Month: January 2018

so many good books…

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I’ve noticed the visits someone has been making to the Romance and Mystery pages  where I keep a list of all the books mentioned in these blog posts. It’s meant to be a   resource, if you are in need of suggestions. If this is you, visiting …… thank you! I was hoping the pages would be used that way.

I was updating the lists the other day, and was looking through them, out of curiosity, to see if the lists looked anything like what my memory said they would. I was surprised to see that authors foremost in my mind didn’t appear as often as expected. I guess they are so big in my mind, not because of the number of books, but because the impression of a single book was so huge.

It was a surprise to see how few times some of my most favorite authors show up. I’m sad about this because this will give a wrong impression, or maybe no impression, and you will miss out on some great suggestions. I have thought about including books I have read, just not recently, which would rectify this situation. I guess now that I am into my second year of doing this, recently read doesn’t really apply so much anymore anyway. Food for thought. I’ll let you know if I decide to do it.

The reason I haven’t been reading my favorite authors, or the reason there may only be one book from an author, is because I am always on the look out for new authors and new slants for stories. With this focus in mind, I read a book and move on. Sometimes I will stop and read a whole series but if I do that too many times I will never get through the list of books I have downloaded. I won’t tell you that I currently have over 660 on my Kindle. I remove them after I add them to the blog, to keep the numbers at a manageable level, but it still keeps getting away on me.

I have been forced to be more selective about the choices I make but there are just so many interesting books appearing in my feed looking for attention.

There were seven more waiting to be downloaded this morning and this was one of them

The Lace Maker  The Lacemaker  – Laura Frantz …. I haven’t read this one yet but   have already started and it looks interesting. It’s about the American revolution and Lady Elizabeth Liberty Lawson. I think I have read books about her part in the war and the contribution she made inspite of the threat of being branded a spy. I’m interested in reading this one because I am intrigued with this author and would like to check her out, to see if she lives up to the recommendations. If it shows up in the list you will know I liked it.

This one I have read, the first book anyway, the other two books are on hold for now but I still recommend the collection, as I’ve read a lot of Colleen Coble, with appreciation,  over the years.

Mercy Falls Collection  The Mercy Falls Collection – The Light Keeper’s Daughter book 1 – Colleen Coble…. Addie Sullivan’s life is turned upside down when a stranger tells her she is not who she thinks she is, and the woman she calls mother, is not.  Many secrets swirl around her presence in the lighthouse. To give them time to discover where the true danger lies the stranger suggests she take the position of governess in the household of her birth.

How is your list of books coming along?

Reading choices are unique to all of us. Different strokes for different folks. Keep looking for treasures, they are out there, I promise you.

Happy reading!!

 

Harassment?

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Two weeks ago, I got back from a 5,500 kilometre road trip. It was a lot of fun, at least it was from my point of view.

I live in the middle of Canada, there is a marker on the TransCanada Highway at a point west of me saying Longitudinal Centre of Canada to prove it. I was  planning to take a month and go as far as Vancouver Island on the West Coast.

I’m originally from British Columbia and have family and friends there. It’s a few years since I’ve been back and I had big plans to visit a lot of people, in a lot of places. The places part worked out.

The trip went surprising well, in spite of the fact it is winter in this cold and snowy land. There were a few rough spots along the way but they usually had more to do with wrong turns and trouble finding addresses.

Like in Regina Saskatchewan, the first night. I’d planned to go farther but major highway construction with detours made for confusion and the wasting of some hours. Thank goodness for cell phones and Google maps. My daughter bailed me out and figured out that I’d better go back to Regina for the night. The light of a new day, and a different angle, made all the difference and it was easy to find my way to Calgary Alberta.

I was excited to be stopping in Calgary for a few days, I was going to meet clients in person for the first time. It didn’t turn out quite like I expected but my time there still worked out well and I was looking forward to the return trip when I would spend another work week before heading home.

Armstrong, BC was the first stop on my continued journey. It’s famous for it’s Armstrong cheese, and Highland Grog flavoured coffee – at least in our house.  Roger’s Pass through the Rockies was interesting. I love the mountains in the winter. From there I went south to White Rock, via the Coquahalla Highway. The Coq, as it’s known locally, is a 6 lane highway through high mountains, with a speed limit of 120km. It was an icy trip, but at least it wasn’t the worst I’ve seen.

White Rock is a popular resort town on the ocean, south of Vancouver. It’s small in area but beautiful and fun to visit. Nothing else around it is small though, the growth since I was there last is amazing, the city is closing in.

While there, I also had the opportunity to make an overnight trip to Victoria, BC’s capital, to visit family. And as always, the ferry ride was beautiful, so was the city. If you enjoy travel I hope you will Google these places and see for yourself , you may even be tempted to visit one day.

The highlight of my trip was time spent with family and friends, I loved every moment.

Roger’s Pass is the usual way to get to Alberta so the return trip followed the same route.

While the trip itself was long and challenging, it wasn’t the biggest hurdle I had to face. The bigger hurdle was in the mental/emotional area. And it turned out surprisingly well.

I’ve mentioned before that I have major trust issues when it comes to men.

One of the side effects of my current lifestyle is the near complete lack of interaction with men. There are sightings now and again but not much else. Add to that the magnification of my trust issues caused by truths I’m facing on the journey to wellness and it’s double trouble. So, there were two parts to the angst I was feeling about the nearing end of this wellness journey, and the possible/probable interactions on my trip.

How in the world would I ever become comfortable around men again (since there are none anywhere in my life, except family), and how would it work to be out-and-about if I couldn’t manage it.  Then, the more immediate question – will my triggers make an in-person meeting awkward? We have a comfortable working relationship on the phone but I’m worried about seeing this client of mine in person.

As the days of the trip went on, my confidence grew, and I was ready to be more relaxed about things. I didn’t see Bill (not his real name) until the second week I was there. By now, it seemed like everywhere I went there were male people. It was like being thrown into the deep end of the pool…… and I found I could swim.

Bill was a major player in my second week there, as he arranged the use of one of their empty offices for me. Their office staff was four men and one woman. Out numbered everywhere. It was a comfortable stay and I think we parted with pleasant memories of the week. At least I did anyway. They were very kind.

Back home, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my experience and to think about the reasons for the confidence I’ve found.

I think the biggest change in me has been centered around the thought that I had to stop expecting men to change how they treated me. Instead, I needed to decide what I would or wouldn’t allow. The result of this process was a clear set of hard and fast boundaries, in my head, and it has been a freeing experience.

There is so much more that could be said, and maybe should be said, with all the conversation over sexual harassment these days.

For now I will just say this. There are many things we, as women, need to do to keep ourselves safe but the most important thing, I’ve found, is to have set boundaries. It has changed the way I act and react.

Predators are looking for the weak. Boundaries give us confidence, and with confidence we appear strong. When we appear strong, men tend to change direction and back off.

Boundaries have allowed me to lower my protective walls (the ones that keep everyone out) and it feels good.

 

Collections

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Collections have been very popular this winter season, and there were many to choose from. More than I could possibly read before winter is over so I had to show some restraint.

I’ve always enjoyed collections. Especially the ones with various authors, because their individual styles make the flavor of the story change. The more books the better, is my thinking, and 3 – 7 books in 1 is a veritable gold mine.

Today, it looks like collections are still being offered, so it’s not too late to get in on the bounty and enjoy the spoils of your own treasure hunting.

I’ll share several I’ve downloaded this season. Most of these are on the lighter side as other parts of my life have been busier than usual lately, and I’ve needed something in this part of my life that didn’t require a lot of concentration.

There are a wide range of genres and intensities out there to choose from, though, so I know there will  be something to please you.

If there is something you like, in your search, grab it quickly before it disappears. Looking for the cover picture to go with one of the boxed sets, I found it is no longer available, (I should have downloaded the picture while I could). The good news is –  there are still other sets available.

I will mention one of the sets anyway, even without the picture. It was an interesting collection and you may run across some of these authors sometime. The boxed set was called Pursued  and it was a Romantic Suspense collection. There were 7 Novellas and I enjoyed them all. They were: NOWHERE TO RUN – Mary Alford  IMPERFECT – Christy Barritt   THE UNRELENTING TIDE – Lynette Bonner  SAVING GRACE – Lesley Ann McDaniel   PREY – Lisa Phillips  IDENTITY THEFT – Alana Terry, and, HOMECOMING SUICIDE – Virginia Vaughan.

It’s possible the individual authors will release their own book as a single since they each retained their rights. It could even be that some are planning their own series and this novella  will be the first book in the series. Something to watch for.

Then: Here is a collection that is still available

out of the blue bouquet bk 1Out of the Blue Bouquet (Crossroads Collection book 1)

The interesting thing about this collection, the 5 novellas are written by different authors but the characters from each book walk in an out of  each story. It’s very cool to have them all tied together like that. You get a different flavor and focus in each novella but they are all part of a bigger story. Chautona Havig is one of the authors and it may be her influence as this strategy happens in many, if not most, of her successful and prolific books.

The five books are: COURTING CALLA – Hallee Bridgeman  SEOUL IN LOVE – Alana Terry  A KOERASTI FOR CLARI – Carol Moncado  PREMEDITATED SERENDIPITY – Chautona Havig,  and  OUT OF THE BLUE BOUQUET – Amanda Tru

The other unusual and interesting thing about this collection, is the vast difference in approach to romance, and the type of characters involved. Usually this sort of collection would be about a group of five friends and the story would be about each of their romances. This was so not like that. I won’t say more and spoil it for you. It was interesting, I’ll say that.

I will finish this list with the mention of a couple of single books.

Shadows of the Past  Logan Point Series – Shadows of the Past  book 1 – Patricia Bradley is one I read a couple of years ago. I was reminded of it today as I was considering another of her books and was trying to remember if I had read anything of hers before. I found this one and read the last of it to see if I enjoyed it. I did and now I am looking forward to reading the latest download from her which is;

Justice Buried A Memphis Cold Case  – Justice Buried book 2 – Patricia Bradley

Check them out – Shadows of the Past is still free and Justice Buried is a good deal right now. Time to take a chance on a, possibly, new-to-you author.

Don't Leave Me  The last one to recommend tonight.

Don’t Leave Me – James Scott Bell …. a thriller ….Chuck Samson, a military chaplain with the Marines, comes home to take care of his adult, autistic, brother. The trauma from his capture and torture in Afghanistan is enough to deal with, and now both of their lives  are being threatened, for unknown reasons, from unknown sources. Will they be able to figure it out and survive? A good read.

Happy reading, may you find many treasures this weekend!

A Listening Ear, Connection

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There are several things I hope to talk about, in regard to the month long road trip I finished two days ago. The one foremost on my mind right now, has to do with conversations, and time spent, with several people I had never met before.

The first one was a man, a client I have been working with, from a distance, for a few weeks now. He is a self-professed Chatty Cathy, has gotten carried away in phone conversations a few times, and invariably said I don’t know why I am telling you all this as he shared about his job history, family, health, and whatever else came to mind in the moment.

This connection has been both interesting, and concerning because I have major trust issues with men, issues that have been growing steadily over the last decade or so as I face the deeply buried truth of my early life (a conversation for another day). It’s fairly easy to be relaxed hiding behind the anonymity of a telephone conversation but a face to face conversation is another story. Would my triggers create an awkward situation in the meeting I knew would happen soon?

Thankfully, he was as respectful and easy to talk to in person as he was on the phone. I felt relaxed and our conversation was honest and natural. He was still a Chatty Cathy and still had occasion to say – I don’t know why I am telling you all this. It would do my ego good if I had the idea he shared because he thought highly of me, but I knew that wasn’t it. I think the truth simply was – I was willing to listen.

The second person was the waitress in a Husky Restaurant. It was a small town on my way home and it was getting close to closing time when I stopped for lunch. There were several tables of local boys having coffee and the rest of the tables were empty. I took a seat at a table near them and after a time of quiet, their conversations returned to the easy relaxed way of friends. The seasoned waitress seemed to be the instigator of many conversations, that was her thing.

Usually I have my protective walls firmly in place and don’t easily engage in conversation but things have changed on this trip. As I went to the cash register to pay my bill I decided to attempt a few comments, to open the door a little, and what followed was a full on conversation about the town,  her family, jobs, commutes, and the first trip in 40 years to the next big city. We would have talked longer but she had to finish closing up.

The last person was the desk clerk when I stopped for the night. It seemed to be a slow night for her and she wanted to talk. We talked about her weight problem and all of her concerns, which were many, around that subject.  I learned a lot about her family and their health issues. We talked about living in the country while working in town and the things you have to do to make that work. The last subject we explored had to do with recycling and the inventiveness of her father in using everything and anything as building material. Other guests were looking for her attention several times and I finally took the opportunity to slip away, I had to go – if you catch my drift.  I came away from the conversation feeling bad, and I still do, because she obviously didn’t want me to leave, and seemed to feel deserted when I did.

I can relate to the way she feels. It is not often we find someone willing to take time to listen to us. Many of us seem to be starving with the need for a listening ear.

Then, there are two little people who come to mind in regard to connection. I’ve noticed their unique need many times over the years and make a special effort when I meet little ones. Probably because I remember being that age, somewhere in the buried memories.

The two little boys are 4 and 6. A great nephew and a grandson, visited in different towns. Eye contact seems to be the key to connection for kids, they don’t do deep conversations but have a need to know they have been seen. I had a good time connecting with both of them.

micah and I train track

He has my undivided attention while we are trying to give mommy space to get some things done. It was an unconventional layout for a train track but, hey, we were having fun. Pretty much everything in the room has a function, he remembers what it is all for and explained in detail as we explored one of the bins. The mattress behind him is his dual function trampoline/punching bag. Grandma got to hold the punching bag upright while he practiced his Ninja kicks and chops. It was a challenge but I managed to stay upright myself through it all.

Travelling

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This is a short post to try out a new editor app. Not sure what difference it will make since this is not the device I normally use so I have nothing to compare with. Hmmm, I see now that I need to read some of the provided material to answer this question. Pays to read the instructions 😀

It’s also a good opportunity to say I have been travelling many kilometres the last few weeks so haven’t had much chance to post anything. I am having a good time, I love long distance driving, even in the cold snowy winter, so it has been great. And safe too, so far, I pray it stays that way. It has been special to spend time with family, and a few friends, over the Christmas season.

I’ve finished a few more books and will share them in a later post.

One of them I will mention now though, it was Untangled: A story of resilience, courage, and triumph. Alexis Rose is a fellow blogger and this is her story of surviving a life of unimaginable abuse. Check out both her blog and her book for encouragement and inspiration. I can heartily endorse both.

I will be back soon, hopefully, with a full post. In the meantime, I hope you are all making some positive winter memories too, in one way or another.

Soon!