Steal Away Home

I've been in love with Billy Coffey's ability to weave a story so well, that you are instantly transported from wherever you are to wherever he decides to take you. He has a way with words that goes beyond what one can describe except to say that it is a true gift to spin such a story, it make you wonder if there isn't a nugget of truth in there somewhere and he is taking you back to one of his memories so you can see it like he did. I've had the delight to read each and every single novel he has written and they all come with a uniqueness that you are picking up something sacred. I've been reading his short stories through his blog for years and was thrilled when he began to write novels.

You can sense that good ol' boy charm gleaned from the words that spill forth from the pages of his latest, Steal Away Home. I knew at some point in time we would see a story about Billy's love of baseball and feel this one is definitely a home run. One needs to understand something when you read one of his novels. They are all different in a sense that he is taking readers to often times, unexplored places within the character's mind to see things the way they did. In this novel it is through the eyes of Owen Cross, who like most young boys dreamed that one day he might make it to the big league spending childhood summers playing ball in sandlots with his friends. His natural ability is captivated upon by his father who watched his own dreams of making it into major league baseball slip away with a shoulder injury and now pushes Owen to the big dreams.

The one thing competing with Owen is a young girl who has captured his heart much like baseball did. He hopes that when it makes it big, he will be able to pull Micky along with him and rescue her from the life of being a less-than living among the small community of Mattingly, mostly being what the upper classes would consider plain white trash. But Owen sees the same thing in her that his dad sees in him, the opportunity for so much more than they could even dream. The novel toggles back and forth from Owen's childhood and his time with Micky, to the current day where he is making a debut of sorts in the big league, filling in if needed. The story is magical in the sense that you feel like you're Owen, the struggles he faces when people try and keep him and Micky apart, the differences in their upbringing and the outcome of the future for them both.

I received Steal Away Home by Billy Coffey compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and TLC Book Tours. This is such a beautiful story and I wasn't sure how receptive I would be of one involving a baseball player, but then movies like A League of Their Own and For the Love of the Game. It reminds you that times were simple in those days. Baseball was the epitome of technology and it is what drew people together for a common cause, to root for their team. I love the way Billy crafted this story in taking me back to those days of his childhood and how the decisions he made affect his future in ways no one could predict. Once again this one will sit like a priceless treasure in my own personal library and I can say it is getting full. Well down for hitting a grand slam in this novel and deserving of all 5 out of 5 stars in this reader's opinion.

For more information about Steal Away Home, Billy Coffey or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Steal Away Home by Billy Coffey

You can find Billy Coffey on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Steal Away Home, please visit TLC Book Tour page. 

Some Small Magic

"Keep your eye on things that matter and don't, and learn to know the difference. Most people die every day in some way or another. It's the good ones who only die once."

If you have never read a novel from Billy Coffey, you might just be missing out on one of the most articulate southern gentlemen's artistry with words. You might even call him a true wordsmith, but that down-home humility of Mr. Coffey's is likely to make you think he doesn't recognize his own God-given gift to weave such belivability into these stories, you might forget your reading a fictional novel.

In Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey, he takes readers back to the small-town charm of Mattingly, Virginia and into the heart of a broken young boy named Abel Shifflett, who has found himself at the hands of the school principal once again on the final day of school for getting even with Chris Jones, his nemesis and school bully by feeding him what looked to be a chocolate bar, but was in fact a large dose of laxative. This would put Chris Jones as the butt of jokes to come from here on out, but one that requires that his busy momma Lisa to leave work at the diner to come fetch Abel.

Abel is considered broken by many due to a medical condition that renders his bones to be soft and subject to breakage at the slightest fall or bump. He's gotten used to it, the way people want to ignore him instead of befriending him, and that is why his only friend is a young man called Dumb Willie. He wasn't born dumb, more like his parents beat him senseless and now they are stuck dealing with him. Yet Abel and Willie share something that transcends what most don't see and that is their genuine friendship for one another, the kind that would have either of them laying down their life for the other. But now, threat comes to Abel this summer, as Chris vows to get even with him, and that is a threat that Abel has to take serious. If he were to get into a fight with Chris, who knows how badly he might be in the hospital or even worse.

When a traveling miracle man heads to Mattingly, the principal recommends that Lisa and Abel might want to see him. Miracles are promised to those the man touches and it might just be what they both need to rise above all the slights from people based on their current status in town, barely making ends meet and of course Abel being born to an unwed mother in a small town is just the kind for rumors to circulate. One thing is certain, that night will forever change the lives of every single person in town, might be for the better or might be for the worse. Just depends on whose side you might be on!

I received Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey compliments of Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. The best thing about any of Billy's novels is that you don't know what you are getting yourself into, only that is will be a remarkable and amazing ride. For me, this one was a bit of blend between Meet Joe Black and What Dreams May Come. You might not know how it plays out in the end, but you know you are forever changed somehow by this journey into the unknown. There are so many exceptional quotes from this book, I don't wonder if I have most of the book highlighted over what isn't. Well worth every single 5 out of 5 stars. "Doesn't everything and all hold its own small magic, waiting to be revealed to one who merely bends close enough to behold it?"

For more information about Some Small Magic, Billy Coffey or where you can pre-order a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey

You can find Billy Coffey on Facebook, to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Some Small Magic, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

There Will Be Stars

"In the world it is called Tolerance, but in hell it is called Despair...the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes will nothing, enjoys nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and remains alive because there is nothing for which it will die. ~ Dorothy Sayers"

I sat here for quite some time, wondering how I can put into words what Billy Coffey's newest novel, There Will Be Stars is, without giving it away. I'm probably sure of one thing, after I write this review and publish it, think on it some more, will probably wish I had written something else. I always do when it comes to Billy's novels and that my friend, is what makes his novels so unique! I guess, I'm still wondering what genre it might fit into, because for some it will be one thing, and for others something else. I think people will all take something very different away from this novel, and that is what makes Billy Coffey's writing style so unique and almost ethereal in a sense. It takes you someplace, you're not sure you want to go, kinda of like hearing that strange noise at night, and you don't really want to know what it is, but you have to see for yourself if it is something or simply nothing at all.

There Will Be Stars in a novel from the Mattingly Series of novels Billy began writing about and as he places a disclosure at the beginning, these can be read in any order, but this one takes place a few years after  In the Heart of the Dark Wood. I love to read them in the order he has written them, and then I make in fact go back and read them in a different order. This is the story not only of Bobby Barnes, the main character in this novel but those who he is interconnected with. Not only those who play a role in this novel, but those who he speaks with in getting from the beginning to the end of this story.

Bobby Barnes is the town's drunk. He runs a automotive repair shop in the small town of Mattingly, Virginia, one in which everyone knows your business, often without your permission, because it is that small and everyone is connected in some unique way that can only be explained by the mind of the writer of the novel. People have been saying for some time, that Bobby will one day drink himself to death, either by consuming so much or by getting behind the wheel. Bobby might have a different opinion on that one. He works better when he has had a few even though he rarely gets much done. Perhaps he drinks to forget, perhaps he drinks simply because that is all he has known, and to do something different, might just throw him for a spin he isn't willing to take. Whatever the issue, this is the story of how Bobby defines those very moments in something I have a hard time describing. All I know is that you have to experience it to understand it and that my friend, is why you need to read this novel.

I received There Will Be Stars by Billy Coffey compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review and I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and personal opinion. How to describe what this novel is about is like mixing Groundhog Day with the Twilight Zone. There are six people who are about to find out what heaven or hell is like based on their own perceptions of where they are in life and how they see the events that are coming to them all. In fact, all I know is that Billy Coffey can spin a tale that will have you second guessing yourself all the way to the very end and make you want to reread it to see if you might have missed something along the way. For me, this is a definite sign of a truly talented writer, and for me, this one rates up there with something Stephen King might have written! Well worth again another 5 out of 5 stars! Keep em coming Billy Coffey, keep em coming! A reader's discussion guide is included at the conclusion and would make for one great novel for book clubs to take a poke at!

For more information about There Will Be Stars, Billy Coffey or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

There Will Be Stars by Billy Coffey

You can find Billy Coffey on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

To see more reviews on There Will Be Stars, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

Mattingly Series Novels by Billy Coffey 

When Mockingbirds Sing

The Devil Walks in Mattingly

In the Heart of the Dark Wood

The Curse of Crow Hollow

There Will Be Stars

The Curse of Crow Hollow

When I hear the name Billy Coffey when it comes to novels, I am immediately engaged and know I am in for something amazing, and unique. So when the opportunity came about to review his latest novel, The Curse of Crow Hollow, I knew this was definitely one I did not want to miss out on. I've been enamored with his uncanny Southern writing style from his novels, When Mockingbirds Sing, The Devil Walks in Mattingly and In the Heart of the Dark Wood. He takes readers into places no one really wants to go, but you find yourself traveling there somehow by a supernatural power. I liken his novels to that of such notables as Stephen King, because he takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary.

We all know places in the woods that seem to beckon us to stay clear, to stay away. Billy would call them holler's or as the title implies Hollows. They are the places where rumors and stories are birthed by a persons too active imagination and over time, they sprout roots and take on a life of their own. In this case, the reader is transported to a place known as simply Crow Hollow, by the locals who live there. They are quite a cast of characters that will not be forgotten. They believe in a form of law in which they take care of their own and rarely need the assistance of a sheriff from the nearby city of Mattingly. One event springs to life a kind of evil that can't be explained but needs to be experienced as only one can through this novel.

Cordelia Vest takes it upon herself to meet her friends Scarlett Bickford and Naomi Ramsay up at the old mines where a locked gate normally keeps out all the locals. But tonight it is Scarlett's birthday and they wanted to meet for a private celebration instead of gathering with the local teens at Harper's Field instead, where all their parents believe they are supposed to be. The girls have other plans, including Scarlett's idea to get John David, Cordelia's brother to notice her. Cordelia brings along her mother's diamond bracelet to make Scarlett's a bit more attractive for John David to notice her. She isn't the most self confident and lacks self esteem based on her looks. The only thing Scarlett had going for her besides the fact her daddy is the mayor but she is also one of the wealthiest families living in the Hollow.

Somehow the lines get crossed when John David shows up clearly upset that any of them have trespassed on private property and wants them all to leave. But when Scarlett takes it as rejection and runs off into the woods, the others know they have to find her. What they didn't plan on coming across was Alvaretta Graves who is a recluse living alone in the Hollow. But she isn't really alone. Legend has it she is a witch and when she runs into the four teens, she brings about a curse that will impact the teens first, and then the whole town. Trust me, you're in for a long night with this novel.

I received The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. You will want to carve out some weekend time to thoroughly enjoy this one. It's dark, it suspenseful and Billy takes his sweet time getting to the good stuff, there is no need to rush here, which is why this novel works so well. So many writers take so much time with back story or character development that by the time you are nearing the end, it comes as such a rush. Billy builds slowly, just like what begins to happen slowly one at a time to the people who live in the Hollow. Is it an evil curse from hell or it is something a whole lot more sinister? You'll have to pick it up to find out and in my opinion, it is worth every single one of the 5 out of 5 stars. Mr. Coffey, you are like fine wine, your writing only gets better with each novel.

For more information about The Curse of Crow Hollow, Billy Coffey or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey

You can find Billy Coffey on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

For more reviews on The Curse of Crow Hollow, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

In the Heart of the Dark Wood - Giveaway and Review

"Everyone was lost somehow, turned around in their own darkwood, looking for something that would help them go on. Everyone just wanted to find their way home."

It's been eighteen months since the Carnival Day Storm when life in Mattingly would be defined as "Old" or "New" based on where you were when you arrived in town. For one young 12-year-old girl, Allie Gunderson has been marking it off in days. 542 when the novel opens. Allie has been holding on to her version of faith, refusing to accept that the tornado that tore her mother from her life, had taken her away for good. Allie was the only one in town who believed that somehow, somewhere, her mother was still out there, waiting to find her way back home. It was why she believed in her daily rituals that began each morning, and offered her a hope that she might just make it through this day.
"It started with prayer, nothing extravagant or drawn out like the speeches in church; a simply hello and thank-you were usually enough, and were expressed more through Allie's mouth than her heart."(41).

It was simply a way to mark off the time until her mother, Mary made her way home. Tornadoes were like that some times, picking people up and setting them down miles away from home. But no matter how logical some might argue their point with Allie, her faith remained. The only thing she had left of that day was a compass from the Carnival that her mother had given her. It stopped working long ago, and the strap that held it to her wrist like a watch, was once a bright red, had worn to a faded pink. In fact, she would have lost it several times, had Zach Barnett, not reminded her to keep an eye on it. Zach was one of those parts of her life, where Allie would deny she had feelings for, much like her dog Sam, because Allie knew if you loved someone, God would take them away from you. So she kept them both at arms lengths refusing to acknowledge her feelings for them.

Until the day her compass began working again. It was the day her faith would be put to the test when Allie believed her mother had found a way to communicate with her. She was simply pointing the way for Allie to come find her and help her find her way home. Now all she needed was to convince Zach to come with her and help prove once and for all that her mother was not dead. She was simply lost and needed help to find her way home, back to Allie and her father Marshall. Zach knew that Allie was barely hanging on by a thread, but he wasn't about to let her set off in search of her mother by herself. They both promised themselves that they would only be gone for a few hours, home by dark, he promised his parents. That would be four days from the day they entered the woods.

I received In the Heart of the Dark Wood by Billy Coffey compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Billy Coffey for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions mentioned here are strictly my own unless otherwise notated. This is the third book in this series, and as the author mentions at the beginning, they can be read in any order, but I have to say the way they were written is the best way to begin them. This is a novel in my opinion that explores what faith means in the midst of our darkest times. It is where we face our greatest fears and find our truest strengths. It is where we are tested by fire to see what remains and in this case it is the greatest gift of all, love.

This isn't one of those novels that is wrapped up in a pretty bow at the end, but will cause you to reflect on the journey you find yourself on where you begin reading it. It's not meant to be rushed but savored, explored, and questioned as you the pages not only of Allie's faith, but Zach's character. It is a coming of age story in a different way because each of them has held on to something they have believed in, but hasn't been tested until they day the enter the woods and it will forever change them, not just Allie and Zach, but the entire town of Mattingly. Hands down, one of my favorites by Billy Coffey and I hope that this is not the end of Mattingly. Many more questions remain but perhaps the answers lie buried until another time. Well deserved 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. A Reading Group Guide is included at the conclusion of this novel.

Thanks to Billy Coffey and Thomas Nelson Publishers, they are offering a giveaway copy to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here are your guidelines:

1. "Like" Billy Coffey's Facebook page. If you're already a follower, simply leave a comment on his page.

2. Be a follower of Billy Coffey's blog, What I Learned Today. 

3. Be a resident of the US or have a US shipping address. Please No P.O. Boxes.

4. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of In the Heart of the Dark Wood. Don't forget to include your email address so I have a way to contact you, if you're the lucky winner of the giveaway. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

I will notify the winner by email once the giveaway ends on November 24th, and feel free to share this giveaway opportunities with everyone you know.

For more information about In the Heart of the Dark Wood, Billy Coffey or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

In the Heart of the Dark Wood by Billy Coffey

You can find Billy Coffey on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on In the Heart of the Dark Wood, please visit Thomas Nelson's website. 

The Devil Walks in Mattingly

As I finished the latest novel from Billy Coffey, The Devil Walks in Mattingly, I remember what he told me when I interviewed him on what the reader would find in this one. He told me it will be much darker. And it is. Much darker!

To those of you that are looking for a happy story of some facet of Billy's walk in life, this is NOT that novel. Ir reminds me in fact of the opening line that Jude Law narrates for Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, "Dear reader, there are people in the world who know no misery and woe. And they take comfort in cheerful films about twittering birds and giggling elves. There are people who know that there's always a mystery to be solved. And they take comfort in researching and writing down any important evidence. But this story is not about such people.The movie you are about to see is extremely unpleasant. If you wish to see a film about a happy little elf, I'm sure there is still plenty of seating in theatre number two."

This novel is actually the prequel to Billy's third novel, When Mockingbird Sings. I've been a huge fan of Billy's since the days I first came across his stories on his Blog, "What I Learned Today", and fell in love with his uncanny abililty to do more than just tell a great story. He makes it come alive and makes you part of the action. I wanted to run ahead and read The Devil Walks in Mattingly as fast as possible, because you will always come away changed after reading ANY of his books. This one was NO different, however much like a race horse yearning to run ahead at the start of the gun, this one held me back restrained. No matter how much I wanted to run ahead, this one made me go slow. To say this novel is deep and dark, is an understatement. I believe it's Billy's finest examples of just how versatile of a writer he truly is.

I liken this novel to something a bit of a blend between Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe and M. Night Shyalmalan's Sixth Sense. This is about what we all face when dealing with the guilt of sin in our lives. Especially in this case where the murder of a young boy, Phillip McBride that happened twenty years ago, is now being felt in the town of Mattingly, Virginia by those with guilty consciences, the local sheriff, Jake Barnett, his wife, Kate, and the recluse that lives in Happy Hollow, Taylor Hathcock. Each of them believes that they have had a hand in the murder of Phillip and each have found a coping method that is slowly unraveling at the seams.

For Jake, he is trying to avoid confrontation at all costs in his job as Mattingly's sheriff, including the apprehension of his own father, Justus wanted for the murder of three men. Jake is haunted by nightmares of that fateful day by Phillip to deprives him not only of sleep but in moving forward in his life. Phillip is the spectre with a warning that he is coming back for him and Kate, and no one will escape. But is it really happening or it just the over active imagination of a guilty conscience?

Kate is stuck making amends for her guilt, one I related to the most. She keeps a notebook of all the young people she has helped to atone for her sin. She is hoping one day, she will achieved enough good deeds to make up for the one she can't apologize for and for the innocent loss of life she claimed that day when her prank took an unexpected turn on the last day of high school.

For Taylor, he spends his days waiting for just the right moment to "wake" them all up. He suffers from a mental snap and believes that the life his is living is merely a dream and that he is the only one who can help them all. He cautiously spies upon the sleepy residents of Mattingly knowing that the day is close at hand. The one event that brings things to life is the day footprints appear in the Hollow from a protective grove that Taylor is the keeper of, that lead back to Mattingly and back to her. Now he just needs to find the clues to piece it all together, but this will also bring to the town of Mattingly, an evil they have never experienced before and one that will forever change the town.

I received The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey, compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own, unless otherwise noted. This is a novel that showcases much more than a well written story. It shows how far guilt can carry us if we allow it to fester unresolved. It also teaches us the power of forgiveness. People often say that forgiveness is for others, but I beg to differ, it is for us that have been wronged instead. There is freedom in being able to forgive those who have wronged us, no matter what has happened. Those who can't are likely Jake, Kate and Taylor who are stuck feeling justified in keeping those feelings locked inside, and thus become more trapped and tormented than anyone should ever have to. By the time, you get to the end of this one, you will understand what grace truly is and how much freedom there is in forgiveness before you can ever move forward. In my opinion, by far, Billy's finest novel to date. There is such maturity in his writing this novel that is unparallelled in anything I have read and thus the reason for my 5 out of 5 stars. Looking forward to going even deeper Billy!

For more information about The Devil Walks in Mattingly, Billy Coffey or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey

You can find Billy Coffey on Facebook to stay up to date will all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Devil Walks in Mattingly, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website. 

To read more reviews on The Devil Walks in Mattingly, please visit Litfuse Publicity Book Tour Page. 

Billy Coffey is celebrating his new book, The Devil Walks in Mattingly, with a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway.







 



One winner will receive:




• A Kindle Fire HDX


• The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey


Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 5th. Winner will be announced April  7th on Billy's blog. Watch Billy give the backstory of the book here.







Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Billy's blog on April 7th to see if you won.

The Devil Walks in Mattingly

As I finished the latest novel from Billy Coffey, The Devil Walks in Mattingly, I remember what he told me when I interviewed him on what the reader would find in this one. He told me it will be much darker. And it is. Much darker!

To those of you that are looking for a happy story of some facet of Billy's walk in life, this is NOT that novel. Ir reminds me in fact of the opening line that Jude Law narrates for Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, "Dear reader, there are people in the world who know no misery and woe. And they take comfort in cheerful films about twittering birds and giggling elves. There are people who know that there's always a mystery to be solved. And they take comfort in researching and writing down any important evidence. But this story is not about such people.The movie you are about to see is extremely unpleasant. If you wish to see a film about a happy little elf, I'm sure there is still plenty of seating in theatre number two."

This novel is actually the prequel to Billy's third novel, When Mockingbird Sings. I've been a huge fan of Billy's since the days I first came across his stories on his Blog, "What I Learned Today", and fell in love with his uncanny abililty to do more than just tell a great story. He makes it come alive and makes you part of the action. I wanted to run ahead and read The Devil Walks in Mattingly as fast as possible, because you will always come away changed after reading ANY of his books. This one was NO different, however much like a race horse yearning to run ahead at the start of the gun, this one held me back restrained. No matter how much I wanted to run ahead, this one made me go slow. To say this novel is deep and dark, is an understatement. I believe it's Billy's finest examples of just how versatile of a writer he truly is.

I liken this novel to something a bit of a blend between Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe and M. Night Shyalmalan's Sixth Sense. This is about what we all face when dealing with the guilt of sin in our lives. Especially in this case where the murder of a young boy, Phillip McBride that happened twenty years ago, is now being felt in the town of Mattingly, Virginia by those with guilty consciences, the local sheriff, Jake Barnett, his wife, Kate, and the recluse that lives in Happy Hollow, Taylor Hathcock. Each of them believes that they have had a hand in the murder of Phillip and each have found a coping method that is slowly unraveling at the seams.

For Jake, he is trying to avoid confrontation at all costs in his job as Mattingly's sheriff, including the apprehension of his own father, Justus wanted for the murder of three men. Jake is haunted by nightmares of that fateful day by Phillip to deprives him not only of sleep but in moving forward in his life. Phillip is the spectre with a warning that he is coming back for him and Kate, and no one will escape. But is it really happening or it just the over active imagination of a guilty conscience?

Kate is stuck making amends for her guilt, one I related to the most. She keeps a notebook of all the young people she has helped to atone for her sin. She is hoping one day, she will achieved enough good deeds to make up for the one she can't apologize for and for the innocent loss of life she claimed that day when her prank took an unexpected turn on the last day of high school.

For Taylor, he spends his days waiting for just the right moment to "wake" them all up. He suffers from a mental snap and believes that the life his is living is merely a dream and that he is the only one who can help them all. He cautiously spies upon the sleepy residents of Mattingly knowing that the day is close at hand. The one event that brings things to life is the day footprints appear in the Hollow from a protective grove that Taylor is the keeper of, that lead back to Mattingly and back to her. Now he just needs to find the clues to piece it all together, but this will also bring to the town of Mattingly, an evil they have never experienced before and one that will forever change the town.

I received The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey, compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own, unless otherwise noted. This is a novel that showcases much more than a well written story. It shows how far guilt can carry us if we allow it to fester unresolved. It also teaches us the power of forgiveness. People often say that forgiveness is for others, but I beg to differ, it is for us that have been wronged instead. There is freedom in being able to forgive those who have wronged us, no matter what has happened. Those who can't are likely Jake, Kate and Taylor who are stuck feeling justified in keeping those feelings locked inside, and thus become more trapped and tormented than anyone should ever have to. By the time, you get to the end of this one, you will understand what grace truly is and how much freedom there is in forgiveness before you can ever move forward. In my opinion, by far, Billy's finest novel to date. There is such maturity in his writing this novel that is unparallelled in anything I have read and thus the reason for my 5 out of 5 stars. Looking forward to going even deeper Billy!

For more information about The Devil Walks in Mattingly, Billy Coffey or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey

You can find Billy Coffey on Facebook to stay up to date will all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Devil Walks in Mattingly, please visit Thomas Nelson Publisher's website.

Sittin on the Porch Talking with Billy Coffey!

Picture us just sitting on the front porch sipping some sweet tea as twilight settles over the town of Mattingly, Virginia the backdrop for his latest book When The Devil Walks in Mattingly. I am here tonight with Mr. Billy Coffey (sounds like the drink only spelled differently, a reference to The Green Mile) whom I’ve had the pleasure of knowing through the blogging world just before any of his books were published, and I am so thrilled to watch the progress of where he is headed one book at a time.

In our last interview just after When Mockingbirds Sing, you had stated that The Devil Walks in Mattingly would be a much different, deeper and darker book. After reading it, I would have to agree with you. What would you say to people who have read your books like Snow Day and Paper Angels that wonder why your books have taken on a much darker and violent tone? 

There’s no doubt that my last two novels are much different in tone and scope than my first two. I’d say Snow Day and Paper Angels were the best books I could write at the time. I’m proud of them, I think they’re good novels, but I was just starting out with fiction and kind of feeling my way. One of the many benefits of having Thomas Nelson as my publisher is that they’ve really let me be free to write the kinds of stories I want, and I’ve always been drawn to those deeper and darker books. Maybe it’s a Southern thing. I’m a product of my environment. I grew up on old mountain stories of the supernatural and tales of moonshine wars. As strange as it may sound, there’s something very honest about those old tales. They speak a great deal to the grace and violence that lies in the human heart.

In such great novels that are studied in school, there is always an underlying theme. What is the theme in The Devil Walks in Mattingly?

There’s an undercurrent of remorse and regret throughout the book, not just from Jake, Kate, and Taylor, but from nearly all of the characters. They all carry a burden, and that burden has grown so heavy over the years that they can barely continue on. I don’t set out to write about a theme, it usually just pops up on its own while I’m doing the writing. What popped up this time was that notion that we’re all carrying a burden, and it’s only grace that allows us the freedom to lay that burden down.

I found it unusual that you used two distinct symbols pertaining to animals, why the use of the mockingbird in When Mockingbird Sings and just what do the butterflies symbolize in When The Devil Walks in Mattingly? Will there be something in your next novel as well, if so what might that be?

The mockingbird from When Mockingbirds Sing was a memory. When I was growing up, a mockingbird would sing every night during the summer from the maple tree in my backyard. I couldn’t go to sleep until I heard it. It was my mom who told me that bird was singing for a mate—for a love it wanted but didn’t have. That just stuck with me.
   
The butterflies in Devil sort of came out of nowhere. I was stuck writing Jake’s first dream, and that image just popped in my head. Butterflies seem so angelic in a way, so innocent. They made a good image for something that bridged heaven and earth.

At the beginning of When the Devil Walks in Mattingly, the publisher posted a note that these novels can be read in any order, but doesn’t The Devil Walks in Mattingly come first? What can you tell us about the random order of the novels, meaning why can the reader choose to read them in any order? 

All of my novels can be read alone in the sense that the stories are self-contained. For this book, though, I thought it helpful to note that the events happened four years before When Mockingbirds Sing took place. The Devil Walks in Mattingly actually runs parallel to my second novel, Paper Angels. It tells the second half of that story. The book after Devil will pick up where Mockingbirds left off.

What is the idea behind the setting of Happy Hollow? When I read it, it reminded me about the ancient circle in Stephen King’s novel Pet Semetary. It definitely sounds like a place where boys would receive a dare to trespass in an effort to show what they are made of?

There are 30,000 acres of wilderness outside my front door known to everyone around here as The Coal Road. It’s a beautiful place, pristine and largely untouched, but it will seriously creep you out if you get stuck in there at night. All sorts of stories are associated with that wood, everything from ghosts to witches to monsters. Mattingly is written as though it’s this small town sitting on a thin spot between worlds. I wanted one place where that spot is thinnest. Happy Hollow felt like the perfect place, and The Coal Road offered me the perfect description of it. 

Can you give us a sneak peek into what lies ahead in the next novel for the town of Mattingly? I know you stated that it revolves around Jake the Sheriff as well as Allie and Zach in Heart of the Dark Wood.

In the Heart of the Dark Wood picks up about a year and a half after most of Mattingly was destroyed by the tornado. The town is trying to heal, as are the people. It’s a bad time for everyone, Allie especially. She’s still clinging to the hope that her mother is alive, and that hope takes her on the journey of her life. 

Thanks again Billy for taking the time out of your busy day to once again enlighten us into the writer’s heart of yours! I wish you much success and God’s blessing as this book finds its way into the hands of readers everywhere. 

The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey is available everywhere beginning tomorrow, but trust me, don't wait. Visit his website and order When Mockingbirds Sing and When The Devil Walks in Mattingly. Check back in tomorrow to get my thoughts on The Devil Walks in Mattingly! 

Sitting Down with author Billy Coffey!

I've always loved great stories. In part, because they stay with you long after you have finished. Some in fact have embedded themselves in my mind that even now they seem like my own personal memories. Then one day something truly wonderful happened. I came across a blog titled simply, "What I Learned Today" from Billy Coffey. He shared these simple, but relevant true stories that resounded deep inside your soul and once there they have never left. I am thrilled for that because I've gotten the opportunity to watch him live a dream.

He began writing these incredible stories on his blog while waiting for his big break. It has taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears but in the end, Billy is living every writers dream, to see your book published. Not only that but well received, liked, talked about and in demand. 

If you're a firm follower of Billy Coffey, then you already know most of this, but if you have found your way here today, well I'd like to believe God brought you here for a purpose.When Mockingbirds Sing is Billy's third novel. His first, Snow Day, is an amazing novel that chronicles what happens when that inevitable snow day occurs to different people all over a wonderful city. There is truly something to be found for everyone who reads it and everyone definitely has their favorite parts of the book. 

Paper Angels was Billy's second novel debut and chronicles the life of Andy Sommerville, who has been visited throughout his life by one he deems, the Old Man, who instructs him to keep a box of mementos that share special memories of people who have impacted his life. This is where we get to know just what the purpose in the collecting means and how he shares it with a woman named Elizabeth, he believes is a counselor in the hospital. What happens along the way touches you long after you finish the novel. 

Now in When Mockingbirds Sing, by far for me, his best novel yet, we are taken back to the town of Mattingly and we meet the Norcross family who has just moved there from a place simply known by the locals as Away. The story revolves around their nine-year-old daughter Leah who feels isolated partly because of her stutter. She finds solace in her conversations with the Rainbow Man who is only visible to Leah. The story builds as Leah finds herself painting pictures based on instructions from the Rainbow Man who appeal specifically to those she paints them for. It soon draws a line in the sand between the people of Mattingly who believe Leah and those that don't. You'll have to pick this one up to see the climatic ending of just what happens when people can't find explanations for what is going on in their small town. 

Now the fun part. I got to take some time and ask Billy some questions not only about the novel When Mockingbirds Sing but also about life in general. So without further delay, here goes!

1.Where did the idea to introduce mockingbirds to the novel stem from? In other words, why mockingbirds and not another species of bird?

My grandmother loved birds. I remember being just a kid and going to work up the garden with her. She’d start calling birds, one after the other—robins, sparrows, cardinals, anything. She’d whistle and sound just like them, and after a while I’d look up at the telephone line that ran the length of their yard and see it covered with birds. But she loved mockingbirds most of all. She passed on when I was just a boy. But for years after, every summer there would be a mockingbird singing every night in the big maple in our backyard. It just stuck with me, I guess.

2. Will there be another novel coming as a sequel to When Mockingbirds Sing? I know you are working on the companion book to Paper Angels involving the town of Mattingly again, but will there be one that continues the story of some of the characters in When Mockingbirds Sing like Allie, Tom or Ellen Norcross or even the Sheriff Jake since we never quite got to hear about his story of Happy Hollow.

The next novel will focus on Sheriff Jake. The one after that will be Allie’s. I think all the characters but Allie found some sort of closure by the end of When Mockingbirds Sing. That was by design. Allie’s my favorite, so I’m not done with her quite yet. Unfortunately, that also means she’s going to be hurting quite a bit.

3. What do you hope people take away from reading When Mockingbirds Sing?

I think there’s a prevalence in today’s society to fit everything we can into a single tiny box, whether it’s politics or social concerns or religion. That’s one of the main points the story ends up making—life is too full of mystery to be neatly fit into either/or. It’s oftentimes more and/both.

4. What made you decide to take a darker spin to your writing style? There is obviously a darker element that we see at play in this novel with a suspense side that is created when the painting Leah creates begin to have a prophetic vision to them.

I spent my first two books trying to get a feel for writing fiction. Mockingbirds is the result of that. Thomas Nelson gave me the freedom to produce the kind of books I really wanted to write. Mockingbirds really is darker than my other two novels. In some ways, the next one is even darker than Mockingbirds. But you know what? I think real life can be pretty dark as well, and I’m a big believer in the notion that we’re all surrounded by the unseen. So I don’t mind using a little darkness. It makes the light brighter.

5. Do you think the Rainbow Man will be returning in any of your future novels?

You never know. My gut reaction is no. But I’ll qualify that by saying the Rainbow Man was an instance of God stepping into the world for a brief moment, and that’s something you’ll always see in my books.

6. What do you think are the earmarks of a great storyteller?

An ear for dialogue, an eye for setting, and a good dose of honesty. And I think the best stories—the ones that stand the test of time—are those who don’t just tell what happens, but also speak to the deepest parts of us and what it means to be human.

7. How do you stay true to your faith in your novels without going overly religious that might turn some readers off?

I always think of the book of Esther in the Old Testament. God’s never mentioned once in those ten chapters, and yet He’s everywhere—just behind the scenes. That’s what I try to keep in mind when I write.

8. You say you wanted to be a baseball player growing up, have you considered the possibility of writing a book about a baseball player?

Oh, I’m sure sooner or later the subject of baseball will come up in a book. Or two. There are already a couple of ideas floating around.

9. What would the local people around your small town have to say about Billy Coffey?

I’m not sure a lot of them know I write books, or if they do, they don’t much care. I’m just Billy to all of them, and I like that just fine.

10. What is the biggest compliment/reward you’ve received since having your books published?

I think every writer wants to hear from readers who say this story was great or that character was riveting, but the best rewards to me are those who say a book or a blog post has really helped them through a rough time in their lives. That’s what I live for.

So there you have it in a nutshell! I want to personally thank Billy Coffey for taking some time out of his day to answer these questions. If you haven't already done so you can find more about Billy Coffey by visiting his website and while your there you can even get 30% off When Mockingbirds Sing by clicking here.

You can also follow Billy Coffey on Facebook so you don't miss out on any of his novels or short stories.

You can find his latest novel at your favorite book retailer or on Amazon by clicking here.

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 4, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401688217
• ISBN-13: 978-1401688219
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches

When Mockingbirds Sing

The best part of a great book is when you can take a few moments after the final page has been turned, you close your eyes, sigh, and remember just how great a story that was you just read. One that will live long in your soul like a priceless memory. In fact for as far back as I can recall, almost anything that author Billy Coffey has written has lingered in my mind and touched my heart in profound ways. In his latest novel, When Mockingbirds Sing is definitely not like anything I had ever read from him before. This one gripped me from the first chapter and wouldn't let me go. I quite literally couldn't do anything else until I uncovered the magic that was taking place in the small town of Mattingly, Virginia. Think of it like your personal Mayberry of sorts. The kind of town where everyone knows one another, where often times they can rally together for the good of the community. It's also a place where when things can't be explained that people can assume to worst in others. But all that is about to change when one little girl, Leah Norcross came to town and brought the magic with her.

Leah is the only child of Tom and Ellen Norcross. Your average family from the looks on the outside. Tom is a full-time psychologist in town and has cut back his hours to spend more time with his family. Something he promised them before they moved here. But something in Tom's past won't let him go and he'll have to decide where his true priorities lie when no matter what he tries, he can't seem to heal his own daughter, Leah of her ability to stutter. What's even worse is the divide it has been causing in his own marriage to Ellen. They are more like room mates than husband and wife lately and he is struggling to find a way to create bridge to bring his family back together. Will Leah's magic be enough to heal her family as well?

Leah's only goal in life to to have friends, but she has learned long ago that when you are different like she is, people will often go to great lengths to be mean and stay away from you. So she is more than thrilled when the Rainbow Man appears and offers to work with Leah to help what is ailing this small town. The only problem with the Rainbow Man is that no one can see him but Leah. Leah and the Rainbow Man are about to change the lives of the people living in Mattingly like they had never imagined and all those prayers to God are about to point to what Leah can paint in her remarkable pictures handcrafted just for each one of them. What is really going on with Leah and her paintings? Just what is the Rainbow Man? Is he sent from God or somewhere else?

For that answer to the mystery of the magic in Mattingly, you'll have to pick up a copy of When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey. After picking up a copy of this novel, you'll want to carve out a good portion of time to sit back and watch the real storytelling magic of Billy Coffey's writing transport you as a silent observer into the lives of the people in Mattingly. The interesting note I found when I began my own journey is that the voice in the story reminded me of the narrator from the movie Charlotte's Web (1973), Rex Allen, whose gentle and warm voice lulls you into a magical world that only Billy Coffey can create through his words. This is one not to be missed and will change how you see things in the world today. There is magic alive all around us if we are only willing to look for it.

 It's been a true pleasure to review When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and the down to earth author Billy Coffey, himself. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review on this novel and easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars. I've had the distinguished pleasure of adding so many of Billy Coffey's short stories to my personal library through his novels but also through his blog, What I Learned Today.  Make sure you grab a comfy spot on the porch swing, make a tall glass of some Southern Sweet Tea and prepare yourself for a truly unforgettable journey into the world of Billy Coffey today! To wrap up this novel in one word would simply be "Awesome Sauce!"

For more information about When Mockingbirds Sing, Billy Coffey or where to pick up a copy of this inspirational novel today, please click on the links below:

When Mockingbirds Sing by Billy Coffey

You can follow Billy Coffey on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 4, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401688217
• ISBN-13: 978-1401688219
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches 

You can find When Mockingbirds Sing in paperback and eBook Formats at your local book retailer.

Paper Angels

Not all angels look like cherubs. Andy Sommerville's personal angel looks like an old man and "Old Man" is just what Andy calls him. Ever since Andy was ten years old, the Old Man has been appearing to him - cautioning him, advising him, always trying to set him on the right path. And, over the years, the Old Man has encouraged Andy to collect mementos of the people who have been important to him and to keep them hidden inside an old wooden box.

Now, things have suddenly gone very wrong for Andy: The victim of a shocking and senseless crime committed at his gas station, he awakes in the hospital to find that he's been badly burned. Even worse, the Old Man - his lifelong friend - visits one last time to let Andy know that he won't be seeing him again. But Andy isn't alone. Beside him in the hospital room sits a woman, Elizabeth, whom Andy takes to be a counselor. With Elizabeth's gentle guidance, he goes through all the objects in his box, explaining - and reliving - the critical moments of his life. In the process, he discovers the wondrous meaning for which his seemingly ordinary existence has been preparing him. (except back cover).

In the latest novel due out in November 2011, Billy Coffey once more magically weaves his talent for telling stories with down home charm in Paper Angels. Andy Sommerville finds himself in the hospital, dealing with the physical and emotional pain left not only from his recent accident but in looking back on what his life has accomplished up to this point. Andy has spent most of his life, alone, withdrawn and not the type to make friends easily. Even though as owner of a gas station in town, he remains friendly but not the type to take it beyond his work place interactions.

This leaves Andy at the point in which his angel "Old Man" tells him over his life, to collect certain objects and keep them stored in a box. When asked why, the Old Man tells him, in time, all the answers will become known. Not quite knowing what the significance of certain objects he is asked to keep will do, he does as asked. Now recovering in the hospital, his counselor Elizabeth asks him to share the contents of the box and along with each comes the magical and gifted talent that readers of Billy Coffey have come to love and enjoy. In the end, Andy realizes that the ordinary life he has lived is not so ordinary in God's eyes.

I received this advance copy of Paper Angels by Billy Coffey compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups, for my honest review and couldn't wait to read it. Being a huge fan of Billy's since before his first book, Snow Day was published, one had to enjoy his daily stories through his blog, until his brilliance was seen for what it was to everyone who had been captivated by his words. If you have never read anything by Billy Coffey, I think you're missing out. Once you start, you won't be able to start. This one rates another perfect 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait to see what he will write about next. This one comes highly recommended and one that will always have a permanent home on my library shelf.

For more information about this book, the talented and gifted author and where to pre-order you copy of the book in time for the release in November, please click on the links below:

Paper Angels by Billy Coffey

You can also find Billy on Facebook by clicking here.

You can read more of his stories through his personal blog by clicking here.

Snow Day - Review

Peter Boyd is your typical family man. He works hard to support his family of four living in a small Virginia town nestled against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Peter learns from a company wide memo that "Exciting Announcement!!!" is taking place tomorrow even though through the union grapevine there is speculation that is means lay offs. This just weeks before Christmas.

How does a man get through the day, wondering how he is going to provide for his family when in this economy, jobs are hard to come by. Especially a job that he's been at for some time and is making enough to support his family pretty well. In this day in age where jobs are a dime a dozen. Peter decides when he woke up that morning and found out that the weather man was wrong big time, that he too, could afford to take a "Snow Day", and just enjoy this one day while things in his life were still the way he left them last night.

Little did Peter realize how God would play out in a variety of roles through various people, Peter would encounter that day, to show him just what is really important in life and that worrying about them changes nothing. Peter's life on this day will never be the same but profoundly changed forever by an unexpected snow fall.

In his debut novel, Billy Coffey once more takes his readers on a magic journey into the various lives of the people we will meet through Peter Boyd and the need to venture out in search of "bread and milk" for his family and neighbors in "Snow Day"! At the conclusion of each chapter, Peter reflects what the purpose of his encounter means to him and this is where we catch our "Billyisms" or pieces of wonderful wisdom that embed themselves in your heart!

If you haven't heard of Billy Coffey, then you have been missing out of one of the finest writers that is guaranteed to not only touch your heart, but change your life forever by the words he uses to take us on the ride of our lives. I've known Billy Coffey for quite some time as a writer who was hoping one day to share his love of story-telling on his blog, "What I Learned Today" and have a book published. For all of us who have believed that Billy Coffey was a star just waiting to be discovered, this diamond is truly shining in his first book.

His down home charm and virtual porch allows the readers to share a piece of Billy's heart as he shares his personal story through the life of Peter Boyd. This is by far one of the best books I have read to date and once I had the opportunity to review it, I knew I had received a true gift.

I received Snow Day compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and for me this one rates off the scale. It's worthy of 10 stars! For more information on this book, the amazing and talented Billy Coffey, and where to purchase a copy of this life changing book and read an excerpt, continue to read further:

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Snow DayFaithWords (October 11, 2010)
by
Billy Coffey
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

When you’re raised in small-town Virginia by a redneck father and a Mennonite mother, certain things become ingrained. And when you marry a small-town girl and have two small-town kids, all you want to do is pass those ingrained things along.

Like believing the best life is one lived in the country enjoying the pleasures it provides—summer nights beneath the stars, rocking chairs on the front porch, deer grazing in the fields. And believing that no matter how iffy life can get sometimes, there are some things that are eternal and unchanging.

But above all else, believing that in everything there is story waiting to be told.

That’s where I come in.

Billy Coffey was raised on stories. The first ones came on the front porches of relatives, tales laced with local charm and deep meaning. Then came the stories from people like Max Lucado and Robert Fulghum, who write with a charm and deep meaning of their own.

Billy lives with his wife and two children in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. If you drive by his house, you’ll probably spot him on the front porch. If you do, give him a wave. He’ll wave back.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this debut novel, Peter is a simple man who lives by a simple truth--a person gains strength by leaning on his constants. To him, those constants are the factory where he works, the family he loves, and the God who sustains him. But when news of job cuts comes against the backdrop of an unexpected snowstorm, his life becomes filled with far more doubts than certainties.

With humor and a gift for storytelling, Billy Coffey brings you along as he spends his snow day encountering family, friends, and strangers of his small Virginia town. All have had their own battles with life's storms. Some have found redemption. Others are still seeking it. But each one offers a piece to the puzzle of why we must sometimes suffer loss, and each one will help Peter find a greater truth--our lives are made beautiful not by our big moments, but our little ones. (2010)

To read an excerpt from Snow Day, go HERE.

You can also visit his website at http://billycoffey.com and sign up to follow his blog and his writings every day. I also did an interview with Billy Coffey back in August 2009, click here to take you back in time and read what an incredible man he is!!!

Snow Day - Giveaway and Review

Peter Boyd is your typical family man. He works hard to support his family of four living in a small Virginia town nestled against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Peter learns from a company wide memo that "Exciting Announcement!!!" is taking place tomorrow even though through the union grapevine there is speculation that is means lay offs. This just weeks before Christmas.

How does a man get through the day, wondering how he is going to provide for his family when in this economy, jobs are hard to come by. Especially a job that he's been at for some time and is making enough to support his family pretty well. In this day in age where jobs are a dime a dozen. Peter decides when he woke up that morning and found out that the weather man was wrong big time, that he too, could afford to take a "Snow Day", and just enjoy this one day while things in his life were still the way he left them last night.

Little did Peter realize how God would play out in a variety of roles through various people, Peter would encounter that day, to show him just what is really important in life and that worrying about them changes nothing. Peter's life on this day will never be the same but profoundly changed forever by an unexpected snow fall.

In his debut novel, Billy Coffey once more takes his readers on a magic journey into the various lives of the people we will meet through Peter Boyd and the need to venture out in search of "bread and milk" for his family and neighbors in "Snow Day"! At the conclusion of each chapter, Peter reflects what the purpose of his encounter means to him and this is where we catch our "Billyisms" or pieces of wonderful wisdom that embed themselves in your heart!

If you haven't heard of Billy Coffey, then you have been missing out of one of the finest writers that is guaranteed to not only touch your heart, but change your life forever by the words he uses to take us on the ride of our lives. I've known Billy Coffey for quite some time as a writer who was hoping one day to share his love of story-telling on his blog, "What I Learned Today" and have a book published. For all of us who have believed that Billy Coffey was a star just waiting to be discovered, this diamond is truly shining in his first book.

His down home charm and virtual porch allows the readers to share a piece of Billy's heart as he shares his personal story through the life of Peter Boyd. This is by far one of the best books I have read to date and once I had the opportunity to review it, I knew I had received a true gift.

I received Snow Day compliments of Hachette Book Group for my honest review and for me this one rates off the scale. It's worthy of 10 stars! For more information on this book, the amazing and talented Billy Coffey, and where to purchase a copy of this life changing book and read an excerpt, click on the title below:

Snow Day

You can also visit his website at http://billycoffey.com and sign up to follow his blog and his writings every day. I also did an interview with Billy Coffey back in August 2009, click here to take you back in time and read what an incredible man he is!!!

The wonderful people at Hachette Book Groups is offering 3 copies of this book to lucky winners of this blog. Here are your guidelines to enter:

1. You must be a follower of this blog.

2. Stop by Billy's website and congratulate him today on his book debut.

3. Join Billy's blog, "What I Learned Today",because I know once you sign up, you'll be completely hooked and you won't want to miss out on his stories.

4. Must be a resident of the US or Canada and please No P.O. Boxes.

5. I need a way to contact you if you are one of the lucky winners, so please include an email address with your comment. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols. The giveaway ends on Oct 19th.

6. Leave me a comment and tell me why you'd love to win a copy of Billy's book.

Again, congratulations Billy Coffey, we just knew you'd do it!!! Bright Lites will never be the same again!!!