Wednesday, February 26, 2014
When Shadows Fall
When Shadows Fall
J.T. Ellison
Series: A Samantha Owens Novel (Book 3)
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA (February 25, 2014)
Idgie Says:
What follows below is an abbreviated, tidied up excerpt of an email I wrote to JT while I was reading her book - an "off the cuff" review.
"I'm currently reading your book, and am about 3/4ths through. All I can say is......Good Job! The reason I'm saying this is that I'm actually reading, and planning on finishing, your novel. I don't generally read the crime/forensic novels such as yours because the characters tend to be so dour and whiny and on the edge of throwing themselves off cliffs that I dislike them, leaving me to not care for the genre at all. I don't want to be depressed the entire time I read a book. But I LIKE your characters! The plot is very intense reading, but you don't have a bunch of whiny ass characters trying to solve a case in the midst of not throwing themselves off cliffs. Your characters are real, with sparkles of not only intelligence but also levity. I'm invested."
What I wrote to JT is quite true. I shy away from these types of books, both for the grimness of plot and also the grimness of the characters. But while the plot still was wince inducing on many levels, the characters were strong people who held my interest.
I plan on going back and reading the first two books in the Samantha Owens Series - I want to know what happened in her life to create the stage she's at now.
That's what good writing does - it makes you willing to go back to the beginning for the full story. Again I say, Good Job, JT!
___________________________________________
Book Description:
Dear Dr. Owens,
If you are reading this letter, I am dead and I would be most grateful if you could solve my murder…
Forensic pathologist Dr. Samantha Owens thought life was finally returning to normal after she suffered a terrible personal loss. Settling into her new job at Georgetown University, the illusion is shattered when she receives a disturbing letter from a dead man imploring her to solve his murder. There's only one catch. Timothy Savage's death was so obviously the suicide of a demented individual that the case has been closed.
When Sam learns Savage left a will requesting she autopsy his body, she feels compelled to look into the case. Sam's own postmortem discovers clear signs that Savage was indeed murdered. And she finds DNA from a kidnapped child whose remains were recovered years earlier.
The investigation takes Sam into the shadows of a twenty-year-old mystery that must be solved to determine what really happened to Timothy Savage. Nothing about the case makes sense but it is clear someone is unwilling to let anyone, especially Samantha Owens, discover the truth.
Q & A with JT HERE
Covers for the two other books in the series.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Southern Voices - the Festival that Never Disappoints
The Southern Voices Festival 2014 happened this past weekend at the Hoover Public Library, Hoover,
Alabama, and as usual,
it was a fantastic display of not only various author's talents, but of what
the Hoover Library provides its patrons.
I want to take a moment to thank ALL of the staff of Hoover, who tirelessly pitch in and make sure it all runs smoothly. It's a huge crew for this Festival and every one of them are warm, welcoming and constantly smiling. I love that I see so many of the same faces each year. In the modern world, it's wonderful to see people embracing a workplace and staying there. I do want to give a special little shout out here to the 3 ladies that are always "on" for this event and make sure it's perfect each year - they work hard at it, but you can see the love and dedication. Thank you Linda, Amanda and Carrie!
It was Year 22 of the Festival
and it in no way appears “tired” or “worn”.
All the attendees were filled with enthusiasm, eagerly waiting for the authors
to come on stage. While waiting, they
were free to wander the entire library and to not only look at the wonderful
photography that Jerry Siegel
has on exhibit there, but to browse the books. I nearly got myself a library card
while I was there.
As usual, the line-up was eclectic,
interesting and social. By this I mean
the authors all had very interesting books in varying genres, spoke with the audience
on many different subjects with nary a book reading among them, and at the same
time all were warm and welcoming to anyone that came up to them. You never had the sense they were only there
to sell their copies. It was an
incredibly friendly and open event. One of the ideals of Southern Voices that I
so enjoy is that they encourage the author not to speak about their books, but
to speak about themselves and how they got to the place in life where they were
inspired to write those books. Those
tend to be very interesting stories.
The author portion of Southern
Voices began Friday night, in the beautiful Library Theatre, with the extremely
poised and accomplished Ann Patchett.
She first spoke at the Festival in 1993 and is one of the few authors
who have been invited back for a second time.
She speaks in a sharply witty style that cuts to the heart of the matter
and keeps you enthralled the entire time.
Never does your mind wander off.
She spoke of altruism, going from her early days of working on magazines
for rent money under assumed names, to becoming what she is today and her
newest great adventure – Parnassus
– her independent book store in Nashville.
She also reminded us that these independent stores, regardless of what
they’re selling, are very important to us.
We are what keeps them all running successfully.
Her talk was followed by a
book signing upstairs in the Plaza area surrounded by scrumptious hors
d'oeuvres and refreshments. Once
again, it was hard to remember you were in a library.
Saturday was a
well-organized rotation of authors between the Library Theatre and the Plaza
area. Two stages were set, on a schedule
that allowed everyone to see all of the authors, allowing for a larger audience
than in the past. They have tried this
the last few years when the demand for tickets quickly outgrew the space Hoover
has and this allows them to grow in size without moving to another venue and
losing so much of the charm of the event. It works wonderfully.
I stayed at the Plaza area
this time and while I thought I would enjoy the Theatre more, I soon found that
the smaller area allowed a much closer view of the authors and it felt
more intimate. I may be sold on that
from now on.
The morning started with
Claire Cook, who told many a fascinating tale of Hollywood movie making. She may be one of the few authors that
watched her book develop into a movie (Must Love Dogs) with good spirits and
enjoyment the entire time. She also
talked about becoming a writer – sticking with it even when it seems an
impossible goal. Her final words – stay real. Your readers will enjoy it all the more when
the author stays true to themselves.
Next up were Therese Anne
Fowler and Steve Yarbrough. Therese
spoke of moving to the South, being perhaps considered an “interloper” by
adopting several Southern ways and segued into her deep fascination of the story
of Zelda Fitzgerald, which led to her “appropriating” Zelda's story to share it in
a new light with readers. Her goal was
to bring Zelda to shine more positively to the world, and not be supported version in that she was just the burden
that F. Scott carried on his shoulders.
Steve spoke of being a
reverse interloper, as a native of Mississippi moving North. He spoke of California, his feelings of loss
of home there, and finding it again in a small town in Massachusetts. He discussed how this reflects in his
writing, no longer basing his books solely in the Mississippi Delta but now branching out to other locations... except California. He then was joined on stage by his daughter,
where they honored us with a few beautifully presented songs.
The next duo tore at the
heartstrings. Both Susan Gregg Gilmore
and Bill Roorbach shared how their lives, and the events surrounding them at
certain times, impacted their novels – both in positive and negative ways. Some novels remind them of times they prefer
to forget, and others are there when they are climbing out of those shadows and embracing life once again. After both made us tear up a bit, they then turned into a
comedy team and had us in stitches laughing at the stories of how they handle
the delicate world of becoming an author and also having enough food on the
table at night. They have a strong
rapport together on stage and think it would be lovely should they do book
tours together.
Jeffrey Small followed them
with a very interesting and convoluted explanation of how neuroscience and
religion joined in his latest novel to create a giant mystery that is part real
science, part faith. The amount of
research that goes into his books exhausts me just thinking about it. His crackling strong interest in his subject
matter leads me to believe you would not only have an interesting book to read,
you would further your education doing so.
The final author of the day
was the hysterically funny and self-depreciating John Searles. He was fully prepared, complete with
powerpoint slides showing his first homemade book, his notes to self on napkins
in restaurants and a particularly hurtful rejection note accidentally left in a
manuscript sent back to him. He went on
to share his experiences at Cosmopolitan magazine, which really should be a
book in itself.
In conclusion, The Hoover
Library offers so much to its patrons.
It’s the most giving and fully resourced library I have come across –
and I have been in a LOT of libraries.
If you happen to find yourself in the Birmingham area, take a few
minutes, stop in, have a bite to eat or a drink in their coffee bar (I cannot
believe they allow food and drink around all these books!) and see what the
other cities are missing.
I’m already waiting for next
year.
________________________________________________________
Links to the author’s pages
can be found by clicking on their names below:
Ann Patchett Claire Cook, Therese Anne Fowler, Susan Gregg Gilmore, Bill Roorbach, John Searles, Jeffrey Small and Steve Yarbrough.
Pictures of the Event can be
found by following
this link.
** All photographs in this story are courtesy of the Hoover
Public Library (originals in the link above).
Thanks Lance!**
Friday, February 21, 2014
Burn, Book 3 of the Pure Trilogy
Burn
Julianna Baggott
Publication Date: February, 2014
Grand Central Publishing
Book 3 of the PURE trilogy
Idgie Says:
I read Pure and I read Fuse. I was a little in anguish in the fact that at the end of Fuse the survivors, revolutionaries - whatever you choose to call them - found an Eden of sorts and the book ended. Then I had to wait and wait for the next book.
I grabbed Burn when it showed up in my mail, eager for the conclusion of the story. As with the first two books, the characters are strongly alive, filled with confusion, fear, hate, and love. They change their minds, their roles, they admit to being unsure of what their roles in life actually are - in other words, extremely human. There is a lot of confusion in who's good, who's bad and who's simply surviving.
I will say now that neither Book 2 nor this one are stand alone - you simply cannot jump into the plot and understand what's going on if you don't begin with Pure. These books do start immediately from where the story in the previous book ends.
The battle between the Dome and the Wretches is in full force. Partridge is one confused boy. We do need to remind ourselves that he is basically a very sheltered boy thrown into the middle of things. He doesn't always make smart choices. Pressia, on the other hand, has pretty much been an adult since she was a child. As one of the wretches, every day involves survival skills. The other men in her life suffer from deep remorse over their past actions and are filled with survivor's guilt. Altogether it makes for a YA story unusually deep in emotion.
I will say that though the ending does leave it open for another book, should the author choose to write one - I believe that this is the final book. It leaves what happens "after" to the imagination.
______________________________
Link to review of PURE
Link to review of FUSE
_______________________________
Book Description:
With his father now dead, Partridge has assumed leadership of the Dome, one of the last few refuges from the ravaged wastelands of the outside world. At first, Partridge is intent on exposing his father's lies, taking down the rigid order of the Dome, and uniting its citizens with the disfigured Wretches on the outside. But from his new position of power, things are far more complex and potentially dangerous than he could have ever imagined.
On the outside, a band of survivors faces a treacherous journey to Dome. Pressia carries with her the key to salvation. If she can get it to the Dome, the Wretches could one day be healed and everyone might be able to put the horrors of the past behind them. Bradwell, the revolutionary, cannot forgive so easily. Despite Pressia's pleas, he is determined to bring down the Dome and hold its citizens accountable for leaving the rest of the world to burn. El Capitan, the former rebel leader, wants to help Pressia save as many lives as possible--but he's struggling to reconcile his newfound compassion with his vicious past.
As former allies become potential enemies, the fate of the world is more uncertain than ever. Will humanity fall to destruction? Or will a new world rise from the ashes?
Julianna Baggott
Publication Date: February, 2014
Grand Central Publishing
Book 3 of the PURE trilogy
Idgie Says:
I read Pure and I read Fuse. I was a little in anguish in the fact that at the end of Fuse the survivors, revolutionaries - whatever you choose to call them - found an Eden of sorts and the book ended. Then I had to wait and wait for the next book.
I grabbed Burn when it showed up in my mail, eager for the conclusion of the story. As with the first two books, the characters are strongly alive, filled with confusion, fear, hate, and love. They change their minds, their roles, they admit to being unsure of what their roles in life actually are - in other words, extremely human. There is a lot of confusion in who's good, who's bad and who's simply surviving.
I will say now that neither Book 2 nor this one are stand alone - you simply cannot jump into the plot and understand what's going on if you don't begin with Pure. These books do start immediately from where the story in the previous book ends.
The battle between the Dome and the Wretches is in full force. Partridge is one confused boy. We do need to remind ourselves that he is basically a very sheltered boy thrown into the middle of things. He doesn't always make smart choices. Pressia, on the other hand, has pretty much been an adult since she was a child. As one of the wretches, every day involves survival skills. The other men in her life suffer from deep remorse over their past actions and are filled with survivor's guilt. Altogether it makes for a YA story unusually deep in emotion.
I will say that though the ending does leave it open for another book, should the author choose to write one - I believe that this is the final book. It leaves what happens "after" to the imagination.
______________________________
Link to review of PURE
Link to review of FUSE
_______________________________
Book Description:
With his father now dead, Partridge has assumed leadership of the Dome, one of the last few refuges from the ravaged wastelands of the outside world. At first, Partridge is intent on exposing his father's lies, taking down the rigid order of the Dome, and uniting its citizens with the disfigured Wretches on the outside. But from his new position of power, things are far more complex and potentially dangerous than he could have ever imagined.
On the outside, a band of survivors faces a treacherous journey to Dome. Pressia carries with her the key to salvation. If she can get it to the Dome, the Wretches could one day be healed and everyone might be able to put the horrors of the past behind them. Bradwell, the revolutionary, cannot forgive so easily. Despite Pressia's pleas, he is determined to bring down the Dome and hold its citizens accountable for leaving the rest of the world to burn. El Capitan, the former rebel leader, wants to help Pressia save as many lives as possible--but he's struggling to reconcile his newfound compassion with his vicious past.
As former allies become potential enemies, the fate of the world is more uncertain than ever. Will humanity fall to destruction? Or will a new world rise from the ashes?
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Daddy's In The Closet, and He's Staying There!
A while back I shared a true story with a wonderful on-line magazine who I wish on a regular basis that the Dew could reach the same level as. But I continue to be the hack in the corner who regularly forgets to proof-read and edit her own work.........and I can't draw..... so...
Regardless, I hear their new issue will be coming out soon and that reminded me of my lowly contribution to them. I thought I would share it here with ya'll. Keep your ears and eyes out - I'll let you know when their new issue is ready for our eyes!
You can read this entire story HERE.
Regardless, I hear their new issue will be coming out soon and that reminded me of my lowly contribution to them. I thought I would share it here with ya'll. Keep your ears and eyes out - I'll let you know when their new issue is ready for our eyes!
You can read this entire story HERE.
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