‘Washed in the Water: Tales from the South’ uses seven short stories by Nancy Hartney to depict an eclectic cast of characters each reaching out for their own redemption. Set between 1950 and 1970, each story offers a unique insight into America’s humid southern landscape.

Fayetteville, AR -- (SBWire) -- 04/18/2013 --The American South has long held a reputation for hard work, devotion to values and fiercely independent people. In a new book of short stories by Nancy Hartney, readers look into the lives of Southerners through the prism of time.

‘Washed in the Water: Tales from the South’ uniquely fuses fact and fiction for a gripping insight into a life and culture that has grasped the hearts of millions.

Synopsis:

Washed in the Water: Tales from the South offers vignettes of folks living the best they know how as they reach out for redemption. Set between 1950 and 1980, each tale stares at a unique individual. Everyday incidents, complex decisions, and lessons about getting on with the business of living reverberate among the characters.

Old Leroy Jackson’s passion leads him to unexpected insight when he enters a coon hunting contest and is paired with a boy and runt hound in “Last Love.” Annually, women and girls gather, baking and “Remembering More Than Fruitcake” for the holidays. They pass on a tradition that holds dear the good and weak. Lester Groh, “The Stooper,” lives along horse racing’s underbelly, fighting personal demons. “The Day the Snake Got Killed” Billman and Sissy learn a lesson on redemption and the ripple effect of actions. “The Fig Trees” touches the ripeness and desire of a mother and her woman friend—and her own daughter. Sarah lives in the shadow of her big sister until “The Cane Grinding” when she stares into the adult world and realizes the power of dreams. Lisa Dell’s river baptism challenges her core beliefs in the title story “Washed in the Water.”

Paths to redemption may be narrow and contain potholes, but, thank God, they are many and varied.

As the author explains, her book shows the ‘other side’ of an often misunderstood region.

“The south is often scorned for its eccentric characters, skewed politics and long-standing racial prejudice. I expose the other side of Southerners – a group of caring and resilient individuals that endure every curve life throws while striving toward a better way,” says Hartney.

Continuing, “Laced with fact, this historical fiction book depicts the warm and raw living that still exists in the South today. By reading reflections from the past, my audience will gain a firm grasp on the evolving South of today.”

Advanced praise for the book has been nothing but lavish.

Robert Cochran, Center for Arkansas and Regional Studies, University of Arkansas offers his praise for “. . . compelling, wide-ranging stories. Hartney brings to mind both Caldwell and Allison, but her voice at last is her own. “Last Love” is both gritty and warm, and “The Fig Trees” is deftly nuanced. ”

“This brief collection of stories deals with such diverse experiences as a river baptism and coon hunting while it embraces such emotions as love, jealousy, and altruism. The seven southern tales contain some real gems,” says Pat Carr, author of ‘One Page at a Time’ and ‘The Radiance of Fossils’.

WILLA Award-winning author Velda Brotherton was equally as impressed, saying, “No better voice of the south can be found than Nancy Hartney with her touching stories of life looked at in a most extraordinary way. Hartney writes about people we can love or despise, but most of all sympathize with and enjoy.”

‘Washed in the Water: Tales from the South’ is due for release on July 15th, 2013.

For more information, visit the author’s official website: http://nancyhartney.com/

About the Author: Nancy Hartney
Nancy Hartney is a contributor The Chronicle of the Horse, Sidelines, Ozark Mountaineer, and the Horsemen’s Roundup with news articles and photographs. Her book reviews have appeared in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram, touring articles and photographs in American Iron, general interest pieces in the Northwest Arkansas Times, the e-zine Dead Mule, and Flashback, the Washington County historical quarterly.

While continuing to write non-fiction, she has also turned her pen to fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Voices and Echoes of the Ozarks, two regional anthologies. Western tales have been published in Cactus Country and Frontier Tales. She has won numerous awards for her work, most recently the 2012 Oklahoma Writers Federation short story division and Ozark Creative Writers travel article.

A member of the writing community, she works with the Ozark Writers League, Missouri; Ozark Creative Writers, Arkansas; Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.; and the Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop, Fayetteville. She can be found at http://nancyhartney.com , through LinkedIn, and at http://nancyhartney.wordpress.com/

Southerner by birth and upbringing, she still considers sweet tea her beverage of choice. She lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas.