The River of Corn - #BookBeginnings on Friday & The #Friday56

     In school I learned about the conquistadors who explored the Americas -  Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, and others who were portrayed as heroes. Of course, there was more to the story! In The River of Corn, author John Rose Putnam fleshes out the conquests of Hernando de Soto and his armies in a vivid and engrossing tale. The protagonist is an African slave, called "Gomez" by his captors, who yearns for freedom. His point of view provides a different slant on this history and the effects of the conquistadors on Native Americans.
     If this sounds like a dry history, I can assure you it is not. There's drama, romance, friendship, and treachery, and a great plot to keep you turning pages. Readers who enjoy historical fiction, lots of action, and a compelling story will definitely like The River of Corn.

FYI: I have previously featured Putnam's Hangtown Creek (a California Gold Rush novel) on my blog HERE.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Length of Book: 203 Pages
Amazon Link: The River of Corn (Only 99¢ in ebook format!!)
Author Website: John Rose Putnam
(You can read Chapter 1 from Putnam's newest book on his website.)

Book Beginnings:
     The thunder of many animals running together grew louder. He tensed when far more creatures than he had fingers to count loomed into view. Larger than the forest elk, each carried a warrior on its back. The tales of the old ones, so often mocked by the young, were true.

Friday 56 (from 56% on my Kindle):
You will soon see the true wealth of the Chicora, my friend, for we go to the heart of my country along the River of Corn that is our very soul. But much trouble besets my people there for the plague passes up the river even as we speak. The Chicora suffer terribly from it.

Synopsis:

In 1540 Hernando de Soto and 600 Spanish conquistadors crossed the Savannah River into what is now South Carolina and thus entered the empire of the Chicora, the largest and most powerful Native American civilization in the Southeast. Modern archaeologists have yet to find any trace of that once vibrant society. 

Although now considered a lost civilization, when the Spanish arrived the Chicora were led by a beautiful queen and had a magnificent temple filled with the remains of their honored ancestors. Did Hernando de Soto, a ruthless conquistador with a lust for gold, bring about their downfall? THE RIVER OF CORN is a powerful tale of the destruction of these American Indians told by an experienced South Carolina fiction writer who spent his youth in the locales he writes about, places that match the Spanish accounts almost exactly.

Who were the Chicora? What really happened to them?

               

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

Facebook: sandy.nachlinger

Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die - #TeaserTuesday and First Paragraph / First Chapter / Tuesday Intros

Seattle Police Detectives Nick Winston and Pat Strom are at it again in Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die, Kelly Marshall's latest mystery. Nick is straight, Pat's lesbian, and the banter between these two characters is hilarious! 

If you like murder mysteries with a touch of humor and hot sex, you'll enjoy this book as much as I did. 

First Paragraph:

I kissed her eyelids, then gently brushed her soft, red lips. They tasted of cherry. Rising, pulling away from the body I had just ravaged, I gazed down at Kylee, her pale face peaceful, almost as if she slumbered. Pulling her legs apart, I exposed her for the whore she was.

Teaser (from 20% on my Kindle):
"Winston? Don't take that misogynist to interview Sofia. She'll eat him for breakfast."

Genre: Mystery (Rated R)
Amazon Link: Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die
Book Length: 332 Pages
Author Website: Kelly Marshall Books

Synopsis (from Amazon):
Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die is the third book in the Winston and Strom Novels. Author of 70 books and owner of Venture Galleries, an online marketing and promotional company, Caleb Pirtle lll writes of Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die. “Kelly Marshall writes compelling mysteries and dares you to come along for a ride you will never forget. Tension traps you immediately, then the intensity is strangled with fear. In Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die, I found myself walking the same dark streets where a serial killer walked, the same deadly streets where the lives of beautiful girls can fall without warning into the frightening chill of a nightmare that ends only when they take their final breaths. Detectives know a murderer will strike again, and time, like life itself, is a precious commodity that is quickly running out. Each new sundown may be someone’s last. Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die is a haunting, terrifying journey, and I dare you to breathe during the final fifty pages.

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by The PurpleBooker. Post two sentences from somewhere in a book you're reading. No spoilers, please! List the author and book title too.

Link up HERE

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

FYI:
I've featured two of Kelly Marshall's books on my blog before. Links:
6 White Roses - A Winston & Strom Mystery (originally titled Millstone)
and 
The Chair
                                       
Full disclosure: Kelly Marshall is a member of my Puyallup, Washington, writing group.

Chittenden Locks, #Ballard, WA - #SaturdaySnapshots

Recently I had an opportunity to explore the Chittenden Locks in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. What a great way to spend a day.
[Click on photos to enlarge.]

Our group's walk started at Golden Gardens Park and followed a paved walkway alongside Shilshole Bay of Puget Sound. (See map below.) 

Because some members of our group like to stroll while others like to charge ahead, we all stopped to meet up at Leif Erickson's statue for a head count. The Ballard area of Seattle was settled by Scandinavians, and the names of early immigrants are listed on stone pillars surrounding Leif's larger-than-life statue.

A railroad draw bridge spans the ship canal.

The area is surrounded by the beautifully-landscaped Carl S. English, Jr. Botanical Gardens, which we explored. They deserve a separate blog post. 

This photo shows the difference in water levels within the locks as compared to the ships in the background.

The locks contain a fish ladder for spawning salmon and other species. Today we saw only one lonely fish trying to make its way upstream. It would be fun to come back again at spawning time.

Stainless steel sculpture titled "Salmon Waves."

Despite the threatening clouds and blustery wind, we didn't get rained on and even had a few sunbreaks during our walk. 

This video is shown at the visitor's center and gives a history of the building of the locks.

Here's a map showing where we walked (from Golden Gardens Park to Chittenden Locks).

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) 

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Cougar Mountain #Hike - Sunny #SaturdaySnapshots

Although the people who plan our hikes and walks often come up with new places to explore, they also revisit ones we've already tackled. So yesterday we went on a walk at Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, a place we explored last April. After days of rain, the sun came out and the clouds stayed away. Such a great time to be out in nature!

Since I've already posted photos of some of these trails last year HERE, I'm posting a few different pictures today, showing the obstacles we face and my hiking gear. [As always, you can click on photos to enlarge them.]

Obstacles

Tree roots, rocks, and mud puddles often keep hikers focused on the trail directly in front of their feet. This group stops occasionally for water breaks and to give us a chance to look around and enjoy the forest surrounding us. 

The people who maintain the trails have several ways of dealing with fallen trees. Chopping a notch out of this log enabled hikers to walk over it easily.

We were glad to have this sturdy bridge with handrail to help us navigate Coal Creek.

Gear

Waterproof hiking shoes, adjustable trekking poles, and day pack. The pack has an insulated compartment to hold my lunch (today: blueberry yogurt, a granola bar, and apple slices) as well as water, a plastic garbage bag (for draping over a damp log before sitting down), and other just-in-case items. My little camera is always in my pocket. Even though we had a sunny day, the trails held lots of mud puddles to navigate around (or through).

While shopping for a waterproof cover for my day pack, I came across this water delivery system. It works very well. I only fill it halfway because water is heavy, and that's been plenty for my hikes so far. It fits nicely into my pack, too. Of course, I always wear my trusty FitBit.

Views

Since we had a gorgeous day, we added a side trail to our hike so we could enjoy a view we weren't able to see last time because of clouds and rain. Lake Sammamish is in the foreground, and that's snow-covered Mount Baker on the horizon. Worth the extra steps.

Also, although we stopped at this same place (Coal Creek Falls) for lunch last year, the waterfall's flow was much stronger this year because of all the rain we've had. The sound of falling water created a soothing ambiance for our meal.

PS: Check out last year's post for more info on the park's history, along with a map of the trails: 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.