Tag: pineiro

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#TuesdayTip Health Benefits of Green Tea & Matcha

I have to confess to not being a big fan of green tea, but during a visit to a coffee shop with my daughter, I ended up trying matcha made with almond milk. Yummy!

What is matcha? Matcha is a Japanese green tea powder. It has more health benefits than regular green tea because you are eating the whole leaf and it hasn’t been processed so it contains more catechins and polyphenols than regular green tea. Also lots and lots of anti-oxidants according to a Wall Street Journal article.

You’d have to drink a lot more green tea to compensate for all the benefits in matcha. But matcha can be pricey. I found that a trip to my local Asian market yielded a very large bag for a fraction of the cost than in other stores.

So what benefits can you get from green tea and/or matcha? How about improved blood flow, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol? Not enough benefits yet? How about cancer fighting properties, some help with weight loss, reduced risk of stroke, memory improvement, tooth decay, and anti-aging?

Sounds too good to be true, right? But if one little cup of day can help, I’m all for it. Just a word of caution: Check with your doctor about drinking green tea, especially if you have glaucoma like I do. Lots of mixed news about whether green tea and/or matcha are good for you or whether they increase intraocular pressure.

For more info, check out these articles:

WebMD: Green Tea Benefits
Medical News Today: Green Tea: Health Benefits
Match Source: Matcha Health Benefits
green tea

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#ManCandyMonday Jack Huston, Ben Hur and Boardwalk Empire

My husband turned me on to Boardwalk Empire and I’ve been catching up the first four seasons so that they two of us can finish the rest of the seasons together. I’m surprised I didn’t get to it sooner since I love the history of the Jersey Shore and its role during Prohibition. In fact, those two elements played major roles in GHOST OF A CHANCE and my story in A VAMPIRE FOR CHRISTMAS.

Today’s Man Candy is one of the actors from that series and the remake of BEN-HUR that just released this weekend: Jack Huston.

In Boardwalk Empire, Jack plays Richard Harrow, a physically disfigured military vet who gets caught up in the intrigues of Prohibition in Atlantic City when he is befriended by another vet who brings him to Atlantic City. He did such an awesome job in that role, that we’ll definitely go to watch Ben-Hur (although I wonder why anyone would try to remake a classic that still has a record 11 Oscars.)

Interesting fact about Jack: He is both British and Hollywood royalty. His mother is Lady Margot Lavinia (Cholmondeley) and on his paternal side he is the grandson of famed Hollywood direction John Huston.
Jack_Huston_by_Gage_Skidmore

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America (Jack Huston) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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#FreebieFriday JUST ONE NIGHT #Military #Romance

Hard to believe so much of the summer is gone. I took a day off today and am sitting on the balcony, finishing up SINCE WE WERE 18, the first book in the Jersey Girl Bridesmaids series. Almost done and I am so loving this story and itching to start #2.

But since it’s Free Friday, I’ve got a free read of JUST ONE NIGHT for you today! JUST ONE NIGHT is the first book in the Take a Chance Military Romance series.

Here is a little blurb for the story! You can download the free read here: http://www.instafreebie.com/free/mpx6b

JUST ONE NIGHT Military RomanceHe has just one night to prove to her that anything is possible…

Jason Hart, Jase to his friends, has just graduated college and earned his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. It’s the night of the graduation party and she’ll be there. His best friend’s slightly older sister, Nickie. Nickie is the only woman he’s really wanted for a long time. He has just one night to make it happen.

She has just one night before the man of her dreams leaves, maybe forever, but can she find the courage to take a chance…

Nicole de Salvo has been in love – and lust – for her little brother’s best friend for years. For years she’s watched from afar and done nothing about her attraction for Jason Hart only now their time together is almost at an end. On their last night together will she find the courage to do something about her feelings, or will she live with regret for the rest of her life?

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#ThrowbackThursday Mothers, Mentors, Role Models & Friends

I was very lucky to have a mom who was not only an amazing role model, mentor and mother, she was an awesome friend. In the year before she passed, I was able to work with her and get to spend a great deal of time with her. She taught me the importance of hard work and following my dreams, although she never really got why I wanted to be a writer. Still, it was the drive that she instilled in me that moved me to pursue what I wanted. I hope I have been all of these things to my very best friend, my daughter Samantha.
sam_me_Philly2015

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#TeaserTuesay Dare to Love from Taming the Vampire

Taming the Vampire I’ve got a great new new anthology – TAMING THE VAMPIRE – with some friends who also write vampire romance. My contribution to the collection is DARE TO LOVE, a new story in THE CALLING IS REBORN Vampire series. The anthology is only 99 cents for a limited time and best of all, these are ALL NEW stories! Not re-releases and not available anywhere except in the anthology. You can read more about the anthology here: http://bit.ly/tamingvamp

DARE TO LOVE features vampire slayer Benjamin, a sexy alpha hero who first appeared in TO LOVE AND SERVE.

Today I have a little teaser and excerpt for you from that story, but a warning first. There is a SPOILER ahead so if you haven’t read the latest books in THE CALLING is REBORN series, please DO NOT READ this teaser.

Teaser

    Months earlier, Slayer Council member Benjamin hadn’t been ready to die and begged for his life from a compassionate vampire. Being turned and living as a vampire had created a new hell for him, however. He was no longer welcome in the Council, but tolerated as their ranks had been depleted. He knew that it was just a matter of time until someone staked him, but he wanted to make the most of it, especially when it came to Slayer-in-training Rhiannon.

    Rhiannon had been attracted to Ben when he had been her instructor in the ways of the Slayers. His death had caused her grief, but his return was proving to be even more difficult as she battled her growing feelings for the Slayer-turned-vampire who was shaking up her beliefs in all that she had been taught.

    Can Ben and Rhiannon dare to defy the rules of the Slayers and find love or will Fate make them enemies sworn to kill one another?

Excerpt

Please click here if you cannot see the excerpt from DARE TO LOVE from TAMING THE VAMPIRE.

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#ManCandyMonday Olympian David Oliver

With the Olympics in full swing I thought it was time to pick an Olympian for today’s Man Crush Monday. Say hi to David Oliver, Team USA Hurdler in the 2008 Olympic Games where he won a Bronze. David is also a world champion at various international competitions and boy does he have an awesome smile. You can find out more about David at davidoliversub13.com
David Oliver Olympian

Photo Credit: Grzegorz Jereczek from Gdańsk, Poland (IAAF World Athletics Final Stuttgart 2008) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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#ThrowbackThursday RT 2011 Los Angeles

I’ve been to a number of RT Book Club Conventions and hope to get to another one soon. This is a photo from the 2011 convention in Los Angeles. It was lots of fun to visit with my California friends and get to meet so many new friends.

This was a new furry friend I encountered on the way to one of the workshops. He needed lots of manscaping and was into wearing a collar, but that didn’t stop me! LOL!
FurryFriend1

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