FanSpeak

From Dara and the crew at OfficialDaraJoy.com.

From all of us at OfficialDaraJoy.com.

If you go into the woods tonight
you’re in for a big surprise
if you go into the woods tonight
you won’t believe your eyes-
For the sound you will hear
More than a chirp, you’ll swear!
At the midnight Peeps Picnic.

Peep.

For those who may not know it, St. Patrick’s Day, um, I mean Evacuation Day, is actually a legal holiday in Boston. So you’re probably asking what the frak is Evacuation Day? Well, it is a holiday that is celebrated in Boston to remember that the British Army got totally served by the Continental Army.

According to Wikipedia, “The 11-month siege of Boston ended when the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, fortified Dorchester Heights in early March 1776 with cannons captured at Ticonderoga. British General William Howe, whose garrison and navy were threatened by these positions, was forced to decide between attack and retreat. To prevent what could have been a repeat of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Howe decided to retreat, withdrawing from Boston to Nova Scotia.

The British evacuation was Washington’s first victory of the war. It was also a huge morale boost for the Thirteen Colonies, as the city where the rebellion began was the first to be liberated.”

By a stroke of fantastic Irish luck (or design?) the day of withdrawal of the Brits falls on precisely the same day as one named for a well-known Irish saint. How fortuitous! (Otherwise, it would be very difficult to attend the St. Patrick’s Day parade : D) All schools, as well as city and state governments are closed– and everyone wears green to celebrate Evacuation Day!

“Irish Society of Boston organized what was not only the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the colonies but the first recorded Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the world. . .”

So, in the ’spirit’ of the day, here is a right fine recipe for Guinness Fondue- and here’s an Irish toast to all of my readers: May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours. That stay with you all the year long.

Love and green bagels,
Dara

Guinness Fondue

half pint of Guinness Stout
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pound grated cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon cornstarch
ground black pepper to taste

Heat stout and lemon juice in saucepan until nearly boiling. Mix together cheese and cornstarch, add gradually to hot liquid, stirring constantly until cheese has melted. Season with pepper to taste and simmer until thickened. Transfer to fondue pot and serve hot.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread torn into pieces for dunking along with vegetables such as celery, cauliflower, radishes, broccoli, carrot sticks, strips of sweet bell peppers or mushrooms. Chunks of cooked sausage also make great dunkers.

Greetings!

As most of you know, publishing is going through a transformative stage. E-readers are all the rage and there is a great excitement about what the coming landscape will look like. We, at House of Sages, have been trying to embrace the new- while at the same time lend our support to the gold standard. Some of us just love the feel, the smell, the sight and sound of books. Some of us love the convenience of e-media. Many of us embrace both formats.

It reminds me of that old song, ‘make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold’. So many of our readers have asked us to put out a print version, as well as an e-version of Dara’s stories. I’ll be honest, it is a daunting task for us. But, it is an important one. In our quest to explore the new ways of delivering content, we need not give up the sheer joy of sitting quietly with book in hand in a secluded nook, unplugged, and keeping good company with the printed page.

So, for all of the readers and booksellers who have repeatedly asked us for the PRINT VERSION. . . Yes! For you, we will print THE NEW MATRIX OF DESTINY TALES which will include DEATH BY PLOOT PLOOT and CAT SCRATCHED! in ONE VOLUME.

To make everybody happy, we will do a ONE TIME PRINT RUN of the book. Please note WE ARE PRINTING EXACTLY TO THE ORDERS, SO IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT WANT THIS BOOK PLEASE GET YOUR ORDER IN A.S.A.P. TO BE GUARANTEED YOUR BOOK. WE ARE TAKING THE ORDERS NOW. Books will start shipping in approx. 7 weeks.

Both of these MOD stories have have been best-sellers for us and have received terrific reviews:

“As usual I could not stop reading once I started. She has a way of grabbing your interest and you cannot stop until the story is done. Thank you!” – Nancy

“I loved it – I actually finished it last night – I loved it! I can’t seem to get enough of the Matrix of Destiny series!!!!!!!!!!!!” -Anita

“Death by Ploot Ploot floored me. Such a great story, and many laugh out loud moments.” -Lynne

“Death by Ploot Ploot was fantastic. Loved the book” -Diana

“I started reading the story and it is FANTASTIC. Can’t wait to finish. Thank you.” -Carry

The price of the 2 in 1 volume is $12.50.

TO PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR THE NEW MATRIX OF DESTINY TALES TRADE-SIZED PAPERBACK GO TO:
http://officialdarajoy.com/MarketPlace/CSDPPPrintmarketplace.html

ENJOY!
Best,

Cory-Webmaster
www.OfficialDaraJoy.com

It’s Cory here hacking the blog.

Patrice F of Joyfully Reviewed posted a great review of TASTE OF THE DEVIL. Thanks Patrice!

Here’s the review:

Due to her station, Lady Regina Thomlinson is expected to marry.  Too bad she’s more interested in adventure than finding a husband.  Freedom from her odious guardian is more desirable than matrimony to some male who will take over her life.  When her scheming relation chooses the unsuitable Lord Devon, Ginny is determined to thwart him.  Lord Tyler Devon is a womanizing wastrel; his exploits are extolled by all the gossips.  Ginny discovers that all is not as it seems even as she denies her feelings for her intended.  There’s more to him than meets the eye. It’s really too bad.  She’ll need to use all her wits and skill to keep her own secrets intact while plotting her escape.

Name something that hoists you over one shoulder and pinches your bottom while climbing up a rope ladder? Sound familiar?  It should, me heartie!  Climb aboard and set sail! Taste of the Devil plunders and pleases the imagination!

Ginny is all wit, spice and sass with a charming dollop of innocence whenever she engages rakish Tyler, best described as a dark, dangerous, bundle-of-sex.  Laughter and lots-of-lovin’ is surrounded by rogues, rakes, and rascals all eager to cross blades with the daring couple.  Several characters with dramatic and sometimes shadowy pasts are introduced along with the usual murky plans for revenge.  Of course, it was an easy tip-off that this is just the first installment!  I hadn’t read anything from this author in years, and the pirate historical theme proved a bit unexpected, though quite enjoyable.  Oh, lusty shades of Keira Knightly, Orlando Bloom, and Johnny Depp!  So disarmingly channeled!

Ms. Joy stays true to her vision and the character development that’s trademark to her style.  I’m not certain where this series will land but it should be loads of frisky fun!  Taste of the Devil is a rollicking frolic that’s amusing, mainly because of the quirky scenes, catchy dialogue and larger-than-life characters.  So grab your cutlass and grappling hooks to climb aboard!  Never mind the grog!  You’ll be merrily entertained by the end of your voyage.

Reviewed by Patrice F

Hi everyone!

I always think of Valentine’s Day as a special holiday for romance readers. Here’s hoping that everyone’s holiday is at least as good as their favorite novel. Happy Dreams, readers!

Love,
Dara

Cold hearted orb that rules the night
Removes the colours from our sight
Red is gray and yellow, white
But we decide which is right
And which is an illusion

Pinprick holes in a colourless sky
Let insipid figures of light pass by
The mighty light of ten thousand suns
Challenges infinity and is soon gone
Night time, to some a brief interlude
To others the fear of solitude

Brave Helios, wake up your steeds
Bring the warmth the countryside needs*

Happy New Year from all of us at OfficialDaraJoy.com.

*Days of Future Passed, The Moody Blues

Happy Holidays from Dara Joy and all of us at OfficialDaraJoy.com. May all your holidays be bright!

Happy Thanksgiving from Dara Joy, Cory and everyone at OfficialDaraJoy.com