Writing from the Inside Out. . . Announcing the WINNER of EMPTY PLACES

Dear Readers,

Thanks so much for stopping by to celebrate the Book Birthday for Kathy Cannon Wiechman and her new book, EMPTY PLACES! I'm thrilled to announce that I won a copy of EMPTY PLACES from Carol Balwdin's Blog: www.carolbaldwinblog.blogspot.com  Carol features author interviews, book reviews, and holds giveaways, so it's a great blog for readers and writers to follow. Thanks, Kathy Cannon Wiechman, for sharing insights into the craft of writing historical fiction and for your wonderful books!

AND NOW. . . The Book Birthday WINNER, chosen by random.org, is: Marileta Robinson

         CONGRATULATIONS, MARILETA!!!! 
(Please send your mailing address, your choice of either EMPTY PLACES or LIKE A RIVER--read below for reviews of the two books)


Gr 4-8-This is another fine work of historical fiction by the author of Like a River: A Civil War Novel (Calkins Creek, 2015). Set in Kentucky during the Great Depression, this book is written from the viewpoint of 13-year-old Adabel. With their mother gone, Adabel and her siblings must deal with an alcoholic father who works in the coal mines. She struggles to remember her younger days with her mother and yearns to fill in the empty places in her memory. In this emotional read, Adabel searches to uncover her past and what happened to her mother, discovering some deep secrets along the way. Adabel worries about her brother Pick, who leaves the family after a physical altercation with their father. Adabel also has concerns about her older sister Raynelle's plans to marry. Dramatic moments, such as when Adabel's younger sister Blissie reaches into a fire to retrieve a treasured doll, will have readers on the edge of their seats. Written in dialect appropriate to the time period and geographical region, the story is told through short chapters with believable dialogue and unforgettable characters. Closing sections with author notes accompanied by historical photos and a bibliography provide interesting background information. VERDICT Wiechman offers a moving look at life during the Depression, family relationships, and coal mining. School Library Journal March 2016


LIKE A RIVER: A Civil War Novel
Author: Kathy Cannon Wiechman
Publisher:Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills
Kirkus *Starred* Review: The stories of three teens intersect in the later years of the Civil War in this debut novel. Fifteen-year-old Leander Jordan runs off to war from Ohio to prove he's a man. "Working in the foundry wasn't something to admire, not like being a soldier in uniform, a soldier who'd risk his life facing enemy guns. Pa had to see he was doing a manly thing." But he lands in a Southern hospital, where he befriends Paul Settles, another young Union soldier, who tends to his wounds. When they're separated, Paul ends up in hellish Andersonville Prison, where smallpox, scurvy and hunger plague the prisoners. There, Paul's friendship with Given McGlade, a fellow prisoner and Leander's neighbor from back home, helps keep them both alive. Though the prose is a bit florid early on, the stories are effectively related in twinned third-person narrative, and Wiechman's abundant research is unobtrusively folded into the tale. An excellent author's note provides further information about the times. Though the horrors of Andersonville and various Civil War-era events such as the Battle of Atlanta, Lincoln's assassination and the explosion of the steamboat Sultana provide wartime context, it's the secrets woven into the well-paced tale that will pull readers eagerly to the tearful conclusion. A superb Civil War tale of friendship, loyalty and what it means to be a man. (bibliography) (Historical fiction. 9-14)

Thank you, Kathy Cannon Wiechman, for sharing your writing wisdom with all of us. 

Author Kathy Cannon Wiechman

Learn more about Kathy and her books by visiting her website: http://kathycannonwiechman.com

Next up is a picture book author with a real tasty treat you're sure to love! Thanks again, dear readers, for joining the celebration of books!!!