READING NATION MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 by Reading Nation Magazine

The Menu by Steven Manchester 2020 NEW ENGLAND BOOK FESTIVAL WINNER 2021 LOS ANGELES BOOK FESTIVAL WINNER From New England's Storyteller Steven Manchester comes a soul-awakening novel about love, faith and family. During Phinn Reed’s romantic quest, he discovers that even through great suffering and loss, he is never alone—not ever—and that we are all eternally connected. ”If you liked The Shack, then The Menu is a must read!” – John Lansing, Bestselling Author Phinn Reed enters the world with God’s promise of finding his soul mate. With heaven’s memories erased, his romantic quest teaches him that the heart often sees clearer than the eyes—and that not everyone has ordered the same items from The Menu. This inspirational novel is heartfelt evidence that love stories come in many different forms. EARLY PRAISE… “Congratulations on The Menu. I wish you all the best with it. Continue to use your gifts to glorify God!” – Matthew West, Christian Singer/Songwriter, Mended “Steven Manchester’s The Menu is an inspirational tale that proves love can come in many different forms. Poignant and heartfelt, The Menu teaches us that the heart often sees clearer than the eyes. I highly recommended it!” – Betty J. Eadie, #1 NYT & International Bestselling Author, Embraced by the Light

“The Menu is a tender parable of love, loss, faith, skepticism, and the results of getting what we ask for. In the masterful hands of Steven Manchester, the story soars with inspiration, while remaining beautifully rooted in the fierce challenges of everyday life. The Menu is the perfect book to share with a friend. Bravo!” – Anne Hillerman, NYT Bestselling Author, Cave of Bones “Steven Manchester writes like Nicholas Sparks on steroids.” – Jon Land, USA Today Bestselling Author

New England's Storyteller Steven Manchester is the author of the soul-awakening novel, The Menu, as well as the 80s nostalgia-fest, Bread Bags & Bullies. His other works include #1 bestsellers Twelve Months, The Rockin' Chair, Pressed Pennies and Gooseberry Island; the national bestsellers, Ashes, The Changing Season and Three Shoeboxes; the multi-award winning novels, Dad and Goodnight Brian; and the beloved holiday podcast drama, The Thursday Night Club. His work has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS's The Early Show and BET's Nightly News. Three of Steven's short stories were selected "101 Best" for Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He is a multi-produced playwright, as well as the winner of the 2017 Los Angeles Book Festival, 2018 New York Book Festival, 2020 New England Book Festival, and 2021 Paris Book Festival. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or their children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing.

Bobby’s Diner by Susan Wingate The Bobby's Diner Series Book 1 A riveting tale of suspense and redemption. Fifteen years ago, Georgette Carlisle sauntered into Sunnydale and fell in love with Bobby. Not only was he the owner of a diner named after himself, but Bobby was also married. Now, Bobby has died and left his restaurant to both women. But that's not the only problem. The property is situated on an attractive highway corridor, and Zach Pinzer with Chariot International has the diner in his crosshairs. Pinzer wants the property for his next great project and is willing to kill to get what he wants. Will Georgette and Vanessa be able to work the diner together? Or will Pinzer steal the property out from under them? No matter what happens, both Georgette and Vanessa will need to amp up their courage to keep from losing Bobby's legacy. Susan Wingate writes about big trouble in small towns and lives with her husband on an island off the coast of Washington State where, against State laws, she feeds the wildlife because she wants them to follow her. Her ukulele playing is (as her Sitto used to say) coming along. Susan Wingate is a #1 Amazon bestselling and award-winning author. Susan's story "How the Deer Moon Hungers" has won seven book awards, including a first place award in the 2020 Chanticleer Somerset Awards, a Silver Award in the 2021 eLit Book Awards, the 2020 SABA Book Awards for the Judge’s Selection “Best Fiction Author,” Best Fiction in the 2020 Pacific Book Award, a Silver Award in the 2020 Moonbeam Children's Book Award, and July 2020 Book Cover in the Book Cover of the Month Awards.

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Hello Readers! Welcome to READING NATION MAGAZINE, THE magazine for readers and booklovers everywhere. This month’s issue is filled with more great books to add to your TBR list, new authors to follow, an essay by Kathleen Rodgers, some art by yours truly, book trailers, pet interviews, and so much more. If you’d like to join this great community of authors and readers, go to www.thepulpwoodqueens.com to find out more - we’d love to have you! Wherever you are I hope you’re healthy, happy, and enjoying a good book. Happy Holidays from my little pack in Fernandina Beach,

Mandy Haynes

Pulpwood Queen Author Creator, Editor, and Publisher of READING NATION MAGAZINE, Owner of three dogs write press, and crazy dog lady…

Albert Curly & Moe

DECEMBER 2021

Pearl

READING NATION MAGAZINE

LINEUP!

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR OUR READERS

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PULPWOOD QUEEN

WATCH THIS!

PULPWOOD QUEEN SWAG

TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST

AUTHORS SHARING INTERVIEWS

SPEED ROUND!

WHO WE ARE

AUTHORS AND THEIR ART

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TIARA WEARING, BOOK SHARING, GUIDE TO LIFE

115

IF OUR PETS COULD TALK

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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NETWORKING

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MAGAZINE INFORMATION

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ISSUE NO. 09

Mark your calendar! The next International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Girlfriend Weekend is going to be a Week Long Book Club Convention! Since Covid-19 appeared, we’ve all had to learn new ways to celebrate important events and stay in touch. Last January we had our first Virtual Girlfriend Weekend and it was so much fun, we decided if we had to have another virtual event until we could all meet in person, we’d make it even longer. Want to know more about Girlfriend’s Weekend? Click here to see what Robert Gray of Shelf Awareness had to say about last January’s Zoomathon.

Stay tuned for the full program of Authors, Bloggers,Publishers, Podcasters, and other Keynote Speakers you’ll meet! The complete schedule is here! Tickets are available here

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Look at this lineup for THE International

Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Girlfriend Weekend WEEK-LONG Book Club Convention! January 11th - 16th Click here for the full schedule

Kick-off with the PULPWOOD QUEEN DREAM TEAM! Keynote Speaker/Author Marilyn Simon Rothstein Shari Stauch of Main Street Reads and Where Writers Win in conversation with some of her authors. 10

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Kathy L. Murphy interviews Bollywood & Books podcaster Lovelace Cook Podcaster Theresa Bakken of Desiduratam and Author Johnnie Bernhard Author Grace Sammon talks about her new podcast, The Storytellers 2022 Bonus Book Club Selections introduced by Author Claire Fullerton Keynote Speaker Jim Markham of Big Lucky: Serial Entrepreneur Jim Markham's Secret Formula for Business Author Nola Nash talks about her podcast, Dead Folks’ Tales and she and author Laura Kemp talk about Kemp Camp, and a fun new project they started ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

together called, BYOB, Bring Your Own Book Story Hour and Prose and the Pandemic present: Books as Bridges: How Story Connects, Heals, and Guides Us Wilnona and Jade, The And I Thought Ladies Blue Sky Book Chat panel of authors 2022 International Book Club Selections introduced by TBA with intermission Keynote Speaker Adriana Trigiani Authors Caroline Leavitt and Jenna Blum of Mighty Blaze Tumbleweed Smith shares some stories 12

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Melissa Carrigee of Brother Mockingbird with Rebecca Copeland, author of The Kimono Tattoo Kim Davis of Madville Publishing presents three of her authors - Wondra Chang, Lee Zacharias, and Francine Rodriguez Bookish Road Trip! HAPPIEST OF HAPPY HOURS! Kathy L. Murphy will introduce all the authors (77 so far) in attendance followed by a Meet and Greet. Timber Guy Testosterone Boost with Authors Reavis Wortham, Jeffrey Deaver, and John Gilstrap

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Susan Peterson of Sue’s Reading Neighborhood in conversation with these PQ Authors: Kathleen Rodgers, Kerry Anne King, Joanne Kukanza Easley, and Annette G. Anders Jacob Marquez from the Reading Corner in conversation with Authors Robert Gwaltney and James Wade Authors Carolyn Haines and Mandy Haynes talk about the Gothic South Vince Spinatto catches us up on his new adventures Jonathan Haupt of The Pat Conroy Literary Center in conversation with Holland Perryman, Alisha Arora, and Millie Bennett 14

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David Dotson of The Dolly Parton Imagination Library Author couple, Loraine Despres & Carleton Eastlake reporting from Hollywood Author couple Denise Kiernan & Joseph D’Agnesel join author couple Leslie Lehr & John Truby in conversation The Pulpwood Queen Presents her 12 Official Pick Authors of the Year followed by the Big Hair Ball “Mask”uerade Party and Sexy Reading Contest Henry Brinton will do a worship service Sunday from his church in Fairfax, Virginia ISSUE NO. 09

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Carol Fitzgerald from Bookreporter in conversation with Author Deborah Goodrich Royce and author Susan Wingate Author Susan Wingate introduces her agent, Chip MacGregor of MacGregor & Luedeke. Chip will talk about the landscape in publishing today. Stephanie Chance of Decorate Ornate Tours, Official Tour Guide of The International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guys Book Clubs Dinner Break and time to get dressed up for the Awards Show coming up next! Jonathan Haupt will end the convention with an announcement of the amount we 16

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raised for the Pat Conroy Literary Center with our silent auction.

Hope to see you there! Purchase Tickets here

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In the past 22 years, Kathy L. Murphy single handedly turned her original book club of six members into a tribe of tiara wearing readers that span the globe. Lots of those members were also authors. Kathy’s love of connecting those authors with her readers naturally took root and her book club has grown into a one-of-a-kind community that makes being a Pulpwood Queen something extra special. With help from Paul Roberson (her webmaster and jack of all trades) and her new executive director (that’s me, Mandy Haynes!) the authors have been given new opportunities to be in the spotlight. But with the pandemic and all the new variants of the virus canceling so many in18

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READING NATION MAGAZINE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR OUR READERS

person events, the Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Book Club members haven’t been able to get together. As a way to say THANK YOU for continuing to wear your tiaras, reading our book club selections, and supporting our PQ/TG authors, we have an early Christmas Present for you: As of December 1, 2021, membership fees for READERS of The International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Book Club will be waived. We will be closing our two private FB groups (new FB regulations won’t let us change to public) and opening ONE new public group so every reader who wants to put on a tiara (or crown) and join the Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy family are welcome! All members, join in the conversation and come to our online events - and find out what it means to be a Pulpwood Queen! We have so many new things planned for 2022 and we want you to celebrate with us. Join the group to stay in the loop! And please subscribe to our newsletter so we can keep you updated on all of the fun things coming and new authors joining our community of booklovers!

Happy Holidays from The Pulpwood Queen Team *No refunds - as with other subscriptions, you are responsible for canceling recurring payments. ISSUE NO. 09

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Thank you Brother Mockingbird Publishing for letting us share some stories! 20

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The following is an excerpt from Clare Sera’s story. If you’d like to read the rest (how could you not?) purchase your copy of The Pulpwood Queens Celebrate Twenty Years here.

A Screenwriter Meets a Queen Clare Sera

“You want to read a book?” “Me? Always.” “It’s about a ladies club.” “Okay. I like ladies.” “They wear leopard print and tiaras.” “Oh.” “They like big hair. In fact they have a Great Big Ball of Hair Ball every year. Get it?” “Yeah. I get it. But... I’m not sure it’s my...” “It’s a book club. And they drink.” “I’m in!” ISSUE NO. 09

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I was given the book The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life by a Hollywood producer to “see if there was a movie in it.” Oh, laugh emoji, was there a movie in it?! There are five hundred movies in it, one for each nutty book club and crazy character, and that is part of the dynasty that is Kathy L. Murphy. When a screenwriter is given a book to see if she thinks it could make a good movie, the first thing on the list is, “is this story visual?” Um, check. Next is, “does it have heart?” Oh boy does it. And the million dollar question, “Is the main character compelling?” I could write this whole essay on how compelling Kathy is, was and will always be. I certainly wrote a movie based on it. It sits on an executive’s desk at Dreamworks/Amblin and if you’re the praying type, pray they finally decide to make it! The hardest thing about turning Kathy’s life story into a film was deciding what to leave out. The woman is a mother of two, a hairdresser, a bookseller, a fine artist, an entrepreneur, an involved townsperson, a shoulder to cry on, a dreamer of big haired dreams. And not just for herself. She dreams other people’s dreams alongside them. That’s what makes her tiara shine. I arrived at Girlfriend Weekend 2015 with a pen and a pad, ready to take notes on this woman and the weird and wonderful world she had created for herself. Dreamworks 22

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READING NATION MAGAZINE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PULPWOOD QUEEN

had purchased the right to make this movie and I was tasked with writing it. I was definitely going to take this job seriously. Only... you can’t take anything too seriously when you’re around a couple hundred leopard-printwearing, book-sharing, margarita-mixing, utterly fantastic women (and a few good men, it should be noted). However, I most certainly took notes as both authors and book club members would sidle up to me and share the most delicious bits and pieces of their lives with Kathy. “Did you know Kathy did Joan River’s hair?” “Kathy loves to roller skate, you should put that in the movie.” “Kathy got us all to stay at a haunted hotel one time. We were so nervous, we all went to our rooms and then one of the women screamed and we came running and screaming and she cried, ‘That is the dirtiest commode I have ever seen.’” “Kathy wanted us to go read books at nursing homes, but I couldn’t speak loud enough.” “I believe God smote Jefferson, Texas, because it wronged her and it is still trying to recover.” “Did you know I went through college on a rodeo scholarship?” It was love at first chinwag. These women were unabashed Kathy fans, unabashed devourers of books, and just plain unabashed. They ranged from as young as twenty to as spry as “eighty something, honey.” They ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

arrived in their tiaras; some were diamond, some were twine and forest twigs, and some were towering representations of the id. And these tiaras stayed on all weekend long. I loved that. They were queens and this was their kingdom.

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READING NATION MAGAZINE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PULPWOOD QUEEN

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THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

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THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Before we get to all of the great books in this month’s issue - we have another surprise! And just in time for the Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys on your holiday shopping list! Lots of you have been asking for a new Pulpwood Queen T-shirt. Well, as you’ll see if you read my article in the Artists and Their Art section, I can’t make just one thing at a time. T-shirts made me think of book bags, which made me think of coffee mugs, which made me think of warm, cuddly sweatshirts, and so on, and so on… Here are a few of the items I came up with, but visit the NEW PULPWOOD QUEEN’S SWAG SHOP to see more!

DECEMBER 2021

READING NATION MAGAZINE PULPWOOD QUEEN SWAG

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Solo in Salento by Donna Keel Armer SOLO IN SALENTO BEGINS WITH A LIE. Desperate to break out of a life haunted by a wretched past, a loss of faith, toxic relationships, a stressful management career, and a slow sink into domestication, Donna craves time away from everything and everyone, including her loving husband. So she lies, telling everyone she is traveling alone to research a novel she intends to write. While in Otranto, Donna masters the complex recycling system of a country where she doesn't speak the language. By applying these same trash rules to her own life, she discovers that she can sort, recycle, and discard the personal garbage that has plagued her over a lifetime. The book's universal themes of personal growth and travel invite you to come along on this transformational journey filled with mysterious sacred places, culinary delights, and the possibility of being kidnapped. Readers seeking personal realization, along with active travelers, courageous wannabe travelers, and armchair travelers, will be drawn into the magic. 32

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READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST

Evening in the Yellow Wood by Laura Kemp Abandoned by an eccentric father on the eve of her twelfth birthday, Justine Cook has lived with her fair share of unanswered questions. Now, ten years later she leaves her life in southern Michigan and heads north to the mysterious town of Lantern Creek after seeing his picture in a local newspaper. Once there, she discovers her father had been leading a double life and meets the autistic brother she never knew-a young man who is mute but able to read her mind. When a local girl who looks like Justine is mysteriously murdered, she joins forces with sheriff's deputy Dylan Locke to capture the killer. But the more they dig for clues to the past, the closer they come to discovering a secret someone will kill to protect. Justine begins to show signs of supernatural power and eventually must stop an immortal enemy that has hunted her family for generations.

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House of Rose by T. K. Thorne Rookie patrol officer Rose Brighton chases a suspect down an alley. Without warning, her vision wavers, and the lone suspect appears to divide into two men--the real suspect, frozen in time, and a shadow version with a gun. Confused by what she's just seen, but with no time to second guess it's meaning, Rose shoots the real suspect in the back. Forced to lie to detectives, she risks her job and her life to discover the shocking truth of who she really is--a witch of an ancient House, the prey of one powerful enemy, and the pawn of another. House of Rose, set in the Deep South city of Birmingham, Alabama, is the first book of the Magic City Stories. "Former police captain Thorne delivers a promising debut, making the police procedural aspects believable and intriguing. ...as a whole this is a nice mix of mystery and fantasy that leaves the door open for more series installments." --Library Journal 34

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READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST

The Art of Story Keeping: Saving History - One Family At A Time by Tamra McAnally Bolton We are the keepers of our stories. We either pass them down or lose them forever. The Art of Story Keeping is an award-winning book that will help you get started on your own journey to discover your family history. A semi-finalist in the Chanticleer International Book Awards, this book can break down an overwhelming task and make it doable and fun. Bolton says, "Story keeping is not about genealogy, although that may be a part of it; story keeping is about the tales and truths behind the photographs, names, and dates. It is where history begins. In the end, what makes up our family histories and our own stories all become a part of the culture we create for future generations. Most of us will not have vast fortunes to leave to our descendants, or works of art or literature to keep our memories alive, but we all have stories: those everyday happenings that accumulate with time and somehow turn into a mosaic of the person we have become. Only by looking into the past do we see the value of what most of us experience." ISSUE NO. 09

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The Quisling Factor by J. L. Oakley Treason. Espionage. Revenge. In the aftermath of WWII, exintelligence agent Tore Haugland tries to adjust to life in his newly freed country with the woman he loves. But he still has to testify against a Norwegian traitor -- one of the monsters of the German occupation -- whom he helped to capture. When mysterious notes threaten Haugland and his family, he must choose between protecting them or bringing to justice the man who tortured him and destroyed the village that hid him. Challenged by injuries and recurring nightmares, he will have to rely on his former training and old Resistance friends to rescue his wife from the traitor who will do anything to keep Haugland from testifying. "The best in post-World War II espionage thriller novels, Oakley offers another stunningly significant and brilliant Nordic noir we could not put down. Highly recommended!" - Chanticleer Reviews

DECEMBER 2021

READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST

The Eves by Grace Sammon The Eves is a multi-generational novel portraying lives lived well and lives in transition. Filled with poignancy and humor, The Eves captures the conversations we wish we had had with our parents, if we had taken the opportunity, and the lessons we would want to impart to our children, if they were ready to listen. “I enjoyed turning every page, until the last one. This is a book that we will be talking about for a long time.” Bette Blitzer “A novel filled with style, dignity and humor. I can already see the movie version.” - Nicholas Kuffel “Even after I finished The Eves, I kept wondering about the characters and their laughter and their hard conversations. I especially miss being able to check in with Tobias.” -Bill Wild ISSUE NO. 09

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Reversible Skirt by Laura McHale Holland Something's wrong with Mommy. She gets angry and shouts, and isn't like other mothers ... Daddy says everything's okay, but I feel scared all the time … Laura McHale Holland's world turns upside down when her mother committs suicide, leaving three daughters under the age of five alone with an ashamed and shattered father. To repair the damage he quickly remarries, bringing home a woman he hopes can take his late wife's place. But the children don't know what to make of this new harsh and bitter parent. The stepmother promises her husband she'll care for the girls better than their own mother. Instead she subjects them to constant abuse and seems determined to grind them down to nothing. Will this malevolent woman destroy the bonds of sisterly love, or will the little girls survive their never-ending nightmare? Told in the voice of her younger self, Holland's searing memoir is ultimately a triumph of strength and forgiveness in the face of adversity. Get your copy and find out why readers call it a "story of overcoming impossibly challenging circumstances." 38

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Whether penning stories long or short, true or untrue, I strive to stir people’s emotions and find hope in unlikely places. I thrive on following my imagination and encouraging others to do the same. Inspired by the freedom and power found in today’s independent publishing community, I formed a tiny company through which I’ve released several award-winning books. As a child, I loved the musicality of language and often recalled, verbatim, conversations I heard. A lost soul in my teens and early twenties, I finally righted myself in my midtwenties and discovered a deep love of the creative process. I’ve been hooked on that ever since. Significant mentors for me have been surrealist poet Nanos Valaoritis, who kept groups of students spellbound during office hours at San Francisco State University, and Ruth Stotter, a master storyteller who taught me the importance of getting out of the way of tales I am meant to tell. My newest work, a novel titled The Kiminee Dream, incorporates fantastic elements but is grounded in reality—a place I like to straddle in fiction. My published books have received recognition in the indie publishing sphere, including the National Indie Excellence Awards, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and Indie Fab Book Awards, among others. In addition, four of my short plays have been produced recently in Northern California, where I live with my husband and two goofy little mutts. ISSUE NO. 09

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Trail of Trouble by Susan Y. Tanner Murder on the Trail Horsewoman Sara Anders rebuilt her life in the rugged mountains of Oregon. Her trail riding venture with author and rancher Jackson Cantrell is a success. When Jackson is found at the base of a cliff, his death is ruled accidental. Sara doesn’t believe this and neither does Brayden Cantrell, Jackson’s longlost nephew who only recently entered his life, and Sara’s. Unwilling partners who must learn to trust each other and themselves, Sara and Brayden lead a six-day trail ride into the mountains, taking Jackson’s ashes to be buried beside his beloved wife. The funeral cortege includes Jackson’s closest friends—the last people known to see him alive. After a rattlesnake is found zipped inside Sara’s tent and a mourner dies mysteriously, Sara and Brayden realize that they ride the mountain with a killer. But who? And why? And who will be next? Trouble suspects everyone, but his job is to protect Sara, and sleuthing out the villain requires all his skills. Everyone loved Jackson Cantrell until someone didn’t. The savvy feline knows most people incriminate themselves given enough time. But time is running out and a murderer is getting desperate. 40

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Susan Y. Tanner continues to blend her passion for horses with her passion for writing. Trouble in Summer Valley introduces readers to rescue horses who prove their worth in therapeutic riding. In Turning for Trouble, her own rodeo experience brings that rough and tumble world to life. Trouble in Action showcases the risky profession of stunt riding while giving a glimpse into historical reenactments. A Whisper of Trouble provides a glimpse into a talent practiced by few…the art of horse whispering. In Trail of Trouble, scenic trail riding brings people, nature—and murder— together. Published by KaliOka Press, these romantic mysteries feature a supersleuth in the form of a black cat detective. They are part of the Trouble Cat Detective series written in concert with some very talented authors. Ms. Tanner’s historical romances—Highland Captive, Captive to a Dream, Exiled Heart, Fire Across Texas, Winds Across Texas, Storm Out of Texas, and A Warm Southern Christmas (a novella)—are published by Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing. The first five, as well as the novella, were previously published by Leisure Books. When not at her desk, Ms. Tanner can usually be found in the barn or on a horse.

Visit Susan’s Facebook page here. Sign up for her newsletter here. ISSUE NO. 09

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Purple Lotus by Veena Rao 2021 WINNER, AMERICAN FICTION AWARD A 2021 Georgia Author of the Year Award Finalist Award-Winning Finalist, Women's Fiction, 2021 International Book Awards Award-Winning Finalist, Multicultural Fiction, 2021 International Book Awards Featured in Travel + Leisure's "20 Most-anticipated Books for Fall" "20 Classic and New Books About Feminism That Will Get You Thinking and Talking"―Parade "A moving and polished novel that highlights Rao's literary promise." ―Kirkus Reviews

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READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST

"Rao's resonant novel is an ode to the value of personal dignity and the importance of being true to oneself that carries on long after the final chapter." ―Newsweek magazine "Purple Lotus is the Atlanta novel you need to be reading this year... Tara is probably one of the strongest characters you'll find in Southern fiction." --ArtsATL "I'd recommend it to people who are fans of the expansive storytelling of Tayari Jones... and then to anyone who wants to add to their bookshelf of growing Atlanta literature." --PANK Magazine" "The dazzling tale of an Indian-American woman finding her way through the labyrinth of tradition to selfawareness in the modern world. The writer employs an energetic prose style interspersed with melodic passages to make the writing itself a hybrid. Set in particular times and places, Purple Lotus nonetheless appeals to readers everywhere, especially women, to claim the full measure of their human rights. A vivid and resplendent novel for our time." ―Elaine Neil Orr, critically acclaimed author of Swimming Between Worlds ISSUE NO. 09

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Red Carpet Rivals by Bobbi Kornblit Winner: BEST NOVEL Pinnacle Book Achievement NABE Award. The action in RED CARPET RIVALS swirls around the glamour and chaos of the most celebrated movie awards ceremony. The savvy, sexy, and funny novel provides an inside scoop about the studios and the stars in Hollywood from the 1980s to the present. The cast of characters jockeys for position on Hollywood's rocky road to success. Secrets are revealed about their relationships, sexual harassment, health, and blind ambition. PRESTON "COOP" COOPER and SIRENA JACKSON, an estranged superstar couple, are nominated for their roles in the steamy movie based on a novel by Jack London. FRANCINE DARTEN, a leading publicist with star clients, wants to handle Coop in public and in private. CHARLIE WALLACH, an ambitious female studio marketing executive, hopes shatter the management glass ceiling at Silverlake Pictures. 44

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"RED CARPET RIVALS is to the movies what THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA is to fashion." --Mickey Goodman, Author/Journalist "An absolutely delightful read. Bobbi Kornblit digs into her years as a Hollywood insider and delivers a very funny, irreverent, and mischievously shocking tale of what really goes on behind the scenes in the film industry. Her characters will jump off the page and into your head and heart." --Steve Coulter, Actor/Writer, House of Cards & The Walking Dead "Glamorous rivals look for love onscreen and off in this fast-paced tale about Hollywood. Surprising relationships surface in this wickedly funny, sexy novel that dishes about the movie studios and the stars." --Julie Spira, Bestselling Author, The Perils of Cyber-Dating "Red Carpet Rivals takes us behind the scenes of the privileged, pampered, decadent worlds of Hollywood Beautiful People . . . What happens behind those gilded closed doors and cloistered movie sets? Who are the lovers and haters behind those sparkling veneer grins? What's "reel" and what's "real"? Once you step onto this unrivaled red carpet journey the answers will definitely surprise you." -Cara Wilson-Granat, Author, Storyteller, Inspriational Speaker ISSUE NO. 09

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Murder Under a New Moon by Abigail Keam A Mona Moon Mystery - Book 8

Robert Farley is now a bonafide duke, and solicitors from the Duchy of Brynelleth have come to negotiate his marriage contract to Mona Moon. When the three solicitors demand that Mona relinquish Moon Enterprises and live in England full time, she threatens to give Robert back his engagement ring and call off the wedding. She says quite frankly, “I’m not going to give up one of the largest mining conglomerates in the world just so I can host dinner parties at Brynelleth for your snotty friends.” Robert, caught between the responsibilities demanded by Brynelleth and his deep love for Mona, is furious with his solicitors for not being more diplomatic. However, the matter resolves itself when the three English solicitors are caught visiting the notorious bawdy house of Belle Brezing, the most famous madam in the South. Ooops! Events are made worse when one of them turns up dead in the bed of a lady-of-the-evening. Now Mona and Robert must find the culprit before their 46

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reputations are torn to shreds by their enemies. Fastmoving events threaten to turn Mona’s world upside-down as she is confronted with seemingly impossible decisions to make. Should she marry Robert Farley or not? Abigail Keam is the award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of several series including the Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series about a Southern beekeeper turned amateur female sleuth. “I hope my readers come away with a new appreciation of beekeeping from my Josiah Reynolds Mysteries.” She also writes the Mona Moon Mystery Series–a rags-toriches 1930s mystery series which includes real people and events into the story line. The series is about a cartographer who is broke and counting her pennies when there is a knock at her door. A lawyer, representing her deceased uncle, announces Mona has inherited her uncle’s fortune and a horse farm in the Bluegrass. Mona can’t believe it. She is now one of the richest women in the country and in the middle of the Great Depression! The Last Chance For Love Series tells of strangers who come from all walks of life to the magical Last Chance Motel in Key Largo and get a second chance at rebuilding their lives, and The Princess Maura Fantasy Series. ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

God, Destiny and a Glass of Wine by Linda Mason Crawford Some people live their lives on a daily basis, navigating through life's hustle, bustle, and the fear of not reaching their full potential. They can't understand how they could have a positive God-ordained destiny. Some believe they might possibly be on the right path, but they are constantly challenged by their bad decision-making and choice of unhealthy relationships. Some are convinced that they are destined to fall short of having a good and meaningful life, or of enjoying any journey that is before them. The bottom line is God has a plan for all of his children, including you, his child. Whether you have a clear path of where you are going or you are at a loss as to what you are supposed to do, whether you are excited about your future or fearful and embarrassed of the years behind you, Linda Mason Crawford's book, God, Destiny, and a Glass of Wine, is sure to speak to you, right now, wherever you are. It is bound to help you grasp hold of your way. "After all," Crawford says, "this is your destiny. Make a change and walk in it." 48

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Walking the Wrong Way Home by Mandy Haynes A collection of stories for saints, sinners, and everyone in between…

Walking The Wrong Way Home takes you inside the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. Where hidden secrets are brought to light and burned with past regrets in brush piles in the mountains of East Tennessee or used to set fire to the mass produced tall and skinnies taking over East Nashville. Between the pages you’ll meet Penny, an eighty-seven year old widow who sleeps in her red shoes, Jimmy, a quiet auto mechanic whose memories are never silent, Jewel a young girl who sees beauty everywhere, even though she’s lost almost everything, and Willie, a thirteen-year-old who faces his worst fears only to find out that the truth is scarier than any haint or ghost story he’s ever imagined. There’s Elma and Roy, a couple who’ve been married for over forty years. Elma realizes on her sixty-third birthday that it’s not too late to live her life, but it takes Roy two weeks to notice. Spanning nearly twenty decades, the struggles and victories these characters face are timeless as they all work towards the same goal. A place to feel safe, a place to call home. ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Mourning Dove by Claire Fullerton If Millie Crossan doesn't know anything else, she knows this one truth simply because her brother Finley grew up beside her. Charismatic Finley, eighteen months her senior, becomes Millie's guide when their mother Posey leaves their father and moves her children from Minnesota to Memphis shortly after Millie's tenth birthday. Memphis is a world foreign to Millie and Finley. This is the 1970s Memphis, the genteel world of their mother's upbringing and vastly different from anything they've ever known. Here they are the outsiders. Here, they only have each other. And here, as the years fold over themselves, they mature in a manicured Southern culture where they learn firsthand that much of what glitters isn't gold. Nuance, tradition, and Southern eccentrics flavor Millie and Finley's world as they find their way to belonging. But what hidden variables take their shared history to leave both brother and sister at such disparate ends? "An accurate and heart-wrenching picture of the sensibilities of the American South." Kirkus Book Reviews 50

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I’ve always known I'm a storyteller. Having been born in Wayzata, Minnesota (the homeland of my father) and transplanted at the age of ten to Memphis, Tennessee (the homeland of my mother,) I learned early that the art of observation can be an acclimating lifesaver. My mother told me that as a child, I would sit and watch people. I was thirty years old the first time she said this, then she added: "You still do.” If what is known as “the writer’s eye” is the ability to see the world from the outside in, then I am happily guilty. Although I now live in Malibu, California, I'll always consider myself a Southerner: a card-carrying member of the last romantic culture on earth. When I was growing up, Memphis was a hot-bed of social and cultural change. In this atmosphere, I embraced popular music, for the city that sits on the bluff of the Mississippi is a musical mecca, and I wanted to be in its middle. I found my niche in music radio as a member of the on-air staff of five different stations, during a nineyear career. My third novel is titled Mourning Dove. It's a sins-ofthe-father, Southern Family Saga, set in 1970's and 1980's Memphis. It was published by Firefly Southern Fiction in June of 2018, and to date, has won five book awards. ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Dead Fish Wind by Cooper Levey-Baker This item will be released January 20, 2022. In this grim, comic debut novel, author Cooper Levey-Baker tells a bizarre coming-of-age story in prose that is lyrical, gross, tragic, goofy, and maybe even a bit tender. Cicely has got problems. Stuck working a crappy job to take care of her deadbeat father, she’s living just a step above homelessness in a town ruled by a remote, affluent elite and stricken with a catastrophic outbreak of red tide. But then Cicely makes a friend, perhaps her first, and she starts dreaming of a way out of her predicament. It’s a scheme that involves stolen placentas and a dangerous outlaw doula that leads to a confrontation with the malignant forces around her and the mother who abandoned her as a child. In this grim, comic debut novel, author Cooper LeveyBaker tells a bizarre coming-of-age story in prose that is lyrical, gross, tragic, goofy, and maybe even a bit tender.

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Obama’s Children: Poems by Earl S. Braggs A universal quest for human dignity and acknowledgement made specific through the Black experience.

“Earl Braggs is his own man. His poems are a personal and public history of America told in numerous personas, poetic syntax, and a dancing rhythmic narrative that carries the reader into stories that seem familiar yet are often a bit askew. It’s like looking at the world through old glass windows—streets, cars, trees, people, and history are wavy and grainy but not untrue. The truth is in the spirit, in the heart of the work and the poet. Book after book reveals what it’s like to be a Black man in the United States, and therefore, what it’s like to be an American.” —Rick Campbell, author of Provenance and Gunshot, Peacock, Dog ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Nowhere Near Goodbye by Barbara Conrey “The past versus the present. The desperate needs of a family going against the desperate needs of work. And secrets that could derail everything. Conrey’s beautifully written novel probes the choices we make—and the choices we regret, and she does it with grace and aplomb.” Caroline Leavitt, New York Times Bestselling author of Pictures of You and With or Without You “Barbara Conrey asks what happens when a doctor’s devotion to finding a cure for cancer competes against the expectations of motherhood. The answer is a story I will never forget. Emotional, heartbreaking, and hopeful, Nowhere Near Goodbye is an exciting debut in women’s fiction.” Jennifer Klepper, USA Today Bestseller author of Unbroken Threads “Barbara Conrey’s debut poignantly addresses choices women make—what it costs them, what it saves. Nowhere Near Goodbye is the emotional, yet hopeful journey of motherhood and second chances.” Natalie Jenner, International bestselling author of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY 54

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“Conrey’s NOWHERE NEAR GOODBYE is a deeply moving novel about family, how the past shapes us, and ultimately forgiveness. Told with powerful prose, the author brings us into the lives of the richly developed characters with tenderness while bringing us on a heartfilled journey of love, loss, and the choices we make. Fierce and poignant, readers who love women’s fiction and true-to-life stories should not miss this stunning debut.” Samantha Verant, Author of The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux “Emma Blake is a character not soon forgotten. NOWHERE NEAR GOODBYE is Emma’s story, told with exceptional honesty and heart. Meticulously written, with powerful characters, this debut novel delves into friendship and family, deception and forgiveness, ultimately leading the reader to an emotional but satisfying conclusion.” Rebecca Hodge, Author of Wild Land "Beautifully written, captivating, and raw, NOWHERE NEAR GOODBYE is an outstanding debut that tackles the push and pull between motherhood and career. This stunning, powerful novel will shatter your heart and put it back together piece by piece." Samantha M. Bailey, #1 bestselling author of Woman on the Edge ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

The Art of Traveling Strangers by Zoe Disigny The Art of Traveling Strangers is a journey of self-discovery and personal empowerment inspired by the great art masterpieces of Italy and Paris. It’s a tale of female bonding and the amazing powers of perception. After all, reality—like art—is just an illusion. It’s the 1980s, and art historian Claire Markham reels from a series of heartbreaking losses. Desperate to escape her shattered reality, she becomes an art guide in Europe for quirky stranger Viv Chancey and embarks on a life-changing journey through the art-filled cities of Milan, Venice, Ravenna, Florence, Siena, Rome, and Paris. Once abroad, Claire tries to hide her woes by focusing on Viv’s art education, but Viv—who is not what she seems—has a different learning experience in mind. Frustrated and wanting to reimagine her life, Claire embraces the idea of reality as illusion and magically slips into the tales of art history. When threatened with one more crushing loss, Claire must learn from the spirit of her eccentric companion and the 56

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wisdom of the artworks they encounter to reinvent her life or lose the most precious thing in it.

Available 2-22-22 Born in New York, I lived in five states before my family settled in California when I was a teenager. I was introduced to international travel the summer after my high school graduation, touring Europe and studying French for a month in Tours, France. During my junior year in college, I again went to France for school and began my love affair with art. At the end of my junior year, my parents moved to Rome, and I lived with them for three summers while completing my B.A. degree in French and pursuing my M.A. degree in art history. I worked as a college art history professor for twenty-five years. In the summers, I taught art history courses and led tours in Greece, Italy, and France. And for three of those summers, I established a business in Paris, offering art tours for American travelers. I live in Southern California with my husband and devote my time to writing while continuing to travel internationally (as soon as we can again). ISSUE NO. 09

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One Hundred Daffodils: Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart by Rebecca Winn "There is so much life in the garden. That is why I come. Life that is gentle, self-supporting, and beautiful. Continuous in its cycles, grounded, pure."

“A shockingly beautiful work of art.” ~ KATIE MARIE, Martinis & Memoirs Blog When women share the truth about life and loss, hearts can begin to heal and hope is restored. Readers will embrace that gift in Rebecca Winn’s comforting and lovely memoir on beginning again.~ SARAH BAN BREATHNACH, author of Simple Abundance; 365 Days to a Balanced Life “Rebecca Winn paints with words on a level with Monet, Degas, Van Gogh and Renoir. I was totally captivated and entranced by her story. Wow.” ~ ARIELLE FORD, author of Turn Your Mate into Your Soulmate “Her writing is evocative, and literary in all the right ways.” R.H.E. 58

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“What a gorgeous, inspiring read!” ~ LAURA ZAM, author of The Pleasure Plan “It’s beautifully written and deeply meaningful — especially as we collectively process the weight of a global pandemic.” Minnesota Public Radio It’s a warm, lushly sensitive memoir that draws us again and again into her garden as she comes to terms with selfacceptance and loss. I think you’d find it restorative as well, which is why my Thread Must-Read this week is Rebecca Winn’s “One Hundred Daffodils.” ~ KERRI MILLER, Host of MPR NEWS Rebecca Winn is a multiple award-winning landscape designer and creator of the inspirational Facebook blog, Whimsical Gardens. Her eye for nature's beauty and her unique blend of wisdom, insight and humor inspire and entertain hundreds of thousands of readers around the globe each day. Born in Dallas, Texas, Rebecca's family moved to Europe when she was in first grade, providing her the opportunity to grow up surrounded by the majestic, centuries old gardens of Italy, Scotland and England, which strongly influenced both her garden designs and her writing. Her articles have appeared in regional and national magazines. One Hundred Daffodils is her first book. ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Sharp as a Serpent’s Tooth - Eva and Other Stories by Mandy Haynes Stories that’ll have you cheering for snakes and cussin’ in church…

You'll meet Eva, the young daughter of traveling Pentecostal preachers, who catches snakes while her parents hide behind the bible and a large wooden crate. Eva's life changes when she makes her first friend and realizes there is more to life than fear. In Plans for Sweet Lorraine, you'll meet Lorraine's mama, Cordelia - a fiery red-head with a temper to match, and a mind as sharp as the sting from a leather strap. She'll do anything to keep her daughter safe. Even if she has to beat the devil himself. Laurel, the young girl in The Day I Threw the Rock has no idea that she saved someone's life, or that she may have killed someone to do it. She just knows that she should be allowed to wear overalls and play ball like the boys. Well, ain't it true that she can throw a baseball harder and faster than Luke or John Randall? Just ask Sarah Rose's Uncle... 60

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Junebug Fischer is ready to set the record straight and let you know what really happened the summer she turned fifteen. It's true, she killed someone, but she never killed nobody on purpose. That was purely accidental. When Charlotte's world is turned upside down, her aunt is there to put it back on its axis. Charlotte learns that everything she's been told about her long lost aunt has been a lie, and her aunt teaches her many important lessons. The most important lesson is forgiveness. Cussing Snakes and Candy Cigarettes is proof that there's magic all around us, all we have to do is open our hearts and minds. Mandy Haynes has spent hours on barstools and riding in vans listening to outrageous tales from some of the best songwriters and storytellers in Nashville, Tennessee. She traded a stressful career as a pediatric cardiac sonographer for a happy one and now lives in Fernandina Beach, Florida with her three dogs, and one turtle. She is a freelance writer for Amelia Islander Magazine, Editor-in-Chief of Reading Nation Magazine, Executive Director of The International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Book Club, owner of three dogs write press, and author of two short story collections, Walking the Wrong Way Home and Sharp as a Serpent’s Tooth Eva and Other Stories. ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Independent Bones: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery by Carolyn Haines When Dr. Alala Diakos, a visiting professor of Greek literature, comes to teach at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, it doesn't take long for controversy to follow. With her fervent feminist ideals and revolutionary leanings, she quickly earns the admiration of many--and the ire of others. During a speech in the park, in which Alala tries to organize the women of Zinnia to demand equal pay, the crowd gets unruly, with men heckling the professor. And when PI Sarah Booth Delaney finds a sniper rifle and scope in the bushes, she begins to worry that there are more than fighting words at stake. Sarah Booth calls her boyfriend, Sheriff Coleman Peters, who offers the protection of the Zinnia police department, but Alala rejects him, saying she has no use for the law or men. And when a notorious domestic abuser is found dead the next day, suspicions turn to Alala herself, who was overheard bragging that she would take him down. Tensions deepen when connections are drawn between Alala and two similar, previous deaths. But Sarah Booth doesn't want to believe Alala is a murderer, and when the professor shows up at Sarah Booth's doorstep, asking her to find the real criminal, Sarah Booth embarks on a case stretching across the Delta. Yet Alala remains at the center of it all, and Sarah Booth can't help but wonder if the killer has been with her all along... 62

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The Cicada Tree by Robert Gwaltney “Some things in this world are meant to burn …” The summer of 1956, a brood of cicadas descends upon Providence Georgia, a natural event with supernatural repercussions, unhinging the life of Analeise Newell, an eleven-year-old piano prodigy. Amidst this emergence, dark obsessions are stirred, uncanny gifts provoked, and secrets unearthed…

Coming 2-22-22 “This is Southern Gothic with a vengeance—a dark blast of family secrets, strained loyalties, and bitter betrayals. We follow young Analeise Newell with fear and hope, dreading what may happen to her even as we turn the pages. Robert Gwaltney is a writer to watch.” –Christopher Swann, author of Never Turn Back (Crooked Lane Books)

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Sugar Baby and Other Stories by River Jordan "River Jordan is a holy truth-teller who can make even the bad things in life seem as sweet as sugar. The stories in Sugar Baby and Other Stories are as real as life itself, but the language River uses to coat the pain is something from another world. Writer, storyteller, heart healer. River Jordan is simply the best." Wiley Cash, author, The Last Ballad A union soldier who deserted, a scared girl in an abandoned, antebellum home, a gravedigger looking for a wife, seven sisters who will kill to protect each other, a stake-out at a rundown hotel, a Spanish priest trying to save his people from the Spanish flu, a young girl sneaking off with an encyclopedia salesman, an old woman aiming to use her last bullet. a woman framed for murder on All Saints Day, a one-eyed outcast who lives down by the river.

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The characters in Sugar Baby and Other Stories are infused by desire, touched by love, and seeking retribution and redemption at every turn. Sugar Baby is storytelling of the highest order, plucking up the reader and transporting them to a world of mystery, spirituality, violence, love, and everything in between. "River Jordan writes music onto the page. Her stories echo about the hills of the mind like downhome ballads: rich with detail, raw with emotion, and capable of delivering light through dusk." John Larison, author, Whiskey When We're Dry Available now wherever good books are sold. River Jordan is an established literary figure, speaker, teacher, and radio host. Her work has been featured by Publishers Weekly, Booklist, NPR's Book Talk, Guideposts Magazine, and the Southern Literary Review. She is the author of four novels and three spiritual memoirs. Her work is most frequently compared to Flannery ’Connor, Harper Lee, and William Faulkner and Paste Magazine wrote that her novel Saints In Limbo was a “southern gothic masterpiece.” ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

The Memory of Flight Debra Bowling Marilyn’s quiet, mysterious beauty belies the turmoil inside her head. In 1962, after her alcoholic husband becomes increasingly violent, she attempts to jump off the bridge in Guntersville, Alabama. Six months later, she moves with her children to her parents’ farm to escape her marriage and to quiet the voices growing louder inside her head. But soon her makeshift house becomes both retreat and prison when hostile feelings begin to erupt from past family conflicts and her husband’s recurring visits. At six years old, Marilyn’s daughter Ginny is close to her father and puzzled by her mother’s cold, harsh behavior. She seeks comfort in her grandmother’s company and the discovery of her father’s old Brownie camera. As Marilyn’s mental health declines, Ginny becomes increasingly obsessed with photography and the solace it provides her in a world that seems determined to isolate and ostracize her. After high school, Ginny leaves for college with the belief that she is breaking free from her difficult childhood and starting her own life. But her obsession for shooting 66

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photographs of people in moments of raw emotion ultimately leads her to expose details of a murder as Marilyn faces a new crisis that throws both of their lives out of control. The Memory of Flight is about finding a way forward with a broken spirit while learning to unearth and face great loss and pain. It is about remembering the earlier flights, healing the wounds of the past, and learning how to soar once more. "Debra Bowling's debut novel resonates wit achingly insightful portrayals of daughter and mother in the slowly changing Alabama of the 1960s and '70s...[It] takes the reader deep into the anguished terrain of two women struggling for equilibrium in a harsh and unforgiving world...Told with astonishingly tender intimacy, The Memory of Flight is an exquisite portrait of women enduring the unendurable. A deep and profound read." Elizabeth Bruce, author of And Silent Left the Place Debra Bowling grew up in North Alabama and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. For years, she divided her time between creative writing and working with nonprofits, including domestic violence, arts, children's issues and civil rights. Other interests include photography, video production, spirituality, and Jung Psychology. ISSUE NO. 09

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEENS AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Deconstructed by Liz Talley, the USA Today bestselling author of Adulting. Coming soon! Antique-store owner Cricket Crosby’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that the rumors of her husband’s affair aren’t just leisurely southern gossip. Her plan: hire an investigator; find an attorney; enlist the help of her new assistant, Ruby; and make her husband pay. Ruby knows how quickly everything changes. After a dicey past, she’s determined to forge a new future by working for Cricket and reinventing herself as a designer, deconstructing vintage haute couture. If anybody can help mend a few tears in Cricket’s life, she can. But turns out Cricket’s life isn’t just a little torn. It’s wrinkled, stained, and falling apart at the seams. With Ruby and her ragtag relatives—a soused PI and a hunky tow truck driver—Cricket is sleuthing her way to the truth, no matter how dangerous it gets. Sure, Cricket’s life isn’t what she imagined. But she’s embracing change and figuring out what she really wants. And that’s kind of fabulous. 68

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Husbands and Other Sharp Objects by Marilyn Simon Rothstein A heartwarming, hilarious novel for anyone who has ever had a family, from the author of Lift and Separate.

After a lifetime of marriage, Marcy Hammer is ready to get herself unhitched—just as everyone else in her life is looking for a commitment. Her new boyfriend, Jon, wants to get serious, and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Harvey, is desperate to get back together. When her headstrong daughter announces a secret engagement to Harvey’s attorney, Marcy finds herself planning her daughter’s wedding as she plans her own divorce. “I laughed. I cried. I cried while laughing. This is my second Rothstein book and I just loved this story. Her ability to capture the nuances of marriage, divorce, family, siblings, loss, and friendship was spot-on. I especially loved her connection to her beloved mother and the way in which she described purchasing a new home—one which her mother will never see. Moved me to tears. I’ll miss these characters.” —Rochelle B. Weinstein, USA Today bestselling author ISSUE NO. 09

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Sleigh Bells Ring: A Magical Cowboy Christmas Romance by Jessica James WELCOME HOME TO THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS! Sleigh Bells Ring is a heartwarming holiday cowboy Christmas romance filled with second chances, holiday traditions, the reuniting of best friends, and the magical promise of love during the holiday season. There’s no love story as beautiful as those at Christmas, so pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate and indulge in a classic romance that unleashes the magic of Christmas and the true meaning of the season. This clean, wholesome romance will take you back to bygone days when holiday traditions were deeply rooted institutions, and when love could heal all wounds. Returning to her family’s Montana ranch after a ten-year absence, Jordyn Dunaway pitches in to help her Mother create the special holiday magic for which the family ranch is renowned. But when she discovers that her best friend growing up—the man she has never forgotten—is employed as a ranch hand, the holiday season turns into something she never imagined. Chad Devlin was falling into a deep abyss after leaving the military as a result of a traumatic brain injury. When 70

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his old employer invited him back as a ranch hand he found himself recovering both physically and mentally...that is until he was blindsided by the return of the ranch owner’s daughter after a ten-year absence. The rocky relationship of the former best friends takes a back seat as the future of the family-owned ranch becomes threatened. If Jordyn and Chad don’t put their painful pasts behind them, they might lose the ranch they both call home. Can misunderstandings, mistrust, and lost years be forgotten when the magic of Christmas is in the air? Find out with the help of beautiful vistas, warm bonfires, and the magical meaning of a special sleigh bell that ties both Jordyn and Chad to the past—and the future. Jessica James is a a reader, a traveler, a collector, and an appreciator of times past. Her novels run the gamut from military suspense and thrillers to historical fiction, Christian fiction, and small-town Southern women's fiction. She is a four-time winner of the coveted John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and received a Gold Medal from the Military Writers Society of America in addition to a dozen other literary awards. James stays active working part-time as a stagehand where she assists with shows ranging from country bands and stage plays, to operas, symphonies and ballets. She resides in Gettysburg, Pa., and has a passion for old dwellings and first edition books. ISSUE NO. 09

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Chasing the Wind by Pamela Binnings Ewen At 8:47 A.M. on Wednesday, October 12, 1977, new-to-town businessman Bingham Murdock flew his small plane into New Orleans, banking it in such a way that a ray of sunshine shot through the city at light speed. Amalise Catoir saw the flash from her sixteenth floor law office window. Finally feeling alive after the death of her abusive husband, she imagined seeing the plane was a fate for her eyes only; a special connection between the unknown giver and she, the recipient of light. But someone else saw it, a six-year-old Cambodian refugee in foster care for whom a sudden burst of brightness reminds him of artillery fire. Destined to cross paths with the man and the child, Amalise doesn’t yet know the deeper spiritual lesson she will learn: that we are responsible not only for the things we do, but also for the things that we don’t. A powerful compelling story with a startling surprise ending, CHASING THE WIND must not be missed, especially after reading DANCING ON GLASS, both by the impressively talented Pamela Binnings Ewen. Single Titles.com 72

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Secret of the Shroud by Pamela Binnings Ewen (formerly Walk Back the Cat) A frightened apostle in AD 33 – A tragic child in the 1950s – A slick, twenty-first century church leader…all linked by the secret of the Shroud of Turin, the purported burial cloth of Jesus…and by something more. A corrupt, media-savvy clergyman, Wesley Bright, is out to destroy the Christian church of the God who has abandoned him. Likable, entertaining, his motives are well hidden. But as he seeks revenge, leading the church toward unknowing destruction, the mysterious Shroud of Turin stands in his way. Strange characters and clues emerge like shadows limned in mist as the most recent discoveries on the Shroud connect the pieces of a puzzle. When Wesley learns the ancient secret, he’s forced to confront a terrible choice-to keep the secret or expose it…and lose the power, wealth, and fame he’s won over the years. At stake in this heart-throbbing tale is absolute truth. ISSUE NO. 09

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Shadows Within Dark Places by R. E. Joyce This epic fantasy finds an ancient world being plunged into chaos by an evil warlord and a creature from the swamps. Heroes are called to take up the battle but it is a strange shadowy figure who guides them. Jadarr is not seen and his character is continually questioned, but they choose to follow as he gathers together those who will serve the kingdom. Is he evil or is he good? Fairytale or sent by God? Intertwined into the fabric of this world is a figure standing apart yet bringing those who seek goodness together. Are we guided by unseen forces and are these forces reflected in the lives of unique individuals who pass through our lives and give us hope? Look around and you will see that the mystery and majesty of ancient times is still with us today.

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Buried Beneath Book 3 Camilo Canto has unfinished business. As the newest member of the Bishop Security team, Cam has left the dark world of undercover work with the CIA and is starting a new life in South Carolina. Unfortunately, there is a haunting figure from his past with an agenda. The Conductor is a criminal mastermind who wants Cam eliminated along with the evidence Cam compiled while working undercover. A devious plot is in place to do just 76

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that. Cam is abducted and awakes on the island paradise of Mallorca, where crime, danger, and obsession are buried beneath the picture-perfect surface. In order to stop The Conductor, Cam must sift through layers of diversion, including an infatuated supermodel, a corrupt mine owner, and an obsessed treasure hunter. As he fits the puzzle together, Cam crosses paths with a beautiful archaeologist searching for answers to another mystery hidden in the caves beneath the island. Evangeline Cole is a Ph.D. candidate in Mallorca with an archaeological team. When Evan stumbles upon a strange marker, she is compelled to follow the clues to solve a centuries-old mystery buried in the caves. When Evan's treasure hunt crosses paths with Cam's investigation, passion and danger ignite. Cam is forced to confront both the real and psychological demons from his years undercover to find the true treasure buried beneath. Fans of Lori Foster, Sandra Brown, and Toni Anderson will love Illicit Intent. Be advised: this story contains scenes of violence equivalent to an R-rated movie and explicit sexual situations. Debbie Baldwin, the author of the Bishop Security Series is a successful print media and television writer. She is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Virginia School of Law. ISSUE NO. 09

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Sonju by Wondra Chang “In this debut novel of epic scope, Wondra Chang offers an insightful exploration into post-WWII South Korean life through her portrayal of Yu Sonju, a miscast woman who comes of age at a time when her family and others of her class cling to a culture that suppresses women’s dreams and ambitions. Chang, a former psychotherapist, takes us to a place in the world that has recently become more visible to Western audiences due to the success of South Korean films such as the award winning Parasite and Cho Nam-Joo’s bestselling novel, Kim JiYoung, Born 1982. Chang, however, in a story largely set in Seoul, provides a vivid picture of South Korea as it once was and a place well on its way to becoming the country we know today, rendered through the perspective of a woman who struggles to find a place for herself in her native land. Despite the suffering she endures, Sonju’s story is one of triumph made possible through the relationships she develops with the women she meets along her journey, and eventual success as a writer and businesswoman in a male dominated world. Chang has written a deeply-moving novel that will expand the worldview of readers from all backgrounds.”—Reggie Scott Young, author of Yardbirds Squawking at the Moon 78

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Geographies of the Heart by Caitlin Hamilton Summie Available January 18, 2022 Sarah Macmillan always puts her family first, but as she ages, she can't quite stretch her arms wide enough to hold on to everyone: her career-minded and inattentive younger sister, Glennie; their grandparents, who are slowly fading; or the late-inlife pregnancy Sarah desperately wanted. But it's her tumultuous relationship with Glennie that makes Sarah the loneliest. She'd always believed that their relationship was foundational, even unbreakable. Though blessed with a happy marriage to Al, whose compassion and humor she admires, Sarah grows increasingly bitter about Glennie's absences, until one decision forces them all to decide what family means, and who family is. Narrated by the chorus of their three voices, this elegantly told and deeply moving novel examines the pull of tradition, the power of legacies, and the fertile but fragile ground that is family, the first geography to shape our hearts.

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This month’s interview section is a little different. Y’all, with all of the exciting things going on with preparing for GF Weekend Week long Book Club Convention, the release of out 2nd Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Anthology, and the upcoming holidays, I dropped the ball. BUT I remembered this fantastic interview author Lauren Marino shared with me a few months ago! BOOKISH BROADS: Women Who Wrote Themselves Into History is the perfect stocking stuffer so I’m calling this a win-win! Enjoy!

SOUTHERN REVIEW OF BOOKS interview: Lauren Marino 1. Where did the idea for this book come from? What inspired you to research and profile so many women writers? And how did you go about doing so? As a female writer I have always read other female writers 80

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because their stories resonate with me. As a long- time book editor I read the daily publishing trades and I read an article in Publisher’s Weekly about a database in libraries worldwide that tracked the most circulated books in the world. I went to go see the results and it turned out that only 17 out of 100 were by women. From there I Googled “World’s Greatest Books” out of curiosity and all of the articles and photos that popped up were by men. I found a website called GreatestBooks.org and the same stats were there. This is a website that uses an algorithm to create a master list based on how many times a book shows up in 129 “best of” book lists from the top newspapers, literary magazines and other credible, well established sources. I went through the list and counted. 14 of the top 100 were by women, the usual suspects: Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf, Emily Bronte, Toni Morrison, George Eliot, Harper Lee, Mary Shelley, Alice Walker, Margaret Mitchell, Edith Wharton, Margaret Atwood, Emily Dickinson and Daphne Du Maurier. As a book publisher I know that 70-80% of books are bought by women so I couldn’t understand why more weren’t included in these important lists. I did some research and outside of some feminist literary history and academic work from the 1970s and 80s there was no popular book celebrating female writers. I got the Norton Anthology of Women Writers to see what was considered the female literary canon and from there I went down the rabbit hole reading biographies, articles, websites as well ISSUE NO. 09

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as their work and started writing profiles. All in all I consulted 400 sources, all of which are posted on my website –there were too many to fit in the physical book. It was like getting a Masters in female literary history and I never had more fun in my life! 2. In the course of getting acquainted and re-acquainted with your subjects, did you note any common attributes among these women writers? What did/does it take to become a history-making female writer? Women have always been writers since the beginning of time but they faced obstacles men didn’t. Two things that weren’t always available to women (or men in some cases) through history were literacy and access to books and an education. Wealthy women had governesses but they were learning what were considered feminine pursuits – pianoforte, languages and needlepoint. Until the early 20th century a woman had to have either a very wealthy or progressive father with a library and read a tremendous amount to self educate. Women like Mary Shelley, Jane Austen and even Virginia Woolf did not have formal educations or university education but they were huge readers and self-taught. Throughout most of history there were also forced arranged marriages –girls were married off as soon as they hit puberty and were probably pregnant and caring for children most of their lives, and of course childbirth was extremely dangerous and the leading cause of death for women. Female writers were also ostracized 82

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or called immoral and had their reputations destroyed if they published, which is why so many disappeared from history for centuries, like Aphra Behn, whose story is in the book. They were also banned from being published – publishers wouldn’t accept their work and people like Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters had to have their brothers secure a publisher for them and they had to use male pseudonyms or ambiguous initials. Even more contemporary authors like J.K. Rowling, Harper Lee and S.E. Hinton used male initials because the conventional wisdom is that women are expected to read books by men but boys or men won’t read books by women. It’s a cultural prejudice. Like any good writer, all of the women I profile in the book were big readers and they were observers of what they saw as flaws in society. They had a sense of justice and they were frustrated by many of the limitations placed on them as women and that’s what they wrote about. They satirized arranged marriages and women’s dependency on marriage, they wrote treatises on the importance of giving girls an education equal to that of boys, and they wrote about their inner lives. They also created strong, independent characters –like Elizabeth Bennett –who are still beloved today. They had a fire in their heart, they found their voice and expressed it and had the courage and resilience to deal with the compromises and consequences of that. ISSUE NO. 09

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3. What do we as modern readers have to learn from these profiles of women writers? How do the stories of these women empower you? These women were trailblazers and unconventional thinkers, sometimes revolutionary, in that they questioned the role of women in society and also showed the value and breadth of women’s experience, which has always been belittled or ignored or shut down. Their intelligence and courage changed the way that women were viewed and their work paved the way for women writers today. Books can change lives and societies and I think it’s incredibly important to see your own experiences depicted on the page. It makes us feel less alone, it reveals to us what we can each accomplish. In some cases it shows us what to avoid.

4. Do you also hope this book will inspire more women to pursue their own literary ambitions as well? And if so, how? Absolutely! I had three goals in writing this book. The first was to celebrate these women and tell the stories behind the storytellers, which in a way becomes a history of the female experience through literature. The second was to bring more readers to their work, which is why I included suggested reading for each author I profiled. The 84

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third was to hopefully inspire aspiring and working writers to show that even the best, most well known writers struggle with insecurities and put in a tremendous amount of hard work to express themselves clearly on the page and to find a readership. I love Maya Angelou’s quote, “Some critics review my work by saying, ‘Maya Angelou is a natural writer.’ Being a natural writer is much like being a natural open-heart surgeon.” Being clear on the page and finding your voice are extremely difficult. It is a skill, a craft, and it is learned and can be difficult every time one sits down to write. I also think it’s crucial, as a writer to have literary role models that are somewhat relatable. 5. As you note in your introduction, your book is meant to be representative and not comprehensive. What was your selection process like? How did you decide which writers to include? The list was constantly evolving as I wrote the book. I started with the “have-to-includes” and built the list out from there. I included some of my favorites out of pure selfishness. I also discovered many writers along the way as I was doing research. I wanted each woman to represent a specific time and transition in literary history or women’s roles –I wanted to profile writers who broke new ground in some way. There could have been one hundred women or more but my publisher wanted a book that was a specific length and I had to cut a lot of people. I have ISSUE NO. 09

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several essays started that will stay in my computer and didn’t make it into the book although they certainly deserve to be there as much as any of the other women. The women who ended up in the book versus what was in my original proposal is quite different. It became clear to me as I was writing the book that this was really a history of the female experience through literature and so each woman who ended up in the book had to be someone that moved that forward in some way. 6. In the course of your research and writing, did you learn anything new about some of your own favorite authors? I learned a tremendous amount and something new about every single one of them. If I start to elaborate I will go on for days. 7. Your book also has several sections devoted to understanding groups of writers—Medieval Mystics, Beloved Children’s Authors, and writers who made use of pseudonyms, as three such examples. What prompted you to highlight groups of women writers in these ways? One reason was that there were so many writers I wanted to include and I ran out of space and time. And there were certain periods in literature or history where there were bold things happening in a specific area or genre and it 86

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made sense to group those women together. For example, in the western world the first writers were the Medieval Mystics. The nuns were the only women during that time who had access to books or who learned how to read or write –it was in the convent where the sisters taught one another. Being a nun also helped a literary minded young woman escape the confines of forced marriage and endless, dangerous childbirth. They could also use divine inspiration as an excuse for writing. Since women weren’t allowed to write or express themselves these women became influential through their writing by saying that it was God speaking through them and therefore it was accepted. There was also a sort of Renaissance in children’s literature around the late 1800s, early 1900s where female writers wrote and published books that were written not as didactic lessons and cautionary morality tales but stories that would resonate with younger people. Beatrix Potter and Margaret Wise Brown were groundbreaking as writers, illustrators and publishers and created entirely new ways of writing for young children. Frances Hodgson Burnett and L.M Montgomery wrote some of the early Y.A. novels that are still read and beloved today. 8. The collection is also beautifully illustrated, by Alexandra Kilburn, with striking color portraits of the featured writers. As the author, did you collaborate in this process at all? From your perspective, how do those ISSUE NO. 09

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illustrations add to the book? Yes, I would send Alex each essay as I completed it along with some ideas regarding themes of each woman’s writing that could be integrated into the art somehow. And I would send a bunch of photographs or paintings of each writer to inspire her. I wanted the book to appeal to all ages and especially wanted to reach younger readers who I know respond to visual representation. I also wanted the book to be fun and accessible and to give a real sense of who these women were as individuals so the art helped accomplish all of that. 9. Since this interview is for the Southern Review of Books, we would be remiss if we didn’t note that your book features several prominent Southern women writers. Who are they, and what lessons can we learn from their writing lives? Eudora Welty, who is one of my favorite writers due to her great sense of humor (I highly recommend her short story “Why I Live at the P.O.” if you haven’t read it) and her atmospheric writing and rich characters and dialogue. One of the things I learned about her is that she was a photographer for the WPA and that her photographic eye looking at the common wo(man)s plight during and after the Great Depression informed her writing. She also used to edit by cutting sections of her writing, moving it around 88

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and pinning it where she thought it worked better. This was before Microsoft Word cut and pasting! Flannery O’Connor, a devout Catholic, saw the deep connection between spirituality and creativity, which I think is important for any artist. She wrote about human failings with a wicked, dark sense of humor and threw some morality and salvation into all of her work. Margaret Mitchell wrote only one book, Gone With the Wind, which has become controversial but needs to be read in context. She grew up on the knee of her grandfather who fought in the Civil War and she heard all of his stories. Her research was so meticulous and detailed that she could accurately write about how far a bullet from a Confederate gun would fire and explain Victorian era architecture in exquisite detail. Harper Lee grew up in small town Alabama, her father was a lawyer, like Atticus Finch, and her best friend was Truman Capote, who became the basis for Dill. The incredible success of To Kill A Mockingbird created a level of fame and expectation that haunted her and she was never able to write another book. She destroyed her other manuscripts, or meant to. The lesson from her doesn’t have an easy answer but the question is, how do you write your sophomore work when the first was such a sensation? ISSUE NO. 09

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Carson McCullers suffered from undiagnosed rheumatic fever and had lifelong health issues as a result. She wrote about her sense of isolation and being an outsider to great effect. Unfortunately, the way she dealt with that isolation also destroyed her ability to write: alcoholism, smoking three packs a day, a dangerous and volatile marriage. She became the toast of the town after publishing The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and her party lifestyle got in her way. I think the lesson from that is don’t let your success or your lifestyle kill your writing. It’s not as glamorous as its been portrayed to be. 10. One of the great strengths of your book is its inclusivity, particularly with regards to writers of color. What do you hope your own readers will glean from seeing so many diverse female writers in these pages? Women have always been oppressed throughout history and that oppression has been more harsh and soul breaking for some cultures than others. It’s one thing to rebel against being a Southern Belle, it’s quite another to be a female slave whose ultimate act of sacrifice as a mother is to slit her own child’s throat in order to save it from a life of slavery. It’s one thing to be Virginia Woolf and not be allowed to get a university education despite your brothers and stepbrothers getting one and it’s another to be Malala Yousafzai and be shot in the face for trying to go to elementary school. It’s one thing to be called bad names for publishing something controversial; it’s quite another 90

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to have your life threatened by a communist regime and be forced to leave your own country because of the books you write. Despite these differences in race and cultures and time periods I think there are universal experiences women have that are of an emotional nature, that are about women’s inner lives and the importance of finding your voice and speaking not only of your own experience but having empathy and understanding for the experiences of others. That’s what literature can do –it can bring people together. 11. Were you given the opportunity to study these writers when you were younger? How did that shape your own writing life? I studied some of them in college –Eudora Welty, Flannery O’Connor, Willa Cather –but just their short stories and they were viewed from a literary point of view as opposed to the women writing them in their given time. I majored in the romantic poets and wrote my senior thesis on Lord Byron’s poem Don Juan but we did not learn anything about Mary Shelley, who was an important part of that group for many reason, not the least of which is that she preserved, edited, published and gained recognition for Percy Shelley’s poetry after his premature death. She is known only as the author of Frankenstein and therefore considered one note but she is so much more! And Frankenstein really is a masterpiece. It’s shocking that it was written by a 17 year old young ISSUE NO. 09

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woman. I always read female writers though, on my own, and of course all of my favorite childhood books had strong female protagonists and I’m sure that having those role models formed me in some way as a writer and a person. I mean, Scarlett O’Hara is not necessarily the world’s greatest role model but she was so strong, so independent and such a force of nature that I couldn’t help but want to be like her. Jane Eyre may have been poor and plain but she, too, was strong minded and stood up for herself. Jo March was a writer and independent spirit that I think all young girls relate to. She gave up what would have been a beneficial marriage in order to pursue her writing career. 12. Why is it essential to learn about these women, as well as other inspiring women throughout history? Women are more than 50% of the population and until the past century or so their stories weren’t being told. That creates a very one-sided version of history, which is incomplete and therefore misleading. It’s important for literature to reflect the experiences of all of humanity. Silence and ignorance is what perpetuates misunderstanding, misinformation, prejudice and inequality. One of the first female writers, Hildegard von Bingen, said it pretty succinctly in the 1100s, “we cannot live in a world that is not our own, in a world that is 92

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interpreted for us by others. An interpreted home is not a home. Part of the terror is to take back our own listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light.” 13. In closing, what books by women writers have you enjoyed recently that you would like to recommend to the readers of the Southern Review of Books? So many it’s hard to narrow it down. And as a book editor I am constantly reading book proposals and a ton of nonfiction by all sorts of writers. I keep fiction for myself, for when I’m on vacation or want an escape. To me reading fiction is a beautiful luxury, a treat for myself so I choose it carefully, sometimes depending on my mood so it’s very subjective. The Nightingale lives up to the hype. Last summer I read Passing by Nella Larsen and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet as an interesting comparison. The House of Mirth will always be one of my favorite books. And any of the books or stories mentioned in this interview are great places to start.

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Books make GREAT presents! They never go out of style and they don’t have an expiration date.

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Speed Round! with Donna Keel Armer, author of Solo in Salento

First book you read that left an impression? Little Women by Louisa May Alcott How old were you? My mother read this book to me at a very early age…maybe 4 or 5. I was one of 4 sisters and we acted out the parts in a stage production. I was probably 8 or 10 when I read it on my own How far do you live from your childhood home? 446.5 miles Who is your favorite author? Pat Conroy What book is your all-time favorite? Beach Music

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Did your parents have a phrase or saying that you find yourself using? I call them momilies and my mother could spew them out—pull yourself up by your bootstraps; don’t toot your own horn; don’t say hey to acquaintances—hay is for horses; white is only worn from Memorial Day to Labor Day…….they are endless but I try hard not to say these things to anyone else What’s the name of the first story or essay you wrote that was published? I wrote a poem called Rain for my high school publication. I was sixteen What was the name of the publication? The Stateman What’s the name of the first manuscript you published? Solo in Salento What word best describes your writing process? whenever, wherever, however I can Sunrise or sunset? Both, life is too short to compromise on anything that’s ISSUE NO. 09

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beautiful What’s your favorite color? Red What’s the first thing you notice about someone when you meet them? Whether or not their eyes smile What’s the best compliment you’ve ever gotten? Someone telling me they read my book and loved it Describe yourself in 5 words Stubborn, Sassy, Serious, Snarky, Steady Tell me the nickname your parents used to call you when you were little. I never ever had a nickname. Being from the south my parents called me both names Donna Lee In which subject were you worst at school? Biology because I refused to dissect any of the creatures In which subject were you best at school English Literature 98

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What advice would you give your young self? Don’t be so serious….laugh more Cat person or dog person? Both…rescue animals however they come If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be? Italy Tell me one secret about yourself that might surprise everyone If I did, then it wouldn’t be a secret. So far I’ve revealed all I’m going to reveal to the world at large.

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Former Journalist Turned Author Returns to ENMU for Media-Con 21! by Kathleen M. Rodgers

I was so honored to be in this lineup of stellar speakers. With Dr. Patti Dobson, Chair of ENMU Department of Communication, at ENMU Media-Con 21. Because of Dr. Dobson’s generous invitation, I was privileged to meet 100

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with students ranging from high school freshmen to grad students. It was a magical day as I listened to students share about their hopes and dreams for future careers. A huge thank you to Dr. Darrell Roe, a professor in the ENMU Department of Communication, for coordinating my visit to meet with students at ENMU Media-Con 21. Dr. Roe went above and beyond to welcome me and assured me that I had something to offer students ranging from high school freshmen to grad students. A day filled with memories of my time at ENMU decades ago and a chance to share my experiences in writing for magazines and newspapers and how I turned perceived weaknesses into strengths. ISSUE NO. 09

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That moment when you finally meet another writer you’ve admired for so long. With Betty Williamson, a columnist for The Eastern New Mexico News. Betty stopped by to say hello and we exchanged hugs between my sessions meeting with students at ENMU Media-Con 21. Betty is a terrific person and an incredible writer and observer of life in eastern New Mexico. She’s also the proud niece of the late great Jack Williamson, known in publishing circles as “The Dean of Science Fiction.” Thanks to the vaccine for making in person meetings possible again! A full circle moment last week being back on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University - ENMU. 102

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In between sessions meeting with students at ENMU Media-Con 21, I stopped by the Administration Building where I spent my freshman year working as a student writer in what was then called Information Services.

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I was 17 when the news director, Mike Slinker, hired me. The grand staircase in the Administration Building at Eastern New Mexico University. The breathtaking murals are still on the walls surrounding the stairs. 104

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Before Tom and I headed back to N TX the next morning, we stopped by the statue of the late great Jack Williamson, known around the world as “The Dean of Science Fiction.” There’s a building on campus named after Dr. Williamson who taught journalism at ENMU for decades. On our way out of town, a giant tumbleweed rolled by in front of us and the bells of The Methodist Church in Portales, NM were ringing. The entire trip was magical.

Author’s note: ENMU stands for Eastern New Mexico University

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The Life of a Serial “Crafter” Mandy Haynes

I’ve always loved making things. The first time I made something that felt like art, I was twelve years old. Mama and Daddy were gone somewhere and I went prowling around in my daddy’s woodshop. I found an old piece of barnwood and realized the ridges in the grain looked kind of like the fur of an animal. Don’t ask me why, but my imagination saw a mountain goat. I found the pencil Daddy used to mark his measurements and drew the silhouette of a ram with big curved horns. I stacked up some wood to stand on, turned on his bandsaw, and went 106

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to work. The blade hung up at the curve of the horn, but I figured out how to back it up without cutting off my fingers (completely ignorant of the fact that the blade could’ve snapped and taken off more of me than a finger). When I was finished, it looked better than I expected, and I couldn’t wait for Daddy to get home to show him what I’d done. He wasn’t as excited as I thought he’d be when I put it in his hands. At first he didn’t believe I made it, then I got a lecture about how dangerous it was cutting such detailed cuts with a band saw in seasoned oak. Then I got a lecture about being in his shop when he wasn’t home. Later that night I found him sitting at the kitchen looking at my masterpiece. He was grinning. “Doc,” he said. “This is good. But you can’t do it again.” Well, he should’ve known better than to tell me I couldn’t do something. I drove him nuts until he finally showed me how to tell the difference between soft pine and hard oak and gave me a pair of safety goggles. A few months later I’d cut out patterns for cutting boards, quilt racks, stepping stools, and all kinds of “folk art” nicknacks – lots of ducks and pigs. Remember the 80s? – and gave them for Christmas presents. I was hooked. My cousin, who was twenty years older than me, gave me all of her paints, paintbrushes, and tole painting workbooks, and for the next three years I painted everything I could get my hands on. I even figured out how to do reverse painting on glass (where I painted the highlights first and worked backwards on the opposite side of a piece of glass ISSUE NO. 09

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that I’d drawn pen and ink sketches on). Nothing was safe every shelf, nicknack, and salvaged window, got repurposed. I still have a wooden box I painted in 1983. It was great being able to make stuff because when I got married I didn’t have two cents to rub together. I found ways to make one-of-a-kind gifts out of free stuff some family members still have today. When my son was about five years old, a cool little store on the square in Springfield, Tennessee sold my hand painted shirts and boyfriend jackets - men’s suit coats I’d buy at thrift shops and add lace handkerchiefs, elbow patches, and chains from repurposed thrift store jewelry to look like the chain from a pocket watch. I couldn’t afford to rent space in her store, but this sweet stranger took a chance and sold them on commission. They were a huge hit which helped out. Life got busy. Once I started working at Vanderbilt I didn’t have time make items for my store, so I had to close shop. My “art” was back to “hobby status” until my son started 108

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college. I started making jewelry and the sales from the earrings I made paid for his books, room, and board. I was back in business - now known as the crazy earring lady because I’d make fifty or more new pair at a time. I also taught myself how to crochet and knit. I don’t follow patterns - I make them up as I go, so trying to recreate a pattern when someone wanted matching items was hard. Fun fact - I made fifty-seven hats one fall to fill Christmas orders and stretched some ligament in my thumb. It popped out of its socket-and I had to go to physical therapy for six weeks and wear a brace. The physical therapist ISSUE NO. 09

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nicknamed me KnitWit and LOVED telling the other patients, ones recovering from surgeries or horrible accidents, why I was there. I didn’t mind - it made them laugh - and seriously, it was kind of funny. Then I discovered some scrap sheets of copper in my dad’s barn. I bought metal cutters, a propane torch, and fell in love with copper. Just like when I was a kid, I got a lecture about safety and then he gifted me with a roll of copper sheeting left over from one of his jobs. I LOVE

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working with copper. Next, I took a silversmith class over a weekend and learned all kinds of different techniques. Another fun fact - the instructor had asked us what we wanted to make that weekend. I listed off several things and she laughed. “Have you done silver work before?” “No ma’am,” I replied. “Well let’s stick to one project until you know what you’re doing.” She had no idea how crazy I get when I’m learning something new - especially something I can make with my hands. At the end of the weekend I’d made three rings with gemstone settings, two pendants, a silver snake ring, ISSUE NO. 09

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and a pair of ear wires. The last day of the class the instructor whispered in my ear, “You’re a determined little shit aren’t ya?” “You have no idea,” I said and we laughed so hard I almost fell off my chair. I’ve done mosaics, scherenschnitte, stained glass, tin punch, Pen & Ink sketches, painted with every medium (not very well), mixed media, crochet, knitting, weaving, and even welded once. I made a sculpture with found objects - a horse shoe, mule shoe, horseshoe nails, a piece of pipe, some wire mesh, and a railroad spike from the scrap pile at a friend’s horse farm. 112

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One day I will own my own welder…

Molten silver solder stamped on copper I loved weaving!

This is crocheted silver wire and freshwater pearl necklace I made for a bride who wanted something different.

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My newest obsession is wet felting and Nuno-Felting - the art of fusing wool to silk and other natural fabrics. My felt is sold at a gallery here in Fernandina Beach called The Shady Ladies. There’s not that pressure to sell things like in the past (although the extra income does help) - I do it mainly for the excitement of creating something new while keeping my hands and overactive imagination busy.

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THE PULPWOOD QUEENS' TIARA WEARING, BOOK SHARING, GUIDE TO LIFE celebrates female friendship, sisterhood, and the transformative power of reading. It includes life principles and motivational anecdotes, hilarious and heart-warming stories of friendships among the Queens, and stories from Kathy about the books that have inspired her throughout her life, complete with personalized suggested book lists. 116

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CHAPTER 3 There’s No Place Like Home “The Road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick.” —L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz The following books led me to discover that there really is “no place like home,” even if home wasn’t exactly like Father Knows Best or Leave It to Beaver, the television shows of my youth. These are books that helped me to understand my family a little better. Family by J. California Cooper Set in the South before the Civil War, the voice is of slave Clora, who is the granddaughter of a slave and whose mother was a slave who killed herself. Clora tries to kill her children, then succeeds in killing herself. The story unfolds as Clora narrates as a spirit watching from above. Body of Knowledge by Carol Dawson Victoria Grace Ransom weighs over 500 pounds and lives in her family’s ancestral home in West Texas, where a silent feud has been battling among her family members for decades. She passes the time being told family stories by the maid. This book has one of the most surprising endings I have ever ISSUE NO. 09

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read. Mad Girls in Love by Michael Lee West A young bride and mother gets in a fight with her husband and hits him in the head with a frozen rack of ribs as he tries to drown her in the sink. Thinking that she has accidentally killed her husband, she flees, only to find out she may have left him for dead but he lives—and with revenge. He divorces her and takes full custody of their little girl. The young mother is devastated and all the while her own mother is in a mental institution and writes letters to Pat Nixon in the hopes of getting her grandchild back for her daughter. And that is only the beginning! Big Fish by Daniel Wallace I love this book because it is about a son who just wants to learn the truth from his father, the storyteller. His father has told fanciful tales throughout his life, and now he is dying. Get a box of tissues—I cried like a baby over the ending. Comfort Creek by Joyce McDonald Mama has run off to become a country singer, Daddy has lost his job, and eleven-year-old Quinn and her sisters are living in a swamp without water and electricity. Need I say more? The Tender Bar by J. R. Moehringer This is the memoir of a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who essentially grew up in the neighborhood bar. Living in a rundown house overrun by cousins, with a father he can only hear by listening to him on the radio, J.R. escaped to the Irish 118

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Catholic bar looking for a father figure. The bar was his saving grace and also his downfall. Miss American Pie by Margaret Sartor This book is made up of the actual diaries of Margaret from the time she was in the seventh grade to her graduation from high school. What makes this such a compelling read is that she truly captured my time growing up in the 1970s. Too bad I burned my diaries in the trash barrel after I caught my mother reading them. Luckily, we have Margaret’s!

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A Dog and His Emotional Support Cat I’m Tully, and two years ago I came to live with my bestfriend-master-brother cat, Oliver. (Oh, and my parents) Things were a bit rocky in the beginning. Because, well, I was a puppy (according to Mom and Dad, I’m still a puppy) and I do everything at 200%. That includes pouncing on my cat to tell him how much I love him. As I got a little older, I calmed down and Oliver took me under his paw. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with something called severe anxiety (what can I say? The world is a scary place), so I always look for Oliver to tell 120

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me things are going to be okay. Like when we had to get in the pantry during a tornado warning, Ollie would touch my paw to relax me. Mom calls him my Emotional Support Cat. It’s pretty awesome having a best-friend-master-brother cat. He cleans my ears, tickles my paws and, when I sleep, he stands guard over my head to keep the monsters away. I might be afraid that the sky is going to crush me, but

luckily Oliver will scare it back into place. The Dynamic Dog and Cat Duo belonging to Kimberly Packard author of Dire’s Club. ISSUE NO. 09

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Upcoming Events For Our Members *Taken from our Calendar of Events All events will be posted on The International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Reading Nation Facebook page and on Kathy L. Murphy's YouTube Channel. We encourage everyone to join us live in 2021. Each event is an opportunity to show support, share stories, and make connections! Join Kathy L. Murphy and Robert Gwaltney every Saturday at 6:30pm CST for The Pulpwood Queen Book to Film Club. Links to join are posted on our private PQ Facebook groups under Events.

Guest Host schedule for The Pulpwood Queen Presents Her Picks: Nov 30th-Dec5th Laura Kemp Dec 6th-12th

Steven Manchester

Dec 13th-19th

J. L. Oakley

Dec 20th-26th

Donna Keel Armer

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Featured Author Schedule for Tuesday Night Online Book Club Links to join are posted on our private PQ Facebook groups under Events. Dec 7th

Steven Manchester

Dec 14th

J. L. Oakley

Dec 21st

Donna Keel Armer

Writing Workshop (2nd Saturday of each month at 10am CST) Email Kathy L. Murphy thepulpwoodqueen@gmail.com for the link up to one hour prior to the event. Taking a break from the Writing Workshop and The Book to Film Clib, but we’ll be back after Girlfriend’s Weekend!

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READING NATION MAGAZINE NETWORKING

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Pat Conroy Literary Center 601 Bladen Street Beaufort, SC 29902 Thursday through Sunday noon-4:00 p.m. Other times available by appointment 126

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If you’re a member of the International Pulpwood Queen or Timber Guy Book Club and have a story you’d like to share in the READING NATION MAGAZINE, I’d love to hear it. Book Club Members that includes you! 128

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READING NATION MAGAZINE MAGAZINE INFORMATION

We love our readers and you will always have a place in the magazine to share your news. I’m looking for pets to feature on our If Our Pets Could Talk page, authors’ art, photos of your local bookstores, and libraries.

If you’d like more information on advertising opportunities or how to submit your stories send an email to readingnationmagazine@gmail.com

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WORK IN PROGRESS Find out the story behind the stories! Have you ever finished a book and wondered, “What made the author think of that?” Or wondered if there was a chapter in the original manuscript that didn’t make it through the final edits? Maybe you’d like to get a sneak peek at what an author is currently working on. Work In Progress includes sixty excerpts from some talented authors’ works in progress in different stages of the writing process, followed up with the story behind the story of the piece, and the story behind the author who wrote it. Where did the idea come from? What were they thinking during the writing process? Why did they delete a chapter, or change a character? Find out the answers to these questions and more inside! Available everywhere December 14th or you can pre-order your copy today and save s/h! This would make a great gift for the readers on your shopping list!

Table of Contents On Shinbone by Laura McHale Holland Johnnie Come Lately by Kathleen M. Rodgers Papa Jewel’s Chosen One by Mandy Haynes The Insistence of Memory by Tom Shachtman News on a Sunday Afternoon by Kathryn Brown Ramsperger Dallas Aftermath by Jeannette Brown Boop by Mary Helen Sheriff Through an Autumn Window by Claire Fullerton Story 18 by Susan Wingate The Sign by Julia Carol Folsom The Codger and the Sparrow by Scott Semegran Through the Peephole by Linda Rosen How Audrey Became an Academic by Suzanne Kamata Touched by Carolyn Haines From Pangaea by Debra Thomas Buried Beneath by Debbie Baldwin The Black Sheep by Johnnie Bernhard Guesthouse for Ganesha by Judith Teitelman

Of Locusts and Wild Honey by Joe Palmer Samuel’s Wife by Brenda Sutton Rose In the Sanctuary of Hell by Janet Oakley Those Colorful Streets by Nancy J. Martin Ferry to Freedom by Eileen Harrison Sanchez Lacewood by Jessica James Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg The Art of Traveling Strangers by Zoe Disigny Five Will Die by Trace Conger Hepburn’s Necklace by Jan Moran A Coffee Stain by Anju Gattani They Killed Papa! by J. Lawrence Matthews The Poisoning by James Garrison The Old Lady by T. K. Thorne Murder at the Thunderbird Inn by Rebecca Barret Lulu by Jodie Cain Smith Simone and the Sweetness of Sound by Patricia Sands This Time Around by Kimberly Packard The Bridge by Debra Bowling Spandex and Leg Warmers by Susan Cushman Before He Heard Her by Carol Van Den Hende

The Trip by Laura Davis Meet Me in Mumbai by Lovelace Cook Mamma Mia! Here We Come Again… by Stephanie Chance Encounter by Francine Rodriguez Slice of Suburbia by Joanne Kukanza Easley The Book Of Fairfax by E. V. Svetova Those Who Live by the Sword Should Die by the Sword by Mickey Dubrow Immortalizing Hudson by Joe Formichella Hiding out with Holden Caulfield by Suzanne Hudson In That Quiet Earth by Robert Gwaltney A Hollow Light by Heather Frese They Walk Among Us: A Mini-Memoir by Grace Sammon Gowns and Crowns by By Beverly Willett The Orphans by Susan Tanner The Solace of a True Center by Linda Carrillo In Less Than A Year by Barbara Conrey Aucilla Hall Wilderness School by Claire Matturro and Penny Koepsel Me and my Shadow by Ruthie Landis The Pulpwood Queen’s Work in Progress by Kathy L. Murphy

READING NATION MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021

Articles inside

Geographies of the Heart by Caitlin Hamilton Summie

Sonju by Wondra Chang

Shadows Within Dark Places by R. E. Joyce

Secret of the Shroud by Pamela Binnings Ewen

Chasing the Wind by Pamela Binnings Ewen

Husbands and Other Sharp Objects by Marilyn Simon Rothstein

Deconstructed by Liz Talley

The Cicada Tree by Robert Gwaltney

Independent Bones: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery by Carolyn Haines

Obama’s Children: Poems by Earl S. Braggs

Dead Fish Wind by Cooper Levey-Baker

Walking the Wrong Way Home by Mandy Haynes

God, Destiny and a Glass of Wine by Linda Mason Crawford

The Eves by Grace Sammon

The Quisling Factor by J. L. Oakley

House of Rose by T. K. Thorne

The Art of Story Keeping: Saving History - One Family At A Time by Tamra McAnally Bolton

House of Rose by T. K. Thorne

Evening in the Yellow Wood by Laura Kemp

WORK IN PROGRESS Find out the story behind the stories!

IF OUR PETS COULD TALK

THE PULPWOOD QUEENS' TIARA WEARING, BOOK SHARING, GUIDE TO LIFE

The Life of a Serial “Crafter” by Mandy Haynes

READING NATION MAGAZINE DECEMBER ISSUE

Speed Round! with Donna Keel Armer, author of Solo in Salento

Buried Beneath Book 3

Sleigh Bells Ring: A Magical Cowboy Christmas Romance by Jessica James

The Memory of Flight by Debra Bowling

Sugar Baby and Other Stories by River Jordan

Sharp as a Serpent’s Tooth - Eva and Other Stories by Mandy Haynes

One Hundred Daffodils: Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart by Rebecca Winn

The Art of Traveling Strangers by Zoe Disigny

Nowhere Near Goodbye by Barbara Conrey

Mourning Dove by Claire Fullerton

Murder Under a New Moon by Abigail Keam

Red Carpet Rivals by Bobbi Kornblit

Purple Lotus by Veena Rao

Trail of Trouble by Susan Y. Tanner

Reversible Skirt by Laura McHale Holland

NEW PULPWOOD QUEEN’S SWAG SHOP

A Screenwriter Meets a Queen by Clare Sera

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR OUR READERS

Look at this lineup!

The Bobby's Diner Series Book 1 by Susan Wingate

The Menu by Steven Manchester