As with most books about beautiful places in the great outdoors…the writer of The Signal, Ron Carlson, is gifted with describing the mountainous scenery and creating an image in the mind of the reader. This builds a background of love and commitment behind the story; after all, who couldn’t love the bond between the land and the main characters in this story. It adds richness and depth to the lengths to which a man will go to protect a legacy of preserving land that has been in the family for generations. When that legacy is threatened because of finances, Mack finds himself on a downward spiral as he tries to come up with ways to save the ranch. Before he knows it, he has jepardized his relationship with his wife who loves the man and his ranch and sacrifices right along with beside him willingly.
When his failure to overcome financial obstacles starts to consume him and destroy him…it causes her to leave temparily. This in turn leads him to a life of crime and an over-indulgence in substances that numb him and allows him to lower his moral standards even farther until he can no longer tolerate the man he has become. As he tries to regain his self worth he attempts to reconnect with his wife who has divorced him. Can they find their way back to one another after such devastation?
One last time, they agree to camp and fish together on the land they love so that they can have closure on their relationship. He has hurt her badly and regrets it; knowing that when he let her go it was a huge mistake. He had temporarily in the midst of his addictions had a relationship with a fellow addict…his wife Vonnie knows of this and is hurt. On this last time together on the land that drew them together in the first place and upon which their love was grown they come to a place of healing only to find their future endangered by the past illegal relationships that Mack had tried to walk away from. Where they go and how they get their is why you will want to dive into the words between the covers of this book. If you love action, stories about commitment and relationships you will enjoy this book.
The Signal was copyrighted in 2009 by Viking. You can visit their site here: http://www.vpbookclub.com/
Standing Still is a novel that has the edge of a psychological thriller. It is the story of Claire who is bound up in her struggle between the cliff of her irrational fears and the valley of her very real, emotionally dis-connected marriage. She doesn’t even have the assistance of her husband to help her deal with her panic attacks; because his focus is elsewhere, on his own seperate pursuits in life. Claire must brave her demons on her own power; she feels helpless to do so.
In what turns out to be a case of self-fulfilling prophecy, Claire is kidnapped. She was faced with a scenerio right out of one of her nightmares when a stranger forces himself into her home and attempts to steal her young daughter. In a desperate moment of complete mother love, Claire trades her freedom for her child’s potential imprisonment by this stranger. As the knowledge of what she has done sets in, Claire’s internal panic mode sets in. It is her nightmare come to life; that lack of control over what is about to happen to her…she feels trapped and powerless to guarantee a good outcome. Claire’s husband has been living a secret life; maybe that is true but, so has she. These things are revealed slowly to her, during her time in captivity.
This taking of her freedom is what ultimately sets Claire free and opens her eyes to the life that surrounds her. Come and see how she puts the pieces of her life together, into a framework that allows her to live her life in appreciation of beauty, instead of fear; with a sense of fulfillment and gratitude for the things she holds dear. By the time the book was completely finished, I thought the title should have read; Still Standing! I loved this book, and you will too.
If you have ever had any relationship with an irrational fear, panic attacks or an anxiety disorder this book will feel like someone is speaking your language. A sister who shares your thoughts and feelings…she gives you hope that life can be different, freer, and more peaceful once again. Read the novel, soak it up and enjoy the knowledge that this author, Kelly Simmons, doesn’t make light of those who know what Claire has been through!
You can learn more about the author here on her website: http://www.bykellysimmons.com/ There you can also find a link to purchase her book. You wont be sorry that you did. The book Standing Still was published by Atria Books and copyrighted in 2008. They are a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. You can find Atria Books here: http://www.simonandschuster.net/content/destination.cfm?sid=33&pid=427719
Rainy’s Recommendations
