Where You Can Find My Articles

It's been a while since I posted a link to my Freelance Writing profile page and since I have about a dozen new followers I thought now would be a good time. For my new followers that may not know, I'm a freelance writer who mostly writes about small animal care but I have written about other subjects as well. Just click the link and scroll down through the different articles. 

My Articles

Freebie Friday: How To Get Free Author Swag

*click on pictures to enlarge*

Today I wanted to tell you about a site that you probably don't know about but should, Author Island. You can get a big box of author swag for the price of shipping, *inside the US $12.35 or if using Paypal $13.35* but she also sends to outside the US all you have to do is email her and she'll tell you how much the shipping fee would be, other than that everything is FREE! That's right, all you pay is the shipping charge and I had so much stuff inside my box that I had to use my couch and coffee table to spread it all out so you could see it. 

In my box was, 6 books, 2 tote bags, 3 sampler CD's, 40 refrigerator magnets, a butt load of bookmarks, cover flats, candy, pens, key chains, nail files, a ruler, a stuffed dragon, rubber duckie, post cards, magnetic buttons and notepads. 

There was so much stuff that Ken helped me spread it all out on the couch and coffee table so I could take a picture of it. 

And all you have to do in order to get this is pay $12.35 shipping *or $13.35 if using Paypal*

Some of the cover flats and book marks are autographed and one of my books was autographed by the author. The tan book bag was also autographed by Cheryl Dragon. 

So if you've been wondering how to get more author swag, here's your chance to load up on the stuff, plus get some great extras. Just visit Author Island and check out how to get a box of goodies for yourself. 

Review: The Fire King by Marjorie M. Liu

Long ago, shape-shifters reigned as gods.But even gods have laws that they break at their own peril . . .

Each member of Dirk & Steele has a unique ability. Soria's is the gift of communication—which is why she's been chosen to learn the language of a tormented warrior resurrected after thousands of years of icy sleep.

He is Karr, and once he was a king. Strong as a lion,quick and deadly as a serpent, he saw everything he loved consumed in flames. Death was to be his salvation,but thousands of years later he has been awakened against this will. Now a breathtaking human moves him in ways he neither understands nor desires. But Soria can see beyond his rage . . . and only she can speak the words that will cool the destructive fury in his soul.

Words of love. 

My Review:

Soria has been held up in her home since losing her arm a year ago. Not wanting to work, be around the people she used to work with but instead keeping to herself. That is until she is brought in on a new assignment to try and speak to a very old shape shifter because she has a special skill of being able to speak any language when she is in the same room with the person speaking the language. 

Karr is a 3000 year old shifter, a chimera. Most thought he was dead until he was found and brought to the facility where Soria meets him for the first time. He's not sure whether to trust her because she can speak his language or not but he's more than a little mad that he's been imprisoned.

I expected more from this story right from the beginning. I read the first chapter hoping that things would pick up, but sadly they didn't. This book left me wanting more. More storyline, more plot, more insight into the characters, more sex, more cohesiveness...just more. 

I found myself having a hard time even finishing this book but I did and while it did pick up just a little at the end, it wasn't enough to save this book. I could not connect with the two main characters at all, character development could have been improved. They were not memorable in any way. They were not exciting even during the small sex scenes. This is labeled a romance but there was very little romance and even less sex in this book. The sex scenes were stale and unexciting, not what I would hope for in a romance book at all. 

Plus it wasn't at all believable and there were plot holes a plenty. Soria only has one arm but she doesn't asked for help getting dressed, putting her hair in braids or anything else. Karr has been asleep/dead for 3000 years but he barely blinks at how much has changed. I found that to be utterly ridiculous. 

All in all this was a very disappointing read and had I not read other books by this author knowing that she has written better books, I would not be reading another from her. 

I give this book 2 out of 5 stars. 

Drivers In Some States No Longer Allowed To Drive With Even Trace Amounts of Cannabinoids In Their System

Full Article Here

According to High Times, "Earlier this month two states -- Montana and Oklahoma -- enacted per se legislation prohibiting drivers from operating a motor vehicle if they possessed trace quantities of cannabinoids in their system. Under these new laws, prosecutors no longer have to prove that a defendant is behaviorally impaired by cannabis or that he or she presents a legitimate traffic safety risk. In fact, Oklahoma’s new law even disallows drivers from operating a vehicle with any detectable level of THC or its inert metabolite (byproduct) carboxy THC (aka THC-COOH) -- a nonpsychoactive compound that has been documented to linger in the urine of former cannabis consumers for months after they cease using pot."

Now do I as a person who might have family members on the same roads as the high drivers that are driving around, have a problem with this new law. Nope, sure don't. In fact I think it should be passed in all states. 

The cannabis activists would love for us to just shut up about this. But the fact is, if we shut up and stop trying to get marijuana off the streets then nothing is going to be done. 

Happy Raturday!

Welcome to a new weekly blog post I'm calling, Raturday! I've seen Caturday and while that's really cute, I think the rats needs some photo time so everyone can see how cute these little animals are. I've gotten permission from Rat Logic's fb page to share their pictures on my blog. So get ready to smile because these are cute. 

Review: Wulfe Untamed by Pamela Palmer

They are called Feral Warriors—an elite band of immortals who can change shape at will. Sworn to rid the world of evil, consumed by sorcery and seduction, their wild natures are primed for release . . .

The most enigmatic and tortured of the Feral Warriors, Wulfe is haunted by the quiet beauty of a human woman who no longer remembers him. Once a captive of both the Mage and the Ferals, Natalie stole a piece of his heart before he took her memories and sent her safely back to her fiancé. But now the Mage are threatening her again, and Wulfe will risk anything to protect her.

Natalie Cash is stunned when she's saved by a wolf who shifts suddenly into a splendidly built, if badly scarred, man, a man with the kindest eyes. Swept into a world of intrigue and danger beyond her comprehension, she turns to the powerful Wulfe, finding a passion she'd only dreamed of. But when time runs out, they must trust one another and surrender to a wild, untamed love.

My Review:

Wulfe is a scarred Feral Warrior and thinks that because his mate is dead even though they weren't in love that he'll never find anyone else and because of the scars on his face no one would want him anyway.

Natalie has nightmares about things she can't remember and doesn't feel right, something is just off. It all makes sense when she is attacked and the wolf she's come to know turns into a man..a very large man that she can't take her eyes off of.

Wulfe has to take Natalie back to Feral House where she will be with the other Feral Warriors and their mates and they aren't sure they can trust her. Wulfe is as attracted to her as she is to him and she proves to be what he needs in more ways than one. He is exactly the type of hero that I love to read. The tortured, scarred, emotionally vulnerable alpha male. 

This is the 8th and final book in the Feral Warriors series. I'm very sad to see the series end, I've loved this series since the beginning. While this wasn't the best book in the series it did tie up some loose ends and finish the series in a nice way. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Weekly Rat Facts: Clothes, Hats and Props

Someone recently asked me how I get Lucky and some of my other rats to wear hats or sit with props and not eat them. The easy answer is: A lot of time and patience. Above, Lucky is wearing a little black and gold hat and I got him to sit still by giving him small pieces of treats that he likes. Then I just started snapping pictures. For every good picture I get, there are about 20 that I can't use because he has moved, taken the hat off, or they come out blurry. So expect this to take some time and patience.

When I took the pictures on Lucky's birthday I made the hat, the cake and bought the props, ie... the plates and napkins. I put a cream colored fleece blanket on my EZ boy chair for the back ground and set up the piece of cake and napkins on the chair. Then I got lucky and let him see the cake and as soon as he started licking the cake I gently put the hat on his head and started snapping pictures. The hat kept falling off so I would have to put it back on and snap more pictures. I was able to get about 50 pictures in 5 minutes and he only ate a tiny bit of cake and icing because he wanted to tear up the napkins, plate and clean his paws. I got maybe 6 good pictures out of the 50 that I took. 

This was Oreo and he was one of a kind. He was so laid back and would fall asleep in my daughter's hand all the time. She had been petting him and when he fell asleep on his side, she put this little rubber duckie next to him and took the picture. Pictures like these that let us remember how sweet our pets who are no longer with us, were while they were here. 

When Lucky was younger I started getting him used to being around small props like shells and glass beads and taking pictures of him. If you don't start out slow and young with them they might be afraid of new things you sit them down next to. Lucky loves sniffing out new things and isn't afraid of anything now. 

Even my Bandit let me put a hat on him and take a picture this past Christmas as long as he had a treat to eat while I was doing it. 

Lucky didn't mind wearing the santa hat either as long as he had a treat to keep him occupied. I have more pictures of that hat falling off then I do with him wearing it. lol 

Freebie Friday!

Welcome to another edition of Freebie Friday, 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 samples like these at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received: 

A coupon for a free bottle of Aquafina Flavorsplash

Sample of Pedia Care fever reducer

For my birthday Chicken of the Sea sent me a $1 off coupon for any of their products

Sample of Prilosec

Sample of Cozy Chamomile Tea

And then a couple of days ago Del Taco sent me an email with a coupon to print for a free Shake for my birthday. 

Not too bad this week. So did you get anything free?

Review: Good Side of Sin by KS Haigwood

My review of Good Side of Sin is up over at I Smell Sheep. 

Blurb:

Josselyn has just spent the last three months in intense Line of Defense training so she could join Malcolm’s search party. Little did she know the archangels had no intention of letting her bring back into Heaven an angel who had opened a portal between Heaven and Hell, at least not before saving God's creations from the tight grasp of Lucifer first.

Three months have passed since the angel Rhyan released nine repented demons from Hell, and now innocent people are dying, but their souls are not going to Heaven. Josselyn's mission is to find the demon responsible for stealing the souls and bring it to justice before Lucifer gains enough power to rise and claim Heaven and earth as his own.

Her whole world is shaken when she discovers what tool Lucifer is using to track down the one key to the release of his eternal damnation. Thoros is one half-souled immortal she prayed she would never see again. The ex-Prince of Lust had stolen her heart and crushed it with a cheeky smile. Now, not only is she being forced to put her damaged ego aside and face the only man that has ever hurt her, but she has to work with him in order to complete her assignment.

Is she strong enough to keep from falling in love with him again? Or is their love the only thing that can keep Lucifer from getting the one thing he wants most.

Captcha Fun

So a friend of mine put together a post about funny captchas he found, last month. I thought it sounded like a good idea and decided to do it too. But you wouldn't believe how hard it is to actually find a funny captcha. lol 

In this one above, I think they might have leaked someone's phone number. Maybe we should give it a call and see who answers?

Goods I Fixin

Well if it's goods ye be fixin I've probably got something broken around here. 

And Ugout *Yogurt* Yes, that looks like it sounds like yogurt. Stay with me here, I don't have much to work with. 

Ways Off Disc

So would that mean, off DVD? Off CD? Who knows. 

From Lick Doo

Nope, not doing it. That's just nasty. 

Caravan Car Newb

I got nothing..but caravan and car kinda went together in some strange way so it's here. 

Adwer *blur*

What is that second word? It's all burry to me, are we supposed to assume that's 'are'?

So while I didn't get any dirty ones...or even any funny ones, really. I did show you that sometimes you can't make out what it says at all. 

Cannabis Oil aka Toxic Sludge

Here's another myth, fairy tale or urban legend from the land of weed...Cannabis oil cures cancer, seizures, PTSD, Crohns disease, diabetes and other real diseases. 

Really?

If that were the case I'm sure doctors everywhere would be coming out of the woodwork to say they cured these diseases using cannabis oil and I don't know about you, but I'm not seeing that happening. 

So what is this cannabis oil that some pot heads are using to try and self treat their very real diseases? I'll tell you. 

First you get a marijuana plant and dry the leaves...

Next you have to use about 2 gallons of solvent to extract the THC from the plants..yes, you read that right..solvent like paint thinner or alcohol and they tell you that if you don't do this right, *wait, there's a right way to use solvent in this way?* that it could be toxic! Well, no kidding!

Solvents used can be pure alcohol, Naptha, benzine or ether.

Add marijuana leaves to large bowl or deep pan and add solvent, just enough to cover plants and swish around with stick. *yes this is the real directions I found on the web, you can look them up yourself they are easy to find*

Use a very well ventilated room because the vapors are toxic. *more toxicity*

Pour out the solvent into another bucket/pan..leaving the marijuana leaves behind in the first bucket. 

Add a little more solvent to the marijuana leaves in the first bucket and after swishing about with a stick for a few minutes pour off sludge looking solvent into second bucket. 

By now the solvent has taken on a tar like or black looking color. 

You can now throw away the solvent laden marijuana leaves, they are no longer useful. But they are toxic because of the toxic solvent used so discard them in a hazardous bag. 

Next you'll have to strain the solvent mixture you have through coffee filters and a strainer to get any foreign substances out of it. 

Now you are ready to 'cook' off the solvent. Add solvent to a large pan and cook on high until all the solvent has boiled away leaving only a black, tar like substance behind. Use a cooking thermometer to make sure the heat doesn't get above 290 degrees Fahrenheit. 

When there's just a tiny bit of non black solvent left in the pan with the black sludge, you'll need to add a little water to help boil off the remaining solvent. 

Now the reason I wrote out the instructions as I found them on the internet is to show you why I am calling this stuff a toxic sludge. This so called cannabis oil is supposed to be ingested orally. Yes, you are supposed to EAT this! 

I don't know about you but I'd rather not boil a pan of toxic solvent and marijuana leaves for dinner. Who in their right mind is going to ingest this stuff? There are a whole lot of brain washed, pot smoking, cannabis oil eating wackos out there and if they want to make this toxic sludge and kill themselves with it, be my guest. 

But what gets me mad is telling people who have real diseases like cancer, leukemia, diabetes and seizures that they can eat this toxic mess and it will cure them. That's a really rotten thing to do.

Review: Hell's Gift by K.S. Haigwood

This is book two in this awesome series and you can find my review of this book over at I Smell Sheep. 

I'm really loving this series and my review of the next book in the "Save My Soul" series will be available at I Smell Sheep on the 19th. Hope to see you there. 

Happy Raturday!

Welcome to a new weekly blog post I'm calling, Raturday! I've seen Caturday and while that's really cute, I think the rats needs some photo time so everyone can see how cute these little animals are. I've gotten permission from Rat Logic's fb page to share their pictures on my blog. So get ready to smile because these are cute. 

Today is also my birthday and my sister in law sent this rattie card to me. How appropriate for raturday. 

My sister in law also made me this tile with 4 of my rats who are no longer with us. I have this picture as my cover picture on fb. This is Ares, Hades, Brodie and my heart rat, Jasper. How awesome is that?

What is Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?

I've talked about this a little bit in the past but the more info that's out there the better in my opinion. A couple of my friends have recently been diagnosed with thyroid problems and my husband has also. Back when I was in my teens and trying to figure out what in the heck was wrong with me, I had never even heard of the Thyroid or Hypothyroidism. But I had it and with all the symptoms I told my doctors about, they never once checked my Thyroid levels or connected the dots to figure out that I had Hypothyroidism until I was well into my 20's. 

Of course this article was written a few years ago and some things have changed. Some of the smaller nodules I had have disappeared but the one larger nodule I have has stayed the same size and I'm told won't go away without surgery. *which I'm not doing* I tell my husband it's a good thing I'm over weight and have a bit of an extra chin because if I didn't this nodule would be really prominent on my neck. You can only really see it if I tilt my head back, but it's about the size of golf ball. 

Have you ever had your thyroid levels checked? It's just a simple blood test. Do you know if you have any symptoms of hypothyroidism? Here is a list of some of the most common symptoms..

The most common symptoms are:

• Fatigue

• Depression

• Weight gain

• Dry skin

• Forgetfulness

• Muscle weakness

• Puffy face

• Dizziness

• Constipation

• Muscle cramps

• Dry skin

• Increased menstrual flow or in my case no period for 6 months
• Feeling cold
• Brittle nails
• Thinning hair

If you have nodules like I do, the doctor will most likely send you to a radiologists office to have a biopsy of the nodule. I've had 4 of them and they've all been negative for cancer.

I will say that when I went to radiologists office they have several radiologists there and I never saw the same one twice and each of them have their own way of doing things. The first biopsy I had was painless. But the other three were not. The radiologists told me that either my nodules were very deep and the medicine was cycling out of my thyroid very fast and he couldn't keep it numbed up or that it wouldn't hurt much and all he ever numbed up was the skin. Those were painful and I decided after the 4th one coming back negative that I was done having biopsies.

Now if you're wondering what a nodule when it gets bigger like mine would look like, I decided to show you. I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to post this but this is what it can turn into.

It's been there for years and I'm used to it now. It's really only visible when I have my head tilted back like this. I could have it surgically removed but I don't do well after anesthesia at all. Plus I really don't want to have a surgery unless I really have to. I'm just not at that point yet.

After finding out that I had Hypothyroidism and nodules I then found out that I had something called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease. What it means that the immune system attacks the thyroid gland as if it were a foreign substance that shouldn't be there, resulting in inflammation and hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid).

Most symptoms get better after getting on the right amount of thyroid medication but the medication doesn't always work for every patient. I'm one of those patients that it really didn't help. I still have muscle cramps like crazy and weight gain that is really hard to control. 

My husband was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism a few year ago as well and it got me thinking what could be causing ours and other cases of this disease to be popping up all over the place.

Weekly Rat Facts: Begging

Rats have the art of begging down to a science. First there's the sniffing, then the staring, then the biting on the bars to get your attention and then the hopping up and down when more staring doesn't work.

When I made myself a sandwich for lunch, Lucky smelled it and first he stared at me, then he started hopping up and down.

Sniffing..

and then he resorted to biting on the bars to get my attention.

Then it was back to staring at me. I was sitting at the computer table and he is on the table right next to me. I gave in a let him have a piece and he knew I would because I share my food with the boys. I had already cut a tiny piece off for him, I just wanted to get the pictures first. *bad mommy* lol He was a happy boy about 1 minute after I sat down so he didn't have to wait very long but these pictures do show that they beg worst than dogs do. At least they don't drool and slobber all over themselves while watching you like some dogs do. LOL