Thursday, January 19, 2017

Review - The Quieting by Suzanne Woods Fisher


Revell; 355 pages; $14.99; Amazon
While I have been a book lover ever since I could read my first word, I wasn't a fan of romance novels until I was in my early twenty's. I mostly read horror novels (Stephen King, Anne Rice, John Saul, etc.) during my teenager years. I read my very first Amish fiction title when I was in my 20's, and I've been a fan of the genre ever since.

Released last year from Revell is The Quieting, book two of the Bishop's Family series, by author Suzanne Woods Fisher. You might recall me reviewing the first book, "The Imposter," during my Holiday Gift Guide in 2015.

The sequel once again focuses on the Stolzfus family, though this time the man character is Abigail, a young who is sent to Stoney Ridge (the same setting in book one), where her grandmother, Mammi, wants her to find an eligible bachelor to marry. The only problem is that there aren't any single men available, except for Dane Glick, who is all wrong for her.

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Late Night Fitness Review: Protein & Energy

 
To kickoff my new review post "Late Night Fitness Review," I'm featuring the Protein & Energy protein powder supplement by Trusource; which I was sent two single-serve samples to review a few weeks ago.

The flavors that were sent to be were Vanilla Latte and Chocolate Mocha; each containing 15 grams of protein and 75mg of caffeine.

Yes, that might seem like a lot caffeine to some people, but for a coffee lover like myself, 75mg was no big deal to me. Actually, it's just the right amount to wake me up in the mornings, which is probably why the supplement is called Protein & Energy to begin with.

Total calories for each the samples is 90, with 20 calories of fat and 1g of sugar. The protein used in the mixes is from whey protein concentrate.

Besides from protein, the mixes contain the following vitamins:

Vitamin E
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Vitamin B6

Note: It does contain milk and soy.




What does the Protein & Energy samples taste like?

Review - TAYST Coffee Roaster


I kicked off the start of 2017 by brewing a nice cup of TAYST Coffee Roaster.

What is TAYST Coffee Roaster?

Well, this coffee brand is Eco-Friendly and 100% compostable. The pods/cups are compatible with KEURIG and NESPRESSO coffeemakers.

Each Purpod100™ has three layers: a lid, a ring, and a mesh. The lid is made from bio materials. The printing on the lid is made from water-based compostable ink. The ring is made from natural bean skins, and the mesh is made from renewable bio reins. Once composted in the ground, it will add nutrients into the soil.

Currently there are several different coffee flavors:

Bold & Brazen
Bold & Brilliant
Medium & Heroic
Medium & Magnificent
Vintage Vanilla Cream
Defiantly Decaf

There are a variety of subscriptions plans on www.tayst.com from 20 cups (the casual coffee drinker) to 1000 cups. The prices vary from $15 monthly and up (less than a $1 per cup). If you're not into subscriptions, then there is a $8 bag option containing 10 cups. Also available are four different espresso flavors at $4 for 5 cups.


Q&A with Sharon Clare, author of Trick Me Once



Now available from Apatite Publishing is the paranormal romance Trick Me Once, book three in the Magical Matchmaker Series, by Sharon Clare.



The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

First, I want to thank you for hosting me today.

I’ve always made up stories in my head, but I didn’t start writing seriously until later in life when I went back to school to do a science degree. My course load was heavy, and I was managing a household with 3 young kids. To lighten the load, I took a course on creative writing. Small class sizes and the professor read beautiful prose to us. I fell in love with storytelling.

I ended up doing a minor in professional writing and when I finished my degree, I missed writing classes so much, I found a correspondence course to take with a college in the states. From there, I realized this is my passion and I am forever hooked!

What was your first book/story published?

My first novel was a romance published by Crimson Romance. Love of Her Lives was the first book in The Magical Matchmaker series.

What inspired you to write Trick Me Once?

One day I watched Dave, my cat, drinking from the pond in my garden. The goldfish seemed fascinated by this intrusion into their world, but there was no way they understood Dave was a cat on planet Earth just inches from their world. As Dave lapped water, the fish hovered just under his nose, his tongue, his teeth. Lucky for them, he wasn’t hungry.

The fish made me wonder about perception. A story idea started to percolate that became the premise for the series. What if there was another world just one step away that we don’t perceive?

In Trick Me Once, Aiden MacAuley returns to Earth after being trapped in Alfheim, an Elvin world, for over a century. The gateway between Earth and Alfheim is guarded by the MacAuley clan, and like the fish in the pond, Alfheim is only a step away. Unfortunately, it was a step Aiden couldn’t take until the story begins.

I wanted to pair Aiden (born in the nineteen hundreds) with a contemporary woman who would never believe in elves.

What character in Trick Me Once is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Review - Silence In The Dark by Patricia Bradley


Revell; 350 pages; $14.99; Amazon
While my favorite romance novels are the historical kind set during the 1800s, I have been trying to expand my reading horizons by reading contemporary titles. This lead me to read Silence In The Dark by author Patricia Bradley, which is book 4 in the Logan Point series. I remember reading book two in the series, A Promise to Protect, a few years ago, so I thought I would give the 4th entry a try.

Yes, the cover art looks like an advertisement for a made-for-Hallmark mystery flick, and, unfortunately, the plot feels like one of those movies as well.

I'm going to try my best not to include any "spoilers" or repeat the book's blurb. The plot involves a woman named Bradley on the run from the cartel. Coincidentally, she runs into her ex-fiance, Danny, and of course he is going to help her.

Q&A with Karen Greco, author of Steele City Blues



Now available from author Karen Greco, is the urban fantasy/paranormal romance Steele City Blues, book three in the Hell’s Belle Series.



The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

I think on some level, I was always interested in telling stories, or being a part of them. I started actor training when I was 12, and did that all through high school and it started as my major in college. But by the time I went to uni, I had found some young success as a playwright and really loved creating characters and telling stories. I think that was the pivot point, so at age 17.

What was your first book/story published?

My first published work was one of my plays, when I was in college. After that, it was Hell’s Belle. I took a professional detour as a magazine writer/editor and then entertainment publicist.

What inspired you to write Steele City Blues?

It’s the third book in the Hell’s Belle series, so Hell’s Belle (book 1) and Tainted Blood (book 2) for sure! Otherwise, I think the driving force behind the books is figuring out what makes a family, that it’s not about blood relatives, but about the people you gravitate towards over the course of your life who become the people you rely on the most. It’s also about living in the gray zone. So much of life is presented to us as a dichotomy: black and white, good and evil. The shades of gray are important. Can you be a good person but still drain the blood from someone’s body? And, how do you rectify that in your mind?



What character in Steele City Blues is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Winter Reads: Dressed for Death by Julianna Deering


Bethany House; 320 pages; $14.99; Amazon
Probably like most reader, I do enjoy reading an old fashioned mystery; you know, the kind that have an Agatha Christie's plot and Sherlock Holmes-like detective.

The closest books that I have found that resemble the old classic mysteries is the Drew Farthering Mystery series by author Julianne Deering. With an early 1900's stylish cover art on every title, I have been intrigued with every new entry in the series.

The fourth installment, titled Dressed for Death, was released last year by Bethany House. Sadly my review copy somehow got on the bottom of my to-be-read pile on my desk and I'm just now getting around to reviewing it.

Set in December 1932, the novel centers on Drew Farthering, a man who always happens to be at the right place at the wrong time. This time up, Drew and his wife Madeline are attending a Regency-ear house part at the Winteroak House, where he plans on reuniting with an old Oxford classmate, Talbot Cummins. However, it seems death is always following Drew, as someone dies at the party - Alice Henley, who happens to be Talbot's fiancee.

After the police arrest a possible suspect, Drew takes it upon himself to unravel the mystery behind Alice's death.