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As many of you may know, our beloved sister hostess SHARON DONOVAN, tragically passed away on 11th April 2012. We who knew her, loved her, and were inspired by her courage and determination to face head on whatever life threw at her. When she could no longer see to paint she turned to writing and showed her amazing talent in the Inspirational Romance and Romantic Suspense genres, and her story 'Charade Of Hearts' was awarded the coveted Predators and Editors Award in January 2011.

This Blog was a source of great delight to her, she was one of the founder hostesses and she contributed to the fun and silliness in her own original way, and was kind enough to let her unique creation, the hunky butler 'Oliver' join us for our Friday romp and prepare 'virtual breakfast' for the guests on the following morning. It's beyond hard to have to go on without her, but we know that she would have been the first to insist that 'the show must go on.' She is, and will always be with us in spirit.
Sharon, dear friend, we will never forget you.
The Author Roast and Toast is part of the legacy you left us. Let's raise a Toast to you as well as all our guests.
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Friday, July 13, 2012

Devon Ellington's zombie party for her novel Hex Breaker

 
The sound of the Bee Gee’s song, Stayin’ Alive, roars, stirring the dancers gyrating beneath a huge, glowing, multifaceted, crystal ball, into an even greater frenzy. Everyone in the room, however, is not dressed in their best painting-the-town duds. This party celebrates Zombie Disco! 

“I better not get thrown into the zombie punch this week.” Lyn looks pointedly at Mary. 

“What, me, I never…” 

"Don’t deny Mary avoid,” Patsy suggests diplomatically. Mary tosses an olive eyeball at Patsy that goes over her head and straight into Lyn’s open mouth. Patsy pats Lyn on the back until she stops choking. “Are the Bee Gees Zombies?” Patsy asks innocently. Mary cracks up laughing. And Lyn chuckles herself. “That’s debatable.” Lyn quips.

The three hostesses look the part. Patsy, has cleverly lost half her face and it looks pretty gory. Lyn has lost half her left foot hanging in tattered remnants of bloody carnage. And Mary’s bosom, well one can’t even think about the horror. If it was all real!

 “Seriously, that looks real Patsy.” Lyn gazes at Patsy’s face. 


“Hey it almost was, did you see the size of their dog. It’s massive? By the way thanks guys for saving me.” Hampy, Cuddles and Nibby, all look up and pretend they see something that needs investigating as they dash off. 

“So are we going to trip the light fantastic ladies?” Lyn laughs. 

“What? Trip the who?” Mary frowns. 

“She means are you gonna dance?” Patsy answers a bit smugly.

 “Why can’t you just say that?” Mary puzzled adds, “And how do you know that anyhow.” 

Eyeball caprese
“I’ll have you know I used to be soooo into disco. Not zombie disco, just regular stuff.” Patsy flips the tip of her nose back onto her face. "Oliver says the food is pretty good. It just looks odd. The devilled dragon eggs are just fantastic.” Patsy eyes the table of foods. “Eyeballs, spider muffins, dirty martinis, a veritable delight to the palate. That is unless you really are a zombie. Then I guess it would be real body parts. Do you prefer your liver with or without onions?”

spider muffins

 Mary chuckles and Lyn gives her an olive eyeball. “Eat up, the real zombies like their dinner fleshed out!”
mini mummy pizzas
devilled dragon eggs
The music suddenly stops, it takes the zombies a moment to realize


Eyeball soup
and stop moaning like zombies do. “It’s Devon and she has a bunch of her book Hex Breaker with her. Thank goodness. The natives, er’ zombies were getting restless.” 

Lyn perks up.  She nudges Mary. “Ever since Devon wrote that story she has had to have a trio of guards around her the Zombie community all want her to win her over. The Civil Ward zombies, the 1950’s zombies, you name it, every zombie organization there is wants her to join them. You’re losing what’s left of your right hooter Mary. Better patch that.” She hands Mary a large tube of crazy glue and heads to the stage to stop the band from playing. Lyn grabs the microphone as soon as the band stops and yells to the excited and exhilarated mob of fearless, flapping flesh. “Come on people! Those you who still have a larynx let’s hear it for Devon Ellington and her new release, Hex Breaker! “

Devon and her putrid entourage take the stage and begin to raise the roof with their jerky boogying. “Turn up the music Oliver and let her rip! The party is just starting and I for one just hope no one loses their head this evening! Be careful what you eat and no driving if your arms or legs are totally gone. We will get your torso home. We promise!  Let’s Disco!

Book Blurb:
Hex Breaker Jain Lazarus joins the crew of a cursed film, hoping to put to rest what was stirred up before more people die and the film is lost.  Tough, practical Detective Wyatt East becomes her unlikely ally and lover on an adventure fighting zombies, ceremonial magicians, the town wife-beater, the messenger of the gods, and their own pasts.

Excerpt:
“You cut off a man’s head, Ms. Lazarus,” Wyatt East said. “I have to ask you questions.”

Jain snuck a look at her watch. Two and a half hours in the interrogation room. Dennis was running out of time. Jain looked up at Wyatt, watching him pace back and forth across the room, and folded her arms on the table.

“I understand that, and I’m willing to answer anything, but we need to get to the hospital or Dennis will wind up in the same shape as Mike.”

“Headless?”

“If we don’t get to him in time.”

“Since you’re the one who decapitated Mike, I’m not so sure I should let you near Dennis.”

“If you let me near him fast enough, I won’t need to decapitate him.”

“So you admit that you would?”

“If necessary.”

“And why would it be necessary?”

“By the time I separated Mike’s head from his body, there wasn’t anything of Mike left. I saw it snuff out. He was completely under his handler’s control. Whoever his handler is.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Wyatt slammed his palm on the metal desk.

“Detective East, your carefully planned gestures don’t intimidate me. I deal with much more dangerous factions every day than annoyed cops.”

“Maybe you should give me some information about who you really are and what you really do and I won’t be such an annoyed cop.”


Bio:
Devon Ellington is a full-time writer who publishes under a half a dozen names in fiction and non-fiction.  Her plays are produced in New York, London, Edinburgh, and Australia.  Her work appears in anthologies including PERFECTLY PLUM!  ARDEUR, GHOST STORIES OF THE MOGOLLON RIM, and FULL CIRCLE.  Within the hundreds of articles published over the years, she covered the Triple Crown for twelve years for FEMME FAN, and articles appeared in WOW- WOMEN ON WRITING, THE CRAFTY TRAVELER, SAVVY GAL, VISION, and HAMPTON FAMILY LIFE.  She wrote four serials in four genres under two different names for eighteen months.  She works as a fiction reviewer, freelance business writer, and teacher online and in-person, with students all over the world.

Website:
http://www.devonellingtonwork.com/

Ink in My Coffee, blog on the ups and downs of a writer’s life:
http://devonellington.wordpress.com

Jain Lazarus site:
http://hexbreaker.devonellingtonwork.com

Billy Root’s blog:
http://billyrootblogs.wordpress.com
(Note:  Billy is a supporting character in the series, and a fan favorite)


***GIVEAWAY***
 

Devon is offering a  brand new short story tie-in, featuring fan favorite Billy Root- it will be available FIRST to people who visit the roast, not until the following week in general release 
all you have to do is just leave a comment and your email address and everyone who comments is eligible.

39 comments:

  1. Hi Devon, welcome to your party - what an intriguing excerpt! Your book sounds a fantastic read.

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  2. Good Morning Devon - Sister Hostesses! How exciting - eyeball soup. I've got to try some of that. I do like my half face :)

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  3. Good Morning Patsy (Lyn hugs her sister hostess) Well, I guess having only half a face saves on makeup LOL! :)

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  4. It certainly does and half the time to apply! Does it make me half as smart - I wasn't doing too well in that department before! Oh Well! I'm off to sample more of these Zombie foods!

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  5. How did you do that with your foot?
    You aren't even limping? And I think your face is awesome Patsy. And my boobies never looked cooler!
    Yo Devon, how's the food look?

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  6. The food is spectacular! Thank you so much! We are gonna Monster Mash until all our body parts fall off! ;)

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  7. Hi Mary dear sister hostess, my you and Patsy manage to look good even with all that 'Kensington gore'!

    Hopping around on one leg is actually quite easy, once you get used to it.

    Devon, I have to admit this food tastes a lot better than its appearance would appear!
    Yes, let's do the mash, let's do the monster mash!

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  8. Very cool, Devon. Love your excerpt and the sound of your book.
    It's been a long time since I've done the monster Mash, but I'm joining you in the fun! Boogie on.

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  9. Hi Patrice, thanks so much for joining the party, hey, this monster mash boogie is fun - bit tiring with one leg though! lol!

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  10. Hey Patrice! Great to see you here - your costume looks very pretty, you have a whole face and everything. You must be the one that gets devoured by the monsters!

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  11. You know, when people overuse Mac cosmetics, they look just the same as the walking dead!

    Love the contortions you all manage in the dancing!

    We played "monster mash" for the trick-or-treaters last Halloween - and that's when my new black kitten made her public debut. She was the belle of the neighborhood (and still is)

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  12. Purring is my favorite kitty sound.
    Anyhow, I'm walking a bit lopsided,since one side has been lopped. The other one appears to begin to rot as I stare at it.
    Fascinating! Hey, what was in that zombie punch? I feel a craving for rare roast beef. Or maybe even...

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  13. Purring is my favorite kitty sound.
    Anyhow, I'm walking a bit lopsided,since one side has been lopped. The other one appears to begin to rot as I stare at it.
    Fascinating! Hey, what was in that zombie punch? I feel a craving for rare roast beef. Or maybe even...

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  14. comment forwarded from Traci Hall who can't comment for some reason.

    She wants you to,"save her some of the eyeball caprice."

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  15. What fun! Enjoying your cyber-party.

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  16. My, you are a scary lot. And, I mean that in the...er...nicest way.

    Hex Breakers sounds like a shivery read and I love the cover.

    KT

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  17. Ooh some new visitorsw! Hi everyone! I agree about the cover, KT, isn't it gorgeous! *hic* anyone seen any mead around? This dirty martini thingy is OK, but ...*hic*

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  18. Maybe the mead will help you grow your foot back. Hmmmm. I'd need something considerably stronger, don't you think?

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  19. Nancy Jardine said...
    Hello Oliver,
    (and the ladies of R&T)
    I just can't wait to meet you in a few weeks. I'm really looking forward to sharing a really neat little cocktail with you since they're my absolute favorite!
    *kisses and waves*

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  20. Hi KT - glad you stopped by. *cyber wave* Stop by the food and gorge! Lots of weird...er...good food over here!

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  21. Any excuse to let the zombies out to play...

    "Release the Chaos Dragon!"

    Thank you for such a fun party and featuring such a great book. Really looking forward to the next books in the Jain Lazarus series.

    We served the eye in the soup at our HalloWedding several years ago - it was a great hit!

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  22. This party is fun! I'm just curious, Devon, are you a Fleshtones fan? Their "Hexbreaker" is one of my very favorite songs (and albums) of all time, so the title of your book caught my eye to say the least! And it does look very cool.

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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  23. KT and Killion, so glad you could stop by!

    I'll kiss Oliver for thanks, as soon as I'm sure my lips won't fall off.

    Vitajax -- I came across the mention on Google the other day -- I'll have to go to the website and listen to the song. Maybe I'll have a new theme song for the series!

    Mary, Hywela Lyn, PL -- I'm having such fun with you!

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  24. Welcome everyone! The dragons must be sleeping already!
    Devon you are a terrific author! See you in the morning! Wonder if my body parts will grow back???

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  25. Hey, there is one handsome zombie over in the corner. Is he taken? Cause I feel like he might like a girl like me. Ahem...

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  26. Hi Killian, KT and 'Vitajex' so glad you could join us.

    We're enjoying having you as our special guest so much, Devon and your book sounds wonderful. We wish you many, many sales.

    It's really late in this dimension so I'm going to find a nice quiet hole in the ground to creep into until tomorrow. I'm sure this party's going to last all weekend, so party on folks, let the martinis flow and the dancing continue!

    Goodnight all - Mary, where do you find all these guys?

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  27. and Suzanne, good to see you! Passing another round of drinks around!

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  28. Zombies have body parts falling off them, right?

    Can I follow handsome Oliver or that divine Wyatt around in case he loses his head or uh... other body part, if I'm lucky?

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  29. Congratulations!! You are an amazing teacher!

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  30. Hi Kim, hi Nina, lol, falling masculine body parts. It wouldn't be the first time Sharon's divine Oliver lost his head! Can't speak for Wyatt though!

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  31. I took a tiny little vacation with no internet and I missed the party?? Sounds like it was a culinary adventure and the dancing must have been something else . I love the monster mash.

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  32. Love those foods. They'd be great at a Halloween party! I hope you have recipes on your website or in the book.

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  33. Hi Shelley, don't worry, our parties go on over the weekend. There's still plenty of food left, and Nancy, I think Devon has some links to where you can find those creepy - I mean delicious - recipes!

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  34. Love zombies! That eyeball soup cracks me up. LOL. What a fun feast and party!! Wow you have a busy life. Great book blurb. Sounds like something I would enjoy reading. Will have to add it to my books.
    Sue B
    katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

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  35. MMMM, spider muffins! Now I'm hungry. Very hungry. :-)

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  36. Hi Sue and Bonnie, so glad you could come. Help yourself, plenty of eyeball soup and spider muffins to go round!

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  37. How nice a day it is! My boob grew back. Little lopsided but what the hey. Lyn has her foot back, Patsy her face and yet the party still continues!!! There she is Donna Summer, as a ghost, singing Love to Love YOU!!!
    I hope those olives are really olives...

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  38. I am hiding my boobs and body parts. ROFLMAO. Warm here again. I could use one of dirty martinis. Sure hope they are real olives. LOL.
    Sue B
    katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

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  39. Well, it's nice we're all 'normal' again! Lyn winks at her sister hostesses Mary and Patsy and waits until the manic laughter dies down.

    Pass the dirty martinis sue - you can have the olives, I don't fancy 'em!

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