In an effort to match the energy and joy of the season I’m springing into action in terms of my writing.
Book Signing If you live in or around Spokane Valley, Washington you can catch me at the Barnes and Noble store on Saturday, April 19th from 11 am to 3 pm.
Yes, I will be signing my picture book Someday We Will.
It’s been an amazing five years since it was published in 2020–right when COVID locked down schools, libraries, and bookstores, which kind of kiboshed that whirlwind in person book tour originally hoped for.
Celebrating Five Years!
Since then Barnes and Noble and my local library have provided lovely support. This will be my third signing with Barnes and Noble and I’ve done a few storytime sessions with the library.
And thanks for your support! Readers of this blog have purchased Someday We Will through online sources. I still offer the deal of sending you a personalized bookplate. Just provide some details: where and when you bought the book, your address, and the message and I will send out a bookplate to you.
Projects The winter months kept me inside writing new stories and revising others. I also discovered a knack for collage and began illustrating some of my picture book manuscripts. Here are a couple of samples:
I also decided to create a separate page that highlighted completed manuscripts–a menu, so to speak–in case agents, editors, or publishers decide to stop by for a visit. Feel free to browse at my new page link: Project Pitches.
Of course not all my time is spent writing. Spring is here which means I’m outside more than inside. Yardwork, walking, biking, reading, and just plain sitting in the sun dozing in the sunshine. Winter is way too long and I am so enraptured the days are longer and warmer AND sunnier!
September is a lovely month with its gentle fading from summer to fall. There are those halcyon days of summer warmth that lend enough sun to read in the hammock still.
This month seemed to be focused on mysteries, which are my fave when lazy reading. Here are the top picks:
image: Amazon
A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz
This is the third installment in which Horowitz portrays himself as a sort of sidekick to the enigmatic detective Hawthorne. This time it’s a bit of locked room mystery as the deed takes place on Alderney, a British channel island.
The conceit of writing himself as a character is still working for the most part, but the wink and nod of the meta fiction ploy is starting to wear thin. Several red herrings along with a few subplots add up to a satisfying read. One question though—if this becomes a TV series who will play Horowitz?
image: Target
The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency by Lydia Travers
The trope is not unique, a plucky woman from a wealthy background opens a detective agency and brings in an assistant from a lower class. What differentiates this entry is how well the two women, Maude and Daisy, work together as partners and friends. Daisy, formerly Maude’s maid, takes on her assistant role with aplomb, deferring to Maude as her boss, without being subservient. Her Scottish wit and brogue add a nice sassiness to their interactions.
The book opens with the first case, protecting jewelry from thieves, and leads into several cases. The storyline provides enough twists and red herrings to make it interesting, and even though there were a couple of contrived situations, there is enough charm and engagement to let it pass.
Infusing the story with historical details such as the suffragette movement and the introduction of modern conveniences such as vacuums and automobiles adds interest to the overall setting of Edinburgh in the early 1900s.
I’m discovering there are all sorts of cozy mysteries out there, ranging from teachers to bakers, to knitters even to pets getting in on the action. PBS is quite well-stocked in cozy mysteries, and is currently running Horowitz’s Moonflower Murders, which is the second in the Susan Ryeland series, where she is a book editor solving a murder mystery. Fun stuff. PBS is so involved in cozy mysteries they have developed a cozy mystery bingo card. Great for watching movies or for reading books. Check it out!
I’m not sure why I think it’s automatically summer when May flips over to June on the calendar. It wasn’t the case this year. Our wet spring adamantly hung on through a major portion of June with only a scattering of sunny days. June ended with a torrential rainstorm complete with donner und blitzen (as my latent German surfaces).
Rainy days equal reading days. Here are the five star reads for June 2024.
Vendela in Venice by Christina Bjork, illustrated by Inja-Karin Eriksson
image: Amazon
The adult Swedish author recounts a trip she took to Venice with her father when she was a child presented as a picture book. Informative and charming with beautiful illustrations that capture and complement the text.
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
image: Goodreads
Anthony Horowitz is a talented writer. He is also a cheeky one in how he can get away with writing himself in as a character in a novel, dropping names hither thither, promoting his other works, and elaborating truths into meta fictional facts to suit his purpose.
His latest foray into adult fiction involves him teaming up with the irascible Hawthorne, a former police officer, who wants Horowitz to write a book about a murder case he’s working on. The problem is that Hawthorne is unreliable and unlikable, and that Horowitz gets dragged into the investigation at the risk of his career and even his life.
The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
image: Amazon
Quite an original and superb novel emphasizing how books bring people together. Though translated, it easily becomes a story that any culture which values reading can embrace. Books, eccentric characters, even a cat with idiosyncrasies—a novel that is a delightful one sitting read.
Modernity overlaps tradition as the new bookstore owner wants to phase out home delivery service, which essentially phases out Carl. His simple life becomes more complicated when precocious nine year old Schascha joins him on his rounds. Her involvement on his deliveries begins the end of life as he knows it to open a door to other possibilities.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
image: Amazon
A few years ago I read the book and have recently watched the TV series, which necessitated rereading the book. This proved the best way to thoroughly enjoy the author presentation of a Russian fairytale that deftly weaves in Russian history. Watching the TV series with Ewan McGregor playing Count Rostov is proving the old adage “the book is the book and the movie is the movie.”
Now that July has arrived the weather report indicates a hot summer is anticipated. No problem—I just bought a new hammock with an umbrella. My TBR is fully loaded.I’m looking forward to lounging and reading in the backyard.
Where’s your favorite place to read in the summer?
I would be infinitesimally poorer if it were not for the local library. Our library prints at the bottom of the check out slip how much money saved by using the library. My last receipt stated I had saved $183.50 since I chose to check out books instead of buying them. That’s a lot of chocolate I could be investing in instead. So, my thanks to the library for providing books and helping me save money.
May was full of variety as I am trying to get away from my mystery mode of preference. Here are the five star reads for last month.
image: Goodreads
Preston’s quiet novel is based on the findings of the Sutton Hoo archeological dig in Britain, discovered just prior to WWII. While it’s difficult to get overly enthused about the discovered artifacts through descriptions, Preston balances the historical significance of the find with well-rounded characterization, providing hints of personal conflict, even though the focus is on the dig and its ramifications. The Netflix movie with Ralph Fiennes, Carey Mulligan, and Lily James is what prompted me to read the book. I would say seeing the movie first enriched reading the novel.
check it out on Netflix
image: Goodreads
A reader never quite knows what to expect from the talented pen of Anthony Horowitz. He tossed the murder mystery genre on its ear with Magpie Murders and gave it a sound shaking with his Hawthorne series. Mixed reviews on this fifth entry of the series indicate readers are not always pleased when a writer changes up the format. In Close to Death Horowitz again collaborates with police consultant Hawthorne, but as a writer mandated to deliver a book to the publisher. Instead of following Hawthorne’s lead, Horowitz must dig for information on his own, which is challenging since this is a five year old murder. Horowitz discovers the case takes on a different appearance when he find the ruled suicide is perhaps a murder, yet there are far too many suspects with alibis making this seem to be a suicide after all. Somewhat confusing? Yes. Very clever? Definitely.
image: Goodreads
Dickens, Twain, Homer, and a bit of Elmer Gantry comprise this epic coming-of-age tale of four orphans who dub themselves the Vagabonds as they escape injustice in hopes of finding home. The author acknowledges how he spun together the pathos of Dickens with the journey adventure of Twain to create the tale of Odie, a midwestern Odysseus of the Depression. All components of a riveting story are present: setting (the horrors of a school institution in the landscape of the Midwest Depression era); characters (evil school administrators, stoic adults, rascal children, precious little girls, morally ambiguous women); conflict (spoilers!). The prose complements the sincerity of the narrator’s voice, as he loses his naïveté and develops a more realistic perspective of what life is all about.
image: Goodreads
What would it be like to live in an alternate reality, one that is nearly perfect? People must wonder because films such as The Lake House and novels like Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse continue to remain popular. For Kitty, whose double life as Katharyn, her two worlds are both so real she can no longer tell which she is dreaming and which one she is living. A compelling debut by Cynthia Swanson, that is addictive and a storyline that leaves one pondering the different ways of coping with loss, change, and what constitutes the perfect life.
image: Goodreads
A middle grade debut that deservedly earned the Coretta Scott King award for its sensitive portrayal of a young boy who migrates from Alabama to Chicago when the mother passes. Cline-Ransome captures the sorrow, confusion, and sense of loss as Langston tries to adjust to moving to the city. Bullied and lonely, Langston finds solace in the words of his namesake, Langston Hughes.
Do you find yourself returning to the same author or the same genre? I wonder if that is a problem or is it more of an indication of being content with a choice that is satisfying. Thoughts?
While the title sounds like yet another Jane Austen spin-off, Dear Mr Knightley, is actually an updated version of the classic epistolary coming-of-age novel, Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster. Debut author, Katherine Reay, openly has the character borrowing both from Austen and Webster, which is either annoying or endearing. It’s the reader’s choice. And that’s what the storyline becomes: annoying at times, yet also endearing at other times. It’s annoying to continually have Austen and company quotes tossed about throughout the storyline, yet, on the other hand, it’s also endearing to have a character who relies on literature as a means of survival. One of the stumbling blocks in determining audience appeal is pinpointing whether this is a YA novel or not. Although the protagonist is in her twenties, her lack of confidence and bevvy of relationship problems produce a character voice of someone closer to high school age. As for the storyline itself, there is intrigue and momentum as the plot eventually reveals the identity of Mr. Knightley.
image: GoodReads.com
Young protagonist Samantha Moore, has bounced in and out of foster care when younger, but life becomes better when she becomes a recipient of a foundation grant allowing her to enroll in a prestigious journalism program. One of the stipulations is keeping her mysterious benefactor, Mr Knightley, apprised of her academic progress. Straight up missives about tough professors would be boring, of course. Instead, through her correspondence with Mr Knightley, we learn all about Sam–her inability to have meaningful relationships, her doubts, her fears, her failings, her victories, and finally her accomplishments.
While the beginning is a bit rough, the middle makes up for it. But the ending–though fitting for the plot direction, is a bit unrealistic. Then again, happy endings are one reason we select escape reading. And it is easy to escape into Dear Mr. Knightley–who wouldn’t want a mysterious benefactor, one who listens silently and produces a magic wand at the right moment to make life a bit easier?
Fans of Austen and other classics will relish the quotes liberally decorating the story throughout. And those who want a light romance with a hint of mystery will appreciate the story as well.
Disclosure of Material Connection: This book was provided, by BookSneeze®, in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received.
When my review journal closed up shop I suddenly felt like Linus when Lucy grabs his blanket away: “Aauugh–I need my review books!” Fortunately more and more publishers are realizing the value of promoting authors through review opportunities. This is where BookSneeze comes in. Odd name, but it got my attention. Like most review platforms, a person fills out the application, gets accepted, selects a book, reviews it, and then posts it. Oh, and the disclaimer statement:
Disclaimer
I received these books for free from the publisher through the booksneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
My first BookSneeze selection is:
You have to admit the title is catchy. It’s also a bit misleading. This isn’t a memoir about how a hardened CIA agent finds Jesus, or is even about the radical transformation of a born-again spy, instead it is a fascinating account of how the author coped with having a father who happened to be a CIA agent. Jesus provided the glue that kept the author from flying apart during his dysfunctional childhood, although the author didn’t realize it until he was an adult.
Writing with candor, Ian Cron provides a glimpse into that secret life of being a spy kid, although Cron didn’t find out about his father being a CIA agent until his mother pulled him aside when he was a sophomore in high school. Unfilled question blanks about his father began to get answered, but it didn’t necessarily help the bonding process. The biggest problem in the author’s life was not having a CIA agent for a father; it was having an alcoholic for a father.
Sometimes we go on a search for something and do not know what we are looking for until we come again to our beginning. –Robert Lax
This quote at the beginning of the book provides the nucleus, for the author was on a quest for his father’s approval throughout his life; however, this quest also became a search for who he was as a person. This is a truly mesmerizing chronicle of the author’s journey of trying to understand his father so that he may understand himself. Throughout the havoc of growing up with an alcoholic parent we also see how a mother’s love provided an anchor, how friends provided support and diversion, and how mentors provided counsel until healing, forgiveness, and acceptance finally occurred.The author has a talent for weaving in levity while relating the pain of his circumstance. The only downside is that sometimes there were continuity lags as the author switched from the present to flashbacks. Overall, the book is well-written and a recommendation for those interested in overcoming difficult childhoods or for those who are curious about what it might be like to be a real “spy kid.” While this is non-fiction, I can’t help but think it would be an intriguing novel. And yet, if it were a novel, some would no doubt find it a little difficult to believe. However, as they say: the best stories are always the true ones.
Pam Webb 