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Tuesday, March 1, 2016

LED Safety Light (2 Pack) Clip on Strobe Running Lights by Visi-Safe


These little strobe lights are great. My husband and I walk in the evenings and sometimes we don't make it back before it gets pretty dark. We live at the very end of a road that dips down a hill at the bottom so it is hard to see if someone is there until you crest the hill. Most people drive in the middle of the road over that hill. It is a small road, we don't even have lines painted on it.
We have both been wearing one of these lights on those walks now. My husband likes to clip his on the back of his hat, I clip mine to my front pocket. That way we can be seen which ever way the car is coming from. We do also have a flashlight with us. These lights are pretty bright, and you can see the res glow form a far distance.
The set comes with everything you need including the first set and a extra set of batteries. There are 3 light settings on these, Fast Strobe, Steady Strobe, Steady On. For me walking int he dark a flashing light makes it hard for me to see so we leave ours on steady on. These also come with velcro straps to attach them too. The strap can go around your wrist, ankle, belt loop, hat band, or wherever you want to hang it from. There is a clip on the back of the light if you do not want to use the straps. You even get a small about 2 inch screwdriver for changing the batteries. The lights are little over 2 inches long and little over 1 inch wide. Small but bright.

I received this product free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Shazo® 3ft Premium Braided Micro USB Cable High Speed USB 2.0



I really like this braided cable from Shazo. It is a micro USB cable. It is 3 foot long. The braiding is very tight round the cord. The USB end fits tightly to my laptop USB ports as well as my wall chargers and car chargers. The Micro USB end fits all of my devices very nicely. I hate cables that bounce loose just by looking at them. This one does not, I can actually move my devices around while plugged in. I can use my phone to make calls and send texts while the cord is plugged in. A lot of cords you cannot do that with, they stop charging, and don't even get me started on data transfers with loose cables. This is a 2.0 cable so it does help improve charging and transfer speeds. The cord is a little stiff but yet very flexible.

I received this product free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

U7 Cool Spiga Chain For Men Long 316L Stainless Steel Necklace 3MM 22"





Really nice looking chain. Looks great on my husband too. This is an 22 inch stainless steel plated chain. It is 3 mm thick. This would also look great with some sort of a pendant on it. My husband has worn it a few times and so far his neck has not turned green at all and looking at the necklace so far it has not changed color either. This comes in a very nice gift box. The chain is on a cardboard card inside of a plastic envelope to hold it steady. Very nice necklace. I have a couple other jewelry pieces from U7 Jewelry and they are all great.

I received this product free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Magnetic Eraser for Dry-Erase Boards by One Planet (2-Pack)





I really didn't know how much I needed these magnetic dry erasers until I received them. I used  paper towel or an old chalk board eraser before, but now that I have these there won't be any more of that. These actually get the board cleaner then what I was using and they are easy. Just a swipe or 2 and the board is clean. These fit nicely into my hand as well, they are ergonomically designed. These are magnetic and stick nicely to the front of the refrigerator which is where one of my white boards is placed. The other one is in the kids room. We had tried a chalk board in the play room and it was actually quite messy with the chalk dust, so we replaced it with a white board. There are no metal edges on that white board so my husband drilled 2 small holes through the plastic and we put a string through it. Probably better that way with the kids anyway. Now it can only go so far away from the white board.

  I received this product free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

BOOK TOUR: Hidden Chamber of Death by Hawk MacKinney


Book Details:

Book Title:  Hidden Chamber of Death (Book 1 in the Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series) by Hawk MacKinney
Category:  Adult fiction, 258 pages
Genre:  Mystery / Suspense
Publisher:  Sage Words
Release date:  January 15, 2016
Available for review in:  Print, PDF
Will send print books:  International
Tour Dates:  Feb 29 to March 11, 2016
Content Rating:  R (There are several killings that involve mutilation, and occasional curse words)
Book Description for Hidden Chamber of Death:

Hidden Chamber of Death is a compelling tale of intrigue, murder, deception and suspense that leads retired Navy SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram in search of the connection between seemingly random murders and a banking conspiracy.

​Working with the local homicide investigator, who just happens to be a former Navy buddy, Craige Ingram's attempts to protect a lonely widow and solve the case before another person dies are only thwarted by a psychotic killer whose motivation is based on pure depraved pleasure. In this first book of the MOCCASIN HOLLOW MYSTERY SERIES, the instincts and skills Ingram and his buddy acquired as Navy SEALS are tested to their limits.

​Buy the book:  Amazon   Barnes & Noble

My Review:
  Hidden Chamber of Death is about retired Navy Seal and part time PI Craig Ingram. He is trying to find the link between random murders and bank conspiracy, all while trying to protect a widow. He is working with  one of his old Navy buddies on the case. Sorry that's all you get about the story, I don't want to blow it for anyone.
   This is the first book in the new series by Hawk Mackinney called Moccasin Hollow Mysteries. Which is named after the place Craig Ingram calls home.  After reading book 1 I will be searching and watching for book 2. 

   I enjoyed the southern twang to Mr. Mackinney's writing in the book.  I like his character choices, they each had a full personality and were easy to like or hate. The book was a kind of quick read with only 244 pages. I enjoyed the flow of the story. It was pretty action packed. 


Author's Bio:


Internationally acclaimed author and public speaker, Hawk MacKinney began writing mysteries for his school newspapers. Following graduation, he served in the US Navy for over 20 years. While serving as a Navy Commander, he also had a career as a full-time faculty member at several major state medical facilities. He earned two postgraduate degrees with studies in languages and history. He has taught postgraduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem, Israel.

In addition to professional articles and texts on fetal and adult anatomy, Hawk has authored several novels that have received national and international recognition.Moccasin Trace, a historical novel, was nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award. This was followed by the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. In a change of direction, October of 2012 saw the release of Hawk’s first science fiction novel, The Bleikovat Event, in The Cairns of Sainctuarie series. Volume II, The Missing Planets, was released in 2014 with Volume III in the works.

​Hawk’s latest project focuses on The Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series. Hidden Chamber of Death is Book 1 in the series.

​Connect with the author:  Website  

Guest Post by Hawk MacKinney

Writer’s Block…characters and plot



Overcoming writer’s block? One must be careful delving into solution(s) this writer has never experienced. Where/What/When/How comes my inspiration? Stories/ideas unfold from one extreme of a deliberate plot, to a title, a sketched outline, or a single character. It would be nice, but wishful fiction to give a specific answer to, “What helps overcome writer’s block?”

Depends on how the idea Title-plot-whatever bone in the skeleton of A story idea strikes me. I carry a notepad with me, or during the night when a plot resolution slams me wide-awake…write it down. Right THEN. It can be the smell of spring, the clanking rhythmic boil of a steam engine, the walk or sedate stateliness of a divine creature…grocery store, sipping espresso, sitting on a swing counting lightenin’ bugs.

Characters that step off the pages can hold any plot…sci-fi OR any tale well told. My female characters are my favorite. As a descendent of generations of strong women, in the New World and across the Big Pond, my stolid retreat into my Cave on Mars lets the fur of prickly pears fly or sweet kiss of roses blossom. Always keeping them feminine, alluring, poised and confident, gentle to their core but hard as nails if & when necessary. They hold a plot tighter than tight. Beast or blessing turns on the flick of a gnat’s wing. The plot twisting downside-up, or they pull a rabbit-surprise out of the most bewildering of hats, and the rivers and creeks I enjoy right on rolling.

The closest I can to unblocking the block? Don’t say ‘no’ to the child that lives inside our golden years. Feed that child’s fantasies; laugh early in the day…I’ll never get all the tales told that my imagination lets me invent.


Book Trailer:




Giveaway:​


Prizes:

Win 1 of 5 ebooks or print copies of Hidden Chamber of Death
and a $25 Amazon gift card (International)





Book Blast for A Kiss in the Shadows by Eve Kincaid & Lily Danes


A Kiss in the Shadows
by Eve Kincaid and Lily Danes

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GENRE: Contemporary Romantic Suspense

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BLURB:

Erin Grady is used to taking care of people. That’s why she’s thrilled to finally realize her dream of opening a clinic…and why she’s willing to overlook where the money came from—until a determined prosecutor comes sniffing around.

Will Patton is desperate to leave the small fogbound town of Lost Coast Harbor and build a real career for himself. But to do that, he’ll need to expose the dirty police chief—and betray the woman who makes him wonder if he’s leaving town too soon.

But the corruption in Lost Coast Harbor runs deep and wide—and exposing the truth will require Erin and Will to expose their hearts…no matter the risk.

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Excerpt Two:

“I take care of myself. I don’t need someone to take care of me,” Erin said.

Will ran a thumb across her pouty bottom lip. He didn’t doubt that she believed it. That stubborn tilt to her jaw said she was independent and self-reliant. She was tough, and strong, and he wouldn’t want her any other way. But God, he just wanted to hold her and care for her for a change.

“Not tonight.”

Her eyes widened at the contact of his fingers along her cheek.

“No?” Her voice dropped to a husky whisper.

“I’m going to kiss you,” he whispered.

Her eyes widened and her lips parted in a small smile. “You are?”

He stroked her hair again, then through the strands until his hand was at the back of her neck.

“And then, I’m going to push that indecent dress up just a little higher, and see what you wore for me tonight,” he said, feeling her heart beat under his fingers.

She swallowed and started to reach for him, but he stilled her hand, covering it with his. He shifted so he could pull her closer.

“I know it’s something sexy,” he breathed into her neck, then pressed his lips against the soft skin below her ear. “Lace? Silk?”

Her breath escaped in a rush as he ran his hand down her body, over the curves that had been tempting him all night. His fingers played with the hem of the short dress and Erin shifted as his hand moved under the fabric and across soft, warm skin. His hands roamed higher, up the back of her legs, along the curve there and moving higher still.

His mouth went dry as he realized the lace and silk he was reaching for wasn’t there. Instead, his fingers brushed her soft, hot core, making her squirm against his hand.

“Jesus, Erin,” he breathed.


My review

I really enjoyed this book, probably more then I thought I would. Not that I didn't think I would like it, if I thought I wasn't going to like it I wouldn't have chosen to read it. But anyway, this book caught me in its clutches with in a few paragraphs instead of pages.  I immediately started liking or hating characters as soon as they were introduced, I like that in a book. I love to cheer for the good and boo the bad guys. I like the suspense and drama, as well as the love at first sight more or less aspect of the story. I also love that I was laughing out loud in a few parts.  This really is a very good book. The story flowed nicely and I did not want to put it down, I actually stayed up until 2 AM reading it. 
 I am not going to say to much about the story , don't want to blow it for anyone.  The main characters are Erin Grady who is a ER nurse at Lost Coast Harbor Hospital, and Will Patton who is a lawyer sent to Lost Coast Harbor to expose the dirty police force. The Chief of Police just happens to be Erin's father. Erin and her Father are by no means close. Erin is trying to fulfill her dreams of opening a clinic. Will is trying to expose the dirty police force and get back out of this hole in the wall town. That's all you get to know. Read the book!!!
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Like so many good ideas, Lost Coast Harbor was inspired by a few rounds of margaritas. One sunny afternoon, Lily Danes and Eve Kincaid went to a Mexican restaurant for snacks and tequila and left with the idea for a new series. Inspired by their love of noir movies and 1940s crime novels, they imagined a gritty small town full of crime and corruption, where intrigue and mystery can lead to love and passion.


Eve Kincaid is a lapsed lawyer who decided that fictional crime was more fun than the real deal. When she’s not writing about mysterious women and the dangerous and sexy men who love them, she’s probably shopping for books, lipstick, or imported cheeses to complement a nice California pinot noir.

You can keep up with Eve’s new releases by signing up for her reader newsletter. She’d love to hear from you. Just don’t be creepy about it.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

The authors will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


Cover Reveal BEAST by Alana Albertson


BEAST Cover Reveal Banner

BEAST
by Alana Albertson
Heroes Ever After, #1
Publication Date: March 22, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult

BEAST Cover

SYNOPSIS: Wanted: Beautiful woman to be the mistress of my manor. Must be single. No sex required, dynamic conversation imperative. Salary $100,000 for a one-month contract.

A viral post. Thousands of women applied—including me. I told myself I was crazy, but the money could pay for my father’s medical treatments and save his life.

A month later, I received the call.

I’d been chosen.

A man with a mask greeted me, and though he filled my days with a library full of books, and dressed me in the finest clothes, he never shed his cover nor touched me intimately, despite my growing hunger for him.

He was equal parts Iron Man, Phantom of the Opera, and Beauty’s Beast. But he wasn’t a superhero, the tragic villain of a novel turned musical, or the cursed creature of a fairy tale.

This former Marine was trapped in his own nightmare—demons from the war he had fought in haunted his thoughts, scars from the bomb he jumped on marked his skin.

True love could free him from his self-imposed prison, but he’d have to let me in. Opening the door to his cabin was the easy part, but the real test would be allowing me into his heart.

Otherwise, he would always remain a beast.

BEAST Full Cover Jacket Cover

EXCERPT

Chapter One—Isa

I stared at my phone, rereading a post from Reddit that had gone viral.

Wanted: Beautiful woman to be the mistress of my manor. Must be single. No sex required, dynamic conversation imperative. Salary $100,000 for a one-month contract.

The opportunity of a lifetime. Thousands of women had applied, the world was anxious to learn the identity of the man the press had hailed as “the dark bachelor.”

Though I’d never purchased a lottery ticket, nor did I believe in get-rich-quick schemes, I hastily filled out the application, never thinking for a second that I had a chance. The process had been easy enough—agree to submit to a background check if chosen, send a picture, and write an essay (100 words or less) answering the question, “What I’d do with the $100,000.”

Well, that was easy. My words poured onto the page.

I would pay off my father’s medical bills, and provide him with the best care. He has brain cancer, and insurance hasn’t covered all of his treatments. I dropped out of college and work three jobs to support him. I would like to spend more quality time with him before he passes. My father is proud, independent man, a Marine who served Vietnam, and he hates to be a burden. He has dedicated his life to me, and I’m happy to take care of him during his final years. I would be forever grateful to you for this opportunity.

I attached a picture of me wearing a loose-fitting grey T-shirt, jean shorts, and flip-flops. For makeup, I had only used a tinted moisturizer, purple eyeliner to accentuate my green eyes, mascara, and nude lipstick. My black hair hung like a shower curtain around my face. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t sending a provocative image to this man. Though I strongly doubted whoever he was only wanted a platonic companion, I was positive hundreds of girls would send in bikini shots, or nude selfies, so if that was what that guy was looking for, then he’d have plenty of options. I figured the chances of me being chosen were so slim, it was worth the risk to apply.

What kind of man posted an ad like this? He could’ve been a serial killer, or some psycho. One newspaper swore he was a famous tech billionaire, another speculated that he was a deformed recluse.

I didn’t put much thought into it—until I received the call from a blocked number.

“Hello?” I answered my cell late one night.

“May I speak to Isa?” A man with a deep, sexy voice asked.

I had a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. “This is Isa.”

“This is the man who posted the ad.”

Dios mío! Was this a joke? “Uhm hi. What’s your name?”

He laughed, a gruff, sexy laugh. He sounded younger than I’d thought he’d be. I had assumed he was an older gentleman when I read the ad. “You can call me Bruce.”

The way he said Bruce made me certain it wasn’t his name. “Okay, Bruce. Am I a finalist or something? Why are you calling me?”

“I wanted to hear your voice.” He paused, and exhaled. “Is your dad going to be okay if I pick you? Does he have someone else to step in to take care of him?”

I didn’t even know this guy and he seemed to care more about what happened to my father than my own friends did. “Honestly, no. I didn’t think I’d be chosen so I never really considered what I’d do.” I felt so stupid. I should’ve never applied. I would have to quit my jobs, find somewhere for my father to go, and someone to attend to him. “I’m sorry to waste your time. I applied on a whim. I heard that thousands of girls applied. Why me? I mean, I could really use the money, but—” I swallowed a sob. Was he really about to pick me, was I about to throw away this amazing opportunity so that once in my life I wouldn’t have to struggle?

“Hey, look. I liked your essay—and your picture. As for why I chose you, let’s just say you stood out to me. If you really want to do this, I can arrange to have someone take care of your father.”

Was he for real? “Are you serious? Who are you? Why are you doing this? You sound really nice, I’m sure you can find someone to hang out with you for free.”

“I have my reasons. So is that a yes?”

My hands shook. Was this really happening to me? “I don’t know. I mean, I’m not going to sleep with you, if that’s what you’re after. I don’t know anything about you; you could be an axe murder. I feel naïve even talking about this.”

“I’m not expecting sex in return. And though I’m not going to tell you my real name, the Washoe County Sheriff knows who I am and you are welcome to verify with them that I have no criminal record. If you agree to meet me, I promise to show you a good time and keep you safe. I’d like to get to know you. So what do you say?”

I couldn’t believe he was serious. And why wouldn’t he tell me his real name? Was he famous? Notorious? “Can I think about it?”

“No. I need a decision. What’s it going be?”

My heart raced. I was now completely intrigued; yet simultaneously scared to death. He promised to take care of my father, and I desperately needed this money. My breath hitched. “I’m in.”

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ABOUT ALANA ALBERTSON

Alana Albertson

Alana Albertson is a multi-award winning author, current President of Romance Writers of America’s Contemporary Romance Chapter and the former President of both Romance Writers of America’s Young Adult and Chick Lit chapters. Alana Albertson holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University. A recovering professional ballroom dancer, Alana currently writes contemporary romance, new adult and young adult fiction. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two young sons, and four dogs. When she’s not spending her time playing with her sons, dancing, or saving dogs from high kill shelters through Pugs N Roses, the rescue she founded, she can be found watching episodes Homeland, Devious Maids, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.

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GIVEAWAY

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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