Killing To Preserve Life...

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got a little more of Alyce's adventure to share with you, today! Enjoy! :-)

Excerpt from sci-fi satire novel:
Yax cleared his throat. "The effect those videos had on these clinics that seem to be a vital part of your health system, especially considering the woeful inadequacies of that system as a whole, is horrible, but you said they weren't the worst thing people have done to shut down such facilities?"

"Oh, certainly not. There have been people who have blown clinics up, taken a gun into clinics and shot random people who were working or waiting there, stalked and murdered doctors who worked in clinics, posted the private information of clinic doctors, staff, and patients on the internet and encouraged other people to use the information to hunt them down and hurt them, and other acts of violence aimed at controlling and terrorizing women. And, then there's the other side of the coin."

"Coin?" asked Squid-boy, turning his head to look behind himself.

I rolled my eyes. "Not a literal coin. The other side of the issue of government and religion assuming control over women's bodies."

"You mean, there have been instances where people have forced females of your species to do things other than give birth when they didn't want to?" asked Yax.

I nodded. "Quite often, actually. Until fairly recently in our history, women were considered property in many societies. First of their fathers; then of their husbands. Husbands could rape and beat their wives without penalty. In some societies, women could be sold or traded to settle debts. In a few societies, husbands and fathers could even murder the women who belonged to them and not have committed any crime. For much of human history, it was pretty commonplace for people other than women to control women's bodies. Most people didn't even consider that to be wrong. Many still don't. It's still extremely common for rape to be used as a weapon of war."

"Rape! You can't be serious," exclaimed Squid-boy.

"Oh, sugar, I wish I weren't. But there are still a lot of people on my world, and in my country, who still don't see women as equal to men. Many people see denying women rights and agency as the natural order of things. It's as if some people think that to acknowledge that women as equals, entitled to equal rights, would somehow take away something from themselves. And I haven't even told you, yet, about some of the worst systematic abuses of women."

Something Worth Watching?

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I'm back today with another video I wanted to share. Honestly, I had a hard time deciding which story to share because there are so many important stories that have largely gotten lost in the -- justifiable -- noise surrounding the Republican efforts to put a rapist on the Supreme Court. But I decided we all probably need a little good news, at this point, so I decided to share two related videos. I think they're worth the little bit of extra time, and I hope they give all of your hope reservoirs a boost the way they did mine. Peace!

#PumpkinSpice French Toast #Recipe!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

In the unlikely event you have leftovers from last week's recipe, here's an idea for what to do with them. Enjoy! ;-)

Ingredients:
Leftover Pumpkin Spice Bread Cut Into 1" Wide Slices (Recipe Here)
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp brandy (optional)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp lemon zest (optional)
1/4 tsp salt

In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the bread. Submerge each slice of bread in the egg mixture and allow them to sit for several minutes to absorb the flavors. Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt a pat of butter in the bottom. Lay each slice of bread in the skillet, being careful not to crowd them, and cook until golden brown. Flip the bread over and cook on the other side until golden brown. Serve warm with maple syrup or sprinkled with confectioner's sugar.

Bon appetit!

Hauntingly Good #Reads #Giveaway! $84 #Cash #Grand #Prize! #Free To #Enter!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

There's a new giveaway for Halloween!  Please take a moment to check out the Hauntingly Good Reads Giveaway!!  There are lots of awesome books and prizes!! :-)  It's free to enter, there are over 54 prizes, and the grand prize is $84 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! :-)

#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: Blood & Iron: (A Havenwood Falls High Novella) By Amy Hale!

Hey Everyone!! :-)

I've got Amy Hale in my APC spotlight, today! Amy is an active and supportive member of the  Authors-Professional Co-op Facebook group and her new release, young adult, paranormal, fantasy, vampire, urban fantasy novella, Blood & Iron, looks great! Here's the description:

Welcome to Havenwood Falls, a small town in the majestic mountains of Colorado. A town where legacies began centuries ago, bloodlines run deep, and dark secrets abound. A town where nobody is what you think, where truths pose as lies, and where myths blend with reality. A place where everyone has a story. Including the high schoolers. This is only but one…

Miranda Saunders has spent her 16 years playing by the rules. She’s known for her impeccable style, good grades, and overall positive influence in Havenwood Falls. But in the vampire community, she’s an oddity. Born a vampire, from a situation deemed impossible, Miranda’s origins are an enigma to everyone. When a photo surfaces that brings up questions about her long lost father, she is determined to find the answers. That search lands her directly in the path of trouble—fellow vampire Kai Reynolds.

Recently graduated from Havenwood Falls High, Kai is tired of being told how to behave. Ready to break out of the mold he’s been cast in by his parents and the town’s supernatural leaders, he becomes a prospect for the SIN motorcycle club—something his parents loathe.

But when he catches Miranda snooping around the clubhouse, he has to choose: turn her in and prove his loyalty to the club or help her find the answers she’s looking for. If they work together, they’re both taking risks far more dangerous than they understand. And the mystery surrounding Miranda’s father is only the beginning.

This is a Young Adult paranormal tale in the Havenwood Falls High series of Young Adult fantasy stories featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each book is generally a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order, although some authors will be writing sequels to their own stories. Please be aware when you choose your next read.

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 836

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 Eight-Hundred-Thirty-Six:

I have recently taken an interest in my hominid-servant's food preparation rituals. They had previously gone largely unremarked on by me because I had failed to notice just how intricate and involved they are. This was mostly due to the fact that my hominid-servant insists on performing these rituals on a horizontal platform that is located at a height far greater than that at which I am able to comfortably make recordings, and that there are no other conveniently located horizontal platforms from which I might observe.

Naturally, given her general stinginess with her edibles and lack of interest in cooperating with or aiding in my research, she is insistent that I not locate myself on the platform that she prepares the food on. This has led to some, if I may say so myself, rather creative efforts on my part to gather data, many of which have involved stealthy attempts to position myself on her food-preparation platform without her noticing. Unfortunately, more often than not, these forays are terminated prematurely when she sees where I am and responds with the expected verbal abuse and flailing of her limbs.

Therefore, thus far, my observations have been limited. However, I have managed to record the deliberateness with which she chops the food into small pieces, the variety of the ingredients that she uses, and the careful way she prepares her heating instruments to receive the food once it has been reduced to the desired size. I'm not certain what effect, if any, her preparations have on the final product or if there is a reason beyond palatability that she goes to such trouble, but I have noticed that the pieces of the different foods she adds to her meals all tend to have roughly the same dimensions before she adds them to her heating instruments.

To be honest, even the little I have managed to observe of the trouble she goes to in order to prepare her own meals and the meals of the other hominids she sometimes feeds makes me feel a bit resentful over the fact that she makes so little effort with the edibles she offers to me. Granted, given my lack of opposable thumbs, opening the bags that the food pellets come in is beyond my abilities. That's the main reason I require a hominid-servant to begin with, though she does have other functions that I find useful and pleasant to have available to me, as well. And, admittedly, the pellets are palatable if a bit dull and uniform. But, considering the amount of effort she devotes to the edibles she consumes, I would have hoped it would have occurred to her to work a little harder to please my palate, too.

Unfortunately, as with many things, my hominid-servant doesn't seem to have considered the importance of diversity of experience when it comes to my meals. Alas, my research seems to mean nothing to her, and the fact that the quality of my results may suffer due to a lack of opportunity to access a representative sample of what's available does not seem to concern her at all. I will continue to endeavor to, at least, record and sample the edibles she includes in her own meals and, as always, will report back on any additional findings.

Those darn stingy hominids! ;-) 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!