Book review of How to Create Your Website: For Writers and Other Clueless Souls (Book 3 in Self-Publishing Made Easy) by Mateja Klaric

Title: How to Create Your Website: For Writers and Other Clueless Souls (Book 3 in Self-Publishing Made Easy) 

Author: Mateja Klaric

Source: NetGalley

Genre: computer technology, 
Reviewed by: Laurie 
Rating: 4

Dealing with things such as website hosting and finding the best platform for setting up your website can be a daunting and overwhelming task. This book will show you how to navigate the world of websites, domains, emails, hosting services, and SEO* fast, easy, and at the lowest cost. It will also help you avoid many pitfalls so that you'll be able to make your website secure and cost-efficient.

*Don't know what SEO is? Then that's yet another reason why you need this book!

This is a good book for those that are clueless and want to start a website. The only downside is I wished the author would have covered a large range of free websites such as blogger. I have had a blogger for years and by first looks, you cannot tell is a blog, other than that she covers a few different providers for a website so you should be able to find one to fit your bill.

This book will get you started on SEO, but there is a deeper level for SEO for authors and all other kinds of business out there so make sure you keep digging and learning SEO after you get the hang of the simple steps this book can give you. If you can get your SEO right when anyone is searching for an item that you have to offer your website will be on the first pages of searches.

This book is very detailed so anyone will be able to understand and follow the author’s steps.  

I recommend this book to any aspiring author, aspiring blogger or new handmade sellers.

Author Interview with romance author: Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Good Morning everyone, let’s all welcome romance author Sue-Ellen Welfonder and her Highland Warriors series with us today.

                                                                     

First off please tell everyone a little about your series?

SEW:  Highland Warriors is a Scottish medieval trilogy. I wanted to explore the deep love Highlanders have for their home glen. The glen in the series is shared by three clans and each one believes they have sole claim to the land. The three heroines are sisters of the warring chieftains and they are weary of the strife and bloodshed so they join together to end the feud by each vowing to wed a man from an enemy clan. 

Here is a mini-blurb for Sins of a Highland Devil:

When a king commands three feuding clans to resolve their dispute with a trial by combat, a proud Highland warrior soon learns that he’s fighting for much more than his beloved glen and that his greatest triumph will be winning the love of his enemy’s sister.

Introduce everyone to book one Sins of a Highland Devil hero and heroine.

SEW:  James ‘The Devil’ Cameron is a proud clan chieftain who, though fierce, is known for his honor as much as the strength of his sword arm. When the Scottish king orders him to fight or see his people banished, he has no choice but to enter a staged battle that will determine which clan is to possess the glen. Highlander to the bone, he believes the glen clans should resolve their feuds without royal interference. He never expects to find an ally in Catriona MacDonald, the fiery, high-spirited sister of his worst foe, but he does – and when they come together, their lives are forever changed.

What year are the story settings?

SEW:  Sins of a Highland Devil, book one, opens in 1396 with the other two books set progressively a year onward. This was the turbulent reign of King Robert II (Robert Stewart, grandson of Scotland’s great hero king, Robert the Bruce)  

Can you tell our readers a bit about the paranormal elements that are added in the story?

SEW: All my books have paranormal elements. Celtic legend and lore, Highland magic, belief in curses, second sight, mythical creatures and such, were all an integral part of life in medieval Scotland and so I enjoy weaving in these elements. Readers can expect the following paranormal threads in Sins of a Highland Devil: myth and legend, curses, magic, standing stones, ghosts, enchanted beasties, ancients who practice the old ways, and more.

One of my favorite magical elements is an enchanted white stag. He was created in honor of Big Boy, a friendly red stag who enjoyed greeting visitors at a viewpoint in Glencoe. Tame and trusting, Big Boy delighted travelers from all over the world. I’d seen him a few times on my own visits to Scotland and was heartbroken to learn he’d met a bad end. So I put him in this series and named him Rannoch after the Rannoch Moor which is where ‘his’ overlook is located.

For the readers out there who have never tried your books can you please add a few of your favorite teasers from the book?

SEW:  Sure, here are two with James and Catriona, and one with Grizel, the magical wise woman in the series…

Excerpt I ~ Sins of a Highland Devil

A Fiery Wench…

     The MacDonald wench stood at. He stepped closer to the wall, hoping he erred. Unfortunately, he hadn’t the edge of the chaos. On seeing her, James felt an even hotter flare of irritation. She was truly there, hands on her hips and looking haughty as always.

     Joining him, his cousin gave a low whistle. “She’s Catriona MacDonald, the chief’s sister. The wildest of that heathenish lot.”

     “I know who she is.” James did. “And she is wild - so prickly some say she sleeps in a bed of nettles.”

     Colin laughed. “She’s bonnie all the same.”

     James scowled at the lass. “So is the deep blue sea until you sink in its depths and drown.”

~*~

Excerpt II ~ Sins of a Highland Devil

         

 A Laird and a Lady Clash…

     “Lady Catriona.” His smile deepened, turning devilish.

     “You…” She took several steps closer to him, then stopped when she realized she’d moved. “You shouldn’t be here with me-” She started to tell him to leave, but broke off when he raised a hand.

     “I am no’ with you, regrettably.” His meaning brought a flush to her face. “If I were” – he gave her a look that made her feel naked – “rest assured you’d no’ be spluttering like an angry hen. You’d be purring in sweet, female contentment.”  

~*~

Excerpt III – Grizel & Gorm (her partner)

A Crone Interrupted…

    

     “What are you about, woman?”

      Grizel spun around, sending the peat-bricks flying through the air. Gorm stood just inside the threshold, his face stern. His usually merry eyes were suspicious. And his splendid, near-to-his knees beard riffled in an unseen wind, a sure sign that he was in a dangerous mood.

     Grizel glared at him, peering past his shoulder at the now-empty door stoop. Even the fine bed of heather and bracken that she’d made for her four-legged friend had vanished. Everything was gone except the rocks and whirling mist.

     “Glower all you wish, it’ll change naught.” Gorm’s beard ends fluttered wildly. 

     “Where be Rannoch?” Grizel thrust out her chin, ignoring the beard-riffling.

     “No’ doing the fool guarding you ordered him to do, that’s true.” Gorm shut the door and came forward, bending to snatch up one of the peats as he crossed the stone-flagged floor. “Thon creature heeds me more than he does you, if ne’er you noticed.”

~*~

What can readers expect next any upcoming releases?

SEW:  Books two and three in Highland Warriors will be out this autumn. Likewise, a holiday novella connected to the series…

Temptation of a Highland Scoundrel, #2

Seduction of a Highland Warrior, #3

Once Upon a Highland Christmas, series-related holiday novella

I also have a story in Meows and Mistletoe, a Cat’s Paw Cove holiday collection. It’s set in a Florida beach town full of cats, magic, and romance. The Cat’s Paw Cove series was created by Wynter Daniels and Catherine Kean.

    

Are you working on any more series or books? 

SEW: A spin-off on my Ravenscraig Legacy series, Scottish contemporary paranormals. I’m hoping to get it out this summer. After that  – so many ideas and too little time.  

~*~

Thank you so much for having me. If any readers would like a closer look at Highland Warriors, they can download Highland Interludes from my website. It’s a free mobi download and includes two series prequels…

Highland Interludes

http://www.welfonder.com/Highland-Interludes.mobi

The Foretelling is a series prequel that lets you meet the three heroes as lads. It sets the stage for the events that unfold when they are grown men, proud and powerful Highland warrior chieftains.

         

The Glen of Many Legends – A Tour is also a prequel but is set immediately before the series opens. With a fierce battle on the horizon, a danger that could destroy a sacred glen, one of the warrior chieftains makes a journey across the story world.     

~*~

Also, I’ll draw a reader from all comments for a Mobi file of Sins of a Highland Devil.

I’ll sign off by with my contact info…

Mailing list:

https://madmimi.com/signups/102456/join

Website:

www.welfonder.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SueEllenWelfonderAuthor

Facebook Personal Page: http://on.fb.me/1N5fSqg

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SE_Welfonder

Features for the blog

Features for the blog.

In the Garden with Spuds.

 As most dogs Spuds love the outdoors. This year I was finally able to create a few raised beds and each day I go down to work the raised beds and Spuds is joins me, so I wanted to add him a feature on the blog so we can share our love for the outdoors and gardening.

Sookie’s Romance corner

Sookie is going to cover anything romance. I always find her laying bedside my romance books so I thought it would be fit her taste.

Rescuing with Roxie and Boo

Roxie and Boo are two rescue kitties so “Rescuing with Roxie and Boo” feature fit them just right. Roxie was rescued from a high kill shelter in GA by TLC Pet Rescue and we adopted her from there. Boo was rescued right off the streets of my home town. One day my husband and I were coming back from lunch and someone swung over into our lane to miss a small kitten. I noticed what the person was trying not to hit and had my husband to see if we could fetch the tiny kitten. We were lucky we had leftover fish with us and she was starving, or we might not have caught her. She went straight to my husband and we were able to grab her and take her home.

In the kitchen with Pandora

Pandora is always in the kitchen, I truly believe if she was human she would be a world-class chief. She finds her spot on the island and watches me while I cook and bake. Her favorite food is bacon, cream cheese, and marshmallows. I have to keep the marshmallows locked away because she always finds them. I have caught her countless times coming out of the cabinet with a bag in her mouth. She’s recently found out moon pies has marshmallows in them, so I have had to resort in hiding them too. The funny thing is she won’t eat the cookie, just the marshmallows.  

Pet Talk with Wolverine

Wolverine is Pandora’s brother. By the looks of him, you’d think he would have gotten the kitchen feature. Right? Well, spite his sporting large belly he is a total lover boy that will talk your head off, so I thought it would be fitting for him to bring to us post from authors talking about their pets, pet charities or anything they wanted to post about animals.  If you’re an author and would like to create a post about your pets please email Wolverine and me at lauriescozycorner@gmail.com

Everything cozy relate will be by me, Laurie :)

Domain name Bitten by Romance will be chaining

I wanted to make a post to let everyone know the domain name will be changing one more time. 

Since there are no other reviewers here any longer, I want to go back to the way things were 10 years ago and make it my own again and the name Bitten by Romance just doesn't reflect me any longer. 

I will still be reviewing romance books from time to time, but I will also be reviewing other books like cozies and cookbooks and I want to add more of myself and other things I love to do like baking, gardening and just other things that reflect my life and things I love, not just romance.

So, when my domain name expires on the 14th I will not be renewing it. I will be changing it to something that I can enjoy once more and I hope everyone else can too. 

I also want to make mention that on the 10th of this month I do have a great author interview with romance author Sue-Ellen Welfonder so make sure you stop back by and read her interview. 

Cookbook review of Char-Broil Grilling for the Family: 300 Delicious Recipes to Satisfy Every Member of the Family by Editors of Creative Homeowner

Title: Char-Broil Grilling for the Family: 300 Delicious Recipes to Satisfy Every Member of the Family 

Author: Editors of Creative Homeowner

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Cookbook

Reviewed by Laurie

Rating: 4

Let's Get Everybody Together for a Family Grilling Fiesta!

The best part of grilling is the shared experience of cooking and eating great food. Welcome to the definitive cookbook and how-to guide for memorable outdoor family meals, packed with recipes from America's favorite grill brand. Inside you'll find 300 mouth-watering ideas for delicious appetizers, main courses, salads, vegetables, and even desserts, all with easy step-by-step instructions and color photos. We've made sure to include plenty of suggestions on ways to include everyone in the family--from the youngest to oldest--when making a grilled feast.

- 300 flavorful new recipes for epic family cookouts.
- Backyard cooking tips for perfect hamburgers, drumsticks, kebabs, steaks, chops, ribs, fajitas, wings, sliders, skewers and more.
- 47 ways to use The Big Easy(R) for delicious fried turkey, rotisserie chicken, BBQ pork, roast beef and grilled vegetables.
- Tips on getting the kids involved with simple child-friendly tasks that they can do to help.

It’s that time of the year where we get our grills out and start cooking and you know you need a cookbook to help you with that right? LOL.

Char-Broil Grilling for the Family feathers over 300 recipes that will help you be the master griller with recipes for drinks, breakfast foods, meats, seafood, vegetables, salads, desserts and of course, great marinades, sauces, and rubs that will help you this summer and beyond.

The starting of the book gives you inside on different types of gills, woods to use, tools, and much more to help you make the most of your grilling. What I really liked best was the heating and temperature setting for different methods of grilling.

I would have given this book a 5 rating, but the images seem very generic for the time they spent on the recipes, but it could be because I have an ARC copy.

Historical romance review of Captain Easterday's Bargain by Kathleen Buckley

Title: Captain Easterday's Bargain 

Author: Kathleen Buckley 

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Historical romance

Reviewed by: Laurie

Rating: 3 

Sexual rating: Clean romance  

London's cutthroat shipping trade is no place for a lady, although Olivia Cantarell has secretly acted as her father's assistant for years. Now she has inherited his company, she has no mind to give up control over it—and herself—by marrying, however flattering it is to be sought after for the first time in her life. In spite of threats and intimidation, she will fight to keep her business. 

Careful, responsible, and twice jilted, Captain Marcus Easterday has no heart to attempt marriage a third time. But he cannot stand by and see a woman cheated of her livelihood by Ambrose Hawkins, rumored to be a former pirate, a man whose name is known and feared in ports from the West Indies to China. 

Courted by the ruthless Hawkins while relying on the scrupulous Easterday's help, Olivia must conceal the identity of one of her clerks and protect her company and employees. Who can she trust?

The first several chapters in this book had me totally confused, but I pressed on and by the end when I finally caught up to the story I started enjoying it. 

My biggest enjoyment in the story was Olivia, I loved her courage and how she stood up to the men, which is unheard of in this time and kept her father’s business running with Captian Easterday help.

Now, let’s get back to my confusion. The first few chapters are of Marcus Easterday and his betrothal  Mariah, which I assume it was to help get a backdrop but it ended up being too confusing and I almost quit, but I am glad I didn’t.

If you can press on several chapters until you really get into Olivia’s story and finally the romantic connection between her and Easterday, you just might enjoy this story. 

Field Guide to Urban Gardening: How to Grow Plants, No Matter Where You Live: Raised Beds - Vertical Gardening - Indoor Edibles - Balconies and Rooftops - Hydroponics by Kevin Espiritu

Title: Field Guide to Urban Gardening: How to Grow Plants, No Matter Where You Live: Raised Beds - Vertical Gardening - Indoor Edibles - Balconies and Rooftops - Hydroponics 
Author:  Kevin Espiritu
Genre: Gardening 
Source: Netgalley
Reviewed by Laurie
Rating: 5

In Field Guide to Urban Gardening, author Kevin Espiritu of Epic Gardening shares the basics of growing plants, offers tips on how to choose the right urban gardening method, and troubleshoots the most common problems you’ll encounter.

If you think it’s impossible to grow your own food because you don’t have a large yard or you live in the city…think again. There is a plethora of urban gardening options to create beautiful, productive edible gardens no matter where you live. The key to succeeding as an urban gardener is to choose the method(s) that make sense for your unique living situation and then give your plants what they need to thrive. Kevin helps you do just that.

But he doesn’t stop there. He also provides in-depth garden plans, from upcycled DIY projects and intensive hydroponic systems to beautiful and functional raised beds. Urban gardening is a real, growing, and important movement in today’s world. This fact-packed book is your roadmap to get growing today.

Urban gardening techniques featured include:
Container Gardening
Raised Beds
Indoor Edibles
Balconies and Rooftops
Hydroponics

No matter how small your space is you can always find ways to have an urban garden. I have resided beds and containers so I had to see if this book could help me advance more into smaller spaces since my husband always complains about mowing around my gardens. LOL

This book is very detailed and will help you get into the new age of urban gardening, it’s so much better to know where your food is coming from and gardening in any form can help relieve stress. You get great images along with detailed information that will walk you through step by step and if you look up the author he also has a website with tons of information that will help you.

I highly recommend this to anyone that is new or advance gardening.

Book review: Looking at Jewelry: A Guide to Terms, Styles, and Techniques by Susanne Geansicke, Yvonne J Markowitz

Title: Looking at Jewelry: A Guide to Terms, Styles, and Techniques 

Authors: Susanne Geansicke,  Yvonne J Markowitz 

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Art reference

Reviewed by: Laurie 

Rating: 5
Release date June 25th 2018

What is a cabochon? What are the various types of gilding? What is vermeil? This accessible book—the first of its kind—offers concise explanations of key jewelry terms. The fascination with personal adornment is universal. It is a preoccupation that is primal, instinctive, and uniquely human. Jewelry encompasses a seemingly endless number of ornaments produced across time and in all cultures. The range of materials and techniques used in its construction is extraordinary, even revolutionary, with new substances and methods of fabrication added with every generation. In any given society, master artisans have devoted their time, energy, and talent to the fine art of jewelry making, creating some of the most spectacular objects known to humankind.

This volume, geared toward jewelry makers, scholars, scientists, students, and fashionistas alike, begins with a lively introduction that offers a cultural history of jewelry and its production. The main text provides information on the most common, iconic, and culturally significant forms of jewelry and also covers materials, techniques, and manufacturing processes. Containing more than eighty color illustrations, this guide will be invaluable to all those wishing to increase their understanding and enjoyment of the art of jewelry.

I recently started making handmade jewelry and have been looking for a book to help take me deeper into the art of jewelry. This book did that and so much more. 

This book gives you history, detail of material that is used in making jewelry, different techniques, and anything that has to do with any type of jewelry past or present you’ll find in this book. You also get nice images of works of jewelry makers past and present.

Once you start reading you’ll notice right of the bat that there was a lot of research that went into this book, that will help newbie – advance jewelry makers which are looking into knowing more about the craft.

Book review of Growing Your Own Tea Garden: The Guide to Growing and Harvesting Flavorful Teas in Your Backyard by Jodi Helmer

Title: Growing Your Own Tea Garden: The Guide to Growing and Harvesting Flavorful Teas in Your Backyard 

Author: Jodi Helmer
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Gardening and cookbook 

Reviewed by: Laurie 
Rating: 5

You Love To Drink Tea. Why Not Grow Your Own?

If you’ve ever considered raising your own tea, this comprehensive guide is the place to start. Growing Your Own Tea Garden is packed with inspiration and practical instructions for cultivating and enjoying delicious teas. Author Jodi Helmer helps you plan and plant a productive backyard tea garden, with sample garden designs and cultivation advice. She shows you how to choose the right crops for your soil and climate, starting with the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and going on through a comprehensive survey of tisanes, or herbal teas. Discover how to grow the full range of herbal infusions that make wonderful teas, from flowering chamomile and lavender to chicory roots, rose hips, lemon verbena, peppermint, aromatic bergamot and more. Jodi shows you how to harvest, dry and store your tea to enjoy all year long, along with brewing tips and creative recipes.



Inside Growing Your Own Tea Garden

· Everything you need to know to create a healthy, bountiful tea garden and enjoy high quality tea

· How to grow dozens of crops that make marvelous teas, herbal infusions and decoctions

· Sample tea garden designs, including instructions for growing tea in container gardens and raised beds

· Understanding the differences between black tea, green tea, white tea and herbal tea

· How to dry and store your leaves for consumption on cool autumn days

· Let it steep: how to brew the perfect cup of tea

If you’re like me love growing all kinds of herbs and tea this book is for you. This book will help you learn what leaves have vitamins and nutrients and how to brew them. 

I really enjoyed the history of tea section so informative as a matter of fact, this whole book is full of useful information, heck I never know you could use blackberry leaves in for tea either.

Are you wanting to kick the habit of those carbonated no healthy syrup drinks? Well, grab this book pick some herbs you would like, buy the dirt and containers and get to growing. I plant most of my herbs into containers so they are easy to keep up with and handy to cut off when needed so this book just adds more excitement for me to use more of my herbs.  Oh, and don’t forget a lot of flowers are great in tea, yep, this book covers it all herbs, fruit, and flowers.

Highly recommend to anyone that would like to expand their tea drinking horizons.

Cookbook review of The Keto All Day Cookbook: More Than 100 Low-Carb Recipes That Let You Stay Keto for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner by Martina Šlajerová

Title: The Keto All Day Cookbook: More Than 100 Low-Carb Recipes That Let You Stay Keto for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner  
Author: Martina Šlajerová
Genre: Cookbook
Source: Netgalley
Reviewed by Laurie
Rating: 4

In The Keto All Day Cookbook, best-selling author and creator of the KetoDiet blog Martina Slajerova compiles her best recipes for every meal of the day (even snacks)—plus 17 new ones, accompanied by nearly 40 gorgeous new photos—to help you stay the keto course, deliciously!

Keto is the top-trending supportive diet. Bolstering its reputation is research that strongly suggests that a keto diet may help reverse diabetes, obesity, cancer, and the effects of aging. However, in order to reap the benefits, you need to stick to the keto plan at every meal. That can be challenging when eating breakfast during your commute or figuring out what to eat for dinner after a long day. And what to do about lunch? Especially when your lunch "hour" maybe 10 minutes at your desk. With Keto All Day you won't be tempted to blow your keto diet on a carb-filled snack or a processed convenience meal simply because you are tired, rushed, or just don't know what to prepare.

Enjoy tasty, flavorful recipes for snacks and meals, such Breakfast Egg Muffins, Pizza Waffles, Carrot Cake Oatmeal, Southern Duck Deviled Eggs, Eggplant Parma Ham Rolls, and Taco Frittata. Keto All Day even has recipes for delicious drinks and desserts, including Cookie Dough Mousse, Boston Cream Pie, and Raspberry Lime Electrolyte Cooler.

Reap the benefits of the amazing keto diet in a delicious way with Keto All Day.

After watching the video on Netflix about the Keto diet, I wanted to see how easy or hard it was to live off of this diet, I must say even as easy as this cookbook gave instructions, there is no way, I could do it daily. I guess I am a huge grain eater. LOL

Martina Slajerova knows how to make recipes easy to read and follow, each recipe is very detailed and explained very easy, so anyone could follow and the book has great pictures.

Now, as for the diet itself, there are ingredients in here I have never heard of or even seen before in my lifetime and that is saying something because I have always used harder recipes with ingredients that made me Google or look up in books, but quite a few of these are just really questionable. I am sure Amazon has every ingredient that is offered in this cookbook, but the thing is I am not an online grocery shopper so if my local Kroger doesn’t carry the ingredient then it’s a no go for me and some of these ingredients are not at my local market.

I would definitely recommend this for experienced Keto cooks.

Cozy Mystery book Review for Murder in an Irish Pub (Irish Village Mystery #4) by Carlene O'Connor

Title: Murder in an Irish Pub (Irish Village Mystery #4) 

Author: Carlene O'Connor 

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Length: Novel

Reviewed by Laurie

Rating: 4

When competing card sharps stir up Siobhán O'Sullivan’s quiet Irish village, a poker tournament turns into a game of Hangman . . .

In the small village of Kilbane in County Cork, for a cuppa tea or a slice of brown bread, you go to Naomi’s Bistro, managed by the many siblings of the lively O'Sullivan brood. For a pint or a game of darts—or for the poker tournament that's just come to town—it’s the pub you want.

One player’s reputation precedes him: Eamon Foley, a tinker out of Dublin, called the Octopus for playing like he has eight hands under the table. But when Foley is found at the end of a rope, swinging from the rafters of Rory Mack’s pub, it’s time for the garda to take matters into their own hands. Macdara Flannery would lay odds it’s a simple suicide—after all, there’s a note and the room was locked. But Siobhán suspects foul play, as does Foley’s very pregnant widow. Perhaps one of Foley’s fellow finalists just raised the stakes to life and death.

With conflicting theories on the crime—not to mention the possibility of a proposal—tensions are running high between Siobhán and Macdara. Soon it’s up to Siobhán to call a killer’s bluff, but if she doesn’t play her cards right, she may be the next one taken out of the game . . .

New author and series to me and I enjoy the story and mystery, it kept me guessing all the way.

I also, enjoyed how clean this book was of cussing and I how the author used terms real Ireland people would use today it made me feel as if I was right there.

What I would have loved to read more of is setting descriptions and a bit of background of the characters even though it can become respective to the people who have read the series but to those of us who just randomly pick a book up, it helps to keep a bit on track of who is who and what they are doing even though it is respective to some. So, if you haven’t picked up this series I would suggest starting with book one to make sure you don’t get lost like I did a few times.

Now, I need to go pick up book one so I can get all the happens, of who is who from the beginning.