'Double Play"

This was my first time reading a Romance Novel by Jill Shalvis "DOUBLE PLAY." I enjoy sports and being that the focus of her novel was a baseball player, I was able to relate to the game, to the situation and most of all the "Playing hard to get and relationship frustration that the couple shared in this Romance Novel.

Characters are:
Holly Huchinson- Reporter, doing story on The Heat Baseball Team
Pace Martin - Star Pitcher for The Heat
Red- Heat Management
Ty- Relief Pitcher for Pace
Samantha McNead- PR for The Heat

Holly Huchinson is a reporter who digs up Secrets from organizations and exposes them for the betterment of the community and to give readers something good to read. Her last relationship ended on a bad note. She exposed his company and thus the company lost money, was sued and her ex-boyfriend was fired! So there went that relationship. I don't think she was really in love with her ex-boyfriend.

Her new assignment was to travel with "The Heat" baseball team and write about whats going on with them and most of all reveal any uncovered secrets. Her first person to interview the star pitcher PACE MARTIN. He was not a friendly chap at first. He does not like reporters and is just one of those guys, who loves the game and passion of baseball and thats pretty much all he's about. Holly tries her best to get an interview with him, but doesn't get it at the beginning. She has to work her way to getting an interview with Pace and in the meantime, she is getting to know who the real Pace is, off the record and about his personal life.

I love their crazy relationship and Holly finds herself falling for Pace HARD! He is irresistible and she considers herself OK, there is an obvious attraction between the two of them. As time progresses, they do get involved and they both admit that they are attracted to each other. As in all sports, the team really believes in superstition. So Holly finds herself in the shower room with Pace and they share a passionate kiss that awakens every fiber in her body and she's enjoying every minute of it. They are interrupted by the coach, RED, who says not before a game PACE..Too funny..Anyways, so Pace pitched a really great game and now the team is convinced that Pace has to kiss Holly before every game. The GOOD LUCK KISS!

Holly soon finds out, as the reporter, that some team members are using natural plants and powders to get them ready for the games, but they break down into Stimulants which are not allowed. Some inside information is leaked out about "THE HEAT" and because Holly is the reporter, everyone points the finger to her. By this time, she's already in love with Pace and wouldn't do that to him or the team, who have welcomed her with open arms. Pace doesn't believe that its Holly who is leaking out the confidential infomation about the team, but Pace has a difficult time trusting others and Holly. He does let Holly into his life but still has his reserves about her.

Samantha McNead is the Heats PR person and she was one of the first people who befriended Holly when she came on board as the reporter. When Holly gets frustrated with her undecided relationship with Pace, she turns to Sam and they both have a sweet tooth; so they do what comes naturally, they eat brownies and ice cream and discuss Hollys situation. Holly can't help herself, she is in love with Pace whether she admits to it or not. Pace can't get Holly out of his mind. His rotator cup on his shoulder is inflamed and rumors are going around that he might be out for good.

We find out that the relief pitcher TY is taking stimulants and admits to using. So he is under investigation and becuase Holly loves Pace she doesn't reveal who has been supplying Ty with the stimulants because Red (the supplier) has been like a father to Pace and it would kill him if any bad press came upon Red. So Red is able to retire from the HEAT with his dignity intact. Holly because of love, has changed as well. As with her ex-boyfriend she just went for the gusto revealing everything illegal about his company. But, with the heat, she only revealed what needed to be uncoverd and left the other details out of the press. So we see this human change in Holly due to LOVE! SWEET AS...as they say in New Zealand.,

My absolute favorite part in the book was in the end, when Pace from the field mouths to Holly who is in the stands, "I love you", and she says to herself, did he really say that, no couldn't be. Then towards the end of the game he jumps on the fence and yells to her, I'm trying to propose to you, and she says, I don't need a proposal, I only need you...Now that is something else..I loved that part.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading her other book, "Slow Heat." Another good Romance Novel Author I will be looking out for.

"The Playground"

Gary Spatz, "THE PLAYGROUND", school of acting for young actors and actresses. August 15, 2010 was my first time taking my cousin Shannen to her acting class located in Santa Monica, CA and it was a nice place. There were so many kids there with their parents just waiting for their classes to begin. Gary, the owner, gave me and my uncle a tour of the studio; very nice.

The Westfield Outdoor Mall is right next door to the Studio so its an easy peasy little walk out the backdoor and window shopping from then on. My cousin and her husband showed me around as I will be taking my cousin to her classes and I had a great time.

They have a few of my favorite stores: Borders being the one that I know I will probably spend most of my time in reading, Pinkberry, I love the ORIGINAL YOGURT with Mango and Raspberry toppings, and the COACH Store, but I doubt I'll buy anything in there same as Bloomingdales, major window shopping there ha!

Its a different environment and lots and lots of EYE CANDY, we're talkin palagiz, latinos and other origins SWEET!

My other option is to stay in the studio and go in one of the managers office and just read, which I think is probably gonna be what I'll be doing when I don't want to take that little stroll around the mall by myself. It was my first time in the Westfield Mall and I enjoyed the atmosphere and loved the ambiance haha!

So it was a nice experience and look forward to going every week, just to take a breather and a break away from home..

Good luck to my cousin Shannen and her acting classes. Let's hope she gets discovered HOORAY!!

"The Hunger Games"

The Hunger Games, where do I start. First of all, I say how uneasy I was about the whole Hunger Games and how I wasn't happy about the competition to kill each other to survive. That so didn't sit well with me, but never the less because of all the great reviews I read and recommendations to read it, indeed i dove right in and read it. I must add, that I was not disappointed!

Characters:

Katniss Everdeen- District 12 Girl Contestant and good hunter
Peeta Mellark-District 12 Boy Contestant and Bakers son
Gale- Katniss' best friend and companion to hunt
Primrose- Katniss little sister
Rue- District 11 Girl Contestant

This books was great! It took me a little bit to get into the whole storyline, but with some intense focus, I was able to figure out what was going on and was immediately captured by Katniss' skill of providing for her family at such a young age and her great love her younger sister Prim. I instantly fell in love with the family bond I felt between the two sisters (Katniss and Prim).

Gale is 18 or 19 and has been good friend with Katniss from the jump. He was her partner in hunting, learning, helping each other survive by providing game for their families to eat daily, spending everyday together. Before the games, Gale tells Katniss, you know we can run away and live outside of District 12 in the woods. Katniss thinks about it and wonders why Gales says that. She doesn't bother to ask him, but the question lingers in her mind. She loves Gale, but is not sure as a boyfriend or a best friend.

There are 12 Districts and a boy and a girl(24 kids) ranging from ages 12-18 are chosen randomly lottery style to play in the Games. These are no ordinary ames these are the HUNGER GAMES, strictly a game of LIFE SURVIVAL! The winner survives and the rest die trying to live! Prim's name was chosen to participate in the games, but Katniss loving her sister, spoke up and insisted that she go in place of her little sister. This has not been done, a volunteer to play in the games was unheard of for a long time untl Katniss did. Prim was not happy about it, but Katniss knew she would not let her little sister be a part of the blood bath that would await her in the games.

Katniss goes in place of her sister and Peeta Mellark is chosen for the boy to represent District 12. Peeta has noticed everything about Katniss sinc she was 5 years old, but Katniss never knew this until they were struggling to survive in the games. Peeta loved Katniss the first time he saw her at age 5 in school. His feelings are real for Katniss and all along Katniss thinks he's pretending to please the crowd as they all watch the games on live TV. Haymitch (Katniss and Peeta's mentor)tells Katniss she has to pretend to be in love with Peeta so as to please the crowd and get sponsors for the games. She understands and plays into the love scenario. All along Katniss pretends to love Peeta, yet she gets confused at times and poor Peeta not pretending is really in love with Katniss and everything he tells her and admits to is TRUE from the GET GO!

One of my fave characters in the book is RUE from District 11 a young 12 year old girl, small yet clever to get away from her enemies. Katniss and Rue become friends in the Arena where the games are held and Katniss is immediately drawn to RUE because she reminds her of her sister PRIM. They become a team in the arena looking out for each other and when RUE is caught by a net she screams for Katniss and she runs to find her yelling her name. When Katniss sees her, a spear comes flying into the net and hits RUE in the stomache. Katniss shoots her bow in the District 1 boys neck and he instantly dies. This was Katniss' first kill in the games.
Katniss sees Rues wound and she knows that she will soon die. Rue is getting weak and she tells Katniss, "You have to win" and Katniss tells her, " I'm going to. Going to win for both of us now, I promise." Rue tells her to sing a song for her, as Katniss swallows back tears, she sings the song her father use to sing to her when she was young.

In this part of the book, I just lost it, as I am now, as tears flow down my face. I can't help but see Katniss singing to Rue's small, fragile body as she watches and witnesses her last breath of life! How tragic! At this point Katniss is determined to win the games for RUE! Katniss gathers flowers and adorns Rue's body with the flowers sending her off to her death with beautiful flowers. District 11 seeing this send down a gift of a loaf of bread as a generous thank you for Katniss. This has never been done by any District, but District 11 was very thankful that Katniss took the time to send off RUE with love and peace! I lost it at that point as well. Tears coming down my face for the generosity and love that District 11 showed to Katniss.

During the games, Peeta is wounded and hides and camaflauges himself in the mud for 2 to 3 days and Katniss with her killer instincts and survival skills finds him and aids him to survival. He is ever so greatful to her! She does her darndest to help him live with her so she won't be alone or die alone. Their relationship grows and she finds herself so dependent on him, not to help her with the hunting but to sustain her sanity in the games and being with him through the games till the bitter end. She realizes they need each other and their relationship blooms from then on!

Peeta Mellark is my absolute favorite character in the book. I love how he's so sincere about his feelings for Katniss and how he pre-meditates what he's going to do when he gets into the arena to help Katniss. When he confesses that he likes Katniss in the interviews before the games begin, you can already feel that he's not pretending, yet Katniss on the other hand doesn't see it, ugh that girl!

Peeta has saved Katniss one too many times even before the games began. He reminds Katniss that Haymitch said they need to pretend like they're cross over lovers and she can kiss him at anytime to make it look good for the audience watching. They excahnges kisses in the cave, but this kiss was real! Katniss thinks to herself and says, "This is the first kiss that we're both fully aware of neither of us hobbled by sickness or ain or smply unconscious. Our lips neitherburning with fever or icy cold. This is the first kiss where I actually feel stirring inside my chest. Warm and curious. This is the first kiss that makes me want another." How can you NOT know that you're falling for someone if you're wanting more kisses in the manner that makes your chest all warm and feeling that swoon moment, oh that Katniss gets to me at moments like this. Poor Peeta!

Peeta tells Katniss everything he remembers about Katniss from the first day of school to events that happened since they were 5 years old. He says ever since that first day he saw her, he's been trying to get up the nerve to talk to her 11 years later and no success, until the games. Katniss tells him, "you have a good memory" and Peeta tells her, "I remember everything about you, you're the one who wasn't paying attention."

This book was remarkable and the whole Hunger Games just took me on a wild run for life, hunger physically and mentally, finding those you can trust, getting rid of those you call enemies and the mere survival of trying to live one more day in the land of Panem. Do Peeta and Katniss end up together after the games? Does she end up with Gale? What does Gale think of Katniss and Peeta in the games exchanging kisses and love for each other? What does Katniss do at home? Are they all friends? So many questions need to be answered, and I'm going to find out! Join me to the next book by Suzanne Collins CATCHING FIRE..I'm ready!

"The First Cousins"

These are my first cousins from Fresno and Vackaville, CA. We all grew up together in good old CALIFOR-NI-A! You know it babee! We have alot of history together and they are like out sisters. I'll let ya'll figure out who are siblings and who are the First COusins, ha shouldn't be that hard, I'll give you a hint look at the volume of the person hehe just kidding I love my siblings to the death.

Through thick and thin we all manage to get along and love to talk about how we all grew up together and just basically had FUN with what we had. We didn't have fancy clothes or toys just made do with what was provided for us back in the day. Love the memories of being together in church, sleep overs and I might add our frst cousins house is the only place where we were allowed to sleep over,family rules! Enjoyed our childhood indeed.

After all these years, we are still close and try to see each other for the holidays. Everyone has their own families except for my older sister and I, still holding on to eternity when that lucky son of a bitc* walks into our lives and takes us away haha! Ne-ways, never the less we are all connected in the circle of family and first cousins love for one another..Gotta love families!

Our fathers have both passed on to the other side and so we all realize and understand that missing part in our lives without the HEAD of our families along side us, but we understand they are both watching over us and guiding us through this life. We miss and love them dearly..

RIP Tupai'i Barry Lavea and Mesepa Talanoa. Always and forever in our hearts!

I pray that our families will continue to love one another and aways find the time for each other to spend those holidays together..

UNITY STRENGTHENS THE HEART AND THE FAMILY

Love my First Cousins always :) Good times will never be forgotten.
Love ya like my own sistaz!!