I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review. 

Once upon a time, my parents owned their own janitorial company. We (yes, we) mostly cleaned things like office buildings and daycare centers. 

Over the years, I learned several important things...

- People are gross
- Some janitorial companies are terrible
- There is a an "okay way" and a "right way" to clean things
- The janitor deserves as much, if not more, respect than anyone else

I also associate the smell of cleaning products with home and comfort because that was family time. I bought some "ammonia free" Windex a few months ago and hate using it because it doesn't smell right. They say smell is the strongest sense tied to memory. Certain things just smell like childhood to me. Play-Dough (store bought, not homemade), baking banana bread, and certain cleaners. 

When I open a new bottle of essential oil I always always sniff it. It can be something I've purchased a thousand times and I'll still tear into the box like a kid at Christmas. 

So when I got my first bottle of Tea Tree Oil from Simply Earth, I did exactly that...
and instantly transported back to childhood. It smells so clean!!! 

I know there are a dozen uses for Tea Tree oil. Most of which involve dealing with skin issues (bug bites, rashes, etc) but I just had​ to use it to clean.

This is baking soda with several drops of oil...lid on and shake shake shake. 

I took it upstairs and poured a little in hot water in the sink and used that solution to clean the counter and floor of the bathroom.  Today, I poured some in a bowl of hot water and dipped a sponge to clean the counters. 

I also put a few drops on the cleaning pad of my steam mop to make it smell nice. 

You can bet your britches I'm going to take that powder upstairs and apply it to the carpet in the guest room (previously the cats' room)

Like I said previously about Simply Earth, this is a newer but pretty awesome company. This is definitely a company I'll keep on my radar. 

Honestly, I was interested from the first trailer but I can see how a lot of people rolled their eyes. 

​It looks super dumb. 

And it was...in the best way possible. 

Most of the violence is gory but not overly "Hostel" style gore. It's pretty realistic in the amount of blood and gross that happens. 

I wasn't excited about Kristen Stewart but she did a really good job. Jesse Eisenberg plays his stoner role marvelously...it seems to be "his character type" though. (Do one thing and do it well?) 

I enjoyed watching him flick between super killer and confused kid. 

The small twist was kind of predictable but still worked well. There's a happily ever after (for those that worry about that kind of thing) 

Basically...if you enjoyed silly movies like "Grandma's Boy" or "Waiting" you should pick this up. Don't take it seriously. It's not like that. It's stupid and fun, period. 

​Don't listen to the shoddy Rotten Tomato reviews. Have fun instead. 

I'll be up front and say we are friends on Facebook...but she has no idea I'm writing this and didn't ask me to do so. We met on Twitter and moved over to FB. 
​You should click here to connect with her author page! 

Kishan is a romance writer! She's also just awesome in general. 

From her author page on Amazon:
Mother of two beautiful children, she has been married to her best friend for over 16 years. With the help of supportive family and friends, she balances her family, a thriving counseling practice, and writing without sinking into insanity.

This was just plain fun. Yes, there's a little angst in it...just enough to keep you interested and keep the story moving. But overall, I had fun reading this book. 
When you're looking for a light romance, I'd point to "Blind Love." It was so sweet and lovely overall. 
Plus, I got to learn a little about the sight disorder mentioned in the novel. (And you all know I'm a big ol' nerd so I love a book that also teaches me something slightly obscure)

Before we get into my review I have to throw a big trigger warning on this book. Sexual assault, general violence, and death specifically. 

This book....oh my god, this book. 

I read this book in a single day. This isn't out of the ordinary for me. But it's the only book in a long time I kept wanting to put down because it was overwhelming but couldn't because I had to find out what happened next. I literally wrote to Kishan 30% of the way in and told her I felt like crying already. (And high-fived her virtually because she nailed it)
This book will reach into your soul and nest there for DAYS. Talk about major feels and angst. 
The frightful topics are handled so well and I literally held my breath at some parts because I was caught up in the drama. 
I'd call the ending a tentative happily-ever-after. You don't get a "and then everyone got better and everything is perfect" but a more realistic "and everyone started healing." I appreciated that SO MUCH. 
But yeah....this book. [insert dramatic sigh]

I'm sure Kishan is working on her next novel as you read this. "The Second Wife" just came out recently so I have no news on future works (but you can bet I'll be reviewing them here!)

You can click on the book photos above to be taken to the Amazon page to learn more or purchase *wink wink* *nudge nudge*

Until next time, faithful readers!

I'll be honest, I put off reading this for longer than I planned because one of the reviews I saw mentioned zombies. I'm over zombies. I saw "undead" in the description and cringed. 

Well that was a mistake. This book is fantastic and not at all a "zombie book." 

Yes, zombies/undead are part of it, but it's not the characters running around taking headshots and trying to survive. 

It's so much more than that. 

This book is a fascinating balance of zombies, corrupt government, and genetic manipulation. 

There are moments when you, as the reader, question who's really the bad guy and who's just misunderstood or brainwashed. 

When I finished the book I immediately wanted to read it again. It's one of those books that I know when I read it again I'm going to come across AHA moments and hidden secrets. 

It ends on a beautiful cliff-hanger that sinks into your soul and makes you stare at the screen asking, "That's the end?" followed by "This isn't funny. Where's the rest of it?" 

I definitely slap 5/5 stars on this one. Go. Read it. So I have friends suffering the wait along with me. 

When you read as often as I do, you get a reputation. 

I tend to be the go-to for book recommendations. 

It's actually pretty fun for me. I get to dig into my lists and pull out my favorites that fit a specific mold. 10 year old boy that hates reading? 15 year old girl that thinks she's ready for heavier topics? Dirty books? *wink* 

I'm the book addict. 

If you don't give me specifics to follow, I have a few books/series that I fall back on for recommendations. 

1) The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning
Seriously, my favorite series of all time. Moning is an excellent writer. The story is compelling and the characters are rich and developed. There's enough sexual tension to keep things interesting without being too smutty. I'd classify it as Urban Fantasy (paranormal elements in a modern world). 

2) The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward
When this was first recommended to me I rolled my eyes...because vampires. It's vampire romance. Vampire smut if we're being honest. 
But these aren't sparkly, broody vamps. The Brothers are warriors. Their personalities are fully fleshed and realistic. The dialogue is PURE GOLD. I love these. 

3) The Demonica series by Larissa Ione
Okay...I'll be honest. This one isn't my favorite. It's pure fluff and smut from the start (heavy on the smut). If you like Paranormal Romance, these need to end up on your list at some point. Pure entertainment.

4) Wallbanger by Alice Clayton
Erotic romance with plenty of hilarious banter and sarcasm? Here you go. This is one of the few books that had me laughing out loud from the start and kept me giggling throughout. It's the first in a series (apparently...I haven't read more than the first) but it's great as a stand-alone.

5) White Rabbit Chronicles by Gena Showalter
It's a new and different take on zombies. I'll admit, I've only read "Alice in Zombieland" thus far (and how awesome is that title? dude) but I loved it and just haven't gotten around to reading the rest. That will be remedied soon, trust me. 

6) The Darc Murders series by Carolyn McCray and Ben Hopkin
This is one of my favorite Indie series ever. Actually, these are at the top of my fave author lists. I beta read for Hopkin I love his stuff so much! If you like thrillers and police procedurals, put this on your list for sure. And then check out the rest of their books. They're mostly awesome. 

7) Dark Carousel series by Anya Allyn
I originally got the first book (Dollhouse) for free. It sucked me in like no other. Holy crap. If you want creepy and weird in your library...these fit the bill. They're bone chilling without being overly graphic on the freaky elements. I can't tell you much without spoiling but trust me...you'll love it (if creep and weird is your thing)

8) Splintered (series) by AG Howard
If you like to see fairy tales turned on their heads and pushed darker than Disney, grab this one. 
Alice In Wonderland based. The cover is gorgeous and what drew me to the book originally. It sullies up what you remember from Wonderland in a fantastic way. I've only read the first book but Book2 is on my Read-A-Thon list. 

9) The Shells of Chanticleer by Maura Patrick
This was another I got when it was free. It's a fun Young Adult novel about life after death (or during a coma). There's enough suspense to keep you reading but it's more of a "coming of age" and "self discovery" style novel. 
It was easy to read and just a nice book all around. There is a book 2 and I did enjoy it but not as much as the first one. 

10) To Be Continued
Slot 10 is going to have to be my place-holder for "There will be a follow-up post on recommendations because I can't cut it off at JUST TEN." 

However, that above list is like 50 books so you're more than covered for now....I hope.