Remembering Seven of Our Favorite Watering Holes on Bartender Appreciation Day

Heather sips her first hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s Bar in New Orleans. (Photo by Jathan Fink, Jadeworks Entertainment)

Happy Bartender Appreciation Day! Although we’re stuck at home in the midst of a pandemic, it’s a great day to meander down memory lane and remember all those great watering holes we’ve discovered over the years as we travelled from one coast to the other. Each one of them holds wonderful memories for us, always punctuated by yummy drinks and a bartender with a liberal pour. Read on to find out if your favorites made the list.

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Secrets Abound in Jess Montgomery’s Second Novel, ‘The Hollows’ [REVIEW]

Railroad tracks in tunnel
An old woman meets her demise when she follows old tracks through the Appalachian hills. (Photo by Canva)

A new murder. An old asylum. And the women who will do their best to dig up the truth behind a frightening myth. Return to Kinship, Ohio in Jess Montgomery’s follow-up tale to her dazzling debut.
Continue reading “Secrets Abound in Jess Montgomery’s Second Novel, ‘The Hollows’ [REVIEW]”

Two Women Prove Their Mettle in Jess Montgomery’s ‘The Widows’ [REVIEW]

Coal mine
One of Ohio’s old coal mining facilities located in the Glouster area in northern Athens County. (Photo courtesy Southeast Ohio History Center)

One man. Two women. A lifetime of secrets. Step back in time nearly a century to a small town where nothing is what it seems and everyone is suspect. Meet Jess Montgomery’s The Widows.
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Martha Conway’s ‘The Underground River’ [EXCERPT]

Loading food on the Ohio
Cruising in a steamboat along the Ohio River, an actress and her cousin travel the border between the free North and the slave-holding South. (Photo by suemon123, Flickr)

 

Having lived along the banks of the Ohio River for more than a decade, I frequently heard stories about the Underground Railroad and how it ran through the area in the midst of the Civil War. Visitors to Cincinnati can learn much about this history by visiting the Harriet Beecher Stowe House (she’s the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin) and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center downtown (a visit here will change your life!). But until you can make the trek to one of these venues, you can lose yourself in the pages of an incredible new book by Martha Conway, The Underground River. To whet your appetite, here’s an exclusive excerpt from chapter one. Enjoy! —Jathan Continue reading “Martha Conway’s ‘The Underground River’ [EXCERPT]”