Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Sister Blackberry

Sister Blackberry

Sister Blackberry

By Melissa Newman
Whiskey Creek Press
332 pages
$17.95

“Eighty-seven year old Viola Garland has secrets that have tormented her for over sixty years. She kept these secrets because she believed her family would be protected. When a skeleton is discovered at a Rayes County building site, the choice she made as a young woman threatens to come to light. She knows the lie has kept the family disjointed but she is sure the truth will destroy it. Set in 1936 rural Kentucky and Northern Ohio, Sister Blackberry is a story about women—friends, sisters, mothers, daughters and granddaughters—and how their relationships are affected by secrets and lies of the past. When the truth surfaces, these women learn things about themselves and the family matriarch that shake each woman’s idea of who she is and how she fits into the only family she’s ever known.”

–From the Publisher

Midnight Caller

Midnight Caller

Midnight Caller

By Leslie Tentler
Mira
416 pages
$6.99

“A smooth prose style and an authentic Big Easy vibe distinguish Tentler’s debut. Dr. Rain Sommers, the host of Midnight Confessions, a New Orleans late-night radio talk show, was two years old in 1981 when Gavin Firth, Rain’s British guitarist father, murdered her mother, Desiree Sommers, a popular goth singer, then killed himself. Special agent Trevor Rivette of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Unit has been hunting a serial killer dubbed ‘the Vampire’ (aka Dante), who’s slain five women across the U.S. and is now in New Orleans. The sadistic Dante slashes his victims’ throats and leaves a signature rosary just like one Rain’s mother wore in some publicity photos. After killing three goth scene teens, Dante targets Rain. While thriller fans will find much that’s familiar, from the vampire-like killings to the dependable FBI guy falling for the pretty woman in jeopardy, the shivers are worthy of a Lisa Jackson.”

Publishers Weekly

Emotional Truths And Gonzo Premises

Kevin Wilson talks with Chapter 16 about what’s real—and what’s weird—in his short stories

February 14, 2011 The characters in Kevin Wilson’s debut story collection, Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, experience emotions that almost any reader would find both soothingly and troublingly familiar, though the stories in which they appear often depict realities far from any we know. With his first novel slated for publication this summer, Wilson, who directs the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, answered questions via email about his work—and the state of things for young literary writers today—for Chapter 16. Wilson will read from his work at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on February 14 at 7 p.m.

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Losing Graceland

Losing Graceland

Losing Graceland

By Micah Nathan
Broadway
224 pages
$14

“Ben Fish has recently graduated with a degree in anthropology, undying love for his high-school-aged ex-girlfriend Jess, who broke up with him six months ago, and no plans for how to spend his summer. To avoid another season working a dead-end job at the local mall, he responds to a newspaper ad from one John Barrow, who is looking for a driver on short notice. John hires Ben to drive him to Memphis, 900 miles away, in search of his granddaughter Nadine. Their trip quickly turns into a capriciously epic journey as John, who claims to be, and for all purposes seems to actually be, Elvis Presley, takes them on detours to fight with biker gangs, visit an oracle, and save a hooker named Ginger from her one-eyed pimp. Nathan presents the reader with several fantastic characters in this rollicking, adventurous tale. Readers will pore through this fast-paced, adrenaline-filled novel and eat up the fantastic dialogue that brings Elvis back to life in a new, deliciously lascivious way.”

Booklist

Hurricanes in Paradise

Hurricanes in Paradise

Hurricanes in Paradise

By Denise Hildreth
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
384 pages
$13.99

“When Riley Sinclair stepped into her new job as director of guest relations at a posh resort on Paradise Island, she felt the final pieces of her once-broken life coming together. But the waters become choppy when Riley discovers that some who come to the Atlantis Hotel are accompanied by paralyzing secrets and overwhelming fears. Riley and three guests are in desperate but unknowing need of each other, eventually forging unlikely yet powerful friendships. With a hurricane headed straight for the island, together they embark on a journey of laughter, heartache, and healing.”

—From the Publisher

The Immigrant's Tale

In her debut novel, Pamela Schoenewaldt tells a vivid story of hardship and hard work

February 9, 2011 In her first novel, When We Were Strangers, Knoxvillian Pamela Schoenewaldt tells the story of Irma Vitale, a young Italian woman who comes to America, as all immigrants do, in the hope of making a better life for herself. The book is a vivid account of not only Irma’s own story but also that of America itself. Pamela Schoenewaldt will discuss When We Were Strangers at 7 p.m. on February 10 at Borders Books in Nashville.

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