Kimberly Duquette

Today, I handed out twenty copies of Playing for Pizza by John Grisham to a homeless shelter in my community. The folks there were extremely grateful and the books went quickly. A special thank you to the thousands of book givers worldwide, and kudos to World Book Night 2013 for promoting literacy far and wide.

“TRUE! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?” And so begins “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. The images and characters that Poe presented are still captivating today. Known for his dark, gothic themes, Poe’s work was hugely influential to the short story, horror, and mystery, and genres.

I loved this book! Written in poetic style, this extremely short and concise title provides a simple universal guide for the practice of sitting quietly and being yourself. Meditation teaches us to accept life, meet pain, age gracefully, and die without regret. The book encourages sitting quietly every day.

I’m handing out Playing for Pizza on World Book Night, and I wanted to read it first. Apparently, John Grisham was in Bologna doing research for The Broker when he met an Italian football player–American football that is, and a brilliant story was born.

Rick Dockery was cut from his third-string position as quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, and became a national laughingstock overnight. He’s all washed up in the NFL, and the Canadians won’t touch him either.

But all Rick knows is football. Against enormous odds, Rick finally lands a job—as the starting quarterback for the Mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy.

Ryder is the toughest Montgomery brother. He’s surly and unsociable, but when he straps on a tool belt, no woman can resist.

As the former manager of a D.C. hotel, Hope is used to excitement and glamour, but she prefers the joys of small-town living. With her at the helm, the Boonsboro Inn is finally taking off. Unfortunately, her big-city past is about to make an unwelcome appearance.

Watching Hope’s vulnerability stirs up Ryder’s emotions and makes him realize that while Hope may not be perfect, she just might be perfect for him…

Alli Tucker separated from her husband after eight years of marriage and a baby. She firmly believes Sam still holds onto his adolescent love for her beautiful, super-model sister, Tessa. Alli still desperately loves Sam but is no longer willing to be “second place” in his heart.

When Alli and Tessa’s grandmother suffers a stroke, Tessa returns to the small town and the dramatic conflict begins. Sam is torn between his commitment to Alli and their daughter Megan, and the memories of his unfulfilled love for the gorgeous Tessa.

This classic romance had well-developed characters, a beautiful coastal setting, and a happy ending.

Right now, I’m about two-thirds of the way done with my first in the Mad Murphy series–Plays on Mad. Although the mystery element is complete, I’m stewing about the romance. How much is enough? This is what stalled me in Freeze Frame and it’s doing it again with Mad Murphy. I hope to have it all resolved in my mind by spring so I can have it published by Autumn. Plays on Mad is set in the fall. Each of the Mad Murphy mysteries will highight a season in the Ozarks. Stay tuned.