Review: Rustico Leather, gifts for the writer in your life

*Disclosure: I am a participating Influencer at The Entertainment New Media Network. I have received free product for review to facilitate this post. I was not compensated for this review and all expressed opinions are strictly my own.

I recently got the chance to review some products from Rustico Leather, and I was pleased with how nice the products are.

I had my choice of the following:

Traveler Set:
• Passport cover (saddle or dark brown),
• Travelers Journal (saddle or dark brown),
• Luggage tag (saddle or dark brown-2 toned with grey wool felt)

Writer Set:
• Single track wallet (felt & leather – multiple colors)
• Wool quote book
• Wool Parley Journal with wrap tie (multiple colors)

Foodie Set:
• Wine log (in red)
• Coaster set (two-tone coloring)
• Explorer bag (rustic red or charcoal grey)

I was very tempted to opt for the Traveler set, but I already have a leather passport cover that I adore, so I opted for the Writer Set, which exceeded my expectations.

Single Track Wallet

I was very excited to get the Single Track Wallet ($19.00) because I thought it would be perfect for my business cards for the ENMN Conference in Anaheim (which it was!). I also used it to collect other bloggers' business cards, and it would make an excellent credit card holder too.

I can see myself tucking the Wool Quote Book ($20.25) into my purse and using it to record anything that comes to mind. I majored in Creative Writing and Literature in college, and I'd like to get back into writing fiction sometime soon; perhaps ideas will now be easier to keep track of, with this.

Wool Parley Journal (flap tie)

The third item I received was a gray Wool Parley Journal - Flap Tie ($35.00). This is a bigger version of the quotes book and would also be good to throw into a purse or briefcase. The tie gives it a vintage feel and I could see myself using it for ideas or even to write short stories.

One of my conference roommates, Sondra at Happy Healthy Hip, had the Explorer Bag with her, as she had opted for the Travelers set, and I really liked that as well - it would make a great gift.

I'd recommend any of the journals as gifts for a writer, or perhaps for yourself, and the single track wallet for anyone, as it's a nice piece of leather that has many possible uses.

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Quick Pick: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

• Opening line: "There are so many ways it could have all turned out differently."
• Reason I picked up the book: I've been wanting to read this book since 2012, when it hit stores, and NetGalley emailed me the other day saying it was re-releasing it for Valentine's Day, and the first 500 readers would get it. Guess how fast I clicked that link ... 
• Favorite paragraph: 

Across the ocean, her father is making one last toast, and the white-gloved hotel staff is polishing the silverware for tomorrow night's celebration. Behind her, the boy with a ticket for seat 18C on the next flight to London is eating a powdered doughnut, oblivious to the dusting of white on his blue shirt.

Hadley closes her eyes, just for a moment, and when she opens them again, the plane is gone.

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? 

• Recommended for: fans of romances, YA (Young Adult) books, international travel books.
• Something to know: It seems like most of Jennifer E. Smith's books are like this - where a girl meets a boy in an unusual situation, spends a little time together, and then can't stop thinking about each other. Her newest book, The Geography of You and Me, follows this pattern as well.
• What I would have changed: The ending was way too abrupt! I wanted to know more. I would love to read a sequel with these two characters.
• Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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Book Review: Heartbeat

Heartbeat, by Elizabeth Scott.

"Did you two have a nice chat?" he says, bending over to kiss Mom.

I stare at him.

He must feel it because he straightens up, clearing his throat, and pats Mom's stomach. "Look how big he's getting. Lisa, he's growing so much." Mom doesn't say anything, not even to that.

She can't.

She's dead. Machines are keeping her alive. They breathe for her. They feed her. They regulate her whole body.

My mother is dead, but Dan is keeping her alive because of the baby.

Elizabeth Scott tends to write YA fiction that delves a little deeper than your typical YA, and Heartbeat is no exception. Emma wants to say goodbye to her mother, who is brain-dead - but she can't, because her stepfather is keeping her alive so that their son, still growing in her belly, can live.

Official synopsis:
Life. Death. And...Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?
-

I've read other books by Elizabeth Scott (and reviewed one, as well) and this is one of her best novels yet. The situation that Emma faces is unusual, yet there have been similar cases in the news lately; where a mother or woman is brain-dead, but her child is still living and growing inside her. What is there to do in that situation?

Emma's stepfather, Dan, decides to keep her mother alive, body-wise, so that her half-brother might have a chance to survive. Emma is angry at him for doing this, but later realizes it's not because she hates her unborn brother or anything like that; it's because he never consulted her before making this decision.

I liked this novel a lot. It still has a teen romance in it, like most YA books, but it's woven in amongst the angst Emma feels about having her mother in limbo - here, yet not here. I was going to give the novel 4 out of 5 stars but a few situations did seem to repeat throughout, so it does get a lesser rating from me; however, I would recommend it for fans of YA fiction and anybody who likes a good story.

3.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

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Quick Pick: Beta, by Rachel Cohn

• Opening line: "It's me she wants to purchase."
• Reason I picked up the book: I've read Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by her and also a few of her other books, and they've all been great.
• Reminded me of: A cross between The Handmaid's Tale and the movie Elysium (2013)
• Recommended for: fans of dystopian books.
• Something to know: The book is the first in a series, possibly a trilogy or longer. The second book, Emergent, will be out in October 2014.
• Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Just One Night, ends 2/18

Just One Night, by Kyra Davis.

I notice the button at the top of his jeans. It reads Dior Homme - $600 jeans - and yet the T-shirt could have been bought at Target. Like his youthfully muscular arms and conservatively cut salt-and-pepper hair, it's his contradictions that seduce me.

"I'd like to make you a drink," he says.

It doesn't take me a moment to grasp his meaning. I know he's inviting me to his room. I glance around the bar. I've never had a one-night stand. I'm the girl everyone can count on for her rock-solid, solemn consistency. 

Except tonight. Tonight I'm the girl who is going to sleep with a stranger.

Just One Night was originally published in three different parts, as an e-book, and now it's being released as one complete novel. The New York Journal of Books was quoted as saying it "gives Fifty Shades of Grey a run for its money ... this novel gives some depth, respect and sexual tension to the genre," and I would agree with that review.

Official synopsis:
Kasie Fitzgerald knows who she’s supposed to be. She’s a rising-star-workaholic at a global consulting firm. She’s the fiancée of a well-connected man who’s won the approval of her parents. People know that she’s reliable, serious, proper, cautious, pragmatic, and yes, a little predictable. She’s who Dave and her family want her to be.

But as her thirtieth birthday looms, buried feelings begin to resurrect. Her friend takes her to Vegas for one last wild and crazy night. In a dress much shorter and sexier than anything she has ever dared to wear before, she hits the blackjack tables. And meets him. Under the tailored clothes it’s clear that this is a man who is intense, powerful, and maybe even a little dangerous. With a touch of trepidation she accepts his invitation to get a drink, and before long, she’s in his hotel room.

She never gets his full name. Perhaps his anonymity is one of the reasons she’s able to give herself over to him and to the moment so completely. Perhaps it’s why she’s just had the most exquisite and passionate sex of her life. Shaken by her own behavior, Kasie tries to chalk it up to one crazy night. But when the mysterious gentleman she’s just had a fling with shows up in her office—as the CEO of a firm her company does a billion dollars of business with a year, demanding that she handle his account, and so much more—things will never be the same again. And there’s no telling where this will go…
-

This novel was interesting because it had a few twists that I didn't see coming. Kasie is a smart woman, but after she meets Robert Dade, he turns her life around, and she has to learn how to push back and also how to stand on her own two feet and be more independent.

This book was MUCH better written than Fifty Shades, and is a good read if you like "the genre" (erotica) or want an interesting story that's more R-rated. Some of the characters managed to surprise me by doing things I didn't foresee, and we see the aftermath of Kasie's one-night stand (or what was supposed to be only a one-night stand) on her boyfriend of six years, Dave. There's also a backstory with Kasie's sister, Melody, who had a history of mental illness.

3.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

GIVEAWAY:

Thanks to Gallery Books, I have two paperback copies of Just One Night for my readers to win. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Contest will end on Tuesday, February 18th at 11:59pm EST, and winners will be notified via email on February 19th, and must respond within 24 hours or alternate winner(s) will be chosen. U.S. and Canada residents only, please.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Review: Take Two

Take Two, by Laurelin Page.

He'd spent the last seven years on top of his game, focused on his career. He'd been tempted into love by the hottest women, offered the best drugs and the sweetest of sins and he'd always resisted. No hesitation or doubt.

But now he faced six weeks on set with a woman who once upon a time didn't care about wnat or who he was.

Maddie Bauers just might be his undoing.

I've begun to really like the New Adult genre, so I am participating in this book tour, for Laurelin Page's Take Two. I also liked that this novel was movie-themed, as I run a film blog as well as this one, as some of you may know, and the plot sounded intriguing.

Official synopsis:

I actually don't really like this cover -
I saw it for the first time after reading
the book. Not how I pictured
the characters.

He’s ready for his close up, but she’s the one calling the shots.

On the night of her graduation from film school, straight-laced Maddie Bauers fell completely out of character for an oh-my-god make-out session with a perfect stranger. Complete with the big O.

Seven years later, that romantic interlude is still fresh in her mind. That stranger is now a rich and famous actor. And she’s one very distracted camera assistant working on his latest production. She might consider another tryst…if he even remembers her.

Micah Preston does indeed remember Maddie. Too bad he’s sworn off Hollywood relationships. He allows himself as much sex as he likes—and oh, he does like—but anything more is asking for trouble. For the woman, not for him. Yet knowing Maddie could want more than a movie-set fling doesn’t stop him from pursuing her like a moth drawn to hot stage lights.

But as the shoot nears its end, it’s decision time. Is it time to call, “Cut!” on their affair, or is there enough material for a sequel?

Warning: Contains a dreamy movie star hero, a focus-pulling heroine, off-the-charts instant chemistry, steamy sex in near-public locations, and a new use for lip gloss.
-

The characters in this book were interesting, and although you can probably predict the ending, the novel takes a while to get there. Maddie meets Micah Preston, then a "regular guy," seven years ago when at a wrap party for a movie. Now he's one of the most popular movie stars in the country, and she's a behind-the-scenes camera woman; she meets him on the set of his film, although she didn't know he was starring in it until that moment.

The chemistry between the two main characters was great. The book is overall well-written and it's a fun "beach-type" read. At times I wanted to yell at the characters for taking soooooooo long to get to the book's ending (no spoilers here) but that was my only real complaint with it.

I'd recommend this novel for YA or New Adult fans, or for anyone looking for a quick and easy read.

3.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

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GIVEAWAY: $30 Amazon gift card, ends 2/15

*I'm teaming up with a few other bloggers for a $30 Amazon gift card giveaway! That could buy you a lot of books or e-books. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

Do you want to learn how to make money online? Are you seeking new and interesting ways to bring in some extra money while you're at home? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, Write From Home is the book for you. In this Kindle exclusive eBook, you'll find everything that you need to know to get started writing from home. If that's not enough, check out the author's freelancing class on Udemy. Write Fast, Write Now: How to Become a Freelance Writer will show you everything that you need to know to become a freelance writer. This class normally costs $99, but enroll today using promo code BLOGGER to take it for just $20!

To celebrate the launch of both the book and the course, The Hungry Freelancer and Beth Jones are happy to announce a $30 Amazon gift card giveaway! Enter using the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win $30 to spend on anything you want!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclaimer: This blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment. The gift card will be issued by The Hungry Freelancer upon selection of the winner.

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