Favorite Song of the Week

 

Adam Lambert- Holding Out For A Hero

You might recognize Adam Lambert from American Idol year ago. I've liked him since he was on the show. His live performances are sometimes outrageous and I love watching them. He's a true showman and has been the frontman for Queen for a few years. I loved this cover for this song that he did. 

I hope you enjoy it too. 

Freebie Friday!

 

Welcome to another weekly Freebie Friday post, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received: 

Hit Balm: Pain relief cream. 

These things never work on my knees but I had blood drawn on Monday and by Tuesday it was swollen, bruised and painful because they had to take it out of my hand because I have small, deep veins that are hard to get at. 

So I rubbed some of this on my hand and have to say it did help a little. It didn't take the pain away completely but it was better just a little. It didn't hurt everytime I moved my hand. So while it might not work for some pain it might work for others. 

I also used a little for the neuropathy I get in my toes because of diabetes and it helped with that as well. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Book Review: Protecting The Gray Wolf by NJ Walters

 

Book Description

I’m used to other wolves coming for me. They want their chance to try and take out the infamous Gray Wolf. And every single one of them fails—because lone wolves aren’t like the others…we’re stronger. Harder. Meaner. Immortal.

But it also means I’m alone. No pack. No alpha. Just the three of us—white, gray, and black. Two too many, if you ask me.

But with power-hungry mages gunning for us, I don’t have the luxury of reflection. They’re in New York City, and I Will. Hunt. Them. Down.

Which is when I see her, and every cell in my body is on alert, filled with the kind of primal longing I never knew I was capable of. Luna West may be human, but there’s some kind of thread connecting us. Call it destiny, fate…or voracious animal hunger.

I know she’s bait. She’s meant to tempt me, to make me weak. But even if I could resist her, I’m not sure I want to.

Because I’ve never denied my wolf anything…especially the chance to raise some serious hell.

And I’m not about to start now.

My Review

Kade is a lone wolf who hunts rogue wolves who break pack laws. He's supposed to be the only one of his kind until he dies and then another will take his place, but there are two others just like him. The white wolf and the black wolf. He's had a few conversations with the white wolf but the black wolf is more elusive. They do know that magic is at work and it is probably a powerful mage that made them all come into power at the same time. 

As soon as he meets Luna he feels things for her he never thought possible. But Luna soon finds herself in danger and she calls him to ask for help. He's suspicious but he has to help her because of his feelings for her. They soon figure out that a powerful mage is behind what happened and is after both he and Luna. 

Kade has to reach out to the white wolf for help and he is put in touch with a broker who can get things done. Kade and Luna need the help of another mage to undo whatever the evil mage did to her before they can run and try to stay a step ahead of this woman. They think they are safe for a little while but danger finds them and they find themselves backed into a wall. 

We find out a lot more about the mage, what she did to bring all three lone wolves awake at the same time and why. We also find out how the three lone wolves have mates when they shouldn't  and why. This book gave us a lot more answers and by the end we know who the elusive black wolf is but neither the gray or white wolf does. That was a fun surprise revealed. I'm really looking forward to the next book now. I cannot wait to see how this plays out and who the black wolf's mate will be. I do hope all the lone wolves get together to fight this evil mage. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an e-ARc of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Book Review: Her Captive Wolf by Kristen Strassel

 

Book Description

When I get word of an illegal dogfighting ring on the edge of town, I’ll do everything in my power to stop it. Once we bring those dogs back to Forever Home animal shelter and get them cleaned up, we realize they’re not dogs.

They’re wolves.

Doesn’t matter--we’ll nurse them back to health and give them a second chance at life before releasing them into the wild. I have to admit, I’m getting attached to the blue-eyed wolf who won’t leave my side.

And on the full moon, they shift.

That blue-eyed wolf—his name is Shadow and he says I’m his mate. He’s got long dark hair streaked with white, muscles for days, and he’s so gentle with me, even after everything he’s been through.

The wolves call themselves the Sawtooth pack. They’re broken, throwaway wolves that were enslaved, abused, and deemed unworthy of mates. Taking a human mate is forbidden, but Shadow’s willing to lay everything on the line to claim me.

Those enemies who captured the pack want to put these wolves in their place, and they have the perfect target to get the job done. Me.

My Review

Shadow and his brothers are wolf shifters. They had been kidnapped and held against their will to fight in the dog fighting ring against others who were also held there against their will. They don't know how they'll survive or escape until Trina brings the authorities down on the dog fighting ring and they are all rescued. 

Trina owns a no kill animal shelter and brings them all back to her shelter but the vet tells her that they aren't dogs, but wolves. She's shocked but plans on nursing them back to health and setting them free. Meanwhile Shadow and the others are too weak to shift back until the next full moon because they have been starved, beaten, abused and forced to stay in their animal forms for months. So while they wait for the full moon Shadow stays close to Trina and even comes back home with her because he's so friendly with her and she doesn't feel like the wolf will harm her. 

Once the full moon comes and they shift into their human forms, there's a lot for Trina and the others who work at the shelter to come to grips with. Plus now the guy who held them hostage is putting Trina in danger for shutting down the dog fights. 

Watching Trina and Shadow get to know each other and fall for each other was so much fun. The action that happened as they were put in more danger trying to bring the bad guys to justice made the story very exciting to read. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Favorite Picture of the Week

 

These dark clouds did bring a little bit of rain.

Book Review: Hedging Her Bets by Erzabet Bishop

 

Book Description

There is strength in submission…and knowing who you are.

Natalie Erinaceus has a problem. Her manipulating mother won’t stay out of her dating life. One more dinner with a blind date and someone is getting a fork to the eye. Her inner hedgehog wants a mate and nothing is going to stop her. Not her nervous hedgie’s habit of balling-up, and certainly not that online questionnaire. Who writes those things anyway?

When Sylvia and Paige from Shifting Hearts Dating Agency step in, maybe, just maybe this curvy girl will find more than she ever dreamed in the arms of the men who are fated to be her mates.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained…

Lucas Morgan runs Scarlet Ink, a tattoo shop across from Ventures, a sexy as hell BDSM club. When his sister Scarlet sets the stage for romance, he meets Jonathan, a werebear in need of more than just some ink. Can Lucas learn to bend to the Dominant of his dreams? What happens when this cat shifter switch meets the perfect sub and his dreams of having a woman in his life become reality?

Three makes a family…

Jonathan Blevins is a bear shifter looking for love. His family murdered by poachers, he came to Cypress Canyon to rebuild. When he finds Lucas, its one step in the right direction. He has one mate but can he convince a stubborn hedgie she’s ready to be claimed by not just one mate, but two?

My Review

Natalie is a hedgehog shifter and her mother wants her to settle down with a nice guy that she approves of so her mother keeps setting her up with dates. Her mother is controlling, rude and Natalie finds out she's been treating her dad badly as well. 

Natalie decides to take things into her own hands and sign up with Shifting Hearts Dating Agency to find a mate. Natalie ends up going to a party at a BDSM club where she gets the attention of not one but two men there. Lucas and Jonathan are mates but they want a female mate to complete them and when they meet Natalie, they know she's the one for them. Now if only they can convince her of that. 

When Natalie comes face to face with her parents at the club and the two man come to her rescue from her mothers vitriol, she decides to give them a chance. 

This was such a sweet romance. There wasn't much BDSM in this Natalie is new to all of this and the guys want to go into this new relationship slowly. I loved that but at the same time if they were going to be in the club so much I would have thought that some kind of BDSM play would be taking place. So I'm a little torn about that. But it was a sweet romance. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

 

*All pictures this week are courtesy of www.martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #304

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that have gone on in and around my apartment complex and in my neighborhood in the past 25 years that I've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 25 years here in a weekly blog post.  

This is why I don't take pictures with my phone. LOL But you can see it's a cop car and the lights on it just made a bunch of squiggly lines which I found funny. The police were across the street on Tuesday night for something, They seem to be over there pretty often but I have no idea for what. 

On Friday the ambulance showed up for a lady who was holding her arm when she got on the stretcher so I think she must have hurt her arm. 

Other than that it was quiet this week.

The high this week was 71F/21C

The low this week was 40F/4C

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Favorite Song of the Week

 

Jackson Wang- Cruel

I listen to some KPOP so this video popped up as one I would like and when I watched it, it reminded me of a Super Hero movie. lol I really liked the song too so win win. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

Freebie Friday!

 

Welcome to another weekly Freebie Friday post, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received: 

A sample of Valentino perfume and a Neuriva mental alertness supplement.

I didn't feel more mentally alert fro the supplement but the perfume smelled good. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Everyone Has A Story, Here's One of Mine

 

I've been thinking of writing an autobiography or memoir but it just never comes together for me but I figured if I write one story at a time and post it on my blog maybe once a month, I can do that. Maybe one day I'll pull all the stories together and put them in a book but for now I'll just share some stories with you about my childhood. Some of the stories will be happy, some sad and some horrific because that was my childhood. But they will all be real, things that actually happened. If it seems like something that people enjoy reading maybe I'll keep it going. These stories will not be in any kind of order, I'll just write them as they come to me.

My 9th and 10th grade of high school 

In 9th and 10th grade I went to Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, Ca and I was 15 and 16 years old. By this time my grandpa who we had been living with had died of cancer and Larry had died by suicide. My mom met a new guy named Jose Salazar. Jose had been going to college to become a doctor when he crashed his motorcycle and lost part of his skull and had some brain damage. He walked with a limp and had seizures. According to his mom, he wasn't the same smart man he had been before the accident and it was pretty obvious. But he was so lucky, had a second chance at life and could have gone on to lead a productive life. But instead, he chose drugs. The man did cocaine and smoked cigarettes dipped in PCP. He got my mom hooked on those drugs as well and things got really bad. He had won some kind of settlement because of his accident and had something like 1 million dollars that his mother was in charge of. But she gave him money whenever he asked for it and that's how he and my mother were able to get the drugs so often. 

My mom and he ended up in jail a few times and she would call me from jail and tell me she would be home in a few days when he posted bail and he always did. I took care of my brother who was 2 years younger than me and we went to school or stayed home during the Summer. I was baby sitting and would buy food when there was none. Jose was paying the other bills. One night Jose and my mom got pulled over and she had a PCP dipped cigarette in her purse and he told her to eat it. So she did but while the officer was doing the stop, my mom started acting crazy and they realized that she was overdosing on something. They were both arrested and they took her to the ER. The hospital called my grandma and she took me to the hospital to see my mom. She was handcuffed to the bed and had a breathing tube in her mouth and another tube in her nose to pump her stomach. My mom was arrested when she got better and my grandma came to stay with us for a few days until both my mom and Jose got out of jail. I don't know what happened in court a couple of months later when they went but Jose said something about paying a fine and them being done with court. 

Things went on like that for months and then the police came and raided my apartment after my uncle Jack talked my 14 year old brother into calling the cops. My mom and Jose were arrested and my brother and I ended up in foster care. My mom did 6 months in Sybil Brand Institute (jail) for drug paraphernalia, child neglect, child endangerment and being under the influence of drugs. I don't know how long Jose got since I never saw him again. I'll talk more about foster care next month. 

Links to past stories

2023

January 2023

February 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023

June 2023

July 2023

August 2023

September 2023

October 2023

November 2023

December

2024

January 2024

Favorite Picture of the Week

 

This sunset was so much pinker than this picture shows. Still pretty though. 

Happy Raturday!

 

*All pictures this week are courtesy of www.martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #303

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that have gone on in and around my apartment complex and in my neighborhood in the past 25 years that I've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 25 years here in a weekly blog post.  

Remember last week when I said I would have to look out for the homeless breaking into the 5 vacant apartments? Well they broke in, broke the back window and were staying in the apartment right across from me that has been getting remodeled after the fire 2 years ago.

Glass all over the ground. 

The maintenance guy pulled out a bunch of trash, blankets, a chair, beer cans and other stuff the homeless had left in the apartment.

Maintenance boarded up the bedroom window and later that night the police came banging on the door. They checked the apartment and then left. I don't know if management had them drop by unexpectedly to make sure they weren't in there again or what. The police were walking away in this picture. 

---

On Monday night around 8pm my daughter and I heard 2 gunshots really close by. Sounded like it was right across the street. I got up to look out my bedroom window to see if I saw anyone and right as I was looking 3 police cars pulled up really fast. They must have been in the area and heard the gunshots too because they were here in seconds. They got out of their cars, guns drawn and searched the apartments across the street, their alley, my alley and my courtyard. When they didn't find anything, they left. My daughter went outside to get this picture while the police were across the street. 

---

Here's some extras not from my apartment complex but from where my daughter works. There was a huge crash while my daughter was at work and this car on the back of the tow truck had crashed head on into a palm tree. Part of the palm tree broke off. 

 The car was totaled. 

Later that week there was a car accident near where she works.

She only works a few streets away and drug dealer moved into the apartments right across the street from where she works so she sees him and the whole entourage all the time at the store she works. But she also sees a lot of car crashes on the busy street in front of her store.

And since it's not a great neighborhood, she sees a lot of police and police helicopter's flying around the neighborhood where she works just like we do where we live. I figured I would show you it's not just my neighborhood that's bad. The bad neighborhood vibe extends for many streets surroundings where we live too. You can't get away from it unless you live in the more rich neighborhoods. 

The high this week was 66F/18C

The low this week was 42F/5C

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Favorite Song of the Week

 

SHINee - Body Rhythm

I've said before that I like KPOP and this is yet another KPOP song that I am really enjoying. I had to look up their ages because I felt bad for thinking how good looking they were but they are all in their 30's so I don't feel so bad for watching them dance now. lol  I hope you all like it too. 

Recipe: Bean and Corn Spoon Salad

 

I'm liking these spoon salad recipes so much that I made another one this week. I've been using these as a side dish for dinners and even my daughter is liking them. 

You will need: 

1 can of Black Beans, rinsed

1 can of Corn, rinsed

2 Bell Peppers, diced small

1 Cucumber, diced small

1 Avocado, diced small

2 TBSP of Cilantro, diced well

2 Small Tomatoes, diced small

What To Do: 

Dice all the vegetables small. They should be small enough to eat with a spoon, hence the name spoon salad. Rinse the corn and beans and add them to the vegetables. Mix well. Add your favorite dressing. 

You can add anything or substitute any vegetables for ones you don't like. I served this along side some broiled chicken but you can serve it with whatever you like. 

Favorite Picture of the Week

 

Falcor was holding his paw up like that because he got a small piece of wet leaf stuck in the pad of his paw and was telling me he needed help getting something out. lol 

I've been taking pictures across the street while the leaves are falling because I liked the backdrop. lol 

Book Review: His Virgin Mate by Grace Goodwin

 

Book Description

One look, one touch, and there is no denying the heat…

Twenty-one and single, Alexis Lopez hopes her lackluster response to men is a problem she’s eager to solve by volunteering for the Interstellar Brides Program. One look at the large, dominant alien who claims she belongs to him sets her body on fire. When he tells her, in explicit detail, how he’ll claim her in every way, she is eager to give her mate everything, body and soul.

Von of Everis is a ruthless and high ranking Hunter who’s spent years fighting in the Hive wars. But his bed, and his life, are empty until Alexis arrives. One look at his innocent little bride and he knows she belongs to him.

Simple, right? Nope. The match is challenged by one of the most feared warriors on the planet and stolen kisses and mind-numbing pleasure won’t save Von from a deadly duel. But Von is a Hunter, a warrior, a protector, and someone is trying to take what belongs to him. Only him. He will do whatever it takes to protect, save and claim his virgin mate.

My Review

Alexis (Lexi) has never had feelings for a human male so when she gets the chance to sign up for the Interstellar Brides Program she does it. Maybe an alien will be more to her liking. After being tested Lexi is matched with the alien world, Everis. She and the other potential brides are transported to the alien world to meet their potential mates. 80 Hunters are in a room and the 12 brides are in the center. The women have the choice to pick a male or wait for a male to come to her and ask if she would like to get to know him for the next 30 days. If after the 30 days are up and she doesn't want to stay with him, she can go back to the meeting room and pick another male to see if they click. 

Lexi and Von however have been dreaming of each other since she arrived on his planet because she is his true mate. So she waits to find him in the crowd. He was late but as soon as he walks into the building Lexi knows who she wants to pick for the next 30 days. But there was another male who wanted Lexi and he challenged Von for her. She still gets to pick who she wants but the two males fight for her eventually. 

Over the next couple of weeks Lexi and Von know that they are true mates and get closer. I loved Von, good grief he's all alpha male but also so sweet to her. I'm sure anyone reading this alien romance is wondering when the aliens will get here and find their human mates. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

 

*All pictures this week are courtesy of www.martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #302

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that have gone on in and around my apartment complex and in my neighborhood in the past 25 years that I've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 25 years here in a weekly blog post.  

I was outside with Falcor and spotted the police across the street. 

So I texted my daughter and asked to to snap a picture from my bedroom window since my phone doesn't take good photos at night. lol She got the pictures right before they left. I have no idea what they were there for. But since I didn't see anyone if handcuffs, I'm guessing it wasn't anything serious. 

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First thing in the morning on my first walk with Falcor on Monday, I spotted this mattress in our alley on the sidewalk where I would have normally walked. But I didn't want to walk right by the guy laying on the mattress so I walked on the other side of the fence. Several people have moved out of my courtyard recently so I'm guessing the mattress was pulled out of the trash. 

The very next day the homeless people moved the mattress a few feet away to the other side of the wall of my alley. I saw several people sleeping on it for a few days. Then it got moved down the street. I haven't seen a lot of homeless around my neighborhood lately because most of them moved a few streets away with drug dealer when he and his wife moved out. But there are still a few people around. 

---

The apartment right across from me that had the fire 2 years ago is almost remodeled and I'm sure someone will be moving in soon. One other neighbor moved out 2 weeks ago and my elderly neighbor moved out after losing her court case against this place. Her car was towed away last year and she thought she would win some big money. She didn't pay her rent for 5 months thinking she was going to win against them but she lost in court this month and was evicted. She moved on Wednesday and when her family got here to help her move, there was a big argument. You have to turn up the volume.

Another neighbor moved out on Thursday so that's 5 new neighbors that I'll have soon. I can only hope they aren't crazy, trouble makers, drug dealers or loud. Oh the joy of apartment life. There are 5 vacant apartments in my courtyard now so I'll have to keep an eye out for the homeless breaking into the apartments.

The high this week was 63F/17C

The low this week was 39F/3C

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.