Romance or politics

God knows I hate politics.  I mean seriously GOD himself knows that I hate them and I try to avoid discussing them especially with friends and family. But as we are now into the election year here is my opinion (and hopefully I do not lose friends over this) 

I can honestly say I do not understand American politics (I'm not American born), I think most Americans do not understand it either. The whole process is so confusing and takes forever to go through.  The campaign for President isn’t a few months long like in other countries it is YEARS long. For example for this election the first Republican threw his hat into the ring March 23, 2015 which is19 ½ MONTHS before the election! No one is civilized at all, once you are in; expect your past, your family life, your words, the way you dress, what you eat, where you were born, where you not supposedly born…to be dragged through the mud by not just the other candidates but everyone,  Then it is gloves off and no holds barred because the other people want you to go down and go down fast.  

Then the debates and nominations start, which shows you that in politics there is no class whatsoever!  This whole idea of having to go to every state and be nominated to be a specific party’s candidate in the election is time consuming, expensive, more bashing, and who knows what else, so many drop out. This is in February and we still have how many more months until the general election for crying out loud.  What happened to the simple basic election process? I mean how much money could be saved if it actually just happened this way because who is paying for all of this? It isn’t the nominees that for dang sure. Plus I swear by the time the election actually happens people are so sick of it that they put a hand over their hands, spin around 3 times and wherever the pen lands that is who they vote for. 

Now let’s get to the next thing I don’t understand is why is the United States who calls for equality and justice for all sexist! Yup that is right I have said it, I believe that the US is the most sexist country there is. The idea of equal wages hasn’t gone up in the passed few years but dropped.  Why do you ask? Easy why has there not been a female candidate for President until the last few years? Why is it that the first woman was President of Mongolia in 1953? Why is it that there have been SIXTY NINE (69) WOMEN elected, appointed or an incumbent in other countries? Including ones that are predominately male and MUSLIM countries such as Pakistan and Turkey. It doesn’t matter whether they were in power 2 days or 14 years they were THERE!!!  But yet here in the US where it is the land of the free & home of the brave, where we state in the Pledge of Allegiance liberty and justice for all, where we are not to be judged on gender, race, religion or anything else, when it comes to women it isn’t a no but a HELL NO when it comes to being in politics.  These women are not being judge on their education, beliefs and ideas but on the way they dress, what they eat, why they are abandoning their children and spouse, etc….

So what many people are telling their daughters, granddaughters, nieces, cousins, etc.. “Yes you can do anything and be anyone successfully but you just can’t do politics because it is a men’s only club. Well maybe you can but only if you dress pretty, be skinny and show some boobs, so you win the vote on sex. Also if you man wants you home then you need to give it all up for him. ” Are you kidding me?

This is the election year and so it is VERY IMPORTANT you actually think before you vote.  Do NOT vote for a person because of the party they are involved in at all, you need to vote for the person who will DO THE JOB! Actually elect a person who believes in equal rights and I mean EQUAL; who will put money where it is needed and take money from where it is a waste; who understands that there is actual problems in this country and will do something about it; who will fight for the little guy/girl; who will admit they have made mistakes and who will truly make a difference.  The only people that we can honestly blame for the way the country is now is because of ourselves. WE are the ones that elected them, WE are the ones who didn’t follow through, and WE are the ones who can make a difference by making sure we actually vote correctly.    

Now why I have I mentioned politics here when I write about books? That is because the latest book I read is about a politician and how something don't always work out the way you have planned them.  

I have some authors that I follow and read everything they have, whenever it is available.  Tracy Solheim is one of those authors and I am lucky to have the honor of being one of her Facebook friends. 

Her latest book is All I Ever Wanted and is the second in the series ironically called Second Chances. Tracy seems to have this magically ability to capture you with her words, by making them so good that while they can be part of a series, they can stand alone as well; each is one you will recommend to all your friends because you couldn't put it down even though it was way past your bedtime. Especially when while politics are involved, it is the type of politician that we dream of having represent us!

She told everyone that her name was Lori Hunt and she thought was the perfect job by working at the Bed & Breakfast in Chances Inlet, North Carolina.  No one knew who she was and she wanted to keep it that way, so she kept herself in the background and quiet. Lori is trying to save money so she can leave and get to a place where she feels safe.  She just never expected to fall in love with  not only the town itself but the people in it. It does not help when the boss’s son shows up it throws her for a loop, because he a hottie, he is a suspicious hottie.

Miles McAlister had his life mapped out, it happened at a young age. He was going to be elected into Congress, get married and then be elected as President. It all seemed to be going well and he was starting up a great campaign when there was a hiccup, his mom being hurt in an accident so needing someone to run the Bed & Breakfast. Little did Miles realize that while you can have this perfect plan, it does not mean it will happen at all, especially when there is a woman thrown into the mix, a woman who seems to have secrets. 

When things go missing from the B&B, Miles blames Lori and Lori thinks Miles is trying to set her up. They realize they need to work together in order to solve the mystery.  Hopefully it can be done before Lori’s hidden past comes to full light and changes everything forever.

This book is available as an eBook or in actual paperback (yes they do still have those lol). Definitely add it to your to be read list!

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/All-They-Ever-Wanted-Chances/dp/0425281035/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1456807189&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-they-ever-wanted-tracy-solheim/1122087374?ean=9780425281031

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/all-they-ever-wanted/id1003572181?mt=11

Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/all-they-ever-wanted

You can't judge on what you see

You know the saying “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover” well that is something which is so true. But it also goes beyond books, it goes to the way we judge the lady sitting at the next table with 3 kids who are loud, or the man walking down the street in a t-shirt in the winter, the loud music we hear next door, the person speeding past us on the highway, and so on. 

Maybe that lady is a single mom and this is the one chance they have of eating out this month so the kids are excited.

Maybe the man in a t-shirt gave a homeless man his jacket so he could stay warm.

Maybe the loud music next door is covering up the screams of a woman being beaten by her boyfriend/spouse.

Maybe the person speeding by you is on their way to the hospital to see a loved one before they die. 

We do not know the reason behind these things and in today’s society we have become so much more judgmental. We are all turning ourselves into the judge and jury not hearing anything at all onto why.  I will even admit that I do it myself.  Case in point the singer Ciara and the dress she wore to the Grammy’s on Monday. Okay yes it was very risqué and showed way too much skin, way too much and it was downright ugly. There is no argument there. I mean what is wrong with covering thighs and booty, because you can look just as beautiful with clothes on.  But so many of us, especially women, said that there must be more to this, that something else is going on. A lot are questioning how can this couple be following what they state?   (In case you do not know Ciara is in a relationship with Seattle Seahawk Quarterback Russell Wilson and they made recent headlines when stating they will be abstinent until they get married. When it comes to Russell Wilson or any of the other Seahawk boys, this household takes is SERIOUSLY!! We are part of the Seahawk nation and have been since the beginning and always will be. I even have Seahawk plates on my car thank you very much! Plus it helps my oldest could be his younger brother lol)

With my job I do a lot of walking and it makes me think a lot on different subjects.  While doing it today I stopped and realized what right do I have to judge Ciara and to assume that there is something more going on?  In reality it was almost like saying that a woman deserves to be sexually assaulted because of what she wore.  When we see a woman in certain clothing or lack of clothing we immediately think of sex and often that she is a slut or tramp and is deserving of whatever she gets. NO woman should be judged like that EVER!! I mean consider it what would have happened if a guy wore something risqué where it showed his bare legs, his package or anything else in more sight, we would be saying the same things? We would be saying oh there is something sexual about it and he must be asking for it.  No we would not be at all.  That is the world’s harsh reality and what we have become because of social media.  We are so quick to judge and never hear the whole story. So honestly how do we know that she was not trying to make a statement herself and get the reaction so she could bring more awareness to social media, judging and sex?

Trying to find the right book to what I have written is hard because there are so many that touch it on several sides. Whether it is a woman trying to break it into the sports world, overcome the odds of being a single parent…. One author seemed to stand out though and that is Jeannie Moon.  

A Forever Love Story series is excellent from the start but the sixth and final story “Because I Love You” shows that you cannot judge a person by what they look like, what they do, or the way they sound. 

Tristan Wade came from a strong British household in true fashion.  As the middle child out of five he never had to worry about being alone.  He took the smarts he had inherited from his parents to the next level and become a successful businessman. So when he was given the opportunity to buy out Nate Bayard’s partnership in Reliance Software a company that was doing incredible, he TOOK it.  He was surprised though when he found out that there was a bonus that came with the partnership…Nate’s sister Leah!

Leah Bayard is a hard nose lawyer who really had to prove herself to the legal world like so many other women do while trying to work her way up the ladder. Of course it didn’t help that she often speaks before she thinks and comes across as a cold-hearted bitch to others.  But Leah was also a firm example that that you cannot judge someone by their looks or even actions. On the inside she was a mess.  She had always felt like she was the ugly duckling compared to her sister Amy.  It seemed like every time they went out, the men would only pay attention to Amy, not Leah. Then one time when she actually gave her full heart, the jerk crushed it like a rotten tomato, causing her to decide that she would never love again. 

That was until she met Tris and her heart boomed so loud she was sure they could hear it on Mars, her knees were weak and she was putty in his hands.  So she decided to play it safe and told him straight up that there would be no relationship at all, only “friends with benefits”.  Tris reluctantly agreed to it, hoping and praying that he could bring down the front that she had up.  Leah needed to see that loving someone again was possible, that it would be real and no one would be hurt.  If she just took the chance. 

Jeannie Moon is a wonderful wife, marvelous mother, tremendous teacher and lavishing librarian who has managed to put the words in her head into best selling books.  If you are interested in the book here are links to it, just be careful that you do not get too addicted like I have ;)  http://jeanniemoon.com/

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VFDRLIK?ref_=cm_cr-mr-title

Barnes & Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/because-i-love-you-jeannie-moon/1121654644?ean=9780698405912

Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/because-i-love-you-4

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/because-i-love-you/id981367277?mt=11

Can love conquer a fall?

I don’t remember how old I was when I read my first romance but I know I was a young.  Reading it made  an impact on my life, giving me the chance to the chance to dream and imagine who my Mr Right could be, where I could go, what I could do, and pushed me to write poems and stories of my own about love. 

Since then times have changed BIG TIME!!  Fell in love who knows how many times and had my heart broken just as many; traveled to so many places; got married, moved 3,000 miles away from home, had kids and then divorced; went back to school; worked and worked some more, and unfortunately stopped writing.  Through all those ups and downs romance books were still my escape -whether it was hiding in the bathroom for a few moments of my own or staying up late at night not able to put the book down. 

As I have changed with time so have romance books, no longer it is it just Regency or Harlequin it goes beyond that.  There is teen romance; regency; scifi; suspense; the artsy fartsy; innocent romance; ex’s getting back together; childhood sweethearts finding each other again; subtle romance; action romance; dominating romance and the so steamy romance that it knocks your socks off and you wonder if it is possible to do all those moves let alone find a man like that. 

Then there are the settings:

the bad boy turned good and the good girl turning bad,

the guy everyone hates but you love and the boy everyone loves but you hate

the brother’s best friend and the sister’s bff

the boy next door falling for the girl next door

the geek turning into a hunk and the girl turning into a bitch

the guy who turns into an animal and the girl who turns into a vampire

the guy who became a single parent and the girl who is a widow

the set up romance and the least expected romance

And of course the characters: there is the Lord, the policeman, the CO of a company, the firefighter, the man in the military, the doctor, the lawyer, the sheriff, the tycoon, the boy from the wrong side of the tracks…

There is the ones that you can’t put down fast enough and will never finish, the ones that you read over and over until the book falls apart, the ones that make you cry, the ones that make you scream at the girl/guy telling them to smarten up, the ones that make you dream that one day it could be you in that same situation…

But sometimes there is the one that you have to put down, you don’t want to but it is so intense you have to. You need a break from it because it is tearing your insides out as you realize that you have been in a similar situation in your life. The one where you got help because you were lucky but you know there are ones out there who aren’t.  These books suck the life out of you one way and push it back in another. They are the ones that you NEED to read.  

Jessica Scott’s latest book, Break My Fall (part of the Falling Series), is one of those books, in fact let me just say  the whole series is this way. The characters in the books are dealing with abuse, PTSD, returning to college, being financially broke, trying to make it through the night, watching those around you fall apart and hoping it doesn't happen to you.   

Josh and Abby, two pawns in a very big game of life. Both have had serious issues happen in their lifetime that has changed them forever.  The abuse in Abby’s house started when she was 11 with her stepfather and even continued in her last relationship.  Josh proudly served in the US Military, had several deployments and watched friends die next to him. 

Abby was determined to break the chain but it became harder and harder when it was happening even to her friends. 

Josh had only two places he felt he could go to find solace, the gym to run himself ragged or the bar run by a fellow ex-Soldier to get drunk. Doing either made it possible to pass out for a few hours because he could not longer have a normal sleep. Especially since he would have to deal with the college preppies while taking classes himself.

They met one fateful night when Josh helped Abby out of a situation.  They had the instant attraction but at the same time realized mentally they were each not ready for anything so they walked their separate ways.

Of course fate ran its course and the reason they met that night was because they would be meeting again soon several times…once in a bar she worked at where he ran instead of facing a giant and the other in an actual class that he had no idea why he was taking.

Being around a lot of people was something that Josh had a hard time adjusting to especially when it involved some of those preppies. But the one with Abby was different, she seemed to have this way of being able to calm him down when big discussions took place in the class. Abby knew all too well about that darkness she saw in Josh's eyes, she had it herself. Part of her wants to run away so she won't get hurt again and the other part wants to help him see the light. Maybe if he just understands that there is help for him if he allows it he will, especially when a major event takes place.  In order for this to work and their relationship to grow into undeniable love, they both have to be willing to take a chance again. 

Through out this book you see the ups and downs of a relationship dealing with so many demons.  Some that are normal so you can predict and others that come out of nowhere bearing their angry face.  When dealing with PTSD, violence, or abuse a situation can go from happy go lucky one moment to black and scary the next.  

How do I know that? It is because I lived it, thankfully a short period of time but still it has happened. This is why I think this latest series of books by this author hits me harder than usual, why I have had to put them down for a bit and then go back to read it later. It is frustrating only taking one step forward before having to take five steps back.  Trying to protect the ones you love even if it means pushing them away. This book is a must read, a must read so you can understand, a must read so you can see you are not alone, a must read just because…for it might be the only way to break your own fall.  

Here are the links for you to purchase the book:

iBooks: http://jsscott.me/breakmyfall_ibks.html
Nook: http://jsscott.me/breakmyfall_nk.html
Kobo: http://jsscott.me/breakmyfall_kbo.html
Amazon: http://jsscott.me/breakmyfall_amz.html
Play: http://jsscott.me/breakmyfall_ply.html