Hello Readers!
Walking in the desert reminds me to pay attention. Snakes may be dormant this time of year, but wildlife abounds: javelina, bobcat, coyote. The desert is also filled with lots of prickly things in the shapes of myriad cacti.
You’ve got to have your wits about you when you’re in the desert: Do I have enough water? Sunscreen? Sunglasses? Appropriate outerwear? Sturdy shoes or boots? Under a relentless sun, we are no match for the elements, as copious animal bones strewn in the desert attest.
But, all of this withstanding, the desert is not just a dry, inhospitable place. It has its own stark beauty, like I wrote about in Hardland:
The sun edges over the Catalinas, the color of the wide sky nothing short of dazzling, corals and purples and oranges piercing the day.
It’s the colors that really get me here, morning and evening, especially. Sometimes we have to look for the beauty, or take time to be awed by it.
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Black History Month
In the early 20th century, historian Carter J. Woodson proposed the second week of February to be called “Negro History Week” to honor famed abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass. Intended to promote awareness of African-American contributions to history, this annual event bloomed into Black History Month, officially designated in 1976 by then-President Gerald Ford “to seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
Today, Black History Month celebrates Black history, culture, music, arts, and literature and serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for civil rights in the U.S.
Here are some suggestions from my library and book club friends by authors of color:
- The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
- Erasure, by Percival Everett
- Let Us Descend, by Jesmyn Ward
- The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois, by Honoree Fannone Jeffers
- The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride
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Winners of Gal-etine’s Day Giveaway
Congratulations to Caryl Kane and Alicia Haney for winning copies of Janis Robinson Daly’s The Unlocked Path and my debut novel, Eliza Waite, both featuring protagonists named Eliza.
If you don’t already follow Janis, here is a link to her newsletter. In addition to great historical info and book suggestions, you’ll see snippets from her sequel, The Path Beneath Her Feet, slated out this fall.
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What Readers Are Reading
Thanks to the many readers who wrote in to tell me what they are reading. There isn’t room for all your suggestions, but I’ve added a few to my own TBR. Here are six intriguing titles:
- The Secret Life of Sunflowers, by Marta Molnar
- Unsinkable, by Jenni Walsh
- The Lioness of Boston, by Emily Franklin
- The Storm We Made, by Vanessa Chan
- The Women, by Kristin Hannah
- Queens of London, by Heather Webb
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New Contest
Here’s your once in every two-year chance to help name characters in my upcoming novel. Without divulging much about my new work in progress, I’d love to know the first names of your grandmothers, great-aunts, aunts, and/or cousins who lived in the 1930s.
To enter, tell me your family names here. Winner will receive a $25 gift card to your favorite indie bookstore. And I will use the winning name (and others) in the novel!
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Update on WFWA Women’s Anthology
The updated release date of the Women Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) anthology, Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women will be June 8, 2024. I’m delighted that a piece of mine, “Double Whammy,” will be included in the anthology, along with 22 others. Watch for cover reveal in the coming months and links to purchase. All proceeds will benefit WFWA.
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In Closing
Some of us—or people we love—are walking in mental or physical or emotional or spiritual deserts this month. Let us be mindful not only of our own journeys, but those of others.
Wishing you a good rest of the month and Happy Reading!
Ashley