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Jackie & Steve #1
Stashes
Stashes is set in Michigan, where auto manufacturing and agriculture forged a reliable middle class. It’s Fall 2009, after unfortunate real estate practices gutted the American Dream. The plot focuses on two the traditional, yet spunky Jackie and her dairy managing husband Steve, and their son, Brandon and his conniving wife, Amy. When Brandon loses his job and home to foreclosure, he and Amy must move in with the folks, who, with a desire to be as capricious as their kids, leave their homestead in the care of Brandon and Amy to travel the US by RV. Amy expands the business with pot cookies, dragging Brandon and Jackie into the scheme. As the local bank’s VP, Amy secretly increases the Home Equity Line of Credit that financed the RV. Oops! Stashes is a comical crossover between family saga and drug caper, satire spun with good-natured American wit and grit.
183 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2014
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
P.J. Colando
4 books32 followersI was born and raised in the Midwest, but unabashedly aspired for adventure elsewhere, following my parents' model.
I live in southern California, where seasons seldom matter and where any promise can be conjured and fulfilled. I write while my husband watches TV sports, which are always in season = often.
My genre is commercial women's fiction.
I am having a blast! And, I hope you are, too. Reading is a privilege, a rite, a gift.
I live in southern California, where seasons seldom matter and where any promise can be conjured and fulfilled. I write while my husband watches TV sports, which are always in season = often.
My genre is commercial women's fiction.
I am having a blast! And, I hope you are, too. Reading is a privilege, a rite, a gift.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 14, 2019
“Stashes” by PJ Colando can be described in one word “hilarious.” The Breeden family, Jackie and Steve, live in Michigan and run an organic dairy farm. Jackie works in the cafeteria at the local school, and Steve runs the farm full time after losing his job at GM. Their son Brandon also works at GM after a failed football career, and his wife Amy is a bank executive. This all seems quite ordinary, and perhaps a bit tedious, but I assure you nothing about this whole family is conventional or dull.
When Brandon loses his job at GM, Jackie and Steve buy a Winnebago/Off-We-Wanna-Go motor home and leave the Brandon and Amy to run the family farm. The entire family spirals into a comical abyss of counter culture, economic disasters, and travel trauma that is both outlandish and absolutely believable.
The narrative style is peppered with popular culture references and mid-western vocabulary. The point of view alternates between the third person narrative of the senior Breedens and their adventures frolicking across the country in the motor home, and the first person view of Amy and her strategic planning down on the organic farm.
“Stashes” is compelling because the characters are. The Breedens are naive but at the same time world wise. They are worried and yet carefree. Above all, they are devoted to each other and to football. Every reader knows people just like the Breedens; every reader is one of the Breedens, but no one will admit it.
“Stashes” by PJ Colando is uproarious and quick to read. From the Wal-Martians and the cow manure, to poking the Pillsbury Dough Boy, this book is filled with laughs. Things did not work out the way the Breedens dreamed, but they are dreamers and planners. We should all be a little more like them.
When Brandon loses his job at GM, Jackie and Steve buy a Winnebago/Off-We-Wanna-Go motor home and leave the Brandon and Amy to run the family farm. The entire family spirals into a comical abyss of counter culture, economic disasters, and travel trauma that is both outlandish and absolutely believable.
The narrative style is peppered with popular culture references and mid-western vocabulary. The point of view alternates between the third person narrative of the senior Breedens and their adventures frolicking across the country in the motor home, and the first person view of Amy and her strategic planning down on the organic farm.
“Stashes” is compelling because the characters are. The Breedens are naive but at the same time world wise. They are worried and yet carefree. Above all, they are devoted to each other and to football. Every reader knows people just like the Breedens; every reader is one of the Breedens, but no one will admit it.
“Stashes” by PJ Colando is uproarious and quick to read. From the Wal-Martians and the cow manure, to poking the Pillsbury Dough Boy, this book is filled with laughs. Things did not work out the way the Breedens dreamed, but they are dreamers and planners. We should all be a little more like them.
February 10, 2015
Fun Romp
I thoroughly enjoyed reading PJ Colando's novel Stashes. The novel takes the reader on a cross-country adventure with a middle-aged dairy farming couple from central Michigan traveling across the western United States in their Winnebago.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading PJ Colando's novel Stashes. The novel takes the reader on a cross-country adventure with a middle-aged dairy farming couple from central Michigan traveling across the western United States in their Winnebago.
April 11, 2015
Stashes Oh gosh what a fun book. I did have to read it in bits and starts, not because I did not like it, but because I had other committments to get through. I did finally finish it and thought it was one of the most humerous books I had read in some time.
A typical midwestern couple, with a son and daughter in law. The couple, Steve and Jackie, he a dairy farmer and she works at a school. Jackie decides to retire and they buy a RV and the fun begins. They goal is to travel the country and let their son take over the business. Their daughter in law, Amy, who works in a bank, comes up with a brilliant idea to sell "pot' cookies along with the bottled milk that the dairy delivers. Now mind you Jackie is all for this, has imbibed a bit in the wacky tabacy a bit herself. Well she is is of the baby boomer generation!! She agrees with Amy and they set up one of the barns as a place to grow the stuff and Jackie and Steve head off on their adventure.
Sadly while on the road they find out that the nest egg they though they had is gone, thanks to Amy's dabbling into the account. Amy has made some financial errors in Steve and Jackies accounts and it causes some big issues. She tells this to Jackie over the phone and the Breeden's are forced to come back home with limited funds.
Told in alternating viewpoints with a lot of humor thrown into the mix. Jackie and Steve are a great couple, the son needs a kick in the pants and the daughter in law is just not my favorite character but they say things happen for a reason and that is the premise of the whole story. I could relate a lot to the Breeden's as we are of an age. This is a lighthearted and funny story. I got the giggles when explaining the book to hubby. I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next one in the series, Hashes and Bashes.
A typical midwestern couple, with a son and daughter in law. The couple, Steve and Jackie, he a dairy farmer and she works at a school. Jackie decides to retire and they buy a RV and the fun begins. They goal is to travel the country and let their son take over the business. Their daughter in law, Amy, who works in a bank, comes up with a brilliant idea to sell "pot' cookies along with the bottled milk that the dairy delivers. Now mind you Jackie is all for this, has imbibed a bit in the wacky tabacy a bit herself. Well she is is of the baby boomer generation!! She agrees with Amy and they set up one of the barns as a place to grow the stuff and Jackie and Steve head off on their adventure.
Sadly while on the road they find out that the nest egg they though they had is gone, thanks to Amy's dabbling into the account. Amy has made some financial errors in Steve and Jackies accounts and it causes some big issues. She tells this to Jackie over the phone and the Breeden's are forced to come back home with limited funds.
Told in alternating viewpoints with a lot of humor thrown into the mix. Jackie and Steve are a great couple, the son needs a kick in the pants and the daughter in law is just not my favorite character but they say things happen for a reason and that is the premise of the whole story. I could relate a lot to the Breeden's as we are of an age. This is a lighthearted and funny story. I got the giggles when explaining the book to hubby. I really enjoyed it and look forward to the next one in the series, Hashes and Bashes.
March 21, 2015
This was a funny book that reminded me of Griswold's crazy adventures. Only this book is when the characters are older and getting into all sorts of chaos. I really liked that the author was able to include real important issues that I could relate to. I could also laugh along as well. I liked that the book was also about family drama and how to deal with fighting in-laws. These are real issues that I could relate to. I also liked reading thoughts about medical marijuana, especially as some states are starting to make it legal. I have never gone camping before so that was also interesting to read about for me. I liked the ending and I think that Amy's character especially was where she was supposed to be. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review from the author, however all opinions are my own,
February 5, 2015
Stashes - Whatever Happened to Earn by P.J. Colando is a humorous look at life. For Jackie and Steve Breedon, life couldn't be any better. They have a small farm, their surrounding fields are rented and they are a contented couple. Their son loses his job and it looks as though he and his wife are going to lose their house as well. Steve comes up with the idea of cashing in some of their savings, buying an RV and traveling while their son Brandon takes over the house. What starts as a dream soon becomes reality and Jackie and Steve take off on their new life. This is two stories in one - this is the story of their adventures on the road, and it is the story of how Brandon and Amy survived at the farm. With a twist of conflict, of course.
January 21, 2015
Stashes is an enjoyable slice of life read staring empty nesters,Jackie and Steve Breeden. Their solution for helping their newlywed son while making the most of their retirement is unique. With a light, humorous touch, P. J. Conands covers a number of real-life family issue. In places the pace is slowed by overshadowing well developed, likeable characters with too many witty lines. However, Emma Bombeck fans are sure to find P. J. Colands a delight.
August 28, 2025
The characters were boring, rather flat, and predictable in some places, while the choices they made didn’t make any sense. The author tried to make the plot funny, but it was mostly absurd.
January 13, 2016
*The author provided me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review which follows*
Meet Jackie and Steve Breeden, your average hard-working, dairy farming, salt of the earth kind of folks who live on a rural farm in Michigan. Time has marched on in their lives, and both, Jackie and Steve, realize that as they are getting older their dream of hitting the road and seeing the beauty of what America has to offer, in the style of their hero Charles Kuralt, is becoming a shadowy memory. Life for the Breeden’s has become predictable and dull.
Just when Jackie and Steve accept that their dream is gone, their son Brandon abruptly loses his job at the GM Plant not far from town. Armed with the knowledge that Brandon and his wife, Amy, a Vice President at the local bank, are going to lose their home to foreclosure, Jackie and Steve decide to buy a Winnebago. It is a win-win situation for all of them. Brandon and Amy can move into their house while Brandon tends the milking business, and Steve and Jackie can travel and explore the United States fulfilling their lifelong dream. What could possibly go wrong?
Meanwhile, back at the farm…
Amy is a conniving, whining, money obsessed twenty-something, typical of an entitled generation. Amy decides that she is not going to take losing all the things she worked so hard to possess, just because they wallowed in insurmountable debt. In Amy’s eyes, she deserves her luxuries, no matter what!
In no time, Amy hatches a scheme to expand the Breeden’s micro dairy business by growing and selling marijuana edibles, convincing Jackie that this is the way of the future. One day while at work at the bank, Amy secretly manipulates the amount of the loan for the Winnebago and the line of credit to finance supplies for her burgeoning marijuana crop.
Jackie and Steve leave for their trip, entrusting the care of their home and business to their son and daughter-in-law finally free to pursue their baby boomer dream. What could possibly go wrong?
Recommendation:
Stashes was one of the funniest and most enjoyable books in this genre I have read in a long time. Maybe it had to do with the language (I am from Wisconsin, the book takes place in Michigan) or maybe it had to do with the stage of life I find myself at but I felt a strong connection. I enjoyed the loveable characters of Jackie and Steve and felt right at home with their dialog and their thoughts. There were times that I silently howled with laughter at the situations all of these characters ended up in. The best part was that every challenge was believable and realistic in our world today!
I also enjoyed the approach that PJ Colando took in the story telling. She used two protagonists so you got both points of view, that from Jackie telling her side of the story, and Amy elaborating her’s. This made the story richer by sharing the generational ideals of the two women. You can only imagine the fireworks between these two.
The character of the daughter-in-law, Amy was fascinating to me. You had to love her determination and grit, even though she always seemed to make disastrous decisions. In fact, I liked that Amy mirrored many of Jackie’s attitudes. The fact that the women didn’t recognize that about each other added to the absurdity of their lives and decisions. P J Colando describes her book as a “fictional farce,” and I couldn’t agree with her more.
Humor aside, this book deals with the realities of life in the heartland of America and how people are dealing with life in a downsized economy. The issues of medical marijuana are humorously discussed without demeaning the positive qualities of such a program, or demeaning the laws in place to protect the rights of all citizens.
What I loved most about the book was the moral tug of war Jackie had with herself while trying to honor her values as a friend, wife, and mother. Many of these lessons were interwoven with humor and faith, a joyful combination. Stashes will help you realize that staying true to your beliefs and values is not always an easy thing and sometimes you have to be creative to survive!
Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 4
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 4
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 4.5 out of five stars
Meet Jackie and Steve Breeden, your average hard-working, dairy farming, salt of the earth kind of folks who live on a rural farm in Michigan. Time has marched on in their lives, and both, Jackie and Steve, realize that as they are getting older their dream of hitting the road and seeing the beauty of what America has to offer, in the style of their hero Charles Kuralt, is becoming a shadowy memory. Life for the Breeden’s has become predictable and dull.
Just when Jackie and Steve accept that their dream is gone, their son Brandon abruptly loses his job at the GM Plant not far from town. Armed with the knowledge that Brandon and his wife, Amy, a Vice President at the local bank, are going to lose their home to foreclosure, Jackie and Steve decide to buy a Winnebago. It is a win-win situation for all of them. Brandon and Amy can move into their house while Brandon tends the milking business, and Steve and Jackie can travel and explore the United States fulfilling their lifelong dream. What could possibly go wrong?
Meanwhile, back at the farm…
Amy is a conniving, whining, money obsessed twenty-something, typical of an entitled generation. Amy decides that she is not going to take losing all the things she worked so hard to possess, just because they wallowed in insurmountable debt. In Amy’s eyes, she deserves her luxuries, no matter what!
In no time, Amy hatches a scheme to expand the Breeden’s micro dairy business by growing and selling marijuana edibles, convincing Jackie that this is the way of the future. One day while at work at the bank, Amy secretly manipulates the amount of the loan for the Winnebago and the line of credit to finance supplies for her burgeoning marijuana crop.
Jackie and Steve leave for their trip, entrusting the care of their home and business to their son and daughter-in-law finally free to pursue their baby boomer dream. What could possibly go wrong?
Recommendation:
Stashes was one of the funniest and most enjoyable books in this genre I have read in a long time. Maybe it had to do with the language (I am from Wisconsin, the book takes place in Michigan) or maybe it had to do with the stage of life I find myself at but I felt a strong connection. I enjoyed the loveable characters of Jackie and Steve and felt right at home with their dialog and their thoughts. There were times that I silently howled with laughter at the situations all of these characters ended up in. The best part was that every challenge was believable and realistic in our world today!
I also enjoyed the approach that PJ Colando took in the story telling. She used two protagonists so you got both points of view, that from Jackie telling her side of the story, and Amy elaborating her’s. This made the story richer by sharing the generational ideals of the two women. You can only imagine the fireworks between these two.
The character of the daughter-in-law, Amy was fascinating to me. You had to love her determination and grit, even though she always seemed to make disastrous decisions. In fact, I liked that Amy mirrored many of Jackie’s attitudes. The fact that the women didn’t recognize that about each other added to the absurdity of their lives and decisions. P J Colando describes her book as a “fictional farce,” and I couldn’t agree with her more.
Humor aside, this book deals with the realities of life in the heartland of America and how people are dealing with life in a downsized economy. The issues of medical marijuana are humorously discussed without demeaning the positive qualities of such a program, or demeaning the laws in place to protect the rights of all citizens.
What I loved most about the book was the moral tug of war Jackie had with herself while trying to honor her values as a friend, wife, and mother. Many of these lessons were interwoven with humor and faith, a joyful combination. Stashes will help you realize that staying true to your beliefs and values is not always an easy thing and sometimes you have to be creative to survive!
Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 4
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 4
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 4.5 out of five stars
August 3, 2015
PJ writes an entertaining story with a superb description of folkloric characters and current situations in the United States. Describes the glaring differences between two generations, parents and children, how they face life and solve problems, living in a Midwest town. Highly detailed descriptions in a way that sometimes is like being in front of a painting or photography of places, people and actions. Amy, the daughter-in-law, almighty, coming from California, who takes everything ahead to meet her consumerist needs with different ethical and moral values. Jackie is the typical "good wife", baby-boomer, church-girl, to whom leaving her comfort zone to travel the country in an RV would be her great adventure. The witty, sharp, surprising ideas and events in the story come hand in hand with the women therein. You'll agree, disagree, you'll be amazed, and some things may seem crazy, but you will enjoy a fun and amusing reading.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews