A Collie Rescue - Book Beginnings on Friday

     A COLLIE RESCUE (Emily Dahill CID) by Lindsay Downs is such a good story. Homeless veteran Sandi Charleston suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but her life on the streets of Washington, D.C. changes when she encounters FBI Special Agent Jenna Janson and her collie Roxy. When Sandi tells Jenna that she has overheard a terrorist plot, a plan to stop the saboteurs is set in motion that puts them all in danger. But can Sandi overcome her fear and fulfill her part in the operation?
     I enjoyed learning about the role collies can play in helping veterans deal with PTSD. The dogs play a major role in this book's plot with a couple of delightful scenes in a dog's point of view. 

This versatile author has also recently written Regency romances, including The Masked Lady and the Murder, Don't Cross the Countess, To Love A Lady, and more. Check out his Amazon author page for more information.

Book Beginning:
With one hand, former Sergeant Sandi Charleston bundled her worn and tattered field jacket around her. She lifted her face to the beautiful, sunny late August afternoon. The other gripped her precious cup of tepid coffee. The day was warm, but lack of restful sleep caused her to easily chill.

Freda's Voice, host of The Friday 56, is on vacation this week.

Genre: Fiction / Thriller
Length: 100 Pages
Amazon Link: A Collie Rescue
Other Books by This Author: Lindsay Downs Amazon Author Page

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Former Army Sergeant Sandi Charleston, diagnosed with PTSD and homeless barely survives day to day. By a miracle of fate she meets Taz, a uniquely special collie, who helps turn her life around. Only through him does she find the courage to go head to head with her worst enemy-terrorist bent on mass destruction.
Bound by a special love to help and protect each other, side by side these two unlikely partners willingly march forward into battle. A fight to the death neither is sure can be won but fighting as one they will try to. Kidnapped and forced to reveal what she knows Sandi realizes there is only one individual who can save her from certain death. It’s not the government but her new best buddy. Together they defeat the enemy proving once again that battle buddies come in all shapes and breeds. Rescued, Sandi finally realizes that there is a new and better life for her as long as Taz is part of it.

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Please join us every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Link HERE.

The Most Unsuitable Wife - Teaser Tuesday & First Chapter, First Paragraph, Tuesday Intros

I do love historical western romances, especially those set in Texas, so I knew I'd enjoy THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE by Caroline Clemmons. What I liked best about this book was the strong heroine. Pearl has been responsible for taking care of other people her whole life, and she doesn't back away from challenges. But her self-sufficiency causes trouble. Drake is completely clueless when it comes to knowing what Pearl wants. He tells her: "I didn't ask you to change who you are. But couldn't you have tried to fit in a little until I got home? Go to a few tea parties and listen to women prattle? How hard could that be?" For Pearl, it's like punishment! A mystery adds tension to the plot--why are bad guys trying to cause Pearl harm?

THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE is Book One of The Kincaids Series, and I'm looking forward to reading the others soon.

FIRST PARAGRAPH:
Texas hill country, March 10, 1878
     "Marry by my thirtieth birthday or lose this ranch to my worthless uncle?" Seething with rage and betrayal, Drake Kincaid stepped off the porch of his ranch house, glared back at his grandfather and cousin Lex. "How could my own flesh and blood put me in this position? All I've worked for hangs by a wedding ring and a lace noose."

TEASER from 24% on my Kindle. 
"He--well, he hates me for having the nerve to turn down his marriage proposal four years ago. Dessie hates me because she knows he asked me before he proposed to her."

Genre: Historical Western Romance
Length: 248 Pages
Amazon Link: The Most Unsuitable Wife
Other Books by Caroline Clemmons: Amazon Author Page

Synopsis from Amazon:
Sensual Western Romance: Pearl Parker has to get her rag tag family away from Piper's Hollow, TN before more mischief finds them. Drake Kincaid's surprise proposal offers the solution she needs. But neither Drake nor Pearl realize trouble will follow them to Texas or why. Pearl is not the wife Drake's grandfather envisioned when he ordered Drake to marry by his 30th birthday. Pearl is not the meek wife Drake envisioned and he soon learns she has a mind of her own. Humor, adventure, murder, kidnapping and arson invade the passion this couple shares.

 Oops! This book has a new cover! It's gorgeous, isn't it?

  

Share the first paragraph (or a few) from a book you are reading. Here's the link: Bibliophile By The Sea

Post two sentences from somewhere in a book you're reading. No spoilers, please! Here's the link: Should Be Reading

Ladies Who Lunch - Saturday Snapshots

One of my favorite things to do is lunch with a friend. And with so many charming little towns nearby, there's no shortage of cafes and restaurants to try. Today I'm sharing a few of my favorite Washington lunch spots close to home. 

I hope you're hungry!

[Click on pictures to enlarge.]

The Kettle in Enumclaw, WA, serves breakfast and lunch.
It's the go-to place for locals because the food is fresh and even
the half-order breakfasts are too big. It's always crowded.

The Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Shop is housed
in the historic Herbert Williams House in Sumner, WA.
Better make a reservation, especially at Christmas, when the
whole place is lavishly decorated, inside and out.

Though it has changed ownership over the years, the Black Diamond
Bakery has been around since 1884. A deli and cafe were added,
and the bakery still operates. It's located in the town of Black Diamond.

The website says: Situated on a plain outside Enumclaw for the past 93 years,
"The Krain" is the last remaining building in what had been the old
Slovenian town of Krain, which means "at the foothills." 

Click on the plus or minus on the map to zoom in or out.

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. 

Remix - Book Beginnings and Friday 56

I enjoyed escaping to London through the pages of REMIX. The heroine of this story (Caz) restores rocking horses for a living; the hero (Ric) is a rock star in a band named The Voices in My Head. Who could imagine those two together? The author kept me wondering if Ric was scamming Caz or if he really was innocent of the murder everyone seemed to think he'd committed. He seems to be telling the truth, but ... with the drugs and drinking in his earlier years, maybe he actually did kill his friend. Or has he really changed while he's been in hiding?

Book Beginning:
I didn't see the man straight away.
The sun was shining, so I'd taken my breakfast toast and coffee out on the terrace. I strolled to the far corner to admire a view I never tire of: a London roofscape, a glimpse of trees in Hoxton Square two streets away, and the distant Gherkin gleaming in the early morning sun.

The Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
Ric wore jeans and a white shirt, with most of the buttons undone, and I could hardly take my eyes off him. This was nothing new. Sometimes, when he was out, I'd secretly go to YouTube and watch videos of The Voices performing, so I could stare at him as much as I liked without him noticing and teasing me.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Ric Kealey is the charismatic lead singer of uber-successful band, The Voices in my Head - and he died three years ago. Caz Tallis restores rocking horses in her London studio. When Ric turns up, shabby and alive, on Caz's roof terrace, she is reluctantly drawn into investigating the murder that led him to fake his own death. A feel good page turner; contemporary fiction with elements of murder mystery and romance, and a satisfying ending.

Just for fun, I'm including the book's trailer too:



Genre:  Contemporary Romance/Mystery
Length: 273 Pages
Amazon Link: Remix
Author Website:  Lexi Revellian

                                                   ********

Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings on Friday and 

The Friday 56. 

   Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings on Friday posts  

   (sponsored by Rose City Reader)

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

                           

Book Trailer - Bluebonnets for Elly

Here's my new book trailer for Bluebonnets for Elly. Enjoy!

Keeping Faith - Teaser Tuesday

I think I'm in love with Tom Henderson, the hero in KEEPING FAITH. Tom and his sister were raised in poverty - neglected and uneducated - but in spite of that rocky start, he grew into a good and caring man. I'm enjoying the story of how this cowboy's life changes when he takes on his deceased sister's baby as his responsibility.

In my Teaser, Lucille (a local seamstress and the story's heroine) is teaching Tom to read and she's wondering if he's more than just a good-looking cowboy.

Teaser (from 35% on my Kindle):
He played hard, but he worked hard, too. He showed the world a devil-may-care attitude, but she wondered now if perhaps beneath the dimpled smile and light-hearted words, a far more serious side existed. She wanted to get to know him better.

Genre: Western Historical Romance
Length: 292 Pages
Amazon Link: Keeping Faith (The Sunset Series - Book 2)
Other Books by Christina Cole: Amazon Author Page

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:
      Everything they say about Tom Henderson is true. Born in a barn, the bastard son of a drunken whore, he’s got nothing to offer, and any dreams he might have are as far away as the distant snow-capped Rockies -- and probably as unattainable. He’s long had his eye on pretty Lucille McIntyre, but that’s just one more impossible dream.
      Lucille has always been considered the prettiest and most popular girl in Sunset, but her father’s sudden death has left her shaken and sad. Now, life seems to be passing her by.
      When a prim and proper spinster arrives to deliver a squalling 3-month-old infant to Tom, his life and Lucille’s both change. His decision to keep the baby girl sets off a firestorm among the good ladies in town who don’t consider him fit to raise a child.
      Together, Tom and Lucille will do anything in their struggle for keeping Faith.

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

Baby Quilts - Saturday Snapshots

Baby quilts are so much fun to make! Since they're small, the construction goes quickly. Not so much delayed gratification! They're also a good way to try out quilt patterns without making a big commitment. While I'm creating, it's fun to think of the child who will be snuggling under the quilt. I put a lot of love into every stitch.

I've made several quilts for my granddaughter
but this is my favorite. The quilt square pattern is 
Nine Patch, and the hearts and name are appliqued.

This is a flannel ragged-edged quilt.
It gets softer with every washing.

Baby quilts don't have to be made of pastel colors.
These coordinated fabrics came together in a package.
Just right for my grand nephew!
This pattern is called X's and O's.

********

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. 

Murder on Astor Place - The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings on Friday

I enjoy a variety of genres--romance, mystery, women's fiction, and anything else that catches my fancy. Recently, I read MURDER ON ASTOR PLACE, the first novel in the 15-book Gaslight Mystery series. The story features midwife Sarah Brandt and police detective Frank Malloy, and it's set in turn-of-the-century New York City. Author Victoria Thompson's description of the tenements, mansions, police station, streets, and sounds and smells of the city are vivid. I also enjoyed her portrayal of the lifestyles of the upper and lower classes of society. Most importantly, the plot kept me reading. 

I'll definitely be reading more of the books in this series!

BOOK BEGINNING:
At first Sarah thought the tinkling of the bell was part of her dream. It sounded so sweet and soothing, and she was following it across a sunlit meadow, as if it were a golden butterfly. But then the pounding started, and she knew this wasn't a dream at all.

THE FRIDAY 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
"It wouldn't be the first time a reluctant woman has been persuaded to marry a man she wouldn't otherwise choose. He ruins her and makes her believe no other man will ever have her. And if she conceives a child, she has no choice but to accept him."

Genre: Historical Mystery
Length: 287 Pages
Amazon Link: Murder on Astor Place
Author Website:  Victoria Thompson

Goodreads Synopsis:
As a midwife in turn-of-the-century New York, Sarah Brandt has seen pain and joy. Now she will work for something more--a search for justice--in a case of murder involving one of New York's richest families.                                               
                                              ********

Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings on Friday and 

The Friday 56. 

   Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings on Friday posts  

   (sponsored by Rose City Reader)

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

                           

Hearts in Ruin - Teaser Tuesday

HEARTS IN RUIN by J. C. Conway is classified as a sweet contemporary romance, but I'd call it fiction with romantic elements. Although there's plenty of sexual tension between the hero and heroine, there is equal focus on their archaeological dig. Conway did a great job of creating a strong female character in Andrea, a doctoral candidate. I enjoyed getting to know her. His hero is interesting too and not a stereotypical macho male. Both characters are intelligent, likable people. I always enjoy learning something while reading fiction, and I found this story to be fascinating.

Teaser from 10% on my Kindle - (Andrea is speaking):
She paused; then she shook her head. "I can't hang my doctoral thesis on a crackpot theory. I need something solid."

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 173 Pages
Amazon Link: Hearts in Ruin
Other Books by J. C. Conway: Amazon Author Page

Synopsis from Amazon:
      Everything Andrea has worked for is being threatened … and she’s not going to just stand still and take it! Passion, lies, and betrayal clash in the wake of a plot to destroy an ancient truth. You’ll love Hearts In Ruin, the hot new romance from the pen of author J. C. Conway. 
      Andrea had one goal in life, a quiet career as a mainstream archaeologist—nothing more nothing less—and she's one ancient secret away. When she is teamed with maverick prodigy Daniel Fuchs at his controversial pre-Clovis dig on tribal land, she soon realizes his wild theories may sidetrack her career. Her smartest move is to expose him and that is exactly what she plans to do. Except…he’s hot, sexy, and there is a chance his theories may be right. 
      As the dig deepens and outside forces mount, Andrea and Daniel find their careers and their shaky relationship on the brink of ruin. Who can she trust? To survive professionally and emotionally, Andrea must decide between what is expected and what she believes, because time is running out and the developers' bulldozers are poised to level the site. 
      Delve into the mystery and excitement of an archaeological dig in the New Mexico desert and experience the drive, determination, and passion surrounding the quest to unlock the Paleolithic past in this contemporary, romantic suspense. Hearts In Ruin…no shovel required to join this adventure to discover an ancient truth! 

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.

Now on Bloglovin'

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Waterfalls - Saturday Snapshots

I love waterfalls! In fact, if my husband and I are driving down the road and we see a sign pointing to a waterfall nearby, he doesn't even ask -- he just gives me a look, I nod, and he steers that direction. Here are photos of my two favorite waterfalls (so far) in the Pacific Northwest U.S. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Multnomah Falls, in northwestern Oregon, about 30 miles
east of Portland. The falls is 620 ft / 189 meters tall.

In January 2014 a falling boulder took out a
section of the bridge shown in the photo above. 
It has since been repaired.

Snoqualmie Falls, Washington - 268 ft (82 m) -
located about 30 miles east of Seattle 

This photo was taken near the bottom of the falls.
I wish you could hear the roar!

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 Matters Most - Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56

What happens when a husband decides he wants to move from New Jersey to Florida to claim a house he inherited? In WHAT MATTERS MOST Bette Lee Crosby tackles the effects of this change on Clay and Louise Palmer and their long-time marriage. In their transition, Louise is desperately unhappy, but she slowly learns to deal with separation from her friends and works to overcome the effects of her unhappy, unstable childhood. She also discovers that many of the beliefs on which she has based her life are not set in stone!  

As someone who had a hard time moving from the place where I grew up, I could relate to the wife's dismay in this story. I enjoyed the author's exploration of both the wife's and the husband's thoughts and feelings. This is a heartwarming and delightful story, told with gentle humor and insight. More than once, I laughed out loud.

Genre: Women's Fiction
Length: 290 Pages
Amazon Link: WHAT MATTERS MOST
Other Books by Bette Lee Crosby: Amazon Author Page

BOOK BEGINNING (In husband Clay's point of view):
Uncle Charlie died a month ago today. He was nine years older than Pop, but he lived twenty years longer. Pop was a nose-to-the-grindstone man; Uncle Charlie wasn't. I suppose that's the difference.

FRIDAY 56 (From wife Louise's point of view at 56% on my Kindle):
At the blue farmhouse she made a right onto Route 411, but somewhere after that she went wrong. Last time the trip took about twenty minutes, but today Louise drove for nearly an hour and didn't see a single sign of Worthmore. Once she'd reached the point where nothing looked the least bit familiar, she began to worry she'd gotten lost.

                                                  *********

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) 
                           

Ryelee's Cowboy - Teaser Tuesday

Ryelee's Cowboy has such interesting and believable characters! Widower Clint Mahoney lost his ranch to foreclosure and now he runs a horse ranch for someone else. His daughter is disabled. The girl's nanny (Ryelee) is the daughter of the town n'er do well and has lived a life of poverty and neglect. She's determined to do her best by the rancher and his daughter for as long as he'll let her stay. But she's sure that when Clint finds out she's pregnant, he'll make her leave. All of the characters seem like real human beings with real problems to overcome. 

Although this is the second book in the Dawson Ranch Series, it also stands alone.

Teaser from 11% on my Kindle. Clint (the hero) is speaking:
"Ryelee only has a handful of threadbare clothes, one pair of shoes with holes in them, and she doesn't even have a coat. She says she doesn't want to spend any of the money she's made because she'll need it when I throw her away."

Genre: Western Romance
Length: 192 Pages
Amazon Link: Ryelee's Cowboy
Other Books by Kathleen Ball: Amazon Author's Page

Synopsis:
      Clint Maloney needs help with his daughter but he never bargained on Ryelee Snyder. The tall, gangly, girl is a menace. Clint spends too much of his time rescuing her from her latest mishap. Upon finding out about her pregnancy, Clint's feelings begin to change. He no longer views her as a nuisance but as a passionate woman with a generous heart.
      Secrets, misunderstandings, and cattle rustling put an increasing strain on their relationship, until they finally turn from each other. Just as they seem to find their way back, Ryelee's part in the cattle rustling is unveiled. Ryelee fights unyieldingly to win the love of a lifetime.

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.