PR friendly blog focusing on book/product reviews, everyday life, transcription, weight loss, and giveaways
Friday, December 21, 2012
"Look happy, it's the end of the world"
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Butterfly Potion by Trent Zelazny (sample)
Thanks for being here with me! Hope you'll look into the book and have a great day!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Review: Letting the Demons out by Ray Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I had the pleasure of reading this collection from Ray Wallace. I'd never read any of his work before, but I will definitely be reading more after this. Not a bad story in the bunch, but some weren't 100% my cup of tea. Doesn't make them bad stories, just not as entertaining of a read for me personally. My favorites were:
"Who's Laughing Now" (a demented little nod to Evil Dead 2, which I love!);
"The Thing Within" (a Lovecraftian piece that draws you along);
"Keepsake" (one of the stories in the author's The Nameless world);
and "A Dream of an Endless Highway" (great title, fascinating sci-fi story that pontificates on one possible [and scary] direction that green cars could go).
Like I mentioned, every one of the stories was well-written and interesting. I'd definitely recommend this for any fan of horror. Each story had something different so this should appeal to a wide variety of people who like the genre. A few stories are for sure not for the faint of heart, pretty high on the gore factor. So, if you can't handle gore, be forewarned! But in my opinion, it was still well done and not just gore for gore's sake.
And I enjoyed that each story started off with an author's note. Thought it was fun to have a back story or bit of where the author was coming from on each of them.
(I was given a paperback copy by the author to review)
View all my reviews
Monday, October 15, 2012
Book Review: Too Late to Call Texas by Trent Zelazny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Trent Zelazny never ceases to amaze me with the style and finesse with which he presents his stories. Too Late to Call Texas is no exception. It's quite a bit different from his other works, but still done in such a way that keeps you turning the pages.
Carson Halliday is a troubled soul and his plight doesn't really ever look up from there. "If only he hadn't found the hat. Or the dead guy. Or the steamer trunk. Or the rag doll. If only he hadn't found any of these things, everything might have been okay." -- Indeed, but even through all the misery and gut-wrenching events, you walk away from this one with a feeling of hope. A little worn from the experience but knowing that the possibility for better things still exists.
The only slight drawback for me, that has happened in a couple other of his books, is his propensity to have thoughts/dialogue in Spanish. While it totally fits and is completely in character when it happens, I can't help but worry that I've missed something not knowing the language or having the means to translate it. I definitely don't think it takes away from the overall, but especially with the setting on this one, there were several sections where I wish I could follow the dialogue completely.
Even with that said, I recommend this book and I'm so very glad I had the chance to read it. Pick it up and then grab up any other book of his that you've not read -- you will not regret it!
View all my reviews
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Road trip to Las Vegas! Viva Las Vegas!
KillerCon 4 itself will start Thursday evening.
Our trip will begin Wednesday morning as it is a 26 to 29 hour drive, depending on which site for directions is more accurate. Obviously, that doesn't account for stops, but I would imagine we'll probably be in the 28 to 29 range with stops. We will be driving straight through, alternating who is driving, drinking lots of coffee, and listening to both audiobooks and music to keep us moving.
The past months of planning, figuring, and preparing for the trip has been insane! Lots of snags here and there, but things are finally shaping up nicely. I'm about 90% packed. Bob hasn't started. LOL. But it'll all work out! Oh so very excited!! Yes, this is a business trip, as we will have a Nightscape Press table (that we will be sharing with the fine folks of Blood Bound Books ), we'll be taking pitches, and we'll be helping to man the Horror For Good table, but there is so much fun in store by way of the panels/readings, parties, getting to see "old" friends, and getting to meet a wealth of amazing people!
So, time to wrap up this post so I can get my work for the night finished up and rest up for the epic road trip ahead! If you are a fan of horror and are in driving distance of Las Vegas, you should consider coming out for the convention! If you do, come see us at the Nightscape Press table!
Monday, August 20, 2012
8/20/12 update
In other news, I have now finished my second editing project for Nightscape Press . It is for a novella that will be coming out next month -- very excited!
Been in a bit of a lull, when it comes to transcription work. The next "quarter" has started for one of the companies that I work for and I had anticipated that it would keep me pretty busy (based on two factors: one being that last quarter was busier than I've experienced in the past for them and that I got what I consider a "promotion" in that I was asked to take on additional work, which is groovy)... but unfortunately, I haven't been as busy as I would expect... and my boss at my main transcription company has been sick since early July... so, that combined with the fact that summer is normally slower than the rest of the year, things have been pretty sparse... which leads to stress... but hoping things will all work out and pick back up soon!
KillerCon 4 is in exactly one month. CRAZINESS!! Myself and the other two members of Nightscape will be sharing a table with the amazing folks at Blood Bound Books. So much to say about KillerCon that I think I will try to make a separate post in the next couple days! But needless to say, I'm super excited and can't wait! Haven't been to Vegas since before I could legally gamble... LOL!
Hope all of you, dear, fine readers are well and I will attempt to blog again soon!! *hugs*
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Back to School Shoe Shopping -- Easy at Famous Footwear!
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Famous Footwear for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
So, back to school time is upon us again. For parents, or at least for me, that always fills me with a mixture of anticipation and dread. I'm excited the kiddos will be back to school, making getting everybody on a good schedule MUCH easier, but the two downsides are it's so nice having them home over the summer (and I'll miss them!!) and the oh-so-fun: back to school shopping!!! (yes, shopping is a bit of fun, but shopping with all the other parents scrambling to get what their kiddos need makes it *stressful*)
Not only are buying supplies for the classroom needed, but the kids also need new clothes (as they grow like weeds and barely anything from last year fits and also, they have to have new things and not wear exactly what they wore last year, I mean, "Come on, mom." <g>) and new shoes (because again, the whole growing like a weed thing PLUS at least as far as my kids are concerned, they're hard on shoes and wear through them like crazy!)
So, all of that makes for a stressful time due to getting it all done plus the money it costs! Well, Famous Footwear is making it a little easier when it comes to the shoe department (no pun intended!). They have a coupon right now offering 15% off (Reward Members get 20% off -- will talk about Reward Program in a minute!) PLUS BOGO (Buy One, Get One Half Off [on most shoes]). Personally, with as much as I've shelled out for supplies and still needing to get shoes for this kids, this couldn't have come at a better time! This will certainly help my family (and who doesn't like saving money?)
BOGO + 15% off Famous Footwear Coupon
You should print out the coupon and take it to your local Famous Footwear to get great savings as well! This coupon is good from August 2nd to August 18. So, print it today and go shopping!! =) And don't forget, they also have a Rewards Program that is FREE to join, which could earns you 1 point for every $1 you spend (in store or online!), you accumulate points to earn certificates (up to $100 a year), you get a discount just for signing up (awesome, right?), and other special discounts and perks!
So, from such a great store with tons of variety whose employees understand your busy life you get not only member discounts and perks from their Reward Program but also a great back to school coupon! And don't forget if you don't see something in the store (or it isn't in your size) you can order it from www.famousfootwear.com and have it delivered to you or you can shop online and have it shipped to the store for FREE!!
I know where I'm getting my kiddos back-to-school shoes and hope this deal will help you, too!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Making up for lost time..
In other news, both Jacob and I celebrated birthdays since we last talked. He is now 11 and I am now 32. For some reason, 32 was a little more daunting to face than 31 was. Now that it's here, it isn't as mind blowing, but there's still a lot swimming around in my head having to do with age, life, and the like...
We had a nice visit with my parents recently. Always good for the kids to have some time with the grandparents. We're now adjusting back to "life at home" after the visit, which can be "fun"! But it's also good to get back to the familiar and back into somewhat of a routine.
There's quite a bit more that I can recount and that will be coming up soon, but I think, for now, I'll wrap this post up and try to pop back in more regularly to update so it's not overwhelming (for you -- or me!!) Hope you're still hanging in there with me, my friends, and I'll try to be back again soon!
Friday, April 6, 2012
MS Walk 2012
My mother has MS. And while there have been times where hers has been in remission, knowing her with MS is what I know of her growing up. It is a hard disease to watch someone live with. And there have been many times over the years that, while it isn't been 100% proven as genetic, I have been worried that I'll be diagnosed as well. Thankfully, that hasn't been the case, but it's a hard worry to live with (but so very minor compared to living with the disease!)
That's why I think it is very important to continue to raise money to help the MS Society in all their efforts. If you have any extra money right now, even $5, I would be very honored if you would consider donating it on my behalf to the MS Society. Just follow this link and it will take you directly to our fundraising page. The MS Walk for our area is on April 28th. So, we don't have a lot of time left, but I'm hoping someone will be able to help us in our efforts to raise money. Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Share Our Strength: No Kid Hungry
About No Kid Hungry:
No Kid Hungry™, an unprecedented, five-year effort designed to end childhood hunger in America. Our nation has the food and programs in place to end childhood hunger, but consider what we are up against: The stigmas and embarrassment that surround hunger, the challenges presented by access to healthy food, and the struggle to connect children with the resources they need to thrive. For 25 years, Share Our Strength has been confronting hunger head-on to break down these barriers. Together, with your support, we can put an end to childhood hunger. Will you join us in the No Kid Hungry campaign?
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Final cover for Horror For Good: A Charitable Anthology
Without further ado, here is the final product!
Stay tuned for the Table of Contents, release date, and purchase information! Would love it if you would be a part of supporting this and raising money for a very worthy charity!
Monday, March 5, 2012
How does $120 sound?
But sure to copy and paste this URL into the spot on the Rafflecopter entry form: http://jensroundcorner.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-does-120-sound.html
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Fan of Horror Literature?
In this new business, we will be publishing horror novels, novellas, and from time to time, anthologies. We won't be churning out any old book that comes our way, we are going to strive to work only with the best stories and the best authors to bring forth a quality product that we, the authors, and the readers can be happy with...
If this is something you're interested, I would love it if you would follow us in this journey. We have a website, Nightscape Press, which has all sorts of information as to our submission guidelines, our first title (and as we accept more stories, there will be information about those as well), and our information (check back soon as we hope to have merchandise up!), our Facebook page, Nightscape Press on Facebook , and our Twitter page, Nightscape press on Twitter.
If you're not a horror fan, but you know someone who is, I would love it if you would share our information =) Thanks so much!!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Introducing: Nightscape Press
I'm pleased to announce the launch of Nightscape Press! We are a horror press that publishes novels, novellas, and occasionally anthologies with a strong focus on variety and quality over quantity. This is a partnership between myself, my husband (Author and Editor, Robert S. Wilson), and a great friend, author, and editor, Mark C. Scioneaux!
It is my further pleasure to announce our first title, World's Collider, a shared world apocalyptic anthology, which is edited by Richard Salter. Further information about World's Collier can be found here.
We will be opening for submissions on April 2nd, 2012. Please check in if you have something you would like us to consider. Any questions can be sent to info@nightscapepress.com.
Be sure to keep an eye on the website, our Facebook page, and our Twitter , as we will be posting updates as they develop!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Great News!
Anyway, when I first "weighed in" for the competition, my blood pressure was high... and not just a little bit. I saw it when my measurements were sent over to me, but I had misremembered what was "normal" and the full effect of just how high it was didn't sink it. I looked over those measurements again on Tuesday night and looked up high blood pressure info online. My systolic ranked in the Stage 2 Hyperension range (the worst one) and my diastolic was in Stage 1. Pretty bad news. Well, I went yesterday to check my blood pressure and I'm happy to report that from my efforts, my blood pressure is now in a normal range! I'm very happy about this as I was not looking forward to a trip to the doctor about high blood pressure. It's inspiring to know that hard work does pay off!
And in other good news, I received an email from the owner of two of the different transcription companies that I work for today, both of them praising me for my quality and hard work. Always nice to hear positive feedback on the work you're doing! Hope all is well with you, dear readers, and thanks for being there!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
{Book Review} Destination Unknown by Trent Zelazny
The number one thing that stuck out for me from this book is the dynamic between Brian and Kate. The emotions and the turmoil between the two are palpable. Every chapter had me wanting to move on to the next to find out what would happen. The only minor criticism I would touch upon is there were a few times where conversations are conducted in Spanish, and with my limited knowledge of the language, I didn't know exactly what was going on, but it didn't take away from the scene(s). If it weren't for responsibilities of daily life, I would have definitely finished it in one sitting! I highly recommend this book and hope that you'll give it and its extremely talented author a chance! I look forward to reading more from him!
(As book reviews are something that I really want to start doing on my blog, I need to come up with a rating system. Will definitely work on that. For now, this one is a 4.5 out of 5!)
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Week 3 Get Fit Murfreesboro
But now it's week three, and I think i'm finally getting into a good rhythm. It helps that I made a purchase on Amazon last week and it is now finally here! I purchased Zumba 2 for Wii! I've used it both yesterday and today and I love it so far. It is definitely giving me a good workout and it is fun =) I've been interested in trying Zumba for "real", but outside of getting a membership to our YMCA (which isn't really in the budget right now), I don't know of anywhere locally to take the classes. But this is giving me a bit of a kickstart into it.
And another thing that's on the horizon, I think I'm going to join Curves. I've heard it's a lot more cost effective than I thought it was going to be (from my sis, who actually works at her local one part time). So, I'm probably going to get that started next week after "first of the month" bills are out of the way. So, yeah, I think that combined with me doing Zumba 2 on the Wii and walking when the weather permits should make a nice impact and be enough of a variety to keep me going!
For my female readers, have you ever or do you currently go to Curves? Would love to hear some opinions on it!
But I'm going to skedaddle for now! Hope this finds you well and would love it if you left a comment!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
BeeSavy Free Online Training Session - Learn to earn!
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Friday, January 20, 2012
A bit of frustration...
Monday, January 16, 2012
Get Fit Murfreesboro (Weight Loss Challenge) Pt. 2
Anyway, here is the website for the contest: Get Fit Murfreesboro
As you can see from the page, there are several cool sponsors for the contest, several I'd not heard of before (and will spend some time researching).
The rundown of the contest is this:
"The challenge will begin Monday January 16th and the winners will be announced 12 weeks later on Saturday April 7th. A winner will be named for each measurement category as well as an overall winner that will be crowned the grand champion of the Get FIT Murfreesboro Challenge."
The prizes for the contest are:
Get Fit Celebrity Cruise for 2, Brooks Head to Toe outfit, nutrition products and $200 Cash
Category Winners:
Brooks apparel voucher valued at $50, nutrition products, $75 CASH
Runner Up:
Brooks Super Date: Limo, hot air balloon ride, dinner, and carriage ride through Nashville
While it isn't $250,000, those are still some pretty exciting prizes! And also, while I would love to win a prize because obviously it's fun to win things, and I'm generally competitive by nature (just ask my family about playing board games... lol), I really am in this to lose weight and get healthy! Winning anything would just be a perk.
So, today was day one... And I had to go weigh-in, get measured, and have my "before" picture taken. I didn't pour over this data (and didn't even see most of the measurements), but all the info will be emailed to me. As far as their FB page's last update, they have 124 people as of yesterday in the contest so far (and I'm sure with it being the last day to sign up, many more people are getting registered. I'll definitely be interested to see what the "final count" is.) so, it may be a little bit before they get the emails out.
I'm undecided at this point as to whether or not I'm going to go for "full disclosure" and put everything out there or not. This is pretty big. I'm generally a very private person... and I'm definitely not thrilled with where I am physically. So, this will take some thought and consideration as to which way I will go.
Anyway, think I'll wrap this up for now. I'll probably try to do weekly check ins having to do with progress, thoughts, and whatnot. If there's anything you want me to talk about, I'd be happy to take "reader suggestions". Also, as it stands right now, I am a member of no gym, health club, anything. I think this may, in some ways, be a hindrance... but I'm going to give it a go as is to start with. However, if there's anyone out there who wants to sponsor me and give me a gym membership for the next 12 weeks, that would be fantastic!!! =) I could make you fan of the year or something. I don't know =)
But there it is. I am participating in the 12 week Get Fit Murfreesboro Weight Loss Challenge and I am very excited! =)
Get Fit Murfreesboro (Weight Loss Challenge) Pt. 1
"Have you heard about the Get Fit Murfreesboro Challenge? We want to see 5 of our Facebook friends get healthy in 2012. Send us a message (inbox-not on our wall) as to why you want to partner with Fleet Feet Sports Murfreesboro and Strongbody Murfreesboro to get fit in 2012 and you will be registered to win an entry to this 12 week challenge."
As I posted a couple posts back , I am starting on a weight loss journey... again. I've had on again/off again such journeys through the years. I was overweight late in elementary school, slimmed down a little in middle school, and really got a boost in high school when I was in marching band (which I loved and I'm very proud of those four years+ years, but that's a story for another time)... anyway, during high school, I was at a pretty healthy weight due to the physical activity exerted through band, but my eating habits weren't so good.
When I left home for college, I had close to free reign of food from the dorm's cafeteria.. some things were healthy, some things were not... I don't know that I necessarily gained the "freshman 15", but I definitely continued to have problems with "eating healthy". Now, I went to school (two semesters, anyway) at Purdue University.. for those unfamiliar with the school, it is a huge campus. So, even though I didn't eat well, I was still active from walking to and from class and anywhere I needed to go (as I wasn't allowed to have a vehicle right away). (Oh yeah.. my time at Purdue is another story for another day... lol)
Once I withdrew from classes, I decided to get an apartment off campus and started working. I worked a 3rd shift job in a factory and would eat once maybe twice a day at crazy hours.. didn't eat a lot, but didn't eat healthy... and due to small portions of not so healthy food, weight wasn't too much of a struggle...
Jumping ahead a short while, the trouble with my weight flared back up when I got pregnant with my son in late 2000... having not done a good job at eating well/healthy/often/enough, I kind of went overboard during my pregnancy. I was concerned about eating enough so that my son would have the nutrition he needed, but didn't really practice much restraint... I think all told, I gained roughly 80 pounds during my pregnancy... not good, I know!
Wow, this is getting really long winded... didn't expect that... LOL! Will try to keep the rest brief and get to the exciting part! Anyway, I've dieted off and on several times since having my son in 2001 and there were periods of time where I was doing better with my weight, but it was never consistently due to a healthy lifestyle of eating well and exercise..
Right after Christmas this past year (2011), I decided it was time once and for all the lose weight and get healthy. I've gotten back to tracking my calories and trying to exercise... but although it's going pretty well, it's slow going and hard to stay motivated... So, to circle back to the main point here, I saw that and was intrigued. I'd not heard of the Get FIT Murfreesboro challenge before seeing that status. I went and checked it out afterwards and was very interested. It's a local biggest loser style contest -- and being a fan of the show, that definitely piqued my interest!
But there is an entry fee for the contest (understandably so, since there are prizes). I didn't really feel like I could justify paying to possibly not win anything. So, I thought it was cool, but wasn't going to participate. That is, until I saw the Murfreesboro Magazine's status (the one I posted up top). On a whim, I entered and I found out today that I won!!! I got a free entry into the contest!! Stay tuned for my next post which will have more details about the contest itself and the registration process! If you made it this far, thanks so much!! =) I know I circled around and had a lot of back story there, but I felt it was important to give you glimpses as to who I am, where I came from on all this, and why this contest is important to me!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Want a Kindle Fire? BeeSavy could help with that!
**Note** If you're here on my homepage as opposed to the direct link for this post, be sure to click where it says "click here for more!" to access the Rafflecopter form!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Epic!!
#epickindlegiveaway
Epic Kindle Giveaway: Kindle Fire Giveaway entries kick off; book blogge...: Free books and Kindle Fire contest entries started midnight, U.S. Pacific Standard Time (3 a.m. Eastern Standard Time). We are also giving ...