What's on my mind

Depression

2006-09-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

Wow I didn't realize it had been so long since I had blogged...almost two whole weeks.

I admit it I have been somewhat depressed the past couple of months. You know how sometimes it seems in life you just get hit with one thing after another. That's been my life for the last little while. Seems like I just can't get a break these days and it really got me down big time.

God always makes me see that there are others out there that have it much worse than me though and that's what he's done the past couple of weeks. Whenever I give myself too much of a pity party there's that little voice that says well at least you have your health and points out to me some that don't. You have a place to live and some people don't. ...saw many Katrina victims in the past couple of weeks who still are living without so much.

A lady I work with has had some bad luck of her own too. She had to have gallbladder surgery this past Friday and if that wasn't bad enough her mom passed away on Thursday. Was very sudden but not totally unexpected as she was up in years and had been in failing health so my friend looked at it as somewhat of a blessing in one sense but on the other hand it's never easy to lose your mom.

Then the 5th anniversery of 911 made me even more sad because of all the loss of life.....but I try and look on that day to the positive things that happened to...for me one of the formost things was the courage of the people on Flight 93 in fighting back and previnting the plane from getting to whatever the target was supposed to be. I see the hand of God in that too as it is a true miracle that they landed in a field as opposed to some more populated area.

The real root of my depression I think though is that on September 14, 1997 my best friend died. His birthday was July 22 and I always have gotten rather meloncoly between then and the day of his death since the first year. Strange thing is that I found he was sick on 9-11 of that year and three days later he was gone. Shows you how fleeting life is. I suppose I will always have these feelings every year. Funny though people tell you it will get easier as time passes but it hasn't in this situation.

Boy am I rambeling today....lol. I have found though that reading is a great comfort in these sad depressing times. I can get lost in a book for a few hours and forget the sadness that my life is in reality and get lost in the story I am reading. One of the greatest gifts my mom ever gave me was her love for reading. This activity has helped me some really tough times and continues to do so.

So how do you make it through the tough times? What helps you see brighter days ahead?

Well....duh

2006-08-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

Yes I posted this recipe yesterday but it did not post for some reason. Checked again this morning and still not posted so I assumed that it didn't post. Came to the blog and still not posted. So I type it in again and say publish post and what happend? It posts twice...from yesterday and today......hmmmm

Chesse Spread Anyone

2006-08-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

Saw this recipe on the Town House Cracker box and thought is sounded YUMMY!

PECAN CRANBERRY SPREAD

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup of orange juice concentrate
1 box Town House crackers

Using an electric mixer, beat at medium speed and cream the cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Transfer into a small bowl, add remaining ingrediants and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until flavors blend, at least 30 minutes. Serve cold with Town House crackers.

I am a sucker for cheese dips/spreads. I think this one sounds really unique and plan to make it for the next office carry in. So do you have a favorite way to use cheese in a recipe? If so share it here.

A recipe

2006-08-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

Pecan Cranberry Spread

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup orange juice concentrate
1 box town house crackers

Using electric mixer, beat at medium speed and cream the cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Transfer to a small bowl, add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate until flavors blend, at least 30 minutes. Serve cold with town house crackers.

I admit it I LOVE any kind of cheese. Saw this recipe on the back of the cracker box and I think it sounds great. Will have to make it for the next office carry in.

Do you have a favorite recipe using cheese?

Saw some movies on the weekend

2006-08-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

I did go to see Snakes On A Plane and was very pleasently surprised by it. When I first heard about this movie I thought there was no way I would go see it but the more I heard about it the more intrigued by it I became.

If you are afraid of snakes you really don't have much to worry about. When they are slithering around on the floor of the plane they book real but when they are biting folks I thought they looked really fake. The movie was worth the cost of the ticket to hear SLJ say the famous line. Overall an enjoyable movie.

I also saw The Devil Wears Prada and have to say that I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would too. The fashon in the movie is AWESOME. Both Meryl Streep and Anne Heathaway (I think that's the younger girls name) played their parts to perfection and I was glad I saw this one too.

Are there any moview you are anxious to see?

Finally something new....

2006-08-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

Well not really!!!

When I am setting at home I come up with lots of stuff to blog about but when I come to the screen it all seems to be gone.

I did pick up Into The Storm the new release by Suzanne Brockmann on Tuesday. It is going to be my weekend read.

Right now I am reading The Matchmake by Jamie Denton. It is a Brava coming out in November and it's fabulous. Very different from Jamie's usual work. Will tell more about it later after I have finished it.

For those who don't know Jamie Denton is the Harlequin Temptation and Brava author who was sidelined with cancer last year. It's been a long hard road but I believe she is now cancer free and really excited to be having a new release come out. Last I spoke to her she said she still gets tired easily but that's to be expected.

Let's see what else.....On the movie front I saw World Trade Center last weekend and was very impressed with the movie. I thought it was very well done...and although it tells of the tragic events of that day what the movie is really about is the survival and eventual rescue of the 18th and 19th people pulled from the ruble of the buildings. Two port authority police officers. I do think this movie will be much better if seen at the theater so if you are thinking about going to see it please see it in the theater....I think it will lose some of it's impact on video. For instance the sound was awesome and done in such a way you could feel what was going on to the characters. I know that might sound a bit morbid but it's really hard to describe....anyway I thought it was great and well worth seeing.

This weekend it's Snakes On A Plane. I know I know another one that people have very negative feelings about. I must admit when I first heard about it I thought it sounded really hokey and I had no plans to see it but the more I hear about it the more intrigued I am with it so I am definatly going to see it.

Oh and I suspect you have heard the news that Silhouette will stop publication of the BOMBSHELL line in January 2007. This is sad news for me as I really liked this line of books. I should be used to this now though as they have stopped so many lines in the last few years.

The other big news of the day is that they have arrested the person who killed JonBent (sp) Ramsey. From what I have heard he sounds like a really strange one. I hope her family can find some closure and peace. I am sure it's been a long 10 years for them.

Hope everyone is doing well. I haven't gotten to blog hop much this week so I will have to catch up in the next few days.

I think I have rambled enough for now. More later....and thanks for reading especially if you made it to the end.

Nocture--New Series Line From Silhouette Coming in October

2006-08-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite reading genres is Paranormal. Silhouette is coming out with a new line of books for the paranormal fan. I haven't heard much about these books but here is a description about what you can expect from the line from the eharlequin web site.

Nocturne
Length: 70,000 - 75,000 wordsEditorial Director: Tara GavinAssociate Senior Editor: Ann Leslie TuttleEditorial Assistant: Sean MackiewiczLaunch: October 2006 (2 books/month)

Nocturne is looking for stories that deliver a dark, very sexy read that will entertain readers and take them from everyday life to an atmospheric, complex, paranormal world filled with characters struggling with life and death issues. These stories will be fast-paced, action-packed and mission-oriented, with a strong level of sensuality. The hero is a key figure - powerful, mysterious and totally attractive to the heroine. In fact, both main characters are very powerful, and their conflict is based on this element. The author must be able to set up a unique existence for the characters, with its own set of rules and mythologies. We are looking for stories of vampires, shape-shifters, werewolves, psychic powers, etc. set in contemporary times. The plots and characters of Nocturne:
Fast-paced, action-oriented. There are life/death issues at stake.
The books are contemporary, but can go back into history, depending on the needs of the story.
Strong sexual/sensual overlay.
The main characters are very powerful - and the conflict is based on this element. The hero is an alpha male.
Characters do not live by predictable rules; instead they respond to the needs of the paranormal world that the author has set up for them.
There is a "mythology" created to explain the characters existence, and their actions must not run contrary to this setup. The mythology must remain consistent and support the action of the book.
Miniseries are welcomed.
The books can be set anywhere throughout the world.
Books that are good reference points for Nocturne include: stories by Maggie Shayne, Christine Feehan and Sherrilyn Kenyon. Lindsay McKenna's Heart of the Jaguar and the subsequent books in her Jaguar series are also good reference points.

The following is a list of Nocture titles also taken from the eharlequin site:
October: UNFORGIVEN - Lindsey McKenna (Shapeshifers) DANGEROUS TEMPTATION - Kathleen Korbel (faeries)

November: FROM THE DARK - Michele Hauf (Vampire) ETERNALLY - Maureen Child (immortal demon hunter)

December: DEATH CALLS - Caridad Pineiro (Vampire) HAUNTED - Lisa Childs (witch)

January: CRY OF THE WOLF - Karen Whiddon (werewolf) BLOOD SON - Erica Orloff - (vampire)

Feb: DEVOTION CALLS - Caridad Pineiro (vamp) PERSECUTED - Lisa Childs (2nd in witch series) March: BLOOD SECRETS - Vivi Anna (vamp)

I have read an excerpt from the Lindsay McKenna book Unforgiven

This link hopefully will take you there:

Unforgiven by Lindsay McKenna
http://www.lindsaymckenna.com/unforgiven_chapt1.html

So anyhow all you paranormal fans out there be on the lookout for this new line of books.

Standing In Line

2006-08-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

So which author’s new releases do you find yourselves standing in line to buy and rearranging you TBR pile to read?

For me the list is short:

Suzanne Brockmann---yea Into The Storm is supposed to come out next Tuesday…can’t wait as I need a Brockmann fix.

J. D. Robb---LOVE LOVE LOVE Eve and Roarke’s adventures

Janet Evanovich but only her Stephanie Plum titles—Stephanie, Ranger and Joe are classic characters as well and I never tire of reading their new adventures.

These are about the only people I usually buy in hard cover too.

Now recently I added Sherrilyn Kenyon to this list as I preordered her last Dark Hunter book and it was delivered the day it was released----That was a bit of a surprise that they were so fast.

There are many other author’s that I usually buy the week they come out but I may or may not read them right away. The ones listed above are an addiction though and I must have them ASAP and I generally start reading them within a day or two of purchase.

So what about you who are you standing in line to buy?

Weekend Happenings

2006-08-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

So did anyone do anything really exciting this past weekend? I wnet to the farmer's market and got some fresh veggies. Had to work for about 4 hours on Saturday.

The weather was great though after being so darned hot the past week. I went to the bookstore in search of the new issue of RT but no luck yet. It seems to take my bookstore forever to get the new ones in.

Bought the third book in Harlequin's ongoing New Orleans series. Didn't have much spare money to spend as it was "rent week". Just baught the NO book because I know it would be gone when I went to Wal-Mart again. They only had 2 copies left the day I got mine.

On the reading front I am reading Christmas Letters, Debbie Macomber's October Christmas release and Leslie Kelly's new Trouble book...the title is eluding me at the moment.

So what were you all up to?

Dark Roots And Cowboy Boots

2006-08-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful new title by the fabulously talented LuAnn McLane. My review of the book follows. this one definatly deserves a FIVE out of FIVE!!!
I definatly want more like this. Bravo LuAnn!!!

Dark Roots And Cowboy Boots Review

Welcome to Hootertown, Kentucky a small town where everybody knows everybody and few things are kept secret. It seems a Hollywood producer has just hit the city limits and all eyes and ears are on the lookout for the latest gossip concerning the situation.

Jamie Lee Carter is the owner of the local Cut & Curl and with her best friend Macy McCoy makes sure everyone in this town is stylin’ as far as the latest hair do’s go. Of course the Cut & Curl is one of the best places to pick up the latest gossip too so the girls are right in the thick of things on that front. Parker Carrington, said Hollywood producer has caught Jamie Lee’s eye in a big way and she aims to find out the scoop on why he is in Hootertown.

Parker Carrington said Hollywood producer is in town scouting locations for his next project. Parker thinks Hootertown will be a great fit for the vision he has for his next project. A certain local has caught his eye as well and Parker arranges to have Jamie Lee show him around so he can get the feel of the town. With any luck he hopes to get to know Jamie Lee much better before his return to Hollywood.

Jamie Lee and Parker soon have the rumor mill running wild and all the phone lines in Hootertown burning up with gossip of their sightings. A particular local has taken great notice of the fact that Jamie Lee and Parker are spending time together. Could it be that she has two men interested?

Dark Roots And Cowboy Boots is fun and flirty romance with lots of southern charm thrown in. LuAnn McLane has penned a story that is guaranteed to bring her lots of loyal readers. The characters in this book are a pure delight to read about. The friendship between Jamie Lee and Macy is an added bonus. The romance is hot and sizzling like the hottest July day in the south.

Grab yourself a cool drink. Find a comfortable reading place and be prepared to be transported to the south for a story you won’t soon forget. Secondary characters are charming as well and provide several reasons for Ms. McLane to make a return visit to Hootertown in the future. I hope this is what she has planned.

Ms. McLane has penned her finest novel to date with Dark Roots And Cowboy Boots. Grab a copy today and experience sizzling romance and southern charm at it’s finest.

Help!!!!

2006-08-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have figured out how to change colors of the type.

I can type in bold and italics

But I can't for the life of me figure out how to add pictures to this thing.

AGHHHHHH!!!!!

Jake Owen debut cd

2006-07-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

New country artist Jake Owen's new CD came out this week. His first single YEE HAW has been played on the radio for the past several months and was what prompted me to buy the CD when it was released.

Although I liked YEE HAW and still do I think it is perhaps one of the weaker songs on the CD. This CD is amazing. There is not one song that I don't love.

If you like your country mixed with a rhythm and blues feel then be sure and pick up this release. You will be as impressed as I was.

Not only is the delivery fantastic but the guy wrote all the songs on the album as well. I think this guy is gonna be a huge star.

I buy lots of music and this is without a doubt the best cd I have purchased this year.

Treat yourself to some new music and let me know what you think.

Brava Book Club

2006-07-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

For those of you who regularly buy Brava titles you may want to consider joining the new Brava Book Club service.

http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/finditem.cfm?itemid=10113

The link is above and if you click on the customer service section at the bottom at the site you can join by email by just providing your information. Doesn't even cost a stamp.

There is quite a savings off the cover prices of the books. check it out.

New Sized paperbacks

2006-07-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

I am really curious as to who is buying these books. The publisher would have you believe that they are easier to read and that's why they are releasing them in this new format. I really don't buy this reason. They are not easier to read or handle and they don't fit nicely in your purse. I think it is just the publisher's way to try and charge $2.00-$3.00 more per book.

Listen up publishers. I WILL NOT BUY BOOKS IN THIS FORMAT!!! And if you look as sales at least aroung my area it looks as if other people aren't buying either.

I noticed probably the biggest name in romance, Nora Robert's Northern Lights was published in this format. Now I really wanted this book. Yes I reviewed it and have a reviewer's copy of the book but I wanted a copy of the finished version just because I liked the book so much. Anyhow when they released it in this oversized version I did not buy the book and instead went to the used book store and got myself a hardcover copy for like $8.00...still $2.00 cheaper than the new sized paper back version.

Now I am sure that Nora isn't going to go to the poor house over the loss of my sale but I seriously wonder if others have done the same thing because Nora's Blue Smoke the latest release in pb is back to the normal size. Wonder why that is?

So anyway does anyone buy this new size or do you look for alternative ways to read said books in this format?

And yes I know this is a publisher decision on the format and all and the author basically has no say.

Short weekend

2006-07-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

Why is the weekend always so short? I really enjoyed my two days off but don't they come and go too darn fast? After a very humid and hot week the weekend proved to be nice and cool.

I was a slug and didn't do much of anything.

Read Memory In Death this weekend. Now I have to wait until November for the next one to come out. I really enjoyed my Eve and Roark fix. Have already read the short story in Bump In The Night as well.

Got four new books this weekend. The Kept Woman by Susan Donovan, which I will more than likely blog about at some point. Have rad 3 chapters so far. Also got 4 Blaze titles---sad but the titles have slipped my mind but the authors are Julie Leto--Domino Effect, Julie Kenner, Jill Shalvis and Wendy Etherington (this one was a July release) but you see I had a coupn and had to buy four books to use it and only three of the August books caught my eye.

Funny I thought about lots to blog about this weekend but alas my mind must be going because I can't think of that much now.

So how was your weekend? Do anything exciting? Buy any new books?

Good Book Alert

2006-07-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

One of the books I read this week was The Prodigal’s Return by Anna DeStefano. It is a July 2006 Superromance and was a wonderful read.

Due to some tragic circumstances Neal Cain finds himself getting ready to stand trial for the death of his best friend, Bobby Compton. Rather than put Bobby’s family through the pain of a trial Neal decides to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and serve his time. Those close to Neal are devastated by his decision especially his father Nathan who was acting as his lawyer and his girlfriend, Jennifer Gardner who carries her own guilt concerning Bobby’s death.

After Neal was sent to prison Jennifer Gardner’s life took a drastic turn and she found herself caught up in a life she would never have imagined for herself. When she ends up pregnant this is the thing that makes her come to her senses and she straightens her life out for her daughter’s sake.

Eight years have passed since the tragic night Bobby Compton died and Jennifer Gardner has returned to Rivermist, GA to help her father who is recovering from a heart attack. Jenn’s dad is the local minister and she had made a lot of mistakes when she was young that caused the people of this small GA town to look down upon Jenn and her family. She is back and hopes to make up for the pain she has caused her father in the past. She has even volunteered to help lead the youth group of her father’s church and help increase the young people’s attendance.

One night while returning home Jenn almost runs over Nathan Cain who is wandering in the middle of the road. Jenn stops to help the man who she once thought of as a second father and is shocked by his disheveled appearance. She makes up her mind to help this ailing man who the town has written off.

Meanwhile Neal has served his prison sentence and has been living in Atlanta GA. Since his early release from prison he has been serving as a legal advocate for prisoners who need legal help. Neal hasn’t seen his father since his first year in prison when they had a huge fight and Nathan stopped visiting his son. Neal gets a call from his father’s former law partner that has him returning to Rivermist to try and help his dad and find out just what is going on with him.

Ms DeStefano has a gift for creating stories that evoke her reader’s emotions. You will find yourself both laughing and crying as you read this special story by this gifted author.

You will be drawn into the lives of Neal and Jennifer as they try to return to their hometown following so many unforeseen circumstances. This book asks the question can you come home again? If you want a book that makes you feel then be sure and pick up Anna DeStefano’s latest The Prodigal’s Return and be sure to have a few Kleenex handy as well because you will need them.

Loveswept beginnings

2006-07-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

Does anybody remember the Loveswept books from some years back. Bantam was the publisher and they were series books. I think they did four or six per month. Anyhow I was thinking about how I "found" authors and I und three of my favorite authors from that line.

Who are the authors I discovered and still read from there you ask? Well they are Suzanne Brockmann, Donna Kauffman and Jill Shalvis. Each is still writing and are excellent at their craft.

Perhaps the best known of the three is Suzanne Brockmann who has made herself a household name for many readers with her sexy Navy SEAL books. Suz is an amazing talent and one author who never disappoints me. I eagerly await each new release.

Now the other two authors are no slouches eather. Donna Kauffman currently writes for Harlequin Blaze, Brava and Bantam Dell. Her latest release is Not So Snow White and it is her latest and last of her ongoing Fairy tale grandmother series. NSSW gives the reader an inside behind the scenes look at the tennis world. I think Snow is perhaps her grittiest story yet in a lot of ways. Donna also had a recent release called Bad Boys In Kilts for Brava and it you like Scottish bad boys then be sure to pick up a copy of this one. Very hot and sexy read.

Lat but not least of my Loveswept discoveries is Jill Shalvis. Jill currently writes for Harlequin Blaze, Brava and I think her third publisher is Signet??? Not positive about that one. Her most current release is Aussie Rules from Brava and ladies Bo Black is to die for. The thing about Jill's work is she never fails to make me laugh.

So who are some of your favorite writers and how did you discover them?

A Blogging Newbie

2006-07-18T07:29:00.001-07:00

I have visited other people's blogs for months now and thought I would try and set up my own. Not sure how well it will go as I have never been good at keeping a diary or that kind of thing but I will give it a try. Hope I can think of stuff to post about.

We'll see how it goes.