Razor Wire Wilderness by Stephanie Dickinson

Burnett’s characters all seem set on a kind of liberation, a release from or a rescue of the self. This season had ended, for melons, for rain, for redemption. Spinning cones of dust briefly appeared and disintegrated. The author has an eye for detail, an ear for dialogue, but what’s so extraordinary is the novel’s ease at blending pacing, plotting, and supple syntax. Her meth-fueled antagonist is never far behind. We follow Burnett’s protagonist Jaqui, a gorgeous 18-year-old with an Ella Fitzgerald voice from a tractor seat to the open mic stage and beyond. Part high octane thriller, part love story, the reader moves fluidly between rural earthiness and Austin’s scintillating music scene. In his debut novel Watermelon Tattoo, Tony Burnett serves up the fecundity of Texas in temperatures hovering just above triple digits. Powell, author of Lucky Bastard, Beyond Redemption, and Super Blood Wolf Moon Fast-paced, lusty, and chocked full of wry and insightful commentary on self-discovery, the music industry, and religion, this is one great read by a seasoned author.”

This Texas hill country bildungsroman features Jacqui Benderman, a feral, beautiful, and musically talented eighteen-year-old on her journey from daddy Sarge’s watermelon farm to international stardom. “Tony Burnett’s novel, Watermelon Tattoo, is one wild ride. Strong characterizations will keep readers engaged in what happens next in this murder tale. Burnett has created an unconventional and magnetic character who makes a memorable first impression.

Razor Wire Wilderness by Stephanie Dickinson