SUMMER LOVIN’…DID YOU GET VERY FAR?
                               ♥ ♥ ♥

Do the words summer lovin' bring back memories of your teenage years? We sure remember the good ol' days of summer … and so do the three main characters in our book, I.O.U. SEX. After all, their goal was to find their former high school steadies and give them the sex they’d missed out on so many years before.

So let your mind travel back in time and think ... going steady, necking at the drive-in, and summer lovin’ as we revisit Dallas with our character June. She’s at the drive-in theater with her one-and-only, but they’re not watching the show.

Photo Source: Coltera's Photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/christianspenceranderson/

    “Mmmm, Junie. You drive me wild.” Denny reached across the vinyl-covered seat and pulled June closer.

    She snuggled against him and stretched up to whisper in his ear. “Wild, huh?” She inhaled his unique scent—Brut aftershave mixed with the faint aroma of Lava soap and motor oil from his dad’s garage.

    Denny’s laugh sounded nervous. When he shivered, June giggled and stroked his wavy hair, then tickled his earlobe with her tongue, making him gasp.

    “Whoa, baby. You better slow down or you’ll get more than you bargained for.” He turned and grasped her shoulders, staring into her blue eyes. “Or have you changed your mind?”
    June scooted away, her warm feelings cooled by Denny’s question. She pushed her long blonde hair off her face and anchored it behind her ears. “You know how I feel about going all the way. Why can’t we just have some fun?”

    Denny groaned. “Junie, baby, you really don’t understand, do you? Have you ever heard of blue balls?”

    June stammered. “B-blue what?”

    Denny ran his fingers through his hair, making the short strands stand on end. He sighed. “Never mind. Come back here, June Bug. Let’s figure out what we can do without actually doing it.” He pulled her closer and slid the spaghetti straps off her shoulders, gently kissing the spots where the fabric had been only moments before.

    They’d done some heavy petting in the past, so June didn’t object. She loved it when Denny caressed her breasts and his kisses warmed her inside and out. Once she’d let him touch her down there. It felt go good—until she got scared and made him stop. She could only imagine the thrill of real sex.

    Of course, good girls didn’t go all the way. She’d had long discussions with Kiki and Peggy on the subject of how far to go without getting a bad reputation. Peggy said once you did something, boys seemed to expect it every time. And Kiki sure had a lot of information for someone who claimed virginity.
    June smiled and unbuttoned Denny’s shirt.

♥ ♥ ♥

Perhaps you once met a boy who was cute as could be, and you remember your summer days drifting away. We hope this blast from the past reminds you of hot summer nights at the drive-in movies with your first love.

Boomer Lit Friday

A weekly blog hop event for Boomer Lit writers

Thank you for stopping by for another Boomer Lit Friday post. To read excerpts from more Boomer Lit authors, click HERE.

Boomer Lit Friday

A weekly blog hop event for Boomer Lit writers

Thanks for joining us for another Boomer Lit Friday. We're featuring an excerpt from I.O.U. SEX, the story of three women who search for their high school boyfriends, decades after graduation. 

At this point in the story, people often wonder who Peg will choose as her private investigator and ask us, "Will Peggy fall for the P.I.?" Not a chance! Here's an excerpt from I.O.U. SEX giving you Peg's viewpoint when she first sees James Hornby. We hope this gives you a clear picture of why Hornby isn't exactly hero material.

He didn't look at all like what she expected. Instead of resembling the PIs she'd seen on television shows, he looked more like McGruff the Crime-Fighting Dog. You'd think he'd have the courtesy to rise to greet a prospective client, she thought. She straightened her shoulders and reminded herself that she would be the one paying for his services.

Not only did Peggy compare "Hornyberry" to McGruff, she also had a few more gems to say about him.

Not that this Bozo was such a prize. With his bald pate, jowls, and round belly, nobody would call him the pick of the litter.

That about says it all. Go, Peggy!

To connect with other Boomer Lit authors and read excerpts from a variety of terrific books, click HERE.

Boomer Lit

Boomer Lit Friday

A weekly blog hop event for Boomer Lit writers

Thanks for stopping by to participate in Boomer Lit Friday. Every week authors of books featuring Baby Boomers post excerpts on their blogs. Click HERE to connect to more.  

Our snippet today is from I.O.U. SEX, the story of three lifelong friends who make a pact to track down their high school boyfriends. June and Kiki have found their high school steadies, but Peggy hasn't been as lucky.

Peggy sat on the patio by the pool eating Krispie Kreme doughnuts and drinking a Coke, wondering what Kiki and June were up to. She hadn’t heard a peep out of either woman since their lunch, and she was dying to hear the latest in their boyfriend saga. These days, their lives rivaled “As the World Turns” for drama, and she hated to miss a single episode.

Since their last conversation, Peg had attempted to find where Mark was living without any success. She’d tried Kiki’s approach and done a computer search, typing “Mark William Smith” in the Google search box. When she hit “enter,” millions of hits popped up. Overwhelmed, she clicked on the big “X” and turned off the confounded machine. Given her computer ineptitude, she knew she’d probably done it wrong somehow. With only Mark’s name to go on, finding him on the internet would be like searching for a needle in a haystack the size of Texas.

The solution came one sleepless night when Peggy turned on the TV and saw a “Rockford Files” rerun.

“Why didn’t I think of hiring a professional before?” She said the words out loud to the empty room.

She wondered how much an investigation would cost, and what she would tell the detective. Peggy laughed, imagining herself explaining Kiki’s crazy idea of payback sex to a complete stranger. The guy would probably fall off his chair laughing at the idea that a fat broad like her even had such fantasies, much less intended to act on them.

And what would she tell Ken? Not that her husband paid much attention to what she did, but she’d need to come up with some plausible story for how she spent the money, just in case he noticed.

Peggy decided to go for it. She went to the kitchen to find the Yellow Pages to see if private investigators were listed.

I.O.U. SEX is available in paperback and eBook formats from
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Boomer Lit

Boomer Lit Friday

A weekly blog hop event for Boomer Lit writers

Thank you for stopping by for another excerpt from I.O.U. SEX, the story of June, Kiki, and Peggy, three Baby Boomers who search for their high school boyfriends.

Through an Internet search, Kiki has discovered that her old boyfriend Greg is now a televangelist, but she's having a hard time getting in touch with him. This scene shows her frustration.

 

Kiki lounged in the white leather recliner at the Pink Door Spa. She'd spent the morning getting her hair trimmed and her gray roots tinted red, then dozed while an herbal masque cleansed her face. After a hot stone massage, the manicurist completed her work. While the nail polish dried, Kiki used a pencil to punch buttons on her cell phone, trying the number she'd copied from the "contact us" section of Greg's website. 
      The woman who answered was not helpful.
      No, she could not connect Kiki to Reverend Houston.
      No, she could not give out his home address.
      No, she knew of no mailing address other than the one on the website--the one where donations should be sent. It seemed to Kiki as if the only question that would solicit a yes from the old broad was "Do you take credit cards?"

          

To buy an eBook or paperback copy of I.O.U. SEX, click here: I.O.U. SEX on Amazon
For links to more outstanding BOOMER LIT books, click here: BOOMER LIT FRIDAY  

Facial photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Facial_mask.jpg

Boomer Lit Friday - March 23

Thank you for stopping by to participate in Boomer Lit Friday, the meme where authors of books featuring Baby Boomers get together and post excerpts from their works. 

Our snippet today is from I.O.U. SEX. Reading June's high school diary inspired three friends to search for their old boyfriends to make amends for vetoing sex when they were teenagers. Divorced from Stan for about a year, in this scene June is getting dressed for her first meeting with Denny, her high school steady, when thoughts of her ex-husband intervene.

She added silver hoops to her ears and straightened her shoulders for a last look in the mirror. She turned sideways, patting her not-so-flat stomach, frowning at her not-so-perky breasts.
     Stan's criticisms nagged: Is that cellulite on the back of your thighs?

      Now she answered him in words she'd never spoken aloud. "Shut up, Shithead, and get out of my mind. I may not be perfect, but for a woman my age, I look pretty damned good."

Boomer Lit Friday

A weekly blog hop event for Boomer Lit writers

To read excerpts posted by other Boomer Lit authors, click HERE.

To connect to the Amazon link for I.O.U. SEX, click HERE. For more info about I.O.U. SEX, click on the tabs above this post. 

Boomer Lit Friday - March 15

Thanks for dropping by to read our latest Boomer Lit Friday excerpt from I.O.U. SEX. June, Kiki, and Peggy have recently made a pact to track down their high school boyfriends, and now they're meeting for lunch. In case you can't tell from Peggy's lunch order, I.O.U. SEX is set in the South. The excerpt is from Page 54 (14% on Kindle). 

The next day, Peggy sat across from her two friends, studying the restaurant's menu and having a hard time deciding which entree to order. Finally, she told the waitress to bring her favorite meal--chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes with cream gravy, and a large Coke. A look passed between June and Kiki, but they said nothing, other than to ask for grilled tilapia with steamed veggies and iced tea. Peggy sighed, wishing she had their willpower, wondering if she could change her order, but the waitress had already taken their menus and left.

Kiki took a sip of water and smiled at the others before speaking. "So, how goes the great search? What's the latest?"

"Search? Wa...wait a minute," Peggy stammered. "Are you talking about your wild idea to find our old boyfriends? I thought that was just a joke. June, you're not searching for Denny, are you?"

June's cheeks reddened. 

                       

To connect with other Boomer Lit Friday authors and read excerpts from some terrific books, click HERE.

To connect to the Amazon link for I.O.U. SEX, click HERE. For more info about I.O.U. SEX, click on the tabs above this post. 

Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CountryFriedSteak.jpg

Boomer Lit Friday - March 8

We're pleased to participate in Boomer Lit Friday for the first time today. 

Our snippet is taken from Chapter 1 of I.O.U. SEX.  In this scene, lifelong friends June, Kiki, and Peggy read June's high school diary, reflect on their teenage years, and come up with the idea of searching for their old boyfriends. [WARNING: This post contains one bad word and a bunch of innuendo.]

      Kiki rolled her eyes. "Shit, if I'd known then what I know now, things would have been very different. When I think of the staying power of those eighteen-year-old guys ...." She sighed. "Too bad we wasted it."
      Peggy put her hand over her mouth to keep her drink from spewing out with her laughter. She shook her head as if to dislodge Kiki's words from her ears. "Please, I'm serious. Those boys must have felt as sad as a fiddle with one string. So disappointed. So...unfulfilled. It must have been hard on them."
     "Unfulfilled?" June grinned. "That's priceless."
     Kiki arched an eyebrow. "That's also an understatement if I ever heard one, but you're sure right about the hard part."
            
Here's the criteria for Boomer Lit Friday posts:

The excerpt must be from a work that fits in the Boomer lit genre, which means it must focus on Boomer characters or issues faced by Boomers today, not nostalgia or coming of age set in the 50s and 60s.

For links to more Boomer Lit Friday posts and excerpts from some great books, click HERE. 

To link to I.O.U. SEX on Amazon, click on the book's cover to the left of this post.

Enjoy Boomer Lit Every Friday

Teaser Tuesday - Goodbye Emily

I knew I'd enjoy this book (especially since I'm a Baby Boomer), but I had no idea it would be such a touching and entertaining story. This isn't merely a flashback to the 1960s; it is a story of love, healing, and the power of friendship. The characters felt real and the plot kept me engrossed. I finished reading GOODBYE EMILY in one day. 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Humor
Author:  Michael Murphy

Number of Pages: 270

Amazon Link: Goodbye Emily

Teaser:

He wore a greasy green Transcontinental Transport T-shirt and carried an empty pitcher of beer. His shaved head, shirt and thick toad-like body reminded me of Shrek, without the ogre's charm. To my great relief, he chose a stool at the other end of the bar.
[at 1% on my Kindle - approx Page 4]

GREAT description, isn't it? Can't you just see that guy?

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Three baby boomers relive their 1969 trip to Woodstock. One final roadtrip. One last chance to say Goodbye Emily.

They met at Woodstock, and the love lasted a lifetime. Then she was gone, and so was his college teaching job. Heartbroken but determined, he calls on his two best friends to help him return to the place it all began.The professor and his Woodstock buddy need the third tripper from back in the day, now in a nursing home with early stage Alzheimer’s. When the home refuses to allow their friend to come along, the professor and the vet bust him out, attracting the attention of the cops and the media, fascinating the public.   The roadtrip turns into a flight from “the man” and not even the professor’s defense attorney daughter can help. In a psychedelic van, the trio dodges cops and prosecutors. Against all odds, they close in on their destination, where thousands of supporters and cops await them.   Goodbye Emily is the irreverantly funny story about a journey of self-discovery for a man who thought he’d left all important journeys in life behind.

NOTE: If you like this, you might also like our book: I.O.U. SEX

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away -- you don't want to ruin the book for others)
• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers

Boomers & Books Review

Thank you, Sharon Tillotson, for your kind review of I.O.U. SEX. We're so glad you enjoyed reading our book.

Here's what Sharon had to say: Review of I.O.U. SEX

To get your own copy (in paperback or ebook formats - Kindle, Nook, etc.), click on the "Buy I.O.U. SEX" tab above. It makes a great Christmas gift.

Come Fly With Me

Remember how air travel used to be? Then you'll enjoy my post on the Boomers & Books blog. Here's the link: Come Fly With Me

Adios, Big Tex!

On October 19, 2012, the symbol of the State Fair of Texas was destroyed by fire. Those of us who grew up in Dallas and surrounding areas couldn't believe that after 60 years, this icon was gone! 

To read my tribute to Big Tex, check out today's post on the Boomers & Books Blog: Adios, Big Tex.

- Sandy Nachlinger

Photo source:

Andreas Praefcke (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Big_Tex_2008.jpg

PINTEREST-ing

Cleavage Caddy? 
Gun Alarm Clock? 
Bridesmaid Flasks?

You'll get a laugh out of my latest Boomers & Books post on these seemingly unrelated subjects.

Here's the link: 
Boomers & Books

Book Beginnings on Friday and Friday 56: Coming of Age ... Again

COMING OF AGE ... AGAIN by Carol Mizrahi is my featured book this Friday.

Genre: Women's Fiction
Length: 234 Pages
Amazon Link: Kindle & Paperback

BOOK BEGINNING:
It is quite possible that if Miss Thompson had been an altogether different kind of person, Irene, Sylvia, Barbara, and Rochelle would not have become lifelong friends. One can only guess about that, but what we do know is that the kindergarten teacher's autocratic style and stern demeanor brought them together and created a bond that lasted for over fifty years.

FRIDAY 56:
The throw pillows never moved, and her collection of Nancy Ann Storybook dolls, standing on bookshelves, never changed position. Day after day, year after year, nothing new was added and nothing old was subtracted.
(This book is on my Kindle, so I estimated where the 56th page might be.)

MY IMPRESSIONS:
There were lots of funny scenes in this book, and I loved the characters. The idea of lifelong friendship between four women -- from kindergarten to their early sixties -- really appealed to me. I'll admit that sometimes I'd get impatient when one of the women let her children take advantage of her, but I also understood how that could happen. I came to care about the characters and cheered when they took charge of their lives.  


Anybody can participate in Book Beginnings and Friday 56. 
Click here to connect to other Book Beginnings post.
Find other Friday 56 bloggers here.
                

- Sandy Nachlinger

Sweet Saturday Sample - June 9

More from Elly and the Geriatrics, my WIP, for this week’s Sweet Saturday Sample. In this scene, Elly is packing up the unsold items from their rummage sale table when Mrs. Bagley, the President of the Sunset Acres Homeowner’s Association, stops by. Jeremy is Mrs. Bagley’s trouble-maker nephew.

Mrs. Bagley turned and looked around the room. The chain affixed to her eyeglass frames jiggled. “Jeremy stayed with me for a while but, unfortunately, he was forced to leave.” She paused, her smile gone, and raised thin eyebrows. “Our homeowners’ association has a rule that young people can visit for one month, then they have to go. One month. I assume you’re aware of that restriction?”

Elly searched her mind for the right response. She wondered if the Bagley woman knew she’d been living with Granny almost twice that long.

“Yes, ma’am,” Elly answered, limiting her response to as few words as possible.

“Well, just so you know. We won’t tolerate any breaking or bending of our covenants.” She fixed Elly with a glare, her forehead ribbed with rows of wrinkles.

Elly clamped her teeth together, holding back the rude retort that came to mind.

“And another thing.” The woman’s frown deepened and she leaned closer. “I saw you talking to our groundskeeper. I’d be careful around that young man if I were you. He has a way with plants, but from what I've heard ....” She paused and sniffed. "...he has an unsavory past regarding women."

Elly swallowed a gasp.

Unsavory? Derek? He seemed like such a nice guy.

But then, so had Rick.

Just then Granny walked up and interrupted. “Why, hello, Marybeth. How is Jeremy these days?” Her voice dripped with honey. “I'm so sorry to hear he had a little trouble with the sheriff over in Fannin County.”

Mrs. Bagley backed away. “All a misunderstanding, I’m sure. Just normal high spirits in a young man.” She pinned Elly with a glare. “Remember what I said.” Then she turned as quickly as her cane would allow and hobbled away.

Once the woman was out of earshot, Granny let out a hiss. “Old sow. She’ll be spying on us like a fox watching a henhouse. We’ll have to be more careful.” 

Indulge in more Sweet Saturday Samples here: The Sweet List

Sweet Saturday Sample - March 31

Our Sweet Saturday Sample for today is a little more serious than some we’ve posted in the past.

We sometimes wonder if women really remember how things were back in the 1960s. During that time, birth control pills were just becoming widely available for married women. In 1964 eight states still prohibited the sale of contraceptives, and laws in Massachusetts and Connecticut still prevented the dissemination of information about birth control.

Abortion was illegal in the United States until January 22, 1973, when Roe vs. Wade gave women a safe and legal choice. Up until that time the majority of abortions were performed by unqualified practitioners in back rooms using things like coat hangers instead of sterilized surgical instruments. This resulted in the untimely deaths of many young women.

Single motherhood was socially unacceptable among the majority of the middle class. Therefore, keeping a baby and raising it as a single mother was simply not done in most cases. It would stigmatize the child who was illegitimate and the mother who was the one committing the sin of sex without the benefit of marriage.

Regardless of your beliefs as to the rights or wrongs of these options, this was the reality in which June (from I.O.U. Sex) had to make decisions about her pregnancy in 1966.

June sat at her Aunt Betty's kitchen table, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she told about her pregnancy. "I just feel so stupid."

Betty patted her niece's hand and listened, not speaking until June had finished. Her first words gave June hope. "I'm glad you came to me, honey. I'll do anything I can to help."

Over hot chocolate and with a box of tissues nearby, the two women discussed June's situation. Throughout her teenaged years, June had heard whispers about girls who were "in a family way." The solution to their dilemma was either a hurried marriage or banishment until after the child had been delivered and given up for adoption. It was hard for her to believe she faced the same bleak choices. The thought of entering a home for unwed mothers depressed June. The only other option, a backstreet abortion, terrified and repulsed her.

Right away, June admitted she was not ready to raise a child, especially as a single woman without the support of a husband or her parents. "Mom and Dad would never forgive me," she said. "I would be miserable and so would the child. I can't bear to tell them I'm pregnant." Just the thought of having that conversation filled June with dread and fear.

Judgment of an unwed mother during this time in history was harsh indeed. “Dread and fear” are exactly what young women like June must have experienced in the 1960s. What did June decide? Next week we’ll talk about June’s eventual choice.

If you’d like more information about the history of  The Pill and about the legalization of abortion in the United States, the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) has aired documentaries on these subjects.

 

You'll find more delicious novel excerpts here: Sweet Saturday Samples

Our sources:

The Pill:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/timeline/timeline2.html

Roe v Wade:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/clinic/wars/cases.html

Photo:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leffler_-_WomensLib1970_WashingtonDC.jpg

Lee's Favorite Titles

Do you have too many books and too little time? Then you might want to follow Lee Sinclair's example and just read book titles! Her post on the Boomers and Books blog gives her top five favorites, along with some delightful runners up. 


She writes:
Great titles relate to or reflect the content. So a well-named humorous book usually evokes a smile or even a laugh. A killer mystery title is intriguingly mysterious or perhaps has a dead body in it, while humorous mysteries slay you with  their mangled clichés or deadly puns. Literary titles should be profound, of course; nonfiction titles should be informative. Et cetera. 


It'll make you laugh. (My favorite: Thinner Thighs in Thirty Years.) Here's the link: Favorite Titles 

Sweet Saturday Samples - Feb 11

Welcome to Dallas, Texas and a scene from   I.O.U. Sex. In today’s excerpt June has gathered her courage and driven across town to Reid Automotive for what she hopes will be a face-to-face meeting with her former steady. She hasn’t seen Denny since high school, so does she just want her car serviced, or is she after more?

When she walked into the waiting area, she saw Denny standing behind the counter. June's heart thumped in her chest. A surge of panic made her stop and wonder if she could leave before he noticed her. She took a step backwards.

That's when Denny looked up and stared. He seemed puzzled at first, then his smile stretched into an enormous grin. His dark eyes sparkled like the chrome on the hubcaps nailed to the wall above his head.

"I knew it," he said. "June, you called last week, right? After you hung up, I thought 'That sounded like Junie.' " He walked around the counter, hands outstretched.

June smiled—too nervous to speak. She watched her high school love come toward her and a collage of memories collided in her brain.

Denny enclosed both her hands in his. "Gosh, it's great to see you. You look terrific. It's been a long time since I've seen that smile."

June took a deep breath. Her inner voice told her to be calm. After all, he said she looked terrific and seemed happy to see her. "It's good to see you too, Denny. I thought this might still be your garage. I wasn't sure."

"Oh, yeah, I'm still a working man, though my son Marty has taken over most of the business." He nodded toward an open service bay to his left. "You wanted an oil change, right? How about you leave your car here, and we grab some lunch while Marty takes care of it? We can catch up with each other and share some laughs about old times."

June hesitated. This was all happening quicker than she'd planned. She'd just walked in the door and now he wanted to go to lunch?

Then Denny spoke again, disappointment evident in his voice. "Look, I'm sorry. You're probably busy."

Do it, June's mind shouted. "Actually, I don't have anything planned until later this afternoon. I'd love to have lunch with you."

Denny's face lit up with a smile that used to make her want to kiss him senseless. June's face felt warm, and she hoped she wasn't blushing.

Courage, girl. He can't read your thoughts. Everything's under control.

She looked down and rummaged through her purse, glad for an excuse to look away for a moment. "Here are my keys. Mine is the silver Camry." She pointed to the parking lot with a pink-manicured nail.

"Okay, give me five minutes. You can't imagine how glad I am to see you." Denny took her keys, then walked out of the office and into the garage.

June sank onto a vinyl-covered chair, her knees weak. She clasped her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking, but she couldn't stop grinning.

I've done it. I've taken the first step.

What will June do next? And will she find the courage to tell Denny what she wished she’d confessed so many years before?

For Sweet Saturday Samples from more writers, click here: Sweet Stuff

Sweet Saturday Samples - Feb 4

In this excerpt from I.O.U. Sex, June has decided to take the plunge and meet her former steady, Denny, face-to-face by going to his place of business to surprise him. But first she has to prepare….

Showered, buffed, and lotioned, June spritzed perfume over her naked body. I'll wear my most expensive lace bra and panties, she thought, though no one but me will know. They'll give me confidence. She took extra time with her hair, sweeping it behind her ears the way Denny used to like it. Her ex-husband Stan said older women shouldn't wear their hair long, but she still thought shoulder length suited her best. She rejected Stan’s opinion as just one more of his many chauvinistic ideas and wondered why she'd tolerated him as long as she had. The day she and Stan parted, she'd decided to let her hair grow long again, her first act of defiance in years. She leaned in for a closer look in the mirror, pleased that her blonde highlights covered most of her gray.

June went to the closet, wondering what a woman should wear to have her car serviced by an old boyfriend. The thought made her laugh.

That's not something you'd read about in Emily Post.

After trying on and discarding four outfits, she settled on a short denim skirt and a cotton-candy pink T-shirt. Why not accentuate the positive? Her legs were chemically tanned and firm from years of aerobics, and Denny had always liked her in pink. She added silver hoops to her ears and straightened her shoulders for a last look in the mirror. She turned sideways, patting her not-so-flat stomach, frowning at her not-so-perky breasts.

Stan's criticisms nagged: Is that cellulite on the back of your thighs?

Now she answered him in words she'd never spoken aloud. "Shut up, and get out of my mind. I may not be perfect, but for a woman my age, I look pretty damned good."

Then another worry surfaced. What exactly would she say to Denny?

"Hi, it's me. June. I'm a part-time writer, the mother of a grown son, and the survivor of a nasty divorce. Oh, and by the way, I’ve made a pact with Kiki and Peggy, and I’m here to offer you the very thing I wouldn’t do in high school. What’s new with you?”

She decided not to over-think their meeting but to play it by ear instead. After all, this was just an oil change. No big deal.

Yeah. Right.

She grabbed her purse, took a deep breath, and locked the door behind her.

Will June go forward and actually meet with Denny or will she chicken out at the last minute? And what will his reaction be? We’ll continue with June’s story in the weeks to come. Thanks for visiting our Sweet Saturday Sample!


[Note: The foregoing excerpt has been edited to maintain a PG-13 rating.]
Illustration source: "Woman looking at her reflection in mirror," (1918) by Frederic Dorr Steele.  From the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

For more Sweet Saturday Samples, click here:  

Sweet Stuff

Sasee Magazine

Check out my essay "Boomer Exercise / Memory Program" featured in the February issue of Sasee Magazine -- both online and in print. Here's the link: BEMP


~ Sandy Nachlinger

Boomers and Books

Check out the latest post on the Boomers and Books blog:

Hyperbole on Boomers and Books

~ Sandy Nachlinger