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Dahlia DeWinters - Author

Quirky Heroines, Happy Endings

June is National Candy Month

June is National Candy Month.  This is a mouth-watering topic if I’ve ever seen one.  Yes, I am a grown adult, but there’s something about indulging in childhood candy that sends you back in time.  So, grab your Walkman and if you want to go further back, get that Aqua Net hairspray to make those Farrah Fawcett angel wings.  Here’s some candy to take you back.

When I say candy, I don’t mean the chocolate grown-up chocolate stuff.  I’m talking about the brightly-colored, artificially-flavored, red dye #20398 colored candies that left your tongue coated with color and your head buzzing with all the high fructose corn syrup.

lemonheadLemonheads:  Sweet, sour and oh so crunchy.  Take these sweet, yellow balls into your mouth and roll them around on your tongue until they dissolve, or if you’re in a hurry, scrape the sour coating off to get to the sweet, hard center.  Either

NowLaterway, you’ll get a citrusy sugar rush that’ll perk you up.

Now or Laters:  Remember that commercial, “Eat some now, save some for later?”  Now and Laters came a prism shaped pack that contained a soldier’s row of square, flavorful taffy-like candies.  They would pull out your fillings, so you had to be careful.  Green Apple was the way to go, however grape would also do in a pinch. Depending on the mood, watermelon was pretty good, but you needed to stay away from the bubble gum flavor.  It was bitter and had an obvious artificial taste.

Jolly RancherJolly Ranchers:  I still love these to these day.  You cannot bite through these candies.  No, you have to hold them in your cheek, occasionally rolling them around on your tongue until they finally melt in your mouth.  If you foolishly try to bite through them, they will stick on your teeth in an uncomfortable fashion.  What flavors?  Green apple, watermelon (a far far second) and that’s it.  They can keep all those other flavors.  Remember when they also came in flat sticks too? They are also very good for flavoring vodka.

Sweet Tarts:  When I buy the huge bags of Halloween candy to “hand out” to trick or treaters, I siphon off the sweettartsSweet Tarts mini-packs.  Tart, tangy and crunchy, you can let them melt in your mouth or grind them to crumbs between your back teeth.  Good for giving your water  a little flavor and kick.

So what’s your favorite non-chocolate candy?  What is the sweet candy treat that you pick up to give you a brief glimpse of childhood?


Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: author, black geeks, black nerds, bleeks, blerds, dahlia dewinters, erotic romance, geek girl, interracial romance, multicultural romance, quirky girls, romance

Retro Saturday – Eighties Female Singers

ThrowbacksI had a wonderful conversation on Facebook the other day.  A FB friend of mine mentioned that her radio station had asked the question :  Lisa Lisa (and Cult Jam) vs.  Klymaxx.  That started a thread of conversation that sent me digging through my piles of old cassettes.

Now, I do love Lisa Lisa, so much so that I have two albums on CASSETTE, as you can see to your left.

But Klymaxx was an all-girl group with the fierce Bernadette Cooper at the helm.  They did the very sexy and strut-worthy  “Meeting in the Ladies Room”, the know-I-got-it  “The Men All Pause” and the heartfelt “I Miss You” just make me want to flip my asymmetrical hairdo and get down.

Let’s not forget our friend, introduced to us by Prince, Sheila E.  An accomplished drummer, she brought her vocals to Erotic City, The Glamorous Life and A Love Bizarre.  And the outfits!

Throwbacks

Last but not least is Miss Jody Watley.  She got her start as a dancer on Soul Train and from there was selected to be in the group Shalamar.  I consider her to be the black Madonna because she was a dancer and a singer and set so many trends, most notably, to me, the huge hoop earrings.  And yes, I did own a pair!

“Looking for a New Love” was the jam on New York Hot Tracks and I’d sit through Carlos DeJesus to watch the video.  Even now, the kicking beat at the “see ya later” anthem was the 80s answer to “I Will Survive”. Remember “Don’t You Want Me”?

Now I have to find a cassette player…..


Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: author, dahlia dewinters, erotic romance, geek girl, geek romance, interracial romance, multicultural romance, quirky romance, sensual romance

Football Friday – Wide Receivers

eric_decker2After I watched a few football games with my husband, I decided that I wasn’t going to solely depend on his knowledge and seek out some information on my own.  Plus, asking a ton of questions during the game can cause you to miss  a lot of action.

So, for my readers who love the game, but don’t quite get it, Fridays are the day for you.  It’ll be short, it’ll be sweet and hopefully it’ll help you understand and enjoy the game better. Yes, we love the spandex and the occasional flash of flat abdomen (I’m looking at you Eric Decker), but knowledge will continue to be power.

Let’s get started.

Wide receivers

Short and simple – these are the players that run downfield, away from the quarterback and catch “the long ball”.  That’s my definition.

From about.com

Definition: An offensive player who lines up on or near the line of scrimmage, but split to the outside. His primary job is to catch passes from the quarterback.

Also Known As: receiver, wideout, split end, flanker

Easy peasy.  The player who (usually) catches the ball thrown by the quarterback.

Note that the receivers who get the most press and exposure are those that play with a quarterback who is known for passing and who is also known for winning.  Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Matt Stafford, Eli Manning…these quarterbacks throw to “known” wide receivers.

This all depends on what region of the country you’re from.  I’m from the Nawth-East, so these are the teams that are highlights.

Though I watch Eagles games, I cannot name their wide receiver off the top of my head.  Vick is a running quarterback and only throws when he can’t run it out.

Wide receiver news – Long time Tom Brady target Wes Welker is now playing for Brady’s top NFL “rival” Peyton Manning.  It will be fun to see the two teams come together in Week 13.  I wonder if Welker is letting Manning in on any Brady secrets?

Now for the fun part.  “Famous” wide receivers. 

 

[slideshow_deploy id=’1721′]

 

Stats:

Danny Amendola :  5’11” , 188 lbs

Wes Welker:  5′ 9″, 185 lb s

Calvin Johnson:  6′ 5″, 236 lbs

Victor Cruz:  6′ 0″, 204 lbs

Eric Decker:  6′ 3″, 218 lbs

 

Who’s  your team’s wide receiver?  Who’s your favorite out of my picks?  Comment below!

 

 


Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: american football, author, dahlia dewinters, erotic romance, football, geek girl, geek romance, interracial romance, multicultural romance, nfl, quirky romance, sensual romance, wide receivers

May the Fourth Be with You

Say NO to May the 4th?  What propaganda is this?

 

The movie Star Wars, released May 25, 1977, opened up a whole new world for many children (and adults

Star Wars - Darth Vader
Star Wars – Darth Vader (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

) across the nation.  Here it was, on the big screen, basically a space opera/fairy-tale complete with a princess.  The storyline was easy to follow, simple as black and white, down to Leia’s pure white princess outfit contrasting with Darth Vader’s pure black one.  Add  the deep voice and ominous timbre of James Earl Jones with that respiration, and you’ve got yourself a villian.  It didn’t hurt that the actor, David Prowse (yes, I knew that w/out looking it up) was 6’6″ and Carrie Fisher was only 5’1″.

And how about Peter Cushing?  I mean, if he were only second in charge, imagine how bad Darth Vader was?

While I’m not the biggest fan of the “first” three movies, I do appreciate the back story that they convey.  Plus, Samuel L. Jackson with a light-saber?  Priceless!

For your perusal, some Star Wars cosplay!!

Cosplay Mace Windu Cosplay Star Wars Kids Princess Leia - Jabba

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what are you doing to celebrate today?

 

 

If you haven’t been over to my group blog “Luscious Literaries” take a stroll on over there.

 

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: author, authro, blerd, dahlia dewinters, erotic romance, fantasy romance, geek girl, geek romance, interracial romance, multicultural romance, quirky romance, sensual romance, writer

Tell A Story Day

tell-a-storyI happened to do a bit of Internet-questing and found a list of crazy, wacky holidays. We all know about Black Month, Women’s History Month and Arbor Day, but what about National Zucchini Bread Day, Kindergarten Day and….Garlic Day? These holidays are the best because there’s something for everyone.

Today, April 27th, is “Tell a Story Day”. As an author, this is right up my alley. And so, I shall tell a story. It’s a short one, and it has been seen before, but there’s no story like an old story, I always say.

 

Grandma Elsie’s Typewriter

 

It was hidden in the back corner of the storage facility, one of those “dollar for the first month and we’ll rip you off thereafter” places where she had stored Grandmother’s furniture after they’d sold the house.  There weren’t many of her things left and they were taking this time to clear out the last of the items.  It was time to make final decisions, to sort through the stuff they were donating, selling to the antique dealer or simply throwing away.

The heavy cardboard box was water-damaged and John supported the bottom as he lifted it onto the table.  He wiped his hands on the faded blue of his jeans, leaving dark streaks of dust on his outer thighs.

“I think it’s your grandmother’s old typewriter.”

Katie pulled the flaps of the box open and exhaled in surprise. “It is! I wondered where it had gone to when we didn’t find it in the house.”    She flashed him an excited smile.  “It’s the one that she typed her novels on. I remember from the times I stayed there in the summer.  She loved this typewriter.”

John stuck his hands into the dirty, water-damaged box and pulled out the old machine.  He placed it on the table where it settled with a few rusty clicks.  Most of the keys were rubbed off, the letters illegible. The lesser used keys like the Q and the W were more prominent than the others. 

Katie smiled.  “Clean it up a bit and it’ll be in great condition.”

“Most of the keys are worn off.”  He gave the machine a closer look.  The keys he pressed were rusted and scraped against each other.

 “Haven’t you memorized the keyboard?  Besides, I’m not going to use it. I want it in the office.”

John blew out his breath in the hot enclosure, looked at the concrete ceiling. His Katie was a collector.  A discerning one, but a collector just the same.  “You’ve got a lot of stuff in the office already.”

“But Jonny-boy…” Her tone was wheedling.   “It belonged to my grandmother. Besides, it’ll make a nice conversation piece.”  She held up her dirty hands at chest level, pressing the palms together in a pleading gesture.  “Please?”

The combination of the dirty hands and the charming look on her face changed his mind.  They had spent a lot of time at the beach this summer and her normally honeyed complexion had darkened to a rich shade of coffee.  French Roast, he called her, loving the new color that made her dark brown eyes more luminous. 

He shrugged, envisioning hours in the garage cleaning the rust off the keys, oiling the mechanism so that while it might not work, it would look like it could.

*

After a few weeks, hard work and about a gallon of WD-40, Katie placed the refurbished typewriter in the corner of her study, sat back and studied it.  The machine gleamed in the afternoon light, casting a glow on the polished wood table where it sat.  Katie could almost see Grandma Elsie hunched over the keys, a cigarette burning in the ashtray and a cup of tea laced with brandy at her elbow.

Late one night, she was typing away on her laptop when she heard the tap, tap  of the typewriter’s keys behind her.  Thinking John had snuck in and was playing a trick on her, she turned around, a half smile on her face to scold him for disturbing her writing time.

No one was there.

Katie shook her head and turned back to her computer, tried to get back in the scene she was writing.   She had picked up her pace again when the tap, tap, tap of the typewriter made her whip her head around.

“Grandma?”  The word slipped out before she could stop it.

Katie stared at the now-quiet typewriter. Her heart pounded in her chest, a throbbing that she felt in her neck and wrists. She drew in a deep breath.  Being afraid didn’t enter her mind.  Summers with her grandmother were full of things that were not explainable. Mysterious events were dismissed by a casual wave of the hand so often that abnormal became normal.

She smoothed her hands over her skirt, the cotton cool under her hands, and then reached over to her printer tray for a piece of paper.  Though the office was warm due to the open window, her arms were ridged with goose bumps.  The chair creaked when she got up and walked over to the typewriter.  She rolled the white paper against the rubber roller and adjusted it.  She went back to her laptop and sat down, her back to the typewriter once again.

Waited.

When the tapping began again, she didn’t turn around.  She forced herself to keep her breathing measured so as not to startle the typist.

She sat motionless for about five minutes after the tapping stopped.  When she was sure it was done, she got up to retrieve the paper. 

 

Six feet under wasn’t deep enough.

 

 

 

For more free stories from me and other talented authors, check out Shades of the Muse a free story archive for all types of stories. And if you’re a fledgling writer, please feel free to post a story or stories of your own!


Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: April holidays, author, authro, blerd, dahlia dewinters, erotic romance, fantasy romance, flash fiction, geek girl, geek romance, interracial romance, multicultural romance, quirky romance, sensual romance, short stories, tell a story day, writer

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