The Assassins Series by Toni Aleo

I don't know about you but I loooove me some hockey smut. So I was super excited when I came across Toni Aleo's Assasins series. What I wasn't expecting was to fall in love and adore every guy in this series. Each book is filled with scenes that make your heart flutter and then laugh out loud at the quirky banter. There are even a couple tear jerker moments. Another wonderful aspect of Toni's writing is the women, they are more human than most characters. They are not shaped like a poles but are shaped like real woman. They suffer from the same insecurities and self doubt that we all suffer from. I found myself reading the same thoughts that have wrecked havoc in my own mind, running through the characters minds. While some readers have reviewed Toni's written as repetitive and too long, I found that it makes more sense that way. Most romance inspired books are too perfect even if they have obstacles, they are easily overcame. While we would all love to find that one wonderful perfect match, it doesn't always work out that way. Most of us suffer a few heartbreaks along the way and each time leave deeper scars Relationships take time and the more insecurities and trust issues a person has, the more time it takes to break through those walls. To me, Toni's writing is like reading a story about a real life relationship. Because of this, it creates deep connections and feelings in the reader. You will find your chest fluttering and your heart pounding right along with the characters.  

I devoured this whole series in less than a week and can hardly wait to for Laces and Lace to come out November 24, 2014 (More Hockey! Yay!!). 

Website:

http://tonialeo.com

Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/tonialeo1

Find link to buy all 6 books of The Assassins Series below. 

The Assassins books 1-5 for $7.99:

http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-5-Book-Bundle-Taking-Falling-ebook/dp/B00IWSZMNW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1414779887&sr=8-4&keywords=Toni+Aleo

#6 Breaking Away for $3.99:

http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Away-Assassins-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00KVOTDRQ/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=05C4ZHQTMGQ6JED6PM71

Gourds

This year I decided to get a couple gourds to carve. I really wanted to dry them first but apparently that can take up to a couple months. So here are a couple shots of my sugar skull carving. 

Day one took about an hour but had to stop when my son kept trying to "help". Haha

This took me a few hours. I still need to touch it up some and add more details. I do like it though. 

The Lose No One Warns You About

When you find out you're pregnant and start telling people, it's an instant green light for everyone to tell you their advice. There is an overwhelming amount of information that floods towards you and they all contradict each other. But with all the advice that I received, no one warned me about the lose I would feel as my son grew. 

He will be 2 in January and there a trillion ways that I love and adore this rough and tumbled toddler. But in the near 2 years he has been in this world, he has been through so many changes that it's almost like he has been 100 different individuals already. It doesn't matter how many people tell you to take advantage of every second and moment you share, your child will never be that newborn, baby, infant, toddler again. Many have more kids but each one is still going to be different, as it's not about just having a newborn to snuggle but the individual child that you will never get to hold again.  Of course I rejoice in all of his achievements and growth. You love every fiber of his being but there will always be an ache of lose with each developmentle leap. 

Take advantage of your cell phone, take lots and lots of pictures and video of their little faces and adorable noises. Who cares if it takes up half the memory on your computer. Memories fade with time no matter how important they are and you won't regret having millions of pictures and video of your little one.

Black Falcon Series by Michelle Valentine

I just finished the Black Falcon series yesterday. I absolutely love these books and characters. I even really enjoyed the novellas, which are quick reads but sweet. Like most Tweens and Teenagers I've had my fair share of rock star crushes, from Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte to Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, and David Draiman of Disturbed. I started going to concerts in high school and met most of these guys at one point of another. Only getting completely tongue tied once when meeting Benji, my biggest crush of all. I remember hoping we would share a connection, we would fall in love but here I was speechless and too shy to even say hi. Sharing that is kinda embarrassing but I'm banking on the fact that I'm not the only one who had these moments. The Black Falcon series reminded me of this time in my life where concerts and music were my life. Despite my obvious love for bad boy rock stars, Michelle A. Valentine is a wonderful writer who gives her characters a more realistic feel. 

Visit Michelle A. Valentine's website and blog:

http://www.michelleavalentine.com

http://michelleavalentine.blogspot.com

Rock the Heart

For the last four years, good girl Lane has regretted breaking up with Noel Falcon. She thought she was sensible when she told him his dreams of being a rock star would get him nowhere, but now that he's a rock god and her career is stagnant, she realizes just how wrong she was. When Noel hires the marketing company where Lane is an intern, she's forced to see him again. If she wants to land her dream job as executive within the company, she has to win him over and secure his account. Too bad Noel is still pissed at her for breaking his heart. When Lane's company flies her to a Black Falcon concert to gain Noel's attention, emotions run high the moment she sees him and realizes she's far from over him. But Noel's countless trysts with groupies and his cocky attitude make Lane believe he isn't the same guy she once loved - now he seems to only want her body. Then after Lane discloses she needs him to procure a job, Noel proves he's a changed man by forcing her to go on the road with him in order to get it. After Lane reluctantly takes Noel up on his offer, she becomes willing to do whatever it takes to keep him satisfied, even if it means succumbing to his seductive ways. Lane soon finds deception is a dangerous game and she's not the only one playing.

Rock the Band

Available for free on Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00B39FRA0

After Noel Falcon professed his love to the one girl who truly holds his heart in the palm of her hand, he decides to try his damndest to keep Lane Vance in his life forever this time. There's no way he'll let her slip through his fingers again without a fight. The instant they are together Noel begins to plot a way to ask his headstrong lady-love to be his wife, but every attempt to pop the question is foiled by a string of mishaps that prevents him from the perfect moment to get the job done before he goes back on tour with Black Falcon. Distance is a bigger challenge than Noel expects, and the one-eyed beast of jealous raises its ugly head when Lane takes on a job working on an ad campaign for Embrace the Darkness. With Striker - a man that's made it clear in the past he's very interested in more then her business sense - lurking around her constantly, Noel wants to claim Lane now, more than ever. 

Rock My Bed

Everything always seems to fall into place for twenty-four year-old Aubrey Jenson, except for when it comes to her luck with men. Bad boys always draw her in and crush her heart, and Black Falcon's lead guitarist, Riff, is no exception. After sharing a few wild nights together, she leaves him behind, knowing a guy like Riff isn't the relationship type, merely just a play thing. When she returns to New York, she tries to get the passion she felt in Riff's arms out of her head by dating Isaac, a successful representative at Center Stage Marketing. Just when she thinks she's forgotten Riff, she's forced to see him again when her best friend, Lanie, ropes her into being a bridesmaid for her upcoming wedding to Black Falcon front man, Noel. Sparks fly instantly between Aubrey and Riff when they're forced to reunite, and suddenly she finds herself caught between the man that's good for her and the one who completely rocks her in every way. 

Rock My World

Available for free on Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00DOHYSEA

After Aubrey Jenson is wrongly dismissed from her job at Center Stage Marketing, she seeks legal advice from her father, The Judge, to see what grounds she has to get her position reinstated. Her surprise visit to her family doesn't go as smoothly as she hopes when she brings home her new boyfriend, Zach, Black Falcon's lead guitarist. She soon discovers that father doesn't always know best when it comes to matters of the heart. When Zach meets Aubrey's family, he's immediately faced with his deepest fear: The love he so desperately wants, he doesn't deserve. The Judge makes no attempt to hide his disdain for Zach, and will stop at nothing to keep him away from his daughter. But an unexpected twist turns everyone's plans upside down and no one's world will ever be the same. Outside forces attempting to pull them apart are strong and it's going to take every bit of Zach and Aubrey's love for one another to withstand the fall-out. Soon, they discover making love last is harder than finding it to begin with and sometimes you pay the ultimate price for true love. 

Rock the Beat

Twenty-year-old Holly Pearson never dreamed that while working at her father's motocross track she'd run into the walking, talking definition of trouble in a sexy, tattooed package - Trip Douglas, the man sent to evaluate the track for a possible investment opportunity. Holly makes no attempt to hide the fact she despises Trip, but she learns to be civil toward him when he offers to help her land the man of her dreams. Trip needs a break from the crazy rock-and-roll lifestyle he's been living for the past few years. With his Black Falcon band mates settling down with marriage and babies, Trip peruses an investment opportunity in motocross, something he's always been passionate about. Hiding his celebrity status, Trip infiltrates the new business posing as a dirt bike rider training for the X-Games. The only obstacle is the owner's daughter, Holly. She's a real ball bustin' Ice Queen, and she'll do whatever it takes to make the deal fall through. Trip soon discovers that winning over his new enemy is the key to gaining a partnership in Mountain Time Speed Track. Knowing he's the expert on getting laid, Trip ropes Holly into becoming his ally by helping her score a date with the man she's crushing on. The problem is, the more time Trip and Holly spend together, the more they uncover the undeniable attraction between them. Soon they both realize that even the best laid plans go to hell when you find you're falling in love with the enemy. 

Rock My Body: Relsease date November 11th, 2014

Available for pre-order: http://amzn.com/B00NS4QA0Y

Tyke Douglas is tired of being the glue that holds the hottest band in the world together. If the rest of the guys are out doing their own thing, then why shouldn't he? He's about to turn things up a notch and bring a whole new level of crazy into Black Falcon's world. Francine Mead is putting her sordid past behind and is determined to help others overcome their demons along side her. The first step in her new life is taking a job as an addiction counselor, where she can mentor others through their struggles. Francine never expected to be lured back into temptation when her first sexy celebrity client, Tyke Douglas walks through her door. The moment she lays eyes on him, she's in trouble. Both Tyke and Francine know a relationship between them would be a disaster, but with each session, things continue to heat up, making it impossible to deny the connection they share. Boundaries cross, attractions heighten and both of their willpowers will be tested to the very limit. 

D.I.Y. Kitchen Desk

I am a bit crazy when it comes to multi-tasking. And because of this craziness I usually end up with a pile of half finished projects in the kitchen/dinning room area because I like to work of other things while dinner is cooking. Our son started climbing and is getting more and more brave everyday. Last week he started doing this...

The corner he is dangling from used to be where I kept all my projects. The laptop was by the stove, our house was built in the 50's and little logic was used when considering the placements of electrical outlets. They were safe until he realized that he could push the chairs around to get into high places. The chairs are now tethered to the table legs with paracord, just incase my kid is the next Hulk. 

We started to scour goodwill, Salvation Army, and craigslist. We found this ugly thing on Craigslist for $40...

 (Notice the super inventive green hair tie lock)

I did light sanding over the whole thing and made sure to clean every nook and cranny well to make sure my paint stick but wouldn't bubble. 

I really like a flat black color on furnature with a brushed aluminum. The blue was left over from another project so I decided to use it on the sides of the drawers. 

After cleaning I started with my flat black. I bought the black and metallic aluminum at Walmart for $3.58 each. The clear and blue came from Home Depot at around $5.99 a can. As I've just started to experiment with spray painting furnature, I have just been trying whatever colors that I like over specific brands. Both Krylon and Rust-Oleum worked great for what I wanted to do with them. My only complaint would be about the clear coat, I did several coats on the metal hardware, I have found some nicks despite letting them dry in between coats, and letting sit for a couple hours to fully dry. 

I applied 2 costs of both the black and blue on the desk, using only the clear coat in areas that were going to get wore more, of which I also did two coats. 

Notice we pulled out the shelf from inside. My laptop would not fit, so it was pulled out, and later I hand painted it black too. 

Just a little pop of blue to make it look snazzy.

And here is a side by side. Please feel free to ask any questions. This is my first blogging of a project so I may have missed something. 

Thanks for reading! 

💚💛Morgan💛💚

Beast

Beast The Four Part Novella Series by Ella James

When I tripped across Red & Wolfe, while looking for books, I also bought up this series too. Over all this was a good story very different than most loves story's as it mostly takes place inside of a prison. 

FROM HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY... 

At twenty-one years old, third-generation movie star Cal Hammond was on top of the world. He had more money than God and more women than any man could need. But when a night of debauchery ends in tragedy, he forfeits a life of luxury for a ten-year prison sentence at La Rosa, California's most violent prison. 

TO BRUTAL BEAST. 

Eight years later, a ruthless, cunning man runs La Rosa from the inside. He is known simply as Beast. All the wardens fear him. All the gangs obey him. He speaks to no one but his inner council. What he says is law. 

ONLY SHE CAN SAVE HIM. 

Annabelle Mitchell's stepfather is the warden at La Rosa. He deals as dirty as his trustees, and after years of smooth relations with Beast and the gangs he runs, Holt lands on the powerful prisoner's hit list. That very afternoon, Annabelle pays a surprise visit to La Rosa, hoping to use her new counseling license at a place she thinks she could make a difference. When Beast sees her, he releases the warden and grabs the nameless girl who played a starring role in the worst night of his life. The price for the warden's error is not death. It's his precious Belle. 

Ella James Adds a New Twist

Red & Wolfe a Four Part Novella Series by Ella James 

I was digging around looking for something interesting to read when I tripped across Red & Wolfe: Part One. I was intreged by the idea of this real life Red Riding Hood.

When Sarah "Red" Ryder loses her job as an art critic for a Boston newspaper, she's brokenhearted. Worse than that? She's broke. Her boyfriend recently left her, so she's stuck paying her hefty apartment rent alone. After two months unemployed, there's no money left. With no immediate family to turn to, Red reaches out to her estranged grandmother, a reclusive writer living on an island off the coast of Charleston. Several days later, Red receives $30,000 and an invitation to visit. 

James Wolfe is not Red's grandmother - but he's the only person waiting for her at the boat dock. Red has something he needs. He won't take "no" for an answer, and he doesn't mind screwing her over to get it. He lost his conscience six years ago, when he went off the grid. Since then, life is about him - and the renowned oil paintings he does under the mysterious pseudonym "W." 

Until the moment he sees her. Then Red is all he wants. And Wolfe will have her - any way he can. 

Red & Wolfe is a four part novella series, with the first 3 books being around 50 pages and book 4 being around 150. Needless to say these are very quick reads. While they are a round $.99-$2.99 per book on Amazon, they do occasionally go up for free. I am horribly impatient so I coughed it up to get them all. 

I really liked these books as they are a fun little ride through a fairytale story that you don't want to read to your kids. 

Red & Wolfe: Part One

Red & Wolfe: Part Two

Red & Wolfe: Part Three

Red & Wolfe: Part Four