The Writers Porch: August 2012

In preparation for our trip to Alaska I researched and ordered some books to read that would get me in the mood.

One of the small towns I would have loved to visit was Haines, population about 1,800. However our ship only passed it by between Juneau and Skagway. This is a wonderful read about a newly married couple who went to Alaska for their honeymoon and stayed. It is the true story of Heather and Chip Lende's life in small town Alaska. I promise you will want to move to Haines after reading this one! Heather is a fantastic story teller!

Another great one was this historical true account of a Kindergarten teacher, 29 year old Laura Berton, who goes to Alaska in 1907 to teach school and stays 25 years.

Before we go any further I want to talk about "book popularity" these days. It seems readers, especially women, have gone crazy over the 50 Shades of Gray Series. I have not nor do I intend to read these books. Since these books "promote" both erotic sex and domestic violence, I think it is scary that they are so popular. Also it seems authors now days think that in order to sell books, they must use foul language and sex to do so. I don't agree! Think " To Kill A Mockingbird" or "Gone With The Wind" or Google Best Selling Books of All Time! I can look past some language and some sex but I keep a donation box to put the ones that turn me off in. Here lately I find that Christian Fiction and Historical Fiction bring me the most reading pleasure! This "Diamond of The Rockies" series by Kristien Heitzmann was wonderful! Set in the Colorado Gold Rush Days it tells the story of Carina DiGratia's move from Sonoma,California to Crystal Colorado a tent city of miners where a woman by herself is anything but safe. It is Christian Fiction.

Another CF Author whom I've discovered and love is Colleen Coble.
I ordered "Alaska Twilight"
and loved it so much...........

I got "Wyoming". It is 4 short novels in one set in the "wild west" territory days of Indians and Army forts that I hated to see end.

I also ordered her "Rock Harbor" series of 4 books and look forward to reading them. I just finished "Without A Trace" and it's wonderful! One to the next!