New Facebook Giveaway!

Want to win one of these books? Head on over to this Facebook post and comment to win! US only, ends at midnight on 6/7. Good luck!

Weigh Me Wednesday: My Journey with Nutrisystem (#NSNation #ad)- Week 26

Welcome to Week 26 of Weigh Me Wednesday: My Journey with Nutrisystem! As a Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program member, I am on the Women's Diabetes Select Program!

First, I'd like to apologize for the lack of Weigh Me posts over the last few weeks. Things have been so incredibly busy here and every time I'd sit down to write up a post, something would come up. Then I'd say to myself "I'll just have to be sure to get it done next week" only next week would come and everything would repeat itself. Unlike reviews and meme posts, I can't schedule these well in advance. 

So what has happened over the last few weeks... Well, I lost four pounds! I think this was a combination of the Nutrisystem menu, stress and running around like a crazy person trying to get through four years worth of house repairs and other stuff. Also, my son is taking part in the Special Olympics again this year and we've had some practices to go to as well as the regional games. That meant a lot of walking around for hours. We have the state games next week which means even more walking. 

The only good thing about the last few weeks (besides the weight loss, of course) was not having to worry about my meals. I am so thankful that Nutrisystem meals are so easy to make and are hassle free. I also don't have to worry about getting the right portion amount or sugar levels, which is extremely important with my diabetes. I can just toss it in the microwave and be good to go. The whole process takes less than ten minutes to prepare, cook and eat. Clean up is pretty easy too. 

So now that everything has calmed down here at home (and hopefully for good!), I am back up and running and ready to get back to my regular programming. Thank you all for sticking with me over this incredible journey through weight loss and for not giving up on me! 

So what's my goal for next week?

I'm aiming for a full pound next week. They finally put the tennis nets up so you know what that means: GAME ON!!!

Remember to stop by next week for Week 27's results!

Huge thanks to Meredith Bandy and Nutrisystem for giving me the opportunity to take part in their program!

Want to join me on my journey through weight loss with Nutrisystem? Head on over to their website here or call 1-888-853-4689 to join now! Come on, what are you waiting for? Let's get healthy!

*Disclaimer: As part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program, Nutrisystem has provided me with their food and services for free in exchange of my honest review of their program. This does not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

Waiting On Wednesday (85)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: The Never List

Author: Koethi Zan

Expected Publication Date: July 16, 2013

Synopsis:

For years, best friends Sarah and Jennifer kept what they called the “Never List”: a list of actions to be avoided, for safety’s sake, at all costs. But one night, against their best instincts, they accept a cab ride with grave, everlasting consequences. For the next three years, they are held captive with two other girls in a dungeon-like cellar by a connoisseur of sadism.

Ten years later, at thirty-one, Sarah is still struggling to resume a normal life, living as a virtual recluse under a new name, unable to come to grips with the fact that Jennifer didn’t make it out of that cellar. Now, her abductor is up for parole and Sarah can no longer ignore the twisted letters he sends from jail.

Finally, Sarah decides to confront her phobias and the other survivors—who hold their own deep grudges against her. When she goes on a cross-country chase that takes her into the perverse world of BDSM, secret cults, and the arcane study of torture, she begins unraveling a mystery more horrifying than even she could have imagined.

Holy awesomeness, Batman! This sounds so incredibly good I am dying to read it. I need to know why the other survivors are angry with her, what did she do? While I'm not thrilled on the whole BDSM aspect of the story, I'm hoping it won't be too graphic. Other than that, it seriously sounds like this book was written just for me. I can't wait!

What about you? Anything you are anxious for? Leave me a link in the comments and I'll come check it out!

Teaser Tuesday (85)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This Week's Teaser Is From:

Hysteria by Megan Miranda

"I felt something, just out of sight, hovering behind me, and I didn't wait. I ran out of the room, down the hall, down the staircase to the lower level, where the door had been left ajar. I ran across the quad as fast as I possibly could. Faster even than I thought I could. I didn't stop."

- page 104

Affectionately Yours, Jane Austen: Book Blast- Win $50 Amazon or Paypal!

Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen

Was Mr. Darcy real? Is time travel really possible? For pragmatic Manhattan artist Eliza Knight the answer to both questions is absolutely, Yes! And Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley Farms, Virginia is the reason why!

His tale of love and romance in Regency England leaves Eliza in no doubt that Fitz Darcy is the embodiment of Jane Austen’s legendary hero. And she’s falling in love with him. But can the man who loved the inimitable Jane Austen ever love average, ordinary Eliza Knight?

Eliza’s doubts grow, perhaps out of proportion, when things start to happen in the quiet hamlet of Chawton, England; events that could change everything. Will the beloved author become the wedge that divides Fitz and Eliza or the tie that binds them?

 

Praise for Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen

O’Rourke creates a world that defies cynicism and demands suspension of disbelief – even in this age of doubt and hyper-realism. Sheer escapism at its best. Clever, charming and affectionate.

~Jocelyn Bury
 …the reader must tenaciously read on rather than put the book down to satisfy their hunger for the story to resolve, which it does in characteristically Jane Austen fashion.

~Erin Murdock

In Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen, author Sally Smith O’Rourke creates a compelling story that investigates what and who might have inspired Jane Austen. While the story line is certainly far-fetched, it is a truly unique idea, one that captivated this reader until the very last page.

 ~Meg Massey

 

Purchase

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Smashwords

 

 

Author Sally Smith O'Rourke

 Sally Smith O’Rourke is a surgical scrub nurse at the City of Hope national cancer research hospital in Duarte, California and resides in the near-by Victorian village of Monrovia.

 With her late husband, author Michael O’Rourke (aka F.M. O’Rourke) Smith O’Rourke owned and operated a medical advertising company where she used her diverse talents to produce and co-write teaching films and videos. Working not only with major medical and surgical manufacturing companies but also network television. These endeavors ultimately led to a collaboration on two feature films (direct to video) and three published novels.

The wife and husband writing team of Sally Smith and Michael O’Rourke, being long-time fans of Jane Austen, wrote The Man Who Loved Jane Austen released by Kensington Books in 2006. Kensington followed that very successful effort with The Maidenstone Lighthouse in 2007 and Christmas at Sea Pines Cottage in 2009, both also collaborative projects by Smith and O’Rourke. Published after her partner and spouse’s untimely death in 2001, the publisher chose not to use the names Michael O’Rourke and Sally Smith (as the manuscripts were presented), releasing all three books under Sally Smith O’Rourke.

 Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen is Sally Smith O’Rourke’s first solo novel.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter 

Tour Schedule

Book Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 6/6/13 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Showcase Sunday (56)

Welcome to Showcase Sunday, hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea. The aim of this event is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed form the libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week. For more information about how this feature works and to join in, click here.

For Review:

Is This Tomorrow by Caroline Leavitt

Thank you, BookSparksPR!

Won:

The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna Van Praag

Thanks, FSB Associates!

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Thank you, Basia's Bookshelf!

Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green

Thank you, Writing Is A Blessing!

I am so thrilled about the books that I received this week! Each of these have been on my wish list for some time now and I can't wait to sit down with them. I'm trying to get a head start on review books for the summer so I can have some time left to concentrate on books on my own shelf. My bookshelves are over flowing with awesome books and I want to read so many that it is a little overwhelming  That's ok though, I'll get there eventually!

I want to say a huge thank you to the authors, bloggers and publishers that provided me with these awesome goodies. Without you, I'd be a very bookless, very sad girl!

What goodies did you get this week? Leave me a link and I'll come drool over them :)

On My Wish List (84)

On My Wish List is a fun weekly event hosted by Workaday Reads and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.

Title: Criminal

Author: Terra Elan McVoy

Publication Date: May 7, 2013

Synopsis:

Nikki’s life is far from perfect, but at least she has Dee. Her friends tell her that Dee is no good, but Nikki can’t imagine herself without him. He’s hot, he’s dangerous, he has her initials tattooed over his heart, and she loves him more than anything. There’s nothing Nikki wouldn’t do for Dee. Absolutely nothing.

So when Dee pulls Nikki into a crime—a crime that ends in murder—Nikki tells herself that it’s all for true love. Nothing can break them apart. Not the police. Not the arrest that lands Nikki in jail. Not even the investigators who want her to testify against him.

But what if Dee had motives that Nikki knew nothing about? Nikki’s love for Dee is supposed to be unconditional…but even true love has a limit. And Nikki just might have reached hers.

I'm not sure how it is possible that I just came across this book for the first time a few days ago.Where the heck have I been? I haven't read any of Terra's books before but I have heard only good things. So why not start with this one, right? I'm not sure how much I'm going to like Nikki, she sounds like one of those girls I love to hate, but I'm going into this with an open mind and maybe she will surprise me.

What's on your wish list? Leave me a link and I'll come check it out!