We Got This Piece of News Today--Thanks Everyone!

Book Blogger Appreciation Week is coming up Sept 13-17, 2010.

Tattered Cover's New VIB (Very Impressive Book)

They were born on the same day, in the same small New Hampshire hospital, into families that could hardly have been less alike.

Ruth Plank is an artist and a romantic with a rich, passionate, imaginative life. The last of five girls born to a gentle, caring farmer and his stolid wife, she yearns to soar beyond the confines of the land that has been her family's birthright for generations.

Dana Dickerson is a scientist and realist whose faith is firmly planted in the natural world. Raised by a pair of capricious drifters who waste their lives on failed dreams, she longs for stability and rootedness.

Different in nearly every way, Ruth and Dana share a need to make sense of who they are and to find their places in a world in which neither has ever truly felt she belonged. They also share a love for Dana's wild and beautiful older brother, Ray, who will leave an indelible mark on both their hearts.

Told in the alternating voices of Ruth and Dana, The Good Daughters follows these "birthday sisters" as they make their way from the 1950s to the present. Master storyteller Joyce Maynard chronicles the unlikely ways the two women's lives parallel and intersect—from childhood and adolescence to first loves, first sex, marriage, and parenthood; from the deaths of parents to divorce, the loss of home, and the loss of a beloved partner—until past secrets and forgotten memories unexpectedly come to light, forcing them to reevaluate themselves and each other.

Moving from rural New Hampshire to a remote island in British Columbia to the '70s Boston art-school scene, The Good Daughters is an unforgettable story about the ties of home and family, the devastating force of love, the healing power of forgiveness, and the desire to know who we are.

From his own farm, Joe writes:

Joyce Maynard returns with another amazingly well-written and hard-to-put-down novel. The Good Daughters follows the lives of two women, born on the same day, in the same hospital, to two completely different families. Their lives couldn't be more different, but the one thing they have in common is a feeling of never quite fitting in. At times comedic, at times tragic, at times horrifying, this novel is a fascinating study of what it means to be family. I read this book in nearly one session, sitting up far past my bedtime because I had to finish it. Once I did, I couldn't wait to talk about it with a friend who'd also read it. This is not a book to simply read and enjoy, it's one that is going to stick with you.

Jackie loves it too, saying:

I'll tell you flat out that I enjoyed this book more than her last book, Labor Day, a book I liked quite a bit. It was easier for me to relate to the two main characters--maybe because they were women, maybe because they were farmers at points in their lives, maybe because they were searching for a place to belong and someone to be cherished by who would love them for themselves. I definitely became attached to them and enjoyed watching their lives unfold (though they both face difficult times that moved me greatly) over the 50ish years the book ranges over. I figured out the "big secret" in the book pretty quickly (I felt that Maynard was a bit heavy handed with the foreshadowing, actually, but nobody's perfect). Even so, I knew WHAT it was, but I kept reading because I really wanted to know WHY it was. The answer was not as complex as I had hoped for, but the ending of the book was better than I expected, so I'm satisfied. I too lost sleep to this book, but I don't begrudge it at all.

Fresh Titles for Back To School

The Junkyard Wonders
When young Trisha finds out her class at the new school is known as "The Junkyard," she is devastated. She moved from her old town so she wouldn't be in a special class anymore! But then she meets her teacher, the quirky and invincible Mrs. Peterson, and her classmates, an oddly brilliant group of students each with his or her own unique talent. And it is here in The Junkyard that Trisha learns the true meaning of genius, and that this group of misfits are, in fact, wonders, all of them.

Based on a real-life event in Patricia Polacco's childhood, this ode to teachers will inspire all readers to find their inner genius.

A Pirate's Guide to First Grade

Arr! It’s the first day of first grade, and it’s all hands on deck for a young pirate and his crew. How much trouble can they get into? What will they do at recess? And, most important, what treasure awaits them at school?

This School Year Will Be The BEST!
On the first day of school, new classmates are asked to share what they would most like to happen in the upcoming year. Some kids' hopes are familiar while others are off-the-wall. Whether it's looking good on picture day or skateboarding at school, everyone's wishes are shown in humorously exaggerated illustrations. As the first day draws to a close, there can be no doubt--this school year will definitely be the best!

My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil

Here's the perfect back-to-school gift for budding artists. Like the creator's previous picture book, My Dog Is as Smelly as Dirty Socks, this picture book encourages children to be creative and make their own object portraits. It's a fun activity for home or for the classroom. You can even check out portraits made by other readers in the "kids' gallery" of author Hanoch Piven's Web site, www.pivenworld.com—and while you're at it, send in your own!

Learn how to create a funny librarian, a colorful art teacher, or your best friend by seeing how one girl does it in this simple, playful picture book that's comprised of portraits made of objects. Once the girl has talked about—and drawn—the key figures in her school, she ends with the pièce de résistance—a class portrait!

Fire Drill
The children in this kindergarten class know what to do when there's a fire drill. They put down their toys and get in line. They file out of the building, slowly and calmly. They listen to the teacher. And when the teacher says “Okay!” the children know everything is safe. Back they go to their classroom to learn and play.

Bouncy and bright, this simple rhyming text guides youngsters through all the steps of a fire drill.

How Rocket Learned to Read
This sweet picture book starring an irresistible dog named Rocket and his teacher, a little yellow bird, is perfect for back-to-school! Follow along as Rocket masters the alphabet, sounds out words, and finally . . . learns to read all on his own.

With a story that makes reading fun—and will even help listeners learn to read—this book is ideal for kindergarten classrooms and story hour or as a gift for that beginning reader. Fresh, charming art by Tad Hills, the New York Times bestselling author/illustrator of Duck, Duck, Goose, will make this a favorite.

TC Tidbits: Jason Pinter Enters the Literary Mashup Craze

Read his Huffington Post article about his new project.

Meet The Author TONIGHT!!!

Kathy Reichs—#1 New York Times bestselling author and producer of the FOX television hit Bones—returns with the thirteenth riveting novel featuring forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan.

John Lowery was declared dead in 1968—the victim of a Huey crash in Vietnam, his body buried long ago in North Carolina. Four decades later, Temperance Brennan is called to the scene of a drowning in Hemmingford, Quebec. The victim appears to have died while in the midst of a bizarre sexual practice. The corpse is later identified as John Lowery. But how could Lowery have died twice, and how did an American soldier end up in Canada?

Tempe sets off for the answer, exhuming Lowery’s grave in North Carolina and taking the remains to Hawaii for reanalysis—to the headquarters of JPAC, the U.S. military’s Joint POW/ MIA Accounting Command, which strives to recover Americans who have died in past conflicts. In Hawaii, Tempe is joined by her colleague and ex-lover Detective Andrew Ryan (how “ex” is he?) and by her daughter, who is recovering from her own tragic loss. Soon another set of remains is located, with Lowery’s dog tags tangled among them. Three bodies—all identified as Lowery.

And then Tempe is contacted by Hadley Perry, Honolulu’s flamboyant medical examiner, who needs help identifying the remains of an adolescent boy found offshore. Was he the victim of a shark attack? Or something much more sinister?

A complex and riveting tale of deceit and murder unfolds in this, the thirteenth thrilling novel in Reichs’s “cleverly plotted and expertly maintained series” (The New York Times Book Review). With the smash hit Bones now in its fifth season and in full syndication—and her most recent novel, 206 Bones, an instant New York Times bestseller—Kathy Reichs is at the top of her game.

Tonight at 7:30 pm at our Highlands Ranch Store:

Kathy Reichs, a New York Times bestselling author and producer of the FOX television hit Bones, will read from and sign Spider Bones ($26.99 Scribner), the thirteenth riveting novel featuring forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan.

Request a signed copy: books@tatteredcover.com

The New Julia Glass Is Almost Here! And Joe LOVES It!

In a historic farmhouse outside Boston, seventy-year-old Percy Darling is settling happily into retirement: reading novels, watching old movies, and swimming naked in his pond. His routines are disrupted, however, when he is persuaded to let a locally beloved preschool take over his barn. As Percy sees his rural refuge overrun by children, parents, and teachers, he must reexamine the solitary life he has made in the three decades since the sudden death of his wife. No longer can he remain aloof from his community, his two grown daughters, or, to his shock, the precarious joy of falling in love.

One relationship Percy treasures is the bond with his oldest grandchild, Robert, a premed student at Harvard. Robert has long assumed he will follow in the footsteps of his mother, a prominent physician, but he begins to question his ambitions when confronted by a charismatic roommate who preaches—and begins to practice—an extreme form of ecological activism, targeting Boston’s most affluent suburbs.

Meanwhile, two other men become fatefully involved with Percy and Robert: Ira, a gay teacher at the preschool, and Celestino, a Guatemalan gardener who works for Percy’s neighbor, each one striving to overcome a sense of personal exile. Choices made by all four men, as well as by the women around them, collide forcefully on one lovely spring evening, upending everyone’s lives, but none more radically than Percy’s.

With equal parts affection and satire, Julia Glass spins a captivating tale about the loyalties, rivalries, and secrets of a very particular family. Yet again, she plumbs the human heart brilliantly, dramatically, and movingly.

Joe, in this week's Dispatch From The Field, says:
Julia Glass, author of "Three Junes", "The Whole World Over" and "I See You Everywhere" is probably best known for her female characters. In "The Widower's Tale", the story revolves around Percy Darling, a 70 year-old widower and his grandson, a junior at Harvard. Julia Glass does not let the reader down: these are characters fully realized, in a novel that is masterfully told. Percy is somewhat of a curmudgeon: he has lived alone in his house since his wife's tragic death 30 years earlier. He has two daughters, Clover & Trudy. Clover, the older one, has led a life many would call carefree, perhaps to a detriment. Trudy has become one of Boston's best-known breast cancer doctors. Her son, Robert, has a close bond with his grandfather, and it is between these two men that the bulk of the story line unfolds. And what a story! Glass is adept at weaving an intricate and somewhat dense story that leaves the reader satisfied. Perhaps she is at the top of her game in this book. The emotional heft of the story is slow in coming, as we get to know these characters, their motivations, their dreams and their memories through first-person narration. But the story builds and builds and the momentum propels the reader to the very finish. Julia Glass loves words, and it shows in this novel. Percy is erudite and a wannabe luddite. Robert is a college student: connected via email and oral shortcuts and caught up in the passions of youth. Their bond is undeniable, and it is refreshing to see a tale told from more than one generation's perspective. The supporting cast in this novel is also thoughtfully portrayed, and though they could be seen as cliches, they do nothing but add richness and reality to this thoroughly wonderful story. I would recommend this book for bookclubs, for lovers of books, and most of all, for men who want to get one idea of what a 70 year-old man sounds and feels like in literature. I would love to be half as spry and thoughtful as Percy Darling! Thank you, Julia Glass, for another fantastic book. I cried at the end, and not only from the story, but from the necessity to say farewell to Percy & Robert.

Reserve your copy here.

TC Tidbits: 25 Pickup Lines for Bookworms

from our friends at Flavorwire.com.

Coming Soon!!!

Publisher's Weekly says:
"Along with manga giants Keiko Takemiya and Riyoko Ikeda, and other notable female creators known as the Fabulous '49ers who pioneered the shojo revolution, Hagio forever changed the landscape of comics for girls and started a creative industry for women outside of the domicile. A decade after Sailor Moon, American audiences finally have the chance to read Hagio's work and see the genesis of a genre in this anthology. Unlike current shojo manga, Hagio's sentiment is more restrained, recounting a calmer account of destructive sibling rivalry, a quieter portrayal of a romance destined for failure, a subtle unraveling of a young woman in mourning. Her craftsmanship reflects wisdom and exercises the creative strength necessary to unravel and tie together the range of narrative threads that make up the tragedies and slow recoveries of life. In "Angel Mimic," Hagio turns the deflated student-teacher romance on its head, bringing it new life. In "Willow Tree" the story is so subtle, it takes place on the periphery of the page. A Drunken Dream collects stories by Hagio from her beginning, middle, and current career. The consistency of her work is evidence of why she's finally being translated into English and why that was long overdue."

Pre-order here.

Wendy's Window: Books Independent Booksellers Are Excited About

Strangers At The Feast
On Thanksgiving Day 2007, as the country teeters on the brink of a recession, three generations of the Olson family gather. Eleanor and Gavin worry about their daughter, a single academic, and her newly adopted Indian child, and about their son, who has been caught in the imploding real-estate bubble. While the Olsons navigate the tensions and secrets that mark their relationships, seventeen-year-old Kijo Jackson and his best friend Spider set out from the nearby housing projects on a mysterious job. A series of tragic events bring these two worlds ever closer, exposing the dangerously thin line between suburban privilege and urban poverty, and culminating in a crime that will change everyone’s life.

In her gripping new book, Jennifer Vanderbes masterfully lays bare the fraught lives of this complex cast of characters and the lengths to which they will go to protect their families. Strangers at the Feast is at once a heartbreaking portrait of a family struggling to find happiness and an exploration of the hidden costs of the American dream.

Published to international acclaim, Jennifer Vanderbes’s first book, Easter Island, was hailed as “one of those rare novels that appeals equally to heart, mind, and soul,” by the San Francisco Chronicle. In her second novel, this powerful writer reaches new heights of storytelling. This page-turner wrestles with the most important issues of our time—race, class, and above all else, family. Strangers at the Feast will leave readers haunted and deeply affected.

The Memory Wall
Set on four continents, Anthony Doerr's new stories are about memory, the source of meaning and coherence in our lives, the fragile thread that connects us to ourselves and to others. Every hour, says Doerr, all over the globe, an infinite number of memories disappear. Yet at the same time children, surveying territory that is entirely new to them, push back the darkness, form fresh memories, and remake the world.

In the luminous and beautiful title story, a young boy in South Africa comes to possess an old woman's secret, a piece of the past with the power to redeem a life. In "The River Nemunas," a teenage orphan moves from Kansas to Lithuania to live with her grandfather, and discovers a world in which myth becomes real. "Village 113," winner of an O'Henry Prize, is about the building of the Three Gorges Dam and the seed keeper who guards the history of a village soon to be submerged. And in "Afterworld," the radiant, cathartic final story, a woman who escaped the Holocaust is haunted by visions of her childhood friends in Germany, yet finds solace in the tender ministrations of her grandson.

Every story in Memory Wall is a reminder of the grandeur of life--of the mysterious beauty of seeds, of fossils, of sturgeon, of clouds, of radios, of leaves, of the breathtaking fortune of living in this universe. Doerr's language, his witness, his imagination, and his humanity are unparalleled in fiction today.

The Moses Expedition
A lost treasure, a Nazi war criminal, and an expedition to find a legend . . .

After fifty years in hiding, the Nazi war criminal known as the Butcher of Spiegelgrund has finally been tracked down by Father Anthony Fowler, a CIA operative and a member of the Vatican’s secret service. He wants something from the Butcher—a candle covered in filigree gold that was stolen from a Jewish family many years before.

But it isn’t the gold Fowler is after. As Fowler holds a flame to the wax, the missing fragment of an ancient map that uncovers the location of the Ten Commandments given to Moses is revealed. Soon Fowler is involved in an expedition to Jordan set up by a reclusive billionaire. But there is a traitor in the group who has ties to terrorist organizations back in the United States, and who is patiently awaiting the moment to strike.

From wartime Vienna to terrorist cells in New York and a lost valley in Jordan, The Moses Expedition is a thrilling read about a quest for power and the secrets of an ancient world

The Power
The Secret revealed the law of attraction. Now, Rhonda Byrne reveals the greatest force in the universe. This is the handbook to the greatest power in the Universe – The Power to have anything you want. Perfect health, incredible relationships, a career you love, a life filled with happiness, and the money you need to be, do, and have everything you want, all come from The Power. Every discovery, invention, and human creation comes from The Power. To create anything, to change anything, all it takes is just one thing—The Power, and The Power is, and always has been, inside you!

Three Stations
A passenger train hurtling through the night. An unwed teenage mother headed to Moscow to seek a new life. A cruel-hearted soldier looking furtively, forcibly, for sex. An infant disappearing without a trace.

So begins Martin Cruz Smith’s masterful Three Stations, a suspenseful, intricately constructed novel featuring Investigator Arkady Renko. For the last three decades, beginning with the trailblazing Gorky Park, Renko (and Smith) have captivated readers with detective tales set in Russia. Renko is the ironic, brilliantly observant cop who finds solutions to heinous crimes when other lawmen refuse to even acknowledge that crimes have occurred. He uses his biting humor and intuitive leaps to fight not only wrongdoers but the corrupt state apparatus as well. In Three Stations, Renko’s skills are put to their most severe test. Though he has been technically suspended from the prosecutor’s office for once again turning up unpleasant truths, he strives to solve a last case: the death of an elegant young woman whose body is found in a construction trailer on the perimeter of Moscow’s main rail hub. It looks like a simple drug overdose to everyone—except to Renko, whose examination of the crime scene turns up some inexplicable clues, most notably an invitation to Russia’s premier charity ball, the billionaires’ Nijinksy Fair. Thus a sordid death becomes interwoven with the lifestyles of Moscow’s rich and famous, many of whom are clinging to their cash in the face of Putin’s crackdown on the very oligarchs who placed him in power. Renko uncovers a web of death, money, madness and a kidnapping that threatens the woman he is coming to love and the lives of children he is desperate to protect. In Three Stations, Smith produces a complex and haunting vision of an emergent Russia’s secret underclass of street urchins, greedy thugs and a bureaucracy still paralyzed by power and fear.

The Red Queen

Heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, Margaret Beaufort never surrenders her belief that her house is the true ruler of England and that she has a great destiny before her. Her ambitions are disappointed when her sainted cousin Henry VI fails to recognize her as a kindred spirit, and she is even more dismayed when he sinks into madness. Her mother mocks her plans, revealing that Margaret will always be burdened with the reputation of her father, one of the most famously incompetent English commanders in France. But worst of all for Margaret is when she discovers that her mother is sending her to a loveless marriage in remote Wales.

Married to a man twice her age, quickly widowed, and a mother at only fourteen, Margaret is determined to turn her lonely life into a triumph. She sets her heart on putting her son on the throne of England regardless of the cost to herself, to England, and even to the little boy. Disregarding rival heirs and the overwhelming power of the York dynasty, she names him Henry, like the king; sends him into exile; and pledges him in marriage to her enemy Elizabeth of York’s daughter. As the political tides constantly move and shift, Margaret charts her own way through another loveless marriage, treacherous alliances, and secret plots. She feigns loyalty to the usurper Richard III and even carries his wife’s train at her coronation.

Widowed a second time, Margaret marries the ruthless, deceitful Thomas, Lord Stanley, and her fate stands on the knife edge of his will. Gambling her life that he will support her, she then masterminds one of the greatest rebellions of the time—all the while knowing that her son has grown to manhood, recruited an army, and now waits for his opportunity to win the greatest prize.

In a novel of conspiracy, passion, and coldhearted ambition, number one bestselling author Philippa Gregory has brought to life the story of a proud and determined woman who believes that she alone is destined, by her piety and lineage, to shape the course of history.

TC Tidbits: Creative Uses for Books

Read the New York Times article here.

Happy Birthday to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words."

Edwidge Danticat's Newest

From National Book Award nominee Edwidge Danticat comes a timely, brilliantly crafted story of hope and imagination--a powerful tribute to Haiti and children around the world!

Hope comes alive in this heartfelt and deeply resonating story.

While Junior is trapped for 8 days beneath his collapsed house after an earthquake, he uses his imagination for comfort. Drawing on beautiful, everyday-life memories, Junior paints a sparkling picture of Haiti for each of those days--flying kites with his best friend or racing his sister around St. Marc's Square--helping him through the tragedy until he is finally rescued.

Love and hope dance across each page--granting us a way to talk about resilience as a family, a classroom, or a friend.

Available for pre-order here.

Cathy's Talking About Style

Back to school shopping is a time honored tradition. And even for those of us who haven't gone back to school in several years, our genetic makeup still gives us that urge to hit the shops and freshen up our wardrobes. This doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money. Understanding your own style, what works, what doesn't, and knowing what you already have in your closet are the first steps to take before you hit the stores.

Style and The Man
Alan Flusser believes that dressing well is something every man can readily accomplish. In this newly abridged and updated edition of Style and the Man, Flusser shares his vast knowledge of men's clothes and provides essential information for anyone interested in savvy attire. This elegantly written treatise will arm any man with a connoisseur's knowledge of the dos and don'ts of buying and wearing quality clothes and how much they should cost, from dinnerwear to casual sportswear. This book is also a veritable encyclopedia on individualizing questions about fabric, quality, and fit, as well as the appreciable and qualitative distinctions between clothes of different prices and makes. Open Style and the Man to discover:

• the difference between a $395 and a $1,000 suit
• what two words to look for on a costly dress shirt's label
• why the folds in a cummerbund should always be worn facing up

From the tuxedo to the Top-Sider, Alan Flusser explains the sartorial origins and modern applications of haberdashery. All a man has to do is tuck this book into a corner of his suitcase or back pocket, and he'll be armed with an insider's knowledge of how to guide the tailor or salesperson in fitting or choosing those clothes that will become long-term players in his maturing wardrobe and personal style.

What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life
Every woman's closet-no matter the size-is a room of her own. In that space hang side by side the special occasions and the everyday, the triumphs and the disasters, the memories we want to keep and those we should jettison. Gross helps us to reconsider our closet identity and discover who we want to be. She shares her personal journey and the intimate, poignant and often humorous stories of the dozens of women she interviewed across the country. Along with calming fashion advice about how to choose flattering clothes that will fit any woman's shape and style, Gross's engaging stories will help every woman evolve gracefully from wife to mother, from empty-nester to globe-trotting adventurer--whatever role she chooses--while letting her style express her inner beauty.

How Not to Look Old
Charla Krupp knows that aging sucks! So she's here to help. It's every woman's dream: looking hip, sexy, fresh, and pretty--whether you're in your 30's, 40's, 50's, or 60's. Now it's every woman's necessity: looking younger will help you hold onto your job and your partner--particularly when everyone around you seems half your age. It's about making the ultimate "to-do" list of LITTLE beauty and fashion changes that pay off BIG TIME.

Charla Krupp, beauty editor and expert, known for her real woman's approach to looking fabulous, offers brutally frank and foolproof advice on how not to look old.

The Little Black Book of Style
Every time you dress, you assert your identity. With style, you tell the world your story. In that way, style affords you opportunities to think about your appearance as a quality of your creative character. The Little Black Book of Style helps you to explore your own fashion voice—the piece of you that joyously revels in the glamorous experience of creating your best self.

From cultivating good taste to guarding against definite fashion faux pas, Nina Garcia offers readers the ultimate guide to follow when it comes to dressing their best. Including advice on how best to wear an outfit and when occasion wear is appropriate, tips on combining color and texture, and the inspiration to achieve your own signature look, this book will show you how to experiment, storyboard, archive, and play. Timeless and universal, this book reminds us that eternal style is internal style, and that women everywhere have what it takes to discover themselves through the colorful palette that is fashion.

Grace Kelly Style
Hollywood star, royal bride, beloved princess – Grace Kelly (1929-1982) embodied all three titles with a style all her own. Renowned for her cool beauty and faultless taste, the young actress stood apart from the other film sirens of the 1950s, with thousands of women, both in the US and Europe, emulating her classic yet accessible style. Her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956 catapulted Grace to further fame and cemented her influence on the world of fashion. From the Parisian catwalks to the pages of Vogue, the “Grace Kelly Look” became the look of the moment.

This book, the first to look exclusively at Grace Kelly’s unique style, accompanies an enchanting exhibition opening at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, in April 2010. Sumptuously illustrated, the book introduces Grace’s glamorous wardrobe - dress by dress, couturier by couturier, among them Chanel, Madame Grès, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Balenciaga - as she transformed herself from actress to bride to princess.

A Year in Fashion
Featuring fashion icons and images culled from the Getty archives, this book presents brilliant photos of designers and their creations, top models and movie stars, royalty and rock n' roll legends. 365 spreads-one for each day of the year-feature full-page, four-color photographs along with fascinating fashion trivia. There is plenty of room for noting important dates, scribbling notes, or recording thoughts. The high quality reproductions and paper makes this book suitable for a well-dressed desk or a coffee table. Best of all it reminds us that the best fashion is ageless and timeless.

TC Tidbits: Community Bookshelf, the Coolest Parking Garage EVER!

Learn its history and see more pictures here.

Literary Works As Art

Read about these great posters here. (via Flavorwire.com)

An Interview with Christine Lemmon

An older woman growing flowers, a younger woman caught up in the weeds, and the seasons of life with the uplifting and insightful writing style that has captivated thousands of readers, Christine Lemmon's third novel is an enchanting tale of marriage and motherhood, identity and sacrifice, betrayal and forgiveness, forbidden passion and possibilities. Sand in My Eyes is the story of Anna Hott, who is so overwhelmed by life that hardly is she seeing the beauty around her. It's as if she is walking around with sand in her eyes.

Our roving guest blogger Tiernan McKay got a chance to interview the author recently:

I don't know how she did it, but author Christine Lemmon, must have chatted with a fly on my wall. The next time I sit on my kitchen floor as my kids swirl around me, I won't feel so alone. Her depiction of the chaos of motherhood in her book, Sand in My Eyes, is dead-on honest. She skillfully rips off the band-aid of domestic bliss to reveal a raw and itchy truth. This is the story of Anna Hott and her varied relationships with her husband, her children and a wise neighbor who becomes a trusted mentor (and her creative inspiration); a great read for women in all stages of life.

If you're not familiar with Christine or her work, perhaps this informal Q&A will shed some light on this literary talent:

Your portrait of motherhood is dead on. Is it reflective of your own experience or a creative vision based on stories of chaos?

I wrote Sand in My Eyes while a stay-at-home mother of three little ones and I remember running through my house, responding to their needs, feeling more like a chicken with its head cut off than the organized, neat freak, showered woman I once was. Getting myself, my newborn and my three- and five-year-old boys all dressed and out the door each day was my biggest accomplishment. Hardly could I find time to fold laundry and it would form mounds that the boys jumped in.

I love how this novel is so realistic, but I think readers who are not mothers may think, "There's no way motherhood is really this traumatic." Respond.

Before I had children, I had a confidence to me, a knowing that one day, when I do have children, I am going to keep my bathrooms clean, my children dressed so cute, and read them stories and paint pictures with them. No one told me it could be so hard, that motherhood would give me an indescribable joy in exchange for who I was as an individual, and that the accumulation of it all, of worrying, caring for, responding to their every whimper, oh, and all the housework and grocery shopping, the cooking of things they do not like and cleaning, would turn me into a completely different person—a mom!

I've often tossed around the idea of writing a letter to my younger self, which, in a way, is how I see the relationships between the characters Anna and Fedelina. If you were to chat with the Christine of 20 years ago, what are the top three things you would tell her?

1. Everything you are experiencing in life now is going into the making of the woman you are becoming

2. Don't worry so much about all the little jobs you have to take here and there when first out of college. In a roundabout way, our detours play significant roles and are still bringing us to where we are meant to be.

3. I love you! You are a unique and beautiful person and I love you for being you! Don’t try to change or be someone you aren’t.

All of your novels take place on Sanibel Island, FL. How has this location become a character of sorts? For those of us who have never been there, describe it in 5 words.

Sanibel as an island in my books is symbolic for any time or place a woman spends a moment to herself to think her own thoughts. Often we go through life hurrying from one destination to the next but sometimes we need to stop and anchor, refuel, revive.

Sanibel in five words: tropical, sanctuary, seashells, paradise, bliss

I've always thought that mothers who are writers (or writers who are mothers) have a unique advantage in that their domestic bedlam becomes literary fodder. Have you found writing to be a coping mechanism of sorts when it comes to motherhood?

I have found motherhood and creativity to be very compatible. I often get most of my ideas while outside with my children at the beach, the park, or as we bike ride. But then I must hold my ideas in until night when they are sleeping and I can write. Then, writing becomes my own selfish time. It’s a two-hour chunk of quiet time in which I can hear my own thoughts, but more importantly, express what is on my mind. It’s adult conversation with my own characters who say what I want them to say, do what I want them to do, and often, tell me things I need to hear. I do believe I create characters that help pull me through specific stages of life that I am in. Life does enhance writing and much of what I encounter goes in a roundabout way into my writing.

TC Tidbits: Trailer for the Upcoming Biopic "Howl"

An all star cast, including James Franco as Allen Ginsburg.