Book Review: Influence (Influence Series) (Volume 1) by David R Bernstein

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Influence (Influence Series) (Volume 1) by David R Bernstein

A YA Sci-Fi Novel published by Amazon Digital Services LLC (08/15/16)

Summary:

In this dystopian American society, Kaylin stands out, even amongst others with similar powers. Her ability, to influence others, is highly sought after by warring factions. She’s been on the run with her best friend for years, but will her powers of empathy change all that?

Keywords:

Self-reliance, self-esteem, friendship, betrayal, trust, unique, abilities, powers, influence, thought power, thought control, mind control

My Review:

Where only teenagers have the ability to “push” others’ consciousness to do something or feel something, this society is set up much like other young adult dystopian novels. There’s the female main character who doesn’t know the reaches of her own power. There are the factions that want to use her for their own evil plans. Where Influence is different is with its well-developed characters and satisfyingly detailed world building.

I knew exactly how a “Push” worked and was shown many possibilities for how and why one would be used. I knew Kaylin and her best friend Amanda almost as well as they knew each other and loved how empathetic Kaylin was!

Where the story lost me a bit was with the plot details and the romantic element. The sweet romance between kaylin and Farren was stereotypical for a dystopian teen read, but I enjoyed that even though this romance was based on mutual first attraction (duh!) that the romance grew slowly and steadily throughout the book and didn’t end with too much of the romance taking over the plot! The romance and action were well balanced.

Some elements of the plot seemed a bit convenient and somewhat unexplained, but the book moved at a nice fast pace and kept me interested in the characters, their world, and their ultimate goal the entire time. The plot twist at the end was a bit rough and though all the elements to tie it in were there, they were a bit too loose for my liking.

I loved the tease at the end and appreciated that this book contained both a full and satisfying ending while making the reader want to read more and find out what happens to Kaylin next!

This novel was published by Amazon Digital Services LLC on August 15th, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.0

Links for more information:

David Bernstein’s Website and Blog

Goodreads

Author Goals and Accomplishments from 2016 and Future Goals for 2017

by in For the Love of Donuts, Local Authors, Local Events, Miscellaneous Mondays, Rachel Barnard and tagged , ,

Goals list of 2014

Goals list of 2015

 

Goals list of 2016:

  1. At One’s Beast available in King County Libraries
    1. I didn’t submit this book to the library becuase I decided to revise and republish version 2!
  2. Donuts in an Empty Field (For the Love of Donuts Book 1) published
    1. Yes!!! Check it out HERE
  3. Start my retirement fund
    1. Yes! I started an IRA and put money in it!
  4. Create a food/board game
    1. No, totally forgot about this one….
  5. Watch a roller derby
    1. Yess!! I even got to dress up, see it here
  6. Finish Flora’s Last Chance for Magic and submit to publishers
    1. Yes and no. I finished writing, editing, proofing, and getting a cover, but I’ve only submitted the book to one agent
  7. Re-revise My Dad the Prepper and send it out to new publishers
    1. Yes! I revised this book and sent it out to new publishers and I’ve already received several rejections (I’m up to 11 so far on this project)
  8. Make a box set case for upcoming series For the Love of Donuts using this website
    1. Forgot about this one too because I only have one book so far in the series!
  9. Publish the anthology “Stories from Seattle” with all proceeds to go to my favorite goat rescue PSGR
    1. Tabled this because nobody knew about submissions, but I did submit to a Hot MC biker chick anthology 😉
  10. Finish my brother’s recipe book so he can publish it
    1. Tabled this one as he lost interest in completing this project
  11. Publish Cafe Connections (Aster & Tilde book 1) on 10/31/16
    1. HA ha ha. I have so far to go on editing for this! I want Aster & Tilde books 1 and 2 (editing and rewrites) to be my project for Nano 2017
  12. Get professional author photos
    1. Nope. I have enough amateur photos for now…
  13. Learn a special dance or solo
    1. Sigh. Tabled. But I did choose the perfect song to learn once I get around to it!
  14. Bask in a sea of donuts
    1. No. Tabled this one as well because I haven’t sourced these donuts yet.

2017 Goals!!! Writing and Beyond:

Writing:

  • Publish Seize the Donut (for the Love of Donuts Book 2) on National Donut Day – June 2nd, 2017
  • Edit my short stories – Celebrity Dreamscapes, Smart Fraud, The Man Who Never Slept
  • Send out my short stories for publication!
  • Version 2 of At One’s Beast (edit, revise, re-release)
  • Find an agent for Flora’s Last Chance for Magic
  • Find a publisher or artist for my children’s picture book
  • Write and art for children’s picture book about pole dance
  • Write a children’s picture book about dad catch phrases or dad puns
  • Revise Aster & Tilde
  • Write Aster & Tilde book 2 and plan out the series
  • Review 1 Indie book a week
  • Go to Emerald City Writer’s Conference again
  • Start editing Dollars to Donuts (for the Love of Donuts book 3)
  • Publish Nichole’s Book of Awesome Things (for the Love of Donuts accompaniment 2) for release with Seize the Donut
  • Create a coloring book of donuts (for the Love of Donuts accompaniment 3) for release in the winter
  • Create an audio book of my poetry book
  • YouTube video 1x/month
  • Get 500 Instagram followers
  • Reach 250 Facebook likes on author page
  • Reach 250 Facebook friends
  • Reach 250 Twitter followers
  • Get to 2000 newsletter subscribers

Physical:

  • Mile in 10 minutes
  • 50 push-ups in one go
  • Inversions other side solid
  • Shoulder mount
  • Level up inversions at Divine
  • Dance performance
  • 200 pole classes lifetime
  • 10 pull ups

 

 

Rachel’s Recipes throughout the year! Pie, Jello Shots, Lemon Souffle and more!

by in Foodie Fridays and tagged , , , , ,

Bread recipe from Zojirushi – made in a bread machine

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Wheat Bread – Zojirushi

Ingredients for BB-PAC model:
1-7/8 cups water (450mL)
4-3/4 cups whole wheat flour (570g)
4 Tbsp. sugar (46g)
1 Tbsp. molasses (20g)
2 Tbsp. dry milk (8g)
2 tsp. salt (11.2g)
4 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten (32g)
2 Tbsp. butter (28g)
2 tsp. active dry yeast (5.6g)

Blueberry muffin

I used THIS recipe and modified it so: half the amount of sugar, half wheat and half white flour, and none of the crumble on top. So good!

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Apple pie

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Pie Crust from Martha Stewart – Recipe HERE

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

DIRECTIONS

  1. To make the dough for the pie crust, mix 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon each salt and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Cut 2 sticks chilled unsalted butter into pieces. With a pastry blender, cut in butter, working until mixture resembles coarse meal.
  2. Add 4 tablespoons ice water; work with hands until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time (up to 4 more tablespoons). Do not overwork.
  3. Divide dough in half, and flatten halves into disks. Wrap disks separately in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
  4. To form the pie shell, roll the dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch round. Wrap around rolling pin and carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.
  5. Fit gently into bottom and side of plate. Use kitchen shears to trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim.
  6. Crimp rim with fingertips and knuckle. Repeat with remaining dough; wrap each with plastic, stack, and freeze.

    Pie filling from Grandma Ople – Recipe HERE

  • 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 8 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
  2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
  3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Note – I used half the amount of sugar, half the amount of butter and substituted apple juice for the water when I made my second pie for a *healthier* version

Zucchini Tots

zuc

INGREDIENTS:

  • cooking spray
  • 1 packed cup grated zucchini
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 medium onion, minced
  • 1/4 cup grated reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
  2. Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel until you have 1 packed cup.  Wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini, there will be a lot of water. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small ovals. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, turning halfway though cooking until golden. Makes 16.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Yield: 3 servings, Serving Size: 5 tots

Lemon souffle

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LEMON SOUFFLÉS
Serves 8
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

You’ll Need
– 8 large lemons
– 3 eggs, separated
– ½ cup sugar, divided
– 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
– Confectioners’ sugar

How To

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsuis). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Slice the stem ends from the lemons so they can sit level. Cut off the tip end of each lemon, parallel with the bottom and roughly ⅓ of the way down. Reserve the tops.
  3. Hold each lemon firmly and use a serrated knife to cut out the pulp. Use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh into a sieve placed over a bowl. Squeeze the juice from the pulp and reserve for later. Place the hollowed-out lemons on the sheet pan.
  4. In a heat-proof bowl, combine the egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup reserved lemon juice, and flour. Whisk until pale yellow. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and continue to whisk for about 8 minutes, until very thick. Remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer for about 10 minutes, until cooled, while scraping down the sides. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
  5. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg whites with the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Beat with the electric mixer on low speed until frothy. Slowly increase the mixer speed until the meringue is shiny and hold soft peaks, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Whisk about ⅓ of the meringue into the yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining meringue gently. Fill the lemon shells to just below the rim.
  7. Bake for approximately 14 to 17 minutes, until the tops are golden and have risen about 1 inch above the shell.
  8. Serve immediately, garnished with confectioners’ sugar and the reserved lemon tops.

 

Salad in a jar

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Burger cupcakes

burger

Recipe can be found HERE

Butterbeer jello shots, recipe can be found HERE

Ingredients

1 cup creme soda

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1/3 cup vanilla vodka

2/3 cup butterscotch schnapps

Colored large crystal sugar, for garnish, if desired

Directions

  • Pour soda in a medium saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Allow to soak for a minute or two.
  • Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is dissolved (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.
  • Stir in the vodka and schnapps.
  • Pour into little jello containers or pan

Recipes I still want to try!

Pumpkin pie overnight oats with chia

http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2016/08/pumpkin-pie-overnight-oats/

 

Gnocchi with mushrooms, basil and parm

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/toasted-gnocchi-with-mushrooms-basil-and-parmesan/

 

Tiramisu mille-crepes

https://www.buzzfeed.com/marietelling/these-tiramisu-mille-crepes-will-up-your-dessert-g-258n3?bffbtasty&ref=bffbtasty&utm_term=.sfL0Kwzqn#.elP8XmbVz

 

Plum cake

http://www.dinnerwasdelicious.com/plum-cake/

 

Zzuchnni parmeasn

https://www.alexandracooks.com/2016/08/05/zucchini-parmesan/

 

No bake nutella cheesecake

http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/no-bake-nutella-cheesecake-recipe/

 

Creamy brussel sprout cheese dip

http://minimalistbaker.com/creamy-brussels-sprout-shallot-dip/

 

Passion fruit flan

http://www.buzzfeed.com/robertbroadfoot/heres-how-to-make-delicious-passion-fruit-flan-at-home#.uij812D99

 

http://www.chinasichuanfood.com/homemade-red-bean-buns/

 

Coconut crème puffs

http://www.buzzfeed.com/scottloitsch/your-easter-set-up-just-got-better-with-these-coconut-cream#.baB9eEaJJ

Book Review: The Sometimes Burglar by Winifred Morris

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The Sometimes Burglarby Winifred Morris

A Romantic Comedy Novella published by Eastside Gal Publishing (12/27/16)

 

Summary:

“Most people would never guess I’m sometimes an ethical burglar.” (Kindle Location 211).

Emma’s a research psychologist who burgles to pay back her student debt, but sometimes she mails back the sentimental items. She’s sometimes an ethical burglar. She never bungles a burglary, but she has a hard time dating because she’s the nerdy, smart woman. The one time she keeps evidence from a job, she gets caught up in something far worse than petty theft, but at least she’ll get to talk with a handsome lawyer!

Keywords:

Burglary, Evidence, Incriminating Evidence, Student, Psychology, Humorous, Romance, Lawyer, Laptop, Technology, Dirty Politician

My Review:

With wit and humor, Winnifred Morris has written another entertaining story. Her main character is an oxymoron: an ethical burglar. Emma is so much more than these two characteristics. She’s a bit dissociative from everyday emotions, making her a fascinating character. Emma wants to understand humanity in order to fix social problems. As a reader I want to understand Emma.

When her gay friend Merlin leaves Emma alone with a new problem to solve, she’ll thrust herself headlong into the challenge because it doesn’t occur to her that she could get in over her head. Cue sexy lawyer and Emma will get so far involved that she won’t be able to back out. I loved how it never even occurred to her that she needed help. She involved the lawyer because she could, not because she needed to.

Though this story is under 40k words, it still felt like a full novel with fleshed out characters and plot, intrigue and complexity.

I received an ARC of this story.

This novel was published by Eastside Gal Publishing on December 27th, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

 

Links for more information:

Winifred Morris’s website

Goodreads

Book Review: The Seeker’s Keys (The Treemakers, #3) by Christina L. Rozelle

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The Seeker’s Keys (The Treemakers, #3) by Christina L. Rozelle

A Dystopian/Sci-Fi Adventure Novel published by A Spark in the Dark Press (12/03/16)

Summary:

Joy Montgomery, along with her band of children, are nearly at their journey’s end. All they need to do is find a set of keys to unlock the wall and get to paradise, but one man stands in their way: Lord Daumier. Will the clues left behind by Joy’s father: Zephyr the Magnificent, be enough to find the keys or will Daumier beat them to the punch and destroy everything that is good in the world?

Keywords:

Children, Orphans, Survival, Death, Exploration, Dystopian World, Polluted Air, Evil Intentions, AI, Motherliness, Help, Underground, Paradise, Fighting, Strength, Resilience, Spirit, Refuge, Power-Hungry, Keys, the Wall

My Review:

After a long break from reading books one and two, this book was a bit difficult to settle into  as there were numerous characters that I couldn’t quite remember and past events that were distant memories, but I slowly got back into the book as the plot was strong and led the book. Relationships between characters, though numerous, were reiterated and expanded upon. Because there were so many subplots carried over from the previous books in the trilogy, this third and last book was longer in order to resolve all of them. Every plot line was resolved by the end in some way or another! What a feat!

I loved the little details of all the places in this world and very much enjoyed that Rozelle’s world was multi-dimensional and multi-faceted. Her dystopian didn’t center on one measly place, but focused on jungles and cities and ships and tunnels and basements and labs and many, many more locations. Her world felt like an entire world, above-ground and below.

This book featured multiple POV and though I enjoyed getting a well rounded story (as not all the characters were together all the time), I sometimes got lost in who was narrating the story. I appreciated that the multiple POV was used to move the plot along, but I didn’t feel like it added to each separate character that much. Many of the characters blended together and I wished there hadn’t been so many. This was one of the reasons I set the book down so many times and it took me a long time to finish.

The only other detail I would have changed was to have less moments of preaching/uplifting speeches from one character to another or from the narrator to the reader. It felt like I was in an advertisement for the book at some points and I glossed over most of these parts.

All in all it was a great series with an interesting dystopian story that was fully fleshed out.

This novel was published by A Spark in the Dark Press on December 3rd, 2016 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.75

Links for more information:

Goodreads

 

2016 Physical Activity – Dance/Volleyball/Running/Bootcamp

by in Rachel Barnard and tagged , , , , ,

2015 Physical Activity Blog Post Breakdown

How do you work out?

This year I did volleyball, pole dancing classes, the Thriller Dance for the second year, stretch and flex classes, pole silks, hoop classes, acro yoga, Boudoir classes, a pilates class, and bootcamp.

Pole Dancing Stats:

  1. I took 109 classes this year at 7 different pole studios (some were during my writer retreat/vacation in St. Pete, FL)
  2. I spent $2252.25 on all my pole and flex classes for the year (that’s $20.66 per class!)
  3. I took 7 advanced spin classes
  4. I took 49 Inversions classes
  5. I took 30 stretch classes
  6. The classes ranged in price from $10-$32 each
  7. I spent 201 hours in all of the classes combined and 160 hours in pole-only classes

My favorite photos:

20160731_pole_pics_kandacehouse-1 20160305_spinderelladarkenedroom_lovesiik_polepixy-4 20160731_pole_pics_kandacehouse-7 20160710_spinderella_acroyoga_week1-5 20160915_boatdate_donutbutt-5

Volleyball Stats:

  • I went to volleyball (outdoor in Bellevue Downtown Park) 8 times this year

Running Stats:

  • I ran 2.5 total miles
  • I ran a mile in 11:02 at the fastest

Boot-camp Stats:

  • I went to 10 Boot-camp classes, starting November and love the instructor and the other bootcampers!

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The Thriller!

  • I only had time to go to one workshop prior to the Flashmob!
  • Check out the Youtube video HERE

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Fitness stats:

  • I did 5 pull-ups/chin-ups
  • I can do 20 push-ups in a row
  • I ran a mile in 11:02
  • I can hand over hand climb to the top of the pole
  • I can touch my toes

All About the Donuts: Local Donut Shop Review – Mighty-O Donuts in Seattle

by in Foodie Fridays, For the Love of Donuts, Local Eats, Rachel Barnard and tagged , ,

Mighty-O Donuts

Seattle, WA

My Live Video Review on Youtube is HERE

20161213_081824 20161213_080337_hdr

 1400 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

(206) 547-0335

Mightyo.com

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Review criteria:

Most popular donut at the shop: “Maple Bar”
Signature shop donut: Perhaps the French Toast
Most popular US donut: glazed (cake donut)
2nd most popular US donut: Boston Creme (Not Available)
Donut Hole: Not Available

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What I tried:

Glazed, lemon poppy seed, maple bar, French toast, peppermint, chocolate raspberry

~$13.40

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What to expect:

This corner store is next to easy street parking and has high ceilings and a high counter. The donuts are displayed like a fancy catering event’s dessert table. All the donuts are beautifully frosted and not heavy in their cake filling.

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My favorite:

I liked the peppermint the best, but I think I would have liked any donut with their chocolate cake interior. The frosting is perfectly balanced with the amount of cake and isn’t overwhelmingly sweet, but fully flavored.

Book Review: Chasing Memories (Tala Prophecy Book 1) by Tia Silverthorne Bach

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Chasing Memories (Tala Prophecy Book 1) by Tia Silverthorne Bach

A Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Novel published by Tia Silverthorne Bach (6/5/13)

Summary:

After an attack on her family while camping, Reagan is still trying to recover weeks later. With her brother gone and her own physical recovery, it’s hard for her to even think about normal. Reagan didn’t at first remember much from the attack, but slowly her nightmares of that night flesh out into dreams that might tell her what really happened, unless it’s all in her head.

Keywords:

Paranormal, Attack, Camping, Friendship, Teen Sex, Teen Drinking, Dreams, Nightmares, Psychiatrist, Healing, Scars, PTSD, School, Romance, Werewolf, Witches, Wiccan, Family Strain

My Review:

I really liked how complete Reagan felt as a character. Her complete backstory and personality were fleshed out and I really felt like I understood her as a person. However, this fullness appears to take away from the plot. A plot that is not apparent throughout the entire book. Also, I never quite knew what Reagan wanted, what her goal was.

Some of the storylines were simply dropped by the end of the novel and the promise of more books in the series doesn’t make me want to read on, it makes me wish I hadn’t picked up this incomplete book in the first place.

Unlike Reagan, her friends didn’t feel very fleshed out and felt more like buffers to the story, just adding padding.

The romance element with Rafe was way too instalove and left me feeling anxious for Reagan’s lack of consent or control with that relationship.

This novel was published by Tia Silverthorne Bach on June 5th, 2013 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 2.75

Links for more information:

Tia Silverthorne Bach’s Website

Goodreads

Twitter