I Accept this Double Witchy Cat Dare!

Magaly of Pagan Culture tagged me for...well I don't know what it is. But I have to tell you some random stuff about me and answer a few questions. Then I'll pick a few to torture.

It's always hard to figure out what to impart about myself. I have to think up something interesting, and quite frankly I feel I'm a boring person. lol So let's do this!

11 random things:

1. I love baking, I've really been going crazy lately. And when I'm bored, I find myself thinking about whipping up a cake to practice my decorating skills or cupcakes. I gotta find something to do with it, though because eating it isn't working for me.
   


2. I gained back all the weight I lost...which leaves me feeling like a failure...which leads me to overeat more.
   


3. Along the same line, I'm thinking I should join an Over-eaters Anonymous group, inspired by the TV show Mike & Molly.
   


4. I miss going for long walks when the weather was nicer and we actually had the time to spare.
   


5. My middle name is Rachelle (not Rachel, ra-shell), it was going to be my 1st name but apparently I have a cousin by that name. Yeah haven't seen her in YEARS so I'm sure that would have been confusing for everyone! lol
   


6. I love Facebook and the social sites because it removes my body issues from my interactions. It also allows me to think about what I'm saying before I say it. (I'm not a quick thinker).
   


7. I'm addicted to the Sims 3.
   


8. I long to knit socks.
   


9. I'm afraid of the dark - I don't believe in monsters under my bed, but I'm still convinced something is going to grab me.
   


10. I'm horribly disorganized. I have poor time management skills, and I say "yes" way too often to the indie authors. lol
    


11. I adore Mexican food. I had to move away from Alma so I'd stop eating at El Vaquero every other day.
    


12. owning a fixer upper that we had to sell when I got pregnant hasn't soured me on the idea of doing it again. (has my husband though - lol)
    
    
13. Where is your favorite place? Why? Alone at a coffee shop (usually Biggby) with a great book and good coffee. Why? Because it's quiet, and I'm alone.
    


14. What was your worst date, and why? All right, I'll answer this one. I met this guy online, I met all my guys online. He drove up from Flint to meet me at Bennigan's. I instantly disliked him. He smoked (and smelled of it) and he was the most annoying man I've ever met. He was whimpy and tough all at the same time...it quickly became obvious the tough was covering up for the whimpy. He was also just getting out of an abusive relationship. He didn't pay and he whined when I said it just wouldn't work out. Do I really need to explain why it was my worst date?

Now I'm supposed to choose who to pass this onto. Well I'm going to go the lazy route. ;) All of you go ahead and do this on your blog so I can come see.

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Now the winner of My Place or Yours or We Interrupt This Date is...Mina from Green Witch with Sprinkles. Such a sweet lady. Everyone go congratulate her. *grin*

We Interrupt This Date (re-post)

by: L.C. Evans (*originally posted 10-05-2011*)

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and Smashwords.

Synopsis:
Since her divorce a year ago, Susan Caraway has gone through the motions of life. Now she is finally coming out of her shell. Just when she decides on a makeover and a new career, her family members decide she's crisis central. First there’s her sister DeLorean who has come back from California with a baby, a designer dog, and no prospects for child support or a job. As soon as DeLorean settles in at Susan’s home, Susan’s son Christian returns from college trailing what Susan’s mama refers to as “an androgynous little tart.” Then there’s Mama herself, a southern lady who wrote the book on bossy. A secret from Mama’s past threatens to unravel her own peace. But not before Mama hurts her ankle and has to move into Susan’s home with her babies—two Chihuahuas with attitude. Susan would like to start her new job as a ghost tour operator. She would like to renew her relationship with Jack Maxwell, a man from her past. But Jack isn’t going to stand in line behind her needy family.

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Goodreads had a different cover, actually pretty bland, a large white house. I like this cover, with the 2 chihuahuas. The dogs are actually very annoying, and are her Mama's babies. Her sister shows up with a Golden-Doodle, completely untrained and full of fleas and matted fur. Poor guy, the sister doesn't take care of him and Susan or "Nic" is not attached to any of the dogs moving through her house.

The story starts off with Susan, living alone after her divorce now a year gone by. She hates her job, but after being a stay at home mom for the last 20 years, doesn't have a great skill set to offer in this competitive market. That's one thing I like in this story, maybe it will date it but L.C. Evans didn't sugar coat what our economy is like. In fact, the character realizes that considering her options, the miserable job at the pawn shop is better than some alternatives.

Then her friend Victoria shows up and offers her a job running her new Ghost Tours operation. And sweetened the deal saying Susan could live in her Bed & Breakfast and either sell or rent the house that is just too big and expensive for 1 person. Susan wasn't about to gamble and lose the only steady paycheck she has. But her boss finds out and uses it as the excuse he's been looking for to fire her and hire his niece. This part bothered me because she really should have stopped taking his abuse right then. After all, he'd already fired her.

Then her sister shows up with a baby, a huge dog and no money. Moves in with Susan. Then Mama falls and sprains her ankle...and moves in with Susan. Then her son comes home for the weekend with a girl-who-is-a-friend from school. The girl is all piercings, purple hair, grunge but proves to Susan that there's a responsible person underneath it all. So when Jack shows up, he is frustrated to discover the same old "drop anything for her family" Nic he used to know. Susan is in tears because she can't figure out what is wrong with Jack until FINALLY she blows.

So, will the Ghost Hunting job be a success? Who knows, but you'll see what offers Victoria gives her to keep her interested. Will she smooth things over with Jack? Maybe...you'll have to read and see.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to shake sense into Susan. lol

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Don't forget to enter the giveaway for either this eBook or My Planet or Yours. You still have time to enter. Click here to go back to Monday's review.

My Planet or Yours

by: L.C. Evans

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Nora Bryant is a single Earth woman out to ban men from her life after a recent breakup. Triskam is a strikingly handsome extraterrestrial, who crash lands near her remote Arizona home. Add to this mix, a couple of misguided thugs looking for a gold rush, an overly friendly, not-so-guard dog, and a communications device that thinks it's a nanny, and you have My Planet or Yours?, a delightful new romantic comedy by LC Evans, author of the Kindle bestseller, We Interrupt This Date.

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I was planning to review this book and We Interrupt This Date, because I knew I had that one to review. LOL - I already reviewed it. I will be reposting that review this week, though. I did purchase this book for my Nook to pump up her sales. L.C. Evans passed away this last week. She was a great writer and deserves it.

Now onto the review. The cover is cartoonish, honestly I love all these cartoon covers. I think they are cute and so much less serious than the ones using real people. I especially love the dog. In the story, Nora adopts Chance just before he was put down. He was supposed to be her guard dog, since she was back to living alone. Chance is not a guard dog...he's a lover, happy to see anyone.

When she gets back home she finds Triskam hiding in her shed, and as they are talking in her kitchen, some real bad guys show up. Nothing like getting held hostage to really bring people together. There was amazing chemistry between them from the beginning. Really from the moment Triskam laid eyes on her.

Since Nora had recently broken up, her friends weren't real supportive of her "dating" a new guy. But really, it was too late to spare her feelings...I think her friends should have minded their own business.

Minimal mistakes in this one - I love seeing that in the indie books. Plus L.C. Evans seems to write whatever she damn well pleases. This book has similar flow to We Interrupt This Date, but the characters and location and even the plot are all unique. She does write, strong and independent women...even if the women don't realize they are.

This book has about 469 pages, and I read it in a day. Can we say very fast pace? I started it on Saturday and finished early Sunday morning before I went to work. I would encourage anyone who likes romance with some humor thrown in to get this book...and I'm someone who doesn't really like romance as a genre.

And to honor L.C. Evans, to thank her spirit for sharing such warm stories...I'm going to buy one of you readers your very own copy of My Planet or Yours OR We Interrupt This Date. Just leave a comment on this blog for your entry. And the usual - grab my button and blog about this giveaway/review to get extra entries. Good luck! I'll draw the winner on Friday (Jan 20, 2012).