MINGObyW.JeffBarnes

Reviewed by Lisa Turley

This debut novel by W. Jeff Barnes, a Reader’s Favorites Book Award Winner, is one of the best books I've read! Whether it's the nostalgia of being a West Virginian, the memories it brings back from my dad and gramps being coal miners or the outstanding storytelling skills of the author, this book kept me rapt from the first page!

Set in the coal fields of WV in the early 1900's, brothers Bascom and Durwood fight not only the conflict of the coal wars, but also the inner conflict of being on opposing sides of the battle.

The author did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life and showing the true essence of selfless love.

There are so many lessons to be learned in this story as well as a lot of history about my home state that I was thrilled to discover.

This is a must read and I can't wait to see what this up and coming author brings next!

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the word out about their books.

by Cherime MacFarlane

She lived beyond where they blasted through rock and the road is only one lane wide. Above the river, she had a small cabin. She wasn’t too vocal about what brought her to Eastern Alaska. In those days, you didn’t ask. Maybe the person would say, maybe not.

B.J. lived alone in the small cabin on the bluff above the Copper River. We met at the local bar. Other than the church and the school, the only place to socialize. The two of us gravitated together almost immediately. She knew how to do things I needed to learn. Dad told me how it was living in the country, but I’d never had hands on experience. B.J. reiterated all Dad said with a few little Alaska quirks I hadn’t thought of. Since we hadn’t yet spent a winter in the bush, I paid attention.

During the winter, I put into practice what I’d learned. Come summer, things took a decided turn. My ex, already on the wrong end of alcohol, fell into the bottle. But it didn’t come to a head until the following spring.

The man got it into his head that we weren’t going to the laundry for showers and to wash dirty clothes. No, we were leaving him. Drunk as it gets, he got on one knee and tried to shoot a tire out. That was a big failure. It wound up with him in treatment and me handling everything a man that summer.

He started drinking again. We were over. I went to B.J. and I talked for hours. I realized I needed to leave. She didn’t pressure me but let me come to it in my own time. I never saw her again. B.J. was a friend when I needed one.

Cherime MacFarlane is an award-winning, bestselling, prolific multi-genre author. She has a broad range of interests that reflect her been there-done that life. Discover more about Cherime on the Mom’s Favorite Reads website: https://moms-favorite-reads.com/moms-authors/cherime-macfarlane/