The Friendship Star Quilt - Teaser Tuesday

I enjoy quilting and I love to read contemporary romance, so I knew THE FRIENDSHIP STAR QUILT would be the perfect book for me - especially since I'd already read and enjoyed the first book in The Stitching Post Romances series. Co-authors Patricia Kiyono and Stephanie Michels blend their voices seamlessly in this story of an abused woman trying to start a new life. 

Teaser from 4% on my Kindle:
She never shared much about herself, but she enjoyed hearing their news. On nights like this, it was easy to pretend these were her friends, and that her life was filled with as much love as theirs were.

Genre: Women's Fiction / Sweet Contemporary Romance
Length: 304 Pages
Amazon Link: The Friendship Star Quilt
Here's the link to my February post about Book #1: THE CALICO HEART.

Synopsis from Amazon:
      Anne Brown loves her job at The Stitching Post Quilt Shop in Grandville, Michigan, but she keeps a suitcase packed so she can leave at a moment's notice. Living under the radar, she longs for a normal life, but settles for listening to family stories told by the friendly ladies of the quilting club who meet at the shop on Tuesday evenings. When she meets Brad, the handsome band director of an area high school and his adorable daughter, Anne begins to hope for a happily ever after of her own. But someone has far different plans. 
      Brad Carmichael is juggling the demands of his job as band director at Rivertown High School with trying to be a better father to his daughter. When Brad is late picking Jennie up from a birthday party, the pretty young clerk from the local quilt shop comes to his rescue. Kind-hearted and talented, Anne becomes a vital part of his and Jennie’s lives. Until her past threatens to destroy their relationship. 

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 read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE 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
• Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

Twitter: @sandynachlinger

Feature - Jan Romes Blog

Jan Romes features an excerpt from 

BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY 

and an interview with me on her blog today. 

Stop by (HERE) and say "hi!"

Acting Like Tourists at Northwest Trek - Saturday Snapshots

Last week I posted photos of our day trip to Mount Rainier during a visit from out-of-state guests. While they were here, we went to several other nearby attractions, including Northwest Trek Animal Park near Eatonville, Washington, which I'm featuring today. 

I'd never been to an animal safari park and wasn't too sure what to expect, but this experience was delightful. Covered trams transported us through beautiful landscapes with a guide telling us about the animals and terrain, as well as the park's history. We also took advantage of walking paths that wind through the grounds, providing views of animals in naturalistic settings (including grizzly bears and wolves in huge areas surrounded by 12-foot fences.) Our group ranged in age from an 8-year-old to senior citizens, and we all had a good time.
(Click on pictures to enlarge.)

An example of the beautiful vistas within the 435-acre park.

A traffic tie-up!

Shedding his winter coat.

Our eight-year-old visitor on one of the walking trails.

This mountain goat waited by the tram, watching the human zoo pass by.

Senior members of our group, enjoying the cool June day, 
beautiful trees, and uncrowded pathways.

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. 

Interior Designs - Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56

Some novels tell the story of a physical journey from one place to another. In INTERIOR DESIGNS the protagonist's journey is internal. Author Laurel-Rain Snow's background in psychology and social work is evident in this insightful story of a woman who slowly uncovers her true self after her divorce.  

Book Beginnings on Friday:
When I woke up, my thoughts sifted through my mind slowly, like pieces of a dream. I could feel the sun through the spaces in the blinds, and I gradually saw my surroundings - my pink and white floral Laura Ashley spread, the matching shams, and other assorted pillows - and that normally blissful feeling started to descend. And then something jarred me fully awake. I sat up slowly, and the heavy cloak of despair fell down around my shoulders. My now-familiar life began to take shape.


The Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
My thoughts kept veering away from the movie, though, as I wondered what we would discover in the days ahead. Would we meet interesting men? We could pretend we were just two single gals; we wouldn't have to tell any of our deep, dark secrets. We would be mysterious. I smiled at the thought.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 292 Pages
Amazon Link: Interior Designs
Other Books by This Author: Laurel-Rain Snow's Books

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Meet Martha Scott Cummings: an interior designer, an abandoned wife, and a newly single mother to her daughter Meadow. Now, she must begin an interior journey to reexamine the life she had, the choices she made, and find the strength to begin again. She could wallow in self-pity amongst the detritus that is her life, or she could explore her feelings, study her behavior, and figure out how to redesign her life by changing the way she reacts to disappointments, betrayal, and insecurity. Along the way to rediscovering who she was and who she can be, Martha reconnects with her best friend Maeve, who has been there for her in the past, but was somehow missing from her life during her darkest hour. Martha now realizes that she built walls around herself, shutting out those who could have sustained her. There is strength in numbers, and her old BFF can help Martha retrieve the lightheartedness of her earlier life and even learn to laugh at and love herself again, flaws and all. Lots of girl talk, a girlfriend getaway, and new relationships characterize the days and nights of the newly redesigned Martha. But will she find a new love? And if she does, how can she prevent herself from destroying it all? Taking risks, learning to trust her judgment, and finding out that mistakes are part of the learning process, Martha takes a leap of faith and finds unexpected treasures.

*********

Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings and Friday 56. 

   Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings posts  

   (sponsored by Rose City Reader)

   Find other Friday 56 bloggers here 
   (sponsored by Freda's Voice) 
                           

Not the Marrying Kind - Teaser Tuesday

   When I started reading NOT THE MARRYING KIND, I assumed the character who wasn't interested in getting married would be the hero. Wrong! The heroine is the one who doesn't want a spouse. 
   Cole's characters are not stereotypical. Although Kat Phillips is a determined young woman, she isn't your usual headstrong female who rushes from calamity to calamity because of her impulsiveness. And Joshua, the hero, doesn't instantly fall in love with Kat and rush in to save the day. Both characters have believable conflicts - internal and external - that they have to overcome.

Christina's next book - KEEPING FAITH - is scheduled for release by Secret Cravings Publishing on July 1. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Teaser (from 51% on my Kindle):
Kat Phillips was anything but stupid. Trusting, yes. Stupid, no. She loved her father and didn't believe him capable of duplicity.

Genre: Historical Western Romance
Length: 283 Pages
Amazon Link: Not The Marrying Kind
Other Books by Christina Cole: Amazon Author Page

Synopsis:
     Kat Phillips is not the marrying kind. She can’t cook, keep house, or sew a stitch. When her father takes sick and decides to sell the Rocking P ranch, Kat must either follow his wishes and marry the lackluster minister in town or find a husband for herself. 
     Joshua Barron comes to the Colorado Territory to make a new start. Nothing means more to him than freedom. He arrives at the cabin where he’ll be staying with his reclusive, crazy-as-a-coot cousin, and realizes Cody desperately needs a wife. His thoughts go at once to the long-legged redhead he met in the foothills. 
     When Kat realizes the handsome stranger is looking for a wife, she’s determined to prove she’s got all the skills required to please a man...even if she has to lie to do it. She has no idea that Joshua is involved in a few lies of his own.

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 read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE 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
• Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

Twitter: @sandynachlinger

Winner! Sweet Summer Love Blog Hop

Congratulations, Heare2Watts! You're the lucky winner of an ebook copy of Bluebonnets for Elly.

For everyone who entered but didn't win, Bluebonnets for Elly is available in ebook and paperback formats from the following online booksellers:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Sweet Cravings Publishing
All Romance eBooks
Bookstrand

Thanks for participating in the Sweet Summer Love Blog Hop. I hope you'll stop by again.

 

Raine Delight aims her Summer Sunday Spotlight

on BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY today.

Stop by and say "hi."

Here's the link:

SPOTLIGHT ON BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY

Twitter: @SandyNachlinger

Sweet Summer Love Blog Hop

Ahhh... Summer. The season for mint juleps, sweet smelling jasmine, picnics, and summer love. We're celebrating our favorite time of year with a Sweet Summer Love Blog Hop and giveaways, sponsored by Christina Cole and Devika Fernando.  

But before you scroll down for blog hop details, join Derek and Elly from BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY on a picnic she'll never forget. Would you follow Derek into the woods? 

Derek strode around the truck and opened Elly’s door, then took a large picnic basket from the truck’s storage bin. Together they walked down a well-worn path. Winding beneath overhanging branches, they made their way through a stand of cedars. Their clean, fresh scent made Elly think of summer.

Derek squeezed Elly’s hand and whispered, “Shhh.” He nodded toward a patch of wild greens growing near the path. Leaves rustled and within seconds, an armadillo scuttled ahead of them, its armored body hobbling along on short stubby legs. It paused, studied the two humans for a second, and then disappeared into the underbrush.

Derek nodded toward the retreating critter. “A nine-banded armadillo—the official small mammal of the State of Texas.”

“No kidding?” Elly giggled. “They’re weird little animals, aren’t they?”

 “Sure are. They won’t hurt you, but they can cause plenty of trouble for landscapers, rooting up plants and digging in lawns.” He tugged Elly’s hand and led her farther down the path.

After about ten minutes, Derek stopped and pulled a red bandana from his pocket. “From here on out, you’re blindfolded.”

Elly laughed. “You don’t have anything kinky in mind, do you?”

“Not at the moment, but don’t tempt me.” He folded the bandana into a triangle, draped it across Elly’s eyes, and tied a knot at the back of her head. “No peeking.”

      Derek grasped her hand firmly and guided her along. He stopped at times, warning Elly to lift her foot for a tree root or to veer left or right to avoid a rock. At times she leaned against him, relying on his firm grasp and steady voice, giving him the trust he’d shown he deserved.

After a few more minutes, Derek stopped, took her hand, and curled her fingers around a branch. “Hold on here while I take care of a few things.”

The swoosh of wind in the trees, accompanied by the calls of birds, surrounded her. A woodpecker hammered away in the distance, and a sweet earthy scent made her wrinkle her nose. With her eyes covered, sounds and scents seemed more intense and closer than before. Even the buzz of insects seemed loud in her ears. A warm breeze brushed her cheeks and ruffled her hair. Then she smelled Derek’s clean soap scent and sensed his presence beside her.

When he loosened the blindfold, she blinked and squinted in the dappled light.

GIVEAWAYS!

Each blogger participating in the hop is giving away a prize, so be sure to visit each one listed HERE.  The GRAND PRIZE of a $50 Amazon gift card is provided by the hop hosts, Christina Cole and Devika Fernando.

• To enter to win an ebook copy of BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY, leave a comment below this post. Be sure to include your email address so that I can contact you if you're the winner.

• For a chance at the $50 Amazon gift card, click HERE and enter via Rafflecopter.

*In sweet romances, there's plenty of sizzle between the hero and heroine, but the author closes the door when they enter the bedroom. 

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Teaser Tuesday

A friend loaned me this book, and I'm sure glad she did. I was in the mood for a nice, calm story -- not too fast paced, not too much tension, with the emphasis on the characters. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand fit my mood perfectly. The author did such a great job of adding meaning to the simplest scene. I've included an example of that in my Teaser from Page 27. I'm breaking the rules and stretching my Teaser to three sentences. Don't tell.

In my Teaser, Major Pettigrew is riding in the back seat of his son's car, coming home from a funeral:
He relaxed his head against the leather seat and gave himself up to the soothing vibrations of the road. He felt like a child again as he dozed and listened to Roger and Sandy talking together in low voices. They might have been his parents, their soft voices fading in and out, as they drove the long miles home from his boarding school for the holidays.

Genre: Fiction
Length: 384 Pages
Amazon Link: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand


Synopsis from Goodreads:
      You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family. Among them is Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the unlikely hero of Helen Simonson's wondrous debut. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, Major Pettigrew is one of the most indelible characters in contemporary fiction, and from the very first page of this remarkable novel he will steal your heart.
      The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?

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 read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE 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
• Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

Sweet With a Little Spice

V.L. LOCEY

AUTHOR OF MULTIGENRE EROTIC ROMANCE

BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY - sweet and spicy! Author V. L. Locey features a snippet from my sweet* romance on her blog today. Read an excerpt HERE.

*There are various heat levels in "sweet" romance. In BLUEBONNETS FOR ELLY, there's plenty of foolin' around between Elly and Derek, but when things heat up between them, I close the bedroom door.

Mount Rainier - Saturday Snapshots

It's always fun to host out-of-town guests, especially when we're having a stretch of mild, sunshiny weather like we had in late May. We get to act like tourists! So when our visitors from Alabama spent a week with us, we took the opportunity to gas up the car, slather on the sunscreen, and head out. Here's a sampling of the beauty we found at Mount Rainier National Park. I hope my husband and I are able to visit the park again in late summer when all the snow is gone and wildflowers cover the hillsides. That's something I haven't seen yet, and it's supposed to be amazing.
I'll post photos from our other adventures in the coming weeks.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

The area in the foreground is a gigantic slab of rock, covered in moss and lichen.
Mount Rainier is snowy white year round.

We took a short path through the woods to
get a look at the water roaring through Box Canyon.

Our young guest from Alabama was delighted by all the snow at Paradise.
So strange to be playing in snow in shirt-sleeve weather.

The Official Mount Rainier National Park Service website says: 

Paradise is famous for its glorious views and wildflower meadows. When James Longmire's daughter-in-law, Martha, first saw this site, she exclaimed, "Oh, what a paradise!" The park's main visitor center, the new Paradise Jackson Visitor Center, is located in the upper parking area. Paradise is also the prime winter-use area in the park, receiving on average 641 inches (53.4 feet/16.3 meters) of snow a year.

The people on the right-hand side of the photo should give some
scale to the depth of this overlook above Narada Falls.

The Paradise Inn has been renovated, but
it still retains its historic beauty.

Link HERE for mountain webcams and more information.

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. 

What's Your Excuse?

Christina Cole asks: 

When you should be writing and you’re not, 

what’s your usual excuse?

Here's my answer and I'm sticking to it:
Author Quick Chat

Stella in Stilettos - Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56

I'm only partway into STELLA IN STILETTOS by Jan Romes, but I can already tell it's going to be a fun story. Looks like Stella has to choose between two men--Mr. Right (she has communicated with him online only, through an online dating site) and sexy co-worker Alex Clay (AKA Mr. Wrong). The dialogue is witty, and the characters are likable and seem real. I'm enjoying the author's writing style and sense of humor, and I'm looking forward to finding out who Stella ends up with!

Here's the BOOK'S BEGINNING:
     "Calm down, people," Stella Matson muttered under her breath, fumbling with the sip-tab of her Styrofoam cup. All she wanted to deal with was the caffeine buzz, not the bedlam of Monday morning. Today, the commotion seemed extra loud, almost deafening. She took a careful sip of piping hot coffee.

And here's my FRIDAY 56 choice from 56% on my Kindle:
Stella practically fell into Alex's arms. He whirled her onto the dance floor.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 269 Pages
Amazon Link: Stella in Stilettos
Other Books by Jan Romes: Amazon Author Page

Synopsis:
~ Sometimes you have to break the rules; sometimes you have to break them wearing stilettos ~
      Stella Matson has had it with handsome guys who schmooze their way into a woman's heart and walk out the door when they get a better offer. As far as she's concerned, she needs to focus on the one thing that won't leave her teary-eyed on a Friday night - her job with the lingerie company. When drop-dead gorgeous, Alex Clay, is assigned to her department, the plan to focus on work is threatened along with her heart.
      Alex Clay is restless and trying to find his place in the business world. His boss seems to be grooming him for big things by giving him a taste of everything from the mailroom to the boardroom. When he does a short stint in the advertising department and meets hardheaded but intriguing, Stella Matson, she challenges his convictions and stirs an unwanted desire. He doesn't know whether to kiss her until they're both breathless, or find a new job.

                                              *********

Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings and The Friday 56. 

   Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings posts  

   (sponsored by Rose City Reader)

   Find other Friday 56 bloggers here 
   (sponsored by Freda's Voice) 
                           

Lean on Me - Teaser Tuesday

How would you cope if your next-door neighbor's teenage son backed his SUV out of the driveway and ran into your daughter? This accident brings Hunter and Sandy together as Hunter tries to make amends for his son. Sandy (a widow) appreciates his help, but she has had it with men controlling her life - starting with her overbearing father and her two-timing husband, and Hunter is a take-charge kind of guy. But there's a strong attraction between them. What will it take to resolve their differences?

There's plenty of conflict in this book - internal and external - as the hero and heroine try to deal with their past experiences and find their way to HEA. Tori Scott does a great job of making both Hunter and Sandy (as well as the other characters) seem real - like people you know. I enjoyed reading this story a lot.

Teaser (from 3% on my Kindle):
She’d never forget the sounds. The squeal of tires, the thud of impact, the harsh clang of her daughter’s tricycle as it landed in the street. Melanie's scream of terror, the haunting silence that followed.

Genre: Women's Fiction
Length: 199 Pages
Amazon Link: Lean on Me
More Books by Tori: Amazon Author Page

FYI: 

Tori's novella WHAT A COWGIRL WANTS is included in a boxed set WEDDINGS ON MAIN STREET (11 books for $2.99! - link here) and will also be released independently on June 15 as part of her Lone Star Cowboys series. 
Her novel BENEATH A TEXAS STAR is a finalist in the prestigious 2014 Reward of Novel Excellence (RONE) Awards (Cops, Jocks & Cowboys category.) 

Synopsis from Goodreads:
     Sandy Morrow's four-year-old daughter is hit by an SUV as she's riding her tricycle down the sidewalk near her home. Her new next door neighbors, Hunter Thurman and his son Jason, had been arguing just before Jason jumped in the vehicle and took off without looking behind him. Now her daughter has a concussion and a broken leg, and Sandy has a sexy neighbor who will stop at nothing to make it up to her. Whether she wants him to or not.
     Hunter Thurman has a mission: to fix the mess his son has made and to fix the mess he's made of his son's life. He is determined to take care of his next door neighbor and her daughter after the accident, but Sandy is independent and determined to take care of herself, insisting she doesn't need Hunter's help.
     His son, Jason, bridges the gap, opening up to Sandy in a way he never has to his father, revealing things Hunter wishes his son had told him instead.

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 read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE 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
• Leave a comment on MizB's Teaser Tuesday post (HERE) and include your link so everyone can find your post.

Walla Walla - Saturday Snapshots

When my husband retired earlier this year, his co-workers and employees gave him a trip to Walla Walla, Washington, as a goodbye gift. Why a trip to the southeastern corner of Washington state? They knew he was a wine lover, and the grape-growing area around Walla Walla is a great place for oenophiliacs. So several weeks ago we took our gift package (certificate for a two-night stay at the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel, plus a Visa gift card) and drove four hours southeast. Here are a few photos from our excursion. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

We took the scenic cut-off from Ellensburg to Yakima and had a
picnic alongside the Yakima River. Although the detour added a little time
to our drive, the views in the canyon were well worth it.

Here's downtown Walla Walla, a charming little town.

Former schoolhouse, now a  winery. According to the website:
"The original Frenchtown School was a log cabin built in 1870 along the shore
of the Walla Walla River. It was rebuilt in 1915 at our present location." 

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this mural
in the ladies restroom at L'Ecole

Basel Cellars is a resort as well as a winery.

The terrain in eastern Washington is strikingly different from the area
west of the Cascade Mountains. The hills are brown, except where
they've been irrigated. It's a different kind of beauty.

What else is Walla Walla famous for? Sweet onions!

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.