Friday, September 24, 2010

Welcome Home Mr. Finn -- my new love


Mr. Finn is a blue crowntail betta fish with a single ray extensions fin type. They say he is a fighter fish but when I saw him inside that small cup in the store, I thought of him more of the friendly side.

His dominating blue color with a shade of black around his upturned mouth, his sky blue pectoral fin that nicely flaps when he moves, a bright red pelvic fin, a light shade of pink on his scales and partly on his tail when widely spread are what attracted my attention the first time I saw him.


On his first day he went around the acquarium as if looking for some familiarity and kept on circling around the decorations. The first time I fed him with tropical flakes, he just stared at them, ignored them, then moved on, like he really enjoyed showing off his smooth aquatic abilites. It wasn't easy to take a picture of him too!


I placed a statue of a lady and few figurines behind the aquarium for fun with hopes to entertain Mr. Finn. Look, he couldn't help himself necking that lady!


I am still observing his every moves and praying that he would survive under his new owner (hey, that's me). I plan to make him a baseball fan -- a Yankee fan he is.


So stay tuned for more pictures and notes about Mr. Finn @ my bisdak notes blog.

~

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Titan Stories (The Lone Sisters Adventures Series)

UNDER HER SKIN (Book 1)

Lexi Titan – the eldest of the Titan sisters, is faced with exactly thirty days to come up with two million dollars, or she is out of options. Either she marry Cruz Rodriguez or lose everything – the successful day spa she built herself, her tyrant of a father’s respect, and the long- standing competition with her sisters for the family business.

Cruz has money, success, smoldering good looks – everything but the blue blood needed to become a true member of Texas society. If Lexi agrees to be his fiancĂ©e for six months, lending him her famous father’s influence and connections, he’ll hand her a check on the spot. And in six months they’ll go their separate ways.

LIP SERVICE (Book 2)

Skye Titan’s wealthy father thinks he can still dictate his daughter’s choice in men. Now widowed and a single mother, Skye isn’t the yes-girl she once was. Especially since the love of her life is back in Texas after eight long years. He won’t like the answers to the questions he’s asking. About why she left him at the altar. And about her eight-year-old daughter.

Former Navy SEAL Mitch Cassidy comes home to find nearly everything different. His wounds from the battle have changed the way people treat him. His cattle ranch is suddenly organic. But time hasn’t touched his desire for Skye – or the sting of her betrayal. Forget lip service. He’s asking that luscious mouth of hers to reveal the truth.

STRAIGHT FROM THE HIP (Book 3)

Izzy has always been the fearless Titan sister and the youngest of the three. But when an oil rig blows up, leaving her barely able to see, her sisters find themselves as concerned by her emotional withdrawal as by the possibility that the explosion was no accident. Are the mind games their long-lost brother Garth has been playing turning physical? Or is someone else out to get them?

When her sisters enroll her in a survivor training camp, Izzy is not happy. Nick, her instructor, is determined that she won’t be left in the dark. In more ways than one. But if he tells her the terrible truth behind why he’s helping her, he’ll never see her again. Unless they’re both willing to take the biggest risk of all.


HOT ON HER HEELS (Book 4)

Dana Birch vowed never to put herself at the mercy of a powerful man. She became a deputy so that she could take care of herself and protect those she loves. Especially her best friends, the Titan sisters.

Twenty years ago, Garth Duncan swore revenge on Jed Titan for abandoning Garth and his mother. Now he’s back to fulfill that promise, even if Jed’s daughters get caught in the crosshairs. All that stands between him and his goal is Dana, her gun and a growing passion that can’t be denied.




MY THOUGHTS:

Book 1: An arranged relationship between the hero and the heroine to solve a specific problem is a known story for Harlequin novels. But this book is beyond that. It also deals with relationship between father and daughter as well as between sisters, the courage to survive in the midst of rivalry, emotional journey, and the importance of friendship. The opening chapter deals directly with the current issue and that intrigues me. The author shows not only the power of love between two strangers, but also paints a beginning for an entertaining series. She also builds the character of Skye in preparation for book 2.

Book 2: In this book, Skye’s character feels weak for me, although the story of Mitch is more interesting, knowing he comes home with physical injury and faces Skye, the love of his life and her daughter. There are some detailed hot scenes in few interesting places. Not really my favorite book, but the ending is enough to my satisfaction.

Book 3: I love Izzy’s character. She’s fearless and stubborn and she fights with Nick. Nick’s character is also very interesting. He has a dark secret from the past that connects with Garth and that in itself hooks my attention. But there is more to the back and forth stubborn fight between the hero and the heroine. I love how the author portrays Izzy’s character in the midst of her disability and the courage to face life’s reality. The story is very encouraging and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be inspired, anyone who’s losing confidence in life, or to anyone curious enough to read about surviving from losing sight.

Book 4: I had a hard time starting this book because of Garth. Since book 1, the ugly side of Garth was established, going against the Titan family. But I was glad I continued reading because the story did not disappoint me. I learned to like Garth after knowing more about his past and about his mother. I learned to accept Garth after hearing his voice through the magical words painted by the author. I learned to accept that Garth isn’t that evil after all, if you’d only give him the chance to be part of the family and to show him what it’s like to love and to be loved. I also enjoy Dana’s character. Although there were times the narration and dialogue became repetitive, I still love her attitude and her strength toward the sisters and toward Garth. The love scenes were hot and enjoyable; the choices of words the author used were melodious. After reading this book, I became a 100% fan of Susan Mallery.

In Summary: I enjoyed each of the books in the series and I will not hesitate to read another novel by Mallery. These were first reads for me from the author and surely not the last.

Most of all, I give my thanks to Hilcia from Impressions of a Reader blog  for sharing me these wonderful books (and two others I haven't read yet), and showing me that there are more authors I’d surely enjoy (besides NR). Thanks again.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare and Friday 56 Entry

Ever the bold adventures, Lucy Waltham has decided to go hunting for a husband. But first she needs some target practice. So she turns to her brother's best friend, Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall, to hone her seductive wiles on him before setting her sights on another man. But her practice kisses spark a smoldering passion – one that could send all her plans up in smoke.

Jeremy has an influential title, a vast fortune, and a painful past full of long-buried secrets. He keeps a safe distance from his own emotions, but to distract Lucy from her reckless scheming he must give his passions free rein. Their sensual battle of wills is as maddening as it is delicious, but the longer he succeeds in managing the headstrong temptress, the closer Jeremy comes to losing control. When scandal breaks, can he bring himself to abandon Lucy to her ruin? Or will he risk his heart, and claim her for his own?




MY THOUGHTS:

Tessa Dare's Goddess of the hunt is a first for me and I wasn't sure what to expect the first time I flip the page. I'm not used to reading historical and so I am mostly curious about certain aspects of the writing style and voice as well as the setting and pacing of the story.

Well, my time is not wasted. This novel is enjoyable and romantic. I simply adore the characters, specially Lucy and Jeremy. The romance between the hero and heroine creeps through my mind as I close my eyes to sleep. Scenes are unforgettably wild and funny at times. Lust and seductive? Yes, but there is more to it than that. It shows that you cannot dictate your heart to acquire happiness and contentment, no matter how much you fight against it. And love conquers in many ways. This novel simply shows a story of unexpected love and the emotional battle to fight against it, only to find love in each others arms.

The writing is exquisite and the plot is interesting, enough to keep me going from one chapter to the next.

When I read certain novels, I can't help but compare certain characters. I think of Jeremy as Hugh Jackman from the movie “Kate and Leopold”, with his aristocratic feature, sexy but powerful voice. Tessa Dare creates such believable characters that anyone can relate and cherish. Both Jeremy and Lucy are not perfect at all and that makes them intriguing. They both have weaknesses and personal daemons to fight with. They are funny and annoying and lovable and hateful. They fail and they conquer. They cry and laugh. They make me fall in love and feel the wanting, the craving, the needing – a web of emotions all tangled in one story.

I dare you to read this novel!
Thanks to Christine from The happily ever after blog, for lending me this book. I look forward to reading more of this genre.


SOURCE: Paperback, borrowed
RELEASE DATE: August, 2009


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I am also including this post for my Friday 56 entry today from Tonya's blog. Kinda like killing two birds with one stone ;-).

Here's the rule:

* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


Below is the fifth sentence from Page 56 of Goddess of the Hunt novel:

She reached toward the chessboard, and he caught her hand in his.

Ahem. That's very romantic, isn't it? I know -- I'm romantic at heart in it's simplest form. Really, you've got to believe me!

~