When I learned the publisher of my debut novel, All Different Kinds of Free, was retiring and my book would go out of print, I was disappointed. But as a glass-half-full person, I also saw an opportunity. After a short querying period, an indie press offered me a contract to publish a revised 15th anniversary edition.
I’m so grateful to my new editor and publisher, Colin Mustful of History Through Fiction, for seeing the value in Margaret Morgan’s story.
Cover reveal and more details will be coming soon. But for now, mark you calendar for the release date, November 10, 2026!
The first thing you need to know is that this is a memoir. The second thing you need to know is that it’s the first book I’ve read by Markus Zusak (and it won’t be the last). The third thing you need to know is it’s packed with the kind of beautiful, insightful prose you’d expect in the best novel.
It made me nod my head, laugh out loud, and bawl like a baby.
If you’ve ever owned, loved and lost a pet, this book is for you. Especially dogs (but also cats). Especially big dogs. Especially big, unruly dogs. And, especially, if you’re a novelist who has had big, unruly dogs (which I am).
Zusak loved his big, wild dogs despite (and because of) the chaos they brought to his life – a life of raising two children with his wife, of also owning two fierce cats, of working for 13 years to bring his novel Bridge of Clay to market. He acknowledges that novel isn’t for everyone. And neither are unruly dogs. One line in particular resonated with me…
“… it bears reminding that books, like dogs, owe us nothing. It’s worth it for having done it.”
Read this one. Have your tissue box at the ready. It will be worth it.
*I receive a small commission you make a purchase at Bookshop.org using a link in this post.
Post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” His distinctive technique consists of bold brushstrokes and contrasting colors to create a bigger picture of vibrant intensity and emotion.
Big is wonderful. Yet, big is often overwhelming. Small is less intimidating. Small is doable.
Taking small steps toward a bigger goal is a proven technique for success, whether you’re painting a masterpiece, training for better health, or writing a book.
“I can’t tell you how many times I don’t feel like training and tell myself, ‘I’ll just do one set and see how I feel.’ You would think it would stop working at some point, but I almost always end up doing the whole workout,” wrote James Clear, author of the best-seller Atomic Habits. “Just start. Do a little and see what happens.”
Clear’s trick works for writing, as well. When I don’t feel like writing, I tell myself, “I’ll write for 15 minutes, even it’s just random thoughts.” Inevitably, once my fingers get moving on the keyboard, my brain gets moving, too, and I end up writing for much longer.
You can do great things with a series of small things. The key is to “just start” and see where it takes you.
Image: Vincent van Gogh’s “Irises,” oil on canvas (1890, courtesy of Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation)
A friend brought this book to my attention because it is written by a woman on the autism spectrum and the novel’s protagonist is also on the spectrum. Those of you who know me also know my son is on the spectrum, as is a main character in my novel Peculiar Savage Beauty. So, while I don’t often read mysteries, this book made it on my to-read stack.
This is a contemporary mystery set in a historical location in North Yorkshire, England. Because of my affinity for historical fiction, the elements of the story that revolved around a missing painting and a possibly-haunted family estate appealed to me. Add in a cast of fully-formed, quirky characters, and this novel had a great deal that captured my attention.
I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I reached out to the author. Brandy is not only a talented writer, she’s also a talented artist. For members of her street team (which I now am), Brandy created fun portraits set in the Ardemore Estate in the style of the mysterious missing Netherleigh painting. We had our choice of locations, and of course I requested the library!
Here are the before and after photos. I love the way the light is coming in from the window, and how the chandelier is reminiscent of the fountain in the original image.
This novel has a lot to love for any reader. Mystery fans, in particular, are sure to adore it (and if you do, you’ll be thrilled to know she’s hard at work on the second book in the series).
The Tucson Festival of Books author selection committee has invited me to appear in the Indie Author Pavilion. This is the first time I’ll be attending the festival as an author, and I’m thrilled.
I’ll be on hand for a few hours on Saturday to chat with attendees and sign books. Come one, come all!
Anybody else put the local indie bookstore on your must-see list whenever you travel someplace new?
Last month, I visited Bookmarks in Winston Salem, N.C. It’s a lovely bookstore – from the fun murals in the breezeway leading to the entrance, to the caricatures that line the bookshelves (showcasing authors who have visited there). Adjoining the store is Footnote, which has coffee and pastries, cocktails and small plates, and a charming event space. It’s the perfect complement.
The aspect I found most unique about Bookmarks is that it’s a literary arts nonprofit. “Books with Purpose” is their tagline. You can see from this graphic their impact is far-reaching. If you ever have the chance to visit the lovely little town of Winston Salem, N.C., stop by and say hello!
I’ll be discussing the relevance of neurodiverse characters in historical fiction at SEEDs for Autism in Phoenix on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.
The Historical Novel Society – Arizona Chapter (HNS-AZ) is partnering with SEEDs to host the free public event for anyone who appreciates historical fiction. Both readers and writers will find something of interest in the presentation, including details about my writing and research process and examples of books that feature neurodiverse characters, including my novel Peculiar Savage Beauty. Set in 1930s Kansas, Peculiar Savage Beauty’s main characters include Woody, an autistic savant born in an era long before any medical diagnosis would explain his peculiar ways and unique talents. Publishers Weekly called it a “gripping, atmospheric novel [that] meshes a seminal event in American history with a suspenseful plot and insightfully etched characters.”
SEEDs provides a path from “learning to earning” for teens and adults with autism through education, vocational training, and social development. The organization hosts events throughout the year to foster community and raise autism awareness.
Event admission is free, though attendance is limited, and reservations are appreciated. Complimentary light refreshments will be provided by HNS-AZ.
The gift shop will be open, and my novel will be available for purchase and signing; 100 percent of book sale proceeds will benefit SEEDs.
The Removes is a brilliantly-written and well-researched novel. The settling and (so-called taming) of the American frontier in the 1800s is often romanticized in fiction. Very little in this book is romanticized. It brings to life, in vivid description and with brutal realism, a shameful and terrifying period in our nation’s history.
Three intertwined stories are told – those of 15-year-old homesteader Anne, Civil War hero George Armstrong Custer, and Custer’s wife Libbie. When Anne survives a Sioux attack on her family, she’s taken captive to live among the tribe where she endures near-starvation, rape, and hard labor over many years. Young, pampered Libbie also is thrown into a harrowing life when she marries Custer and travels with his regiment as they battle the remaining Indian tribes in the territories.
Tatjana Soli creates characters with depth. While some are fictionalized interpretations of famous people (the Custers), others are pseudohistorical compilations of everyday people from the time (Native Americans, homesteaders, cavalrymen, small town folk, big city socialites). The worst among them are violent and vindictive, the best are often self-indulgent and turn a blind eye to the cruelty around them. There are very few innocents in this story. They all are tragically human.
Soli’s writing evokes strong, often visceral, emotion. The story contains many descriptions of cruel, senseless violence against people and animals. Beyond the anticipated death-toll of war, countless bodies are mutilated, women and children enslaved and abused. Beyond hunting, innumerable animals are slaughtered – dogs, buffalo, horses – for military strategy, for amusement, for vengeance. Several scenes brought tears to my eyes and created a knot in my stomach. This book is not for the faint of heart.
At the same time, Soli captures the beauty of nature and the fortitude of humanity in a way that often consoled me. In relating a rare moment of peace for the young captive, Anne, the author wrote, “The cool nights and nearby river lulled her to a peaceful state. For the moment, she was content. Human happiness was like a flower insistent on burrowing its way out despite the most inhospitable conditions.”
There were a few historical information dumps that could have been handled more lyrically, and several inconsequential scenes that could have been cut to improve the overall story’s pace. But that is a minor nitpick compared to the broad impact the story had on my heart, mind, and soul.
The Removes* is not what I would call an “enjoyable” book, though I’m glad I read it, and I recommend it to anyone able to bear the pain of it. This is historical fiction at its best.
*Purchases at Bookshop.org help support indie bookstores and authors, including me.
For the past few years, I’ve served as a judge for the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Contest. Out of the 25 to 50 books I’m tasked to read, one or two are to be selected to progress to round-two judging. Most are average, a few have buried potential, and more than a handful are genuinely awful. Sometimes it’s the idea that falls short. Most often, it’s the execution. Common problems are stereotypical characters, inauthentic dialogue, passive language, and shoddy editing.
But in a good year, there is the one – the book that shines. This year, that book was Figurines by Jamie Boud.* I don’t know how it will fare with the next judge, but it impressed the heck out of me.
Figurines contains all the visual hallmarks of a high-quality novel, including striking artwork, professional design, and impeccable copyediting. Boud’s day job is as an artist and designer, and his talent shows.
The true measure, of course, is the writing. Boud shines there, as well. His use of sensory description evokes emotion and draws the reader deep into the complex story. Events from the past are slowly and expertly revealed to the reader, in first-person by two narrators who become more engaging, authentic, and tragic with each chapter.
From the book jacket:
In 2011 New York, Rachel is one step away from becoming invisible. Half a century earlier, confined in the clean, white walls of a mental hospital, Anna wishes she could be.
Rachel and Anna’s lives are woven together—one desperate to be seen, to find out who she is in the bright sunlight of New York and the dark shadows of her family history, and one frantically trying to sort reality from the fantasy in her head, to be known as a person before she’s lost to dull hospital labyrinths and the sharp tang of medicine on her tongue. Figurines is a deep exploration of self, of family, of mental illness, and the thin line between invisibility and nakedness. Between desperation and madness.
Historical and literary fiction readers will appreciate this exploration into the many facets of love, loss, family, isolation, and mental illness. Click here to learn more about Figurines.*
*When you make a purchase at Bookshop.org, you support independent bookstores and authors like me.
