Michael Wiley, nominated for a Shamus award for the first novel, The Last Striptease, has a style reminiscent of earlier hard-boiled detective novels. His characters are world-weary and cynical, unsurprised by any bad thing that happens—and a lot of bad things happen in his new novel, The Bad Kitty Lounge. Wiley will read from the book at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Nashville on March 12 at 2 p.m.
To review a book with Jane Austen at its heart is, for a passionate Austen fan, a risky endeavor. The subject is powerfully attractive, but the risk of disappointment is huge: few writers have the requisite respect and skill to follow in Austen’s footsteps. In Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, Nashville resident Beth Pattillo passes the test with a romance that will appeal to non-Austenites, as well. Pattillo appears at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Nashville on February 11 at 7 p.m.
Sara Evans‘s debut novel, The Sweet By and By, written with Rachel Hauck, is a story of faith, forgiveness, and redemption. While inspirational, the novel is never preachy, and the characters, no matter their faults, are treated with sympathy and even-handedness. In an interview, Sara Evans talks with Chapter 16 about the book, the writing process, and the role faith plays in her own life. She will be performing and signing copies of The Sweet By and By at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Nashville on January 11 at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Lisa Patton‘s debut novel, Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter, is a calorie-free popsicle of a story about a Southern girl out of the pool and into the snow. Vermont might as well be a foreign country to Leelee Satterfield, who has moved there from Memphis with her husband, daughters, and a Yorkie named Princess Grace.
Four college roommates reunite some twenty years later for a beach trip where old wounds resurface, secrets are revealed, and decisions get made that will change their lives. Sound familiar? It should. This is not remotely a new plotline for so-called “women’s novels,” but Chattanooga resident Cathy Holton brings a depth, humor, and warmth to Beach Trip that make this novel more than just a beach read.
