Review: On The Prowl by Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, Karen Chance, and Sunny

Book Description

These all-new paranormal romances from today's hottest authors feature a female werewolf who comes into her own; a Lord who crosses paths with a fiery mage; a mixed-blood Child of the Moon who faces an uncertain future; and a woman whose sixth sense proves to be a dangerous talent.

My Review

"Alpha and Omega" by Patricia Briggs, was probably the best story out of the 4 short stories included in this anthology. I would have loved this story a lot more if it hadn't ended without all the loose ends being tied up and with the words....

"Look for the continuation of Charles and Anna's story in August 2008 from Ace Books."

Yeah, that was a complete let down down for me. Anthologies should include complete stories with a beginning, middle and ending that ties up all the loose ends of the story. Just because it's an anthology doesn't mean that I don't expect a complete story. I almost chucked the book right in the garbage at that point but decided to read the other three stories. 

Anyway, this story is about Anna who was turned into a werewolf 3 years ago and her pack is totally wrong on so many levels. She sees something she shouldn't have and doesn't know what else to do so she calls a werewolf that is supposed to take care of problems in the packs. He sends his son, who is an enforcer and kills members of the pack if his father sends him to do so. Anna and Charles get to know one another and they kindle a relationship that we don't really get to see where it goes because although the larger story line is wrapped up their relationship story line is just beginning and I guess continues into the next book. 

"Inhuman" by Eileen Wilks was a story that caught me by surprise because it had a few twists in it and I love twists. Kai has a strange telepathic type gift and since someone is killing people with 'gifts', her friend Nathan who is a cop, decides to help her hide. But Nathan has secrets of his own and when they come to light and he calls a couple of friends to help, it all starts to make more sense. I really can't say much about this one or all the different twists and plot lines would be given away. It's enough to say that this was a really good story. 

"Buying Trouble" by Karen Chance was a little surprising for me because I don't usually like fae, fairy, or elf type stories. But this one was written very well and had a really interesting story line. Claire was being put up on the auction block by a family member and Heidar who is an elf there to bid on an item or two. During a riot that breaks out, they are both transported somewhere else and have to stay under the radar if they are to stay alive. While on the run, Clair finds out a lot about herself, things she had no idea about and finds people she never knew existed. That was a fun story. 

"Mona Lisa Betwining" by Sunny just didn't catch my attention at all. It seemed like this story was from the middle of a series and I was just completely lost in their world somewhere trying to figure out what was going on and never really making much sense of things. There was a lot of sex and it wasn't romantic much at all. The queen is Mona Lisa and she killed the old queen. The story line was confusing and felt erratic and rushed. I don't mind sex in a romance story but there has to be some sort of intriguing story line to go along with it for it to be a good story and this just didn't have that. 

I'm glad that I won this book in a blog contest because I'd be mad if I had paid money for it. If you'd like to read this for yourself, you can find it here. 

I give this anthology 3 out of 5 stars. 

Happy Raturday!

"This is my piece, get your own." 

"Mooooom, get this ridiculous hat off my head!"

"I picked the pine cones I like, now what?"

"Gimme that bag. No really, give it to me." 

"I seriously doubt you went to Build A Bear Workshop for this monstrosity." 

If you happen to recognize some of those rats, that's because they were all pictures of some of my own rats that's I've had over the years. Lucky, Hades, Romi, Flower and Scribbles. 

Product Review: Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper by Advanced Sleep Solutions

Product Description

Get ready for more quality and luxurious rest. Nothing compares to our two-inch gel memory foam mattress topper, bringing you increased comfort and more restful sleep. Designed to reduce pressure points while sleeping on any mattress, even older and more worn out mattresses.

We are proud to say that all of our products are made in the United States in order to create more local jobs. Not only are our products made in our state, but they are also made mindfully with CertiPUR-US® certified gel memory foam which is better for our planet for several reasons. Our highest quality memory foam does not contain any formaldehydes, flame retardants, heavy metals, phthalates or ozone depleters, or low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions. This means that not only is it better for our planet, but it's better for our customers. And at the end of the day, that's who we care about most.

When purchasing gel memory foam toppers, it's important to make sure that the design allows for breathability and airflow. Our visco-elastic foam mattress topper is designed to be completely breathable and odorless. This new polymer design opens the cell structure, minimizes stiffness, improves airflow, and dissipates heat and moisture three times faster than conventional gel memory foam. Advanced Sleep Solutions' technology also enables your memory foam bed topper to relax more quickly in response to body heat, providing superior support and isolation of motion.

Advanced Sleep Solutions 2" Thick Gel Mattress Topper is sized slightly narrower than your mattress, in order to accommodate snug placement of your fitted sheet.

My Review

The mattress topper came folded and rolled up, well packaged in the box. Once unwrapped and unrolled it fit my queen size mattress very well. I placed the gel foam mattress topper on my mattress about 6 hours before we went to bed in case it needed time to expand but it fluffed up to a nice size right after I placed it on top of my mattress. I detected no strange odors coming from this gel foam topper, it doesn't shed any small particles and even when squeezing on the gel foam there was no dust, particles or odor left behind on my hands, so nothing will be left on my mattress or sheets. My regular fitted sheet fit right over the mattress and topper with no problem at all. 

This gel memory foam mattress topper is the first mattress topper I've ever used. My mattress is 7 years old and it was starting to dip where my husband and I sleep on each side. The night that we put this on the bed, I didn't feel the dips in the mattress and it's so comfortable to sleep on. That first night I was amazed just how comfortable it was to sleep on. I'm a big girl and even with my size, I found this gel memory foam topper to conform to my body so that I had a really comfortable nights sleep.

The memory foam topper is white and blue which is really pretty to look at. I'm guessing the blue part is the cooling gel which is really nice. I'm going through menopause so anything that can keep me a little cooler at night is a plus for me. The other thing I noticed is that I don't feel my husband coming to bed because the mattress isn't wobbling or jumping as much as it used to without the topper. I asked him if he noticed that too and he said he really does at night when I turn over because he isn't jostled as much as he used to be. So that's another plus for me. 

I give this product 5 out of 5 stars.

UPDATE: I had to take this topper off and give it away because it wasn't cooling as much as one would think it would. It actually made sleeping impossible because it made the bed so warm to sleep on. So I am changing my star rating to a 2 out of 5. 

Disclosure: I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Video of the Week

I found this hilarious.

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.
Did you know you can sign up at Tomoson and get free products too. You can also sign up at these sites and get products at a great discount. No Kidding Coupons, AMZ Review Trader, and Elite Deal Club.


This week I received 2 books
A free preview book with the first few pages of a book coming out in it.
Samples of eye cream, face oil and face cream from Loreal Age Perfect
A $5 Amazon gift card from Crowdtap


Did you receive any freebies this week?

Product Review: RIALTO Permanent Coffee Filter - Stainless Steel Pour Over Coffee Dripper - Reusable cone with pour over coffee stand

Product Description

RIALTO Pour-Over Coffee Filter

The Fuller Flavored Coffee mug solution.

The Rialto Pour-Over Coffee Maker allows more oils and aromatics to escape from the ground coffee bean, encouraging a more complex and delicate cup of coffee.

It also allows you to control every variable of the brewing process to create a cup that's exactly the way you like it. The stand that is included will fit on most cups or pots making for an effortless brew.

Rialto Pour over method style coffee brewing is just as quick and easy as automatic brewing machines and is easily cleaned up as well.

Reusable Filter and Fresher Brews

The reusable 18/8 stainless steel filter eliminates paper waste, and its small size allows for smaller, fresher brews.

The mesh design allows for coffee to flow through quickly and easily without any coffee grinds being released through into your cup.

Versatile, Portable and Great for Camping

Your Rialto filter is a wonderfully portable device for camping or anytime you want to brew fresh, quality coffee on the go.

Use it over a coffee mug, carafe or beaker. You can make 1-2 cups of fresh ground coffee.

No Plastic, No Paper: Double Filter with Ultra Fine Stainless Steel Mesh.

My Review

I've had a couple of coffee presses but last week the glass broke in one of them because I was trying to pull the glass from the plastic holder and it shattered. I still have another coffee press but sometimes the grounds still get around the filter and end up in my cup. So I really wanted something different to use and when I saw this I knew I had to try it. There are a ton of different drip devices but this one had a really fine mesh filter that looked like it wouldn't let any coffee grounds into my cup so I settled on this one and am really glad that I did. I've now used this dripper to make several cups of coffee over the past couple of days and there have been no grounds in my coffee at all.

It's really easy to use, you just have to be careful when pouring the hot liquid that you pour it slowly and use something where the water pours out smoothly otherwise you could burn yourself. I really like that I didn't have to use a paper filter with this and that unlike a french press, there aren't a lot of different parts to clean after using it. This is something really different and if you like making one or two cups at a time, this might be exactly what you've been looking for. All you do is place the coffee dripper and stand on top of your cup, add as much coffee grounds as you'd like to the mesh filter and pour hot water over the grounds. The water pours over the grounds and drips down (pretty fast) down through the bottom and into your cup. 

Disclosure: I was given this product at a discount in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Picture of the Week

It may look like a standoff but they were just playing and sharing Falcor's food. Jessica, my neighbor's dog came over to play with Falcor again and they took turns eating Falcor's food. They both had their head in the bowl and when she came back to get another bite, this is the look he gave her. LOL But she got another bite no problem. These two love playing together.

Product Review: Garnier SkinActive Clearly Brighter Brightening and Smoothing Daily Moisturizer Spf 15, 2.5 Fluid Ounce

As you can see from the pictures above, I received a tube of Garnier SkinActive Clearly Brighter Brightening and Smoothing Daily Moisturizer. It's the tube with the green cap. I've seen this product all over the tv, in online ads and I looked up what it would cost on Amazon...it's anywhere from $11.00 to $14.00 for the 2.5 fluid ounce size. 

So I figured it would probably work alright and do what it claims...

Product Description

Style Name: Brightening and Smoothing

Designed with our Antioxidant Complex of Vitamin C and E, Pine Bark Essence, and gentle exfoliating Lip-Hydroxyl Acid (LHA), this fast absorbing, non-greasy formula turns dull, rough skin into smooth, polished-looking skin with a more radiant, even tone. 

My Review

So it does smell good and didn't break my face out but that's where the good points end. The product description says it's non greasy...well that's complete BS. I've put this on my face everyday for a week and let me tell you, my face was shiny and greasy like I was back in high school and suffering from puberty, acne and shyness. It doe NOT absorb fast, and it didn't make my skin more radiant or give me a more even tone. All it did was give the skin on my face a shiny, oily sheen that if I rubbed my fingers on my face I could feel the moisturizer rubbing off in little balls of ick. You know that feeling when you put on a really greasy spf suntan lotion and then hours later it takes on a cakey type feel to it that you can rub and roll off your skin like little dirt balls? No? Well, that's what it felt like on my skin after a few hours. 

But I gave it a week to do its magic, if there was going to be any magic and there wasn't...maybe voodoo, I dunno. 

My advice is to use something else, like Olay moisturizers or even Aveeno. Anything else would be better than wasting money on this stuff that doesn't work and doesn't live up to the claims. 

I give this 1 out of 5 stars. 

Happy Raturday!

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief*

"Yogurt is good but next time we want chocolate pudding."

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief*

"Do you see my fingernails? They aren't gonna paint themselves, ya know." 

*Photo courtesy of MrRat395*

"This fish nugget is cooked to perfection. But I'll need some wine afterwards." 

*Photo courtesy of Storm's Mischief*

"I don't see the similarities between this jelly roll and my tummy. It's really not that funny." 

Recipe: Canned Biscuit Donut Holes

Have you ever wanted something sweet late late at night and you have nothing but it's too late to find a donut shop open and all the stories are closed? Yeah? Me too. I saw this homemade donut hole recipe a few months back on Fb and so when I bought a can of biscuits, I thought I'd try it. 

You will need:

1 can of Grands Buttermilk biscuits. The smaller cheaper biscuits just won't work for this recipe. 

oil

sugar

cocoa powder

powdered sugar

cinnamon

vanilla extract

Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces and roll into balls. Fry in about 1 inch of oil. Turn so that all sides get golden brown. They fry fast so it only takes 2-3 minutes. Let cool and then dip into sauces. 

Dipping sauce recipes:

Cinnamon Sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar and a tsp. cinnamon. Mix thoroughly and roll donut holes into mixture. 

Glaze

1/2 cup Powdered sugar

1 Tbsp milk

1tsp vanilla extract

Mix thoroughly. If too thick add 1/2 tsp milk at a time until desired consistency. Roll donuts in mixture and set on plate to harden.

Cinnamon Powdered sugar

1/2 powdered sugar

1tsp ground cinnamon

Mix thoroughly. Roll donuts in mixture.

Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. Cocoa powder

2 TBSP. milk

Mix thoroughly until cocoa powder is completely mixed in. Roll donuts into mixture. Put donuts on plate. 

Keep all donuts in refrigerator until eaten. 

They came out really good. 2 of Ken's friends came over right after they were done and Ken gave them a couple. They were a big hit. They sure didn't last long. lol 

Does this sound like something you would make?

Favorite Video of the Week

Well here's a fun one for ya. If you grew up in the 80's like I did, you know who The New Kids on The Block are. Did you know that they are still making music? This one is from 2015 and they still have it, yes they do. And yes, for you youngsters who think you might recognize one of them, that is Donny Walhberg, oh yes it is.

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.
Did you know you can sign up at Tomoson and get free products too. You can also sign up at these sites and get products at a great discount. No Kidding Coupons, AMZ Review Trader, and Elite Deal Club.

This week I received:

2 protein bars in a cute box. I received a cookies and cream bar and a chocolate chip cookie dough bar. They really aren't bad at all.

And a $5 Amazon gift card from Crowdtap.


Did you receive any freebies this week?

Review: Target Beauty Box

In this box was...

Tom’s of Maine Anti-plaque and Whitening Toothpaste

Dove Regenerative Nourishment Shampoo & Conditioner

Garnier Clearly Brighter SPF Moisturizer

SweetSpot On-the-Go Wipettes

Umberto Beverly Hills Lifting Powder

NYX Butter Lipstick

These were the July Beauty Boxes from Target. There were two available and I was able to get both of them. They were $7 each, which isn't bad considering what they had in them. While Target usually has 1 or 2 boxes available each month, they go very fast. Usually within a few hours of the boxes going live, they are gone. I usually post a link on my blog's fb page when the Target Beauty Boxes are live. 

In this box was...

L’Oreal Paris Advanced Haircare Color Vibrancy Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner

Dessange Paris Purifying Clay Balancing Shampoo

Wet n Wild Max Fantastic Mascara

Derma E Firming DMAE Eye Lift

Acure Organics Facial Cleansing Gel

Aquaphor Healing Ointment

I really like getting these boxes because I get to try a few products for just a couple of dollars. Most of the products I've never tried before so it was nice to be able to try some products that I haven't heard of and now want more of. Have you tried any of the Target Beauty Boxes?

Favorite Picture of the Week

Falcor fell asleep. 

We still have the dog pen set up in the kitchen and his bed is inside it. It has a singing doggie door so he can come and go as he pleases but we can also put him in it and lock it if there's an emergency and we don't want him running out the door. That came in real handy a year ago when I broke my arm/shoulder and the paramedics came here to help me get up and took me to the ER. The lock on the door doesn't gt used often but it's a nice feature to have in an emergency. 

Review: Green Chef Food Subscription Box

I've been wondering about all those food subscription boxes that send you all the ingredient you'll need to make a few dinners each week. I wasn't sure which one to try because they are all a little expensive but Green Chef had a special going on that it only cost me $26 for the first week of 3 dinners for 2 people. This normally costs $80, which is a bit steep in price for me. 

They send everything you will need for 3 dinners and you can pick from Omnivore, Vegan, Vegetarian, Carnivore, Paleo and Gluten Free. I picked Omnivore and got 2 meat dishes and 1 vegetarian dish. It comes with the recipe cards so you know exactly what to do and what you'll need to make it. 

Even things like Red Wine Vinegar and Feta Cheese are pre packaged into little jars and you just look on your recipe card and take out what ingredients you'll need for each recipe. 

As you can see, they send all the ingredients and everything is clearly labeled. Everything was fresh and it all came in an insulated box with plenty of ice packs. Even in the 110F temperatures we were having when this arrived, everything was cold and fine. 

And of course, Falcor had to photo bomb at least one of my pictures. He wanted to see what I got and knew it was food. He just didn't understand why I wasn't giving the food to him. lol 

All in all, it was interesting to try this out and try 3 different recipes that I've never tried before. The meals I made were...

 1) Moroccan Meatball Skewers with apricot couscous and sauteed zucchini and carrots. 

2) Eggplant/cauliflower ragout with cumin spiced polenta, zucchini/roasted red pepper and cilantro salad. 

3) Herb pesto topped chicken with carrot/beet slaw, rainbow chard and corn. 

I've never had any of these dishes and interestingly enough we liked most of it with the exception of the first one. Neither Ken nor I liked it but was interesting to try something new. I love trying new recipes. 

Here's the 2nd dinner I made using the ingredients they sent. It's Eggplant/cauliflower ragout with cumin spiced polenta, and zucchini/roasted red pepper salad, topped with feta cheese. This ended up being so tasty that Ken didn't even mind that it was a vegetarian dish. 

It was pretty good. I think if I make polenta again, it'll be a different flavor though. The zucchini/roasted red pepper salad was really good. 

This was the Herb pesto topped chicken with carrot/beet slaw and rainbow chard with chick peas and corn. 

Neither of us liked the pesto but we both enjoyed the rest of it. I love rainbow chard and this was the first time I've ever had it. Who knew it was so good. Kind of had a spinach flavor to it. 

Have you tried any of the subscription meal boxes? There are several...Green Chef, Blue Apron, and HelloFresh are just a few to choose from. 

Guest Reviewer at I Smell Sheep: Dark Carousel (A Carpathian Novel: Dark #30) by Christine Feehan

Dark Carousel (Dark #30) by Christine Feehan

August 2nd 2016 by Berkley

Hardcover, 432 pages

Book Description

In the new Carpathian novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan, a woman falls prey to the seductive allure of the past—and a vampire warrior’s intoxicating embrace...

The moment Charlotte Vintage walks into his club, Tariq Asenguard’s blood is set on fire. The ancient Carpathian had given up hope of finding his lifemate, but now he will do anything to make Charlotte his own. What Tariq doesn’t know is that Charlotte is using herself and her best friend as bait—to try to draw out the bloodthirsty killers who have already murdered Charlotte’s brother and mentor. 

Charlotte is familiar with Tariq. Not only is he one of the richest and most eligible bachelors in the city, but he’s also a renowned collector of old carousel horses, which Charlotte restores. Their shared passion opens Charlotte up to trusting him with her life and with the desire she can no longer control. But it also makes her vulnerable to a centuries-old curse that will unite her and Tariq in a war against the enemies of humans and Carpathians alike.

Today I'm a guest reviewer over at I Smell Sheep. Come by and read my review for Dark Carousel by Christine Feehan.

Happy Raturday!

*Photo courtesy of Rat Logic*

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief*

"Why are you watching me, I'm not the tv."

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief*

"I smell dinner."

*Photo courtesy of Poppy's Mischief*

"Camping, it's so peaceful out here." 

Review: Walmart Beauty Box

When you sign up for the Walmart Beauty Box subscription, the boxes come every 3 months and they re only $5 each with free shipping. That's a good deal especially with all the great things I've been getting. 

This is what I received this time. 

Aveeno Lotion

A full size Degree Deodorant

Jergens Natural Glow Lotion

Caress Body Wash

Pantene Air Spray (Hairspray)

Nivea In Shower Lotion

This is the 3rd or 4th sample of this Caress body wash and I just want to say this stuff smells so darn good. Like, really good. 

I'm a little late getting my review for this box posted because the first box that was supposed to come by mid June, never came. I received a tracking number but the tracking number never updated. So I contacted Walmart Beauty Box and they sent me another box but it took about a month to have it shipped and receive it. Customer service was very helpful, returned my emails very fast and let me know it was going to take a couple of weeks since they had some sort of glitch and they had to resend a lot of boxes. But I did finally receive one and I'm pretty happy with it. 

Product Review: Large Capacity Multi-functional Canvas Backpack by KAUKKO

Product Description

COMPACT. Folds into zippered inner pocket to fit anywhere. Unfolds from pocket to backpack. Must have on every trip.

MULTI COMPARTMENTS. Features a classic shape with several pockets for storage and organization. This backpack has a roomy main compartment, 1* front zipper pockets to hold small accessories, one internal security zippered pocket for valuable items and two side pockets for water bottle or umbrella.

LIGHTWEIGHT(2.1Pounds) and ROOMY. A true space saver.11.02*5.90*18.50 inche(L*W*H),28*15*47cm(L*W*H). Stuff the bag into its own pocket for storage---no extra fees, and unzip it when you reach your destination. Avoid overweight charges, simply unfold from your luggage and use it as a carry on for your excess baggage.

This is a nice size backpack and with all the different zippered and pocket compartments, it's sure to hold everything you need. 

The zipper on the front when unzipped, lets this backpack expand for even more storage room. 

Inside there are several pockets and I put my Acer laptop inside this and it fit no problems, so if you need to take along your laptop it will fit inside this backpack easily. 

There's more than enough room inside this backpack for a laptop, phones or other devices that you might need to bring along. It's nicely made and seems sturdy, so I'm not worried about it ripping or coming apart at the seams. I always have several backpacks around in case someone needs one when they go hiking or camping or whatever. 

Disclosure: I was sent this backpack at a deep discount in exchange for an honest review.