The Natural History of Us: Review, Excerpt and Exclusive Recipe!!

Rachel Harris' THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US is already getting swoons from readers everywhere! We can’t wait for you to get your hands on it. Known for her sweet romances, Rachel's THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US, is no different! Check out everything we have for you on this amazing title and then go grab your copy today. Justin and Peyton’s story is sure to put a smile on your face and keep you turning pages long into the night!

   

About THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US:

One class assignment. One second chance at love. The school player is all in. Now he needs to win back the sweet commitment girl who's forever owned his heart.

Justin Carter has a secret. He's not the total player Fairfield Academy believes him to be. Not really. In fact, he used to be a one-woman guy...and his feelings for her never went away. Too bad he broke her heart three years ago and made sure to ruin any chance she'd ever forgive him.

Peyton Williams is a liar. She pretends to be whole, counting down the days until graduation and helping her parents at the family ranch. But the truth is, she's done everything she can to get over Justin, and salvation is just around the corner. With graduation one short month away, she'll soon break free from the painful memories and start her life fresh. Of course, she has to get through working with him on one last assignment first.

For Justin, nothing ever felt as right as being with Peyton, and now that fate's given him a shot at redemption, he's determined to make the most of it. And for Peyton...well, Justin Carter has always been her kryptonite.

My Thoughts:

I'm a sucker for second-chance-at-love stories, and this one doesn't disappoint.

Justin and Peyton used to be in love, once upon a time back in freshman year. And they still are. But it's a secret. So secret that they haven't even told each other. But now they're partners for a school project, and Justin finally has a chance to make up for his freshman-year mistakes and win Peyton back.

Justin won me over from the very first chapter, and even though I totally understood why Peyton didn't trust him with her heart, I was absolutely cheering for them to reconcile. Which is saying a lot, if you know me. I've never been a fan of "the bad boy" as a love interest (give me the nice guy any day!) so I'll admit that I wasn't 100% certain I'd be able to love this match-up. But Rachel Harris is a master of character development, and it was obvious right from the start that Justin wasn't really the player everyone at Fairfield Academy thought he was. But his secret nice guy status was obvious in a way that didn't have me rolling my eyes or feeling like he was a cliche. And I could honestly cheer for this not-a-bad-boy-at-all to win back his true love.

At the same time, I wanted to be best friends with Peyton. I could totally relate to her side of the story too, and I absolutely understood why she wouldn't want to trust Justin's intentions after all this time. As much as I wanted them to get together again, I never felt like the conflict was drawn out artificially.

I loved the first book in this series (THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING), and I swooned over THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US. I just wish I could fast forward through time, because I don't want to wait to read more about the kids from Fairfield Academy!

Order THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US Today!

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    Trust me. You want this book! Here's an excerpt to prove it:

Dropping my arm, Aly slides over to the goods. “Justin put me in charge of all things snackage this weekend since it’s my thing, and I want you both to give me your honest opinion.” She selects two giant squares and sets them each on a napkin. “Tell me if they’re too bold or too much.”

“I feel like those two words will never apply to chocolate anything,” I confess and accept the gift of fudgy goodness.

The brownie is moist, that’s obvious just from looking at it, and when I lift it to my mouth my fingers sink into the soft texture. My taste buds prep themselves for a happy dance. Then the rich scent of cocoa hits my senses and I close my eyes in bliss.

“Holy crap!”

A surprising burst of orange hits my tongue and I moan, taking another bite, hoping my sprung-open eyes tell Aly everything she needs to know, because I refuse to stop eating for something as silly as words. Seriously. Roll out a sleeping bag, call it a day, I’m good to go camping in the kitchen.

“You like it?”

I exaggerate a head nod, and Aly bounces on her sneakers. “Really? See, normally, I’m a brownie purist. Cookies, cupcakes, tarts; I go wild with those, but brownies are my religion. But the other day I saw a recipe on Pinterest and it sparked my imagination.” She raises an eyebrow and says, “That site is addictive… for realz.”

“They’re incredible,” I mumble, mouth filled with orange-flavored chocolate. “What’s in here? How did you get it to taste like this? I swear it looks like a normal brownie.”

Aly leans in with wide eyes. “The secret is orange marmalade. Fun, right?”

I nod my agreement and gather every possible crumb, pressing my fingertip into the moist morsels and licking without shame. I consider tonguing my napkin, too, but decide that may be too weird, so instead I break the edge off Cade’s remaining sliver and smile around my bite. He laughs and hands the whole thing over, blowing me a kiss.

He’s good people. 

Aly watches our exchange with happy yet curious eyes, and I can’t help wondering how much she knows. She and Justin parted as friends, surprising since other than me, I never knew him to have friends who are girls. 

“These are delicious,” Cade tells her, and she smiles in gratitude.

“Thanks. When you have a wicked sweet tooth, you learn how to bake pretty quickly.”

I was beyond honored when Rachel asked me to be Aly's kitchen stunt double - to create not just one, but TWO fabulous brownie recipes for Aly to bake in this chapter of THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US. And they really are as delicious as Peyton describes them. Here is the recipe for the Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies, so you can make them yourself. (It's a perfect treat to serve when your book club reads THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US!)

Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies: Aly's recipe from THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US

You can order a signed and/or personalized copy of THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US now through April 8^th HERE! (That's TOMORROW!! Don't miss out!)

And if you haven't read it yet, go grab a copy of Rachel Harris’s

  THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING!

You don't have to read the first book in order to enjoy THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US, but if you haven't already read THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING, you absolutely should. I loved that one too! I absolutely want to be best friends with Aly, and I'm so glad she was back for THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US! And if you liked the brownie recipe from THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US, check out the Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles recipe I created for THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING! 

About Rachel Harris: New York Times bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Vibrant settings, witty banter, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books…and kissing. Lots of kissing. An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romances, and LOVES talking with readers!    

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Rachel Harris’s THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US– Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

March 28^th

For the Love of Books & Alcohol – Excerpt

A Leisure Moment – Review

SnoopyDoo's Book Reviews – Excerpt

Home.Love.Books. – Review

My Nook, Books & More – Excerpt

Swoony Boys Podcast – Review & Excerpt

JOJO THE BOOKAHOLIC – Excerpt

March 29^th

A Crave For Books – Review

Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt

Angel Reads – Review

Girl with a Pen and a Dream – Excerpt

Lovin' Los Libros – Review & Excerpt

I Read Indie – Excerpt

The Phantom Paragrapher – Review

March 30^th

Bookish Things & More – Review & Excerpt

Stuck In Books – Review & Excerpt

Reading Adventurously – Review & Excerpt

Typical Distractions – Review & Excerpt

Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

What Is That Book About – Excerpt

March 31^st

Dazzled by Books – Review & Excerpt

Kindle and Me – Review & Excerpt

The Cover Contessa – Review & Excerpt

Book Groupies – Excerpt

We All Make Mistakes in Books – Review & Excerpt

The Bibliophile Confessions – Review & Excerpt

Ticket To Anywhere – Review & Excerpt

April 1^st

Bookaholics Reading Haven – Review & Excerpt

Books Eater – Review & Excerpt

SprinkleofBooks – Excerpt

Melena's Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Ficwishes – Review & Excerpt

Gaga Over Books – Review & Excerpt

My fictional escape – Review & Excerpt

April 2^nd

Collector of book boyfriends – Excerpt

Caitlin Audet – Excerpt

Andi's ABCs – Review

My Slanted Bookish Ramblings – Review

A Dream Within A Dream – Excerpt

Defiantly Deviant – Review

Book Briefs – Review

April 3^rd

The Romance Reviews – Review

Cheyanne Young – Review & Excerpt

Adventures in Writing – Excerpt

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Review

Short and Sassy Book Blurbs – Review & Excerpt

Ashleyz Wonderland – Excerpt

Blogging For The Love Of Authors And Their Books – Review & Excerpt

April 4^th

The bookworms obsession blog – Review

Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous – Review & Excerpt

Addicted to Books – Review & Excerpt

Bookish Escapes – Review & Excerpt

Adventures of a Book Junkie – Review & Excerpt

The Bookish Thought – Review

Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

April 5^th

Book it – Review & Excerpt

Julie Antonovich Reece – Excerpt

Book Junkie: Not-So-Anonymous – Review & Excerpt

YA Book Madness – Excerpt

The Book Hammock – Review & Excerpt

A Full Bookshelf – Review

April 6^th

Books and Boys Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Reading Is My Bliss – Review

Behind Closed Covers – Review & Excerpt

Jackie's Book World – Review

The Procrastinator's Corner – Review & Excerpt

KatyaRath – Review

The book slayer77 – Review

April 7^th

Southern Vixens Book Obsessions – Excerpt

The Lovely Books – Review

thebookdragon – Review & Excerpt

Aira Reads – Review

Reviews from the Heart – Review & Excerpt

Literary Misfit – Review & Excerpt

Love & Life & Learning – Review & Excerpt

April 8^th

Alpha Book Club – Excerpt

Crawling Over the Pages – Review

Three chicks and their books – Review & Excerpt

Reviews By Rah – Review & Excerpt

All For Love of the Word – Excerpt

Library of a Book Witch – Review & Excerpt

The Bookmark Blog – Review & Excerpt

 

Bliss Blast: Sweet Romances and a Sweet Deal!

I don't often read romance novels for grown-ups, because I get way too blushy at the intimate scenes. But I've come to love the sweet romances from Entangled Bliss, where I can get all of the swoony, make-your-heart-race-and-your-tummy-flutter romance that I love without the intimate details that make me blush clear down to my toes. That's why I'm excited to help share the news of all the exciting things happening with Entangled Bliss right now. They're sure kicking off 2014 with a blast!

Three amazing new Bliss releases are out today, January 13, with heroes you won't be able to resist: Falling for her Soldier by Ophelia London, Resisting the Hero by Cindi Madsen and Love Songs for the Road by Farrah Taylor.

 

She fell for the nice guy, but will she fall for the real guy?

Happy Book Birthday: SEVEN DAY FIANCE by Rachel Harris

Rachel Harris' SEVEN DAY FIANCE is finally here! 

You can get it in your hands (well, on your ereader) right now! You don't want to miss this fantastic Contemporary Romance from Rachel Harris. Book 2 in the Love and Game Series, SEVEN DAY FIANCE can be read as a standalone. Check out all of the information regarding this fantastic novel and Rachel Harris below! Then, celebrate Rachel's Book Birthday by entering the giveaway for an ecopy of Book 1, TASTE THE HEAT!

Isn't that cover pretty?? Read on and find out everything you need to know below! 

SEVEN DAY FIANCE Synopsis:

Angelle Prejean is in a pickle. Her family is expecting her to come home with a fiancé—a fiancé who doesn’t exist. Well, he exists, but he definitely has no idea Angelle told her mama they were engaged. Tattooed, muscled, and hotter than sin, Cane can reduce Angelle to a hot mess with one look—and leave her heart a mess if she falls for him. But when she ends up winning Cane at a charity bachelor auction, she knows just how to solve her fiancé problem.

Cane Robicheaux is no one’s prince. He doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t fall in love. When sweet, sultry-voiced Angelle propositions him, he hopes their little game can finally get her out of his head. He doesn’t expect her to break through all his barriers. But even as Angelle burrows deeper into his heart, he knows once their seven days are up, so is their ruse.


My Thoughts:

As you know, I was pleasantly surprised by Taste the Heat the first book in this series. And so I begged for an early review copy of Seven Day Fiancé, the second book in the series. I have to admit, I was really hoping book two would be about Sherry, Cane and Colby's adorable younger sister (who was my favorite character in the first book). When I found out this would be Cane and Angelle's story, I was a bit hesitant. I liked Cane well enough in Taste the Heat, I guess, but it was only a "let's be friends" kind of attraction. And I didn't really like Angelle at all (I got totally jealous and overprotective of my "friend" Colby, when it looked like Angelle might have her sights set on Jason). A whole book about my two least favorite characters? Hmmm... But I loved Colby and Jason and Sherry. And the Robicheaux family is close-knit. I knew there couldn't be a book about Cane without a strong dose of his sisters. And that was enough for me to want to read the next chapter in their story.

WOW!!

I am so glad I gave these two a second chance! 

I fell in love with Angelle on page one. I realized that I hadn't really given her a fair chance in the first book. (I didn't know her well enough to judge.) Angelle is sweet, shy and unsure of herself - enough to invent a fake romance, just to prove to her family that she made the right choice when she broke up with her high school sweetheart. She's adorably awkward, and I wanted to jump right through the pages and give her a giant hug, to let her know that she had a friend.

But the best part of this book? The tattooed bad-boy who I'd already decided totally wasn't my type. Yep. First impressions can be deceiving. Cane is absolutely amazing! (Who needs a sexy fireman, when you can have a delicious restaurant owner?) He's smart, sexy and sensitive underneath his rough exterior. *swoon*

I started reading Seven Day Fiancé before bed, thinking I'd sample the first chapter, just to get a sense of what I could expect. The next thing I knew, it was 2am, and I had to force myself to turn off my Kindle to get some sleep before my alarm started buzzing at 4:30. - And yes, when that alarm rang, my first thought was "I have to see how this ends!" 


Butterflies and tingles from page one, clear 'til the end. (I can't wait for book three!!!)

Rachel Harris Bio:

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! Find her atwww.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Links:

Website: www.RachelHarrisWrites.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RachelHarrisYA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RachelHarrisYA

Goodreads Author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5347676.Rachel_Harris

SEVEN DAY FIANCE Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17926005-seven-day-fianc?ac=1

Entangled Website: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/

And now for the Giveaway! Go enter to win! 

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It's Not You, It's Me: On Reading and Subjectivity

When you're a writer, the one thing you hear more often than any other is: "This is a subjective business." And I'll admit, sometimes it gets really hard to hear. When the rejections are pouring in, one after another, and you think you'll never find anyone to love the manuscript you've worked so hard to write, it's easier to think "There must be something wrong with me" than "I simply haven't found the right agent/editor for this manuscript." 

That fear and negativity is what caused me to give up far too soon on my first manuscript. After more than two years of fearful, timid querying, I let the rejections bring me down. I had a pile of no's, many of which were very encouraging (the rest were form rejections). But I convinced myself that all of the agents and editors who took the time to write encouraging, personalized rejections were just being nice. Because obviously, if there was so much to like in my manuscript, it would have been snatched up on the first round of queries, right? (Just so you know, agents and editors don't take the time to write encouraging letters of rejection to praise your writing if they don't mean it. Not because they don't want to be nice, but because they simply don't have time to do so with hundreds of queries filling their inboxes every day.)

Of course, we all know that giving up on my first manuscript led to the writing of my soon-to-be-published debut novel, TWELVE STEPS (coming 25 March 2014), so there's a happy ending to my story. But I recently finished reading a book that got me thinking about the subjective nature of reading all over again.

There's a book (no, I won't name titles, so don't ask) that all of my friends and acquaintances are reading and gushing over right now, all over the Internet. And the concept sounded intriguing to me, so even though I personally didn't care for the first title by this author, I picked up this new book and started reading. And it was okay. The idea behind the book was truly fascinating, and I liked most of the characters. There were even a few lines that made me smile all day long after reading them. There was enough to like about this book that, usually, I'd be recommending it to everyone, even though I wasn't 100% in love with it. (There were a couple of characters I didn't care for at all and some plot points that felt a little thin to me, but not enough to draw an "I hate this book!" out of me.) I enjoyed the book. Really. It was well-written and thought-provoking.

But I won't be recommending it to anyone, no matter how well-written it was. And the reason for my reluctance to recommend is entirely subjective and totally personal. Basically, it boils down to the language. This book was so full of profanity that I was seriously uncomfortable reading it. 

Now, before you jump into the comments to yell at me for having a holier-than-thou attitude or something, please let me explain. Yes, I know that profanity is perfectly realistic. I am fully aware that kids hear a lot worse in the hallways at school every single day. And I know that many writers and readers believe that the only way to show the reality is to dive right into it, headfirst. If that's what you feel you have to do, I'm not going to tell you that you can't.

But when I read a book where the f-bomb lands several times in only a few pages, I'm saddened by the fact that this is a book I can't recommend to my kids. Not because I'm trying to censor what they're exposed to (believe me, I've spent enough time at the schools to know they're exposed to as much or worse every day), but because they judge me by the books I recommend. A few months ago, my teenage daughter picked up a book I had been reading, and after a few chapters she put it away again with a sad shake of her head. "I don't know how you can read things like this, Mom. I have to hear it all day long at school. When I read, I like to take a break from language like that." And two days ago, my youngest daughter came to me in tears because she'd just listened to the non-Radio-Disney version of her favorite song for the first time. "Mom, I thought Disney singers weren't supposed to swear." 

And my kids aren't the only young folks who like to take a break from the profanity of the world from time to time, by the way. I've had several of their friends complain to me about it too. Yes, they might be the minority, but these are the people who look to me most often for book recommendations. I can't disregard their trust by recommending books I know will make them uncomfortable.

Which is exactly my point. Reading is totally subjective. One agent may love your story and your characters, but the best friend or the love interest is too much like the boy who crushed her heart in high school, and your story brings up painful memories. Another may adore every single one of your characters and be totally in love with the voice of your story, but when he went backpacking through Europe for a semester in college, the international spies he encountered were nothing like those you've depicted, so the story doesn't feel entirely authentic to him. And that editor you met at a conference may have just signed a deal for a book that's so similar to yours it would cause unnecessary competition between titles on their list. You never know what personal circumstances might make your book one that an agent/editor would enjoy enough to read but not enough to gush over for months and years to come.

When the rejections pile high and you're tempted to get discouraged, it never hurts to take a second look at your manuscript. Maybe there's something you can do to make a character more likable or a situation more believable. Maybe there's still room for improvement. But maybe not. If you are happy with the story as-is, and your critique partners (yes, there should be more than one - and your family members and best friend don't count) all think your story is the best thing since sliced bread, then it's likely you simply haven't found the right agent or editor. Don't give up! You may be closer than you think.

My Sister's Gift to Me: A Lifetime Love of Reading

Me and my 3 sisters

I got a call from my older sister this evening. She's interviewing for a training job, and she asked me to write a letter of recommendation for her. This makes sense, as she's been teaching me all my life. 

One of my earliest memories is sitting on the couch with my sister (Carin), while she taught me how to read.

I was four years old, and I had a favorite book that I asked Carin to read to me over and over again. One afternoon, when she finished reading the book and I immediately asked her to read it again, Carin explained that if I learned to read to myself, I could have my favorite story any time.

She read the story to me one more time, pointing to each word as she read. At the end of each page, she had me repeat the story to her, again pointing to each word as I recited the familiar story. When simple words like “and” and “the” were repeated, she showed me that the word looked the same on the page every time it appeared.

I soon discovered that I could “read” my favorite book all by myself, but Carin didn’t stop there. She wanted me to be able to read all books, not just the one I had memorized. So she gathered a selection of her favorite books to continue my lessons. She opened the books, one-by-one, pointing out the words that I had memorized from my favorite book.

And when I was confident enough to pick out the words I already knew within the pages of any new book I tried, she took it one step further. Carin pointed out that, just as the words were the same, no matter which story I found them in, each letter and group of letters made the same sounds, no matter which word they belonged to. She worked with me to break down the familiar words until I could put them together again to read any book on our library shelf.

When I got frustrated with the process, Carin wouldn’t let me give up on myself. She simply pointed out the progress I’d already made and encouraged me to try again. When I complained that it would be easier and take less time if she just read the stories to me herself, she explained that, even though teaching me how to do it took more time than simply reading the book to me, if I learned how to read for myself, I would never have to wait for her or anyone else to have the time to read with me again.

Carin’s patient tutoring instilled in my heart a love of books that has shaped my entire life. And now (as you know), my first book is going to be published by Swoon Romance next year! 

Book Review: THE ART OF WISHING by Lindsay Ribar

THE ART OF WISHING by Lindsay Ribar is one of those rare books that I was waiting to read for months before it was actually published. I saw the blurb for it on Goodreads, and it caught my attention strongly enough to push it up toward the top of my "to read" list. So I was thrilled when a review copy arrived in the mail a day or two before the publication date. Of course, when you're anticipating a book like this, there's always the fear that it won't live up to your expectations. I'm happy to report that this one didn't disappoint.

Margo McKenna has a plan for everything. She knows exactly how she wants her senior year of high school to go, from getting the lead in the school play to getting accepted into the best colleges. When a genie grants a wish, derailing Margo’s plan, her orderly life falls apart. And when Margo suddenly finds herself in possession of the magical ring that gives its wearer control over the genie, she’s not so sure she wants to use her wishes. Even if the genie is someone as cute as Oliver Parish, the sophomore who is taking pictures of the play rehearsals for the yearbook.

As Margo and Oliver grow closer, she discovers that he’s being stalked by a man intent on destroying all genies, and only Margo can save Oliver’s life. But it will take more than just three wishes.

There were plenty of typical paranormal romance clichés sprinkled throughout the book, such as the instalove that sprouts between Margo and Oliver almost at first meeting. However, Ribar gives us a new twist on the three wishes tale, adding an element of mystery and intrigue with the murderous subplot. Girls who want a hint of romance, with a healthy dose of mystery and a few thrilling twists and turns will enjoy Margo’s story.



*Note (spoiler alert - stop reading now if you don't want me to tell you how it ends!!):

It's Apparent I'm A Parent

So my blog has been fairly neglected for the past week. I had plans to post a yummy Crock Pot Gourmet recipe last Thursday, and I had all sorts of thoughts and random nonsense to share with you... but sometimes life gets in the way of the best plans. As you know, my first priority is always my family. And this past week has been super busy on the Mom front. Blogging, writing and recipe creation had to take a back seat for a while.

 

What have I been doing instead?

 

I spent 2 afternoons taking my daughter to Alamosa Books (our favorite independent bookstore here in Albuquerque) with her friends, so that she could film the scenes she needed for her "movie trailer" video book report project. (She needed a "library" setting for the scenes, but the only days available for our filming were the days that the public library was closed. We're so grateful for the friendly staff at Alamosa Books who allowed us to pretend their bookstore was a library for a few hours!)

 

We spent one afternoon recording the sound files for the video, and locating some royalty-free music we could use for it as well.

 

I spent one evening teaching my son and his scout troop to sew the bags they need for a week-long Trek this summer.

 

I spent one afternoon/evening (continuing late into the early morning) helping my daughter navigate through technical difficulties with the video-editing software as she put her presentation together.

 

I took time to attend an awards ceremony with my son, as he was recognized for his academic achievements this year.

 

And I entertained a houseful of little girls overnight, as we celebrated my youngest daughter's birthday with a pizza, movies & makeovers slumber party. (Complete with homemade build-your-own pizzas

 

and my failed attempt at making an ice cream cake - it was supposed to be a giant cupcake, but I couldn't get the cake to come out of the pan.)

I even got to visit my oldest daughter's class when she presented her book report and the video for the LIBRARY JUMPERS project, and she told me I could post a clip here.

 

It's been a crazy, busy week, and I'm exhausted. But I don't regret a moment of the time spent with my family.

 

And I'm slowly getting back on schedule, but first I think I'll take a nap!

 

 

Update: I found out that I'm one of the lucky 150 to make it into the blog hop round of The Writer's Voice competition, so the Crock Pot Gourmet recipe I had planned for today will be posted on Saturday instead. Thanks for being so patient with me! :)