Moon's Embrace, a First Novel

I recently had an opportunity to sit down with local author, Sparkie Allison, to discuss her first novel, Moon's Embrace. Sparkie is a well-known local musical artist who has played with several local bands, has a solo act and is an award winning songwriter. So what makes someone with so much on her plate sit down to write a novel? Just what flows from the video in her mind and rolls onto the paper for all to see?

Moon's Embrace is a deceptive name. It conjures loves scenes and romantic settings when the story is clearly an adventure comedy - with laugh out loud antics by the scene-stealing pups, Spirit and Sonnet. The fictional story takes place between Chicopee in western Massachusetts and the Catskills of New York. To ensure accurate, historic facts to tie the areas together, Sparkie spent time conferring with a reference clerk at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst with an eye to studying the bungalow villages that were so prominent in the Catskill Mountains. A trip to the Catskills anchored the vision of the fictional town of Teabag so fully that the town comes alive for the pleasure of the reader. The characters have the qualities of the people you meet every day on the streets, merged with traits of neighbors and friends. If you look closely you may just see yourself there, sitting on the dock and watching Big Guy with his motorboat or get a whiff of the beef roasting in Mother Dutram's tavern.

In Ms. Allison's own words, Moon's Embrace is "about small town life, a strong maternal community, diversity and inclusion, Native American teachings and some historical facts." The main character, Dr. Alexis Wolfe, leads a life haunted by emergency surgeries and young patients dependant on her care. "While Alexis harbors a bad case of self-destructive habits...she finds a new world and a caring community when she goes to visit her grandfather in the Catskills." A mystery unfolds, a chance meeting with Sheriff Devlin changes the way Alexis sees her life and even the dogs "learn some lessons about country living." Alexis doesn't always understand a community that cares, shares and enjoys a mystery, but soon learns the warmth of the community is genuine, the mystery is real and there are some big changes that she needs to make in her life.

Ms. Allison's book readings are more than readings. Guitar in hand, she performs songs inspired by the themes in the book, gives a background of the bungalow communities that the town of Teabag is based on, and talks of the characters as if they were sitting in the room. Her easy and conversational manner puts the audience at ease and wanting more -- which brought the conversation to the newest sensation in the local area among literary groups, a gathering known as "the Sparkie Party." With a chuckle and toss of her head, she smiled as she explained it as a house party where she performs her songs, talks about the book and autographs them. Kind of a Tupperware -literary party with entertainment!

To set up your own party just give her a call...but remember her schedule fills up fast! For details and for the dates of upcoming reading/performances check out her website: www.sparkieallison.ewebsite.com or email her at sparkieallison@charter.net. She'll be happy to share the details of her schedule and her upcoming performances, both as a singer / songwriter and now as a novelist.

Now back to the question as to why this adventure is titled Moon's Embrace - I could tell you but I wouldn't want to give away the mystery. You'll just have to read it for yourself.