My agent recently said that September is the new January – It’s like the lazy, hazy days of summer came abruptly to a halt and everyone is scrambling to kick off fall. I’ve always loved September because a new school year seems like a good place to make a fresh start. My schedule is already filling up fast!
Recently I was asked to write a couple of posts for an authors’ Back-To-School feature that two bloggers teamed up on. And the good news for you is that they are giving away TWO copies of Stardust (thank you, FaithWords!). So please stop by Crazy for Books and Lori’s Reading Corner and leave a comment to get your name in the drawing. You’ll also get to read about my first day of first grade and my worst first day of school.
September is also a busy month for publishers as they roll out the best of the best of their fall books. And I’m tickled that three of my best writing buddies have new books that released on Sept. 1. So this week, I’d like to introduce you to my friends and their new books.
First up, Anne Mateer, a dear sweet gal from my favorite state – Texas, of course – with her newest book, At Every Turn.
Anne Mateer has a passion for history and historical fiction, a passion that often rears it’s head during family vacations. Thankfully, her husband shares and indulges her love of the past. She and her husband live near Dallas, Texas, and are the parents of three young adults. Learn more about Anne here.
AT EVERY TURN
Caught up in a whirlwind of religious fervor when two missionaries speak at her church, Alyce Benson impetuously pledges three thousand dollars to mission work in Africa. She’s certain her wealthy father will simply hand her the money. But when he refuses, she must either stand up in front of the congregation and admit failure, or raise the money herself.
Alyce harbors a secret passion for speed and automobiles. It’s 1916, and the latest advancements in car engines allow some to post speeds upwards of seventy miles per hour! When she discovers her father’s company has sponsored a racing car that will compete in several upcoming events–races in which the driver will be paid and could win as much as five thousand dollars in prize money–she conspires with her father’s mechanic, Webster, to secretly train and compete.
But as Alyce comes across needs in her own community, money slips through her fingers faster than she can earn it. And when her friends cast aspersions on Webster’s past, she believes she might have trusted the wrong man with her secret. Will Alyce come up with the money in time, or will she have to choose between her promise and the man who holds a piece of her heart?
MY REVIEW: She’s off to the races! With a tagline like that, I was immediately curious about Anne Mateer’s new book and loved that it was about a woman race car driver in 1916. Alyce Benson is a spunky heroine whose impetuous nature gets her in over her head from the very beginning. She pledges $3000 to help a ministry in Africa, sure that her wealthy father will be glad to give the money to help missionaries. Alyce didn’t count on her father not sharing her passion for spiritual matters, so when he refuses to give her the money, Alyce has to come up with a plan to raise it on her own.
She does share another secret passion with her father, though – speed and automobiles. Alyce connives to enter racing competitions without her father’s knowledge in hopes of earning the money she promised. The twists and turns in this fast-paced story were not just on the racetrack, but also in Alyse’s ever-escalating troubles. And of course, there’s a lovely romance that kept me guessing and flipping the pages as fast as I could. In her sophomore novel, Anne’s storytelling talent shines as she captures the flavor of the era to perfection. I loved it!!!
Thanks, Anne, for writing such a heartwarming, fun story!
And speaking of fast cars and things of the past – I will be in Hooker, Oklahoma this Saturday, Sept. 8 for the Hooker Car Show! I’ll be meeting folks and signing books at the Olive Warner Memorial Library on Main Street from 2 to 5 pm. I’ve heard this event is HUGE with lots of craft and food vendors as well as drawings for great prizes. And cars. There will be LOTS of cars there. If you’re in the area, please stop by!