Book Review: Her Sexiest Mistake

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Her Sexiest Mistake is about Mia Appleby – she is a marketing exec out in California who has made it big after growing up in a trailer. The book begins with her hooking up with her neighbor, Kevin.  She wants to leave and have that be it, but Kevin wants more – he wants to “fix” her.  When her 16 year old niece she has never met shows up unannounced she has to take her in because it seems like her sister wants nothing to do with her. This seems to bring Mia and Kevin closer – since Kevin works at the highschool and also runs a teen center where Mia wants to enroll Hope while she is at work.

When things seem to start falling apart in Mia’s life – there is always one thing constant – Kevin.  Can she bring herself to love a man?

This was a quick read romance book and a good one too. Well written I was absorbed in the story and wanted to see how things would turn out.  I also liked that niece Hope was clever with electronics and was encouraged by Kevin to go into Science. I really liked all the characters and the story. We saw Mia through all of her stages – growing up, thinking she had made it, acting as an aunt / mother figure, etc. And while she had many flaws she was someone that you root for.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

“Fall in love with Jill Shalvis. She’s my go-to read for humor and heart!”
-Susan Mallery, New York Times bestselling author

Mia Appleby finally has the life she always wanted. She’s escaped her trailer trash childhood and built a nice life for herself with a marketing job and a cute, little condo. But no matter how much baggage she’s ditched from her past, she still hasn’t managed to shake her greatest weakness-men. So when her new neighbor turns out to be single and oh-so-sexy, Mia’s worried she’s playing with fire . . .

Kevin McKnight can’t get enough of his gorgeous neighbor, but after one amazing night, she’s already showing him the door. Something tells him this is the way she handles most men. But Kevin is far from your average guy-and he’s ready to prove it to Mia. When a blast from her past shakes up Mia’s life in a major way, will she stick with her self-sufficient solo act . . . or take a chance leaning on Kevin’s strong shoulders?

(80,000 words)

 

 

 

Product Review: Hello Kitty Birthday in a Box

Recently I had the chance to review a Hello Kitty Birthday in a Box kit.  The Deluxe kit serves 8 and includes everything you’d need for a birthday party – just add cake!  You don’t need to stress out about finding everything that matches because everything you need is included and coordinating.  You get a set of plates, napkins, cups and a table cloth featuring Hello Kitty as well as coordinating pink utensils and pink and black streamers.  And just add the cake – you have a package of birthday candles as well!

Seriously, you can’t do anything easier than a Birthday in a Box.  It comes in the mail, you open it, and set up the table in a snap.  Perfect for the Hello Kitty lover in your life!  If you’d like to see more about Hello Kitty, be sure to check out a storybook adventure.

Our table is only set for 6 – but you do receive enough to set up a table for 8.

Kit Includes:

  • 8 Hello Kitty Tween Cake Plates
  • 8 Hello Kitty Tween 9oz Cups
  • 16 Hello Kitty Tween Lunch Napkins
  • 8 Spoons/Forks/Knives
  • 1 Hellow Kitty Tween Table Cover
  • 1 Set Birthday Candles
  • 2 Sets Streamers

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I received a free Birthday in a Box kit in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Book Review: See It: Photographic Composition Using Visual Intensity

seeit

Half the time when I read these photography books, I do it more so just to see the awesome pictures than to see the tips and tricks.  This book shows the use of a lot of filters and saturation. I wish I had the eye or time to try and play with this with some of my photos – I tend to stick with the what you see is what you get approach and I often wonder how much better they could be if I’d stop being so lazy!

There’s also lots of great tips on how to frame your subject. I always tend to go for putting it right smack in the middle, but off centering it or adding a different focal point can make a boring picture quite awesome. And if you don’t get the shot right immediately, the power of cropping is quite fascinating too.

I hope I picked up on some of these things so that I will subconsciously just start doing them the next time I am taking photos! A book full of excellent information!

I received a free e-copy in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

 

About the Book

An outstanding image consists of more than just acceptable exposure and sharp focus – the two components that most photography instruction emphasize. A fascinating subject doesn’t necessarily result in a good image, and likewise, it’s possible to create an impressive image from a mundane subject. How do you capture that perfect image, and more importantly, what makes it great? That’s where this book comes in. Rather than wasting time trying one approach after another until something seems right or memorizing a list of rules, discover a new, more comprehensive and yet intuitive way to think about photography and see the world around you by using visual intensity. The quality of your imagery and the speed of your workflow will both vastly improve once you are able to use these techniques to articulate why you prefer one image to another. Mother and son team Ellen and Josh Anon have spent years perfecting their visual intensity based approach to composition, and in this gorgeous, full color guide, they’ll share their techniques with you so that your overall photographic experience, both in terms of time investment and quality of output, will become far more satisfying.

New Hot or Not App!

Hot Or Not is the hottest new app out there to find out if you are HOT and who is HOT around you! Simply download the app, sign in with Facebook and start rating people to find out! You can download the app at: http://www.tryhotornot.com.  Once you download the app you will be shown other app users photos and you rank them HOT (heart) or NOT (X) which gives them a ranking.  The more people you rate the more times you’ll pop up on other peoples apps to get ranked yourself. I have to say I did find a couple of cuties on this app – and they live nearby!   If you have an iPad, iPhone, Android or PC you can download this app – all you need is a Facebook account!

You can filter your results based on Guys or Girls (or both) as well as what age range you want to check out and it automatically shows the people who live closest to you first.

You are able to check out the profiles of everyone on the app as well, which features their score (many don’t have scores yet that I found), their location so you can see if there is someone HOT near you, if you share any friends, an about me and what languages they speak.  There is also an option to block users through their profile if that is something that you are looking to do.  The shared friends feature is actually pretty interesting – almost like a 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon but using your Facebook friends.  It will show that you are friends with person A, who is friends with person B who is friends with the person you are ranking. May come in handy if you are looking to meet up!

Hot or Not Sweeps!  Hot or Not just released a new version of their app and are trying to get the word out with a sweepstakes! Whether you’re just catching the HotOrNot flame or you’re already a full blown addict, enter to win $1000 today!

http://www.apptism.com/sweepstakes/

Simply enter your email address at the link above and register for the sweepstakes! The winner will be announced on February 15, 2014.  The prize is a $1,000 Gift Card to a Retailer or your choice!

Check out hot or not on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tryhotornot

 

 

 

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post. Regardless, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I only recommend products and services which I believe will be good for my readers.

Book Review: Music Production: Recording

recording

For a while I had wanted to see about becoming a sound engineer. Until I read this book.  There is so much information here I was completely overwhelmed! So many diagrams and buttons and knobs and everything else involved with recording – I had no idea!  It certainly gave me a new respect for those who can do all this and understand all the different knobs and buttons!  If you want to know everything there is to know about recording – then this is the book for you!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

The sound recorder is the ‘mirror with a memory’ for those who listen. With it we can capture glimpses of our reality, producing ‘pictures’ as we express ourselves. These may ultimately serve as reminders of who we were and of our dreams…

Your recordings are the vehicle for your compositions. Improve the artistry of your productions with this techniques guide, which focuses throughout on musicality and how your decisions affect it. Author Carlos Lellis Ferreira walks you through the recording process, bringing aesthetic considerations into each discussion. Learn visually with detailed diagrams and clear explanations of best practices.

Unlike many other recording books, Music Production: Recordingis organized around real-world scenarios, with details about roles and responsibilities that help you navigate through key stages of production.

Luthier’s Collection guitars

Experienced musicians have their preferences about their instruments, whether it’s with regard to a specific type or manufacturer.  However, beginners often have many questions about what the best instrument is for them to use while learning. Guitars are one of the most popular instruments, and while the terms classical and acoustic may seem interchangeable, there are differences between the two instruments, and your choice of one over the other depends on a couple of factors.

Classical guitars are also acoustic guitars, but not all acoustic guitars are classical guitars. That sounds like a riddle, but we’ll solve it in a few paragraphs.

There are four main factors that separate classical guitars from other acoustic guitars.

Strings
Classical guitars use nylon strings exclusively. Non-classical acoustic guitars can use nylon strings. However, nylons strings would greatly affect the sound quality, so most use steel strings. Non-classical acoustics are constructed of heavier woods to stand up to a more rugged style of playing, but they require heavier strings to produce the full sound they’re known for. Guitars that are designed for classical use are crafted of lighter wood to increase their resonance while producing a softer overall tone. Classical guitars are meant to be strummed or played with the finger tips. The playing style required by steel strings would damage the instrument. Steel string guitars generally use picks, which would damage nylon strings.

Body
There are subtle differences that distinguish the body design of a classical guitar from an acoustic. A classical guitar has a smaller, lighter body, no truss rods on the neck, a wider neck and headpiece cut-outs to increase resonance. They produce a more mellow sound. Steel string acoustics have a thinner neck, which is reinforced with truss rods to handle more force on the strings. They also have solid heads and produce a full, more robust sound.

Musical Style
Classical guitars are designed for playing classical, Latin and folk music, where acoustic guitars can adapt to a range of musical genres, from rock to folk to country.

Ease of Play
Because nylon strings are softer, they cause less pain and discomfort when learning and playing. Steel string guitars take a while to become accustomed to, and generally require the development of blisters and then callouses on the fingertips before playing them becomes comfortable. However, if the student intends to play a musical genre other than classical or folk music, it’s best to learn on a steel string acoustic right off the bat. On a side note, younger children might feel more comfortable beginning on a classical guitar because of the smaller body size, and then switch later if their initial interest remains strong as their lessons progress.

Luthier’s Collection guitars is an example of a website that offers a variety of guitars for musicians of any level of experience.

Disclosure: I was compensated by the sponsor of this post to compose an honest and accurate review of their products or services. Regardless, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I only recommend products and services which I believe will be good for my readers.

 

Jamaica Trip: Traveling Home

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Leaving, I caught the 8:30am shuttle (that played Cool Runnings on the way there!) with Maribeth because if not I’d be on my own at Noon and I didn’t trust myself to make it in one piece. (And I was right because I had major trouble getting on and off the shuttle even WITH help!)  We had to wait for my shoes to get swabbed before we could move on from the security check point.  Can I just point out that NO airport that I’ve visited has chairs before security? (Or in a reasonable walking distance?)  I do not WANT a pat down or to cause issues without being able to take off my shoes – but I can’t walk too far without my brace without there being potential of me falling over.  Get me a chair right before the scanner and I’d be more than willing to go the few steps without my shoes (there almost always are chairs AFTER the check point)

Leaving so early meant I had to spend most of the day at the airport as we arrived at 10:30am and my flight was not boarding until 4:30pm, but I was able to hang with Maribeth until about 1 anyway so it wasn’t too bad. And the airport had WiFi so I pretty much was fine. I also made a friend in a little girl who decided she was going to touch and smack me to try and get me to laugh.

$11 later, we were able to get lunch… I guess I should have gone for something more exotic than Wendy’s, especially if it was going to be so expensive, but oh well.

I slept through pretty much all of my first flight which was nice. Except I missed getting the immigration card to fill out.  Fortunately, I asked for a wheelchair and the woman pushing me told me that I didn’t need one if we went to these new fancy machines. Whew!  I ended up getting pulled for an extra check because one of the guys didn’t like what I said. (I have to bet it was that I was traveling “alone” but was in Jamaica for 5 days – I just wasn’t sure if I needed to go in to the song and dance of “but I met my friends from other states IN Jamaica and we’ve all now gone our separate ways so I am alone”)  They didn’t scan anything and just asked why I was in a wheelchair.  Um, because I can’t walk long distances? They passed me through and all was good.

I ended up getting to my second gate about 10 minutes before we were going to board.  They told me I’d get someone to assist me again but no on came! Fortunately I don’t really need help getting down the jetway.  At this point I just wanted to get home.  I was hoping the seat next to me would be open (last I had checked it was) but a woman was next to me.  Probably the WORST person to fly next to.  Super nervous, doing the sign of the cross before we took off, mumbling under her breath…. and when we were delayed because we had no ground power I thought she was going to demand to be taken off the flight.  It ended up being only about 30 minutes of a delay but thanks to some wind by Norfolk VA where we were flying upwards of 600 mph, we made up the time and landed as scheduled.

It was foggy as heck on the way home though! Very scary but I made it home and was beyond happy that I had taken the next day off since I didn’t get home until about 1:30am.  It was a LONG day.

 

Book Review: Haunted Rock & Roll

haunted

Haunted Rock & Roll tells the story of some of the most famous rock and roll icons and  their ghosts.  The first part of the book is on Rock Star Ghosts and tells stories of 16 ghosts including Elvis, Mama Cass, Whitney Houston and Buddy Holly, among many others.  Each chapter tells a bit about their career, their death and spottings of their ghosts with a bit of a possibility of why they are haunting that particular place as well. (Will.I.Am thinks that Michael Jackson is haunting him, Jim Morrison is haunting a part of a Mexican restaurant – the reason why is actually quite interesting!)

The second part of the book is about Haunted Rock Spots – 7 places where rock stars have spent their time that appear to be haunted – bars, clubs, concert halls and studios.  I know that a few bands I follow have mentioned a couple of haunted venues so I believe it!

Section 3 is about Premonitions, Signs and Omens.  John Lennon had a fascination with the #9 – he was born on it and died on it – if you go by the date it was in London when he was killed. The Beatles were discovered on the 9th and there’s just a lot of information about John and this number.  Which leads to the 4th section which is Rock N Rolls Most Famous Curses and Mysteries – one of the 9 (!) featured is the 27 Club.  Which is all of the rock stars who have died at the age of 27, but what is 2 + 7?  9!

If you are interested in the paranormal and mysteries revolving some rock stars and their death and the afterlife, then you should check out Haunted Rock & Roll.  A fairly quick read and full of some very interesting information and theories!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review.  I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

From rock and roll’s pioneers to its contemporary rebels, explore how the greatest names live on after death—in unexpected and frightening ways. Combining two of America’s great passions, celebrities and the paranormal, Haunted Rock & Roll covers rock’s entire supernatural history.

Explore rock and roll’s most iconic idols, haunted locations, and infamous legends through evidence and testimonials from renowned ghost hunters and researchers. Discover thrilling stories of Michael Jackson, Jim Morrison, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Amy Winehouse, and many more stars seen haunting their favorite bars, clubs, and homes. From the early days through the present pop music era, rockers have followed the same motto: Live fast, die young, and leave a restless spirit.

Jamaica Trip: Solo Shows

An addition to this years back to the island event was that each member of the band, for the first time EVER, would be performing a solo set.  I wasn’t sure how to count this since I count all my Hanson shows – but I decided to count each one as 1/3 of a show – so all 3 combined would add 1 more show to the count.

First up was Taylor. It was raining a bit during his set so I didn’t get as much video as I would like because I was fearing for my cameras being out in the elements. Fortunately it didn’t rain too hard – but it would have been ok if it did since we were able to just go back to the room and change – unlike every other time I’ve gotten soaked at a concert.

Make It Out Alive
Kiss Me When You Come Home
Weird
When You’re Gone
Be My Own
Every Word I Say
Get Up And Go

The next day was Zac, and there has been some rumors and stuff going on about this show. I think everyone that wasn’t there assumed things happened that didn’t based on hearsay.  I did not think Zac was pissed off, I think he was teasing about trying to get everyone to sing louder and if they didn’t he would leave.  As far as ending his set by dropping the guitar near the amp – I think that was all for dramatic effect, not that he was pissed off.  (He did everything on his setlist so it’s not like he was coming through with his earlier ‘threat’)

This Is The Jam
Letters in the Mailbox
Chasing Down My Dreams
Fire on the Mountain
Broken Angel
Bittersweet
I Am
Get So Low
Devils Nachos

The final night – they saved the best for last (his words.) and Isaac had his turn. I truly do think the solo sets got better as the event went along and Isaac had a great set! He talked a little bit about lyrics and did the longest set out of everyone.  He was also the first to repeat a song when he did Best of Times but I don’t think that anyone minded.

River
Minute Without You
So Lovely
More Than Anything
Call Me
Rain
Someone
Deeper
Too Young To Kill
Best of Times

I ended up getting 1 new never before heard (by me) song from Zac and 2 from Isaac’s set.

Book Review: Summer Sins

summersinsI tend to be drawn to these books moreso for the backstory than for the fact that they are erotic and/or romance novels.  This book caught my attention because the main character, Emma, works for a tabloid magazine called Scandal.  She researches her articles typically by actually doing whatever it was that she is writing about to get a better perspective on it.  So when there is a BDSM club in town that needs to be written about, Emma decides to go on location and see what kind of information she can find as well as maybe indulge herself a little as well. She is worried her plan may backfire when she meets a guy there and actually starts falling for him.  She writes a couple of articles and submits a vague one to her editor, who seems to be interested in publishing it.  But what ends up published is not what she submitted and a bit more than she had bargained for…

This was a short story, 70 pages, and was an easy read. The shorter stories are always better because they don’t waste time setting up all the characters in the story.  I did have a guess about how the major problem in the book was going to unravel, to a certain extent, but was not sure how everyone would react and what the final outcome would be.  I was happy with how everything wrapped up though!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Master Adrian Cayne knows how to bring exquisite pain or pleasure to a woman’s body. Before he’ll take on an inexperienced submissive, he expects her to pass a series of seductive tests of increasing intensity to see if she’s receptive to his unique and dark skills. Under his command and relentless determination, she’ll relinquish control to him.

Emma is known to thoroughly research her articles for the tabloid magazine Scandal. Her latest assignment to write about Dark Odyssey, a new BDSM club, is her chance to indulge in her taboo desires for the sex she craves as a submissive. With her job and future career on the line, she has to write a lurid, gossip story. But her heart isn’t in it because she’s falling for Adrian.

Raw and hot passion draws them past guarded limits, but when secrets are revealed, trust will be the final test for true love.

Inside Scoop: Emma’s journey includes public sex scenes and watching a scene with a sadist and masochist.

 

A Romantica® BDSM erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

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