Buffy's Ramblings

Tavia Gilbert is my second favorite audiobook narrator.  The Night Huntress series is another favorite and she does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life.  She captures every nuance in the characters and every emotion in any scene.  In addition to the writing, Tavia Gilbert's performance keeps you emotionally invested and completely riveted throughout all the books. She also narrates the other spinoff books set in this world and there were a couple of those between books 6 and 7.  I notice that Ms. Gilbert doesn't quite sound the same as Bones in book 7 as she did in 6.  This threw me off just a little bit, but everything is still great.  This is another set of audiobooks that are captivating and I can listen to them over and over again!

Summary: Lady Elanna Valtai is fiercely devoted to the King who raised her like a daughter. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Elanna is accused of his murder and must flee for her life. Returning to the homeland of magical legends she has forsaken, Elanna is forced to reckon with her despised, estranged father, branded a traitor long ago. Feeling a strange, deep connection to the natural world, she also must face the truth about the forces she has always denied or disdained as superstition powers that suddenly stir within her. But an all-too-human threat is drawing near, determined to exact vengeance. Now Elanna has no choice but to lead a rebellion against the kingdom to which she once gave her allegiance. Trapped between divided loyalties, she must summon the courage to confront a destiny that could tear her apart. Title:   The Waking Land Series:   The Waking Land Book #:  1 Author:   Callie Bates Approximate Book Length:   400 ...

Summary: He awakens encapsulated in dirt with no knowledge of how he came to be there. Riddled with injuries, he can remember neither his past nor who he is. Nor can he remember what he is. But surely no mortal man could survive being buried deep beneath the earth. All he knows with certainty is that the soothing voice and presence of the woman moving around above enables him to endure the agony of his wounds. And he will do whatever it takes to be with her. When Susan first sees the old two-story house for sale, such warmth and longing fill her that—against all reason—she makes an offer. It will take years of hard work and money she frankly doesn’t have to fix up the place. So she can’t explain why she bought it. She also can’t explain what compels her to spend hours one night, digging in the basement until she unearths a man. A man who still lives and breathes despite having been buried alive. A man whose intense brown eyes glow amber with pain, declaring him far more than ord...

Summary: A year after Andi claimed her three smoking hot roommates for her own, she’s finally emerging from a blissful haze of lust long enough to look around and realize things aren’t quite as amazing as they could be. While she and her boyfriends have an incredible sex life, they haven’t fully embraced their relationship in public. When someone puts one and three together—outing them from the polyamorous closet—they have to decide where to go next. Will they be able to stay together or will reality tear them apart? Title:   4Ever Mine Series:   4Ever Book #:  2 Author:   Jayne Rylon Approximate Book Length:   152 Pages Recommended Reader Age:   18+ Sexual Content:   Explicit Thoughts: I enjoyed this book a lot. I love each of the guys and Andi is totally sweet. The love scenes were great, and I enjoyed seeing each guy's personality in and out of the bedroom. I wish there were bigger consequences for the jerkface, but I'll ju...

Well, it certainly turned into something completely different than when I started.  It turned into a giant journal mixed with an auto biography.  There's little consistency and continuity, but it was actually a pretty great place to vent.  It will absolutely never see the light of day, but it got me writing a bunch every single day and it felt good just to let it all out.  Overall it was a good writing exercise and I think I did really well, especially since I did run into a few obstacles such as an injured neck.  I was able to slow down on the last two days because I was so far ahead and in a way that felt good too.  I could hate written more - a lot more - but I think I'm just going to let it be as is.  Live and let go as it were.  Final word count was 50150 or 50198 as the NaNoWriMi site validated!  Now to get back to edits for last year's book...

Now available for pre-order!! The Case of the Voracious Vintner (A Middlemark Mystery Series, Bk 2)  By Tara Lain  Blurb: Where Bo Marchand comes from, gay men are just confirmed bachelors who never found the right girl. But now Bo’s a successful winemaker on the central coast of California, supporting his whole damned Georgia family, and all he really wants is the beautiful, slightly mysterious Jeremy Aames. Jeremy’s vineyard is under threat from Ernest Ottersen, the voracious winemaker who seems to know all Jeremy’s blending secrets and manages to grab all his customers. Bo tries to help Jeremy and even provides a phony alibi for Jeremy when Ottersen turns up dead in Jeremy’s tasting room. But it’s clear Jeremy isn’t who he claims, and Bo must decide if it’s worth tossing over his established life for a man who doesn’t seem to trust anyone. When Jeremy gets kidnapped, some the conservative winemakers turn out to be kinky sex fiends, and the list of mur...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! So I'm chugging along.  My personal journey through depression has definitely turned into more of a chaotic memoir.  I read Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking and I thought that while her life was interesting, her writing was atrocious.  Well, now I know why.  Trying to write about your own life and share stories and how they all tie in together to land you where you are as a person is messy.   Anyway, on this day that makes us stop and give thanks when we might otherwise be to busy all the rest of the days, I want to say that I'm thankful for having forgiving children (when Mommy's trying to write instead of play) and a supportive husband.  I'm thankful for being able to be a stay home mom.  I'm thankful to the teachers that spend time with my children and help them learn even when my kids can be pretty challenging sometimes.  I'm grateful for having a loving family and even having some family close.  I am tha...

I'm working hard to stay on task and stay motivated and keep up with my goals.  I was recently told that I need to go back on Bipolar meds which frankly is all the more depressing.  I'm trying to keep it up and I seem to be making it, but I'm struggling.  :-(

*I VOTED, DID YOU?!* There is SO MUCH to include that affected my depression from development to evolution that I struggle to keep some kind of coherence.  However, I also try to remind myself that while this will end up feeling good to some extent I think (cathartic as a friend put it), it doesn't matter in the long run.  NO ONE will ever read this so it doesn't matter if it's a little chaotic and stuff.  Sigh.  I think I'm just struggling to focus, like I have with everything all year.  So apparently in addition to problems with focus, I've been having a trouble with motivation.  I know it'll feel good, both the content and the completion of NaNoWriMo, but knowing it doesn't matter is the opposite of helpful in that regard.  Sometimes writing all this out is flowing quickly and easily while others it just sort of stutters out.  I suppose that could also be said for writing anything else too.  Anyway, I am trying to keep chugging along....

I made the decision last year (especially after actually achieving the 50k words!) that I would participate in NaNoWriMo every year, no matter what.  That being said, it's been a rough year.  I haven't kept up a daily journal like I did last year.  I didn't have this story forming in my head just waiting to come out months prior to even starting.  I worried I wouldn't even have a place to start. There was a day in early October when inspiration came from a strange place.  I scratched my arm on who the hell knows what.  Looking at that scratch brought back memories from my adolescence.  I was a cutter and still have some, very faint, scars as a result.  I decided I'd write about my journey.  When, how, and why I started and stopped.  Its evolution as I got older.  I don't cut now, but it has crossed my mind over the years, especially on some bad parenting days that fuel my depression at the time.   This will...

A special treat just for you on this Halloween!!  The Shy Professor’s Sexy Halloween Surprise! Trex or Treat by Tara Lain Blurb: Josh Harris is all dad all the time. A busy college professor and devoted single father, Josh tries to be happy with only his son for company. But then Bradley “Trex” Trexler moves in across the street with his stepbrother, Bogo, and takes advantage of their empty home, making it into a haunted house for Halloween. Josh's son, Ernie, can't wait to go, so Josh dresses up like a movie cowboy and saunters over. It’ll be the best Halloween of Ernie’s life, but there’s another sharpshooter roaming the dark corridors, and this one might have a special treat for Josh…. Second Edition First Edition published by Etopia Press in Halloween Heat (IV anthology), October 2012. Available for purchase at  Kindle | iTunes | Kobo | Nook | Dreamspinner Excerpt A voice drawled, “I’m not sure there’s room for...

Summary: Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed... By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer. Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse fire changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self. Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn't believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again--until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze. Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the county, but in the midst of a personal meltdown. Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the...

Summary: Everyone’s favorite five-man, one-woman construction crew is back in action. This time they’re celebrating the holidays together, Powertools style. Though they’re each on the hunt for the perfect presents for their loved ones, they soon realize that the gifts they give each other day in and day out are the most valuable sort. Spending time together and sharing their passions—not only for sexy menages in every variation—has helped them thrive despite life’s ups and downs. Come catch up with old friends, plus get a glimpse at what the future might hold as their stories continue! Title:   More the Merrier Series:   Powertools Book #:  7 Author:   Jayne Rylon Approximate Book Length:   99 Pages Recommended Reader Age:   18+ Sexual Content:   Explicit Thoughts: Our beloved characters haven't changed and it was so awesome to get another taste of them. The hot rods are still closely related and have a cameo or two as well. I'm ...

Summary: Rancher Adam Sloan is more than meets the eye. As the heir to his Pack, the sexy werewolf's biggest challenge is keeping his kin's true nature under wraps. But a group of jaguar shifters threatens to reveal the pack, blasting into town killing humans in plain sight. And when he smells one at the local diner, his standing orders are to take her out. Lana Turpin doesn't realize she's a moving target. Raised in the foster system, she only knows that she blacks out during the new moon and wakes up without remembering a thing. But now she's being tracked by some strange organization that wants her back--even though she's never stepped foot inside their compound. And the stranger across the diner is watching her like an enemy. It should be a simple mission for Adam, but when he touches the frustratingly beautiful Lana, his inner wolf howls...mate. Now, the two must find and stop the people who hunt her...and Adam must keep his own family from killing t...

So, life ain't perfect.  I'M not perfect.  However, I think things are better than they were.  Tara is in Kindergarten this year (holy moly!) and V is in preschool two mornings a week.  That's exciting, plus I take V to the rec center the other three mornings a week giving me an hour or two of kid free time five days a week.  The hubby takes the kids to his parents on Sundays (so he can watch football via RedZone since we don't have cable) so that's some solo time too.  This helps my sanity a TON.  I'm still doing a little searching regarding some identity outside of "Mommy", but that will take time.  I think I'll really find that out when both kids are in school full time.  I want to write, and I want to be a firefighter, but for different reasons, both are incredibly intimidating endeavors.  The firefighter aspiration will take a LOT of work as well given that I'm currently overweight, need to train to jog and gain strength, and have...

My baby boy is so big!  He's in preschool now and while he cried a few times, he's adjusted now and does really well.  He's getting so smart and big and loves to be a "big helper".  He's also frequently mistaken for 4 or 5 because of his height.  And this boy LOVES his sister so much.  The first week of school, he'd cry when Tara got on the bus because he missed her.  He's finally used to it and he RUNS for the bus stop in the afternoon to wait for her.  He's full of energy and independence, but is also such a cuddlebug.  Such a sweet little guy <3

My baby girl is 5 YEARS OLD!  Time flies.  Kindergarten and riding the bus.  She struggles, but she's also trying to be some kind of role model for her little brother.  She's smart and sweet and keeps life interesting.  She surprises me every day with how capable she is.  My little girl <3

This is a hard post to write, but it's time to write it.  I failed.  I failed to get my writing truly off the ground.  I failed to keep up the networking, popularity, and quality of my blog.  I didn't research to learn how to improve the blog itself.  Buffy Kennedy was a dream, but my bigger dream was children and I had two.  Now my focus needs to be on them. Right now, they scream a lot and they learned that from me.  Right now, I don't engage enough with them so they're bored, and cranky all the time.  I'm not happy with or proud of the parent that I am.  I complain too much about everything and can't seem to make new friends or keep up the friendships I do have very.  I'm no happy with the person that I am.  To be honest, my husband isn't either and I certainly don't want that to grow.  I have a LOT of work to do to improve myself and that has to take priority over everything else.  This will be my last post.  ...

“Bleu Balls” By Tara Lain Blog Tour 1/9/2018 – 1/12/18 Identical twins. Unique love stories.  Bleu Balls (Balls to the Wall Series #7) By Tara Lain Blurb: Double trouble. The McMillan twins, Robin and Bobby, are renowned for their talents—both as fine artists and for thrilling the various men who catch their eyes. As different in style and personality as their DNA is identical, they’re nonetheless best friends who divide and conquer, with Robin doing the serious painting and Bobby adding the sunny salesmanship. But when their most important client decides Bobby must wield the paintbrush, the brothers revert to childhood tactics and switch places. Then along comes Micah, a handsome doctor who’s attracted to Bobby but invites Robin out to try to please his homophobic brother, and Paolo, the pain-in-the-butt client who thinks he’s wooing Bobby when he’s actually after Robin. Paolo harbors his own hidden pain that weirdly intersects with Robin’s, but pride and pri...