Blue moon upcoming and black bean brownies

Not only is tomorrow's moon a full moon, it is a Blue Moon! A coworker suggested to do something ONLY on a Blue Moon, on every Blue Moon. I haven't decided what that will be yet. Why is this moon called a Blue Moon? A Blue Moon occurs when there are two full moons in a month, such as this month of July. No, the moon doesn't change color, although I saw an article on Citylab.com that says otherwise. "[This Blue Moon] might subtly look blue in parts of the world. That’s because tiny particles from an unusually active fire season are flooding the atmosphere, and potentially scattering red light to give the moon the impression of a floating blueberry." Interesting. Here's the article. Either way, I love the moon, especially when it's full. The only downside about full moons is that, prior to screwing with my body's clock, my cycle usually falls right into line with the full moon. I still get hormonal and have chocolate cravings around the full moon, even without a cycle. (I do have one, it's just a 3-month schedule now. Endometriosis blows.)

Speaking of chocolate, tonight I decided I wanted, no, needed to make brownies. I spoke with someone at work today about black bean brownies and the idea stayed in my head, so I did some searching for recipes on Pinterest (Here is a link to my Pinterest account if you would like to follow me. I pin a lot of animals and gf recipes!). I found hundreds of recipes, skimmed a few, and settled on this one: Essential Recipe: Black Bean Brownies. I chose not to use any essential oils and added Heath chips along with the chocolate chips on top. This is grain-free and gluten-free, easily adaptable for dairy-free too. I subbed honey for organic maple syrup since I am out of honey (gotta get some local stuff!). I used Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips since I have about 18 bags (no joke-I won a contest). These turned out ooey, gooey, and scrumptious, although a little crumbly. I wonder how I can fix that...Any suggestions? Anyway YOU should try them! 

Don't these look tasty?!

I've been a bit busy this week with working every day and still kind of recuperating from my procedure. I haven't even gotten to the review for the book I just finished! But I will, I promise! Check back soon.

Oh and head over to my new Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TheCynikalKat and like me! Thanks folks! love love love

best pb & j in ages

I just gotta tell you, this morning I had the best peanut butter & jelly sandwich I have had in years. Why you ask? I used Schar's new white bread, Artisan Baker White Bread, and just my normal organic peanut butter and home-made (by a friend) jam. Oh man it was so good! Their new bread is soft, light, and airy. This is definitely my new favorite bread. Schar did a seriously good job this time. If you have tried their bread in the past and found it unfavorable, please try it again.
http://www.schar.com/en-us/products/us-bread/artisan-baker-white-bread

Once again, I am NOT being paid for this or am I affiliated with Schar in anyway. This is seriously good bread.

Dinner of samples: Buddha Bread and penne from Schar

At the GF &AF Expo in Worcester I received 2 sample bags of Bonta d' Italia penne from Schar and a bag of Buddha Bread from Bread Empire.  Tonight I figured I'd give them a try.

Buddha Bread is a Brazilian style cheese bread which is supeeeeer easy to make (400*, no preheating, bake for 15-20 minutes, done!) and very yummy. Lots of "mmmm mmmmms" from me as I ate it. I even had the gluten-eater try it and he thought it was good too. I paired it with the  Schar pasta, some pasta sauce (sorry, not home-made), Parmesan cheese, and Aidell's Italian Style chicken sausages, and frozen spinach. Voila, dinner! I am still needing iron (from a procedure last week) so the spinach definitely helped.

The Schar penne pasta cooked up easily and al dente just the way I like it. It doesn't have that odd taste that some corn products seem to get, although it is made with corn, millet flour, and rice flour. These are quite similar to (what I remember) gluten-containing noodles to be. Folks, I may have found a new pasta to keep in the house!

**FYI the Buddha bread does have milk & eggs in it, thus it is NOT dairy free.
**Schar penne may contain soy, according to their product page.

Schar pasta you can find in most grocery stores. I know my local Shaw's and Stop & Shop both have them, as well as the independent stores nearby. On-line of course at: Schar's product page.

Buddha Bread is a bit harder to find. According to their website it's located:

• Foodies Market of South Boston –Boston, MA
• Cornucopia Foods –Northampton, MA
• Palmers Market –Darien, CT
• Sunny Bridge Natural Foods –Pittsburg, PA
• Honest Weight Food Coop –Albany, NY
• Niskayuna Coop –Niskayuna, NY
• Moorfield's Green Grocer –Clifton Park, NY
• Nature's Pantry –New Windsor, NY
• Nature's Pantry –Fishkill, NY
• Thyme & Season –Hamden, CT
• The Common Bond Market –Shelton, CT
• G-Free NYC – Manhattan, NY
• Westerly Natural Market –Manhattan, NY
• Westside Market –Manhattan, NY

and of course, on-line: http://www.bread-empire.com/collections/buddha-bread On their website you can order the Original, which is what I have, for $39.80 for 4 (6)-packs. Also according to their website, they will be introducing Buddha Bread-Guava and BB-Garlic in 2015. I will be looking forward to the Garlic version. Buddha Bread by Bread Empire

Dinner-all gluten free!

I hope you have enjoyed this blog and my foray into gluten-free blogging.
***I was not paid for this, nor am I affiliated with any of the aforementioned companies.

Book blast "Resistance" by Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons

Book Info-

Title- Resistance

Series-  Dolan Prophecies Series #1

By- Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons

Genre- New Adult Dark Fantasy/Dystopian

Publication Date- July 27th, 2015

Blurb-

The year 2102--the world as it was no longer exists. Ravaged by nuclear war and polluted almost to the point of no return, Earth was dying. When the faeries came and brought their healing magic, humanity was grateful at first. Centuries of damage repaired in just five years, and during the course of that rehabilitation, they invaded. Quietly overthrown, the human race is now enslaved. The majority doesn’t even realize they have no free will. Branded, herded and kept only to further the agendas of the Fae Courts, humanity could be facing extinction.

But a resistance is coming…

Fianna Dolan has spent her entire young life preparing herself for an uprising against the Fae. One scorching summer night Fi's parents leave and never return. Thrust into a position of power she never expected, Fi struggles with her new position and the responsibility it entails. When a secretive fae man known only as Flint breaches the city’s defenses claiming he can help, Fi begins to doubt everything she's ever considered truth. As betrayals and deception come to light, will Fi want the answers she’s been seeking, or will trusting Flint lead to her destruction?

Links-

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25841009-resistance

Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010IIZZ08

Smashwords- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/554758

Nook- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/resistance-melissa-simmons/1122237656?ean=2940150854710

Barnes & Noble-  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/resistance-allana-kephart/1122336452?ean=9781515029731

About the Authors-

Allana Kephart has been making things up and bending people to her will from a very young age.  She loves animals and reading and spends a large amount of time thinking up ways to torment her characters. She loves coffee and the color purple. She is the co-author of The Dolan Prophecies Series, Gumshoes & Grifters Series & Fractured Fairytale Standalone series with Melissa Simmons and has published two short stories on her own in the Best Thing I Never Had & Happily (N)ever After anthologies.

Melissa Simmons loves music, reading, her cat and her husband-not necessarily in that order, of course. She is obsessed with all things Disney, Supernatural (tv show) and comic book tv shows/ movies and doesn’t care who knows it. Her favorite superhero is Batman and she will defend his awesomeness to her last breath. When she isn’t writing and plotting, she loves to bake and spends her days helping other authors promote their work. She is the co-author of The Dolan Prophecies Series, Gumshoes & Grifters Series & Fractured Fairytale Standalone series with Allana Kephart and has published a short story on her own in the Best Thing I Never Had anthology. She resides in upstate NY with her husband and their adorable cat.

Links-

Allana Kephart Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7376577.Allana_Kephart

Melissa Simmons Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1639094.Melissa_Simmons

Allana Kephart Amazon Page- http://www.amazon.com/Allana-Kephart/e/B00JOVDOF4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Melissa Simmons Amazon Page- http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Simmons/e/B00JOLW9J6

Blog- http://melandlanawrite.blogspot.com/

Author’s Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/MelandLanaWrite

Gumshoes & Grifters Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gumshoes-Grifters-Series/611871135602109

Dolan Prophecies Series Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dolan-Prophecies-Series/1379775358979379

Twitter- https://twitter.com/MelandLanaWrite

The Dolan Prophecies Series Blog- http://dolanpropheciesseries.blogspot.com/

Pinterest- http://www.pinterest.com/melandlanawrite/

Smashwords- https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MelandLanaWrite

Day after the GF & AF Expo

Well folks, I am exhausted. I had a wonderful time at the GF & AF Expo in Worcester at the DCU Center yesterday. However, I had a procedure on Thursday and may have pushed myself too far. Regardless I had a wonderful experience and today I will touch on that a bit.

Before that, I am trying to boost myself up a bit with Organize Yourself Skinny's Peanut Butter and Banana Green Smoothie. With a recipe of banana, kale (I used spinach), almond milk, Greek yogurt (I use Cabot french vanilla), peanut butter, and maple syrup. This is TASTY! Even my boyfriend who doesn't like greens said it tastes good. Here is the original post from Organize Yourself Skinny. I use a Hamilton Beach blender (Amazon link).

Back to the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo! I don't even know where to begin...
Okay. (sigh). I have to say that the DCU Center is easy to get to and parking was easy, but the parking garage doesn't make a lot of sense. The Center is perfect for big expos though. Unfortunately it was quite cold in there all day! Myself and the other bloggers went in @ 9:30 to meet each other. I found out that I need business cards! Oy vey! I wrote my blog address down for everyone and we all exchanged contact info. Then we checked in with Massel who was the blogger sponsor. We met Marc Migdal from Massel and he talked about their products.

Massel has been making gluten-free, vegan, and kosher bouillon cubes and seasonings for over 30 years. They have a dedicated gluten-free, vegan, kosher facility in Sydney, Australia. They have 4 categories of products:
1. 7's Bouillon cubes which retail about $.99. They come in vegetable, chicken, and beef. These are manufactured in vegetable base so they ARE VEGAN!
2. Ultracube salt-reduced bouillon, 10 cubes per box. Same flavors.
3. Concentrated liquid stock/marinade. Great for marinades, stir fries, salad dressings, and more.
4. All purpose bouillon and seasoning granules.
(I was not paid to write this by the way). I am going to look for these in my local Shaw's.
Massel's website is here and from there you can find them all over the net.

Then we broke and started doing our blogger thing. Wow, there were a lot of vendors! 

See? LOTS! Some of the big names like Udi's, Enjoy Life, Justine's, Cheerios, Earth Balance, Glutino, and many more! I was thrilled to see so many varieties and local vendors as well. I was a little overwhelmed at the sights, sounds, and smells of it all. but I talked to almost every single vendor.  So, as not to overwhelm you, I will give my readers a Top 5 Vendors List. Here we go, NOT in any order or rank:

1. Green Valley Organics. I spoke w/ a wonderful man who I think is named David (I am poor with names). They have a Certified Humane farm located in Sonoma County. They make lactose-free yogurt, kefirs, sour cream, and cream cheese. They had kefirs and cream cheeses at the Expo, though I only tried the Kefir, as I LOVE Kefir. I tasted the Blueberry Pomegranate Acai Kefir and oh boy was it delicious. I will be filling out the Store Request Form to encourage my local independent natural food store to carry it. http://greenvalleylactosefree.com/

2. Home Free. I had a great conversation with the rep about their products. I tasted the chocolate chip  mini cookies, lemon burst mini cookies, and the vanilla mini cookies. The Lemon Burst cookies are new and ooh yum. She encouraged me to try the vanilla cookies, said they tasted just like a Vanilla Wafer. "OH I miss those," I said. "Not any more," she said, handing me one. YES, goddess yes, THESE are the gluten free vanilla cookies I have been looking for! I will have to buy these in bulk... 

**FYI, they are changing the packaging of all their cookies from that sky blue color to multi-colors, which will make it easier to differentiate between each cookie type. 

http://www.homefreetreats.com/

3. Superseedz Gourmet Pumpkin Seeds. I met Seed Queen/Founder, Kathie and tried some of their fantastic pumpkin seeds. I enjoy seeds, especially sweet ones, and their new Maple Sugar & Sea Salt seeds are deliciously crunchy, sweet and salty. Yummy! But what I liked more than these was Coco Joe. Chocolate, vanilla, and seeds! YES please! I will be sharing these, rather reluctantly, with my bosses and encouraging them to buy these seeds. Kathie very graciously gave me a bag of Coco Joe seeds, which I will enjoy slowly as to make them last. Check Kathie and company out at http://superseedz.com/. Buy some, seriously. 

4. Downeast Cider. Of the 4 cider companies that were at this expo, this is my favorite, and that is even ABOVE Woodchuck, which I have been faithfully drinking for years. Downeast is made in their cidery on Terminal St. in Boston. I tried the Original Blend and Cranberry Blend. The Original Blend seemed to be missing something, or maybe I am used to Woodchuck and Angry Orchard, but the Cranberry Blend is scrumptious. I was happy to hear that Downeast Cider can be found here on Cape Cod, including Luke's! 

http://downeastcider.com/

5. Flatout flatbread now makes a gluten-free flatbread! They gave me one to try (and blog about later), which I am looking forward to eating. I miss flatbread, but hopefully not anymore.
http://www.flatoutbread.com/glutenfree

6. Otto's Naturals Cassavaflour. I met Sadie Olsen, the owner, and we chatted about cassava flour. This stuff is amazing! It's gluten, grain and nut free. It's grain-free because it is made from yuca root, imported from Brazil if I remember correctly. It can be used 1:1 substitute for wheat flour. Sadie was making tortillas and they were mmm mmm good. She generously gave bloggers a free 2 lb. bag of Cassava flour! I will be experimenting with it over the next few months. Check back later for that.
http://www.ottosnaturals.com/ There some great looking recipes on their website that I will explore. Brownies for one.

Keep an eye out on my blog as I will be writing more about EVERYTHING I received!

Folks, look at all this swag I got! This is just bag one!

So, my trip was superb, even though I exhausted myself. For more info on the GF & AF Expo, please visit http://gfafexpo.com/.
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Their next show is the NY Metro Show, Oct. 3-4 in Secaucus, NJ. More details here! They always need bloggers and volunteers so go check it out please!

Post-GF & AF Expo

WOW, I am SO exhausted. I'm sure that has nothing to do with getting up @ 6 am, driving to Worcester from Brewster, touring the expo, and then driving back. Oh man it was fantastic! I am still hyped up.

I got to meet some fantastic fellow bloggers who have their shit together WAY more than I do. They have business cards! So I have to get on that. We all connected via FB, Twitter, Instagram, etc. It is great to meet like-minded folks in person.

There were loads of fantastic vendors including big names like Schar, Cheerios, Way Better Snacks, Mike's (hard lemonade), and many many more. I came home with 2 BAGS OF SWAG and lots of incredible treats to blog about in the future. I am SO stoked. Can you tell? I am also exhausted...
so I am going to cuddle up with my bearded dragon and Netflix.

My Instagram account can be found here. I have most of the photos from today up there. I can be found on Twitter https://twitter.com/KTildes, and Facebook, however, this facebook acct is new: https://www.facebook.com/Thecynikalkat

Please follow my other sites and chcek back tomorrow for another GF & AF Expo post!

love love love :)

Gluten Free Allergy Friendly expo today!

I am here at the Gluten free and allergen friendly expo at the DCU Centre in Worcester. It is fabulous! I am having a blast meeting fellow bloggers, eating yummy Gluten free foods, taking photos and finding new foods! Much much more to come!
<3 kate="" nbsp="" p="">Twitter: @ktildes
Instagram @cynikalkat

Review of "If You Feel Too Much:Thoughts on Things Found and Lost and Hoped For"

So I finished this book a few days ago but I had a procedure done and needed a few days recovery. This is a really hard book to review. It's written by Jamie Tworkowski who is the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), a nonprofit organization I have been following and supporting for years. If you are not familiar with TWLOHA, you should be. Go to the TWLOHA website, learn, and get involved.  Their mission: "TWLOHA is a nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly into treatment and recovery."  Again, check out their website: http://twloha.com/.

Back to the book at hand. I pre-ordered it and anxiously awaited it, then it say on my shelves for a while. I was in school and the mind set was just not there yet. Then school ended and I started my onslaught on reading. As soon as I started reading this I knew I would need my journal. Everything and everyone involved in TWLOHA is amazingly profound and life-changing, even in the smallest ways. Jamie is too. This book is a memoir of sorts in which Jamie shares his experiences and life with the reader. He shares short stories and letters, such as a beautiful letter to his mother. He writes in the lowercase i which I find very interesting. His writing is very personal and intimate; you feel as if you know him and you can relate. Goddess knows I can relate. 

I must say that I underlined and dog-eared many pages in this book. There were a few stories that brought tears to my eyes. One caused me to write a journal entry, which I posted on here 2 posts back. And it reminded me that I wanted to look at my old Livejournal and start copying the posts down, to publish later, perhaps. 

I encouraged one of my best friends, who is a psychotherapist, to have a few copies in her office, as it could help some of her patients. She was excited that I was reading it and said its on her to be read list. I encourage EVERYONE to get this book, pass it on to your friends and family, even strangers. The theme is simple: love yourself, love others, remember you are NOT alone, and never give up. 

You can find Jamie on Twitter. He goes on tour a lot and the best place to find that information out is the TWLOHA website: http://twloha.com/events/. I'd love to see him speak one of these days. 

Also, there is a movie based on the story of TWLOHA. It's TWLOHA Movie. It can be found on Amazon here and wherever else you can buy DVDS/etc. 

"If You Feel Too Much" can be found:

On the TWLOHA STORE

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Indigo

I heavily encourage everyone to read this book. Trust me, you can relate. 

100th post! Also a GoFundMe campaign

This is my 100th post! Yay! Fireworks *pew pew BOOM* But the real reason for this post is I want to spread the word about a GoFundMe campaign I have started. My father, Gary, passed away almost 16 years ago, on August 1, 1999. My sisters and I scattered his ashes at our respective homes and then finally at Grey's Beach (aka Bass Hole) in Yarmouthport. This was a place my father took me to a lot and I love it as much as he did. I want to have a plank carved and placed in the boardwalk in honor of him. http://www.gofundme.com/Garytildes
Please feel free to share and donate if you can. Every little bit helps. Thank you.
Blessings and love, love, love.

Cover Revel of "The Secret of Strange Waters" by Kelly Hall

The Secret of Strange Waters

The Light Keeper Series # 2

By- Kelly Hall

Genre- YA Paranormal

Unfortunately for Lily Jordan, being a Light Keeper doesn't come with an instruction manual, but neither does being sixteen. While learning to use her powers, she’s confronted with unforeseen obstacles and forced to break her own rules in order to save her circle of friends.

With her mom’s wedding on the horizon, will misinterpreted visions create new enemies who could threaten Lily’s exposure? Will death and heartache ruin the big day? For Lily, the answers only lead to impossible decisions. Does she embrace her powers or abandon them for false normalcy?

Kelly Hall’s second book, The Secret of Strange Waters, proves paranormal powers aren’t always a blessing.

"If You Feel Too Much"

"If You Feel Too Much" is written by To Write Love On Her Arms founder Jamie Tworkowski. This is not a review as I am not finished with it yet. This is a few pages from physical journal. Warning: contains triggers.

7/15/15
I dont know when I stumbled upon TWLOHA,  but it helped me a lot. I was a cutter; hurt myself phyiscally to mirrow the pain inside. emotional pain ius a bitch. I can deal with physical pain; I feel it every single day. I can tolerate it and ignore it. Emotional pain siuts in teh chest, in teh brain, in the stomach and poisons you form inside. you need an outlet; mine was dragging scissors and blades across my wrists. I didnt want to die, I just wanted a release from the turmoil insiude. at one point I stopped but, even now at age 32 I still get the urge sometimes. Instead I run my fingers over my left wrist, where in permanent ink is written "hope faith love" which are reminders to have these, to be these, to remember. Now when people ask me about TWLOHA I tell them the story (of TWLOHA) and I show them the ink on my wrist.

**
I am currently on page 42. I am reading it slowly, absorbing it. If you would like to know more about To Write Love On Her Arms go to the organizations website: http://twloha.com/.  Jamie is currently on tour: http://twloha.com/events/.

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Review of Neil Gaiman's "Trigger Warning"

At long last is my review of Neil's "Trigger Warning". Sorry it has taken me so long. I got to see Neil and Amanda last week and that was fantastic. I wrote a blog about it: that blog entry is here.

For some reason I put off reading this book for a long time. Why would I, such an avid fan of Neil Gaiman, put off his most recent book?  I judged this book by its title and by some of the reviews on Goodreads. I thought it may be too much of a horror book for me. I thought it may be his nod to Stephen King and his ilk. I can safely tell you that neither is the case. This book is a collection of poetry and short stories, which are very Gaiman. Is there some horror? Definitely, but it is not any more terrifying than "Coraline" or other short stories of his. 5/5 stars for sure.

This book includes 24 pieces, if you do not count "Calendar of Tales" separately. His Introduction explains each work, which I read after reading the particular story. Some of these stories and/or characters are familiar. I actually saw him perform "July" from "Calendar of Tales" at the event on July 11th in Providence.

Here's a run down:
Making a Chair-simple poem about the writing process

A Lunar Labyrinth- I kept thinking about the movie "Pan's Labyrinth" while reading this this movie. This story was inspired by Gene Wolfe's "A Solar Labyrinth"

The Thing About Cassandra-I will not tell you about this one as I don't want to spoil the surprise. I loved this story.

Down to a Sunless Sea-inspired by Grand Guignol. Certainly an interesting story about the sea.

"The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains"-oh this one is good. Neil performed this at the Sydney Opera House with FourPlay and Eddie Campbell, as well as other places. It's about a dwarf, a local man, and supposed treasure in a cave in the Black Mountains.

My Last Landlady-This is one creepy story. It was written for the World Horror Convention in Brighton.

Adventure Story- This was supposed to be written for a radio show, but the producers didn't like it, so here it is. Neil writes "It's a sort of companion piece to my novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I think, in that respect [about death]."

Orange- An odd one about "something elses"

A Calendar of Tales- a story for every month. Fantastic. Neil asked questions, people answered, and he wrote stories about them. October Tale is my favorite.

The Case of Death and Honey-A Sherlock Holmes story that I must have read in another book.

The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury- definitely a tribute to the author's mentor. Fantastic read.

Jerusalem-This was commissioned by the BBC for William Blake week. I am not a big fan of Blake but I like this story.

Click-Clack the Rattlebag-if there is one true horror story in this collection, it is this one. A tribute to the scary stories of childhood.

"An Invocation of Incuriosity-inspired by Jack Vance. An adventure in time travel.

"And Weep, Like Alexander"- a tribute to Arthur C. Clarke Interesting story about why we don't have certain inventions.

Nothing O'Clock: Doctor Who. Enough said.

Diamonds and Pearls: A Fairy Tale-for Amanda.

The Return of the Thin White Duke- not my favorite. About Bowie.

Feminine Endings-a love letter and Amanda

Observing the Formalities- Maleficent narrating her side of the story

The Sleeper and the Spindle-An EXCELLENT Sleeping Beauty story.

Witch Work-a witch, a box, and limits of magic

In Relig Odhrain- poor Saint Columba and his demise

Black Dog-I love this story. We meet Shadow Moon again.

So, please go read this. This anthology is a great showcase of Gaiman's imagination and writing talents. This will also be posted on Goodreads.

Find the book: It's available in e-reader, paperback, hardcover, and audio in most places.
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Indigo

The illustrious Neil Gaiman can be found on-line in lots of places. He tours annually too, although that may be slowing down now that Amanda is pregnant and due very soon.
His website
Twitter
Facebook

His next book out is the Author's Preferred Text of Neverwhere. Read more here on his website.

On a heavy note...Ohio SC judge refuses to marry lesbian couple

From All Out: "A low level judge in Ohio has refused to marry two women because of “religious beliefs". This goes directly against the US Supreme Court's marriage equality ruling.

Worse still, now he’s actually asking Ohio’s Supreme Court to give him a free pass to legally discriminate! If they say yes, it might lead to thousands of gay and lesbian marriages being refused across the United States.

But we can stop this. Ohio’s Supreme Court is made up of elected judges. They’re deciding on this case right now – a huge outcry will show them we're watching to make sure they adhere to the highest court in the land, rather than bowing to one anti-gay judge.

Tell Ohio judges to uphold the Supreme Court's marriage ruling and stop discrimination against gay couples NOW."

This is NOT okay. Not at all. It is not okay for any state to deny citizens their legal rights, especially those that are FEDERALLY enabled. I was raised in Ohio and although this does not surprise me, as OH is a very controversial state but it does tend to lean Republican, I am appalled. Unfortunately OH is not the only state where it’s officials are doing this. He should lose his job, permanently, and be thrown in jail.

Please sign this! Here is the petition:please sign this petition

FYI-2 poly related books

The Husband Swap: A True Story of Unconventional Love 
by Louisa Leontiades et al. 

Link: http://amzn.com/B00V8RYY4C 

Lessons in Love and Life to My Younger Self: A Companion Guide to The Husband Swap
by Louisa Leontiades et al.
Link: http://amzn.com/B00W41HA7O 

They are BOTH FREE on Amazon for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. Otherwise they’re $4.99 for “Lessons in Love and Life to My Younger Self” and $7.99 for "The Husband Swap"

Go check them out! 

*If you have questions about polyamory, shoot me a message. 

I will soon review "Trigger Warning" by Neil Gaiman and "If You Feel Too Much" by TWLOHA founder Jamie Tworkowski. Stay tuned. 

Amanda Fing Palmer and Neil Gaiman

Saturday evening my s.o. and I went to see Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman at the Columbus Theatre in Providence, RI. We live on Cape Cod so it was an easy hour and half drive (I used to live in Providence so I am very familiar with it). We stopped at Trinity Brewhouse (their website), which I love, and had a good meal (fish & chips for s.o. and chili & chips for me). I love to get their Rhody Hard Cider as it's gluten free and DELICIOUS. Then we drove uptown to my old neighborhood (Federal Hill), found some parking, and stood in line to go in. The Columbus Theatre is a pretty cool space run by a collaborative who saved this awesome place in 2012. When I lived in Providence (until 2010) this place was condemned and I thought for sure it was going to be torn down, but, alas, the Columbus Collaborative stepped in and saved it. This place is beautiful, though it could use some painting but, honestly, this all adds to its charm.

I didn't get any pictures from inside, but a lot of other people did. THeir Instagram account. Go explore it. 

@amandapalmer in the #columbusphotobooth

A photo posted by Columbus Theatre (@columbustheatre) on Jul 12, 2015 at 7:27am PDT

The band that opened for her is PWR BTTM. They are pretty gaymazing (a quote from Ben, one of the members). Ben is tall and lanky and came out wearing an orange-reddish dress with some funky face make-up. Liv is more of an average guy height and was wearing a black dress. I wish I had a picture to show you. They were great. And I was super glad to hear that their parents were in the crowd. Way to support your kids! PWR BTTM has some great songs and a LOT of energy. They're great in concert. Their website is http://pwrbttm.bandcamp.com/. Also found on:

Facebook: Facebook page

Twitter

OH! here is a pic from that night! 

#Repost @pwrbttmband with @repostapp. ・・・ last night's look at @columbustheatre opening for @amandapalmer #pwrbttm #whoworeitbest

A photo posted by benjaminwalterhopkins (@benjaminwalterhopkins) on Jul 12, 2015 at 11:25am PDT

Then AFP came on and the crowd was SO excited. She is SO pregnant! 8 months or so. KUDOS to you AFP. She played the uke and the keyboard and sang her heart out. Neil Gaiman came out a few times, read some of his fantastic works, some which I had not read yet, and that was AMAZING. Amanda had to run off stage to pee and he read this fabulous story he had written before about the child not yet born. Oh it was heart-warming and brought tears to me eyes. (I miss my father SO much. 16 years this year). He read the July poem from his "Calendar of Tales", which is featured in "Trigger Warning", which I am currently reading. It was really wonderful to hear his voice and see him in person. Amanda too, obviously. OH and they perfomed "I Google You". THIS was fucking hilarious. Someone got it on video and posted it to Youtube here. Go watch it, seriously. 

They had some random extra guests, one of which I was NOT thrilled with, no names mentioned. Amanda performed some favorites and everyone sang along. She had some big news: She is opening for Morrissey and Liv from PWR BTTM is going to be her drummer! WOW for them! Big step for Liv. 

Overall this was a fantastic event. I am so thrilled that we got to go. This is the first time I have seen AFP and Neil, even though I have been a fan of Neil's for years. It was pleasing to be able to be close to them in an intimate setting (Neil sat 4 chairs away from me at one point [real fangirl moment there]). The thing I love about AFP is that, as a fan, you feel that you know her. She is not some star up on her pedastal. She is real and seeing her like this reminds me that she is a person, same as I. Yea, she's famous but she is a person, human just like me. And that means a lot. Through her we get to know Neil too, who is a secretive person (so I thought). If you ever get a chance to go see either of them, do it. 

Okay, back to reading and taking care of all the mundane human things on my day off. Love love love. 

Non-book related post

In my "real" world I am working and going to school, however, I just finished my last pre-requisite course for application to graduate school! Now I can apply to the Direct Entry BSN-MSN program at MGH and Salem State. WOO! I am SO thrilled right now. The last 2 classes I had to take were Microbiology and Statistics and I received an A- in both! This is a huge relief for me. Things are looking up!

Oh, I did start reading Neil Gaiman's "Trigger Warning"...so there..a book. :p

Review of "Eighth Grave After Dark" by Darynda Jones

Review of "Eighth Grave After Dark" #8 in the Charley Davidson series, by Darynda Jones. I finished this a few days ago but forgot to write a review, so here it is.
4.5/5 stars
I am a huge Darynda Jones fan. I LOVE Charley and I LOVED this book! So many questions that have been sitting in my head taking up space have been answered! Charley is pregnant and due any day now in this one. Her pregnant ramblings and cravings are hilarious (and true to life from what I hear). She and friends/family are holed up in a convent (aka sacred ground) as Beep is in serious danger from her hellish grandfather. Thus Charley is bored and winds up getting involved in a case. This case is a run-of-the-mill case for Charley and the gang. There's the ongoing fight of good vs. evil and the usual discussions of who the hell is Charley really, who is the Daeva, and what are they going to do.

I love Charley, hwever, she is still Charley, who can be naive and  careless, which we (the readers) expect to get better eventually. But, we still love her. There is still a lot of mistrust and doubt between her and Reyes, which I hope settles some day. (Makes me wonder about Darynda's trust issues.)

Overall, I really enjoyed this and read it in a day. Go get it, but start with #1 First Grave on the Right please. As usual here are some links:

Find "Eighth Grave After Dark" at:
Amazon in all sorts of formats
Barnes and Noble
Indigo

Find Darynda Jones:
On Goodreads
at her website
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest  (who knew?)

Please go read this book. But start with the 1st one!

Book review of "Lunatic Heroes" by C. Anthony Martignetti

I borrowed "Lunatic Heroes" from the library and ate it whole in one day. Seriously, in a few hours. I wish I had read this before he died (rest his soul), but I had not. I found him through Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman and I am glad I did. His stories are just enough fiction and bitter truth. I laughed out loud for most of them and felt guilt and sadness for many. It is no wonder he became a psychotherapist.

You must read this. I am going to order his 2nd book "Beloved Demons" today.

Anthony passed away in his home in Lexington, MA, on June 22, 2015. surrounded by his family and friends.
His website still exists here
His family keeps his Facecook active for now.

This particular book can be found:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Indigo

Review of "I am Princess X" by Cherie Priest

"I am Princess X" by Cherie Priest
5/5 stars

This is a fantastic read. Yes it's a YA book, and yes, it's a graphic novel, kind of. But, it is definitely fantastic. I heard about this on-line somewhere (Boing Boing I think) and was stoked to see that my local library had it. I read it in one day. There is a story within a story and they are both spectacular.

It's about two girls, Libby and May,who meet in recess and become friends over chalk drawing. Libby drew a princess, who they named Princess X. From that drawing stems a friendship and an entire world of storytelling and drawing of Princess X and her kingdom. Intertwined with the story of Libby and Maya is the story of Princess X herself.This is where the illustrations come in.

You MUST read this. BONUS being that the story is about KICK ASS GIRLS and there isn't an ounce of flighty romance. Just reality and fantasy thrown together. READ THIS. I will be buying a copy soon.

Go find it:
hardcover or Kindle at Amazon
hardcover or Nook Book at Barnes and Noble
hardcover at Indigo

The author is Cherie Priest who has written several series actually: The Clockwork Century; Cheshire Red Reports; Eden Moore; and The Borden Dispatches. I will be reading this eventually.

You can find Cherie at:
her website
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Review of "Dirty Blood" by Heather Hildenbrand

"Dirty Blood" by Heather Hildenbrand.

This is the story of a girl, Tara, who kills a girl (a werewolf) one night and her life is never the same. People she thought she knew, she did not. She finds out she's a Hunter and that werewolves are real. There's a good bit of fighting, some training, and some average teenage antics. Of course there is a love interest, Wes, who is a great opposite to Tara. The characters are honest and true-to-life, except for the werewolf/hunter thing. It has a good plot and overall it's a good read. There are 4 more books to read (so far) in this series: "Cold Blood", "Blood Bond", "Blood Rule", and "Broken Blood".

You can find the author, Heather Hildenbrand, on-line in various spots. And she has 2 other series, Clone Chronicles and DreamKiller, the Specials.
Goodreads
Her blogspot blog
Facebook author page
Twitter

Go check her out!

Book Blast for "Tea & Madness" by C. Streetlight

Blurb:

“And when it falls into silence again the void it echoes fills me with wonder. Wonder only because I no longer remember if this small entity isn’t real or if it whispers the truth.”

-Moonlight

C. Streetlight’s memoir, Tea & Madness, is a collection of prose and poetry separated into the seasons of her life. Each season is inspired by her experiences: grieving a lost baby, understanding depression, anger, betrayal, surviving rape and the acceptance that she cannot forgive. Balanced somehow within the darkness is the wonder in motherhood and empathetic relationships. As her seasons change, she continues trying to find the balance of existing between normalcy and madness.

Links to purchase it:

Goodreads

Amazon e-book

Barnes and Noble -Nook

About the Author:

She has met many fools, but admires Don Quixote most because he taught her that it didn’t matter that the dragon turned out to be a windmill. What mattered was that he chose to fight the dragon in the first place.

Streetlights now lives in the mountains with a husband, two miracle children, and a dog who eats Kleenex. She retired from teaching so she can raise her children to pick up their underwear from the bathroom floor, to write, and to slay windmills and dragons. She is happy to report that she can finally see the stars.

You can follow C. Streetlights on Twitter @cstreetlights, and on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest at C. Streetlights

Links for her:

her website

Facebook

Twitter

I will be participating in the tour for this book, which is July 27-Aug 9th. Check back then for a review!