April 2014 | Miki's Hope

Happy Socks --They are REALLY Different and Colorful

Wednesday, April 30, 2014


This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links

Do you like to make a fashion statement? Do you LOVE bright colors? Then you are going to love the socks from HAPPY SOCKS!!

"This Swedish brand started in 2008 and can now be found in 3000 stores in 50 countries all over the world. With the mission of making luxury affordable, success is a fact."

Happy Socks: Fun and Crazy Socks for Men, Women, and Kids.

I really like these 5 color socks and there is a special at the moment-they are always having specials!


Click in and check them out!



This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

Flex Watches - They Raise Funds for Charity!

Tuesday, April 29, 2014


This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links

If you are a a regular at Miki's Hope then you know I get very happy when companies give back!! According to what they say on their site

"With every purchase, flex provides meals for children in need. In addition to our main mission, Fighting Hunger, we raise funds for other charities every month.Here at Flex Watches we are dedicated to raising both public and financial support for our partner charities. From local events to nationwide campaigns, and from campus reps to local retailers, Flex Watches joins with these organizations not just to cheer them on and help spread the word, but also donate towards their cause."


And Flex Watches has more then just their interchangeable watches which come in bright colors, They have eye wear, shirts, socks (hum-I need some socks), belts and watch bands. I love this Aztec Print tee!


With a purchase of $50.00 (USD) or more-shipping is free!!






This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

Book Review-The Escalante Enigma-Rod Lewin


What a roller coaster of a read! I finished this on 3 hours--I could not stop! This is non stop action in an ancient plane with one of the occupants a very large guy who LOVED to pontificate on everything under the sun. Heaven help me I knew someone like this character once--when he would step into my office I knew I was a goner-there was no getting him to leave. I definitely sympathized with Mitch and Ronnie (whose husband and brother had disappeared into thin air) who were in a plane with this guy flying from Australia to Utah. Of course they did have to stop to "gas" up a couple of times along the route. Strange things, like getting shot at--then seeing apparitions of Indian maidens. This is kind of an Indiana Jones type tale--and that my friends is a very high complement coming from me!!

About the Book: (from Amazon)

When Ronnie McCall, Mitch’s long-forgotten love, shows up out of the blue begging for help to locate her lost husband and brother—both U.S. Air Force special ops officers who have disappeared in Texas—Mitch, an ex-Australian Air Force and airline pilot now living a sybaritic life on his own WWII PBY flying boat in Sydney Harbor, agrees to come to the rescue. Mitch and Beyer, his retired physicist partner, decide to literally fly to Ronnie’s aid in the PBY, the Wayward Wind. Their flight across 8,000 miles of Pacific Ocean and into the vast, rugged, and unexplored canyons of the Escalante River in Utah is harrowing enough. But their attempts to trace the missing airmen turn dark and dangerous as they stumble upon something sinister and supernatural in the heart of the Navajo Nation. What they discover in that maze of mysterious canyonlands turns out to be far more eerie, bizarre, and deadly than they could ever imagine in their wildest dreams… The Escalante Enigma is an action-packed novel set in the heart of the American Southwest. Filled with high drama, the book is both gripping and beautifully rendered.

Read a chapter here

Purchase the book here

About the Author: (from Amazon)


Rod Lewin was born in Brisbane, Australia. His acclaimed autobiography, Steel Spine, Iron Will, wherein he narrates his recovery from paralysis after a near-fatal plane crash, has been in constant demand for over two decades. Rod has spent the last 35 years as a professional aviator. He has experienced all manner of adventure as a true "knight of the air," from operating seaplanes on the Great Barrier Reef, the far outback of Western Australia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Greece, to airline flying in DC-3s, 727s, and 737s in the U.S. The Escalante Enigma is based on some of his own astonishing exploits.

More about this author can be found at Outskirts Press
Goodreads





I received a PDF copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

Book Review-Hybrid (Briar Hospital)-Lawrence W. Gold, MD

Monday, April 28, 2014


I just got back from doing a bit of research. Although this is a novel it is definitely based on current scientific knowledge! Briar Hospital does not figure into this book very much except at the beginning when frozen sperm from their lab was switched--4 or 5 vials of it! The switch went unnoticed.

Denise & Gabe tried to have children for a long time but nothing took. They finally decided to have Gabe's frozen sperm which was at the Briar Hospital Lab fertilize one of Denise's eggs. It worked and they were ecstatic. They were both highly intelligent and knew that their offspring-a son-would be as well. However--Zack was beyond intelligent and Denise and Gabe did everything in their power to shield him--he was that different!

Denise was part Basque and had lost most of her family to the unrest between the Spanish and the Basques. Out of this turmoil came a man whose family had been brutally murdered by the Spanish. He had managed to get political asylum in the US and opened a school for the study of the Basque culture. Zack ends up attending this school and what happens will sicken and possibly frighten you.

The ending made me smile--I was adopted and I can certainly relate when Zack said to Gabe “You’re my father, and you will always be my father. I love you.”

Another 5 Star for Dr. Gold!!

If you are interested in this topic here is a website you can go to and I'm sure if you go to Dr. Gold's Fiction and Medical News Site and ask (link below) - he will be able to explain it!! I also browsed several other sites----

About the Book: (from Amazon)

Denise Berg, a professor of psychology, and her molecular biologist husband, Gabe, expected an intelligent child. When Denise gave birth to Zack, they were thrilled. They were not surprised to find that Zack had physical and mental gifts, but were astounded by their magnitude. By every parameter, Zack was extraordinarily gifted and they took pride in their genes and in their good fortune.

What they didn’t know was that Zack’s gifts were the result of more than good luck and Berg family genes, but depended on genetic material from an unusual source. Zack’s abilities would ultimately attract others with less than benign interests.

Read a chapter or two here


Purchase the book here

About the Author: (from author's website)


I was born in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, moved to Queens, and then, as New Yorkers say, my family ascended to the Island. After graduating from Valley Stream Central High School, I went to Adelphi, a college then, a university now, and then to medical school in Chicago. The war in Vietnam interrupted my postgraduate medical training with a year in Colorado Springs and another as a Battalion Surgeon in Vietnam. I spent seven months in the Central Highlands with the 4th Infantry and five months in an evacuation hospital in Long Binh outside Saigon where I ran the emergency room. I returned intact in 1968 to complete my training in internal medicine and diseases of the kidney, nephrology. I worked for twenty-three years in Berkeley, California in a hospital-based practice caring for patients with complicated illnesses often in ICU, and served as Chief of Internal Medicine and Family Practice. For many years, I was an active member of the quality assurance committee. Circumstances permitted my wife, Dorlis, and me to retire in October 1995. Before fate could intervene, we tossed off the dock lines, and sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge for a life at sea in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Four years later, exhausted from repairing everything on board, (often many times) we sold the sailboat and within a year took the lazy man’s out; we bought a Nordic Tug trawler. We motored around Florida, the Bahamas, and the entire East Coast and completed two ‘circle trips’ to Canada and back, eight months, the first time, five months, the second. I’ve written eight novels, five in he Brier Hospital Series, and one non-fiction book, I Love My Doctor, But…, a lighthearted look at the patient/doctor relationship. I recently published my ninth novel, A Simple Cure, about the search for the cure of the most deadly skin cancer, malignant melanoma. I write primarily to entertain, but I can’t help but pass on to readers observations and beliefs culled from years of practice, and yes, my biases, too. I strive for realism in portraying the medical scene which is gripping enough without melodrama or gimmicks. With even a minor degree of success in writing novels, comes responsibility to readers. I attempt to produce honest material that reflects my beliefs. Exposing these beliefs to the public through my writing requires courage, stupidity, or both. My fans have been generous, and although nobody enjoys criticism, I’ve learned much from that, too. The novel that expresses most clearly my candor, and my bias, is For the Love of God. The novel reflects my attitudes toward those who are willing to sacrifice the lives of their children for their personal religious beliefs.

We live in beautiful Grass Valley with 15 1/2 year old Mike, a terrier mix and Bennie, an 8 year old Yorkie who just looks like he’s on steroids.

Author's Website
Dr. Gold's Fiction and Medical News (this is very interesting)
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Twitter-still under construction!
Goodreads





I received an ebook in order to do this review. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

Book GA + Swag (lots of winners)-Written on Her Heart-US-Paige Rion-Ends 5/10

Saturday, April 26, 2014


This is the first book in the Calloway Cove Novel series and I really loved it. It is considered a New Adult novel-to find out exactly what that is here is the link where Paige Rion explains it on her blog Essentially it is a novel written somewhere in between a Young Adult Novel and an Adult novel. What ever it is it works for me!

Andi Callaway, aspiring young author has one more year and she will have her college degree. She has been dating one of her ex professors who is a bit older then her. Her boyfriend is trying to get a grant for an experiment he wants to preform and is totally immersed in "ME". Andi is kind of selfish also but does support this guy--although he is not so supportive of her-especially when he learns she is going to possibly not finish her college degree.

Andi is home (very small town) for summer break and has a chance to work as an assistant for a well known author, Ford Delaney. She manages to get the job--which her two best friends also tried for. This causes a bit of trouble as I'm sure you can imagine. Andi also finds out that all is not how she thought with both of her best friends. I'm hoping the next couple of books are about them and what happened in their lives! Her boss, Ford Delaney, is given an unfinished draft of Andi's novel by his really nasty administrative assistant (why are they always on the snippy side?)-he loves it and sends it off to the person who helps him get publishers.

Meanwhile there is a kind of standoff between Andi's boyfriend and her boss-(actually a couple of them)-ultimately exit boyfriend and enter boss--but then boss, now boyfriend leaves but then comes back-but leaves you hanging as to whether he will stay or not-the story ended--OUCH!!!!

Definitely a 5 star rating in my opinion and I really want to read the rest of this series NOW!!!!

About the Book: (from Amazon)


Andi Callaway has dreamed of becoming a published author her entire life.

Ford Delaney has always wanted nothing more than to escape his past.

An opportunity of a lifetime. This is what Andi finds when she returns home to Callaway Cove on summer break. A chance to work for her literary idol Ford Delaney is up for grabs, and she’s willing to risk everything—her boyfriend, her best friends, and her education—to get it.

She’s positive this will be the key to reaching her dreams. But the moment she begins working for the reclusive author, Andi realizes there’s more to him than just a name. As attraction builds between Andi and Ford, she begins to discover consequences must come hand-in-hand with something great—which could loosen control over her tightly wound life. And once romantic sparks fly, Andi’s other relationships start to crumble, Ford’s fame comes back to haunt him, and the heat they generate will either forge a powerful, enduring love or threaten everything she holds dear.

Read a couple of chapters here

BUY LINKS

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JPOXIB0
Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Written-Heart-Callaway-Series-Volume/dp/1497403316/
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/written-on-her-heart
Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/written-on-her-heart-paige-rion/1119235191?ean=2940149230297
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/429647

About the Author: (from Goodreads)


To learn more about Paige Rion click here and read her bio on her BLOG


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Win Paige Rion & WOHH Swag!!!


Prize 1

Paige Rion deluxe tote. Your choice of either Paige Rion/WOHH t-shirt or “Team Ford” t-shirt. WOHH mug with quote. A signed bookmark and a mini Paige Rion candy box!

Prize 2

WOHH t-shirt. WOHH mug with quote. A signed bookmark and mini Paige Rion candy box!

Prize 3

An exclusive WOHH iPhone 4 case. A white mug with genuine Paige Rion signature. Signed bookmark and mini Paige Rion candy box. (If winner does not have an iPhone 4, they will receive prize 4 and another winner will be drawn).

Prize 4

10 more winners will receive a signed bookmark and a mini Paige Rion candy box!

Due to shipping costs, US ENTRIES ONLY.

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I received an e-book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

Book Review-Seeing Green-Annabel Hertz

Friday, April 25, 2014


April 22, 2014 was Earth Day but it is and should be celebrated year round. If we want to be sustained by this planet we call Earth-then we must sustain her as well, or suffer the consequences. We can't let the greed, not to mention the ignorance of big business turn our planet into one which will not be fit to live in. We, the little people, are all trying in our own way to help. Whether we recycle and reuse, help to clean up the garbage strewn in our wilderness areas, sign petitions or just by teaching our children, every little bit helps.

When I was asked to read Seeing Green by JKS Communications, I knew I had to read and review this book. You see I have an environmental science degree and during those college years (I actually went back at age 40 to get this degree)I water sampled with an environmental group for the entire 4 years. I also helped at the environmental fairs where I was set up both to get signatures for various and sundry current affairs (Stopping the hormones going into cows which ended up in our milk was one of them) and to collect money at the food location (I am a bookkeeper!). Somewhere in the middle of these college years the Earth Summit was held in Rio. To learn a bit more about this treaty click into Wikipedia to start-then go from there


Arcani Kirsch recently graduated college and managed to get a job in EnvironMentality which was an International association of Green minded businesses in Washington, DC. She had been to the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and was bound and determined to get the United States to the next conference and to agree to and ratify the Earth Treaty. As you might suspect, Arcani hit roadblocks almost everywhere she turned--but she kept her sight on the prize!

About the Book: (from Amazon)


Described as a “timely, energetic and witty” story of a young woman on a mission to puncture the stasis of US environmental policy (Book Review, Huffington Post, 04/04/2012), Seeing Green pays homage to the DC scene, international---and office---politics, and idealism. The novel also explores the rocky and rewarding terrain of family and personal relationships from the perspective of a multicultural protagonist in “a felicitously fast-moving, tightly organized narrative.”

Read a couple of chapters here

Purchase the Book Here

To see a list of the other bloggers on this tour click here

About the Author: (from The Globalist)


Annabel Hertz has over a decade of leadership and consulting experience in policy development and external relations for issues-based/stakeholder organizations in the areas of international relations and sustainable development.

She is currently pursuing doctoral studies in international relations at American University. Previously, she was an adjunct professor at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations and a Global Governance Fellow at the World Economic Forum.

Ms. Hertz holds an MPA from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, an MA in international relations from San Francisco Sate University, and a BA in politics from the University of California.

In 2012, she published Seeing Green, a humorous novel about a multicultural activist’s jaunt into the world of 1992 international-Washington politics

From the back of the book!

Annabel Hertz is an ardent fan if international and US Presidential politics, and fiction with unconventional protagonists. Seeing Green is her first work of fiction. Like Arcani, the novel's lead character, Annabel gre up in San Francisco and lives on avocados and espresso.

Goodreads




I received a paperback edition of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

$10 Amazon GC (2 winners)-WW-Crawford Hill-Robin Hewitt-Ends 4/26

Thursday, April 24, 2014


This book is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart. Crawford House on Crawford Hill has been the scene of all kinds of abuses to various of it's inhabitants since it was built. The male Crawfords were all sadistic, psychotic men. Derek Crawford grew up in this house and has the mental and physical scars to prove it. Derek is brilliant and managed to outlive all the atrocities visited upon him. He became a child psychologist in order to help children who were being abused. He becomes unhinged after trying to help a young boy and is taking some time off. The problem is he keeps hearing his old man's voice in his head, and those words are not pretty. AND strange things keep happening--like murders and people popping into his life.

After a while the voices seem to stop and the book becomes less stressful to read---then----it gets crazy again!! Derek's sister, who he thought was dead-comes for revenge. I really can't say much more or I might give away the plot. Read it if you dare. There will be a sequel which will tell the story of the woman Derek ultimately falls for.

About the Book:

Derek Crawford smiles pleasantly at the anger management counselor as the voices in his head beckon him into spiraling madness.

A burned-out and now unemployed child psychologist, Derek lives alone in the Victorian mansion on Crawford Hill. From his great-grandmother’s widow’s walk on the fourth floor he can watch the lights of Centerville blinking on as the sun sets over Lake St. Clair.

From the basement he can enter his great-grandfather’s network of caves, and prowl beneath the homes of the unsuspecting town.

As he nears his 29th birthday, one voice is getting louder. More persistent. It’s the gravelly voice of his old man, dead a dozen years but no less demanding than when he whipped his belt across Derek’s back.

Only one year left whelp, don’t you screw it up.

Derek knows he’s closing in on the deadline: to inherit Crawford Hill, he must be married and father a son before he turns thirty. A legacy he’s determined not to fulfill, because he refuses to chance perpetuating the insanity and bloodlust of the Crawford family tree.

He’s determined, that is, until unsuspecting Valerie Fleury knocks on the door of Crawford House. Against his better judgment, he invites her in for coffee and more, and a glimmer of hope pierces his soul. Until she mentions she’s working with the cops. Until she starts asking about the caves, and his parents, and a series of rapes and murders that are occurring around Centerville. Again.

That wench would look good barefoot and pregnant. Or dead and bloody.

With the stakes rising in proportion to the body count, Derek must confront the memories he’s spent his adult life learning to bury, and risk unleashing his encroaching madness to save the woman who might hold his redemption.

Crawford Hill is on the Amazon Countdown during the blast!!!

Purchase the book Here

April 24th 3am PST for 22hrs the price will be $1.99
April 25th 1am PST for 22hrs the price will be $2.99
April 25th 11pm PST for 24hrs the price will be $3.99
April 26th 11pm PST back to the orginal price of $4.99

About the Author
:



Born and raised on the shores of Michigan’s Lake St. Clair, one of Robin Hewitt’s earliest memories is of Mama warning her to beware of The Bogeyman, who lived in the caves on the banks of the Clinton River. Although extensive teenage explorations brought her to the conclusion that Mama had actually been worried that she would fall in the river, she never forgot the warnings or the idea that a monster could live beneath our feet, slinking out at night to strike terror in the hearts of unsuspecting women and children.

Robin still lives a few miles away from Lake St. Clair. With extensive experience writing non-fiction articles and books, Crawford Hill is Robin’s first published venture into the world of fiction writing.

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All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

Book Review-Immortality-Kevin Bohacz


This is a science fiction novel of a doomsday scenario that will leave you shaken. Only after having finished this book was I able to see a lot of similarities to Biblical stories which made it even more frightening if possible--and in some ways more believable. I certainly hope this NEVER happens!!

The last sentence of the book has me sad on a couple of levels for the human race-- and very curious

"So much misguided fear," said Mark. "Funny how everything can change and still nothing's different."

Ghost of the Gods, the sequel to Immortality is on sale now and I really want to know what happens next!! Guess I will just have to go in and purchase it!

About the Book: (from Amazon)

Without warning, something has gone terribly awry. In the remote and unnoticed places of the world, small pockets of death begin occurring. As the initially isolated extinctions spread, the world's eyes focus on this unimaginable horror and chaos. Out of the ecological imbalance, something new and extraordinary is evolving and surviving to fill the voids left by these extinctions. Evolution is operating in ways no one could have expected and environmental damage may be the catalyst. Once discovered, this knowledge changes everything.

Publisher's Weekly STARRED FULL review:

When human extinctions occur in South America and spread worldwide, paleobiologist and genetic researcher Mark Freedman senses a connection to the Chromatium Omri bacteria, the oldest known life form on Earth linked to previous extinctions. The growing virulence in the "kill zones" spurs Freedman to join forces with Kathy Morrison, expert on viral and bacterial pathogens with the Centers for Disease Control. Despite personal losses, Freedman and Morrison find romance and make discoveries about the devastation and what lies behind it. Other colorful characters include dedicated policewoman Sarah Mayfair, whose horrific dreams and improbable survival enable contact with the forces behind the outbreaks; cynical Gen. James McKafferty, committed to preserving the U.S. at whatever cost; and Artie Hartman, goaded by his wife's death to wage war on gangs and government forces indiscriminately. The seemingly random attacks and emergence of chaos allow Bohacz to explore such themes as whether humanity deserves to survive, the meaning of being human, and the cost of perfect health and immortality. The originality of Bohacz's ideas is nearly equaled by detailed descriptions of a decontamination lab, the frenzied search for answers, and the aftermath of destruction. His vision of a humanity that faces the need to evolve profoundly or face certain destruction is as timely as today's news and as chilling a doomsday scenario as any ecological catastrophe can suggest.

Read a couple of Chapters Here

Purchase the Book at Amazon at Barnes & Noble and others (see author's website below


About the Author: (from Amazon)


I am Kevin Bohacz the bestselling novelist of Immortality and a lucid dreamer... Welcome to my dreams. I am also a writer for national computer magazines, founder and president of two high technology corporations, a scientist and engineer for over 35 years, and the inventor of an advanced electric car system - the ESE Engine System (circa 1978). I was also a short order cook for I-Hop, flipped burgers at McDonalds, and delivered Chicken Delight. All of those careers and more are behind me now that I am a full time storyteller, a catcher of dreams. Thank you for reading my stories and making this all possible.

I was born in 1957 in New York City, and have lived in New York, California, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New Mexico, and more. I can be currently sighted with my wife, Mazelle in one our favorite cities.

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I recieved a paperback edition of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

$20 Amazon/PP + 1 Signed Book + 1 Ebook (3 Winners)-WW-Taming Romeo-Rachelle Ayala-Ends 5/15

Wednesday, April 23, 2014


I absolutely adore reading books by this author! This is not the first and it will definitely not be the last! The first book I read and reviewed was Broken Build - (Technothriller & Romantic Suspense), then there was Knowing Vera. Click on the links for my reviews. Taming Romeo is the third book I have read and this will be at least a series of 3 if I read it correctly! You know I will be reading them as well.

Just a word of warning, this is definitely a book for ADULTS-there are some pretty steamy parts. The story line, as usual is marvelous and thankfully ends happily ever after for this Pinoy couple (Evie and Romeo)! They really went through some rough periods there and I was praying that they would get it together. Evies family owned a restaurant and a lot of the action happens there. It is also the story of how families and extended friends and family stick together, and depicts I believe how Pinoy family life is or at least was lived. Imagine being grounded at age 24 by your Dad because you stayed out late (well, all night)!

Rachel Ayala knows how to write a book that will make you laugh, then cry then laugh once again! She truly can make you feel what the characters are feeling--from me--this gets a 10!!

Evie Sanchez is recovering from heartbreak by working at her parents’ Filipino restaurant when in walks Romeo Garcia, the boy she left behind. Only now, he’s a hot movie star surrounded by gorgeous actresses and adoring fans.

Bad boy Romeo Garcia never understood why Evie stood him up at the prom. When he rescues her from a flying coconut in the dumpster, he is determined to dig into her heart for the reason. Their mutual attraction and unresolved feelings ignite in a scintillating night of daring sex, and Romeo shows Evie what she’ll miss the rest of her life if she walks away again.

Evie lands a part as Romeo’s co-star and falls into her role, totally in love. He plays his part, too, with his romantic gestures and skillful lovemaking. But is the fantasy real or revenge? Evie and Romeo are about to discover if their buried feelings will explode in pure delight or utter disaster.

Taming Romeo is a contemporary romance featuring family secrets, delicious food, and hot, steamy loves scenes.

Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+.

Buy the book from..... 

About the Author


Rachelle Ayala is the author of dramatic fiction crossing genres and boundaries featuring strong but flawed characters. She writes emotionally challenging stories and is not afraid of controversial topics. However, she is an optimist and laces her stories with romance and hope.



Rachelle is an active member of online critique group, Critique Circle, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has three children and has taught violin and made mountain dulcimers.

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.



NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY


THREE LUCKY WINNERS!!

1st prize - $20 Amazon Giftcard

2nd prize - Signed Book of Taming Romeo

3rd prize - Rachelle Ayala ebook (winner's choice)
Open Worldwide
Ending on Thursday 15th May at 11.59pm EST


Enter Below and Good Luck !!










I received an e-book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

$100 Amazon GC-Mind Games (A Cassie Scott Novel)-Christine Amsden-Ends 7/16


This is the 3rd book in the Cassie Scott series. If you have not seen my reviews or the guest posts that Christine Amsden has written for Miki's Hope then click in the links below.

Cassie Scott-Paranormal Detective (Book 1 w/trailer)
Secrets and Lies (Book 2 with 1st chapter reveal)
Judging a Book by its Cover: Reflections on the Cassie Scot Cover (Christine Amsden's 1st Guest post on Miki's Hope)
Guest Post-The World is Full of Blank Pages (her most current guest post on Miki's Hope)

This is definitely a series you should read in order. It takes off seamlessly from the prior book and the ending--well has you wanting that book immediately if not sooner! Cassie is still heartbroken over the way Evan just seemed to drop her and is now living with two of her friends in an apartment. A new guy comes into her life, Matthew, but he is not all he seems to be. Meanwhile there is a preacher in town who is really on a witch hunt! Cassie is working with the Sheriffs department to try and find out why people are dying or are they being murdered?

Cassie finds herself in this book, she also finds out some truths about herself that she was never told! Another book I finished in one sitting--and I can honestly say that I love the way this author writes! Of course she is darn good at leaving you hanging at the end too-------5 Star for sure!

About the book: (from Author Promo Material)


Beware your heart and soul…

Evan broke Cassie’s heart two months ago, and she still doesn’t know why. She throws herself into family, friends and her new job at the sheriff’s department, but nothing helps. The only thing that finally allows her heal and move on is the love of a new man, mind mage Matthew Blair. Cassie finds him…irresistible.

Matthew may also be the only one who can help keep the non-magical residents of Eagle Rock from going crazy over the murder of a beloved pastor’s wife. It looks like a sorcerer is to blame, but while Cassie tries to figure out who, others take matters into their own hands. With tensions running so hot, a single spark might set Eagle Rock ablaze.

Praise for the Cassie Scot Series
From Publisher’s Weekly:

“Amsden continues the story of the only mundane member of a supernaturally-gifted family in this middling sequel to Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective. Cassie, stubborn and proud, is bravely trying to live on her own after her family disowns her. Struggling to make ends meet, she accepts a case involving a pair of magical girls who disappeared from summer camp. With the aid of the
handsome Evan Blackwood, to whom Cassie is attracted despite her family’s disapproval and her own better judgment, she follows the trail of the missing girls. What she finds is a dark side of the magical world, and the hidden depths of her family’s past force her to reconsider long-held assumptions. The growing complexity of Cassie’s world makes this an entertaining installment,
focusing as much on the will-they, won’t-they romantic chemistry between Cassie and Evan as on the primary mystery. An inconclusive ending is clearly intended to feed into the next volume.”

Kim Falconer, bestselling author of The Spell of Rosette, Quantum Enchantment Series, had this to say: “When sorcerers call the shots, what’s a girl without powers to do? Get ready for a ripper of a murder mystery full of romance and intrigue, where magic potions bubble, passions spark and vampires are definitely not your friend. Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective grabs you by the heart and won’t let go until the very last page. Well written, immersive and unputdownable. This is urban fantasy at its best. More please!”

Read 1st Chapter here (Warning -there may be spoilers, you should probably check out the 1st 2 in this series first.)

Purchase the book here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Audible


About the Author: (from Author promo Material)


Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for
everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams. In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

Social Media links:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Google+

And now for the giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway






All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

Melitta Pour Over 1 Cup Brew --How I have been celebrating Earth Day for YEARS!!

Tuesday, April 22, 2014



As you all know I am single but do love my coffee! Years ago my Mom introduced me and bought me a Melitta Pour Over 1 Cup Brew Cone. I have used nothing else ever since!! I have the original one but now they have come out with a couple of different ones.
I save on electricity (gravity is amazing!)-extremely easy clean-up. The #2 filters are bio degradable and you can get any brand and they will fit (either bleached or not). It actually takes about the same amount of time to brew a cup of coffee using one of these as it does using a k-cup with those expensive machines. You can take it traveling-just wipe and rinse under hot water and it is ready for the next cup of freshly brewed coffee. Just stick the cone on top of your cup-put in the filter-add any ground coffee you want-pour in boiling water-once the water seeps through-VOILA! They even have come out with ceramic cones now--I'll stick with my plastic one--it may out live me! Go check them out--you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. And so does Mother Earth--Happy Earth Day!!

From their website




A fast, inexpensive way to bring out coffee’s true flavor in three easy steps
New cone design enables you to see into the cup without lifting to avoid overfill (I have the old design)
Plastic brew cone designed to fit many size mugs
Uses #2 size cone filters
Comes with a start-up supply of Melitta #2 cone filters
Product Dimensions: 5”W – 4.5”D – 4”H










I am NOT an affiliate of Melitta. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

1800Flowers-When you need a Flower Lovin' Mom's Gift!

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links

My Mother loves flowers. Whether it is the Spring or Winter she always manages to have fresh cut flowers in her apartment. On Mother's Day she EXPECTS flowers from me. Not that she has ever exactly said anything--just kind of insinuates-and guess who gets them for her on her November birthday?-Over the years I have bought flowers from many different off line and on line florists. I try to stay away from flower shops for a very good reason--I am allergic to flowers! No, I do not live with her or I would be in trouble! (I did spend a lot of the years there sniffling and taking allergy pills!)

One of the sites which I truly have gonre back to a couple of time is 1800Flowers

Save 15% on Birthday Flowers and Gifts at 1800flowers.com. Use Promo Code BDFFN at checkout.

Right now they have a couple of specials going on-just click in to find out more!

I think this is what I am going to get my Mom for Mother's Day--she also loves tea!!





This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links
All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.

E-Book GA/Review-Honor and Innocence Against the Tides of War-Glen Thomas Hierlmeier-Ends 5/20


Although this book is a novel, according to the dedication, "it is based on actual events and circumstances experienced toward the end of World War II, and the occupation of Europe by the Allied Forces of America, Great Britain, and Russia after the war." It is based on stories the author's brother, Henry Glendon Hierlmeier, told him. The main character was named after his brother.

This is the story of the human side to war, where soldiers suddenly realized that the enemy wasn't necessarily the enemy and sometimes the real enemy was the soldier on your side. It is also a love story which will take the lovers from war torn Germany, to Switzerland, to Italy, to Greece and finally to Australia. It is told in the voice of the daughter of two whose tragic love--well I'm not going to tell you--just make sure you have a full box of tissues--you will need them for the ending of this book!

About the Book
: (From Amazon)

Hank Fischer is drafted into the American Army soon after high school graduation in 1945, beginning a six month saga of intrigue, horror, and love that takes him from his southern Wisconsin home to Texas, then Germany, Switzerland, Greece, and Singapore, revealing along the way the devastating truth of the tragic consequences of war. In the Texas prisoner of war camp where Germans were interned, a youthful and naïve Hank is targeted by Haynes who becomes his lifelong tormentor, but he also begins his closest, nearly unimaginable lifelong friendship with Max, a German prisoner of war under his supervision, whose twin sister, Roberta, back in their German homeland, is destined to become the love of his life. Hank is drawn into a dangerous web of intrigue by the common heritage he shares with Max, a prisoner of war being returned to his homeland, and the intense love he finds with Roberta. Because of their ties to the SS through their father, a senior Nazi official hand-selected by Adolph Hitler himself, Max and Roberta are pursued by the Intelligence Forces of the American and British Occupation. Hank is faced with the colossal choice between his allegiance to the U.S. Army and his love for Roberta. Hank chooses to collaborate with Max and free Roberta from a British prison camp, beginning a desperate flight through war-torn Germany where they witness first-hand the ravages of post –war Europe, while staying perilously ahead of pursuing forces. Their flight takes them to a secret refuge in the mountains of neutral Switzerland where Lazlo, a Hungarian born war-time profiteer provides the opportunity for their escape. Sadly leaving Max behind in Switzerland they set out for the port city of Trieste by train, only to survive an attack by post-war Italian Army pirates, then sail the seas on a merchant ship with a modern day Greek philosopher, Captain Koz, to search out hidden treasure in a small Greek village. Again forced to flee, Captain Koz helps them find refuge across the Indian Ocean, in Singapore, only to once again face the bane of powerful men…another war-torn country. Their very survival hangs in the delicate balance between their powerful love and will to live, and evil man’s violent quest for power and wealth. Their amazing journey, immersed in horrors of war, bombed-out cities, dead bodies, displaced person by the millions, desperation and hopelessness, give the reader a rare look at the despair of victims of the hubris of men seeking power for the sake of power, amidst their powerful love story.

Read a chapter or two here

Purchase the Book at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author: (from Goodreads)


Glen graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, then earned a Masters of Business Administration at The University of Wisconsin at Madison. He served in the US Air Force on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory space exploration program and on the design phase of the development of the F-15 fighter aircraft. After leaving the Air Force, Glen returned to Wisconsin and became Vice President of the largest bank in his home state, First Wisconsin National Bank. In 1979, he moved on to become President and CEO of several real estate development and management companies. Glen retired in 2009 to devote full time to his grandchildren and his writing. Glen is the author of Honor and Innocence, We Had to Live: We Had No Choice…, and Thoughts From Yesterday: Moments to Remember.


Website
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway


If you are 18 years of age or older and can receive an e-book from Amazon-then you are eligible to win this prize. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email I will send them with their Amazon email address and full name. The sponsor will be sending the prize.



I received an e-book copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own honest opinions. For more information please check my Disclosure Statement. Our giveaways are in no way sponsored or promoted by Facebook.
 
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