Back in the day (aka before kids) I used to read a ton.  I was a huge Anne Rice fan and have read just about everything she has ever written.  In addition to reading fantasy books, I also liked reading historical novels, murder mystery, horror and it wouldn’t be good book unless there was a good mix of strong female characters and tasty male treats. This past summer I reacquainted myself with my love of books by taking a hit of an addiction called “Twilight” and spent a week not sleeping but reading all 4.5 books (partial of book 5 is published online).  So, I now I admit I may have a reading addiction now BUT to be honest its the only thing that has kept me sane…ok that and drinking. :p
Seriously, its like a vacation every time I settle into a book. So, I thought I would share my book “crack” with all of you and hopefully you’ll return the favor and offer some of your favorite getaways as well.  I should note that my current reading criteria is that it can’t have anything to do with my reality, meaning, I don’t want to read about dishes, laundry, dirty diapers, marriage conflicts, kids, traffic, world hunger, people dieing of cancer, political propaganda, financial woes, etc;

Twilight Series 4 total books - Great reads (most of you have already been there done that), totally sucks you in and at the end you are totally pining for Edward. …sad but true!

Sookie Stackhouse series by Charliane Harris - The HBO True Blood series is based on these books but let me just say the show is NOTHING like the books. The books are fun, sexy, usually murder mystery and fantasy. They are a bit naughty but I enjoy a bit of naughty….;)  I have read books 1-10 AND loved them all.

The novels and short story collections

1. Dead Until Dark (May 2001) ^[2]
2. Living Dead in Dallas (March 2002) ^[3]
3. Club Dead (May 2003) ^[4]
4. Dead to the World (May 2004) ^[5]
   • “Fairy Dust” in Powers of Detection (October 2004) - Introduction of Claudine’s brother Claude, and posthumous introduction of their sister Claudette^[6]
   • “Dancers in the Dark” a novella in Night’s Edge (October 2004) - Indroduction of Sean and Layla, later seen briefly in All Together Dead.^[7]
     • (a Sookie-universe story without the character of Sookie Stackhouse)
   • “Dracula Night” in Many Bloody Returns (September 2007) ^[8]
5. Dead as a Doornail (May 2005) ^[9]
   • “One Word Answer” in Bite (2005) - Introduction of Hadley’s death & Mr. Cataliades, Waldo, and Sophie-Anne Leclerq.^[10]
6. Definitely Dead (May 2006) ^[11]
   • “Tacky” in My Big, Fat Supernatural Wedding (2006) - Introduction of vampires Dahlia and Taffy, and their ex-husbands Todd and Don. (Dahlia is later seen in All Together Dead and with Taffy in “Bacon”.)^[12]
     • (a Sookie-universe story without the character of Sookie Stackhouse)
7. All Together Dead (May 2007) ^[13]
   • “Lucky” in Unusual Suspects (December 2008) ^[14]
8. From Dead to Worse (May 2008) ^[15]
   • “Gift Wrap” in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (October 2008) ^[16]
9. Dead and Gone (May 2009) ^[17]
   • “Bacon” in Strange Brew (July 2009) ^[17]
     • (a Sookie-universe story without the character of Sookie Stackhouse)
   • “The Britlingens Go To Hell” in Must Love Hellhounds (September 2009) - The Britlingens were previously introduced in All Together Dead. ^[17]
     • (a Sookie-universe story without the character of Sookie Stackhouse)
10. A Touch of Dead (October 2009) ^[17]
    • (a compilation of some of the Sookie-universe short stories: “Fairy Dust,” “One Word Answer,” “Dracula Night,” “Lucky,” and “Giftwrap.”)
11. Dead in the Family (May 2010) ^[17]
12. Death’s Excellent Vacation (August 2010) ^[17]

Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon - Historical Fiction/Fantasy (7 books). - The first 2 books are a really fun, interesting and has characters you will really enjoy. She is kinda wordy but worth reading the 700-1000 pages. I really enjoy the historical tid bits and of course there was some naughty WHICH you know I like. :-)  The first 2 books are must reads and once you’ve fallen in love with the beautiful Highlander you will go back for more.

Outlander (Cross Stitch[1] in UK) (1991)

Dragonfly in Amber (1992) Voyager (1994) Drums of Autumn (1997) The Fiery Cross (2001) A Breath of Snow and Ashes (2005) An Echo in the Bone (2009) — released in many countries (including Canada, Australia and New Zealand) in September 2009; UK release date January 7, 2010

Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton - I really love the Anita Blake character.  She is a small unassuming gal that turns out to be pretty kick ass.  She is a vampire executioner for the government, she raises zombies for her day job and works with the police to solve paranormal crimes.  The first 6 books are her solving crimes and kicking ass.  Starting around book 7 things start to get a little racy.  I had to shut my prude-odometer off and just go with the flow.  Admittedly, certain seems made me feel like I was reading the script from very inventive porno HOWEVER I am on book 16 and love the books.  Not for the faint of heart BUT if you are looking for a kick-ass heroine, lovely man candy, great plots and character development then these books are for you!

1. Guilty Pleasures (1993) ISBN 0-515-13449-X
2. The Laughing Corpse (1994) ISBN 0-425-19200-8
3. Circus of the Damned (1995) ISBN 0-515-13448-1
4. The Lunatic Cafe (1996) ISBN 0-425-20137-6
5. Bloody Bones (1996) ISBN 0-425-20567-3
6. The Killing Dance (1997) ISBN 0-425-20906-7
7. Burnt Offerings (1998) ISBN 0-515-13447-3
8. Blue Moon (1998) ISBN 0-515-13445-7
9. Obsidian Butterfly (2000) ISBN 0-515-13450-3
10. Narcissus in Chains (2001) ISBN 5-558-61270-3
11. Cerulean Sins (2003) ISBN 0-515-13681-6
12. Incubus Dreams (2004) ISBN 0-425-19824-3
13. Micah (February 2006) ISBN 0-515-14087-2
14. Danse Macabre (June 2006) ISBN 0-425-20797-8
15. The Harlequin (2007) ISBN 978-0-425-21724-5
16. Blood Noir (2008) ISBN 978-0-425-22219-5
17. Skin Trade (2009) ISBN 978-0-425-22772-5
18. Flirt (February 2010)
19. Bullet (June 2010)

Black Dagger of the Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward - These are MUST reads!  These books are about a brotherhood of vampire warriors fighting to keep their race from going extinct from some very bad guys.  Each book is about a different warrior and how their life story fits into this brotherhood.  I fell in love with each of these warriors!  These guys are big (6′6″), beautiful (think ambercrombie model), complex and they know how to have a good time.  The author does jump around  a lot to different characters talking in first person so that can be annoying but it didn’t stop me from wanting to talk one of these males home as a pet.

2.1 Dark Lover

2.2 Lover Eternal

2.3 Lover Awakened

2.4 Lover Revealed

2.5 Lover Unbound

2.6 Lover Enshrined

2.7 Lover Avenged

2.8 Lover Mine

Cat and Bones/The Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost - Cat is 1/2 vampire 1/2 human that came to be because her mom was raped by a newly turned vampire.  Cat growing up feeling like an outcast and once she learns what she is she decide to kill every vampire she can get her hot little hands on.  This pursuits leads into the dangerous hands of Bones, a vampire assassin for hire.  He decides not to kill her but train her to help him.  I really liked Cat’s character AND of course I found Bones very compelling as well.

1. Halfway to the Grave (October 30, 2007, ISBN 0061245089)
2. One Foot in the Grave (April 29, 2008, ISBN 0061245097)
3. At Grave’s End (December 30, 2008, ISBN 0061583073)
4. Destined for an Early Grave (July 28, 2009, ISBN 0061583219)

The Night Huntress World Series

1. First Drop of Crimson (February 9, 2010, ISBN 0061583227)
2. Eternal Kiss of Darkness (July 27, 2010, ISBN 0061783161)

Riley Jenson Guardian series by Keri Arthur - I just started reading this series and I like what I’ve read so far.  The main character is Riley Jensen and she is 1/2 vampire and 1/2 werewolf.  She works for an Australian based agency that protect other worldly person from hurting humans and otherwise.  Kinda like 007 except for vampires/werewolves etc.  There is a lot of blatant sex due to the fact that werewolves go into heat the first week of the full moon and have one big orgies.  Don’t let that scare you away!  These are quick, fun, sexy reads and I’m looking forward to reading the next on the list. 1. Full Moon Rising (2006)
2. Kissing Sin (2007)
3. Tempting Evil (2007)
4. Dangerous Games (2007)
5. Embraced by Darkness (2007)
6. The Darkest Kiss (2008)
7. Deadly Desires (2009)
8. Bound to Shadows (Oct 2009)
9. Moon Sworn (May 2010)

The Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole - I read “a hunger like no other” and other than hating the title and the cover of the book (super cheesy!) I really enjoyed the book and characters.  There are a lot of characters and concepts to keep track of but it sucked me in and I’m going back for more.

• “The Warlord Wants Forever” in Playing Easy To Get (anthology with Sherrilyn Kenyon and Jaid Black)
• A Hunger Like No Other
• No Rest for the Wicked
• Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night
• Dark Needs at Night’s Edge
• Dark Desires After Dusk
• Kiss of a Demon King
• “Untouchable” in Deep Kiss of Winter (Duology with Gena Showalter
• Pleasure of a Dark Prince - Available February 16, 2010

Women of the Other World series by Kelley Armstrong -I have read books 1-7, and 10 which were all fun, sexy and interesting reads.  I LOVED Bitten! Which is about the first and only female werewolf and her complicated story.  She is trying to make a normal life for herself but her past haunts her as well as her ex-fiance/werewolf.

Book 1: Bitten (published October, 2001 by Viking Press) Book 2: Stolen (published May, 2003 by Viking Press) Book 3: Dime Store Magic (published 2004 by Bantam Spectra) Book 4: Industrial Magic (published 2004 by Bantam Spectra) Book 5: Haunted (published 2005 by Bantam Spectra) Book 6: Broken (published May 2006 by Bantam Spectra) Book 7: No Humans Involved (published May 2007 by Bantam Spectra) Book 8: Personal Demon (published April 2008 by Bantam Spectra) Book 9: Living with the Dead (published November 2008 by Bantam Spectra) Book 10: Frostbitten (published September 2009 by Bantam Spectra) Book 11: Waking the Witch

Time Travelers Wife - Great READ!

Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanavich - I read the first book which I thought was a lot of fun.  I haven’t continued reading the series mostly because I’ve busy reading horror/fantasy/romance genera.

Queen Betsy series by MaryJanice Davidson - These were fun quick reads.  Betsy is a shoe-aholic that leads a pretty normal life until she wakes up dead.  Her shoe fetish continues as she learns she is the prophetic Queen of the vampires and makes her own path that is highly nontraditional for vampire standards.  She is a high maintenance girl that doesn’t have a shut off switch on her mouth but doesn’t mind a good brawl for a good cause.  Her love interest is yummy and the rest of the characters make for a fun read.

1. Undead and Unwed (Berkley, 2004)
2. Undead and Unemployed (Berkley, 2004)
3. Undead and Unappreciated (Berkley, 2005)
4. Undead and Unreturnable (Berkley, 2005)
5. Undead and Unpopular (Berkley, 2006)
6. Undead and Uneasy (Berkley, 2007)
7. Undead and Unworthy (Berkley, 2008)
8. Undead and Unwelcome (Berkley, 2009)

Short stories:

• “Dead Girls Don’t Dance” in Cravings (Jove, 2004)
• “Biting in Plain Sight” in Bite (Jove, 2004)
• “A Fiend in Need” in Dead and Loving It (Berkley, 2006)
• “Undead and Wed: A Honeymoon Story” in Dead Over Heels (Berkley, 2008)

Little Goddess Series by Amy Lane - I have all three books in hand and if all goes well I can give a recommendation in a week or so.

Vulnerable

Wounded

Bound

Cassandra Palmer series, written by best-selling author Karen Chance.  - I have the first book in hand and if all goes well I can give a recommendation in a week or so.

Touch the dark

Claimed by shadows

Embrace the night

Curse the dawn

Sunshine by Robin McKinley I have the book in hand and if all goes well I can give a recommendation in a week or so.

On my list:

Odd Thomas

Sunshine

Little Goddess series

Daughter of the Forest series

Moon called by Patricia Biggs
Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase

After the kiss by Suzanne Enoch

On the Edge, Ilona Andrews

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What did I have to do to make sure Wells Fargo was abiding by the rules setup by the government?
I called my US Congressman Walt Minnick (ID) 208-888-3188 and talked with his representative Beverly Bean.  I explained our situation and faxed the documentation provided by Wells Fargo to her so that she could do some leg work for us.  In addition to calling Wells Fargo she also contacted the US Department of the Treasury, Malloy Evans 202-422-8135.  Turns out that Wells Fargo was NOT abiding by the rules set forth by the government and now my US Congressman and the Department of the Treasury are making sure they are in fact playing by the rules.
I received assurances by my Congressman and the Dept of Treasury that my mortgage Would NOT be reported as delinquent as long as I made our payments in full and on time.  In addition, I received a phone call and apology from Wells Fargo/Freddie Mac indicating their Making Homes Affordable documentation will be updated appropriately.
Again, I think to myself (and to all of you) that this process is made too complicated and overwhelming so that people won’t be able to take advantage of something that is bought and paid for with tax dollars.  However, we are going forward and taking that next step into the Making Homes Affordable Program.

What is next on the list?

• Make our first trial period payment.
• Trial period documentation signed and sent in.
• Hardship Affidavit *This is similar to previous hardship letter sent in to Wells Fargo/Freddie Mac.
• Signed and dated copy of IRS Form 4506-T
• Copy of all income statements (pay stub, social security, disability, pension, public assistance, unemployment, alimony/child support, etc)
• Counseling session with HUD-approved housing counseling agency *This is FREE
  • www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/fc/
  • HOPE Hotline 1-888-995-HOPE
    • I chose this option because I could just call and it only took 45 minutes.  They gave me some good information and I thought it would be beneficial to share with you.

FREE Help with Medical Expenses
1-573-996-3333  *I don’t know the details of this service but its worth checking out if you have medical expenses you can’t afford.

Angel Food Ministries 1-877-366-3646  www.angelfoodministries.com
They sell food at discounted prices.

This is going to hurt me, more than its going to hurt you. Making Homes Affordable Program Part III

Making Homes Affordable Program: First Hand Experience

How To Get 2% Interest Rate on 30 Year Mortgage

http://www.financialstability.gov/

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Here is a deal I just can’t resist.  Shopko has OLAY Regenerist products for $17.99 each.  I have a rebate form for $20 with the purchase of a Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller and Pantene shampoo or conditioner.  This makes your complete purchase FREE!

http://www.olay.com/Club_Olay/sep2009/images/Regenerist_Pantene_Rebate_Form.pdf

Here is another Olay rebate form for a FREE Olay Anti-Aging Eye Roller when you buy 2 Olay Regenerist products.  Click here: http://www.olay.com/Club_Olay/sept2009/images/Regenerist_Rebate_Form.pdf

Special thanks to Margie for sharing this rebate offer!

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• Start asking questions.  Find a quiet moment when you are both relaxed and ask the kind of things you would have asked in the beginning of your relationship.  Keeping the questions lite and fun will make the process more enjoyable for both of you.  ie What were you like as a kid?  Who was your best friend?  What kind of trouble did you get into?  Who was your first kiss?   **This isn’t a game of jeopardy so don’t get carried away with asking questions.  The purpose to get reacquainted, to remember what attracted you to this person in the first place and have a conversation about each other, with each other.

• Try this worksheet http://static.oprah.com/pdf/lybl_sexlife_foreplaymap.pdf.  I’ll be honest, I found this a bit embarrassing and there was a lot of laughter involved however if you are interested in working toward your masters degree with your love this is a great way to continue your education.  This worksheet and instructions provided by Dr. Laura Berman is very well done and if you are willing to let your inhibitions down it can make a huge difference in your love life.
  • http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20081113_tows_step2

I definitely find this topic a little out of my comfort zone but after talking with several of my close friends I felt compelled to share.  I don’t mind having my failures be a source of your education.  I guess its just my way of contributing and sharing the love.

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After months of calling weekly, checking the website and waiting patiently we finally got word that we were approved for the Making Homes Affordable program.  What was advertised as being a 45-60 day process turned into well over 120 days.  Thankfully we are very mindful of our finances and were able to keep up with our monthly responsibilities.  I do however recognize and feel a great burden on those who are in a more dire situation than ours and had to wait as long as we did.  Part of me believes that the banks are purposely taking their sweet time deciding on the fates of these families in hopes that they become delinquent on their loans and thus become ineligible for the Making Homes Affordable program.

We quickly looked over the documentation and were very happy to see that  Wells Fargo/Freddie Mac had tentatively modified our loan by almost $500 a month.  I say “tentatively” because there is a 3 month trial period to ensure you make your payments, comply with any other request like talking with a credit counselor and the bank can review your updated financials during this time to make sure you still qualify. All the information seemed straight forward and was like a burden had been lifted.

BUT, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Every page of the 23 page packet emphasized that we were on a time line and had less than a week to accept the offer.  Naturally, I was eager to sign and see the benefits of our lower mortgage payment.  I started reading through the fine print to make sure we did everything correctly so we weren’t hindering the process.  On a page titled “important programing info” it highlights how the program works and at the bottom of the page the final bullet read:
“CREDIT REPORTING. During the trial period, we will report your loan as delinquent to the credit reporting agencies even if you make your trial period payments on time.  However, after your load is modified, we will only report the loan as delinquent if the modified payment is not received in a timely manner.”

This made my blood boil!  In order to qualify for the Making Homes Affordable program you could NOT be delinquent but now that we were approved, we would HAVE to be delinquent in order to get our mortgage modified.  Essentially this is what was going to happen.  Let’s just say our original mortgage was for $2000 a month.  For the trial period they asked that we pay $1500 and even if we pay the $1500 on time and complete, we would be reported to the credit agency’s as delinquent because our current mortgage is still at $2000 a month.

I called the number provided so that I could ask a few questions and make sure I was reading this clear.  The Wells Fargo representative indicated I was correct in my assumption and if I attempted to pay the difference so that our payment wouldn’t be delinquent they would not approve us for the mortgage modification.  She said “would you like 3 months of hurting your credit score or 27 years of lowering your mortgage payment”.  She also said that if we did not agree to the terms and have the paper work back by September 1st we would never have to opportunity to apply for the Making Homes Affordable program again.

I then call Equifax credit agency and ask what they would 3 months of reporting “delinquent” do to our credit rating.  He indicated this would affect our credit rating and could drop our rating as much as 100 points.  A drop in credit score like this could be financial suicide.

Three years ago we bought a house we could afford and got a traditional 30 year fix loan.  We paid 25% down and were very comfortable with our financial situation.  Now, our house has depreciated almost 30%, we are down one income and we can’t qualify for a traditional refinance because of the value of our home and the state of the economy. The offer from Wells Fargo/Freddi Mac is essentially black mail but like many others we are at their mercy.  We will more than likely agree to the offer on the table but I don’t have to like it and I certainly won’t be quiet about it.

It is clear to me that the banks don’t want to use this government funded program to help people keep their homes.  If they did then, there would be more than only 9% of all people that have applied for this government funded program being approved.  And for that sorry 9%, they will ruin their credit, lock them in a loan they will never get out of because no other bank will approve of a loan recipient that has been delinquent on a mortgage loan.

On the upside, if you own any Wells Fargo stock you will be happy to know that it is on the rise…

Want to read more:

Making Homes Affordable Program: First Hand Experience

How To Get 2% Interest Rate on 30 Year Mortgage

http://www.financialstability.gov/

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After getting several bids I chose Harman Family Carpet Cleaning.  They are a small family run business and locally owned so I felt like I was doing my part to stimulate our local economy. Plus, they gave me the best deal!

Scott, the owner, made an appointment to fit my schedule, he was on time and the carpets look awesome. It took about an hour to clean the whole house and about an hour later the carpets were dry. The best part of the experience was that I only paid $100 for my entire house (6 rooms, hall and stairs).

If you are needing your carpets cleaned but have been putting it off because of cost you should consider Harman Family Carpet Cleaning.
Harman Family Carpet Cleaning
Scott’s cell 989-7460
Business 319-0494
harmancarpets@netzero.net
www.harmanfamilycarpetcleaning.com

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Then why are all of these small business going out of business?  The reason is, is that small business owners are not using there competitive advantage over their big business counterparts.

One advantages of the small business owner has is the ability to change their business model at a moments notice or on a per client basis.  Realizing that go can’t continue using the same business model just because that is the way you have always done it is key to small business success.
Example: Instead of telling a potential client what you do, ASK what they are looking for.  Customize your product/services according to what the market wants.  Finding out is as easy as just asking.

Another example of a small business competitive advantage is the ability to negotiate.  The art of negotiation is lost in large companies however as a small business owner if you are willing to negotiate price, product, service, or trade you will find a niche market that will be loyal and best of all, will refer friends and family.
Example:  Big Ramp Marketing, LLC has been working with a local river rafting company (North Star River Expeditions, Inc. www.northstar-rafting.com ) for several years now. North Star prides themselves on being a first class rafting company and markets to clientele that is looking for that first class experience. Unfortunately , even those that can afford first class these days are opting for coach.  However, because North Star is a small company willing to negotiate their services we were able to book a river trip at a discount because we had a very large group.
I was so impressed with North Star’s willingness to negotiate their price and be flexible with their business model that I got permission to pass on a great deal to you too.  Anyone that mentions this article or Big Ramp Marketing will get to use our discount:  3 day all-inclusive Hells Canyon white water raft trip for $750 per person and the 5th person FREE.  **More Information at the end of the article.

More millionaires were made during the great depression and I believe we will see some similar results with this current economic situation.  My question to you is, what are you doing to thrive in the current economy?

–
Jacob & Tricia Warren, Owners
North Star River Expeditions, Inc.
PO Box 906
McCall, ID 83638
208-634-2296
877-610-3200

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CableONE Movie Night in Meridian 2009 Schedule

July 3rd
Star Wars: The Clone Wars

July 10th
Hotel for Dogs

July 17th
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D
**Free 3D glasses for the first 2,000 people**

July 24th
The Princess Bride

July 31st
Kung Fu Panda

August 7th
Madagascar:
Escape 2 Africa

August 14th
Horton Hears a Who

August 21st
The Sound of Music

August 28th
The Tale of Despereaux

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I contacted a highly recommended white water river outfitter and negotiated a great price for a group (12-19) of us to experience an all-inclusive 3 day white water experience. I was so impressed with our trip and the great deal we got I couldn’t keep this to myself. For MomsFirstStop.com readers, this summer ONLY, I negotiated a sweet staycation:

–
Jacob & Tricia Warren, Owners
North Star River Expeditions, Inc.
PO Box 906
McCall, ID 83638
208-634-2296
877-610-3200

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