Sandra Nachlinger's Blog, page 59

2012 Skate America

Today the two of us attended a double session of the 2012 Skate America competition at the new Showare Center in Kent, Washington. 

Do you like "Dancing With the Stars?" Then you would have loved the ice dancing competition. Based on different aspects of dance, including rhythm, interpretation of the music, and precise steps, it was beautiful to watch.  Meryl Davis and Charlie White of Team USA were at the top of the leader board after today's competition.



Click the arrow to watch a short video of several ice dancing couples warming up on Saturday afternoon. (Photos were not allowed during the actual competitions.)



We also watched the short program of the ladies figure skating competition. This sport is the most familiar and popular among fans. These young ladies effortlessly performed beautiful athletic spins, triple jumps, and spirals. At the end of the short program, Ashley Wagner, the current 2012 U.S. Champion, held the top spot.  



The new Showare Center in Kent, Washington, was a great venue for these events. Located south of Seattle, it is easily accessible by car or public transportation. The Showare staff were friendly and helpful, and the best news of all is that they don't even charge for parking! Our tickets were only $15 for the 2 1/2 hour event, and our seats were great.


- Sandy & Sandra
For more information: Skate America
Photo Sources:
Ashley Wagner
Charlie White & Meryl Davis

Book Beginnings on Friday and Friday 56 - ONLY SCANDAL WILL DO

BOOK BEGINNINGS:
  "Put her back in the carriage, now!" Her assailant snarled the brusque command, sending a shiver of fear through Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam.
   An unseen attacker seized and tossed her into the coach.
(How's that for starting off with a bang?)

FRIDAY 56:
   Duncan walked unsteadily to the sideboard, poured half a tumbler of brandy and took a healthy draught. He stared at his glass, contemplating his options. There seemed to be only one.
(I estimated where page 56 might be on my Kindle.)


Author: Jenna Jaxon
Genre:   Regency Romance
Length:  230 Pages
Format:  ebook
Available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble

MY IMPRESSIONS: I've just started reading this book and I'm hooked. The synopsis on Amazon says, in part: 

He has the woman of his dreams, but what price will he have to pay to win her heart?

Kidnapped and sold at auction in a London brothel, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam squelches an undeniable attraction to the masked stranger who purchased her, pits her wits against him, and escapes him and the scandal that would ruin her life.

Unable to resist temptation in a London brothel, Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, purchases a fiery beauty. She claims she's a lady, but how can she be?

So far in my reading, Katarina has escaped with her virtue intact, but she has enchanted the rogue who won her in the auction - a nobleman who didn't believe her story about being a member of London society. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!
- Sandy Nachlinger *****
Anybody can participate in Book Beginnings and Friday 56. 
Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings post.
Find other Friday 56 bloggers here.
                

Teaser Tuesday - Confessions of a Corporate Slut

CONFESSIONS OF A CORPORATE SLUT by Jacqueline Gum is one of the best books I've read lately. No, it isn't about a woman who sleeps her way to success. It's about a wife who gives up her career and uses her intelligence, drive, and chutzpah to further her husband's business, but whose contribution isn't appreciated -- an unpaid woman who gives her talents away. The story has a delightful wry humor, and it's also sad, eye-opening, and thought-provoking.



TEASER:
Love doesn't die suddenly; it chips away in small pieces like paint on a windowsill. Every once in a while, the windowsill gets a fresh coat of paint and it takes a while for the chipping to start again.
(at 52% on my Kindle)

GENRE: Women's Fiction

LENGTH: 300 Pages

AMAZON LINK: Paperback and eBook

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:Grab your current readOpen to a random pageShare two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that pageBE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.
- Sandy Nachlinger

Sweet Saturday Sample - October 5

It's been a month since I've contributed to Sweet Saturday Samples -- and that's too long! I'm back today with another excerpt from my WIP, Elly and the Geriatrics. This scene takes place after Elly has crashed her grandmother's golf cart into a pile of mulch, and Derek and Elly have shared their first kiss.


      After a quick explanation to her grandmother of what had transpired, amid apologies and assurances that the only thing injured was her pride, Elly headed for the bathroom. A glance in the medicine cabinet mirror confirmed what she’d feared. She looked terrible. Her hair stood out from her head like a red fright wig, a smear of dirt stretched from her nose to her right ear, and bits of mulch dusted her from head to foot like brown snowflakes.       But Derek kissed me anyway.      She ran her fingertips over her lips, remembering the feel of his mouth on hers. Those thoughts warmed her and made her wonder why he’d chosen that moment to make a move.       Don’t question it. It was wonderful.       Then a piece of bark fell from her hair onto her hand, bringing her back to reality. She shook her head. 
      The man must be as blind as Mrs. Bagley or else really desperate for female attention.        Thoughts of those kisses teased her while she showered, towel-dried her hair, and put on makeup. Once those tasks were done, she donned a clean pair of jeans and a cotton shirt. She slipped her feet into strappy sandals.        I'm not really chasing after the guy.        She fastened one hoop earring, then the other.       And I don't want a relationship with him.        She frowned at her reflection and made a face.       What do I want?        She spritzed perfume on her neck. Dammit, it felt good to have a man admire her. Maybe Granny was right. A little flirting wouldn't hurt. Would it?




What's Sweet Saturday Samples?
Each week, writers post brief samples of their work on their own blogs and then link them to the main site, so readers can conveniently “hop” from blog to blog, meet new authors and become better acquainted with ones they already know. All samples are rated PG-13 (or milder), though the books from which they're taken may be spicier. 
For more SWEET SATURDAY SAMPLES, click  HERE.

PINTEREST-ing

Cleavage Caddy? 
Gun Alarm Clock? 
Bridesmaid Flasks?

You'll get a laugh out of my latest Boomers & Books post on these seemingly unrelated subjects.

Here's the link: 
Boomers & Books

Book Beginnings and Friday 56 - AND THE WHIPPOORWILL SANG

My Book Beginnings and Friday 56 excerpts today are from AND THE WHIPPOORWILL SANG, a true story of a family whose teenage daughter was killed by a drunk driver. The author says, "It's a funny, poignant celebration of her life more than a eulogy of her death."

BOOK BEGINNING:
August 23, 1981
   The doctors stride into the emergency waiting room, nodding curtly to neighbors and friends, indicating that they want them to leave. The door swishes shut, entombing me with these harbingers of death, who sit in a semi-circle about ten feet from me - as if getting too close might somehow contaminate them. They introduce themselves, one by one, but their names wash over me unheard. It is the looks on their faces that I will always remember.

FRIDAY 56:
   The doctor insisted that I remove all the baby's clothes and he would return shortly, a word that apparently means different things to different people. The doctor disappeared, doing whatever it is that doctors do while patients wait in small rooms devoid of their dignity.

AUTHOR: Micki Peluso
GENRE:  Memoir
LENGTH: 308 Pages
AMAZON LINK: Paperback and eBook
TRAILER: YouTube Video
BLOG: "A Writer's Journey"

MY THOUGHTS:
Beginning with Micki's marriage, this is the story of her family, with all the joys and challenges that being a family entails. It is told with humor and feeling. Although this touching story is sobering and could have been depressing, the family's love shines through the pages instead and it is joyous. 


***Anybody can participate in Book Beginnings and Friday 56. 
Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings post.
Find other Friday 56 bloggers here.
                
- Sandy Nachlinger

Teaser Tuesday - A Stop in the Park

A STOP IN THE PARK by Peggy Strack was released this past week, and I bought it immediately. It's such a great book that I had to feature it as soon as possible.

Teaser:
Dash off to dinner, devour it so the girls don't become uninterested in the restaurant, then rush back home so everyone can take their places: Emily and Megan in front of the television; Jamie ogling the computer screen; and him upstairs in bed scanning fifteen hundred channels of digital cable, unsuccessfully seeking something of interest to watch until sleep set in. Ever since Jamie told him she was considerating a trial separation, he'd been walking on eggshells, and he was tired of it.
[at 6% on my Kindle]

AMAZON LINK: A Stop in the Park

GENRE: Fiction

NUMBER OF PAGES: 372

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 
     Michael Stolis, a DC attorney, is frustrated by twelve-hour work days, tightly scheduled weekends, and his family's chaotic habits. He explodes over minor irritations like being stuck in traffic, and his tantrums need to stop. His disillusioned wife, Jamie, is sick of his anger outbursts, and wants him out of her life. Michael longs to reignite the passionate love they once felt for each other. Jamie prefers to spend her time fostering illicit Internet relationships. Michael had simply followed his Greek father's instructions for a successful life, but something went terribly wrong. A lucrative career, a Georgetown brownstone and a BMW coupe didn't deliver happiness as promised. 
     When his family is about to implode, Michael finds hope through Rufus, an astute retired bus driver he meets over a game of blitz chess in Dupont Circle. Michael is intrigued by Rufus's prescription for fulfillment, but is it too late to change a life, chase a dream, revive a marriage? Michael must decide how much he is prepared to lose if he embarks on a quest so very different from the world he created. Touching, romantic, and deeply provocative, A Stop in the Park, follows the story of a man and a woman who yearn to escape the trap of the modern American dream.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:Grab your current readOpen to a random pageShare two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that pageBE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers. - Sandy Nachlinger

Thank you, Jacqueline Gum, for your FIVE-STAR review of I...

Thank you, Jacqueline Gum, for your FIVE-STAR review of I.O.U. SEX on Amazon. 
Here's the link: Truly a Fun Read!

Jacquie is the author of CONFESSIONS OF A CORPORATE SLUT. You'll enjoy her blog too.

Link to Jacquie's Blog

Link to Jacquie's Book

IF I COULD STILL HANG UPSIDE DOWN...

CREATIVE BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
If I could still hang upside down from the swings, I'd tell you..... it's all in how you look at things!
I thought I'd share some creative birthday greeting ideas that I've tried. Feel free to use any of them!
1. When my best friend Sandy had a major birthday not too long ago, I sent her the same number of cards, one for each year. I numbered them and mailed them in order, but they didn't exactly mind their manners and arrive in the same fashion. Some traveled in packs, and three would sometimes put in an appearance together. This was a little pricy to do, but it was great fun and worth every penny!
2. Keeping these same types of “over the hill” greetings in mind, I used a similar theory when my brother had a big birthday last week. I had to do a little “male” research to come up with some nasty, oops, I mean nice big sister birthday wishes. But this time I sent him the same number of emails as his age, and all on his actual birthday. He was besieged with birthday emails ALL day, and he loved it. It was free and lots of fun to do!
3. My next brilliant birthday idea came when my husband had a big birthday. (Notice I am not giving away anyone's true age in this post. Aren't I being thoughtful?) I used some of those same birthday greetings and typed them up, printed them out, then cut them apart. Later, during the wee hours of the night when he was snoring in dreamland, I stealthily snuck around the house, taping those numbered wishes (the same # as his age!) here and there. Then I made up a poem and pasted it on an envelope telling him to find them all and put them in it to take to his next breakfast with his old pals to read for some laughs. What a fun surprise for him to wake up to on his birthday!
Here are some examples of the birthday greetings I used:
You know you're getting old...
when the only time you live life in the fast lane
is when you have ten items or less!
Happy birthday!
You eat right, get plenty of rest, exercise, and know what happens?You just continue to look a lot more like your driver's license photo!
Happy birthday!
Have you noticed the older you get, the younger you feel?Me neither. Happy birthday!
A little birdie told me it's your birthday.Then it crapped on my car.Happy birthday anyway!
A big pile of money would be a great birthday gift, I thought.But mall security yanked me out of the fountain before I was able to scrape upa respectable amount. Happy birthday!
For your birthday I would like to share some of my most cherished wisdom:Never hold in your farts!They travel up your spine, stop in your brain, and...that's where crappy ideas come from.Happy birthday!
*Disclaimer: Some of these sayings were in cards I sent or received, sayings I heard, or they simply come to you from my warped brain. I hope you enjoyed my birthday suggestions.
Miss Pickles (alias Sandra Allen)

Book Beginnings on Friday and Friday 56: Coming of Age ... Again

COMING OF AGE ... AGAIN by Carol Mizrahi is my featured book this Friday.

Genre: Women's Fiction
Length: 234 Pages
Amazon Link: Kindle & Paperback

BOOK BEGINNING:
It is quite possible that if Miss Thompson had been an altogether different kind of person, Irene, Sylvia, Barbara, and Rochelle would not have become lifelong friends. One can only guess about that, but what we do know is that the kindergarten teacher's autocratic style and stern demeanor brought them together and created a bond that lasted for over fifty years.

FRIDAY 56:
The throw pillows never moved, and her collection of Nancy Ann Storybook dolls, standing on bookshelves, never changed position. Day after day, year after year, nothing new was added and nothing old was subtracted.
(This book is on my Kindle, so I estimated where the 56th page might be.)

MY IMPRESSIONS:
There were lots of funny scenes in this book, and I loved the characters. The idea of lifelong friendship between four women -- from kindergarten to their early sixties -- really appealed to me. I'll admit that sometimes I'd get impatient when one of the women let her children take advantage of her, but I also understood how that could happen. I came to care about the characters and cheered when they took charge of their lives.  


Anybody can participate in Book Beginnings and Friday 56. 
Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings post.
Find other Friday 56 bloggers here.
                
- Sandy Nachlinger [image error]