Simplytawny's Blog
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HELP!!!!
Does anyone know a site where I can find “how to” tips to pretty my blog. Why am I showing my html on buttons? 
I think I have reading hyperactivity disorder
I seem to jump into to 5 or 6 books at a time. I can’t sleep sometimes for wanting to read (2 books at once). I am jumping back into Sheltering Hearts by Robyn Carr. Its absolutely fabulous! The main character, Dory, is a single mother who has not only survived domestic abuse but learned from it enough to help other women in a similar situation. She becomes the director for a single mother’s help center. She has to learn to trust and open her heart to love again. The hero is a hunky firefighter (and who doesn’t love that in a romance novel). He cuts her grass, plays catch with her kids, takes her son fishing AND helps find an honest mechanic that fixes her transmission for parts (only) and let’s her pay on an installment play. If he were any more perfect he’d be my Jeff (kidding, today he is handsome superhero! but from day to day I may paint him differently) It’s a short read. I got it for free from Amazon but if it were a longer book, I’d gladly pay 7.99 for it. But who doesn’t love free
Bittersweet Surrender by Diann Hunt
Bittersweet Surrender is the story of Carly, a cancer survivor who has a chocolate spa. She is an amazing character, her body feels broken (to her) and she’s lost so many people that she cared for. She had a mastectomy and her husband left her, letting her know that he felt she wasn’t enough. Her father has recently passed away and her best friend died in a car crash. This book is not about who and what she’s lost but rather what she does have. She has her faith and God has given her the spirit of resilience and strong supporting cast. A crazy step mother, the widower of her best friend a brother and sister in law (that rely on her and she can rely on)and cast of secondary characters that keep life interesting.
I have to mention (fcc and all) that I received this book for free in exchange for a review. The review is my own and not required to be positive (that wouldn’t be right now would it)
Bittersweet Surrender opens in Carly’s spa, with interactions with her employees and customers. Scott (Carly’s best friend’s Ivy’s husband) is working in the spa trying to help with bookkeeping and taxes). He keeps chocolate in his pocket because he knows she’s needs it. Scott becomes her jogging partner and determined to help her lose weight. She wants to drop 20 pounds because she has been emailing Jake, her brother’s best friend and Carly’s crush from high school. Magnolia is her step mother, she makes an offer to let Magnolia stay with her. There’s some funny moments where Magnolia’s bad healthy cooking, drum playing and sleepwalking make this story amusing. We find out that Magnolia is Scott’s mother in law.
Jake and his daughter come to town and bring another fold and dynamic to the story. A nice twist! Jake and CJ (Carly’s brother) have a secret. CJ has gambling debts and continually borrows money from Carly. She is trying to save for breast reconstruction. When CJ asks for $5000, she realizes enough is enough and she has to tell him no. Like most addicts, he loses it and gets really upset. Through CJ’s wife Rita, we feel the ups and downs of the spouse of an addict. We learn some ugly truths about some of the characters that I sort of figured out half way thru the book (it did not take away from the book at all, at this point you want to see how the ends get tied up). I won’t give away any spoilers or secrets. Do they end up with who they started with? Does Carly get reconstructive surgery? Does she throttle Magnolia? Give the book a read and let’s chit chat.
I need a nifty little thumb thingy so I can say, I give this book four thumbs up!
I’m in love with Charmed
This is the cutest book ever. It doesn’t hurt that the heroine, Lulu, reminds me so much of myself. Luciana is storyteller/princess/mermaid at children’s birthday parties. Who wouldn’t love that??? She’s sweet, niave and sees the world thru rose colored glasses. Unfortunately, a bad guy has a big crush on her. In walks Murphy, he’s her personal bodyguard. What happens next is a love story for the week!
Charmed was written in 2004 by Beth Ciotta, shout out to a Jersey Girl!
I’m in love with Charmed
This is the cutest book ever. It doesn’t hurt that the heroine, Lulu, reminds me so much of myself. Luciana is storyteller/princess/mermaid at children’s birthday parties. Who wouldn’t love that??? She’s sweet, niave and sees the world thru rose colored glasses. Unfortunately, a bad guy has a big crush on her. In walks Murphy, he’s her personal bodyguard. What happens next is a love story for the week!
Patricia Brigg’s Silver Borne…Yes, Miss Mary Sunshine likes scary stuff
I don’t know when it happened but I like a kindly werewolf, an altruistic vampire that chooses a “food” that benefit from the blood exchange. I’ve never read Twilight but I imagine I would like the characters from the books. I think the stories that I enjoy are great stories where the species (?) of the characters gets lost in the story. I don’t see a predator who is out looking for victims, but (with Mercy, she is a mechanic that care deeply for all those around her not a person that turns to a coyote).
Why do I love this story? I really like Mercy (I hate the way she looks on the book cover, never judge a book . . .) The story starts with Mercy going out on a date with Adam. In the previous book, she finally accepts Adams invitation to be Mate. They are out bowling and “something” gets into her head and causes her to toss a bowling back AT a little girl. Adam’s werewolf reflexes stop the bowl and all is well until they start talking on the way home and he flips that she put a little girl in danger. Still shaken by the pack mate and all that goes with it, and still suffering from effects of 2 stories ago she has a panic attack and has to run. She’s out driving in her car to clear her head and sees an ambulance. She gets a messages from Samuel her former boyfriend, bff, and roommate. She goes to ER and finds out he had a bad accident, when she gets to him, she sees that it is Sam. Sam is Samuels “wolf”. The wolf is now in control because Samuel has lost his desire to live. He tried to drive off of a bridge. Sam being in control is now a problem because when a wolf is in control,people tend to die (in big numbers) and his dad the Marok will have to put him down. Mercy decides to keep this to herself and uses the previous fight with Adam as an excuse to request time away.
The other storyline in the book involves the fae, the story book from the Iron Kissed book and the Fairy Queen. There’s kidnapping, there’s a coup attempt and fire and recovery. I lost this post previously so I’m going to stop here and come back and flush it out again.
Review: Super Dinosaur Volume one
I am not sure if I would call this a comic book or a graphic novel because that’s not the area that I am familiar with. What I am familiar with is comic book/graphic novel crazy little boys. So far this book is a hit!
I tried to read this on the adobe reader (not pdf) that I downloaded but it was a little hard to read the panel. I finally figured out how to get it on my kindle. I love it. The pictures are phenomenal. My little guy (4) can’t read yet but he was looking at the panel making his own story. I have not tested the book on my two older boys but the little guy alone would make me try this book for pre-readers that love dinosaurs.
As I read through the books, the first thing that I am noticing is the mature pictures. Not in the overdeveloped anime way but this is not a baby book. I realize that all children are different but the first problem I have a bedtime with stories is finding one that all three agree on (at the start anyway, once I add my sugar hyped mommy acting…it’s on and popping. See, I’m a riot!) But these picture panel scream of action. I’ve seen by page 6 a picture and name of dinosaur. I’m pretty sure in this day and age most little guys are familiar with T-rex and pterodactyl but just in case they aren’t what a cool way to introduce them. I would advice the adult purchasing the book to take a look for your youngest children and make sure it is not too scary for them. My four year old pals around and rough houses with the big brothers (and plays dad’s very inappropriate video games) so his fear level is pretty high.
Basics of the story are bad guy Dino-men created by Max Maximus. They are trying to dig to the center of the Earth(Inner Earth) to get a very powerful new mineral. Apparently in Inner Earth (or is it at Inner Earth) there are lot of dinosaurs, particularly Super Dinosaur. The scientist is Doctor Dexter Dynamo (gotta love all this alliteration). Max and Dexter were partners at one time, with good guy Dexter doing all the work. It’s up to Derek (Doc’s son), Doc and the t-rex(Super Dinosaur or SD) to keep the world safe. Enter a military tech with his family to patch up SD after a fight with the bad guys and we are introduced to Erin and Erica. Dr. D and Derek have an emotional moment. Derek explains to Erica and Erin the origins of SD, the battle with Maximus and ultimately how his dad was injured.
To sum it all up, there’s action, emotion, science and great pictures.
I have decided to give all my blogs one more go around. While fidgeting with the widgeting (funny huh)? I saw the books listed on Amazon. I actually have one of them, woohoo. It was very affordable on the kindle. Okay, it was free. But it was a good book. Take a look and come back and tell me if you liked it.
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I inherited Days of Our Lives viewing
I can distinctly remember being in the second grade. It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and my mother and I bought a small bouquet of flowers. She was spreading out a cornucopia of fruit (something she still does for T-day) and turned the television to Days of Our Lives. I remember thinking that Dennis the Menace was on and I hated watching these old fogies. I’m 40, so when I was 7, we had 2 tvs, one in my parents room and one in the living room. When we were little, parents had first watch and last say.
Fast forward a little over 30 years and I only request the tv in sitting room at one time per day. From 1-2, on NBC, so that I can watch Days of Our Lives. I don’t watch it religiously right now but the comfort in having it there while I make lunch, plans and pay bills is the best. In this era of ever disappearing soap operas or “stories” as my older aunts called them, I value the continuity of story lines and characters. Heck, Marlena was on that day it November 1979, or was it her twin sister. No matter, the show my mom, grandmom and great grandmother watched back then is still her when the last two women have gone on to their final reward. Some days, I like to think that maybe Grandma is up there talking to Mrs. Horton…
![Po - [Explored]](http://static.flickr.com/7225/7260527994_23e4e5f04b_t.jpg "Po - [Explored]")
