Author Archives: D.R. Slaten

Autism Awareness Blog Hop

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April is Autism awareness month, with April 2 as its official “day,” and there’s an autism awareness blog hop going on… so. Here we are.

Click the pic to go to the main hop page

I’m not sure why there’s been such a huge increase in incident of autism. Seemingly rational people become not so much when discussing the same. Still, I don’t remember anyone being diagnosed with autism when I was growing up. But I do know several children today who have one form or another. So to increase awareness, to bring attention, and to generally be supportive, this blog hop is taking place.

Perhaps the best known form of autism is Asperger syndrome. People with Asperger syndrome are often of average or above-average intelligence. They have fewer problems with speech than people with other types of autism, but may find it difficult to understand and process language. I have two friends with sons who have Asperger’s. They are bright, funny boys. And because they have Asperger’s many times people can’t tell. But even the milder forms of autism need help and therapy and to have other’s made aware of this serious condition.

In honor of this month and all the fabulous people who are so supportive, I’m giving away an ebook copy of either FarSeen or Hat Trick, the choice is yours. I would supply a copy of Night Blind, but it’s not released yet (hint: I will be doing a hop later this month giving away an ebook copy of Night Blind). So if you pick FarSeen, and then Night Blind sometime later, you’ll have both parts of the OtherKind Prequel. So leave me a comment about anything, even if it doesn’t have anything to do with autism. I’ll draw the winner on April 15- TAX DAY! You know, cause SOMETHING good should happen that day. lol

 

 

What Kind of Writer Are You?

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I’m not really sure, but it doesn’t seem to me that other professions get asked this question based on the medium of their art. I’m a writer. And author on days I want to sound snooty. I’m not a self-pubbed author, or a trade pubbed author, or a hybrid author, or whatever-insert your word in the blank here-author. I’m just an author. Sometimes my work gets to the public via different methods, mediums and modes of publication. But the how of it; that is, how my work gets published,  doesn’t define the what I am.

Stop trying to fucking box me in. I need to be labeled so you can feel secure about all the upheaval and change occurring as a result of the digital revolution finally-finally-hitting books, and book stuffs and book peoples. Don’t lay your shit of needing to tell me what I am at my feet. Keep that shit to your self.

No one goes around saying George Clooney is a traditional actor-or- George Clooney is an indie actor. Nope. They just call him an actor. The awards he gets are for acting REGARDLESS of the type of movie he’s in. Maybe the movie gets minted for an indie category or a traditional category or some such, but the producers, actors, camera peeps, well, everyone just gets called by their title and not by the their title in addition to the types of films they make. Same goes for artist. No one goes around saying he/she/it is an indie painter or a traditional sculptor. No, they just say she’s a painter or he’s a sculptor.

So why the fuck is the fascination for authors to be labeled by their  mode of publication so goddamn hot?

I dunno. But it seems to me, and trust me- I’m a women and a minority- every time someone is trying to pigeon-hole you or label you or stick you in a fucking box, they are doing it out of fear or jealousy or anger or some other negative emotion that makes them react by making you seem smaller, more manageable, tame. And stop labeling yourself. You do yourself no favors. You’re HELPING them box yourself in. They’ve co-opted you in your further marginalization of being relegated to a convenient “label” and forgotten or written off or whatever.

There is a lot of movement going on in an industry that probably hasn’t seen such movement since the moveable type was invented. Some big Houses couldn’t cut it and either went under, got absorbed or went defunct. Consolidation in brick and motor bookstores, the decimation of the independent bookstores, used bookstores has lead to issues as has the digital publishers arrival onto the scene. Shit is happening peeps. And people are fucking scared. But NOW is a time of opportunity. Only, they want to stick you with a label and call it done.

What kind of writer am I? The kind that writes. And chooses were to seek publication based on a variety of factors, the least of which is what you want to call me. The LEAST of which is what you want to call me. So, I’m NOT an indie author, or a traditional author, or a hybrid author, or any-other-thing-you-want-to-call-me-author. I’m just a writer, who’s sometimes an author, who loves having CHOICE in the method of disseminating my work to the public. Don’t label me and try to make me fit your idea of who I am. In fact, don’t do that for any author.

They are authors. I am an author. Period.

Manday Monday

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Happy Monday.

Shemar Moore, y’all. Need I say more? lol

Seriously hot. Smokin’.

Saturday Snippet: More Night Blind

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NIGHT BLIND is available for immediate download over at the Totally Bound website. Click on the pic and it’ll take you right on over there. General release will be April 25, 2014. But why wait until then? Sheesh… instant gratification, peeps. ‘Nuff said. 😉
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Preorder: 14th March 2014 (preorder through TEB website)
Prerelease: 28th March 2014 (available to buy on TEB website)
General Release: 25th April 2014 (available everywhere)

BLURB:

As Lucien, Rory, and Ellie navigate the intricacies of a full triad, including one man new to man-love, they also have to seek and destroy the source of the sickness afflicting witches.

Every Vampire Lord needs a shifter bodyguard. Rory has been Lucien’s for a while now. And although Rory’s been protecting Lucien’s body, Lucien has been just plain lusting after Rory. Unfortunately, Rory’s been rebuffing Lucien’s advances. That is, until Ellie comes along with her witchy bad self. The Witch Council is sending her to Dallas in her capacity as Enforcer. And to make matters more interesting, they’re also sending Lucien and Rory.

Ellie’s mission is to find and destroy the source of the witch sickness. Along the way, she uncovers Rory’s reason for hesitating in accepting Lucien’s advances. Rory’s never been with a man before. As a result, Rory and his wolf are confused when Lucien comes on to him. But with Ellie’s help, Rory’s not confused anymore. Now, what happens in Dallas… Well, it’s not going to stay in Dallas.

As Lucien, Rory, and Ellie navigate the intricacies of a full triad, they also have to navigate the treacherous home of the Dallas Vampire Lord during the winter solstice. Because something is rotten. And Ellie’s pretty sure it’s the Dallas Vampire Lord.

 

Warning… maybe: One shifter new to manlove, one witch new to threesomes, and one vampire who’s been there and done that… a thousand times. At least. They’re all new to each other. Add in crazed bad guys unleashing diseases of mass destruction, and well… what happens in Dallas, it’s not gonna stay in Dallas. Light m/m action, some anal and LOTS of hot menage.

EXCERPT:

“Get the fuck out of my way,” she snarled at the bloodsucking asshole who had stepped in her path.

Christ, she hadn’t signed on for this. She needed to find who she was looking for then get the fuck out of this pit. Before she did something stupid. Like taking out a bitch not on her kill list.

Blood dens were a crap shoot at the best of times. Some were all about the sex. Drawing humans with the lure of the best sex they would ever have in exchange for a little blood during the act. In well-run dens, most of the humans were left alive, and mostly intact. This one was all about exploitation, however. So not a good time for her. She wouldn’t be surprised if some of the humans here, who had signed the liability waiver, didn’t end up dead in this joint.

What flowed through her veins called to vampires. Her blood was sweet and it smelled that way. Almost like catnip for bloodsuckers. But more than that, hers was strong. Given the choice, most of the vamps in the den would have opened her vein and drained her dry—with or without a liability waiver.

Initially, it was her sword holding them back. As well it should. She wasn’t carrying it for looks. It was for killing. And everyone who saw her and saw it, knew it. In a race of killers, her blade was well respected.

Most of the vamps, even in the throes of blood glut, got out of her way. Self-preservation was a miraculous thing. As high as they were, they still knew death’s scent. Permanent death, not the kind that made vampires. The kind that sent them over to the other side. For good.

She felt the power of an older undead before she saw him. Not too strong, but still old. There was enough power in the approaching blood drinker to be the one to run this place. The power signature pressed closer and closer.

“Morrie,” she greeted him, even though she couldn’t see him.

He was approaching her from behind. It was done on purpose. To check her blind spot. Now he knew. They all did.

“Lady,” he gave her the respect of her title. Smart man.

Even if his obeisance came after he had felt how much more powerful she was, she didn’t comment on the hesitation in his greeting. Mostly it was the magic in her sword. But she wasn’t without natural power. She was a witch, after all. Her goddess’s arm of justice. Maybe not as strong as Ellie. But Ellie’s talent lay in healing. Hers lay in enforcing the laws and hunting down those who broke them. Witch rogues, vampire rogues, shape-shifter rogues, elven rogues. All of them. If they broke the law and stepped beyond redemption, she hunted them down and killed them.

She was on the hunt tonight.

“There’s a diseased vamp in here, Morrie. Find him. Bring him to me and I’ll leave the place standing,” she ordered.

“Don’t know what you’re talking ‘bout, Enforcer,” Morrie shot back.

“Morrie, I’ve been chasing this bastard all over town. I followed him here. I can feel him in here. Find him, bring him to me before I tear this fucking place apart trying to find him myself.” She knew he was lying. He knew she knew he was lying.

Time to find out why he was lying later. Right now, she had other things to do.

Morrie looked set to argue with her again. She let some of her magic out. Electricity started sparking from her body. Morrie’s eyes got big. He took a step back, throwing up his hands in supplication.

“If you don’t bring him to me immediately, I will burn this den down,” she said. Her sight developed a slight film as her power filled her. “You make me burn this place down, I’ll do it with everyone inside. Then it’ll be known that you were harboring a rogue and refused to give him to me. You won’t be well liked, Morrie. I won’t even have to hunt you down myself. Your lord will do it for me.”

“Yes, Lady.” Morrie scurried off to do her bidding. “I shall endeavor to find the one you seek immediately.”

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The Government Watches Us… We Should Watch Back

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I’m not a crazy alarmist. I’m just crazy. lol Seriously, I KNOW when people say things like this, it sounds crazy. Plus, there’s this whole laziness factor to add in as well. Then there are elements of disbelief because… it just can’t be. But it is. Parts of our society have gone to seed, been allowed to run rampant with unfettered access to power and position as we watch on.

Do I think our government is evil? No. It’s populated with people as well, who are just as lazy as the rest of us. But when the general population is being all lazy and shit, we isolate and want everyone to leave us the hell alone. When government gets lazy, something else happens. Corners are cut and shortcuts are taken. Only the people who represent our government do this, its the general population that ends up paying.

So what started all this? Just watching video after video of cops pulling people over and going beyond the scope. So, here’s the deal. It used to be that some cops had cameras on their cars. It got pulled because there were too many incidents that made the cops look unfavorable. So many departments got rid of them. So my bright idea is to have citizen filmers.

That’s right. We all have smart phones and some of us carry around small video cameras. Film traffic stops and various other cop/citizen interaction. Then upload it onto youtube so that interested parties can access it. Tag it with date, time and city/state and crossroads.  As more videos are uploaded, it’ll be like the largest grass roots reality TV show ALL on youtube. Not only do we keep everyone in check, we get some good entertainment as well. Win/win, dude. What the hell are we waiting for?

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Examples of why we need to watch our government, starting with the police.

Hundred’s Protest Albuquerque’s Trigger-Happy Police Department

Scones, Scones and more Scones

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Keeping with the Irish theme, I thought I’d share a few scone recipes. The first one is an interpretation of an Irish scone. The second recipe is the one I use most. Last, but not least, is a paleo almond flour variation. Try one or try them all. I like ’em all enough NOT to make them too often. Ummm, cause they go straight to my ass. 😉

 

“Real” Irish Scones

By: Emily

~makes about 8-10 small scones

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 – 3/4 cup milk, cream, or a combination

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a Silpat in the oven.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture just holds together.

Working the mixture as little as possible, add 1/2 cup milk and mix until it forms into a soft, slightly sticky ball. Add more milk if needed to reach desired consistency.

Place the dough on a very lightly floured work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, gently roll the dough to a 1-inch thick slab. Dip a 1-2-inch biscuit cutter in flour and cut out the individual scones, or slice the dough with a knife of the blade of a bench scraper.

Remove baking tray from the oven and arrange the scones on it. Bake 8 minutes, turn over, and bake another 4 minutes or until just barely brown.

Serve with butter, preserves, and freshly whipped cream.

If you have leftovers, reheat at 350°F for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through, or freeze by wrapping completely cooled scones in plastic wrap, then placing in a zippered bag or freezer-safe storage container. To reheat, thaw at room temperature in the plastic wrap, then unwrap and re-heat as above at 350° F.

Variations

• Herb – add a few tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, chives or sage to the dry mixture.
• Cheese – add 1/2 cup grated cheddar or Parmesan cheese to the dry mixture. Brush the tops with beaten egg or cream and sprinkle with more grated cheese.
• Currant – add 1/2 cup currants (or raisins) to the dry mixture.
• Chocolate – increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons, add 4 ounces chopped semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, and sprinkle each with a pinch raw sugar before baking.

 

Dreamy Cream Scones

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup currants (I used dried cranberries, and chopped them into smaller bits)
1 cup heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by either a) pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper  or b) patting the dough onto a lightly floured work surface into a 3/4-inch thick circle, cutting pieces with a biscuit cutter, and pressing remaining scraps back into another piece (what I did) and cutting until dough has been used up. (Be warned if you use this latter method, the scones that are made from the remaining scraps will be much lumpier and less pretty, but taste fine. As in, I understand why they suggested the first method.)

6. Place rounds or wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*sometimes I add strawberries and cream cheese

 

Paleo Almond Scones

2 cups blanched almond flour
⅓ cup arrowroot flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
¼ cup melted organic coconut oil
¼ cup raw, slivered almond pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Combine almond flour, arrowroot flour, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. If there are any lumps in the almond flour, use a fork to break them up.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or another large mixing bowl, combine maple syrup, almond and vanilla extract with the egg.

Turn on mixer and slowly pour in melted coconut oil until well combined. (If using a hand mixer, begin beating mixture and slowly pour in melted coconut oil.)

Pour the liquid mixture into the flour and mix until well combined.

Finally, stir in the slivered almond pieces until mixed throughout. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball. Place on baking sheet and gently press down to flatten.

Cut into eight triangles and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (I had to bake until 25 minutes to get nice brown edges) or until edges are nice and brown but not burnt. Remove and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

 

Spring Fling Blog Hop Winners!

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Yay! We have a winner. Ray is the lucky winner of my giveaway. Be sure to check out all the other blogs to find out if you won any of those or maybe even the Grand Prize. And because it’s Spring and I’m a little crazy, I picked another lucky winner as well. Just because. Anne is also going to win an ebook as well.

Please contact me at my email and let me know the format you want.

Thank you all for participating and making this a fun hop!

~D

ETA: Just got the Grand Prize winners from Jane.

Kindle Fire— Sally Fryman Wagoner
$75 Amazon Gift Card— Eva
$25 Starbucks Gift Card— Eva Millien
$25 Blushing Books Gift Card— Kathy Osborn
$25 Loose Id Gift Card— Jessica Subject

Smutty Sunday: Reviews Catch Up

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Today’s reviews will have a mix of bought and NetGalley books. I will let you know which is which in the body of the review. I know I’ve got quite a few book reviews to get through. And I will. I’m not going to download anymore books until I get my backlog caught up completely. Hopefully, getting new books will be the carrot that makes me get these damn reviews out.

First up…

1. Beneath the Patchwork Moon by Alison Kent

This was a NetGalley read. Thank you for them, Ms. Kent,  and Montlake for the opportunity to read this work.

Now onto the review…

This book just confused me. I just didn’t understand the whole premise. Three friends are driving. There’s a wreck. One of dies. Ones in a permanent vegetative state. And one broke her hip, was hospitalized and got better eventually.

Everyone hates the one with the broken hip.

Even though she wasn’t driving. Even though the accident wasn’t her fault. Even though all this happened when they were stupid teenage kids. And to top all this off, no one will talk about anything. They just hate the broken hip girl, umm, just because she’s alive and can be hated. By her surrogate family, even. People who’ve known her since she was little. Did I say the accident isn’t her fault?

And then there’s the weird, bizarre love thing. With the dead kids brother. Who just kinda deserts her after his family turns their back on her. So she loses both her best friends, everyone hates her, dead girls family hates her the most and then to top it all off the boyfriend bails.

And the whole thing with the vegetative state kid’s family? More strangeness. I did not get this book at all. I kept waiting for it to make sense. I’m still waiting.

 

2. Dark Witch: Book One of the Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy by Nora Roberts

I picked this book up on Amazon when it was on sale for like $3.99 or something. Figured I couldn’t go wrong at that price. Boy, was I mistaken.

Sadly, I neither liked the characters nor the story here. Roberts writes well. I just didn’t connect with the characters. I didn’t give a shit about the love story OR the paranormal one. It was all very blah. And I found myself skimming huge chunks of this book.

I will not get the rest in this series. That’s the way it is for me with this writer. I either love it–Witness–or I hate it–this.

Spring Fling Blog Hop

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Today’s the first day of Spring. The Vernal Equinox for those of you wanting to use more astrological terms. lol It is the day the North American continent begins to tilt in a way as to bring the sun closer to that portion of the surface of our planet.Sepia Shot of a Young Kissing Couple.

Like little flower, the sun after the long cold season makes me turn my face up towards it. I dunno why  but Spring makes me think of going slightly crazy, a little punch drunk, a bit bonkers. Which shouldn’t be a surprise after being cooped up for the dark, cold months of winter.

Flowers make me think of the birds and the bees. Well, mostly bees. But if you get as far as the bees, you can’t help but think of the birds as well. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone when I say Spring makes think of love, romance and sex. Okay, lots of things–including Spring–makes me think of love, romance and sex.  I write the stuff for shitsake. 😀

In honor of Spring, I’m doing this fling to celebrate. So much to be happy for, but the one right now is that winter is gonna finally be over AND because I had two books release last month. Hat Trick is one of them and is the ebook on giveaway for this hop. It was serendipity to have an ebook about weddings and babies and best men and maids of honor come out just in time for Spring, but there you have it.

Leave me a comment and let me know why you love Spring, or just tell me anything at all for a chance to win my prize. And then go to the other blog hop participants for more cool things to win on their blogs and increase your chances for the grand prizes. The Rafflecopter link is below, and the main blog hop can be found here or by clicking on the Spring Fling Blog Hop button up above. When the Hop is over, check back at all the places to see what awesome swag you’ve won.

The blurb for Hat Trick is below. and you can find a snippet here.

Blurb:

Silas is a professional soccer player and Best Man at his best friend’s wedding. Emma is in upper management and Maid of Honor at her best friend’s wedding. When the Silas and Emma wake up the next morning in bed together, the worst thing they thought the night before had given them was a hangover.

Now the Maid of Honor is showing up to the wedding pregnant with the Best Man’s baby. On the way to their own happy ending, Emma and Silas have to overcome their dislike of each other and the situation. If that isn’t enough, the past always has a way of coming back to haunt the present making it anyone’s guess if Emma and Silas will play to advantage or commit a foul.

GRAND PRIZES:

*Special THANKS goes out to Blushing Books and authors Sue Lyndon, Patty Devlin and Cara Bristol for their contributions to the Grand Prizes!! 🙂

1 Kindle Fire (Donated by Blushing Books)
1 $75 Amazon (or B&N) Gift Card
1 $25 Starbucks Gift Card (Donated by Sue)
1 $25 Blushing Books Gift Card (Donated by Patty)
1 $25 Loose Id Gift Card (Donated by Cara)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Music Monday: Radioactive

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Radioactive by Imagine Dragons is my pick for the day. Not only is the music bad-ass, the muppets in the video are AWESOME. I like the beat it has, but the words are cool as well. But seriously, its the vid that has me coming back again and again to watch. 😉

**no muppets were harmed in the making of the video.
***today’s selection in no way has anything to do with St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Although this song would be good to have a beer with when listening. 🙂 While wearing green or something. Or maybe drinking green beer, umm cause, well, you know, radioactive and shit. You know, glowing green = bad. 😉