About Bonnie McCune

Bonnie is a Denver-based author whose interest in writing led to her career in nonprofits doing public and community relations and marketing. She’s worked for libraries, directed a small arts organization and managed Denver's beautification program. Simultaneously, she’s been a free lance writer with publications in local, regional, and specialty publications for news and features. Her main interest now is fiction writing, and her pieces have won several awards.

What I’m Reading, May 2012

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Bonnie McCune

East of the West: a Country in Stories by Miroslav Penkov
Born in Bulgaria, Penkov writes with great empathy of centuries of tumult while his characters mourn the way things were and long for things that will never be. He has a deft touch for exposing the vulnerable in every character, even tough ones.
The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith (a No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novel)
In this latest episode in the beloved, best-selling series, the kindest and best detective in Botswana faces a tricky situation when her personal and professional lives become entangled. Assistant Grace Makutsi and orphan matron Mma Potokwane face major challenges as well and receive help from Precious.
The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides
Three college seniors move into adulthood in the 80s, their lives intertwined, in an on and off triangle. “A disarming novel about life, love, and discovery, set during a time when so much of life seems filled with deep portent.” Eugenides won the Pulitzer for a previous novel.
Murder by Mishap, by Suzanne Young (an Edna Davies mystery)
Edna’s accidental recovery of an heirloom brooch helps solve an old mystery but precipitates a murder. Matching wits with extortionists, arsonists and frauds, she must determine who is friend and who is foe before another person dies.

Something To Think About

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Bonnie McCune

An essay By Meg Wolitzer, in the New York Times Sunday Book Review ponders “On the Rules of Literary Fiction for Men and Women,” (March 30, 2012). If “The Marriage Plot,” by Jeffrey Eugenides, had been written by a woman yet still had the same title and wedding ring on its cover, would it have received a great deal of serious literary attention? Or would this novel (which I loved) have been relegated to “Women’s Fiction,” that close-quartered lower shelf where books emphasizing relationships and the interior lives of women are often relegated?

NEWS

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Bonnie McCune

“Supporting Authors One Read At Time Magazine” is a free online monthly publication that features author interviews, notices, and articles, as well as a free book. (If you’re an author, you might want to join the network.) Click here to sign up.

Regular news from me is issued every month or two. If you want to receive email notice of updates, let me know by sending an email to Bonnie@BonnieMcCune.com.

JUST PUBLISHED

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Bonnie McCune

“The Wild Kids,” Metro Fiction, April 23, 2012.
Life in a big city can be dangerous, especially if you expect the worst.

What I’m Reading, April 2012

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Bonnie McCune

The Cat’s Table, by Michael Ondaatje. In the early 1950s, an 11-year-old boy in Colombo boards a ship bound for England. He becomes part of a group of youngsters and voyages into maturity as well as across space. A spellbinding story about the magical, often forbidden discoveries of childhood and a lifelong journey that begins unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage.
Crow, by Barbara Wright. In 1898, one generation away from slavery, a thriving African American community—enfranchised and emancipated—is home for 11-year-old Moses in North Carolina. The summer is filled with ups and downs for him, but he along with his neighbors suddenly and violently lose their freedom in a violent riot. Based on actual events, the fictional characters seem as real as the historic ones.
How It All Began, by Penelope Lively. A wry, wise story about the surprising ways lives intersect through chance and chaos. When a retired schoolteacher is accosted by a petty thief on a London street, the consequences ripple across the lives of acquaintances and strangers. I was especially taken with the style that consists of multiple voices and differing tenses.
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Yes, the one the movie’s based on. This dystopian tale is terrific, fast-moving, thought-provoking, as the protagonist and her partner battle for survival, which may or may not be for the good. Parents, kids and grandparents will find lots to discuss.