Can You Take the Heat?

When I closed my review about the Bold & Creamy Jalapeno Sauce from Taco Bell, I said that I thought they could really kick it up a notch. I didn’t know about Bold and Creamy Spicy Ranchero. The heat lingers just a  bit longer in the mouth than the Jalapeno and Chipotle sauces. It never becomes too intense or makes you regret putting a little extra on your tacos, or wraps. Rest assured, that if you run out they will just make more. So go ahead, be bold, put on a little extra. Your taste buds with thank you and your stomach won’t regret it.

This pale orange sauce is about the color of good Thousand Island Dressing. But trust me when I tell you, if you put this on someone’s salad by mistake, they are going to sit up and take notice. It’s the right combination of spicy and creamy and a bottle of this stuff doesn’t last long at my house. It goes on our breakfast wraps in the morning and I am always dreaming up new ways to use it. If you like spicy you definitely want to give this one a try. 

Heat Up Your Fall!

It’s no secret that I like spicy food. When I reviewed Taco Bell’s Home Originals Bold & Creamy Jalapeno Sauce a little while back, I noticed two little words on the label that really got me hopeful: Home Originals. Will there be more flavors in this line?
Yes! Bold and Creamy Chipotle sauce is even more flavorful. Chipotle peppers are fiery chili pepper made by smoking jalapeno peppers. The smokiness adds a depth that’s just hard to beat. If you like creamy hot sauces, you will love this on all those fall meals: tail gate parties, hot dogs, fries, rice and grilled veggies. It's zippy with out being overwhelming and tasty without being  tongue numbing. As always, it's great on all you Mexican food faves. I know this will be a stock item in my fridge.
click here to order

How Strong is Your Protection?

Being on the web without antivirus protection, is like a boy making love

to his girlfriend without contraception and hoping she doesn’t get pregnant.
There are a lots of programs to choose from, and if you’re like most people, you want a good value for your hard-earned money.

You also might want to use something that isn’t always reminding you it’s there, with annoying pop up windows, daily alerts and usage messages. All I really want is safe passage while I surf the web with out needless software distractions. Something that won’t bog down my computer, and doesn’t get in the way. But you also want a name that’s been tried and true, or at least has a good reputation. And I feel I found that value and reputation in Trend Micro Titanium. The 2012 version is just now hitting the shelves.
I first installed the program on a computer at work and it got conflicted with the primary program that we use there. It slowed the computer down and my boss requested that I remove it.

I was not dissuaded from using it on my personal net book at home. You may wonder how I got the disc to load on a net book without a CD driver. It’s easy. Go to their site, and start the download. When the window pops open asking you what version you are down loading, say paid and type in the key code on you disc. I had it installed and ready to run in under three minutes.
With the maximum-security protection, you can extend your protection to smart phones and tablets, including Android devices. It came with a disc for a Mac and a pc (I don’t have a Mac) with a Quick Start Guide and a 30-day money back guarantee.

I used my net book with out any hassles, and no more usage popup screens. It ran easily on my net book and didn’t slow anything up in the least. Although I’ve only been using a few weeks I utilize lots of wi-fi hotspots and will be putting this program through the paces. So far, I am happy with it and would recommend it to my friends for their net books and PC’s.

Mocktail Hour? It's Appletini Time!

I have been a fan of Crystal Light products for years. The mocktail line provides another tasty treat to delight your tastebuds.Everyone I shared it with thought it was delicious and made an impressive mocktail.
This vibrant green, pleasantly apple-flavored drink dissolves quickly and easily in water and can be ready to party in under five minutes. Once your friends try it you'll be lucky if a pitcher of it lasts that long.

Let This Pro Dryer Blow You Away

I was tired of my hairstyle and went to an expensive salon to get a new cut: Something fresh and hip. While the stylist cut, thinned and trimmed, she graciously explained to me how to get the most volume by using a blow dryer. A what? I gave up my hair styling practices when I moved to a climate that caused my hair to rebel. It lays on my head like 3 day old road kill.

Maybe, it was time to try again. That's when I saw Volume Boost, Infiniti Pro by Conair. I am not particularly patient, and with 1875 Watts of power, which for me, means quick-dry. Pro means without ruining it.

The handle was easy to grip and the dryer itself felt balanced in the hand. It seemed a little ungainly
At first, but with a little practice, it seemed pretty comfortable.

With in minutes, my hair is dry with enough body to keep me fantastic-looking through most of my workday. It's hot enough to dry thick or coarse hair, and gentle enough not to fry fine locks. The cold shot button took a few seconds to chill, but it worked. The dryer has two switches that control heat and airflow. It has something else: a removable filter. Which means that you can clean all that lint off the back of the unit and prevent premature burnout.
It comes with two attachments: one a volumizing pic with fingers and a shield for directed air flow to the roots where the hair must be dried (upside down is easiest) to give lift, and a concentrator for focused styling. I love it. It included an instruction and styling guide, and a four year warranty.

Little plusses: there's a soft plastic loop to hang the dryer, and a ground fault circuit interrupt plug with a reset button. The attachments lock in place and can be switched out or rotated with the pinch buttons on either side of the nozzle. It `s packed with good value and for the price, well made, sturdy and should last for many years to come.

Become a WORD HERO

Available on Amazon October 4th!  I originally had intended to keep this book on the down low, as my secret weapon. And after I and my words had become famous, gone viral or I was rolling in the deep, I would give a nod to Jay Heinrichs and his book WORD HERO and thank him for producing such a brilliant book that equipped me with an enormous advantage every time I sat down to write. Once I began reading it and studying the process, I knew I couldn’t keep it all to myself.
Jay breaks his guide into 5 parts: Word Apprentice, Word Novice, Word Artist, Word Wizard and Word Hero. Part one begins with relatively easy exercises, explanations and examples. Sound layers, word play and the invention of words. Inside you will find tons of tropes (and an explanation) stupendous similes and harmonic homonyms. From analogies to Yogisms, this book is a treasure trove of higher wisdom and esily learned tricks for those who love words.
 The lessons were thought provoking and refreshing. If you haven't been trained to think in this way, you might fine his exercises at the last part of each chapter fun, delivering unexpected results. With our writer’s retreat coming up. these chapters would be great writing prompts to jump start writing processes, or inspire on breaks.
I will be recommending WORD HERO to all my writing friends.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

An Unlikely Trio

When I was a little kid, I used to secretly think my dad was a spy. He tromped off every morning with a silver lunch pail for a place called work. It didn’t take me long to realize, my dad was just a working Joe trying to earn a living and support his ever growing family. Ian Morgan Cron’s title grabbed me right away.

 There are some memoirs that read like school book reports and are as dull and as 25 year old house paint, and then there are refreshing, literary chronicles like Cron’s. Imagine if Lee Child wrote a memoir with the bold-faced honesty of Marr Carr. His unique metaphors will be stolen by writers for years to come. He writes about his infatuation with the rituals of the Catholic Church so vividly, I could smell the incense, see the stained glass and feel my knees hurting.
He writes about the anguish of enduring his father’s alcoholism with biting clarity that will sear your eyes. Ian’s brilliant account is both tragic and insightful. A must-read for anyone trying to walk the razor-thin edge of faith and fate.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita

“La vita e bella, life is beautiful and the most amazing wonders of this world often hide in the simplest things.” This opening sentence  neatly explains what Chique Secrets of Dolce Vita by Barbara Conelli, is about. As I read it, I felt as if I had wandered into the middle of a coffee break listening to a friend telling me the story of a strange, new, magical land. Every chapter presented little golden nuggets of where to go in the alluring fashion capital of Italy, Milan.   

This is a book written by a woman, for women who don’t mind having a companion around but aren’t afraid to fly solo. Barbara Conelli describes each town in vivid detail, with humor and passion. She describes towns and villages, drinks and dinners carefully casting you into an Italian story where you are the adventure tourist. Black and white illustrations punctuate each chapter, the style reminiscent of fashion designers.

Each chapter evokes images of the old country, the calm easy-going life style of Milanese women. The street cafes, the colorful, fragrant flowers, the savory meals sound enticing enough for me to think about an all girl vacation in Milan. The food she described made my mouth water and the tidbits of history gave each location a distinct and separate personality. The way she raves about the people, it sounds like she’s known them all her life. Barbara invites you to a feast for the senses, body, mind and soul.

Check in to this book if you want to have a sweet experience. She invites you to go where charming people are waiting to address your every need and pamper you with their offerings. Whether you’re into camping or dancing, galleries or bakeries, vineyards or yachting, Barbara Canelli  shares her secrets on a place of interest for you.

LIVE! From Your Computer to the World

Recently, a friend of mine asked me if I'd ever used Skype. At that point, I hadn't and didn't have much of an interest in being on camera. I think of myself as less than photogenic. My friend only lived across town, we could pick up the phone at any time. We didn't, and he isn't much on text messages either.

When I stumbled upon  LIVE! CAM, I thought, why not? The webcams on most computers and laptops are adequate for Skype, but I managed to get a laptop that didn't have one.  Truth is, I have relatives all over the country in different time zones and I rarely ever call any of them. LIVE! CAM came with a bit of software that allows users to easily share recorded videos on Facebook and YouTube all in HD quality.  Movie Creator, Touch Screen ready, and Visual/Voice affects, and you can create an avatar or add backgrounds to your video calls (I may surprise them with next time.)

If you have at least a dual-core processor, 2GB RAM, you will be able to video chat in HD 720p quality with most major instant messaging services. I decided to test it on Skype, but have plans to check into YouTube soon.

Installing the webcam was easy, I just followed the instructions as they came up on the monitor. Although the adjustable bracket seems to have been designed for a specific model of computer monitor, I secured it to mine with a little electrical tape. The wide-angle lens delivers amazingly clear image quality and, according to the box, captures 25% more in the frame. Even in low- light, my image is bright.

My friend commented on the microphone (extremely sensitive let him hear dogs barking in the neighborhood) and we couldn't get over the image quality. With one little lamp in the room, my image looked highly illuminated. He, on the other hand, had a lamp on right next to him and still looked like he was Skyping by firelight in a cave.

I move around a lot when I talk and gesture with my hands and every so often the camera would seem to blur. And then, the image would sharpen automatically. It took a few seconds for it to adjust, but the image became crystal clear. With a click of the button, you can also take stills.
While, I consider the many ways I can make use of this camera and software package, my friend is so impressed, he's going to get one too.

L.A. Mental

Seemingly unrelated events would have gone right by Dr. Thomas Crandall if he hadn't received a phone call from his party boy brother, Nick, in the middle of the night. Tom rushes to his aid but Nick is acting more than just a little strange. Soon Tom finds himself in the middle of a bizarre scuffle with Nick who is alternately angry and rubbing his head.
"There are worms eating my brain!" he says, then drops like a stone. Tom has to find a way to save Nick from whatever is going on in his head.
Tom finds some evidence of drugs, but the test results he gets back are not what he expected. His concern takes him back to his family and soon he realizes everyone of them has a little secret.
His brother Paul had allowed a film crew to build a strange looking set on one of their properties, with an odd scientist turned movie producer and a company called Parallax. When one of the actresses takes a liking to Tom, he wonders how all the pieces fit together.

This exciting story has been one of my best summer reads. Neil McMahon has co-authored with the prolific James Patterson and this novel has all the makings of a number one best seller. It had me guessing every inch of the way to its surprising conclusion. If you enjoy thrilles you will enjoy this up and coming author. And if you're like me, you will be waiting anxiously for his next novel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Amazon Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Confused to Clear in 60 Minutes

I had invested in a software program called Final Draft about four years ago. It seemed to be somewhat of an industry standard, or so I thought when I got it. It did what I needed it to do. Having never produced an actual film with it, I didn't really know what others thought of it.
When I joined a film makers group, they were ga-ga over Celtx (pronounced Kel-tx) the attractiveness of it that it could be downloaded off the Internet for free and several people were already familiar with it.

I didn't like the idea of having purchased software I wasn't going to be using, but promised I would learn it and switch. I continued writing scripts in FD while minimally dabbling in Celtx. In fact, I had gone so far as to download it, look around, get intimidated and re-open Final Draft. Then, I found Mastering Celtx The Official Guide written by Terry Borst. It seemed to be the needed nudge toward keeping my promise.

The Official Guide is over 300 pages, laid out like a course book, with images of what your computer screen should look like as he takes you step by step thought each feature of the program. I decided to go with it and popped open a window and followed along. It was straight forward and easy to work with.
They explained how to import a screenplay from Final Draft, which I tried. I imported a text document and a text with formatting document. The straight text version imported a lump of text that needed to be untangled line by line. The latter turned out to be the better choice. The first half-page needed to be tweaked to fit the formatting, but amazingly, the rest of it fell right into place. The smoothest import I've experienced so far.

This book is going to become part of my permanent library of reference material and I highly recommend this book if you are using this program. It is clear, concise and I wouldn't be with out it. I went from not understanding too much of the program to complete understanding in less than an hour. Well done, Terry!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the AmazonVine program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Belkin 7-Port Powered Desktop Hub

Dilemma: You have 2 USB ports and five pieces of equipment that need them, simultaneously.  You need to transfer data between them, and would like to have access to all of them at the same time.

Solution: The Belkin 7-Port Powered Hub. It comes with a power adapter and the USB 2.0 cable and the hub. All of the components are compact, and fit right in my computer bag.

We had planned a vacation and were able to download photos from the camera, upload music from the net into the cell phone and the MP3player, store all of it on a data stick easily and interchangeably on the screen. Although it didn’t charge my cell phone, it did charge the MP3 player and a solar charger that we use as a backup energy source if the charge runs low on cell phones or music players.

Even though my current laptop has three USB ports, one is always plugged with the power booster. Additionally, I’m considering something much more portable like a net book, and with extra ports available simultaneously, it will make the transition less painful.

The hub design is slim and sturdy. It doesn’t need a light, but I thought it might be nice to have one so you know it’s working. I notice that all the jump drives,  and power cords have them now.

But the speed at which we were able to complete our downloads and uploads made writing on the go that much easier. I will be recommending it to my friends and making sure they don't snag mine!

You Were Born For This

Maybe you’ve read The Prayer of Jabez and Secrets of the Vine. I like Bruce Wilkinson easy to follow approach and his accessible perspective. Certain books of his seem to appear at the times in my life when I start thinking, is this all there is? You Were Born for This is that book.
Have you been missing signals from Heaven? How would you like to learn the 7 keys to a life filled with predictable miracles?
Maybe you’ve been the recipient of a miracle. Someone you didn’t know, reawakened a dream? Gave you financial provision when you needed it most? Helped you forgive so you could be set free from torment?
I have to admit, that the role of Miracle Deliverer is one that I never would have imagined that I was born for. Would you like to tune into God’s plan and do more of it? This book will show you how to read the signals that God is sending and lead you step by step to delivering a miracle that will be life changing.
The book is important more now than ever. Almost everyone is looking for a leg up, encouragement, financial provision or a touch from God. You will learn how to know who is in need of a miracle, and the kind of miracle God wants to deliver. In you, there is a divine calling to be the miracle deliverer, too. I challenge you to pick up a copy of this book and see if it doesn’t change your perspective, and the world, one person at a time.




For more about this go to http://www.youwerebornforthis.com/


An electronic copy of this book was provided to me by Eidelweiss Above the Tree Line in exchange for my  honest opinion.

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