(baby gate in background is to keep pup from going upstairs and eating everything in sight)

Oy–make that two updated pics of me. I took 5 and the youngest two Roth boys helped me pic “one”. They didn’t agree. I gave up and am posting both to shut them up.

To see a picture/post of me at my start weight click here

As you all know, Hercules-our 8 mos old boxer pup- is super spoiled and thinks his throne is any item of furniture that doesn’t have a pillow tipped forward, blocking his ability to jump onto it. My old vacuum wasn’t doing the trick anymore. It had been fine with our other dog but we had her shaved down every 8 weeks so she didn’t shed. Herc is a horse of a diff color. The boy sheds like mad and I do NOT deal well with animal hair. So I decided to start pricing vacuums that are out there. I really thought I’d have to spend at the very least $400 to get something that would do the trick. After much shopping around, I kept coming back to this $200 model by Bissell (I ended up finding it for $149 at Home Depot on sale but Lowes wanted $190 and Sears wanted $169). The box made lots of great claims about how it was for pet hair issues and what not–even boosting a pet hair attachment. I’m cheap. I do NOT like to spend money even if I’m spending less than I had thought I’d have to. I’m also not afraid to take something back if its a piece of crap.

I got it home and Shane put it together for me (fast and easy assembly). I started in my family room, running it over a six foot section in the center of the room. I have off white Berber carpeting down there.  I have always vacuumed daily and do a carpet cleaning twice a year. It didn’t look dirty. Um, let me start by saying OHMYGOD the fiflth the vacuum sucked up was just…. ahhhhh…. I lived with that there! Ahhh! It pulled up that much funk and I’d only done a small section of the room? GAH! I then did the entire room and utilized this fantastic feature the vacuum has. Its called “Lift Off & Go”. The entire center (motor area, cord, hose) unhooks from the base/upright vacuum. Its heavier than a dirt devil handheld but no where near trying to lug a vacuum around. And it has ALL the power of the vacuum. With a 30 foot cord I could move freely around the family room and even use it on the stairs. I put the pet hair furniture attachment on it and my navy loveseat that I assumed would never again be Hercules hair free–was suddenly navy once more!

I kept going, doing my entire house and every piece of furniture I own. I’ll admit it, I did the dog too. Hey, before you yell… he LOVED it! He was moving his butt end towards it like “Mom, get that spot”. LOL. I can’t stress enough how amazed I am at the power this vacuum, that was under $200 in the end, packs. Not only that but I just noticed that Bissell actually sells an attachment kit for $29 that is made FOR your pets, to vacuum and groom them. Holy shit, I’m soooo buying that!

I use this daily and I’d also like to stress how great it does on my hardwood floors and kitchen flooring. Other vacuums I’ve had in the past made claims of bare floor quality but only managed to throw the dirt behind the vacuum. This one sucks it up! It also has a feature where you can shut off the main turning brush thingie (like my tech terms) so that you don’t have the brushes going against your hardwood but still have all the sucking power. Did I mention its bagless? Bissell should so hire me as a spokesperson because I’m in love with this thing.

The pics I’ve included in the post are not my own. They’re from the web, Bissell site and Amazon. I’m including a buy link to the Amazon listing.

The Lift Off & Go Feature

Bissell Pet Hair Grooming Kit

The top pic is where I started at (my fat pic). The bottom pic  is me now (okay, Feb 5th but I don’t have a brand spanking new one of me just yet). Ignore the no make up, ratty Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt and the undone hair. I swear I’ll attempt to do something with myself the next pic I take. :)

Okay, now to the good stuff… new releases!

The Valkyrie
About the Book:

Buy from MBaM!
Read An Excerpt Online
Genre: Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 978-1-60504-942-7
Length: Category
Price: 4.50
Publication Date: February 5, 2010
Cover art by Natalie Winters

Resurrection’s a bitch.

Valkyrie, Book 1

For Valerie Falkyr, “Who am I?” isn’t the only unanswered question. It’s where she was before she woke up four years ago. All she knows is she has one best friend. And Payton, the doctor she trusts with the shreds of her life.

Just as her relationship with Payton starts to heat up and Valerie begins to reach out for something like a normal life, a series of bizarre and unexplainable events begin pummeling her from all sides. Leaving her with a new question to add to the list: “What am I?”

Magical abilities she didn’t know she possessed are emerging. And dreams of a former life she doesn’t want to remember leave her in a cold sweat.

As darkness descends and old enemies resurface, Valerie finds herself caught in a dark, bloodthirsty world with no way out. Her only defense—Lucha, Gregory and Kerr, three not-quite-human lovers from her inked-out past.

The only question left is whether she will survive long enough to remember which one loved her most…

This book was previously published.

Warning: Contains temperamental female who can and will toss magik at anyone who ticks her off, hot hunky immortal men who have a history of heating up the sheets with her and some kick ass fight scenes.

TO BUY

Prepared to Please

Book 1 in the Cyber Sex series.
She’s hot, willing and ready do anything to satisfy him at a single command. Captain Roman Parker’s dream woman? Not quite. Because she’s not real. The hologram he’s created to relieve his sexual tensions is a poor substitute for the real Destiny, the woman who makes his blood boil and fire shoot through his loins. Except Destiny doesn’t want him…or so he thought.
Lt. Commander Destiny Stewart’s had her eye on her superior officer from the moment they met. Not wanting to lose her position aboard the expedition vessel, Destiny sticks with pleasuring herself and enlists the help of a holographic likeness of Captain Parker.
Technology brings Roman and Destiny a soulless satisfaction—until they discover just how much better the real thing can be.

This book was previously published.

TO BUY

“The Valkyrie” by Mandy M. Roth

ISBN: 978-1-60504-942-7
Length: Category
Price: 4.50
Publication Date: February 5, 2010
Cover art by Natalie Winters

Resurrection’s a bitch.

Valkyrie, Book 1

For Valerie Falkyr, “Who am I?” isn’t the only unanswered question. It’s where she was before she woke up four years ago. All she knows is she has one best friend. And Payton, the doctor she trusts with the shreds of her life.

Just as her relationship with Payton starts to heat up and Valerie begins to reach out for something like a normal life, a series of bizarre and unexplainable events begin pummeling her from all sides. Leaving her with a new question to add to the list: “What am I?”

Magical abilities she didn’t know she possessed are emerging. And dreams of a former life she doesn’t want to remember leave her in a cold sweat.

As darkness descends and old enemies resurface, Valerie finds herself caught in a dark, bloodthirsty world with no way out. Her only defense—Lucha, Gregory and Kerr, three not-quite-human lovers from her inked-out past.

The only question left is whether she will survive long enough to remember which one loved her most…

This book was previously published.

Warning: Contains temperamental female who can and will toss magik at anyone who ticks her off, hot hunky immortal men who have a history of heating up the sheets with her and some kick ass fight scenes.

TO BUY

http://samhainpublishing.com/books/the-valkyrie

LINK

Here are just a few of the new covers I’ve created. More to come as soon as I get final approval on them from the pubs :)