The A to Z April Blogging Challenge 2013 is chugging along on both my blogs, and I’m visiting as many bloggers from the sign-up list as I possibly can! I’m co-hosting it on Amlokiblogs, so drop me a comment there if you have something to say about the challenge itself. On this blog, I’ve been featuring mostly indie-published book excerpts for all of April. I love reading, and supporting author-friends, and this is a good way to do both.
Today, for M, I give you a charming contemporary novel: Maud’s House by Sherry Roberts. This novel about lost and found creativity was originally published by Papier-Mache Press in 1994, then went out of print when the company closed. Sherry brought it back out as an eBook.
Elevator Pitch:
A brilliant artist struggles to paint again.
The town is depending on her. Because its art is disappearing.
Creativity lost. It’s as ugly as mud season in Vermont.
Excerpt:
- Once this house was covered with tattoos.
- Pictures of trees and monsters and animals trickled from my fingers like blood. They spread over the walls and the furniture and the dishes. Scenes slithered across the undulated siding. Portraits yawned on downspouts, like the mirror faces in a carnival fun house.
- On my fourth birthday, my father gave me the house, home to the Calhouns for generations, the place where my father and grandfather were born. “Gave her every nail, board, and shingle,” my father used to tell our tourists. Papa became rather possessive about the people who used to stop and admire my house; he felt a responsibility to “our tourists” and their sightseeing pleasures. He never minded when they interrupted him milking a cow or repairing an ax handle. He had public relations in his blood. “Twelve rooms,” he told them. “And Maud’s painted every square inch.”
I got this book and I do love it! It’s not quite what I was expecting but I love the style of writing. I see Zoey Deshnel as Maud while I am reading it. Thanks so much for pointing the way to it.
This sounds great! Especially since I paint all over my house. I just might have to get this one.
This sounds really good. Will be getting Amazon vouchers on my birthday and this might be the first thing I buy.
Love book reviews. I will add this to my to-read list. Thanks!
Kristin, Maud’s House was inspired by Canadian folk artist, Maud Lewis. Although it is my no means her story, Lewis’s unfailing following of her own creativity is definitely part of my Maud. You can read more about Maud Lewis at http://ow.ly/fH5iY. Good ready, Sherry
Thanks for the follow, and for what you’re doing here.
This sounds like a wonderful book.
Stopping by from the #atozchallenge !
@JLenniDorner
Love the elevator pitch!
Great post and thanks for sharing.
Noticed that you’re following me on my old blog at “bryanchau22.wordpress.com.
Moving forward, I’m no longer posting at the site listed above. Instead, I’m doing all my future posts at http://www.successpenpal.com.
Please visit Success Pen Pal and follow me there for the latest updates. Looking forward to seeing you there. Take care!
Thanks for letting me participate in the A-Z Challenge. This is great.
This sounds like a wonderful book and a fun read. Thanks for featuring it; I will have to look for it. 🙂
That sounds like an incredible book. I will add it to my list—thank you as always for being so insightful and having such excellent tastes!
Thanks for the follow!
Sounds interesting. Makes me want to see a picture of it.