Pulpwood Queens Girlfriends Weekend
On Martin Luther King weekend each year there is a conference of book lovers and authors. Kathy Murphy started the Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Club and everyone meets for a three day weekend in Nacogdoches, Texas. With all the people involved having an interest in books, and add to that the Mardi gras atmosphere, it makes for a fun time. This is probably the only book club in existence where a tiara is mandatory.
Folklore author R.D. Vincent
We all got to meet author R.D.Vincent there. R.D. is a charming young man who grew up hearing stories of New England Folklore from his grandmother and aunt, and as a result he seems very close to both ladies. I thought about that as I was reading the first three novellas. In today’s world with video games, television and cell phones, we don’t take the time to connect with one another. There is a grandmother in these stories and she develops a close bond with her grandchildren by telling them these tales.
Book 1 – The Ring of Lazarus
The first story starts out with the grandmother trying to cook dinner and keep two rambunctious boys entertained. In this novella, a young girl is sent to a nearby farm to get some herbs, and as her family is sick, medicine as well.. Her mother had passed down a beautiful silver ring that was reported to belong to a gypsy. This ring was to go to the oldest daughter and carried a bit of gypsy magic. On the way home a dark force causes the girls death. Can a silver ring bring her back to life?
Book 2 – The Witch of Tamarack Hill
Again, this section is a tale told by the grandmother to her two grandsons. This is a story of two
sisters who lose their mother at a very early age.The older sister is interested in the art of healing and she is attuned to things that no one else seems to sense. The younger sister is out playing by the lake when she disappears. The father and older sister are grief stricken and they hunt for weeks for the younger sister. Refusing to give up, they leave a light in the window each night.. They meet an old woman in the woods and the older sister begins to learn from her all the secrets of healing and magic. After the tragedy of losing several children in the village, the town decides they have to do something to rid themselves of the evil stalking their children, and in the end they defeat the witch and the children are returned.
Book 3 – The Miracles of the Midwife Sutton
The third story the grandmother teaches her grandsons about faith. In those days, midwives were also versed in the art of healing. The midwife was there when the town was cursed and she sees that the curse is coming to be. The town suffers a horrible drought, and Midwife Sutton sets about making plans to correct the things she can correct. She travels some four months to collect the things she must have to end the curse. Not only does this story teach her grandsons the meaning of faith, but also the need for patience.
Hope for the future
In these novellas, R.D.Vincent teaches us how to relate to the people around us by developing a closeness we don’t see as much of in today’s society. I look forward to one day having a hardbound copy of this authors complete works, like the stories of the Brothers Grimm. Excellent job, R.D.!
I hope you will pick up these charming stories for the young person in your life.
Happy reading, Linda
I like the idea of being an author but I don’t like to have my picture taken and I don’t think I have ever had one that I really liked. It may come from my mother always cautioning me, “pretty is as pretty does” and maybe in my mind I don’t ever measure up. The simple fact is, authors need pictures and unless you have a really good camera, snapshots just don’t make the grade. I can’t tell you how many times the pictures I submit to my editor for the column in the Times Record are rejected. If you are out there writing the great american novel then you need to take a break and find someone who can do a quality photograph. If it isn’t in your budget to get professional photos then find a way to pay for at least one, you are going to need it for your book cover. Good Luck and I hope to see your picture out there soon.
A lot of you have been asking about book two. My editor and I have gone through the manuscript one last time, trying to make it the best it can be, and it’s now being set up in both ebook and paperback formats. You should see “Fight For Your Life” in print sometime within the next month. I was proud of the first book, but as an author I think I have grown and book two shows just how much.
