Tuesday's Ebook Spotlight: Sandra Hill continues Cajun love with new ebooks to download

Sandra Hill loves writing about Cajuns, which you can deduce from her book titles. Her romances starring men of Acadian descent have included “The Cajun Doctor,” “Cajun Crazy,” “The Cajun Cowboy,” “The Red-Hot Cajun,” and “Tall, Dark and Cajun.”  Other books set in the Bayou State include “The Love Potion,” first in the Cajun Books series in which “The Cajun Doctor” follows and “Snow on the Bayou: A Tante Lulu Adventure,” among others.

One of her Louisiana-based books originally published as “So Into You” has been rebranded as “Bayou Angel” and right now it’s only 99 cents to download as an ebook. Here’s the book description:

Angel Sabato tries to live up to his name as he seeks to win the love of his life, but it’s hard being good with his past as a bad boy biker, treasure hunter, and Playgirl centerfold. Against the sensual bayou setting of Southern Louisiana as a backdrop, Angel sets out on a plan of sizzling seduction.

EX-NUN ON A MISSION:
This angel is going to have his feathers clipped if Grace O’Brien has her way. The ex-poker-playing nun and folk healer isn’t buying this Jersey boy’s declaration of love. Friendship, yes. Sex, maybe. Love, no way! Besides, she has a secret that precludes any relationships. But how does she resist the reformed rogue?

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN:
With the notorious Tante Lulu, the bayou busybody, calling the shots, Angel and Grace don’t stand a chance. They soon find themselves in the midst of a plot to rescue a group of hurricane orphans while a mysterious person from Grace’s past shows up. Will Angel and Grace be able to weather the storm? 

Coming out June 26 is "Cajun Persuasion," part of the Cajun Books series Here's the book description:

Alaskan pilot Aaron LeDeux came to Louisiana with his brother to discover his Cajun roots. But any hopes he had of returning home are extinguished when he agrees to help a crew of street monks and nuns rescue sex-trafficked girls. For the work has become his new calling. Plus, he’s in love with a gorgeous almost-nun named Fleur . . .

With her harrowing past, Fleur Gaudet only feels safe at the nunnery. But when she’s ordered out into the real world to decide where she truly belongs, Fleur goes to live with the notorious Tante Lulu, matriarch of the LeDeux clan. Suddenly, she’s leading a regular life, thinking irregular thoughts about Aaron. With his whiskey-colored eyes and fierce bravery, Aaron is like her own personal Cajun cowboy, re-introducing her to . . . everything.

As the dangerous missions bring them closer, Fleur must decide if her heart is truly on the path she’s been following, or if she’ll have a new future with the man of her heart.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

New summer releases and book events this week

“Southern Splendor: Saving Architectural Treasures of the Old South” (University Press of Mississippi) by historians Marc R. Matrana, Robin S. Lattimore and Michael W. Kitchens explore almost 50 houses built before the Civil War that have been authentically restored or preserved.

“The Caddos and Their Ancestors: Archaeology and the Native People of Northwest Louisiana” (LSU Press) is written by Jeffrey S. Girard, who served as the regional archaeologist for the Louisiana Division of Archaeology and retired from the faculty of Northwestern State University after 26 years. He was Louisiana Archaeologist of the Year in 2015. The book provides a history of the tribe and the 14,000 years they lived in Louisiana.

“In The Desegregation of Public Libraries in the Jim Crow South,” (LSU Press) Wayne A. and Shirley A. Wiegand tell the comprehensive story of the integration of southern public libraries. And Walter C. Stern examines two centuries of Jim Crow New Orleans in “Race and Education in New Orleans: Creating the Segregated City, 1765-1960” (LSU Press).

“Growing with Eli: Our Journey into Life and Light” (Acadian House Publishing) by Chad Judice, nationally known motivational speaker and award-winning author, is the third in a set of books that tell the story of a Lafayette couple and their child, Eli, who was born with a birth defect called spina bifida. 

The Fifth Annual Walker Percy Weekend will be June 1-3 in St. Francisville and to glean insight into the award-winning author’s novels, try Jessica Hooten Wilson’s “Reading Walker Percy’s Novels” (LSU Press). The book serves as a companion guide for the reader who enjoys Percy’s novels but may need help in clarifying his philosophies.

From award-winning author and Southernraconteurr Rick Bragg comes his latest self-described memoir, “The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma’s Table.”

Deanna Chase’s “Spirits, Diamonds, and a Drive-thru Daiquiri Stand” (Bayou Moon Press), a Pyper Rayne Book 4, is now available as an audiobook.     

Book events May 27-June 2

The Fifth Annual Walker Percy Weekend will be June 1-3 in St. Francisville. For more information, visit www.walkerpercyweekend.org.

Juleps in June, a night of literature, food and cocktails, will feature Elizabeth M. Williams, author of “New Orleans: A Food Biography,” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, June 1, at 1413 Philip St., New Orleans. The book is the 2018 selection of One Book One New Orleans, a not-for-profit literary organization that promotes reading. For more information, visit onebookonenola.org.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Gaines award submissions now being accepted

Ladee Hubbard

Entries are being accepted through Aug. 15 for the 12th annual Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, with the winner chosen by a panel of professional writers and academics. Sponsored by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, the Gaines Award was created to honor outstanding literary work from rising African-American authors while recognizing Louisiana native Ernest Gaines’ extraordinary contribution to the literary world. The Gaines Award honors outstanding fiction – novels or short-story collections – published in 2018. Galleys for 2018 publications are also accepted. Information on criteria and entrance forms for the award, which includes a $10,000 cash prize, is available at www.ernestjgainesaward.org. The Ernest Gaines Award event will be held Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 at the Manship Theatre in downtown Baton Rouge.

Today’s Faulkner Society Event
The Faulkner Society, Louisiana State Museum and the Faulkner House Books will host an afternoon with authors Ladee Hubbard and Zachary Lazar at 2 p.m. today, May 20, at the Presbytere in Jackson Square of New Orleans. Hubbard, who recently won the Ernest Gaines Prize and the Faulkner Society’s Gold Medal for Best Short Story, is the author of “The Talented Ribkins.” Lazar is the author of the new novel, “Vengeance.” The event is free and open to the public and includes complimentary refreshments. Books will be available for purchase. Advance RSVPs are required to receive passes for free admittance to the museum; email faulkhouse@aol.com or call (504) 524-2940.

Book events the week of May 20-31

Emilie “Lee” Leumas, director of Archives and Records for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, will discuss the history of the Ursulines at 7 p.m. Monday, May 21, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

Alexander Books, an independent bookseller in Lafayette, will debut Stories Matter, a live reading series with writers, beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 22. They are hoping to make this a monthly event where authors read and share excerpts of their work. Tuesday’s free event will feature author Patrick Holian, Leigh Camacho Rourks and Zack Godshall.

Walter C. Stern will discuss and launch his new book “Race and Education in New Orleans: Creating the Segregated City, 1764-1960” at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 24, at Octavia Books of New Orleans.

Royd Anderson, a local documentarian who focuses on Louisiana history, will screen The Continental Grain Elevator Explosion at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie. The screening occurs as part of the regularly scheduled meeting of the Jefferson Parish Historical Society. The 30-minute documentary tells the story of the 1977 Westwego Continental Grain elevator explosion, which caused 36 people to lose their lives and remains the deadliest grain dust explosion of the modern era. The cause of the explosion is still unknown, though federal and state investigators at the time thought that the blast was caused by a buildup of grain that had not been moved because of a national dockworkers' strike that year. 

Genaro Ky Ly Smith and Clare Martin

On Friday, May 25, Clare L. Martin and Genaro Kỳ Lý Smith will read from their work and sign books beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Teche Center for the Arts in Breaux Bridge. The event is free, although donations are welcomed, and there will be a no-host bar. 

Martin’s second full-length collection of poetry, "Seek the Holy Dark," is the 2017 selection for The Louisiana Series of Cajun and Creole Poetry from Yellow Flag Press. Her debut collection of poetry, "Eating the Heart First," was published by Press 53. She founded and edits the online poetry magazine, MockingHeart Review. 

Smith is the author of "The Land Baron’s Sun: The Story of Lý Loc and His Seven Wives" (UL Press), which won the Indie Book Awards in 2015. His novel "The Land South of the Clouds," the second in the trilogy and reviewed by this blog, earned second place for multi-cultural fiction for the same award in 2017.  The third book, a collection of short stories and novellas entitled "The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born," will be published this fall.

Debut young adult author Mark Oshiro will discuss his book, “Anger is a Gift,” “in conversation” with author Daniel Jose Older at 6 p.m. Friday, May 25, at Octavia Books of New Orleans. Oshiro is the Hugo-nominated writer of the online "Mark Does Stuff" universe (Mark Reads and Mark Watches), where he analyzes books and TV series. He was the nonfiction editor of Queers Destroy Science Fiction!, the co-editor of Speculative Fiction 2015, and is the President of the Con or Bust Board of Directors. When not working Oshiro engages in social activism online and offline. Older is the New York Times bestselling author of "Salsa Nocturna," the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series from Penguin’s Roc Books and the Young Adult series the "Shadowshaper Cypher."

Tamalyn Dallal, author of “40 Days and 1001 Nights,” discusses the book as well as the basics of Middle Eastern dance at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 31, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Review of 'Perennials' by Julie Cantrell

I’ve been intrigued by this book set in Oxford, Miss., ever since I wrote about Cantrell’s book being selected by the Francis Ford Coppola Winery for the book pairing of the week back in January. Cantrell grew up in Louisiana and set her third novel, “The Feathered Bone,” in Livingston Parish, her childhood stomping grounds. When I recently visited Oxford and stopped in at one of my favorite bookstores, Square Books, I picked up a signed copy.

Character Eva “Lovey” Sutherland grows up in a loving Oxford family and is enamored with both her mother’s elaborate garden and her older sister, Bitsy. An incident involving a fire in the family shed changes everything, and Lovey becomes the scapegoat to Bitsy’s constant accusations and blame. Frustrated by her sister’s lies, Lovey leaves home, and behind a young love, and finds success in advertising in Arizona.

Years later, while Lovey is rebounding from a destructive relationship with a man who also lies, her father calls and insists she come home. It’s their 50^th anniversary and he’s not taking no for an answer. He wants Lovey to help him create a memory garden for her mom. Despite work demands, Lovey heads to Mississippi and discovers there’s more to resolve in Oxford than she ever imagined.

“Perrenials” deals with the heartache and joy we sometimes leave behind when we escape our childhood homes. It examines those difficult familial relationships that sometimes seem impossible to repair. Bitsy’s a piece of work, but there’s a story there as well, one that comes out slowly.

I enjoyed the tale of returning home, the parents desire to revisit the places and retrieve plants that they would incorporate into the memory garden. Wanting to know why Bitsy lied like she did and why she believed that Lovey was the cause of her problems became frustrating, however. I couldn’t help but wonder why the parents didn’t see through her lies or if she was mentally unstable; I kept waiting for some reason why she acted in such extreme ways. At one point, for instance, Bitsy cuts Lovey off from her children, but we’re never told why.

Overall, the book’s a lovely story about the draw the South has for many of us. I know I’m one who left several times and always returned home.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Tubby and Coo's offers summer writing workshop

Tubby and Coo’s MidCity Bookstore is now accepting applications for its new summer intensive writing workshop. The 10-week workshop focuses on the intersection of social justice and writing science fiction and fantasy. 

Want a taste of what’s involved? Here’s the workshop schedule:

Tuesday, May 29: The Ethics of Storytelling

Tuesday, June 5: Writing the Other
Tuesday, June 12: Worldbuilding Without Harm, Part 1
Tuesday, June 19: Worldbuilding Without Harm, Part 2
Tuesday, June 26: Character Building Without Harm, Part 1
Tuesday, July 3: Character Building Without Harm, Part 2
Tuesday, July 10: The Ecosystem of Story
Tuesday, July 17: The Elements of Story
Tuesday, July 24: Translating Movie, TV, and Gaming Storytelling Techniques into                                      Fiction Writing
Monday, July 30: Revising With a New Mindset

For more information, visit http://tubbyandcoos.com/workshops/.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Tuesday Ebook Spotlight: Anne Rice's 'Sleeping Beauty'

"The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy" by Anne Rice (writing as A.N. Roquelaure) is currently on sale as an ebook for only $1.99. 

The 1983 book begins the first installment of a series that is now considered a forerunner of erotic literature. This collection contains "The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty," "Beauty’s Punishment" and "Beauty’s Release."

Here's the book's description:

"A spell has been cast upon a lovely young princess who sleeps, waiting for someone to save her. The Prince awakens Beauty, not with a kiss, but with sexual initiation. His reward for ending the hundred years of enchantment is Beauty’s complete and total enslavement to him..."

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Letters About Literature contest winners announced

The Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana announced the 2018 Louisiana winners of the annual Letters About Literature contest. This year, 562 fourth through 12th grade Louisiana students wrote personal letters to authors, living or dead, to thank them and to explain how their work changed the students’ way of thinking about the world or themselves. The winners of the competition were inspired by everything from fiction to nonfiction, classic to contemporary, fantasy to historical, work in translation to books in a series.

Students receive $100 for first place, $75 for second place, and $50 for third place, and they will be recognized at the Louisiana Book Festival on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Baton Rouge, with the first place winners reading their letters there. Louisiana’s first place winners’ entries have been submitted to the Library of Congress for the national competition. To read the winners’ letters and see the names of all the state finalists and their teachers and schools, visit www.state.lib.la.us.

Level I (grades 4 – 6)

1st Place: Kadra J. Bates, Copper Mill Elementary, Zachary

2nd Place: Evelyn Deroche, Copper Mill Elementary, Zachary

3rd Place: Alexis Williams, Copper Mill Elementary, Zachary 

Honorable Mention:  Joey Roth, Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge

Level II (grades 7 – 8)

1st Place: Jenee Brown, Northwestern Middle School, Zachary

2nd Place: Eleanor Guichet, Lusher Charter School, New Orleans

3rd Place: Acadia McCoy, Lusher Charter School, New Orleans

Honorable Mention:  Rocco Salamone, Lusher Charter School, New Orleans

Level III (grades 9 – 12)

1st Place: Khoa Pham, Individual Submission, Breaux Bridge

2nd Place: Isabella Mariano, Cedar Creek School, Ruston

3rd Place: Sarah Katherine McCallum, Cedar Creek School, Ruston         

Letters About Literature is made possible by a grant from the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, which promotes and administers the contest through its affiliate state centers for the book, state libraries, and other organizations.

In Louisiana, the contest is made possible by the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana with additional assistance from the Louisiana Writing Project and the Louisiana Library and Book Festival Foundation. Funding for prizes is provided by the Library of Congress grant.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.