SALLOWSFIELD by Cliff Hudder – Book Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

SALLOWSFIELD

by Cliff Hudder

Literary Fiction / Humor / Saga / Texas / Yorkshire

Publisher: Texas Review Press

Pages: 390

Publication Date: October 21, 2024

SYNOPSIS

Wyatt W. Sallow, MBA—poet, business ethics professor, and coach of the 8th ranked collegiate chess team in East Texas—travels to the heart of northern England to trace his family origins in mundane Sallowsfield, only to find his supposed ancestry a mirage. He does have a real past, however: one that stalks him across the green hillsides in echoes of his catastrophic marriage, the lingering shadow of a lost child, and—there, in person, inexplicably emerging from the town’s faux-Victorian train station—“X,” the enigmatic object of his unrequited passion and a figure as perplexing as an algebraic variable.

On his eight-day tour/pilgrimage/mock epic journey, Wyatt pursues the specter of his lost love and crosses paths with the citizens of this down-at-its-heels market town as they struggle to grasp the all-consuming obsessions, ghosts, and X-factors that confound their days.

Thought-provoking yet dryly humorous, Sallowsfield weaves diverse elements into a story both light-hearted and philosophical, exploring along the way universal human touchstones of obsession, ruined love, and the inexplicable mysteries that shape our lives.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cliff Hudder received an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Houston in 1995 and a PhD in American Literature from Texas A&M in 2017. He has been an archaeological laborer, a film and video editor, photographer, air compressor mechanic, electrical lineman, and educator. His fiction has appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, The Kenyon Review, The Missouri Review and other journals and his work has received the Barthelme and Michener Awards, the Peden Prize, and the Short Story Award from the Texas Institute of Letters. His novella, Splinterville, won the 2007 Texas Review Fiction Award, and his novel, Pretty Enough for You, was named a Top Ten Texas Favorite by Lone Star Literary Life in 2015. In 2017 Cliff was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters.

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REVIEW

A departure from my usual choice in fiction, Sallowsfield turned out to be an utterly absorbing read. With its non-linear timeline, numerous locations, multitude of characters, and multiple points of view, this book demanded my attention like no other I’ve read recently. It was hilarious in parts, affecting in others, engaging all throughout.

~*~

I didn’t know what to make of Wyatt Sallow at the start. He was socially awkward, physically clumsy, and appeared quite hapless. But as his story unfolded, I found him sympathetic in the end. He was unintentionally funny, especially in his interactions with his taxi driver Hussein. The scenes with his son Wyn showed his loving heart. And there were flashes of intellect and competence particularly displayed in the chess game with the Professor. What eventually reached me was his earnest search for a reason to claim the town with his name as his very own.

~*~

I have the utmost admiration for the author in managing to flesh out the countless characters in this book by providing them with distinctly fascinating back stories. Also, in accomplishing such a complicated timeline that meandered all over the place only to come full circle in a logical way. He brought Sallowsfield to life. So much so that I searched online if it’s a place that actually exists in England. To have the talent required to accomplish those things deserves kudos.

~*~

The most significant cavil I had was in the overuse of infidelity in the story and the majority of those committing such transgression being women. This is a personal bias I can’t overlook despite my overall enjoyment of the book.

I highly recommend dedicating several days to properly relish this book.

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THE NINE LIVES OF TITO D’AMELIA by Ettore Farrattini Pojani- Book Blog Tour: Feature and Giveaway

THE NINE LIVES OF TITO D’AMELIA

by Ettore Farrattini Pojani

Italian Literature / Historical Fiction

Publisher: Bayou City Press

Pages: 326

Publication Date: October 11, 2024

SYNOPSIS

This is the first (and only) English-language version of the award-winning Italian novel, The Nine Lives of Tito d’Amelia. Nine Lives is a love story about a cat, a family, and an Italian town. Mixing fiction with fact, Nine Lives tells the story of the town of Amelia, Italy, throughout the 32 centuries of its history. In fact, Amelia is considered the first organized city of central Italy, being four centuries older than Rome. The author uses the multiple lives of a cat named Tito as the way to span the centuries.

Author Ettore Farrattini Pojani is the heir of the Farrattini dynasty, a centuries-old family in Umbria whose family palazzo is in Amelia, north of Rome. Tito’s first life occurs in pre-historic Umbria, and his ninth is in the future. Tito’s mission through all nine of his lives is to help the town and the family to succeed.

A changing cast of characters traces the Farrattini line through the centuries, with Tito joining up with a Farrattini in each generation. Using his feline wiles, Tito bends humans to his will, helping them through many challenges from drought to wars to lovelorn marriages to selfish politicization of joint crises.

In this highly imaginative novel, the author mixes fictional lives with non-fictional information about historical figures as well as the Farrattini family and the town of Amelia. Readers are left wondering about details, such as what is fiction and what is fact. The last chapter will evoke surprise, though a clue that the surprise is coming is contained in the very first chapter. Originally published in Italy in 2022, this first English-language translation is published by Bayou City Press in Houston, Texas, and includes additional drawings, maps, lists of characters, a listing of foreign words and special terms, and notes on sources.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ettore Farrattini Pojani is the heir of the noble Italian Farrattini dynasty, whose family palazzo is in Amelia, Italy, north of Rome. A music expert and critic, Ettore has published extensively on music topics and currently is a collaborator on the website Broadwayworld.com.

This, his second book, was published in Italy in 2022 and has won numerous awards. Prior to focusing on writing, Ettore studied art restoration and specialized in furniture restoration. For almost 20 years he had a workshop in Rome in which hundreds of valuable, unique pieces were brought back to their splendor thanks to his dedication and expertise. In 2001 he transformed the family palazzo into a hotel de charme, which he personally ran for 15 years until it was damaged by the 2016 earthquake.

A dedicated traveler, Ettore is fluent in French and English besides his native Italian.

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SHAHRAZAD’S GIFT by Gretchen McCullough – Book Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

SHAHRAZAD’S GIFT

Gretchen McCullough

Contemporary Fiction / Linked Short Stories / Humor

Publisher: Cune Press

Date of Publication: February 20, 2024

Number of Pages: 198 pages

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Shahrazad’s Gift is a collection of linked short stories set in contemporary Cairo—magical, absurd and humorous. The author focuses on the off-beat, little-known stories, far from CNN news: a Swedish belly dancer who taps into the Oriental fantasies of her clientele; a Japanese woman studying Arabic, driven mad by the noise and chaos of the city; a frustrated Egyptian housewife who becomes obsessed by the activities of her Western gay neighbor; an American journalist who covered the civil war in Beirut who finds friendship with her Egyptian dentist. We also meet the two protagonists of McCullough’s Confessions of a Knight Errant, before their escapades in that story.

These stories are told in the tradition of A Thousand and One Nights.

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Like The Thousand and One Nights collection from which this anthology was patterned, Shahrazad’s Gift is a highly entertaining read.

The interconnected stories are varied. Some are funny, some are sad, and some are both in equal measure. All of them are evocative, always eliciting a reaction from me–laughter and sympathy being the most common. They feature a fascinating cast of multinational characters that are drawn so vividly, they seem like real people. And they all take me to the streets of Cairo, Egypt, fulfilling my goal of traveling through books.

While the tone is easy and most often light, there’s an underlying depth to the themes that’ll make you think, make you reflect, and maybe want to read it all over again.

Having read Ms. McCullough’s previous work Confessions of a Knight Errant, I was not surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. It has the same cinematic quality, sharp dialogues, irreverent situations, even more quirky characters, and utter craveability. Recommended for everyone who appreciates unique and excellent storytelling.

Gretchen McCullough was raised in Harlingen Texas. After graduating from Brown University in 1984, she taught in Egypt, Turkey, and Japan. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and was awarded a teaching Fulbright to Syria from 1997-1999. Her stories, essays and reviews have appeared in The Barcelona Review, Archipelago, National Public Radio, Story South, Guernica, The Common, The Millions, and the LA Review of Books. Translations in English and Arabic have been published in: Nizwa, Banipal, Brooklyn Rail in Translation, World Literature Today and Washington Square Review with Mohamed Metwalli. Her bi-lingual book of short stories in English and Arabic, Three Stories From Cairo, translated with Mohamed Metwalli, was published in July 2011 by AFAQ Publishing House, Cairo. A collection of short stories about expatriate life in Cairo, Shahrazad’s Tooth, was also published by AFAQ in 2013. Currently, she is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo.

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THREE WINNERS:
Two winners receive paperbacks.
One winner receives the eBook of Shahrazad’s Gift.
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PAINT THE STARS BRIGHT by R.G. Gallardo – Featured New Release

Paint the Stars Bright

R.G. GALLARDO

Depressed, desperate, and divorced, Jansen Aquino moves back to California from Colorado to seek the company and wisdom of three men: his aloof father, his carefree brother, and an eccentric therapist.

When you fall down hard, how do you get up and reclaim your life and perhaps get another shot at happiness? Jansen, haunted by his misfortune and failures, is on a personal quest to find out.

***

Three Major Truths About Life:

Life is full of adversities and opportunities.
It is always good to move forward.
It is always good to change for the better.

Paint the Stars Bright is an inspirational fiction and self-improvement book about facing crises with courage. Explore the pages and learn how to deal with adversities by turning them into opportunities.

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R.G. Gallardo studied B.S. Psychology at Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila, Philippines. He dedicated eight years to social work and counseling in Southern California and South West Iowa in the US.

He splits his time between the US and the Philippines, exploring writing and photography and doing talks and consultations.

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MY TOP 19 READS OF 2019

I read 190 books in 2019, seventy more than in 2018. Audiobooks made all the difference in my reading habits this year. They contributed to eighty of the books I experienced in 2019, seven of which are in my Top 19.

Here they are in the order I read them. In the interest of full disclosure, I want to inform you that some of the links in this post are affiliate links to Indie Bound store and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman – Probably the best audio I listened to all year. I loved the all-star cast.
New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb – my favorite re-read of the year. One of my Top 5 J.D. Robb books.
How to Seduce a Spy by Catherine Stein – a great debut by a fantastic indie author. I featured her Eden’s Voice here.
Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas – possibly my favorite of the Ravenels. Gorgeous cover as well.
Death’s Dancer by Jasmine Silvera – great world-building. Now, I want to go to Prague because of this book.
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han – one of the rare times when I like the second book better than the first.
Unlaced by the Highland Duke by Lara Temple – Lara is a new-to-me author this year whose writing really impressed me.
The Emotion Thesaurus – this book is incredibly useful for writers who want to improve their craft.
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang – I rarely say I can relate to the heroine in a romance not written by a Filipina. I did with this book.
Kulti by Mariana Zapata – hilarious. I have both the eBook and audiobook editions but I prefer the latter because the narrator really brings the book to life.
There Goes My Heart by Bella Andre – how can I not love a book that’s dedicated to me?
Dragonfly by Leila Meacham – I seldom veer away from romance but I made an exception for this one. My full review is here.
Things You Save In a Fire by Katherine Center – In a slew of books where the female main character works in a male-dominated environment, this stands out.
Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan – highly evocative, I can’t believe it took me so long to read this one.
The Magnolia Sword by Sherry Thomas – the only Young Adult book I read all year. I’ll bet when I watch the live-action movie I’ll say, “The book was better.”
Singapore Fling by me – I am incredibly proud of this book. It’s probably the most #ownvoice of my works.
Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh – Kaleb Krychek is my new Book Boyfriend and the Psy/Changeling is my favorite paranormal series.
Paradise Valley by Robyn Carr – the entire series is amazing but this one moved me the most, so it’s my favorite so far.
The One For You by Roni Loren – a highly-satisfying ending to a wonderful series. All five-star reads for me.

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THAT ONE MOMENT by Patty Wiseman – Book Blog Tour/Character Interview/Giveaway

THAT ONE MOMENT

by

PATTY WISEMAN

Genre: Fiction / Romantic Suspense

Date of Publication: May 8, 2017

Number of Pages: 258

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Ricki Sheridan traveled a long way to seek refuge at Wolf Den’s Lodge high in the mountains after a devastating betrayal. Heartbroken, she signed up for a survivalist backpacking trip to live off the land and forget.
An injury on the first day puts her in the capable hands of the handsome trail boss, Kory Littleton. The attraction is instant, mutual, and terrifying. She trusted her emotions once and vowed never to make the same mistake again. Kory’s heart, trampled and bruised, is unprepared to ever love again, until his unexpected reaction to Ricki reveals some things are worth taking a chance on. When evil finds its way back into Ricki’s world, their fragile bond is tested, forcing them to face their greatest fear: can a wounded heart ever trust anew? Betrayal. Desire. Revenge. Which one prevails?