Public Service Announcement

      This Public Service Announcement is brought to you by....

Err. Me?

   You have no idea how long I've been working on this post! My daughter has been relentless this morning. I came home, made a well balanced breakfast; eggs and toast with homemade jelly, restarted the washer (forgot about that load of socks last night! Sons of Anarchy was on!), swept the floor, took out the trash and all the while the toddler is attached to my leg screaming "Sit with me Mommy!" She needed some extra attention. So I sat with her while she played with her legos. After four minutes of me not being allowed to touch the legos I decided I had other things to do. Off to the dishes I went. She followed. This went on for several hours until I conquered every chore on my list. I allow myself a reward when it's done. I work on the blog or the facebook page I admin.....Shameless plug....If you have a facebook page/account come over and say hi at Reading Addicts.....or Jenny Phillips (author) page! Tell em' I sent ya! LIKE them! I like them!  Jenny Phillips page is a great place to show your support for an author and to hear about any upcoming books she has coming out! Reading Addicts is a good place to swap book suggestions and hear reviews.

    Speaking of reviews! That's actually why I'm here! It has been brought to my attention that most people/readers don't leave reviews after reading a book. I realize that we live in a world where it is far more common to air your bad opinion of an establishment or product than it is to say "Wow! That was great!" or "I love the folks down at the shop and save because they always greet me with a smile, even though they have four teeth between them." I want to take this opportunity to tell you how important it is for a writer to hear they've done something good!
   
    The more I write and speak with other writers the more I understand what it is all about. You pour your heart and soul into a piece of work, you release it and wait for the reviews. You want one person to give their approval. Or maybe you're the writer who could care less, either way, someone wants to know if the book was worth a look. Other readers want to know if they should be reading this book, right? If readers cease to leave a review all there will be is the sound of crickets. And even though crickets are nice to listen to while you're sitting on your deck with a cup of coffee or a beer at night, they are not a welcome noise for authors who need to know if their work is speaking to you or if they have room for improvement. Not all authors are picked up by big time publishers. That means they don't have a team of experts to give them high fives. We rely solely on our fellow writers and fans to encourage us! And maybe I'm confused about what a publishing company is suppose to do. I know there are Publishing Companies out there that are confused about what they are suppose to do..... a totally different topic which I will refrain from speaking about.  
   
    I recommended a book to a friend recently. She emailed me to say that she LOVED the book and passed it on to four more friends who all loved it too. I said "Awesome! Did you leave a review on amazon or goodreads?" and the crickets began to sing. "I don't know how to leave a review. I'm not a writer" she said. Well, Stripper (that's what we call her) you just left a review when you emailed me! Congrats! You now know how to leave a review!
   
    So, here's the thing. When I leave a review I like to share a few things. Did the book pull me in? Did it hold me there or did it roller coaster up and down? (because sometimes you're reading a book and the story drags on and then BAM! It picks up and you can't put the book down!) Readers want to know these things. Did the author make me fall in love with the characters? The author wants to know if they have built a relatable/likable/loathable character. I want to know that I was successful in making you hate a character! I try to bring to the authors attention that there are errors without being rude. I've read reviews where the reader says "Whoever edited this book should be shot" and to me, that is just rude. Please don't do that. Chances are the author is the same person that proof read, edited etc. and by making rude comments you're stomping on their dream..... Meanie Pants!

   Not everybody has time to write a review but if you're on goodreads they make it so easy to rate the book with stars! You don't have to explain why you gave it five stars but if you'd like to share you can! I love that some folks will give a book three stars and then go on to tell you why they rated it lower.

    Ok. So that is my Public Service announcement and you have no idea how many times I typed "public" and forgot the "l"......If that's any indication of how my day is going. I'm going to go read another book to the toddler and pour orange juice and protein down her throat just in case there is another cold brewing in there! Wish me luck!

  

A Ten dollar gift card and a choice

    I truly have become a reading addict. I am addicted to reading. I can't get enough. Sometimes I fall so madly deeply in love with a book that I literally cannot put it down. I take it to the bathroom with me and read. Not while I'm on the toilet. That's where I meditate. I literally hide with the door locked. Sometimes I'll even lie and say I have explosive....well, you get the idea, just so I can get through one more chapter.

    Recently, I found myself driving, alone which rarely happens, to Target to get toilet paper. I NEVER go to Target alone and bonus, I had a ten dollar gift card. High Five. So, anyway, I thought "Ok Tasha, it's time to do something mature. You have to buy something you actually need." So, as I walked to the store from my Jeep, I decided I would buy a new shirt or if you're my Granny, a blouse... in case I got called for a job interview. I can't very well wear my husbands old T-shirts, the things I've been living in lately.

   So, there I was standing in Target, staring at the clothes section. They have cute and affordable shirts. I hesitated to enter the arena.

    And then I walked to the books....just to browse!! I was only going to browse! I swear but then I found this book. The cover wasn't very interesting to be honest with you but it spoke to me. Or maybe it was the sign that said "If you loved 50 Shades of Grey, You'll love this ---->"
I don't know. I read the title without picking the book up..."Switch" by Megan Hart. I don't read the back of books. I'll normally read the first page. If it catches my interest I'll read the entire thing. This book though.....I picked it up and opened to page nine and read these two sentences before anything else:

" I love the way a blank sheet of paper looks when it's waiting to be written on. Anything can happen in those moments before you put pen to paper."

   You see, this book really did speak to me because those words, that's how I feel about writing. Anything can happen and it's all up to me. I did the irresponsible thing and took that book to the cashier and said "Ring me up before I change my mind." I used my gift card and then counted change until I had the book paid for. Then, I walked out without buying toilet paper. Oops.

   But isn't that what an addict does? Push everything to the side to get one more fix? I devoured that book in one day like a junky with a quarter size rock of crack. I couldn't put it down and at the end I was like "Wo! That was intense."

    If you like the raunchiness of 50 Shades of Grey, you know, the SEX and you're not afraid of the "f" bomb or other various dirty words then this book could be just what you've been looking for. And that's all I have to say about that because I have MOM things to do.

 

An Imaginary Birthday Present

Ok! So, you know that I have recently taken writing seriously and during this journey I've met some new, wonderful people, authors like myself, who have either already been published or were in the process of being published. One writer in particular is the fabulous Jenny Phillips. You may have heard me mention her, she has a short in  Darklight, the  Anthology which was published by Crushing Hearts & Black Butterflies earlier this year. If you haven't gotten a copy, I would suggest you do so! It's a great way to check out different authors since it's full of a variety of different paranormal stories by various writers. Jennys story is titled The Kiss. I loved it!! You should check it out. Here's the cover for Gifted!!!

Gifted by Jenny Phillips

Now, getting back to my story........... Yesterday I got a message from Jenny asking if I would be interested in reading her book "Gifted" which will be out in August of this year. I was driving when the message came through on my phone and of course like a bad driver I read it, nearly running over a pedestrian in the process. My bad! I was so excited at the prospect of reading a book that hasn't even reached store shelves! There was a distinct "Wooooo hoooo!" coming from my Jeep as I barrelled down M-139!

After all of the kids were tucked in bed last night, I made a cup of tea and took my laptop to bed where I started reading Gifted. It was already past my bedtime but I said "Just one chapter" and then I would shut the computer down and go to sleep. One chapter ended and I said "One more!". I read and read and read until it was officially three hours into my birthday!

I know when Jenny asked me if I would be interested in reading her book, she didn't intend on it being a birthday gift but I am imagining that she did because it makes me feel special!

Ok. So, more about the book. I'm not going to give anything away but I wanted to tell you how much I'm enjoying it so you can add it to your to read list on goodreads! You're on goodreads, right? Well, look it up, they have an iphone app! It's lovely. You can keep track of what you've read, what you want to read and it's a great way to keep up with what authors are reading! I love that! Authors don't just write you know, they read too!

When I get a new book, I treat it like a new acquaintance, taking my time getting to know them before I decide whether or not I like them and want to continue giving this person or (book) a chance. It did not take me long to decide I wanted to give Gifted more of my time! I knew immediately I would want to see this through to the end and didn't want to waste time doing it! I wanted to keep reading until I was finished with the book. But, I had to sleep and today I have to renew my licence......say cheese! So, I am having a hard time not reading more of the book!

I'm currently on chapter 13 and I can't stop thinking about what is going on! I can't tell you what is going on, sorry! You'll have to wait til August! lol But, it has drawn me in and I want to know more about the characters. That's what I look for in a book, characters that I can fall in love with or even hate! I love to hate a character in a book. Call me crazy but I love it!

If you're on facebook, or you're a book lover and like to support talented individuals, do yourself a favor and check out the page for Gifted. I can't add a link because my iphone app for blogger will not let me. But, check it out! Add Gifted by Jenny Phillips on Goodreads!! And a special thanks to Jenny for letting me believe that my early viewing of her book was a GIFT!! :)

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

When someone with similar taste in books suggests a book to me, I don't even read the back of the book! I just start reading. To me, it's like meeting someone new and hearing their story foe the first time. If you read the back of the book it's like doing a background check and their story is familiar. Occasionally, I like to be surprised and have no clue what to expect next. It adds to the suspense of it all.

So, I'm reading this book by Lauren DeStefano called Wither. My new friend and über talented author Jenny Phillips suggested it at our writers group a few nights ago. If you don't know Jenny, she recently had a very good piece published by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterflies in the book Darklight. It's currently available as an ebook but you can pre order the actual paper and ink book if you prefer that route. I wish i could slap a link here but i am working from my phone and don't have that ability! Anyway, it's a compilation of authors and I recommend it! Love "The Kiss" by Jenny Phillips.

Wow! Got off track a bit! So, anyway. I'm reading Wither. I can tell you that I am intrigued by this story and since I don't know the direction it will go I am on the edge of my seat reading it! So if you're looking for a good read this weekend, pick up Wither or go to amazon and check out my friend Jenny's debut in Darklight!

Ok. Now if I could just figure out how to read my kindle while doing dishes....

Witch Book? Anyone?

One of these days I will stay in bed and read all day because I want to and I can! And not because I have the flu and lack the energy to do anything else!

As you know, I am a self proclaimed bookworm. I was stuck in book limbo for a few months, re-reading a series that I love dearly, The Hunger Games. I was reading alongside the teen group that I mentor. You might remember the story, none of them had read a book before. Can you imagine, living to see 16 and never reading an entire book? Inconceivable!! So, I introduced them to the wonderful world of reading! And together we read the Hunger Games trilogy. It was a beautiful moment.............Anyway, then I found myself stuck, wondering what I should tackle next, when my wonderful sister-in-law recommended a series that I had never heard of. (A fact that shocks me since the series, so far, has been wonderful, how have I never heard of it before?)

Book 2 in the Hollows series

The Hollows by Kim Harrison is a supernatural urban fantasy(.....mystery.....MAGICAL.....did I forget anything?) series.......well, I think it's a great series so far! I am on the 2nd book at the moment! The first book "Dead Witch Walking" wasn't exactly a quick read but that's what I liked about it. I took my time reading it, taking in all of the characters history and falling in love with the story line.It kept me interested all the way to the end and I found myself wanting to snatch the book out of my purse and read at the stop lights while I was on my way to pick up the kids from school. The 2nd book "The Good, The Bad and the Undead" has been even more interesting. The main character, Rachel Morgan, is a Witch/detective and has so much spunk, sometimes I want to be her. If you like the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evonovich, you might enjoy this series. Rachel Morgan finds herself in a few awkward predicaments throughout the story and you just never know how she will get out of it! So far, the books have been full of memorable characters and I look forward to seeing how the story evolves in each addition.

Overall, I would say that the story line has been unpredictable and fun to read. Often I find myself reading a book and can tell you what will happen before it happens. Sometimes a story line is just that predictable. I didn't find that with the first 2 books and hope that the rest of the series follows suit!  Even if you don't get into the supernatural you should really give this series a try! According to Wikepedia there are 9 mystery novels, 6 short stories and a graphic novel. Does that sound right to you? I'll have to look into that further. I browsed amazon but I've realized lately that amazon doesn't exactly tell you which books are in a series and the order they should be read in........I'll figure it out.......Anyway, if you're looking for a good book to read, I would give The Hollows series a try!

The Hunger Games

So, you know that a while back I started volunteering with a group of girls, in their teens, teaching a craft class. The class has become a little more than crafts. I'm more of a mentor, as scary as that seems. When the class first started we had 8 girls between the ages of 13 and 18. All of them have been in and out of juvenile detention centers and all are currently in foster care. Most of them have had children of their own. How scary is that? But, 2 of the girls have moved on or found a forever home. I've grown to love these girls and respect them. They are teaching me as much as they say I'm teaching them. But recently we have started a little book club. (This could be a long post)

It all started when the girls arrived for class and I was reading my kindle. I was just finishing up "Persuasion" by Jane Austen. Teenagers are drawn to technology. So, of course they swarmed around me to check it out. I told them what I was reading and to my surprise every single one of them said that they have never read a book! I was flabbergasted! We spent the entire class discussing books I thought they might like. Then it was decided that I would bring a book and read to them. So, I brought the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I read the series and fell in love with it and figured they would love it too. And bonus! The movie will be in theatres in March!

The day of our next class came. I brought the book. I told the girls that I would start reading and then we would pass the kindle around for everyone to have a turn. They didn't like that idea! I remember how scared I was when I had to take a speech class in high school. But really, it's no different than standing up and speaking to a group of friends. Reading from a book is easier! You have the words right in front of you! You don't have to figure out what to say! I explained to the girls that nobody would judge them and that they should respect each others reading time by being quiet and most of all, pay attention to the story! I love to read aloud! Call me crazy but I use to read to the boys on long road trips! I read an entire Harry Potter book to them once and was hoarse when I was done! Good Times!

The reading went well. The girls payed attention and were very respectful and I could tell they were falling in love with this book! We read the first two chapters in class. Rose, my partner in this adventure surprised the girls by giving them the first book to take home. 

If you haven't heard of the book let me give you a little background..... The book takes place in the not too distant future. The US has been divided into 12 districts and has fallen to despair. People are starving! The Government has come up with a GAME where each district offers up 2 representatives between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate. It's like Survivor meets Gladiator! The reps are chosen via lottery. It's a horrible game where the players fight to the death! To me, this story is about bravery, honor, family and survival! It is amazing!

To one of my girls in class, it hit a little too close to home. She comes from a seriously broken home. Meals were non-existent but abuse was a plenty. Her Mom checked out and left her to care for her siblings. It was not a pretty picture. I never realized how close to home this book would hit for her. What was I thinking? I felt so bad when she called me to say she couldn't read the book. I thought she meant that it was too difficult, maybe she wasn't the best reader. I told her she could get an audio book and read along....But what she meant was the book hits a little too close to home..........ohhh. I keep telling these girls to leave the past in the past, right? So, how do you deal with this?

You hear songs on the radio, watch movies that hit close to home, bring on bad memories. do you stop watching the movie? You can! Or you can keep watching it and remind yourself that you're a survivor and that is the past! You've learned your lesson and you're moving on. Be proud of that! I love this girl to death for her courage and her siblings are the luckiest kids in the world to have such a great big sister. She taught them to overcome and to never give up! NEVER STOP TRYING!

She kept reading the book. She finished it and moved on to the second. This book is so inspiring. It made me think.......We live in a society that takes everything for granted. Sorry, there are people who know the value of things. But for the most part we blow things out of proportion. The holidays are upon us and I bet we're going overboard! Don't over do it!

My favorite Tool.

Recently a friend of mine announced that her and her husband had split up and that they were filing for divorce. She's struggling with the idea and asked for some advice. You know, because I am the voice of reason........really? She asked me how I got through it myself. I had to think about it for a while since this is a volatile time in a woman's life. You have to be careful of what you say! I don't want to tell her about the things I did in the attempt to achieve peace and tranquility.....mostly it could get you arrested and honestly.....it didn't help me! It made me laugh.....but over all it did not work at all. But there is one thing I did to help distract me from the things that I wanted to do........

So, if I had to pass on a "TOOL" to help a woman get through a tough time it would most definitely be a book!

Not just any book.

I cannot wait! Eeek!

When I was at the beginning of my not-so-pretty break up, a friend of mine (who I think was pretty tired of seeing me cry and listening to my drama) gave me a stack of books that she thought I would enjoy. This came at the perfect time since my boys were set to spend their first weekend at their dads new place.

I seriously needed a distraction. Otherwise I was going to do something stupid.....like call my ex every 20 minutes to make sure his new girlfriend wasn't cooking for the boys or trying to make them call her Mom! Ewww! I popped a bag of popcorn, cut up an apple, opened up a fresh jar of Nutella and plopped down on the couch with my stack of books. As I sorted through them I realized that it was a series of books. And you guessed it, all by the wonderful Janet Evonovich! "One for the Money" obviously is book #1! So, I began to read. I had never heard of the series and didn't bother to read the back of the book to find out what the jest of the book would be. An hour into my veg session and I was hooked! I instantly fell in love with the characters! It was just the distraction I needed. ( And probably saved me from getting myself arrested...I'm not perfect)

I realize that a book cannot make you completely forget about your worries. But, as I've said a million times,  reading can be a sweet escape from it for a short period of time. Books can give you hope. A good story can inspire you and make you laugh. And a story can also make you cry. This series has never made me cry! That is why I think it's the perfect tool to get you through that tough time in your life!

I'd like to take this time to thank Janet Evonovich for creating such a fantastic series. (The Stephanie Plum series.) I truly believe it helped me get through my divorce. I love how Stephanie is stumbling through her own life after a divorce, granted she hits a lot of speed bumps along the way, blowing up cars and etc. But that's what makes it so great! She is far from perfect but perfectly great at the same time. Does that make sense? Anyway, don't wait for the movie! Get the book and be prepared to laugh!

An excellent read.

Well, my fellow readers. I finished "Pride and Prejudice" about 4 days into the task. At first I had a hard time following the formal wording but as time went on I found myself following along quite comfortably. The story was very enjoyable. I fell in love with a few of the characters  and wanted to punch a few of them in the jaw for being so rude and uppity! I will confess that I do wish she would have explained the setting of the story a bit. . I want to know how the house was decorated, what the girls wore and etc. I'm that kind of reader. I like details!

I enjoyed the book so much that I decided to start reading "Emma" also by Jane Austen. I hope it turns out to be just as enjoyable. I haven't started it yet but hope to soon. Is anyone else still reading "Pride and Prejudice"? What do you think of it?

What WE are reading...

I recently announced that I would be reading "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. I'm ashamed to say that I have never read it since it is suppose to be such a grand novel. Also it's such a shock because it's played out in the 19th Century British society which I LOVE! It's high time I put my night clothes on and cuddle up with this book! I've made tea and I've found my fuzzy socks. Let the reading begin! I'm happy to say that I will have  company (not in bed with me right this moment, but reading at their own home....) while reading this novel! A few of my good friends have also decided to bury themselves in the lovely book! Why don't you join us! If you have a kindle, amazon offers the book for free! It's one of many classics that they offer for free actually. Recently I read "Alice in Wonderland" out loud to my daughter. I'm not sure she listened to the entire thing. But she sat still for a time and stared into space! If you have a NOOK or purchase your ebooks from Barnes & Noble they offer the book for 99 cents! If you're not so fortunate to have an ereader or you just prefer the feel of a good old fashioned book, well, I think you can find it priced anywhere from 4 bucks to $444!! Yes, you read that right! A collectible copy of the book will run you around 3 digits! I love books. I love the feel of them. But, I don't have room for them and I certainly don't have that kind of money! What are you reading right now?