Hallowed Circle
By Linda Robertson
Publisher: Pocket Books
Pub. Date: December 29, 2009
ISBN: 978-1439156780
ASIN: B002WLCKEO
Pages: 384

Review: 

Picking up shortly after the events of Vicious Circle, Persephone Alcmedi (or as everyone calls her, Seph) now has guardianship of her late friend's daughter, Beverly, while at the same time dealing with her Nana, who is also living with her. She spends her days reading Tarot cards, writing a syndicated newspaper column, and what ever she can do to pay the bills, she even has a werewolf kennel in her basement. And there is also the known fact that she is a witch.

Out of the blue, Seph is talked into competing for the position of High Priestess of the Cleveland coven. The former priestess, Vivian Diamond, has disappeared without a trace, well that is what everyone else things, but Seph knows what happened to Vivian. That is one of the secrets, along with the fact that she is connected to the vampire-wizard Menessos, that Seph is trying to keep from the other witches, especially Hunter Hopewell.

Being a night owl, I happened to catch the infomercial for the 90 days home workout called TapouT XT: Extreme Training. Since I have slowly gotten myself back into an exercise routine, I became interested in this cardio intense workout program.

TapouT XT was created by Mike Karpenko and uses MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) style workouts to help you lose weight and build muscle over the 90 days schedule. The workouts are not meant to teach you any actually fighting or self-defense moves as they are meant to help you tone up.

The basic kit arrived fairly quickly by UPS in a black box with the TapouT logo printed on the packaging tape. The kit consist of the Strike Training DVD; a cardboard slip case to store the workout DVD cases; the twelve workouts on twelve DVDS; the 90 days workout schedule; the 48 pages Food Plan & Nutritional Guide; the twelve page 10-Day Slim Down Guide; the extreme resistance band; the leg training band; a TapouT XT sticker; and a TapouT XT towel. There are two DVDs in each slim case, helping you to save space and they are also easy to travel with.

The workouts range from 40 to 53 minutes, except for Buns and Guns XT that is 31 minutes and Ultimate Abs XT at 15 minutes.

The workouts are:

Cross Core Combat - This is the first workout on the schedule and it is not an easy one. I was covered with sweat by the end of the workout.

A new year means that you want a new start at life. Right? People have dreams of getting a new job, going back to college, spending more time with family, finally quitting that smoking habit, finding love, or starting a new hobby. Or maybe you want to lose weight so you never have to become a contestant on The Biggest Loser and you can avoid be yelled at by Jillian Michaels.

Originally, I meant to have the New Year's Resolution theme as my first Monday Morning Madness post, but due to my half-sister making contact with me, I put it off until today. I wonder why people put off making life changes until the first of the year. Is it because you are lazy? Are you a master procraster?

One of the most used resolution is fitness/ losing weight, which is enforced by the department stores' exercise equipment sales and shoved down our throats by the media. Yes, obesity is a major issue, which we can blame that on the soda companies, junk food companies, the fast food joints, and the outdated physical education programs in the public schools. Of course, making healthy eating choices and making sure to stay active is a personal decision, only we are to blame, not counting the few that have health problems that prevent them from losing weight.

Having faith, beliefs, and convictions is a great thing, but your life is measured by the actions you take based upon them. You can build a great life around those things you believe and have faith in. I’ve built mine around my belief that I can inspire and bring hope to people facing challenges in their lives. That belief is rooted in my faith in God. I have faith that He put me on this earth to love, inspire, and encourage others and especially to help all who are willing to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I believe that I can never earn my way to heaven, and by faith I accept the gift of the forgiveness of sins through Christ Jesus. However, there’s so much more than just “getting in” through the Pearly Gates. It is also about seeing others changed by the power of His Holy Spirit, having a close relationship with Jesus Christ throughout this life, and then being further rewarded in heaven.

Being born without arms and legs was not God’s way of punishing me. I know that now. I have come to realize that this “disability” would actually heighten my ability to serve His purpose as a speaker and evangelist. You might be tempted to think that I’m making a huge leap of faith to feel that way, since most people consider my lack of limbs a huge handicap. Instead, God has used my lack of limbs to draw people to me, especially others with disabilities, so I can inspire and encourage them with my messages of faith, hope, and love.

In the Bible, James said that our actions, not our words, are the proof of our faith. He wrote in James 2:18, “Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’”

A life for a blogger can become a little bit hectic with review requests, setting up interviews with authors, scheduling a blog tour, and making sure that you get those guest posts in on time. On top of that a blogger has to deal with the chaos of day to day living, like your nine to five job, grocery shopping, family obligations, etc… Just like everyone else, bloggers are not immune to the common cold or the flu, possibly causing a few posts to be late.

For me blogging has been fun and a way to vent out my emotions, leading me to buy my own domain and hire a blog designer last year. I promised myself that I would I try to post everyday. Well there are many surprises in life, as I have caught many colds, I just recently battled the nasty flu bug, I had a bit of depression, I survived the chaos of the holidays and I have now been in contact with my half-sister.

My procrastinating has resulted in a few unopened boxes piled on top of the entertainment stand. Coffee tables are meant to have coasters, a cup of coffee, the TV Guide, remote controls, a candy dish, etc, but mine is currently piled with unread books, unopened DVDs & music CDs, Christmas gift cards and lose change. My desk is even worse with more music CDs, stacks of books to be read, and stacks of books to be reviewed. Somewhere underneath all that mess are my desk calendar and a twenty dollar bill.

Have you ever wondered how much we depend on internet services on a daily basis?

I never thought about this question until my internet and cable happened to go out late Tuesday night. It didn’t bother me at first as it gave me a chance to catch up on some reading. By the time I turned in for the night the internet sill hadn’t returned, but once again it didn’t bother me because typically when the internet goes out the cable company would restore the internet services in the early morning hours. There was no reason to worry right?

Up bright and early, I set a bowl of cereal and steaming cup of java on my desk shortly before I sat down in the comfortable leather cushioned chair. I check my inbox and nothing happen. I glance at the internet modem and there was still no connection.

I thought, “No big deal. I can watch the local news.” I grabbed the remote, spun the chair around, and turned on the television to watch nothing as the cable was still out.  As I turned back toward the computer screen, I wondered if I received a reply from the PR Company about reviewing a product. Did I receive the guest post for the upcoming book blog tour? Did my recently found half-sister send me another email about her life?

Well, it seemed I would never know the answers to my questions.

Hi Billy! Thanks for having me as a guest on Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. I do have a question though, can you be a writer and not be coffee addicted? Just kidding. I ask because I think writing and coffee go hand in hand. Writers need that caffeine to stay up late and hit those deadlines, to get up early and write before work, or to keep up with a life that includes kids, dogs, and spouses. (Those spouses need attention too!) I know that those days I wake up at five (well before my alarm) I go straight for the deep, dark, rich, jolt of java juice. MMMM.

If you want to lure writers of all types, but particularly romance writers, all you need to do is toss out that invite to a coffee shop. Or show up with chocolate. Hold up a bag of dark chocolate at romance writer’s meeting and see if you get out alive. Authors love lurking at their local coffee shop and there are very specific needs for an author who is trying to write. While writing Little Red Riding Wolf I got my best writing done after work (away from the kids, house, and husband) at my local coffee hang out.

Here’s why when twisting fairy tales and writing about shape shifting lovers I go to my small town coffee shop:

What or whom inspired you to become a writer?

I can’t say that there was a person or thing that happened that made me want to be a writer. I just remember that as far back as I can remember it’s what I wanted to do. I’d say, “I want to be an artist and writer when I grow up.” I took a detour into another area, but it’s never too late to pursue your dream ;-) I credit my husband for getting me back into writing. I wouldn’t say that he “inspired” me. It was more like he kicked me in the arse! I kept talking about wanting to write but I didn’t have time, blah, blah, blah – excuse, excuse, excuse. He firmly, but lovingly, told me just do it! He didn’t want to hear about any more stories, he wanted to read them. That was in 2007. I’ve been writing ever since. 

What types of books do you read?

All kinds! I read a lot of YA, especially fantasy and paranormal/magical books. I’m deep into the Game of Thrones right now and loving it! Two of my favorite books over the past couple of years – The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern, and Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, and The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green. I also read quite a bit of non-fiction, particularly books that relate to my fiction writing. 

What well-known authors do you admire most?

Oh, so many, and the list changes depending on what I’m reading! I love the Hunger Games, and I admire Suzanne Collins’ ability to write amazing hooks that pull the reader to the next chapter. I’ve recently taken on the challenge of reading the Game of Thrones series and I’ve become a huge fan of George R.R. Martin. I admire his ability to create an incredibly complex world with a complicated plot and viscerably real characters – unparalleled. I also admire John Green. In my opinion, he’s one of the best writers of young adult fiction in our lifetime, maybe ever. My writing is nothing like his, but I admire his craft. And from the old school, I admire Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, both masters of story. 

What were your writing habits while writing Emily’s Trial?