Dissolve the sugar in the water, bring to a boil in a sauce pan, then reduce to a simmer. Add the cinnamon stick. Cut the orange in half, squeeze the juice from both halves into the mixture. Push cloves into the orange halves (all over, about 1/2” apart) and put them in the mixture. Simmer 30 minutes.

Heat the wine in another (larger) sauce pan, to near boiling. Remove from heat.  Throw out the orange halves, move the cinnamon stick to the wine sauce pan, and strain the mixture into the wine through a fine wire mesh.
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Add 1 oz brandy to 8 oz mulled wine in an earthenware (or Irish coffee) mug.
Happiest of holidays to you all!

A special hello to all!

Where do goblins come from? Why do they only turn up in the Old Country, and why do they like swearing so much?

In the second installment of Sam Hooker’s Terribly Serious Darkness series, Soul Remains [Black Spot Books, April 23, 2019] sees Sloot Peril—a “hero” who’s staunchly averse to heroics—go searching for answers. Much to his chagrin, he finds them.

Everything changed after the Fall of Salzstadt, but try telling that to the people of the city, whose capacity for denial is unmatched. They have yet to acknowledge that Vlad the Invader cut a bloody swath through their city, that the dead are walking the streets, or that the Domnitor—long may he reign—has fled to wherever despots go on very long vacations while goblin infestations take care of themselves.

The worst of villains holds all of the power, unspeakable dark forces are on the rise, and everyone wants to kidnap the Domnitor—long may he reign—for their own nefarious ends. If all of that weren’t bad enough, Sloot’s got the fate of his own soul to worry about.          

Can Sloot’s girlfriend help him save the Old Country from annihilation? Is Myrtle really even his girlfriend? If all goes well for Sloot—which it never does—he might just sort it all out before the Dark swallows them all up.    
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With the same absurdist humor that drew readers to Peril in the Old Country, Soul Remains is a farcical tale of dystopian fantasy, told as only Sam Hooker can tell it—and with a hero as unlikely and endearing as Sloot Peril.  

PRAISE FOR SAM HOOKER

"Hooker demonstrates a delightfully firm grasp on absurdist fantasy...a gleeful caper rife with literary influences." - Publishers Weekly
 
"Five stars.... the best kind of bad fun." - Foreword Reviews
 
"A kaleidoscope of absurdist humor, stunning imagery, and a fantastical plot. Hooker is an expert when it comes to dark humor, and it clearly shows." - Booktrib
 
"Darker than the Douglas Adams universe, but lighter than Game Of Thrones, Peril In The Old Country hooks you in with its intriguing world-building, compelling characters, fantastical elements, interesting twists on the supernatural, and perfectly absurd dark humor." - Geeks of Doom

Soul Remains will be available in paperback and e-book formats through all major distributors on April 23, 2019.
 
ISBN (print): 978-1-7329357-2-3
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-7329357-3-0

Pre-order it today from Black Spot Books.
 
ADVANCE REVIEW COPIES OF SOUL REMAINS AVAILABLE ON NETGALLEY
 
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NEW JERSEY (NOVEMBER 12, 2018) – Black Spot Books, an independent press specializing in speculative fiction, celebrates its first anniversary this month, along with a new distribution partnership and a 2019 catalog of upcoming titles from award-winning authors, new voices, and sequels to several of the house’s first year best sellers.

Since launching in November 2017, Black Spot Books opened its doors in January 2018 with a frontlist of engaging novels from fresh American voices, many by debut authors. With a growing catalog of titles that span from urban fantasy, to dystopian futures, historical fiction, and psychological thrillers, Black Spot Books has thrived by carving a niche in the market and building partnerships, including its relationship with literary publicity group Smith Publicity, and its new exclusive distribution partnership with Small Press United and the Independent Publishers Group.
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The most rewarding aspect of the past year, says Black Spot Books Owner and Publisher Lindy Ryan, has been in doing exactly what she set out to do: operate under the guiding principles of passion, creativity, and investment in the long-term success of books and their authors. “We wanted to forge a new publishing company that focused on bringing great new books to market from authors who may not have found a home with the large publishing houses” says Ryan.
 
“Our culture as a publisher is based on collaboration, both internally with our authors and team members, and with the industry at large. As we’ve solidified our place in the publishing community, our efforts have been guided by our passions as book lovers first and producers second. We’ve brought fresh new voices to market, published boundary-challenging fiction from new and emerging writers who have stories we believe in—and that’s exactly what we will continue to do.”
 
Keeping sights set on long-term success, Black Spot Books has entered an exclusive distribution partnership with Small Press United, a division of the Independent Publishers Group, the distributor renowned for bringing titles to an industry-wide level through the widest variety of sales channels. Global distribution will continue through Ingram, with the same high level of quality and service that buyers have come to expect from Black Spot Books in its first year. For publisher brand and title-specific marketing, Black Spot Books also plans to maintain and expand its ongoing relationship with Smith Publicity.
 
Ending the year with the highly-anticipated political dystopian title The Absolved (Dec 2018) from Matthew Binder, Black Spot Books’ 2019 catalog will feature new titles from award-winning and debut authors, including the houses’ first young adult science-fiction title, Apocalypse Five (Feb 2019) by USA Today best-selling author Stacey Rourke and The Hungry Ghost (June 2019) a magical realism thriller from debut author Dalena Storm. Sequels, too, are coming in 2019 from Black Spot Books. Fans of Sam Hooker’s Terribly Serious Darkness series (Peril in the Old Country) can look forward to Soul Remains in April, as well as And Then There Were Dragons, the second installment in Alcy Leyva’s Shades of Hell Series (And Then There Were Crows), planned for July.
 
“I am grateful for the support and community we’ve built in our first year at Black Spot Books,” says Ryan. “Building a new small press from scratch is a labor of love, and it truly takes a team of dedicated, creative, and passionate people. I couldn’t be happier with where we’ve ended our first year as the new kid on the block, and I am looking forward to continuing to be part of this industry for many years to come.”
 
ABOUT BLACK SPOT BOOKS:
Black Spot Books is a traditional small-press publisher specializing in speculative fiction, including titles in dark humor, fantasy, paranormal and horror. Learn more about Black Spot Books at http://www.blackspotbooks.com. 
 
ABOUT SMALL PRESS UNITED:
Small Press United (SPU) is a major distribution option, for new and small publishers, from IPG, the independent press distributor renowned for bringing titles to an industry-wide level through the widest variety of sales channels. SPU shares IPG’s sales force throughout the U.S. and Canada
to reach thousands of accounts, including chain and independent bookstores, online retailers, national wholesalers, library and specialty wholesalers, gift and specialty retail, museums, and more.
 
Learn more about Black Spot Books at www.blackspotbooks.com and connect on Twitter @BlackSpotBooks, Instagram @BlackSpotBooks), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/BlackSpotBooks/).
 
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Fill tumbler with ice. Measure bourbon and creme de cacao into glass, then top up with cherry soda. Add maraschino cherry as garnish.
Ramen noodle pop stir-stick optional.