Rumors

[Tova]

I am getting excited about reading this book by another AEPhi author! The reviews look interesting, and I always want to support other AEPhis! Stephanie has also offered to moderate a discussion for those of us reading it! I know there is interest in writing, relationships, and supporting sisters; so this is a great book to add to our group!

[Stephanie]

I am so thrilled that RUMORS has been posted! I am so excited to discuss my novel with my sisters and can't wait to hear your feedback and questions. Thank you, Tova, for choosing Rumors to be among the books chosen for reading by Phis! What an honor for me! I want to hug each of you. . .
Stephanie "Stevie Beber" Abrams
Epsilon Delta

[Stephanie]

As a first time author, and first time moderator, I hope we can engage in a lively discussion about my novel, RUMORS. In the fictional but very realistic suburban community, set on Long Island, the impact of rumors has profound impact on the lives of the characters. I'm wondering if my readers can identify with personal experiences where rumors created havoc in their lives as a family member or a student. How do you respond/react to the havoc caused in Allison Shapiro's life and the hijacking of her life resulting from a rumor? And how do our respond to Melanie Cohen's plight being drawn into the chaos of the rumor about Allison and David King? Can you relate to that in your family or student life?

[Stephanie]

"RUMORS" has consistently been receiving 4-star and 5-star reviews and great feedback from book review bloggers, newspaper book reviewers and individuals but this is the all time ever-lovin' best! Because the characters in RUMORS are multi-cultural, my novel caught the attention of the CEO and Founder of the Harlem Book Fair, now partnered with Columbia University. The website for the HBF is www.qbr.com which stands ffor Quarterly Black Review. I was invited by Max Rodriguez, CEO of HBF and QBR to present RUMORS at the HBF at the Fiction Main Stage on July 12, 2014 and one of their book review staff wrote a review of RUMORS which is now posted at qbr.com. The review is fantastic and RUMORS was given 4-stars! Given that almost all of the authors and all of their subject matter, whether their work is fiction, non-fiction, young adult lit., children's lit., or poetry is all focused on Black issues and stories of African-American interest. Because of my strong Afro-American characters, particularly 'Rose' who so many people have mentioned as a character they just loved, RUMORS was recognized in this spectacular way.

My favorite part of the review written by Ellen Stokes-Thomas is the paragraph that says:
"The writing is smart, humorous and at times witty. The author does especially well in moving the story forward through dialogue between her thoroughly-shaped characters. Even when not in conflict, tension is palpable. . . Certainly and entertaining read. . . "
Hot dawg! I am so profoundly moved by that!

Now if I could get just one of my AEPhi Sisters to read and comment on RUMORS, I'll really feel like I achieved something of value! I hope I see some feedback from all y'all and hope to engage in conversation with you about my first novel. Hopefully, in the next few weeks, my first travel guide will be at my publisher so I can start filling in the outline I wrote for RUMORS sequel, "SECRET." And that one, given the response to this one, should be very good as well!
Please let me know if you've read RUMORS and let's talk!
Hugs,
Stephanie "Stevie Beber" Abrams
Epsilon Delta

[Tova]

Stephanie-for those of us who are trying to cut back on paper versions of books is there a place to get a virtual version?

[Stephanie]

Thanks for asking,Tova!
RUMORS is available in e-book format at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and all other online retail book sellers. For those with iPads and the Kindle App they can download it too and I'm told (since I only read print(!)) that it downloads in seconds. I do hope that you and other Phis will read it and hope to engage in chatting about RUMORS as well.
Hugs to one and all!
LML,
Stevie (Stephanie) Beber Abrams

[Stephanie]

Welcome to November! With Hanukkah coming, I hope Phis will consider giving a gift of RUMORS in print or e-book. I neglected, back in August, to mention that there are online book sellers that provide PDF files of RUMORS. If you have trouble finding it, let me know and I'll provide a link.

You might want to read the reviews at Amazon.com cuz they are fairly amazing! Would love to hear from somebody (anybody) in our group that has read it. I know that if you pick it up you wont' be able to put it down and that's based on all of the reviews and emails and reactions I get from people when I do Meet the Author events!
LML,
Stephanie

[Stephanie]

Do you think anybody but me comes to this page ever? It's odd that my comments represent most of the messages on this page. Meantime, happily, readers continue to come back with the most remarkable reviews, ratings and comments at Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com and QBR.com where I am the only non-African-American novelist in the list of reviewed books and received a 4-star rating of RUMORS and a gorgeous review which is logged in the Fiction section of that site, the official site of the Harlem Book Fair. If any of my Sisters have read RUMORS, I hope they'll share their thoughts and questions as I'd love to engage in that conversation. I can promise you that if you put RUMORS on your Hanukkah gift-giving list, the recipient will love you for it and that's based on the incredible reviews from individuals and book reviewers. If any Phis have read it, will you let me know what you thought of it? SECRET is in the works as the next in the series. SECRET: and everybody has one!
Hugs,
S.

[Stephanie]

Any chance, in more than 18 months, one of my sisters has read my novel ,RUMORS? Would love to chat with you about it! Everyone who has posted a review and those I meet at book signings have loved it! Any chance among all the avid Phi readers just somebody has crawled into what has been described as a juicy intrigue and fast paced read? Would love your feedback. . .
And haven't given up in you, Tova, quite yet! Hoping to hear from all y'all

[Stephanie]

What a week! On Thursday, Novebmer 5th, I'll be speaking about Conspiracies, Lies, Loves, Lust and Rumors in a Jewish Community, a fictional Jewish community, when I discuss my novel, RUMORS, at Knesset Israel in Pittsfield, MA. If you happen to be in the area, the program starts at 10:45am and is a function of the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires. I'm just thrilled that they are interested in my novel. (I wish my Sister Phis were! Maybe this will be the gentle nudge to hear from all y'all!

And, today, Bob McNeil, host of the Main Fiction Stage at the Harlem Book Fair for the last 5 years, posted a review about RUMORS today at Goodreads.com! I hope you read his review and that just maybe that gives you the gentle nudge to find the time to make RUMORS your next book to read! The positive reviews are just overwhelming. I just wish I knew what it takes to move my Sister Phis to read it!
Here's the link to the review Bob McNeil posted at Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

If any of you have read it, please feel free to drop me a line to discuss, comment, provide feedback, whatever!
Hugs to all,
LML,
Stephanie