Jewish Book Carnival discussion
Authors Announcing Their Books
Hi all!I'm excited to announce that my book UNWRITTEN RULES, an m/m baseball romance novel about a struggling Jewish catcher who reunites unexpectedly with his ex-teammate - who's also his ex-boyfriend - is available for pre-order. (It'll be out in October through Carina Press.)
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Unwritten-Rule...
Other retailers: https://www.carinapress.com/shop/book...
Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
What does it mean to get a second chance in a game that offers few?
Zach Glasser has put up with a lot for the sport he loves. Endless days on the road, playing half-decent baseball in front of half-full stadiums and endless nights alone, pretending this is the life he's always wanted.
The thing is, it could have been everything he ever wanted—if only he'd had the guts to tell his family, tell the club, that he was in love with his teammate Eugenio Morales. Well, ex-teammate now. When Zach wouldn't—couldn't—come out, Eugenio made the devastating choice to move on, demanding a trade away from Oakland. Away from Zach.
Three years and countless regrets later, Zach still can't get Eugenio out of his head. Or his heart. And when they both get selected to play in the league’s All-Star Classic, those feelings and that chemistry come roaring back.
Zach wants a second chance. Eugenio wants a relationship he doesn't have to hide. Maybe it's finally time they both get what they want.
Happy to share that my new book WOLF LAMB BOMB (Orison Books) is in the world & was recently named a New and Noteworthy Book by The New York Times. It is a poetry collection in deep conversation with The Book of Isaiah and its translation--and really, it was my personal journey to becoming a writer, very slowly. Thanks for this great thread with news about so many wonderful books! All my best, Aviya
). I’ve also just published Jewish Science Fiction and Fantasy through 1945 Jewish Science Fiction and Fantasy Through 1945: Immigrants in the Golden Age (book one in a massive academic series), and do lots of talks on Jewish science fiction. If you'd like more info, the big list plus one of my talks is here. http://www.stevenhsilver.com/jewishsf... review copies available, and I'd love to do interviews, guest blogging, etc.
Hi all! Thanks for providing the space for a thread like this!Happy to announce my first novel is now out, Devil's Ivy. It's a contemporary Israeli novel.
The Kindle version should be free for 24 hours, from Sunday Aug. 22 noon till Monday Aug. 23 at noon.
It's also free for those with Kindle Unlimited.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CV6ZSRX/...
I would be ecstatic if any of you could take the time to read the book and leave an honest, unbiased review on Amazon.
The blurb:
Amy is in her mid-forties and still doesn't know what to do with her life. She comes across an ad for group therapy led by the charismatic Yigal at his home in the Galilee, and she is smitten. Over the summer, she listens to the stories of the five other participants - tough grandmother Orna whose husband left her for another woman; young, sensual Reishit, raised on a religious settlement and newly single; the architect Michal, with a teenage daughter who despises her; the divorced and lustful Shimon; and Guy, a doctoral student at Hebrew University, still obsessed with the Moslem Arab woman he loved years ago.
Their stories awaken a spark within Amy, and she begins to reconnect with the world around her.
Throughout it all, the boundaries of therapy are questioned. Is Yigal a brilliant therapist, or a fake guru? Does his therapy help or harm?
The novel provides a first hand, authentic Israeli voice, exploring contemporary issues such as gender, aging, language and religion.
The description alone points to a level of complexity that makes this sounds like a fascinating read! Looking forward to downloading a copy--
Gal wrote: "Hi all! Thanks for providing the space for a thread like this!Happy to announce my first novel is now out, Devil's Ivy. It's a contemporary Israeli novel.
The Kindle version should be free for 2..."
Gal-
What a great feeling it must be to have a book published!!
I think you are on to something here.
Congrats to you!!!
Thanks for the interest Barbara! If you do download a copy, I would be very happy to receive feedback afterwards.I am very curious to see how the book will be received.
Stacey wrote: "Gal wrote: "Hi all! Thanks for providing the space for a thread like this!Happy to announce my first novel is now out, Devil's Ivy. It's a contemporary Israeli novel.
The Kindle version should b..."
Thank you Stacey! You are so kind :)
Yes, it's a great feeling. Publishing is wonderful. Now the next step is hoping people will actually read the book!
Shalom, fellow authors and readers! I can't wait to explore some of the works here!After much deliberation, I am announcing the release of my (rather controversial) book "Back to the Tribe", free with Kindle Unlimited:
In a post-Trump era which has coaxed a wealth of far right antisemitism from the woodwork, this book explores the comparatively insidious tendency of the far left to associate Jews with disproportionate privilege due to the conflation of the Ashkenazi majority with whiteness in contemporary identity politics, and how both diaspora Jewry and Israel can oppose such a notion by re-embracing their Middle Eastern roots.
https://www.amazon.com/BACK-TRIBE-Int...
Thank you so much for this thread. I wanted to share that my full-length poetry collection, The Shomer, has been published by Finishing Line Press. The Shomer explores the role of the watchman and guardian in the context of daily routines and significant life events. In Jewish tradition, the shomer is charged with safeguarding the body of the deceased against desecration before burial. The goal of the shomer is to witness, to attend, and to protect those who can no longer protect themselves. The Shomer's poems seek to illuminate the vigil we all keep as witnesses to our own lives and the lives of others and to expand upon the stories we share to safeguard love, hope, history, and a belief in art's power to heal. The Shomer was selected as a finalist for the 2020 Blue Lynx Prize, a semifinalist for the 2020 Elixir Press Antivenom Award, and a semifinalist for the 2019 Codhill Press Poetry Award. Prize-winning poet Sandra Beasley describes The Shomer as “intimate, honest, and wryly funny.” The Shomer is available from Finishing Line Press, Amazon and Politics and Prose:
https://www.finishinglinepress.com/pr...
https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9...
https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Ellen-Saz...
I’d like to introduce the group to my literary/historical novel To Zenzi. Recipient of the 2019 AWP Prize and a James Jones First Novel Fellowship, the novel follows the odyssey of a boy, Tobias Koertig, through the ruins of Berlin in the spring of 1945, in the last months of the war.To Zenzi
As he encounters tragedy, absurdity, and horror---including a maniacal teenage officer with bad allergies, a conniving Martin Bormann, a deceitful deserter, and the zoo's gorilla---Tobias finds himself falling for Zenzi Fuchs, a 15-year-old girl whose family has been identified by the Nazis as mischlinge (2nd degree), with a great grandmother who was Jewish. Though the family has remained in Berlin, they fear being caught up in a new round of deportations. Zenzi’s fear is compounded when she discovers that her father has obtained a smuggled Swiss newspaper detailing the horrific killings at Auschwitz. The shocking report convinces Tobias and Zenzi (both eventually orphaned) to flee Berlin and Germany, sending the pair on a treacherous journey that deepens their bond and brings Zenzi closer and closer to embracing a Jewish identity.
In her AWP judge's statement, novelist Bonnie Jo Campbell called To Zenzi “a miraculous coming-of-age novel...a tragic story brilliantly and seamlessly told, full of love, humor, and hope.”
Kirkus Reviews: “This debut novel vibrates with emotion...a sweeping portrait of survival...”
Foreword Reviews: “Heart-wrenching and vibrant...”
Booklist: “Full of suspense, black humor, tragedy...this is an excellent debut.”
The novel was published on May 13, 2021 by New Issues Press. You can find out more on my website, robertshuster.com.
Dear fellow GoodReaders
My investigative memoir, What They Didn't Burn: Uncovering My Father's Holocaust Secrets is officially launched and, finally, on sale. Available in paperback, ebook and audiobook formats.
REVIEWS & EARLY PRAISE
Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite
Tightly written and compelling on every page, the progression of Dolek’s “luck” proves to be a terrifying endurance test. This is most certainly not luck. It is the grit and rapid intelligence of a man who can read a situation quickly to maximize the odds of survival.”
Ann Kirschner, author of Sala’s Gift
What a thrilling story of wartime survival!... Chasing after hidden diamonds and digging up damning Nazi documents, Laytner weaves a tale of courage and luck that brings to life an unforgettable cast of characters. A great detective story — and an important work of history.
D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
As he seeks corroboration and truth, readers become immersed in a journey that combines a family probe, a memoir, and a historical review under one cover….What They Didn't Burn: Uncovering My Father's Holocaust Secrets is essential for any collection that seeks a different perspective on Holocaust events. More so than most books on the subject, it juxtaposes the personal with the political, psychological, social, and moral and ethical issues facing survivors and Nazi executioners alike.
Robert Jan van Pelt, author of The Case For Auschwitz, Evidence from the Irving Trial
Mel Laytner’s What they Didn’t Burn is a remarkable historiographical achievement that blends the narrative pleasures of a detective story with the intellectual fireworks of a micro-history.”
Kenneth S. Stern, director, Bard Center for the Study of Hate
...A compelling blend of memoir and historical research, beautifully written. Laytner’s deeply personal story is an important addition to Holocaust literature, but will also resonate with a general audience as a historical detective story.
Scott Miller, author of Refuge Denied, The St. Louis Passengers and the Holocaust
I know of no other work that so eloquently succeeds in combining a dogged search for a Nazi paper trail of evidence and a son’s reconciliation with his family's Holocaust legacy. What They Didn't Burn is not only an engaging piece of rigorous research, but also a harrowing and heartwarming personal saga of discovery as well.
Gabrielle Robinson, Author of Api’s Berlin Diaries
“… a gripping detective story of a savvy journalist uncovering “what they didn’t burn.” This beautifully written and deeply felt book, a powerful tribute to his father’s fortitude, also serves as a reminder that the long shadow of the Nazi past stretches over generations.
I would like to introduce this group to historical thriller Newark Minutemen, recipient of the Hemingway and Goethe awards. The story is based on my Uncle who was a New Jersey Jewish boxer during the Great Depression who was recruited by the mob and FBI to stop the shadow party from Germany. Along the way he falls in love with the daughter of the enemy. Writing this took reconstructing life during the Great Depression. Even beyond the house designs, songs, weather, religions, language, customs, food and jobs, it took understanding HOW characters made decisions. Interviews, spy diaries, FBI docs and ANCESTRY helped travel back in time and breath life into the almost century old story.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/163195...
Hi.Congratulations on your book.
Looks like you did quite a lot of research.
This story rings a bell with me-
Just curious, was your uncle's family from USA?
There is someone I know who's relative was also a Jewish boxer at the same time; the family was from a town in Austria.
I don't think there were many Jewish Boxers, but I could be wrong. :)
Some people rebel against their parents by dating a goy. What if you could do it by dating interstellar? The scourge of interfaith dating and marriage is already a touchy subject in the Jewish community, and that’s just in regular relationships where you still have being human in common. That’s the fun possibility explored in my new novel Meteors and Menorahs. It might not be intentional, as Leah Lieberman finds out after bringing her coworker Kenneth home for the holidays, but when even dating outside Jewry is a difficult topic to broach with her parents, she’s not about to touch the issue of dating an alien.
Jewish readers finding reflections of themselves in genre fiction has always been difficult, especially when it comes to speculative fiction. As representation has grown for a number of other groups, I wanted to see how a Jewish heroine would deal with finding out that her love interest is really an alien.
Meteors and Menorahs is a quick read at just under 200 pages and will be available in print and ebook on November 15th through Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JFQN6KZ
Hi, all! I'd like to introduce my historical novel, THE POMEGRANATE, to the group.THE POMEGRANATE unfolds the tale of Batsheva Hagiz, the spirited daughter of a Jewish rug merchant dynasty in the city of Málaga. The book takes readers along as the girl pushes the boundaries of convention along her lifetime journey from the sands of the Maghreb to the Holy Land where the Third Crusade rages on, to the court of Plantagenet England. And, at last, home to Al-Andalus.
When we meet Batsheva, her life is set by tradition, with schooling in languages, merchandise, and trade. But it’s her love of swordplay and the ability to throw a dagger with deadly aim that will serve her best. On the caravan journey across the desert to her wedding, Batsheva is abducted by men who are certain their sheik will prize her body. In the early days of captivity, chained to his tent, she makes the decision to do more than merely survive. She will live.
Batsheva learns to marshal her resources to her own advantage. From Al-Andalus to the Maghreb, from Akko to England, she takes on the world on her terms.
I hope you'll take a look!
https://www.amazon.com/Pomegranate-Su...
S.J. wrote: "Hi, all! I'd like to introduce my historical novel, THE POMEGRANATE, to the group.THE POMEGRANATE unfolds the tale of Batsheva Hagiz, the spirited daughter of a Jewish rug merchant dynasty in the..."
Thanks for sharing! It sounds compelling!
Mirta wrote: "S.J. wrote: "Hi, all! I'd like to introduce my historical novel, THE POMEGRANATE, to the group.THE POMEGRANATE unfolds the tale of Batsheva Hagiz, the spirited daughter of a Jewish rug merchant d..."
Thank you! I hope you read and review!
Just letting members know. I have added my memoir of parents' Holocaust saga to the Giveaways. It's title is "Under My Bubbe's Wings". Winners should get their copy in time for Hanukah. CHAG SAMEACH!!
I am pleased to announce the publication of Broken Promises: The Story of a Jewish Family in Germany. My father-in-law had shared very little with his family about his former life in Germany, including that he had lost a grandmother and two aunts in the Holocaust. This discovery led me to try to understand why. Broken Promises tells the story of the rise of the family’s fortunes and the fates of individual family members after the Nazis came to power. The book is available on Amazon and other sites in paperback and e-book formats. Here are some reviews from Readers’ Favorite:
“Although it’s a non-fiction, historical account, it reads like a novel…. I highly recommend this excellent work.” Rated 5 Stars. Reviewed by Joe Wisinski for Readers’ Favorite
“I was surprised by how deeply the author researched. From the Heppenheimer family’s migration to Germany after the Thirty Years War and their life there from the 1700s until the Nazi regime, Bonnie Suchman held nothing back. By the time I reached page 37 and saw the pictures of the documents she uncovered, I knew this was going to be an exceptional book.” Rated 5 Stars. Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite
“Each story of a particular member of the Heppenheimer family had me on the edge of my seat with dread for their wellbeing, such was the investment that Broken Promises engendered in its characters. However, it never detracted from the simple humanity of the people whose world was destroyed in the wake of fascism's rise.” Rated 5 Stars. Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite
“For me, as an uninvolved spectator of this family, it was both eye-opening and revelatory. Like most people, I was aware of the Holocaust and the horrific crimes of the Nazis during World War II but to have these broken down to a personal family level and see the impact on individuals and their desperate attempts to escape certain death was both humbling and rewarding.” Rated 5 Stars. Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers’ Favorite
Last week the Jewish Book Council reviewed my book. Here's the transcript as Goodreads of late has restricted outside links:
--
What They Didn’t Burn: Uncovering My Father’s Holocaust Secrets
Mel Laytner
Review
By Renita Last – December 27, 2021
Joseph Laytner owned a candy store and then a linen shop on New York’s Upper West Side after World War II, but, before that, Josef “Dolek” Lajtner survived forced labor, Nazi ghettos, numerous selektions, the Blechhammer Camp in Auschwitz, and desperate death marches. The dad Mel Laytner grew up with is a quiet, often passive man. The man he was during the Holocaust turns out to be quite different. Who was he?
In What They Didn’t Burn, a meticulously researched memoir, Mel Laytner, a noted journalist and broadcaster, commits himself to uncovering his father’s story. Laytner’s detective work begins years after Dolek’s lifetime Polish friend and fellow survivor, artist Walter Spitzer, tells him, “Dolek was a bastard. A real bastard. You had to be if you wanted to live.” Years later, Laytner decides to pursue the subject of his father’s experiences. He had listened to bits and pieces of his dad’s occasional war stories, which never gave much personal information or details. His mother, a Hungarian survivor, never spoke of the war. He gleaned bits of knowledge from relatives and friends.
Laytner shifts into journalist mode in his writing. His background, education, and extensive broadcast work serve him well in his book. He knows witnesses are often suspect or unreliable, and he must separate their testimony and his own emotional involvement by finding documentation, corroboration, confirmation, and firsthand original sources.
As he persistently searches and follows the Nazi paper trail, his investigations lead him to return to Poland many times. He visits museums, archives, libraries, his father’s former towns and residences, and the infamous camps. He speaks to experts and ordinary citizens. He is able to track down specific documentation despite the bureaucracy and secrecy he encounters. Laytner’s explanations of his obtaining information read like a treasure hunt. One chapter thoroughly guides the reader through checking and verifying sources like a primer. The ensuing powerful narrative is dramatic, harrowing, and haunting. Dolek’s personal story turns into a historical story of Holocaust survival and determination. (my emphasis)
The book chronicles Dolek’s early life in an old-world wealthy and cultured family that owned many factories. He is forced to work for the German war machine as an iron welder and is later transported to the Blechhammer labor area of Auschwitz. He is looked up to but rejects the offer of becoming a Kapo. He does engage in stealthily trading and smuggling small diamonds for food and contraband. Bread is the chief commodity for trading, and he quickly learns how to obtain and hide it. Dolek endures years of beatings, hunger, and exhaustion.
The author factually recounts the history of German ghetto aktions, the role of the Judenräte, the efficient killing machines of gas chambers and crematorium, POW stories, and the status and daily work of prisoners. Laytner remembers his father always saying that luck, more than money, smarts, or skills, was most important for survival.
The author also explores the subject of children of survivors and how the Second Generation view their parents’ lives in complex and contrasting ways. He discusses current and past research and studies, as well as his own thoughts on this issue.
The immigrant story plays out as Laytner explores his father’s life and legacy. He describes his dad’s journey from Ripley’s pants presser to small business owner. He was a quiet, voracious reader with a past, who worked arduous days to better himself and his family while building a new life in the United States.
What They Didn’t Burn includes many photos, drawings, graphic sketches, documents, Notes, and a valuable bibliography that bring the Laytner experience to life. This is a well-written potent story of memory and tribute told with integrity and weight. (my emphasis)
Hi, everyone! I'm thrilled to share that Fragments That Fit is releasing next week:
This is a romantic women's fiction novel featuring a Jewish MC. With a strong woman struggling to find her way, a romance she never saw coming, and the boss you’ll love to hate, this is one heartfelt story you won’t want to miss!
ARCs are currently available on Booksprout. GR won't let me add a link unfortunately, but it's very easy to search their ARC list.
This book has been a long time coming, and I'm so excited to start sharing it!
Dear Goodreaders,The ebook of my book, What They Didn't Burn: Uncovering My Father's Holocaust Secrets is on sale for a .99 cents for a limited time.
The Jewish Book Council called it "powerful narrative [that] is dramatic, harrowing and haunting"
ORDER NOW: https://amzn.to/3tbg0nZ
Hello all. I'm Pat Black-Guld. I've just written a children's picture book called The Crystal Beads, Lalka's Journey. Below is a description of the book. It's based on an award-winning short story I wrote.
I'm at the Advanced Reader Copy stage. I have digital copies available for anyone who is willing to write a review here on Goodreads. You can see current reviews already written about the book on my page.
The Crystal Beads, Lalka's Journey
A Star of David necklace or a rosary?
In 1939 Poland, a young girl is asked to give up one of these and accept the other without understanding why. However, what she must part with happens to be her most prized possession--a precious gift given to her by her father before he died.
The child’s mother then teaches the girl a “game” to prepare her for what is to come. As the Nazis invade the country, the mother is forced to make a heartbreaking sacrifice.
This beautifully illustrated picture book is based loosely on a true story. Although told through the eyes of a young girl, the book is written for readers of all ages. It also contains two study guides. One is for children, parents, and teachers. The other is for adults who may gather in places of worship, book clubs, and small groups. Discussion topics include themes of compassion, empathy, and diversity.
Thanks and I'm happy to be a member of this group.
Pat
Greetings to the Carnival!I would like to introduce my book, Protocols: Exposing Modern Antisemitism
Based on articles I've written for my popular pro-Israel website, PROTOCOLS defines and exposes modern antisemitism. It shows how the scourge of Jew-hatred is as virulent as it ever was and how modern antisemites hide their hate behind the pretexts of "human rights" and "international law." PROTOCOLS identifies and refutes the arguments of today's haters. It is indispensable to understand how the "world's oldest hatred" has returned and how it tries to disguise itself.
It is especially relevant today, as so called "human rights" and "progressive" organizations are twisting the definitions of "racism," "apartheid" and "genocide" specifically against Israel and only Israel - a perfect example of how the Jewish state has replaced the Jewish people as the stated target of the world's oldest hatred.
Thank you and hope you find it useful!
Congratulations on your award, Mel. What an honor.
I'm proud to share that my new novel A Death in Jerusalem is now out.A Death in Jerusalem is a historical mystery set in Israel 1952. It is book 7 of the Adam Lapid series.
I'm pleased to announce the release of my latest book, A Pacifist at Iwo Jima: Rabbi Roland Gittelsohn from the Pulpit to the U.S. Marine Corps' Bloodiest Battle. A significant revision of my previous book Unlikely Warrior, it is the biography of Roland Gittelsohn, an outspoken pacifist in the 1930s who felt compelled to join the U.S. Navy after Pearl Harbor. He then became the first rabbi ever assigned as a chaplain to the United States Marine CorpsAs fate would have it, he ended up on Iwo Jima where he and his fellow chaplains performed heroically. At the dedication of the 5th Marine division cemetery he delivered the most famous speech of the war, one that is referred to as "the Gettysburg Address of World War II." In his distinguished post-war career among other taskings he went on to serve on President Truman's Committee on Civil Rights.
Hello! I am a Jewish author and will have a new Jewish book out soon. I have digital copies available for anyone who would be interested in reviewing this book.The main character is a young gay Jewish man living in Paris before and during the war. So please note there are frank discussions of LGBTQ+ issues throughout the book.
ARCs now available for WHY IN PARIS?
A historical gay novel set in WW2 Paris.
Release date: May 11, 2022
Review deadline: No deadline
Genre: LGBTQ+ historical fiction
Publisher: Encircle Publications
ARC formats: ePub, PDF
Pages: 294
Author: Harry F. Rey
CW: War, drug use, violence, death
Get ARC: PM, comment or email harryfredrey@gmail.com
Blurb:
In the late summer of 1936, Anders is a budding young photographer from Vienna who travels to pre-war Paris. His mother sends him ostensibly to attend art school… and to survive as a Jew. But Anders is ready to explore his other secret: his sexuality. Anders soon falls for Jean, and captures Jean’s beauty with his camera, selling the photos by the Seine. A wealthy American socialite, David, sees the work and presents Anders with a scandalous new venture.
With David’s movie camera, they set up a secret film studio, capturing incriminating reels of the rich and powerful committing all manner of compromising acts. As Paris falls to Hitler, and the occupation takes hold, senior Nazis commandeer David’s mansion as their personal brothel. Anders and David begin secretly filming the Nazis’ trysts, scattering the evidence across Paris. Anders’s old flame, Eilas, returns as an SS officer. Jean hatches a plot with the Resistance to assassinate Eilas’s superior, the head of the SS in Paris, where blackmail and betrayal, love and survival are all part of the answer to the question, Why in Paris?
Thanks for this thread"I retell what happened so that it never…that you never, anyone ever has to relive what happened. Telling the story is the only way I know of stopping the story from happening again.” ESCAPE ROUTE
ESCAPE ROUTE, set in New York City during the tumultuous late 1960s. is narrated by a teenager, Zach, a first generation son of Holocaust survivors, and NY Mets fan, who becomes obsessed with the Vietnam War and with finding an escape route for his family for when he believes the US will round up and incarcerate its Jews. Zach meets Samm, a seventh-generation Manhattanite whose brother has returned from Vietnam with PTSD which results in his suicide. Together, Samm and Zach explore protest, friendship, music, faith, and love during a time littered with hope and upheaval around the globe. Escape Route seeks to keep the terms ‘in country,” and ‘the world,’ in our national conversation
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
I can't believe it's been over six months since The Choice: A Novel of Love, Faith and The Talmud's pub date, but somehow messaging this group didn't get on my to-do list. Well, better late than never. Here's the short description: A powerful love story with a purpose: to challenge Jewish customs concerning women, marriage, and equality.
(And a longer one) The award-winning author of Rashi's Daughters has written a wholly transformative novel that takes characters inspired by Chaim Potok and ages them into young adults in Brooklyn in the 1950s — a time of Elvis and Marilyn, communist scares and polio vaccines, postwar Jewish migration to Israel and America. When journalist Hannah Eisin interviews Rabbi Nathan Mandel, a controversial Talmud professor, she persuades him to teach her the mysteries of the text forbidden to women though it might cost him his job if discovered. Secret meetings and lively discussions bring the two to the edge of a line neither dares to cross, testing their relationships with Judaism and each other.
Now on sale: Discovering Jewish Science Fiction: A Look at the Jewish Influences in Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, DC, Marvel, and so Many More…Discovering Jewish Science Fiction: A Look at the Jewish Influences in Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, DC, Marvel, and so Many More…… also the children's version: Encountering Jewish Science Fiction for Kids and Teens: Inside the Jewish Influences in Star Wars, Doctor Who, Superheroes, Games, Toys, and so Much More :)
Hi all! This is wonderful to be able to post here, and I hope that you might find my two books of interest. The first is my father's memoir, Private Good Luck, written by me in his voice (and approved by him!)The second book is one that I've spent the last four years working on entitled, Pappus - The Saga of A Jewish Family. It's the complete, translated personal correspondence from my family’s special collection now housed in the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.
More than 1800 letters written by over 70 different people writing in Hungarian and English just before, during, and after World War II. They memorialize and illuminate the lives of ordinary people enduring extraordinary events. Through them, experience history as it unfolds.
Of six siblings, one emigrated to America in 1938, four more in 1940, and one remained behind in Europe with his wife, little children, and elderly father.
The letters are all encompassing and their historic value is immeasurable.
As primary sources, they give a contemporaneous account of the events the writers lived through, undistorted by the passage of time. It is the definitive companion text to Private Good Luck and As I remember…(expected release in 2023)
This is my family’s story, in their own words.
Jewish hairstylist and amateur sleuth Marla Vail stars in the Bad Hair Mysteries. The newest title, STAR TANGLED MURDER will debut on March 14. Available in ebook and print at most online bookstores and via Ingram.
Salon owner Marla Vail and her detective husband Dalton are having a blast visiting a Florida living history village over Fourth of July weekend. But when a Seminole battle reenactment turns up a real dead body, it sets off fireworks among the villagers. One of the cast members has gone off script to murder the town marshal with a tomahawk.
As Dalton gets involved in the investigation, Marla determines to help him solve the case. Her flare for uncovering secrets reveals that everyone in the village is a suspect. Instead of celebrating the holiday with red, white, and barbecues, she discovers secrets, lies, and false avenues. Did the marshal’s murder have anything to do with a lost Confederate payroll, or did his plans to renovate the park light a fuse that he couldn’t snuff out?
In a place where history comes alive, the dead bodies are piling up. Marla would rather be chilling and grilling, but somebody’s mind is on killing. If she’s not careful, her sleuthing might blow up in her face like a faulty firecracker and she’ll become the next victim. Recipes Included!
“Another delightful installment brought to life, Star Tangled Murder finds Marla facing more changes in her life as she investigates a murder that connects to history while she balances motherhood, the salon, and sleuthing.” Readers’ Favorite
“History and mystery entangle in unusual manners as the story unfolds, revealing a series of lies and possibilities that become even more convoluted and puzzling as Marla and Dalton delve deeper… Libraries seeking cozy mysteries replete in psychological strength and American history drama will find Star Tangled Murder a compelling portrait of a historical reenactment gone awry.” Midwest Book Review
“STAR TANGLED MURDER shines with excellent plotting, lots of twists and turns, and a satisfying ending. Highly recommended.” Suspense Magazine
Jacob's Courage: Romance and Survival amidst the Horrors of War"This novel traces the progression of the Nazi war machine from its onset to the Holocaust’s devastating conclusion through the thoughts and experiences of the central character, Jacob Silverman, a seventeen year-old aspiring musician and law student from Salzburg, Austria. Jacob is the only son of a prominent local doctor, Moshe Silverman, and his kind but troubled wife, Hanna. Rachel Goldberg is the love of Jacob’s life and the daughter of Ariel, another respected physician in Salzburg and a close friend and colleague of Jacob’s father. Through Jacob and Rachel’s bond the families become further connected and their destinies intertwined.
Long before Hitler’s army puts its plans for the annihilation of the Jewish people into motion, Jacob has a horrific dream so vivid that he is convinced it must be a premonition warning him of the atrocities to come. From isolation to starvation and torture, Jacob bears witness as the Nazis systematically dehumanize the Jewish race, bringing their brazen plot for extermination ever closer to reality. Jacob’s feelings of powerlessness are often interrupted by thoughts of rebellion and escape and the possibility that God has a greater plan for him, a destiny bound to leadership and the survival of Judaism.
Mixed among the detailed descriptions of the surreal atrocities inflicted upon the Jews of Europe is a tender coming of age tale. Jacob and Rachel’s love flourishes amid the ghettos and concentration camps where they are forced to reside. While their emotional strength and devotion is to be commended, the revealed details of their relationship often feel misplaced and inappropriate set against the backdrop of destitute labor and death camps.
This book shows the critical roles that love, determination, and steadfast belief play toward battling one’s demons both physically and mentally. While at times difficult to digest, Jacob’s Courage is ultimately a tribute to the triumphant human spirit." --- Jewish Book Council
https://jacobscourage.com/
Thank you JBC for such a generous offer. I have two memoirs forthcoming:
Places We Left Behind: a memoir-in-miniature (9/5/23)
Landed: A yogi’s memoir in pieces & poses (10/15/24)
both with Vine Leaves Press
both very Jewish
both about home/CA/NY/Israel
both playful, experimental, unconventional
but different journeys
www.vineleavespress.com/places-we-lef...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/142425302...
www.amazon.com/Places-Left-Behind-mem...
israelwriterstudio.com
Unique offer: show my your pre-order and sign up for a free yoga class on zoom in December 2023
Giveaway of Jewish YA novel JUST A HAT runs through July 16 (entry link below), and publication date is July 17th. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
Thanks for this thread! This is my first YA novel, but I've known these characters longer than any others, so I hope it adds to the small selection of Mizrachi-themed Jewish literature. The publisher is formatting an Educator's Manual we plan to make downloadable on the author website for classroom use.
Action-packed, humorous, and bittersweet, this 1970s-era coming-of-age novel explores how a second-generation immigrant kid in a new hometown must navigate bullying, unexpected friendships, and the struggle of keeping both feet firmly planted in two very different cultures.
It's 1979, and thirteen-year-old Joseph Nissan can't help but notice that small-town Texas has something in common with Revolution-era Iran: an absence of fellow Jews. And in such a small town it seems obvious that a brown kid like him was bound to make friends with Latinos--which is a plus, since his new buds, the Ybarra twins, have his back. But when the Iran hostage crisis, two neighborhood bullies, and the local reverend's beautiful daughter put him in all sorts of danger, Joseph must find new ways to cope at home and at school.
As he struggles to trust others and stay true to himself, a fiercely guarded family secret keeps his father at a distance, and even his piano teacher, Miss Eleanor--who is like a grandmother to him--can't always protect him. But Joseph is not alone, and with a little help from his friends he finds the courage to confront his fears and discovers he can inspire others to find their courage, too.
Announcing the release of "Jacob's Courage: Romance and Survival amidst the Horrors of War," by Charles S. Weinblatt, Amsterdam Publishers, June 13, 2023. Hardcover, Paperback and E-book. https://www.amazon.com/Jacobs-Courage.... This book shows the critical roles that love, determination, and steadfast belief play toward battling one’s demons both physically and mentally. Jacob’s Courage is ultimately a tribute to the triumphant human spirit. – The Jewish Book Council
Jacob's Courage is a poignant and powerful tale of love and bravery set against the harrowing backdrop of Nazi-occupied Austria. Follow the journey of two young Jews, Jacob and Rachael, as they navigate a world where innocence is ruthlessly destroyed. From their comfortable lives in Salzburg to a decrepit ghetto, from a prison camp where they secretly marry to their escape through a tunnel and their joining of the local partisans to fight the Nazis, their journey is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. But their courage is truly tested as they face the horrors of Auschwitz, where faith and love are their only allies.
With unforgettable moments of chaste beauty, Jacob's Courage is a moving coming-of-age story that examines the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable brutality and genocide.
https://charlesweinblatt.wixsite.com/...
Newly released and well-received so far The German Dressmaker is a WW2 Historical fiction romance. Opening in 1937 Germany, we meet Lily, a talented aspiring seamstress, who falls in love with Heinrich, a charming major in Hitler’s Wehrmacht. Their love affair blossoms into a beautiful romance, and despite the growing fear of impending war, Lily dreams of the wonderful future they will have together.But Heinrich has a secret – one that, if revealed, would put his life in grave danger. And now Lily’s, too.
As darkness takes over and secrets become harder to keep, the lovers are forced apart, lost to each other in a war-torn world. Devastated and alone, Lily is left to pick up the pieces of her life… the needle and thread in her hands the only comfort for her broken heart.
Inspired in part by true events, The German Dressmaker is the unforgettable, unputdownable, heart-wrenching story of a romance cut short by tragedy, two star-crossed lovers, and a war determined to keep them apart.
This is not a Holocaust story and much of the narrative takes place in England. The protagonists' stories take many twists and turns, making them tantalizingly close to finding each other, but they are destined to remain apart until..... (no more spoilers!).
http://www.amazon.com/German-Dressmak...
Exposing Systems of Anti-Jewishness: How Bigotry Spread Through Christianity, Islam, Marxism, and Fascist EuropeMy book is available as an ebook, paperback, and soon hardcover. I recently ran a giveaway through Goodreads, but would consider sending digital copies to any bloggers interested in considering it. Upon request, I will also consider sending a free paperback to a blogger/influencer who is interested.
The book is a broad look at the conversations today regarding antisemitism and, more specifically, anti-Jewishness, from sociological, historical, psychological and cultural perspectives.
Please email me if you'd like a free e-version on either Amazon Kindle or Barnes&Noble Nook.Earon
earondavis1@gmail.com
In honor of the upcoming High Holy Days, I have launched a book giveaway of Under My Bubbe's Wings. This memoir commemorates the extreme hardship and losses endured by my parents during the Holocaust.A sweet new year to all!!
Iser Flaum
I am excited to share that my WW2 novel The German Dressmaker is a 2023 Winner of the Firebird Award for Fiction.http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C19CR4ZF
Amsterdam Publishers onJacob’s Courage: Romance and Survival amidst the Horrors of War
Charles S. Weinblatt’s novel Jacob’s Courage. Romance and Survival amidst the Horrors of War follows the life of Jacob Silverman and his family, chronicling the gruesome fate of a fictional Austrian-Jewish family during the Holocaust.
Meet Jacob, a teenager with a great talent for playing the violin and a dream of going into the medical field, and his parents; his mother Hanna, plagued by traumas of her childhood in Russia and the antisemitic attacks her family faced by the Cossacks, and his father Moshe, a skilled surgeon with a gentle nature. Together with Jacob’s girlfriend, Rachael Goldberg, and her family, Weinblatt invites his reader on a journey through the Holocaust, from the creation of Jewish ghettos to mass deportations to Auschwitz – a journey that offers little respite from the grueling ordeals that his characters face alongside thousands of other Jewish people.
Along the way, Weinblatt sets incredible scenes where Jacob, Rachael and their families are introduced to other characters who come to play important roles in the fight against the Nazis, resulting in a story that is rich in well-developed characters. In a forest in the darkness of the night, a hiding place for resistance fighters and refugees, Weinblatt introduces Anton Kamen, leader of a partisan group; In a Nazi laboratory, orthopedic surgeon Albert Moss enters the story; In Auschwitz a character named Simcha appears. His role is that of a messenger, reporting to the other characters about the concentration and death camps he has seen:
“I must finish, my young friend. I must tell you what I have seen. You see, if I die, someone else must be able to tell the true story about these atrocities. Someone must tell the world about the injustice done to our people. So, I will finish my story if you promise to remember it.”
These words poignantly summarize Weinblatt’s objective, namely to tell the story of atrocities that happened during the Holocaust so that they may never be forgotten, bringing history to life through his fictional characters.
A lengthy tale due to its intention of not leaving out a single grueling detail, Weinblatt invites the reader on a journey of death, hate, destruction, and violence that is not for the faint-of-heart. There is not a chapter in this book that shields its reader from stomach-turning details that the Jewish community was subjected to by the Nazis. Unflinchingly, Weinblatt chronicles the seemingly never-ending violence that the Silverman family goes through together with so many other Jewish families. Every imaginable Nazi crime is included in this book; shocking scenes illustrate the immense evil of the Nazi regime. The Silverman family is plunged into historical sites such as the Theresienstadt concentration camp and Auschwitz, and encounters real Nazis. Meet Weinblatt’s interpretation of Josef Mengele and Aribert Heim, among others, and visit various Nazi camps where, for years, inhumane crimes were committed to millions of people.
Although above all a story that seeks to remind its reader of the unimaginable violence and crimes against humanity that the Nazi regime brought into the world, the novel is also an ode to the power of love, family, and faith in the face of destruction and death. Teenage sweethearts Jacob and Rachael are put on a journey through hell, yet they stand by one another as their belief in love and hope never falters. By no means passive in their fight against the Nazi regime, Jacob and Rachael are guided by faith as they courageously partake in resistance acts, whether it’s tricking drunk Nazis in bars or learning how to fight in a gun battle.
Gut-wrenching, emotionally exhausting, and written without an ounce of sympathy for any reader sensitivities, Jacob’s Courage is a novel that one fights one’s way through, just as the characters fight their way through gruesome ordeals. Weinblatt offers no respite for the reader because there is no respite for his characters, either. Tragedy upon tragedy in every chapter, this is not a gentle reminder of the realities of the Holocaust: it’s a slap in the face to wake up any reader who has forgotten about the extent of heartless atrocities that humans are capable of committing to one another. Putting the unimaginable into words, Weinblatt tells the world about the injustice done to Jewish people during the Holocaust – demanding of his reader to listen carefully and remember.
Jacob’s Courage. Romance and Survival amidst the Horrors of War, by Charles S. Weinblatt is part of the series WWII Historical Fiction. It is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and in bookstores worldwide. Amazon link: https://mybook.to/JCrCW1.
Hello friendsMY debut novel, Finding Home (Hungary, 1945) was recently published by Koehler Books. It tells the little explored story of Jewish concentration camp survivors seeking to return to their hometown in Hungary after liberation - only to find their homes and businesses owned by their former friends and neighbors. While the Jewish returnees struggle with their trauma and try to figure out how to reintegrate or not, the townspeople must come to terms with their own enabling and bystanding regarding the deportation of their Jewish neighbors and what they did afterwards in taking the "abandoned Jewish properties".
Finding Home (Hungary, 1945) is a deep dive into the complex emotional, moral and economic dynamics of the return, that have largely been overlooked. My novel is a fictional quilt of stories I have researched and interviews I did in the US and Hungary over a five year period. It examines the strength and challenges of the Jewish survivors and the healing power of music and community.
My latest and first book is about a mystical experience of Adonai I had when I was a missionary bishop, newly returned to the States from Burundi, Africa. That experience infused into me a mission that led me to do extensive, scholarly research, which resulted in my leaving the church and converting to Judaism. Most of my Jewish friends who have read it say that they learned things they never knew before about Second Temple Judaism, Yeshua ben Yosef, and early Christianity, as well as the origins of antisemitism, its horrors, and its resurgence.
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That is great news!! Congrats to you!!