Monthly Archives: March 2020

April Book News

Posted on by under Book News, Book sales, Book Signing, Karen Wills, Leslie Budewitz, M. F. Erler, Montana Women Writers, Uncategorized

 

 

 

Q. What do April Showers bring?

A. Long days to curl up with a good book!

 

 

 

**************NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE************

all too human book cover 2In 1905, Rebecca Bryan, the first woman to practice law in Kalispell, Montana, is sent by her uncle/ senior partner to a remote hunting lodge near the Canadian border. She’s to find the missing will of his deceased longtime love, the wealthy artist, Lucinda Cale. 

After a broken coach wheel forces her to set out in the winter forest at night, she meets Lucinda’s compelling son, Bretton. Next morning he takes her to Eagle Mountain where she meets the rest of the dysfunctional Cale family. There Rebecca also discovers Lucinda’s hidden diaries which tell of a naive bride’s victimization that hardened her into a manipulative, murderous matriarch. Lucinda’s estate is large. Each heir is desperate. Those involved reveal themselves to be All Too Human.

All Too Human  by Karen Wills was released September 18, 2019 by Five Star Cengage. Now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, & Five Star Cengage.

Midwest Book Review calls “‘All Too Human’ a simply riveting page-turner of a read from cover to cover. ‘All Too Human’ showcases author Karen Wills’ genuine flair for originality and a distinctively reader engaging narrative storytelling style that will make her deftly crafted and thoroughly entertaining novel an immediate and popular addition to both personal reading lists and community library collections.”

Karen's author photo apr 2019

           

For more books by Karen Wills     including information on her other or upcoming historical novels or to arrange a book signing or interview visit karenwills.com

 

The seven-part young adult crossover saga, “The Peaks at the Edge of the World” by M.F. ErlerPhoto.cropped looks into the future of faith in a world that is beginning to fall apart.  The members of the Parker and Sullien families share their lives with each other across time and space, in a feature called the GAP.  Each time one of them crosses this passage (similar to a wormhole) a side-effect is caused in the other’s world.   The Peaks Saga relates these effects and brings each of them to the Final Battle, where the fate of our entire galaxy hangs in the balance. Book 1 – Finding the Light: Young Jael’s family is being torn apart by the Galactic System.  Can he find someone to help rescue his sister Martina, before it’s too late? Book 2 – Searching for Maia: Jael and Martina flee their home planet with a GAP-crosser named Jon.  As they search the galaxy for a safe haven, they begin to wonder if there is any rescue out there. Book 3 – Mountaintops and Valleys: The three searchers have found planet earth, but is it really the mysterious Maia they were told to search for?  Nothing seems to fit what they expected, and soon threats are beginning to pull them apart. Book 4 – When the World Grows Cold: Twenty-five years have passed on Earth, in both the 21st and 31st Centuries.  Ginna and Martina, once connected across the GAP, now have daughters of their own, but they have taken very different paths. Book 5 – The Fountain and the Desertfountain and desert: The next generation is searching for what only the True Fountain in the Desert can supply.  Celestia, daughter of Martina, is determined to take three friends there by Crossing the GAP.  But something goes terribly wrong. Book 6 – Beyond the World: beyond the worldA new dark force is rising, forcing Celestia and her family to flee Earth.  When they discover a portal to a parallel universe, their hopes rise that they can escape.  But is there true safety in this strange new world? Book 7 -Where All Worlds End: The powers of darkness are now personified as a terrifying red dragon, which must be defeated for the galaxy to survive.  All of the GAP-crossers must work together to do this, but who is the traitor among them?

ALL OF APRIL EACH BOOK WILL BE .99 CENTS ON KINDLE

 

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Delighted to share the cover of THE SOLACE OF BAY LEAVES, the fifth Spice Shop mystery, out this July from Seventh St. Books, in paper, e-book and audio.  From the cover: 

Pepper Reece never expected to find solace in bay leaves. 

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But when her life fell apart at forty and she bought the venerable-but-rundown Spice Shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, her days took a tasty turn. Now she’s savoring the prospect of a flavorful fall and a busy holiday cooking season, until danger bubbles to the surface …

Between managing her shop, worrying about her staff, and navigating a delicious new relationship, Pepper’s firing on all burners. But when her childhood friend Maddie is shot and gravely wounded, the incident is quickly tied to an unsolved murder that left another close friend a widow.

Convinced that the secret to both crimes lies in the history of a once-beloved building, Pepper uses her local-girl contacts and her talent for asking questions to unearth startling links between the past and present—links that suggest her childhood friend may not have been the Golden Girl she appeared to be. Pepper is forced to face her own regrets and unsavory emotions, if she wants to save Maddie’s life—and her own.

As we’re all being reminded, books are a comfort during difficult times. I hope you have a stack of good reads close at hand, and that you’ll take a moment to order a book from an independent bookseller — we need them more than ever! If you do, pop over to my Facebook Author page and tell me what you ordered and the bookseller; when this crisis is over and libraries and bookstores are open again, I’ll choose a reader to win a book of mine or a bookseller gift card. 

Be safe. 

The Value of Mystery

Posted on by under M. F. Erler, Montana Women Writers, Uncategorized

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By M.F. Erler

Over the years, I have repeatedly run into writers who emphasize the need for mystery in our lives. I don’t mean murder mysteries, though I enjoy reading these, and so do many others apparently—for it’s a popular genre across all forms of media.

No, what I mean is something I first ran across in Frank Herbert’s Dune books. His main character, Paul Atreides, is prescient and knows all that is coming in his future.I thought that would be a great gift to have, but instead it becomes more and more of a burden to him. He begins to lose all hope in his life, for he knows exactly what each day will bring—all the way up to his death.

This idea opened a new world of thought for me. The next place I discovered the concept was in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. In one scene, the wizard Gandalf tells Frodo that there is no need to despair. “Only those who know the future without a doubt have cause of despair.” At first, this seemed backwards to me. But as I thought more about it, I realized that it’s the mystery, the unknown aspect of the future, that leaves room for hope. For we don’t know everything. Maybe we aren’t meant to.

Even in the Book of Job, an ancient piece of poetic literature we’re told, this idea is prevalent. Job experiences all kinds of heartbreaks and setbacks in his life and begins to ask God why he has allowed this. (I confess that I often find myself asking questions like this, too.) In the end of the book, God at last comes to Job, but he doesn’t answer his questions. Instead he asks him questions such as, “Where were you when I created the world? Can you create anything like I have?”

And Job’s reply?  “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” He is humbled by the mystery.

One of C.S. Lewis’s most misunderstood book is called Till We Have Faces. I read it several years ago, and perhaps need to again. It’s a retelling of the ancient myth of Cupid and Psyche, from the viewpoint of the young woman’s sister. She often asks the gods why they have tormented her sister. In the end, however, she realizes that the gods are a mystery for a reason. She says, “I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer [to my questions]. You are yourself the answer.” This is, according to most, Lewis’s most completely realized character. And to me, she seems to echo Job.

In the end, we must face up to the fact that we humans don’t know everything. Even though our techno-scientific culture pushes us to intensify our search, maybe its failure is what helps us to embrace and value the mystery in our lives.

 

Is it Wisdom or . . .?

Posted on by under Catherine Browning, Montana Women Writers, Uncategorized

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By Catherine Browning

 

With age and maturity comes surgery. Ha! You thought I would say wisdom, didn’t you? Unfortunately, wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. How many of you know some old codger or prune of a woman that can only be described as a fool? But that isn’t what I want to share with you. 

Age does not = wisdom.

Surgery = wisdom.

How do I know this? Some of the smartest people I know have had multiple surgeries. It wasn’t the surgery itself that produced the wisdom, but rather the introspection that followed the surgery. That person became dependent on others to help them through a day with clean-up, clothing, food . . . you get the idea. 

Suddenly, people became important. Even more important was expressing appreciation for the assistance. Without appreciation, the help stops. Wisdom makes sure the surgery patient figures out ahead of time how not to be alone when he or she needs help the most. With all the introspection, our surgery person is changed for the better.

Ergo, surgery = wisdom!

Of course, the person needs to be willing to change. (My disclaimer in case the premise doesn’t hold true!)

Birth of a Book

Posted on by under Deborah Epperson, Montana Women Writers, Uncategorized

 

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By Deborah Epperson

(originally published April 25, 2016)

Yesterday, I gave birth to my next novel. By that I mean I finally got to write the two sweetest words in a writer’s lexicon—THE END. I know some may think the two sweetest words are UNDER CONTRACT, but I disagree, especially in this new world of ebooks and self publishing.

Getting to the point where you can write those precious two words is (as every writer knows) not really the end, but rather the signaling that a new phase can now commence. I liken writing a book to giving birth because at times it can be exhilarating, painful, exciting, agonizing, a delight or a grind. Plus, there’s the emotional roller coaster that can easily be compared to the hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy. You know those late nights when you write something you think is so good, it must be inspired by the gods. Then when you read it the next day, you feel more like that person in Munch’s, The Scream. Little wonder why the letters on the DELETE key wear off first.

But now, after only a fourteen year pregnancy, my new book-child is born. Next comes the infant and toddler stage of editing, revising, editing, revising, editing . . . (you get the picture). I’ll have to go in and clean up all the “mess” and hope I don’t make a bigger one when I do. Example: Somewhere in the book the sheriff’s name mysteriously changed from Emmett to Virgil. Thank goodness for Find and Replace.

The school year stage comes next. You get to pick how you want to dress your book-child. Bright covers or dark noire? A landscape or person on the cover? Sexy, bold, simple or sedate? Hire a professional or do it yourself? What do you want the back cover, front cover, and spine to look like? What font? Use your name or a pseudonym? And gosh-a muddy, you’ve got to pick a title, a perfect title, one that grabs the reader’s attention.

Finally, your baby is ready to graduate, to be presented to the public like a debutante at a Southern Cotillion. You’re so proud, so hopeful readers will swoon over her, tell their friends about her, and plunk down their Visa card for a chance to hold her in their hands or see her on their Kindles.

And then, you start all over again with that new story that’s been swimming around in your head for a couple of years. Are novelist part masochists or expectant dreamers? Maybe, a little of both.

Thanks for stopping by,

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eBook cover - Shadows of Home - Deborah Epperson