J.T. Ellison has done it again. Her new novel, Where All the Dead Lie, the seventh book in her Nashville-based Taylor Jackson series, kept me up into the wee hours, immersed in Lt. Jackson’s newest predicament.

Having sustained a serious injury in the previous book (So Close the Hand of Death), Taylor is dealing with PTSD and needs to get away from Nashville, hounding reporters, and the whispers she senses when her back is turned. Things haven’t been going so well with her fiance either, since she discovered that he’d been hiding some pretty big news from her. Enter sexy Memphis Highsmythe and his castle in the Scottish Highlands. Memphis swears he’ll behave himself, making the idea of relaxing in a castle and continuing her therapy outside of Nashville’s watchful eye too tempting a possibility to pass up. Things never stay calm for Taylor, however, and it isn’t long before she starts doubting herself…or was that the Lady in Red, Dulsie Castle’s infamous ghost?

Ellison actually mentions Rebecca in one scene, but the gothic feel of Where All the Dead Lie would’ve probably brought the novel and others like it to mind anyway. Cathy and Heathcliff could’ve wandered into Dulsie Castle at any moment and felt right at home. Nashville is still important to the book though, as the storylines of Sam and Taylor’s team are interspersed throughout Taylor’s Scottish “situation.” You’ll find here a satisfying continuation to an addictive series.

I’m a regular reader of Laura Howard’s blog and was very pleased when I heard she had a new book coming out. As a brick-and-mortar bookstore, I’m a fan of blogs turning into books (Cake Wrecks and Soule Mama are great examples). As pleased as we are to now have eBooks in our online store, there is something undeniably appealing in the idea that content that originated in a digital format would find a market in the print world.

When Laura Howard’s book arrived in the store today, I had to fight the urge to rush home and pull out my felt stash immediately.  The projects detailed in Super-Cute Felt , along with being cute, have a wonderfully handmade, hand-stitched aesthetic that will make them charming to experienced crafters and unintimidating to novices. The projects are contemporary in design and color, but  are still homey and old-fashioned. Brooches, pin cushions, and a tea cozy are some of the more traditional items included.

As we are now entering autumn, this book would be excellent for anyone wanting to make the gifts they give this Christmas or the ornaments on the tree!

We were thrilled to take part in this video, created by Truepix.TV and sponsored by VisitDowntownDickson.com, which explains just what happens when you spend money close to home.

For more information on shopping locally and all the businesses featured in this video, check out the orginal post on VisitDowntownDickson.com.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the new short story collection by Adam Ross, critically acclaimed author of Mr. Peanut, took over my life.

It has been my experience that short story collections–good ones, anyway–generally elicit reactions that fall in two very different categories. The first is that, upon finishing a story, I feel compelled to shut the book. Maybe set the book down. Give myself a moment to recover from the emotional impact that almost always comes from reading a well-crafted short story. The second response is that I finish one story and am so enthralled that I must jump straight into the next. It’s sort of like getting off one roller coaster and immediately getting in line for another.

Ladies and Gentlemen fits squarely into the second category.  Each story’s emotional impact, like a literary suckerpunch, made me anxious to see what Ross would do next.  

The characters Ross puts before you are befuddled, average people confused by circumstances and relationships that are out of their control. The narrators are often telling stories that aren’t even their own, looking at the lives of those around them as a way of examining themselves or because their own stories have gone slack. These stories take on the feel of an Edward Hopper painting: every detail is clear, as seen through the eyes of a lonely outsider.

In others, such as “When in Rome” and “Middleman,” the events being related seem to be the story for their respective narrators: the story that most shaped their sense of self. You could call it coming-of-age or a defining moment, but these characters, through years of reflection, seem so aware of the entire story, from all sides, that these categories seem too narrow. Everyone is examined.

With this solid collection and great follow-up to Mr. Peanut, Adam Ross continues to impress.

Reading Rock Books will be hosting a read-a-thon on Saturday, July 16, from 9am to 9pm, to raise money for Relay for Life of Dickson County. We are very excited about this event and hope lots of people will come and read for a great cause!

Want to participate? Here’s what you need to do:

• Get an entry form. You can pick one up at the store or online by emailing Laura at laura@thereadingrock.com or downloading the form here.
• Decide when you want to read. We’ll be holding the event from 9am to 9pm and you may come read at the store whenever and for however long you like during that timeframe. Deciding when you will be reading will make things much easier for your sponsors. (They might pledge 1 dollar per minute, if you’ll be reading for an hour or 25 cents per minute if you’ll be reading for 4 hours.)
• Find sponsors! Sponsors may choose to donate an amount based on either the number of pages you read or number of minutes read during your allotted time. Sponsors may also choose to put a cap on donations. Record all their pledges on your entry form.
• Come read on July 16!
• Collect donations from your sponsors and bring them back to Reading Rock Books by Aug. 1st.

Be sure to connect to the Read for Life read-a-thon through our Facebook event page to get the latest news and updates!

If you don’t wish to read or can’t make it to the event, but still want to help out a great cause, come by the store or call (615) 326-0401 to sponsor a reader or make a donation.

Please note:  The Dickson Co. Relay for Life relay will be held June 10. Our event will be after the official relay event. In order to count towards the 2011 Relay for Life of Dickson Co. relay event, read-a-thon donations must be submitted to Reading Rock Books by August 1.

On Old Timer’s Day, May 7, we will be hosting The Vacant Chair Photography Studio, a family-owned wet plate/collodion process photography studio. Their process is as authentic to the Civil War era methods of photography as possible and the photos are breathtaking! They will be at Reading Rock with their antique camera prepared to preserve your image as an ambrotype or tintype before, during, and after the Old Timer’s Day parade and by appointment throughout the day. If you’d like to make an appointment, please call us at (615) 326.0401. Prices are listed below. 

Prices are for either an ambrotype or tintype:
Ninth plate, 2″ x 2 1/2″ - $20
Sixth plate, 2 2/3″ x 3 1/4″ - $30
Quarter plate, 3 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ - $40

For more information about The Vacant Chair Photography Studio or to see some examples of their amazing photography, you can find them on Facebook and Flickr.