Felicity's Power - Book Beginnings on Friday and The #Friday56

     They met in San Francisco, back in the days when hippies roamed Haight-Ashbury and free love and idealism ruled. But Felicity yearned to see the world, and Marek planned a future with more stability. Forty-three years later, is the spark still there?
     I enjoyed this book on many levels. The description was lovely, the characters were appealing, and I'm a sucker for second-chance love stories. It was also fun to read a book that features older characters who are still active, interesting, and sexy. I'll be looking for more books by this author.

Book Beginning:
     "You're right, of course. This dream is going to blow sky high, just the way Owen's did a hundred and fifty years ago."
     A woman's voice. Rich, throaty. Lazy. Marek Sumner looked up from the lecture notes he'd been shuffling together. Audacious, slanting brown eyes scrutinized him, taking his measure in a leisurely way.

The Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
     High above, the night sky was amazingly clear. Diamond stars winked cheerfully, and the moon sent a shiver of light across an ink sea. It was good being here.

Genre: Women's Fiction / Romance
Book Length: 226 Pages
Amazon Link: Felicity's Power
Author's Website: J. Arlene Culiner

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
     San Francisco, 1971: hippies in the streets, music and revolution in the air. The evening Marek Sumner opened his door to the wild-looking Felicity Powers, he knew nothing would ever be the same again. But even love and passion couldn’t keep them together.
     Forty-three years later, having lived in the world’s most dangerous places as a foreign aid worker, Felicity is back, still offering him love, passion, and adventure. But why would Marek risk having his heart broken a second time? Now a well-known author, he loves his calm, solitary life in an isolated farmhouse. He and Felicity are just too different; their relationship could never work.
     But Felicity is just as fascinating and joyful as ever, and that wonderful sexy magic is still there too. As for love, perhaps it’s even deeper and more delightful the second time around.
                

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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A New Dawn in Deer Isle - The Friday 56 and Book Beginnings on Friday

    After George McLast's wife Lorna died, his life seemed to lose its purpose. He rarely left the trailer they'd bought in Florida, took afternoon naps to break the monotony, and worst of all, he'd started having a squeezing feeling in his chest. He'd  mourned for almost three years before deciding to take action in the form of a road trip in his van, something he and his wife had planned to do. A New Dawn in Deer Isle tells the story of George's adventure. With surprises along the way, he examines his life and his future.
     Readers who enjoy books with older characters (Baby Boomer age), road trips, and introspective narrative will definitely like this touching story. The author's voice is conversational, as if telling a story to a friend, and the book is an easy, engrossing, and true-to-life read. 
I'll look for more books by this author.

Genre: Fiction/Travel/OA (Older Adult)
Book Length: 181 Pages
Amazon Link: A New Dawn in Deer Isle
Author's Website: Tom Winton

Book Beginning:
     For thirty-five months my life had been a living hell. Every morning, noon, and night relentless flames ravaged my mind, my spirit, and my soul. You see, in 2011 my wife and I moved to that blazing-hot inferno they call Florida. And by the time we'd made it just halfway through the first nine-month summer in that overdeveloped, sub-tropical jungle, we absolutely hated the place. Then in September of the same year, with our hearts broken because we had made the move and couldn't afford to go back to Long Island, my Lorna began to weaken.

Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
Through the glass I saw Sarah Poulin's face again. She was placing short stout glasses of water  in front of five family members who'd entered the diner minutes earlier. And her lovely face was all lit up with that warm smile of hers. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
     Every once in a while we read a book that profoundly affects the way we perceive our lives. A NEW DAWN IN DEER ISLE is one of those rare books. 
     A common man of modest means, world-weary George McLast decides to forget all his problems and take the trip him and his beloved wife had only dreamed about before she passed away three years earlier. Despite all the unnerving feelings he’s been getting in his chest, his son’s disapproval, and his precarious financial situation, he sets out across America following the same route John Steinbeck took in 1959 with his pet poodle, Charley. And as the legendary author wanted to do back then, George hopes to reacquaint himself with his country and its people. 
     But everything doesn’t work out as planned. Along the way George encounters far more than he had bargained for. And so will readers. During his many adventures and mishaps you’ll feel like you’re right alongside him, in the passenger seat of his old van. And you will not only read his words you’ll learn from them as well. 
                

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

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.

Where Did You Get That Idea?

I'm over at Smart Girls Read Romance today, blogging about where the idea came from for I.O.U. SEX. Stop by and say "hi."

Here's the link: Smart Girls Read Romance

Thank You, Susan Santangelo!

Almost always when I'm drafting a post for Teaser Tuesday, First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros, Book Beginnings on Friday, or The Friday 56, I contact the book's author and let them know that one of their books will be featured. I offer them the opportunity to participate by responding to readers' comments on the post itself, as well as mentioning my post on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else they want. Some authors are interested; others aren't.

I understand. Maybe I've chosen to post about their book on a day when they have another commitment. Or maybe they have something in their real life that takes precedence. We all have to prioritize. I just think it's fun when an author shows up and answers questions and comments. Don't you?

So that's why I'm sending out a gigantic THANK YOU to Susan Santangelo. She accepted my invitation to participate in yesterday's post and graciously spent a lot of time responding to people who left comments. I enjoyed reading her comments and sincerely appreciate her involvement.

Best of luck for your upcoming release, Susan. Funerals Can Be Murder is Book 5 in the Carol and Jim Andrews Baby Boomer Mystery series and is scheduled for release on October 7; but it's available for pre-order on Amazon right now ($3.99 in ebook formats).

And by the way, many other authors have also contributed to posts in the past. A big thank you to all of them too!

Retirement Can Be Murder - Teaser Tuesday & First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros

Combine a cozy mystery with Baby Boomers and you've got a winning mix as far as I'm concerned! I just finished reading Retirement Can Be Murder, and I had a great time getting to know the main character and her friends. The author has a terrific sense of humor, poking fun at the concerns that everyone faces as retirement age nears. I can sure relate! 

First Paragraph(s):
"The hardest years of a marriage are the ones following the wedding."
      Here's an amazing weight-loss tip for all the women in America: an out-of-body experience makes you look thinner. Forget about vertical vs. horizontal stripes. I'm telling you, an out-of-body occurrence does the trick. Plus, it can be quite a pleasant sensation to look down and see a movie starring...you. What's not to like?
      Of course, there's a down side to my weight-loss tip. Out-of-body experiences are triggered by a traumatic event, like the panicky phone call I'd just gotten from Jim, My Beloved Husband of 36 years, telling me he'd found his retirement coach, Davis Rhodes, dead at his kitchen table.

Teaser (from 5% on my Kindle):
I admit it's crazy to talk to my dogs all the time the way I do, but they're good listeners and I can trust them to keep a secret. They always agree with me, too.
(By the way, her English cocker spaniels are named Lucy and Ethel.) 

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Length: 231 Pages
Amazon Link: Retirement Can Be Murder
Other Books by Susan Santangelo: Amazon Author Page

Synopsis:
      Retirement Can Be Murder is the first in the Baby Boomer mystery series featuring Carol Andrews and Her Beloved Husband Jim as they navigate a rocky road toward their golden years.
      Carol dreads Jim's upcoming retirement more than a root canal without Novocain. She can't imagine anything worse than an at-home husband with time on his hands, and nothing to fill it, except interfering with the day-to-day activities of the household and driving her crazy. Until Jim is suspected of murdering his retirement coach.

  

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

A Slight Change of Plan - Teaser Tuesday

I adored A SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLAN and couldn't put it down! Author Dee Ernst kept me laughing and wondering what was going to happen next. 

When Kate quits her job and moves into a condo, her new digs seem perfect for one person, until ….
And the new job she has accepted seems just right for this stage of her life, until …
Then when she reconnects with an old love on a dating website, things seem to be going well, until….
Dee Ernst tackles all these situations with wisdom, warmth, and wit. This is a book I'll read more than once.


I'm stretching my Teaser to three sentences:
My husband, Adam, had died of a sudden heart attack. I was over the pain of his loss and had been quite content in my singlehood. But lately I really wanted somebody who was happy to see me when I got home who didn't have a separate water bowl.
(From 1% on my Kindle.)

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction
Length: 352 Pages 
Amazon Link: A SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLAN
Other Books by This Author: HERE.

Goodreads Synopsis:
      Kate Everett is about to begin her “second act.” She’s been a widow for eight years and thinks it might be time to start looking for someone to share her life with again. She quits her high-pressure job for something that will allow her more leisure time. She gets rid of the huge family home and moves into a fabulous condo that’s smaller and easier to manage. She’s pretty much got the rest of her life figured out. All she has to do is sit back, relax, and let the pieces fall into place.
      But her real life never gets the memo. First, her son moves back in with her—along with his girlfriend. Her dream job falls through, leaving her unemployed. Her mother, whom she hadn’t spoken to in years, can no longer live alone and has to move into her basement. And her only daughter is planning the smallest and simplest wedding in the history of all weddings, much to Kate’s dismay.
      Kate thinks that she and Jake, her former college love who has reemerged on an online dating site, of all places, can build something real, and that maybe her happy ending is in front of her at last. But the arrival of Edward, her daughter’s future father-in-law, presents Kate with an unexpected choice. 
      It looks like real happiness may require a slight change of plan.

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.