Reader Views Review of 'Tapestry' Hones in on Rapunzel Trope

"All that’s missing is her breaking out into song declaring 'Mother Knows Best!'"

Hmm... This reviewer really took to heart the Rapunzel theme in 'Tapestry', though I myself recognized it only in retrospect!

“[A] tale filled with the heartbreak of separated loved ones, the anxiety of growing up in a changing social and material world, altogether while battling demons inside their own home… [A] unique imagining of the classic Rapunzel trope… The lengths [Jessie] will go to accomplish her own goals, even at the expense of those around her (namely her stepdaughters), is both disturbing and shockingly clever… I thought Vivian’s and Gaynelle’s sisterhood in Tapestry was beautifully chronicled.” -Megan Weiss, Reader Views. 

Read the full review: https://readerviewsarchives.wordpress.com/2022/06/30/reviewalexandertapestry/?fbclid=IwAR1KTdbG3dned3PDaBIW6qoIstwrm8d7-5aBJQ1zkDlIhB8zu_11WPKNeJk

Cave Search (a microfiction), plus my trip to Virginia

 

I just completed a wonderful birthday trip (with a longtime friend) to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, enjoying the ups and downs all the way from the rocky peaks in the National Park to the vast, deep Luray caverns. In the Grand Caverns, the stratigraphy was particularly interesting because a hill had basically fallen on its side (due to plate tectonics long ago), and instead of the horizontal layers on the walls, there were vertical layers in the ceilings, dripping to create interesting shield formations. I didn't get great pictures of them, but just to the left, on the formation closest to these words, there's a lighter ear-shaped shield jutting towards us, as if listening to what I'm typing here. Thomas Jefferson himself actually visited some of the nearby caverns and drew the first known cave maps in the United States!

The caverns reminded me of a couple of my stories, except there weren't any bats yet. I'd have to wait until wintertime to see them in the caves. The above never-before-published microfiction was actually written about six years ago. I hope the escaped slave, a mulatto girl, made it to safety, but at least she found the cave entrance.

Seems I have a particular interest in caves, as my yet-to-be-released YA Fantasy also begins with Addi, a Vessian princess, hiding out with her wolf-dog in a cave, just near the entrance. It's actually Frix's cave, but you'll meet him later...

In the picture below, taken in the Luray Caverns, a pool mirrors the stalactites above it.  I think it's beautiful, though of course much of the credit goes to how the lights were placed.

Mayan Deities Brought to Life in Silvia Moreno-Garcia's 'Gods of Jade and Shadow'

After reading Mexican Gothic on vacation last year, I was quite pleased to have the audiobook of Gods of Jade and Shadows, also by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, to listen to as I meandered up to the Shenandoah valley of Virginia from Savannah, GA for a vacation this year.  It did not disappoint. The genre is a bit different—instead of Gothic horror, it’s considered historical fantasy, mostly set in Mexico in the 1920s and dealing with ancient Mayan death-gods.  I would recommend the novel for teenagers and adults, especially women, who once enjoyed Rick Riordan’s stories about the gods of various world mythologies and for those who enjoyed the movie Labyrinth, as the antagonist Vucub-Kamé sometimes reminded me of Jareth the Goblin King.  Any lover-of-novels who is curious about Mexico should find it an absorbing story as well.  This is only my second novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, but I’m already a big fan. She brings her main characters and Mexico to vivid, surreal life. Her strong, practical female protagonists are dreamers—they’re likeable, relatable. In Gods of Jade and Shadows, Casiopea worries about her reputation, about the teachings of her family and the church regarding how single young women should behave. The author draws a vivid portrait of her village life, of how her defiant spirit is recognized—and brings her trouble—even when she thinks she’s being servile.  The characters are mostly well-drawn, though some of the action-filled scenes have side characters that seem as though they could have been written by Riordan himself, they’re that cartoonish (I still very much enjoy Riordan’s writing, too, let me add!). Hun-Kamé, the god that she is trying to help, feels tangible, though—and his transition to being more human only makes his initial godly persona that much more authentic.  The betrayal by his brother, and the subsequent finding of body parts to restore himself reminds me so much of the Egyptian legend of Osiris and Seth that I find myself quite curious how much of this story is truly Mayan legend, and if it is, whether or not there is some ancient, shared connection with the Egyptian myths.

Kirkus Review of 'Silk: Caroline's Story'

"[Jessie's] passion is magnetic right to the end of the story. Alexander does a good job of fleshing out all of the other major characters, but the novel belongs to dangerous, deadly Jessie... A richly atmospheric tale about two very different women seeking their ideal loves."  -from the Kirkus Review of Silk: Caroline's Story.

Literary Titan Thrice Honors 'Tapestry: A Lowcountry Rapunzel'

• "This astonishing novel grabs readers in the first chapter and takes them on a journey that makes it impossible to put the book down. The characters are well developed. Even the minor characters stand out for their parts in this novel... Tapestry: A Lowcountry Rapunzel is a dramatic coming of age and family saga novel exploring the 1920's women rights movement through the eyes of two young women and the romance of unrequited love."-excerpt from Literary Titan review.

Tapestry: A Lowcountry Rapunzel was honored with this lovely 5-star review by Literary Titan, received their Gold Book Award, and was the subject of an interview with Yours Truly.  Those are three separate links, but to see them all together, visit: https://literarytitan.com/?s=Sophia+Alexander

'Silk' Recognized by the National Indie Excellence Awards for Regional Fiction

 

Do a little dance for me! Silk: Caroline's Story has been recognized once more with a finalist medallion, this time for the 16th annual National Indie Excellence Awards in the category of Regional Fiction: Southeast. I've been dreaming of a Southern Gothic award (not that I've yet seen one), but close enough... I'll take it!

Here's the link. Hint: Click on the 'R' (for Regional Fiction), scroll slightly, and it'll come right up!:  https://www.indieexcellence.com/16th-annual-finalists