Thoughts on the wild, the weird, and the romantic from author Joy Nash

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Joy Nash is a USA Today Bestselling Author and RITA Award Finalist applauded by Booklist for her "tart wit, superbly crafted characters, and sexy, magic-steeped plots."

» Wednesday, June 24, 2009

meet me at...

Hope to see you online or in person at one of the following events!

Sunday June 28 – 8-11 pm ET
Writerspace Beach Party Chat
More than 100 authors - register before the chat to be eligible to win many, many prizes! I’ll be joining the chat around 10 pm ET, and giving away a copy of A Little Light Magic!
Event info: www.writerspace.com/beach/


Jersey Shore Booksignings - if you're nearby, please stop to say hello!

Friday, July 3, 7-9 pm
Island HalfPrice Books
9412 Ventnor Avenue, MARGATE, NJ (where A Little Light Magic takes place!)
event info: 609-822-0300

Tuesday, Aug 4 11 am - 1 pm
SunRose Words and Music
756 Asbury Avenue, Ocean City, NJ
event info: 609 399-9190


DragonCon!

September 4-7
DragonCon Science Fiction/Fantasy Convention (OMG, my FIRST DragonCon ever!!!!)
Atlanta, Georgia
event info: www.dragoncon.org

All the best!

Joy Nash

www.joynash.com



Available NOW!

A Little Light Magic

Summer at the Jersey Shore has never been so hot!

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» Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Summer!

Summer is here! Hooray!

And I will cling firmly to that calendar fact, even though the weather around here has not been very summerlike. It's been rainy and unseasonably cool. But hey, that just means the sun is due to be out soon, right?

In the meantime, all the rainy weather has forced armies of ants out of the ground to invade my kids' bedrooms.

First they went to my son's room, where a few days ago he woke to find a juice glass from a couple days before (he hadn't brought it down to the kitchen) covered with ants. Thinking quickly, he killed all the ants, washed the glass, and sprayed his room with the best insect deterrent he had on hand - his Axe deodorant. (hey, if Avon Skin So Soft can keep away mosquitoes...) Figuring I would be less than pleased (he was right), he didn't happen to mention the invasion to me.

The ant army, choking on Axe fumes, staggered across the hall to his sister's room - a place that has a lot in common with an archeological dig. The ants were soon happily roaming amid years of junk, hunting (and finding) candy & gum wrappers and soda tabs. There were enough of the little critters to send my daughter to sleep in the basement last night.

The upshot is that the ants have managed to get my daughter to do what her mother (aka ME!!) has tried and failed to do for the last three years - clean off her desk and dresser!!

Yay ants!!

And now for the moment you've been waiting for - my last three Countdown winners!! They are...

  • dsadler53 - commented on 6/19 post at 9:41 pm
  • Laney4 - commented on 6/15 post at 3:12 pm on 6/16
  • Armenia - commented on 6/17 post at 12:40 am on 6/18

Congrats!

Each winner will receive her choice of one of my backlist books - Immortals: The Reckoning Anthology, Immortals: The Crossing, Deep Magic, Immortals: The Awakening, The Grail King, Celtic Fire, Crystal Shadows, Ultimate Warriors, or Alien Encounters.

To aid your choice...check my website - www.joynash.com - for info on all my titles
. Please respond by email to joy@joynash.com with your snail mail address to claim your prize. If you respond by Tuesday nite, I'll be able to get your book out to you this week. If not, it'll be sometime after the 4th of July.

Thanks to all of you for counting down to summer with me these last couple of months! It's been a blast! I'll be taking a bit of a break until after the 4th of July.

If you happen to be at the Jersey Shore for the holiday weekend,
you're invited to stop by Island Half-Price Books, 9412 Ventnor Ave, Margate New Jersey (609-822-0300) on Friday July 3, from 7-9 pm, where I'll be chatting with readers and signing copies of A Little Light Magic.

Be sure to check back here after the 4th of July--especially on Fridays--when I resume blogging. You'll hear more about my fall releases Santa Honey and Silver Silence, and about The Watchers, my new paranormal series about the fallen angels known as the Nephilim, which is set to debut in 2010 with back-to-back releases.

Thanks!

Joy Nash

www.joynash.com



Available NOW!

A Little Light Magic

Summer at the Jersey Shore has never been so hot!

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» Friday, June 19, 2009

Silver Silence

Days until the Summer Solstice: 2 !!!!!

Day in the life of a paperback writer... (cue Beatles music)

Yesterday I was proofing the galley pages for Christmas Unplugged, my novella in the October Santa Honey Anthology, when my editor called wanting to discuss edits on Silver Silence, my November Druids of Avalon book. Here's the abridged version of what she said:

"Loved it, loved it, loved it! Couldn't put it down, but... it's running a bit long so I cut out Chapter Two and axed a few flashback scenes, plus I have a bunch of other questions. I'm emailing the file, can you read it through and do the edits by Monday?"

LOL. So now you know what I'm doing for the weekend.

So far I've read about the first quarter of the book, where my editor's cyber red pen did most of its work. I have to admit, the pacing of the story has really improved. That's why editors get the big bucks, right?

Though I do love the
lost flashback scenes. I wrote them to show the long pre-story history between the hero, Rhys, and the heroine, Breena. They'll not disappear completely, though. I've already decided they'll be joining the other "Before the Book" and "Between the Books" Druids of Avalon shorts on my website.

In the meantime...here's the very first sneak peek of Silver Silence....

Duty dooms Rhys to wander the endless roadways and wild forests, searching for Druid initiates for Avalon. It’s a hopeless, solitary life, that drives Rhys to take refuge in shameful dark passions, even as he longs for the young, innocent sister of his best friend.

When Breena disappears into the dangerous and mystical Lost Lands, Rhys does not hesitate to follow. He finds himself in Britain’s grim future, a troubled time when the dark magic Breena has foreseen threatens to extinguish the Light of Avalon.

And Rhys discovers that only together can he and Breena unravel the secret linking their past with the future King that is Britain’s last hope.



Excerpt...

The shore was cold and damp. The seat of Rhys's breeches was wet where his arse touched the ground. The discomfort was welcome. Or, if not exactly welcome, tolerated. It allowed Rhys to focus on the wretchedness of his body, rather than the wretchedness of his soul. For that small distraction, he was grateful.

Silence spread like a woolen blanket over Avalon. Far off, a raptor screeched. Perhaps it was Hefin, hunting. The village, however, slept. Rhys had tried to do the same, on the spare pallet in Trevor's roundhouse. He was as tired as he could ever remember--exhausted in soul as well as body. But sleep would not come.

Sleep never came to him easily, here on Avalon.

Aye, he could drop off at a moment's notice camped by the road, under trees and sky. He slept effortlessly in vermin-ridden hay lofts, or wrapped in a thin blanket in front of some stranger's hearth. And he'd slumbered soundly in any number of beds belonging to widows and whores.

But here in Avalon, surrounded by the people he loved, and who loved him in return, he could not sleep. His loneliness was too profound, his hurt too deep.

He wanted what he could not have. Desperately.

Gwen had scolded him soundly for staying away so long. He was sorry to have frightened his twin. Once they had been so close, they had shared nearly every thought, but now Gwen's husband was first in her heart, and her connection with her twin had faded. Still, his sister loved him deeply, even if she understood him less well. He wondered if she suspected that Breena was the reason Rhys had stayed away so long.

Now that he could no longer tell himself she was too young to give herself to a man, he could not look at her without wanting her beneath him. Or on her knees, her red lips parting eagerly. Or bent over a bed, or chair, or even a log… he broke the thought with a shudder of guilt.

Perhaps there might have been hope, had Breena been raised in poverty, as Rhys had been. Until four years ago, Breena's home had been a prosperous Roman estate. She'd been born to luxuries Rhys hadn't even known to dream of during his own childhood. The comfort and security of the Celtic settlement of Avalon was a primitive life for her. The hard life of a wandering minstrel's wife? He almost laughed. Unthinkable.

He stared into the fog and the darkness. He should not have come. Visiting Avalon, far from comforting him, had only driven loneliness and hopelessness deeper into his cold heart.

"Rhys?"

He would have known her voice at a hundred paces. As it was, she spoke from only a few steps behind his back. He dropped his head and pressed his forehead to his bent knees. He could not face her. Not now. Perhaps if he gave no answer, she would simply leave.

He should have known better. Even as a small lass, Breena had been too stubborn for her own good.

"Rhys, what are you doing here all alone? Are you...all right? You're not ill, are you?"

He admitted defeat by lifting his head. "Nay."

He didn't look back as she approached. His body tightened as she neared, the scent of roses wafting before her. He could not suppress the wholly inappropriate hardening of his body.

She stood beside him, just visible in his peripheral vision, hesitant, shivering. His first instinct was to pull her into his arms and warm her. But because he had some measure of honor left, he did not.

"Why are you here?" Her teeth chattered a little. She rubbed her arms. "The whole village is asleep."

"You are not."

She did not answer. He did not rise, nor did she move to sit. He glanced up at her, but could not discern her expression in the darkness.

"But you should be asleep," he said. "Did you follow me, Bree?"

"Yes," she confessed. "I woke and...I needed air. I opened my shutters, and saw you leave Trevor's roundhouse. When you did not return..."

"You should not have come after me. You should be in bed."

She hugged herself more tightly. "I...have not been able to sleep much of late."

He caught the tremor of fear in her voice. "The silver visions?" he asked sharply. "Have they returned?"

"Yes, the visions..." She blew out a white plume of breath. "But that is not all. You were gone so long. Even Gwen was frightened for you. As for me...I think of you often, Rhys. Especially at night, when I..." Her voice faltered.

Dear gods in Annwyn! He did not want to hear this. She stood so close now, her skirt brushed his knee. Exactly when she'd moved, he did not know.

She sat down beside him. He fought the urge put his arm around her. Or get up and run. He wasn't sure which he wanted to do more.

"The ground is wet," he said.

"I don't care."

A heavy silence fell between them. It lengthened into awkwardness. The night seemed to contract around him, until the darkness contained nothing but the lap of water on the shore, the shush of Breena's breathing, and his own pounding heart.

He inhaled her scent. She must have put rose oil in her bath water. It was a Roman fragrance, very much prized by wealthy women. The aroma seemed to draw a thin, straight line between them. He did not try to cross it. He knew better.

Unfortunately, she did not. "Will you stay the winter in Avalon? I...I do hope so. Everyone has missed you." She paused. "I have missed you."

He was ashamed at how fiercely he drank in those four words. She had missed him. His cock responded, even as he fought to remain detached from a rush of tangled emotions. In the grand scheme of things, it did not matter that Breena missed him.

"I'll stay perhaps a sennight," he said. "Until the harvest feast. After that...I must go."

She uttered a sound of dismay. "But that is hardly any time at all! Gwen will not have it, Rhys, I am telling you that right now. She will not allow you to--"

"My sister has no authority over my comings and goings." The words were harsher than he'd intended.

Breena sucked in a breath. "I...I didn't mean to imply that she did. Only...only that she loves you. She misses you dreadfully when you're gone."

"No one should miss me. I am not a part of Avalon."

"How can you say that? Why, you're the most important part of us! Without you, the sacred isle would be all but deserted. Most of us are only here because you brought us."

It was true. Of Cryic's original small band of Druids, only Mared and Padriag remained. And Gwen, of course. All the others... Dead. Or lost.

As Rhys was.

"I'm used to wandering," he told her. "I am more comfortable on the road."

"What nonsense! You could not possibly be."

He made no reply.

"Mared says in the past, when Cyric was alive, you visited far more often, and stayed longer. But now that your grandfather is dead, and your freedom greater, you stay away. Rhys, is it...is it because of me? Do you...do you hate me so much?"

He turned so abruptly she lurched backward. He grabbed her arm to steady her. He released her an instant later, as if he'd touched a hot coal.

"I could never hate you." He swallowed. "How could you imagine such a thing? You are like a sis--

"I am not your sister! I never was, and I don't want to be. Rhys, I lo--"

"Gods in Annwyn, Breena!" He jerked to his feet. "Do not say it. Please."

She stared up at him. "Why not? It is the truth."

"What you want from me can never be the truth between us."

Slowly, she pushed to her feet, regarding him with sober eyes. "Rhys. You are shaking."

He was. He turned and paced a few steps away. His hand went to the back of his neck. He needed some space.

But her voice followed. "I understand now why you rejected me that day at my father's house. I know why you flung all those hurtful words at me. I was too young for what I was asking of you. But, Rhys, that was four years ago. I'm no longer that girl. I'm a woman now."

He clenched his teeth. Gods. Aye, she was a woman. A lush, tempting...

Her words battered him. "There's no longer any need to push me away. Don't you see? I love you, Rhys. I always have, and I always will. And I think you l--"

Something snapped inside him. He spun around, and stalked toward her. "Breena, stop. Before you say something you'll regret."

"No! I won't. I'll say what's in my heart. I lov--mmph!"

He'd covered her mouth with his palm. His other hand gripped her shoulder. "Don't," he pleaded. "Don't."

Her eyes were huge. In the moonlight they looked gray rather than the clear blue he knew them to be. And in them...a spark of dangerous, feminine knowledge.

Her lips parted. Her breath bathed his palm. Before he could react, before he could even think, she tasted his skin with the tip of her hot, wet tongue.

The tiny point of moisture caused his brain to seize. His body, already more than half hard, flashed into full arousal. And still, he might have resisted. Might have pulled back completely, and retained some shred of his honor.

If she hadn't pressed her open palm on his stomach.

And slid it downward, slowly.

;-)


Joy's Countdown to Summer's final week of prizes...

Three readers will receive winner's choice of any book from my backlist, including hard to find small press releases
.
  • Alien Encounters (my novella is "Dream Guardian" in this futuristic anthology which also features stories by Ashley Ladd, Dominique Tomas, and Jane Toombs - New Concepts Publishing)
  • Ultimate Warriors (my novella is "Heroes Incorporated" in this superhero anthology which also features stories by Jaide Fox, Breena Lyons and Michelle M. Pillow - New Concepts Publishing)
  • Crystal Shadows (full length fantasy romantica novel from Ellora's Cave)
  • Or...the winners can choose any one of my first six Dorchester books, Celtic Fire, The Grail King, Immortals: The Awakening, Deep Magic, Immortals: The Crossing, Immortals: The Reckoning Anthology.
  • Check my website - www.joynash.com - for more info on all my books!

Comment on any post from Monday June 15 until Saturday June 20 for a chance to win. I was going to choose the winner at the precise moment of the Summer Solstice on Sunday June 21, until I googled it and found out that's 1:45 AM EDT! Since I'll most likely be sound asleep at that time, I'll pick the winners sometime after I wake up on Sunday, and post by Sunday night.



Good luck!

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com



Available NOW!

A Little Light Magic

Summer at the Jersey Shore has never been so hot!




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» Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Sneak Peek - Santa Honey

Days 'till the Summer Solstice: 4


It's Christmas in June time! Here's the very first sneak peek of my humorous contemp novella "Christmas Unplugged" from Dorchester's upcoming October Christmas Anthology SANTA HONEY.


Christmas Unplugged: 2 Brothers + 2 Sisters + 0 Electricity = 1 Unforgettable Holiday

Casey’s little sister Emma, having dumped her cheating boyfriend, is left with a fully paid, non-refundable Christmas getaway for two at Dutch Gorge, a remote Adirondack lodge.

Casey agrees to come along to nurse Emma’s broken heart...just as long as she can bring her laptop and catch up with some work over the holiday. Except Emma neglects to enlighten her big sis on one important detail about the weekend…



Casey reached into the trunk for one last bag.

"Might as well leave that one," Matt told her.

She glanced up at him. "What?"

"That's a computer, right?"

"Yes."

"Then why bring it in? You won't be able to use it."

She straightened, setting one hand on the open trunk door and trying to grip both her bag and his flashlight in the other. The beam bounced wildly.

"You mean because this God-forsaken crack in the Earth's crust is in a satellite blind spot? I already know that. My GPS lost its signal even before we started down the mountain. So I'm guessing there'll be no Internet, either. But that's okay. I can work without it."

He snorted. "Can you work without electricity?"

She froze in the act of slamming the trunk. Her eyes jerked to his, and even in the darkness, he could tell they were appalled.

"Without electricity? You can't be serious."

"Perfectly serious, honey. Dutch Lodge is off the grid."

Her head swiveled toward the house. "But...there are lights--"

"Gas light," he said. "And oil lamps. Don't tell me you didn't notice? It's usually the first thing that guests comment on."

"No." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "I didn't notice. But...what about TV? Hot water?" She sucked in a breath. "Heat?"

"Sorry, no TV. But there's plenty of hot water, courtesy of a mountain spring Uncle Fred piped in years ago. A large propane tank out back takes care of the gaslights and water heaters. And there's a fireplace or wood burning stove in every room. Don't worry, you'll get your hot baths, and you won't freeze."

"But--no electricity? How can anyone live without electricity?"

He laughed. "It's not so bad. I grew up here, you know, and managed to survive."

"But...but..."

The sounds of her sputtering shock made him wish for a stronger flashlight. "Didn't you know about the electricity? It's all in the brochure your sister was waving arou--" He cut off, and laughed outright.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"You didn't read that brochure, did you? And your sister didn't tell you."

Casey slammed the trunk. The crash echoed off the sides of the gorge like a gunshot.

"No," she ground out between clenched teeth. "She did not. But she is certainly going to answer for it now."

Still clutching her laptop case, she flung herself in the direction of the house, her footsteps hard and fast. Well, as hard and fast as footsteps could get in six inches of new snow.

"You know," he said, juggling the baggage as he fell into step beside her. "Most guests at Dutch Lodge consider the lack of electricity a good thing. In fact, it's the reason most people come here. To get away from civilization."

"Yes, well, I like civilization just fine. I don't want to get away from it. No electricity," she added under her breath. "This is insane. That brat is going to die. Painfully."

That repressed violent streak again, Matt thought, impressed.

"She's just lucky I've got some battery life. If I make it to tomorrow morning, I might let her live."

"Why?" Matt asked. "What happens tomorrow morning?"

She spun toward him, stumbling, then catching her balance. The flashlight beam glanced off the white ground. "What happens in the morning is that we're leaving. Whether Emma wants to or not."

Matt couldn't suppress a bark of laughter. "Leaving? Sorry to disappoint, but I really doubt that's gonna happen."

"Oh, it's going to happen, all right. The instant the sun comes up, I'm outta here."

The wind chose just that moment to kick up a wintery blast. "I'm curious," Matt shouted over the rising wind. "Did you happen to check the local weather report before driving into the gorge?"

They'd reached the house. Casey stomped up the three steps to the porch before turning to glare down at him. "No."

He smiled.

Trepidation crept into her voice. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I was listening to the update on the shortwave just before you got here. This storm's turning nasty, and it's going to last all night. They're predicting two feet."

"Two feet?" Casey's mouth fell open. "Of snow?"

"Well, not of rose petals," Matt assured her. "So I'm pretty sure no one's going anywhere tomorrow. Least of all you."



Joy's Countdown to Summer's final week of prizes...

Three readers will receive winner's choice of any book from my backlist, including hard to find small press releases
.
  • Alien Encounters (my novella is "Dream Guardian" in this futuristic anthology which also features stories by Ashley Ladd, Dominique Tomas, and Jane Toombs - New Concepts Publishing)
  • Ultimate Warriors (my novella is "Heroes Incorporated" in this superhero anthology which also features stories by Jaide Fox, Breena Lyons and Michelle M. Pillow - New Concepts Publishing)
  • Crystal Shadows (full length fantasy romantica novel from Ellora's Cave)
  • Or...the winners can choose any one of my first six Dorchester books, Celtic Fire, The Grail King, Immortals: The Awakening, Deep Magic, Immortals: The Crossing, Immortals: The Reckoning Anthology.
  • Check my website - www.joynash.com - for more info on all my books!

Comment on any post from Monday June 15 until Saturday June 20 for a chance to win. I was going to choose the winner at the precise moment of the Summer Solstice on Sunday June 21, until I googled it and found out that's 1:45 AM EDT! Since I'll most likely be sound asleep at that time, I'll pick the winners sometime after I wake up on Sunday, and post by Sunday night.



Good luck!

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com



Available NOW!

A Little Light Magic

Summer at the Jersey Shore has never been so hot!

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» Tuesday, June 16, 2009

winners - contact me!

I forgot to mention in yesterday's post ....winners Ruby, Phyllis and Darby'sCloset - please email me at joy@joynash.com with your snail mail addresses!

Thanks!

Joy

» Monday, June 15, 2009

Winners and final countdown week preview!

Days 'till the Summer Solstice: 6

This week's winners!
  • Darby'scloset (commented on 6/14 post on 6/15 @ 12:47) - choice of an Immortals title by Joy Nash: Immortals: The Awakening, Immortals: The Crossing, or Immortals: The Reckoning (anthology)
  • Phyllis C (commented on 6/10 post on 6/11 @ 11:45 pm) - Insufficient Mating Material by Rowena Cherry
  • Ruby D (commented on 6/8 post on 6/12 @ 12:52 am) An Accidental Demonslayer by Angie Fox
And now we're down to our last week before summer! I can hardly believe it. What's up? A recipe, a musing, and the VERY FIRST SNEAK PEEKS of my upcoming fall releases:
  • October - a humorous contemp novella "Christmas Unplugged" in the Christmas Anthology SANTA HONEY (also featuring stories by Sandra Hill and Kate Angell)

  • November - SILVER SILENCE - a Druids of Avalon novel - Rhys and Breena's story!
I'll also be giving away three final countdown prizes this coming week - three lucky readers will recieve winner's choice of any book from my backlist. That's including my small press books, which I'm told can be hard to find these days in print form. Luckily, I still have a few rattling around in the basement :-)

Small press works, in order of publication...

  • Alien Encounters (my novella is "Dream Guardian" in this futuristic anthology which also features stories by Ashley Ladd, Dominique Tomas, and Jane Toombs - New Concepts Publishing)
  • Ultimate Warriors (my novella is "Heroes Incorporated" in this superhero anthology which also features stories by Jaide Fox, Breena Lyons and Michelle M. Pillow - New Concepts Publishing)
  • Crystal Shadows (full length fantasy romantica novel from Ellora's Cave)
  • Or...the winners can choose any one of my first six Dorchester books, Celtic Fire, The Grail King, Immortals: The Awakening, Deep Magic, Immortals: The Crossing, Immortals: The Reckoning Anthology.
  • Check my website - www.joynash.com - for more info on all my books!

Comment on any post from today (Monday), until Saturday June 20 for a chance to win. I was going to choose the winner at the precise moment of the Summer Solstice on Sunday June 21, until I googled it and found out that's 1:45 AM EDT! Since I'll most likely be sound asleep at that time, I'll pick the winners sometime after I wake up on Sunday, and post by Sunday night.



Good luck!

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com



Available NOW!

A Little Light Magic

Summer at the Jersey Shore has never been so hot!


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» Sunday, June 14, 2009

Summer Recipe - Roasted Pepper Pesto


Days 'till the Summer Solstice: 7


Wow, can you believe it? Only one week to summer! And at the moment, my mind is on food. I love roasted peppers – and freshly roasted peppers are much tastier than the jarred variety.

Here's a completely quick and easy recipe for a fresh red pepper pesto that will have everyone thinking you did something complicated in the kitchen :-) I served it over butterfly pasta, with black and green cured olives and a salad on the side, to rave reviews from the family!


Roasted Red Peppers

Sweet, thick-skinned peppers work best for roasting. Cut raw red bell peppers in half, remove stem and seeds. Broil in oven on low, about 2-3 inches from broiler, for about 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so. (Watch constantly, because there will be a lot of steam and you don't want to burn the peppers by putting them too close to the heat.) You can also cook them on a grill.

Once they're soft, take the hot peppers out of the oven and put them in a paper bag with the top folded over. Let sit for about 20 minutes, then remove peppers from the bag and peel off the skins, which will come off very easily! Eat immediately or refrigerate for later. Will keep several days in the fridge. Use some of your fresh roasted peppers to make...

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves fresh garlic
1-1/2 cup roasted peppers
½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
½ cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
3 small green onions (bulb and part of stem), chopped
salt to taste

Peel and saute garlic cloves in olive oil until just tender (you can also use the garlic raw if you like). Put garlic and all other ingredients into a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Serve over pasta, or spread on crusty Italian bread. The pesto will keep a couple days in the fridge, so you can make it ahead of time. Great for a party!

Don't forget!! Last day for this week's prizes: Comment on any post from Monday June 8st, through today, Sunday June14th, for a chance to win one of two new prizes:
  • Any Immortals title by Joy Nash: Immortals: The Awakening, Immortals: The Crossing, or Immortals: The Reckoning (anthology)
  • Insufficient Mating Material by Rowena Cherry
  • And one former prize! - Dina, who won Angie Fox's two book set last week has told me she already owns Angie's first book, An Accidental Demonslayer - and would like to offer another reader the chance to win. (Isn't she a sweetie?) So post this week and you might win An Accidental Demonslayer, too!
The three winners will be chosen at random sometime after 4 pm on Monday, and posted (hopefully) Monday night.


Good luck!

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com



Available NOW!

A Little Light Magic

Summer at the Jersey Shore has never been so hot!


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» Friday, June 12, 2009

Summer fun - Camping!

Days 'till the Summer Solstice: 9

Is it Friday already???

Only a few hours left to get ready for my Girl Scout camping trip! I'm taking 5 high school girls to a huge Girl Scout/Boy Scout camping weekend - a sea of tents and pop-up canopies in a large grassy field. There'll be outdoorsy competitions, campfire skits, an outdoor movie, an outdoor dance - the whole nine yards. Except sleep. Don't think there will be too much of that going on!

Camping is another fun summer activity I enjoy. Group camping is fun, but I do prefer the less hectic pace of family camping. My husband and I had tons of fun introducing the kids to camping when they were little. The dh prefers primitive camping, so no cabins, RVs, trailers or even electrical hook ups for us! Strictly tent-and-outhouse/bathhouse camping.

There was usually some fishing involved, which I'm not much good at, so that meant a lawn chair and a romance novel for me while the troops were casting out their lines :-) As the kids got older, we started reading books out loud around the campfire at night - a couple years ago we took turns reading an Agatha Christie mystery, and totally hooked the kids into later reading every AC novel they could get their hands on!

Now my kids are in that teenage stage where family camping doesn't hold much appeal - if they're going to forgo Facebook for an entire weekend (ie, all eternity) and go camping, they'd rather do it with friends. But I can still look at my family camping pictures and remember the good times! Above pic: my kids back when they were small enough to pick up and swing around. Below: look closely! - a fawn unexpectedly visited our campsite one spring.


Coming up in the final week of the Countdown to Summer ... more summer recipes!

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto...

Parmesian Zucchini Bake...

and more :-)




Don't forget!!
This week's prizes: Comment on any post from today, Monday June 8st, through Sunday June14th for a chance to win one of two new prizes:
  • Any Immortals title by Joy Nash: Immortals: The Awakening, Immortals: The Crossing, or Immortals: The Reckoning (anthology)
  • Insufficient Mating Material by Rowena Cherry
  • And one former prize! - Dina, who won Angie Fox's two book set last week has told me she already owns Angie's first book, An Accidental Demonslayer - and would like to offer another reader the chance to win. (Isn't she a sweetie?) So post this week and you might win An Accidental Demonslayer, too!
The three winners will be chosen at random and posted on Monday June 15.


Good luck!

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com



Available NOW!

A Little Light Magic

Summer at the Jersey Shore has never been so hot!


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» Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Great summer read - Insufficient Mating Material by Rowena Cherry

Days 'till the Summer Solstice: 11

Today's treat is another Great Summer Read!

Rowena Cherry writes a fantastically witty futuristic romance series featuring a race of muscular, sexy djinn who are always ready for a fight! These single-minded macho heroes are very stubborn and thick-headed when it comes to pursuing their female djinn mates, which tends to lead them into some hilarious situations.

Insufficient Mating Material has earned a place on my keeper shelf because of its witty dialogue, laugh out loud scenes, and the very clever chess theme (hence the double-entendre of the word "mating" in the title).


From INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL


Just because Tarrant-Arragon—the high handed hero of FORCED MATE—decreed that his sharp-tongued, scandalous, fashionista sister (the one who made a film of herself having sex with an unsuitable stranger) should be married does not mean that the p
lanned Royal shotgun wedding will go off without a hitch. For one thing, the "unsuitable stranger" turned out to be his greatest rival, not only for the Imperial throne, but also for Djinni-vera, the last virgin of Djinn blood royal. For another, that stranger could not be seen to survive his attempt to assassinate Crown Prince Tarrant-Arragon, so he must have a new face and identity… And the indiscreet Princess Martia-Djulia can never be told the truth.


Chapter One

Tigron Empire of the Djinn
Ark Imperial, Operating Theater

Damn them! Prince Djetthro-Jason eyed the masked males and the unpleasant array of implements they were preparing to use on him. He hadn't told them every damn thing, and he wasn't about to. No way was he going to invite anyone to take a laser to his privates.

Ahhh, Fewmet! The "battlefield analgesia" was wearing off. During the duel, which he'd begun as Commander Jason and ended—defeated—as Prince Djetthro-Jason, he'd felt almost no pain despite the damage that Prince Tarrant-Arragon had inflicted.

Now, his massively bruised thigh throbbed heavily, his neck muscles ached, and his jaw… it hurt even to think about his jaw. Perhaps worse—but less so by the moment—was the damage to his alpha-male machismo as he lay strapped down, stark naked in the Ark Imperial's operating theater, preparing his mind for surgery without anesthetic. Also for "the fate worse than death" which was to come.

If Tarrant-Arragon had observed Great Djinn tradition, the duel they had fought less than an hour ago ought to have been to the death.

Why had Tarrant-Arragon not killed him? To the victor went the Empire, the Ark Imperial, and gods-Right to any female he wanted. Although Tarrant-Arragon had crippled his leg and shattered his jaw, he should have fought on. Why hadn't he? What was left for him?

What indeed? He, Djetth—as he'd call himself for short from now on, since he couldn't go back to using any of his former aliases—was to be the Great Djinn equivalent of a broken thoroughbred stallion put out to stud. He had no illusions about why Tarrant-Arragon had made an excuse not to finish off his younger rival.

The Great Djinn were nearly extinct. In twenty years' time, Tarrant-Arragon's and Djinni-vera's children would need true-Djinn mates, all entitled to the silent D- prefix to their royal Djinn names. That's why!

When the "fate worse than death" had been spelled out, it had been sheer bravado to mumble that he wanted to marry Princess Martia-Djulia.

Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't.

Maybe he still wanted Djinni-vera, who'd been the last Djinn virgin in all the Communicating Worlds—and beyond—and betrothed to him, until Tarrant-Arragon abducted her by force and took her virginity.

What consolation would it be to have Tarrant-Arragon's sexy, fashionista bitch of a sister in his power and in his bed?

Djetth winced at the savagery of his thoughts about Martia-Djulia. Shards of pain shot along his broken jawline. Hell's Teeth! If he and Martia-Djulia were going to make a go of it, she'd have to have a shorter name. Maybe Marsh. Or Jewel….

"Well, Djetthro-Jason, are you ready to be carved up for your new identity and your new life as my little sister's glorified love slave?"

From somewhere out of Djetth's line of sight, Tarrant-Arragon taunted him, stressing the part of Djetth's real name that he'd used until his cover as "Commander Jason" was blown and he was overpowered and arrested.

Djetth did not turn his head. The pain in his face and head was intolerable enough without moving.

"Ahhh, I do believe that Our Imperial surgeons are ready to take out that distinctive jagged scar on your cheek," Tarrant-Arragon crooned. "And screw up your jaw."

What else might they do while he was under the laser and the knife? While his face was open, might they carve out a sensory gland or two? Implant a tracking device? Use his broken jaw as an excuse to weld a mask over his head?

Prince Djetthro-Jason would be a latter day 'Man In The Iron Mask' if they realized how closely he resembled Crown Prince Tarrant-Arragon. Which he would, without his scars, his colorful contact lenses and his long, blond-dyed hair.

Djetth glanced at the treacherous, turncoat 'Rhett, who'd been his bloody useless "second" at the duel, and who was still hanging around.

What for? Damn him. 'Rhett was way too much the intergalactic statesman for his own—or anyone else's—good.

If the patient lost consciousness, Tarrant-Arragon could decide that the chances for galactic peace would be better if Djetthro-Jason were neutered… one way or another. Given the secrets 'Rhett knew, 'Rhett might agree.
"No—" Djetth groaned with the unexpected agony of trying to speak. He wanted to refuse anesthetic again. How he wished there was somebody present whom he could trust!

A door swished open.

"Does he have to be in such pain?" The cause of all the trouble spoke from the doorway. She sounded on edge, as if she felt his pain telepathically.

Djinni-vera! No longer his Djinni. By conquest, by the irrevocable exchange of vows, and finally by her own choice, she was Tarrant-Arragon's.

By All the Lechers of Antiquity, how he loved her! At that moment. For coming. Mentally Djetth qualified his thoughts. Djinni-vera might not love him now, but she was honorable to the core. Tarrant-Arragon wouldn't dare do anything dastardly in front of her.

As she glided to his surgical table, Djetth looked at her wildly, helplessly, with mute appeal, hoping that she would read his mind and help him this one last time.

Djinni-vera's amethyst eyes widened as if she had Heard him and understood. Her gaze averted, she reached out and dropped a gauzy white cloth of some sort over his monstrously inappropriate erection.

To others, her action might have looked like public modesty on her part. Djetth assumed that Djinni had read the part of his mind that was worrying about his striking tattoo that only showed up in the dark or when suitably excited.

Thank you! he thought. Please help me. Stay.

She nodded, and took his fettered hand with her undamaged left. "You've been macho about this too long, J-J. Why won't you let them put you to sleep?"

"Careful, my love," Tarrant-Arragon said, moving possessively to her side. "You can never call him J-J again. Nor any one of his damned traitor's aliases. Not J-J, not Commander Jason. Traitors cannot be seen to survive their attempts on my life. Commander Jason is officially dead, and everyone—including Martia-Djulia—must believe it. From this day forward, he's Prince Djetthro-Jason."

"What a mouthful…" Djinni began, then her changing expression told him that she must have read a thought-pun he couldn't resist. "Djetth!"

She frowned sternly.

"I know you Great Djinn males can't help thinking of sex all the time. But, it's not helpful. As long as you have your saturniid gland, you're dangerous."

Not dangerous to you, kid. You won't ovulate while you're pregnant, and probably not for a while after that, he thought back at her.

Her mouth twisted in a wry smile.

"You'd be safer if you let them remove it."

Some aspects of Royal Djinn maleness one would rather die than surrender, he rejoined, hoping she would not read his darker thoughts.

"Martia-Djulia would be better off if you couldn't have the rut-rage again, too…." As she spoke, Djinni tossed her head as if shaking off a bothersome fly.

Djetth wondered if Djinni had unexpectedly Channeled someone else's reasoning. Djinni couldn't possibly know how savagely Martia-Djulia liked to be served in bed.

"I saw Palace footage of you having the rut-rage with Martia-Djulia." The little mind-reader's voice rose in protest at the thought he hadn't meant her to sense.

You saw? You saw what, exactly? His thought question was a ploy to distract her from the rut-rage, but no sooner had he asked than he dreaded how detailed her reply might be.

"What you might expect, given that the camera was behind a mirrored ceiling, and you were on top," she retorted, keeping his tattoo a secret. "Tarrant-Arragon fast-forwarded you, because you went at it so long."

"Not that long," Tarrant-Arragon murmured maliciously, probably to remind them that he was listening to Djinni's half of the conversation.

"Long enough," Djinni said. "Djetth, you might already be a father."

"Granted, that is remotely possible," Tarrant-Arragon sneered while appearing to examine a wicked looking lancet. "Let's hope you weren't that thorough, Djetthro-Jason, or your firstborn would have to be—and remain—a bastard. Unfortunately, my slack-wit of a sister can't keep a secret. If Martia-Djulia thinks Commander Jason got her pregnant, the rumor will be all over Court before we get home, and before she hears that her lover is dead."

Djetth felt an inexplicable distress at the idea that he could never claim this theoretically possible child as his own.

"Shall we begin?" Tarrant-Arragon's too perceptive eyes ranged over Djetth's body, lingering for an instant on the cloth covering his penis. Not for the first time in his life, Djetth thanked the Great Originator that Tarrant-Arragon had lost the power to read minds.

"I am staying with him," Djinni announced, gripping his hand tightly.

Djetth was careful not to wrap his fingers around hers or to respond to Djinni's comforting touch in any discernable way. Touching the Heir Apparent's Mate was yet another act of Treason punishable by death.

"Very well, my love. You may stay as long as you keep your gaze on his face." Tarrant-Arragon's lips curled into a sneer. He had certainly noticed the hand-holding.

"Djetthro-Jason, I'll ask you for the last time: Have you declared every identifying mark on your body that my sister might recognize? Every scar…?"

"Yes!" Djetth snarled back, one eye on Djinni to see whether her face betrayed his lie.

Head turned, distracted by Djinni and the explosion of pain in his face from speaking aloud, Djetth forgot that his neck was exposed where 'Rhett could reach it.

He felt a cold, numbing touch of 'Rhett's fingers on his most vital acu-pressure point, strove to turn his head, and couldn't.

'Rhett was using Djinncraft on him! Damn 'Rhett and his secret agendas!

The growing paralysis had not yet reached Djetth's eyes. As his vision dimmed, his desperate gaze met the cool green, inscrutable eyes of his bastard cousin and half-brother, 'Rhett.

He'd be lucky to wake up with a new face, a new and dangerous identity. If he woke up.

Find out more about Rowena's sexy djinn at www.rowenacherry.com


Don't forget!!
This week's prizes: Comment on any post from today, Monday June 8st, through Sunday June14th for a chance to win one of two new prizes:

  • Any Immortals title by Joy Nash: Immortals: The Awakening, Immortals: The Crossing, or Immortals: The Reckoning (anthology)
  • Insufficient Mating Material by Rowena Cherry
  • And one former prize! - Dina, who won Angie Fox's two book set last week has told me she already owns Angie's first book, An Accidental Demonslayer - and would like to offer another reader the chance to win. (Isn't she a sweetie?) So post this week and you might win An Accidental Demonslayer, too!

The three winners will be chosen at random and posted on Monday June 15.



Good luck!

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com



Available NOW!

A Little Light Magic

Summer at the Jersey Shore has never been so hot!



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» Monday, June 08, 2009

Winners & my favoroite summer sport!


Days 'till the Summer Solstice: 13

Don't forget this fun contest! Author Emily Bryan is holding a contest in which the winner will get a chance to name a character in her summer 2010 book Stroke of Genius. Details at emilybryan.blogspot.com.

Despite my best intentions, I didn't get to the blog to post over the weekend! So sorry. My only excuse is that I took advantage of all the nice weather to spend time with my kids, my garden, and my favorite summer sport - bicycling.

In the sports world, my hand-eye coordination isn't the greatest, so I'm not much for any sport that has a ball involved. In school, I was the classic picked-last-for-every-team-in-gym-class kid. I did join the swim team in high school, but mainly to hang out with my friends, and I can probably count on one hand the number of events in which I didn't finish dead last. But we did have a lot of fun!

In my early twenties, I discovered bicyling - for fun, not for competition. I joke that bicycling is the perfect sport because you can do it sitting down!

With lots of encouragement from my dh and a cycling team, this no-sports girl even managed to complete three MS 150 mile (in two days) bikeathons! The last one of those loooong rides for me was 15 years ago, though.

Now that I'm fortysomething, I content myself with much shorter, more leisurely rides close to home. This year my husband got me a nice comfy gel bicycle seat for my birthday, so I'm all set. I usually ride with my youngest son, who likes bike riding as much as I do :-)

Now for last week's winners! Congrats to all - drop me an email at joy@joynash.com with your snail mail address and your choice of book to claim your prize.

  • A Gerri Russell backlist book - either Warrior's Lady, Warrior's Bride, or The Warrior Trainer. Winner: Carol L., commented on June 3 post @ 7:22 am June 4.
  • A Joy Nash Druids of Avalon backlist book - either Deep Magic, The Grail King, or Celtic Fire. Winner: librarypat, commented on June 1 post at 10:08 pm.


This week's prizes: Comment on any post from today, Monday June 8st, through Sunday June14th for a chance to win one of two new prizes:

  • Any Immortals title by Joy Nash: Immortals: The Awakening, Immortals: The Crossing, or Immortals: The Reckoning (anthology)
  • Insufficient Mating Material - a fantastic futuristic romance by Rowena Cherry (excerpt to come this week!)
And one former prize! - Dina, who won Angie Fox's two book set last week has told me she already owns Angie's first book, An Accidental Demonslayer - and would like to offer another reader the chance to win. (Isn't she a sweetie?) So post this week and you might win An Accidental Demonslayer, too!

The three winners will be chosen at random and posted on Monday June 15.



Good luck!

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com



Available NOW!

A Little Light Magic

Summer at the Jersey Shore has never been so hot!


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» Wednesday, June 03, 2009

To Tempt a Knight by Gerri Russell

The Countdown Continues!

Days 'till the Summer Solstice: 18

Today, for your pleasure, another Great (Late) Summer Read, coming Aug 25th! Geez. Wish I didn't have to wait that long for this one - I love hunky knights!


To Tempt a Knight by Gerri Russell


In the light of the moon, the pale woolen cloth nearly glowed. But it was the bloodred cross sewn onto the fabric at the side of the cloak that riveted her attention. A Templar’s cloak.

Siobhan’s gaze shot to William’s. “Yours?”

He nodded as he settled himself on the ground next to the opening.

“How long have you been …” She hesitated, not quite certain how to phrase what she wanted to know.

“Hiding?” he provided for her.

She nodded.

“It feels like a lifetime, but in reality it’s been only four years for me.”

Sorrow lingered beneath his words. “Do you miss your home?”

He averted his gaze, hiding any emotion the darkness might not conceal. “I never truly had a home. All my life I’ve lived by my sword. It shelters me, feeds me, and protects me.”

“It sounds very lonely,” she said, casting a glance at his profile in the darkness of the cave.

“It gives me what I need.”

Siobhan hesitated from asking more because of the dour tone of his voice. She’d touched on something that he didn’t want to discuss. As her eyes adjusted to the pale moonlight, Siobhan looked around the small cave. Nothing but bare, damp rock surrounded them. The soft surge and retreat of the waves sounded below. She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging the scroll close to her, trying to ward off the chill of the night.

“We can’t risk a fire,” he said as though he sensed the shudder that raced through her just then. “Come, sit beside me.”

She sat, leaning back against the shale wall, then held the leather casing that contained the scroll in her lap. With hesitant fingers, she brushed the leather surface.

“What’s on the scroll?” he asked, his tone even now.

“I’m not certain.”

Even in the darkness she could see his puzzled frown. “You risked your life for that scroll and you do not even know what it contains?”

She frowned down at the leather that protected the contents inside. “My father sent me to retrieve this moments before he was abducted.” She turned toward William. In the half-light his face was a study of dark planes and angles. “I can’t help wondering if he knew something would happen to him today.” She bit down on her lip as she fingered the container’s cap. “This is all I have left.” She didn’t expect him to understand.

“Open it,” he said softly with no accusation in his tone. Did he understand? Or was he anxious for her to reveal the scroll’s secrets for another reason?

Could she trust him? William had saved her life today … Her own curiosity forced doubts about William’s interest aside.

She forgot about the cold. She forgot about the tragedy of the day. She forgot about everything as carefully, almost afraid to breathe, she opened the leather casing and gently shook out the papyrus scroll inside. She unrolled the papyrus. Straining her eyes in the half-light, she stared down at line after line of her father’s dense code. Even if she’d been able to see it clearly, she doubted she could identify the words he’d hidden in the strange code. She angled the paper toward the cave’s opening, trying to catch what light she could. Dark shapes appeared. A map? She sighed. “It’s too dark. I can’t make anything out.”

“Then any discoveries will have to wait until first light.” He shifted beside her and with a rasp of sound, drew his sword. He set the weapon across his lap, his hand on the hilt. “Just in case,” he said as he settled back against the wall. “You had best sleep. Who knows what challenges tomorrow will bring?”

She knew he was probably right. She rolled the scroll and placed it back in its protective leather casing, then held the treasure close to her chest, protecting what she had left of her life with her father.

She tried to block the sound of the surf, but the further darkness only made her more aware of her surroundings—especially the man sitting next to her, a sword gripped in his hands. “Why did you come to see my father today? Did you know de la Roche would come as well?”

He shifted, turning toward her in the darkness. His face was cast in complete darkness now. And for a moment she wondered if he’d planned that, secluding himself in darkness. “Nay. ‘Tis mere coincidence that de la Roche appeared when he did, although there were those of us who suspected he would show himself sooner or later.”

A gust of cool wind touched Siobhan’s cheeks. She pulled the cape he’d given her closer around herself. “Those of us?” she prompted.

She could feel his gaze upon her. “The Templars. Your father has information we desperately needed.”

“And now that he’s gone…?”

“I am hoping you have that information. Or that the scroll we saved from the fire contains something we can use to find what it is I need.”

Siobhan’s hands tightened on her father’s work. A surge of hope moved through her. Today’s events had taught her one thing. She needed this man’s help if she were ever to rescue her father from de la Roche’s clutches. Could the scroll help her secure his aid?

“What do you need?” she asked, trying to temper her growing excitement. This man was still a stranger. His motives were unproved.

“The Holy Lance. It’s the one piece of the Templar treasure de la Roche wants above all the rest. Your father was the treasure’s guardian.”

A shiver rippled across her nape. Her father had told her stories of many legendary treasures over the years, but she’d had no idea he was so intimately connected to them.

“My father called it the Longinus Spear …” Her voice trailed off in wonder. She shifted, trying to see his face in the darkness. If only she could see his eyes. Then she’d know whether he was being honest or not. “How do you think I can help you?”

“It’s how we can help each other, Lady Siobhan.”

“Please, just call me Siobhan. No one ever refers to me as anything more.”

“Siobhan. Help me locate the Spear, and I’ll help you find your father and get you both to safety.”

She knew nothing about this man, except that he had saved her from de la Roche earlier and that he had gone back into her burning home to rescue the scroll without fear for his own life. Were those things enough to trust him with her father’s life? His deepest secrets?

“Do we have an agreement?” he asked, his voice deep, expectant.

She nodded. Then realizing he could not see her any better in the dark said, “Aye.”
“Then you had best try to get some sleep because tomorrow will be another difficult day if I know de la Roche.”

Instantly, her mood sobered at the reminder of the dangers outside of their dark cave, no doubt the reason he’d drawn his sword. “Will you be able to sleep?” she asked.

“Nay.”

Siobhan released a soft sigh. She doubted she’d find sleep this night either. Her lack of sleep wouldn’t stem from the ever-present danger, even though she knew she should be more fearful of discovery than she was. Instead, her mind filled with a million possibilities of what secrets the scroll might reveal.

She shifted her gaze to what little she could make out of William. Did her father truly have something to do with the Knights Templar?

Coded text … Drawings …

What could her father be involved in?

This week's prizes: Comment on any post from Monday June 1st, through Sunday June 7th for a chance to win one of two prizes:
  • Winner's choice of Gerri Russell 's backlist - Warrior's Lady, Warrior's Bride, or The Warrior Trainer.
  • Winner's choice of one Joy Nash Druids of Avalon backlist books - Deep Magic, The Grail King, or Celtic Fire.
Winners chosen at random and posted on Monday June 8.

Oh! Almost forgot - another fun contest. Author Emily Bryan is holding a contest on her blog - and the winner will get a chance to name a character in Emily's summer 2010 book Stroke of Genius.

Wonder if you get to pick whether the character you name is good or evil? lol :-) Details at emilybryan.blogspot.com.


See you Friday!

Joy Nash
www.joynash.com



Available NOW!

A Little Light Magic

Summer at the Jersey Shore has never been so hot!


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