Sandra Nachlinger's Blog, page 20

Chasing Charlie - #BookBeginnings on Friday and The #Friday56

     If you're in the mood for a sweet romance (sexual tension but no sex, no profanity) and enjoy a story with an entertaining plot, then you'll love Chasing Charlie. Librarian Charlotte Nelson ("Charlie") takes one tiny step outside her ultra-conservative existence, buys a stunning red dress, and before long she reluctantly agrees to masquerade as Davis Murphy's fiancée for one evening. As they say, trouble ensues.
     I liked the characters in this sweet love story and enjoyed escaping in the plot. The book was well written, and I saw no grammatical or other errors, which I always appreciate. Chasing Charlie is Book 1 in the Texas Two-Step Series, and it stands alone.


Genre: Texas Romance
Book Length: 162 Pages
Amazon Link: Chasing Charlie
Author Website: Kathy Carmichael
NOTE: The Lassoed Bride (A Novella), book two in the Texas Two-Step Series, is available HERE

Book Beginning:
It was love at first sight. Charlotte Nelson rocked back on her heels, closed her eyes a moment and then reopened them. There was no doubt about it. She'd fallen in love - with a dress.

The Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
Closing her eyes for a moment, she allowed the call of the water to wash over her, bathe her in its tranquil harmony. "No wonder your mom wanted to get married here. It's beautiful."

Synopsis (from Kathy Carmichael's website):
     Raised in a family of rodeo champions on a South Texas cattle ranch, Charlie wants only one thing: to avoid thrill-seeking cowboys.
     Davis Murphy, cowboy wannabe and one of Dallas's most eligible bachelors, needs a pretty and witty faux fiancée so his widowed mother will marry her longtime gentleman friend.
     Charlie, his local librarian, seems the perfect choice.
     Charlie's first reaction is to run, but she's promised herself to step out of her plain-jane routine.
     When Charlie accepts, Davis's plan is set. But now Charlie's sweet ways are challenging his bachelor heart.
                


Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56.
Click HERE to connect to other Book Beginnings posts (sponsored by Rose City Reads) 
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Twitter: @SandyNachlingerFacebook: sandy.nachlinger

The Real Mother - The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings on Friday

    What makes a family?
   Sara has given up her dream of medical school to take care of her orphaned brother and sisters. Then their other flaky brother shows up, after years of absence, and upsets the home Sara has created, making promises to his younger siblings to win their support. The plot shows Sara's challenge of dealing with a stressful job, acting as a parent to her siblings, dealing with a brother she doesn't trust, and balancing those responsibilities with creating a satisfying life for herself. Lots of drama but believable.
     The Real Mother was published in 2005, but it is still relevant. The plot kept me interested and I cared about the characters. I also enjoyed the writing. This is a book I'll read again.

Book Beginning:
Sara arrived at the airline terminal as the Corcorans walked out, trailed by a young man pushing a cart piled with luggage. She wedged her car between taxis and stepped out to open the trunk and the two passenger doors before extending her hand to Lew Corcoran. "Sara Elliott," she said. "Welcome to Chicago."

Friday 56 (from Page 156 in my hardback):
Her glance lingered on Sara, taking in her brown-and-ivoy checked shirt and narrow khaki pants, sleeker and probably a lot more expensive than any clothes worn by the marchers, then came back to Reuben. "Organized it? I don't know...."

Genre: Women's Fiction
Book Length: 421 Pages
Amazon Link: The Real Mother
Author Website: Judith Michael (Judith Barnard & Michael Fain)

Synopsis (from Amazon):
Sara Elliott has been forced to give up the life she's dreamed of to return home to Chicago and take charge of her sisters and brother. She finds a job and settles into the house she grew up in, building a life for ten-year-old Doug and teenagers Carrie and Abby.But Sara has another brother, Mack, now twenty, who left home three years earlier. Suddenly he reappears, cheerful and unconcerned, as if he had never broken his promise to stay and help Sara with the children and the house. With bewildering volatility, Mack swings from kindness to cruelty, affection to hostility, keeping the family always on edge, his past and present a mystery. But with expensive gifts, storytelling, and the excitement of his presence, he is winning over the children, and sometimes the four of them stand together against Sara.Mack challenges all Sara has achieved in trying to be a mother and keep her family together. And he does it at a time when she is confronted by crises at work that spill over into her home. Suddenly, events seem to be speeding past and Sara feels she cannot slow them down to regain control.And then, when she thinks her life has room only for work and family, she meets Reuben Lister, a client from New York. As Sara helps him find and furnish a house and explore the city, they discover a closeness neither has known before and share new ways of dealing with conflicts each has always faced alone. Together, Sara and Reuben find answers to the questions: What is a mother? What is a parent? What is a family?This is Judith Michael's most poignant exploration of the pressures and joys facing modern adults and children, in a story that will resonate with everyone for its universal themes and discoveries.
                



Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56.
Click HERE to connect to other Book Beginnings posts (sponsored by Rose City Reads) 
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Twitter: @SandyNachlingerFacebook: sandy.nachlinger

Auburn #Art BenchMarks - Saturday Snapshots

Last July I roamed the streets of Auburn, Washington, taking photos of Pianos on Parade. Then I posted them HERE for Saturday Snapshot. This  year, however, the big attraction was park benches. I didn't capture them all, but here are the ones I tracked down. The Green River College Carpentry Department fabricated the wooden benches and various organizations provided the designs. (Click on photos for a closer look.)



Interurban Center for the Arts with
Maple Lawn Elementary
"Your Donations Make a Difference"
Auburn Food Bank
"It's Never Goodbye - It's Always See Ya Later"
See Ya Later Foundation
"When you dance, your purpose is not to get to
a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each
step along the way."
Pacific Ballroom Dance 
"Changing the world by serving children,
one child and one community at a time"
Kiwanis Club of Auburn
"We Serve" - Auburn Noon Lions Club
Last but not least is "Sandy!"
White River Valley MuseumAbout Sandy, according to the City of Auburn website:Sandy has been a beloved figure in Auburn for over half a century. Originally sitting in front of Massey's supermarket on East Main Street, this ten cent ride delighted a generation of children. Sandy now resides in the White River Valley Museum and if you are not taller than her ears you can still enjoy a ride on this piece of Auburn history!




Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.To enjoy a variety of beautiful pictures from around the world, click HERE or on the box below.  
To participate in Saturday Snapshots: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on the host blogsite. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. 

Stealing Jason Wilde - #BookBeginnings on Friday and The #Friday56

    Four fifty-ish women, a week-long getaway in the Hamptons, and a minivan full of booze.  What could possibly go wrong?
     I loved getting to know these characters, each one distinct and memorable. Dee Ernst's humor is right on target too. This is a post-chicklit story of women in the prime of their lives - open to adventure and experienced enough to know what they want. But in this story, they get much, much more than they anticipated.

Genre: Women's Fiction / Humor
Book Length: 220 Pages
Amazon Link: Stealing Jason Wilde
Author Website: Dee Ernst


FYI: I've featured two other terrific books by this author on my blog:
Better Than Your Dreams
A Slight Change of Plan

Book Beginning:
    You know that famous saying "What happens on Dune Road stays on Dune Road?"
    Wait - maybe it's really not that famous. The famous version is about Las Vegas. But are you familiar with the concept? That there are some places in the world where your choices are based on a completely different reality and your actions have no consequences in your day-to-day life? Where you are allowed, even encouraged, to behave in a different way, and , above all, it is understood that those two separate worlds must never intersect?

Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
Here was Andrew Sean Mooney - smart, funny, handsome, sexy, a great kisser, and he liked his home fries extra crispy, just like I did. When I looked at him, I wanted to immediately pucker up.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
    After her divorce, librarian Annie Reynolds thought she’d closed the book on love for good—it just wasn’t part of her safe, comfortable routine. But if there’s anyplace she can relax and have a little fun, it’s Dune Road, where she and her closest girlfriends return for their annual getaway in the Hamptons. She knows it’s just what she needs to escape her empty nest (and empty bed).
    A chance encounter with a ruggedly handsome local promises Annie just that. But when one of her friends turns a simple flirtation with B-list movie star Jason Wilde into seduction—and Jason accidentally mixes a few drinks and his back-pain medicine—the ladies end up with a very high-profile houseguest. The media calls it a kidnapping, and before long, the FBI is on the hunt.
    Soon the ladies’ tame little trip has turned into the adventure of a lifetime. But will this case of mistaken misdoing sabotage Annie’s second chance at love, or will she have the confidence to take matters into her own hands to find her happily ever after?
                


Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56.
Click HERE to connect to other Book Beginnings posts (sponsored by Rose City Reads) 
Click HERE to join other Friday 56 bloggers (sponsored by Freda's Voice)


Twitter: @SandyNachlingerFacebook: sandy.nachlinger

Bluebonnet Spring - #TeaserTuesday and First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros

    Set on the Big Island of Hawaii and in the Texas hill country, Bluebonnet Spring is the story of widowed Rebecca Barton (who is "on the wrong side of thirty") and hunky Doug West (ditched by phone by his fiancée on the eve of their Hawaiian wedding). Rebecca is in Hawaii doing research on how hotels operate before deciding whether or not to open an inn back in Canela, Texas. When they meet, Doug suggests they share his honeymoon package - plantonically, of course. It would be a shame for it to go to waste. When the week is over, they go their separate ways - Doug to Detroit; Rebecca to Canela. But is that the end for them?
    I enjoyed visiting Hawaii through this book - and I love bluebonnets! It also was fun to see Rebecca change through the course of the story.  

Bluebonnet Spring is a sweet romance with no sex and no profanity. 

Book Genre: Contemporary Romance
Book Length: 192 Pages
Amazon Link: Bluebonnet Spring
Author Website: Amanda Harte's Books

First Paragraph:
    It was a mistake. A colossal mistake. Rebecca Barton settled back in the surprisingly comfortable rattan chair and tried to relax. She could tell herself that the problem was jet lag. After all, it had taken close to twelve hours of flying to get from Canela to Hilo. But Rebecca had never been one for self deception. She knew the problem wasn't jet lag, nor was it simple fatigue.

Teaser (from 12% on my Kindle):
    The trail they were climbing grew steep and narrow. Though initially Doug had suggested Rebecca lead the way to set the pace, now he moved past her, clambering over a large boulder, then reached back to help her. She put her hand in his.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
    It can't be a coincidence that the band is playing "Stranger in Paradise," not when that's exactly how Rebecca Barton would describe herself.
    No matter how beautiful the Hawaiian honeymoon resort is, it's no place for a widow with two children and a brown dachshund waiting for her back home in Texas. Why on earth did she think that this trip would be a good way to decide whether she's ready to open a hotel of her own? It's a mistake, a huge mistake---just like offering first aid to the handsome stranger at the next table was a mistake.
    Flying all the way from Detroit to Hawaii for what was supposed to be his wedding, he discovered that his fiancé jilted him. And if that wasn't bad enough, he managed to catch his sleeve on fire and then snarl at the beautiful woman who tried to help him. Oddly enough, it's the snarling that bothers him the most, especially when he discovers just how charming Rebecca is. In an uncharacteristically impulsive act, Doug suggests they spend the next week touring the island together.
    It's a magical week, one that both Rebecca and Doug know will never be repeated, for this is their version of a shipboard romance. They will never see each other again. But fate has other ideas, and a year later Doug arrives at Bluebonnet Spring, Rebecca's newly opened country inn, for a month's stay. It should be a dream come true. Instead, Doug is Rebecca's worst nightmare. There's no hope for a happy ending for them...or is there?


Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Jenn of Books and A Beat. Post two sentences from somewhere in a book you're reading. No spoilers, please!Link at  Books and A Beat
First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is hosted by Bibliophile By The Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or a few) from a book you're reading or thinking about reading soon.Link at  BibliophileByTheSea


Twitter: @SandyNachlingerFacebook: sandy.nachlinger

#Walking Bud Blancher Trail - Saturday Snapshots

After my recent hike up Little Si, I needed something less strenuous. The Bud Blancher Trail (near Eatonville, WA) was just perfect. Formally opened in 2014, the trail accommodates walkers, bicyclists, and runners. Our route covered 4.5 miles (round trip) on a mostly level, crushed-rock path.
[Click on photos to enlarge.]
Newly-constructed bridge over the Mashel River Here's our group of 14 walkers.  A great place for a family picnic.
Our group ate at restaurants in nearby Eatonville after our walk. A serene spot by a pond to 
sit and contemplate nature.This was a fun walk. The pace was brisk but not heart-pounding, and there were lots of opportunities to take photos and to have conversations with other walkers. Afterwards, the group split up, with some lunching at Bruno's and others (my group) at Cruisers Cafe in Eatonville. Delicious sweet potato fries and milkshakes, and we'd burned off the calories in advance!

More info here: Bud Blancher Trail





Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.To enjoy a variety of beautiful pictures from around the world, click HERE or on the box below.  
To participate in Saturday Snapshots: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on the host blogsite. 
Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. 

#Blooms & Berries on Pacific Northwest #Hikes - Saturday Snapshots

I've been posting quite a few photos lately of trees, mountains, rivers, and people from my hikes and walks. I also take pictures of plants. So here are a few blooms and berries I've captured recently. 
[Click on photos to enlarge.]

Common Yarrow - Achillea Millefolia
Hardtack - Spirea Douglasii
Thimbleberries - Rubus parviflorus Salmonberry - Rubus Spectabilis Red huckleberries - Vaccinium parvifolium  Purple sage - Salvia dorrii var. carnosa
 (I think!) A mystery.
These berries were the size of English peas.
I identified these plants by checking this website, as well as others:
Turner Photographics - Wildflowers
Let me know if I got them wrong!




Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.To enjoy a variety of beautiful pictures from around the world, click HERE or on the box below.  
To participate in Saturday Snapshots: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on the host blogsite. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. 

Dialogue - Smart Girls Read Romance

I'm over at Smart Girls Read Romance today, blogging about how much fun it can be to write dialogue.

Come on over and say "hi!"

Here's the link:
Dialogue, Y'all

#Hiking Little Si - Saturday Snapshots

I've been having so much fun on my hikes and walks! Here are a few photos from Little Si - my most challenging hike yet. [Click on photos to enlarge.]

The Washington Trails Association (WTA) website says this:
"A sharp incline awaits you as you depart the trailhead, threading you through a few winding switchbacks and well-beaten paths, but do not despair! The hike eventually levels out to reward you with some respite from the calf-burning first quarter mile." 

I apologize for the fuzziness of this photo, but I'm pretty sure I was shaking from the "calf-burning" incline. The trail was steep, laced with rocks and tree roots, and slick with rain. Are we having fun yet?

Huge boulders and sheer rock faces lined much of the trail. I've been told that rock climbers love to tackle them. From the WTA:
"As you continue through this temperate slice of woodlands, you will pass short tangential rock climbing paths, a prominent scree slope, and a boulder field to the west before swooping around the slope at the 1.3 mile mark to make your final push toward the summit."

We stopped for lunch at a sheer drop-off near the top. 

Then we made our way to the summit. My legs were definitely shaking by this point! (The young people with their phones were playing PokemonGo.)

We used a completely different set of muscles to work our way back down. By then we'd been rained on, and the path had even more slick places. Kind of scary to me.

Although comments I found on hiking websites said this hike is good for families, I wouldn't recommend it. Surely it wouldn't be safe to take a child up to the sheer drop-offs near the summit or expect little legs to clamber over the boulders on the path. In some sections, it felt like we were taking stairs two treads at a time!

I'm proud of myself for completing this walk. Even though it's classified as "easy," it was a challenge for me. Perhaps on a dry day it wouldn't be so difficult.

Wikipedia says: "Little Si is a mountain in the US state of Washington, named after its taller neighbor, Mount Si. It has an elevation of 1,576 feet. and lies on the western margin of the Cascade Range just east of the town of North Bend." 

Links to more info: 
Washington Trails Assoc. - "Little Si"
AllTrails.com - "Little Si Trail"






Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads.To enjoy a variety of beautiful pictures from around the world, click HERE or on the box below.  
To participate in Saturday Snapshots: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on the host blogsite. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. 

The #Revenant - Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56

After hearing so much hype about the book and the movie, I picked up The Revenant at the library and decided to give it a try. I loved this story. At first, I was put off by the omniscient point of view. The author tells what every character is feeling and thinking, even the wolves! It didn't take long, however, for the story to capture me and for the point of view shifts to stop bothering me so much. Although there is quite a bit of violence in the story, it's definitely worth reading. I'm hoping to see the movie too and will read more books by Punke.

Genre: Western/Historical/Adventure
Book Length: 272 Pages (paperback)
Amazon Link: The Revenant
More Books: Michael Punke Author Page

Book Beginning:
September 1, 1823
     They were abandoning him. The wounded man knew it when he looked at the boy, who looked down, then away, unwilling to hold his gaze.
     For days, the boy had argued with the man in the wolf-skin hat. Has it really been days? The wounded man had battled his fever and pain, never certain whether conversations he heard were real, or merely by-products of the delirious wanderings in his mind.

Teaser (Page 105 paperback):
The white wolf stopped to contemplate the changing odds. He knew well his place in the pack: Others led and he followed.
[Ooops! I messed up. Since the book is back at the library, I'll have to stick with this excerpt instead of something from Page 56. I apologize.]

Synopsis:
     A thrilling tale of betrayal and revenge set against the nineteenth-century American frontier, the astonishing story of real-life trapper and frontiersman Hugh Glass        The year is 1823, and the trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company live a brutal frontier life. Hugh Glass is among the company’s finest men, an experienced frontiersman and an expert tracker. But when a scouting mission puts him face-to-face with a grizzly bear, he is viciously mauled and not expected to survive. Two company men are dispatched to stay behind and tend to Glass before he dies. When the men abandon him instead, Glass is driven to survive by one desire: revenge. With shocking grit and determination, Glass sets out, crawling at first, across hundreds of miles of uncharted American frontier. Based on a true story, The Revenant is a remarkable tale of obsession, the human will stretched to its limits, and the lengths that one man will go to for retribution.                
Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56.
Click HERE to connect to other Book Beginnings posts (sponsored by Rose City Reads) 
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Twitter: @SandyNachlingerFacebook: sandy.nachlinger