IPA Living

Being a leopard at heart, I like to shuffle my spots around from time to time to keep things interesting. So needless to say, I had become bored with my traditional libations. At the end of 2014, I began to delve into the world of IPA's.

O M G

This is the best thing since martini's. Each one is different, with it's own personality and sass. And there are so many to try. IPA's aren't cheap, but they're worth the $$$.

So as a public service, I will try a new IPA every weekend and let you know what I think. I will post my reviews on my new page, What's Helena Drinking. After sampling a few IPA's over the past months, I've found I enjoy IPA's with a strong citrus note. Here are a couple of my fav's so far.

Firestone Walker Double Jack

http://www.firestonebeer.com/

Checking in at a sexy ALC 9.5, this IPA is fresh and fruity. I enjoyed this last weekend. If the taste bud brain cells are still with me, it was a nice hoppsy brew. I welcome your thoughts.

Mother Earth Kismet IPA

http://bit.ly/KismetIPA

I love this IPA. ALC 7.2, it is a psychodelic journey into IPA's. Great whether you're just beginning your IPA journey or Highlander.

Check back soon to find out the latest IPA libation to Blame Helena for. 

IPA's are a perfect beverage to enjoy while reading Le Baton Chronicles. Trust me, you're going to need a drink.

Merry Christmas

As 2014 comes to an end, I look back and consider the challenges I overcame and the blessings I received this year. I am thankful for all of it, strengthening me for the next phase of my life.

Completing Book III of La Rose was a challenge, that's for sure. I think the greatest barrier was me. I had to get past me to finish it. Get past the negative tapes playing in my head. Let go of the past. So many spiritual adversaries challenged me. But I came through. By the grace of God came through.

Now I'm am enjoying one of the most successful and controversial books of my career.

I thank all of you for the success of La Rose Book III Le Baton Chronicles.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Fabulous New Year to all. Live our Dreams in 2015.

Claudia Helena Ross

La Rose Book III Le Baton Chronicles - December 1, 2014

June 30, 2014

August 1, 2014

November 1,2014

December 1, 2014

After three delays, I have finally completed and released Book III of Le Baton Chronicles. A huge THANK YOU to all my fans who patiently awaited the release. I hope you will enjoy it, becoming outraged, enticed, intrigued, and  tantalized with every twist and turn.

La Rose Book III Le Baton Chronicles by Claudia Helena Ross

New Orleans smolders with the heat, civil unrest, and passion of the 1963 American South. In the Chevalier family’s Garden District mansion, 116 year old Lela Chevalier Roberts presses on with her narration of the family history to her incorrigible great-grandson Julian Charles Chamberie. Julian defies Hell and requests to return to the land of his testing and heartache, the palatial French estate in the mist of Floridian Louisiana, La Rose Plantation. Much to his great-grandmother’s joy and trepidation, the pair returns and Lela narrates to Julian the life of her protector, Toussaint Bailey, who traverses the perilous path from slavery on La Rose Plantation to the life of a prominent mortician in late 19^th century New Orleans. With the help of his patron, Archangel Barachiel, and his mother, Sarah the Slave, Toussaint receives his supernatural powers and uses them to combat the evil forces seeking to destroy the Chevalier family and the people who love them. Julian’s soul is tormented by his grandmother’s stories, finding himself caught between the tyranny of his past life and the liberty available to him in the present. Resolving all within his heart, Julian comes one step closer to spiritual emancipation, enabling him to continue his quest to hold the hand of the End Time King, Le Baton. 

Scandal - The Last Supper

The Last Supper was the most heartbreaking exchange I've seen on TV in a long time. Scandal blew it out the water with Olivia Pope's betrayal of her father Rowan Pope, or as I affectionately call him -  Papa-san Pope. He discovers Olivia's plot with Fitz and Jake to kill him.

Rowan doesn't retaliate against his daughter. He's emotionless for Olivia's had cut him on a level so deep, to experience it could have catastrophic results. Instead, Rowan tells her how much he loves her. In fact, Rowan reveals to Olivia she's pretty much the only person he'd ever loved in the world.

It was all for her.

Olivia was her father's heart. Rowan tells Olivia he's done and walks away. I watched my television in disbelief. My heart broke for Papa-san Pope.

I can't talk about it anymore. Just watch the video. Rowan can tell it better than I can.

See you next week.

TGIT Down to the wire

I have no life.

But good news! TGIT's Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder have become my spice in life this fall season. I sit on the couch every Thursday night, finish my homework by 9pm (aka editing my book La Rose Book III Le Baton Chronicles due out December 1, 2014 [SHAMELESS PLUG? Yes, but it's my blog]), fire up TweetDeck and behold, my social life streams into view.

So, there are only two episodes remaining before my shows go on break. What am I suppose to do after the last show? I guess there are other shows to watch. I could stream reruns of HTGAWM and Scandal.

Maybe I could read a book.

Or, maybe I could work on writing the mystery series that's been bouncing around my brain for a couple years.

Can there really be life after TGIT?

Sniff.

Enough whining. Here are the promos for tonight's shows.

SCANDAL

Olivia and the Prez need to step off my boy Papa-san Pope. OK, so he's a bit evil, manipulative and controlling. So what? Daddy is who he is. We need to accept him for that.

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

Ummm Umph! Annalise will be asking all the tough questions tonight. No getting off easy with this one. She will be rocking the 'fro and the nightie, while slathering on the Vaseline to prep for her fight against the world to figure out #WhoKilledSam, her no good cheating man.

Annalise's dalliances are inconsequential. I think we all agree on this.

Meanwhile, back on the Net...

"Tweeting has been berry, berry, good to you?" 

Why yes Chico Escuela, Garret Morris, or whatever name you're using these days. It has been good.

Look Mama! I made the top 100 tweets with #SmellieMellie on twitter.whostalking.com:

I'm in the Major Leagues now.

I'll Tweet ya'll back.

@lafleur2009

Big Bank Hank

Big Bank Hank

August 5, 1957 -  November 11, 2014

Driving into work this morning, I heard the news Big Bank Hank had passed away from cancer. He was 57 years old.

In 1979, I was standing on the playground during recess wearing my red gingham Toughskins jeans, my white eyelet top and some worn out Converse navy blue hightops gymshoes. A seventh grader (I was in sixth) named Tanya Morris ran over to where I was standing. We walked home from school together most days, along with my younger sister, D'mona. Tanya was very excited. "I know the whole thing," she said.

"What?" I asked. I was trying to read my book.

"You haven't heard it?"

I put down my book. What was she talking about? "Oh, you mean that new rap song?"

"Yeah. The Rapper's Delight." Tanya stared at me. I could see her thought bubble floating away with the word NERD threatening to rupture it. Even then, I didn't take fast to the latest trends.

Tanya stood before me and rapped the entire song -  the long version. Never forgot it.

Thanks Big Bank Hank.

Oh yeah and thanks to Tanya Morris too.

Big Bank Hank’ of The Sugarhill Gang dies at 57 - NY Daily News

TGIT

Let's get it on

SCANDAL

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

TGIT Week End Review

I'm distrubed I feel the need to recap my two favorite shows: Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder. So, I will keep it short and sweet today. Just a few of my favorite tweetings...

Scandal

IN CASE ANYONE FORGETS. ..#Scandal pic.twitter.com/QZl2ktMfx2
— Darby Stanchfield (@darbysofficial) October 24, 2014

Oh yeah, this was nice. Jake receiving a beat down from the Prez while reminiscing about doing the nasty with Liv on vacay - And he lets old Fitz know how much he enjoyed doing his girlfriend. Bet.

ICYMI: Watch Fitz's bloody slugfest from last night's intense #Scandal episode http://t.co/iT4ocou5Dj @ScandalABC
— People magazine (@peoplemag) October 24, 2014

PAPA POPE'S WORST NIGHTMARE: CHEBLIS IN A READY-POUR BOX. 😩 #WineSnob 🍷 #Scandal
— Darby Stanchfield (@darbysofficial) October 24, 2014

My girl Mellie. Forget them. Drink until you feel better. Then write a best-selling, tell-tale bio on your low down husband.

Two-fer!!! Oh Mellie! 😂😂😂 #Scandal pic.twitter.com/sRZIoB1Enn
— Scandal (@ScandalABC) October 24, 2014

#SCANDAL's Jake be like... pic.twitter.com/OczERa04Dn
— Sir Harvey Fitz (@SirHarveyFitz) October 17, 2014

Her name is Abby! #Scandal pic.twitter.com/3DfPdxy2wT
— Scandal (@ScandalABC) October 14, 2014

How to Get Away with Murder 

Let's get down to the git down.

Lies
Round 1
Poor Sam. That hot little hussy seduced him and he couldn't help but to sleep with her and text her pictures of his ding dong. Of course he didn't love her. It was all her fault. She was a student in his class, just sitting there looking pretty. What was he supposed to do?

Q: How many times did it happen?
A: Is 'a lot' a number?

Q: Do you love her?
A: No! It was HER FAULT.

Sam has a lot of explaining to do! Check out this sneak peek for TONIGHT's all-new #HTGAWM at 10|9c. https://t.co/2B1H7EBGnl
— How To Get Away ABC (@HowToGetAwayABC) October 23, 2014

LIE

YOOOOO LOL, #HowToGetAwayWithMurder ALWAYS leave you looking like pic.twitter.com/XaBEYqpB7a
— Veteran Freshman (@yusufyuie) October 24, 2014

Last night's @HowToGetAwayABC was about more than just bad sexting—our #HTGAWM recap here: http://t.co/eKyxZywonQ #TGIT
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) October 24, 2014

Oh hot dog! She knows! #HTGAWM pic.twitter.com/BR2injuJXu
— How To Get Away ABC (@HowToGetAwayABC) October 24, 2014

Find out who pitched the idea of @ViolaDavis ditching her wig in last night's episode of #HTGAWM http://t.co/xgE3jWDJPT @HowToGetAwayABC
— People magazine (@peoplemag) October 17, 2014

Lies
Round 2

OH SNAP!!! #HTGAWM http://t.co/6yDSIPFI77
— How To Get Away ABC (@HowToGetAwayABC) October 24, 2014

Repercussions 
Sam, Sam, Sam. You're going to have to come stronger than this if you want to convince Annalise of your lies.

"You're a liar. At this point that's all I know for sure. Sleep on the couch." And there it is. #HTGAWM #HowToGetAwayWithMurder #blamehelena
— Claudia Ross (@LaFleur2009) October 24, 2014

@ProfessorCrunk @milfinainteasy @NegressInParis @estherarmah #HTGAWM had me like... pic.twitter.com/SchAvXB9bk
— Kaila Adia Story (@DoctressStory) October 24, 2014

Until Next Thursday...

@lafleur2009 

TGIT Previews

I don't want to hear about how I'm a Scandal and How To Get Away with Murder junkie. Apparently, you are too.

Here's the Scandal promo that aired following the October 16th broadcast for tonight's show (sorry about the ads):

Here are Annalise's scheduled events for October 23rd. She poses a great question. Yes Sam, can you explain to us why your penis is on a dead girl's phone?

See you on Twitter tonight. @lafleur2009.

Valerie June

On Saturday, October 18th, I was lying in bed, flipping through the TV channels, hoping to fall asleep. I stumbled across Austin City Limits on PBS. What I saw amazed me. I watched an electrifying performance by a musician named Valerie June. Her "organic moonshine roots music" is a mixture of R&B, Blues, Jazz, Blue Grass, and Country. She swirls it all together, adding a little bit of this and pinch of that, creating a sensuousness, hypnotic, hybrid marriage of folk rhythms and lyrics, serenading and captivating our imaginations and souls.

A master at the guitar, banjo, and other string instruments, Valerie spins her musical tales while tossing about her dreadlocks, up-swept into a curly coif. "Working Woman Blues" is one of my favorites by her. Here's video of Valerie performing the song in the Music Lounge at the Bumbershoot Music Festival in Seattle:

Another favorite was "Pushing Against A Stone" at the AFROPUNK Fest:

Valerie will be playing Carnegie Hall on February 13, 2015. For ticket information, please click here.

To learn more about Valerie and her music, please visit her website at valeriejune.com.