Iris Dorbian's Blog, page 2
July 8, 2021
New Goodreads Giveaway for "Sentenced to Shakespeare"
Hope you all are having a great week. For my book "Sentenced to Shakespeare," I'm doing a giveaway contest with Goodreads. Enter today and you can win a signed first edition copy of my book "Sentenced to Shakespeare." 10 copies of the book are up for grabs. The deadline to enter is July 17. Thanks so much for your interest and click here if you would like to enter:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
December 29, 2020
Thank You and Be Well for 2021
I can't believe the last time I posted on this blog was earlier this year. It's like time stopped when COVID arrived. I know many of you can relate. This has been a painful, heartbreaking and cruel year in terms of loss. If you have lost someone this year due to COVID (or another disease), I'm deeply sorry. Here's hoping 2021 will be better than 2020, "a year like no other," as aptly described by the NY Times.
On a final note, thank you so much for your continuing support. At this point, I'm not sure if I'm ever going to write another book again. (I'm leaning toward no). This is why I'm especially touched by the readers who are still reading my books, especially "A Epiphany in Lilacs," which has personal meaning for me as it's loosely inspired by my beloved late father's experiences as a young Holocaust survivor in a DP camp after WWII. Thank you for your support, your ratings and reviews. They validate this work, which was really a labor of love, in a way that cannot be underestimated.
God bless you.
On a final note, thank you so much for your continuing support. At this point, I'm not sure if I'm ever going to write another book again. (I'm leaning toward no). This is why I'm especially touched by the readers who are still reading my books, especially "A Epiphany in Lilacs," which has personal meaning for me as it's loosely inspired by my beloved late father's experiences as a young Holocaust survivor in a DP camp after WWII. Thank you for your support, your ratings and reviews. They validate this work, which was really a labor of love, in a way that cannot be underestimated.
God bless you.
January 6, 2020
Twitter Takeover/Q&A This Thursday (1/9/20) w/Young Entertainment Magazine
This Thursday from 2 to 4 pm ET, I'll be doing a Twitter Takeover with Young Entertainment Magazine's twitter feed. I'll be answering questions and posting about my latest YA/crossover novel "Sentenced to Shakespeare."
If you want to follow the conversation, visit @YoungEntmag this Thursday, from 2 to 4 pm ET.
If you want to follow the conversation, visit @YoungEntmag this Thursday, from 2 to 4 pm ET.
December 31, 2019
Thank You and Have a Great 2020!
Just wanted to express my gratitude and thanks to those of you who have read my books and left positive ratings (even the negative ones--they indicate you care enough and that one of my books merited your attention/recognition), put it on your to-read shelf or are reading it. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your support made this an especially sweet year.
Have a wonderful and healthy New Year!
Have a wonderful and healthy New Year!
December 9, 2019
"Sentenced to Shakespeare" included in Playbill's "45 Books From 2019 for Theatrelovers"
Thank you so much Playbill for including my YA/crossover novel Sentenced to Shakespeare in this holiday book guide! What a nice surprise!!
http://www.playbill.com/article/45-bo...
http://www.playbill.com/article/45-bo...
August 26, 2019
New YA Novel "Sentenced to Shakespeare" Out On Kindle!
Hey Kindle/ebook lovers: My book "Sentenced to Shakespeare" is now available on Kindle! And, for only $3.99 folks!! Perfect late summer read:
https://www.amazon.com/Sentenced-Shak...
https://www.amazon.com/Sentenced-Shak...
July 20, 2019
New Book "Sentenced to Shakespeare" Is Out
I'm delighted to announce the release of my latest book, Sentenced to Shakespeare, a contemporary YA/adult crossover novel that deals with bullying, its aftermath and an unusual rehab program (inspired by a real-life program). Right now, it's available for purchase ($14.95 paperback) on the publisher's site. Here's the link: https://www.sunburypressstore.com/Sen...
It will be published on Amazon very, very soon and also be in the bookstores. (I'll post the links when they're forthcoming). I hope if you'll read it, you'll get something out of it as I did writing the story. Thank you!
It will be published on Amazon very, very soon and also be in the bookstores. (I'll post the links when they're forthcoming). I hope if you'll read it, you'll get something out of it as I did writing the story. Thank you!
January 23, 2018
Great review in Reader Views!
And I thought today was going to be a crappy day. Just got an alert from Reader Views that they reviewed my book "An Epiphany in Lilacs" and I'm deeply touched by the reviewer's comments. Here's a brief snippet: "The author's vivid description of the people and the settings makes the reader feel like they are there to experience everything from behind the eyes of the survivors. I think that it is impossible to read this book and not be affected for a long time afterwards. I highly recommend “An Epiphany in Lilacs: In the Aftermath of the Camps” by Iris Dorbian, for readers who are interested in World War II. It should be required reading for history classes. Here's the link to it in full: http://readerviews.com/reviewdorbiana...
November 21, 2017
Thanks to those who entered my Goodreads giveaway!!
The Goodreads giveaway for my book "An Epiphany in Lilacs: In the Aftermath of the Camps" ended last night. Over 700 entered. Thank you so much to those who participated and congrats to the winners. This giveaway is it for this year and this book right now. (I'm going to be working on a new project soon) Again, I have been touched by the interest and support this book has generated. Happy Thanksgiving!
An Epiphany in Lilacs: In the Aftermath of the Camps
An Epiphany in Lilacs: In the Aftermath of the Camps
September 3, 2017
Just got a great review from Midwest Book Review!
I just got a wonderful review for "An Epiphany in Lilacs" from the September 2017 issue of Midwest Book Review! I'm very touched by it.
Check it out:
"The setting takes place outside of Hamburg, Germany, after World War II. Fourteen-year-old Daniel has barely survived various concentration camps and he's in a field hospital still struggling to survive and recover. How can a young adult on the cusp of death recover from devastating physical and psychological wounds?
More so than most accounts of post-World War II, An Epiphany in Lilacs offers a powerful survey of post-traumatic stress syndrome and the lengthy and challenging process of healing from wartime atrocities, as seen from a young man who is on the brink of adulthood; yet still a child in many ways.
The choices he makes at this point are poignant and reflective of the experiences of Displaced People ('DPs') who occupied these camps and found their lives and world in shambles, with no clear path to reconstruction in the face of chaos and confusion.
While all these sound like adult themes, the special pleasure of An Epiphany in Lilacs is Iris Dorbian's ability to reflect the perspective of a juvenile as he struggles to gain a new lease on life with revised perspectives and fresh goals. That the story line carefully refutes popular myths (such as those that most Germans were Nazis) only enhances its lessons and stories of courage, diversity, and how one not only survives but grows from world-changing devastation.
As the story adds characters and focuses on their different approaches to healing ("Just as Daniel needed to talk about the past to help him move on, Silka preferred to think about today and the future. That was how he chose to heal and from one survivor to another, there was nothing wrong about that."), young adults receive important lessons that personalize the World War II experience on all sides in the aftermath of war.
As Daniel confronts how his experiences have conflicted with his values and changed his approaches to life ("It made sense given their history that stemmed from way back before the war. And yet, underneath his immature bravado and petulance, Daniel was an insecure and scared kid. If his mother were here, she would no doubt take him to task for being so uncouth and uncivil toward Wolfson."), he tackles the foundations of his heritage, his missing family, and his belief systems, bringing young readers along for a thought-provoking survey that will raise many questions suitable for classroom discussion.
An Epiphany in Lilacs is not only a tribute to the DPs who physically survived the war and were challenged to mentally recover and take a new road in life; but is a powerful survey of the roots and concepts of Zionism and the long path one teen takes to rediscover meaning in his world.
It's highly recommended as not only an intrinsic addition to any teen reading The Diary of Anne Frank and similar nonfiction stories, but for classrooms looking for discussion materials specific to the experiences of Displaced Persons in the aftermath of the war."
Here's the link to its entirety: http://donovansliteraryservices.com/s...
Check it out:
"The setting takes place outside of Hamburg, Germany, after World War II. Fourteen-year-old Daniel has barely survived various concentration camps and he's in a field hospital still struggling to survive and recover. How can a young adult on the cusp of death recover from devastating physical and psychological wounds?
More so than most accounts of post-World War II, An Epiphany in Lilacs offers a powerful survey of post-traumatic stress syndrome and the lengthy and challenging process of healing from wartime atrocities, as seen from a young man who is on the brink of adulthood; yet still a child in many ways.
The choices he makes at this point are poignant and reflective of the experiences of Displaced People ('DPs') who occupied these camps and found their lives and world in shambles, with no clear path to reconstruction in the face of chaos and confusion.
While all these sound like adult themes, the special pleasure of An Epiphany in Lilacs is Iris Dorbian's ability to reflect the perspective of a juvenile as he struggles to gain a new lease on life with revised perspectives and fresh goals. That the story line carefully refutes popular myths (such as those that most Germans were Nazis) only enhances its lessons and stories of courage, diversity, and how one not only survives but grows from world-changing devastation.
As the story adds characters and focuses on their different approaches to healing ("Just as Daniel needed to talk about the past to help him move on, Silka preferred to think about today and the future. That was how he chose to heal and from one survivor to another, there was nothing wrong about that."), young adults receive important lessons that personalize the World War II experience on all sides in the aftermath of war.
As Daniel confronts how his experiences have conflicted with his values and changed his approaches to life ("It made sense given their history that stemmed from way back before the war. And yet, underneath his immature bravado and petulance, Daniel was an insecure and scared kid. If his mother were here, she would no doubt take him to task for being so uncouth and uncivil toward Wolfson."), he tackles the foundations of his heritage, his missing family, and his belief systems, bringing young readers along for a thought-provoking survey that will raise many questions suitable for classroom discussion.
An Epiphany in Lilacs is not only a tribute to the DPs who physically survived the war and were challenged to mentally recover and take a new road in life; but is a powerful survey of the roots and concepts of Zionism and the long path one teen takes to rediscover meaning in his world.
It's highly recommended as not only an intrinsic addition to any teen reading The Diary of Anne Frank and similar nonfiction stories, but for classrooms looking for discussion materials specific to the experiences of Displaced Persons in the aftermath of the war."
Here's the link to its entirety: http://donovansliteraryservices.com/s...
