Well, I'm back, but oh wow, have I been busy!  There's so much going on right now concerning my book, book-related things, etc. that I'm finding less and less time for blogging.  Oh, I'll never stop.....gosh, no.  But I'm afraid it's becoming impossible to read other blogs like I used to.  I simply do not have the time anymore and even doing this blog will be cut back in frequency.  But with two contracts now with my publisher, that's my priority. 

I wanted to tell you about this novel I recently finished and in my next post I'll tell you some of the things that have been going on concerning my book.

I'd met this author at the conference in Monroeville in May and this is her debut novel.  Fannie Flagg (author of Fried Green Tomatoes fame) did the introduction and she was spot on when she said "When you close the book, you'll miss these characters."  Because the Well and the Mine was a book about people.

The setting is a small Alabama coal-mining town during the summer of 1931.  There really wasn't much of a plot and in the case of this book......that didn't matter.  Because it's a story about nine-year old Tess Moore and her family.  One evening as Tess is sitting in the dark on her porch she sees a woman toss a baby into her family's well without a word.

Yes, we do find out in the end who the woman was and why she did it.  But it almost became irrelevant because of so much richness to the surrounding story about the characters.  This author captured the essence of the characters in her story and if any writers out there are wondering what makes great, memorable characters, after reading this novel perhaps you'll understand. 

When an author is able to put you in the characters shoes she's accomplished the feat of writing and Phillips has done that.  I loved all of them for different reasons, but I'd have to say that the father was my favorite.  Albert was a loving and caring man and both parents provided the love and compassion that enabled Tess to deal with a difficult emotional situation in a healthy way.

I just loved this book.  The prose flowed along and the dialogue was authentic.  And Fannie Flagg was right.........I didn't want to leave these characters, but I'm glad I got to inhabit their world for awhile.

If you're looking for a very good southern read, I highly recommend this one!

And I'll see you back here next time when I bring you up to date on this author's latest activities......