tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31554251817350506042024-02-02T03:06:23.369+00:00The Bright Blue ButtonA blog about food, fashion, flowers, fun and frivolity!Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-31430772506859063112016-03-29T21:00:00.000+01:002016-03-29T21:00:07.966+01:00The awesome Wentworth MillerThis is Wentworth Miller.<br />
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He's an actor, most recognisable - or at least to me - for the 2005 show Prison Break. To be honest, that's the only thing I was really aware of him doing and I wasn't even a particular fan of that show about, you guessed it, a prison break. (Unless it's got romance in it, I'm not likely to be interested!)<br />
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Anyway, since Prison Break ended in 2009, I hadn't heard anything about him since. Until today that is.<br />
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Today I was made aware of a Facebook post a group called Lad Bible had placed on their page.<br />
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Now, I don't want to be as mean as I will soon tell you that the Lad Bible were, but I can't help but feel that nothing good can come of a site who states: "<span class="st">One of the largest communities for guys aged 16-30 in the world<wbr></wbr>. Send us your funniest pictures and videos!" But anyway...</span><br />
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<span class="st"> Yesterday, this appeared on their Facebook page:</span><br />
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<span class="st">Yeah - hilarious, right? Can't wait to see the rest of their 'funny' content. *rolls eyes*</span><br />
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<span class="st">But did Wentworth get mad and stoop to the same level as Lad Bible? Oh no - he took the high road and what a bloody awesome high road he took.</span><br />
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<span class="st">How powerful. How inspiring. Yet how absolutely heartbreaking. If I can say anything positive about my own struggle, at least I don't have to do it with the eyes of the world watching me and just waiting for me to slip up or show weakness. And as he says, he dealt with that watching and waiting without anybody even knowing what he was going through.</span><br />
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<span class="st">Now, I do offer a teeny, tiny bit of kudos to Lad Bible for offering this apology.</span><br />
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<span class="st"> </span> <br />
...but, I do have to say that I can't help but feel that they're only offering this apology because Wentworth confessed to his mental health issues.<br />
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If, for example, he hadn't said anything, or if he'd mentioned he'd hurt his ankle, couldn't get to the gym and that was the 'reason' for his weight gain - would that have warranted an apology?<br />
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I somehow doubt it.<br />
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No, mental health is not a joke or a laughing matter. And no, causing pain or distress is not acceptable.<br />
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But it's not acceptable to cause pain or distress to ANYONE. To make fun of ANYONE. For ANY reason.<br />
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So, I think that there are two lessons to be learned from this:<br />
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1) You never know what anyone else is going through so measure your words - and your social media posts - carefully<br />
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and<br />
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2) Wentworth Miller is someone we can all look up to as an amazing human being.<br />
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If you need help with any mental health issues, please visit my <a href="http://thebrightbluebutton.blogspot.co.uk/p/faqs.html">FAQ</a> page for links and telephone numbers.Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-36359370443099643852016-03-24T11:01:00.000+00:002016-03-24T11:01:10.269+00:00Weight Loss Reward: Progress So FarAt the start of the year (or more like the second start of the year since I used January as a practice month), I wrote myself out a weight loss reward chart to motivate me into losing the extra weight.<br />
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I know that some people say that bribing yourself into losing weight isn't the right way to go about things but honestly, I need all the motivation - bribed or otherwise - to get myself off my ass and losing weight.<br />
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The problem is that I haven't changed anything in my diet or lifestyle to make myself this current weight.<br />
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I've always been a bit of a binge eater and the amount of sugary snacks I can wolf down is truly scary. But it's always been counteracted by the exercise that I do - which consists mainly of walking the dog and swimming. So I have always happily maintained my weight. <br />
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And then... steroids.<br />
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Those lovely little sugar coated pills. Nom nom nom!<br />
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Sure, they made me better but they also made me FAT. <br />
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I have nothing against fat and if you're happy with yourself at whatever weight then more power to you. It's just that I'm not happy being this way.<br />
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And that's the whole point. <u>I'm not happy.</u><br />
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Unfortunately, I'm also very bitter over my weight gain. Which makes it more difficult for me to gather the momentum to lose weight - or to get out and exercise. I'm angry that I've not changed my diet or my exercise habits and yet I'm in this situation.<br />
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So, you might be surprised to hear that I actually beat my target for the month of March and as a result bought myself my first reward of The Big Bang Theory. Yay!<br />
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But with the downturn in my depression, I have found myself going back to my regular habits. I am nothing if not an emotional eater.<br />
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So once again I'm starting over. I can't crash diet or do anything drastic because I will ultimately end up making myself ill and having to start taking steroids again. Plus the fact that anything drastic is likely to be ridiculously foolish.<br />
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I just wish I could figure out whether I should work on my weight first because when I lose the extra weight I will ease my depression due to healthier eating, exercise and more self-esteem. (More? More like any!)<br />
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Or should I work on my depression because it's what's making me binge eat and then berate myself, pulling me further down into a catch-22 of bad eating and self recrimination? And if I am less depressed then perhaps I will learn to love myself - no matter what I look like?<br />
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It's a dilemma and one I'm sure many people face.<br />
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Loving yourself - does it mean losing weight to make yourself happy or accepting yourself as you currently are, even if it's not where you want to be?<br />
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I don't know the answer to that question and every time I try and write a sentence to answer it, I delete it and start again. I just don't know - which gives me one more excuse for lack of motivation.<br />
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We'll see what happens at my next weigh in!Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-33283857708894263202016-03-22T10:56:00.000+00:002016-03-22T10:56:02.035+00:0013 things I would tell my 13 year old selfI have been having a lull in my life of late - but what's new there? Although it seems that all I've done is read books and write reviews, I've barely been doing even that!<br />
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But thinking - boy do I ever do a lot of thinking! <br />
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And this morning, a thought popped into my head... if I could tell my 13 year old self any bits of advice (bar telling me anything that would change the course of history and have the timeline skew into an alternate dimension!), what advice would I give me? And would it make a difference to who I've become?<br />
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This is what I came up with:<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>1. </b></span>Don’t worry that you haven’t <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>kissed someone</b></span> yet. Those girls that have are either lying or trying to make you jealous. Your first kiss will be under the moonlight and starlit sky of the Scottish highlands - and it will be, well, mediocre…but that’s the point. Honestly, take my word for it - being an adult is nothing to shout about - be a child for as long as you can be.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>2. </b></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Keep wearing your glasses</b></span>. For two reasons 1) you will become the poster child for the fact that if you wear your glasses when you’re a kid then you might not need to wear them when you’re older *coughs 15* 2) When you get to 33 - you’ll want to wear glasses because they’re cool (and probably because you need them but don't tell anyone!!!)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">3. </span></b>Don’t believe anyone that tells you <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">your school days are the best</span> </b>days of your life. They’re really not!! Really, really, not!<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>4.</b></span> Don’t try and break your ankle by dropping a brick on it just because you don’t want to go to school. It won’t work and you’ll have to go to school anyway but this time with a sore ankle. Also, put down the scissors - you’ll only get as far as to cut your finger and it will be bloody sore! <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Going to school will make you tough</b></span> - I promise!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">5. </span></b>It’s okay to <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>cry</b></span>! Even tough people cry.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>6. </b></span>If your friends tell you that you’re being a ‘sheep’ because you like a popular band and that you should like what they like - ignore them. Think about it - if you do what they tell you to, you ARE a sheep. <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Like what you like and be proud</b></span> of it. And, probably more importantly - these people are not your friends.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>7. </b></span>On that note, you're only stuck in the same class/year as these people because your parents had sex at the same time as each other (yeah - hate to break it to you - mum and dad had sex! Bleurgh!) - you won’t remember these kids' names once you hit 18. Be nice but don’t base your likes and feelings on what they say and think - <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>they’re not worth it!</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">8. </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">Don’t drink Coke near the computer</span> </b>- you might spill it and then you’ll have to run away from home. Or at least you’ll have to contemplate it. And I really don’t think you’d make it alone out on the big, bad streets of Inverness. Even in 1995 when no-one could get there except by open-topped carriage.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>9. </b></span>Take a deep breath and breathe in that cool, fresh air. <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Make the most of it</b></span>. One day you’ll dream of the wide open sky, clean air and peace and quiet of the Highlands.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">10. </span></b>Try to hold on to the joy of <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>not having responsibilities</b></span>. I don’t know if it really was a safer time back in the day or if I was just innocent. Either way - make the most of it.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>11. </b></span>Believe in yourself and <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>love yourself.</b></span> Honestly, it will change your whole life!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">12. </span></b>Don’t tell anyone else but <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>there will never be a need to</b> <b>do long division without a calculator</b></span>. Never! Pass the exam and then forget it and don't sweat it.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>13.</b></span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>Enjoy yourself</b></span>, be good and honestly, everything’s going to be alright!<br />
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Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-40405535491238216922016-03-20T21:30:00.003+00:002016-06-30T22:17:31.899+01:00Book Review: Unlucky in Love by Jill SandersFrom the back of the book:<br />
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<div id="iframeContent">
<a href="http://amzn.to/25dSB1E" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/25dSB1E" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7FicfGBEhMNlJ-GRa77bHCrUikAM5ldu9onYmybSthwDDH7J261BXoZ6VKPiVUw-i1DEOz3V_VwXjcdkPPQfb03A3ObwMF060v4MEACpodkXKuogKPw1hcvFB3slBV27W2Fu1PVrm0s/s320/51OKsSpX-jL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="212" /></a><i>Kristen Collins is cursed. It’s the only explanation for this recent run of catastrophes. She’s lost her brand-new car and a winning lottery ticket, and her ex-boyfriend just drove off with all her possessions. She’s even lost the empty office that’s been her lunchtime sanctuary. Plus, the new hire who’s taken it over is precisely the kind of impending heartache she knows to avoid, from his intense gaze to that irresistible crooked smile.<br /><br />Developer Aiden Scott plans to stay at the Denver architecture firm just long enough to prime it for takeover. A job like his can’t get personal. Yet from the moment he collides with Kristen, he’s smitten. He wants to save the stunning interior designer from every crazy scenario she winds up in. But who’s going to save him when his business agenda shatters Kristen’s trust?<br /><br />Turns out, love’s a lot like luck. You don’t know just how good you have it until you stand to lose it all.</i></div>
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This is the first book I’ve read by Jill Sanders and the first in a new two-part series called The Lucky series.<br />
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The first thing I noticed about this book was that the writing style sucked you right in from the get-go. It was light, funny and written in such a way that you were immediately interested and you found yourself reading more and more each time. <br />
<br />
Our heroine, Kristen, is flighty, free-spirited and, well, hugely unlucky in love. With other writers, it would be easy to dislike or at least be completely annoyed by Kristen and her attitude. But with Ms. Sanders, the character came across as someone who threw herself wholeheartedly into every situation including love. It was hard not to root for her. I was a little disappointed when, about a third of the way into the book, we were told that Kristen was only 23. I wish that we weren’t told how old characters are supposed to be as I prefer to assume that they are around my age!<br />
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Aiden, too, is a really good character and was the perfect foil for Kristen. I liked the way their relationship developed and how you could really see how perfect they were for each other.<br />
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If I had one complaint it would be that in the middle, the pace of the story slowed and there were several mundane interactions that probably could have been cut to keep the story moving along as it did at the start and end of the book.<br />
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Having said that, I would still recommend this book to those looking for a good, fun and light read. It’s got good characters, fun interactions and is well-written. I’m already looking forward to Amy’s story in Sweet Resolve. 3 stars for this book.<br />
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<b><br />* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.</b><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/1TZv94t" target="_blank">The Lucky Series</a> in order:<br />
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Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-82630568011117871792016-03-06T22:56:00.003+00:002016-03-06T22:56:24.843+00:00Book Review: The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLeanFrom the back of the book:<br />
<br />
<div id="iframeContent">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrChH2hUG_hCGpbsiHXwzIEMsyk31rI9l33Ok2MLH8UQpsk-x6xeiO1cJUqZFkN6CoKHRDo_-AloVy-bSEeqr2VU3MLfBzWHQOlEo1hKs1hknkLOK1w_63owmBwfie4BNnwrvLVga_Nng/s1600/51Gh-k5pgUL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrChH2hUG_hCGpbsiHXwzIEMsyk31rI9l33Ok2MLH8UQpsk-x6xeiO1cJUqZFkN6CoKHRDo_-AloVy-bSEeqr2VU3MLfBzWHQOlEo1hKs1hknkLOK1w_63owmBwfie4BNnwrvLVga_Nng/s320/51Gh-k5pgUL.jpg" width="197" /></a><i><b>The first in Sarah MacLean's sensational
new Scandal & Scoundrels series . . . all the fun and guilty
pleasure of celebrity gossip, with a Regency twist!</b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b>Lady Sophie's Society Splash! </b></i><br />
<i>When
Sophie, the least interesting of the Talbot sisters, lands her
philandering brother-in-law backside-first in a goldfish pond, she
shocks society and finds herself the target of very public aristocratic
scorn, leaving her no choice but to flee, vowing to start a new life far
from London . Unfortunately, the carriage in which she stows away isn't
saving her from ruin . . . it's filled with it.<br /><br /><b>Rogue's Reign of Ravishment!</b></i><br />
<i>Kingscote,
"King," the Marquess of Eversley, has never met a woman he couldn't
charm, which results in a reputation far worse than the truth, a general
sense that he's more pretty face than proper gentleman, and an irate
summons home to the Scottish border. When King discovers stowaway
Sophie, however, the journey becomes anything but boring! </i><br />
<br />
<i><b>War? Or More? </b><br />He
thinks she's trying to trick him into marriage. She wouldn't have him
if he were the last man on earth. But carriages bring close quarters,
dark secrets, and unbearable temptation, making opposites altogether too
attractive . . .</i></div>
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I am a fan of Sarah McLean's having especially enjoyed her first novel ('Nine Rules to Break...') and her most recent Rules of Scoundrels series. This is the start of a new series called Scandal & Scoundrels and it definitely looked like a similar kind of book to her previous offerings and one that I would very much enjoy.<br />
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I was a wee bit worried that I'd made a bit of a mistake, though, when I first started to read. It was a bit wordy - and flowery with it - and I'm definitely not a fan of cutesy little tropes liked 'The Soiled S's' or the 'Dangerous Daughters'. *Rolls eyes.*<br />
<br />
But the pace was fast and the writing soon levelled out as the story took over. I really enjoyed Sophie - an honest person who knows what she wants and is prepared to get it - even knowing that it's against society (and her family's) wishes. She was fun, believable and I was really rooting for her almost as soon as she was introduced. She was a little innocent and naive but I liked that about her.<br />
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It took me longer to warm up to King, however. Sure, he was a realistic character but I still wanted to give him a slap at times for being needlessly rude, especially to Sophie. He did get better (and nicer) but I couldn't help but be a little turned off by his attitude that it was okay to be mean to someone until you know them and like them. I did think the reasons for his altruistic ruination of women across London was a bit far fetched - as was his all consuming adoration for his first love, which after 15 years, he managed to get over in the space of about 30 seconds.<br />
<br />
But anyway, Sophie and King turned out to be a really good couple. I like a bit of arguing and sparring in my love stories and the fact that they were on an adventure together that neither of them had any real interest in being on, definitely produced some tension. The adventure was fun and amusing as King tried to keep Sophie from getting into scrape after scrape - usually caused (or at least not helped) by him. The book wasn't overly sexy but there was just enough smooching and good times to keep me happy.<br />
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I would assume that the remainder of the series will be focusing on the remaining Talbot sisters although none of them seemed like very good heroine material from the snippets of them from this book. In fact, the whole Talbot family were very forced and one dimensional. I wonder why Sophie even liked them let alone how on earth she came to have her character and morals when coming from, and growing up beside, such a seemingly vapid and insipid bunch of people.<br />
<br />
It's been a few weeks since I read the book and while I did enjoy it, it hasn't overly stuck in my head. I'm giving it 4 stars because it did hold my attention while I read it and I was happy for King and Sophie by the end of the book. If I'm honest, I'm not sure if I'll pick up the next book in the series - 'A Scot in the Dark'. It will all depend on whether the author will find it necessary to write 'inna verra stewpit and nun too relistic Scottish accent, ye ken?' (Free trips to Scotland if anyone wants to find out how we actually talk and that we actually have differing accents depending on where in the country you're from! And breathe...) and which sister the story is about. For the time being, this story gets 4 stars from me.<br />
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And now, time for another rant...<br />
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Have a quick look at these:<br />
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<br />
Now, I may be in the minority, but I've always been a fan of the 'traditional' romance book cover. Bodice Rippers Anonymous! It's sexy, seductive and just screams "I'm reading romance". Perhaps that's why the publishers decided to change the cover of this book (and many others) for the British audience. Perhaps we're too tame and demure for low bodices, hunky men and torrid embraces. Oooh, Matron!<br />
<br />
Well, (and I mean no offence to the very talented British cover artist) I just don't like it. It looks like a whole other genre of book. One a lot more sedate and demure than its contents - a book my grandmother might pick up to read. She'd sure get a fright if she did and got to the sexy bits!<br />
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I so disliked the British cover that I decided to buy the book in from America.<br />
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And lo and behold - it was a third the price from America than it is from the UK. So not only do they dull over the cover but they hike up the price.<br />
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I don't have the money that I used to and everyone's being a bit more careful with their pennies these days. I can tell you it's hell when you're a book addict like me and want to get your favourite authors in paperback. But who in their right mind would spend £9 for a book when they could get the same book (with a more appropriate cover) for £3?</div>
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Okay, that's my rant about the book covers over. Don't worry - I'm not letting it influence the rating of the book. I just needed to get that off my chest as I'm a bit weird and have been holding that in for a while! </div>
Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-86375131018104781682016-02-28T10:03:00.000+00:002016-02-28T22:01:34.343+00:00Book Review: The Study of Seduction by Sabrina Jeffries <br />
From the back of the book:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/147223216X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=147223216X&linkCode=as2&tag=romantrambli-21" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/147223216X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=147223216X&linkCode=as2&tag=romantrambli-21" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OD4pnvmP95viVV-pE1XIcG8HWorDUgvIzr3yk0kxRmz0uryesY4N7bg475L75hc5HPbYCJCfLMQqrXu1dK8150OKvna3fgPA9WWrx3c8fMsDC23DFllsSN8CJQMXVi1LrJU4133j-6k/s320/817IeE7wVLL.jpg" width="195" /></a><i>When Edwin Barlow, the Earl of Blakeborough, agrees to help his best friend's impetuous ward, Lady Clarissa Lindsey, in her time of need, he knows he's in for trouble. He's been hunting for someone to wed, and she'll just get in the way. Although captivated by the whip-smart, free-spirited beauty, he fears she'd be all wrong as a wife...if she would even take such a gruff cynic for her husband. Too bad he wants nothing more than to have her for his own.<br /><br />Clarissa has no intention of marrying anyone - not Edwin, whom she's sure would be an overbearing husband, and certainly not the powerful French diplomat stalking her. But when matters escalate with the diplomat, she chooses Edwin's gallant offer of a marriage between friends in hopes that it will deter her stalker. She expects nothing more than an amiable union, but their increasingly tempestuous kisses prove more than she bargained for. When her stalker's vow to expose the lovers' deepest secrets threatens to destroy their blossoming attraction, will their tenuous bond withstand public ruin, or will Edwin lose all that's important to him to protect his bride?</i><b><i><br /></i></b><br />
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I am a huge fan of Sabrina Jeffries - I don’t think there’s been one story of hers that I haven’t read and enjoyed. Oh, let's be truthful - I have a proper author girl-crush on her! Despite having all of her books to choose from, this book will definitely stay in my mind as one of her best to date.<br />
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This is the second book in the Sinful Suitors series (after Yvette and Jeremy’s story in "The Art of Sinning"). We were first introduced to Edwin, Clarissa and their basic character traits in that book. For fans of Jeffries’, Edwin is also known as he was the former fiancé of Jane from "If The Viscount Falls" (Duke’s Men Book 4). Having said all that, there is absolutely no need to have read any of the preceding books before reading this one. Everything will make sense and I promise you won’t miss out on any pertinent details.<br />
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There’s nothing sexier in my book than a gruff, grumpy man who secretly has a heart of gold and an all consuming love and lust for his lady. Edwin actually went one better by having a sharp sense of humour to boot, which only Clarissa was able to bring out in him. Clarissa herself was sharp, smart and had layers enough to make her a very interesting and likeable character. Her past troubles made her vulnerable and I felt were dealt with realistically. It really made me feel for her.<br />
<br />
Together, Edwin and Clarissa had such a palpable chemistry that it was so much fun to read. Clarissa seemed to excel at poking the grumpy bear that was Edwin and he just didn’t know how to deal with her. Except for kissing her, of course!<br />
<br />
Overall, this is a witty, fun and sensual novel that will delight fans of a good historical romance. The characters are interesting, sexy and a pairing you can’t help but fall in love with. Sabrina Jeffries has really nailed this story. I can’t recommend this book more. A definite 5 stars.<br />
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(As an aside - does anyone else think that the hero on this cover looks like Leonard from The Big Bang Theory?)<br />
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5 stars. <br />
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<b><br />* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.</b><br />
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<br />
Sinful Suitors series in order:<br />
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Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-55180340117695418892016-02-16T09:12:00.000+00:002016-02-16T21:27:55.083+00:00Book Review: Lord Dashwood Missed Out by Tessa Dare<br />
From the back of the book:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1S9wsgo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://amzn.to/1S9wsgo" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Sn2uAu6KH4N_RNf3eNmtqVFwIIytVMAPp-BVXaF6SWhzRSb8ZsaG8FWqn9SuTbMOzSTAxqyrURmKw3W_xurHErhIEDh6FRzzffVjg2OXpzl2N_uWya8B5A3xAqlB8MCdb0ojvcXcObw/s320/81GenM2B09L.jpg" width="198" /></a><i><b>A snowstorm hath no fury like a spinster scorned!</b><br /><br />Miss
Elinora Browning grew up yearning for the handsome, intelligent
lord-next-door...but he left England without a word of farewell. One
night, inspired by a bit too much sherry, Nora poured out her heartbreak
on paper. Lord Dashwood Missed Out was a love letter to every
young lady who'd been overlooked by gentlemen--and an instant
bestseller. Now she's on her way to speak in Spindle Cove when snowy
weather delays her coach. She's forced to wait out the storm with the
worst possible companion: Lord Dashwood himself.</i><br />
<i><br />And he finally seems to have noticed her.<br /><br />George
Travers, Lord Dashwood, has traveled the globe as a cartographer. He
returned to England with the goal of marrying and creating an heir-only
to find his reputation shredded by an audacious, vexingly attractive
bluestocking and her poison pen. Lord Dashwood Missed Out, his arse. Since Nora Browning seems to believe he overlooked the passion of a lifetime, Dash challenges her to prove it.<br /><br />She has one night.</i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
------------------------</div>
<br />
I think I own most of the books in Dare’s Spindle Cove series but as yet have only read one or two. As this is a novella and would be quite a quick read, I decided not to wait until I’d read the books in the right order but instead jump right into this one.<br />
<br />
The premise is fun and something a wee bit different from normal while still sticking to a familiar pattern of young love turning into something real.<br />
<br />
Miss Elinora Browning - Nora - is a great character. She’s feisty and fierce while still being true to her bluestocking roots. She felt true to the time period and I could relate to her meaning that I was rooting for her happy ever after.<br />
<br />
Interspersed in the book are chapters that bring you to Spindle Cove and those waiting out the snow storm to hear Nora speak of her famous - or infamous - pamphlet. These are the parts that give you a glimpse of the characters of the previous books in the Spindle Cove series, especially Griff and Pauline from Any Duchess Will Do and the heroes from the previous novels. As I said, I’ve not read all the books but these snippets and the banter between the gents has really made me want to pull the Spindle Cove books out and get to reading. Genuinely funny with ease and interesting banter between these characters.<br />
<br />
This is the same with Dare’s writing throughout this story. It’s smart, funny and really flows. It’s an easy read and that, in part, is down to the way in which you’re drawn into the story.<br />
<br />
So, why didn’t I rate this book higher? Well, I blame George Travers, Lord Dashwood aka Dash. I just couldn’t take to him. Now, I could totally understand his anger at the pamphlet that Nora wrote - she wasn’t exactly subtle about who she was talking about. I could accept if he hadn’t found her attractive when they were younger and hadn’t contemplated marriage. I could even accept that it was definitely a good thing that the pair hadn’t married all those years ago. What I couldn’t accept was his attitude and his manner with Nora. He was rude, condescending (and not in that ‘he’s arrogant but he really cares’ kind of way that I can totally get behind) and his goads and taunts felt borderline mean. Oh, he did get better towards the end of the book and I believed in their intimacy and their happily ever after - I just couldn’t really forgive him for his attitude when he and Nora first reconnected. I do like to hold a grudge!<br />
<br />
A fun book with lots going on, an unusual premise and a witty and clever writing style - this is one I would recommend if you want to complete your Spindle Cove collection or introduce yourself to Tessa Dare’s writing. Shame that it couldn’t have been a wee bit better - I blame George! <br />
<br />
3 stars. <br />
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<br />
Spindle Cove series in order:<br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Book One:</b> A Night to Surrender</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Novella:</b> Once Upon a Winter's Eve</div>
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<b>Book Two:</b> A Week to be Wicked</div>
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<b>Book Three:</b> A Lady by Midnight</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Novella:</b> Beauty and the Blacksmith </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Book Four:</b> Any Duchess Will Do</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Novella:</b> Lord Dashwood Missed Out </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Book Five:</b> Do You Want to Start a Scandal?</div>
<br /></div>
Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-41922201411392875942016-02-09T09:55:00.000+00:002016-02-09T09:55:00.778+00:00Pancakes - good or bad?Happy Pancake Day!<br />
<br />
I have to admit that I wasn't very smart when I did my menu plan for this week and on the table tonight is actually baked chicken Parmesan meatballs in tomato cream sauce - fancy! - instead of pancakes.<br />
<br />
In Scotland we have Scotch pancakes instead of crepes on Shrove Tuesday. Of course, we just call them pancakes! I think the English call them dropped scones to differentiate them from pancakes aka crepes. Did I ever mention that all these nationalities that make up the British are properly weird!!?<br />
<br />
I'll just have to hope that someone will bring in pancakes to work today so I don't have to go without on a day where you're allowed to treat yourself.<br />
<br />
But that bothers me. Why am I "allowed" to treat myself on this day and not others? And for that matter, why do we label some foods as "good" and some as "bad"? Who's to decide which is which?<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta_j7n65BIu-rXhB9S8EvepRmQEarslDCiJ0dlN_hV8n7lBLKcdhG80ywqIpaq2HaSr6dqGM3O_P686EMePeyD9IPTk6G6bZdFsmiqdbGFXvVDylmmdncEq5x8gKsO2HoEQegEw_YhRQ/s1600/Can+foods+be+good+or+bad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjta_j7n65BIu-rXhB9S8EvepRmQEarslDCiJ0dlN_hV8n7lBLKcdhG80ywqIpaq2HaSr6dqGM3O_P686EMePeyD9IPTk6G6bZdFsmiqdbGFXvVDylmmdncEq5x8gKsO2HoEQegEw_YhRQ/s1600/Can+foods+be+good+or+bad.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It's making me think of the ways in which we label our foods<br />
<br />
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I've noticed that there is so much pressure on people these days. As much as I love the internet, you see the lives of other people and assume that they are superwomen with high-powered jobs, clean houses, well-behaved kids and rocking bodies. Unlike me, you tell yourself.<br />
<br />
Fear not - you can have all that, too, according to the media etc. All you have to do is undertake this diet, follow this plan, avoid these pitfalls, get up at 4am and have a positive attitude.<br />
<br />
It's bloody exhausting.<br />
<br />
And then I've got to create a perfect meal in just 15 minutes and am given this never ending list of what's good and what's bad. Cheese is too high in fat, chocolate is high fat, dairy is, well, dairy, meat is evil, vegetables have too much sugar, potatoes have carbs - it's enough to drive you to drink. And yay, you can have a glass of wine because it's high in anti-oxidents. But don't have wine because you'll raise your risk of whatever disease you can think of!<br />
<br />
Sigh! I'll just sit here and chew my piece of parsley, then.<br />
<br />
In my own case, my Ulcerative Colitis means that I have extra problems with what I can eat. I can't tolerate seeds, nuts or grains - so wholemeal things are out the window. It's white bread all the way. The "bad" bread! Vegetables do things to me that I won't upset y'all by talking about (begins with p- and ends with -oop) and plenty of other "good" things leave me in agony.<br />
<br />
So I've decided that the people who designate things as "good" or "bad" don't know what they're talking about as every single person is different.<br />
<br />
But no-one should finish eating and feel such guilt over whether they have eaten enough of the "good" stuff. No-one should decide to skip meals because they think it's healthier than eating "bad" foods.<br />
<br />
No-one should feel any guilt over food <u><b>at all</b></u>.<br />
<br />
So my new motto is this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://lastlemon.com/harolds-planet/hp5280/" target="_blank"><img alt="Harold's Planet: Everything in moderation, including moderation..." border="0" src="http://lastlemon.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/HP5280.gif" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
If we take away the guilt over the foods we're told are "bad" and we stop telling ourselves that these foods are forbidden temptations - they lose their hold over us.<br />
<br />
Have as much chocolate cake as you like.<br />
<br />
Drink as much coffee as you want.<br />
<br />
But...and here's the hard bit...remember that having a licence to do something doesn't mean you should do it all the time.<br />
<br />
Just know that you're allowed to treat yourself to a piece of cake when you've been sweating your arse off (sorry for the swearing, mum!) or not eating snacks between meals for a week.<br />
<br />
You're allowed to do whatever you want. Just listen to your body, learn to hear the signals of what it needs (rather than just wants) and food will stop becoming an obsession and start becoming a real pleasure.<br />
<br />
So that's what' I'm giving up for Lent - labelling food as "good" or "bad" in order to stop my terrible obsession with food.<br />
<br />
And now, since this has been a bit of a ranty post - I will leave you with the recipe of my favourite pancakes from <a href="http://www.be-ro.co.uk/" target="_blank">Be-ro</a>.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kUhTAWuQE7_Xr16j0kPfoccJ1gMHIZLgpN3I6yPjv9B9rpCJRXsdqyCxOFE2qYu6L44Kj903jmfg9XlI3XmgFx56H73dJ-ARafc92qzhCa5LdfBG1DKs0rR5gLSfE9knpMfx6Wzn6Pg/s1600/Pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kUhTAWuQE7_Xr16j0kPfoccJ1gMHIZLgpN3I6yPjv9B9rpCJRXsdqyCxOFE2qYu6L44Kj903jmfg9XlI3XmgFx56H73dJ-ARafc92qzhCa5LdfBG1DKs0rR5gLSfE9knpMfx6Wzn6Pg/s320/Pancakes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
<br />
100g (4oz) Self Raising Flour<br />
50g (2oz) salt<br />
1 medium egg<br />
4 x 15ml tbsp milk to mix<br />
few drops lemon essence (optional)<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Method</u><br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%px;"><tbody>
<tr><td valign="top" width="15"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica";"><b>1 </b></span></td>
<td valign="top">Mix flour, salt and sugar, add egg and gradually beat in enough milk to make a thick batter.</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top" width="15"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica";"><b>
2 </b></span></td>
<td valign="top">Add essence, if used.</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top" width="15"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica";"><b>
3 </b></span></td>
<td valign="top">Cook 2 or 3 at a time by dropping spoonfuls of the mixture on a moderately hot, well-greased griddle.</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top" width="15"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica";"><b>
4 </b></span></td>
<td valign="top">Cook until the underside is golden brown and the top is covered with bubbles, about 3 minutes.</td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top" width="15"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica";"><b>
5 </b></span></td>
<td valign="top">Turn and brown on the other side. Serve buttered, hot or cold.</td></tr>
<tr><td></td>
<td valign="top"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica";">
</span>N.B A baking griddle should be well-greased, then heated until a
little water sprinkled on the surface skips about in balls, evaporating.
A frying pan makes a good substitute</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Enjoy!Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-52183706995340831692016-02-07T19:42:00.003+00:002022-07-27T11:23:44.140+01:00Happy Birthday, Dad!My lovely papa turned the grand old age of 61 years young yesterday.<br />
<br />
Or, as I like to lovingly remind him, the start of his 62nd year!<br />
<br />
We had presents… of course, but Dad ripped them open and whipped them away to use/play with before I could snap a picture!<br />
<pictures of="" presents=""><br />There was coffee and scones at Lochend Farm.</pictures><br />
<pictures of="" presents=""><pictures of="" scones=""></pictures></pictures><br />
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<pictures of="" presents=""><pictures of="" scones=""><br />Then the family was supposed to gather to eat, drink and laugh...but one of our crew (naming no names - Jason) got Man Flu and the gathering was postponed for 2 weeks!</pictures></pictures><br />
<br />
<pictures of="" presents=""><pictures of="" scones="">But the rest of us sat down for a good tea of mince and tatties - Dad’s favourite! Followed by an orange cheesecake complete with candle and obligatory 'happy birthday' sing-song! Poor Tilly was terrified!<br /><br />Now, in honour of my dear dad, here are some pics…<br /><br />I always manage to drag him to places that I’m not sure he thinks are very sane to venture.<br /><br />
</pictures></pictures><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpDcEEY3glA-vj_OMOI9ShcBK5XoSWw6PJVFUHw9zcd_eSpD8I74BYCxYzMxauycZbwA-abKaH3BekRB2lYVPUCFPQi6RcPMsJ7dq3Jmzg2I8QbqrPifhOmiYjFmCi8L92KSMOhyphenhyphenTk84/s1600/Dad+montage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpDcEEY3glA-vj_OMOI9ShcBK5XoSWw6PJVFUHw9zcd_eSpD8I74BYCxYzMxauycZbwA-abKaH3BekRB2lYVPUCFPQi6RcPMsJ7dq3Jmzg2I8QbqrPifhOmiYjFmCi8L92KSMOhyphenhyphenTk84/s1600/Dad+montage.jpg" /></a></div>
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This, and many of my other quirks and, well, annoyances, leaves his usual expression around me something like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqkt6F2nvQi8qZ8typfyrfxCiXn6hreMcBV76wJxI1cNSj1tmvU35TpWsqPnB8jAp2qKrUOWvWNRl3IVa9cOFxSBSBaAbdaDtXaZhfotuCIt-Hln41h6URMmnf5APa5nBWVSBfYM2Cqc/s1600/P1060349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqkt6F2nvQi8qZ8typfyrfxCiXn6hreMcBV76wJxI1cNSj1tmvU35TpWsqPnB8jAp2qKrUOWvWNRl3IVa9cOFxSBSBaAbdaDtXaZhfotuCIt-Hln41h6URMmnf5APa5nBWVSBfYM2Cqc/s320/P1060349.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<pic dad="" hard="" hat="" his="" in="" looking="" of="" weird=""><br />So, happy birthday to my dad! Hope you had a lovely day and that your 62nd year is the best one ever.<br /><br />Love you!</pic><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHqIBgZ4zvGffXQDHHVk1qUrU70s1awz0NJZ1DNxP-czswelphKqOFOVeVYmJZD6-CPbzd1SL_pEkweHAIogHJod9PhyphenhyphendMchBzg9bw7tvn5M4GbBE3IKBZ-Ibs6w4CCywJSOyHDhyNaU/s1600/Happy+birthday+dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHqIBgZ4zvGffXQDHHVk1qUrU70s1awz0NJZ1DNxP-czswelphKqOFOVeVYmJZD6-CPbzd1SL_pEkweHAIogHJod9PhyphenhyphendMchBzg9bw7tvn5M4GbBE3IKBZ-Ibs6w4CCywJSOyHDhyNaU/s640/Happy+birthday+dad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/birthday">Birthday vector designed by Freepik</a>Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-13710800206785596212016-02-05T17:35:00.001+00:002016-02-05T23:00:16.347+00:00Yay for grammar!I have a confession - I am a grammar pedant without any real understanding of the rules and regulations of the English language.<br />
<br />
Due to a woeful lack of decent English language education coupled with a previous teenage indifference to ‘how’ my language actually works - I am now left bereft of any real grammatical smarts. Which really sucks when trying to win an argument about how something is said.<br />
<br />
And I find there are a lot of people to argue with these days. (I'm taking creative licence by starting by sentence with 'and' in case you're wondering!!) <br />
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However, I was tickled when I saw this on the news today.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9_vgGmIDrBV3dyRQeudcAlUtMYn-yj_qv3kjk_JFuMxkKEEIOZI00vk8-xfo1sNZ6NbhRrYD5WT8NvaPVefTUi4RKp1PABmvGmiSEHXaXKhXPbN4uOyv-e4ieMNLETSpDkMvq13uOvM/s1600/newspaper-clipping-24026496.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9_vgGmIDrBV3dyRQeudcAlUtMYn-yj_qv3kjk_JFuMxkKEEIOZI00vk8-xfo1sNZ6NbhRrYD5WT8NvaPVefTUi4RKp1PABmvGmiSEHXaXKhXPbN4uOyv-e4ieMNLETSpDkMvq13uOvM/s400/newspaper-clipping-24026496.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It seems like it’s not just me who puts stock in good grammar.<br />
<br />
Yay!<br />
<br />
The last time I did online dating I received a message from a man that said something along the lines of:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiD_Ou7bQV-OQ7yW8WN-OAk9otqK_Z-0Uw5cIGswvcKtsAi79bFzmu0Nvw_zCk-m_Bm8XsTzHw2VdHEYZ76K8E1AbeCMP2mNwtpBgMd4KZ-USasYqMaLhCr4R7L9Udtr-8FkyInd0pYL8/s1600/index.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiD_Ou7bQV-OQ7yW8WN-OAk9otqK_Z-0Uw5cIGswvcKtsAi79bFzmu0Nvw_zCk-m_Bm8XsTzHw2VdHEYZ76K8E1AbeCMP2mNwtpBgMd4KZ-USasYqMaLhCr4R7L9Udtr-8FkyInd0pYL8/s400/index.png" width="266" /></a></div>
….tumbleweed….<br />
<br />
It’s unfair to ask if there are no decent men left who know how to construct a sentence…so I’ll instead ask ‘are there no decent men who want to date me that also know how to construct a sentence'?!<br />
<br />
So this news story brought joy to my heart.<br />
<br />
Happy infographic time!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.grammarly.com/spell-check" target="_blank"><img alt="Valentine's Day Grammar 2016 Infographic" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-21237" src="http://contenthub-static.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Valentines2016-final-copy.jpg" height="" width="600" /></a> </div>
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Now I just need to re-read this post a few hundred times to make very sure that I haven't made any grammatical errors! </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
As a final note - remember, folks - good grammar is sexy!</div>
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Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-11287451467406959232016-01-31T22:06:00.000+00:002016-01-31T22:06:09.889+00:00Starting Afresh: Take 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOq7JEHPJUYcybyVrP9Ko8aGMLzy4X-x08i_tCYMGRP3-816anq-1dzVpTOCwjmb5fKlKqByXyphyphenhyphenB5nzha2zuKupWG9N8XBpViDUklVZ-zcMCi1BzvmWecSEcoHHRijI8zHMMg93JBE/s1600/Starting+Afresh+Take+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOq7JEHPJUYcybyVrP9Ko8aGMLzy4X-x08i_tCYMGRP3-816anq-1dzVpTOCwjmb5fKlKqByXyphyphenhyphenB5nzha2zuKupWG9N8XBpViDUklVZ-zcMCi1BzvmWecSEcoHHRijI8zHMMg93JBE/s640/Starting+Afresh+Take+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I'm going to be brutally honest - January has been a bit shit for me.<br />
<br />
Rather than being excited and enthusiastic about the whole 'fresh start' and 'chance to change my life' like I usually am - I'll admit that it's been a blur of bad choices, upset and a hopelessness that has almost become the norm in my day-to-day life.<br />
<br />
And the worst thing is - I have no idea why.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://curiano.com/post/80241603527/live-life-quote#notes" target="_blank"><img alt="Live Life Quote, Life Quote, Love Quotes and more -> Curiano Quotes Life" height="400" src="http://40.media.tumblr.com/d98d14180037bbcb8f5098e9c19f7d38/tumblr_n2nr7fwF521sw2apbo1_500.jpg" width="285" /></a> </div>
<br />
I know that depression is a flaw in chemistry rather than character - but boy is it hard not to blame yourself when you're feeling low, you don't know what's wrong and basically nobody can help.<br />
<br />
You can help yourself, that you know - if only you can build up the enthusiasm.<br />
<br />
Mentally and physically.<br />
<br />
And when you can't it just reinforces the fact that this is all your fault. You are to blame for all your problems. Real, imagined, mentally and physically.<br />
<br />
Things have changed to some degree. Despite having quite a good mask, my boss pulled me aside at the beginning of the month and questioned me about how I was feeling. She has a surprising ability to see beyond the image I present to the world. It's both appreciated and bloody annoying.<br />
<br />
Being a crier - I cried at work until she forced me to see a doctor.<br />
<br />
So I did. And cried some more.<br />
<br />
He gave me new pills - yay - and the number of a therapist - yuch!<br />
<br />
I don't like this second option for two reasons:<br />
<br />
1) The first therapist I had was less than helpful. In fact, I'd go as far as to wonder how on earth she managed to get any kind of qualification to help those in need. Sheesh.<br />
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2) I'm an introvert. I. HATE. PHONES.<br />
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</div>
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<img alt="Just no.: " class="pinImage rounded" data-load-state="pending" height="143" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/c9/d9/e6/c9d9e6abaae2f58ee58da502f88e3440.jpg" width="400" /> </div>
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<br /></div>
Last but not least in my tale of January is my weight.<br />
<br />
As I'm sure I've moaned about before eloquently expressed previously, a couple of years ago I took a course of steroids to control my ulcerative colitis and ended up being a slave to the side effects. I.e. the munchies. Witness me ballooning by 2 stone.<br />
<br />
Well, 2 stone turned into 3 and is continuing to creep up due to my sugar addiction and, well, my sheer laziness.<br />
<br />
So January was a chance to get my eating under control and getting back to exercising.<br />
<br />
February 1st is my first weigh in.<br />
<br />
I decided to do a pre-weigh in today (January 31st) to see how I was doing.<br />
<br />
The answer to that question was +5lb of not very well.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://behappy.me/OneToughMotherRunner/dont-be-upset-with-the-results-you-didnt-get-from-the-work-you-didnt-do-19614" target="_blank"><img alt="https://behappy.me/OneToughMotherRunner/dont-be-upset-with-the-results-you-didnt-get-from-the-work-you-didnt-do-19614" class="pinImage rounded" data-load-state="pending" height="400" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5d/9a/01/5d9a01537217c7115bb3d0d798eebfbb.jpg" width="297" /></a> </div>
<br />
So that's it now - February begins the start of a new phase of my life.<br />
<br />
My new mantra is this:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/10/08/best-american-infographics-david-byrne/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/10/08/best-american-infographics-david-byrne/" class="pinImage rounded" data-load-state="pending" height="640" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/20/43/dd/2043dda6bcf32b6f55cc07a9b191457e.jpg" width="460" /></a> </div>
<br />
So that's me starting afresh - take 2! <br />
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<br />Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-31380932442942972632016-01-03T10:38:00.000+00:002016-01-03T21:25:45.922+00:0010 Reasons to Read RomanceReading has always been something that I loved to do. I was always the kid who would go back to school after the summer holiday with their reading sheet filled in on both sides (and an extra piece of paper for good measure) with all the books I had devoured.<br />
<br />
I did suffer a lull when I hit my teens. At the time when I was a teenager there was a distinct lack of books that were aimed at my age range - more grown-up than a children’s book but not as ‘boring’ as all those <i>adult books</i> (please read in a know-it-all teenage voice!).<br />
<br />
And then my mum introduced me to romance novels…<br />
<span style="color: #ea9999;"><br /><span style="color: #e06666;"><i>I should use this moment to thank my mum. The writers, printers, publishers and my bank manager would also like to thank my mum for the fact that her introduction has led to me single handedly keeping the romance industry afloat!</i></span></span><br />
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And so my obsession began.<br />
<br />
And this obsession makes me happy. So, as the first part of my New Year’s resolution towards happiness, I have committed myself to reading a book every week.<br />
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And it’s even official since I’ve memorialised it by signing up for the reading challenge on GoodReads. Eeeek!<br />
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<br />
So, with that in mind, here are 10 reasons why it’s good to read (and specifically romance).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DfLeaWDJgMbcZ-vizUKIV0QuB2o0Fy6lCApm4GTyqBB6LpdKz20vaeyepW_7a9AnW18gTAyBaeX2xgLIleh4D6HN_SN5x84RiYrega64ZIQPa0cO1V4tkpxXRCm0JqXAHI5L2DDLGxA/s1600/Read+Romance+Header+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DfLeaWDJgMbcZ-vizUKIV0QuB2o0Fy6lCApm4GTyqBB6LpdKz20vaeyepW_7a9AnW18gTAyBaeX2xgLIleh4D6HN_SN5x84RiYrega64ZIQPa0cO1V4tkpxXRCm0JqXAHI5L2DDLGxA/s640/Read+Romance+Header+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h4>
1. Stress reduction</h4>
I’m sure everyone at one time or another has felt stressed out - whether it’s for something huge like interviewing for a new job or something small likes the fact that someone continues to leave the toilet seat up. Or it could just be a general anxiety and stress over everyday living. Stress doesn’t discriminate.<br />
<br />
But no matter how much stress you have or how often you have it - it is now scientifically proven that getting lost in a good book does you good and can actually reduce stress levels by 68%. <br />
<br />
Read for just six minutes and your heart rate slows down, your muscles relax, your blood pressure lowers and your cognitive function increases. Reading works even better at reducing stress than listening to music, exercising or having a cup of tea. But I would still have a cup of tea when you sit down with your book like the doctors have now ordered you to do. Result.<br />
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<h4>
2. Book boyfriends</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHkfULX3_alAtVbGv5_l7O5kaKKr-eJSRaqGaoYO1eaTAxa3mI3FiMp0_sICQLI5aBq8sBdhuuw_HJflthQysplDc7iHc4KpSRzZ7SxKJ_ANS7TVQjAcyS6H-MTDylvgPU8ITZbLuX8U/s1600/4217ef8086b256dd0212d612ec7c1700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHkfULX3_alAtVbGv5_l7O5kaKKr-eJSRaqGaoYO1eaTAxa3mI3FiMp0_sICQLI5aBq8sBdhuuw_HJflthQysplDc7iHc4KpSRzZ7SxKJ_ANS7TVQjAcyS6H-MTDylvgPU8ITZbLuX8U/s320/4217ef8086b256dd0212d612ec7c1700.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not only is your book boyfriend sexy, intelligent, understanding but you can have more than one of them on the go at any one time and no-one will think anything about your morals or character. You could be in bed with Jamie Fraser, on a carriage ride with Mr Darcy or even visiting the hardware store with Christian Grey - all at the same time. *swoon*<br />
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<h4>
3. You will learn to read and speak good</h4>
When I was a teen and first started reading romance books, I kept a notepad by my bed where I wrote down all the words that I didn’t know. I wrote down a lot of words.<br />
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Over the years my vocabulary, spelling and grammar have increased exponentially and I feel properly smart now. All from reading romance novels.<br />
<br />
As a bonus, if you prefer historical romance then you will find yourself well versed in words and phrases from days of old.<br />
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Conversations become so much more fun.<br />
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“Why, that fair damsel o’er there indubitably has a gigglemug.”<br />
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<h4>
4. Happily. Ever. After.</h4>
If you like to read stories where the main character dies, where there’s some great moral lesson to be learned, or when the girl and guy can’t make it work, then that’s absolutely fine.<br />
<br />
For me though, I have enough depression in my life that I don’t need to be reading of more sadness, tragedy and woe.<br />
<br />
I want uplifting, happy stories where I don’t have to worry about what the outcome will be because I know it will end happily. It always ends happily and that’s the way I like it. In romance novels it always snows on Christmas, one of the couple always comes into a fortune right when it’s most required, and wind makes hair tousle rather than tangle. If that’s not happiness I don’t know what is.<br />
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<br />
<h4>
5. To live vicariously through the characters</h4>
I’ve done a lot of things. <br />
<ul>
<li>I’ve owned a number of cupcake shops without having to bake or speak to any customers.</li>
<li>I’ve been a lawyer without having to go to school for half my life.</li>
<li>I’ve lived in the 19th century while still having access to good plumbing and decent medical care</li>
<li>I’ve been kidnapped by a pirate without having to expose my hair to the sea air. Frizz - shudder!</li>
<li>And I’ve fallen in love more times than I can count all because I read romance.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<h4>
6. Love is awesome</h4>
What’s lovelier than love?<br />
<br />
Love is the strongest force on earth and there is absolutely no shame in wanting to read and revel in it every day of your life. It’s what most of us, man or woman, aspire to attain after all.<br />
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<h4>
7. You will realise you’re not weird after all</h4>
Have you ever worried that you’re a little bit odd? That you think or say things that other ‘normal’ people would never dream of? That no-one else is as strange as you are?<br />
<br />
Well, when you read a romance you will find the heroines are far from perfect. They all have quirks and foibles but guess what? - the hero loves them anyway.<br />
<br />
And as an added bonus, reading worlds, characters and scenarios dreamed up in someone else’s head will help your brain expand and, added with your own quirks, will make you a whole lot weirder than you ever dreamed possible. But by the time you’re addicted to reading, you’ll realise that being weird is absolutely bloody perfect!<br />
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<br />
<h4>
8. You can use it as covert cover</h4>
While reading is definitely fun, sometimes being seemingly engrossed in a book can reap other rewards. Peeking over the top of your book in a restaurant or train station can help you covertly ogle good looking men. People are also more likely to assume that your engrossment means you aren’t fully concentrating on conversations going on around you. Sit and read your book in the office lunch room and you might just catch folk at the next table divulging a juicy piece of workplace gossip!<br />
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Or, at the very least, people will (hopefully) not talk to you if you have your nose stuck in a book.<br />
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<h4>
9. You can make new friends</h4>
I’m actually not talking about friends in books (as good as those are) but you will soon find yourself able to talk to people about things that others have no clue what you’re talking about. “Oh, did you see that Jane has left Mr Rochester’s house? She’s maaaaad at him!” Yes, in no time at all you’ll be confusing characters and events in your book with real life. When you start inadvertently speaking about this in public, or on social media, someone else will invariably join in and boom - you have a friend for life. A friend you can talk to about romance novels! Yay!<br />
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<h4>
10. Medicine for the soul</h4>
I love this statement from Maya Rodale: “Critics say romance novels are fluffy, escapist literature--as if that's a bad thing. I say romance novels are like a cold medicine that lets you get a good night's sleep or a pain reliever that takes the edge off your headache. They're the little bit of help and hope we need to carry on.”<br />
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To paraphrase: reading romance is like medicine for the soul.<br />
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<br />Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-46648248965609260062016-01-01T17:01:00.001+00:002016-01-01T17:01:34.126+00:00Starting Afresh<div style="text-align: center;">
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I love New Year.<br /><br />I love the possibilities. The chance to start anew and reinvent yourself. To make those dreams a reality and become the person that you’ve always wanted to be.<br /><br />It’s strange then, that I find it really hard to start things off and get things moving.<br /><br />Planning is my forte. I absolutely love it.<br /><br />But then it’s time to start with my grand plans and I get cold feet.<br /><br />I’m not actually sure why that is but I find it difficult to get the momentum to get things going.<br /><br />Perhaps I’m afraid that if I begin then I’m accountable for how it goes including potential failure. I’m a perfectionist, after all, and don’t do well when things don’t go perfectly. And yes, I know that’s ridiculous and unrealistic.<br /><br />But this year will be different. 2016 will be my year; a year of changes, wonder, dreams coming true and ultimately happiness.<br /><br />And that is my new year’s resolution for 2016: find happiness.<br /><br />That’s not to say that I won’t have supplementary resolutions but they’ll all be in pursuit of my main goal this year - to be happy.<br /><br />How I get there is obviously fundamental but for the moment I’m satisfied with my primary resolution is ‘simply’ to be happy.</div>
Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-82836285419526940582015-12-02T21:03:00.001+00:002015-12-02T21:22:08.793+00:00Book Review: Christmas Cravings by Emma Hamilton<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B016ZVXZPO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B016ZVXZPO&linkCode=as2&tag=romantrambli-21">Christmas Cravings</a><img src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=romantrambli-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B016ZVXZPO" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
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From the back of the book:<br />
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<i>Snow is on the ground and Christmas lights twinkle in the German Christmas market. The warm, spiced wine is just right, but there's still one key ingredient missing from her romantic dream. Will Mia's Christmas turn out to be sugar and spice and all things nice - or a deflated soufflé of loneliness and regret without the man of her dreams? </i><br />
<br />
<i>Christmas Cravings is a festive romance standalone episode
from the Greedily Yours series. <br /><br />About the series: Mia Maxwell loves
food. She loves it so much that she's made it her career. She owns a food PR
business that fills her days, and by night she's a food blogger with a
burgeoning audience. With her 'Culinary Confessions of a Greedy Girl', Mia takes
the reader on a delicious journey, searching for top dishes and the perfect
man.
</i> <br />
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-----------------<br />
<br />
This Christmas novella is part of the Greedily Yours series - a serial novel that’s available in 8 parts all focussing on Mia, a food blogger on the search for good food and the perfect man. Despite being part of a series, this little Christmas tale is a standalone story so you don’t need to have read the novels to understand and enjoy this book.<br />
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I really liked the writing style of the author. I’m not normally a fan of chick lit but this one really drew me in and made me keep coming back just wanting to read a little more each time. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m definitely going to check out the Greedily Yours series and any other books by the author.<br />
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Although the story wasn’t overly romantic - more sweet than anything - I was still really rooting for Tom and Mia. They were both very real characters and it was hard not to like both of them but Mia especially.<br />
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I was quite surprised that the main conflict was resolved well before the end of the story. Not that it matters but it kind of made the book one of two distinct halves.<br />
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In a series called ‘Greedily Yours’, obviously the food is a key feature of the book. And boy-oh-boy, if you’re not hungry when you start reading the book then you will be by the time you’re finished. Every sight, smell and taste sensation is described in delicious detail, in a way that makes it seem real - but unfortunately not real enough! There are also a few recipes included at the end of the story which is a definite bonus.<br />
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This is a quick (98 pages), cute and Christmassy story that is perfect for a lazy afternoon when it’s raining (or snowing?) outside. I would definitely recommend this tasty little story for anyone who enjoys food, Christmas and romance.<br />
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4 stars.<br />
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Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-55544680057685839362015-10-18T21:59:00.000+01:002015-10-18T21:59:07.842+01:00Innerdownie: First Donald BaggedWith a fledgling interest in hill walking and an apparent death wish (I was in the beginnings of a flu-ey cold that would last a good 4 weeks), I decided to start at the bottom (no pun intended), not to climb a Munro, but a Donald!<br /><br />Most people have heard of Munro bagging but if you’re semi-sensible (or just want to work your way up to it) then you first have to go through the Donalds (and maybe the Corbetts and Grahams!).<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Donalds are hills in the Scottish Lowlands over 2000 feet (609.6 m). The list was originally compiled by Percy Donald, and is maintained by the SMC. It comprises 89 summits and 51 subsidiary tops, giving a total of 140 hills. </i></h4>
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<br />Naturally, we chose to climb the lowest - Innerdownie - at a still hefty 2004ft.<br /><br />When we started out the weather was clear but very quickly the clouds descended until you couldn’t see more than a couple of meters in front of you. There wasn’t much view to miss out on at this point in the walk but it did make me a little more grumpy than if it had been a glorious day!<br />
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<br />I don’t think Tilly was particularly pleased either as low cloud meant we were walking through a wall of water!!<br />
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Luckily for us, the clouds lifted soon after and we finally made it to the top with only one wrong turn!<br />
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<br />The downward journey was a little bit more eventful and unfortunately included one more wrong turn. We found ourselves traversing a path right alongside the edge of the forest in plants that were as tall as we were.<br /><br />Another unfortunate circumstance was that I tend to get the giggles at really inappropriate times. As we battled through the plants and willed ourselves to the bottom of the hill (all the while seeing a lovely clear path through the fence to our other side - upsettingly blocked by a small ravine and our own obstinacy that we shall not turn back!!) I got such a fit of the giggles. I was laughing so hard that I had to stop and take a breather. <br /><br />It was not funny. <br /><br />That made it funnier.<br /><br />We made it to the bottom in one piece and drove home. It was then I realised how unwell I really was as I couldn’t swallow any food and was running a very high temperature. Oh well - at least I have pictures to prove that I actually climbed my first Donald. If I didn’t then perhaps I would have thought it was a hallucination.<br /><br />I’ve got another few Donalds on the list before I work my way up higher. But they might wait until after this bad winter we’ve had predicted!!<br />Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-22563234723076225762015-09-20T22:15:00.000+01:002015-09-20T22:15:54.765+01:00Crap - was that the starting gun?I don’t know about anyone else but I’m constantly waiting for the ‘right time’ to do everything that I’ve always wanted to do.<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>I want to write more on this blog</b> - better wait until I’ve written a few blog posts and have an exact schedule of what I plan to write and when. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>I want to write a romance novel</b> - better wait until the story is perfectly composed in my head before committing it to paper.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>I want to get back in the dating game</b> - better wait until I’ve either lost my steroid weight or until I have some self-esteem.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b>I want to get fit and lose some weight </b>- better wait until I’ve started losing weight so that I don’t look like a fool when I’m out running, swimming etc. (I’m not even joking about this one even though I know how ridiculous it sounds!)</li>
</ul>
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I always seem to have some excuse or reason for procrastination.<br />
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Even knowing that it’s pure procrastination, and knowing that it’s only because these things mean a lot to me personally that I'm hesitating, doesn’t help me to actually get going.<br />
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So, I’ve decided to fire the gun.<br />
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I’m not ready.<br />
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I don’t know which route to take.<br />
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I haven’t stretched.<br />
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But that’s too bad - the starting gun has been fired and everyone else is running. Even if I look at it as a one person race, that gun has still gone off and can’t be unfired.<br />
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So, I can either take the heart lurch of missing the starting gun and knowing I’ll be a step behind, say ‘shit!’ and just get going, or…<br />
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D'you know - there’s never a ‘right time’ which means there’s never a ‘wrong time’ either!<br />
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Let’s get going.<br />
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<a href="https://imgflip.com/gif/rckc4"><img src="https://i.imgflip.com/rckc4.gif" title="made at imgflip.com" /></a>Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-15692293637294694622015-09-09T21:06:00.000+01:002015-09-09T21:06:07.901+01:00Jacobites Return: Riding High (Outlander Article)An article that appeared in the Sunday Express on 30th August, 2015.<br />
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<br />Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-21273206685325864402015-07-08T23:09:00.002+01:002015-07-08T23:09:20.412+01:00Outlander: In Search of the Black KirkWhen I was in Culross a couple of weeks ago, I took to opportunity to have a quick shifty round the village and take some pictures of the places that were used to film Outlander.<br />
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Job done - let’s go home!<br />
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So, imagine my surprise when later, as I was looking for other filming locations that took place in the lovely Kingdom, I read that The Black Kirk was in fact the West Kirk. Also in Culross.<br />
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What? Eh? How did I manage to miss that?<br />
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Okay - not to worry - I had time to regroup and plan. And Culross is only about 25 minutes or so from my house so it’s not like I was travelling cross country - I would return! Yet I do so enjoy an opportunity to be grumpy at myself for not knowing things before I know them.<br />
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Anyway, Culross West Kirk isn’t actually in Culross proper - which is the reason (I tell myself) that I missed it first time round!<br />
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It’s not exactly hard to find - it’s on maps and there are roads leading to it. If you can call them roads.<br />
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I grew up in the Highlands so I am used to country roads that are barely big enough for one car, let alone two. Or a tractor, or a herd of cows, flock of sheep etc.<br />
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I am not, however, used to driving on them.<br />
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I’m also not used to driving on them when I’m not 100% sure that I actually should be on them in the first place.<br />
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That was my main problem with finding the church. I drove up the country tracks and just prayed that 1) I wouldn’t encounter a tractor, 2) I was going the right way, 3) If I did meet a tractor I would acquit myself adequately when reversing back down said lane and of course, 4) that I wouldn’t get stuck in the ginormous potholes or mud puddles and have to live on the lane for the rest of my days.<br />
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Finally, I reached a clearing that then branched off into three fields. Where to go now? I decided I would park up and go the rest on foot. If I was even in the right place.<br />
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Then I saw this:<br />
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Woo hoo! <br />
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Tilly and I walked the rest of the way to the kirk which keeked out through the trees with just enough secrecy to make my inner fan-girl (and let’s be honest she’s never too far buried these days) do quite a lot of squeaks and squeees on the trek across. Sorry - did I say I trekked? I meant that I ran while doing a silly little jig, of course!<br />
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Luckily, there was no-one else there when I arrived. Or at all.<br />
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But, oh, what a place.<br />
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I always find that there are certain places that just exude peace and calm; that make you feel like you could be in another time and place. The West Kirk was one of these. Just lovely and serene.<br />
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A church abandoned yet somehow not.<br />
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Now, I don’t know about anyone else but when I look at pictures of the places that have been in the filming, I want to relate. I’ve seen quite a few pics of filming locations and thought - pretty, but I have no clue when or where that featured in Outlander.<br />
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So I decided to do some side by side pics.<br />
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I might have been just guessing with that last one - but I leaned up against the ivy and swooned just in case!!<br />
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And here are some other pics of the church including my arty farty ones.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9URw6UGivlT05EDiMAgzc6XDQnFNGMBObAeDFjdWI4SwmjMqU7rxwra4wtz0rBz0IrxWll12yvP0YJcjJlW1uuZeV0UttFVOt4_mM6UKQyt8lVkkm9Q9O4OJDw35WAGI71gbNi1j9CU0/s1600/P7060235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9URw6UGivlT05EDiMAgzc6XDQnFNGMBObAeDFjdWI4SwmjMqU7rxwra4wtz0rBz0IrxWll12yvP0YJcjJlW1uuZeV0UttFVOt4_mM6UKQyt8lVkkm9Q9O4OJDw35WAGI71gbNi1j9CU0/s320/P7060235.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's go! <span class="st">'<em>Tùlach Àrd'</em></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPudADq40SzrA00vixvIgjDE9dLoAKrMMVgxZcVAeH_nRUfT5jY6yFrJanvfd18Iu6a8WWUe4gI2Ij9pPtn9liMcFV3rGshRl_FebblnYRNtQiGkQFjGzs0ba2H88HO3Gr1spWdCGq7I/s1600/P7060267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPudADq40SzrA00vixvIgjDE9dLoAKrMMVgxZcVAeH_nRUfT5jY6yFrJanvfd18Iu6a8WWUe4gI2Ij9pPtn9liMcFV3rGshRl_FebblnYRNtQiGkQFjGzs0ba2H88HO3Gr1spWdCGq7I/s320/P7060267.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at this wee dude. He looked blurry from every angle!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, dude! Let's go home!</td></tr>
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So, that was my Outlander adventure to the Black Kirk. Fortunately I didn’t eat any wood garlic. Unfortunately, Jamie Fraser wasn’t lurking about in the church yard! <br />
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Ach well, you win some and you lose some!<br />
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Until our next adventure! Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-43534776924121846132015-06-22T21:07:00.000+01:002015-06-22T22:16:23.450+01:00Prestonmill Article from Trust in ScotlandA quick and sweet article from the Trust in Scotland magazine about Prestonmill which featured in Outlander. A certain gent was naked in that there water!! <br />
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Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-46710883739302018222015-06-18T20:58:00.001+01:002015-06-18T20:58:31.685+01:00Outlander comes to Fife Part 2 - or, how I met Sam Heughan!Where were we?<br />
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Oh yes.<br />
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*Drools*<br />
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…Right…<br />
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This is fairly wordy - brace yourself! <br />
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The next day (which was Wednesday) I was only working until lunchtime and I knew that filming would begin at 3pm. I didn’t actually plan it that way but I might have done if I wasn’t lucky like that with my schedule!<br />
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I went home, had my lunch and then walked down to the security gate. I’d seen what I wanted to on the set and hell, you only live once - I decided to go down and see if any of the cast would be around for a sneaky autograph or picture.<br />
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I’m going to make an aside here to say that never have I ever met a nicer bunch of people than those working on the Outlander set. I’ve never been around sets before but I pretty much assumed that people would be dismissive of anyone milling around and treat them like nuisances. Not. At. All. Everyone was lovely and welcoming - answering questions if they could and explaining what was going on if they had the time to. Lovely bunch of folk.<br />
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Arriving at the gates and there were a few other fans milling around outside watching as the busses of extras (nearly 200 according to one of the production company) were coming through. They were all suited and booted and I can only imagine what it would have been like to stop at a set of traffic lights alongside a bus, turn around and see 18th century French people staring down at you. Ha ha ha!<br />
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I asked the security guard if anyone was on set and Caitriona was although she was busy filming. What about Sam? He sized me up (probably looking for the crazy that I was trying hard to keep hidden!) and let me know that he wasn’t scheduled to shoot until 6pm. I thanked him (which probably sounded more like weeping sobs of gratitude) and headed back home to stare at the clock for a couple of hours while panicking over whether the security dude had been lying to me for his own amusement.<br />
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It might be worthwhile going into another aside here where I tell you I have a little bit of an anxiety problem and fear people laughing at me or at my expense. It’s not fun. To say it’s unusual to see me in a situation where I have to ‘put myself out there’ or even chat to people I don’t know, is quite the understatement. My mum kept on saying to me that you only live once - enjoy it and to hell with people who will make fun or be nasty. (Actually, her exact words were - “tell them away and byle their heeds!”). It was difficult, don’t get me wrong, but I knew I couldn’t put this off. They were only going to be there for a few days! Perhaps Outlander should film in my town regularly - it might cure my social anxiety once and for all!!<br />
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Anyway, long aside - sorry about that.<br />
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When I got back down to the gates there were a couple of other people there - a young lassie (18) who was there with her friend, an older lady and me. There were a few others milling around but they were just looking at what was going on by the looks of things.<br />
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Sam was due on set in about half an hour so we waited and bonded over our love of Outlander and, strangely, the difficulty of sitting exams (the girls were just finishing school and the lady an ex-teacher).<br />
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All the while the security guards (and a few others) were laughing and bantering with us. At one point the security guard (whose wife loved Sam - much to his chagrin!!) was pretending to get grumpy about why all the girls loved Sam. He started chanting (at the top of his lungs, no less) “Tobias is the best!” “Tobias for king!”<br />
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Just then a production lady came over and asked us if we were there to see Sam. We nodded like the calm, rational people we were. She said that he’s just arriving.<br />
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The older lady turned to me and I could see in her eyes the same ridiculous excitement I felt inside. I'm pretty sure we both let out a brief "squeeee!" I’ve never fan-girled so hard in all my life as I was at that moment. Eeeeeek!<br />
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And that’s when things started to go into slow motion and my vision started to narrow to one particular thing. I pity the poor production guys and security who we’d been speaking to up until that point - they were dead to us now!! :D<br />
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Security told us to all stand at one side and his car drove by. He was in the front seat and waved at us. We all fainted on mass.<br />
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The security guard radioed. “Sam’s here. Let’s have crowd control. Police? Are you there?”<br />
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No word of a lie, the police started to walk over from inside the set! Then I realised they were two lady officers and suspected that they weren’t there to control the ‘crowd’. Rather be part of it!<br />
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Sam got out of the car about 200m away from the gate and spoke to the production lady. He then started to walk over to the gates. Oh my God - this is actually happening to me!!! Right - don’t faint, don’t drool, don’t fling yourself into his arms and beg him to take you. Behave. And behave normally!<br />
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As he walked by the security and production guys, they shared some banter and chatted away to each other. They were teasing him about him being the king of men - obviously all friends on set. (Which was so cute!)<br />
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Anyway, I’m feeling myself getting all nervous and excited again so apologies if I start to ramble more than I usually do!<br />
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When he walked over to us he looked genuinely surprised that we were there to see him. He looked like a wee boy that was a bit shy in a strange situation so I think he decided to reach down to clap Tilly (my dog) to break the ice.<br />
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Bad move.<br />
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Tilly identified this man as the reason she had been forced to walk 6 times a day and hang about in the woods in the dark for the past week. Sam knelt down, put out his hand and she immediately started barking at him. She’s just a wee thing but she was giving it laldy. Awkward!<br />
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I snapped this pic just before we were told no photos. I'm only posting it because it doesn't show anything but his hand and my crazed dog!!<br />
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We all just stood there for a beat after the barking incident, not really knowing what to do - then I thrust the whisky I’d brought at him (yep, I’m even more awkward than my dog!) to break the silence. He said something like, “Oh! Why? You didn’t need to do that.” Erm - yeah I did - have you seen you? *swoon* (I did not say that to him, I’d like to point out! I probably said something like: *giggle* mmppphen *giggle* *hyperventilate*)<br />
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Then the lady next to me gave him her gifts (a Dundee cake, some whisky jam and, wait for it, a guidebook of walks in her area. This lady is my new hero. Genius!). She then asked for his autograph. He asked her name and wrote her autograph.<br />
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All the while we were all chatting away - are you enjoying being back on set? What are you up to? (Duh!) How’s Caitriona? You are the best actor I’ve ever seen in my life. I love you. (Shit - so much for being normal!)<br />
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Someone asked for a picture and he apologised that he couldn’t - he was in costume! Darn it all to pieces. I refrained from suggesting he just take it off. Then we could have got pictures, right?<br />
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Then he turned to me and wrote an autograph for me (he first asked all our names and how to spell them). I then asked him if I could have a hug and he agreed. <br />
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Man - that was an awesome hug. *Sighs*<br />
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❤️ <br />
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He smelt all clean and soapy and he was the perfect height for cuddling. (Any other 5’ 6” gals - it’s perfection!) I didn’t want to let go but I was very much aware that the security and police were lurking behind Sam ready to take me down if I held on!! Plus, he works out - he could take me. No pun intended.<br />
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Then the older lady was a bit bummed that she hadn’t asked for a hug - so she did and he obliged. Then he hugged the young girl and signed the book she’d brought. Her friend (who had yet to read or watch Outlander - I know, right?) had been quite cool up until that point. “I’m just here to support my friend.” Blah, blah, blah. When Sam turned to her, she said “Oh why the hell not!” and hugged him as if her life depended on it. I bloody knew that she would cave as soon as he turned his blue eyes on her! 17 year old girls cave easier than 33 year old girls apparently!! <br />
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Then he thanked us all for coming to see him but said he had to go and get to work. He was still a little surprised that we were there to see him - so humble and so, so nice and sweet. He said goodbye and was pretty much engulfed by security and production folk who moved him away towards the set. He turned just before he went round the corner, and waved to us all.<br />
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That’s probably when the squealing started. Then Tilly decided to bark at one of the police officers who’d decided to clap her, so we hightailed it out of there before we could be arrested. Not sure barking at a police officer is an offence but why take the risk!?!<br />
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So that was my encounter with Sam Heughan. As I said, I’ve got no famous people to compare him to, so I’m just comparing him with every single person I’ve ever met in my entire life. And I have to say that he was one of the nicest, kindest people ever. He seemed so sweet and thankful that people had taken the time out to see him (when we were just so grateful he’d taken the time to speak to us!). And did I mention he is gorgeous!?<br />
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*Fans face*<br />
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Oh and I’m never washing again.<br />
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*Disclaimery bit again. I’m not official. I’m not a stalker. I’m not deranged. I’m just an over enthused fan who met Sam Heughan!!!!!! Aaaaaargh!<br />
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As a final aside, I feel I should give a huge virtual hug to the Outlander fans on Twitter. Never would I have expected such a kind hearted and sweet bunch of people. Most people were kind, fun and genuinely excited to share in my mammoth excitement. Thank you all. <br />
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And so my fan-girling endeth and the town goes back to normal. For now.Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-54558107110049686152015-06-14T18:57:00.000+01:002015-06-14T22:27:19.491+01:00Outlander comes to Fife - Part 1. Or, how I turned into an Outlander Fan GirlI would like to start off this blog entry by stating that I am a normal person.<br />
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Okay, that may be something of an exaggeration, but I <i>am</i> a fully functioning member of society. I’m not a stalker, deranged or otherwise, and I’ve never had the occasion to meet anyone famous before. And I’ve certainly never had the inclination to go fan-girl crazy before.<br />
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But that was before…<br />
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It all started on May 25th when I found out that Outlander was filming in our town.<br />
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Holy macaroni! How exciting! Nothing like this ever happens in Fife. And just 5 minutes from my house on my usual dog walking route - this couldn’t get any better. <br />
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*Okay breathe. Just breathe.*<br />
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The plan was simple. Over the next few days I would increase my daily dog walks to the point of ridiculousness, trying to get a glimpse of, well, anything remotely Outlanderish. <br />
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At first my Tilly was excited by the exercise… but she soon realised that while we went on the walk, it would take triple the usual time to complete the circuit as I stood generally spent the time hanging around and looking at “stuff”. Barrels, carts, lights, boats, green screens, people in kilts - if it wasn’t nailed down then I was taking a picture of it!<br />
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Over the next few days my wee camera got quite a workout when I was able to get out and about. When I wasn’t, I asked my Dad to walk the same route as I would usually and take photos of whatever he could see. Bless his cotton socks, he got some great shots and became an Outlander internet legend!!! *Snort*<br />
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<br />
Then May 28th came and everything became a bit more real. This is when I realised that I was no longer just enjoying Outlander and the fact they were filming in my town - I had become a teeny tiny bit obsessed!<br />
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I realised my craziness was on the increase when this happened:<br />
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So much for being a fully functioning member of society - here I was running through the trees, arms flailing, battle cries resounding, with a look of crazed desperation on my face. *Yep - time to send for the men in white coats!*<br />
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Not to worry:<br />
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So this pattern continued for a couple of days - me pretending that I was ‘simply walking my dog’ when I was actually using her as a cover story to have a sneaky peak of what was going on in Dysart harbour.<br />
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By this time the fact that Outlander were filming in the area had reached the local press and there were many more people out to have a peak. It was quite an exciting buzz. I’m going to blame that excitement for the fact that I found myself in a pitch black forest in the dead of night (11pm is the dead of night for me!) with a bunch of random strangers with cameras.<br />
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Lordy - that sounds even worse written down than it did in my head.<br />
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I was reaching a pitch of excitement when filming actually started even though I was bloody well at work on the first day! Damn this need to feed, clothe, house and look after myself! So irritating!<br />
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I got home the first day of filming to an envelope with a memory stick inside.<br />
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Inside was this photo:<br />
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Squeeeeeeeeee!<br />
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At this point I should probably explain that over the course of the week, they had been shutting more and more roads around the town near the harbour. By the time filming started, you could be up in the park overlooking the harbour and if you wanted to get down to the front gate it was a fair hike round the town and back down along towards the beach. Normally you could just go right down the path but they were using that for lights and it was a no-go area. However, if you went down to the security gates then you couldn’t see a bit of what was going on on set. A dilemma.<br />
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But by the end of that evening I had seen a lot of what I’d wanted to see from up in the park.<br />
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I’d seen them filming and got a couple of photographs from far away. I’d met some fun people who were just as excited as me that Outlander was on the east coast. And I’d seen them set up a TV production with their lights, sets and etc and talked to some lovely crew people. What else could a girl possibly want?<br />
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Hmmmm…..<br />
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Maybe tomorrow.<br />
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<i><br />*Disclaimery bit. These are (obviously) not official photos. I am just a fan who was lapping up the excitement and taking pics for my own (and any other interested folk on Twitter’s) enjoyment. There are loads of other pics out there which show the stars close up - that’s because they’re paparazzi shots (for the most part) and they have ridonculous, high power lenses. We were actually quite far away from the action and understandably so. I’m not out to spoil anything for anyone or stick my neb into people’s personal lives.</i><br />
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<br />Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-91359875535821896362015-03-10T10:52:00.000+00:002015-03-10T10:52:00.059+00:00Living in the Now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last night, as I lay in my bed I thought back to 10 years ago. I was living alone in my first ever flat - the first place (except for at university) where I’d lived away from my parents. The first place I could truly call my own.<br />
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It hadn’t been a long term dream as far as I can remember. Actually, I don’t remember thinking or dreaming at all of what it would be like to have my own place. It all happened rather fast - one day I was living at home, the next I spotted a cute flat not too far from my parents house and then I was on the way to buying it.<br />
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It was a new experience living on my own, but an exciting one. If I decided to eat my breakfast in my jammies at 2pm or sob over reality shows in my undies then nobody would ever have to know. (I would like to point out I did neither of these things - I just could have if I’d been so inclined!)<br />
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But after a while of living in my own little flat I got a little disillusioned. The walls were thin and I could hear every detail of my neighbours, erm, amorous activities. Frequently. I even gave them a round of applause one night. I felt they’d earned it. <br />
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I was the only one of those in our block who would put out the bins and it was me that took it upon myself to fix our wall when it came down into our garden. A garden which was so overgrown that I wouldn’t have been surprised if there were undiscovered tribes living in the wilderness. There were cigarette butts outside our front doors and I couldn’t go to the toilet if the neighbours had decided to take a cigarette break - which they did almost as frequently as their ‘other’ activities - as the bathroom window overlooked the entranceway and my neighbours would hear and laugh at my colitisy antics. I’m not just imagining this scenario. I try to repress from my memory what is known as ‘the night of the noisy skitters’.<br />
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I would stand at my window looking out onto my wilderness and dream of owning a small house where the only bins that I needed to take out were my own. Where I could actually walk in my garden and possibly grow some veggies. Oh, and wouldn’t it be lovely if there could be a little dog to join me in my little house and garden? But most importantly in the little house of my dreams - my bathroom would be far away from civilisation - for the protection of society as well as my fragile ego, of course. Yes, and, my own bedroom would not share a wall with another bedroom. Especially when your neighbours are rabbits.<br />
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Then, almost as quickly as I got my flat, it was sold and I found myself in a chocolate box of a house with its own garden, tucked away loo, quiet bedroom and where the only bins I cared about were my own. A little while later - a little dog joined me in my little house and my dream was complete.<br />
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For a while.<br />
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Now I dream of meeting my soul mate and getting married. Of moving to a house where we don’t have so many neighbours (did you guess I’m an introvert, yet?) and a big enough garden to let kids and doggies run free. To have American style cook-outs in the summer.<br />
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And when I get that?<br />
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I’ll dream of being a published author. Of having my perfect home and garden and man and dogs and children and, and, and…<br />
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And I realised last night, as I slept in my quiet bedroom in my little house, snuggled up with my little dog, that I was living the life I dreamed of those years in my flat. The life I wanted so much. The life that would make me happy and instead I’m here dreaming of bigger and better things. Other things that I want that will make my life happy and perfect.<br />
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When will I be able to stop, sit back and relax with what I have? To enjoy the life that I have dreamed of when I didn’t have it?<br />
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It was quite a sobering thought if I continue on this way I will never be happy because I don’t live in the moment. I don’t appreciate the now and what I have right now.<br />
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So that’s one of my new resolutions…<br />
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…Slow down, take time to appreciate and live in the now. You can still dream but don’t let it take away from what was once a dream come true.Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-6686112081939185112015-03-08T10:54:00.000+00:002015-03-08T22:48:40.742+00:00Sunday Supplement: Week #10<br />
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As always with the Great British Sewing Bee, I feel the need to sew. Not that I'm particularly good but I try. Anyway, this week's challenge was to create a lace pencil skirt. Man, do I want one. How cute?! And if the GBSB can't get any better, they then posted this on their twitter feed during the episode. *Giggles*<br />
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The book I read last week was a hard slog and even though I started to skim read after the second chapter, it still took me almost the whole week to get through it. I don't feel that I can review it so it has been removed to the 'Bad' file on the kindle and I'm started on a new one which will hopefully be better.<br />
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That book is In for a Penny by Rose Lerner. It's shaping up to be something of a interesting historical romance so fingers crossed.<br />
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<br />Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-18954277946508706532015-03-01T10:51:00.000+00:002015-03-01T10:51:00.515+00:00Sunday Supplement: Week #9<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pinch, punch, first of the month white rabbits! Happy March, everyone!<br />
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It's that time of year again where I try to determine when I'll get a 5-10 minute run on good (or at least not bad) weather so I can dash outside and get some seed trays started.<br />
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So far I have some broad beans, tomatoes, peppers, chillis and Honesty waiting to be planted.<br />
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Luckily, I didn't have to go outside to start to chit my potatoes. Now, I have no idea whether I am following the proper rules of potato chitting and seed planting but I live in Scotland - I figure with our weather you take a chance when you get a chance and wait to see what happens!<br />
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A massive bit of good fortune this week led me to one of the best twitter storms of 2015 - nay, ever! I'm on verdict watch for a trial I've been following in Arizona. As a result, I had Arizona's ABC15 Breaking News up in my browser while I worked.<br />
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I had been out for a walk in the evening and when I came back I wanted to make sure I hadn't missed the reading of the verdict. I hadn't but that's not the bit of luck I had.<br />
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I turned on the live feed and saw.... llama drama.<br />
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If you didn't see it live, go back and watch it now. You'll not be sorry - it's so bloomin' hilarious. Who knew so many residents of Sun City had lassos! I need to learn how to lasso, dammit! </div>
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I've just finished watching the Scotland vs Italy Six Nations match which we lost. Now, I am absolutely gutted and it will take a few days (weeks, months?) before I am able to accept that it was actually a rather good game.<br />
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What is there to love in this tale of woe, you might ask? I have a new crush...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURyLoqqElChyphenhyphenn_52gejcNsXCKMkdV5UvwBhaVJAGVBw8l2mHCfsp0d5XdaEzt7Y2E1Ngpoi73pmdDKLWTEtS35hTQ8mfY3Jn08p-4ah6tqnNO-LZreFs3ePCqva1hOgL7l0aD3tuN47I/s1600/Greig-Laidlaw-Scotland-1024_3108123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURyLoqqElChyphenhyphenn_52gejcNsXCKMkdV5UvwBhaVJAGVBw8l2mHCfsp0d5XdaEzt7Y2E1Ngpoi73pmdDKLWTEtS35hTQ8mfY3Jn08p-4ah6tqnNO-LZreFs3ePCqva1hOgL7l0aD3tuN47I/s1600/Greig-Laidlaw-Scotland-1024_3108123.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Okay, okay - he's a little young but aren't they all these days!?!<br />
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Hmmm... why do my rugby crushes always play fly-half? Okay wait - neither Sean Lamont or Thom Evans are that position so all is well with the world!<br />
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Very well with the world. <br />
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Wow - this was a tough SS to write! *wicked grin*<br />
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<br />Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3155425181735050604.post-15481445722720733832015-02-24T10:15:00.000+00:002015-02-24T10:15:00.207+00:00Book Review: Bring Me To Life by Kira SinclairFrom the back of the book:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTkIfXDpK4u6aDcknSKDvhcwlRXJ2ct_KgtGvsim-7GzzYQK8UCqAQv3SdOf1fq07EQTTYacivktAtcKnNZ6o-ms-NgsKGSO3UzpeJxLeqqDFkaoDTw8LCkaI5puKkIk5P_Ns7yUochY/s1600/81Siu5g0doL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTkIfXDpK4u6aDcknSKDvhcwlRXJ2ct_KgtGvsim-7GzzYQK8UCqAQv3SdOf1fq07EQTTYacivktAtcKnNZ6o-ms-NgsKGSO3UzpeJxLeqqDFkaoDTw8LCkaI5puKkIk5P_Ns7yUochY/s1600/81Siu5g0doL._SL1500_.jpg" height="320" width="203" /></a>Subject: Evan Huntley, Special Ops <br />
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Status: Believed to have been killed in action…until now! <br />
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Three years is a long time. Long enough for Tatum Huntley to leave heartbreak behind for the idyllic town of Sweetheart, South Carolina. Long enough to start over. Yet not long enough to forget the devastation left behind when he died. Her husband. The man whose touch haunts her… And the man who just walked back into her life. <br />
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All Evan Huntley wants is to get the woman he loves back in his arms…and his bed. While her love for him never died, Tatum can't—and won't—forgive Evan for letting her believe he was dead. For leaving her alone. But can she resist giving in to the exquisite passion that still burns between them?<br />
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When you need some escapist fun - you really can’t beat a Blaze romance. They tend to be light, fun, sexy and a little shorter than a mass market paperback at roughly 224 pages.<br />
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Although this whole story centres around the grief and loss of a loved one (even if it turns out he is alive) the book never gets too deep into the emotions that might drag the story down. As it is, the book focusses more on the trust and love issues between Evan and Tatum - now that they are together once again.<br />
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I could really understand where Tatum was coming from and why she was so confused about what to do with regards to Evan - should she thank her lucky stars that her husband is back or push him away to protect herself from potential future heartache? The fact that she goes back and forth between the two options was completely understandable. Evan is a delicious male lead - who doesn’t love a hard bodied, tough, tattooed man with a soft streak when it comes to the woman he loves? He is a bit hard headed when it comes to his job and understanding why Tatum doesn’t jump back into his arms - but his male idiocy just adds credibility to their story!<br />
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Nice love scenes - hot and spicy. Just what you would expect from a Blaze. There are also some small cameos from others who have appeared in previous Kira Sinclair books set in Sweetheart, South Carolina. Despite this, the book stands completely alone so you don’t need to have read any others to enjoy and understand this one.<br />
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My only criticism is a personal one (and I didn’t let it affect my rating of the book). On several occasions the subject of suicide came up with one or both of the main characters remarking that it was a cowardly act. In many (presumably not all, but many) cases of suicide, it is the final and only option people feel is available to them. They may feel they are doing what is best for their family and that they, physically and mentally, just cannot possibly go on. I don’t think this is cowardly - it’s sad and desperate and shouldn’t be belittled by people who (luckily and thankfully) don’t understand.<br />
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Apologies for the rant - it’s been bothering me since I read what was otherwise a very enjoyable book. And the book was good and worth a read if you like the Uniformly Hot Blaze collection or just want a hot escape for a couple of hours.<br />
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4 stars.<br />
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Josie Buttonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08824618803393152830noreply@blogger.com0