Libby Fischer Hellmann's Blog, page 59

A BITTER VEIL: Last call for Contest and Book Club Giveaway

 

Just wanted to remind everyone there are only a couple of weeks left for the Giveaways and Contest for A BITTER VEIL. There are two terrific offers you might want to consider:

 

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– If you’re in a Book Club (and who isn’t), you have a chance to win copies of VEIL for your group. Book Reporter’s READING GROUP GUIDES is providing them. Go here to find out more. Not sure when this offer expires, but I know it won’t be around for long. Read their review here. Then go here for details on how to win the books!

 

 

 

– If you read and review VEIL on Amazon, Goodreads, or B&N, you have the chance to win a Kindle Fire. The contest ends May 18. Go HERE for more details.

 

 

Good luck, everyone!!

The Book Industry in Cuba

 

Finally, I’m able to concentrate on other things.

As  you know, I went to Cuba in February. My next book is set there, and I wanted to fact check some settings as well as Cuban positions on the issues. So I hooked up with a travel agency I highly recommend, btw, and signed up for a group trip centered around the Havana International Book Fair.

 

 

Aside from my daughter, the group was quite literate: librarians, other writers, even a French professor. Have I told you how much I love librarians? They are some of the smartest, craziest, best people to party with—in fact, I think they perpetuate the demure stereotype so people will leave them alone. But I digress.

 

 

Our first stop was the book fair itself. It’s important to understand that Cuba sees itself as a center of literature for all of Latin America. Consequently the Fair featured work of authors from plenty of Central and South American countries as well as Cuba.

In a word, it was HUGE. Remember, the literacy rate in Cuba is just about 100% (more about that later), it was a gorgeous Sunday, and it seemed like everyone in Havana – and their families — were there. The Fair was held at one of the oldest fortresses in Cuba, and it was packed. We literally couldn’t move for minutes at a time. The crowds were bigger than ANY book fair I’ve ever been to in the States. Note to Authors who write in Spanish: Carpe Diem!

 

One of the highlights of the Book Fair was a special presentation to us from a Cuban publisher. Who was also an agent. In fact, it was difficult to tell where one role stopped and the other began. But since the entire book industry is run by the State, it probably isn’t that important.

 

As you might suspect, the Cuban book industry is very different than ours. Some aspects are actually heartening. For example, the average print run of a book in Cuba is 20,000 copies. The bad news is that authors get very little money compared to capitalist countries. (Then again our advances aren’t so great anymore either, are they?). Every book that’s published in Cuba is required to be sent to every library in Cuba– there are over 500– usually in multiple copies. So if you’re a Cuban author, you are definitely read. (Wish that were the case here…)

 

We were told there are no limitations on what authors could write.

 

The next day we visited Cuba’s Library of Congress (The National Library) and met with the director, who talked to us through an interpreter. Various State committees decide what’s going to be published. The majority is non-fiction and poetry. We couldn’t see much of the Library itself because it’s undergoing renovations. In fact, lots of places are, although whether they REALLY are or they don’t want us to poke around is another matter. At any rate, the director talked to us about the goals of the library program, one of which is to modernize technology. For example, Venezuela helped Cuba build a cable for high-speed internet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work. However, on the streets cell phones are becoming more common, so I suspect the post-embargo technology will focus on them. One thing I learned is that the National Library has the largest collection of Napoleonic literature, diaries, and artifacts outside of France. Odd. But fascinating.

 

Another highlight was a visit to a small rare-book publisher in Mantanzes. They release only 200 copies of any book they publish, and each one is painstakingly hand-illustrated. Unbelievably beautiful. Some were actually in English as well as Spanish.

 

We also learned about Cuba’s literacy program, which,s ince everyone in Cuba knows how to read, really is something Fidel can crow about. It’s based on a clever but simple premise: Peers teaching peers. Teenagers teach young kids. Adults teach teenagers. And young adults go on teaching stints in rural villages and provinces. Which begs the question: why doesn’t it work here?

 

The Book Fair lasted all week and some of our group went back. I didn’t — I was busy fact-checking. I’m glad I did. I found a warehouse that I needed in Havana, and we went to Regla, which is off the beaten path but is the focus for a couple of chapters in the book. Turns out I got it wrong, so I was thrilled I could correct my mistakes.

 

 

 

I realize I’ve just scratched the surface. We didn’t ask, nor did anyone offer to talk about any of the opposition writers and how they are treated; we didn’t talk about a free press, although they did admit there was no such thing in Cuba. So there are topics I still want to explore.

 

Bottom line: the embargo will end soon, and Cubans know it. You can almost taste the anticipation. I just hope that when it does, we don’t exploit Cuba as we did before. In fact, I believe we can learn from some of their systems.

A BITTER VEIL GOES FREE!

 

 

A BITTER VEIL (the ebook) will be FREE TOMORROW on Amazon (Friday, April 20)… but for one day only. If you’ve been thinking about getting it or entering my Kindle Fire Giveaway, now’s your chance!

Here you go.

 

 

PS If you’re in a Book Club and are considering it for your group, check out  The Reading Group Guide.

 

 

 

The Video Chat

I know… you’ve heard me talk of little else in the past few days. Well, it went off pretty well… we had nearly 60 people… and while they didn’t record it, here are some screen shots of what it looked like. I think this is the wave of the future…

BUT

Success depends on each individual’s computer, ie do you have the latest Flash and Adobe software, and do you have enough bandwidth… Some people couldn’t see me at all, others saw me in herky-jerky fashion, and some even saw my slide show perfectly. Anyway, enjoy the pix… in a few years, we’ll ALL be doing this!

Thanks Shindig and Aryeh. You were wonderful![image error]

The “Everyone Wins” Contest

Hi, all. To celebrate the release of A BITTER VEIL, I’m delighted to announce the launch of my KINDLE FIRE GIVEAWAY contest!

 

Here’s how to play:

 

o    Anyone in the US or Canada can enter.

 

o    Like My Facebook Author Page.

 

o    Read A BITTER VEIL and write an honest review

 

o    Post the review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or B&N. Audible  counts too, if you’re doing audio.

 

o    Leave a link to that review on my Facebook Author Page  – VERY IMPORTANT — that tells us you entered the contest.

 

As an incentive, A BITTER VEIL will go free for one day, but one day only, during the coming days. Be sure to check back here, or my Facebook Author Page, or Twitter to find out when. (Hint: it will be sooner rather than later.  On Friday, May 18, a winner will be chosen at random and announced on my Facebook page. If it’s you, please message us within 4 days so we can get your Fire to you.

 

Even if you don’t win the Kindle Fire, you WILL win something. Everyone who enters gets one of my short stories FREE. Your choice. Just let us know which one. You can find excerpts of them all here.

 

Enjoy!

A “Yes, It’s All About Me” Post

 

 

I’m getting to the end of the promotion stuff. Promise. But there are three posts I am very proud of and wanted to blab about — er — share with you.

 

The first is a review of A BITTER VEIL from BookReporter.com. It was lovely, and I am incredibly grateful.

 

The second is a post I wrote about writing without a net, and what I did when I wrote myself into a corner. The star of it is my friend and colleague Cara Black. Thanks to QBR (Quickie Book Reviews) for posting it.

 

And the third is a link to a radio interview with Rick Kogan on WGN’s “The Morning Papers.” Enjoy!

 

That’s it. Have a great weekend.

Here We Go

 

Fasten your seat belts. Today's NY Times predicts

– Amazon will lower ebook prices of the Big Six

– They will become a virtual monopoly

– The sky will fall.

 

Read it here

 

What do you think?

RSVP for Video Chat

Hi, folks. Just wanted you to know that you can RSVP to the Video Chat (Next Tuesday the 17th at 6 PM EDT) and get a same day reminder. Just click here.

Thanks. Hope to see you next week.

Sing Sing Sing: A Chicago Story

I first came to Chicago in the fall of 1977. At the time I was looking for a job in broadcast news (Which turned out not to be, but that's another story). I'm still not sure who told me about it, but I stayed at the Belden Stratford, an apartment-hotel in the middle of Lincoln Park, which at the time, housed one of the best Mandarin restaurants in Chicago, the Dragon Inn. (I still go to the Dragon Inn North – same owners).

But I digress.

In 1977 the Belden-Stratford wasn't an assisted living facility, but you might have mistaken it for one. Formerly an elegant hotel, the lobby still had a patina of style, but most of it had faded into a dusty, dingy, place with frayed carpets, and cracked leather furniture. (It appears to have been remodeled since). I booked it for a month, spending my time going on interviews, working freelance, and seeing the sights of Chicago.

 

I would get back to the hotel around four, and would be greeted by a phalanx of senior citizens lounging on chairs and sofas in the lobby. They would stare at me as I swung through the door. Most of them looked vacant, some sad, and no one smiled. I didn't stop but made a beeline for the elevator.

 

One day, though, one of the women did smile at me, and I decided to sit next to her. She must have been well into her eighties, she looked frumpy, and she walked with a cane. We started to chat about this and that… nothing important, just passing the time of day. She asked me why I was staying there, and I told her. I asked her how long she'd lived there, and she told me. I was about to say goodbye and go up to my room when she said. "You're probably too young, but do you happen to know who Benny Goodman was?"

Now, you have to know that my late father was a party animal. He was the guy everyone wanted to be around when the music started playing and the drinks were flying. And along with Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, he had all of Benny Goodman albums. In fact, at least once a week, usually on Saturday nights, the strains of Benny's clarinet or Ella's perfect soprano or some other Swing and/or Big Band tune would float upstairs as I was trying to fall asleep. I told the woman that.

She grinned. "Well, I'm Benny Goodman's sister."

Once I put my jaw back in alignment, she said, "Come with me, sweetie."

We went up to her small, cramped apartment. Every available inch of wall space was covered with framed photos and newspaper clippings. Other mementos spilled onto end tables next to china figurine miniatures, lace doilies, and other tchotchkes. Most of them were a memorial to her brother.

There were photos of him playing with Gene Krupa and Harry James at the Blackhawk restaurant, album covers (some the same as my father's), family photos taken in the Maxwell Street area where they grew up – there were twelve siblings – and one photo of their father, who died before his time in a traffic accident.

I was fascinated and looked through everything. Then I asked if I could bring my camera down so I could take pictures of the pictures for my father.

"I have a better idea," she said (To this day I can't remember her first name… my bad). "How would you like a photo?"

I nodded, and she gave me a picture of Benny, Gene Krupa, and Harry James. It was a candid, and they were rehearsing. She didn't know where. I do remember two of them (don't recall which ones) had cigarettes burning.

I sent my father the photo the next day.

That was my first "Chicago" moment, not particularly exciting or memorable except to me. A piece of Chicago's past had been shared with me, and I felt a bond with the city, its history, and the talent nurtured on the shores of Lake Michigan.

That was over 30 years ago. Benny Goodman is gone, his sister is too, and so is my father. But during the few moments I spent in her apartment, something registered. A sister who was inordinately proud of her brother and was able to tell the tale to a younger person who appreciated it.

It was a special moment, and I knew from that day forward that I belonged in Chicago. Come hell or high water. Maybe even so I could tell this story one day.

 

Stick around to hear SIng, Sing, Sing, by the Benny Goodman Orchestra (with Sid Casear too)!

 

The Book Chat

Hi everyone. Some of you may not have heard that I'll be experimenting with a new technology on Tuesday, April 17th. I'll be doing a Virtual Video Book Chat about A BITTER VEIL, my newest release (It's a literary thriller set in Revolutionary Iran). The time is 6 PM EDT, so plan accordingly.

 

The entity making it possible is Shindig Events, and they are MUCH more robust than Skype could ever be. They've designed their website to handle up to 500 people at once, and if you have a camera on your computer, I can see you… even call on you if you

have questions. You can also chat among yourselves. I even have a slide show prepared… (not to worry.. it's short)

 

I'm always looking for new ways of reaching out, so I hope you'll join me. Hey, it's free…

and all you need to do is go to:

 

http://shindig.com/event/32-Libby-Fischer-Hellmann

 

That's it! It should last about an hour, and I'll keep lots of time for Q&A…

so feel free to kick back with your favorite beverage and tune in to watch me

make a fool of myself…

(It won't be the first time…)

 

I'll also be announcing a special contest at the conclusion of the talk.

 

PS I'll probably post a reminder a day or two before the event.. just in case.

 

Best,

 

Libby