Howl at the Moon

In HOWL AT THE MOON (Goodfellow Press Hardcover; $22.00; September 2001) - Polly Blankenship's beautifully written debut novel - Devon Taylor decides to leave Minneapolis, take her young son, Jamie, and head back home to Texas in search of peace. Too many things had happened recently that made life in Minneapolis unbearable. She also feels that it is important for her son to sample the joy of ranch life, a life she once loved but abandoned, before it completely disappears. And since her father recently passed away, her mother could use their help on the ranch. But soon after she arrives home, there is a horrible incident. Devon is nearly raped, Jamie is badly bruised, and the perpetrator - John Colton - dies from wounds that Devon inflicts out of self-defense. While she is recovering, Devon is content to stay on the ranch - a never-never land sheltered by routine chores - to keep herself busy. She is also happy to see old friends and familiar faces to help her feel safe and begin the healing process. As she reacquaints herself with friends and family, she realizes that she too wants to belong somewhere again. She learned the hard way - through her father's death and the attack by Colton - that life can change or end in the snap of a finger. Fortunately Devon's string of bad luck is about to change. Through the wisdom, pride and fortitude that are the legacy of generations of Texans, Devon discovers new reasons to "howl at the moon" and let the world know she is doing just fine. HOWL AT THE MOON is a poignant and extraordinary exploration of a woman's struggle for self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-respect. Goodfellow Press, the publisher of HOWL AT THE MOON and the first Northwest fiction publishing house and teaching press, was founded seven years ago. Its goal is to discover, encourage, and nurture the unique talent of new writers, book designers, and editors from the Northwest. Founder and publisher, Pamela Goodfellow has been an editor for over twenty years. In launching Goodfellow Press, she has achieved a personal goal - to develop the highest standards of fiction, while introducing to the general public, new authors from the great Northwest.

About the Author

Polly Blankenship was born in Cisco, Texas. As an Air Force brat she grew up just about everywhere - a little at a time - before heading back to the University of Texas in Austin. Although her novel is set in the Texas hill country, Polly has lived in the northwest with her husband and two children for twenty years. Like all native Texans, she goes home often to refresh her y'all, swap stories and eat black-eyed peas. With kinfolk scattered from one corner of the state to the other, she's heard a tall tale or two and can tell one of her own when she can get a word in. Texans talk fast and all at the same time. That's how she managed to finish HOWL AT THE MOON. Nobody was around to say, "hush." HOWL AT THE MOON is her first published novel. She's a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association, leads a critique group at Barnes & Noble Southcenter, and assists in numerous Goodfellow Press seminars.

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