PAPER TARGETS
by
Patricia Watts
Suspense / Literary Fiction / Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Publication Date: May 3, 2022
324 pages
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Everyone knew that Roanne never got angry—until the night she killed her ex-husband and herself
Roanne, a nice, suburban lady in her sixties who works at a Hallmark shop and volunteers at the Food Bank in Round Rock, Texas, calls her lifelong friend, Connie, confesses to murder, then puts the gun to her own head. Connie, spurred by Roanne’s last words about a lifetime of unspoken rage, sets aside her work as a cozy mystery writer and cupcake shop owner to confront the men who have stolen her dignity while she remained silent, including a bully brother, a rapist, and an ex-spouse. On a journey to reclaim her inner power and to make peace with the loss of her treasured friend, Connie’s mission is to avoid the same tragic path as Roanne, but she takes along a gun, just in case.
With pathos and humor, Paper Targets, by Patricia Watts, calls us to speak our own narratives, even when it is uncomfortable or risky, and shows us the magnificence of a friendship that transcends time.
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SELECTION OF PATRICIA WATTS’S
FAVORITE QUOTES FROM
PAPER TARGETS
“So, what if you were shooting at human silhouettes, just pieces of paper that you had to put names on? … Who would you pick? Name five people.”—Roanne, p. 14
“That was my first job, and I learned a lot from Benny. He taught me that day that no matter what job I held, no matter how competent I was or how hard I worked, I could always be crushed by a man in charge.”—Connie, p. 92
I was glad we had been so reckless on our last wild night together. It wouldn’t be easy to forget. And once Roanne moved out, I wanted to remember when it was just us for a long, long time.—Connie, p.120
I shrank down in my seat and turned away from the window as the car glided up the street headed to the El Paso airport. I had been prepared for the men on my list to be arrogant, nasty, threatening, even dangerous. What I had not prepared for was for any of them to be heroic. What was I really confronting but ghosts of men who no longer existed? Where was the righteousness in that?—Connie, p. 145
She was like a kid with that dog. That’s the way Roanne loved. The puppy, Johnny, everyone. Childlike, arms wide open. Disarmed. Defenseless. I didn’t want to surrender like that, but at the same time, I envied her because she could.—Connie, p. 172
“It would be helpful if they all came with labels: ‘Frog.’ ‘Prince.’”—Roanne, p. 226
The detective heaved a loud sigh. “Ms. Canelli, I’m struggling. Help me out here, will you? I’ve probably pissed my wife off ten times a day for the past twelve years. She’s on my case every time I don’t change out the toilet paper roll. She gets over it. It’s no biggie. She doesn’t blow my head off. ”—Detective Jergens, homicide investigator, p. 305
Patricia Watts worked as a journalist for more than 20 years for newspapers in Texas, Hawaii, and Alaska. Following her news career, she tried her skill as a paralegal and then spent ten years investigating discrimination cases for the Alaska Human Rights Commission. Her novels include: Ghost Light and The Big Empty, crime mysteries co-written with Alaska author Stan Jones; The Frayer, suspense noir; and Watchdogs, a steamy thriller. Her home base is San Diego. She earned her B.A. in journalism at Humboldt State in California. She is the mother of a son and daughter and has eight grandchildren.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
TWO WINNERS:
First Prize: Autographed copies of Paper Targets, The Frayer, and The Big Empty;
Second Prize: Copy of Paper Targets.
(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 8/5/22)
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CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, or visit the blogs directly:
| 7/26/22 | Bibliotica | Excerpt |
| 7/26/22 | Hall Ways Blog | BONUS Promo |
| 7/27/22 | Forgotten Winds | Review |
| 7/28/22 | The Page Unbound | Character Interviews |
| 7/28/22 | LSBBT Blog | BONUS Promo |
| 7/29/22 | Writing and Music | Review |
| 7/30/22 | All the Ups and Downs | Playlist |
| 7/30/22 | StoreyBook Reviews | Bonus Review |
| 7/31/22 | Boys’ Mom Reads | Author Video |
| 8/1/22 | Jennie Reads | Review |
| 8/2/22 | It’s Not All Gravy | Notable Quotables |
| 8/3/22 | The Plain-Spoken Pen | Review |
| 8/4/22 | The Book’s Delight | Review |
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“So, what if you were shooting at human silhouettes, just pieces of paper that you had to put names on? … Who would you pick? Name five people.”
Man, that’s something to think about, isn’t it? Good quotes, all.
That is a terrific quote. Thanks for stopping by, Lisa.