Good Neighbors
This family photo inspired a chapter in Shelterbelts. These neighbor women worked in the kitchen during my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary party at Tordenskjold Lutheran Church in 1956. The church had electricity but no indoor plumbing. These good women hauled large cream cans filled with water from their homes and lugged them down the […]
Quite a Year!
2015 has been a whirlwind with the release of Shelterbelts, the marketing events and next project. What fun to meet readers from across the country. Keith and I spent a wonderful March in Arizona where I spoke to libraries and a Sons of Norway group. Thanks to the Sun City Lodge for great hospitality and warm […]
Guest Post by Krista Soukup
Listen to a book on your next road trip Long car trips require entertainment. I returned yesterday from a trip to South Dakota and yes, Storm Bella was involved, but I survived any highly probable winter storm accidents. Though the road took me to Sioux Falls and back, my brain took me to Tolga Township in Candace Simar’snew […]
Kirkus Review describes Shelterbelts as Moving, Disturbing and Hilarious
The Kirkus Review people have given their verdict on Shelterbelts. I’m celebrating. The reviewer obviously got my humor, liked my characters and enjoyed the book. Yeah! Good news! She also describes it as disturbing. Hmmm. What could be disturbing about my Norwegian farmer book? Perhaps a city person wouldn’t understand the harsh realities […]
Shelterbelts by Candace Simar, a book review by Mary Algaard
Posted by Mary Aalgaard on Jul 23, 2015 in Play off the Page | 2 comments Quote of the Day: Above the tree line, beyond the Hanson farm, the steeple of Tolga Lutheran poked into the clouds. The steeple showed from every corner of their farm. Tia looked toward the church many times a day while […]
Egg Coffee and Gourmet Lunches
Thank you to Colleen Moser’s book club for choosing Shelterbelts for their July selection. Lucky for me, I was invited to attend their meeting yesterday. Colleen made egg coffee (like Tia made at the Farmer’s Union Hall), fancy boxed lunches (like the Tolga Township women prepared for the Valentine’s Day Box […]
Celebrity Pie Judge
Thanks to Beagle Books in Park Rapids, I have something new to add to my resume. On July 4th, after signing copies of Shelterbelts, I was invited to participate in their annual pie contest as the celebrity judge. There were five of us, tasting our way through a plethora of delicious pies. […]
Guest Post and review of Shelterbelts by Sue Ready
“Shelterbelts” is Candace Simar’s newest historical fiction. The book offers all the best of Candace’s talents with a mesmerizing read. Her story chronicles Minnesota farming life during a tumultuous time period of World War II. Candace draws on her Norwegian culture and crafts a compelling story whose characters’ stories stay with you long after the […]
Guest Blog by Julia Lee
Interview with Award-Winning Author Candace Simar! POSTED BY JULIA LEE / WRITING Candace Simar’s fifth novel! Recently, I had a chance to talk to Candace Simar (award-winning author of theAbercrombie Trail series). Her newest book, Shelterbelts, was released on May 16th.Shelterbelts has everything you love about Candace’s writing: Minnesota history, Norwegian culture, a gripping story, […]
More Photos from Shelterbelts Book Launch
Everywhere I go, I’m hearing comments about Shelterbelts and the book launch on May 16. We purposely decorated the venue at Franklin Arts Center with vintage tablecloths, lilacs, antique coffee pots. Why? Because Shelterbelts is set in a Minnesota farming community at the end of World War 2. I baked homemade buns with pulled pork, home […]