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Frame by Frame
Valkyrie Magnusson, a former Marine photographer injured while covering a goodwill interaction with Iraqi children in 2010, is haunted by flashbacks. She travels the U.S. as a photographer for Rider magazine. A self-proclaimed nomad, Val has little inclination to settle down. But something keeps calling her back to a little tourist trap called Cool Springs in rural West Virginia. The sign at the quirky little store boasts, “Good food, groceries, ice cream, hardware, feed store, taxidermy, gifts, and gas.”
Cool Springs is owned by Laurel Stemple and her grandmother Ree. Laurel is charged with the daily operations of the catch-all little store/diner and the care of her octogenarian grandmother. A frequent visitor, Val has become like family at Cool Springs. Interesting characters like Mule, aptly nicknamed for his braying laughter and Wunder, whose child-like questions keep everyone in stitches, create a unique tapestry of community in the little store.
Over the years, Val and Laurel have gradually fallen in love without acknowledging it. Personal secrets and scars have left the pair unable to move toward a relationship. While covering an annual Memorial Day Ride to the Wall, a near tragic accident forces Val and Laurel to confront their feelings and fears.
Cool Springs is owned by Laurel Stemple and her grandmother Ree. Laurel is charged with the daily operations of the catch-all little store/diner and the care of her octogenarian grandmother. A frequent visitor, Val has become like family at Cool Springs. Interesting characters like Mule, aptly nicknamed for his braying laughter and Wunder, whose child-like questions keep everyone in stitches, create a unique tapestry of community in the little store.
Over the years, Val and Laurel have gradually fallen in love without acknowledging it. Personal secrets and scars have left the pair unable to move toward a relationship. While covering an annual Memorial Day Ride to the Wall, a near tragic accident forces Val and Laurel to confront their feelings and fears.
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Published November 27, 2017
57 people are currently reading
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About the author
C.J. Murphy
10 books67 followersI grew up a voracious reader, feeding my imagination with books. I spent hours exploring the woods around my farm, pretending I was “Hawkeye”, surviving in the wilderness. I climbed into the hayloft of our barn, looking for “Charlotte” among the spider webs. Later, I looked in every wardrobe I could trying to find “Narnia and Aslan”. As an adult, I can still remember reading my first novel with a lesbian character and how it made me feel to finally identify in an entirely new way.
My adventure into writing came at the suggestion of my wife. Several years ago, she asked me to write her a story. I began crafting her personalized gifts for holidays and special occasions, by writing stories for her. I’d weave in pieces and parts of our life. My brain started asking “what if” after she mentioned forgetting I’d written the story until something sounded familiar.
My wife and I are part owners of an active produce farm and a U Pick strawberry operation on my wife’s family land all while I continue into my twenty fifth year as a full-time firefighter. On top of all that, we built our dream home in 2016, on property we’ve been clearing and preparing for fourteen years. Now we reside on 221 acres of woodland in the mountains of West Virginia, with three cats as I pine away for another promised Border Collie. We love to go watch our Mountaineers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Steelers. We love leading our great niece and nephews on adventures to fuel their imagination and creativity as we watch them grow.
Librarian note: Multiple authors with the same name in the GR database; this author is entered with 2 spaces.
My adventure into writing came at the suggestion of my wife. Several years ago, she asked me to write her a story. I began crafting her personalized gifts for holidays and special occasions, by writing stories for her. I’d weave in pieces and parts of our life. My brain started asking “what if” after she mentioned forgetting I’d written the story until something sounded familiar.
My wife and I are part owners of an active produce farm and a U Pick strawberry operation on my wife’s family land all while I continue into my twenty fifth year as a full-time firefighter. On top of all that, we built our dream home in 2016, on property we’ve been clearing and preparing for fourteen years. Now we reside on 221 acres of woodland in the mountains of West Virginia, with three cats as I pine away for another promised Border Collie. We love to go watch our Mountaineers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Steelers. We love leading our great niece and nephews on adventures to fuel their imagination and creativity as we watch them grow.
Librarian note: Multiple authors with the same name in the GR database; this author is entered with 2 spaces.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 17, 2024
Well, wow! I haven't cried over a book that much since, well, can't remember. I don't know what it was but it was superb, totally floored me: not once, but every time! Has to be up-there in one of my ten favourite books. Stunning. (PS: I think I liked it!)
November 30, 2017
Absolutely fantastic!
Val experience frightening flashbacks, nightmares and panic attacks. Her symptoms have a huge impact on her love life. She is always on the road and has no place she can call home. There is one place that exerts a great attraction to her. A place to which she always returns. Is it Cool Springs or is it the owner of this place that is like a magnet for Val? Both women avoid a serious relationship until a tragic accident forces them to confront their feelings and fear. I love how the relationship developed as each dealt with traumatic losses in their lives. This is not just another story about suffering from PTSD. No, it’s also a priceless story about love, heartwarming chemistry, courage, trust, faith, emotional support, understanding, friendship and the love of family. The writing is amazing, descriptive and with a lot of humor. I was right there in the story. It has strong characters and the individual personalities are remarkable. I love the deep family bond and Ree is someone I absolutely adore. I really am impressed with this debut novel. An outstanding and exciting romance. Read it and I’m sure you won’t regret it.
Val experience frightening flashbacks, nightmares and panic attacks. Her symptoms have a huge impact on her love life. She is always on the road and has no place she can call home. There is one place that exerts a great attraction to her. A place to which she always returns. Is it Cool Springs or is it the owner of this place that is like a magnet for Val? Both women avoid a serious relationship until a tragic accident forces them to confront their feelings and fear. I love how the relationship developed as each dealt with traumatic losses in their lives. This is not just another story about suffering from PTSD. No, it’s also a priceless story about love, heartwarming chemistry, courage, trust, faith, emotional support, understanding, friendship and the love of family. The writing is amazing, descriptive and with a lot of humor. I was right there in the story. It has strong characters and the individual personalities are remarkable. I love the deep family bond and Ree is someone I absolutely adore. I really am impressed with this debut novel. An outstanding and exciting romance. Read it and I’m sure you won’t regret it.
March 18, 2022
A good read just 5 chapters too long. It needed to be condensed.
June 20, 2019
Very slow burn between our mains, but I love seeing friendships blossoming into something more. Laurel sounds amazing and sexy as heck, and her huge heart makes her even more appealing. Having holes in your memory and recurring flashbacks are painful but Val and her support system deal as best as they can... not a whole lot of authors can write this accurately, but Murphy does it with accuracy and class. PTSD sucks arse.
I liked the book, it was a bit slow but patience isn't one of my virtues... not when it comes to reading, anyhow. I liked the characters and the story so the slowness is forgiven.
I liked the book, it was a bit slow but patience isn't one of my virtues... not when it comes to reading, anyhow. I liked the characters and the story so the slowness is forgiven.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2019
Just a quick note on this one. This is Murphy's first novel and after thoroughly enjoying Gold Star Chance I decided to go back and read her other two published books. I've gotta say there's something about her prose that works for me as a reader. It flows very very well. There's a LOT of scars in this book. Both external and internal. Hell of a book though.
January 25, 2018
A story of love and family. Birth and choice! Very well developed, first time I’ve read a story by this author. I’m going to go look for more and add to my must read list of authors.
February 3, 2020
3.5 stars. It’s a above average read, with good language and smooth flow. But the book dragged on a little, and I skipped on the sex scenes that occur a little too frequently.
February 12, 2018
Beautiful
Val and Laurel are very memorable and you cannot help wanting things to work out for them and not just the romance. It was a joy to watch them struggle with their issues and come out on top. The secondary characters were wonderful supporting actors but did not over step their boundaries.
This was a very touching and emotional read. I found myself crying as Val struggled and as their love and commitment to each other grew. It was such a good book! I think most women will love it due to the content and the author is a remarkable story teller and this is a great book that she created.
I found it hard to put down and found myself waking up in the middle of the night and picking it back up instead of sleeping. It was very emotional and the sex scenes were smoking hot and needed for the story, not just stuck in there for the sake of sex. I know I will be thinking about this book for weeks to come.
November 30, 2017
Beautiful Story.
This is the first book I have read from this author and I loved it. I really loved taking the adventure with to strong women that both were dealing with a past. Watching them go through it with each was Inspirational. I loved the main characters and the other characters in the story. They all made the storyline believable. I definitely recommend this book.
This is the first book I have read from this author and I loved it. I really loved taking the adventure with to strong women that both were dealing with a past. Watching them go through it with each was Inspirational. I loved the main characters and the other characters in the story. They all made the storyline believable. I definitely recommend this book.
November 30, 2017
This is a wonderful debut novel. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed the story very much. Keep them coming!
May 30, 2018
This story is so beautiful!
I really love this story because I felt as though I passed through an entire lifetime with Val and Laurel. Even the secondary characters are unforgettable and I could not stop myself from loving each and every one of them. I'm anxious to read more books written by this author!
I really love this story because I felt as though I passed through an entire lifetime with Val and Laurel. Even the secondary characters are unforgettable and I could not stop myself from loving each and every one of them. I'm anxious to read more books written by this author!
November 29, 2017
Great Story
This was a really wonderful story to read. I love that the romance between the women grew over the years they knew each other. I really love the different friends and family in the story.
This was a really wonderful story to read. I love that the romance between the women grew over the years they knew each other. I really love the different friends and family in the story.
December 4, 2017
What a wonderful story. The characters are both believable and likeable. This is not a story that you can sit back and just enjoy; it's a story that makes you feel and care about what happens.
December 20, 2017
I really enjoyed CJ's debut novel! The characters were written so well, I felt like they were friends of mine! The storyline is well thought out and she obviously knows what she is writing about! The trials Val goes through are hard to read about but even harder to endure in real life. I have friends that suffer from PTSD and I have personal experience also. I want to thank CJ's wife for asking for that favor! I hope this first novel is just the beginning! I will be waiting for the next one for sure!!!
December 28, 2018
Intense. Just a big, tightly wound ball of intense. I am not military but I have a lot of veterans in my family, spanning multiple generations and wars. Some are or were deeply wounded both in body and psyche.
Valkyrie “Val” Magnussen is a veteran who lost her leg and her peace of mind in Iraq. She now rides her Indian motorcycle around the country snapping photos and writing articles for Rider magazine. She can’t stay put for very long, always feeling the stress and strain of survivor’s guilt and pain. There is however one very special backwater spot in West Virginia that pulls on her for many reasons, mainly though because of a sweet and beautiful woman, Laurel Stempel, who fights personal demons of her own but who always manages to right Val’s world.
Like often is the case, it takes a near tragedy to make the two recognize the truth of their feelings. It’s not an easy book to read but worth it. Much of the backstory tells disheartening details of veterans waiting and waiting for simple healthcare and other basics. But there are joyful times and a lot of humor, too, involving friends and family.
In the end, many of my favorite moments are so quiet, a local examining a shadow box filled with a Wall rubbing of his brother’s name, a veteran friend gleefully doing a wheelie with her wife in her lap, just very distinct pictures that put me right there in the story. The restaurant and locale about as clear as you can get without seeing a photograph. FinalIy, I’m craving a hot dog with chili, a fried apple pie, and a tall glass of ice cold, chocolate milk, rocking on a porch and chatting with Gram Ree.
Valkyrie “Val” Magnussen is a veteran who lost her leg and her peace of mind in Iraq. She now rides her Indian motorcycle around the country snapping photos and writing articles for Rider magazine. She can’t stay put for very long, always feeling the stress and strain of survivor’s guilt and pain. There is however one very special backwater spot in West Virginia that pulls on her for many reasons, mainly though because of a sweet and beautiful woman, Laurel Stempel, who fights personal demons of her own but who always manages to right Val’s world.
Like often is the case, it takes a near tragedy to make the two recognize the truth of their feelings. It’s not an easy book to read but worth it. Much of the backstory tells disheartening details of veterans waiting and waiting for simple healthcare and other basics. But there are joyful times and a lot of humor, too, involving friends and family.
In the end, many of my favorite moments are so quiet, a local examining a shadow box filled with a Wall rubbing of his brother’s name, a veteran friend gleefully doing a wheelie with her wife in her lap, just very distinct pictures that put me right there in the story. The restaurant and locale about as clear as you can get without seeing a photograph. FinalIy, I’m craving a hot dog with chili, a fried apple pie, and a tall glass of ice cold, chocolate milk, rocking on a porch and chatting with Gram Ree.
January 15, 2023
I couldn't stop reading this book. As soon as I started reading I found it intriging and don't want to stop.
January 3, 2020
Frame by Frame was absolutely wonderful! I loved the characters and the settings. Val and Laurel are still healing from the past and are afraid of getting into a relationship with each other for fear of hurting the other in the future, yet they are totally in love with each other and everyone but them see it. Ree/ Gram is awesome and I love her attitude about things.
I am not a veteran and have limited knowledge about Walter Reed Memorial Hospital but I realize that our veterans have to wait so long for medical service that is totally unfair and they deserve to be treated to First class medical treatment not wait it. I’m glad this is briefly mentioned in the story.
This is a great story, there’s so much I’d love to highlight but to do so would be giving away a bunch of spoilers. I can say that if I could give this book more than 5 stars I would and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an awesome story. This was CJ Murphy’s debut book and her other stories are just as great.
I am not a veteran and have limited knowledge about Walter Reed Memorial Hospital but I realize that our veterans have to wait so long for medical service that is totally unfair and they deserve to be treated to First class medical treatment not wait it. I’m glad this is briefly mentioned in the story.
This is a great story, there’s so much I’d love to highlight but to do so would be giving away a bunch of spoilers. I can say that if I could give this book more than 5 stars I would and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an awesome story. This was CJ Murphy’s debut book and her other stories are just as great.
October 16, 2018
If you're looking for lesbian fiction with disabled vets, Murphy handles the subject with great telling. Valkyrie Magnusson, a former Marine photographer, comes homes with PSTD and without her leg, the only surviver of a goodwill interaction. Still haunted, she travels the US but keeps coming back to Cool Springs in rural West Virginia. Cool Springs holds more for her than relief from Iraqi memories; it holds romance and the promise of a future.
July 2, 2019
Five Stars!
I’m always delighted to find a well-crafted book about mature lesbians. This one fills the bill, with complex characters who wrestle with real-life issues, and struggle with finding their way. It’s not all trauma, though - there’s enough humor, lust, and inter-personal conflict to make this a full course delicious meal.
I’m always delighted to find a well-crafted book about mature lesbians. This one fills the bill, with complex characters who wrestle with real-life issues, and struggle with finding their way. It’s not all trauma, though - there’s enough humor, lust, and inter-personal conflict to make this a full course delicious meal.
September 9, 2019
Great read
I have watch men and women who have served in war zone and who have come home broken not only physically but in their soul as well.... this book shows the reality of PTSD and how not only the person, but the ones who love them, try to deal with it. It shows how LOVE can help and how no matter what love can heal!
I have watch men and women who have served in war zone and who have come home broken not only physically but in their soul as well.... this book shows the reality of PTSD and how not only the person, but the ones who love them, try to deal with it. It shows how LOVE can help and how no matter what love can heal!
November 27, 2019
Fantastic characters
Really great character development, the in-depth description of the personalities and physical beings made the story more real. Having to deal with PTS and TBI the author nailed the difficulties that we deal with day to day. Very well done.
Really great character development, the in-depth description of the personalities and physical beings made the story more real. Having to deal with PTS and TBI the author nailed the difficulties that we deal with day to day. Very well done.
March 25, 2020
A wonderful romance set amidst PTSD and numerous health issues on each side. The couple are helped along by a lively grandmother and a few other interesting secondary characters who help the story along. Great read.
December 1, 2023
A captivating story
I loved the way the MCs fit together. They smoothed the broken edges off each other. This was a great love story about what happens when you are willing to take a risk.
I loved the way the MCs fit together. They smoothed the broken edges off each other. This was a great love story about what happens when you are willing to take a risk.
December 3, 2017
This book hooked me early and kept me wanting to know what would happen next. Excellent first novel. More please.
December 17, 2017
Loved the characters
I was hooked after the first page. Loved the diverse characters. Also the descriptions of the countryside. Look forward to reading more from CJ Murphy.
I was hooked after the first page. Loved the diverse characters. Also the descriptions of the countryside. Look forward to reading more from CJ Murphy.
February 2, 2018
I found this book to be surprisingly good for a debut novel. Will definitely read this author’s next offering. Yay for new authors!
November 11, 2018
I really enjoyed this book! While I think the story would rate a 4-4.5, the editing rates a little lower. But I think I fell in love with Laurel :-)
May 4, 2021
This is an enlightening story about need & perseverance & strength. I love the range of characters in this story. The location is enthralling.
dnf
December 27, 2025DNF @ 47%
January 14, 2026
Great story,,!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews