Who Is Mistral Dawn?

Mistral Dawn is a thirty-something gal who has lived on both coasts of the US but somehow never in the middle. She currently resides in the Southeast US with her kitty cats (please spay or neuter! :-)) where she works as a hospital drudge and attends graduate school. Taken By The Huntsman is her first effort at writing fiction and if it is well received she has ideas for several more novels and short-stories in this series. Please feel free to visit her on FaceBook or drop her a line at mistralkdawn@gmail.com

Friday, September 30, 2016

#NewRelease #Announcement: The Nightmare Birds By Amie Irene Winters!



Hey Everyone!! :-)

Amie Irene Winters is back today to give us a few more details about her new release novel, The Nightmare Birds. Amie, take it away! :-)

Amie:
Title: The Nightmare Birds
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Horror
Series: Book II in the Strange Luck series (can be read as a standalone title)
Pages: 248

Description: Only those who possess wild eyes, an impulsive heart, and a wandering spirit hunt for the Theater of Secrets--and once they witness the darkest of magic, they don't return.

It promises to change your life forever--but is the mysterious Theater of Secrets legend or something more? Tasked to answer that very question, Daisy Darling sets out to uncover the truth and is thrown headlong into a life where inexplicably strange and dark things happen nightly. A life of deception and uncertainty. A life in the spotlight as the theater's ringleader.

As Daisy assumes her new role, she not only discovers a surprising connection between herself and the previous ringleader, but also the haunting truth behind the theater's limitless power. Determined to expose the theater and foil its wicked plan, Daisy must first embrace her heritage before she can defeat the dark forces at play.

Buy Links:
Kindle
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound
Books-A-Million
Book Depository



Thursday, September 29, 2016

#APC #Spotlight: Cloak Of Shadows By C. K. Dawn!


Hey Everyone!! :-)

Today, C. K. Dawn is in my APC spotlight!  C.K. is an active and supportive member of  the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group, and Cloak of Shadows is the first book in her Netherwalker series! Here's the description:
What if all you've ever known of King Arthur's legend was a lie to mislead you from the truth? What if Camelot truly existed, but was destroyed to keep its secrets? And, what if there were descendants of the Knights of the Round Table defending us today from the creatures that lurk within the shadows? If the gloaming came looking for you would you answer its call?

Fourteen year old Abigail Thorne answered the gloaming and it turned her life upside down. Along with her mentor Lourdes Reese, a seasoned hunter in the King's Court, they banish the evil shadows while most dociles sleep in their beds. Fighting hidden creatures that feed on humans, glimpsing fractures that lead to another world, and wielding magical weapons all before geometry? That's a normal day for Abbey now, and she loves every minute of it. As for Lourdes Reese, she has unique abilities that can't be explained and is the best hunter the King's Court has seen in over a thousand years. Abbey and Lourdie have no idea that being sent to Britain will unleash a chain of events that will change everything and everyone they love forever.

A life will be lost, a life will be taken, and an unexpected new romance will emerge all while the fate of two worlds balances on the edge of a hunter's blade.
Wow! Sounds great to me! :-) If you're interested, you can grab your copy here:


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



Wednesday, September 28, 2016

#Agent Thoth's #Personal Log: Day 322


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 Three-Hundred-Twenty-Two:
I have been keeping a faithful watch from the glass portals to observe the behavior of the treacherous white substance. After my ignominious rescue from my initial excursion to examine this new phenomenon, I thought it incumbent upon me to transmit as much information as possible so other DPCIL agents won't fall prey to its trickery.

For one thing, being called upon for assistance apparently brings out the most insufferable behavior in hominids. Since she aided me in my distress, my hominid-servant has kept up a steady stream of patronizing comments and non-serious threats made in jest. It is irritating, but I am grateful to her, so I tolerate it. Besides, sometimes she lets important information slip without realizing it.

During one of these bouts of teasing, she playfully threatened to "feed" me to the white substance. I was not alarmed, because I know she depends on me far too much to carry through with such a course of action, but I did find it interesting to know that the substance is alive and so needs to take in nutrition. I have yet to catch it doing so, however.

I have noted that at random intervals it causes flakes of itself to fall from the sky. These flakes dance and drift through the air, as though trying to entice one to chase them. Never before has my hominid-servant's inability to comprehend clearly expressed language been more frustrating!

Since it is obvious she has information about this odd creature, I would very much like to question her! I believe it is likely she could clear up a great many mysteries if she could only be induced to divulge what she knows. For creatures who spend much of their time verbalizing, hominids seem to actually say very little, in the final analysis.

I must confess, if I hadn't experienced what it was like to be surrounded by the white substance, I would be tempted to escape my domicile in order to chase the flakes myself.  Perhaps this is the way the creature lures its prey?  More study will be needed to confirm or disprove this hypothesis.



I think Agent Thoth may have discovered our secret. ;-)  Now that you've all gotten to know him a bit, I was wondering what your opinions might be as to how he looks?  The poll to decide his breed is in, and the consensus seems to be that he is a Maine Coon.  Now you all need to tell me what color he is. Again, I'll put a poll up on the side of this blog to pick his color and I hope you'll all weigh in. Once we've got the particulars settled, I'll look for a picture to match. :-)

To vote in a poll, either vote directly or comment with your vote on any Agent Thoth post with your choice for his color. :-)  Happy reading!



Tuesday, September 27, 2016

A Twist On A Classic! :-)



Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm back today with my take on a yummy, classic dish.  I don't know about you, but one of my favorite things in the world is gravy.  Now, like other dishes, I prefer my gravy without meat. So, I played around a bit and found a way to make stroganoff, one of my favorite gravies, without beef! :-) Take a look and see what you think.

Mushroom Stroganoff
1-2 14oz package(s) white button (whole or sliced) mushrooms cleaned
1 14oz package of baby bellas cleaned
1 14oz package of shitake mushrooms cleaned
2 medium onions chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 cup vegetarian worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon soy sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
2-3 tablespoons of sour cream
Salt, pepper, and parsley to taste

Put all the ingredients except the sour cream and parsley in a crockpot. Turn the crockpot on high for 5-6 hours. Stir in the sour cream and parsley. Serve over egg noodles, potatoes, rice, or any other starch you enjoy.


Yep, that's it!  Another lazy cook's dream. Like most of my recipes, to be honest. If you don't have or don't like any of the types of mushrooms I listed, you can change up the mushrooms to whatever you prefer. You can also use canned mushrooms if that's what you have on hand.  Also, and I didn't know this until recently, you can get chopped, frozen onions from a lot of grocery stores, so that might be another time saver if you don't like to chop onions.

The flavor of the frozen onions isn't quite as strong as fresh onions, and they are mushy even before cooking, but if you're in a time pinch or don't have any onions in the house they might be an option for you.  If you have the time, and you use fresh onions, you can caramelize the onions in a skillet before putting them in the crockpot. This will add more flavor and deepen the color of the stroganoff. Just put them in a skillet with the butter and olive oil and cook them until they caramelize. If you add the paprika to the onions in the skillet, it will help develop the flavor of the spice a bit. Add the garlic when the onions are almost done and then put the contents of the skillet in the crockpot and deglaze the skillet with the wine.

If you don't like alcohol or don't have any wine in the house, you can use 1/4 cup red wine vinegar instead. There are also things you can add to this stroganoff to make it richer or to get more vegetables in your diet.  I've found green, leafy vegetables tend to make broths richer, so you can add spinach, kale, or even broccoli if you'd like.  You can also add carrots for some sweetness and/or peas for color. If your stroganoff is a little runny, you can make a slurry by mixing a little cornstarch with cold water and stir that in to thicken it up.

Bon appetit! :-)


Monday, September 26, 2016

For Those Who Didn't Catch It... ;-)


Hey Everyone!! :-)

For those of you who don't know, I was interviewed on a radio show a couple of weeks ago.  If you didn't catch it live and you'd like to hear what we found to chat about, you can listen to the interview here:



During the interview, listeners were able to submit questions via Twitter. You can still tweet at me, if you'd like, but if you have any questions also feel free to leave them in the comments of this post and I'll try to answer them ASAP.  Thanks for stopping by today!!! :-)


Rainbow Dreams





Sunday, September 25, 2016

#Interview With Amie Irene Winters


Hey Everyone!!

Amie Irene Winters is joining us today to talk about her new book, The Nightmare Birds! Amie, can you tell us about yourself and how many books you have written?

Amie: I’m a writer by day, kickboxer by night. I’m a sucker for spooky things, geeky movies, and super cute animals. I’m also the author of the Strange Luck series.

Me:  Sounds like you're busy!  What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?

Amie:  The Nightmare Birds is the newest YA Horror story in the Strange Luck series. It's about Daisy Darling's quest to uncover the truth about the mysterious Theater of Secrets - long thought a dark legend by many, but known as a frightening reality to those who truly know its powers. Only the invited may find it and once they do, they cannot go back. What Daisy doesn’t know is that this mystery will forever change her life and her future.  I’ve always loved the concept of the supernatural creeping into the real world, especially stories with dark magic and unseen monsters (I’m a big H.P. Lovecraft fan). A mythic circus operating beneath a bustling city seemed like the perfect setting to invite strange and peculiar things.

Me: It does sound like a great setting! :-) What are you working on now?

Amie: Book III in the series. There will be lots more dark magic and strange things creeping into the light (*insert evil laugh here). Stay tuned for details.

Me: Ha! Sounds great! :-)  What authors, or books, have influenced you?

Amie:  H.P Lovecraft is my favorite author of all time. Not only was he an amazing writer, he seemed like a really neat, and peculiar, person. Simone de Beauvoir is my favorite philosopher. She was an exceptional feminist, thinker, and author. Last but not least, Neil Gaiman. He’s been a major influence on my writing and I would love to pick the brain of someone so imaginative.

Me: Some great authors there. If you haven't already, you might also want to check out Kurt Vonnegut. It sounds like he'd be right up your alley. ;-)  What are you reading now?

Amie:  I just finished reading A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and started reading Gulliver’s Travels.

Me: Two of my favorites! :-)  For those who might consider reading your book, what would you tell them to expect?

Amie: Suspense, magic, mystery, and limitless possibilities.

Me: Cool!  What is your favorite part of being an author?

Amie: The freedom to be creative.

Me. Yeah, that is really fun. :-)  Do you have a day job as well?

Amie: For the past year I’ve been writing books full-time. Prior, I worked in various industries like corporate communications, grant writing, and sustainability initiatives for governmental agencies.

Me: That's wonderful! Congratulations! :-) What are the hardest and easiest parts about being a writer?

Amie:  Writer’s block is definitely the most difficult thing about being an author. Neil Gaiman put it perfectly when he said, "This is how you do it: You sit at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it's done. It's that easy, and that hard." These are certainly some words to live by and I am constantly fine-tuning my process and figuring out what works best for me. As far as the easiest thing, probably the freedom of the job. I can literally sit and work in my PJ’s and eat ice cream.

Me: I think I'd have to agree with both of those. :-)  What genre do you place your book in?

Amie: YA, Fantasy, Horror.

Me: Wonderful! Is there anything else you'd like to tell your readers?

Amie: If you’ve read my book(s), I’d love to hear what you think! Please visit amieirenewinters.com and shoot me an email or post a review and send me the link.

Me: Amen! And so these fine folks can find your books, are there any links you'd like me to post?

Connect:
Website: http://www.amieirenewinters.com

Blog: http://golden-cricket.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/aiwinters

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AmieIWinters

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/amieiwinters


Buy Links:
Amazon: The Nightmare Birds (Strange Luck Book 2)

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Amie%20Irene%20Winters%22;jsessionid=719141F1DD6FFC42D8BFA5927C70220A.prodny_store02-atgap05?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall

Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6695440343344&type=author&query=Amie%20Irene%20Winters

Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/author/Amie-Irene-Winters

Me: Perfect! Thank you so much for stopping by today, Amie! And thank you to everyone else for joining us. And don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)



Saturday, September 24, 2016

#Spooktacular #Giveaway! $100 #Cash #Grand #Prize! #Free To #Enter!


Hey Everyone!! :-)

This is a reminder to take a moment and look through the the Fall Spooktacular Author Giveaway!!  You can enter to win lots of awesome books and prizes!! :-)  It's free to enter, there are over 100 prizes, and the grand prize is $100 cash payable through PayPal!! :-)  Now isn't that worth taking a few minutes to check out? ;-)   Here are all the details:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  And don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)





Friday, September 23, 2016

#IndieBooksBeSeen #IndieClue #Game!


Hey Everyone!!

Mark Shaw, the founder of the #IndieBooksBeSeen hashtag and group, has a some information about a new game with awesome prizes that he's promoting. Mark, take it away! :-)

Mark:


Thursday, September 22, 2016

#APC #Spotlight: The Running Game By L.E. Fitzpatrick!



Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got L.E. Fitzpatrick in my APC spotlight, today!  L.E. is an active and supportive member of  the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group, and her cyberpunk science fiction novel, The Running Game, sounds like a fun read! Here's the description:
In war-torn London, a deadly game is about to begin.
Rachel’s father called it the running game. Count the exits, calculate the routes. Always be ready to run because they’ll always be coming for you. Whatever happens, they’ll always be coming for you.
On the surface, Rachel is just an ordinary doctor, but she has a secret. Rachel is a Reacher – wanted by the government and by the criminal underworld – for her telekinetic powers. Charlie and his brother John had a reputation for doing the impossible. But after losing his family, Charlie is a broken mess and John is barely keeping him afloat.
In desperation, they take a job from a ruthless gang lord only to discover the girl they are hunting is a Reacher – one of their own kind. James Roxton, a conman and thief, is searching for the man who tried to kill his mother. Suddenly embroiled in the plan to kidnap Rachel, he decides he can turn things to his own advantage.
But even with the help of dangerous and dubious allies, can Rachel turn the game around and save herself?
I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty exciting to me! If you're interested, you can grab your copy here:


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



Wednesday, September 21, 2016

#Agent Thoth's #Personal Log: Day 319


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 Three-Hundred-Nineteen:
I looked out one of the glass portals today and noticed that the ground outside the domicile had been completely covered in a mysterious white substance. After checking all of the other portals and confirming that the ground was similarly covered outside all of them, I knew I needed to arrange another escape to investigate this strange phenomenon. All that I needed to do was decide on how best to evade the well-meaning attempts of my hominid-servant to prevent my leaving the domicile.

I once again used the expedient method of rushing out of the door when she opened it. Though, this had proved effective in the past, I was thwarted on this occasion by my own reaction to the shocking sensation of the white substance. It's cold! And wet!

After only a couple of steps, I found myself completely surrounded and engulfed by the cold, wet material. On first observation, it appears to be a solid surface, but it is treacherous and one sinks into it when one tries to walk on it. It covered me up to my shoulders and the cold wetness penetrated my fur. My paws felt frozen after just a few seconds and it was with great relief that I saw my hominid-servant coming to rescue me from my terrible predicament.



Shocking! ;-)  Now that you've all gotten to know Agent Thoth a bit, I was wondering what your opinions might be as to how he looks?  Is he long-haired? Short-haired? Somewhere in the middle?  Is he a particular breed of kitty or is he a moggy?  What color is he?  I'll be putting up polls on the side of this blog to pick various aspects of his appearance and I hope you'll all weigh in. Once we've got the particulars settled, I look for a picture to match. :-)

To vote in a poll, either vote directly or comment with your vote on any Agent Thoth post with your choice of the trait being voted on at that time. :-)  Happy reading!



Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Is This The End? ;-)



Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm back today with another short peek at what Petri Dish is getting up to. Enjoy! :-)

Excerpt from book two in the Petri Dish Chronicles:
Once again, the weight of the aliens' minds pressed against her. But this time, it wasn't a single finger of thought trying to worm its way past the outer barriers of her mind. Instead, it was an enveloping pressure that seemed to be trying to compress her brain into a space half its size.

Gripping her head in her hands, Petri shrieked, "Stop!"

"Can you not defend yourself, child?" asked the third voice.

Petri fell to her knees, trying to evade the vice-grip on her head. But it followed her. She felt a wet sensation on her cheeks and reached up to touched it. Her fingers came away red with the blood that was leaking from her eyes. The metallic scent of it filled her nose and mouth making her gag. Moaning, Petri collapsed onto her side and shuddered with the pain. She knew then she was going to die.


Wow! Sounds like Petri is in trouble again! Do you think she's right?  Is this the end? Or will she find a way to save herself?  I can't wait until this book is done so we can all find out! ;-)


Monday, September 19, 2016

Do You Like #Free #Books? ;-)


Hey Everyone!! :-)

Do you like free books? ;-)  This is the last week for you to get a great one and all it will take is a couple of seconds!  The fabulous and talented Julie Nicholls has submitted her new young adult novel, Dragon Moon, to the Kindle Scout program.  If you vote for her book and it's accepted, you'll get a free copy when it's published!  The best part?  It's completely free to vote and just takes a couple of seconds! I'll let Julie take over from here and tell you all about it. :-)

Julie:
 Hey peeps!!

First of all, thank you to Mistral for letting me take over her blog once more! This lady is the muts nuts! I know you’ve already seen a sneaky peek from my latest novel, Dragon Moon, but I thought you’d like another. *grins* If you haven’t already checked out the link to Amazon’s Kindle Scout, to nominate Dragon Moon, it would be great if you could. You can read the first 5k of this Young Adult Fantasy, and then decide if it’s worth you taking the time to press that button that says, “nominate”
On the plus side, you will receive this book FREE if I get the publishing contract with Kindle Scout, so we both get a prize!!

Here’s the link to nominate: DragonMoon 



and here’s another sneaky peek!

“How far is Havelena?”
“About an hour’s ride that way,” Dizelli points in the opposite direction to the mountains, “through the forest. Why?”
“I think we should pay Lord Ithel a visit.”
Dizelli’s interest is piqued and she leans forward. “What is your plan?”
“I don’t have one, but I think we should meet up with him and have a chat.”
“I will come with you,” Nia says.
It speaks!
I turn to look at Nia and for the first time since I met her, she is smiling.
Dizelli sits back in her chair. “We need Elyan and his warriors to escort us,” she says. “Irisa, go and find him. Tell him I wish to speak with him urgently.”
“Yes, Dizelli.” Irisa answers, and then leaves in a breeze.
“Do you think Elyan will go with us?” I ask.
“Yes. Do not worry.”
After a short time, there’s a rush of air as the door flies open. Elyan blusters in and stands with his hands on his hips, glaring at us. He arrived awfully quick. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was listening at the door.
“Why am I summoned?”
“We want to ride to Havelena and need an escort,” Dizelli says. “Do you have the time to ride with us or not?”
Elyan frowns. “Why are you going there? What madness is this?”
“No madness. I want to meet Lord Ithel,” I say as I push the chair away and stand up. “But if you’re too busy, we can manage.”
I can’t lie; he is good looking, but he’s got a bit of an attitude with women. That’s possibly why Nia is always so miserable. I’m glad he’s not my brother.
“Very well, but we must hurry. It will be dark in a short time. We do not want to be caught in the forest at night.” He turns to leave and shouts over his shoulder. “I will prepare the horses. Be outside and ready shortly.”
“Isn’t he a bossy one.” I say.
“It is the way of the men. It makes them feel important.” Dizelli chuckles. “But we only let them think they are in charge, do we not?”
“Oh, yes! My mother always has the last word in our house. I feel sorry for my dad sometimes. She can be a right nag when she’s of a mind.”
Again I’m wondering about my mam and dad. What will they be thinking? That I ran off in the night or that someone came in and kidnapped me?
I can see Dizelli looking up at me from under a frowning brow. I think she knows more than she lets on.
“We’d better get outside then. We don’t want to give Elyan a reason to be snippety, do we?”
It’s not long before Elyan returns with four of his warriors and spare horses. They’re not the nags we rode earlier; I’m not sure I’m going to like this. Gluteus Maximus I and his buddy, Gluteus Maximus II, are already tensing at the thought of sitting in a saddle for another couple of hours. I’ll need some serious help later to soothe away the aches and I’m thinking Vanillium might help.
“Let us go. We have a hard ride ahead,” Elyan snaps.
Before I have the chance to offer a comeback, he’s already spun his horse and is heading for the eastern gate..




Sunday, September 18, 2016

#September2016 #IndieBooksBeSeen #Indie #Author #Books #Monthly #BookReview!



Hey Everyone!! :-)

It's September 18th, so I'm back with my monthly #IndieBooksBeSeen indie author book review! Enjoy! :-)

Subnormal by Stuart Kenyon:

Imagine a world where no one questions authority and everyone complies with even the most egregious violations of basic human rights.  The government has absolute control over the people, and even questioning why things are the way they are is enough to make someone "disappear."  Scary, right? And yet...not so far-fetched, is it?  Looking around the world today, it's not difficult to see how close we are to such a world.  And that's the point.

Paul is a young man living in England who has Asperger's syndrome. He's incredibly intelligent and has a prodigious memory, but he doesn't quite fit in with the rest of society. Even so, with just a little support he's able to function in the world, and is even pursuing higher education.  Then, when a devastating loss leads to a relatively minor incident, Paul is ripped away from his life, given a classification of "subnormal," and locked away with other people who didn't fit into the government's vision of a utopian society for one reason or another.

What's worse, not all of those people even realize how badly they've been treated. But when people start to wake up, Paul and his friends are ready to lead an uprising. Unfortunately, the entire government is against them and it's hard to fight when even talking about resistance is a crime.  It's up to Paul and a handful of other "subnormals" to find a way to push back the tide of authoritarianism and save their country.

I loved this book for a number of reasons. First, I think the author did an outstanding job of developing the characters into individual people who I felt like I really got to know and like or dislike. I also think Mr. Kenyon did a good job of presenting Asperger's syndrome and autism as complex conditions that are unique in every individual case.

But, also, I think the topic that Subnormal tackles is both timely and important. The book is set in England, but as an American I see many of the same things that Mr. Kenyon covered in his story.  Of course, there was the infamous "Brexit" vote that made world headlines and is just one example of a growing isolationist tendency among authoritarian leaders.  But the same thing can be observed in American politics too. Mr. Trump and his demand for "a wall" and the amount of support that the idea of banning Muslims from entering the US seems to have. In a country that was founded by people fleeing religious persecution and which canonized the principle of religious freedom in its Constitution!  It seems utterly surreal, and yet it's all over the news.

Then there was the obvious sense of entitlement felt by the politicians. They seemed to believe that they deserved power and obedience, and anyone who didn't give it to them was not only wrong, they were a traitor. It was reminiscent of the connotations that the word "heretic" carried when the Catholic church still burned people for the offense. But I see some of the same attitudes in today's politicians.

Ms. Clinton's assertion that anyone who voted for Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary would have to automatically vote for her, and so she had no need to court their votes by representing their interests. And the collusion of mainstream media by the slanting of facts to bolster Ms. Clinton's campaign and refusing to cover things that might be damaging to her.  The shaming that many of her supporters try to do against those who say they would prefer to vote for a third-party candidate instead of Ms. Clinton. Implying that those third-party voters somehow owe their votes to Ms. Clinton even if the voters feel she has failed to earn them.  This is all just a lesser degree of the same problem.

Subnormal is a dystopian version of the logical conclusion of the direction politics seems to be heading today.  It provides a vivid description of just how an authoritarian government could seize control of a populace and force conformity and obedience by suppressing dissent, controlling information through control of the media, and eliminating anyone who doesn't submit.  It's a warning, on par with George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous Huxley's A Brave New World, and I hope very much that people will both read it and heed it.  Five stars and I'd give it six if I could. Well done, Mr. Kenyon, and I look forward to reading the rest of your series.




In Times Of Violence by Karina Kantas:

This book was an interesting and relatively quick read about a motorcycle gang and the different ways that joining it impacted a young woman's life. It follows both her and those she grows to care for, ending with a much more grown up look on life than the character starts with. It is a love story, but it is also a story of wanting desperately to belong and not knowing how. Finally, it is a story of a young woman coming of age in a world where there is no longer a way to know if you have truly come of age and her decisions to find a way to make her life seem as though it mattered and find a family she understood. It is a good book and I would recommend it for those looking for drama or adventure of the more realistic kind.




The Twins by R. G. Miller:

Two young girls from Shreveport, LA have their lives shattered on the night of their thirteenth birthday, when they are forced to watch their parents be tortured and murdered in front of them and are then themselves brutally tortured. Anyone would find recovering from such an experience difficult, if not impossible, and the twins, Stacey and Jannifer, are no exception. Years after that horrific night, they embark on a killing spree through New York City and it's up to Isis Williams, a jaded NYPD detective, to track down the killers. But Isis finds that sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted when her beloved niece gets tangled up in the crime. Will she be able to find the evidence she needs to bring the twins to justice before her niece is convicted of a crime she didn't commit? You'll have to read to find out.

I wanted to like this book. I heard the author talking on a radio show about this novel and based on his description I couldn't wait to read it. The premise is interesting, which is why I gave it three stars, but the execution is severely lacking. First, there are quite a few typos and some incorrect word usage. But that could be fixed by a good proofreader, and so isn't that big a deal. What really disappointed me about this book was an endless stream of stereotypes and cliches. Just when I thought a character might turn out to be interesting, someone I'd like to get to know better, the author would insert some stereotype and I'd be rolling my eyes again. I still think this book has the potential to be amazing, but the author would have to do a bit more research and give his characters some individuality, rather than relying on tired formulas for a "type" of person.




On The Job Training by Jordan Buchanan:

Can an office romance work? Especially, when it's with your boss? That's a question Laura is going to find the answer to...after she and her employer, John, manage to get the sparks between them under control. But before that can happen, they stumble upon a mystery that might affect their ability to stay in business at all!

This is the first installment in a serial story, so it's pretty short and ends in a cliffhanger. In spite of its brevity, there's a lot of heat in these pages, which makes it a fun and exciting read. Though I generally consider cliffhangers to be annoying, this story makes it clear that it's written in serial form. Also, the characters are interesting and relatable, the story is fun, and the plot moves at a good pace. So, I'll forgive the ending. Five stars and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!




Saturday, September 17, 2016

#Spooktacular #Giveaway! $100 #Cash #Grand #Prize! #Free To #Enter!


Hey Everyone!! :-)

Welcome to the the Fall Spooktacular Author Giveaway!!  You can enter to win lots of awesome books and prizes!! :-)  It's free to enter, there are over 100 prizes, and the grand prize is $100 cash payable through PayPal!! :-)  Now isn't that worth taking a few minutes to check out? ;-)   Here are all the details:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  And don't forget to check back tomorrow for the next installment of Mistral Dawn's Musings! :-)





Friday, September 16, 2016

#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.



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


Thursday, September 15, 2016

#APC #Spotlight: Tissue Of Lies By Carole Parkes!



Hey Everyone!! :-)

Today, I've got Carole Parkes in my APC spotlight, today!  Carole. is an active and supportive member of  the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group, and her suspense thriller novel, Tissue Of Lies, sounds really exciting! Here's the description:
Julie Simpson had always suspected the dear couple who'd raised her were not her real parents. To her horror, she discovers her fears are well founded. Even worse, this couple took part in her abduction when she'd been just a baby. Julie longs to find out the truth, but she’s reluctant to start anything which might result in her mum and dad being prosecuted for their part in stealing her. She still loves them and wants to protect them.
Ultimately, the need to know her origin wins. Secretly, she seeks out her real parents and forms a relationship with them, but owing to the necessity to safeguard her mum and dad, it's a relationship formed on lies.
Julie's husband, John, who's in on the secret, fears there is something odd about her new-found parents. Her birth mother, Jeanette, particularly strikes him as being insincere, but the uncanny resemblance between her and his wife Julie quickly dispels his fears. As the relationship deepens, John soon forgets his initial worries.
Perhaps he would have been wiser to heed his instincts for all is not as it seems. There is something odd about Jeanette. Her husband Arthur notices her changing, yet even he is totally ignorant of the conniving lengths she’s prepared to go to wreak her revenge.
Surprisingly, her revenge is not meant for her daughter's abductors. There is another even older score that she wishes to settle. It’s a tale of lies, deceit, greed, revenge and much more.
Interested? You can grab your copy here:


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



Wednesday, September 14, 2016

#Agent Thoth's #Personal Log: Day 312


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 Three-Hundred-Twelve:
In an attempt to compromise with my hominid-servant, I have decided to attempt to complete at least some of my studies by observing the outside world through the clear, glass portals in walls of my domicile. I thought this would please her since she reacted so dramatically to the one research excursion I have so far been able to make. But she does not seem to be pleased.

Oh, she is quite happy for me to sit on the ledges of the glass portals, and she has not made any attempt to disrupt my concentration or interfere with my recordings. But the ledges are quite narrow and it's not comfortable to spend excessive amounts of time sitting on them. She has placed horizontal platforms of appropriate height near enough to several of the glass portals for them to make convenient observation posts, but she becomes incensed when I clear these platforms to make room for myself and my instruments.

I know that she cannot see my instruments, as I always keep them cloaked as per protocol, but I still do not consider the severity of her reaction to be reasonable. On several occasions, she has even gone so far as to shove me off the platforms, which causes unacceptable disruptions to my observations, and to scold me for displacing the objects that should not have been obstructing my platforms to begin with! Truly, hominid behavior can be utterly impossible to understand.


Poor Agent Thoth, having to deal with those dense hominids! ;-)  Now that you've all gotten to know him a bit, I was wondering what your opinions might be as to how he looks?  Is he long-haired? Short-haired? Somewhere in the middle?  Is he a particular breed of kitty or is he a moggy?  What color is he?  I'll be putting up polls on the side of this blog to pick various aspects of his appearance and I hope you'll all weigh in. Once we've got the particulars settled, I look for a picture to match. :-)

To vote in a poll, either vote directly or comment with your vote on any Agent Thoth post with your choice of the trait being voted on at that time. :-)  Happy reading!


Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Is That A #Fact?


Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm back with another post about politics today. You knew the hiatus wouldn't last, didn't you? ;-)

The other day I was speaking with a neighbor who happens to be a Trump supporter. I, frankly, find this unfathomable. How could anyone support a racist, misogynist, narcissistic moron like Donald Trump?  Well, me being me, I asked my neighbor that question. And I found the answer to be both disturbing and thought-provoking.

Don't misunderstand, much of my neighbor's answer was pretty close to what I would have expected.  I live in a rural part of the southeast and many forms of bigotry--racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc--are still common, blatant, and socially acceptable.  Which is frightening in the 21st century but true, nevertheless.

And, no, I'm not implying that the same forms of bigotry don't exist in other parts of the country, because they do.  But I've lived in several parts of the United States and, while prejudice exists all over, it tends to be more flagrant and tolerated in more isolated areas, like where I currently live, than it is in more cosmopolitan areas.   Also, my neighbor is a little older than I am, and so part of a generation where bigotry is even more common and acceptable than it is in the general population.  All of which is just to say that a large part of my neighbor's answer centered around irrational railing against Muslims and Mexicans.  But not all of it.

I understand some people may think that I'm belittling the problems caused by bigotry or dismissing how disturbing it is that such a large part of the US population still holds such views. That's not my intent at all. I've written several posts on my thoughts about why it's so difficult to eradicate prejudice and why people insist on clinging to ideas that are so obviously not supported by evidence and are equally obviously harmful. Prejudice is a serious, far-reaching, multifaceted issue that has been the subject of debate by people far wiser than me. I don't in any way mean to underplay how important it is to combat bigotry, but it's not the focus of this post.

What I would like to focus on for this discussion are the two parts of my neighbor's answer that stood out because they didn't center around bigotry, and which I still found disturbing on several levels.  First, my neighbor said that Donald Trump's commitment to promoting the coal industry was appealing.  And they also said that Donald Trump's opposition to the TPP and trade agreements was appealing.

Now, the area I live in has traditionally been coal country, so my neighbor's concerns about the coal industry are understandable. A substantial portion of the local economy is tied to coal mining, and mining companies are some of the largest employers for miles around.  So my neighbor's answer makes sense in that regard.

But I felt my neighbor was ignoring something obvious when they spoke about coal, so I pointed it out. Coal mining has many deleterious effects on the environment, both in the actual mining of it and in the disproportionate amount of carbon emissions produced by the burning of it for energy.(1)  Given the effect these emissions have on climate change(2), the dangerous consequences of which we are already experiencing and which will only get worse(3), it is imperative that the use of coal as an energy source be phased out as quickly as possible!

My neighbor's response to this argument is what I found troubling. At first, my neighbor conceded that climate change is a problem, but they consider the effect of mining regulations and mine closures  on local employment opportunities to be a bigger concern. Since the area I live in is largely economically depressed, and many people live paycheck to paycheck and are just one unexpected financial expenditure away from insolvency, it's understandable why my neighbor's priorities are what they are.

But when I pointed out that the development and implementation of green-energy alternatives will need a labor force as well.  And that, given the unsustainability of the coal industry, it would make more sense to work to attract developers of green technology to the area rather than hold on to companies that cannot continue to operate at the same level and in the same manner as in the past, that's when I became most concerned about my neighbor's answer.

My neighbor informed me that, "This is coal-country. And anyone who doesn't like it needs to leave." When I pointed out that climate change is a global crisis, and that it affects everyone everywhere, my neighbor informed me that people who were bothered by it would just have to go somewhere that wasn't affected.  Frankly, I was flabbergasted and again tried to explain that the only way to go somewhere that climate change doesn't affect would be to leave planet Earth. My neighbor's only response to this was a shrug.

Now, please understand. My neighbor is not a stupid person. Nor are they an evil person with no concern for anyone but themselves.  In spite of our many differences, my neighbor and I usually get along and have even helped each other on occasion.  That's why I find it so troubling that they seem to be incapable of comprehending what climate change is and that it is a problem that exists on a global scale, which no one on this planet can afford to ignore.  I'm not sure why this disconnect exists in an otherwise intelligent person, but it obviously does.

The other aspect of my neighbor's answer that I found most troubling, that they believe Donald Trump is opposed to the TPP and trade agreements, is another example of the same kind of disconnect.  I've already discussed my thoughts on the TPP and what I think Donald Trump's real position on it will turn out to be, and why, in my How Scary Is The TPP post, which you can read if you'd like to know more.  In short, if you believe that Donald Trump is opposed to trade agreements, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.

When I pointed out how unlikely it was that Trump, who exports most of the labor he uses to make his products, would actually be against the trade agreements that allow him to do so, my neighbor informed me that he makes 95% of his products in the US.  When I pointed out that that's simply untrue, that while some of his products are made in the US, the majority of them are manufactured in other countries, including China(4,5,6), the only response I got was another shrug and a statement that they and I will never agree about politics. The problem is, the points I raised weren't a matter of opinion, with which one might agree or disagree, they were a matter of fact. And facts don't require agreement. They simply are what they are.

As I said, my neighbor isn't a stupid person, in spite of this apparent vacation from reality, so I find their attitude baffling.  The only explanation I can think of is that it must be some type of personality cult phenomenon. This is speculation, of course. I'm not a psychologist and I can't read other people's minds. But I can't think of another reason why an otherwise intelligent person would ignore facts.

I've notice the same thing among supporters of Hillary Clinton who I've debated with. When I point out all the inconsistencies between her stated positions and what she actually does and all the flip-flops in her record, my debate opponent will often simply state that Bernie Sanders endorsed her. As if that's a drop-the-mike moment. It isn't.

While I certainly admire and respect Senator Sanders, and I'm willing to take into consideration his words and recommendations, that doesn't mean that I switch off my brain and follow blindly wherever he may lead.  I may listen when he speaks, but I will not necessarily obey. I'll take what he says under advisement, do my own research, and draw my own conclusions.

At least, I think that's what I do. It's what I've always tried to do. But this conversation with my neighbor has made me wonder where my own blind spots may be.  Have I simply accepted the statements of a supposed authority and assimilated them into my worldview as fact when they aren't?  I have to admit, I probably have. Which makes it important to constantly challenge my assumptions and continuously check that my views align with reality. And that's something I'll need to work on remembering.

At any rate, this experience has highlighted for me the importance of confirming or debunking through fact-checking what I hear in the media, reading all sides of any debate, and finding out not only what the experts in the relevant fields are saying, but why they are saying what they are saying and what data they are basing their conclusions on.  I'll continue to do that throughout this election and beyond, and I hope you'll do the same.  Hopefully, if we all put in a little more effort, as a society we can start acting based on facts, instead of reacting based on rhetoric.

References
(1)http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/?page=coal_environment
(2)https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases
(3)http://climate.nasa.gov/effects/
(4)http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/26/politics/trump-clothing-foreign-made/
(5)https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-decries-outsourced-labor-yet-he-didnt-seek-made-in-america-in-2004-deal/2016/03/13/4d65a43c-e63a-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html
(6)http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2016/jul/25/funny-or-die/fact-checking-funny-or-die-video-about-trump-brand/



Monday, September 12, 2016

Where Do #Titles Come From?



Hey Everyone!! :-)

It's September already, can you believe it? I can't. This year has been going by so fast it's making my head spin. I don't know about you, but when September rolls around I always consider it Fall. I know it isn't yet, technically, but I'm ready for the leaves to change and for the weather to get cooler. Fall is my favorite season and I always try to celebrate it.  Two years ago, in September, I published my first novel, Taken By The Huntsman, to celebrate the arrival of Fall. Taken By The Huntsman is the only book I've published so far that I haven't had to struggle to find a title for.  Below is one of several passages that made the title so easy to think of. If you've read the book, you know that "taken" has several different meanings in the context of the story, but here's the one that I think is the most fun. ;-)

Excerpt from Taken By The Huntsman:
“Have you ever been dominated in bed?”

She gasped in pleasure as his thigh found just the right spot. “Oh my god! I can’t think! What do you mean?”

“Have you ever allowed a lover to dictate to you in bed?”

“You mean obey orders?”

“Yes, or at least cooperate with direction.”

“No, I haven’t done that.”

“Will you allow me to do that tonight?” He traced his free hand over the front of her body, making leisurely circles around her breasts with his fingers.

She arched into his hand. “That’s not fair!" she gasped. "I don’t know what you mean. Oh my god, stop tormenting me and tell me what you want!”

Cadeyrn dipped down to taste her lips. “This is what I want. I want to hold you down and have my way with you. I want you to struggle if you wish, but I want you allow me to have this control. If you truly want me to stop for any reason, if something frightens you or it becomes too much or you are in pain, say the word ‘stad,’ and I will immediately stop. Otherwise, you may struggle and beg as you choose, but I will do as I please. Will you allow this? Do you agree?”

Cassie looked up at the male above her. She was so turned on she could barely breathe. Her thoughts were slow, but she knew he wanted her to give up all control to him. Looking at him, she knew absolutely that she could trust him. If she wanted him to stop, he would stop. If she really wanted him to let her go, he would. She knew that was true without question.

But she didn’t want him to stop. And she didn’t want him to let her go.



Sunday, September 11, 2016

One Thing I Always Look Forward To In #Fall



Hey Everyone!! :-)

I don't know about you, but one of the things I love about Fall are the warm, stick-to-your-ribs meals like chili.  Now, I know some of you might not agree, but I prefer my chili without meat.  One of my favorite meatless chilis is made with lentil beans and, today, I thought I'd share the recipe with you.  Now, be warned, I'm one of those "put a little in, taste it, add more if you need it and don't bother measuring" kind of cooks, so measurements for some things are approximate and might need adjustment. And I'll also offer suggestions for alternatives for some ingredients.

Lentil Chili Recipe:
12ozs dried, sorted lentil beans
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 diced large onion (white, yellow, or red)
3 chopped chili peppers
10-15 cloves minced garlic
2 tblspns extra virgin olive oil
1 12oz can kidney beans
1 12oz can black beans
1 12oz can corn
3 tblspns cumin
1 tblspn turmeric
1/2 cup red wine
3-4 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Put dried lentils, both cans of tomatoes, onion, chili peppers, garlic, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, wine, and water into a crockpot and turn on high for 4 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning and water as necessary, add kidney beans, black beans and corn, and cook for another 2-3 hours.  Taste, adjust seasoning as necessary, and serve.


Pretty easy recipe, right?  The lazy cook's dream. ;-)  Now, my crockpot is six quarts, so you might need to adjust amounts to accommodate your crockpot. Also, if you don't like canned beans or tomatoes, you can use cooked dried kidney beans and black beans or whatever beans you like, and you can use six to eight plum tomatoes.

You can either use the tomatoes with the skins on, which is what I usually do when I use fresh tomatoes, or you can dip them in boiling water for a minute and then put them directly into ice water. The skins should come off if you rub them.  You can either put the tomatoes in a blender to puree them or chop them up with a knife or a little of both. It just depends on how chunky you like your chili.

You can use vegetable stock instead of water if you'd like to add a little extra flavor. Just be careful and remember to adjust the salt you add accordingly.  If you add too much salt, you can add some uncooked rice to absorb it, just remember to add extra liquid as well and to let it cook until the rice is soft.  Also, if you don't like wine you can use half a can of beer, darker is better, for a different taste. And if you don't like to keep alcohol in the house, you can use 1/4 cup red wine vinegar.

Some other things I like to add sometimes are shredded carrots, diced zucchini, chopped bell peppers, garbanzo beans, spinach, and/or cauliflower.  Also, if you don't have any chili peppers on hand, chili powder is an okay substitute, though it mainly adds heat and not all the other flavor of the peppers.

Bon appetit!


Saturday, September 10, 2016

We Would Be #Honored If You Would Join Us... ;-)


Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm excited to tell you that I've been honored by being asked to be a guest on RRBC's Beyond The Cover radio program today! :-)  The show starts at noon central time today and I'd love it if you could listen in! If you're on Twitter, you'll even be able to ask me questions and have me answer them live by tweeting them to the hashtag #RRBCBeyondTheCover!

If you're able to tune in live, you can click on this link:


And I would love to talk to you all on air! :-)  If that's not a good time for you, you can still listen to the recorded show here:


It looks like they post the recorded shows about a month, or so, after they're live, but it will be up there eventually and I'll be sure to remind you when it is. ;-)

Anyway, thank you all for dropping by today and I really do hope you'll join us and find out what kind of mischief I can cause on live radio! ;-)


Friday, September 9, 2016

Do You Like #Free #Books? ;-)


Hey Everyone!! :-)

Do you like free books? ;-)  Here's your opportunity to get a great one and all it will take is a couple of seconds!  The fabulous and talented Julie Nicholls has submitted her new young adult novel, Dragon Moon, to the Kindle Scout program.  If you vote for her book and it's accepted, you'll get a free copy when it's published!  The best part?  It's completely free to vote and just takes a couple of seconds! I'll let Julie take over from here and tell you all about it. :-)

Julie:
 Hey peeps!!

First of all, thank you to Mistral for letting me take over her blog once more! This lady is the muts nuts! I know you’ve already seen a sneaky peek from my latest novel, Dragon Moon, but I thought you’d like another. *grins* If you haven’t already checked out the link to Amazon’s Kindle Scout, to nominate Dragon Moon, it would be great if you could. You can read the first 5k of this Young Adult Fantasy, and then decide if it’s worth you taking the time to press that button that says, “nominate”
On the plus side, you will receive this book FREE if I get the publishing contract with Kindle Scout, so we both get a prize!!

Here’s the link to nominate Dragon Moon – 



and here’s another sneaky peek!

“How far is Havelena?”
“About an hour’s ride that way,” Dizelli points in the opposite direction to the mountains, “through the forest. Why?”
“I think we should pay Lord Ithel a visit.”
Dizelli’s interest is piqued and she leans forward. “What is your plan?”
“I don’t have one, but I think we should meet up with him and have a chat.”
“I will come with you,” Nia says.
It speaks!
I turn to look at Nia and for the first time since I met her, she is smiling.
Dizelli sits back in her chair. “We need Elyan and his warriors to escort us,” she says. “Irisa, go and find him. Tell him I wish to speak with him urgently.”
“Yes, Dizelli.” Irisa answers, and then leaves in a breeze.
“Do you think Elyan will go with us?” I ask.
“Yes. Do not worry.”
After a short time, there’s a rush of air as the door flies open. Elyan blusters in and stands with his hands on his hips, glaring at us. He arrived awfully quick. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was listening at the door.
“Why am I summoned?”
“We want to ride to Havelena and need an escort,” Dizelli says. “Do you have the time to ride with us or not?”
Elyan frowns. “Why are you going there? What madness is this?”
“No madness. I want to meet Lord Ithel,” I say as I push the chair away and stand up. “But if you’re too busy, we can manage.”
I can’t lie; he is good looking, but he’s got a bit of an attitude with women. That’s possibly why Nia is always so miserable. I’m glad he’s not my brother.
“Very well, but we must hurry. It will be dark in a short time. We do not want to be caught in the forest at night.” He turns to leave and shouts over his shoulder. “I will prepare the horses. Be outside and ready shortly.”
“Isn’t he a bossy one.” I say.
“It is the way of the men. It makes them feel important.” Dizelli chuckles. “But we only let them think they are in charge, do we not?”
“Oh, yes! My mother always has the last word in our house. I feel sorry for my dad sometimes. She can be a right nag when she’s of a mind.”
Again I’m wondering about my mam and dad. What will they be thinking? That I ran off in the night or that someone came in and kidnapped me?
I can see Dizelli looking up at me from under a frowning brow. I think she knows more than she lets on.
“We’d better get outside then. We don’t want to give Elyan a reason to be snippety, do we?”
It’s not long before Elyan returns with four of his warriors and spare horses. They’re not the nags we rode earlier; I’m not sure I’m going to like this. Gluteus Maximus I and his buddy, Gluteus Maximus II, are already tensing at the thought of sitting in a saddle for another couple of hours. I’ll need some serious help later to soothe away the aches and I’m thinking Vanillium might help.
“Let us go. We have a hard ride ahead,” Elyan snaps.
Before I have the chance to offer a comeback, he’s already spun his horse and is heading for the eastern gate..