The Thinking Woman's Vampire Series: Elizabeth Hunter New Elemental World Cover Reveal

Too many writers are trying to write with too shallow an education. Whether they go to college or not is immaterial…a good writer needs a sense of the history of literature to be successful as a writer.
~ James Kisner

V

ampires who quote Plato and Dante? A paranormal plot based on the very real Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, the infamous Girolamo Savonarola (the bonfire of the vanities) and the Medici family of Florence?

More please!

More than any other paranormal author I’ve read, the above quote fits Elizabeth Hunter like the proverbial glove.  From the opening chapter in A Hidden Fire, the first book in the Elemental Mysteries series, I was captured by Hunter’s extensive knowledge of Medieval and Renaissance literature, letters, and famous people of the time period she was re-creating.  My liberal arts educated little heart went pitter pat when I read Latin phrases and saw the infamous Medici court through the eyes of a vampire “born” in the 1400s.

Who else knows about such historical figures such as Dante and Beatrice and Plato and Kato and Jābir ibn Hayyān (or Geber as he was known in Europe) and can weave a believable, action-packed mystery, served with a side of toe-curling romance?  The ability to create a paranormal world that the reader can actually believe in is rare.  But Ms. Hunter got that gift in spades.

And now she’s done it again.

The second book in the Elemental World series, Blood and Sand is Baojia’s story.  Baojia was a secondary, but still important, figure in Elemental Mysteries.  Now we get to learn a little bit more about him.  Learn more at Ms. Hunter’s website.

Ms. Hunter is hopeful for a May/early June release date;  I’m rooting for May!

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

Lecture Series Announced: Art in the Life of Faith

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. 

~ Henry Ward Beecher

 

T

he cobwebs in here are ginormous!  Goals, goals, goals.  Looks like they still ended up on the cutting room floor despite my best intentions.  The road to the hot place and all that, what?

But that does not mean I have been eating bon bons and watching the idiot box.  Oh no, my friends!  La Belle has been making truffles while the chocolate is hot.  So to speak.  Had a brilliant idea back in January, let it ferment for about a month and a half.  And then popped the cork on a new bottle of artful awesomeness at the end of March.  Behold!



Miranda, Sir Frank Dicksee

Painting a Path to Heaven: Art in the Life of Faith – a monthly series of lectures designed to explore how we are lifted up by art and beauty, how imagination allows us to perceive it, the vital effect that art and culture have upon our emotional, spiritual, and psychological life and what it means to live a life full of creativity and faith.   

The first lecture is on the healing power of art and it will be held on Saturday, April 14 at 7:30pm in Alexandria, Virginia.  You can find out more here.

If you are in the area, we would love to have you!  If you do attend, come and find me and introduce yourself.  Then you can tell me whether I look like I write.  Ha!

Oremus pro invicem,

~ Mikaela

The Seventh Annual St. Cecilia Arts Festival: The Party's Over





St. Cecilia, Matthew Alderman



For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

~ Romans 7:15
St. Paul was a smart cookie. The evil I did this morning that I did not want to do was wake up at 7am ~ after going to bed at 2:30am. How my exhausted body managed this feat, I have no earthly notion. Yet here I sit, a mug of spiced herbal tea in my hand, watching the sun pour his honeyed essence through the windows.

Last night was a great success. Over one hundred forty guests attended the Seventh Annual St. Cecilia Arts Festival in Old Towne Alexandria and we put on quite a show for them. Faure, Bach, Broadway show tunes, poetry readings, comedic monologues, Monty Python, even a couple of Polish nightclub art songs.

The highlight was our Featured Artist: Michelle Jacobeen. Not only does Michelle have an incredible voice -- strong, passionate, and lyrical -- but she has a wonderful stage presence and an engaging personality that reached out to the audience and won them over. My favorite was Taylor, The Latte Boy. While not a Broadway tune per se, it reminded me of Adelaide’s Lament from Guys and Dolls. "Bring me java, bring me joy!" Ah yes, young love. What a hoot!

Now, I see you tapping your foot and asking “That’s all very nice, Mikaela, but what food did you serve!?” Fair enough. Some of the recipes you are already familiar with: Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Rum, Whisky and Baileys Chocolate Truffles. They have become standards and I cannot escape from having to make them. I tried, but one of my volunteers refused to help out until I promised they would be attendance!

This year, we added chicken skewers. Every other event where I have had them the chicken was dry and almost always served with peanut sauce. Zzzzzzz. Oh, I am sorry ~ where was I? Oh yes, boring chicken. Well, this year I decided to make up my own recipe. I wanted to do a Southern Fried Chicken Skewers [with fried okra in between ~ mmmm!] but my Assistant Caterer laughed at me. Sigh ~ yankees will never understand the sweet siren call of okra!

Instead, I opted to cut up the chicken into bite-size chunks and marinate them in basil, tarragon and wine. In between I placed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Heaven on a bamboo stick!

This year, we served our now traditional Cranberry Punch, along with Warm Spiced Cider. A new addition were four wines from Loudon Valley Vineyards. A few close friends and I had made a day trip out to Virginia Horse and Wine Country. One of the wineries we stopped by was Loudon Valley. The 2009 Route 9 Red was fabulous, as were the 2008 Classic White and the 2008 Viognier. And the 2005 Legacy after dinner wine is a luxurious mix of musty oak and dark cherries.

For dessert, in addition to the tipsy truffles and miniature pumpkin pies, my friend Leslie, who is an incredible baker, brought three delectable type of cupcakes: Lavender Lemon Vanilla Crème, S’Mores and Salted Chocolate Caramel. And no, she doesn’t bake for a living, so your only hope is to either be her good friend or attend next year’s Arts Festival. Mark your calendars now for 19 November 2011!

Oremus pro invicem,
~ Mikaela

P.S. Seriously, I am going to make the Southern version just for myself this weekend! What do you suggest with the okra - hush puppies? Corn fritters? The possibilities are endless! Cheers!

The Seventh Annual St. Cecilia Arts Festival: Get Your Tickets Now!

Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.
~ Stella Adler

Only 24 days until the Seventh Annual St. Cecilia’s Arts Festival!! Broadway show tunes, classical harp, opera, original music, poetry, and of course, everyone’s favorite – Monty Python skits!

Joining us this year as our Featured Artist is Michelle Jacobeen. Michelle performed the much acclaimed Girl in 14G at the St. Cecilia Arts Festival in 2009 and is a gifted and versatile mezzo-soprano. She received a Bachelor's in Music from The Catholic University of America and has also attended the London Dramatic Academy. She has performed in many musicals, operas, choirs, jazz bands, a cappella groups, weddings and as a featured soloist at the Kennedy Center.

Thanks to Father Klienmann and Marianne Skees of the Saint Mary’s Young Adults for allowing us to partner with them again so we can bring this popular cultural event back to the St. Mary’s Lyceum, 313 Duke Street in Alexandria, Virginia.

Tickets are on sale now through November 12 at The Saint Cecilia Group.

Please note: Doors open at 7:15pm and the show begins at 7:30pm. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis; no seating before 7:15pm.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Artistic Director of The Saint Cecilia Group at Director (at) saintceciliagroup (dot) org.

Thank you so much for supporting local and regional talent! Your truly will be performing with a couple of English blockes and a dead parrot.

Looking forward to seeing y’all on the 20th!

Oremus pro invicem,
~ Mikaela

Auditions Announced: St.Cecilia's Arts Festival

"Piano Jazz" by Brent Heighton
The St. Cecilia Group announces auditions for

The Sixth Annual St. Cecilia’s Arts Festival

Saturday, October 3rd from 10am - 1pm

and

Wednesday, October 7th from 7pm to 9pm

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Show will perform Saturday, 21 November 2009 at the Lyceum at St. Mary’s in Old Towne Alexandria. Musicians and Singers: Please prepare 32 bars of the piece you will be performing and bring accompaniment on CD if needed. Actors and Poets: Please prepare 16 lines from poem or monologue you intend to perform.

To schedule an audition, please contact Mikaela D’Eigh, Artistic Director at mdeigh (at) gmail (dot) com.

The Fifth Annual St. Cecilia's Arts Festival

Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future.
~ Albert Camus

As some of my readers may know, I host a little soiree in honor of St. Cecilia every November on the Saturday closest to her feast day. This year, the little soiree grew to 144 registered guests and I partnered with Miss Erin Mac to bring it to St. Mary’s Lyceum in Old Towne Alexandria. The evening went beautifully with only a few slight hitches and I think that the audience enjoyed themselves immensely.

The program was diverse and entertaining: Sullivan and Sarah DeCorla-Souza read their original works and Lauren Proshek read a poem by John Donne and another by Tolkien. Two skits were performed: The Hollowmen’s Train Noir skit (performed by Sullivan and J. DeLo) and Monty Python’s The Argument Clinic (the latter performed by Sullivan and yours truly). All these were interspersed by some incredible musical talent, including a piano solo by up and coming Mexican pianist Sergio Neverez, a folk-rock guitar solo by local artist Acoustic Stew, soothing Gregorian chant by J. Kascir and Anthony Smitha, a rollicking improvisational piece by the Very Slightly Off quartet, and a couple of solos by yours truly.

The highlight of the evening was a performance by the Off the String cello quartet who played everything from Brahms to Metallica and Apocalyptica. They also played a piece called Revival which was composed by a member of the group, Mr. Loren Westbrook-Fritts. More than one guest commented on their performance and we are looking forward to their debut album. More to come on that!

All of this was emceed with great wit by Christendom’s own Dr. William H. Marshner, to whom I am also indebted.

And the food? Well, my dears, you know I cannot write about an event I host without mentioning the edibles! ;-) I confess I went slightly off the deep end this year and lost a bit of what little sanity I have in the process. Ten, yes, ten different hors d'oeuvres were served, at about 140 pieces each ~ give or take. Stuffed Mushrooms, Sausage Bites, Cheese Rounds, Pecan-Rosemary Shortbread, Raspberry-White Chocolate Trifle, Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie & Chocolate Turtle Cake (courtesy Mrs. Leslie K.), Curried Chicken in Won Ton Wrappers, Rum Chocolate Truffles, Grand Marnier White Chocolate Truffles, Red Pepper Roll Ups, Pecan and Ham Tea Sandwiches, Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates, Miniature Pumpkin Pies (courtesy Sullivan), Miniature Quiches, Hummus and Homemade Pita Triangles, Artichoke-Parmesan Crostini, and gallons of Cranberry Punch, Hot Mead Toddy and wine. Most of these recipes can be found on either Epicurious or MyRecipes.

Now you can see why I am still recovering on Monday! Of course, I would be lying if I wiped my brow and moaned about how difficult it all was. In truth, it was hard work. But I had a group of friends who willingly and lovingly jumped in and saved me on the battlefield of the kitchen. And what a troupe they were! I am in the process of thanking each one of the individually. I owe them so much ~ this event would not have gone so smoothly if not for them.

Be sure to mark 21 November 2009 for The Sixth Annual St. Cecilia’s Arts Festival! Seats are already being reserved!

Oremus pro invicem,
~ Mikaela

Auditions Announced

The St. Cecilia Group announces auditions for

The Fifth Annual St. Cecilia’s Arts Festival

Sunday, October 5th from 5pm- 7pm

and

Sunday, October 12 from 4pm to 6pm

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Show will perform Saturday, 22 November 2008 at the Lyceum at St. Mary’s in Old Towne Alexandria. Musicians and Singers: Please prepare 32 bars of the piece you will be performing and bring accompaniment on CD if needed. Actors and Poets: Please prepare 16 lines from poem or monologue you intend to perform.

To schedule an audition, please contact Mikaela D’Eigh, Artistic Director at mdeigh (at) gmail (dot) com.

This event is geared towards adults, young and young at heart.