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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, April 4, 2014

Jo-Anne Myers visits a castle with a spooky history


 Jo-Anne decides to fly herself, her immediate family, and the precocious hostesses of the Author Roast and Toast to Romania, for a celebration at the infamous Bram Castle for the Roast and Toast of Jo-Anne's detective/mystery book, Murder Most Foul. This will be a befitting setting for a delectable and suspense filled read.

It is spring and the weather is at a comfortable 76 degrees. Jo-Anne and her ensemble are met at the airport by the limousine drivers, who are all tall, dark, and dangerously handsome. They waste no time and are whisked away to begin our memorable day of partying, and adventure seeking.

They begin their journey hiking into the Bucegi Mountains, where wind and rain have turned the natural formations into spectacular figures such as The Sphinx, named for its sphinx-like appearance, and Babele, meaning rock “shaped like an old woman’, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.From there, they proceed to the Voronet Monastery, a medieval monastery in the Romanian village of Voronet. constructed by Stephen the Great in 1488 in less than four month to commemorate the victory at Battle of Vaslui. 

From there, they journey to the Sarmizegetusa sanctuaries; a circular structure of stones and are entertained by, folkloric dance groups wearing Romanian traditional costumes. Then, they are off to The Holy Trinity Cathedral, the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Sibiu and of Metropolitan of Transylvania, and are mesmerized at the raw beauty of its exterior design and interior fixtures, and paintings. Thinking they could not view anything greater, they are happily mistaken, when the limousine pulls up to the Sighisoara Clock Tower, built in the late 14th century. Their next stop is the Valul Miresel, a 50 m high waterfall, which derived its name from the legend of a bride who fell from the rocks on her wedding day. Her veil remained hanging; people stopped the party and mourned her and in that place was formed Valul Miresei Waterfall (Bride's Veil Waterfall). Here, Anne Marie modestly slips into her one-piece bathing suit, while some of the “wild bunch” skinny-dip. That cool refreshing activity wets their appetite for the shin-dig for the main event at the Castle.
Once they arrive at Bram Castle, employees roll out the red carpet for them as Oliver supervises every detail. 
The party room is decorated in Jo-Anne's favorite colors of pinks, blues, and lavenders. 

A large table filled with fresh fruits, and Cozonac; locally baked sweet bread with raisens, braided and sprinkled with sugar. Further, into the castle, Romania rock bands, Iris, and Vama, take turns keeping Jo-Anne and her guests on the dance floor. They choose between red and whites wine, before mingling and exploring the castle.

Local chefs have prepared the feast, consisting of Frigariu; a Kebab-skewer with onions, bacon, sausages, and bell peppers, and Mititei; grilled ground meat rolls flavored with garlic, black pepper, coriander, anise, and served with mustard, both meats cooked on an outdoor grill. From inside, wafts the smell of Schnitzel; a boneless meat, thinned and coated with flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs and then fried golden brown.
When they tire of dancing,they play hide-n-seek with the now tipsy guests. They run from room to room, hiding behind antique furniture and velvet draperies. They knew where Lyn was at all times; those feet were a dead giveaway. The other Hostesses appear a bit shell shocked by all the activities Jo-Anne planned. They just can’t keep up with her. And what’s with the one who keeps groaning, “my precious,” at her cell phone? Another one keeps asking when do we eat? One appears a bit slow, and one hates to mention it, but they are all a bit odd.

Jo-Anne leads her guests down to the dining room where she sits at the head of the table, the hostesses fight over the seats closest to her.  The hostess with the overly large assets yells out, “sit down you idiots.” While the Romanian President toasts Jo-Anne from the opposite side of the table. During dinner, they are all mesmerized by the lush voice of Alexandra Stan, a native singer and model, who is accompanied by pianist Lera Auerbach.
After dinner,they congregate in the parlor for desserts of amandine-a Romanian chocolate sponge cake filled with almond crème and drizzled with chocolate glaze, Crème anglaise; a vanilla custard, placinte Crete; various fruit pies, and Paczki, deep fried pieces of dough shaped into flattened spheres and filled with sweet centers called confiture.

They partake of food, wine, and plum brandy, until the wee hours of the
morning, at which time Jo-Anne and her family enter the limousines for the return trip to the airport. Her day of glamour and exhilarating fun is no more…but what a hell of a time they all had.
She glances back to see if Oliver has helped the hostesses. AJ, Lilly, Lyn, Mac, Melissa and Mary have all passed out from the wine and will need to be assisted home, Jo-Anne hears this happens often… 

So, without more ado, let's find out more about

MURDER MOST FOUL
When two dismembered torsos wash up on the banks of the local river in the small industrial town of Pleasant Valley, residents are horrified. Between contradicting statements, police ineptitude, lust, lies, manipulation, incest, the motorcycle gang The Devil’s Disciples, crooked cops, and a botched crime scene, everyone becomes a suspect.

The young beautiful Jackie Reeves, a registered nurse, believes the killer is a man from her past. She contacts the dangerously handsome FBI Agent Walker Harmon. An arrest is made, but Harmon and Jackie believe an innocent man is being railroaded by local cops. Determined to find the truth, before anymore killings, Agent Harmon and Jackie are forced to run a gauntlet of deep trouble and turmoil, which marks them for death.



Other books by JoAnne:

Wicked Intentions-a paranormal/mystery anthology
The Crime of the Century-a biography true crime
Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between

Upcoming Releases:

Loves, Myths, and Monsters-a fantasy anthology available in April
Twisted Love-a biography true crime anthology available in May

Flagitious-a detective/mystery novella anthology

Author Bio:

I have been a long-time resident of southeastern Ohio, and worked in the blue-collar industry most of my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I canvas paint.


When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, my dogs Jasmine and Scooter, and volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, Savvy Authors, Coffee Time Romance, Paranormal Romance Guild, True Romance Studios, National Writers Association, the Hocking Hill's Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. I believe in family values and following your dreams. My books along with my original canvas paintings, can be found at:


Buy links: “Murder Most Foul,” in EPub, HTML, PDF


For Paperback:

Respectfully Yours,
JoAnne Myers-Author of Murder Most Foul,- Wicked Intentions,- Loves', Myths', and Monsters',- The Crime of the Century,- Twisted Love, and Flagitious.

***GIVEAWAY***
To win a copy of Jo-Anne's book, all you have to do is just leave a comment and your e-mail address.
Contest ends on Sunday and everyone who comments is eligible.
(We reserve the right to waive the prize in any week when there are not enough contestants for a draw to be deemed fair and unbiased)

28 comments:

  1. What a fascinating and interesting trip you took us on, en-route to the castle, Jo-Anne. The surroundings are spectacular and the food looks absolutely delicious, Much of it is unfamiliar to me, apart from the schnitzels, which are my hubby;'s speciality. I can't wait to get stuck in.

    I'm off to explore the castle now. I may be some time so don't worry if you don't hear from me - I'm taking our limousine driver with me for protection, so I'll be fine!

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    1. Now Hywela, dont be greedy, the limo guys are for me. Thank you for commenting.

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  2. Oh my gosh, I love this post! What a fabulous location to host your roast, JoAnne! I love it! And Murder Most Foul sounds so intriguing! I want an excerpt. LOL Can you share a little bit of the story with us?

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    1. Here is your excerpt AJ, and thank you for stopping bye.


      EXCERPT: Undaunted and short on patience, the agent stared at the fat jerk sitting before him gleefully puffing on a cigar, most likely homegrown in Detroit, Michigan, not Cuba. “I attend the Kingdom Hall on occasion,” he said.
      “Well most of us like Malloy. He's helped rid this town of criminals. He was a volunteer firefighter, and his wife cooks for the annual policeman's ball. Hell, Malloy even coached volleyball for the kids when he wuz younger. Now a person who does that ain't all bad,” the chief declared.
      Barstow's sudden burst of energy to safeguard his fishy friend, picqued Harmon's interest. What had Malloy done? He decided he wasn't leaving until he had the full, sordid story.
      “So you and Malloy are pals, and he did something he couldn't get out of, and you tried to salvage his job, but the big shots said, ‘No!' Is that how it went?” Harmon asked.
      “Yeah, Malloy did somethin’ real stupid.”
      “I'm listening,” Harmon replied.
      “The rumors of Malloy allowin' his friends and family members to snoop through the cornfield, and photograph the area after the victims were removed, was true. Everyone is curious about this crime. Nothin' this big ever happened in this town before, and the pictures were for souvenirs, you know. Then after the limbs were removed, he brought in a back hoe, and tore up the whole damned crime scene, involving Thomas.” The chief growled in disgust.
      “Yeah, that was stupid,” Harmon said. “So Malloy's unethical conduct was the reason the disciplinary board was in session?”
      “Yep, they made their decision this mornin',” the chief said. “He's out. There was nothin' I could do for him.”
      “You'd think a cop with over twenty years’ experience would demonstrate better reasoning then destroy evidence. Unless he's covering his own tracks,” Harmon said realizing what he was implying. “Do you believe Malloy committed the murders?”
      “Now, I didn't say that. A lot of officers were on this case, so a lot of mistakes happened. We never dealt with this type crime before. Many might have made the same mistakes Malloy did.”
      Dismissing the chief's excuses for Malloy's incompetence, Harmon demanded an answer. He was tired of being duped by the local cops and wanted the truth, and wanted it now. Standing and placing both palms on the chief's shiny desk, the agent looked the chief square in his squinty brown eyes and said, “Cough it up, Chief! There's more to it then that. If
      there were numerous mistakes made by officers other then Malloy, why was he the only one kicked off the force? Now spit it out! What the hell did Malloy do?”
      “All right, all right!” the chief whined, “Malloy screwed the dead girl three weeks before she was killed–and got caught!”
      The Agent was speechless. Walking to the window overlooking Main Street, he stared vacantly. Hadn't one of our witnesses suggested something like that? But–with the crisp wind howling, the citizens dining in the local cafés, others window shopping for Christmas or starting their shift at the town's businesses–this seems unreal. How can such a seemingly sweet country town be so full of bad apples, savage murders, police misconduct and corruption, evidence tampering? This town is certainly no Mayberry, thought Harmon.

      Delete
  3. Oh wow! So many awesome places, so little time. I'm taking along a plate and I pilfered a bottle of wine (thanks Oliver) I'm off to sit beside that fabulous waterfall to read a bit of Murder Most Foul but I'll be back. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hi Mackenzie, if you like action and adventure, you will love Murder Most Foul. Thank you for the nice comment.

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  4. Welcome back to the roast, JoAnn! I'm loving this virtual tour of Romania.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. This was a fun roast to wrap myself around. I did a lot of research to know about Romania and its customs. Thank you for the comment.

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  5. I'm stuffed, what was all that food anyhow? Where are the hot guys. Oh my, who is that over there, the one with the chiseled features and large muscles??

    ReplyDelete
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    1. That man would be F.B.I Agent Walker Harmon guarding me from all you laugh happy and drunken women. LoL thank you for commenting.

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  6. Who cares who he is. Let's go talk to him, Mary. He looks positively divine. Here, Mac, hold our plates.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. You ladies can talk with him all you like, but he has eyes only for me and his lover Jackie Reeves. Glad you enjoyed the roast. Thank you

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  7. After you AJ you get first dibs this time. I can share, especially because look at the guys who are with him. Geez, one for each of us. Thanks for holding the plates Mac.
    What happened to our author. Did I scare her away??

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    1. I am never far from women like you Mary. I know your game...and I love it. Thank you for commenting.

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  8. I'm back - I'm back! That handsome chauffeur certainly knows how to show a gal the sights! :) I don't think you could frighten anyone, Mary! I wonder if she's gone off with one of the hunky guests - or perhaps her hero, Walker. Of course you realise this is the original Dracula's castle - I just hope Vlad didn't get her!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Oh Hywela, what's a little bite between friends. Sometimes I'm game for anything, Thank you all for commenting.

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  9. Dracula!?!? No one mentioned that before!!

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    1. Vlad The Impaler! Original owner of the castle and thought to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. Although the castle should really be Bran not Bram - or am I confused?

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    2. No it was me confused when I wrote this toast. I was on vine..or is it wine?

      Have a great time ladies. Thank you all

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  10. I didn't make the connection. Hope they don't want any A+, I eat a lot of garlic.
    Break out the holy water and crosses! Wait, those hot guys???? Noooo, can't be can it?

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    1. I never asked the hot guys is they were human or a night walker. You may be my guest Mary and check for us all. Thank you for commenting.

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  11. LOLOL! Mary, you CRACK ME UP! I was all, sign me up! I'd love to stop aging right now! LOL I'm off to find Vlad! LOL

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    1. Dont get to crazy AJ, most vampires have all the ladies they want. They might want you for dinner, not just for drinks. Your comments are hilarious.

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  12. I don't want to live forever, unless I get my 21 year old body back. Then come suck my blood guys, if you can do that for me, I'll eat a lot of cake so I'll have sweet blood for you! Wait for me, I'm coming with you AJ!!!

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    1. Dont rush Mary, there's plenty of vampires in Romania for any gal looking for a fast time. Have fun with it.

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  13. I'll take my 26 year old body, Mary. More boobs but I was still thin. lol!

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    1. I was hot since birth. I got all of ya's beat on that one. LOL
      Keep the comments coming. Thank you all and God Bless.

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  14. LOL Jo-Ann, can't compete with that! I'm with Lilly, my 26 year old self was much better than my 21 year old self. Come to think of it, my 36 year self was better than either of them. I was a late developer!

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