As to my recent absence…deadlines, water heaters, and migraines, oh, my! A flooded garage, an overabundance of work, and an unexpected three-day migraine threw my world out of whack for a bit. This weekend, however, I got to see my brother (who comes around about twice a year) and celebrate my mother’s 83rd birthday. A little taste of what’s really important.

Now on to a family that has more secrets than a dog has fleas…

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THINGS LEFT UNSPOKEN
Eva Marie Everson
Baker Books, June 2009
$13.99
978-0-8007-3273-8
5 stars (out of 5)

Every family–and every house–has its secrets.

Jo-Lynn Hunter is at a crossroads in life when her great-aunt Stella insists that she return home to restore the old family manse in sleepy Cottonwood, Georgia. Jo-Lynn longs to get her teeth into a noteworthy and satisfying project. And it’s the perfect excuse for some therapeutic time away from her self-absorbed husband and his snobby Atlanta friends.

Beneath the dust and the peeling wallpaper, things are not what they seem, and what Jo-Lynn doesn’t know about her family holds just as many surprises. Was her great-grandfather the pillar of the community she thought he was? What is Aunt Stella hiding? And will her own marriage survive the renovation?

Jo-Lynn isn’t sure she wants to know the truth–but sometimes the truth has a way of making itself known.

Eva writes from the heart of the South. In Things Left Unspoken, she wonderfully portrays the intricacies of small town families with their darkest secrets and deepest bonds. From the first line, she engages the reader in Jo-Lynn’s quest for a place to belong by gently unraveling a tale of tragic history, enduring love, and unexpected intrigue. This is a splendid book by one of the South’s best contemporary authors.

Now to a little business. OCTOBER brings two changes here. I’m adding a newsletter and a contest. The contest will run throughout the quarter, and the winner will be pulled from folks who either email me about this blog or leave a comment. The prize basket will include gourmet chocolate, a gift card from Starbucks, copies of my three latest books, a coupon for my spring book, a “Guest Book,” and a book of the author’s choosing.

This will be the prize basket for ALL my quarterly contests, at least for the coming year. The “Guest Book” will be a book I either love or want to promote for some reason. This quarter, that book is a new one from my friend Eva Marie Everson, Reflections of God’s Holy Land. You have no idea how important this book is to me, and I’m thrilled to feature it in the contest.

I’ll keep this information on my Contest page as the quarter goes forward, with plenty of references to it in my blog. In the meantime, keep reading and keep writing.

In the meantime, here’s an overview of Eva’s book: