Fuck Cancer. The Faceless God ebook is Still Being Published on 8/27/2022
Welcome to the first post of 2022! I hope the New Year has been kind and that everyone is staying safe. So, I'm just going to jump straight into what's been going on with me as it's directly affecting my career.
Note: The information in this post was originally published in my Newsletter of the Cursed on 3/31/2022. It’s been edited and revised for this blog.
Welcome to the first post of 2022! I hope the New Year has been kind and that everyone is staying safe. So, I'm just going to jump straight into what's been going on with me as it's directly affecting my career. I found a lump on my breast the same evening I got back from Rose City Comic Con in early September of last year. I was not seen by a doctor until November, but eventually my biopsy came back positive for breast cancer, more tests ensued, and on January 19 I had a lumpectomy. On the positive side, the tumor was small and hadn't spread beyond my breast. But on the negative side, the pathology report and genomic testing showed the cancer was fairly aggressive. To make sure it's gone for good and doesn't come back, I started chemotherapy in March and will be continuing treatment until May, and then undergoing radiation.
Needless to say, this all sucks, but I'm not going to let cancer fuck with the world of the Ellderet. More than anything, I want to put The Faceless God in your hands, my dear readers. The Faceless God ebook is still on schedule to be published on 8/27/2022 through Amazon. The paperback will follow shortly after, as it takes a bit more work for me to assemble (formatting, interior artwork, new chapter headers, etc). In the meantime, you can download a sneak peek over on BookFunnel, including the prologue and the first two chapters. Please note the artwork on the sneak peek cover is not the final cover art for TFG.
The next couple of months are going to be intense, but to quote a lyric from one of my favorite songs by Nine Inch Nails, "nothing can stop me now." You can now pre-order The Faceless God ebook on Amazon, and know that your pre-order helps put my stories in front of other readers.
Thank you for coming along with me on this crazy ride that is a writer’s life!!
Teipanoc (laters),
EMM
Cinnamon Tea Recipe (Té de Canela): A Mexican Beverage in the Forthcoming Novel 'The Faceless God'
I’m very grateful to be able to work from home and have been keeping busy with working on the sequel to The Deadbringer. One of the chapters I was recently working on had a placeholder for a drink of some sort, and by placeholder I mean typing out the letters “XXX” or “YYY” …
One of the chapters I was recently working on had a placeholder for a drink of some sort, and by placeholder I mean typing out the letters “XXX” or “YYY” into the sentence until I figure out what to add in. Like my sweet corn beverage recipe from To Nurture & Kill, right off the bat I knew I wanted it to be a drink that is common in Mexican culture. After thinking out a few logistics, I decided to go with cinnamon tea or té de canela. Despite cinnamon not being native to Mexico, Ceylon Cinnamon or “True Cinnamon” is so often used in Mexican dishes and drinks that it’s referred to as Mexican Cinnamon.
Photo Credit: https://depositphotos.com/ | (Cinnamomum cassia) Chinese Cinnamon
(Cinnamomum verum) Ceylon Cinnamon or “True Cinnamon” aka Mexican Cinnamon
I don’t remember when I first had it, but I must have been very young — cinnamon tea or té de canela has always been in my life. It was such a common drink growing up that I did not think twice about it or consider it a “Mexican drink.” Not until I was in college and tried my first cinnamon tea bag for conveniences’s sake did I realize that not all cinnamon tea was brewed the same. After a few more similar experiences with equally bland results, I began to realize why the cinnamon tea I grew up with was considered a Mexican drink. So today, I am going to show you how to make cinnamon tea exactly the way my mom taught me :)
One last note before I go into the recipe: All forms of cinnamon contain a chemical compound known as coumarin which is toxic to humans. While C. cassia has high levels of coumarin, Ceylon or Mexican Cinnamon (C. verum) “contains all of the health-promoting properties of cinnamon with none of the toxic properties.” Here is a great post breaking down the toxicity of the different types of cinnamon and which variety is the healthiest. The main way you can tell the difference between the two cinnamon types is by appearance (see above picture). In addition, Mexican cinnamon has a natural earthy sweetness that does not require sugar. I highly recommend you try it at least once without any sort of sweetener.
Onward to the recipe!
Ingredients:
Yields about 1.5 cups
1 Mexican Cinnamon stick
2 cups water
*Sugar or honey to taste
*Note: No sweetener of any type was used in this recipe
To a small pot, add the water + cinnamon stick. Close lid. On medium-low heat, slowly bring to a soft boil so the cinnamon stick can brew properly. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
If using sugar, now is the time to add it.
After simmering, remove pot from heat. At this point, the water will take on an amber tint, but the tea is still not ready!
Let the water + cinnamon stick steep with the lid on for another 15-20 minutes. As the water cools, the cinnamon will begin to release its full flavor and the color will change from amber to golden red.
Note the color difference in the below pictures (left picture is before steeping, right picture is after steeping).
Finally, strain the tea and reserve the cinnamon stick. For hot cinnamon tea, simply reheat in the same pan or pour yourself a cup and reheat it in the microwave. For cold cinnamon tea, add ice to a tall glass or chill in fridge.
Sweeten if desired and enjoy!
Note: If the end result is too strong, add water to dilute the flavor.
Té de canela can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days, ready for you to enjoy cold or reheated, or add some to your cup of coffee, tea, or cocktail for a lovely warm kick.
Tag me on Instagram @tomesandcoffee if you make this drink or the sweet corn atole from To Nurture & Kill :) I know this version of cinnamon tea is a bit more time consuming, but as the smell, taste, and color great your senses, you begin to realize why it’s worth the effort.
I’m looking forward to sharing this drink with my readers in the forthcoming The Faceless God <3
Until next we meet,
EMM
