Saturday, May 6, 2017

Playing For The Save By Rachelle Ayala - Four Stars



Baseball, autism awareness and a love story that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy....what more could you ask for in a novel? Playing For The Save, written by Rachelle Ayala is a warm book that pulled on my heart strings about a handsome baseball player named Ryan and a divorced single mother named Jamie. Jamie isn't your typical single mother. She is a mother who is dealing with extreme emotional abuse from her ex-husband while raising two boys, one who is autistic. Jamie is an excellent mother who loves and cares for her boys deeply. Ryan is attracted to this and is eager to be a part of Jamie's life. He has a desire to take care of her and the boys and makes no secret of how he feels. Jamie is scared but Ryan isn't going to give up.

With lots of ups and downs, including a crazy ex-husband, this couple and the kids navigate through it all. This book will both warm your heart and keep you captivated and invested in the story. Not only will you be left with a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart but you will be aware of  what autism can bring. This book provides an amazing outlet to bring awareness to autism and the challenges families can face. This book is a must read!

You can purchase this on Amazon and don't forget to leave your review when you are done!


NEW RELEASE....
Veteran relief pitcher Ryan Hudson always saves the game for his team. He’s dependable, focused, and good at what he does.

Which is why he prefers to live alone and not have anything to do with women and all the noise and chaos they bring.

Noise and chaos is all single mother Jamie Rush knows. Working and taking care of her two boys is a full time job, especially since one of them is autistic and she gets no help from her ex-husband.

When her two sons win a day with ballplayer Ryan Hudson, they strike up an odd friendship with the reclusive pitcher. Jamie is wary of the baseball hero, but can’t help fantasizing about him.

Ryan is attracted to Jamie, but desperately tries to hide his past. The only problem, they’re made for one another.

They just don’t know it.

The Men of Spring Baseball Series can be read standalone, but are more fun when read together.
Book 1, Playing the Rookie
Book 2, Playing Without Rues
Book 3, Playing Catch
Book 4, Playing for the Save

Available to buy from...

Amazon reviews from Men of Spring Baseball Series
"It’s not every day you find an author that can so easily wrap her words around your heart until they become your world, force your heart to beat, and make your soul sing with joy. If you love to feel the stories as you read them, then you don’t ever want to miss one of her books!" - Playing the Rookie

"Playing Without Rules is such a beautiful story.  A beautiful family story with heartaches in the past which leads to forgiveness. You will laugh, cry and will love this story. My hat off to Ms. Rachelle Ayala for another amazing book."

"Intense, deeply moving, and romantic are the three phases that come to me when I think about Playing Catch."

Also Available
Playing the Rookie (A Baseball Romance) (Men of Spring Baseball Series Book 1)
Jessica Song is tired of being a good girl, staying in a relationship well past closing time. Fresh from a breakup, she takes a walk on the wild side as a sports events intern.

Baseball rookie Jay Pak Ahn has been burned one too many times by good girls, especially his cheating ex-fiancée. When he meets wild Jessica, he throws away all caution to enjoy her to the fullest.

Jessica and Jay agree to a week of enchanting, starry-eyed dates and wild, unrestrained sex to get their exes out of their systems. 


Their pasts collide, exposing the secrets in Jessica’s heart and threatening Jay’s position on the team. Jessica must leave her disappointment behind while Jay has to decide whether Jessica comes before baseball. What will they sacrifice to turn their fling into true love?

0.99 on Amazon 
Available to buy from...

Playing Without Rules (A Baseball Romance) (Men of Spring Baseball Series Book 2)
A ballplayer's girlfriend hides his daughter from him because she fears he's like his abusive father.

Marcia Powers wants nothing to do with ballplayer Brock Carter, especially after she told him to go away and pursue his dreams. She has more than she can handle with an elderly father, a business to run, and a four-year-old daughter posing as her baby sister.

Brock Carter's back in town to rekindle his romance with Marcia, and this time, he's not letting her run him out of town. Marcia is unable to resist Brock, but determined to keep her secret.

Brock's already lost his heart to Marcia once. Will he lose every dream, including baseball, when he discovers the real reason Marcia sent him away?



Available to buy from...

Playing Catch (A Baseball Romance) (Men of Spring Baseball Series Book 3)
On the field and off the field, bartender Jeanine Jewell plays, collecting one-night stands like baseball cards. She doesn’t need a man, except to curl her toes and make her scream. She’s learned the hard way that love is about control and manipulation—and the last thing she can handle is letting herself be vulnerable, or having anyone discover her shameful secret.

Scoring women is easy for catcher Kirk Kennedy—they don’t call him “Catch and Release” for nothing. He never goes back for a repeat performance. Being traded to a new city is an opportunity for new adventures—until he runs into Jeanine and she refuses to go home with him.

Intrigued, Kirk is determined to catch the elusive blonde and keep her to himself. When he proposes a wingman-to-wingwoman, friends-without-benefits relationship, he’s surprised she accepts.

The no-benefits clause soon falls by the wayside when neither Jeanine or Kirk can resist their explosive chemistry. Despite the sparks between the sheets, they both refuse to acknowledge they’re anything more than friends.

Everything changes when Kirk discovers someone from his past is the one Jeanine is hiding from.

Trigger Warning: The heroine was sexually abused by her foster father and has flashbacks.


Available to buy from...



About the author
Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope. 


Rachelle is an active member of the California Writer's Club, Fremont Chapter, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has three children and has taught violin and made mountain dulcimers.

Sign up for her NEWSLETTER to get a FREE surprise book and her latest book news HERE!

Visit her Reader's Guide HERE

Find the author on the following sites...

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!
Win a paperback copy of Playing Catch (US ONLY)
PLUS $20 Amazon GC/Paypal (WORLDWIDE)
Ending on Friday 26th May at 11.59pm EST

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Friday, April 28, 2017

High Five For Friday - New Job, New Seasons and New Clothes



High Five For Friday Number One:

I accepted a job offer this afternoon to work for Brazi Bites! If you haven't tasted Brazi Bites, you are missing out!!!!! I'll be an admin assistant and work in customer service as well. I'm super excited!

High Five For Friday Number Two:

Blogging blogging blogging has been super busy lately! Book blogging, fashion blogging and just fun blogging! It's been a blast and I'm excited to get more blogging jobs!

High Five For Friday Number Three:

One of my very good friends from back home gave me the news this week that her and her husband are looking for a job in Portland, OR! OMG!!!!!!! A hometown friend here in the Pacific Northwest!!!!! Yes, Please!!!!!!!!!

High Five For Friday Number Four:

I have found some new delicious gluten free yummies this week! If you are on a gluten free diet then you know how difficult this is.

High Five For Friday Number Five:

New job means new outfit!?!?!? I'm gonna shop this weekend....hopefully hubby will be ok with that! :)

Warfare Praying By Mark I. Bubeck - 5 Stars



Warfare Praying is a must read for every Christian. This book breaks down what it means to be a mighty warrior of prayer! There are 4 parts to this book and each part is extremely rich with wisdom. I had a hard time putting it down and when I did put it down, I immediately felt a move in my spirit to pray and lean more into God. The four parts are The Supremacy Of Christ, The Work Of The Holy Spirit, The Whole Armor Of God (my favorite one) and The Weapon Of Prayer. Mark does a great job of connecting each of these together and bringing you to a place of wanting to pray with a deeper purpose. 

The compelling way Mark Bubeck writes about prayer and going into battle with God challenged me to go into prayer with a different perspective. We all want spiritual triumph and this book helped me navigate through what that looks like in my prayer life. If you are a Christian struggling with prayer, in the midst of a spiritual battle or simply just want to have a stronger prayer life then I highly recommend this book! It's one that you won't be able to put down! 

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Infertility Awareness Week





This week is Infertility Awareness Week! This week is near and dear to my heart as we have battled infertility after getting off fertility meds and multiple miscarriages. For any woman out there going through this, my heart goes out to you! It's a tough battle but it's a battle that we can stand together in! I was diagnosed with PCOS about 16 years ago. At the time I was diagnosed, they really didn't have answers to some of my questions. It wasn't until I got married and we started talking about starting a family that I started to research and ask questions. Since then, I've made it my mission to get answers and understand PCOS better. I have learned SO much about PCOS and it's led me to a conclusion that most of the health problems I have had have been a result of PCOS. One of those being my heart condition. Women with PCOS are twice as likely to have heart disease. Crazy that I have struggled with heart disease and had no idea it was linked to PCOS.

If you have PCOS, do everything you can to get informed! Learn about it, ask questions and most of all GET HEALTHY! For more information, you can visit http://www.pcosaa.org/! 






Monday, April 24, 2017

7 Day Jamberry Challenge

I'm taking the 7 Day Jamberry Challenge this week! 

Katie sent me these beautiful Jamberry samples and I love them! The colors are so vibrant and fun! Just what I need for spring time! 



I followed her application video step by step. It was an easy and quick application, which I liked.  



I then painted my other fingers with a pearl brown and glitter gold. 



Overall, I really love jamberry! I'm excited to see how they look in 7 days! I have high hopes that they will look JUST as beautiful after 7 days! Come back in a week to find out how the challenge concluded! 

You can order your own jamberry at http://Misskatie.jamberry.com! You can also like Katie's FB page here

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Sofra Women's Pullover Fleece Lined Hoodie Sweater


OMG! Can you say COMFY!!!!!!!!! This pink pullover fleece hoodie is so soft and comfy! I've been relaxing in it ALL day long!!!!! This is perfect for lounging, running errands or just simply wearing for the day! You can pair it with leggings or jeans!

Feel free to check out White Apparel's storefront on Amazon and order your own Sofra Pullover! They have them in a variety of colors and they have so many other items to order!!

This was perfect for this cozy rainy day in.

Friday, April 14, 2017

ShoeDazzle Darci Spring Heels

SPRING!!!!!! I'm loving the light pinks and light purples this season! Pink is my FAVORITE color so the Darci shoe from ShoeDazzle is one of my favorites!!!


This beautiful pink floral shoe has a 4.5'' heel so if you like them high, this is the shoe for you!





I styled this pump with a light pink sweater, tan flowy undershirt, Ralph Lauren skinny jeans and a vintage tan handbag.





These shoes are perfect for date night or just a nice Saturday afternoon out and about.






You can order this shoe here.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

God Searches For His Sheep



Ezekiel y'all!! I dove into Ezekiel 34 this morning and I'm so thankful that the Lord led me to this wonderful book. One of the things that has grieved my heart the past few months is the world today. And not just the world outside of Christ but the world of Christianity as well. The Bible warns us of the false teachers that surround us and it's been something that has hurt my heart more than words can even describe.

I worked at a church full time and once a week had the amazing honor of being Pastor on call, so I know first hand that there are so many hurting and hungry people out there searching for hope and searching for answers. With such an enormous amount of lost hurting people, I'm realistic and wise enough to know that this means easy prey for lots of predators. The devil knew that this would be the case and while God is raising up legit leaders, the enemy is raising up false teachers.

So as I've studied false teachers and signs to be aware of over the past few months, I have asked God many hard questions. I knew when He was ready and when I was ready to receive the answers, that He would answer. Don't you just LOVE HIS LOVE!? This morning, I received that comfort and peace I had been searching for in my studying of false teachers. Ezekiel 34 happened to me this morning and my heart couldn't be more at peace.

Ezekiel 34 teaches us that there is so much hope for those who have been led astray by false teachers. It reminded me and gave me hope that He has taken care of these details that sometimes get overlooked. Leaders are like shepherds to God and I know that the same God who rescued then is the same God who will rescue now. He sees the shepherds now who are misleading like He saw them in the past. "This is what the Lord God says: I am against the shepherds. I will blame them for what has happened to my sheep and will not let them tend the flock anymore. Then the shepherds will stop feeding themselves, and I will take my flock from their mouths and so they will no longer be their food." Ezekiel 34:10

My questions to God have been questions about the innocent ones. "What about the ones who are hungry and lost but know no better?" He answers that for me in Ezekiel 34:11-12, "This is what the Lord God says: I, myself, will search for my sheep and take care of them. As a shepherd takes care of his scattered flock when it is found, I will take care of my sheep. I will save them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day." Of course He is going to take care of the innocent and of course He is going to hand pick His children from the grips of evil before it's too late. Thank You Jesus for loving your people the way you do! Thank you for giving my heart peace in a world of false teachers preying on lost souls.

As Darin and I continue our journey in a new state, I know that God is protecting us from false teachers. I have been so timid in the new search for a new church that the process has been a slow movement. But that's OK. After reading Ezekiel, I no longer feel rushed to look nor do I feel fear to look. I know He will guide us, protect us and (if needed) rescue us!!!