Title: Love Her to Death

Author: Linda Palmer

Year Published: May 2005

Why did you buy this book?

This was another book that I picked up because of my new love for cozy mysteries. I thought it was the first in the series but when I started reading someone mentioned it was the second one. I was so into the book I couldn’t put it down to read the first one.

Do you like the cover?

The cover is eye catching but after reading it you understand the little tidbits on the cover.

Did you enjoy the book?

I really enjoyed this book.

Morgan Tyler is a daytime drama writer that has recently gotten a promotion to co-producer too. Part of what of her job description is making sure everything runs smoothly and everyone involved in the production of the show is happy. This includes finding out who’s trying to kill one of the shows most popular actress’ Cybelle. As if she doesn’t have her hands full as it is, someone is trying to kill her too.

To make things really interesting after years of being alone she now has two men interested. But it seems Cybelle’s mysterious and possible murder suspect husband has Morgan daydreaming.

When you think you have it all figured out…really you don’t. It’s a fun story filled with twists, turns and a peek into the daytime drama world that you won’t want to put down.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again?

Yes the author was new to me and I have the next book in the series and I’m on the hunt for the first book. She is another auto-buy author for me now.

Are you keeping this book or passing it on?

It’s a keeper cause I’ll definitely reread this book.

The things Momma taught me…

Long before I hit puberty momma did her best to teach me the importance of always looking your best and carrying a purse. Her philosophy was simple, looks matter…you may not be the best looking person in the room but don’t prove it by looking worse than what you can either. They can say don’t judge a book by it’s cover but those are pretty words. Don’t give them an excuse not to get to know you.

When I hit puberty found out why I needed a purse, I figured that proved she might be right on the looks thing too.

During puberty the most important lesson she stressed was reputation. A loose woman may have a lot of male companions but she never had real friends. Once you obtained a reputation it would never before gotten. Of course living in a small town made that lesson easy to believe. She also explained the difference between a strong woman and a bitch. If you ever got a reputation as a bitch it was worse than being loose…a loose woman can repent, once a bitch always a bitch.

At a young age I was exposed to politics because of my mother’s job. She was in a government position surrounded by local politics and politicians. I once told her that I could never work in politics because you had to watch every word and action. She told me that life is nothing but a big political ring…you learn to deal with it or you are constantly putting out brush fires due to your comments or actions.

When I started working the lesson upper most discussed was the importance of never burning bridges. You may not like the company you work for but they sign your pay checks so you either show them loyalty or find another job. And even more important never disrespect them after you leave, you never know when you’ll need to go back or ask for a reference from them.

Needless to say that I have enough baggage to keep a psychiatrist busy for years…but who doesn’t. Unfortunately some people should have my baggage problems.

I never leave the house unless I’m ready to face people…very few have seen me looking like death warmed over, when I’m in that state I mostly hide at home…*G*. And yes, I worry about the ones who have seen me looking bad but I’m getting better about it.

I don’t live in a small town anymore but I still watch what I say and do because I still try to uphold the old reputation…some find me bitchy but I’ve come to terms with that as well, others find me ditzy which is fine because like momma says ‘you can improve dumb, bitching just gets worse with age’.

Momma was right about politics being all around us even if it’s never acknowledged. You have your leaders and you have your followers. If you don’t agree with the flow then you must walk that delicate line of making peace and helping change. If you aren’t careful you’ll come across as a bitch and get a reputation as a trouble maker…then you’ll never help change what you don’t like in that situation.

If your not smart enough not to bite the hand that feeds you…you pretty much deserve to get bitten right back. What you may not understand is the bite back is like a poison that may never get leached out of your reputation. When your next potential boss (or any boss in the future) looks into your work history, they will question if they really want someone that could potentially turn on them. Your past will follow you where ever you go, do you really want a stupid comment to follow you the rest of your life?

So yea, I’ve got baggage but I guess after reading blogs and loops about how this organization is so narrow minded or that company is substandard…I’ll take my baggage. Call me ditzy but my name isn’t going to be bandied around in the hot bed of political upheaval because my opinion doesn’t follow the leaders or the opposition of the moment.

The other day I went shopping for something to wear to a picnic. I was looking for shorts but since all the fall clothes were out I was out of luck. Ever the sensible shopper I decided to pick up a couple of pants instead. Nothing I have fits anyway so it’s not like I’m buying something I don’t need.

So I picked up a couple of pairs of pants in the size I thought would fit. I quick trip to the dressing room showed that I needed a smaller size…Woo~Hoo…so I headed back out to check out a smaller size. I was in luck. I not only found a the size I was looking for but also pants and jeans without low waists…I don’t really like those (my pooch belly looks bad in those).

I was all excited and came home to share my good luck with my friends in Paradise. Several wanted to see a picture of my new jeans so I pondered that…when Jaci bought new jeans she posted a picture on her blog. Aren’t her jeans gorgeous and she’s got a sexy bod so it’s easy for her to post a picture. I on the other hand don’t have a size 2 body so jeans don’t really look the same…*ggg*.

Any way back to the chatter in Paradise…after they heard about my stubborn streak when it comes to pants/jeans with a low waist they explained why I should change my mind. The lower waist makes your bottom look better (not as big). Well that may work for some but I don’t show my bottom anyway so it really doesn’t matter…

Oh wait, I do show my bottom off now…I forgot. Now that I've lost weight I don’t wear shirts long enough to cover everything. I’m tucking my shirts in and wearing shirts that stop below my waist. I forget because for so long I’ve worn shirts to cover everything from my neck to my thighs cause of my size. Now I don’t have to cover up my tummy because even though it’s not flat I’m not embarrassed by it.

As for posting a picture…well I wasn’t really going to post one. I was going to send it to Jaci and a few others offline. But I must say…

Yes Jaci, you were right…they do make your bottom look bigger…*G*

Yes you can say I told you so...*ggg*

The most important person in your life…your hairstylist.

A doctor (if good) can find and treat diseases early before it’s fatal. A dentist can keep your smile beautiful and you eating corn on the cob the rest of your life. Your husband (if loving and true) will be there no matter what how bad things are in your life…but your hairstylist can make or break your world with a single snip.

My hair is shaggy looking and as luck would have it I have something to go to this week. I only see these people once maybe twice a year so I don’t want to go looking like a mangy dog. I need a hairstylist really bad (and really fast). The last several times I’ve been to my regular stylist, I didn’t feel like I had his full attention (even while talking about my concerns of loosing my hair). He seemed more concerned with the fact I didn’t want to frost my hair until it stopped falling out. I know it sounds silly but I just didn’t want him to dump those chemicals on my head then dump me under a hot dryer…I’m trying to pampering my hair, hoping it will play nice and stop running away.

So I’ve made an appointment in a different salon. My hubby and son have been there with great results. Hubby doesn’t count though he only went there cause it was close to work and he needed a cut. My son is a different story, he has long, and wavy beautiful hair…a cross between my straight and my hubby’s curly hair…I wish I was lucky enough to have my son’s gorgeous hair. Anyway they have done a great job on his hair so I hope they can do something with my mess. And yes I've heard of happy female customers as well, a few of the woman my hubby works with told him about the place cause they love it too.

As for my poor hubby…I know what’s going through his diluted mind. I’m stressing over my hair so I won’t even worry about what to wear. HA! I still have to go shopping because I don’t have anything in my closet that fits. I’ll be dawg-gone if I’ll wear shorts that dangle on me cause they are too big. So tomorrow after my hair appointment, I’m heading off to the mall to look for shorts…*G*

I’m going bald

I started noticing it just before I left for RT in Daytona (May), but I was in such a rush and thought maybe it was just the way he cut my hair. After I got back I noticed when I washed my hair that lots of it was coming out but I just thought it was from the highlight (maybe it was damaged and causing the snarling mess). Then when it was time for more highlights I told him not to put them in cause I thought that was causing the hair loss.

My hairdresser showed me that the hair coming out (at this point even running my fingers through my hair cause some to come out) was coming out from the roots and not breaking off. He also showed me the new growth coming through so it wasn’t so bad. Still it’s thinned out so much that it’s really noticeable now.

So I’ve got a call into the doctor about seeing what’s going on. My hairdresser also asked about my finger nails…yes, they’re breaking off really bad too but I’ve never had really great nails so I didn’t really notice that until he mentioned it.

So before I’m bald and nothing but nubs for nails let’s hope I can find out what’s going on.

*Sigh*

And before you ask, yes I’m eating lots of healthy fruits, veggies, fish, poultry and even beef…and no I’m not stressing over anything…well nothing but being bald and nubby nailed.

*G*

Title: Charmed to Death

Author: Shirley Damsgaard

Year Published: 2006

Why did you buy this book?

I loved the first book by Ms. Damsgaard, “Witch Way to Murder”, so when I finished it I immediately went out and got this book.

Do you like the cover?

Yes, it’s intriguing and eye catching. After reading the story, the cover really fits the storyline.

Did you enjoy the book?

I loved the story. In the last story Ophelia was starting to get past her resentment of not being able to use her gift to save her friend Brian from being killed by a madman five years earlier. Now she’s pulling herself out of her protective shell and spreading her wings. Not only is she opening herself up to new friendships but she’s also accepted her gift and her heritage. With the help of her grandmother Abby (a practicing witch with gifts of her own), she is learning more about her gifts and about being a witch.

Unfortunately the past is not yet settled. When Abby tells Ophelia she must deal with the death of her best friend Brian, Ophelia resists at first. She didn’t want to have to face detective Comancho, who thought she was guilty of murder or at least hiding something about the murder. After loosing another friend in the same fashion as before Ophelia realizes she will not only have to face the past but the detective that has even more questions about how she seems to find dead bodies and knows too much about the crimes.

This was another quick read because I became so engrossed in the story I found it hard to put down. Ophelia’s growth not only in her magick but in her inner strength helps make this story a wonderful read. It’s filled with deep emotions as well, you feel the love she has for her grandmother Abby and for her mother as well. And once again Darci is ever helpful not only with her deep well of knowledge but also with her friendship for Ophelia (whether Ophelia wants it or not). You see the subtle changes and growth in their friendship as well. This story was filled with lots of mysteries and mishaps as well but in the end everything is revealed. I truly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one to come out.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again?

I read the first book in this series “Witch Way to Murder” and loved it. I knew I had to have this book because I enjoyed the first one so much. After reading this book, the author has become an auto-buy for me and I’m looking forward to her next book “Trouble with Witches”, due at the end of this month (August 29).

Are you keeping this book or passing it on?

This is a keeper and the author is now an auto-buy as well. I know I’ll enjoy re-reading this story snuggled up on a chilly winters’ night…or on a hot summers’ day…*G*

Anything else?

I’ve really enjoyed the cozy mysteries and I especially like the paranormal twist I have found in several I have recently read as well as several more I have in my ever growing “To Be Read” pile. I think this is a new favorite genre of mine and I look forward to finding more paranormal cozy mysteries…please post any suggestion you have on authors of this genre.

Title: Witch Way to Murder

Author: Shirley Damsgaard

Year Published: 2005

Why did you buy this book?

After reading “The Trouble with Magic” by Madelyn Alt, I hit the internet looking for other cozy mysteries to satisfy my new craving for the genre that’s to me. I found this book after pulling up Ms. Alts book on Amazon and B&N searching through books/authors they recommended. I was very lucky to have found another favorite author.

Do you like the cover?

Yes, the old graveyard with a black cat kind of sets you up for an intriguing read…only after you read the story do you understand the meaning of the crossroads the cat finds itself pondering.

Did you enjoy the book?

I loved the story. It was hard for Ophelia because of feeling helpless with her ability 5 years ago when her best friend died at the hands of madman. She had turned her back on her powers and her heritage. She’s founding out now no matter how much she denies her abilities they are still within her pushing to come out.

When Ophelia finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, she decides it’s time to face her powers and see if she can find answers. So with the help of her grandmother Abby, who happens to be a witch with a few powers of her own, she tries to figure out what’s going on. First she wants to know about the nosy guy asking all kinds of question about her and her grandmother. It seems that things have gotten out of hand since he started charming answers out of everyone in town.

I found it hard to put the book down, it was a quick read for me because I didn’t know what was going to happen next. As the story goes along you see the struggle Ophelia has with her abilities and the fact that they leave her with more questions than answers. Her love for Abby also shines through the story even though she tries to turn her back on her gift and heritage she’s never turned her back on her grandmother. It’s a great story filled with lots of intrigue that will have you guessing and questioning until the end.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again?

Yes the author is new to me and I’m planning on hitting the bookstore soon for the next in the Ophelia & Abby series, “Charmed to Death”.

Are you keeping this book or passing it on?

Definitaly a keeper…I know I’ll enjoy reading this again…on a chilly winters night sound perfect.

Anything else?

Even though I’m still an avid romance junky, I’m really enjoying the cozy mystery genre. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book by Ms. Damsgaard, “Charmed to Death”.

Title: Skinny Bitch

Author: Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

Year Published: 2005

Why did you buy this book?

I saw the title and had to pick it up because I’ve read blogs with titles such as “Breakfast Bitches” and “Smart Bitches…” so I wanted to see what “Skinny Bitch” was about.

Do you like the cover?

The cover is the reason I picked up the book to begin with…so yes, the cover is eye catching. Not only with the title and the “Skinny Broad” but the words… “A no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous!” …that had me picking up the book.

Did you enjoy the book?

It was great for a few laughs and some affirmations but there were a few of chapters I would recommend my friends skip. Those chapters were great for reinforcing a vegan lifestyle but since I’m not a vegan (and never plan to be no matter what’s written by certain extreme groups) I read them because they were there but don’t plan on rereading them. They also had an almost paranoid look at some of the government agencies regulating the production of agriculture. Again that’s a chapter I recommend skipping unless you want to go forth and make political changes.

Over all it was great for anyone that’s been on a lifestyle change for a while and just needs a boost or reminder why you’ve made the changes or someone that’s hit rock bottom and needs a jumpstart on a healthy lifestyle (check with your doctor about his/her suggested diet for you though). I wouldn’t follow their eating suggestions (again because I’m not vegan) but I do like the common themes throughout the book…THINK FOR YOURSELF, USE COMMON SENSE and GET OFF YOUR ASS AND DO IT!

The language they use can be consider blunt if not down right hard but if the title makes you cringe the way they “tell it like it is” will having you blushing from the beginning to the end. No it’s not for the faint of heart but it is fun and thought provoking read.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again?

Yes, the authors are new to me. Even though I enjoyed the read, I don’t think I would get another book. I would like to see them come out with a daily calendar though…I think they would have some fun and interesting suggestions…*G*

Are you keeping this book or passing it on?

Yes, I’ll keep the book to read again when I’m feeling a for a straight forward kick in the butt. I will pick up a couple of copies for two of my friends that have found success with Weight Watchers and are life time members. I think they would get a kick out of some of the comments in the book…and on occasion they might find it a kick in the butt too…*G*

Anything else?

Just want to reiterate I read this book because of the title and not because I used it as a weight loss guide. I am not promoting their diet or anything they say in the book except…Think for yourself, Use common Sense and Get off your butt and do it (what ever it is that you and your doctor think will work for you and your health).

Ten 5lb bags of sugar?

January 1, 2006…while eating ham, black-eyed peas, greens (both seasoned with hog jowls) and other traditional southern delicacies I decided it was time to take control of my life. Of course I didn’t get started for a couple days because we had so many leftovers as usual.

So on January 3, 2006 I started making better decisions on what I was going to eat and more importantly how I was going to cook it. I normally cooked veggies with pork fat of some form (being from the south that’s the way I was raised). I decided since it was still winter time I didn’t want to mess with the grill but broiling worked just as well so that’s how I started out. I roasted every thing from meats to veggies. I had salads loaded with an assortment of fresh veggies. I kept lots of fresh fruit on hand too.

My hobbies included cooking, reading romances, reading cookbooks, watching TV and of course my most physical activity was surfing the web. I needed to start moving so I started with a walk aerobics show for people over 40 that lasted all of 20 minutes…after two weeks I was able to do half the show without stopping.

By the middle of February and I had lost 18lbs and I was really surprised at my success so far. After I mastered doing the walk aerobics show twice a day I decided it was time to start Curves (by this time I hoped I worked out enough at home I had enough stamina not to embarrass myself there).

At Curves they weighed and measured me. Then looking at the sheet of all those numbers, asked me what my goal was…to loose more weight. Of course but did I have a goal in mine? Yes, I wanted to be able to shop anywhere for clothes so I guess I want to be a size 12. You can find size 12 most places and since I had been a size 18 for the past twelve years (except for the last few months of 2005 when I went up a size). It seemed like a lofty goal but I was determined even if it took years.

In March I felt better than I had in years and figured with all the wonderful changes taking place in my life it was time for a trip to the doctor’s office…it had only been five or six years so it was time. She was really happy with my outlook on life and the changes I was making. She gave me a goal weight and told me that it would take along time to reach it but slow and steady was the best way to get there.

A few days later I get a call back from her with some blood work results…I needed to come in for more tests cause my liver enzymes were high. After a liver ultrasound they found I had a fatty liver but the second round of blood work came back much better. So she told me to stick with the way I was eating because from what I had told her it was working on the weight issue and was eating a lower fat diet not too…I needed to loose weight and lower my fat intake so keep going.

At that point I was scared to death but I was also thankful that I had already found the eating habits I started not only worked but didn’t leave me feeling like I was missing something. I could live this way and be perfectly happy…which as she said I needed to do.

I did back slide in my self image though. When I weighed in 25lbs less, I decided I had to have a new scale because yes my clothes didn’t fit and yes I have been feeling much better but 25lbs was a lot so the scale must be wrong…*G*. Hubby took me shopping for a new scale and didn’t say a word when we got home and this scale said yes in fact I did loose 25lbs…not convinced I still checked it out at Curves too before I believed I’d lost five 5lbs bags of sugar (I would visualize my weight loss with bags of sugar…*g*).

April came along and I needed to start looking for new clothes for two reasons…nothing I had fit and I had a convention to go to the following month. I cleaned out my closet and took loads of clothes to Goodwill. I started shopping for my trip and I felt like a whole new person. I was excited because the weight was coming off and I felt so much more energetic. I was looking forward to the convention because this year I wouldn’t hold my friends back from doing stuff because I just didn’t have the energy or stamina to keep up.

May was a month of excitement not only because of seeing all my friends at convention but because I wanted them to see me. I had been telling everyone that I was loosing weight but now was the real test…was it really noticeable. I hit my next major goal, losing over 35lbs before my trip. I was all excited and ready to go.

I amazed my Dad…floored him would be more like it. Every week I called him about my weight loss and he say good job. When he picked me up from the airport he was totally surprised at my weight loss. He couldn’t believe what a change 37lbs made on me. When we ate out that night, he was surprised at the way I was able to fit in my eating habits with their lifestyle. No lettuce dinners for me, just sensible choices and amounts…I think that shocked him the most.

At the hotel my friends all commented on the change as well. Like Dad they noticed and cheered me on as well. It felt good to be able to go to the beach and pool and be as active as my best buds. We really had a blast and the best part is I come home not feeling deprived and still loosing 5lbs more while on vacation.

With summer came a whole new set of challenges. The hot weather, irregular schedules and activities that made my regimented style tough to follow. But I persevered and still lost weight…not at much as I did in the beginning but still it was a weight loss and that’s all that matters…better than a weight gain.

So you ask, why this long letter of stuff most of you know about?

Well as of this morning I’ve lost ten 5lb bags of sugar.

I’m not at my size 12 goal but I can shop in most stores because I’m wearing a size 16 regular and they are starting to get baggy on me. Instead of wearing an extra large t-shirt, I’m in a large which means I can get t-shirts most places too.

According to what my doctor recommended in March, I still need to loose 34lbs but I’m thinking another 50lbs will be better. It will still be in my recommended weight numbers for my age, height and body size so it won’t be too much. Whether I make it or not, I don’t know but it gives me a goal. The best part, since I started Curves, my body fat percentage has gone down over 5 percentage points so the doctor will be thrilled. I need to make an appointment for the next round of blood work (she wanted to see me again this month just to check on me).

What can I say, I’m happy and astonished that I’ve lost this much weight. When I started I was hoping to get in better shape and get back into the clothes that had gotten too tight over the holidays. After seeing the progress I was making I decided I need to get healthy instead of settling for what I had been for 12 years. Now I’m excited about the possibility of all the things I’ll be able to do 5, 10, 20 years down the road because I’ll be in much better shape and healthy enough to keep up with everyone around me.

Was it easy…hell no!

Would I go back…gawd I hope not!

Why not…because just like when I quit smoking, I see what it was before and it scares me enough to keep looking ahead.

I’ve been lucky and I hope my luck holds out…I hope to still be dancing well into my 80’s…I know it’s possible cause I see a couple of ladies at Curves that are in their 80’s and one just learned how to use the 3lb hula-hoop…*G*

This is a review for Angie’s TBR Challenge for August. This month’s category was for a non-romance book in your TBR (To Be Read) pile. Since reading this book I have a whole slew of cozy mysteries I had to run out and purchase because I enjoyed the genre so much.

Title: The Trouble with Magic

Author: Madelyn Alt

Year Published: January 2006

Why did you buy this book?

I saw it on the end-cap at the bookstore and it caught my eye and when I read the blurb I was hooked.

Do you like the cover?

The cover is what caught my attention (and the name too), I like it.

Did you enjoy the book?

I couldn’t put it down because it was such a fun read. After being fired from a job she hates by a boss she calls The Toad, Maggie accepts a job with Felicity the owner of Enchantments. Maggie met her new boss the owner of an upscale antique shop the morning before she’s fired. Not only was she lucky enough to have been offered a job before she lost the other but she’s fascinated by Felicity (who happens to be a practicing witch). On Maggie’s first day of work, Felicity rushes off to help someone leaving Maggie alone in the shop. Later in the day Maggie finds out her new boss is at the police station suspected of murder.

Maggie has found a job she loves and a new boss/friend that she believes innocent. She refuses to let the boys in blue put Felicity in jail for a murder she didn’t commit. So if they won’t look for another suspect then Maggie will, even if it means being a bit more open minded about all the woo-woo stuff happening.

The book is filled with interesting characters, fascinating twists & turns and a wonderful paranormal touch too. I recommend this to anyone that loves a fun mystery.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again?

Yes this author is new to me but I’m eagerly awaiting her next book A Charmed Death due out in December.

Are you keeping this book or passing it on?

I’ll be keeping it…I like to reread books and this one will be a rereader.

Anything else?

This book has opened up a whole new genre for me…I’ve already bought several other cozy mysteries and eagerly await the chance to get through them all. Of course, several of them are series books so I’ll have a slew of books to add to my TBR mountain…*G*.

Isn’t wonderful to have friends to blame?

As you may know last month I did Angie’s TBR Challenge. You pick a book that fits the topic out of your TBR pile. You read the book then do a review for it. Last month was romantic suspense which pulled several books off my TBR mountain and reacquainted me with a favorite author. Sounds like a fabulous way to work your way through a mountain of books you’ve been meaning to read…it worked so well last month, I decided to do it again this month.

Well this month the challenge is for a non-romance book. I’m an avid romance reader…yes, I’m addicted to romance books…*G*. I have very few books that don’t fall under the romance genre except a few romance authors that have gone fiction mainstream…with romantic undertones. As it happened I had a book that wasn’t romance (or written by a previously romance author). I had seen the book (a cozy mystery) on a display and it caught my eye so I bought it but hadn’t read it yet. Perfect right…again I have pulled a book off my TBR mountain and eliminated it.

I don’t live in a perfect reality based world…otherwise I would be moving on to some of the fiction mainstream authors in my TBR mountain. Nope, in my neck of delirium I have acquired a new addiction to cozy mysteries. Like I feed my addiction to romance books, as soon as I finished the book I had to run down to the bookstore and pick up five more cozy mysteries. So now I have added even more books to my TBR mountain and several of them are series books so I’ll be picking up even more of them in the near future…*sigh*.

So what do I do when I come home with a bag of books…and didn’t even check out a romance title the whole time I was in the bookstore, something that had never happened before…I blamed it on Angie. Of course hubby knows Angie…or at least who Brianna’s mom…because he looks forward to seeing new pictures of Brianna as much as I do…*G*.

The moral of this sad tale…when faced with explaining a bag of new books to hubby (the second one of the week), blame it on your friend…*G*. Unfortunately, after being married for over 21 years he didn’t buy it for a minute…*GGG*.

PS…Angie, hubby loved the new pictures of Brianna too.