Top Five Embarrassing Situations by Bru Baker – Guest Blog


Long and Short Reviews welcomes Bru Baker who is visiting with us as she celebrates the recent release of her newest book Downward Facing Dreamboat.

Top Five Embarrassing Situations
I am at heart a very awkward individual, so I have so many to choose from. I mean, my formative years were like the before footage of all the “geeky” girls who got a makeover or some jock dated on a bet and then they became popular.
I knocked the prom queen down the stairs once, for god’s sake. Accidentally, but still.

5. Last week I went to Noodles & Co with the kids and got excited about the new cauliflower noodles. (I’m diabetic, so pasta is generally a no-go for me.) Their zucchini noodles are called Zoodles, so I somehow got it in my head the cauliflower noodles were called Caulifloodles. I ordered them for myself and for Thing 1, so I probably said Caulifloodle no less than six times.

Turns out they’re just called cauliflower noodles. The cashier didn’t say a word, but honestly I’ll probably never go to that location again…

4. When I was 17 my family vacationed in Las Vegas. My parents spent the days in the casino leaving me to entertain my younger sister, which wasn’t that much of a challenge because our hotel had several pools and an arcade.

We were playing around in the pool and I dove in and came up…without my swimsuit top. A group of Japanese tourists were on the deck and they took considerable interest in my predicament but were respectful and didn’t catcall or anything. Later that night we were in the arcade and the same group of tourists were there. They gave me all of the tickets they’d won playing games. I nearly died of embarrassment.

Even worse: Being dragged back down to the arcade by my father who wanted to find those (adult) tourists after my sister and I came back to the room with the gigantic stuffed bear we’d bought with the tickets. (Because sure, I’d been embarrassed, but I’m not a fool. I spent those tickets!) >.<

3. A few years ago Hubs and I took the kids to visit my mother for Thanksgiving. We stayed in a hotel and the kids had a great time. They were getting along so well that I took a picture of their cute little heads bent together as they watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and posted it to Facebook. A few hours later a friend messaged me and asked me if I had zoomed in on the photo, so I of course pulled it up and zoomed in and realized there was a mirror next to the television, and my reflection was clearly visible as I took the photo.

Clad only in a bra and a pair of tights.

2. When I was 19 I accidentally boarded the wrong plane. This was a year or two before Sept. 11 and I’d been speaking at a conference in New York with my college newspaper advisor and some friends. A friend had managed to buy us a huge bottle of vodka and we didn’t want it to go to waste so we filled our water bottles with it and carried it through security still drunk from the night before. Somehow a friend and I managed to board the wrong plane (they even took our tickets at the gate!). The flight must not have been sold out because no one noticed we were in their seats. The doors were closed and the flight attendant started the safety spiel, welcoming us on the flight to Pittsburgh.

We were supposed to be flying to Indianapolis.
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Needless to say they were NOT amused to have to open the plane back up and escort us down the jetway, where we ran into my advisor having a hysterical breakdown at the gate because he thought we’d already taken off for Pittsburgh….

1. I’ve shared this story on some blogs before but it’s too good not to share again. When I was working as a librarian I was in the reference department at the library in a very conservative and wealthy community. I had spearheaded a program to teach computer skills to senior citizens, and given that it was a well-off community the classes were always full because the older people in the town had the money to buy all kinds of devices and then didn’t know how to use them.

I was teaching a class on Goodreads at the time, guiding people in real-time through account settings and features. I was using my own Goodreads account, a personal one I kept just for the library because I certainly didn’t want to link them to my Bru Baker account. One of the features we were using was the “import books from Amazon” and I had my screen projected on a big screen so they could follow along. My Goodreads shelf started populating with all the books I’d bought, which was all well and good until I looked up and saw the book “How To Bottom Like a Porn Star” very prominently featured right in the middle of the screen.

I didn’t want to call too much attention to it in case they hadn’t seen it, so I just casually kept talking as I navigated away from that page. Unfortunately several of these senior citizens HAD seen, and I was pretty lucky no one reported it because I doubt I’d have had that job much longer if they did…

Love is trying to catch up to two lonely men. Can they stop long enough to let it?

Running defines Kincaid’s life. It’s not until he loses it that he realizes how isolated he’s become. But even if an injury hadn’t forced him to slow down, the hottie in the yoga studio would have given him pause. In fact, admiring the man each morning is the only thing keeping the spring in his step when it feels like he’s lost everything.

Owen’s busy life as a yoga instructor doesn’t leave him much time to meet guys, let alone date. He’s convinced his passion for helping people is worth the sacrifice, but he’s willing to spare a few moments for the cutie who walks past the studio every morning.

When their lives intersect and romance is set in motion, they stumble off the starting block. But no matter the obstacles in their path, this race won’t be over until they reach the finish… together.

About the Author:Bru Baker writes sophisticated gay romantic fiction with strong characters, real-world problems, and plenty of humor.

Bru spent fifteen years writing for newspapers before making the jump to fiction. Whether it’s creating her own characters or getting caught up in someone else’s, there’s no denying that Bru is happiest when she’s engrossed in a story. She and her husband have two children, which means a lot of her books get written from the sidelines of various sports practices.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Buy the book at Amazon, Dreamspinner Press, Barnes and Noble, or Kobo.

Top 5 Distractions with Bru Baker – Guest Blog


Long and Short Reviews welcomes Bru Baker who is visiting with us to celebrate the recent release of Stealing His Heart, the first book in the Connoll Park series.

Top 5 Distractions with Bru Baker

I sat down to do a Top 5 list on things I like doing when I’m not writing, but it probably makes more sense (and is more revealing about me) to talk about the Top 5 things I do when I’m supposed to be writing.

5. Actually writing.

4. Trying not to think about all the other books I want to write as soon as I’ve finished the current one. Most authors will probably agree–plot bunnies are at their most ferocious when you’re between 10 and 50 percent into your current manuscript. And you know what they say about telling someone not to think about the elephant in the room…especially when he’s wearing bunny ears and staring at you mournfully.

3. Cooking. I’m not talking about taking a break to make dinner for my family, though I do that as well. I’m talking about procrasti-baking, the time-honored tradition favored by hungry procrastinators everywhere. Procrasti-baking took a serious turn for me after I binged on The Great British Baking Show, so I have to be careful or else I’ll find myself elbow-deep in a book fold with a manic gleam in my eye three-hours into my “writing session.” So while I’m writing, brownies are OK, but puff pastry, not so much.

2. Deep cleaning the kitchen. (This happens after the procrasti-baking, naturally.) I’m talking pulling everything out of the fridge to wipe down shelves, organizing my pantry, cleaning my garbage disposal, wiping down the seal on my dishwasher…yeah. It’s bad.

1. Spending time on social media. This one’s tricky because part of being an author is maintaining an online presence, so it’s kind of legit. But there’s a fine line between keeping up with the community and going three-deep into Which Royal Will You Marry Based on Your Favorite M&M Color tests.
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Love sneaks in like a thief in the night.

Danny’s parents raised him to believe his wolf was a curse. He’s part of the wealthy and powerful Connoll Pack, but only nominally. He abandoned that world to volunteer with supernatural kids, and he isn’t looking for a mate….

Max is a shifter who is also a detective. He’s working a case that could make or break his career. Danny’s caught up in the case he’s on, and he’s also irresistible. They’re a bad match—Max, an Alpha having trouble with his new powers and Danny, who trusts Alphas as far as he could throw one. But they can’t get enough of each other, and they might bond before they even see it coming.

They could be amazing together, but they have to get past a few obstacles—especially since someone close to Danny might be involved in the thefts Max is investigating.

About the Author:Bru Baker writes sophisticated gay romantic fiction with strong characters, real-world problems, and plenty of humor.

Bru spent fifteen years writing for newspapers before making the jump to fiction. She now balances her time between writing and working at a Midwestern library in the reference department. Whether it’s creating her own characters or getting caught up in someone else’s, there’s no denying that Bru is happiest when she’s engrossed in a story. She and her husband have two children, which means a lot of her books get written from the sidelines of various sports practices.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Buy the book at Amazon, Dreamspinner Press, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, or Google Play.

Top Five Tips to Make a Flight More Pleasant by Bru Baker

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Bru Baker who is celebrating today’s release of Under a Blue Moon, a Camp H.O.W.L. book.

Top 5 Tips To Make a Flight More Pleasant
I fly a fair amount, which is probably why I like to put my characters on airplanes, too. That poses a much bigger problem when your character is a werewolf, though. Can you imagine how terrible it would be with all your senses amplified?

Today I’m sharing my top 5 tips for making a flight more tolerable.

Drown out the sound

My husband gave me a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, and I absolutely love to use them on planes. They drown out the roar of the plane so you can listen to music without blasting it at ear-drum rocking levels. I couldn’t believe how much difference it made.

Take the pressure off

I used to hate to fly because my ears are sensitive to the pressure changes. More often than not I’d actually lose my hearing during a flight–and even for a few hours afterward. It was annoying and painful, and no amount of popping my ears in-flight seemed to help. When I started flying with my kids, I bought them something called Earplanes, a product that normalizes the pressure in your ears so you don’t have to pop them. They also made them for adults so I gave it a try, and now I panic at the thought of flying without them. I only need them during take off and landing, but man, what a difference they make!

Don’t overpack your under-the-seat carry on

I’m a work in progress on this one. As much as I try to go minimalist, I always seem to end up with a lot more in there than I need. Do you really need your Kindle and four paperback books? Will you actually eat the five different snacks you’ve stuffed in there? Do you really need two sweatshirts just in case? Trust me, I survived a 30-some hour trip from hell with an overnight layover with just my electronics and chargers, one sweater, and my headphones. Your back will thank you when you don’t have to lug a heavy bag around.

Be realistic about how you want to spend your flight

I always bring my laptop so I can work, but most of the time I end up reading on my Kindle or watching the in-flight movie instead. If you’re honest with how you want to spend your time, it makes it easier for you to pack your bag with things you’ll enjoy. If you know you’re just going to watch movies, then you can prepare by downloading them in advance so you have a selection. If you’re going to work, make sure you have a way to keep your battery charged and everything you need so you can avoid the frustration of being 30,000 feet in the air without a critical file downloaded.

Bring a treat

This doesn’t have to be food (but mine always is–I always have Sour Patch Kids on a flight!). If you’re always cold on planes, indulge in a light-weight and easy-to-pack blanket that feels awesome on your skin. Buy yourself a new book or magazine you can look forward to after take off, or carry your favorite chocolate or snack if that’s what will help you relax. Or even order a drink–whatever can help you chill out will help you have a better, more restful flight. Just don’t bring a burrito–everyone will hate you.

Once in a blue moon, opposites find they’re a perfect match.
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Nick Perry is tired of helping people with their marriages, so when a spot opens up to work with teens at Camp H.O.W.L., he jumps at it. He doesn’t expect to fall in lust with the dreamy new camp doctor, Drew Welch. But Drew is human, and Nick has seen secrets ruin too many relationships to think that a human/werewolf romance can go anywhere.

Happy-go-lucky Drew may not sprout claws, but he’s been part of the Were community all his life. He has no trouble fitting in at the camp—except for Nick’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge the growing attraction between them, and his ridiculous stance on dating humans. Fate intervenes when one of Drew’s private practice patients threatens his life. Will the close call help Nick to see a connection like theirs isn’t something to let go of?

Enjoy an Excerpt

Traveling never brought out the best in Nick. He was self-aware enough to realize that, and he could even pinpoint what about travel was a stressor. If he had a patient who complained of anxiety, headaches, and poorly bottled-up rage while traveling, he would help them come up with coping mechanisms for the psychological stress and figure out how to best mitigate the physical symptoms.

But like almost all psychologists, he was a bad patient. He didn’t do his homework or follow the steps he’d prescribe for anyone else in his situation. Hence his sour mood and the blinding headache he had at the moment.

Really, though, he’d checked when March’s full moon was, and it had been at the beginning of the month. He hadn’t realized there was another one at the end and that it coincided with the day he was flying to Indiana. Astronomers called them blue moons, but he called them a pain in the ass.

Nick took a deep, grounding breath and tried to ignore the scents it brought with it. Someone three rows back had brought a burrito on the plane. Nick was pretty sure that was on the psychological checklist for sociopaths. Lack of remorse or shame? Check. Pathological egocentricity? Check. Brings strong-smelling foods into enclosed spaces? Double check.

Planes were always difficult because of the sheer number of people who were on and off of them in a day. His sister swore by essential oils— she’d dab herself with peppermint or something else bitingly astringent before getting on a plane, overwhelming her senses with an unpleasant but at least controlled scent. His Alpha always flew with earplugs and noise-canceling headphones. He claimed that with a light-proof eye mask, it was possible to sleep on a plane and wake up at your destination, skipping the hours of discomfort in between.

Nick called bullshit on the last part. There was absolutely no way a werewolf could sleep on a plane. Maybe if he was flying with no one on the plane but his Pack. Maybe. But sitting in a vulnerable position among a bunch of strangers? And worse, human strangers who boarded a plane with their AXE Body Spray, flowery fabric softener, and pungent burritos? Granted, they couldn’t know how those strong scents assaulted a supernatural nose, but surely even humans thought that stuff stank.

About the Author: Bru Baker writes sophisticated gay romantic fiction with strong characters, real-world problems, and plenty of humor.

Bru spent fifteen years writing for newspapers before making the jump to fiction. She now balances her time between writing and working at a Midwestern library in the reference department. Whether it’s creating her own characters or getting caught up in someone else’s, there’s no denying that Bru is happiest when she’s engrossed in a story. She and her husband have two children, which means a lot of her books get written from the sidelines of various sports practices.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Buy the book at Amazon, Dreamspinner Press, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iBooks, or Google Play.