Books Out Loud with Bill Watkins: Part 3

And now, it's time for the last video of author Bill Watkins reading from his memoir, A Celtic Childhood. If these excerpts just aren't enough, remember you can always get his book online through Barnes&Noble, Amazon.com, and IndieBound.

Books Out Loud with Bill Watkins: Part 2

A couple weeks ago, we posted a video of Scarletta author Bill Watkins reading an excerpt from his memoir A Celtic Childhood, accompanied by Tom Dahill on accordion. And now--because we know that one excerpt just isn't enough--we decided to post another for your listening pleasure.

Books Out Loud with Bill Watkins

If you haven't had the opportunity to meet author Bill Watkins, you're missing out! So here's the next best thing: Bill Watkins reading part of his memoir A Celtic Childhood. Accompanied by Tom Dahill on the accordion. Enjoy!

Why We Publish Books

Recently, a letter arrived at Scarletta for two of our authors—James Peter Taylor and Kathleen Murphy-Taylor. They co-wrote the book Willow in a Storm. Willow in a Storm is a raw, unflinching memoir about the events in James Peter Taylor's unusual life, over forty years of which were spent incarcerated.
This letter was sent from a man in the Alexander Correctional Institute who had received the Taylor's book through a books to prisoners program. His story was so moving and his words were so kind that our authors asked us to share some of his letter.

This book has changed my life. I no longer wish for death since reading Willow in a Storm because I now know it is possible to survive the rapes, beatings and psychological torture that I have been forced to endure these last three years...I feel compelled to write so that you will know how much you have helped me through your book and to know also that you have very likely saved my life as well.

Where I will be tomorrow is as unclear as where I will be ten years from now, but I wanted you to know that your book has given me something, that until now I have lacked during this horrible experience. Hope. And for that I thank you.

These words are enough to fill a publisher's heart with joy. We are incredibly sorry for the unfairness of life that has led to this man's incarceration, but at the same are glad that we were able to publish a novel that could give him such comfort. At the end of the day, sure, a book on the New York Times' Best Seller's list would be great, but it's even more rewarding to personally hear from the those whose lives have been touched by our books.If you want help change a prisoner's life through literature, here are some great books to prisoners programs: Women's Prison Book Project (located in Minneapolis), Internationalist Prison Books Collective and Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project.

Freedom Ticket

Hennepin County Library is currently featuring Willow in a Storm as their Freedom Ticket read.

Willow in a Storm is a raw, unflinching memoir by James Peter Taylor, with the help of his wife, Kathleen Murphy-Taylor, and recounts the events of his unusual life, including more than 40 years spent in prison. A victim of childhood abuse, he abandons women, children, and jobs until, in pursuit of "the perfect crime," he unintentionally kills Minnesota banker Kenneth Lindberg, a married father of four.

"Written in a stark, unsentimental style, this compelling memoir shows how one man survived a seemingly impossible existence."

To check-out this book from your local Hennepin County Library, make sure you have a library card and then go here. Or you can find the novel on Amazon.

A Celtic Childhood is a fun romp

You know a book is good when it receives a glowing review from Squeaky Clean Reads, despite the following content review:
PROFANITY: Excessive throughout
VIOLENCE: Some Mild instances
SEXUAL CONTENT: Some Mild and a few Moderate instances
MATURE THEMES: Moderate
And yet they couldn't stop complementing A Celtic Childhood, saying things like:
"A Celtic Childhood is a lovely memoir that reads as if you’re sitting at the feet of a grandfather full of stories! This book is full of charming vignettes and hilarious antics" and "Young Bill’s views are hilarious"
So if you're look for a "fun romp" of a book, A Celtic Childhood should definitely be at the top of your list. And you can find the rest of the review here!