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Happy Weekend! The weather here is turning off cold and we have a good chance of snow Sunday. I'm going to head to the trails and take advantage of the sun before the storm blows in, but wanted to get this book review to you first. It's been busy this month, and I wanted to just turn off my brain for a while. You know? Not read for work or anything too heavy, just clean my palette, with an easy story. (And who doesn't want a bit of fantasy to get lost in right now?) So after some diligent searching I decided to start a new book about Dragon Shifters. It was so good that I read all three in the series!  Last weekend I started the Dragons of Bloodfire trilogy The first book: Tempted by Fire Tempted by Fire is a quick and fun dragon shifter story. Honestly I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised! I enjoyed the story, the characters and the world building. The authors writing style is pleasant and very easy to read, making this a very relaxing weekend escape Let's face it, there is nothing new on Netflix anyway, why not read?  Author Erin Kellison is a New York Times best seller and I can see why. She didn't have me setting on the sidelines being told a story, she immersed me in the storyline. The plots move pretty fast (no one likes a book that drags) but there is enough action to keep you reading.
The books could be read alone or as a trilogy.
The review is based on all three books: Quick Book Review - Weekend Edition: Dragons of Bloodfire
More reviews out soon~
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 (Texas, USA) Hi Travel family! I hope you are well and safe as we end September. I have just returned, (still have to unpack) but wanted to write this while its still fresh in my mind. For my family travel has been almost nonexistent this year, for oblivious reasons, of course, but my work obligations + the need to clean up my mothers estate have pushed me to venture out in to the world again. I was both excited (A TRIP! YESSS!) and also rather hesitant to commit to a 29 day adventure.  (New Mexico, USA) So September was a huge change from the pervious months of staying at home and working via Zoom. These last few weeks I have either been in work meetings, dealing with family issues, driving, or working with clients. But we were able to go for a picnic, a couple of hikes and visit a few of our favorite places while traveling in Texas and New Mexico. Life is defo different with almost empty hotels, less traffic and social distancing in cafes. But even so, I feel very blessed that we were able to do these things and still stay safe. Besides the pandemic there was also an unexpected hurricane, complete with Texas floods, as well as smoke from the Cali fires to content with. Read a bit about the Hurricane here.  But in-between all this we did sneak away for some fun. Let me just quickly share some trip highlights and I will blog about the adventures in greater detail after I tackle the laundry, lol.  We were in Roswell about 4 days... and it's always good fun.   Empty hotels..I must say this is a BIG change.  It was also difficult to find places serving, except fast food. We did a small bit of shopping too.  We were looking for Halloween decoration but instead we seem to be skipping right into Christmas.  Picnic on the creek in Boerne, Texas  Complete with ducks, swans and geese!  An afternoon spent in Palmetto State Park.   And from the lushness of the coastal plains of Texas to the High desert of New Mexico.  And everything in between, lol!  I have sooo many picts to sort through! But in the meantime I hope you have a great evening and enjoy the end of September.
I will be back soon with more of our adventures :D  Greetings from Texas!  Windblown, but okay...  Driving into Texas before the storm... Go to Texas they said.. It will be fun, they said.. Then there was a Hurricane!  So this week we planned a few days on the Texas Gulf Coast....I've been craving the waves and since we are still banned from leaving the US (Damn Covid!) It looked like Texas was the best bet. Between work, family obligations, social distancing and preparing for the upcoming holidays, this looked to be the best time to sneak away for a few sunny days....but then Beta appeared. It came up quickly and everything changed! Current Advisory on Tuesday Morning:  Current conditions where we are aren't too bad, we are outside of the flash flood zone.  From https://abc13.com/weather/beta-makes-landfall-flash-flood-warnings-until-530-am/6134994/ Last night I decided to find a new hotel, (further away from the Gulf and out of the predicted flood area) and we will wait out the storm today. Rain in Texas can be very unpredictable and I have been caught in flash floods before, so we will just play it safe and stay in.  We decided to stay about 75 miles away from the coast. So far there has been wind and rain, but all-in-all it's not too bad. We will just sit inside and wait to see what the next few days bring.
Speak soon~  I’ve started dreaming about travel. If you follow me on twitter then you know what I mean. I’m continuously posting iconic, as well as off the beaten path locations. I’m dreaming about sunny, tropical beaches, old growth forests and everything in between.  Every morning, I wake from a dream that I’ve been hiking in Italy or running through old castles in eastern Europe or swimming in crystal clear waters in some Pacific paradise. It’s getting really weird.  I miss being able to jump on a plane, train or boat and sail off. And I bet you miss it too. How are you holding up? We haven't really left the house in weeks. But I have appointments and a few things I can't put off anymore. I’m currently on a road trip now…doing a bit of exploring and well, mostly work. We are being overly careful and staying away from crowds. We have seen very few people out and about and most things are still closed in or at least limited in New Mexico.  It's overcast and the smoke from Colorado and Cali fires are blowing this way..  Everything is hazy and smokey and feels surreal. We are headed in the opposite direction and hopefully they will be put out soon, Are you dreaming about traveling too?
Or just hoping life would return to normal?  Today I am reviewing a set of short stories belonging to The Iron Druid Chronicles. This series of urban fantasy novels, is written by Kevin Hearne and wildly popular in the United States. Set in modern day, the druid's world contains witches, vampires, werewolves, demons, elementals, as well as various deities from many pantheons. During the course of this series the Iron Druid, his dog and cast of characters, have adventures with gods and goddess, travel to different plains and search out good food. There is action, adventure and humor aplenty with well written dialogue and unexpected twists. WHY YOU SHOULD READ THE SERIES: There are 9 well written novels in this series and if you include short stores and novellas the count reaches 18. The world Kevin Hearne creates is inviting, exciting, beautiful and horrific. If you are looking for a nice action filled read then grab this series. I would recommend you begin with book one, but I also don't think its mandatory. Each book stands alone in its story telling, but to really understand these short stories a basic understanding of the characters is needed. THIS BOOK: This is a "stand alone" collection of short stories from the Iron Druid's world; with all but two of the stories starring Atticus and Oberon. I really enjoyed the stories set in ancient Egypt and the carnival misadventure in modern day Kansas. The book reviews for this book are the most mixed for the entire series. For some people short stories just don't work, but if you are a fan of the series, don't hesitate to read this one.  Quick Book Review - Tuesday Edition:
Besieged - Iron Druid Chronicles
More reviews out soon~  Did you know its National Read A Book Day? Yes, it’s observed annually on September 6th or basically everyday at my house, lol. But don’t confuse it with National Book Lovers Day which is celebrated on August 9th. National Read a Book Day invites us to spend the day reading. This is a perfect day to read aloud either to children or to grandparents, your pets or even to your plants. WHY SHOULD YOU MAKE TIME TO READ? Reading is has been proven to improve memory and concentration as well as reduces stress. Older adults who spend time reading show a slower cognitive decline.  Pick up a classic or try out a new book, either way you're likely to reduce your stress levels and end up engrossed in an adventure. (And let's face it...couldn't you use a positive distraction right about now?)
If you are looking for some recommendations, check out some of my many book reviews. And don't worry I have recherché taste so there is probably something on this list you will like. The link to the posts is here: Book Reviews My Blog tells me there are over 205 posts there, not counting multiple books being reviewed in one post, so you should find something that will pique your interest. So there is no excuse not to celebrate this holiday! Happy Reading!  I normally travel for my birthday. Barcelona, France, the Yucatan, the Med, Switzerland, you get the idea. This year I stayed home and celebrated with my family and friends. We ate, laughed and had a nice week of fun. I couldn't ask for more, especially after the year we've had.  So it was a great week of fun and relaxing, but staying home was also a necessity since we are barred from traveling. :( BUT it didn’t stop me from planning 2021’s birthday adventure. The problems was where to even begin?  I love Rome, (well most of Italy for that matter), the people, the food, the sites! It's always amazing, but I wanted to knock something else off the old travel bucket list…So in doing some digging I found August is a GREAT time to go to Greece!  Honestly, as an American I know almost nothing about Greek island culture. So after doing some research I think it will be ideal for my next birthday escape. Did you know, according to Visit Greece: "Greek sovereign land includes 6,000 islands and islets scattered in the Aegean and Ionian Seas, of which only 227 islands are inhabited?!" OMG! So many islands to see!  I know we want to explore temples and spend lazy afternoons in museums…but what else is a “must see” and where should we begin?  Reading online and then bugging my European friends I learned that in most cities, bigger villages and tourist spots, English is spoken, lodging is inexpensive and it would be safe for me to travel alone or with family members. (Well, after the pandemic is over anyway.)
Greece depends on tourism and we should all do our part, lol! Most people were surprised I never visited and actually I am too. It has been on the list for a long time, but there are soooo many placed I wish to visit, somehow I skipped over it. I will keep you in the loop with the Greece trip. I'm watching airfare currently and looking at villas to rent, sourcing the best vegan food options and trying to decide on a central island to make as "home base" for exploring. I think I forgot how much I loved travel planning... (shakes fist at damn pandemic!) What's on your travel bucket list? And when do you think it will be "safe" to travel again? Speak soon~ |
Author Welcome to my (I used to travel) blog, my healthy Vegan lifestyle blog and my life! It's a lot, but it's my passions and I just love to write about it. Here I share tips, stories and photos from my adventures and life. This is the place where people can find daily inspiration to travel and motivation to live healthier lives and laugh a bit too! 
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