Sunday, July 29, 2012

Little Boy Lost series by J.P. Barnaby


Wow! Very intense...

Every book will take you through the story of Jamie and Brian. From the tender age of teenagers till the very end and I don't want to give anything away because you really need to read this series to see for yourself.

J.P. did an epic job with this story and in every six of them. I did wait till all the books came out to read them all in sequence without missing a heartbeat and I sure as hell am glad that I had. The way he ends one book is the way the next will continue and so on and so forth. I've read a few books that were series by other authors that I enjoy and adore and I can assure you that this series now ranks up the top with the rest.

These two boys go so through so dayum much and you get to go along for the ride. The books are first person. The first two books are in Brian's POV and the last four are Jamie's POV although there was a part there that I wish it was in Brian's POV cause I honestly wanted to know what was going through his head and for a fact what the heck was he thinking!

I really wished that their stories and the story didn't come to and end in book six but as all good things they must...

A highly recommend series to read! 

Below I've placed them in order with a short summary of what each book entails. 
All the books can be found and bought at Dreamspinner Press. Just follow this link: 

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_395

ENJOY!!

 My rating for each of the books: My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Enlightened (Little Boy Lost, #1)
Book 1: Enlightened

Little Boy Lost is the story of Brian McAllister, the boy next door.

Brian goes to school, does his homework, and helps his foster parents around the house. Brian also has a secret: he is in love with his best friend, Jamie. But in Crayford, Alabama, being in love with another boy is the worst kind of sin.

Brian and Jamie will discover just how deep their emotional bond runs, and at what cost. What will they do if their secret is discovered? From fumbling through their first sexual experiences to hiding all aspects of their relationship from everyone in their lives, Brian and Jamie battle for the one thing that is truly theirs—love
.

Abandoned (Little Boy Lost, #2)
Book 2: Abandoned
Jamie is gone.Brian's secret has been revealed.Brian McAllister's story continues as he tries to cope with the loss of his best friend and soul mate amid the alienation and ridicule of his classmates. When hatred turns to violence, Brian narrows his focus to two goals: surviving and finding Jamie. Along the way he meets Adam, whose life has also been shattered by violence and cruelty. Can Adam fill the hole in Brian's life left by Jamie's absence? The answer will change everything.




Vanished (Little Boy Lost, #3) 



Book 3: Vanished

 Brian McAllister’s story continues in San Diego, where he finds so much more than he ever expected: acceptance, friends, encouragement, and an entire world of sexual adventure he’d never dared to imagine back in his small Alabama town. He continues to search for one lost boy in a sea of humanity but slowly begins to realize that maybe dreams really don’t come true.

Encouraged by new friends Mike and Emilio, Brian struggles to find work and keep his spirits up while his hope of finding Jamie starts to falter. But when life comes crashing down, he’s desperate to keep his new life. Can Brian do the unthinkable to remain in California when his money runs out? When Brian meets a beaten and bruised boy no one seems willing to help, he knows that walking away is no longer an option.
 
Discovered (Little Boy Lost, #4) 
Book 4: Discovered

 Little Boy Lost is the story of Jamie Mayfield, a golden-haired fallen angel. Dumped into a gay rehab center and shunned by his parents, the once-adored son of small-minded, small town people has had to find his own way in life.

Jamie is astonished and dismayed when Brian McAllister, the boy he knows is the other half of his soul, explodes back into his precarious life. In the nearly two years they’ve been apart, not a day has gone by that Jamie hasn’t thought of Brian, no matter how hard surviving has been. How can Jamie protect Brian from the pain and brutalization in his life when he can’t even protect himself? Brian and Jamie will put every bit of themselves into saving each other, but Steven O’Dell isn’t the only obstacle keeping the boys apart. Jamie’s own self-hatred may prove to be their undoing.
 
Escaped (Little Boy Lost, #5)

Book 5: Escaped

Finally together, Brian McAllister and Jamie Mayfield have risked everything in a desperate escape. Jamie is now free of his tormentor, Steven O’Dell... for the moment. But Brian and Jamie know that one wrong choice could lead Steven to their door.

With the strength of Brian and his friends to protect him, Jamie hides and finds the one person he is truly afraid of—himself. The long, lonely hours in the place Leo found for them to stay leave Jamie with nothing to do but think. He thinks about Brian, about the direction their lives should take. He thinks about his parents, about the industry he left behind. Mostly, though, he thinks about drugs. Jamie wants to feel good again, forget about his self-hatred, and stop the gnawing cravings that prey upon his mind and body even as he tries to start a new life with Brian.

One moment of weakness may prove to be fatal for them both.

Sacrificed (Little Boy Lost, #6)

Book 6: Sacrificed

Brian and Jamie’s epic journey comes to a close in this thrilling conclusion to the Little Boy Lost series

Reunited with his father but missing the one man he loves more than any other, Jamie Mayfield attempts to put his life back together amid rehab, seizures, and the gutting loneliness of Brian’s rejection. As he tries to cope, Jamie finds that relying on his friends isn’t nearly as difficult as he’d imagined, and soon he can once again stand on his own two feet.

While recovering from his addiction, Jamie starts a new phase of his life at college, working to become the man Brian needs him to be. Only one question remains: Can Jamie earn Brian’s forgiveness and win back his trust, or will their love be sacrificed at the altar of Jamie’s demons?

Saturday, July 28, 2012

To Save A Life

My blog title is also the title to the movie I just got finished watching. I'll post the official site, the synopsis on what the movie is about along with a trailer, then I'll end it with my own review and commentary on the movie. 


Synopsis

Jake Taylor has it all: friends, fame, a basketball scholarship and the hottest girl in school. Roger Dawson has nothing. Although the two were best friends when they were kids, the politics of high school quickly pulled them apart. Roger doesn't fit in with anyone and he's had enough. He walks onto campus with a gun in his pocket and pain in his heart and makes a tragic move. Jake's last ditch effort can't stop Roger, and the sudden tragedy rocks Jake's world. In a quest for answers, Jake finds himself looking for the next Roger and reaching out to the outcasts and loners. He quickly finds that crossing class castes threatens all his world is built on and it could cost him his own friends, his dreams and even his reputation.
 
 
 

 
My view on this movie:
 
To me the movie was very emotional because I could relate to it. I've been there a time, or two when you felt everything was just hopeless and the world doesn't seem to have a place in it for you. 
 
I was inspired by the movie in such a way that the word is out there more than ever these days, unlike it was in past times. We didn't hear much about suicide whether it was a teen or otherwise. I send my judgment on that to ignorance. Suicide was like a sin. Families didn't want to talk about it, people in general didn't want to talk about it. They turned the blind eye because the gods help us if someone committed suicide well... There must be a defect in the family and OMFG could it be contagious? Is this something that could go down to another family member of the next generation or the one following that? FAWKTARDS! That's my answer. 
 
LIFE! That's what it boils down to. Everyone wants to be accepted for who there are and no matter what walk of life they are. Everyone gets lonely, but like it's shown in this move it can show what being different, not being part of the IT crowd or the most popular one, even rejected can lead to. It's extreme, but it's out there, and it's alive like a living breathing virus without a cure until it's TOO LATE.
 
The actors that portray the characters is this movie do one hellova job. The movie is very heartfelt and it's sentimental for me in many ways. 

I do warn you on the sensitive matter such as teens getting intoxicated, there's 'cutting', there's your emo and a group of outcasts. It's all there for your viewing pleasure. 

Although I really liked and enjoyed this movie it held one aspect of it which I wasn't too fond of. The story involved God and the church. I know this comment isn't going to hit a sore spot with some of you reading this blog post, but I'm putting it out there. Awright, so I'm Roman Catholic, I've gone to Catholic school and all that yadda, yadda. I do believe there's something out there, but don't ask me if there's a God per say because I'm not a holy believer. I'm more spiritual than religious and I do digress that it's my upbringing, the preaching of going against the bible for who WE are to be wrong that has led me to seeing the hypocrisy of the church. I'm saying nothing more than this because everyone has their own beliefs and discussing religion is as touchy a subject as discussing politics. 

But hey, if it worked to throw religion into this movie than whatever floats their boat to who produced it. Different strokes for different folks and all that jazz. 

The BIG picture here and look outside of your little box is to bring awareness to teen suicide and that you're not alone and to seek help if you need it. Up so down with that and that's where I highly commend the producers of this film. 

'Nough said and I'm outta here. 

Laterz and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Bloggers Beware: You CAN Get Sued For Using Pics on Your Blog

I'm taking this seriously therefore if you see changes to our blog here you'll know why after you go to the following link and read what's been said. This would also go for all of you or anyone that's using a profile pic that's NOT really you without the permission of the photographer or the actor you're taken it from.




http://www.roniloren.com/blog/2012/7/20/bloggers-beware-you-can-get-sued-for-using-pics-on-your-blog.html

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Evil Children

I've been browsing a lot on Youtube these days and I'm going to blame it on the content in the books I've been reading lately. It's not music related I can assure you of the that. It's all young adult and it varies from child abuse to kids who have committed crimes. There's been activity lately that's struck very close to home on kids wielding guns and weapons, the bullying that's been apparent and there's no reason for it. I guess like most of us we question it and want to know what the reason's would be behind it. What causes a child to act the way they do towards another and who or what is to blame? 

Is it their family upbringing? 
How they're treated at home? 
Society? 
Medications that they are on which has that impact of chemical imbalance spiraling to their brain that would cause them to act out?
The parents?
The piers in the child's life?

The list of questions goes on and on, but I don't think we'll ever know the answer cause each child and case scenario is completely different. Some we never know! 

I watched this documentary last night called Bowling for Columbine. Michael Moore tackles America's obsession with firearms in this Oscar-winning documentary that examines the Columbine High School shootings. Very interesting to watch and it's avail on Netflix. Moore examines this not only in the US but also dwells into Canada and compares the stats of shootings and looks closely into the kids toting guns.

Then I watched Generation RX. Another damn good one about Filmmaker Kevin P. Miller who offers this unflinching examination of the unsettling trend in the American medical establishment toward prescribing powerful psychiatric drugs for children more often -- and at a younger age -- than ever before. Families devastated by the consequences of over-medication share their stories, and doctors, ethicists and other medical professionals weigh in on whether pharmaceutical companies put profits before patients.

I'll end this with a vid I found and want to share.

Take care folks. Till next time.

 

Friday, July 20, 2012

Flash Mob

Oh yeah you read that right. The title. I'm still in shock of coming across this vid on Youtube and I'm thinking I better be sure there's no unwanted ones posted on their. Anyhow, the main guy that talks first is the President of my company and all the other minions that join in are all the V.P.'s that I work for and run my fantabulous company. I wasn't gonna make this known, but what the fawk, why not!

Enjoy! :snickering:


Thursday, July 19, 2012

STOP Child abuse!

The picture gets my point across and so does the video which contains content that might rather sensitive to some viewers. But without getting the awareness of it all out there WHO is going to stop it from happening if everyone was to remain ignorant and not speak up for the innocent. 

I wasn't an abused child, but at the hands of another MY kid was. I did everything in my power to put a stop to it because I spoke out. He's a teenager now, but I will ALWAYS be there still to protect him. Stand up for not just your child, but also for all other mistreated innocents.



Friday, July 13, 2012

Trying to cope with: LIFE

Why do I choose that title? :pointing up: Because life to me as I know it will never again be the same.

After a massive round of tests from blood and urine to a renal ultrasound then a renal scan the confirmed diagnosis by my nephrologyst is that I have kidney disease in not just one but both kidneys. I'm sharing it with my followers here and no it's not to get pity from anyone cause the pity party can be shoved up the arse and I don't blog to get it so fawk off, but rather I'm talking about it so it's not driving me up the fawking A-wall to the point I'll bounce and I'll just have a breakdown by dwelling on the implications of it all too damn much. You get me? Like the fact that CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) patients are at increased risk for ischemic heart disease and a series of diseases caused by reduced blood supply to the heart and congestive heart failure (CHF, when the heart's ability to supply sufficient blood flow to the body is impaired). 

What a life! :drama moment: I better make my peace with it yeah think? I already have cause LIFE you fawking suck!

It's already at stage 3 so what does that mean? The percentage function of my kidneys is 55%. Isn't that just bullshit? How does that affect me? Right now the energy level is very low and I nap a lot, back pain is just peachy and quite frankly I'm embarrassed going out and needing a walking cane on my bad days. A lot of it and too many pills for this or that and such and such. Lets not forget seeing a nutritionist and starting treatment shots, tons more needles of constant blood work and those never ending doctor visits. I practically shit myself every time I see a needle coming at me. What a joke!

Here's a great one for yeah... I had a tooth break and the dentist wouldn't even touch my tooth till the specialist contacted them with the green light to proceed and were told to keep constant monitoring of my blood pressure throughout. This was before my 'confirmed' diagnosis. It just keeps getting better and better.

BUT having said all that there is ONE GOOD thing that's coming out of it all: I'm now a candidate for a study group call AIM to PREVENT. AIM is a 3 year study where the participant in this clinical research who have CKD allows the study Doctor(s) to collect blood and urine samples every 6 months (not including reg visits) in order to analyze the levels of protein and chemicals in the samples. The goal of this study is to see if there is a set of blood and urine tests that may help doctors identify individuals or populations who are at risk for worsening of chronic disease. Basically, I'll be a lab rat to serve the better good for those of you who might get lucky in being diagnosed in the very early stages and maybe if something can be found it'll help the Docs to help you combat it before it gets to the extreme. 

I find THAT kinda cool, but it's a damn shame I have to get this disease in order to help others in the world of the future.

On a final note: Pity? I don't want it. Feeling sorry for me? Don't want that either. Your support and understanding? I'll snatch that up any day!

Mucho gracias for hearing me out, hanging out and have yourself one hellova great weekend, Folks!