Review of Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews { @mkayandrews }

I haven't read anything by Mary Kay in quite some times, so it was nice to pick up this book that had been sitting on my TBR pile for so long.

An enjoyable story with a bit of intrigue, a bit of romance and a bit of comedy, but it was also a bit slow in places and didn't have much depth. The tense relationship between jealous Kullen Kane and florist Cara Kryzik could have been an exciting element of intrigue had it been developed more, but overall it was a nice story.

Preview Save the Date at Goodreads!  

I like Mary Kay's stories and will continue to follow her work. Her next book will be The Weekenders, which will be available May 17, 2016, and can be pre-ordered now. It sounds like it will be a good story!

Please remember to support you local independent bookstores!

Review of The Sound of Glass by Karen White { @KarenWhiteWrite }

The New York Times bestselling author of A Long Time Gone 

now explores a Southern family’s buried history, 

which will change the life of the woman who unearths it, 

secret by shattering secret. 

― Goodreads

Ever since first being introduced to her writing, I have found Karen White's work to be enjoyable, a story well told. I enjoy seeing flawed characters find themselves. We are all flawed in a way, we each carry baggage sometimes much to heavy to bear.

The Sound of Glass hit those pressure points for me. Characters who are vulnerable and who have life events that create a nick in their personality. A rich interplay of people who have not much in common but everything in common. A story that is not quick but cleverly moderate in pace so that one has time to feel the characters, the setting and the intrigue that haunts the background of this story.

Beautifully written, heartfelt and slowly simmering, I loved this story about how generations carry scars, a family is sometimes created through tears and secrets always rise to the surface.

“We travel with the same packed bags we’ve always had, 

until we take the time to unpack them.” 
― Karen White, The Sound of Glass

Synopsis: "It has been two years since the death of Merritt Heyward’s husband, Cal, when she receives unexpected news—Cal’s family home in Beaufort, South Carolina, bequeathed by Cal’s reclusive grandmother, now belongs to Merritt. 

Charting the course of an uncertain life—and feeling guilt from her husband’s tragic death—Merritt travels from her home in Maine to Beaufort, where the secrets of Cal’s unspoken-of past reside among the pluff mud and jasmine of the ancestral Heyward home on the Bluff. This unknown legacy, now Merritt’s, will change and define her as she navigates her new life—a new life complicated by the arrival of her too young stepmother and ten-year-old half-brother. 

Soon, in this house of strangers, Merritt is forced into unraveling the Heyward family past as she faces her own fears and finds the healing she needs in the salt air of the Low Country."  ― www.karen-white.com

If you are interested in this book, I'd appreciate it a lot if you would support your local community by making your book purchase at an independent bookseller (Indies) in your area. 

Click here to find an Indie near you!

Review of Rough Patches by Deanna Dickenson McCall

This author knows her way around a ranch, understands the ranching community, and knows the hardships as well as the benefits of a life few in this country still grasp.
The short stories in this book range from sad to dark to humorous but each one has a basis in reality, and that is what "Rough Patches" is about, stories about those times in life when things just aren't going right. The thing about going through a rough patch though is that you get over them, the brighter side is just 'over there.'
McCall writes about strong female characters handling tough situations in a challenging landscape and come out of it for the better maybe understanding one more thing about themselves and one more thing about life.

More about this author can be found on her website at http://www.deannadickinsonmccall.com/

Review - Lies and Other Acts of Love by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey #BookReview

"In life, you have to be prepared for the surprises,

 good and bad, and take them in stride 

with grace and humility." 

~Lovey

LIES AND OTHER ACTS OF LOVE (Berkley/Penguin Random House) is coming in Spring 2016. 

Kristy Woodson Harvey has once again written a heart-grabbing story of family, and what it means to love wholeheartedly even if that means the love is glued together with white lies.

"The best things in life are the unexpected ones." 

~Lovey

Written so beautifully and in a sweet southern voice, "Lies and Other Acts of Love" is an unexpected story examining flawed individuals, imperfect families, and the love that the one has for the other. The story gripped me from the very beginning but this story gets better as it's told and by the near end of it, my tears ran down my cheeks, and it seemed each act was increasingly unexpected. And yet the last chapter, my favorite, provided the closure needed to feel gratified by a story well told.

Kristy Woodson Harvey is fast becoming a favorite author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good tale, decidedly gracious characters, and a charming southern place.

"But that's the thing about a secret 
that haunts your dreams and fills those

empty spaces in your mind. 

Once you know a thing so huge, 

you can never un-know it again." 

~Annabelle

~~

"Kristy Woodson Harvey is the author of Dear Carolina. She blogs at Design Chic about how creating a beautiful home can be the catalyst for creating a beautiful life and loves connecting with readers at kristywoodonsharvey.com. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's school of journalism and holds a Master's in English from East Carolina University. She is a regular contributor for The Salisbury Post, Domino magazine, and Houzz. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and [young] son."

~~

Add this book to your Goodreads bookshelf or pre-order it at your favorite bookseller.

I'd be delighted if you supported your local independent bookstore.

Review: Ladies of the Canyons: A League of Extraordinary Women and Their Adventures in the American Southwest by Lesley Poling-Kempes

Adventures in the American Southwest

Ladies of the Canyons: A League of Extraordinary Women and Their Adventures in the American Southwest 
by Lesley Poling-Kempes (Goodreads Author) 

Maria Norcia Santillanes's review 

Nov 12, 15  ·  edit

5 of 5 stars

Read in November 2015 — I own a copy

I enjoyed this book and delighted in learning the history of these ladies and of the incredible lives they lived. It's also a story of place and a story of southwestern arts. In its way, it proves a historical truth about the ladies past, and current for whom the West and New Mexico, in particular, is a strong draw. Poling-Kempes is an excellent writer and I've enjoyed quite a few of her books. This book is well-written, obviously well-researched and a real page turner, a historical work that reads like fiction.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1440810632 

Garden Inspirations by Charlotte Moss

This book because we all love pretty gardens and pretty books.

Expected publication: April 28th, 2015 by Rizzoli (first published April 14th, 2015)

Pre-order now at http://charlottemoss.com/books/

Dear Carolina by Kristy Woodson Harvey ... @kristywharvey #BookReview

Dear Carolina is an ambitious first book for a young Author indeed, and a book well done. Two mothers different by circumstance, holding space for each other with similar heart, one a biological mother, the other the adoptive mother each tell a love story to their child. This young author has written a story of families coming together in support of each other; it's a story of pain, heartbreak, renewals and love. Written in beautiful southern voice, it is lyrical.

"You can never have too many people who love you." 

~Khaki from Dear Carolina by @kristywharvey 

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There have been times when I've been asked to read an advance copy and give an honest review but find myself uninterested in the story or writing. In those rare times, I'll simply decline to publish the review; this time was quite different. Immediately taken with this story from the very first few pages, I found myself wishing I could keep reading instead of working.

 The strength of the women, the richness of the characters traveling this story is beautiful, and it's lovely and it's brave. It is a book well worth reading for the writing and the story.

"But I knew right well, 

watching the moon rise that night, 

that no matter what them smart scholars say, 

love is the hardest equation." 
~Jodi from Dear Carolina by @kristywharvey 

I enjoyed Dear Carolina by Kristy Woodson Harvey. I'd recommend to anyone who believes family doesn't just mean blood relations. Tweet this

About the Author

"Kristy Woodson Harvey holds a degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s in English from East Carolina University. She writes about interior design and loves connecting with readers. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three-year-old son. Dear Carolina is her first novel."

There's more
You can learn more about Kristy and her work as an Author and a Designer by visiting her website where you can also pre-order Dear Carolina that is set to release May 5, 2015. As well, all the usual places including Barnes & Noble and Amazon, but if you are so inclined, I suggest purchasing at and supporting a local independent bookstore in your neighborhood.

Review of Out With the Tide by Lola Faye Arnold ... @arnold_lola

I just finished the last page of Out With the Tide by a new author Lola Faye Arnold. I picked up this book because I liked the title and the cover art, a book set in parts of South Carolina familiar to me. The place a story resides in is important to me and I was pleased with the author's choices. I was also pleasantly surprised when one of her characters, though only with a brief part hailed from Albuquerque, New Mexico, another place familiar to me.

I don't often use the word nice when writing about a book I've read, but I will, in this case, it was a nice story.  Wordy and perhaps a bit overdone, it was nice; it was sweet ... until the end, when I was caught off guard. You see I didn't expect much from the ending because I found the middle of the book to be drawn out with just too many words and no clear understanding of where the story was going or why I should be interested.  There were elements I would have wanted to know more about such as the main character's capacity for the supernatural and there were other elements such as the constant mind talk that I could not have cared less about but only because there was too much of it. I skimmed through large sections of the book sticking with it just to see how it played out and if there would be a point.  I wanted to like this book.

It was the end that told the story and perhaps will be the beginning of a sequel for this author to pursue. That one last chapter made reading the book worthwhile and gave me the impression that this author might be one to watch.

Follow the author at @arnold_lola and on Goodreads. Out with the Tide can be purchased on Amazon

Jackson's Pond, Texas by Teddy Jones

I wasn’t expecting much from this book, I had never heard of the author and hadn’t seen any reviews for it but I was quite surprised at the pleasantness of the writing and the sweetness of the story. Told through the viewpoint of the various characters, we follow Willa from a young girl through to her twilight years and we learn how a life well lived could be in this Texas town where the pond is a metaphor for Willa’s aging.

I read this book on a Kindle so I didn’t have the book in hand to easily chart my progress and except for seeing the percentage read, wasn’t acknowledging how quickly I was moving through the story. When I unknowingly reached the last chapter I felt a momentum building in the story, something very specific but I don’t want to add what could be a spoiler so I won’t elaborate and I was anxious to see where it was going and then I unknowingly reached the last page and boom, it was over. I was so surprised I actually went back through the Kindle, a tedious affair, and re-read the last chapter wanting to know if I had missed something. I guess I did miss something because it was indeed the end and I didn’t get it. It was sudden and unexpected.

I really did think this was a delightful story and would recommend it to others simply because it is a delightful story with likeable characters and filled with honest feelings but also because perhaps you’ll see what I missed and enjoy it all the more.

Teddy Jones is the author of five other books including her latest Well Tended released in 2014. Teddy's books can be purchased at Amazon and at all the usual places including B&N, however I hope you will support small business and shop a local independent bookstore such as Blue Bicycle in Charleston, Bookwork’s in Albuquerque  or one right in your neighborhood. 

A Long Time Gone by Karen White

“{Bootsie} just smiled and told me to wait until I become a mother,

and then I will understand that my real destiny

will be decided by those not yet born.”

Karen White’s recent book A Long Time Gone resonated with me and I found myself  connecting deeply with the characters choices to leave their family though perhaps not in the exact way that the characters did but somewhere deep within the nature of the continuous need to keep moving.

"you can never catch the ghosts you chase"

“When Vivien Walker left her home in the Mississippi Delta, she swore never to go back, as generations of the women in her family had. But in the spring, nine years to the day since she’d left, that’s exactly what happens—Vivien returns, fleeing from a broken marriage and her lost dreams for children.What she hopes to find is solace with “Bootsie,” her dear grandmother who raised her, a Walker woman with a knack for making everything all right. But instead she finds that her grandmother has died and that her estranged mother is drifting further away from her memories. Now Vivien is forced into the unexpected role of caretaker, challenging her personal quest to find the girl she herself once was.But for Vivien things change in ways she cannot imagine when a violent storm reveals the remains of a long-dead woman buried near the Walker home, not far from the cypress swamp that is soon to give up its ghosts. Vivien knows there is now only one way to rediscover herself—by uncovering the secrets of her family and breaking the cycle of loss that has haunted her them for generations.” ~  From the Karen White website

I was easily lost in this story that I found to be both heartwarming and satisfying. I found myself marveling at the author’s ability to keep straight the storyline of this multi-generational story and was delighted with the beautiful writing and several quotable lines.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the uncovering of family secrets and guarded hearts in a well told story.

White is a prolific writer of what she terms “grit lit,” southern women’s fiction and her next novel The Sound of Glass, her nineteenth will be released in May 2015.

Book Review ... New Orleans Mourning (Skip Langdon #1) by Julie Smith

New Orleans Mourning (Skip Langdon #1)

by Julie Smith 

“When the smiling King of Carnival is killed at Mardi Gras, policewoman Skip Langdon is on the case. She knows the upper-crust family of the victim and that it hides more than its share of glittering skeletons. But nothing could prepare her for the tangled web of clues and ancient secrets that would mean danger for her--and doom for the St. Amants...."

The basic story is a fairly good one however following the POV was at times tiresome. I had chose to read this book thinking I might be interested in the series because it is set in New Orleans however descent the basic story, I was completely turned off by the abrupt ending. I felt that so much more could have been done with this story. Characters could have been developed more and certainly a more satisfying ending could have been constructed. Fairly early in the reading I considered putting it down but I continued on hoping for … something!

The Story Is the Thing by Amy Hale Auker ... available for purchase online at Bookworks

The Story Is the Thing

ISBN-13: 9781942428039

Availability: In Stock at Warehouse – Usually Ships in 1-5 Days 

Published: Pen-L Publishing, 12/2014 

Bad Country: A Novel by CB McKenzie

Bad Country: A Novel by CB McKenzie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, it isn't a favorite and it took me some time to get through this short book of twists and turns, and somewhat odd characters for whom I felt no real concern. I guess I expected more from a book recently awarded The Hillerman Prize.

View all my reviews

This review of The Story Is the Thing by Amy Hale Auker

Chances taken, love lost, lessons learned, life moves on. The Story Is the Thing is the third book written by Amy Hale Auker and with each book her writing gets better, her words more lyrical, her story more heart-felt, more poignant. This book is written like a love letter.

It seems I’ve know a man like Uncle Bill before and I’ll bet you did too and that is what is wonderful about this book that we can find people we know in each of the characters. Julia is the spirited outsider trying to find her place and Charlie is the cowboy-girl who lives a life harder than most but only wants simple love like everyone else. Cody Jack is the type we’ve all heard about or known, the type we have no use for in this life. It’s Uncle Bill who weaves the story together for us so we can understand a time and a place and a thing that happened, a thing that changed everything.

… And all around Uncle Bill’s story is the story of a lifestyle, a story of the land, a story of hardships accepted, of joy and of love held and lost.

The author took a chance in the way she set her chapters and allowed her characters to reach out from the page but it was perfectly balanced with a beautifully smooth clarity to the reading.

It’s not hard for me to recommend The Story is the Thing to you. I hope you pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did. Amy is fast becoming one of my favorite independent authors. She recently wrote for this blog about the process around writing and publishing. Here is an excerpt:

This Bonus of a Day by Amy Hale Auker

Today I got a wonderful surprise from my publisher. I can’t tell you what it is, but I can promise you that it truly is something wonderful.

The cold wind is blowing in the Santa Maria Mountains of Arizona. Our fall cow move is almost over. And the publication date of my new book, The Story Is the Thing, is made of jello. We are aiming for December 1, 2014. Writing is one thing. Writing is my first love. Publishing is another. You can read the full article here. 

The Story Is the Thing is published by Pen-L Publishing and is available now from the publisher and direct from the author’s website.  The fabulous book cover artistry is by Steve Atkinson. Be sure to read about the story behind the cover art in Amy's blog post Collaboration and Celebration

All of Amy's books can be purchased directly from her website where all books are signed by her and at all the usual places including B&N and Amazon but if you choose to purchase at a store, I would suggest you support a local independent bookstore such as Amy's bookstore pick, Peregrine Book Co in Prescott, AZ,  my personal favorite Bookwork’s in Albuquerque  or one in your neighborhood.  

You can also purchase directly from Pen-L Publishing.

Michael McGarrity’s Backlands ... a review

“Backlands continues the story of Patrick Kerney; his

ex-wife, Emma; and their young son, Matthew, shortly

after the tragic battlefield death of the eldest son, CJ, at

the end of World War I. Scarred by the loss of an older

brother he idolized, estranged from a father he barely

knows, and deeply troubled by the failing health of a

mother he adores, eight-year-old Matthew is suddenly

and irrevocably forced to set aside his childhood and

take on responsibilities far beyond his years. When the

world spirals into the Great Depression and drought

settles like a plague over the nation, Matthew must

abandon his own dreams to salvage the Kerney ranch.

Plunged into a deep trough of dark family secrets, hidden

crimes, broken promises, and lies, Matthew must

struggle to survive on the unforgiving, sun-blasted

Tularosa Basin.”

                                                ~~ {From the book cover}  

Michael McGarrity’s Backlands, the 2^nd in a trilogy continues the family saga of the Kerney’s who make their living ranching on the Tularosa in southern New Mexico. McGarrity makes a fine historical writer covering several events including the market crash of ‘29, the depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and WWII and how they affected ranchers during those times.

The use of era appropriate language is fascinating and the prose is smooth and easygoing. Even with 500 or so pages, readers will fly through this well paced story with rapt interest.

Deathmark by Jann Arrington-Wolcott ... a metaphysical story of enduring love

I finished reading Deathmark by Jann Arrington-Wolcott with a satisfied heart and that is just how I like to close a book. I came across this read by browsing the 2015 catalog of Women Writing the West, an association of writers and other professionals who write about and promote the West.

A metaphysical mystery, Deathmark hits the mark with a nicely developed main character with whom many women can easily identify or at least understand, and an interesting supporting character who adds a bit of sizzle and mystery. The author captures the personalities of cliché characters such as the Santa Fe shaman and the outrageous romance writer quite well and it’s apparent she is informed about the Santa Fe lifestyle which for readers familiar with the setting adds an opportunity for attentiveness. The characters play out the mystery so nicely I didn’t bother to try to guess the ending, I just went with it.

A story about loves endurance across time, the past life theme holds the readers interest  and the author knits the scenes together quite well making the dual stories easy to follow and making the authors/publishers choice to use different fonts unnecessary but acceptable.

I found myself staying up late to read this story interested in what would happen next. It’s a quick and easy read, completely enjoyable and satisfying, I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the metaphysical especially an interest in past lives. 

Jann Arrington-Wolcott

Jann Arrington-Wolcott is also the author of Brujo which was made into a cable television movie featuring Suzanne Summers. You can learn more about Jann and read Chapter 1 of Deathmark by linking to her website. Her books can be purchased at all the usual places including B&N and Amazon but if you are so inclined I would suggest you support a local independent bookstore such as Bookwork’s in Albuquerque, The Collected Works Bookstore in Santa Fe or one in your neighborhood. 

Review ... The Summer Wind by Mary Alice Monroe

The Summer Wind by Mary Alice Monroe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As usual, Mary Alice Monroe tells are good story with interesting characters, in a great setting and leaves you satisfied but wanting more.

View all my reviews

Watch for the release of a new book by Amy Hale Auker, author of Winter of Beauty and Rightful Place

It’s always a delight to learn that a favorite author will be releasing a new book soon and I'm looking forward to getting a copy. That author is Amy Hale Auker and I've written about her other books in the past right here.

I stopped by her website when I learned about the new release. Seems it’s about an old cowboy, old letters, loves, losses and a crime. Sounds like a winner.

This author has a knack for bringing together a melody of words.

The book will be released by Pen-L Publishing this fall and Steve Atkinson who I am not familiar with has done the cover and I must admit it's quite appealing. According to Ms Auker's Facebook page, Steven Atkinson is a "photographer, designer, and western artist extraordinaire. (And a pretty cool friend, too.)"

The author will be taking advance orders starting October 1, 2014. Stop by her website to learn more.

Review - The Fat of the Land by R.Allen Chappell

The Fat of The Land by R. Allen Chappell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A book of short stories ... I'm not able to finish it. Although some stories were interesting, there wasn't one compelling enough to make me want to more on to the next. Perhaps the timing is wrong to read this particular book so I'll put it down for now and pick it up again another time.

View all my reviews

Review: Bone Horses by Lesley Poling-Kempes

Bone Horses by Lesley Poling-Kempes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fabulous story, close to my heart. Having lived in New Mexico going on near 24 years, I can attest to this author getting every sensation, every breath of hot desert air rising just right. Her sense of place is acute and her characters live and breath in the readers mind. I hope she will write a sequel. This will be a long time favorite for me.

View all my reviews