I have been a football fan most of my life.

I began officiating high school football in 1979 and still wear stripes and carry a whistle as a referee and crew chief today. As a sports reporter, football season was my favorite time of the year. Despite being one of a handful of women sportscasters in the country in the 1980s, my forward-thinking news director at what was then KTSP-TV in Phoenix, Arizona, anointed me the beat reporter for the NFL’s Cardinals, which meant I got to travel on the team charter, sit in the press box during game time, attend weekday practices, and immerse myself in the world of professional football. Along the way, I covered the college game, as well. Football was glorious.

Now, I wonder if, sometime in the near future, football will go the way of Rome’s gladiator games, a massive sparkling spectacle known only in the pages of history.

It seemed as though the era of steroids and performance enhancing drugs might doom the sport, but fans want nothing more than to watch giant men with bulging muscles assault one another in a legalized fashion. I don’t know if football is actually “cleaner” now than it used to be, and it certainly appears that those in charge of the various levels of the game are vociferously eschewing the chemicalization of the sport, but the average fan seems unconcerned, as long as the home-town team is winning. Note here that I am not throwing stones. I enjoy a bone-crunching hit as much as the next person, but those collisions can come with severe medical issues.

Which brings me to the concussion era. Will fear of brain injuries change the game as we know it? The recent revelation that 110 of 111 deceased former NFL players showed signs of the brain-ravaging disease CTE was chilling. Still, the numbers are often hard to read. Perhaps in thirty years we’ll have a better idea. That said, the NFL’s cavalier attitude when dealing with the suffering of former players and their families created an atmosphere that portrayed those who work between the lines as petulant crybabies, an obscene view that left the league looking cold-blooded and heartless.

Then there are the media-splashed bad-boy behaviors – domestic violence, DUIs, drug and alcohol abuse. Statistics show that college and professional athletes are no more likely to be involved in these types of activities than average folks, still big-name people garner big-time attention. It only takes a handful of negative stories in our 24-hour news cycle to see what we think is a trend.

The game also has a problem with roughly half of its fan base. A recent NFL report claimed 45% of the league’s followers are women. These are the people who primarily shell out the bucks to buy all those team-themed products. Now consider the image of Ray Rice assaulting his then fiancée in an elevator, one of a number of events that portrayed women as football punching bags. And the cheerleader issue that sadly promotes the idea of donning as few clothes as possible and standing at the sidelines, cheering on the boys. Cheerleaders from a number of NFL teams have filed lawsuits claiming they were subjected to demeaning “jiggle tests” and paid little for their work. On a positive note, TV cameras seem to focus less on bouncing sideline breasts, these days. Is this an NFL concession to the power of the pocketbook?

Arguably, the biggest problem football has is time. An average NFL games consumes over three hours. Add the 100-plus commercials per contest and viewers – especially those who are finding ad-less streaming more to their liking – and it’s easy to see why the game is beginning to flounder. Fans, especially young ones, are not buying into the pro experience and without new pigskin enthusiasts the future looks bleak.

These issues are forming a cascade, leading to one that could ultimately end the game. The NFL, the NCAA, and the National Federation of State High School Associations are reeling with the possibility that many parents will no longer allow their children to don shoulder pads and helmets and that fans are starting to lose interest in droves.

Football is on the cusp. The sport could, in our lifetime, disappear. Can we – or rather should we – try to save it?

 

Anne Montgomery’s new novel, The Scent of Rain, tells the story of two Arizona teenagers whose fates become intertwined. Rose flees into the mountains to escape from her abusive polygamous community where her only future is marriage to a man older than her father. Adan, whose only wish is to be reunited with his mother, is on the run from the cruelties of the foster care system. Are there any adults they can trust? Can they even trust each other?  The Scent of Rain is available at https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780996390149 and wherever books are sold.

Finally, the women and girls oppressed by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are getting some payback. An Associated Press article this week trumpeted “Former child bride wins $16M lawsuit against FLDS.”

Elissa Walls was just 14 when now imprisoned cult “prophet” Warren Jeffs forced her to marry her cousin. Judge Keith Kelly said the cult’s behavior “was so extreme that it went beyond all possible bounds of decency and is regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized society.”

Kudos to Walls for bravely and publicly standing up to the horrors of the cult in which she was raised.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/polygamy/2017/09/05/polygamist-warren-jeffs-ordered-to-pay-16-million-to-former-child-bride-who-testified-against-him/

Anne Montgomery’s new novel, The Scent of Rain, tells the story of two Arizona teenagers whose fates become intertwined. Rose flees into the mountains to escape from her abusive polygamous community where her only future is marriage to a man older than her father. Adan, whose only wish is to be reunited with his mother, is on the run from the cruelties of the foster care system. Are there any adults they can trust? Can they even trust each other?  The Scent of Rain is available at https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780996390149 and wherever books are sold

I’ve written quite a lot recently about the never-ending quest for reviews, the currency which sells books. To get these critiques we authors “depend on the kindness of strangers,” as Blanche DuBois said so pithily as she descended into madness.

When I first started asking for reviews, I would scan bloggers’ websites, check their guidelines, compose my query. And then, I’d see that dreaded line: “I am not accepting submissions at this time.” I would react a bit crankily, at that point. I mean, why have a review blog if you don’t want to do reviews? Geez!

“I’m taking a short break from taking on any more books,” wrote one blogger. “I will still be reviewing, but my list of to-reads has become a little over whelming,”

“I am still digging out of the hole of book review over-commitment, and I continue to over-commit,” said another. “Is there a support group for this problem?”

Eventually, I started to think about reviewers in a new light. Mostly, these are regular people, not professional journalists drawing a paycheck for reading books and sharing their thoughts. These are folks who love literature and generally impart their opinions for free, who – when authors are very lucky – post their reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and Twitter, and lots of other social media platforms. These are moms and dads with day jobs.

“We are back on Earth and reviewing. Unfortunately, we’re so busy, it’s unlikely we’re going to accept a request.”

While rummaging for reviews, I am also sometimes taken aback by a subtle whiff of snark.

“I will no longer reply to emails that don’t follow this policy. If you ignore me here, I’ll ignore you. Yes, that sounds harsh, but I get nearly 70 requests a day. I’m only one person and I don’t have the time to search for missing information or reply to every email that fails (to) include what I need to make a decision.”

Yikes! Maybe not so subtle in this case, but again, consider the reviewer’s point-of-view. They are interested in your book’s premise, but you forgot to add the link they requested, or your contact information was wrong, or you failed to include your cleverly composed synopsis, leaving them without the important facts they need to decide if you’re an author they’d like to work with.

The bottom line is let’s have compassion, people. Let’s think of the reviewer as a friend. A busy friend. We can make their lives easier and they can help us sell books. So, carefully follow the directions bloggers lay out on their submissions and policy pages. Even if, sometimes, those directives are just a wee bit strange.

“I don’t do demon/human/angel love, but bad demons are fine, same for angels. I just don’t like them in romances.”

Indeed.

Anne Montgomery’s new novel, The Scent of Rain, tells the story of two Arizona teenagers whose fates become intertwined. Rose flees into the mountains to escape from her abusive polygamous community where her only future is marriage to a man older than her father. Adan, whose only wish is to be reunited with his mother, is on the run from the cruelties of the foster care system. Are there any adults they can trust? Can they even trust each other?  The Scent of Rain is available at https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780996390149 and wherever books are sold

My thanks to  Donna for reviewing my novel The Scent of Rain on her blog OnDBookShelf. http://www.ondbookshelf.com/?p=1507

 

I thrive on routine, mainly because I’m a slow learner.  It took me about ten years to feel like a real teacher. After a decade of sports officiating, I was finally comfortable wearing stripes. I’ve been writing novels for almost 25 years and, only now, am I finding my footing in the publishing world. So, slow and steady has worked pretty well for me. Abrupt changes, not so much. Just traversing that crossover from summer vacation to the school year sometimes leaves me in a tizzy.

But life has a habit of taking sudden turns. Things we never expect land squarely at our feet. Seven years ago, a fifteen-year-old boy, a former student of mine, needed a place to live. In a matter of weeks, I was attending foster mom school. I’d never been able to have children. And then, suddenly, I was a mom.

Today, I have three sons, all grown and handsome and charming. (Do all moms say that?) And this morning, I became a grandmother. Never in my imagination did I ever consider the possibility.

I can’t remember ever holding an infant, except for the time a kind gentleman passed me his baby on a plane so he could reach under the seat to retrieve my glasses. I’ve heard that babies have a certain irresistible smell. I’ve never experienced the fragrance. And that newborns have soft spots on the tops of their tiny heads. I’ve never touched one. And that when someone hands you an  infant you might be reluctant to let go. I don’t know about that either.

But I do know I’m going to give this grandma thing a go, and, hopefully, I’ll catch on quickly.

Anne Montgomery’s new novel, The Scent of Rain, tells the story of two Arizona teenagers whose fates become intertwined. Rose flees into the mountains to escape from her abusive polygamous community where her only future is marriage to a man older than her father. Adan, whose only wish is to be reunited with his mother, is on the run from the cruelties of the foster care system. Are there any adults they can trust? Can they even trust each other?  The Scent of Rain is available at https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780996390149 and wherever books are sold.

 

A number of those who have read my novel The Scent of Rain have suggested that, while they like the story, some of the elements seem a bit far-fetched. The irony, of course, is that while the story of Rose Madsen’s escape from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a work of fiction, many of the traumas the 16-year-old endures are based on actual situations.

I interviewed Flora Jessop, who twice escaped from the cult, at length. I interviewed Dr. Theodore Tarby who worked with the people in Colorado City and encouraged them to stop inbreeding to avoid the devastating birth defects that plague the community. I visited Colorado City and nearby Hurricane to observe what life is like in the communities on the Arizona Strip. I wrote about what I heard and what I saw with little embellishment.

The conditions in the area the people call Short Creek remain harrowing, but life for the cult members is improving. I was delighted to see an article last week titled “Ex-FLDS women, girls learn to stand up to sexual violence” by reporter Emily Havens of The Spectrum & Dailey News in St. George, Utah. Havens details efforts at the first-ever Brave Youth camp, where FLDS survivors learn about self-defense, how to deal with sexual violence, healthy dating relationships, and other social issues to prepare them for the real world outside the controlling strictures of the cult in which they were raised. http://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2017/08/03/ex-flds-women-girls-learn-how-stand-up-sexual-violence/536777001/

With FLDS prophet Warren Jeffs imprisoned, serving a life-plus-20-years sentence for his sham marriages to under-age girls – one as young as 12 – and the state of Arizona finally taking steps to rectify the horrifying abuses – forced marriage, sexual violence, child abuse, animal abuse, child slavery – there is now hope for the people of Colorado City.

 

Anne Montgomery’s new novel, The Scent of Rain, tells the story of two Arizona teenagers whose fates become intertwined. Rose flees into the mountains to escape from her abusive polygamous community where her only future is marriage to a man older than her father. Adan, whose only wish is to be reunited with his mother, is on the run from the cruelties of the foster care system. Are there any adults they can trust? Can they even trust each other?  The Scent of Rain is available at https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780996390149 and wherever books are sold.

This month Amazon is promoting my new novel The Scent of Rain.

You can purchase the Kindle edition for just $1.99.

So stop procrastinating. Get your copy today.

 

Anne Montgomery’s new novel, The Scent of Rain, tells the story of two Arizona teenagers whose fates become intertwined. Rose flees into the mountains to escape from her abusive polygamous community where her only future is marriage to a man older than her father. Adan, whose only wish is to be reunited with his mother, is on the run from the cruelties of the foster care system. Are there any adults they can trust? Can they even trust each other?  The Scent of Rain is available at https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780996390149 and wherever books are sold.

Recently, a huge wedding dress retailer filed for bankruptcy, leaving countless orders unfilled. The wedding industrial complex is now in chaos. In an article in the Arizona Republic detailing the demise of the dress company, I read the following: “I have known about this Disney collection since it came out,” said a grieving bride-to-be. “I always said I would have that dress when it was my turn to get married. It caused tears in my mom’s and grandmother’s eyes, and I was shocked because I didn’t think that was possible.”

I, too, was stunned, not thinking it possible. Not the loss of the gown or the weeping relatives, but the fact that a grown woman wanted to dress like a Disney princess on her wedding day.

A quick search of the Internet showed I could, in fact, purchase an Ariel-inspired wedding frock with mermaid features. (I’m not sure how a bride would progress down the aisle with a fish tail, but I digress.) If Pocahontas is your preferred princess, there’s an off-the-shoulder number for you. Cinderella, Snow White, Moana, Elsa, Mulan, pick your royalty. “All of these dresses are seriously enough for anyone to feel like a total princess on their big day!” raved one lifestyle blogger.

Why my unease at Disney-themed dresses? First, I’m a high school teacher. I sometimes share with my students the time-honored sequence of success: education, job, marriage, children. Note there’s nothing in that list about being scooped up and rescued by a handsome prince. It would appear some of the message is getting through. The age of first-time marriage in the US for women is now 27, for men 29. (Back in 1960, the numbers were 20 and 22, respectively.)

I wondered about the age of the women who aspire to Disney princess perfection. While I searched the Internet again, on the off chance that someone had actually studied this phenomenon, I found nothing assuring me that only very young brides succumb to this princess envy.

But here’s the thing. If you’re planning to get married, no matter your age, if you still desire to emulate a Disney princess, perhaps you’re just not mature enough to take the plunge. Let’s remember that today a typical wedding averages a little over $35,000, an all-time high, which is 63% of median annual income. And that doesn’t include the honeymoon. About one-third of couples admit they can’t afford to pay up front for the big day and opt to go into debt. Yikes!

Now, I must place a disclaimer here. When I got married, I had nothing to do with the plans. I was a busy reporter and quite happy to leave the details to my mom. I cared only that the cake was chocolate. (I do have certain standards.) That said, I recently sat with my partner of twenty-some years in a tiny restaurant on the coast of St. Croix. The centuries-old building faced the turquoise Caribbean. Sea breeze wafted through thick stone archways. Polly’s served grilled cheese sandwiches that I’m pretty sure were the best on the planet. A rum-soaked coconut cake was orgasmic. Marriage came up, and, though it’s possible Ryan only loves me for my teacher pension and my access to good health care, we discussed how that day might look.

“Here would be good,” I said from Polly’s patio, a cobblestone affair where a cheeky chicken – reminiscent of Moana’s dimwitted friend – lingered for a handout. “I’d wear white.”

Ryan paused, then raised both eyebrows, grilled cheese midway to his mouth.

“White t-shirt and shorts and socks and sneaks. And we’d have grilled cheese and coconut rum cake.”

Later, after a stop at the Captain Morgan Distillery, Ry and I sipped chilled adult beverages as we watched the sun set on the sea. We agreed that serving the Cap’n’s Black Spiced Rum might also be nice.

So, clearly, I am not a member of the Disney Princess Wedding Dress target audience.

My hope is that girls and young women find more non-princess role models to emulate. And so, I was delighted by a recent photograph in National Geographic. A tiny girl wearing a puffy white suit replete with boots and space helmet. Tethered to six shiny silver balloons, she appeared ready to lift off.

“Sophia used to wear princess dresses,” said her father, Juan Carlos Osorio. “But one day she decided to dress like an astronaut instead.”

Imagine that.

Anne Montgomery’s new novel, The Scent of Rain, tells the story of two Arizona teenagers whose fates become intertwined. Rose flees into the mountains to escape from her abusive polygamous community where her only future is marriage to a man older than her father. Adan, whose only wish is to be reunited with his mother, is on the run from the cruelties of the foster care system. Are there any adults they can trust? Can they even trust each other?  The Scent of Rain is available at https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780996390149 and wherever books are sold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find an excerpt and author interview at Books Direct.

http://booksdirectonline.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-scent-of-rain-by-anne-montgomery.html

I recently got a request from an author. “If you review my book, I’ll review yours,” he said in a cheery e-mail.

I paused, not wanting to offend him. But the idea of a quid pro quo exchange of commentary on our novels made me uneasy. The idea seemed wrong, but was it?

I checked into the issue and, like many matters in the constantly changing world of publishing, the opinions were mixed. Some authors find nothing wrong with the idea of swapping reviews. But what happens if your book is brilliant and theirs is, um . . . not?

There seems to be a whiff of expectation involved in this author-to-author review dance. Writers understand the long hours and toil required to birth book babies, so surely, we would never speak harshly of another author’s creation, would we?

And even if the reviews turn out to be similar – filled with praise for both authors’ plot lines, character development, and skillful prose – does not this mutual patting of backs seem disingenuous?

The idea of trading author reviews seems on par, at least to me, with asking family members and loved ones to critique our books. In the vast majority of cases, aren’t those the people who want to extol our accomplishments? Find the good in our efforts? Skip over the poorly-written paragraphs and heavy-handed dialogue?

Both of the above cases make me squeamish. That said, authors need reviews. Reviews sell books. Getting reviews is demanding and often depressing work. Most reviewers will not even respond to queries. But that doesn’t mean you stop asking. Grit your teeth. Search the Internet for those book blogger lists and wade in with your eyes open. Here’s one I just tackled: http://www.tweetyourbooks.com/p/free-reviews.html. And here are two more: http://www.theindieview.com/indie-reviewers/             http://www.bookrevieweryellowpages.com/book-reviewer-list.html

Read what each blogger is looking for carefully. Click on their website to see if it’s up to date and if they’re currently accepting submissions. Then send your query.

When you do get that 5-Star Review from a complete stranger who owes you nothing, I think you’ll understand.

Anne Montgomery’s new novel, The Scent of Rain, tells the story of two Arizona teenagers whose fates become intertwined. Rose flees into the mountains to escape from her abusive polygamous community where her only future is marriage to a man older than her father. Adan, whose only wish is to be reunited with his mother, is on the run from the cruelties of the foster care system. Are there any adults they can trust? Can they even trust each other?  The Scent of Rain is available at https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780996390149 and wherever books are sold.