The Librarian Principle

The Librarian Principle

By Helena Hunting

Author's Original Description:  Annaliese Harper knows that one tiny mistake can jeopardize a career before it's even begun. Letting your boss find the extensive collection of porn on your personal laptop is one way. Sleeping with him is another. Liese manages to do both.

As the new librarian at a prestigious small-town private high school, Liese is drawn to her sexy, charismatic principal, Ryder Whitehall--an attraction she refuses to acknowledge given their relationship and her recent liberation from a delusional ex-boyfriend.

Liese is certain Ryder's flirtation is the product of her sex-deprived imagination--until he discovers her digital porn stash during working hours and demands a private meeting. Behind closed doors, their attraction explodes into a dangerous, passionate affair that not only threatens their jobs and reputations, but most of all, their hearts.

Sandy's Review:  Ok, so I know I don't really even NEED to review this story.  Helena will sell millions of books without little old Sandy reviewing this one.  But I am reviewing because I WANT TO.

This is a really good stand alone story.  You will fall in love with Liese who seems to be timid, but really has a backbone.  You will also fall in love with the Dominant Ryder Whitehall.  These two equal Fire!!

I was enthralled all the way through.  I thought the story was compelling and I sincerely enjoyed the twist of the ex boyfriend.  This book borders on a mystery and that makes this story very tasty.  I highly recommend this book, if not for the fantastic story, but for the fact that Helena Hunting is my favorite.  I love all my friends who are authors, but Helena has a special place in my heart.  Do yourself a favor and READ THIS ONE!!!!  

You can find it here:  The Librarian Principle

Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia

It takes a lot of *hustpah* to get me out of retirement.  It is truly an honor to tell you about this story!

Saving Poughkeepsie

By Debra Anastasia

Author's Original Description:  Beckett Taylor's quest to be a better man has brought Eve Hartt back into his life, but sometimes it feels like they're bound together with barbed wire. Though he longs to love her without causing pain, the wreckage of their past continues to crash down around them. 

Yet with the help of this brothers--and for his brothers--Beckett won't stop trying.  He's determined to make them all a family, to make a life they want to live, and to make Poughkeepsie a place that's safe to live it.

He can feel their futures balanced precariously on his shoulders: Blake and Livia and their children, Cole and Kyle and the new baby they've just brought home, and Eve...always Eve. He wants their dreams to be real.  But murderers don't just get Happily Ever After handed to them. They
have to wrench it away from Satan himself. Good thing Beckett is prepared to do just that.
After all, saving Poughkeepsie is the only way his story ends.

Prepare your heart and your head for a wild ride in this final installment of the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood series. Debra Anastasia does not disappoint as she weaves the last chapter of a story that blends true love, turbulent emotions, and life's harsh realities into an uplifting tale that calls to the good in each of us.

Sandy's Review:  I was lucky enough to WIN an Advanced Reader Copy of 'Saving Poughkeepsie'.  You have no idea how excited I am to tell you about it.  Debra Anastasia and I are friends on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, are there any other social networks?  We have been friends for a long time.  She is honestly one of the MOST talented authors I've ever had the pleasure to read.

If you haven't read 'Poughkeepsie' - it is the first in the trilogy.  Here is the link so you can get a copy and start tonight:  Poughkeepsie

The story starts on a train platform in Poughkeepsie, NY.  I have honestly, very rarely, ever been out of North Carolina.  But I feel like Poughkeepsie, NY is my home town.  Maybe it's just my dream town.  Start with the first book and meet Blake and Livie.  You will love them right away, and you will love Blake's brothers too.  When you are finished with the first book, you can move on to 'Return to Poughkeepsie'.  If you haven't read book two, here is the link so you can continue the story:  Return to Poughkeepsie  you will get to know the brothers a little better, and their wives and families.  I know, once you have fallen in love with Blake and Livie, you don't want to read anyone else, but trust me this book is also wonderful.  

Then Finally the Pièce de résistance 'Saving Poughkeepsie' is the story of Blake and Eve.   You can't get this book yet, It won't actually be released until November 22, 2014.  But you can pre-order your copy here:  Saving Poughkeepsie 

In 'Saving Poughkeepsie' you will fall in love with this family all over again.  You will be on the edge of your seat as Blake tries to mend his ways and save his family and his town from the evil that has looms against them.  

He goes against the town Sheriff as well as a mob boss that is traffics drugs and weapons.  The mob boss has a secret hold on Blake's wife Eve.  It's a gut wrenching circumstance that threatens to tear the entire town apart.

Saving Poughkeepsie is a page turner!  You will laugh, you will cry, at one point I was even cussing at my kindle.  Debra Anastasia is talented beyond compare!  

I highly recommend you take the time to start with the first and read through the last book in the Poughkeepsie Trilogy.  This series has the romance of Twilight, the Gritty Sex of Fan Fiction, and the intrigue of a Romantic Thriller.   If you love to read, you will enjoy these books from start to finish and won't be able to put them down!!

Thank you for taking the time to join me today!

The Resistance by S.L. Scott

The Resistance

by S.L. Scott

Author's Original Description: You don't choose when. 

You don't choose where.

And you don't get to choose who you fall in love with.

The minute he opened his sexy mouth, Holliday Hughes should have known Jack Dalton was trouble. His smooth pickup lines, broad shoulders, and ridiculously handsome face charmed her right out of her clothes. She gave into her desires, the instant attraction blinding her to the obvious.

One night. That was all it took for Holliday’s world to be flipped on its axis. Jack Dalton was cocky. Smug. Volatile. Demanding. He ignited something deep inside her like no other, but there was something more to this brooding bad boy. There was a dark side to him she couldn't help but be drawn to.

Torn between what she knew about him and a mysterious side he tried to hide, could she walk away or was he simply too hard to resist?

Sandy's Review:  I think you know by now, I like the bad boys.  But when S.L. Scott Facebooked that this book was on Amazon for .99 cents (offer not currently available), I wasn't in the MOOD for another romance novel.  For some reason I doubted that this book could be as good as the one I just got finished reading.  I was in a 'reader's hangover' and SHAME ON ME!!!

For some reason it slipped my mind just how good S.L. Scott is.  She is a master storyteller and if you doubt my opinion, you just go ahead and prove me wrong.  Read 'The Resistance' and you will see.

Jack Dalton is so fricken HOT in this book it will burn your fingers to turn the page.  S.L. Scott tells us this erotic story without the blatantly graphic details that we just don't need.  This book is more about the story, than the sex.  The sex is the icing on the cake and that is how I like my books

So, now you wanna read it don't you?  You can find this little gem here:

The Resistance by S.L. Scott

Thank you for taking the time to read with me today!  I would love to hear from you!!  Give me a comment below!

**I did not create the picture used for this review.  I found it on 'google images'.  I would be happy to give the owner credit, but I don't know who she is.  Sorry**

Beatless by Amber L Johnson

Author's Original Description: Mallory Durham has been left behind and it is making her feel less like an adult and more like an afterthought. 
Divorce, sickness, educational aspirations being shattered, and her Aunt Sam moving into her home, have made Mal’s life nearly unrecognizable to her.

When Tucker Scott re-enters her life along with his band, will they offer what she needs to once again find her voice and self confidence or will it strip her of it even more?

Told through the dual voices of Mallory as she navigates her new world, and Aunt Sam’s letters to her niece, Beatless tells the story of two women at very different points in their life, fighting the same battles. Proving that no matter what age a person is, there are always lessons to be learned.

Sandy's Review: There is no secret that Amber and I have been friends for a long time. Those of you who remember the original Southern Fan Fiction Review will remember that she has helped me with this blog she even wrote a few reviews herself. But please don't let that make you question this review of Beatless - because it is nothing short of REMARKABLE!!!

I am probably closer to Sam's age and situations than I am Mallory's, but that didn't keep me from enjoying every page of Beatless. Not since Stephanie Meyer's 'Twilight' have I read a book all in one day. I could not put this one down.  Amber is so talented and professional.  She keeps you turning pages and you don't realize how much you've read until one of the kids is wants supper again...

Mallory teaches us many things about ourselves and so does Sam. This is a heartwarming feel good story that will maybe make us take another look at people we've turned away from in the past. Just because we 'think' we have outgrown people and things doesn't mean they aren't comforting for us. Some of them may even help us continue with this life and reach for our dreams. Some of them may help us continue with the life beyond.

But don't think this is an easy YA.....oh NO!  It is an Adult Fiction and you will get to meet Tucker.  (On a scale from Sherek to Edward - Tucker ranks completely up to Edward.)  He is Hot and Bad and exactly what Mallory needs to help her get past her situation and become the young woman she is meant to be.  Um...that scale would look something like this:

I have to congratulate Amber on Beatless. I am so happy to see her publishing. She is one of the great authors of our time!! Today is the last day you can get Beatless on kindle for .99 cents. I think you should take the time to download this one. You won't be sorry you did!!! You can do so by clicking the link below:


Beatless by Amber Johnson


Thank you for taking the time with me today! Have you read Beatless? What did you think?? Please leave me some love and a comment.

Badlands by Planetblue

Badlands 

by Planetblue

Author's Original Description: Moonlight drives and sharpened knives. This is the story of us. Twilight - Rated: M - English - Drama/Romance - Chapters: 24 - Words: 97,301 - Reviews: 6419 - Favs: 1,365 - Follows: 1,760 - Updated: 11h ago - Published: Jan 10 - Bella, Edward - Complete

Sandy's Review: As many of you know, I have stopped reading a lot of Fan Fiction. Lots of my favorite authors are publishing now and in an effort to support them and their careers, I try to review their books and pimp them out as much as possible. I have recently gone through a divorce and quite frankly, reading love stories was hard. I couldn't really get through a fluffy love story without crying. But the picture above intrigued me when I saw it posted on Facebook and I wanted to know more.

I went to Fan Fiction.net in search of Planetblue and found her easily, but the description above didn't give me any more information and quite frankly I didn't start reading right away. Fortunately, I have lots of friends who are still in love with the Fan Fiction world and they couldn't stop talking about Badlands. Every time someone posted about it on FaceBook, I wanted to know MORE! So I friended Planetblue on FaceBook and I started reading her story.

I guess you could have called me a 'reading snob' before I started this story. I couldn't get past a grammar error, or a misspelling without rolling my eyes. When I would start a fan fiction, if it didn't meet my criteria quickly, I would just move on to something else. Many fans of fan fiction will find themselves in this description. We have been spoiled by the AngstySam003s and the HunterHuntings of our past and it's easy to criticize and stop reading. We are an instant gratification kind of society and turning the channel is what we do best.

Badlands could change your mind about fan fiction. Badlands is the stuff that gritty stories like Emancipation Proclamation are made of. Badlands is uncomfortable, and angsty, and will make you hold your breath until the end. Badlands will take your soul on a roller-coaster ride you won't want to get off of. Badlands is PHENOMENAL!!

You may say "I don't read High School Stories". Did you forget you cut your teeth on Twilight? Which is very much a High School Story. Badlands starts in High School, and the Bella that we can all relate to. She is picked on and ostracized and made to feel less than. Until one day, her Knight on a Bloody Dragon comes to her rescue. This Edward will make you tingle in places you are ashamed to admit exist.

If you have stopped reading Fan Fiction for whatever reason, if you have decided that maybe you are a little to educated to remember how much you love it, if you are looking for the next best story you have ever read; I suggest you humble yourself and open that browser to Badlands by Planetblue.

You will find it Here:  Badlands

Thank you for taking the time to visit with me today. Please leave me a comment. Just click 'no comments' and it will let you. I love it when you let me know you were here.

Pizza on a Chicken

Pizza on a Chicken

Hey Guys!!  Yes I'm still doing Wheat Free and I'm still losing weight!!  So today I tried Pizza on a Chicken and it was so DELICIOUS, I need to tell you about it!

1 chicken breast

1/4 cup pizza sauce (jar) I used Prego

1/4 cup black beans - or any topping you like - or maybe you just like cheese.

2% Mozzarella Cheese

salt, pepper and oregano to taste

Put the raw chicken breast between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound it flat.  This is an excellent exercise if you have had a hard day at work.

Once the chicken is flat, add salt and pepper to your crust.  I also sprayed mine with a little non stick cooking spray, and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until it is just done.

Remove the chicken from the oven, flip it over so you have a flat surface to work with, and cover with pizza sauce.  Ok here you can add your own toppings.  I suggest going crazy but that's up to you.  Today I went crazy by using black beans and it was Oh My God so delicious.  So you add your favorite topping(s) and then cover the whole thing with cheese and a little oregano.

Bake at 350 for about 15 more minutes until the cheese is melted and it looks like pizza.  Enjoy!

This, my friends, is the most delicious, and HEALTHY pizza you will ever put in your mouth!!  Thank you for taking the time to visit with me today.  Please leave me a comment.  I love hearing from you!!

Black Bean and Mushroom Casserole

Black Bean & Mushroom Casserole

You guessed it - this is not a story review.  But this is my blog and I dig this and I thought you might dig it too.

As most of you know - my doctor told me to eliminate wheat from my diet.  I have a couple of conditions that require me to stay really healthy and she felt like wheat elimination was something that would lower my blood pressure, lower my blood sugar, help me with fluid retention, and boost my weight loss.  That's some really delicious discussion right before you read my recipe, but I wanted to give you a why...

Now - when you LOVE PASTA and also LOVE BREAD, cutting wheat is quite difficult.  She told me "eat whole foods" witch I have found to be pretty easy but the pasta - I really miss pasta.  I LOVE SPAGHETTI SAUCE!!  Before she told me to cut it out I ate pasta everyday.  Finding something to substitute for pasta is not all that easy.  You can have the sauce and not the pasta, you can have the peanut butter but you can't make a sandwich.

So I am making stuff up in my kitchen and I thought you might like to hear about it every now and then.  I have created Black Bean and Mushroom Casserole.  Maybe this is yucky to you (I don't know) but it's DELICIOUS to me and it has no pasta and very little calories so I think it's PERFECT!!

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

1 can black beans

1 can mushrooms

1 - 2 cups Prego Fresh Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

1-2 cups cheese (whatever kind you like - try to use 2% because you just don't need the calories).

Spray a small casserole dish with the nonstick cooking spray.  Drain the black beans in a colander and rinse them well.  Mix the beans and the spaghetti sauce in a bowl.  You want the mixture to be thick - but soupy enough to make it casserole consistency. I love the sauce so I put a lot in there.  

Drain the mushrooms and layer them in the bottom of the casserole dish.  Layer the bean mixture on top of the mushrooms.  Cover the top with cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes - until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese is melty.

To me this can be eaten as a main dish with a salad and it is sooooo delicious!!  You could also serve it as a side dish for chicken or I think you could serve it over pasta too.

So....do you like recipes with your reading???  Click the blue 'no comments' link below and let me know what you think!!!  Thanks for taking the time to visit with me today.