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.

61 comments:

Falcata Times said...

probably a chivas spray. This might help people find one to thier taste:
http://cocktails.worldsbestbars.com/cocktails.asp?nocache=09%2F07%2F2009+22%3A14%3A49

Maria Zannini said...

ah...one of my favorite topics. lol.

My usual drink of choice is a margarita, but I really like Hurricanes:

1 oz white rum
1 oz Jamaican dark rum
1 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
3 oz orange juice
3 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 oz grenadine syrup
crushed ice

and Sex on the Beach:
1 1/2 oz. Schnapps, peach
1 1/2 oz. Vodka
2 oz. Cranberry Juice
2 oz. Orange Juice
2 oz. Pineapple Juice

Obviously, the fruit juices are very healthy for you.

And the assorted rums or vodkas are for medicinal purposes. :o)

Cheers!

Unknown said...

My favorite is a Chocolate martini
1oz vodka
1oz Godiva Chocolate Liquer
top with shaved chocolate

Unknown said...

I'm a follower

Unknown said...

I Tweeted here
https://twitter.com/kdet62/status/2557543285

tina werner said...

thanks for the chance to win!

i'm a follower

i also have you linked on my blog under "book blogs" at http://www.tinawerner.blogspots.com

tina werner said...

oh and my favourite coctail is a ceasar... yum!

Michaela Deas said...

My favourite has to be a well made Caipirinha!

Valorie said...

Those recipes are so being saved. Anyway, I am more a shooter person. I like to drink quick and in small bursts. I like the Bad Apple the best, which is just one part sour apple pucker to one part crown royal.

I follow.

I blogged: http://www.morbid-romantic.net/2009/07/06/book-giveaways-07-06-07-12/

Valorie
morbidromantic@gmail.com

Cecile Smutty Hussy said...

Hey Ms. Suzanne!!! Congrats on the release date coming soon!!!! I have the book on my left sidebar... and the contest on the right sidebar!!!!

I absolutely love this post.... I am all about the cocktails!!!!
My fave is a speciality that I make!!!
It contains... Yummyy!!! The name is Cecile's Passion Potion!
Malibu Rum
Vodka
Triple Sec or Strawberry Liquor
Pineapple Juice
Cherry Juice

Carolyn H said...

I am a follower and I don't have a recipe for cocktails as I don't drink them. It’s not that I don't like to drink cocktails; I just have a super low alcohol tolerance which is frankly pathetic. So my cocktail of choice which isn't a cocktail is a nice cold Alexander Keith's Ale. I have retweeted you :) Thanks for the contest

andee said...

My favorite is good ole Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum and orange juice!!! Yum!!!!

Neil Ford said...

I saw copies of the book in Forbidden Planet London tonight. I have a picture which I'll post.

And as a dutiful acolyte, I retweeted your giveaway announcement.

- Neil.

Tynga said...

Oh please sign me in =)
I haven't read any of those book and I'm really looking foward to reading STrange Brew!

tynga85 @hotmail .com

Tynga said...

I am a follower

Tynga85 @hotmail .com

Tynga said...

And I posted about the giveaway on my blog =)
http://tyngasreviews.blogspot.com/2009/07/some-giveaways.html

tynga85 @hotmail .com

BrigidsBlest said...

I Tweeted it: http://twitter.com/BrigidsBlest

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&suggest&note_id=101873346892

InsaneJournal: http://brigidsblest.insanejournal.com/2753.html

MySpace: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&bID=499456126

Dreamwidth: http://brigidsblest.dreamwidth.org/1955.html

WordPress: http://brigidsblest.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/contest/

LiveJournal: http://brigidsblest.livejournal.com/721715.html

And I left a comment with a drink recipe on your LJ. :)

Llehn said...

I'm pitching Singapore Sling.

I'm a follower.

lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com

Blodeuedd said...

I know you were supposed to leave your fav cocktail...but honestly, I get sick from cider these days. All cos of a very drunken bday some years back. I can taste alcohol in candy..yup.
But I did find out that I can drink Baccardi breezer so hm orange juice and rum, yay

Tez Miller said...

Lemon, lime and bitters. Sorry, kids; I'm just not a drinker ;-)

Pam P said...

Going to have to try that Vampire Kiss.

I'm more into sweet stuff and liquors, usually Bailey's on the rocks or Kahlua and cream.

Anonymous said...

I like vodka coctails, such as Cape Codder, Mudslide or White Russian.

Anonymous said...

The Vampire Kiss cocktail sounds awesome. I mostly have the same concktail everytime- Bloody Mary, could be bcoz I love anything with tomatoes :)

Please enter me - elizascott2005 at yahoo dot co dot in

I follow you via Google Reader

Unknown said...

Hi :)
I am a Follower :)
How do you post a link to a RT on Twitter?
Oh well, you've seen it.
My favorite drink is one I created which I call a "Quickie"

One ounce of creme de menthe
One ounce of sambuka
One ounce of Bailey's Irish Creme
A spoon
Pour the Creme de Menthe first
Carefully pour over spoon the sambuka so it layers above the creme de menthe
Then Carefully pour the Bailey's over spoon onto the sambuka
It will give you a three-layer drink which will taste like chocolate covered mints you get at Christmas.
Be careful, more than two and when you get up, it'll hit you like you just got off the tilt-a-whirl.
:)
Love From Canada
twitter.com/RKCharron
xoxo

Teresa said...

Frozen Daiquiri is great. A lot of rum coctails are.

jopmav said...

retweeted at twitter.com/jopmav

As for a favorite cocktail... not sure, I absolutely love Hot Pink in the winter time. I make mine a little strong at 1 part tequila rose and 1 part hot chocolate, sometimes adding a bit of whip cream. I also love chocolate almond amore (Olive Garden), however I have no clue on how to make it.

Sweet Vernal Zephyr said...

Thanks for a chance to win two great books!

My favorite drink is the Blue Bowl - creepy name. great taste.

Equal parts: Blue Caraco, Vodka & pineapple juice.

Miranda

tetewa said...

I'm going to have to try these recipes. My favorite cocktail is a Squirtka, vodka and Squirt!

Ria said...

Hurricanes, by far. Especially when in Pat O's in New Orleans :D

Hurricanes:

1 oz white rum
1 oz Jamaican dark rum
1 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
3 oz orange juice
3 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
1/2 oz grenadine syrup
crushed ice

Ria Miller, abritbrat@gmail.com

Everlight said...

I'm a follower.

I can't wait to read these books, they've definitely caught my attention! Going on my to-read list!

Sylvie :)

Suzanne McLeod said...

Wow! Thanks to all of you who have commented so far, and for your cocktail recipies! nomnomnom! Lots of really great ones to try [at some point when I'm not staring in the face of a deadline *g*] Hope you all have a great weekend :-)

Suzanne xx

CrystalGB said...

My favorite cocktail is a long island iced tea.

CrystalGB said...

I am a follower.

chey said...

My favourite cocktail is Strawberry margarita.

Unknown said...

i dont really drink much anymore, but mand teq sunrise. or just straith teq
more winecooler flavored margarita;s
or jello shots or the vials lookin drinks ,lol see why i dont drink anymor

Adelina said...

I loves me some margarita's! And I love strawberry drinks so one of my favs is a strawberry daiquiri.

Shari K said...

Not much of a cocktail drinker but here's one that caught my eye!

Ingredients
8 ounces of freezing Vampyre vodka
2 pickled garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of olive brine from your pepper stuffed olives
2 rubber eyeballs (c'mon, just search a toy store)
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 copy (on vinyl preferably) of the original song Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Pickett

The mix
Pour the Vampyre vodka into a shaker half full of cracked ice
Add the olive brine
Shake, shake, shake to the Monster Mash groove
Strain your blood red martini cocktail into 2 freezing martini glasses
Top each glass with half a tablespoon of lemon juice
Into each drink add a pickled garlic clove and one rubber eyeball

Samhain/Halloween is my favourite holiday of the year!

Shari K

Lori T said...

I like those sweet girly drinks...my favorite is strawberry daiquiri.

Keeping my fingers crossed and wow, release day will be here before you know it!

Lori T said...

I just became a follower. I cannot believe that I did not do this sooner.

Have a great weekend.

Anonymous said...

I'm a plain an simple red wine type of girl with an occassional vodka/rang. I don't really like cocktails

LadyVampire2u said...

Though I rarely drink cocktails, I do like Bride of Dracula's...
1/2 wine glass sparkling wine
1 shot white rum
1/2 shot creme de framboise
1 wineglass raspberries
squeeze lemon
wine glass with ice

Just measure out ingrediants into a blender and crush! If you don't have a blender, just serve very cold, but it's better crushed.

I am a follower.
And have posted your contest on my blog here: http://ladyvampire2u.blogspot.com/2009/07/julys-contests-part-1.html
Thanks!
LadyVampire2u(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Storm Etin said...

Favourite cocktail is the classic Cheeky V

However much Pot and Blue WKD as you like, its always best not to measure ;)

It tastes so much like vimto its untrue, and can be lethal

I'm also following your blog

buddyt said...

I am not really a lover of cocktails.

I much prefer my spirits with just a mixer.

A Morgans Rum and Coke or a brandy and soda for instance.

Jamie said...

My drink of choice is Pina Colada but that Vampires Kiss looks really good.

Unknown said...

Hi Suzanne!

I blogged you contest and forgot to enter!

My fav cocktail would be Tom Collins, not a virgin one either, vodka is necessary for the full enjoyment of this drink, but you can choose pineapple juice for the juice if you'd like. I like it with pineapple juice as well.

I'm a follower.

Posted your contest on my blog at http://myblog2point0.blogspot.com/.

Tweeted your contest gymmom_027.

Thanks!

Dottie :)

Suzanne McLeod said...

Whoo Hoo! More fantastic recipies and cocktail ideas! Thanks so much to everyone who has commented so far, and for all your links and tweets etc to help get the word out.

I'm so sorry for being such an absent host; I'm feeling so guilty about not replying to you all individually [due to my spotty internet connection just now and my impending deadline], but I am reading all your suggestions and they are a lot of fun. Thank you :-)

ediFanoB said...

I Tweeted here:
http://twitter.com/ediFanoB/status/2602018402

ediFanoB said...

I'm a follower and can't withstand to take part....

host said...

Another great giveaway!
My favourite is Sex on the Beach - just thinking about it makes me wanna go get some :

I'm a follower and I've posted a link to this contest on the right sidebar of my blog:
http://angel-on-a-move.blogspot.com

Lina said...

Every other weekend all us girls get together (usually at my place) and we make margarita's all night! Our "girls night out" is actually "girls night in." And I gotta tell you we have the funniest conversations ever (I know because a few times we recorded it. lol) We're like the kids on the 70's show except we're drunk not high.

FD said...

Reading this post and comments reminded me it's been too long since my last cocktail.

One of my favorites is Black Russian. Simple but tasty.

mrsshukra said...

I want to win this book!

delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

mrsshukra said...

More of a wine drinker but I've always like grand marnier... even in cakes!

delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com

Lynnette said...

I'm not much of a drinker, but I do like Long Island Iced Tea

Suzanne McLeod said...

Yay! Thanks to all of you for the fantastic recipes - Long Island Iced tea seems to be very popular, as do plenty others! Thanks to all of you for the links and tweets, and mega thanks to all the new followers. So great to have you on board :-)

Suzanne xx

Anonymous said...

I hope I'm not too late,just got back from holidays.
favorite cocktail singapore sling(which I had a lot of this week ;)

Thanks for the chance to win books!!

elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

SusiSunshine said...

I love cocktails and my personal favorite is Tequila Sunrise. I'm a follower and I would would jump in circles for winning a copy a Strange Brew.

I ♥ Book Gossip said...

My personal favorite is a regular cosmo. I'm very girly with my drinks. Please count me in.

cindyc725 at gmail dot com

I ♥ Book Gossip said...

Follower.

cindyc725 at gmail dot com

I ♥ Book Gossip said...

Posted on Twitter and sidebar.


cindyc725 at gmail dot com

Sara M said...

My favorite cocktail is a kamakaze. One part vodka, one part triple sec, one part lime juice.

I'm a follower.

Sara M
silentalibis AT yahoo DOT com

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