The Breathless Trilogy

Well, if you haven't had enough of Fifty Shades of Grey, then I suggest you check out Maya Banks' The Breathless Trilogy. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit annoyed at the beginning because it is so much like the story of Ana and Christian. Younger girl, contract, wealthy and attractive man, etc. 

But, I ended up finishing the book in 4 days. There is something about a man who has his stuff together, knows what he wants, and can take care of a lady. Aside from the explicit sexual content of the book, I'm always drawn to the love story. 

Gabe Hamilton, Jace Crestwell, and Ash McIntyre are three wealthy, attractive men. Best friends since college and business partners too. They are used to getting anything and everything they desire. They are into dominant/submissive sexual relationships. That is until each one is faced with a game-changer. 

Rush.

Mia Crestwell is Jace Crestwell's little sister. Their parents were killed by a drunk driver when they were little and Jace has taken care of Mia ever since. He paid her way through college, grad school, and has supported her in every way he can. Mia is highly over qualified for her job at a local pastery and coffee shop until Gabe Hamilton makes his way into her life. Gabe Hamilton changes from her brother's best friend to her dominant lover. They keep their relationship a secret… But not for long! Mia surprises herself by enjoying every bit of her submission to Gabe. He does not let her go untaken care of. 

What I loved about this trilogy was that each book focused on one of the three best friends and how one women changed each of their lives. It wasn't boring or repetitive because each man had his own personality, yet all were faced with a life changing moment and everything that went with it. 

I finished the entire trilogy in a week and a half! I guess it's just the hopeless romantic in me. I've already picked up her next trilogy… Surrender. You could definitely say I'm going through withdrawals from this series. 

Again, if you liked 50 Shades of Grey, you MUST check out Maya Banks' The Breathless Trilogy. 

Rush. Fever. Burn.

Dark Places

I've been slacking on my reading, but this past week I finally finished Gillian Flynn's Dark Places. I love her books, but I have to say this one was hard to finish. I struggled through the middle and crawled to the last page.

Anyway. It wouldn't be a Gillian Flynn novel without something dark and twisted happening to the main character before you even start the first page. Libby Day is the sole survivor from the murder of her family. Her brother, Ben murdered her two sisters and her mother. Their dad really isn't existent in their lives and only came around when he wanted money… still to this day.

Now 20 some years later, Libby is on the verge of going broke since her savings is dwindling. She isn't the most motivated and has never held a steady job. With her financial crisis, a group called the Kill Club reaches out to her. This club studies murders, kidnappings, and other freak accidents that have happened in the past. The Kill Club is interested in Libby's family and what actually happened the day the Day family was murdered. They ask Libby to help them uncover the truth and pay her for her services.

Did Ben Day really kill his family? Can Libby figure out what actually happened that night? Can she remember the past? You will find out in Dark Places. 

Although I was not as happy with this book as Gillian Flynn's other two, it's worth the read. It took me a while to finish, but I was glad that I did. 

And…ah, when is her next book coming out?

St. Pete's

I went to St. Petersburg, FL over the weekend, for the first time. It was a short trip, but much needed. The beach, weather, and ocean were beautiful. I couldn't have had a better vacation. I will let the pictures do the talking...

Morning walk on the beach.

I stayed at the Post Card Inn.

 It wasn't the most luxurious place, but it was super cute! This is the lobby with bookshelves adorning the wall. The other side had a giant chalk board, where they posted the weather for the day. Everything was super modern, with a studio/loft feel.

Since the Tampa Bay Rays' Tropicana Field is located in St. Pete's and 10-15 minutes away from where I stayed, I had to get tickets.

 Of course, I wanted to see the actual rays that they have to touch before the game.

After the game, I went to a place called Snapper's. This was my meal. To die for. Lobster risotto, pan-seared scallops, grilled shrimp, and fried leeks for garnish. It was the perfect portion and delicious.

The beach was so beautiful. Our hotel and room was right on the ocean, so it was easy to walk out in our pjs to the beach in the morning. This particular morning I ran the beach. What a work out.

 Beach/pool day!

I loved the set up of the Post Card Inn.

After dinner I took a detour through the Tradewinds resort.

We were just in time to catch this beautiful scene after the sun had set. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. I'm glad I got to relax under the sun this weekend. Needed that vitamin D.

Blackfish

I remember growing up, seeing commercials for Seaworld. I wanted to go so bad, about as much as Disney World. However, I never realized the cost of seeing these animals up close. I heard bits and pieces about a new documentary called Blackfish and was interested to see what it's about. I'm always seeking information about things that interest me, that I don't know anything about. To say that Blackfish opened my eyes, is an understatement. 

Blackfish introduces you to the life of an Seaworld/Sealand trainer. Every former trainer that was interviewed loved their job, working with these incredible animals. Sounds like a dream job to me! 

What they were never told and didn't realize is how dangerous these animals are. Even the most safety-oriented and experienced trainer is at risk. Let's think about it: imagine a 10 ton whale cooped up in a concrete tank for their entire life. Not to mention that orca was taken from their family to get there and are also called a "killer whale." Recipe for disaster.
Seaworld has even instructed their employees to tell visitors of the park that the whales live longer in their care than in the ocean. They've got jokes.

Chicago-area native, Dawn Brancheau was known as one of the most experienced trainers in the world. Her life was cut short when a former Sealand turned Seaworld whale, named Tilikum, drug her into the pool during a show. He brutally mutilated her body. Tilikum previously killed another trainer at Sealand. You may ask why is he still at Seaworld? Or why was he sent there in the first place after Sealand closed? Because his sperm is very valuable. It's always about money, isn't it? Brancheau was not the first and she will not be the last.

You want to know what Seaworld said? It was a trainer error... and that was after they changed their story twice on what actually happened. Eye witnesses told the real story. 

I wanted to see what kind of backlash Seaworld was getting from the public due to Blackfish, so I took to Twitter. One user stated that she just watched it and was disturbed by Seaworld's actions and their inhumane practices. Sea world responded by giving her a link to their own website, telling her to look into the "facts." Are they kidding? Who is their PR person? Haven't they seen Free Willie?!? 

Thats seriously like using wikipedia as a source. Seaworld refused to comment or give any input for Blackfish. Bold strategy.

California's Orca Welfare and Safety Act would stop killer whale shows at Seaworld. San Diego is the only location in California that has (10) whales in captivity. The bill would ban Seaworld from using the whales as entertainment in shows, but not prevent them from keeping them in tanks for viewing. We will see what happens. I think one day we might look back on these times and think how barbaric it really is to keep these animals in captivity for their entire lives, for our entertainment. 

I do not claim to know anything about this industry and the well being of these animals, but I think that it would be foolish to disregard Blackfish. It's worth a watch.

American Hustle

To continue my Oscar hangover this week, I'd like to share with you American Hustle. I went to see this at the theatre on Saturday and enjoyed it very much.

Christian Bale's character, Irving Rosenfeld perfected the art of the hustle. He brings confidence, wit, and smoothness to his game of making a quick buck here and there, on the side of his dry cleaning business. He meets the love of his life, Sydney Prosser, played by Amy Adams. Prosser, underneath her English facade, is merely a child of hustling too. Irving and Sydney make a great team until federal agent, Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) catches them mid-job. DiMaso then tries to use their gift of deception to catch other hustlers in the act. You can't out hustle a hustler though, remember that!

However, Sydney is not the only woman in Irving's life. Jennifer Lawrence plays Rosalyn, Irving's wife and mother of his adopted son. And man, is she a piece of work. When she speaks, you want to cringe and at the same time root her on for being so bold and honest.  Rosalyn is a little too much for Irving to handle sometimes. 

I enjoyed watching these characters make their moves and try to take down corruption. It was amazing to me how Christian Bale transformed himself for this role. I didn't even recognize him. 

I've always enjoyed movies about corruption and the hustle for the American dream. Blow, Ocean's, etc. It's so interesting to see how people lived during that time period too. The fashion, the social gatherings, and the lack of technology. 

If you are looking for a flick to watch with a glass of wine or martini, this is the one to choose. It's a lot of fun! 

Dallas Buyers Club

I have been on a bit of a role with watching new movies. I guess you could say I've had some Oscar fever. I went to see American Hustle on Saturday, at the theatre. Last night I purchased Dallas Buyers Club on my Apple TV through the Apple store. After Matthew McConaughey's win for Best Leading Role, Jared Leto's Best Supporting Role win, and the speeches that followed, Dallas Buyers Club seemed like a 'must-see.' 

Placed in 1985, McConaughey's character Ron Woodruff lives the rodeo party life when he finds out that he is HIV positive and was given 30 days to live. I was absolutely shocked at how sickly skinny Matthew was in this part, but it sold you on the realness of the situation and what people that live with this virus go through.

Ron was not about to lay down and die. He finds Rayon, a gay business partner played by Leto (also HIV positive) to sell vitamins, minerals, and a non-toxic antidote to help people live. However, its not approved by the FDA, but not banned. Loop hole, until the IRS and FEDs hear about it. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies are selling a toxic drug to medical facilities to try on patients. 

This movie truly shows how corrupt and ignorant our government was to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Although there is still no cure, there are ways to live with it rather than simply surviving. I'm not sure about everybody else, but if I'm terminally ill I would try anything to make myself get better. You have one life to live and I don't want the FDA making decisions on my happiness and health, especially when their agenda is based upon their financial benefit. Its one thing if it truly is unsafe and its another if they aren't willing to test new solutions.

Matthew McConaughey deserves every bit of that Oscar. He became Ron Woodruff, HIV positive. I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see a day in the life of AIDS. The more we inform ourselves about these kind of topics, the better our society will be. We are at a time where ignorance should not be what holds us back.

Ups & Downs

The new year has been good to me so far and that includes a new Cojack album, entitled Ups & Downs. If you enjoy hip-hop and rap, I encourage you to check out his new album. Ups & Downs is compiled of catchy beats, relevant rhymes, and a strong message to its audience.  Cojack converts feelings into words, while reinventing classic beats. We go through life with our own ups and downs. Everyone feels them no matter how big or small they seem. Cojack comes from the south side of Chicago and touches on the reality of love and loss with his latest tracks. You don't find many rappers like Cojack these days that rhyme about real issues, rather than repeating themselves just to make a track. And all while having a good time, like any of us, going through this journey called life.

Cojack wraps up everything in a big red bow with, Ups & Downs. I love being delivered the complete package and this present was received. Maybe it is my public relations background, but I love a great, well written message. Especially when someone tells you what they are going to tell you, tells you, and then tells you what they already told you. And that my friends, is called a great speaker. A great speaker, and in this case a great rapper, is someone that can relate to their audience, who speaks to that audience in many different ways, and makes what they are saying timeless too.Mission accomplished with Ups & Downs.

Check out his album by clicking here. You can download it for free now!
Some of my favorite tracks that you need to check out are:
2. Live It Up
3. American Dream
7. Show Love
14. Shades of Grey

I think Corey aka Cojack put it perfectly…"This is the sound of Ups & Downs."