Escape the Summer Heat with my Annual Reading List

Escapism at its best: Get Lost in a good book.

Here we are again, facing a hot Ouachita Area summer. Unless you’re new here, you know that the southwest quadrant of our favorite state is not famous for pleasant weather during July and August. In fact, the main pastime of most everyone is finding a way to stay out of the heat, or just to completely forget about it for a while.

As an author of fiction, I am here to assist with the second option.

Step one: Go to the coolest spot you can find.

Step two: Dive into a riveting story.

Step Three: Obtain a calendar to mark off each day until our glorious autumn weather arrives.

After several of these summer reading lists, this writer has developed a few traditions. First, I love to spotlight Arkansas authors. These three write books that appeal to many different audiences. All are available in electronic and paperback versions.

Tonya Ashley is a wife, mother and substitute teacher from Eastern Saline County. Her first novel. “Of Faith and Dreams” takes you back in time to historic Van Buren, Arkansas. In the 1840s, this river town was a hub of activity for travelers, entrepreneurs, and even outlaws on the edge of the Wild West. You will love this story of a young man trying to make an honest living selling quality horses. He encounters all kinds of people in Van Buren, including one female with no proper last name, and a life story that is sketchy at best. Come along for the ride as these two work together to uncover secrets from the past that are holding both of them back.

Ellen B. Withers, from Conway, has recently released her second book. “Show Me Deceit” joins the first novel, “Show Me Betrayal” featuring two mysteries in each book. Both books showcase Ms. Withers’ hometown of Mexico, Missouri, and feature crimes to be solved from the past as well as present day. Ellen is a retired insurance investigator, so she has a knack for getting to the bottom of things. Readers will be drawn into the story and identify with characters from two different time periods. Not your mother’s mystery book!

Set in the fictional town of Silver Bell, Arkansas, Amy Matayo’s books center around the type of fascinating characters that smalltown readers will recognize. We all have those folks in town who are out of the norm, at the center of folklore built around rumors and suspicions. Amy’s most recent book, “They Say He Flies at Night” uncovers the interesting life story of a reclusive man that is both feared and pitied in Silver Bell. Along with a previous story, “They Call Her Dirty Sally”, Ms. Matayo’s stories stand alone as fascinating and convicting examinations of the opinions we form about others in our community. She is a resident of Northwest Arkansas.

Another tradition of this annual reading list is to suggest a book that takes place in the Christmas season. When the weather outside is unbearably hot, I find that immersing myself in wintry things helps me stay cooler.

This year, I recommend two novels by Lisa Schnedler.  Ms. Schnedler’s books have similarities to Ellen Withers.’ Both are set in the author’s hometown. Lisa’s take place in Bentonsport, Iowa. Both also include two time periods in the same book. However, where Ellen uses the “time slip” method to relate stories of characters who lived in the same town in different eras, Lisa writes about actual time travel! Characters start the first book in one time period, and by the end of the story, they have traveled to a totally different century. Suspension of disbelief is an absolute requirement to enjoy “Bentonsport, A Christmas Story” and “Bentonsport, A New Chapter”. Both books transport the reader to the past, when holiday celebrations included none of our current technology, and all of their own brand of charm. I was easily swept up in both of these books, and the story of love that thrives regardless of the year displayed on the calendar. Smothering summer heat? What smothering summer heat?

Finally, another happy purpose of this annual guest column is to introduce you to my own books. Since we last met, a third novel has joined my Crossroads series. Love Never Fails is the story of the youngest members of the Caldwell and Billings family in the fictional town of Crossroads, Arkansas. This time, Kayla Caldwell and Cody Billings have huge barriers to overcome on their way to beginning their adult lives. Both are dealing with grief, and reorganization of their childhood dreams. I hope you will love reading how their faith in God and in each other brings them through life’s toughest challenges.

You can find more about my books on my website, https://jennycarlisle.com or by following me on Facebook at Jenny Carlisle, Author. Purchasing online or paperback versions is possible on Amazon by searching for books by the author’s name.

As always, I am happy to stay in touch with my first loyal readers at Ouachita Life. After enjoying one of the books I have recommended, or any other book you read, please remember to write a review, tell a friend, and go back to look for another written by the same author. We need your help to continue along the pathway God has set before us.

May He continue to bring you more blessings than you can count this summer.