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Dahlia DeWinters - Author

Quirky Heroines, Happy Endings

Blogtoberfest – Zombies!

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

October is the month of being scary, right? But I’m a romance author, so I found a way to combine the two. Loving Among the Dead is the answer that I found. A mix of erotic romance and scary zombie adventure, it’s sure to get your blood racing in one way or the other. Here’s a blurb.

A survivor of a zombie apocalypse that’s ripped her world apart….

Nothing in her graduate history courses prepared Judith Graham for the monotony of her existence in the weeks following a zombie apocalypse. Hiding from the rotted world in her makeshift fortress, she subsists on dehydrated food and lonely thought.

When she gives up and decides to satisfy her need for a break in routine, she crosses paths with Sky Beckett, a high school physics teacher making his way to his Southern childhood home. Several passionate encounters coupled with Sky’s assertion that things are only going to get worse not better, spark Judith’s doubts about the isolated life she’s chosen.

But can an ever-cautious Judith find the strength to leave the false security of her past behind to create a new future with Sky in an uncertain world?

Click the book cover below to purchase:
Please note, this is an erotic romance with a heat level of 4.

Here’s an excerpt:

Judith Graham buried her parents on a Sunday. After a brief prayer, she placed her mother’s favorite plant at the head of her grave, and her father’s pipe—still full of tobacco ashes—at the head of his.

She brushed the dirt from her jeans, tucked the work gloves in her back pocket, and sat on the back deck sipping from a can of warm soda, watching the sun set. There were no tears. Her mother’s pistol was at her side, the gunmetal gleaming in the fading orange light.

Would it have made a difference if she had gotten home sooner?

The letter, written on her mother’s heavy monogrammed stationery, had been propped on the mantel, addressed to “Judith” in even, no-nonsense script. A marked contrast to the pale lavender paper, the black words indicated her father brought home the infection. She shot him in the back of his head when he started making gurgling, groaning sounds at the static on the television. Then she dug their graves, dragged him into his, and shot herself.

Stay hidden. Don’t trust anyone. Her mother’s final words to her. Jude was alone.

Her brother was south, somewhere, Alabama, the last she’d heard. Marcus did what he wanted, when he wanted. She was the good daughter who minded what her parents told her.

It wasn’t so bad at first. Between the initial shock of her parents’ deaths, and making defensive alterations to the house, there was no time or energy to think or feel much of anything.

Once the house was safe, the dehydrated food, water bottles, and toiletries arranged in the first floor den, the camp shower with its battery pump working and the lanterns loaded, there was lots of time to be lonely. Rereading favorite novels, patrolling the inside of the house, and searching for elusive ham broadcasts on the shortwave radio only filled up so much time.

She stopped looking at family photos because they made her cry, leaving her exhausted and listless, lying on the bed or the sofa or the floor for hours until the urge to pee roused her enough to move.

Her neighborhood was deserted. No walking dead bodies roamed the streets. Either her neighbors had gotten out or had been zombified in the confines of their homes, unable to juice up the physical memory necessary to open a door and escape. For that she was grateful. She’d had to smash too many zombie heads on her way back home from Philadelphia for her to revisit it with people she once knew.


Filed Under: Blogtoberfest, Movies--Books--Music--Television, Uncategorized Tagged: blogtoberfest, erotic romance, horror, loving among the dead, romance, the walking dead, zombies

Recipe Wednesday – Stewed Chicken with Andouille

Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

My favorite is cold weather cooking – you can turn on the oven, the stove and warm up the kitchen with spicy aroma.

This recipe is taken from the Food Network site.

Ingredients

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds), trimmed
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 link andouille sausage (about 3 ounces), chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 10-ounce package frozen whole baby okra, thawed
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Cut each chicken thigh into quarters (or 1 1/2-inch pieces, if large). Pat dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook undisturbed until browned, about 4 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden brown all over, about 5 more minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Stir in the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the okra and cook, covered, until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through, 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and cilantro.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/stewed-chicken-with-andouille-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback


Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged: dahlia dewinters, interracial romance, multicultural romance, recipe Wednesday, romance, the sultry scribe

Movie Quotes of the Seventies – My Picks

You all know that I go on kicks, and right now is the movie quote kick.  So, in order not to leave you out of my musings, here’s some seventies movie quotes that are near and dear to me.  Of course, feel free to use them, share them, tweet them or simply read them and laugh, then go find the movie they’re from, cuz some of those movies were pretty good.

Either way, enjoy!

The Godfather – The best thing about this line is not only was it practical, it was also improvised.  Why go through all the trouble of buy cannoli, then leave it in the car with a dead man?

Godfather - Cannoli

 

Superman – Christopher Reeve, the one, the only Superman.  And when he catches Lois Lane?  She’s not all calm, cool and collected…who would be?  This man is ….flying!!!

Superman

 

Anyone who has been following me the past couple of years, knows that the Dirty Harry movies are some of my favorite movies to watch.  Clint Eastwood ain’t too hard on the eyes either. This is quite a long quote, but I know it by heart.

Dirty Harry

 

I was introduced to Animal House by my husband, late in life, but I must say…it’s a pretty funny movie. Add that to a young Kevin Bacon getting paddled and you’ve got a hit.

Animal House

 

And finally, if you have not seen Network, you are missing out on a gem of a film.  It’s not a fun film, it’ll make you think, but it’s interesting to see a movie made so long ago that actually speaks to the nature of television today.

Network

 

I hope you enjoyed this little stroll down memory lane!

Dahlia


Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: Contemporary Romance, dahlia dewinters, erotic romance, interracial romance, movie quotations, quotations, romance, writing

Country Music Classics

“Music has always been a matter of Energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel. I have always needed Fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio.”
– Hunter S. Thompson

All kinds of music are all right with me – I decided to take today to share with you some of my favorite country songs.  Please, feel free to list yours in the comments!

Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks

Funny story – I was never a Garth Brooks fan until I went to one of those “lookalike shows”.  The fake Garth Brooks sang this song, and I had to look it up when I got home.

http://thesultryscribe.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/FriendsLowPlaces.wmv

 

Forever and Ever, Amen – Randy Travis

I discovered this song when I lived in New Orleans.  It’s a simple, to the point love song.

 

Rough and Ready – Trace Adkins

I think the title says it all.

 

Redneck Woman – Gretchen Wilson

I like everything about this song.

 

King of the Road

I know it’s an old Roger Miller classic, but the combination of Randy Travis’ twang and Josh Turner’s buttery deep voice is to good not to share.

 

What are some of your country classics?  Leave them in the comments!

 

D


Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: author, country music, dahlia dewinters, josh turner, king of the road, randy travis, romance, writer

5 Things I Love about Winter

Winter (1)Winter is the time of year where it gets dark early, which means cocktail hour starts so much earlier than in the summer.  The children are in school, the weather is blustery turning to cold and there’s a lot of baking to be done.  The brisk wind wakes you up when you go outside, making you that much more grateful to hurry back into the house or to a warm car.

At least that’s the way it is here in New Jersey, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

The leaves did their final drop in the last week or so, and gray skies have presided for the last three days.  I have no complaints about this, because I love winter.  How much do I love winter?  Why, let me count the ways.

 

 

Love this Snuggie!!
Love this Snuggie!!

1.  My Leopard Snuggie – Depending on my mood, I wear it as a dragging, regal robe and my children call me the leopard queen.  I love it.  It’s warm, it’s fleecy and it’s an excellent emergency blanket for a child who needs a snuggle.

 

 

Coffee cup and beans on a white background. File contains the path to cut.

2.  Hot Coffee – I love coffee anytime, anywhere and will only drink it hot, no matter what the temperature outside.  But you’ve gotta admit, there’ something special about that first cup of coffee when I’ve dropped off the little ones and hurried into a warm house from the freezing temperatures outside.  The house is totally quiet.  After the gurgle of the Keurig, it’s just me and that Black Silk, with a little creamer to lighten the load.  Bonus points for those donuts from the 7-eleven.

 

Yes.  I am wearing these right now.
Yes. I am wearing these right now.

 

3.  Slippers – I’ve got slippers, heavy socks, fur lined leopard sequined slippers, you name it, I’ve got it.  Again, it’s about the warmth and the snuggles.

 

 

Christmas cookies

 

4.  Baking – I am not a cook.  Dinner is a task.  But baking?  Why I love baking!  Cookies, biscuits, cakes, loaves…it is on during the winter season. Plus, the heat doesn’t kick on as much and the house smells soooooo durn good. In addition, I get to play June Cleaver with the kids and feed them hot chocolate with homemade sugar cookies!

 

I'm the one on the right.
I’m the one on the right.

5.  Comforters – There’s nothing better after a long day of cooking, kids, dog and writing than to snuggle up with the hubs under our heavy comforter.  Sure, it’s as old as our marriage, has some holes and is a little ragged around the edges, but it is warm and reminds me of how much I love winter.  Plus, with the nights being so long, I don’t feel like an old person getting into bed at 8:30.

So, dear readers, what are some of your favorite things about winter?


Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged: black geek girls, black girl nerds, cold weather, dahlia dewinters, female geek bloggers, geek girls, hot coffee, interracial romance, romance, winter

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