Straight Chatting from the Library: The Story that Made Us Stronger by Iris March

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READ THE INTERVIEW

What is the favorite book you remember as a child?

I wish I remembered the name of it! As a second and third grader, there was a book that I checked out at least six times at our school library. It was about a Native American young woman who got stranded on an island alone. She befriended some dolphins and got stuck in an underwater cave. I don’t think I should reread it now because it might not be as magical as an adult but I loved the story.

Tell us about your current book in 10 words.

Abandoned building catches attention of runner. His friends uncover secrets.
This was much harder than I thought it would be!

What are you reading right now?

The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson. It’s been on my TBR for too long and I am absolutely loving the story, the main characters, and the setting.

Do you have any bad book habits?

I seem to pretend that e-books that are less than $3 are free and I buy too many. My TBR is out of control!

E-Reader or print? and why?

I love reading on a Kindle because I love the built in dictionary and the fact that I can bring my whole library with me wherever I go. I also love highlighting in a Kindle because I would absolutely never highlight a real book unless I felt like it was a textbook. Textbooks are meant to be highlighted.

One book at a time or multiples?

I very rarely read more than one book at a time. Perhaps a nonfiction book as well as a fiction book but I never read more than one fiction book at a time.

When do you do most of your reading?

I read before I fall asleep in bed every night but that’s only for about a half hour. I really enjoy taking an hour in the afternoon on a weekend to read in the hammock or by the fire snuggled under a blanket (with a kitty or two for company).

Favorite genre?

I love cozy mysteries! I also enjoy an occasional thriller and have read a lot of fantasy in the past.

What would make you not finish a book?

If I realize a book is taking me weeks to finish, that means I’m bored and I’ll give up. Also, if I don’t think the characters or the dialogue are believable, I’ll just say the book isn’t for me. Reading is my hobby and I want to enjoy it so if I’m not enjoying a book, there’s no reason to finish it.

READ THE BLURB

An abandoned building. A motivated runner. A Hodgkin's Lymphoma cancer survivor.

Connor Jackson has been training for a half marathon for the past six weeks. Katie Brandt has been training to beat cancer for the past 50. When Connor discovers an intriguing secret in a tiny, abandoned building on his running route, Katie finds that the mystery is what she needs to help her get through her three-week stem cell replacement procedure. Together, Conner and Katie must find the strength to achieve their personal goals and, in the meantime, expose the many past lives that the tiny building led.

READ AN EXCERPT

The Golf Course Manager
Katie Brandt

After Connor left for the day, I was amped up as I always was after chemo. My body was worn out and aching, but my mind wouldn’t stop. I tried to take a nap but couldn’t find sleep, even with the blinds closed and all the lights off. I just kept thinking about my kids, having conversations with them in my head about why I was away from them. I was doing this stem cell replacement ordeal for them: so that their mommy wouldn’t get leukemia later in their lives. I’d promised that I’d never leave them.

No matter the time of day, I usually had a hard time getting to sleep in this bed, in this hospital room. I dragged myself across the room and found my computer. After I settled back into bed, I searched Google Maps and found the area that Connor had pointed out before. His excitement was contagious, and now I wanted to know more about that building too. I saw the golf course and some of the trail through the trees on the satellite images. Once I clicked on the road view, I could see the building itself that Connor was talking about. It really looked old despite the grainy picture, yet somehow familiar. I wondered if I had driven past it before. I looked up the golf course and poked around their website and then the Park District’s website.

“Someone has to know something!” I said to myself. There was a list of historical buildings that the Park District managed, but nothing about one being on or near that golf course. After twenty minutes of not finding anything to give me a single answer, I decided to just call the Park District itself. Why not? It was still only 3:45; they’d be open. I dialed the Administration Office downtown first.

“Hello, Park District Administration Office. This is Tammy. How can I help you?” Her spiel sounded very rehearsed and overly chipper.

“Hi, Tammy. My name is Katie. I’m a resident of Hawthorn Heights and was wondering if you guys can tell me more about an interesting building that sits along a trail I frequent. I have a bet with my friend about who can find out info about it fastest.” I could really turn on the charm when I needed to, even when I didn’t feel well. Call it a gift. When you used a person’s name and told them they were doing you a favor, they wanted to help most of the time. I was also good at seeing everyone as a person, not just someone in my way. I knew everyone had their own thing going on and tried to respect that.

“What an interesting request, Katie!” Tammy exclaimed. She was really excited about this, too, and we were both name users. I hoped she didn’t see through my charm. “Let me see if I can find it on our maps.”

MEET THE AUTHOR

Iris March grew up the oldest of three sisters whose names all began with the same letter. Her sisters are still her best friends. March works in the sustainability field and also writes cozy mysteries in the Succulent Sleuth Series. She lives in Ohio with her husband, young son, and three cats.

Author website: https://irismarchbooks.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/searchingformysteries/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076150266393
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22404252.Iris_March
Amazon (will be in KU): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B9PQWVN5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2
Physical book will also be on Barnes and Noble

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