Here’s an amazing reader review of Warren County Days. It certainly warms my heart.

Diane has a profound flair for character, and time, and place. Her subtle touch is more Hemingway than Faulkner, light graces of tint and texture that color Opal’s experience of people, porch, and parade.
Opal’s world is cicadas, southern pine, brown dirt, and strangers with agendas. She’s cautious–timid, some would say–but wise without knowing it. She probes instead of plunging but, with all her awkwardness, she embraces the life that swirls around her.
You won’t forget Opal.

If you’ve tried to order Warren County Days from amazon.com and been shocked, as I was, by their “ships withing 2 months” statement, go to Barnes & Noble. They seem to have their act together.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warren-county-days-diane-thomas-plunk/1133366624?ean=9781457570278

The CA book signing for Warren County Days was terrific! We’ll soon be planing signings in Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi. If you’re not nearby, both Warren County Days and Opal, the first book, are available on amazon.com.

Come visit with me and chat about the new book, Warren County Days — Short Stories of Opal Pratt. We’ll even have a book give-away.

Saturday, Oct. 5 — 2 p.m.

Warren County Days, the sequel to Opal, has been birthed after an extended labor. I’ll be doing book signings near and far, but if you just can’t wait, Warren County can be found on Amazon. If you go there, consider writing a review. I’m told that Amazon loves books with reviews.
And —- don’t be shy. Share the good news that Warren County is out!
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=diane+thomas-plunk&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Challenges can come in threes, leaving a young mother-to-be to make difficult decisions

           Annabel stood in the spare room, cluttered with boxes and assorted junk, and struggled r inspiration. She needed to transform the mess into a snuggly nursery. She absent-mindedly stroked her burgeoning baby bump. The monotone of CNN was white noise in the background – that is, until the key words blared clearly: Camp Leatherneck, Helmand Province, Afghanistan; shooting; Afghan police trainees fire on Americans; two Marine instructors down, mortally wounded; walking wounded Marines rounding up the trainees; all names withheld pending family notifications. …

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There she is again,
As always when I least expect her.
In the storefront window
As I look at my reflection.
In the mirror when I check my hair
And sometimes she looks back.
I see that she’s getting gray.
She looks at me through a misty windowpane
And holds my gaze.
When did I become her?
When did the child become mine?
Where did I go when I became my mother?

I just approved the last correction to the new book so it can now go to print. Yes! So it shouldn’t be very long now until we can have it in hand: Warren County Days – Short Stories of Opal Pratt.

My short story, Decisions, is included in the anthology of Southern writers titled ‘What Would Elvis Think?’ Here is my author interview related to promotion for that book.

What Would Elvis Think?
Mississippi Stories

Diane Thomas-Plunk
“Decisions”

Who is your favorite author and why?
I don’t have a single favorite author. I like short story writers Ellen Gilchrist and Alice Munro. Of course, Truman Capote and Harper Lee. I also enjoy John Grisham and Dean Koontz. I love variety.
Why do you write?
I write because I must. I always have — since my first short story in third grade – Tanya & Lanya, the jungle girls. Really. I’ve written in a multitude of forms throughout my life. It’s who I am.
What is the story behind your story in the book?
I wanted to write something current, and I was horrified by Afghan trainees turning their weapons on their American military instructors. Terrible for a young pregnant wife turned widow to endure. But what if another crisis is layered on top of that? That’s when you have Decisions.

It was a thought that resembled an action.
A whisper that seemed like spoken word.
A reaction that imitated emotion.
A habit that looked like a bond.
It was a charade that vaguely resembled my life.