German Weinachtsmarkt (Christmas Market)

I'll be hosting a display of Berlin Wall memorabilia at the German-American Christmas Festival in Tomball, Texas, December 13-15. I'll also have copies of "Katia" and "For Maria" available for signing. If you're in the area, come and enjoy a great time! More information: http://www.tomballgermanfest.org/about-us/

The Magdalene Mystery, Christine Sunderland (OakTara)

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This is my third Sunderland novel, and, as good as the others were, it is by far the best. Ms. Sunderland skillfully crafts a tale that balances intrigue with history, while sprinkling in a touch of adult romance--by that I mean romance as it was intended for adults to pursue and for youth to witness as an example.

Her godfather, Father Gilbert, bequeaths Kelly Roberts a legacy richer in truth and spirit than in gold. She is to seek his magnum opus, a manuscript containing his painstaking research on the historically true Mary Magdalene, who has been reinvented time and time again by modern "scholarship," contorted beyond recognition for reasons both spiritual and humanistic. Kelly is to travel to Italy with an associate of Father Gilbert's, Professor Daniel Weaver, and together they piece together the mysterious trail of clues her godfather left using the Apostle's Creed as the cipher key. Thus, Ms. Sunderland takes us on a tour of the magnificent cathedrals, monuments, and grottos of Italy's and France's early Christendom, picking up, piece by piece, her legacy along the way. Pursued by Dr. Lester Sansby, who desperately wants the manuscript for his own nefarious purposes, Kelly and Daniel must stay a step ahead to keep their prize from falling into the hands of its worst enemies.

The history-rich narrative is smoothed, even caressed, by Ms. Sunderland's exquisite prose. You'll learn a great deal, whether that's your intention or not, gripped by the tension and suspense surrounding the fate of Father Gilbert's manuscript and the gradual revelation of Kelly's parents' murder. (Oh, I didn't mention that, did I?)

The agenda is clear: the exoneration of Mary Magdalene's reputation from the hands of modern historical revisionists. But the agenda never overrides the storyline. Ms. Sunderland is subtle, objective, and honest in her treatment of the mysteries of history and of faith. The pendulum need not swing to an angle too acute to dispel belief for the message to come across effectively and with class. It takes an even mind and skillful pen to accomplish that. Ms. Sunderland displays both.

Flawless research, enviable prose, gentle heartfelt delivery. "The Magdalene Mystery" is a must-have for parish libraries and should be encouraged for both young adult and mature reading. Highly recommended

Bravo, Christine!

Now for a little insight into Christine Sunderland.  After you read the interview, take a moment to leave a comment (a question, an observation, your choice) for the chance to win a copy of The Magdalene Mystery. A winner will be selected next Sunday, October 27th.  Please be sure to leave your email address in the comment, so I can contact the winner.

 

 

Okay, Christine, tell us a little about yourself; for example, when did you begin writing?  What inspired you to start?

 

I discovered writing late in life. I never intended to write novels (just read them), but my travels to Europe led to meditative journals, and these led to stories. I loved reading from an early age, and my English Lit degree encouraged me to create plotlines and characters from my voluminous notes. I was fascinated by the historical sites my husband and I visited in Western Europe, so that when I was home I audited classes in Western Civilization. We often traveled with our bishop, a formidable inspiration and fount of wisdom. The history of the West took shape in my mind, and I was struck by how it reflected the history of Christianity, the history of belief.  I read historians Barbara Tuchman, Paul Johnson, Peter Brown, Thomas Cahill,  Gertrude Himmelfarb, and Eamon Duffy. Theologians, mystics, and other writers inspired me as well: Raymond Raynes, Dom Gregory Dix, Alexander Schmemann, Russell Kirk, Evelyn Underhill, Luke Timothy Johnson, and, of course, C. S. Lewis, among many.

 

A heady list of literary heroes indeed.  What motivated, or still motivates, you to select the genre and themes you write about?

 

God's active presence in our world, in history and in the present, inspires me to write of goodness, truth, and beauty—T.S. Eliot's "permanent things." I write from a Christian worldview, a world with characters who love and suffer and sacrifice, who desire to be good and true, or search for goodness and truth, and who wonder at the beauty around them, who are wonderful.

 

I am also motivated by today's cultural crises – abortion, euthanasia, the role of sexuality and the body, the nature and challenges of marriage, the demands of love. I try to explore the Christian answer to why we suffer (C. S. Lewis's “problem of pain”), the Christian view of life and death, and the role of the Church in all of this. I am fascinated by belief itself, by apologetics (I was converted by Lewis's Mere Christianity), by Christianity's historical foundations and its present challenges. It has been said that "all doubt is moral." There are, in other words, lifestyle implications to belief.

 

That comes out very clearly in The Magdalene Mystery. The reader can’t help but notice that the hits Kelly has taken in life that have greatly affected her faith.  It seems difficult for her to shake them off for much of her journey.  Is it fair to ask if she is modeled after someone you personally know (no names expected, of course), or does she represent  a more generic character figure?

 

Kelly is, like each of my characters, a composite of people I have known. Kelly represents generations of young people threatened by our highly sexualized and starkly agnostic culture, a "post-Christian" culture.  And Kelly reflects some of my own history too. Like Kelly, I was a single parent raising a young son in an apartment in Walnut Creek. My apartment was robbed and ransacked;  I also longed for a life of safety, especially as a mother.  We live in a culture of escalating crime. The marginalization of church and temple has allowed the collapse of moral authority in the public square; the breakup of the family has contributed as well, for it is the family that passes moral values to the next generation.  And like Kelly, my parish church was like a family. The description of Kelly's church, St. Mary's, is based on my own church, St. Peter's in Oakland.

 

So there is some of Christine in Kelly.  I think that makes her more real, more personable. In what ways do you think, or hope, her story might benefit readers?

 

Hopefully, Kelly's story will create a firmer foundation for belief in Christianity.  From belief, that first step of faith, all else follows; i.e., a life of meaning and joy.  Kelly is a thinking young adult, but she hasn't thought through her belief system, and now she is forced to examine it, to face and define it, rather than slide along, buffeted by cultural trends.  I want to give young adults a way forward through the jungle of our world, to show them that Christian belief is rational and reasonable and can, to a satisfying degree, be supported with historical evidence.  

 

The reader also can’t help but see a depth of struggle in Daniel too.  He seems to wrestle with aspects of his faith and where they might be leading him.  Is there a message for the reader in his story too?

 

Daniel has experienced the power of lies, the tragic consequences of slander and distrust. In this, he has faced evil. He is a knight on a mission to clean up his world, to protect the innocent from the not-so-innocent Internet. He grapples with God's demands upon him; he searches for God's will. These are struggles believers face daily.  We journey with him as he searches, realizing these conversations with God are pleasing to God, just like Jacob's wrestling with God at Bethel.

 

The historical perspective delivered in The Magdalene Mystery—particularly what Daniel and the enigmatic Teresa recite so fondly to Kelly as she learns of her spiritual heritage—is phenomenal.  How did you research your material?

 

I was led to excellent and generous sources, and in the process created a team that supported my writing. The Rev. Dr. Paul Russell, the Dean of St. Joseph of Arimathea Theological College in Berkeley and a New Testament scholar, provided me with a hefty reading list to bring me up to speed on how we "do history," as well as the historical Jesus movements of the last century. Father Russell also read the manuscript in its early and late stages. Then I located Dr. Michael Donley, a British scholar and French translator, author of St. Mary Magdalen in Provence. He graciously read early and late drafts, and provided copious notes, even assisted with the French. Finally, a sweet and lively British nun at St. John Lateran in Rome read the material and helped me with the Corpus Christi procession and other scenes in Rome, as well as the Lateran's history regarding Mary Magdalene, a mystery I found fascinating.  Lastly, the work of Carl E. Olson and Amy Welborn were most useful and inspiring in terms of understanding what we know about Mary Magdalene and the world in which she lived.

 

Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code made claims that were clearly untrue about Mary Magdalene, yet so many readers believed these lies. I wanted to set the record straight in a format not unlike his own. So the story of Mary Magdalene, in the Gospels and in histories copied on codices through the centuries, opened a door to examining what we know and what we don't know about those first years of Christianity. Just as Mary Magdalene was the first to touch the risen Christ and the first to witness to the Resurrection, I wanted to build a trustworthy foundation for my readers so that they could reach and touch him too.

 

And you succeeded beautifully in doing just that. You mentioned you and your husband visited many of the settings in which the story takes place. Do you have any favorites?

 

The churches described in The Magdalene Mystery are all glorious. I love the American church Santa Susanna for its ethereal frescoes (my books are in their parish library); La Maddalena is a jewel box and home of the Camillians, the Order of the Ministers of the Sick (say hello to Father Paulo if you visit); the Basilica of Maria Maggiore is stunning with its crèche under the high altar and the St. Luke Madonna; Santa Croce's blue apse and the ancient side chapel of St. Helena, Constantine's mother, are unforgettable; San Giovanni Laterano's nave is lined with giant marble apostles and the cloister is mysterious and medieval.

 

I definitely hope someday to pass on your regards to Father Paulo, although I feel like I already know him and his environs through your vivid descriptions.  J  So, what’s the next treat from the pen of Christine Sunderland?  Is there more of Kelly and Daniel in the future, or will you take a different direction with your next novel?

 

A different direction, at least at this point. My novel-in-progress is revealing itself as a suspense/love story set in the Bay Area. There is a deserted chapel in an abandoned park, a museum-mansion and a piano tuner, an English professor-poet in love with a History grad student.

 

Now that sounds cool.  I look forward to reading it. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to these questions, Christine.  Are there any other thoughts you’d like to close with, tidbits of wit or wisdom—or both?

 

Thanks so much, Bruce. It's been a real pleasure to talk about The Magdalene Mystery. The novel was a great joy to write. It was also a magnificent adventure to research and create. Since it was about truth, and how we know truth, I tried to be as truthful as possible as the mysteries within its pages led to more mysteries which led to more… much like life and love and faith… much like talking with God.

Okay, Christine, tell us a little about yourself; for example, when did you begin writing?  What inspired you to start?

 

I discovered writing late in life. I never intended to write novels (just read them), but my travels to Europe led to meditative journals, and these led to stories. I loved reading from an early age, and my English Lit degree encouraged me to create plotlines and characters from my voluminous notes. I was fascinated by the historical sites my husband and I visited in Western Europe, so that when I was home I audited classes in Western Civilization. We often traveled with our bishop, a formidable inspiration and fount of wisdom. The history of the West took shape in my mind, and I was struck by how it reflected the history of Christianity, the history of belief.  I read historians Barbara Tuchman, Paul Johnson, Peter Brown, Thomas Cahill,  Gertrude Himmelfarb, and Eamon Duffy. Theologians, mystics, and other writers inspired me as well: Raymond Raynes, Dom Gregory Dix, Alexander Schmemann, Russell Kirk, Evelyn Underhill, Luke Timothy Johnson, and, of course, C. S. Lewis, among many.

 

A heady listed of literary heroes indeed.  What motivated, or still motivates, you to select the genre and themes you write about?

 

God's active presence in our world, in history and in the present, inspires me to write of goodness, truth, and beauty—T.S. Eliot's "permanent things." I write from a Christian worldview, a world with characters who love and suffer and sacrifice, who desire to be good and true, or search for goodness and truth, and who wonder at the beauty around them, who are wonderful.

 

I am also motivated by today's cultural crises – abortion, euthanasia, the role of sexuality and the body, the nature and challenges of marriage, the demands of love. I try to explore the Christian answer to why we suffer (C. S. Lewis's “problem of pain”), the Christian view of life and death, and the role of the Church in all of this. I am fascinated by belief itself, by apologetics (I was converted by Lewis's Mere Christianity), by Christianity's historical foundations and its present challenges. It has been said that "all doubt is moral." There are, in other words, lifestyle implications to belief.

 

That comes out very clearly in The Magdalene Mystery. The reader can’t help but notice that the hits Kelly has taken in life that have greatly affected her faith.  It seems difficult for her to shake them off for much of her journey.  Is it fair to ask if she is modeled after someone you personally know (no names expected, of course), or does she represent  a more generic character figure?

 

Kelly is, like each of my characters, a composite of people I have known. Kelly represents generations of young people threatened by our highly sexualized and starkly agnostic culture, a "post-Christian" culture.  And Kelly reflects some of my own history too. Like Kelly, I was a single parent raising a young son in an apartment in Walnut Creek. My apartment was robbed and ransacked;  I also longed for a life of safety, especially as a mother.  We live in a culture of escalating crime. The marginalization of church and temple has allowed the collapse of moral authority in the public square; the breakup of the family has contributed as well, for it is the family that passes moral values to the next generation.  And like Kelly, my parish church was like a family. The description of Kelly's church, St. Mary's, is based on my own church, St. Peter's in Oakland.

 

So there is some of Christine in Kelly.  I think that makes her more real, more personable. In what ways do you think, or hope, her story might benefit readers?

 

Hopefully, Kelly's story will create a firmer foundation for belief in Christianity.  From belief, that first step of faith, all else follows; i.e., a life of meaning and joy.  Kelly is a thinking young adult, but she hasn't thought through her belief system, and now she is forced to examine it, to face and define it, rather than slide along, buffeted by cultural trends.  I want to give young adults a way forward through the jungle of our world, to show them that Christian belief is rational and reasonable and can, to a satisfying degree, be supported with historical evidence.  

 

The reader also can’t help but see a depth of struggle in Daniel too.  He seems to wrestle with aspects of his faith and where they might be leading him.  Is there a message for the reader in his story too?

 

Daniel has experienced the power of lies, the tragic consequences of slander and distrust. In this, he has faced evil. He is a knight on a mission to clean up his world, to protect the innocent from the not-so-innocent Internet. He grapples with God's demands upon him; he searches for God's will. These are struggles believers face daily.  We journey with him as he searches, realizing these conversations with God are pleasing to God, just like Jacob's wrestling with God at Bethel.

 

The historical perspective delivered in The Magdalene Mystery—particularly what Daniel and the enigmatic Teresa recite so fondly to Kelly as she learns of her spiritual heritage—is phenomenal.  How did you research your material?

 

I was led to excellent and generous sources, and in the process created a team that supported my writing. The Rev. Dr. Paul Russell, the Dean of St. Joseph of Arimathea Theological College in Berkeley, a New Testament scholar, provided me with a hefty reading list to bring me up to speed on how we "do history," the Jesus Seminar and the historical Jesus movements of the last century. Father Russell also read the manuscript in its early and late stages. Then I located Dr. Michael Donley, a British scholar and French translator, author of St. Mary Magdalen in Provence. He graciously read early and late drafts, and provided copious notes, even assisted with the French. Finally, a sweet and lively British nun at St. John Lateran in Rome read the material and helped me with the Corpus Christi procession and other scenes in Rome, as well as the Lateran's history regarding Mary Magdalene, a mystery I found fascinating.  Lastly, the work of Carl E. Olson and Amy Welborn were most useful and inspiring in terms of understanding what we know about Mary Magdalene and the world in which she lived.

 

Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code made claims that were clearly untrue about Mary Magdalene, yet so many readers believed these lies. I wanted to set the record straight in a format not unlike his own. So the story of Mary Magdalene, in the Gospels and in histories copied on codices through the centuries, opened a door to examining what we know and what we don't know about those first years of Christianity. Just as Mary Magdalene was the first to touch the risen Christ and the first to witness to the Resurrection, I wanted to build a trustworthy foundation for my readers so that they could reach and touch him too.

 

And you succeeded beautifully in doing just that. You mentioned you and your husband visited many of the settings in which the story takes place. Do you have any favorites?

 

The churches described in The Magdalene Mystery are all glorious. I love the American church Santa Susanna for its ethereal frescoes (my books are in their parish library); La Maddalena is a jewel box and home of the Camillians, the Order of the Ministers of the Sick (say hello to Father Paulo if you visit); the Basilica of Maria Maggiore is stunning with its crèche under the high altar and the St. Luke Madonna; Santa Croce's blue apse and the ancient side chapel of St. Helena, Constantine's mother, are unforgettable; San Giovanni Laterano's nave is lined with giant marble apostles and the cloister is mysterious and medieval.

 

I definitely hope someday to pass on your regards to Father Paulo, although I feel like I already know him and his environs through your vivid descriptions.  J  So, what’s the next treat from the pen of Christine Sunderland?  Is there more of Kelly and Daniel in the future, or will you take a different direction with your next novel?

 

A different direction, at least at this point. My novel-in-progress is revealing itself as a suspense/love story set in the Bay Area. There is a deserted chapel in an abandoned park, a museum-mansion and a piano tuner, an English professor-poet in love with a History grad student.

 

Now that sounds cool.  I look forward to reading it. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond to these questions, Christine.  Are there any other thoughts you’d like to close with, tidbits of wit or wisdom—or both?

 

Thanks so much, Bruce. It's been a real pleasure to talk about The Magdalene Mystery. The novel was a great joy to write. It was also a magnificent adventure to research and create. Since it was about truth, and how we know truth, I tried to be as truthful as possible as the mysteries within its pages led to more mysteries which led to more… much like life and love and faith… much like talking with God.

 

 

You can see a reviews of one of Christine's other works on this blog at Pilgrimage  read more about her and her writing at http://christinesunderland.com/.

 

A Winner!

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After an unforgivably long delay due to no one else's fault but my own, we're f-i-n-a-l-l-y awarding a copy of "It Adds Up To Murder" to Cynthia Blain.  Congrats, Cynthia.  Happy dance!

Watch for another interview and giveaway coming soon!
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It Adds Up to Murder, DA Featherling

 

It seems oxymoronic to characterize a crime novel as "fun."  But, getting past that, I've got a fun crime novel for you.  But first, the background.

I had the joy of chatting with Dorothy Featherling at a writers' event last month.  Then I had the added joy of buying and reading one of her books, It Adds Up to Murder, first in the "It's Murder at the Office" series.  Simply recapped, I wish I could write a tale like this.  Envy aside, however, here's the story.

Recently laid off from her university job, middle-aged Abigail Newhouse now contracts out through the Evanston Agency as a temp.  Anything to make ends meet.  The story opens with her first day on the job as a bookkeeper at Holt, Inc., a high-powered accounting and property management firm.  Abby's surprised--and little intimidated--to find herself assigned to the senior accountant, a shallow one step below the chief financial officer.  Okay, no problem; she can do this.

In fact, she could probably do it very well, but for the mild distraction of people being murdered around her.

Enter distraction number two.  Lt. Nick Vaughn, the investigating homicide detective, is an equally mature--and coincidentally equally available--Irishman with the looks to go with it:  blue eyes, dark hair, trim physique, subtle Irish brogue that peaks with his dry humor.  You know the kind.  Abby, put off at first by the Lt's brusque manner, and Nick, equally standoffish by the more-than-level chance that this Ms. Newhouse may somehow be involved in the murders, raises barriers to any chance of a connection.  As the investigation progresses, though, impressions and suspicions mellow, and chemistry takes over.  Abby enlists herself in the effort to find the murderer as much for her own desire for justice as for her desire to keep as close to the good Lt, and as frequently, as possible.

Sometimes that self-enlistment works out; sometimes it doesn't.  What it does do consistently, though, is provide a very entertaining story written in a very entertaining way.  Ms Featherling's delightful writing voice had me chuckling aloud on more than one occasion, but not at the expense of her story's underlying tension.  I see where Nick gets his dry wit.

If you want a good mystery tale that glides along on a well-lubricated path of accomplished storytelling, you really need to try this one.  You really do.

Now having had my say, let me introduce you to the author of this most entertaining story:  DA Featherling.

Dorothy, this was thoroughly enjoyable.  Thanks for writing it, but especially, thanks for being willing to field a few questions about it.

Thanks for having me, Bruce. I love to talk about books and am always happy to answer questions. You’ll understand, of course, if I feel a need to invoke the Fifth Amendment.

Hopefully, the pleading the Fifth won't be a issue--but maybe you better read the fine print in the questions really closely before answer.  :-)

First, what inspired you to write a crime novel? Is this a favorite genre?  And with that, you've introduced such a unique main character:  a temporary office worker feeling a little out of her element.  Is Ms Newhouse a vestige of something in Dorothy Featherling's background, or was Abby contrived on a whim?

Actually, mysteries and suspense are my two favorite genres to read. I didn’t really start out to write mysteries…my first book was a romance (well, everybody else was writing one and what did I know?). I write in multiple genres – mystery, romantic comedy, futuristic suspense, and romance – so I decided one day to see if I could write a mystery. Found out I could and there’s been no stopping me since.

There are so many mysteries on the market that I realized I needed to have something unique to offer readers. Having come from a ‘secure state job’ background, I thought…what if a woman who’d held that kind of job suddenly lost it and couldn’t find a similar replacement position? If she became a temporary…what possibilities did that open for her to get involved in a new crime every time she changes jobs?

The other unique aspect to the series is the fact that either an office machine or office procedure will be the means or reason for the crime in each book in the series.

Hopefully, this will give readers something new to enjoy that hasn’t been done to death (no pun intended).

Okay, well that tidbit about office machines cleared up a curiosity.  :-)  I've already alluded to your great writing voice.  Although I didn't mention it in my review, you handled the first-person point of view really well.  Why did you decide on this style and how did you develop it?  Do you have a writing role model or two who influence you?

I’ve got seven (almost eight) books under my belt. Three of those are third person. But when I wrote my first 1^st person novel, I felt like I’d come home. The new mystery series I’m working on (book 1 of “Staged for Murder” series’ first draft is complete) was a toss-up as to whether it would be first or third person. I actually wrote a couple of chapters both ways and queried some of my critique partners as to their preference. They were equally split. So I went with my own choice and went back to first person. It feels most comfortable for me.

There are so many great writers out there (you being one…seriously!) that I’m sure their writing has had an influence on me. As much as I’ve read over the years I suspect I may have picked up things from them without realizing it, but I can’t say I really have a writing role model.

It wouldn't surprise me if you *were* one, though, even unbeknown to you.  You mentioned to me once that you read a book a day.  (Wow!)  How does this leave you time to write your own books?  Do you have a set schedule, or write when you can?  And do you have a consistent setting in which you write, or do you vary it; e.g., a quiet nook, a bustling Starbucks--sometimes both?

For one thing, I read very fast. Secondly, the books I read are fiction…for enjoyment…not weighty tomes I have to think about. They are an escape for me to relax for a bit and let my conscious mind rest.

I’ve actually had to recently develop a very set schedule…or timetable for my writing. Some of my health issues keep me from being able to stay on the computer for long stretches without intense pain (which I’d prefer not to have happen)…so I spend some time each day (and it varies a bit) writing a new book, other time editing one to be published, I’m also editing for another writer so that gets a segment, and then I need time to read a bit and relax. Mix that with time on social media and marketing stuff and it’s a pretty full day.

I have an extra bedroom that I use as an office, and I write there and only there. Sometimes if I get an idea while I’m elsewhere I may scribble a note or something, but basically, I sit down at the computer, pray, and get going. I write without music or other distractions…I don’t find silence at all intimidating.

Neither do I; I can't have distractions, either, when I'm trying to write. Okay, this question is more for me, probably, than most readers, but I'm curious (and, since it's my blog, I get to ask the questions), are you a seat-of-the-pants writer, or do you outline your stories?

LOL. Actually a bit of both. I’m a little weird (well, more than a little, probably). I begin with a premise…’what if….whatever’. Then…I HAVE to have a title. I cannot start a book without a title. Don’t know why. It’s just the way I’m wired. Once I have those two things, I’m ready to write.

The story may go along for several chapters, but at some point (and also depending on the complexity of the story – like my futuristic suspense) I have to come up with plot points for a few scenes or chapters ahead. Once I’ve used those, then it’s probably back to SOTP. So it’s kind of back and forth throughout.

We're on the same page (so to speak).  I write SOTP too, but eventually I've got to scope out at least a timeline or I easily write myself into a corner.  Let's switch gears now more to readers.  Do you have a niche readership you specifically write to--or whom think of while you're designing a story?  Or do you aim your appeal to a wide audience?  What do you want your readers to walk away with after finishing one of your books?

I’d like to think anyone could read my books and enjoy them. So I guess that’s a wide appeal audience. I try to keep them contemporary for the younger set, but the mature reader will find things to like about them, too, I hope. I’d like to hope both men and women would read them.

When a reader finishes one of my books, closes the cover…if they’re smiling…then I’ve done a very good thing and that’s what motivates me to keep writing.

Well, It Adds Up to Murder certainly appealed to me--and I was definitely smiling at the end. So, let me pose the final two questions, and I'll let you get back to your writing.  (1)  What's next?  Will we see more of Abby Newhouse in sequels, or do you have other plans for your writing?  Will crime novels dominate the landscape, or are there other treats in store?

Oh, yes. You will see Abby in sequels. Second one is just barely started and I hope to begin working on it more when I get some of the editing on my other books done. I’m publishing four or five of the romantic comedies…haven’t yet decided whether to continue on with them or not, and the futuristic suspense novel (hopefully out the first of the year) was written as the first book in a series of four.

I had someone recently ask me after a talk I did if I planned to write any Westerns. I’m not planning it…but I love the genre…so who knows? Anything is possible. Plus I have couple of ideas for some fantasies….

Anything is indeed possible.  :-)  (2)  Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?  Words of wisdom or of wit--or both?

There is so much good fiction out there today. Plus a lot of poor fiction, as well. I hope both other writers and readers will produce and find the good stuff because reading is a key ingredient to learning and to enjoying life.

Amen!  Thanks so much for your time, Dorothy.  I've enjoyed prying...er, delving into your writing mind.  I hope it's been fun for you too.

Thanks, Bruce. It’s been great!

Dorothy Featherling's work, and further thoughts on writing and life, appear here on her website.  Drop by and visit, when you get a chance.

And thanks to everyone for dropping by here!  If you leave a comment with a question for Dorothy--her writing, personality, anything (within reason, of course  :-) )--you'll be entered into a drawing for a copy of It Adds Up to Murder (Sorry, US- and Canada-based readers, please.  Overseas postage is nasty.  Thanks)

Cheers! Bruce

Awake Again!

 

After over seven months of silence--mostly due to a household move and sundry other excuses--I'm ready to pick back up on book reviews.  (Yea!)  There will be something different from this point on, though.  I'll be including short interviews with as many authors as who have the time and schedule to participate.  There may even be a giveaway or two, who knows?

Hope you haven't permanently given up on me.  There's a lot more fun to be had!

The next post will appear soon with a review of DA Featherling's crime novel, It Adds Up to Murder, and an interview with Dorothy.  Keep watching this space!

And, as always, thanks for dropping by.

Cheers! Bruce

The Leaving, by Ruth Crews (OakTara)

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This is one of those books you know you're going to finish before you have any idea where the plot is going.  The writing is that fun.

The second in the "Gatekeeper" series, The Leaving picks up where Gatekeeper leaves off, with our heroine, Anna Merritt, a senior at Hope College, facing graduation and a highly uncertain future.  Having returned from England the term before--correction, most of her returned from England the term before.  Her heart remained behind.  And therein lies her conundrum.  Faced with the typical English-Lit major's fears of how on earth to market her vanilla degree, she does what many of us do: cling to the past, the known, the familiar and attractive.  In Anna's case, that's England.  But moreover, she clings to the hope of getting back to the UK as soon as possible. But how?  (the conundrum)

Each chapter begins alternately with a letter from Anna to her erstwhile companion in adventure at Oxford, Eddie, and his responses to her.  She bares her soul and its dreams to him, and he returns his wit and wisdom concerning where Anna might should be focusing her efforts; that is, where she is and the life she's living now, lest she at best miss it, at worst screw it up.  Undeterred, Anna presses on, barely tolerating her studies and her fellow students in her fixation on the isle across the Atlantic.  And she gets a littl annoying in that fixation, quite honestly.  But ya still gotta love her.

This is a tale of an inner journey, one that is so believably delivered that you wonder how much of it is autobiographical.  (Ruth...?)  So, if you're looking for jeeps blowing up, blood-dripping knives, or Lancaster County intrigue, read no more of this.  But if you enjoy an incredibly fresh, young, witty voice learning life and how it should be approached, well, click the above hyperlink and settle in for a chuckle and a shake of the head.

While it would be helpful to read Gatekeeper first for background character identification, it's not vital to enjoying The Leaving. The joy is in the present, not the past.

Oh, and if you are, like I am, an unabashed Anglophile, you'll get even more out of the matchless repartee between Anna and Eddie.  Cheers to Ms. Crews for quite a lovely read.
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