D

D
As many of you may know, our beloved sister hostess SHARON DONOVAN, tragically passed away on 11th April 2012. We who knew her, loved her, and were inspired by her courage and determination to face head on whatever life threw at her. When she could no longer see to paint she turned to writing and showed her amazing talent in the Inspirational Romance and Romantic Suspense genres, and her story 'Charade Of Hearts' was awarded the coveted Predators and Editors Award in January 2011.

This Blog was a source of great delight to her, she was one of the founder hostesses and she contributed to the fun and silliness in her own original way, and was kind enough to let her unique creation, the hunky butler 'Oliver' join us for our Friday romp and prepare 'virtual breakfast' for the guests on the following morning. It's beyond hard to have to go on without her, but we know that she would have been the first to insist that 'the show must go on.' She is, and will always be with us in spirit.
Sharon, dear friend, we will never forget you.
The Author Roast and Toast is part of the legacy you left us. Let's raise a Toast to you as well as all our guests.
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Monday, July 29, 2013

Linda's Winners are...


Yes  - not one but three lucky winners this week.


Debby, you won the jewelry--silver dangling earrings; Sarah you won the download, and Julianne won the swag. 

 Debby and Julianne need to send Linda their addy if they have not already done so. Her contact information is on her website: http://www.lindanightingale.com 


Congratulations to all Linda's winners.

Thanks to Linda for being such a wonderful guest of honour, and to everyone who commented and made this Roast such fun.

The hostesses appear on-stage, holding hands, to take a bow. They hug each other and wave before leaving the stage.

"Just another Roast and Toast!"


Join us again on Friday, 2nd August  when our Guest will be
COLLETTE CAMERON

Friday, July 26, 2013

Linda Nightingale's celebration for 'Sinners Opera'



“Oh no!” Mac stumbles and nearly falls. She grabs Mary’s arm to regain her balance and they bang heads.

“Ow!” Mary rubs at her ear. “That hurt, Mac.”

Ahead of them, Lyn and Patsy continue on toward the brightly lit mansion on Charleston’s historic Battery Row. “Quit fooling around, you two. We’re almost there.”

“Who’s fooling around?” Mac grumbles.

Patsy pauses to look over her shoulder. Clinging to Mary’s arm, Mac wobbles as she lifts one foot to wince at the heel of her gorgeous strappy stiletto sandal, hanging at an odd angle. “I knew these cobblestones were going to be a problem.”

Lyn smirks. “I don’t think the cobblestones are the problem. I think it’s your feet.”

Mac snorts and drops her foot to gingerly balance on her toes. “So says Ms. Ski feet. You have a lot more surface to balance on. The rest of us are at a disadvantage.”

Lyn grins and breaks into a little tap dance in her three inch heels, despite the uneven pavement.

“Show off.” Mary laughs.

“This is a disaster.” Mac frowns then glances longingly up at the second story piazza of Rover House where Linda Nightingale’s party is already in full swing. “How am I supposed to dance the night away with hunky southern men if I’m hobbling off balance?”

Patsy digs through her clutch purse and holds out a small tube. “Here you go.”

Mac gawks at the offering. “You carry super glue with you to a society dinner?”

She shrugs and hands over the tube. “I like to be prepared.”

“You’re such a girl scout.”

Patsy laughs. Mac slips off her shoe, reattaches the heel and tosses the glue back to her. The hostesses continue on toward the walkway to the historic mansion. Mac scurries to follow, blowing on the drying glue while bobbing unevenly on one bare foot. From the open front door, welcoming light spills out on the balmy, southern evening. Tinkling music, friendly conversation and soft laughter reaches their ears.

“Did I mention the current owner of the house is rumored to be a vampire?” Lyn grins maniacally.

Mary groans and Mac skitters to a stop. She eyes Patsy’s little purse. “You don’t happen to have any garlic in there, do you? Or a couple of wooden stakes?”

Patsy laughs. “Relax, Mac. According to Linda, Morgan D’Arcy is a gentleman vampire.”

“That’s an oxymoron.” Mac shoves her repaired shoe onto her foot, mumbling beneath her breath. “Zombies last week, now vampires. Why don’t we ever go to normal parties?”

“Where would the fun be in that?” Mary bumps Mac’s shoulder and she stumbles. A loud snap accompanies her yelp as her other heel gives out.

“Geez, I have faulty shoes!” Disgust crosses her features as she stares helplessly at the snickering hostesses. She holds out an open palm to Patsy.  While Mac repairs her second shoe, Linda greets them, stunning in her couture evening gown.

“You’re here!” She grabs the hostesses in a hug. “Wait until you see. The cream of Charleston society are all here, and the food! Oh, everything is perfect to celebrate my release of SINNER’S OPERA.”

Behind her, tuxedo clad waiters move amongst the gathered guests with trays of boiled peanuts, shrimp and low country oysters. Platters of succulent Beef Wellington share the buffet tables with
creamy potatoes and steaming bowls of She Crab Soup. 

Lyn hums, spotting the tray of pralines on the pastry cart.











Oliver slides through the crowd, dashing as usual in black. He stops before them and dips his head in a cultured bow. The hostesses grin as Linda passes out glasses of delicate pink drinks from his tray.

“Planters punch,” she announces. “It’s tradition, but don’t forget to try the gin cocktails later, and there is Madeira wine to go along with dinner.” 
She holds out her glass. 

“To SINNER’S OPERA.”

“We’ll drink to that,” the hostesses say as one, accompanied by the musical clink of crystal glasses.






Purchase HERE
Here is the blurb for Sinners’ Opera and the lovely cover created by Beth Trissel’s daughter Elise.  

Morgan D’Arcy is a classical pianist, an English lord and a vampire.  He has everything except what he desires most—Isabeau.  When she was a child, he appeared to her as the Angel Gabriel, influencing her life and career choice, preparing her to become Lady D’Arcy.  Many forces oppose Morgan’s daring plan—not the least of which is Vampyre law.  A vampire must not sire a child on a mortal.

Isabeau Gervase is a brilliant geneticist engaged to a prominent attorney. Though she no longer believes in angels, she sees a ticket to a Nobel Prize in the genetic puzzle presented by her long-absent childhood friend. She intends to unravel Gabriel’s secrets, using the DNA contained in a lock of his hair and identify the non-human species she named the Angel Genome.

Morgan is ready to come back into Isabeau’s life, but this time as a man—and a vampire—not an angel.  Will he outsmart his enemies, protect his beloved and escape death himself?  For the first time in eternity, the clock is ticking.

Linda Nightingale
BIO

Born in South Carolina, I've lived in England, Canada, Miami, Atlanta and Houston. Somewhat of a gypsy, I've seen a lot of this country through the window of a truck pulling a horse trailer. I bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses, rode sidesaddle and did musical freestyle exhibitions to Phantom of the Opera. My stallion Bonito, imported from Costa Rica, was twice National Champion at halter. Besides writing, I loves horses, sports cars, books and piano. I am the mother of two wonderful sons.






***GIVEAWAY***
To win a copy of Linda's book, all you have to do is just leave a comment and your e-mail address.
Contest ends on Sunday and everyone who comments is eligible.



Sadly, we are saying goodbye to our hostess Patsy, this week.  We'll miss her and Hampy very much, and we're sure you'll join with us in wishing her well with all her future endeavours.

This of course, means we are short-staffed so if you think you have what it takes to be a hostess, please contact us at our usual email address  authorroast@gmail.com  and we'll tell you what it entails.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Eva's winner is...

MARY PRESTON


Congratulations Mary, your prize is on its way.

Thanks to Eva for being such a delightful guest of honour, and to everyone who commented and made this Roast such fun.

The hostesses appear on-stage, holding hands, to take a bow
They hug each other and wave before leaving the stage.

"Just another Roast and Toast!"


Join us again on Friday, 26th July  when our Guest will be
LINDA NIGHTINGALE

Friday, July 19, 2013

Eva Gordon's post-apocalypse zombie bunker party




Dressed in jeans and T shirts, the hostesses  are on the way to their next party. It’s an eerie night and dark beyond belief. A night for goblins, ghosts, or monsters, no it’s a post apocalypse zombie bunker/party. Practice for the real thing.

“Are we there yet?” Mac asks for the umpteenth time. Ever forgetful she sighs. “Why did you say we are visiting a this place?” Foster, Nibby, Hampy, and Cuddles, are all leaning on the windows with excitement.

“Because that’s where the party is.” Lyn says. “And I promise it will be fun.” She checks her huge shoes.


The four hostesses drive slowly up the narrow dirt road and in the distance they see a small ranch style house with a huge yard. The sun sinks in the distance and darkness falls swiftly. By the time they arrive at the front door it’s dark and lights on the house pop on so that they can see a few people heading to the back of the house.

“Why are they heading to the back yard?” Mac wonders as she stops the car. Out the open window the critters jump and disappear into the large, lush, yard to explore. “Don’t disappear now. It will be time to eat soon.

“Because the party is in a bunker.” Lyn grins.

“A bunker? You mean an underground place, like for the end of the world kinda thing?” Patsy csmiles, flexes her Popeye arms, and opens her car door.

“Exactly.” Lyn says. “It’s a post-apocalypse zombie party. Our author this week, Eva Gordon, has a new release called, Apocalyptic Moon. This ought to be fun. There is just one small thing I have to warn you all about. There is the slight chance that zombies might crash the party”

“Zombies, yeah right.” Mary laughs nervously. “There isn’t  really any such thing as zombies, are there?”

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine, come on girls we’re late.” Lyn slams the car door and rushes her buddies to the back of the house. Nothing looks out of order. Lush bushes line the side of the house, the scent of jasmine cloying to their senses. The girls are greeted and shown the stairs that head down to the bunker.

They are amazed at what they see. It’s just like a home underground.

“What are those heavy thick doors for?” Mac asks.

“To keep the zombies out, when the world as we know it ends, and we are fighting to keep the infected masses out of here.” Eva walks up to the girls and hugs each of them.

“You mean there are zombies.” Mary wonders. “I’m didn’t think they really exist.

Oliver (c) S.Donovan 
“Well not yet,” Eva answers. “But things could get ugly if they ever come to fruition.” She grins. “For the sake of this evening let’s pretend.”

Oliver, looking forever handsome, stands behind a table stacked with ready to eat meals in boxes.

On each box is written what’s inside. Several different varieties of meals fill the table. Beef stroganoff, Chicken and dumplings, Fish stew, spaghetti and meat sauce, and the ever popular in Hawaii, spam. Several people are eating the food and they appear to be enjoying the many other types of meals Oliver has provided.





“Gourmet dried beef in cream sauce. Hmmm. Is that what they refer to as…” Mary almost blurts out the words, but Lyn tackles her stopping the words from being uttered.
“Yes, and for your information it’s very good when cooked properly. Now behave.” Lyn sits on Mary until she promises to behave. Then let’s her up off the floor when she promises to.

“Shingle,” Mary utters, stands, brushes herself off, and sticks her tongue out at Lyn.

Patsy is laughing so hard she doesn’t notice the person who walks up behind her. “There is lots to eat ladies, don’t be shy. And for libation we offer Zombie cocktails, Flesh in a glass, Bite me, Bloody Marys, and Wolfs’bane tonic, to mention a few. Plus for desert we have Baked Intestine,” the stranger behind Patsy tells her. 

bloody mary drinks photo: Bloody Mary Img0012.jpg


Patsy turns around and screams at the top of her lungs, then passes out. The stranger is dressed in rags, with fake blood and yuk all over it.

“Wow, I wasn’t going to bite her. Where’s her sense of humor?” He utters as he leaves to find someone who appreciates his costume.

“Well, should we help her up?” Mary suggests. Then she turns to Lyn and Mac. She looks around and then down on the ground she notices them passed out too. “Oh well, I’ll take a Bite Me, Eva.” She takes Eva’s arm and they stroll to the drink table.

“Maybe I should have warned them that there would be people in zombie costumes? Are they going to be okay?” Eva wonders as she eyes the girls who are out cold.

“Sure, this stuff happens all the time. Luckily it wasn’t me this time.” Mary raises her glass in a toast.

“To Eva and her terrific story, Apocalyptic Moon.” She looks down at the three fainted hostesses. “And to my dearest sister hostesses, may you never meet the real thing.”

“Just another roast and toast.” Mary clicks Eva’s glass and chuckles. “To your new release Eva.” Mary raises her glass.

A mumble from the floor answers her toast. “What we won’t do for our authors.” Lyn moans before she passes out again.

APOCALYPTIC MOON

Blurb:
Dr. Dora Adler’s life has been in disarray since the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, but when she gets bitten by one of the undead her whole world is turned upside down. Held captive in a secret underground lab, the tall, muscular hunk in the next cell is her only hope for salvation. Unfortunately, he claims to be a werewolf. Yeah, and she’s supposedly a witch. 

Dirk Gunderson is an alpha Arbor pack werewolf. Captured and collared, he’s sold to the zombie lab in hopes his blood serum can create a vaccine. He needs to escape, but not without the hot little brunette witch.

In the midst of enemy werewolves and the hordes of undead, Dirk and Dora’s sexual tension ignites a blaze hotter than the desert highway. Along their journey, they 
battle the inevitable: a werewolf must never take a witch as a mate.


Excerpt:

“Dora, get on the bike and close your eyes.” His voice sounded shaken. Not a good thing coming from a nightmarish werewolf.
For once, she wouldn’t argue. He might have seen something up ahead that was worse. She wiped her lips with her sleeve and nodded. “Let’s go.”
“First, I’m going to get all this crap out of the way.”
 She peeked. He used his werewolf power and speed to clear the last one hundred or so yards of the bridge. He threw bikes and skeletons into the ocean. A dark premonition made her blood run cold. The loud caw of a raven flew over Dirk and seemed to warn him. He turned and began racing back to her at breakneck speed.
She looked over shoulders. A swarm appeared out of nowhere and stepped on the bridge from the San Francisco side. Zombies bunched up like runners at the start of a marathon race, but fortunately at a snail’s pace. They scuffled, slowly, many with their heads tilted to the side with out-stretched arms, sniffing and moaning. A few had missing arms, with bloody stumps that hung like butchered headless chickens. A former SFPD officer with a blood-splattered uniform caught her attention. He was older than her brother in-law, Victor. She sighed as her heart broke. She’d sensed Victor had left the earthly plane, but now a quick vision moved across her mind like a movie clip. Victor had been bitten and had seen to a group of people safely board a ferry. Before the hoard came for him, he shot several ghouls and used his last bullet for himself. Oh, Victor.
Dirk reached her and shook her. “Dora, snap out of it.”


Author Bio:
I write fantasy and paranormal novels with a strong romantic element. I love to create stories that combine my passion for mythology, romance and werewolf lore. I also write steampunk and Victorian era historical and
alternative novels. Busy sending them out to agents and publishers.

Apocalyptic Moon is the first in my After the Bane series. Coming soon will be Lycan Gladiator in my paranormal wolfish romance historical series, The Wolf Maiden Saga.

I have a BS in Zoology and graduate studies in Biology. I have taught high school Biology, Environmental Science and Anatomy/Physiology. When not in my den writing, I enjoy world travel, steampunk conventions, hiking, raptor rehabilitation and wolf sanctuaries.
I also teach online workshops on wolf lore ancient falconry and animal lore for Romance Writers of America and other writer groups. If you are interested in my workshops, please contact me.

Learn more about Eva Gordon below





***GIVEAWAY***
To win a copy of Eva's book, all you have to do is just leave a comment and your e-mail address.
Contest ends on Sunday and everyone who comments is eligible.

AUTHOR ROAST AND TOAST

AUTHOR ROAST AND TOAST
authorroast@btinternet.com
WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE OUR GUEST? DO YOU WANT TO PROMOTE YOUR NEW RELEASE OR EVEN AN OLDER ONE?IF YOU FANCY BEING GUEST OF HONOUR AT ONE OF OUR PARTIES JUST EMAIL US AT THE ADDRESS in 'OLIVER'S RULES'!(PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A 'G' RATED BLOG SO NOTHING HIGHER THAN THIS RATING, PLEASE.)