New Wedding Post – Finally!
I am finally getting another video post up regarding my wedding plans – sorry that took so long 🙂 I shared a picture at the…
On Tour: Maven Fairy Godmother: Through the Veil by Charlotte …
Charlotte will be on tour December 17-31 with her novel Maven Fairy Godmother: Through the Veil  Maven’s new dream job–fairy godmother–presents more problems than she…
Blog Tour Sign Up: The Wisdom of Hair by Kim …
In 1983, on her nineteenth birthday, Zora Adams finally says goodbye to her alcoholic mother and their tiny town in the mountains of South Carolina. Living with a woman who dresses like Judy Garland and brings home a different man each night is not a pretty existence, and Zora is ready for life to be beautiful.
With the help of a beloved teacher, she moves to a coastal town and enrolls in the Davenport School of Beauty. Under the tutelage of Mrs. Cathcart, she learns the art of fixing hair, and becomes fast friends with the lively Sara Jane Farquhar, a natural hair stylist. She also falls hard for handsome young widower Winston Sawyer, who is drowning his grief in bourbon. She couldn’t save Mama, but maybe she can save him.
As Zora practices finger waves, updos, and spit curls, she also comes to learn that few things are permanent in this life—except real love, lasting friendship, and, ultimately… forgiveness.
Benefits of a Morning Workout
A few months back, I started to switch up my workout schedule. Instead of hitting the gym after work, around 6:00 or so, I started waking up a bit earlier so I could get it out of the way first thing in the morning. I was doing this for a few different reasons. One was to simply get it out of the way. Sometimes my afternoons and nights can get a bit hectic, and even though I would have full intentions of making it to the gym, it just wouldn’t happen. It’s nice to have that done first thing in the morning so I don’t have to be thinking about when I can squeeze time in throughout the day. Another reason was because I was told by our health specialist at work that working on in the morning can boost your metabolism so you burn more calories throughout the day. I’ve also found that AM workouts leave me feeling more energized right off the bat. And the last reason – vanity. I don’t mean losing weight or being toned, I’m talking about my skin. My face was beginning to break out regularly, and my usual facial products weren’t seeming to help the problem. I started asking around, and my friend who works esthetics mentioned working out and washing my face after being at the gym. I did some research of my own, and found that working out with makeup on is bad for your skin, and that you should wash your face after you sweat it up. Both of those things now seem pretty obvious to me, but I still wanted to share! Now, I work out in the mornings with a bare face (sometimes I might scare other gym-goers but they just have to deal with it) and be sure to wash my face right away once I get home. It’s pretty amazing how fast my skin cleared up with that small change!
Bang Bang by JM Remmer
Bang Bang by JM Remmer follows Frances Flight, an eager and fun country girl in 2001. Early on, she bags a job at the coveted Shooting Weekly and throws herself into the life of a working London journalist and digs deep into her stories that pertain to life in a hunting world. Along the way, she lands into the arms of Henry Black, the Editor at her magazine. All things go swimmingly for a while until her new world collides with her cousin, who is a serious animal rights activist. Their chance encounter puts her job, her love life and her own life in danger. But, together with the crew from Shooting Weekly, they fight to stay afloat. But, will that be enough?
This story is a fun ride through the British countryside and the realm of hunting and really brings forth the crazy world that it entails. The book is fast paced and full of a wide variety of aspects that are very appealing to most readers, with an interesting twist that brings hunting front and center. As an avid vegetarian and animal lover, some parts of this book were hard to swallow but I was able to move past it and focus on the actual story. The character development was fantastic and I absolutely loved the odd and eccentric cast of friends from the magazine. Oh, and if you are a fan of sex scenes, the author does a really good job at writing those as well. Overall, a fun read with LOTS of twists and turns throughout.
[Rating: 4/5]
Whispers in Autumn by Trisha Leigh
Trisha Leigh is on tour now with Whispers in Autumn and CLP Blog Tours. I am a big fan of these types of fantasy/paranormal books. I love seeing how authors stretch their imaginations and the worlds they can create. This book is set in 2015, and follows sixteen-year-old Althea. The human race has been enslaved by aliens who use mind control, and has everyone acting like happy robots. But Althea is immune to the mind control – as well as Lucas, a boy her age. The two team up together to find out why they are different and how they can eliminate the aliens and take back their lives.
Such a fun book! I read this one a bit slower, because I like to really transport myself in the character’s world, and sometimes that meant pausing and getting a grip on terms such as Others, Broken, Cell, etc. I thought Trisha Leigh did a fantastic job at building the characters and plot, and really had no trouble connecting with this book. I can’t wait for the next titles in this series to come out, and I highly recommend Whispers in Autumn!
[Rating: 4]
Forbidden Forest by Tenaya Jayne
Forbidden Forest by Tenaya Jayne follows Shape Shifter/Elf hybrid, Forest. From an birth she was cast away from society because of her shameful figure. While still young, a noble vampire placed an illegal slave mark on her and she is forced to obey him and do as he says. As she ages, she grows tired of the world that she knows and begins to abandon the prejudice of Regia. She leaves that world behind and takes a job on Earth, guarding a portal and using her skills as a warrior to enforce the laws. But, she gets called home for a special mission and is charged with the duty to protect and transport a vampire prince. And although deep down, she has always been trained to despise vampires, there is no way to hide their mutual attraction. Will they be able to fight it?
Phew … this book is definitely detailed and takes you to a whole new world. Surprisingly, I had a lot of fun with this book. At first I was expecting it to be similar to the movie Avatar (blame the cover) and I guess in a way it is, yet it is also very different. I loved the descriptions of the scenery and the worlds and I also thought that Tenaya did a wonderful job developing the characters. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read from a different genre than what I am used to reading. Everything about this book was so visual, I definitely had a reel going the entire time in my head. I would definitely recommend this book.
[Rating: 4/5]
Book Excerpt: On the Rim of Love by Marie Astor
Marie Astor is now on tour with On the Rim of Love. Please visit her tour page on CLP Blog Tours for more information and…
In My Mailbox: Week of December 9
In Samantha’s Mailbox:
Title: Confessions of an Alli Cat
Author: Courtney Cole
Received: Via CLP Blog Tours
Synopsis: “You know what they say…a happy vagina is a happy woman. Well, they might not say that, but they should.” -Alli
Thirty-five year-old Allison “Alli” Lancaster has it all–a fabulous job, a beautiful 15 year-old daughter, a hilarious BFF and a gorgeous house with a pool and Jacuzzi in an exclusive Las Vegas neighborhood. What she doesn’t have is a husband, because she kicked her lousy, cheating ex to the curb nine months ago. Since then, Alli has paid her dues with seemingly endless self-improvement and seemingly endless mourning. Now she’s ready to move on and try new things.
Alli’s idea of “trying new things” is nothing like that devil-of-a-best-friend of hers. Somehow, Sara, the devil of a best friend, talks Alli into trying out a sex toy, sleeping with a younger man and letting a stranger in a lab jacket put hot wax on a place that should never, ever, ever see wax. And that’s only the beginning.
Alli never saw her life going quite like this. She also never thought she’d meet someone else who had the very real potential to change her life forever.
But she did.
Enter the new guy. He’s gorgeous, refined and mature. He’s also marriage material. But that poses a problem for Alli, who renounced the institution of marriage when she renounced her ex. What’s a girl to do?
They say that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. But what the heck happens when you can’t leave Vegas? Well, you spin the wheel, of course. You play the game and let the chips fall where they may.
Alli just hopes she can find them all.
Title: Totlandia, Book 2
Author: Josie Brown
Received: From Aimee @ Coliloquy
Synopsis: In this second book of the Totlandia series, five mommies are just one misstep away from entry into the elite Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club. Everyone has a scandalous secret to hide, but who will be the next to fall?
As the club’s founder, Bettina, ratchets up the stress level with a series of holiday-themed challenges, the cracks begin to show. Jade’s past catches up to her in the most unlikely of settings. Jillian’s struggles to make ends meet are complicated by Bettina’s demands. Ally’s work and home lives collide, threatening to expose all of her secrets. And Lorna’s already fraying family ties are torn to shreds by a series of devastating events.
With just four spots remaining, will the five remaining ladies turn cutthroat? Or will their newfound friendships be strong enough to help them band together?
Title: Cliffhanger
Author: Amy Saunders
Received: From Amy Saunders
Synopsis: Making her grand re-entry into Portside, Rhode Island, Belinda Kittridge expected fun, sun, and sugar cookies.
Instead, she gets one jilted lover braced for round two, an old rival on the hunt, and the murder of a former classmate and friend. Even worse, Belinda must return to the events surrounding a tragic sailing accident to set things right.
But new possibilities emerge in the form of security expert Bennett Tate. Between her connections and his know-how, they’re bound to catch the killer – and kick the skeletons out of the closet for good.
Title: Nobody’s Damsel
Author: EM Tippetts
Received: From EM Tippetts
Synopsis: Chloe and Jason are back in Albuquerque for her new job as a forensic scientist with the Albuquerque Police Department, only, her first case is a crime against a child.
Back when she was a childhood crime survivor, it never occurred to her how difficult it was for the adults working against the clock, fighting for control of the outcome. Add to this a tabloid scandal that claims Jason is having an affair with his costar, and Chloe’s struggle to come to terms with a heartbreaking case gets splashed all across the internet.
In Sara’s Mailbox:
Title: Afterwife
Author: Polly Williams
Received: Jessica @ Penguin Group
Synopsis: Sophie Brady is a force of nature—funny, beautiful, and devoted to all the people in her life—even in death. After a traffic accident cuts her life tragically short, Sophie finds herself attending her own funeral (on time, no less) and watching the reactions of those she holds most dear.
Sophie’s darling, gorgeous husband Ollie is heartbroken, trying to father their young son while working out how to use the washing machine. Furthermore, he’s absolutely clueless about his new status as most eligible bachelor in the neighborhood. Sophie is determined to help her husband find love again, with the right sort of woman, of course.
Luckily, she’s not the only one looking out for Ollie. Her best friend Jenny is ignoring her own pain by helping him navigate the murky waters of widower-hood. But as she grows closer to Sophie’s husband, Jenny unearths secrets that make her question how well she knew her friend, and where the line between loyalty and love ends…
