Friday, January 27, 2017

Geyser Jan 2017 #FunnyFriday

Today’s post is this month’s Funny Friday, a regular feature published on the last Friday of every month. Funny Friday is a collaborative project. Each month one of the participants submits a picture, then we all write five captions or thoughts inspired by that month’s picture. Links to the other bloggers’ posts are below, click on them and see what they’ve come up with. I hope we bring a smile to your face as you start your weekend.



Here’s today’s picture. It was submitted by Dawn of Spatulas on Parade               

36 - Sparulas on Parade - January 2017.JPG

1. Passenger to driver: Maybe next time you should call the firemen, rather than taking things into your own hands.

Driver: I used my truck not my hands.


2. Supervisor: When I sent you to check out and test the functionality of the hydrant, this is not what I had in mind.
Repairman: Well, I wanted to make sure it could withstand anything that could come at it. You never know, a truck might have come right at it one day.


3. Passenger: What are you going to tell your wife?
Driver: Some alternate facts.


4. Store owner's wife: I told you to paint it bright red.
Store owner: It's a big fire hydrant. How can someone not see it?
Store owner's wife: I will go buy some red paint.


5. Driver: So that is what happens.


Click on the links below and let some other bloggers make you smile:


Friday, January 13, 2017

Return to Me Jan 2017 #UseYourWords

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked four to six words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That is the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who is participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.



My words are:
discombobulated ~ family ~ return ~ without ~ race
They were submitted by: http://Bakinginatornado.com (Thanks, Karen, for the words!! I will do them justice in my Stable Layne post, promise!!)

So, for the past few months, I have been writing a story for you all, one post at a time, using my Use Your Words words. I have bad news and good news. I am a firm believer in family first, especially my Gigi. I have actually started a Use Your Words post, with it being an installment of the Stable Layne series. Unfortunately, Gigi is sick today. Her ear is bugging her badly. So badly, I may be taking her to the emergency room, after I schedule this to post tomorrow morning. So, I am not going to be able to post my Stable Layne post.

Without being able to read it through several times, then read all the posts through, to make sure it makes sense, and isn't a discombobulating mess of words, I just do not feel comfortable posting it. So, rather than race to finish it in time, and put out a post I am not proud of, I have decided to post a different post. I will return to my already in progress post, as soon as things calm down with Gigi's ear, and post my Stable Layne post (using these words) at a later time. Once I do that, I will update this post with a link to it.

So, I was faced with trying to decide how to quickly use my words. Honestly, when I first read my words, the Stable Layne post began to form in my head, so I knew from moment one, that was how I was going to use them. I really did not have a plan B. One of my absolutely most comfortable forms of writing, is poetry. So, I decided to go that route with my words. I do apologize. I know I already gave you all poetry on Wednesday. I hope you don't mind, but poetry is definitely my comfort zone. 

Poem (Return to Me):

I am lying here, unable to stop my thoughts from running this race.
They are going a million miles a minutes.
I am thinking of you. I am thinking of family. I am thinking of us.
My thoughts have me discombobulated and restless.
All I really want is you to be here with me.
Yet I am alone, without you.
I do not know if you will ever return to my side.
I do not know if you are gone forever.
I do not know if we are truly over.
I wish you would tell me. 
I wish you would let me know your intentions.
I know you do not approve of my choices.
I can respect that you feel I should have chosen differently.
I had to do what was best for myself. I had to do what I thought was best for us.
I hope one day you can accept that, and come back into my life.
The way it was before, not the way it is now.
I want more. So much more.
I want us to be the old us.
Not this new us, a mere shadow of the old us.
I miss you. 
I miss you so much.
Please, please, return to me.

Okay. There you have it. I hope it will suffice, until I get my Stable Layne posted!! We have an appointment for 2 pm, with Gigi's doctor, but since it seems to be getting worse, we will be trying to get her in first thing, with either her doctor, or the ENT specialist who put her tubes in. As some of you may know, if you have followed me on my Facebook page and blog for a while, Gigi has struggled with ear issues. Getting tubes put in, December 2015 has really helped. Unfortunately, something is obviously wrong now. So, I am hoping it can get fixed immediately. Seeing your baby sick, is never cool. 

I am sorry to have disappointed y'all!! I will make it up to you!!

Links to this month's other “Use Your Words” posts:

Baking In A Tornado               
Spatulas on Parade             
Sparkly Poetic Weirdo                
On the Border                  
Climaxed                                    
Southern Belle Charm                

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Begin Again Jan 2017 #PoetryCollaboration

Every month, my fellow bloggers and I choose a theme and write poems based on the theme. If you have followed my blog for a while now, you will have seen that I have participated in these month poetry collaborations several times. I am back again this month, adding my own addition to our collaboration. This month's theme is "Beginnings". Be sure to check out the links at the bottom, and see what poems my fellow bloggers have contributed.



Without further ado... 

Poem 1 (Begin Again):

I think back to our beginning.
It was so simple and easy.
Me in the DJ booth.
You flipping pages in your notebook.
Not sure how I knew, but I did.
I knew you would be special.
I wish we could begin again.
Go back to the simplicity of our beginning.
Go back to the days when we really connected.
Back to the days before it got hectic.
Back to the days before things became hated.
Back to when we were all hearts and flowers.
I wish we could begin again.
I wish you looked at me the way you used to.
I wish you treated me the way you used to.
I wish I made you happy the way I did back then.
I wish I wasn't such a frustration. 
I want to make you happy.
I want you to make me happy.
I wish we could begin again.
I wish we could go back to the beginning.
Back in time, knowing what we know now. 
I would cherish those days so much more.
I would savor every moment, every touch, every kiss.
I would ask you more questions.
I would commit it all to memory, so none it would ever be forgotten.
I wish we could begin again.



Poem 2 (Beginnings):

Before any progress.
Endless potential.
G
reat possibilities.
I
deas.
N
ew start.
N
ever looking back.
I
nformed choices.
N
ext steps.
G
aining steam.
Starting up.




Poem 3 (In the Beginning):

I am not sure where it all went wrong.
I think in the very beginning, to be honest.
I have no regrets. 
I wish I could say I wouldn't change a thing,
but obviously I would.
I would make us a success.
I would make things right.
I would make better choices, 
and help you to make better ones yourself.
I would fight harder, 
and be bolder.
I would have spoken up louder.
I would have made you listen.
I would have written us a happy ending.
In a perfect world, 
we would be able to begin again.
Start back at the beginning.
In a more perfect world,
we could do it all over,
knowing what we know now.
We could make better choices.
We could be happier.
I could speak louder,
and express myself more precisely.
We could survive the odds.
We could have our happily ever after.
Yes, in a perfect world,
we would begin again.
I am sorry this isn't a perfect world.
I am sorry there are no second chances.
I am sorry for the mistakes I made. 
I am sorry we messed it all up,
and missed out on our happy ending.
I am not sorry it happened.
I am not sorry we got our ending.
I am not sorry for anything that is us.
I just wish we could begin again,
and be a better us.
Even though we cannot begin again,
I do love you.
I did in the beginning.
I do now.
I will tomorrow.
Maybe one day,
the world will perfect itself,
and we can begin again.



Poem 4 (Another Chance):

Some people want fame and fortune.
Some people want adventure and excitement.
All I want is a new beginning.
Some people want sex and passion.
Some people want love and commitment.
All I want is another chance.
Some people want praise and glory.
Some people want respect and fear.
All I want is to start over at the beginning.
Some people want it all.
Some people want it all plus some.
All I want it you.
Some people can walk away.
Some people can accept good bye.
All I want is for you to come back.
Some people can leave.
Some people can stay gone.
All I want is for us to be an us again.
Some people let go of the past.
Some people focus on the future.
All I want is you, here and now.
Please, let's begin again.
Please, let's start over.
Please, let's do it all again.
Please, give me another chance.


Links to the other blogs featuring this month's poetry collaboration:



Karen of Baking In A Tornado
Diane of On the Border
Dawn of Spatulas On Parade
Lydia of Cluttered Genius

Friday, January 6, 2017

The Game of Life Jan 2017 #SecretSubjectSwap

Welcome to a the first Secret Subject Swap of 2017. This week twelve brave bloggers submitted a secret subject for someone else to use, and were assigned a secret subject prompt of their own. Each blogger gets to use their Secret Subject prompt, to write any blog of their choice. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts. 




My “Secret Subject” is:
Video games give a chance to escape sort of like reading a book or watching a movie but you, the player, is in control of the story or the actions needed to complete it. As technology advances so have games giving people vast open worlds to play in and characters who are more and more customizability. If you could turn any book, TV show, or movie world into a game what would it be? Lead us on an exploration of what it might be like playing this game (feel free to make up your own world if books, TV, or movies fail to give you a suitable choice).


It was submitted by: Jenniy of Climaxed (Thank you so much, for a prompt that really made my brain work!!)

I am probably the worst person to get this subject prompt. I am really not a gamer. Tetris. That is my jam. Other than that, I have really never been all that into video games. I liked Zelda for about a week. I liked Animal Crossing on and off for a year. I don't mind seeing people play games, but I am just not one to sit and play. 

So, I have put days and days of thoughts into this, and I honestly just have no idea. My honest thoughts are.... Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, or Doctor Who. Here is the thing.... As much as I would love to be involved with any of these, there are some definite dangerous/scary elements to these, and I am just not so sure I want to go there. I mean... Could you imagine being the Doctor's companion?!?! YES PLEASE!!! Then along comes some Daleks or some other scary creatures.... No. No. No. Nooooo. 

Harry would be awesome, but then there is always He Who Shall Not Be Named.... Sigh. Yes, doing magic and hanging with Harry and the Weasleys! Maybe I could even be an honorary Weasley for a bit. Hermione and I could do magic together and hang out. Maybe we could bring back Dobby. Yes, it could be totally cool. I am just like.... Nope. Too dang risky. If HE comes around.... AHHHHH!

Game of Thrones.... My, my, my. I won't go in detail with my thoughts of the possibilities here, but suffice it to say, I could see the goodness of this choice. I can also see the potential BADNESS. White Walkers, for one. I am just not so sure this would be the right choice. Also, for as much as I adore some of the people on this show.... I am a modern girl. I like modern luxuries. I just don't think I would fit in well. 

So, then I was thinking about it some more. I was kinda leaning most towards joining Harry. The biggest appeal was wanting to find a way to bring Dobby back. On New Year's Eve, we attended a party at my In Law's house, and Harry movies were playing. Gigi took notice and fell in love. (For the record, I think she may just be a Slytherin) So, we spent New Year's Day and my birthday, watching every movie. She enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. Dobby died. I cried. Sigh. 

Sadly, I just found out that one of my friends from high school, lost her battle with Epilepsy. Thinking about the blog, thinking about Dobby, thinking about my friend Katie... An idea hit, and so I was finally able to make a decision.

I would want to create a game, where you could bring back people you love, who have died. Whether they are a favorite character from a book/movie/TV show, or someone you loved in real life. I think it would maybe be a risky play on people's emotions, so I would probably prefer to keep it to myself. I just think it would be cool to hang out with people you miss. Maybe get to say the things you never got to. Maybe just doing one more enjoyed activity together. I think it would be best in a Sims type of format. This is probably a horrible answer, but it is definitely my final answer.

So, which game would you create?! Do you have a favorite book or movie or TV show, which absolutely needs to be a video game?!

Here are links to all the blogs now featuring this month's Secret Subject Swap.  Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:


Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Eight by K.S. Thomas #BookReview

Okay, so today's book review is a bit special for me. I know we should not have favorites, as far as people go, but K.S. Thomas is definitely a favorite of mine. I try really hard to not be biased, and I think I am successful. If she wrote a horrible book, I would tell her. Lucky for me, she has yet to write a horrible book. Far from it. Her books are my favorites. I love every single one of them. I fell so in love with her writing, that I found every book of hers that I could, and read them all. Some I have read more than once. 

Her latest release, Eight from the pINK series, is no exception to the excellent writing she has done. I absolutely loved it. Now, you can totally read this book all by itself, and you would be happy, but I urge you to read the entire series. Every book, every novelette. READ THEM! I promise you, you will thank me!! 

In Eight, we learn the story about Memphis and Riot. We learn the reasoning behind Riot's disappearance, and we are given the fill in for the blanks we had. Their story is one with sadness, hope, romance, suspense, and overall love. It is a wonderful story. Personally, it is everything I could have wanted for them, and much more. It is a wonderfully written story, and it will keep you entertained. 

The most amazing thing about K.S. Thomas' writing, is that she weaves the most amazing stories. She does it without a lot of excess words and needless information. She paints perfect pictures for us, to truly understand what is going on, and she keeps us captivated. They are romance novels, and they can be a bit hot, but if you aren't into TMI romance books, you will be very happy. The great part... If you do love those HOT HOT HOT romance novels, you will still be happy. She has the way of really giving us the impression of the passion happening with the characters, and manages to do it without a lot of TMI. 

Nothing I can say to you will do this book, or any of her books justice. Just know that she is an amazing author. She tells fabulous stories, complete with suspense, drama, romance, happiness, sadness... Everything you need for an awesome story. She fills the stories with amazing characters, that she builds up, and gets you to love, or love to hate... She is thoughtful in her writing. She gives the tiniest of details, that you may not even realize are just so important. She has a wonderful way of surprising her readers. You will be captivated and satisfied. 

Once her stories are over, you will feel a sense of completion, and yet still wish there were more. She has a knack for really getting you involved with the characters and their storyline. If you read the entire series, you will be rewarded with updates and glimpses at your other favorite characters. I urge you to pay attention, because she uses the simplest of details to build grand moments. 

There will be plenty of mentions of coffee, so if you LOVE coffee as much as me, that will be the icing on the book cake for you. 

Truly, go read this book. Go read the entire series. Once you are done, get every book she has ever written, and read them. Hopefully, by then, you will finish just in time to read the next pINK book!! 

Another thing, that I personally love about the pINK series... It really showcases strong female leads. Women, who even at their weakest moments are strong. There is plenty of ink, romance, and passion to keep you coming back for more!! 

Please, once you read this, or any of her books... Let me know! I would love to discuss it with you!

So, don't wait... Go get Eight, and fall in love with Memphis and Riot!! 

Read on for a excerpt, and information on how to get a copy of your own!!! There is also information about Nine, Ten, and Eleven. I highly recommend them ALL!!




EIGHT
A pINK Novel, #2 by K.S. Thomas

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Divine Desire by Audrey Carlan #BookReview


Hello, Y'all!! If you have followed my blog for any length of time, or follow my Facebook page, you have probably figured out that I love to read. Reading, coffee, and Gigi- my three greatest loves. One of the things I want to do, whenever the opportunity presents itself, is to tell you guys about books I have read. You may remember me telling you about Sacred Serenity by Audrey Carlan, back in September. If you don't, you can read about it here.

Well, I just recently read the follow-up to Sacred Serenity, and I am here to tell you about it. Much like Sacred Serenity, I absolutely loved Divine Desire. Divine Desire is the third book in the Lotus House Series, by Audrey Carlan. I highly recommend you read all three, but you should know, I feel you can absolutely read this book, without reading the previous two, and still understand and enjoy it. 

Audrey is a fabulous writer, and an amazing storyteller. In this book, she gives you the complete story, while giving you glimpses at the past characters we fell in love with, and setting us up for future installments. I love that we get glimpses at the characters from the previous books, all while exploring the current characters journey, and yet getting the set up for the next story. This book will leave you fully satisfied, yet ready for what is next. 

You will fall in love with Mila and Atlas. Their journey will captivate and entertain you, until the very end. You will be left satisfied with how their story developed and ended. Audrey does a fantastic job weaving together yoga, romance, passion, and life. She tells a story that will make you feel a full gamut of emotions, from sadness and suspense to passion and pleasure. It is definitely a hot, sexy romance, but it isn't too hot. There is an actual storyline. She develops the characters well, and the storyline is fabulous. I love how Audrey manages to give us the happy endings we want, with a healthy dose of reality and passion mixed in.

You can definitely read this book on its own, but as stated, I highly recommend you read the entire series. You won't regret it. Audrey is a masterful storyteller, and her books will leave you satisfied. A definite added bonus, is the glimpses she gives us to the previous characters, in each new book. She doesn't leave us completely void of no updates. With each new book of Audrey's I read, the couple she tells me about, becomes my favorite. Divine Desire is no different. I am now firmly #TeamMilaAndAtlas, and after reading it, you will be too!!

Another little note for you... When you read these books, do not be shocked if you have a sudden, overwhelming desire to do Yoga!! With each book, my desire to do Yoga grows. After reading Divine Desire, I am now actually looking into finding a class I can feel comfortable in. I think it was probably inevitable.  

Please, once you read it, come back and let me know what you thought of it!! I would love to know how you feel about it!!

Happy Last Day of 2016!! I hope your 2017 is joyous, prosperous, and full of great books!! 



Divine Desire (The Lotus House Series)
by Audrey Carlan
Release Date: 27th December 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
#divinedesire #audreycarlan
Synopsis
When veteran yoga instructor Mila Mercado was asked to attend a new class and report back to the studio, she had no idea that the over-confident, ruggedly sexy newbie Atlas Powers was going to teach more than just a very controversial and erotic form of yoga. 
New instructor Atlas Powers has two passions in life: his music career and steamy by-the-book Mila Mercado. He teaches yoga by day and works at his passion by night until the fiery woman walks into his class and gives the term desire a whole new dimension. 
In this wicked hot tale of love and lust, two struggling artists are trying to make their dreams come true. Only one thing gets in the way… until they stop fighting long enough to burn up the sheets and the yoga studio with a divine desire neither of them can avoid.
Other Books by Audrey Carlan; http://www.audreycarlan.com/book/
Meet The Author

Audrey Carlan is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She writes wicked hot love stories that are designed to give the reader a romantic experience that’s sexy, sweet, and so hot your e-reader might melt. Some of her works include the wildly successful Calendar Girl Serial, Falling Series, and the Trinity Trilogy.
She lives in the California Valley where she enjoys her two children and the love of her life. When she’s not writing, you can find her teaching yoga, sipping wine with her “soul sisters” or with her nose stuck in a wicked hot romance novel.

Giveaway

I want you to know.... I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my honest opinions. I received a free e-book to read, in return for my honest opinion. Had I hated it, I would have said as much... I did not hate it. Not even a little bit. Definitely do yourself a favor, and add this to your list of books to read in 2017. In truth, Audrey Carlan is a fabulous writer, and you really cannot go wrong with any of her books!! 

Skin

Welcome to June's Blog with Friends!! Each month a theme is chosen and then participating bloggers use the theme, to create their own un...