Tour: Bloodstone by Nancy Holzner (Guest Post & Giveaway)

Happy Friday-Ever folks! This fabulous day we have author Nancy Holzner of Bloodstone joining us on her tour with a super fun post and a tour giveaway at the end. Enjoy!

Zombie Party!

People who belong to a book club called Reading Between the Wines obviously know how to have a good time. Now that it's October, what could be better than a zombie party?

My Deadtown urban fantasy series is set in Boston, centered in the paranormal district called Deadtown. Three years ago, a mysterious plague tore through central Boston, turning two thousand Bostonians into zombies, then mutated into something no more dangerous than the flu. The city's quarantine zone became Deadtown, where all Boston's paranormal citizens are now required by law to live. Deadtown is home to vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, and other creatures of the night. But it's the zombies who give Deadtown its ambiance.

Deadtown's zombies aren't like the kind you find in horror movies. Sure, they were dead for three days, and that leaves them with stiff limbs, grayish-green skin, and blood-red eyes. They're also super-strong and constantly hungry (although they prefer junk food to brains). But these zombies retain their minds and personalities from before they were reanimated. They talk, laugh, argue, and watch TV. They're like your friends and neighbors, only grosser.

Zombies can be lots of fun at parties. Even if you don't live in Deadtown, you can have your own zombie party. As the nights get longer and the trees shed their leaves, a zombie party is a great way to celebrate the spooky season.

Invite your guests to come dressed as zombies. This video tutorial shows how easy it is to apply zombie makeup. (For that Deadtown look, combine green and gray makeup for the base.) Costumes could be anything. For example, Tina, the teenage zombie apprentice of my series' protagonist, demon slayer Vicky Vaughn, takes a Barbie-esque approach to fashion—if it's pink and has sparkles, she wears it. Other zombies, such as Vicky's prim-and-proper doorman, Clyde, go for a more distinguished look. In Deadtown, zombies are people too, with as much variety as you'd see on any city street.

Deadtown's zombies aren't affected by alcohol, but at your party you'll probably want to have drinks available. Wine lovers can check out the wines from Vampire Vineyards. Okay, they're not zombies, but they're still undead. And where else can you get Dracula Syrah, Vampire White Zinfandel, and Trueblood Pinot Noir?

Any zombie party must serve zombie cocktails. This classic concoction, made of fruit juices, liqueurs, and three kinds of rum, was first served in the 1930s at a Hollywood tiki restaurant called Don the Beachcomber. The drink was called a “zombie” because the sweetness of the fruit juice concealed the kick of the alcohol—drinking these could turn you into a zombie before you what hit you. Kind of like Deadtown's plague.

The original zombie recipe was a closely guarded secret. Even Don the Beachcomber's bartenders didn't know exactly what was in it, thanks to a “mix” supplied by the owner. Today, if you order a zombie, the drink you receive will probably be made along the following lines. (This recipe is adapted from The Bartender's Bible.)

Classic Zombie recipe

Ingredients:

ñ 1 oz light rum

ñ 1 oz gold or anejo rum

ñ 1 oz dark rum

ñ 1/2 oz apricot brandy

ñ 2 oz orange juice

ñ 1 oz pineapple juice

ñ 1 oz lime juice

ñ 1 tsp superfine sugar

ñ 2 tsp 151 proof rum

ñ 1 orange slice

ñ 1 maraschino cherry

ñ 1 mint spring

Preparation:

1.    Fill a highball glass with crushed ice.

2.    Pour the first three rums, brandy, fruit juices, and sugar into a cocktail shaker with ice.

3.    Shake well.

4.    Strain into the highball glass.

5.    Float the 151 proof rum on top.

6.    Garnish wish orange, cherry, and mint spring. (Mini umbrella optional.)

To celebrate the release of Bloodstone, I've created a new version of the zombie—the Deadtown Zombie. Since my series is set in Boston, I wanted to add a little Massachusetts flavor. To do that, I thought of Cape Cod, known for its cranberry bogs. After much experimentation, I came up with this version of a zombie, which has a nice, tart cranberry zing.

Deadtown Zombie recipe

Ingredients:

ñ 1/2 oz light rum

ñ 1/2 oz gold rum

ñ 1 oz dark rum

ñ 1/2 oz cranberry liqueur

ñ 2 oz orange juice

ñ 1 oz cranberry juice

ñ 1 oz lime juice

ñ 1 tsp simple syrup

ñ 2 dashes grenadine

ñ Lime wedge

Preparation:

1.    Fill a highball glass with crushed ice.

2.    Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.

3.    Shake well.

4.    Strain into the highball glass.

5.    Garnish with a wedge of lime.

The zombie cocktail has always been defined by rum. Lots of rum. But for guests who don't drink, you can serve this Zombie Virgin punch.

Zombie Virgin

Ingredients:

ñ 1 12-oz can frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed)

ñ 2 cups cranberry juice

ñ 1/2 cup superfine sugar

ñ 1 liter club soda

Preparation:

Combine thawed orange juice concentrate, cranberry juice, and sugar. Mix well and chill. Pour chilled ingredients into punch bowl; add club soda. Makes 8 servings.

Remember, Deadtown's zombies love junk food. So make sure you have lots of snacks on hand. Of course, drink responsibly. And enjoy!

Bloodstone, the third novel in Nancy Holzner's Deadtown series, is now available. For information on Nancy and her books, visit her website. You can also find Nancy on Facebook and Twitter, and blogging with other fantasy authors at Dark Central Station.

~*GIVEAWAY*~

Nancy is offering a tour-wide giveaway and readers can enter at each stop!

Winner's will get a signed copy of wither Deadtown, Hellforged or Bloodstone - reader's choice. 

Open to US residents, to enter just fill out the form found *HERE*