About Me & the Blog

ABOUT ME

My name is LuAnn and I was born 52 years ago in a wide spot in the road in Pennsylvania, USA.  I'm married and have 3 children and we all now live in a slightly wider spot in the road in Kentucky.  Last August we purchased my husband's paternal grandparents' former house (our first) and are happily contemplating an Appalachian-style farming future.

I graduated with a BS in Finance (magna cum laude) from Westminster College in SLC, UT, in 1992 and started back to school this semester with an ultimate goal of a Master's Degree in writing and Appalachian studies.  I've started with some basic courses to get back into the swing of things, but am having trouble swallowing some of the bs certain professors show towards new students.  Well, I wouldn't be studying Appalachia if I weren't interested in sticking up for the underclasses.

For the time being, I'm totally obsessed with reading cozy mysteries and reviewing them on the blog when I am able.  We're fixing to put in a big garden this year (if the dang cold temperatures and snow would ever STOP) and that will take a lot of time during the rest of the spring and summer.

Our children (2 boys - ages 17 and almost 16, 1 girl - age 11) are homeschooled.  The boys will probably take over the world or the gaming industry someday.  The girl goes back and forth between being a paleontologist and a veterinarian...but one thing is clear; she has a heart for animals.

~~~oOo~~~

ABOUT BACK PORCHERVATIONS

I started Back Porchervations as a way to record observations I made while on my back porch - hence the original word "porchervation".  I love making up new words, but always try to give an explanation of them the first couple of times they get used on the blog.

Back Porchervations is now more about other people, helping them deal with life issues, helping them be successful in their chosen endeavors, and promoting other people's work.

So pull up a chair, and like Mamaw used to say, "Stay around with us!"

47 comments:

  1. Hi LuAnn! Are you still keen on being accountability partners? If you are, could you please email me at onechocolatebox@gmail.com? Even just a quick line so I've got your address. Thanks love! xox

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  2. Sent you an email as soon as I saw the email, Toni! :O)

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  3. You've had an interesting life already! I envy you your rural life--would be nice to be in a small farm environment. We are about the same age but we live in a community for 55+--small homes, no yard work, houses close together. Thanks for visiting my blog!

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    Replies
    1. I'm so rural, I just about need to take a Valium to go into the city! In a sense, my FIL is our next-door neighbor, but he rides a four-wheeler over here, it helps him get across the fields and through the creek! *lol*

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  4. Whoa! I just saw your reading challenge! 214 books in one year is a massive goal!! I am a librarian and manage a library in Washington, but can't imagine getting to read that much. Many people think working in a library means you get to read all the time.. haha. not so!

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    1. I set it purposely high, Gail. I don't think I've read that many books in the past 10 years put together. Even with the picture books we used to read to the kids. I've got some SERIOUS catching up to do!

      Librarians are GREAT! They help people be educated and entertained. My kids love going to our county library, even though we are far enough in the boonies to merit a visit from the bookmobile!

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  5. Hi LuAnn, thanks for visiting and following my blog :)
    best wishes, Cathy

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  6. Hi LuAnn! I can't find an email address for you but wondered, from one Kentucky girl to another, if you'd be interested in reading my new paranormal mystery book. If you like ghosts, haunted houses, and mysteries then it might flight your boat. I also set it here in central Kentucky. I'll provide the Amazon link below so that you can check it out and see if you're interested. If you are, then please email me at bledpub@yahoo.com

    PS-My minor was in Appalachian Studies. Wish I was back in college still taking classes in it!

    Here are the details:

    Title: Windwood Farm (Book One, Taryn's Camera Series)
    Author: Rebecca Patrick-Howard
    Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/m2mjyck
    Author website: www.rebeccaphoward.net
    Book website: http://www.tarynscamera.com

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  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  8. I really like your blog.

    Going to subscribe by e-mail and follow you via Twitter, Google, etc.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My Blog

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  9. I live in Pennsylvania.

    Forgot that in the other post.

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  10. Hi LuAnn, hey I just wanted to let you know you won a copy of my ebook Imaginary Friends by leaving that comment on the A-Z blog. Would you be able to drop me an e-mail so I can arrange "delivery"? Thanks so much (mel[AT]melanielee[dot]sg)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks again, Mel! I hope to get to reading Imaginary Friends this weekend!

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  11. Our firm, Bostick Communications, distributes press releases via e-mail for our clients who are authors.  These releases make reviewers, such as yourself, aware of new books that are available for review.
     
    We would like to add you to that database to receive releases from our clients. 
     
    You will receive two press releases per week on the average. You have the opportunity to specify certain genres that you are interested in to reduce the number of releases you receive, if you wish.
     
    There is no obligation on your part and you may unsubscribe at any time.
     
    If interested please reply back to us and note the genres you review and the site(s) where you post your reviews.

    Thank you for your time to consider our service.
     
    Best,
    Ken Eason
    Bostick Communications
     
    www.bostickcommunications.com
     
    bostickops@gmail.com
     
     

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  12. Hi LuAnn!

    I have a book I think you may like. Would you e-mail me if you're accepting reviews, and I can send you more info? samantha@jkscommunications.com

    Thanks so much!

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  13. Hello there...

    My name is Austin, and I wrote an unconventional Crowdfunding book regarding how this Kickstarter phenomenon will psychologically effect the economy over the coming decades. I also go over my arduous rise to vocational success, and incorporate low cost ways for people to live out their dream vocations..

    If this is something that I would interest you I could send you over an E book/ or hardcover (a few weeks later) near the launch date!

    I hope all is well, and I look forward to hearing from you!

    Best,



    --
    Austin Muhs

    www.quantumskystudios.com

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  14. Might you be interested in reading a memoir of someone who built a house by hand (no power or milled lumber) in New Guinea, then lived there for years as a biologist? I now live in the mountains of Pennsylvania (not even a wide spot in the road) and write about New Guinea and birds. andrew at cassowaryconservation.com

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  15. I am looking to organize a blog tour from September 7 – September 21. I was hoping you could participate.

    My memoir, Who Am I? How My Daughter Taught Me to Let Go and Live Again, was released on August 2, 2014. My book is about my journey into post-partum depression, anxiety disorder, panic attacks, stays in the psych ward, divorce, domestic violence, law school, how I managed to graduate from law school and a beautiful little girl who emerged from all of this chaos. There are two extremely important messages I would like to get across:

    One: Postpartum Depression still has a negative stigma attached to it. Women shouldn’t be afraid to seek treatment if they feel something is wrong.

    Two: Emotional abuse is a form of domestic violence and is not to be taken lightly. It took 10 strangers in a group therapy session in the hospital psych ward to tell me that I was in an emotionally abusive marriage and that I needed to get out for the sake of my daughter.

    I am looking for hosts to review my book, feature an author interview or just copy and paste my media kit. Please let me know if you are interested by replying to this e-mail. I REALLY appreciate this!

    THANK YOU!!

    Meg

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  16. Hi, LuAnn:

    First of all, I LOVE your sense of humor and the warm, welcoming tone of your blog!

    I'm writing today to see if you'd have time to read and review my new cozy mystery, Handcuffs & High Heels: A Ruby Wisdom Mystery.

    Here's a blurb about the book:

    Meet Ruby Wisdom. Smart and sensible. Humorous and heroic. Tough and tender. As the only private investigator in tiny Wormwood, New York, Ruby handles a wide range of cases—everything from jewel heists and cheating husbands to stolen wedding gowns, kidnapped artwork and fraudulent heirs.

    In HANDCUFFS & HIGH HEELS, Ruby is hired by the wife of a millionaire when the woman suspects her husband is having an affair. And he is—several of them. But when Ruby begins connecting the duplicitous dots, the deceitful spouse ends up in a much more difficult dilemma than being caught with his hands in Cookie’s jar. And that’s when the real investigation begins.

    HANDCUFFS & HIGH HEELS is a cozy mystery loaded with humor, romance, memorable characters and a sleuth who knows her way around baked goods and sweet treats as well as crime scenes and tricky investigations.

    My email is magic.gumshoe (at) gmail.com.

    Thank you so much!

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    Replies
    1. Sounds like a lot of fun, JM! I will contact you by email.

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  17. Hi LuAnn,

    I saw your site listed on bookbloggerlist.com, including parenting books. My company publishes the Mommy MD Guides books—which are filled with tips that doctors who are also mothers use for their own families. Would you be interested in reviewing one or two of our books? If so, please let me know which two book(s) and where to send them:

    The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth
    The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby’s First Year
    The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years
    The Mommy MD Guide to Losing Weight and Feeling Great

    Thank you for your consideration! I hope you're having a great day! Jennifer Reich, jenniferreich@mommymdguides.com

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  18. I got your contact info from The Book Blogger’s Site. I’ve written my second book of the quadrilogy, “The Universes of God 2: The Chronicles of Jesus Christ.” I noticed from your profile that you frequently review Christian Fiction books. If you think you might be interested in reading my book and posting an honest review, I’ll gladly send a complimentary copy if you’ll reply with your interest. There is no obligation, of course.

    Best Regards


    Twe Stephens,
    A different kind of Christian Author…
    http://www.scribd.com/twe_stephens
    The Universes of God: The Chronicles of The Angels
    The Universes of God II: The Chronicles of Jesus Christ
    The Universes of God III: The Chronicles of the Antichrist (2/2015)
    The Universes of God IV: The Final Eternity (5/2016)

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  19. eBook review request - Fancy Pants Poetry

    Hello LuAnn, I found your blog on The Book Blogger List. I'm promoting my eBook titled Fancy Pants Poetry. Would you consider reviewing it?

    Cover IMG: http://i.imgur.com/nYupU3z.jpg
    Cover by: Samantha Scafidi

    The poetry you'll meet in this collection will be biting, defensive, cynical and sarcastic. Dark humour is used to elaborate upon bleak life outlooks. At many times the spirit in these poems are rooted in antonymous rebellion. All that said, the reader will also encounter various instances synonymous with the proverbial "light at the end of tunnel".

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23642813-fancy-pants-poetry
    50 pgs
    Dec 1 2014
    978-0-9936659-3-6



    Agostino Scafidi. Montreal, Canada.
    http://www.facebook.com/AgostinoScafidiAuthor

    For readers to purchase my eBook:
    http://agostinoscafidi.bigcartel.com
    My eBooks come in mobi, epub, pdf, doc w/ cover.

    To download Fancy Pants Poetry for your review:
    Send me an email agostinoscafidi at gmail dot com

    Sample for you and your readers:
    http://thehermitrant.blogspot.ca/2014/12/new-ebook-fancy-pants-poetry.html


    Thank you for your time!
    _Agostino

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  20. LuAnn,

    Where would you run if you cracked a code which could save millions of lives, but then learned that others who simply knew the code existed wound up dead within 24 hours? In the spy/thriller, THE DEMETER CODE, unruly CIA operative, Ridley Fox is blamed for a failed op where a top asset was assassinated. When he isn't taken seriously, he coerces his more compliant partner, Nita Parris, to defy orders and assist him when he alone believes an attack on American soil is imminent.

    If you'd like an eBook review copy, please let me know.

    Kind regards,

    Russell
    russellbrookswriter@gmail.com
    www.russellparkway.com

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  21. Hi LuAnn,
    I would love it if you were to review my humorous cozy mystery, The Serenity Stone Murder. It's about two intrepid middle-aged church ladies who get embroiled in trying to find out who killed the manager of the Thunder Bay Charity Casino. I am a Thunder Bay-based writer with credits in Reader's Digest, Canadian Living and numerous others. Let me know if you're interested.
    Sincerely,
    Marianne Jones
    https:// www.mariannejones.ca
    Jonesmarianne2@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. I'd love to read your cozy mystery, Marianne! You can email me a MOBI file at luann(dot)braley(at)gmail(dot)com. Thanks for the opportunity!

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  22. It's nice to meet you! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

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  23. Hello LuAnn! I don't see an email address for you on your site here, so I'll comment and hope you drop me a line. ;-) I'd like to gift you with an ebook I've written, The 12 Days of Christmas Adventure. Drop me an email and I'll we'll "talk." :-)
    Marianne ballpark001@gmail.com

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  24. Hi LuAnn, I also would like to contact you via email with information about a possible review or guest post. Would you email me your info please? PJ nunn.pj33@email.com

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  25. Hi LuAnn I am an eclectic writer of many genres: mystery, mystery/romance, Canadian historical for young adults, and science fiction. I am wondering if you are interested in reading and reviewing any of them. www.joandonaldsonyarmey.com

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  26. Hi LuAnn, I am a 14 year old author of Twin Reflections, a YA fantasy http://tinyurl.com/h3fw2d3

    Would you consider reviewing my book?

    Elizabeth Joseph
    twinreflections2015@gmail.com

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  27. Hi LuAnn

    Thank you for visiting my gardening blog, Growing Our Food and good luck with your garden. It's hard work as you know, but so worth it.

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  28. Hi, LuAnn! Jade here, giving your blog a visit. I love what you've done with the place! So, after perusing a bit, I have to admit that I'm curious as to what you'll be posting during the A-to-Z Challenge. I know there are lots of directions you could go, but I'd love to know what you have in mind (unless it's a secret!). Best of luck during the challenge. I think it's going to be fun. Once again, nice to meet you! ~ Jade, www.jadecjamison.com

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  29. Hey,

    Thank you so much for making the #atozchallenge super fun. This is my first time taking up the challenge and I am looking forward to many more.

    Cheers.

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  30. Hi LuAnn! MY ancestry on my mothers side goes back to PA, and KY, with stops in Indiana in between. Mom was Born in Owensboro, with her mom being born in a spot in the road in KY, and her dad in Indiana. :-D

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  31. You're now book tagged for Spring Book Tag HERE Hoping you'll be able to join the FuN !

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  32. Hi LuAnn! Not sure if you'll remember me, but I'm the author of The Sixth Domicile you reviewed way back in January. I had a blog tour with Enchanted Promotions and that's how we got linked. Anyway, I was looking to contact you but can't find an email. I have upcoming events for my second book in the series and would love to have you apart of them! My email is courtneyruggles@yahoo.com if you'd like to email me! Thanks!!

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  33. Hi LuAnn,

    I am looking for reviews for my non-fiction book One of the Few: A Marine Fighter Pilot's Reconnaissance of the Christian Worldview. It's about my struggle with doubt during a search for truth and a reasonable defense of the Christian faith.

    Please let me know if you would be interested in receiving a copy and providing a review on Amazon and Goodreads. I can provide the ebook in Kindle, ePub, and PDF format, and softcovers on request.

    Publish Date: November 2015
    Publisher: Boone Shepherd
    Genre: Christian non-fiction
    Page count: 318
    Accolades: #1 Bestseller on Amazon, 2016 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist

    www.OneoftheFewBook.com
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016X0HL84/
    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26253930-one-of-the-few

    I look forward to hearing back from you!

    Sincerely,
    Jason B. Ladd

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  34. Dear LuAnn Braley:

    I came across your site via The Book Blogger List website. I can tell that you enjoyed Greetings from Utopia Park by Claire Hoffman.
    Might I convince you to take a look at my upcoming book, Yes, I Named My Daughter Gaylord Focker. So Focking What! (Over 1,000 Real Names of Real People, All Weird)? It is part one of my unbook series which I intend to unveil on September 1, and I think that you will enjoy a few laughs. By the way, it has been edited many times.

    The synopsis follows: It lists many of the weird names that people have such as Martina Moron, Jesus Christ, Santa Claus, Dick End, and Candy Cane. These are names that people were given by their parents at birth, or in some cases, they are names that people legally had their names changed to. Impossible? Consider the oddball and myriad tattoos that people have. Anyway, it is not a book that will probably change the world, and it is a book that people are more likely to skim than to read, but it is worth a few bucks and it will produce a hundred smiles.

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  35. Hi LuAnne, I have a lovely Cozy Mystery I'm working on a blog tour for by USA Today Best Selling Author Jean Rabe. I was wondering if you'd be interested in holding a stop? Details here: http://www.ltpromos.com/2017/06/23/presenting-jean-rabes-the-dead-of-night-blog-tour-sign-up/ Hope you are interested!

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  36. Hi LuAnn, I've just read your wonderful review of my new novel, The Irish Milliner, and was hoping you'd be willing to post some of this review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads? Emily Dickinson said, "How public like a frog to give your name the livelong day to an admiring bog." And I'm yet to have an admiring bog, but I do feel like a frog at times in this crazy writing life. I also would like to mail you two complimentary copies of my first two young adult books if you'd consider reviewing them. Norah is the next one after those two and you can purchase that one online or through my web site. Thanks so much for your review. Please email me with your address at cynthiagneale@gmail.com.

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  37. Hi LuAnn - I just read your great review of Forty Autumns by Nina Willner. I work at Inkshares, a book publisher based out of Oakland. We're publishing a literary memoir that I think you might find interesting: Sergey Grechishkin’s EVERYTHING IS NORMAL: The Life and Times of a Soviet Kid. It publishes in paperback on March 27, 2018. I would love to send you a copy. Can't find your email address, but can you email me? angela@inkshares.com — Thanks so much!

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