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Saturday, 29 April 2006

ENSLAVE ME SWEETLY

WOW!

I thought Awaken Me Darkly was a terrific Alien Huntress novel. It couldn't possibly get better, right? Wrong! This is the second Alien book and boy was it awesome!

Eden Black is an Assassin. Also happens to be an alien, from the Raka race -- beautiful, golden skin and hair, sensual and very sought-after since they're rare on Earth. She used to be a spoilt princess but is now a deadly assassin who can definitely take care of herself. Boy can she kick butt! But when her latest target, EenLi, gets away she gets hurt and is given a partner. Lucius Adaire is human and totally infuriates her, but sets her desire ablaze at the same time. Together the two must bring down the slave trade of humans somehow being sent to other planets...

And so begins their wild, passionate, action-packed adventure.

I absolutely love this futuristic world Gena Showalter has created. It's filled with wonderful imagery that sometimes makes you forget you don't actually live there. The story captivated me so much I felt like I was in the story. And her writing style, once again wraps around you until all you wanna do is keep reading and reading... eager to find out how it all pans out.

Eden's book is well-worth the word AWESOME. If you enjoyed Mia's book, you'll love this one too! There's a bit of everything -- including the scorching sensuality between Eden and Lucius. It's delicious! Not to mention the new array of wonderful characters. Good or bad, alien or human - they're all realistic and terrific.

I highly recommend you all check out this book as soon as it's released! It's a fun, action-packed, layered sensual read with an outstanding story.

Friday, 28 April 2006

Weight loss, workouts and results!

So we went grocery shopping last night and the hubby taped the finale of The Biggest Loser - the Aussie version - for me. I sat down this morning to watch the results and in some cases complete transformations. And it was cool. Though I would've liked Jillian and Bob to be there -- they were via satellite.

I was enjoying it and was fast forwarding the ads, when the tape ran out!

Can you believe it? I missed out on the best part of the darn finale! The 4 finalists! I was so peed off. Jeez! Damn tape. Of course I got on the website and checked out a few pics of the winner and the other finalists, but it's just not the same. Is it? Arrrrrgggghhhhh... I didn't watch this show religiously but it was fun to see the way they were all shrinking. And after watching the US finale where everyone looked so great, I just wanted to scope it out. Overall, I think there were a few that still have a bit to go before getting to healthy target weights, but it's great to commit to change. Good on them!

I know how great it is to lose those terrible extra kilos. I mean, not such extreme weight like these contestants, but still excess weight for my frame. After my pregnancy, I piled on the weight. And it wasn't even from over-eating! To be honest, I had a hard time eating all through the pregnancy. And what I did eat was mainly going to the baby. Still, she was a huge bub. Anyway, to cut a long and boring story short -- I've never had the over-eating prob, it was more genetics, inactivity and ultimately pregnancy. But last year, when my daughter was on her way to turning 5, I decided to do something about it. It was time to change.

I cut out all chips, take-out food, white bread... make sure we don't go to sleep until 2-3 hours after eating (very important!). I walk for an hour every day and TotalGym 3 times a week, with 3 yoga workouts to compliment the resistance training. The hubby and I would like to add a little boxing and some hand weights, but not yet.

And what happened after all these changes? Well, I've now lost 14 kilos (approx. 32 pounds) and am only 8 kilos away from my target weight. That's great. I'm also losing the weight slowly and won't suffer the side effects of rapid weight loss. But the best thing is how I feel - inside and out. Healthy, energetic, positive. I've had to buy new clothes and even then keep seeing differences the next time I wear something. It's terrific. And I recommend the lifestyle change. Because ultimately, that's what it is. The whole diet thing doesn't work, it's so much more than that.

Oh gee... when did this become a mini-recap of my personal weight loss? Wasn't I talking about missing out on seeing the last hour of The Biggest Loser? He. He. He. :)

I took my daughter for a long walk today and stopped by a park along the way. She loves the park and ran into a little school friend. So she played for a while and then we continued on. It was a nice walk. It's sunny today, but the river looked a little dirty. :/

On the writing front, I took some notes for the third idea. And as I was writing, things started clicking. This one's gonna be a cool story to write. It's also set in Trina's world, so that will be fun. Though I don't think she'll make an appearance. Maybe the heroine will mention her but that's it. I think. Of course, things can always change once I start writing. But this is going to be a journey of self-discovery... though the heroine won't realise it at first. She'll think she's just doing her job. And the coolest thing was that as we were doing the last leg of the walk, I started feeling and seeing the first chapter inside my head.

Must. Find. Time. To. Write. It. Later...

Sorry for the long post -- have a great weekend everyone.

Wednesday, 26 April 2006

Have I mentioned it's getting cold?

Well, it sure is! Of course, compared to other countries this probably doesn't quite register as cold... but it's cold for me.

*scratching my head*

Which come to think of it, doesn't take much. I get cold easy. Oh well. Winter's on the horizon and there's nothing I can do to stop it. I don't even know why I'm trying to fight it. It's a useless battle, but I do it every single year.

Okay, so yesterday was a public holiday here. The hubby was home and we worked out, went to a shopping centre for a while, played some Tretis DS and waited all day for a break in the weather. And we didn't get it. Had to miss out on our daily walk because the rain kept doing a stop-start routine. We set out several times, only to come back inside. It's a little disappointing. I love our walks. The hubby and I have made some of the coolest plans and mutual decisions while walking.

Anyway, so the rest of the week is going to be a little fun for me. I think. Since there are three days left before the weekend and I have three ideas I want to sort out, I'm sparing a day for each idea. Or something like that.

The first thing I did today was put together some Playlists on the lappy. The wonderful hubby helped me put a huge selection of music on it, so I could do just that. And today, that's exactly what I did. Each novel soundtrack is a little different, but holds a very similar thread. When I get started, I'll post each correspinding playlist. I'm excited about it.

I used to write with music all the time. But after my daughter was born I found myself writing in silence. And for some reason, I got stuck in that routine but want to get the ol' music in the background going again. I'm excited about it, and choosing the songs was a lot of fun too.

Okay, gotta get going now...

80s Wednesday


Okay, so technically this album was released in 1990 or something like that... but it has a whole bunch of Madonna's early stuff -- all from the 80s! It's an awesome album. I've been after it for some time now (since the 90s) but just never got around to buying it, for some strange reason.

Anyway, we found it for a very cool price yesterday and I had to get it. There are only a few other songs I would've enjoyed having on it -- Burning Up, Angel, Dress You Up, True Blue and Who's That Girl -- but it's still ultra cool. And IMHO, this has some of Madonna's best stuff anyway... ever! I just don't like what she's been releasing lately. Sure she keeps re-inventing herself and is out-lasting a lot of other artists, but I'm not into any of her new stuff.

I'll stick to my 80s Madonna tunes!

Wednesday, 19 April 2006

80s Wednesday

The A-Team

"I love it when a plan comes together." Col. John "Hannibal" Smith.

Adding the above quote to yesterday's entry pretty much set me in the direction of the A-Team as an 80s Wednesday feature. Kinda makes me wonder why I've waited so long to add this one to the growing list. I used to watch this show religiously. Every time an episode was on TV, I'd be there watching. It was so cool -- action-packed, a bunch of unlikely heroes -- man, did we need anything more?

A little about the show from Wikipedia:

The A-Team was an action/adventure television show about a fictional group of ex-US Army commandos who are on the run from the military while working as soldiers of fortune. Despite this, the A-Team almost always acted on the side of the "good guys," helping the oppressed. The show ran for five seasons on the NBC television network, from January 23, 1983, to March 8, 1987, with a total of 98 episodes.

Although I loved the four characters -- Hannibal, Murdock, Face and Baracus -- Mr. T was my fave. He was outrageous, funny and hated flying. How many times did they have to sedate him to get him on a plane? Lol! I love it! I've got great memories about this show... there was a bit of everything...

Sunday, 16 April 2006

GUNS, DRUGS AND MONSTERS

This is the second Cal McDonald, Monster Hunter book. I read it in under twenty-four hours. It's not that long a book, but awesome all the same. I really enjoyed the first book Savage Membrane, so had to read the next one. And it didn't disappoint, that's for sure.

Cal's not exactly conventional. He was a cop once upon a time but got kicked out because of drugs. So now he's a private investigator. Except, he investigates things related to monsters and his best friend's a ghoul called Mo'Lock. In GD&M, Cal is down on his luck and when he receives the still-living head of an old friend via the postal system, he leaves DC and ventures into the freakiness of LA.

Things pretty much go downhill from there and Cal gets into all kinds of shit. Hey, I'm just getting into the spirit of things. The adventure is really cool and Cal takes more than just one beating. Though he's crude and spends most of his time in a drunken and/or drug stupor, I still think he's likeable. I like the idea of someone who sees so much below the surface that it drives him to drugs and alcohol in hopes of escaping.

Sure, this book's probably not for everyone, but I loved it. It's a fast-paced, fun read into a dark world that's creepy, yet familiar. I personally can't wait to read more about Cal McDonald's adventures -- especially now that he's in the City of Angels...

Friday, 14 April 2006

SOMETHING WICKED


Another terrific Grailkeepers novel! This one was a different narrator - Kate Trillo - but still full of adventure and danger. This time the Goddess grail in question is Hekate's.

Kate interupts her sister's killer and puts a curse on him. Her life goes to hell from there as she's forced to face the family tradition of being a witch she's shunned for so long. She embarks on an adventure that takes her to Greece, Turkey and Rome - the backdrop to some very cool European history.

I really enjoyed this book. The heroine's plight was heartfelt, as well as the heartbreak of losing her only sister and everything that follows. And Ben Fisher is a wonderful hero. Vaughn's heros usually are. I can't wait to check out the next one. But in the meantime, if you want to read a captivating tale with a wonderful adventure and a magical story -- read this book!

KING KONG

So the hubby and I finally watched Peter Jackson's KING KONG last night... and loved it!

It was a moving movie. Honestly, I didn't think it would be this great! The connection between Ann and Kong was amazing and touching. And the special effects were so outstanding I kept forgetting Kong wasn't real! He looked terrific. Wow.

There were several outstanding sequences -- the stampede, the T-Rex scene (from start to finish), and of course, every time Kong was on screen.

But what I really enjoyed was the wonderful story going on around the excellent SFX. The human greed in the form of Carl Denham, the growing romance between Ann and Driscoll and of course Kong doing everything he could just to keep Ann safe. All of this at a time when the world wasn't doing so well and there were still undiscovered places on the globe.

I was very satisfied with this movie but was deeply saddened by how well the worst of human nature was captured.

Poor Kong.

Wednesday, 12 April 2006

80s Wednesday


Ah, who can forget this cute selection of dollies? Well actually, I did as soon as I was old enough. Lol. Though I loved this character when I was a tiny, little girl it just wasn't one of those that stayed significant for me years later. Of course, it could have something to do with wanting one so badly, for so long, but never actually getting it... or... I don't know. My daughter's got one though and it smells like strawberries -- surprise! And she's even watched a few of the DVDs.

I just can't get over how many things were around when I was a little girl that my daughter's got exposure to as well. Strange... bizarre... ;)

Thursday, 6 April 2006

Walking, walking... and more walking!

Gee. I'm tired. You have no idea how much walking I've done in the last week.

My legs are aching. I'm a little tired. Spent most of the morning walking around dropping my daughter off at school, then walking down to return some DVD hires to Blockbuster. Of course, then I had to walk back. And then take off a few hours later to pick my daughter up from school and back home. Phew! You tired yet? If you are, I guess I should leave out that I did some yoga yesterday evening and did plenty of walking too.

Okay, I'm getting exhausted just typing about it. I'm gonna stop now.

As you can see below, I finished reading Devil's Due. It hooked me in so much I couldn't help but get to the end so soon! I really enjoyed it.

The demon synopsis has been revised. Cut a lot of excess out of it but I'm still not happy with it. I think it's still a little too long. Tomorrow I'm going to take some more off, shave around the edges until I have myself a 4-5 page synopsis of the 70+k novel. Man, it's so much easier to write about than it is to actually do. The good thing is I've still got a few of these that need to be done, so I'll be getting plenty of practice. Right? Yeah, one day I'll hopefully get the hang of it.

I mean, I think the synopsis writing at the moment is good. But I want it to be great! Yeah, like to push myself a little, huh?

Watched HOUSE last night. Ooooh, what a great episode. This show truly outdoes itself every single week. And I've gotta say, I like Cameron less and less as each ep goes by. But especially with what she did this time... getting high and luring Chase into bed when she's waiting to find out if she has HIV or not. Sure, he didn't protest much but still. A very cruel thing to do to someone... wonder where that's going to go? And House. Gee, what a manipulative SOB. What he did to Stacy was terrible! But I still like him. He's hilarious and cruel and doesn't like people much, but what an awesome character they've created in Gregory House!

DEVIL'S DUE

WOW -- can this woman write or what? I'm a huge fan of her Weather Warden series, so when I heard she was writing for Bombshell, I was ecstatic! And having already read, and thoroughly enjoyed Devil's Bargain, I was anticipating this one. And it didn't disappoint.

The tension in this book is so thick, it swallows you up until all you want to do is keep reading to find out what's going to happen next. Lucia Garza is a very interesting character with a dark past we only get a glimpse into. Jazz and Borden are back in this one too... and so is an array of new characters from Lucia's life. And we met Ben McCarthy properly, after he's released from prison. The buzz between Ben and Lucia is sizzling.

And the situation... well, it's a hell of a thrill ride, that's for sure. I don't want to get into the nitty-gritty of it because there's no way to properly talk about the happenings without kinda spoiling it for everyone.

So, if you're a Rachel Caine fan -- this is an amazing book! Check it out!

Wednesday, 5 April 2006

80s Wednesday

Gee, I totally forgot it was Wednesday today! So I made a mad dash around the net trying to come up with this week's choice.

And here it is:

The album Thriller.


Wikipedia: Thriller is an album by Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records December 1, 1982. The album is generally considered Jackson's best solo effort, and helped define the artist as one of music's most popular solo acts.
Before Michael Jackson became the circus that he is today with so many allegations and the bizarre lifestyle to go with it -- there was this album! I love this album! Loved it back in the 80s and still love it now. Do you remember the Michael Jackson cards? He. He. Used to collect those around the same time as well.

What was terrific about this album, asides from the great songs, were the film clips. Thriller was an awesomely scary film clip back in the 80s with all those dancing zombies and scary Michael. Very cool.
I just don't understand what went wrong...

Monday, 3 April 2006

TOUCH OF EVIL

Very cool cover, huh?

So this was my reward for getting another first draft finished last week. And it was so good, it certainly felt like a reward. I love the Sazi series by CT Adams and Cathy Clamp, so when I found out this was coming out, I couldn't wait!

It was well-worth the wait! It's absolutely awesome.

Kate Reilly is a very likable character and her voice was terrific. I got hooked into the story from the first word. Honestly - it's got a lot of action, a cast of wonderful characters, set in an interesting place and the dynamics between each character is outstanding. And let's not forget the plot. Wow! I love what they've done with the vampires in this book. The Thrall aren't your average vamp. There's nothing cuddly about them and they live in a hive mentality which I thought was awesomely clever. Tom Bishop was terrific too. I can't wait to see where this series takes us next.

Cie, Cathy -- you've both done another terrific job with this book! I loved it and recommend it to everyone! You've gotta do yourself a favour and check it out... now!
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