I Love Books!

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   |          As you all may or may not know!

I am a huge reader and decided to try my hand an writing some reviews. I have read more books than I can remember so I think it is about time. I like giving my opinion so we will see how this goes.  I will be posting them over at my new blog (Let's call it my sister blog) Love Books- My Book Reviews.

So all you followers out there, check it out. Go follow that one.  Like I said, I am just starting, but someday I hope to have authors guest post and maybe do some give aways.  We'll see how it goes.

I Love Book Giveaways!

Especially when I win them!  I won a copy of Sweet Possession by Maya Banks from a contest Jaci Burton did on her blog.  I was so excited when I got the email, hubby was laughing at me. I can not WAIT for this book to arrive in my mail!

Thanks again to Jaci Burton for holding the contest that allowed me to win this!

I Love...My Job? NO! (Fiction by my friend Apasoha)

Welcome to The Fifth Level of Hell.

I work in THE FIFTH LEVEL OF HELL.  So lets call the spot I work in: Fifth Level of Hell Cantina.  I spend my days working in a dingy cavern that is forevermore tinged red by the fires of hell. I, half human/half demon, have been consigned to the Fifth Level of Hell for punishment for so slight an infraction that over the centuries I have forgotten what it was.


The cavern where the cantina is located (did I mention dingy; tinged red; HELL?) has been in Hell for eons.  Never updated, never upgraded. Lucifer, the boss, ignores us unless it is convenient for him. Currently many things are on the fritz, ready to fritz, or fritzed so long ago it is a distant memory that they ever worked at all.


Still we are expected to give the best level of service to our demon patrons. In fact they expect it and when expectations are not met...All HELL breaks loose. (Pun intended.)  My fellow internees and I do our best.  The degree with which we each hate our job is fairly equal.  Hey, in this day and age, there aren't a lot of options. So we struggle on finding fugacious happiness as we can.


Lucifer, when he deigns to grace us with his presence, prances around with his solid gold, diamond encrusted pitchfork. He is more interested in listening to show tunes and hanging at the local gym than listening to any employee complaints. He waltzes around: his overly large, forked tail twitching with every word that spews from his mouth.


Every day the same: Welcome to the Fifth Level of Hell Cantina. It is my pleasure to serve you today.


Today was especially dreary in the Fifth Level of Hell.  Even our patrons were unusually surly. The cook, Kazbakar, threw slop on a plate with abandon.  The dishwasher, Rolakar, came to work looking as if he had stopped and wallowed in the mud of the demon horse stables before coming to work.  While I, I could barely keep from screaming, so great was my disgust at yet another day in Hell serving ungrateful demons.


I hate my job in The Fifth Level of Hell.


More Fifth Level of Hell Stories to come.

I Love: Books & Contests!

What could be better than combining both? So, comment and be entered to win.

Want to win a brand new Wi-Fi Kindle 3? All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and you can have your chance! For more chances to win, visit the main contest page. Every participating blog you visit gives you another chance to win!

This post is part of Moira Rogers’ Wild Web Adventure Promo. For full rules and disclaimers, or to hold your own kindle contest, visit the contest post. Winners will be chosen during the first week of April.http://www.moirarogers.com/blog/archives/3473

Operation Auction

Check it out! Help if you can!

I Love my girls

This is Me, Jules, Amber & Jen at Amber's going away party on Saturday.  We all had a blast.  I love the occasional and much needed girls night out!  That's all, didn't have anything important to say.  Here is a couple more for your viewing pleasure.

This is Jen, Amber, Me and Tiff (my little sis)

And there we are being goofy.


Have a great day!

I Love Orange

To show my support I am turning my blog ORANGE for the month of March. (I know, I am a little early)

National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month


In November 2010, my life was turned upside down by a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.  I am just taking it one day at a time.  One way I feel I can help fight this is by participating in the Janesville-Rock River Walk MS 2011.  I have formed my team and already we have raised $220.00 in donations.  I hope you will join my team or donate to help find a cure for MS.  Click the banner above to join/donate. 


Thanks!


Ursula

Forbidden & Once Bitten    By: Hope Welsh


Forbidden


Devlin is in love with Sarah before she even knows he exists. When she is injured saving a child he watches helplessly as the now disfigured Sarah withdraws into a solitary life. He can give her back her looks but the price is becoming a vampire. She is unsure at first and he doesn't pressure her. But when the unthinkable happens and she is near death, he is forced to change her to save her. I love that he was going to give her time and decide to be changed for herself, however as we all know, the best laid plans and all that. They are being threatened by the Hunters and fighting the opposition of the Elders. At first I was a little upset because I felt that the story ended a little abruptly with too many unanswered questions. 


Once Bitten

Then I began Once Bitten. Boy meets girl in high school and falls in love with her. Fast forward. Bailey has just gotten out of a bad relationship and her friend talks her into going out for the night. There she runs into Bennett the boy from high school. She realizes that the slightly nerdy geek she knew in high school is now a hot hunk with eyes only for her. Bennett is a dominant and Hailey longs to be submissive, she just doesn't know it yet. There are problems. She has a hard time coming to terms with what she wants versus what she thinks is proper. Of course there is still the hunters to overcome and the Elders must be convinced, but with a little help from Carina, an Elder, they overcome the odds. 

All in all I loved both stories and would love to see more in this story line. Maybe a little more on Carina.


On a side note:


Here's what I love about Hope Welsh (and many other of my favorite authors)  They make themselves accessible.  I interact with them on Facebook and Twitter. It lets you know there is an actual person putting their blood, sweat, tears and effort into these books.  I think it makes the enjoyment of the books, that much more rich and enjoyable.  I can never write like they do so I enjoy and appreciate all the time and effort.  Thanks guys!

I love: My super talented children

So, yes, this is just a shameless entry bragging about my children.


Miss Pixie has had a busy month between honors choir, her part in her class' performance of Macbeth and poms.


Mr. Caveboy turned 16 this month and has designed a website for the National History Day competition. He will be competing in Madison. Please view it and leave lots of comment love!


http://84890520.nhd.weebly.com/index.html (This is just the partial product. He is still working on the final product)


Thanks for listening!

I Love: Discovering a new Author.

Sometimes it is a recommendation from a friend, sometimes a review you read somewhere, sometimes an ad online catches your eye. You think, now that looks or sounds interesting. You pick up the book and next thing you know, you have another author to love.


For me, it started innocently, with Twitter. Or Facebook, as the case may be. An author I already "liked" on facebook, was cross promoting a fellow author with a "like this person and be entered to win..." So I liked, and entered. In this case one author was Teresa Medeiros. Then she started posting about a book coming out. Goodnight Tweetheart. The whole premise of a couple meeting and falling in love on twitter caught my attention. Of course I bought and loved it. Then I was on Twitter for a "twitter chat" about the book, when I began interacting with one of her other followers.


We seemed to have a similar thought process and long story short we ended up following each other. That's when I realized she was also an author. Hope Welsh.  So I checked out her website and her blog.  Even longer story short, I ended up reading her latest book Linked.


I LOVED this book. It was a classic "written in the stars" romance with a little paranormal shape shifting thrown in. The book started off with a bang and kept my interest though out! Though my mind kept telling me it was too soon for the couple to fall in love, I couldn't maintain the skepticism because the story just felt right. I have always been a huge fan of romantic mystery. Its only recently that I have become interested in paranormal and urban fantasy. This book managed to have it all for me. All in all for my first read by this author, I was very pleased and plan on reading more.


So, you can buy Linked on Amazon or here on Barnes & Noble. 


Go forth and read....and Enjoy!

I "DO NOT" Love Fed Ex!

Fed Ex is officially on my SHIT LIST! FAIL on customer service! Way to deliver an already slit open, thus EMPTY package that was supposed to contain an American Girl Gift card for my little girl for Christmas! HOW DO YOU NOT NOTICE IT IS OPENED AND EMPTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To Recap: FEDEX GETS AN "F" FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.

I love:Ecstasy In Darkness by Gena Showalter

Ecstasy In Darkness by Gena Showalter

I Love A Good Book

And even more, finding a new author! Then I just totally immerse myself in everything that person has written. Course, with the speed of my reading, I catch up quick and then I am reduced to waiting for the latest release.

Since buying my Nook (a whole other post) I have discovered many new authors. (I spend hours scouring the B&N website and when I can afford it, buying books. My wishlist, dollar wise, is in the triple digits. Well, thats why they call it a wish list.) So just to name a few, this is what I spent my summer reading.

Patricia Briggs. The Mercy Thompson series. It started with a friend (Kim) who also had a Nook. She got a bunch of new books on it that she didn't have the time to read so she asked me to read Moon Called, by Patricia Briggs via the Lend Me feature. (LOVE that feature.) Now I remember! There was a whole display of her books at the check out when I bought my Nook. Of course having spent so much money on my Nook, I wasn't buying any books that day. So I read it. In like 3 hours. And immediately did a search and bought and downloaded Blood Bound. Then fired off a text to Kim telling her she was going to love it and to get reading. Of course we both ended up reading all 5 books. And of course the Alpha & Omega spin off series is in my TBR pile.

Laurell K Hamilton. I actually found her late last year, with the Merry Books but I spent this year finding and reading the entire Anita Blake series. Of course Flirt and Bullet came out just in time to get them on my Nook. I do love my vampires and faeries.

Julie Kagawa. The Iron Fae series. Yes, you sense a theme here. It is a young adult series, but very interesting. I devoured both books and the novella out so far. Can't wait for the new book due out early 2011.

Vicki Pettersson. The Sign of the Zodiac books. Ok, this is where I give a big thumbs up to the Barnes & Noble free e-book of the week. Probably would not have picked up this book as a choice. I actually think the synopsis turned me off, but it was free and so I downloaded it and immediately forgot about it. Then one day I was bored, scanning through my books and there it was. By the time I was finished I was cursing myself for getting hooked on another series. By the end of the summer, I owned all 5 of her Zodiac books. And one of the Novellas. I still need to read Dark Matters and Shifting Star. Love this series.

Christine Feehan. My mom had given me a few books of hers before but they ended up in a TBR pile that I lost in the flood of 2008. Again, thanks to Kim, I am hooked on the Ghostwalker series. I am currently on book 6. (and now I find she has an entire Vampire series. Might have to start that next.) Suddenly I realize that I am seriously addicted to hard as steel, bad ass, highly trained,covert ops types. *sigh* (Case in point, Jason Statham in the movie, The Expendables. Oh, yes! PLEASE rescue me, Lee Christmas!)

Which brings me to...

Lora Leigh. And the Nauti Boy series. Yep. in my quest to find more books about take charge, highly trained and seriously hot, military types, I discovered this series. All I have to say is Yum. Of course I read them all. And then read them again. Did I mention Yum?

Gena Showalter. The Lords of the Underworld Series. I think this is what started my summer long craving for the aformentioned bad asses. These guys are all immortal warrior. I am loving the series and eagerly snapping up each book as it is released.

Julia London. I just discovered her via Facebook and am into my first book and eagerly awaiting the release of A Year of Living Scandalously. Also about to give Teresa Medeiros a try.

Also discovered Annmarie McKenna, R. G. Alexander, and Jennifer Cole. They write various Erotica titles.

Well, I guess thats about it. I am sure I forgot a bunch, but in addition to all these new authors/series, i discovered, i have also been reading the old favorite stand bys. Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux, Fern Micheals, Amanda Quick, Jayne Ann Krentz, Elizabeth Lowell...Just to name a few.

So...who have you been reading this summer? What are you looking forward to this fall?

I Love...?

Not sure I can find anything to love for today. Lets recap:

Have to have surgery.

On Nov. 11 I will be having a hysterectomy. I guess I will be off work for 2 months. Not loving this much. The only good thing is no more birth control and no more monthly woes.

Maverick losing his job.

So its official. GM will close as of Dec. 23. So that means Lear will also close along with 2 other companies. And i will still be off work at that time.

Pixie has a cracked tooth.

What that means is even though it is still a baby tooth she has to get a temporary crown which she will lose when she loses the tooth. This will be the second one she has. The girl is hard on her teeth.

Caveboy needs braces.

Yes better to find out now, while we still have insurance for a few months. But still one more round of expenses. Well over a thousand dollars we don't have.

So thats the status right now. I guess I will keep y'all updated.

I love medical problems requiring surgery...NOT!

Just found out I need surgery. Gonna be off work for 2 months, will have to be in the hospital 3 days. THIS SUCKS! I don't have a choice though. So It is looking like I will be having the urgery on Nov. 11th. Only 6 weeks from now. Oh Joy. Thats all I have to say for now.

I Love My Moped

There was a neighbor who used to tool around the neighborhood on an old moped. Been doing it for years. Now this neighbor is also one of my regular customers at the restaurant and a longtime friend of my father-in-law.

One day almost two months ago he tools by the house on a new moped. Now, I don't know about my readers, but here, mopeds have suddenly gained popularity due to the skyrocketing gas prices. So of course I say to the Mav "Did you see Russ on his new moped. I wonder if he is selling the old one." To which he replied, "Doubt it. He has had that one since he bought it from the original owner."

Flash forward a week or two to the neighborhood rummage sale. We threw some stuff in with our friends who live a block behind us. Another neighbor comes over, looking at the stuff for sale. He is also a regular customer and friend of Russ. We start talking, the new moped comes up and I ask what Russ plans to do with the old one. I am informed he is selling it.

YES! Like a sign, Maverick comes walking over and I hurry to tell him the news. He walks over to Russ' house and an hour later we are the proud owners of a 1979 Honda Express.

I love this thing! We all but fight over who gets to ride it. I took it to work almost everyday while J was layed off. Now the boys at work call me "Moped Mama"

Now she's been repainted and we have put hundreds of miles on her. She is almost 30 years old and runs like a top! I love the feeling of riding down the road with the wind in my hair. I just feel free.

Now Maverick and I are on the hunt for another moped. We want to be able to ride together. Meanwhile our friend got one also and now they ride to work together.

They have signed up on a website called Moped Army and if we get more than 4 people with Mopeds we will be a gang. I laugh just thinking about it! They already have a name for it. The Wild Mustangs. (Long story)

Trying to save some money now as I have found the moped I wish to purchase. Wish me luck!

I Love Summer

We its almost over and its been a busy one! The kids were gone to Missouri for a month, basement flooded for two months, found out Maverick (and a few thousand other people in Janesville) would be losing his job, got a moped, got a kitten, got a Wii, reconnected with an old friend....phew! Its been quite a summer.

I have barely been at home. While the kids were gone Maverick worked a bit then was layed off. We spent most of the time hanging with our friends and hanging out with each other.

Meanwhile our basement (along with half the city of Janesville) flooded. Maverick and I decided to make some money and threw some stuff in a rummage sale our friends were having. Yes we made money but we more than spent it when a neighbor got a new moped and sold his old one to us. I LOVE IT! (Whole 'nother blog entry.) I ride it to work and when Maverick goes back to work, he will ride it then. Saves a ton of money on gas.

Then it was time to go get the kids. Rained the whole way to Missouri and the whole way back. Fun times. Now that the kids are back we are still never home. I can probably list the number of times we have actually eaten at home. Usually we are grilling out (and eating outside)

Ahh the life of summer. lets see, what haven't I covered? Oh yeah, General Motors announced they would be closing the plant in Janesville which throws the entire city into a state of CHAOS! Most especially us. The closing of GM also means the closing of LSI and Lear, which is where Mav works of course. More fun times.

Freinds found 2 stray cats and tried to find them homes. well after a weekend of babysitting the little girl we ended up taking her. Sassy is a bundle of joy and especially ENERGY!

We finally got the Wii that we promised Caveboy if he kept his grades A's. The whole family has been enjoying it. Gives you a real work out.

And of course the friend I reconnected with is the one I have been spending most of my extra time with.

Its been a crazy summer and I hope the last month of it is as fun filled as this one.

How has your summer been?

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I love My Dogs

As you may have guessed. A few of my blogs have contained references to the two puppies we brought home last year. April and May are now about 10 months old. They are doing great. I don't mention our other two dogs much. Didi and Glory, affectionately anc collectively called: The Dummies, are now Just one. Didi, our 11 yo springer spaniel passed about two weeks ago.

We have had Didi since my oldest child Caveboy was just 2. She was joined one year later by Glory, my 10yo mutt. They had a tumultuous, sisterly relationship. Always fighting for dominance of the yard, kennel, food, and human attention. Didi was eager to please and attention hungry while Glory became aloof and cranky. A year ago the vet said that Didi had developed crystals on her stomach that could be cancerous tumors. This winter it became apparent that they had indeed developed into cancer. Didi began having trouble walking and was very apathetic. A few weeks ago Maverick noticed that she had a large lump on the side of her stomach and she began to stop eating well.

On Monday, April 28 Didi joined Bumper (Maverick's elderly springer spaniel) Darby (originally my dog but became Mom and dad's) and Mandy (Maverick's brother's family's Black Lab) in doggie heaven.

Miss Glory has adjusted quite well to her doggy sisters disapperance. She has calmed down in temperament. Becoming friendly and even affectionate. I have not heard her growl or bark at anyone since Didi's passing and whenever I enter the backyard she comes up to me for what has become our routine hug and petting before she goes into her kennel or eats. She is like a different dog. But I know she misses her sister. Every night she wanders the yard as if looking for Didi. It makes me sad to see but I know Didi is better off and not in pain anymore. And it is terrible to say, but the change has been remarkably good for Glory who is practically a new dog.

Well now the girls would like my attention and I have some doggie biscuits with their names on them.

So good bye from April, May, Glory, and Ursula.

I love going to Missouri

And I finally will be going. YAY! I hate winter and this year we have gotten a lions share of it. I also suffer from winter blahs. Add to that a loss of a job, the stress of starting a new job, working six days a week at said job, and then a heavy duty bout of bronchitis for three of my four family members coinciding with a death in the family. We are finally starting to feel better and it is warming up cautiously. That is to say it will be mostly 40s this week but each day starts out 20 or below and it is sure to be followed next week by 30's or lower.

But thats ok because God willing I will be in Missouri at the beginning of next week. Thats if I manage to fight off the last off this asthma/bronchtis and feel better. I still have to get through 4 more days of work and every day I am not feeling better it takes even more out of me.

Ok enough whining. Bottom line, I will feel better and I WILL be going to Missouri! I can't wait! My Mom has all sorts of stuff planned for us. She is making all of our fav foods and all sorts of stuff. It is only three days...so sad. But at least it is something. I am just happy to be going there. SO HAPPY!! Want lots of pictures while I am there so I have to remember my camera. Man I better start a list now...sigh.

This will also be the first trip with just May. (my black lab for those keeping track.) First time April and May will be seperated and everything. So I also have to remember all my doggie paraphanalia. LOL. Food, treats, a toy, leash, etc. The kids are excited I am excited and May doesn't know it yet but she is excited too. Hehehe.

Hope everyone is having a great day and sorry for my long absence.