Thanks to the folks at The Broke And The Bookishwho weekly host Top 10 Tuesday. This week we are finding out which books are winners in 2016. To see what other bloggers consider the best of the best, click HERE.
Ten, really? Only ten best books of 2016? This has been a banner year for good books. I’m not sure if I am being more selective or if we are in the golden age of Christian Fiction, but I have read so many wonderful books this year. While these books are from varying genres — history, romance, mystery, literary and women’s fiction, they share a common characteristic — great writing! So here are 13, a Baker’s Dozen, of novels I have savored.
Thanks to the folks over at The Broke And The Bookishfor hosting Top 10 Tuesdayevery week. There are lots of book bloggers that participate, so make sure to click HERE to find out what they are up to.
This week’s theme is 10 of My Most Recent 5-Star Reads. I have been inundated with reading blessings this year and have enjoyed lots and lots of great books. The following are the last 5-star books I have read. Make sure to check out the reviews I have linked.
I am pleased to feature Angela Correll today. Angela writes contemporary women’s fiction with a faith thread. I loved her book Guarded and look forward to much more from this talented author.
By The Book: Many authors say that they have always been a writer — making up stories as a child. When did you first become a writer?
Angela Correll: Like so many others, the imagination and signs that I might be a writer were there during childhood, but it took a long time for me to figure it out. I didn’t really become a writer until my mid-thirties when I began writing for a local newspaper.
BTB: Was there a special someone, such as a teacher, parent, or other relative, who encouraged you to pursue writing.
Angela:No one encouraged me to write, I wish they had, but there was a teacher who opened up the world of Kentucky fiction to me through an author called Janice Holt Giles. Mrs. Shelburne took my sophomore class to Shaker Village after she had us read The Believers. It gave such a sense of place to the book, which inspired me to not only read Kentucky fiction, and to eventually give a strong sense of place to my writing.
BTB: Your books can be categorized as inspirational fiction. Do you have a particular motivation to write books that contain faith threads?
Angela: I never made a conscious decision to write “inspirational fiction”. Rather, I simply write about what I know, people I know, and what daily life is like in my neck of the woods. I suppose the thing that makes it inspirational is the hope and redemptive value, but that is my core belief, so I can’t imagine writing anything without that ultimate hope.
BTB: What does a typical writing day look like? Are you structured or informal in your writing schedule?
Angela: There are chunks of time when I am not writing. When I am working on a book, I clear my schedule and carve out mornings for writing. Usually I begin at 5 or 6 in the morning and go until 11 or noon. The rest of the day I do other things, which allows the word soup to simmer. I have to be in the manuscript every day or else I lose momentum. After the first draft, I push back and let it sit for a bit before going back later for revisions.
BTB: Did you do any special research for Grounded and Guarded?
Angela: Yes, I do lots of research and I love that part of it. For the first book, I was living the experiment since I had just moved to the farm after living in the city. I talked to lots of folks in the airline industry, which gave me a sense of Annie’s lifestyle. And, I traveled frequently in my job before settling down to marry. For Guarded, I went to Italy twice with my husband and we traced the World War II campaign trail, spending time at important stops along the way. I always overdo the research, but I think it gives the books a stronger sense of place when I do my homework.
BTB: What do you want your readers to take away with them after finishing one of your novels?
Angela: I want my readers to have a sense of family and friendship when they read. I want them to miss the characters when they turn the last page. I also want there to be some educational value to the books as well. Finally, I want them to be inspired in some way, whether it’s taking a pie to a neighbor or seeing the value in historic preservation.
BTB: Readers are always curious as to what a writer is working on or just what is next to be published. Can you give us a glimpse of current works in progress?
Angela: I always envisioned a trilogy with this story, so there will be one more book called Granted. Granted will explore the broken relationship Annie has with her father, as he enters the picture with his narcissistic personality, and tries to make up for all he missed.
BTB: What would you like to share about your personal life?
Angela: I am an animal lover and have a special place in my heart for goats. Other info: I love to engage with readers, attend book clubs, etc. I travel to some crazy places, so don’t hesitate to ask!
Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Angela!
Angela Correll lives on a farm in Central Kentucky with her husband and an assortment of grass-fed cattle, horses, goats and chickens. Correll owns a retail shop and is co-owner of a farm-to-table restaurant. Her debut novel, Grounded, was an Amazon bestseller.
Former New York City flight attendant Annie Taylor is adjusting to farm life when her grandmother threatens to tear down the old stone house, unable to finance a restoration after the summer fire. Annie’s boyfriend Jake has severed his corporate life in Cincinnati and is jumping headlong into sustainable farming on the land next door. Their new relationship is wonderful — but can it last? As they take steps forward, a paralyzing fear of abandonment threatens to destroy her trust in Jake. As Annie works to save the old stone house she finds letters written during World War II that reveal a family mystery and an Italian connection. Her grandmother is hesitant to uncover the secret, afraid of what it might mean to her family’s name if the truth is laid bare. Comments from a nosy neighbor solidify Annie’s fears about herself and when Beulah agrees for Annie to travel to Italy to search out the family mystery, Annie is happy for the time away to sort out all her feelings. In the meantime, Beulah is left with an unexpected Italian-Catholic houseguest who wreaks havoc with Beulah’s Baptist ways and country routine. As the family mystery in Italy unfolds, Annie is forced to face her own past. She is ultimately faced with a choice: will she let history sabotage the future?
Angela Correll lives on a farm in Central Kentucky with her husband and an assortment of grass-fed cattle, horses, goats and chickens. Correll owns a retail shop and is co-owner of a farm-to-table restaurant. Her debut novel, Grounded, was an Amazon bestseller.
What a delight to find another author to put on the favorites list! I immediately fell into Angela Correll’s second novel, Guarded. The charming rural Kentucky setting matched with appealing characters and a story that piqued and kept my interest all added up to a very pleasurable reading experience. This novel, definitely women’s fiction, is book 2 in a series and continues the story begun in Grounded. I have not read book 1, but never felt behind or confused — the author does a good job of naturally recapping the story. But I do want to go back and read Grounded. Correll is too good an author to miss out on her books!
Annie Taylor is back at home on the farm after ten years working as a flight attendant. Living with her grandmother, Beulah, is starting to grow on her, and Jake, the boy next door, has grown up and is definitely her soulmate. However, Annie is left feeling not quite settled and scared that she may take after her roving father in too many ways. As Annie strives to save her childhood home from the ravages of a fire, she discovers family history buried for too long. Letters from both the 1700s and the 1940s shed light on family treasures and secrets.
Do family traits carry on throughout the generations? Guarded explores the influence, for bad and good, of heritage and legacies. I loved how one secondary, yet critical, character challenges Annie to look at what God can do to change what others say is set in stone. Correll’s characters are very well-developed; I felt they could have been my own neighbors! The sense of place was strong as well. Can I please go to Kentucky (not to mention Italy!). Faith is naturally woven through the story and the characters lives. While the novel is contemporary drama at its best, Correll does have a deft hand with humor as well. You are going to love the scenes between Beulah and her houseguest, Rossella!
Guarded is a great book, and I am looking forward to more from Angela Correll.
Highly recommended.
Audience: adults.
To purchase this book, click HERE.
(Thanks to the author for a review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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