Strange Brew :: Giveaway

There's just over 6 days left [as I write this] - whoo hoo - until The Cold Kiss of Death :: Spellcrackers.com book 2 :: is released. And two exciting things happened today! 1. I got my author copies in the mail! WooT! and 2. The Book Depository started shipping the pre-orders for The Cold Kiss of Death! So there might still be 6 days left until the 16th July, the official date, but ... my second book could be out there in the wilds of book shops even sooner! Yay!

Which means it must be celebration time!
Cue the party poppers, the balloons and the cocktails!

And not just any cocktails, but Hallowe'en cocktails LOL!

1. Evil Spirits 2. Creepy Crawly 3. Vampire Kiss :: Recipies under the cut

In Genny's London, the local vampires have turned themselves into A-list celebs and opened the Blue Heart: a hot vampire club right in the middle of Leicester Square. The Blue Heart has its own signature cocktail - yep, you've guessed it - The Blue Heart *g*.

Extract from The Sweet Scent of Blood

The waitress indicated a tray of wide-mouthed glasses. ‘Would you like a complimentary Blue Heart cocktail? It’s a mixture of blood oranges, raspberries and blueberries.’

The glasses contained a dark red liquid that looked like tired old blood. I picked one up and gave it a tentative sniff, managing not to poke my eye out on the blue paper umbrella. ‘No alcohol?’

She shook her head. ‘We don’t serve alcohol at the Blue Heart. It’s part of our healthy living policy to prepare ourselves and our bodies for the Gift.’

‘Sounds great,’ I said, eyeing the neat punctures on her neck as I handed her the glass back, ‘but I think I’ll pass.’

Extract from In The Cold Kiss of Death

Now I stood in the Blue Heart’s foyer. I looked around with detached interest. It was Saturday night, and the place was heaving. Humans stood in long queues at the semi-circular payment booths, waiting for their entry stamps, and others waited with bulging baskets at the checkout point in the bat- and pumpkin-decorated gift shop. Yet more gathered at the Blue Artery Bar, where a dark red sludge-like smoothie swirling with toxic orange – enticingly labelled Carotid Cocktail + Scary Shot – appeared to be the hot-ticket item.

Personally I prefer my own cocktails with alcohol *g*, and my all time favourite cocktail is a Margarita! Yay! I always have at least one when I'm on holiday [okay, sometimes more than one, but hey, I'm on my hols :-)] So now onto this week's giveaway for a copy of Strange Brew, an anthology with stories from some of my favourite authors: Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs and more.

Here's what and how you can win: leave a comment telling me your favourite cocktail** and the commentator drawn by Random.org will win a copy of Strange Brew, plus a signed copy of The Cold Kiss of Death; and The Sweet Scent of Blood if they haven't read it. Contest open to all, and ends end of day [anywhere] Wednesday 15th July 2009.

I comment = 1 entry

Follow me = 1 entry [see here for info on the extra 'thank you giveaway' for followers]

Please help me spread the word about the release of The Cold Kiss of Death and the giveaways with a mention of the giveaway on your blog/live journal/myspace/facebook/twitter/etc [post the link to the mention into the comments again] and win yourself more entries into this week's giveaway :-) 1 link = 1 entry

Which means you could end up with more entries into the metaphorical hat, so what are you waiting for? Get posting and linking!! Good Luck!!

x/posted to my LJ: leave a comment here or there.

** Cocktails can of course, be virgin - My fav is a Gentle Sea Breeze
Shake a mixture of equal measures of cranberry juice and pineapple juice, and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Recipes under the cut

1. EVIL SPIRITS
{via Rachael Ray}
Yield: 12 cocktails


Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups vodka
Juice of 6 lemons
1 cup grenadine
Club soda, chilled


Directions:
Fill a pitcher with ice cubes. Pour in the vodka, lemon juice and grenadine and stir until chilled. Strain the mixture into martini glasses and top with club soda.


***


2. CREEPY CRAWLY
{via cocktailtimes.com}

Yield: 1 Cocktail


Ingredients:
1 oz Brandy
1 oz Blood Orange Puree*
2 oz GranGala Triple Orange Liqueur
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Glass Garnish:
1-12 oz Bag of Dark Chocolate Chips**
1 Orange Truffle or Chocolate-Dipped Orange Slice
1 Plastic Spider (optional)


Directions:
Using 8 to 10 chocolate chips for one drink, heat in the microwave for 20 seconds until almost melted. Take chips out of the microwave and stir with a spoon until completely melted (this method creates best chocolate consistency for making the web). Place the melted chocolate in a squeeze bottle and 'draw' a spider web on the inside of the martini glass (glass can be prepared in advance**).


In a Boston shaker, add the rest of the ingredients and shake well. Pour into the decorated martini glass. Garnish with an orange truffle or chocolate dipped orange slice. Plastic spider is optional as an alternative garnish or decoration.


***


3. VAMPIRE KISS


Yield: 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Finlandia Vodka, chilled
1.5 oz Korbel Champagne
.75 oz Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur


Directions:
Pour vodka and half of the Chambord in a martini glass, top with Champagne and pour the remaining Chambord over the back of a spoon to make it float.

Cocktail recipies taken from here with thanks.