Book Blog Tour - Review - The Widow Smalls

Book Blog Tour

Review

The Widow Smalls and Other Stories

Jamie Lisa Forbes

It is a real pleasure to participate in this Book Blog Tour for WILLA Award winning author, Jamie Lisa Forbes, and her book “The Widow Smalls and Other Stories.”

I grew up on an Iowa farm in the 40s and 50s - a part of my heart is still there. Stories such as these just really reach out and grab me - and, they make me happy.

Publisher: Pronghorn Press (October 20, 2014)

ISBN: 978-1-932636-97-0

Category: Short Stories, Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction

Available in: Print & ebook, 231 Pages


Description of the book:

Thirty years of browbeating from rancher Bud Smalls has penned his wife, Leah, into emotional isolation.  Now Bud is gone and Leah owns the ranch, but there is no help forthcoming from Bud’s brothers who want to force her out and take the ranch for themselves.  When their attempt to humiliate her instead becomes her opportunity to succeed, Leah begins to find her way back to herself and learns how much she can gain by opening her heart.
The Widow Smalls is just one of the stories in this collection by the WILLA Award winning author of Unbroken, Jamie Lisa Forbes, who writes about the hardships of making a living from the land with an understanding that comes from first-hand experience. 
Her deftly drawn characters include star-crossed lovers, a young rancher facing his first test of moral courage, an inscrutable ranch hand claiming an impressive relative, a father making one last grasp for his daughter’s love and a child’s struggle to make sense of the world around her.   Each will pull you into the middle of their stories and keep you turning the pages.

Jamie Lisa Forbes

About Jamie Lisa Forbes:

Jamie Lisa Forbes was raised on a family ranch in southeastern Wyoming.  She graduated from the University of Colorado with honors in 1977 and then lived in Israel until 1979, when she returned to her family’s ranch and raised her own family over the next fifteen years.  Today, she writes and practices law in Greensboro, North Carolina.  She enjoys spending time with her grandsons and playing old time Appalachian fiddle.  With her Arabian horse, Cody, and her cattle dog, Reb, she still devotes part of her life to the outdoors.

Buy Widow Smalls:
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Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository
IndieBound

My Review:

Each of the stories is a good read, but the story about Leah Smalls, “The Widow Small,” is the one that I enjoyed the most. As an older person, the thoughts she processes are much like my wife and I have discussed, many times, should one or the other of us “go first.” Real-life experiences on the ranch are what I enjoy reading, along with the relationships among family members. These relationships are always filled with surprised, even though from experience we should know what to expect from these people. However, in these circumstances, when you hope they will act in your best interest, is when they act most in their self-interest - as is the case with the brothers-in-law, here. This is so very familiar… and presented in just the right tone and spirit through the story.

The addition of the Julian character adds immensely to this story, and makes it truly special. The added dimensions through her relationship with him makes this story a real winner. I can only say “Thank you” for sharing these stories with us! ;-)


The Widow Smalls Tour Schedule:

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Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Nov 3 Review & Giveaway

Pinky's Favorite Reads Nov 4 Interview & Excerpt

Inspire to Read Nov. 5 Excerpt

Cassandra M's Place Nov. 6 Review & Giveaway

Back to Books Nov. 7 Review

WV Stitcher Nov.10 Review

Dr Bill's Book Bazaar Nov. 11 Review

Deal Sharing Aunt Nov. 12 Review, Giveaway, & Excerpt

Unshelfish Nov 13 Review

Indie Re Behind the Scenes Nov 13 9 PM Eastern Live Interview

My Reading Addictions            Nov. 14 Review

Bound 4 Escape Nov. 17 Review                                               

What U Talking Bout Willis? Nov. 18 Review, Guest Post, &  Excerpt

Room With Books Nov 18 Interview & Excerpt

Manic Mama of 3 Nov 19 Review                                               

Lady in Read Nov. 20 Review

Like a Bump on a Blog Nov. 21 Review & Excerpt

Two Children and a Migraine Nov 24 Review

The Book Binder's Daughter Nov. 26 Review

Happy Reading!
Dr. Bill  ;-)

Cover Me Boys, I'm Going In - Book Review - Virtual Book Tour

Cover Me Boys, I'm Going In

Book Review

Virtual Book Tour

I am pleased to participate in the Cover Me Boys book tour that began with Teddy Rose's "So Many Precious Books, So LIttle Time," on March 16.

Cover Me Boys, I'm Going In:
Tales of the Tube from a Broadcast Brat
by Keith H. Hirshland

Publisher: Create Space, August 8, 2013
ISBN-978-1482760521

Category: Memoir, Television Broadcasting, Behind the Scenes

Available in: Print & ebook, 519 pages

Publisher's Book Description:
Growing up in the shadow of one of network affiliate television’s groundbreakers, Keith Hirshland was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. In this gripping new memoir, readers will follow Hirshland’s stories as he witnesses the creation of sports networks and works alongside the legends of broadcasting. With a career that spans more than thirty years, Hirshland has seen it all.
From the meteoric rise of Tiger Woods to the Kelly Tilghman “lynching” controversy and countless stories from the incredibly successful SKINS GAME golf franchise, his amazing stories provide a behind-the-scenes look into one of the most revered industries in the world.
Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In: Tales of the Tube from a Broadcast Brat gives readers an informative, reflective, and often humorous look at live television from both in front of and behind the camera. Offering an insider’s look at the television industry as well as the creation of two sports networks, this gripping memoir’s stories include some of the most famous athletes and broadcasters in the world.
With a behind-the-scenes look into sports television that few will ever experience, this exciting memoir gives readers a priceless glimpse into one of the nation’s most coveted industries. The first book to document the creation of the Golf Channel, Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In is a unique memoir that covers a number of fascinating industry moments. Covering the Golf Channel as well as the earliest days of ESPN2, these wonderful stories are packed with the larger-than-life personalities that made these sport networks successful.
Inspired by his parents’ death, Hirshland wanted to document as much as possible about his professional life. After having led an interesting and unique life, he wanted to find a way to honor his parents while passing his stories down to his children. A mesmerizing read for anyone interested in sports, television, or “behind the scenes” stories in general, Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In is sure to hook readers from the very beginning. With its eclectic mix of playful, humorous, and dramatic stories, this excellent collection is truly the entertaining, informative, and enlightening book that readers have been waiting for.

MY REVIEW:

I really wanted to read this book because I have become a real fan of The Golf Channel as well as ESPN. I have also found that biographies can be very interesting, and the broadcasting industry is of special interest.

Generally, I was very pleased with my reading of this book. It was everything I hoped it would be. Keith grew up the son of a local TV broadcasting executive, and was steeped in the inner workings of the industry his entire life. This up-bringing permeates every day of his life.

I highly recommend this book to you if you have similar interests. His specific recall of the details of producing golf tournaments around the world were especially fascinating to me, and kept me reading at a pleasant rate. I recognized names of many folks and was able to recall many events he produced as a viewer, myself.

I understand he felt it was necessary to mention the Kelly Tilghman incident and his feelings about the new Comcast management at The Golf Channel, but both of these passages in the text  made me feel very uncomfortable and I would have preferred if he had left them out or handled them differently. I liked the other 98% of the text very much.

I hope you will enjoy the book as much as I did.

About Keith H. Hirshland:

Growing up in the shadow of one of network affiliate television’s groundbreakers, Keith Hirshland was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps.
In this gripping new memoir, readers will follow Hirshland’s stories as he participates in the creation of sports networks and works alongside the legends of broadcasting.
With a career that spans more than thirty years, Hirshland has seen it all. From the meteoric rise of Tiger Woods to the Kelly Tilghman “lynching” controversy and countless stories from the incredibly successful SKINS GAME golf franchise, his amazing stories provide a behind-the-scenes look into one of the most revered industries in the world. With its eclectic mix of playful, humorous, and dramatic stories, this excellent collection is truly the entertaining, informative, and enlightening book that readers have been waiting for.
Hirshland is the son of a local television broadcast icon and an Emmy Award-winning veteran of the television industry. His experience has taken him all across the country, covering sport’s most famous athletes and television’s most interesting and charismatic personalities.
Having worked at both the local affiliate and national network levels, Hirshland was on hand for the beginning stages of ESPN2 and one of the first forty people hired at the Golf Channel when the world’s first niche sports channel began its preparations in 1994. For years, he was part of the production team for golf’s nationally televised SKINS GAME. Hirshland has worked alongside sports television’s most iconic figures while following sport’s most recognizable names.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keith.hirshland

Twitter: https://twitter.com/khirshland

Buy Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In:
Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

Follow the Tour:
So Many Precious Books Mar 16 G & spotlight

Deal Sharing Aunt Mar 17 Review & Giveaway

Dr. Bill’s Book Bazaar Mar 18 Review

From L.A. to LA Mar 19 Review

"Christmas at the Homeplace" Book Blog Tour WrapUp

"Christmas at the Homeplace"
Book Blog Tour WrapUp

[Click image to go directly to Amazon.com]

THANKS to everyone who participated in the Book Blog Tour during the past week.

You can still see what people are saying about this new Christmas book, based on our family history research and life experiences. It is historical fiction in "The Homeplace Saga" series, but you very well may recognized some folks from your own family and the world around you as you get involved with these family activities.

Here is schedule for the recent tour, running from November 15-25:

Thursday, Nov 14 - Tour Schedule at The Homeplace Saga blog

Friday, Nov 15 - Tour Schedule at Dr. Bill's Book Bazaar blog

Monday, Nov 18 - Interview with Jessica at Literaryetc.com 

Tuesday, Nov 19  - Guest Post with Lisa DuVal at I Feel So Unnecessary

Wednesday, Nov 20 - Review with Lisa DuVal at I Feel So Unnecessary

Thursday, Nov 21 - Guest Post with Kayla Emerson at Green Mountain Couple

Friday, Nov 22 - Review with Julie Goucher at Anglers Rest

Saturday, Nov 23 - Review with Mindy Wall at Books, Books, and More Books

Sunday, Nov 24 - Guest Post with Brandee Price at Bookworm Brandee

Monday, Nov 25 - Tour Wrap-Up at Dr. Bill's Book Bazaar blog

Feel free to visit each of the blogs that interest you for that day, to see the related post! ;-)

For a preview, view the Book Trailer, here, on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/pnilAflMESg

"Christmas at the Homeplace" - Book Blog Tour Starts Here, Right Now

"Christmas at the Homeplace"
Book Blog Tour Starts Here, Right Now

[Click image to go directly to Amazon.com]

See what people are saying about this new Christmas book, based on our family history research and life experiences. It is historical fiction in "The Homeplace Saga" series, but you very well may recognized some folks from your own family and the world around you as you get involved with these family activities.

Here is the tentative schedule for the upcoming tour, running from November 15-25:

Thursday, Nov 14 - Tour Schedule at The Homeplace Saga blog

Friday, Nov 15 - Tour Schedule at Dr. Bill's Book Bazaar blog

Monday, Nov 18 - Interview with Jessica at Literaryetc.com 

Tuesday, Nov 19  - Guest Post with Lisa DuVal at I Feel So Unnecessary

Wednesday, Nov 20 - Review with Lisa DuVal at I Feel So Unnecessary

Thursday, Nov 21 - Guest Post with Kayla Emerson at Green Mountain Couple

Friday, Nov 22 - Review with Julie Goucher at Anglers Rest

Saturday, Nov 23 - Review with Mindy Wall at Books, Books, and More Books

Sunday, Nov 24 - Guest Post with Brandee Price at Bookworm Brandee

Monday, Nov 25 - Tour Wrap-Up at Dr. Bill's Book Bazaar blog

Hope you join us on the tour, each day!

For a preview, view the Book Trailer, here, on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/pnilAflMESg

Tuesday's Tip - Murder by the Homeplace - Book Blog Tour

Tuesday's Tip

"Murder at the Homeplace"

Book Blog Tour

This is the first Book Blog Tour for The Homeplace Series, a continuing Family Saga, another historical fiction book.

This week we feature the most recent addition to the series, Murder at the Homeplace, a novella by William Leverne Smith. It's place in the series, in timing, is shortly following Back to the Homeplace, in the fall of 1987.

A secondary character in Back to the Homeplace is discovered dead near Oak Creek in the opening sequence. The reporter, Penny Nixon, for the local paper, the Oak Springs Enterprise, gets on the story, but gets almost too close to the murderer…

"If you haven't read it, it is new to you!"  WLS

Available in print or kindle editions:




List of the tour stops - this week

May 15 - Wednesday

Julie Goucher
Angler's Rest
http://anglersrest.blogspot.com/

May 16 - Thursday

Brandee
Bookworm Brandiee
http://bookwormbrandee.blogspot.ca/

May 17 - Friday

Mindy Wall
Books, Books, and More Books
http://dream-reader-dreamer2229.blogspot.com/


May 18 - Saturday

WrapUp at The Homeplace Series blog
http://thehomeplaceseries.blogspot.com/


Happy Reading!  ;-)

Book Review: "Defiant Heart"

Book Review: "Defiant Heart"

It appears Marty Steere has another Award Winning Book in his second novel, "Defiant Heart," following "Sea of Crises," with a very different story.

I was drawn to the book by the small town, mid-western setting with a story of young love between Jon and Mary (a few years before my own, often similar, experiences).

From the publicity info:

"Set against the backdrop of small town America on the eve of World War II, Defiant Heart features two extraordinary characters and one unforgettable love story.

In the spring of 1941, young Jon Meyer's family dies in a tragic accident, and he is sent to live in a small Indiana town.  He arrives to find himself unwanted and shunned.

Mary Dahlgren is the daughter of the town's mayor.  A pretty girl, she could have the pick of the boys in town, including Vernon King, the star of the vaunted high school basketball team.  To the chagrin of her friends, though, Mary has always been more interested in books than boys.  That is, until she meets Jon.

But Jon and Mary are kept apart by an insidious campaign orchestrated by Mary's father, who perceives their relationship a threat to his political aspirations, and Vernon, to whom Jon is a rival for Mary's affections.  For months Jon is subjected to a painful ostracism.  Then, just when the young man's earnestness and perseverance begin to win over many of the townsfolk and it appears that love may conquer all, tragedy strikes.

As the country is caught up in war, so too are the young lovers swept up in events beyond their control, leaving both fighting for their very lives.  If, against the odds, they are to be together, each will need to find the strength, the courage and the resourcefulness that beat only in a defiant heart."


My Comments: As I got into the story, I was drawn in even more by the well-drawn characters - many reminded me of our classmates in a similar small-town school. The dominant place of the small town athletes rang very true with me. I wanted to be on the inside, but always remained an "outsider" even when the coach let me be on the team. Bullying, as we call it today, was very well portrayed - almost too well portrayed, a couple of times. I became very uncomfortable, a number of times. I think we call that "good writing!"

The Mary character was so reminiscent, in many ways, of the young lady I courted (now my wife of nearly 54 years!) - though any struggles we had were nothing compared to what Jon and Mary went through.

My final comment, so as not to slip into Spoiler Areas, relates to the Ben Wheeler character. I grew up on an Iowa farm, across the road from my Flying Farmer uncle/neighbor. The flying stories brought back some fantastic memories. Thanks, Marty!

I assume it is obvious that I highly recommend "Defiant Heart" to your reading pleasure! Once I got well into the story, I didn't want to put it down until the very end... and not even then... I wanted more. ;-)

Marty Steere

The son of a career air force officer, Marty Steere grew up on or near military installations across the country and overseas before settling in Southern California, where, when he's not writing, he practices law.  His debut novel, Sea of Crises, was named to Kirkus Reviews' Best of 2012.

Publisher: Penfield Press (April 15, 2013)

Category: Historical Fiction, WWII, General Fiction

Tour Dates: April-Mid May, 2013

Available in: eBook, 385

Happy Reading,

Dr. Bill  ;-)

Book Blog Tour Begins Today - 13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories by Day

Book Blog Tour Begins Today

13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories by Day

Please visit each of our Participating Blogs

Monday, Mar 25

Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories
http://drbilltellsancestorstories.blogspot.com/
and Dr. Bill's Book Bazaar
http://drbillsbookbazaar.blogspot.com/

Scroll down to see Giveaway information...



Tuesday, Mar 26 and Wed, Mar 27

Julie Goucher at Anglers Rest
http://anglersrest.blogspot.com/

Review on Mar 26
Guest Post and Giveaway on Mar 27

Thursday, Mar 28

Biff Barnes on Stores to Tell Books
http://www.storiestotellbooks.com/

Author Interview and Giveaway

Friday, Mar 29

Jason Crews on Genealogy Spheres
http://www.genealogysphere.com/

Author Interview

Saturday, Mar 30

Shannon Combs-Bennett on Trials and Tribulations of a Self-Taught Family Historian
http://tntfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/

Review and Giveaway

Happy Easter

Monday, Apr 1

Miriam J. Robbins at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors
http://ancestories1.blogspot.com/

Author Guest Post and Giveaway

Tuesday, Apr 2

Julie Cahill Tarr on Writing Your Way to the Past
http://julietarr.blogspot.com/

Review

Wednesday, Apr 3

Jana Last on Jana's Genealogy and Family History Blog
http://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/

Review and Giveaway

Thursday, Apr 4

Gena Philbert-Ortega on Gena's Genealogy
http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/

Host Author Guest Post

Friday, Apr 5

Pam Schaffner on Digging Down East
http://diggingdowneast.blogspot.com/

Review
**********
A Big Thank You to each Blogger Participating!
**********

Giveaway Information:

One PDF copy of the 2nd Edition of "13 Ways to Tell Your Ancestor Stories" to the winner


To Qualify to be the winner, you must:

1) Enter a comment, below, that includes an email contact address
[Use this format: billsmith2003 at gmail dot com]

2) Enter comment, per Blogger time stamp, prior to midnight, Thursday, Mar 28
3) (Optional) If you host Book Blog Tours, please note that - we have another one coming up... ;-)

Winner will be determined using Random.org - and contacted via email address provided.


Thank you for your participation, and sharing this information.

Happy Reading!
Families are Forever!  ;-)

Two Upcoming Book Blog Tours - Let's Talk About Them

Two Upcoming Book Blog Tours - Let's Talk About Them

I have recently been organizing a Book Blog Tour for my book, "13 Ways to Sell Your Ancestor Stories - 2nd Edition" - the companion book (non-fiction) to my family history and genealogy blog, Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories. That will occur March 25 to April 5. I hope each of you, my readers, will participate!

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*   *   *   *   *
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Currently projected to begin in mid-April will be the first of several Tours promoting my "The Homeplace Series" fiction novels/novellas/short story collections, current and forthcoming. See more information on this March 8 post.

I would like to invite you (Book Bloggers of any size with similar interests) to contact me if you would consider being a part of this series of tours, one at a time, all of them, or decide as each one is scheduled.

I welcome you to leave a comment, below, or, feel free to send me an email (as noted in the post) to billsmith2003 at gmail dot com. I am happy to answer any questions, as well.

Thank you for your interest!

Happy Reading,

Bill  ;-)