Page 3 - What Readers Say

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PREMIER BOOK AWARDS

2008 General Fiction award winner

 

What some readers say about Settling:

 

Beautiful and beautifully written story!!!

 

...Sounds proverbial, almost formulaic? Hang onto your seats, for this beautiful story evolves realistically, potently and meaningfully into an unforgettable love story worth the wait of every page to that point. In a culture rife with trite endings, how refreshing to meet a talented author who knows how to craft a special story that is poignant without being sickening, intelligent without imitation or condescension and deeply spiritual without being religious!  

   Ruth and Alex could be any woman or man in America, even if it's just a part or more. Getting to know Ruth and enjoying the poetry in this novel are experiences that soon begin to feel like a gift we want to share and experience ourselves.  

   Settling starts slowly but winds up packing an unforgettable zap mid-way to the very last page! 

   Very nicely done, Ms. Cannon!

 Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on August 28, 2007

CRYSTAL REVIEWS

www.crystalreviews.com

e-mail to: literarymuse@hotmail.com

 

...Settling is a wonderful novel; reading about how Ruth successfully resolves the problems she encounters in her life was very uplifting. I'm looking for more novels from Mrs. Cannon!
                          Rebecca Henderson, ALLBOOKS REVIEWS

 

...Mrs. Cannon shows us a true picture of love in today's world...This is a beautifully written story. I could not wait to find out how it ended.

                Krista Braaten, COFFEE TIME BOOKS

 

Susan Kelly, author of How Close We Come, Even Now,The Last of Something and Now We Know says: 

    "Employing both nuance and detail, Mrs. Cannon authentically portrays the struggles of a marriage--romance, adultery, violence, and forgiveness--between two vastly different people, and in so doing treats her topic and her characters with realism and respect."

 

Joyce C. Ware, author of romances, mysteries, non-fiction:   

 

    "Settling is a story of love, betrayal, tragedy and the search for reconciliation experienced by fully realized characters in settings described so vividly--the Maine seacoast; Greenwich Village; an old Connecticut farmhouse--the reader can see, smell and even hear them...Blessedly free from exhausting sexual acrobatics and techno/crypto complications, Settling is the real thing: a beautifully written quiet read best enjoyed during a long winter evening with a cup or two of tea by your side."

                                  

Alice Loebel, author: "Well written...a page turner."

 

Anne Buttrick, reader:
        "Well, this was my long awaited storm--I have been anticipating a good one--the kind to settle down with a cuddling dog and finally open the pages of "Settling".  I LOVED IT!...I loved the writing, the story, the characters, all the wonderful descriptions--all your marvelous attention to detail.  The dialogue was so true to the characters and reinforced their personalities just beautifully.
        "You truly made Ruth and all the characters come alive--I kept thinking, Oh, yes, I know exactly how she (or he) feels--I've felt that way, too!  I got to know Ruth so very well--reading the last page was like saying good-bye to a well loved friend--one I was so sure to miss--I was truly sorry to come to the end."
 
E-book ISBN: 1-59431-502-7
Paperback ISBN:1-59431-493-4
 

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MAIDEN RUN

"...a parable for our times."

    There are times in the history of a family when everything changesThe Adams family has lived and worked Maiden Run since time out of mind, but the world is changing and everyone must struggle to keep up. Spanning thirty years, but focusing particularly on the summer of 1935, Maiden Run is the chronicle of the lives, loves, and challenges of the three Adams siblings.

                                                                                                                                                                                              Maiden Run is a fairly simple story that recounts some critical points in the lives of a family. There are no paradigm shifts, and very few “events” to speak of, but Cannon’s skill leads the reader to care about the characters, to the point where you may feel saddened when the story draws to a close. Cannon knows her topic, setting, and place inside and out, and expertly draws you in and shows you around. The Adams family actually acts like a family, with tensions and unspoken rules and, in spite of everything, an overall affection that runs deeper than any trouble. [In spite of technical errors in production] Cannon’s talent shines through, and these flaws become little more than annoying ticks in the face of her sweeping thirty-year saga. Cannon is truly a diamond in the rough, and I hope she is discovered by larger presses, soon.   

Joan L. Cannon has already been discovered by magazines like Pulpsmith, Seacoast Life, Grit, and Thema, and she currently writes for the online magazine Senior Women Web. She lives in North Carolina.

 

Maiden Run is a parable for our times, taking us back to another era that was under heavy economic hardship, and reminding us of the value of family and heritage. I Recommend this book to anyone looking for a good, meaty bit of fiction.

March, 2009

J. Blackmore, ALLBOOKS REVIEWS

                                         

 

Mary Wallace, reader:

"Joan L. Cannon describes scenes and characters in her novel in ways that many writers of today’s fiction will envy. Although her novel, Maiden Run is set in later times, it is reminiscent of days when a man...sat beside the fire instead of in front of the TV set, with a pipe in one hand and a novel in the other. One can almost picture his wife sitting across from him, doing intricate needlepoint, looking up at him now and again and anxiously willing him to finish the novel so that she will be able to read it. Maiden Run would be that novel.

 

She moves her story forward in cunning ways, pulling you in and making you feel right at home...the people you meet being much like the family and friends you wish you had.  Her gorgeous prose stays with you long afterward.

 

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Maiden Run is a finely-written, poignant story that develops slowly, interlaced with artisitic depictions of the landscape that one can appreciate with all five senses...a story of a bygone era, where family connections rule the day and immersion into one's environment is an all-powerful, symbolic part of one's maturation process.  It's more about character and evolution than it is for empty, fast-paced action loaded with sex...A charming read, Ms. Cannon!

                    July, 2009

Vivian Crystal, Crystal Reviews

e-mail to: literarymuse@hotmail.com

 

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ISBN:  978-1-59431-345-6

PERIPHERAL VISION
Stories

ISBN 1-59661-157

Scott Owens, Poet

The pleasure of reading comes as much from what is withheld as from what is given.  Despite their lyricism and beautiful attention to essential, evocative detail, these stories seem, like all of life's most important moments, heavily, tragically incomplete, resonant, leaving you deliciously wanting and imagining more.

www.scottowenspoet.com      www.wildgoosepoetryreview.com