Ice Dancing Deja Vu

Last night while watching the Olympic ice dancing competition, I realized that I'd seen the U.S. champions two years ago! In October 2012, my friend (and co-author of I.O.U. SEX) Sandra Allen visited me here in the Pacific Northwest, and we attended an ice skating event. Here's a look back at my blog from that time. Pretty cool, isn't it?

October 20, 2012 - Today the two of us attended a double session of the 2012 Skate America competition at the new Showare Center in Kent, Washington. 

Do you like "Dancing With the Stars?" Then you would have loved the ice dancing competition. Based on different aspects of dance, including rhythm, interpretation of the music, and precise steps, it was beautiful to watch.  Meryl Davis and Charlie White of Team USA were at the top of the leader board after today's competition.

Click the arrow to watch a short video of several ice dancing couples warming up on Saturday afternoon. (Photos were not allowed during the actual competitions.)

We also watched the short program of the ladies figure skating competition. This sport is the most familiar and popular among fans. These young ladies effortlessly performed beautiful athletic spins, triple jumps, and spirals. At the end of the short program, Ashley Wagner, the current 2012 U.S. Champion, held the top spot.  

The new Showare Center in Kent, Washington, was a great venue for these events. Located south of Seattle, it is easily accessible by car or public transportation. The Showare staff were friendly and helpful, and the best news of all is that they don't even charge for parking! Our tickets were only $15 for the 2 1/2 hour event, and our seats were great.

- Sandy & Sandra

For more information: Skate America
Photo Sources:
Ashley Wagner
Charlie White & Meryl Davis

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) 
                           

Cape Maybe - Teaser Tuesday

A teacher friend of mine has said that girls in her classes often repeat the poor choices their mothers made. Marrying too young, having babies before they're ready,  dropping out of high school. That was on my mind as I read this book.

In CAPE MAYBE, author Carol Fragale Brill does an excellent job of showing the effects of a parent's alcoholism on her child and on the extended family. Speaking in first person viewpoint, Katie reveals her chaotic life with an alcoholic mother from age 11 to young adulthood. But will she follow in her mother's footsteps or break the cycle of addiction that has plagued her family?

TEASER (from 2% on my Kindle):
     Poppi always makes excuses for her and says she would be different if my father didn't die in Vietnam. I don't remember my father, but I miss him as if I do.
     If I can't have a different mother, I want to be someone else, but only if I can still keep Poppi. 

Genre: Women's Fiction
Number of Pages: 354
Amazon Link: CAPE MAYBE
My Review on Amazon: REVIEW
More Books by This Author: PEACE BY PIECE

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 AMAZON: Bluebonnets for Elly

Effective today, Bluebonnets for Elly is available in ebook formats on Amazon, All Romance eBooks, and Bookstrand, as well as the Sweet Cravings Publishing website. (Barnes & Noble coming soon.)

Sweet Cravings Publishing 
EPUB, HTML, LIT, MOBI, PDF

Amazon  
KINDLE, AS WELL AS APPS FOR SMART PHONES, TABLETS, COMPUTERS, AND KINDLE CLOUD READER (Link for Free App Downloads)

All Romance eBooks  
EPUB, HTML, MICROSOFT READER, MOBIPOCKET (.MOBI), ADOBE ACROBAT

Bookstrand
ADOBE ACROBAT, MICROSOFT READER, HTML, EPUB, MOBIPOCKET

Release of the book in paperback is scheduled for early summer.