I first met Bonnie Calhoun on line. And the woman I “met” possessed equal parts passion, humor and professionalism. And she seemed to be awake all hours of the day, because no one has ever answered my emails faster. So when I went to the ACFW conference in St. Louis, I just had to find her, and meet her face to face. I didn’t catch up with her until shortly after she won the Mentor of the Year award at the Saturday night Award’s Gala. Now was probably the worst time to approach her. Celebrity status made her a hot commodity, and I’d be lucky to get two words in. Fortunately, Bonnie made room for me, and I’m so glad she did.I spotted her in the lounge of the hotel late Saturday night sharing laughs with fellow writers, and I decided to say hello and identify myself as the girl from the email loop. Not only did she recognize my name, she greeted me with a hug and a “Sit down!” gusto. So I sat. And it didn’t take long to understand why this woman swept the Mentor award that evening.
A month later, when she gave me the opportunity to review her debut novel Cooking The Books, I felt humbled and honored. But the best part was reading it!
I dove into the tumultuous world of Sloane Templeton and her Brooklyn based bookstore, discovering that Sloane had inherited a lot more than a debt-ridden business from her mother. Life throws this former internet forensics sleuth into a mystery that threatens her family, her future…her very life. When the book opens, a death and a battered history hinder Templeton’s ability to tackle the challenges that arrive just as frequently as the daily book store customers. As the story develops, she finds help from a variety of sources, giving her the courage to stand up to her enemies, both visible and invisible. The secondary characters who come alongside Sloane through multiple trials are as rich and diverse as the pace and text that jumps off each page.
And that’s probably what I loved most about Cooking The Books.I lost count of how many times Bonnie took me down an ally that dropped me off on a beach, metaphorically speaking. Surprise after surprise kept this reader laughing and on her toes. And the language was a perfect combination of snark, tension, and constant wit.
Don’t miss out on the book that I hope to see as a movie someday. Maybe if I text, tweet, and blow up Tyler Perry’s Facebook Page about Cooking The Books, he’ll consider directing. Move over Madea, Sloane Templeton has arrived in town. The best part, she is all woman! No need to purchase a wig. And rumor has it…more Templeton mysteries to come!!
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Is there a book you’d like to see made into a movie??
Dive Into Another Waterfall:
Everyone loves Bonnie. She’s a wonderful woman. Can’t wait to read Cooking the Books.
YES she is!! The rarest and so precious!! 🙂 And a great writer to top it off! 🙂
Cooking the Books sounds fun! Thanks for sharing this, and Bonnie, with us. She is a gem, isn’t she? 🙂
Looks like fun.
Angie
Great interview with a wonderful person! I love her, too. And I sure do want to read Cooking the Books.
Thanks Anonymous! Reading is life’s adventures on paper, without the real life mess and clean up. I say go for it! Read away! You’ll be surprised the Places You Will Go!! 🙂
I’m not much of a reader, but reading your blog and reading your blog about “Cooking the books” makes me want to become one!
Looking forward to that!!!
Thank you for being so generous to Sloane! She hopes to let you see more of her!