Winnie the Pooh: Springtime With Roo
Directors: Elliot M. Bour & Saul Andrew Blinkoff
Voice Cast: Jim Cummings, Ken Sansom, Jimmy Bennett, David Ogden Stiers, Kath Soucie, John Fiedler, Peter Cullen
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Retail: $29.99
ASIN: B00H0KD438
Running Time: 65 minutes
Rating: G
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
Arriving today on Blu-ray for the first time is Walt Disney Home Entertainment's 2004 direct-to-video Winnie the Pooh: Springtime With Roo, featuring the bonus feature "Get Up And Dance!" - Spring into the holiday spirit and dance to songs form the movie. There is also a free Springtime With Roo Mobile inside every Blu-ray Combo Pack.

The Charles Dickens’s classic, A Christmas Carol, gets the Disney spin in Winnie the Pooh: Springtime With Roo. Everybody, especially little Roo, in the Hundred Acre Wood is looking forward to spring when Rabbit dresses up like the Easter Bunny and gives out gifts, but Rabbit has decided to skip this year and have a "Spring Cleaning Day" instead.

To change Rabbit's thoughts about Easter, the narrator and Tigger drag Rabbit out of the storybook and travel back in time to the previous year's Easter celebration, a time where Rabbit loved the holiday. Sadly, it is going to take more than just flipping back a few chapters to show Rabbit the true meaning of Easter.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutagen Mayhem
Voice Cast: Jason Biggs, Rob Paulsen, Sean Astin, Greg Cipes, Mae Whitman, Hoon Lee
Studio: Nickelodeon/Paramount
Release Date: March 11, 2014
Retail: $14.99
ASIN: B00H7BJ1XC
Running Time: 135 minutes
Rating: Not Rated



Review:

Its still a few months off before the Michael Bay produced "Ninja Turtles" live-action (well CGI) incarnation hits the theaters, but fans can enjoy Nickelodeon's latest DVD release, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutagen Mayhem, featuring the first six episodes from the second season. Special features include 6 Shorts: "The Mutation of a Scene"and Channel 6 News Special Report: Creatures of the Night.

The first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was published in 1984; created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. The comic books popularity lead to a Playmates toy line;  eventually leading to the insanely popular animated series, which lasted for ten seasons. Three live-action feature films were released during the early 90s. Besides from a short-lived and unpopular live-action series in the late 90s, the franchise took a slight pause until the revamped Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series in 2003, which lasted seven seasons, one made-for-TV movie and a few title changes. A CGI-animated feature film was released in 2007 and was quickly forgotten about. After Nickelodeon purchased the franchise, a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles computer-animated series debuted in the fall of 2012. At first many older fans were skeptical of the new animation style, but most have embraced the series for its storytelling, humor and action.

The second seasons has the Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo once again battling the alien race, K.R.A.N.G., but they accidentally unleash dozens of mutant canisters across the city, which turns April's father into a mutant; along with several hungry squirrels. To make matters worse, the turtles have to deal with Shredder's daughter (well, she's not really his daughter) Karai and her robotic Foot soldiers.

This season also introduces the teenage version of Casey Jones and Donatello's Mutagen Man creation. Plus, Michelangelo has a really bad case of ache.

As you can see my the name of my blog, I love a good cup of coffee. Over the years, I have been able to review a variety of different coffee brands and flavors.

Last Saturday, I received four 12oz coffee bean bags from The Organic Coffee Co., which is part of the Rogers Family Company. The coffee beans I received are Hazelnut, Chocolate Almond, Hurricane Espresso and French Roast. The coffee arrived just in time, as there was a few inches of snow on the ground and there is nothing better than a hot cup of coffee on a cold winter day.

What makes organic coffee different from regular coffee? Well, all the farms that grow the coffee are organic certified; meaning all the coffee beans grown are free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides; so the beans are grown naturally, preserving all the original flavor.


I was eagerly looking forward to trying out my new coffee grinder. The first bag I opened was the
Hurricane Espresso. The tagline on the bag is, "A whirlwind of dark roasts blended to give a patent, vibrant cup with a calm aftertaste." To me there is nothing better than the fresh scent of coffee beans and the scent alone for this bag is enough to wake you up. It has a rich flavor, enough to keep a person going for hours after only one cup.

Robert B. Parker's Bull River
A Cole and Hitch Novel 
By Robert Knott
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Pub. Date: January 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0399165269
Pages: 352
Buy Links: Hardback, Kindle

Review:

I didn't take an interest in the western genre until I was in my early 20s, when I had stumbled upon a few $5 Clint Eastwood movies at Walmart, which lead me to buy every Clint Eastwood film. I also took interests in reading a few westerns by Max Brand, Matt Braun and Zane Grey. I stumbled upon Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker after watching the film version starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen. I quickly became a fan of Robert B. Parker's writings; reading a few Spenser novels and of course the Cole and Hitch sagas (Resolution, Brimestone and Blue-Eyed-Devil).

Blue-Eyed -Devil was published after the author's death, so I thought that would be end of of Cole and Hitch's adventures, but that wasn't the case, as author Robert Knott took over series with the release of Ironhorse in 2013. The newest entry, Bull River, was released in January and I was eagerly looking forward to reading it, but a few other books arrived before this one, so it had landed in my TBR stack until I finally got to reading it last month.

In Bull River, Marshal Virgil Cole and Deputy Everett Hitch have captured the outlaw Alejandro Vasquez and have escorted him to San Cristobal to stand trail. There is no time to rest for the duo, as soon as they arrive there is a big bank robbery and they quickly go after the robbers in the hope of recovering the money and capturing the criminals, but things go a bit rocky for them.

When looking for a new Mazda in Kansas City, it is natural to want to the best deal possible. Following are three tips to help you with your search:


Taking your time is really important when searching for the best deal. If your car has been totaled in an accident or suddenly will not start, you might feel under pressure to make a fast decision. Don’t do it. If you need to, rent a vehicle for a week. The money you spend on the rental could easily be saved by getting a good purchase price. Take the time to think about what you really want in a car. Perhaps your needs have changed since you last bought a vehicle. Also, take the time to get prequalified for a loan.

The Descent
Book Three of the Taker Trilogy
By Alma Katsu
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pub. Date: January 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1451651829
Pages: 352
Buy Links: Paperback, Kindle

Review:

I haven't been more exciting about reading a book than I have been with The Descent; book three of The Taker Trilogy. There was almost a year and a half gap between the second (The Reckoning) and the third book, The Descent, so I was patiently waiting on pins and needles for the release, which finally arrived back in January. Gallery Books kindly sent me a free copy to read and review, but, sadly, a few other books arrived before The Descent did; therefore it sat in the TBR pile longer than I wanted it to. I finally got around to reading it in late February.

There are have not been many books that have grabbed a hold of me within the first few pages, leaving the characters still in my mind years later. Alma Katsu has created a beautiful trilogy full of love, revenge, sacrifice and redemption. There has been an overload of vampire and werewolves books over the years and Alma Katsu gives us a refreshing supernatural love story without blood-sucking demons or shape-shifters.

The Taker Trilogy centers on Lanore "Lanny" McIlvrae, who fell in love with the charming, rich and older, Jonathan St. Andrew, at a young age during the 1800s. After becoming pregnant, her family sends her away to Boston to have the baby (which results in a miscarriage), but within minutes of arriving in Boston she meets the charming Adair, whom forever changes her life, introducing her to a world of immortality.

Looks like I'm finally getting over the strep-throat, as I'm feeling much better tonight. I'm looking forward to watching Justified in twenty-minutes, but I may end up making a cup of coffee before it starts. I'll need that extra boost of energy, if I'm gong to do my daily workout later tonight.

Plus, I have two books, two DVDS and one Blu-ray reviews I would like to get written before I go to bed, which will probably be in the early morning hours.

I'm planning on starting some personal reading (books I have actually bought), but I'm not for sure what book to start with, maybe I'll start with one of James Patterson's novels or maybe one of the last few V.C. Andrew's novels (well the ghostwriter). I did receive The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison yesterday. I have all of the author's books, but I haven't gotten around to reading any of them. I like the fact that almost every title is a spoof on a Clint Eastwood film.

Mark of Evil
The End Series, book 4
By Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub. Date: February 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0310334545
Pages: 416

Review:

There have been many 'end of times' fiction novels written over the years, but the best has been the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. After the series ended, Tim LaHaye teamed up with author Craig Parshall for The End Series. For some reason, I thought the series concluded with Brink of Chaos, but I was wrong, as the fourth novel, Mark of Evil arrived in bookstores last month.

Similar to the Left Behind series, the rapture has occurred and millions of people have disappeared in the blink of an eye. The non-Christians (of the sinners) are the only ones that remain on Earth, as the Antichrist reign of terror is about to begin.

Mark of Evil centers on Ethan March, who has now become a Christian after the rapture. Ethan, along with Jimmy Louder, Rivka Reuban and other believers are hiding from the Global Alliance Police, whom are under the influence of the Antichrist.

This is unlike the world we have known, there are now BID-Tag implants in people, robotic police units and flying drone-bots, in which all of these things are used to stop the believers from spreading God's message to others.

Hello Coffee Addicted Writer readers! I’m Patricia Proctor, author of the Witches of Spring Hill series. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share with you a little about my first book in the series, After the Summerland. It’s a paranormal coming of age story about teen triplets that discover the purpose of their existence, explore new powers, new relationships, and overcome family secrets, all while becoming stronger witches. Here are some facts about my book that not many people know...





1. The idea for the book came from a dream I had about three teens that discover they are the reincarnation of witches. I didn’t know what else was going to happen until I sat down to write, but the main idea came straight out of my dreams. So write down those dreams as soon as you wake up— you never know what will come of them!

2. When I initially brainstormed about this story, the Alexander triplets were all going to be girls. Then I decided it would be more interesting to throw a male witch into the mix, and voila! Kaiden was created. I think adding the male perspective gave all the characters a little more depth. It created a brother/sister relationship that added an interesting dynamic between the characters. It also gave me the chance to introduce a female witch opposite him that he could fall for!

3. Although there isn’t actually a Spring Hill, North Carolina, much of the scenery and the idea of the town is based on small towns I’ve visited when I lived in North Carolina. I lived in Greensboro, NC for three years and had the wonderful opportunity to explore the state a great deal. I was charmed by the history in the small towns, enthralled with the forests and parks, and inspired by the mountains and the ocean. And since I had my dream while I lived there, it made perfect sense for me to create Spring Hill, North Carolina as the setting for my first book.