Paperback, 128 pages Published March 24th 2020 by Tor.com ISBN:125075030X (ISBN13: 9781250750303) Series: The Singing Hills Cycle #1
With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama, Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.
A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully.
Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor’s lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.
At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She’s a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece.
Hardcover, 320 pages Published September 17th 2020 by Oneworld Publications ISBN:1786078376 (ISBN13: 9781786078377)
In Ancient Rome all the best stories have one thing in common – murder. Romulus killed Remus to found the city; Caesar was assassinated to save the Republic. Caligula was butchered in the theatre, Claudius was poisoned at dinner and Galba was beheaded in the forum. In one fifty-year period, twenty-six emperors were murdered.
But what did killing mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? Emma Southon examines real-life homicides from Roman history to explore how perpetrator, victim and the act itself were regarded by ordinary people. Inside Ancient Rome’s unique culture of crime and punishment, we see how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human.
The magical island of Kalaya is dying, along with its Sentinel.
The Assembly controls Kalaya. Originally set up to govern, they now persecute those with magic and exile them to the Turrak Mountains.
Tei, a tailor’s daughter, has always hidden her magic, but when her father’s old friend visits and warns them to flee to the mountains, she must leave her old life behind. On the journey, an attack leaves her father mortally wounded. He entrusts her into the care of the exiles and on his deathbed makes a shocking confession.
Struggling with self-doubt, Tei joins the exiles search for their new Sentinel who is the only person capable of restoring the fading magic. But mysterious Masked Riders are hunting the Sentinel too, and time, as well as hope, is running out.
Against mounting odds it will take friendship, heartache, and sacrifice for the exiles to succeed, but is Tei willing to risk everything to save the island magic?
If you like character-based fantasy, then you’ll love The Lost Sentinel – book one in the Silent Sea Chronicles trilogy.
The misdeeds of our ancestors are debts passed from generation to generation. They lurk, hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right time to be collected. For the residents of Harper Pass—their debt is due.
When a young autistic girl goes missing from a small Appalachian community, the residents of Harper Pass descend into chaos. Brooks Raker and his friends stumble across the police investigation, and as they dig deeper into the mysterious events, the boys realize the fate of their missing classmate pales in comparison with the evil lurking in the shadows of the quiet little town.
With four boys who believe something sinister is at work, and an ambitious reporter breathing down his neck, Detective Holt of the Harper Pass Police Department must confront his doubts and follow the evidence. A chain of disappearances and suspicious deaths, leads Holt to the doorstep of the mysterious and reclusive Professor Wadlow who may know exactly what has come to collect in Harper Pass.
Can the detective and the boys work together to unravel the dark secrets of Harper Pass before those secrets devour them all?
Shawn Burgess has a BA in English from the University of Florida, and he focused on literature for his postgraduate studies at the University of North Florida. His travels have taken him to most parts of the country, where he often drew inspiration for his stories through meeting interesting people and experiencing unique places. Beware! If you find yourself behaving curiously within the crosshairs of his vision you might end up on one of his pages. In his spare time, Shawn enjoys travelling, attending concerts, reading, and playing golf. He typically makes year-round preparations for Halloween by building props and elaborate sets. Shawn claims Jacksonville, Florida as his home, but he has lived all over the south-eastern United States. Many of his stories are set in those towns he once called home, or in fictional places inspired by them. He says, “I enjoy building upon the natural mysteries surrounding those areas I’ve personally experienced.” The Tear Collector is Shawn’s debut novel, but he’s currently working on a YA Fantasy novel, as well as The Tear Collector’s sequel. He is active on social media, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
I’ve been acting since 1992 making appearances in a number of film, television commercials, and theater productions. I love all kinds of acting, especially voice over, wearing different hats and playing different roles, while putting my own twist on each performance, with a bit of fun and creativity. I feel gratified when I hear from listeners about how my work has helped them see new worlds or simply their current world in a new light.
This one is based on a basic recipe in the same book I got the basic lasagne recipe from.
I made the sauce, also using a recipe in the slow-cooker recipe book for a marinara sauce, but I pureed and left it on low for for twelve hours with the lid off to reduce down.
Following the recipe, I used a pre-made pizza dough. It comes wrapped up in greaseproof paper so I cut a rectangle off to fit it into my slow cooker. That was helpful since I didn’t need to spray the slow-cooker with cooking spray and it made it really easy to lift out after.
Pre-made pizza dough
Pre-made tomato sauce
Frozen veg
onions
peppers
mushrooms
Fresh chopped pineapple
Sliced ham pieces
Grated cheese
Frozen basil
Put the dough in the slow cooker – no more than 1/4 inch thick
Spread tomato sauce on the base
Layer on veg – fresh or frozen, is up to you, I use frozen because I have frozen, chopped veg and mushrooms in
Layer on the meat and pineapple if you’re added it
Cheese, thick as you like
Sprinkle basil on the cheese, teaspoon at most. Again, I use frozen because I have it in the freezer (along with garlic, chillies and ginger)
Cover and turn on low for an hour
Check the dough around the edges and take the lid off
Continue cooking for another hour or so. It depends on your slow cooker
Using a spatula, lift the pizza out of the slow-cooker and gently peel off the greaseproof paper the plate up
Cooked and ready for stuffing in ma’ face!
It was a big enough pizza for me, but I’m not known for my tiny appetite. You could cut it in half and have a salad with it if you want more vegetables?
It’s probably about one serving of vegetables, there’s a mix of veg, protein from the mushrooms and ham, carbohydrates from the base. I might try to make it with different bases, if I get around to making some. I still have most of the shop bought pizza dough rolled up in the fridge so I’m going to make another one later in the week.
Everything Is Better With Dragons 