This passage sets the stage for a wild and imaginative ride through a small town called Zephyr, Alabama in the 1960s.

It’s early in the year, but Boys Life will undoubtedly be one of my favorite 2024 reads–I’m surprised I hadn’t come across it before, as it was published in 1991. Robert McCammon weaves mystery, magic, and murder creatively in this 1960s era Americana novel. He also packs his imaginative tale with some fun descriptive language. If you’ve not read any Boys Life, or if you’ve got a teen or young adult who likes a surreal mystery with fun characters, I’d definitely recommend this novel Check it out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

I had to dig up some more quotes from the Nightingale. It was full of great ones. Here Hannah describes an enormous crowd moving gradually and without clear direction . . . but still staying together. A neat description that is also filled with foreboding.

It’s early in the year, but I think The Nightingale will be one of my favorite 2024 reads. Kristin Hannah places some beautiful and descriptive lines within a poignant plot fleshed out with engaging characters. If you’ve not read any Hannah, I’d recommend her work (especially The Nightingale)! Check her out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Dakota Moore is a conflicted teen wrestling with faith and friendship, and each new person she meets brings a new adventure–and some are more dangerous than others.

Immediately behind Sophia, Makayla and Teagan leaned out, one to the left and one to the right, like some three-headed monster from Greek mythology. One head was snarling, and the other two seemed eager or anxious.

Sophia’s adenoidal voice was immediately recognizable. She was the one critiquing Taylor’s wardrobe. She wore long, laser-straight blonde hair. If there was any natural wave to it, she had flat ironed it into submission. Everything about her was tense and in line…Her ice-blue eyes scanned the room. A hawk, a predator, scanning for prey.

Makayla’s form-fitting blue and white flowered woven halter top hugged her torso like a second skin, leaving little to the overactive imagination of teen boys. Without the ponytail holder today, her billowing curls encircled her head like a black frizzy halo.

Teagan’s acid-washed jeans featured a faded white stripe that slowly circled up her legs like a slimy eelpout. A toad-green spaghetti strap top hung loosely from her angular alabaster shoulders…Teagan could be cruel, but the green windows to her soul screamed uncertainty.

Suddenly Rural Girl is now available in our Shop! Then, after you read it, here are a couple things you can do to help independent authors like us! :

1) Tell your friends and family! For this book, think of your friends, parents with teens, and grandparents with teenage granddaughters–it makes a great gift!

2) Write a review & give it a star or five! Whether you bought it at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon, from Kirk House Publishers, or from an independent book store . . . reviews help, big time. You can also search for Suddenly Rural Girl in in GoodReads, and leave a review there.

3) Ask your local library or bookstore to stock it! Mostly libraries have a webpage you can request a new title on. Independent Bookstores often do too, but both are open to customers walking in and asking. They’ll just need to know it’s available on IngramSpark . . . and the ISDN Number is 978-1-959681-33-5.

In this blog, I often share well-written lines and passages from other books I’m reading, too. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Suddenly Rural Girl’s protagonist is a conflicted teen wrestling with faith and friendship after her father dies and her family moves to a new town–and this neighbor boy is both intriguing and repulsive.

Jackson stepped out like a shadow. He was as dirty and di-
sheveled as ever, standing silently with his palms up helplessly, but he displayed neither shock nor fear.

Neither the boy nor his home received much care:

Jackson opened his car door and climbed out. The Redrickson porch was falling off. Old equipment and
brown bottles were strewn through the yard, and the dog Hunter was chained up and barking his head off—just one more unwelcoming thing to greet you. Nothing appears to be cared for—including the teenage boy who called this home.

And it often seemed like it was only going to get worse for him.

I kept the reins taut, and Eyeballs pivoted three hundred and sixty degrees until all three of us circled back around and looked at Jackson’s distorted face again. It was impossible to tell where the blood was coming from, but
his face and forearms were covered in it.

Suddenly Rural Girl is now available in our Shop! Then, after you read it, here are a couple things you can do to help independent authors like us! :

1) Tell your friends and family! For this book, think of your friends, parents with teens, and grandparents with teenage granddaughters–it makes a great gift!

2) Write a review & give it a star or five! Whether you bought it at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon, from Kirk House Publishers, or from an independent book store . . . reviews help, big time. You can also search for Suddenly Rural Girl in in GoodReads, and leave a review there.

3) Ask your local library or bookstore to stock it! Mostly libraries have a webpage you can request a new title on. Independent Bookstores often do too, but both are open to customers walking in and asking. They’ll just need to know it’s available on IngramSpark . . . and the ISDN Number is 978-1-959681-33-5.

In this blog, I often share well-written lines and passages from other books I’m reading, too. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Dakota Moore is a conflicted teen wrestling with faith and friendship, and each new person she meets brings a new adventure–including a cute red-headed classmate.

And he was even more adorable up close. His eyes were a brighter blue than I had imagined, friendly and playful. He smiled and the gap between his front teeth was totally charming.

And they hit local swimming hole together, too.

Liam was walking toward us, dripping wet and breathing easily despite the swim and the climb. His creamy peach
skin glistened, and those bluebird eyes looked directly into my soul. I hope they weren’t reading my mind. It was a hot mess.

Suddenly Rural Girl is now available in our Shop! Then, after you read it, here are a couple things you can do to help independent authors like us! :

1) Tell your friends and family! For this book, think of your friends, parents with teens, and grandparents with teenage granddaughters–it makes a great gift!

2) Write a review & give it a star or five! Whether you bought it at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon, from Kirk House Publishers, or from an independent book store . . . reviews help, big time. You can also search for Suddenly Rural Girl in in GoodReads, and leave a review there.

3) Ask your local library or bookstore to stock it! Mostly libraries have a webpage you can request a new title on. Independent Bookstores often do too, but both are open to customers walking in and asking. They’ll just need to know it’s available on IngramSpark . . . and the ISDN Number is 978-1-959681-33-5.

In this blog, I often share well-written lines and passages from other books I’m reading, too. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Dakota Moore is a conflicted teen wrestling with faith and friendship, and each new person she meets brings a new adventure–including her Advisory teacher.

She was an outgoing and outstanding woman, full-figured and full of bubbly energy with a wardrobe to match. She’s hard to miss, like an enormous used car dealer billboard along the highway…but you’ve never seen a heftier woman move with more grace. Her pink, floral tunic
hung down to mid-thigh and floated behind her. She was light of foot, carried herself with poise…and came toward me with surprising speed.

And she’s got moves:

At that moment, she somehow tucked her head and left arm like a gymnast doing a roll, so that she curled onto her shoulders, flinging her legs over her head and into a rotation like some helicopter move you’d see in a breakdancing movie.

“Whooo!” Ms. Bousta exclaimed after a shaky breath. “I haven’t done that one in a while.”

Suddenly Rural Girl is now available in our Shop! Then, after you read it, here are a couple things you can do to help independent authors like us! :

1) Tell your friends and family! For this book, think of your friends, parents with teens, and grandparents with teenage granddaughters–it makes a great gift!

2) Write a review & give it a star or five! Whether you bought it at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon, from Kirk House Publishers, or from an independent book store . . . reviews help, big time. You can also search for Suddenly Rural Girl in in GoodReads, and leave a review there.

3) Ask your local library or bookstore to stock it! Mostly libraries have a webpage you can request a new title on. Independent Bookstores often do too, but both are open to customers walking in and asking. They’ll just need to know it’s available on IngramSpark . . . and the ISDN Number is 978-1-959681-33-5.

In this blog, I often share well-written lines and passages from other books I’m reading, too. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Many a teen has imagined a kiss . . . the anticipation, the warmth, the heart-pounding passion of young love. Few take time to think about the end of a kiss. It’s why this quote stands out. The end was as impactful as the beginning. A fantastic description.

It’s early in the year, but I think The Nightingale will be one of my favorite 2024 reads. Kristin Hannah places some beautiful and descriptive lines within a poignant plot fleshed out with engaging characters. If you’ve not read any Hannah, I’d recommend her work (especially The Nightingale)! Check her out in GoodReads!

I regularly share well-written lines and passages from the books I’m reading. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Dakota Moore is a conflicted teen wrestling with faith and friendship, and each new person she meets brings a new adventure–including this dragon-doodling classmate.

“Did you see what Taylor was wearing?” One of them said
through her nose. “…some skintight black Poet shirt. Like she’s going to a creepy goth funeral.”

But Taylor has a kind heart and some hidden secrets:

She held a sketch notebook in front of her and was doodling. With only a glance, I could tell this girl was some kind of an artist. I slipped past her desk toward my new seat and admired her science-fiction fantasy sketch-
es…

Taylor’s lips parted into a genuine smile, and the melancholy girl next to me was transformed into a beaming teenage girl—who was missing her front left tooth. My eyes shifted briefly to the small dark rectangle
where the tooth should have been, and her wide grin immediately vanished. Taylor pulled in her thin lips, drawing them into a flat line where her smile had just been.

Suddenly Rural Girl is now available in our Shop! Then, after you read it, here are a couple things you can do to help independent authors like us! :

1) Tell your friends and family! For this book, think of your friends, parents with teens, and grandparents with teenage granddaughters–it makes a great gift!

2) Write a review & give it a star or five! Whether you bought it at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon, from Kirk House Publishers, or from an independent book store . . . reviews help, big time. You can also search for Suddenly Rural Girl in in GoodReads, and leave a review there.

3) Ask your local library or bookstore to stock it! Mostly libraries have a webpage you can request a new title on. Independent Bookstores often do too, but both are open to customers walking in and asking. They’ll just need to know it’s available on IngramSpark . . . and the ISDN Number is 978-1-959681-33-5.

In this blog, I often share well-written lines and passages from other books I’m reading, too. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Dakota Moore is a conflicted teen wrestling with faith and friendship, and each new person she meets brings a new adventure. Her mom, Elu, and little brother, Matt, are on that journey, too.

Mom cut her hair the next day. It had been a tradition for Sioux women to cut their hair when in mourning, and traditions were important to Mom. Now, the mop-top-fringe-cut didn’t even cover her ears. It was shocking. I had only known her with straight, mid-back-length hair. Long. Straight. Beautiful. Our hair and features were similar until then: strong, high cheekbones, a cute but bent nose, and soft, tan skin.

Elu could also be at peace.

Mom’s laugh was a joy-filled hawk cry broken into bite-sized nuggets.

And Dak’s little brother Matt adds color to their lives:

Matt’s like the absent-minded professor in the body of a five-year-old. Crayons and clothes cover the carpet. Drawers spew unfolded clothes like an overloaded hayloft. Still, he’s a good kid…and he’s pretty cute when he’s
tired, and his lateral lisp gets even cuter.

Suddenly Rural Girl is now available in our Shop! Then, after you read it, here are a couple things you can do to help independent authors like us! :

1) Tell your friends and family! For this book, think of your friends, parents with teens, and grandparents with teenage granddaughters–it makes a great gift!

2) Write a review & give it a star or five! Whether you bought it at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon, from Kirk House Publishers, or from an independent book store . . . reviews help, big time. You can also search for Suddenly Rural Girl in in GoodReads, and leave a review there.

3) Ask your local library or bookstore to stock it! Mostly libraries have a webpage you can request a new title on. Independent Bookstores often do too, but both are open to customers walking in and asking. They’ll just need to know it’s available on IngramSpark . . . and the ISDN Number is 978-1-959681-33-5.

In this blog, I often share well-written lines and passages from other books I’m reading, too. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Dakota Moore is a conflicted teen wrestling with faith and friendship, and each new person she meets brings a new adventure.

Mr. Young stepped toward me and extended his hands. I leaned my face forward, and his shaky fingers gently found my chin and cheek bones. He lightly traced the edges of my face, seeing by touch the face of a nearly 14-year-old he’d recently come to care for. George Washington Young was old, blind, and a pocketful of kindness. He was the kind of treasure you didn’t know you needed but can’t imagine living without. And it was all wrapped up in a pair of faded overalls and a smile.

He also offers wisdom that comes from age and experience:

“Some folks didn’t like them Bashkir Curly’s on account of how they look a little different,” Mr. Young answered. “Let’s keep prayin’ folks quit judgin’ things by how they look.”

And a friendship can be made that span roads and generations.

He pulled his hands away, and his eyes showed more kindness than I’ve seen in most folks with perfect vision…Mr. Young and I were two people separated by a gravel road and eighty years, and I could have at least told him how much a lost and lonely girl from Michigan appreciated his kindness, his unlikely friendship.

Suddenly Rural Girl is now available in our Shop! Then, after you read it, here are a couple things you can do to help independent authors like us! :

1) Tell your friends and family! For this book, think of your friends, parents with teens, and grandparents with teenage granddaughters–it makes a great gift!

2) Write a review & give it a star or five! Whether you bought it at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon, from Kirk House Publishers, or from an independent book store . . . reviews help, big time. You can also search for Suddenly Rural Girl in in GoodReads, and leave a review there.

3) Ask your local library or bookstore to stock it! Mostly libraries have a webpage you can request a new title on. Independent Bookstores often do too, but both are open to customers walking in and asking. They’ll just need to know it’s available on IngramSpark . . . and the ISDN Number is 978-1-959681-33-5.

In this blog, I often share well-written lines and passages from other books I’m reading, too. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!

Suddenly Rural Girl’s protagonist is a conflicted teen wrestling with faith and friendship after her father dies and her family moves to a new town.

My hair has always been long and dark brown. Cocoa with a touch of cherry–probably from my dad’s Irish side…Today, I wore two French braids with a part down the middle. Symmetrical, except the daisies on one leg of my overalls offset things just enough.

She’s also conflicted . . . and brave.

“I got this,” I said, turning away from Liam’s hand and stepping toward the edge. If a girl’s gonna make something of herself, she can’t do it holding hands with some boy–no matter how cute he is.“

Afterall,

“Boys don’t get to kiss you. You grant them the privilege.”

Suddenly Rural Girl is now available in our Shop! Then, after you read it, here are a couple things you can do to help independent authors like us! :

1) Tell your friends and family! For this book, think of your friends, parents with teens, and grandparents with teenage granddaughters–it makes a great gift!

2) Write a review & give it a star or five! Whether you bought it at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon, from Kirk House Publishers, or from an independent book store . . . reviews help, big time. You can also search for Suddenly Rural Girl in in GoodReads, and leave a review there.

3) Ask your local library or bookstore to stock it! Mostly libraries have a webpage you can request a new title on. Independent Bookstores often do too, but both are open to customers walking in and asking. They’ll just need to know it’s available on IngramSpark . . . and the ISDN Number is 978-1-959681-33-5.

In this blog, I often share well-written lines and passages from other books I’m reading, too. If you’d like to receive them regularly, just enter your email below, and click subscribe!