S.R. Roddy's Blog, page 7

Holidays and Family

All my life I’ve considered myself something more than ordinary. If someone told me I couldn’t do something then I set out to prove I could. Not really for their sake, but my own. In one thing I have and always will remain what some might call a traditional woman. My dad told me once I was born in the wrong time. While other girls dreams centered around a college and career my goals were much more simple, family.

My dream, a big family with plenty of rugrats running around.. I didn’t get the seven kids I imagined since a small child, but I came close with five. Being a mother was all I ever really wanted and my first husband did a great job of giving that to me before he passed away. Now my second husband shares in my adventures, both good and bad.

Throughout my life I’ve learned one valuable truth, family means everything. Whether they’re blood or not isn’t important. The great thing about family is it has no boundaries. Family goes beyond a simple bloodline it can be a friend, your spouse, or a child you’ve adopted in your heart. Family is who you love, not who you’re genetically linked too.

During this Happy Holiday season I wish the best for all and hope you remain safe as we move in to a new year. Even if you don’t celebrate any of the religious holidays like Hanukkah, Christmas or Kwanzaa you can still spend time with your loved ones.

I believe this time of year is more than what society has made it. It’s about family, a celebration of the life we share with our loved ones. I’ve lost many people throughout the years and though gifts are fun to receive, the greatest gift to me is my family and the life I continue to share with them. So no matter what you celebrate whether it’s Boxing Day, the Winter Solstice or some other religious holiday take a moment to remind those closest to you how special they really are.

Stay safe!

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New Release!

Danes Family: The Complete Series, a contemporary erotic romance is now available at both Amazon and Smashwords. I’m excited that I managed to get the revisions done in time for a holiday release. This book is a revised version of both stories with bonus scenes. I hope you enjoy.

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Absence From Social Media

Book Trailer Wednesday and all my other social media activity are put on hold at the moment. My daughter is ill and her care has been taking up a lot of my time. My family is my life and must come first I hope everyone understands. When she is better I will be more active once more until then have a safe holidays.

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Under the Same Sky

Under the Same Sky by Genevieve Graham

 This week’s pick for Book Trailer Wednesday is Under the Same Sky a unique and very surprising Historical Romance.

I found this trailer completely by accident, as I searched for something to read over the weekend. Book Two showed up in my recommendations and while I love a good series I’m the type that has to read them in order. I found myself pleasantly surprised that each book in the series has its very own book trailer.

Review:

As I mentioned this Historical Romance is Book One in a series.

In 1746, a woman from South Carolina and a Scottish Highlander share an intimacy and devotion beyond understanding. They have known each other their entire lives. And yet they have never met…

Maggie Johnson has had “the Sight” since she was a child, dreaming visions of the future and of a presence she knows is real. She calls him Wolf, and has seen him grow from a young boy into a fearsome warrior. And when her life is torn asunder by unspeakable tragedy, he is her only hope.

Andrew MacDonnell is entranced by a beautiful woman who has always dwelt in his dreams. When war ravages his land, he leaves the Scottish Highlands on a perilous journey to the New World to find her…

Their quest to unite across a treacherous wilderness will test the limits of courage and endurance, guided only by their dreams—and by the belief in the true love they share…

My Thoughts:

When I first saw this trailer I thought it was going to be your typical romance with a historical setting. I was so very wrong. While the setting is definitely historical this book is anything but typical.

It’s a romance, but only in its purist form. Connected at a soul deep level, they both struggle with their own journeys and hardships but never forgot their goal. In sleep their souls always drifted to one another.

They support, encourage and even love one another without ever meeting. This is a unique blend of tragedy, war, hope, betrayal and conspiracy. Two stories, two lives connected by dreams and magic. The tale unravels with unexpected twists as each struggles to reach the other.

A historical romance like no other, I enjoyed every minute spent reading it. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this captivating series. Book Three just came out in November that gives me two more books to read in this captivating series. I give this book a solid 5 hearts.

(5 / 5)

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Shout – outs on Fridays

Every Friday I spend the day searching for cheap and free books. Then post links on my Twitter and Facebook accounts. The idea is to help readers and authors alike. I hope to help readers by providing them one more way to find books. It’s a great way to find a weekend read. I support all authors both traditional and self published. I believe the quality of the story is more important than who published it.

I focus on promos (sales of $3.99 or less) and cheap everyday reads ($2.99 – free). If you’re an author and want to be added to my Friday shout-outs feel free to send me a message with a link to your book or books. Have several books that fall into this category? Send me a link to your author page or bookshelf.

Disclaimer:

I’m not personally associated with any of the authors I chose for my shout-outs nor do I charge for it. If I’ve read the book I will add a short opinion. I check all links to verify pricing and guarantee the shout-outs accuracy for that Friday only.

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Cover Reveal! Danes Family: The Complete Series

Listening to requests and complaints from my readers is something I’ve always attempted to do. For several months now I’ve been working on combining my novelette, Lisa’s Halloween Surprise with its follow up novella, Lisa’s Dreams. My cover artist worked hard on an original design for the cover that we could both agree on. I’m very happy with the end result and wish to share it.

Danes Family: The Complete Series is in editing at this time and will be ready for release soon. In addition to some minor rewrites I’ve added bonus scenes giving my readers a glimpse into Chris and Maggie’s romance. There will also be a print release for this book.

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Finding You

Finding You by S.K. Hartley

 I came across this week’s pick for Book Trailer Wednesday while combing through Youtube. After watching the trailer for Finding You, I had no doubt this was my next read.

Review:

Armed with the knowledge that this book was part of a continued series, I began reading it right away. The story took two days to read with interruptions and left me willing to buy other books by her.

Finding You – Book One in ‘The Bad Boy Series’

‘I will always take care of you’

My pain started when I was just ten years old, it was the day my mom got that dreaded phone call. Life has never been the same….

‘I will always protect you’

I am all kinds of broken….

I have known Logan White since forever, he is my brothers best friend and my secret protector. I used to have nightmares that drew me into a dark place and when the nightmares got too much, Logan was by my side. The nightmares are few and far between now, but my life is centered around the tragedy of my past.

Logan is the definition of ‘man whore’, with girls lining around the block to drop their panties at the click of his fingers. But after an unexpected moment things change. Now Logan is somebody else; hot, sexy and so damn delicious and I want to know him. Desperately.

But then there is Angel Walker who is far from the angelic nature of his name, with eyes so hypnotic that I lose my inhabitation’s just by staring into them. But he is a broken man who just screams sin. He doesn’t want to protect me or care for me, He just wants me.

Do I want the man who can cut through all of my pain or the man who could cause me more?

Fists will fly, hearts will shatter and desire will be fueled.

Characters:

This story consists of three main characters:

Neva - The guilt ridden young woman who is haunted by the nightmares of her past. Shaped by the death of the one man she loved – her father. She is a bit messed up and obviously confused by her attraction to two men.

Angel – Exotic, blue eyed, sex god that she feels a drawn to. She sensed him long before she ever lays on him, an unexplained attraction.

Logan – Her brother’s best friend and self proclaimed protector since she was a child.

My Thoughts:

Though at times I wanted to slap Neva for her foolishness, I found this story to have a compelling mixture of entertainment and turmoil. The author did an excellent job of drawing me into the story, with me laughing one moment and crying the next. I found myself joining Neva on her emotional roller coaster and actually enjoying the ride.

The sex scenes and language are not so explicit that readers would be offended. Yet, the author gives enough detail to hold the attention of someone who is used to much more graphic descriptions.

If you judge books by a moral compass this might not be your cup of tea, but I found it realistic for a college setting. There is hot sweaty sex and enticing sexual moments that left me fanning myself. This is a love triangle so be prepared for a bit of promiscuity.

I expected this to be your typical boy meets girl – girl struggles to decide who she loves, even as I was reading this the ending was so… unexpected. While the cliffhanger was annoying, that is not what left me asking, “What the…” A plot twist that surprises me in a romance is rare. Great job.

To wrap things up let me just reiterate, this book has one heck of a cliffhanger. That being said I would still recommend it. Good news, book two comes out at the end of January.

  (4 / 5)

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Thanksgiving Leftovers Part II

Turkey Pilaf

 

This simple recipe has been tweaked by me several times in an attempt to accommodate the taste buds of my kids and husband. Feel free to tweak it yourself according to your own taste preferences.

You may notice a pattern in my recipes of the same 4 vegetables. This is caused from the general consensus in my household that they are the only good veggies for toppings. Like all recipes it’s about taste and preference.

*All my recipes feed 6-8 people with occasional leftovers.

Ingredients:

1 cup Shredded turkey
3 cups Jasmine rice
½ cup Carrots (diced/sliced)
¼ cup Red onion (diced)
¼ cup Green pepper (diced)
½ Mushrooms (diced/sliced)
¼ tsp. Minced garlic
½ tbs. Cilantro (diced)
2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
14 oz Chicken Broth
1 tbs. Butter or Margarine
1 tbs. Olive oil
Sage (pinch)
¼ tsp. Basil
¼ tsp. Cumin
¼ tsp. Parsley
¼ tsp. Cayenne pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan.
Steam the rice according to packaging. Pulling the rice out early while moisture still remains. While waiting for rice (approximately 15 mins) fry the turkey and sauté the veggies
Add turkey, 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce, basil, cumin, parsley, cayenne pepper, and sage to the hot oil cook approximately 5 mins or until brown. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Pour chicken broth in sauce pan. Cook on low heat. (I start this step while I sauté the vegetables.)
Melt 1 tbs. butter in a pan. Add carrots, garlic, cilantro, onion, green pepper, mushrooms and 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce into pan. Sauté over low heat until carrots soften.
In large pan (I use a deep wok) add still moist rice and heated chicken broth stirring on a medium heat. Mix in the sautéed veggies and turkey cover stirring occasionally. Cook to desired consistency. (approximately 5 mins)

This recipe works really well with shredded chicken as well.

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Thanksgiving Leftovers Part I

Turkey Pizza

 As a special this week I’m releasing two extra blogs posts. Both will be posted under recipes. If you’re like me you always end up with lots of leftover turkey after the holidays. After years of the same routine, turkey sandwiches became blasé. To break up the monotony of the traditional same old, same old I came up with two recipes borrowed from my files of chicken recipes.

The first is a twist on a recipe I found almost two decades ago labeled Southwest Pizza. This is a simple recipe based on the cook’s preference. Just like any pizza the toppings are up to you. I chose cheddar cheese because I like the taste of it.

*All my recipes feed 6-8 people with occasional leftovers.

Ingredients:

3 cups turkey
8oz mozzarella cheese
8oz cheddar cheese
1 cup of salsa (your choice)
3 whole mushrooms (chopped)
¼ green peppers (diced)
¼ red onion (diced)
2 boxes pizza crust mix

Directions:

For my turkey recipe I normally use the legs and wings – deboning them. The meat averages between 3-4 cups. I then pour the salsa in the meat, mixing thoroughly. I use a medium picante blend, but any will work. Set the turkey to the side or for better flavor leave it overnight.
Shred both packages of cheese setting to the side.
Make the pizza crust according to directions. I prefer the Jiff pizza crust placed in a 13 X 9 casserole pan. When spreading the dough I press it up the sides of the dish creating a deep dish crust. Always precook the crust before placing the ingredients over it.
I use the precook time to work on the veggies. Dicing the onion and green pepper into tiny pieces. The mushrooms are based on preference. Both thinly sliced or chopped works.
When the precook timer goes off (usually about 5 mins) Place ½ of both cheeses in an even layer over the surface along with some of the veggies.
Taking the turkey and salsa mix, spread it evenly over the entire surface of the dish.
Sprinkle more veggies over the top before placing the remainder of the cheese across the top. Place the remaining veggies over the top and cook according to directions on box. (usually 15 mins.)
Once finished cool 5-8 mins. for best results. The cooled cheese and salsa serves as an adhesive to keep the pieces from falling apart as you slice. Slice and serve.

This dish has been a big hit during holiday pot lucks for years. Multiple layers of cheese, meat and veggies also works well. Keep in mind that a salsa with too much liquid, like some of the homemade blends needs an amount adjustment. Too much liquid will leave the pizza dough soggy.

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The Loneliest Alpha

The Loneliest Alpha by T.A. Grey

 I’ve decided to go a different direction than just your typical book review. My love for books drives my incessant need to read nonstop. I also find theatrics entertaining. Luckily I’ve found the perfect way to satisfy both. Each week I will pick one book trailer that catches my eye and read that book. I’ll then post the trailer along with a short review of the book.

There is much controversy on whether book trailers are worth the investment in the book industry. I’m not the person to give that answer, sorry. What I will say is this; I have bought books based on trailers in the past. A trailer posted on twitter catches my eye. I’m intrigued by the teaser and find myself following the buy link. Yep, it’s that simple.

For my first foray into the book trailer world and this type of review I decided to go with something familiar. One of my favorite self published authors released a book back in the summer called The Loneliest Alpha which I loved. That is today’s choice for Book Trailer Wednesday.

I just have to say this trailer is hot, a perfect pick for my first post.

Review:           

 

A spin off of Ms. Grey’s Kategan Series this story takes place several weeks after book six. After the death of their alpha a fight for leadership is held. Though Gavin never really wanted the position he entered to save his baby brother’s life.

Gavin is a man that was scarred on the inside long before physical scars appeared. His loneliness for a mate pushes him to drastic measures. From the beginning Alicia’s strength and feisty nature attracts him. His own personal lodestone and the answer to his future happiness, if only he would take that final leap faith.

Alicia is a woman who has been hurt in the past. The lies of a man who claimed to love her caused her pack to treat her as an outcast. Her decision to interfere in pack business sets in motion changes in her life she was unprepared for. The mysterious man who clings to the shadows compels Alicia to learn his secrets. Her curiosity puts her in several situations that add a touch of humor to this story.

As the author mentions, this book is a true beauty and the beast love story. I really loved the twists she provided for one of my favorite fairytales. I expected sizzling hot and once again she did not disappoint. She kept me entertained from start to finish with her fast pace and great character development. Leaving me bemoaning the fact I had things to do in the real world that kept me from reaching for the book.

As usual, T.A. Grey gives us hints to several side stories that manage to whet the appetite making you want more. I for one can’t wait for the second book in the series. The biggest question I’m left to answer. Which of her new series do I like better? The easiest choice is to just buy them both I promise you will not be left disappointed.

I’ve always been a sucker for the brooding alpha, but this time he truly has good reason. His desire to stay hidden adds an accidental sensuousness to their encounters that was hot. It allowed for a connection that might not have been there with face to face encounters.

It holds a suspenseful theme as they try to uncover answers to several crimes that take place along the way. Leaving you guessing at who might be betraying their pack. Overall I give this book 4 hearts.

 

(4 / 5)

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