A Guest Blog and Excerpt by Linda Robertson...
COCKTAILS with my CHARACTERS
I have been bartending a couple nights
a week for a few months now. It’s been fun and interesting, and
since I hadn’t tended bar before, I had a lot to learn. I’ve
noticed that some people are set solidly in their ways, same drink
every time, period. Others vary quite adventurously in their
liquor-vices.
I’ve been wondering what I could
concoct that would, to me, represent my characters.
First off, taste is a very
sensual thing. It is focused completely in your mouth and on your
tongue. But it also engages other senses. We can be tempted—or
turned off—by the sight of the dish. I constantly wish my
recipe books and restaurant menus had pictures for each entry. I’ve
watched a friend make yummy noises while eating something that looked
completely gross to me, but when I tried it…scrumptiousness
blossomed across my taste buds. Let’s not forget about smell. If a
dish smells of severe spiciness, I will most likely pass on trying
it.
In coming up with these mixes, I
considered the 5 Basic Flavors: sweet, bitter, sour, salty and umami
(savory). Then I thought about the temperature—cold, frozen, room
temperature, warm, or hot. And I gave a little consideration to the
texture as well.
Here’s what I came up with:
PERSEPHONE: the
witch-next-door with a big, bad destiny that is
sometimes sweet,
and sometimes sour.
2 ½ oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
1 oz. Tequila (A Reposado version of
your favorite brand. It means ‘rested’
because this
kind of tequila has been aged in oak barrels; nice golden color)
½ oz. Triple Sec
½ oz. simple syrup (1 part sugar/1
part water; boil; cool completely; bottle and store in refrigerator)
½ oz. Lime Juice
Rim the serving glass with red sugar
crystals. Pour ingredients into shaker. Add ice. Shake it up. Pour.
Garnish with a lime wedge.
JOHNNY: a tall, dark
wærewolf who is sweet and strong.
1 cup Kahlua Mudslide mix (with
alcohol in it)
2 oz. Razzmatazz raspberry liqueur
2 scoops chocolate chunk black
raspberry ice cream
2 oz. whole milk
½ cup ice
Blend until smooth. Pour in a big cup.
You won’t want to share with your friends. Make ‘em make their
own.
MENESSOS: an old
vampire, with bite.
2 oz. Firewater (100 Proof Cinnamon
Schnapps)
Serve straight, room temperature, no
ice. Enjoy the burn.
It is release day for SHATTERED CIRCLE
as this post goes live at Cloey’s Book Reviews. Thanks for having
me on your blog today. I’ll be celebrating…but I’m not sure
which of these I’ll have, but I’m raising a glass to you! Thanks!
--Linda
The main door opened and Meroveus, Advisor to the Excelsior and currently their esteemed guest, entered the suite. “She is back?” he asked.
“That is what I’m told,” Goliath answered. “If you’re referring to Ms. Alcmedi, that is.”
“I am. Is she here?”
Leaning on one elbow, Goliath reclined. “She required a shower.” He wanted to give his nose a quick pinch to indicate she’d reeked of the scummy edges of Lake Erie, but he refrained. He was a Master now; taunting disdain was no longer acceptable.
Mero headed for the iron-studded door. Goliath cleared his throat.
In mid-reach for the knob, Mero stopped. His hand fell to his side and he turned on his heel. “I have been disrespectful. Forgive me, Haven Master.”
His sardonic grin flashed fang. “Does urgency always make you thoughtless?”
“I assumed that Menessos was still lord of these chambers, and that she was with him in the rear chamber.”
Goliath sat up, placed his elbows on his knees, and clapped his hands together. “Hear me, Advisor Meroveus, and do not forget my words: The former Haven Master may have extended you many courtesies, but barging into his private chamber—especially if you think Ms. Alcmedi may be attending him—would be particularly dangerous.”
Mero glanced at the main door as if he would leave, but there was uncertainty in his expression.
“To be honest,” Goliath added as he stood, “I have not yet made claim to these rooms, and, as you have assumed, the former Quarterlord is in the rear chamber. However, my Erus Veneficus has her own suite.” He used the formal title of the court witch for impact.
Mero blinked.
It seemed to Goliath that the other vampire had not considered that in declaring this the Cleveland haven and Goliath the master of it, Persephone would by default become Goliath’s court witch. Her services were now his to command.
--------------
There were many prophesies concerning the Lustrata. The one that the vampires were most concerned with claimed she was incredibly valuable to them. Because of this, they could not dare to kill her. But they could do much without killing her. The question was: What would interfere with her destiny, and what wouldn’t?
Menessos would know the most about it, so Goliath resolved to follow his Maker’s lead. “Dabbling in the destiny that Menessos, the witch, and the Domn Lup share is a hazardous pastime, Mero. I strongly suggest you stay the hell out of their way.”
Mero quoted the prophesy:
“Lustrata walks,
unspoiled into the light.
Sickle in hand,
she stalks through the night
wearing naught but her mark and silver blade.
The moonchild of ruin, she becomes Wolfsbane.
“According to my interpretation,” Mero concluded, “she must be marked.”
Menessos breathed deep. Releasing it, he said, “Your interpretation is bullshit.”
Mero’s brows rose in surprise.
Goliath struggled to keep a laugh from getting out.
“The Witch Elders Council will not stand for their Lustrata to be marked by the Excelsior,” Menessos said. “Would you risk a war?”
--------------------
Opening the closet there, Beverley dug straight to the back where the item she wanted was stored. Her little hands grasped the cold sides of the rock-board and she pulled. It was heavy and the cast on her arm made the task more difficult. She lost her grip on the slate—the bottom edge dropped onto the top of her foot.
Stifling her yelp of pain, she regained her grasp and silently laid it flat on the floor before shutting the closet door. Crouching between the bed and the wall so she couldn’t be seen from the doorway, she studied all the strange symbols painted across the surface. She’d heard Seph and Celia talking about this. Great El’s slate.
They’d said that a person could talk to ghosts with this . . . and that Seph had used it to find her mother.
But how does it work?
Beverley ran her hands over the surface. Her fingers traced the lines of a symbol here, there. They tingled like the fine lines of her fingerprint weren’t so fine after all.
She studied her index finger, then compared it to her other hand’s index finger. If one tingles . . . what does two do? She picked two symbols she liked that were side by side and put her fingertips to the slate. Carefully, slowly, she traced both. The tingling began immediately and resonated through her hands and into her wrists. Suddenly, some force grabbed her hands. She gasped and tried to pull away, but it just squeezed tighter.
It dragged her fingers along to one symbol, then on to another. She watched in horror as all her fingers were pulled across the board, each finger moving independently. The more symbols she traced, the more the tingling increased. It became like a fire inside her skin, swelling up through her thin arms, crackling through the broken bone.
It hurt. It hurt so bad. She drew a breath to scream—
—and then it felt good.
It wasn’t hot, merely warm. It wasn’t warmth like summer, though, not something a thermometer would show. This was warmth of another kind. The kind only a heart could feel. She felt so . . .
Loved.
A shimmer flashed across the surface of the board.
She whispered, “Mommy?”
Shattered Circle
Persephone Alcmedi
Linda Robertson
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN-10: 1451648936
ISBN-13: 978-1451648935
JUST YOUR AVERAGE MEGA-WITCH. . . .
It’s tough being a modern woman, but Persephone Alcmedi has it worse than most. Being the prophesied Lustrata has kicked her career as a witch into high gear, and juggling a wærewolf boyfriend who is about to become king of his kind and a seductive vampire who bears her magical Mark isn’t easy either.
Still, Seph’s beloved foster daughter, Beverley, is causing more trouble than these two men put together. The young girl’s been playing with a magical artifact that’s far more dangerous than she realizes. Now Seph must summon help from a mystical being so potent that even vampires fear him . . . and the cost of his aid may be more than she’s willing to pay. Seph, Johnny, and Menessos face threats from all sides—and a few from within. Will the forces of destiny cement their tenuous supernatural union, or shatter it forever?
Simon and Schuster Amazon BN BooksaMillion IndieBound
About the Author
Linda Robertson is the mother of four wonderful boys, owns three electric guitars, and is followed around by a big dog named after Bela Lugosi. Once upon a time she was a lead guitarist in a heavy metal cover band and has worked as a graphic artist. She still composes and creates art, when time permits. Linda currently writes and rocks in northeast Ohio. Visit her at AuthorLindaRobertson.com and @authorLinda
http://www.authorlindarobertson.com/
http://www.facebook.com/authorlindarobertson
For more of Linda Robertson's Shattered Circle visit the following sites...
Urban Fantasy Investigations
http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/
Keeping Up With The Rheinlander's
http://mnmrheinlander.com
Happy Tails and Tales
http://magluvsya03.wordpress.com
Storm Goddess Book Reviews
http://stormgoddessbookreviews.blogspot.com/
Deal Sharing Aunt
www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com
A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books
http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/
Books, Books The Magical Fruit
http://booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com
Books & Beauty
http://janieraeldridge.blogspot.com
Romancing the Dark Side
http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot.com
On the Broomstick
http://onthebroomstick.blogspot.com/
Andi’s Book Reviews
http://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com
Intoxicated by Books
http://intoxicatedbybooks.blogspot.com
Place of Reads Book Blog
http://placeofreeds.blogspot.com
Victoria Danann
www.Victoriadanann.me
My Guilty Obsession
http://myguiltyobsession.blogspot.com/
Interview
Immortality & Beyond
www.imortylcafe.com
“That is what I’m told,” Goliath answered. “If you’re referring to Ms. Alcmedi, that is.”
“I am. Is she here?”
Leaning on one elbow, Goliath reclined. “She required a shower.” He wanted to give his nose a quick pinch to indicate she’d reeked of the scummy edges of Lake Erie, but he refrained. He was a Master now; taunting disdain was no longer acceptable.
Mero headed for the iron-studded door. Goliath cleared his throat.
In mid-reach for the knob, Mero stopped. His hand fell to his side and he turned on his heel. “I have been disrespectful. Forgive me, Haven Master.”
His sardonic grin flashed fang. “Does urgency always make you thoughtless?”
“I assumed that Menessos was still lord of these chambers, and that she was with him in the rear chamber.”
Goliath sat up, placed his elbows on his knees, and clapped his hands together. “Hear me, Advisor Meroveus, and do not forget my words: The former Haven Master may have extended you many courtesies, but barging into his private chamber—especially if you think Ms. Alcmedi may be attending him—would be particularly dangerous.”
Mero glanced at the main door as if he would leave, but there was uncertainty in his expression.
“To be honest,” Goliath added as he stood, “I have not yet made claim to these rooms, and, as you have assumed, the former Quarterlord is in the rear chamber. However, my Erus Veneficus has her own suite.” He used the formal title of the court witch for impact.
Mero blinked.
It seemed to Goliath that the other vampire had not considered that in declaring this the Cleveland haven and Goliath the master of it, Persephone would by default become Goliath’s court witch. Her services were now his to command.
--------------
There were many prophesies concerning the Lustrata. The one that the vampires were most concerned with claimed she was incredibly valuable to them. Because of this, they could not dare to kill her. But they could do much without killing her. The question was: What would interfere with her destiny, and what wouldn’t?
Menessos would know the most about it, so Goliath resolved to follow his Maker’s lead. “Dabbling in the destiny that Menessos, the witch, and the Domn Lup share is a hazardous pastime, Mero. I strongly suggest you stay the hell out of their way.”
Mero quoted the prophesy:
“Lustrata walks,
unspoiled into the light.
Sickle in hand,
she stalks through the night
wearing naught but her mark and silver blade.
The moonchild of ruin, she becomes Wolfsbane.
“According to my interpretation,” Mero concluded, “she must be marked.”
Menessos breathed deep. Releasing it, he said, “Your interpretation is bullshit.”
Mero’s brows rose in surprise.
Goliath struggled to keep a laugh from getting out.
“The Witch Elders Council will not stand for their Lustrata to be marked by the Excelsior,” Menessos said. “Would you risk a war?”
--------------------
Opening the closet there, Beverley dug straight to the back where the item she wanted was stored. Her little hands grasped the cold sides of the rock-board and she pulled. It was heavy and the cast on her arm made the task more difficult. She lost her grip on the slate—the bottom edge dropped onto the top of her foot.
Stifling her yelp of pain, she regained her grasp and silently laid it flat on the floor before shutting the closet door. Crouching between the bed and the wall so she couldn’t be seen from the doorway, she studied all the strange symbols painted across the surface. She’d heard Seph and Celia talking about this. Great El’s slate.
They’d said that a person could talk to ghosts with this . . . and that Seph had used it to find her mother.
But how does it work?
Beverley ran her hands over the surface. Her fingers traced the lines of a symbol here, there. They tingled like the fine lines of her fingerprint weren’t so fine after all.
She studied her index finger, then compared it to her other hand’s index finger. If one tingles . . . what does two do? She picked two symbols she liked that were side by side and put her fingertips to the slate. Carefully, slowly, she traced both. The tingling began immediately and resonated through her hands and into her wrists. Suddenly, some force grabbed her hands. She gasped and tried to pull away, but it just squeezed tighter.
It dragged her fingers along to one symbol, then on to another. She watched in horror as all her fingers were pulled across the board, each finger moving independently. The more symbols she traced, the more the tingling increased. It became like a fire inside her skin, swelling up through her thin arms, crackling through the broken bone.
It hurt. It hurt so bad. She drew a breath to scream—
—and then it felt good.
It wasn’t hot, merely warm. It wasn’t warmth like summer, though, not something a thermometer would show. This was warmth of another kind. The kind only a heart could feel. She felt so . . .
Loved.
A shimmer flashed across the surface of the board.
She whispered, “Mommy?”
Shattered Circle
Persephone Alcmedi
Linda Robertson
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN-10: 1451648936
ISBN-13: 978-1451648935
JUST YOUR AVERAGE MEGA-WITCH. . . .
It’s tough being a modern woman, but Persephone Alcmedi has it worse than most. Being the prophesied Lustrata has kicked her career as a witch into high gear, and juggling a wærewolf boyfriend who is about to become king of his kind and a seductive vampire who bears her magical Mark isn’t easy either.
Still, Seph’s beloved foster daughter, Beverley, is causing more trouble than these two men put together. The young girl’s been playing with a magical artifact that’s far more dangerous than she realizes. Now Seph must summon help from a mystical being so potent that even vampires fear him . . . and the cost of his aid may be more than she’s willing to pay. Seph, Johnny, and Menessos face threats from all sides—and a few from within. Will the forces of destiny cement their tenuous supernatural union, or shatter it forever?
Simon and Schuster Amazon BN BooksaMillion IndieBound
Linda Robertson is the mother of four wonderful boys, owns three electric guitars, and is followed around by a big dog named after Bela Lugosi. Once upon a time she was a lead guitarist in a heavy metal cover band and has worked as a graphic artist. She still composes and creates art, when time permits. Linda currently writes and rocks in northeast Ohio. Visit her at AuthorLindaRobertson.com and @authorLinda
http://www.authorlindarobertson.com/
http://www.facebook.com/authorlindarobertson
For more of Linda Robertson's Shattered Circle visit the following sites...
http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/
Keeping Up With The Rheinlander's
http://mnmrheinlander.com
Happy Tails and Tales
http://magluvsya03.wordpress.com
Storm Goddess Book Reviews
http://stormgoddessbookreviews.blogspot.com/
Deal Sharing Aunt
www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com
A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books
http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/
Books, Books The Magical Fruit
http://booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com
Books & Beauty
http://janieraeldridge.blogspot.com
Romancing the Dark Side
http://romancingthedarkside.blogspot.com
On the Broomstick
http://onthebroomstick.blogspot.com/
Andi’s Book Reviews
http://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com
Intoxicated by Books
http://intoxicatedbybooks.blogspot.com
Place of Reads Book Blog
http://placeofreeds.blogspot.com
Victoria Danann
www.Victoriadanann.me
My Guilty Obsession
http://myguiltyobsession.blogspot.com/
Interview
Immortality & Beyond
www.imortylcafe.com
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