Blog Ahead Tally

Aaaaand Blog Ahead is a GO! Tomorrow--Oct 1-- starts our annual Blog Ahead Challenge. For the entire month of October I'll be busting butt working on extra blog posts so I can get ahead with the blog and hopefully have a little less stress. 2016 has been brutal and my reserves are near tapped from emergencies and home renovations and whatnot. I'm pretty excited about the challenge and hopefully getting the blog fully stocked again.

This will be my tally post for the event.

I'm starting with 19 posts scheduled.

The event goal is 30 posts more than that. Whew!

The Monthly Herd-- September-- Crafting, Adulting and Squees

Ahhhh September. It was full of power washing, flooring, book cases. I'm still working on all of the above and I imagine I will for all of October, too. lol This house, yall. This house. smh. 

Interview w/ Peggy Lampman-- Food, People. Glorious Food!

Hey Guys! We've got Peggy Lampman joining us today to chat about her first novel...The Promise Kitchen! Doesn't it look delicious?  Yall give her a big welcome and hit those comments! ~anna

Guest Post w/ Hope Ramsay-- Winning Over a Scrooge!

Yes! A Christmas post! Suck it up buttercup. It's happening! lol I know it's early, yall, but one of my favorite authors had a release this week and I had to join in. Now, the review won't be on the blog until December but if you'd like to check it out it's already posted to Goodreads. HERE. 

Now, time to get in the Christmas spirit. Don't make me drag you kicking and screaming. If you do...there won't be cake! lol Check out Hope's post and give her some comment love, yall. ~anna

Insta-Wednesday: Cats, Crafting & Getting SheetFaced?

Because I love Instagram and fun pictures. The Herd's week ala Instagram :)

Cats & Crafting and getting SheetFaced?

4 stars-- The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel (Seduction Diaries #3) by Jennifer McQuiston

A scoundrel and a bookworm. A man hiding deep pain and the woman who just might heal his troubled soul. Gah, yes! The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel was quite the adventure. Starting with a cute meet to end all cute meets. Yeah. The hero? He totally peed on her gate. And got caught doing so. ::snort::

The quick of it is that Mary has come to town to help her pregnant sister and, well, to have a little adventure. She's been hiding away in the country for too long and now London is at the tips of her fingers. So adventure she'll have. Assassination plots, scandal, scoundrels....yeah, that wasn't quite what her family had in mind when they encouraged her trip.

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales, Freebies!

Oh the Shalvis was GOOD! The Perks of Loving a Scoundrel and Locked & Loaded were fun reads, too!

For more info on each book please click the cover! It'll take you to the Amazon page for the book.

Quote-tastic/Review-- sweet fiery hell-- Locked and Loaded by Mandy Baxter

Join us each week and share a favorite quote that you just loved.

You can add a review or post just a quote. You can post any day of the week, too. Totally flexible. Link ups are live on Monday.

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier!

Just grab the button and toss up your post :) No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section or in a FB post and link it up.

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I'm still pretty new to Baxter but I've been loving her US Marshals. Lots of action on all fronts. Oh, yeah. There was some sexy happening. Gah. Yes, please?

Tasty Delights-- Cauli-Tots

Ahhhh Cauli-Tots! Yes! Tater-tots all cauliflowered instead. lol I love playing with veggies and doing them in different ways.

Cauliflower has been one I've used a lot this year. I'm kinda addicted to it. I saw this recipe over on Delish.com and was like...yep. We're trying this. And it was pretty good. I did two different versions. The original which was baked like they called for and then a fried version. I liked the fried cauli-tots better but obviously not quite as healthy.

Wait, You're HOW Old?!! -- Thoughts from a Blogger-Girl

Dude. You're HOW old?!!

1 star-- Too Wild to Tame (Romancing the Clarksons #2) by Tessa Bailey

A review I never thought I'd post. I kinda feel like I've been knocked down on my ass but for the first time I didn't love one from Bailey. Seriously that's something I never thought would happen. But Too Wild to Tame just didn't work for me at all and was a struggle from pretty early on. I'd almost DNFd it at 30% but pushed trough hoping things would turn around but sadly they just didn't for a number of reasons.

Spotlight-- Piece by Piece by Elisabeth Staab

Hey guys! Today I've got a quickie spotlight for Elisabeth Staab's newest release which we're hosting... Piece by Piece. I just love a hero in glasses. Noms! The covers for this series are pretty amazing, don't ya think? Anywho, check out the excerpt then enter the giveaway! It's for a cute makeup kit and B&N gift card (US) or an ecopy of the book (INT). Woots! 

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4 stars-- Magic Binds (Kate Daniels #9) by Ilona Andrews

Ahhhhhh Curran! *pants a little* and if I thought I could get away with it and Kate wouldn't totally kick my ass... *dibs!!!* I love me some Curran. *sigh* And Magic Binds was pretty damn good, too.

The quick of it is that Kate's father is wack-a-doodle. He's kidnapping people, he's taunting Kate, he's just...well, he's lacking on the good guy points and an Oracle's vision of him killing Curran or their future child... has knocked off a few more points. Things are coming to a head and it's pretty much now or never for saving everything that's important to Kate-- her friends, her family, her city. Oh, and having to plan a wedding at the same time. Yeah. It's gonna be messy.

3.5 stars-- Billionaire on the Loose (Billionaires and Bridesmaids #5) by Jessica Clare

Some days...life is going well. Other days? *raises eyebrow* Your family kicks you out of your country and sends your royal ass to America. Yup. Loch's family has sent him packing and he's in New York until they decide it's safe for him to come home again. And he's going stir crazy with nothing to do until a friend sets him up with his own personal tour guide. A clumsy little gamer-girl who is pretty much his exact opposite but totally catches his eye. Billionaire on the Loose was a fun little read. It sure was.

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales, Freebies!

The Claiming was really good! I had fun with Billionaire on the Loose as well. Check the blog for reviews. The Ilona Andrews one is real good, too!

For more info on each book please click the cover! It'll take you to the Amazon page for the book.

Quote-tastic/Review-- priceless -- The Claiming by Tara Sue Me

Join us each week and share a favorite quote that you just loved.

You can add a review or post just a quote. You can post any day of the week, too. Totally flexible. Link ups are live on Monday. Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier!

Just grab the button and toss up your post :) Or leave your favorite in the comment section!

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Yall this one was so fun! It's a quick read and I totally devoured it. Okay so this is a contemporary erotic but...they're having a house party just like in historicals and gah I love that. Just...kinkified since they're into BDSM. I mean. So fun. And crazy hot. Anyways. She's playing "servant girl" during the get together complete with sexy outfit. Loved her response...

Tag: The Cat Herder [Edition 22] -- choking hazards, pervy dessert & lickable chests

  

A little of everything today...

Thoughts from a Blogger Girl-- How I Blog!

So. I was trying to come up with a topic for this weekend and figured I'd chat about how I blog. With Blog Ahead coming up in just a couple weeks I thought I'd dive in and show yall the inner workings of herding cats & burning soup. Bwahahahaha. And how I manage to...mostly...keep my sanity while blogging. Heh So here goes...

Audio Files: Her Highness and the Highlander (The Princess Brides #2) by Tracy Anne Warren

The Story:

HIGHLANDERS!!! Yes! lol This was a lovely little romance of a Highlander and a Princess on the run. So the quick of it is that Princess Mercedes found herself in a nightmare. She was heading home when her coach was stopped and all of her companions killed. She was able to make her escape and eventually found herself at a small pub in desperate need of help which was found in the form of a Highlander who became her champion.

Guest Post w/ Tory Richards--- Spicy Pizza & Carnal Hunger! + giveaway

Hey guys! Today we've got Tory Richards joining us for a yummy post. Yall check it out then hit those comments and leave her some comment love! ~anna

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Hi herding cats and burning soup followers! I personally love cats; I have four, but burning soup? I guess it can be done but I would imagine that it would be hard to do. Anna has graciously allowed me to be on her lovely blog today, and I thought I’d start out by sharing a recipe with you. It’s my own, fantastic creation and I came up with it all by myself. Lol It’s called spicy pizza. Doesn’t it look yummy? And let me tell you, it does have a kick!

Insta-Wednesday-- BabyG and laptops...

Because I love Instagram and fun pictures. The Herd's week ala Instagram :) This last couple weeks we had vet visits and shopping and working on projects. It's been busy at Casa Herding Kitties!

4 stars-- Claiming the Enemy (Pulse #3) by Lauren Hawkeye

Claiming the Enemy? Lordy but it's sexy as all get out and turned me into a reading fiend. I couldn't put this one down. Dishes? Laundry? Pffft they sure weren't happening until I finished that last page.

The quick of it is that Piper, well, she got herself a fake boyfriend...on accident. See she was trying to avoid an obnoxious ex and kinda joined her boss and his mama by sitting down at their lunch table. And crazy of crazy things...he went along with the act. They've rubbed each other a spot wrong at work but damn if desire didn't rise hard and fast and, well, insistent on being taken care of. So they're gonna fake being a couple. But no getting attached, yall. They will NOT get attached! ::snort::

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales, Freebies!

Hmmm so I didn't have many new releases on my radar this week. But Claiming the Enemy was really good. There's a review up for it today if you want to check that out. There are some good deals and freebies, too! So check those out...

For more info on each book please click the cover! It'll take you to the Amazon page for the book.

Quote-tastic/Review-- an, erm, ocular accident --Rival Forces by D.D. Ayres

Join us each week and share a favorite quote that you just loved.

You can add a review or post just a quote. You can post any day of the week, too. Totally flexible. Link ups are live on Monday.

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier!

Just grab the button and toss up your post :) No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section or in a FB post and link it up.

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I'm fairly new to Ayres but, yall! They're so good. Hunky heroes and their working dogs and awesome heroines, too. So this one. Kye has a search and rescue pup. She's a Toller and a little high maintenance and I just loved him with her. This was them on the way to the kennels the heroine runs...

Rock the Blog-- Creating Page Anchors (linking to a point farther down a blog post)

Rock the Blog is our  "How To" for bloggers!

From graphics to html and all kinds of bloggery goodness!

This feature will focus primarily on the Blogger platform (since that's where I'm hosted) though some ideas may apply to Wordpress.

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A long while back I was asked how to do page anchors and...I totally forgot about it. I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I can't even remember who asked. #BloggerGirlFail

Anywho so a Page Anchor. It's basically a way to link lower down on a post from the top of it. It's very handy when you have a lengthy post or index.

Guest Post w/ Scarlett Cole-- heroines & tattoos!

Hey guys! Today we've got Scarlett Cole back with the herd! Yall check it out then hit those comments and leave her some love! ~anna

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As an author who writes about tattoo artists, and has tattoos of her own, I often get asked the question, “What type of tattoo do you think I should get?”

4 stars-- Rookie Move (Brooklyn Bruisers #1) by Sarina Bowen

A whole herd of sexy hockey players, a second chance at romance, turmoil and humor, and amazing friends. Rookie Move was one heck of a start to the Brooklyn Bruisers series.

The quick of it is that Leo and Georgia were high school sweethearts but things went real bad and they've not seen each other since. Good riddance and all that. Damn their luck, though, he's just landed on the hockey team where she works as the team's PR person. And all those sticky emotions from the past and the luscious heat between them simmers up and makes things all kinds of deliciously complicated.

Bites & Nibbles: Sacking the Quarterback by Samantha Towle & The Mating Season by Laurie Horowitz

Two more BookShots! I've really been enjoying these. They're novellas you can read in just a couple hours from authors that teamed up with James Patterson. And they're pretty fun! Easy, fast-paced reads you just cannot put down. They've been great when I was having trouble getting into a book and would be perfect for when you're out running errands and have time to kill like at the auto shop or doctors office/vet.

Anywho, so two today. One sporty, one nerdy. Woohoo!

Sacking the Quarterback by Samantha Towle

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Sacking the Quarterback was a hot little quickie and a good bit of fun though you definitely need to suspend reality when you dive into the world of Melisa and Grayson. The abrasive assistant state attorney and the arrogant yet charismatic football player she's got up on a drug charge. Though something about the case isn't sitting quite right with Melissa.

Buy the Book-- New Releases, Sales, Freebies!

Seriously a shit ton of new releases this week. Jennifer Ashley's was fantastic. Rookie Move, Loving You Easy, A Cowboy Christmas Miracle, The Mating Season...all very good!

Plus some killer sales. Hello a Jill Shalvis for 1.99....get it! (it was fantastic)

For more info on each book please click the cover! It'll take you to the Amazon page for the book.

4 stars-- Guardian's Mate (Shifters Unbound, #9) by Jennifer Ashley

If you love shifters and haven't tried out Jennifer Ashley's Shifters Unbound series you're so in for a treat! Guardian's Mate? Total paranormal goodness complete with a sexy polar bear shifter. Noms!

The quick of it is that Rae has been chosen Guardian by the goddess. Only problem? She's practically still a cub and, well, female and there's never been a female Guardian before. And that has people nervous. Ergs! Training in her home town just isn't safe which lands her in the care of a polar bear. A polar bear who is just about as pleased about the arrangement as she is. Which is to say...not at all. lol

Quote-tastic-- oo did I say that out loud?! --Loving You Easy by Roni Loren

Join us each week and share a favorite quote that you just loved.

You can add a review or post just a quote. You can post any day of the week, too. Totally flexible. Link ups are live on Monday.

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier!

Just grab the button and toss up your post :) No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section or in a FB post and link it up.

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Roni Loren! Pervy, sexy, make-you-blush fun! Woohoo! A couple quotes this week. I couldn't decide and well it's worth the extra quotes :D This one's a menage between two guys who have been friends since they were a teen and a hacker girl they meet. It's crazy hot and classic Loren.

So. Yeah. The heat...

Thoughts from a Reader-Girl: Were books better back in the day?

As I set aside my 4th half finished book this week I started thinking about the quality of books these days and it got me wondering and has me ramblings as well it seems. lol

Are romance books--as a whole--worse than they used to be even a few years ago?

For me the answer, I think, is yes.