The Sunday Salon: I'm Still Here!

I feel like I've made more than one comebacks in the last year, but here I am again! Happy Sunday and Happy Summer as well! It's been four months since I last posted on the blog but it's been a busy time for sure. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've relocated to Columbus, Ohio and I'm all settled in and as of this past week, I'm back online with my antiquated computer, thanks to my brilliant cousin, Shawn. It feels so nice to be up and running again. Though I haven't been on the blog, I have been reading and listening to audios. Here's what I have in store in the coming weeks on the blog..

I will have my review of John Grisham's THE WHISTLER. I listened to this one and I really enjoyed it once I got all of the characters straight. I'll be posting my thoughts in the coming days. I also will be featuring a new release in a week or so of a new book called THE CONFUSION OF LANGUAGES by Siobhan Fallon.  This was an interesting book that is very current, topically, because it centers around two wives stationed in Jordan with thei Armyr husbands. Cultural differences are front and center in this novel. I don't want to say too much more, but look for my review on June 27th, its release date.

I'm currently listening to the latest release from Jeffrey Archer and his Clifton Chronicles Series.  Through the last seven years readers have followed Harry Clifton and his family since the 1920's. I'm not finished yet, but right now we are in 1985. It has been an wonderful journey with politics, espionage, humor and suspense to name a few.  THIS WAS A MAN is the seventh and final installment. I plan to have that review in the coming weeks as well.

I also will be sharing thoughts on some other books I've read that are not newly published, but are very good reads. In the last months I've been doing more pleasure reading than newly published review books. I hope you will come back and see what I've had on my book shelves.

I'm so thankful to be settled here in Columbus, the place where I was born and spent my young years. I'm near my mom's side of the family and I love spending time with them. I'm looking forward to a great summer filled with lots of fun and books. Please come back and visit often!

The Sunday Salon: A Preview of New Releases Headed My Way

Thankfully, Mother Nature has not let me down. We are finally enjoying some fall-like weather down here in Florida. Now, that's not to say it won't get hot again before it's all over, but I'll take what I can get. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. I love having the windows open and giving my air conditioner a break but the best part is getting up early, grabbing a cup of coffee and a book and enjoying the cool morning air on the porch. Soon, the heat from the sun won't run me off as quickly and I can stay out there as long as I like.

Along with the promise of cooler weather, is the anticipation of some great new books coming out in the next few months. I've been really lucky lately with the books that have found their way to my mailbox and inbox. Here are some of the new books that will be arriving very soon. These are courtesy of St. Martin's Press. Click on the titles for more information and cover image.

• SNOWBLIND by Christoper Golden (January 2014)

The publisher is touting this as a 'thrilling contemporary  ghost story with both horror and heart'. And Stephen King has raved about it as well, so it didn't take me long to add this to my list of choices.

• LOST LAKE by Sarah Addison Allen (February 2014)

Since I am a huge fan of Ms. Allen's, I jumped at the chance to get my hands on an advanced copy of her latest! It was a no-brainer for me.

• SHOTGUN LOVESONGS by Nickolas Butler (March 2014)

There is a lot of talk about this debut novel becoming a huge bestseller. This moving saga tells the story of four Wisconsin-born friends who grow up together. One of them never left their small town but the other three moved on to bigger lives. Now, years later, they are all back home but secrets, old hurts and differing memories arise that change all their lives. I haven't really explained it well, but I'm really looking forward to this one.

• ONE WAY OUT by Butch Trucks (February 2014)

This is a biography of one of my favorite rock bands ever, the Allman Brothers Band. I'm a huge southern rock girl and I was even lucky enough to meet Greg Allman many, many years ago at a friend's house right here in Ocala. This is sure to be an enlightening history of this legendary band.

• THE HEADMASTER'S WIFE by Thomas Christopher Greene (February 2014)

This novel has been described as 'haunting' and 'moving', so naturally I was in right away. It focuses on one couple, at their best and at their worst. When I saw that Richard Russo, who is the king of great sagas, raved about his book, I knew I couldn't miss it.

• CHRISTMAS BLISS by Mary Kay Andrews (October 2013)

A funny Christmas tale featuring two of my favorite MKA's characters, Weezie and her best friend Bebe. I am so happy to be able to read this for the holiday season. I'm sure these two crazy Savannah girls will provide me with many laughs and adventures. Wouldn't miss this for anything!

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Those are just a few of the books I'll be featuring here on my blog in the coming months. I hope you'll check 'em out. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Jessica Hatch for the generous opportunity to have first crack at these new releases.. 

Now I'm off to make my first batch of chili for this new season and do some reading. Enjoy your Sunday and hopefully some terrific Fall weather! 

Teaser Tuesday: A Thriller of a Crime Novel

Teaser Tuesday is one of my favorite things. Its a good way to get a quick glimpse inside books that other bloggers are reading. Anyone can participate so stop by Should Be Reading for full details and for additional teasers.

Today my teasers come from a suspenseful book I just started reading called BLOOD MONEY by Doug Richardson . . .

Lucky stuffed the weapon between his belt and the small of his back, slung on an antique high school letterman's jacket, and walked out into the dawn without locking the door behind him.  It would be the last time Lucky ever saw the place. ~ Loc 312 Kindle Edition

I'm rolling through this book pretty quickly and enjoying the ride as I go. Its a fast-paced, hold nothing back crime novel with an array of unique characters. Plus, I LOVE the cover!  To learn more about this accomplished author/Hollywood screenwriter, please visit his website.

"Waiting On" Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted weekly by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It is a great way to find out about new books that are are soon to released.

This week my can't wait to be released title is . . . THE WIFE'S TALE by Lori Lansens. It is set to be released in February. If you get a chance, you should really check out Lori's website - it's terrific. But in the meantime, here's what Publisher's Weekly has to say about THE WIFE'S TALE:

Lansens's hopeful and gentle third novel (after The Girls), opens in the same fictitious Ontario county as its predecessors, but the heroine's journey takes her to a vastly different landscape, both literally and spiritually. In Leaford, Mary Gooch's life is strictly circumscribed-she's even worn a rut in the carpet between the bed and the kitchen, so often has the 302-pound woman made the trip. So when Mary's handsome husband disappears on the eve of their silver wedding anniversary, Mary wonders whether her size or her aversion to adventure chased him off. With few clues, Mary leaves her small town for one of the first times in her life, venturing first to Toronto and then to the suburbs of Los Angeles, where a series of encounters with strangers shakes her out of her lethargy.... She's a wonderful character, and Lansens's handling of her eventual transformation into someone capable of compassion and acceptance is handled with a light but assured touch.

Teaser Tuesday: When She Flew

It's Tuesday and that means it's time for another teaser! This fun, weekly event is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading and anyone can play along. Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read
• Let if fall open to a random page
• Choose two teaser sentences to share
• Avoid using spoiler sentences
• Share the title and page of the book you're choosing your teasers from

This week, my teasers are from Jennie Shortridge's new novel WHEN SHE FLEW:

Somehow this man had maintained his dignity in front of his daughter through all of this. He'd been screamed at, held at gunpoint, threatened, searched, interrogated - things that might make another man feel powerless or broken. ~ page 105

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You May Be Interested In This Recent Review:

• LOOT THE MOON by Mark Arsenault

[TSS] Review: The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews

THE FIXER UPPER, the latest novel by Mary Kay Andrews was exactly what I've come to expect from this talented Southern writer. I've been looking forward to this release ever since I read about it on her blog when she first started creating the story. I thought the premise was clever, combining a dramatic story of political bribery and blackmail with just the right amount of Southern charm and romance. And lets not forget the wicked wit that is ever present in Ms. Andrews novels.

Here's what Harper Collins has to say about THE FIXER UPPER -

After her boss in a high-powered Washington public relations firm is caught in a political scandal, fledgling lobbyist Dempsey Jo Killebrew is left almost broke, unemployed, and homeless. Out of options, she reluctantly accepts her father's offer to help refurbish Birdsong, the old family place he recently inherited in Guthrie, Georgia. All it will take, he tells her, is a little paint and some TLC to turn the fading Victorian mansion into a real-estate cash cow.

But, oh, is Dempsey in for a surprise when she arrives in Guthrie. "Bird Droppings" would more aptly describe the moldering Pepto Bismol–pink dump with duct-taped windows and a driveway full of junk. There's also a murderously grumpy old lady, one of Dempsey's distant relations, who has claimed squatter's rights and isn't moving out. Ever.

Furthermore, everyone in Guthrie seems to know Dempsey's business, from a smooth-talking real-estate agent to a cute lawyer who owns the local newspaper. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the pesky FBI agents who show up on Dempsey's doorstep, hoping to pry information about her ex-boss from her.

All Dempsey can do is roll up her sleeves and get to work. And before long, what started as a job of necessity somehow becomes a labor of love and, ultimately, a journey that takes her to a place she never expected—back home again.

One of the things I really like about Mary Kay Andrews' books is that she jumps right into the story on page one. By the end of the first chapter, you are well into what's happening. Another thing she is fantastic at is creatng the most interesting and fun characters. This certainly holds true in THE FIXER UPPER as well. I instantly liked Dempsey the moment I started reading her words. She may be inexperienced professionally, but she has a fighting spirit and a good heart that makes you want to pull for her from the beginning. The supporting characters are equally as likable and each have their own distinct purpose in the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Birdsong, the family home, and how, with the help of some locals, Dempsey sets to work in fixing it up. The underlining story of her ex-boss implicating her in illegal activities makes for a good balance of drama mixed in with this story of family and what it means to find out where you come from. And ultimately, where your life will take you.

I would encourage you to read this very entertaining book even if you're not usually a reader of chick-lit. Personally, I don't particularly like the term 'chick-lit'. I think it has a stigma that gives the wrong impression of a book. In this case, Is this a crime novel? No, it isn't. Is it full of drama? No, not really. What it is, is a thoughtful story about family, self discovery and the character of people. The story of Dempsey and her legal troubles that are looming over her are completely realistic and interesting but the experiences and people she encounters while fixing up Birdsong teach Dempsey more than any high-powered job in Washington D.C. ever could.

Once again, Mary Kay Andrews has written a book that was well worth the wait. I want to thank Book-Fan Mary for sharing her advanced copy with me after she found out how much I was looking forward to this book. Mary wrote her own review a few week ago and you can read it here. Also, there's a cute video of Mary Kay Andrews talking about THE FIXER UPPER here on Harper Collins' website. For more about Mary Kay and all of her books and to read her equally entertaining blog, click here.

Sometimes we just need a book that makes us smile while we read and ends up making us feel good. If you're looking for something to read this summer, you can't go wrong with THE FIXER UPPER.

THE FIXER UPPER

Author: Mary Kay Andrews

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: June 23, 2009

Pages: 432

Rating: 4 our of 5 Stars

The Last Bridge by Teri Coyne

By looking at the cover of Teri Coyne's novel, nothing is given away.  There is no way to know that within the pages of this debut novel is an intense, emotional story of a woman tortured by her past. Once you read this book, you can look again at the cover and even the simplicity of it is understood. 

THE LAST BRIDGE is the story of Alexandra "Cat" Rucker: abused, alcoholic, damaged.  After being gone from her Ohio family home for ten years, she is forced to return when her mother commits a carefully planned suicide hours after her father suffers a critical stroke.  For ten years Cat has been living with demons she isn't strong enough to face.  Her sad life is a mix of booze, nightmares and self disgust.   

As a child, Cat suffered at the hands of her father and swore that as soon as she made it through high school she would leave and never come back.  She hated her father and kept all of the hurt and abuse inside.  The plans she made to leave did happen, but not quite the way she thought.  Her last night with her family turned out to be something ugly and traumatic with heartbreaking and frightening consequences that she has carried around with her ever since.  Now she's back at her family home with her brother and sister, whom she's had no contact with and feeling very out of place.  She tries to deal with her mother's suicide and her father's declining health at the same time that old family secrets are being revealed. Cat also has secrets of her own and questions that were left unanswered long ago after that last night on the bridge. 

I don't want to give too much away but I will say that Cat's story is a difficult one to read.  Teri Coyne's writing is bold, intense and holds nothing back. This is not a book for the faint at heart.  From the beginning, Cat's self-destructive behavior and debilitating alcoholism is front and center.  The story is told from her perspective both in present time and in flashbacks to her teenage years in alternating chapters. 

Once I started reading THE LAST BRIDGE I found it very hard to put down.  I wanted to keep going to see what would happen next.  It is a dark and troubling story told in a precise manner.  It's not filled with a lot of description and airy details. Teri Coyne paints a realistic picture of Cat's life as a lost soul.  For some, it might be too dark, but I find myself drawn to these types of novels and appreciate the poignancy in them.  As a debut novel this one is a winner in my opinion.  At first, I didn't think I was going to like Cat.  I couldn't relate to her alcoholism and her attitude, but the more I got to know her the more I liked her. 

THE LAST BRIDGE is an easy read and with only 240 pages, many could finish it in one sitting.  It has so many facets that make it truly engrossing:  family; loss; sacrifice and even deep love.  For all of those reasons, I would recommend it for your book club as well.  Visit Teri Coyne's website to learn more about her.  To read an excerpt from the book click here.  The release date for this dramatic novel is July 28, 2009.

THE LAST BRIDGE

Author:  Teri Coyne

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Published:  July 28, 2009

Pages: 240

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Last Child

"Waiting On " Wednesday is a weekly even hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we talk about upcoming book releases that we're excited about.  

My can't-wait-to-read book this week is John Hart's THE LAST CHILD due to be released May 12th. 

From Publishers Weekly:

A year after 12-year-old Alyssa Merrimon disappeared on her way home from the library in an unnamed rural North Carolina town, her twin brother, Johnny, continues to search the town, street by street, even visiting the homes of known sex offenders, in this chilling novel from Edgar-winner Hart (Down River). Det. Clyde Hunt, the lead cop on Alyssa's case, keeps a watchful eye on Johnny and his mother, who has deteriorated since Alyssa's abduction and her husband's departure soon afterward. Whena second girl is snatched, Johnny is even more determined to find his sister, convinced that the perpetrator is the same person who took Alyssa. But what he unearths is more sinister than anyone imagined, sending shock waves through the community and putting Johnny's own life in danger. Despite a tendency to dip into melodrama, Hart spins an impressively layered tale of broken families and secrets that can kill.

Doesn't that sound like a great book? What new release are you waiting on?

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Sarah Addison Allen

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we share titles that are soon to be released that we can't wait to read!

My pick for this week's can't wait to read title is Sarah Addison Allen's new book, THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON. Here's a description from Amazon:

In her latest enchanting novel, New York Times bestelling author Sarah Addison Allen invites you to a quirky little Southern town with more magic than a full Carolina moon. Here two very different women discover how to find their place in the world…no matter how out of place they feel. Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. For instance, why did Dulcie Shelby leave her hometown so suddenly? Why did she vow never to return? But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew—a reclusive, real-life gentle giant—she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re a way of life.Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbor bakes hope in the form of cakes.Everyone in Mullaby adores Julia Winterson’s cakes. She offers them to satisfy the town’s sweet tooth and in the hope of bringing back the love she fears she’s lost forever. In Julia, Emily may have found a link to her mother’s past. But why is everyone trying to discourage Emily’s growing relationship with the handsome and mysterious son of Mullaby’s most prominent family? Emily came to Mullaby to get answers, but all she’s found so far are more questions.

Is there really a ghost dancing in her backyard? Can a cake really bring back a lost love? In this town of lovable misfits, maybe the right answer is the one that just feels…different.

THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON will be published by Bantam Books on May 12, 2009.

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Roanoke by Margaret Lawrence

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we share titles that are soon to be released that we can't wait to read!

My pick for this week's "Waiting On" Wednesday is:

ROANOKE by Margaret Lawrence.

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: January 27th

Pages: 416

About the book:

In the spring of 1585, seven English ships sailed around Cape Feare and up the windswept coast of Florida.. Their mission: to gain a foothold in the Americas, a gateway to riches, an island fortress against the Spanish. But within ten years, the vibrant new colony had vanished without a trace.… In Hampton Court, Elizabeth is under siege—surrounded by sycophants, spies, and assassins who stalk her every move. Among those charged with protecting her is a tall, charismatic spy named Gabriel North…and when the queen’s advisers persuade her to send ships to the Americas, North is given a job for which he is perfectly suited: to seduce Roanoke’s Secota princess and gain information about a fabled treasure hidden in the wilderness.In Princess Naia, North meets a woman who bewitches him utterly—and he soon sees the dangerous deceptions from which his mission was born. As war and calamity crash down on Roanoke Island, Gabriel North becomes a wanted man in a desperate hunt that will lead back across the Atlantic—into a trap set by his enemies, and into a shocking act of treachery that swirls around Elizabeth herself….With the grace of a master storyteller, Margaret Lawrence brings to life a cast of brave hearts and blackguards, petty criminals and grand schemers, who play their roles in a searing drama of conquest, rule, and rebellion.

Is there a book you're waiting to be released?

"Waiting On" Wednesday - My First

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we share titles that are soon to be released that we can't wait to read! This is my first time participating and I'm very excited to share my pick.

My first 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is . . .

THE MUSIC TEACHER
Author: Barbara Hall

Publication Date: February 9, 2009

From Amazon:

In The Music Teacher, a penetrating and richly entertaining look into the heart and mind of a woman who has failed both as an artist and as a wife, Barbara Hall, award-winning creator and writer of such hit television series as Judging Amy and Joan of Arcadia, tells the story of a violinist who has accepted the limitations of her talent and looks for the casual satisfaction of trying to instill her passion for music in others. She gets more than she bargains for, however, when a young girl named Hallie enters her life. For here at last is the real thing: someone with the talent and potential to be truly great. In her drive to shape this young girl into the artist the teacher could never be, she makes one terrible mistake. As a result she is forced to reevaluate her whole life and come to terms with her future.

Hall has crafted a thoroughly engrossing novel that examines the pitfalls of failure and holds up a mirror to the face of a culture that places success and achievement above all else

There are several reasons this book appeals to me. First, its publisher, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill is my favorite publishing house. I've read many of their books (i.e. MUDBOUND by Hillary Jordan and TOMATO GIRL by Jayne Pupek to name a few) and have been impressed with them all. Particularly because they publish wonderful books of southern literature which, as a Southerner, I'm drawn to.

Another reason is that music is near and dear to my heart. When I was young, I was involved in our school's music program and participated in our school band. It was a wonderful experience. There is something about the dynamic between teacher and student that is fascinating and it makes you want to try harder and be better.

Barbara Hall, the author, is another positive point. Not only is she an accomplished writer of television's Judging Amy, Joan of Arcadia, and the author of eight other published books, she also wrote for the show, Northern Exposure, which was one of my all-time favorite shows back in the mid 90's. I think it's one of tv's most underated programs - I loved the humor, the characters and the stories. And . . .

Lastly, I LOVE the cover!

So that is my first 'Waiting On Wednesday"' pick. What book are you excited about?