Buried Beneath (Bishop Security Series) by Debbie Baldwin 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 centuries-old mystery buried in the caves. When Evan's treasure hunt crosses paths with Cam's investigation, passion and danger ignite. Cam is forced to confront both the real and psychological demons from his years undercover to find the true treasure buried beneath.
Fans of Lori Foster, Sandra Brown, and Toni Anderson will love Buried Beneath.
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.
NOW AVAILABLE ON AUDIOBOOK!
“[A] potent illustration of the formidable obstacles to equality that remained—and persist—post-Brown v. Board of Education.” —Kirkus Reviews
Freedom Lessons by Eileen Harrison Sanchez A heartfelt, unflinching novel about the unexpected effects of school integration in 1960’s Louisiana. This story has striking resonances with the issues our nation currently faces regarding race, unity, and identity. Louisiana, 1969. Colleen, a white northern teacher enters into the unfamiliar culture of a small southern town and its unwritten rules as the town surrenders to mandated school integration. Frank, a black high school football player, protects his family with a secret. Can Evelyn, a prized member of the black community put aside her distrust and value Colleen’s unproven efforts? Told alternately, by Colleen, an idealistic young white teacher; Frank, a black high school football player and Evelyn, an experienced black teacher, Freedom Lessons ~ A Novel is the story of how the lives of these three very different people intersect in a rural Louisiana town in 1969. Colleen enters into the culture of the rural Louisiana town with little knowledge of the customs and practices. She is compelled to take sides after the school is integrated - an overnight event for which the town’s residents are unprepared and which leads to confusion and anxiety in the community - and her values are tested as she seeks to understand her black colleagues, particularly Evelyn. Why doesn’t she want to integrate the public schools? Frank, meanwhile, is determined to protect his mother and siblings after his father’s suspicious death - which means keeping a secret from everyone around him. The author taught in Louisiana in 1969-70, and the story is based on her experience there. “Told in alternating viewpoints, this impressive novel reaches back in time to the early days of school integration, and to a place in America where resistance to integration was substantial.”— Historical Novel Reviews
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Hello Readers! Welcome to READING NATION MAGAZINE, THE magazine for readers and booklovers everywhere. This month’s issue is filled with more great books to add to your TBR list, new authors to follow, and all kinds of bookishly good stuff! Enjoy Laura Kemp and Nola Nash’s tag team interview, Rita Quillen’s beautiful piece on where she’s from, and Franny’s sweet story - the mascot at Skylight Books in Los Angeles - thanks to Judith Teitelman. If you’d like to join this great community of authors and readers, go to www.thepulpwoodqueens.com to find out more - we’d love to have you! Wherever you are I hope you’re healthy, happy, and enjoying a good book. Happy Halloween! Thank you for stopping by, Mandy Haynes Pulpwood Queen Author Creator, Editor, and Publisher of READING NATION MAGAZINE, Owner of three dogs write press and crazy dog lady…
6 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PULPWOOD QUEEN
11
WATCH THIS!
15
AUTHORS INTERVIEWING AUTHORS
19
TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
27
A PSA FROM GRADY HENDRIX
89
BIRTH OF A BOOKSTORE CAT
97
WHERE WE’RE FROM
103
AUTHORS AND THEIR ART
107
WRITING WORKSHOP
109
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
119
UPCOMING EVENTS
121
NETWORKING
123
WE LOVE PAT
127
FYI
129
IF OUR PETS COULD TALK
131
7 ISSUE NO. 7
Mark your calendar! The next International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Girlfriend Weekend is going to be a Week Long Book Club Convention! Since Covid-19 appeared, we’ve all had to learn new ways to celebrate important events and stay in touch. Last January we had our first Virtual Girlfriend Weekend and it was so much fun, we decided if we had to have another virtual event until we could all meet in person, we’d make it even longer. Want to know more about Girlfriend’s Weekend? Here’s a link to what Robert Gray of Shelf Awareness had to say about last January’s Zoomathon - Signs of hope
Stay tuned for the full program of Authors, Bloggers,Publishers, Podcasters, and other Keynote Speakers you’ll meet! The complete schedule coming soon! Tickets are available here
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
“Kathy Murphy and her Pulpwood Queens are a source of much-needed 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 OCTOBER 2021
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!
Tornado! Kathryn Casey It’s the 2010 Girlfriend Weekend. I stand at the entrance to the Great Big Ball of Hair Ball and watch the Pulpwood Queens and authors arrive. The party’s theme is The Wizard of Oz, and the room fills with blue-and-white gingham-clad Dorothys, raggedy scarecrows, complete character sets with thick-maned lions and clanking tin men. A Glinda strolls by. Then Ad Hudler, one of my fellow authors, shuffles in with his head encased in a green cardboard box. A curtain covers the front. He pulls a cord and it opens. Ad’s face painted emerald green, he’s OZ, the great and powerful. A maniacal look in his eyes, Ad says with a whiff of pomposity, “Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t you think?” A Wicked Witch laughs so hard tears spill down her cheeks ruining her thick black eyeliner. 11 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
I’m an Oz aficionado. A display case in my office overflows with Wizard mementos, including a sign warning people that I have flying monkeys. I don’t see how the Hair Ball can get any better. Then Kathy L. Murphy walks in the room. Her long blond hair hidden beneath a knit cap that erupts into a spray of ominous black netting, the PQ’s matriarch wears a tented grey dress. Her eyelids painted dark, at her neck a Guernsey cow appears caught in a strong wind, a tractor on a chain dangles helplessly, and the pin on her chest reads: “I’d rather be in Oz.” The Pulpwood Queen has come to the ball as the tornado. It’s hard to imagine a higher-energy group. The enthusiasm at a Hair Ball flows like champagne spilling over a thousand champagne glasses stacked in tiers. The music pounds, the PQs toss off worries, dance and enjoy the night. One such evening, I was in a line of five authors who mimicked the Supremes dancing to Baby Love. Another year, I dressed as the Cheshire Cat and joined in on a pantomime routine while Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit bellowed through the room. Still, as important as laughter and good times are—the older I get the more vital I consider both—another aspect of my Pulpwood Queen adventure is even more satisfying: the camaraderie of readers and authors, the leisurely unstructured time to kick back and talk to folks who love books as much as I do. 12 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PULPWOOD QUEEN
At Girlfriend Weekend, I listen to readers, who tell me what they look for in a book. They explain why they enjoyed one book, while they never finished another. We share stories about our families, our lives, our pasts and our presents, our wishes and our dreams. It’s a rare opportunity to connect with others on a very personal level. Read more about Kathryn Casey’s adventure here
The Pulpwood Queens of East Texas as Wizard of Oz characters at Somewhere Over the Rainbow Great Big Ball of Hair Ball Girlfriend Weekend 2010 13 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
WATCH TRAILER HERE
14 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE WATCH THIS!
WATCH TRAILER HERE
15 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
WATCH TRAILER HERE
16 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE WATCH THIS!
WATCH TRAILER HERE
17 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Laura Kemp and Nola Nash
Tag-Team Interview Not only are Laura Kemp and Nola Nash both cross-genre authors, they are also great friends who join forces for lots of fun events online. Today, the two novelists took turns interviewing each other about their work.
18 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE AUTHORS INTERVIEWING AUTHORS
NN: Your novels are cross-genre, blending modern mystery and romance with the paranormal. Why did you choose to write cross-genre rather than a single genre? LK: I don't think I really sat down and decided to write a cross-genre book. I just took a story and followed where it led me. I'm organic when it comes to writing. If I have a formula and then the characters start to tell me something that deviates from that, I always listen to the characters. I think this process led me to cross over so many genres and made one very interesting story. NN: What do you find to be the most difficult part of being a cross-genre author? LK: I think the publishing industry wants to plug an author into a 'niche' or 'mold' or even a 'shelf on the bookstore' and if someone doesn't fit into that criteria, the 'powers that be' can discount your story. I can't tell you how many readers have thanked me because I wrote 'something different.' I really believe in my heart and soul that readers are hungry for these types of stories, that they appreciate them and I think we, as authors, should not give them 'cookie cutter' type books. NN: As a Michigan author, how does your home state feature in your novels? LK: The state of Michigan is an integral part of my novels. I'm very outdoorsy and I have a heart for my home state. The large forests and rugged coastline, lighthouses and creepy folklore lend itself to the type of stories I like 19 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
to write. Setting is really important to me, and if I read a book without a good or realistic setting I will often stop reading it. With that being said, I knew the setting of my novel was going to be like a second character, so what better state than my own to have a starring role? NN: Authors are tasked with doing a lot of their own promotion. How do you reach readers and what is your favorite way to interact with them? LK: We certainly are busy with promotions! I have a Facebook group that has been a great source for new readers as they become familiar with my work. Facebook is a very interactive platform, and reminds me of a bunch of people sitting around a campfire talking (my group is Kemp Camp, ironically). I don't spend much time on Twitter, but I do enjoy Instagram and I've just gotten into TikTok. It takes up a lot of time and can seriously cut into my writing, but I do think it has become an almost essential part of an author's life. There's just no getting away from it, so I think an author has to find what works for them and go for it and put in the time even if it's not necessarily their 'Thing.' It will be worth it in the end! NN: There are some truly spooky elements in your books. What inspired the dark elements that you've included? LK: I think I've always been a fan of the paranormal. I also love fairy tales, so I think the magical aspect was easy for me to incorporate into the books. The Native American elements in my novels come heavily from 20 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE AUTHORS INTERVIEWING AUTHORS
Michigan, especially the northern part of the state and the Upper Peninsula, where I spend a lot of time. I guess you could say I get a little bit of a 'kick' out of being scared, and I love to give that same feeling to my readers!
Tag! You’re it! LK: Ok, Nola. Your turn. Same first question - Your novels are cross-genre, blending modern mystery and romance with the paranormal. Why did you choose to write cross-genre rather than a single genre? NN: I have to agree with what you said about not intending to write a cross-genre novel. It just sort of happened. My series is set in old New Orleans and it’s a place that naturally blends the magical and the mundane, so it made sense for my books to do the same. Magic and mystery are so woven into the fabric of the city that it’s difficult to separate them into a book of a single genre. Sure, it can be done, but it’s so much more fun to blend it all together in the perfect gumbo of genres. LK: What do you find to be the most difficult part of being a cross-genre author? NN: I think your point about the book stores not knowing where to put the book on the shelf is tough. They like things to fit neatly into a category and cross-genre just 21 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
doesn’t fit the neat labels of the book store sections. That makes it tough for agents and publishers to pitch. I always compare marketing cross-genre novels to the release of the movie The Princess Bride. It failed miserably at the box office because the marketing team had no idea how to promote it. Was it a fairy tale? A romance? An adventure? A comedy? A kids movie? An adult movie? YES! It’s all those things, but marketing needs a pigeon hole and there isn’t one for something like that. Same with cross-genre books. LK: As a Louisiana author, how does your home state feature in your novels? NN: There’s magic in Louisiana. I truly believe that, and it makes for the perfect setting for a book full of mystery and mystique. There’s something deeply spiritual and magical from the muddy water to the black soil that feeds the soul and imagination. I love to tap into that as I write because it allows me to put some of my own soul into my work. I may not live in Louisiana right now, but it will always be home. It’s a part of me like no place ever will be and it pulls me in. I hope that the mystical and historically unique setting will have the same effect on my readers. Anne Rice has always been a favorite author of mine and I love being able to pour my love of New Orleans into my novels like she does. LK: Authors are tasked with doing a lot of their own promotion. How do you reach readers and what is your favorite way to interact with them? 22 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE AUTHORS INTERVIEWING AUTHORS
NN: Hearing from readers is one of my favorite things! We write books because we have a story inside that we need to get out, but there’s something wonderful about learning the story is meaningful to others, too. I have my Facebook group Nola’s Second Line and love to do takeovers and other events in the online reader communities. As much as I love in-person events, I have to say that I am thankful for these online groups that let me meet readers from all over the world! I’m on Instagram a lot. Well, mostly my little dog Duddley is. Ha! Twitter isn’t my favorite. I won’t ever be on Tik Tok. I just can’t. I don’t get the appeal of it. Maybe I’m just showing my age with that one. My kids have begged me not to get on there, and I’m happy to oblige! LK: Ok, last question! How do you balance your writing life with hosting podcasts? NN: I’m not sure I do! I’m so jealous of authors that can stick to a regimen or schedule. I love doing the shows with Authors on the Air Global Radio Network so much! Dead Folks’ Tales podcast came from my love of New Orleans and the dark history of the Deep South. It fascinates me and I’m thrilled that the show seems to be entertaining lots of listeners all over the world. And BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) is such fun because I get to hang out with you and other fun people! It’s much-needed time to connect and laugh. It helps me feel renewed and ready to dive back into my writing. Do they take away from time I could be writing? Maybe, but I don’t see it as a negative. They are 23 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
both so good for my soul and we all need as much of that sort of thing as we can get these days. So, while it may be hard to balance, it is so very worth it!
24 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE AUTHORS INTERVIEWING AUTHORS
25 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
What Seems True by James Garrison In 1980, the first black supervisor at a Texas Gulf Coast refinery turns up dead behind an abandoned drive-in theater. When a Texas Ranger comes to investigate, the refinery’s attorney, Dan Esperson, is drawn into the investigation—and into a tangled web of racial conflict, sex, and deception. Two refinery employees are arrested for the murder. One confesses that the other did it but will never testify. When the killer is released from jail for lack of evidence, Dan may be next on his list. What Seems True was inspired by a true crime on the Texas Gulf Coast in 1979. “Award-winning author, J. D. Garrison returns with East Texas mayhem in the crime fiction novel, WHAT SEEMS TRUE. These larger-than-life characters deliver an entertaining read of lust, oil, good old boys, and one femme fatale.”—Johnnie Bernhard, author of SISTERS OF THE UNDERTOW “Smart and sensual, atmospheric, you can feel the humidity of the Texas Gulf Coast, smell the smoke-filled boardrooms and musty motels, the exhaust belching forth from the refinery that lights up the night sky like a fairyland in James 26 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
Garrison’s latest novel, What Seems True … a savvy tale full of grit and grime and passion, vivid characters, and a male narrator who will appeal to both men and women. You will find yourself rooting for Attorney Dan Esperson, even when you are cringing at some of his choices … I highly recommend it.”—Kathleen M. Rodgers, Winner of the 2020 MWSA Founder's Award and author of THE FLYING CUTTERBUCKS Jim Garrison is a recovering lawyer who lives and writes in Houston, Texas. Born in Statesville, North Carolina, he attended the University of North Carolina, where he nurtured his interest in creative writing, and Duke University Law School. After his first year in law school, he took a long sabbatical at Uncle Sam’s expense to tour the Mekong Delta, along with a couple of side jaunts to Tokyo and Sydney, whetting his appetite to visit exotic places. He arrived home from Vietnam on Christmas morning in 1970 and returned to Duke Law School the next month. After graduation and marriage to his best friend (providing them the occasion for travel to South America), he set out on a first career practicing law in a boutique law firm and then with big oil corp., visiting such exotic places as Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and Port Arthur, Texas. Following a corporate merger in which he was paid to go away, he decided to stay home for the kids, one living in Berlin, Germany, the other in Delaware—just in case they called. And they did call. That’s when he started writing QL 4, which he’d been mulling over for years. 27 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
A Mariner's Tale by Joe Palmer For ten years, the partially completed sailboat Jack Merkel started building with his wife and son sits gathering dust, until his lingering sorrow drives him to finish it alone. Enter a young hoodlum who breaks into the marina and seriously damages the boat for no apparent reason but misplaced rage. When the county sheriff arrives with the boy, the aging mariner sees a lost soul, and begs the sheriff and judge to release the boy into his custody to work off his punishment. Margie Waller, a beautiful, fiercely independent and wealthy divorcee with a yacht in need of repairs, arrives soon after and finds herself attracted to the brooding Merkel. When a deadly hurricane takes aim at Morgan's Island, it threatens to destroy everything just as the relationships between the three dispirited characters begin to yield fruit. Woven around the tranquility and bliss of sailing fair winds and gentle seas, A Mariner's Tale is a love story wrapped in the question that everyone, not just sailors, asks themselves: "This is where I am. There is where I yearn to be. How do I navigate my course to get there?" 28 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
The Eves by Grace Sammon The Eves is a multigenerational novel portraying lives lived well and lives in transition. Filled with poignancy and humor, The Eves captures the conversations we wish we had had with our parents, if we had taken the opportunity, and the lessons we would want to impart to our children, if they were ready to listen. Told through the voice of the psychologically complex Jessica Barnet, this is her story. As the primary witness in a messy trial she has been torn from the foundation of her existence-her connection to her children. With a partially finished doctoral degree, and incomplete renovations on her Washington, DC row house, she has let go of her ambitions and her appearance, but not her vodka or her sense of loss and guilt. When Jessica meets five diverse, determined, and sometimes ditzy old women living in a sustainable community everything and everybody changes. Through plot twists and turns that cover three continents, we learn the truth of Jessica's life and lies just as we fall in love with the vividly drawn characters and the vibrantly described settings. 29 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Dire's Club by Kimberly Packard Dying isn’t just hard on the ones left behind, the regret of unfinished lives weighs heavily on the terminally ill. That’s where Dire’s Club steps in, a specialty travel agency that takes a small group of dying people on one final adventure—so they can be free of guilt, be more than a diagnosis, and find a way to confront life…and death. Life Coach Charlotte Claybrooke built a successful second career guiding people out of grief, but the impending tenth anniversary of her own heartwrenching tragedy sets her on a journey to find life among the dying. Staring death in the face was Jimmy Dire’s business. He met it with a warm hug, a kind word, and a smile. Dire’s Club gave the terminally ill one final, bucket-list adventure before passing on, but dying was expensive. The bills, like Jimmy’s lies, were piling up. It’s only a matter of time before he’s forced to face a different type of death. A rock god, a telenovela star, a grandmother living her lifelong dream, and a young tech genius round out this group of strangers facing death together. But when tragedy strikes, their bond is shattered. Lies and fraud surface, forcing the dying to come together to save someone’s life. Everybody dies. The lucky ones have fun doing it. 30 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
God, Destiny and a Glass of Wine by Linda Mason Crawford Some people live their lives on a daily basis, navigating through life's hustle, bustle, and the fear of not reaching their full potential. They can't understand how they could have a positive God-ordained destiny. Some believe they might possibly be on the right path, but they are constantly challenged by their bad decision-making and choice of unhealthy relationships. Some are convinced that they are destined to fall short of having a good and meaningful life, or of enjoying any journey that is before them. The bottom line is God has a plan for all of his children, including you, his child. Whether you have a clear path of where you are going or you are at a loss as to what you are supposed to do, whether you are excited about your future or fearful and embarrassed of the years behind you, Linda Mason Crawford's book, God, Destiny, and a Glass of Wine, is sure to speak to you, right now, wherever you are. It is bound to help you grasp hold of your way. "Afterall," Crawford says, "this is your destiny. Make a change and walk in it."
31 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Bayou Cresting: The Wanting Women of Huet Pointe by Jodie Cain Smith In Huet Pointe, ambition is as dangerous as the brackish water that surrounds the sliver of land. But, the women of this antebellum hamlet yearn for more than society insists they be-devout, feminine, and content with living according to cultural norms. So, what's a girl to do? She could employ poison, perhaps a bit of adultery, and drowning in alligator-infested waters is always a choice-whatever it takes to achieve her goal. A novel-in-stories, Bayou Cresting: The Wanting Women of Huet Pointe, tells the stories of ten women brought together by proximity, forever entangled by the actions they take. Meet the Women of Huet Pointe “…Bayou Cresting takes readers down the dark alleys and behind the closed doors of a beautifully crafted pre-Civil War Southern town. With subtle humor and rich subtext, Smith illuminates both the oppression and the rebellion of these women and reminds us all that realizing one's purpose is not a modern ideal, but a human imperative." Kasie Whitener, author of After December and Before Pittsburg 32 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
"This is women unleashed!" Lewis Slawsky, Crowsnest Books "Jodie Cain Smith is a brilliant storyteller at her best in Bayou Cresting: The Wanting Women of Huet Pointe. A series of interwoven stories examining the varied and complicated ambitions of deeply rendered characters, Bayou Cresting takes readers down the dark alleys and behind the closed doors of a beautifully crafted pre-Civil War Southern town. With subtle humor and rich subtext, Smith illuminates both the oppression and the rebellion of these women and reminds us all that realizing one's purpose is not a modern ideal, but a human imperative." Kasie Whitener, author of After December and Before Pittsburg Jodie Cain Smith is the author of two Southern Gothic novels, The Woods at Barlow Bend (1st edition Deer Hawk Publications, Nov 2014; 2nd edition Kat Biggie Press, July 2021) and Bayou Cresting: The Wanting Women of Huet Pointe. More than any other character, Jodie enjoys creating ambitious women who often fly across the line to dangerous women. When she is not creating southern fiction, Jodie can be found in the worlds of superheroes, Lego, and Mario Kart with her little boy and husband. Her Mario Kart driving needs work. Jodie Cain Smith's short stories, feature articles, and columns have appeared in The Petigru Review, Chicken Soup for the Military Spouse's Soul, The Savannah Morning News, and the Fort Hood Sentinel. 33 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Death By Chance: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery by Abigail Keam To be released October 18th, 2021. Josiah is an angry woman, who lives on a farm in the Bluegrass horse country. Her husband took up with a young socialite and stole Josiah's money. Then he up and died on her before Josiah could find where he hid their savings. So you see why Josiah is angry. Besides being perturbed, Josiah has the unfortunate habit of stumbling over dead bodies. Skeeter Statler is her sixteenth body and this habit is irritating the police to no end. But Josiah can't do anything about it. Finding corpses seems to be a knack of hers.
Abigail Keam writes with vision and understanding. Keam leaves the reader yearning for more. -Midwest Book Review 34 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
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 award-winning 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. 35 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Alegría by Emi Wright Alegría is the story of a dysfunctional family with a narcoleptic child who talks to ghosts. It is magical realism in the finest tradition of that style. Alegría’s family struggles to keep afloat amid secrets as she develops narcolepsy, a sleeping disorder that disrupts her nights and dulls her days. In a fantastical world where dead grandmothers come to visit and witch doctors prescribe waking concoctions, young Alegría discovers the secrets behind her namesake and the imperfections within her family. When the wind blows and the rains come, will she be able to keep her family together? “Drenched in the witchdoctor mojo of the world she’s conjured, Wright’s Alegría is the hundred-year dreamflood of a lifetime. Where daughters are named for their mother’s drowned sisters, and ghosts walk hand in hand with the living, as fine a debut as you’ll ever see. Bravo.” —Michael Gills, author of Finisterre, West, and Emergency Instructions
36 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
A Quiver in the Purlieu by Amit Verma A book flies away as soon as it’s completed, defining a pivotal point in the life-arch of the protagonist. This life-arch also features a banyan tree growing in Canada, a bar in semi-rural U.S.A., a sliver of time in an idyllic, isolated village in India, a bored billionaire playing the stock market, a comic book princess, and an interstellar spaceship journey. All this takes place in a universe that’s ever-expanding. “The literary universe expands its depth to make room for Amit Verma’s new novel A Quiver in the Purlieu. This book travels from Canada to America to India to outer space and deals in themes as varied and complexly relayed as postcolonial politics, Lacanian psychoanalysis, and even monetary market theory. It channels Italo Calvino by addressing the capital “R” Reader, who is ready to expand their thinking while also having a wildly fun time zigging and zagging through this unpredictable gem!”—Mike Hilbig, author of Judgment Day & Other White Lies
37 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Hello, I’m Dianna Rostad. I’m going to share with you the history and inspiration for my novel: You Belong Here Now. You’ll learn about the orphan trains, life in 1920s Montana, and wild horses. But first, let me tell you what my story is about: In 1925, three brave kids from New York board the orphan train headed west. An Irish boy who lost his whole family to Spanish flu, a tiny girl who won’t talk, and a volatile young man who desperately needs to escape Hell’s Kitchen. These kids are paraded on platforms across the Midwest to work-worn folks and journey countless miles, racing the sun westward. Before they reach the last rejection and stop, the kids come up with a daring plan, and set off toward the Yellowstone River and grassy mountains where the wild horses roam. Fate guides them toward the ranch of a family stricken by loss, but the children are unable to outrun their dark pasts in New York, and to save them, the family must do the unthinkable. When I first discovered the history of the orphan trains, I felt a special kinship to the street kids from 1920s New York. You see, after the riots in the 1990s, I worked with a similar group of kids. So, when I saw the pictures of these 38 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
orphans on old steam trains, I recognized that look of determination and hope, and their stories began to take root in my heart. I researched this fascinating adoption phenomena with a passion, and learned the trains ran for 76 years, between 1853 and 1929. There were many catalysts to this, and the most interesting was the building of the railroad itself! In the mid-19th century, the United States began surveying railroad lines to the Pacific, but they needed people to go West, otherwise, why build it? Posters and flyers were sent to Europe and the rest of the world to advertise free land. Imagine over 4mm folks boarding steamships and coming to the Eastern seaboard and how crowded our cities became. People were often jammed ten to a room, food became scarce, and young children were forced to work. All these dire conditions led people to abandon their children on doorsteps of the wealthy, churches, and finally to the growing institutions such as the New York Foundling Hospital. It’s estimated that 30,000 children at one time were homeless in New York. It wasn’t long before these kids had gangs of their own, filching food, sleeping in alleys, and 39 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
banding together to survive. In 1853, a little-known Methodist minister, Charles Loring Brace and a group of businessmen formed The Children’s Aid Society. This society ran orphanages, lodgings for Newsies, but what the society is most famous for, is the idea of sending children out to the farms and ranches on orphan trains. They left New York on trains bound for the Midwest and beyond, stood on train platforms, stages of playhouses, and churches across the US. Folks took some of them as real family members and others took them on for the work. The older a child was, the more likely they were being taken in for work, and so the contracts changed with the age of the children until the contracts reflected indentured work programs. The last train ran to Texas in 1929, ending an era of foster care and adoption in our country. During my research, the kids in the old photos, peering out the windows of trains and standing on platforms looked determined and brave. It reminded me of a group of kids from South Central Los Angeles that I used to work with. I had a caseload of youthful offenders, and it was my job to get them employed. I would pick them up after they paroled and take them around to get clothes, helped them fill out job applications, and then to job interviews. When they came to me in the Youth Authority to be part of my program, they had that same look of hope and determination in their eye. The kids on my caseload had done terrible things, but they still had hope. Just like those kids on the old trains who came from the streets and had been in gangs. I felt like I 40 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
was the right person to tell their story, I just didn’t know where to set it. Then one year, my father came to Christmas, and he brought all these amazing photos of the family ranches in Montana. They had stories written on the back, and in a lot of these pictures, people wore boots. In one of the first scenes in my book, Charles climbs up onto the porch and takes his boots off and puts them right next to a long line of boots, and he finally feels like he’s a part of something. You know, I never could understand why my grandfather was so fascinated with old steam trains, but they revolutionized his life in rural Montana, much like the internet did for all of us in the 90s. They were able to get fruits they never had before, order just about anything from the Sears Catalog, including the parts to make a windmill. My grandfather walked miles to the Piper train station to pick up the makings of a windmill to light just one light bulb in his house. Funny thing is, my grandfather became an electrician. Granpa’s Ranch House He also loved to sing and play the guitar. All of the songs in 41 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
the book are songs he sang or wrote: Little Footprints in the snow was about a little girl who went missing in the blizzard on her way back from school. The old Sidehill gouger was about a legendary creature that roamed the hills at night. Back in the 1920s there were so many creatures roaming the hills, and wild horses were among them. They play a big part in my novel, You Belong Here Now. It’s important to me to make sure that everything that was there in that time and place, is in my story. During my research, I came upon The Pryor Range Mustangs that roamed that part of Montana. Now, I grew up out West, and I never knew we had bands of wild horses roaming national lands! I spent a good day looking at pictures and researching wild horses when I found a picture of a blue roan, and I knew immediately this majestic creature had to be in my novel. They look blue in certain lights and have black manes and tails, something straight out of Hollywood. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that ranchers back then rounded up the mustangs to preserve forage for their cattle and sheep. Once they took possession of the horses, they sold them off. Often to slaughterhouses, where they would be canned for chicken feed. The mere thought of that broke my heart. And so in my book, it breaks Patrick’s heart, too. 42 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
He falls in love with the wild horses, but Patrick and Charles are forced to round up that band of wild horses for an adjacent rancher who wants to preserve his grass for his stock. It’s a terrifying process for wild horses, many of them die, breaking legs in their flight. I’m sorry to say we haven’t made much progress in nearly a hundred years. The Bureau of Land Management is still rounding them up. These wild horses are placed in small pens and have miserable lives. And even though it’s illegal, many of them are being adopted by folks who sell them off to the slaughterhouses for meat. Most of our wild horses live in Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, and Wyoming. They are gorgeous creatures that live in family bands and have long standing bonds. When they forage our native grasses, the seeds to these grasses are not destroyed in their stomachs as they are in beef cattle, and so they make great protectors of our public lands. When I look back at the research and discovery for this book, I’m astounded at all that I have learned--even about my own family. Writing is truly an enriching occupation for me. Research and discovery is my favorite part of the writing process. It enables me to breathe life and truth into my stories, and most importantly hope. Whenever I look back into our shared history, I come across the American spirit. 43 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Whether it’s a wild mane flying in the wind, or the look on a young boy’s face as he boards a train for a new life, or climbs on top of his home to mount a windmill. I always see determination, bravery, and hope. I hope you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek behind my novel and learning some of the history that went into writing You Belong Here Now. Dianna Rostad was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Her parents and extended family come from the ranches of Montana and the farms of Arkansas. Dianna raised three kind, human beings, and when they began to test their wings, she took to writing with a passion, completing Southern My Dad Methodist University Writer’s Path program in 2009. A favorite task of her creative endeavors is the discovery and research of people and places where her novels are set. She has traveled extensively to pursue the last artifacts of our shared history and breathe life, truth, and hope into her novels. Now living in Florida, Dianna continues to write big-hearted novels for wide audiences everywhere. “Rostad’s bighearted debut is full of surprises, and warm with wisdom about what it means to be family.” — Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Train to London 44 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
The Cicada Tree by Robert Gwaltney Coming 2-22-22 “Following in the magnificent footsteps of Carson McCullers and Harper Lee, Robert Gwaltney creates a wonderful snapshot of the friendship that forms between Analeise and Etta Mae, two elevenyear-old girls in ‘50’s small town Georgia. His prose is both precise and lyrical, and the loveliness of childhood and their friendship is shadowed by a sense of mystery and foreboding. There is no sound in English than that of Southern speech: there is poetry in every inflection, in every nuance. This is a book to love and remember, and every book club in America would be wise to snap it up.” –Robert Goolrick, #1 New York Times bestselling author “The gothic beauty of a relentless Georgia summer is brought to life through Gwaltney’s deliberate details and exquisite imagery, while all the while evil lurks beneath the surface; from where or what the reader does not know but is as convinced by Gwaltney’s expert storytelling as he is.” –Zoe Fishman, bestselling author of Invisible Air and Georgia Author of the Year 2020
45 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Highland Captive An abducted English lady seeks revenge against a clan laird…until she falls in love. If given the chance, will she escape to England or remain in Scotland with her heart?
Captive to a Dream They meet as children on a wild highland mountainside, not knowing their families are sworn enemies. Years later, friendship deepens to passion but can love win over vengeance?
Exiled Heart An English knight learns he’s son and heir to a Scottish lord and claims his birthright, marrying a highland lass to secure his property. Can an arranged marriage lead to love and a homeland to call their own? 46 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
Susan Yawn Tanner had never been to Scotland when her Scottish Highland romances were written and published but she went as soon as she could! Highland Captive, Captive to a Dream, and Exiled Heart as well as two western romances Winds Across Texas and Fire Across Texas and novella, A Warm Southern Christmas, were all originally published by Leisure Books and rereleased by Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing. She wrote Storm Out of Texas to round out the western series with Secret Staircase Books. As Susan Y. Tanner, she blends her passion for horses with her passion for writing. Trouble in Summer Valley introduces readers to the rescue horses of Summer Valley Ranch. In Turning for Trouble, her own rodeo experience brings that rough and tumble world to life. Trouble in Action, showcases the risky profession of stunt riding while giving a glimpse into historical reenactments. A Whisper of Trouble provides insight into a talent practiced by few…the art of horse whispering. Published by KaliOka Press, these romantic mysteries are part of the Trouble Cat Detective series. When not at her desk, Ms. Tanner can usually be found in the barn or on the back of a horse.
47 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Crescent City Moon: Book 1 in the Crescent City Series by Nola Nash How do you fight an enemy you can't see that can kill on a whim? In 1820s New Orleans, on the eve of her twenty-first birthday, Z olie Cheval discovers the mangled body of her father murdered in his bed and a maniacal voice haunting the recesses of her mind. When the priest sent to comfort her is killed while the house is swarming with police, Z olie becomes entangled in a web of mystery that takes her from the French Quarter, to the Ursuline Convent in the Ninth Ward, and deep into the Louisiana swamps. Officer Louis Saucier, who is losing his heart to Z olie and his grip on logical reality, helps her find the pieces to her puzzle. The mother superior of the Ursulines offers assistance from a mediumistic nun and a voodoo priestess, blurring the lines between the spiritual and the supernatural. After opening the family crypt to find it uninhabited, Z olie realizes that her father lied about her mother's death - amongst other things. Now, Z olie must come to terms with magic she inherited from her grandmother and the price that comes with it. Step inside the magic and mystery of the 1820s French Quarter to see if an unlikely menagerie can help Zolie take down a murderous maniac while she shields the officer she loves. Can she harness powers she didn't know she had? Or, will she make the ultimate sacrifice? 48 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
Cresent City Sin: Book 2 in the Crescent City Series by Nola Nash In the Crescent City, darkness blurs the lines between sinners and saints.Having been brought back through the veil after her death, Zolie wakes to find she's being cared for by the mother superior. Secrets are slowly revealed as Mother Micheaux explains her connection to the past Z olie's father kept hidden all her life. Once her strength has returned, Z olie tries to ease back into her home and life without Louis, but soon finds herself helping a young man who mistakenly shows up at her house looking for his long-lost mother. Feeling compassion for the young man who is far from his home in France, she and the Marchon girls attempt to help him locate his mother while making him feel welcome.Julien, the young man, finds himself strangely drawn to Z olie and slowly loses his heart to her, but his feelings aren't returned when Z olie makes a new discovery that changes her life once more. Jilted, Julien unleashes his grief in the form of magical power he didn't know he had and finds comfort in the friendship of a local madame. Out of control and angry, he succumbs to the darkness inside of him and the taunting voice of a raging spirit hungry for revenge. Can Z olie and her magical menagerie pull Julien back from the edge of hell, or will the past take them all down? Walk down the gritty dark streets of 1830s New Orleans where the line between sinner and saint is as blurred as the line between life and death. 49 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Sonju by Wondra Chang Sonju opens on a chilly day in November, 1946 in Seoul, Korea. Japan has ended its thirty-five-year occupation of Korea after the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The American military has become the new occupier. Sonju is on the way to her best friend's house when she sees two Americans in military uniforms walking ahead of her, and her heart stirs. So begins the story that spans over two decades. Sonju comes of age in Japanese-occupied Korea, and having received a modern education, she imagines a life of equality and freedom of choice. Her ideals soon clash with the centuries-old Confucian tradition of order and conformity when her mother arranges her marriage to a man she has never met. The decisions she makes during the Korean War lead to her being disowned by her family, betrayed by her best friend, and shunned by society. Through the period of rapidly evolving political strife in her country following its liberation in 1945, Sonju's private struggle to seek her relevance in a male-dominated society parallels the struggles of Korea on its way to becoming a force in the word. 50 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
Husband’s and Other Sharp Objects by Marilyn Simon Rothstein “Witty, humorous, heartwarming, entertaining, and wonderful.” — Linda’s Book Obsession “Hilariously funny, relevant, and full of charm. You can’t help but fall in love with this story! Marilyn Simon Rothstein will make you laugh and cry, and when you reach to the end, you’ll close the book with a smile on your face, fully satisfied. Highly recommended!” —Loretta Nyhan, author of All the Good Parts “Funny, poignant, and downright heartwarming! Rothstein is definitely an author to watch. Her humor is snappy and smart, yet she knows how to tug at a reader’s heart and leave them with a sigh.” —Bette Lee Crosby, author of The Summer of New Beginnings “Hilarious and heartfelt, Rothstein’s latest overflows with authenticity as we follow Marcy navigating life after her marriage has gone to seed. The novel thrums with honesty, balanced with the perfect mix of tension, laughter, and self-discovery. Allow yourself to laugh out loud!” —Eliza Gordon, author of Dear Dwayne, With Love 51 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops: A Memoir by Allison Hong Merrill Allison Hong is not your typical fifteen-year-old Taiwanese girl. Unwilling to bend to the conditioning of her Chinese culture, which demands that women submit to men's will, she disobeys her father's demand to stay in their faith tradition, Buddhism, and instead joins the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Then, six years later, she drops out of college to serve a mission--a decision for which her father disowns her. After serving her mission in Taiwan, twenty-two-year-old Allison marries her Chinese-speaking American boyfriend, Cameron Chastain. But sixteen months later, Allison returns home to their Texas apartment and is shocked to discover that, in her two-hour absence, Cameron has taken all the money, moved out, and filed for divorce. Desperate for love and acceptance, Allison moves to Utah and enlists in an imaginary, unforgiving dating war against the bachelorettes at Brigham Young University, where the rules don't make sense--and winning isn't what she thought it would be.
52 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE
Allison was born and raised in Taiwan and arrived in the U.S. at twenty-two as a university student. That’s when she realized her school English wasn’t much help when asking for directions on the street or opening a bank account. By recording each of the classes she took–– including physical education––and reviewing the tape every night for a year, she eventually learned English well enough to earn an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. But please excuse her if she misuses the verb tenses or mixes up the genders in third-person pronouns when she speaks. It’s no secret––English is a hard language to learn. Allison writes in both Chinese and English, both fiction and creative nonfiction, which means she spends a lot of time looking up words on Dictionary.com. She’s a Pushcart Prize nominee and her work has won both national and international awards, including National Championship in the 2010 Life Story Writing Competition in Taipei, Taiwan and the Grand Prize in the 2019 MAST People of Earth writing contest. She’s the inaugural winner of Sandra Carpenter Prize for Creative Nonfiction, first-place winner of the 2019 Segullah Journal writing contest, and first-place winner of 2020 Opossum flash contest, and many more. 53 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
The Madwoman of Preacher's Cove by Joy Ross Davis The Madwoman of Preacher's Cove tells the story of Lucy Addams, a woman who was horribly disfigured in a fire that claimed the lives of her husband and children. After the tragic loss of her beauty, her voice, and her family, Lucy became an artistic genius, sculpting lifelike dolls-replicas of the children of Preacher's Cove. Lucy, and her workshop, are hidden in the back of the local resort--a hotel and restaurant complex owned and operated by her sister, Libby. Following a series of deaths by lightning strike in Preacher's Cove, a handsome investigative reporter arrives to solve the mystery of the coincidental accidents. Lucy and Libby find themselves facing yet another enemy. As keepers of an ancient treasure--a secret that binds them-they alone know why the deaths have occurred, and more importantly, how to stop them. With the eventual help of Libby and Lucy, the reporter finds a sacred place in the woods called The Hallows-where Druids once roamed, and where his answers are 54 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
deeply buried. After months of investigating, the death toll rising, a bit of romance, and otherwordly harbingers of Lucy's dolls, the mystery of Preacher's Cove begins to unravel. “Joy Ross Davis proves with The Madwoman of Preacher’s Cove that she’s one of the South’s most creative minds. This novel is fantastic—in every sense of that term!” Allen Mendenhall, Editor, Southern Literary Review
Joy Ross Davis is more than an eloquent story teller! A college professor, mother, daughter of Irish descent whose family settled in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, Joy loves all things Irish, including the Green Isle itself. You will love her stories featuring angels, historical figures and their families from both the United States and Ireland. Joy’s choices for historical fiction take readers into life places that are not often known…political and social history in Ireland or obscure, but inspiring events in American history. 55 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis An enchanting novel about fate, second chances, and hope, lost and found, by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Last of the Moon Girls. Soline Roussel is well schooled in the business of happy endings. For generations her family has kept an exclusive bridal salon in Paris, where magic is worked with needle and thread. It's said that the bride who wears a Roussel gown is guaranteed a lifetime of joy. But devastating losses during World War II leave Soline's world and heart in ruins and her faith in love shaken. She boxes up her memories, stowing them away, along with her broken dreams, determined to forget. Decades later, while coping with her own tragic loss, aspiring gallery owner Rory Grant leases Soline's old property and discovers a box containing letters and a vintage wedding dress, never worn. When Rory returns the mementos, an unlikely friendship develops, and eerie parallels in Rory's and Soline's lives begin to surface. It's clear that they were destined to meet--and that Rory may 56 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
hold the key to righting a forty-year wrong and opening the door to shared healing and, perhaps, a little magic. I’m a Jersey girl raised in the south, now living and writing in New England. Confused? Constantly. Happy? Deliriously! But then, living your dream will do that! After fifteen years of wearing heels and schlepping a briefcase as an executive in the jewelry industry, I traded in my pinstripes for a little peace of mind, and decided to follow my dream of becoming a women’s fiction author. And what a ride it’s been! Six books later, I’m still pinching myself, and I’m still as much in love with writing as I was the day I began this journey. Maybe it’s because I believe in miracles, in happy endings and new beginnings. Heaven knows I’ve had my share. I’m blessed to be married to my best friend and soul mate, Tom, who I must say, sets the bar pretty high for my onthe-page heroes. We also have a lovely ginger cat named Simon, who is twenty years old, wretchedly spoiled, and doesn’t give a fig if I’m on deadline or not. When I’m not making up stories, you’re likely to find me reading, cooking, watching college football, (Go Gators!) or spreading a little sunshine over on Facebook, on The Sunshine Page. 57 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Purple Lotus: A Novel by Veena Rao Tara moves to the American South three years after her arranged marriage to tech executive Sanjay. Ignored and lonely, Tara finds herself regressing back to childhood memories that have scarred her for life. When she was eight, her parents had left her behind with her aging grandparents and a schizophrenic uncle in Mangalore, while taking her baby brother with them to make a new life for the family in Dubai. Tara’s memories of abandonment and isolation mirror her present life of loneliness and escalating abuse at the hands of her husband. She accepts the help of kind-hearted American strangers to fight Sanjay, only to be pressured by her patriarchal family to make peace with her circumstances. Then, in a moment of truth, she discovers the importance of self-worth―a revelation that gives her the courage to break free, gently rebuild her life, and even risk being shunned by her community when she marries her childhood love, Cyrus Saldanha. Life with Cyrus is beautiful, until old fears come knocking. Ultimately, Tara must face these fears to save her relationship with Cyrus―and to confront the victim58 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
shaming society she was raised within. Intimate and deeply moving, Purple Lotus is the story of one woman’s ascension from the dark depths of desolation toward the light of freedom. "Rao’s resonant novel is an ode to the value of personal dignity and the importance of being true to oneself that carries on long after the final chapter." - Newsweek magazine "Touching on themes of abandonment, victimization and tradition, this novel is one of beauty and intimacy." - Ms. Magazine "This book was a beautiful read. Rao’s language is gorgeous. She writes clearly, but her writing reads like music."Affinity Magazine Veena Rao was born and raised in India but calls Atlanta home. A journalist by profession, she is the founding editor and publisher of NRI Pulse, a popular Indian-American newspaper. Although her day job involves news reports, interviews, and meeting press deadlines, she devotes her spare time to creative writing and long walks in the woods. Purple Lotus, her debut novel, is the winner of the She Writes Press and SparkPress Toward Equality in Publishing (STEP) contest 59 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
The Illusion of Leaving by Jeannette Brown Jamie Wright hates her West Texas hometown of Silver Falls, its smallminded people, the reminder of her childhood there and her failed first marriage—the source of her daddy’s eternal disappointment. Jamie’s in town to plan his funeral, sell the ranch, and never look back. The funeral goes as planned, however, the reading of the will does not go as planned. The night after the funeral, Jamie and two former classmates go for a nostalgic ride to reminisce about high school. When a tornado system blows in, they drive to a nearby storm shelter. There, fueled by vodka, the secrets erupt. “When Jaime Wright returns to her childhood home to say goodbye to her dying father—patriarch of the West Texas village of Silver Falls--she uncovers decades-old secrets that reshape her sense of self and lead her to reimagine her future. Surprised by revelations from the past, Jaime re-sees the present as she recognizes the subtle and tenacious beauty of the remote, gritty, windblown place in which she is more deeply-rooted than she realized. With keen insight and wry humor, Jeannette Brown’s debut novel, The Illusion of Leaving, depicts the pains and the joys of ageing and of 60 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
friendship and family relationship to illuminate our deep need for human connection.” –ALLEN WIER, author of Tehano and Late Night, Early Morning “The Illusion of Leaving evokes the emotional pull of home and upbringing –SARAH BIRD, author of Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen and Recent Studies Indicate: The Best of Sarah Bird “The Illusion of Leaving is a literary treasure inspired by the harsh West Texas landscape that magnifies life’s pitfalls and bleak beauty and relationships laden with hidden crevices of enlightenment. Small towns are notorious pits of gossip, and Silver Falls is held together by enough secrets to keep wagging tongues busy for years. Brown paints this small Texas town in a fading light, ready to blow away like a tumbleweed, yet filled with people that know when to drop the gossip mongering and come together during times of crisis.” –Ruthie Jones, Lone Star Literary Review Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, JEANNETTE BROWN was raised in Texas. Her work has appeared in Bellevue Literary Review, Southwestern American Literature, and New Millennium Writings, among others. She is the co-editor of Literary Lunch, a food anthology. She has received residencies from the Sewanee Writer’s Conference, Rivendell Writers’ Colony, and Hedgebrook/India. 61 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Wayland by Rita Sims Quillen Set in southwestern Viginia in 1930, Wayland is the story of a perfect life interrupted by a chance encounter with pure evil. Eva and Andrew Nettles are a couple who found each other in the unlikeliest of circumstances and married in midlife, now living a blissful country life with their adopted daughter--until one day a hobo happens by. Buddy Newman cannot believe his good fortune: this family has everything he needs, including the most beautiful little girl he's ever seen or dreamed of. Newman sets his plan in motion to charm and deceive the family and possess the object of his desires. Can they see through his elaborate deceit in time to save their daughter? “In Wayland Rita Quillen writes of a Depression-era Appalachian community with immense vividness and immense empathy, but like the best novelists, her characters transcend their geographical locale to evoke concerns that touch upon the lives of all people. Whether as poet or as novelist, Quillen is a writer to be revered.” —-RON RASH, author of SERENA
62 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
Hiding Ezra by Rita Sims Quillen Set during WWI in southwest VA, HIDING EZRA is the story of a simple farmer, Ezra Teague, who is forced to choose between fighting for his country and taking care of his family. Like more than 175,000 other young men, Ezra chose his family--not because he was a coward or a pacifist, but because he was practical and because he felt his Christian faith called him to do so. HIDING EZRA is also a love story, as we see the girl of his dreams, Alma Newton, try to figure out how to extricate Ezra from his predicament. Finally, HIDING EZRA is the story of an adventure, a quest, and a chase as the authorities--including local boy Lieutenant Andrew Nettles--try to bring Ezra to military justice. HIDING EZRA was a finalist in the 2005 DANA Awards competition, and a chapter of the novel is included in the new scholarly study of Appalachian dialect just published by the University of Kentucky Press entitled TALKING APPALACHIAN.
63 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Rita Quillen’s novel Hiding Ezra was published in 2014 from Little Creek Books; it was a finalist in the 2005 DANA Awards competition, and a chapter of the novel is included in the new scholarly study of Appalachian dialect just published by the University of Kentucky Press entitled Talking Appalachian. Her poetry chapbook, Something Solid To Anchor To, was published
by Finishing Line Press in 2014. Her new full-length poetry collection, THE MAD FARMER'S WIFE, was 64 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
published in the fall of 2016 from Texas Review Press, and was a finalist for the prestigious WEATHERFORD AWARD IN APPALACHIAN LITERATURE from Berea College. One of six semi-finalists for the 2012-14 Poet Laureate of Virginia, her poetry received three Pushcart nominations as well as a Best of the Net nomination. Her collection Her Secret Dream, new and selected poems, is from Wind Press in Kentucky and was named the Outstanding Poetry Book of the Year by the Appalachian Writers Association in 2008. Previous works are poetry collections October Dusk and Counting The Sums, as well as a book of essays Looking for Native Ground: Contemporary Appalachian Poetry. Rita is also a musician, playing guitar, mandolin,piano, dulcimer, autoharp, bass, and bodhran, and she has recently began writing songs. She won first place in the 2015 Gathering in the Gap Songwriting Contest and was also a finalist in the Richard Leigh Songwriting Competition that same year. She has performed at many venues in the region as part of various groups or as a singer/songwriter. She lives and farms on Early Autumn Farm in Scott County, Virginia. 65 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
The Queen of Paris by Pamela Binnings Ewen 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. 66 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
The Moon in the Mango Tree by Pamela Binnings Ewen Based upon a true story. Barbara Bond is beautiful, talented, smart, and she’s trained for years to sing grand opera. But for the average woman in 1919 the idea of a career outside the home was a leap into the unknown. She marries Harvey Perkins, a medical missionary, sets aside her career for the moment-she believes-and travels with him into the jungles of Siam. There she struggles with her faith and the mission, all the while becoming enchanted with the local people and their culture. Soon her love for Harvey is tested by a secret that rises between them. After several years they move to Bangkok, where Harvey is a royal physician. Life glitters here, but still she longs to sing. Can she have it all-Harvey and a career? It’s the roaring twenties: Bangkok, Paris, Lausanne, and finally Rome. Here, alone in the shadow of Harvey’s secret, Barbara faces the harsh choice between music and love. But when you choose between two things you love, one is lost. “…rich and heartfelt…prose is laudably rich in specific and colorful detail…Ewen is a talented writer, and this is a strong addition to Christian fiction.” —Publishers Weekly 67 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Decanted by Linda Sheehan From author Linda Sheehan, who's part of a Napa wine dynasty, comes a story of grapes, wine, first crushes, and juicy redemption. Dreading the desk job that awaits her after high school, eighteenyear-old Vivian Goodyear takes off for pre-World War II Paris, where she supports herself as an artist's model. Flash forward to modern day Manhattan where, inspired by Vivian's courage, her grandniece Samantha leaves her pressure cooker career to work the grape harvest in France. There, between picking grapes in the vineyard and crushing them in the cellar, she gets lessons in the art of making wine and in the art of making love. But when her world is turned upside down, a link from Aunt Vivian's past could right it in a tale of being on top, sinking to the bottom, and coming up for glorious air. "Great book with extremely well done characters. I read the whole thing in a day because I didn't want to put it down!" -Between The Covers Podcast
68 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
"...an entertaining, intriguing, and thought-provoking novel." -Linda's Book Obsession "...a page turning, international, sensually romantic, rags to riches, grape to wine saga." -A Woman's Write "...goes down smoothly, like a fine wine...well worth the read." -Sublime Book Reviews "Fueled by wine, grapes, and growth...Decanted is highly recommended." -Midwest Book Review "Grand and glorious... engaging and entertaining" Readers' Favorite "A highly enjoyable story of love, wine, and passion" Kirkus Reviews Sheehan is a career writer living in Napa, California where she’s the co-owner of Poe Wines that makes highly acclaimed Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Rosé, sparkling wines as well as organic grapefruit vermouth awarded 95 points from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. “Decanted” is her second novel. Besides indulging her passion for great wines, she pursues her addictions of horseback riding and golf. 69 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Just One Look by Joanne Kukanza Easley Set in Chicago during the turbulent 60s and 70s, Just One Look traces one woman’s journey through loss, grief, denial, and letting go. Dani Marek falls in love at age thirteen, stuck boy-blind by a tall handsome fifteen-year-old named John. She floats on a cloud of happiness and plans their future for five blissful years, but John is drafted into the Viet Nam war and loses his life. With her expectations shattered, Dani goes off the rails, wreaking revenge on the male population of Chicago. Her life is bereft of self-examination, but she is ambitious. When she meets a man with money, she marries him knowing she will use him for college tuition. She plans to leave him when she graduates and has a successful career. Their union is merely a mutual pact of convenience. After an unplanned pregnancy results from a night Dani would rather forget, her ambitions are derailed. When the marriage ends in Luke’s suicide, she’s left with a toddler, a fortune, and a budding career. At last, Dani turns a critical eye on how she’s conducted her life since John’s death. Her hard heart cracked open when Lorelei was born, then flowers when she meets John’s boyhood friend Noah, who served with him in the Army and has worshipped her from afar. Will Dani resolve 70 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
her long-held grief and put the ghost who haunts her to rest? Easley has captured the essence of 1965 Chicago, a young romance, a war that threatens happiness, a grief so strong that it resonates to the reader and created a story that will leave her readers desperate for another amazingly chiseled novel. I was absolutely smitten with this novel! Goodreads review “Just One Look is one of those stories that stays with you and captures a special place in your heart. A tender, thoughtful piece of historical fiction, this story follows young Dani through the rapture and heartbreak of her first love, set against the tumultuous social changes of the 60s and 70s.” Midwest Book Review D. Donavan Joanne Kukanza Easley’s award-winning debut novel, Sweet Jane, was released in March 2020. The novel was named the winner in adult fiction at the Texas Author Project and won several more honors. A retired registered nurse with experience in both the cold, clinical operating room and the emotionally fraught world of psychiatric hospitals, she lives and writes on a small ranch in the Texas Hill Country. Just One Look is her second published novel. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared online and in print anthologies. Joanne writes fiction about complicated, twentieth-century women who eventually figure it out. Her characters’ paths are not easy, but with indomitable spirit, they rise to face life’s challenges. 71 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Shades of Gray Trilogy: Complete Civil War Serial Historical Fiction (Vol 1-3) by Jessica James There’s a fine line between friends and enemies. Honor and conviction clash with loyalty and love in this sweeping Civil War tale that pits brother against brother. Get all three volumes of the Shades of Gray Civil War Serial Trilogy in one book: Duty Bound, Honor Bound, and Glory Bound. Note: This book was previously published as Shades of Gray, and later re-released as Noble Cause with a happily-ever-after ending. It has been revised, expanded and re-edited for this release. Colonel Alexander Hunter would rather die than see the Union set foot on his beloved Virginia soil. And while he holds the line against Northern aggression with legendary skill, a treacherous boy on horseback always thwarts his offensives. His allegiance is tested when the traitor he unmasks is the woman he once swore to his brother he would protect. Andrea Monroe would do anything to make her country whole again. A Southern-born Union spy, she’s dedicated to undermining the arrogant Confederate officer. When she’s taken captive and badly injured, Andrea is shocked to wake up in the legendary home of her nemesis, rather than prison. 72 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
As prisoner and captor spend time together, their mutual loyalty grows into unexpected devotion. But as fresh conflicts arise, they again, cross swords. Can two adversaries reach beyond the battle lines to unite in the midst war? The Shades of Gray Civil War Serial Trilogy is a powerful exploration into a defining era of American history. If you like emotional journeys, rich Southern backdrops, and epic stories of devotion, then you’ll adore Jessica James’s captivating Civil War adventure. Jessica James is a a reader, a traveler, a collector, and an appreciator of times past. Her novels run the gamut from military suspense and thrillers to historical fiction, Christian fiction, and small-town Southern women's fiction. She is a three-time winner of the coveted John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, and received a Gold Medal from the Military Writers Society of America in addition to a dozen other literary awards. James stays active working parttime as a stagehand where she assists with shows ranging from country bands and stage plays, to operas, symphonies and ballets. She resides in Gettysburg, Pa., and has a passion for old dwellings and first edition books. 73 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Walking The Wrong Way Home by Mandy Haynes 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. 74 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
The stories that make up Walking the Wrong Way Home are a mixture of humor, hard-won battles, and heartbreaking 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 Mandy Haynes 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 the life of a beach bum and now lives on Amelia Island with her three dogs, one turtle, and a grateful liver. She is a contributing writer for Amelia Islander Magazine, Editor-in-Chief of Reading Nation Magazine, Executive Director of the International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Book Club, and author of Walking the Wrong Way Home which was a finalist for the Tartt Fiction Award, and Sharp as a Serpent’s Tooth Eva and Other Stories. Her stories have appeared in Mysterious Ways, Vanderbilt House Organ, Number One, and several anthologies. 75 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
One Hundred Daffodils: Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart by Rebecca Winn An engaging, wise, and uplifting reflection on human resilience and nature’s ability to teach, inspire, and heal after an unexpected life upheaval, One Hundred Daffodils is told through the lens of the author’s personal experiences with grief and heartbreak on her journey toward self-discovery and empowerment. Written with uncommon honesty, One Hundred Daffodils offers readers the kind of relatable connection that we hunger for and love to share. It is a book whose words, like those of a trusted friend, are often raw, frequently funny, reliably uplifting, sometimes painfully familiar, and always vulnerable, honest and wise. Like Hermann Hesse, Walt Whitman, and Mary Oliver before her, the author uses nature as a metaphor, a sanctuary, and a sage teacher. It is a contemporary yet timeless story of a woman’s search for meaning, identity, and purpose. “A shockingly beautiful work of art.” ~ KATIE MARIE, Martinis & Memoirs Blog Rebecca speaks to all manner of spiritual centers, women’s groups and conferences, and other organizations. Contact her here. 76 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
Rebecca Winn is a multiple award-winning landscape designer and creator of the inspirational Facebook blog, Whimsical Gardens. Her eye for nature’s beauty and her unique blend of wisdom, insight and humor inspire and entertain hundreds of thousands of readers around the globe each day. Born in Dallas, Texas, Rebecca’s family moved to Europe when she was in first grade, providing her the opportunity to grow up surrounded by the majestic, centuries old gardens of Italy, Scotland and England, which strongly influenced both her garden designs and her writing. Her articles have appeared in regional and national magazines. One Hundred Daffodils is her first book. In 1995, Rebecca took her love of gardening, her degree in fine art, her many floral design and horticulture awards, and requests from friends, and started Whimsical Gardens, a boutique, residential landscape design firm. In the years that followed, she was recruited to be the garden writer for D Home Magazine, and an on-camera talent expert in garden design for eHow.com. In addition to 31 top floral design awards and over 300 horticulture awards won in garden club flower shows, Rebecca has won five consecutive TEIL Awards (Texas Excellence in Landscaping) through the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, as well as a LUXE Magazine RED Award (Residential Excellence in Landscaping). She has served on numerous arts, civic, and gifted education boards, and supports environmental causes throughout Texas and the world. To read more about Whimsical Garden, Click here 77 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Here is a brief excerpt from Rebecca Winn’s book, One Hundred Daffodils: Finding Beauty, Grace, and Meaning When Things Fall Apart:
I Am Autumn Fall is breathing its soft, cooling breath into the nights and mornings now, and I can feel myself noticeably relaxing. The relentless heat of Texas summers can be hard for me. Each morning in the fall, when I open my doors and the cool breeze washes over me, I feel my energy expand. It’s a little early in the season yet, but as I take my morning walk through the garden, I have begun to notice tiny hints of fall color peeking around edges of leaves, like anxious actors behind the curtain backstage. I, too, am excited for their time in the limelight. What a glorious treat fall color is. It takes my breath away every year. And this year, in particular, I welcome the transformation. It has been a year of deep change for me, and it came at a high price - months of personal upheaval, processing and self-discovery brought on by emotional pain so intense that it felt as if my very life depended on understanding the cause, finding the source and healing it. It started in late winter, as the trees were beginning to bud, then intensified through the spring and into the summer as the leaves unfurled and engaged in their annual process of insuring the survival of their host. We worked in tandem 78 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
they nurturing from without, I nurturing from within, scouring the hidden depths of my psyche for understanding. Each of us gathering, storing, distilling, converting, day in and day out through summer’s end. And now, as the breakdowns and breakthroughs are coalescing within me, I feel the self that is emerging is more my true self than I have ever been. In this way, I am Autumn. The beautiful fresh greens we think of as the natural color of leaves is actually a mask of sorts. It is a sign that the tree is working hard. Green leaves are striving for survival by using the chlorophyll coursing through their veins in the warm spring and summer months. Green leaves are processing and converting sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into a form that feeds the trees, helps them grow and can sustain them through the winter. But as the days shorten, and sunlight becomes increasingly scarce, Nature shifts its focus from gathering and processing food, to integrating and storing what has been gathered, transferring it from the leaves to the roots. As this happens, the worker-bee greens drop away and the leaves’ true colors begin to emerge. The beautiful, vivid colors of fall are not created, they are revealed. Most of the time, we are green leaves. We go about our daily routines, striving for survival. We spend our days and often our nights, coping. Coping with work, with children, with parents, with all the responsibilities that consume our lives, trying to fit in some quality time here and there with our loved ones, and maybe if we’re lucky 79 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
with ourselves. We are bright, shiny, busy green leaves, doing what we must to insure our survival, until one day a crisis hits, and it’s impossible to continue with business as usual. In those moments we are stripped of our ability to hide behind our busyness and are forced to be fully present with this new reality and find within ourselves the internal fortitude that previously lay dormant. Our lovely green facade disintegrates, and all those pressing goals and demands that have consumed our time and attention day in and day out diminish, and sometimes completely disappear. In moments of personal cataclysm, something wiser, more resilient, more courageous wakes within us, bringing with it the necessary strength to confront our greatest challenges, no matter how harsh. In those moments, we become Autumn. Authentic, unmasked, raw, real, powerful and beautiful. When crisis strips away our masks and guides us inside to our authentic selves, the beauty it reveals can be staggering. When we are unmasked, we are vibrant, we are radiant. When we are wholly ourselves, it is holy. Seasons change and so do I, and right now, I am Autumn.
80 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
Bibliointuitive by Amy Q. Barker Can something that happens when you are twelve years old affect the rest of your life? Yes, if its fingers reach and spread, insinuating themselves into every dark recess and wide-open space that constitute who and what you are. And if those same fingers stay to bear witness to the results and repercussions of their power. Riley Cartwright is sane. Or at least she thinks she is. It’s like the chicken and the egg, and she’s never sure which came first—her acknowledgment of her gift or the gift itself. But one thing she does know: when it started. Right after the car accident that would change the entire trajectory of her life and would leave her always questioning: What is intuition? Where does it come from? Why me? What does it mean? Adam Linder is hiding. From his past and from the girl who makes him think about his past like an imprint of a deep purple scar that he wishes were a pretty, innocuous pink flower left to blossom without hindrance or distraction. But it isn’t. It’s a mark of guilt that stains and lingers. How will he find relief, release, redemption? 81 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Gray by David Kettlehake The Storm struck five years ago as a monstrous waterfall pounding the world. Entire cities vanished underwater, lakes grew and merged into oceans. Glaciers shrank and mountains melted. People changed... Grays, vicious creatures that were once human, know only hunger. They hunt Scout and her group of friends mercilessly. Even more terrifying is that Scout and everyone still alive knows their own transformation is inevitable. When Scout's change begins, she realizes that hers is different, and that the burden of humanity's survival is now on her shoulders. To save her friends and everyone she loves, she must find a cure. If she dies, our world dies with her. "David Kettlehake's Gray is a roller-coaster ride of suspense and horror for YA fans. Follow Scout and a small group of friends as they survive a world destroyed by catastrophic flooding and a shorted life expectancy known as GRAY. Kettlehake delivers a thriller with an original plot!" -Johnnie Bernhard, author of A Good Girl, How We Came to Be, and Sisters of the Undertow 82 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
Shadow Soldiers 3 by Wrathe W. Aceing This is the third book in a series of novellas that explore the world of the mercenary and the challenges they face keeping evil from overrunning society. "Domestic Guard" - Angel cannot board a plane back to her West Texas home while this child's horrible murder remains unsolved in a potter's grave. "Wayward Merc" Peter Altront, Megs, and Emily join forces in Mexico to recover two kidnapped women and bring down an evil international kidnapping ring. At the very start, they find their mission compromised by another sniper. "Lost Soul" - This is my final testament to a life lived as I chose. I leave it to others to judge the value of my purpose and actions. I believe that I was born to be a soldier and I will die as a soldier on the battlefield. "Brother Oh Brother" - What happens when evil shows up at the doorstep of your sibling? This is the tale of one mercenary's response to a contract to kill his brother. "Recruiting" - When a soldier being considered for recruitment by WCM goes missing, Sarge takes action. Gathering his best including Angel and Blue, they travel to the Middle East and Europe to solve the MIA report covered up by their own government. 83 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg Champagne, France, 1800. Twenty-year-old Barbe-Nicole inherited LeNez (an uncanny sense of smell) from her greatgrandfather, a renowned champagne maker. She is determined to use Le Nez to make great champagne, but the Napoleon Code prohibits women from owning a business. When she learns her childhood sweetheart, François Clicquot, wants to start a winery, she marries him despite his mental illness. Soon, her husband’s tragic death forces her to become Veuve (Widow) Clicquot and grapple with a domineering partner, the complexities of making champagne, and six Napoleon wars, which cripple her ability to sell champagne. When she falls in love with her sales manager, Louis Bohne, who asks her to marry, she must choose between losing her winery to her husband, as dictated by Napoleon Code, or losing Louis. In the ultimate showdown, Veuve Clicquot defies Napoleon himself, risking prison and even death.
84 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
Rebecca Rosenberg has penned a spectacular saga of the first of the “Champagne widows” of France, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot. With her gift, known as Le Nez (the nose), Barbe-Nicole can “smell the stink of a lie or the perfume of a pure heart. Or the heartbreaking smell of what could have been.” Along with her expertise she possesses courage and vision, overcoming incredible odds again women who dare to step up as entrepreneurs during the time of the Napoleonic Code, which left widows without rights to property—in Barbe-Nicole’s case, her Champagne business. Seamlessly interwoven with historical letters from Napoleon, the book sweeps the reader into the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century world. But it’s her imaginative tale of Veuve Clicquot’s personal life that captured me and wouldn’t let go until the end, leaving me wanting more!—Susan Cushman, author of John and Mary Margaret, and Cherry Bomb Rebecca Rosenberg is a triple-gold award-winning author of CHAMPAGNE WIDOWS, lavender farmer, champagne geek, champagne tour guide, and cocktail creator for Breathless Wines. She is the moderator of Breathless Bubbles & Books and American Historical Novels. 85 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
86 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST
Never a dull moment when Trouble is on the case! In 1990, Carolyn Haines wrote a romantic mystery which featured a black cat detective with an attitude, Familiar. Her editor at Harlequin Intrigue was Tahti Carter. When Tahti read the book, she suggested that Familiar be turned into a series. And it became one. For 17 books. Familiar, with his wisdom and skepticism about human intelligence, became one of the most popular characters Carolyn Haines ever created. His adventures have been translated into 18 languages and hundreds of thousands of copies of his books have been sold. Introducing Trouble, son of Familiar, who has his own unique voice (think Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes). Trouble has inherited his father’s detective skills—and slight contempt of the slow-thinking bipeds. Some of Carolyn Haines' writer friends are joining in the adventure to give you their take on Trouble. 87 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
A Public Service Announcement from Timber Guy Author Grady Hendrix
If you write books, people often ask what inspired you to become an author. If you write horror people are even more curious, probably because they want to know the danger signs to watch out for in their own children. In an attempt to help parents nip potential authors in the bud, I’d like to take a moment to share the story of my own personal disease that turned a bright, happy child into the writer I am today. When I was six, we moved to England for eighteen months because my Dad got a job at Guy’s Hospital in London. We rented an enormous Victorian pile in Dulwich that had room for myself and my four sisters, a 88 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE A PSA FROM GRADY HENDRIX
photographer living in the attic named Archie, and a hippie living in the basement named Helen who grew herbs out back. The house was always damp and cold, which felt like a thrilling novelty after living in the humidity of South Carolina, and it had a vast library on the first floor. One of the books stashed way high up on a shelf was a Reader’s Digest edition called Folklore, Myths, and Legends of Britain with a forbidding black cover bearing an embossed gold mask in the middle. I loved this book with all the passion in my tiny body. Full of woodcuts of witches being burned, traitors being hung, Catholics being tortured (Queen Elizabeth I was a big fan of torturing Catholics), and people hanging in gibbets, it served as my guide to this new, drafty land full of gracious homes standing in the middle of drizzly parks we were forced to visit every weekend in the interests of improving ourselves. Suddenly, England made sense to me because obviously the entire country was haunted. When we came back to the States I fell under the influence of Rhett Thurman, one of the moms who drove carpool. She would keep us quiet by telling ghost stories that were, for the most part, standard issue ghost stories culled from books with the serial numbers filed off and local names and locations substituted in to make us think they had happened nearby. I thought they were the most amazing things I’d ever heard, full of unquiet spirits dragging themselves back from the grave and seeking revenge (a whole lot of revenge was sought), lovers committing 89 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
suicide, people getting lured into cemeteries and...killed? Eaten? It was all a little unclear but it was definitely unsavory and I loved it. Everyone in carpool had their own personal favorites and we’d request repeat performances, and each time we heard the stories Mrs. Thurman changed them slightly to hold our attention and to keep us from tearing holes in the seats or setting the car on fire. It was storytelling designed to distract us from being small children, and they were a masterclass in holding an audience rapt. Around the same time, I became addicted to Edward Gorey’s opening credit sequence for the PBS show Mystery! My parents allowed me to stay up late every Sunday night to watch it — not the show, just the credit sequence. The show itself had too many old people talking about too many boring things to hold my interest anyways, but the opening credits with its bolts of lightning, masked poisoners, and gleeful air of gothic gloom hypnotized me. It led me to Charles Addams and pretty soon I was getting a collection of his morbid horror cartoons almost every Christmas morning. I had the normal reading habits of a small child, tearing through The Hobbit (I never could get into Lord of the Rings however) and The Great Brain series. If it had words, I loved it, from The Saturdays to From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. Before VCRs, movie novelizations were the only way to play and replay 90 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE A PSA FROM GRADY HENDRIX
your favorite movies, and it was even better that they came out a few weeks in advance of the films they existed to advertise. I owned as many as I could, from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom to Return of the Jedi. I read Choose Your Own Adventure books and all their various knock-off series: Twist-aPlot, Taletwisters, Infocom Books, Endless Quests, and Which Way Books. But the one book that I’m truly thankful for, the book that saved me, the book that made me who I am today, the book that turned me into a writer was, of course, Famous Monsters of Filmland’s Star Wars Spectacular. I inherited the magazine from one of my older sisters and it was already battered when I got it, but even creased and stained and with the staples ripped out it still promised to tell me “All About the Most Fantastic Adventure Movie 91 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Ever Made!” A padded-out promo rag printed on pulp paper designed to cash in on the Star Wars craze, it was barely fifty pages long, slathered with black and white stills from the movie that it's cheap paperstock turned into grainy, high contrast Weegee snaps. The first six pages were a gallery of characters, filled with stilted, grandiose text that electrified my eight-year-old eyes. Luke Skywalker “...takes off for outer space to increase the pace of his living.” Grand Moff Tarkin possessed the Death Star that is “capable of volatizing an entire planet!” Larded with references I couldn’t understand, it hinted at a bigger world around me. Harrison Ford “has 2 sons, Willard & Benjamin — reminding one of a double horror bill of several seasons ago!” It does? Tell me more! A short section about the special effects written in a kind of telegraphic Variety shorthand (“Miracles! The filmagicians have been performing them before our startled eyes!”) preceded a synopsis of the movie dripping with purple prose (“They have survived the Star Wars with flying colors. The stars now are in their eyes and the eyes of the Princess. Most of all, the stars are in the eyes & the hearts of the universally dazed audiences.”) and then came the most important section of all: “The Best Science Fiction Film Ever Made.” Apart from novelizations and whatever was playing at the local triplex, it was impossible for a kid from South Carolina like me to see old movies, but here were fifteen 92 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE A PSA FROM GRADY HENDRIX
I’d never even heard of, boiled down to short, 200 word descriptions that were little more than punchy lists of marvels, a word-drug injected right into the base of my brain. The Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe entry read, in its entirety: “The Buster Crabbe serials. Featuring almost more marvels than the human mind can remember: The Sharkmen of the Underwater Kingdom. The Tree Men of Mars. The Octosac...the Gocko...the Clay Men. The Hydrocycle, the Spaceograph, the Gyroships, Nitrogen Ray Machine. The Lion Men. Hawk Men. Monkey Men. The City in the Sky...The Bridge of Light. The invisibility ray...the tigrons...the fire dragons...the zebra-striped bears... The magic of Azura!” So many nouns hinting at so many things! No connective tissue, no boring plot, no tedious story, just one amazing thing I’d never heard of after another, flying at my face as fast as I could read. They covered Planet of the Apes (“The mummified astronaut!”), Silent Running (“The toggles, the monitors & the waddling droids.”), This Island Earth (“The war with Zahgon...the guided meteoroid missiles...the splendid saucer ship.”) and most amazing of all, Metropolis (“The incredible Super City of 60 million. The Massive Underground Machinery of Moloch. The Human Clocks...the Old Dark House of the 93 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
anachronisitcally alchemical genius...The submergence of the subterranean city. The flames consume the Metal Maiden.”) I had no idea what they were talking about, but I wanted some. I never saw most of these movies, but I studied their descriptions until I knew them by heart. I knew that 2001: A Space Odyssey was about a starship full of hibernating space vampires. I knew that Things to Come was about a war between underground mole men and surface dwellers who were addicted to PBS. Buck Rogers was about space fighters in blimps getting mail order rayguns and robots out of a catalogue and maybe also something about scuba diving. With no access to these movies, and not allowed to see anything rated R, I began convincing adults to buy me movie magazines like Fangoria, reading about movies I would never see, making up the plots in my head, tossing off phrases like “Atomigeddon” and “The Sphinx of Far Futurity” the way other people talked about “beach towels” or “grapes.” Years later, I finally saw 2001: A Space Odyssey and was disappointed and confused that there wasn’t a single space vampire in sight. Reality didn’t live up to the dreams I received from this cheap, crummy chunk of newsprint. And that’s when I realized that if I 94 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE A PSA FROM GRADY HENDRIX
wanted to see those stories, I’d have to write them myself. And that’s how I started down the long and sad road that led me to where I am today, trapped in a tiny office, typing for my life. I hope my story helps you steer your own child away from this course, and allows them to live rich and fulfilling lives. Unfortunately, the symptoms of becoming an author are different for each and every budding writer but fortunately, in every case, the cure remains the same: law school.
95 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Birth of a Bookstore Cat by Judith Teitelman
A truly successful bookstore is one with a cat. Having a cat means the booksellers care about the place and the people who walk through their doors. That’s why Skylight Books is a success and a chain bookstore is just a business. - Kerry Slattery, Skylight’s founding General Manager / co-owner Writers and cats go hand-in-hand. They are practically synonymous. The same is true of bookstores and cats, most especially independents that are, so fortunately, on the rise again. These are typically the bookstores with personality, perspective, verve, and—a cat. My relationship with independent bookstores runs deep. Just three months after graduating from UCLA with a degree in Art History, I was hired by Ace Gallery to open and manage Art and Architecture Books of the Twentieth Century, at the time Los Angeles’ second bookstore devoted exclusively to the arts. Although I had worked in a chain bookstore for a few years while in school, this 96 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE BIRTH OF A BOOKSTORE CAT
was my first professional experience with an independent. My relationship with cats began around the same time and remains sacrosanct. And while I no longer run a bookstore, my connection to both are fused. This is especially true of my bond with Skylight Books in Los Angeles’ Los Feliz neighborhood. My husband, Aaron, and I moved to Los Feliz twenty years ago and were immediately drawn to this bookstore—the anchor of a few short streets of shops, a movie theater, and restaurants. It is our urban oasis. We regularly head down the hill for a bite to eat or to see a film and always end up wandering through Skylight’s aisles in search of the new and compelling and inspiring or whatever else is to be found. Skylight takes its role as a committed, enthusiastic neighbor seriously. It is a true gathering place with an energetic, wide-ranging program of author events, book clubs, reading groups, and other happenings. These, combined with friendly, informed staff, guarantees that it’s inviting and comfortable to walk through the doors. And, of course, for many years, there was Lucy, the beloved bookstore cat. With her passing in 2007 we felt the staff’s grief, most especially that of Kerry Slattery, Skylight General Manager, and experienced the emptiness of the store without its feline soul. That void became ever more acute when, two years later, our adored cats—an 18-year-old brother and sister duo— 97 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
died within four months of each other, Sid in August and Ubud in November. Our house felt incomplete. The holidays were bleak that year. We counted the days until “Kitten Season.” (Who even knew there was such a thing?) But, we learned quickly that it was, indeed, real and waited anxiously for spring. Unlike Skylight Books who hadn’t adopted another—still too painful—we were desperate for four-legged energy to make our house a home once more. We wanted kittens and siblings again. We had so loved watching them grow up, our relationship deepening at every stage. Where to look wasn’t an issue: our longtime veterinarian had a small shelter, and we were confident the kittens we were seeking would find their way there. Once the first buds began to appear in our garden, we began calling regularly. In early March, on a Tuesday, we were told that they didn’t yet have any kittens, however just that morning someone had brought in a pregnant teen found in Hollywood in the parking lot behind the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. We arranged to meet the little mama that Saturday, anticipating that two of her kittens would be ours. What we never imagined was that, when we first looked at her, a beautiful tortoise-shell creature—and she at us, with the deepest, most soulful eyes—she would own our hearts. She began to purr, loudly, as if to say, “What took you so long?” Within an hour she was in our car and then—home. 98 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE BIRTH OF A BOOKSTORE CAT
We named her Chouchote, but always called her Mama.
Neither of us knew anything about birthing babies, animals or otherwise, so we sought advice from our vet and friends. The suggestions were wide-ranging with one common theme: cats require a space to themselves when giving birth. They don’t want anyone around. So we dutifully made a cozy “cave” in Aaron’s closet, leaving the door ajar and frequently bringing her in to show off this private space. Mama would sniff around a bit and then head straight back to our bed and settle in. The number of babies she carried was a mystery, although the vet assumed at least four. We would keep two and Mama, unquestionably, and started to explore possible homes for the others. Gingerly, I approached Kerry Slattery. It had been a couple of years since Lucy’s passing 99 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
and I wanted to see if she was ready to embrace a new cat into the Skylight fold. Kerry was hesitant, but open. She was drawn to Mama’s gorgeous face, but asked to wait to decide until the kittens arrived. Fast forward to 15 April. I had fallen asleep with Mama lying on my stomach; my mother’s hand knit afghan between us. At 3:30 a.m. a wail instantly roused us with Aaron shouting, “She’s hurt, she’s hurt!” I turned and said, “Honey, she’s having her babies.” Her announcement that the first kitten had arrived. This one was a carbon copy of Mama. She birthed the other three over the next two hours, still on top of me, but now unwaveringly looking straight in my eyes. As if to say, these are your babies too! Kerry and Skylight staffers came to visit the kittens over the next month and unanimously agreed to adopt the firstborn that looked just like Mama. Franny, named by the staff, became Skylight Books’ mascot in 2009 and has, ever since, been featured on their advertising, totes, bookmarks, and blog posts. We remain incredibly proud to be her human “birth parents” and are forever bonded to Skylight. Aaron and I are sure that Franny was the first one out because she had to get to work!
100 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE BIRTH OF A BOOKSTORE CAT
Franny 101 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
When READING NATION editor Mandy Haynes asked me to contribute something to a new feature she was starting called “Where I’m From” for writers featured in the magazine, I chuckled out loud. I don’t think she had any idea that the title was the same as a poem by my friend and noted Kentucky children’s author and poet, George Ella Lyon. The poem has become an international phenomenon as a wonderful writing exercise, given by countless writing teachers like myself, as a way to introduce students to writing. Thousands of people from all over the world have used George Ella’s poem as a template to write their own story in a little poetic autobiography of images and figurative language. So here’s my attempt to tell you a bit about where I’m from, with a lot of family history and personal geography presented in the lines. Thanks to George Ella for this incredibly inspiring prompt and to Mandy for the invitation!
Rita Sims Quillen
102 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE WHERE WE’RE FROM
Where I’m From Rita Sims Quillen
I’m from wringer washers, Pine Sol and Sevin Dust I’m from a rocky garden lot beside a stunning Rose of Sharon From my father’s grafted apple trees Whose blossoms floated like dreams above my head. I’m from banana pudding and pipe smoke From Ethel and Carrie From tend-your-own-business And what-goes-around-comes-around. 103 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
I’m from Bible school Kool-Aid and Psalm 23. I’m from Roberts Creek and the Holston River From chicken and dumplings and boiled lemonade From the bad heart that took my granddaddy at 38, The high fall my father survived.
Under the huge maple at my grandmother’s house I watched roaring freight trains blow by From a coal town where my family started, Headed toward the city where the future lay, Me caught betwixt and between On the margin, on the edge of something Straddling the lines of time. 104 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE WHERE WE’RE FROM
Rita Quillen’s novel new novel WAYLAND was released in fall 2019 from Iris Press. It is a sequel to Hiding Ezra, released in March of 2014 from Little Creek Books, a finalist in the 2005 DANA Awards competition. A chapter of the HIDING EZRA is included in the new scholarly study of Appalachian dialect published by the University of Kentucky Press entitled Talking Appalachian. Her poetry chapbook, Something Solid To Anchor To, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2014, as well. A new full-length collection, The Mad Farmer's Wife, was published in 2016 by Texas Review Press. Her new fulllength poetry collection SOME NOTES YOU HOLD is due out this fall from Madville Publishing. 105 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Dance Outside of the Box Lynn Hesse As a former female law enforcement officer from the South and sacred dance teacher, I write crime and mysteries. "Well of Rage," a crime novel, and "Another Kind of Hero," a traditional mystery. Also, I'm a performer with a secular dance and storyteller background.
106 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE AUTHORS AND THEIR ART
Besides being entertaining I use my writing and other art to explore social issues such as domestic violence and promote conversations between liberals and conservatives. In May, I finished a three-month-long rehearsal cycle for the on-site
performances at VirginiaHighland Park in Atlanta, Georgia with Beacon Dance. The program included live music, dance, and recorded stories about family, either related or chosen. I am a troupe member of InterPlay Atlanta and Dancing Flowers for Peace too. By the way I'm almost seventy years old. My dandelionpersona with the Dancing Flowers for Peace at the 2020 Stone Mountain Mardi Gras Parade. 107 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Writing Workshop with Johnnie Bernhard
I’ve been fortunate to do what I love most of my life. Reading, teaching, and writing have served as a trinity of friendship and connection for me since I was a young girl. My love of literature and writing steered me into a career as a journalist, as well as a public high school English teacher. Listening to people’s stories and discussing the human journey with students have given me the best days! When I became a full-time author in my early fifties, I wanted to give back to the writing community by providing non intimidating, interactive lessons in the writing process. Once a teacher, always a teacher! During the 2020 Pandemic lockdown, it was my pleasure to work with nonprofits and writing groups in providing these virtual workshops. The International Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Club was no exception. Here are a few highlights from the PowerPoint presentation on the differences between copy editing and developmental editing. 108 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE WRITING WORKSHOP
Examples of Development Editing
The Plot Outline • • • •
Does the plotline fizzle and sag or leave huge holes that are never bridged? Is there a point to the story? Does the pacing fit the storyline? Does one chapter flow into another, building to a climax?
109 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Character Development Checklist Readers must feel something for a character. Writers can create an emotional attachment through the following techniques: •
Communication/internal and external dialogue Appearance Back story Ambition/Goal of characters Character Flaws The Everyman – how relatable is the character? Physical or mental weakness/strengths
• • • • • •
Examples of Copy Editing
110 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE WRITING WORKSHOP
Johnnie Bernhard is a traditionally published author of Upmarket Fiction. Her novels, A Good Girl, How We Came to Be, and Sisters of the Undertow explore the dynamics of family, the immigrant story, and the beauty of self-discovery. Her fourth novel, Hannah & Ariela is set for publication in 2022.
111 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
THE PULPWOOD QUEENS' TIARA WEARING, BOOK SHARING, GUIDE TO LIFE celebrates female friendship, sisterhood, and the transformative power of reading. It includes life principles and motivational anecdotes, hilarious and heart-warming stories of friendships among the Queens, and stories from Kathy about the books that have inspired her throughout her life, complete with personalized suggested book lists. 112 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE
Enjoy an excerpt from THE Pulpwood Queen Kathy L. Murphy’s book - it’s recommended reading for everyone who is interested in knowing what it means to be a Pulpwood Queen. “Kathy L. Murphy is the real thing, and she will get America reading if she has to go door-to-door to do it. After you read this, you’ll want to be a Pulpwood Queen too!” Iris Rainer Dart, author of Beaches and Some Kind of Miracle
CHAPTER 6
Grand Opening of Beauty and the Book “I write for no other purpose than to add to the beauty that now belongs to me. I write a book for no other reason than to add three or four hundred acres to my magnificent estate.” —Jack London My belief in service served me well in my first beauty shop, Town & Country Headquarters. How I got into the hair business is not too complicated, really. As I mentioned before, after I graduated from high school I enrolled at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, home of the K-State Wildcats. In retrospect, I think that 113 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
decision was wise, though at the time that was not my original decision. That choice had been made for me. When I was in school every high-school senior had an appointment to sit down with the guidance counselor sometime before he or she graduated. My meeting with my counselor, Mr. Straight, was not productive. “Kathy, tell me. What would you like to do upon graduation?” Mr. Straight asked. “I’ve been thinking about it quite a bit, sir,” I blurted out nervously, “and I think before I continue my education, I would like to travel. I was thinking that maybe I would like to be an airline stewardess. That way I could get to see some of the world, and I could have a job to support myself at the same time while I tried to figure out my future course of study.” “Kathy, which branch of the military would you like to enlist in?” Confused by this sudden change of venue, I corrected, “Sir, I do not want to join any branch of the military’s service. I just want to become an airline stewardess. Don’t they have special schools for that type of career?” “The only airline-stewardess training that I know is through one of the wonderful branches of the armed services.” 114 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE
But, Mr. Straight, one of my parents’ best friends’ girlfriend is an airline stewardess and she went to this stewardess school—I think in Kansas City.” “I think, young lady, you would get more of your parents’ approval if you would attend Kansas State University,” he said as he slid the paperwork across the table in front of me. “You are already pre-approved to attend this fine university, and I have taken the liberty of filling out the paperwork for you. You were accepted based on your excellent grade-point average. I also chose elementary education as your major.” “But Mr. Straight, I really—” “No need to thank me, Miss Murphy,” he said as he stood up and handed me the paperwork. “I am positive your parents will be pleased to have you attend such a fine institution.” He smiled as he walked around the desk and led me out the door. Since I was seventeen and had not yet found my voice, I took the paperwork and enrolled at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. I had always been a good student, though I found college to be a big change. Suddenly, instead of being in classrooms of fifteen to twenty students, I was in auditoriums that held five hundred. I was scared. There 115 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
were professors who seemed to look down their noses at me, who treated me like I was stupid. I knew I wasn’t—I had gotten all As and Bs in high school—but it sure did throw me to be treated like a country bumpkin. All the painful loneliness and intimidation I had felt in elementary school returned. I felt just like I had as a girl from the wrong side of the tracks: not good enough. Outwardly, I think all my friends thought I was fine, but in reality, I was in over my head. I was drowning in fear and too afraid to tell anybody. I spent my first two years in college feeling tongue-tied and humiliated, afraid of just about everyone and everything. It didn’t help that, when I attended my first English 101 class—always one of my best subjects—I was called up to the instructor after class. “Miss Murphy?” the professor announced to the classroom. “Would you please see me after class?” I had raised my hand and nodded yes. After class, I approached her desk. I was wearing cut-off jean short shorts and a halter top, and my long blond hair hung down to my waist. I felt that I was dressed like most of the other students that August in 1974 and looked pretty good with my summer tan from lifeguarding.
116 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE
She looked up. “Miss Murphy?” “Yes, that’s me.” I stood at her desk with my binder clutched to my chest and my knees starting to shake. “I don’t like your looks. I don’t like your attitude. And if you don’t drop this class immediately, I will give you an F. Do you understand what I am saying?” I looked at her in disbelief. Wasn’t I always the teacher’s favorite? What had I done wrong? Find out the rest of the story in Kathy’s Book, THE PULPWOOD QUEENS' TIARA WEARING, BOOK SHARING, GUIDE TO LIFE
117 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
118 OCTOBER 2021
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 OCTOBER 30th 119 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Upcoming Events For Our Members *Taken from our Calendar of Events All events will be posted on The International Pulpwood Queen and Timber Guy Reading Nation Facebook page and on Kathy L. Murphy's YouTube Channel. We encourage everyone to join us live in 2021. Each event is an opportunity to show support, share stories, and make connections! Join Kathy L. Murphy and Robert Gwaltney every Saturday at 6:30pm CST for The Pulpwood Queen Book to Film Club. Links to join are posted on our private PQ Facebook groups under Events.
Guest Host schedule for The Pulpwood Queen Presents Her Picks: Oct 4th - 10th
Jeannette Brown
Oct 11th - 17th
Carolyn Haines
Oct 18th - 24th
Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Oct 25th - 31st
Boo Walker
120 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE UPCOMING EVENTS
Featured Author Schedule for Tuesday Night Online Book Club Links to join are posted on our private PQ Facebook groups under Events. Oct 5th
Jeannette Brown
Oct 12th
Carolyn Haines
Oct 19th
Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Oct 26th
Boo Walker
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.
121 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
122 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE NETWORKING
123 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Pat Conroy Literary Center 601 Bladen Street Beaufort, SC 29902 Thursday through Sunday noon-4:00 p.m. Other times available by appointment 124 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE NETWORKING
“Every voice mattered to my dad.” -Jessica Conroy Inspired by the life and work of writer and mentor Pat Conroy, we envision a global community where every voice matters and where sharing our stories fosters greater empathy and understanding in our lives.
The Pat Conroy Literary Center nurtures a diverse community of writers, readers, teachers, and students by offering educational programs and special events that celebrate the transformative power of story, expanding our impact through collaborations with local and national partners. 125 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
126 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE WE LOVE PAT
127 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
If you’re an author member and would like to purchase a page (or more) to feature your book, I have several pages left in upcoming issues for 2021. (I’ll be taking orders for 2022 soon ) If you’re a member of the International Pulpwood Queen or Timber Guy Book Club and have a story you’d like to share in the READING NATION MAGAZINE, I’d love to hear it. Book Club Members that includes you! 128 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE FYI
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. Maybe you have an interesting blog article you’d like to share that you think our reader’s would enjoy?
Send orders for pages, stories, as well as any questions about the magazine, to readingnationmagazine@gmail.com
129 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
Interview with a Tortoise by Kathy Holzapfel I recently moved to rural, central Georgia and discovered that my sandy, three-acre hill is the perfect habitat for the endangered/threatened Gopher Tortoise. I have 7 active burrows in my yard with tortoises ranging from 2 to 15 inches in shell diameter. When I'm writing on the porch, I get to watch these guys graze on my lawn. It's extremely serene... Except for the morning I found the neighbor's dog out back, tossing around a hockey puck. After hubby chased the dog off, he discovered the puck was a baby tortoise, that we nicknamed Donatella. Here's my interview with that tiny, rescued tort. Donatella: I'm not tiny. I'm condensed. I'm dynamite, stuffed in a shell, with a short fuse. Me: Okay, so-Donatella: I'd also like the record to reflect that I was locked in combat that day. The dog was this close to crying 'uncle.' Then your husband interfered. Me: Interfered? We thought you were dead. Until I put you in a box and you peed. Donatella: Do not tell anyone that. Tell them I was puking after a fierce fight. Show them my WARRIOR tattoo. Me: I took a picture of you next to my hand, for size reference, but I don't see any tats. Donatella: (mumble, mumble) You're lucky I didn't bite 130 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE IF OUR PETS COULD TALK
all your fingers off. Me: Right. Anyway, once you started moving around, I took you back outside. Donatella: Yup. You couldn't keep me since I'm protected under the Endangered Species Act. Me: I put you near a small, abandoned burrow, hoping it would provide shelter until you fully recovered, but you didn't go in right away. I was worried. Donatella: It was a bluff. I wanted to lure the dog back in, so I could finish kicking it's @ss. Me: I checked several times, but you hadn't moved. Then...you just disappeared. Donatella: Hey, I'm a ninja tortoise. I move like smoke. I can disappear into thin air. Or thick air. You should sleep with one eye open.
131 ISSUE NO. 7
THE INTERNATIONAL PULPWOOD QUEEN AND TIMBER GUY BOOK CLUB
132 OCTOBER 2021
READING NATION MAGAZINE
Whether you’re 25, 105, or somewhere in between, many of us are searching for meaning, purpose, and community in our lives. We can’t quite place our finger on what’s missing — yet we’re restless and know there’s something more. Perhaps this journey is new for you. Or maybe you’ve been traveling this road for a while, but haven’t found what you’re seeking. I know what this is like because I’ve traveled this road myself. Along the way I found myself wishing I had a book, a person, something, to make trekking into the unknown easier. And that was the beginning of my idea for the F*ck Your Bucket List trilogy. When I trekked into the unknown, there was no book or person in the world to guide me, no matter how much I looked and sought them out. Life was here to teach me and it became the most important relationship I could ever have. As you work towards learning who you are at the core and unlock your calling, you must be willing to make conscious choices, that can mean leaving things and even people behind as you create an intentional life that brings joy, peace, and meaning. The F*ck the Bucket List trilogy first guides you on a journey of deep reflection and discovery to uncover the wonder that is you. Then book 2 takes you deep into the adventures of trekking into the unknown. And in book 3 the incredible shared stories guide you to learn to trust your own heart and become a dynamic creator of your life. Are you ready to join us on the adventure of a lifetime? Why go it alone? Ayelet Baron, Author & Global Futurist ISSUE NO. 7
133
