Tara Cowan Author

New Book – Title and Synopsis Revealed

I am thrilled to share the title and synopsis of my next book. This has been a project that was a couple of years in the making. It combines my love of contemporary fiction with that of writing stories of the past. The book also contains a love story that I truly enjoyed writing. So, without further ado, the title is:

Can You Forgive Her? Review

It has been too long since I made time to read, but I finally made time, and it was so good to get back in the swing of things. Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope, is a novel which was written in 1864, when the U.S. was right in the thick of the Civil War. But this book was set in England and includes no reference to the war whatsoever. That alone was interesting—the same hoopskirts, the same point in time that we have all studied in detail…a very different experience.

The Story of Home

As any who have read my books have probably deciphered, I love old houses. Three years ago, I bought one. It wasn’t old in the truest sense of the word—it was built in 1940—but it was old enough to have character. It wasn’t big—only about 1,300 square feet, with tiny bathrooms and closets—but it served my needs. I recently sold it with plans to move closer to work, but it will always hold a special place in my heart.

What I’ve Been Watching

Hi friends. Having watched almost everything in my usual categories of preference, you will see me here branching out a bit to other genres. It was interesting, and I hope you find something to watch!

Charleston Tides – Free Today

I hope you all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones. For cyber Monday today, the Kindle edition of Charleston Tides is FREE! Link below.

Hymns and Choirs

I use choir music on a lot of my writing playlists, because the joining together of voices evokes so many things—emotion, and mystery among them. I love just about every type of choir. My most favorite is probably the very fancy choirs like King’s Choir at Windsor, followed very closely by the gospel choir. Even though they are very different vibes, both do something to my heart.

A Note on the Humor Style of Thank God for Mississippi

The concept of Thank God for Mississippi was always ninety percent humor. The South is full of legends of comedy, and I came from a family that was always ready to enjoy that. Growing up, I remember my mom flipping to the back of Southern Living to get to the humor piece first. Comedy laced with self-deprecation and Southern-style outrage/annoyance was always in the midst. Family storytelling with an emphasis on humor was and is very much a part of our lives.

Southern Rain Anniversary Q&A

Today is the third anniversary of the publication of Southern Rain on Amazon KDP. The process has been rewarding, humbling, fun, and, on the beginning, terrifying. To celebrate, I decided to do a Q&A based off questions that I have received about the Torn Asunder Series from readers over the past three years. Obviously, there are some spoilers because this is a deep dive into details of the story. Because I would like to say thank you for all of those who have loved the series, I decided to record my responses to these questions. But please bear with me and excuse the many “um’s” and pauses because I recorded them off-the-cuff. I hope you enjoy it!

What I’ve Been Watching

Hi friends. It’s time again for some reviews. I thought I would catch you up on new stuff I’ve been watching to help if you are looking for something to watch. Here we go!

STREAMING ON NETFLIX:

Indian Matchmaking
Having survived this long without COVID, I came down with it just as it is uncool… Needless to say, I was more than grateful to find Indian Matchmaking and its delicious drama. The premise is that Indians and Indian Americans call in matchmaker “Sima from Mumbai” to match them. And while it is fun, romancy fluff, you do learn a lot about Indian culture and dating, which in some aspects are very different from American. Anyway, despite all of the cultural differences, if you have ever been out there in the dating pool, similarities abound. Several times, I was thinking, “Oh, yeah, that’s just like this date I had…” Which is heartwarming and funny. Overall, the show is sooo fun.

Mississippi and Me: Country Music, Inspiration for Past and Present

When I decided to set Thank God for Mississippi in Tennessee, it seemed as natural as breathing to include a passion for the greats of country music in my eponymous character’s repertoire of traits. She loves Dolly Parton and gets affronted when the main male character says something she perceives to be a slight to the Queen of Country Music. She has sung June Carter Cash songs at the annual town fair for years. She has a T-shirt that says: “DOLLY AND LORETTA AND PATSY,” (which is how, the main male character says, he located her at the town fair). You get the picture.

I’ve only just begun to realize the impact country music has had on my life. It’s strange to have grown up in Tennessee, not too far distant from Nashville, and not realize how immersed you are in country music. My childhood home is roughly 65 miles from Nashville, but you could pick up about five of the Nashville country stations and the local ones as well. Dolly Parton, the fairy godmother of Tennessee, is something more than a legend at this point, and we’re basically bottle-fed on her songs. So obviously, there is a natural connection with country music in the area I grew up—and in the area where Thank God for Mississippi is set.