Character Monday

This week I'd thought I'd discuss some of my favorite characters on tv. There has been a slew of new programs this fall and I'm loving it. In fact there are so many new programs I am interested in, my DVR can't keep up. Though this list isn't restricted to the new shows, some of the characters might come from them.

Character Monday

Sariah here, and welcome to Character Monday. I have hijacked this blog since it is seriously lacking in style, so I thought I'd spruce the joint up a little. If there's one thing I know, it's what looks good, but sharing my sense of fashion with others is a little more challenging. I know people believe I roll out of bed looking perfect, and while the cards are stacked in my favor on that front, it's not entirely true. I start my morning with a long steamy shower with exfoliating wash to slough off dead skin cells and give me the radiant glow I am known for. Then after the proper application of lotion and perfume, I blow dry and style my hair to perfection. This usually involves a blow dryer, a curling iron, lots of hair spray and a good comb. Finally I apply my makeup, a smoky eye usually, since it suits the cat shape of my eyes. Finally I choose my clothes. I'm currently into a layered look, lacy cami, well cut shirt and tailored jacket.

Character Monday

Please forgive the late post, in the hustle and bustle of getting ready to leave home I forgot to schedule my blogs. Today I am pleased to welcome Amelia Hoffman with this weeks Character Monday post.

I am honored to be invited to share with you all this lovely September day. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Amelia Hoffman. I'm just about to turn 16 (later this week) and I live in Jacksonville, FL. At least for now. It's been a little crazty for me the last year,  but things finally seem to be calming down now. 

When I first was invited to share a post I had no idea what I should talk about, but I finally found a topic i could discuss. Sotoday I'm here to talk to you about some of the organic things I use, since my body can't handle anything man made. 

Do you have any idea how impossible it is to cut all chemicals out of you life? The hardest one for me has been water, but after many mishaps I discovered the answer to this one is actually very simple. I use regular tap water and boil in a special bottle that passes the vapors through a tube and cools them until they condense back into water again. All the impurities and chemicals that were added are left in that white film on the sides of the now empty bottle. It looks somewhat like a mad scientist's experiment or maybe a moonshiner's still. It's a little easier for me since I have some connestion and get regular shipments from a Gaia colony in Canada  who get the stuff from glacial springs.

Makeup wasn't easy. I was lucky that my mother was really into makeup and taught me everything she knows. There are a couple brands that use natural products, and thanks to the internet they're available everywhere. My favorite brand is Aveda, though I have to read the ingredients because a few of their products have preservatives. I do a lot of holistic things, like olive and almond oil instead of lotion for my skin. If I wanted to color my hair, there are options for that too, most notably henna (though why would I want to make it redder?). There are options to make me look like any other woman in the world, I just have to work a little harder at it. But if you think about it, the ancient Egyptians had both makeup and dye, so there has to be things out there to use. 

Aside from makeup, food has been a major obstacle. I can't think of a restaurant that I can eat at, because the need to mass produce things doesn't allow for things to grow naturally. My food comes from my garden with a little bit of supplementation from an organic market. But it's hard. Even organic food sometimes still uses some man made substances, and I can taste it if the farmer's field was down wind from a farm that sprayed pesticide. 

I tell you what. Kermit the frog hit the nail on the head. It ain't easy being green.

Thank you for stopping by, And thank you Amelia. Hopefully next week I will have our first guest post for character Monday, but we'll see.

Character Monday

So for my very first Character Monday, I thought I'd spend some time discussing my favorite characters. And I know I've done this before, so to shake things up, I can only use characters from books I've read in the last six months. And since it seems like a nice round number, we'll go with a top ten list.

10. Kaylee Cavanaugh ~ Soul Screamers Series by Rachel Vincent
Ok, so this one is really stretching the six months mark, but I read a book from the series in May, she just wasn't in it for the most part. I absolutely loved the Soul Screamers books. There are so many werewolves, vampires, and fae out there, it's nice to know I'm not the only on who realizes how much untapped lore is out there. And Kaylee is a very human character that I can relate to. She makes the wrong decisions, is sometimes too hard on people, but it is her flaws that make it easy to connect with her.

9. Miki Kendrick ~ Go Fetch~ Magnus Pack Book 2 ~  Shelly Laurenston
Miki is a kick ass girl who doesn't take crap from anyone, earning her a place on this list. She's tough as nails and not afraid to wade in despite the fact she's severely outgunned. She is fiercely loyal and protective of her friends. The only thing this girl doesn't know how to handle is smoking hot Viking shifter,  Conall Víga-Feilan. Definitely on the spicy side and not intended for younger readers.

8. Tiff Banks ~ Along Came a Demon~ Linda Welch
Tiff's life has been stunted by her bizarre gift, but nothing could prepare her for the journey she's about to embark on. With a wonderful blend of strength and vulnerability, she sets out to discover who killed one of her neighbors and winds up discovering a whole world she never knew about.

7. Sidney Venery ~ The Kindness of Strangers ~ J.A. Titus
Perhaps I relate to the character more because of my own past, but Sidney's perseverance got her onto this list. Despite her horrible past and continuous setbacks, Sidney somehow manages not only to soldier on but to be optimistic about it. I felt for her every step of the way.

6.Wendy Everly ~ The Trylle Trilogy ~ Amanda Hocking
Say what you want about Hocking, but I truly loved Wendy. Her refusal to give up no matter how many times people told her it was impossible was admirable, but it was her doing what she felt was right despite what her heart said that truly endeared her to me.

5. Jazz Tremaine ~ 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover ~ Linda Welch
A beautiful mix of sassy wit and tough witch, Jazz has a soft spot she doesn't want the world to know about. From chapter one her snarky comments dripping with sarcasm kept me enthralled. And let's be honest, who doesn't love snarky sarcasm?

4. Nicole Keenan ~ Burden of Blood ~ Wenona Hulsey
Nicole has been suffering with her ability to hear the worst thoughts the only way she knows how, by shutting herself away. Watching her struggle as things get weird, you have to admire her strength and her determination. Yet despite the fact that she is locked in a devastating struggle, she refuses to let go of what makes her human.

3. Gwen Sparks ~ Craved ~ Stephanie Nelson
One part sassy witch, one part emotional woman and all parts wonderful, Gwen is fairly well rounded individual. She is still heart broken, but she's not going to stop living her life. As her heart drags her kicking and screaming back into action, she is soft and feminine, but still tough. And she certainly isn't afraid to wade in to trouble to protect the people she cares about.

2. Ree McKenna ~ Mortal Obligation ~ Nichole Chase
In the start, Ree is very soft and vulnerable. It is her ability to adapt and roll with the punches that makes her stand out of the crowd. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is at times terrified, yet she pushes through it. This is what makes her so loveable.

1. Ella Reynolds ~ Dark Corners ~ Liz schulte
Ella is delightfully flawed, and she knows it. And she's ok with it. Her pure stubbornness and refusal to change, despite her own acknowledgement that she is broken makes her one of the my all time favorite characters.

So there you have my top ten favorite characters. It wasn't intentional but they're all leads and all females. Wonder if that says something about me?

Now it's your turn. Who's your favorite character?