All I Want For Xmas, Time Travelling Romance



Christmas in the Highlands

By Pam Binder

Miracles blanket Christmas, like a gentle snowfall.  I’ve discovered this special book; it crystallizes what’s behind miracles.  This book displays the author’s belief that time is an illusion, and love is the reality that makes miracles happen.  This is a romantic story, and with an open heart it can make you a believer too.

Irene travels to Scotland on Christmas Eve on a quest.  She deeply misses her mother, who has recently passed away.  But her mother’s death also reveals family secrets that Irene’s curiosity cannot leave at rest.  Her mother’s diary, left for her twin daughters, mysteriously hints at a hidden past, a hidden love, revolving around a specific Scottish castle.  Now it’s Christmas Eve at Stirling Castle; Irene is on the threshold of a holiday tour that will change her life.  Irene is hoping to find some answers.  What she finds are surprises, including meeting a special man who sweeps her off her feet.  But time is an illusion, and Irene and her man will need to find a way back to their own time by midnight or be lost forever.

“When you love someone deeply enough anything is possible.  Even miracles.”  These are the last lines from the 1954 movie Brigadoon, a favorite of Irene’s mother.  Can life imitate the magic of such a story, here in the middle of modern day Scotland?

I really enjoyed the feeling of being magically transported to another time, and to a place that became so real to me.  The interesting characters are infused with a humor that belies much about their backgrounds and character.  The author describes characters a reader readily relates to, and begs the reader to question, what if I was lucky enough to find myself on a time traveling tour full of intrigue . . .

Pam knows history well and weaves the most interesting tidbits into the tapestry of her story.  She is the author of five other books.  Just like this book, her unique stories include a mix of rich romance, fantasy, and time travel.

I recommend you slip a little Christmas in the Highlands into a loved one’s stocking this year.  This magic is most cherished at this time of year, and happily it’s an enchanting story to be re-read in all seasons.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .



Enjoy A Week in Winter

A Week in Winter

By Maeve Binchy

This is a week in winter that is years in the making.  A group of strangers converge on the opening of a charming, rebuilt, historic Bed and Breakfast on the west coast of Ireland for a week’s vacation.  Each guest carries their own baggage in hand and in heart.  They blend together, coming from all over and from all ages, for a moment in time.  They share a joyful opportunity to pause, and to reflect on their life trajectories, each pondering whether they are on the path they really desire.  Change is in the air.

The author artfully weaves the individual stories for each of the characters, and then tells how those stories intersect during this magical week.  The book begins with the tale of Chicky Starr, and what takes her away from Ireland to New York.  Then you’ll learn what drives Chicky to restore an old, decaying mansion back in her home town in Ireland.  The ripples of Chicky’s decision lead to the restoration of other peoples’ lives, especially friends and staff at her B and B.  That is when we are treated to the stories of each of the other characters.  This wintry tale about people taking the time to care, and to seek joy, is blanketed by the vivid personality of rugged Ireland with its customs, traditions, and music.

Maeve Binchy was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, columnist, and speaker.  A Week in Winter was her final novel, published posthumously in 2012.  Her love for small town Ireland came naturally from her own life experience.  Her childhood home was 10 miles from Dublin, where she grew up with sisters and brothers and parents who loved their children.  She described her parents as people who “thought all their geese were swans. It was a gift greater than beauty or riches, the feeling that you were as fine as anyone else.”  After extensive travelling, she married a writer and moved into a house in a little town in Ireland called Dalkey, just a few hundred yards from her childhood home.  She wrote many heartwarming books and short stories, and said about her life’s work, “I'd like people to think I was a good friend and a reasonable story-teller and to know that thanks to all the great people, family and friends that I met, I was very, very happy when I was here.”

Thereby hangs a tale. . . .

 

Agent ZigZag

Agent ZigZag

A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love and Betrayal

By Ben MacIntyre

Do you like spy thrillers?  Well, this one is the real thing.  This is the true accounting of the self-serving, but also heroic adventures of Eddie Chapman as a double agent during World War II.  He was a British citizen, with an interesting personal history.  Despite his checkered past, he volunteered for the British spy service.  With his criminal record, his offer was not taken up by MI5 at that time.  Then he turned traitor, volunteering to spy for the Nazi’s to save himself.  But then he turned again and ended up as a double agent for the British.  Chapman would say that it was always his intent to work for the British and that may be, or he may have seized an opportunity that came his way as he did so often in his life.  His story, and reading about his adventures is enthralling.

You’ll learn a lot about the people and the workings of the Nazi secret service.  Chapman was one of the first initiates in the Nazi’s ambitions to turn allies’ citizens into their own spies.  You’ll read about Chapman’s training, and about secrets he discovered for the British during his private training by the Nazi’s in France.  When Chapman was deemed ready and fully tested regarding his loyalties, he was dangerously parachuted back to Britain on a mission for the Nazi’s.

Then you get to read about Chapman immediately turning himself over to service as a double agent for MI5, Britain’s secret service, who gave him the code name ZigZag.  You’ll get to meet the people he worked with there, including the man that Ian Fleming modeled “Q” after in the James Bond books.  The book details how Chapman and his MI5 handlers dangerously but successfully fooled the Nazi’s. 

Chapman is a charming and likable personality, with a very checkered and criminal personal life before becoming a double agent spy.  He loves deeply and often, and you’ll read all about the fascinating and brave women who are attracted to him, and one who spies with him.

Ben MacIntyre is a British author, historian, and columnist for The Times newspaper.  He has fully researched this topic, including exhaustive numbers of confidential files finally released by the British government in 2002, and also videotaped recollections by Chapman himself before he died in 1997, and interviews with the surrounding characters in Chapman’s life from several countries.

This book is a most enjoyable way to understand the inside story of a very important time in history.  The author treats the facts objectively, but at the same time tells the story in an engaging way that exposes the humanity behind the treachery, the heroics, and the ambitions.

Thereby hangs a tale . . .

In Pursuit of the Bard's Undiscovered Play

The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber

What if your day at work has turned into your worst nightmare, and out of the ashes of that terrible day you discover you’ve found a clue to the location of an unknown play by Shakespeare?  Is this your silver lining?  What would a Shakespeare scholar do to find an entire play in the Bard's hand? Whom would a criminal mastermind kill to steal it?  Can the unwitting hero find the manuscript first?  And will he capture the heart of the mysterious girl bookbinder in the process?

The Book of Air and Shadows is a thriller about chasing down the clues to fame, and fortune, and an unknown Shakespeare play.  You’ll delve into the science of studying 16^th century printing, ink, and history.  You’ll also learn about the publishing industry.  It all starts when mysterious letters are found embedded in the covers of a rare book set.  This is not a fast paced read.  Instead it is a methodical tracking and testing to validate and de-cipher clues.  Whether the clues are proven or fraud, the criminal mob has heard of the find, believes it, and is hot on the heels of the others.  And of course, the Intellectual Property Lawyer is right in the middle of the chase and looking to gain his piece of this action.  It builds into a wild story of double-crossings, de-coded ciphers, forgeries, kidnappings and murder.

What starts as a thrilling puzzle to solve, slowly turns into such a dangerous riddle no one including family, friends, and lovers are trustworthy.  While you are learning about the present day treasure hunters, in parallel the author tells the story of characters in 17^th century England.  These characters, including Shakespeare, are driven by mystery and danger to take specific actions with Shakespeare’s final handwritten play.  The author tells a vivid story of William Shakespeare’s life.

Michael Gruber now lives and writes in Seattle.  He has a PhD from Columbia University, and during his career he was a policy advisor for the Jimmy Carter White House, and also a bureaucrat for the EPA.  In an interview about this book, Michael Gruber said, “So why Shakespeare? Because I feel he's the essence of mystery. Because in the modern history of the world there's no literary figure of remotely comparable magnitude for whom we have less biographical information: the greatest single figure writing in our language, and he's smoke. Because he flourished in a world without copyright laws his mystery continues.”  According to the author, he was inspired to write this novel, “during a conference with an intellectual property lawyer on a particular afternoon in November of 2003.  When I say born, I mean nearly the whole plot popped into my head.”

And thereby hangs a tale . . . .



 

The Wild Nearby

Do you love wilderness, literature, and photography? Then you’ll enjoy the latest book from Braided River, The North Cascades: Finding Beauty and Renewal in the Wild Nearby. The 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act provides us with a reason to look back and ahead.

Join us for the book's launch party at the Mountaineers Program Center on October 10 to celebrate what’s been preserved in the North Cascades and to hear Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Dietrich’s take on where stewardship needs to go next.

Event Details

WHAT: Book launch of The North Cascades: Finding Beauty and Renewal in the Wild NearbyWHEN: Friday, October 10, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

WHERE: Seattle Mountaineers Program Center, 7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA‎ 98115

WHO: Hosted by The Mountaineers and supported by NPCA

TICKETS: You can purchase your tickets here.

OTHER INFO: Free parking is available at The Mountaineers Program Center. Or, take bus 75 which drops you off directly in front of the Program Center. Additional launch parties will be held later in North Cascades National Park, Everett, Twisp, and Bellingham.

Camping at Colonial Creek? Backpacking in the Sawtooths? Out for a stroll in Stehekin? Share your photos with the hashtag #wildnearby and they’ll be displayed at the book launch party.

We hope you will join us,Sincerely,



David G. Graves
Northwest Program Manager

P.S.: Check out the Northwest Regional Office's most recent field report here (PDF, 371 KB).

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
On her Majesty's Supernatural Secret Service

This is a novel about adventures on her Majesty’s supernatural secret service, and the author telling the tale has an imagination with no limits.  Anything and everything goes as these agents come up against unpredictable, supernatural foes and forces all requiring action in order to protect the blissfully ignorant public.  Fortunately these agents are armed not just with their wits and common weaponry; they have their own diverse supernatural abilities.

“Dear You, The body you are wearing used to be mine. . .”  At the beginning of the book, this mysterious letter is read by a young woman who inhabits the body of an agent who was working for good.  Myfanwy Thomas is her Welsh name (pronounced like Tiffany).  The new Myfanwy comes conscious in the agent’s body for the first time in a London park, surrounded by dead bodies that are all wearing latex gloves.  What’s a girl to do?  She follows the limited guidance contained in the ominous letter.  This is the beginning of a fast paced action novel.  Circumstances force the new Myfanwy to learn how to take on and succeed in her responsibilities as a Rook, which is a high-level operative in the secret British government agency that protects the world.

There is a lot to learn from a series of well hidden letters and other clues from the former Myfanwy, which were intentionally left hidden for her successor.  The new Myfanwy has no memory at all of what has happened before the moment in the London park.  The letters are a help to her, and to the reader throughout the book, as you both try to understand this new world and how to survive.  You both learn so much too about the former Myfanwy as the letters go on, and how the new Myfanwy is different too.  Reading the letter clues at the same time as the heroine, you’ll feel directly a part of the action. 

But time is of the essence when dangers are all around, including covert dangers within the agency itself.  Myfanwy must stop her unknown enemy before being destroyed herself.  She can’t just spend her time reading letters, she has to think and act for herself.  She also has to learn how to control and use her own interesting, supernatural powers.  There’s a lot to take on while handling her day to day job activities.  This book is suspenseful, mysterious, funny, and action packed.

The author has a master’s degree in medieval history and in his other life he works for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau writing press releases for government investigations of plane crashes and runaway boats.  In this debut work he has created a complex, unique, logical, imaginative and entertaining paranormal fantasy where you have license to let your own imagination run wild.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

Storms of Denali - Hanging On Every Word

The Storms of Denali, by Nicholas O’Connell

Reading this book, I found myself continually re-checking whether it’s a novel, or a factual account. These characters are so touching they ascend from the page and bivouac in my heart and soul as real people. The harrowing description of their expedition is so believable, it‘s gripping.

John Walker narrates the story and expedition. He’s a family man who is dissatisfied with what he views is a sedate life as an outdoor equipment store manager, husband and father. He contrasts this to his previously active, mountain-climbing, single life. He’s nursing the wound of turning back before making the summit at Denali last time. Wyn Mitchell is John’s long-time friend, former climbing partner, and a world-class climber who boasts a risky climbing style. Wyn is the expedition leader. He’s driven to make his own personal big splash with this Denali climb in order to attract backers for his desire to attempt Everest next.

John’s wife sets conditions on his undertaking this long and potentially fatal trip. One condition is that John and his partner share the climb with two others, and that one of them has medical skills. That brings into the story Al McKenzie, a Boeing engineer who hopes this climb will help him forge an individual victory that will carry him past his divorce and beyond his corporate work life. Lane Frederickson also signs on. He is a fireman, medic and novice climber who desperately wants to establish himself as a serious climber. The author gives full and vivid treatment to each of these characters – their strengths, weaknesses and how their combination is a volatile mix that precipitates a disaster.

The prominent character towering from the page is the deadly Denali, the great one. Not enough to climb Denali, Wyn wants to make his splash with a new route to the top. Denali will have the final say about that. This is an authentic tale of man’s struggle in nature, and man’s struggle with human nature. The author, Nicholas O’Connell, is a mountain climber. One of the mountains he’s climbed is Denali. His experiences and talented writing bring such realism to this story.

You don’t have to be a mountain climber to appreciate this daring fight for survival on the highest and coldest mountain in North America. I’m a casual hiker, and I was enthralled with every page of this adventure. The pristine descriptions transported me to this foreign destination. The magnificent setting is both alluring and frightening. I recommend that you begin your own expedition into “The Storms of Denali” and experience it for yourself.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

One Lump or Two With Your Murder?

This author serves up a savory blend of herbal teas, pastries, and murder.  This novel is just one in a series of “cozy” mysteries that revolve around Theodosia Browning who owns Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina.  I’m such a fan of the series, I’ve read them all.  I’ve read some of them more than once.  Chamomile Mourning is early in the series, and one of my favorites.

Laura Childs gives delightful Charleston the feeling of a small town, and the characters surrounding Theodosia are so intriguing.  This book begins at a catered tea party at the Heritage Society’s annual Poetry event.  But murder becomes a dramatic verse of its own.  The victim is one of the Heritage Society’s own, prominent members.  When clues lead the local police to accuse one of Theodosia’s friends, she is motivated to prove them wrong.  But maybe Theodosia is wrong?

The clues will lead the reader toward several potential murderers and motives.  You’ll enjoy the chase, and during more relaxed moments you’ll also enjoy the detailed descriptions of Charleston.  The author really engages you in the challenges and appeal of running a small business too.  Several of Theodosia’s friends are small business people in the city, and she is so proud of her tea shop.  You’ll get an enjoyable glimpse into the varieties, history and social niceties of teas.  Haley and Drayton, who both work at the tea shop, are each artists at work.  Haley is the baker and Drayton is the tea mixologist.  They help Theodosia in many ways.  And there is an extra treat in the book!  You’re treated to recipes that are supposedly from Haley for pastries and from Drayton for teas.  Do yourself a favor and try these.  The ones I’ve tried have been delicious.

Laura Childs was a writer/producer at several national ad agencies, before forming her own company, Mission Critical Marketing.  She wrote four screenplays, got one read by Paramount, but never actually sold one.  She then thought to try writing mysteries. How fortunate for fans like me!  She really enjoyed the writing, and was so happy when she sold her first couple of books.   A prolific writer, she now has two other entertaining series in addition to the tea shop mysteries.  They are the Scrapbook Mysteries and Cackleberry Club Mysteries, and she’s not done yet.

 

Put your feet up with a cup of tea, or a glass of ice tea now that its summer, and enjoy an entertaining flight of murderous fancy, mull over your clues, and then chase down your suspect.

Still Waters Run Deep, Making a Difference






Quiet Influence: The Introvert’s Guide to Making a Difference,

by Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, PhD



“Do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man,” is a quote from Iain Duncan Smith, British politician.

The quiet one in the background used to be in the shadow of the attention getters in the world. This book insists those introverts can be highly effective influencers when they make the most of their own natural strengths. The author points out the strengths of being an introvert, and then presents descriptive examples of successful ways to use these strengths. Her examples include some surprisingly introverted celebrities. The author states that half the U.S. population is introverted. Instead of struggling to act like extroverts, the author suggests that there are four workplace trends which indicate that the time for quiet influence to be more successful than ever is now.

So why is now a great time to be an introvert in the workplace? The flattened work organization means networking is a personal responsibility. One-to-one connections are strengths of introverts. Increased global diversity means different ways of connecting with people, more personally and in deference to cultures, which are areas well suited to introverts. The virtual world and online social media are tools that introverts can excel in. And heightened competition means a need to listen intently, which the author identifies as something introverts do well.

Early in the book there is a short test to determine if you are an introvert. If you are, you’ll closely identify with so much of what the author writes. This book is also interesting for people who have a son or daughter or friend or other person in their life whom they have never quite understood, and now you see that person is an introvert.

The six strengths of “quiet influencers” include – taking quiet time, preparation, engaged listening, focused conversations, writing, and thoughtful use of social media. The author discusses how influencers can use a mix of these six qualities for success, and she warns about the dangers of their overuse.

Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, Ph.D. is an Atlanta-based author, and speaker, and executive coach who is hailed as a “champion for introverts.” Jennifer works with business professionals across a wide array of industries leading seminars and coaching individuals and groups. Her client list includes NASA, Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Pfizer, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, and more. She is committed to helping introverts unleash their inner leadership voice.

Introverts are continually asked to adapt to an extrovert-centric workplace that rewards being out there and on stage. They plead, how can I be me and still make a difference? Jennifer Kahnweiler’s book will show you, with a plan and through examples, how to stop trying to act like extroverts and instead make the most of your natural, quiet strengths.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

You Can't Go Wrong Reading The Wrong Girl

The Wrong Girl
by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Is she the wrong girl? The two women sitting across from each other, recently introduced, look much the same. In subtle and uncanny ways, their mannerisms are similar. Are these women related, long lost to each other and now reunited? Or, is she the wrong girl? Is this really her birth mother? Is this the reunion they’ve both yearned for? Or is this match-by-agency and others like it, someone’s big business scam? The truth is hidden, possibly behind murder.

Award-winning, best-selling author and journalist Hank Phillippi Ryan explores an overburdened state system, some people with the best of intentions taking care of foster children, and some people with questionable intentions. Ryan’s character Jane Ryland, is an intrepid reporter on the trail of a big scoop that she’s hoping will save her job. At the same time, Jane’s friend Tuck has confided to Jane that she’s recently hired an agency to find her birth mother, and reunite them. Now Tuck’s been told she has a different name and she’s met her birth mother. Except, despite all surface familial appearances, Jane’s friend is convinced she’s the wrong girl. She can’t prove that conclusively, but she feels it.

With a police officer as a love interest, it’s not long before Jane’s path crosses his at the apartment where a female murder victim is discovered. The victim’s identity and the motive for her murder are a mystery. Is this murder related to others, all masking a different kind of identity theft and identity fraud? Or is it one of those red herrings that I’m always so drawn to?

Jane Ryland has her hands full. She’s investigating this complex story, trying to scoop the rest of the media. She has to keep one step ahead of an ominous voice and shadowy person who’s threatening to harm her. She’s eager to compassionately help her insistent friend Tuck. In the meantime, she struggles to maintain a separation of professional interests and play it cool, while her hot love interest is the police officer in charge of solving the murders.

This writer is a master at pacing. The book starts out a little slow, while a lot of ground work is laid. But momentum is building subtly, almost imperceptibly until the book jumps out and grabs you. That will be the point of no return, because you won’t want to be interrupted and you won’t put it down until you finish the epilogue. Is she the wrong girl? Are there others? Why?

As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “curiosity is lying in wait for every secret.”

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

The Paris Wife

The Paris Wife

By Paula McLain

I found a great he said/she said pair of books.  Published after Ernest Hemingway’s death, A Moveable Feast is his memoir of his experience starting as a writer in 1920’s Paris, with his wife Hadley Richardson.  It was put together by his fourth wife, Mary Welsh, who edited his personal manuscripts and notes containing his observations and stories.  The Paris Wife is a fictionalized account of these same Paris years as told in fiction by Paula McLain as if this is Hadley’s memoir.

The time period and characters are very well researched.  In an interview Paula McLain said, “I first came to know Hadley in the pages of A Moveable Feast. His reminiscences of Hadley were so moving that I decided to seek out biographies of her life—and that's when I knew that I'd found something special. Her voice and the arc of her life were riveting. She's the perfect person to show us a side of Hemingway we've never seen before—tender, vulnerable, and very human—but she's also an extraordinary person in her own right.”

The author takes the time to weave her story from before Hadley meets Hemingway, so that what shaped her character and personality are well understood by the reader.  The writing is entertaining, and each of the characters’ feelings comes across so intensely that you are drawn to them.  You’ll find this book hard to put down.  It’s written as if a friend is confiding in you all her hopes, desires, and fears, as well as sharing all her joys.

In this book you also encounter all the other writers and friends that Ernest Hemingway describes in his memoir, including Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.  You read Ernest Hemingway’s impressions of these people as expressed to Hadley, but also you get Hadley’s feelings about each of these friends, and her insights into how they all interacted.

The author successfully paints a picture of the excitement, fervor, temptations, and creative energy of this Jazz Age period.  You can vividly imagine the conversations and scenes of these larger than life people.  You’ll be captivated by the evolution of the Hemingways’ relationship that was a profound first love.  It was so interesting to get to know Hadley’s warm sense of humor and personable charms, through this author.  You’ll also see a different dimension of Ernest Hemingway that is not often described in his legend.  As the author said, “The myth and reputation of the later Hemingway—all swagger and feats of bravery—stands in sharp contrast to his twenty-something self, and makes him all the more fascinating to me. He had incredibly high ideals as a young man, was sensitive and easily hurt. Hadley often spoke of his ‘opaque eyes,’ which showed every thought and feeling. She would know in an instant if she'd wounded him, and then feel terrible. That vulnerability alone will surprise many readers, I think.”

"The more I see of all the members of your sex," Ernest Hemingway wrote to Hadley in 1940, "the more I admire you." She remained untainted in his mind, an ideal that persisted and reminded him that the best luck and truest love he'd ever had he found with her.

Thereby hangs a tale . . .

Linda Evans' Savory Recipes for Life

Recipes for Life,
by Linda Evans
Start with a large serving of a lifetime of memories including appearances around the world, interesting stories with friends, including many other celebrities, and loves of her life. Season it with many vibrant pictures that spice up the stories. Then sprinkle that with the author’s favorite recipes, as well as some recipes shared by her celebrity friends. Finally, stir in a great sense of humor, and then you’ll feast on this savory memoir by award-winning actress Linda Evans.

The stories about her life and her celebrity friends are treats. You’ll get to know about Linda Evans, and also gain glimpses into other famous people’s lives and characters. It all begins with her childhood and her interesting parents who moved to Hollywood. How funny to find out that at 15, she worked as an usherette at the Paramount Theater in Hollywood, where year’s later her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was placed right outside.

I really enjoyed this memoir. I was interested in the change from jobs to career, friends she shares good and bad times with, and stories about the men in her life, her romantic loves. With Linda, love doesn’t end because a relationship does. Her loves are intense and long lasting, and so are her friendships.

The woman she is, her lifetime of experiences, the people and events who have influenced her, and she’s not done yet! Early on, Barbara Stanwyck had an influence during The Big Valley days. Known as “Missy,” Stanwyck was an adviser and an advocate, a living example, and a dear friend. The author notes how Barbara Stanwyck always treated her fans well and made time to meet them because she appreciated them. I can tell you by my experience that Linda Evans is the same way. I was fortunate to meet her at one of her book signings, and the line to meet her was epic. She took time with each person and was so gracious.

There’s so much I learned about Linda Evans, including how much she loves to cook and plan wonderful meals with family and friends. The recipes included each relate to the life story being told in the chapter. Delicious! Some are the favorite recipes that were shared by the author’s friends, for example John Wayne’s favorites shared by his wife Pilar.
From her beginnings in Connecticut, then the family move to Hollywood, to her discovery of a beautiful life here in Washington state, the author has stayed gracious and remarkable. From her big break with “The Big Valley” to the drama of “Dynasty,” she has remained delightful. And from what I’ve read, I think everyone needs a friend like her fun-loving Bunky.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

Linda Evans and me at her book signing

Once Upon a Project, an empowering reunion read

Once Upon A Project, by Bettye Griffin
It’s an invitation to a different kind of reunion. Its 50 years since the opening of the Chicago housing project, and one of the former residents wants to celebrate their past community. Many of the former residents come, spanning generations. This book focuses primarily on four women who grew up in the project as best friends. They halfheartedly kept in sporadic contact as busy adults, and now reunite as each is turning 50 years old. Each woman faces this milestone with different challenges on her horizon.

A clear message in this novel is that in life’s journey where you end up is not determined by where you begin. You plot your own path in life and make your way with dreams and persistence. Still, life has a way of throwing obstacles right across that path you’ve plotted. Once reunited, the four best friends feel their bond again as they help each other through decisions and circumstances they are facing.

Elyse and Franklin, her husband of 27 years, have just seen the last of their kids leave for college. They are looking forward to this chapter in their lives when they can have fun together and rekindle the couple they’ve been. Thirteen years her senior, Franklin is slowing down and has been disappointing Elyse by cancelling activities at the last minute due to fatigue. Is he losing interest and lazy, or is there something seriously wrong?
On the surface Susan appears to have an idyllic marriage and wealthy life. She has kept hidden from her friends her ordeal with breast cancer. She has survived, to find that her husband hasn’t been able to cope with what she’s gone through. Her marriage is faltering. At the reunion she sees a former flame and she starts to wonder if there’s more to life for her than this stale marriage.

Grace is a very successful and exciting executive. She travels all over the world and lives an eventful life in Chicago. Her focus is on herself, and she likes it that way. Twice divorced, is it her wild success that intimidates men and complicates her relationships? She does get lonely and doesn’t like the idea of growing old alone. Does she have to compromise her career, or her relationship aspirations?

After losing the love of her youth due to family conflicts, Pat never found another serious love in her life. She is surrounded by lots of friends and colleagues in her very full life, but she regrets what she lost. He is now married for the second time, and never to her. She is still pining for him and wishing for destiny to bring them somehow together. At the reunion, she’s also reacquainted with an old friend from her law school days. Can she let herself plot a new path? Can this opportune meeting turn into a head-over-heels romance so late in her life?

You’ll enjoy following the dramatic turns and choices these ladies make. You’ll be hoping for the best for each of them and wondering what will happen next. You’ll want to contact some of your old friends that you knew once upon a time, and you’ll remember to cherish the friends you’ve kept near.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

Social Media and Selling Your Book

Thank You PNWA for yet another informative and free class to members. pnwa.org I learn so much from your organization, and I notice that these classes are attended by an assortment of writers. Some are beginners, but many are well-established, successfully published authors as well.


This recent class I attended was conducted by Sean McVeigh of 425 media. 425media.com This company builds websites for authors, also does planning and consulting for an author's social media and search engine, etc.  Sean was certainly knowledgeable on this topic.

Here are some highlights of his discussion.  After reading these ideas you'll want to contact them for more personalized consulting. -

Online -
Focus on mobile phones, and at the least make sure your media messages are easily viewable and links usable on mobile phones because that is what is used most now, and that trend will only grow.

Google search is valuable.  Keep in mind that Google focuses on the person as a subject matter expert (SME), not necessarily the content at the link.  You need to establish yourself as a SME.

You need to create a website and drive all traffic back to the website, because that is where you actually own your content.  You don't own your content on guest pages etc.  You should blog from your website and link out to other platforms like blogspot and tumblr, etc

Determine your 10-20 keywords that describe your message.  This is what Amazon and others will pick up on when people do searches.

Yahoo, Google, Bing, Pinterest, Flickr all like it when you use back links.

You Tube is excellent, creative content, or a tutorial.

Facebook for likes, links, news, author page

Twitter for Follows, mentions, and event information. Here you can build relationships and settings allow for auto posts.

Google Plus for follows.  This is Googles Facebook and Google integrates this information into its Google searches.  Google analytics for your website provide a valuable monthly report identifying where your traffic is from.

Pinterest is primarily a female audience.

Linked In is where people need to see you as an author and SME.  Google searches on Linked In content

Amazon and Goodreads are great places to have a presence.


Marketing -
Organize all your contacts in a spreadsheet for who you're marketing to.  Include Friends/Family, Book Stores, Blogs, Sites, etc. with all their information including number of likes.  Number of likes is powerful.

Reciprocate mentions, such as putting the bookstore on your contact list on your website.  You'll also want to put a link to your website in reviewsw that people write.

Get lots of book reviews!


Your Website -
Musts for your website include:

• book cover and information
• contact form
• about me, the author
• social media icons, for example Amazon
• blog
• excerpts
• testimonials, reviews, awards - great if these include some of those key words of yours!  Ask for book reviews, you want lots of these.  Make it easy for others to review your work.
• how to purchase your book
• newsletter sign up form
• book releases for yourself and for others
• book signings
• book reviews

You can rss email your newsletter, that pulls information from your blogs and other of your writings.

Remember, your website needs to be responsive to the mobile audience -

• Android (Google)
• iphones
• windows phone 

Thank You Sean McVeigh http://425media.com/
Thank You PNWA pnwa.org

Pick a Letter in the Alphabet Mysteries

B is for Burglar, by Sue Grafton

I’m drawn to red herrings in an entertaining mystery novel — are you? I’ve just stumbled onto Sue Grafton’s “alphabet mysteries”, and in B Is for Burglar I happily feasted on a red herring served up by the author with all the trimmings. At the novel’s end, the surprise was on me.

 

Kinsey Millhone is the single, female, 32-year-old, self-employed private investigator who lives and works in fictional Santa Teresa, Calif. She is a former police officer. We’re given hints of a bad experience in that past that is still haunting her, and in part provided the spark behind her moving out of the force and into PI work.

 

In this book, the author grabs your interest right away with the mysterious and glamorous new client Beverly Danziger, who breezes into Kinsey’s office. She has an apparently benign request to find her missing sister, who appears to be dodging signing some legal papers. It doesn’t take long for Kinsey to discover that there is more to this story. Her investigation takes her back and forth from California to Florida. The stakes are raised when a burglary turns into murder.

 

Sue Grafton is an accomplished novelist, and celebrated screenplay writer. Her experience as a screenwriter taught her the basics of structuring a story, writing dialogue, and creating action sequences. It’s said that while going through a bitter divorce and custody battle that lasted six long years, Grafton imagined ways to kill or maim her ex-husband. Her fantasies were so vivid that she decided to write them down. That took her back to writing novels and she began this series. This installment in the series is an exciting, cozy mystery. Her writing is very descriptive. She includes effective details that allow the reader to really see the scenes, yet don’t bog down the action at all. The characters are all very believable, and some very cunning as I came to find out.

 

I’m looking forward to indulging in more entertainment as I work my way through this author’s alphabet, and undoubtedly feast on some more red herrings.

 

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

It's a Night Circus

‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern, a magical tale that delivers

“The circus arrives without warning. . . It is simply there when yesterday it was not.” It’s a mystical Victorian circus and as it travels its fame grows. The appeal is to all ages, and a group of fans form with mysterious ways to predict where the circus may appear next. Open only from sunset to sunrise, the night hours are filled with magic, caramel popcorn, chocolate mice, tents with acts to astound you, a blazing bonfire, the most intricate grandfather clock ever, an intense competition to the death, and an eternal love. This may seem like more than a circus can offer, but “The Night Circus” is a novel that delivers all that.

Two magicians, too young to know what is happening, are tricked into a mortal competition . . . . . Link to my recommendation


 

Givers In Anticipation

Just the knowledge that a good book is awaiting one at the end of a long day makes that day happier.

Kathleen Norris (Poet and Essayist)

As usual, Book lovers gathered to share stories, laugh, recommend books and wander the endless shelves of wonderful books at the Edmonds Bookshop.  This day we were celebrating World Book Night. 

April 23^rd is William Shakespeare’s celebrated birthday, and it’s World Book Night.  Each year on that night, World Book Givers across the country give away books that are donated by the authors and publishers.  The books are given to those who don’t regularly read or don’t have access to printed books.  In 2013 Givers across the country handed out half a million printed books in 6,200 towns and cities, including Edmonds.  And here we are again.

There were 22 Edmonds Givers who picked up a box of books to give away.  The plans for the Night were as varied as the books.  For example, Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers is a young adult book with mature themes about the war in Iraq.  Our Giver is donating copies to the Meadowdale Middle School Libraries, particularly to encourage reluctant reader boys to pick up this powerful writing.

Do you like provocative short stories?  Bobcat by Rebecca Lee is a stirring collection, showing people at their most vulnerable and compelled to make sense of their human condition.  Our very own Edmonds Bookshop owner will be looking to surprise some seldom readers who are riding the ferry with a copy.  Last year she was Giving copies of Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, about a foster child who was turned out from her foster family at 18 with nothing.   She was especially touched by a woman who had commented that she was ready to turn out her son near that age.  By the end of the ferry ride the woman ran up excited that she was already on page 30, hadn’t read in so long, and was just loving this book.  A connection.

The Raven Warrior by Vincent Pratchett was chosen by a teenager who is spending his 13^th birthday handing out this gift of reading in Edmonds with his dad.  Happy Birthday Ryan Kennedy!  Thank you for being a Giver.  You’ve chosen a mystical Arthurian style legend with a wizard and his witch in the Middle Kingdom.

Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow will be enjoyed by commuters at the train station.  This thriller is described as a real page turner.  Sounds like a hit for a potential reader starved for a book in the hand.

Last year a Giver handed out David Sedaris’ book Me Talk Pretty One Day by the Market in Seattle.  She was so touched by a woman who was an out of work French teacher.  The woman stayed in touch and said how she couldn’t put the book down until she was done because it had really raised her spirit.   This book developed a friendship.  Now she’s back to Give again, this time The Zookeepers Wife by Diane Ackerman.  It’s an inspiring book during World War II and helping with the resistance when Germany invaded Poland.

Another Giver is a hiking enthusiast who will be Giving Wild by Cheryl Strayed to potential readers at Costco Gas and at the Edmonds Beach.  She is a person who loves the outdoors and the Pacific Crest Trail.  She has fond memories of growing up hiking parts of that trail in Washington with her Dad.  She’s hiked 78 miles of the PCT in Washington with her son.  This year she’ll spend a month solo hiking from Oregon to Canada.  She’s hoping this book will inspire people to do one thing, whatever that thing is, to do that one thing they’ve always wanted to do.

The World Book Night Givers are excited to be out on the streets again, sharing stories.  And don’t forget, “A book is a gift you can open again and again.” -Garrison Keillor

World Book Night Books Delivered

I've given my WBN book When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago to a warm hearted woman who is a volunteer teacher for a class of ESL (English Second Language) class.  That will be 20 happy students!  I can't wait to hear how they like the book, but tonight I'm celebrating that they are receiving the book.  Hooray!

Here's some interesting information from this busy, amazing lady volunteer teacher -

Why did you choose this book for your students? What appealed to you and what did you think would appeal to them?

Since I am Puerto Rican, the title of the book caught my attention. My parents immigrated to the US in the 50s during Operation Bookstrap in Puerto Rico. We lived outside of Chicago, Illinois, in the city of Aurora. I felt my English Language Learners (ELLs) would find this book interesting and a subject they could relate to. At this time, the adults I work with are all Hispanic.

Why is teaching important to you?

I’ve always wanted to give back to my community through a volunteer program. My parents came to America on a shoestring and they had to acculturate into a society that was very different from theirs. At the time, there were no services to assist them. They received help from their friends, employers and professionals who were willing to help them learn how to live in America. When an opportunity came up in Duvall through “Duvall Eastside Literacy” (now Hopelink) I jumped at the opportunity to volunteer to work with the local migrant, immigrant and refugee communities. Originally, I had a diverse group of adults, but now all my adult students are Hispanic.

How did this class get started?

When I was originally offered a chance to get some books for my class, I had organized a group of Hispanic adult women through my church’s Outreach Center. Now I am working with adults through the King County Library System in their Talk Time program. Some of my past students are now going to Talk Time.

Is the class in Duvall, WA or where?

All my volunteer classes have been located in Duvall. As I referenced above, I started with Eastside Literacy in Duvall, it merged with Hopelink. I volunteered with them for over 15 years.

Other World Book Night Givers pictured here with their boxes of books: Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow, Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, The Ravens Warrior by Vincent Platchett, Bobcat by Rebecca Lee, and Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

 

World Book Night When I Was Puerto Rican

When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

April 23^rd is William Shakespeare’s celebrated birthday, and it’s World Book Night.  Each year on that night, World Book Givers across the country give away books that are donated by the authors and publishers.  The books are given to those who don’t regularly read or don’t have access to printed books.  In 2013 Givers across the country handed out half a million printed books in 6,200 towns and cities, including Edmonds.

When I was Puerto Rican is the memoir I’ve chosen to give away from this year’s selection of books.  Copies will be given to adult students at an ESL (English Second Language) class that is taught by a volunteer teacher.

This is a beautifully written memoir.  The author tells tales of growing up in Puerto Rico during the 1950’s.  She freely shares her feelings about her island home, her parents’ loving/battling relationship, her many siblings, and her native culture.  I appreciated the frank descriptions of the life, and the poverty, contrasted with the open hearted appreciation of the wild and open nature surrounding her in Puerto Rico.  It was so interesting learning about it all.

In her mother’s desire to find another life, eventually she moved with all her children to New York.  Esmeralda, or Negi as her nickname, is 13 years old when she is suddenly uprooted to a new and sometimes puzzling new life.  She is the oldest of her 7 and eventually 11 siblings.  She barely speaks English, and has many new things to learn about the culture and logistics of her new home.  This brave young girl is never a victim; she takes on her new challenges head on.  Her memoir becomes an immigration story that touches the heart, and one that I think so many immigrant families can empathize with.  After finishing this book, you can read more about her life in the Barrios of Brooklyn, and her later years of education in her second memoir Almost a Woman.  Her story is truly inspiring.

I’m so excited to share her story on World Book Night.  How fortunate Edmonds has the wonderful Edmonds Bookshop.  The owner Mary Kay Sneeringer is a big supporter of World Book Night.  The books for the Edmonds Givers have all been received at the Edmonds Bookshop, and we’re joining together for a party there to share stories and celebrate reading.

If you’re interested in finding out more about World Book Night, you can visit the link at http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/ and maybe we’ll see you next year.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

An Evening With Gillian Flynn

To everyone's delight, Gillian Flynn read the "Cool Girl" excerpt from her book Gone Girl at the author event at Seattle Town Hall April 17th.

Gone Girl

By Gillian Flynn

Thursday night author Gillian Flynn spoke at the Seattle Town Hall, Seattle Arts and Lectures series.  She is the author of three novels, including Gone Girl.  This story is a chilling, psychological thriller.  As I kept reading I thought curiously how strange this story gets, and then it gets crazier and crazier.  Gillian’s novel is plot driven, but the characters are the heart and soul of the novel.  I was intrigued by the characters, who I felt were very real, but odd.

The story is about a young married couple Nick and Amy Dunne, who are living very happily in New York until they lose their jobs.  With no employment prospects, Nick moves them back to his small home town in Missouri.  That’s really a life style change.  Then, on their fifth wedding anniversary Nick comes home to his front door that is “wide-gaping-ominous open,” and his wife is gone.  As the story then moved forward, I slowly began to wonder about how Nick was narrating the story to me.  I began to doubt, to become suspicious about how reliable Nick really is as a narrator.  Was his information true?  Could I trust him?  And then . . . THE TWIST.  Wow, I never saw that coming.  Like Gillian said in her talk, if you’re not sure what happened behind closed doors, then you’ll want to find out.

Gillian Flynn grew up in Kansas City, Missouri in a family that encouraged lots of stories.  Her parents were community college professors teaching reading and film.  Playing as a girl, she always liked the “dark side” because she felt the dark side allowed for more imagination.  The witch was the fun part!  As a writer she explores why people do bad things, and how bad things happen.  She spoke about how it’s the larger themes, like family, long term relationships, cities, and loyalty that make great mysteries.

Gillian spoke to a full house.  She was delightfully humorous and also insightful in describing her books, and the writing process.  It was so much fun to meet her at the reception and the book signing.  She is obviously very happy with her works, and enjoys meeting her readers.  She says she often hears much debate on her writing, especially about the ending to Gone Girl, and that pleases her because she is glad people are interested in her stories and want to talk about them.  She briefly shared the stage with Gabriel Zuniga, who is a sixth grader from Seattle and the grand prize winner of the Writers in the Schools Mystery Story contest.  We were treated to a brief reading of his essay, “Mistake”, which was very clever.  I’m betting we’ll be watching for his novel in a few years.

I’m recommending you read Gone Girl now, before seeing the movie when it comes out in October.  Just be advised of Gillian’s caution to readers, “I don’t do happy endings”.

Thereby hangs a tale . . . .

Living the Good Life

The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die, by John Izzo

What does a happy life, a life well lived, look like? That is the question this author sets out to research. This book is a description of what he learned from interviewing over 200 people ages 60 to 106. Each person had been identified by friends and family as “the one person they knew who had found happiness and meaning.”

It turns out there are concepts that these happy people all have in common, leading to the author’s life secrets. And the best news is that anyone, of any age, can start practicing these life secrets and improve their quality of life. It’s never too late. The most important thing is . . . . 

Link to my Recommendation