The Writer's View: Lin Brooks

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I travel a lot. And I do mean a lot. Some of it is voluntary and some not. That means the view from my window changes enough that it never gets dull.

I decided many years ago that I didn't want a bucket list. I've never been a patient person. Why wait? I'm ready now. So I learned that the best way to keep that list from ever getting out of hand is to just do the things you want to do. I am blessed with a daughter, she's twenty now, with a spirit similar to mine. When she was 11 and I was a single mom, I decided I wanted to go to the Bahamas. I had never been out of the country, outside of a road trip to Quebec when I was a teenager. I'm a hopeless beach bum, it was November, and I was already tired of the cold and longing for some sunshine. I found a deal on a cruise, and three weeks later we were sailing for Nassau.

I was hooked. I take a lot of business trips, and I learned to add a day or two to the trip and use those opportunities to get out and see new things. I toured Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Rome. I took my daughter out of school for business trips to New York, Tampa and New Orleans. For our vacations, I vowed that we would spend spring break somewhere out of the country every other year. We went to Cozumel, St. Thomas, St, Maarten, Puerto Rico, and to the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben and Dzibilchaltun. For her senior trip, my daughter chose Fiji. Then there was her study abroad program at her university, where we wound up touring Italy from Cinque Terre in the north, to Pompeii in the south. When I got remarried, my new husband and I spent a week touring Jamaica (the picture is the view from our cottage). My daughter and I ran half marathons in Destin and Orlando. We're running our first full marathon near Dallas on New Year's Day. And, of course, I can’t forget the flying lessons I took with my husband. If you’ve ever wondered what Gulf Shores looks like from the cockpit of a plane no bigger than my shoe, I’m happy to report that the view from that window is spectacular.

Today, when I look out my window, I see bright sunshine, blue skies and a hot Southern fall day. The grass needs mowing, and there are two rescue cats, Yoko and Annie, stretched out in the sun. I have a bichon/poodle that will take off after them at warp speed as soon as I give in to his demands to turn him loose in the yard (it won’t be long—I just can’t resist those big brown eyes). Just past them is my herb garden, and the basil and oregano are lush and green. I love where I live. There is just enough here to have what I need no more than a block away, but not so much to create congestion, high cost of living and chaos. Some might say there isn't enough to do here to keep things interesting. I don't agree. At home, I can relax, putter around the house, go to the beach and take an occasional night on the town. And when I feel the need to change the view, the airport is only five minutes away.

About the Author:

Lin Brooks is a lifelong Southern girl who lives in Mobile, Alabama with her family. Lin is a lawyer, runner, mother, home improvement enthusiast and an avid reader with a bucket list that includes visiting Australia, running a marathon and trying every kind of margarita ever made.

Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005I56O5W
Blog: http://lin-brooks.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Sending the children off to college is never easy. For Lacey Marchand and Cara Myers, an empty nest is enough to drive them a little crazy -- but sometimes, a little crazy is just what the doctor ordered.

Now that their daughters have left for college, Lacey and Cara have too much time on their hands. With nothing else to do, Cara decides to help single-mom Lacey get a life. And what better way to get a life than a few blind dates?

Lacey, however, can't think of a worse way to spend her weekends. She has her own ideas for curing their empty nest problems -- Cara needs a new career. And a career just happens to be what Lacey understands best.

For Cara and Lacey, coping with the empty nest means reinventing their lives without losing their sanity. Where the Greener Grass Grows is the story of two mothers learning to live, to laugh and to let go.