Four Circles now available on Amazon.com!!

After all of my hemming and hawing, whining and complaining, writing and editing, revising and reproducing, and general hard work, finally, Four Circles is available on Amazon.com.

It can be read on any portable device (ipad, iphone, kindle, kindle fire, nook) or on a pc or mac by downloading the kindle for pc/mac to your machine. It's quite simple as can be attested to by the fact that my mother and John were both able to do it and don't consider themselves technophiles.

The learning process has been very interesting but, basically, to improve the book's "market share" what I need is for my faithful readers (thanks for hanging on for over a year as I waned in my postings) to buy the book (it's only $5.99 which is equivalent to a coffee at Starbucks or a glass of wine) then - and this is most important - go to amazon.com and write a review (5 stars please!).  The more reviews the better it will be rated and the more people will get to read it. Finally, like my page on Facebook for updates on speaking engagements or other fun Four Circles facts.

Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member the book is free!!

Thank you for all of your support!

Lisa

Purchase Four Circles here: Four Circles by Lisa Vallier
Download Kindle for PC here: Kindle for PC
Download Kindle for MAC here: Kindle for MAC

Winter Born - Nicole Burrill

I saw a link to this novel on FaceBook and being that it was a page to which I belong I thought I'd give it a try. I've never downloaded an e-pub book before but this first one proved I've waited too long to jump on the bandwagon.

Erica is a Bostonian who has a falling out with her well to do boyfriend. She escapes to her great-aunt Bea's house to try to hide from both the boyfriend and his Machiavellian father, Simon Greene. As the story unfolds we learn that Erica's life has been interwoven with the Greene family since she was a child, for good but mostly for bad.

 
Upon reaching her aunt's house in the frozen woods of Northern New England, Erica meets a slew of town folk who take her under their wing and, of course, a man who is the polar opposite of the boyfriend she left behind. Rusty, it turns out, has a story of his own and it is equally as tragic as Erica's. Each page of this novel draws the reader in by making the characters and their motivations more clear bit by bit.
 
WINTER BORN captivated me from the beginning with its quick pace and lively characters. The weaving of shared secrets and intricacies throughout the prose kept me coming back each night and staying up a little later. It's a quick read and can be dowloaded to any e-reader for only $2.99 on Amazon. I would recommend you give it a try!

Away - Amy Bloom

I am tip-toeing back into my blog. My real work has been crazy but this summer I've been getting the chance to read more and Away by Amy Bloom (which I read which I was actually "away") was a great book and deserves a(nother) positive review.

Away is the story of a Russian immigrant who came to the US during the hey dey of Ellis Island. At its core the story is about the kindness of strangers and the ability of people in desperate situations to see the good in any circumstance.

When Lillian arrives on the shores of NYC she is given room and board by an aunt but is quickly taken under the wing of a NYC theatre producer and his matinee idol son. The men's treatment of Lillian is abhorrent yet she views them as giving her opportunities she would never have had at home.

When a cousin arrives from Russia, hoping to take Lillian's place in the theatrical world, and tells Lillian her long assuming dead daughter is actually alive, Lillian takes to the road hoping to reach Serbia and save her daughter from the hands of, what she assumes are, evil relatives.

Her travels, her loves, and her adventures from coast to coast fill out this turbulent story with an ending that is surprising and realistic without being disappointing. Amy Bloom's writing is superb, not too descriptive yet drawing you in with carefully laid out detals that draw you into the heart of the places and emotions that make up the bulk of this novel.

At 256 it is a quick yet extremely moving read. Pick it up!

Taking a break

I'm taking a break. From reading. From writing. I'll be back but right now I'm letting myself take a break. Keep your google alerts on because one day soon - "I'll be back".

The Kitchen House - Kathleen Grissom

I read The Kitchen House too close to reading The Help. The two stories are extremely different and set in completely different time frames, which may speak to a white reviewers inability to seperate two black stories from each other. Where The Help had some likable white characters, The Kitchen House had few. The main characters of The Kitchen House are a black woman, born of the father of the current master of the house but too black to pass for white so she's raised as a servant, and a white orphan from Ireland who joins the family when she is four but is relegated to the kitchen and raised with the servants for most of her life. Eventually the white girl, Lavinia, is educated by t master's wife and takes her place among white society. The plantation's family is dysfunctional to say the least. The master travels until his death, handing the family business over to his troubled son. The son, not realizing the pretty black girl in the kitchen is his sister, rapes her and then drives the family business into the ground but not before marrying Lavinia and wreaking havoc in his path.
If you are a history buff and don't mind reading about death, destruction, and the pain of slavery this book may be for you.

Super sad true love story

I started this book and couldnt' get past page 25. Once I realized the talking otter was real, I just couldn't keep reading. It seems I may be the only one that doesn't like this book though because it was written up in Oprah and, ever since, has been on the best seller list. This, of course, begs the question - Does Oprah make the best seller list or....well, nevermind, Oprah obviously makes the best seller list.

Room - Emma Donoghue

In Room a son describes in playful and vibrant details his mother’s ability to create amazing and fun games from everyday objects. They play eggsnake (a snake made of eggshells) and move furniture for Jack to practice his running. Jack revels in his mother’s games and forgives her occasional inability to get him things he wants (like candles for his birthday cake). The biggest inconvenience in Jack's young life is that he must begin his evenings in the wardrobe in order to avoid running into a man named Old Nick.
Old Nick is Jack and his mother’s captor and, it turns out, Jack’s biological father. When Jack’s mother hatches a plan to escape, Jack is thrown into a brand new world he doesn’t want and can’t understand.


Room takes a topic that could be dreadful - kidnapping, rape, abuse – and turns it into a story of love, perseverance, and hope.

I read this book in about 3 days (hours, here and there). It’s a quick read and very unique. I definitely suggest you pick it up. The website for Room is very cool, it has an actual rendering of the "room" with voice over narration - Inside Room.

On that note, after speaking with an author friend of mine (I’ll let you guess who that might be), my reviews are going to go back (toward) the more honest. I can’t read a book without reviewing it so I’m going to try to give it to you mostly straight and only recommend the stories I really like. I’d love to hear if you agree with my choices or not. Please leave comments when you are so inclined.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

A Reliable Wife - Robert Goolrick

In the same vein as Madame Bovary, A Reliable Wife by Robert Goodrick lays out the story of Ralph Truitt, a one-time playboy turned business man, as he places an ad for a wife and gets more than he bargained for. Catherine Land thought she could enter Ralph's life and take more than she would give but in matters of the heart this story proves one never knows what can happen. A Reliable Wife weaves the story of three troubled people as they all strive for what everyone thinks they want - happiness.
If you are a fan of historical fiction and plot twists this novel is for you.

I'm officially a regular contributor to NRAS blog!

Please check out the North River Arts Society Writer's blog. I have recently become a regular contributor. I'll be posting weekly (that's the goal at least) about writing, conferences, reading, and anything related to the arts. I am hoping to have a new post up by every Friday so check back regularly!

The Poacher's Son - Paul Doiron

The Poacher's Son came to my attention via my membership in the Maine Writer's and Publisher's Alliance. Granted I don't live in Maine but I summer there and (long story short) I incorrectly thought I had to sign up for the group in order to attend one of their events. It’s been a boon, however, because otherwise I won't have had a chance to read this unique and thrilling novel.

The Poacher’s Son is Paul Doiron's first in a series of future novels about a Maine game warden whose father is a reclusive animal trapper living deep in the backwoods of Maine. If you’ve ever been to Maine, this novel will bring back all those hikes through the tall trees and ruddy paths. The descriptions draw the reader into the heart of the forest where crazy characters live, breathe, and (mostly) drink. The weather, the seasons, and the Maine state of mind are living characters in this novel. In the middle of the Northern woods of Maine, Mike Bowditch, the game warden, is living a fairly ordinary life until one night he gets a startling midnight phone call from his father whom he hadn’t seen or spoken to in years. The message is cryptic and, for Mike, it brings back memories of nights spent in bars with his violent, drunken Dad. It’s a time he thought he had gotten past but when Mike learns that a real estate developer and a local policeman have been murdered in the Northern town where his father lives, Mike is quick to come to his father’s rescue. As Mike struggles to keep his past behind him while struggling to free his father from suspicion, he is never quite certain of his father's innocence. There are twists and turns throughout this novel. At one point I believe I literally said out loud on the train "Oh my God he can't be dead!" I won't share who I'm talking about or whether the person was really dead but I was so wrapped up in the book I forgot where I was (which I LOVE).

The Poacher’s Son reads like a mix between a John Grisham and a James Patterson novel. The ending was a wonderful surprise and left me hoping Mr. Doiron is working diligently on his next Mike Bowditch story. Pick it up and let me know if you agree!

Two new reviews!

It appears I am better at reading than writing lately. Hopefully everyone has been able to find a few good books without me! If not, here are two new reviews for you to consider.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson

Does it say something that I seem to be reading a lot of novels about older peoplelately? That was rhetorical, meaning don't answer. I really enjoyed this novel, it was different in an Olive Kitteridge king of way. The story told the tale of an old-fashioned Major whose wife has died and he finds love again in a Pakistani widower. His friends and son look down upon this relationship and the Major capitulates only to realize it's his life to live. He finds himself forced to make a decision whether to save a future he wants or live in a past of comfort but solitude. The novel is filled with rich characters and settings, from the snotty yet insecure son to the brash Pakistani nephew of the Major's amore. Major Pettigrew is a very comfy read by the fire with a cup of tea and shawl.

The Girl who played with Fire - Stieg Larsson

This author clearly doesn't need any help from me - his books are everywhere including the best seller list for I don't know how long but it's been at least all summer. Fans of his are clearly bereft that there won't be anymore Lisbeth Salander in the future because Larsson unfortunatley died but a movie based on his books is in the works.
As for me, I sort of did everything wrong with this book, which could be why it didn't grip me. I bought #2 first, not realizing it was a series. I thought it was more like Lawrence Sanders or Janet Evanovich where you can pick up anywhere and it's another story with the same characters. No so. If you want the full experience buy The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo first. Though I realized my mistake I solidered on. As I read I had a hard time (as did many of the readers I spoke with) with pronouncing the Swedish names and places . I was also very distracted because the majority of my reading was done on the beach with the kids who tend to wait until someone is about to be murdered (or the murdered is to be revealed) before they feign drowning.
The story was definitely thrilling; two writers and a bad guy are killed and we don't know if Lisbeth, who is a troubled character, did it or not. My issue was it was looonnnnngggg, I'd say too long for the plot, but again I was distracted and not super into it. A lot of people love these books - I've seen it on the train, in Maine, on-line, all over the place - and I think I'm the only one who wasn't head over heels so try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Marshfield Literary Events - 2010

Here is a list of upcoming Writers Workshop Author Series, being held at the GAR Hall in Marshfield Hills:

• Saturday, September 25 at 2 p.m.: Brunonia Barry (The Lace Reader, The Map of True Places)
• Saturday, October 23 at 2 p.m.: Lynne Griffin (Life Without Summer, Sea Escape)
• Tuesday, November 16 at 7 p.m.: Michelle Hoover (The Quickening)

All of these Author Series events are free and open to the public, so please spread the word! See the North River Arts Society page for more information.

Bad Blood - Casey Sherman

Recently I was sitting at the YMCA pool talking with my friend about books.He said, somewhat louder than usual though he tends to be loud (in a good way) anyway, "YOU SHOULD READ CASEY SHERMAN."
"Really?" I said. "What does he write?"
My friend looked sheepish so I wondered what was up.
"Um, non-fiction. True crime stuff," he said.
"Oh I'll have to.." I said but turned when the woman next me to me spoke up, "He's my husband, that's why he's saying that."
"Oh, cool," was my usual intelligent response.
As you may expect I then proceeded to probe her about her husband's agent, whether I might speak to him, how he first got published, etc.
She, clearly being well versed in this approach, directed me to his Facebook page. I did and found his impressive listing of books including Bad Blood.
Bad Blood is about a townie from Franconia, NH named Liko Kenney and a police officer, Bruce McKay. The two men come from different backgrounds and ideologies. Liko is a free spirit with a wild bent, while Bruce is a disiplinarian who doesn't play favorites. Their first interaction is during a 2003 suspicious loitering traffic stop. The situtation dissolves as Liko refuses to bend to Bruce's will. As the author takes us through this troubling event, he takes great care not to take sides. It's difficult to understand how either man wouldn't have walked away from the situation at some point but neither did and Liko ends up squeezing Bruce's testicles in front of two other officers. The hatred from this event lingers in both men's souls for years until their final showdown after which both men end up dead.
In order to understand where these two were coming from the reader must know the history of both the Kenney and McKay families and of Franconia itself. Throughout the story, Mr. Sherman shows his expertise at weaving pertinent historical information into a action packed narrative.  I was so enthralled after finished the book I looked up more information about Liko on You Tube and found a great video of him describing how much he loved living in the North Country and how outsiders just didn't get it. He reminded me of a lot of young men: confident, self-assured, and naive.
Bad Blood is the story of a sad confluence of events but stands as a great lesson to police officers and wild youth alike - holding a grudge doesn't do anyone any good and sometimes it can kill you.
Check out Casey Sherman on Facebook or click here to buy Bad Blood.

Caught - Harlan Coban

Harlan Coban is the new Sidney Sheldon or Lawrence Sanders of our times. He has seventeen novels in print including Caught, his most recent release.
In this thriller/mystery, Wendy Tynes is a sensationalistic television reporter. She works for a tabloid show that "outs" sexual predators. When she realizes that her latest journalistic victim, Dan Mercer, may be just that, a victim, she begins an investigation into the case of a young girl that was recently abducted and attributed to Dan.
As the story unfolds, Wendy ends up questioning her career and her motives, along with the validity of her investigation into this charming alleged predator. In the end we find out things aren't always as they seem and justice should be left in the hands of the law. It's a thrilling, beach read, just like the other Coben novels I've read. Worth the read!

Loose Girl - Kerry Cohen

In general I'm not a huge fan of memoir. They tend to meander into personal opinion and intricate detail of events I don't care about. Not so in this novel. Loose Girl - A memoir of promiscuity is the story of Kerry, the daughter of  divorced parents. Her mother leaves her and her sister to go to the Phillipines to get her doctorate depositing the two girls with their father, a self-involved 80's capitalist.
Kerry and her sister are left to their own devices. Kerry turns to men while her sister retreats into herself. Much of Kerry's adventures are scary. I read them now - a mother of two young daughters - wanting to stop her. At 14 she frequents New York City bars - one of which is the infamous location of the "Preppy Murder". In fact, Kerry knew Robert Chambers and Jennifer Levin and had seen them a few nights before her murder. She weaves this story and a myriad of others into her tales of searching for her next mate hoping to fill the void her parents have left behind.
Many of Kerry's conquests remain nameless but a few she hangs on to for longer periods of time. Leif, Eli and Heath are ships she returns to again and again giving us a glimmer of hope for this lost little girl. The story ties up somewhat neatly but I was left with the impression that Kerry's nature, her longing and search, may continue though she clearly hopes it doesn't. It was a very satisfying ending, not romanticized but realistic.
Any woman who sowed her wild oats at one period of time will appreciate this story while thanking her lucky stars these days are behind her.

Life without Summer - Lynne Griffin

Lynne Griffin is another South Shore writer I met at the Muse & Marketplace conference. Her debut novel, Life without Summer, is the story of two families struggling to deal with the deaths of their young daughters.
The stories are interwoven when one woman's four year old daughter, Abby, is hit by a car while walking from the park to her pre-school (cringe, I know!) The driver of the car speeds away leaving poor Abby to perish. The mother, Tessa, works through her pain by resolving to find her daughter's killer. As her pain threatens to drag her down she begins therapy. The therapist, Celia, while helping the grieving mother, is dealing with issues of her own. Her ex-husband is a recovering (we think) alcoholic and her son has just left her house to live with his father.
The beauty of this story lies in Lynne's ability to make each chapter flow seamlessly from Tessa to Celia's story. Each chapter is titled cleverly, keeping you in the proper storyline.
If you are a mother and in need a reminder of all that you have (and have to lose) this book is definitely for you. I know I'll never complain about my children again without thinking of Abby.
Lynne also has a website and has just launched her newest book, Sea Escape, which I'm planning to pick up as soon as possible. She's reading at Buttonwood Books in Cohasset tonight but, unfortunatley, I can't make it. If you are in the area please check it out.

The Surrendered, Olive Kitteridge, Hush

The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee

This story of three interwoven characters beautifully depicts the human toll war takes on innocents and soliders. It also exposes the brilliant ability of people to adapt, overcome, and live.
June is an 11 year old left to take care of her siblings when her mother and sister are killed by a bomb in the Korean War. Her younger siblings don't fare any better, and when June is left alone she, too, is prey to the evils of men in a war zone; until she meets Hector, an American GI.
Hector and June end up at an orphanage where she becomes the black sheep among the gaggle of children left behind and he falls in love with a minister's wife. Sylvie, the subject of Hector's passion, turns out to have a devasting story of her own.
The novel follows these three, using backstory and dialogue, from their childhoods to the present. Hector's tale felt to me like the main plot but I think that may be open to interpretation depending on which character you find most relatable.
The Surrendered is beautifully written and difficult to put down - though the subject matter is hard to read. This is not light reading - coming in at 480 pages - but an enlightening tale you are sure to remember for a long time.

Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout

This novel is a Pulitzer Prize winner and an Oprah recommendation so I won't review too thoroughly as it clearly doesn't need my 2 cents.
Olive is a collection of short stories woven together by a common thread: Olive Kitteridge a retired school teacher. She is crochety, mean, and hard to like; everything they say you shouldn't have in a main character. But she's like most of us. We see her judging herself (and others) like we all do. And there is a lot to judge - from her infidelity-longing-unable- to-follow-through husband, to her son, Christopher, who can't get far enough away from his mother, and she can't understand why.
Each story opens us up to new limb on Olive's tree , making us wonder where it will end - and end it does, in a twist you'll find surprising.

Hush, by Kate White

This is a beach read; a summer quickie.
Lake Warren (see the name even evokes summer time) is a marketing consultant for a fertility clinic. She is coming off of a recent divorce and gets herself into hot water with one of the new doctors at the clinic. Twists and turns ensue as she learns she can't trust anyone, even her closest friends. The one piece I would have liked to see more realistically depicted is her relationship with her children, who are away at camp during the entire book. Otherwise it was a fun, mystery/thriller.

Lake Overturn - Vestal McIntyre

If you read, you'll like Lake Overturn by Vestal McIntyre. This is a unique and compelling story set in a small town in Idaho but really about Anytown, USA. Two young boys read of a natural disaster, called Lake Overturn, that happened in 1986 in Cameroon, West Africa. One of the boys, Enrique, decides to base his upcoming science project on the phenomenon. He asks his friend to be his partner but the friend proves to be more of a project than the model they build.


Enrique, his mother and brother live in a trailer park. Enrique's Mom, Lina, cleans houses on the other side of town. When her client's husband, Chuck, comes on to her, the two begin to fall in love. Lina's guilt over the affair leads her to confess to both her priest and her son. The situation is made more complicated when Enrique's father makes an unplanned visit and Chuck’s wife turns out to be fatally ill.

While Lina dusts and debates whether to follow her heart, across town, Wanda, a down on her luck recovering-ish drug addict, tries to pull her life together. She decides she will never find the perfect man so she looks to surrogacy to fill the void. She meets a needy couple, says all the right (lies) things and gets pregnant. As Wanda's story unfolds she falters and recovers over and over. Ultimately whether she can change her life lies in one moment of decision making. Vestal's story telling is at it's best with Wanda. One moment you are rooting for her, the next you hope she’s hit by a bus.

While Lina cleans house and Wanda tries to get clean, Connie, Lina's neighbor in the trailer park and a religious zealot with an unrequited libido, latches on to a traveling missionary. Connie's son, Gene, is Enrique's somewhat autistic science partner, and as Connie tries to follow God's path (which of course includes judging everyone else along the way) she ignores her son’s needs to the point the reader is left shaking their head wondering how much religion is too much.

As these characters make their way through what amounts to daily life, we feel we are in the room, in their heads, with them as they make decisions good and bad. We feel their pain, we see the road ahead, and when the book is done and all the lose ends come together, it's one of those books where you wish there were more just so we could hang in Eula, Idaho a little longer.

If you enjoy fantastic storytelling, beautifully written descriptions and complex, realistic characters this novel is for you. Check it out!

Free children's book from Borders!

It's just like in the old days - at least in North Carolina where I went to the library constantly - a good old book reading contest!
Borders is offereing a free book to all children (under 12) who read and list 10 books over the summer. I know my kids can read 10 books in about 2 weeks but who says they can't do the contest a couple of times? There is no purchase necessary but I'm sure the folks at Borders are banking on a few extra purchases once you walk into the fun-factories that are Borders or Borders Express.
Print out the form and get the kids reading!
http://media.bordersstores.com/pdf/summerreading.pdf

The Map of True Places - Brunonia Barry

Brunonia Barry's new book, The Map of True Places, has been out since yesterday (May 4th) but I bought an advance copy at the Muse & Marketplace conference so I've already finished it. Lucky you!

This novel revolves around a psychotherapist, Zee, who loses a paitent to suicide. Zee's life begins to unravel after her patient jumps off a Boston bridge. Her father, who she's been putting off visting, turns out to be losing his battle with Parkinson's. Zee moves to Salem, where her father lives, and tries to help her father's partner - cleverly named Melville - take care of him. While there, Zee is forced to relive her own mother's suicide, unlocking her families secrets along the way.

Unique and interesting characters are strewn through out the book from the aunt who is a witch (and not really Zee's aunt), to the uncle who plays a pirate, to the handyman who reads the stars, each page is full of characters and history.

The various threads of this story were perfectly woven together to keep the reader interested and turning pages. Each character's voice is explored, with unique chapters dedicated to Finch, Zee's sick father, and Roy, a hard scrabble character who the author pens just as deftly as the women.

I delighted in Brunonia's revisting a few of the characters from The Lace Reader. These references are delicately woven into this story, making Brunonia's readers feel "in on the joke" as she mentions Mae Whitney, Towner, and Rafferty.

The twist at the end of this novel isn't as dramatic as that in The Lace Reader, but it puts a smile on the reader's face and gives them a sense of peace where moments before there was none.

Buy ten copies and go hear her read. Upcoming schedule of reading:
http://www.brunoniabarry.com/blog/book-signings-events/

Enjoy!