I love it when I find a new author and fall in love with the writing--the story--the ending! 

Alena Dillon is a new favorite and I highly recommend this book.
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The conflicts of mother and daughter, wife and husband, present and past are beautifully portrayed!  Dual timeline of 2009 and 1943 tells a story of regrets, secrets, forgiveness, reconciliation and recognition of heroic acts that were long overdue.  Dillon knows the struggles of everyday life, of sacrifice, of patriotism, of a mother's love for her husband, her family, and her mother, in spite of all of their challenges and brings struggles and reconciliation full circle.  You will love this book!

So, this happened last week....one (very strong) gust of wind and our patio canopy flipped over.  Fortunately, if there is a fortunate side, a length of rope stopped it from flying through the neighborhood.  It was really a strange sight!!  So, we planned on having two or three guys, plus my husband, wrangle it right side up and return it to the patio.  At around the appointed time we got a knock on the door, welcomed one of the men that was going to help, and, to our surprise, he told us it was all fixed, right side up, on the patio, tied down again!  What????? By himself??? With no help??? Yes.  All by himself.  

Isn't that sometimes like life??  We experience something that seems insurmountable to fix except for a lot of effort, which also seems beyond our individual reach, and then someone is placed in our path that says, "No problem, sure I can do that," and then they do exactly that.  I am still amazed that he was able to do that by himself.  But he did and we are very grateful to Palmer who performed this miracle!!  

Never underestimate the power of ONE!  And I hope that someday we can all be that ONE that makes a difference in someone's life! 

Exciting news! This follows on the heels of last year's Gold Medal for "Heirloom"!
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We are pleased to announce that 'The Legend (A Kate Tyler Novel)' has
qualified as a 2022 Award Finalist. This means that you have won
either a gold, silver, or bronze medal, which will be announced at
MWSA’s annual awards banquet on August 27, 2022.
In the next few days, your MWSA book listing will be updated to finalist status.
https://www.mwsadispatches.com/library/2022/the-legend
On behalf of MWSA President Bob Doerr and all MWSA board members, we
congratulate you on a job well done!
Sincerely,
Betsy, John, and Rob
MWSA Awards Directors

If you have read “Heirloom” already, you know that gardening was not something that Kate was very familiar with as her story begins, although she did have fond memories of visiting a garden in Europe with her twin sister Becky as a young girl.

“A sudden breeze brought a scent with it that made Kate turn her head.  She recognized the scent from somewhere deep in her past, but she could not place it.  She followed the scent down the flagstone path, and it led her to the old rose garden.  She gently lifted one of the haggard roses, leaned in, and breathed its scent.  The petals were scant and pale and yet somehow exuded a sweet, extravagant aroma that brought back a memory from her childhood.”

It’s wonderful how scents bring back a time and a place from our past as if it were yesterday.  Aromas of cooking in your mom’s or grandma’s kitchen.  Or maybe it was the smell of wood and sawdust and the tools in your dad’s workshop.  The scent of grapes in the vineyard just before harvest is one of my favorite memories growing up on Keuka Lake in New York State.  Whatever it may be, scents are a powerful reminder of our past. 

Kate began to embrace gardening as a way to heal, to grow, and to give a new purpose to her life.  Does that ring true for you?  Kate’s new friends, Sam and Martin, encourage her to use the rose hips from her garden for jellies, teas and soups.  Follow the link below for a YouTube video on how to make Rose Hip Tea—I think I might try it, too!

https://youtu.be/hMwj0l_SMF0

If you still want to buy Heirloom for yourself or for a friend, it is still available on Amazon in paperback and kindle or, better yet, email me at nancywakeley2@gmail.com and you can get a signed copy mailed to you!  

(Disclaimer: This is NOT a photo of my garden!  But it is central to Kate's journey in my upcoming novel "The Legend" to be available on April 5, 2022!)

​Even though I have a ton of books on my TBR list (and a few not even officially on the list yet but just begging to be added), I am looking forward to three new spring releases—sometimes I really wonder about my tastes in reading—let’s call it “eclectic” and leave it at that.  But I am sure I am not the only one!  So here we go!

​February:  Diablo Mesa by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, released just yesterday!  I have read just about all of this duo’s books and I am never disappointed.  Started with Cabinet of Curiosities years ago and haven’t stopped yet!  Diablo Mesa has two of my favorite ‘newish’ characters Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson.  If you like stories about area 51, this one is for you!

​March:  The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey, releasing on March 29.  I love anything by Kristy Woodson Harvey but this one fascinates me because of its connection to the Vanderbilts and The Biltmore Estate.  It is Harvey’s first historical/contemporary genre and promises to be a wonderful read.  

April:  Dream Town by David Baldacci.  Baldacci is becoming a favorite of mine for the series he creates with fascinating protagonists—usually people damaged by something in their past but don’t they make the best stories?  This is the third in the series with Aloysius Archer—can’t wait!!

​Imagine standing at the top of these cliffs, a sheer drop to the rocks below, no protection, no one to help....when you read "The Legend", this image will come to your mind.....and you will feel the fear...
"The Legend: A Kate Tyler Novel"...coming soon. 

​Tucked away on West Street in Rye England is the home of the great author Henry James. Kate ponders the question of living the life you were meant to live in "The Legend"--and it takes her to unexpected places! (And what kind of bird is that in the tree? Hmm.....)
#thelegend #bookstoread #ryeengland #booklover #fiction #henryjames

   ​If you are like me, your “To Be Read” pile greatly exceeds any human capacity to actually turn them into “Read”.  I just updated my Goodreads “Want to Read” lists recently and it is pretty overwhelming!  But it’s all good!  Depending on my mood, I can pick the right book.  Depending on my need to own a copy I can hold in my hands,  get it from the library, or buy and read it on Kindle—I can dive in any time, be scared, be uplifted or educated, cry, laugh, be in awe of the words on the page—all of those things are possible with books! 
   My favorite books of last year?  I would have to rate “Surviving Savannah” and “Once Upon a Wardrobe” both by Patti Callahan up at the top but there were so many great ones!  

​     What are you reading?? 

Good news!  Things are moving along with my second novel “The Legend”!  I’ll be announcing the publication date soon so that you can plan your spring reading schedule!!  If you have a copy of “Heirloom”, the first in this three-part book series with Kate Tyler, why not read it again before “The Legend” comes out?  A few things to watch for in the coming days and weeks—the cover reveal (it is going to be awesome!), and a few teaser postings.  Here’s one to start you wondering exactly what this book is going to be about! 
I know you will love “The Legend”!