The Other Side of Certain by Amy Willoughby-Burle
Publication Date: September 21, 2022
Fireship Press
Series: Love for Certain, Book 1
Genre: Historical Fiction
For the love of love…and books
Mattie Mobley planned to be a teacher, but when times grew tough during America’s Great Depression, and there were no teaching positions in her hometown of Asheville, NC, Mattie found work starting a school and helping the Pack Horse Librarians just over the mountains in the rural town of Certain, Kentucky. She’s not certain at all that this is a good situation, but she’s determined, and honestly, a little desperate. Of all the things that Mattie does have—money, comforts, a good name, she doesn’t have what matters most—friends, love, and a purpose of her own.
Daniel, “The Grizzly Bear,” Barrett had a lovely life for a little while. Overcoming his family’s bad name and worse reputation, he made a life for himself in Certain. He was married with children and a figure of respect in his church, but desperate times called for desperate measures and a terrible tragedy was the result. Now exiled with his children along the wily run of the Hell for Certain Creek, Daniel has gotten used to being the town pariah again. It’s in his blood after all. Right? Maybe not, but he’ll need the powerful influence of love not only to change his own mind about himself but to convince his estranged extended family and the whole town as well.
Can one librarian with a saddlebag full of books make people see the difference between fact and fiction? Mattie loves a good story, and this may be her best one yet. Fiction tells the best truths and the best truth of all is love.
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Excerpt
Daniel
I tried not to go into town any more often than I needed to, especially in the summer when there was food to eat from the yard. But if I missed a week trading at Gibbon's, Liam was fit to be tied. Liam and I weren’t kin no more, not really, but he was used to telling me what to do like a big brother and it was hard to get him to mind his own business. When I did go to town, I tried to keep my eyes from finding the church across the street from the grocery, but it was hard not to look at it. Mostly, I went into the store from the back, so I only caught a glimpse of the old house and church as I pulled into town. It had been right at four years, but I still felt the shame of what I did.
“Whoa, Cody,” I called to my stead as he tried to steer himself toward the front door. “Let’s just take in our haul and go. I ain’t aiming to get wound up in any new gossip today.”
Gibbons was the first face I saw when I pulled the cart up to the back of the store. His smile reminded me that not everyone thought of me poorly. Mr. Gibbons had known me as a boy and known my father even, yet he still treated me with respect. He was one of the few people who actually knew what happened back then, that night in particular. Sometimes I wondered if I would have been better off just staying at home after my folks died. Maybe I should have just kept to myself. Then again, I’d not have had Emily or the kids if I hadn’t been taken in by Pastor Collins and his family. At least I still had my children. So long as I stayed mostly out of sight, people seemed to forget I existed. It was better that way.
I tried not to go into town any more often than I needed to, especially in the summer when there was food to eat from the yard. But if I missed a week trading at Gibbon's, Liam was fit to be tied. Liam and I weren’t kin no more, not really, but he was used to telling me what to do like a big brother and it was hard to get him to mind his own business. When I did go to town, I tried to keep my eyes from finding the church across the street from the grocery, but it was hard not to look at it. Mostly, I went into the store from the back, so I only caught a glimpse of the old house and church as I pulled into town. It had been right at four years, but I still felt the shame of what I did.
“Whoa, Cody,” I called to my stead as he tried to steer himself toward the front door. “Let’s just take in our haul and go. I ain’t aiming to get wound up in any new gossip today.”
Gibbons was the first face I saw when I pulled the cart up to the back of the store. His smile reminded me that not everyone thought of me poorly. Mr. Gibbons had known me as a boy and known my father even, yet he still treated me with respect. He was one of the few people who actually knew what happened back then, that night in particular. Sometimes I wondered if I would have been better off just staying at home after my folks died. Maybe I should have just kept to myself. Then again, I’d not have had Emily or the kids if I hadn’t been taken in by Pastor Collins and his family. At least I still had my children. So long as I stayed mostly out of sight, people seemed to forget I existed. It was better that way.
Praise for The Other Side of Certain
"Welcome to Certain, where mountain legends sway minds and secrets rule hearts. The Other Side of Certain is richly grounded in research, taking the reader on a sweeping journey. In the midst of the Great Depression, Mattie and Daniel discover the power of hope and the beauty of second chances." -Rachel Scott McDaniel, award-winning author of The Mobster's Daughter
"Amy Willoughby-Burle's The Other Side of Certain is a heartwarming, enduring tale of how libraries in even the most remote, impoverished towns can change lives since books are 'so much more than little black words on a white page.' Reading opens up new worlds for those involved and learning to read helps them heal to love again. A smashed stained-glass window becomes a metaphor for broken things being restored in this small Kentucky locale where many things are uncertain. The author carefully reconnects the shattered, colorful pieces of her character's journeys and situations into a beautiful and memorable design." -Delores Topliff, author of Books Afloat, Christmas Tree Wars, and Wilderness Wife
About the Author
Amy Willoughby-Burle grew up in the small coastal town of Kure Beach, NC, and now lives in Asheville, NC with her husband and four children. She teaches creative writing and works as a freelance editor when not working on her own fiction. She is also the director of Wildacres Writers Workshop. She is the author of the novels The Lemonade Year and The Year of Thorns and Honey. Her award-winning short fiction has been published in numerous journals and in her collection, Out Across the Nowhere. Her fiction focuses on the importance of family and friends and centers on the themes of forgiveness, second chances, and finding beauty in the world around us. She likes to write about the wonder and mystery of everyday life.
Visit her online at www.amywilloughbyburle.com. You can also Amy on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.
Giveaway
Enter to win this fun prize package including:
Tote Bag
Journal & Pens
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Paperback copy of The Other Side of Certain
The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on October 14th.
Tote Bag
Journal & Pens
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Paperback copy of The Other Side of Certain
The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on October 14th.
You must be 18 or older to enter.
The Other Side of Certain
Blog Tour Schedule
Review & Excerpt at Books, Cooks, Looks
Thursday, September 22
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Review at McCombs on Main
Friday, September 23
Review at A Baker’s Perspective
Monday, September 26
Review at Reading is My SuperPower
Wednesday, September 28
Excerpt at Heidi Reads...
Review at Novels Alive
Thursday, September 29
Excerpt at Novels Alive
Review at Books Less Travelled
Friday, September 30
Review at Bookworlder
Review at View from the Birdhouse
Monday, October 3
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Tuesday, October 4
Excerpt at What Is That Book About
Wednesday, October 5
Review at Tammy Reads
Thursday, October 6
Review at Older & Smarter
Saturday, October 8
Excerpt at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, October 11
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Review at Robin Loves Reading
Wednesday, October 12
Interview at Jorie Loves a Story
Friday, October 14
Review at Reading is My Remedy
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