A Billy Coffey Collection : When Mockingbirds Sing, The Devil Walks in Mattingly, In the Heart of the Dark Woods

Now available in one volume—three novels from Billy Coffey. When Mockingbirds Sing What marks the boundary between a miracle from God and the imagination of a child? Leah is a child from Away, isolated from her peers because of her stutter. But then she begins painting scenes that are epic in scope, brilliant in detail, and suffused with rich, prophetic imagery. When the event foreshadowed in the first painting dramatically comes true, the town of Mattingly takes notice. Leah attributes her ability to foretell the future to an invisible friend she calls the Rainbow Man. Some of the townsfolk are enchanted with her. Others fear her. But there is one thing they all agree on—there is no such thing as the Rainbow Man. But then a dramatic and tragic turn of events leaves the town reeling and places everyone's lives in danger. Now the people of Mattingly face a single choice: Will they cling to what they know . . . or embrace the things Leah believes in that cannot be seen? The Devil Walks in Mattingly For the three people tortured by their secret complicity in a young man's untimely death, redemption is what they most long for . . . and the last thing they expect to receive. It has been twenty years since Philip McBride's body was found along the riverbank in the dark woods known as Happy Hollow. His death was ruled a suicide. But three people have carried the truth ever since—Philip didn't kill himself that day. He was murdered. Yet what cannot be laid to rest is bound to rise again. These three will be drawn together for a final confrontation between life and death . . . between truth and lies. In the Heart of the Dark Wood A motherless girl hungry for hope . . . and the dream that could be leading her astray. Almost two years have passed since twelve-year-old Allie Granderson's beloved mother, Mary, disappeared into the wild tornado winds. Her body has never been found. Now, Allie and her best friend Zach leave the city behind and push into the inky forest on the outskirts of Mattingly. For Allie, the journey is more than a ghost hunt: she is rejoining the mother she lost—and finding herself with each step deeper into the heart of the dark wood. Brimming with lyrical prose and unexpected discoveries, In the Heart of the Dark Wood illustrates the steep transition we all must undergo—the moment we shed our childlike selves and step into the strange territory of adulthood. Journey to Mattingly, VA, and discover what marks the boundary between a miracle from God and the imagination of a child. Leah is a child from Away, isolated from her peers because of her stutter. After her family moves to Mattingly, she begins painting scenes that are epic in scope, brilliant in detail, and suffused with rich, prophetic imagery. When the event foreshadowed in the first painting dramatically comes true, the town takes notice. Leah attributes her ability to foretell the future to an invisible friend she calls the Rainbow Man. Some of the townsfolk are enchanted with her. Others fear her. But there is one thing they all agree on#8212;there is no such thing as the Rainbow Man. The town minister is unraveled by the notion that a mere child with no formal training may be hearing from God more clearly than he does. While the town bickers over what to do with this strange child, the content of Leah's paintings grows darker. Still, Leah insists that the Rainbow Man's heart is pure. Then a dramatic and tragic turn of events leaves the town reeling and places everyone's lives in danger. The people of Mattingly face a single choice: Will they cling to what they know . . . or embrace the things Leah believes in that cannot be seen? Includes a sneak peek at Coffey's novel The Curse of Crow Hollow "Baseball fans will love the behind-the-scenes peek into a night game in the Major Leagues, but even non-baseball fans will be pulled into the beauty and tension of Coffey's writing, the lovely and tragic Blue Ridge Mountain settings, and his compelling characters who make both selfless and heartbreaking choices. This is a powerful story of grief, love, forgiveness, and holy mystery, and I loved it. Billy Coffey is a master storyteller." #8212;Lauren K. Denton, USA TODAY bestselling author of The Hideaway, for Steal Away Home "Billy Coffey is one of the most lyrical writers of our time . . . we leave his imaginary world hungry for more, eager for another serving of Coffey's tremendous talent." #8212;Julie Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of Into the Free and Perennials "This rich and masterful tale is touched by the miraculous and is cleverly delivered as the first-person recollections of a seasoned catcher. Fans of America's favorite pastime will enjoy this book from page one." #8212;RT Book Reviews on Steal Away Home "Billy Coffey is a minstrel who writes with intense depth of feeling and vibrant rich description." #8212;Robert Whitlow, bestselling author of The List and The Confession Nine-year-old Leah's invisible friend seems harmless enough. . .until she begins to paint the future. Suddenly, the townspeople are divided between those who see her as a prophet and those who fear the danger she represents. Caught in the middle is Leah's agnostic father, who clashes with a powerful town pastor over Leah's prophecies and what to do about them. Leah is a child from Away, isolated from her peers because of her stutter. After her family moves to Mattingly, she begins painting scenes that are epic in scope, brilliant in detail, and suffused with rich, prophetic imagery. When the event foreshadowed in the first painting dramatically comes true, the town takes notice. Leah attributes her ability to foretell the future to an invisible friend she calls the Rainbow Man. Some of the townsfolk are enchanted with her. Others fear her. But there is one thing they all agree on—there is no such thing as the Rainbow Man. The town minister is unraveled by the notion that a mere child with no formal training may be hearing from God more clearly than he does. While the town bickers over what to do with this strange child, the content of Leah's paintings grows darker. Still, Leah insists that the Rainbow Man's heart is pure. Then a dramatic and tragic turn of events leaves the town reeling and places everyone's lives in danger. The people of Mattingly face a single choice: will they cling to what they know . . . or embrace the things Leah believes in that cannot be seen? Supernatural standalone novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs Other books by Billy Coffey: Snow Day, Paper Angels, The Devil Walks in Mattingly, and In the Heart of the Dark Wood For the three people tortured by their secret complicity in a young man's untimely death, redemption is what they most long for . . . and the last thing they expect to receive. It has been twenty years since Philip McBride's body was found along the riverbank in the dark woods known as Happy Hollow. His death was ruled a suicide. But three people have carried the truth ever since—Philip didn't kill himself that day. He was murdered. Each of the three have wilted in the shadow of their sins. Jake Barnett is Mattingly's sheriff, where he spends his days polishing the fragile shell of the man he pretends to be. His wife, Kate, has convinced herself the good she does for the poor will someday wash the blood from her hands. And high in the mountains, Taylor Hathcock lives in seclusion and fear, fueled by madness and hatred. Yet what cannot be laid to rest is bound to rise again. Philip McBride has haunted Jake's dreams for weeks, warning that he is coming back for them all. When Taylor finds mysterious footprints leading from the Hollow, he believes his redemption has come. His actions will plunge the quiet town of Mattingly into darkness. These three will be drawn together for a final confrontation between life and death . . . between truth and lies. "Coffey has a profound sense of Southern spirituality. His narrative moves the reader from . . . [a] false heaven to a terrible hell, then back again to a glorious grace." — Publishers Weekly " The Devil Walks in Mattingly . . . recalls Flannery O'Conner with its glimpses of the grotesque and supernatural." — BookPage "Leah is a child from Away, isolated from her peers because of her stutter. But then she begins painting scenes that are epic in scope, brilliant in detail, and suffused with rich, prophetic imagery. When the event foreshadowed in the first painting dramatically comes true, the town of Mattingly takes notice. Leah attributes her ability to foretell the future to an invisible friend she calls the Rainbow Man. Some of the townsfolk are enchanted with her. Others fear her. But there is one thing they all agree on--there is no such thing as the Rainbow Man. Her father, the town psychologist, is falling apart over his inability to heal his daughter ... or fix his marriage. And the town minister is unraveled by the notion that a mere child with no formal training may be hearing from God more clearly than he does. While the town bickers over what to do with this strange child, the content of Leah's paintings grows darker. Still, Leah insists that the Rainbow Man's heart is pure. But then a dramatic and tragic turn of events leaves the town reeling and places everyone's lives in danger. Now the people of Mattingly face a single choice: Will they cling to what they know ... or embrace the things Leah believes in that cannot be seen?"--Page 4 of cover. A motherless girl hungry for hope . . . and the dream that could be leading her astray. Almost two years have passed since twelve-year-old Allie Granderson’s beloved mother, Mary, disappeared into the wild tornado winds. Her body has never been found. Allie clings to memories of her mother, just as she clings to the broken compass she left behind, the makeshift Nativity scene in the front yard, and her best friend Zach. But even with Zach at her side, the compass on her wrist, and the Nativity right outside the window, Allie cannot help but feel lost in all the growing up that must get done. When the Holy Mother disappears from the yard, Allie’s bewilderment is compounded by the sudden movement of her mother’s compass. Following the needle, Allie and Zach leave the city behind and push into the inky forest on the outskirts of Mattingly. For Allie, the journey is more than a ghost hunt: she is rejoining the mother she lost—and finding herself with each step deeper into the heart of the dark wood. Brimming with lyrical prose and unexpected discoveries, In the Heart of the Dark Wood illustrates the steep transition we all must undergo—the moment we shed our childlike selves and step into the strange territory of adulthood. "For the three people tortured by their secret complicity in a young man's untimely death, redemption is what they most long for. and the last thing they expect to receive. It has been twenty years since Philip McBride's body was found along the riverbank in the dark woods known as Happy Hollow. His death was ruled a suicide. But three people have carried the truth ever since ;Philip didn't kill himself that day. He was murdered. Each of the three have wilted in the shadow of their sins. Jake Barnett is Mattingly's sheriff, where he spends his days polishing the fragile shell of the man he pretends to be. His wife, Kate, has convinced herself the good she does for;the poor will someday was;the blood from her hands. And high in the mountains, Taylor Hathcock lives in seclusion; and fear, fueled by madness and hatred. Yet what cannot be laid to rest is bound to rise. Taylor finds mysterious footprints leading from the Hollow, he believes his redemption has come. His actions will plunge the quiet town of Mattingly into darkness. These three will be drawn together for a final confrontation between life and death. between truth and lies"-- Provided by publisher Billy Coffey's novels are now available as an e-collection! When Mockingbirds Sing What marks the boundary between a miracle from God and the imagination of a child' The Devil Walks in Mattingly For the three people tortured by their secret complicity in a young man's untimely death, redemption is what they most long for ... and the last thing they expect to receive. In the Heart of the Dark Wood A motherless girl hungry for hope ... and the dream that could be leading her astray A motherlessgirl hungry for hope ... and the dream that could be leading her astray. In the Heart of the Dark WoodInto the Freeand When Mountains Move (on The Devil Walks in Mattingly)