Saturday, November 29, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Author Discovery - Silapa Jarun!
SAMURAI'S FORBIDDEN LOVE: KATANA DUET by Silapa Jarun (new-to-me author):
Monday, October 27, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Authors on Goodreads
I've been busy lately and haven't been able to finish reading another Sirenbookstrand e-book to post a review. So this week I would like to introduce a wonderful website where authors and readers can interact.
Goodreads.com
Gracie C. McKeever
Bekki Lynn
Lee Silver
Jacqueline George
Phoebe Matthews
Silapa Jarun
Tara S. Nichols
Jami Davenport
Luxie Ryder
Other SirenBookstrand authors can post links to their Goodreads profile as comments!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Author Discovery: Anika Hamilton
Dessert Box is not about new found love but a ten year relationship spanning college years together, periods of experimentation and moments where they could not keep their hands off of each other even in formal settings. Anika's story is unique because it is about what happens *after* the "happily ever after".
The narrative is told from the more dominant Carmella's point of view so my only complaint to Ms. Hamilton is, "will there be a sequel where Carmella sets up a challenge for Sandra?" (^_^)
Dessert Box's elegant style is a perfect introduction to Hamilton's other work, Reclaiming Nicola, which is a short mxf romance.
Five questions to enjoy your feast;Five answers to receive your treat;
Five pieces to create one tool;
Five components to achieve one goal;
Five reasons to set me free;
Five flavors of chocolate on me.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Trip to San Francisco Chinatown
My mother and I took the Amtrak from Burbank California up north to San Jose and then to Menlo Park where we stayed for 2 days and 3 nights. During our trip we visited San Francisco's busy Chinatown. The ethnic enclave is a cross between a giant market on rolling hills and one of the best food courts in the gold rush state. Stopping on the sidewalk meant I risk getting trampled on by the mass of people rushing to have dim sum or do their Sunday morning groceries. Everywhere you turn there would be an old building, built after the 1906 earthquake, or a modern western style building with Chinese architectural accents. Only in C-town can you find a monastery built on top of a bank or a calligraphy shop across from a cell phone outlet. As I tried to stay afloat in the sea of people, I kept my cell phone on and snapped pics as I went. Please click on the video below to enjoy a selection of the photos (^_^).
If the player is not working just visit the youtube link.
While in C-town, I picked up 2 bags of dried chrysanthemum flowers at Ten Ren Tea to prepare an easy drink, sweetened preserved plums and we purchased a wok for my sister at the Wok Shop.
Before retrieving our car from the $12 parking spot we had lunch at The Stinking Rose in Little Italy.
Katana Duet: Samurai's Forbidden Love
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Handmade Soap

The holidays are around the corner so if you are looking for a cute gift for friends and co-workers then I recommend homemade melt-n-pour soap. This craft is inexpensive and you can get the kids involved.
There are many ways of making soap but the easiest is the glycerin melt-n-pour (MP) which depends entirely on the quality of the base.
You can purchase soap base by the pound online or at craft stores. To choose the best base make sure the first ingredient is glycerin, with palm oil or other all natural products such as aloe vera. Good soap base also has a sweet taste and should not contain any animal products which is perfect for people seeking cruelty free beauty products.
Once you acquire a quality base then acquire molds online. If you want to make Christmas presents for a few people at a time then get a loaf mold or invest in a flexible silicone mold and a loaf cutter knife. Silicone molds are more expensive than plastic candy molds but more convenient to use and will last much longer. Generally, silicone molds will have more intricate designs.
Melt the chunks of glycerin in a double boiler and turn off the heat before adding essential oils, dyes or cosmetic glitter. Essential oils are the most expensive ingredient in soap making so do not add too much.
Overpowering scents should be used in moderation.
Some people set the microwave on low to melt the glycerin but I think cleaning up after spilled soap would be a hassle compared to the double boiler method.
Coat the soap mold with vaseline using a clothe or papertowel and pour in the liquid soap base. It's normal for air bubbles to form. While some people spray the bubbles with a mist of alcohol you can instead wait until the soap is thoroughly solid to “rub” the bubbles out with saran wrap.
Loaf soap allows you to embed soap curls, flower petals, herbs and toys just be sure that the soap has cooled enough for you to put in the pieces.
After gently popping out the soap or cutting slices of the loaf, preserve it in saran wrap and then cover in decorative handmade paper and twine to turn it into a gift.
Ideas
The “goldfish in a bag” soap is always popular and all you need are plastic goldfish or any other critter and clear soap base. You'll need very clear soap base which may be hard to find as all-natural coconut bases are a bit cloudy. If you can only find a cloudy base then simply add blue cosmetic grade dye to make it look like the fish is in water. Fun looking soap is a good way to encourage children to wash their hands however plastic toys can also be a choking hazard.
The best videos explaining the melt and pour process can be found here:
http://youtube.com/user/GoPlanetEarth
Friday, August 29, 2008
Saturdays With Silapa Podcast
Katana Duet: Samurai’s Forbidden Love by Silapa Jarun
is now available as an ebook at Bookstrand.com
Credits
Konrad Lennartsson, Aki and Akeno Matsumoto performed by Vincent DePaul
Klara Lennartsson performed by Masae from www.samurai-on-samurai.com
Music
The Sweetest Poison and Enter the Calliope by Allison Curval The Clockwork Dolls
If the embedded podcast player above is not working or not appearing you may download the file directly here (wma) or here (mp3).
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Silapa’s Amazing Multi-Media Interview with Lee Silver!
I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical when Silapa Jarun, author of Katana Duet suggested we do a multimedia interview. Ya right. I mean, we live like a million miles apart. Well, it was just so sweet of her to offer, how could I say no?
Never underestimate the power of the internet, or for that matter, Silapa ![]()
After she gave me a quick lesson on how to use the audio recorder I didn’t have a clue was even on my computer, I sat down to answer her questions. My hubby grudgingly volunteered to do the guy parts from a scene in my new romantic suspense, The Twist with the promise of splitting all the royalties the promo would generate (wink, wink). Fingers crossed, I sent everything off to Silapa so she could work her magic.
I was absolutely amazed when Silapa sent me the final interview! It's fast-paced & fun, weaving a blend of sound tracks and sound bites that would make Barbara Walters blush. The interview was as natural as if we were chatting in the kitchen over a cup of coffee. 
Websites, blogs, trailers (yawn). They’re all so…yesterday. Turn up your headphone, ladies, Silapa just raised the bar
You can hear Silapa’s interview on my website at http://www.leesilver.org/Page0002.Html
A very sincere thank you to Silapa for doing all the heavy lifting. You can read all about Silapa and her new release, Katana Duet at:
Lee Silver
"Romance with a Twist"
THE TWIST, BookStrand #1 Bestseller
www.LeeSilve
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Author Discovery: Jacqueline George
This week's installment of Saturdays With Silapa will feature Jacqueline George's Light o'Love.
Jacqueline George's Light o'Love is simply spectacular!
Initially, I was attracted by the interesting setting of the The Jane Flockman Institute of Political Science and Ethics,and the haunts in an around Liverpool. What I found was a memorable story about the supernatural world thriving around us.
Jacqueline's elegant prose teases readers with sensual descriptions of characters who come from all over the spectrum and each and every one are part of the Institute's eclectic family. While the story focuses on the coming of age and sexual awakening of, Shirley Grainger, Light o'Love, the work features loving and amusing older characters who are the heroine's teachers and friends. It's rare to come across a work of erotic literature with mature couples but Jacqueline created such attractive and vibrant pairs I found them to be just as delightful as the young lovers!
Light begins as a pupil but she evolves into a guide for her classmates who are also studying The Craft and testing the waters of the adult world. The young women soon realize the dangers of witchcraft which come from attracting members of the Dark Light.
The heroine, with all her erotic adventures and looming perils around her and the school still has a degree of innocence derived from her altruism. Light's "voice" impressed me as being completely believable and she is such a fun character I hope a sequel is in the works. Light's very goal is to reach out to heal people around her with love and in doing so she touched me as a reader and brought a smile to my face.

Silapa Jarun Saturday, August 16, 2008
Shop Smart
Rising food prices due to energy costs has resulted in the adoption of shopping strategies by many people. Like everyone, I've had to pass up on snacks and desserts because they are simply too expensive due to the rising price of sugar and provide very few benefits for the body. So I did some snooping on the net to find the most highly recommended tips which will help you save now and guarantee a spectacular holiday season.
Don't shop on an empty stomach and plan ahead.
Everyone knows you should maintain a list of must-have items but you can also prevent yourself from getting distracted in the aisles by mapping your way through the store.
Here's how: http://www.davecheong.com/wp-content/simpletools/groceries/index.jsp
The longer you spend strolling around the more likely you'll stray from your budget and pick up junk food.
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Be a Spartan!
You may not look like an escapee from the 300 production but you can be a financial Spartan. For people who consistently go over budget because they rely on credit or the convenient debit card. Take only cash to the store until you regain full control of your spending urges.
Shop on Sundays after you gathered your coupons from the net or cut them from the paper. Sundays are usually slow days at the store which will guarantee that you won't have to deal with a long line or limited parking.
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Think outside the box and beyond the grocery store.
Dried goods like pasta, cereal, canned goods, and even cleaning supplies are actually less expensive at pharmacies and dollar stores. You can also treat your grocery store as if it were a discount outlet by looking for “must sell now” items like two day old sour dough bread which is still safe to consume.
Stockpile goods by shopping as a team. College students who live in dorms and apartments can pool their resources to take advantage of club stores. This tip also works if you are part of a church or community which is likely to have a member who has club store privileges. So coordinate your shopping and split the costs. Such wholesale places sell five pound bags of flour, syrup by the gallon, boxes of butter, dozens of rolls of toilet paper and coffee at a greatly discounted cost. Students should stock up prior to moving back to their campus quarters rather than relying on nearby convenience stores.
Make the late summer BBQ count. As we count down the days to fall, take advantage of one last cook out to prepare meats for freezing to enjoy later on. Nothing beats defrosting and microwaving a meal for those occasions you don't have time to cook from scratch.
Discover the lost art of cooking. Perhaps the only good which has emerged from the recession is people are learning that the kitchen is more than just a place to store dishes. Cooking as a family is a great activity and a way to give the television and video systems a rest. There are many articles which mention that baking breads have come back into fashion because it is not very hard and doughs can be frozen. I've never made my own bread but if I ever get the urge then these are the links to consult:

SilapaJarun.com
KATANA DUET: Samurai's Forbidden Love
Available at Bookstrand.com
http://tinyurl.com/6hqpog
FALLEN ANGEL REVIEWS ~ 5/5 Angels!
http://tinyurl.com/5dowxz
Friday, August 15, 2008
Author Discovery: Lee Silver's The Twist

Lee Silver's thrilling novel, THE TWIST, initially begins as
a rigged medical trial for a tobacco company. Zane Tollison
signs a contract which turns him into a human guinea pig
and introduces him to Kathy Davis a scientist and workaholic.
The book's blurb mentions “Zane is changing into a carbon copy
of Kathy, a pawn in a bizarre genetic metamorphosis...” but
what is left out is the story is also a very intriguing romance
based on the hero and heroine learning about one another
by getting under the other person's skin. THE TWIST
moves from being a story about a complex game of dress up
to an emotional and sensual journey which brings the two
main characters closer and closer. The villain, Jonathan Chorde
pulls all the strings in a game where the winner gets *much* more
than simply money and power.
While I enjoyed all the details of Zane Tollison's immersion into
womanhood and his relationship with Kathy who becomes his mentor and close friend, I found myself sympathizing with Elise “Leesie”, Zane's wife. Elise, to me, represents all the weaknesses of the physical realm due to her emotional background. Kathy on the other hand, personifies the intellect and skill of women. Between both these female characters, Zane becomes a hero which faces a challenge within himself due to his transformation. While we're used to hearing that “It's a man's world” poor Zane has to live the nightmare of being in a woman's world much to the reader's amusement.
The Twist is a fulfilling fast-paced work sprinkled with tastefully written naughty scenes you will enjoy from the first to last page.
SilapaJarun.com
KATANA DUET: Samurai's Forbidden Love
Available at Bookstrand.com
http://tinyurl.com/6hqpog
FALLEN ANGEL REVIEWS ~ 5/5 Angels!
http://tinyurl.com/5dowxz
Book Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/writersilapajarun
Friday, August 8, 2008
The Clockwork Dolls
I usually post blog entries on Saturday but I could not contain my excitement over this week's feature so here it is one day early!
Their origins and adventures on their airship can be read at http://www.myspace.com/theclockworkdolls. I found the Clockwork Dolls on Myspace after looking high and low for a tune which could convey the dark themes of my novella Katana Duet: Samurai's Forbidden Love in a short book trailer.
After canvassing the net for tunes, I was still empty handed, frustrated, and very concerned about how to explain my historical fiction to musicians. I had heard of the growing Steampunk culture and eventually found The Clockwork Dolls, a crew consisting of Allison Curval and Helene De Fer. The group is constantly evolving and soaring to new heights so it is certainly difficult to confine their music to merely one genre.I'd like to ask Allison Curval about how she would describe her music and where she plans on taking her crew in the future.
"The Clockwork Dolls really started as a simple idea: combine elements from traditional chamber music and merge it with modern electronic elements to create a mixture of classical tones with modern dance.
I later pitched the idea to Helene De Fer during rehearsal (both of us were in the same theater group) and we soon established a wonderful working relationship; thus The Clockwork Dolls was born.
First came the music: I wrote the Sweetest Poison not really knowing where the song was going but after one evening full of wine and dance, I wrote an intricate storyline in my mind which became a Myspace blurb. That has since exploded into a complex plot loaded with characters in their own colorful universe."
"We realized at this point that our joint efforts would lead to a multimedia extravaganza involving visual and audio elements and thus the story of the Dame De Fer was born.
So what are your future plans for The Clockwork Dolls?
"We are currently working on a short EP consisting of 8 tracks to be released later this year which will be available for download on iTunes as well as for purchase on CD Baby for a reasonable price, and a full length two-CD set to be released at a later date. Accompanying these releases will be a web-based graphic novel (currently in the works), which will be available free of charge, along with streaming audio on our website (also . . .currently in the works).
Please visit our Myspace page at
for a free demo of our music and do not hesitate to contact us should you have any feedback. We love hearing from you.""The Maiden Voyage" took me to a time where some women entered what were then considered to be masculine fields such as medicine, while many found their future in the world of education and nursing. Unfortunately, most young females became part of the machinery of the Industrial Revolution or remained confined to farms and vast fields with their children. Women today will no doubt empathize with their sisters from a bygone era during which the value of a female was based on her ability to care for a home and produce children.
Aside from my own social and historical interpretation of the song, the tune is a declaration of a woman' a s aboard.
Katana Duet: Samurai's Forbidden Love, takes place during the late 1860’s and 1870’s in feudal and modern Japan and then the small town of Madison, Wisconsin. It is a story of great racial and cultural contrasts.
The video, which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/writersilapajarun or http://www.myspace.com/khuntiffany features "The Sweetest Poison" by Allison Curval. It has two different themes and was used to show the dramatic change within the lives of the Matsumoto twins, former Samurai, who are now foreigners in a strange land. I am very fond of the title for the song because the forbidden love in the novel is also "The Sweetest Poison" which affects the four young characters.
"In Vino Veritas--Enter the Calliope", also by Ms. Curval, gave the atmosphere of secrecy within the household and ends on a more hopeful note. After all, both pairs of siblings, the American Lennartsson brother and sister and the Japanese gentlemen, are engaged in a fight not only with one another but for their very survival. The Clockwork Dolls’ music was truly the soul for my book trailer but I assure you than these tunes on their own can give any fertile imagination new stories.

Images and designs pertaining to The Clockwork Dolls are all property of the band and used for this article with their consent.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Ginger

Ginger is an important ingredient in Asian cuisine due to its distinct taste and scent. The part of the ginger plant used in cooking is actually the rhizome, or underground stem, however young ginger leaves can be used the same way as sweet or hot basil in stir fried dishes. Aside from adding flavor to food, it has numerous beneficial qualities for maintaining good health.
People who live in warm climates can easily grow their own ginger and enjoy the beautiful flowers by following the directions mentioned on this page:
http://www.gardening-guides.com/novelties/ginger.php
Purchase only firm, smooth and light colored ginger for cooking. Cut off pieces of ginger at the joints and wrap the remaining portion tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. You can also prevent oxidization by wrapping it with a dry paper towel and then placing it in a zip lock bag. If you want to store the entire unused piece, with the skin still intact, place it in a small brown paper bag and then the refrigerator.
Another clever way to store ginger is to grate the entire root into a piece of clear plastic, roll, wrap and freeze it in stick form which will allow you to break off pieces which can be melted into sauces or blend into fruit drinks. That nifty idea is from this site:
http://lunchinabox.net/2007/05/04/speed-technique-freezing-ginger/
Many Asian dishes begin with a mixture of chopped garlic and crushed ginger which are both used to flavor the hot cooking oil. I recommend first placing the garlic into the oil, adding meat, soy or fish sauce, vegetables and then grating the ginger over the cooking ingredients, turn off the heat, stir and serve. By grating the ginger into the dish near the end of the cooking process you are preserving the scent and taste of the plant rather than allow it to all evaporate due to excessive exposure to heat.
In closing I'd like to include a couple simple ways to incorporate ginger into your everyday cooking.
Chili Ginger Oil
This oil can be used in stir fried seafood dishes, poured over steamed vegetables, dumplings, pasta salads or even steaks and grilled chicken.
You'll need chopped garlic, ginger, whole dried chili, vegetable oil, sesame oil, sea salt thick or plain soy sauce.
Turn on the vent over your stove and open the windows. Warm the dried chili in a pan, then add vegetable oil. Once the oil is warm (not smoking) quickly add the garlic, sea salt and grated ginger. Turn off the heat before the garlic burns and stir in the sesame oil. Lastly you can add in soy sauce or thick soy sauce which will cause the mixture to sizzle.
Gari
Gari is thinly sliced preserved ginger which is usually eaten with sushi. You can pull out some gari and blend with olive oil, toasted sesame seeds or a small amount of peanut butter and soy sauce to create an exotic salad dressing.
As in all recipes for pickling you follow the two-two-three rule. Use two cups of salt to coat thinly sliced ginger for one hour or longer. You can either wipe off or shake off the salt with the aid of a strainer and place it into a clean glass jar. Melt two cups of sugar in three cups of rice vinegar in a pot and then pour the mixture on top of the ginger. You can cool the ginger quickly by placing the glass jar in a bowl of cool water, before placing it into a refrigerator. There is no need to add any red or pink food coloring as the ginger should turn pink naturally. Old ginger will not change its color however it does not seem to affect the taste of the gari at all.
Chrysanthemum and Ginger Iced Drink
Ginger is a "hot" ingredient however you can use it to cool off this summer I recommend combining ginger with dried chrysanthemum flowers which can be purchased at any Asian grocery store. Simply grate fresh ginger into boiling water (please use bottled water). You can add either plain sugar or brown sugar or even honey. Then turn off the heat and place the flowers into the liquid. Allow it to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours. You may leave a few flowers in the drink if you are serving it in a clear glass pitcher.
Grated ginger can also add a bit of zing to iced-teas.
~Tiffany ~ Silapa Jarun
SilapaJarun.com
KATANA DUET: Samurai's Forbidden Love
Available at Bookstrand.com
http://tinyurl.com/6hqpog
FALLEN ANGEL REVIEWS ~ 5/5 Angels!
http://tinyurl.com/5dowxz
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Young Coconut

Since ancient times, entire cultures have thrived on the entire coconut tree for medicine, cooking, cosmetics and even housing. Nearly every part of the plant can be used for survival. Modern science will continue to pursue the value of coconuts but time has already proved that human ingenuity when applied to the entire plant reveals that it can help us sustain a more environmentally friendly way of life as well.
This article will explore how easy it is to open a young coconut to enjoy it as a healthy and exotic treat.
Some interesting facts about coconuts:
Due to it's same “electrolytic balance as human blood,” it was used as an IV drip during WWII when solutions were scarce.
The clear water found in young coconut is rich in minerals such as potassium and manganese.
The fats in coconut oil are similar to those found in mother's milk and according to Jon J. Kabara, Ph.D, Professor Emeritus from Michigan State University, have “similar nutriceutical effects.”
During my many trips to Thailand I always watched with both fascination and anxiety as the light green outer husk of coconut is peeled off to reveal the stringy white fibrous layer. After removing the fibers, the top of the nut was removed with a large knife which would be brought down on the “skull” of the nut expertly and accurately while it was still being held. If you ever become an expert at the more traditional method then I'm sure you can thrill your guests at a tropical theme party.
If you aren't a thrill seeker then you may prefer a more safe way of opening a coconut.
Asian and Latino/Hispanic markets usually carry nuts which are only covered with the white husk and usually plastic wrapped. Pick clean undamaged husks. Do not worry about the cleanliness of the sweet water inside the nut because the layers of outer skin provide a natural and safe barrier. In fact during times of flooding, storms, famine or war these nuts saved people's lives because they were the only source of clean water.

Remove the plastic wrap and set the nut on its side on a layer of newspapers or a cutting board and use a sharp cleaver to carefully remove the husk at the top. Remove enough of the husk to see the entire top of the brown skull. Then bring down the corner of the knife along half the perimeter of the top. Do not raise the knife very high or use too much force as it is both dangerous and unnecessary. The brown layer encasing the water and flesh is actually very thin and sometimes tapping it with the corner of the knife is adequate. Use your fingers to pry open the top of the nut carefully and you are done!
This video also explains the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPvhxeg_PUA
Sources used for this article:
http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch58.html
http://www.coconutwaterdiet.com/coconut-water-facts.html
~Tiffany ~ Silapa Jarun
SilapaJarun.com
KATANA DUET: Samurai's Forbidden Love
Available at Bookstrand.com
http://tinyurl.com/6hqpog
FALLEN ANGEL REVIEWS ~ 5/5 Angels!
http://tinyurl.com/5dowxz
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Fun Intro to the website and new titles
This post is a spin-off of what Lee Silver, author of THE TWIST had started here.
I want to let all your readers in on a DELICIOUS SECRET, but TARBABY,I don't want to start BURNING any BRIDGES or cause any TROUBLE.
All right, I won't hold you HOSTAGE anymore.
Siren-Bookstrand has the best reads on the web but you can only buy the
titles once you've come out of the ROUGH and are READY for more fun,LOVE, LUST and SCANDAL than you can pay for in SIN CITY, LAS VEGAS.
Come out of the internet MIST and stop by the site as soon as possible
and AT ANY COST. It is a great DESTINATION to read free excerpts, book reviews and VENTURE forth into FORBIDDEN LOVE.
THE METHOD for success used by this publisher is to simply find the best stories and make them accessible to you.
Here is the TWIST, not all of the titles are available for purchase yet.
So please BEAR with us as more sexy titles are uploaded.
We promise the experience will be the high-LIGHT O' your day!
If you want more INTIMATE CONTACT then sign up at our mailing list
where we'll be waiting to WELCOME you day or NIGHT.
~Tiffany ~ Silapa Jarun
SilapaJarun.com
KATANA DUET: Samurai's Forbidden Love
Available at Bookstrand.com July 16th
FALLEN ANGEL REVIEWS ~ 5/5 Angels!http://tinyurl.com/5dowxz


































