Friday Flash Fiction

Every Monday Dottie over at Tink's Place posts a picture and on Friday we share a story to go along with the picture. The story has to be about 350 or so words.

Happy Friday everyone! How is everyone doing? The heat is killing me! I only got 2 hours of sleep last night. Ugh! Hopefully tonight I'll get a good night of sleep. Today wasn't as hot, but I fear that once the sun sets the heat will remain. Mmmm.

Anyways, this week's story was a random thought while I was working. Luckily I didn't forget about it! For some reason I think this might be my favorite story out of my 'The Man in Her Dreams' series. I really like the Faery, even though she's a baddie and likes to curse random people. Without further ado, here is the 4th installment.  Here is the first part and the second part of the story and the third part :

The Man in Her Dreams part 4 - A Double Curse

by: Carole Rae

"What the HELL is going on here?” Demanded Hanna again. Adair looked away, ashamed. The Faery had sent that necklace as a joke. The faery was a heartless wench and loved to tortured him. The Faery had sent him that necklace with a note saying 'Here's a piece of paradise.' Would Hanna even believe him if he told her the truth? She would probably run away screaming, but he had to take the chance.

“I'll tell you everything, Hanna. Just...just try to keep an open mind.” Adair kneeled down beside Hanna, but he avoided her emerald eyes as if she was Medusa herself. With a deep breath he told her everything. He told her about who he was, who the Faery was, and about the curse. To his surprise Hanna didn't interrupt or mutter a sound of disbelief.

Once his tale was done, he took a gamble to look in her eyes. He was surprised to see contemplation and not horror. Moments passed as they stared at each other, the silence was eating away at Adair's soul. Say something for the love of God.

Finally, “Oh...well...I'm not sure what to say right now.” Hanna looked down at her hands.

“I know its a lot to take in and actually believe it. But its all true. This room and all these things are proof enough. The thunderstorm that sent you here also proves my tale! For some odd reason she added you to my curse.”

“Adair,”He sucked in his breath, “I believe you...but its a lot to take in. I-I just need to go to sleep and allow my poor mind to absorb and make sense of all of this.” She heaved herself off, “I'm sorry I yelled at you...good night.”

He wished her sweet dreams and she left him alone in this room of Faery jokes. All these portraits of himself mocked him. All these odd knick-knaks and small gifts was a sick, sick jest at his immortality. Why? With a moan of self-pity, Adair stood up and went back to his room to try and catch some sleep too.

As he made his way down the hall, he took a momentary stop by Hanna's room. Silence. He wondered what she was doing. Was she already asleep? Was she looking out the window, lost in contemplation? Was she thinking of him? Adair sighed and continued on his way to his own room of misery and self-pity.

Kicking upon the door, he flopped on his bed and buried his head in his pillow. Damn that fucking Faery. Without warning he passed out. Oh no. He opened his eyes to discover the Faery brought him to the forest. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? Adair wasn't surprised when the Faery appeared out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around his neck. She was just as beautiful as the day he met her with her long brown hair and sparklingly silver eyes. However, hatred filled his heart instead of lust. The Faery smiled, “Oh Adair...I feel your hatred towards me, but I have good news to give you my beloved.”

He grunted, “Your good news is never my good news.”

With a laugh, the Faery touched his cheek, “Your curse may be broken.”

Adair's heart stopped, “What?”

“Your curse may be broken, Adair. Would you like to know how?” She playfully tugged on his hair.

“Tell me!” He grabbed her by her arms and gave her a quick shake.

“Hanna,” She smiled, “can help you. However, you need to win her heart. Once her heart is yours and you take true loves kiss then this curse will shatter and turn to dust. But...if you go on this quest to win her heart and you fail to gain her love you will curse her forever.”

Adair glared and asked, “What do you mean?”

Without prompting or any words, the Faery lead Adair to a tree that looked like a woman. The woman-tree seemed to be caught in mid-scream and in mid-run.

“If you fail, Adair, this will be her fate. She will be a tree in the middle of my rose garden.”

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<3CaroleRae

'The Hobbit' News: Tauriel

It's been a while since I gave any news about the movie 'The Hobbit' which is based of the book by Tolkein. Right now they are in the mist of filming, so we have a while before the film actually makes it to local theaters. My inner nerd is SO pumped for this film! However, there is a little issue that is sparking up some major criticisms from the Nerd World: the character named Tauriel.


Fans of the book know that there was no character named Tauriel, but this character is going to be in the movie. Peter Jackson and his team created this character to add to the story. The person playing Tauriel is the lovely Evangeline Lilly, who played Kate in LOST. This character will be in both of the films. Here's the interview from Evangeline Lilly about her character:

“She is a warrior. She’s actually the head of the Elven guard. She’s the big shot in the army. So she knows how to wield any weapon, but the primary weapons that she uses are a bow and arrow and two daggers. And she’s lethal and deadly.


She’s not in the first film very much. She comes into the first film near the end, and has a very small part to play. Her role in the second film is much more involved. Although, I have to say, when I first read the scripts and took the job, she had a lot less going on in the second film. I think the role is becoming a bit more demanding that I had expected it to be. There’s a lot more for me to do now, which is a lot of fun, but it’s a little more pressure.”


Hmmmm, I'm not 100% sure what I think about Tauriel. I do believe that she was added mainly to add a woman to the film. It is a very dude book. If I was a movie maker I would probably add a woman character to the film also. Yes, nerd Carole is a little upset, but the realistic Carole is understanding and approving. RC and NC both agree that Peter Jackson and his crew are standing on a very thin line. Tauriel can make the movie even more AWESOME or she can, well, make the film a little cheesy. My final verdit and opinion will be held until I actually see both films myself. ^.^ 


What do you think?


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<3cAROLErAE

Top Ten Tuesday...its been a while

~The Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.~

I haven't done one of these in a while! ^.^ 

This week's topic is: top ten characters who remind me of myself or someone I know in real life. By the way, there is no real order to my list.

~Henrietta from 'The Masque of the Black Tulip' reminds me of my best friend Sarah. Henrietta is a caring and loving girl. She can be very happy-go-lucky, but then she has her moments of anti-happy-go-lucky moments. 

~Alice from 'Dark Angels' reminds me again of Sarah. Sarah is very, very proud. Sometimes her good intents can lead astray. Like I said earlier, Sarah is loving and caring. 

~Barabra from 'Dark Angels' reminds me of me. Going along with the same book, Barabra and Alice are best friends. Alice is always looking out for Barabra and vice versa. Barabra, like me, isn't too comfortable with herself and is a hopeless romantic. 

~Dillan from 'The Marquess' reminds me a little bit of my other best friend Anee. Both are stubborn and strong-willed. They are not afraid to give their opinions and feelings. However, they are deeply caring and loving. Both would do anything for the ones they love.

~Minerva from 'Bet Me' reminds me of both me and my friend Megan. We love shoes like Minerva. We love men and food too! We are also a little self-conscious, but great at acting like we're not. 

Don't laugh at these next two...but its true ^.^

~Mr. Bennet from 'Pride and Prejudice' reminds me of my Grandpa Carol. He had a detached attitude sometimes and was quiet at times. Also, he had a strong sense of sarcastic humor. Being completely honest, he was extremely intelligent just like Mr Bennet. From what I heard from my mom and her sister, Grandpa Carol seemed to be laid back as a father and could be detached, but he really loved his girls. 

~Mrs. Bennet from 'Pride and Prejudice' reminds me of my mom. Well, just imagine Mrs. Bennet a little calmer and subtitle. My mom has some of her traits but in a subtitle way. My mom can be slightly foolish and over-dramatic. However, she is loving and kind and wants what is best for her family. What made me think of Mrs. Bennet as my mom was because my mom mentions me and my future husband. She'll point out guys either in real life or on the TV and say I should marry him. Its funny.

~Marianne from 'Sense and Sensibility' reminds me of my homie Therese. Okay, I did hate Marianne, but she was an idiot. Therese has many similar qualities but her impulsiveness is a little less on the scale. Both were their emotions on their sleeves and can be insensitive towards the feelings of those around them. However, they are both sweet and loving and fun! They both know how to have a good time! They are both very passionate people.

~Josh from 'Bookends' reminds me of an ex-friend of mine. He was a great guy and I really loved our friendship. In High School, there was a group of friends and he in it too (just like in the book). He dated one of my other close friends and it seemed to work, until they split. Just like the book there was a Portia. Even though the book version of Portia is a lot prettier than the real life Portia of my life (I'm honest, sorry). Anyways, they had a quick fling and the group broke a part in clumps. Josh and this guy were both sweet-natured guys, but could easily fall into temptation. 

~Lizzie from 'Devil Takes a Bride' reminds me of me. She's nerdy and opinionated. However, we both tend to be in the background and sometimes we allow people to walk all over us. At the end she learns to not people do that, but I'm still on that journey. We are both romantics and in love with the idea of love. Now...I just need to find my Devil. Haha. 

How I have missed doing this meme! This meme is so much fun, especially if you really have to think about it. Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

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<3CaroleRae

Music Monday

Happy late Monday everyone. I nearly forgot to post this, but for some reason Conan O'Brien reminded me. Don't ask how or why the two are connected....but yeah...I remembered so here is the post. ^.^

First off I have to share this song. At work my friend Therese and I sang this all shift long. After the original lyrics began to annoy everyone around us, we created our own lyrics. Haha. What a fun day that was! I can also see Lanny from 'The Taker' enjoying this song and having a good chuckle at the end. The song is Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen:

Next is the amazing song by Maroon 5, Payphone. I simply am in love with Adam Levine:

Instead of a funny video this week, I'm going to share a little sexy video featuring Gerard Butler. My friend was trying to convince me that Johnny Depp was the sexist man alive...I agree that Johnny Depp was pretty sexy, but no one beats my beloved Mr. Butler. I stole this video from Cecile over at All I Want and More as evidence. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this weeks selection!

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<3CaroleRae

Book Review: The Taker

Author: Alma Katsu

Title: The Taker (Book One)
Genre:  Fantasy, Mystery, Adventure, Paranormal Romance, Historical Fiction
Pages: 436

First Published: September 6th, 2011
Where I Got It: My shelf (won it at a giveaway over Asian Cocoa's Secret Garden)

"True love can last an eternity... but immortality comes at a price... 

On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her, despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.

Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.

Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption."

This is the first book of the series and all I can to that is.....THANK GOODNESS! I need to read the next one. When I finished reading the last sentence, I closed the book and just laid there for a moment in awe. Alma Katsu sure did take me on adventure that I'll never forget! It's a rather dark and at times sexy book that I'll revisit in the future.

Alma Katsu sure does have an  imagination and I give her a round of applaud. This story really was an original. After I got past the first couple of chapter, I was addicted. Getting the book away from my hands was like pulling a tooth. When not reading my mind would drift to questions I had about what would go on next. The main question was, "what the hell is going on?" It sure was a mystery and again...kuddos to Alma Katsu.

The book had three POVs: Luke's, Lanny, and Adair had a little snipbit of storytelling. There was also three different time periods at play; of course modern day (Luke's), the early 1800s in Main (Lanny's), and 14th century Hungarian territory. I was surprised about how balanced Alma Katsu kept the book. She knew right where to put the breaks of each POV. When I was getting a little weary of Luke's POV (which annoyed me at points), the POV would switch back to Lanny. Kuddos to her, because I find that the balance is a little off.

Speaking of Luke...I didn't like the majority of the characters in this book. At points I did like Lanny, but that was when Jonathon was absent. She seemed much stronger and not as annoying as when Jonathon is around. He was her flaw. He was her weakness. He was also a jackass (excuse my profanity) and didn't deserve Lanny or even Sophia for that matter. Its pretty sad that I was rooting for Adair (who was the baddie) to win Lanny's heart. Haha. 

One of the genres that this book is labeled as is Romance. I feel like it should be labeled as Anti-Romance. I felt like the theme was "love is crappy and nothing good comes out of it." I normally love stories where there is helpless and tragic love. However, I loathed Jonathon and I couldn't see why Lanny was tragically in love with him. Ugh. Sorry I keep drifting to ramblings on my dislike of good ol' Jonny. 

I'm going to cut my ramblings short and just go to the conclusion bit. ^.^

Overall, I really liked this book. It was a dark, sexy, mystery, and adventure filled book. It left off with a little cliffhanger and I can't wait to read the second book. Even though I didn't like the whole Lanny-Jonathon thing or the majority of characters, I still highly enjoyed this book. I would recommend this to any who likes books out of the norm or for those who love dark tales of romance and mystery. Out of five stars I grant this one 5 stars. Woot woot!

Favorite Character(s): Lanny (when she's away from Jonathon), Adair (he was such a complex character), and Alejandro.
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Jonathon (...) and Tilde (mmm)

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<3CaroleRae

Flash Fiction Friday #10

Every Monday Dottie over at Tink's Place posts a picture and on Friday we share a story to go along with the picture.

I do apologize, this FF is a little long, but it couldn't be avoided ^.^. This is the third part of 'The Man in her Dreams'. Here is the first part and the second part of the story:

The Man in Her Dreams part 3

by: Carole Rae

"What?" 

"Who the Hell are you!" Adair demanded, "Did she send you!"

"Who?"

"The faery!"

"No! I have no clue why I'm even here! Now will you remove that sword away from my throat? Is that how you greet a lady?" The young woman pushed a strand of red hair behind her ear. 

Adair had to give credit to this woman. Normal people would be terrified with a sword at their throat, but she seemed...annoyed. Odd. However, he removed his sword and asked a little nicer, "Who are you and why are you on my land?"

Pushing herself up, she dusted off her green dress and replied, "I'm Hanna and I have no idea why I am here. I was caught in a storm an' I then I appeared here."

"Out of thin air?"

"Aye. Crazy, I know," She glanced him over him and she glared, "Did you bring me here?"

He was taken aback, "How and why would I bring you here?" As the words left his mouth, black clouds rolled in and thunder could be heard in the distance. Adair had a certain fear of storms and the vest he was wearing was new, so he grabbed Hanna's arm, "We'll talk about this at my house! Let's go!"

Without any other warning, Adair pulled Hanna along with him while he ran. If the faery didn't send this girl to add to his suffering, then why was she here? Why did he feel oddly attracted to her? What was going on?

So many questions, but luckily for him he had an abundance of time. Perhaps this Hanna girl was the answer to this curse that was placed on him by that damned faery 600 years ago. 

--

The rain began to pelt down as they arrived at his house. The house, which had been his childhood home, had been built upon. Being alive 600 years gave much room of time to build the house.He pushed open the door and pulled Hanna along with him. He sighed as he breathed in the familiar smell of home, "Mhmm, you really need a servant to clean." Hanna muttered behind him.

Adair glared at her, "Who asked you? Now follow me. You can stay the night here and we can talk in the morning. I-I have business to do." Without waiting for her to answer, he lead the way to the guest room. It was odd, but Hanna seemed to be alright with all of this. Perhaps she was in shock? It was a little unsettling to him. Odd. The word 'odd' seemed to surround Hanna. 

After passing a couple of rooms, he opened the door to the guest room, "Here. Um...I'll have breakfast ready in the morning...if you need anything...um...help yourself or ask me. Whichever." Hanna glided past him and into the room. He made sure to pick the cleanest and newest room, because she is a lady in the end. An odd one, but a lady nonetheless. 

"Okay." She looked around.

"Well...night." He shut the door and ran to his room as thunder slammed around the house.

--

Hours later, the faery's laughter startled Adair awake. He scrambled out of bed and ran out of the room. Adair followed the smell of roses. The smell lead to a room. Not to any room, but a room where he put everything and anything that he couldn't bare to look at, but he couldn't bare to rid of. There was light seeping from the door. Slowly, he pushed the door open. He expected to see the faery waiting for him, but instead he saw Hanna on the floor next to one of his portraits that was given to him by the faery. The faery had a sick humor, she liked to paint him every 100 years and send it to him. 

When the floor creaked, Hanna looked up with a necklace dangling from her hands, "Hanna? Wh-"She stopped him

"No, no where did you get this necklace? This was my late mother's necklace!" Hanna demanded, "What is going on here? Who is this faery and why did she send me here?" 

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<3CaroleRae

Wordless Wednesday

Poor Spiderman...

The Lively Sparks by Thomas Wyatt

THE lively sparks that issue from those eyes, 
   Against the which there vaileth no 
        defence, 
Have pierced my heart, and done it none offence, 
With quaking pleasure more than once or twice. 
Was never man could any thing devise, 
Sunbeams to turn with so great vehemence 
To daze man's sight, as by their bright presence 
Dazed am I ; much like unto the guise 
Of one stricken with dint of lightning, 
Blind with the stroke, and cying here and there : 
So call I for help, I not when nor where, 
The pain of my fall patiently bearing : 
    For straight after the blaze, as is no wonder,
    Of deadly noise hear I the fearful thunder.

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<3CaroleRae

Music Mooooonday

Happy late Monday! How is everyone doing? I'm doing alright. Just really tired because I've been working a lot lately due to my new Supervisor position at the Tim Hortons in Romeo. Is it bad that I rather work then go to school? Perhaps I need to take a semester or two off to get re-motivated. What do you think?

Anyways, shall we start with the music?

This is definatly the parody of the month! I can't get enough of it! It really makes me want to watch the TV show 'Games of Thrones'. The hilarious team at BarelyPolitical created this poking jokes at the TV show and  Payphone by Maroon 5. 

I'm really getting into this French band. They're really good! Here's my favorite...so far. This is Le Bien qui fait Mal by Mozart Opera Rock. In the future, I'll probably show a lot of videos by this band. ^.^ Click THIS to get to the video, because the video on here is being a pain: 

That's all I have for you guys this week! Hope you enjoyed my selections.

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<3CaroleRae

Book Review: Get Skinny - The Six Week Body Challenge

Author:  Scott Schmaltz

Title: Get Skinny - The 6 Week Body Challenge
Genre: Nonfiction, Motivation, diet
Pages: 200

First Published: April 1st, 2012
Where I Got It: My shelf (given to me to read and review from CMN for my honest opinion. I also had to do the challenge)


"Imagine having the energy to perform at your peak throughout the day, the inner strength to tap into your true potential, and the ability to permanently lose weight--- all while having absolute confidence in who you are and what you can accomplish.
If you are thinking about losing weight but don’t know where to start, let "Get Skinny! The Six-Week Body Challenge" be your guide. Unlike other fitness books on the market, this six-week body challenge won’t leave you feeling confused about what you need to do to permanently lose weight and change your life.
"Get Skinny! The Six-Week Body Challenge" gives you the true feeling and experience that comes from working with an elite personal trainer one-on-one. For the next six weeks, you will be guided through several fun and challenging exercise and nutrition programs as if you were actually meeting with an elite trainer at your local gym. You’ll be pushed to reach for your true, inner potential while being praised for your efforts. There are even targeted goals and weekly check-ins to help keep you motivated.
In the end, you’ll be able to laugh and have a good time, make mistakes in a safe and comfortable environment, and personally connect with your trainer in a way that will allow you to achieve lasting and permanent success, forever changing the way you look at fitness!"

I'll be honest right now....I didn't follow this step-by-step. *bows head in shame* However, I did do a lot of the watching calories and eating the food that he suggested. 


I really, really like this book. Even though I didn't follow the entire work out program, I feel like his suggestions in this aspect is legit. I didn't go to the gym for 10 weeks, but I did a couple of the workout suggestions from this book at home. Even though I was swamped, I would find a couple of minutes while waiting for something to do some lifts and stretches and whatnot. I feel like if I went back and started over with the 6 week challenge, I would lose some serious inches. I lost just a wee bit from the wee bit I did from this book. 


Just altering my diet and lowering my calorie intake did some wonders. I mean I'm not a stick yet, but I feel better and my cloth are big now. ^.^ Just doing a small chunk from this book changed my life. That sounds cheesy, I know, but I feel like Scott Schmaltz knows what he is talking about. 


Besides for the great things suggested in this book, I really adored the personal stories from people who did the 6 week challenge. I felt like I wasn't alone in my struggle to get rid of the fat. Usually books like these only add a couple or none at all, but at the beginning of each chapter (week) there was a new story. They were very motivating! I'm so glad they included that.


All-in-all, I really liked this book. I feel like if I had committed 100% to the 6 week challenge, I would have lost a lot of inches from my waist. I would recommend this to those that need a little help in their weight loss journey or for those that want to lose a couple pounds for summer. Out of five starts I grant this 5 stars. Woot woot!

==========================<3CaroleRae

Flash Fiction Friday

Every Monday Dottie over at Tink's Place posts a picture and on Friday we share a story to go along with the picture. The story has to be at least 350 words, give or take. 

Happy late Friday! How is everyone doing? I'm doing peachy.


Well, here's this weeks tale. I feel like I'm really hating the male population the last couple of weeks, I keep writing about not very nice guys. ^.^ Oh well, I suppose. This is one of the shortest ones I've written for this meme, but I really like it. 

The Project

By: Carole Rae

He always got what he wanted and she was what he wanted. However, she was in love with that dimwitted boss of his. It didn't logically make sense! He was a genius and in complete physical shape and rich! It was ludicrous that she would be in love with fat, stupid, and equally as rich man. All the time he had spent on courting her was nothing when she laid eyes on his boss. All hope was dashed and he was cast into the shadows...again. No not again, he groaned as worked over his newest project. She will be mine.

Putting the final touches on this brand new project of his, he wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed. Finished. He had his assistant redress his project as he turned away. Even now, he tried to remain a complete gentlemen. The smell of sweat and nerves made him remove his stuffy sweater and exit his lab. His new project was soon to awake and he couldn't wait! He spent weeks and weeks on perfecting this little device and now the moment of truth was before him.

As he went to grab a cigarette from his pockets, the lab door slowly opened and a small feminine voice called out his name. He could barely breath! The bearer of the voice stepped outside. She was wearing a red dress made of thin material. It was breathtaking and he had to make a mental check to give his assistant a raise for finding this dress. After gaining his speech back, he called for her to come to him. Without any hesitation, the woman ran to him.

She wrapped her arms around him and in between kisses, “Ooooh my love. My love. I have been an idiot. I love you. I love you! Make sweet love to me, my beloved!”

“I'm glad you finally seen the light, my sweetest, and of course I'll make love to you. However...we should go dancing first, so the world can see that I finally won you.”

With a smile, she nodded, “Of course! You are so smart, my beloved.”

Another successful project and another conquest he can add to his collection.  

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<3CR

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Book Review: The Lady of Bolton Hill

Author: Elizabeth Camden

Title: The Lady of Bolton Hill
Genre: Christian Fiction, historical romance 
Pages: e-book

First Published: June 1st, 2011
Where I Got It: My shelf (from Amazon)


"When Clara Endicott and Daniel Tremain's worlds collide after twelve years apart, the spark that was once between them immediately reignites into a romance neither of them thought possible.

But time has changed them both.

Daniel is an industrial titan with powerful enemies. Clara is an idealistic journalist determined to defend underprivileged workers.

Can they withstand the cost of their convictions while their hearts--and lives--hang in the balance?"

Sorry about the lack of book and movie reviews. I've been in a funk the last few weeks. Hopefully, this funk comes to an end since I'm on summer vacation! 

Anyways...this is the first book I've read by Elizabeth Camden and probably the third Christian fiction I have EVER read.


I really have mixed feelings about this one. I usually avoid Christian fiction novels, but a few will slip into my mist if it doesn't broadcast that it is a CF. This one was like that...you can't even tell that it is a CF until about a third into the book when Clara (the heroine) starts preaching to Daniel about forgiveness. I was a little let down that it was a CF but I decided to continue reading. 


I may believe in God in my own way, so I don't hate CFs in that aspect, but I do hate when the characters in CFs shove religion down in other characters throats. Clara is the epitome of this. She pretty much ties Daniel down and shoves piles and piles of "God-talk" in him. She also does the same to the baddie, Bane. Those two never stood a chance! At first I really liked Clara, but through-out the novel she began to do some stupid things and just be a general annoyance. I would have paid someone to kidnap her myself! 


The same can be said of Daniel (the hero), he was rather over-emotional and annoying too. He's pig-headed and has a bad temper. Okay, I have a bad temper, but really? I can't say much about the events that caused him to throw a tantrum, but I feel like he would go overboard; like a two year old. 


Besides for the overzealous Christian, the pig-headed lover, and some other annoying characters I really did enjoy this tale. It interested me on how everything would work out in the end. However, I wasn't too concerned because the climatic part of the novel was dashed when you realized how sway-able the baddie was. Really? That was a little picture perfect for my taste, but it worked with the theme of the story. 


All-in-all, I really do have mixed feelings about this. It was enjoyable and a fun read, but the characters really got on my nerves. Perhaps I'm not being very fair because I'm a little cranky with work and the people at work. I've just began to run my own shifts at work as a supervisor and I'm adjusting with all these new responsibilities, so my tolerance with people is at a very low these days. ^.^ I've been debating with myself on what to rate this book...so I'm going to just go with a solid 3. 


Favorite Character(s): Clyde (he can be my doctor anytime), Bane, and Daniel's sisters
Not-so Favorite Character(s): Reverend Endicott (Clara's dad) and the Professor.

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<3CaroleRae

Product Review: Skoy Towels

Item: Skoy Towels

Time of usage: nearly two weeks

where I got it: given to me from the Skoy company and from Charisma Media Network to use and review. Like normal...be my good ol' honest self. Here's the website for Skoy products 

This is new for me...I never typed up a review for a product, so I think I'm going to just divide this in two. One section will be the things I liked about the product and the other half into what I didn't like. At the end, I will give a brief conclusion and then rate this by stars (like normal). Also, I'll share a couple pictures of the Skoy aty my abode.

What I liked:

I even had my parents using these Skoys. My dad didn't even complain about the flower decorations on it, which I adored. I also really adored how there were many different colors to pick from. I personally liked the blue one the best, but that's just me being biased. Ha. 

I found that these Skoys did a wonderful job with dishes. Yes, the infamous dishes of doom! I loath dishes, but the Skoys actually worked better than rags and whatnot. After word, I found it quite amazing that I could just let it dry or put it through the washing machine and the dryer. It was rather amazing that these Skoys can last so long. I still have a whole bunch left over from the amount they let me test out. If you're looking for a replacement in rags and paper towels....check these out! It will save you a good chunk of change. 

I also found that these things work fairly well on cleaning the microwave and other surfaces. My parents were rather content (so was I).

What I didn't like:

They are so small! Perhaps the company has bigger sizes besides for the little boxes they left me with, but I'm not entirely sure. I could imagine using these as a way to wash the floor with my steam-cleaner for hard-floors.That is the only complaint. The size seems to be a slight hindrance. Also, they didn't dry my hands to well. I think they are mostly for cleaning things.

Conclusion:

I approve of this product. I didn't have too much to complain about, so it's a win for Skoy! I wonder if they have bigger towels for purchase...Anyways, I would recommend this all of those that want to try something different from those nasty rags. It'll help ease up on the amount of garbage your household gives out to the world. 

Out of five stars, I grant this one 5 stars. It would be a 4.5, but I round decimals. 

==========================<3CaroleRae