CLP Blog Tours: Excerpt from A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn Harris

I am sharing an excerpt today from A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn Harris for CLP Blog Tours!

Wednesday was Bingo Night at the lodge, one of the Order of the Moose’s best fund-raising activities. Ruby D. and Sera headed for the game room, making their way through the darkened entrance, past the large oak bar and through a maze of heavy round wood tables and a line of pool tables lit by swinging beer lamps.

They followed the growing crowd noise, as a good third of the town of Lakeville was already there. The room was lined with six-foot tables and metal folding chairs, all having seen their better day. A thick halo of smoke was forming a cloud over the room, settling just beyond the overwhelming aroma of popcorn, nachos and processed cheese.

Ruby D. spotted her mother and the kids up front, and Little Ricky ran up to Sera when he saw them. He jumped into her arms and she tried to swing him around like she used to.

Ruby’s girls smiled shyly as Sera walked up to the table. Sera knew the look already, the new demeanors. Ruby D. must’ve spoken to them.

Across from Sera, about five tables over and sitting by himself, was Louie Mikesh, with his black vinyl pocket protector hanging out of his white shirt. He was busy organizing his bingo cards around him. Sera waited for him to look up, but he was too engrossed in preparations. Next to him on either side in the folding chairs were his beautifully groomed dogs. They sat watching, with ears perked. One had his head up watching Louie’s strategy, the other rested his long nose on the table in front of him. Both reminded Sera of those pictures of dogs smoking cigarettes, playing poker or shooting pool together.

“So much for health codes in this town,” Ruby D. said, sneering at Louie’s dogs. “You’d think that crazy man would have more sense than to bring those mutts with him to Bingo Night.”

“He’s not crazy, Ruby D. Just a little different, that’s all.”

“Looks batshit crazy to me.”

“Looks batshit crazy to me, too,” Little Ricky copied his mother.

“So what’s going on with you and Bill?” Ruby D. nudged Sera to get her attention back to their table.

“Nothing. Everything. I don’t know.”

“Try not to take it too personally. I suppose he’s just being Bill, which ain’t exactly an ideal prototype,” Ruby D. said.

“And who made you an expert on this?”

“You. And you thought I wasn’t listening.”

Sera laughed. “Oh well, as King Lear said, ‘Pour on. I will endure.’”

“Oh Lord, now she’s quoting Shakespeare. Somebody get this woman a beer!”

Sera declined the beer for fear she’d lose what little food she’d been able to keep down today. In fact, as she began to feel worse, she was about to grab her keys from her friend, when a meekly shouted “Bingo!” caused a stir across the room.

Louie stood up and waited for one of the bingo “officials” to check off his game sheet. “It’s all correct,” he said. His dogs barked in celebration.

“I’m tellin’ you, that man is fruit loops,” Ruby D. said.

“Fruit loops!” Little Ricky shouted, standing on his chair and hugging his mama’s arm.

On Tour: A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn Harris

Kathy will be on tour April 8-22 with her novel A Good Kind of Knowing

Sera Taylor’s store is the one place in Lakeville, Texas, where individuals from all walks of life share a universal love for music and a respect for the gypsy-like woman behind the antique glass counter. Readers get a taste of the unorthodox connection between Sera and Mack, a young local cowboy and musician, and Sera’s previously untested devotion to her husband Bill. They learn of her relationship with Ruby D., the vibrant but misguided mother of five; with Louie, the shy high school band director; with Beverly, the religious, upper-class socialite; with Antonio, a local bar owner striving to make a life for himself; with Tommy Lee, a rich and directionless gigolo; and with Wes, the only out-of-the closet gay man for miles. As Sera battles a serious illness, the characters must overcome long-held stereotypes to save Sera’s store, and in the end, large parts of themselves.

Please visit CLP Blog Tours for all the tour stops!

Author Bio:

Connect with Kathy!

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads

Buy the Book!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009V3G93O 

Future Tour: A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn Harris

Kathy will be on tour April 8-22 with her women’s fiction novel A Good Kind of Knowing

Sera Taylor’s store is the one place in Lakeville, Texas, where individuals from all walks of life share a universal love for music and a respect for the gypsy-like woman behind the antique glass counter. Readers get a taste of the unorthodox connection between Sera and Mack, a young local cowboy and musician, and Sera’s previously untested devotion to her husband Bill. They learn of her relationship with Ruby D., the vibrant but misguided mother of five; with Louie, the shy high school band director; with Beverly, the religious, upper-class socialite; with Antonio, a local bar owner striving to make a life for himself; with Tommy Lee, a rich and directionless gigolo; and with Wes, the only out-of-the closet gay man for miles. As Sera battles a serious illness, the characters must overcome long-held stereotypes to save Sera’s store, and in the end, large parts of themselves.

Please visit CLP Blog Tours for the full tour schedule!

Blog Tour Sign Up: A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn Harris

Kathy will be on tour in April/May with her women’s fiction novel A Good Kind of Knowing. I am looking for book bloggers to post excerpts for this tour. Please use the sign up form below if you would like to be included. Thank you!

Summary:

Imagine if Maeve Binchy grew up in Texas and wrote an old-school Larry McMurtry novel. Think Hope Floats meets High Fidelity. That’s how critics are describing A Good Kind of Knowing—from the author of the highly acclaimed and Amazon bestseller, Blue Straggler.

A Good Kind of Knowing is a novel about the power of music and friendship, the relationship two-steps that go on in old Texas dancehalls, and the secret to finding just a little bit of common ground in a world full of distrust.

Sera Taylor’s store is the one place in Lakeville, Texas, where individuals from all walks of life share a universal love for music and a respect for the gypsy-like woman behind the antique glass counter. Readers get a taste of the unorthodox connection between Sera and Mack, a young local cowboy and musician, and Sera’s previously untested devotion to her husband Bill. They learn of her relationship with Ruby D., the vibrant but misguided mother of five; with Louie, the shy high school band director; with Beverly, the religious, upper-class socialite; with Antonio, a local bar owner striving to make a life for himself; with Tommy Lee, a rich and directionless gigolo; and with Wes, the only out-of-the closet gay man for miles. As Sera battles a serious illness, the characters must overcome long-held stereotypes to save Sera’s store, and in the end, large parts of themselves.

**Kathy’s tour is now full. Thanks to everyone who signed up!**

Book Review: A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn Harris

I received a copy of A Good Kind of Knowing by Kathy Lynn Harris in exchange for an honest review. Sera Taylor is our main focus, and is a woman who can bring people together. She lives in the small town of Lakeville, Texas and runs a widely popular music store. She’s friends with almost everyone, and the town is hit hard when Sera is diagnosed with cancer. The book weaves Sera’s story and her battle along with the town’s reaction and how they all pitch in to help save her store – and themselves.

This book is really one to pull at heartstrings. I lost my grandmother to breast cancer just a few years ago, and watching someone with an illness is an incredibly hard thing. The book brought me back to the time while reading, and I shed quite a few tears throughout the way. I enjoyed the Texas setting, Sera’s spirit, and the supporting cast who really added a lot to the book overall. At times I felt a bit of a disconnect with the characters, practically Sera and Mack. I’m not sure if I just didn’t get enough of their story to understand their connection or what it was, but something was missing there for me. I adored Ruby D. (and the name!) even though she didn’t always make the best decisions. While Sera’s husband could seem infuriating at times, I got it. I got his way of dealing with his wife’s diagnosis, and overall I thought this novel was extremely well-written. One I recommend – as long as you have some tissues handy!

4 stars

Author Profile: Kathy Lynn Harris

Author Name: Kathy Lynn Harris

Blog: http://www.kathylynnharris.com/blog/

Bio: Kathy grew up in rural South Texas — and comes from people who work hard, love the land and know how to have a good time on a Saturday night. As a writer, Kathy was lucky to have been surrounded by exceptional characters throughout her life, many of whom have lived their lives exactly the way they wanted. The rest of the world could take `em or leave `em! Inspiring, to say the least.

In 2001, Kathy made the move from Texas to the Colorado Rockies to focus on her writing and soak up All Things Mountain. She lives in an authentic log cabin near the southernmost glacier in North America, at 10,500 feet above sea level, with her husband and son, plus two fairly untrainable golden retriever mixes. It is there that she writes.

Title: Blue Straggler

See my 4 star review for Blue Straggler!

Visit Kathy’s CLP Blog Tours page!

Add Blue Straggler to your Goodreads Shelf

Follow Kathy on Twitter

Follow Blue Straggler news on Facebook

Blue Straggler is available on Amazon in eBook and paperback format now!

Interview with Kathy Lynn Harris

When did you know writing was for you?

I know it sounds cliché, but I think I’ve always known. I was writing “books” and poetry and essays before I reached the ripe old age of 10. In school, writing was easy for me, and something I could lose myself in for hours. I remember in an English class in high school, we were asked to write a brief description of a character, as if we were writing a novel about that character. I wrote a two-pager about a homeless man. The teacher came up to me after I turned it in with great concern; she was certain that someone I knew personally was homeless. It was an awesome moment — that feeling of having created something from imagination that was compelling and real.

Where did the idea for Blue Straggler come from?

I originally wrote a short story about a 30-something career girl who was depressed and directionless. I kept coming back to her character, and the characters of her two friends who were trying to help her through it. I loved those characters (who eventually became Bailey, Idamarie and Rudy in the novel)! But I didn’t really have a plot for them. Then I made my own personal move from Texas to Colorado and realized that I could use that experience to fuel the story. I wanted to answer the question, “How would a change of scenery affect Bailey’s restlessness? How would the oddball friend-triangle work if one of them left town?” And Blue Straggler was born.

 What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?

Truly for me, the most difficult thing is finding the time to write. I’m not one of those lucky people who can sit down and generate pages of work right away. It takes time for me to get back into the story and characters after being away from them for even 24 hours. I need a couple of hours of writing time to be productive. So, with all the demands of a full-time job and being a mama and wife and friend and sister and daughter, I have a hard time finding large blocks of time to write. Also, my addiction to my Kindle and HGTV doesn’t help matters.

 What are your favorite genres to read?

I love literary fiction and women’s fiction. I love a good book of poetry. I enjoy smart memoirs. I don’t typically do sci-fi or fantasy. I think I’m too grounded in reality. Maybe I should try to change that!

What do you want readers to take away from your story?

I’d like them to perhaps come away with a greater understanding of what home means to them, and to realize that sometimes it’s easy to get trapped living a life that everyone, including yourself, thought you were supposed to lead. But maybe that life isn’t the one that is going to fuel your soul. More than likely, though, they’ll just come away with a craving for Cool Whip, enchiladas and/or tequila.

How important do you think social media is for authors these days?

I think it’s become hugely important. I know for a fact that I would not have had the success I’ve had so far with Blue Straggler without Facebook. I have great networks of friends out there who have helped spread the word. I probably owe Mark Zuckerberg a beer.

 What would be your advice to aspiring writers?

If writing is really your passion, stick with it. Don’t give up. It took about eight years for me to find a publishing home for Blue Straggler. There’s a lot to be said for tenacity in today’s quick-win world. It’s ironic because I’m certainly not known for having much patience. (Friends, coworkers and family members are snickering right now.) Yet here I am, a poster child for determination. Go figure!

Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris

Bailey Miller isn’t happy with her life Texas, even though she may not fully understand why. She sometimes feels a disconnect from her family (her brother is the Golden Boy, Bailey – not so golden), but she loves her two friends Rudy and Idamarie, and works a well-paying job. But when the well-paying job practically forces Bailey to quit, an old family mystery is sparked, and Bailey tires of her not-so-smart life choices (often involving drinking) she packs up her Honda and heads out of the great state of Texas. Determined to get to Colorado and find out more about her great-grandmother Annie, Bailey doesn’t know what to expect when she gets to the tiny town of Gold Creek.

Once in Gold Creek, sleeping in a barn and driving a tow truck, Bailey realizes it might be harder to find what she is looking for – both with Annie’s mystery and Bailey’s own life. But as she slowly befriends the town and the citizens who live there, Bailey wonders if coming to Colorado wasn’t the best decision she’s ever made. Until she gets the news that Idamarie is in the hospital, and Annie rushes back to Texas. Once there, she gets another bomb dropped on her from Rudy. What decision will Bailey make now?

I really had fun reading and trying to decipher Bailey in Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris. Bailey is clearly dysfunctional, she admits it about once a chapter, but I really connected with her. I think all of us would like the courage to pack up our car and head out on our own every once in a while, and Bailey brings a spirit of adventure to the pages. All the Texas talk and stereotypes was pretty funny, but there was also a seriousness to Bailey and what she was doing with her life. I loved the vintage mystery aspect, and the twist at the end left me a little speechless. Sometimes I felt just a bit of a disconnect with the book, like Bailey was just a tad too off for me, but otherwise, I thought this book was great. Strong dialogue, unique characters, and great little subplots to keep the reader focused. I recommend!

[Rating: 4]

Author Bio:

Blue Straggler is available on Amazon in eBook and paperback format now!

On Tour: Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris

Kathy will be on tour April 16-30 with her novel Blue Straggler

A blue straggler is a star that has an anomalous blue color and appears to be disconnected from those stars that surround it.

Author Bio:

Future Tour: Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris

Kathy will be on tour April 16-30 with her novel Blue Straggler

A blue straggler is a star that has an anomalous blue color and appears to be disconnected from those stars that surround it. But this is not a story about astronomy. Bailey Miller is “disconnected” from the cluster of her rural south Texas family. She has never quite fit in and now in her early 30s, she finds herself struggling with inner turmoil and a series of bad choices in her life. Bailey’s drinking too much (even for a member of her family), has a penchant to eat spoonfuls of Cool Whip, works in a job that bores her beyond description and can’t keep a relationship longer than it takes for milk to expire in her fridge. Even with the help of her two outspoken friends, Texas lass Idamarie and her quirky college pal Rudy, she’s having a hard time. So she packs up her Honda and heads out of Texas in search of herself and answers to secrets from her great-grandmother’s past. The novel takes readers on a journey from San Antonio, Texas, to a small mountain town in Colorado and back again, as Bailey uncovers not only the secrets of her great-grandmother’s life, but also some painful secrets of her own. All while finding love along the way. If you have ever wondered why you got stuck with the family you did, what you are doing with your job and your life, or had a sudden desire to run off to the mountains, sit back and join Bailey for this laugh-out-loud, yet poignant ride.

Please visit CLP Blog Tours for all the tour stops! **Anyone who purchases their copy of Blue Straggler before April 30 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus (dot) com, will get five entries in a drawing to win a $10 Amazon gift card!!**

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