Welcome to "Laurie Here - Contemporary Fiction and MORE - Book Reviews"! Join me and let's escape life into the wonderful world of books getting lost between the covers where the lives of the characters live and their amazing stories take place for a little while! Let's learn about the authors, too! I write "honest" book reviews about my experiences and tell you how the trip was! You may want to follow along with me, too! Leave a comment while you're here, too!
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
I AM BACK! I LOST OVER 100 lbs - AN ENTIRE PERSON LIGHTER!!! Come SEE!!!!
Hello!!!!!! HERE I AM at 120 lbs!!! 102lbs GONE!!! Yes, I got UP to 220 lbs, NO SURGERY!!! This is as of September 17, 2017!
It NEVER occurred to me to take 'BEFORE' photos because I could NOT take them and even look at my ugly FAT body! I felt SO horrible about myself and hating what I looked like, I could not STAND ANY photos of how I looked!
With this RARE neurological muscle disease I have, Stiff Person Syndrome, it makes 'movement' for me almost impossible! I never stuffed my face, I just could NOT move without getting muscle spasms! I GAINED WEIGHT - OVER 100 lbs! Holy macro!!! However, once gained, SURELY IT NEEDS TO COME OFF!!!
But . . . 'HOW' can I possibly do this? Here I am with this rare muscle disease that causes my muscles to go rigid and stiff, then spasm out of control! HOW the heck was I going to do this, I continued to ask myself this question over and over because almost EVERYTHING I do causes muscle spasms to happen to me! Frustrated, I had NO CLUE???
Until . . . my husband's employer sent around a questionnaire to ALL of the employees and their families asking them 'what type of social events would you like us to offer you?'
WOW! They offered several suggestions, but WE, my husband and I, thought of something we thought was original and NOT on the form, so we marked the "Other" box and filled it in with: A membership to our local YMCA!
Little did we know that not only did WE think of this, but so did almost ALL of the other employees and their families! WOW! THIS IS SO COOL! YES!! Other people wanted this SAME thing that we did! THAT IS WHAT WE ALL GOT!
I had visions in my head of swimming in the pool! I knew working out in the water is some of the BEST physical therapy I can possibly get/do, and boy did I ever want that pool BADLY! I had tried it YEARS ago, but at that time the YMCA was not a handicap accessible building being built in 1920 something, but now, now it's a beautiful brand NEW building more than accessible!
Regardless of whether or not this was going to be a possibility or not, WE WERE going to do it! This was going to be the perfect answer for the BOTH of us! Myself, sedentary due to the disease I suffer from, I HAD to find an answer AND a way to STOP ANY FURTHER WEIGHT GAIN! Little did I know what was about to happen!
I started in September 2016, I stopped blogging because I was SO fatigued I could NOT stay awake long enough to read! WOW, the fatigue was and still is overwhelming at times! I needed naps and I still do. I just could not stay awake to be able to read. It's 'slightly' better, I just have to REALLY stick to a schedule!!
I started out with Arthritis classes, everything went along fine, but I started getting in trouble for swimming and just letting the water take me! Oops!!! Next thing I know I stubbed my baby toe here at home. Ouch! I could no longer do the arthritis classes because I could not balance like we had to do in the classes. I moved over to the lap pool, and I started playing in the water and swimming in the deeper water. The water DID take me away! I LOVED it!!
Yes, it hurt at first. I had to figure out how to swim with this muscle disease. I started getting it down! Slowly, already knowing how to swim, I learned how to incorporate swimming laps into that! Sure, I'm slow, but who cares?! I'm doing it!! I'm in heaven!!!! All I do now is swim laps, still! I have much improved, too, thankfully! Lol!! I have always loved swimming, and this is the BEST exercise for someone with the kind of muscle disease I have as swimming exercises EVERY muscle in your body! I did try the machines in the gym, but nope! Those are a huge FAIL! They induce muscle spasms in my body. That's okay! I much prefer swimming!
It took me until April/May of 2017 to FINALLY lose most of my weight, and by June I dropped the rest of the way down to 120 lbs! I ONLY ate salad for my dinners with chicken for protein. I saw my Dr and she was flabbergasted!! I was pretty darned happy! She insisted I add the Slim Fast or ANY high protein supplement to my diet. She had NO CLUE I even started on this weight loss journey! I probably should have checked with her first like everyone tells you to do, but I did just see her, and everything seemed fine! Cool! So, imagine her smile when she saw me!! That made me VERY happy! (I want to interject here to PLEASE see your physician BEFORE you start ANY weight loss venture! I already DO see many doctors for this muscle disease, and was already told I need to lose weight as I was considered obese, of course! They were worried I could develop Diabetes, especially given this disease I have often includes diabetes with it, and I did go through a short period when I first got SPS with being on the borderline of being diabetic. I had to check my blood sugars with the machine, etc., and I also had to keep going into the office having that checked as well as other testing. Thankfully my body adjusted and I fought diabetes OFF! YEAH!!!!)
I also shocked my Neurologist and other doctors with my weight loss as well! I made them do double-takes when they just saw me in the waiting room! I LOVED that!! I still do! My Neurologist told me "HE" was going to take up swimming! Lol!!! So did my other doctors, especially one I have been seeing for at least the last 20 years!
Perfect! I am now the thinnest I have EVER been I my entire lifetime! I am pretty darned happy!!! I am ecstatic!!! In addition, my body also 'looks' athletic now as well!
I went from a 3XL down to a small in pants and a medium in tops! WOW!! I think this is unbelievably wonderful!!!!! This took me a good 10 months to do, LESS time than I EVER thought, but it took HUGE amounts of self-control and dedication!
Now it's one year later, September 26, 2017, I have completed two full years of weight loss, rebuilding muscle while swimming and keeping the weight OFF as I start my third year of healthy living! I am STILL successfully holding my weight at 120! SUCCESS!! I swim 4X a week still, I look forward to every day in that pool as the water takes away the pain I have in my back from the damage done to my spine by the muscle spasms. Water is miraculous! I SWEAR by it! Better than ANY pain medications!!!
One not so good thing is I have put off is surgery, for years now on my spine, and I can no longer do that anymore, so within a few months I will be having that huge surgery. I will GREATLY miss swimming until I can get back in that pool again!! Swimming will be my Physical Therapy! I won't have it ANY other way!
At 80% muscle mass, below 28% body fat, hydrated at about 50%, I should be a perfect candidate and in the BEST shape possible for surgery!
I HAVE to sit still a little more (a challenge with weight again!) and surgery WILL knock me OFF my feet for a good while, sadly, however, that means one GREAT thing! BACK to blogging about books! It won't be a lot of books, but just watch! You'll get a notification when I do post reviews if you follow me!
I have to start, so here goes!
ANY QUESTIONS? ASK AWAY IN THE COMMENTS!! I'll help ALL I can, especially if YOU are struggling with weight I'll share what I did, or try to!
THANKS FOR READING THIS!
Laurie, September 26, 2018
Thursday, July 6, 2017
#Enter the 2017 Lazy Days of Summer $250 #Giveaway NOW to 7-26!
Lazy Days of Summer $250 Giveaway
July 6th to 26th
Thanks to this fabulous group on bloggers and authors for joining me to bring you this awesome giveaway. Enter for your chance to win $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon Gift Card.
Sponsor List
I Am A Reader
Helen Smith
Rainy Days and Pajamas
Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Love
Julie Coulter Bellon
Rebecca Talley
Simple Wyrdings
The Lovely Books
Karmack by JC Whyte
More Than a Review
Heather Gray, Author of Inspirational Romance
Jennifer Faye ~ Romance Author
Dawn Malone, Author
Krysten Lindsay Hager
Jo Noelle
Sweet & Sassy Books
B. Kristin McMichael
Caroline Clemmons
AJourneyWithoutMap
Glistering: B's Blog
BookHounds
Hooked to Books - Book and Reading Gadget Reviews
Lori's Reading Corner
Author Alecia Stone
Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and More
K.N. Lee
Huithiang!
Geybie's Book Blog
Author Crystal Marcos
Author Felicia Starr
Everly Frost, YA Author
Donna K. Weaver
Terry Deighton - Children's Author
Anna del C. Dye
Inger Iversen
Rachelle J. Christensen
magicalcoolcatmystery
Konstanz Silverbow
Living Simply
Giveaway Details
$250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift CardEnds 7/26/17
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, May 5, 2017
2017 Mother's Day #Kindle #Fire #Giveaway ($250 value!!) NOW to 5-13! Come #enter!
2017 Mother's Day Kindle Fire Giveaway ($250 Value)
The price of a Kindle Fire has come way down in the past few years but this giveaway is still valued at $250. That's plenty of cash to buy a Kindle Fire AND load it full of book. The winner will have their choice of a $250 Amazon.com Gift Card or $250 in Paypal Cash!
Thanks to this awesome group of authors, bloggers and publishers for making this giveaway possible.
Sponsor List
I Am A Reader
Kathy Habel
Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and MORE
Heather Boyd, Regency Romance Author
Author Mary Ting
Author Dorothy Dreyer
Helen Smith
MagicalCoolCatMysteries
Toi Thomas
Heather Gray, Author
Glistering: B's Blog
Geybie's Book Blog
Wishful Endings
Prism Book Tours
Lori's Reading Corner
Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Romance
Joshua David Bellin
Author Crystal Marcos
Jo Noelle
Cynthia Luhrs Author
Pauline Creeden, Author
B. Kristin McMichael
Joyce DiPastena
Lise McClendon - Author
Simple Wyrdings
Auggie @ AuggieTalk
LeahSay's View
Giveaway Details
$250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card
Ends 5/13/17
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, April 3, 2017
#Spring Into #CASH $250 #GIVEAWAY - NOW to April 15th! Come #enter !!
Spring Into Cash $250 Giveaway
Spring is here!! To celebrate an awesome group of bloggers, authors and publishers has joined with me to bring you one fabulous prize!!
Enter for your chance to win $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com gift code!!
Thanks to these sponsors for helping make this giveaway possible.
Sponsor List
I Am A Reader
Kim Cresswell -Author of Suspense and Thrillers
S.T. Bende
Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and MORE
Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Krysten Lindsay Hager author
Lori's Reading Corner
Helen Smith
Heather Gray, Author
Happily Ever Chapter
Caroline Clemmons
Jamie Brook Thompson, Author of Clean Romance
Glistering: B's Blog
Author Deb Atwood
Sweet & Sassy Books
Author Laurie Treacy
Author Ednah Walters
Pauline Creeden, Author
Author Ali Winters
D.S. Venetta
Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Love
Geybie's Book Blog
D.E. Haggerty, author
B. Kristin McMichael
Dawn Malone, Author
Inger Iversen
Giveaway Details
$250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift CardEnds 4/15/17
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Saturday, April 1, 2017
#NEW #Book #Release + #Book #Review "It Happens All the Time" by @AmyHatvany #Consent
Description:
From master storyteller Amy Hatvany—whose writing has been hailed as “gripping and emotionally honest” (Stephanie Evanovich, New York Times betselling author)—comes a provocative and compelling novel about two friends whose lives are changed by a drunken kiss.
I want to rewind the clock, take back the night when the world shattered. I want to erase everything that went wrong.
Amber Bryant and Tyler Hicks have been best friends since they were teenagers—trusting and depending on each other through some of the darkest periods of their young lives. And while Amber has always felt that their relationship is strictly platonic, Tyler has long harbored the secret desire that they might one day become more than friends.
Returning home for the summer after her college graduation, Amber begins spending more time with Tyler than she has in years. Despite the fact that Amber is engaged to her college sweetheart, a flirtation begins to grow between them. One night, fueled by alcohol and concerns about whether she’s getting married too young, Amber kisses Tyler.
What happens next will change them forever.
In alternating points of view, It Happens All the Time examines the complexity of sexual dynamics between men and women and offers an incisive exploration of gender roles, expectations, and the ever-timely issue of consent.
MY Take:
4 Stars
Warning: This book is about "CONSENT", so yes, a "RAPE" does happen. If this is a situation you don't want to relive, or if this is a touchy subject for you, I warn you to not read this book or this review if you are in a place in your life where this subject matter could possibly affect you in ANY way because it WILL bother you. If you are dealing with issues like this, or have been for a long time and do not have these issues resolved yet, please don't read the book or the rest of this review unless you think it would help you. You have to keep protecting yourself, and if you have not come to terms with what has happened to yourself yet, then wait. Do what you need to do for yourself first before you bring back all your memories of your consent being violated.
I can see this book is going to bring this subject of 'consent' up all over the place, and this makes me very happy. I see this book making a huge impact about 'consent' in many groups, book clubs, between friends, best friends, acquaintances, and maybe even in social media, and on television talk shows, too. I DO see this book becoming a best seller because of the issue of consent in this book being violated. I think consent always needs to be brought up and discussed because it is so often violated. I think things have gotten a little lax about it lately, again, as well. Consent seems to wax and wane. I can even attest to this very fact in my own experiences. The word consent starts to take on different meanings at times, especially as different situations presents themselves. Remember also, 9 times out of 10, when our consent is violated, we DO KNOW WHO the person is who has done it, and if we will continuously run into that person, or have to see them again, it's a constant reminder of what happened. Let's call it what it is. It's rape. Scary. It's often someone you know who does it to you, too, and in this case, it's her best friend who she felt the absolute safest with. Rapists are friends, acquaintances, family members (of which we have heard of a particular christian family having one of their own brothers violating the consent of five of his sisters of all ages), a neighbor, or the stranger you've never met until then.
Consent is always a good thing to bring up repeatedly as a reminder to men that when a woman says the word NO, NO MEANS NO! None of this, 'but she was dressed so sexy', or 'the way she was acting towards me told me she wanted it.' NO! No means NO! Sadly in court rooms across any country, these very things are brought up to be held against the woman, trying to show the woman really DID give a positive consent for the man to do what he did. This has never changed. We still fight it, and these 'same' issues are brought up repeatedly. I cannot believe we have not moved away from this and still fight against it.
Consent. Consent should be simple, right? It is simple. The answer is a "Yes" or a "No". When consent is a NO, it should be immediately respected. Consent should be listened to and followed no matter if that means a yes or no. Consent is a clear answer for the other party to listen to and follow directions, and yes, 9 times out of 10 it's the man who is the one who is pushing the boundaries of consent and/or not listening to us, the female, at all. The men try to turn a NO from us into a YES. OR, he refuses to listen at ALL and he violates your body. YOUR BODY! Not his, YOURS/OURS! I have a male friend who always tells me it's MY BODY, MY DECISION to vote with it! "I" decide to give consent or not. Men don't always listen, especially if there is alcohol involved and defenses and judgmental thinking is not there. When the word NO is spoken, it needs to stop right then and there! In this case it was not so simple. Men, when women say NO, we mean NO!!! Let's also face it. Men ARE stronger than we women are, and even in this story, Amber pretty much gives up as that very thought does go through her head. As this thought is going through her head, she knows she has no chance in fighting him to get him to stop or to get him off of her. She is helpless against his strength even though she is a Personal Trainer and very strong herself, she gives up. I clearly understand why. We are not going to be able to fight a man off of us who has an end result in his mind and is not listening for consent! I admit I'm not strong enough to fight a man off of me. I'll also admit I've been in this predicament myself actually a few times. I did fight back with one, and I DID win, but that was only one time. There were a few other times, and I lost. Many men think because you may have a very attractive body, that that alone in itself is consent. No!!! I think MANY of us women have been in this same exact predicament. Sometimes the men do listen, but most of the time they don't listen to us.
There are also times when a couple are being romantic and things start going to far for the woman. She decides she does not want to have happen what will eventually. She tells the man no. Please stop. She is ignored, and this is what happens to Amber.
At first after something like this happens, ALL women are affected by it to many different levels. Other times, some women are much more affected by rape than others are and are practically paralyzed from it, having the hardest time trying to move forward in their lives because of it, but what does matter is in the end, we have been violated against our will, and our words of NO were not listened to! We did NOT give our consent. NO! Our answer was ignored. Now we women are left to deal with this the rest of our lives. This is not something that EVER goes away. It can be absolutely devastating. Some women are able to move forward easier than others are, but just because that happens does not in ANY way mean it's okay for a man to rape a woman. Men move along as nothing bad happened, and they have no conscious about it. They are fine. They move along living fine without any issues affecting them whatsoever, unless they have some type of court battle to deal with, or the police, etc., and then it's just a pain in their rear only. It doesn't affect them at all.
Again, this story is told in alternating voices between Amber and Tyler. I'm not giving away a spoilers here purposely, but it doesn't take too much to figure out just by reading the description alone as to who is going to be raped and by whom. When the book opens, the first scene is Amber returning home for the holidays. She lives a good seven hours away from her parents house, and this is the first time in the few short months she has been dating a man she finds who treats her like a Queen! She is in love with Daniel, and this is the first time they have had to split up and go their separate ways to be with family over the holidays. She misses him, but also notices Tyler laying on her parents couch, sleeping. She realizes he has now a grown man, no longer a little boy. She thinks he looks very good in this new body of his. It suits him well, and she is still happy with her boyfriend, Daniel. She suffers through the holidays with food being pushed onto her, and we learn of a very severe eating disorder she has had and does still struggle with it daily. ALL this food that her mother is assaulting her with is driving her insane. Amber likes to be thin, and even works as a Personal Trainer. She really is lucky to be alive, given the Anorexia she suffered with for years, always wanting to be thinner but only landing her in the hospital. Who is there for her through her struggle to get healthy again? Tyler. Tyler is the one who visits her every day. They are best friends, and even to this day as she talks to her now fiance', Daniel, she always reminds him that Tyler is her best friend. Daniel does not like that she has another man as a best friend, he does start to get jealous. (Even I have a man who is my best friend!! I completely understand how she feels about Tyler!) She feels NOTHING sexual towards Tyler, and what Tyler gives her is a complete feeling of being SAFE with him. Tyler cares for her and he has her back in any situation, and she does the same for him. After all, this IS what best friends do for each other, right? They talk about anything, and they even know what the other is thinking! This is truly a best friend. Sadly, in a male to female relationships, lines can be crossed so very easily, and this is exactly what happens.
When you first start reading this book, we find out Tyler has loved Amber since he was a teenager, since his own parents split up and Amber's parents pretty much took Tyler in to care for him as his single mother worked to keep a roof over their heads, the bills paid for and to give Tyler the best life that she could give him.
Tyler is driven to his breaking point from his father over and over and over again and again and again. His father is a VILE man. No wonder the divorce! The problem - Tyler has been in love with Amber for as long as he can remember. These feelings have never changed for him. Does the same go for Amber? NO. Amber is engaged to another man named Daniel. We learn all of the backstory from the two characters, each with their own alternating chapters as we hear their voices and what the other means to them. It is at about the 40% area in the ebook when the rape occurs.
The rest of the book shows us how both Amber and Tyler deal with the rape, the good and the bad, but mostly the bad. Is rape ever good, no.
I could relate to the character of Amber more after her rape than before her rape. I realized I didn't know if I really liked her character all that much. It seemed as if something was missing from her character, and I can't quite put my finger on it, but she would not have been a best friend of mine, and that is the only reason I rated this book at a four star rating, otherwise I would give it a five. I felt as if I needed to like Amber more than I did in the beginning of the book. I need to be able to relate to her better, and I couldn't. I felt sorry for her with her eating disorder, but Tyler's character was much more well developed. I liked Tyler in the beginning. Even after the rape, Tyler was much more vocal about things. Perhaps that is it. Amber was not vocal enough. Her character was not as personable as Tyler's was. Something was lacking in Amber.
Amber does end up pressing charges against Tyler, and that is what both characters go through as Amber searches for some type of meaning to what her best friend did to her, and also looks for some type of healing.
Overall, this is an excellent book about consent gone wrong.
I'll say this again, as long as things are good with you and consent issues, this is an excellent book to read, and the author does an excellent job writing it for us. Again, if you do have issues with consent, I would suggest staying away from this book so it does not cause further issues unless you think reading about it can help you with your own life. If you don't have any issues with consent, I think this is a MUST READ!!! Learn from this book what could happen, and take anything else this book may teach you, even if it is a fictional story. There is a lot to be learned from it. Enjoy!!
I want to thank the publisher, Atria, for providing a copy of this book for me to read and write a review about it of my own opinion, and I want to thank NetGalley for providing the copy of the book.
Print book: $13.68
ebook: $11.99
Sunday, March 26, 2017
#StackingtheShelves #64 #Blog updates, #Giveaway and week's end as of March 25, 2017!
Thanks to our Sponsor, Tynga's Reviews!
How Stacking the Shelves works!
Hello everyone! It's that time of week again, that time to do an awesome "SHOW AND TELL" of the books I have been given, from authors, from publishers, I bought, borrowed, or received somehow, the library, a yard sale, or some way this past week! I LOVE showing books off like this! This is one of MY favorite posts to write!!
I also use THIS POST EACH WEEK to do somewhat of a wrap-up AND to post my NEW REVIEWS, NEW GIVEAWAYS, and whatever else I should bring to your attention!
After you are done reading HERE, click on the Sponsor's name up above and see THEIR post for Stacking the Shelves, too! They have a link-up with OVER 100-200 other blogs that also participate!
I'm also finding OTHER PLACES TO LINK UP TO AS WELL! I'm finding these places from other blogs, and they are GREAT ideas! The following NEW one is Talk of the Town where we can add ALL THINGS BOOKISH! Check it out!
I will also be linking this post AND my reviews to Saturday Situation (WHICH IS NOW HELD AT "PURE IMAGINATION" JUST CLICK ON THE NAME AND IT WILL TAKE YOU THERE) as well from now on, too! That is a place to link ALL THINGS BOOKISH! Check it out there, too, because there are MANY OTHER BLOGS you will find you might want to follow, too! She also have another link-up of GIVEAWAYS!!! Visit ALL those blogs, and you might win some books!!
Welcome everyone!
Hey! A Stacking the Shelves post!! Thanks for STILL coming back and supporting me/the blog!!! YOU are AMAZING PEOPLE!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!! YOU KNOW THAT!!
You all know I have been doing some other things in life that have taken some time away from my blog a bit, in particular, swimming for physical therapy (the ONLY exercise I can do because of the rare neurological muscle disease I have, Stiff Person Syndrome, the rare disease that doctors are starting to think is VERY under-diagnosed!! I'm always trying to bring awareness to it and other rare diseases as well!!
I've ALWAYS LOVED swimming, so this is more FUN than ANY other physical therapy I have EVER done in my life!!! I MUST admit that!) a huge PLUS from the swimming is losing weight! I have now SURPASSED my goal of losing 50lbs, and I've lost 54lbs!!!! I'm SO HAPPY!!!!
I will also say I don't recognize MY OWN BODY at times!!! I see my legs, and I wonder WHO DO THOSE BELONG TO???? LOLOL!!! This is AMAZING!!!! I can't think of a time I've been MORE FIT!!! (Yes, I DO STILL get muscle spasms, so it's a delicate balance I have to do with everything, and takes a LOT of thought and dedication to get it right - then there are times that no matter WHAT I do that I STILL get muscle spasms!!!! Ugh!!! It's a disease with it's OWN mind ALL of the time!!) There are other things I've been up to as well, but I am LIVING and enjoying life the it's FULLEST NOW more so than I EVER have!!!
YES!!!! I AM STILL READING, how could "I" not??? LOL! The bummer part is I am SO BEHIND in writing reviews it's crazy!! I WILL catch up! Promise! I have so many books to read, too. The swimming takes EVERYTHING out of me at times, and sometimes I DO OVER-DO it!!
I've also been fighting a few health issues as well, colds and other things, so it hasn't been easy, but I AM doing it!!!
About swimming - I swim 3-4 times per week, as much as my BODY WILL ALLOW ME TO. I added swimming the 50 Mile Club!! Yes! We sign up to promise to swim 50 miles in the lap pool and we have a year to do it, (just in case the spasms set in I thought that time-line was something I AM capable of doing!) I started swimming my miles last December, and I just hit mile #42! This means I only have 8 more miles to swim and I have hit 50! Yeah! I can ALMOST TOUCH that t-shirt!! LOL!!! Yes! We win a special t-shirt for accomplishing our goal!!! This is a goal we set for ourselves, and it's not set against any other people, you can't set it against other people because we are ALL DIFFERENT!! So this is our OWN SET OF GOALS FOR ONLY OURSELVES! (I must admit I think that is a much harder! I tend to push myself TOO HARD at times, and I have to rein myself back in and remind myself, or the muscle spasms will!! I have NO OTHER WEIGHT LOSS GOALS NOW. I am allowing MY BODY to set the tone it wants to lose weight OR NOT!! I am healthy, eating healthy, and doing whatever I can to STAY as healthy as I am able to with SPS!!
I will continue to keep you posted!!!
If you have read any GREAT books, please leave a comment below!! We'd LOVE to know!!! Tell us a little about them!! Please!!! ANY recommendations you have, WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THEM!!!
Here are a MANY NEW books I have received for review!!
***Don't forget about the LUCK OF THE IRISH $250 CASH GIVEAWAY! It ENDS March 31st! THIS FRIDAY IT'S OVER! Get your entry in now!! Here's the link:
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
This is a HUGE HAUL!!!! I am behind due to the above, so it will take me just a bit to catch up to ALLLLLL of these books!!!
I will also put an * if the book is already released and available for you to buy NOW!!
Get ready . . . here we go!!!! "16 books!" Wow!!!! I'm going to be busy!!! That will keep me out of trouble!! LOL!!! Maybe!!!
I believe that is all for now??? If I missed any, I'll be sure to include them next week!
Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!! I am!!!
Laurie
The Night Mark by Tiffany Reisz - Rel. March 28th - MIRA (I JUST got this book this week, so I'm NOT behind on it! LOL!)
*An Almond for A Parrot by Wray Delaney - Rel. Feb 28th, 2017 - this book is amazing to read!!! The woman is in jail getting ready to have her trial because she killed someone, and this takes place, if I am remembering correctly, the 1700's. She decided to write the story of her life because she found out she is pregnant. Verified by a doctor that she is pregnant, she has time to write that life story down! She worked most of her life as a prostitute in a bar, and it is SO interesting!! I read this one and can't stop! Wow!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and I'm ONLY into the first part of it! I know the rest of this story has a LOT to tell!!
I Love You Today by Marcia Gloster Rel. April 18, 2017 Story Plant This book is ALSO VERY interesting! It's about the mob from the WOMEN'S points of view!!! WOW!!!
*The Cutaway by Christina Kovac Rel March 21, 2017 - I 'just' got this book, too.
*The Forgotten Girls by Owen Laukkanen - Rel. March 17, 2017 Penguin
Another AMAZING story! About a railroad track in a certain area where through the grapevine, it's KNOWN - do NOT travel the railways there alone. Many girls have done so, despite the warnings, and now ALL these girls are now gone. Now starts the investigation after a woman met a man and went back to his home with him. HE was NOT the danger. What she did was paid attention to the code he used as a key to get into his home. She saw his phone sitting on the table as he went into the other room to do something. Out of boredom, she picks his phone up and tried that same 4 digit code to get into his phone. It works! She looks at his photos until she comes to one particular photograph, and she starts screaming and doesn't stop until the police arrive! In the photo behind the man she just went back to his house with, she sees a dead body just behind him in the photo. She starts screaming and never stops until the police get there. This opens a HUGE investigation, and come to find out, MANY, MANY MISSING GIRLS' BODIES ARE FOUND THERE . . . thus starts a HUGE investigation! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED just from the first several chapters!!
After the Fall by Julie Cohen - Rel. May 2, 2017 - St Martins Press
(What a beautiful cover! Right in time for "Spring" - This "makes you" want to pick this book up!! At least I do!!)
It's Always the Husband by Michelle Campbell - May 16, 2017 - St Martins Press
*Gone Without A Trace by Mary Torjussen Rel. March 23, 2017 - Headline
The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick - Rel. May 9, 2017 - Berkley - I LOVE this cover!! SO mysterious!!
It Happens All the Time by Amy Hatvany Rel. March 28, 2017 - My blog tour stop is on April 1st - this coming Saturday! Be SURE to come by to find out about this book!! This book promises to be amazing per the publisher!! Publisher: Atria
The Break Down by B A Paris - Releases with two conflicting dates: NetGalley states June 20th, and Goodreads states: July 18th - which is it? Publisher: St Martins Press This is by the author of Behind Closed Doors! I DID read that book and reviewed it, and it was pretty good! HUGE twist in it you NEVER saw coming! This Thriller promises that and MORE!! I'm excited to read this one!
The Map that Leads to You by JP Monninger Rel June 13, 2017 St Martins Press
The Young Wives Club by Julie Pennell - Rel Feb 14th, 2017 Atria
I am into a good portion of this book, and it IS Women's Fiction at it's BEST!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
The Garden of Small Beginnings Rel May 2, 2017 Berkley
The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White Rel April 11, 2017 Berkley
All the Best People by Sonja Yoerg Rel May 2, 2017 Berkley
Sonja Yoerg is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE AUTHORS!!! She started out with the birth of the ebook! I've known her a long time now, and she TRULY is a wonderful person, someone I call a dear friend! I am SO looking forward to diving into this NEW book of hers! First I have to finish reading It Happens All the Time, above, then I am going to read this book IMMEDIATELY!!! Sonja has written a variety of fiction books, and each book is so different from the other, I find it refreshing! She always has every little detail written to perfection, and keeps you glued to her writing. She is one author who does not let one little detail slip by! Her previous books she has written should be read as well! You'll be impressed with this author! You'll be looking forward to each new book she writes! I say to simply enjoy the stories as she writes them! Set some time aside to be able to really dig into her work! You'll LOVE it!
This book will examine a woman who starts losing touch with reality. Mental issues start to cloud her judgement, and it is the early 1970's as this is happening. Psychological issues in women at that time were simply to call women crazy. So MUCH has changed since then, for the better, thankfully! You can expect a full and very satisfying read with this or ANY book Sonja Yoerg has written! Enjoy this book to it's fullest!!
Welcome everyone!
Hey! A Stacking the Shelves post!! Thanks for STILL coming back and supporting me/the blog!!! YOU are AMAZING PEOPLE!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!! YOU KNOW THAT!!
You all know I have been doing some other things in life that have taken some time away from my blog a bit, in particular, swimming for physical therapy (the ONLY exercise I can do because of the rare neurological muscle disease I have, Stiff Person Syndrome, the rare disease that doctors are starting to think is VERY under-diagnosed!! I'm always trying to bring awareness to it and other rare diseases as well!!
I've ALWAYS LOVED swimming, so this is more FUN than ANY other physical therapy I have EVER done in my life!!! I MUST admit that!) a huge PLUS from the swimming is losing weight! I have now SURPASSED my goal of losing 50lbs, and I've lost 54lbs!!!! I'm SO HAPPY!!!!
I will also say I don't recognize MY OWN BODY at times!!! I see my legs, and I wonder WHO DO THOSE BELONG TO???? LOLOL!!! This is AMAZING!!!! I can't think of a time I've been MORE FIT!!! (Yes, I DO STILL get muscle spasms, so it's a delicate balance I have to do with everything, and takes a LOT of thought and dedication to get it right - then there are times that no matter WHAT I do that I STILL get muscle spasms!!!! Ugh!!! It's a disease with it's OWN mind ALL of the time!!) There are other things I've been up to as well, but I am LIVING and enjoying life the it's FULLEST NOW more so than I EVER have!!!
YES!!!! I AM STILL READING, how could "I" not??? LOL! The bummer part is I am SO BEHIND in writing reviews it's crazy!! I WILL catch up! Promise! I have so many books to read, too. The swimming takes EVERYTHING out of me at times, and sometimes I DO OVER-DO it!!
I've also been fighting a few health issues as well, colds and other things, so it hasn't been easy, but I AM doing it!!!
About swimming - I swim 3-4 times per week, as much as my BODY WILL ALLOW ME TO. I added swimming the 50 Mile Club!! Yes! We sign up to promise to swim 50 miles in the lap pool and we have a year to do it, (just in case the spasms set in I thought that time-line was something I AM capable of doing!) I started swimming my miles last December, and I just hit mile #42! This means I only have 8 more miles to swim and I have hit 50! Yeah! I can ALMOST TOUCH that t-shirt!! LOL!!! Yes! We win a special t-shirt for accomplishing our goal!!! This is a goal we set for ourselves, and it's not set against any other people, you can't set it against other people because we are ALL DIFFERENT!! So this is our OWN SET OF GOALS FOR ONLY OURSELVES! (I must admit I think that is a much harder! I tend to push myself TOO HARD at times, and I have to rein myself back in and remind myself, or the muscle spasms will!! I have NO OTHER WEIGHT LOSS GOALS NOW. I am allowing MY BODY to set the tone it wants to lose weight OR NOT!! I am healthy, eating healthy, and doing whatever I can to STAY as healthy as I am able to with SPS!!
I will continue to keep you posted!!!
If you have read any GREAT books, please leave a comment below!! We'd LOVE to know!!! Tell us a little about them!! Please!!! ANY recommendations you have, WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THEM!!!
Here are a MANY NEW books I have received for review!!
***Don't forget about the LUCK OF THE IRISH $250 CASH GIVEAWAY! It ENDS March 31st! THIS FRIDAY IT'S OVER! Get your entry in now!! Here's the link:
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
This is a HUGE HAUL!!!! I am behind due to the above, so it will take me just a bit to catch up to ALLLLLL of these books!!!
I will also put an * if the book is already released and available for you to buy NOW!!
Get ready . . . here we go!!!! "16 books!" Wow!!!! I'm going to be busy!!! That will keep me out of trouble!! LOL!!! Maybe!!!
I believe that is all for now??? If I missed any, I'll be sure to include them next week!
Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!! I am!!!
Laurie
The Night Mark by Tiffany Reisz - Rel. March 28th - MIRA (I JUST got this book this week, so I'm NOT behind on it! LOL!)
*An Almond for A Parrot by Wray Delaney - Rel. Feb 28th, 2017 - this book is amazing to read!!! The woman is in jail getting ready to have her trial because she killed someone, and this takes place, if I am remembering correctly, the 1700's. She decided to write the story of her life because she found out she is pregnant. Verified by a doctor that she is pregnant, she has time to write that life story down! She worked most of her life as a prostitute in a bar, and it is SO interesting!! I read this one and can't stop! Wow!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and I'm ONLY into the first part of it! I know the rest of this story has a LOT to tell!!
I Love You Today by Marcia Gloster Rel. April 18, 2017 Story Plant This book is ALSO VERY interesting! It's about the mob from the WOMEN'S points of view!!! WOW!!!
*The Cutaway by Christina Kovac Rel March 21, 2017 - I 'just' got this book, too.
*The Forgotten Girls by Owen Laukkanen - Rel. March 17, 2017 Penguin
Another AMAZING story! About a railroad track in a certain area where through the grapevine, it's KNOWN - do NOT travel the railways there alone. Many girls have done so, despite the warnings, and now ALL these girls are now gone. Now starts the investigation after a woman met a man and went back to his home with him. HE was NOT the danger. What she did was paid attention to the code he used as a key to get into his home. She saw his phone sitting on the table as he went into the other room to do something. Out of boredom, she picks his phone up and tried that same 4 digit code to get into his phone. It works! She looks at his photos until she comes to one particular photograph, and she starts screaming and doesn't stop until the police arrive! In the photo behind the man she just went back to his house with, she sees a dead body just behind him in the photo. She starts screaming and never stops until the police get there. This opens a HUGE investigation, and come to find out, MANY, MANY MISSING GIRLS' BODIES ARE FOUND THERE . . . thus starts a HUGE investigation! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED just from the first several chapters!!
After the Fall by Julie Cohen - Rel. May 2, 2017 - St Martins Press
(What a beautiful cover! Right in time for "Spring" - This "makes you" want to pick this book up!! At least I do!!)
It's Always the Husband by Michelle Campbell - May 16, 2017 - St Martins Press
*Gone Without A Trace by Mary Torjussen Rel. March 23, 2017 - Headline
The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick - Rel. May 9, 2017 - Berkley - I LOVE this cover!! SO mysterious!!
It Happens All the Time by Amy Hatvany Rel. March 28, 2017 - My blog tour stop is on April 1st - this coming Saturday! Be SURE to come by to find out about this book!! This book promises to be amazing per the publisher!! Publisher: Atria
The Break Down by B A Paris - Releases with two conflicting dates: NetGalley states June 20th, and Goodreads states: July 18th - which is it? Publisher: St Martins Press This is by the author of Behind Closed Doors! I DID read that book and reviewed it, and it was pretty good! HUGE twist in it you NEVER saw coming! This Thriller promises that and MORE!! I'm excited to read this one!
The Map that Leads to You by JP Monninger Rel June 13, 2017 St Martins Press
The Young Wives Club by Julie Pennell - Rel Feb 14th, 2017 Atria
I am into a good portion of this book, and it IS Women's Fiction at it's BEST!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
The Garden of Small Beginnings Rel May 2, 2017 Berkley
The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White Rel April 11, 2017 Berkley
All the Best People by Sonja Yoerg Rel May 2, 2017 Berkley
Sonja Yoerg is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE AUTHORS!!! She started out with the birth of the ebook! I've known her a long time now, and she TRULY is a wonderful person, someone I call a dear friend! I am SO looking forward to diving into this NEW book of hers! First I have to finish reading It Happens All the Time, above, then I am going to read this book IMMEDIATELY!!! Sonja has written a variety of fiction books, and each book is so different from the other, I find it refreshing! She always has every little detail written to perfection, and keeps you glued to her writing. She is one author who does not let one little detail slip by! Her previous books she has written should be read as well! You'll be impressed with this author! You'll be looking forward to each new book she writes! I say to simply enjoy the stories as she writes them! Set some time aside to be able to really dig into her work! You'll LOVE it!
This book will examine a woman who starts losing touch with reality. Mental issues start to cloud her judgement, and it is the early 1970's as this is happening. Psychological issues in women at that time were simply to call women crazy. So MUCH has changed since then, for the better, thankfully! You can expect a full and very satisfying read with this or ANY book Sonja Yoerg has written! Enjoy this book to it's fullest!!
Friday, March 17, 2017
#Book #Spotlight The Beast and the Sibyl, A Prydain Novel by AJ Adams
The Beast and the Sibyl, A Prydain Novel
by AJ Adams
*•.¸(`*•.¸(`*•IT’S LIVE•*´)¸.•*´)¸.•*´
The Beasts of Prydain are back! He’s a vicious Beast, violent and dangerous. Bliss knows she ought to walk away. After all, she has a dark and dangerous secret to preserve. When she can’t leave him to burn, her rescue tumbles them both into danger, adventure and romance.
Self-standing PNR novel! Here's the universal buy link for The Beast and The Sibyl
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2mdPFQ8
Universal Buy Link:
Excerpt:
“We caught a Beast! A real live poxy Beast!”
Bastards. Calling us beasts while they cheat, steal, and lie. I got kicked in the ribs, a whip laid about my shoulders, and all the time they were screaming.
“Hang him!”
“Beat him!”
“Kill the Beast!”
Then I saw her. She was standing there, staring right into my eyes. For a moment, I thought I was looking at a Valkyrie, one of Valhalla’s shield maidens. She had hair the colour of ice, and eyes as blue as the sky. Tall, willowy, and silent, she looked unworldly. There was a wolf at her side, too.
I blinked, expecting her to vanish, but it wasn’t a vision. She was real. The knowledge hit me with a punch that sucked the breath out of me. She was one of us, a Skraeling of Thule.
She leaned on the wolf, controlling it with a touch of her hand. “Lady Freyja always advises counsel before action.”
A Skraeling woman who invoked our goddess yet who was a traitor. I was filled with sudden hate, poisoned by the thought of one of our own people contaminated by foul betrayal.
If the will were a weapon, she would have fallen on the spot. Instead, the world blurred again. I think I passed out for a few moments because when I opened my eyes, he was there. The Patriarch. A cheat, a liar and all-round scum bucket
He certainly hates us Skraeling. “Glorious Ullr will bring us wise counsel. And tomorrow we will flog the Beast to cleanse him of his sins, and then we will burn him alive!”
He’s a vicious Beast, violent and dangerous. Bliss knows she ought to walk away. After all, she has a dark and dangerous secret to preserve. When she can’t leave him to burn, her rescue tumbles them both into danger, adventure and romance.
5 STARS
“Another great entry to the Prydain series - AJ Adams is seriously one of my favorite authors!!” ~Fan
I write cartel and crime romances, with twisted dark heroes and feminist arse kicking heroines.
My real name is Ellen Whyte. In my non-novel life I'm a syndicated author who has published roughly 3500 articles and 10 non-fiction books with publishers that include Pearson and Marshall Cavendish.
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Author_AJAdams/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorAJAdams
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