An Upcoming Free Kindle Book Promo!

Coming up this weekend: February 1st and 2nd, my poetry collection:

My Poetic Path: Selected Poems 2000-2010 

will be available as a free Kindle download at: 

Amazon.com, .ca, UK....

Do share this post if you can. 

And if you enjoy this book, a review at Amazon.com would be most appreciated. 

While you're there, I hope you'll check out my other books/ebooks too! 

Happy Reading! ;-)

Badger Damascus Rose Face Oil

I've been looking for a good facial moisturizer for a long while and this past December, I finally found one that I really like! :-)

Badger Damascus Rose Face Oil 

A superior facial care product, for so many reasons. 

* It contains all organic, natural ingredients. 

* It is easy and pleasant to apply and absorbs well.

* A little goes a LONG way.

 I've been using my 1 oz. bottle since December, every night and it's still over 1/2 full. 

* It has a lovely, pleasing and delicate scent. Not overpowering or harsh on the skin.

* It is very reasonably priced. 

At the Badger site, this product sells for under $14.

 It is also available over at Amazon.com and in health food stores everywhere. 

* Best of all, it really works! 

My facial skin just keeps looking better and better. 

Really softens the skin and makes fine lines virtually disappear.

From the Badger product page: 

USDA Certified Organic Face Oil

• Highly absorbent, antioxidant-rich, & rejuvenating base oils: Organic Jojoba, Baobab & Pomegranate.
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Face oil is ideal for dry, mature or combination skin, but can be used on all skin types.

Moisturize & Restore. Honor your beautifully evolving body with this elegant blend of naturally restorative oils. We've combined Organic Jojoba, Baobab & Pomegranate oils to create a light, super-absorbent and highly nourishing face oil. Baobab is especially superb for skin conditioning, abundant with vitamins, minerals, and omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids, which are essential in skin regeneration and detoxification. Organic Rosehip, Calendula and Seabuckthorn - AKA "the Three Sisters" - contain powerful antioxidants for radiant skin. Divinely scented with precious Organic Rose Oil and a supporting cast of true essential oils of Maillette Lavender and Roman Chamomile - some of the most profoundly soothing floral essences on Earth. A couple of drops of Badger's Rose Face Oil will soothe, moisturize and noticeably improve the texture of the skin.

Directions for use: Apply daily as an intensive moisturizing facial treatment after shower or before bed. Ideal for dry, mature, or combination skin.

Ingredient list:

*Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Oil, *Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Oil, *Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Oil, Essential Oils of *Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender), *Rosa Damascena (Rose Otto), and *Anthemis Nobilis (Roman Chamomile), and CO₂ Extracts of *Rosa Canina (Rosehip), *Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn), and *Calendula Officinalis (Calendula).

*= Certified Organic

If you are tired of buying and trying out facial moisturizers that don't "walk the talk" and leave a lot to be desired, give Badger Damascus Rose Face Oil a try.

 I'm guessing you'll love it as much as I do! :-)

PS: And if your tootsies are in need of some TLC too, check out this previous review I wrote: 

Badger Foot Balm. Another wonderful product from Badger. 

Overall rating for this product: Excellent. 5 out of 5. 

The 7th Day by Nika Lubitsch

I recently noted the: The 7th Day at one of my favorite ebook sites: Free Ebooks Daily. 

I wasn't sure if this would be my kind of story to read, based on the description. Mystery thrillers, court room dramas...not usually my kind of book.

But my interest was piqued, based on it being a top seller for months in Germany (and I do have some German ancestry) ;-)

Well, I'm certainly glad I did decide to get a copy of this book. 

I actually read it in one afternoon, I just dropped the work of the day and kept on tapping my Kindle! 

From the Amazon product page:

"The 7th Day" has topped the German Kindle´s best-selling list for several months. 

Sybille and Michael are a happy couple, finally expecting their first baby. But then Michael disappears without a trace, and Sybille finds herself living a nightmare. When her husband is found, stabbed to death, there is only one suspect: Sybille. While listening to the witnesses´ testimonies during her murder trial, Sybille recollects her life with Michael. On the seventh day of the trial, Sibylle realizes the truth. But how can she ever prove it? 

This clever mystery is set in both Berlin and at a secret place, a place so terribly secret that some readers recognized it anyway." 

***

Author: Nika Lubitsch  has a very compelling style of writing. I was drawn in to the plot very quickly. No lag time or wasted words here. Fast-paced throughout with a satisfying twist in the plot at the end too. 

I also liked that the story was told from three different viewpoints.

I don't want to spoil the story but this is a mystery/thriller/love story you won't soon forget.

 It brought to mind the classic novel: Crime and Punishment. It had a 'Euro-vibe" (for lack of a better term) that also gave it an edginess I particularly liked. If you do read this story, let me know if you felt that way about it too. 

Sometimes, it is worth taking a chance on a book, if it seems to be out of our usual genre comfort-zone. 

Nice to shake things up a bit now and then, when it comes to reading choices. ;-)

The 7th Day is the first book I've read by Nika Lubitsch but it won't be my last. 

Overall rating for this book: Excellent. 5 out of 5. 

Elvis Has Not Left The Building by J. R. Rain

 

This past week (January 8th) would have been Elvis Presley's 79th birthday. 

 

 

It brought to mind this wonderful novel I had read a couple of months ago, by bestselling author J. R. Rain:

 

Elvis Has Not Left The Building.

 

We've all thought about it; what if Elvis really was still alive?

 

But how often have we considered him coming back older, wiser and working as a detective? Not me, until I read this book.

 

This story made me laugh a lot, cry a little and kept my attention right to the last page. 

 

 I could actually imagine this having happened, not just as a fictional story.

All those sightings of Elvis, maybe they weren't fantasies after all? But in this case, Elvis looked a lot different than how his fans remembered him.

This is the first book I've enjoyed by this author but it definitely won't be my last.

 

And to J. R. Rain:

 

Ah...thank you, thank you very much, for writing this story! 


If you still miss Elvis, give this one a try.

 

From the Amazon product page:

Which is why in 1977 Elvis faked his own death and endured massive facial reconstruction surgery, and disappeared from the limelight to live a normal life as the unassuming Aaron King. Unfortunately, leaving fame behind also meant leaving his fortune behind, too, and now Elvis finds himself broke and living in near poverty in a small apartment in Los Angeles. Luckily for him, it turns out he's a pretty good private investigator.

Now in his seventies and contemplating a return to music (discreetly, of course), Elvis is hired to solve a baffling missing person case. The King digs deeper, and soon finds himself surrounded by the seedier elements of Los Angeles, from nefarious Hollywood producers who prey upon the young, to twin brothers with a very dark secret.

And as Elvis pieces the bizarre puzzle together, he slowly makes his singing comeback—and will be reunited on stage with someone even the King himself never dreamed possible.

 

Overall rating for this book: Excellent. 5 out of 5.

Friday Funnies! Coming This Friday ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

I have a new post series/meme starting this Friday, over at my poetry blog: My Poetic Path:

 

Friday Funnies!

 

Stop by this Friday, September 10th, to read the minor details, enjoy some laughs and hopefully participate too.

 

And do spread the word if you can. The more the merrier. :-) 

 

 

Hope to see you for:

 

 Friday Funnies!

 

 this coming Friday and many more to come.

 

 We can all use more laughs, right? ;-)

 

Holiday Movie Review Round-up!

  

I had a chance to watch quite a few movies over the holidays and thought I'd share my thoughts about four of them here at My Real Life Reviews.

 

None of them are new movies. But as is often the case for me, what is currently the 'hit' movies aren't the ones that capture and keep my interest.

 

These 4 movies were all part of our local library's collection. They are all available at Amazon too; I've included the links to product pages for each one. 

 

Have you seen any good movies (new or old) recently?

 

If you have, do share. I'm always on the look-out for a good movie or book and I couldn't care less, whether it's new or old.

 

Hope you enjoy my mini -reviews for these movies and happy viewing! :-)

 

 

 

Murder on the Orient Express

 

 

I really enjoyed this movie. It has a great cast and a rather interesting and very satisfying twist to the ending, that I thought was perfect.

 

This was a made for TV movie originally (there are a couple of different versions of this movie, with different plots from what I've read) and this particular one is now available in DVD version too.

The scenes on the Orient Express (click to read more about that famous train) in particular are so beautiful. They brought to mind a time not so long ago, when train travel was the height of elegance and style. Unfortunately, the original train discontinued service in 2009, apparently due to costs and stiff competition. But there is another Orient Express train service that is now running, you can read more about that  here. Luxury travel in keeping with the elegance of the 1920's still can be enjoyed. If $$ is abundant of course! ;-)
This movie is a great way to while away an evening but there are a few gory scenes and adult subject matter, so I wouldn't consider this suitable for younger children.

I haven't seen the original 1974 version of this film with Albert Finney, but now I plan to check that one out too.

 

 

 

9 to 5

 

 

There aren't too movies that make me really laugh, long and hard, but this one did. :-)

An all star cast that did not disappoint and a story that is not only funny but redeeming too.

Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman in particular really shone in this movie; I also enjoyed Dolly Parton's performance.

 

 I did think that Jane Fonda was the wrong actor for the part that she played though. She just didn't 'ring true' as the shy, ditsy and ditched housewife, returning to the workforce in the office from hell. I could picture someone like Mia Farrow in this part but I think Jane Fonda suits roles of strong, confident women, so much better.

 

And again, I wouldn't consider this one as suitable for young children, given some of the subject matter.

If you are in need of some real laughs, give this one a try. Especially if you've ever worked in an office with its share of chauvinistic men. I did years ago and more than once. Although none of them were ever as bad as Dabney Coleman's character was, thank goodness!

 

 

 

 

 

 The Last Brickmaker in America

 

I've always been a fan of Sidney Poitier's acting and he did not disappoint in this film. I can't imagine anyone else in the lead role for this movie.

A touching story of family, perseverance and triumph. Also dispenses with some stereotypes about older people not being able to physically work hard and contribute in the work world too.

This is a perfect movie for the whole family. The story has some good life lessons to teach and in a "non-preachy" way.

I also learned a lot about the art of making bricks by hand, which is actually a lot more complicated and skilled process than I had thought it was.

 

 

 

 

The Pursuit of Happyness

 

 

I found this movie very touching and sad. At times I was overwhelmed with emotion by what Chris Gardner had to overcome in this true life story. I shed quite a few tears before the end of this film.

Will Smith was a perfect choice to play the lead character, as was his adorable, real life son: Jaden Smith, who also played his son in this movie.

I had read the book previously and did enjoy it more than the movie (as is usually the case). Based on the book though, I felt that the part of Gardner's wife was not well portrayed in the film. She was a lot more cold-hearted and self-centered in real life apparently and I thought this should have also been the case in the movie version too. Her portrayal in the movie gave a rather false impression. Other than that, the movie stacked up quite favorably in comparison to the book version.

If you enjoy stories of triumph over the odds and seeing something really good come to a good person, after a long run of bad luck, give this one a try.

 

Overall ratings for these movies:

 

Murder on the Orient Express: Excellent. 5 out of 5

 

9 to 5: Very Good. 4 out of 5

 

The Last Brickmaker in America: Excellent. 5 out of 5

 

The Pursuit of Happyness: Very Good. 4 out of 5