Two things caught my attention this morning. One was an interview with Stephen King in which he revealed his most hated expressions, things like “some people say” and “at the end of the day.” This made me cringe a bit since I’ve been known to use such phrases on occasion.

The other thing made me smile–discovering that The Button Collector is reviewed in issue 64 of Apalachee Review. Why does this make me happy? Because at the end of the day, my book is a bit like my third child and I like to see it get recognition. Also, some people say that Apalachee Review is one of the finest literary journals around!

But seriously (and I’m sure that one is on King’s list as well) I love to see what other people find meaningful in my book, what parts they choose to highlight. Mary Howard Trammell chose this passage as one worthy of attention: “…besides the sound of the ticking clock, is a vague feeing of unease, a restless stirring of feelings—like wolves pawing and scratching at the edge of my mind. I can almost see them lifting their noses, trying to find a scent of weakness, an angle of attack. The heaviness of night leaves me more vulnerable to them, and I can’t help but shiver as I try to shut them out.”

This isn’t the first time readers have highlighted the wolves metaphor, which I find interesting. Originally the wolves were primarily used in the final section, but in the editing process they gained strength and became a more pervasive part of the book.

Apalachee Review always has deep, gutsy, moving prose and poetry. Definitely click worthy!