When life's kicking your butt, how about a theme song? Movie trailers have the best songs!

Happy October! I drive by a park on my way to work with the best trees for fall. Tall and ancient, standing stoically beautiful in a tight traffic zone. Last week the colors took my breath away and had me daydreaming at the start of my day. So I think it's time for a wistful dreamy kind of song. The second I heard it during a preview for the movie Pan, I was hooked (haha, get it, hooked, Peter Pan). Here's I Believe by Christina Perri.

When life's kicking your butt, how about a theme song? [16] Blogger's choice!

April. I have no words. Just kidding, I'm a chatty girl. It's going to be a busy month since I'll continue to work almost double the hours at my job due to an incident that took out two members of the team for a while. I don't have all the tools to blend such long hours at work with my full time mom gig, but it will get sorted out. In the mean time how about a song? Here's a Battle Round song from the NBC show The Voice. I get all emotional watching it. So what song is on your mind right now? Do share. I'll be away from my blog for a bit because it's spring break time and that means Colorado, my dad and step mom and apparently new floors but no furniture (we'll see how that goes), and super awesome Bookworm Brandee.

Friday funny!

Happy Friday people! Here's a funny youtube video to send you on your way to good times!

Author talks, they really do reach new readers. Honest.

I love author talks, can't get enough of them (not that I have a fangirling problem or anything). It all started with Debbie Macomber sharing her story at my library. I had seen her books at the grocery store, but never snatched one off the shelf to read the blurb. When she walked up to the podium and smiled, I instantly thought of my Aunt Sherry and became a fan. She said something along the lines of 'If you write a book, others should read it.' So far I've read Starry Night and Mrs. Miracle. Loved them!

Then I went to a couple writers' conferences. Ann Aguirre and Victoria Dahl are so cool. That's what I thought when I listened to them. Aguirre made me laugh and dream. She also wore a plush unicorn hat on her head during her speech. Dahl made me laugh and cry. She told us she belonged to a secret writers' group, but if she revealed any of the members she'd have to wear a penis hat for an entire day. Ann Aguirre nodded enthusiastically to this (I'm thinking she's one of the secret members). Their books rock the planet. Total fan here. 

A couple months ago I went to listen to mystery writer J.A. Jance talk. I hadn't even heard of her. She has this laugh, this crazy laugh that bursts out of her. I jumped in my seat the first time I heard it. Her author talk made me laugh (because of her laugh) and cry. What is up with these authors cracking my super tough exterior? A coworker of mine loaned me one of her books. Loved it! I told my mom and we just did a buddy read of Edge of Evil. I confess I read it in a couple days. I tried to pace myself, but Jance has an easy writing style and a great main character in Ali Lawson.

Do you have a list of authors you would love hear talk? Here are few on my list. Craig Johnson, Katie McGarry, Patricia Briggs, Kim Harrison, Kristen Ashley, Richelle Mead, Nalini Singh....

How about all you authors and future authors out there, can you see yourself giving an author talk? I can totally see myself standing up at a podium cursing at the microphone/sound system and having a great time.

"By Victorvoice (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"

12th Man girl on her wobble board

So I'm new to this whole loving football thing. I started out sitting in my big chair with my laptop clicking away and checking the game every time my mom and sister told me to look at the replays. Today the computer sat downstairs while I stood on my wobble board (those balance boards you always trip over if you have one in your home) for the whole game. I shouted and cheered...along the lines of "Get em'! Negative yards! Intercept! and of course my staple because I'm a mom "Have fun guys!" I jumped up and down, twisted back and forth like some oldies tune was playing, and stood on one foot in total kick ass Zen mode. I was voted loudest in the house and when we won, and boy did the Seahawks win, I jumped on my mom and sister who were sitting on the couch, I mean crowd surfing jumped. How the hell do people sit and watch a game? It's impossible.

Go Hawks!

"By SeahawkScreamer (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"

Sidekick Showcase [55] National Homeless Youth Awareness Month

Sidekick Showcase is a monthly bookish meme, hosted here by Jaclyn at JC's Book Haven. There are many secondary characters that are as great as the primaries. In some cases, the sidekicks actually steal the show and you like them better than the heroine or hero. Maybe they didn't have enough page time for how great they were. Anyone can play along! I will post my Sidekicks on the first Saturday of the month, then whichever day during the month that you would like to post yours, you can put your link in on my page. Just do the following:

• Choose a sidekick *or someone other than the hero or heroine* that you would like to put in the spotlight that fits in the week's topic
• Share a picture (if you can) and information about the character
• Give the title and author of a book the character can be found in
• Please don't include too many spoilers when describing why the character is such a great sidekick
• The day of your post, click the 'Sidekicks' link in my header and enter the link for your post. Here, you can also see anyone else that posted during the month to visit their Sidekick Showcase's as well.

Topic ideas for November are Soldier (November 10 is the birthday of the United States Marine Corps), Children (National Homeless Youth Awareness Month) or bearded folk (No Shave November).

My sidekick pick this month is Julie from the world of Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews. We first meet Julie in Magic Burns. She's a tough street kid you could accuse of being broken, but the girl never quits. Despite the total crapfest that is her life, she lights up ever scene because she is just that kind of person. I guess she's like Kate, just not beat down in the same way. I'm not sure what would have happened to Kate if she hadn't met Julie, but my guess is that Kate would have continued on the path of no attachments. She would have run from love or even the chance of love. She would have died somewhere around book 3 and then we wouldn't be biting our nails for book 8! Go Julie!

If I were to cast Julie, I'd choose Shailene Woodley (think her angsty role in The Descendants). 

"By Nick Step (Shailene Woodley) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"

Pick me ups for your Friday!!

If you need a boost just in case it being Friday isn't enough (crazy talk!), here are a few pick me ups!

Say It, Just Say It by The Mowgli's 

I first heard this song at the end of the movie Blended with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore (fun movie). It's a dance with both arms while bouncing around and smiling kind of song.

Edge of Tomorrow with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt is an awesome ride! The preview and that song make it out be so dark and desperate. But it's funny too! The first time I laughed I replayed the scene because I thought I was possibly just loopy. Nope. Not loopy (people who know me don't even). And the relationship between Cruise and Blunt is a slow build. In his previous sci-fi movie Oblivion, Cruise scored with 2 different chicks even though the world had ended and the human population was close to nil (uh, I still liked it). If you want a fun, action packed movie, with tons of shit that blows up, and a dose of dark humor, jump in!

I'm late to the party, but The Mysteries of Laura is so good! Debra Messing rocks as a working mom in a tough job with a new ex-"man child" husband, two kids, and a badge. Check it out because the writing is fresh along with the snark.

And finally a book because...no because.

This looks like your typical paranormal/urban fantasy/sci-fi romance. Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews is not so much a romance as a kick ass book with a kick ass girl who kicks ass. A bit much? There's humor, family bickering/bantering, a shitty hot guy, magic, a messed up caste system, a hot guy who throws around fire so much he always ends up shirtless (don't blame him, it's his magic's fault), and to top it off, you'll fall into a mystery that only builds as the story moves along.

You all have a great weekend!! Any pick me ups you can share? Cats falling off furniture vids? Those really get me.

When life's kicking your butt, how about a theme song? [11] Foreign language time!

Did November sneak up on anyone else? The year is almost over and I haven't been the most productive author girl. But the kids are good and I'm loving my job and it's fall! So it's all good. I've been wanting to do a foreign language song theme for a while now and here it is! I'm cheating and doing a runner up just so I can have two songs. hehe

I fell in love with Via Con Me by Paolo Conte from the French Kiss soundtrack.

And I just had to include "I Love You for Sentimental Reasons" by Karl Zero from the X-Files episode titled "Improbable" guest starring Burt Reynolds. It's one of my favorites!

How about you all? Are there any songs you love that you try to sing along to even though you have no clue what the words are?

I think middle school/puberty/7th grade homework is going to kill me.

Ever wonder how you made it out of middle school alive? My 7th grade days were not pretty, not with the cussing, bad hair phase, and determination to dismiss any and all authority. I had two best friends. One had fresh ketchup stains on her uniform shirt by the morning bell every day. The other was a living angel. Seriously a beautiful person. I had a certain rapport with the teachers. They didn't like me and I didn't like them. They actually got together and agreed to fail me if I ever turned in another paper written in cursive. Well, fine, my print was pretty terrible too. And I had an arch nemesis. She insulted me every day and I flipped her off (in my head). But I made it. Now that I'm a mom, I wonder how my mother survived my middle school years.

See where this is going? My oldest is in 7th grade. He is no longer the smiley sweet little guy who gave me pats on the back. Now he tells me, "Fine, I'll follow your lame-o rules!" He's actually very unpleasant, swears like a sailor, and can't stand anyone telling him what to do! What is that about? And school? Forget about cooperation to get him through that particular chore. Let's take his science class. 

"Will, do you have science H/W for tomorrow?" 

"Dunno." 

"Check." He checks after telling me he's tired of people bossing him around. 

"Yep." Since he doesn't have a textbook (budget cuts), I ask him what we're supposed to do. "Well Mom, you require five things to complete the task." 

"Uh" 

"First, you need a rubber band." 

"Wait, I need five things?" 

"Yes, first you need a rubber band. Second you need wax paper." 

"Uh." 

"Third you need a block of wood." 

"Wood? What?" 

"Fourth you need a force scale." 

"No, that's not even a real thing." 

"Fifth, you need a meter stick." Well, shit.

"Darrin Antrobus [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"

Double Review Time, Folks!! robgirlbooks' reviews of Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles and Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews

4-ish STARS! Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles is a hard one to rate. Ashtyn doesn't have an easy life. Her father has completely checked out and she's pretty sure love means running away. There is one thing she truly believes in...football, not watching it, but playing for her high school. Derek is a spoiled arrogant jerk, but he's loyal, introspective, hot, and totally damaged. Love means running away for him too. You can guess their lives crash into each other and not smoothly either. Derek won me over pretty quickly. Ashtyn drove me crazy. She said she's this tough chick, but never once showed me that. She loves football, but we never get the chance to play a game with her. I wanted inside her head. I wanted to smell the grass and dirt, even the locker room. I just wanted her to pull me into her world because it's one I've never known. I had a lot of issues with this book, but I read it in a day. Elkeles also wrote the Perfect Chemistry Series (one of my favorites). I enjoy her writing and look forward to the next installment. I have to say the grandma completely stole the show. She could have her own story and I'd read it for sure.

5 FAT STARS!! Magic Dreams (Kate Daniels 4.5) by Ilona Andrews is so awesome. When I first met Dali I couldn't wait for her to have a novella. She's a rare white tiger. She's nutty. She acts more like a cute insecure petulant teenager than a brilliant shapeshifter. And she has the biggest crush. I love crushes! Shapeshifter Jim, AKA Scary Jim, Asshole Jim, Head of Security Jim is a mystery wrapped in a beautiful man. He makes hard calls and doesn't cry in his beer about it. See where this is going? Well, now Jim's life is at stake and Dali has to save him. Yay! As a total bonus, we get insight into Kate (who I'm pretty sure is still in the dark about what we learn-hehe). Read this novella. If you haven't started the series, come on! 

Thanks for stopping by! In case you  missed it, I just released Shadow Town: Maggie Lane Chronicles #1, my first foray into New Adult Paranormal Romance. You can find Maggie's story on Amazon and Smashwords.