Tanner's Lottery by Glen Sample

Tanner's Lottery by Glen Sample

                                                                           

I REALLY enjoyed this book! :-)

 I actually read it in one session, from the early afternoon to evening, on a leisurely Sunday.

I put other things I planned to do that day on hold and just kept tapping my kindle pages, wanting to find out what would happen next!

From the Amazon product page:

"Tanner Riley is a brilliant mathematician and a career insurance actuary. His understanding of numbers and number patterns led him to develop a winning strategy to win 85 million dollars in the California SuperLotto game. 

This is the story of the thrill of winning and the consequences of his secret being discovered by the wrong people."

***

If you have ever dreamed of hitting "the big one" and/or considered that there may be a way of drastically improving your odds of winning a major lottery, this is a story you won't want to miss.

Believable, well-developed characters and with a plot that moves along at a steady pace throughout the story. No wasted words or boring passages. I also love the cover, just perfect.

Best of all, a satisfying and surprising ending,  :-)

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

Your Advice Please :-) RE: Organizing Photos

With a move pending later this summer, I'm currently in "organize mode" in more ways than one; including cleaning our 1000s of emails and  also trying to find a better way to (once again) organize my many, many photos. 

I find the MS/Windows option with folders and TRYING to pull photos into the correct folder on the sidebar, most annoying. 

All too often, they land in the folder above or below.  Can you relate? :-(

I'd love to find a free (or cheap) photo organizing program, to put an end to my photo mess, once and for all. Something that is easy to use and helpful, not just another chore to contend with. 

Any suggestions would be MOST appreciated! 

I need to get this photo pile tidied up and soon. Thanks if you can help.

Have a wonderful weekend and week to come! :-)

What Do You Think? Conversation Starters and Icebreakers

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Volume 1

I'm often rather shy when it comes to starting a conversation, especially with people I don't know well. So, the idea of being more relaxed and better at this particular social skill (with anyone and at anytime!) spurred me on to give this book a try. 

For the most part, I really enjoyed it.

 It has some thought-provoking questions/conversation starters, many that really make you think.

Some are fun and just plain goofy. But there are many others that bring up serious topics and situations that make a person contemplate and ponder what they would actually do, if placed in that particular scenario, in their own life.

Three (shorter) example scenarios, from the book:

"Should pet ambulances be allowed to use an emergency siren and flashing lights to run red lights if a pet is in critical condition?" 

***

"What do you think is the best kept secret in the world?"

***

"If you entered the Witness Protection Program and you had to change your occupation in 30 days, what would you be?"

***

On the goofy front: the author (or authors) seem to have quite a fixation on "passing gas", LOL!!! Several questions that come up involve farting at inopportune times. ;-)

Do you find it easy to get a conversation started, especially when talking with someone you don't know well, or at all? 

Overall rating for this eBook: Very Good. 4 out of 5

An Amazon.ca Screenshot That Made Me SMILE! :-)

This was the top of the search page for the popular keyword: AGING, at Amazon.ca, for May 12th! 

It sure made my day to see: 

Laughing AT the Grim Reaper! Gems of Wisdom for Aging Well 

#1 out of  all the "aging" books listed, a total of 400 PAGES at the Amazon Canada site! 

This, more than any of my other books, is the one written straight from the heart and in so many ways. 

My journey from mid-life and beyond. My ups and downs, successes and failures. 

And most of all, what I have learned that works and doesn't work along the way, in terms of aging successfully, pro-actively and joyfully.

I am so grateful to everyone who has supported my work and found my books, especially "the Reaper" helpful and inspiring.

Just had to share this special "Amazon.ca book moment" with my blog readers! ;-)

Have a super weekend. G 

ArtNaturals Enhanced Vitamin C Serum

ArtNaturals Enhanced Vitamin C Serum

Overall, I am impressed by this serum, after using it faithfully each night for about three weeks.

I notice my skin is looking significantly smoother, more even-toned; even some small sun spots on the side of one of my cheeks are getting lighter.

As some reviewers at Amazon have mentioned, IT does have a very thin consistency but I don't think that's any detraction from it working. The dropper container IMO is a good idea as a LITTLE goes a long way. When they suggest using a dime-sized amount for all of the neck and face area, they are right.

I'm taking off one star for the smell/scent of this serum. It is a bit strange (hard to describe) but happily fades after a few minutes and doesn't linger. I think a bit of natural orange or lemon essence added to the mix would have been nice but perhaps a concern for irritation for sensitive skin?

But as I don't like overly scented products of any kind, I still prefer this as it is, to some "perfumey" attempt to mask the ingredient scents,  as they naturally are.

This serum is on sale for a substantial discount at Amazon right now at just over $10 (regular price over $80) so it's a great time to buy and give it a try. I plan to stock up with at least 1 more bottle soon, so I don't run out before the price goes up.  ;-)

I just noted the suggestion below in the product info. from Amazon, that they say to apply with a cotton swab or towel. I find applying with my fingers works just fine. I think using something like a swab or towel would actually be rather wasteful. 

I would definitely buy this serum again. It's one of the best facial care products I've tried in a long time.

FROM THE AMAZON PRODUCT PAGE:

Indications
See reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, increased vibrancy and glow to your skin, and the diminishing of sun spots, and discoloration. Keeps skin plump, hydrated and young-looking.

Ingredients
Organic Herbal Infusion, Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Aloe), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C), Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide (botanical hyaluronic acid), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Carbomer, (2s)-2-Amino-5-guanidinopentanoic Acid, Ferulic Acid, Kosher Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Oil), Phenoxyethanol, Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin

Directions
Simply apply vitamin c serum once or twice daily depending on your skins needs. Apply serum to clean skin using a cotton swab, or towel. Cover face neck and decollete. If you wish to use a facial toner, do so before serum's application. Our Serums gentile absorption leaves no greasy residue allowing you to use makeup after application.

Overall rating for this product: Very Good. 4 out of 5

Mr. Cheddar's Back With An Upcoming eBook Promo!

Mr Cheddar here!!! 

Yes, I'm finally back for a bit(e) of blogging. Snoooorrrt!!!!

As long as I can keep the keyboard out of Meowmie's (oh soooo...) big paws, that is!!!

Just wanted to give you all the PAWS-UP about my upcoming eBook promo.

Amazing but true, my first and furrrrrbulous new eBook:

Mr. Cheddar's Meowsings!

Kibbles of Wisdom from a Wise and Witty Feline,

will be available as a free download, this Saturday and Sunday, May 7-8 at all Amazon sites: Amazon.com, .ca, UK, IT.... 

Download a copy to your eReader, Kindle, iPhone, PC desktop...

Here's a small sampler of just a few of the wise and witty kibbles of wisdom, included in my new book:

Willie Shakespeare had nothin’ on me!

Keep the tummy side up.

Especially when it’s time for another grooming session.

I’m a furry-lious, clean-machine, with the fastest tongue in the West!

It is SO much better to age like a fine chunk of Cheddar,

than a dusty old bottle of grappa.

That’s a no-brainer, big-time!

If I've whet your appetite for more than just a plain ol' bowl of kibbles (perhaps cereal for the humans??) make sure to download a copy this weekend. 

Lots and lots of my witty and wise kibbles of feline and human advice to contemplate and learn from. Not to mention my ruggedly handsome good looks on every page!!!

I ask you...what's not to love???

And do share this promo with your feline and human pals. The ones you really like that is!!! 

Happy Reading and Have a PURRRFECT Weekend.

Headbonks from Me>^^< and Hugs from Meowmie!  :-)

The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club

THE GORDONSTON LADIES DOG WALKING CLUB

This story was NOT what I expected initially, based on the cover and the title. 

I thought it would be a typical cozy mystery, but it is so much more than that.

This book grabbed my attention and kept me tapping my kindle and finding time to read even when I was really too busy to read anything, right up to the last page of the story. I love when that happens! :-)

And speaking of the ending, JUST GREAT!!! 

The author tied up all the loose ends and left the reader with a big surprise too, one that I did not see coming at all.

The only negatives... as some reviewers at Amazon have mentioned, the plot at times is a bit far-fetched.

SPOILER ALERT!!! 

For example: I thought the build-up to each murder should have been developed more. In real life do people ever really plan to "bump off" their neighbors with that little thought and time elapsing before calling a hit man? Maybe at times that could actually happen but it seemed rather rushed and extreme.

And is it really all that easy to get a contract for a hit online as portrayed in this story? Maybe, maybe not.

But overall, these issues detracted only slightly from the overall enjoyment of this story.

As far as the walking club members: I have known women who are this shallow, who live to gossip, who are completely wrapped up in their own little worlds and their looks...in that respect, I thought the author got it just right. I didn't agree with some  negative comments at Amazon, about this aspect of the story.

From the Amazon product page:

Little is what it seems to be in a leafy Savannah neighborhood as members of an afternoon cocktail and dog walking club mourn a neighbor’s death. Jealousies surface when friends vie for the widower running for mayor. An old woman with an infamous uncle plots to avenge a wrong. Memories haunt a once successful children’s writer. And a model has won the trip of a lifetime.

But a killer lurks and secrets unfold, as does a web of deceit. Is anyone really who he or she seems to be? A mysterious South American, a young Italian count, and a charitable nephew add suspicion and intrigue, as do an enigmatic organization linked to organized crime, a handsome firefighter, and three widows with hidden agendas. What’s a retired accountant’s secret, and why did a former showgirl really have plastic surgery?

The plot thickens, the Georgia temperature rises, and someone is destined for an early unmarked grave. The truth contorts to a climax that leaves readers breathless.

***

I've already downloaded the second eBook in this series. Can't wait to read that one too!

Well done to award-winning author: Duncan Whitehead. 

This book is a winner from the eye-catching cover to the last exciting page!

Overall rating for this eBook: Very Good. 4 out of 5