Maxine Douglas Affairs of the Heart Newsletter

October 1, 2015

Happy Halloween everyone! Fall is upon us and I hope you’ve got your spook holiday plans in gear and your black cauldron ready to be filled with goodies for the ghosts and goblins that’ll visit your doorstep. If not, I’ve got a few ideas for you. This month’s newsletter is a bit lengthy, but filled with lots of information and party ideas.

In this Issue:

Quote of the Month

Featured Author of the Month

Halloween’s Jack O’Lantern

Recipe of the Month

News/Updates

Upcoming Appearances

Quote of the Month: “Whatever I will become will be what God has chosen for me.“ ~~ Elvis Presley (1935-1977)

Featured Authors: AliciaDean

The inspiration for the story was a mixture of old horror movies, gothic romance, and Phantom of the Opera, even though I’ve never seen the show. I wanted to write a short, moody Halloween story and ‘Scarred’ is what came to me. J

Sometimes, the most painful scars are the ones beneath the skin.

When Natalie Jayne moved away from her home town ten years earlier, she left behind painful memories, along with Simon, the man she loved. Now, she’s back on Halloween night to attend a memorial marking the one-year anniversary of the tragic passing of her childhood friend, Jessica. Rumors that Simon was responsible for Jessica’s death unnerve her. Even more disturbing is her unsettling attraction to a masked stranger she meets at the event. Her gift may be the key to unlocking the truth, but will it also lead to heartbreak?

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Halloween: A jack-o’-lantern (sometimes also spelled Jack O’Lantern) is typically a carved pumpkin. It is associated chiefly with the holiday Halloween. Typically the top is cut off, and the inside flesh then scooped out; an image, usually a monstrous face, is carved onto the outside surface, and the lid replaced. During the night, a candle is placed inside to illuminate the effect. The term is not particularly common outside North America, although the practice of carving lanterns for Halloween is.

In folklore, an old Irish folk tale tells of Jack, a lazy yet shrewd farmer who uses a cross to trap the Devil. One story says that Jack tricked the Devil into climbing an apple tree, and once he was up there Jack quickly placed crosses around the trunk or carved a cross into the bark, so that the Devil couldn’t get down. Another myth says that Jack put a key in the Devil’s pocket while he was suspended upside-down; read more

Recipe of the Month:

Witch's Brew

(1998)

500 ml (5 parts) Midori

800 ml (8 parts) vodka

2 liters (20 parts) ginger ale

200 ml (2 parts) water

(2000)

(this one pretty much fills a 12-quart cauldron)

4 48 oz cans pineapple juice

1 96 oz bottle orange juice
4 2 liter bottles lemon-lime soda

1 1.75 liter bottle vodka
1 1.75 liter bottle rum

All measurements are approximate. Adjust to your own taste. Mix well. Pour into your cauldron, preferably with chunks of dry ice to create the bubbling steam effect. (Be careful NOT to drink or eat or in any way come in direct contact with skin with any chunks of dry ice - you can get burned by the extreme cold!)

Upcoming Appearances: