Gabriella Hewitt is the pen name of creative writing talents Sasha Tomaszycki and Patrizia M.J. Hayashi. Together they weave tales of romantic suspense and dangerously sensual paranormals. Check out the website www.GabriellaHewitt.com to find out about upcoming releases and events on her blog.
Places to find Gabriella:
Everyone loves corn!
No one loved it better than the Aztecs.
Agriculture was a part of the Aztec culture. Farming and finding ways to produce the best crops were essential to maintain the people’s livelihood. Corn (maize) was a staple in the Aztec culture.
Five cobs were a symbol for the highly worshipped goddess known as Lady Chicomecoatl (Seven Serpents.) She was the earth spirit and the lady of fertility and life, seen as a kind of mother figure in the Aztec world and was the partner of Centeotl (male deity of corn).
The Aztecs took corn to a whole new level.
Usually at least five newly ripened maize cobs were picked by the older Aztec women. These were then carried on the female’s backs after being carefully wrapped up, somewhat like a mother would wrap up a newborn child. The corn was placed in a special corn basket and would stay there until the following year. (Early invention of popcorn???)
But what is popcorn without a little butter…how about popcorn with blood?
Corn was also cultivated by the Aztecs to be used in sacrifices to the gods. Every September a young girl representing Chicomecoatl was sacrificed. The priests decapitated the girl, collected her blood and poured it over a figurine of the goddess. The corpse was then flayed and the skin was worn by a priest.*
Sounds yummy, doesn’t it? (Not really)
Well, although that makes a great recipe for a horror story, I have another recipe that is way more appetizing and easier to do.
AZTEC CORN SALAD from HappyHerbivore.com Ingredients:
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup Quinoa, cooked
3 tsp lime juice
Combine all ingredients except lime juice and chill. Add lime juice before serving.
If you’d like to see it done watch me do it in this YouTube video here.
Want more recipes? Download a free recipe book featuring other Aztec recipes today!
http://www.gabriellahewitt.com/free-reads/
A shadow warrior on a mission, Manuel must track down a demon who is sacrificing women marked with hummingbird tattoos. He is in danger of losing his humanity to his eagle spirit until he comes across Ixa Reyes, a beautiful San Diego detective working on the same case, who also bears the mark of the Aztec sun god. She is his salvation and redemption from a past filled with failure. Only she wants nothing to do with him or her heritage.
When a demon kidnaps her grandfather, the wind god, they must work together to save him and all mankind. Manuel has twenty-four hours to help Ixa control her elemental power over wind—that is if he can control his own desires to claim her body and soul. Because if he should fail this time, the god of war will usher in a new era filled with blood and destruction such as the world has never known.
Product Warnings: This story contains an ancient Aztec warrior struggling to control the beast within, a heroine more than able to match his strength, demons out for their very souls, and a battle that may very well determine the fate of all humanity.
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“Not another step,” she ordered, but he continued to stalk towards her.
She held her stance. Her finger trembled on the trigger.
He reached her. His chest pressed to the muzzle. He easily towered over her. She stared up into his golden eyes. No fear. Instead, she read another emotion in his eyes.
Desire.
She should have felt threatened, and she did, but not because she believed he meant to hurt her—it was much more fundamental than that. Her whole body seemed to come alive in his presence. Her breath shortened and she felt a flush stealing up underneath her tanned cheeks. She lowered her gaze and let her weapon fall to her side. Keeping her fingers tightly wrapped around the grip reminded her to remain grounded. Her reaction to him was so totally unlike her.
Up close, she found herself staring at a broad chest covered with a mantle of feathers. The man was made of solid muscle. Without volition, her gaze traveled upward, noting the powerful shoulders, the hard jaw, the firm lips and the stern expression he wore.
“You’re very brave, but your gun won’t help you against the tzitzimime.”
Ixa swallowed, searching for her voice. “Who are you? What are you?”
His hand came up. Gently, he traced the image of the hummingbird tattooed on her right bicep. Her muscle quivered under his touch. “Just as I thought. You bear the mark,” he murmured.
In the distance she heard the confused shouts of her fellow officers. “They’ll be here soon.” They would have heard the shots. They’d be searching for her.
“I distorted the sound so they check in a different area. They will not be upon us yet.”
“You can do that?” It didn’t seem possible, except she didn’t have an explanation for anything that had happened. Her brain seemed to be functioning in first gear, unable to catch up to anything that required substantial thought.
“I can do many things, you will find.”
He cupped her chin and tilted her head. His golden eyes came closer until his head blotted out the sky and everything around her. Helpless, she waited for his lips to touch hers.
His lips brushed hers, once, twice. She let out a sigh. He pressed down a third time and she leaned into him, but before she could deepen the kiss, he released her and stepped back.
Her entire body zinged with energy. She stared up at him, bemused.
He chuckled, which snapped her out of her daze. Had she lost her mind?
“Don’t ever do that again.”
He smiled, an incredibly sexy smile that made her nerve endings sing with need. Before she could lash out at him again, he raised his arms up. A breeze passed around them, ruffling the feathers adorning his chest. His image wavered and bent. She heard bones cracking, reshaping. Wave after wave of feathers burst forth in a soft, rippled covering. Where a warrior once stood, now a large eagle spread its wings and gave a loud cry. The eagle flapped its wings and took to the skies.
Ixa gasped. The gods will find a way to convince you. Her abuelo’s words echoed in her mind.
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The corn salad looks yummy
ReplyDeleteIt's delicious. Great for picnics or potlucks if you have something going on the 4th. ( :
Deletei want to win this books because i never read romance with aztec background before...sounds interesting :)
ReplyDeletethx u so much...
We had a lot of fun researching the Aztec mythology, and the feedback from readers has been terrific. I hope you'll give Shadow Visions a read. Good luck on the contest!
DeleteThanks for a great post and giveaway! I've read such awesome reviews for Cynthia's books, I know I'm so far behind for not starting :)
ReplyDeleteShadow Warriiors has been an exciting series to write. It's got sexy heroes, strong women and a dose of paranormal suspense to keep you entertained! (;
DeleteI want to read this book because it sounds really good! Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteSo far people who have read Shadow Visions have really enjoyed it, particularly the mythology.,if you get a chance to read it, I hope you'll let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by to comment and good luck with the contest!
DeleteI'd like to read the book because I enjoyed the excerpt and like the mythology aspect.
ReplyDelete