BLURB:

Love is intoxicating, but the hangover can be agony... 

Conservative, straight-laced Ally Taylor has the perfect life – successful fiancé, beautiful home, great career – until she catches her fiancé and best friend in bed. Desperate to shake off the sting of rejection, Ally heads to Felony, a notorious heavy metal club on the bad side of town. Even more dangerous than the bar is Jack Jameson, the hunky alpha male bartender whose smoldering dark eyes and dimpled smile turns her common sense to mush and her knees to noodles. After eight long years in a failed romance, the last thing Ally wants is to hook up with someone like Jack, but she can’t help wondering if he’s really as good in bed as his reputation suggests.

Jack Jameson has had his eye on Ally for months, drawn to her smart mouth and tightly wound self-control. When Jack finds Ally sitting on a barstool in his club, heartbroken and miserable, he’s more than happy to offer a little heat between the sheets to distract her. Too bad Ally’s not interested in his “hit-it-and-quit-it” philosophy. If only Jack could convince Ally that he’s tired of the endless parade of girls through his bedroom, she might see him in a different light.

When Jack and Ally get together, everything goes wrong and it’s more than either of them bargained for. Ally’s got serious trust issues and a need for control that makes Jack crazy. Jack’s got more baggage than an airline carousel; the constant stream of women from his past stirs up all of Ally’s insecurities. Can Ally overlook Jack’s womanizing past and learn to trust him? Will Jack be able to commit to just one woman or will a secret from his past ruin everything?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She didn’t want to believe him, but one look into his dark eyes and she had no doubt that he spoke the truth. Eyes like that didn’t lie. The clarity of their brown depths spoke volumes about his sincerity. He stared back at her with one eyebrow cocked as if daring her to challenge his answer. She cleared her throat and tried to look away but couldn’t. No, if there was one thing she knew for certain, Jack didn’t lie. He didn’t need to.

She shook her head to break the spell. A few more minutes of his heated chocolate stare and she’d be flat on her back with her legs in the air. Then the office gossips really would have something to talk about. “Thanks for lunch.”

“We aren’t done yet.” He glanced at the brass and mahogany grandfather clock behind her. “I still have another ten minutes of your time.” She stood and he rose with her, a lithe and graceful motion. “You want to know what I think?”

“Does it matter? I’m sure you’re going to tell me anyway.” She took a step backward and he moved with her, herding her backwards in a seductive dance until the backs of her thighs came up against the desk, so close that her skin prickled with a sudden rush of heat.

“I think that if you were really into Brian, you would’ve made the time for him. I think that you’re secretly relieved to be free of him and feeling guilty about it. I think that deep down inside you’re dying to break out of this cage you’ve built for yourself with someone who knows how to give a girl what she needs.” 

***** REVIEW*****

Intoxicated by Jeanna Mann is part of the Felony Series. It reads as if a good girl’s unmentionable fantasy. Ally is a sharp, capable accountant with a straight-laced life and a boring fiancé. That is until the man she wasted eight years of her life dumps her. Her refuge is a rough and tumble bar that she her fiancé frequented when they went ‘slumming.’ The main attraction of the bar besides the rough clientele is a tattooed bartender named Jack.  Before she enjoyed visiting the bar because she liked to pretend she had a wild side, but now she’s not sure.

Women are easy for Jack. In fact, he has a steady stream of females willing to use the backroom for a fast, no strings hookup. Past history keeps Jack clear of relationships. His talent with women is notable, but business comes harder. The bar, which has always been his dream, proves to be the ultimate demanding mistress who shows signs of slipping away.

Ally throws herself at Jack wanting a taste of what the other women had. Jack tries to discourage her knowing the type of woman she is. He finds himself drawn to the prim and proper accountant, only to discover there’s another woman under the façade. A woman with a skill set that both he and the bar need. Unfortunately, his past returns with one more punch to ruin both his and Ally’s budding attraction.

This steamy tale features the repressed Ally along with embittered Jack as they cautiously circle one another in a hormone-induced tango. Ally wants her one night as a bad girl, which she has to beg Jack for her, using her newly discovered sexual charisma. There’s plenty of steam between the two, but the evolution of the characters made the story for me. Too often new authors think stringing a bunch of sex scenes together makes a story. It doesn’t. Ms. Mann doesn’t do that. Both Jack and Ally have complicated back-stories and reasons for being the way they are. Life is seldom easy. Ms. Mann doesn’t allow her characters to take the paved road either.

Intoxicated is a fun, sexy read. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who likes romance with a shot of sizzle. Make that two shots.   


INTERVIEW

Tell us about yourself:
I live in a tiny town in the middle of cornfields and cow pastures. Church bells ring in the afternoons and there aren’t any stoplights in the whole town. Even though I love the quiet, I also love to travel to the big cities for a taste of the fast lane. I studied Speech Pathology and Audiology at Indiana University, but chose a different path after graduation. If you see me out and about, I will probably have my two terriers, Mildred and Mabel, in the car with me. My favorite thing in life is writing and I spend every waking minute at my laptop or dreaming up a new idea for a story.


What was your first book?
Intoxicated came out last year. It’s my first and the first book in the Felony Romance series. I wrote it several years ago, but didn’t have the nerve to publish it until recently.


Describe your first break.
I entered and won the Cleveland Rocks contest with Intoxicated. It gave me the courage to move forward and pursue publication. I also made some great friends through a local RWA chapter. Those lovely ladies gave me the encouragement to take a chance.


What is your favorite genre to read? To write?
I love to read anything and everything, but recently I am stuck in the new adult genre and that’s what I prefer to write. Wait a few minutes and that might change though. For most of my teen years, I devoured historical romance and I still enjoy a good story about a feisty southern belle.


What makes a protagonist interesting?
The most interesting protagonists are those with the most flaws. Imperfections make a character relatable and sympathetic. I find myself drawn into their lives and rooting for them to succeed in their journey.


What is the best thing about being a writer?
I love the complete freedom of creating a story from start to finish. Putting a fantasy world onto paper is the ultimate enjoyment. I can control everything from the setting to the clothes worn by the characters. Does that make me a control freak? I just know that writing has changed my life and I can’t imagine a day without it.


What is the worst thing?
Sometimes writing makes me crazy. Especially when the words don’t want to flow. I have agonized over one sentence for hours, searching for exactly the right words to paint the picture in my head. When it works, it’s the greatest feeling in the world, but when it doesn’t work, it’s like agony.

Pantser or plotter?
I am definitely a pantser. For me, part of the joy in writing comes from the unexpected twists and turns that show up along the way. I think being a pantser slows up my writing process, however. I end up cutting a lot of content because it wanders away from the theme of the book. My goal for the next year is to become more of a plotter while keeping the freshness of being a pantser.

What do you see the direction of your future writing taking? What can we expect next? Give us a little taste.
I have a novella and three more novels planned for the Felony Romance series. I also have a contemporary romance and a paranormal novel on the back burner. Once I get through the Felony Romance series in 2015, I plan to work on those for a while. After that? Who knows! That’s the exciting part.

Just for fun
Cat or dog person?  Dogs

Favorite food? Fettucini alfredo

Favorite book?  Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Favorite movie?  Gone With The Wind

Favorite vacation destination (you just have to want to go there) Highlands of Scotland 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jeana Mann is the author of sizzling hot contemporary romance. Her debut release Intoxicated was a First Place Winner of the 2013 Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest and a finalist for the 2014 Carolyn Readers Choice Award. 

Jeana was born and raised in Indiana where she lives today with her two crazy rat terriers Mildred and Mabel. She graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Speech and Hearing, something totally unrelated to writing. When she’s not busy dreaming up steamy romance novels, she loves to travel anywhere and everywhere. Over the years she climbed the ruins of Chichen Iza in Mexico, snorkeled along the shores of Hawaii, sailed around Jamaica, ate gelato on the steps of the Pantheon in Rome, and explored the ancient city of Pompeii. More important than the places she’s been are the people she has met along the way.

Be sure to connect with Jeana on Facebook or follow along on Twitter for the latest news regarding her upcoming releases.

Links:
Website:       Facebook:      Twitter:      Amazon author page:     Goodreads: 

Intoxicated available on:

            Amazon:   http://amzn.to/1d8XTAJ

            Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/1lQ6Ulf

            All Romance eBooks:  http://bit.ly/O3EGYM

            Google Play:  http://bit.ly/OIBgei

            iTunes:  http://bit.ly/1gcECRo

A Matter of Grave Concern

by Brenda Novak
BLURB:

When Maximillian Wilder joins the notorious body snatchers known as the London Supply Company, the last thing on his mind is love. He’s worried about Madeline, his vanished half sister, who was last seen in the company of Jack Hurtsill, the gang’s conscienceless leader. Raiding graveyards, stealing corpses, and selling them to medical colleges as dissection material is dirty work, but he has to gain Jack’s trust. He’s determined to find out what happened to Madeline—and to bring Jack to justice if she was murdered for the coin her body could bring.


Beautiful, spirited Abigail Hale, daughter of the surgeon at Aldersgate School of Medicine, detests the challenging, hard-bargaining Max. But she must procure the necessary specimens if she is to save the college and her father’s career. She believes she is going to be successful—until Jack double-crosses her. Then she’s swept into a plot of danger and intrigue, one where Max must intervene and protect her, no matter the risk to his plan . . . or his heart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt Three:
“Ouch! That hurts! What are you doing?” she asked, trying to wiggle away from the roughness of his chin as he chafed it against her face and neck.

Max could feel the ridge of Miss Hale’s collarbone beneath his cheek, then more smooth skin as he slid his chin up the column of her throat. “I am leaving a few marks on you, for Jack’s edification,” he said. “He will never believe you were ravished without something to show for it.” Pausing just below her left earlobe, he began to suck on her neck.

She squirmed some more, resisting, but that soon subsided and she started to giggle. He guessed from her bossiness that she didn’t laugh often but, strangely enough considering all the trouble she had caused him, he liked the sound of it. 

“Nothing in my father’s books said anything about this,” she said. “What on earth are you doing? Stop! It tickles. What could possibly be the point?”

He lifted his head only when he was satisfied that he had left a deep purple mark. “What your father’s books didn’t tell you, Miss Hale, is that much of what goes on between a man and a woman, at least in the bedroom, has no point. It is simply for the sake of pleasure, for the pure, heady passion of reveling in the opposite sex, of letting go of all inhibition long enough to enjoy giving everything and receiving everything all at the same time.”

He knew his voice sounded slightly hoarse, but she smelled so damn clean and fresh. And her skin—it had to be the softest he had ever touched. 

Moonlight lit her face as she cocked a finely arched eyebrow at him. “You seem quite well-versed on the subject.”

“I have never read any bloody medical journals, that’s for damn sure. After hearing what they have to say, I think I’m glad.”

“What’s wrong with what they say?”

Max ignored her in favor of nipping at her neck again. Why did she have to feel so good? Not five minutes earlier, he had told himself he wouldn’t have any difficulty sharing a room, even a bed, with Miss Hale. He could control his “drive to mate” as she put it.

But that was before, when Miss Hale—Abigail—was at an arm’s distance. Now that she was so close and not nearly as stiff as he had expected, he found his perspective changing. And he was only rubbing his chin on her cheeks and neck. What would it feel like to part her lips and slip his tongue inside her mouth for that first sweet taste?  

Under the guise of more chafing, he let their lips brush once, felt their breath mingle, and measured Miss Hale’s response. The tension in her shoulders, where he had anchored his hands, relaxed ever so slightly. Her eyelids lowered as her gaze fell to his mouth, and she kept her head tilted at just the right angle for their lips to brush again.

She’s curious, he realized. She has never been kissed.



*****REVIEW*****

A Matter of Grave Concern is a bit different than your average Brenda Novak novel. For one thing, it is a historic suspense as opposed to a contemporary romantic suspense novel. Instead of characters holding regular jobs, they are…wait for it…grave robbers.

Not the type of grave robber with a shopping list for monster parts, but people on a medical mission. Not everyone is in it for altruistic reasons, especially Jack. Maximillian, who hides his noble identity and true purpose, wonders if Jack might have something to do with his sister’s disappearance. In his search, he stumbles across Abigail in her effort to secure specimens for her surgeon father teaching.

Abigail despises dealing with both Max and Jack and considers them slimy characters. An attraction develops between Max and Abigail as they both inadvertently mire themselves deeper into the dangerous mire of the underworld.

A Matter of Grave Concern has the same great character development and atmospheric imagery that has made Novak a best-selling author. Along with excellent pacing, there’s an eerie sense of menace and other worldliness that pulls the reader into a time where grave robbing is a profession as opposed to a heinous act. Abigail’s character is a strong, intelligent woman who can take care of herself.  Max is a complex hero that the reader discovers along with Abigail. Tension resonates throughout the tale making it into a page-turner. The book is a satisfying read with a strong finish. This book is for any fan of romance, suspense, or someone who is looking for a great read.

  

AUTHOR Bio and Links

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is the author of more than fifty books. A four-time Rita nominee, she has won many awards, including the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and the Holt Medallion. She also runs an annual on-line auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised over $2 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

 
Follow me on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Brenda_Novak


Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Brenda-Novak/120794854630624

 

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Matter-Grave-Concern-Brenda-Novak-ebook/dp/B00INCFT6W

Dinner for Two

by Drea Stein

Get this book FREE on Amazon Kindle. Don't delay.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Sean and Darby love food - but is their relationship a recipe for disaster - Or a chance to make kitchen magic?

Find out in Dinner for Two, Book 1 in The Queensbay contemporary romance series

Sean Callahan was a hot shot big city chef whose high handed ways got him into trouble one too many times. Now he's in a small town hoping for another shot at the big leagues.

Darby Reese is a big city lawyer who can bake like an angel. Unfortunately, a life lived according to the law has left her burned out. So when the chance comes to run her family's deli in the small town of Queensbay, Darby's happy to take it.

But when Sean, the former chef du jour walks into her kitchen, she's definitely not prepared for sparks to fly. Will the two of them be able to find the recipe for happily ever after?

Book one in the Queensbay Series, a contemporary romance series.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:

“I’m Sean Callahan.” He stuck out his hand.

She looked at it, shrugged and said. “We met already, remember?”

He did his best to keep smiling, but her hostility was wearing him down. “Yeah, about that.”

“I assume your mushrooms worked out for you?” Her tone was frostily polite as she turned and began to walk.

Surprised, he had to move quickly to keep up with her. “You know, I have plenty more,” he said, “if you need some. I didn’t mean to send you back to the store.” Friendly. If you were friendly, then someone else was supposed to be friendly back, right? Apparently, this one wasn’t going to give him an inch.

She looked at him, and he noticed that she had a small smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks. “I managed to improvise.” Her tone was clipped, and it didn’t take a genius to deduce that she was pissed at him.

He ran a hand through his hair. Usually he didn’t have to work this hard to get a girl to like him. Women seemed to find him charming, at least at first. Until they got pissed off when he decided it was time to move on. Unfortunately, Darby seemed to have moved straight on to the pissed stage, without even giving him a chance. Okay, so he’d not been on his best behavior that morning, at least until he’d gotten a good look at her.

He turned on his high-wattage smile, the one that always worked, and tried his best bad-boy-turned-sorry look. “Sorry, sugar, it was a bit of a crazy morning. I hadn’t had my coffee yet. You know how that goes, right?”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Drea Stein is the author of the Queensbay contemporary romance series. She lives in rural New Jersey – yup, there really is such a thing – with her family and writes in an old barn. Visit her at www.dreastein.com or https://www.facebook.com/DreaSteinAuthor

http://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Two-Queensbay-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00HGWY6LO/

The Face Transplant

by R. Arundel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:
Dr. Matthew MacAulay is a Facial Transplant Surgeon at a prestigious New York hospital. His friend and mentor, Tom Grabowski, dies under mysterious circumstances. Matthew is forced to investigate. He uncovers his friend’s secret. A new technique that allows perfect facial transplants. No incisions, no scars. The surgeon is able to transplant one person’s face to another with the perfect result. Tom was able to accomplish this monumental feat with the help of Alice, a supercomputer robot with almost human abilities. While trying to find the people responsible for murdering his friend Tom, Matthew realizes he is the prime suspect. Matthew must flee for his life with the help of Dr. Sarah Larsson, a colleague and reluctant helper who has a secret of her own. Alice helps them make sense of a baffling series of seemingly unrelated events. Matthew is forced to undergo a facial transplant to hide his identity and help to uncover the truth. The clues carry Matthew and Sarah around the world. Matthew stumbles onto a sinister plot of monumental proportions, the real reason Tom was murdered. This discovery leads Matthew all the way to The White House with a dramatic conclusion. Matthew never wavers in his quest for the truth and perseveres against all the odds. He must race to stop a major catastrophe, ratcheting up the excitement until the thrilling conclusion. The Face Transplant is a powerful medical suspense thriller of the first order. The novel was written by a surgeon. The novel has a realism that only a surgeon can bring. The plot weaves politics, medicine and espionage into a tightly paced, intelligent thriller. The novel crescendos page by page to a totally unexpected conclusion.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:

 The poem The Beautiful Life

The Beautiful Life

Time and space are infinite. There is no beginning and no end.

Many have come before you and many will come after. You are lucky to be here.

Enjoy this moment; take pleasure.

Match your expectations to reality, if you don't, someone will be disappointed. Be willing to learn, it is the only thing that will keep you young. Take pleasure in life's endless beats, if you listen hard enough you will hear the beautiful rhythm.

Laugh always and laugh loud.

Life is full of irony, laugh when it occurs. Sometimes you will have to laugh at yourself to avoid crying. Laugh loud, laugh often.

Be satisfied with your accomplishments, your life, your career. They are yours and yours alone. No one could have done better given your circumstances, your challenges, your gifts. Be grateful. But remember, no one could have done worse given your circumstances, your challenges, your gifts. So do not become conceited. Be modest.

Understand and accept that not all people live congruently. Some are violent, treacherous, and deceitful. Pity them, they have not yet learned to live with grace. But be careful and avoid them if you can. You have every right to happiness, peace and love.

Take time to Love. Be ready for love anywhere, anytime. In the end only love endures. It cannot be diminished. Accept love wherever you find it.

Love endures.

Always be cautious of those who are too friendly or those who profess no vices. For those who seem the best friend may turn out the opposite.                                                                                Those who proclaim no vices may be the most vile.

Maintain and nurture a spiritual life.

It will sustain you when all else departs. Hold it gently, but firmly. Let each person come to their own place, in their own time, on their own terms.

Remember one day it will all come to an end. When it does, what really matters?

That you lived. That you loved. That you tried.

Above all else never forget, life is a gift.

When you receive a gift, especially an unexpected gift, you must take it gently, cherish it dearly, and use it fearlessly.

And never forget to say thanks.

R. Arundel


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Robert was born in London, United Kingdom.  His early formative years were spent in Toronto Canada.  Robert attended the University of Toronto Medical School.  After obtaining his Doctor of Medicine degree he completed surgical training in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Toronto and obtained certification from the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Robert Mounsey practices surgery in private practice in Toronto.

R. Arundel studied Film Studies at Ryerson University, after this he began writing screenplays and novels. The Face Transplant is his debut novel.

R. Arundel is married and lives in Toronto, Canada. When not writing or practicing surgery Robert can be found cycling.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Face-Transplant-R-Arundel/dp/0991979907/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405768133&sr=8-1&keywords=the+face+transplant+r.+arundel

www.thefacetransplant.com

www.twitter.com/TheFaceTranspla

Have you ever decided on or forgone a trip based on a stereotypical image of your destination? Many people do. Most of their images come from television.  Years ago, I met some wonderful British folks in Orlando, Florida. They had flown in to see Disneyworld, even though I met them one sunny winter afternoon at a water park. The talkative couple admitted they were surprised how peaceful their trip had been. Especially, when they knew all about the natural disasters the States offered including hurricanes, earthquakes, and hailstorms with golf ball-sized ice pellets. Then they went on to confide their fears of race riots, traffic jams, and carjacking.  While the States offered kidnapping possibilities, they still came lured by The Magic Kingdom. There is talk about Disney building their own airport for cautious foreign visitors. As long as they were on Disney properties, nothing bad could happen to them.

Not all stereotypes are bad, just not very correct. When I made my way through Europe as a college student. Dynasty and Dallas television shows were popular abroad. Whenever I conversed with someone unfamiliar with the United States, they’d ask me  either if I lived on a big ranch like South Fork, from the Dallas show or give me a name of a friend in the US, that they expected me to know. Their image of the US swung between huge mansions filled with conniving family members to a small community where everyone knew each other.

Traveling is broadening in the aspect that it destroys your myths of what a place is like. Two people can visit the same place and have two different experiences too.  When I went to Las Vegas with my husband, I expected glamourous high rollers in tuxedoes and sequined gowns crowding the lobbies. Sunburned conference attenders, elderly people with walkers and oxygen tanks, and hundreds of Asian tourists milled around the fountains and buffets, instead.

The problem is stereotypes are easy for both television and movie producers. There isn’t a lot of background needed because the viewer mentally fills in the details. People readily accept stereotypes from previously viewed material. Travel promotions often play a part in the stereotypes too. Everyone thought a cruise was the best travel deal out there until recent news footage displaying stranded cruise liner passengers holding up SOS signs for the news helicopters. That in itself has become a bit of a stereotype too. Some people now fear going on cruises afraid, they might become a news item.

Here’s a bite-sized chunk of my stereotypes about my recent visit to California. My hairdresser told me he grew up in San Diego. This surprised me because the plainspoken man did not strike me as a fashionista. He asked me what my images were about our planned trip.

I expected glorious weather, palm trees, huge traffic jams, and tons of stars and aspiring stars lining the streets. “No stars in San Diego, that’s LA,” he explained as he colored my roots. The myth of the beautiful people died a little.

We landed in the San Diego airport, which was surprisingly small after the behemoth of the Minneapolis airport and walked outside to a gorgeous sunny day. As for the natives, they were a diverse, friendly group herding the incoming tourists in the right direction.

Missing were the plastic Barbie doll people, instead I met a wide variety of people with differing accents. Traffic was challenging, but not the massive gridlock I expected. One native explained that we’d fly out before hitting the horrendous holiday traffic jams. She also advised me what roads not to use. Overall, Californians tended to be on the helpful side, guiding us to the better deals, restaurants, and roads to travel.

I did find the San Diego area beautiful, crowded, and expensive. That would be more of a fact than a stereotype.  Traveling can be eye opening. As for the people, they were the best part.     

Wallis Simpson, the American socialite who caused the British king to abdicate his throne for love, most famous quote is, “You can never be too thin or too rich.” In a country where the average waistline is growing rapidly, losing weight is almost as desirous as winning the lottery.

My husband and I set out together to lose weight. My primary goal was to eliminate the added pounds that made my work with preschoolers diificult. There’s a lot of kneeling and squatting involved. Getting back on my feet was an ordeal. I also wanted to fit back into an entire closet of size ten clothes. 

Years ago, I chaperoned a youth theme park trip. Most of the adults walked up to a roller coaster along with the children. Out of the eight adults, only two  could fit into the narrow seats. I managed, just barely.  Nope, I had no grandiose dreams of being a size four only the ability to easily sit in a roller coaster seat without the teen attendant speculating if he could get the bar down over my girth.

This desire to lose weight existed for both my husband and I, but we only half-heartedly pursued it, especially when our gym membership produced strained muscles without any positive changes to our physiques. We blamed our inability to shed unwanted pounds on our age.  Our attitude changed with a hair appointment.  The newly slim figure of our hairdresser did it. While he trimmed off my spilt ends, he explained how he went on an Atkins program and lost fifty pounds in the last year.

Most people think of the Atkins diet has devouring endless mountains of meat. I did.  It  also includes fruits, vegetable, nuts, and dairy products. It is more notable for what it doesn’t include, sugar.  The no sugar challenge changed my grocery shopping immensely. I was no longer, a fan of processed food because it contained so much sugar even in canned vegetables and bread. Even processed meat has sugar in it.

Would you eat something that would stack the weight on, increase your dental bill, affect your mood negatively, cause wrinkles, and multiply your rate of heart attack?  Of course not, that may be why you try to avoid fast food or candy bars. A regular size yogurt has more sugar in it than a candy bar that you denied yourself in your effort to lose weight. Don't get me started on drinks.

This isn’t my opinion or even the Atkins folks; it comes from years of testing and medical professionals. CNN recently aired a video why sugar is worse than fat. Low-fat or lite products came on the market in the eighties. They replaced the fat with extra sugar actually shooting up the calorie count of low fat food. Not surprisingly, the average American’s weight shot up too. We currently have more obese children in the history of the country than ever before.   Part of the blame goes to the Standard American Diet of processed and fast food and the rest to kids too consumed with technology to go out and play. 

The movie, Killer at Large explains in detail how the obesity epidemic occurred. It is amazing how many opportunities we have to impulse eat that never existed twenty years ago. 

As for our diet, my husband and I both lost around thirty pounds each over a six-month span. My joints no longer creak or complain when I squat or kneel. I am also able to sleep better and don’t suffer the mood swings I did previously. We both have more energy and are able to golf, dance, and ride roller coasters. Most people assume we’ll go back to the old style of eating since we lost the weight we wanted.

Nope, I don’t want to make it easy for that weight to find me. Instead, we eat mindfully, aware of the origin of our food. It’s harder to find food that is sugar free, but it does exist. Check out my blog where I rate various low carb recipes and food products.  In fact, I am getting ready to do a Thanksgiving blog.

Most successful weight loss plans are a version of the Atkins diet. It is basically the same diet used on The Biggest Loser reality show. Keep in mind, those folks do five hours of exercise a day too. Don’t expect your results to be as fast, but do exercise around thirty minutes a day.

Was it hard? Was it worth it? The first two weeks were tough. Now, it is more planning than anything else. We do eat items like nachos and pizza, but we buy the mixes from a LC Foods. We even go out, but have a list of restaurant that serve healthy alternatives. Occasionally, we have a splurge, but not too much. I remember all too well the work and time that went into losing the weight. Ironically, since we’ve grown used to a diet of fresh fruits and veggies, the occasional ‘normal’ dessert is too sweet.

Who else remembers the Peanuts specials where the kids had to write an essay on what they did that summer? Charlie Brown remembered playing baseball games where they came close to winning. Many movies, cartoons, and editorials have taken on the famous summer vacation essay. I dreaded it as a kid. Never assigned it as a teacher either. It only pointed out the obvious;glorious summer was over. What did I do over my summer?

I'm glad we were able to do the two things that symbolize summer here in Indiana, the state fair and a visit to Holiday World theme park.  I hope I never lose my enjoyment of these two excursions. The highlight of my fair trip was I got to pet the baby pigs in the photo.

BLURB:

A secret she must never share. A secret that two warring species are determined to control. A universe’s future at stake.

Twenty-year-old Cassiel Winters joins Earth’s new space academy in hopes of finding her brother, one of Command’s top pilots and her only family, who’s been reported MIA. But she quickly realizes she may not be cut out for life in space, where female cadets are outnumbered, competition’s fierce, and she’s already failed her hand-to-hand combat test once.

Even the station’s most respected officer, Lt. Damian King, probably can’t help Cassiel pass the second time around – so why is he so interested in her progress? If only one of her freaky déjà vu visions would offer an answer instead of mysterious messages like hide.

When Cassiel’s manipulated into a perilous mission, she encounters a warrior species bred to protect the universe from an even greater threat. And she learns that her secret visions are at the heart of it all.

Now Cassiel must fight to control her own destiny and race to save her brother – even if it means pretending to be the pawn of Prime Or’ic, the cold-as-steel Thell’eon leader. Even if it means risking her life, facing hard truths, and making the ultimate sacrifice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT
Or’ic. I can’t believe I recognize him by sight alone. I sink back as he leans onto the downcore.

“We . . . pushed you,” he says quietly. Crap, he does know I’m awake. “We would understand you better,” he adds, almost

whispering. “We would know where you are strong and where you are fragile.”

What in the Jupiter is he talking about?

“We would understand the human. And to begin, you would choose from now on.”

Choose? Choose what?

Despite my ardent desire to never move from this downcore, a propensity to survive and an incredible need to eat something gets the better of me, and I roll over and sit up.

He leans back off, giving me space. I sigh because he’s smiling in my peripheral vision. I don’t want to look at him directly. I can’t believe how hungry I am. How long was I out? Seth’s at my side scanning me.

“What do you mean I get to choose?” I ask quietly, staring at Lor’s large bare feet across the room.

“You agreed to work with us for the sake of your brother. My Kirs, we mistook your cooperation for consent.”

“You mean you think you own me!”

We glare at each other. But, but his posture is, oh, relaxed. And I’m deeply unsettled when he looks away first. He folds his arms awkwardly across his chest, muscles squished out, and then uncrosses them.

“You would understand us,” he beseeches me, hands out. He places them on the downcore, searching the room, until he spots what he’s looking for. He returns with a stool and sits on it, making him eye level with me. A first. “Our beliefs,” he starts and stops. I’ve never seen him this . . . uncertain. “Kirs spend a lifetime training and fighting Aeon. We strive to achieve a perfect Horde, knowing the likelihood is incredibly small. And still we prevail. To get the chance to have, to fight with a sift,” he corrects himself, “with you, is . . . sacred. Once given, it is understood to be a right that is earned.”

“So you think I was, what, given to you?” He rolls his eyes, frustrated. Ah, that’s more familiar.

When he focuses back on me, his eyes are different. Earnest, I think.

“Think of how you ‘fell’ into our path. ESE sent you to our ship! You! When you took my beacon portal, then I knew for certain. It was our destiny to have a sift. You belong to us!”

His vehemence scares me more than the simple deduction. Those things all happened, but not so that I could be his sift. Not even so I could help ESE get the sift (isn’t that ironic?). But so that I could save Daz! I’m certain of this. Being their sift is not my destiny. And even if I believed in that crap, I would never belong to them. Or anyone.

“I’m a human being, Or’ic!”