Monday, July 13, 2015

M.R. Carey - The Girl With All The Gifts.

http://www.amazon.com/Girl-All-Gifts-M-Carey-ebook/dp/B00B27ECPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1436780813&sr=1-1&keywords=the+girl+with+all+the+gifts
Click on the pic to get your copy via amazon or on audible here.
 
Here is my two cents.
 
I love this book.

I hate this book.
 
Here is what I loved about it.
The characters.  All of them from Melanie to Sgt Parks and everybody inbetween is peeled back like an onion to show you how a person does what they do because they believe what they are doing is right for them and the greater good.  It is the definition of the greater good that has the most punch in this book.
 
Melanie is the character we get to know the best but at 10 years of age she is less onion like than the rest.  She is the one who undergoes the biggest change though although that might not really be true.  The reader gets lulled in seeing Miss J as a human with very real human weaknesses, she is not the angel she is seen to be at the start.  Sgt Parks, a career soldier has a mission.  Keep the men under his command and the civilians safe.  That means kill any aggressors even if those aggressors is children.  But he himself goes through a massive change. Possibly almost a bigger one than the one Melanie has to face.
 
The world building
Oh my.  The author has an amazingly strong voice, I told my bookclub this book might very well be too well written, they did not understand my comment but dear reader.  Once you read this book I hope you get what I mean.  This place.  This world, is the one we see from the corner of our eyes and it is not a nice place.  One step to the side and it might very well be the place we wake up in tomorrow morning.
 
The plot.
Now for the note where I hated the book. 
It has a major flaw in logic right at the end.  If Melanie does what she gets Sgt Parks to help her with then the end CANNOT end like it does.  Cause Miss J is about to turn then.  Such discrepancies drives me bonkers.  But I do get it is fiction people and I do get a certain amount of licence....but seriously.
 
Other things I hated.  I hated being lulled and dragged around by the author.  Made to believe that what we learn about M and the other children in the classroom is know throughout the scientific committee at the school.  I mean, it is doctors giving these children lessons and as such the first mention of competition between students for the first place academia wise should have had red flags go up everywhere, cause I mean, scientists are sure to discuss their test subjects...well maybe in a perfect world.  But it becomes obvious soon that my own life experience does not hold up in this reality instead it is everyday normal life that lulled me into believing a set of actions took place that could have been a change agent but was not before it was too late.  So what is their too hate? My own shortsightedness, my own faulty logic.  I felt duped but soon got that I was not.  I duped myself. 
 
The voice.
Wow, this author is said to write comic books....Truly M R Carey, give up your day job because you rocked this even though I am still not sure if I hate or love this book and I love that about this book.  Making me feel so much.  Overwhelming me so much that even after I sat back and took stock I am still no closer to a YES or NO response.
 
The subplot.
Humanity is doomed.  If you are an optimist and need a wake up call. Read this.  Even in our darkest hours we manage to go darker still by choice not force. 
I hated what Melanie did at the end.  She was all too human and alien all at once.  For the greater good, I realized as I said in the beginning is a definition without a finite amount of choices.  You need a baseline.  Where you draw that baseline is totally up too you.
Do not ask me to recommned this book or warn you from it. 
All I can say is that a part of me wants to give it a 1* rating for the hate I feel towards my own stupidity and then being duped time after time.  The saner part of me knows that this amount of emotion is not that easily called upon and for that and that alone the author deserves a 5 * rating.  But that is not at all why he/she gets a 5 * rating.  Part of me truly did love this book.
I listened to this on audio and let me tell you Finty Williams rocked this.  She was Miss J, she was M she was Sgt Parks.  She popped this world and made it crackle. 
If you think the book has only three characters in it you are mistaken.  It has six at a minimum although at the start it has quite a bit more but the simplicity of Sgt Parks' belief system being rocked totally grabbed my attention.  Miss J not being an angel shocked me and M. Oh my I still do love this little girl and from now on always will.  How can I not? She is the voice of innocence.  Of sense.
 
Count the pups to see my rating.  Oh and if you have read the book let me know what you thought about it? I feel as if I am going mad with all these conflicting emotions and interpretations.
 
 
About the author
 
M.R. Carey

url


born
in Liverpool, The United Kingdom
gender
male

website

genre

member since
June 2014

 
About this author

Mike Carey is the acclaimed writer of Lucifer and Hellblazer (now filmed as Constantine). He has recently completed a comics adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, and is the current writer on Marvel's X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four. He has also written the screenplay for a movie, Frost Flowers, which is soon to be produced by Hadaly Films and Bluestar Pictures.

Also writes as Mike Carey
 

Review

Original, thrilling and powerful GUARDIAN Haunting, heartbreaking VOGUE A great read that takes hold of you and doesn't let go John Ajvide Lindqvist, author of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN Keeps you on tenterhooks as the action unfolds ELLE magazine A masterpiece SUN Complex,heartbreaking, hopeful and intelligently written ... Enigmatic and utterly gripping HARPER'S BAZAAR Scary, tense and fast-paced ... but with a heart-warming tenderness MARIE CLAIRE Brilliant ... Gripping right to the end SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author Carole Matthews Heartbreaking and shocking FABULOUS (SUN magazine) Both tender and devastating, a page-turner which kept me guessing up to the very last scene, as well as a meditation on what it means to be human ... Fantastically enjoyable Naomi Alderman, multi-award winning novelist A gripping, moving novel that comes highly recommended SCIFINOW It was hard to quit reading such a compelling, intense book i09.com I often forgot to breathe while I was turning the pages BOOKTOPIA A heartbreaking and haunting story that is beautifully written MINDFOOD

About the Author

M. R. Carey is a pen name for an established British writer of prose fiction and comic books. He has written for both DC and Marvel, including critically acclaimed runs on X-Men and Fantastic Four, Marvel's flagship superhero titles. His creator-owned books regularly appear in the New York Times graphic fiction bestseller list. He also has several previous novels and one Hollywood movie screenplay to his credit.
 
 

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Book Review of Oblivion Storm (The Grenshall Manor Chronicles #1) by R.A. Smith



Book Title: Oblivion Storm (The Grenshall Manor Chronicles #1)
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 428
Author: R.A. Smith
Date Published: 30 September 2013

Synopsis:

Over a century past, a wily young pauper wins the hearts of a childless couple of ancient nobility, and a place in one of the most prestigious families in London. The sole heir to the Grenshall family legacy, Iris 'Tally' Grenshall fights to protect her family from the machinations of an evil woman, butdiscovers her adversary presents a threat much greater than she ever imagined . . . The victim of a brutal attack, Rose remembers one thing: a long-dead woman giving her an impossible task. She knows only the price of failure as she sets out to retrieve a deadly talisman, with the aid of new friends and powers over the living and the dead. As the body count rises, Rose’s quest grows desperate--with London itself in jeopardy. Rose and Tally share fates intertwined. Rose must discover how before the secrets of the past destroy her, her friends, and all of London.

Review:


Oblivion Storm (The Grenshall Manor Chronicles #1)Oblivion Storm by R.A. Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in The Grenshall Manor Chronicles. I LOVED IT!

Iris "Tally" Grenshall is a wonderful character. She is an orphan in Victorian London. I really liked this enterprising woman. She is very street smart and clever young girl when we first meet her. Looking for a home, she comes across the Grenshall's. They have no children of their own, but Lord Grenshall recognizes something in Iris and adopts her into his household.

Rose is also a wonderful character. I really liked her. She is very determined and focused. After a vicious attack that leaves her with amnesia, she finds herself on a dangerous quest that will change her life forever.

There are some intriguing characters brought to life in this book. I liked getting to know Rose and Tally, but there is also Thomas Barber, a young man unwillingly turned into a monster, and Kara and Jennifer. Kara is a parapsychologist and Jennifer has an incredible paranormal ability. I liked the dynamics these characters bring to the story, but found Jennifer to still be an enigmatic mystery. I'd love to get to know her better.

This is a fantastically woven paranormal fantasy, full of mystery, intrigue and danger. I started this book and didn't want to put it down! It is told through the eyes of various characters and flicks between the past and the present. I was quickly hooked and found myself sitting on the edge of my seat as the intensity and intrigue increased. This story is full of twists and turns. Just when you think you've got the story sussed, along comes another twist to throw a spanner in the works!

I found myself gasping at certain scenes and cringing at others. There are also some truly terrifying ones involving Lady Raine and her daughter Violet and a certain piece of jewellery. This piece of jewellery is a key part of the story, although I kept wondering about it's origins. This was not entirely explained clearly in my opinion. I get that it has power, but HOW did an inanimate crystal become cursed or imbued with it's deadly effect? I am hoping that the second book in the story will shed some light on this for me. They do say that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" and never is it more true in this story. The paranormal aspects of the story are quite exciting and chilling at the same time. I found myself on an emotional roller coaster throughout the story and when I reached the end of the book, it was with great sadness as I wanted to keep reading. It's a good job I purchased the second book in the series, Primal Storm, at the same time and I hope to start reading it shortly.

R.A. Smith has written a fantastic, fast paced and action packed debut paranormal/urban fantasy. I love his fast paced writing style and the flow was wonderful! I was worried that the flickering timelines would be a problem and effect the flow, but it didn't. I had never heard of R.A. Smith before, until a friend of mine mentioned him. But now that I have, I look forward to reading more books written by him. He has found a fan in me!

Although this book is not aimed at the Young Adult age group as such, I think that this book would appeal to readers aged 16 upwards who love dark urban fantasy. I also highly recommend this book to adults who love horror, paranormal or dark urban fantasy genres. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews


            

About The Author:



Author of the Grenshall Manor Chronicles, Russell A. Smith has enjoyed many an adventure both with pencil, paper and dice, and also in real life. Each has been a formative experience for him. A keen petrolhead, he has a long list of things he wants to drive, and the list grows longer every day.

Russell has enjoyed an eclectic career so far, with more interesting past jobs including
editing newsletters and magazines, and spending a small part of the year as a Tudor soldier and time traveller. These days Russell spends a lot of time on tour across the UK investigating various houses and even more drinking tea. As well as writing, he enjoys a semi-regular presence on the Book Worm podcast on Fab Radio International.

Russell currently resides in Manchester, UK, and can be lured out of the house with the promise of fun conventions, great music or exciting teddies.

Author Links:

Friday, July 10, 2015

I want to SCREAM this authors name from the top of a mountain. She is THAT good.

Meet Angela Marsons author of ...

http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Scream-serial-thriller-Detective-ebook/dp/B00S5K0CAU/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Book one in a series, the first thing I did when I had time after reading this book is buy me another by this author.

The book, the plot, the writing the twists is THAT good.

Now maybe next month I will have money to purchase one of the two remaining books this author has on Amazon...talking of which, click on the pic to get your own copy


Now the story is set in Brittain so do NOT complain about this book not being in American English, it would be really funny to read a book set on the British Isles with characters born and raised on the isles in American English.  But that is only a very small part of why I fell in love with this author. 

Usually I can guess the who-dunnit-part fairly quickly, mostly I can even say why.  This one had me up until about 8 pages before the reveal before my mind put it all together.  The author is simply that good in her writing.  She makes you suspect one, take them out of the game, suspect another, take them out of the game and by the time you realize who did what to whom you find that not even that is the complete story. 

People I love this genre meaning I truly read tons in this genre. So for me to freak out about this book this much must tell you that this is an amazing read for this genre.  Not over complicated a bit of a double whammy which usually is not to my taste but works wonderfully here. 

In short.  Invest in a copy, even with my whispernet charge this book is NOT expensive and boy is it good.  The female protagonist with so much of her own issues rocked this.  Other characters were well developed and acted nicely to set her up and set her off.

WaAr

Thursday, July 09, 2015

Cover Reveal: Healing Her Spirit by Dawn Sullivan



Healing Her Spirit Cover Reveal

Author: Dawn Sullivan

Model:  Amee Thompson
Cover Designer:  Kari Ayasha with Cover to Cover Designs




Lacey Donovan moved to Serenity Springs, Texas hoping to connect with someone from her past.  She did not plan on falling in love.
Clinton Brody is a teacher in the small town Lacey now calls home.  He opened his heart to Lacey when they first met, only to have her pull away from him.  Hurt and confused, he let her go.


Will Clint and Lacey get a second chance to show each other how they feel?   Will Lacey have the courage to fight for Clint’s love?  When danger threatens the woman and child who have stolen his heart, will Clint be able to protect them?



Author Bio:

I have a wonderful, supportive husband and three beautiful children. I enjoy spending time with all of them which normally involves some baseball, shooting hoops, taking walks, watching movies, and of course reading.
My passion for reading began at a very young age and only grew over time. Whether I was bringing home a book from the library, or sneaking one of my mom's romance novels and reading by the light in the hallway when we were supposed to be sleeping, I always had a book. 
I read several different genres and subgenres, but Paranormal Romance and Romantic Suspense have always been my favorites. I read anything by Katie Reus, Lora Leigh, J.R. Ward and Rebecca Zanetti. 
I have always made up my own stories, and have just recently decided to start sharing them. I hope everyone enjoys reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.


Stalker Links:




Healing Her Spirit Release Party Event Link:

Come Join In On All The Fun!



Trailer for Healing Her Spirit:

Trailer


Other books by Dawn Sullivan:

RARE Series:


White River Wolves Series:
Josie's Miracle

Serenity Springs Series:
Tempting His Heart

Tempting His Heart Video




Tuesday, July 07, 2015

Meet Patricia Bellomo

So way back when, when the earth was new and the sun but a star I requested a book from Netgalley.  Like a bibliophiles, I have no stop button built into my system.  I want all of the books all of the time even though I need not be Sheldon Cooper to figure out I may not have the time to actually read all of the books....
This book however... I did read

Now for those who know me, and by now you all do, I do not go for books with the words Mistress in it.  So why did I request this book? I honestly cannot tell you.  But I did.  So now I had it and I have an obligation towards the author.... So after months of putting it off I at last gave in and started to read it.  Figuring before hand that I probably will put this one down as a DNF.  And I read.  I turned the page and read and read and in almost one sitting finished a book that has all that it should for me..Mafia and violence.  Good men doing bad things.  Stunning woman using what God gave them to get what they want.

A little girl.  A touch of the mystic and a story.  A real honest to goodness story.  I was engrossed.  So when I left my review on Netgalley the author contacted me saying I indicated I would like her to contact me and so she did.

So meet the author


Here is her bio on Amazon.
Patricia Bellomo is a frequent visitor to New Orleans and sunny South Florida, the settings for her non-sequential Louie Morelli series. Patricia loves writing about powerful men and admits to having known a few "Louie Morelli" types. As Patricia says, "My characters wear Armani and seduce their women on yachts." One of these yachts is an eighty-foot Hatteras named "Stella di Mare", the title of her first novel. This sexy, South Beach thriller and Patricia's second book, "Louie Morelli's Daughter", are the ultimate beach-reads. Check out her latest book, Louie Morelli's Mistress. Visit Patricia's website and Mob Blog at: www.patriciabellomo.com

What this bio does not tell you is that this woman has class.  She is professional and an amazing person to be in a conversation with, even if it is only via email I liked her from the get go and grew to admire her more as time went by and we corresponded more.

So I have no doubt you are wondering what you need to do to win a Kindle copy of this amazing authors book? Simple.  See the raffle......



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, July 06, 2015

Audio/Book Review of Enraptured (Eternal Guardians Book 4) by Elisabeth Naughton



Book Title: Enraptured (Eternal Guardians Book 4)
Genre: Erotic Paranormal Romance
Pages: 402
Audio Run Time: 11 Hrs 51 Mins
Author: Elisabeth Naughton
Date Published: 3 April 2012 (E-Book)
3 June 2013 (Audio Book)

Synopsis:

Orpheus -To most he's an enigma, a devil-may-care rogue who does whatever he pleases whenever he wants. Now this loose cannon is part of the Eternal Guardians--elite warriors assigned to protect the human realm--whether he likes it or not.

Orpheus has just one goal: to rescue his brother from the Underworld. He's not expecting a woman to get in the way. Especially not a Siren as gorgeous as Skyla. He has no idea she's an assassin sent by Zeus to seduce, entrap, and ultimately destroy him.

Yet Skyla herself might have the most to lose. There's a reason Orpheus feels so familiar to her, a reason her body seems to crave him. Perhaps he's not the man everyone thinks... The truth could reveal a deadly secret as old as the Eternal Guardians themselves.

Review:


Enraptured (Eternal Guardians, #4)Enraptured by Elisabeth Naughton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Eternal Guardians series. I loved it!

My sister recommended this series to me as she had read them all (that have been released so far) and thought I would enjoy it, and she was right! I downloaded this as an audiobook, as I had previously enjoyed listening to the first three books in the series in audiobook too. Enraptured is again narrated by Elizabeth Wiley. She does another fantastic job in telling the story. Her narration is crystal clear and her interpretation of the characters brought them to life, she has given each character their own tone and inflection of voice, which I liked.

Orpheus is one of my favourite characters of this series. I absolutely love him! He is a wise cracking, devil-take-the-hindmost rogue. However, he also has a darker, more serious side; he's part daemon, but not many of the Guardians know this. I loved getting to know this character better as he seeks a way to rescue his brother, Gryphon, from the Underworld. However, he doesn't figure on the appearance of a Siren turning his world upside down. Nor finding out he's not exactly who he thought he was.

Skyla is a wonderful character. I loved her feisty, kick ass attitude. She is a Siren, sent by Zeus to ultimately kill Orpheus. However, things are not as they seem and she finds herself conflicted by her duty and her desire.

This series seems to be getting better and better as it goes along; I am completely hooked! The story continues from the end of the third book and sees Orpheus looking for Maelea, the daughter of Zeus and Persephone, who is exiled to the realm of Earth. What follows is a fast paced, action packed story that had me sitting on the edge of my seat! The story is told through various points of view, which I really liked. Not only do we meet all of the Guardians as well as Callia and Acacia (Casey) and Isadora again, we get to see more of Nick and the Misos colony. We are also slightly introduced to Hades's son, Zagreus, and Orpheus's brother Gryphon. Maelea's presence gave the story an intriguing edge and I became curious about this woman. She appears timid and almost teen-like (angst-y) although she is 3,000 years old, but I have a feeling there is more to this woman than first meets the eye and I look forward to getting to know her better.
Meanwhile, Atalanta is her usual evil, scheming self and is still exiled in the fields of Asphodel, where her son, Demetrius and Orpheus sent her, but she is not an easy foe to defeat and intends to set her escape plan in motion.

There is plenty of action, danger and intrigue in this story. I loved the chemistry between Orpheus and Skyla. It crackled palpably through the story and scorched the pages! The story arc is opening up and the race for the rest of the elements for the Orb of Kronos is hotting up; I am getting excited to see where it leads! This story took me on another roller coaster ride of emotions and I found myself shedding more than a few tears as it unfolded. My heart broke for Gryphon, as his soul didn't deserve to be sent to Hell by Apophis. One thing I will say about this story (and series as a whole) is the world building is excellent. The characters are well developed and extremely lifelike. The story ends on another cliffhanger, which has me looking forward to continuing with this series and I will (hopefully) get to read/listen to Enslaved as soon as I can.

Elisabeth Naughton has written an exciting paranormal romance series. I love her fast paced writing style and the flow is wonderful. She has definitely found a fan in me!

Due to scenes of a sexual nature that are on the explicit side, I do not recommend this book for younger readers. However, I highly recommend this book if you love erotic paranormal romances with sexy heroes and strong female characters. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews


       

About The Author:



Before topping multiple bestseller lists--including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal--Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A rabid reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Naughton now writes full-time. Besides topping bestseller lists, her books have been nominated for some of the industry's most prestigious awards, such as the RITA® and Golden Heart Awards from Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, and the Golden Leaf Award. When not dreaming up new stories, Naughton can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home. Learn more at www.ElisabethNaughton.com.

Author Links:

Friday, July 03, 2015

Book Review of Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Raynard


Book Title: Gabriel's Inferno
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Erotica
Pages: 551
Author: Sylvain Reynard
Date Published: 4 September 2012

Synopsis:

From national bestselling author Sylvain Reynard comes the haunting, unforgettable tale of one man’s salvation and one woman’s sensual awakening...

Enigmatic and sexy, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a well-respected Dantespecialist by day, but by night he devotes himself to an uninhibited life of pleasure. He uses his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm to gratify his every whim, but is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by the profound belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption.

When the sweet and innocent Julia Mitchell enrolls as his graduate student, his attraction and mysterious connection to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sends him on a journey in which his past and his present collide.

An intriguing and sinful exploration of seduction, forbidden love, and redemption, Gabriel’s Inferno is a captivating and wildly passionate tale of one man’s escape from his own personal hell as he tries to earn the impossible—forgiveness and love.

Review:


Gabriel's Inferno (Gabriel's Inferno, #1)Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book in an intriguing trilogy. I really enjoyed it.

Gabriel Emerson is an intriguing character. Although I did like him, I did think he tended to be a moody jerk at times. He is a well respected professor, but he has dark secrets hidden in his past.

Julia Mitchell is a likable character; I liked her a lot. She is a graduate student enrolled in Professor Emerson's class. When she catches the attention of Gabriel, sparks fly.

I have been wanting to read this book for a long time. In fact, it had been sitting on my wish list ever since it was released back in 2012. I received this book as a Christmas present in 2013 and have only now had a chance to get to read it due to my rather large reading list.

I started to read this book and couldn't put it down! However, saying that, this book also disappointed me. I liked all the characters, especially Paul, but the story itself was rather drawn out and long winded at times. The story alternates from various points of view, mostly Gabriel's and Julia's, but Paul and a few other characters' also have a say. This story is a smoldering seduction, but it never blazed hotter than a spark (in my opinion) until near the very end. The attraction the two main characters have for each other is palpable, but there is the pesky issue of the teacher/student taboo which tempers it. However, I got the distinct impression that Julia was not completely innocent in the seduction stakes, and when a secret is revealed later on in the book, this confirmed it for me. I was looking forward to watching their relationship bloom and get spicy, but this has got to be one of the tamest erotica romances I have read in a long time! I was expecting something kinky like BDSM or some other fetish that Gabriel was hiding in his past, but his dark secret was nothing like that at all and made me wonder how he managed to remain employed! I'll leave it to you to find out what his secret is. There does seem to have been a lot of research done on renaissance art by the author. I love it when an author shares their passion for a subject with the readers through the characters. This gives the reader an insight into an author's soul and personality. I reached the end of the book and sighed; not a bad sigh, but a satisfied one. Although this book does not end on a cliffhanger, it is left open for the second book in the trilogy to take over.

Perhaps it gets spicier as the trilogy goes on, but this book turned out to be a bit of a damp squib in my opinion. Other readers may disagree with me, so I would hope that if you do decide to give this book a try, you make up your own mind. As for me, I am not not sure if I will read the remaining books, but I am keeping my options open.

Sylvain Reynard has written a wonderful contemporary romance. I loved her writing style which, although fast paced, seemed to be a little long winded at times. I also loved the flow, which carried me smoothly through the tale. I would definitely read more of her books in the future.

Due to a scene of an explicit nature, I do not recommend this book to younger readers (under 17). However, I recommend this book if you love contemporary romances. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews


          

About The Author:

I'm interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition - particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.

I'm also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.

I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex's Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House. For more information, see my Twitter account.