Rum comes in colors/tastes, including:

• Light
• Golden
• Dark
• Spiced
• Overproof
• and Flavored.

Each of these has special characteristics. Rum is popular all over the world, and the most popular brand in the US is Bacardi, which comes in quite a few flavors, and also the famous 151 overproof.

And now, for your sip of one of my books.

This is from Spanking Her Highness, my most recent release at Blushing Books and Amazon. There’s no alcohol drinking in this book, but they do like their sweet tea, which makes me think of some of the rum cocktails I’ve had over the years.

This is a PG-13 rated excerpt, but please bear in mind, this is an erotic spanking romance.

The sitting room where Arthur sent her was a little more familiar to her than the main room. Some of the features were memorable from the day of the incident, though she hadn’t gotten a full impression of the place through her tears and upset. It smelled warm from the late-afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows, and there was a slight scent of lemon furniture wax.

It wasn’t long after her tea was served that Will came into the room. He looked a little tired, and the line between his brows was deeper as well. However, he greeted her with a big smile on his face. “It’s my favorite neighbor! Come to visit?”

A gentle thrill went through her at the sight of him. He was so handsome, with his sun-tipped dark red hair and bright eyes. Queenie tamped down the urge to run her hands over his broad shoulders and thick biceps.

Shaking her head slightly, she quickly came to the matter which drew her to visit.“Not exactly. The sheriff is having some trouble figuring out who tried to ram me the other day. I was hoping you might remember something I said.” A slight heat brushed her cheeks. “I was a little…upset.”

He sat next to her on the couch. “Yeah, you were. Well…you didn’t say much.”

She rose. “I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

Will took her hand and pulled her back down beside him. “You’re not bothering me. Let’s see…you said that you’d been hit by an SUV, and that you thought the driver was trying to run you off into the drainage ditch.”

“Did I describe the driver?”

“Not really. You thought it was a woman.”

Queenie sighed. It looked like she’d been so hysterical that all she’d done was blubber. She withdrew her hand from his and knotted her fingers together in her lap. She watched Will’s face, looking for any hint of new information. “That’s all I said?”

He nodded, covering her hands with one of his while he brushed his fingertips along her cheek. As she’d done before, she leaned into that warm hand, then caught herself. “I should go.”

“Don’t go.”

Will got closer, and she could feel his breath against her lips.

“I…I can’t stay.”

“No?”

His lips hovered over hers, nearly touching her.

“Please…”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Will’s lips took hers in a searing kiss.

Now, I think I’d like a little rum cocktail to slow my rapid pulse. What shall it be? Rum and coke? Cuba libré? Mai Tai? Daiquiri? Rum Punch?

Oh I know…

Bahama Mama (recipe found on The Hooch Life)
(This one kicks like a mule, and in the Bahamas they make it so strong, it’s enough to remove paint. Before you order one, be sure to have a designated driver.)

Ingredients (makes 1 drink)
3/4 ounce White Rum
3/4 ounce Anejo Rum (ED: Anejo means aged. One aged brand is Appleton Estate 21 Year – but it sells for more than $100 per bottle.)
3/4 ounce Dark Rum
1/2 ounce Coconut Rum
3 ounces Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
2 ounces Fresh Orange Juice
2 tsp Classic Grenadine
1 dash Angostura Bitters

(Adding a little more Grenadine makes it sweeter and more pink in color.)

Method:
Put all ingredients and a couple of handfuls of ice in a shaker, shake well, and serve in a hurricane glass. It can also be served on the rocks (don’t put the ice in the shaker, put them in the glass) or as a frozen drink (put the whole thing and ice in a blender and crank the baby up to frappé).

Here’s a fun rum video. It’s called “Why Is The Rum Gone?” You’ll see why.

Have a healthy, happy, mostly sober Saturday!

In case you haven’t guessed, today is gin day on Patricia Green Books. Belly up to the bar, where I’m serving Gin Rickeys, Gin & Tonics, and, of course, Traditional Martinis (with double olives, of course).

I went through my books and couldn’t find anyone drinking gin. This is a total oversight, and I promise I’ll remedy it in a future book. But, if you’ll allow me, I’ll offer a little of my most recent release, The Strong, Silent Type. Readers seem to be enjoying this book, and my hope is that you will too. Let me tantalize you with a taste.

The afternoon had been taken up by a drunk and disorderly complaint and some coordination of cases with the BIA security office on the reservation. When four-thirty came around, Drake was tired and tense. The idea of meeting with Mae excited him and filled him with dread.

He heard her car on the blacktop outside, took a deep breath and came out of his office to greet her. No one else was in the station; they were alone.

“Hi, Chief.” She offered a hug, but he held out his hand. If he held her, he might not be able to let go. As it was, he felt an electric bolt through his body when she returned his handshake. She looked a little puzzled, and her eyes roamed the little station, then turned back to him with a silent question.

“Yes, we’re alone.”

“Oh.” She flipped back a lock of red curls and smiled gently. “So…”

Drake took his eyes off her face and tried not to give her a once-over. She wore a little summer sundress with a bright floral pattern. She was adorable and sexy, both.

“Right,” he said, finding his voice. “Come into my office.”

She followed him and sat in a chair across from his desk. He admired her slender, smooth legs as she crossed them at the ankles primly.

“Well, let’s get right to it. I have a voice recording—the greeting from a person’s cell phone—and I’m wondering if you can tell me if the voice sounds like the second robber.”

“I’ll try. I didn’t sleep well last night. Nightmares about the robbery. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be much help. But I’ll give it my best shot. I don’t mean shot, what I mean to say was–”

“I understand.”

“I want to help. Go ahead.”

If you’ve been following Horny Hump Day here, you’ll have a pretty good idea what transpires in that office. If not…You can get The Strong, Silent Type at Blushing Books, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Although a bright Gin Rickey made with Citadelle brand gin is my favorite summertime gin cocktail, I thought you might like this one from the Citadelle site:

Saturday in the Park

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Citadelle Gin
- .75 oz. Aperol *
- .5 oz. Laird’s Applejack
- .5 oz. Green Chartreuse
- .25 oz. Mathilde Pear Liqueur

Method:
Crack solid ice cubes and half-fill a shaker. Fill the rest of the way with solid cubes. Add all ingredients. Stir approximately 30 times. Strain into a glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

* Aperol is a low-alcohol liqueur that’s a lot like Campari.

Bottom’s up!

Oh right… the video clip. This week’s clip was a tough one. No one does a decent job singing about gin. All you songsters out there had better get busy—there’s a niche to be filled. Anyway, I thought it almost as appropriate to post a song by the Gin Blossoms. Do you know what the term “gin blossom” actually refers to? It refers to the pattern of broken capillaries one finds on the nose and cheeks of a person who imbibes rather too much gin too regularly. Not a pretty sight.

Here’s the vid. “Follow You Down” by the Gin Blossoms.

Today is Vodka day on Patricia Green Books. Why? Because it’s my birthday, and ice cold vodka is perfect to celebrate a hot summer birthday dinner of chilled caviar, blini, and all the fixin’s. My favorite vodka is Square One Cucumber. It’s an “organic” vodka with a wonderful, crisp taste and smooth finish.

I looked through all my books, and realized that I didn’t have anyone drinking vodka. What an oversight on my part! However, I do have a Belorussian hero in my Daughter of the Moon books. I would imagine he’d enjoy a freezer-chilled shot of vodka now and then. Here’s a little snippet from Daughter of the Moon, Book 1: Surface. This is one of my older books, before the time when head-hopping became a no-no in pop literature, so forgive my old-fashioned prose a bit, please.

You might recall, this book is set in the future, and the customs there are rather more free-wheeling and open-minded. Our hero, Mikhail, has won a weekend with Sonata as a game prize. She’s not so sure she likes it, but when they kiss…

“She’s yours, Mikhail.  Game over,” stated Larry.  “Dinner will be in about twenty minutes,” he announced to all.

“Stand up,” commanded Mikhail looking down at Sonata, and people paused to watch, anticipating fireworks.

Sonata stood slowly, looking both angry and hurt.  Her eyes met his, and he saw her fury.  He liked her anger.  It was evidence of her spirit; something he had been afraid Charles had snuffed out.  Mikhail found her exquisitely beautiful, her green eyes flashing, chin tilted in defiance, fists clenched.

“Kiss me,” he said.  More people turned to watch.  Sonata was tall, but the top of her head still only reached his chin.  She glared at him, but rose on tip toe and kissed his lips, like a sister.  She knew it was not what he wanted and his frown was gratifying.  “No.  Kiss me the way a woman kisses a man she’ll be sleeping with,” he rumbled.  Sly chuckles could be heard all around her.

She blushed crimson, and itched to smack him, but honor was honor.  Both her hands reached around his neck, and pulled his head toward hers.  Her soft lips met his gently, playing upon his firm mouth slowly.  His hands trailed down her back to cup her buttocks and pull her hard against him.  His tongue darted out to tease her lips open, and she lost her breath as his kiss became demanding, forceful.  His tongue plundered her soft mouth, coaxing a response from her which she could not have anticipated.

Her plan to bite him was lost.  She could feel the hardness of his manhood against her belly and felt a warm surge beginning deep within.  The crowd cheered and clapped.  Sonata was surprised at her own disappointment when he broke away from her.

“Much better.” He grinned, perfectly in control.  “Remember where we left off.”  He patted her bottom and strode away.

Sonata stood there for about thirty seconds, her anger returning, feeling somewhat humiliated.  It was just a kiss after all.  But her body felt so tingly, so affected.  Waste!  What was happening here?

Mikhail might be the Belorussian, but I’d have to say that Sonata is the one who needs that shot of vodka right about now.

Here’s my page about Daughter of the Moon, Book 1: Surface, with blurb and buy links and a longer excerpt.

If you’re not into shots, there are all kinds of drinks that use vodka as a base. One of my favorites is a dry, vodka martini. Here’s my personal recipe.

Ingredients:

2 oz chilled vodka
splash of dry vermouth
2 plump, juicy olives (or a twist of lemon)

Method:

Put ice cubes in a martini glass to chill the glass down (or you can start with a chilled glass).

After the glass is somewhat chilled, dump out the ice and pour in a splash of dry vermouth. Twisting and tipping the glass, coat the inside with a thin layer of vermouth and then pour out the remainder.

In a shaker, put in a handful of ice and the vodka and shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds. This “bruises” the vodka and takes some of the astringency off the foretaste.

Pour the vodka into the chilled martini glass and garnish with olives or a lemon twist.

That’s your Saturday Sip for today. And here’s the accompanying video! This is “The Vodka Song” by Seamus Moore. I thought it wonderfully quirky to have an Irishman sing about vodka.

Belly up to the bar, ladies and gentlemen. Today is whiskey day on Patricia Green Books. There are quite a few types of whisky to be had: Irish Whisky, Scotch Whisky, Canadian Whisky, Tennessee Whiskey, and Bourbon Whiskey, are the most prevalent. The variations on whisky are created by mixing a variety of grains, each recipe being proprietary. The various categories have common elements in the manufacturing process, but if you were to sample Tennessee Whiskey compared to Bourbon Whiskey, you could easily see the difference due to the charcoal intensity of the Tennessee Whiskey versus the semi-sweet aftertaste of the Bourbon. Whiskey aficionados all have a favorite type. Mine is Bourbon, and in particular, Booker’s, followed closely by Blanton’s. Booker’s is a single barrel (small batch) Bourbon with a high alcohol content. It’s not for the faint of heart and could put hair on your chest if you’re not careful.

[ed. You might notice that "whiskey" is spelled in two different ways. Each is correct and based upon regional custom.]

For my snippet of writing today, I’m going to share a little segment from book 5 of the Journey family series, Jackie Draws a Straight (to be released to the general public in a few months, but available right now at Bethany’s Woodshed. If you haven’t read books 1-4, that’s okay; the book can stand alone, but if you want to start the series from the beginning, you can get the first book, Liv’s Journey,Blushing Books and Amazon.

Our heroine, Jackie Journey, needs to relax a little, so she goes to the tavern for a little drink and some food. Here’s what happens…

There was country music playing on the jukebox, and Jackie recognized a song she liked. She smiled a bit before she knocked back the Jack and took a quick sip of her ginger ale.

A shiver raced through her middle, followed by a sense of muscles relaxing slightly. She adjusted her seat on the barstool and reached for a menu. As she was trying to decide among the fajita choices, there was a raucous commotion from the doorway.

She glanced over her shoulder and immediately recognized the four men who had entered. They were ranch-hands, from the Bar-O, Rafael Ramirez’s spread on the other side of town. Jackie had gone to school with three of them, and had dated the pack leader, Bud “The Stud” Ramirez, Rafael’s son, while in high school. God what a fiasco that had been.

They weren’t interested in her as their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, but when Bud saw her, his smile was feral. He pointed and the group laughed and nudged each other.

Bud nodded toward the jukebox, and he and his friends went to it and started feeding in quarters. Jackie released a small breath of relief. Apparently, Bud had better things to do than pay attention to her.

One song ended and another began. “Good Girls Go to Heaven,” by Brooks & Dunn started with a guitar riff and Jackie ordered another shot.

“On me,” said Bud from behind her.

She’d never forget that voice. Smooth as silk, deep and sexy as sin. Unfortunately, Bud was a bully of the first order and all that was good about him was his voice.

“No, thanks,” she replied immediately, not turning toward him. Maybe if she didn’t pay him mind he’d go away. She tensed as she realized she wouldn’t be that lucky.

Although the best way to drink whiskey is really up to the drinker—I take mine straight up as a shot—there are quite a few recipes that use whiskey as the base.

Author Sherwood Anderson (whose work is touted as the inspiration for other writers such as Faulkner, Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Wolfe) liked an Old Fashioned now and again.

Old Fashioned
(from Hemingway & Bailey’s Bartending Guide to Great American Writers)

Ingredients:
1 cube of sugar
3 dashes Angostura bitters
2.5 oz bourbon, rye or blended whiskey
1 dash simple syrup
1 orange slice
1 maraschino cherry
Lemon twist

Method:
Place a sugar cube at the bottom of an Old Fashioned glass. Add bitters and muddle. Pour in whisky and a dash of simple syrup. Fill the glass with ice cubes and stir gently. Garnish with the fruit. Sometimes a splash of club soda is added [ed. but why dilute it?].

Cheers!

Jack Daniels Whiskey Song

Today is wine day on Saturday Sips. Wine is a huge topic, far too complex for exploration here, but it’s a very popular alcoholic drink. Whether you prefer red, white, or rose, sparkling or flat, spicy or crisp, there’s a kind of wine out there for you.

To stick with the wine theme, I’ll give you a segment from my recent release, The Strong, Silent Type, from Blushing Books. You can see the trailer, blurb and links to character profiles and another excerpt for this fun spanking romance here.

In this snippet, erstwhile criminal Mae Weston is coming over to dinner with the guy she’s crazy about (in spite of, or maybe because he spanks her). Drake Stillwater, Native American police chief, has made them a gourmet dinner.

It was a pleasant house, open and airy, with pale, butter yellow leather seating and glass tables. A pair of torchieres stood sentinel near cushy chairs, just right for reading. He had a large-screen TV across from the couch, and a satellite stereo setup beneath it. The glass coffee table was shiny clean, with a Sports Illustrated and—of all things—the latest issue of Hunka Chunka. Mae looked from the magazine glaring there to Drake’s face and he grinned. She got hot all over and knew that she must be blushing to the roots of her red hair.

“You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?” she said with a sniff.

“Hey, I got the idea from you!”

“I never…I mean ta say…I was bored, and I found it somewhere…and…”

“You found it somewhere: in your mailbox.”

She bit her lower lip wondering if she should go on denying it. Heck, he already knew she liked spanking, why not admit to being curious about other things as well? “Okay, you got me. I’m a pervert.”

He laughed. “You’re my pervert.”

She grinned. That declaration felt mighty nice. “What smells so good?”

“Chicken mousse-stuffed zucchini flowers, fresh green beans and salad.”

“Oh, I almost forgot!” She held out the plastic bag. He took it with his oven mitted hand and opened it.

“Condoms and wine.” He smiled devilishly. “Well, I don’t drink, but I do use condoms. Thank you.”

You can get a copy of The Strong, Silent Type at Blushing Books, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

If you want to learn a little more about wine, there’s a great book—really almost a textbook—on wine: Kevin Zraly’s Complete Wine Course. It’s very comprehensive.

Here’s a cocktail made from wine. It’s not the usual spritzer.

On the Vine
(From the book 1001 Cocktails from Parragon Publishing.)

This is done in “measures” so you can make as many as you like. The recipe given here is for one cocktail.

Ingredients:
½ measure apricot brandy (adding more will make the alcohol content higher)
ice
dash grenadine
½ cup white wine (or to taste)
soda water
a tiny bunch of grapes

Method:
Stir the brandy and ice in a large cocktail glass or wine goblet.
Add the grenadine and then pour on the wine.
Top with soda for a lighter drink.
Garnish the glass with grapes.

Yummmmmeeee.

Have a little fun with this cocktail, and don’t miss The Wine Song, by the Youngbloods, c. 1967.

This week, we’ll focus on tequila. I’m going to share a segment from the first of my Journey series spanking novels, Liv’s Journey. Liv drinks a little, but never to excess because, being a model—even a large-size model—she’s often watching her weight. Trey, our hero, likes a little tequila with his Mexican food, the food that is so prominent in Texas, where he was raised.

Here’s a scene with them in a Mexican restaurant, having a bite of dinner with a few of Trey’s friends. Liv gets a little snippy—grumpy because she can’t eat the cheese and meat barbaqoa—and you know where that leads.

Trey takes exception to her attitude.

“Thanks,” he said. “But your permission isn’t necessary. Nor is your disrespect. If you wanted a spankin’, you could have just asked for it.”

Liv swallowed a lump of lettuce that tried to stick in her throat. A frisson snaked down her spine. “Spanking?”

“Yeah, you heard me right. Go out to the truck.”

“But I’m eating my dinner.”

“And you can finish your dinner after.”

Liv put her fork down and glanced at Laura, Mark and Rosaria. They were all wide-eyed. When she turned back to Trey, his look made her feel like a naughty little girl. Her father used to look at her like that if she’d done something stupid. But that was a long, long time ago. No one else had ever looked at her like he was ready to teach her a lesson.

“You can’t be serious, Trey!”

He nodded, his look tight, despite the slight upturn at the corners of his mouth. “Oh, but I am. Go out to the truck.”

If she cooperated, she’d be spanked, as sure as the moon shifted the tides. If she didn’t cooperate, she’d close off any possible relationship with Trey. And, that was really the bigger question than the spanking. The spanking was like a commitment to submit to him. She’d be giving up control. And a lifetime of control was a hard thing to overcome. The experience would be humiliating, announced so publicly here with his friends, but the fact was, she’d enjoyed the swats she’d had from Trey before.

She looked at his brown eyes, so focused on her. He waited patiently, turning once to sip at the tequila he’d hardly touched, but then shifting back in his chair to look at her.

Liv tossed her napkin on the table and rose stiffly from the chair, forcing her back ramrod straight, holding all the dignity she could muster in the rigidity of her shoulders. As she marched out, she heard the scrape of Trey’s chair and his assurances that they’d return to the table in a moment. Mark murmured a response, but Liv couldn’t make out what it was.

She considered her options.

There are a huge number of brands of tequilas, too numerous to mention here, but here’s a list. My favorite tequila is Chinaco®.

And now for the recipe!

Le Margarita des Artistes 
(from DrinksMixer.com)

1 1/2 oz Chinaco® tequila
1/4 oz Grand Marnier® orange liqueur
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1 splash triple sec
1 splash orange juice
2 drops dry vermouth
1 oz sweet and sour mix

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker without ice. Shake well to froth. Strain into a chilled and salted cocktail glass or small margarita glass, and serve. (makes 1 drink)

Muy bueno. ¡Salud!

And if you haven’t seen this video…where have you been?