Thursday, August 18, 2016

RELEASE DAY!!! Widower's Aura IS HERE!!!

wid 2
Title: Widower's Aura
Author: A.J Renee
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 18, 2016
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Synopsis
Living in a world full of colors, Sofia Brazier escapes a career gone south as a juvenile probationary officer in New Orleans. After moving to the small town of St. Fleur, Sofia opens a photography business in hopes of ridding her life of all the dark auras surrounding the damaged souls she once tried helping. Her comfortable new life is upended when widower, and ex-security-forces-turned-handyman hunk, Noah Tyler enters the local pub.

Noah attempts to avoid the voluptuous beauty who has captivated his every thought. That is, until his daughter vandalizes Sofia’s building and effectively seals their fate. After cutting his daughter a break, Sofia begins tearing down the walls he built after his wife’s death.

Just when life finally seems worth living for Noah, Sofia finds herself the victim of a string of crimes. Can he protect Sofia when he failed to protect his own wife?
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Widowers Aura
Widowers 1
Excerpt
Noah felt the hair on the back of his neck rise before he even saw her. Her skin shimmered with sweat. A bright blue tank top hugged her breasts, short black athletic shorts clung to her curves, and bright blue sneakers covered her feet. The woman’s legs went on forever. He indulged in a brief fantasy of running his hands up those tan legs, hips, and up to her ample breasts. As his pants got tighter with a growing erection, he forced himself to turn and grab a drink of water.
For his sanity, Noah wanted to ignore her presence. Too bad he needed to speak to her. He couldn’t ignore what she was doing for Lexi. “Excuse me, Sofia?”
“Hello, Noah.” She smiled and continued to the bottom step of the house’s porch.
Noah walked toward her. “Can I talk to you?”
Her eyes locked on his with discomfort, “Yes?”
When they were a few feet apart, her smell hit him hard. Her sweat had yet to mask the sweet smell of peaches. She wasn’t covered in the strong perfume smell so many women seemed to bathe in. He noticed she wore no makeup either. The woman was truly stunning. He placed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.
“I wanted to thank you for what you’re doing for Lexi. You had every right to press charges, but I’m very grateful you didn’t. She’s a good kid…” He looked up at the second floor of his house, almost expecting to see Lexi standing at her window. “She’s just had a rough time, and I can’t snap her out it. I hope this close call does it.” He found himself wanting to tell Sofia more, but there was no point. Lexi would do her time with Sofia, and he would walk away with as little contact as possible.
Her head tilted to the side, Sofia’s knowing eyes pierced him. “Sounds like you both have been having a rough time.”
Her comment took him off guard. “Yes. No. Yes.” Noah struggled to breathe at the thought of how rough these last two years had been. When he looked at Sofia, he expected a confused look or even pity but not compassion. Yet her eyes sparkled when she gave him a small smile. Why did he always feel as if she was looking through him or reading his mind?
Widowers 2
About The Author
AJ
AJ Renee loves to travel and see family and friends whenever she gets a chance. She has a love of music, movies, and anything that can make her laugh. AJ believes in reading books with humor and mystery that end in a happily ever after to help ease our minds and hearts of life’s daily struggles. She currently resides in Nevada and spends her time with her air force husband, three young daughters, dog, and cat.
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Wednesday, August 10, 2016

WLW: Bullet Journal


Two months ago, I ultimately started bullet journaling.  The end of June I started, and my first full month was July and by the first week of July I was one hundred percent addicted to the freedom it offered me.  I've been struggling with productivity, and organizing my thoughts.  I absolutely love everything about bullet journals.  Everything.  

I can be as creative as I need to, and ensure that I have organization for the projects I'm working on things of that nature.  Especially now that I am working on getting my crew trainer title back at work.  So, here are a few items on my wishlist for my bullet journal. 

The notebook I want: 

I've been going back and forth between this one and the Moleskine, however, this one is ultimately the one that I want, because of some of the features that it offers that put it a step or two above the Moleskine.  This one has numbered pages, index, as well as stickers for archival processes.  Thus, this is the one that I will hopefully be buying this month.  For now, I am using pocket sized sketchbooks. 

The pens: 

These pens are some of the most common used for bullet journals.  They don't bleed through and the come in a variety of colors and are good for fine line detail.  The current pens I use are good, but I want these to add detail and more color to my bullet journal and it will allow me to actually color code various tasks in such a way that it will stand out a bit more.  

Washi Tape..:

No, seriously...washi tape.  Do you have any idea how addicting this stuff is?!  GIVE IT TO ME!  All the colors.  ALL THE THINGS! 

It's good for quite a few different things in a bullet journal, and I need quite a bit more :D 

Do you bullet journal? 

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Top 10 Tuesday: Classics


We've all read them.  Lots of them.  We were required to read many of them through our course work in high school and even in college.  You'll find several in this list..some of which I slogged through in high school, but now that I'm older I have a new found appreciation for.  So, with that in mind...ON WITH THE LIST! 


Top 10 Classics

10. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
9. Little Men - Louisa May Alcott
8. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
7. Paradise Lost - John Milton
6. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
5. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
4. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
3. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
2. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
1. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

There are several more that I enjoy, but this is my top ten list at least for now.  However, Gatsby usually ends up on top no matter what. 

What are your favorite classics? 

Monday, August 8, 2016

BotW: Me Before You



It's Sunday!! You know what that means!! Another Book of the Week!!!

This week's featured book will SERIOUSLY hit you in ALL the Feels!!!

I needed to read this book before going to see the movie (or finding it on RedBox or on Netflix or somewhere...because that's just how I roll).  If the movie is as good as the book, then I know my feelings will be in a useless pile upon the floor once I'm done seeing this movie.  I finished this book and simply could not even...just...no.  All the feels.  All the things.

I do not recommend reading this book without tissues or something to catch and wipe all that rain water that will suddenly be on your face throughout this book.  Just sayin...


Me Before You
JoJo Moyes


Monday, August 1, 2016

Review: Once Upon a [Stolen] Time


Title: Once Upon a [Stolen] Time
Author: Samreen Ahsan
Format: Kindle (e-book)
Pages: 
Date(s) Read: July 15, 2016
Rating: 3

Summary: 

600 years separate Myra Farrow and Edward Hue.  She living in the modern world and obsessed with Medieval castles, princes, kings, and everything involving them.  Edward, living in darkness and ruled by his tyrannical father, who hopes to craft him into a model of himself.   Can Myra save Edward or will she destroy him?

Review: 

I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

I do have to admit I do like Myra quite a bit, considering she does not suffer from Snowflake or Mary Sue syndrome.  She is interesting and I do quite like her.  She's grounded and there is an emotional connection with her.  Steven however, I'm not entirely thrilled with considering that he isn't completely honest with Myra about his intentions for her.  Though, he doesn't lie about using her as the main character for his video game based on Hue Castle. 

Hue Castle is somewhere that intrigues me greatly, and in all honesty I want to walk its barren darkness and submerge myself in its history.  There are secrets that thrive within those walls, disappearances (mainly of its last inhabitants as well as others), and the fact that there is absolutely no life within the abandoned walls of this castle.  The cameras cannot capture anything within the boundaries, and there is also a mirror within the castle's chapel.  The mirror was some how preserved from the fire that destroyed everything else - however the reflection within the mirror does not match the reality that it should. 

The reality within the mirror brings several questions to the fore, and begin Myra's search for the truth.  Just a few of the questions that Myra must answer in her search are: 
1. Why is everything within the castle's borders dead? 
2. Who is the man in the mirror?
3. Why is she the only one that can see and feel him?
4. How does he seem to know her?
5. Why can she not forget him?

He should have died six hundred years ago, and yet Myra and Edward share the same eyes. 

The story falls into a few tropes, however, the story was well crafted and one that I did enjoy.  However, this installment doesn't necessarily strike me initially as one based around romance, instead a mystery that needs to be solved and then other things can happen once that's done. 

The prose was delightful, and I could easily picture myself within the world crafted and living the mysterious moments with them.  Their emotions weren't superficial, and the characters actually had quite a bit of depth to them.  

I am looking forward to the next installment in this story, the continuation of the interactions between Myra, Edward and Steven.