Penny Watson's Blog, page 50

Quickies R Us

I've been doing a lot of re-reads lately. So, I decided to whip up some quickie reviews. Get ready for one-sentence reviews.

Ready, set, go!


Dark Melody by Christine Feehan: A sensitive, beta-ish Carpathian vampire (I know, I know...weird, huh?) falls in love with a pregnant musical psychic with a heart condition, and then they get chased by bad guys, and then he turns her into a blood-sucking lifemate, and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

(I never said they weren't going to be run-on sentences).

Dark Legend by Christine Feehan: A totally hot and masterful Carpathian vampire claims his mate, who happens to be a bad-ass doctor, and then they adopt an abused young woman, and then they get chased by bad guys and some vamps, and then they have steamy hot sex underground, and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Dark Guardian by Christine Feehan: A tiny human cop who is being stalked by a deranged psycho killer falls in love with a Carpathian vampire, and then they get chased by bad guys, and some bad vampires, and finally the psycho killer, and then Lucian turns Jax into a blood-sucking lifemate, and then they kill all the bad guys, and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Ready by Lucy Monroe: A sexy ex-ranger develops a "sexual obsession" (aka, falls madly in love but he's too stupid to realize it until the bitter end of the book) with a writer who has a stalker, and then they get chased by a bad guy, and then they catch the bad guy, and then he knocks her up and they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Willing by Lucy Monroe: A super-intense Native American ex-ranger develops a "sexual obsession" (you know, that whole falling-madly-in-love-but-he-is-totally-clueless-until-the-end-of-the-book-thing) for the daughter of his business partner, and then some bad guys try to blow everyone up, and then the good guys find the bad guys, and there's a totally hot losing-her-virginity-scene (swoony!) and then they live happily ever after. Grade: A

And Able by Lucy Monroe: An ex-ranger with a southern accent gets a "sexual obsession" (blah blah blah...you know the scoop) for a computer geeky gal with crazy curly red hair, and then some bad guys try to kill her, and then Claire and Brett fly a kite, and then they get the bad guy, and then he knocks her up and they live happily ever after. Grade: A

Where the Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens (part of the Penelope Project!): An independent virgin heroine with glasses (named Penelope) decides to investigate the disappearance of some young boys, and enlists the aid of Barnaby Adair, and finally figures out that sex might be fun, and so she has a naughty love affair while uncovering a thievery ring, and then they get chased by bad guys, and then they catch the bad guys, and then Penelope and Barnaby dance a waltz at their wedding and live happily ever after. Grade: A

Hoping to find a blood-sucking lifemate with a sexual obsession and a happily ever after,
Penelope

Penny Pens A Poem

In keeping with the Heart Month theme, I decided to pen my first poem since my college days. I've been inspired by Natasha Gdansk (the lost beat)--I especially love her poem Cockamamie --and Tom Andrews (deranged poet/flash fiction/short story writer, and staunch defender of the classic martini)--here is his latest poem, off the coast.  
Um, don't read their poems before you read mine. After, okay? :^)
Anyhow, here is the initial feedback about my poem....
"Interesting piece of poetry.""It was rather traumatic, but I love the happy ending.""Are you sure this isn't about coca-cola?"
So, without further ado, here is...... Timeline of a Heart Attack.


Timeline of a Heart Attack
BubblingBoilingBlub glub glubGurgle….belch
SplatterDrip drip slipSplash, bashCrispy crunch
Flaky, buttery slubCrumbleHumble
Roaring, pouringDire fire, spiralTwist and stuckSticky tack
TinglingRingingRippingCrippling
Stagger to stepFuzzy sandUnhand
Metal meshMechanical tickCrunch and ripFlow, pump, rumbling banks
Streaming, streamingSwish and swashRush
Pop, popBabbling fizzPip pip zingBubbling
Sing


***********
You're speechless! Hee hee heeeeeeee.....
On the reading front, I just finished a quickie re-read of Dark Legend, and I am finally ready to start my new pile of books. Finally!
Don't forget....tonight is the big show-down on Top Chef! GO PAUL!
Ciao,Penny

February is Heart Month!

Yikes! I almost missed Heart Month!
With only days to spare, here are some Tips for Heart Health from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center CardioVascular Institute. Stay healthy out there!

1. Schedule a check-up....don't avoid your doctor. (Like I used to do). Ignoring your health will not prevent a heart attack.
2. Eat your fish....I eat salmon at least once a week. Omega-3 fatty acids are good for your heart.
3. Get up and move..... Exercise, baby! Walk every day for a strong heart.
4. Cut down on salt.... excess salt puts pressure on your blood vessels and heart. Avoid processed food and fast food. Eat fresh!
5. Avoid trans fats....That means no McDonald's french fries (*sob, sob...oh, how I miss you!*). (ETA: Evidently, McDonald's fries no longer have trans fat, but still have saturated fat...also bad. Bad fries! Bad!) Eat good fats instead--from nuts, seeds, plants and fish.
6. Cut 100 calories a day.....it's an easy way to lose weight. Simple way to do that is cut out calorie-laden drinks, and just have water.
7. Quit smoking....it increases your risk for heart attack or stroke. 
Most important advice for romance-lovers....take care of your heart! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
All my best,Penelope

A-Neg, Where The Hecka Are You?

Monday Matters Of Business....
1.) A-Neg, Where Art Thou? You won a copy of Restless in the Grave, but I can't find you! Please contact me ASAP for your copy of the book. Otherwise, I will have to choose a new winner. Call me, baby!
2.) Best dress at the Oscar's.....Jessica Chastain's Alexander McQueen gown. Oh. My. God. Gor-geous!!!!!! Also, perfect hair and jewelry. New girl crush for Penelope!
3.) The Walking Dead.....blah. The zombies aren't even scary any more. They're like props with eyeballs hanging out. Seriously. Losing the magic here. Pacing is off. Blah. 
4.) Kids are back to school today. My to-do list has 20 things on it....ugh! Back to reading, writing and more writing for me. And I guess for the kids, too. :^)
5.) Appointment with the cardiologist this morning...haven't seen her for a year. Here's hoping for a clean bill of health!
Hope all yinz have a good week,Penelope

The Martini Club: KMont's Appletini

Slurp, slurp, slurp........

Oh, hi! Time for another round of The Martini Club, compliments of Kmont, from Full Fork Ahead (rockin' foodie blog) and Lurv a la Mode (a beautiful and very thoughtful book blog). KMont is my first guest, and she decided to celebrate the grand opening of The Martini Club with one of my favorite martini recipes....the appletini. The Quirky Ladies (my critique group) has been known to enjoy a few cocktails in our day (hee hee) and the appletini is one of our go-to drinks. (Especially Victoria Morgan, who throws a great party). Anyhoo, if you're interested in mixing up your very own appletini, check out this recipe. I LOVE the presentation for these drinks, in the gorgeous green glasses with the apple garnish. If KMont was on Top Chef, I would say.....Bravo! (I would say it anyway....Bravo, Kmont!)

And now for our recipe......


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Appletinis
First of all, thanks so much, Penny, for having me on your blog today to open up your new Martini Club! I'm looking forward to trying out the other drinks that pop up here over the next several weeks. When you asked if I'd like to contribute, appletinis came to mind immediately. They're really a pretty basic drink, but they're a fun one, too, and a staple on most bar menus. I had my first one however on a weekend trip to see some folks on hubby's side of the family and fell in love with not only the bright, vivid green color but the wow factor on my tongue as well. And let's face it - they're hella damn good for relaxing after a long, tiresome week of ye old rat race. I mean...really good. My husband's cousin made us the drinks, and while her version was good, I tend to be a sweeter girly drink guzzler. Feel free to dial back the sweetness in these, but for me, it's juuuust right.
1 ounce vodka1 1/2 ounces DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker1 1/2 ounces apple juiceApple wedges for garnish (optional)

Fill a serving glass with ice and water (to chill the glass).
Fill a martini shaker with ice. Measure out and pour in the vodka, sour apple pucker and juice and place in the shaker. Tightly seal the lid on the shaker and with a kitchen towel wrapped around the top and bottom, shake in a quick motion over the shoulder (parallel to the floor - this makes you look like a bartender shaking to the bar music, it's quite cool) for about thirty seconds.
Discard the ice water from serving glass and pour in the appletini. Garnish with an apple wedge if desired (I rarely do, it delays the drink) and enjoy!

(To make these less sweet, omit the extra half ounce of sour apple pucker and apple juice.)
If anyone's curious, I use Absolute brand vodka, but there's a reason The BDB brotherhood's official vodka is Grey Goose. That stuff is like the vodka of dreams come true, but it's mighty pricey. Too pricey for me!
Thanks again, Penny!
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I'm shaking! I'm shaking! Oh, hi again. Just following Kenda's directions. Sunday dinner will be delicious. I'm having Spaghetti with Pesto and Shrimp (her latest recipe), following cocktail hour. Yum!
Huge thanks to KMont for her excellent post. Be sure to stop by next week, for a fabulous piece of flash fiction by Tom Andrews called Cocktail (the Movie), with his "holy manhattan" recipe. He is deranged!

Sloppy Sundays To All!
Penelope

Icy Memories From 1989

Here's an icy blast from the past....Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice. In 1989, he was a punk. In 2012, he has a home renovation show on the DIY network, called The Vanilla Project. 
I must admit.....I love his goofy dance moves in this vid.
"Take heed, coz I'm a lyrical poet...."

Happy Weekend, Yo!Penelope

Beard of the Day

The thing about Justin Timberlake is that sometimes he looks oh so fine. (See above).



And sometimes....not. Gulp.




Fantastic! Nice scruff, nice intensity.



Haaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!! Oh, Lordy!



Sweet! Give me some of that sweet potato pie, baby!



And my favorite fashion disaster of all time, times 2!

The coolest thing about Justin Timberlake is not his acting, or his singing, or even how sex-ay he looks with a beard. The best thing about him is that he can totally laugh at himself. Which I adore! Case in point......



Hee hee heee.....Love that one!
Happy Beardy Friday, Penelope

Pretty! Shiny!

Another gorgeous cover from Mia Marlowe! Here's the blurb for this book, coming out March 1st.....
Every seduction begins with a touch....
Jacob Aubrey Preston has three hard and fast rules about the women he takes to his bed. They must be enthusiastic, slightly jaded and most of all, married. But Lady Julianne, the widowed Countess of Cambourne, tempts him to abandon that last requirement while he uses his unique gifts to help her find a magical set of Druid daggers. Like the ancient blades, the lady has secrets. And he's just the man to uncover them, one delectable layer at at time.....


I also LOVE the cover for Julia Rachel Barrett's newest release, In The Flesh . I think this guy looks like Gerard Butler, just from the chin. Here's the blurb for this new release, which is FREE right now on Amazon. Yee haw!
Lightning in the middle of a blizzard? Dr. Sydney Blake has read about it, but this is the first time in all her life she's experienced it. Has her truck been struck? Blinded by the flash, she slams on the brakes and dives from the driver's seat, right into a snow drift. As a shivering Syd gropes to her feet, she keeps her eyes shut tight, praying she didn't actually see what she thinks she saw in that flash of light...a golden giant standing smack dab in the middle of the road. No way. Not possible. Or is it?

Another pretty.....Rose McGowan's totally hot, sequiny dress she wore to the Charlie Chaplin party. Not sure what she's done to her face....which is unfortunate. But the dress is fabulous!



Hope everyone has a shiny day!Penelope

Penny Goes Shopping And Some Other Profound Items

1. Observation made yesterday, and discussed on Twitter and at Julia's blog....As I see it, if there was really a zombie apocalypse, all the surviving dudes would have beards. Seriously. Who would have time to shave? And not finely sculpted scruff, either. Big huge Paul Bunyan beards. Let's see what happens on The Walking Dead at AMC.....
2. I love how peeps get their panties in a bunch about certain terms....ebook, indie, author vs. writer, etc. I read a little ditty recently about the writer v. author thing (can't find the link, if anyone knows it, please tell me!), and I'm jumping right off that bandwagon. If anyone asks me what I do for a living, I tell them I'm a storyteller. Author and writer have some heavy connotations. Storyteller is sort of whimsical, romantic, and more about imagination than bestseller lists. That's me.
3. My 9 year old daughter ransacked my bedroom. She took all the good pillows, quilts, blankets, and accessories from my bed and put them in her room. (Her bed looks like the Princess and the Pea). Anyhow, I decided to perk up my room with a colorful new ensemble. Here are the before and after pics....

BEFORE: Blah. Daughter took all the good stuff and left me w/ nuttin!

AFTER: Schwing! Color! All new bedding. (Which I must now protect from Miss Lightfingers).I'm also going to paint. What color? Blue? Teal? Purple?

4. Tonight is Top Chef Final Part 497. Just kidding. Sort of. They are dragging that baby out to the bitter, acidic end.
5. Wanna read some funky flash fiction? Check out these quickies from Tom Andrews (who I also discovered via Twitter)....love the writing, love his author headshot, and I love that he is a staunch defender of the classic martini.
Off to make coffee,Penelope

Winny McWinster of Restless in the Grave!

Thanks to everyone who entered the give-away for Restless in the Grave by Dana Stabenow! The winner is.....

A-NEG!!!!!!


A-Neg---please email me and let me know if you would like a print book or ebook, and what your address is. Congrats! Thanks so much for entering!

So far winter break is going great. Natty had a really fun cooking class yesterday morning. She made muffins, granola, a casserole, and parfaits. Yum! Cristian spent the day skateboarding and killing virtual zombies! Woo hoo!

Hopefully today I can sneak in some reading.

Happy Day,
Penelope