Life Reboot--Week1

I'm working on a "life reboot" at the moment. I'm not unhappy with my life but I've definitely been in a rut the last few years. Let a lot of things slip on the home and personal front. And I'm trying to change that. Trying to get out of my ruts, get stuff done that needs doing, and have fun, too.

In My Cart-- Hello Fresh Food Delivery Box

Once a month I like to share some of the new products I've tried out. This month I tried Hello Fresh. One of the bloggers I know, Angela, has been using them for a while and offered me a trial discount so I jumped on it. Here's what I thought!

Audio Files-- W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton

W is for Wasted (Kinsey Millhone #23) by Sue Grafton

The Story:

If you haven't read this series it's pretty fun. It's set in the 80s but being written currently. So no cell phones, internet, etc. It's kinda trippy sometimes but a good time. Kinsey is an investigator and always getting pulled into strange cases. This time a dead homeless man that somehow has ties to her and may have been linked to a shady medical program. I always enjoy Kinsey. She's blunt and has a bit of a give-no-fucks attitude but she cares for those people who are in her circle and for finding the truth. The mystery was decent and while not too difficult to figure things out it was still fun watching it all piece together. On the romance front a few past love interests make appearances but nothing romanticky happens. Just passing story points and characters. Maybe one day she'll find her guy. The story did drag a little bit but I'm not sure if that was the story or having done it on audiobook since this is my first time reading one this way.

3 stars-- Legal Wolf's Mate by Eve Langlais

Legal Wolf's Mate-- a paranormal quickie that's full of entertaining characters. The basic gist is that Megan has been set up for her new boss's murder and our dashing hero, Gavin, just happens to be a lawyer and intrigued. And a little knocked back on his ass since it turns out his new client...totally his future mate.

3 stars-- Deal Me In (Betting on Romance #4) by Cheri Allan

I love a good second chance romance and I enjoyed Deal Me In. It was an easy read with a solid orderly hero and a heroine who was a bit more whimsical and trying to figure things out.

The quick of it is that Grace and Jeff have some past history that left them, well, not totally infatuated with each other. And now that he's come back home to live and work, well, they're having to deal with each other. And not totally loving that either...at first.

Attack of the 14 Nights of Halloween Giveaway!!! omg yall. The prizes! Pretty!

Hey guys! Giveaway time! And oh my word so many Etsy pretties! If you're addicted to Etsy click with care! lol But, really, enter the giveaway. The prizes are so fun! I've shared my favorite Halloween-ie movies, too. Ahhh good memories. Good memories. ~anna

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales, Freebies!

A handful of new releases and a bunch of deals this week. I only read Mistletoe Games. It's a pretty good sports antho but all of the novellas are previously released in ebook so no new bits. But still good :)

For more info on each book please click the cover! It'll take you to the Amazon page for the book.

Quote-tastic/Review-- just...delightful!-- A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

Join us each week and share a favorite quote that you just loved.

You can add a review or post just a quote. You can post any day of the week, too. Totally flexible. Link ups are live on Monday.

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier!

Just grab the button and toss up your post :) No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section or in a FB post and link it up.

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I couldn't resist this cover. Couldn't. Resist. And yay! I'm so glad because A Study in Scarlet Women was fantastic! Sherlock Holmes with a slight twist. Sherlock? Totally a chick.

4 stars-- Deadly Silence (Blood Brothers #1) by Rebecca Zanetti

Whew boy! Deadly Silence--non-stop deliciously sexy romantic suspense. Danger around every corner, unexpected twists and discoveries, scorching hot, passionate romance? Yeah. Zanetti will have you begging for more.

Holy cow was there a lot going on in the lives of Zara and Ryker...

Fall into Romance Giveaway Hop! (Oct 14-21)

Fall Into Romance! Share the romances that had you falling in love with the genre!
Or the ones that keep you smitten! Stop by each blog for new recommendations and giveaways!

Yall! This hop! I love it! Romance is my favorite genre... obviously. lol But I'm still fairly new to the genre. I didn't start until 2011 but man I was hooked!

Guest Post w/ Celia Breslin-- A Spooky Top 10

Hey guys! Today we've got Celia joining us for a spooky halloween post. Yall check it out then hit those comments and leave her some love! ~anna

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Celia’s Spooky Top 10

Insta-Wednesday: Kitty mom, Plant mom, & an Unfortunate Turn

Because I love Instagram and fun pictures. The Herd's week ala Instagram :)

It's been a roller coaster this past couple weeks. Some really awesome stuff, some cute, some heartbreaking. This is that in photos.

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales, Freebies!

K Bromberg, Paige Tyler, Laurell K Hamilton, Bella Andrea. Ahh, people! Ahh! So many pretteh reads. lol Let me know if you grab anything!

For more info on each book please click the cover! It'll take you to the Amazon page for the book.

4 stars-- Texas Tall by Kaki Warner

Oh, I am SO going to have to read more from Kaki Warner! Texas Tall was a slower moving romance but it grabbed my heart completely and had me falling in love with this dusty little Texas town and the eclectic group that call it home.

The quick of it is one day a group of Rangers are bringing a prisoner through Lottie's town and a shoot out happens. A young Ranger is shot and Lottie rushes in to comfort him while help is called. And so a connection is made that holds both of them in it's grip even after he's left town. But something keeps pulling them back together month after month until they just can't resist any longer.

Quote-tastic/Review-- a mutual rescue?-- Dangerously Charming by Deborah Blake

Join us each week and share a favorite quote that you just loved.

You can add a review or post just a quote. You can post any day of the week, too. Totally flexible. Link ups are live on Monday.

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier!

Just grab the button and toss up your post :) No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section or in a FB post and link it up.

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I was so excited to see this new series from Blake. I just love me some Riders. So, Day. He rescued what he thought was a woman in need and she ended up being evil and tortured him and his brothers to near death and cost them their immortality. So he's not so much in the damsel rescue business these days and lamenting a new damsel in need. I loved this thought from his friend Barbara...

Tag: The Cat Herder-- The Halloween Edition

  

This one has a *little* NSFW-ness. So click with caution :)

Crafting with Kitties-- Cross stitch for the WIN!

I'm trying to get myself back into crafting. And, of course, the herd involves themselves. 

I thought it would be fun to share some of our crafty adventures. I could definitely use a little light hearted this week. 

First up is my cross stitch I got for my birthday from Kelly. I know yall have seen this one in the Insta-Wednesday posts but I figured it was a good way to kick off the feature :)

4 stars-- All the Little Liars (Aurora Teagarden #9) by Charlaine Harris

Woohoo! One of the first series I picked up when I started reading was the Aurora Teagarden mysteries and it quickly became a favorite so I was freaking thrilled to see All the Little Liars. And it was a good time. I loved being back with Aurora!

The quick of it is that things are going pretty good with Aurora and her family. Her stepbrother is settling in, she's pregnant, she and Robin are married. Things are good. Until they aren't. Starting with her brother disappearing without a clue along with three other kids in town.

Meet the Herd-- SierraCat

Saying good-bye.

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales, Freebies!

Hey guys-- Just a heads up. I'm going to be quiet the next few days on here, visiting and social media. Our eldest herd babe SierraCat has been struggling. Blood work crashed and an ultrasound today found that the cancer had spread into her belly. I'll be spending most of my time with her the next day or so before we have to say good-bye. Posts will go live and I may pop in now and again but likely not much. I'll catch up when I can. ~anna

Seriously. The number of AMAZING reads releasing this week is ridiculous. I kinda maybe have all of them and loved a bunch of them too. lol Check the blog this week and next for ALL of the reviews!

For more info on each book please click the cover! It'll take you to the Amazon page for the book.

Quote-tastic/Review-- momentarily dumbstruck-- My Brown-Eyed Earl by Anna Bennett

Join us each week and share a favorite quote that you just loved.

You can add a review or post just a quote. You can post any day of the week, too. Totally flexible. Link ups are live on Monday.

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier!

Just grab the button and toss up your post :) No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section or in a FB post and link it up.

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Sooo a semi-new-to-me. Anna Bennett is actually one of my favorite authors who has had a name change. She used to write as Anne Barton. It was so good, yall.

Anywho. Today's quote. ::snort:: Basically, years ago the hero caught the heroine skinny dipping and he's having to squirm a bit and explain himself. This part of it just made me laugh. Good save, hero. Good save.

Tasty Delights-- Mini Pumpkin Cakes

Ahhhhh Halloween! It needs cuteness. And cake! I made one of these years ago when I was down in Florida and being our "social director" aka making EVERYONE CELEBRATE EVERYTHING. lol

I thought they were so cute and I was wanting cake and it's fall and I figured I'd make them again. They're easy and tasty and just cute.

4th Quarter Challenge Link Ups--Blogger Shame, Pick Your Genre, New to You & Pervy Girl

The end is near! The end is near! lol 4th Quarter Challenge Check Ins!

I'm hosting 4 reading/review challenges in 2016.
If you're participating in one of them you can find your Quarterly Check In link ups below!
Put together your recap for the last three months and let us know how you're doing!

Don't forget that every time you link in one of your reviews you're entered into the end of the year giveaway for that challenge!

Blog Ahead Tally

Aaaaand Blog Ahead is a GO! Tomorrow--Oct 1-- starts our annual Blog Ahead Challenge. For the entire month of October I'll be busting butt working on extra blog posts so I can get ahead with the blog and hopefully have a little less stress. 2016 has been brutal and my reserves are near tapped from emergencies and home renovations and whatnot. I'm pretty excited about the challenge and hopefully getting the blog fully stocked again.

This will be my tally post for the event.

I'm starting with 19 posts scheduled.

The event goal is 30 posts more than that. Whew!

The Monthly Herd-- September-- Crafting, Adulting and Squees

Ahhhh September. It was full of power washing, flooring, book cases. I'm still working on all of the above and I imagine I will for all of October, too. lol This house, yall. This house. smh. 

Interview w/ Peggy Lampman-- Food, People. Glorious Food!

Hey Guys! We've got Peggy Lampman joining us today to chat about her first novel...The Promise Kitchen! Doesn't it look delicious?  Yall give her a big welcome and hit those comments! ~anna

Guest Post w/ Hope Ramsay-- Winning Over a Scrooge!

Yes! A Christmas post! Suck it up buttercup. It's happening! lol I know it's early, yall, but one of my favorite authors had a release this week and I had to join in. Now, the review won't be on the blog until December but if you'd like to check it out it's already posted to Goodreads. HERE. 

Now, time to get in the Christmas spirit. Don't make me drag you kicking and screaming. If you do...there won't be cake! lol Check out Hope's post and give her some comment love, yall. ~anna

Insta-Wednesday: Cats, Crafting & Getting SheetFaced?

Because I love Instagram and fun pictures. The Herd's week ala Instagram :)

Cats & Crafting and getting SheetFaced?

4 stars-- The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel (Seduction Diaries #3) by Jennifer McQuiston

A scoundrel and a bookworm. A man hiding deep pain and the woman who just might heal his troubled soul. Gah, yes! The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel was quite the adventure. Starting with a cute meet to end all cute meets. Yeah. The hero? He totally peed on her gate. And got caught doing so. ::snort::

The quick of it is that Mary has come to town to help her pregnant sister and, well, to have a little adventure. She's been hiding away in the country for too long and now London is at the tips of her fingers. So adventure she'll have. Assassination plots, scandal, scoundrels....yeah, that wasn't quite what her family had in mind when they encouraged her trip.

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales, Freebies!

Oh the Shalvis was GOOD! The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel and Locked & Loaded were fun reads, too!

For more info on each book please click the cover! It'll take you to the Amazon page for the book.

Quote-tastic/Review-- sweet fiery hell-- Locked and Loaded by Mandy Baxter

Join us each week and share a favorite quote that you just loved.

You can add a review or post just a quote. You can post any day of the week, too. Totally flexible. Link ups are live on Monday.

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier!

Just grab the button and toss up your post :) No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section or in a FB post and link it up.

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I'm still pretty new to Baxter but I've been loving her US Marshals. Lots of action on all fronts. Oh, yeah. There was some sexy happening. Gah. Yes, please?

Tasty Delights-- Cauli-Tots

Ahhhh Cauli-Tots! Yes! Tater-tots all cauliflowered instead. lol I love playing with veggies and doing them in different ways.

Cauliflower has been one I've used a lot this year. I'm kinda addicted to it. I saw this recipe over on Delish.com and was like...yep. We're trying this. And it was pretty good. I did two different versions. The original which was baked like they called for and then a fried version. I liked the fried cauli-tots better but obviously not quite as healthy.

Wait, You're HOW Old?!! -- Thoughts from a Blogger-Girl

Dude. You're HOW old?!!

1 star-- Too Wild to Tame (Romancing the Clarksons #2) by Tessa Bailey

A review I never thought I'd post. I kinda feel like I've been knocked down on my ass but for the first time I didn't love one from Bailey. Seriously that's something I never thought would happen. But Too Wild to Tame just didn't work for me at all and was a struggle from pretty early on. I'd almost DNFd it at 30% but pushed trough hoping things would turn around but sadly they just didn't for a number of reasons.

Spotlight-- Piece by Piece by Elisabeth Staab

Hey guys! Today I've got a quickie spotlight for Elisabeth Staab's newest release which we're hosting... Piece by Piece. I just love a hero in glasses. Noms! The covers for this series are pretty amazing, don't ya think? Anywho, check out the excerpt then enter the giveaway! It's for a cute makeup kit and B&N gift card (US) or an ecopy of the book (INT). Woots! 

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4 stars-- Magic Binds (Kate Daniels #9) by Ilona Andrews

Ahhhhhh Curran! *pants a little* and if I thought I could get away with it and Kate wouldn't totally kick my ass... *dibs!!!* I love me some Curran. *sigh* And Magic Binds was pretty damn good, too.

The quick of it is that Kate's father is wack-a-doodle. He's kidnapping people, he's taunting Kate, he's just...well, he's lacking on the good guy points and an Oracle's vision of him killing Curran or their future child... has knocked off a few more points. Things are coming to a head and it's pretty much now or never for saving everything that's important to Kate-- her friends, her family, her city. Oh, and having to plan a wedding at the same time. Yeah. It's gonna be messy.

3.5 stars-- Billionaire on the Loose (Billionaires and Bridesmaids #5) by Jessica Clare

Some days...life is going well. Other days? *raises eyebrow* Your family kicks you out of your country and sends your royal ass to America. Yup. Loch's family has sent him packing and he's in New York until they decide it's safe for him to come home again. And he's going stir crazy with nothing to do until a friend sets him up with his own personal tour guide. A clumsy little gamer-girl who is pretty much his exact opposite but totally catches his eye. Billionaire on the Loose was a fun little read. It sure was.

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales, Freebies!

The Claiming was really good! I had fun with Billionaire on the Loose as well. Check the blog for reviews. The Ilona Andrews one is real good, too!

For more info on each book please click the cover! It'll take you to the Amazon page for the book.

Quote-tastic/Review-- priceless -- The Claiming by Tara Sue Me

Join us each week and share a favorite quote that you just loved.

You can add a review or post just a quote. You can post any day of the week, too. Totally flexible. Link ups are live on Monday. Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier!

Just grab the button and toss up your post :) Or leave your favorite in the comment section!

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Yall this one was so fun! It's a quick read and I totally devoured it. Okay so this is a contemporary erotic but...they're having a house party just like in historicals and gah I love that. Just...kinkified since they're into BDSM. I mean. So fun. And crazy hot. Anyways. She's playing "servant girl" during the get together complete with sexy outfit. Loved her response...