Jewish Book Carnival discussion
Authors Announcing Their Books
Sherry wrote: "Charles wrote: "Sherry wrote: "Adrienne wrote: "My apologies if this is (slightly) outside the usual scope of this list. A writer I know is seeking suggestions for publishers or agents for her me..."
Good for you, Sherry. When you make it on your own, the success is sweeter.
The average SP author sells a few dozen copies, including friends and family. Myself included.
The motivated SP author, who learns how to distribute, market and promote their books, sells several hundred copies, on average.
But the trade-published author (ex. HarperCollins, Penguin,-Random House, MacMilllan, Simon & Schuster, McGraw-Hill, Houghton-Mifflen-Harcort, Oxford or other university press, etc). has the world in her/his hands. This is the tip of the sword. When most new authors think of making it big, these companies are in mind. Very, very few SP authors who were not already famous can accomplish this.
But the only way in to a famous big-time press or university press, is to have a trusted, well-connected literary agent. So, it's not a bad thing to aim for. If you don't make it and you have talent, there are other ways to publish.
Oh, and BTW, the average trade-published author sells at least tens of thousands of books, if not hundreds of thousands or more. This is where screenplay editors reside.
The problem is that we live in the age of instant gratification. Few of us today are willing to devote the years of learning required to become a talented author. Forget the PhD in English. We aren't willing to spend a few months acquiring literary skills. We want to write for a few weeks and become a famous published author.
But would you take an undergraduate course in Physics and then call yourself an astronomer? Would you read WebMD for a few months and call yourself a physician? Yet we want to write out our thoughts and call ourselves a published author. Really?
But what does that mean? What kind of accomplishment is it, when your cat can become a (self) published author tomorrow, no questions asked? Is this the accomplishment that you desire?
If you are a celebrity or a famous author of non-fiction, you're on the way to success. However, fiction writers are a dime a dozen. Maybe 2% of them have the talent to become famous or sell thousands of copies.
So, do what you should do. Create a winning fiction AUTHOR PLATFORM Write several short stories or a few novels before you are ready to show yourself to agents and publishers.
Yes, it takes time. Typically it requires a few years of writing, learning, publishing, refining, learning more, refining some more , using small publishers and all the while reading famous authors voraciously. You'll end up copying the best of their styles. It's a marathon, not a sprint. There are no shortcuts.
Until some sea-change occurs in publishing, literary agents and publishers are the gatekeepers to success. Of course, if you're happy selling a few hundred or thousand copies, then OK. Be happy. Self-publish. Do the hard work of distribution, marketing, promotion, etc. And yes, that costs money too.
If you wish to achieve notoriety and success as an author of fiction, you will need to pay your dues and become more famous with each short story and novella. Create a winning fiction platform and you'll be on your way. You will have gained the respect of those gatekeepers. Success in most fields is not easy and takes a lot more time than you'd like.
Charles wrote: "Sherry wrote: "Charles wrote: "Sherry wrote: "Adrienne wrote: "My apologies if this is (slightly) outside the usual scope of this list. A writer I know is seeking suggestions for publishers or ag..."
I taught writing for 30+ years to all age groups, but six years ago I began writing my first book. It's a memoir of my mother's escape from Eastern Europe. Now, with two books under my belt, a third, a sequel to my historical novel, will be published next year. I had an agent for my historical novel from a top firm in NY. He loved my book but had trouble placing it with publishing houses. They weren't interested in a debut author who wasn't a guaranteed money-maker.
I do my own marketing and I work very hard to get my books into readers' hands. I give free book talks to any organization who will have me and I meet with book groups and coordinate with charity organization by offering a percentage of my sales. I'm not out to get rich. My goal is to get people reading my books.
I am not a fly-by-night author, but one who has paid their dues. '
Sherry
Hi SherryDid you end up publishing with a traditional publisher or did you self-publish? As I understand even traditional publishers expect authors to invest some of their own time and money to market their books...
Barbara wrote: "Hi SherryDid you end up publishing with a traditional publisher or did you self-publish? As I understand even traditional publishers expect authors to invest some of their own time and money to ma..."
Hi Barbara. The publishing industry in currently in flux. You are correct that many traditional publishers (especially small publishers) ask novice authors to share in the cost of publishing. I've been there more than once. Barbara, it's a serious, careful, detailed decision.
The problem with self-publishing (SP), is that anyone's cat can become a SP author tomorrow - no questions asked. And, the vast majority of SP books are trash - unworthy of publishing on a garbage bag. That's because few people have the talent to make it as an author, and you cannot learn how to do this in a few days or weeks. Most people lack writing talent and are unwilling to put in the YEARS of effort required to learn how to write successfully.
In 2007, I completed my debut novel - a coming-of-age Holocaust love story. It was more than three years in the making, including vast research. But something told me that it could be something special. At times, the writing flowed so swiftly, it felt as though I was taking dictation. And it's not like I had a close family connection to the Shoah. My mother was born in Russia (today Ukraine) and witnessed many violent pogroms. But that was before the Holocaust. So, with every typed word, the process became so automated that I felt it was critical to be published.
When I was done, I had contacted over 100 small and medium-sized publishers, learned how to create a viable book publishing proposal and acquired lists of many of the most relevant publishers and agents for my genre. This yielded only four solid publishing offers. One, in Israel, seemed like a viable choice. But they asked me to share in the cost. By no means would I pay most of the cost. But it was a substantial amount. I signed their contract.
Over the next 3-4 years, I worked my butt off on distribution, promotion and marketing. I gave public speeches, contacted hundreds of bookstores and, at the same time, my publisher made significant headway in the Middle East and Europe.
I had already been published for non-fiction about twenty years earlier. So I did not start from scratch. But I learned how critical it is for novice authors to engage in every possible aspect of the process of marketing. I learned so much about promoting a book that my head was spinning. Much of it can be done online. Some of it requires generating PR from local speeches, presentations, engagement with the press and bookstore signings.
Eventually, I realized from participating in group chat sessions that there were many thousands of people just like me, seeking publicity for their new books. So I started a blog: https://cweinblatt.wordpress.com/. I would seek out other stories about how to successfully become published and how to promote a book.
For fiction, I learned the greatest truth. A novice author who is not a celebrity, must create a winning AUTHOR PLATFORM. Look this up. Discover what it means. Practice what you learn. It it CRITICAL. Your author platform is the sum total of what appears when someone decides to Google your name.
To have a solid author platform means that when someone Googles your name, many PAGES of excellent articles, sources that reflect the very best of your talent, experience, prior successful books, excellent reviews from the very best review sources in your genre, newspaper, journal and online articles about you, your books, your awards, and the quality of your writing. I say again - many PAGES of Google sources about you. Not several posts, but several pages of positive things about you as an author.
This quality author platform takes years and several good books to establish. You cannot do this with one book that takes a month to complete. Prepare yourself. It's a marathon, not a sprint. It will take years of your effort before the time when someone Googles your name and many pages of excellent references appear.
I'm here to say that 30 years ago, I was no one in the writing - publishing world. Then I was trade published for non-fiction, a textbook. Still, in the world of fiction, I was no one. Then came my debut novel, Then came the years of effort required to have a solid fiction author platform. Today, I have a literary agent who is well-connected and talented. She had my Holocaust novel published by Texas Tech University, something I could not even dream about before her. When you have a good agent, the entire world of major publishing companies comes alive for you. Yet, it can be more difficult to obtain an agent than it is to be published by a small publisher.
Yes, you can call yourself a "published author" the moment you SP. But, again, that means you are no more talented than your cat or do, who will be easily published authors overnight. The average SP author sells at most a few dozen books. The average trade-published author sells a few hundred copies. The successful trade published author sells several thousand books. I crossed that line after a few years. But YOU must market, promote and sell your books. No publisher will do it for you, until you enter the stratosphere with an agent and a major publisher. And that is truly rare. But not impossible. Meanwhile, now you know what to do.
Stay tuned. Read my blog (again) cweinblatt.wordpress.com. Read other writing blogs voraciously. There is so much to learn. But in the end, if you really have writing talent, and you are willing to pay your dues by writing many new books, submitting them to small publishers and read famous authors constantly... it can happen for you. You will end up learning the best traits of the most famous authors and add those skills to your own milieu.
Feel free to contact me here or at my blog. Good luck!
Barbara wrote: "Hi SherryDid you end up publishing with a traditional publisher or did you self-publish? As I understand even traditional publishers expect authors to invest some of their own time and money to ma..."
Hi Barbara,
I self-published with KDPublishing which is owned by Amazon. I might have mentioned before, so forgive me for repeating, it cost nothing to publish with Amazon. They will guide you through the process from cover to printing your book. You can get a preview copy to make sure it is what you want.
Some of the advantages of publishing with KDP are the following:
1. You can edit even after publishing. For example, if the author finds a couple of spelling errors, you can go back in and fix them and your book will be republished. No fee to do so. It's a great feature.
2. KDP is on-demand publishing. That means the author can order (tax free) 1-999 books any time. So if I have a book talk coming up and I need 3 dozen books, no problem. I order about 2-3 weeks in advance, and I have them.
3. KDP pays a generous percentage to authors. It's about 25% of the cost of the book. That doesn't sound like much, but some publishers give far less.
4. The ebook is free too.
5. ISBN number is free.
6. You can sign your book up for Kindle Unlimited. This is free for readers but the author makes money every time a page is turned. I have thousands of pages read by KU members.
Negatives for publishing with KDP:
1. No editing services are offered. You must edit your book yourself, or better yet get some beta readers to help you. An author should never write alone. Or you can hire an editor. I'm lucky. I have two great beta readers who read everything I write - 3 times over.
2. No marketing service, but that's true for even books where there's an agent involved.
3.KDP no longer helps an author get a Library of Congress number. My first book is in the LOC. Couldn't do it for my second book.
You can self-publish with other publishers. Some will ask for thousands up front. Stay clear of them. See what books they have already published and check to see how they've done on Amazon. Number of reviews is a good guide.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Sherry
I would like to announce the publication of my new historical mystery novel Whitewashed.Tommy Stern has never gotten over the suicide of his best friend, Ben Lowe, who in the summer of 1951 is found hanging from a tree in the woods behind their high school in Huntsville, Alabama. A year earlier, Huntsville becomes home to 118 former Nazi scientists and engineers who have been brought to the United States through a secret government-sponsored project called Operation Paperclip to work on the space program. Even past evidence of war crimes does not disqualify these men from entering the United States.
Eighteen years later, the discovery of a journal is the catalyst that encourages Tommy to reexamine the facts that led to his friend’s death. Ben is Jewish and a survivor of the Holocaust. The journal leads Tommy to believe that there is a connection between Ben’s untimely and horrific final moments and the arrival of the Germans.
Tommy’s search for the truth leads him back to Huntsville where he rekindles a relationship with his high school girlfriend Karin Angel, the daughter of one of the German scientists. Karin and Tommy join forces to discover the dark secrets of Operation Paperclip and the truth behind what happened to Ben.
It’s been six very long years since the publication of Klara with a K, my first novel, based on the experiences of Klara Werner who survives the Holocaust and immigrates to the American South. In Whitewashed, I have again returned to the subject of the Holocaust and to the complicated lives of Jews who made their homes below the Mason-Dixon line. I would love to hear from you and hope you enjoy Whitewashed.
Sandy wrote: "I would like to announce the publication of my new historical mystery novel Whitewashed.Tommy Stern has never gotten over the suicide of his best friend, Ben Lowe, who in the summer of 1951 is fo..."
Sandy,
Your book sounds interesting. I love the title. Good luck with it.
Sherry
The story draws me as I am also a historical fiction writer ofAmerican Jewish stories that shock us— Newark Minutemen. I am interested to know your tie to the story.
I am pleased to announce the publication of my new book, Tales of the Havurah. Tales of the Havurah is about life in the Jewish counterculture in post-60’s Boston. Narrated by a talkative, pot-smoking, educated young man named Solomon with a “chaotic, eccentric, ironic, poetic, and touchy religious bent,” the book ushers the reader into a rambling old house that serves as the focal point for an experimental Jewish community, far from the mainstream of organized Jewish society.
Solomon weaves a tapestry of interrelated stories – some funny, some serious – that describe his own and his fellow group members’ personal lives – their loves and friendships, their inner struggles, and their often unorthodox relationship to Jewish observance – as they experiment in creating a meaningful contemporary religious life.
Tales of the Havurah captures a particular moment in America when a rebellious youth culture – influenced by rock music, psychedelic drugs, changing sexual ethics, and eastern philosophies – intersected with traditional Jewish practice and symbols, and ultimately bought profound changes to American Jewish society at large.
Tales of the Havurah was first written over 40 years ago, when the counterculture was still quite fresh on the American Jewish scene. A few of the stories, and excerpted selections, appeared in a variety of small publications and Jewish magazines at the time. But the entire work never saw the light of day. How it came to be published at last, in 2020, is an amusing little story in itself, of chance encounters, some well-placed encouragement and fortuitous timing.
But it has already gotten a nice little reception. The New York Jewish Week has featured it in its new list of Summer Reading suggestions. The article can be found at https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/... . I would love to hear anyone's suggestions as to how better to publicize it, market it, or your comments if you read it.
By the way, as I am posting this, a little box opens and says that the Group Rules say it is "not appropriate to use this forum to promote your own books." But isn't this what this thread is about?
Julie wrote: "Forgive me guys, I can't figure out how to announce my new book in this Author's Announcing discussion thread! Help!"I believe you click on the part - add book/author. It should be just below.
Hi everybody! Well, after three years, I finally did it! The True Adventures of Gidon Lev: Rascal. Holocaust Survivor. Optimist. is finally available. The book is about the life of Gidon Lev, who is also my Loving Life Buddy, as I call him. In fact, we were in the Beshert column in Moment Magazine last December, 2019!
Let me tell you something about the book:
Of the 15,000 children imprisoned in or transported through the Theresienstadt concentration camp, fewer than 100 survived. Gidon Lev is one of those children. He survived four years in the camp, losing 26 family members. Only he and his mother survived. Gidon was the first Holocaust survivor I had ever met.
I converted to Judaism in 1986 and came to Israel in 2012. It was near Tel Aviv that I met Gidon, in 2017 and learned about his life experiences. He charmed me instantly and I knew his story was important.
The True Adventures features Gidon's invaluable personal memories of Gidon's time in Terezin but extends far beyond that terrible time, to include his experiences coming to Israel in 1959 as a kibbutznik and member of a socialist, Zionist youth group. Gidon insisted that his life was not focused on the Holocaust, but rather, the life he built after that - and what a life he lived!
My book intertwines Gidon's memories with the historical times and places in which they took place. There is history in the book, and poetry, and a lot of laughter. The True Adventures describes and discusses the cultural touchstones of Israeli life - not just kibbutz ideology, the IDF, and the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians, but also the very landscape of Israel itself; the forests, the seashore, and the desert. This is the extraordinary canvas upon which Gidon's life has played out.
Gidon's the story of a little boy who never really grew up, whose life encompassed Nazi persecution, wholesale loss, the beginnings of a fledgling country, a marriage and six children and a late-in-life relationship with a writer and editor who wrote a book with him - is more valuable and relevant today than ever.
The True Adventures explores the nature of memory - both collective and individual - and asks some difficult questions about handed down trauma and narratives and how we come by them.
My mentor, throughout the process of writing the book, was Yossi Klein Halevi, who had this to say about the book:
“Just when you thought there was nothing new that could possibly be said about the Holocaust, along come Gidon Lev and Julie Gray with this delightful, moving, original, and yes, charming account of an extraordinary man who happens to have been a child survivor of the Theresienstadt concentration camp. With irreverent humor and deep insight, The True Adventures of Gidon Lev presents an improbable love story—of a man who had every reason to be bitter but instead fell in love with life. It is also the story of a late-life romance that will make you believe in happy-ever-after endings again. Read this wonderful book and you’ll fall in love too—with Gidon, with Julie, with the Jewish people, and with the nation they created out of the abyss.”
—Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, author of Like Dreamers
I am very proud of the book and Gidon and I both hope that it will create conversations and make an impact.
Sherry wrote: "Julie wrote: "Forgive me guys, I can't figure out how to announce my new book in this Author's Announcing discussion thread! Help!"I believe you click on the part - add book/author. It should be ..."
Good golly. I'm losing my marbles. Thank you!!
Julie wrote: "Sherry wrote: "Julie wrote: "Forgive me guys, I can't figure out how to announce my new book in this Author's Announcing discussion thread! Help!"I believe you click on the part - add book/author..."
No problem. Happens to all of us. Good luck with your book announcement. I'll be looking for it.
"My Name is Rebecca: A Novelette," is the story of a father and his sons who emigrated from Russia to the United States in the early 1900s, living in New York and then settling in Wisconsin. The reader accompanies the family as they leave behind their homeland to escape persecution and poverty, searching for religious freedom and a better life. They bring not only their beliefs and traditions to America, but they also bring the story of their family to pass down to future generations. I wrote this book as a tribute to my mother's family who came from Russia in the early 1900s for a better life. As it evolved, I realized that it is a tribute to all who have come, and are coming, for the same reason. While it is historical fiction, I have included stories that I heard while growing up. The book is available on Amazon in both kindle and paperback formats. For reviews, please click on the link below.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Hello fellow readers,I'm happy to announce the publication of my new novel, The Auschwitz Detective, book 6 in the Adam Lapid series.
The Auschwitz Detective is a prequel to the Adam Lapid series. It is a historical mystery that takes place in Auschwitz-Birkenau in the summer of 1944.
I'm pleased to announce the publication of THE ORPHAN'S DAUGHTER, A Novel. It's a father-daughter story about a father who grew up in a Jewish orphanage and the daughter whose own childhood is shadowed by this legacy. It's based on my actual father's years in the Hebrew National Orphan Home from 1924-1934. The novel got a starred Kirkus review. It's a literary thriller that starts with a police raid on an unveiling brunch. The first sentence is "I broke into the house I grew up in to steal back my childhood."
https://www.jmoreliving.com/2020/06/1...
I have always been a Jane Austen fan. I'm also a Brooklyn resident who lives in the Orthodox community where young people marry through arranged dating. It's a sometimes-competitive world where the moneyed, accomplished and attractive have a better shot at finding mates than everyone else (well, I guess that's also true in the non-Orthodox world). The temptation to take the mise-en-scene of Pride and Prejudice--a poor family with five daughters to marry--and transpose it into modern Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn was too great to resist, so I am now gratefully announcing the publication of my novel PRIDE AND PREFERENCE with Menucha Publications! I had a lot of fun writing it, and hope readers will have fun reading it.A wonderful, healthy New Year to all!
Barbara Bensoussan
https://menuchapublishers.com/product...
My recently released novel, Other People's Pets, about an animal empath raised to be a burglar was selected by Hadassah Org. as it's One Book, One Hadassah book club pick for the fall. I'll be discussing the book with Hadassah Magazine Executive Editor Lisa Hostein on October 22 at 7 p.m. Eastern and the event is free and open to the public. Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regis...More about the book, here: https://www.rlmaizes.com/other-people...
Thanks!
R.L , I got your latest book from NetGalley and ADORED it. Will post reviews soon.
Susan wrote: "R.L , I got your latest book from NetGalley and ADORED it. Will post reviews soon."Susan, you have greta taste :)
Susan wrote: "R.L , I got your latest book from NetGalley and ADORED it. Will post reviews soon."So glad you enjoyed the book! Many thanks for letting me know and for any reviews you post.
Stacey wrote: "Susan wrote: "R.L , I got your latest book from NetGalley and ADORED it. Will post reviews soon."Susan, you have greta taste :)"
Too kind, Susan! Thank you.
Anti-Semitism never goes away. From Europe to America's shores, it's embedded in our culture. "Enemy in the Garden" is a thriller that brings home to an ordinary suburban family the effects of this evil.The story moves with cinematic speed to engage readers in a gut-wrenching adventure. It's real and close to all of us. Enemy in the Garden
Harriet wrote: "Anti-Semitism never goes away. From Europe to America's shores, it's embedded in our culture. "Enemy in the Garden" is a thriller that brings home to an ordinary suburban family the effects of this..."Hi. You are so correct.
Looking forward to reading your book.
Hello. My latest novel, released this month, is Where Butterflies Go. It's based on my great aunt's experiences during the Holocaust. You'll need some tissues. Part 1 is a bit tough, but it's a true account, and these stories need to be told, especially now. Thank you for letting me post here. 
Hi, I would like to announce my debut novel, Games We Played. This book was a labor of love and I'm really proud of it. Also, I think it has some important things to say about our current political climate (in the US) and about extremism and intergenerational trauma. It is complicated and provocative, and I would love to have some people read it who want to talk about it afterwards. Thank you! The novel is called Games We Played, released October 6, 2020 with Red Adept Publishing. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
When actress Rachel Goldberg shares her personal views on a local radio show, she becomes a target for online harassment. Things go too far when someone paints a swastika on her front door, not only terrifying her but also dredging up some painful childhood memories. Rachel escapes to her hometown of Carlsbad. To avoid upsetting her parents, she tells them she’s there to visit her Orthodox Jewish grandmother, even though that’s the last thing she wants to do. But trouble may have followed her.
Stephen Drescher is home from Iraq, but his dishonorable discharge contaminates his transition back to civilian life. His old skinhead friends, the ones who urged him to enlist so he could learn to make better bombs, have disappeared, and he can’t even afford to adopt a dog. Thinking to reconnect with his childhood friend, he googles Rachel’s name and is stunned to see the comments on her Facebook page. He summons the courage to contact her.
Rachel and Stephen, who have vastly different feelings about the games they played and what might come of their reunion, must come to terms with their pasts before they can work toward their futures.
Hi Shawne.Congrats on your book.
I would love to read the book; hopefully there is a kindle version; I will look in a minute.
This topic seems to have a twist which is perfect for me.
I will let you know when I finish it.
Best, Stacey
Thank you so much! Yes, there is a kindle version. I would very much like to hear your thoughts after you read it. https://www.amazon.com/Games-We-Playe...
Shawne wrote: "Thank you so much! Yes, there is a kindle version. I would very much like to hear your thoughts after you read it. https://www.amazon.com/Games-We-Playe......"
Ok, just bought it. Looking forward to reading it soon.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts. And thank you again for your support. It means so much!
Just letting other members know that my book is currently in a giveaway ending tomorrow. Under My Bubbe's Wings presents my parents' true-life memoir of their Holocaust ordeals. This includes traumatic family losses, vicious years of slavery, and heroic endurance culminating in their ultimate redemption. Happy Hanukah!
Iser wrote: "Just letting other members know that my book is currently in a giveaway ending tomorrow. Under My Bubbe's Wings presents my parents' true-life memoir of their Holocaust ordeals. Thi..."Glad you posted here, Iser, so people can enter. Happy Hanukah to you too!
My historical novel, Forget Russia,
was released by Tailwinds Press on December 1. It tells the tales of 3 generations of American Russian Jews journeying back and forth from Russia/the Soviet Union to America during the course of the 20th Century, as they search for a home. It is a tale of love, betrayal, and revolution.
R.L. wrote: "My recently released novel, Other People's Pets, about an animal empath raised to be a burglar was selected by Hadassah Org. as it's One Book, One Hadassah book club pick for the fall. I'll be disc..."Delighted to see Other People's Pets on Hadassah's Best Books of 2020 list, along with many other wonderful books. https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2020... The novel was also a Library Journal Best Summer/Fall Debut. I'm visiting book clubs virtually if anyone's book club would like to read it.
REBEL DAUGHTER (Penguin Random House)After 10 years of research/writing and another 2 in the publishing pipeline, I'm thrilled to announce that my book is finally finally coming out! It's a historical novel based on a true story set in first-century Jerusalem.
There's a Goodreads giveaway for the book so please sign up!
*Reviewers who would like an advance reader's copy can request it on Netgalley. Thank you!!
Book trailer
https://youtu.be/9QzA4vXLaac
Hi Lori,Congratulations on your new book.
I received an ARC and loved the book. 5+****
In doing so, I have become a fan of yours as well as your new novel "Rebel Daughter".
///////
For those who want to see reviews, there are many posted on The Jewish Club group on GoodReads.
A second edition of my book, Finding Home in the Footsteps of the Jewish Fusgeyers has released. The Fusgeyers were the thousands of Romanian Jews who, unwilling to tolerate anti-Semitism, left their country on foot between 1899 and 1907, and headed for North America. Destitute but resolute, they supported themselves by giving theatrical performances or selling stories and poems. In North America, some worked as peddlers, shopkeepers, café and restaurant owners, actors, and writers in the famous Yiddish theatre; others helped build the railway west, worked in the gold and silver mines, or created the Canadian Jewish agricultural communities.To write this book, I crossed Romania in their footsteps, then followed the immigrant trail across Europe and America.
Finding Home won The Joseph and Faye Tanenbaum Prize in Canadian Jewish History, and was shortlisted for the ForeWord Magazine Prize Book of the Year Award.
Excerpts and more information can be found on my blog: https://jewish-histories.over-blog.com
Thank you for letting me post this!
Here is a short YouTube trailer about who the Fusgeyers were:
https://youtu.be/s2LkrDybT1I
Hi,I have recently published Just Get On That Plane: Aliyah And Why You Need To Make It: Right Now!
The book is available in both paperback and e-book formats and is an encouraging memoir about why I believe aliyah is of vital importance to world Jewry:
https://www.amazon.com/Just-Get-That-...
If anybody wants a review copy I would be happy to pass one one.
The stars have aligned and I can now announce the release of my latest book, "Celestial Persuasion." Here is the blurb:Abigail Isaacs fears ever again falling under the power of love and dedicates her life to studying the heavens. However, upon her father’s demise she finds herself in reduced circumstances and must write to her brother, who has long been away at sea. When instead Captain Wentworth of the HMS Laconia sends a tragic reply, Abigail is asked to set aside her own ambitions and fulfill her brother’s dreams in the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata.
In his relentless pursuit for justice, Lieutenant Raphael Gabay lends his sword to the Spanish American cause. But as he prepares to set sail with the others, he is entrusted with the care of a young woman. She is quite unlike anyone he has ever known, and Raphael wonders whether the brilliant astronomer will see beyond his frivolous façade and recognize his true nature.
Their destinies have been plotted beyond the celestial veil; their charts foretell of adventure. Can these two troubled souls be persuaded to heed the stars and find love—and their purpose—in this fledgling nation?
Set against the backdrop of Argentina’s struggle for independence, this Jewish historical fiction may be considered a prequel to Jane Austen’s "Persuasion."
Coming to Amazon June 30, 2021. The preorder link can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Celestial-Pers...
Mirta wrote: "The stars have aligned and I can now announce the release of my latest book, "Celestial Persuasion." Here is the blurb:Abigail Isaacs fears ever again falling under the power of love and dedicate..."
I love how you incorporate Jewish protagonists into period drama/Regency or Victorian novels. I can't wait to read your latest work!
Judy wrote: "Mirta wrote: "The stars have aligned and I can now announce the release of my latest book, "Celestial Persuasion." Here is the blurb:Abigail Isaacs fears ever again falling under the power of lov..."
I bet this new one will be very well done.
Judy wrote: "Mirta wrote: "The stars have aligned and I can now announce the release of my latest book, "Celestial Persuasion." Here is the blurb:Abigail Isaacs fears ever again falling under the power of lov..."
Thanks Judy. I appreciate your interest and support of my work. I hope you'll enjoy the new book with its new set of characters and different locations.
Stacey wrote: "Judy wrote: "Mirta wrote: "The stars have aligned and I can now announce the release of my latest book, "Celestial Persuasion." Here is the blurb:Abigail Isaacs fears ever again falling under the..."
Well...I tried ;-)
Nice to see you are carrying on your Jane Austen theme. I enjoyed the Meyersons of Meryton and look forward to reading your new book.Good Luck!
Susan wrote: "Nice to see you are carrying on your Jane Austen theme. I enjoyed the Meyersons of Meryton and look forward to reading your new book.Good Luck!"
Thanks Susan! That's very kind!
Hi all,"Style and the Solitary" is a murder mystery set in Jerusalem.
It's available from Amazon at the above link.
The title comes from the fact that the story is loosely based on Beauty and the Beast. In both stories, belief has the power to change people, or rather to change them back into the people they were meant to be.
I hope you enjoy it.
I would like to review Adele, the rabbis mother for a free ebook.
As a recent member of the community, I want to thank my fellow authors for the opportunity to enjoy their books. I am excited to annouce my new novel, 2207 South Green Road, which will be released tomorrow.
The book relates the antics of a quirky Jewish family in Ohio in the early 1960s. It is a coming of age story of a 10-year old child who is the beneficiary of life lessons, often funny, often sad, as the group is gingerly glued together by their affection for one another and their determination to guard their family secrets.
I hope it evokes nostalgia for those of you from Cleveland and those of you who view the early 1960s as a complicated time to be growing up.
R.L. wrote: "My recently released novel, Other People's Pets, about an animal empath raised to be a burglar was selected by Hadassah Org. as it's One Book, One Hadassah book club pick for the fall. I'll be disc..."So excited to announce that my novel, Other People's Pets, won the Colorado Book Award in General Fiction. It's out in paperback on July 6.
Jewish Book Carnival
Books mentioned in this topic
The Midwives' Escape: From Egypt to Jericho (other topics)It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles (other topics)
In That Sleep of Death (other topics)
Walk the Earth as Brothers: A Novel (other topics)
Walk the Earth as Brothers: A Novel (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Wallace Markfield (other topics)Csilla Toldy (other topics)
Barbara J. Ostfeld (other topics)
Sherwin Gluck (other topics)
Barbara J. Ostfeld (other topics)
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A writer I know is seeking suggestions for publishers or agents for her memoir. Anat descr..."
Thanks Charles. I’ll let her know about your blog. It’s a common dilemma, but right now, she wants to find an agent and a large press.