On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

I have created this thread to give old and new authors in this group a place to announce upcoming novels and new publications of southern themed books, without feeling like they are "marketing" to a captive audience.

Congratulations in advance to anyone getting a book published.

I'm a long-time, often lapsed, participant in this group. I have recently had a novel published, Black & Tan Fantasy.

I've attached a Booklife (Publisher's Weekly) review. Booklife gave the novel its Editor's Pick designation, that it reserves for, in its words, "superlative" books "of truly outstanding quality." So, hurray for me!

Booklife Review
Luce, Randall

In the 1920s, Harry Wilbourne—a white man who rescues a Black woman, Geneva, and her children from a fire—does more than commit a heroic act. As Randall demonstrates, with pained clarity, Harry steps out of whiteness itself, launching himself into a racialized exile. In Chattanooga, among the very people he tried to save, Harry becomes a stranger—never quite accepted, never fully at home, his journey exposing the cost of crossing lines in an era when the rules of identity are rigid and unforgiving. From that wrenching setup, Luce fast-forwards to the 1960s and the Civil Rights Movement, as a young Black activist named Aleck Sharpe, raised in the shadows of racial violence, joins the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee—but bristles at the doctrine of nonviolence, with Mississippi’s white supremacy chafing against everything he’s seen and felt.

Harry's punishing journey from a man of respectability to a disoriented "drowned man" exposes the social consequences of crossing racial boundaries in a violently bicolored era, and Aleck's woundedness positions violence as a domineering force suffered by Black lives. “We ran like rabbits,” Aleck reflects, his shame not just about running, but about having to run at all. Luce writes with intensity and sensitivity, giving voice to the fear, shame, and unbelonging that so often dominate America's racial landscape. The narrative refuses to romanticize resistance or villainize betrayal; rather, it insists that the deepest conflict lies not between races but within the self.

Luce traverses the haunted terrain of the segregated American South with historical precision, interrogating the complex construction of racial identity and the binary ways—violence and nonviolence—people are driven to pursue justice. As the story progresses to show the enduring impact of racism and denial of identity, readers can expect a weighty read, one that carries a profound message: belonging in a white man's world is neither given nor pure—it is fought for, fractured, and reimagined.

Takeaway: Crucial historical novel of American race, identity, and the cost of belonging.

Comparable Titles: William Melvin Kelley’s A Different Drummer, Denny S. Bryce’s In the Face of the Sun.

You can buy it on Amazon through the link above, or directly through the publisher's (GladEye Press) website.

If any people reading my new novel, or my previous two, have any questions for me, you can post them at the Ask the Author section of my author's profile.

Hi everyone! I’m Tony Brooks — author of Moonshine, Music, and Ghosts and The Light That Watches. I write stories that blur the line between the real and the unreal: Southern grit, family legends, and a touch of the supernatural on one side, and tech-driven paranormal horror on the other.

When I’m not writing, I’m usually reading anything that mixes truth, tension, and imagination — from memoirs to sci-fi. I love connecting with other writers and readers who enjoy stories that make you think and feel a little haunted afterward.

Looking forward to meeting everyone here and trading ideas, books, and maybe a few good ghost stories along the way.

Hey, Catching Up with the Classics Mods — There could be a Buffet or Bingo challenge to read one or more books by “Authors Among Us.” This might not only bring awareness of our author members but also could reward our most active posting authors.

We might need help figuring out who they are, but at least one of our mods and the above authors fall into that category. It would be a good act of fellowship to give them a boost by discussing the books, rating them and writing reviews. Our collective reach is probably amazingly high. Think about how many GR friends and followers we each have. If there are not enough to choose from in this group, it could be enlarged to Goodreads, generally. I have some other GR friends not in this group whose books I would also like to get to.

I realize that our group is focused on classics and this doesn’t fit the principal theme of our group. However, most of our
members read some contemporary novels each year. I read at least 12-15 relatively recent novels each year, possibly more. And we all love reading books and need writers to write our future classic books.

I would also challenge all authors who are members of the Catching Up with the Classics Group to sign into this thread and give a brief blurb about their book(s).

Oops, I just realized that I posted to the wrong group! Well, it probably applies here too!

Terry wrote: "Oops, I just realized that I posted to the wrong group! Well, it probably applies here too!"

As an author, I am very interested in your suggestion. What is a "Buffet or Bingo challenge"?

Randall, sorry to be so slow to answer. In another group, Catching Up with the Classics, in addition to Group Reads and Buddy Reads the moderators have set up 2 annual challenge threads.

The Buffet Challenge is a thread with 20 various challenges, such as A-Z Titles or Prize Winning Authors. Group members plan their reading in December and are encouraged to help themselves to the Buffet, but are under no pressure to finish every item chosen.

The Bingo Challenge is a scorecard with a single read required for each square. Each square has a challenge related to Classic books, such as read one classic mystery or read a classic from the 18th century. Members try for various “bingos” and/or for a “blackout” with every square read.

Members are also encouraged to set up their own personal challenges. I have a challenge called Terry’s Multi-Year 20th Century Challenge. When I started (2021?) my goal was to read one book for every year 1900 to 1999. At the end of this year, I have about a half dozen years left.

By the way, my idea about the authors challenge there did not get s very good reception. I did come up either another challenge which was included with this year’s Buffet, as Terry’s Book Chain. The idea was to take a year long journey with one book per month. You chose a book you want to tead to start the chain. Then the following month you take a word from the first month’s title to find your next book.

Terry wrote: "Randall, sorry to be so slow to answer. In another group, Catching Up with the Classics, in addition to Group Reads and Buddy Reads the moderators have set up 2 annual challenge threads.

The Buffe..."
Thanks for the information. Much appreciated.