Sandra Nachlinger's Blog, page 23

Longshot - Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56

It's been a long time since I read a book by Dick Francis, but when I saw Longshot on a "free books" shelf, I grabbed it. What a fun story! This book was published in 1990, but it holds up well -- even though characters have car phones instead of cell phones. Mr. Francis passed away in 2010 but his 40+ books are still entertaining.

Genre: Mystery
Book Length: 322 Pages (paperback)
Amazon Link: Longshot
Amazon Author Page: Dick Francis

Book Beginning:
     I accepted a commission that had been turned down by four other writers, but I was hungry at the time.
     Although starving in a garret had seemed a feasible enough plan a year eralier, the present realities of existence under the frozen eaves of a friend's aunt's house in a snowy January were such that without enough income to keep well fed and warm I was a knockover for a risky decision.
     My state of course was my own fault.

The Friday 56 (from Page 56 in my paperback):
In the now sunlit kitchen Tremayne was standing by the table, talking crossly into the telephone.
"You would have thought that someone would have noticed by now that they're missing a horse."

Synopsis (from Amazon):
"Fast-paced, meticulously plotted...Nobody sets up a mystery better than Dick Francis."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Travel writer John Kendall didn't think he was doing anything too out of the ordinary when he tramped off to rural England for an interview with a successful race horse trainer. Soon enough, however, Kendall realizes that completing the book will be tricky at best. In fact, the perils described in his survival manuals pale next to the dangers in rural England....
Selected by the Literary Guild, the Mystery Guild, and Doubleday Book Club
                


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 Shadow Cartel (The Dominic Gray Series) - Teaser Tuesday and First Chapter / First Paragraph

    I enjoy reading books that are set in places I've visited or towns where I've lived. So when I saw that The Shadow Cartel was set in Miami, where I lived for many years, I knew I had to read it, even though the story is outside my usual genre. 
    I've just started reading the book, and I'm enthralled by the story! The author obviously knows the city inside and out. He even mentioned the neighborhood where my husband and I once lived. From the venerable Tobacco Road bar to the high rise office buildings along Brickell Avenue, I'm enjoying my virtual visit back to South Florida. 
   The Shadow Cartel is Book #4 in the Dominic Gray Series.



First Paragraph:
Peoples Temple Agricultural Project,
Northwest Guyana
November 18, 1978
     The man known as John Wolverton cocked his head at the sound, a faint thwap that echoed through the vines and trees. He reasoned the shot had come from a poacher's rifle.
     Surely it hadn't come from the Port Kaituma airstrip. From Congressman Ryan's delegation, sent to investigate the conditions of Reverand Jones's utopian cult that had set up shop in the middle of the Guyanese jungle. Reverend Jones was a sociopath, but he wasn't suicidal, and the doctors agreed the two were mutually exclusive.


Teaser (from 21% on my Kindle):
[Here's a character's description of Miami from her memories. Yes, it's only two sentences.]
   She could still draw a map of the Fairchild Botanical Gardens, picture the evening light sinking into No Name Harbor, and tell friends visiting the city where to find the best ceviche, the most authentic sangria, the perfect little wine shop hidden in the maze of Cuban bakeries on Coral Way. She loved the smell of roasting coffee, the sexy fashion boutiques, the day trips to the Everglades and the weekend trips to the Keys, the serendipity of a peacock sighting on the way to the grocery store, the delight of biting into one of the mangoes weighing down the limbs of neighborhood trees in summer.

Genre: Thriller
Book Length: 434 Pages
Amazon Link: The Shadow Cartel
Author Website: Layton Green

Synopsis:
The sins of the past always return...    The General.  A name whispered in hushed tones among the criminal underworld, from Miami to Buenos Aires.  A name even the drug cartels fear.      Yet the General is a man without a face.  There are no fingerprints on file, no known base of operations, not even a biographical sketch.  He operates in the shadows, but somehow controls a vast criminal empire.    And he has never made a direct incursion onto U.S. soil -- until now.    In Miami, disgraced DEA agent Fred Hernandez is called to investigate a bizarre crime scene, where the bodies of four drug dealers are sprawled around an iron cauldron.  Even stranger is the mysterious 'blue lady' that a drug-addled witness claims killed the men.    Lana Valenciano, an ambitious CIA operative, informs Agent Hernandez that the murders might be connected to a legendary South American criminal known as the General.  Lana claims the General has become a threat to national security -- but has no idea how to find him.    The government's best hope?  Private investigators Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, who might be the only people alive with the skills to unravel the General's tangled web.      Thrown together on a covert manhunt, Grey and the two agents delve into the darkest reaches of international drug trafficking, only to unearth a sinister chapter in the history of the CIA that has spilled into the present -- and put them in the crosshairs of an underworld puppeteer with a frightening reach.
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

A sweet Texas romance, available in paperback and ebook f...

A sweet Texas romance, available in paperback and ebook formats: 
Amazon Link

Alki Beach - Saturday Snapshots

I'm really getting into this walking and hiking thing! This past Tuesday I joined a group on a walk in Alki Beach (West Seattle) - a more urban setting than my previous ventures. Alki Beach Park runs between Elliot Bay (Puget Sound) and Alki Avenue and consists of a path for pedestrians and a separate parallel path for bicyclists. 
(Click on photos to enlarge.)



The day was overcast and breezy, but we didn't have any rain. Because of all the clouds, we weren't able to see the snow-capped Olympic Mountains to the west; however, we had beautiful views of the Seattle skyline. 

It was too chilly to be kayaking!High-priced condos line the inland side of Alki Avenue, with a few bungalows tucked in between. This one is an Alki Beach landmark ("Flower House") and is covered in blooms during the summer. 



Some members of our group walked along the sand.



But most of us stayed on the paved path.



At lunchtime we split up and headed for restaurants several blocks away. By the time we'd finished our meals, the sun was out.



Time to hit Interstate 5 and head home.





More info:
Alki Beach Park
Alki Flower House



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.

Throw Rocks at Them!

I'm over at Smart Girls Read Romance today, blogging about "Love Your Characters ... But Not Too Much." What's that? It's all about authors creating problems for their hero and heroine. 

Here's the link: Sandy's March Blog Post

I'd love for you to stop by and leave a comment.

Tolmie State Park & Nisqually Delta - Saturday Snapshots

After my successful walk along Lake Sammamish (last week's post), I decided to attempt a more adventurous endeavor. A hike! What differentiates a hike from a walk? The Auburn Senior Center brochure says its walks are up to three miles long; hikes range from four to eight miles. Here's a description of the Tolmie State Park and Nisqually Delta outing. 
(Click on photos to enlarge.) 

A van transported us to Tolmie State Park, not far from Olympia, Washington. We were lucky to have sunshine all along the trail. Because sections of the path were rough and rather steep, many hikers used poles. 

We've had a lot of rainfall recently, so although many parts of the trail were gravel and  boardwalks spanned some springs and wet areas, mud was unavoidable. Fortunately, my new waterproof boots lived up to their hype.

We walked among tall trees, many of them covered in lichen and bright green moss. The route was hilly with lots of ups and downs.

Once we'd completed the Tolmie trail, we stomped the mud from our boots, climbed back aboard the van, and headed for the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, not far away. As soon as we arrived, a rainstorm blew in, but intrepid adventurers all, we bundled up and headed out.
This hike was completely different from the first one. Where before we walked through the forest, now we traversed open marsh and tidal areas along a boardwalk. No mud!

We walked past a marsh with pink scum floating on the water. No one knew for sure, but we guessed it might have been a red algae bloom.

Our route led out of the marshes to the mudflats. When the tide is in, this area is completely covered with water. Most of us made it all the way to the end of the boardwalk in the pouring rain. We had dressed for the wet weather. Our efforts were rewarded when we saw flocks of geese, ducks, and several blue herons.

I hope to visit both parks again on a sunny day. There's supposed to be a spectacular view of Mount Rainier, the Olympic Mountains, and some of the islands in Puget Sound from the end of the boardwalk, but on this day everything hid behind the clouds. 



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.

ELLY'S BACK ... and Better Than Ever

Bluebonnets for Elly is back... and better than ever. After my publisher went out of business, I reissued the book with a new cover and tweaked the story. 

You can find this Texas romance on Amazon in ebook versions (only $3.99) and in paperback.

Here's the link:
BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY

Griff Montgomery, Quarterback - Teaser Tuesday and First Chapter / First Paragraph

     You've gotta love a story where the hero and heroine are brought together by a lovable pug! That's what happens in Griff Montgomery, Quarterback, by Jean C. Joachim. 
     I enjoyed the way Jean includes so many details about Griff's life as a pro football player - working out with his teammates, dealing with life on the road, concern over the new guy taking his place. Jean even takes us to a couple of football games and describes some of the action. She has obviously done a lot of research. Even though Griff is a movie-star handsome football hero, he is also someone readers can relate to. Both he and Lauren seem real. 
     This is the first sports-related romance I've read and it won't be the last. I'm looking forward to getting to know all the players on Griff's team through more entertaining stories from Jean Joachim.
     FYI: Griff Montgomery, Quarterback, is Book 1 in the First & Ten Series; however, each book in this series stands alone. I listened to the book via Amazon's Audible - an enjoyable experience and my first time to try Audible.

First Paragraph(s):
     Griff picked up the last dinner plate and drew back his arm to hurl it against the wall when the doorbell interrupted him. It was the police. Two officers stood on his front step.
     "Mr. Montgomery. We had a complaint about noise coming from here. Caller said it sounded like a fight." The policeman looked apologetic. "Your family still here?"
     "They moved to California two days ago."
     "Mind telling us what's going on?" The cop shifted his weight, clearly uncomfortable.
     "I dropped a stack of dishes. Made a huge mess, too. Would you like to come in, officer?" Griff stepped away from the door.
     "No, sir. I'll take your word for it. Would you mind signing an autograph for my boy, Billy?"
    "Not at all." Griff wrote on the paper the policeman provided. Then he smiled as the two men tipped their caps and returned to the squad car.
     Pays to be a celebrity in a small town.

Teaser From 2:22 on my audio book:
(Griff is talking with his teammate):
(Griff) "She's my landlord, not my girlfriend."
(Buddy) "So that means you struck out, right?"

Genre: Sports Romance, Contemporary
Book Length: 298 Pages / 7 Hours Listening Time
Amazon Link: Griff Montgomery, Quarterback
Author Website: Jean C. Joachim

Synopsis:
     Two people, two tragedies, two deep, devastating secrets…. Griff Montgomery is the headline-making, heart-breaking star quarterback of the Kings – a 6’4”, 33 year old womanizer. Lauren Farraday is a beautiful young interior designer, bitterly scarred by divorce, whose life is falling apart. Though they violently oppose one another in court over her beloved pug (she thinks he’s arrogant and conceited, and he thinks she’s a bitch on wheels), something happens.... 
     These are the bare bones of this sizzling romance, riddled with passion -- the first in a brand new series that’ll tantalize football fans and have readers glued to every page and on the edge of their seats! 
     Griff looks like a super hero with his tousled, mahogany hair, dazzling smile, dark, sexy eyes, and a body that does something indescribable to a tight pair of jeans. Though Lauren’s sworn off men forever, one look sends shivers down her spine, making her feel lonelier than ever before. Her lustrous, long hair, sparkling green eyes, and nonstop curves make his fingers tingle at the thought of touching her. How do they deal with their cataclysmic attraction? Will they be able to drop their protective facades – his to camouflage his grief over his sister and her family, for whom he was a surrogate father, moving 3000 miles away…. And hers to shield her from the incalculable loss of her husband and hoped for child? 
     For Griff, the thought of falling in love is as foreign as toe shoes and a tutu. For Lauren, it’s like putting on cleats and a helmet and running 50 yards…. Can they, will they, risk it? Get GRIFF – and find out! 
CAUTION: Book contains locker room language.

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

Sammamish Park Walk - Saturday Snapshots

Our local senior center offers all kinds of activities for people aged fifty-five and over, such as memoir writing, knitting, watercoloring, etc. All the things you'd expect. But their offerings also include bellydancing, line dancing, exercise classes, Segway tours of Seattle (and visits to other local attractions), walks and hikes. Although I've been participating in Silver Sneakers at the senior center since last summer, I'd never signed up for a walk ... until this week. Now I'm wondering why I waited so long!


A van took us to our starting point. Our walk wasn't very long - maybe two-and-a-half or three miles - but that's what I wanted for my first outing. We walked on the paved path shown at the far right of this photo (with the yellow line). Plenty of room for joggers, bicyclists, and a cluster of gray-haired walkers. Our trek began at Marymoor Park and bordered Lake Sammamish near Redmond.



The views along the way were lovely.


Plants are just now beginning to bud, but we occasionally came across trees in full bloom. (I'm sorry. I don't know the species of this beauty.)



We stopped at the halfway point and picnicked on sack lunches.



A small section of the pathway passed beautiful homes - Wouldn't you love to wake up to that view? - but most of the route was lined with trees.



There were a dozen people in our group, and we kept up a pretty good pace. 

All in all, the walk was even more enjoyable than I expected it would be. A big bonus: I made several new friends. I've signed up for more hikes and walks, so you'll be seeing more on this subject on future Saturday Snapshots posts.



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 

Adult Coloring Books - Saturday Snapshots

Ever since my granddaughter learned to hold a crayon and scribble on a piece of paper, I've joined her. So when the adult coloring book craze came on the scene, I was a prime candidate. I bought a set of fifty colored pencils, ordered two coloring books from Amazon, and indulged in my fancy. It's been such fun!



The designs that appeal to me most are mandalas. Here's what Wikipedia has to say:
"Mandala (Sanskrit: मण्डल, lit, circle) is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Indian religions, representing the universe. In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any diagram, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe. The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T.  Mandalas often exhibit radial balance." "Creating mandalas helps stabilize, integrate, and re-order inner life ." I've since learned that mandalas can be found for free on the Internet, so I didn't have to spend money on those coloring books, but they've been worth the splurge. While I can't claim that this pastime has stabilized, integrated, or reordered my inner life, I've enjoyed the quiet time spent with my colored pencils - my only decisions focusing on choice or colors; my only thoughts, staying within the lines. I guess that disconnect from the world around me is a kind of meditation, isn't it? The mandalas in this post are colored by me and from this publication: Adult Coloring Books - A Coloring Book for Adults Featuring Mandalas and Henna Inspired Flowers, Annimals, and Paisley Patterns.


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.