Rachel Rener's Blog, page 16
July 29, 2022
I F*cked up... Again.
Guys....I did it again.
Except this time IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I swear!!! The convention I was supposed to attend next month got cancelled, so I am now overrun with books
Sigh. You know what to do. Go forth and get signed books for a ridiculously low price.
Promo code: OOPSIE
July 20, 2022
A Note on Jewish "Stereotypes"
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This was really hard to write and even harder to publish. But when I called my mom to ask her permission, she got emotional and told me how important it is to share our story.
In doing so, I'd like to take a moment to discuss Jewish stereotypes after seeing another non-Jewish Inked reviewer raise concerns that Talia’s mother, Dee Dee, is doing a disservice to the Jewish ethnicity. While I appreciate that the intention comes from a good and caring place, this kind of virtue signaling is not the way to be an ally. And I’d like to explain why.*
Firstly, as a general comment to those reading Inked, if you are not Jewish and/or have not lived in Livingston, Manalapan, or Brooklyn (etc.), and/or do not have a Jewish mother from those areas, I consider it ‘goyim-splaining’ to say it's a stereotype. Dee Dee’s character is based on my own mother, my own experiences, and my own interactions among east coast Ashkenazic** Americans. So, to denounce it as stereotypical is essentially calling my and my mother’s existence a trope. Please stop doing this.
Furthermore, 9 out of 10 of Jewish people that have messaged me after reading Inked have told me that Talia’s interactions with her mother validated their own nutty childhoods. This is by no means an insult. We love our Crazy Jewish Moms, many of whom had terrible upbringings due to being descendants of Holocaust survivors, so we get it.
On that note, I’d like to shift this conversation back a few decades, to World War II. My grandfather, Nathan Rosenberg (pictured below with his Holocaust tattoo), was a slave laborer in a satellite mine of Auschwitz. After he suffered an accident resulting in a broken leg, he was lucky enough that the Nazi doctor took pity on him and secretly treated him instead of shooting him or sending him to a gas chamber like many others. (Because, as anyone familiar with the dark side of human history knows, a wounded slave is a worthless slave.) The Final Solution (a.k.a. Death March) was enacted not long after that, and since my grandfather was unable to keep up with a broken leg, he lay down in a mass grave, pretending to be dead alongside dozens of Jewish corpses, and then eventually hobbled back to Poland, only to find most of his family had been killed by Nazis.
My grandfather, Nathan
Meanwhile, my grandmother, Katherine Frank, had lived her own nightmare after fleeing Nazis in the forbidden Bialowieza Forest. No one will be surprised to discover that she and my grandfather would not have a fairytale marriage.
They eventually immigrated to Brooklyn through Ellis Island, where they had four daughters, including my mother. When my grandmother died not long after that, my overwhelmed grandfather put my traumatized mother and her younger sister in foster care at the ages of 10 and 9, respectively. Suffice it to say, my mom’s formative years were shrouded in poverty, grief, abandonment, and displacement. Which then transformed into deep-rooted anxiety and paranoia when she herself became a mother.
Pair that with the blunt and boisterous east coast culture, and voila, another “stereotypical” Jewish mother is born.
Not all Jewish mothers are as anxious and overbearing as Dee Dee. New York Jewish mothers, in particular, are their own unique and wonderful breed. And certainly, over the years, mom has relaxed into a (relatively) chill person. But calling Dee Dee a "harmful" stereotype not only erases my own childhood, but it diminishes my mother’s (and all the other east coast Jewish mothers with an upbringing like hers.
So please don’t worry about any perceived offense. East Coast Jews get it.
However, if you’d really like to stick up for Jews, please feel free to shut down the next person who compares wearing a mask to the Holocaust. Or, worse, says the Holocaust never existed. Or, hey, go support a book written by a Jewish person that’s championing other Jewish people <3
And for those of you who are head over heels in love with Dee Dee, the real-life Dee Dee sees all of your reviews and LOVES them. So, thank you a million times over for making her day over and over again.
If you've read this far, my mother and I want to thank you for being here. We love and appreciate you.
Rachel and Linda (Dee Dee)
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* Please remember, the opinions expressed here are my own, and are not meant to be a blanket statement for all Jewish people, who each have their own views and experiences.
** Ashkenazi definition: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ashkenazi
July 5, 2022
Brisket and shrooms and mer-nipples... Oh my?
I'd like to extend a tremendous thanks to J. D. Evans, SPFBO winner and one of my most favorite authors of all time - not just for reading and reviewing, but also for bequeathing "Mer-nipples" unto the world.
Full review text:
✨✨Jinxed✨✨ by Rachel Rener
*Waltzes in, slaps Jinxed on the table, LAUGHS MANIACALLY*
Ahem. Okay. *Puts on serious glasses*
I know not many of you have read Inked *snicker* so would not at ALL BE INTERESTED in its sequel, Jinxed *guffaw*.
But if you are, vaguely curious, just mildly interested, perhaps just a *bit* intrigued *titter*, follow along as I review this Jewish Literature joy-ride in as non-spoilerish a fashion as I can manage (I cannot wait to squee about it with people later…It’s just so lonely being me (insert evil laughter).
We open in the midst of some Very Steamy happenings. *eyebrow waggle*
Hair colors have changed… tattoos are missing and then (mostly) restored.
A certain baby creature makes a debut. Complete with Dapper Chapeau.
A meet the mom dinner happens, and it is all the things it should be, including brisket.
Chihuahuas, and bad guys, and all the Chrises (Chrisi?), Oh My.
We see elvens, and mer-nipples, and crazy, half-assed plans that go awry.
Poor choices are made and consequences are had.
A Magical Port-a-Pantry that I want, bad.
Creatures and creepers abound. And our crazy girl remains awesome, flailing selflessly through A LOT to, yet again, save the day and make some friends along the way.
Random rhymes to keep you riveted. Yes indeed.
There’s Magical Shrooms and A VERY ANGRY shape shifter we might get to see again. We learn more about secret things, but not all the things…so hold on to your hats, my dears, it’s a bumpy ride.
It also ends in another cliffhangerish ending, possibly the best, most SCARIEST cliffhanger EVER. DUN DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNN.
July 1, 2022
IT. IS. DONE!!!!
And just like that, after a mélange of time-sucking obstacles, a 2-month sinus infection, COVID, house construction, and an insane trip to Bolivia (where I developed major food poisoning) - JINXED IS FINISHED!
(And will more than likely be released early )
PS - Keep an eye on this page, as well as my FB page for some REALLY EXCITING NEWS about the up-and-coming Gilded Blood series!!
I CANNOT WAIT TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT!
HOOOOOOOORRRRRRRAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!
June 23, 2022
Barnes and Noble Book Tour
Woo-hoo! Kicking off my Barnes and Noble book signing tour in style
For those of you living in the Colorado area, I'll be at a different B&N every Saturday for most of the summer, so please stop by and say hello! Here's a partial list of dates so far (with more to come):
- Saturday, June 25: Barnes and Noble - Pearl Street
2999 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80301
From noon - 4pm
- Saturday, July 2nd: FAN EXPO Denver
COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER
Not B&N, but I'll be signing books in Author Alley alongside Adam Gaffen for a few hours!
- Saturday, July 9th: Barnes and Noble - Glendale
960 S Colorado Blvd, Glendale, CO 80246
From noon - 4pm
- Saturday, July 16th: Barnes and Noble - Denver West
Denver West Village, 14347 W Colfax Ave, Lakewood, CO 80401
From 11am - 3pm
- Saturday, July 30th: Barnes and Noble - Thornton
701 E 120th Ave, Thornton, CO 80233
From 11am - 3pm
You can bring your own book or buy one from B&N. Or not buy anything at all and just swing by to say hello! Regardless, I hope to see many of you soon! <3PS - You can add the FB Event reminder to your calendar if you're like me and need to be reminded of EVERYTHING :
https://www.facebook.com/events/1403806223450142/1403806243450140/
June 22, 2022
Book Birthday Giveaway!
Exactly four years ago, I was working at a high-paying job that was so stressful, I was getting daily migraines and chronic ulcers. I worked morning, afternoon, evening, middle of the night, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas... You get the point. After finally mustering up the courage to quit, I immediately threw myself into the next job search, full of stress and guilt over what I perceived to be another career failure.
Luckily for me, I had a husband who literally picked me up and planted me in front of my computer, telling me to forget the job search for a few weeks and to do something creative instead. "Try writing," he prompted. "You're so good at it. Why don't you write a book?"
"About what?!" I protested.
"Whatever you want."
"But--"
"Just shut up and write! Whatever comes to mind, just write it down and see what happens!"
And so, with nothing else to do, I wrote.
The words tumbled out almost feverishly, as though they'd been waiting for this moment for the last 30 years. Less than seven weeks later, the first draft of The Awakening was finished... And now, here I am, about to publish my 10th book - and I couldn't have done ANY of this without my readers. (Or my extremely persuasive husband!)
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Thank you all so much, and as always, HAPPY READING!
June 17, 2022
STUPIDLY CHEAP SALE
As I'm currently traipsing across Bolivia, I completely forgot this was happening today. Hence my not-so-beautiful graphic! But hey, snazzy picture or no, why not take this opportunity to scoop up the entire LIGHTNING CONJURER series for a stupidly-low* price? Check it out here!
T⚡C series is my first-born baby and I will always love it. But if you don't want to take my word for it (and you shouldn't!), here are some reviews from people who didn't write it:
"Every book in this series has got a 5 star review from me and I can’t say that happens very often!" - Tina M. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This is one of the best series I've read in a long time. It captured my attention immediately and didn't let go until the final book in the series." - Beba A. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I love the science. I love the contemporary fantasy focus and the eventual, natural romance. And each book is somehow better. " - Alora C. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This series disrupted my life. All I wanted was to read it. My own productivity fell by the wayside. My household tasks were a nuisance(seriously, why do people always need to eat?). I kept thinking about it when I was forced to do other things. I loved it." - Constance L. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I love this series. The characters are vivid, the magic so creative and so smart and the adventure page-turning. The final book is one of my favorite books of all time." - Jessica M. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
*And, as always, you can read for FREE on KU!
May 11, 2022
Mages, 'Mancers and Baudy Romancers
For those who don't know, I help run the coolest group on the internet, Indie Fantasy Addicts.
And starting June 1st, we're kicking off our hugely popular, wildly fun #IFASummerChallenge22. Basically, you read indie fantasy books, score points, and have the chance to earn a treasure trove of money, signed books, swag, and eternal bragging rights.
Come check it out! And if you'd like to join a reading team, this year I'm heading a team with SPFBO winner J.D. Evans, the inimitable David Green, and Master Nils Ödlund, writer and owner of UnchartedLibrary.com. Oh, and did I mention the brilliant Author Alora Carter is our reader captain?
In other words, our team, Mages, 'Mancers and Baudy Romancers is where it's at! Come join us here!
And as always, happy reading! ❤️
May 10, 2022
For the next 48 hours, the entire Lightning Conjurer seri...
For the next 48 hours, the entire Lightning Conjurer series is heavily discounted
If you haven't read it yet, now's a great time to try it out!
⚡Click here for the Amazon Series page⚡
⚡Click here for all other retailers ⚡
T⚡C is my first-born baby and I will always love it. But if you don't want to take my word for it (and you shouldn't), here are some reviews from people who didn't write it:
"Every book in this series has got a 5 star review from me and I can’t say that happens very often!" - Tina M. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This is one of the best series I've read in a long time. It captured my attention immediately and didn't let go until the final book in the series." - Beba A. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I love the science. I love the contemporary fantasy focus and the eventual, natural romance. And each book is somehow better. " - Alora C. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This series disrupted my life. All I wanted was to read it. My own productivity fell by the wayside. My household tasks were a nuisance(seriously, why do people always need to eat?). I kept thinking about it when I was forced to do other things. I loved it." - Constance L. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"I love this series. The characters are vivid, the magic so creative and so smart and the adventure page-turning. The final book is one of my favorite books of all time." - Jessica M. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 24, 2022
Important PSA
To my fellow book addicts, this is an extremely important PSA that you can't afford to miss. This video, originally aired on Tik Tok, may have just saved my marriage. So, please. Do yourself and your family a favor and watch
