Apartment Life #299

 

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 go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 24 years that we'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 24 years here in a weekly blog post.

Tuesday afternoon the police stopped a couple of the druggies that were standing around by my building. They stood out there, frisked them and looked like they ran their ID's. But no one was arrested. They must not have had any drugs on them at the time. The flashing lights kind of obscured the picture.

-----

I took 3 short videos of the police on my street Tuesday morning. In one of the videos you can hear the police telling someone that they know they are hiding behind the retaining wall. In another video you can see them stage by their cars, and walk towards the fence for the retaining wall. They walk over to the fence, cut the lock and search the area but no one was there so they left. 

This is the fence they broke the lock on to look behind the wall. But no one was there. The homeless people and some of the druggies go back there to sleep or do their drugs. They usually have to climb the fence but not anymore, it's wide open now. 

When I first looked outside I just saw the two police officers standing by their car. Then as you can see in one of the videos there were several police cars on both ends of the street. One of the cops standing here had his AR-15 rifle. When I saw that and all of the police cars, I figured something big was happening.

There were so many police cars on my street. 

Within a few minutes more police cars showed up and more cops starting standing with the first two cops I saw. 

With all those police standing around, I really thought something big was going to go down.

Once all the police arrived and one even brought out a shield to walk behind, they started advancing on the retaining wall. I took the videos from this part forward. But they didn't find anyone and they left. Now I have to wonder who they were looking for and why? I wonder if the person they were looking for is somewhere in the area or in drug dealer's apartment hiding until they left. And with all the fire power they had and all the police, I have to wonder if this person is armed. I guess I just have to wait and see if anything else happens. 

The high this week was 95F/35C

The low this week was 55F/12C

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

 

Architects are a pretty new band for me but I've found myself listening to them more and more. I really like this song a lot. I hope you enjoy.

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: 

GrassGreen dog supplements. They are to cut down on the yellow spots in your grass from dog urine. I don't have grass but my dog likes the smoked duck flavor. 

I also received an Area Rug and a Dinner Bowl from Walmart Spark Reviewer. The dinner bowl can be used instead of a plate for dinner. It's a good size and can be used for that easily. I really like the area rug. I needed a new one for my bedroom. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Book Review: Parks and Provocation by Juliette Cross

 

Book Description

Lola Landry stares through the window of her locked car with the keys in the ignition and the radio blaring Beck’s “Loser.” While standing there and sweltering in the soupy Tennessee humidity, she wonders how her orderly life had crashed and burned so badly. Then her high school nemesis saunters up in all of his tall, strapping, fireman-to-the-rescue glory, slapping her with the humiliating proof that it can always get worse.

When the uber-confident Jedediah Lawson requests a date in return for popping her lock, a lightbulb goes off. Revenge is sweet. He would make the perfect victim—guest, that is—for her next podcast episode on Kiss and Tell. What shocks her is the casual way he not only agrees to the post-date interview on air, but ends up hijacking her audience and wooing them with his swoony, southern charm. Not even a low score on the date-o-meter can dissuade the man or keep her fans from demanding more of the charismatic Jed.

What’s worse, she secretly wants a second date with this man who is so different from his teenage self. His unwavering patience and dimpled smile erodes her will, until she breaks the Kiss and Tell rules by agreeing to a second…and a third date. It’s a disaster. Not the date. They’re wonderful. The disaster is that she is falling for a man she once dubbed Jockstrap Jed.

My Review

Lola is a waitress at a diner but she also has her own podcast where she goes on dates and then has the guys back on her podcast to give them a point score for their dates. So when she has car trouble and needs help, she's surprised that it's her high school nemesis that comes to her rescue. She agrees to a date with him and then tells him why after the date and he agrees to come on her podcast. A second date happens and then a third because they realize that they really do like each other. 

Jed moved back to town in order to take care of his father and now he's a firefighter. So when he gets called to help someone with a car problem, the last person he's expecting is Lola but there she is. He really liked her back in high school but because of a misunderstanding she didn't go to prom with him which he regrets. So he asks her out and after some time she agrees but then he has to go on her podcast after the date which leads to another date. 

As the dates get more and more fun and they start getting reacquainted, the old sparks they felt start to reignite but there's one problem. Lola has a good job offer out of town and she plans on leaving so this, whatever this is between them can't last, or can it? 

I really liked this second chance romance. Watching Lola and Jed get a second chance at their relationship was great. I really liked both characters and all of the secondary characters as well. This was a fun read. 

I give this book 4 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book via the author but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Amazon

Book Review: The Mountain Dragon's Curvy Mate by Zoe Chant

 

Book Description

A curvy geologist + a hot dragon shifter with a mountain-sized problem + a rogue group of evil dragons = one sizzling and suspenseful romance!

Curvy geologist Rachel Finn has a mystery to solve: unusual shaking at an Adirondack mountain that hasn't seen an earthquake in centuries. But Rachel's mystery leads to danger. Before she's even had a chance to investigate, she's attacked by evil dragons and saved by a handsome, magical rescuer!

Dragons in Brad Bannik's clan must find their mate by age 25 or be forever alone. With the deadline fast approaching, Brad wants to be looking for his mate, not defending the family lair from invading dragons. But when he saves Rachel, he realizes the truth … this beautiful woman is his fated love.

With enemy dragons threatening their lair and their lives, will Brad run out of time before he can convince this lovely stranger that they’re meant to be?

The Mountain Dragon's Curvy Mate is a sizzling hot, standalone BBW dragon shifter romance. No cliffhangers!

My Review

Rachel is investigating shaking within a mountain when she is pushed and falls, hurting herself in the fall. But Brad is also in the mountain investigating the shaking when he finds Rachel and knows she's his mate. So he brings her back to his home and tends to her. When she's better, they try and figure out what is causing the shaking because once she spots him flying around in dragon form, there's no keeping that secret from her anymore. 

But there are other dragon shifters in the area and they aren't friendly. Once they figure out what is causing the shaking, they also find themselves in danger. Brad informs his uncle who is the head of the family what is going on and he is on his way there when Brad and Rachel have to work together in order to get out of the danger they find themselves in. All the while they are getting to know each other and Rachel is learning more and more about dragon shifters. 

I loved Rachel but Brad wasn't as easy to get to know. There was just something about his personality that didn't come across as well as Rachel's did. I liked the ending though. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Moonrise by Ines Johnson

 

Book Description

This Alpha's gonna take a bite out of his brother's fake fiancée.

Sheltered Lucia is determined to find a new life and love. No wonder she falls for the first guy to flash her a wolfish smile her first day in the big city. After rescuing the charming shifter from certain death, she's sure he feels the same way about her, and will tell her so — just as soon as he wakes up from his coma. To stay by her instalove’s side in the hospital, Lucia pretends she's his bonded mate. This twist of the truth takes a turn when she meets her fake fiancé’s sexy older brother and wonders if she was a bit too hasty in declaring love-at-first-sight the first time.

For months, Jackson has sensed that his fated mate was near. When he enters his brother's hospital room, he instantly pounces on the beautiful, curvaceous woman there. He’s ready to mark her as his own until he discovers his brother may have gotten there first. The more Jackson gets to know Lucia, the more his doubts about the engagement grow. She has nothing in common with his wayward, lone wolf brother. But she sure does check every one of Jackson's boxes.

Lucia longs to explore her feelings for Jackson, but how can she turn her back on the comatose wolf she lied about being engaged to? Jackson's fighting a losing battle with his wolf to claim the woman who should be his. When he finds proof that Lucia isn't who she claims to be, can he still trust her with his heart? And what will happen when his brother, her fake-mate, wakes up?

Moonrise is the first in a paranormal romance series full of alpha men and the strong, capable women that bend them to their knees. If you like a touch of magic in your romance novels, then you’ll love the witches, fairies, and wolves in the dystopian world of the moonkind.

My Review

Lucia lived high on a mountain with witches most of her life. Her mother died and her father left when she was just a kid. Once she turns old enough to leave by herself, she sets off on her own to find her father and find out why he never returned. While on the train she makes friends with a wolf shifter but there's a fight and he gets hurt. She wants to go to the hospital with him to make sure he's ok because she feels like he might be her mate so she let's the paramedics and hospital staff think they are mates so she can stay with him. 

Jackson has had a feeling that his mate is close so he's been making sure his home is ready for her arrival when she gets there. When he arrives at the hospital to see about his injured brother, he meets Lucia and is sure that she is his mate until he's informed that she's his brother's mate. 

Lucia never meant to lie to Jackson's family about being his brother's mate but once his parents start making a huge fuss over her, she's not sure how to pull herself out of the predicament she's put herself in. She's been so secluded and sheltered growing up that she doesn't know how to react in the environment she's in so it was easy to see how this might happen to her. 

Jackson is a police officer and he has Lucia help him find the men who hurt his brother but the more time they spend together, the closer they get and the more she feels like she made a rash decision is claiming Jackson's brother might be for her. Because she and Jackson have very strong feelings for each other and once the truth comes out, Jackson is free to pursue her like he wants to.

There's also a side story of Jackson helping Lucia find her father and once he figures out what really happened to him and checks him out, he tells Lucia. That whole story about her father was sad and really was sad to read. But I'm excited to read the next book and see what happens next with this series.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

 

*All pictures today are courtesy of www.martymousehouse.com*

Apartment Life #298

 

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 go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 24 years that we'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 24 years here in a weekly blog post.

As I was walking Falcor, I saw one of my neighbors going into the ambulance. She said that the nurse who came to see her hadn't got all the glass out of her foot and she had shooting pains in her leg. I talked to her the next day and she said the doctor pulled the rest of the glass out of her foot and it was really deep in there. The nurse had left some in there. One of my neighbors actually took this picture and sent it to my daughter. All the people around here are taking pictures now. lol 

You may remember a few weeks ago I showed you how the raw sewage was leaking out all over the rocks at the end of the building in this post. Well, instead of cleaning it up or scooping out the nasty rocks that the raw sewage got all over, the maintenance guy just poured new rocks over the old ones. It looks like they fixed the leak though. But now there's a bigger pile of rocks there. They could have at least thrown away the nasty rocks first.

----

Last Sunday night I was walking Falcor by these bushes and it was already dark out. As I walked up to the bushes, three heads pop up behind the bushes and scared the crap out of me. You can kinda see that there's enough room between the bushes and the wall behind them for someone to be hiding back there. One guy says, "How you doing tonight. I replied, "I'm good, how are you?" He holds up the aluminum foil he has in his hands that he has a lighter underneath, lighting whatever drugs were in it and says, "I'll be better in a minute." 

Then I noticed the needles on the ground next to the guys and how they all had drugs out and were lighting the foil they had them in. I just ignored it and kept walking. These three guys are routinely at drug dealer's apartment.

----

The guy from a couple of weeks ago was back out here passed out on the sidewalk like he's sunbathing poolside or something. Got too high and couldn't make it home I guess. he's fine, he woke up a little while later and walked himself home.

The high this week was 86F/30C

The low this week was 55F/12C

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!

 

I like Apocalyptica and I like Adam Gontier, former lead singer from Three Days Grace. This match up with the two of them is so good. 

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 Laroche Posay moisturizer. 

Pet Honesty Advanced Hip + Joint chews for dogs.

Falcor was pleased that he got something else in the mail this week. 

I've tried other Laroche Posay products and liked this. This is a good moisturizer. 

----

I wanted to show that it's not always bad news in my neighborhood. Here's something good.

My neighbor told me the guy that runs the free food charity was across the street, so I was able to get some bananas, zucchini, soda, bread, strawberries, grapes and a box of donuts all for free. It's day old/expired stuff the grocery store was going to throw away. But still good enough to eat if you eat it soon. It's just not perfect enough for the grocery store to have on it's shelves so this guy goes and takes it to distribute it in his neighborhood when he can. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Book Review: Mine To Take by Cynthia Eden

 

Book Descriptions

Skye Sullivan knows that someone is watching her. Not just watching--stalking her. Months ago, Skye was involved in a dangerous car accident. The accident ended her dancing career and sent her fleeing back to Chicago. Skye is convinced that her stalker caused the crash, and she fears that he won't stop pursuing her, not until she's dead.

When someone breaks into her apartment in Chicago, Skye turns to the one man she believes can protect her--Trace Weston. Once, Trace was her lover. Two lost souls, they'd come together in a firestorm of need and desire. But then Trace had pushed her away. He'd joined the military, vanishing from her life. She'd put all of her emotion into dancing, and she'd tried to forget him.

Now Trace is one of the most successful men in the United States. Rich, driven, and carrying dark secrets, he agrees to help Skye. He'll protect her from the danger that lurks in the darkness, but Trace wants more than to just be a guard for Skye.

He wants her. And he'll take her. The years have changed him, hardened him. He's not just a poor kid from the streets any longer. Now, he can have anything--or anyone--that he wants. And the one woman he has always wanted has just come back into his life. He won't let her go again.

But with the threats mounting against Skye, she suspects that her stalker may be intimately close. He's a man who knows her too well. As his attacks grow ever more dangerous, she realizes that if she trusts the wrong man, she could be making a fatal mistake.

Lust. Love. Obsession.

Just how far would you go in order to possess the one person you want the most?

My Review

Skye and Trace knew each other since they were kids and they loved each other but Trace sent her away to live her dream as a dancer. Since then he's made a name for himself and a lot of money in the process. But Trace kept an eye on Skye as she made her dreams as a dancer come true and then later when the accident she was in killed her dreams. Trace wanted to go to her but instead he waited to see if she would ever make her way back into his life, so when she comes to his office to ask for his help with a stalker, he's thrilled and shocked. 

Someone has been breaking into Skye's place and messing with her belongings, just a little. Not enough to actually make the police believe that someone is stalking her. So when she goes to Trace, she's not sure what to expect or if he'll send her away again. But he believes her, sets out to change her locks, keep her safe and check out all the people in her life even if the police have no leads and aren't really sure if there really is a stalker. 

I had no idea who the stalker was until he was revealed because everyone Trace interviewed had a good alibi or sounded truthful. It was interesting to see who it was and why they were stalking her. I really liked how possessive Trace was of Skye and how safe she felt with him even though he'd done some not so legal things in the past. Watching them get closer and find the love they thought had been lost all these years was swoon worthy. Trace is a great guy and this was a great story. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Book Review: Her Alien Prince by Presley Hall

 

Book Description

I was sent to make contact with aliens… I never expected one to claim me as his mate.

When I get the chance to be part of a first-contact mission to space, I jump at it. I need a break from my life back on Earth. From the lie of my marriage. From the heartbreak of betrayal.

But after we crash on a planet far from our planned destination, everything changes. Stranded in an unforgiving wilderness, I suddenly find myself hoping extraterrestrial life doesn’t exist.

No such luck.

As I search for a way to rejoin the other survivors, I fall—literally—into the lap of a massive alien warrior with metallic blue skin and cat-like eyes. He’s… gorgeous. Mesmerizing. I can’t stop staring at him, and he seems just as fascinated by me.

Actually, he seems more than fascinated. The way he looks at me is possessive and protective, and even though I can’t understand his words, his voice sends shivers down my spine.

I don’t understand what’s happening between us, but I do know one thing: he’s the best shot I have at finding a way back home.

The only problem is, I’m not so sure anymore that I want to leave.

Her Alien Prince is a full-length standalone sci-fi romance featuring blue-skinned alien warriors, a heroine who learns what love truly is, and a rebel prince who would move the stars for his fated mate.

If you like sexy aliens, steamy romance, and thrilling adventure, you’ll love this series. No cliffhanger, and a happily ever after guaranteed!

Note: each book in the series can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment, it’s recommended that the series be read in order.

My Review

Charlotte and some other volunteers go on a mission to make first contact with aliens but before they can get to the planet they were supposed to land on, they get pulled through a wormhole and crash land on a prison planet. Before she can do much to save the others onboard the ship, she's taken by a large predatory bird but an alien from the planet saves her. 

Droth saves the alien female from the bird and then tries to communicate with her. He's mesmerized and attracted to her right away and realizes she's his fated mate. He somehow puts her at ease enough to get her back to his village where she meets the others in his village. She's safe there because Droth is their leader and tells his men that she's his mate. Droth and Charlotte spend time together and can't stop themselves from mating even though they can't understand each other. A day or so later she tries to let him know she has to go back to her ship and he follows her only to find a bunch of women there who survived. The women are skeptical of Droth and his men until someone who means them all danger shows up and they band together to fight the bad guys off. 

Droth and his men search Charlottes crashed ship for communicators so they can understand each other and once they are able to communicate things seem to go a lot more smoothly. I'm looking forward to seeing who will fall for whom next because now that they can communicate, it should be fun to see how they interact together. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Book Review: Hot Enough To Burn by Cynthia Eden

 

Book Description

Do you believe in monsters? You should, they walk among humans every single day. Reporter Eve Bradley has known the truth about paranormals for a while, and her latest story has taken her inside the mysterious Genesis facility. It’s at Genesis that Eve first meets Subject Thirteen, Cain O’Connor. Big, gorgeous, and truly, truly HOT.

Cain is a phoenix shifter. Every time that he dies, he rises from the ashes…stronger, deadlier, and another step closer to losing his control. And what happens when a phoenix loses control? Welcome to hell on Earth.

Cain feels an instant connection with Eve, a woman who swears she wants to help him. The attraction between them burns hotter than his flames, and soon, Eve is the only link to sanity that Cain has as the world turns to fire around him.

Eve isn’t human, despite the cover she’s used for years, and she is more than capable of withstanding a little heat. But as their enemies plot to trap them, Eve and Cain will be forced to trust each other completely. Be forced to surrender to a desire that cannot be controlled, and soon, if they are not careful, it’s a desire that might just have the power to destroy them both.

If you want something too badly, if you want someone too much…you will never even see the fire coming, not until it’s too late. Be careful. You don’t want to get burned…

My Review

Eve is a reporter and gets a job at Genesis research facility who supposedly has 'volunteer' shifters there for some experiments so humans can know more about them and it's supposed to help the government. But she's sure something more evil is going on at the research facility and once she gets hired she finds out she's right. 

Cain was captured and sold to the research facility that he's been held at and experimented on for some time now. He doesn't think they know what he is but the doctor in charge, Wyatt is sure he knows and plans on using Cain as a super soldier for the government.

Eve is disgusted and appalled at how Cain is treated. Right away the evil doctor can see that there's something between them and he plans on using that to try and keep Cain in line but Cain and Eve escape and the Genesis facility is blown to bits. They think that Dr. Wyattis dead but he escaped as well and comes after them. Cain is a Phoenix shifter, every time he dies and comes back, he's stronger, more powerful but sometimes doesn't remember his life before his last death for a while and that's when he's very dangerous because his inner beast wants to kill. 

Eve gets captured by Dr. Wyatt and is experimented on before Cain can rescue her and now doctor evil knows what she is even if she doesn't know herself. Eve and Cain find themselves caring for each other and getting closer. Every time they find themselves in a dangerous situation, I wondered how they were going to get out and it was fun reading what would happen next. Just when you think they are in the clear, they are thrown another twist and I loved it.

I loved this story. Cain is awesome. He is such a great character and I loved that Eve is just the right person for him and doesn't give up on him, even when he gets a little scary. I loved that there were werewolf and vampire secondary characters that were great too. I'm really looking forward to reading their books as well. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Happy Raturday!

 

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

Apartment Life #297

 

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 go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 24 years that we'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 24 years here in a weekly blog post.

My daughter and I heard yelling from outside the bedroom window and went to look what was happening. A couple from across the street were arguing while he was on the phone with 911. She kept hitting him, dragging him to the ground and trying to get the phone away from him but he just kept recording what she was doing while he was on the phone with 911. My daughter got this video of what he did when the police showed up a few minutes later. 

Just a quick video of the police talking to both of them separately. 

The police were looking at his phone so I'm assuming that he was showing him the video of her trying to pull him to the ground, hitting him, choking him and wrapping her arms around him, not letting him leave. 

While they were here the police took pictures of whatever injuries he had on his body from her manhandling him. 

They were here for about an hour. 

He showed them where they live and after they came back downstairs, the police talked to him a bit more.

My daughter couldn't get a good picture of the police car from the bedroom window so she went outside to get this. The woman was arrested and taken to jail.

----

This used to be the leasing office for my apartment complex. They just sealed, plastered over and painted where the door to the office used to be. Lol I guess they really don't plan on having on site manager's here again. Wow.

I have a feeling that they are going to lease out the 2bdrm apartment that is attached to the small office. But I wonder if they are going to seal off the office door inside completely or lease it as a 3bdrm apartment and say the office room is a bedroom too. That way they can triple the rent for that one apartment. 

It's actually just a 1 bdrm like all the other apartments here but one of the managers that had lived there remodeled one of the walk in closets to be a small bedroom for one of their kids. Thus making this a 2bdrm.

----

My neighbor who is off his medication did this for hours on Wednesday. We couldn't even keep the door open because he was so loud. I'm not trying to make fun of a guy with mental illness, I'm just showing what we're having to deal with while he lives 2 apartment's down from us. This is an everyday occurrence.

----

 On Saturday morning I saw the police in my courtyard. When they saw me, they asked if I heard gunshots the night before. I said yeah but didn't see anything. They were looking through the bushes for shell casings because someone called and reported that someone shot at another guy.

The little orange cones on the ground are where they found shell casings. This is right at the end of my courtyard. I walk through here everyday down by the trashcan where there's a big hole in the fence so I can walk Falcor by the wall.

The night before, my daughter, grandson and I all heard gunshots at midnight. I looked outside but didn't see anything so I didn't call it in. But the police I talked to told me to call that in next time so they can come take a look. I hear gunshots around here quite often so I guess I'll be calling them a lot. I didn't see any blood on the ground so I have no idea if anyone got shot.

The police were digging through the bushes right there and finding shell casings. The police were on the left side of the fence looking on the ground as well. And yes, that's a love seat turned upside down right there. Drug dealer tried walking through the police tape to throw his love seat away but the police stopped him so he just left it there.

----

The high this week was 94F/34C

The low this week was 52F/11C

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

So from the past few weeks you know that I like all kinds of music. So I thought I would get back to my favorite genre of music though. I've been listening to this song a lot lately. Enjoy. 

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 free bottle of Maple Syrup from Canada from Ripple Street  You can click on the link and sign up for an account and get free products to try too. This tasted great too.

I also received a free bag of Chicken jerky for dogs from Walmart Spark Reviewer. I cannot give you the link to sign up since this is by invitation only. Falcor loved the jerky treats though. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Book Review: Hill Bear Christmas by Ariana Hawkes

 

Book Description 

A gutsy B&B owner with a ski-resort-sized problem. A single father and his children who never celebrate Christmas. Together, can they bring the magic of Christmas to their hometown? 

Grace Jensen has been working hard to prepare the small log cabin business she runs with her mother for the most exciting time of the year – Christmas. She loves her job, and it keeps her thoughts away from her divorce. 

But when a flashy ski resort opens nearby, and starts stealing local business, the holiday season suddenly looks bleak, not just for Grace and her mother, but for everyone in Powderwood. Grace is determined to not give up without a fight, and when she meets Alec, a shifter from the famous Hill Bear clan, she finds a partner in crime. Too bad that he’s a rugged bear god, with the kindest heart she’s ever known. She’s still hurting from the past and just wants to get through Christmas in one piece. 

Alec Hill and his clan don’t celebrate Christmas, which is lucky, since the new ski resort that’s been built beside their ancestral territory is turning December into a miserable month. When he discovers that the humans of nearby Powderwood are also suffering—particularly a small, cheerful, feisty one named Grace—he can’t help but get involved. Nothing to do with the fact that his kids love her, or that her sparkling blue eyes and courageous spirit get his bear roaring. He’s sworn off finding a second mate.

 Grace is full of festive ideas that might just help both communities save their livelihoods—but they also have the effect of bringing her and Alec closer and closer. As she teaches his kids what the holiday season is about, will a Powderwood Christmas be second-time lucky for Grace and her big, growly bear? A standalone Christmas story, full of all the romance, magic and warmth of the festive season!

My Review

Grace runs a B&B with her mother and things were working out well until a huge ski resort bought up land near the town, cutting off the magnificent view of the mountains to all but those who stay at the ski resort. She and her mother can't compete with the brand new resort and their lavish rooms. But they have to find a way so they can pay their bills. 

Alex is a bear shifter and doesn't like the new ski resort either. His wife died five years before and he is raising two small kids by himself. He's doing alright and doesn't want a new relationship since he thinks he won't find another mate. That is until he runs into Grace and she's great with his kids. The funny thing is they run into each other a couple of times and it's easy to see she's great with kids and the kids like her. 

Seeing these two flirting a little and how they both are attracted to each other but neither will make the first move was so sweet. But of course there's a misunderstanding and he pulls back but when Grace needs help, she calls Alex and he comes running. Watching them try and fight the pull they feel for each other was a little sad but then I knew it wouldn't be forever so it was fun to see them finally fall for each other. 

I think we got a small glimpse of who will have the next book and I can't wait. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Amazon

Favorite Picture of the Week

 

Falcor and my grandson cuddling early in the morning. Falcor loves blankets so whoever has a blanket, you can be sure he is cuddling with them so he can share their blankets. 

Book Review: Forever Still by Corinne O'Flynn

 

Book Description

Memory is immortality's curse

Miles

If there's one thing I've learned after more than five hundred years on this earth, it's that history always repeats itself, and usually in the worst way possible. So, when Delilah checks in to my hotel, all the signs are there--she's stunningly beautiful, achingly irresistible, and as history has taught me, one-hundred percent dangerous. The last time I took a chance like this, it broke my heart and almost cost me my immortal life. I've managed to survive all these years by heeding the warnings my instincts raise. Ignoring them now feels foolish and short-sighted, but I can't stay away; she's everything my soul wants, history be damned.

Delilah

With my mother's ashes riding shotgun and my loser ex-boyfriend in my rear-view mirror, I am finally free. I've had anough of being told what to do and how to live--it's time for me to take charge of my destiny on my terms and see what fate sends my way. When I stop in Lake Tahoe and Miles crosses my path, it feels like fate is testing me to see if I will throw myself into the arms of the frist guy I meet--just like I always do. He's beautiful, kind, and completely enamored of me--all things I have never known a man could be. But how can I make a new future for myself if I keep reliving my past?

Love never dies. But it can be damn bloody.

The Midnight Coven presents: Vampire Brides Tall, dark and handsome, these vampires are no strangers to the art of the hunt. Seduction and secrecy have ruled their lives for centuries, but these eleven alpha vamps are about to meet their matches and say "I do" to their forever mates. From eleven bestselling paranormal romance authors comes an all new series of standalone novellas set in a shared world. Grab your kindles and get ready to meet your new favorite vampires.

My Review

Miles still remembers his first love, Hannah. But not with the fondest of memories because she was a vampire hunter and tried to kill him and he did the only thing he could to stop the threat. Thinking that his one true mate was now dead, he's overcome with grief. So when a lot of years later his heart starts to beat, he knows that his mate is near. But he thinks it impossible since he thought he would have only one true mate and he's gun shy after what happened to Hannah all those years ago. 

Delilah escaped her abusive ex, Earl and stops at a hotel that miles shares ownership with Justina, a human who knows what he is. Miles introduces himself to Delilah and there's an instant attraction between both of them. They both have baggage from the past but that doesn't stop them from wanting the other. Earl tracks her down, Miles has to come to her rescue and he isn't nice about it. Earl was an abuser but he found out what being abused felt like. 

I really like vampire romance and Miles is a great hero. Once Delilah finds out what Miles is, he gives her time to come to grips with it and he's even willing to let her go if that's what she really wants. I felt for Miles because of the heartache he'd been through but Delilah ends up being exactly what he needs in his life. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Amazon