Book Review: Pintsized Pioneers at Play: Homemade Frontier Fun and Danger by Preston Lewis & Harriet Kocher Lewis

Pintsized Pioneers at Play: Homemade Frontier Fun and Danger by Preston Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fresh and fascinating vision of pioneer life.

Pintsized Pioneers at Play: Homemade Fun and Danger by Preston Lewis and Harriet Kocher Lewis is a fun but eye-opening, memory-jogging journey into the past of the American West. Full of lively vignettes drawn from personal diaries, memoirs, and newspaper accounts of daily life as pioneers expanded their reach into the unsettled areas of the country, readers will get a real feel for what it was like to grow up in that earlier place and time. Lewis and Lewis have perfectly combined their respective knowledge, skills, and pasts to produce a fascinating nonfictional vision of this aspect of children’s lives.

If you’ve read the previous book about children on the frontier, Pintsized Pioneers, you’ll already be aware of how much responsibility for the success of their families lay on the shoulders of even some of the youngest children. Money was hard-won, and almost everyone lived “off the beaten path,” so running to the store for toys was not an option. First, there weren’t stores on every corner, certainly not malls, and few had any amount of disposable income. Making do with what you had was key. Playtime came after chores, or as part of them, and school was as much a social event as it was educational (something we all realized when COVID isolated so many youngsters from their peers).

While our ancestors led a more basic, structured life, they also enjoyed a freedom unheard of in today’s society. Children roamed far from home in remote locations under rugged conditions, all unsupervised: a glorious opportunity, but, at times, things happened. Children were lost, injured, or worse. The newspaper reports of lost and missing children and various mishaps occurring in the small towns were a reminder of this. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the accounts of childhood activities, straight from the mouths of those recalling their youth. I loved that there were names and places associated with each precious memory, and that some of those stories came from well-known figures, such as Eliza Donner, a survivor of the tragic Donner Party expedition.

The narrative is compelling and easy to read, one of those books you start and look up an hour or so later without realizing how much time has actually passed. Also, if you’re interested in early childhood development, be sure to read the introduction to understand how children mature and how their awareness of the ramifications of their actions changes. It might be a sobering realization of how lucky any of these children are to have survived, or of how vigilant their parents had to be while physically making a life for the entire family.

I recommend PINTSIZED PIONEERS AT PLAY to readers, young or old, of tales of the Old West.

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Book Review: Queen of Cotton (Texas Brave & Strong, #2) by Laurie Moore-Moore

Queen of Cotton: Confederate Camel Caravan by Laurie Moore-Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Exciting, entertaining, and educational!

The Queen of Cotton is the second book in author Laurie Moore-Moore’s Texas Brave and Strong series, continuing the historical fiction story of Sara Darnell Brown. This new novel is about Sara’s camel cotton convoy that travels across the state of Texas to get their product to foreign markets at the start of the American Civil War, when the traditional routes were blockaded. This surprising tale is one of overcoming obstacles and hardships, exciting yet terrifying Indian and bandit encounters, rich in historical detail, and full of heart and emotion.

Sara Brown must once again draw deeply on everything she’s got to get Dallas’s cotton farmers’ crops to market on her own when her husband, Benjamin, joins the Texas Frontier Rangers in protecting the state’s borders. The careful plans he’d made and shared with Sara before mobilizing to the frontier fell through as the men needed to make it work, also left for war. Sara, already fully occupied with getting her mercantile back up and running after the devastating fire in Dallas the previous year, is somewhat familiar with his business and is able to come up with an unusual alternative using camels left over from earlier experiments with their use on the Texas frontier. Although I was aware of the traditional views men held at that time about women’s roles, I was still surprised by some of the characters’ vehement reactions to Sara taking charge. On the other hand, I liked Jonah Watson’s characterization as a large, strong, and capable foreman with an unheard-of classical education. Viewed as a member of the Watson family, he was still enslaved.

The plot is well-paced, with interesting historical tidbits sprinkled throughout the story, and I loved the appearances by actual historical figures. My emotions were immediately engaged by the leave-takings of the husbands, fiancés, fathers, and sons as they headed to fight for the Confederacy or serve with the Rangers. Many of the women had experienced this same type of separation years before, either during Texas’s fight for independence from Mexico or the Mexican-American War, not knowing if they’d see their loved ones alive ever again. However, they were not given much time to think about it, as their lives and those of their families depended on their continued efforts to move forward.

I recommend THE QUEEN OF COTTON to readers of historical fiction, especially those who enjoy a story set during the Civil War or on the Texas frontier.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

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Virtual Book Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Damned Lovely by Adam Frost

The Damned Lovely

by Adam Frost

August 29 - September 23, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

“She wasn’t pretty but she was ours…”

Sandwiched between seedy businesses in the scorching east LA suburb of Glendale, The Damned Lovely dive bar is as scarred as its regulars: ex-cops, misfits and loners. And for Sam Goss, it’s a refuge from the promising life he’s walked away from, a place to write and a hole to hide in.

But when a beautiful and mysterious new patron to the bar turns up murdered, Sam can’t stop himself from getting involved. Despite their fleeting interaction, or perhaps because of it, something about her ghost won’t let go…

Armed with the playbook from the burned-out ex-cops, Sam challenges the police’s theory on the killing, butting heads with hardened detectives and asking questions nobody wants to answer. As his obsession takes hold so does his sense of purpose—as if uncovering the truth about the killer might heal some part of his own broken life. But the chase sets him on a collision course with a crooked charity, violent fundamentalists, corrupt cops, brazen embezzlers and someone dangerously close to home—all who want to make sure the truth never comes out.

Praise for The Damned Lovely:

“The Damned Lovely is the LA crime story born anew, an addictive mystery and a love letter to the careworn and forgotten places of Los Angeles—Los Angeles as it is right now. Adam Frost is a crime writer with a sharp new voice, telling a tale about the one thing everyone in Los Angeles has: desire. Desire for truth, for justice, for love, or maybe just a place to call home. Highly recommended.”

Jordan Harper, Edgar Award-winning author of She Rides Shotgun

“Frost’s crackling debut novel belongs on the shelf right next to Joseph Wambaugh and Michael Connelly. Crisp prose. An intricate plot worthy of Raymond Chandler, packed with scruffy, lovable, and lived-in characters that leap off the page. Frost brings a fresh voice and much-needed new blood to LA crime fiction.”

Will Beall, author of L.A. Rex and creator of CBS’s Training Day

“An unputdownable and suspenseful whodunnit: anchored in the quandary of manifesting destiny in grief and lost opportunity.”

Blake Howard, producer and host of the One Heat Minute podcast and Film Critic

“Every bourbon-soaked sentence in this endlessly entertaining first novel proves Joseph Wambaugh dipped Adam Frost by his ankle into the L.A. river. Roll over Michael Connelly, tell Raymond Chandler the news.”

Adam Novak, author of Rat Park and Take Fountain

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Crime
Published by: Down & Out Books
Publication Date:
Number of Pages:
ISBN: 1643962531 (ISBN-13: 978-1643962535)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | The Down & Out Bookstore

Read an excerpt:

I took a sip and checked my phone. Waiting for the screen to siiiing. Praying. Hoping.

She held her ground and I lost the fight.

The empty telephone. Reminding me, I had no excuses. To be in a better place. To be successful.

I was an American.

I was white.

I grew up safe and surrounded by love.

There was money for birthday parties and proper schools.

I had a college degree in communications.

I’d traveled to Southeast Asia. Seen Europe. Touched down in South Africa. I had a sweet girl who liked to cook and wanted a ring. We had an apartment in West Hollywood with good light.

I’d found a marketing gig early and wrote ad copy for seven years. Logos. Corporate promos. Internet ribbons. Microcopy drawl. Quippy garbage that paid the rent and then some.

I was on the right track.

Until I broke. Crashed the cart and pulled the plug on my world of California lies.

Staring into those smiling faces across a Doheny dinner table one night.

The masquerade of happiness.

The Instagram sham.

There was no substance. No truth. No intent for anything more than gain.

I had sealed the truth for years. Locked and bottled that depression south, convinced I could kick it. Convinced the gnaw would pass.

Things are great, I kept saying. Things are great.

But something about those faces on that very Doheny night popped the cork and shattered the glass. I called it out. I let it rip ugly. These weren’t my friends. They were assets. Nothing more.

This wasn’t love. This was compliance on rails.

I needed something pure. Something with purpose and mine all mine. That I truly adored.

So I quit the girl who liked to cook. Lost the apartment with the light and moved to Glendale. Where it was cheaper. Where there was no good light.

And worst of all. I was compelled by a force inside my bones to write something real. Something long and from the heart. Something maybe even wise.

This, more and more it seemed, may have been a grave mistake.

It was in no way working out.

Still, I refused to believe in misery. An honest rut is all. It’ll turn around soon. It has to. Because when you’re going through hell in Glendale, keep going. Right?

So. Soldier on. Live with intent and drown those voices out.

Drown. Them. Out. Soldier!

Swish. Swish.

A red Trojan alpha bro was swipin’ right at the bar. Americana run off sipping a sea breezer with a skinny lime. Slice and I shared a healthy glare of disdain when Jewels crossed behind me and nodded to stool 9.

“She’s baaaack,” Jewels cooed.

And there she was. Hiding her green eyes under a black felt fedora and a worn-out paperback of To the Lighthouse. She had dark brown hair pinned low at the back. Wore a simple tight white V-neck tee exposing that soft skin around her collarbones. She sat straight. With her legs crossed in black jeans that pinched in at her waist and exposing a band of flawless smooth lower back. She kept her face down. Never spoke to a soul beyond ordering a drink. And never looked at her phone. Not once. Not once had I seen her look at her phone. Instead, she just buried her eyes in that book. Drowning out the world with a Negroni and Woolf’s words like some kinda mystery from a different era. She’d been in four times now by my count. And it was consistent. Early in the afternoon. Same drink. Same book. Alone. Like an oasis in this godforsaken Glendale desert.

***

Excerpt from The Damned Lovely by Adam Frost. Copyright 2022 by Adam Frost. Reproduced with permission from Adam Frost. All rights reserved.

Review: 

5 stars!

The Damned Lovely was a genuine page-turner of a book that kept me reading late to get to a good stopping point. The problem for me was the story was so good, with Sam's ongoing investigation and constant drama, there just wasn't one. I always wanted to see what was going to happen next. 

Sam is a good guy, but he's worked himself into a hole. His literary agent is a harpy, his roommate is an inconvenient convenience rather than a friend, and his friends are a bunch of barflies with their own troubles. I loved the collection of personalities and stories the author has conceived for The Damned Lovely's regulars. Everyone has a story. The author has a knack for dialogue and a talent for putting the reader in the story. 

The bar itself also has a personality, as does Goss's Glendale. The moody descriptions set a tone and paint a vivid backdrop for the book's action and events. I could clearly envision the bar, Goss's home away from home. 

But the plot is what kept me in my seat, or rather on the edge of it. The police investigation goes in a different direction than Sam's, with twists and turns to follow and some entirely believable red herrings. The clues to uncovering the truth behind the murder are right there, one by one. 

With the main character's alcohol-infused decision-making and struggles, gritty action, sudden violence, moody setting, and overall feeling of impending doom, this modern mystery is spectacularly reminiscent of early crime and detective thrillers and movies. I recommend THE DAMNED LOVELY to readers of mystery fiction, especially those that enjoy the film noir genre of the 40s and early 50s.

Author Bio:

ADAM FROST was born and raised in Vancouver. He began as an actor, and now works as a television writer and producer, best known for the crime shows Tribal and Castle. He lives on the east side of Los Angeles. He’s also one helluva T-ball coach.

Catch Up With Adam Frost:
www.AdamFrostWrites.com
Instagram - @thedamnedlovely
Twitter - @Afrostbite23
Facebook - @adam.frost.9655

 

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

 

 

GIVEAWAY:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Adam Frost. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

 

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The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti

The Epic Story of Every Living Thing by Deb Caletti
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A thoroughly satisfying, modern coming-of-age tale, full of the discovery of self and wonder of the real world around us.

Harper Proulx is a social media star with a secret. She's popular, pretty, smart, and has the hottest boyfriend, Ezra, to take her places and document her every move. Her thousands of followers "Like" or comment on her posts as she curates her carefully staged pics to reveal only what is in sync with her brand. But her dedication to engaging with her audience and creating an image compensates for what she secretly wants: to know who she really is. She wants to know who her father is.

Harper's mother, Melissa, the daughter of a renowned economist and herself a respected professor of economy at the local university, conceived Harper via artificial insemination: had chosen the anonymous sperm donor from a catalog of desirable traits, such as the combination of vibrant auburn hair and vivid blue eyes. However, her mother could give her no information other than his medical history: not his name or address or likes or dislikes; their state did not allow for this disclosure, she said. But one day, a follower posted on one of Harper's pictures that Harper looked just like someone else she knew, Simone, another online influencer with an intimidatingly massive social media following. With only a tiny bit of research, Harper agreed. Looking at Simone was like looking at herself in a mirror: eerily familiar. Could she be an older half-sister? Later, there was a similar post. There were more out there like her!

What an amazing and satisfying coming of age and facing your fears story! The plot follows the main character, Harper Proulx, as she determinedly creates and maintains a "nature girl in symmetry with her environment" persona. It's an elaborate masquerade, though, as Harper is terrified of everything, thanks to her overwhelming exposure to "the sky is falling" content on social media. The stress of maintaining her brand and FOMO is compounded by her helicopter mom's relentless push for safety and academic perfection.

This never-ending cycle of "keeping up" doesn't allow Harper to share her real insecurities, her inner self, or her secret need to find out about her father or her discovery that she's got half-siblings with her faithful boyfriend, Ezra. This unknown conflicts with her perception of her perfect persona. I loved that her need to know trumps her need for safety and leads to adventure and a quirky "found" family. I loved all of the siblings' reawakening to the wonders of life, and the setting in Maui is irresistible, full of mystery and beauty.

Told from Harper's point of view, readers are privy to her thoughts and motivations. I was subtly absorbed into her preoccupation with her social media presence; honestly, it felt normal; she was so effortlessly good at it. In fact, I initially felt Ezra was being overly sensitive. It didn't feel so all-encompassing until it was missing. I had been sucked into Harper's life that completely. But the story changes focus to the real people around Harper, and so does she. It is mind-boggling how easily one can shut out what's right before your eyes and become distracted and absorbed by the allure and massive volume of a "created" online world.

I truly enjoyed the main characters: Harper, Ezra, Dario, Wyatt, Simone, and their new "found" family, including Beau and Greer. I loved that more siblings were occasionally revealed as the story went on. I think it must be a universal desire or need to discover such connections with the many anonymous others out there, hence, the popularity of genetic matching services. And frankly, I could relate to Melissa Proulx, her fears and desires for her child. I can't believe she wouldn't hop on a plane to Maui during all this, though.

Author Deb Caletti has crafted a thoroughly modern tale of discovery: discovering self, identity, and wonder. She captures perfectly that blasé feeling, that sense of inurement to what's going on in the world because of the constant bombardment of news, information overload, and the overwhelming number of calls to action. Her reigniting of wonder felt so pure and simple and joyful.

I recommend THE EPIC STORY OF EVERY LIVING THING to readers of young adult fiction, especially those who enjoy the phenomenon of online life and influencers, the idea of the hunt for DNA relatives, scuba diving, and the around-the-world travels of clipper ships during the mid-1800s.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author or publisher through NetGalley and TBR and Beyond Book Tours.

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