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Up Near Dallas

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UP NEAR DALLAS
Winds of Change — Book III
by
GINA HOOTEN POPP
  Genre:  Texas Historical Fiction / Romance
Date of Publication: November 12, 2017
Number of Pages: 307

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The year is 1934. Economic turbulence rocks the country. And record drought dries up crops, along with the spirits of every farmer south of the Mason-Dixon. Yet for sixteen-year-old Mick McLaren, life is good as he takes to the open road to chase his dream of being a musician. Riding boxcars, hitchhiking, walking and driving his way across Depression Era Texas, he finds not only himself, but the love of a girl from Dallas named Margaret. Along the way, they befriend Cowboy Larson, a Delta Blues guitarist. Together the three teens, from three very different worlds, come-of-age as their life-changing journey carries them through killer dust storms, extreme poverty, and the unprecedented gangster activity of the Dirty Thirties. 
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AUTHOR GINA HOOTEN POPP’S PLAYLIST
TO UP NEAR DALLAS

Since Up Near Dallas is about the revolutionary 1930s music scene happening in Dallas and across the state of Texas, of course I had music playing in the background when I wrote it. The following are just a few of the many songs that influenced me.The mournful, longing lyrics of tenor Chris Isaak came to mind when I was writing Mick McLaren’s character. I imagined that Mick’s ballad about the girl he loved would sound very much like some of the song’s off Isaak’s album, Heart Shaped World. In particular, the song “Wicked Game” and the lyrics: The world was on fire, and no one could save me but you.”

Another song was Eric Clapton’s cover of Robert Johnson’s song, “Crossroads.” This song appealed to me since I read that the blues guitarist Robert Johnson had a big  influence on Clapton along with many other modern musicians. Then, of course, more than a few songs from Johnson himself, including “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom,” “Ramblin’ On My Mind,” and “Sweet Home Chicago.”

…followed by Sister Rosetta rock-influenced “Shout Sister Shout,” “Down By The Riverside,” and “This Train” just to name a few.

I also listened to songs that depicted the time period, including Woody Guthrie’s “Dust Bowl Refugee,” “Hard Travelin’,” “I Ain’t Got No Home In This World Anymore,” and “This Land Is Your Land.” Guthrie’s lyrics gave me a glimpse of the tone of America during the thirties.

And, two more songs stand out in my mind because I actually wove them into the storyline. The Carter Family’s version of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and the legendary jazz standard “I Only Have Eyes For You” that was so popular in 1934.

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A native Texan, Gina Hooten Popp was born in Greenville and now lives in Dallas with her husband and son. Along with writing novels, Gina has enjoyed a long career as a professional writer in advertising. Her debut novel THE STORM AFTER was a finalist in the 2014 RONE Awards, and her just-released book CHICO BOY: A NOVEL was a 2016 Medalist Winner in the New Apple Annual Book Awards. Recently, her novel LUCKY’S WAY, about a young fighter pilot from Houston, was endorsed by the United States World War One Centennial Commission.

 


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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

 

12/4/17
Guest Post
12/5/17
Review
12/6/17
Excerpt
12/7/17
Playlist
12/8/17
Review
12/9/17
Notable Quotable
12/10/17
Excerpt
Texan Girl Reads
12/11/17
Review
12/12/17
Author Interview
12/13/17
Review
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