FREE copy of Tetterbaum's Truth!

Prior to the release of the seventh book in the Just Call Me Angel suspense series, we are releasing several hundred free copies of the first book (Tetterbaum's Truth) and asking those who receive free copies if they would please leave an honest review of the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

So, be one of the first 200 people to use the coupon code below and receive a FREE book of Tetterbaum's Truth!  Can you handle the truth?

HOW TO RETRIEVE YOUR FREE EBOOK DOWNLOAD

1. Go to www.Smashwords.com

2. In the Search bar, type: TETTERBAUM’S TRUTH by S.R.Claridge

3. Select the book from the list

4. Click on BUY

5. Enter VF83E in the Coupon Code box

6. Click on CHECKOUT

7. At this point the price will drop to $0.00 and you will be able to select in which format you would like to receive your download.

Thank you...thank you...thank you to all of my readers and new readers and for all of fans of the Just Call Me Angel series.  I am excited about the upcoming release of book seven and will share details with you in the next few months.

#TetterbaumsTruth #JustCallMeAngel #GPG #SRClaridge

A Passionate Pursuit

My eleventh novel is coming out in just a few short days and it has caused me to reflect on my journey as a writer.  Though I have written since the age of thirteen, my first novel was released in 2010 and every year since I have had releases; with the exception of last year.  2014 slipped away and before I knew it, an entire year had passed. Perhaps every writer needs a breather now and again.
During the course of those twelve months, people asked if I was quitting.  My only answer came in the form of a smile.  See, what non-writers don't know is that writers can't quit.  They might cease to publish their work, but they never stop writing.

Writing is a disease, a curse, an addiction, an obsession and a love all rolled into one.  Some days you battle it.  Some days you relish in it.  There are moments when you birth the words through force and there are moments when they flow.  But, the one consistency is that a writer writes.

With three more novels currently in the works, I hope to have several releases in 2015; however, even if it is only one, as long as my pen hits the paper or my fingertips brush the keys on a daily basis, I will be fulfilled.

In reflection, what I have learned is that it is important to find what you love and do it.  No matter how others perceive it.  No matter what odds are against you.  No matter how many obstacles are thrown in your path.  One cannot waste their life on passion.  Life is wasted only on the mundane and the meaningless; never on passionate endeavors.  For the pursuit of passion is never a failure.

If it fulfills you... if it is your dream...then chase after it and never, ever quit.   ~

Three Days Before Christmas Giveaway

The holiday season is such an exciting time of the year, and there’s only three days of gift giving left! 

To recap, in case you missed the original post, I’m hosting a Twelve Days before Christmas Giveaway (sponsored by Global Publishing Group) wherein I will be giving away free copies of my books plus some of the other GPG author’s books. 

Here's how it works... I'll post the giveaway and the first person to email me, gets the free item of the day!  Each blog will go live at 8:00am MST (that's 7:00am for you West Coasters, 9:00am for you Mid-Westerners and 10:00am for my East Coast friends.)  It’s too easy not to play!

Email me with the subject line:  Day Three

Email me by clicking HERE

Here we go!

Sing with me....though I'm going to have to change up the lyrics a bit...

On the twelfth day before Christmas an author gave to me

A free copy of Petals of Blood! 

On the eleventh day before Christmas an author gave to me

An S.R.Claridge Ebook of my choice for free! 

On the tenth day before Christmas an author gave to me

A Tetterbaum’s Truth ebook copy!

On the ninth day before Christmas an author gave to me

An erotic spanking story!

(The first book in the Elise Dugar Episodes by Author Susan Sanchez)

On the eighth day before Christmas an author gave to me

A Traitor’s Among Us copy!

On the seventh day before Christmas an author gave to me 

The truth in House of Lies!

On the sixth day before Christmas an author gave to me

The second book in the erotic romance series.

(Anticipation by Susan Sanchez)

On the fifth day before Christmas an author gave to me

The third book in the Just Call Me Angel series!

(Russian Uprising)

On the fourth day before Christmas an author gave to me 

The Spouse in my House ebook free!

On the third day before Christmas an author gave to me

Another Sanchez Erotic story for free!

(Belting Love)

 

 

 

 

Before Jumping Into Bed

I received an email over the weekend and in it the writer asked if I thought it was better to self-publish than to sign with a small press publisher.

This is a tough decision and one each writer must make for themselves.

I never wanted to self-publish, not because I thought there was anything “wrong” with it, but simply because I needed a stranger, a publisher, to believe in my work.  I needed that extra-confidence-boost to tell me I was a good enough writer to be published.  So, in 2010, upon completion of my first novel, No Easy Way, I sought out Agents and Publishers.  That’s when Vanilla Heart took interest and offered me a contract.  The fact that a publisher deemed my work good enough to market and promote motivated me to continue to write, which is how I produced eight books in less than three years. 

Other authors don’t need the self-esteem boost that I did.  They feel confident and secure enough to stand alone and thus self-publishing is the perfect path for them.

In the past, self-publishing bore a negative stigma that a writer wasn’t “good enough” to be contracted by a publishing house; but that stigma has begun to fade.  Readers can tell the difference between someone who writes poorly and someone who writes well.  They know that in purchasing a self-published book they run the risk of stumbling upon a lessor quality novel.  However, they also realize that there are self-published authors who write really good books; gems yet to be discovered.  Many readers today are willing to take that risk, especially with the ease and affordability of the Ebook download.  If they download a book for $0.99 and don’t like it, it’s not a big financial loss; but if they get a great one for that price, what a bargain!

If you decide to go with a small press publisher, meaning any publishing house outside of what has now become the Big Five, do your homework before signing anything.  I cannot stress this enough.  Talk to other authors about their experiences with small press publishers.  Interview authors who are currently under contract with the publisher you’re considering.  Ask questions.  Understand that any publisher that is on the up-and-up will be able to give you timely sales and royalty reports and timely payments.  Do not be pressured into signing right away.  A legitimate publisher will not have any reason to pressure an author into an immediate contractual agreement.

Research the Preditors and Editors listing and Writer Beware.  Contact the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General for the state in which the publisher is located.  If there have been complaints about the publisher, they will be made available to you.  Run a background check on the publisher.  Be thorough.

If you do sign a contract, hold that publisher accountable at every turn for every item.  A legitimate small press publisher will not give excuses for late payments, no payments, late reporting, no reporting, etc.  Except NO excuses.  The contract that you sign is a business agreement and it must be upheld by both parties in an ethical manner.  One lie breaches the agreement.  Period.

One advantage to self-publishing is that the author receives sales reports directly from the distributor and a royalty payment that is never late.  There are no lies or hidden agendas if you go the self-publishing route.  This is a huge advantage to the author and one you should seriously consider prior to signing a contract with a small press publisher because there are many ways in which an unethical publisher can take your money.

Not only did my ex-publisher (Vanilla Heart) defraud statements and steal thousands of dollars, but she also blatantly lied about the number of books that were downloaded for free so that she could pocket the money.  I have emails from her to substantiate the falsification of the reports she gave me and the outright lies she told.  For example:  My novel, House of Lies, came with a bit of controversy as three weeks after its release there was a similar murder in the exact area where the story had taken place.  This generated media interest, both negative and positive, and also generated book sales.  Kimberlee Williams of Vanilla Heart told me that someone had gotten a hold of the Smashwords coupon code for House of Lies and 60 copies were downloaded for free.  I couldn’t believe it.  That was royalty money the publisher and I would never see…or so I believed.  After subpoenaing sales records directly from the distributor, the truth was that only 13 copies of House of Lies had been downloaded using a free coupon code. (All 13 of which I identified as contest winners, book club leaders or reviewers because I had given them the free code.)  The other 47 downloads were bought and paid for.  This was money the publisher kept and I never saw.  Unethical.

 

Sadly, it didn’t just happen with House of Lies, but with several of my books from the Just Call Me Angel series and No Easy Way.  Had I never left and had the sales reports sent to me directly from the distributors, I would have had no way of knowing just how deep her deception ran and how much money she had stolen.  Sadder still is the fact that I'm not the only one she defrauded.  

The morale of the story is:  Be careful.  As an author, you’ve poured your blood, sweat, time and tears into your book.  It’s your creation, your baby.  Don’t be hasty to get it out there and settle for something less than what your work deserves.  Look at the quality of work the publisher is putting out.  Are there typos and formatting errors strewn throughout their author's books?  If so, don't sign with them.  That's a red flag.  Are the book covers unprofessional looking?  Are their video trailers novice and unprofessional?  (I don't know the correlation, if any, between video trailers and book sales, but Vanilla Heart's trailers were so awful that I never marketed using theirs and had my own made instead.) 

There are ethical small press publishers.  They’re out there, but companies like Vanilla Heart are sadly giving them a bad name. Companies like Vanilla Heart are tainting the world of small press publishing.   If we turn a blind eye and continue to allow the unethical ones to exist and flourish, we are only hurting the ethical publishers, each other and ourselves.

This is OUR industry and it is OUR responsibility to protect it. 

 

The long and the short of it is this:  If you are in a hurry to get your work out to the masses, then my advice is to self-publish it rather than jumping into bed with a publisher that is literally going to emotionally, mentally and financially screw you. ~

 

 

Remembering the Past

“Those who do not remember the past are destined to repeat it.”

I’m uncertain who first said this, but he or she spoke with wisdom.  The past, whether speaking historically or personally, is a foundational element that has shaped the present and will continue to mold the future.   Learning from the past helps ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated; both those made by us and by others.  It is only when we pretend the past doesn’t exist that we find ourselves on a similar path toward destruction.

No one knows this better than Angel from the Just Call Me Angel series.  The problem she encounters is that she doesn’t know about her family’s past, so learning from it isn’t an option.  In fact, she doesn’t usually find out about the past until it has already come back to bite her in the ass.   Be that as it may, Angel is determined not to allow history to repeat itself.  From the moment she learns the truth about her identity and her Mafia roots, she sets out on a course to change the face of the mob.

Meet Angel and join her as she uncovers Tetterbaum’s Truth…now in Audiobook.

The Thrill-Ride Continues

Traitors Among Us is the second book in the Just Call Me Angel series and has been hailed by reviewers as one of the most exciting books in the series, being called a "thrill-ride" and "an edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller." 

Traitors Among Us _{by S.R.Claridge}

With Tetterbaum’s Truth revealed and her identity exposed, Angel Martin tries to adjust to her radically new role as head of the Chicago Maratinzano family.  Unfortunately, Mafia life offers little down time.

The sudden kidnapping of her mother and Aunt Olga leads Angel on a path to a past she’s never known and an adversary she is unable to find.  When an FBI mob bust against her family is fueled by administration level information, Angel turns to the other Chicago Bosses for answers; but every trail dead ends and every person is not who they seem.

Racing to save the people she loves most, Angel must learn to trust her instincts, even when she comes face-to-face with the scariest truth yet… there are Traitors Among Us.

You can watch a video trailer HERE.

 

Start Your Summer With a BANG!

With the release of the fifth book in the Just Call Me Angel series, I wanted to take this opportunity to give a brief overview of each novel and encourage readers to start their summer off with as BaNG!  Book one:  Tetterbaum’s Truth

 

Tetterbaum’s Truth _{by S.R.Claridge}

Angel Martin plans to marry Tony and live happily ever after… until Tony disappears.  Nursing a broken heart, she takes a job at Tetterbaum’s Pub, unaware it is the most prestigious Mafia hangout in Chicago. Through an unlikely turn of events, Angel finds herself in the middle of a revengeful scheme from a past she’s never known and a Mafia blackmail scandal that’s already left several dead. 

Racing to find answers, she discovers her entire life has been one carefully orchestrated lie.  No one is who they say they are and everyone has an agenda of their own. 

The closer she gets to uncovering hidden evidence the more the crime families want her out of the way. 

With her true identity now exposed, learning who she can trust becomes a matter of life and death and unraveling the past becomes her only hope for staying alive.

 

You can also watch the video trailer by clicking HERE

 

USA Today Recommends LOOSE ENDS

I am excited to announce that my latest release, Loose Ends, the fifth novel in the Just Call Me Angel series is NOW AVAILABLE and has been included in the USA Today HEA listing of books.  You can view the full USA Today listing HERE.

If you have yet had the opportunity to read the Just Call Me Angel series, I will be offering a small sampling of each novel this week on my blog, so please check back daily. 

 

Loose Ends _{by S.R.Claridge}

Fifth book in the Just Call Me Angel series

It's been a year since Angel discovered her true identity in the Mafia world and being the first female boss has had its challenges. She's been kidnapped, shot at, Tasered, blown up and thrown out of a plane. Not many women can say that. Through it all she's learned that family loyalty means everything, traitors aren't tolerated and love can be deadly. Unraveling the truth means tying up loose ends so they cannot ensnare the family again. The only problem is some loose ends aren't fit to be tied.

 

Like all of the Just Call Me Angel novels, Loose Ends can be purchased in Ebook or print at any of these online retailers:
Smashwords
Amazon
AllRomanceEbooks
 Barnes & Noble

You can also visit my website for a free read of the first thirty pages of Loose Ends (or any of my other novels, as well):
www.AuthorSRClaridge.com
At the top, click on the tab:  FREE READ

 

 

Mother's Day Mystery

Looking for a last minute Mother's Day gift?  How about giving her the gift of mystery and suspense?  S.R.Claridge novels are available in all downloadable formats from Smashwords.  It's immediate.  It's easy.  And Mom is sure to love it!

Start her out with a romantic suspense, like No Easy Way.  Or start her on the Mafia thrill-ride of the Just Call Me Angel series.  If it's political cult action she craves, House of Lies will keep her on the edge of her seat.  Or Petals of Blood is sure to wet her whistle and make her long for more.  Whichever you choose, or choose them all, you're sure to make this Mother's Day great!

Everything You Could Want - Mafia Style

I’ve been working on the fifth book in the Just Call Me Angel series, which has given me the opportunity to learn more about the Mafia in the States and abroad.  The research has been fascinating.  As I’m wrapping up the story, I realize my brain is already working on the next book, causing me to go back and plant tiny seeds of relevance for future installments. 

Part of the fun in writing an Italian Mafia series is in naming my characters.  I first develop the character’s outward appearance, pointing out some basic attributes like height, weight, hair color and eye color.  Occasionally, I note whether they have a pointy chin, squinty eyes or dimpled cheeks.  Next, I’ll describe any quirks they might possess.  For example, they might pop their gum, twirl their hair, fidget in their seat, or waddle when they walk.  Next comes speech.  I’ll assign an accent or an impediment; describe the pitch of their voice and any frequent phrases, like “babe” or “sweetheart,” “Merciful Heavens” or “crazy-ass.”  At this point, I usually feel as if the character has been brought to life and is in need of a backstory, if applicable to the plot, and a name.

I find names in various places.  From television programs, to the radio to internet searches, names are literally everywhere.  Sometimes one will just stick with me and other times I combine parts of several names to make a unique one.  Here are some of my favorite names from the Just Call Me Angel series:

Giovanni Maratinzano, Salvatore Buscetta, Enzo, Stephen Manucci, Joseph Venturini, Charles Andriachini, Rinaldo Rosenalli, Grayson Gallente, Mike Maletta, Carlos Cullato, Sean Shepherd, Scotrovi, Anya Grovashik, Stefano, Dr. Manzini… just to name a few.

After the real name has been assigned, I get to give pseudo-names or mobster names and this is where it gets really fun.  In the series, I have had characters called The Shark, The Snake, Big Mike, Trig, Chito and T-Rex. 

There are good cops and bad cops, Tasers, grenades, Uzi’s, comedy, drugs, drama, a love triangle, sex and most of all revenge done mafia style.  It has everything you could want in a suspense series, so if you haven’t joined the fun yet… pick up your copy today. 

 

 

Mafia Madness

The Just Call Me Angel suspense series is based on the Mafia, in Chicago, New York and Sicily.  Angel Maratinzano is granddaughter to the Capo di Tutti Capi in the States and granddaughter to the Head of the Costa Nostra in Sicily.  This places her in a unique and dangerous position.  As the first and only female Boss, Angel isn’t always accepted in what has thus far been deemed a man’s world; but she is slowly learning to hold her own.

With Mafia life comes the reality of unspoken rules, some of which are slightly twisted from the norm and paint a dark picture.  Good guys don’t always win.  Everyone is guilty until proven innocent.  Death is imminent.  No one can be trusted; not even your own family.  Loyalty comes at a high price and love is often its casualty.   Nothing in her formal education prepared her for mafia madness; but experience has taught Angel that the learning curve is high and one mistake could cost her, her life.

 

 

Not only is Angel’s position unique because she is female, but also because she’s the youngest Boss and consequently her outlook is far less jaded than that of the others; particularly than that of the older generation. 

Often finding herself trapped between her grandfather’s wrath and her compelling need for justice, Angel is learnind the importance of honing her mob instincts...before it's too late. 

 

 

Coupled with her Great Aunt Olga and her mother, Sophia, the Maratinzano women make a dynamic threesome of generational female power that turns the Mafia world on its ear.  Some want them dead, while others just sit back and shake their heads; watching and hoping for the moment when Angel will fall. 

How long can she survive as head of the Maratinzano family?  If Olga and her Taser have anything to say about it, Angel will be around for a long time.  ~

Don’t delay… start reading the Just Call Me Angel series today!

 

 

Entertaining Enquiries

I love my readers and particularly enjoy it when they contact me out of the blue to comment about or question something I have said or written.  I laugh out loud reading some of the emails…so let me just say, thank you.  Thank you for reading my books and for taking the time to write to me and share your thoughts.  Keep 'em coming!

One of my favorite things to do as an author is to meet with book clubs.  Most of the clubs with which I have had the privilege of meeting have been predominantly composed of women, and we have spent the evening in a casual environment, drinking wine and gossiping about our favorite characters.  I love these meetings because it not only gives me a chance to meet some phenomenal women, but I get to hear their perspectives on the characters, scenes and circumstances I have created.  What’s more, they keep me quite entertained with their questions; some of which I would like to share. 

 

Here are the three most common questions I am asked with regards to my novels:

·         In No Easy Way, you wrote about a broken marriage, wherein both the hero and the heroine were engaged in inappropriate behavior with other people.  Do you believe a marriage can survive what Tom and Kate’s marriage endured in the book? 

 

Yes.  Marriage is a lot of work and no relationship is or ever will be perfect.  People make mistakes…painful, awful, life-altering mistakes…but those errors don’t necessarily have to destroy the marriage.  Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t.  It’s a choice only the two persons involved can make.  The whole point of No Easy Way was to show that real couples can experience real heartache and come out stronger in the end…but there’s “no easy way” through it.

 

·         If you were Angel Maratinzano from the Just Call Me Angel series, would you pick Tony or Andrew?

This is one of the most popular questions I am asked and it also happens to be one of the first questions I ask my readers, as well.  Who would YOU pick?  Andrew is logical, stable and romantic.  Tony is passionate, fiery and strong-willed.  Both are tall, dark and handsome with a muscular physique and an appealing sense of humor.  Both are excellent lovers, cherish Angel deeply and would die to protect her.  Tony calls her “babe” and Andrew calls her “sweetheart.”  Surely if we could mesh the two together it would create the perfect man; but we can’t. 

If I can’t choose between them, how can I expect Angel to pick one? 

 

·        Do you find Angel’s promiscuity (i.e. sleeping with Grayson, Tony and Andrew) to be inappropriate?

I LOVE this question!  Here’s why…  Angel hasn’t slept with Tony in the series…yet.  She and Tony met in college, fell in love and were engaged to be married; then his family found out who she was and forced him to leave her.  In Tetterbaum’s Truth, Angel reminisces about making-love with Tony, but they have never again indulged in sexual activity beyond a passionate kiss now and again.  Furthermore, she has only made-love with Andrew one time during the course of four novels.  I would hardly call this promiscuity.  Grayson Galante was her only promiscuous fling and that was birthed out of her broken heart after Tony left.  Well, that, and the fact that she was driven by pure lust for his body.  For an un-wed, unattached, attractive, young woman, I’d say she hasn’t been very promiscuous at all.  J

 

 

 

If you would like to have Author S.R.Claridge visit your Book Club, click Here for contact and booking instructions.

Constitutional "Write"

As the gun control debate rages in Colorado, I find myself forced to take a stand.  During a chat room discussion with several of my readers, one asked me if I would consider taking guns out of my books.  My answer is a resounding no.  Guns will continue to play a big role in my novels despite those who oppose them. 

I believe in upholding my Constitutional right to bear arms in life and on paper.

As a murder mystery/suspense writer, guns are an integral part of my stories, especially the Just Call Me Angel mafia series.  I think there is a certain level of suspense that comes with the pulling of a trigger.  It is also a lot less gory in description than, say, stabbing. 

I don't just write about guns, I'm a gun owner and I enjoy going to the shooting range.  Before choosing guns for each of the characters in my Just Call Me Angel series, I went to a shooting range and handled several different guns of all shapes and sizes.  I sized up a .44, .38, .22, 9mm and a 357 magnum, which is my personal favorite.

Owning a gun doesn't make me a risk for shooting someone anymore than owning a car makes me a candidate to run someone over.  

That being said, I don't disagree with the idea of increasing background checks, having buyers pay for their own background checks, banning online certification for concealed-carry permits and banning certain assault weapons from public consumption; but let me be clear.  In the end, American citizens have a Constitutional right to bear arms and that should never change.

There is one Colorado bill on the table that I do not support and that is the bill proposing to limit magazine capacity.  If this is passed, companies, like Magpul, will leave Colorado and take hundreds of jobs with them.  I think this bill is ineffective and will cause more damage than good, especially in an economy that is already struggling.  I realize we live in the state that has suffered from two of the deadliest mass shootings in US history, the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School and the 2012 Aurora Theatre shooting.  We all want mass shootings to stop.  We all want to save lives, but unfortunately, no law is going to fix crazy. 

Radical anti-gun action isn't the solution.  Revoking a citizen’s right to own a gun will only stop law-abiding citizens from being able to defend themselves.  The reality is, despite the law, criminals will keep their weapons, just like they keep their drugs.  Instead of limiting magazines and chasing jobs out of Colorado, why don’t we create more jobs by placing armed guards in our schools state-wide?  Now THAT is a law I’d support.

 

If I could say anything to Governor Hickenlooper and House Representative Fields, it would be this.  Fixing the problem is simple, it’s the application that’s hard. Get rid of the crazy people because guns don’t kill anyone…people do.

One thing is certain, regardless of what laws are passed, I will be bearing arms in both the real and fictional world.  ~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Novel & A Bottle

I have recently learned that George Clooney has released his own line of high-end Tequila, called Casamigos. It is a small batch of ultra-premium tequila that has been tasted and approved by not only a master distiller, but by George himself.   The batches are numbered and signed. 

I love the name...a simple combination of Casa (home) and Amigos (friends).  The name alone makes me want to invite some friends to my home and drink up.  

 

Another idea...why not sit down with a good book and a bottle of Casamigos?  Lose yourself in the suspenseful twists of a Claridge novel and the passionate throes of a Clooney bottle. 

What can I say… he’s a man after my own heart.  Cheers, George!

Putting a BANG in Research

Every time I head to the shooting range it is with the next Just Call Me Angel book in mind.  It's fun to go shooting and definitely puts a BANG in my research.   When I go to the range, and for the sake of research, I handle just about every gun in the case.  I size up the .44, the .33 and the .22, compare their weight differences, feel each unique nuance and ask questions.  It’s important that I understand why people choose a particular gun so that when I am casting my characters for the next novel, I can intelligently assign them the best weapon.  It would look silly for me to take a six foot, four inch man with the nickname “T-Rex” and give him a .22 pistol.  Likewise, it would be challenging for a petite woman with small hands to lug around a .44.  I’m not saying she couldn’t do it… just that it might not be the best fit for her.

 

Guns are sort of like gloves…you have to find the one that fits your hand, the one that feels comfortable in your grip and one you believe you can handle with confidence.

In the third book of the Just Call Me Angel series (Russian Uprising), Angel finds herself in a position to grab a handheld Uzi and defend her life.  Up until this point she has never handled a gun with this kind of power.  She fires and is thrown backwards onto the pavement, missing her mark and almost losing her life. 

Guns demand respect.  If you do not respect what a gun can do, you have no business putting one in your hand. 

After trying several guns at the range, I found my favorite:  The 357 Magnum.  This particular gun has made an appearance into my novels now and again, but look for it to play an even bigger role in the next Just Call Me Angel novel.  ~

The "Olga Complex"

Spammers piss me off.  That statement applies to online, email and telephone spammers.  People who intentionally comment on blog posts only for the purpose of marketing their products should be smacked.  I understand the importance of marketing but do they honestly believe this is an effective way to increase sales?  Are they really that stupid?  This type of spamming is up there in my book with all of the penile dysfunction spam emails I receive.  I mean, really?  I don’t even have a penis so why are they sending me advertisements for ED drugs?  Have they ever considered targeting their spam emails to an appropriate demographic?  Perhaps that would prove more prosperous…duh?!

Another form of spamming that I find utterly distasteful are the telemarketers that call me at home to solicit their products.  If I want a vacuum I’ll go purchase one at the store.  If I’m interested in a timeshare, I’ll contact a realtor on my own, thank you very much.  Please, don’t try to sell me something when I’m in the middle of homework or dinner.  I consider it rude.  It creates in me what I call the “Olga Complex.” 

This is a reference that has grown out of the Just Call Me Angel series and is based on the character of Angel’s Great Aunt, Olga.  When Olga gets angry or annoyed, she feels an ever-growing and powerful desire to Taser the object of her irritation.  With regards to spammers, I can totally relate.  One little zap through the telephone lines would most assuredly remove my name from their call list.  I have to admit, it’s an electrifying thought!  J

Wine Pairing Tapas Tour

My husband and I belong to a dinner club with two other couples.  We meet monthly, rotating homes and then every fourth month we got out for a night on the town.  This month was my turn to host and I wanted to try something different, so after much research, my husband and I came up with our theme:   A Wine Pairing Tapas Tour Around the World.

We, obviously, couldn’t prepare a dish from every country, as that would have been way too much food; so we tried to have at least one dish from each continent.  The research I conducted to create the menu and then pair wines with each dish was fascinating.  I learned about acidity and tannins, grapes and their unique flavors, spices and different regions around the globe. 

With an outline of menu items in hand, my next task was to find recipes and make sure I would be able to locate the needed ingredients for each dish.  I had to run to three different grocery stores in order to acquire the necessary items.  Then I began making the food and designing how every tapas plate would look.  A little parsley there, a lemon slice here, a sprinkle of fresh parmesan.  It was all coming together.

Our night began with a Mediterranean Cheese & Olive plate served with parmesan crisps and wafer crackers.  Wine Pairing:  Cabernet Sauvignon  -  Bordeaux

 

We then enjoyed a platter of Hummus, original and spicy red pepper, with fresh vegetables from Morocco.   Wine Pairing:  Chardonnay

Traveling to Germany we noshed on Bratwurst & Cheese Skewers served on a bed of Kraut with a horseradish dipping sauce.  Wine Pairing:  Riesling Kabinett

France was next with Escargot in a garlic butter sauce.  Wine Pairing:  Champagne

In Japan we dined on three different types of Sushi:  a Spicy Pacific Salad Roll, Rainbow Roll and a Dragon Veggie Roll.   Wine Pairing:  Sake

Our next stop was in Italy to enjoy Baked Gnocci served in a garlic cream sauce with parmesan crisps and topped with fresh basil and parmesan.  Wine Pairing:  Tormaresca Italian Chardonnay  -  Pinot Grigio  -  Sauvignon Blanc

 

In Brazil we had Prosciutto Rounds, which are layered rounds of mozzarella cheese, tomato and fresh basil wrapped in prosciutto ham.  Wine Pairing:  Tempranillo  -  Cabernet Sauvignon

Our next stop was in Cuba and it turned out to be one of our favorite dishes of the night.  We ate Croquetas de Jamon, which are ham croquettes served with fresh mango slices and topped with a Mango Ginger Habanero sauce.  Wine Pairing:  Tempranillo

In Mexico we had Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers.  This was another group favorite.  They are fresh jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese, parmesan and spicy pork sausage, baked to perfection and topped with a dab of ranch.   Wine Pairing:  Pinot Noir

From there we went to Canada for some Planted Peppered Salmon Squares.  Wine Pairing:  Pinot Noir  -  Pinot Grigio

Then we headed back home to the United States for some Bang Bang Shrimp, served on a bed of lettuce.  Wine Pairing:  Riesling

Our next stop was in China for some Chicken Egg Rolls served with sweet and sour sauce and hot mustard.  Wine Pairing:  Sauvignon Blanc

In India we noshed on Curry Chicken served chilled and stuffed in a lemon shell.  Wine Pairing:  Reisling Kabinett

Spain brought us the Mar y Tierra, which is lump crab, ham and avocado served chilled and stuffed in an avocado shell.  This was the least favorite of the night.  Wine Pairing:  Dry Reisling  -  Tempranillo

Last, but not least, we headed back to the USA for Bar-b-Qued Pork Medallions.  Wine Pairing:  Chardonnay  -  Sauvignon Blanc

 

Needless to say, it was a unique night of fun and exploration with great friends.  J