TWW's Book Review: Carole Singer's Christmas by Emily Harvale

I've been reading a collection of different British authors and have found for the most part, I like them, but sometimes the slang used in the stories is a bit much. I did not find that with the dialogue in Carole Singer's Christmas. I did notice, however, some of the traits of the characters were a bit over accentuated. Almost to the point of wishing I could jump inside the pages of the book and throttle someone. While admittedly frustrating, the desire to keep reading was just too overwhelming as I found myself not wanting to put the book down to see if Carole would do it for me.

When you are a romance reader like myself, you pretty much have seen it all. Carole Singer's Christmas by Emily Harvale took that concept to a whole other level. I am used to odd pairings, jilted lovers, right one but wrong time, triangle relationships and everything else you could think of, but one woman and three guys? A little hard to believe, even for me. 

I knew almost instantly where I wanted this book to go. Any woman in today's modern world would also feel the same way. I am glad to see that Ms. Harvale agreed. While inwardly, I would have kicked two of Carole's options to the curb instantly, it was nice to see Carole grow a backbone and come to the realization on her own. Overall I thought the story wasn't bad. I would have liked to see an epilogue to get a bit more closure with some of the ancillary characters. Rating:

Wishing you moments of great reading!
    

Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

TWW's Book Review: The Promise of Paradise by Allie Boniface as part of the Summer on Main Street Box Set

I grew up on the outskirts of a small town. With not much to do, I spent a lot of time reading, mostly romance stories. The other thing I did was look out my window and create stories in my head about all the people who lived in town. So when I had the opportunity to read The Promise of Paradise by Allie Boniface (as part of the Summer on Main Street Box Set), about romance in a small town, I jumped at the chance to relive a favorite childhood memory.

One of six small town stories about love and romance, Ms, Boniface delivers everything that you would expect along with what I love more than anything, a strong female lead character. When I say strong, I mean someone who will stand up for herself no matter how much pressure she may feel from family or circumstances.

With a strong female lead, you need an equally capable counterpart; and thus we have Ash and Eddie, two complete opposites, but somehow they make it work when they end of sharing a home for the summer. The Promise of Paradise offers Ash the possibility of escape and Eddie the chance to get over something that has plagued him for years.

I really enjoyed watching Ash's story unfold and imagine a different life for herself. Despite her family troubles, she put herself out there and took a chance on something most people wouldn't dare to do. As for Eddie, well he really needed to stop dwelling on the past and give himself a wake up call. Sometimes, though, it takes a little longer to get there. And that is what makes this story...the getting there.

The Promise of Paradise by Allie Boniface is definitely worth the read. It's a fun summer story to sit back, relax and read on a lazy afternoon. If it is any indication of the rest of the stories in the Summer on Main Street series, then you need to rush out quickly and pick up a copy of this box set before the season is over. Rating: 

Wishing you moments of great reading!
  

Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

Water Conservation Tips for Californians

For those of you living in California like myself, you all know that we are under severe drought conditions. With a mandatory 25% water reduction placed upon us, I have come up with some unique ways to conserve water:

1.  Everyone has heard of the three minute shower, but what about the cold water that comes out of the taps while you wait for the water to heat up. Use a bucket to capture that cold water and then transfer the water to an outdoor containment system to use in the garden. We have been doing this for the last two years in my house and it works!

2. Eat off of paper plates. This helps to conserve dishes and eliminates the need to run the dishwasher or wash dishes by hand on a daily basis. It is not that much of a hardship and you can then do dishes once a week vs. daily

3. And speaking of washing dishes. How about skipping that dish washer and doing the dishes in the sink. Use a dishpan for washing and a single bucket for the rinse water. When you're done, use the rinse water out in the garden. It is a good water to provide nutrients to the garden.

4. When cooking with water, e.g. boiling water for sweet corn and hot dogs, use any leftover water that hasn't boiled off in the garden too. Let the water cool first!

5. As much as I hate shaving, using an electric razor will actually save a lot of water. Think about it ladies. When you stand in the shower to shave your legs, you let the water run. Using an electric razor will save thousands of gallons of water on a yearly basis.

6. Instead of letting the water run when brushing your teeth, fill a small cup with water and use that to rinse and clean your toothbrush. 

7. Ok...here's one you probably don't want to hear, but it needs to be said. Remember the saying, "When it's yellow, let it mellow. When it's brown, flush it down." Given the extreme nature of the California drought, let's take it a step further and restrict the flushing when necessary. As gross as this sounds, combining flushes, especially overnight uses of the facility, is another way to save on water that you might not necessarily think about. Obviously you can't do this when you have company visiting, but if it is just the family around, or in the case of myself, just a husband, put the toilet cover down and wait to flush when the toilet gets full.

8. Now that I've finished talking about the yucky one above, here is something fun to think about. When given the opportunity, catch any and all rainwater from any area where it runs off. I have several areas in my back yard where the water literally cascades off of and into buckets. I then transfer the buckets to other containers, such as 2-liter soda bottles or a garbage can, and use the buckets again during the next rain storm. I then use this water for my garden.

9. If you are in the mood, perhaps it is time to take on a couple of DIY projects, such as installing that low flow toilet and shower head. Also, check for any drips and leaks at all the water sources in the house. Disconnect the disposal and dishwasher as they both use too much water.  

10. I am not big on doing laundry. I have enough clothes to wear for approximately three to four weeks, and I go to the laundromat where it is more efficient both on water, electricity and time. Think about using a public laundry facility. While it might seem inconvenient, it will be worth it in the long run.

A few final thoughts on this subject reminds me to think about getting back to a time when life was simpler. My advice is to be efficient when using water and just use it wisely. We can't let the water run anymore because there isn't that much left to run. 

Wishing you moments to use water wisely. Thanks for conserving!
    

Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

Do You Listen, Do You Hear?

When I speak, do you listen?

Do you see my face glisten?

Heart and soul,

the words just take control.

Do you hear what I say?

You may listen, but just look away.

Please don't ignore me, I am all alone.

I just want people to hear me and not be outshone.

Why do I bother, why do I care?

It's simple really; I just want to share.

Leave something of myself when I am gone

For those that need to just hold on.

So I will still speak, through paper and pen.

Think clearly and thoughtfully time and again.

You may not listen, but some will read.

Finally you will hear, because you feel the need.

Wishing you moments to really listen.
 

Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!