SHADES OF MIDNIGHT Steele's rants, raves and recipes

Going 'round in circles

2006-03-06T22:36:00.000-05:00

Okay, so basically, I have no idea what's going on.

First my release date was Sept 2006, then it was moved back to March 2007. Now I'm told it's August 2007 but wait because my editor was told it's actually January 2007.

The only thing I know for reasonable certainty is that the book will be published.

Someday.

I'll keep you posted.

My second review!

2006-02-25T19:39:00.000-05:00

I just got the other advance review for the inside cover of ANOTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT:

"I've been a fan of Mia Zachary's since her very first book so I was thrilled and delighted to be asked to read her new romantic suspense. I'm happy to report it is everything I look for in an exciting read!"

"Mystery and a sizzle that won't quit are a combination I crave when reading romantic suspense and Mia Zachary delivers to the max! Another Side of Midnight is definitely a keeper!" - Kathy Boswell, The Best Reviews

Cool, huh?

Breaking the silence

2006-02-14T09:35:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been a while. But, I've been busy. What can I say?

This! : Here's the first advance review for ANOTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT

“Mia Zachary becomes a force to contend with in her first foray into romantic mystery. With some interesting plot twists, Another Side of Midnight grabs you right from the very beginning and keeps you until the end.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Steele Mezzanotte has been running the P.I. agency she inherited from her aunt with a fair degree of success. She also moonlights as a bartender at her family’s restaurant. Steele is excellently developed. She is sassy and strong, beautiful and smart but she also has the hint of vulnerability underneath.

Put Steele and Stone together and you get explosive chemistry. With the attraction between them still irresistible, Steele quickly realizes she needs her wits about her if she is to survive with her life and her heart intact.

The plot is well developed and has a few twists in it that should surprise the reader. Mia Zachary has turned in a first-rate novel with Another Side of Midnight.”

– reviewed by Debby Guyette for CataRomance Reviews

New Release Date!

2006-01-13T22:41:00.000-05:00

I have it on good authority that I will be coming to a bookshelf near you... next March.
No, not this March.
March 2007.
Hey, be happy I'm coming to you at all.
My creator is.

A nice surprise

2005-12-20T13:24:00.000-05:00

Okay, I still don't know when or how my story is going to be released but when I find out my creator will have another wonderful quote to inspire you to go out and buy a copy.

Awesome lady and USA Today bestselling author Julie Kenner said, "Mia Zachary has a winner with Another Side of Midnight! With a wonderfully defined heroine, snappy dialogue and an intricate plot, what’s not to love?The story is great! I love Steele!"

Love you, too, Jules.

Homeless

2005-12-08T20:29:00.000-05:00

Harlequin Enterprises, the publisher that created the Signature Spotlight imprint, announced today that they are killing the whole Signature line as of July 2006.

ANOTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT was supposed to come out in September.

I'm about half-way through a bottle of Bella Sera pinot grigio and feeling less pain than I was two hours ago, but I'm still pretty bummed. My Creator has to wait until tomorrow to contact her editor and find out what's going to happen to me.

In the meantime, I'll just finish this bottle and hope for the best.

And I quote:

2005-11-28T18:20:00.000-05:00

I love movies. I spend a lot of my free time rewatching old favorites and discovering new ones.

The American Film Institute has compiled a list of the 100 Greatest Movie Quotes. AFI distributed a ballot with 400 nominated movie quotes to a jury of over 1,500 leaders from the creative community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers), critics and historians. Jurors were asked to consider not only the legacy of the statement [the memory of the movie scene evoked by hearing the words] but also the cultural impact of the phrase [how the words have been circulated and used in everyday life until they become part of the national lexicon].

I found it interesting how many of the quotes are familiar but quoted wrong. For example, everybody says "Play it again, Sam." but the actual line from CASABLANCA is 'Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'

Here are the Top Ten quotes:

1 Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.
GONE WITH THE WIND 1939

2 I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse.
THE GODFATHER 1972

3 You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am. ON THE WATERFRONT 1954

4 Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939

5 Here's looking at you, kid.
CASABLANCA 1942

6 Go ahead, make my day.
SUDDEN IMPACT 1983

7 All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.
SUNSET BOULEVARD. 1950

8 May the Force be with you.
STAR WARS 1977

9 Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.
ALL ABOUT EVE 1950

10 You talking to me? TAXI DRIVER 1976

One of my personal favorites is from SMOKEY & THE BANDIT 1977 When asked why he's doing something, Burt Reynolds character replies, "For the fun, for the glory and for the money. But mostly for the money."

Now that's a quote I can live by.

Looking for answers

2005-10-27T20:50:00.000-05:00

This is a digital photo that my friend Linda Morelli sent of her family's vacation to the Outer Banks. To my knowledge, it hasn't been altered or tampered with in any way.

In fact, Linda didn't even mention the unusual phenomenon about the picture. Me? I think it's pretty wild.

I mean, how appropriate is it that God asks you a question at the beginning of a new day?

I'm not implying that I have a direct connection to the Creator and I certainly don't presume to know Her mind. But I imagine this beautiful combination of light and gas and vapor is a challenge.

"Here's what I give you. What are you going to do with it?"

An appeal to the appetite

2005-10-20T09:02:00.000-05:00

I've been kind of busy the past few weeks, both at the office and around the house.

We've had a wave of location cases at the agency since I found old Mr. Dixon's high school sweetheart for him and he told a lot of his friends. So if you were in the class of 1958, get in touch with me please.

On a personal level, I've decided to finally make my house into some kind of home. I've owned the place for a couple of years now, but haven't taken the time to buy much furniture, let alone decorate. So by way of apologizing for my absence, I offer you two more of my favorite recipes:

ABBACCHIO SCOTTADITO

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
12 rib lamb chops

In a small bowl stir together the garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the lamb chops in a shallow dish and rub them with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Start a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill. Place the chops on the rack over high heat and grill turning once, 5 minutes per side for medium rare. The outside will be well seared with the insides still pink. Transfer to a warm platter and serve immediately.

STROZZAPRETI
5 1/4 ounces spinach
8 3/4 ounces ricotta cheese
1 3/4 ounces Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
5 1/4 ounces flour
Salt and Pepper
Tomato Sauce, homemade or store bought

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Blanch the spinach in water. Drain and chop.

Mix the ricotta cheese with the spinach. Add the Parmesan and the flour. Mix well. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Take 1 tablespoon full of the ricotta mixture and form small balls with your hand (about 1/2 inch.) Place in a casserole dish.

Add some tomato sauce over the ricotta-spinach balls. Sprinkle some Parmesan over and cook for 10 minutes

Remain calm, Citizen

2005-09-29T12:28:00.000-05:00

I imagine a lot of immigrants will be heading for Iowa after a Des Moines man won a lottery jackpot the day he became a U.S. citizen.

“That's a double-lucky win,” Moses Bittok said [September 26th] as he claimed his $1.89 million Hot Lotto jackpot. “It's almost like you adopted a country and then they netted you $1.8 million. It doesn't happen anywhere - I guess only in America.”

“For some reason, I'm calm,” he said. His wife Leonida didn't have the same reaction. “I'm the one who screamed!” she said with a laugh.

Bittok, a correctional officer at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women in Mitchellville, said he doesn't know exactly what he will do with his winnings, but a college fund for the couple's 4-year-old daughter Mindy is top priority.

America really is the Land of Opportunity!

Dead men can tell tales

2005-09-22T22:00:00.000-05:00

Inventor Sergio Aguirre has come up with a solar-powered video panel embedded in a tombstone that plays scenes of the deceased's life. The family can look at a slide show of photos or view a 5-7 minute movie of their loved one on the Serenity Panel to remember all the good things about the person’s life.

In case anyone in my family is considering spending the $1,500 dollars for this when I kick, I'd like to request the following please not be included:

The time I got two baby carrots stuck up my nose [Joey dared me!]

The time Dad caught me sneaking out to meet Blake Lyons and my dress ripped when it got caught on the windowsill

The time I made the mistake of getting a home perm and lightening my hair at the same time

The time I was sunbathing in the backyard and the dog stole my bikini top

The time I threw up in Allegra's plastic wading pool after drinking too much chianti [Joey dared me!]

Okay, never mind. There are too many moments that I don't want included. I'll make my own damned video and leave detailed instructions in my will.

I haven't fed you lately

2005-09-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

I'm such a bad hostess. I can hear my mother scolding me from across town for letting you stay here so long without offering you something to eat. And because I'm sure you're starving, here are a couple more of my favorite recipes that can be combined for an entire meal :

POLLO DELLA TOSCANO

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, chopped
6 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups beef broth (yes, beef broth)

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, half the chicken pieces, and a couple of crushed cloves of garlic.

Brown chicken for 2 minutes on each side and remove from pan. Add remaining oil, remaining chicken pieces and garlic. Brown chicken 2 minutes on each side and remove.

Add vinegar to the pan. Let it cook off. Add butter, shallots, and rosemary to the pan and cook 2 minutes, add flour and cook 1 minute more. Whisk in wine, reduce 1 minute. Whisk in broth and bring liquids up to a bubble.

Return chicken to the pan and simmer over moderate heat 7 to 8 minutes to finish cooking chicken through.

INSALATA FREDERIC

3 cups balsamic vinegar
1 head radicchio, julienned
1 bunch fresh spinach, cleaned and chopped
2 heads endive, julienned
1 bunch watercress
1 bunch arugula, cleaned and stems cut back
6 shallots, diced
24 spears pencil asparagus, blanched and refreshed
3 plum tomatoes, quartered
1/4 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and shaved into strips with peeler

In a saucepan reduce balsamic vinegar until thick and malty. Place in a squirt bottle. In a large mixing bowl, place radicchio, spinach, endive, watercress and arugula. Toss until mixed well. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine shallots, asparagus and the tomato. Add just a touch of balsamic reduction and the olive oil. Mix to coat the vegetables.

On a plate, place salad mix, then asparagus mixture, then carrot strips. Top with a light squirt of balsamic reduction and salt and pepper serve

CIAMBELLA PUGLIESE

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups cake flour
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup pear marmalade

(Marmellata di Pere):
2 pounds pears, peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
Mix fruit and sugar together thoroughly, cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside for at least 3 hours to let the juices start to run.

Transfer to a large non-reactive saucepan and cook over moderate to medium-low heat until pears are heated through, about 10 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Remove from heat when mixture is dense.
= = = =

Butter and flour 2 (8-inch) round cake tins. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add salt and baking powder to the flour and toss with a fork to mix well.

In a mixing bowl, beat the oil and sugar together, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Put the dry ingredients in a sifter and sift about 1/3 into the egg mixture. Add the lemon zest and fold in the flour and zest, then add about 1/3 of the milk. Continue with the remaining third of flour and milk until all the ingredients have been incorporated and blended together.

Turn into prepared cake tins, set in the preheated oven, and bake for 25 minutes, or until cakes are set, pull away from the sides of the pan, and spring back when pressed lightly in the center with a finger.

Remove from the oven, turn the cakes out, and cool on racks. When cool, spread marmalade or jam between the layers and press layers together. Sprinkle top of cake with powdered sugar.

Surreal sentences

2005-09-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

I saw this while netsurfing and thought it sounded like fun. [Obviously, since we even had this many books around, things are slow at the agency and Jon and I are bored]

Directions:
1. Take five novels from your bookshelf.
2. Book 1 — first sentence
3. Book 2 — last sentence on page 50
4. Book 3 — second sentence on page 100
5. Book 4 — next to the last sentence on page 150
6. Book 5 — final sentence of the book
7. Make the five sentences into a paragraph.
8. Feel free to "cheat" to make it a better paragraph.
9. Name your sources
10.Post to your blog.

Here's mine:
1 AWAKEN ME DARKLY - Gena Showalter
2 URBAN SHAMAN - C.E. Murphy
3 A.K.A. GODDESS - Evelyn Vaughn
4 STAYING DEAD - Laura Anne Gilman
5 CARPE DEMON - Julie Kenner

Midnight. The witching hour some say. Since it was 12:07 a.m. and I was standing over a dead body, I had to agree./ Just for a moment everything stopped. There was a rider astride the gray, arrested in motion by my scream./One blow. He sank onto stone at the base of Tour Melusine, bloody and unconscious./Oliver Frants would be quite proud of it. If he ever gave the matter any thought. /And, when you get right down to it, what family doesn't have one or two little secrets...?

And here's Jon's:
1 OVER THE EDGE - Jeannie London
2 CERTIFIED MALE - Kristin Hardy
3 A STRANGER'S TOUCH - Tori Carrington
4 HER PRIVATE EYE - Shannon Hollis
5 HERS FOR THE WEEKEND - Tanya Michaels

The woman moved as though she were making love, slim curves gathering and unfolding in a sinuous display/The stroke of tongue against tongue sent desire arrowing through her./Quinn, however, had some body parts that would solely appreciate the attention./He pulled the clip from her hair and fluffed the chaos of curls over the vee of bare skin at her nape just as her mother walked in the door./ "So would now be a good time to vote on whether or not we should make love? All in favor-" "Aye."

Jon thought it was hysterical that his ended up sounding like some kinky incest orgy.

Toxic

2005-09-01T08:55:00.000-05:00

This little tidbit was in Norm's column of the Review-Journal a few days ago:

Mommy-to-be Britney Spears may be expecting a long-term Las Vegas engagement. She's embracing the idea of becoming a resident headliner and nontouring mom, a la Celine Dion, according to Las Vegas deal maker Jack Wishna, who met with her recently. "The parties are working on a deal that could bring Britney in her own show in Las Vegas by 2007-2008"

Which means I'll have to find a reason to leave the state.

I like Celine Dion- she actually has talent and manages to do convey it with all of her clothes on. Britney on the other hand has distorted before the public eye from a sweet-faced young pop star into a crude, attention obsessed, no-class, lip-synching, stupid slut.

Yes, I said stupid. Because you'd have to be a braindead moron to marry a guy who left his first child and pregnant girlfriend for you and actually believe he'll stick around once he's blown through your cash.

On second thought, I'll stick around after all and maybe even buy a concert ticket. Britney's going to need the money to feed her child and pay her once-and-future deadbeat husband alimony.

Baby, come back...

2005-08-25T22:30:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of my creator.

She misses me.

She can't come back and have fun with me until she gets her other book written, and oh by the way turned in earlier than expected because the pub date was moved up to an earlier open spot, and on top of that the book title had to be changed at the last minute to something that makes her want to puke because it's a 1970s song she hates, which of course totally changed her attitude toward the story which she was struggling with anyway.

Because frankly she'd really rather be with me in Vegas.

They like me!

2005-08-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Two good friends of my Creator were gracious enough to give her quotes for the cover of ANOTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT:

“Sparks fly when Steele and Stone clash in this dynamite, double blind mystery by Mia Zachary” – New York Times bestselling author Rebecca York

“Mia Zachary takes chances that pay off in this edgy, compelling read!”—Julie Elizabeth Leto, USA Today bestselling author

Julie also said, "It's been a long time since I've read such compelling heroine."

That would be me, by the way. Mezzanotte. Steele Mezzanotte, private eye.

Walking on air

2005-08-11T16:09:00.000-05:00

Or rather, four inches of glass.

Beginning next year, visitors to the grand Canyon will be able to walk 70 feet from the cliff's edge and stare down at the Colorado River 4, 000 feet below them. The Skywalk at Grand Canyon West is the brainstorm of Las Vegas businessman, David Jin, with the help of more than $10 million in investment capital.

The walkway will be part of a tourist destination on the Hualapai Indian Reservation that includes Western- and Indian-themed villages and helicopter, pontoon and horseback rides. The Skywalk and accompanying visitors center have the potential to draw an additional 300,00 tourists to the canyon and spur economic development, essential for the nongaming tribe.

I will not be one of those tourists. A stroll along the Skywalk will cost $25. You couldn't pay me the $25 to even go out 7 feet, let alone 70.

Okay, the walkway is uniquely engineered using one million pounds of 2 1/2-inch-thick steel rods to support the equivalent of 72 Boeing jets and withstand an 8.0 magnitude earthquake 50 miles away and winds in excess of 100 mph. I don't care. You're still not getting me on it.

Glass walkway over the Grand Canyon... $10 million.
Not barfing into the Canyon when fear of heights sets in... Priceless.

The language of food

2005-08-04T10:57:00.000-05:00

I don't have much to say today so I'll give you a recipe and let the intoxicating mixture of flavors speak for me. (Yeah, okay, that was hokey. Like I said today is not one of the days I should try to communicate)

CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA
1 box [10 oz] frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
6 chicken breasts, pounded flat
6 slices of prosciutto
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
1 can [14 oz] chicken broth, low sodium
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Squeeze spinach to remove excess water, toss with 1 tbsp olive oil
Season with salt & pepper
Place chicken flat on work surface, sprinkle with salt & pepper
Lay a slice of ham over each breast, layer on spinach & sprinkle with cheese
Starting at tapered end, roll chicken and secure with toothpick
Heat heavy skillet with remaining olive oil on high flame
Cook chicken rolls until golden brown, approx 2 minutes per side
Add broth and lemon juice, bring to boil
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through
Remove chicken to plate
Raise heat back to high and reduce liquid to 2/3 cup
Drizzle sauce over chicken and serve

This recipe is cheaper than veal but just a flavorful and it's one of the most popular dishes at Mezzanotte's, my father's restaurant. And take it from the voice of experience- the leftovers heat up nicely the next day.

Hot & hungry... I mean Hungarian

2005-07-28T15:52:00.000-05:00

So I'm in Reno on business and I'm staying at the Hilton. Turns out the place is hosting some romance writers group. Let me tell you, those girls know how to party. Maybe I can write a book if this P.I. thing doesn't work out.

Anyway, one night I find myself in desperate need of a margarita on the rocks so I go into the Mexican place in the hotel and there he is...

Antonio.

Yes. He gets his own line of text to offset him from the rest of the paragraph.

Antonio could be a hero in one of the romance novels. Not only is he a hottie [pictures coming soon] with a sexy Spanish/ Hungarian accent and plans to be an orthodontist, but he's that rare kind of guy who genuinely likes women. [Good thing with 2000 of them running around the hotel]

Now maybe he was just flirting with that Mia Zachary author and her friends to get a bigger tip, but I think that Antonio is just a natural charmer, even to pudgy, middle aged women.

If you're ever in that Chevy's restaurant, though, watch out. Antonio mixes one hell of a strong margarita!

Grass isn't always greener

2005-07-23T19:38:00.000-05:00

The Southern Nevada Water Authority is offering a $1 per square foot rebate to homeowners who replace their grass with xeriscape. Xeriscape [which to me sounds like a cool title for a sci-fi action movie] is creative landscaping for water and energy efficiency and lower maintenance. Derived from the Greek xeros meaning "dry," the term, xeriscape means literally "dry landscape."

Xeriscape doesn't mean you can only have rocks and gravel, although since I'm lazy I'll probably go that route. Some of the plants recommended by the SNWA are 'trailing lantana' [sounds like an embarrassing condition!], 'chilean mesquite' [delicious on barbecued chicken ha ha] and 'compact Texas ranger" [can you make mine 6 foot or taller please?]

It's not that I don't take the water situation seriously. But it's still 86 degrees out so I'm gonna go and unapologetically jump into my pool. Hey, don't give me that look. The SNWA gave me a $50 coupon towards a removable cover to cut down on evaporation and therefore on usage. So I am conserving water, so there.

ICE your electronics

2005-07-21T13:44:00.000-05:00

Tempting to use real ice, as hot as it is, but ICE stands for "in case of emergency"

The idea is to add an entry to your cell phone, blackberry, palm pilot or whatever called ICE so the police, paramedics or hospital can quickly find your family and contact them in an emergency.

It only takes a few moments of your time , so go ICE your electronics.

Stay out of the airport, too

2005-07-17T12:13:00.000-05:00

It was a record-breaking 116 degrees yesterday. At McCarran International, electrical problems shut down the air conditioning in the main terminal and adjacent C and D concourses for nearly four hours. Apparently the heat outside caused an unknown number of planes to miss their scheduled departure times, too.

It seems that soaring temperatures affect the "lift" that aircraft can achieve when taking off. On very hot days, changes in air density require planes to travel farther on runways before they can leave the ground. As a result, planes must shed weight by reducing passenger counts or fuel loads.

Airport officials weren't able to say how many passengers and travelers had been affected by the heat and delays, but fortunately none of the more than 1,000 slot machines throughout the airport terminals ever lost power.

If you can't stand the heat

2005-07-14T11:44:00.000-05:00

Stay the hell out of the kitchen.

It's over 110 degrees today and the idea of even looking at the stove does not in any way appeal. Instead I'm going to grab some leftover pasta and whatever is in the fridge and make a salad. You can make this for one or for many- just depends on how much of the ingredients you put in. This recipe is for a small crowd:

PASTA TRICOLORE

1/2 lb penne or small ziti pasta

1/3 cup grated Parmasean
1 cup mushroom, diced
3-4 oz Genoa salami, cubed
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp of Italian seasoning [mixed dried herbs]

1 small bunch asparagus (tips & tops) cut 1" pieces

1/3 - 1/2 cup zesty Italian salad dressing

Toss the pasta with the salad dressing and the herbs
Add the mushrooms, salami, tomato and asparagus, mixing well
Add the cheese and remaining dressing, mix well and serve

What about me, dammit?

2005-07-12T16:21:00.000-05:00

According to the stat records page of my web host administrator, the following are the most visited pages of the www.steelemidnight.com site:

index
Sinatra
Stone
AboutMia
About Weddings

And these are the keywords that when searched result in the www.steelemidnight.com site:

Frank
Sinatra
Stone
Cameron
Weddings

Doesn't anybody want to know more about me????
Or are you using this blog for that? I never should have made that comment in my July 5th post...

Dream hangover

2005-07-10T04:33:00.000-05:00

Not a good morning.

Do you ever wake up in a fucking lousy mood, feeling groggy and disoriented, but you're not sure why? I know I was having nightmares- certain images refuse to fade- but I can't remember exactly what they were about. I recognized people, but could see their faces. I know they were talking to me but I couldn't hear the words. And I know that bad things happened and maybe I'm afraid to recall the details.

So I'm left with unresolved and seemingly groundless anger and fear, knowing that my subconscious was trying to tell me something but not remembering enough of the message to interpret it. It's like being hungover when you didn't have anything to drink.

I hate it when this happens.

London bombings

2005-07-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

This morning, in London, several exploaions occured in Underground stations and one of the famous double-decker buses had it top half blown off. As of the current time (6pm PST), there are 38 confirmed dead, and over 700 injured some of them seriously.

What gets to me is that this was no accident, no equipment malfunction. Someone or a group of someones did it on purpose, will full intent of killing strangers. This is what I honest to God don't understand. How is it possible to hate someone you've never even met so much that you want them dead?

Sorry to jump on my pseudo-feminist highhorse again, but if women ran the world we would never ever ever slaughter the innocent to make some half-assed and sociopathic political statement. Only men do that, men with a certain agenda.

This is my blog so I can say whatever I want to. Right now I'm saying there is only one God. Wehther you call upon the Creator, Yaweh, Allah, Budda, Vishu or God, it is one and the same and I don't believe She ever intended for her people- all people- to kill in her name.

14 months until Midnight

2005-07-05T16:50:00.000-05:00

It's official- the contract for ANOTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT arrived in today's mail. As soon as the lawyer looks it over, I'll return it and [woohoo] get a check!

The book won't be published until September of 2006, [though watch this space for a possible date change.] In the meantime you can

1) Keep reading this blog to learn more about Steele
2) Check this page to meet Stone
3) Follow this link to read about the concept
4) Click here to read an excerpt
5) Get to know Las Vegas
6) Find my favorite Sinatra songs
7) Plan a quick or unique wedding
8) Meet the author

Guest bloggist- Mia Zachary

Safe Sex and Rock&Roll

2005-07-01T17:00:00.000-05:00

It's the start of the Fourth of July Weekend and I have to work at the bar both Saturday and Sunday. If I stopped to think about my lack of a life, I'd get depressed. So tonight, I'm headed for the House of Blues .

The HOB in the Mandalay Bay Resort, that is. VH1 is presenting Whitesnake in concert as part of the Rock&Roll Rhythm and Blues Tour. Whitesnake was one of the best 1980's 'hair bands' and I love their rock ballads like Is This Love.

I have to go shrink-wrap some jeans on, find my old pixie boots and tease my hair with a whole tube of gel, so I'll leave you with these drinks recipes:

BLOW JOB
3/4 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream
3/4 oz. Kahlua
Whipped cream to top

In a shot glass, combine Kahlua and Bailey's
Top with a puff of whipped cream.
Drink it without using your hands!

ONE NIGHT STAND
2 oz Vodka
1 oz Watermelon Pucker
Splash of cranberry juice
Splash of Sprite

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice.
Combine the vodka and pucker and shake well.
Strain over ice into a highball glass.
Top with cranberry juice and Sprite.

Tech Retraction

2005-06-30T10:58:00.000-05:00

Okay, I got everything transfered, uploaded and fixed, so the Midnight Mysteries website is now live and in color. Woohoo (Phew)

Technical Difficulties

2005-06-29T17:20:00.000-05:00

Well, this sucks.

I've been working all week to revamp the Midnight Mysteries website

And, if I may say so myself, it looks really good. But you don't know that and you're not going to for several more days because the STUPID, STINKIN' SERVER isn't working right!

Here's the background at least.

Sink or Swim

2005-06-27T14:40:00.000-05:00

I don't have any kids of my own- not sure that I even want any, but that's a topic for another day- however that didn't stop me from pulling Mommy duty for my niece and nephew at the swimming pool today.

Both Paul and Allegra are signed up for swim lessons and, since my brother Rafe and sister-in-law Laura are away for their anniversary, Auntie Steele got to babysit for a couple of hours. Actually the kids call me 'Anti-Steele' because I'm such a push-over around them. [Don't let it get out though. It will wreck my rep].

So all of the kids line up at the water's edge because on the first day they are tested on their skills and or comfort level. My nephew Paul loves the bath tub, but can't stand the idea of going under, so he was placed in one of the beginner's classes. My girl Allegra is part fish though. She's not that great a swimmer but she's fearless and so was put into a more intermediate class.

All of this took time though. More time than it damn well should have because the spawns of one woman were screaming bloody murder and fighting the instructor. Now, a person with more than two brain cells to rub together would have taken the precious demons away and tried some other time. But no. The woman plops herself down at the edge of the pool to cuddle the little monsters, who by the way, refuse to stop screaming.

This is, of course, a huge distraction to the other little ones who now all want their mommies to sit on the side of the pool too. The instructors should have told the woman to back the fuck off and take her brats with her, but didn't. So under the guise of handing Paul his swim goggles, I accidentally knocked the woman into the water.

Yeah. She didn't believe it was an accident, either.

The naked truth

2005-06-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

I got this story form the BBC world news site:

"A pair of risque Art Deco statues at the US Justice Department have been quietly put back on show, three years after a mysterious cover-up. Majesty of Justice and Spirit of Justice depict a partially nude man and a woman with one breast fully exposed. "

Didn't the Justice Department have anything better to do than spend $8,000 on curtains to cover up the most natural thing in the world- the human body?

What is everyone so afraid of? It's like the whole breast feeding issue. What on God's earth is so offensive about a woman's breast that people freak out to see her feeding her child. Which, by the way, is what breasts are for!

Maybe the real problem isn't the breast, but the penis. Obviously men get so overly excited by the sight of a breast that they get instant hard-ons and lose their damned minds. Therefore the only solution must be to Ban the Breast (insert dramatic music here).

Is it just me, or would the entire planet be better off if the people who own the breasts were in charge?

Steele, who is off to buy some new bras

Alien-ated

2005-06-23T17:57:00.000-05:00

Let my start by saying that I don't usually do the alien thing. I love books that employ magic and time travel and I don't mind the occasional foray into Buffy territory. But for the most part, I can't get into anything that shapeshifts or comes from another planet.

I made a huge exception for AWAKEN ME DARKLY my Gena Showalter. At first, my thought was just to read a few pages since my best friend Anna had recommended it, but instead I stayed up until the wee hours to finish the whole book in one sitting. Mia Snow is a real kick-ass babe [it takes one to know one!] and Kyrin is really hot for a guy who has to take drugs to breathe in our atmosphere. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

Not sleeping well always makes me hungry. So after work I treated myself to a bottle of red wine, filets with goat cheese and pasta salad. [I'll run it off tomorrow]

1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
(5 to 6-ounce) filet mignon steaks (each about 1-inch thick)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese

Boil the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Cook the steaks to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a baking sheet. Crumble the cheese over the steaks and broil just until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with pepper.

~*~

1 pound farfalle pasta
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 cup mascarpone cheese
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender and most of the juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and saute until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the farfalle. Stir in the mascarpone and nutmeg and toss until the cheese coats the pasta, adding the reserved cooking liquid 1/4 cup at a time to moisten. Stir in 1/2 cup of walnuts. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and remaining 1/4 cup of walnuts. Serve.

I hate Mondays

2005-06-21T18:45:00.000-05:00

Yes, I do know it's Tuesday. But it might as well be Monday since I lost 24 productive hours.

What I'd planned to do yesterday:
Wake up early, run five miles, try to get photos of a guy claiming a work comp injury, serve a couple of subpoenas to witnesses in a slip&fall case, meet with a new client, issue reports to several existing clients, follow an allegedly cheating wife, have dinner and see Mr. & Mrs. Smith with my friend Nikki

What I actually did yesterday:
Woke up late with horribe cramps, suffered through a hormone induced headache, called in sick to work which meant cancelling several appointment, lost money by asking another company to handle the subpoena service, missed a chance to catch the cheating wife, watched 16 hours of the Lord of the Rings (that included all of the bonus features)

What I ended up doing today:
Not running because I needed to get an early start, took useless photos of the work comp claimant doing not a goddamned thing, met with the new client who decided not to hire me after all, got yelled at by the husband of the cheating wife because he followed her himself but didn't bring a camera- that was supposed to be my job, ate microwave chicken dinner at my desk in order to catch up on all of the paperwork, came home and poured a really big glass of vodka

Sanitas per Aqua

2005-06-18T16:30:00.000-05:00

"Another Saturday night and I ain't got nobody" as the song goes, but I don't mind. I'm too relaxed.

Mom and I spent the day at the INDULGENCES spa. It's owned by my brother's girlfriend (and I hope someday wife) Santina Otenyo. Tina has the lovely accented speech of her native Kenya and the most beautiful skin I've ever seen. She's a walking advertisement for her own services.

I don't normally admit to doing anything as girlie as lazing around in a towel while floral scented women do stuff to my body, but I really love Spa Day. Thanks to Tina's generosity, Mom and I have made it a monthly ritual.

This time I got the Dead Sea Salt Polish, the Detox Herbal Body Wrap, Reiki Massage and an Aromatherapy European Facial. The best part though was the Vichy Shower.

This thing has six rotating and pulsating showerheads that massage you with water pressure varying from mist to deluge while you lie on a perfforated table. It's suposed to alternately relax your muscles and stimulate your circulation.

It stimulated something, all right. Who the hell needs a boyfriend when you can have shower sex?

My new set of globes

2005-06-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

Get your minds out of the smut gutter. I didn't have breast enchancement surgery (Several men have told me I don't need to, so there).

I'm talking about art glass, spheres of hand-fired, mouth-blown molten sand that magically become stunning works of color and form. I collect paperweights, mostly, but also have a few vases and sculptures.

The ones I got today are from the Glass Eye Studio in Seattle. Each creation they make there contains ash from Mt. St. Helen's. I just bought two of the Thunderstones and they are gorgeous!

Here are some of my other favorite places to shop: Objects of Envy, the Light Opera Gallery, Caithness Glass, Crystal Mirage and Midnight Sun Designs (I'm partial to the name!). Just in case you want to get me something for my next birthday. Or for Christmas or Valentine's. Or for no reason at all.

Know when to hold 'em

2005-06-14T18:15:00.000-05:00

The World Series of Poker began on June 2 at the Rio. Today's event is No Limit Texas Hold 'Em. Players buy in at $5k and stay at the table until they lose it all- in tournament play, you can't cash out your winnings and buy more chips to stay in the game.

For those of you who have been living under a rock and don't obsess about the shows on The Travel Channel or ESPN, here's how the national poker craze is played: Players receive two cards face down, followed by a round of betting. After the first round of betting, three cards are "flopped" face up in the middle of the table and are used as community cards, meaning that every player can use the cards in the middle, as well as their hole cards, to make a hand.

After the second round of betting, the fourth card (called the "turn") is placed face up in the middle. After the third round of betting, the fifth card and final card (called the "river") is placed face up in the middle. Then the fourth, and final, round of betting occurs. With all the cards out, each player tries to make their best five-card poker hand using the five community cards and the two cards in their hand.

Me, I'm not good enough for this level of gambling. But I am good enough, along with my girlfriends Nikki and Anna, to handle my brother Joey and his friends at our monthly poker night. Should be a good one- I'm feeling lucky.

Buon compleanno a te

2005-06-12T22:27:00.000-05:00

Sundays mean family and food, wine and whining, love and laughter, arguments and a game of canasta. Today was a special Sunday- my father's 70th birthday.

In addition to myself and my parents Paolo and Vivian, my brother Joey and his girlfriend Santina, my brother Rafe and his wife Laura and their kids Paul and Allegra, Uncle Vinnie and his lady friend Evelyn, Uncle Tony and Aunt Gina and my cousins, a ton of Dad's friends came over, filling the house with food and noise and more food and gifts and food. We started eating anti pasti at 1:00 and Mama didn't serve the pan di Spagna and gelato until after 7. I probably gained ten pounds today.

Long ago, it was feared that evil spirits were attracted to people on their birthdays. In order to ward them off, family and friends would gather around the birthday person to protect them and bring them good thoughts and wishes. When the candles were blown out, the thought was that the smoke carried the birthday wishes to the heavens to be granted.

Happy Birthday, Dad. May all of your wishes come true.

Workin' for the weekend

2005-06-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

It's Friday which means I'll be tending bar at my dad's restaurant, Mezzanotte's. (It's on South Maryland Parkway, across from the UNLV campus if you want to stop by for a drink and a bite to eat. I recommend the crab and mushroom ravioli.) I help out on weekends since I don't have a love life to speak of, much to my mother's disappointment.

One of the most popular drinks I've been mixing lately is my own creation, a little something I call

Mesmerize
Take 2 oz of Hpnotiq (a liqueur of vodka, cognac and tropical fruit)
Add 1/2 oz white cranberry juice
Shake with crushed ice until very cold
Strain into a flute then
Add 2 oz of champagne
Stir gently and garnish with a strip of lemon peel

Mesmerizes are blue and bubbly, a bit sour, a little sweet and several of them will eventually knock you on your ass so make sure you have a designated driver. Dad hates when people sleep in the parking lot.

Pool- party of one

2005-06-08T18:45:00.000-05:00

Things have been slow at work, so I sent Jon, my part-time secretary... Excuse me. He prefers to be called 'administrative assitant'... Anyway I let him leave earlier than usual and I went home to laze in the 'backyard'.

It was only 87 degrees today and partly cloudy. That meant it was hot enough to swim without having a constant glare on the water. Swimming 50 laps on a day like today beats the hell out of running, which I had to do way too much of lately while trying to serve subpoenas .

Pork refunds

2005-06-06T10:33:00.000-05:00

In today's Journal (that's the Las Vegas Review one, not the Wall Street) three stories caught my eye.

The first being the news that I may not get my $150 check from the state after all. You see, after the Legislature approved the new budget, they discovered they had an extra $300 million. (I wish I could make that kind of discovery when balancing my checkbook.) What's cool though is that Governor Guinn wants to give that money back to the masses in the form of car registration rebates. What's not cool is party politics over the issue to pay taxes on the rebate money and the fact that not everybody who pays taxes drives.

In other news, three separate mixed-use communities have been approved by Clark County commissioners. But, ho lookey here, developers are sidestepping land restrictions that prohibit homes on former airport property. The problem? The deed restriction says you can't use airport land to promote a residential development. The loop hole? "Urban villages"- new communities that commingle condominiums, shops and office spacewhere residents can, according to the sales pitches, "live, work and play." Gee, in other parts of the country they just call them neighborhoods.

And lastly we come to this tidbit- a bill creating $2.5 million in funding to help gambling addicts has been approved by the Assembly and now goes to the Gov for signing. The idea is to take $1-2 of the current slot tax from every machine in the state and put it into a pool for grants and treatment/prevention programs. I just wonder how many gamblers have to play the slots into order to fund the program that will help them stop playing the slots?

Steele

Store traffic

2005-06-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

It's Saturday, so I went grocery shopping. I hate shopping. I just want to walk in, buy exactly what I came for and get the hell out. All I needed was fresh parsley, ripe peaches, a pound of Tilapia from the seafood counter and some arborio rice. That's it. That's all. Could it be that easy? No, of course not.

But I was trapped in store for half an hour while people crept along in front of me and plodded behind me and cut me off at every aisle intersection. They walked in the middle of the aisles, or stopped moving without warning and refused to get out of the way, totally oblivious to the fact the some of us wanted to Return to Our Lives.

If these mouth-breathing morons drive their cars the same way they operate shopping carts, I'm stunned that the highways aren't littered with more carcasses.

Steele, who is no longer in any damned mood to cook

Well... Here it is

2005-06-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

This is my first dip into the blog pool, so forgive me for not diving in and saying anything profound. I don't do profound.

I will say that a good way to get to know someone is by their likes and dislikes, so here's

WHAT I'M READING Urban Shaman by C.E. Murphy is awesome so far. Great heroine, compelling story, taut pacing. (Oops. I sound like my author)

WHAT I'M WATCHING I am so totally hooked on the tv series 24. I rented the first disc of the first season and haven't been able to stop watching yet.

WHAT I'M HEARING Can't Hold Us Down Christina Aquilera is awesome. Lousy fashion sense until recently, but the best vocals around.

WHAT I'M EATING Here's the recipe for Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce. I'm gonna have to run an extra five miles, but it's so worth it.

SOMETHING I LOVE My Harley Davidson Softail. Everything you've heard about bikers? Not true. Except some of it.

SOMETHING I HATE I have a long list. But the most recent is dressing room mirrors. What sadist goes out of their way to make people look so freakin' ugly while trying on clothes??

WHERE I WANT TO GO We took a trip to visit my father's family when I was a kid and I need to go and see Tuscany again.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME Come September 2006, I'll be between the covers. My life will be an open book, forgive the pun.