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Book Spotlight with Guest Post and Giveaway: “So Sorry for Your Loss” by Dina Gachman

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BNR So Sorry for Your Loss

 

About the book, “So Sorry for Your Loss”

Cover So Sorry For Your Loss

Cover: “So Sorry for Your Loss”

  • Genre: Grief & Bereavement / Love & Loss / Parenting & Relationships
  • Publisher: Union Square & Co.
  • Page Count: 240 pages
  • Publication Date: April 11, 2023
  • Scroll down for a giveaway!

A heartfelt exploration about what it means to process grief, by a bestselling author and journalist whose experience with two devastating losses inspired her to bring comfort and understanding to others.

Since losing her mother to cancer in 2018 and her sister to alcoholism less than three years later, author and journalist Dina Gachman has dedicated herself to understanding what it means to grieve, healing after loss, and the ways we stay connected to those we miss. Through a mix of personal storytelling, reporting, and insight from experts and even moments of humor, Gachman gives readers a fresh take on grief and bereavement—whether the loss is a family member, beloved pet, or a romantic relationship. No one wants to join the grief club, since membership comes with zero perks, but So Sorry for Your Loss will make that initiation just a little less painful.

In the spirit of Elizabeth Kubler Ross books like On Grief and Grieving, or C.S. Lewis’s A Grief Observed, So Sorry for Your Loss is the perfect gift for someone who is grieving. With her blend of personal experiences, expert advice, and just a little bit of humor, Gachman has provided a compassionate and compelling resource for anyone looking for grief books.

Praise for this book:

  • “Gachman perceptively puts words to the uncomfortable realities of loss…and deconstructs its social myths, helping readers feel less alone. Those facing loss will find solace here.” —Publishers Weekly
  • “So Sorry for Your Loss is a monument to the work of remembering and a testament to the immutable love of family and the grief that forever changes us.” —Lauren Hough, New York Times bestselling author of Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing
  • “So Sorry for Your Loss is a meditation on loss that reminds us how to go on living.” —Deirdre Fagan, author of Find a Place for Me and The Grief Eaters

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Goodreads

About the author, Dina Gachman

Author Photo Gachman credit Jessica Comiskey

Dina Gachman

 

Dina Gachman is a Pulitzer Center Grantee and a frequent contributor to the New York Times, Vox, Texas Monthly, and more. She’s a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter, and the author of Brokenomics: 50 Ways to Live the Dream on a Dime. She lives near Austin, Texas, with her husband and son. Photo credit Jessica Comiskey.

Connect with Dina:

Website

Instagram 

Twitter

Goodreads

Amazon

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Interview with author Dina Gachman

What was the hardest part of writing “So Sorry for Your Loss”? 

Since it’s a book about grief, I guess I can honestly say—everything. Intentionally going deeper into my own pain over losing my mom and sister Jackie, day after day, was tough. There were plenty of ugly cries at my desk over the course of eight months. I also interviewed so many people about their personal losses for the book, whether it was losing a parent, a child, a pet. They were so vulnerable and lovely, and hearing their stories was healing, but also emotional of course. There were plenty of weeks where I would get to Friday and think, “I am done with grief for the week. Time to zone out and watch Iron Chef.” 

Do you have any research rabbit-hole stories? 

I love a good research rabbit hole. I have no clue why or how I found it, but I discovered this old tradition and superstition called “telling the bees” where people would have to tell a bee hive that someone had died. If they didn’t, more death would occur or bad luck would come. There are paintings and poems about this tradition, and I found it so odd but also beautiful. When Queen Elizabeth II died, I read that this tradition was still happening, which surprised me. If I had a beehive, I would probably keep that tradition alive. 

Do you have any writing pet peeves?

Using too many exclamation marks, which is something I used to do. They can work occasionally, but I try to go back and strip as many of them away as I can when I’m revising my work. It’s a cheap way to get a response or a laugh. One thing I learned from an editor on a book I was ghostwriting was that I was relying on too many parentheses, so I try to strip those away too. Besides that, don’t try too hard. Being subtle is an art, and Joan Didion was the queen of that skill.

What projects are you working on now?

I’m ghostwriting two new books and always pitching and writing stories. I wrote a story I am thrilled about for a magazine called Mother Tongue which is my first attempt at any sort of investigative journalism, and I loved it. I’m hooked. It’s about uncovering the truth about my great aunt, who committed arson in Fort Worth in the 1940s because her husband was abusive. It’s a wild ride. I’m also brainstorming my third book idea, which relates to the story about my great aunt.

Giveaway

Three winners each receive a signed copy of

So Sorry for Your Loss

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 5/12/23)

 

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Giveaway Knight Errant

Book Spotlight: Guest Post and Giveaway: Confessions of a Knight Errant by Gretchen McCullough

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BNR Knight Errant

 

About the book, Confessions of a Knight-Errant

Cover CoaKE

Cover: Confessions of a Knight Errant

  • Genre: Humorous Fiction
  • Publisher: Cune Press
  • Page Count: 240 pages
  • Publication Date:  October 18, 2022
  • Scroll down for Giveaway!

Confessions of a Knight Errant is a comedic, picaresque novel in the tradition of Don Quixote with a flamboyant cast of characters.

Dr. Gary Watson is the picaro, a radical environmentalist and wannabe novelist who has been accused of masterminding a computer hack that wiped out the files of a major publishing company. His Sancho Panza is Kharalombos, a fat, gluttonous Greek dancing teacher, who is wanted by the secret police for cavorting with the daughter of the Big Man of Egypt.

Self-preservation necessitates a hurried journey to the refuge of a girls’ camp in rural Texas. Then a body turns up nearby that is connected to Middle East antiquities, and they are on the run once more.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About the author, Gretchen McCullough

Author Photo McCullough

Gretchen McCullough

Gretchen McCullough was raised in Harlingen Texas. After graduating from Brown University in 1984, she taught in Egypt, Turkey, and Japan. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and was awarded a teaching Fulbright to Syria from 1997-1999. Her stories, essays and reviews have appeared in The Barcelona Review, Archipelago, National Public Radio, Story South, Guernica, The Common, The Millions, and the LA Review of Books. Translations in English and Arabic have been published in: Nizwa, Banipal, Brooklyn Rail in Translation, World Literature Today and Washington Square Review with Mohamed Metwalli. Her bi-lingual book of short stories in English and Arabic, Three Stories From Cairo, translated with Mohamed Metwalli, was published in July 2011 by AFAQ Publishing House, Cairo. A collection of short stories about expatriate life in Cairo, Shahrazad’s Tooth, was also published by AFAQ in 2013. Currently, she is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo.

Connect with Gretchen:

American University Faculty Webpage |  Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Life in Cairo: Throw Away the Script (Guest Post by Gretchen McCullough)

01b, Guest Post Throw Away the Script

Gretchen McCullough at a restaurant in Alexandria

This past summer when I was getting ready to return to Cairo, my parents’ friends in South Texas said, “Do you really want to go back over there? Are you sure it’s safe?”

Was it safe here, either? My parents didn’t go across the river to Mexico anymore because there were so many shootings—weren’t we living on the edge of the Wild, Wild West? After the January 25th Revolution, a professor at the American University in Cairo refused to return unless the university guaranteed his safety. But can anyone guarantee safety?

I felt nervousness about what I would do in the U.S. if I didn’t return to Cairo—I had lived there for thirteen years. I had not fled during the January 25th Revolution—so why would I get cold feet now? And what about my Egyptian boyfriend? And the thrill of daily life in Cairo? My chats with the porter, Muhammad? And my cleaners Amal and Hala – two humorous characters who were so colorful they were right out of an Egyptian soap opera? And even if I tried to hold to a routine, the romance of Cairo was that life right outside your door was colorful and spontaneous—and you could never walk a straight path. You’d have to dodge the man with the cane, who shouted ‘Ul Yarab.” Pray to God. Or what about the boy with the dreamy smile, who always convinced you to buy red roses? Watch out. Now, there are cars on our one-way street, going the opposite direction. Or what about the charm of the small shopkeepers on my street who say, “You light up our lives”—and actually mean it.

One of my parents’ friends said, half-serous, “You could work for the CIA with your Arabic.”

I explained that everything had become so professionalized in the U.S. I could never get a job with the CIA – I didn’t have a degree in Arabic. And anyway, why would I want to do that?

What I loved about Cairo, however maddening and frustrating it could be, is that I had to weave in and out, circle around, take detours – forget the straight line and the linear. The same emotional flexibility had also led to a real transformation in my writing. Now, I was finding the best writing happened when I stopped writing in such a mechanistic way and allowed myself to get away from a preconceived script or idea. For example, the porter at the building in Cairo told me a bit of gossip about one of my neighbors – Joe Smith, who had thrown an egg at the lady at the building directly across the alleyway and hit her in the ear! But instead of transcribing the anecdote as I would before, I wondered about the Egyptian lady, who was the voyeur. Why had she been staring at the foreigner in the balcony across the way? What if she became so obsessed with her gay neighbor, Joe Smith, and his sexual escapades that she even neglected her housewifely duties? Like the Egyptian storytellers in the world I was living in, I exaggerated wildly. The story that was inspired by the egg anecdote became, “Taken Hostage by the Ugly Duck.” I had never imagined what it would be like to be an Egyptian woman. But, why not?

Daily life in Cairo was also about getting away from a preconceived script or idea – you had to throw away a rigid idea of routine, and be open to what might happen, who you might meet, or what story you might hear.

Many of the stories in my new collection, Shahrazad’s Tooth, were inspired by anecdotes about foreigners living in the city. A Japanese woman, Keiko, has mastered Arabic, but still doesn’t understand the culture in, “The Empty Flat Upstairs.” She is driven crazy by her insistence on knowing the literal truth in a city which values hyperbole and imagination. In the final story of the collection, Karalombos and Gary, two fugitives on the run, sneak back into Cairo on the 28th of January, only to find Cairo turned upside down. They take care of the pets of those who have fled the city – a rabbit, a parrot, a diabetic Chihuahua, and a ferret. To the fugitives’ surprise, they are even recruited to be actors in a reality television show at the Pyramids while thousands are demonstrating at Tahrir Square.

My stories offer a human perspective on life in the city – and it’s certainly not what you see on CNN!

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ONE WINNER!

In Confessions of a Knight Errant, readers get a taste of the Hill Country.

One winner will, too, with a one-pound

bag of pecans from Berdoll Pecan Candy & Gift Company!

(US only; ends midnight, CST 4/28/23)

 

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Giveaway Sweet Comfort

Review and Giveaway: Sweet Comfort, by Kimberly Fish

by

BNR Sweet Comfort

 

Cover Sweet ComfortAbout the book Sweet Comfort (Comfort & Joy #1)

  • Genre: Women’s Fiction / Cozy Mystery / Later-In-Life Romance / Sweet Second-Chance Romance
  • Publisher: Fish Tales
  • Page Count: 359 pages
  • Publication Date: January 21, 2023
  • Scroll down for a giveaway!

Welcome to the hometown everyone wants to call their own.

Gloria Bachman, a retired bank executive, has eight weeks to flip a location on Comfort’s High Street into a boutique chocolate shop. Defying expectations for “women of a certain age,” Gloria rediscovers talents and a sharpening of skills. If only she could read people as well as she does a spreadsheet. Even with the renovation in good hands, the subsequent struggle to name the shop brings Gloria and her business partner into conflict with a shady citizen. While Gloria is capable of remaining in her retirement rut while opening a business, two competing social groups try to lure her into their networks, causing Gloria to wonder if she ever knew Comfort at all. A murder rocks the community and revives investigative instincts honed by years in the banking industry.

Mason Lassiter, a disgraced CEO, has his own dramas to escape and the offbeat town seems the perfect place to recover his self-esteem. What was to be a quick reversal of fortunes becomes a quest to right a deeply felt injustice. Fascinated by the women driving the energy of Comfort, he extends his stay to find out why the small town is the backdrop to their best tales. Tangling with his neighbor Gloria becomes his favorite pastime and the key to unlocking the mystery of his past—if he can convince her to trust him.

Chocolate and joy become the glue bringing an unlikely cast together, which just might change Gloria’s and Mason’s course for the better. With characters familiar from previous Comfort novels and introducing fresh names, Sweet Comfort will entertain those who like their stories seasoned with coziness and sweet, second chances.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Goodreads

Author Photo FishAbout the author, Kimberly Fish

Kimberly Fish has been a professional writer in marketing and media for over thirty years, with regular contributions to area newspapers and magazines. As an accidental historian, she wrote two novels, The Big Inch and Harmon General, both based on factual events in Longview, Texas that changed world history. Kimberly also offers a set of contemporary women’s fiction novels and novellas, based in the Texas Hill Country, that reveal her fascination with characters discovering their grit and sweet, second chances; all four of the novels have won distinguished awards. Sweet Comfort is her latest novel, the first book in the Comfort and Joy Trilogy.

Connect with Kimberly:

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | YouTube | Pinterest | BookBub

 

 

My Thoughts

MissMelissIt’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Kimberly Fish and the wonderful town she’s created in Comfort, TX. Reading one of her books is like a visit to a beloved hometown, and I’m always eager for another installment in the goings-on there. With Sweet Comfort, the first in a spinoff trilogy, not only did I get to revisit one of my favorite fictional towns, but I also got to have the vicarious experience of opening a chocolate shop, and seeing a woman closer to my own age in a plausible romance  – not that I dislike reading about twenty- and thirty-year-olds, but representation matters, and as a woman in the prime of middle age (even if I sometimes still get carded), I love it when authors tackle romance between more mature adults.

But author Fish did more than merely tackle the second-chance romance. With Gloria and Mason, she has given us two people who are perfectly imperfect, reflecting the real concerns we get into when we are older, stuck in our patterns, and both willing to change but afraid of what that change might entail. Gloria Bachman is my new hero, and I would be happy to sit down at a cafe with her and sip coffee or a glass of Prosecco. She’s got a good heart, but can be a little bit prickly. She’s strong in business, but less confident in her personal affairs, and, like many of us, often keeps herself on the fringes of the social whirl, rather than in the thick of it. I really related to her, and not just because my first career was also in finance. She’s so well drawn, that she could be any of a dozen women I actually know, or a composite of all of them.

I also liked the character of Mason Bachman, bruised by life, and trying to turn things around. It’s rare for male characters to be written so sympathetically even when they also have slight antagonistic tendencies, but with Lassiter everything just works. But then, I expect no less from this author, whose knack for creating dimensional characters is one of the things I’ve come to expect from her writing.

And then there’s Kali and the chocolate shop. First, I loved the dual process stories of creating chocolates and also renovating the storefront where they will be sold. My family has owned diners, small markets, and craft/souvenir stores, and the need to make changes while still maintaining the integrity of a specific building and the flavor of the town are things that resonated with me. Fish gave us enough detail that we could see everything happening but never made this book feel like a how-to guide.

As mentioned earlier, Sweet Comfort is the first in a new trilogy, but the text contained a peek at book two, which, I’m excited to say, features both Gloria and the town of Comfort.

Bottom line: This is a satisfying read that is especially satisfying for those readers of a certain age. The only thing that would improve it is if it came with samples of truffles.

Goes well with: chocolate bombe and espresso.

Giveaway

Two winners each receive a signed copy of Sweet Comfort plus a box of Sweet Shop USA candies!

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 3/31/23)

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Giveaway Copper Waters

Review and Giveaway: Copper Waters by Marlene M. Bell

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BNR Copper Waters

 

About the book, Copper Waters Cover COPPER WATERS

  • Series: Annalisse, Book 4
  • Genre: International Mystery / Crime / Romantic Suspense
  • Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing
  • Date of Publication: October 7, 2022
  • Number of Pages: 340
  • Scroll down for the giveaway!

A rural New Zealand vacation turns poisonous.

Antiquities expert Annalisse Drury and tycoon Alec Zavos are at an impasse in their relationship when Alec refuses to clear up a paternity issue with an ex-lover.

Frustrated with his avoidance when their future is at stake, Annalisse accepts an invitation from an acquaintance to fly to New Zealand—hoping to escape the recent turbulence in her life.

But even Annalisse’s cottage idyll on the family sheep farm isn’t immune to intrigue.

Alec sends a mutual friend and detective, Bill Drake, to follow her, and a local resident who accompanies them from the Christchurch airport dies mysteriously soon after. A second violent death finds Annalisse and Bill at odds with the official investigations.

The local police want to close both cases as quickly as possible—without unearthing the town’s dirty secrets.

As she and Bill pursue their own leads at serious cost, the dual mysteries force Annalisse to question everything she thought she knew about family ties, politics, and the art of small-town betrayal.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Click to Purchase | Add to Goodreads

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About the author, Marlene M. Bell

Marlene M. BellMarlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.

The Annalisse series — mysteries with a touch of romance — has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity) and FAPA (Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award) for two other installments, Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy. She also penned the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.

Connect with Marlene:

Website║ Facebook ║ Twitter ║ LinkedIn ║ BookBub ║ Instagram ║ Amazon || Goodreads ║ Blog ║ YouTube

My Thoughts

MissMelissWhile Copper Waters is the first in this series that I’ve read, I had the honor of sharing a guest post from the author five years ago, when the first book in the Annalisse series was being launched. I made a note to read it, but time got away from me, as sometimes happens, so this book, number four, is my first. Before I go any further, let me assure you that it functions just fine as a stand-alone. There’s enough backstory to make the recurring characters (most notably Annalisse herself) feel familiar without overburdening the reader with too much information.

This novel begins with the heroine, antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury, accepts an invitation to visit a friend’s sheep farm in New Zealand and escape her complicated relationship with Alex Zavros for a while. Of course her break is cut short when murder ensues, and her sleuthing skills must be put to use. What follows is a fast-paced crime solving story with touches of relationship drama and great scenery that only begins with rural New Zealand and expands to Christchurch and beyond.

While I loved the characters, and wouldn’t mind if Annalisse was my new best friend (her tendency to attract dead bodies notwithstanding), I thought the character of Bill Drake balanced her well, and if these two aren’t already a recurring crime-fighting duo, they should be.

What really sold me on this book, though, is the author’s writing style. Bell’s prose is crisp and precise, her dialogue is always on point, and she blends vivid descriptions with just enough character work to leave you with a mental image that still has room for your own imagination to overlay details. The pacing (as I mentioned before) of Copper Waters was also excellent. Time was spent where it was needed, and sped up where that would have the best effect. It’s this willingness to let the reader breathe, as much as the actual story, that made reading this book such a great experience.

I also really loved the New Zealand setting. It’s a rare location for a novel, but a great choice for anyone who loves sheep, and I enjoyed that this book wasn’t centered in Sydney or somewhere in Europe.

Now that I’ve read book four, I’ve gone back and downloaded books one through three, and am looking forward to immersing myself in them at my earliest opportunity.

Overall, this is a well-crafted, compelling story with believable characters.

Goes well with: Shepherd’s pie – the authentic version, made with lamb. And hard cider.

Giveaway

ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER:

$50 VISA Card, 100% New Zealand gray wool throw, leather bucket bag, signed ARC paperback of Copper Waters, Hagestad hammered copper water bottle, Lucy Pittaway notebook

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 3/3/2023)

Giveaway Copper Waters

 

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Check Out the Other Great Stops on This Tour

Click to visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page for direct links to each blog on this tour, updated daily, or visit each blog directly.

VISIT THE PARTICIPATING BLOGS DIRECTLY:

02/21/23 Review Bibliotica
02/21/23 Review Hall Ways Blog
02/22/23 Review Julia Picks 1
02/22/23 BONUS Promo LSBBT Blog
02/23/23 Review It’s Not All Gravy
02/23/23 Review The Real World According to Sam
02/24/23 Review Forgotten Winds
02/24/23 Review Book Fidelity
02/25/23 Review Librariel Book Adventures
02/26/23 Review The Plain-Spoken Pen
02/27/23 Review StoreyBook Reviews
02/28/23 Review Boys’ Mom Reads
02/28/23 Review Jennie Reads
03/01/23 Review The Book’s Delight
03/02/23 Review Rox Burkey Blog
03/02/23 Review Chapter Break Book Blog

 

 

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Giveaway Survival

Book Review and Giveaway: Survival, by Lisa Harris

by

BNR Survival

 

Cover Book 1 SurvivalAbout the Book, Survival

  • Series: Fallout (Book 1)
  • Dystopian / Science Fiction / Mystery / Christian
  • Publisher: Adrenaline-Fueled Fiction
  • Pages: 236 pages
  • Publication Date: October 19, 2021

In today’s world, law enforcement agencies across the country rely on forensic tools, DNA testing, and crime labs. But what if that technology was suddenly no longer available? No one in the small, west Texas town of Shadow Ridge knows what took down the power grid, or when it’s going to be back up, but everyone knows exactly where they were the moment it went down. And now, with no electricity, no internet, and no modern technology, the men and women responsible for keeping the town safe are going to have to learn how to fight crime all over again.

When one of the men in charge of storing food for the town of Shadow Ridge is found murdered execution style, it’s up to Jace McQuaid to find the killer. What he discovers is a group of organized raiders who are stealing supplies and selling them on the black market—and the survival of the town depends on stopping them.

Morgan Addison’s estranged brother, Ricky, shows up at her house demanding weapons and confirming her fears that he’s a part of the outlaws. Tensions are raised further when Ricky kidnaps her son to ensure his safe passage out of town. Jace must find a way to save Noah and ensure the survival of Shadow Ridge.

Praise for this book:

  • “An adrenaline rush of a read! Summed up in one word: Unputdownable!” ~Kav, Amazon reviewer
  • “Once again Lisa Harris has created a creative world full of intrigue, suspense, and action! This book is irresistible! I can’t wait to finish with the rest of the series!” ~Dawn, Amazon reviewer
  • “Excellent. Lisa Harris at her best.” ~Chipchucker, Amazon reviewer
  • “The book starts with a bang and does not slow down.” ~Grandaddy A, Amazon reviewer
  • “This is an absolute must read!!” ~Carlien, Amazon reviewer

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads

Watch the Trailer for this Book:

 

 

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Author Photo HarrisAbout the Author, Lisa Harris

LISA HARRIS is a USA Today bestselling author, a Christy Award finalist for Blood Ransom, Vendetta, and Port of Origin, Christy Award winner for Dangerous Passage, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 (Blood Covenant) and 2015 (Vendetta) from Romantic Times. She has fifty plus novels and novellas in print. She and her husband currently live in Texas.

Connect with Lisa:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

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MissMelissMy Thoughts

The first book in Lisa Harris’s Fallout Series, about life in a small Texas town after an EMP event knocks out the power grid is a fascinating combination of mystery, science fiction, and good old hometown drama. Her take on the common post-apocalyptic trope is a fresh one – the blending of police work and a touch of romance really add depth to the concept. More importantly, this novel is as much character-based as plot-based.

The lead characters of Jace McQuaid, the reluctant lawman, and Morgan Addison, the sister of one of the villains of the piece, are both well drawn and interesting. I liked that Jace questioned his unintended role in the town’s law enforcement, and I also liked that the relationship between Morgan and Jace was formed from a strong friendship, and that romance was secondary to the main plot, adding color, but never overshadowing the mystery. The supporting characters were also well-drawn, but I think my favorite was Hope, the town doctor, who reminded me very much of Doc Baker from the Little House on the Prairie series, but female. Her description of her newly acquire4d extra goat and chickens as payment for her services was both amusing and poignant. I confess to an audible “awww’ during a crucial scene between Jace and Morgan’s young son.

I want to applaud the author’s choice NOT to make solving the EMP problem or reestablishing electricity a core plot point. As this is the first book in a series, and there are several titles listed as coming in the future, doing so would have ruined her setup, first of all, but would also have taken us out of the bubble that a single, small town can be. Having a finite area and a limited number of characters makes for tighter storytelling, and Harris is an amazing storyteller.  Details like the fact that the library had become a local meeting place and an information exchange really made this version of Texas feel real, and I loved that she had townspeople researching and growing medicinal herbs.

While this book is very entertaining as a piece of fiction, I also found it extremely thought-provoking. Our world where HOAs dictate what we can grow in our own yards has moved far away from the practice of kitchen gardens, but such gardens can be literal lifesavers in the event of a real emergency. (This is not an endorsement of people becoming urban or suburban chicken farmers because of a temporary spike in the price of eggs.) I’m not the type to become a prepper, but I feel like I should plant the zucchini and tomatoes I’ve been contemplating sooner rather than later. After all, we cannot survive on basil alone.

Overall, this novel is a very promising opening to what I hope will be a successful series. It was well-paced and perfectly crafted, and I will happily read more in this world.

Goes well with: hot tea and homemade blueberry pie.

Giveaway

THREE WINNERS!

1st: Spa Basket; 2nd: Shower Steamers; 3rd” Facial Masks

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 2/24/23)

What would you miss most if the grid went down? While not as essential as toilet paper or air-conditioning during a Texas summer, I think the McQuaid heroines from this series would love a bit of self-care—and so would I. – Author Lisa Harris

 

Giveaway Survival

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Visit the Other Great Blogs on This Tour

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, OR VISIT THE PARTICIPATING BLOGS DIRECTLY:

02/14/23 Review It’s Not All Gravy
02/14/23 Review Forgotten Winds
02/14/23 Bonus Series Spotlight Hall Ways Blog
02/15/23 Review Book Fidelity
02/15/23 Review Bibliotica
02/16/23 Review Reading by Moonlight
02/16/23 Bonus Promo LSBBT Blog
02/17/23 Audio Review Chapter Break Book Blog
02/17/23 Review The Clueless Gent
02/18/23 Review Jennie Reads
02/19/23 Review The Plain-Spoken Pen
02/20/23 Review StoreyBook Reviews
02/21/23 Review Boys’ Mom Reads
02/21/23 Review Writing and Music
02/22/23 Review Shelf Life Blog
02/22/23 Bonus Sneak Peek All the Ups and Downs
02/23/23 Review The Book’s Delight
02/23/23 Audio Review Rox Burkey Blog

 

 

 

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Book Spotlight: Cover Reveal and Pre-Order for Murder’s Legacy, by Anita Dickason

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Cover Murder's Legacy 1-20-23About the book, Murder’s Legacy

  • Now available for pre-order
  • Series: Tori Winters Mysteries, book 2
  • Mystery / Women Sleuths
  • Publisher: Mystic Circle Books
  • Coming February 16, 2023
  • Scroll down for Giveaway!

Secrets that defy time!

An inconceivable disaster brings Tori Winters’ plans for the historic house she inherited to a traumatic standstill. A section of the escape tunnel built by her great-grandfather, a notorious Dallas gangster, has collapsed. Within the rubble, there is a gruesome discovery. A skeleton with a bullet hole in the skull.

The shocking cave-in triggers an ominous scheme to condemn her property as accusations arise that the tunnel is dangerous.

Embattled, Tori soon discovers that more than the destruction of the house is on the line. It seems she can’t escape the past. It keeps clawing its way into her life with deadly consequences.

Who hides in the shadows with a motive for murder?
And … is Tori the target?

Pre-order this book here:

Murder’s Legacy Pre-Order

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About the Author, Anita Dickason

Author Photo Anita DickasonAward-winning Author Anita Dickason is a twenty-two-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department. She served as a patrol officer, undercover narcotics detective, advanced accident investigator, tactical officer, and first female sniper on the Dallas SWAT team.

Anita writes about what she knows, cops and crime. Her police background provides an unending source of inspiration for her plots and characters. Many incidents and characters portrayed in her books are based on personal experience. For her, the characters are the fun part of writing as she never knows where they will take her. There is always something out of the ordinary in her stories.

In Anita’s debut novel, Sentinels of the Night, she created an elite FBI Unit, the Trackers. Since then, she has added three more Tracker crime thrillers, Going Gone!, A u 7 9, and Operation Navajo, which are not a series and can be read in any order, and Deadly Business, a crime thriller.

As a Texas author, many of Anita’s books are based in Texas, or there is a link to Texas. When she stepped outside of the Tracker novels and wrote Not Dead and the Tori Winters Mysteries series, she set them in the small Texas communities of Meridian and Granbury, respectively.

Connect with Anita:

 WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  AMAZON  |  GOODREADS | BOOKBUB | PINTEREST | LINKEDIN

YouTube: AN AUTHOR’S WORLD | BOOK CINEMA

 

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ONE WINNER

Tori Winters Series tote bag + personalized coffee mug
(US only; ends midnight, CST, 2/9/2023)

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Book Blitz and Giveaway with Review: Find the Moon by Beth Fehlbaum

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 About the book, Find the Moon Cover - Find the Moon

  • Young Adult / Social Issues / Family Issues
  • Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press
  • Pages: 298 pages
  • Expected Publication Date: January 10, 2023
  • Scroll for Author’s Giveaway
  • Scroll for Review

For as long as she can remember, Kylie Briscoe’s been searching for the moon even though she has no idea why it soothes her. Placed in an impossible situation by her mother, Kylie cries for help. It brings rescuers and a new life, but it feels more like a death sentence when she is separated from her three-year-old sister Aliza, the only person Kylie’s ever really loved.

Now she’s in tiny Patience, Texas, with her eccentric potty-mouthed grandmother, ever-patient stargazing grandfather, an uncle who reminds her a lot of a cop who terrified her during a drug bust, a herd of Norwegian Dwarf goats, their “guard donkeys,” and three canine roommates occupying Kylie’s former nursery.

When the authorities make a mistake that could cost her everything, Kylie must decide whether to tell the truth-all of it-in order to save herself and her sister.

XTRA 3D books 2Pre-Order this book and Add It to Your Goodreads Shelf:

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Enter the Author’s Giveaway

Pre-order a copy of Find the Moon and enter the author’s giveaway! Three lucky winners will win a $50 Amazon Gift Card, signed set of THE PATIENCE TRILOGY, and signed copy of BIG FAT DISASTER. Ends 12/30/2022. Visit Beth’s website for more information and to enter!

 

 

About the Author, Beth Fehlbaum Author Photo Fehlbaum 2

Beth Fehlbaum is the author of the young adult novels Find the Moon, Big Fat Disaster (on the Spirit of Texas-High School Reading List, 2014-2015), Courage in Patience, Hope in Patience (A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers), and Truth in Patience. With Dr. Matt E. Jaremko, Beth co-wrote the creative nonfiction book, Trauma Recovery: Sessions with Dr. Matt. She is a high school English teacher.

Authenticity, calling out hypocrisy, and finding one’s voice are frequent themes in Beth’s work, and they are absolutely essential themes in her life, as well. Beth has a B.A. in English, minor in secondary education, and an M.Ed. in reading. Beth is in-demand as an author-panelist, having presented/appeared at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference, the American Library Association’s annual conference, YALSA, N.C.T.E./ALAN, and numerous YA book festivals. She’s a member of The Author’s Guild, SCBWI, Romance Writers of America, and the Texas Federation of Teachers.  She loves doing school visits and meeting teens, teachers, and librarians!

Beth lives in the woods of East Texas in a house on a slice of family acreage. The home was built by her family over one very hot humid summer, a task she wishes never to repeat again. This sanctuary-of-sorts is lined by pine trees, and the woods are inhabited by raccoons, possums, and feral cats. All of these creatures appear to consider Beth their cat-food-providing goddess. There is no place she would rather be.

Connect with Beth:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon Author Page

My Thoughts MissMeliss

When I was little I believed that my grandmother kept the moon in a glass on her bedside table, so an affinity for the moon is something that resonates with me, and it’s one of the reasons I chose to read Beth Fehlbaum’s latest novel, Find the Moon. I was not disappointed. Like many books that are labeled as Young Adult titles, this book is provocative, but it’s also at times both poignant and profound.

I knew from the description that this would be a hard read – protagonist Kylie’s situation, so aptly described in her opening line, “This year will monumentally suck,” is a grim one. Her mother is unreliable at best, and she’s the primary caregiver for her beloved little sister Aliza. A split-second decision made under great danger and duress changes the course of life for both girls, but the moon is their constant companion, and Kylie reminds her sister that no matter what happens to them, if they can find the moon, they’ll know their connection remains.

The moon continues to be an image as the story unfolds. Presented in first person, from Kylie’s perspective, this is the story of a teenager who has been dealt one of life’s worst hands, but has managed to survive. As we follow her on her journey to the welcoming home of her grandparents stargazing Ollie and motherly, if somewhat foul-mouthed Honey, we see her learn to trust others, and to trust herself. The poignance comes in small moments – when she cries on Honey’s shirt for the first time, when a dog offers comfort, when the English teacher’s son Ethan reaches out to her.

There are moments of profundity as well, the most striking when Ollie rises from the kitchen table, encouraging Kylie to rise as well, and shares with her the secret of Just One Thing: Every day, you have to do just one thing that moves you forward. As someone who would likely have been diagnosed with ADHD if girls had been evaluated for it in the 1970s, this echoed my own rule; no matter how much I have to fight to focus on anything, I do at least one productive thing every day. The Just One Thing concept is a powerful one, because it takes the weight of the world off your shoulders. Anyone can manage one thing in a day.

What I loved about this story was that author Fehlbaum never dropped the moon metaphor. Our favorite near-earth object is a talisman, a friend, and a beacon of hope in this novel, and it never feels hokey or overused. I appreciate that she connected Kylie’s attachment to the moon with Grandpa Ollie’s love of astronomy. Stargazing isn’t just a hobby for him, it’s an intrinsic element of his personality.

I also loved the relationship Ollie and Honey had with each other. Their fond bickering reminded me of my own grandparents, and made them feel all the more real.

Realism is another strong facet of this book. The teenagers in this story – Kylie, Ethan, and their schoolmates – never feel too young or too old. Their dialogue is believable and natural without relying on slang that would make this book feel dated if someone read it a decade from now. That kind of writing is an example of great craft and great care, and I really appreciated the authors effort.

While this book does touch on some heavy subjects the darker elements never overwhelm the reader. Rather, this book sucks you in, and makes you FEEL. It seems so cliched to say, “I laughed, I cried,” but the truth is that there were parts of this novel that did make me laugh, parts that made me yell at the characters, and parts that moved me to tears.

Find the Moon is an emotional, truthful story suitable for “young adults” and all adults.

Goes well with: rabbit-shaped pancakes hopping over bacon fence-posts.

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Giveaway Stolen Obsession

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Stolen Obsession by Marlene M. Bell

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About the book: Stolen Obsession

  • Genre: Romantic Mystery
  • Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing
  • Date of Publication: March 20, 2018, Revised 2022
  • Number of Pages: 284
  • Series: Annalisse (Book 1)
  • Scroll down for the giveaway!

Cover Stolen ObsessionPEOPLE DIE, BUT LEGENDS LIVE ON.

Manhattan antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury dreams of a quiet life on the family farm among the sheep she loves, when her best friend is murdered. The police assume robbery is the motive because her friend’s expensive bracelet is missing. But the 500-year-old artifact is rumored to carry an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family—and Annalisse believes her friend is the latest victim.

Weeks later, Annalisse sees a necklace matching the stolen bracelet at a gallery opening. Convinced the necklace is part of the deadly collection, Annalisse begs the gallery’s owner to destroy the piece, but her pleas are ignored— despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act.

Desperate to keep the gallery owner safe, Annalisse reluctantly enlists the owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.

Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his mother, feared dead or kidnapped. As time lapses, the killer switches mode and closes in on the man who’s meant for Annalisse with the lifestyle she wants most.

But when it’s her turn as the hunted, will she choose to save Alec and his mother, or sacrifice everything to save herself?

Hold on for a heart-thumping adventure through exotic lands in this fast moving, romantic suspense mystery by Marlene M Bell.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:
Amazon US  ┃  Amazon UK  ┃  Amazon CA  ┃  Amazon AU | Goodreads

Watch the Trailer for Stolen Obsession

 

 

About the author, Marlene M. Bell Author Pic - Marlene M. Bell

Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.

The Annalisse series — mysteries with a touch of romance —  has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity) and FAPA (Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award) for two other installments, Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy. She also penned the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.

Connect with Marlene:

Website║ Facebook ║ Twitter ║ LinkedIn ║ BookBub ║ Instagram ║ Goodreads ║ Blog

 

Giveaway

ONE GRAND PRIZE WINNER:

Tapestry overnighter bag, sterling necklace (handmade in Greece), autographed copy of updated 2022 Stolen Obsession, $50 Amazon Gift Card

ONE RUNNER-UP:

Autographed copy of updated 2022 Stolen Obsession

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 12/16/22.)

 

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Giveaway Sky King Ranch

Review and Giveaway: Sunrise, by Susan May Warren (Sky King Ranch #1)

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BNR Sky King Ranch

 

About the Sky King Ranch series

Meet the boys of Sky King Ranch! The Kingston brothers are back in town, and you can read their stories in the Sky King Ranch series books Sunrise, Sunburst, and Sundown by USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren.

About book one: Sunrise

  • Series; Sky King Ranch
  • Christian Fiction / Romance
  • Publisher: Revell
  • SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

Sunrise: (Publication Date: January 4, 2022, 352 pgs) Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he’s headed home to the destiny that awaits him.

Praise for the entire series:

  • “Warren proves yet again why she is a master in the genre.”–Booklist, starred review on Sunrise
  • “International intrigue and adventure paired with a simmering romance equals one fast-moving story you won’t be able to put down!”–Lisa Harris, bestselling author of the Nikki Boyd Files series, on Sunburst

Buy, read, and discuss this book (or the others in the series):

Baker Publishing Group |  Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  IndieBound | Christianbook.com | LifeWay |  Other Baker Publishing Affiliates | Goodreads

About the author, Susan May Warren Author Photo Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of nearly 90 novels with more than 1.5 million books sold, including the Global Search and Rescue and the Montana Rescue series, as well as Sunrise and Sunburst. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers’ Choice Awards, Susan makes her home in Minnesota.

Connect with Susan:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub

 

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My Thoughts MissMeliss

I’m always excited to read the first book of a series, especially when I know at least one sequel is already available. Jumping into Susan may Warren’s Sky King Ranch series with the first book, Sunrise, was the start of a wonderful adventure, that – in this case Alaska – made me want to jump on a plane and visit (though maybe not in winter). In fact, the only real problem I had with this novel was that a plane ticket was not included.

All gushing aside, I was completely hooked from the beginning of this novel to the end. While the focus of this novel is on Dodge Kingston, unwillingly returning to run things while his father cannot, the story is as much about the female lead, Echo, his childhood friend and former girlfriend, herself a rugged Alaskan in her own right, working as a musher (dog sledder) and researcher. It’s also the story of her friend Peyton, in Alaska on a grant to research wolves.

As this is a romance-adventure, I expected it to exist in a heightened reality where the men are more rugged and the women are more daring than people tend to be outside the pages of fiction, and I was not wrong. Heroic actions are frequent, even as the characters – especially Dodge – are adamant that they are not heroes. Still everything was grounded in the kind of emotional truth that makes even the most reluctant reader willing to suspend disbelief. For me, there wasn’t much suspension required, but that’s probably because I grew up on PBS nature films and am addicted to shows like Gator Boys and The Amazing Race, and follow alligator wrestlers and bear wranglers on Instagram.

The romance part of this novel was brilliantly handled. Dodge and Echo (I love that name) have a rocky past, but neither ever got over the other, and  watching them take two steps forward and one step back for most of the meaty three hundred sixty-eight pages of this book was both heartwarming and frustrating – often simultaneously. I really liked that they had issues and tried to deal with them rather than just falling into old patterns, and I felt their relationship with each other and with their respective friends and families really grounded the story, so that bush piloting, dog care, and other danger-fraught situations felt plausible within the world of the novel.

As an animal lover and conservationist, I was as interested in the parts of the book about bears and wolves, as well as the tribulations of owning livestock that is at risk from several kinds of wild animal, as I was in the romance and adventure, and author Warren did an excellent job of integrating the flora and fauna of Alaska into her plot.

This book is marketed as a Christian romance, and as someone who does not identify as Christian, I was concerned that it would feel preachy. Rest assured that it does not. Mentions of faith are organic and feel true to the characters, and struggles with faith are handled honestly. I feel that readers of any background will enjoy this book, and I’m personally looking forward to the next two in the series.

Overall, Sunrise is a masterfully written novel with the perfect balance of sizzling romance and gritty outdoorsy adventure.

Goes well with: venison stew, cooked over an open fire.

Giveaway

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ONE WINNER:
Receives a set of the Sky King Ranch Books &
Northern Nights of Alaska Necklace.
(US only; ends midnight, 12/09/22.)

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11/29/22 All the Ups and Downs Series Spotlight
11/29/22 Hall Ways Blog BONUS Promo
11/30/22 It’s Not All Gravy Review Book 3
11/30/22 Stories Under Starlight BONUS Review Bk 1
11/30/22 LSBBT Blog BONUS Promo
12/01/22 Shelf Life Blog Review Book 2
12/02/22 Bibliotica Review Book 1
12/03/22 Carpe Diem Chronicles Excerpt, Book 1
12/04/22 StoreyBook Reviews Excerpt, Book 2
12/05/22 Sybrina’s Book Blog Excerpt, Book 3
12/06/22 The Book’s Delight Review Book 1
12/07/22 Reading by Moonlight Review Book 2
12/08/22 The Plain-Spoken Pen Review Book 3

 

 

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Book Review & Giveaway: The Aquamarine Surfboard by Kellye Abernathy

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Thumbnail of book cover for The Aquamarine Surfboard - a dark-haired girl in a pink and black wetsuit straddling a surfboard, looking back to shore, on a dark teal background with the title of the book and the words Pop-Up Blog Tour.

About the book, The Aquamarine Surfboard

  • Middle Grade / Magical Realism / Fantasy
  • Publisher: Atmosphere Press
  • Page Count: 290 pages
  • Publication Date: November 22, 2021
  • Scroll down for a giveaway!

“Age never matters; these things are about bravery and heart.”

Thirteen-year-old Condi Bloom’s dream is to learn to surf, but her laid-back beach town isn’t what it used to be. Big resort owners are taking over the cove. Worse, someone’s harassing the Beachlings, the mysterious old women living in the cliffs off Windy Hollow, a lonely tower of rock that people say is haunted. When a new surfer boy named Trustin shows up in town and invites Condi to a forbidden surfing spot, she’s swept into an extraordinary underwater adventure, where a surprising encounter with Koan, the Riddlemaster of the Sea, changes her life. Along with Trustin, his quirky twin and a mystical aquamarine surfboard, Condi learns the untold stories of the Beachlings, uncovering the timeless secrets of Windy Hollow.Ebbing and flowing between reality and magic, times past and present, The Aquamarine Surfboard by Kellye Abernathy is a riveting beach tale about opening up to mystery, building community when and where you can — and discovering the ocean is filled with magic—the really BIG kind—the kind that changes the world.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon  *  Barnes and Noble * IndieBound  *  Bookshop.org * Books-A-Million * Goodreads

 

About the author, Kellye Abernathy

Kellye Abernathy’s passions are writing and serving trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Kansas. Her home is in land-locked Plano, Texas—where she’s dreaming of her next trip to the sea!

Connect with Kellye:

Website * Instagram * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Amazon

 

 

My Thoughts MissMeliss

As someone who was almost born on the beach and was swimming before I was walking, this book, The Aquamarine Surfboard, felt like it was written for my childhood self. From the opening chapter, where the protagonist, Condi, meets the mysterious Trustin, and tells him about the Beachlings, a group of free-spirited old women who are unhoused, but make their home in the caves by the sea, I was drawn into the world that author Kellye Abernathy created – a beachfront town that could be almost anywhere in the world – Hawaii or New Zealand feel most likely – that has cliffs overlooking the sea.

Thirteen-year-old Condi is a fabulous character, very much a real girl, who is living with the tragic loss of her parents.  Despite this, she’s reasonably happy, finding pleasure in salt, sand, sea, and surfing – well, in the idea of surfing – because when we first meet her she’s just voicing her determination to learn. While she doesn’t have a ton of friends, those she does have are loyal, and the boys they share space with are written like real young teenagers – eager, oblivious, exuberant – sometimes all at once.

This book isn’t just a surfing story, although it would be a satisfying read if that’s all it was. Rather, it’s a magical trip from childhood to the cusp of young womanhood, filled with sea beings who aren’t necessarily mermaids (Koan, their leader, seems like a combination of Poseidon and Gandalf, and completely works as the Voice of Reason who never gives you the answers, just the clues you need in order to find them. There’s also local history woven throughout the novel, and rumors of hauntings.

Like the best adult books with the magical realism tag, this book rides the line between pure fantasy and purely realistic events, with dimensional characters, settings one would love to visit (well, I would, anyway) and a plot that’s easy enough for middle-grade readers to comprehend, while also bring complex enough for adult readers.

I especially liked the author’s use of simple, but evocative, language. I felt like I could hear the waves between each line of text. The way she dropped in snippets of Robert Frost’s work (and other poets) was perfect for the tone of the book, and felt very organic.

Overall, The Aquamarine Surfboard is an enchanting story that leaves you feeling like there’s sand between your toes and saltwater drying in your hair – in the most wonderful way, of course.

Goes well with: Italian ice treats in lemon or watermelon. Preferably purchased from a food truck or beachside snack bar.

 

 

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