Mailbox Surprise!

So a couple of months ago I joined this Facebook group where everyone gets partnered up with someone and you mail them a box of goodies and they mail you goodies. You know how that works. I haven't done one of these in a super long time so I was kind of excited.

I got partnered up with Lisa from Life to the Full and we had a summer theme. Sadly, I didn't take a picture of the package I sent her, but I remember for sure sending candy that she likes, one of my absolute favorite summer reads and a set of handmade cards. But I just got her package last week and it is lovely!.

My box contained:

• lots of fun scrapbook stickers, washi tape and stamps
• two magnetic bookmarks
• an adorable pair of earrings
• sparkly headband
• and a reading journal!! 

I think the reading journal is easily my most favorite thing. I can write some notes as I read books for my reviews. Right now I'm basically doing that on scraps of paper, sometimes the back of receipts or in pencil on the pages of the book and yeah... it's not the easiest. Mostly because sometimes I'm like, "who is leaving this paper everywhere?!" and then I throw it away only remember that it was me leaving the paper everywhere and I pretty much needed that. 

So this will save me. THANK YOU, Lisa!! 

I can't wait to see what next month will bring. I'm trying to think of ideas that I can put into a box but I await my new partner... 

30 versus 20

I had a conversation the other day with one of my favorite people about things that are different now that we are in our 30's versus of when we were in our 20's. We were in overwhelming agreement that our 30's are so much better than our 20's. I knew mine were going to be better and I had zero fear turning 30. Now that I'm 33, I'm enjoying my 30's far more than I ever thought I would but I can already tell a big difference is that these years seem to go by a bit faster than my 20's. Those lasted for-ev-er.

But some of the main differences I've noticed is that being hit on now feels like a compliment, where at 23 I just assumed the guy was a scuzzbag. Admittedly, I was a pretty cynical person in my teen years through my 20's. Every guy in that age group is just an asshole. It's nothing personal, I'm sure it's just a hormonal consequence, but they will hit on anything. Boys in their 20's start out the night discriminatory and by the end of the night, they'll take what's left. And though I can't speak about that considering I'm married, but the guys who hit on me now seem genuine good guys. I know some of you are like, "How good can they be if they see your ring??", but to that I say I don't wear my ring often. Well, at least not in the summer because my fingers swell up and it's uncomfortably tight. So I really only wear it in the winter. Obviously I wear it if we go out because I do like to wear jewelry, but if I'm running around with three kids on errands? I'm not so worried about it.

I feel a lot less stress about myself now than I did then. In my 20's I really was concerned what others thought of me, and I put a lot more effort into seeing what other people were doing. Now I could really care less. I have enough problems as a mother, a wife, a homeowner, and a responsible adult to worry about what others are doing. Someone's copying me? Someone's criticizing me? Who gives a shit. Honestly. If you are in your 30's and you are still worried about any of that, I feel sorry for you.

I also feel like as I get older, my perspective on life has changed. I'm not worried about the end game. I'm not worried about how much I make, the clout that comes from my career or even what I have parked in my garage. I just want to get through life collecting all of the experiences I can. Maybe working with seniors at my first post-college career job was really the key there. They gave me all kinds of perspective on life and aging.

It's scary to realize you are a real adult now. I rushed to my 20's and I rushed through all of the things that made me feel like an adult. I got my own apartment, I bought my own car, I paid all of my own bills, I got married, I had kids, I bought a house, etc. We did all of this stuff like we had to prove to people that we were indeed, adults now, please take us seriously. In a way, it's really rewarding to be able to stand in the middle of our house and think, "WE did this, with no help, all on our own". I will never forget the moment where I was reading to Olivia and Jackson before bed, years ago, and all of a sudden looking around their room and realizing we did all of this. Not only did we make two little humans, but everything in this house is because we worked our asses off to provide it. It's humbling and rewarding. That's the moment where I actually felt like a grownup. I was 27 years old.

I'm completely over the people who make a big deal out of aging. Aging happens whether you want it to or not. Just embrace it. Be thankful for another year under your belt because with age comes wisdom. Or at least it should. I know a few people who got screwed out of the wisdom part.

Try It Sunday: Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Tomorrow is Matt's 35th birthday and because we are low on funds, I've opted to make him a birthday cake. Now admittedly, I am not the best baker and cakes are very much not my specialty. I almost don't want to admit I've gone through two sessions of a cake decorating class because truly, you'd expect more of me and I have learned this is not where my talents are. It is always a success if I can get the cake out of the damn pan, if it's edible it's just a bonus. But what I am good at is making frosting. I make a damn good frosting, folks.

Now before I go on, I will admit to you that I have done this recipe so many times I just eyeball and taste my ingredients as I go. BUT, if you are a person who needs measurements, all of my absolute favorite baking recipes come from the Glorious Treats blog. Not one of my sugar cookies has ever come out like hers but dammit if I don't try every Christmas. But if you are looking for a really easy, very versatile frosting recipe, she makes a great American Buttercream Frosting and has a whole bunch of variations listed. I am making that, but made my chocolate. My favorite is the cream cheese buttercream but would you believe me I had no cream cheese? It feels wrong and I am ashamed. 

So you need two sticks of soft butter. It's buttercream, obviously it's not healthy. Beat that until it's smooth. 

I add a pinch of salt and about... 2 cups of powdered sugar. 

It should be nice and creamy. 

Add about another 2-3 cups of powdered sugar, and a dash of vanilla extract. 

It does get pretty thick, so feel free to add a splash of milk if your mixer smells like it's going to start on fire. (True story, my cheap little mixer was always on the verge of fire with this. But my friend Amy got me a GREAT Kitchen Aid hand mixer and I am in love with it.)

Now I think the measurement is a 1/2 cup of cocoa, but I used a couple of spoons. It ended up being a little more than I should have. 

So I added some more powdered sugar. The great thing about this recipe is you can make as much or as little as you want just by adding butter and sugar as needed. 

Trust me, it took everything in me to not eat this by the spoonful. I mean, I did have a cake to frost after all. 

This is maybe the best thing I learned from cake class. That and that box mixes are your friend, just add an extra egg. But this spatula is my best friend. I love you, spatula. 

Do I have a a cake picture for you? No, I don't. We ate it. 

Burp. 

Next week? 

Pizza Pasta Bake, folks! GET READY TO GET FAT. 

Kyland

You guys. Seriously. You just need to whip out your credit cards and buy this book. Immediately.

Kyland - Mia Sheridan

A full-length, standalone romance from the New York Timesbestselling author of Archer's Voice.

Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk. 

Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going.

Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly—through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds—to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain.

They're both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind?

Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love.

I received this book in my July subscription of The Bookworm Box. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to think because it's about a hillbilly and honestly, not the first thing you think of when you think amazing romance novel. Yet Mia Sheridan gives you just that- an amazing romance novel with hillbillies. I can't even say I ever thought that was possible. 

Immediately, I was hooked. The story starts off with Tenleigh, a 17 year old girl in the mountains of Kentucky who just keeps her head down, tries to do well in school so she can win a scholarship and get the hell out as soon as possible. At home she lives with her older sister who has sworn off relationships and their mama, who clearly has a slew of mental health disorders that leaves her unable to care for herself, let alone her daughters. She believes one of the richer men in town (who owns the mine, which is the main job for folks) really loves her and is going to come for her. Her daughters know better, their mama is just a good time for this guy and it's embarrassing as hell. But they are legit poor yet they do what they can every day. 

They aren't as poor as Kyland though. Kyland lost his father and brother in a tragic mine accident and everyone believes he lives with his mother who isn't able to leave the house. We learn better though, but Kyland is really poor. He also is trying to win the scholarship to get the hell out of Dennville, Kentucky and he needs no distractions. 

Until a fateful encounter with Tenleigh at the store she works in basically has them crossing paths. Almost immediately, through their determination to do better and get out, but also through all of the things they have in common, they form a bond which Tenleigh clings to and Kyland doesn't want. He doesn't want anything to hold  him to Dennville, no matter what. 

I want to talk about what happens with the scholarship, Kyland's family life, the choices each one of them make without talking to the other and how the story ends. I want to, so badly, but I can't because it will absolutely ruin it all for you. And this book? At only 263 pages is easily one of the best romance novels I have ever read. It's not cheesy. It's sweet, it's sad, it's endearing, and it's selfless. I absolutely loved it, finished this book in a day. I could not put it down because I just so badly wanted both of them to get out of the hell they were born into. Absolutely loved it. 

You can find this book on Barnes & Noble as well as Amazon. Excuse me while I dig for a credit card to buy everything by Mia Sheridan because I am obsessed with her books after this one. Happy reading, lambs! 

Dark Screams, Volume 4

Now, I know it says volume four, but you don't have to read the other volumes. This acts as a stand alone, and it you like scary, horror, and are not an absolute wussy like me, then you will absolutely love this book!

Dark Screams, volume 4

Clive Barker, Heather Graham, Lisa Morton, Ray Garton, and Ed Gorman lead readers down a twisted labyrinth of terror, horror, and suspense inDark Screams: Volume Four, from Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar of the revered Cemetery Dance Publications.
 
THE DEPARTED by Clive Barker
On All Hallows’ Eve, a dead and disembodied mother yearns to touch her young son one last time. But will making contact destroy them both?
 
CREATURE FEATURE by Heather Graham
What could be better publicity for a horror convention than an honest-to-goodness curse? It’s only after lights out that the hype—and the Jack the Ripper mannequin—starts to feel a little too real.
 
THE NEW WAR by Lisa Morton
Mike Carson is a war hero and a decorated vet. He doesn’t deserve to be trapped in a hospital with some black thing sitting on his chest as patients die all around him. His only hope is to take out the nurse—before it’s his turn.
 
SAMMY COMES HOME by Ray Garton
It’s what every family prays for: a lost pet returning home. But when Sammy, the Hale family sheepdog, appears on their doorstep, he brings back something no parent would ever wish upon his or her child.
 
THE BRASHER GIRL by Ed GormanCindy Marie Brasher is the prettiest girl in the Valley, and Spence just has to have her. Unfortunately, Cindy has a “friend” . . . a friend who tells her to do things . . . bad things. 

I will tell you that the only reason I signed up for this book tour was for Heather Graham. I have read a few of her books, some for review and some for fun, and I really enjoy her writing. It's always fast pace and before I know it, I've finished the book and want more. The other thing I really liked about this was I got small snippets of some other really great authors and two I was really loving the most were Clive Barker and Lisa Morton. I liked them all quite a bit, but if I had to pick two authors from here that I would buy more books of right away? It would be them. Generally, I'm not a huge fan of short stories but I do like them to try out new to me authors without the commitment.

I will say though, that The Departed is the least scary of the bunch, which is maybe why it's first. I felt kind of OK after I read that though it's kind of a sad, but scary, story. Perhaps not the best selection to read as I'm rocking baby Penelope to sleep. Creature Feature actually takes some characters from Heather's previous books and plays with them more here. If you've read some of her other books it's a nice visit with old friends really, but you don't need to read her previous stories to enjoy this one. You'll be just fine picking up here. The New War also wasn't super scary, I was OK after that one, too. Loved the ending, It was the ending alone that made me want to read more from her. Also, the entire time I was reading this I kept thinking back on my days working with seniors and honestly, anyone who breaks a hip basically dies within a year. Statistically, from my experience, that's what I honestly believe. So while reading this I'm thinking, oh lord- this guy is a total goner. But it was a good story, a good scary nursing home story. Sammy Comes Home if you are an animal lover... this one might be tough for you to read. It's basically about animals returning home with "passengers". Honestly, it was kind of creepy and no joke, I was almost to the end of this one and my dog started barking and jumped on me as if I was being attacked and he was going to save me. Scared the crap out of me. The Basher Girl was maybe my least favorite of all of them only because I didn't feel really satisfied at the end. This one maybe could have been a great full length novel and a short story form didn't do it justice.

Dark Screams is available at Amazon now, so if you are looking for a fun, kind of scary/weird read for this fall? This would be an excellent choice!

There is a giveaway for this short story series that you can participate in as well!

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Bringing Delaney Home - Cover Reveal!

Title: Bringing Delaney Home

Author: Lee Kilraine

Publisher: Lyrical Shine

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Kindle

In the sleepy town of Climax, North Carolina, all five Cates brothers are known for being tall, dark, and delicious. But each has his own incomparable love story . . . 

Quinn Cates has known Delaney Lyons forever. But after years away from home, Delaney’s a changed woman. A mysterious accident she refuses to talk about has left her hurting—in body and soul—and acting out in dangerous, and occasionally entertaining, ways.

 Quinn’s on the local police force, so he’s used to dealing with troublemakers. This one’s pretty incorrigible—but he suspects her flippant exterior is hiding something softer and deeper inside. Every time he has to rescue Delaney from herself, his heart and his hormones both go into overdrive. But he owes it to Delaney’s sister to keep an eye on her. He’s got some experience with that after spending so much time at it back in high school . . .

 Delaney just wants to fend off the gossips, fight off the pain of her past, and make her escape once again. But Officer Cates is ordering her not to leave town, and his interrogation techniques can be very persuasive . . .

PRE-ORDER INFORMATION

Bringing Delaney Home is available for pre-order at  

Lee Kilraine lives in the pine woods of North Carolina. When she isn't typing away on her computer with her golden retriever, Harley, destroying something at her feet, she's probably sitting on her front porch swing coffee drinking, puppy watching, plot wrangling, book reading, rain listening, storm watching or firefly gazing.

It's also a great spot to catch up with one of the kids or share a glass of wine with the Alpha-dude. Lee is a 2014 Golden Heart® Finalist. She loves writing and reading stories with a HEA and if they make her laugh...well, that's perfect.

For More Information

Visit Lee's website

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Bookworm Box #2

So remember how last month was my first month with The Bookworm Box subscription? If you missed that, you can see what I got in that box HERE. I'll be honest when I tell you I have only read one of the books out that box, and that was a book by Elle Kennedy called The Deal. I absolutely loved that book, so much so that I bought the second one in that series and two others by her. The books alone are what got me to go for a second box because to be honest, the swag was kind of lame. I wasn't sure what to expect with this box, but this is what I got: 

First up, this box came faster than last month. I'm assuming it's because they've changed their shipping vendor, and it's a nice surprise to get my July box in July.

Here are the contents of the box: two signed books, a notepad, a ridiculous key chain, a pen, and a bunch of bookmarks and postcards.

Now, let's talk about author swag.  If it's not something I can actually use, it's a waste of time. What am I going to do with postcards? Bookmarks? I get that. Pens and notepads? Yes, please. Postcards? No. Stupid. If you are an author and are going to do "swag", I highly suggest you visit companies who actually do giveaway items to see the whole world of cool items you can put your information onto. Stop wasting your money on postcards. Seriously.

The books... OK. Well, I have started Kyland, and I'm only 30 pages in and totally hooked. This one shows some real promise. The other one.. about a circus fire eater? I don't know. It's certainly not one I would pick up in a bookstore, but I've been wrong on that end before as well so I'm cautiously optimistic. 

 You'll notice I saved the "keychain" for last. I'm 99% sure this thing is homemade. One, because I own a lettering stamp set similar to the one that was used and two...

it is literally a piece of cardboard cut. No, I'm not kidding. It is actually cut from what I believe to be a moving box, hand stamped, a hole punched and a key ring attached. Now, I love home made things. I really do. I make home made things all of the time, but this is kind of ridiculous. You can't use this. This thing would fall apart within a day of being handled. 

I'm kind of torn, you guys. On one hand, I am enjoying reading these books that otherwise might not land on my radar. On the other, for $48 a month (it went down $4 because they change how they ship), I'm wondering if this is worth it. At least with Lit-Cube, they are getting some pretty awesome swag and it's less per month. Then I think, all of the money I pay for The Bookworm Box is going to charity and then I feel torn. But hell if I'm not excited to get a box in the mail every month! 

Are any of you subscribed to The Bookworm Box? If so, are you enjoying it? Do you know others who are subscribed? What are they thinking?