THE EL PASO RED FLAME GAS STATION
AND OTHER STORIES
by
J. REEDER ARCHULETA
Genre: Fiction /Short Stories / Coming of Age
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing, LLC
Date of Publication: December 8, 2017
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing, LLC
Date of Publication: December 8, 2017
Number of Pages: 132
Scroll down for the giveaway!
These short stories are about coming of age in rural far West Texas. The stories are about the people who have come to stay in a remote part of Texas with a climate that can be harsh and unpredictable and that is demanding and unforgiving. The stories are told through the eyes of Josh, a young boy, who finds himself alone in a small farm and ranch community and who realizes that he will have to make his own way in this place. Along the way he meets a group of characters with different takes on life. Some try to help shield him from the chaos of the world, some try to add more chaos. But all of them, in their own distinct way, through jobs, advice, or actions, play a part in his life.
PRAISE FOR THE EL PASO RED FLAME GAS STATION:
“Punchy, plainspoken dialogue…colorful and charismatic characters…The result is an atmospheric Texas…reminiscent of Larry McMurtry’s “The Last Picture Show.” -- Kirkus Reviews
“The universality of Josh’s journey gives it a timeless quality…a rich tapestry…The stories are conveyed in lean, elegant prose reminiscent of Annie Proulx and Cormac McCarthy” -- Blue Ink Review
“Archuleta’s collection offers poignant and hopeful stories of determination in the face of need. Thoroughly engaging…narrated with passion and eloquence…” -- The Clarion Review
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As y’all well know by now, I love me some Texas. And I don’t
mean just any ole plain love. I mean l-u-r-v-e. I will, in fact, fight anyone
who talks against my beloved Lone Star State. I was, after all, born deep in
the heart of East Texas and raised in Nacogdoches (the oldest town in Texas) where
the piney woods and pecan trees create a sort of magic during the summer. But I’m
getting off-topic here…
When the option of reviewing THE EL PASO RED FLAME GAS
STATION and other stories by J. Reeder Archuleta popped up in our blogging group,
I scrambled like a frog across a hot rock to get chosen to read and review this
collection of West Texas short stories.
I was quite intrigued with a few blurbs I’d read on the book
… blurbs that mentioned Archuleta’s book was a collection of short stories set out
in West Texas. But I’m here to tell you it’s much more than that.
But before I get any further, there’s something else I want …
no … need to mention. As a student of Literature, my professors taught me to
analyze everything about a book and the story it holds. It’s become a
sort of habit that sometimes bumfuzzles and flat-out bores some folks. But not
those who truly love books. I trust you’ll understand what I’m about to share.
Here goes…
THE EL PASO RED FLAME GAS STATION and other stories by J.
Reeder Archuleta arrived at my mailbox neatly sealed in a cardboard envelope.
It took a bit of coaxing with a serrated knife, but I was finally able to
release the book from captivity. Much to my delight, the cover is even more
colorful that it had appeared online. Y’all know how much I love a delicious
cover. Isn’t it gorgeous?
What do I love more than a great cover, you ask? Allow me to
answer with a photo.
Yes. I adore an author who cares enough to send a reviewer a
signed and personalized copy. As an author myself, it speaks volumes to me. It
says, “I value the time and effort you are putting into reading and reviewing
my work.”
And now we come to the part I mentioned above … the part
where my nerdy obsession with book analyzing comes into play. When I carefully
(‘cause y’all know I like my books to remain pristine) turned back the gorgeous
cover of Archuleta’s book, the first thing I saw was how he’d written my last
name underneath my first name.
In fact, I puzzled over it for quite some time …
it was as if the author was hinting at something to me. Yet, I couldn’t figure
it out. So I plowed into the book, thinking I would eventually realize why he’d
written my name like that.
And then it hit me. Right smack dab in the middle of the
first short story titled JOLIE BLON:
“Cecil put his plate down and began to roll a cigarette. ‘What
have I done now, Belle?’”
Yep, you read that right! There’s a character in this book
that shares the same name as yours truly. Unfortunately, she turns out to be a
heifer and a hussy, which I’m glad to say I’m neither.
Was Archuleta’s personalization of his book subliminal or
was it merely unintentional? I have my suspicions. Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Anyway, back to the review …
As I also mentioned above, this book is much more than just
a collection of short stories set out in West Texas. The short stories between
the covers of this book share one important thread – a boy named Josh who’s the
son of Belle. Now, I’m not going to give away any spoilers, 'cause I never do. But I will tell y’all
this – you will feel as though you’ve actually spent a lifetime in West Texas
once you finish reading the stories Archuleta has recorded in these pages.
To me, these stories feel authentic … as if they’ve actually
been lived, not told. As if the “J” in the author’s name – “J. Reeder Archuleta”
stands for Josh. I’d wager a pretty penny that it does. (But that's just between you and me.)
Archuleta’s voice is that of a bard. His writing style drew me
away to a campfire in some far-off desert in West Texas. As I read each line, I
could almost hear the cadence in his voice as he told each short story over the
crackling of burning mesquite and cedar logs, the glow of firelight dancing in
his eyes. This is the stuff of a real teller of stories. This is the type of
book a lover of well-told tales lives to read.
I could not put this book down. And even now, as I write
this, the story lingers in the back of my mind. For this book is more than just
a collection of short stories stitched together and bound into a book for sale.
‘Tis the pieces of a boy’s life and the story of those who’d made an impact on
his heart and soul.
Yep, it's going on my "favorite books" shelf.
Yep, it's going on my "favorite books" shelf.
Read it, I implore you. This style of storytelling is magic!
And that is why I grant
THE EL PASO RED FLAME GAS STATION
and other stores
by J. Reeder Archuleta
by J. Reeder Archuleta
5 GLOWING BROOMS!
The author was raised in far West Texas and five generations of his family are in their final resting place there. His great-grandfather is buried in Concordia Cemetery in El Paso within spitting distance of the grave of John Wesley Hardin.
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
READ & SIP! TWO WINNERS EACH WIN A SIGNED COPY OF
THE EL PASO RED FLAME GAS STATION +
A $5 STARBUCKS GIFT CARD
APRIL 17-26, 2018
(US ONLY)
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