My Published Articles

Hi to all my new followers. :) I love having new followers and to all of those who are reading my blog and not a follower...thank you for visiting me. :)Hopefully I've made you laugh, think or just shake you head at my strange posting and weird pictures. lol I love finding pictures that are a little out there and posting them.

I also wanted to share something about myself that you might not know. I am a Freelance Writer and write article about small animal care for The Yahoo Contributor Network.

You can find my profile here and just scroll down to see what articles I've written. I have more than 200 articles published right now and am always adding more.

If you read any of my articles, I would love to know what you think about them. :)

Our Pumpkin

Sharing smiley 360 Mission

Sharing Smiley360 Mission: I signed up for Smiley360! http://smiley360.com *Please remember the FTC requires you to mention that you received a free sample courtesy of Smiley360 when sharing.

My brother in law is going home today!

Read the full story here.

Here's a little bit of the article...

After four years in the hospital, Mike Stanzione is going home.

A rare disease left him dependent on a ventilator, barely able to walk and in need of constant medical care. He was told over and over again he had no chance of leaving Bergen Regional Medical Center and getting home to his wife and young son.

Yet the 53-year-old refused to give up.

Armed with his cellphone and laptop, he found a doctor willing to try a groundbreaking surgery. It required a harrowing ride to Florida and back and a painful recovery and rehab.

And today, he'll finally rejoin his family at his Saddle Brook home, where friends and neighbors are expected to be on hand to welcome him back.

"I'm happy I didn't give up," Stanzione said. "I just wasn't going to accept being on a vent and in the hospital for the rest of my life — I heard about the diaphragm pacemaker and went after it."

Stanzione has Pompe disease, an often fatal genetic illness that causes degeneration of muscles, including those that control the diaphragm for breathing. He is the first Pompe patient to get a diaphragm pacemaker, which stimulates the muscles and nerves in his chest so he can breathe periodically — sometimes for hours — without a ventilator.

It was the ventilator that shackled him for years to a hospital room at Bergen Regional in Paramus. The machine requires a medical professional be on hand around the clock in the event it malfunctions or the patient needs assistance.

Stanzione's insurance company, Aetna, and Medicaid and Medicare refused to cover home health care costs. It appeared the former computer programmer would have to spend the rest of his life in a long-term-care facility.

Birthdays, holidays and seasons came and went. His son, Brian, who was 4 when Stanzione was first hospitalized, is now 8. They used Skype daily and tossed a ball on weekend visits at the hospital, but it didn't come close to watching his son grow and change every day.

"The hardest part has been being away from Brian," Stanzione said. "I missed so much. I just want to be home with him — I used to read to him every night, now he can read to me."

His wife, Debbie, admitted she and Brian had resigned themselves to the idea that her husband would spend the rest of his life in a hospital room.

"I never admitted it to him, but after a while we really didn't think he'd ever be able to come home," Debbie Stanzione said. "It was hardest on Brian — he's had his hopes dashed so many times."

But Mike Stanzione refused to accept that this would be his life. He had once been an active husband who played ball on weekends with his friends. He searched for a way home.

Review: Companion Caterers Lixit Space Pod 2 Large

When I first brought my 4 boys home I thought I had all the accessories I would need for them. I bought an igloo that they refused to use for sleeping, they used it for food storage so we dubbed it "The refrigerator". I also bought them a stuffed Alligator which was supposed to be a hidie place to snuggle into the middle of, but they tore it to shreds in less than a day.

Then I bought a Lixit Critter Space Pod 2 Large and they fought over who was going to get to be inside it. I hung it from the top of the cage as it states you can and at first I was really scared it would come crashing down but it didn't, it stayed put. My 4 male rats were always trying to squeeze themselves into the Space Pod so I decided to buy another one for them and I bought it from Companion Caterers on Amazon. They have a wide selection of toys, food, treats and other accessories for your pets and they shipped my box out to me really fast, which I really liked.

Companion Caterers prices are comparable with others who sell some of the same things on amazon but knowing I can get fast shipping and nice customer service if I need it, has made me a customer when I am looking for things for my 4 boys.

I've Got Great News!

My brother in law who has been in the hospital for 4 1/2 years..is getting to go home this month...for good! Last month he had a pacemaker like machine implanted into his chest that shocks his chest muscles and makes him take a breath. He got this so he could be weaned off the ventilator and hopefully go home. It's called a Breathing Pacemaker.

Diaphragm (Breathing) Pacemakers

A breathing pacemaker consists of surgically implanted receivers and electrodes and an external transmitter with antennas worn directly over the implanted receivers.

The external transmitter and antennas send radiofrequency energy to the implanted receivers just under the skin. The receivers then convert the radio waves into stimulating pulses.

These pulses are then sent down the electrodes to the phrenic nerves, causing the diaphragms to contract. This contraction causes inhalation of air. When the pulses stop, the diaphragms relax and exhalation occurs. Repetition of this series of pulses produces a normal breathing pattern.

A breathing pacemaker can provide ventilatory support for patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency whose diaphragm, lungs, and phrenic nerves have residual function. Typically, these patients have high spinal cord injuries, central sleep apnea or other central neurological disorders, or a paralyzed diaphragm.

My brother in law has Pompe Disease and I did an interview with him for Yahoo Contributor Network, last year.

Read article here.

I'm happy for him, my sister in law and their 8 year old son. I know they must be beyond happy right now.

Book Review: Inferno's Kiss by Monica Burns

Title: Inferno’s Kiss
Series: Order of the Sicari #3
Author: Monica Burns
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade; (October 4, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0425243141
ISBN-13: 978-0425243145



The laws of desire...
Dante Condellaire, heir apparent to the Sicari Lords, knows that being a true leader means sacrifice. For Dante it was relinquishing all erotic pleasures. But he never expected his willpower to be tested so fiercely by Cleopatra Vorenus, expert assassin of the Order, and daughter of the man he is positioned to succeed.

The rules of battle...
Cleo prefers working alone--until she meets Dante who shares her goal: to destroy a Praetorian stronghold where Sicari women are imprisoned for devious purposes. Bringing the mission off without a hitch pumps up more than their resolve. It sets off a sexual spark too combustible to ignore.

Are all made to be broken.

As their attraction flares like an inferno, the stakes are raised. So are the risks. Before the mission is over, Dante and Cleo will be plunged into a dangerous conspiracy where a traitor threatens the very foundation of the Order, as well as the fiery bond between Dante and Cleo--warriors and lovers now torn between duty and desire.

My Review:
Inferno's Kiss is the 3rd book in the Order of the Sicari series and brought all the questions left unanswered from the first two books to a close. To see what happens with Atia and Marcus, characters from the first two books was really exciting and something I had really been looking forward to. I loved their characters and their relationship was so heartbreaking because of the things they've had to endure.

Then there's Cleo and Dante, who bring a whole new meaning to the term "Virginal". Cleo meets a man who is one step away from being the newly appointed Sicari Lord and who has taken an oath of abstinence. That's right, he's a powerful, intimidating, intense...and a virgin! How could it get any better? Well, there's also family secrets, long lost family members who meet for the first time, reincarnation, magical scrolls that need to be deciphered and an adventure that spans several life times.

Inferno's Kiss was a thrill ride well worth waiting for. Dante feels things for Cleo he never knew he could feel and Cleo can't help but to fantasize about the things she would love to do with him if she can ever get him to stop running away from her.

Marcus and Atia have a lot to over come because of all the lies and betrayal they each feel, but when they come together and see how good it can be again and the fact that their blood bond has never really been broken, makes you believe in true love.

Cleo is probably my favorite character in this whole series, I used to think it was Lysander but after reading the heartache Cleo went through after losing her unborn child and feeling like an outcast because she doesn't posses powers like other Sicari and that fact is even more pronounced after finding out who her parents are. If anyone should have strong sicari powers it's a child of Atia and Marcus. But Cleo more than makes up for not having powers by being a total bad ass who can kick the bad guys ass all by herself. Cleo is not only strong, but a sympathetic character and a survivor who's had to endure the worst pain imaginable. She is without a doubt my favorite character out of all three books.

If you want action packed scenes that actually make sense and don't just have swords blows and blood spurting scenes that go on forever that leave you lost as to what just happened, then this is the series for you. The action scenes are clean and Monica Burns made the action clear as to what is happening and it happens for a reason, just just action for the sake of action.

I didn't think Monica Burns could write another book as good as Assassin's Heart, but I was wrong, this book the 3rd in the series was just as good as the first two books and a great ending to the series.

I give it 5 stars.

Winner of The Puppy Diaries by Jill abramson

                                                                           Congratulations!

Bill...I'll send you an email please respond with your mailing addy withing 24 hours or I will pick an alternate winner.

Spiders...

I'm not afraid of spider's anymore. Not like I was when I was a teenager, but if I saw this big guy...even I might back away slowly. Some spider's can get seriously big. I had a horrible fear of bugs when I was younger. I knew I had to try and get over my fear so I looked up how to do that and I read the only real way to get rid of a fear was to face it head on...face your fear. Which meant...I had to go find a bug and hold it, look at it..ect..

So, me being the big bad ass that I am, I went out and saw a Black widow spider on the outside of my apartment wall. *Yeah, don't try this at home kids*

I got a glass and a piece of paper and put the glass over the Black Widow and slowly, gently pushed the paper under the spider until I had her safely inside the glass. Then I walked home with her. I also read that if you put a spider in the freezer for just a minute they will slow down and won't be able to move for a few seconds. Just long enough for me to take a look at her and get over my fear.

So I put her, glass and all in the freezer for a minute and sure enough she wasn't moving. I took her out and got out my small microscope and looked at her under the microscope...and then she woke up. You've never seen me move so fast in my life. The thing was, I could have gotten miss spider back into the glass...if it hadn't been for her web. Yes, when she woke up she started spilling her web all over everything she walked across and it was sticky..I mean really sticky and I kept getting stuck in it. Once I touched the web and I saw her climbing on it...right towards me. I got her in the glass and took her back outside real fast. Buh Bye miss spider.

I later found out that a Black Widow spider most times requires a trip to the E.R. for Anti-Venom. I had no idea about that at the time. But I got over my fear of spiders and can now pick any spider I find in my apartment up in my hands and take them outside and put them in the bush outside my door.

Giveaway! Monica Burns Bookmarks and More...

Monica Burns Books Marks and More giveaway! Monica was nice enough to send me some goodies to give to all of you, so if you would like some free bookmarks and some surprises, just send me an email at miztik_rose@yahoo.com and let me know you want the Monica Burns Bookmarks.

If you haven't read any of Monica Burns books. I really do recommend them highly.





You can read my review of Please Me, Here.


You can read my review of Assassin's Honor, Here.

You can read my review of Assassin's Heart, Here.

Inferno's Kiss is due out soon and you can be sure I'll be reading this one as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Giveaway! Heidi Betts Bookmarks

Today's Giveaway is for 2 Booksmarks from Heidi Betts new book Must Love Vampires.

Giveaway Today! Heidi Betts was nice enough to give me some bookmarks to give away to you. If you haven't read her books you really should, they are great reads. I highly recommend them and anything else by this author. You can also come and visit Heidi Betts at her blog here. She is crazy funny and has contests where she gives away books all the time.

Today I am giving away 2 bookmarks and maybe a couple of goodies from my own bookmark stash to 5 people!

All you have to do is send me an email with your name and address to miztik_rose@yahoo.com and let me know you want the Heidi Betts bookmarks. I will give them away until my supply is gone.

One Of My Biggest Pet Peeves

I love entering contests on blogs but there are some that I skip because of all you have to do in order to get an entry. Here's just a bit of the things I've found out there in blog-dom that people make you do in order to win a book/swag/ect...

Complete the form *or at least try to figure out how to complete it.
Follow Me
Leave a comment about this interview, the cover, the author, the authors town, the year the author was born..ok not really but you get my point.

And then there are the "Extra entries"
+1 Follow me on Twitter
+1 Like me on Facebook
+1 Like "So and So" on Facebook
+1 Be my friend on Goodreads
Like my review on Amazon or give me a thumbs up to show I done good.
+1 for social networking this giveaway and leave me a link
+1 Leave a comment
+1 Fan on GoodReads
+1 Follow the blog
+1 Follow on Twitter
+1 Friend on Facebook

BONUS QUESTION: Answer another question that can be found on the site, in the book, on twitter or somewhere out in the nethers...

And my #1 pet peeve is the blog owner not listing that the book we are commenting /entering for is an ebook. You see I don't buy ebooks, I don't usually read ebooks, I don't have an ebook reader, and I don't plan on buying one. I like traditional books. Yes, I am not a fan of ebooks at all. So when I find out that I have just won an ebook and the fact that the give away wasn't specific about it being an ebook up for a giveaway..it makes me a little irritated because I don't usually enter for ebooks. I'll leave them for those of you that like to read them, that have ereaders or like to spend countless hours in front of your computer reading *which I will not do*

As for the why? I've won a few ebooks and I will read a few by authors that I already like and have established that they can write. But I have also won a few or been given a couple to review that read like a 3rd grader wrote them. I will not be specific here sorry. I don't like to write negative reviews, it messes with my good mood. So I usually say thank you, shake my head and say nothing. I mean someone somewhere must have liked it for it to have been published, right? Who am I to say it's really not good, that I think they write ebooks only because they aren't good enough to write traditional books. I may think it, but I won't say it.

Giveaway! Win 2 Bookmarks from Joyce DiPastena

Bookmark Giveaway!

Giveaway Today! Joyce DiPastena was nice enough to give me some bookmarks from these two books to give away to you. If you haven't read these books you really should, they are great reads. I highly recommend them and anything else by this author.

Today I am giving away 2 bookmarks and maybe a couple of goodies from my own bookmark stash to 5 people!

All you have to do is send me an email with your name and address to miztik_rose@yahoo.com and let me know you want the Joyce DiPastena bookmarks. I will give them away until my supply is gone.

Giveaway! Sherrilyn Kenyon's Special Collectors Edition Coffin Box Set (Audio Book)

Giveaway! Sherrilyn Kenyon's Special Collector's Edition Coffin Box Set (Audio Book)



Win Sherrilyn Kenyon's Special Collectors Edition Audio Book!

It’s time for another giveaway! Hurray! Today’s giveaway features my all-time favorite author Sherrilyn Kenyon here at Dark Thoughts and I'll be hooking up one lucky winner with a free copy of the audiobook! See below on how to enter.

This audio book includes:
This Special Collector’s Edition Box Set includes audio CDs for the first three books in the Dark-Hunter Series. The set also includes an AUTOGRAPHED keepsake suitable for framing!

NIGHT PLEASURES
He is solitude. He is darkness. He is the ruler of the night. Yet Kyrian of Thrace has just woken up handcuffed to his worst nightmare: An accountant. Worse, she's being hunted by one of the most lethal vampires out there. And if Amanda Devereaux goes down, then he does too. But it's not just their lives that are hanging in the balance. With the fate of the world in their hands, Kyrian and Amanda are all that stands between humanity and oblivion. Let's hope they win.

NIGHT EMBRACE

Talon was an ancient Celtic warrior who made a big mistake—he killed the son of a Celtic god Camulus. Camulus swore vengeance, claiming that no one Talon loved would be safe—they all would die horrible deaths in front of his eyes. When, after everyone else he loves has dies, Talon’s sister is murdered in front of his eyes, he barters his soul to Artemis for the chance to protect strangers from the vampires that stalk the night. Two thousand years later in modern-day New Orleans, he meets Sunshine—a woman who, against his will, makes him love again. Of course, it’s Mardi Gras, and New Orleans is filled with vampires, Dionysius in the middle of a complex plot, and Camulus as his confederate. Now Talon and Sunshine have to block the gods, and somehow figure out how to break the curse. Or Sunshine will be the next to die…

DANCE WITH THE DEVIL

They say even the most damned man can be forgiven. Zarek, a man who endured a lifetime as a Roman slave, and 900 years as an exiled Dark-Hunter, never believed that until the night Astrid opened her door to him and made that feral beast want to be human again. Made him want to love and be loved. But how can an ex-slave whose soul is owned by a Greek goddess ever dream of touching, let alone holding, a fiery star?

Sherrilyn Kenyon is the brilliant author of this series. The 20th book in this series just came out not too long ago and I reviewed it here.

So it goes without saying that if you haven’t checked out the Dark Hunter series, you totally should.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS
To enter into the giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment here with your email, so I can get in touch with you if you win and you are entered for this giveaway! How easy is that! US residents only. I will pick the winner on September 25th!

Added note: the winner has 48 hours to respond, if they don’t within that time then the book goes to someone else, so make sure to check your email on the 25th of September!

Disclosure: This free audio book is being provided by Macmillan Audio.

How I get Freebies

I wrote a post a while back on how I get freebies and since then have gotten a few new friends here on my blog. So if you haven't read further back...*and you totally should because my blog is awesome* LOL here is my post that tells you how to get some of the free things that I get all the time. Have fun!

You can find the post here.

Review: Retribution By Sherrilyn Kenyon (Audio Book)

Book Review: Retribution Audio Book By Sherrilyn Kenyon
Title: Retribution
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Narrator: Holter Graham
Series: Dark-Hunter
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: August 2, 2011
7 CD Audio Book


I received a free copy of the audio format of the this title for review from Macmillan Audio.

Harm no human...

A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he'd spend eternity protecting the humans he'd once considered prey.

Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief - Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meeting the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.

A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster....

Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who's assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he's not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.

Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they've sworn to protect.

My Review:
I reviewed a hard cover copy of this book and you can read my review here.
Now before I start I should tell you that this was my first audio book. I would like to thank Macmillan audio for sending me a free copy of this for review. It was an interesting experience not having to actually read but being read to. I can honestly say that while it was an interesting experience I like the feel of holding a book in my hands and reading. If I had a car and was driving it would probably be much more fun to listen to the audio book in that circumstance, but I don't so I was listening to the audio book while on the computer playing games. I like sitting down with a book in my hands and reading the story, having it read to me wasn't as good because while reading I can visualize what each of the characters sounds like when they speak in the book. While I'm sure Holter Graham is a great narrator his voice is not what I would have pictured for the character of Jess Brady. It was hard for me to get into this book just listening to it. While I loved the story I think I've come to the conclusion that audio books are just not for me.

Jess Brady is set to find the person who is hunting Dark Hunters and stop who ever it is, but he never expected to find Abigail was the one who he would need to stop. Jess Brady thought that Abigail had been dead for a very long time and now not only is she killing Dark Hunters she is connected to the Apollites.

Now they must find a way to work together and set their differences aside for a while if they want to stay alive. Jess Brady has endured so much heartache I found it endearing that he could care for someone again. But the fact that Ms. Kenyon wrote their attraction in such a way that even though Abigail hates him and thinks he murdered her parents they are overwhelmed by their attraction for each other and that makes their story a bit much for this reader to swallow.

There was a different feel to this book than many of the other books in this series and that's alright as long as Sherrilyn Kenyon gets back to integrating more of the characters in each of the books like she's done in past books. I would have been really disappointed with this book if we hadn't gotten a glimpse into some of the other characters at the end. I am a huge Sherrilyn Kenyon fan, her books have always been an auto-buy for me and for now will continue to stay that way. But I can only hope she gets back to the characters and Mythology storyline that we as readers have loved and started reading this series for, to begin with.

America's Got Talent

Congrats to Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Silhouettes, Team iLuminate, and PopLyfe. You all rocked. I do have to state the obvious though..I really was shocked when the winner was announced..I really think Silhouettes should have won. I am surprised at America's choice but it was America's choice.

I seriously doubt that either Silhouettes or iLuminate will have a hard time making it. They will be picked up and we will be seeing them again soo, of that I have no doubt.

Showing off My Babies

I have 4 male rats right now and here are a few pictures of a couple of them that were taken recently.


This is Jasper inside a soda box. They just loved playing inside the soda box. I have another just waiting for them when they tear up the old one.

This is Hades.

Hades again. He's a big boy and so loveable.

Hades laying in the cage waiting for a treat. lol

Rat Busters NYC

If you have been reading my blog you already know that I signed a petition to have Rat Busters NYC removed from Animal Planet. I also sent Animal Planet an email and let them know about the petition and how a bunch of us were boycotting Animal Planet until this show is removed. Here is the email I received the other day in response to the email I sent them about the show. ...

Message body

Dear Viewer:

Thank you for contacting Animal Planet. We appreciate your correspondence and for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns with us about Rat Busters.

In an effort to ensure the highest quality programming, comments such as these are taken very seriously. Each and every comment is forwarded on to our programming executives for review and consideration. Maintaining the integrity of all of our networks is our primary goal. It is these types of comments that contribute to creating change and improving our programming.

Again, thank you for contacting Animal Planet.

Sincerely,

Viewer Relations
Animal Planet


A reply to this message will not be answered. If you have additional
questions or comments, please go to our webform at
http://extweb.discovery.com/viewerrelations.

I have a feeling that nothing will be done and the show will not be canceled but I did what I could to get it taken off the air.

Dear Spammers

I have several email addresses because I use each one for something different. The first one I ever got, I still have. That was a long time ago and I get so damn much spam on that email address it's not even funny. My hubby and I used to use this one together because we didn't know way back when that we could both get a different one. Crazy...I know.

So each day i go to my email inbox and flush the spam...but have you ever really looked at what they are sending you? No? Well, I did and it scared me...the world is a scary place now a days. There are people that want me to have a penis enlargement, a home mortgage, lip implants, breast implants, facial reconstruction and then they also want me to sue for having the penis enlargement if something went wrong, sue the breast implant doctor for making them too big and then this Prince somewhere in the middle east tells me I've got an inheritance of 10 million dollars if only I would contact him and deposit this check into my account and send him a small portion of it.

Now thankfully I am not an idiot and I have never had a penis so there's no need for an enlargement and I've never had anything injected, implanted or otherwise transformed in my body so there's no need to sue anyone over it. And I am seriously not sending some idiot my name rank and serial number so he can take my identity and never send me the millions he said was coming to me.

But that's me, there are enough gullible people out there that are doing these things that keep these scammers in business and make it worth their time to keep sending out the spam. I wish there was a way to get rid of the spammers.