About Landing with Both Feet: A Thatcher Novel
Written by Julia Talbot
156 pages / 52000 words
ISBN: 1-93389-59-1
Available file types - html, lit, pdf, prc, paperback
Jed Thatcher figures there comes a point when a man has to think about changing career paths. Especially when that man is his. Eli Marshall loves his job as a smokejumper, though, and isn't convinced her should move on to something safer. Besides, he figures Jed's own job of flying tourists into snowstorms isn't all that much better.
While they wrangle over that, Jed's brother Ross has a problem of his own to sort out. His boyfriend Kevin is having second thoughts about their life together, and it's causing a rift Ross isn't sure they can breach.
The brothers struggle with their problems and live their lives day to day with a cast of unforgettable characters, from all too knowing moms to a pack of adoring dogs. The Thatchers of Jumping Into Things are back, and there's nothing these good old boys can't handle as long as they stick together, even if it does seem like they might not land on their feet this time.
Review
CB Potts, editor of the upcoming Play Ball, writes: Forest fires, plane crashes, near death experiences, and more dogs than any human being could ever possibly want -- and that’s the slow part of Julia Talbot’s new work, Landing with Both Feet.
Be prepared. It’s impossible not to fall at least a little in love with the Thatcher boys. There’s Jed, a pilot with his smokejumper boyfriend Eli. Ross, who’s tough as nails…except for this little bitty broken heart thing he’s got going on. Ken, who doesn’t mind stepping in to whup ass and take names when needed. And then there’s the Thatcher by proxie, Brodie. He’s easily one of the most engaging characters Talbot’s ever written, and when considering Talbot’s impressive body of work, that’s saying quite a bit.
The realism in this novel is amazing. I don’t know what Julia does in her downtime, but I wouldn’t be one bit surprised to discover she’s a pilot, a firefighter, or both. Her writing puts you instantly on-scene -- engaging and terrifying when it’s one of a series of life threatening events, engaging and amazing when the rough and tumble couples fall into bed together. Very emotional, with a great depth of characters, and a couple compulsive sub-plots that keep the reader turning pages.
Talbot takes some chances with the narrative structure, and there are some time shifts that might throw you -- a few places caused me to go back and say, “What?” -- but overall a very strong novel, to be recommended. Keep the Kleenex at the ready and your favorite cowboy on speed dial. You’ll need both.
Sample
''Going out again?''
Jed Thatcher watched Eli get his gear together—the man carefully packing everything into his rucksack. All that shit would just get packed again at the jump center, but that was Eli's way of knowing he had it all. Smokejumpers lived because they were careful, Eli always said, and a careful smokejumper had all of his gear.
''Yeah. Got the call while you were out feeding. There's a big one down near Naturita.''
''Grand Junction or Montrose?'' They lived halfway in between the two Western Colorado towns, so Jed never knew which tiny airport Eli would go out of.
''Junction.''
He nodded, fingers worrying a frayed spot on his jeans as he stood there, noting each item as it went in. Boots, helmet, clean underwear.
''I'm headed over there for the air show. Let me give you a ride.''
Eli glanced up, a knowing look in those dark brown eyes. God, the man still took his breath, despite a few more lines around the eyes and mouth, and the few gray hairs sprinkled here and there.
''You don't have to.''
''I want to. Besides, I need to get down there and run pre-flight checks on Amel Wilson's crop duster. No way am I doing tricks in it on his say so.''
''Yeah. Last time you had an engine go out.'' That grin just did all sorts of funny things to Jed's belly. ''Okay, yeah. You can drive me, Thatcher. But you'll have to step on it.''
''Let me get my bag.''
They got moving after that, and Jed called Junior Austin on the way out of Cedaredge, asking him to take care of the horses. The dogs, all four of them, took up whatever space their bags didn't in the backseat. The rearview looked funny without Jumbo, who'd died last winter, but the Roice-Hurst shelter down in the Junction had advertised Great Pyrennes-Newfoundland mixes not long after, and Eli had browbeat him into getting one. The damned fuzzy thing was near as big as Jumbo'd been now, just a little wider and shorter without the wolfhound blood.
''Seems weird that Ojo is the old man now, huh?''
Ojo was the one-eyed dog Jed had found in his barn about a year before he'd met Eli, and the mutt had to be ten years old now, but still going strong.
''Things change.''
''You okay?'' Eli gave him a look. ''Not fretting about me, are you, Thatcher?''
Well, sure he was. Eli was getting about as long in the tooth as Ojo. But he stifled the urge to say it. ''Just be careful, Mister. Okay?''
''I always am, Jed.''
Jed drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as they blew through Whitewater, turning off at the speedway to loop around Clifton to the airport. It didn't take long enough to make the drive from Delta when Eli was going out on a jump.
Not long enough at all.