Broken Pieces - #TeaserTuesday and First Chapter / First Paragraph / Tuesday Intros

    Many of my favorite books have plots that revolve around dysfunctional families. Broken Pieces definitely fits that description. Sometimes sad, sometimes delightful, often touching, this is a lovely story, set in a small town.

First Paragraph(s):
    My father stood at my front door as if he'd simply run out for bread and forgotten his keys.
    A slight gray stubble dappled his chin and the line of his jaw, his appearance a far cry from the practiced, clean-shaven face he sported the one time I saw him each year.
    Frustration and disbelief tangled inside me.

Teaser (from 8% on my Kindle):
    I worked alone. I lived alone. I liked it that way.

Genre: Women's Fiction
Book Length: 284 Pages
Amazon Link: Broken Pieces
Author's Website: www.KathleenLong.com

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
    Destiny Jones is doing just fine on her own, thanks. From her thriving one-woman carpentry business to the loving support of her small-town community, Destiny has constructed a life as sturdy and polished as her best cabinets. Twenty years ago, Destiny’s world collapsed when her mother died and her father, Albert, abandoned his daughter to pursue acting in New York. His devastating exit taught Destiny a lesson in self-reliance that has kept her safe—and alone—ever since.
    Now Albert Jones is back, begging for a second chance. Destiny suspects he’s simply staging another performance, starring himself as the prodigal father. Should she act on her misgivings? Or listen to her inner child, who still yearns for a family? When Albert divulges a shocking secret, Destiny’s life will again be turned upside down.
    Kathleen Long’s warm, wise novel reveals the armor that has protected us in the past is often the very thing we must shed to fully live and love. 

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: @SandyNachlinger

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#Walking on the Carbon River Trail - Saturday Snapshots

More walks with the Auburn Senior Activity Center! I hope y'all aren't tired of my hiking pictures! Here's the description from the brochure:

CARBON RIVER TRAIL 
MILES: 3 
The Carbon River has transformed the road to Ipsut Campground into a trail only passable by foot or bicycle. Walkers will start at the Carbon River entrance to Mt. Rainier and walk through a rain forest to a turnaround spot. Although walkers can bring a lunch there is a lunch option at Wally’s in Buckley.

The day was overcast and cool - perfect for a nice walk. [Click on photos to enlarge.]

One of many giant trees along the trail.

A woodpecker buffet?

Rock hunters in our group.
There are plenty of rocks to choose from!

You're looking at the root system of a fallen
tree. As it decays it provides nourishment
for the seedling growing out of it. 
These fallen trees are called "nurse stumps." 

Yes, that's me. The day warmed up, 
so I could remove my jacket.

The Carbon River looks "milky" due to
glacial runoff from Mount Rainier.

A clear mountain stream meets the milky waters
of the Carbon River. Although this isn't a "pretty"
picture, I thought it was interesting how the
streams merged and blended.

More info HERE.

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. 

Late Fall - #TeaserTuesday and First Chapter / First Paragraph / Tuesday Intros

   In Late Fall, author Noelle Adams shows amazing insight into the feelings and concerns of her protagonist, a 71-year-old woman who moves from her long-time home to a retirement village. The author shows her character's introspection and reveals her personality in the ways she reacts to the experience of living with others after many years alone. Ellie is a strong, independent woman with lots of life left in her. Although the character seems much older than 71 to me (maybe that says something about my own age!), the result is a touching story that I won't soon forget.

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction
Book Length: 276 Pages
Amazon Link: Late Fall
Other Books by This Author: HERE

First Paragraph:
    Almost every morning for the last twenty-five years, I've walked a dirt path that leads from my backyard to a little graveyard in the woods.
    On this, my last morning, I do it one more time.

Teaser at 9% on my Kindle:
I don't want to be surrounded by a lot of annoying retired people and forced to participate in ridiculous activities I'm expected to enjoy just because I have gray hair.
    I didn't like games and ice cream socials when I was younger, and I sure don't want to put up with them now.

Blurb: 
     This is life. After summer, the green leaves always change colors and fall off the trees. Dogs die, no matter how much you love them. Land is sold, even if you used to tell yourself you were going to die on the property. And people get old.
     Even me.

[Longer synopsis here]

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: @SandyNachlinger

Facebook: sandy.nachlinger

Jefferson Park, #Seattle - Saturday Snapshot

When my son asked if I'd like to spend a morning with him and my 5-year-old granddaughter at Jefferson Park, I jumped at the chance. My granddaughter has been raving about this park, so I couldn't wait to see it. It's a terrific facility, and we all had a fun time. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

This is just a portion of the playground

This huge park has something for everyone: basketball court, lawn bowling, skate park, tennis courts, spray park, soccer fields, baseball fields, golf driving range, ziplines, an indoor recreation center, walking paths, and more.

Not many kids at the spray park
on this cool morning

But then the sun came out and so did the children

We didn't bring a swimsuit but that
didn't matter. Thank heavens for
waterproof shoes!

Nice view of downtown Seattle to the north, too.

By the way, that red sculpture in the background is not only decorative, it can also be skated on by skateboarders! We didn't see any when we were there or I would have taken pictures.

More info and photos here: Jefferson Park

PS: I'm curious. Can you zoom in and zoom out on this map?

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. 

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) 
Click HERE to join other Friday 56 bloggers (sponsored by Freda's Voice)

Twitter: @SandyNachlinger

Facebook: 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-ivory 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: @SandyNachlinger

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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 Museum

About 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) 
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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: @SandyNachlinger

Facebook: sandy.nachlinger