Welcome back to the fifth installment of Friday Blog Hop! 

Here we share a taste of wonderful new offerings of Baby Boomer Lit. While the stories vary widely, the emotion will always run high. Thanks to all of you The Hop is growing! Enjoy the exciting new reads on the sites of those Boomer Lit authors posting today.

See below for links to other great authors who are posting today.  Happy Reading!

This scene from STITCHES is taken from Chapter 6. 

Spence Collins comes home to find his wife,Jean, sitting on the living room floor in front of an old chest that she purchased from an estate sale earlier in the afternoon. Jean has just discovered a piece of unusual fabric underneath a false bottom in the chest just before Spence walks in.

“This is lovely, honey. I hope you’re not thinking of keeping it in the house,” Spence said and laughed.

“I know, right? But I don’t think it was a mistake to buy it. You've got to see what I found inside.”

Spence sat on the hassock, between the two love seats, as she pulled the bundle out of the bottom of the chest. She unfolded it on the carpet and slowly turned it to face Spence.

“Oh my God!”

“Can you believe this? I said the same thing too.”

The fabric was approximately eighteen inches square. The red-plumed heads of three large pheasant-like birds were turned toward their viewer, their eyes were alert questioning. The reflective quality of the material gave the illusion the birds’ eyes were real. The feathers graduated in a luminescent spray of sparkling turquoise, bright gold, rich pumpkin, and chestnut brown. Deep-green vines, with delicate white flowers, swirled around the rich vanilla background. Jean crawled around on the floor to view it from different angles. Spence continued to stare at it, too, speechless.

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, STITCHES IS AVAILABLE AT 

CREATESPACE, AMAZON.COM AND BARNESANDNOBLE.COM!

DON'T FORGET - CHECK OUT THE OTHER BOOMER LIT AUTHORS WHO ARE POSTING TODAY! CLICK HERE!

.

Welcome back to Friday Blog Hop Number Four! 

Here we share a taste of wonderful new offerings of Baby Boomer Lit. While the stories vary widely, the emotion will always run high. You're sure to find exciting new reads on the sites of those authors posting today.

See below for links to other great authors who are posting today.  Happy Reading!

This scene is from Chapter 4. 

We lighten things up when Jean Collins attends an estate sale with her friend, Phil. He's a pro at maneuvering through the picking process, while Jean is along for the ride. But this is the estate sale where Jean finds the chest with the magical fabric lurking inside. Here we see the pair waiting not-so-patiently by Phil's SUV in front of the old bungalow before the door opens.

“This cinnamon roll is going to raise hell with your diabetes, Phil,” Jean said, taking a big bite and handing it back to him.

“Hon, I do a lot of things I shouldn't do.” Phil looked up and down the street. His gaze zeroed in on a BMW pulling up to the curb on the opposite side of the street. “See that guy? I know him—he’s a dealer. Shark like you wouldn't believe.”

“And we’re here so early because—” She took a sip of her coffee and leaned around to see the guy in the BMW. She figured he was probably none too happy at seeing Phil here too.

“You have to get here early, so you can get in first and make the clean sweep to see what’s there. If you spot something, even if you don’t think you’ll buy it, hold on to it.” Phil licked the sticky off his fingers. “Is your heart pumping yet?”

“Kind of, but I don’t know if it’s from excitement or the cinnamon roll. I feel like a vulture.”

“It’s peck or get pecked, sweetie. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up like that fat, flat squirrel over there.” Phil pointed to the asphalt behind them. “I’ll bet Judy’s in there right now, checking out how many cars are here early. She’s buzzing around in there like a figure skater on steroids. She’s changing all the prices because so many people are waiting out here. Yes, ma’am, a good one like this doesn't come along too often anymore.” Phil polished off the last of the cinnamon roll and brushed his gray beard of remnant flecks of sugar glaze.

"I feel like chum. How long until we can go in?"

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, STITCHES IS AVAILABLE AT 

CREATESPACE, AMAZON.COM AND BARNESANDNOBLE.COM!

DON'T FORGET - CHECK OUT THE OTHER BOOMER LIT AUTHORS WHO ARE POSTING TODAY! CLICK HERE

Welcome back to Friday Blog Hop Number Three! 

Okay, some of you commented that you wanted some magic. In this third installment, here is a little magic from Stitches. See below for links to other great authors who are posting today.  Happy Reading!

This scene is from Chapter 4. 

Mary Coulter, an elderly widow, recalls the special moments of her life before her possessions are sold at an estate sale. But she can't find the magical fabric. In this scene she remembers her first introduction to the fabric's magic for her adopted father, Doc. His long-time housekeeper, Birdie, decides it's time to share what she knows with Mary.

Doc was aware of their presence—Mary saw the soft squeeze when Birdie took his hand. Birdie silently nodded for her to gaze at the birds in the fabric.

“Oh Birdie, it’s...it’s...I have no words. Why haven’t I ever seen this before?” she said, breathless.

“This ain’t the kind of secret you go hennin’ about at parties, Miss Mary,” Birdie quipped. “Go on, set your hands on the birds—think about your life with Doc.”

Tentatively, she set her hands on two of the three shimmering pheasants. Their eyes glistened, aware, and ready for instruction. She’d never seen anything so beautiful—so alive. The reflective, thick wings slowly began to vibrate beneath her hands; they were moving, lifting, and gaining strength. Heat radiated up her arms and raced through her body like an electric current. The rippling faded and then disappeared. She was enveloped with what felt like a succession of Doc’s, Birdie’s, Jess’s, and Jim’s embraces. She looked up and saw Birdie’s gaze already trained to the window in anticipation of what she would see.

     A rainbow of colors radiated from the three pheasants as they materialized in the old poplar tree outside of Doc’s bedroom window. They meticulously preened and prepared for flight. Each enormous bird was perched on a separate branch, bowing under the weight. She gasped at the sight.

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, STITCHES IS AVAILABLE AT 

CREATESPACE, AMAZON.COM AND BARNESANDNOBLE.COM!

DON'T FORGET - CHECK OUT THE OTHER BOOMER LIT AUTHORS WHO ARE POSTING TODAY! CLICK HERE

Welcome back to Friday Blog Hop! 

In this second installment, I present to you another quick taste of Stitches. See below for links to other great authors who are posting today.  Happy Reading!

In this scene from Chapter 1, Spence and Jean have just met with their Realtor. She's given them the bad news that they have too much personal stuff. Some of it needs to go into storage before the house can be listed. Spence has reluctantly agreed to pare things down.

Spence made twelve stacks on the floor of the office as he pulled the albums out of the bookcases. At least he could keep M through Z intact for now, but A through L would need to be packed up. He sat on the floor, pulled one album out of a stack of Bs, and inspected the cover of David Bowie’s Pin Ups. He hummed “Don’t Bring Me Down” as he slipped the album from the sleeve and scanned both sides for a scratch. He took a deep whiff of the woody aroma inside the old cardboard cover and slid the album back into its protective paper sleeve.

      
Spence stood up, lifted his Bill Graham Flying Eyeball poster from its hook, and inspected the signature. It still had the warmth of Rick Griffin’s handshake in the gold ink. He met the artist at a record show in San Francisco just before he was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1991. It was a privilege to have the poster in his collection.

Needing a break, he went downstairs to check on Jean’s progress with the window coverings. As he came through the dining room, he spotted her folding the last drape. The rest were stacked in a pile by the front door.

“Wow, what a difference!” His voice echoed off the bare windows and sailed around the room. “There’s so much light in here. The living room feels twice as big. I think I like it.”

IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, STITCHES IS AVAILABLE AT 

CREATESPACE, AMAZON.COM AND BARNESANDNOBLE.COM!

DON'T FORGET - CHECK OUT THE OTHER BOOMER LIT AUTHORS WHO ARE POSTING TODAY! CLICK HERE

Check out the excerpt from Stitches I got posted on Boomer Cafe! 

All comments welcome!

http://www.boomercafe.com/books-baby-boomer/a-baby-boomers-magical-relationship-with-stuff/

Thanks!

Courtney

My Stuff

Many of us boomers are dealing with our "stuff" - a lot of it.  I was prompted to write an article about it, which was accepted to run on GeezersGuysandGals.com on July 22, 2013. You've got to love the name of that site, right?

So, here it is . . . Enjoy!

My Stuff!

My husband and I moved around the country for over twenty-five years as we grabbed the swinging rope of a promotion, either his or mine. We didn't have children, so it was easy to uproot and go. Many times we only had a weekend to buy a house in an unfamiliar state. After everything was packed up by corporate movers, off we went. But we never dealt with our stuff. It went with us—all of it—right down to boxes of my music scores in the attic. I had been a voice major in college back in the late 70s. We even moved the beta hifi machine that didn't work, along with all the beta tapes of 80s music videos and first-run recordings of Dallas that couldn't be played.

This last move, though, was just for us. We took the time to sort through every bit of it. The banter sessions during the process were hilarious and priceless—and uncomfortable. Our possessions were an appendage. We never realized how much all of our stuff shaped who we were as individuals, and as a couple.

When I opened the boxes in the attic—the scores of my early life—I was heartbroken. Some rodent had fouled them with droppings. The brittle pages of beautiful music had been chewed beyond recognition. A tiny mouse had already made this gargantuan decision for me. It was time to throw them out. I set the boxes outside at the curb for the scavengers, and even they wouldn't touch them.

On recycle day, the rumble of the truck made my heart skip. I ran to the window to watch the magic of my college years grind away in the hungry teeth of the truck’s whirling cruncher. The recycle man heaved the boxes in the air. When the last box missed its mark and hit the rim, a cacophony of musical notes floated to the pavement like a dreadful symphony—Mozart mixed with Stravinsky; Bach melted with Brahms. Unthinkable!

I ran outside in a desperate attempt to help him. I scooped up the sheets and handed them back to the recycle man. He said, “Thanks, ma’am. I shoulda aimed higher.”

As I walked back to the house dejected, I spotted one soiled page left behind in the gutter. It was the opening of “Laudate Dominum” from Mozart’s Solemn Vespers; my debut solo back in 1979. It was also the year that I married my soul mate of thirty-four years. We grew up together—grew young together. I wiped the dirt from that one special page, folded it into fourths, and walked back into the house. I had aimed higher.

As if magnetized, I floated up the stairs toward the special drawer in my bureau. I tucked that folded square of paper beneath my lingerie. It would probably never be pulled out again, but that day had added another memory to its significance. The music got the respect it deserved. I was just fine.

Welcome to Friday Blog Hop! Through a collaboration between Goodreads.com and Boomer Lit Authors, we share snippets of our work on our blogs every Friday. See below for links to other great authors who are posting today.  Happy Reading!

Jean Collins has just walked away from her corporate career. She and her husband, Spence, are about to embark on a new life. In this scene, Jean has just turned down an offer from her boss to relocate to Boston.

Jean quietly switched off the green-shaded library light on her desk. She made a special gesture of plucking the shiny, silver pen from its stand. Spence had given it to her when the company was last sold. She shut the door to her office with a soft click.

Now that pleasant anticipation had turned to certainty, why did she suddenly feel so hurt and victimized? As she descended in the elevator to the lobby, she realized she hadn't banked on feeling this sad. She felt like peeling off every stitch of her black pantsuit and tossing the pieces on the floor behind her as she walked out of the elevator. She didn't  of course. Her heels clicked through the shiny, marble lobby toward the glass double doors to the parking garage.

“This is ridiculous. Go home and celebrate, you idiot!” she muttered and pushed open the heavy glass door. Every evening, she opened the door on the right side; today she went out through the left. She wanted every single thing to feel new. The decision to leave the corporate life behind wasn't easy, but it was a risk she and Spence were willing to take. There had to be more to life than this. Where it would lead, they had no idea.

             ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll be posting a new snippet from my own STITCHES each Friday. I might even give you a sneak peak of the second book, BRUSHES. Stay tuned!

Now click below to check out these great authors who are posting today:

http://elysegrant.blogspot.com/
Elyse Grant is the author of THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX

http://mutinousboomer.wordpress.com/
Marsha Roberts is the author of CONFESSIONS OF AN INSTINCTIVELY MUTINOUS BABY BOOMER

http://laurieboris.com/
Laurie Boris is the author of numerous books. Her latest is DON'T TELL ANYONE

http://claudenougat.blogspot.com/
Claude Nougat is a prolific author living in Rome. Her latest book is HOOK IN THE SKY

http://blog.mjmurphy.com/
Michael Murphy's latest novel, GOODBYE EMILY, will take you back to Woodstock!

http://www.libbyhellmann.com/wp/
Libby Hellmann is a writer of ELLIE FOREMAN mysteries and other thrillers. GREAT BLOG!