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Book Review: American Fantasy by Emma Straub
When I heard author Emma Straub was publishing a novel set on a four-day cruise featuring a fictional boy band from the 1990s, I immediately added it to my TBR pile. I’m not afraid to admit I was a New Kids on the Block fan back in the day (Joe McIntyre was “my” guy!). I read Straub’s novels, This Time Tomorrow and American Fantasy simultaneously, and they are completely different stories. But both were inspired by real life—This Time Tomorrow is a time travel tribute to the author’s relationship with her father, novelist Peter Straub, and American Fantasy reflects her experience going on a New Kids on the Block cruise a few years…
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The Death of Skyler Wilson
On Jan. 5, 2023, the Surry County EMS was dispatched to the home of Jodi and Joseph Wilson in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. A call had come in reporting a child had a seizure in the home. When the first responders arrived, they found four-year-old Skyler Wilson unresponsive and not breathing on his own. Four days later, the boy passed away at Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem. His cause of death was listed as a hypoxic brain injury caused by restriction that prevented oxygen to the brain. His doctor at the hospital told police that these brain injuries were consistent with “too much restriction” during the swaddling technique. Most of us are familiar…
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Book Review: Harriet Hates Lemonade by Kim McCollum
I’m excited to participate in the WOW! Women on Writing Blog Tour for Kim McCollum’s latest novel, Harriet Hates Lemonade by sharing my review of the book. Here’s the synopsis: Meet Harriet. But don’t be surprised if she isn’t interested in meeting you. Harriet has life all figured out, and she doesn’t hesitate to inform others of their shortcomings. Though her attempts to become president of the homeowner’s association failed, that doesn’t stop her from berating “off-leash-dog-man” or reporting the neighbor who had the audacity to leave their easter decorations up an entire week past the holiday. The problem is, unbeknownst to her, Harriet’s rigid rules and judgmental opinions are not her own.…
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The Unsolved Murder of Cynthia Kirk
On Monday, Aug. 21, 1989, the quiet Durham neighborhood of American Village was stunned when a 34-year-old mother was found murdered in her home. Cynthia Kirk, a married mother of a nineteen-month-old daughter, worked as a second-shift supervisor at the tobacco company Liggett & Myers. Normally, she would pack a diaper bag for her daughter, Suzanne, before taking her over to a babysitter’s house around 2:15 p.m.. But on the afternoon of August 21, Cynthia, known as Cindy to her friends and family, and Suzanne never arrived at the babysitter’s home. Concerned, the sitter tried to call Cindy. When she couldn’t reach her, she phoned Cindy’s sister, Beverly Sechler, who lived nearby. When…
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Book Review: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
I work part time in a small, independent bookstore, and when we kept selling out of a book called “Theo of Golden” Naturally, I grew curious, because I’m always interested in what book clubs are reading. I heard through the grapevine that the author had originally self-published the novel in 2023 and it sold so many copies through grassroots marketing that eventually it was picked up by Simon and Schuster in the fall of 2025. Knowing how hard it is to publish a novel and get people to read it, never mind attracting the attention of a Big 5 publisher, I requested the book from my library. After a seven-week-long wait, it arrived…
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The Murder of Michelle Young
In the fall of 2006, a young mother’s lifeless body was found inside her suburban home in Raleigh. But when the victim’s husband was told about her death, his response was not the one investigators expected. Even though his wife’s family begged and pleaded for him to talk with police, he refused, citing advice from his attorney. No arrest was made for six years, until a judge’s ruling on a civil lawsuit finally gave local law enforcement the opening they’d been waiting for. But even then, questions remained about who really murdered Michelle Young. The Enchanted Oaks subdivision in Raleigh lived up to its name, with traditional-style homes, tree-lined streets with lampposts, and…
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The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America by Sara B. Franklin
One of my goals for 2026 is to read more nonfiction, and to pick up more books by male authors (I’ve been focusing on a lot more stories by women in recent years). I’m off to a great start already—completed John Grisham’s latest novel and a heartfelt memoir by Cameron Crowe. While asking one of my colleagues at Main Street Books for some nonfiction recommendations, she was happy to oblige. I picked up “The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America.” I was interested in learning more about Jones, because I’d never before heard about this woman who was considered such a trailblazer in the publishing world. Synopsis: At Doubleday’s…
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2025 End-of-Year Podcast Review for “Missing in the Carolinas
This past May I celebrated five years of Missing in the Carolinas! It’s hard to believe that my pandemic podcast project continues to grow and make strides. The show has helped me grow a platform in the true crime space and possibly give me an exciting opportunity in the new year. I’ll keep you posted if it develops further. Last year I shared that a suspense/thriller book I’ve written had garnered interest from a few literary agents. While that was exciting, over a year later I still don’t have an offer of representation. The book is currently under consideration with a small publishing house, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I do think…
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Book Review: How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
I’ve been on a contemporary British author kick lately and am loving it. Last year I read the book “Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting” (also known as “The People on Platform 5”) by Clare Pooley and adored it, so I eagerly picked up “How to Age Disgracefully.” As I’m now firmly settled into my midlife, books like this one, with an ensemble cast full of quirky characters of all ages, increasingly appeal to me. Synopsis: A senior citizens’ center and a daycare collide with hilarious results in the new ensemble comedy from New York Times- bestselling author Clare Pooley When Lydia takes a job running the Senior Citizens’ Social Club three afternoons a…
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The Murder of Dr. Joe Smith in Lancaster, S.C.
It was almost Halloween in October of 1979 when a Lancaster, South Carolina physician who also worked as an assistant county coroner failed to show up for work. His colleagues heard conflicting stories about where he was, and one business owner felt the need to alert the police. When the doctor was discovered murdered, the community hoped his killer would soon be caught. But it would take more than a year before an arrest was made, and it highlighted the dangers of mixing business with pleasure and just how deadly a love affair can turn. Fifty-one-year-old Dr. Joe Smith was a fixture around the Lancaster, South Carolina community for many years. He had…