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We are sweltering in the Midwestern heat, so naturally we wish to soothe ourselves with cool refreshing drinks. No, not lemonade. Something with a bit more bite. 

My favorite alcoholic beverage is wine. My favorite wine is Chianti. For some reason, this particular grape "mouth party" is hard to find around here outside of an Italian restaurant. I’m always prepared to switch to Chablis or Pinot Grigio (white) or Pinot Noir or Merlot (red). But now and then I like to break out of my rut and try a cocktail. Especially when the humidity around here forces us to peel off our clothes. So the other day we decided to try the cool Mojito (mo-hee-to), a drink James Bond first made popular. James Bond, you ask? Well, he didn’t steer us wrong with Martinis (shaken, not stirred) years ago, so we trusted his taste. 

A quick Google search, a stumble into a forum and … every Tom, Dick and Harriet had a Mojito recipe. Which one should a newbie choose? I did it the highly technical way: I closed my eyes and pointed. I then printed the recipe, which required a truckload of mint leaves, and headed for the grocery store. That night, we whipped them up. We drank them. And they were … bad. Tried another recipe. It was worse than the first. A few days later, we tried a third one and it was … super awful. Either we are doing something horribly wrong or James Bond can no longer be trusted. Do you have a Mojito recipe?

TOOT YOUR HORN
Feel free to send in writing news you'd like to share with our readers.

The virtual and real tour for Magdalena Ball's novel Sleep Before Evening has begun. View her book trailer here. 

Also, the Compulsive Reader radio show is happening once again. The show will feature interviews with authors, book readings and literary chat. Readers will even be able to call in and talk directly to authors. All interviews will still be published as transcripts at Compulsive Reader just as they are now, but you’ll also be able to hear them live or in recorded podcast form from a direct link on site. The first guest is Ross Duncan, author of All Those Bright Crosses (Picador) on the 15th of August 9:30am, Sydney time. 

The Goody Two Shoes of 2007 - Inspirational Good Deeds Contest
Do you know of anybody who does compassionate acts of kindness for other people and requires no thanks in return? Michael Levy is looking for the most superb Goody Two Shoe story of 2007. Tell him an inspirational story about someone's good deeds and you can win a prize of $500. No purchase is necessary to enter. Complete details are here.  

And now, without further ado ... turn the page.

Elizabeth Guy
Editor
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This issue 
was published 
under the musical influence of
 FEIST 
 The Reminder