Renny Barcelos's Blog, page 3

New Story – Merge, a Sequel to Mean and My Sore Hush-a-Bye

It’s now available on Amazon and Smashwords my new short story (8 thousand words). If you read Mean: A Psychological Thriller Novelette and My Sore Hush-a-Bye and want to know more about Cassandra and Camille’s future, here’s your chance.

** Please note that this short story (around 8K words) is a SEQUEL to Mean: A Psychological Thriller Novelette and My Sore Hush-a-Bye. Do not read it before these books if you don’t want those stories to be spoiled! **

Cassandra Connelly and Camille Marie Jones: two women who suffered unthinkable child abuse. Their lives were forever stained by their ordeals during their childhoods.

The way they reacted to it, however, was completely different.

Five years after the events of Mean: A Psychological Thriller Novelette and My Sore Hush-a-Bye, see what happened to Camille and Cassandra, and how they will react when facing one another.

- Merge is FREE at Smashwords for a limited time, and only 0.99 cents on Amazon. -

My 5 star Review of ‘My Alien Self: My Journey Back to Me’, by Amanda Green

I believe I’ve never read a memoir before in my life. I read biographies when I was young — used to love them back then, but never memoirs.

Nevertheless, the moment I read the description of “My Alien Self, My Journey back to me’, by Amanda Green, I wanted to read it.

The journey described is intense, almost brutal at some points. And yet there’s tenderness in the way Amanda tells it all, no holding back—after all, it’s her life; she’s her own main character.

Reading fiction can be easy, even if the subject is difficult, because you have the comfort of knowing it all came from a creative mind; here, however, it all really happened.

This is a tough story, but it’s also about redemption and recovery. It will make you change your pre-conceptions about mental illness, and will certainly help so many people!

Find out more about Amanda Green in my interview with her:

Related articles

Spotlight on Amanda Green – Interview with Author of ‘My Alien Self: My Journey Back to Me’

2012 in review

Well, I think this is cool enough to share with you. I know it may not sound that impressive, but keep in mind that this blog only started in July!

Thank you all who stayed with me for the past months. I hope I can entertain you more and better in 2013!

Oh, and a HUGE, special THANK YOU to my friends and great commenters, Jeff Whelan, Lord David Prosser, gilbertspeaks and Deanna Lynn Sletten!!

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,100 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 4 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

My 5 star Review of ‘Space Orville’, by Jeff Whelan

My daughter and I have just finished reading ‘Space Orville’, by Jeff Whelan. I never read Science Fiction–I have no means to explain why, I love watching Sci-Fi movies and TV shows, but not reading them…go figures! Anyway, my daughter loves reading Sci-Fi, and won a copy of the book as a very generous gift from Jeff Whelan himself, after I interviewed him on my blog. Since I knew it had to be a great book, with so many wonderful reviews, I decided to read it with her, and what a fantastic decision that was!

This book is amazing. Seriously, it was an unforgettable journey.

The attention to detail is remarkable. Everything and every name in the story seem to be thoroughly thought. You keep reading and being pleasantly surprised by Whelan’s ability to create the most unbelievable and bizarre things and people in a way that you simply have to believe. It all makes sense! Just like to Space Orville, the mysteries of the Universe are presented to us. Flabbergasted at first we start to get immerse into this Universe. Suddenly, you are holding your Kindle as if trying to control a spaceship, grinding your teeth as if watching a movie.

The story has it all; laughter, tenderness, suspense, action, everything!

In the final chapters, we were reading really fast to finish and see how it all would end, curiosity taking hold of us. Then, when we finished, we were both hysterical about the great ending and sad because we wanted more! I miss the story already. Actually, I can imagine weekly episodes, toys, lunch boxes, etc about space Orville.

As one reviewer said, how can this not be a Pixar blockbuster yet? Imagine seeing all these characters in big screen (bigger than my mental screen, that is)?

Please, Insomnia…Let me sleep a little!!

Insomnia has been trying to make me give up on sleep at nights ever since I was 5, maybe 6 years old. Perhaps more, but that’s as far as I remember.

It was horrible to be a little child, unable to sleep, having no one to talk to (no internet back then…), nothing to watch (no DVD, no VCR either, and the TV, back then, simply ‘closed’ after midnight here—just static or some color stripes showing until next morning), and still not able to read that well to distract myself.

I also had some sleepwalking episodes, and remember waking up one night inside my brother’s crib, having absolutely no recollection of how on Earth had I ended up there. Thanks God I was petite and didn’t hurt him… That was really creepy-hilarious! Oh, and I hurt my head many times on doors and walls walking in my sleep. My father told me I wasn’t walking like a mummy the way we see in movies. Just normally walking; with my eyes closed.

Not much changed since then, except that I don’t sleepwalk anymore, and have lots of ways to entertain myself during sleepless nights. Like writing a blog post!

Yay for the internet, 24 hours of TV, cable TV, DVDs, etc. It’s less boring to be insomniac nowadays!!

I envy people who sleep well. I have a friend at work who has the same troubles to sleep. The other day we realized none of us has NEVER have a peaceful, revitalizing sleep night. Ever. Even when we do sleep, is always lightly and we wake up many times during the night. Normally we wake up before the clock demands it, losing precious sleeping time as well…

Then I usually spend the whole day dozing around, and it’s very, very hard not to sleep on my desk at work. I feel almost cataleptic sometimes; I can’t control it—I just sleep. I once slept during a meeting, just me and my boss in the room! She—obviously—noticed I slept, and I promptly denied it! Ha! As if it were possible to deny sleeping!

I sleep on trains, buses—even if I’m standing. But it is a very light sleep, and I wake up after a few minutes, or if anything or anyone slightly touches me. I never even miss my stops, funny! And even weirder—I always dream. Yeah, I know, no REM sleep, no dreams, but what can I do…I dream. Even if it’s a one minute nap, I wake up from a dream! And I wished to sleep that well at night, oh, how I wished…

Because as soon as I’m ready to really sleep, pajamas on, lights off, on my bed—bam! The insomnia takes charge and what I wanted to badly during the day—sleep—becomes a hard, exhausting task. I want to sleep, my eyes are burning, my head is heavy—everything in my body is prepared and demanding rest, but my brain simply refuses to ‘turn off’. *sighs*

Well, I guess I just wanted to unload a little… I’ll get back to my task now, trying to have some sleep… It’s 02:43 in the morning here in Brazil, but at least I’m on vacation, so I don’t have to wake up early tomorrow…I mean, today!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my ramblings. Oh, and thanks for pretending you didn’t notice the typos and grammar mistakes I’m sure are all around this post—I shouldn’t be writing, you see; I should be sleeping!!

Spotlight on John Nardizzi – Interview with Author of ‘Telegraph Hill’

John Nardizzi is not only an author who writes about investigators; he is a Private Investigator himself! How cool is that?

He’s also a lawyer, and uses his experience to write. His debut novel, Telegraph Hill, has been receiving great reviews, and is definitely added to my (huge) TBR!

So, let’s learn more about him!

Please, tell us a little about yourself.

Pleasure to be a part of your site Renata. I grew up in Boston and lived in San Francisco for a decade. It was in California that I started working as a private investigator and getting more serious about writing. For my crime novel Telegraph Hill, I based a lot of my characters on people I met while working as a PI: witnesses, cops, hookers, street people. While I was in law school, I represented people from a rough part of San Francisco called the Tenderloin, and spent a lot of time in this edgy colorful part of the city. Some of my research involved drinks, or ended up with me buying drinks at these old dive bars and talking to street dudes.

In California, I started to get published–poetry, short fiction and even a short film about some of my homeless clients. After law school, I started working for a well known detective agency in San Francisco. I got re-interested in reading some of the classic PI novels — Raymond Chandler and Robert Parker especially– and wanted to bring some of my real-life experiences to a novel.

A few agents were very high on Telegraph Hill but wanted me to slant it in a certain way. One suggested I make the protagonist an amateur. Which is ironic, of course, given I am a real PI–what was I going to do, write about a dentist who is a part-time sleuth? Then I came across a new publishing venture at www.libboo.com. They offered a great new platform for selling books and published an eBook version of Telegraph Hill. A talented artist named Aldren did the cover.

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing since I was 15 or so. Songs, poems, little biographical sketches of people. I was asked to write a biography of my soccer teammates and I would insert things like “led league in scoring and outstanding arrest warrants” and later I’d get calls from the guy, “Where

did that come from!” Just like to let off steam. Later I got more serious with it.

Do you remember the first story you wrote?

Yeah, it is buried in a box in my attic somewhere. I wrote a story about a piano and a young kid who dreams of being a musician. He becomes possessed by the music he plays. Twilight Zone stuff, I love that show.

 Can you tell us two eccentricities about yourself?

Eccentric–me? Everyone else around here is weird. 2 things I guess I have been told: I eat weird stuff like red cabbage, and pasta for breakfast. And I listen to music obsessively, the same album for 5-6 straight months in the car. Let It Bleed by the Stones was on there in 2012 almost exclusively.

What was the best thing you’ve ever heard (or read) from a reader?

That certain passages in Telegraph Hill have images that are startling and memorable. I like to hear that since I come at fiction from writing

poetry — trying to boil down the writing to hard, spare imagery. A lot of readers say they have a terrific view of San Francisco through the eyes of the characters. So I appreciate comments like that.

Do you have a good Indie author to recommend?

Yes, Thomas Davidson wrote a great thriller with awesome old school rock n’ roll references, it’s called The Museum of Sudden Disappearances. If you like creative language and humor and classic rock music, I definitely recommend it.

Who inspired and/or supported you to become a writer?

Reading J.R.R Tolkien‘s Lord of the Rings was a huge discovery for me as a young kid. Tolkien really lit the fire for me. And my parents always had books all over the house. They encouraged me to read and write, always took us to the library to get books. We were expected to read and be challenged. TV was limited, and while I resented it then, I appreciate that now.

Do you have a WIP (Working in progress)? If so, can you tell us a little about it?

I have 10 chapters done on a sequel to Telegraph Hill. I also have an agent reading chapters for a non-fiction book about some of the cases I have investigated, some big murder cases, cases involving con artists –basically what it is like to work as a PI. I started in this industry working for a flamboyant PI in California who said things like “No one leaves this firm, they either get fired or die.” So it was that kind of place. A weird corner of the legal profession that readers will get to see.

What is your favorite of your books? Why?

Telegraph Hill is my first full length novel so that would be it. I wanted to take some chances in the telling of a detective story, use language like Don DeLillo does in Libra, a novel filled with poetic riffs from a possessed mind. I stay true to the genre but readers are telling me the writing took them to a new places in San Francisco. Especially when the investigator Ray Infantino does interviews with witnesses.

What is your favorite of your characters? Why?

I would say the investigator Ray Infantino, since it is his journey. But my heart goes with his lover Dominique. She reminds me of a lot of the strong women in my family and ones I have met in my life. She has the star qualities–heart and intelligence and character.

Do you like to interact online? What’s your favorite social media?

I always appreciate anyone who takes time to write or email. Twitter is a blast, and perfect for quick jabs and comments. Don’t really do anything anymore on Facebook, irritating company with no sense of privacy.

How do you feel about marketing your books?

Libboo has been a great discovery. They took my novel, got it to eBook form and created a space where readers can discover it. Aside from that, marketing is a lot of work and you have to be a part of it. No one does it for you, even at the big publishing houses. You gotta get the word out and jump the train as it steams on by.

Please, give us all your links – where can your readers find you and your books?

Book sales (Kindle, Nook, iPad etc): https://www.libboo.com/read/telegraph-hill/johnnardizzii

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorPI

Author Site: http://www.johnnardizzi.com/

Thank you for the answers, John. I’m sure we will be reading and hearing about Investigator Ray Infantino for a long time. 

And readers, don’t go anywhere! Stay tuned for the next interview.

If you’re an author and want to be in my spotlight, contact me!

Related articles

Spotlight on Wodke Hawkinson – Interview with Author duo of ‘Zeke’ and other stories (renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com)
Spotlight on Massimo Marino – Interview with Author of ‘Daimones’ (renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com)
Spotlight on David Prosser – Interview with Author of the Barsetshire Diaries series (renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com)
Spotlight on Alex Hunter – Interview with Author of the Game Over series (renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com)
Spotlight on Amanda Green – Interview with Author of ‘My Alien Self: My Journey Back to Me’ (renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com)
Spotlight on Brian O’Hare – Interview with Author of ‘Fallen Men’ (renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com)
Spotlight on T.M. Souders – Interview with bestseller author (renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com)
Spotlight on Jeff Whelan – Interview with Sci-Fi Author of ‘Space Orville’ (renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com)
Spotlight on H.C.Elliston – Interview with British thriller author (renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com)
Spotlight on Yvvette Edwards – Interview with Author of ‘A Cupboard Full of Coats’ (renatafbarcelos.wordpress.com)

Sara’s Promise – Book Release Blog Tour & Giveaway

I’m so happy to present you this new release today! Deanna is a great, bestselling author, and a wonderful person.

Her new book is Sara’s Promise. The cover looks absolutely gorgeous. Plus, there’s a Giveaway!!!

Sara’s Promise – Deanna Lynn Sletten

 

Book Description:

 

Do you believe in soul mates?

 William Grafton had the perfect life with his lovely wife, Sara, and two teenaged children. But one day his perfect forever was shattered when Sara died suddenly, leaving him alone to raise his children and wonder how he would ever get through life without his soul mate. Five years later, he finds himself looking into a familiar pair of blue-green eyes that remind him of Sara. The woman is the exact opposite of his late wife, yet he finds he is drawn to her. But after a few strange occurrences, he begins to wonder–are these just coincidences or has his Sara come back to him as she once promised in the form of this new woman?

Annie Paxton doesn’t believe in soul mates or fate. She had watched her father die of a broken heart after her mother passed away and has since cast away any fairy tale ideas of love. Then she meets the man who has been haunting her dreams and she begins to see love in a whole new light. But her dream man is still tied to his deceased wife, and Annie doesn’t know if he will ever be able to break away from his past. As strange occurrences unfold, Annie wonders if William could ever truly love her for herself and not for the traits that remind him of Sara.

 Were William and Annie brought together by fate, coincidence or by Sara keeping her promise?

***

 Book Excerpt:

     During dinner, Sara felt the pressure in her side begin to grow again, but she said nothing. As she loaded the dishwasher, William came into the kitchen to tell her that he and Sammy were going to the driving range to hit a few balls. He didn’t notice how flushed she looked as they rushed out the kitchen door. Only Sammy looked her over twice before reluctantly following his dad.

     Sandy tried one more time to get her mom to agree to allow her to get her nose pierced, but Sara raised her hand in warning and shook her head.

     “Not tonight,” Sara told her. Angry, Sandy stormed up to her room, the words “I hate you” rushing down the stairs at Sara before Sandy slammed her door. But by now, Sara didn’t care. She put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and practically crawled to the living room sofa, and dropped onto it. The pain had become unbearable again, even worse than it had been before, and she felt completely drained. She was pale with bright spots of red on her cheeks, and her breathing had become increasingly labored.

     This was how Sammy found her when they came home, curled up on the couch, her blue-green eyes glassy in her stark white face. William had gone directly into his den to work, but Sammy wanted to see if his mom was feeling better. Seeing her this way frightened him, and he ran directly to his father’s den.

     “Mom’s really sick. You have to come,” he said, his eyes wide with fear.

     William looked up from his drawing board, frowning in confusion. Sara was fine at dinnertime, surely Sammy was exaggerating. “I’m sure your mother’s fine,” he said calmly. “She’s probably just tired.”

     But Sammy wouldn’t listen to his dad’s excuses. “She’s been sick all day, and she’s really sick now,” he insisted. “Come on!”

     William had no choice but to follow his son into the living room, and when he got there, the site of Sara’s pale, limp form unnerved him.

     “Sara?” he asked gently, crouching down beside the sofa. She turned to him but said nothing. He placed a hand on her forehead and pressed lightly. She was burning up. Panic swelled inside him.

     “I hurt,” Sara said weakly, but the pain was so overwhelming, even talking was excruciating.

     William had never seen his wife so sick before. For one long minute he wavered, debating what to do. Sara took care of them, not the other way around. When Sandy had her tonsils out at age six, it was Sara who’d sat beside her hospital bed all night. When Sammy fell off the swing set when he was three and lay unconscious, it was Sara who had calmly rushed him to the emergency room. She handled all the colds, flus, and illnesses. She was the one who doled out the medications, kept the children’s shots current, and handled all doctor, dentist, and orthodontist appointments. He felt completely lost.

Buy Sara’s Promise on Amazon in Kindle, Paperback and on Barnes & Noble Nook

http://www.deannalynnsletten.com/p/saras-promise.html

 About Deanna Lynn Sletten:

Deanna Lynn Sletten writes women’s fiction novels that go beyond the basic romance novel. Her stories dig deeply into the lives of the characters, giving the reader an in-depth look into their hearts and souls. Deanna has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime.

Deanna started her writing career in the early 1990s writing articles for parenting publications and local newspapers. Over time she transitioned to writing for blogs and websites and was a contributing writer for the women’s website, She Knows. In November 2011, she changed course and put all her energy into novel writing and hasn’t looked back since.

Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her northern Minnesota home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing in the boat on the lake in the summer.

Connect with Deanna:

Blog   http://www.deannalynnsletten.com

Facebook    https://www.facebook.com/#!/DeannaLSletten

Twitter     https://twitter.com/DeannaLSletten

 Goodreads   http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/555634.Deanna_Lynn_Sletten

Amazon Author Page  http://www.amazon.com/Deanna-Lynn-Sletten/e/B00683SQYK/

Giveaway!

In celebration of Deanna’s new book release she is having a giveaway! Leave a comment on this site to have your name entered in the drawing for one of four prizes: Two $25 Amazon Gift Cards and 2 paperback copies of Sara’s Promise. Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you. You can enter at each site of the blog tour for more chances to win! Giveaway starts December 10th and ends December 17th at midnight. Winners will be contacted December 18th after noon.

Follow the tour schedule here: www.deannalynnsletten.com

How bullying and abuse can prevent people from being themselves

I think one of the cruelest sides of bullying and abuse are the way they can prevent a person from simply being her or himself.

Because when you’re suffering one, or both, all you want is to stop it. You can only think of how life would be without it. That’s when some people start blaming themselves for it. It sure must be their fault; there must be something seriously wrong within them…otherwise it wouldn’t happen, right? Nope! But it’s easy to think like that when your surroundings give you that impression. It’s hard to believe it’s okay being who you are when people around you are incessantly picking on you because of that.

Take my example. I’m not a very sociable person, never was. Of course it might have been because of all the abuse I suffered in my own home, but still… I always preferred to read in a good corner than to go to a party, for instance. Actually, I don’t like parties. Never know what to do in one, where to put my hands, what others are finding so funny… It’s more like torture to me. I LOVE to socialize on the internet, but not so much face to face.

Well, it’s okay now. I can say that and, even though most people still don’t understand my preferences, they respect it. But when I was at school, it was reason to mock me. To despise me. To write things about how much of a freak I was on the walls. To whisper, point and laugh when I was sitting on my chair during breaks, reading. In some cases, it was even reason to destroy my books when I wasn’t there and to assault me outside school one day…

It was also reason at home for having to hear things like: “You should go out, you’re young, can’t be reading all the time”, or “You look weird reading so much, go out, make some friends”; “What’s wrong with you, can’t you be like the other girls?”.

If it weren’t once in a while, okay, but it was repeated to me EVERY SINGLE DAY.

So tell me, please, how can a child or a teenager, believes there’s nothing wrong with the way he or she wants to spend their free time (as long as they don’t want to do anything dangerous or illegal, of course), when even your mother keeps screaming at you because of that?

It’s impossible.

That’s when this little person starts thinking people must be right. So, if they change, if they try to act more like others, the incessant ranting, the constant mocking, the hell would stop, right?

I believed that, and tried so hard to be a ‘party-girl’ like everyone told me I should be, that I got into a lot of trouble. The shiny nerd I was soon was dating anyone. Drinking, smoking, coming home just the next day without even calling.

It almost destroyed me. All because I couldn’t be the person I really was. And the saddest part is that it didn’t work. Of course not. Bullies just love to bully, it’s what they do. They will find any reason to pick on you, no matter what you do. So don’t change to please them. I learned it the hard way.

Back then we didn’t call it bullying, nor abuse. At least not here in Brazil. It was just the daily hell, no one talked about it, no one thought about it. Except the ones suffering, of course.

It still happens everyday, but at least we are talking about it now. We are worried about it and trying to find solutions.

But meanwhile, teenagers, and even children, dread so much going to school and facing the bullies that some of them start skipping classes. If they have a not so good environment at home, they may as well just runaway. Or they will try to change their behaviors to better fit. Some can’t cope at all with it and think of harming themselves as an escape.

So please, I beg all parents and caregivers… Pay attention to your children. Talk to them. Be sure they are okay. Be sure to tell them they can be who they are, that they don’t have to change to please anyone. Make them feel safe enough to talk to you if they need help. Listen to them when they talk about bullying.

Oh, and also, pay attention if they are the bullies. Make them understand that it’s never okay, it’s never funny, it’s never the answer.

I firmly believe that we can change the world by better educating our children. Let’s try!

Related articles

The impact of Bullying (stories) (betolerant.wordpress.com)
Anti-bullying week: Start Telling Other People (blogs.independent.co.uk)
Bullying May Lead to PTSD in Victims (medicaldaily.com)
Signs Your Child May Be the Victim of Bullying in School (tutoringtoexcellence.blogspot.com)

My 4 star Review of ‘The Fragile Lion’, by Mark Darley

**Reviewed by Renata F. Barcelos for Readers Favorite**

The Fragile Lion is a very different, unique story. It has drama, suspense, mystery and literary elements.

It starts with Justine, an apparently simple schoolteacher in another school day. Soon we realize that this is not an ordinary day; she was not supposed to be working. A tragedy had occurred and she should be home, recovering. Justine, however, has no recollection of what happened and has to rely on what people tell her to unfold her misfortune.

Confused and lonely, she thinks a trip might help. Then she meets an interesting pair: a mother and her child, a girl who simply refuses to eat. Trying to help them, another tragic accident changes their lives forever.

It’s a very different tale. Justine is quite a character; it’s hard to define her in one sentence, since she is not exactly who she seems to be. As her relationship with Sonya, the Sioux child she desperately wants to help, gets stronger, we have the opportunity to learn more about her. Her life has not been easy; she’s almost used to misfortune. As we get to know her past better, it becomes somehow easier to understand her actions.

Her quest to help Sonya is also a quest to help herself. To find purpose to her own life, to find reason to carry on. She thought she had lost everything, but she has a lot to find out; people to reconcile with, guilty to overcome, old debts to pay.

It’s basically a tale of redemption. Justine acts without thinking, without looking back to do what she believes is her obligation, her mission. But meanwhile, she goes learning from point to point.

The dialogue is well written, and a bit enigmatic. The child’s stubbornness is almost annoying and I think I wouldn’t have the patience Justine had. But she’s almost as stubborn as Sonya, which makes them the perfect pair.

I don’t know much about the Sioux Indians, but it seems like Mark Darley did his homework about the Indian culture. The descriptions are very well done, to the point you can easily visualize the scenes.

So much happens in such a short period of time, and still the book flows softly, unrushed.

The ending is very poignant and, even though it lets questions unanswered, it gives the reader reason to hope for a better future.

Overall, a beautiful, touching book that I’d recommend to all drama readers.

My 5 star Review of ‘An Order of Coffee and Tears’, by Brian Spangler

Paperback Edition

Kindle Edition

An order of coffee and tears is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s absolutely glowing in my top ten, and even maybe in my top five. I cried reading the last chapters today on the train, and I can say that not many books made me do that; only three or maybe four so far.

It starts with the covers. Look above; I can’t decide which one is prettier, so I decided to put both.

Brian Spangley brings you a tale so vividly narrated by Gabby, a young waitress, that you feel like watching a beautiful, touching movie inside your head. The story is poignant, but not mushy. It has the exactly right amount of mystery, love, friendship, routine, sadness, redemption and, of course, coffee and tears.

 As each chapter unfolds, we learn more about Gabby and her new family—the other employees and some customers of Angela’s Dinner. It’s an old fashion dinner, where people go not only to eat and drink, but sometimes also to share their problems, to talk, to open their hearts. We have the opportunity to hear many of their stories, through the ears of Gabby. And we can see how she, Ms. Potts, Clark and others (I don’t want to give away too much and spoil your fun, so I won’t name all of them) grow. The whole dinner seems to grow along the story.

The dinner contains a universe so intense, so many lives intersecting inside it, that it’s not difficult to see how Angela’s is a character as important as others.

Many deep and intense themes are presented, in a tender and easy to connect way. You get to know the characters and their secrets, feeling their pain, their fear, their hope. You are, at some level, another customer, sharing your own order of coffee and tears.

 It’s impossible to talk much about the plot without revealing too much and spoiling it, so I’ll refrain from it. But I can tell you this: if you liked Fried Green Tomatoes, the movie, or Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, the novel, by Fannie Flagg, you’ll certainly, utterly love An order of Coffee and Tears. A true masterpiece. Beautifully written, masterfully constructed, amazingly finished.