Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover... 😉

 

Hey Everyone! 😊

Congratulations on nearly making it to the weekend! I don't know about for you, but for me it has been a very long week, and I'm really looking forward to a little break. And, so, to get that weekend started off right, I thought I'd share a little peek into Fairie. Enjoy! 😉

Excerpt from Taken by the Huntsman:

With the human, he would be patient. From what he had overheard from the Sidhe, it was clear that the Erlking valued her for some reason. Toiseach thought it would be better if he could convince her to tell the Erlking that he and his people had nothing to do with her abduction before he contacted the Huntsman. But for that, he needed her to be calm.

He sat there watching her, she was such a small weak creature; it was a mystery why the Erlking would take an interest in her. At least she had stopped screaming a while ago, and her breathing seemed to be returning to normal. Eventually, he saw her peek her eyes over the edge of her knees, which she had drawn up against her and huddled behind. Her face paled even more.

Toiseach was careful to make no movement. He had positioned himself several feet away from her, hoping that would keep her from feeling threatened, and now he barely breathed. He just sat there, as still as the stone he resembled, and watched her. As time passed and he made no move, he saw her muscles start to relax fractionally. He thought that she might be receptive to some rational conversation.

Being careful to keep his voice as soft as possible and to remain still, he asked, “What is your name?” It seemed like a safe, non-threatening question.

At the sound of his voice, she tensed and her eyes went wide. She sat there, looking at him as though waiting for him to pounce.

He stayed still and listened to the silence for a few moments when it occurred to him that she might not understand him. He thought he was speaking the same human language he’d heard her address the Sidhe in, and in which the Sidhe responded. "Anglish," he thought they called it. But it had been so long since he had spoken the language; he knew that he might be speaking it incorrectly.

“Do you understand me?” he asked.

Cassie listened to the creature that looked like a cross between a rock and a bug speak to her. Its voice was gravely, like listening to stones move over each other, but its English was clear, if a bit archaic. Eventually, she realized she was either not hallucinating, that somehow all of this was real, or it was going to take longer than she’d hoped for the drugs to clear from her system. On the off chance that this was somehow real, she didn’t want to risk being rude to the monster who, for whatever reason, seemed more interested in conversing with her than in consuming her.

“Yes, I can understand you. My name is Cassie. What’s yours?”

The living boulder let out a breath and said, “My name is Toiseach; I’m king of the Goblins. I won’t hurt you and neither will any of my people. I will call the Erlking and let him know where you are and that I will return you to him."

Toiseach was relieved that the human woman seemed to be returning to her senses and that her mind didn’t seem to have suffered any permanent damage from the shock she had experienced. He was still concerned about the blood coming from the place the Sidhe’s blow had connected with her head, humans could be so fragile, but he was afraid to move closer to get a better look. She still seemed to be unsure that he truly meant it when he told her he would not harm her. But at least she was speaking to him like a reasonable being.

“What is ‘the Erlking’?” she asked.

Toiseach was surprised at the question, but answered, “He is the one whose mark you wear.”

“Mark?” Her eyes widened as she looked at herself, trying to find a mark.

“You cannot see it with your eyes, but it is obvious to any Fae. It means you are under his protection.”

"I don’t know any Erlking,” she said.

Toiseach looked at her. He knew humans often lied, but he didn’t think she was doing so; she seemed too frightened and confused. He replied, “I cannot explain that, but you do bear his mark and I will return you to him. I dare not do anything else, and you would not be safe in a Goblin hive.We eat humans.”

She looked up at that and studied him, he was careful to make no movements. Toiseach wasn’t sure sharing that bit of Goblin culture with her was a good idea. But it was true Goblins did sometimes eat humans, as did many of the Fae, and he didn’t want her trying to run away from him.

“I give you my word that I will not harm you, nor allow any of my people to harm you, but I must return you to the Erlking.”

Cassie looked at the insectile rock who called himself the Goblin king and searched for any hint that he was lying. About any of it. But she found no deception in his face. Though, that didn't mean a lot when looking into a bunch of insect eyes, she thought to herself.

Still, she didn’t see that she had much choice but to believe him at the moment. He looked fully capable of pulling her apart like a plastic doll if he wanted. The fact that he was just sitting there, looking at her and conversing with her, was a pretty good indication that he meant what he said. She didn’t see the blue-haired man and wondered if Toiseach had eaten him.

“What did you do with the blue-haired man?”

“He is restrained, but undamaged, and will also be returned to the Erlking.”

“Do you know why he kidnapped me?”

“I do not. I can offer you no explanations for the actions of the Erlking or the blue-haired Sidhe.”

“Sidhe?”

“A type of Fae.”

Cassie thought about that. “Do you mean Fae as in fairies?”

“No Fae will thank you for calling them a ‘fairy,’ but I believe that is one of the names we’ve been given in human stories. We live in the realm of Fairie, but we are Fae.”

So if all of this was real, and not just some drug-induced nightmare, Cassie was someplace called Fairie. “Are we still on Earth?”

Toiseach had maintained contact with the human world, he wanted to know if the humans ever started looking for Fairie, and if they ever came close to finding it. So he was familiar with some of what human science had discovered and what had been theorized. “Earth and Fairie share space, I believe the human scientists would call them different dimensions, but you are no longer in the human world. You are in Fairie.”

“How do I get back to Earth?”

“That is something you will have to ask the Erlking.” Toiseach was willing to be patient and reassure the human by answering some basic questions. But if the Erlking wanted her in Fairie, he would do nothing to help her leave. Besides which, now that she had knowledge of Fairie and the Fae it was against the law to return her to the human world. 

“Okay, how do we talk to this Erlking?”

Want to see Cassie meet the Erlking? Go ahead and grab your copy at the link below. Happy reading! 😊

Taken by the Huntsman

#APC #Spotlight: Cemetery at Devil's Bend By Gina Moray!

 

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got Gina Moray in my APC spotlight, today! Gina is an active and supportive member of the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group and her young adult, horror, mystery, spooky, short story, Cemetary At Devil's Bend, looks great! Here's the description:

Something strange is happening to Pine Creek. A cemetery pops up just outside of town and it’s fueling the residents’ fears. The headstones bear the names of deceased residents buried in town and the townsfolk are left wondering … what horrors are buried beneath the soil? Those that ventured to find the answer were left plagued by madness. Marty Duller, a historian with a passion for cemeteries, starts to ask questions and learns that all is not what it seems in Pine Creek. The devil has come to town and their very souls may be at risk.

 If you think this sounds like something you might enjoy, go ahead and grab your copy here:

Thank you all so much for stopping by! Happy reading! :-)

#Agent Thoth's #Personal Log: Day 1311

Hey Everyone! 😊

Agent Thoth discusses more of the trials and tribulations associated with living with hominids. Incidentally, if you've missed Agent Thoth's earlier entries, you can find them here: Thoth's Journal

Department for the Preservation and Confirmation of Intelligent Life (DPCIL)

Agent Thoth's Personal Log

Day Thirteen-Hundred-Eleven:

My youthful protégé has finally proven himself to be useful. My hominid-servant had, once again, put her infernal contraption into play, and I had sought refuge beneath her sleeping platform in an effort to preserve my sanity. My young companion, on the other hand, took a far more active approach to protecting himself. He smacked the diabolical device into a wall hard enough to disrupt its internal electronics and alter them enough so that the machine has been made non-functional. The relief among the quadrupedal residents of my domicile is palpable. I once more have hope that I may soon return to my research.

The furry people prevail! 😉 You may have noticed that Agent Thoth has a new look. I hope you like his new picture as much as I do, but I'd love to hear your thoughts, either way. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments. 😉 Happy reading, everyone!

When The Wolves Are Responsible For Protecting The Sheep...

 

Hey Everyone! 😊

I just thought it was time for a little reminder of all the "benefits" of not having a sensible, universal healthcare system like every other developed nation on the planet. Enjoy... 😉

Excerpt from Answers from Alyce:

We continued down the hallway until we reached what looked like a bus stop. Standing next to the bus stop were two large, robot men that were dressed in medical scrubs, and they were pushing a smaller robot woman in a wheelchair. The robot in the wheelchair was dressed only in a hospital gown and socks. The two men seemed to be trying to lift the woman out of the wheelchair and put her on the bus stop bench.

It took me a moment to figure out what was going on, but then I remembered reading about something like this in the news. I cocked an eyebrow at my two hosts and said, "Let me guess, this one is criticizing our healthcare system?"

Yax cocked his head at me and said, "So, you recognize the incident that inspired this exhibit?"

I shrugged. "I read something about it. I don't know exactly what happened, I'm not sure if all the details weren't released or if I just don't remember them, but for some reason some hospital staff took a woman who was suffering from some kind of psychological disorder to a bus station rather than treating her or arranging that she be transferred to a psychiatric facility. The temperature was below freezing and the woman wasn’t dressed to go outside. Someone who was just walking by found her shivering in the cold, confused, and unable to respond to inquiries. The person called emergency services and the woman was eventually returned to the hospital. An investigation was conducted into how something like that could happen, but I don't know what was found."

"And this is normal in your society?" asked Squid-boy,

"No. Like I just said, the matter was investigated. Investigations aren't conducted when something normal happens, only when something abnormal happens. I don't know why the woman was treated the way she was treated, but it wasn't right and it isn't normal."

"So, then those who are sick are able to receive help under normal circumstances?"

I sighed. "Sometimes. It's not a simple answer."

Squid-boy blew a buzzing gurgling sound at me. "Why is everything in your society given to caveats and conditions? Why is nothing straightforward?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him the stink-eye. "Some things are straightforward, but you've just gone and plucked all the craziest parts out to put in your museum. Of course, those things are more complicated to explain."

We glared at each other for a few heartbeats before Yax interjected, "Naturally, the aspects of your society that we chose to focus on will be more convoluted than other parts. As you said, that's why they've been selected for this museum and also why we need you to explain them for us. For instance, one thing we heard was quite common in your healthcare system is a 'wallet biopsy', but we couldn't discern enough about what it was to even begin to create an exhibit about it. It certainly didn't seem credible that it could be a literal descriptive term."

I held my stare on Squid-boy for another half a second and then turned to look at the taller alien. With a bitter laugh, I said, "Well, sugar, that's actually almost exactly what it is."

"What do you mean?"

"A 'wallet biopsy' is when a doctor, or more often a hospital, focuses on a patient's financial condition instead of their medical condition. They first find out if a patient has insurance and, if so, what that insurance does and does not cover and how high their deductible and copay are. If the patient doesn't have insurance, they find out if the patient has the cash on hand to pay for their treatment. If they determine that a patient can't pay and doesn't have insurance that will pay, they do the absolute minimum required by law and then send the patient away. Basically, they just make sure the patient isn't going to immediately drop dead and refuse to do anything more." I gestured at where the robot in a paper gown was turning in circles by the bus stop bench. "That might be what happened to her, I don't know."

Want to hear more about wallet biopsies and more little "perks" of for-profit healthcare? Go ahead and grab your copy at the link below. Happy reading! 😊

Answers from Alyce

Something Worth Watching?

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm back today with another video I wanted to share. I think this one sums up exactly why income inequality needs to be aggressively addressed now. And, frankly, even the ultra-rich should want a serious course correction on this. Because when income inequality gets this severe, historically speaking, the alternative to taxation and wealth redistribution generally turns out much worse for those who are seen to be preying on the rest of the population. 🤷‍♀️

#Crockpot Pot Pie #Recipe!

 

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got another easy, crockpot recipe for all those other lazy cooks out there. Enjoy! :-)

Ingredients:
6 potatoes washed and cubed
3 carrots peeled and chopped
1 bag frozen peas
1 large onion finely chopped
1 12 oz package sliced button mushrooms
1 12 oz package sliced baby bellas
1 zucchini chopped
1 eggplant chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
1 head of broccoli chopped or 1 bag of frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 can refrigerated biscuit dough
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
6 cloves of garlic minced fine
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp sage
2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients except the broccoli, cream, and biscuit dough in a crockpot and cook on high for 4-6 hours. Remove the bay leaves, add the broccoli and cream, and stir the contents. Cook for another hour or so. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. If the sauce is too thin, you can make a slurry with cornstarch (about a tablespoon) and cold water and add it to the crockpot to thicken up your gravy. Remove the biscuit dough from the can (you know them, they're the kind that pops when you open them) and separate the individual biscuits. Remove the cover of the crockpot and place the biscuits on top of the vegetables in an even layer. Put the whole crock (the ceramic part that sits in the metal part only, not the metal part with the controls) in the oven without the cover and bake according to the directions on the biscuit package.

As always, I prefer my pot pie without meat, but you can add any meat you like. Just please make sure the meat is cooked before you add it to the crockpot because food poisoning sucks. Also, you can, of course, remove or add any vegetables you like. This recipe is more about a process than about a specific ingredient list. Likewise, you can adjust the seasonings however you like to suit your taste.

Bon appetit! :-)

Surprising Propositions... 😉

 

Hey Everyone! 😊

Happy Friday! Since it's almost the beginning of the weekend, I thought I'd share a peek of another beginning. Enjoy... 😉

Excerpt from Captivated by the Winter King:

"Before I tell you where I live, you need to understand how Fae society is organized. There are many different types of Fae, and each one is different from the others. Different types of Fae specialize in different kinds of magic and have different powers. Some Fae wander independently throughout Fairie at will, and they are called Wild Fae. But most Fae live under the protection of more powerful leaders. Those leaders have carved out territory for themselves and their people, and they protect and defend that territory. The Fae who live within those territories are beholden to the leaders who have claimed it."

"No one, except perhaps the goddess, knows all Fairie's secrets. There is much about our world that remains a mystery to everyone. What is understood to be true in this part of Fairie, is that the two largest territories in Fairie are the Season Courts. These are the Summer Court and the Winter Court. The magic of these two Courts balances each other, which helps to protect the inhabitants of the Courts from the effects of the chaos that is the fabric from which Fairie was constructed. Does this make sense?"

Kate considered before she responded. "I can't say I understand everything you have described," she temporized. "But what you've said seems to make sense, of a sort."

Ankou studied his Anamchara's face, looking for signs that she was having difficulty handling the information he was giving her. She didn't seem to be distressed, and it appeared that she was absorbing everything, so he continued, "Each Season Court has two rulers, a king and a queen. As the Summer balances the energy of the Winter, and vice versa, so the feminine energy of the queen and the masculine energy of the king balance each other within each Court. This is important, because it is only this balance that allows order to be maintained and the Fae of the Courts to live in peace. Without this balance, chaos would rule."

"I understand, sort of," said Kate.

Nodding, Ankou said, "I am the king of the Winter Court, but my queen died centuries ago. Since her death, chaos has encroached upon my kingdom, and there is much turmoil. As my mate, you can restore the balance to the magic of the Winter Court, but only if you accept your role as queen. I realize it may take some time before you are ready to make such an important decision. But I would like to take you back to the Winter palace so that you may meet the people I am asking you to rule and learn the duties that a queen is expected to perform. Will you go with me?"

Startled, Kate blurted, "You want me to be queen of the fairies?"

The king grimaced. "We call ourselves Fae. To call a Fae a fairy is an insult."

"But, that's what you are, right? I mean, the stories about fairies are about people from this place, isn't that correct?"

"If you mean the stories that humans tell about my people, then yes. We are often called fairies in the human stories, but we are Fae."

The surrealistic quality of the situation was interfering with Kate's capacity for rational thought. She tried to come up with an intelligent question. "If I don't go with you to the Winter palace, what other option do I have? You said you won't send me back to Earth, so where would I go?"

Want to find out what Kate's options are? Go ahead and grab your copy at the link below. Happy reading! 😊

Captivated by the Winter King

#APC #Spotlight: Wrinkled Heartbeats By Temple Emmet Williams!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got Temple Emmet Williams in my APC spotlight, today! Temple is an active and supportive member of the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group and his organized crime, psychological thriller, action, adventure, military fiction, crime thriller novel, Wrinkled Heartbeats, looks great! Here's the description:

A war hero stumbles into a web of money-laundering, lies, and deadly secrets. A very generous offer to buy his luxury home includes an expiration date on his life. The only person who can save him is the person hired to kill him.

For the warrior, medically-induced flashbacks to the bloodiest battle in the history of the Marine Corps ̶̶ the retreat of NATO forces from the Inchon Reservoir during the Korean Conflict ̶̶ becomes a life-threatening allegory in the book.

If you think this sounds like something you might enjoy, go ahead and grab your copy here:

Thank you all so much for stopping by! Happy reading! :-)

#Agent Thoth's #Personal Log: Day 1305

Hey Everyone! 😊

Agent Thoth discusses more of the trials and tribulations associated with living with hominids. Incidentally, if you've missed Agent Thoth's earlier entries, you can find them here: Thoth's Journal

Department for the Preservation and Confirmation of Intelligent Life (DPCIL)

Agent Thoth's Personal Log

Day Thirteen-Hundred-Five:

My hominid-servant has not relented. She continues to torment us with the ball of dancing lights. I have tried every form of psychological resistance and evasion technique in the DPCIL manual; however, nothing has proven to be effective against this diabolical device. The only thing that helps, at all, is to hide myself beneath my hominid-servant’s sleeping platform. And that only works if the little idiot doesn’t bat the contraption under there with me in his futile effort to catch the intangible dots. At this point, I despair of ever escaping the irresistible allure of the dazzling sparks and whirling ballet of this infernal, hominid-devised mind-trap!

Oh, those hominids are devious sometimes! 😉 You may have noticed that Agent Thoth has a new look. I hope you like his new picture as much as I do, but I'd love to hear your thoughts, either way. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments. 😉 Happy reading, everyone!

Perceptional Quicksand...

Hey Everyone!! :-)

Here's a little bit more of the third installment in the Petri Dish Chronicles! As always, the disclaimer is that this is a draft and, as such, it's unedited and likely full of errors and is subject to revision, revamping, and being completely scrapped and rewritten. But, with that in mind, I'm reasonably satisfied with the basics of it, at least at the moment, or I wouldn't have bothered posting it. Enjoy! :-)

Excerpt from Shifting Paradigms:
Vlad led them down a side alley that grew progressively narrow as they walked. Just when Petri thought he would have to turn sideways to continue, he seemed to disappear into thin air. She turned to look at her friends, who just shrugged in return. Turning back to where their guide had disappeared, Petri took a deep breath and moved forward.

From one step to the next she moved from a cramped alley to a cavernous room. As Daji and Chessie followed in behind her, she realized they were in a massive warehouse-like space. Petri looked around for Vlad and saw that he had moved so far into the room she could barely see him anymore. In fact, the longer she stood there, the farther he seemed to get, though from what she could tell neither of them were moving. 

“Chessie, do you see what I’m seeing?" Petri asked

Something Worth Watching?

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm back today with another video I wanted to share. I think this pretty much sums up the entire problem in the US, and I also think it makes it clear that most of us know it even though almost no one ever talks about it. Peace!

#April2021 #IndieBooksBeSeen #Indie #Author #Books #Monthly #BookReview!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

It's the 18th again, so time for my #IndieBooksBeSeen monthly indie author book review!! Enjoy! :-)

Winter Trials (Northern Witch Book 1) by KS Marsden:

Most kids face changes as their time in school approaches an end, but the changes Mark faces are more than most people have to deal with. But with good friends and a loving family, he might just find the right path for himself.

I first decided to read this story because some bigot had posted a bad review since the two main characters are gay. Despite the fact that this story is clearly marked as LBGT fiction. But I found myself really being drawn into the story. It's a novella, but the characters are all well-developed and interesting. I also appreciate the fact that the author used British spelling and slang for a story set in the UK. Bucking the trend to "Americanize" British stories for marketability's sake helps make everything seem more "real" and increases the fun for the reader. At least, for this reader. Overall, five stars, and I'll be reading the rest of the series as well.

Easy Veggie Lasagna #Recipe!

 

Hey Everyone!! :-)

Today, I thought I'd share my lasagna recipe, which uses the tomato sauce recipe I shared last week. I hope you like it! :-)

Ingredients:
1 2 lb container of ricotta cheese
3 lbs mozzarella cheese shredded
1 egg
1 lb spinach uncooked
15 cloves garlic minced
2 cups oregano chopped (or 1/2 cup dried)
1 cup parsley chopped (or 1/4 cup dried)
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp red pepper flakes or 1 chili pepper chopped (optional)
1 9oz box lasagna noodles
4 cups tomato sauce (Tomato Sauce Recipe)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the lasagna noodles in salted boiling water until nearly done. Drain the pasta and place in a bowl of cold water.  Spoon 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce into a 9x13 baking dish and spread it evenly over the bottom of the dish. Take a noodle out of the bowl and pull it through two fingers to remove the water, but be careful not to break it, and place it in the bottom of the baking dish. Repeat until there is a layer of cooked noodles in the bottom of the dish.

Mix the rest of the ingredients except the noodles, spinach, tomato sauce, and 1 pound of the mozzarella cheese together in a bowl. Make sure the ingredients are well combined. Spread a layer of sauce over the noodles in the baking dish until all the noodles are completely covered. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture over the sauce in the baking dish until no sauce is visible. Place spinach leaves over the cheese layer until all the cheese is covered. Repeat layers until all the noodles are used. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top of the lasagna. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil.

The assembled lasagna can be placed in the refrigerator overnight, or it can be baked immediately at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes or until edges are bubbling. Once the edges are bubbling, remove the foil cover, run a knife around the edges of the lasagna, and return it to the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the top is browned.

You can also add pecorino romano or parmesan cheese to both the cheese mixture and/or the top of the lasagna if you like. Some other things I like to add sometimes are roasted slices of zucchini, broccoli florets, and slices of cauliflower. As with other things, I prefer my lasagna without meat, but you can easily add ground beef, Italian sausage, ham, pepperoni, and/or sliced meatballs to yours just by putting them in another layer. If you use meat, please make sure it is completely cooked before putting it in the lasagna because food poisoning sucks.

Buon Appetito!

#APC #Spotlight: Pandora's Curse: Book One of Home Summonings By James McDonald!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got James McDonald in my APC spotlight, today! James is an active and supportive member of the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group and his dark fantasy, mythological, horror, fairy tale novel, Pandora's Curse, looks great! Here's the description:

Greyson Forrester was born and raised to be a powerful wizard. Then it all came crashing down when friends and family were killed when he was a teenager and he got the blame. His powers bound and banished from his home, he was given seven years to figure out what happened and to try and clear his name.

The clock has almost run out and he is chasing dead end leads when an old friend calls in a marker. Two girls have been kidnapped, and the few powers he has left to him have made him one of the best trackers in the supernatural world.
With his reputation following him, Greyson has made some interesting friends and influential enemies on this side of the veil, and beyond.

And they all seem to have their hands in this case. Or tentacles.

The Home Summonings series is a dark comedy set where gods and monsters, angels and demons, and obnoxious faerie are all trying to make their way in the world that has dismissed them as myth, or worse forgotten them.

Now, some of them want to be remembered.

If you think this sounds like something you might enjoy, go ahead and grab your copy here:

Thank you all so much for stopping by! Happy reading! :-)

#Agent Thoth's #Personal Log: Day 1300

Hey Everyone! 😊

Agent Thoth discusses more of the trials and tribulations associated with living with hominids. Incidentally, if you've missed Agent Thoth's earlier entries, you can find them here: Thoth's Journal

Department for the Preservation and Confirmation of Intelligent Life (DPCIL)

Agent Thoth's Personal Log

Day Thirteen-Hundred:

My hominid-servant has acquired a diabolical new device. It’s a small plastic ball that seems harmless enough at first glance; however, at random intervals, it comes to life and spins and rolls while emitting concentrated beams of light. This combination is so intoxicating it’s impossible to ignore or resist. Both my young protégé and I find ourselves compelled by some ill-defined force to cavort amongst and chase the dancing dots. It is only when the device once again suspends activity that we are able to collapse into exhausted lumps and catch our breath. Only to be forced to repeat the whole undignified performance when the machine cycles again.

I am uncertain if my hominid-servant was, somehow, aware of the plot against her and this is her countermove, or if there is some other reason she has decided to completely humiliate my youthful compatriot and me. Whatever her reasons, I can only hope she relents soon, or I may never complete my research.

Oh, the inhumanity of diabolical devices! 😉 You may have noticed that Agent Thoth has a new look. I hope you like his new picture as much as I do, but I'd love to hear your thoughts, either way. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments. 😉 Happy reading, everyone!

Differences And Similarities...

 

Hey Everyone!! 😊

Since it's Tuesday, I thought a little pick-me-up might be in order and figured a short trip to Fairie might fit the bill. Enjoy... 😉

Excerpt from Taken by the Huntsman:

Dinner was laid out for the two of them in the massive dining room. Moire had, again, outdone herself with a rib-sticking, spicy gumbo and warm, crusty bread. It was just the thing to warm a person up from being outside in the cold.

Speaking of the cold, Cassie found her feet were freezing. She wished Cadeyrn had left her socks on when he removed her boots.

“Why did you take my socks off?”

“They were wet from the snow. We’ll need to get some new boots made for you that are proof against water, and some socks made from the same material as your pants. They weren’t wet.”

Cassie thought about that. “Is it a spell that kept them dry?”

“No. The weave and the type of cloth kept them dry.”

“So it’s something that humans could do?”

“If they could grow the plants that produce the fibers the cloth was made from.”

“How did Earth and Fairie get so separate when there are so many stories about fairies in human mythology?”

“The human world and Fairie have always been separate, but there was more visiting between the realms in the past. Humans have polluted their world so much that it is now toxic to most Fae, so there are fewer visits. Humans rarely visited Fairie because they lack the magic needed to open the portals. It was only those who accidentally stumbled through an open portal, or those who were brought here by a Fae, who came. And most humans who did not have a Fae escort quickly fell prey to the dangers in Fairie.”

“Why is Fairie so much more dangerous than Earth?”

The Erlking shrugged. “The wild places of the human world have their dangers. But many of them have been tamed or buried by the human propensity for covering everything in tar. In Fairie, some of the dangers are from wild magics that escaped in the past and took on an unpredictable form. Also, every world needs its predators and its prey. But even the prey in Fairie is hardier and more difficult to kill. So the goddess, in her wisdom, made the predators more formidable as well.”

Want to learn more about the world of the Fae? Grab your copy at the link below. Happy reading! 😊

Taken by the Huntsman

Something Worth Watching?

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm back today with another video I wanted to share. A few videos, actually. Between them all, I think they do a good job of explaining why workers in this country are not being compensated fairly for our labor. It's not that workers are trying to start a class war; it's that the rich have been waging a class war against us for decades and now are crying foul that we are finally starting to try to fight back.

A Saucy Sauce #Recipe!

 

Hey Everyone!! :-)

Today, I thought I'd share my recipe for tomato sauce with you. It's just one of those good, basic recipes to have in your repertoire and a nice thing to keep on hand for when you're cooking.  There are so many dishes that call for either a lot or a little tomato sauce, and the quality of the sauce can make or break those meals. Hopefully, you'll think this sauce is as good as I do. :-)

Ingredients:
8 large tomatoes or two large cans of tomatoes
1 large onion finely chopped
10 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup chopped basil (fresh is best but 3 tbsp dried will do in a pinch)
4 tbsp chopped or 2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp chopped or 4 tsp dried parsley
2 tbsp fennel seeds
4 tsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 cup red wine (Burgundy or Merlot work well) or 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
1 chili pepper deseeded and chopped or 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Put the olive oil, garlic, onion, fennel seeds, pepper if you are using it, and any dried herbs you are using in your sauce pot and heat on low until the oil begins to sizzle. Stir the contents of the pot over low heat and allow the seasonings to infuse into the oil a bit, and then add the wine or wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and Worcestershire sauce and continue stirring.

The tomatoes can be added either whole or as a puree, depending on how chunky you like your sauce. If you are using canned tomatoes, you can just add them directly from the can or put them in a blender and puree them and then add them. Canned tomatoes usually need to be cooked a bit longer so that the metallic taste disappears. If you add the tomatoes whole, you can use a potato masher to mush them up in the sauce pot so that they'll cook down into a sauce. If you are using fresh tomatoes, you can add them with or without the skins. If you like the skins, either add them whole or puree them in a blender and add them. If you want the skins removed, place the tomatoes in boiling water for a couple of seconds and then shock them in ice water. The skins should rub right off with a paper towel. Again, mush them up so that they'll cook down if you add them whole.

Slowly stir in the tomatoes or tomato puree and fresh herbs, but reserve half the parsley and half the basil. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring continuously, and then reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer for an hour or two, stirring occasionally. If your sauce gets too thick, you can add a little water or a little extra wine. Stir in the grated cheese and the reserved herbs and taste the sauce. Adjust the salt and seasonings to suit your taste and allow the sauce to cool. The sauce is better the second day, so allowing it to sit in the fridge overnight is a good idea.

If you'd like a slightly chunkier sauce, you can also add mushrooms at the beginning when you cook the onions. A teaspoon of harissa paste instead of a chili pepper adds a slightly sweeter spice to the sauce. A cup of milk or half a cup of cream stirred in at the end makes the sauce creamier.

As with other things, I prefer my tomato sauce without meat. But if you want to add meat, you can add Italian sausage or ground beef to the pot before adding the garlic and other ingredients. Just make sure you cook the meat completely before adding anything else because food poisoning sucks. You can also add pre-cooked meat or meatballs to the sauce when you add the olive oil and other ingredients.

Buon Appetito!

A Debt; A Conversation...

 

Hey Everyone!! 😊

Happy Friday! :-) Since we've all made it through the week, I thought I'd share a little peek at Fairie to help get your weekend off to a good start. Enjoy! 😉

Excerpt from Bound by the Summer Prince:

The cool trickle of water was the first sensation Roni became aware of.  Somehow she had been turned onto her back, and the blessed nectar was being dribbled into her mouth. This must be heaven, was her first thought.  Her second thought was that some of the water had missed her mouth and run down her neck.  It was cold and itchy, and she didn’t think heaven would be either of those things.

Opening her eyes, she looked up to see a hooded figure standing over her and slowly pouring the contents of her (now full) canteen into her mouth.  Seeing that she was awake, the figure withdrew a couple of steps and handed the canteen to Roni.

Sitting up and taking the water, Roni began to gulp it down.

“Drink it slowly, or you will become ill.” The figure cautioned.

Roni stopped drinking, choking a bit from the speed with which she had tried to swallow the water, and looked at her savior.  The voice had been female, but somehow indistinct.  She wasn’t tall or short, but somewhere in the middle, and Roni couldn’t get a sense of her age at all.  Her hood was attached to a cloak that fell to her feet, and her stance and body language could indicate any age, from young adult to aged crone.  The hood that concealed her face was impenetrable.

“You saved me.”

“Yes.”

“Who are you?”

“You may call me Dee.”

“Dee. Just Dee?”

“That will do for now.”

Roni thought that over.  The other female’s opaqueness, both in appearance and in answers, should make her suspicious.  But for some reason she felt an absolute certainty that she could trust this female.  “Okay, Dee, thank you.  I owe you my life.”

“Do you?  How will you pay such a debt?”

Taken aback, Roni asked uncertainly; “How would you want me to pay it?”

The strange female sat on the ground a few feet away from Roni, her feet tucked under her, and said; “I would like you to speak with me a while.”

Looking at her, Roni said; “That’s all?  You want me to talk to you?  About what?”

“Oh, whatever comes to mind will do.”

“Um…okay.”  Roni took another sip from the canteen and dug the rest of the food out of her bag.  She offered some to Dee, but the other female shook her head. “How did you find me?”

Somehow giving the sense that she was smiling, though her face remained completely concealed, the female replied; “I have a talent for finding those who are lost.”

Thinking about that while she chewed, Roni swallowed and said; “Do you know of a way out of here?”

“What do you mean by ‘here’?”

“Huh?”

“Well, do you mean ‘here’ as in this specific place? Or do you mean ‘here’ as in the Summer kingdom? Or is it the forest you mean? Or Fairie itself? The answer to all of those questions is yes, but I was curious as to which you meant.”

Roni thought about what the other female had said, and realized she didn’t have an answer. “I’m not sure.” she said before she knew she had spoken. Surprised that she had spoken her uncertainty aloud, she turned astonished eyes on her companion. One of the first lessons she had ever learned on the street was to never give the appearance of uncertainty; that opened the door for others to try to steer your actions. And Roni always wanted to be the one doing the steering.

Want to find out which way Dee steers Roni? Grab your copy at the link below. Happy reading! 😊

Bound by the Summer Prince

#APC #Spotlight: The Naïve Princess: An Electric Eclectic Book By C.A. Keith!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got C.A. Keith in my APC spotlight, today! C.A. is an active and supportive member of the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group and her young adult, fairy tale, fantasy, folktale, coming of age novel, The Naive Princess, looks great! Here's the description:

This all ages story is not just another Princess in a castle story. Beatrice, Bee for short, grew up protected in a castle. At 21 she is desperate to find out about the world around her. What happens when she finds out she is not who she thinks she is? How will she handle the modern day world when she grew up sheltered in a castle. This story will remind us all, how we take life for granted.

If you think this sounds like something you might enjoy, go ahead and grab your copy here:

Thank you all so much for stopping by! Happy reading! :-)

#Agent Thoth's #Personal Log: Day 1295

Hey Everyone! 😊

Agent Thoth discusses more of the trials and tribulations associated with living with hominids. Incidentally, if you've missed Agent Thoth's earlier entries, you can find them here: Thoth's Journal

Department for the Preservation and Confirmation of Intelligent Life (DPCIL)

Agent Thoth's Personal Log

Day Twelve-Hundred-Ninety-Five:

Thus far, the plot against my hominid-servant does not seem to be moving forward. The two conspirators are still avoiding each other, and there are no signs of any reconciliation. My hominid-servant, of course, remains blissfully unaware of how close she came to peril. I will continue to monitor the situation with interest; however, I begin to fear that my hopes for an ongoing source of entertainment will be sorely disappointed.

Drat! Foiled again. 😉 You may have noticed that Agent Thoth has a new look. I hope you like his new picture as much as I do, but I'd love to hear your thoughts, either way. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments. 😉 Happy reading, everyone!

Building Bridges...

Hey Everyone!! :-)

Here's a little bit more of the third installment in the Petri Dish Chronicles! As always, the disclaimer is that this is a draft and, as such, it's unedited and likely full of errors and is subject to revision, revamping, and being completely scrapped and rewritten. But, with that in mind, I'm reasonably satisfied with the basics of it, at least at the moment, or I wouldn't have bothered posting it. Enjoy! :-)

Excerpt from Shifting Paradigms:

“Alright, then what’s next? Because this,” she waved at the organized chaos of the market, “isn’t going to help me do what you want me to do.”

Vlad’s eyebrows lifted. “We don’t know what will help you do what I want you to do, Per Dish, because we don’t how such a bridge will work or how to coax your mind into forming it. But if this doesn’t seem to be aiding your efforts, we can move on.”

Petri looked at her friends, who both looked uncomfortable, and once more at the frenetic action they were on the periphery of. Turning away, she said, “Yeah, this isn’t helping. Let’s go somewhere else.”

“As you wish. Do you have somewhere in mind?”

Shaking her head, Petri sighed. “No. I don’t know what will help.”

“Perhaps somewhere quiet?”

“Yeah. Sure. That sounds good.”

Something Worth Watching?

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm back today with another video I wanted to share. Two, actually. These are both prime examples of why corporate media can't be trusted. Noam Chomsky really was correct when he wrote Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. Peace!

Chickenless #Soup #Recipe!

 

Hey Everyone!! :-)

This is a delicious, easy to make soup that will make you not miss the chicken. Enjoy! :-)

Ingredients:
6 cups chickenless broth (Chickenless Broth Recipe)
4 onions chopped
2 carrots chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 cup broccoli florets chopped
8 cloves garlic minced
2 cups cooked potatoes, rice, quinoa, or uncooked pasta
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried basil
2 cups fresh parsley chopped
1 tbsp paprika (optional)
2 tbsp sriracha (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Put the olive oil, onions, carrots, and celery in a soup pot and saute until the onions turn translucent and all the vegetables soften. Add the garlic and dried seasonings and continue to saute until the onions start to caramelize. Add the remaining ingredients except for your chosen starch and the broccoli. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes. Add your starch and the broccoli and continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve piping hot with a side of crusty bread.

As an alternative, you can use one of those poppable cans of biscuit dough that you find in the refrigerated section of your grocery store to make chickenless dumpling soup. Just cut or tear the dough into 1-inch pieces and add it when you add the broccoli. Once the dough is cooked, stir in 1 cup of heavy cream and remove the soup from the heat.

Bon appetit!

#Animal #Rescuer's #Guide To #Staying ( #Relatively ) #Sane! #Free! :-)

 

Hey Everyone!! 😊

Just a reminder, for those who haven't checked it out yet, I've collected all my animal rescue/care posts together and published them as a small book.  If you'd like, you can download the book for free from Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, Kobo, and iTunes.

Amazon

Smashwords

iTunes

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Thanks for stopping in today, and don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)

#APC #Spotlight: Beauty Is The Beast: Beasts Among Us - Book 1 by Jennifer Zamboni!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got Jennifer Zamboni in my APC spotlight, today! Jennifer is an active and supportive member of the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group and her paranormal, werewolf, urban fantasy, fairy tale, shape-shifter novel, Beauty is the Beast, looks great! Here's the description:

Gretchen is a 24-year-old-hairstylist with secrets: She likes to chase squirrels and howl at the moon. She’s also not really 24.

When one of her coworkers turns up dead in the salon, she suspects that the murderer isn’t entirely human. When another stylist is murdered, and then another, she goes on the prowl. A circus with a secret side show catches her attention, as does her former pack, and a group of visiting vampires.

Her only outlet is her music, but that will only keep her wolf on a leash for so long with a killer on the loose.

If you think this sounds like something you might enjoy, go ahead and grab your copy here:

Thank you all so much for stopping by! Happy reading! :-)