Warehouse 13: A Touch of Fever by Greg Cox BLOG TOUR

Book Description
An original, official tie-in novel by New York Times bestselling author Greg Cox based on the hit Syfy drama Warehouse 13!

Hidden away in the Badlands of South Dakota, Warehouse 13 is a top-secret repository for historical artifacts imbued with dangerous supernatural properties. Warehouse agents Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering are on the lookout for loose artifacts raising havoc. Reports of a genuine psychic healer, along with a possibly related epidemic of mysterious illnesses, lead Pete and Myka on an investigation that stretches back to the bloody history of the Civil War. But when Pete is infected with a deadly fever, Myka and the rest of team must track down a pair of cursed gloves—before a madman unleashes a virulent plague upon America...and the Warehouse team loses one of their own.

My thoughts
Although this book is a tie-in to the Syfy television series, I am not going to compare the two as one is reading and the other viewing and you certainly perceive both differently (and I must admit I have only seen the TV show a few times). Now on to the book: Warehouse 13 is a secret government storage facility that houses strange artifacts of mystical power. A Touch of Fever deals with the agents trying to locate the gloves Clara Barton used in the Civil War. Separated on performs good and the other; bad, and the agents are trying to stop a nationwide plague. Meanwhile back at the Warehouse, another problem arises that causes havoc. I found this science fiction novel to be a whirlwind ride through history, the supernatural and is a just plain fun read. Maybe I will go back and catch a few more episodes of the show!

Disclosure: I received this book for the purpose of this blog tour from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Island Girl BLOG TOUR and GIVEAWAY

Book Description
There are people who try hard to forget their problems. All Ruby wants to do is remember...

Ruby Donaldson has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's Disease, and she'll be damned if she won't straighten out her troubled family before she no longer knows how.

Ruby spent years fighting to hold on to the home her grandmother built on Ward's Island. The only way she can ensure that her younger, mentally scarred daughter Grace can live there for the rest of her life is to convince her older daughter, Liz, to sober up and come home.

Ruby always thought she'd have a lifetime to make things right, but suddenly time is running out. She has to put her broken family back together quickly while searching for a way to deal with the inevitable- and do it with all the grit, stubbornness, and unstoppable determination that makes Ruby who she is...until she's Ruby no longer.

My thoughts
Ruby Donaldson, a 55-year old woman, is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She decides to put her life and death in order. She has to two daughters Grace (who is about to get married) and Liz (once a promising lawyer, now an alcoholic). This novel is written from the point of view of each of these three women with alternating chapters.

This novel is not only about a dysfunctional family having to deal with such a devastating disease, but also about the relationships within that family. This is a highly emotional story with strong characters. Although, a little slow at first, once we begin to know the characters, they story picks up and the reader becomes intertwined in the various lives and subplots. Even the ending was a bit troublesome. Bring your tissues and be ready for an emotional rollercoaster.

And now for the giveaway.  One lucky reader of my blog will win a copy of Island Girl.  This is open to US and Canadian residents only and will end on Thursday, July 7th, 2011.  Please leave a comment here and a contact email address and your are entered!

A visit to the Wolf Conservation Center

The Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) is a non-profit organization that promotes wolf conservation by teaching about wolves, their relationship to the environment, and the human role in protecting their future.

They are located in South Salem, New York and are in the process of assimilating two wolf pups to hopefully become ambassador wolves. To do so they set up wolf pup play dates so that they can get used to being around humans. My wife and I signed up for a play date. Wolves are my favorite animal.

More about the WCC:

They promote wolf conservation through education.

They support wolf reintroduction in federally designated areas that can sustain viable wolf populations.

They are the preeminent facility in the eastern United States for the captive breeding and pre-release of endangered wolf species.

They provide a natural habitat for a few captive wolves where observation of natural behavior is possible.

Through their education programs they work to convey the following messages:

Wolves in the wild are not dangerous to people.

Wolves perform a vital role in the environment.

Wolves are not pets.

Harry Potter The Exhibition - Discovery Times Square NYC

The Harry Potter exhibition at the Discovery building in NYC has hundreds of props and costumes from the various films.  Recently, we took a tour of the exhibit.  Although, I am not a big fan of the movies, my wife is and she just loved strolling through the various rooms that take you back to Hogwarts.

Everything was divided into various rooms such as the Great Hall, the common rum and Hagrid’s hut.  I would have to say that the costumes and props were quite detailed and the frozen boy (don’t recall his name) was almost life-like!

We weren’t allowed to take photos but they had wands, creatures, uniforms, books, furniture.  You can see more at their site:  http://www.discoverytsx.com/exhibitions/harry-potter

Fanatics will love the exhibit and you can find discount tickets to help ease the cost of a ticket. We didn’t do the audio tour and I don’t think it took even an hour to saunter through it all.

I actually thought the gift shop was a part of the exhibit.  And then they had Carlo’s Bakery (The Cake Boss) selling refreshments.

Snackwell's Fudge Creme Brownie Bites

My thoughts
Snackwell’s Brownie Bites are a good source to comfort that chocolate craving and small enough that you don’t overdo it. It has a chocolate taste but I wouldn’t really say it was a brownie. There are 5 small packages in the box and about seven small bite size chocolate squares.

Not the best product out there and not one that I would purchase again.

Disclosure: I received a sample for review through the Amazon.com Vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Bloodmoney by David Ignatius

Book Description
Someone in Pakistan is killing the members of a new CIA intelligence unit that is trying to buy peace with America's enemies. It falls to Sophie Marx, a young CIA officer with a big chip on her shoulder, to figure out who's doing the killing and why. Her starting point is Alphabet Capital, the London hedge fund that has been providing cover for this secret operation, but the investigation soon widens to include the capitals of the Middle East and the cruel hills of South Waziristan.

Sophie thinks she has the backing of her hard-nosed boss, Jeffrey Gertz, and his genial mentor at headquarters, Cyril Hoffman. In addition, she gets help from the well-mannered lieutenant general heading Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate. But the closer Sophie gets to her quarry, the more she realizes that nothing in this gallery of mirrors is quite what it seems. This is a theater of violence and retribution, in which the last act is one that Sophie could not have imagined.

David Ignatius has written a disturbing and compelling novel where the price of unchecked government is paid in blood, and peace can be bought only through betrayal.

My thoughts
Somebody is killing the most secretly placed agents in other countries, but how are they being found out? This is what Sophie Marx, a CIA operative must find out. As the title state, is it all about money? The author takes current political climate and wraps them into a thriller that is disturbing (and I don’t mean bad, but one that makes you think). It’s a political power play for the characters that control the operatives, but the money involved.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher through the Goodreads program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

BUtterfield 8 in New York City

BUtterfield 8 is a restaurant bar with an art deco design. We went on a Wednesday afternoon just when dinner began. Luckily, while we were there, there wasn’t a large after work crowd so it was quiet and the waitress attentive.

Although a little pricy we tried two of their signature drinks; my wife had the organic cucumber martini and I had the Rat Pack (vodka with lemonade and iced tea). My wife’s drink had much more flavor than mine. It was a very hot day when we went and I was very happy that the waitress continually filled our water glasses.

Now for an appetizer I ordered the grilled cheese square and my wife, the artichoke and spinach dip with nacho chips. Mine wasn’t really squares, but was one sandwich, breaded, grilled and diagonally. What made it tasty was the jalapeño and bacon that was part of the recipe. My wife filled up on the dip but couldn’t finish and brought the rest home.

For dinner I had the filet mignon sliders (three of them) with haystack potatoes (like potato sticks). My wife ordered the sesame crusted tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes. Both were appetizing. Lastly, I ordered the Cookie Smash for dessert. Chocolate chip cookies baked in a small frying pan, topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. Fattening; to say the least.

While we were there, I think maybe one other couple came in for dinner, although there were about a dozen people at the bar. I am guess they emphasize the bar and not the restaurant part so much. Overall, we enjoyed the dinner (thank goodness we walked it off afterwards), the service was very good, but the cost makes it prohibitive for a regular Joe like me.

Pacific Heights by Paul Harper

Book Description
A San Francisco detective becomes entangled with a private intelligence agency as he investigates what appears to be a traceless form of murder.

A couple meets in a seedy hotel room for an illicit affair, the rules of which are simple: no names, no personal details, the specifics of their lives off-limits. It's all very exciting to Lore Cha—the wife of a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur—who thinks their forbidden meetings and taboo sexual encounters are exactly the escape she's been looking for: every single detail is as she imagined. But that's the problem. Phillip Krey anticipates every thought before she has it. He plays out her untold fantasies down to the last detail. His insights are beyond intuitive; they're invasive, even frightening. It's as if he has access into her mind. Across town, Elise Currin, wife to one of San Francisco's most powerful businessmen, is also seeing Krey, and is slowly being driven insane by his ability to tap in to her most private desires. When it's revealed that these women are also seeing the same therapist, a chilling scenario unfolds, and the quiet, plotting detective Marten Fane is called in.

Slowly Fane uncovers a plot that goes beyond Krey to reveal a powerful private sector, secret government involvement, and one of the most elaborate and monstrous psychological experiments imaginable: a traceless form of murder.

My thoughts
In a nutshell Ryan Kroll seduces not one but two wives of affluent San Francisco businessmen. Unknown to one another, these women see the same psychotherapist. The doctor realizes that this man is seeing both and playing with their heads and contacts Martin Fane, a retired detective. What unravels next is a psychological cat and mouse game. This is another fast-paced book that had me intrigued especially since I wanted to know why Ryan was doing what he was doing. I was a little let down at the end but otherwise this was one hell of a thriller.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the Amazon.com Vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

The Upright Piano Player BOOK GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Liz at Doubleday, I am hosting a giveaway for David Abbott’s The Upright Piano Player. Not one but two winners.

Rules:
Open to US residents only.
Must be a follower of my blog (yes, I do check)
And you must leave a comment with your email address.
Oh, and the contest ends, Tuesday, June 28th

Here’s a little bit about the book that I borrowed from Amazon:

An adroit first novel of exceptional grace and emotional power by a legendary British ad executive.

“David Abbott’s The Upright Piano Player is a wise and moving debut, an accomplished novel of quiet depths and resonant shadows.” —John Burnham Schwartz, author of The Commoner and Reservation Road

Henry Cage seems to have it all: a successful career, money, a beautiful home, and a reputation for being a just and principled man. But public virtues can conceal private failings, and as Henry faces retirement, his well-ordered life begins to unravel. His ex-wife is ill, his relationship with his son is strained to the point of estrangement, and on the eve of the new millennium he is the victim of a random violent act which soon escalates into a prolonged harassment.

BLOG TOUR - The Blue Light Project by Timothy Taylor

This is the latest stop for Timothy Taylor’s blog tour of his book THE BLUE LIGHT PROJECT. Check it out. You can also go to the TLC site for other tour blogs!

Book Description
When an armed man seizes a television studio in the center of town, Thom Pegg, a former investigative journalist turned tabloid reporter, is as surprised as anyone to learn that he is the only person to whom the hostage taker will speak, bringing him inside the studio and in contact with the frightening truth.
From outside, meanwhile, the drama of the enthralled and horrified city is revealed through the eyes of two characters who meet in the early stages of the crisis and who bond to one another instinctively. Eve is a former Olympic gold medalist and much loved local daughter. Rabbit is a secretive street artist who has just completed a massive street art project involving mysterious installations at the tops of hundreds of buildings through the city.

It’s a time of fear, a time when people have grave doubts about the future, and each other. Yet, when events collide, and Rabbit’s installation is activated, people are shocked into seeing the power of beauty in the world, and the real possibility of hope.

My thoughts
The Blue Light Project is a social commentary into today’s society. What starts out as a mysterious person takes hostages at a television studio during a children’s talent show, it is certainly not the central arc of the novel, but more of an action that somehow connects the characters of the story. You have the street artist, a former Olympic athlete, and a journalist whose points of views are the crux of the novel. This is not a thriller but a study of today’s culture and the obsession with fame.

One has to be in the right mind set to read this book as it doesn’t follow the norm with no clear plot line. I had a times difficulty getting into it.

The Muppets - Full Trailer 2011

The Muppets - Being Green Teaser Trailer

Fallen by Karin Slaughter

Book Description

There’s no police training stronger than a cop’s instinct. Faith Mitchell’s mother isn’t answering her phone. Her front door is open. There’s a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother’s house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn’t see is her mother. . . .

“You know what we’re here for. Hand it over, and we’ll let her go.”

When the hostage situation turns deadly, Faith is left with too many questions, not enough answers. To find her mother, she’ll need the help of her partner, Will Trent, and they’ll both need the help of trauma doctor Sara Linton. But Faith isn’t just a cop anymore—she’s a witness. She’s also a suspect.

The thin blue line hides police corruption, bribery, even murder. Faith will have to go up against the people she respects the most in order to find her mother and bring the truth to light—or bury it forever.

My thoughts
Faith Mitchell, a GBI agent checks on her mother who is watching her child. No answer, and when she goes to investigate, a shoot out occurs, leaving one dead, the mother missing and the baby okay in the shed. Karin Slaughter has created a suspenseful novel filled with fascinating characters that keep this novel moving forward. It is possible her mother who is a retired police officer was a dirty cop and involved with some unsavory people. You won’t believe how quickly you will read through this novel. A perfect companion for the beach this summer!

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the Amazon.com Vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Pick Your 3 ARC Book Giveaway

For this giveaway, I am giving you the opportunity to choose three ARCs from the pile of twelve books listed in this photo. If you click on the picture you should be able to see the different titles.

To enter, choose three that you are interested in, comment with those titles and your email address and you are entered.

Ends, June 24th 2011. Open to US residents only. The winner is Harpreet Singh! And as a suprise, I choose a second place winner to receive another three books and that was moushka. You never know what's up my sleeve!

Rod's Steak and Seafood Grill

My wife and I recently ate at Rod’s Steak and Seafood Grill in Convent Station, New Jersey; not once but twice and we enjoyed it both times. The first time we went for our anniversary and I wanted to eat there because part of the restaurant is two old passenger train cars. I wanted to eat in one of the cars but since it was a week day, they didn’t serve in there. We ate in the main dining room on the second level overlooking the bar. Rod’s has the feel of more sophisticated restaurant and the prices reflect it, but this first time was during restaurant week and was affordable.

The second time was during the weekend and we were able to secure a table in one of the dining cars. The table was small and it was a little tight. But it certainly had the feel of being in train (being on the inside, the windows were replaced with mirrors).

I had the BLT salad; which could have been a meal in itself but also had the grilled swordfish (part of their spring menu) and my wife started with the spiced ahi and sliced tenderloin for dinner. All were delicious.

Overall, Rod’s is a pleasant restaurant for a special occasion. It is somewhat pricey and the wait staff is just slightly above average.

Rod’s is opening a more moderately priced restaurant within the same building called GK’s Fred Dog Tavern with the same chef. We will have to try that some time.

The Mistress's Revenge by Tamar Cohen BLOG TOUR

I am back for another blog tour. This one for The Mistress's Revenge; thanks to Kristen at Free Press. This book was released last week.

Book Description
There’s a fine line between love and hate.

For five years, Sally and Clive have been lost in a passionate affair. Now he has dumped her to devote himself to his wife and family, and Sally is left in freefall.

It starts with a casual stroll past his house, and popping into the brasserie where his son works. Then Sally starts following Clive’s wife and daughter on Facebook. But that’s alright, isn’t it? These are perfectly normal things to do. Aren’t they?

Not since Fatal Attraction has the fallout from an illicit affair been exposed in such a sharp, darkly funny, and disturbing way: The Mistress’s Revenge is a truly exciting fiction debut. After all, who doesn’t know an otherwise sane woman who has gone a little crazy when her heart was broken?

My thoughts
Sally’s life begins to unravel as her long-term affair with Clive ends. Clive is married and Sally is not a young girl but a 40 year-old mother of two and a partner of her own. As a suggestion from of her therapist, Sally begins to write in a diary; her letters to Clive. What we learn is that Sally is obsessed and her mental state begins to unravel.

I thought when I picked up this book that this would be a current version of “A Fatal Attraction” but it is more cerebral as we read what is Sally’s personal thoughts and desires. She is a disturbed individual that wants and does anything to stay a part of Clive’s life. So much that she loses her children and lover. As her mental state deteriorates, Sally never does exact her revenge on Clive, instead other circumstances prevail. I don’t know if I cared for either of these two characters.

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

Book Description
Meredith Martin Delinn just lost everything: her friends, her homes, her social standing - because her husband Freddy cheated rich investors out of billions of dollars.

Desperate and facing homelessness, Meredith receives a call from her old best friend, Constance Flute. Connie's had recent worries of her own, and the two depart for a summer on Nantucket in an attempt to heal. But the island can't offer complete escape, and they're plagued by new and old troubles alike. When Connie's brother Toby - Meredith's high school boyfriend - arrives, Meredith must reconcile the differences between the life she is leading and the life she could have had.

Set against the backdrop of a Nantucket summer, Elin Hilderbrand delivers a suspenseful story of the power of friendship, the pull of love, and the beauty of forgiveness.

My thoughts
Stripped from the headlines; think Bernie Madoff and his wife, Ruth and you have Silver Girl. Meredith Martin Delinn’s husband has bilked billions of dollars from a lot of people and she is facing the worst that her life could bear. Did she know what he was doing, but the Feds want to know if she knows where the money is.

Receiving a phone call from her old friend, Connie, who has problems of her own, they take off to Nantucket, where Connie disguises Meredith to keep the reporters and the curious away. When Conies brother Nathan (Meredith’s first love) joins them on the island, Meredith must rethink her life and who she really is.

I found the characters to be real and felt the pain that Meredith felt, not only from her husband but as a young girl when Nathan broke her heart. These incidents somewhat defined her. Hildebrand’s descriptive locations made me felt as I was on the island. I enjoyed this book.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Avery Sticky Notes Cube, 3 x 3 Inches, Assorted Bold Colors

GUEST POST By grumpyDan’s “Can’t have too many Post-it’s” HappyWife

Product Description
A colorful selection of notes in one pad. Three or four colors within a single pad. Offered in bright colors. Avery Sticky Notes packaging includes Box Tops for Education coupons.

My thoughts (okay, really my wife's thoughts)
It’s great to see a generic version (Avery) of the 3x3 cube (3M Post-it notes is the King of post it’s!). Not sure if I would have preferred the colors grouped together or the way it is currently. Either way, the colors definitely got my attention. Perfect amount for a 3x3 cube (400 sheets).

The bad things about this product, is that when you take a sheet off, there is about an inch of “something” on the top, but it’s not “sticky”, just noticeable. The adhesive could be a bit stronger as once a sheet is pulled off the cube, the paper does not stick down well and the corners both start pulling up within a matter of seconds. Be careful not to pull off more than a sheet at a time or you’ll have a hard time keeping the notes on the cube until you are ready to use them.

Not sure if the Avery products compared to the 3M products are worth the money. However, it’s nice that Avery is not priced as high as the 3M brand and that the Avery brand has Box Tops for Education. Guess it just comes down to one’s budget……….

Now…..where to keep it? on my desk? By the phone? In my car? Hmmmmmmm…………..

Disclosure: I received this product for review through the Amazon.com Vine Program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

June's Three ARC Book Giveaway (the first one anyway)

It’s time for another 3 book ARC giveaway. This time I am giving away the following three ARCs:

Don’t Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon

Up From the Blue by Susan Henderson

Buried Prey by John Sandford

This giveaway is open to US residents only.  All you have to do is answer the following question to be entered:

What non-book review blog entry of mine did you read and/or enjoy?

Don’t forget to leave an email address in your comment or I won’t be able to reach you!

Contest ends June, 17 2011 - The winner is Joni!

Hybrid by Brian O'Grady

Book Description

A virus engineered for genocide has been released in Colorado Springs, leading to mass, and seemingly unexplained violence. Some of the survivors of the infection begin to evolve into something that is both less than and more than human. The race is on to prevent world-wide release of the virus.

My thoughts
Amanda Flynn is the only survivor of virus outbreak in the jungles of Honduras. But after being held a prisoner for three month, she disappears of the grid. She also has some new found powers that can only be attributed to the disease. But she is not the only one; there is another hell-bent on destroying not only her but many others.

Brian O’Grady’s novel is a medical thriller (he does give some graphic detail of the virus and its effects), but it is also paranormal and political thriller! With this said, he had written an action packed, intense story that may seem like science fiction, but is so much more. I read it in one weekend.

Disclosure: I won this book from Becky at No More Grumpy Bookseller blog.

Archie and Pals

Archie Comics was a favorite of mine when I was a young boy. Here is a recent painting I did.

So Much To Say Dave Matthews Band 20 Years on the Road by Nikki Van Noy

Book Description
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND has one of the largest and most loyal followings of any band today—after twenty years of constant touring and several acclaimed, multiplatinum albums, the members enjoy a connection with their fans that few other acts can match. Ask DMB devotees and they’ll happily tell you tales of amazing sold-out summer shows, the stunning venues they’ve seen the band play all around the world, classic live show recordings . . . and memories of good times with great friends, old and new. For hundreds of thousands of people, affection for DMB goes far beyond simple fan adulation—it’s a way of life.

Journalist (and fan) Nikki Van Noy bridges the gap between the band and their followers, looking at the DMB phenomenon from all perspectives—including interviews with the band, Charlottesville insiders who knew them in the early days, and, of course, the DMB fans who witnessed it all. This lively, insider book offers insights into:

• The beginnings of the band in Charlottesville, VA—which gave rise to the culture of taping and trading live shows, and the early online networking that laid the groundwork for their later explosive success.

• The heady success of their first several albums—when the small “club” of DMB fans suddenly became a lot less exclusive.

• Their creative misfires in the early 2000s—including the leaked Lillywhite Sessions.

• The crushing sudden loss of saxophonist LeRoi Moore—and how the band emerged stronger than ever.

A chronicle of the live Dave Matthews Band experience and what it means to be a part of it, So Much to Say is a comprehensive biography of this incredible group and the fans who helped them achieve such enduring success.

My thoughts
If you are a fan of the Dave Mathews Band, then this is the book for you. Not only does it chronicle the band’s history for the past twenty years, it has interviews, color photographs and fan recollections. It covers the death of member LeRoi Moore and the band’s reinvention.

I remember when the band was first starting out and the quick growth of their following. Although, I have never attended one of their concerts, they certainly made an impression. I enjoyed reading this history of the Dave Matthews Band.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Bodum Bistro Electric French Press Coffee Maker and Tea Dripper, 4-Cup, Black

Product Description
Equal rights for coffee and tea lovers. Can you hear us chant? Who says only coffee lovers get to enjoy the benefits of the easy press-a-button drip system - especially now, with its ease-of-use being combined with the taste benefits of the French press. After all, hot water is what it takes for both beverages. First, you fill the water tank with fresh, cold water. For coffee, you add ground coffee into the glass jug and press the button. No filter needed. When all the hot water is in the glass jug, you press down the plunger and your coffee is ready to be poured. If you prefer tea, you add the tea into a filter in the middle of the glass jug and press the button. Once your preferred strength is reached, you remove the filter and close it off with a lid. The heating element will keep your coffee or tea nice and warm. The 1/2-liter/ 17-ounce Bistro Electric Coffee and Tea Dripper is made from plastic, silicone, stainless steel, and borosilicate glass. Available in black, orange, red, and green.

My thoughts
Having never used a French press coffee maker before, I had a little trouble with making my first pot of coffee. After that everything went smoothly. Things that bothered me was I didn’t understand why the lid had grooves in it so that I could only go on one way. Especially since you took it off to put the press on later.

Other things that discouraged me were that there were so many steps and made so few cups of coffee. Seeing the listed price of this machine I would pass on buying it myself.

On the plus side, it made a much better cup of coffee than any drip maker and is very easy to clean.

Overall, I liked it and is good for a cup of coffee on a weekend morning, but for a party or if you are rushing to work, try another option.

Disclosure: I received this product for review through the Amazon.com Vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

The Deal, the Dance and the Devil by Victoria Christopher Murray

Book Description
What would you do for five million dollars? Adam and Evia Langston have lived in their own little garden of Eden since the two married at the age of seventeen. Working their way up from the humblest of beginnings, the Langstons have thrived beyond anything they could have ever imagined. Now they live in the finest home, drive the best cars, and indulge in all the trimmings that signify their massive success.

But then the recession hits and rips apart the family’s financial stability. Unable to support their three children and other relatives, Adam and Evia find themselves drowning in financial trouble and teetering on the brink of complete disaster. With nowhere to turn, the Langstons have no idea what to do.

Until Shay-Shaunté, Evia’s multimillionaire boss, comes to the Langstons with a five-million-dollar offer that seems so hard to refuse. Will the Langstons make this deal? Or will they recognize that the glitter of five million dollars may be far from gold?

My thoughts
Adam and Evia Langston were living the good life until Adam loses his six figure salary and their financial problems begin. They are fighting off the tuition of their kid’s private schools, possible foreclosure of their big house and Evia’s mother greedily wanting her monthly check.

Then Evia’s boss, the private but highly successful Shay-Shaunté proposes a five million dollar deal. Will they take it or leave it? The deal; Adam has to spend Shay’s 50th birthday weekend with her alone. Then the real problems begin.

The Langstons live in a world that I know little about and watching them having to deal with the loss of cable (my goodness) and a greedy mother that takes from Evia, it just horrified me. These people drove me crazy, but I guess that’s what drew me in to see what and how they were going to deal with their problems. I also was trying to figure out what Shay was up to and what happened that weekend they spent together.

A curious tale of wealth, greed, appearances, trust and love all wrapped around the all mighty dollar. The ending was an interesting little revelation.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Another Online Giveaway Prize

I won this Mountain Hardwear Corners 3 tent from Backpacker Magazine last month. It was a demo that they reviewed and then pass on. It didn’t come with assembly instructions, but I figured out how to put it together. It was quite easy, amazingly clean and roomy. We could easily fit the three of inside it. And it is very light and packs tight in its own pouch (the tent pegs too).

Now all we have to do is going camping and really try it out. But then I haven’t been camping out in the woods since I was in Boy Scouts and that was like over 30 years ago!