You can always count on me to be the liquor to your parties.  That was me with the Long Island Iced Tea  and the Vampire Sangria.  So, I’m back with hard mulled cider.  Plain cider is nice, but adding a kick is even nicer.  Prepare to enjoy.

Ingredients

2 quarts apple cider
Dried apple slices
Thinly sliced orange
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (pinch)
1 cup dark rum
cinnamon sticks for stirrin’

In a large pot, combine all ingredients except the rum and bring to a simmer over low heat.  Allow mixture to remain for about ten minutes. Remove from the heat, add the rum. Serve in mugs with a cinnamon stick and enjoy.

If you want to make ahead, put the mixture in a slow-cooker on “keep warm” and add the rum just before serving.

Please join me in welcoming  Bellamy Black, author of Goal!  A Love Story, published with Entranced Publishing.  Bellamy was kind enough to take the time and answer a few questions for us:

1. What books have most influenced your life most?
Two spring immediately to mind Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. On the surface they don’t seem to have much in common, one is about Victorian era governess and the other about is about a young Black-American girl in a dystopian future, but they both featured women who believed in themselves and knew themselves and wouldn’t betray themselves and I really liked that. Plus, they both went on amazing journeys in their lives.

2. Do you see writing as a career or as merely a hobby?
How about a vocation? Writing has always definitely been more than a hobby for me. Even when I was a kid, I think I called myself a writer. My fourth grade story about the three little pigs was awesome! Ha! At the moment it’s not how I pay my bills but that’s what I want it to be someday.

3. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Love can come along when you least expect it but when it gets there, welcome it with open arms, and fight for it. Also, don’t be afraid to ride a bull every now and then!

4. Which characters did you find hardest to part with?
Probably Dora. Everyone needs a cheerleader like Dora, someone who believes you in unconditionally and won’t let you give up on yourself.

5. While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?
Probably Dora because I just want to push Jenny and Paolo together and make everyone happy right away! But stories are about the twist and turns it to get to happy.

6. What would you be doing if you didn’t write books?
Oh gosh, I can’t even imagine. I wouldn’t be the same. For me, writing books is like that scene in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy first stepped into Munchkinland. My world is in color now because of writing, I could never give that up.

7. Who was your favorite author when you were growing up?
From pre-teen up definitely Octavia Butler, her imagery and the worlds she could create were breathtaking. But as a little kid, probably Mercer Mayer. Those Little Critter books were all about me.

8. What do you wish you had known when you were starting out?
Everything? Ha! No, I wish I had known the true value of passion and that it’s best to view all criticism as constructive. There is almost always a kernel of truth (sometimes just a kernel) that can be taken from the harshest critique.

9. Hot or cold cider? Hard cider?
Hot hard cider. Nothing goes better with a warm mug of cider than a cinnamon stick and a shot of amaretto.

10. Do you go apple or pumpkin picking? Haunted hay rides? What are your fall traditions?
Definitely apple picking. I love those long drives to the orchards and watching the foliage change, the crisp air. It’s a gorgeous time of year and the best time to get hot hard cider. I’ve also never met a corn maze that I could resist. I don’t care if it’s only two feet high, I’m going in!

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Goal! A Love Story

Blurb:

Jenny Wales is a local television star who has everything she needs: good friends, a great career, and a gorgeous apartment with an outstanding shower. The only thing missing in her life is love, something that she hasn’t made time for in her quest to be the best reporter in town.

An international soccer star, Paolo Gutierrez is a reluctant celebrity looking for a quieter life away from the glitz and glamour of Europe. He longs for chance to remember the game he loves and build a life for himself far from the paparazzi’s lens.

When Jenny and Paolo meet, it’s love at first sight. It should be a simple story of boy meets girl, but the team, the town, and the entire world seem to have an opinion on their love affair. Up against a losing streak, Victoria Beckham wannabes, and the risk of losing their careers, Jenny and Paolo will have to fight to win this game of love.

Buy At Amazon.

I must admit the cooler days are a welcome relief after the sweltering days of summer that we just went through up here in NJ.  This is the time of year where the makeup colors change and it’s time for a fresh fall start.

Though I am a woman of a certain age, with three children and a rescue dog, I try to keep things hopping when it comes to feeling, well, feminine.  While driving a mini-van and making lunches may not seem like the optimal way to seem sexy, it’s not always about what’s on the outside.

Let me share my seven ways to sexy with you.

1) Wear a vibrant color.  I’m an Aries and my power color is red.  If you don’t believe in astrology, pick a bright fall color and wear the heck out of it.  It doesn’t have to be a shirt.  Try an bright orange scarf as an accent around your neck, red jeweled earrings or a hairband in a bright color.

2) Smile.  I’m not talking about a cheesy grin.  Smile like you’ve got a secret, like you’re on your way to a rendezvous with your favorite fantasy (whoever that might be).  Too many people walk around frowning.  Stand out with that little Mona Lisa smile on your face.

3) Wear a new scent.  No, don’t drench yourself in perfume.  Try a body oil, which gives a subtle smell that changes and warms with your body temperature.

4) Make a change.  If you don’t wear makeup, pick one item to try, such as a new lip gloss color, a different color eyeshadow or even a new tinted moisturizer.  If you’re a makeup maven, try a color that you’ve always wanted to try.

5) Invest in a good bra.  I know you’ve heard it a million times but a lot of women walk around wearing the wrong sized bra.  I’ll let you in on a secret.  A good fitting bra is the basics of feeling and looking good.  When you can throw your shoulders back and the gals are supported….nothing like it. Good posture is always sexy.

6) Splurge on expensive tights.  I love the cooler weather because I can stock up on tights.  I’m a huge fan of Spanx….and not just because of the name.

7) Listen to sexy music.  Whatever floats your boat here. Prince, Barry White, Hall and Oates, Fiona Apple….it’s wide open.  Pick a playlist that gives you that lovin’ feeling and enjoy!

What are some ways that you give yourself a pick me up?  List ‘em in the comments!