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June 2023 Newsletter

June 1, 2023

Ackkkk! My book launches this month!! I can’t believe this month is finally here. It’s been a long journey, and I’ve learned so much.

I can’t wait for you to read Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace. Have you pre-ordered it? That really helps me out. Here’s a link to pre-order from my publisher or you can from Amazon here. It also helps me out if you mark it as “Want to Read” on Goodreads.

I hope you’ll come to my book launch at BBQ and More, 321 Broadway, Paducah, Ky., on June 20 from 5-7 p.m. We’re going to have some fun freebies, a yummy treat, and I’ll sign books, which you can purchase there! Sound like fun? Yes! Please come!

Also, I’ll be a guest on the podcast Launch Pad on June 13, on the podcast Vox Vomitas June 21, and will publish a guest blog post on Fresh Fiction on June 23.

What to Read This Month

I’ve read some fabuloso books lately. Let me tell you a little bit about them.

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane

This book is a tender, honest view of a marriage that’s battle-scarred and weary. Keane paints a touching portrait of two people who start out very much in love, but find themselves exhausted, confused, and hurt by unrealized dreams. The story unfolds in a suburban neighborhood over the course of a wintry week. Malcolm Gephardt is the charismatic, good-looking bartender-turned-bar-owner. He’s married to Jess, an ambitious attorney who longs for a baby. They both are struggling to face dreaded truths—the bar may not make it and Jess may not be able to have children. Although the premise sounds heartbreaking, Keane’s light touch and beautiful writing results in a book that’s a gentle examination of two people who have reached the beginnings of middle age. She explores themes of forgiveness, disappointment, and intimacy in marriages and friendships. I loved this book as much as I loved Keane’s award-winning Ask, Again, Yes. She’s a brilliant writer who understands the fragility and beauty of ordinary life. It came out May 2.

Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea

Good Night, Irene focuses on the Red Cross Donut Dollies, who were critical morale boosters for soldiers in WWII. The soul of this book is friendship, the kind of friendship that irrevocably binds two people together as surely as genetics. Those forever heart-friendships are rare and precious and when you have one, you know you’re connected beyond the constraints of this lifetime. In the deft authorial hand of Luis Alberto Urrea, the characters of Irene Woodward and Dorothy Dunford become real. He paints a beautiful, honest, insightful portrait of two women who find this rare gift of heart-friendship in an ARC Rapid City Clubmobile, making donuts and coffee for soldiers they may only see once. You can read my full review on Amazon and GoodReads.  Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the e-ARC. It came out May 30.

Starring Adele Astaire by Eliza Knight

What a delight! Adele Astaire danced her way into my heart in this juicy historical fiction by Eliza Knight. As a child, I loved watching elegant and lavish old musicals featuring Fred Astaire dancing with Ginger Rogers. But I never knew about his first dance partner, his sister Adele. Since she danced before the Hollywood era of films, her beautiful work is lost forever. And though I never saw her dance, I have NO doubts it was indeed beautiful. She was considered more of a star than Fred, so I can’t imagine how dazzling she must have been. From the Roaring ‘20s to the early 1950s, I loved learning about Adele as a person. Dipping into the Astaires’ magical world of fame and fortune was sheer fun. I felt like I had a front-row seat to remarkable talent that soared from rags to riches, eventually earning elite advantages, including friendships with royalty. You can read my full review on Amazon and GoodReads. Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the advanced copy. It will be available June 6.

The Sound of Rabbits by Janice Deal (and a few more)

The heart of The Sound of Rabbits beats with relationships. Sisters who love each other but have a hard time understanding each other. A mother who gave her daughters a soft place but now is almost unreachable. Old friendships and old flames who may be remembered correctly…or not. I loved this book, which is told from several different points of view–including some that might surprise. The primary focus is Ruby, a once promising musical talent who expected to hit it big when she left her small town behind, and her sister Val, who married young, had babies, and still lives in the town Ruby dismissed.  When Val insists Ruby come home to help her care for their ailing mother, Ruby returns reluctantly. The ensuing story unfolds themes of expectations, familial relationships, memory, happiness, and acceptance. It’s a family drama with a tender message. It releases June 6.

Janice Deal is one of my fellow Regal House Publishing writers. We’re in the same group of summer releases. While I haven’t had time to read all of the other books being released in this time period by RHP, I did want to give a shout-out to these fine authors who have taught me so much as we negotiated our journeys to publication. Take a peek at the descriptions of their books  and see if at least one doesn’t grab you!

Street Sign

One Last Thought about Toward the Corner of Mercy…

If you cruise through Oak Grove Cemetery in Paducah, you’ll eventually run across this sign: Mercy Ave.

Mercy is a strong theme in my book, and I’ve thought a lot about it. The Oxford Dictionary definition of the word mercy is:

“Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.”

What’s been your experience with mercy? Have you received it? Have you extended it? Let me know your story.

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