Authors Books

Rosemary Daniell is on a mission, and part of her mission is to make sure that women in particular, but men as well fight and slay their "demons/issues" and get on with the life they were meant to have. Her dedication has led her to a 24-year love affair with Zona Rosa and to the brave souls who seek to break past their pasts, their fears, their excuses and live a full and authentic life. This book may claim to be "about" writing, but it's a lot more than a how-to book. The exorcises alone are worth the price. And by all means, if you can get to a Zona Rosa meeting--go! You're in for a treat.

Rosemary Daniell is a woman who has listened intently and found her passion and her voice. She shares both in this book so that others may know what the experience is like.

My favorite part is where she is working with students and the class is working on the poem "Eggs" and students ponder what is it really like to sit in a bathtub of eggs. The words are so strong they don't just invite visualization, they demand it.

Having sat in on a Zona Rosa meeting, I can say that working with Rosemary Daniell is just as electrifying.

This book is more memoir than "beginner writer" exercise book (though there are some exercises), but this is precisely why I liked it. And, of course, the "read-like-a-novel" style of writing sets it apart from ordinary "how to write" books.

Like another reviewer, I wish Rosemary and her Zona Rosa group were in my town!! Failing that, though, this book is a keeper!

I was a little skeptical about a new-age-y writing book--another writer urging us wannabes to spill words. But Rosemary Daniell won me over. First of all, she's really practicing what she preaches--and not for the money. The first chapter, from which the title was taken, describes her experiences teaching writing in schools and prisons. It's the intersection of her greatest love and the greatest need--and both admirable and daring. I've had the pleasure of using her discussion starters with children ages 5-8 and it works!

In her chapter on self-sabotage I recognized people I know as well as myself. I will pull this chapter out on occasion to remind myself what NOT to do.

I was most taken, though, with the "Further Notes" chapter. In it she described things I've had to learn the hard way myself. (She calls it demystification--thank you, Rosemary, I wish I'd met you years ago.) For example, how to paraphrase everything first. I'm halfway finished with an MFA and have studied writing with many famous writers. NO ONE has ever mentioned this before. But it works.

There are also many provocative female ideas embedded in this book, like the use of irony in good women's fiction. I'd like to sit in on that discussion. This is a book I will buy and keep and read when I need to hear the voice of someone experienced and wise.

Daniell's book is like a banquet; she has cooked up something for everyone, beginning writers, those in the middle and old hands. This is a book I buy frequently now and give away to people I like, both writers and nonwriters. As a desert, there are a whole lot of things you can do with young people to stimulate the creative process in The Woman Who Spilled Words All Over Herself. Super good book.

This is the most wonderful collection of fairytales, which I first encountered in the third grade and have reread countless times since. I'd rank it with the multicolored Fairy Book series by Andrew Lang as world class for this genre. A classic!

This book has been in my family for four generations, the 1912 edition having been given to my father by his grandmother in 1948.

The premise of the story is given in the introduction; the narrator happens upon a marvelous clock in Father Time's attic, which strikes the hour with songs and puppet dances. Twenty-four stories follow, one for each hour of the day. Each story begins with a verse that corresponds to the hour of the day: lighting the fire, preparing breakfast, sending the children to school, making the noonday meal, milking, tea, bedtime. The verses alone are fascinating, as they bring to life the househould routines of a very different era.

The stories are illustrated with Howard Pyle's remarkable drawings. Each tale has a frontispiece for the title, and the beginning of the text and each picture caption is heralded with a large ornmental letter like those in illuminated manuscripts. The illustrations are gorgeous. Pyle was fond of capturing scenes of nobility and royal splendour, pastoral life, and witchcraft. Some are stylized portraits of princesses in exquisite gowns and classic poses, while others demonstrate Pyle's gift for caricature and expression.

The stories themselves are wonderful, full of heroes and heroines, bravery, beauty, wits and trickery. Although there are allusions to mystic and Christian themes, and to folklore and fables, most of the stories will be unfamiliar and fresh to modern readers. The langauge is rich with metaphor, droll imagery, and dialogue that is made to be read aloud. As with Aesop's fables, the stories are meant to instruct, but the morals take a back seat to the storytelling, at least until the conclusion of each tale, and a great deal is left up to the reader to interpret.

This was my favorite book as a child, and I still turn to it on sleepless nights. But our beloved family heirloom is growing very delicate, so I am very glad that the book is still in print. I hope to share it with my own children someday.

My father heard these stories as a child. He read them to me. I read them to my kids and my grandkids. The vocabulary, the cadences, the varied plots and the sheer magic of these tales is timeless. The poems at the beginning of each chapter are related to the hours. Kids insist that you read them too. Pyle always sees to it that bullies, evil magicians, cheaters and older nasty siblings get their comeuppance. Little ones enjoy that aspect. Great archaic words are dusted off along with long disused similies and metaphores. It's the kind of book that comes to mind when you meet a bright eyed new child who has read everything else or seen everything else. At age 70 I still keep a copy in my bed's head board. Rap, tap, tap he knocked at the door.

The narrator of the twenty-four stories (plus an introduction) finds a special clock in Father Time's attic, which strikes on the hour with songs and puppet dances. "Four and twenty marvelous tales, one for each hour of the day" all start with a verse to coincide with that particular hour. Drawings are included to add further depth. Each ends with a morality lesson, which never interferes with the story, but helps wrap up that entry.

This nineteenth century collection is remarkable in different ways depending on the reader. The tales provide insight into daily household life and the morality of a bygone era. The contributions also furbish delightful fairy tales for the young at heart that are enhanced by superb figures of speech and tremendous illustrations with a finale moral lesson. This collection is a winner and will send many a reader searching for other works by Howard Pyle.

Harriet Klausner

I have been searching for this book for quite a while. The stories included are gloriously written and the illustrations are phenomenal. The reason I started looking for it again was because my Grandson will soon enjoy it. He is only 5 years old, but again, I started reading it (repeatedly) starting at age 7. I think I re-loaned it until my card was worn out! I will get him his very own copy and I know he will enjoy it as much as I.

"Sometimes, like now, I have a great need
To live outside metaphor,
To know a dawn that's only dawn
And corn that's corn and nothing else."

In the many discussions of poetry that have been had, one question brought up by the novice is why do some poets write their stories in poems rather than fiction. The answer has always been to point to the classic epics or to the narrative poems of Frost, Robinson, and so on. I've recently found contemporary narratives that I can point to. Dave Mason's "The Country I Remember", the book-length narrative sequences by Marilyn Nelson, "The Homeplace", and Kim Addonizio, "Jimmy & Rita." And now I have another to point to, Hudgins' "After the Lost War."

It's a series of lyric poems, dramatic monologues, and shorter narrative poems that tell the story of poet/musician Sidney Lanier, who lived in the 19th century and fought in the Civil War. Hudgins tells the story through Lanier's point of view, in a voice Hudgins created for the narrator. The poems range from sad to loving to brutal. The poems come together to give us not only the story of Lanier, but a feel for the man and the times. It's a fine work of narrative poetry, one that I think will prove important to bringing the narrative poem back to the position it once held.

In the many discussions of poetry that have been had, one question brought up by the novice is why do some poets write their stories in poems rather than fiction. The answer has always been to point to the classic epics or to the narrative poems of Frost, Robinson, and so on. I've recently found contemporary narratives that I can point to. Dave Mason's "The Country I Remember", the book-length narrative sequences by Marilyn Nelson, "The Homeplace", and Kim Addonizio, "Jimmy & Rita." And now I have another to point to, Hudgins' "After the Lost War."

It's a series of lyric poems, dramatic monologues, and shorter narrative poems that tell the story of poet/musician Sidney Lanier, who lived in the 19th century and fought in the Civil War. Hudgins tells the story through Lanier's point of view, in a voice Hudgins created for the narrator. The poems range from sad to loving to brutal. The poems come together to give us not only the story of Lanier, but a feel for the man and the times. It's a fine work of narrative poetry, one that I think will prove important to bringing the narrative poem back to the position it once held.

When I was reading this volume, I drove to Sunday Mass early and sat for a few minutes in the car. I finished this book in the parking lot and never went to Mass. Normally, I would feel obliged to bring deliberating skipping Mass to confession. This time, I shall not. I immediately phoned my local bookseller and he obtained for me a signed first edition which I handed to my wife and told her it is all I want for my birthday in March. I then got on line and ordered five additional paperback copies to give to my friends. I read the book three times in 10 days. I'm not like this, normally. This is a brilliantly conceived, flawlessly executed and deeply moving book. It is now part of me.

Andrew Hudgins, After the Lost War: A Narrative (Houghton Mifflin, 1988)

I read Hudgins' collection The Never-Ending a few months back, and after I had finished praising it, a friend of mine told me that I had to read After the Lost War as soon as possible. Well, I just finished it.

Houghton Mifflin bought centuries off the time they will spend in purgatory for all those dry-as-dust textbooks with this collection. Hudgins based this series of poems loosely on the life of Civil War veteran, novelist, and flautist Sidney Lanier, but really, the subject matter could have been anything from primordial ooze to particle physics. The greatness of the work here is in the construction of the poetry itself. The entire book is in blank verse, but a sort of sprung blank verse (through not as loose as the sprung rhythms of Gerard Manley Hopkins) that rhymes every once in a while. Nonrhyming poetry that rhymes every once in a while is one of the great no-nos of poetry; it speaks to a lack of attention paid to the details of craft. Before free verse became so popular, it was also not advisable to write in, say, iambic tetrameter and then suddenly throw in a line of iambic pentameter. Hudgins does both of these things, seemingly at will, and even the most astute reader will likely skim right by them without even noticing there's been a rhyme, or a break in the rhythm.

Hudgins, in these poems, is so completely attuned to the beauty of the language he's using and the natural flow of the words that the anomalies within them take on, at best, minimal significance. Hudgins manages to do a number of things that, these days, seem nearly impossible: breaks the rules of both free-verse and metric poetry, complete an epic-length series (144 pages) of related poems and keep them readable, and manage the whole way not to drop a single syllable, not include a single throwaway word. I only have a thousand words for this review, and a thousand words is not nearly enough to describe the beautiful intricacies of the construction here, the many parallels that run through the book and the way the lengths of the poems expand and contract depending on what's going on in Hudgins' life; someone, someday soon, will use this book to write a critical thesis. It will be very long.

Upon the release of After the Lost War, one reviewer in the Denver Post called it "one of the best narrative poems to appear in this country in more than thirty years." Indeed. Easily one of the finest books, in any genre, I have read this year. **** ½

This is one of the finest volumes of narrative poetry there is buy it you won't be dissapointed. Hudgins captures the soul of Sidney Lanier puts it on the page. I read this book for the first time two years ago and is still one of the best I've read. Enough so that I felt obligated to log on here and post this. On a side note I met Hudgins today, the man is brilliant, hilarious, and just a really really great guy.

Angus and the Hidden Fort, by Steven A. Corirossi, was one of my favorite books. It's about [a small]kid who found a secret fort and it actually belonged to someone very famous years ago. To find out who it is, you got to check this book out. I loved how Steven wrote the ending. He added so much detail that I was disappointed when the book was over. This book is one of those books that you wish could never end. I recommend this book to six graders and up because I don't think that little kids would understand. If there are anymore books by Steven Corirossi, I got to read them!

Angus And The Hidden Fort by Steven A. Corirossi is an engaging novel for young readers about Angus McBride a nine-year-old boy, and his best friend Andrew Sills, who when exploring Black Hawk Park, discover the legacy of a one hundred and fifty year old mystery. Angus And The Hidden Fort is a highly recommended, adventurous and exciting tale, and one that opens with an unknown individual fleeing the wrath of two bare-chested Indians and proffers tantalizing hints as to the who and the why of the chase, until the stunning revelation of the end. The debut novel of a six-book series, readers will appreciate author Steven Corirossi's talents as a first class storyteller and will look eagerly forward to the new two titles: Angus And The Mysterious House and Angus And The Forgotten Trails.

Angus and the Hidden Fort is a very funny, mysterious, and exciting book. Although some words in this book I didn't know, by the time I was done with each chapter I had at least one word to add to my vocabulary list. I could read this book over and over and never get tired of reading it.

I was so excited to learn about this new adventure series--set in Central Illinois--that I just had to write and tell the author how grateful I am... it isn't too frequent that I can share with my 5th graders such wonderful, family-friendly stories that practically take place in our own backyard! Both Angus and the Hidden Fort and Angus and the Mysterious House are creatively and well written chapter novels that not only my students enjoyed, but I did as well. We're anxiously awaiting the arrival of Steven's third book, Angus and the Forgotten Trails... hurry up!

The book was a nice adventure story for boys or girls, although more geared to boys because all of the main characters in both time frames were male. Going back and forth in time made for more interesting reading and there was an element of mystery about the characters from the past that made the reader want to keep going to see what really happened and to whom.

The protagonist in the present was an adventuresome boy and I could imagine more stories of his exploits from the author. As an adult, I found the book a little simplistic and fairly predictable; still, I enjoyed the yarn and read it all. I think youngsters could picture themselves involved in this kind of exploration, doing a little detective work and trying to figure out some of the unexplained happenings.

A collection of short stories that combine great writing and thought provoking ideas. A unique exploration that leaves the reader still immersed in the stories themes long after having put the book down. There is a reality of truth that flows through the stories which are at times beyond belief. This is made possible by the universal themes of domination, pride and others. A great read that gets the highest recommendation.

This book was amazingly emotionally compact. It was a mental rollercoaster. Having a wide range of intense and disturbing explicit stories that read deeper than the number of pages. Never boring.

If the title of this book suggests to you a series of essays with a clear moral or other sound ponderings which will move you to make some activist stand, you're mistaken.

It is, however, a book that will return you to the days of hiding under the covers, flashlight in hand, reading things you ought not to. Only this time, you wish your mother would walk in & catch you, so you would stop. She's right, this stuff will give you nightmares.

With taboo topics such as incest, rape & slaughter, you'll feel that if anyone were to see you reading this material, you'd deserve nothing less than a spanking & a weekend grounded to your room. And the grounding would be the worst part ~ This book makes you wish you were in a place full of people & distractions so you would have an easy way to avoid the images & feelings in your head. Then again, it may make you wonder about all the people around you, and what stories they could tell. Maybe you're better off at home, alone, after all...

If this sounds like I hated the book, think again ~ I just interviewed the author!

(Consensed Review)

Perverse. There's a 'Clockwork Orange' sense of forced exposure here, leaving the reader feeling something like a violent loss of innocence upon finishing the book. Poignant and sharp throughout: writing elegant, the voice unassuming and without affectation -- a difficult feat carried off rather marvelously. Dominant to most of the stories is a feeling of helplessness, sexual and otherwise (don't miss "The Space Between Us" or "Mercy Killer II"), and while there is tenderness and a loving touch here as well, they're reserved for the characters of purity -- all animals (in one case, a fur coat).

A unique combination of themes. As soon as I finished reading I started looking for more by this author. Highest recommendation.

Yes, it made me think. But it made me think about things I don't really want to think about. A female friend of mine gave this to me and said she found some of the stories "a turn on". I don't see how that could be as they were all but a few pretty twisted and somewhat mean spirited. The author is trying to make a point about animal suffering and human suffering. I tried to get more insight into it by visiting his web site, which was interesting but didn't elaborate. There was a link to a review that helped put the collection in some kind of perspective. I'm not sure even yet I got out of it the point I was supposed to get, but I recommend it anyway because it really got in my mind, especially a few of the stories like "Food Chain" and "John School" and "In the Pride of Lions". I recommend it the way I'd recommend doing anything dangerous. You don't always want to be in that position and you ought to be in the right frame of mind before you go there. But going there I think is somewhat interesting. I was reading this on a plane and was very careful not to let the person on each side of me see the text. I guess that tells you something.

This is a charming and wonderful book. I too am surprised that it did not get more "buzz" at the time it was published.

How fascinating it is to eavesdrop, as it were, on authors' musings about their life and art. The diary entries help me fill in a multi-dimensional picture of what Virginia Woolf, Kafka, Dawn Powell, and others were like.

But not all the diarists are famous. Ordinary people's journals tell us a great deal about what it was like to be a Londoner evacuated during the Nazi bombing, or a wealthy slaveowner in the American South just before the Civil War.

There are, to this American's taste, too many British diarists here and too few Americans. I would have loved to have read a U.S. senator or cabinet member's personal observations of some political dust-up, but alas, that is not here. So I read the book at least partly as a window into British civilization.

For a compulsive reader or diary-phile, I can't imagine a better day book to accompany you through a year. To take 10 minutes out of the day and read the wonderful (really--I wondered at some of the things that people would write in the diaries) selection of entries for the day will provide you with a refreshing start, bookend, or break for your day (your choice). Even the potted biographies of the diarists (found at the back of the book) are delightful.

The authors have provided some lovely groupings of entries. January starts off with three entries from Mahler's lover, stretched over three successive days, that made me laugh. More complex emotionally is the chain at the end of January: two different diarists record the death and funeral services of George V of England in 1936, along with the assencsion of Edward III. A few days later is a recollection of meetings between Charlie Chaplin and Edward III (now the Duke of Windsor after renouncing his crown for Wallis Simpson) in the middle of World War II. Towards the end of January, in the 1930's, Count Ciano records the advice he gives Mussolini--on the same day, but in 1943, a nurse records the arrival of refugee children evacuated from Italy.

Some small errors in the bios at the back that I noticed: Goebbels kept his diary right until 1945 (not just until 1941); Delacroix did start his diary at 24 but dropped it after 2 years and did not resume it until he was 50 (the bio suggests that he kept his diary continuously); Pepy's diary wasn't kept in code but written in shorthand (a contemporaneous book describing the system Pepys used has been discovered)--but these are hardly the point with this delightful book. On the other hand, I didn't think that Woodeforde's diary revealed author to be a glutton (as the editors suggest) but I may not have read between the lines sufficiently.

I found this book on the remaindered shelf of my local bookstore (a crime!) but it even made the price right for me: $7.00 Canadian.

Wonderful book.

January 1, 2003: Bought this collection of diary and journal entries based on a review that said it would be a great book to leave in the guest bedroom for visitors. Have resolved to read a day's worth of entries each morning, and finish the book in one year.

February 16, 2003: Have discovered that this book is much more conveniently placed in the bathroom, where I am sure to spend five minutes each morning, rather than the guest bedroom.

April 13, 2003: What a remarkable collection of fascinating historical figures! The featured diarists are carefully chosen, as are the selected entries. Together they span four centuries and at least as many continents.

June 1, 2003: Have started to develop personal favorites among the many diarists. Pepys, for his unrepentant lasciviousness. Chips Channon, for his loveable pretentiousness. Kafka, for being Kafka. Warhol, for being Warhol. Coppola, for her intriguing insights into the life of her film-making husband. Woolf, for her introspective moodiness. Gide, for his sarcasm and arrogance.

July 5, 2003: Have become utterly addicted to my morning routine with this book, and have now started reading ahead.

July 29, 2003: Have only two minor complaints so far. One is that the diarists are predominantly British - perhaps a more diverse selection would have been better. The second is that there is a disproportionate number of entries during the WWII time period. Without doubt a fascinating and important time, historically, so I guess this is understandable.

August 7, 2003: Finished the collection, almost five months early. Will now return this book to my guest room, where friends and family will be sure to enjoy it for years to come.

Fascinating stuff. The book progresses through each day of the 366 (leap year, too) calendar days. Excerpts from all the diaries are organized in chronological order (from earliest year to most current year) within each day.

The earliest you get is from the 1600s (usually Samuel Pepys) on up through Alec Guiness and others in the mid 1990s. The excerpts vary from only one phrase to about a page. The stuff from the 1660s is rendered with its own peculiar spelling and grammar. You really get an amazing sense of our shared humanity across the ages.

I deemed its only overall flaw to be a preponderance of British entries and World War II entries. Plus, two entries I wished I hadn't read: the artist Delacroix blandly witnessing the mistreatment of a horse, and some English guy shooting a heron.

The excerpts from Jewish diarists right before the Holocaust were chilling.

There were diarists who became my favorites:
Eleanor Coppola (a shy woman in a high-profile world);
Virginia Woolf (wonderfully perceptive about herself and her social class);
Noel Coward (often hilarious);
Alan Bennett (gentle irony);
Evelyn Waugh and H.L. Mencken (both funny like Coward but even more acerbic);
Andy Warhol (so banal); and
Katherine Mansfield (haunting).

There were other diarists I grew to dislike:
Goebbels (fanatically anti-Semetic);
Brothers Goncourt (misogynistic);
Alan Clark (also misogynistic);
Marie Bashkirtseff and Liane de Pougy (twits);
and Leo Tolstoy and Franz Kafka (both morbid and difficult).

Overall, a varied and fascinating window on the world of journal-keeping.

What a surprisingly marvellous anthology. I was initially put off by the arrangement - with wildly disparate entries for each day of the month, at first this seemed more like a novelty book than a serious exploration of diarists and their work. Yet I've found this eclectic approach to be absolutely perfect, not least because the entries for each day have been so thoughtfully selected: some amplify the themes of the others, while some offer instead a comic or tragic counterpoint. Indeed, comedy is one of the hallmarks of this edition: diaries are always "bitchy", to some extent - as the title suggests, the diary is like an assassin's cloak we wear while stabbing comrades in the back with a pen - and the dark, neurotic humour so typical of the diarist is here in spades. The Taylors have also been kind enough to package their selections with an insightful introductory essay, thumbnail biographies of all their sources, along with full bibliographical references and a comprehensive index by diarist. The only thing missing is an index by subject - but that would probably be bigger than the volume itself. This is a brilliant, must-have anthology for anyone interested in literature, social history, and the art of the diary.

One of the best Christmas books I have read. This will be a must read EVERY year for me.

At The Manger: The Stories Of Those Who Were There by Peter V. Orullian is a touching and imaginative novel about what it must have truly been like to witness the birth of Jesus Christ. Presenting viewpoints of this monumental event from a wide variety of perspectives imbued with humility and respectful wonder, At The Manger is highly recommended as uplifting, thoughtful, and thoroughly entertaining reading.

This book is a work of fiction surrounding the nativity. It doesn't tell the stories of anyone the Gospels identify as being there-- Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men (though indications are the wise men arrived a year or two after Jesus' birth, long after Joseph and Mary settled into a house in Bethlehem)-- but rather speculates on what other people might have been drawn to the manger, telling their tales from their perspectives. In general, the stories were touching and inspiring and I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read. Each story stood on its own, but there was a connecting thread between them, so the book was, indeed, a book rather than simply a collection of stories centered around the manger.

I did, however, have some... not really complaints so much as vague disaffections with the book.

For one, few of the people in the book were drawn to the manger by the shepherds' story, as one might suppose. Rather, most of them seem to have stumbled upon the scene or been drawn there by the star. That bothered me a bit. I've never felt that the star was particularly spectacular-- only the wise men, who were stargazers by profession, are ever mentioned as having even noticed it. The angels didn't instruct the shepherds to follow it, but rather to seek a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Nevertheless, various people in the stories follow the star to the manger, where they recall half-forgotten tales their parents or grandparents or whoever told them that lead them to immediately conclude that this baby must be the Messiah.

Which is, in fact, my second problem. While the prophecies are there in the Old Testament, they're not all in one place and until Jesus fulfilled them, weren't often seen as referring to the Messiah. That's why so many Jews then and to this day do not recognise Jesus as (having been) the Messiah. He didn't fit what they expected. Now, people who heard the shepherds' story might be expected to think the baby Jesus might be the Messiah, but those having just stumbled on the manger? I'm just not so sure.

My third problem is a little more difficult to explain. But I had a sense of dissatisfaction with the author's selection of characters whose tales make up the book. Oh, the characters were realistic enough, well-rounded and realised. But, they were all people who were down on their luck, unrepentant dregs of society, and/or in despair. While the birth of the Christ certainly speaks to those people, then, today and in the future, the story isn't just for them. I felt by leaving out the well-to-do (and those who were perhaps not wealthy but getting by adequately and mostly happy with their life) that the author somehow implied that the Christmas story has nothing for them, doesn't apply to them.

So, while it was an enjoyable read, to me it felt unfinished, as if the stories of the other people who, surely, must have been there got left out. While these stories were wonderful, I would like to read those other stories, too.

This is an amazing new Christmas story. I love books that make me think and take me out of my comfort zone. "At the Manger" was a cause for personal reflection and a series of short stories that all weave together the lessons of giving and personal sacrifice. At the Manger TOUCHED MY HEART. It is an awesome book to add to your collection.

I must admit I am not usually a reader of Christmas stories. In fact, I only picked this book up on the recommendation of a friend. Upon reading it, however, I found it to be a great read, with excellent writing and intriguing plotlines, brought together by the central event. I would definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy Christmas stories, as well as those who just enjoy a well written, well crafted read!

This was a very good book. I loved picturing the scenery & the hometown feel this book imbibed. I liked the fact that it was so realistic & down-to-earth. It was dark in some points, but you could see how it turns out well in the end without too much stretching. Although I could see how things are going to end up way before the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the process of Harter taking me there. The only caveat that I would say is that I found the main character a littttttle bit too sure of herself, just a tad (and it was a little bit irritating at a couple of points - but that's probably just me). Overall, this was a GREAT book. You should definitely pick it up.

It's autumn in Ham Bone - a little town up in the mountains, and the chill of fall is in the air. Sidney Walker is having problems. Her quiet life living in a trailer on the edge of town is being turned topsy turvy. Her 15 year old son, Tyson, has disappeared into the woods - as he has occasionally done - but this time, the police are looking for him, and the cop in charge of the case is a no-nonsense, hard-nosed kind of person who is giving her a tough time because Tyson is a prime suspect in several robberies around town.

Sidney also appears to be one of those women who feel vulnerable because her family unit is not complete. She is divorced. There is no husband/father figure to help guide her teenage son or for her two younger daughters. Tyson's father is apparently a no-good deadbeat who managed to destroy her life earlier by getting her pregnant while she was in college and who walked out on her after the third kid arrived with no support payments or even many visits. A brief romance with a local guy who appeared to be very decent fizzled out because there were just no romantic feelings there at all.

Now, with her son in trouble, she believes that the answer to the problem is to chase after that guy again. She even finds a little prayer hall and prays to god for assistance, and, lo and behold, the old non-flame is still available and is willing to have another go at the attractive woman. In addition, the retired school teacher who lives across the street willingly steps forward to take over supervision of Tyson while Sidney is at work. So, maybe god's answer is coming?

Not so fast. There are additional complications and additional twists and turns in this story, but fear not! The ending is happy and predictable and several family issues are resolved for Sidney, her neighbor, and several other people as well.

The story is a quick read and is meant to be a "feel good, trust in god" story and it succeeds in that mission. It has many moments of light humor and tear jerkers as well. Some of the plot twists are transparent and can be seen coming from hundreds of pages away, and some will surprise you. It is a good, light, summer reading kind of book. So, enjoy!

Karen Harter mixes equal parts faith, family and forgiveness in her second novel involving a group of wayward small-towners who are thrown together under unfortunate circumstances. Each fighting to figure out what's best --- and sometimes rejecting what comes naturally --- these desperate seekers are what drive the narrative forward to its conclusion.

Sidney Walker and her three children live a somewhat sheltered existence in their beat-up mobile home, plopped on a miniscule plot of land in a "three-lane-bowling-alley-everything-shuts-down-around-dinner-time town." As Sidney puts it, "I don't find it boring, not for one minute. I like the fact that I can go out on my porch and breathe air that's been filtered by the thousands of Christmas trees on those hills. My children wander the woods instead of city sidewalks, and noisy, smoggy streets. I feel safe here."

Across the street, an older man named Millard lives alone following his wife's death, content to keep his daily routine of filling out crossword puzzles, doing yard work, and ignoring the incessant yammering of his daughter who loves to inform him that he's too old to do pretty much anything. Millard has fairly little contact with the Walkers, aside from the occasional hello when getting the mail. That is, until tragedy strikes.

When Sidney's 15-year-old son, Ty, is arrested on burglary charges for a crime he swears he didn't commit, Sidney is at her wits' end. The older he gets, the more Sidney feels out-of-touch with the sweet and innocent boy he used to be. If only she had a husband around to help her shoulder the weight of raising kids while also working full-time. So, when Ty is sentenced to do time in prison and says he'd rather die than be committed, Sidney must do everything she can think of to save her son.

Luckily, Millard steps in before Ty is carted off to jail and offers to watch him while he's under house arrest instead. This doesn't sit well with Ty, yet the two begrudgingly decide to learn how to make the situation work, despite their mutual unhappiness and distrust.

Meanwhile, Sidney grows increasingly preoccupied with snagging a man to "fill out" her family. Brawny and full of charm, Jack (a prior beau) seems the perfect candidate, yet there is something about Alex (ironically, the sheriff who arrested Ty and the man in charge of his rehabilitation) that makes her heart feel mysteriously a-flutter. In the beginning, she thought, "Alex Estrada had nothing to do with her goal; [that] he was merely a distraction, one that she would not allow. She knew that Jack was right for her and, more important, right for her children, and nothing else mattered...Jack was the dream. A happy, healthy family complete with a dad." But, as time passes and she still doesn't feel that special spark with Jack that she can't help but feel every time she's around Alex, Sidney realizes she has a decision to make --- one that will surely affect everyone...forever.

In the end, each of the tangled pieces of AUTUMN BLUE comes together in a neatly compiled package...almost too neatly. Nevertheless, fans of sinewy family dramas, juicy romance novels and faith-based stories (with frequent mentions of God) will latch on to Harter's sophomore effort.

--- Reviewed by Alexis Burling

I only write reviews if I really love a book, and this book is one of my favorites that I'm telling my friends about. As I was reading the book, I kept thinking about how gifted the author is.Thanks for the new pick for our book club.

Millard Bradbury is unimpressed by his new neighbours, a tired looking single mum with an unruly teenage son looking for trouble and two little girls who talk incessantly. An insatiable mole is ravaging his beautiful lawn and his daughter is angling to put him in a facility for old folk. Millard just wishes everyone would leave him in peace to complete his crosswords and vicariously win Wheel of Fortune each day.

Sidney Walker is at her wits end over her son Ty's disappearance and subsequent arrest by the hard-hearted Deputy Sheriff Estrada who seems to have a personal vendetta against Ty. Sidney berates herself for breaking up with Jack, a man Ty respected and wonders if he will take her back and provide the stability and role model Ty desperately needs.

Each of these people's lives will become entwined in ways unimaginable being transformed by the power of love and forgiveness and the pursuit of integrity and purpose.

Autumn Blue is a powerful read, holding me captive from the first page and moving me to tears on more than one occasion. Karen Harter has created genuine and fascinating characters shaped by the loves and losses of their past and present. Karen enlightens the reader to their individual stories with consummate timing. This book is a true love story, not only in the romantic sense which is exquisitely done, but also by illuminating the joy of family and the sacrificial love of friendship that is unexpected yet completely transforming. A beautiful tale that I will read again and again.

Told through the eyes of Anna, a thirty year old woman reflecting upon her life, Autumn Seclusion is a tale of coming to grips with one's hidden fears and blemishes. Anna's experience of rejection at home set her up for a succession of draining and abusive relationships. The one loving relationship she experienced was with a Native American from Upstate, New York; her family severed her ties at home, and she eventually left the United States entirely to reconstruct her life. A tale that encourages the reader to think long and hard about themselves and the ones they love, Autumn Seclusion is ultimately a tale of the meaning of forgiveness. Highly recommended.

A powerful book that can help women undergoing a crisis. Ferrell's writing is savory and deep. She paints a beautiful picture of the Carolina shores and Thailand. The work brings hope and healing to not just women but also men.

I read Ms. Ferrell's book, Autumn Seclusion, several months ago. The main character struggled with adolescence, failed romances and an abusive marraige. However, she found the strength to slow her life and really look at how she was living. Fortunately, she realized family's importance and her own self worth. She gave all of us hope that we too can overcome adversity.

I have a friend that went through a lot of the pressures that Ferrell's main character, Anna, went through. She had controlling parents that dictated how she was to live her life. This caused her to rebell just like Anna. She did not have a forbidden love like the character but she married an abusive spouse like Chad. I watched her go through fear and depression but unlike Anna, she did not escape. The novel may have given her hope and the strength to get out of the situation. The book touched me on so many levels because it does indeed bring hope and an interal healing. I have shared the book with my husband and he also loved the work because he saw how it brings peace to those with scares. I do highly recommend this novel. Pen name, Ann Thompson

A powerful work that searches deep inside a broken woman. Anna is a character that teaches lessons in inner forgiveness and personal responsiblity. She learns the importance of healing. Her story reaches out not just to woman but to people. The novel is about facing conflict. Whether Anna deals with the heatache of her parents conditional love or the fear of losing her true love, she finds the inner strength and courage inside herself. As well, she overcomes an abusive marriage and finds the true meaning of friendships and acceptance of others regardless of race, religion or any other factor.

I have not actually read the book yet, but I know as one of Mr. Hafker's students that this book must be good. Mr. Hafker's love for poetry is shown at its best in this book.

"Bare" by Eric Hafker fuses impeccable raw emotion with an indescribable sense of sensuality. The poems are extremely personal, and incorporate a wonderful attitude with a tinge of humor. It is most definitely worth buying! Good Work Mr. Hafker!

I found the poetry by Eric hafker passionate and gracious. He extends his optimisim and passion to us through poetry. I thought that his words not only speak to the human race, but most importantly it speaks to the soul. I wish to read more from him in the near furture. We are blessed to have him in the world of poetry.

Poems that make you think about life. Excellently written, this group of poems is a great discussion piece. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking at the meaning of life and all of its experiences.

Eric Hafker's poems are profound, personal, and accessible, all in one shot. This collection is the mark of someone with a lot to say, yet the wisdom and courage to let the reader use his imagination as well.