About the Book

Book: Sabal Palms and the Southern Squall

Author: Terry Overton

Genre: Christian Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Release date: April 5, 2022

Elaine Smith lived in the small coastal town of Sabal Palms long enough to know when to worry about a squall and when to simply close the windows and wait for it to pass. This one would be significant. It would be significant in terms of damage, but that was to be expected. What no one expected was the profound effect it would have on the lives of people from the Texas coast to New York City. Positive qualities of humanity are often displayed during times of natural disaster.
But a supernatural power had attached to this storm and subsequently worked within the hearts of the most needy, the most lonely, and the most sinister. The lives of four delightful women, a homeless teen, a rebellious son, a grieving lover who is at the bottom, a son who lost his faith, and a hired murderer, are all intertwined in the aftereffects of a Category 3 hurricane thanks to a few passages written by one determined woman.

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My Thoughts

When I read the back cover copy for Sebal Palms and the Southern Squall, I was immediately drawn to the unique concept. There was intrigue in the notion that a force (the Lord) would use a disastrous storm to change the lives of several people. I wanted to see how this would play out.

The main character (Elaine) desires more than anything to glorify the Lord with her written words, but nothing seems good enough to her. In the trash they go. Then along comes a category three hurricane and somehow the devotionals she’d discarded end up in the hands of those struggling with grief, loss, forgiveness, and deep sin. Each person receives the one he/she most desperately needs.

The main focus of the story is on four retired female friends who have a close bond. Then it weaves the lives of these other individuals into it. I truly love the concept. And as a writer myself, I can appreciate Elaine’s struggle to make a difference with what she writes. Elaine and Adriana have their own personalities, so it was easy to follow their part in the book. Bonnie and Mary were so similar, I had a hard time telling them apart.

There were some areas of struggle for me. First off, the scenes with the four friends often did not add to the story—in other words, the action and dialogue didn’t move it forward. It was a narrative about what they ate, the games they played, and personality differences. The dialogue was unrealistic and too on-the-nose. Another issue I had was understanding what point of view the author was employing. I would have to guess she was using omniscient, which separates the reader from the characters, making it difficult to connect with them. I say this because there is one scene where Elaine (main character) is on the phone, but the reader only hears her side of the conversation. If it was from her point of view, the reader would hear whatever Elaine heard. Most authors write this way to allow the reader to truly feel the depth of what the character feels. This wasn’t the case with this book.

And while the side characters fleshed out the story very well, there was no depth to them, either. It was as I was reading an article about an instance rather than living it through the eyes, ears, and heart of the characters.

Even so, if you enjoy a story that employs multiple characters and weaves God’s grace and mercy within its pages to help people overcome difficult odds, you’ll enjoy this book.

About the Author

Terry Overton obtained her Ph.D. in Psychology and her Ed.D. in special education. She taught in public schools and was a school psychologist and a professor before retiring in 2016. Her university experiences included teaching at Longwood University in Virginia, the University of Texas-Brownsville, The University of Texas-Pan American, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and Stephen F. Austin State University. She held positions as Dean and Department Chair during her tenure in higher education. Her areas of research included behavior disorders, learning disorders, autism, and research in higher education. She currently resides in Laguna Vista, Texas. She enjoys Biblical history and general Bible studies, writing, blogging, and visiting with friends and family. Her books have been recognized and received awards from Firebird Book Awards, American Writing Awards, and have earned five stars from Readers Views and Readers Favorites. Her books have been recognized Finalist for the International and National Book Awards.

 

More from Terry

This book will take the reader to the southern coast of Texas. In fact, this book happens at the very bottom tip of Texas. The reader will feel the warm sea breezes, view the coastal sunsets and sunrises, and experience the friendships of four close women friends. Here is a sample:

 

The women gathered at the swimming pool and shed their cover-ups. Next, each lady

took out her favorite sunscreen lotions and creams and sprayed and squirted so much on, they all

looked almost as pasty as a bottle of glue. No one talked at all during this process of slathering

on thick coats of varying SPFs. It was a polite, unspoken agreement that no forbidden words

were ever mentioned when the ladies were in swimwear. Words like cellulite, wrinkles, fat, fatty

tissue, weight, weight loss, weight gain, age spots, and—the worst words ever—skin cancer were

completely and totally off limits.

 

In times of crises, these four women always bind together and help each other. They have been friends for over twenty years. Here is an excerpt of one of their conversations during a pool party:

 

What strangers might not understand is the banter back and forth was exactly the only way they could get along. They enjoyed it. They thrived on it.

 

“Oh, fiddle-faddle, Bonnie, last week you told me you thought the salon was opening up

this week,” Mary jabbed. “It didn’t.”

 

“I didn’t say that. I said I heard it might be opening next month.”

 

“You said next week as sure as I am floating on this raft.”

 

“Had your hearing checked lately?”

 

“Right after you get yours checked.”

 

And they both laughed. It was always entertaining.

 

“Well, horsefeathers! I need to get this hair trimmed again. It is all cattywampus on the

sides.”

 

“What? You’ve got a cat in there?” Bonnie laughed.

 

“Feels like it,” Mary retorted.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 30

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, May 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 31

Texas Book-aholic, June 1

Inklings and notions, June 2

deb’s Book Review, June 3

For Him and My Family, June 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 5

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, June 6

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, June 7

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 8

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 9

Mary Hake, June 9

Blogging With Carol, June 10

Pause for Tales, June 11

Spoken from the Heart, June 12

 

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Terry is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card & copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

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