A companion show to The Vampire Lestat has just been announced.
The Vampire Lestat: After Dark is an add-on show which will feature teasers, previews, and discussion about each episode, starting on May 31st on AMC (although earlier if you already have AMC+), with the second episode on June 7th on AMC, and the final episode on July 19th on AMC. All other episodes of The Vampire Lestat: After Dark will be shown on AMC+ following each The Vampire Lestat episode.

Butterscotch Bitch, a new (original) song by (presumably) Daniel Hart dropped on The Vampire Lestat's Spotify profile yesterday. I found out by accident when I was playing the three songs I already new about on my Spotify on the Roku, and when Dancing with Myself (a total banger) finished, it went to the new song.
I was like, wait, is this real? As soon as Sam Reid starting singing, I knew it was. 
It is a great song, very Lestat coded with lots of references to pertinent themes of love, betrayal, the supernatural (witches) etc. It's my favourite of Daniel Hart's compositions (and Sam's deliveries) so far, except for the cover of Dancing with Myself which is sooo good (and I say that as a former 80's teenager and Billy Idol fan). Like, Billy Idol, move the fuck over, because Lestat's in town.
Whoop! This season is going to be amazing.

Had a lovely Mother's Day yesterday. Now that the kids are adults, the gifts are better, lol! 
Pretty cushion is from 21, book is from 19, and chocolates are from my husband.

Honestly did not expect anything from my husband but he remembered my favourite chocolates! I also received a beautiful bouquet from 21's girlfriend on Friday, as well as some cookies & cream drops from 21 as a prelude to her Sunday gift.
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I feel very, very, lucky to have the family that I do, and I am so proud to be a mother to these two wonderful young people who amaze me every day.

I had to give up coffee.
I know, I know, it was such a huge part of my brand! I used to put 'coffee addict' in my social media profile descriptions. And I LOVED it so much.
But I thought I had asthma because I started experiencing shortness of breath and was prescribed an emergency puffer. Then I noticed it was generally after I drank a caffeinated beverage. I was drinking very strong black coffee - two large mugs full every day - plus tea in the afternoon.
I stopped drinking coffee first and noticed a HUGE improvement. Then I noticed the same thing but not so severe after drinking tea. So I cut out all caffeinated beverages and I haven't needed to use my puffer since.
Whether it was anxiety increased by the caffeine, or another kind of caffeine sensitivity, I had to cut out coffee and caffeinated tea which was a really hard thing to do. But when it's breathing vs a great drink, well you decide you can do without the drink. 
I'm not a fan of decaffeinated products because of the methods they use to take the caffeine out, so now I drink chamomile tea in the morning and a really yummy coffee substitute made from barley and chicoree in the middle of the morning. It's called Uncoffee and it's really good.
I definitely feel a drop in my 'cool' factor, as drinking strong black coffee made me feel ruthless and capable for some reason, lol. But I have to say the gentle soothing taste of chamomile tea has grown on me and I do quite like it.
I may try drinking caffeinated coffee and/or tea at some point in the future, but for now I'm happy with my coffee substitute and herbal tea. The funny thing is that I still make strong coffee for everyone else in my household every morning, because it's become a habit and I love them and I like to do it.
Still trying to find out what has been causing coughing and lung irritation since the end of November, but so far we have determined that I don't have asthma or a lung infection. My doctor has put in a requisition for allergy testing, but my husband also stopped using some new laundry rinse he had started just before I developed these issues, so I'm hoping that's it (yes, he does the laundry). I really, really hope that was the issue because I'm worried I've developed an allergy to our dog and my doctor seems to think that's quite possible, if not even likely. And I don't know what I'm going to do in that situation.

...is the title (for now) of a free reader magnet I’m working on in The Arrow and The Flame universe. It’s delightful to be back with Captain Dinesh Martin and Simon White, Squid, Domingo, and the rest of the crew. I realized that I haven’t composed a free story for readers and potential readers in a while, and that introducing folks to the Arrow and her crew might be a good idea to increase sales of the books in my pirate series. 

This story will primarily feature Simon, Squid, and Domingo on an excursion to the markets of Port Royal while Captain Martin supervises repairs of his ship. Domingo is hopeful of finding clothing more suitable to his gender bending sense of fashion, and he has the idea to convince Simon that Dinesh might enjoy some scanty garments in the bedroom if Simon were to purchase and wear them for him. This takes some persuasion but ultimately results in Simon giving it a try and dressing like an 18th century working girl to seduce his beloved captain.

I just watched this on Prime. It was such a sweet movie, once I got past seeing Renée as Bridget Jones in early 20th century clothing. The nostalgia for all the Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny books and characters was excellently portrayed, and the story itself was heartfelt and tragic, then ultimately, ended on a wonderfully happy note.

Worth the watch if you’ve got 90 minutes and read Beatrix Potter books as a child. But, then again, who didn’t?

Having a low key Sunday here today. The weather is nice although a bit chilly still.

We went to visit my dad at his retirement home and he was in a really good mood and quite talkative. He has stage 2 dementia so his memory is pretty bad, but he was glad to hear that 19 has finished their first year at university and 21 is mostly living with her girlfriend in a small town an hour east of here. 

When we left, my husband, who is not big on going out for breakfast/lunch suggested we go to Gabriel’s and see if we could get a table. I quickly agreed. Their breakfasts are amazing.

Now back home and will spend the rest of the day reading. I’m almost finished a reread of the first book in the Gormenghast trilogy (Titus Groan, by Mervyn Peake) and in the middle of I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy. Husband is making a Thai curry for supper.

19 starts their summer job tomorrow and 21 is going into week three of hers, so I will have the house to myself for the next four months - woohoo! As an introvert I am very excited about this. I also will have Friday evening to myself this week as husband and 19 are going to the Ottawa Charge playoff game.

Should be a good week!

My 19 year-old and I went to see this last night, and it was outstanding. 

The fashion, the acting, the writing, the fast comedic pacing, the music, the heartwarming moments. It was everything I could have wanted in a sequel to the original. Honestly, how can you go wrong with Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and even Lady Gaga?

If you want a fun, lively, hilarious, and touching movie night, go see this! But first watch the original and wonder how they could ever match it.

Yes, you read that correctly. Sam Reid as The Vampire Lestat will perform at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on June 2nd. A screening of the premiere episode of AMC’s new season of Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat will screen first. Tickets will be available to fans at no cost but will sell out fast, I’m sure.