Book Tour Stop: Author, Joel M. Andre

Kill 4 Me

by Joel M. Andre

Author's website: http://joelmandre.info/

Date Published: August 2008

Pages: 249

                                 ISBN: 1435753089

My Review:

Casey is an average teenage girl except for one thing; she eye witnessed the brutal death of her father. After rescuing her sister from a troubling situation, they were in a collision when another driver hit Casey’s car head on, resulting in a nasty accident and the death of her sister.  A few months after recuperating from her injuries, Casey begins to receive cryptic text messages from an unknown sender. People close to Casey are winding up dead.  The twist and turns have readers wondering if Casey is being haunted or if she is the killer.

I think Andre did a great job creating suspense around the mysterious text messages. While I had a few hunches on whom I thought could be harassing Casey, they were all wrong. Andre led me on a windy and thrilling road throughout the story and didn’t stop until the very end. I feel that the commentary between Casey and the sender of the texts could have been more frightening, but Andre made up for that with the gruesome death scenes.  

Tea With Death

by Joel M. Andre

Author's website: http://joelmandre.info/

Date Published: March 2012

Pages: 15

My Review:

In Tea With Death, Joel M. Andre writes about an encounter between a man and Death. This man has a terrifying motive behind his tea date with Death and is prepared to face the consequences of his request.

I love the concept of meeting with Death and attempting to discover truths about the unknown to humans, such as death and afterlife. I would have liked for the dialogue between the man and Death to be darker to match the man’s inner darkness.

DIY Popsicles: Chocolate Banana

Although the warm weather has yet to arrive in Olympia, the homemade popsicle making has begun. Plus, we had two bananas that were nearing the end so I decided on chocolate banana popsicles.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 bananas

Simply toss all the ingredients into the blender and blend! Pour the mix into the popsicle mold and freeze for at least 3 hours.

Some extra mix was leftover, and I hate wasting food so I poured the remainder into small shape molds and froze them for an hour. This allowed the chocolate banana mix to solidify before adding the popsicle stick, plastic fork, and coffee stirrer.

Here comes the semi-sad part: I couldn’t get the popsicles out of the molds! The DIY popsicles came out perfectly, but the others did not. I scooped out the popsicles and served them in a bowl.

Biannual Blogathon Bash

I signed up to participate in the Biannual Blogathon Bash, and I am super excited to get started. It’s a 72 hour blogger event that encourages bloggers to work on their blog to-do list for at least 24 hours within the Blogathon schedule. Mini-challenges are set up to educate bloggers about topics that will enhance their blogs and further their blogging experience. Not to mention the awesome networking and prizes, too! It’s not too late to sign up for the event.

 Some of my blog goals for the next 24 hours are below.

• Organize blog posts and create a posting schedule
• Catch up on reviews
• Plan my next giveaway

Book Review: Girl in the Glass by Zoe Brooks

Girl in the Glass

by Zoe Brooks

Author's website: http://zoebrooks.blogspot.com

Date Published: March 2012

Pages: 213

ASIN: B007IROBEE

I am Anya and I am nothing.

Eleven-year-old Anya is an orphan being raised by her hateful and vicious aunt. She endures mental and physical abuse because of the similarities she shares with her mother, whom her aunt despised. Eva, Anya's "Shadow," loyally stands by Anya through her distress and conjures up a plan that leads them across the dangerous desert away from their life of slavery. A city set between the sea and the desert has its own secrets and danger awaiting Anya and Eva.

Anya's abuse is intense and it is a wonder she stays strong throughout it all. I became caught up in Anya's struggles and minor victories. I enjoyed the many characters that entered Anya's life and affected her in different ways. While it is never clear where or when this story takes place, the author tells the story so smoothly that while I was curious, it didn't take away from anything. I think I would have liked to read additional background about Anya's parents, along with more details regarding the people known as "Shadows." Zoe Brooks does a wonderful job giving Anya a new persona each time she changed her identity in an attempt to protect herself and Eva.

Book Review: Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet by Jack Norris & Virginia Messina

Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet

by Jack Norris & Virginia Messina

Date Published: July 2011

Pages: 283

ISBN 13: 978-0-7382-1493-1

Vegan for Life is an essential guide for anyone wanting to learn more about a vegan diet and for people already committed to a vegan lifestyle. Authors and dieticians, Jack Norris and Virginia Messina have compiled a book overflowing with valuable nutrition information about eating a plant-based diet. Along with facts about being healthy while eating a vegan diet, the authors also include sample menus for children, adults, seniors, and athletes. Vegan for Life debunks myths about vegans and provides realistic ways to thrive while eating a plant-based diet.

I appreciate how the authors are not preachy about transitioning to a vegan diet. Instead, they write about medical studies, facts, and the correct way to maintain good health on a plant-based diet. For me, this book is a must have for any vegan. I know this is a book that I will use as a reference for my family and myself over the years. I learned a great deal about vegan nutrient needs. You’ll also find helpful tips for vegans on a budget, a quick cooking guide, and a metric conversion chart.

DIY: Edible Plant Cell Project

Day 14 of What’s the Word June

Word of the day: cumulonimbus

On Monday night my daughter told me that she had to create an edible model of a plant cell for a school project Then she casually said,”Oh yeah, it is due on Thursday.”

No biggie, ha! So, I had two days to help plan the plant cell and make sure it was edible. After tossing around a few ideas we decided a pancake was the way to go. It is large, soft, round, and yummy. She made labels with the cell information and then I glued them onto toothpicks.

First thing is first, make a pancake.

Carefully add on each food item.

Stick the toothpick flags into the correct areas.

Great job, Emily!

Here is the list of food items we used:

Pancake – cytoplasm

Green licorice – cell wall

Raisins – cell membrane

Peanut butter cracker – nucleus

Jellybean– mitochondria

Banana chip - chloroplast

Nutella - vacuoles

Thankfully it is a rain free morning in Olympia (no cumulonimbus clouds in sight) so she was able to safely carry her edible project to the school bus stop. 

Let's hope the plant cell made it to class in one piece.

One Lovely Post

Day 12 of What’s the Word June

Word of the day: abracadabra

I was pleasantly surprised when Tabi of tabi happy nominated ME for a One Lovely Blog Award. It’s my first blog award and it is coming from someone who I recently discovered and I am thrilled I did! We have common interests like, being creative, cooking vegan food, and we’re both hip mamas. Thank you, Tabi!

The rules to the ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD are:

•    Thank the person who nominated you and link back to them in your post (check!)

•    Share 7 things about yourself

•    Nominate 15 or so bloggers you admire (I shortened my list to 5)

•    Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they’ve been nominated. 

Seven things you may (or may not know) about me:

1.            When I was 19-years-old I was filmed for the TBS documentary, Tattoos: Women of the Ink.

2.            My first job was at my local public library.

3.            Before my coffee addiction, I was obsessed with green tea.

4.            Growing up, I said there were two things I would never do and abracadabra I did both. One marriage and three kids later …

5.            My middle name is Ruth. I was named after my maternal grandmother who passed away the year before I was born.

6.            I found my first four-leaf clover at 33-years-old.

7.            The first time I visited the west coast I knew it was where I wanted to live. It took me 14 years but here I am.

...

And now for the nominations:

1.            Four A’s & a D.

2.            The Vagabond Studio

3.            Book Fidelity

4.            dangerous compassions

5.            Kelley’s Passion for Nutrition

Book Reviews: Poetry & Short Stories by K.W. McCabe

Day 10 of What’s the Word June

Word of the day: frog prince

Dark and Light: A Small Collection of Poetry

by K.W. McCabe

http://kwmccabe.blogspot.com/

Date Published: November 2011

Dark and Light: A Small Collection of Poetry includes five poems written by K.W. McCabe. The tiny collection of poems contains a beautiful flow. McCabe eloquently describes the transformation of caterpillar into butterfly and the movement of mysterious sea creatures while also peeking into the darkness of life. This collection has great balance.

Dreams Both Real and Strange I and II

by K.W. McCabe

http://kwmccabe.blogspot.com/

Anthology Pack

Published: May 4th 2012 by FantaFire Press

Pages: 48 pages

ISBN13 9781476084169

Dreams Both Real and Strange I and II is an anthology pack of short stories by K.W. McCabe. Some of the stories are elaborate while others are super short. I was drawn to the darkness of each short story. The subject matter, while dark, ranged from death, afterlife, choices, grief, remorse, and sadness. I enjoyed the variety of characters and how each story carried itself while sharing the same mood overall. K.W. McCabe gives us magic, mystery, and suspense. I could have easily read an entire book of the tales, Choices and Wraith.

The extra short story, Fairy Foibles is the only story I did not find satisfying. I found it to be less serious than the other stories, making it seem out of place in the anthology.

The anthology ends with a preview of McCabe’s upcoming novel, The Dragon’s Call. It definitely grabbed my attention, and I eagerly await its release.

 I found K.W. McCabe's dark writing to be enjoyable and I think fans of the paranormal and supernatural will as well. You won't find a frog prince in these fantasy stories.

Full disclosure:

Review copies received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Author Interview with Kate Evangelista & e-book GIVEAWAY

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.


I had the pleasure of reviewing a novel by Kate Evangelista called Taste. If you read my book review then you know I was beyond happy with the story. If you haven't had a chance to check out the book review, you can go here and catch up on the awesomeness.


Kate took the time to do an interview with me and one lucky reader will win an e-book copy of Taste! You don't want to miss out on the giveaway. Enter through the Rafflecopter below and good luck.

Hi, Kate! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer some interview questions. Please tell me a little bit about your background as a writer.

I started writing in high school because of my sophomore English teacher. She told me I had potential, and to any teen, that's really key. I've been writing of and on since then, but only started looking at writing as a career a couple of years ago. 

How did the vision for the underground world of flesh eaters transpire?

When I started writing Taste, vampires where all the rage. Twilight was the hottest book around. So, I thought I would go a different route yet still slightly familiar. I guess, since it took a while to get Taste out, the trend of zombies overtook me a bit. *laughs*

Okay, I have to know. Who would you choose, Dimitri or Luka?

Sorry, Demitri. I would choose Luka all the way. 

What are you currently working on?

I'm actually in the process of editing the first of a trilogy with Entangled called Til Death. I can't wait to share Selena's and Dillan's story with all of you. Plus, as if I'm not busy enough, I will be editing another first of a trilogy with Omnific Publishing called Reaping Me Softly. Watch out for that one too. 

Do you have any tips for writers who may be torn whether to publish in e-book format or print?

The best tip I can give is start with e-books then make sure to have a print version too since there are readers who want a physical copy of the book. It's better to cover all the bases. 

Do you have one central location where you write? If so, will you describe it?

I write on the balcony connected to my room. My mother set up a little writing nook there for me where the chair to table ratio is just right. I love looking out into all the green surrounding me when I'm writing. Love, love, love it!

I'd like to take this time to thank Sage for her wonderful review for Taste and for letting me hang out with all of you on her blog today. I wish all the entrants of the giveaway luck. I look forward to sending one of you a copy of Taste. Happy reading!

Keep up with Kate by entering the giveaway below & http://www.kateevangelista.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No 'Poo & Mermaid Hair

Being eco-friendly is important to me. I am always researching about products so that I can make the healthiest choice for my family and the environment. I have overhauled how I feed my family and myself. I’ve also switched to using natural cleaners so, the next thing I have been working on transforming is our bath and body care. It’s unbelievable how many items we have been using that are chock full of toxins.  The website, EWG’s Skin Deep, is a helpful resource to break down the ingredients in products and explain why they are harmful.

Moving on to no ‘poo! Now, my friend Shai is also an Earth friendly mama and I have seen her post quite a bit about the no ‘poo method which is washing your hair but not using a harmful shampoo. Thankfully she wrote a detailed blog post about the process that made it simple to follow along. The no ‘poo method consists of using a baking soda wash and apple cider vinegar rinse for 6 weeks to detox your hair. It’s cheap and good for you.

I decided to give no ‘poo a try! It’s been almost two weeks, and I love my hair! It feels amazing. My hair stays soft and it makes me happy to know I am using all natural products. Before I get in the shower, I pour the baking soda and apple cider vinegar in reusable containers. I add water to create the mixtures while I am in the shower. The baking soda scrub has a gritty texture but once I rinse with the apple cider vinegar my hair feels silky.

Speaking of hair awesomeness, The Dirty Housewife recently hosted a giveaway for an 8-ounce bottle of Mermaid Hair and I won!

From The Dirty Housewife: "My Mermaid Hair is formulated to bring that 'beachy' look to your hair-Just like how a day at the beach will leave your hair sunkissed and seasprayed and mixed with salt water. My hair is always more manageable after a day in the ocean and always seems to have that sexy tousled look to it."

I tried Mermaid Hair for the first time yesterday. One of the first things I noticed is that seconds after I spritzed Mermaid Hair onto my hair, my natural curls and wave popped out. My favorite thing about Mermaid Hair is that I experienced ZERO frizz after my hair dried naturally. I do not blow dry my hair so when it dries naturally I usually have a dome of frizz which I then tackle with a hot iron. Mermaid Hair is perfect for my busy lifestyle. Now, I can jump out of the shower, towel dry my hair, spray on Mermaid Hair and go about my day with hair that looks awesome. Also, a little goes a long way! Thank you Shai and Tanya for showing me the way of healthy, natural, and beautiful hair.

Please visit The Dirty Housewife and treat yourself to something wonderful! I know I am looking forward to trying some of the other products that Tanya has created. http://www.thedirtyhousewife.net/

Book Review: Taste by Kate Evangelista

Taste

by Kate Evangelista

Author's website: http://www.kateevangelista.com/

Date Published: May 2012

Pages: 259

Genre: YA paranormal romance

ISBN -13: 9781937254551

I want stories to whisk me away from reality into a new world, and I can say with confidence that Kate Evangelista did just that with her YA paranormal romance, Taste.

The story begins swiftly as 17-year-old, Phoenix McKay, unintentionally violates the only rule at her pristine school, Barinkoff Academy, which is: don’t break the curfew. This accidental action unveils a mysterious group of “night students.” As she delves deeper into her new discovery, Phoenix soon unearths a civilization underneath Barinkoff Academy that consists of a royal family connected in both deception and loyalty.

No, these “night students” are not vampires; rather they are an ancient race of human flesh eaters called Zhamvy. The Zhamvy people are like zombies, but beautiful, intelligent, and powerful. Kate Evangelist has created a breed of cannibals who are similar to humans in the sense of how they live (minus the flesh eating) yet fighting a battle that could ultimately affect whether humans survive or not.

Haunted by her own past full of despair and grief, Phoenix sets out to uncover centuries of secrets and save the dying breed. Along the way she gets caught up in a love triangle with two night students, Dimitri and Luka. Phoenix experiences a lustful emotion that bubbles out of control, jealousy, and unimaginable risks.

The characters show multiple sides of themselves, which I appreciated. Both weak and strong moments but ultimately becoming the people they were destined to be.

For me, Kate Evangelista was successful in creating a story that you don’t want to stop reading, characters that you feel for, and a world that only the best of imaginations can create.

 COMING SOON: Interview with author, Kate Evangelista and a giveaway for a copy of Taste! 

* I included today's word from the What's the Word June Challenge in the book review. Did you spot it?

Olympia, WA is magical

Day 3 of What’s the Word June

Word of the day: unicorn

June 1^st was our one-year anniversary of living in Olympia, Washington. My family and I moved from a small town in Georgia to Olympia, it took five days to travel cross-country. Two adults, three kids, one van, and a full-blown adventure. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life to date.  I wrote a little about our journey here.

If you know me, then you have heard me say more than once that Olympia is magical. I swear the only thing missing in this city is a unicorn! My favorite part is catching a breathtaking view of Mt. Rainier. Just the sight of Mt. Rainier lifts my mood. Best medicine ever!

We live right next to a beautiful park with a one-mile walking trail, large pond, and a playground perfect for all ages. You never know what winged creature you will see near the pond. You may see a duck, crow, and seagull all at the same time, so cool.

DIY Kids: Mini Fairy Garden

Day 2 of What’s the Word June

Word of the day: mushroom

Creating a miniature fairy garden is a fun, and creative activity you can do with your kids. Most of the materials for this craft can be found in your yard!

Materials

• Bottom of a planter (plastic, decorative or terracotta) 

• Potting soil
• Rocks/Gemstones 

• Acorns 

• Glass beads 

• Garden fairy *tutorial below
• Mini animals or bird eggs

Directions

Fill the bottom of the planter with potting soil. The bottoms of planters are shallow, so you don't need to add too much potting soil. Leave a tiny space between the trim and the potting soil. Next, your child can arrange all the items that they collected from their nature hunt in the planter. Along with nature items, you may also want to add a small flowering plant in the fairy garden.

Extra tips:

- Using acrylic paints, choose vibrant colors and paint the rocks prior to adding them to the fairy garden.

- You can create a pond by pushing a small plastic lid, like the top of a yogurt container, into the soil, and adding a little bit of water.

- Make a fairy house out of bark and other pieces of scrap wood! Simply collect small pieces of wood and build a mini house formation, securing the sections into place with your glue gun.

- Fairies need a colorful mushroom to hang out on! Mold a mushroom out of clay and add it to the garden.

Don’t Forget the Fairy

Materials

• Circular wooden bead 

• Oval shaped wooden bead 

• 3 craft pipe cleaners 

• Glue gun  

• Scissors 

• Colorful yarn 

• Sharpie

Directions

Start off by gluing the circular wooden bead (the fairy's head) onto the larger wooden bead, which will be the fairy's body. While you are waiting for them to dry firmly together, cut off small sections of the yarn for the fairy's hair. You may also begin bending and shaping two of the pipe cleaners for the fairy's wings. The third pipe cleaner is for the fairy's arms. You'll only need to clip two small sections from the pipe cleaner for the fairy's arms. Adhere the yarn and pipe cleaners to the body with the glue gun. You can also draw a face onto the circular bead with a sharpie. Be sure to lightly draw the face on, if pressed too hard, the lines from the sharpie will be thick and could run into each other. Your child can "dress up" their fairy with any other crafty items they have.

When the fairy garden is complete, it can be displayed outdoors or near a window indoors!

What's the Word June Blog Challenge

Tabi (tabi happy) is hosting a June blog challenge called 'What’s the Word June.' The challenge is to incorporate the word of the day (which Tabi has listed) into your daily blog. The words Tabi has chosen are fun and some are not commonly found in most blog posts so it will be interesting, but I am always up for a good challenge!

The word of the day is: smitten

It’s been close to eight weeks since I planted veggies for my indoor container garden. I have been watering them, hand pollinating them, and sometimes even cheering them on!  I am excited that I have been able to keep them alive and healthy this long. I was pretty nervous I would have a hard time growing vegetables indoors.

My cucumber plants grew amazingly fast. Remember this post? You can see how tall they have grown and how they are taking over my windowsill. When the cucumbers began to get larger, they started to hang down, applying a lot of weight to the plant stem and I saw places throughout the plant where the stems were breaking. I panicked because I didn’t want them to die. They have been growing so good and I didn’t want them to take a turn for the worst. I bought a metal cage to insert into their pot and entwined the plant up the cage, alleviating some pressure from the stem. A few leaves were damaged in the process but I read if the damage is minimal, they can heal themselves. Phew!

So far I have spotted a cherry tomato on one plant and on another, a larger tomato is growing with signs of two others coming along nicely. I am completely smitten over the tomatoes. I had a rough time growing them outside on my patio last year. They are doing so much better inside.