Middle-Aged Crazy - Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56

Middle-Aged Crazy: Short Stories of Midlife and Beyond (The Complete Collection) is just what the title says, plus it's a lot of fun. In this collection of eighteen short stories and essays, author Lynne M. Spreen introduces a variety of characters--from Rita (driving a semi across the Donner Summit in a fierce storm) to Carolyn (advice columnist who writes "Carolyn's Corner" for the Bee). I enjoyed meeting every one of them. The book ends with several thoughtful essays, including "Could You Live in a Ditch?" and "Do You Lack Purpose?" Lynne Spreen, I like your attitude!

I highly recommend this book, not only for midlife readers but also for adult readers of any age. 
FYI: Ms. Spreen is also the author of Dakota Blues.

Book Beginning (from "The Kirby Girls"):
This girl came up my son's driveway just as I was stepping outside to take my baby granddaughter for a walk. The Santa Anas were coming up already, and the wind blew the girl's shoulder-length hair every which way, hiding her face. She was holding a clipboard and I figured she was one of those Jehovah's Witnesses, here to save my soul, but then I changed my mind when I saw she was wearing real short shorts the color of old mustard, and black tights. I bent down to the baby in the stroller, fastening the straps so she couldn't fall out, and I thought maybe she shouldn't be seeing this girl.

The Friday 56 (from "Phoenix"):
(I found this terrific description at 54% on my Kindle)
      The address on the cement saguaro confirmed she was in the right place, but Stacey stood on the front porch knocking for a good five minutes without any response. Now her knuckles were copper-tinged, and every time she knocked on the rusty security screen, she had to angle her body to avoid the Palo Verde tree. Its lacy branches buzzed with bees, to which Stacey was allergic.

Genre: Coming of Age / Contemporary Women
Amazon link: Middle-Aged Crazy
Length: 129 pages
Author Website/Blog: Any Shiny Thing - Aging 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)

Merry-Go-Round - Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56

The Merry-Go-Round was a fun contemporary romance and a quick read. The plot moved forward at a good pace, I liked the characters, and I chuckled at the author's sense of humor. The nicknames she came up with for the ... uh, disappointing lover were hilarious! The merry-go-round added a fun element to the plot.

Since I'm nitpicky, I'll admit I was bothered by quite a few missing words and a couple of problems with incorrect word usage. However, this may only be a problem in the ebook version. The characters and their story kept me entertained and engaged to the end.   



Book Beginning -  (Each chapter has a quote at the beginning):
Chapter 1 - You don't know a woman till you've met her in court. - Norman Mailer
     "It's a great day for a divorce." Lauren took a quick look around to see if anyone had heard her talking to herself before she hurried up the courthouse steps. If everything went according to plan, she would walk out of this building a free woman. She'd sleep a lot better and breathe a lot easier minus the hundred and eighty pounds of man meat she'd been lugging around for far too long.

The Friday56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
"...He lost everything. His business, his home, his marriage. Everything."

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Romantic Comedy
Length: 238 Pages
Amazon Link: The Merry-Go-Round
More Books by This Author: Donna Fasano's Amazon Author Page

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Anyone can participate in Book Beginnings and The Friday 56.
Click HERE to connect to other Book Beginnings posts (sponsored by Rose City Reader)
Click HERE to join other Friday 56 bloggers (sponsored by Freda's Voice)

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.

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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) 
                           

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.

Millstone - Teaser Tuesday

"I hope you find this bastard. I mean, who'd kill a kid?" That's dialogue from the fisherman who found six-year-old Emily Chatburn's body on the shores of Lake Union. His heart-breaking discovery starts an investigation by Seattle Police Detectives Nick Winston and Pat Strom in this second Winston/Strom novel.

No, the murder of a child is not a pleasant subject, but author Kelly Marshall handles the story with compassion. Although some parts of the book are gritty, she balances that with sexy scenes and flashes of wry humor. Marshall  kept me guessing "whodunit" until the very end. 

In today's TEASER, Emily Chatburn's father makes a startling accusation: "She's killed another one. And I'm not letting her get away with it." (At 14% on my Kindle.)

Genre: Murder Mystery
Length: 289 Pages
Amazon Link: Millstone
Website: Kelly Marshall Books

Blurb from Amazon:
Seattle homicide detectives Nick Winston and his female partner Pat Strom have seen it all, but there’s one call every cop hates to get—a child’s murder. When the child’s father bursts into the sanctuary and accuses his estranged wife Elizabeth of killing their daughter, the man is arrested by the detectives. But the case against Cole Chatburn is stymied when a babysitter offers him an alibi for the night.

Disclaimer: Kelly Marshall is a member of my writing group, and I helped edit MILLSTONE.

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.

Hank & Chloe - Book Beginnings on Friday and Friday 56

I just started reading this book yesterday and I'm almost finished. I'm loving the characters. The book was originally published in 1993, but it's still a good story today.
Here's what I'm talking about:

Book Beginning:
Answer the door after midnight and you might as well set a place at the table for trouble - Chloe Morgan's first thoughts when the knock came. Hannah, her shepherd, let out an initial throaty growl from her nest of blankets, then thumped her tail in the dark for the all clear. Tugging the horse blanket from her bed, Chloe padded barefoot across the rough plywood floor.

Friday 56:
In number seventy-two, the dark bay thoroughbred shifted his weight from hoof to hoof, his muzzle grazing the top rail of his stall. She parked the truck on the angle of the hill so that if she had to, she could start it by popping the clutch. Only her rubber mucking boots saved her jeans from the muddy manure. She walked carefully between stalls to her horse.

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction / Romance
Number of Pages:  310
Amazon Link:  Hank & Chloe

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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) 
                           

Picturing Perfect - Book Beginnings and Friday 56

I've done it again - read the final book in a series first. But although  PICTURING PERFECT is book #3 in the Love of My Life series, it stands alone. The other two books in the series are BOUQUET TOSS and CHAMPAGNE TOAST.

This is a sweet romance with this tagline: "Life may not turn out like we planned, but sometimes that’s what makes it perfect…" 

Book Beginning:
     I had a plan.
     I knew exactly how my future would be. I wanted to marry my boyfriend Tucker, to have a nice long engagement as we planned the perfect wedding ceremony. My father would walk me down the aisle as my white dress dragged gently against the tile of our church floor, knocking the pews like a silent bell as I strolled down the aisle. 

Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
     "You've got this," Jason said from across the stage. I was starting to think he could read my mind. His green eyes were shining underneath the bright stage lights. His smile was subtle and comforting. We each took a deep breath.

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction / Romance
Number of Pages:  325
Amazon Link:  Picturing Perfect

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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) 
                           

If I Loved You - Teaser Tuesday

I recently read IF I LOVED YOU by Jean C. Joachim, and what a fun, sexy story it was! I loved the characters, and Jean's writing style kept me entertained from start to finish. This is the first book in her Hollywood Hearts series, and I'm looking forward to reading all the rest.

NEWS FLASH: Jean has graciously offered to give away two free books! For a chance to win, just leave a comment below, along with your email address so we can contact you if you're a winner.


Here's my TEASER - a little internal dialogue from Megan, the main character, during a business dinner with drop-dead-gorgeous movie star Chaz:
Focus. Stop drooling. Remember, he puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everyone else. Stop thinking about his pants!
(at 7% on my Kindle)

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Link: IF I LOVED YOU
More Books by Jean Joachim: Jean's Books

Synopsis from the Secret Cravings Publishing website:

Does love always mean total truth? Successfully shunning the limelight was one way for Megan Davis to keep her family secret. The press intruded on her life when her twin brother, Mark, became the star quarterback for the Delaware Demons. A smart, successful financial advisor, disrespectful of tabloid superstars, Meg was shocked when she was selected to launch a celebrity division in the prestigious investment firm, Dillon & Weed, and overwhelmed by the charisma of her first client.

Gorgeous, magnetic movie star, Chaz Duncan, wary of women who wanted to bask in his fame or sell his secrets to the media, valued privacy above all else. Would attractive Megan Davis, his new financial advisor charm the truth from him or would he continue his high profile but lonely existence to keep his secret safe? Jealousy, deceit and scandal threaten two careers and the quest for true love and trust in this roller-coaster-ride contemporary romance.

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 & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's the link to join in: Teaser Tuesday

Christmas Calling - Teaser Tuesday

Does this cover look familiar? Maybe that's because last week I featured a teaser from the first of two novellas that make up CHRISTMAS CALLING. This week I've selected my Teaser from the second story, Christmas Snow by Birdie L. Etchison. This sweet contemporary romance will put you in the Christmas spirit!

TEASER (from about Page 6):
Her mother decorated anything that stood still. The bathroom had snowflake toilet tissue; snowmen filled every corner of the house. 

Genre: Christian Romance / Fiction
Number of Pages: 156 (both novellas)
Amazon Link: Christmas Calling
More books and stories by Birdie L. Etchison: Birdie's Books

Synopsis:
Janie Montgomery leaves Seattle to escape sad memories and spend Christmas with her aunt in Spokane. On the way her car is stranded in a ditch, surrounded by a mountain of snow. EMT Greg Kincaid comes to her rescue in an SUV, like a knight in snowy armor. It is the beginning of a love story as mystifying as a white-out, as gentle as falling snow, as colorful as Christmas decorations, and as sweet as homemade cookies. Only by the grace of God can Janie and Greg weather the storms and find true love.

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.

Teaser Tuesday: Keepsake

I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. Sunday, reading KEEPSAKE. In this engrossing novel, Author Kristina Riggle enters the world of a hoarder, delving into the mindset of a woman who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder and exploring the effects it has on family. Having cringed at several episodes of the TV series "Buried Alive," I've been curious about what could cause a person to hoard, and this book gave me some insight while weaving a compelling plot. The downside is that I'm starting to worry about my fabric stash! I call myself a quilter, but could I be a fabric hoarder myself?


My Teaser:
Yet here she was, this tiny black woman with a huge messenger bag, holding out a business card with the words Child Protective Services as if my child needed protecting. From me.
(From 1% on my Kindle)

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction
Number of Pages: 384
Amazon Link: KEEPSAKE

Goodreads Synopsis:
For her previous novels (Things We Didn't Say, The Life You've Imagined, Real Life & Liars), author Kristina Riggle has garnered fabulous reviews and established herself as a rapidly rising star of contemporary women's fiction. In Keepsake, she explores that most complicated of relationships, as two sisters raised by a hoarder deal with old hurts and resentments, and the very different paths their lives have taken. As always, Riggle approaches important topics poignantly and honestly--including hoarding and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in her remarkable Keepsake--while writing with real emotional power and compassion about families and their baggage. For readers of Katrina Kittle and Elin Hildenbrand, Kristina Riggle's Keepsake is a treasure.

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.