Review

Burning Night was inspired by a woman I met while out walking in the desert. She was fifty years old, living in a utility van, had dyed blue hair, and was a former stripper. I was immediately intrigued. She was in Tucson to participate in a pole dancing competition, something I didn't know existed--but when I googled it I was surprised to find out how popular pole dancing is--and it isn't about stripping anymore. It's about exercise. And after looking at the pictures I definitely know why! Those women are STRONG!

And so I made up a story about a woman who was abused as a child and who took up stripping in order to make ends meet. The story veers off in several directions and there is also a sub-plot--the book this character is writing. I called it Burning Night after a made-up festival on the longest day of the year (think Burning Man) It is psychological, and a woman's desperate search for herself, and a love story, told in the first person.

Here's the blurb:

This is the turning point…

When Collie flees an abusive husband she’s also escaping her sordid past. But when her money is stolen, the only way to earn it back in time for her trip to Alaska, is to do the very thing she hoped she left behind. Burning Night festival is only a month away and she simply has to be there.

How reading changes your perspective

I've learned more from fiction than any class I've ever taken.

Reading takes you into worlds you never knew existed. It is not only entertainment, it is also a place to learn new things both about yourself and the universe. Whether fiction or nonfiction, it is magical and can open your eyes to what exists or can exist if you only give it a chance. In other words it is everything you hoped for.

1. “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” — Stephen King

Try books you've never considered before--branch out, be brave and courageous!

READ and READ and READ!

When I was a kid the happiest moments for me were when I became lost inside a book. In the summers I was given a reading list and just looking at the list brought me joy. Ah, the lazy days of lying in a hammock or sitting by a stream or climbing a tree, book in hand...I can't imagine a life without books.

Bits and pieces

Starting things off with another book review--The Raven Spell by Luanne G. Smith is another page turner. I've read her Vine Witch series and loved it. Her writing flows onto the page and takes you out of your reality and into hers with ease. All of her stories are tales that inhabit unusual worlds with unique characters, some good some bad. With that said here is a link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Raven-Spell-Luanne-G-Smith-ebook/dp/B093SHTLLB/

I'm not going to bore you with all the books I've started recently and stopped. I am hard to please these days! I guess what they say about first paragraphs is true--if they haven't hooked you by then, it's too late. If they start with too many unpronounceable names and maps, I'm out. (Or if an animal is killed on page one and this goes for moves too.) I want to read stories that don't require flipping back to remember details or names or are so sad that I'm crying within minutes. Too much sadness to have my entertainment be sad as well.

I have just begun one that I'm hoping I continue to like. ( I hate not having a book to read!) Cauldstane by Linda Gillard. Can't say too much about because I'm only on chapter 3, but so far so good. Intriguing, at least.

I am working feverishly to finish the third book of my Coyote Trials series. Should be out in a month or so, I hope. Here is the cover and the blurb:

Problems arise for Sara and Istaga when Sara changes her mind about their living arrangements. The rez, where Istaga has been living and building their unique house, is no longer where she wants to be. Sara’s unexpected pronouncement throws Istaga into confusion. He was just beginning to understand the baffling behavior of the human species. Meanwhile, their nearly four-year-old daughter, Kaliska, who has been living as a coyote, is kidnapped. The men who have her know what she is and plan to cash in on it.

Searching for Kaliska leads Istaga and Sara on a wild goose chase that separates them even further. Will they find their baby and repair their relationship, or will this be another rift that cannot be mended?

As far as marketing goes, this has been a dry spell for me. I've been working on my writing in order to escape the world's problems and hoping that things get better. Trying to sell takes too much energy. I hope you writers are writing and that you readers are reading! And I hope this email brings some brightness to your life. Check out my recommendations and please, if you get the chance, follow me on Bookbub!