Review: Blind Seduction (Team Red #1) by T Hammond

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

The first book review by Dani’s Book Review.

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Papi Talk!… With C.S. Jane

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

Check out this interview of C.S. Janey.

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The Pain of Quarantine

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz
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Trapped
Cut off from others
To prevent the spread
Yet not full blocked
I hear voices
Of those having fun
Laughs of my child
Who I must avoid
Smells of food
Forbidden until I heal
Feel of wind and sun
Through the window
Promises of the world
I wish to join again
Time and patience
Precious tools
That are not always at hand

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Hot Sauce Party! (Tales from Real Life)

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz
Ghost Peppers

Ghost Peppers

Years ago, my best friend from first grade (Kevin) threw a Hot Sauce Party.  It was pot luck where everyone had to bring a hot sauce for a tasting game.  Originally, I had a family gathering and was going to miss this.  That changed when people saw how miserable I was about missing it.  So, I whipped up some Sesame PB Noodles and bought some extra spicy Soy Sauce.  I didn’t know about the tasting, so I thought the dish had to go with the sauce you brought.  I was the only Asian dish/sauce in a plethora of Tex-Mex.

Two amusing stories involving me come from this event.  The first isn’t really funny.  I was introduced to Ghost Wings.  Ghost peppers was the hottest hot pepper in the world until 2012.  This event happened around 2010/2011.  Somebody brought chicken wings bathed in Ghost Pepper Sauce.  They were delicious and I got into an eating challenge with another guest.  Sort of.  It was throughout the night and event number two made it difficult.  I think I won by one wing because I stayed longer or something.  Beer was necessary too.

The second event involved the actual tasting.  Kevin’s lovely and, I’m assuming, highly amused wife set up the tasting bowls.  37 hot sauces and only she knew which ones where which.  We had Taco Bell sauces packets, some homemade hot sauces, and a load of store bought.  We graded on hotness, taste, and a scoopability (I think).  Everyone sat around the table and began discussing how we should start.  Me and two others were sitting by the first bowl and said in unison, “From Number One!”  A few beers were had before this.

We dipped the chips, put the chips in our mouths, and bugged out like somebody lit our balls on fire.  People avoided #1 until they had no choice.  You see, #1 (the inevitable winner) was Liquid Lava.  It tasted good, but hit so hard and painfully that the three of us rushed to the ‘Relief Table’.  Milk, yogurt, and various other anti-hot sauce foods to help people when they were in need.  The others could hear us making indescribable noises as we tried everything.  Beer worked will.  One of us . . . okay, I tried to undo it with a Ghost Wing.  Believe it or not that worked because it numbed everything.  So, I was the idiot using the hot wings to recover from the hot sauce.

It was a fun night . . . and a terrible morning.

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Guest Post? You? Yes You Can!

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

Interested in making a guest post? Contact The Literary Syndicate.

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Poetry Contest

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

We Poets Show It is hosting a Poetry Contest!

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Review: Cherry Tart by Scarlett Jade

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

Check out Danielle’s review of Cherry Tart by Sacrlett Jade.

danisbookreviews's avatarDani's Book Reviews

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***I received a copy of this ebook from the author, Scarlett Jade, in exchange for an honest review***

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Genre: Erotic Romance

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18463951Cherry Kilgore is a plus sized beauty who moonlights at a strip club and goes by the name Tart. She dances to have control over her body and chase away her demons, hiding behind a mask, the only thing that makes her feel free. She loves ’em and leaves ’em, never letting a man get too close. Until she meets a man one night that strips her bare with his electric green eyes.

Kellan Morgan is a playboy with a good heart, who loves a woman with real curves.

When he figures out that the woman hiding under her mask is worth revealing, he decides to play her game… A game that is full of pleasure, pain, going the distance and finally getting the ultimate prize…

Realizing…

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Read Tuesday: Have Website, Need Slogan

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

Check out Chris’s new idea ‘Read Tuesday’. A special sale event that indie authors can join. Feel free to give suggestions.

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Read Tuesday

I changed it to Read Tuesday because http://www.readtuesday.com was available. I also purchased the domain so we now have a website for it. Don’t rush over there; it’s empty as of yet. 🙂

I asked an artist to work on the images. But it’s still not too late to share your ideas and help shape things. We’ll include “Read Tuesday” and the date (December 10, 2013) with the images. I’d like a set of images that include a slogan of sorts. TamrahJo provided a suggestion for some text. Does anyone else have ideas? We could really use slogan, phrase, or other short text ideas.

Regarding the catalog idea, I’m thinking we may not want to release it, if we make one, until much closer to the event date. Just like stores don’t want you to know exactly what will be on sale and for how much too far in advance.

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What Do You Think About Physical Disease in a Story?

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

First to explain the video.  Excel Saga is a spoof anime and Hyatt (the repeatedly dying girl) is a spoof on the cliche ‘weak constitution’ or ‘anemic’ character.  These are typically girls in anime.  She keels over and hacks up blood throughout the entire series.  The subtitles don’t really matter and this was the shortest video I could find with her dying repeatedly.

My bout with the devilish Influenza (type not yet determined) has led me to wonder about something.  The use of disease in stories is strange to me.  Typically, you will see disease used in the following way:

  1. Area is quarantined due to an epidemic and the plot is to find a cure.
  2. Loved one has a mysterious disease and the plot is to find a cure.
  3. Hero has been subjected to a mysterious disease.  Must either find cure or complete a task to earn the cure . . . Yes, I’m watching Escape from New York.
  4. Character gets a mysterious disease over the course of an adventure and gains victory while suffering.  (I will admit to having a story about this one.)

One thing you rarely see is people getting common diseases unless it’s a sitcom or historical piece where the disease would be more dangerous than today.  I can’t think of a tale where the hero contracts the common cold at some point.  Not a crippling event, but something that could be interesting if done for a bit.  In fact, a disease is almost exclusively plot central.  The one story I can think of where a disease was part of a subplot is ‘Tombstone’ and Doc Holiday’s battle with TB.  I think that’s what it was since it’s been a while since I watched it.

Maybe the use of disease as a small plot point or a minor issue is simply too unimportant to bother with.  I’m curious what other people think of the use of disease in literature and if there is a good or bad way to do it.

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Review: Legends of Windemere: Beginning of a Hero by Charles E. Yallowitz

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

Check out this review of Beginning of a Hero. Authors wanting their books reviewed should look at Danielle’s submission guidelines.

danisbookreviews's avatarDani's Book Reviews

***Please note: I read and reviewed this book in March 2013. I am adding this review to the blog because shortly, I will be reading book 2 in the Legends of Windemere series.***

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Genre: Fantasy

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17447896Luke Callindor was born into Windemere’s most decorated family of adventurers. Since his birth, he has been treated with the greatest amount of respect and awe. Now, with a lifetime of training and the reckless cockiness of youth, Luke has set out to prove that he deserves the admiration that comes from being a Callindor.

Luke gets his chance when he convinces a royal messenger to hire him to protect the heir of Duke Solomon. This future leader is secretly attending Hamilton Military Academy, an esteemed school run by the former mercenary, Selenia Hamilton. It is a dangerous secret mission requiring that Luke pretend to be an average student while keeping an eye…

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