Short and Sweet Review: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

 

If you spend much time in the writing world it won’t take long before someone recommends you read Stephen King’s book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. It’s happened to me several times. But I confess, I’m not a fan of the horror genre that King writes in so…I was a little squeamish about what this book might hold in store for me. Not anymore!

 

Let me start by saying that anyone who loves a good Stephen King tale will really enjoy the first third of this book. Indeed, if you are a big fan, it’s worth getting it just for that. King is so much a part of our literary—and movie—history at this point that you’ll no doubt have enough personal knowledge of his work to at least be curious. And really, he does a wonderful job of spinning the tale of the pivotal moments in his early life that fed into his success as a writer.

 

If you’re hoping to get a glimpse into the story behind the accident that briefly side-lined his career, that comes nearer the end. But even non-writers might find the ‘writer stuff’ interesting because King has a way with words that makes the reading fun, even at the most potentially dull grammatically particular passages.   

 

And about that ‘writer stuff’. It’s pretty interesting too. You’ll learn much about how broadly he reads and how seriously he takes the English language (he was an English teacher once upon a time, after all). King has great respect for Mr. Strunk and Mr. White. If you’re a writer and haven’t dug into The Elements of Style for a while, you’ll get a little refresher course here, and maybe gain a new appreciation of that classic. But you’ll also learn about the rules King still breaks—and why.

 

For writers, this part of the book is pure gold. Well, really the whole thing is. From start to finish you’ll learn the back story behind so many of the story choices the author made throughout his career. What shaped the character of Carrie? How much of the author is reflected by the character of Paul, the author, in Misery? Frankly, I wish he’d write another book to fill us in on more story creation gems like these.

 

You’ll also gain some insight into what his career has been like, professionally and personally. His wife, Tabitha, is also a writer, and everything he writes is written with her in mind. She’s his ‘Ideal Reader’, the first to read and critique his work. Her opinion is number one for King.     

 

One of King’s pearls of wisdom is, “If God gives you something you can do, why in God’s name wouldn’t you do it?”  If you’re not already a King fan you might be tempted to pick up another one of his books after you read this one because King does what he can do, and he does it very well.  

 

 

Short and Sweet Review: Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and The Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson

Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t seen the movie Breakfast At Tiffany’s or read the story...tread with caution for spoilers in this book review...

I fell in love with the movie Breakfast At Tiffany’s when I was younger. It seemed so glamourous and nutty and sentimental. When I got older I read Truman Capote’s original short story and realized the story was darker and Holly Golightly, that delightful party girl, was really a uptown version of Julia Robert’s character in Pretty Woman. 

So I saw the story differently. It still had glamour and that zany touch, but now there was heartbreak and that sense of two lost souls finding each other to cling to, even if one of them was determined not to. I still tear up every time they find each other...and the cat, in that rainy alley and Henry Mancini’s ‘Moon River’ swells in the background.

Maybe it’s corny and dated...or maybe it’s not. But what it was, at the time, was groundbreaking. The producers were determined to bring it to the screen but they tweaked that story good and Capote pretty much checked out after a while leaving George Axelrod to craft a perfect screenplay, one that kept the essence of the story but beat out just enough of the gritty truth for the Hollywood censors to find acceptable.

In addition to choosing Axelrod as the screenwriter, they made a couple of other genius decisions; they picked Blake Edwards to direct and Audrey Hepburn to star as Holly. Even George Peppard and Patricia Neal seem perfectly cast, though George comes off far less than charming off screen.

I could go on about the perfect casting of the other characters, including Buddy Epsen, who brings a heartrending clarity to the soul of the real Holly. But this book is about the making of the movie and the back story there is fascinating. The efforts that went into getting that perfect opening shot of Holly on Fifth Avenue in front of Tiffany’s gave me a whole new appreciation for the scene as well as the use of New York City almost as a character itself.

It took monumental effort to convince Audrey, with her squeaky clean image, and her controlling husband, Mel Ferrer, to take on what was considered a very risqué part at the time. This movie dealt with the underbelly of all those wacky ‘50’s and ‘60’s movies about sweet girls going to the big city and finding love. It cracked open the shell of fiction and pulled out a little reality, opening the door to more realistic movies in the years to come.  Sex, though unseen, was very obvious. And innocent though she claimed to, Holly still visited Sing Sing prison to deliver the ‘the weather report ‘to Sally Tomato (a great name for a character if ever there was one!). It’s hard to believe that a gal so world weary and wise wouldn’t have a clue what that was all about.

In the story behind the story we find out Audrey longed to return home to her infant son, that George and Patricia went together off screen like oil and vinegar, that the actor that played the aristocratic Jose really was an aristocrat...and so many more delightful behind the scene revelations.

No one was quite sure how the public would take this movie. Would they hate Audrey for taking a part they’d feel was beneath her? Would they find the humor crass? Of course, we know now it was a success, so much so that it got four Oscar nominations, including one for Audrey. But in the end, it was Henry Mancini’s score that took home the only prize.

Of course, we need to address the elephant in the room, the casting of Andy Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi, the wacky Japanese neighbor. Unfortunately they went with Rooney instead of a well-known Asian actor (and they had a great option but passed  up). I don’t even recall if that character was in the book...but either way, in today’s light, it’s a difficult characterization to watch and clearly an unfortunate choice. I think readers will find that part of the story interesting and frustrating. You have to watch a movie not just in the light of the period it was set in but the period it was made in. It’s a reflection of its time and I’d hope a casting mistake like that could never happen today. Don’t hold it against the movie as a whole, which is otherwise a gem.

Clearly, I’m a fan, and if you love the movie too you will love digging into the book for all the details. You’ll see the movie differently, I guarantee it, but you’ll probably enjoy it more.

A Short and Sweet Review: The Splendid and The Vile by Erik Larson

As I write this we are all living through the COVID-19 isolation/slow reopening and the accompanying shortages, stresses and, in the midst of it all, hopefully discovering new ways to make our lives whole. It couldn’t be a more appropriate time for this book to arrive on bookshelves.

Erik Larson’s The SplendidAnd The Vile is an insightfully detailed and revealing book about the first year of Winston Churchill’s amazing term as Prime Minister (PM) of Great Britain during WWII. If you are tempted to hit the snooze button when you read the word Churchill, please don’t! This is not a snooze book, it’s a riveting retelling of a harrowing year, truly a page turner.

Churchill came into office just as France was falling to the Germans and it became more and more obvious that if England didn’t stop them, all of Europe would be under the control of the Third Reich. But England wasn’t prepared. They were low on everything, including money. They needed help desperately, but in America, President Roosevelt was dealing with isolationists who wanted no part of another World War.

And that’s when Hitler decided to unleash the full force of his air force, the Luftwaffe, trying to beat the English to a pulp, leaving them no option but surrender. No place was safe, not your couch, bed, or even the London underground. Eventually, the bombs set massive stretches of London ablaze and literally decimated port and industrial cities around the nation.

Despite the misgivings of many, including the King, Churchill was the man. His past was complicated, his character unusual, but he was truly THE man to save the nation. His voice lifted up the people and helped bolster their courage. His relentless determination drove the government to perform and produce at heights they never would have reached without him.

Larson has done a fabulous job of taking us into the inner circle, seeing the PM, his family and those around him as human beings. Even in wartime so much of life still goes on. The details are delightful! Turns out the King had the British embassy in Washington DC acquire his favorite toilet paper when there were shortages at home—something we can all relate to these days.

The PM’s character was unique, and not always popular. He demanded two baths a day--no matter where he was--and dictated constantly, even from bed or the bath, to his loyal secretaries. Evenings were often late and likely to find Churchill, cigar and drink in hand, strutting the premises in his silk dressing gown or on the rooftop of 10 Downing Street, watching Luftwaffe bombs fall while most Londoners took cover.

Along the way we come to know several in his circle quite well: his daughter Mary, young and in search of love and a purpose during the war; his daughter-in-law, Pamela, who fought a losing battle to keep her family together despite her husband’s gambling addiction. But best of all, we meet John Colville, the PM’s personal secretary.  Colville saw it all, both private and public, and wrote about it in his incredible diary, a practice national security would very much have frowned upon at the time, but which paid off nicely for historians.

This is a period I’ve always found fascinating, but even if it’s not your ‘cuppa’ of tea, Larson is a writer who knows how to make a reader appreciate the intimate moment, feel the fear and joy, celebrate the wins...and grieve the losses. We owe our inestimable gratitude to the men and women within the pages of this book, who fought against all odds to save their future. This one will stick with you long after you read the last word.

Reading: Pandemic Survival Strategy?

When I find myself stuck inside hiding from a pandemic, I kinda hope I have a good book. How about you? I thought so. That being said, I was curious what everyone is reading. I just finished ‘Fifth Avenue, 5 a.m.’, which, if you LOVE the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s (I do!!) you MUST read...it’s the behind the scenes and a lot of fun. And fun sounds good right now, right?

So I thought I’d look online for recommendations of fun books to read. I did NOT look for books with a pandemic theme because, well, we’ve already got that, right? But if you’re a glutton for punishment go for it! And Google/Siri/Alexa just don’t seem to understand me when I ask for fun book, they're suggestions were a mixed bag that made me wonder if they even have a sense of humor. I doubt it, although Alexa will tell you joke if you ask her to. (really, try it!)

Then I looked at lists of books you simply MUST read, darling. (Sorry...that’s Holly Golightly speaking through me...she’s hard to shake). Now those lists are what I will call erudite, which means ‘makes you look smart because you read them’. And guess what, you may have read some of them: To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, Hamlet, Animal Farm...I know, I’m dozing off already.  Not what we’d call ‘fun’ reading, although TKAM is fabulous, just not laugh-out-loud fabulous. Okay, so that’s not a very useful list for our current circumstances...right?

Let’s do more digging...what do you like? Sci-Fi? Romance? Thrillers? Mystery? Well, I could go on, but the list is long and we all find different things ‘fun’. One person’s romantic comedy is another person’s Steampunk thriller.  It’s kind of subjective, right?

So what do to when you need a good read and you’re stuck at home? I’m assuming here that you have some sort of reader (Kindle, Nook, etc) or can order your book in from Amazon, etc. If not, you can, so figure it out, you’ve got the time.

Just how do you find THE book(s)? The best way is to ask other readers what they are reading and enjoying and guess what, there are nearly as many options for that as there are books. Start with Goodreads. Go to the Community tab and click on Groups. Then plug in the type of book you like. You’ll see lots of groups that chat about books in your favorite genres. And you can join and interact with ‘your people’, too!

So, go find your next fun read—check my past blogs for some ideas, or even one of my books, if you like. But there’s a great read out there just waiting for you and it will hold your hand and take you away from all this shelter-in-place, lock-down, and quarantine craziness. At least for a little while.

A Short and Sweet Review: Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz

If you are a fan of all things Julia you will love this book...it might even become a personal treasure that you enjoy rereading as your beef bourguignon is percolating in the oven. If you've written Julia Child off as a skit on SNL, you'll be delightfully surprised by how accessible and personable the real woman was. And if you've ever pursued a dream, trying to make it real, this book will stick with you long after you turn the last page.

I had heard how little Julia knew about cooking before moving to France with her dear husband, Paul. (in the 'how to husband' handbook, they should put a chapter on Paul!). But I was blown away...oh my, she ate dreadfully and really, it wasn't her fault. She just hadn't met a beautiful filet of sole marinating in a luscious puddle of butter yet.

But she will, and that's so much a part of the fun of this book. Really, Julia had quite a life story going (yes, she was working in the precursor of the CIA during WWII!) before she found her life's calling. But once she found it she dove in head first and never looked back.

So much of her story is also a love story about her life with Paul, and readers will want to know more about this creative and supportive man. But it's also the story of so many cooks who learned to love their craft because of a woman who fell in love with food and then made the rest of us fall in love too.

Short and Sweet Review: Wish Upon a Cowboy by Jennie Marts

Harper Evans’ luck has been very bad. She trusted her mother and that landed her in the county Jail, with custody of her son going to her mother-in-law, who was never her fan. She’s free now and ready to reclaim her son and make a fresh start, the only problem is she’s broke and stuck in a Colorado mountain town with no friends and only a slim thread of hope to hang onto.

Logan Rivers just fired his housekeeper because her idea of keeping house had more to do with playing between the sheets than washing them. Now he’s running the family ranch while his dad is out of town and doesn’t have time for cleaning house and putting three squares on the table every day. Plus, the learning disability he struggled with in his youth has led to what seems like an insurmountable problem that could cost the ranch thousands, not to mention what little self-respect he still has.

When Harper applies to be Logan’s new housekeeper she decides not to tell him about her son, or her bad luck with the law. Her new job might solve one problem for them both, but neither of them expects the growing attraction they start to feel. Logan’s luck in love has been lousy and he’s not anxious to be hurt again. Harper came to town looking for her son and she can’t get him back without a steady job and a place to live. If she risks her heart with Logan and tells him the truth does she put her future with her son at risk?  

Once again Ms. Marts is drawing her readers back to the cowboys of Creedance, Colorado and readers will be happy to go on this journey. Personally, this is my favorite book of this series thus far. The author has written compelling characters with fleshed out back stories. Plus, with each new book Marts adds layers to the community of Creedance and its citizens. By now readers are feeling very much at home with the folks they’ve come to love and root for in this little mountain town. There’s no doubt they’ll be rooting for Harper and Logan as well.

Short and Sweet Review: Circe by Madeline Miller

I am not normally a fan of ‘Best Of’ lists, like best books of the year, best summer reads, etc. I find they tend toward either the depressing or the pretentious. Why is that? Why can’t lists like that be filled with fun books that you’ll find hard to put down and even harder to say farewell to when you reach the end? But that’s a topic of another post.

I’m also not particularly into the ancient Greed gods, although I do have the basic working knowledge a liberal arts education affords those who at least pay some attention in class. So you can imagine how uninterested I might be in a ‘Best Of’ book that revolves around the Greek gods. I know, right? And yet...

Circe kept showing up on list after list; it kept being mentioned here and there in various interviews and articles. I’ve even heard it’s been optioned for a TV series. Plus, I am a fan of Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily mystery series. The delightfully strong-willed heroine is, as her fans know, completely smitten with the ancient Greeks, so you get a little schooling in that arena along with a great story to boot. In other words, all the pieces were in place for me to finally jump in and read Circe. And I’m so glad I did!

Author Madeline Miller has done an ingenious job of taking the ancient gods and incorporating their existing stories into a fully developed tale of Circe, the daughter of Helios, the sun god, who traverses the heavens daily, spreading the sunlight from sunrise to sunset. While he’s an awesome god, he’s not much of a dad. Still, Circe is devoted to him and follows him everywhere. She’s the classic odd-kid-out of the family: not as lovely as her sisters, not as talented at, really, anything.

Circe longs for acceptance and love, but she’s the independent type as well and she’s discovered a growing knowledge of herbology, along with a talent for witchcraft. When she finds love in the wrong place—with a mortal—and breaks a BIG rule in the god realm in the process of trying to make her love acceptable, Zeus commands she pay a price. And with gods, those prices can be steep. She’s banished to live alone forever on a remote island.

You’d think she’d be devastated, but Circe finds satisfaction in being removed from the petty concerns of the gods. She’s able to find herself and develop her talents. Not that it’s easy, or fast. These things take time, centuries even. And gaining wisdom from what you learn takes even longer.

This could have been a long slog through eternity with Circe alone on that island. But it turns out she gets a lot of visitors. Hermes, the god of, well, a bunch of stuff, keeps popping in. He’s full of the latest gossip and good for a turn between the sheets. She knows he’s also reporting back to the curious gods what’s happening on her island—gods love gossip, it seems. Pretty soon mortals come to her shores as well. And let’s just say, you don’t want to come to her house with anything but good intentions. She can be an unforgiving hostess.

Despite the occasional bad guest, Circe finds herself growing more and more fond of those pesky mortals. Aren’t they cute? Some are even lovable. The gods, however, haven’t forgotten her and she gets a brief reprieve from island life to help out her relatives, but you know how it is when you visit relatives, the results can be monstrous-literally.

Eventually, the reason you probably know Circe’s name arrives: Odysseus, hero of The Odyssey. (You read that in school, right? No? Well...me neither, but I get the idea and you will too.) Soon, he is smitten with Circe and she with him, although with mortals, nothing lasts forever. Her relationship with Odysseus sets into motion all the pieces needed to pull together Circe’s lose ends. There are still many twists and turns ahead for her and I don’t want to give anything more away, so I’ll leave you with this. Read this book, it’s quite an epic tale of its own. You’ll be glad you did and, like so many good books, it will stick with you after you’re done. Plus, you’ll learn all that great god info in a very user friendly venue—it’s a win/win.

Bottom line, this is one of the best written, most beautifully fleshed out page turners I’ve read in a long time. I’m in awe of Ms. Miller; she knows her stuff, both with the Greek gods and with the art of writing. Well done!

ps...google the different gods as you meet them, it's fun to get a quick low down on each one's story and helps you better appreciate the big picture. 

For The Love of a Good Series: Cowboy’s of Creedance Series by Jennie Marts

#3 in the series: It Started With A Cowboy

I am late to the party with this fun cowboy/hockey romance by Jennie Marts. I missed the first two books(Caught Up In a Cowboy and You Had Me At Cowboy) but I’ll be going back to catch up on the other James brothers. In the meantime, let me tell you about this one...

Colt James is part of a large ranching family that seems to have an endless supply of handsome sons. And not just handsome, but good guys, in their ways. Though they’re cowboys they also love hockey, and Colt’s older brother is a professional hockey player. Colt had his own hockey dreams but an accident put an end to that and, even worse, an end to his confidence. In his mind, he’s cursed and no success can come his way in life or love.

Enter Chloe Bishop, an adorable, caring school teacher with a wicked case of ‘neat freak’. She likes a place for everything and everything in its place. Chloe came by this obsession after surviving an abusive father and now she’s taking so much control over her life that she doesn’t have much of a life beyond her classroom, her cat and her knitting.

Colt and Chloe had met before this story began, but just met, nothing more. Still, they made powerful impressions on each other and they haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Not that they’ve done anything about it. But their ‘good guy’ and ‘caring teacher’ sides meet up to help out some kids who want to play hockey. Now Colt and Chloe are growing closer and starting to turn what had been daydreams and fantasies in some very steamy encounters.

The question is, will their own insecurities get in the way of their happiness? And what about the neighbor’s ex-husband who just got out of prison...Chloe is all about protecting them from the same sort of abuse she suffered as a child, while Colt is all about protecting Chloe. You know their lives will get complicated before this story ends.

Jennie Mart’s is the author of many delightfully humorous romances and now that she’s turned her eye on the western version with this cowboy series she’s writing a whole new world of compelling and steamy romances with just the right touch of humor. That makes for a fun read and, if that’s your cup of tea, you need to check this one out!  

For The Love of a Good Series: The Charles Lenox Mystery Series by Charles Finch

As promised, here is the first of my new, now-and-then recurring blogs on great book series I have found and loved. Of course, great series are found in all genres, and if you read my blog regularly you know I do read a wide variety of genres. But if I’m reviewing a great series in a genre you haven’t read, that might be the prefect entre to a new world of reading. So give it a try!

This blog’s entry is in a genre I truly love: mysteries. You might know that I have a cozy mystery out there called Framed( A Kay Conroy Mystery). If you’re curious, click HERE to check it out, but I’ll leave any further chit chat on that book for another day. On to our new series: The Charles Lenox Mystery Series by CharlesFinch.

Set in Victorian England, our protagonist is an interesting and complicated character. I actually reviewed the first book in this series a couple of years ago so I’ll copy a little bit of that review from myself as an introduction.... (click HERE to read the entire review)

Set in Victorian England, Charles is a gentleman of the upper class with Parliamentary aspirations who has discovered he has a real talent as a detective. With time and means to pursue this talent he’s already earned a reputation among his peers-and Scotland Yard-for both good and bad outcomes. But he knows his way is the way of the future so, invited or not, he doesn’t stop until the crime is solved.

His neighbor and lifelong friend, Lady Jane, is a frequent companion with a great interest in Charles’ activities and well-being. Readers will wonder if something deeper is developing between these two and it very well may be.

Along the way readers are treated to a fun education in Victorian England. If you are a history buff as well as a lover of a good mystery, this one’s a page turner. And the good news is, once you turn the last page, there are nine more books to go.

But guess what-the good news is there are now eleven more to go! Charles Finch (interesting that he has the same first name as his hero, don't you think?) has been busy writing since that last entry and this is a series that’s still active-meaning we can expect even more books, which is THE most wonderful thing for readers who have fallen in love with any series.

A good series will not only entertain you with each individual book’s story (in this case, a mystery) but will also use each book to flesh out and build the character’s relationships. Some series seem to take forever to do that. In part this can be because each book follows quickly on the timeline of the last so not as much can occur in that amount of time. The Charles Lenox mysteries expand their timelines just enough that we can begin to live our protagonist’s life with him and the author can really develop a well fleshed out character with a full life.

Along with Lady Jane there are several other recurring characters whose stories, though minor, are often compelling. You’ll find yourself hoping to see how they are doing in each new book. Definitely a good sign for any series.

And of course, this is an historical series, so the opportunity to learn about the era in a very entertaining way is always there. As well as learning about the early days of detection, when the detective was not what he/she is today and their tools were far more limited. That means our author needs to be more creative with the story and character, unable to lean on science for quick answers. Which of course makes for a very entertaining read, that lucky for us readers, can last a long time with this intriguing series.

ps...if you become a fan, be sure to follow Mr. Finch on Facebook. His posts are fun for his readers and you'll have opportunities a plenty to win free books!

Short and Sweet Review: A Knight's Captive by Lana Williams

I love Ms. William’s books but I’m particularly fond of her medievals, so I’m delighted with the arrival of this third entry in her Falling For a Knight series, A Knight’s Captive. This series follows a family of English knights who are determined to save Scotland, at the risk of their own lives, from the wrath of the English king. That means stopping the Scottish Lord Graham from plotting Scotland’s rebellion.

Graham’s plotting depends upon the marriage of his daughter, Arabela, to Sir Rory, a particularly repulsive pawn of a man. Can you blame the girl for deciding to run away right before the wedding?

Meanwhile, Sir Chanse de Bremont has been tasked with kidnapping Graham’s daughter in order to stop the marriage and the rebellion. Imagine his surprise when he finds she’s on board with the leaving-the-castle part of the plan, but not so much the kidnapping. You’d think he could just let her go on her own but it’s pretty clear early on that she could use some help escaping—and surviving. After all, her father is not taking this new plan lightly. Everyone is searching for her and now those who have helped her are at risk as well.

While Arabela and Chanse have a common interest-avoid the wedding-their personal motivations are not the same and each has held back some of what it most dear to them from the other. This series has a magical component that plays into the storyline just enough to make a difference at the right moment, but mainly it is a major motivation for Sir Chanse to keep his plans close, hesitant to reveal more than is absolutely necessary to Arabela. Of course, Arabela wants to avoid marriage to the creepy and cruel Rory, but she understands some of what her father is up to as well. And she has a backup plan she’s not sharing.

Despite their small deceits and equal doses of stubbornness, each begins to see the better qualities in the other and soon there’s more attraction than just escape. As always, the author doesn’t disappoint readers; her characters are well written making the reader feel for each of them. The secondary characters are just enough and, often end up with a story of their own, down the line, so pay attention!

If you are a fan of historical romance, particularly in a medieval setting, you’ll find this an enchanting read so check it out now!

For the Love of a Good Series

photo courtesy Open Book Bookstore

I finished reading a book last night and now I’m wondering what to read next? Yes, writers are avid readers too-maybe some of the most avid! I love the luxury of letting someone else spin a story for me, not knowing quite where the author will take me. But eventually, all good stories come to an end. Then what?

Well, as lots of readers have learned, a good series will keep you going and the story will (almost) never end. Of course, all stories come to an end, whether it’s a short trilogy, like my Keeper Series, or a crazy long one like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series—25 and counting. If you pace yourself, reading other authors here and there, a good book series can keep you entertained for years, leaving you no time to bemoan that there’s nothing to read.

Finding a good series, however, is the first step. Finding two or three is even better, because you can jump around series while still always having a ‘next book’ on the horizon. Not to mention that errant ‘single title’ that begs from the bestseller list to be read. And also, let’s be honest here, series don’t write themselves. We have to give authors time to come up with those wonderful story ideas, write the first draft, edit, edit, edit....edit some more and eventually, put their baby out there for all the world to enjoy. (While they go back and come up with ideas for the next one...we KNOW your waiting!)

With all of this in mind, I’ve decided to start another recurring column about book series, along the lines of my recurring ‘Short and Sweet Review’ columns where I review books I’ve read and mostly loved. The first one is coming soon, so keep an eye out. 

But in the meantime I thought I’d ask for you to share series titles with me. What book series (absolutely any genre!) have you loved over the years. Maybe you are still reading your way through...maybe you sigh, remembering the bittersweet moment you finished the very last book in a wonderful series. Yes, I’ve been there too. Don’t be shy, help your fellow readers out.

Meanwhile, I’ll be back soon with the first series recommendation and, over time, many more. Happy reading!

  


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Hop over to my Amazon page and get the Kindle versions of any of my books for just 99 cents! This can't last long...can it?! Probably not, so don't dally. Click HERE to go THERE. Happy reading!

Short and Sweet Review: The Book of Beloved (Pluto's Snitch Mystery 1) by Carolyn Haines

Yes, just like you, I am susceptible to a good book review in the Sunday paper. That’s how I came to read ‘The Book of Beloved’ byCarolyn Haines. I don’t usually go for unsettling paranormal visitors or Civil War related tales, but something in the review made me curious and, in the end, I guess I’m glad I read it. And I think if you are into that sort of thing, you’ll probably love it.

That said, let’s get to the characters and the story itself. Raissa James is a young woman in the post-WWI era with a history of great loss that would seriously knock down anyone without a strong emotional constitution. But she’s determined to move on with her life and find happiness, despite lingering grief. So I was rooting for her, of course, who wouldn’t?

She’s a teacher with the summer off so she decides to take up her Uncle’s invitation to visit him at his stately and seriously haunted southern estate outside Mobile, Alabama. The era this novel is set in is critical to the story. There are still unhappy losers in the battle between the north and the south and while Civil Rights may be on the far horizon those who support it know to keep it to themselves. For anyone with a conscience, this is a dangerous place and time to be living.

Add in some very unhappy ghosts who do a heck of a lot more than say ‘boo!’, a titillating scandal from the past that will probably surprise you—maybe shock you if you are easily shocked, and muddle the mystery with a little romance, just to make it complicated, and you end up with a pretty good read. Personally, I tried to keep my reading to daytime hours, to avoid being too creeped out, but I was curious to see how all of these dead people would be appeased and sent on their spectral ways to a better place.

Did I mention this is a murder mystery too? Even though it’s at the heart of the story, it sort of felt secondary. Maybe that’s because I pretty much figured out whodunit very early on. I hoped our author would surprise me, but no, I was right. That happens, but it was still a fun resolution. And the addition about halfway through the story of a mystic wannabe who clearly will be part of the series was just what readers needed. It upped the ghosty part and added a fun new character who will complement our heroine well in future books.

Yes, this looks like it’s the start of a new series, based not only on the moniker ’Pluto’s Snitch Mystery 1’ after the title (I had to think hard to remember why ‘Pluto’s Snitch’, so pay attention if you care about that sort of thing) but also the end of this book is clearly the beginning of another and the start of a series. If you like your mysteries with a bit of the paranormal thrown in, check this one out.

Short and Sweet Review: The Disappeared by C.J. Box

I’m a huge fan of C.J. Box and his valiant Wyoming game warden, Joe Picket. But it’s been a while since I’ve read one of his books. You know how it is, once you’re caught up with all the books in a series you have to wait until the next one comes out and the before you know it, you’re binge reading Longmire or Charles Lenox mysteries, or maybe rereading Pride and Prejudice or Ender’s Game. So many books, so little time. Anyway, Box doesn’t ‘put out’ at the speed of some authors, but the payoff is worth the wait and that's definitely the case in The Disappeared.

If you’ve been following Joe’s adventures you’ve been through many anxious moments for him, his family, and his best friend, sometime fugitive from the law, (former special forces, master falconer, zen master? What can this guy not do??) Nate Romanowski. 

Readers will be thrilled to hear Nate is back in this book. While each installment in this series is great...it never feels quite whole without Nate. He made a promise long ago to protect Joe and his family and, as readers know, for Nate, a promise never grows old.

This time the new Govenor has sent Joe on a mission to find a missing British woman, despite previous attempts by federal agencies that were mysteriously and prematurely terminated. There’s a missing game warden too, and some frustrated falconers. Oh, and a really nasty guy who seems to always be on the fringes of whatever goes wrong. Wait! Don’t forget the local logging company’s burner that’s supposed to be burning up the day’s sawdust...but it smells like more than sawdust to a meddlesome little old lady.

Why send a game warden? And who hates Joe enough to want to destroy him? Think back, fans of the series...you know who, but it will become clear soon enough.

The only upside is the location, a very high-end dude ranch where Joe’s oldest daughter, Sheridan, happens to work, and where she’s become very fond of a fellow wrangler. Sheridan, as we’ve seen before, is cast in a similar mold to Joe. This time around we see her finding her feet—and maybe her future—more and more. My fingers are crossed that the future holds more of Sheridan. And Nate, of course, we always want some more Nate!

Princess Maddie is 11!

Maddie

Today is my little girl’s 11^th birthday.  Her name is Maddie and she’s a Golden Retriever. Her little sister, Zoe, turned 3 in March, and while Maddie has mellowed with age and dearly loves her many naps throughout the day, Zoe is a bundle of energy and enthusiasm.

The day we brought Zoe home Maddie gave us ‘The Look’. If you have an older pet and have brought home a puppy you know what I’m talking about. It’s the one that says “Oh no...what have you done now?” But we couldn’t help ourselves, we are dog lovers and we love them in pairs. Usually it takes a few months, max, before we are on the hunt for a new puppy after one of ours crosses over that Rainbow Bridge. This time, however, was an exception.

Maddie’s older brother, Wrigley, had passed almost 2 years before. In the interim Maddie faced some health issues so we didn’t want to inflict a puppy on her while she recovered. Then we had a few road trips we wanted to take and Maddie, as our now ‘Only Dog’, came along. To say she luxuriated in the attention and pleasure of an only dog would be a very big understatement. We always knew, from her delicately regal trot to her incredibly loving spirit, that she was born to be our Princess. What we hadn't realized was that she was clearly also born to be an only child!

Unfortunately, we didn’t really appreciate that fact until we brought home the new puppy. Past experience had taught us that it took two or three weeks for the older dog to lay down the hierarchy and then settle into a comfortable relationship with the interloper in their domain.

Maddie, in fact, was subjected to just such behavior when she arrived, a frisky and sweet tempered 9 week old, anxious to make Wrigley her new best friend. Wrigs had other ideas and Maddie spent a couple weeks sneaking up and settling in behind him when he slept. She’d curl up and sleep near his tail--where he couldn’t see her but she could still be close to him.

Maybe he could see her, and it was all part of the process. I’ll never know for sure, but I’ve seen it many times. That’s because Zoe is something like the 15^th dog so far in my life. Some came single, some in pairs, for a while we had three BIG dogs...that’s a lot of dog around the house! Eventually, Maddie and Wrigley were devoted to each other and Wrigs was so sorely missed by his little sister when he was gone.

Zoe and Maddie

I’m not sure Maddie is quite as devoted to Zoe, but they have formed a comfortable friendship and Maddie is the first to come to her defense whenever she's encountered less than friendly dogs. Zoe adores her and is at her bravest in the world when Maddie is beside her. I guess dogs, like people, have their favorite friends.

We, of course, are devoted to our dogs, and I do believe they have all been devoted to us, whether we deserved it or not. And that’s the bottom line with dogs. They’re friendship is true. They are ever sympathetic, ever delighted to see you, ever excited just because you are you—no questions asked.

Today, our sweet girl is 11 and we are so thankful she’s our girl. No questions asked.  

Short and Sweet Review: Death in The Floating City by Tasha Alexander

For fans of history and mystery, you’ll find the perfect mix in Tasha Alexander’s Death in The Floating City. This is the seventh book in her Lady Emily series and, I know, why am I reviewing the seventh book when you have to read six other books to get here? Because you should! Lady Emily is a feisty Victorian gal. She started with book one of the series, And Only to Deceive, where we first met Emily as a young widow on the trail of her husband’s killer. Of course, she got her man!

But in that book, and since, she’s discovered the ancient Greeks, met a great guy (yep, there’s some romance in here too-just enough) and taken us on murder mystery adventures from Paris to Greece to Constantinople and now Venice. To visit these places in another era is fascinating enough, and my hat is off to Ms. Alexander, her research is impressive and well woven into the story. Trust me, you won’t feel like you are in a boring lecture hall—you’ll eat up every word.

I won’t reveal all about this book, as some things you shouldn’t know yet, if you haven’t read the others. But I will tell you that Emily has come to Venice to help an old not-so-friendly friend whose husband has gone missing. As usual, she stays in the best places, visits the most opulent locations as well as the seediest. And along the way you get a feeling for the kind old vendettas that might have lead Shakespeare to pen Romeo and Juliet.

Death in The Floating City is a multi-layered adventure, set in the book’s present and past, weaving the long forgotten lives of ancestors whose stories still affect their descendants. This is truly a page turner and, if you know what’s good for your reader’s soul, you’ll start on page one of book one, and race to catch up. What could be more fun?  

Is it Me, Or is it My Character:Fiction vs Autobiography

So yes, in this case this IS my puppy...Zoe!

When you read a book, do you wonder how much of the author’s real life is a part of his or her characters? I know I sometimes do, but I also realize that it’s fiction, so unless it’s autobiography, I don’t expect it’s ALL about the author. My characters are a perfect example.

I’m currently writing the third book in the Keeper Series, and this one will wrap up Del’s story. If you’ve read The Shell Keeper or A Road Back to Grace, and if you’ve followed my blogs, you may know that, yes, I am also a Realtor, like Claire, but I’m not Claire. And I also LOVE to bake and hang out in coffee shops, but I’m not Gwen (though it would be cool to own my OWN coffee shop/bakery!).

The same goes for Del. I’m not really a retiring wallflower blossoming under the encouragement of my new friends, but I do have a lot of experience at volunteer fundraising. Think you love chocolate? Try eating your way through sample after sample of potential chocolate fundraisers....it’s enough to make you crave a crisp apple or maybe even broccoli. Need Christmas wrap? Candles? School supplies? Popcorn? There’s a fundraising for that, and at least a dozen companies with their version of it.

I imagine that’s how Del started out, putting together fundraisers for her kids. By the time we meet her she’s moved up in the fundraising world and is organizing a Christmas gala with a silent auction for the local Women’s League. I’ve been a part of that sort of event as well and know that it’s a whole new level of volunteerism.

I am thankful for parents who have the time to dedicate to these because I understand just how much time that takes. It’s more than a full time job while it lasts, and a good campaign chairperson has to juggle egos along with scheduling, menus, worker bees, unhappy parents and tax deductible contributions, including adorable golden retriever puppies, really--that was QUITE a bidding war!

Like all writers, I bring a lifetime of experiences to the page. I start with what I know and let my imagination run with it. I don’t always know where my characters are going to take me—they have minds of their own sometimes.

As I put Del’s story in print I’m excited to find out where she will take me-and you! 

(Haven't read the first two books in the Keeper Series? Click on the links on the right side of my blog to find them on Amazon!)

Books That Inspire: Christy by Catherine Marshall

Recently, a fellow author asked me who were the inspirational authors of my youth? Before I even imagined writing, I read. But if I’d thought to emulate a favorite author, it could definitely vary depending on the day. I might have chosen, Jane Austen, or Orson Scott Card, or Willa Cather, or...well, it’s a very long list.

But it made me think, if I had to choose a book, the first book I remember having an impact on me as a reader, the first book that might have made me think, dare or dream of writing, it would have to be Christy by Catherine Marshall. Marshall based the book on her mother’s life and journey as a young woman, leaving behind a comfortable life to teach the poor of the Smokey Mountains. The experience challenged her and changed her. It changed Marshall’s readers as well, myself included.

It’s the kind of story mothers would probably like their young daughters to read today, but I think it’s been a little lost in the growing sea of literature for pre-teens, teens and young adults. Don’t get me wrong, there’s so much great writing out there now, it’s like a renaissance in those genres. But great stories are always great, no matter how long ago they were written and that’s definitely the case here.

A more recent example is Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden. Nothing Daunted is also written about a relative, and her friend who, in the 1800’s, journeyed beyond their comfort zone to teach in what was to them a wild new area--in this case, Hayden, Colorado, near Steamboat Springs. Like Christy, these women faced challenges they never imagined and found within themselves courage and faith they never expected. Their lives were also changed for the better.

When I was 13 I spent a good chunk of my summer sitting on that porch swing reading Christy (it’s a BIG book and I’m a slow reader). I think I may have cried when I finished it, as if I’d been parted from a dear friend. I went on to read more Catherine Marshall (A Man Called Peter, about her husband, who was chaplain of the senate, is also a wonderful book). Still, Christy stuck with me. I should be so fortunate to ever write something as timeless and touching as that story.

The original cover (1967)
I love the 'feel' of this cover!

I have a lot of little girls in my life now and I often give them books. As they grow into their teen years I look forward to sharing Christy with them. I hope they love it as much as I did. And I hope my older, author-self, might someday write something that challenges, inspires and encourages them and others. It would be my gift to my 13 year-old self who discovered a world of adventure during a sultry Midwestern summer, inside of the covers of a good book.  

FREE?! Yep, The Shell Keeper is FREE!

Whoa!😲Something must be in the air because the FREE eBook promotions just keep coming! Now it's The Shell Keeper's turn. If you haven't started my Keeper trilogy yet, or know someone who would love it, now's the time to jump in because...did I mention...the first book is FREE!  
But not forever, you only have THREE DAYS, starting tomorrow, March 4 through March 6 to get it free on your Kindle, then, like Cinderella's coach, it turns back into, well, not a pumpkin, but a full price eBook. 
Click HERE to once again be magically transported to my Amazon page where you can get yours. It's just like a Fairy Tale...and I guarantee a happy ending. 😊 

FREE Book...did I mention it's FREE?!

Woohoo! Looking for a fun mystery with humor and heart? Check out the first book in my Kay Conroy Mystery Series, FRAMED! Why now?? Because Amazon is running a FREE KINDLE PROMOTION for FIVE days, ending February 21st. So its FREE! As in, you can get a great book for FREE! What more could a fun loving reader ask? So go get it now!

Still here?? What's the delay, you're in the middle of another book and not ready for a new one just yet? I totally understand. That's ok, get it TODAY and you can read it when you're done with that other book. I know my book is not the only book out there...but it is a fun book and, well...if you like fun mysteries what do you have to lose? Afterall, IT'S FREE!!!

Okay, I've officially used up my month's alotment of exclamation points (and maybe next month's too! Opps, there goes another one). So CLICK HERE and you will be magically transported to the Amazom page where you can get FRAMED. Did I mention, it's FREE!!