Thursday, October 31, 2019

Samhain

Merry meet and merry part and may we meet again.

I'm lazy so I'm going to quote an article on Samhain from the Huff Post 

1. Samhain typically celebrated from sunset on October 31 to sunset on November 1, almost halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice.
2. Samhain is pronounced “sah-win” or “sow-in.”
3. Some modern pagans consider it the “witch’s new year,” and the end of the harvest season. It is a time of renewal and spiritual intention-setting.
4. Rituals surrounding Samhain include bonfires, dancing, feasting and building altars to honor deceased ancestors. Some pagans bake special loaves of Samhain bread and leave offerings to the spirits outside their homes.
5. Samhain is one of eight annual festivals commonly celebrated by pagans of various traditions, along with Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Midsummer, Lughnassad and Mabon.
6. It’s considered a liminal time, when the veil between life and death grows thin. Food is set aside for ancestors and protective spirits and rituals honoring the dead take place.
7. Samhain is believed to be one of the original festivals behind the holiday we know as Halloween. Some also associate it to the Christian All Saints’ Day on November 1.
8. Some of Halloween’s most common traditions are rooted in Samhain’s harvest festival roots, such as the carving of pumpkins and bobbing for apples.
9. The Yellow Book of Lecan, a medieval book of tales, reported that people referred to Samhain as the “Feast of Mongfind,” a legendary witch-queen who married the King of Tara in old Ireland and was central to ancient Samhain celebrations, Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary writes.
10. Some celebrate Samhain with a ritual to guide the dead home by opening a western-facing door or window and placing a candle by the opening." 

Curious how Samhain became Halloween? Check out this interesting video.





Thursday, October 24, 2019

Sparking Joy With Marie Kondo


As some of you know I ADORE organization and cleaning. Ask any number of my characters who either love and get into all things tidying up (maybe a bit too much) or hide from me. LOL

Anyway, Marie Kondo came out with a Netflix show about Tidying Up. I watched all episodes. She inspired me to organize deeper and to simplify my life.

One unexpected side effects of doing the KonMari method is I started approaching my life differently.

DOES IT SPARK JOY?  >>>>> If it doesn't thank it and pass it on.

It's magical to give yourself permission to let go of things that don't bring you happiness.

Here's a summary video:


Enjoy!

Big hugs, Z.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Cleaning!!!!!

Sick truth is I watch cleaning videos to relax. I know it might some like a nightmare but it gives me new ideas, educates me, and inspires me.

Things I do every day:
1) Make my bed
2) Spot vacuum floors
3) Laundry 1 load of clothing 1 load of towels (smaller loads = less time folding & putting away)
4) Errands
5) Reset the room I'm leaving
6) One of the things from my cleaning schedule

*** Resetting a room means before I leave a room everything is returned to it's place. Resetting is probably the biggest habit I have that keeps my world calm.
But to reset everything has a place. If things don't have a home things can become cluttered.

**Decluttering your items is essential for your peace of mind and your calmness of space.**

My informal cleaning schedules:
Monday: Bathrooms
Tuesday: Dust & Vacuum 2nd floor (Review refrigerator: clean & toss & plan)
Wednesday: Dust & Vacuum 1st floor
Thursday: Clean car
Friday: Organize something
Saturday: LOL > nothing unless I have to
Sunday: LOL  > nothing unless I have to
or (if I have less time I use this schedule)
Monday: Dusting
Tuesday: Vacuuming & Mopping
Wednesday: Kitchen deep clean (everything off the counters)
Thursday: Organize something
Friday: Deep clean something/Errands
Saturday: LOL  > nothing unless I have to
Sunday: LOL  > nothing unless I have to

I'd be remiss not to include Zack and Andrew. Yes, cleaning & organizing is HOT! At least Zack thinks so... it's the control. When your environment is clean and organized it suggests you're in control of yourself and your world and sometimes NOTHING IS HOTTER.


Rejected. Heartbroken. Devastated.

Zack Davis wanted to serve only one man, Andrew Nikeman. He was denied because Andrew thought he was too young and because their brothers were together. So Zack crushed his submissive tendencies and focused on being the perfect Dom, giving every sub he played with something he couldn’t have.

After years of denying his submissive side, Entwined’s charity auction “Are you Dom Enough to be a sub?” gives Zack an excuse to get a little of what he’s always craved.

Andrew doesn’t know when his infatuation turned into more, but it kills him to see Zack with a constant parade of submissives. He’d refused to jeopardize his brother’s relationship or become Zack’s regret; however, Zack isn’t a kid anymore, and his brother’s relationship is unbreakable. Now Zack’s popularity and success as a Dom might ruin Andrew’s dreams of collaring him, but he can’t wait any longer to confess his feelings or he risks losing the man he loves forever.




Happy Cleaning!
Hugs, Z.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Heartbroken Characters... Meet Blaze Parker


My plots bunnies hop over to me with an emotionally wounded and scarred. Maybe it’s my Masters in Psychology but I feel the need to understand why they are acting a certain way. So when this entered into my brain:

Olympian Blaze Parker doesn't do relationship longer than twenty minutes until he brings home rock star Drake Keys.

I went crazy trying to find out why? How did Blaze get so hurt he didn’t want a relationship? (Note: I knew he wasn’t aromantic because he wanted love and companionship but wouldn’t allow himself to have it.) Why? Why! WHY!

Excerpt for Rocking Thin Ice:
It happened seven years ago, but every sharp and painful detail had etched itself into his brain like the drama went down yesterday. He had been such an idiot. 

He couldn’t believe he’d gotten his first invitation to a party thrown by the other skaters. Maybe they were finally accepting him. But even better, Trent would be there. 

During the party, Blaze had sat mostly by himself in a chair off to one corner as the others talked in little groups scattered around the room. 

He felt like an outsider, observing them, until Trent approached him. 

“You want to go someplace and... talk?”


Trent’s invitation had Blaze tripping up the stairs after him like an eager puppy.

There wasn’t much talking. Trent unzipped his pants and asked,
“So, Blaze, do you spit or swallow?”

“I gargle. Want to see?” Blaze tried to be bold yet graceful as he dropped to his knees. He was thrilled to have the guy he was half in love with offer him exactly what he wanted to do. 

Even now, mortification swamped him. He hadn’t had much experience, but he’d idolized Trent since he was ten, so he never even considered Trent didn’t feel the same way. 

Rooted in his brain was how calmly his older brother, Luke, took the fact that Blaze had become infamous at eighteen. Trent and his friends had posted the G-rated parts of the hidden video they had taken, ensuring Trent remained anonymous but Blaze’s stupid comment could be heard, and the bobbing of his head clearly implied everything that happened. As much as Blaze missed his parents, he was grateful they hadn’t been alive to see him humiliated in such a way. 

His coach had already been on him about being too gay. Blaze had tried being more masculine. He wanted to please his coach and the judges, he really did, but that simply wasn’t him. His scores suffered for his inability to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. 

The announcer broke into Blaze’s trip down Bullshit Lane.


So not only was Blaze betrayed by his crush in his mind he had lost everything. His hurt morphed into anger because rage is easier to vent then sadness. He was forever changed by those terrible events but as with many horrible things life can throw at us, there’s usually a silver lining. This path leads him however indirectly to something or someone he never expected.


Here’s Rocking Thin Ice’s Blurb:
Can a sexy rock star show a relationship-phobic ice skater that there’s more to life than gold medals?  

When ice-skating’s bad boy Blaze first glimpses Drake, every fantasy he’s ever had flares to life. Not only is rock star Drake sexy as sin, his songs awaken a longing in Blaze that he’s denied for years. But Blaze Parker doesn’t believe in relationships—at least not those that last more than twenty minutes. 

Drake Keys has dreamed about the sensual ice skater for years. When Drake is kicked out of his band because of his bisexuality, he drives across the country to finally see the man he’s had a crush on skate live.   

Though the attraction is instant and intense, both Blaze and Drake have baggage that puts any relationship on thin ice. Blaze is driven by a long-ago betrayal to prove himself a champion, and Drake, uncertain about the future, hopes to resurrect his music career. As they take a road trip together, Drake romances Blaze, hoping to melt his heart and show him that love is possible… but not without some tough decisions.


BUY LINKS
Dreamspinner:


Sooooooo even as heartbroken plot bunnies hop over to me I will happily ever end their sweet little asses whenever I can! 

Many hugs, Z. 

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Zombies Suck






As you know I've re-written, re-covered, and re-edited the entire series. Club Zombies 1-3 will be out by the end of 2019.
I'm currently working on Club Zombie #4:  Zombies Blow.
I've decided to put the series in Kindle Unlimited and on Amazon. I'm hoping folks who don't know me will give my zombies a chance.
Remember Z. Allora's zombies are hot & aching to find their mates!

Zombies suck... but mine swallow!



Here's the blurb: 



Forget undead corpses searching for brains. These zombies crave a different kind of head that keeps them young forever. Club Zombie offers a safe haven, providing sexy ways to extract what zombies need from patrons, and the opportunity to find their destined mate.

Alex Waterman lives in a desolate world of loneliness and suffering until discovering… it’s not his life. Suddenly he’s swept away to a place where his desires aren’t evil—they’re a mark of the dominant he’s born to be—and appreciative stares and aggressive flirting replace fear and self-loathing. But one-night stands aren’t on the menu: Alex seeks “the one” to complete the missing piece of his soul.

Boy-next-door Ulrich calls to Alex, as does the gorgeous but self-destructive Cutter, and an element of irresistible danger clings to bad boy Storm. How can Alex decide between three tempting possibilities?

Maybe he should keep them all…

This is a sexy happily ever after with much lighthearted fun. Zombies suck but mine swallow.