Wednesday Reads and an Exercise Update

Two days of exercise down this week, three to go. So far it looks like I’ll be doing those three, too.

On Monday I rode the bike for 19 minutes and worked the weights on my upper body. Hated the bike, but my knee didn’t object later in the day. So I decided to try to walk on the treadmill on Tuesday. And I did. 20 minutes at 2mph. I might have walked for a longer time except my arms hurt from holding the book I was reading (that thing is heavy, and I ain’t kidding!). Leg felt fine during the walk and it still felt fine later in the evening. I call that a win!

Only one exercise machine bothered my knee—that horrible butt blaster. Is it a good thing that the one machine I loathe is the one I can’t use? My knee was definitely feeling it (no matter what weight I used) and I quit right away. I’ll try again on Thursday, though. Mustn’t give up, right?

I don’t really like breaking up my exercise routine (upper body on one day, legs on the next). It just doesn’t feel like I’m working out all that much. Maybe once I can get more cardio in it will. So I guess I’ll just call it maintaining for now. Better than quitting, in any case, huh?

Here’s what I read this week:

Nov 5: “Jukebox Hero” by Teri Anne Stanley, a contemporary romance novella at 52 pages. Blurb from Goodreads: It’s the fall of 1959, and young widow Peggy Anderson’s sole focus is keeping her little restaurant open for another day. Unfortunately the Jukebox Malt Shop is barely holding its own on a good day. To make matters worse, the neighboring car dealer wants to shut her down and take over the property. The last thing she needs is a very bad boy from her past, rolling in to town to stir up trouble. Ray White has been kept away from Tucker by the good warden of the Eddyville Correctional Institute, but now he’s back, and ready to take care of problems that cropped up in his absence. When his desire for redemption send him to Peggy’s diner, he can’t ignore the feelings that he’s harbored all of these years—but will the secrets between them be too much for love to conquer? Interesting little story, although I felt like maybe it was a little too short. If you’re looking for an entertaining quick read, give this one a try. Unfortunately you can only get this on Amazon for your Kindle. I was lucky and got a copy from the author (yes, she’s a friend) because I like to whine about things that are only sold on Amazon and she wanted me to have a copy (sent me a pdf, which I had hubby format for my Nook). See? Sometimes whining works.

So… Do you do your book shopping ONLY from Amazon? I don’t buy my books from there (unless it’s the only place I can get a paper copy) and I have no plans on buying a Kindle. Ever. I buy regularly from B&N (Nook and paper) and occasionally from Books & Company (paper). I just don’t get why people only sell from one place. I want my books available everywhere!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Let Me Try This Exercise-Thing Again

Keep your fingers crossed. I’m going to the fitness center this morning.

I won’t try to work on the cardio, though. I may be stupid, but I’m not THAT stupid. I’ll ride the bike to warm up, but that’s about it. In the past, working the weights did NOT affect my knee, so I assume that will still be the case. Sure hope so, anyway. The knee’s not perfect, but at least I’m walking somewhat normal now.

As for increasing my cardio, I have an appointment with my doctor on Dec 1st and hope to get on some kind of physical therapy session, where I’ll let them tell me what I can and can’t do. It sucks I can’t walk fast, though. It was the one exercise I didn’t mind and I didn’t have to go to the fitness center to do it.

Wayne High School football team won on Saturday. 56-14. Hope they keep it up all the way to the state final (which is Dec 5, by the way)!!!

So… I’m thinking about getting a Fitbit. Anyone here own one, or something similar? If so, do you use it and does it help you keep track of your heart rate?

Now, cheer up. It’s only Monday. It doesn’t bite. Have a great day!

Stacy

I Need Advice

I plan to enter the contest, Judge a Book by Its Cover. It’s run by the Houston Bay Area Chapter of RWA.

This is the cover I’m entering:

 

I can only enter it in one category and I’m torn between two: Science fiction/Fantasy/Paranormal or Sexiest Cover. Which one do you think it would have a better chance of winning?

I’ve entered this contest the past two years (My Sunny Vampire and Bite Me, I’m Yours) without much luck. Maybe this year will be my year?

I could enter Ghostly Liaison, too (since it was also released this year), and maybe I will. It only costs $15 and I could use the exposure. If I did enter Ghostly Liaison, which category do you think it has a chance in? Same two categories apply.

 

By the way, I also entered Blind Temptation in the RITA contest (RWA’s big published book contest). Don’t know what kind of chance I have, but figure that’s FIVE more people who will read my book. And this book needs more readers!

It could use some more reviews, too, but that’s an issue the RITA won’t fix. Unless I final, I suppose. Wouldn’t THAT be something?

I could have also entered Ghostly Liaison, but decided against it. Besides the $50 entry fee, I have to mail 5 books (5 more if the book finals). Copies of Blind Temptation are a lot cheaper for me to buy than copies of Ghostly Liaison. Maybe that’s not a very good reason, but I have to draw the line somewhere.

Knee update: Hubby has been calling me Hop-a-long. My knee is still sore. But, it’s getting better. It hurts the worst when I get up after sitting awhile (and awhile can be a little as a couple of minutes). My knee objects to straightening (and bending and walking). At least it doesn’t hurt when I’m sitting. That’s because I’m not moving it! Hahahahaha! J

Hey, if I can’t laugh over this, I might as well throw in the towel, you know?

So… Please give me your honest opinion (as if you’d do anything else). Do my covers stand a chance? Or should I just forget about the whole thing?

Have a great weekend!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and I'm an Idiot!

Well, I went and did it. Really messed up my knee. I could kick myself (if I was able to bend my knee, that is!). Whatever made me think I could walk fast? I should have known better, but my knee was feeling great. No pain. Well, no pain until after I passed the 1 mile mark. Shortly after, my knee pretty much gave out.

I quickly turned around and headed home, limping. About half-way there, my knee was feeling a little better (I wasn’t limping as much), so I walked over to the polls and voted. Figured I was already out and it wasn’t really all that much out of the way. Probably a good thing I did, too. Once I got home and sat down? Yeah, there was no getting up. Not easily, anyway.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

I only hope I didn’t sabotage the rest of my exercise routine. But if my knee isn’t feeling better by the end of the week, I guess I’ll go back to the doctor and see about that cortisone shot. It certainly couldn’t hurt.

Here’s what I read this week:

Oct 31: “Let the Dead Sleep” by Heather Graham, first book in the Cafferty and Quinn series, a supernatural thriller/romantic suspense at 331 pages. Blurb from book: It was stolen from a New Orleans grave—the centuries-old bust of an evil man, a demonic man. It’s an object desired by collectors—and by those with wickedness in their hearts. One day, its current owner shows up at Danni Cafferty’s antiques shop on Royal Street, the shop she inherited from her father. But before Danni can buy the statue, it disappears, the owner is found dead…and Danni discovers that she’s inherited much more than she realized. In the store is a book filled with secret writing: instructions for defeating evil entities. She’d dismissed it as a curiosity…until the arrival of this statue, with its long history of evil and even longer trail of death. Michael Quinn, former cop and now private investigator, is a man with an unusual past. He believes that doing the right thing isn’t a job—it’s a way of life. And the right thing to do is find and destroy this object weighted with malevolent powers. He and Danni are drawn together in their search for the missing statue, following it through sultry New Orleans nights to hidden places in the French Quarter and secret ceremonies on abandoned plantations. Cafferty and Quinn already know that trust in others can be misplaced, that love can be temporary. And yet their connection is primal. Mesmerizing. They also know that their story won’t end when this case is closed and the dead rest in peace once again. Well, I guess getting this book as a freebie at RT worked. I liked it and I’m interested in reading more (there are two more in the series now, no idea how many to expect). It’s got a bit of a supernatural bent, but mostly some kind of thriller/suspense thing (and I’m a sucker for those!). There is some romance going on, but it’s not really a “romance” (no happily ever after or happy for now ending—where it concerns the couple, at least). Still, I like the characters a lot and I want to read more, so I guess I have another series on my radar now. J

Nov 3: “Bared to You” by Sylvia Day, first book in the Crossfire series, an erotica romance at 319 pages. Blurb from book: He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily… Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires. The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn’t tear us apart… I got this book free at RT. I don’t read a lot of the freebies I get, but I’ve been curious to read something by Sylvia Day and I now had a book. But as I was in Goodreads to mark it as my current read, I saw a friend mention it had a cliffhanger (and we know how much I loathe those). Then I noticed it was in first person (ugh!). I seriously wondered if I should read it. Well, I’m glad I did. I enjoyed it a lot. In fact, I had a hard time putting it down. And that cliffhanger? Well, there really wasn’t one (thank goodness). I still wasn’t crazy about the first person (doesn’t make it a real romance for me anyway, I like to know what the guy is thinking/feeling), but it’s not that off-putting to keep me from the next book. If you like steamy books with two damaged characters, this book is for you. Hot stuff!

So… Have you ever picked up a book and almost let the reviews keep you from reading it, but read it anyway then found out it was pretty darn good? I think this was a first for me.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

This and That Monday

We got six (SIX) trick-or-treaters on Saturday. I thought the year we got 16 was bad, but six is an all time low. Guess that’s what you get when you live on a cul-de-sac off another cul-de-sac. Still, I thought there were more kids living here now than when we first moved in. Guess I was wrong. Or…they went to a bigger neighborhood. Wouldn’t blame them if they had.

Wayne won their game on Friday!! They ended the season undefeated (10-0!!) and became the GWOC Central champs!!! (I just love exclamation marks!!!!). Ranked #3 in Division 1, Region 2, Wayne will get to play the first round playoff game at home (subsequent rounds are played at neutral sites) on Saturday against the #14 team, Reynoldsburg (7-3). Can’t wait! Hope the weather’s nice. Ah, but even if it isn’t, I’ll still be going to the game.

Hey! I cooked again last night. This time I made enchiladas (using the recipe on the can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce). I’ve made this recipe numerous times, so it’s not that much work for me. I figure if I make the familiar meals, maybe I’ll venture into the unfamiliar. Maybe. I still don’t like cooking, but if I lose weight from it (and that would be from making meals with fewer calories, not from making meals that aren’t edible—I know you thought that!), I’ll keep doing it.

I saw my cardiologist on Friday (the one who recommended I go to Cleveland Clinic). I just wanted to find out how often he wanted to see me (since the surgery was a no-go for now). I go back to see his replacement in 6 months (he’s leaving the Air Force), but I won’t have another echo & EKG until next year (as long as I still don’t have any symptoms). I’m to ramp up my exercise, though. He wants me to do 150 minutes a week of cardio (intense enough to get me winded). I kind of worried about that because of my knee, but everything I read about osteoarthritis says exercise is the best thing for it. I usually don’t feel any pain in my knee until AFTER an intensive walk anyway (intensive = averaging 17 min/mile).

Maybe all this cardio will help with the weight loss. I had planned on upping my cardio anyway. Now I have motivation – doctor’s orders. J I just hope I don’t have to resort to riding the stationary bicycle. It’s worse than the treadmill! But I’ll do it if I have to.

This week looks to be a little warmer than last. I’m hoping to get some outside walking in on Tuesday and Thursday (I like to walk 4 miles on non-gym days). Soon I won’t be able to do it at all. I do have my limits when the temperature drops. 50-degree mornings I can live with. 40s and below, not so much. When the temps stay low for the upcoming seasons, I’ll have to re-vamp my whole exercise program. That could be a good thing. The same ’ol, same ’ol can end up being boring.

So… How'd your weekend go? Do anything interesting?

Have a great Monday!

Stacy