Seasoned Readers Falling into Goodness

 

P.J. Nelson

ISBN: 9781250909978

Publisher's Synopsis:

Madeline Brimley recently inherited a bookstore in Enigma, Georgia, is embarking on her second career, after her first one (acting) founder upon the metaphorical rocks. Settling in, Madeline recruits her friend Gloria Coleman, the local Episcopal priest, to help her plant azaleas in the front yard of the old Victorian that houses the bookstore. Turning the soil, however, uncovers the body of one Beatrice Glassie, a troublesome woman who has been missing for the past six months.

When her friend Gloria is arrested for the murder, Madeline is determined to prove her innocence and, as she quickly finds out, there aren't many people in town who hadn't wanted to kill Bea Glassie at one point or another. And the very expensive and rare first edition of a particular volume of Grimm's Fairy Tales—ordered by the victim and her sister is somehow tied to the grim death. With the help of her not-quite-boyfriend, a local lawman, and her deceased aunt's best friend, Madeline plans to set a trap to catch the real murderer—before she becomes the next victim.

"So, I just sat in the calm of the early evening, 

surrounded by all the books and memories

and gentle ghosts..."

MrsK's Review: Mystery

Meet Madeline, a gutsy woman who shares her thoughts freely. She's just beginning to settle into her new routine of running the Old Juniper Bookshop in Georgia. Given Enigma's beautiful setting, she values her friendships, her college patrons, and a certain gardener.  She is at home in a lovely Victorian home/bookshop where one entire parlor has the best collection of old books that are not for sale but only for a cozy moment or two visit. Little did she know that her soon to be planted rose garden would become a major cause of concern.

Gloria is a "feisty" Episcopal priest whose church is across the street from the bookshop. She's an excellent gardener and has a wit that is quite sharp. With encouragement, as well as some planting encouragement... she will be helping plant Maddy's Aunt Rose's roses in the desperately needed front yard of the bookshop.

David is the extraordinary gardener who thinks in "seasons," enjoys being around Maddy, and is becoming the one and only for Maddy... she just doesn't know it yet. He works at the college's beautiful greenhouse, the one place where her Aunt Rose's hybrid roses are thriving.

The day Maddy broke ground in the front yard, all things came to a screaming halt, literally while she was prying a rock from the ground Gloria let out a "tearing noise" that was part horrifying and part not a noise a "priest" should be making. It wasn't a rock... it was a skull. Who buried someone in the front yard of her aunt's bookshop? When did they bury this body? Who is the body in front of the bookshop?

Billy is the soon to be sheriff, who happens to have been babysat by Maddy all those years ago. 

Dr. Philomena Waldrop, a therapist, was Rose's best friend. When she didn't inherit the bookshop, she burned down the gazebo. But that was six months ago and now she has left the institution to visit with Maddy. Maddy knew that Phil's life was "well-ordered." Plus, she had a full class load at the college. Will she be a comfort or a misery to Maddy now that this body has been unearthed?

Idell Classie, she is the younger sister to Beatrice (a pillar in the town and a bit crazy). Idell was one of the "regulars" at the bookshop. Her sister has been on an extended trip, and most of the time Idell lives in the shadow of Beatrice. 

As soon as the body is identified, Maddy is contacted by special GBI investigators, why the interest over the skeleton in which the sheriff believes is a possible murder? Where is the most expensive antique book that Jennifer, the bookshop assistant, discovered was a special order for Beatrice? Could it be one of the reasons for the skeleton in her yard? Why have they arrested Gloria? Maddy must weave all of the strange clues together... after all the local church must remain lead by Gloria who has been such an inspiration in their community.

"... I couldn't help recalling a line that Rose always used to quote,

'The bookshop has a thousand books, all colors, hues, and tinges,

and every cover is a door, that turns on magic hinges."

For a cup of hot cider, a blanket, and a few moments turning pages, this mystery will entertain your evening with character's whose voices will humor you and frustrate the mysterious discovery outside of the Old Juniper Bookshop...

Enjoy this season of cozy reads,

MrsK

Meet the Author:

  

PJ NELSON is the pseudonym of an award-winning actor, dramatist, professor, and novelist (among other many other professions) who has done just about everything except run a bookstore. PJ lives in Decatur, Georgia.

Laura Childs

ISBN: 9780593815441

Publisher's Synopsis:

Theodosia Browning and her tea sommelier, Drayton Conneley, are tapped to cater the elegant wedding of Bettina and Jamie. Theodosia and Drayton are setting up when they hear a crash from the greenhouse. Shockingly, they discover that part of the roof has collapsed trapping the bride and groom. He will pull through, but his beloved is no more. Theodosia is convinced it was murder.

Black tablecloths with purple lace...

silver candelabras with black candles...

white pumpkins... and antique Gothic novels...

Your Victorian is served...

MrsK's Review: Cozy Tea Mystery

The Killer: Yes-sir-re-Bob, that's the first person you will meet! Someone unknown in camo, black pants, and sunglasses. Definitely not humble enough to enjoy the setting or respectful of the beauty arrangements for the wedding at the Foxtail Flower Farm.

Meet Theodosia the caterer from the Indigo Tea Shop. She is the owner of the tea shop, one that I wish was in my hometown. Her clever attention to the fine details, the recipes, and the monthly tea venues is beyond inspiring. Her tea sommelier, Drayton, is versed in tea creations that makes your everyday cup of tea seem uninspired. Her chef and baker, Haley, masterly creates scrumptious menus and delectable scones.

Meet Jamie and his bride Bettina it's their wedding that will become a scene of devastation and wreckage. Celeste is the maid of honor who is curious about how the "closed" greenhouse has been decorated. Will their wedding continue?

Meet Riley, he is Theodosia's detective in the Charleston Polie Department. He is the foundational support for all things Theodosia, including every step and observation of her sleuthing chaos.

There are so many cozy moments woven within this "crazed murdering mystery." Cozy detailed settings like Maddy's delightful cottage complete with a chintz-covered" chair. An October, Victorian Tea, that is decorated to the ninth power, as well as a dash of historical facts. Favorite fall recipes to be practiced in your kitchen. Cobblestone lanes to wander with an invite to the town's "A Walk Among the Tombstones," or what is known as the Cemetery Crawl.

Are you ready... or not...

Have a spookingly yummy time,

MrsK

"When everything went paws up,

she could always come home to this."

Meet the Author:

 Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

   

James Patterson & Brian Stitts

ISBN: 9781538703953

Publisher's Synopsis:

Only two people know Lamont Cranston's secret identity as the Shadow, a vigilante of justice: his greatest love, Margo Lane -- and his fiercest enemy, Shiwan Khan. Then Khan ambushes the couple, who have the slimmest chance of survival ... in the uncertain future.

A century and a half later, Lamont awakens in a world both unknown and disturbingly familiar. The first person he meets is Maddy Gomes, a teenager with her own mysterious secrets, including a more than passing familiarity with the legend of the Shadow.

Most disturbing, Khan's power continues to be felt over the city and its people. No one in this new world understands the dangers of stopping him better than Lamont Cranston. He also knows he's the only one who stands a chance. The Shadow must prove that he's not only a super crime-fighter, but an icon.

 

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? 

The Shadow knows..."

MrsK's Review: Nostalgia Mystery & Sci-Fi

It's 1937 when Lamont and Margo were at the Jack & Charlie's 21 Club it was to be a special night. Margo had always been full of surprises; she is the only one who truly knows Lamont's real identity. This night, Lamont had his own surprise. A few sips of Champaign, a click of their forks, and they began their first bites of their snowy-white lobster... and that's when Margo dropped her fork as white foam began oozing out of her mouth.

In 2087 Maddy is in class, waiting for roll call to be finished. High school today has bars on the windows to keep students locked in their classrooms. Teachers can only read the daily notes. Since the grid shut down ten years ago, all cell phones had to be turned in. Of course, Maddy had hers hidden. For now, students weren't allowed out of the classroom without an armed guard. But Maddy knew that once she was led to the bathroom; she could leave the building without any trouble. Maddy always had a way to change people's minds. She barely remembers her parents and currently lives with her Grandma. Once outside, she felt her decision to drop out of her last few months of her senior year and today was that day. She would need to be cautious, the TinGrins were everywhere but she had an appointment she had to keep.

Creighton Poole is an attorney, even though in today's world there isn't much work. Not since the World's President was announced had anyone needed a lawyer. In fact, this afternoon's appointment was a 1937 generational agreement that was to be given as an inheritance to Maddy when she turned eighteen. This will be his official legal appointment.

President Gismonde is a dark leader. His motives are not what you would call "pure" or legit. His Chief of staff, Sonor Breece, a man who carryout's every decision that President Gismonde commands. Including but not limited to mass poisoning of the locals.

Dr. Fletcher is the guardian for Lamont's estate. He is currently engaged at an undisclosed area... that is until Maddy shows up. From that point on, he will release the care of one "decelerated" body of one Mr. Lamont Cranston.

"What time is it?

Twelve o'clock.

And what day is it?

July 1st, 2087."

Are you ready for a Sci-Fi mystery that ended in 1937, only to begin once more in 2087? Patterson and Sitts will not let you down. I was hoping this novel would be the Sadow I listened to once upon a time, what I got was a full day and half of turning pages.

Are you ready to know what only the Shadow knows?

MrsK

Read more about the original Shadow

Meet the Authors:

 James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

 

 
Brian Sitts is an author known for his engaging storytelling and collaborations with James Patterson, with notable works including "Holmes, Marple & Poe" and "The Perfect Assassin." He is an award-winning advertising creative director and television writer. He has collaborated with bestselling author James Patterson on various projects, contributing to both adult and children's literature. He resides in Peekskill, New York, with his wife, Jody.

 

Karen Barnett

ISBN: 9780825448539

Publisher's Synopsis:

In 1948, Zion National Park ranger Henry Eriksson and his wife, Alma, are less than one year removed from their infant son's sudden death in a flash flood, and the weight of the loss hasn't diminished with time. When Henry discovers an abandoned baby in a hatbox on his morning rounds, he's unsure how to react, but Alma is delighted, and she reignites with purpose at what seems to be a miracle from God.

Nearly eighty years later, Talia Eriksson leaves her job at an athleisure company in Palo Alto, California, in disgrace and returns to Zion National Park to reconnect with her grandfather and review her life goals. But when an at-home DNA test exposes family secrets, Talia and her newfound friend, law enforcement ranger Blake Mitchell, work together to search for answers.

Talia navigates the rocky path into her past with Blake by her side, what she discovers may alter everything she knew to be true about herself. With the uncertain future looming, Talia must learn that family is deeper than genetics and that trusting God can mean being still and clinging to the Rock.

"The 'sweet-sweet-sweeter-than sweet' notes of the

yellow warbler set the tone for the day

far better a bacon-and-egg breakfast."

MrsK's Review: Mystery, National Parks

May 15, 1948, at Zion National Park a foundling was discovered. Henry had welcomed and cherished every new sunrise, yet since his son's disappearance, he knew his wife, Alma, needed a new location. Grief has not been kind. Familiar aches could rush in like a flash flood. Every trail, every sunrise or sunset held sorrow. It was time for a transfer. This day started like so many and then in one moment of time he discovered a leather hatbox sitting in the dirt on a trail he rode every morning. The minute the foundling was in his arms, Henry knew he had to protect Alma from the sorrow a little one would rekindle. Yet, when Alma hears of the baby boy... she is determined it was a gift that would not be kept from her.

Eighty years later, Talia is surprised by one encounter that will create a stream of unsettling discoveries. She has just launched her first ZetaWear designs for those who explore the great outdoors. Given the urgency of the undisclosed product danger, will she be boldly accepted at her staff presentation? Could her day be any more tangled? How she longed for the "playground of her youth... the beauty of nature that could instill not only peace but a longing for spiritual understanding."

Pops is Talia's grandfather. He lives in Zion Canyon, which would be a great escape for Talia. His door is always opened to Talia. Will this be the refuge she runs to? Given his ancestry roots, he was proud of their Scandinavian roots, as well as his wife's Spanish background. He trusted that Talia would live up to any challenge facing her future. He knew that prayer always "thinned the boundary between earth and heaven." 

Ranger Mitchell, Blake, has just stopped Talia as she drives from ZetaWear to Zion. As an Army vet, he knew that if someone was in a location they shouldn't be, people could be hurt. Why would he have thought about Talia? After all, she was a bit of a menace, yet intriguing.

Myrtle is the shop owner who has recently hired Talia. She has known her grandfather who encouraged Talia's hiring. She's a bit on edge with Taliia's ideas to reorganize the store, yet maybe her ideas might bring new customers in. Could there be more to Talia then what she might bring to the store? Is there more to be known?

This novel brings so many moments of comfort; the characters are so well developed they truly speak for their selves. The plot, action, and beauty of the national park is expertly woven into a heart-warming discovery of life. Karen's eloquent quote represents what this novel will reveal: "Zion is a good place to seek truth. God's voice can be heard through the water and the stone. Be still and listen." 

MrsK

"How does one make decisions on their own?"

"Lord, you lead me by still waters."

Meet the Author:

 Karen Barnett is the award-winning author of the Vintage National Parks Novels, the Golden Gate Chronicles (Out of the Ruins, Beyond the Ashes, Through the Shadows), and MISTAKEN. She lives in Oregon with her husband, two kids, and a bevy of furry friends.

  RangerBear

I’ve had RangerBear for many years, but when I started publishing the Vintage National Parks novels, I decided to take some photos of him for social media. A friend (Rachel McMillan, I’m looking at you!) suggested starting an Instagram page for him. Seriously, I had NO IDEA what I was getting into.

Meet RangerBear - Karen Barnett

RangerBear_Adventures took off pretty quickly. My husband and I had fun snapping photos of him at various landmarks and national parks (much to our teenagers’ dismay). Pretty soon, friends were asking if he could accompany them on their travels. Now RangerBear has visited quite an array of parks and historic sites around the country and even become known among the National Park Service Rangers. I’ll never forget when I stopped at the entrance booth at Yellowstone National Park and the ranger checking my park pass spotted him on the dash. “Is that RangerBear? WAIT–are you from RangerBear_Adventures?!”

Susan U. Neal

ISBN: 9781733644334

Publisher's Synopsis:

In How to Sell 1,000 Books a Month, award-winning author and book marketing expert Susan Neal reveals proven strategies to dramatically increase your book sales and move you closer to becoming one of the best sellers' books in your genre. Whether you're a first-time author or a seasoned writer, this guide is packed with step-by-step tools to help you share your God-given message with thousands of readers.

This resource doesn’t just tell you what to do—it shows you how to do it. Detailed action plans show both new and veteran Christian authors how to get their books to rise through the ranks of the bestsellers list. With Susan’s proven methods, you’ll build a marketing plan that works, plan a powerful launch, and make the most of tools like Amazon ads—all to help you achieve your dream of selling 1,000 books a month.

"Create a teaser that sparks interest...

that will make them eager to discover more..."

MrsK's Review:

Whether you have dreams of writing your own book, deciding to blog your life's journey, dreams of opening your own bookstore, or just hoping to gain the most valuable insights into what works well for writers... this book is beyond valuable.

Writing styles vary according to what your interests are, as well as how well you can engage your readers with your unique voice. We are all on a journey, there are so many opportunities to begin writing your own experiences. If you haven't already started journaling and sketching, creating a writer's journal is a wonderful beginning. My journals are about my growth and maturity as I age, think wisdoms to pass on. Or my educational journals are filled with classroom best practices. Maybe a story or two could be discovered within those penned pages.

With that in mind, this writer's handbook is on target. Beginning with knowing your audience, I was pleasantly grateful that my writer's workshop proved its alignment... goal setting is by far crucial. Next bull's eye expanded my thoughts about developing my online presence. I could not quit marking this chapter with notes for the soon to open Pages Turned bookshop! The supportive guidance for self-publishing lessened my anxiety about publishing Inspired Learning's homeschooling webpage.

This step-by-step power tool is so well organized, user friendly, highly encouraging, and worth more than most of the numerous college courses I've experienced (other than fifteen years of meeting authors. I valued the marketing suggestions, after all... even this book blog can use more readers!

This is a perfect winter browse, read, notate your thoughts for your own publishing dreams... and have plenty of reader flags and hi-lighters...

Applause, applause, applause Susan... this is a "must have" keeper, your voice rings true, I felt as if we were having a one-one session,

MrsK

"God has a unique way of whispering to our hearts

stories only we can tell."

Meet the Author:

 Have you ever dreamed of publishing a book and selling thousands of copies? Susan Neal can help you fulfill your writing dreams. She has consistently sold a thousand books every quarter for the past couple of years.
Would you like to get more sales for a published book? Susan can teach you how to book a podcast tour as she obtained over twenty guest interviews in six months on her most recent tour. Take her course, How to Sell 1000 Books in Three Months. This course covers both pre-publication planning and marketing strategies to sell more books.

Seasoned Readers Summertime Retreats

Kate Carlisle

ISBN: 9780593201459

Publisher's Synopsis:

Brooklyn has been happily settling into married life with her hunky husband, security expert Derek Stone, when a little black book arrives in the mail on a quiet Saturday afternoon. The book is a rare British first edition of Rebecca, and inside, Brooklyn finds a note from her old friend Claire Quinn, asking her to restore it to its former luster. The two women met while working as expert appraisers on the television show This Old Attic. Brooklyn appraised books on the show and Claire's expertise was in antique British weaponry, but they bonded over their shared love of gothic novels.

The day after the book arrives, Claire shows up at Brooklyn and Derek's home--in disguise. She believes her life is in danger, and as soon as Derek sits her down and questions her, Claire reveals that in the last few weeks she has experienced two near-fatal attacks, along with weird notes left in her mailbox, hang-up phone calls, and one very scary car chase. She's afraid that her past is catching up to her. When Claire was only nine years old, she witnesed several men, one of whom was her father, planning a terrible crime. And now it seems that she's been followed, bringing the threats against her literally to Brooklyn's doorstep. Can Brooklyn page through the clues to keep her friend's past from destroying their future?

"How can I make you whole again? 

How can I improve your life?"

MrsK's Review: Bibliophile Mystery

Meet Brooklyn a bookbinder who specializes in rare book restorations. She and her husband, Derek, has just returned from a trip to Dharma. Even though she was preparing to begin repairing the latest book in need of repair, her husband informed her that someone has sent her a book from Oddlochen, Scotland. What brought momentary joy became one of the most "life-threatening" journeys for both of them.

Derek is a security expert who is charming, considerate, and the one man you would want around when so many mysterious and murdering situations are part of your everyday life. 

Alex is a former CIA operative who has her own business. She enjoys baking some of the "tastiest" cupcakes any friend in need would appreciate. As a neighbor who just happens to be as dangerous as Derek, obviously joins the hunt for those who are in a violent "race" to steal Rebecca.

Gwyneth is someone that worked with Derek. Why would she be sending Derek a book? It should have come for Brooklyn. Even though a first, British, signed edition of Rebecca is beyond value, a suspense novel is not necessarily a gift that Derek would be interested in. Until... 

Claire once worked on a television show that featured treasured heirlooms, she and Brookly once shared a bookish comradery. It's a while since they were in contact with one another. Claire is an antique weaponry specialist. Why is she at their door looking for Derek? 

Inspector Lee can be cynical, yet she is fair with precision instincts and will do what is needed to get these killers before anyone else succumbs. 

Could a book in need of repair really cause murderers to begin showing up? Would any of Derek's Interpol contacts be of assistance? Will they locate Gwyneth? Why would an "odd and dramatic" gothic mystery be so important that killers would travel to and from Scotland? Evidently, it is true... 

"Books can kill!"

"It's all about the book. Every time Brooklyn and Derek are dragged into something dangerous... well let's just say... even owning a book could cost you! 

With excellent story-weaving threads, perfectly crafted characters, many moments of playful bantering, an intriguing Victorian castle by the Loch, and cryptographic codes... this book will fulfill your hours with every page turned.

MrsK

Meet the Author:

 Golden Heart and Daphne du Maurier Award winning author Kate Carlisle spent over twenty years working in television production as an Associate Director for game and variety shows, including The Midnight Special, Solid Gold and The Gong Show. She traveled the world as a Dating Game chaperone and performed strange acts of silliness on The Gong Show. She also studied acting and singing, toiled in vineyards, collected books, joined a commune, sold fried chicken, modeled spring fashions and worked for a cruise ship line, but it was the year she spent in law school that finally drove her to begin writing fiction. It seemed the safest way to kill off her professors. Those professors are breathing easier now that Kate spends most of her time writing near the beach in Southern California where she lives with her perfect husband.

A lifelong love of old books and an appreciation of the art of bookbinding led Kate to create the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. Kate is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. She loves to drink good wine and watch other people cook.

Jenn McKinlay

ISBN: 9780425242186

Publisher's Synopsis:

Lindsey is getting into her groove as the director of the Briar Creek Public Library when a New York editor visits town, creating quite a buzz. Lindsey’s friend Beth wants to sell the editor her children’s book, but Beth’s boyfriend, a famous author, gets in the way. When they go to confront him, he’s found murdered—and Beth is the prime suspect. Lindsey has to act fast—before they throw the book at the wrong person.

"There is nothing better than sharing..."

MrsK's Review: Mystery + Book about Books

Meet Lindsey, the director of the Briar Creek Library. Currently she is learning to knit during the "crafternoon" book club. The book club is discussing du Maurier's Rebecca and its comparison to Jane Eyre. Lindsey knows what is like to find out that there's another woman in a relationship. She will be the one who will help Beth uncover the truth about Rick's true identity.

Violet is a retired actress who volunteers at the Briar Creek Community Theater. She will be stepping in for Beth. As a Little Red Hen storyteller, she will captivate the fun of Storytime even when her young audience lets her know "she stinks."

Beth is the perfect children's librarian. If I was back in the classroom/library, I would take her Mrs. Potts Storytime into a real book-stomping experience. Currently, Beth has just finished her picture book. Given that her boyfriend, Rick, is an author, she was hoping he would help her get her treasured story published, yet that unfortunately becomes a challenge... especially since he is found dead! Now Beth is determined to find out "who" she was really dating.

Finally, there's Ms. Cole, the librarian who has lived out her life in Briar Creek. As with every older and steadfast librarian, well let's be kind and just say she is very set in her ways of how all employees should be following the protocol and steps that were designed years ago. I wonder, will Lindsey's kindness create a new measure of possibilities to Ms. Cole's daily routines?

Sydney is an editor, which just happens to be Rick's editor. A friend of the library mentioned Beth's book and set up a lunch date for Beth to discuss publishing her book. Unfortunately, this editor believes that Beth is not the author of the picture book she's looking at. Why would an editor have such a strong reaction to an author's manuscript? What does she know? Will she be willing to reveal "who" Rick really is?

Can anyone resist the joy of discovery when you first enter a public library. So many books, quiet contemplations, whispering discussions, the enticing book spines... just awaiting its newest reader.

Match a library + a reader and add a dash of murder. 

Is there a better way to curl up in your favorite spot for an evening of sleuthing?

MrsK

"Perhaps no place in any community 

is so totally democratic as the 

town library.

The only entrance requirement...

is interest."

Lady Bird Johnson

Meet the Author:

 Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. She is also the winner of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for romantic comedy and the Fresh Fiction award for best cozy mystery. A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk books, writing, reading, and the creative process to anyone who cares to listen. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with books, pets, and her husband’s guitars.

Heather Fawcett

ISBN: 9780593724729

Publisher's Synopsis:

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.

"Yet within these pages, like specimens threaded with pins

and trapped behind glass...

is every species of faerie yet encountered by man..."

MrsK's Review: Fantasy

Emily is not an easy character to figure out, especially since she tries to be self-sufficient with a streak of stubborn focus that leads to many difficulties. Granted, I knew nothing about fairies beyond Tink. Yet, spending a lifetime exploring the "Hidden Ones," their cultural homelands, their folklore, and some of their magic explains Emily's newest exploration of Hrafnsvik, Ljosland (a five-day journey from London). Though she is an excellent researcher, a scholar from Cambridge, and an authority on Dryadology, she is not at ease around people. Emily is at her best with her books, research, as well as her devotion of her quest in completing the first encyclopedia of faeries.

Shadow is Emily's faithful companion and protector. With what appears to be an "accusatory resignation," he will be more than an overgrown... slightly blind... boarhound.

Finn is the landowner's son. He is kindhearted, willing to help Emily in the rough weather of winter (especially with the wood-cutting), and the one who will gather the villagers when Emily is in dire straits. Finn's understanding of the "Wee Folks" is that they are child sized. The "Brownies" are the ones that involve themselves in the lives of mortals (thefts, curses, or blessings). The "Trouping Fae" is those who travel in groups, especially the winter ones. Then there are the "Tall ones," who are more than unkind to the humans. Finn will be the one who introduces Emily to Aud, the village headwoman.

Bambleby is Emily's coworker, co-author, and prolific professor at Cambridge. Even though he appears entertaining, there is much about him that Emily doesn't trust. Self-assured and extremely knowledgeable about the most unknown Fae behaviors, he tends to tell Emily what she shouldn't do. Why he has decided to come and "stay" with her is beyond what Emily wants. He has an extreme way of irritating her to the point of distraction. Will he try to be the sole author of her research? Will he be a guardian over Emily or will Emily be his guardian? 

Aud, the headwoman in the village. Displease her, and everyone will follow her decision. She is more than wise; she knows firsthand the way of the Faes. She is wise about healings and curses. Will she encourage the village to welcome Emily and discuss their stories of the Hidden Ones, or will she shun Emily? She will be needed for Emily to be accepted and out of danger.

Poe is the first brownie that Emily meets in Ljosland. He admires Emily's coat and becomes willing to barter with her for his fresh baked bread (a staple that her landlord doesn't have any chef ability other than burnt). Poe's tree is not far from where Emily is staying. He has met Bambleby and isn't comfortable around him. Poe will be instrumental in the knowledge about the hidden ones. As he fellowships with Emily, he becomes the most endearing of characters.

Throughout the weaving of the story, you will be delighted that Emily has provided foot notes to educate you about all things dealing her faerie research. For a reader like me, this proved beneficial, especially on the pages in which your mind swirls around the lore of the Hidden Ones. A brilliant addition to Emily's research is the inserted tales from the village. These are delightful folklore that helped you stay connected to the thread that the village knows life with the Hidden Ones.

If fantasy, folk tales, and fairies have been your reading destination. You can't miss this series. If you once enjoyed Disney's Tink or Lady Cottington's Fairy Album or Fairies by Brian Froud and Alan Lee, then you will want to add this series to your forever shelf...

MrsK

"The forest has a different quality now, girded with winter.

It no longer dozes among its autumn finery...

but holds itself in tension, watchful and waiting."

"A faerie stone with a crack running down it, has been spent and is thus harmless.

An intact stone should be left untouched..."

Meet the Author:

 I'm the author of books for adults and children, including Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Even the Darkest Stars, Ember and the Ice Dragons, The School Between Winter and Fairyland, and more.

Leanne Morgan

ISBN: 9780593594391

Publisher's Synopsis:

From dealing with your mean teenage daughter to rebelling against the latest diet trend, America’s newest standup sensation packs a hilarious punch with her real talk about what it’s like to be a regular woman today. For a long time, no one pulling the strings in the comedy world thought that an over-fifty woman from rural Tennessee could make it in the industry. But Leanne Morgan has defied the odds, reaching millions with her musings on menopause, Weight Watchers, and her opposites-attract relationship with her husband, Chuck. In her charming, Southern-accented voice, Morgan brings readers inside her quest to find her calling after so many years trying to figure out what that meant. Along the way, she discusses everything from growing up as a butcher’s daughter, to her strategy for landing a husband with health insurance, to the glories of aging and the comfort of wearing big old grannie panties. Equal parts warm and hilarious, this book is a must-read by one of comedy’s rising stars—reminding you that every time life leaves you asking, “What in the world?”, something good is going to come out of it someday.

"Is there a more beautiful sight than thousands of darling,

women laughing so hard they wee-wee themselves?"

MrsK's Review: Reality Fiction/Humorous

Were you someone who took home economics back in the day? Do you talk enough for you and your spouse? Have you ever been to a convention or comedy hour in which it was pure wisdom that you were wearing a pad? If so, this could be the book that brings a smile, an outright laughing spree, or a moment in which you discover you really aren't as off balanced as others might think you are!

In her mid-fifties, Leanne has found her calling as a Grand Ole Opry and Netflix comedian. She has an unabashed outlook on life. She is a southern woman who has "ridden the roller coaster" of life. Family life on a ranch brought many skills, including stocking shelves, watching her daddy butcher their livestock, and sitting at the cash register to spin her tales.

She was influenced by Clorox TV ads, Vanna White's ability to turn those letters, and Paul Lynde's dazzling wit. In college, she was influenced by Erica Kane, crazy right? With a failed marriage she began searching for her future. With a degree and husband, what comes next... babies with maybe a side career in showbiz.

While Leanne begins believing in herself, she was still being a mom. Sometimes we are in a wait room for God's timing. Sometimes there's a reason that interrupts our journey, yet when all is aligned the past pathways always makes sense as we grow into our new seasons. As a mother of three, doing comedy clubs where college-aged kids enjoyed her take on life as a T-Ball mom and jokes about "confusing poop with chocolate" were funny.

This was a gift of joy and giggles. We all reach those seasons when we can get "stuck" in the corners of our minds. If you need an uplifting, straight talking discovery, you will enjoy these short passages of hope, can-do, and definitely relatable moments of truth. We aren't in this alone, sometimes it takes an honest voice to get us going for it...

MrsK 

"I needed to learn to be grateful for the valleys because

God had me there for a reason... and Hallelujah,

it gave me great stories to tell."

  
Leanne Morgan is a comedian, actress, writer, producer, wife, mother, and grandmama. Her first Netflix special, I’m Every Woman, was one of the most-watched specials on Netflix in 2023. Leanne has been named to the Forbes 50 Over 50 list and Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch list. When she’s not on the road, Leanne loves to be at home in Knoxville, Tennessee, with her husband, three children, two grandbabies, and beagle.

Jim Minick

ISBN: 9780312571429

Publisher's Synopsis:

"A truly inspiring story, in gorgeous prose, about one family's journey into blueberry farming. Delicious reading.", Naomi Wolf, author of "The End of America". The Blueberry Years is a mouth-watering and delightful memoir based on Jim Minick's trials and tribulations as an organic blueberry farmer. This story of one couple and one farm shows how our country's appetite for cheap food affects how that food is grown, who does or does not grow it, and what happens to the land. But this memoir also calls attention to the fragile nature of our global food system and our nation's ambivalence about what we eat and where it comes from. Readers of Michael Polland and Barbara Kingsolver will savor the tale of Jim's farm and the exploration of larger issues facing agriculture in the United States like the rise of organic farming, the plight of small farmers, and the loneliness common in rural America. Ultimately, The Blueberry Years tells the story of a place shaped by a young couple's dream, and how that dream ripened into one of the mid-Atlantic's first certified-organic, pick-your-own blueberry farms.

"They come to fill buckets and pans, canning jars, freezer bags,

pie crusts, and always the ever-waiting tongue. They come to visit

and eat, to sate the hungers of loneliness and body."

MrsK's Review: Memoir/Autobiography

Once in a while a book's cover attracts your attention and you pick it up to see what journey would await you. This wasn't a typical find, I wasn't considering it as a summer read, and yet since my days with Blueberries for Sal... my absolute favorite berry of the summer... and our garden's need for rejuvenation... this book came to our small-town home.

Meet Jim and Sarah... two young schoolteachers who purchased ninety aches of dirt. They began with six varieties of blueberries that would bloom throughout the summer of 1991. With grit and dreams of staying home and enjoying the "good life," they purchase land and moved to Floyd County, Virginia. Their farm had creeks, a spring, and a long history. Of course, a long history might suggest ready to farm, or it could mean that they would begin their first seasons with the same type of hard work that the early homesteaders experienced (this is when I began my delightful summer journey... a few chapters at a time... eating our own blueberries on our patio swing).

Preparing the land, falling trees, bees or no bees, watering systems, planting, all they knew with confidence was that their blueberries would be organic, pesticide free. The long-long days of prep began. So did their investigation with their neighbors, with other blueberry field owners, with many research items and hope that they could keep their newly planted bushes alive for their first season of pickers.

"The field...became the course work... so heavy and complex..." Tucked in between their story you will discover: choosing the type of blueberries; blueberry history, research about roots and fungi; the National Organic Standards; as well as my personal favorite insight... Henry David Thoreau's Faith in a Seed and Wild Fruits.

So much goodness in such a small fruit. Jim's writing entices you with every page turned. His and Sarah's passion for their blueberry fields lays dormant amongst a world "plugged in."  Treat yourself to an endearing journey that should not be over-looked... it is an essential summertime discovery,

MrsK

"The blooms, those beautiful hanging cups of white.

Oh, just for an hour to be a bumblebee and buzz through 

this fragrance-filled air!"

Meet the Author:

 Jim Minick is the author of five books, including the novel Fire Is Your Water (Ohio UP, 2017), and The Blueberry Years: A Memoir of Farm and Family (St. Martin’s, 2012), winner of the SIBA Best Nonfiction Book of the Year Award. Minick has also written a collection of essays, finding a Clear Path, two books of poetry, Her Secret Song and Burning Heaven, and he edited All There Is to Keep by Rita Riddle. His honors include the Jean Ritchie Fellowship in Appalachian Writing, and the Fred Chappell Fellowship at University of North Carolina-Greensboro. He has also won awards from the Southern Independent Booksellers Association, Southern Environmental Law Center, The Virginia College Bookstore Association, Appalachian Writers Association, Appalachian Heritage, Now and Then Magazine, and Radford University. His poem “I Dream a Bean” was picked by Claudia Emerson for permanent display at the Tysons Corner/Metrorail Station. Minick’s work has appeared in many publications including Poets & Writers, Oxford American, Orion, Shenandoah, Encyclopedia of Appalachia, The Sun, Conversations with Wendell Berry, San Francisco Chronicle, Appalachian Journal, The Roanoke Times, and Still. He completed an MFA in fiction from UNC-Greensboro, where he was Fiction Editor for The Greensboro Review. Currently, he teaches at Augusta University and in Converse College’s low-residency MFA program.

Miss Read

ISBN: 9780618219131

Publisher's Synopsis:

GOSSIP FROM THRUSH GREEN returns readers to the delightful English village, neighbor to Fairacre, for a golden summer. But this sleepy, pristine setting conceals a flurry of activity amongst the villagers. Rumor has it that Mr. Venables is considering retirement just as the village's teacher is about to make an important decision. Molly Curdle prepares for a new baby. The kindly vicar, Charles Henstock, works on his sermon -- quite unaware of the disaster that will overtake him. However, there is never any doubt that all will end well in this very English village.

"Taking tea is a highly civilized pastime, and fortunately

is still in favour at Thrush Green, 

where it has been brought to a fine art."

MrsK's Review: Fictional/Historical/Village Life

Almost everything you would want to know about this journey and its author is found in the above quote. Everything except for the purity of a delightful storyteller and her universally unique characters.

Venture with me... in the days of yesterday, Miss Read is a delightful narrator. She is gracious, steadfast, and very eloquent in her observations of her village and her village characters. She would never presume what her characters are thinking, yet she is profoundly insightful about their choices, their personalities, as well as their good-natured quirks.

In the peaceful village of Thrush Green, you will visit the Village school in which the Headmistress, Miss Watson is considering retirement and Miss Fogerty is considering the daily school matters, and Betty Bell is cleaning up the school day mess. 

On Lulling High Street, the three Lovelock sisters (Violet, Ada, and Bertha) are always delightfully entertaining during all afternoon teas. Set in their ways, always on the search for delightful household items, and very unique "treasure" like characteristics, these ladies are called to provide their village with their support.

Of course, the village's rector and his wife (Charles and Dimity) live in Thrush Green's most hideous Victorian eye sore. They are about to take a vacation and will be pondering how their future will be unfolding. St. Andrew's has Sexton Piggott, whose gloom can be felt by his congregation. His daughter Molly tries to look after him while taking care of her husband Ben and young George. If only Sexton Piggott wasn't so obstinate his digestion and personality might bring an answer to the prayers of many.

Every village must have their wise and aging "Tea Ladies," Winnie and Ella. Who else would gather others for tea? Who else would have the perfect recipes for tea delectables? Who else will, with concerned hearts, know what their village community is experiencing, thinking, as well as in need of guidance? These ladies are truly the dearest of friends and precious to all in Thrush Green.

Small town life is comforting, chaotic, supportive, and full of troubles. How could a vacation create a mishmash of chaos? Who are the temporary borders at Tulliver's? Will there finally be a proposal and wedding for two of the villagers? What will happen to the Village school if Miss Watson retires?

As Jan Karon has stated, "relish a visit to Thrush Green..."

MrsK

"Now, we'll just get this place to rights, and

have a quiet evening with our knitting..."

Meet the Author:

Dora Jessie Saint MBE née Shafe (born 17 April 1913), best known by the pen name Miss Read, was an English novelist, by profession a schoolmistress. Her pseudonym was derived from her mother's maiden name. In 1940 she married her husband, Douglas, a former headmaster. The couple had a daughter, Jill. She began writing for several journals after World War II and worked as a scriptwriter for the BBC.

She wrote a series of novels from 1955 to 1996. Her work centered on two fictional English villages, Fairacre and Thrush Green. The principal character in the Fairacre books, "Miss Read", is an unmarried schoolteacher in a small village school, an acerbic and yet compassionate observer of village life. Miss Read's novels are wry regional social comedies, laced with gentle humor and subtle social commentary. Miss Read is also a keen observer of nature and the changing seasons.

Her most direct influence is from Jane Austen, although her work also bears similarities to the social comedies of manners written in the 1920s and 1930s, and in particular the work of Barbara Pym. Miss Read's work has influenced a number of writers in her own turn, including the American writer, Jan Karon. The musician Enya has a track on her Watermark album named after the book Miss Clare Remembers, and one on her Shepherd Moons album named after No Holly for Miss Quinn.

In 1996 she retired. In 1998 she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to literature. She died 7 April 2012 in Shefford Woodlands.

More of Miss Read

Link

Link

Spring Retreat for Seasoned Readers

  

Sara Nisha Adams

ISBN: 9780063025288

Publisher's Synopsis:

Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.

Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.

When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list… hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.

"Everyone needs to ask for help sometimes..."

MrsK's Review: Reality Fiction

Meet Mukesh, a gentle man who is in a season without his beloved Naina. Not really alone since his daughters have lives that are full. Yet, there is a cloak of loneliness that covers him in aloneness. Until the day he chooses to step forward. Those steps lead him to the small library in his community. Naina's books kept her company, he never took the time to "enter" into her world of books... maybe it's time?

Meet Aleisha, she has taken a summer job at the Harrow Road library.  Her brother, Aiden, always claimed that this library was peaceful, the people were "endlessly fascinating," and that he could find a "sense of quiet companionship" within its endless shelves of journeys. Currently, her "Mum shift" was all she did outside of the library job. Aiden and she shared the care of their mother, well truth be told Aiden did the most for her Mum, he always had.

Meet Priya, who is carrying on her grandmother's legacy. Naina had encouraged her desire for good books. Now, her grandfather is opening his life to her as he discovers his relationship with her. Is there an avenue for them to grow together?

Meet Nilakshi, Naina's friend. It's been so long since she had seen Mukesh. Out of concern, she has decided that it was time for her to move beyond her grief and reach out to Mukesh. Companionship is valued when grief has moved on. 

Meet Indira, Izzy, Chris, and Zac those whose life will become interwoven by the book list and the "Big Library Get-Together." Their journey repairs the foundation for the Harrow Road Library. When a community center, an area's hub, seems to be "outdated" how can those who value its existence keep its doors open for tomorrow's readers?

Once in a while a book is in hand, a book that proclaims, "Here is a journey... crying open me... experience the journey within these pages." To be read by those who know the power of sharing... "in case you need it!"

MrsK

With a "quiet" gentleness of uniqueness, 

this book list weaves its characters' lives through their own reviews of these titles.

 As a book reviewer, I applaud Karen Hawkins for the crafting of this endearing journey.

" A Bookish Wonderland"

Meet the Author:

Sara is a writer and editor. She lives in London and was born in Hertfordshire to Indian and English parents. Her debut novel The Reading List is partly inspired by her grandfather, who lived in Wembley and immediately found a connection with his granddaughter through books.

Karen Hawkins

ISBN: 9781982195960

Publisher's Synopsis:

When an antique tin of love letters is found hidden in her family home, noted historian Tay Dove rushes home to Dove Pond to investigate. Tay is still reeling from a romantic betrayal, so she’s relieved to refocus her energies on her latest a biography of her great-great-grandmother Sarafina, a star reporter who began her career in Dove Pond in the late 19th century before abruptly leaving town.

Tay believes the letters could be the key in solving what happened, but they only add to her questions—especially when they reveal a forbidden love affair with William Day, a wild youth who took part in a notorious train robbery. Some answers might be found in eighty-year-old Rose Day’s bookshop, which doubles as a town archive, but Rose is curiously resistant to give Tay access. Just when Tay thinks she’s reached a dead end, she finds an unlikely ally in Rose’s grandson, Luke, a fellow puzzle lover. Together, they set out to uncover what really happened all those years ago…and find the truth behind a love story that could be more precious than gold.

"I'm without you, and it's as if my soul has lost its way...

I think of you and all the darkness disappears,

because you are my brightness, my light..."

MrsK's Review: Mystery

Tay is dedicated to her writing, her research, and to her love for literature. She has a PhD in history and works at a University in Boston. Yet, an unexpected circumstance derails her current assignment. When Tay learns that her sisters discovered an antique tin of love letters belonging to her great-great grandmother Sarafina Dove, she feels "called" to return to Dove Pond. With such a delightful and intriguing discovery, the allure to the possibilities of a new research project might just be the distraction she needs to refocus and begin a better path. Who wouldn't want to know more about a famous ancestor? Will Tay be able to use the Dove family "gifted" talents to discover who and why someone was writing love letters to her "married" great-great grandmother?

Rose's Bookshop is a generational bookshop in Dove Pond. Every reader knows the "calling" of an established book shop. The smell of the "welcoming" pages that greets you when the bell over the door announces that arrival of a new discovery. Rose is the perfect guardian of the town's archives. At 82, Rose is perceptive, willing to let her readers wander the shelves, can match a reader with a book that is desperately needed, and is always "turning pages of her ever-present book" at the checkout counter.

Will Tay uncover the "hidden" truth of her ancestor William Day?

Luke is Rose's grandson. Currently he has returned to Dove Pond to help Rose raise Lulu, his sister's little, yet inquisitive daughter. Luke had received a full scholarship to Georgia Tech and graduated early. Everything seemed to come easily to Luke. For the present, his leaving his career to look after his niece was an unexpected characteristic. What will he do with this new journey home?

Sarafina showed talent in New York City, she had left Dove Pond for the big city and her dream as a writer for the New York World newspaper. All that anyone could remember about her move, was that at 19, in 1897, a young lady heading to New York to become a writer was quite an extraordinary decision. After a series of reports, as an "undercover" reporter, she gained high notoriety for being likened to Nellie Bly.

William, everyone in Dove Pond in 1890, knew how William and two other men had robbed a train ending in a gun fight. All three of the men went to prison. Why would a train robber write notes to a female reporter, especially one who was married to a wealthy man?

Such a delightfully crafted story. Within these pages, a story unfolds. One in which the main character will "hone" her craft, as well as her ability to discover relationships that will fulfill her heart's desire Another that recognized that living involves taking a risk when truth sends you on a pathway that must be derailed. Courageously crafted... a reader's delight with book quotes that must be remembered,

MrsK. 

Rose's was special... "the thousands of books that waited for new homes,

all carefully selected by the meticulous curator."

Meet the Author:

 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs. The Dove Pond books are a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible.

Percival Everett

ISBN: 9780385550369

Publisher's Synopsis:

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

"Waiting is a big part of a slave's life...

Waiting for demands. Waiting for food. Waiting for the ends of days.

Waiting for the just and deserved Christian reward at the end of it all."

MrsK's Review: Excellent Rendition of Huck Finn and Jim

James, a man who meets life with courage, sincerity, and determined hope. Secrets are a given part of life. For many, they learn situational translations. Some learn to read and write. Some learn to "read" others... and then there are those who secretly must do what they must do.

This journey creates a woven backstory to Twain's classic tale of Huck and Jim. What I discovered was heart-warming. Revisiting characters that had planted seeds of explorations, daily adventures, and a common understanding of "goodness" in each other. When childhood matures into adulthood, there remains a hardship against the wrongs we meet in our world. 

When Jim must leave Sadie and Lizzie, it's not a runaway that is selfish, it's a grander love that signifies a determined hope. When Jim meets Huck on the island, it's a courageous friendship that helps them survive the escape. When Jim meets with evil... that's when what matters most must be action that will bring a renewed safety. Commonality can only become grace... when we seek to do what's right, life becomes a value statement of decency. 

In life, there are some who enter into our seasons, they experience our moments that we aren't sure we can get through... that someone speaks volumes into your story... blessing or not.... they are etched within your heart. Gratitude is an aged seasoning that becomes a fondness that is lifeless...

MrsK

"I kin keep me a secret, Huck. I kin keep yo secret, too."

Meet the Author:

 There might not be a more fertile mind in American fiction today than Everett’s. In 22 years, he has written 19 books, including a farcical Western, a savage satire of the publishing industry, a children’s story spoofing counting books, retellings of the Greek myths of Medea and Dionysus, and a philosophical tract narrated by a four-year-old.

James Patterson and Dolly Parton

ISBN: 9780759554344

Publisher's Synopsis:

From America’s most beloved superstar and its greatest storyteller—a thriller about a young singer/songwriter on the rise and on the run and determined to do whatever it takes to survive.

Every song tells a story.

She’s a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her.

She’s also on the run. Find a future, lose a past.

Nashville is where she’s come to claim her destiny. It’s also where the darkness she’s fled might find her. And destroy her. Run, Rose, Run is a novel glittering with danger and desire—a story that only America’s #1 most beloved entertainer and its #1 bestselling author could have created.

"Is it easy... No, it ain't.

Can I fix it... No, I cain't."

MrsK's Review: Reality Fiction

Meet AnnieLee a spirited and talented songwriter. She is fleeing someone, someone who will hunt her, someone who haunts her, someone who is a dangerous reminder of a life she had to leave. As long as she can remember, she's been making melodies. Her story begins when the "dazzling" red brake lights offer her a ride to her Nashville destination.

Meet Ruthanna, one of country music's "grandest queens." She's determined to remain retired, yet her writing songs and gathering her small group of musicians into her home for her "recording" of songs is baffling since... she would never release them to the public. Would she even agree to receive another honor award at this year's Country Music Awards?

Meet Ethan, a guitarist who is grateful to be hired by Ruthanna for her "recording" sessions. Often times, Ethan, plays at Ruthanna's bar. When he hears this young girl with a borrowed guitar, he knows that Ruthanna must hear her "celestial" voice. What he isn't prepared for is the job he is given. A matter of life or death.

When AnnieLee steps into the perfect dive bar... she is determined that this will be her Nashville debut. "Will you be the one to give me my first big break?" Boldly, she has entered the Cat's Paw Saloon. Would anyone recognize that she sang for joy? This was the moment that she would "woman up and take like a man." Her life depended on it!

AnnieLee's story is a true country melody. From rags to promised riches. From a fear that causes a leap beyond faith. From a bold acceptance to an acclaimed future. However, you, the reader, interprets this story... I'm sure you will discover a melody that is endearing... 

MrsK

"But I sure ain't gonna take it lyin' down."

Meet the Authors:

 Dolly Rebecca Parton is a Grammy Award-winning country music singer/songwriter, author, actress and philanthropist. To date, she remains one of the most successful country artists, with 25 number-one singles (a record for a female performer) and 42 top 10 country albums (more than anyone else).

 James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. Patterson has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton and collaborated most recently with Michael Crichton on the blockbuster Eruption. He has told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.