Oh, the Humanity.

So Twinings changed their formula for their Earl Grey Tea.

Apparently, it now tastes (and smells) like dishwater.

I'd like to have a test of my own, with an old bag of the original blend and a new bag with the "evolved" more lemony taste Twinings says they changed it to. Just to see, you know, just to be fair.

But I'm so sure it's dishwater... because it's bergamot we're talking about here, people.

The perfume industry has been suffering from this for a long time now, thanks to IFRA's mandates.

I'd not be against some of it if it was for the preservation of our natural resources, or some truly altruistic objective they had, for changing and forbidding the use of certain natural oils and such in various industries, but let's be real here, when it comes to industries... it's all about money, money deals, politics and all and all MONEY.

Now Twinings Earl Grey fans has suffered, the company has changed a formula that they had kept true (or I think they did until now, I mean who knows the secret inner workings of food companies anyway) in an attempt to "revitalize" it (i.e. MONEY, we want mo'money).

You would think, when it comes to companies like Twinings, that make such a big deal out of keeping the history of it intact, proud, the good old english, royal seal and all, that they would continue to do so, but nope.

Oh, The Humanity.

So, what's next? will fake artificial flavours continue to invade everything? I'm thinking yes.  Hellz, we have fake food everywhere, I mean, it's impossible to evade transgenic products, if they come out of the field already changed, what's stopping them from being used in processed food? Parts of the world have so much food they waste it while others continue to die without it, but that's another topic altogether, I digress...

As a costumer, I have had my fair share of disappointments with favorite processed food products. They get changed and it's not the same. The old flavours get lost in our collective memories never to see the light again. Kids have the advantages of not having lived long enough to long for their own favorites continuing to taste the same, but just you wait! Because as time passes, so will the world change, and with it everything you love.

I'm feeling pessimistic now. So what. 

Inspiration images.

While writing Sunset Coven, this images gave me some ideas... Like putting the greek gods into it, and one of the dodekathlon tasks. And Jime's ultimate wishes...

The Troll Hunter! I liked that movie. It was cool, this was how the blair witch project should have been like.

Kylie Minogue's tour Les Folies, it was good (I wish I had seen it in real life).

A video Jime has favorited on youtube that she secretly watches on her iPhone.

Oh, and some vampire comedy (from the movie "Suck").

LOL.

Kiss of Snow

So I finished reading Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh and Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa.

First, a few words for the Iron Fey: loved Puck, as I knew I would, but really... I'm kinda getting tired of the love triangle, I hope it won't continue on "The Iron Knight". Other than that the novella was sweet. And I always forget to mention Leananshide, she's all kinds of awesome darlings! Even if she treats us humans like crap, but hey, she wouldn't be Fey otherwise.

Now for Kiss of Snow:
Right-o! Sienna and Hawke got their HEA. The surprise for me came with Walker and Lara though, get got 2 wolves popping psy cherries instead of one! LOL. I loved their story.
Meanwhile, as I kept reading, when Judd was telling Hawke of some of the torture Ming put nine-year-old Sienna through... I know it was wrong of me, but I laughed when he said:
"What better way to teach a child control than to put her in a room designed to blow up with her inside if she got something wrong."
LOL.
Speaking of Judd, so he knew who the Ghost is, told Hawke, and even the Ghost himself knows Judd knows... who the heck is he??!!?! I still think it's Kaleb, since he wants control of everything, and the Ghost seems to want that too, but there's no confirmation, argh!!
Anyway, dear niece suri, you were right, Judd kicked ass! when the Rats where commenting the battle, and what Judd was doing, damn! He's awesome ♥♥♥

But there's so many questions still in the air with the whole story, the future, it's frustrating!
And so we learn at the end that Hawke's last name is Snow, cute. I see what you did there, Ms. Singh. LOL.

Awake by Wendy Raven McNair.

Ok, so last night I finished reading the second instalment of Wendy Raven McNair's Asleep trilogy, "Awake".

It is SO GOOD. I love Adisa, she shines in a sea filled with selfish stupid YA heroines as a beacon of all that is good, and she's NOT a mary sue. A feat only a few writers can pull off.

I like that even when she's overwhelmed with adversity, overcome in one of her "rages", with everyone around her man-handling her, or keeping her in the dark, or basically using her for their own purposes, she still manages to think, to keep her priorities straight, to never lose sight of what she wants.
And when she makes mistakes she realizes them and she does her best to make it better, to apologize, to learn from the experience.
She doesn't lie to herself, even when she compartmentalizes, like Pearl.

Speaking of Pearl. OMG. I kind of figured Adisa would have to go to extremes to get out of Kubanza, but gosh, when the moment came... it had me in tears!
Also, I'm having a hard time making the Sps as the bad guys, as Adisa seemed determined to do in the beginning. It's not just "cultural differences" that separates earthbounds from them. It's so much more. It's gonna be pretty interesting reading how Adisa will make sense of both her heritages merged in herself, which is what I think will have to come next (after she saves Micah, of course, LOL).

And Micah *melts* that boy- sorry, that man... how dreamy can he be? even with the Sp. creepiness- sorry, cultural differences... LOL. I was starting to mourn when he became Guardian and the whole permanent shield, and then he goes and kisses Adisa like he used to... AWWWW!!!
Ok, that felt a bit like forced HEA, but the kids deserve it, dammit!
I mean, The Authorities making an exception just for him? it sounds too good to be true if you ask me, suspicious.

Anyway. This series rocks. That's the bottom line. Thank you dear niece for sharing it with me *hugs* ♥♥♥

P.D.: LOL, I'm ashamed to say... that I'm gonna have to google King Musa, just like Adisa. Oh, and the "cinnamon balls" joke, still cracks me up like a juvenile.

Finally!

It arrived yesterday dear niece! Thank you! (but... really? children? LOL)

Sunset coven news!

Sunset Coven will continue being posted here!:

http://sunsetcoven.blogspot.com/

If anyone out there happens to be reading the nonesense Suri and I write, hehehehehe.

Sunset Coven 4

Suri: what happened with the italics at Wattpad? I'm really attached to my italics, hehehehe, anyway, here's chapter 4, sorry it took so long.
_______________________________________________

4

“Such language coming out of such a tasty sexy mouth, it makes mine drool.” Toren leered.

“Tell the truth, you actually wrote that Nastiest Pick Up Lines From All Times book, didn’t you? What the hell, man? Are you following us?” Suri reacted as she always seemed to do when standing a hair breath of distance from Toren, with latent hostility to cover up her insane attraction to him (it was madness!). She squeezed around him while he chuckled on her way to get a table inside, feeling him right at her heels when she sat down, he sat down in front of her leaning over to stare unashamedly, Toren’s position gave Suri a clear-as-water view of his sensual neck, which stretched in front of her in all its manly glory, making her swallow hard.

“As a matter of fact, I am following you, I just could not stay away from your lovely self ever since we met at Jack’s Club.”

Suri rolled her eyes “Tell that to your grandma, maybe she’ll believe it.”

“What’s so unbelievable about it? You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever met…” Toren scorched Suri with his heated look, he slowly checked her entire body while licking his delicious full lips. Suri just glared at him and tapped her fingers on the table. “All right, all right, I might have inadvertently heard a tiny little bit of your conversation with Jime-vamp, without meaning to of course, and decided to selflessly offer my humble help.”

“Meaning…”

“I have some information that could help you girls.”

“In exchange for-”

 At that moment Jime came out of the restroom, her hair back to black and wet, as well as various parts of her clothes, looking totally refreshed. She sat next to Suri and raised her eyebrows at the 6 foot tall hunky piece of asian tanned man eye-candy that was Toren.

“Somehow I’m not surprised to see you again so soon, baby dragon.”

Toren gave his best hurt look “I am 527 years old.” He clutched his heart.

“Barely out of the egg in my book” Jime laughed.

“What’s with the wet-n’-wild look? And what happened with your hair?” Suri asked Jime.

“I washed my hair, darling, that’s all, making it red every night is too much work, so I decided to rock the natural look, as for my current wetness… I had to wash certain stains that appeared while I ate…” she wagged her eyebrows “If you know what I mean, and I know you don’t want to hear the details, just know that the world should thank me for ridding it of two very disgusting rapist thugs.”

Suri got very uncomfortable then, she was repelled by Jime’s vampire nature, what with all that killing and blood, but she was somehow grateful that Jime always chose very bad people to munch over; she knew that even though what Jime did sounded fairly close to social cleansing, and that was wrong on many aspect, she was glad Jime wasn’t one of those vamps that killed whoever they wanted, be it man, woman, or child, without mercy and way too much violence. Jime whistled at the waitress and happily continued talking.

“Order whatever you want sobrina, I’m paying! Oh, and here’s something to buy yourself a new Ipod.” She handed Suri 300 dollars. “My meal was loaded with money, isn’t that a nice surprise?” she clapped and made a yay sound. “So, Toren, to what do we owe this not-so-sudden visit?”

“As I was saying to loveliness personified here, I have some information you girls could use on your quest.”

“And I was asking in exchange for what?” said Suri as she told the waitress what she wanted. Jime only asked for hot coffee, and Toren demanded almost the entire menu.

“Dragons are pigs” Suri looked at Toren with disbelieving eyes.

“Dragons are hoarders” Jime told Suri while raising an eyebrow at Toren. “Don’t expect me to pay, lizard, I know you got your own mountains of money.”

“I would never expect a lady to pay for me, I am a gentleman, you leech. As for the info… when I give it to you, consider it as me paying you for that favour you did me that one time over at that place?”

Jime looked at him for a moment, searching the vaults of her memory, it took her a while but she found it, widening her eyes as she said “Oh! Yeah! Man, I’d forgotten about that.”

Toren bristled annoyed while a little bit of smoke came out of his nostrils “You forgot? Something as important as-”

She cut him off “Yes, Vamps and Dragons have different priorities, don’t you know? So, Yes.We’ll be even, now spill.”

The food came at that moment, the waitress having had to arrange for two of her co-workers to help her carry it all. Toren dived in while Suri and Jime watched him amazed as they consumed their orders slowly. Suri looked around the diner and offered a shaky smile and a half shrug to the people that had frozen watching Toren be a Dragon pig. Since he was too focused eating his food and didn’t respond, Suri chit-chatted with Jime.

“Dragons are hoarders, it makes perfect sense, do they hoard everything they come across?”

Jime answered “Treasure mostly, power, information, food…” she sipped her coffee a little and put it away “and virgins.”

“What!?”

“You didn’t know about that? It’s kinda funny if you think about it. Dragons get the ultimate high when they de-flower a virgin, I hear it’s like touching heaven, they get addicted to it, but of course, getting a virgin is a tricky thing, they’re not pedos, and women’s liberation nowadays has put a damp on the whole remaining-a-virgin thing, plus add the fact that they don’t have any special way to seduce and read minds like we vampires have, they have to go at it the good old-fashioned human way… tricky tricky thing.” Jime chuckled.

Toren finished his food at record speed and finally noticed the girls watching him. “What? I need sustenance to function you know, I’m a big strong Dragon with many needs and wars to win and enemies to fight.” Jime and Suri murmured a sarcastic drone of right-of-course, whatever-you-say. Toren glared at them blushing a little but continued “Leech, you might be interested to know that while reading one of our ancient Dragon Codes at school I came across a bit of information that happen to make reference to what you’re looking for.”

Jime glanced at him with interest “And what would that be exactly?”

“You said you were looking for Him, right? That you wanted something from him? In my experience, there’s only one reason why you would do that… and I’ll say two things about it:

One. He’s in possession of a list of ingredients to make a certain something that allows a creature of Lore to overcome their limitations. Needless to say, he won’t hand it over just like that, even if you manage to find him.

And Two. You know He’s not really a were-wolf, don’t you?” Toren smiled an incredibly handsome satisfied smug smile.

“Well!” Jime burst with excitement.

“He’s not really a were-wolf? Does that mean we didn’t have to go messing with them after all? We did that for nothing?” Suri got worked up with each second she thought this news over. “Tia! Did you know? Tell me you didn’t know, tell me we haven’t become wolf prey just for giggles, you wouldn’t… would you!?”

“Of course not! Who do you think I am?” Jime put up her hands to protect herself against Suri “I’ll come clean, I’ll come clean! My plan was to stir a bit of trouble while getting the word around, I hoped someone would have some information they would share, and as it turns out, it happened just like that!” She smiled and gestured sweetly at Toren.

“Oh. My. God.!”

“Come on sobrina, you need to face your fears too you know, you’re not that scared of the wolves as you were before, and it’s all thanks to me, that’s right, I’m waiting for your thanks.”

“Hold your breath while you wait! ‘cause it’s gonna be a zillion years before that happens!”

“You girls are funny” Toren said while being entertained with the show. Suri shot him a look that shut him up on the spot.

“I can’t even… ugh.” Suri sat down again and crossed her arms, not knowing what emotion to give precedence, her annoyance or her amusement. Nope, annoyance it is. With a capital A.

“You wouldn’t happen to know where we could find Him…” Jime whispered to Toren hoping to not ruffle Suri’s feathers any more.

“Not a clue, sorry. But Jack might, rumours say he met with the man a few months ago.” Toren whispered back.

“Jack? Jack Jammer-of-the-Sinn-Jammers Jack?”

“Yes”

“The same Jack who has blacklisted us?”

“The same, why did that happen, by the way?”

“We kinda took something from him…” Jime grimaced.

“Treasure?” Toren asked with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“His car, it has sentimental value.”

“Oh.” Toren deflated.

“So… I guess this means…” Jime sneaked a careful side glance at Suri. “We’re going back to ransom Jack to Jack’s owner for info.”

Suri’s ugh was so potent she flopped on the table rather hard. Toren reached for her head and lifted her a little with care.

“Did you hurt yourself?” he asked her, with worry in his beautiful clear eyes.

“Just my spirit.” She answered suddenly aware of him again. A moment of heated tension passed between them but was quickly gone when they both realized it and looked away embarrassed. Jime was watching them and thought it was extremely interesting…

*******

“Are you gonna come with us” Jime asked Toren while they all walked to the car in the parking lot.

“Well, I’m having my own quest at the moment.” He answered never taking his eyes off Suri.

“Looking for virgins?” she asked in jest.

Suri quickly turned around to look at Toren “Virgins? Are you one of those disgusting V-addicts?”

“Eh- No! I’m not!” He squinted his eyes to regard Suri with interest. “Jime-vamp was clearly joking, why did you ask so seriously?”

“I- I just think it’s disgusting, you Dragons lusting after virgins like that.” Suri intensely blushed.

“Well, that’s neither here nor there, since you’re not a virgin.” Jime waved Suri’s answer while opening Jack’s front door. Suri gifted her with her patented Death Glare once again. She threw a significant glance at Jime that left her with a quizzical look. There was some sort of unspoken message here that was not being delivered between them. Toren looked back and forth at the girls and was starting to make his own conclusions.The silence stretched while they all looked at each other. Toren’s eyes suddenly illuminated them with that intense orange-yellow light that comes out of a Dragon’s when they’re overtly excited.

The girls answered at the same time.

“She’s not a virgin!” Jime pointed at Toren with all the menace she could muster. Anyone but a Dragon warlord would have backed down in fear.

“I’m not a virgin!” Suri screamed, red as a tomato.

“I’m coming with you.” was all Toren said as he got in the back seat.