They say everything is bigger in Texas, and apparently, that applies to the writing talent in our great state. In fact, North Texas boasts several famed authors. This month, Sue Ridnour, Flower Mound Public Library Director of Library Services, showcases four winter must-reads penned by local authors. Be sure to check them out!
The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey
Brooke Fossey is a former aerospace engineer. She’s a past president and an honorary lifetime member of DFW Writers’ Workshop. Her debut novel, The Big Finish, is about the unlikely friendship between a curmudgeonly old man and a desperate young woman. Warm and funny, the book packs a powerful message about the power of human connection and how it's never too late, or too early, to change your ways. Fossey lives in Dallas with her husband, four kids and their dog Rufus.
The Lives of Diamond Bessie by Jody Hadlock
After studying journalism at Texas A&M University, Jody was a television news reporter and anchor in Bryan-College Station; Charleston, South Carolina; and San Antonio. For several years, Jody served on the board of directors of North Texas Special Needs Assistance Partners (SNAP), a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities live the fullest lives possible in their communities. Her debut novel, The Lives of Diamond Bessie, is based on a true story. Sixteen-year-old pregnant and unmarried Annie Moore is sent to live at a convent for fallen women. When the nuns take her baby, Annie escapes, determined to be reunited with her daughter. After failing to find a respectable job, she resorts to prostitution in order to survive. Set against the backdrop of the burgeoning women's rights movement in the late 1800s, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a haunting tale of betrayal and redemption. Hadlock lives near Fort Worth with her husband.
We are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin
Julia Heaberlin is the bestselling author of six thrillers. Before writing novels, Heaberlin was a journalist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Dallas Morning News and The Detroit News. Her latest, We Are All the Same in the Dark, won the 2020 Writers’ League of Texas award for Fiction. Her books feature troubled but tough women. A native of Decatur, she currently lives in Grapevine.
Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry
Samantha Mabry is the author of three books for young adults. She grew up in Dallas and is an SMU alum. Her short fiction has been published in D Magazine. Her latest book, Tigers, Not Daughters, received six starred trade reviews and was the winner of both the Reading the West award and Writers' League of Texas award. Tigers, Not Daughters is a magical realist story of a group of sisters trying to get out of their San Antonio neighborhood that will appeal to adult as well as teen readers. Mabry lives in the Dallas area.
