Keowee Valley Reviewed by Ginger Simpson

Keowee Valley by Katherine Scott Crawford:

The year is 1768 and twenty-five-year-old Quincy McFadden has visions.  When she receives one revealing that her cousin is alive and held captive by Shawnee Indians, Quinn gives up her uneventful life with her grandfather and sets off with a vision far beyond saving her relative.

Deep in the rough and rugged South Caroline Blue Ridge mountains, Quincy meets and bestows her trust and heart to a half-blood tracker, Jack Wolf. Together with his Indian brother, the two men achieve milestones a woman never could, and with visions of the upheaval between the King of England and those who wish to overthrow him, Quinn's life as head of her own little township becomes even more tense and exciting as she must learn to trust the man she loves...a man who could harbor hatred for the life she hopes to continue to build in a land that holds such beauty.

As a debut novel, I was quite enthralled with this story.  Although for me, it did bog down a bit at the beginning, the lull didn't dim my desire to know the outcome of the storyline.  I was particularly drawn in by the descriptive abilities and beautiful scenes portrayed by Ms. Crawford.  If this is her first offering, I can only imagine how wonderful her novels yet to come will be.

I highly recommend this book based on so many facets, including the historical accuracy and the fact that I was captured by each and everyone of her characters.  If I had to pick what she excels in, I would say descriptive phrasing that puts the reader immediately in the scene.  She's wonderful at showing and not telling.

This review was meant to appear on Historical Novel Reviews site, but due to eye issues which kept me from posting timely reviews, I am no longer a member of that group.  I humbly offer my apologies to the author, and present her with my "I Dug It" Award, which I only present to authors whose books I truly have or will enjoy during this year.

Bountiful Creek Reviewed by Ginger Simpson

Bountiful Creek by Steven B. Weissman

It seems these days, one has to be an author to understand that not all fictional novels have happy endings.  Even though we base our stories on lines we plot or our characters encourage, we often pattern them after real-life events and the endings play out as would the life of the heroes and heroines. 

I read with great interest the reviews on Amazon, and it seems I was one of few who reviewed this book and understood and enjoyed the up and down life of Martha Somerville.  When an author writes an historical novel, historical facts are the focus of reality, and everything else revolves around them.  In this book, although I usually don't enjoy first person, I truly felt the author's passion about his story and the characters who played the main and secondary roles.  

If I had one suggestion to pass along, it would be to SHOW the story more to the reader rather than telling it.  There was little dialogue in the very beginning, but the story blossomed and made connection with the characters easier toward the end.

Pre-Civil War, Martha desperately wants to marry free-spirited Wilby and settle down, but he has no money and the prospects of his continuing to earn more by selling furs with a war looming are doubtful.  Martha accompanies her cousin to Ohio, with plans to urge money from her wealthy aunt, but instead all she finds is hostility from the old bat, who it turns out is an unhappy woman who is punishing the world for her misfortunes in life.  Martha sets her straight then has to find a way home before the path is cut off by soldiers.  Sadly, her cousin dies on the way back, but her demise wasn't a total surprise, and was well handled, in my opinion.

I was moved to tears by the ending...not because it didn't come with the tidy little bow everyone seems to expect these days, but because I honestly sensed the sadness and loss between two who loved one another, but it didn't work out.  I also had a few giggles when Martha told her aunt off, but as most other reviewers on Amazon have pointed out...this story is real, touching, and entertaining.  Writing in a telling more than showing style are signs of a new novelist, but I gladly raise my hand to read more by this author, and I've already sent him my "I Dug It" award for his creative ability to spin an interesting tale, and keep me turning pages till the end...especially when I usually read with an editorial eye and the exciting turn of events in each chapter kept me on edge.  Not the best written novel I've ever read, but certainly one I'll tell my friends about and urge them to read.

Diane Scott Lewis visits today at Dishin' It Out

I want to thank Ginger for always being a friend and mentor. Many years ago when I was new to the writing game I began an epic novel. This novel grew huge, but I had no idea that there were such trivial matters as word count restrictions. I soon learned that many agents and editors won’t touch a new writer with a large novel. Diana Gabaldon of course was able to transcend that restriction. We are all very jealous of her success.

 My novel, an historical adventure with romantic elements set in England during the French Revolution, grew to almost 200,000 words. I finally agreed that I had to cut back my story. But even with cuts, it was still unwieldy, so I broke it into two novels. The first and larger section, set in England, became The False Light, published two years ago by Eternal Press to excellent reviews. The Historical Novel Society called it “Simply brilliant.”

The second portion, which takes place in sultry New Orleans then in war-torn France, became Without Refuge, and was released in March of this year. The difficult task was to put enough info (backstory) into this second novel to make it understandable to readers who might not have read the first book, though I hope they go back and read The False Light.

Here’s a blurb for Without Refuge:

~In 1796, ruined countess Bettina Jonquiere leaves England after the reported drowning of her lover, Everett. In New Orleans she establishes a new life until a ruthless Frenchman demands the money stolen by her father at the beginning of the French Revolution. She is forced on a dangerous mission to France where she unravels dark family secrets, but will she find the man she lost as well?~

Please leave a comment to win a PDF of Without Refuge.

Visit my website: http://www.dianescottlewis.org

Note from Ginger:  I've read both of Diane's novels and they are well-written and captivating.  I never expected to find English and French history so entertaining, but this author's blend of descriptions, details, and characters who are real and believable drew me in and held me captive until the last pages.  Of course, then I wanted more despite her admirable ability to create a manuscript of over 200,000 words and make it into two novels that still needed paring down to meet publishing standards.  Go figure!  IMHO, Diana Gabaldon has nothing on Diane Scott Lewis.

 I urge you to put her on your TBR list.