowl, thoroughly combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture and liqueur mixture to the creamed butter/sugar mix, in an alternating pattern. Beat on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes. Place 24 liners into the cupcake pan. Fill the liners 3/4 full and bake for about 20 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

For the Frosting ~

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temp

3-4 cups powdered sugar

2Tbsp of Irish Cream

Green sugar crystals (optional)

While the cupcakes cool, cream the butter on high speed for approximately 3 minutes. Add the Irish cream and mix thoroughly. Slowly add in the powdered sugar until well blended and desired consistency is reached. Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with green sugar crystals. Watch them vanish into thin air.

Please stop by the following blogs and load up on their tasty treats:

A Catherine Noon  /  PG Forte  /  Denise A Agnew  /  Renee Wildes  /  Nancy Lauzon  /

Sloan McBride /  Selena Robins

Just Another Manic Monday

And now that I’ve…

a) Shown my age

b) gotten a Bangles song stuck in your head

My job is complete. Have a great Monday. Okay seriously, I loathe Mondays. It is entirely possible that I’ve mentioned that before. Mondays mark the end of the weekend, the beginning of a week, shorter periods of available writing time, hell…shorter periods of time to do anything other than work, sleep, and maybe squeeze an hour or two in with the lil zombies before they have to go to bed and we can start the craziness all over again on Tuesday. Has anyone ever had anything good to say about a Monday? Sure I woke up, which inherently makes it a good day, but there has to be something positive about this day that is dreaded by many. Please someone give me something that will make Mondays a day to look forward to. Anyone? Anything? Man it just got awfully quiet around here. Well, don’t give up hope. Together we will think of something that makes Mondays something other than…manic.

Talk to me!

FF ~ All About Fridays

I was looking at my blog, specifically the Friday Five posts, and realized that I have never covered my favorite thing about Fridays. How can you have a Friday Five segment without covering the very thing that makes Fridays so bloody fantastic. So here we go!

1. Um it’s Friday. The end of the week. The start of the weekend. Need I say more?

2. BBQs – There is nothing I enjoy more than hanging out with friends and indulging in a good meal

3. Except maybe… Guinness! Ah I live for my first Guinness of the weekend. (It tastes better than any Guinness I’ve had during the week. I can’t explain it people. It might have something to do with the time space continuum.)

4. Sleeping in! Okay I don’t really sleep in. I’m one of those sick and twisted people who still wakes up around six in the morning even on Saturdays. It’s pathetic. Occasionally I might sleep in until eight though.

5. Plenty of time to write, hang with the lil zombies, read, or well… just do whatever the hell I want (within reason of course)

What are your favorite things about Fridays? Do tell. I will read… after the Guinness of course. Sláinte!