READING NATION MAGAZINE JULY 2021 by Reading Nation Magazine

Legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel is revered for her sophisticated style–the iconic little black dress–and famed for her intoxicating perfume Chanel No. 5. Yet behind the public persona is a complicated woman of intrigue, shadowed by mysterious rumors. The Queen of Paris, the new novel from award-winning author Pamela Binnings Ewen, vividly imagines the hidden life of Chanel during the four years of Nazi occupation in Paris in the midst of WWII–as discovered in recently unearthed wartime files. Coco Chanel could be cheerful, lighthearted, and generous; she also could be ruthless, manipulative, even cruel. Against the winds of war, with the Wehrmacht marching down the Champs-Élysées, Chanel finds herself residing alongside the Reich’s High Command in the Hotel Ritz. Surrounded by the enemy, Chanel wages a private war of her own to wrestle full control of her perfume company from the hands of her Jewish business partner, Pierre Wertheimer. With anti-Semitism on the rise, he has escaped to the United States with the confidential formula for Chanel No. 5. Distrustful of his intentions to set up production on the outskirts of New York City, Chanel fights to seize ownership. The House of Chanel shall not fall. While Chanel struggles to keep her livelihood intact, Paris sinks under the iron fist of German rule. Chanel–a woman made of sparkling granite–will do anything to survive. She will even agree to collaborate with the Nazis in order to protect her darkest secrets. When she is covertly recruited by Germany to spy for the Reich, she becomes Agent F-7124, code name: Westminster. But why? And to what lengths will she go to keep her stormy past from haunting her future? “Ewen spins fact and rumor into compelling fiction with a novel about brilliantly talented, supremely self-absorbed fashion designer Coco Chanel…A well-imagined, highly entertaining tale.” Toby Devens, bestselling author of Happy Any Day Now

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After practicing law for many years in Houston, Texas, Pamela Binnings Ewen exchanged her partnership in the law firm of BakerBotts, L.L.P. for writing. She lives near New Orleans, Louisiana. Her latest book, released in April 2020, The Queen of Paris, a novel on Coco Chanel, received a Starred Review from Publisher’s Weekly and was ranked No. 1 in Hot New Spring Releases in historical fiction by Amazon Kindle. This is the explosive story of Chanel’s newly revealed secret life during the Nazi occupation of Paris in WWII. Pamela is also the author of The Moon in the Mango Tree, awarded the 2012 Eudora Welty Memorial Award by the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a trilogy of novels on young women lawyers in New Orleans in the 1970’s— including Dancing on Glass, Chasing the Wind, and An Accidental Life. She also authored the Secret of the Shroud, and a non-fiction book, Faith on Trial, both now in second editions. Pamela is the latest writer to emerge from a Louisiana Family recognized for its statistically improbable number of writers. Cousin, James Lee Burke, (the Dave Robichaux books) and a winner of the Edgar Award, wrote about the common ancestral grandfathers in his Civil War novel White Dove at Morning. Among other authors in the family are Andre Dubus II (The Bedroom), Andre Dubus III, The House of Sand and Fog) Elizabeth Nell Dubus (the Cajun trilogy), and Alafair Burke (the Samantha Kincaid mystery series).

Find out more about Pamela Binnings Ewen here.

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Five women from Between Friends Book Club collaborated and wrote NOVEL WOMEN. It is a fictional story about acceptance, friendship and love with just the right amount of sex! When middle age hits - it hits hard. Marriages fall apart, children leave for college, and jobs disappear. The six women of NOVEL WOMEN stand at this crossroad in their lives when their beloved book club goes on hiatus for the summer. Through their summer of confusion and rediscovery, heartache and loss, these NOVEL WOMEN manage to grow closer by the ever-enduring power of love and friendship. And along the way they have the best sex of their lives.

Kim Sullivan Harwanko, Patricia Vrana, Denise Panyik-Dale,Fran Furtado, Jeanne Ann

Hello Readers! Welcome to the READING NATION MAGAZINE, filled with fantastic books to add to your TBR list, and interesting stories of some of The International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Book Club Reading Nation’s Authors. I’m so excited to share Vincent Spinnato’s newest achievement, as well as all of the great things included in July’s issue! You’ll find a cocktail recipe for July’s Official Pick custom made by Breathless Wines, see some beautiful art by THE Pulpwood Queen herself, travel to San Juan Island, step inside a secret garden, and so much more. Wherever you are I hope you’re happy, healthy, and enjoying a good book! Thank you for stopping by, Mandy Haynes Pulpwood Queen Author Creator, Editor, and Publisher of READING NATION MAGAZINE

Because life’s too short not to have fun, we’ve added a mini scavenger hunt to this month’s article. The first twenty people who find this image within the pages and sends an email to mandy.pulpwoodqueen@gmail.com will be entered into a drawing for some fun prizes!

JULY 2021

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PULPWOOD QUEEN

WATCH THIS!

TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST

CONGRATULATIONS VINCE SPINNATO

AUTHORS AND THEIR ART

WHERE WE’RE FROM

WHO WE ARE

MEET PROSE AND THE PANDEMIC

TIARA WEARING, BOOK SHARING, GUIDE TO LIFE

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

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BREATHLESS COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

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IF OUR PETS COULD TALK

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NETWORK

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Co-authors Siegel and Zinberg provide a concise, down-to-earth guide for both grandparents and parents. Each of the 52 straight forward nourishing practices provide methods of mindfulness, along with endearing real-life stories that grandparents can identify with. These bite-sized stories offer a rich assortment of simple ways to be present in our fast-paced lives and not miss the richness of time spent with grandchildren. Pam Siegel MPH, MFT is a licensed marriage family therapist in private practice in West Los Angeles. She has a master’s in health education from UCLA and an additional master’s in counseling from California State University, Northridge. She is a certified mindfulness therapist and implements meditation and other mindfulness tools to help her clients with a variety of issues. For over twelve years, Pam has led a weekly mindfulness support group. She is actively involved in the mindfulness and yoga community and has her own daily practice and website, www.pamsiegel.com. Pam is a member of the California Association of Marriage Family therapists. Leslie Zinberg has a BS in elementary education from the University of Texas at Austin, and has co-written two successful parenting books, The Pink and Blue Baby Pages, written in 1995, and The Pink and Blue Toddler Pages, written in 1999. Both books were featured in national publicity campaigns, with appearances on the Today Show, QVC, and local television and radio segments across the country. Leslie is the cofounder of the grandparent website, www.grandparentslink.com.

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“Kathy Murphy and her Pulpwood Queens are a source of muchneeded inspiration and big-heartedness in the world of books and book clubs. The tales here are as wise as they are entertaining, a testament to living large and joyfully in a sisterhood of storytelling.” --Paula McLain, New York Times best-selling author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin 10

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READING NATION MAGAZINE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PULPWOOD QUEEN

Thanks to Brother Mockingbird Publishing, I’d like to share an excerpt from one of the Pulpwood Queens featured in the collection, The Pulpwood Queens Celebrate 20 Years!

There’s Something about Those Pineywoods Tamra Bolton Growing up in the Pineywoods of East Texas, I was surrounded by the lumber industry and its peculiar vernacular. So when I heard about a club of gals calling themselves something woodsy like “The Pulpwood Queens,” I had to know more. The idea that timber royalty lived in my neck of the woods intrigued me. I might never have known about them except a fellow writer from Georgia told me about Kathy L. Murphy, the “head queen.” She said, “You’ve got to meet this gal. She is amazing!” After a call to the editor of a local magazine to see if he would be interested in a story, I contacted Kathy to ask for an interview. The bubbly voice on the phone enthusiastically invited me for a visit. The hour and a half drive passed quickly and soon I pulled up to a small cottage tucked against a wooded ISSUE NO. 4

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

hillside. An appropriate setting for one who called herself a Pulpwood Queen, I thought as I got out and walked up the stone path. Kathy met me at the door with her signature smile and swept me into her world with a flourish of her wrist. Immediately, I was surrounded by vibrant color and a myriad of whimsical toys, games, and shelves of—what else—books.While Kathy made a pot of coffee, I carried the antique tray with our cups to a low-slung table next to her overstuffed couch. Settling into our seats amidst the brightly patterned pillows, we sipped our steaming cups as Kathy told me her fascinating life story. How she went from hairdresser to book publisher representative to hairdresser again. About her marriage and divorce, the loves of her life, her two girls—Madeleine and Lainie— and how she started Beauty and the Book, a combination beauty shop and bookstore. Curious as to how the book club played into all this, I asked Kathy where the idea came from. She gave me a sideways glance and cocked an eyebrow. “Well…” she drawled, “I tried joining a local book club, but that didn’t work out too well.” She laughed. “So, I decided to start my own, and that was the beginning of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club.” Wondering why she chose that name, I didn’t have to wait long for an answer, as Kathy continued. “Living in East Texas surrounded by pine trees and the timber business, the name seemed like a perfect fit.” Kathy smiled and I agreed. 12

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READING NATION MAGAZINE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PULPWOOD QUEEN

We talked like old friends for several hours and discovered we had much in common, including a fierce love of books. As we chatted, I noticed an item on her mantle that piqued my curiosity. When I asked her about it, Kathy smiled a wistful sort of grin and went over to the mantle, picking up the clear bottle. “This has dirt in it from my grandparents’ farm in Kansas. I loved that place and I like having a little part of it with me. My grandparents influenced me a great deal and I am thankful I had them in my life.” That’s when I knew Kathy and I were definitely kindred spirits. Any gal that felt that sentimental about her past and cared enough about a place that she wanted to carry a bit of it with her had to be alright. I feel the same way about my grandparents’ place and our family farm. I decided that Kathy and I are just plain ole country girls at heart…

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WATCH THE TRAILER

JULY 2021

READING NATION MAGAZINE WATCH THIS!

WATCH THE TRAILER

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THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

WATCH THE TRAILER

JULY 2021

READING NATION MAGAZINE WATCH THIS!

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THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Sonju by Wondra Chang After she defies the rigid, oppressive Confucian tradition of order and conformity, Sonju descends from an aristocratic upbringing to working at a men’s club. In spite of social condemnations and personal tragedies, her determination to be her own person never wavers. Sonju’s life takes a turn when her mother marries her off to a man from a wealthy farming clan rather than allowing her to marry the man she loves. Set against the historical background of the humiliating Japanese occupation and the horrors of the Korean War, Sonju portrays one woman’s journey to personal liberation. Wondra Chang was born in South Korea and has lived in the U.S. since 1970. Her writing discipline began at age ten, writing five short stories a day under the tutelage of a writing teacher. She won first place in a province-wide inperson writing competition. She studied journalism at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea. She currently lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband, Bernard Rauch. 18

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What a Wonderful World This Could Be by Lee Zacharias What Alex, illegitimate daughter of an alcoholic novelist and an artist, has always wanted is family. At 15, she falls in love with a 27-year-old photographer, whom she will leave when she comes under the spell of Ted Neal, a charismatic activist on his way to Mississippi for 1964’s Freedom Summer. That fall Ted organizes a collective that turns to the growing antiwar movement. Ultimately the radical group Weatherman destroys the “family” Alex and Ted have created, and in 1971 Ted disappears while under FBI investigation. When Ted surfaces eleven years later, Alex must put her life back together in order to discover what true family means. Lee Zacharias is the author of a collection of short stories, Helping Muriel Make It Through the Night; three novels, Across the Great Lake, Lessons, and At Random; and a collection of personal essays, The Only Sounds We Make. Her fourth novel, What a Wonderful World It Could Be, will be released in June of 2021 by Madville Publishing. ISSUE NO. 4

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At its core, Outbound Train is about universal decisions: to stay or go; to close yourself from the world or open yourself to the unknown; to give up or persist; to dream or die. Winchester gives voice to the mothers, daughters and sisters who struggled then, and struggle now, and gives them hope that through love and togetherness, they, too, shall overcome. Renea Winchester believes strongly in the virtue of loving one’s hometown and giving back to the people, places, and roots that give texture to our lives and memories. Her novel, Outbound Train, is an homage to her motherland, Bryson City, North Carolina. Winchester takes us back in time and shows us fragments of small town life as seen through the eyes of Barbara Parker and Barbara’s daughter, Carole Anne — women divided by sixteen years who share DNA and the same timeless yearnings to leave home and blaze their own trails away from the familiar. Life hasn’t been easy for Barbara, who carries a dark secret from the past. She rises early with the train whistle and walks to her job at Cleveland Manufacturing where she earns a modest “polyester payday” hunched over an industrial sewing machine; she cares for her mother, Pearline, who suffers from dementia; and she believes her daughter has fallen into the grips of two dangerous troublemakers. Her young daughter, Carole Anne, knows that folks around town have already dubbed her a “reject,” a term used to 20

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describe a person with no future beyond poverty and trailer parks. She works at a basement honky-tonk and focuses on saving enough money to repair a rusty old Oldsmobile that she will use to flee far away from the misery that is her childhood. Winchester weaves a tale that takes readers full throttle from rummaging through mounds of garbage at the local landfill, to sitting on the sofa with Pearline watching One Life to Live, to the unemployment office where Barbara leaves a foil pan of ex-lax-laced brownies for a woman who dared look down her nose at her. Her characters spring to life before our eyes with grace and grit classically emblematic of Southern women. Outbound Train was translated into French and released April 2021.

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MURDER UNDER A FULL MOON by Abigail Keam Mona Moon goes to Washington D.C. to have lunch at the White House with Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States. While in Washington, Mona wants to take in the sights but her visit is marred by the violent death of two men who were trying to procure copper contracts with Moon Enterprises. Mona is then approached by American agents to spy for the government. Mona wants no part of that as “gentlewomen do not read others mail.” Mona soon realizes that she and Moon Enterprises are thrust upon the world stage of countries vying for power whether she likes it or not. All Mona wants to do is run Moon Enterprises and marry Lord Farley, but events make that impossible. Mona must make a choice. Does she fulfill her duty to her country and forget Lord Farley? Or does she forge ahead and place her country in jeopardy by selling copper to whoever wants it? It looks like 1934 is going to be a challenging year for Mona.

A MONA MOON MYSTERY

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Abigail Keam is the award-winning and Amazon best-selling 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-to-riches 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. One thing Miss Abigail loves to do as an author is to write real people and events into her stories. “I am a student of history and love to insert historical information into my mysteries. My goal is to entertain my readers, but if they learn a little something along the way–well, then we are both happy.” Abigail loves honeybees and for many years made her living by selling honey at a farmers’ market. She is an awardwinning beekeeper who has won 16 honey awards at the Kentucky State Fair including the Barbara Horn Award, which is given to beekeepers who rate a perfect 100 in a honey competition. 100 in a honey

competition. ISSUE NO. 4

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The Flying Cutterbucks by Kathleen Rodgers is now available as an Audiobook! Decades ago, Trudy, Georgia, and Aunt Star formed a code of silence to protect each other from an abusive man who terrorized their family. One act of solidarity long ago lives with them still. With the election of a president who brags about groping women without their consent, old wounds and deep secrets come alive again, forcing hard truths to be told and even harder truths to be left to the dead. On the outskirts of Pardon, New Mexico, Trudy returns to her mother, Jewel, to navigate an old house filled with haunting mementos of her father who went missing in action over North Vietnam. As she helps her mother sift through the memories and finally lay her father to rest, Trudy will do her own soul searching to say goodbye to the dead, and find her way along with the other women in her family, and through the next election. 24

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Mistakes by the Lake by Brian Petkash Set in Cleveland, Ohio, from its earliest beginnings as a forested frontier to the urban blight of modern times, Mistakes by the Lake is a collection of ten thematicallylinked stories spanning the many faces of the city’s history: *a motorman navigates his 1920’s back-and-forth trolley until he snaps; *a stockyards knocker encounters the Virgin Mary during the 1954 World Series; *a wannabe wrestles his unruly mind along the flammable 1960’s Cuyahoga River; *in a reinvention of Henry IV, a young man must either stick with his bumbling criminal crew or uncover legit ways to support his mother and transgender Gramps. “Brian Petkash is the Bard of Cleveland. He’s a perceptive teller of poignant tales that are both regional and universal. That’s a compelling combination.” —Tony Macklin, film critic and author of Palestra ISSUE NO. 4

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The Smuggler’s Daughter by Claire Matturro Ray Slaverson, a worldweary Florida police detective, has his hands full with the murders of two attorneys and a third suspicious death, all within twenty-four hours. Ray doesn’t believe in coincidences, but he can’t find a single link between the dead men, and he and his partner soon smash into an investigative stonewall. Kate Garcia, Ray’s fiance, knows more than she should. She helped one of the dead attorneys, just hours before he took a bullet to the head, study an old newspaper in the library where she works. Kate might be the only person still alive who knows what he was digging up—except for his killer.When Kate starts trying to discover what’s behind the murders, she turns up disturbing links between the three dead men that track back to her family’s troubled past. But she has plenty of reasons to keep her mouth shut. Her discovery unleashes a cat-and-mouse game that threatens to sink her and those she loves in a high tide of danger. 26

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"Though I've long been a fan of Claire Matturro, her latest blew me away. Her lyrical depictions of the Gulf Coast landscape, the densely layered story where the intertwining of past and present creates a resonance that only our best novelists achieve, the narrative that is at once, scary, gripping, moving, and populated by unforgettable characters, combine to make Smuggler's Daughter as good a novel as I've read in years." ~ James W. Hall, Edgar and Shamus winning author. "This no-holds-barred, tell-Florida-like-it-is tale is as rich as buttery lobster. Brilliantly drawn characters, totally believable dialogue, suspense until the very end: You'll be glad you read The Smuggler's Daughter, even if it gave you the shivers." ~ Southern Literary Review's September Read of the Month "THE SMUGGLER'S DAUGHTER pulls you in and under, revealing a time and place both familiar and remarkable. Coastal Florida, unique and dangerous, is one of the stars of Claire Matturro's complex and thrilling mystery. The story is an environmental mystery wrapped tightly in a distinct narrative and a landscape of unforgettable characters. The stakes are high, for all involved, but most especially for the Florida ecosystem. Once I started the book I couldn't put it down." --USA Today bestselling author Carolyn Haines "... a tightly-paced thriller with authentic and engaging characters that the reader will find it hard to say goodbye to. Reminiscent of the work of novelists like Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey, it's a can't miss for fans of old Florida noir..." Dennis Maley, The Bradenton Times ISSUE NO. 4

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A Child Lost: A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel by Michelle Cox When Clive, anxious to distract a depressed Henrietta, begs Sergeant Frank Davis for a case, he is assigned to investigating a seemingly boring affair: a spiritualist woman operating in an abandoned schoolhouse on the edge of town who is suspected of robbing people of their valuables. What begins as an open and shut case becomes more complicated, however, when Henrietta--much to Clive's dismay-begins to believe the spiritualist's strange ramblings. Meanwhile, Elsie begs Clive and Henrietta to help her and the object of her budding love, Gunther, locate the whereabouts of one Liesel Klinkhammer, the German woman Gunther has traveled to America to find and the mother of the little girl, Anna, whom he has brought along with him. The search leads them to Dunning Asylum, where they discover some terrible truths about Liesel. When the child, Anna, is herself mistakenly admitted to the asylum after an epileptic fit, Clive and Henrietta return to Dunning to retrieve her. This time, however, Henrietta begins to suspect that something darker may be happening. When Clive doesn't believe her, she decides to take matters into her own hands . . . with horrifying results. 28

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GALEN'S WAY A KIDNAPPED PRINCESS. A FEARED MERCENARY. AN EVIL EMPIRE ABOUT TO BE BORN. The Princess Rhiannon of Salacia has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom on the fortress planet Nammu. Galen Dwyn, the most feared mercenary in the Andromeda Galaxy has been hired to rescue her and bring her home the only way he knows how: Galen's Way. RESERVATIONS Who – or what – is killing members of the Navajo tribe? RESERVATIONS, the first book of the Jack Del Rio political mystery/ thriller series, is set near Gallup, New Mexico, where the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni reservations lie adjacent. Three tribal leaders have been murdered – murdered in a fashion that suggests the deeds were carried out by COYOTE, a legendary supernatural evil trickster feared by many Native Americans.

Richard Paolinelli ISSUE NO. 4

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Trouble Restored - Hot off the press June 28, the 13th Trouble, black cat mystery-penned by Trouble's scribe, USA Today bestseller Carolyn Haines.

For Tommie Sykes inheriting Loftus Manor in Wetumpka, Alabama, is both a blessing and a curse. The beautiful old estate holds potential as an inn, and the legend that it's haunted may be a boon. But the whispers that it's cursed? Not good for business or Tommie's health. Harley Jones has lived on the estate as groundskeeper for the past five years. He and the former owner, Samuel Loftus, found friendship and good company over games of chess and a glass of Scotch. Harley never believed Samuel's rambling ghost stories about the manor. That is, until Samuel committed suicide and Tommie showed up to claim her inheritance. Now the strange happenings have him second guessing himself and following the lead of a strange black cat named Trouble. Rumors of ghosts and hauntings have Trouble on red alert. A ghostie is one thing, but murder is another kettle of fish for the black cat detective. The game is afoot and he's on the job—finding clues and pushing Tommie and Harley toward romantic awareness—with his usual flair and keen observations of the "bipeds." 30

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The Kimono Tattoo by Rebecca Copeland “Silk unravels. A tattoo is forever. Layer by layer the truth is revealed.” “I jostled her shoulder and noticed when I did that her skin was cold to the touch….her entire torso was covered in tattoos from her collar bone to the midline of her thighs. All were of kimono motifs—fans, incense burners, peonies, and scrolls.” This ghastly scene was the last thing Ruth Bennett expected to encounter when she agreed to translate a novel by a long-forgotten Japanese writer. Returning to her childhood home in Kyoto had promised safety, solitude, and diversion from the wounds she encountered in the U.S. But Ruth soon finds the story line in the novel leaking into her everyday life. Fictional characters turn out to be real, and the past catches up with the present in an increasingly threatening way. The Kimono Tattoo takes readers on a journey into Kyoto’s intricate world of kimono design. As Ruth struggles to unravel the cryptic message hidden in the kimono tattoo, she is forced to confront a vicious killer along with her own painful family secrets. ISSUE NO. 4

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

A Whisper of Trouble by Susan Y. Tanner Horse thieves and flying bullets— a recipe calling for Trouble! Acclaimed horse whisperer Liz O’Neil heals confused, frightened, or angry horses but she never expected to work in Italy. Her skills are vital to help the horses, especially when bullets start flying. Private investigator Will Chandler doesn’t know much about horses but when he finds Liz and her talent, he has everything he needs. He’s been hired by the Italian government to retrieve a string of stolen stallions and find the master thief. When murder muddies the investigative waters, Will faces it head on with the help of the beautiful horse whisperer—and a nonchalant black cat with superior sleuthing skills. From the peace of Summer Valley Ranch to the breathtaking beauty of Rome, the trio match wits with a villain who doesn’t balk at a murder—or six. Trouble fiercely protects his humans while solving a mystery of international magnitude and giving the bipeds a nudge in the right direction when love comes to call. 32

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Susan Y. Tanner continues to blend her passion for horses with her passion for writing. In Trouble in Summer Valley, she introduced readers to the rescue horses of Summer Valley Ranch where they prove their worth in therapeutic riding. In Turning for Trouble, her own rodeo experience brings that rough and tumble world to life. Her third romantic mystery, Trouble in Action, showcases the risky profession of stunt riding while giving a glimpse into historical reenactments. A Whisper of Trouble provides insight into a talent practiced by few…the art of horse whispering. Published by KaliOka Press, these romantic mysteries feature a super-sleuth 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 first five historical romances—Highland Captive, Captive to a Dream, Exiled Heart, Fire Across Texas, Winds Across Texas, and A Warm Southern Christmas (a novella)—have been re-released by Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing. All were previously published by Leisure Books. Her sixth historical romance, Storm Out of Texas, was also published by Secret Staircase Books. When she’s not at her desk, Ms. Tanner can usually be found in the barn or on a horse. ISSUE NO. 4

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Sisters of the Vine by Linda Rosen Housewife and mother with a loving husband to take care of her - that's all Liz, a Fifties gal, ever wanted. Over her father's objections, she drops out of college to marry Rick, who dreams of living off the land. They buy a farm on a verdant hillside in the Hudson Valley, but can't agree on what to plant. When they discover French-American hybrid grapes, Liz is confident they'll be happy. Grapes are classy. As the rich soil sinks into her soul and the vines begin to thrive, the marriage grows rocky. Refusing to disappoint her father again, Liz is determined to make her marriage work . . . until she discovers a photograph hidden in the old barn. Faced with impossible decisions, Liz is desperate. She has a vineyard ready to harvest and no idea how to accomplish the task. Does she have the moxie to flourish? Or will she and the land turn fallow?

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“If you enjoy sistership stories, great domestic fiction, or wine, you’ll relish Sisters of the Vine - an uplifting story that kept me engaged throughout! Just like the best wine, this novel will linger with you long after you finish.” — Lainey Cameron, award-winning author of The Exit Strategy Linda Rosen’s books are set in the “not-too-distant past” and examine how women reinvent themselves despite obstacles thrown their way. A central theme is that blood is not all that makes a family– and they always feature a piece of jewelry! Her debut novel, The Disharmony of Silence, released in March 2020 and her sophomore novel, Sisters of the Vine, one year later, from Black Rose Writing. Linda was a contributor to Women in the Literary Landscape: A WNBA Centennial Publication for the Women's National Book Association and has had stories published in online magazines and print anthologies. She is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association and the Women’s National Book Association where she is Selections Coordinator of the Great Group Reads committee which curates a list, published annually, of novels and memoirs perfect for book clubs. ISSUE NO. 4

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Dogwood Blues by Brenda Sutton Rose Filled with humor and heartbreak, the story is centered around life in a small town near the Alapaha River in rural Georgia, a place struggling with change. When Kevin Kilmer, award-winning New York author, moves back to Dogwood's historic district to write his memoir, he crashes headfirst into his heartbreaking past. Boone Marshall, a farmer and blues pianist, stirs gossip when, mere months after the suicide of his first wife, he brings home a new bride, a nightclub singer from New Orleans. Every week, the women of the Honeysuckle Bridge Club gather to play cards, share gossip, and argue about local issues, particularly the upcoming liquor referendum, a vote that threatens to turn dry Creek County wet. And Nells Sauls is never up to any good. She loves nothing better than to drop gossip as messy as bird poop from one end of the town to the other. Brimming with opinionated and irreverent characters, and told with the mournful sound of the blues, DOGWOOD BLUES is a story of betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption. 36

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Husbands and Other Sharp Objects by Marilyn Simon Rothstein’s heartwarming, hilarious novel is 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. Now with two huge events on the horizon, the indomitable Marcy soon realizes that there’s nothing like a wedding to bring out the worst in everybody. From petty skirmishes over an ever-growing guest list to awkward confrontations with her sticky-fingered new in-laws, pulling off the wedding is going to be a challenge; seeing her divorce through is going to be a trial. And trying to make everyone happy might prove to be impossible—because in the end, Marcy alone must make a choice between something old and something new. ISSUE NO. 4

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In Due Time by Annette G. Anders

Invisible lines are the hardest to cross. Naomi Winters compares every boyfriend to the one man who’s out of reach. When wedding bells start ringing around her, she’s determined to go after her own happily-ever-after and make Revan see what’s always been right in front of his eyes. There are only a couple of minor problems… He’s one of her best friends, and he thinks of her as a—sister! Adventures are part of Revan Forrester’s life. The camera is his steady girlfriend, and there’s absolutely no room for diamond rings or diaper duty. Until the woman he remembers as a pesky girl gives the word adventure a new meaning. But he stoically refuses to let conflicting feelings ruin his lifelong friendship with the woman he suddenly sees in a different light. While they’re having a rousing, emotional tug-of-war, someone else is tired of watching from the sidelines and is quietly shortening the rope. Will Naomi and Revan be able to meet in the middle? IN DUE TIME is a story about lifelong dreams and finding the courage to pursue them. 38

JULY 2021

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Ruby Falls by Deborah Goodrich Royce When a little girl is abandoned by her father in a cave, can she grow up to be healthy and whole? Eleanor Russell is an actress at the top of her game when scars from a childhood wound begin to unravel the threads of her life. Fired from her show, she bolts to Europe and marries Orlando Montague, a man she has only just met. Back in Los Angeles, desperate to create the perfect life— new husband, new house, and a starring role in a Hitchcock movie remake—Eleanor believes it is all coming together. But her stability is threatened when Orlando reveals a sinister side, secrets from the past are unearthed, and the specter of the cave becomes unavoidable.

“Imaginative, unique, spinetingling, and just the right amount of eerie, Ruby Falls is what a reader wants a psychological thriller to be.” Sandra Brown, New York Times bestselling author

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Coming in August am barely had time to brace for impact as Evan let out a squeal and threw herself into his arms. Her cinnamon eyes went to his then traveled to his lips. In that moment, Cam wanted to kiss her more than he wanted to breathe. He couldn’t break cover for any reason. Up until now, that hadn’t been a problem. Cam could withstand torture, commit crimes, fuck women, and never compromise the persona of Miguel Ramirez. But Cam knew like he knew how to break down and reassemble his Sig, if he kissed Evan, he would break.

Buried BeneatH

Setting her on her feet, he ran a finger down her cheek. Then they heard voices. Debbie Baldwin is a successful print media and television writer. She is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Virginia School of Law. Debbie and her husband live in Saint Louis, Missouri with their puggle, Pebbles. They have three children in college.

Cam held a finger to his lips, and they both stood stock-still. “No one should be in these mines at this hour. I need to see what they’re up to. If I’m not back here in ten minutes, leave through the caves. I’ll meet you back here tomorrow.” Silent as snowfall, Cam navigated the mine until he found the danger sign he had noticed on his first day. The chain barring entry to the tunnel was still rocking back and forth after being disturbed. Following the path the men took, Cam ducked under the chain and crept down the tunnel until he again heard voices. He moved forward on silent feet and peered around the corner. Three men passing a joint stood to the side of a heavy fire door propped open with a cinderblock. Beyond was a large room, and inside was a sight sadly familiar to Cam. Workers in headcovers and surgical masks stood working at long stainless steel tables. Others were piling vacuum sealed white bricks into crates stamped with the double M of the March Mining logo.

Buried Beneath by Debbie Baldwin 40

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DEBBIE BALDWIN

Cam pulled back and leaned against the tunnel wall. Copper wasn’t the only product coming out of this mine.

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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 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 centuriesold 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 Buried Beneath.

DEBBIE BALDWIN author name

Be advised: this story contains scenes of violence equivalent to an R-rated movie and explicit sexual situations.

Coming in August! ISSUE NO. 4

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One Hundred Daffodils by Rebecca Winn With the observational eye of a John Muir-like naturalist and a keenly insightful take on nature’s ability to heal, One Hundred Daffodils: Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart [Grand Central Publishing/ Hachette Book Group] is a contemporary, yet timeless story of a woman’s search for meaning, identity, and purpose in an uncharted world. When her husband asked for a divorce after twenty-five years of marriage, Rebecca Winn felt untethered physically, spiritually, and emotionally. The security she’d had in her marriage was suddenly replaced by an overwhelming sense of fear, hopelessness, and dread. She felt invisible and alone and was horrified to consider that her deepest longing—to know and be known by another person—might never be realized. But from this fear emerged a powerful desire to answer one of life’s most profound questions: How can we ever know another person if we do not truly know ourselves? Facilitated in measures by a love affair with a younger man, dedicated study of Jungian psychology, and a deep dive into global spiritual practices, Winn transformed heartbreak into wholeness through communion with the divine in nature. By turning to her garden for guidance, sanctuary, and inspiration, and dialing closely into the flora and fauna around her, she 42

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ultimately discovered what is possible when we are willing to look at our unvarnished selves with an open mind, and see others with an open heart. Rebecca Winn is a writer, artist, multiple award-winning designer, and owner of a high-end, boutique residential landscape design firm. A pioneer in the green industry in Texas, she has received more design awards than any other female designer, and her company has won more awards than any other woman-owned landscape firm in the state. Additionally, she has been recognized nationally as a recipient of the coveted LUXE Magazine RED Award (Residential Excellence in Design). Rebecca is also the creator of the inspiration Facebook blog, Whimsical Gardens, where her eye for beauty and her unique blend of wisdom, insight and humor inspires and entertains 600,000 readers around the globe each day. Born in Dallas, Texas and raised in Europe since first grade, Rebecca grew 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 multiple regional and national glossy magazines, as well as online. Her first book, One Hundred Daffodils; Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart (Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group) was a #1 bestselling new release, and was selected for consideration for the National Book Award in 2020, The National Book Critics Circle Award in 2020 and the Pulitzer Prize in 2021. Additionally, the audio version was nominated for the Audie Awards in multiple categories, including for Best Narration by the Author. ISSUE NO. 4

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Missing Peace by N.K. Holt 2021 WINNER National Indie Excellence Award-Religious Fiction 2021 Selah Award finalist 2020 American Book Fest-Best Book Award finalist

War. Heartbreak. How much can one family lose? The McKay family's idyllic life in Iowa is about to implode. A mysterious rosary found by soldier John McKay in wartorn Iraq foreshadows an obscure prophecy. As the rosary’s mystique grows globally, his sister, Janey McKay, is threatened when a radical extremist group escalates the stakes by expanding their fight to the U.S. heartland. But can terror destroy a faith that launches miracles? Everyone fights a battle… A soldier. A sister. A priest. A best friend. No one is safe… A fierce war. A family shattered. A love unrequited. A terrorist bent on revenge. How much can one woman lose? Her home. Her faith. Her family. The man she loves. 44

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Kathy Holzapfel (pronounced hole-zaf-el) has been writing fiction since childhood. Her first romantic suspense novel, LONE RIDER, was published in 2001, under the pseudonym Lauren Bach. She published three more Bach novels with Hachette Books and Kensington Publishing. In 2009, Kathy kicked off a new series of romantic thrillers written under the pseudonym Cate Noble. Book one, DEAD RIGHT, the first book in the saga about three missing CIA agents, was nominated for a Romantic Times Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Awards. Publisher’s Weekly called DEAD RIGHT “impressive.” A certified Life Strategies Coach and former accountant, Kathy is passionate about the craft of writing and personal achievement. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, Crossroads Writers, and Apex Writers. Kathy also writes literary suspense/family drama as N. K. Holt. Kathy has won the RWA Golden Heart and the VRW HOLT Award. Additionally, her work has finaled in a number of contests including The Maggies, The Emily, and TARA First Impressions. ISSUE NO. 4

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Killer at the Cimarron Social Club by Jennifer Mueller Sixty-five years after the events that transpired in Arkalon, Kansas Leonie Stanton brings her grandson back to the place she met his grandfather, now a ghost town. The story is not one he expected to hear or she ever wanted to tell. Long dead secrets deserve to stay buried with the bodies. January,1889 Planning to retire from working on her back, Lila Byrne arrives to take up at a quiet house where she can decide what to do after the gold fields of Colorado made her a fortune. What she finds in the walls of the Cimarron Social Club is dire, and not for the lack of customers. All that is a trivial concern when they wake up trapped in a prairie storm to a find a dead woman encased in the ice outside and it's not likely an accident. When Lila finds that wasn't the only woman to die who came to the house and even a stranger comments Lila could be sisters with the dead, trying to stay alive long enough to escape the ice is the only concern.

JULY 2021

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Shadow Soldiers 2 by Wrathe W. Aceing Second book in the series of novellas that explore the world of the mercenary and the challenges they face keeping evil from overrunning society. "Payday Blues" is another romp around the globe with Sergeant James Terrance (JT) Welder introducing a ton of new friends to add to the party! "Tarnished Guardians" is a murder mystery that explodes into an international thriller as one of the best from our country's investigative services guides a new detective through the puppet masters seeking world domination. "Cold Return" Follows one soldier as he evades those sent to kill him and returns from the darkest part of the mercenary's world. "Passion's Pathway" tells a tale of love. They teased the man with his silly daily routine until he sat them down and told them a story. Who will stand the line and protect us from evil? Who will protect the ones who cannot defend themselves? The Shadow Soldier holds back the darkness so that we may live in the light. ISSUE NO. 4

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JULY 2021

READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST

The World Out There by John Talbird is set in Gainesville, FL during the early nineteen-nineties and its North-Central Florida setting is important as both physical and psychological space. In addition to Spanish moss, heat-radiating highways, and palmettos, the novel explores the violence beneath the glittering surface of the “Sunshine State”: racial tensions, neofascist violence against “others,” and a string of serial murders acts as an ominous backdrop for the action. The car wreck into Lake Walters, coming within the first pages, is a catalyst for action—the concentric waves radiating from the car dropping through that lake surface like danger reverberating throughout the book. The story follows the lives of three people—Jan, William, and Ray—with the action centered around a used bookstore. Each of these Gen-Xers came to Gainesville to get college degrees and then never left. Each watches his or her grandiose ideas of “success” drift away as they pass through their thirties, replaced with a vagueness of purpose, a nagging anxiety that there is something else they’re supposed to be doing. ISSUE NO. 4

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

Novel Women 2 the 2nd book of the trilogy A Book written by a Book Club about a Book Club Energized by changes in careers and romances, the ladies of NOVEL WOMEN book club transition from their tumultuous summer into autumn. Free from societal expectations they soon discover that this sage stage of life doesn't come with instructions. Sandwiched between their parents and children they look to each other to help navigate this confusing period. Hanna's sister is diagnosed with a 50

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life-threatening illness forcing her and her controlling mother under the same roof; Ava extricates her reluctant mother from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria where she's reacquainted with a neighbor's son; Charlotte grapples with her boyfriend's ex-wife's looming presence and hostile children; Madeline senses something isn't quite right with her husband's business associate and friend; Bri flounders returning to work after a twenty-year hiatus as she searches for purpose when her children leave for college; and Staci is more interested in the condensation of her drink at a singles event she attends with Charlotte than meeting any of the men. She longs for her evasive Vermont farmer. The six women buoy each other up to ride out these storms with an abundance of wisdom, resilience, strength, and ---yes, ---love. After all, book club is so much more than just reading.

Pr�i�� f�� N�� W�� 2 “The book club is back in "Novel Women 2." Yet another book and story about a book club of authentic women dealing with real life issues and written by real women from their real book club, how "novel" indeed! The second book in the "Novel Women" trilogy and a perfect read for book clubs everywhere. Five Diamonds in The Pulpwood Queen READING Tiara!" ~Kathy L. Murphy CEO and Founder of The International Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Club Reading Nation. ISSUE NO. 4

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

“Between Friends Book Club has done it again. The ladies of the Novel Women Book Club are back in Novel Women 2 and we take a deeper dive into the lives of these fascinating characters. I especially love how the authors write like they share a brain. It makes it an even more intriguing read. Grab a glass and join the club for this wonderful book.” ~Helen Little 106.7 Lite FM The Public Library Podcast “Novel Women 2 reminds us of the value of female friendships. At times it’s laugh-out-loud entertaining and then sobering when life hands out challenges you will recognize. Readers will witness six women prove that good friendships take time, effort and intention. Friendships that started in a book club are the lifeline through the stress of a new job, getting fired, finding love, dealing with financial crisis, a sister’s cancer treatments and more. And in case you didn’t know, romance and intimacy are alive and well in midlife. This is more than a beach read. It’s a testament to the importance of a girlfriend network for emotional support when things go wrong and to celebrate when life is good.” ~Eileen Harrison Sanchez, Freedom Lessons – A Novel “The adventures of the members of Novel Women continue in this delightful sequel as they face fresh challenges. Troubled by family and work tensions as well as new struggles in love, they rely on the strong friendships formed in their book club to gain perspective and surmount everything life throws their way.” ~ Michelle Cameron, author of Beyond the Ghetto Gates and The Fruit of Her Hands

JULY 2021

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Denise Panyik-Dale: I am an embracer of creativity and curiosity and a strong believer in the power of storytelling... Kim Sullivan Harwanko: I’m a freelance writer – after going back to college and graduating in my early 50’s with a degree in journalism from Rutgers… Jeanne Ann: I grew up in Midwestern bliss with a cornfield down the road, and two “Cheaper by the Dozen” families bookending my block… Fran Furtado: Being Puerto Rican in the Bronx may not have been so bad in the 60s and 70s if everyone around you was Puerto Rican too…

Patricia Vrana: I’m a Jersey girl, without the much talked about big hair. I have lived in 7 of the 21 counties in my beautiful state… ISSUE NO. 4

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COMING LATER THIS MONTH! My Musings by Ruthie Landis MY MUSINGS means exactly that. This is completely your own. Let it meet you where you are. And this journal is great to do in the company of others. Set aside time, in person, or virtually, with a friend or a small group. Engage, in silence, with one of the inspirations, photos and prompts for a given amount of time. Set an alarm. Then share your process with each other, listening as nonjudgmental witnesses only. Let that lead to a kind, safe and intimate conversation. Doing this work in a group can amplify its impact exponentially.

JULY 2021

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THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

The Fourteenth of September by Rita Dragonette

On September 14, 1969, Private First Class Judy Talton celebrates her nineteenth birthday by secretly joining the campus anti-Vietnam War movement. In doing so, she jeopardizes both the army scholarship that will secure her future and her relationship with her military family. But Judy’s doubts have escalated with the travesties of the war. Who is she if she stays in the army? What is she if she leaves? When the first date pulled in the Draft Lottery turns up as her birthday, she realizes that if she were a man, she’d have been Number One—off to Vietnam with an under-fire life expectancy of six seconds. The stakes become clear, propelling her toward a life-altering choice as fateful as that of any draftee. The Fourteenth of September portrays a pivotal time at the peak of the Vietnam War through the rare perspective of a young woman, tracing her path of self-discovery and a “Coming of Conscience.” Judy’s story speaks to the poignant clash of young adulthood, early feminism, and war, offering an ageless inquiry into the domestic politics of protest when the world stops making sense. 56

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So many books to add to your to be read list! It’s a good thingthey have such a long shelf life :).

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Congratulations Vince Spinnato! “Most 10-year-old boys spend afternoons riding bikes and playing sports. Me? I sat on the couch snuggled close to my grandmother and watched “The Young and the Restless,” a popular TV soap opera. I was obsessed with the fictional Abbott family’s cosmetic business and vowed that I would one day own my own company. I even picked a name, VS Vincenzo, my name and initials in Italian, which remains one of my product lines today. Then along came that over-the-top night-time saga, “Dynasty,” and the obsession to become rich and famous reached a whole new level…” Vince Spinnato. Vince was one of my favorite surprises at The International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy’s first virtual Girlfriend’s weekend held last January. His book, My Pursuit of Beauty: Cosmetic Chemist Reveals The Glitz, The Glam and the Batsh*t Crazy, was on my to be read list. Being a fifty-year old tomboy I’d put off reading it because well, I had no idea that there was so much more to it besides stories of glitzy and glamorous people. The Batsh*t part did intrigue me - and the words Cosmetic Chemist - did too. And then he appeared on my screen during his segment of Girlfriend’s Weekend and I couldn’t wait to start reading! If y’all were there, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Vince was hilarious, and heartbreakingly honest. His memoir is one that will inspire all of us, but he’s not finished yet. Y’all, he’s just getting started. What’s with the photo of Judy Garland? Keep reading to find out… 58

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READING NATION MAGAZINE CONGRATULATIONS VINCE SPINNATO

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NEWS ALERT: Vince Spinnato Tapped to Create Judy Garland Fragrance! LORNA LUFT, LIZA MINNELLI AND THE JUDY GARLAND HEIRS TRUST SIGN WITH TURNKEY BEAUTY, INC., TO CREATE JUDY GARLAND FRAGRANCE Cosmetic Chemist & ‘Certified Nose’, Vince Spinnato is tapped to develop a fine fragrance called ‘Judy’ in honor of Ms. Garland’s 100th birthday. Vincenzo (Vince) Spinnato, Cosmetic Chemist, ‘Certified Nose’ and President/CEO of TurnKey Beauty, Inc., based in Capistrano Beach, CA, has been chosen by Lorna Luft, Liza Minnelli and The Judy Garland Heirs Trust to develop a fine fragrance in honor of the late legendary actress, recording artist, and entertainer Judy Garland. The unisex fragrance, to be called ‘Judy – A Garland Fragrance by Vincenzo Spinnato’, will be released June 10th, 2022, the 100th anniversary of Ms. Garland’s birth. Daughters Lorna Luft and Liza Minnelli will work in conjunction with Spinnato to develop ‘Judy’, which will be reminiscent of some of their mother’s favorite scents, aromas and perfumes, with a modern twist. “It will be a unisex fragrance that captures the essence of Judy Garland and evokes memories of our mother,” says Luft. “It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate my mother’s legacy in this special way. She would have been thrilled!” adds 60

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READING NATION MAGAZINE CONGRATULATIONS TO TIMBER GUY VINCE SPINNATO

Minnelli. “It is definitely an honor to develop a fragrance for one of the greatest icons of all time,” says Spinnato. “We will oversee this project from concept to launch, including fragrance development, manufacturing and creating a custom bottle and packaging. And as another unique twist,” adds Spinnato, “TurnKey Beauty plans to involve America in determining the final fragrance by having fans vote for their favorite scent.” Fans will be able to vote by scanning a QR Code or text, selecting one of three fragrance strips that will be placed in prestigious magazines and in brick and mortar stores where the fragrance will eventually live. A business connection between Luft and Spinnato began when Luft became aware of Spinnato/TurnKey Beauty through her make-up artist in London who knew one of Spinnato’s clients in the United States. Luft read Spinnato’s new book, “My Pursuit of Beauty – The Glitz, The Glam and the Batsh*t Crazy” and tried Spinnato’s new product line, Caviar & Diamond – and loved them both. After meeting in California, they decided to work together. “We awarded Vince/TurnKey Beauty the contract to develop Ms. Garland’s 100th year fragrance because we believe he will protect her legacy and do an excellent job in the process,” says Donnie Dixon Haden, VP of Business & Legal Affairs at Stiletto Entertainment Group, overseers of The Judy Garland Heirs Trust. ISSUE NO. 4

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If you’re not familiar with Vince’s story, here’s an excerpt from his bio - “At age 20, I moved to Hollywood and incorporated TurnKey Beauty Inc. where I began developing skincare products for celebrities like Michael Jordan, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, French Montana, The Housewives of Orange County and many more. But I’m still waiting for the “rich and famous” part! In true Vinny Spinnato fashion, I bumbled my way to success despite the people who promised moon dust and delivered muck. There were also the funny/tragic events like the time I accidentally spilled red wine and linguini all over Lauren Bacall’s designer white suit while we were lunching. Another time, I got stuck in a water slide that required melted butter, the fire department and a large dose of public humiliation. Not to mention the time post 9/11 that I flew on a commercial jet accompanied by fighter planes prepared to shoot us down. 62

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READING NATION MAGAZINE CONGRATULATIONS TO TIMBER GUY VINCE SPINNATO

There were also some wonderful people who helped me along the way, and I like to pass it forward. I’ve established two annual college scholarships for talented seniors in the arts at my former high school in Vineland, NJ. and recently donated a well to Wells of Life, a provider of clean water in Uganda. Dogs have always been a part of my life and my beautiful therapy dog, Savannah, and I work with the Wounded Warrior Project. As the result of my bizarre life—including a lifelong struggle with Trichotillomania, a largely unrecognized psychological condition involving obsessive-compulsive hair-pulling—I spent years on the proverbial therapist’s couch. When I couldn’t stand to listen to myself another minute, I took my shrink’s advice and wrote a memoir. I was thrilled when it was selected by Kathy L. Murphy as the 2021 February International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guys Book of the Month, the largest meeting and discussing book club in the world with more than 800 U.S. chapters and 20 in foreign countries. Holy crap!” His memoir, My Pursuit of Beauty, has received some great reviews, and helped him form some fantastic connections “I met Vince through my makeup artist and best friend in London, Jo Sugar, who raved about not only his products, but his passion. Being a product junkie myself, I told her to give him my number which has led into a wonderful ISSUE NO. 4

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

journey of his skin care lines. His honesty and his scientific talent about the skincare industry has made me love this book and his products. Growing up with the legendary iconic faces of MGM royalty like my mother, Judy Garland, I understand the trust you need to have in today’s confusing billion-dollar beauty industry. When you find the right “wizard” you are grateful and stay connected.” Lorna Luft, singer, actor, New York Times Bestselling Author of “A Star is Born: The Film That Got Away” and five-time Emmy award-winning producer of the mini-series “Judy Garland: Me and My Shadow” “Dynasty,” produced by my Dad, Aaron Spelling, sparked the imagination of my friend, Vince Spinnato, and inspired him to turn his dreams of developing luxury beauty products into a reality. His no-holds-barred memoir describing his struggles to the top is brutally honest, hilarious and heartbreaking. I couldn’t put the book down.” Tori Spelling, actress, producer and author of “sTori Telling,” “Mommywood” and more. I had a chance to talk to Vince recently and I was surprised at what a sweet and humble guy he is. It was such a laid back conversation, I forgot that I was interviewing him for the magazine, but thankfully I did remember to ask him a few questions. “Before you started working on your memoir, how many people told you that you needed to write a book about 64

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READING NATION MAGAZINE CONGRATULATIONS TO TIMBER GUY VINCE SPINNATO

your life?” Vince, “Yeah, I’ve had people tell me I needed to write a book since I was as young as eleven or twelve years old. That’s really young, but it’s true.” “How much has your life changed from ten years ago?” Vince, “I feel like my past is finally behind me, which is a big change. I said if I was going to write about my past that once it was finished I wanted to be able to put it down.” “I just recently watched a documentary on Tina Turner and she said the same thing. She told the interviewer that she was tired of talking about the time in her life when she was the victim. If they wanted to talk to her about her career or where she was now that was fine, but she was tired of talking about the past. If people want to know about my past, they can read my book,” Vince laughed. I asked Vince about the new documentary, Skin Deep – Formulating A Legacy, that’s coming out this fall. “How closely does the documentary follow your ISSUE NO. 4

THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB

memoir?” Vince, “It’s more about the business side of what I do, how we developed our product - from concept to launch and it goes through the whole process. But it still follows my story and touches on parts in the book that brought me to where I am now in the industry.”

Vince and Savannah, his little 200 pound pooch 66

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READING NATION MAGAZINE CONGRATULATIONS TO TIMBER GUY VINCE SPINNATO

So many things have happened to Vince in his life, some great, some less than great, some hilarious, some heartbreaking. You really do need to read his memoir to know what I’m talking about. They say truth is stranger than fiction and his memoir is a great example. Vince’s story is a wild ride, but it’s also one that will inspire you and make you feel like anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Especially if you’re willing to get out of your comfort zone and take some chances. I asked Vince what’s been the most rewarding out of all the accolades and success he’s received. His fantastic memoir, the documentary, his succesful skin care line… “Working on the fragrance for Judy Garland is by far the thing I’m most proud of. I’m such a huge fan, she is an icon - it’s a great honor.” Vince Spinnato left me with some words of advice, “Read my book and don’t do anything like I did. If you want to succeed - don’t do anything in it.” Congratulations Vince, and your million dollar nose, for being selected to create the fragance “Judy” and for every good thing that comes your way. We’re so proud of you! *special thank you to his publicist, Melinda Manos of Manos Public Relations, for letting us share the news!

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Kathy L. Murphy Artist, Author, Chameleon, and Queen! You see in everything I do as an artist I am creating to put my own spin on how everything should be perceived. I myself am a canvas.When not in my paint clothes I am

either doing a Zoom meeting or going out into the world with a costume in mind for whatever the occasion. Every day is dressing up. I put myself through college being a hairdresser, a cut and colorist, and makeup artist too. These daily 68

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READING NATION MAGAZINE AUTHORS AND THEIR ART

rituals come in to play to create a unique look as I love to entertain the possibilities of perception. I like to do what has not done before so whether I am as a circus ringmaster, juggling my art life, my International Pulpwood Queens ad Timber Guys Book Clubs, their online programs and annual book club convention, or writing either my blogs or working on my next book, I don’t sit still long and then there is my art. I do most everything like a three ring circus with my rescue cats being my animal act. They are perfectly untrained and mostly “crack the whip” at me so to speak on letting them in and out of my little cabin in the woods called Murphy’s law. My art studio is just a few steps outside in it’s own headquarters. So all I can say is be surprised, it is too hard to sum up in mere words on one page. I earned my B.F.A. in ISSUE NO. 4

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Art with a minor in Art History at the University of Texas in Tyler, Texas and the artwork I have featured for these designs will help finance my continuing education for my M.F.A. Everything I create is inspired by my love of nature and my love of reading! Ever since I was a small child I have been lost in nature thanks

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READING NATION MAGAZINE AUTHORS AND THEIR ART

to all the neighborhood mothers who booted us all outside for the day. I only came in when my mother rang this old school bell trudging in in despair as hot in pursuit playing kick the can. We ran wild, free, and created through our own imaginations worlds that we wanted to live in. My teachers who were also our librarians hand selected books that they thought we would want to read. I was hooked from an early age and then we liked to played dress up, getting our pets involved whether playing Tarzan or scenes from The Jungle Book, Treasure Island or the land of Peter Pan and Wendy. Our imaginations were our only boundaries and to this day that has always stayed with my now sixty four year old self. Do not try to put me in a box because for me, there is no box, no boundaries beyond my vivid ISSUE NO. 4

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and fully in color imagination. All my life I have been a life longer learner. My only regret is that I may not have time to read all the books I want to read, paint and create as much art as I have stored

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READING NATION MAGAZINE AUTHORS AND THEIR ART

up in my mind, and travel to all the places in the world that I have dreamed of going. I dream BIG and hope that in this world of sharing all the beauty in the world through my art will inspire you to DREAM BIG too. We only get one life and I plan on living every minute of it.

A small sample of Kathy’s art and art inspired fashions that have been purchased by some of our PQs! ISSUE NO. 4

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READING NATION MAGAZINE AUTHORS AND THEIR ART

Kathy once told me,”You know how you say when you’re writing and your characters take over? Like you think you’re going to write one thing but by the time you’ve finished, your story was nothing like you’d thought? Well that’s what it’s like when I’m painting. Sometimes I feel like the paint has a mind of its own. It’s going to do whatever it wants whether I agree or not. The funny thing is, it’s always right.” I think every one of us PQ/TG authors can relate to that and looking at her beautiful artwork, I think we all agree. Her paint definitely knows what’s its doing…

Here are some photos from a recent Art and Book Event at Lamoureaux Art Gallery in Tyler, TX. Two other Pulpwood Queen Authors, Tamara Bolton and Stephanie Chance were also there with books and artwork. What are those fabulous wraps everyone’s wearing? Those are some of Kathy’s art inspired fashions modeled by friends Heidi Surber Teichgraeber, Brenda Houck Brannon, Neisha LeStage, Leonardo Lamoureaux, Lana Niemann, Stephanie Chance, and Tamra Bolton. Plus two more handsome unamed fellas. ISSUE NO. 4

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You don’t want to miss Kathy’s Saturday night Book to Film Club - you never know who’s going to show up!

You can see more of Kathy’s beautiful art and shop for your next favorite painting here. Shop for a piece of her unique art inspired apparel, accessories, or home furnishings here. 76

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Originally from Phoenix, AZ, I couldn’t stand the bustle of a big city so drove an RV, a dog, a cat, a bunch of birds, and a fish to a small island in the Pacific Northwest where I’d only traveled once. After nearly 23 years living here, I’m fully rooted in this place.

The San Juan Island Library is a learning center for the community: a place for people to pursue independent educational and recreational interests, to use information resources, and to meet and interact in a public forum. It is located in one of the most beautiful settings in the Pacific Northwest. San Juan Island, on which the Library resides, is just one of the 172 islands which comprise San Juan County, in Washington state. The Library itself is within the town limits of Friday Harbor, the county seat of San Juan County as well as its only incorporated town. We serve the island’s approximately 8000 residents offering a wide range of services and programs. The library’s collection is comprised of more than 57,000 individual items including 48,000 books, 2,100 audio books, 7572 78

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READING NATION MAGAZINE WHERE WE’RE FROM

videos, and 141 periodicals. This carefully managed collection is supplemented by subscriptions to 25 online databases and a generous Interlibrary Loan program which circulates over 2,400 additional items each year. Our collection is housed in an approximately 9,600 square foot building located in the town of Friday Harbor. Griffin Bay Bookstore is a cozy and charming book shop

in Friday Harbor. Launched in 1979, it features an array of titles, novels and journals by local and mainstream authors across myriad genres. Peruse their collection of prints and publications and let their knowledgeable staff make recommendations. Upstairs is a vast section of children's books as well as a cafe where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and free WiFi. Susan Wingate writes “unputdownable, surprising and twisty tales with crackling dialogue that exhibit a rare deftness in style offering up stories that are riveting, original and with a humanity rarely seen in contemporary fiction.” Susan lives with her husband on a tiny island off the coast of Washington State where she tends to a lovable herd of deer. ISSUE NO. 4

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I haven’t yet met Brenda Sutton Rose in person, but I feel like we’re old friends. Two years ago, we exchanged books and she surprised me with a video of her sweet southern voice talking about my stories in Walking. She is a great writer and a beautiful human. Just reading her posts will brighten your day and the photos of her gardens will take away any blues you may have, even the Dogwood Blues. I asked if she would share her gardens with us so y’all can see what I’m talking about. I knew there was a story behind them, but I had no idea… Enjoy! Mandy

Richard’s Garden by Brenda Sutton Rose

He planted his first garden when he was about ten years old, a scrawny boy with long arms and brown curls. His garden grew out of rootings he took from his grandmother’s flowerbeds and pots. With the small hands and magical ideas of a child, he transformed a limited spot of earth into the first paragraph of his gardening life. His initial plantings, verbena and larkspur, 80

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flourished in the hot summer sun of South Georgia, and he swelled with as much pride for the colors of those blooms as any boy might feel for a new BB gun or fishing rod. The flowers grew and attracted hummingbirds and all manner of butterflies. The desire to create multiplied in him as birthdays came and went, and though he was raised in the country, surrounded by hunters, he would never be a hunter of anything but plants. After graduating from high school, he served in Vietnam, his heart longing for home. When his tour of duty was over, he returned to the States and completed college. All the while, the susurrus voice of nature haunted him, calling for him to dig in the dirt again. And he followed the calling, lured by the voice he first heard in his youth. Wherever he moved during those early years of his career in psychology, he searched out a plot of land and planted paragraphs, chapters, and stanzas of poetry in the soil. And he’s been nurturing gardens ever since, his love of nature moving him outdoors twelve months a year here in Zone 8b. His name is Richard Rose. He is my husband. And his autobiography grows outside our back door. ISSUE NO. 4

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Richard lays down brick for paths that curve and lead to new discoveries much like I lay down outlines for chapters. His paths take visitors to our eccentric garden on a course of discovery. While I am behind my computer developing a story-line, my husband is outside sweating verbs. He hoes, mixes, mulches, digs, plants, trims, waters. He shapes new beds, prepares the soil; he removes weeds and prunes overgrown limbs. Like a writer, he plots and adds characters to his garden. Over the years he adopted gargoyles, maidens, and 82

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other garden statues and brought them to live among his plants, yet the most magical characters are real and arrive on their own, building nests, migrating South, scurrying up trees, chirping in the bushes, lighting up the night with tiny flames that fly us back in time to our childhood. Nouns define the land, the plants, and the wildlife. Dogwood. Magnolia. Butterfly. Honeysuckle. Bee. Milkweed. Hummingbird. Come Spring, behind the heavy garden gate, adjectives bloom in every color imaginable, carrying lemony, woody, floral, fruity scents. Both he and I put much stock in pruning. He strolls along garden paths several times a week, clippers in his hands, ISSUE NO. 4

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and snips here and there, shaping trees and shrubs, removing the excess to reveal the texture of secret places. Inside, I use my delete key on the computer as clippers to cut away at paragraphs that do nothing to shape my story, paragraphs that hang bloated and heavy, hiding the texture of my characters. We do what we must to create our best work. At heart, Richard remains the enthusiastic and curious boy who took rootings from his grandmother’s garden and planted them with faith and hope. Because of his everlasting love of earth, our garden is a living book that pulses with life. Gardeners, writers, artists—we plant stories inside stories. We are the past, the present, and the future. We are fertile soil. We are kindred spirits.

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Sometimes It Takes Three to Tango Picture this. A Catholic, a Jew, and a Methodist meet on Zoom. Prose and the Pandemic is born.

Well, it wasn’t as simple as that. In March 2020, a large group of authors from She Writes Press and Sparks Press met online to address a shared challenge: how to publish and promote books when the country and the world was in an unprecedented lockdown? As you might imagine, there were as many opinions about what to do as there were writers in the Zoom gallery view. Luckily, three women, who were pretty much strangers to each other, stepped up to form an alliance. Naïve perhaps about what was to come, but willing at least to take a chance. 86

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READING NATION MAGAZINE MEET PROSE AND THE PANDEMIC

Almost immediately, Eileen Sanchez, Meryl Ain, and Valerie Taylor identified Facebook as the platform they believed authors and readers could meet in a safe, socially distanced environment. No masks required. As such, Prose and the Pandemic was created to support authors who were unable to have in-person book launches and to provide a place where readers could interact with authors. In November 2019, Eileen published her debut novel Freedom Lessons. She had been part of a community of authors and social media influencers who had graciously guided her to launch her book, do interviews, and host book events. Eileen believes in the adage: Pay It Forward. She used her experience to help several author friends who were facing cancelled in-person launches. Eileen offered to host and interview on Zoom – three separate events for three friends. The events were successful, and a hidden benefit was that people attended from all US time zones. This effort aligned perfectly with the idea of starting a Facebook group dedicated to authors limited by the ISSUE NO. 4

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constraints imposed by the pandemic. When Meryl Ain realized that the August 2020 pub date for her debut novel, The Takeaway Men, would necessitate a shift to a more vigorous online campaign, she joined with Valerie and Eileen to create the new Facebook group. As the number of readers and authors grew, Prose and the Pandemic became not only an invaluable launching pad, but also a wonderful network to meet other supportive authors and interested readers and reviewers. A year after Valerie retired in 2016, she began drafting What’s Not Said, which was scheduled to debut in the fall of 2020. Without the benefit of an in-person launch, Prose and the Pandemic provided a forum for Valerie to build a network of readers and authors ahead of her book launch, as well as a place to share book reviews and bookish articles she stumbles upon across the internet. With What’s Not True, the sequel to her first novel, launching in August 2021, she feels less like she is venturing into the abyss because she has Prose and the Pandemic as a foundation beneath her. What started out as two handfuls of close friends and family, Prose and the Pandemic has grown to more than a thousand members. Through collaboration with authors, reviewers, podcasters, and narrators, Prose and the Pandemic has earned a warm and welcoming reputation. One of their earliest supporters was Kathy L. Murphy, the 88

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Pulpwood Queen. When Kathy’s Girlfriend Weekend was transformed from an in-person to virtual event in January 2021 because of the pandemic, Eileen moderated a panel of Prose and the Pandemic authors. Since its beginning, the group has promoted the Official Booklist of the Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys. Content is Critical to Success Once the Facebook group was created, the need to fill it with content became a harsh reality. Logically, as a published book reviewer on BookTrib.com, Valerie began posting her reviews. “It occurred to me that folks would get tired of reading what I had to say,” Valerie recalled. In short order, Monday Book Reviews expanded with members posting their own book reviews. Today, there are over 20 members who regularly post their own unique opinions. Eileen shares Gram’s Book Club. She created Gram’s Book Club to teach her grandchildren about the background of her historical fiction FREEDOM LESSONS. Now, Eileen encourages other grandparents to help young readers build a multicultural collection of books. Books can be windows and mirrors. Finding yourself in a book is powerful (a mirror) and a book can be a springboard to new ideas and ISSUE NO. 4

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understandings (a window). Along the way, they collaborated with three intriguing and distinct podcasters: Sean Farjadi — Stories that Empower; Colin Mustful — History through Fiction; and Theresa Bakken — Desideratum. These podcasters represent another way to share our stories through interviews and listening. In an effort to connect readers and writers, Meryl has taken a special interest in showcasing the events, awards, and accolades of fellow authors. “Each time a member invites an author to a virtual book club, it demonstrates the power, reach and value of Prose and the Pandemic” Meryl said. All of the reviews and podcasts are saved on the site, along with a listing of over one hundred author websites and independent bookstore addresses and websites. Prose and the Pandemic fosters community. As such, they join other Facebook groups that are devoted to books and authors by participating in their celebrations and promotions and invite them to Prose and the Pandemic, as well. Redefining “Friends with Benefits” It’s safe to say that years from now we’ll all look back on the pandemic with a wide variety of memories and 90

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emotions. Our beliefs, patience, and resilience have all been tested. This time has been extra special for these three women who moved from authors linked through their publisher to trusted peers, sharing author experiences, and ultimately BFFs, calling and texting each other about all things— author and family-related. Post Pandemic Plans With the pandemic beginning to wane, Prose and the Pandemic is evolving as well. For now, the name of the group remains the same, but that, too, is surely to fade away with time. A new tagline—Your #1 Book Salon—was recently introduced, signifying a transition to a more memberfocused, driven group. Expanding book reviews to every day of the week, rather than only on Mondays, is just one example of the gradual changes and enhancements. Collectively, Eileen, Meryl, and Valerie are determined to grow the community and their earliest stated goals endure: Helping readers find new books and supporting independent authors in showcasing their work. Supporting independent bookstores and ALL authors. Offering a platform for new authors, either new to publishing and marketing or new to social media. ISSUE NO. 4

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Finding more opportunities to connect authors with book clubs. As Mark Twain once said: “Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” Such is Prose and the Pandemic.

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“What’s not to like about a woman who loves books, likes to do hair, and opens a salon/bookstore called Beauty and the Book? THE PULPWOOD QUEENS’ TIARA-WEARING, BOOK-SHARING GUIDE TO LIFE is really funny, and it’s really wise.” —James Patterson, author of The 6th Target 94

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READING NATION MAGAZINE TIARA WEARING, BOOK SHARING, GUIDE TO LIFE

“I loved reading this book as much as I’ve loved getting to know Kathy. She is a genuine force of nature, and your life will be richer once you’ve read her words.” —Adrienne Barbeau, actress and author of There Are Worse Things I Could Do When I was little, Bi-Rite, our local five-and-dime, sold a beauty-queen set that I wanted more than just about anything else in the world. It came in one of those flimsy cardboard boxes with a cellophane lid, the better to show off the treasures inside. I coveted the items the package presented: a “mink,” two high-heeled sandals made of seethrough plastic with stretchy elastic glitters’ silver straps to hold them on your feet, a princess’s scepter, and a real silver plastic tiara. The Queen for a Day set was out of my price range, which made me want it even more. My mother did not approve. “But, Mommy, everybody has them,” I whined. I begged. I pleaded. My mother didn’t budge, pointing out that the fake mink looked like rat’s fur. I would never admit that I thought so too. Hey, fur was fur and I wanted one. She informed me that the plastic sandals would break after one or two wearings and were probably too little for my big feet, and the tiara? That plastic piece of trash contained no jewels, not even fake ones. Okay, okay, so it was made from a mold with bumps and indentations ISSUE NO. 4

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meant to look like jewels. I knew those kind of tiaras never seemed to stay on your head for more than a few seconds at a time. But come on, I was looking at the big picture. I could be a Queen! A child’s imagination is a powerful thing. Remember, this was the early sixties. Miss America reigned supreme, and Bert Parks’s famous rendition of the pageant’s theme song could be heard wafting through the school halls and on playgrounds, wherever groups of little girls played. Every little girl I ever knew dreamed of wearing the crown herself one day. At the height of its popularity, the televised Miss America pageant was as popular as the Oscars are today, and all over America girls and women could not wait to tune in for this once-a-year night of magic and glamour. My, how times have changed. Today not one of the major television stations even carries it, but I read recently that cable picked it up. It’s not quite the same anymore. To my mother, my two sisters, and me, the pageant was a special occasion. Every other night of the year, my mother had us in bed by eight-thirty sharp. Not the night of the Miss America pageant. We had to take our baths and get into our pajamas before the pageant started, so we could go immediately to bed when it ended. But until then, it was the Murphy girls’ annual Miss America-Watch Party. My mother would make a big pitcher of iced tea and pop a big bowl of popcorn, which we would spread out on the coffee table in front of our nubby green divan. My 96

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mother always turned off the lights to make the living room feel more like a movie theater. We sat in a row in front of the TV, just like most of America did then with their TV trays, giddy with excitement. Finally, the commercials ended and Bert Parks started singing his famous song as a show-stopping razzledazzle display of the contestants paraded back and forth across the stage dressed in costumes that represented their home states. You probably think that I’m going to tell you we sat there and cheered for Miss Kansas. Well, to be honest, we always found our state’s entry a little plain compared to, say, Miss Texas, so we weren’t into showing state loyalty. We didn’t exactly choose other favorites, either. No, it shames me to say it, but we Murphy women were irreverent. We made fun of all the girls. Miss Kansas would stride down the runway in her bathing suit, smiling her best million-dollar smile, and my mother would say, just as catty as could be, “Girls, just look at her waist. That’s what happens when you don’t cinch it in with a belt.” I would cringe at this barb as she gave me that raised eyebrowed look and pretend I’d dropped a piece of popcorn until I felt her gaze go away. My sisters and I would do our best to figure out what was so bad about Miss Kansas’s waist. It looked normal to us. As far as my mother was concerned, anyone who did not have a twentyone-inch waist like hers had let herself go to hell in a hand-basket. That’s all there was to it. ISSUE NO. 4

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In the spirit of female camaraderie—and not wanting to do anything that might get us sent off to bed—we didn’t disagree. Instead, we joined in the fun. “What’s on her head, Mommy? A helmet?” one of us might cry out about some poor Southern girl’s teased hairdo, collapsing in a fit of laughter at our own cleverness. My mother would smile approvingly. And if we heard one more girl announce that all she wanted was “world peace,” we would all just about throw up. No matter how much pleasure we took from pointing out those poor girls’ imperfections, when I think about it now, it is obvious that it was jealousy on our parts, pure and simple. We were just too ignorant to realize it at the time. My mother’s cattiness grew out of her own frustrations. I know Mother watched that Miss America pageant thinking it should’ve been her up there, not Miss Kansas with the thick twenty-four-inch waist. The truth is that we would’ve traded places with any of those girls in a New York minute. We knew in our hearts that they were as beautiful and poised as we wanted to be. Hence my intense desire for Bi-Rite’s beauty-queen set. It was as close as I was ever going to get to feeling like a Miss America contestant, or so I believed at the time… 98

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The above is an excerpt from Kathy L. Murphy’s book THE PULPWOOD QUEENS’ TIARA-WEARING, BOOK-SHARING GUIDE TO LIFE .

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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. Email Kathy L. Murphy at thepulpwoodqueen@gmail.com for the link up to one hour prior to the event.

Guest Host schedule for Breathless Bubbles and Books: June 28th - July 4th July 5th - July 11th July 12th - July 18th July19th - July 25th July 26th - August 8th

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Renea Winchester Jax Frey Marci Henna Mandy Haynes Bette Lee Crosby

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Featured Author Schedule for Tuesday Night Online Book Club For April & May. Email Kathy L. Murphy thepulpwoodqueen@gmail.com for the link up to one hour prior to the event. June 29th July 6th July13th July 20th July 27th

Renea Winchester Jax Frey Marci Henna Mandy Haynes Bette Lee Crosby

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. July 10th Carolyn Haines will talk about different genres. August 14th Anju Gattani TBA

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READING NATION MAGAZINE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Let’s have fun and share some stories! I came up with the idea for this collection because I had such positive responses from readers I shared my works in progress with when I was working on my first collection. I still get emails from some of them who want to know if I’m ready to share a few pages of one of my novels in progress. I’ve been saying I wasn’t…but maybe I am. And maybe we could do it together! Your submission doesn't have to be something you are working on at the moment. Maybe there were scenes that had to be deleted from your last manuscript, or there is something that you love, but haven't worked on in awhile... This book will be a great tool that not only tells who we are - proud Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys - BUT also shows the reader that we have a diverse group of authors that cover lots of genres. Submissions must read as a short story (DON’T OVERTHINK IT - IT DOESN’T HAVE TO MEET A SPECIFIC STANDARD, IT JUST HAS TO BE ENJOYABLE AND PEAK THE READER’S INTEREST) length can be between 200 to 4000 words. Each submission must have the story behind the piece and a short bio in a separate attachment. Only one submission per author please. If you’d like your work in progress to be considered, send it to mandy.pulpwoodqueen@gmail.com Deadline for submissions is September 30th ISSUE NO. 4

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THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB BREATHLESS COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH

Breathless Cocktail of the month, toasting THE GUMBEAUX SISTAHS by Jax Frey BREATHLESS Rose Brut 4 ounces Reposado tequila 2 ounces Cointreau or triple sec 1 ounce fresh lemon juice 2 ounces raspberry lemonade Optional: ¼ teaspoon rose water Agave nectar or simple syrup to sweeten, as desired 4-5 dried rose buds, roughly minced with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for glass rims Fresh raspberries, lemon slices for serving Mix sugar and rose buds in a shallow bowl or plate until completely combined. Run a lemon slice along the rim of your margarita glasses. Dip the rims of each glass into the sugar mixture to coat. Set aside. Mix tequila, cointreau, raspberry lemonade, lemon juice, and rose water if using together in a cocktail shaker. Shake until combined. Taste and add sweetener as desired. Start with a small amount, ¼ to ½ teaspoon. Mix after each addition and taste again (I prefer mine with little to no sweetener but most people like a touch of sweet). Fill rose sugar rimmed glasses with ice. Pour the margarita mixture in the cocktail shaker over the ice. Top with Breathless as desired. Garnish with a lemon slice and fresh raspberries. Serve immediately. www.breathlesswines.com 104

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READING NATION MAGAZINE IF OUR PETS COULD TALK

Hey y'all! I'm a two-year-old Golden Doodle named Georgia Peach, but I'm not a southern belle. I live in Ontario, Canada and I was so darn cute as a pup, hence the name. From day one, my mission has been to spread joy and laughter and I'm sooo good at that! Everyone smiles and laughs when they see me. I can't help bouncing around and being happy to meet people. My Nana takes me to the dog park once a week and she laughs the entire time we are there as I dash around making friends with all the other dogs. She's an author and tells me I'm her muse. I helped her think of a new book title recently while we were chilling together, seriously! She says I help with her books because her readers love when I'm in her FB photos and I know there are some great dogs and cats (I'm cool with them too!) in those stories. I'm hoping I will star in a story one day too! Georgia’s Nana, Patricia Sands, is lucky to have this sweet little muse! ISSUE NO. 4

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LEARN MORE ABOUT SPECIAL ADVERTISING PACKAGES FOR AUTHORS HERE

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If you’re an author member and would like to purchase a page (or more) to feature your book, I have pages available! 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! 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 and their art, photos of your local bookstores, and libraries. Or if you have an interesting blog article you’d like to share that you think our reader’s would enjoy - Send them, as well as any questions about the magazine, to

readingnationmagazine@gmail.com.

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The stories that make up Walking the Wrong Way Home are a mixture of humor, hard-won battles, and heart-breaking losses. In her debut collection, Mandy Haynes gives a voice to ordinary people and takes you inside their less than ordinary lives. Her love of storytelling shines bright and will have you cheering 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. 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 freedom and now lives in Fernandina Beach, Florida with her three dogs, one turtle, and a grateful liver. She is a contributing writer for Amelia Islander Magazine and author of two short story collections - Walking the Wrong Way Home which was a finalist for the Tartt Fiction Award, and Sharp as a Serpent’s 4 109 Tooth EvaISSUE andNO. Other Stories.

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Articles inside

If Our Pets Could Talk

Authors and Their Art Kathy L. Murphy

The World Out There by John Talbird

Killer at the Cimarron Social Club by Jennifer Mueller

Ruby Falls by Deborah Goodrich Royce

In Due Time by Annette G. Anders

Sonju by Wondra Chang

Dogwood Blues by Brenda Sutton Rose

The Flying Cutterbucks by Kathleen Rodgers is now available as an Audiobook!

What a Wonderful World This Could Be by Lee Zacharias

Mistakes by the Lake by Brian Petkash

The Kimono Tattoo by Rebecca Copeland

Trouble Restored - Hot off the press June 28, the 13th Trouble, black cat mystery-penned by Trouble'

Sisters of the Vine by Linda Rosen

Richard Paolinelli

A Child Lost: A Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel by Michelle Cox

The Smuggler's Daughter by Claire Matturro

THE PULPWOOD QUEENS’ TIARA-WEARING, BOOK-SHARING GUIDE TO LIFE

Sometimes It Takes Three to Tango

A Whisper of Trouble by Susan Y. Tanner

MURDER UNDER A FULL MOON

Outbound Train

Walking the Wrong Way Home by Mandy Haynes

There’s Something about Those Pineywoods Tamra Bolton

Novel Women

The Queen of Paris by Pamela Binnings Ewen

Outbound Train by Renea Winchester

READING NATION MAGAZINE