Sunday Post #214

Posted January 22, 2017 by Lola in Sunday Post / 46 Comments

sunday post

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
Itโ€™s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

What happened this week?

Not sure why, but this week was just a bit meh. Lots of little things that heaped up. Although also some good things happened. I got a nice chunk of work done, had lunch with my mom and even had some inspiration for blog posts. There was a topic for a Lola’s Advice post that I wanted to write about, but I kept putting it off as I wasn’t sure how to write it. Then Thursday morning I suddenly got a bout of inspiration and knew how I wanted to write the post, so I sat down and wrote it. I normally always start with work first, so it was interesting to switch up my routine and write a blog post first thing in the morning. It’s nice when inspiration hits you like that.

I still haven’t gotten approved for two of the cozies and the edelweiss book I requested last week. I dislike the uncertainty and just want to know if I get the books or not. Anyone else is impatient when it comes to waiting to get approved or declined for books? I did up my netgalley percentage a bit by submitting feedback for two books I don’t plan on reading anymore. I am so close to the 70% now!

I got featured in Double in the Books their magazine, I did a guest post about how to pick which reading challenges to sign-up for and they interviewed me. It was fun and they really asked some great questions. You can read their January magazine here.

And I want to link to Metaphors and Moonlight her Books with Disabilities Archive. It’s a list of fantasy and sci-fi books with disabilities in them. If you’re interested in that or know a book she could add to the list please stop by.

As I am linking to other sites anyway, I have another link I want to share. I also read this very relatable post by SJ Pajonas this week about how Patience is the Key to success. This applies to my business a lot as well and I think she makes some good points.

I tried out a new recipe last Sunday, actually two, one of them was a total failure an done a big success. The first recipe was vegetable bouillon from scratch, I had seen this recipe on buzzfeed and it looked easy enough. We collected veggie scarps, boiled them and then drained it. And it was horrid, the taste was foul and bland at the same time. That evening I made chocolate covered coconut ball, afraid they would be a failure as well, but they turned out delicious. I already have the recipe post scheduled for my blog :).

Picture of the Week

Chocolate Covered Coconut Balls
Here’s a picture of the chocolate covered coconut balls I made last weekend. They wer really good. They tasted a bit like bounties and they only required 3 ingredient it make. Will be making these again, they were a big success.

What did I read this week?

Pressed to DeathFaerie CurseIn With the New

This was mostly a good reading week. I finished 3 books, two full length books and one novella. The novella was my favorite of the three ;). And I am in the middle of two great reads at the moment.
Pressed to Death is the second book in a series, it was a fun cozie, but not as good as the first book and I gave it a 3 star. Faerie Curse was a solid installment in that series, this is book 5 now and I just got book 6 for review. Each book follows the same set-up, but with a different story and it’s been a good series so far. In With the new was a novella written by Tracy Krimmer and I really enjoyed it. It was such a fun read and it featured two realistic main characters and their adorable dogs. I am looking forward to sharing my review with you next week and a way to get your own free copy of the book ๐Ÿ™‚

What did I cook for dinner this week?

This week I blogged about:

Review: Death of a Toy Soldier by Barbara Early
Review: I Found my Rhino by Erin Hayes
Lola’s Ramblings: When you want to read Everything
Lola’s Kitchen: Curry Rice Recipe
It was fun to have a ramlings post again this week and I am glad to know I am not the only one who gets this reading moods where I want to read everything.

What to expect next week on the blog:

– Review: Love, Lies and Hocus Pocus Beginnings by Lydia Sherrer
– Review: Four of a Kind by Kellie Sheridan
– Review: One Snowy Night by Jill Shalvis
– Lola’s Kitchen: Pumpkin Soup Recipe
– Review: In With the New by Tracy Krimmer
Not sure how I ended up with four review posts in one week, but I’ve been reading a lot of novella’s lately so I blame it on that. I can’t wait to finally tell you about Lydia Sherrer her Lily Singer series!

Tours open for sign-up on Lola’s Blog Tours:

Review Opportunities:
Single Chicas by Sandra C Lopez
Here Comes the Witch by Ani Gonzalez
Newborn by Edward Hoorneart
Necromancer by Graeme Ing
Teach Your Heart by Tracey Alvarez
Naughty or Nice by Jessie Logan
Right Under Your Nose by Holly Tierney-Bedord
Fated Memories by Joan Carney
Remember by Joan Carney
Finding Kyler by Siobhan Davis
Vanquished by S.E. Green
Making Bad Choices by Rita Stradling
Check the full list of open review opportunities here.

Cover Reveals:
Keeping the Distance by Clarisse David – 24 January

Tours:
Book Blitz: Amanda Lester Series by Paula Berinstein – 30 January till 5 February
Book Blitz: Reckless Hearts by Heather Van Fleet– 7 till 13 February
Book Blitz: Melancholy Ghost by Kat Mayor – 21 till 27 February

Book Haul:

A Cowboy to keepFaerie HuntMurder at Lowry HouseStarflightThe Royal Pain

A Cowboy to Keep I got for review for during a blog tour. I have enjoyed all of Karen her books so far, so I am excited about this one. I am over halfway through at the moment and it’s really good so far! I got Faerie Hunt for review from the author, it’s a great series so far. Murder at Lowry House was an impulse buy, it sounded good, so I bought it. Starflight I bought in paperback format with some of the money I got for Christmas. I heard good things about this one and the cover is so pretty! I got The Royal Pain for review from the author.

Freebies I grabbed:

I got the following freebies this week (they were free when I got them):

  • Buzz Off by Hannah Reed (Cozy Mystery) Amazon|Goodreads
  • Ryzard by Ariana Hawkes (Paranormal Romance) Amazon|Goodreads
  • Moorigad: Dragon Collection (Age of the Hybrid #1-3) by Debra Kristi (Paranormal/ Fantasy) Amazon|Goodreads
  • Fire Sorcerer by David J. Normoyle (Urban Fantasy) Amazon|Goodreads
  • Window by T.M. Franklin (YA Fantasy) Amazon|Goodreads
  • The Playmaker by Jordan Ford (Sports Romance) Amazon|Goodreads – I was so happy to see this one for free as it was on my wishlist. I read two books by this author and wanted to read this series too.
  • Threads of Silk by Amanda Roberts (Historical) Amazon|Goodreads
  • Shadows of the Gods by S. M. Schmitz (Mythology) Amazon|Goodreads

Also check out my facebook post here where I list freebies and cheap books during the week.

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46 responses to “Sunday Post #214

  1. I have a few books in the Emma L Adams series that I hope to get to at some point during the year. I’m way ahead of reading schedule at the moment and want to squeeze every ebook out of this month that I can! Hope you get some good reading done this week!
    chucklesthescot recently posted…Stacking the Shelves #165My Profile

  2. Yay for inspiration! It really is great when inspiration hits like that. And ugh, yes, the waiting is the worst. I’d rather just know, even if the answer is that I get denied! Although I’ve had terrible luck with Edelweiss, denied for every book I’ve ever requested, haha.

    Foul and bland at the same time. Wow, that does sound awful lol. Sorry that recipe didn’t go so well.

    I’m glad you had a good reading week! And I’m glad you decided to get Starflight. It does have a pretty cover, so I don’t blame you for wanting the paperback!

    Thank you so much for sharing my list ๐Ÿ˜€

    • It really was nice to get a bout of inspiration for that post as it had been on my list to write for so long and I just wasn’t sure how to write it until now.

      Exactly I rather just get denied than the waiting and uncertainty. I just want to know either way. I also have the worst luck with edelweiss, last time I requested a series of 4 books and got book 1 and 3 accepted and denied for book 2 and 2.5, so weird.

      Yeah the veggie bouillon was a total failure, I am giving it one more try with different veggies and if that doesn’t work, I just accept it doesn’t work for me.

      The paperback of Starflight was almost cheaper than the e-book if I remember correctly and I wanted this one in paperback. There are some golden specks that glitter in the light on the paperback cover, it’s very pretty.

      You’re welcome :). I thought some of my followers might be interested in that or had an idea for a book you could add.

    • I don’t always make time for to write a post if inspiration strikes, but if possible I do. And this was a post I had planned to write for a long time and didn’t know how until now. So I just had to go and write it.

      Glad to know I am not the only one who is impatient when it comes to netgalley. I am aiming to get my percentage above 70% this year, so I really hope to achieve that.

    • I had this topic in mind for so long, but couldn’t figure out quite how I wanted to write it, so the bout of inspiration was nice.

  3. I love when inspiration strikes. I have had that happen a lot lately and I am so excited about it ๐Ÿ™‚
    I need to check out the post about patients because with business is hard. This will be my first official year with the taxes for LD. I am nervous about it because I am worried I didn’t write enough down but I think I should be ok…I think. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Coconut balls look delicious! Can’t wait to see the recipe!

    Have a great week, Lola! Happy Reading! ox
    Michelle @Because Reading recently posted…Designing, Blogging, Oh My! ~ WIR & TSPMy Profile

    • It’s awesome when that happens. I am glad to hear you had that a lot lately ๐Ÿ™‚

      The post was about publishing, but it fits our type of businesses very well too. I could really relate to her post.

      Taxes are difficult, I am lucky my mom always helps me out with those/

      I think the recipe will be published in march or something, lol. But I hope you like it :).

  4. Those chocolate covered coconut balls look and sound amazing. I stopped requesting books from Netgalley because I either get approved weeks after I ask for it or they don’t approve or decline it for months. It’s irritating for me so I just buy whatever books I want to read now unless an author emails me and asks me to review it.
    Mary Kirkland recently posted…Review: January Target Beauty BoxMy Profile

    • They were really good :). The waiting part can be difficult, as I just lieke to know immediately if I get approved or not. This week I did got approved for those two netgalley books. Still waiting on the one I requested on edelweiss.

  5. I love it when inspiration strikes! Such a great feeling ๐Ÿ™‚ Sorry about the vegetable broth, but at least the coconut balls turned out good. Can’t wait for the recipe. So cool about your being featured!!! I’ll have to check it out. I hope you have a great week Lola!
    Berls recently posted…Sunday Post | Feeling a little downMy Profile

    • Yes it was really nice to get a bout of inspiration like that and got the post written. I’ll give the vegetable broth one more time and hope it turns out better next time. The coconut balls were a success at first try, I like it when that happens.

    • I actually got approved for both books this week, I just dislike the waiting as I am impatient and just want to know if I get approved or not.

  6. Glad the inspiration hit! I like writing a blog post in the morning sometimes, it seems like creativity is there first thing or something. Glad it was a mostly good week. And congrats on the interview!! Will go over and read it.

    I need to get on Netgalley. Lord only knows what my % will be lol!

    Faerie Curse does look good. And yay for Starflight!
    Greg recently posted…Sunday Post #178My Profile

    • It was nice to write a blog post in the morning for a change instead of later in the week. It was a good interview, they asked fun questions.

      I hope I’ll enjoy Starflight :).

  7. Oh those chocolate coconut things look really good….lol. Hope you have a great week this week! Great book haul!

    I hate having to wait to get approved for something and so sometimes I just totally forget I asked and the boom there they are and I am like did I ask for that…lol.

    Happy reading!
    Stormi
    Stormi Johnson recently posted…The Week In Review #125My Profile

    • They were really good.

      Exactly I just want to get approved or declined soon so I know if I got the book or not. I also had a few times I got approved weeks later and had almost forgotten about it already. I got approved for the two netgalley books this week luckily ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. From my perspective you had a good week, but I know how the winter blues can get one feeling blah. I love it when I’m stumped by a post and then suddenly it just flows out of my fingers onto the screen easy peasy. Glad you had a good visit with your mom.

    Ugh, good on you to at least try to make veggie bouillon, but your chocolate coconut balls look good.

    Way to go getting three read and getting four posts up for this week. What a pain about having to wait to see if you’re accepted. I have an Edelweiss account, but haven’t used it. I’ve had a few just sit at Net Galley, but not lately. I either get accepted or denied within a reasonable amount of time. And yay for increasing your percentage there by moving some inactive books off your pile.

    Have a good week, Lola!
    Sophia Rose recently posted…The Return of Sir Percival: Guineverโ€™s Prayer by S. Alexander Oโ€™Keefe #SweetDelightMy Profile

    • Yeah I didn’t really list many bad thigns, but it just felt a bit like a meh week. It really was nice to finally figure out how I wanted to write this post. I think it had been on my list of posts to write for almost a year now.

      I hope the veggie bouillon works out better next time and else I am giving up on this recipe. I am glad the coconut balls turned out well at least.

      I try and stay away from edelweiss, because I don’t need another site to get books from, but some of Jill Shalvis her books turn up there and I couldn’t resist requesting them. I rarely have books sit long at netgalley either, so I was surprised it happened now. I got accepted for both of the netgalley books this week, yay.

  9. Inspiration hits me at the oddest times and sometimes I can’t write them down lol. But it’s good to change your routine once in a while. It sounds like it really helped you with the post. Those chocolate covered coconut balls look yummy and I love finding easy recipes. I also have a copy of Starflight and I hope we both enjoy it. I really liked her Alienated series so I can’t wait to start that book. I hope you have a great week!
    Kathy recently posted…Weekly Wrap-Up #116My Profile

    • Luckily this time I could switch things around and make time to write the post when the inspiration hit, that’s not always an option. It really helped me figure out how I wanted to write the post. I haven’t read her Alienated series, but I’ve heard good things about Starflight and it sounds like a book I would enjoy.

  10. Those chocolate balls look delicious. What the third ingredient? (Chocolate, coconut and ?)

    And I’m with you on the mood. I felt very ‘meh’ last week as well. I initially assumed it to be hormonal, but who knows….
    Deborah recently posted…Weekly check-inMy Profile

  11. Okay so now I want chocolate covered coconut! Sounds so good. The vegetable scrap one not so much! I enjoy reading your cooking adventures. Hope you have a better week than a Meh one coming up. Happy reading!

    • Glad to hear you enjoy reading about my cooking adventures. It’s fun to talk about and this weeks new recipes really show how sometimes things go well and other times not so much.

  12. Those chocolate covered coconut balls look amazing. I canโ€™t wait to read the recipe!
    And Iโ€™m glad to read youโ€™ve got some inspiration for your blogpost. I love it when Iโ€™m hit with this wave of inspiration, especially in the morning. Those days are just the best.
    Have a great week and happy reading!
    Maureen Beatrice recently posted…The Sunday Post #40My Profile

  13. Thanks for linking to my blog post and I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was one of those posts where I wondered how it would be received, because everyone wants to get successful quickly and it’s hard to hear that’s just not the case 95% of the time. Such is life, though!

    I’m not sure I would ever make my own bouillon! That sounds like a lot of work! But the chocolate covered coconut balls look really good. Mmmm! I hope you have a great week!
    S. J. Pajonas recently posted…Sunday Update โ€“ January 22, 2017My Profile

    • I think that’s why your blog post is so important, everyone wants to get successful quickly, but for the majority of the people that’s not how it works and working steadily and patiently is often a better strategy.

      The bouillon was a lot of work, but it was fun to try. I just wish it had tasted better. The chocolate covered coconut balls were a big success :).

  14. Yay for inspiration! I’m so glad you figured out exactly how you wanted to do your post.

    Sorry for the recipe fail. ๐Ÿ™ I hope it is better with different veggies! The chocolate covered coconut balls you shared though sound amazing and I absolutely love Bounty so I need to try them!

    I hope this week is a better one for you!
    Di @ Book Reviews by Di recently posted…Weekly Round Up #16My Profile

    • I had an idea how I wanted to write it, but wasn’t totally happy with it and then I got that bout of inspiration and suddenly knew how I wanted to write it.

      I hope so too, I think we might have added too many different veggies, so next we’re trying it with only red bell pepper, carrots and onion. We’ll see how that does.

    • I am just impatient and want to now immediately if I get approved or not. I actually got approved for those two netgalley books this week, still waiting to hear about the edelweiss book.

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