Tuesday 30 April 2013

Book Review:Indulgence in Death # 31

Book Title: Indulgence in Death #31
Author:   JD Robb |Webste| Facebook
Publisher: DoubleDay Books| Putnam Books
Format: Hardcover Books
Cost: $25.95
Purchase: Amazon| Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository 
Pages: 373
How I got it: Library
My Rating:★★★★1/2
Erotica Rating: N/A




Synopsis:
First it was a limo driver shot through the neck with a crossbow. Then it was a high-priced escort found stabbed through the heart with a bayonet. Random hits, thrill kills, murderers with a taste for the finer things in life-and death-are making NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas angry. And an angry Eve can be just as an efficient and dangerous predator as the killer. As time runs out on another innocent victim's life, Eve's investigation will take her into the rarefied circle that her husband, Roarke, travels in-and into the perverted heart of madness... Discover more in the In Death series »

My Review:
Ohh this very well might be one of the better books. LOL Eve, that's a great present to your hubby for your anniversary, every once in a while Eve does something totally awesome.  Good to know Ireland hangs onto it's charm after the Urban Wars.  Ahh I'm guessing this book is going to be character driven then?? Yep it's going to be character driven.

Yeah it's going to be really awesome.(I'm on page 13 so let's hope it stays that way).  Okay onto the review: this has got to be the best of the series, they actually do some really good work in this one.

I still couldn't believe the nerve of the thrill killers like really??? Who the hell does that?/ Just because your...well I'll let you read and discover why. This is one of the few times I was with Eve the whole way, the story grabbed you from the very beginning and made you love Eve and Roarke even more than before.

I loved the character development that was taking place, especially between Roarke & Eve, they really kicked butt this book (I'm not sure I would be comfortable on a squeaky bed in my families home, just.NOT.happening ).  It's a really great fast read and kept you hooked, I believe I read it in one day it was that awesome.

Happy Reading my loves, I hope you enjoy it!!


Book Review: Guarding The Princess

Book Title: Guarding The Princess; Sahara Kings #5
Author: Loreth Anne White |Website| Twitter| Facebook|
Publisher: Harlequin Romantic Suspense
Format: ebook, paperback
Cost: $3.82, $4.95
How I got it: NetGalley
My Rating:★★★★★
Erotica Rating: N/A
Add to Goodreads

Synopsis:
"You're not just a job anymore." It was supposed to be a 72-hour mission, in and out, until Brandt Stryker got stranded in the arid African plains with predators before him, a killer at his heels and an exotic princess by his side. Dalilah Al Arif stirs his blood, makes him crave things he'd lost long ago - but she is off-limits, promised to a sheik. Dalilah's wedding contract stipulates she must wed before her 30th birthday - just months away. It's a duty she accepts. But in the arms of her handsome protector, she's torn between her sense of duty and honor, and her freedom. And as the terrorists close in, she fears the most dangerous creature in the savannah is Brandt himself…...

My Review:
I haven't read any of the other books in this series and I so need to get on that.  This book is so awesome. I loved Dalilah as an character, she was strong, she knew what she wanted and when it looked like her life wasn't going the way she wanted she made the tough choices and did what made her happy.

OmGosh I so fell in love with them as a couple, and with the landscape as it was being described. I so fell into the story and felt like I was right there with them as they struggled to make it out of the country.  Brandt was so well described ( I love the show Arrow on the CW and he reminded me of the man who was teaching Oliver you know the hot Aussie para military guy, yeah him hotness) so that's who I pictured Brandt as, and man oh man I totally understood his dilemma,, but I personally really did feel bad for that girl she was a class A idiot. And she left Brandt with scars because of her stupidity. Just some people really don't deserve a good thing when they have it.

I loved the story of Jock & of South Africa, of Brandt's home. Poor Brandt had a tough life, and I never really thought of what it meant to be a princess and seeing Dalilah's choices and the brutal life she and her family has had was heart breaking.  I loved that they fought for their happiness, as it wasn't easy.  I loved that she faced the practicality that it was lived with her ideals and die or  do what was necessary to stay alive (even though she was a little stubborn at first).

In the end the intensity of feelings expressed in the book drew me in, I am intrigued enough to put her brother's stories on my list of books to read sometime in this lifetime.  This has been a first time read from this author, and her writing is so beautiful that I will be checking her out again ( at least four more times as those are the books in the series).  ohhh I also learnt something I never knew about giraffes, that was pretty interesting.  I loved how the Safari played just as much a part in the story as the characters did as well.  And the symbolism at the end of the book wasn't lost on me either. Yeah the Lions have certainly returned.

Highly recommend it my loves, so enjoy it and fall in love with Brandt, Dalilah and the beautiful Safari.

 
***FTC Rules require I state that I received this as a review copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**** 

Thursday 25 April 2013

Paranormal Telly: Teen Wolf (2011)


Show: Teen Wolf
Seasons: 3
Run Time:  40mins
Air Dates & Time: Mondays @ 10pm (est)
Reruns can be seen: Netflix,  MTV

Synopsis:
Teen
Wolf is an American television series developed by Jeff Davis for MTV. It is based on the 1985 film of the same name. The show's central character is Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), a high school student and social outcast who is bitten by a werewolf while looking for a dead girl in the woods. Scott attempts to maintain a normal life, keeping the fact of his being a werewolf secret from everyone, with the exception of his best friend "Stiles" Stilinski (Dylan O'Brien), who helps him through the changes in his life and body, and another mysterious werewolf, Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin).

So I totally didn't know anything about this show at first. I believe one of my sisters may have mentioned it, but I figured it's MTV what the heck would they know right???!?! Somebody back me up on this right?? No no..ok then, I was bored last week and turned on Netflix and saw this so I decided to try it out. I was hooked, from the first; especially because the first few episodes the wolves actually looked like wolves especially the Alpha (who was female, how kick ass was that??).

The comedic timing in this show is awesome, the love story along with the need to protect the towns people, the mystery of who some of these people are, why they don't change, who is the Vet. I mean really who is he. & I totally got a kick out of seeing a Pretty Little Liars star on the show & I can't wait to see more from her character.  The story lines keep you guessing on some of the issues and others are obvious, but I truly love when the story all comes together and little secrets get let out of the bag.

It's a pretty decent take on the movie, allowing us to see how the modern version of this would be, especially in a world with cameras on every cellphone and everywhere has them.  I was totally intrigued by Derek, and loved Stiles from the get go, I knew why Scott McCall was such a pain in the ass long before Derek figured it out.  I love the hunter family and their issues and the what ifs of it all. I was really into the fact that the women were the leaders of the group and the men the soldiers 

Although I love the story lines and the relationship between Scott & Alison is intriguing. I do have a few problems with the story.
  • One of them being ermm don't wolves have tails. Yeah why don't they have any, even in the 1980s movie they gave him a tail.
  • also in the beginning the Alpha and those who were born wolves actually changed into wolves, now the Alpha looks like Scott when he changes,
  • And this running on their hands shyt how about you just CGI the heck out of that and make them actual wolves???
There are also a few continuity issues that I noticed, but then I'm a bored former film student, those who can't will criticize brutally. I do love the show though and can't wait to see what is in store for the new pack and the battle between the alphas.

Here's a quick sneak peak of all the awesomeness that is there:

Have fun my loves & make sure to check out the season three premiere on June 3rd.
See you then


Wednesday 24 April 2013

KWW:Which Witch is Which??

Welcome back to another instalment in the Kitchen Witch Wednesday series.

A few weeks ago, I asked what you considered to be a kitchen witch. This was prompted by an article I read which pointed out that having recipes on your blog doesn't make you a kitchen witch (Source).  Personally, I believe it does make you a kitchen witch simply because your making magic in your kitchen with basic ingredients, it's not easy and not everyone can cook. Heck some people can burn water, ask me how I know.

I made it my mission to seek out some ideas about kitchen witchin, and have discovered that just about everyone agrees, each witch forges his/her own path when it comes to this tradition.  According to Scott Cunningham's Wicca in the Kitchen,
We must eat to live. Similarly, we must take control of our 
lives to be truly happy. The tools for doing just this are in your 
cupboards, in your refrigerator, and on your kitchen table. 
Turn the page, and discover the magic that awaits! 
You can add in some hoodoo, to hex someone, to keep your partner, to drive away someone.  You can heal with food, bring people together. Food and 'breaking bread' together makes for some powerful magic. There is a reason some cliches have stayed around, especially say for Valentine's Day, what do we know of it here in America?? Good Food, lots of chocolate, wine & roses = Your partner being willing to try all kinds of tricks best left for the more limber.  We are taught as young women that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" * at least that's what my Grandmere said* In just about every commercial now they equate food with sex & love.

I believe that when this was started it was a way for us to share OUR version of Kitchen Witchery, for everyone has their own personal brand of what makes them happy.  I may not share all the hoodoo/witchy tricks I have in the kitchen that others may perform, but then again aren't you supposed to keep some of your spells to yourself???

Anyhoo, my intention when doing my kitchen witchin is to share as much fun crafts, recipes, altar pictures, homemaking as possible. It is my hope that these are the things you wish to see.  If there are other things you wish to see and view please share in the comment box and I will endeavour to share what I can.

I did like her ideas on how to learn your kitchen better, getting down and dirty with the herbs sounds like fun.  Sometimes I just throw herbs into the pot just to see what comes out. As my Grandmere says "It's not the food that comes out the pot, it's the love that goes in, that's what makes a good meal"

What do you think my loves, am I right or was the article correct?? What does a kitchen Witch mean to you?? And go...


Tuesday 23 April 2013

ARC Book Review: Lucretia & The Kroons

Book Title: Lucretia & The Kroons
Author: Victor LaValle
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau via Random House Digital
Format: ebook
Genre: Adult Fiction
Cost: $0.99
Pages: 100
How I got it: Publisher via NetGalley
My Rating:★★★1/2
Erotica Rating: N/A
Synopsis:

From one of the most acclaimed young writers of fiction in America today comes a fast-paced and fantastical novella about a young girl's journey into a dark netherworld to find her missing best friend. This eBook edition contains an exclusive excerpt from Victor LaValle's new novel The Devil in Silver, about which Gary Shteyngart raves, "Literary horror just found a new master." Lucretia's best friend and upstairs neighbor Sunny-a sweet pitbull of a kid, even as she struggles with a mysterious illness-has gone missing. The only way to get her back is for Lucretia to climb the rickety fire escape of their Queens tenement and crawl through the window of apartment 6D, portal to a vast shadowland of missing kids ruled by a nightmarish family of mutants whose designs on the children are unknown. Her search for Sunny takes Lucretia through a dark fantasyland where she finds lush forests growing from concrete, pigeon-winged rodents, and haunted playgrounds. Her quest ultimately forces her to confront the most frightening specter of all: losing, forever, the thing you love the most. Lucretia and the Kroons is a dazzlingly imaginative adventure story and a moving exploration of the power of friendship and the terror of loss. This all-new novella serves as the perfect companion piece to The Devil in Silver, a thrillingly suspenseful work of literary horror that continues the story of Lucretia.

My Review:
"Being young doesn't protect you, horrors come for kids, too"
It took forever to get to this book, and it's one of the few novellas I have read that went as fast as it did.  I've never read this author before, so his writing style was new to me. The story just jumped right into it, now pretense or build up, it just went right to it.

Now this is a very different kind of book for me, a bit of a magical realism, yet very different.  Loochie is a kid who doesn't realize that the world is kind of harsh; her best friend was sick from leukaemia and dying and she still doesn't understand just how bad the disease is.  When her older brother visits just before her friend comes over to celebrate her birthday, he shares with her the story of the Kroons as a way to scare her about being alone in the house for the first time by herself.

I was kind of confused reading this book, what would have happened if her brother didn't tell her about the Kroons?? How would have this worked out?? How comes she didn't hear the sirens and think anything about it?? I knew immediately what was wrong, but she was completely clueless.

I felt so bad for her knowing what was going on and she didn't know.  Then the Kroons happened and I was just engrossed in the story. Holy Crap, I just...WOW.  What a story. I was still confused reading it, the main thing that stuck out to me was the fact that if her brother didn't tell her this story about the Kroons would the rest of it happen??

It's an okay story, engaging while you're reading it. The ending didn't make any sense, why not say ok maybe I was dreaming; but she refused to back down even when it meant she was going to get into trouble.

Enjoy while reading, he's an interesting author.

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***FTC Rules require I state that I received this as a review copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**** 

Monday 22 April 2013

Spring Forward 1: Edible Bird Decorations


Materials:

  • 18 oz lard
  • 3 1/2 oz coarse oats, nuts (peanuts are a good choice), dried fruits, seeds (sunflower seeds)
  • Garden Wire
  • Old tennis ball or similar, sliced in 1/2 & with a small round hole cut out of the top. Resealed by wrapping a length of wire around the ball and twisting the wire ends together, securely.
  • Garden String
Directions:
  • Put the lard in a saucepan & melt it gently over low heat, mix the dry ingredients together seperately
  • Add handfuls of the dry food to the melted lard and mix them toether. The dry ingreidients should be well-coated in the lard.
  • Insert wire which is a little longer than the mold into the center of the mold. Pack mix in around the wire.
  • Leave the seed mix in the molds to cool completely, then remove the molds, attach string to the wire and hang up high.
Remember if you start feeding birds that they will believe you will continue, so don't do it if you don't plan on continuing to feed them throughout the year. Hang high enough that squirrels and rodents can't get to it but the birds can. There are bird feeders available that sense when the weight is too heavy for a bird and will drop the squirrel.

You can also try any of the awesome ones on Pinterest (so many different ideas). This is a great way to start off spring, helping out   

**Please note this isn't my recipe, I have had it in my collection for a few years and the journal I had it in was damaged so I don't have who the recipe came from. If you know please leave it in the comments and I will add the attribution. **

Happy Crafting My Loves



Saturday 20 April 2013

Book Review: About Last Night

Book Title: About Last Night
Author: Ruthie Knox | Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads
Publisher: LoveSwept, Random House Digital
Format: ebook
Cost: $2.99
Pages: 248
How I got it: NetGalley
My Rating:★★★★1/2
Erotica Rating: N/A
Synopsis:
Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her. Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies. When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

My Review:
I'll be honest, I didn't get much work done yesterday because of this book. It was slow at work so I read while I should have been doing 'busy' work, you know the crap that normally doesn't get done during a regular week, you do when there is nothing left. Yeah I said screw that & stuck my nose to the phone screen so I could read this book.

I was totally engaged and engrossed I almost didn't get any sleep trying to finish this book.  I knew I loved this book within the first chapter when Cath had me laughing out loud on a crowded bus.  Cath is witty, sarcastic, funny and the kind of woman I could totally be friends with, so I loved her as a character.   Plus she works with the arts, like knitting and the awesomeness of history and knitting, yeah I was all over that.

City, good gawd City, can I have one of him served up please??!!! What a guy, what a man. I just wow, He was everything awesome that scene with them after he blind date?? Especially when she said 'don't murder me" I was laughing and snorting so much on the bus, the guy next to me moved.  You could feel the chemistry from them, they were great from the first. Especially when you realized City liked her as much as she liked him

I really wanted them to get together, I just knew that the crap was going to hit the fan when he took her home.  I couldn't wait to read the fireworks between Cath & his mother, they were also awesome, especially when they went head to head, then Cath did what she does so well.  If I was Nev I would have kicked my siblings' a**, you not pulling this crap round here. Nope not going to happen sir..

It's a good engaging read. I had quite a few laughs at Cath's expense, I totally get that she doesn't want anymore mistakes, and Nev's answer to that just floored me.  I love them together, I really loved the ending, I personally loved that Cath had extensive tattoos and was such a buttoned up woman at work; & that Nev's job was so boring but he was such a passionate artist. Just goes to show you never know.

A definite must read, it was extremely fast and funny, & wasn't too outlandish like so many other romance scenarios now a days, which made it even more fun to read, because you could totally see this happening.

Have a fun time reading my loves.
 Buy on Amazon                          Add to Goodreads
***FTC Rules require I state that I received this as a review copy from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**** 

Thursday 18 April 2013

Paranormal Telly: Vikings

Show: Vikings
Seasons: 1
Run Time: 45 mins
Air Dates & Time: Sundays @ 10pm EST
Reruns can be seen: HuluHistory Channel

Synopsis:


The HISTORY® original series Vikings transports us to the brutal and mysterious world of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), a Viking warrior and farmer who yearns to explore—and raid—the distant shores across the ocean. His ambition puts him at odds with local chieftain Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne), who insists on sending his raiders to the impoverished east rather than the uncharted west. When Ragnar teams up with his boat builder friend Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard) to craft a new generation of intrepid ships capable of conquering the rough northern seas, the stage is set for conflict. But for all its warfare and bloodshed, Vikings is also a story of family and brotherhood, capturing the love and affection between Ragnar and his wife, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), a respected warrior in her own right. It is the tale of Ragnar’s brother Rollo (Clive Standen), a fierce fighter who simmers with jealously; of Earl Haraldson’s wife Siggy (Jessalyn Gilsig), a dutiful beauty who may be less than loyal; and of the monk Athelstan (George Blagden), whose Christian morals clash with the Vikings’ pagan society. As ambition and innovation rattle a civilization, these characters will be put to the test—and their way of life will never be the same again. Vikings was created and written by Michael Hirst (Elizabeth, The Tudors).

The show is based on the Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok, a legend in the Old Norse. It is an amazing show. I'm not a Norse follower, I do know enough to know they have done an excellent job capturing as much as possible, sharing great historical details about the housing, the methods of war, even the system of hierarchy within the Norse communities.

Each week we are introduced to something new going on within the community under the Jarl's protection and we see the very beginning of the tradition of Norse raids in Britain   I LOVE this show, from the wild Floki to the hot Rollo, we are immersed in a world of politics, violence and just straight craziness.

I really love that they're showing the Shield Maidens and that they Norsemen allowed women to go to war with them. I like Lagertha, Ragnar's wife, she's pretty freaking kick a**. I highly recommend this show, especially because they show how integral the Gods are to the Norse way of life.

Nerdy moment:  I just however wish they would point out that being called a viking is actually incorrect, "a viking" is the name given to raiding/ or going on an expedition, the Norsemen were actually going 'a viking' when they travelled to England, they actually aren't "vikings" but the term had become synonymous with them and has stuck.

It's still a good show however. I highly suggest you tune in.
Happy Viewing



Monday 15 April 2013

Prayer for Boston


Today in Boston MA, someone set off two bombs, killing two and injuring hundreds. At the moment Boston Red Cross is saying they have enough blood and aren't looking for any.  

I'm not linking to any of the news coverage it's all over if you interesting in seeking it out. 

My heart goes out to those who have family and friends who were attending the event and to the thousands of runners who were almost done with their challenge.  My heart especially goes out the hundred of witnesses and survivors of the blast.

Please keep these people in your prayers.   


Tuesday 2 April 2013

Book Review: How to Sell Your Crafts Online

Book Title: How To Sell Your Crafts Online
Author: Derrick Sutton | Author's Website | Author's Twitter
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Format: Paperback
Cost: $21.99
Pages: 206
How I Got It: Borrowed From the Library
My Rating:★★★★☆
Synopsis:
With over 400,000 sellers on Etsy, how can you make YOUR shop stand out and increase your sales? This is a key question for many crafters and artists who are selling online these days. Now here are all the answers and much more from author and Etsy seller Derrick Sutton. Based on his self-published guide, and drawn from his practical experience, you will learn how to boost your Etsy sales, attract more customers, and expand your online presence. Derrick shares his proven online sales and marketing knowledge in an easily accessible format, complete with simple actions steps at the end of each chapter. Learn how to completely optimize your Etsy shop, website, or blog, and much more.

My Review:
My sister is a businesswoman and she has been pushing me to make my scarves and sell them for years now. Before I jumped into the fray I decided I needed to know more.  This book is great for those who have never used Etsy before and wanted to know how to use the craft site and promote your products without going to a website developer.

I have personally played around with Etsy for a little while. I was once going to start selling my crochet crafts but decided to focus on finishing school first. Maybe one day I will go into selling my stuff online and because of this book I will be well versed in how to get it done and done well.

The books is very easily laid out. The author is well informed and makes using Etsy extremely easy. The author shared so many great tips on how to maximize your viewership & search ability as well as your optimization of your website. Along with how to link and share with others your site, how to get your name out there, how to add other features onto the site and even how to make your pictures of your products look great.  I especially liked learning how to use the stats section of the website, so you know who is viewing & what they are looking at, which helps with product productions and sales.  I also especially loved learning more about apps I already use but haven't completely taken full advantage of for instance Google's Document Section.  This gave me tons of ideas for regular use, not just for the suggested options in the book.

Everything you need to know to START an Etsy is in this book, but for more detailed business aspect information you will have to look at other books, the author does give some great resources wit the book on finding more information and how to expand your brand. But of course no one book can give you everything.

I would highly recommend this book for those looking to jump into Etsy, as it's specific to Etsy but it's also great for those who need some information on selling crafts online.  It's a crafter's resource, especially because it's set up artistically as well. Many of his suggestions are great for us bloggers as well. So when you see changes around here, you know where some of it is coming from.


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