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romantic suspense

Book trailer debut – Dark Energy comes alive

March 5, 2021 by addisonbrae

Nothing brings a book to life better than a movie. In 81 seconds, this Dark Energy: Return to Becker Circle trailer paints a realistic picture of trust and deception that none of us ever wants to experience.

The trailer drops viewers into Gillian’s do-over with a new boyfriend and career managing Pinkie’s second bar fresh from escaping a vicious murder investigation. You’ll be with Gillian when a cryptojacking scheme lands her boss in jail leaving her to run both bars. Gillian will pull you along with her while she’s forced to trust known criminals. Also as she struggles with a broken heart as she puts her life in danger to find the real criminals and free Pinkie.

The book tells the rest of the story.

This book trailer is full of talent. Dustin Grant, Pink Mouse Blue Mouse Productions, produced, directed and edited the video. John Harrell of Harrell Creative art directed it and designed the album art. Katlyn Steele plays Gillian and Rafeal Villagas plays Jon. I’m grateful they reprise their roles from the Becker circle trailer. This is Vermaine Howard’s successful acting debut as Pinkie. Numerous amazing friends supported the trailer as crew and extras that make the neighborhood truly come alive. Shooting in a bar and recording music is a challenge during a pandemic. Sincere thanks to each person who helped make this real.

Listen toward the end of the trailer for the new song, Dark Energy. Look for Dark Energy by Brian Miller (Amazon, Spotify, Pandora) and Dark Energy .germans mix by Brian Miller and Bobby Hoke (Amazon, Spotify, Pandora) on your favorite music retail and streaming sites.

Let the video and songs spark your imagination before you read!

Filed Under: Blogs Tagged With: bar, bartender, becker circle, bitcoin, book trailer, cajun, crime, cryptocurrency, cryptojacking, cybercrime, dark energy, encrypt, encryption, novel, pizza, restaurant, romantic suspense, song, songwriter, trailer

Cryptojacking in a bar scene romantic suspense?

March 2, 2021 by addisonbrae

“Cybercrime creeps in right under my nose when a cryptojacking scheme lands my boss, Pinkie, in jail.”
Gillian, Dark Energy heroine.

Cryptocurrency is one of the hottest investments. It’s digital money people use to buy goods and services. Bitcoin, Facebook’s Diem (originally Libra), and as many as 5,000 others are cryptocurrency varieties. People invest in cryptocurrencies like stocks or commodities. They also steal it. Cryptojacking is what I call digital pickpocketing.

Like anything related to money, cryptocurrencies attract criminals, especially when values shoot up (like they did recently) and tank (like they did about a year ago). Traders move it through exchanges where transactions untraceable. Cryptocurrency can be routed through these exchanges or other online wallets to launder millions of dollars. This virtual world is where dark energy creeps in; the dark side where cryptocurrency fits into Dark Energy: Return to Becker Circle.

In Dark Energy, Pinkie owns two bars typically packed with people likely to have cryptocurrency. Knowing this, vicious criminals pull Pinkie and other honest business owners into their cryptojacking scheme to cover their digital trail. But these criminals don’t know they’ll have to answer to Gillian. The FBI arrests Pinkie leaving Gillian to run the bars and prove her boss had nothing to do with the scam. She and Jon, the most talented musician on the bar’s stage and the perfect boyfriend, will not let her mentor and friend go down for something he didn’t do.

Read a short excerpt from Dark Energy to learn about cryptojacking during this telephone conversation between Gillian and her favorite Harvard accounting professor. Watch the trailer and find the songs Dark Energy by Brian Miller and Dark Energy .germans mix by Brian Miller and Bobby Hoke (lyrics for both by Addison Brae) on your favorite music retailer or streaming sites.

Practice safe cryptocurrency spending. Double encrypt.

Chapter 16 excerpt
Paper rustles during a longer than normal pause. I also remember Dr. Daran being my only professor who still carried paper around. Everyone else kept lecture notes on a tablet, but not him.

“Dammit, if I could only break the habit of printing important things thinking they’ll be easier to find in this paper mound on my desk.” More papers crinkle. “Found it. A CIA buddy forwarded a cybercrime alert a few weeks ago. It’s making me think. This reeks of theft. What’s the most common theft in bars?”

“I don’t know—food, bartenders over pouring drinks, servers scamming tips, customers walking tabs? I get it. Pinkie doesn’t put up with crap from anyone. If we do, employees are fired—or customers are banned.”

“Good, Gillian. Think bigger. Not the random employee or customer wanting to get ahead. Think about real criminals who steal for a living.”

I pause and stare at the concrete wall in front of me while I think. “Occasionally, people have had their wallets or purses stolen, especially when we’re packed during live music weekends.”

“Bingo. Pickpockets. Are these bars located in the suburbs or in the heart of Dallas?”

“Definitely in the middle of everything. Both bars are surrounded by high-rises—office buildings, apartments, condos. The new location I manage has tech startups and banks in office towers above and all around us. Could those servers have been stealing information?”

“You did listen in my classes. There are lots of ways to commit theft using computers. I’d put my bet on cryptojacking.”

“You taught us all about digital money—cryptocurrency and bitcoin—but cryptojacking?”

“It’s like digital pickpocketing on a much larger scale.”

Filed Under: Blogs Tagged With: accountant, bartender, becker circle, bitcoin, CPA, cryptocurrency, cryptojacking, cybercrime, dark energy, Diem, encrypt, encryption, FBI, Libra, money laundering, novel, romantic suspense, songwriter

Snow? Make snow ice cream.

February 13, 2021 by addisonbrae

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Temperatures are freezing almost everywhere with winter storms Shirley, Tabitha, and now Uri. If you have fresh snow, make ice cream! I learned a couple of years ago when I asked friends who live or grew up in the Midwest if they made snow ice cream when they were kids. Their response? “What’s snow ice cream?”

Snow ice cream is too amazing for anyone to miss out on, so here is my super simple recipe. There are fancier recipes on the web, but I suggest keeping it easy so you have time to bundle up and play in the snow. Then come in and enjoy a bowl of snow ice cream and a juicy novel in front of the fireplace.

Snow Ice Cream
1 cup milk
½ cup sugar
½ to 1 teaspoon vanilla
For chocolate ice cream add about ¼ cup chocolate syrup
About 8 cups fresh, clean snow
Mix all ingredients except for snow. Pour mixture over snow and stir gently until blended. Serve and enjoy.

In east Texas where I grew up, we got one or two inches of snow once or twice each winter, if we were lucky. When it snowed, schools were almost always closed until temperatures rose above freezing. We bundled up and made snowmen and snow angels, sledded down hilly streets, and always made snow ice cream.

There’s 100% chance of snow in Dallas on Valentine’s Day, and I’m making ice cream. For old time’s sake.

While mixing it up, the ice cream looks a little like mashed potatoes.
It’s sweet, creamy and delicious, especially with a little chocolate syrup.
UPDATE! Fresh snow, vanilla and milk is all it takes.

    Filed Under: Blogs Tagged With: author, becker circle, best books of 2021, dark energy, ice cream, novel, recipe, romantic suspense, snow, valentine's day, what to read

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