Review
"The emotions flying between the two women who tell their story here is as dramatic as the Appalachian Trail and as tumultuous as the Atlantic Ocean. These natural elements are a perfect backdrop for the revelations of love which both repel and engage them."
- Jewelle Gomez, author, The Gilda Stories
In the Direction of the Sun, by Lucy Madison, provides the reader with a kaleidoscope of colorful views. Shifting scenes between the mountains and the sea, the past and the present, she never lets us lose focus on the emotional intensity of two women who passionately love one another.
- Shelley Thrasher, Author
"The storytelling is refreshing and charming! I fell in love with both Alex and Cate. This book made me want to grab my gear and hit both the trail and the coast..."
- Renee MacKenzie, Author
"In the Direction of the Sun is a lesbian romance novel written by Lucy J. Madison. Alex McKenzie has taken leave from the elementary school where she teaches English and embarked on a solo through-trip of the Appalachian Mountain Trail. Her sister and mother think she's taken leave of her senses as well and sought to discourage her, but Alex needed this. She was hurt and confused over the abrupt and painful ending to her fairy-tale romance with Cate Conrad. From the moment Alex first saw the free-spirited artist and temporary art instructor at Burr Elementary School, Alex knew Cate was the one. She had been so careful not to get involved too quickly, but Alex had fallen deeply and helplessly in love. Cate was terrified of commitment, however, and Alex's somewhat clumsy attempts at getting Cate to understand the intensity of her feelings frightened Cate even further. While Alex was hiking, Cate was the artist-in-residence in a rustic oceanfront cabin in the sand dunes of Race Point, Provincetown. She had won the lottery for a three-week stay in the prized dune shacks, but her canvases remained pristine white and untouched. While she had run away from Alex, who threatened her independence and need to feel free to roam, she couldn't get past the memories of their relationship.
Lucy J. Madison's contemporary lesbian romance novel, In the Direction of the Sun, is filled with action, adventure and gorgeous nature descriptions as Alex and Cate learn to live without each other. I'm an avid fan of Appalachian Trail memoirs and fiction and loved experiencing the trail
through Alex's eyes. I also agreed wholeheartedly with her that it should be an experience savored fully, and that 10 miles a day made for a much richer experience than the grueling 16-20 mile days many through-hikers undertake. The evening she spends with some friendly fellow hikers, which is when she finally gets her own trail name, Moonstruck, is brilliantly described and is a turning point for Alex in her Appalachian Trail metamorphosis. With each step she takes, you can sense her evolution into a strong, introspective and confident woman. Madison's story moves back and forth in time to show the reader the full history of each of her main characters, as well as including the letters each writes to the other. Along the way, you can sense how each was affected by the romance, and how the time spent afterward combined with their analyses of what was special and what went wrong, contribute to their transformations into their best selves.
Madison lets her characters pull no punches -- we see the rage, frustration, and aggression Alex expresses on being rejected and can sense Cate's fear of rejection and commitment which has closed her off to the possibility of a loving relationship. All the while, each of them is aware of the passage of time as the thirty-somethings come to realize their existence in this life is a finite thing. Her nature descriptions of Cate's sailing adventures and Alex's Appalachian Trail hike are first-rate and make this a must-read for anyone interested in adventure fiction. In the Direction of the Sun is a brilliant character study and an engaging and powerful romance. It's most highly recommended.
- Jack Magnus, Readers' Favorite 5-Star Review
About the Author
Lucy J. Madison is a novelist, screenwriter, and poet who strives to tell unique stories about women, for women.
She writes contemporary lesbian romance novels, poetry, articles, and short stories. Her books include Personal Foul and In the Direction of the Sun. The Lesbian Review named Personal Foul as one of the top 10 Lesbian Sports Romances. In the Direction of the Sun was named an Award Finalist in the Fiction: LGBTQ category of the 2017 Best Book Awards.
The One: Stories of Falling in Love Forever, A Heart Well Traveled Volume 1, and Tales of Travelrotica for Lesbians, include her short stories. Her interview with WNBA legend Sue Bird was featured as Curve Magazine's September 2017 cover story. Other bylines include: The San Francisco Bay Times, Lesbian.com, The Lesbian News, Got Game Magazine, Thysia Literary Magazine, Prism Book Alliance Blog, Confluence, The Tipton Poetry Journal, Beginnings Literary Magazine, and The Survivor's Review, among others.
Review
"The emotions flying between the two women who tell their story here is as dramatic as the Appalachian Trail and as tumultuous as the Atlantic Ocean. These natural elements are a perfect backdrop for the revelations of love which both repel and engage them."
- Jewelle Gomez, author, The Gilda Stories
In the Direction of the Sun, by Lucy Madison, provides the reader with a kaleidoscope of colorful views. Shifting scenes between the mountains and the sea, the past and the present, she never lets us lose focus on the emotional intensity of two women who passionately love one another.
- Shelley Thrasher, Author
"The storytelling is refreshing and charming! I fell in love with both Alex and Cate. This book made me want to grab my gear and hit both the trail and the coast..."
- Renee MacKenzie, Author
"In the Direction of the Sun is a lesbian romance novel written by Lucy J. Madison. Alex McKenzie has taken leave from the elementary school where she teaches English and embarked on a solo through-trip of the Appalachian Mountain Trail. Her sister and mother think she's taken leave of her senses as well and sought to discourage her, but Alex needed this. She was hurt and confused over the abrupt and painful ending to her fairy-tale romance with Cate Conrad. From the moment Alex first saw the free-spirited artist and temporary art instructor at Burr Elementary School, Alex knew Cate was the one. She had been so careful not to get involved too quickly, but Alex had fallen deeply and helplessly in love. Cate was terrified of commitment, however, and Alex's somewhat clumsy attempts at getting Cate to understand the intensity of her feelings frightened Cate even further. While Alex was hiking, Cate was the artist-in-residence in a rustic oceanfront cabin in the sand dunes of Race Point, Provincetown. She had won the lottery for a three-week stay in the prized dune shacks, but her canvases remained pristine white and untouched. While she had run away from Alex, who threatened her independence and need to feel free to roam, she couldn't get past the memories of their relationship.
Lucy J. Madison's contemporary lesbian romance novel, In the Direction of the Sun, is filled with action, adventure and gorgeous nature descriptions as Alex and Cate learn to live without each other. I'm an avid fan of Appalachian Trail memoirs and fiction and loved experiencing the trail
through Alex's eyes. The evening she spends with some friendly fellow hikers, which is when she finally gets her own trail name, Moonstruck, is brilliantly described and is a turning point for Alex in her Appalachian Trail metamorphosis. With each step she takes, you can sense her evolution into a strong, introspective and confident woman. Madison's story moves back and forth in time to show the reader the full history of each of her main characters, as well as including the letters each writes to the other. Along the way, you can sense how each was affected by the romance, and how the time spent afterward combined with their analyses of what was special and what went wrong, contribute to their transformations into their best selves.
Madison lets her characters pull no punches -- we see the rage, frustration, and aggression Alex expresses on being rejected and can sense Cate's fear of rejection and commitment which has closed her off to the possibility of a loving relationship. All the while, each of them is aware of the passage of time as the thirty-somethings come to realize their existence in this life is a finite thing. Her nature descriptions of Cate's sailing adventures and Alex's Appalachian Trail hike are first-rate and make this a must-read for anyone interested in adventure fiction. In the Direction of the Sun is a brilliant character study and an engaging and powerful romance. It's most highly recommended.
- Jack Magnus, Readers' Favorite 5-Star Review --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. From the Author
Hi there. Thank you for considering my book to read! I know there is a wealth of books to choose from these days and I'm appreciative that you're taking the time to check mine out.I am really proud of this story. I spent a great deal of timing hiking the Appalachian Trail in sections because I love to hike and be outdoors. It was never my intention to write a story about a character who hikes the Trail, but that felt right when I was creating the character of Alex McKenzie. This is a story about love and how we often waste so much time trying to figure things out. Sometimes our experiences remind us that life is a gift. It's so fleeting and we must make the choice to determine what is really important. Obviously, as a romance writer, I believe love is the most important choice we can make in this lifetime. Enjoy! And please leave a review! --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. From the Back Cover
"The emotions flying between the two women who tell their story here is as dramatic as the Appalachian Trail and as tumultuous as the Atlantic Ocean. These natural elements are a perfect backdrop for the revelations of love which both repel and engage them."
- Jewelle Gomez, author, The Gilda Stories --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. 
![In the Direction of the Sun by [Lucy J. Madison]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51euR0XuKjL._SY346_.jpg)
Audiobook
