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.

 

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....

Days like this.....

It's raining. It's cold. I'm sick. I'm tired. I'm hungry for something sweet and salty. My toddler is full of energy and my teenager is not in school because he is sick too. Days like this.....I just want to crawl into bed, turn on a Harry Potter movie, sip chicken broth from my favorite coffee mug and read a book in the peace and quiet. But since the toddler is energetic and the teenager isn't amused at all by her picking the lock to his bedroom door, I cannot relax and enjoy my book.

my back yard.....yes I own a rake.

What to do? What to do?

No. I cannot give them both Nyquil!

Give myself Nyquil?......That's a thought......No. I have to drive.....and make phone calls.

Make cookies?

We're out of chocolate chips and butter.

Shoot squirrels off the back fence?

No!!!!! That's not nice. ( can't believe you'd bring that up)

Laundry?....I'm almost out of clean towels and socks.

Ok. I guess. But it doesn't make me feel better.

Talk to myself?.........Shhhh! Don't tell anyone. But sometimes I do talk to myself.

Ok. Here's the plan. Harry Potter in the living room. Hot cocoa with marshmallows for the teenager, chocolate milk with whipped cream for the toddler and chicken noodle soup for me. A pile of blankets made into a fort for the toddler and a nice warm heating pad and quilt for the teenager.

Me?......Fuzzy socks, bath robe and a book!

Ahhhhhhh! Sounds like a plan to make everyone happy!

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?