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Authors Announcing Their Work
Helen wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Wave After Wave: A NovelI thought you might be interested to know that my new book, Wave After Wave, has just been released. It is a historical novel based on a lit..."
Thank you. Your books sounds fascinating, I'll check it out too.
Though my novel isn't a story about my family, my grandmother was also born in Vienna and had to flee in 1938
Thank you for this space to share our work. My most recent book is 18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 LanguagesThis book, praised by Dara Horn and Cynthia Ozick (among others) is the first anthology of translated multilingual Jewish fiction in 25 years: a collection of 18 splendid stories, each translated into English from a different language: Albanian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Ladino, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Yiddish. These compelling, humorous, and moving stories, written by eminent authors that include Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Isaac Babel, and Lili Berger, reflect both the diversities and the commonalities within Jewish culture, and will make you laugh, cry, and think. This beautiful book is easily accessible and enjoyable not only for Jewish readers, but for story-lovers of all backgrounds.
Authors (in the order they appear in the book) include: Elie Wiesel, Varda Fiszbein, S. Y. Agnon, Gábor T. Szántó, Jasminka Domaš, Augusto Segre, Lili Berger, Peter Sichrovsky, Maciej Płaza, Entela Kasi, Norman Manea, Luize Valente, Eliya Karmona, Birte Kont, Michel Fais, Irena Dousková, Mario Levi, and Isaac Babel.
In addition to my recently published 18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages, I have a new book coming out in one month, In Sickness and In Health / Yom Kippur in a Gym. These are two novellas in one book, each with its own book cover, and this book - which is now on a Goodreads Giveaway! - has received praise from Faye Kellerman, Nomi Eve, and Gary Barwin.ABOUT Yom Kippur in a Gym – Five strangers at a Yom Kippur service in a gym are struggling with personal crises. Lucy can’t accept her husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. Ira, rejected by his lover, is planning suicide. Rachel worries about losing her job. Ezra is tormented by a mistake that ruined his career. Tom contemplates severing contact with his sisters. Then a medical emergency unexpectedly throws these five strangers together, and in one hour all their lives are changed in ways they would never have believed possible.
ABOUT In Sickness and In Health – Lily had epilepsy as a child, so her most cherished goal has always been to be “normal”. By age 45 she has a “normal” life, including a family, friends, and an artistic career, and no one, not even her husband, knows the truth about her past. But now some cartoons she drew threaten to reveal her childhood secret and destroy her marriage and everything she has worked so hard for. A moving novella about shame, secrets, disabilities, and the limits and power of love.
Nora wrote: "In addition to my recently published 18: Jewish Stories Translated from 18 Languages, I have a new book coming out in one month, [book:In Sickness and In Health / Yom Kippur in a G..."It sounds fascinating! Thank you for posting it.
You're very welcome, Shanah! I hope you enjoy it!
Mod
Nora, as Shauna wrote, It does sound cute.
Hmm.. Yom Kippur in a gym. Thats one way to not break the fast. :)
Ahh, but indeed they do (break the fast)! (No spoiler here!)Thanks, Stacey B., for all your do for this great group.
Nora
I'm thrilled to announce the release of my new novel, Uriel Through Eleanor. Available worldwide. Uriel “Uri” Katz, World War Two veteran, concentration camp liberator, devout atheist, contrarian, cynic and lifelong bachelor, places an ad in a newspaper seeking a “typist” to assist him in writing his memoir and receives only one reply, from a woman, named Eleanor, who negotiates a deal with him that includes room and board.
Within days of her arrival, Eleanor begins inserting herself into Uri’s story. So much so that she eventually becomes one of its main characters. And while Uri is dismayed and, at times, exasperated by this turn of events, he’s also grown accustomed to Eleanor’s company and cooking, and, as such, begrudgingly puts up with the semi-appropriation of his memoir.
Though what remains imperceptible to Uri—until the novel’s final, thrilling pages—is that Eleanor's appearance in his life wasn't coincidental; it was manufactured by her. And that the two have been intricately linked since the day he marched into the concentration camp.
Brian Prousky’s dazzling new book is memoir-writing turned on its head. It’s a story about storytelling itself. About the power of language to shape and misshape history. And about the equal perils of sharing and not sharing deep-held secrets.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CWVN2MYJ/r...
Brian wrote: "I'm thrilled to announce the release of my new novel, Uriel Through Eleanor. Available worldwide. Uriel “Uri” Katz, World War Two veteran, concentration camp liberator, devout atheist, contrarian..."
What an interesting twist, Brian. I have to put it on my to-read list.
Mod
Uriel “Uri” Katz, World War Two veteran, concentration camp liberator, devout athei..."
Congrats to you Brian.
Shanah is right about your interesting twist on this storyline.
Wishing you much success.
Stacey
Stacey B wrote: "Shanah wrote: "Brian wrote: "I'm thrilled to announce the release of my new novel, Uriel Through Eleanor. Available worldwide. Uriel “Uri” Katz, World War Two veteran, concentration camp liberato..."
Thank you so much Stacey
This looks intriguing. I've put it on my "to buy" list and wish you success.
Dvora wrote: "This looks intriguing. I've put it on my "to buy" list and wish you success."Thank you so much Dvora!
Hi everyone. My new book just came out on March 1: "In Sickness and In Health / Yom Kippur in a Gym." These are two novellas in one book, each with its own book cover, and this book has received praise from Faye Kellerman, Nomi Eve, and Gary Barwin.ABOUT Yom Kippur in a Gym – Five strangers at a Yom Kippur service in a gym are struggling with personal crises. Lucy can’t accept her husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. Ira, rejected by his lover, is planning suicide. Rachel worries about losing her job. Ezra is tormented by a mistake that ruined his career. Tom contemplates severing contact with his sisters. Then a medical emergency unexpectedly throws these five strangers together, and in one hour all their lives are changed in ways they would never have believed possible.
ABOUT In Sickness and In Health – Lily had epilepsy as a child, so her most cherished goal has always been to be “normal”. By age 45 she has a “normal” life, including a family, friends, and an artistic career, and no one, not even her husband, knows the truth about her past. But now some cartoons she drew threaten to reveal her childhood secret and destroy her marriage and everything she has worked so hard for. A moving novella about shame, secrets, disabilities, and the limits and power of love.
In Sickness and In Health / Yom Kippur in a Gym
Mod
Hi Nora,
Congrats on your new book.
This is a very interesting storyline. Also sounds like this is a flip book.
Wishing you much success.
Stacey
Stacey B wrote: "Nora wrote: "Hi everyone. My new book just came out on March 1: "In Sickness and In Health / Yom Kippur in a Gym." These are two novellas in one book, each with its own book cover, and this book ha..."Thank you, Stacey B. Yes, it is a flip book - two covers for two novellas! My publisher is very creative.
Mod
No doubt :)
Just stopping by to mention my just-published new novel, It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles. It's not about Judaism per se, but there's some Yiddishkeit in the novel, with supporting characters like the late Al Auster, as well as dj Dennis Elsas. and Leonard Cohen (yes, the Leonard Cohen). Here's the blurb on the novel: It's 1996, and in this alternate history novel about the Beatles, WFUV disc jockey Pete Fornatale walks in the tunnels under Fordham University, then travels downtown to Grand Central Terminal and finds the world of music that he inhabits is very different. As he struggles to understand how to get in and out of alternate realities, and make sure John Lennon is not killed in any of them, Fornatale will actually dine with John Lennon and David Bowie, consult with Leonard Cohen, attend a Beatles concert with Diana Ross in Central Park 1996, and work with a variety of real life characters you may or may not have heard of.
Here's a recent in-depth interview I did about the novel https://bloggerhythms.blogspot.com/20...
And for those of you in the NYC area, I'm doing a Launch Event for the novel -- a reading and signing -- on March 27 at The Players Club in Manhattan from 6-9pm. Admission is FREE, but registration is required, which you can do here https://nysgs.org/event-5627922
Mod
Congratulations, Paul.
Changing the past through fiction! 😍
Mod
...and who knows, maybe the future.
Anyway, what an intriguing idea! Best of luck with It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles
I am so excited to announce that my novel, Stumbling Stones, will be published on May 9th. Stumbling Stones is based on the true story of my husband's Great Aunt Alice, who was born into a prosperous German Jewish family at the turn of the twentieth century. Alice was a woman ahead of her time, pursuing a fashion career and ignoring the growing Nazi threat to Jews. She could not imagine a Germany where simply being Jewish was an existential threat. But when she could no longer look away, she faced the horrifying realization that it might be too late to escape. I will be having a launch of the book on May 12th in D.C. If you live in the DC area, I hope you can join me! Below is a link to the invitation:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-lau...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Mod
Bonnie,
Congrats to you!!!!
Im sure its a great feeling. Wishing you all the best!!
Hello fellow Jewish book enthusiasts! My name is Rinat Klein, from Israel. I just wanted to share news about my 'Black Seagull', recently translated into English and now available on Amazon. Originally published in Hebrew in 2014, it's been a rewarding experience to see this work reach a wider audience.The narrative spans two captivating timelines, moving between the landscapes of Russia and Israel. Set against the background of the historic immigration of Jews from the Soviet Union to Israel, the story introduce the life of three generations of one Russian-Jewish-Israeli family.
If you're on the lookout for something new, consider giving it a read. Hope it catches your interest. Happy reading!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFYN39WC
Mod
Congratulations, Rinat, and thanks for letting us know!
Bonnie wrote: "I am so excited to announce that my novel, Stumbling Stones, will be published on May 9th. Stumbling Stones is based on the true story of my husband's Great Aunt Alice, who was born into a prospero..."Congratulations and best wishes for a great launch.
רינת wrote: "Hello fellow Jewish book enthusiasts! My name is Rinat Klein, from Israel. I just wanted to share news about my 'Black Seagull', recently translated into English and now available on Amazon. Origin..."What an intriguing story. Thanks for telling us and good luck to you!
Dvora wrote: "רינת wrote: "Hello fellow Jewish book enthusiasts! My name is Rinat Klein, from Israel. I just wanted to share news about my 'Black Seagull', recently translated into English and now available on A..."Thank you so much for, hope you'll check it out
Dvora wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "I am so excited to announce that my novel, Stumbling Stones, will be published on May 9th. Stumbling Stones is based on the true story of my husband's Great Aunt Alice, who was born ..."Thank you so much.
My novel The Half-Caste, a finalist in the Best New Voice category of the 2024 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards, is a historical novel set during the 1930s, and one of its two main characters, Saul Maccabee, is Jewish. To give readers a better sense of what it's about, below is a Publishers Weekly review of it (warning, though, there are spoilers in the review because it's intended for librarians). The Arizona Jewish Post in Tucson and The Jewish Press in Omaha are currently writing features about my novel, and over the summer I'll be giving a talk about it at the Tucson Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center.In Zeitler’s debut historical fiction, Vernon Price, a “half-caste” (he’s half Dutch and half Ceylonese) navigates growing fascism in England and imperialism in Ceylon. Living in a vividly evoked 1930s London, Vernon’s a college student working on his thesis but also part of a fascist group known as the “Jackboots.” Or at least he pretends to be—in truth, he’s a spy reporting back to the opposition. He hates this work, but in the course of it he meets his future love, Zoe, a nurse who soon quits the Jackboots, repulsed by their rhetoric. Meanwhile, Vernon’s best friend, Saul Maccabee, begins standing up against fascism in his writing, all as he grieves his late wife. When Vernon is forced to take a sabbatical and return to Ceylon to face the impending death of his father, Saul accompanies him, having no idea how important he’s about to become to Ceylon’s anti-imperialist movement.
Zeitler does a spectacular job of blending compelling true history, with these fictional lives, whose personal experiences stir a deeper, immersive understanding of the era and of what it takes to push back against humanity’s worst. With crisp prose and cultural sensitivity, the novel offers incisive perspective on the anger, fear, connections, and love that drive people to stand up against hateful ideologies.
Zeitler will also leave readers with a rich understanding of Ceylon, better known as Sri Lanka, the island nation colonized by the British. Through the eyes of Vernon’s family, once owners of a large plantation, and through the eyes of Saul, who knows very little about Ceylon but immerses himself in the culture, The Half-Caste conjures Ceylon with such persuasive power, charting the heartbreaking growth of racial prejudice and a movement, joined by the passionate Saul, who takes on his own nation’s colonial project—and will face terror and tragedy. Although the novel ends abruptly, and more could be told, readers will walk away satisfied, buoyed by these characters who risk it all for what’s right.
Takeaway: Heart-rending novel of standing up to fascism in 1930s Britain and Ceylon.
Comparable Titles: Edie Meidav’s The Far Field, Frank Griffin’s October Day.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Congratulations on your new book, Jason! It sounds interesting.
Mod
Congrats Jason.
1930's history is always on my radar.
Wishing you much success.
I grew up as the only child of Holocaust survivors who chose to protect me and themselves by never speaking about it. While I respected that, it left me unable to fully understand them. After they died, there were huge gaps in their history that I could never fill. For example, how did my father escape the fall of France and get to Casablanca in 1940, or how did my uncle cross all of Russia after his release from a Gulag camp in 1941.
In WALK THE EARTH AS BROTHERS, I fill in those gaps, based on years of research. The novel tells of two young Jewish men, who dreamed of doing great things in Warsaw in the summer of 1939, and their struggle to survive as pawns in a titanic world war, of what did it do to them and the effects on their children. It is a story of bravery, random chance, kindness, betrayal, and love, of what happens to the brothers and to their hopes and dreams.
Georgia Hunter, who wrote both the book and screenplay for WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES says "Meticulously researched and fueled by Rozycki’s lavish imagination and smart, seamless prose, WALK THE EARTH AS BROTHERS conjures a convergence of history and humanity for an enthralling, original read - one you won’t soon forget."
It's available now wherever you prefer to get your books/ebooks, e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Earth-as-...
Good for you to find a creative way to keep your father's and your uncle's memory alive. And good luck!
Hi fellow readers,I'm happy to announce that my new novel In That Sleep of Death has been published.
In That Sleep of Death is book 8 in the Adam Lapid Mysteries series. It is a historical mystery set in Israel in 1952. It features private detective Adam Lapid as he investigates the mysterious murder of a Holocaust survivor who sleepwalks the streets of Tel Aviv at night.
Mel wrote: "Mazal Tov Jonathan. Eight books--wow!"Nine, actually. But eight in the Adam Lapid series.
Jonathan wrote: "Hi fellow readers,I'm happy to announce that my new novel In That Sleep of Death has been published.
In That Sleep of Death is book 8 in the Adam Lapid Mysteries series. It is a..."
I will order it - and look forward to the 8th in the series.
When I was 52, I moved from the San Francisco Bay Area to Barcelona. I no longer live in Barcelona, but more than 20 years later, I am still living in Catalonia. There may be some Jews here and there, but I don’t think there is a single other Jewish person in the town where I live, and I know of only one other American here.So here I am, a Jewish girl in a Catholic country with no other Jew in sight. When I said something about it to my friend Ami years ago, he told he what do I want? They kicked the Jews out in 1492. What made you feel you needed to go back?
In spite of it all, I have made it my business to learn about my new home as much as I could during all these years. I’ve learned Catalan, I’ve learned to dance the sardana, and I’ve learned about Catalan culture and history.
My favorite Catalan holiday is Sant Jordi (Saint George). Jordi is Catalonia's patron saint and the holiday is known as the Day of the Book and the Rose. Sant Jordi is coming up, this coming Tuesday, on 23 April.
George is the one who slew the dragon and saved the princess. He’s a very popular saint, the patron not only of Catalonia, but also of England, Malta, Portugal, Romania, and the boy scouts. When George slew the dragon, a red rose grew where the dragon’s blood fell. Thus the tradition has been that a man will give a red rose to a woman.
Books were added to the holiday later when in the early 1900s, a Barcelona bookseller noticed that both Cervantes and Shakespeare died on the same day -- 23 April and figured that could be good for business. So now, the tradition is that a man gives a rose to a woman, and a woman gives a book to a man.
The holiday is celebrated in pretty much every Catalan city, town, and village. Tables are set up with book and flower stalls, usually manned by bookshops and florists, but also publishers, non-profit organizations, and political parties participate. A few years ago, the holiday was adopted by UNESCO as the International Day of the Book.
A couple of years ago I wrote a book about coming to live in Catalonia. The book is called No Regrets: A Life in Catalonia (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...), and in it I talk about the surprises and adventures I’ve had, as well as Catalan culture, some history, and some politics. In the town where I live now, I will be sitting at a table, for the first time, at Sant Jordi, with my book. I am very excited about taking part in the holiday, sitting at the other side of the table, instead of just being a visitor.
Mod
Your story is fascinating, Dvora, and good luck with your book and the book talk. You are reminding us that wherever you are there's so much to learn.
Hello, Book Club Members,I am happy to announce the re-release of my novel, Father, Son, Stone, as an audio book. A historical mystery that takes place in Israel, my story of peace and reconciliation is as relevant today as when it was originally published in 2014.
Father, Son, Stone blends history and mystery to reveal the secret of the most controversial religious site in Jerusalem — known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. When the Western Wall collapses from excavations to enlarge al-Aqsa Mosque, Justice Meir Bar- Aben of the Supreme Court of Israel presides over a secret hearing, initiated by the Israeli Prime Minister, to take back control of the Temple Mount from the Muslim Authority. What is revealed during the hearing changes Jerusalem, and the people who live there, forever.
I created the audio book using Amazon’s “Virtual Voice” program, which allows independent authors to use AI-generated narration to create an audio book from the Kindle versions of their books. It was challenging for me in the editing process to interact with the program so that it would properly pronounce Hebrew names and words. You can listen to a five-minute sample on the Amazon page for the audio book.
Allan H. Goodman
Father, Son, Stone by Allan H. Goodman
Link to the audio book on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Father...
Mod
I am happy to announce the re-release of my novel, Father, Son, Stone, as an audio book. A historical mystery that takes place in Israel, my story of peace and reconcilia..."
Hi, Allan,
Congratulations on interacting with Amazon and accomplishing your audiobook. That must have been hard. You piqued my curiosity, so I listened. Thought the audio was pretty good, not to mention better than some human narrators I've listened to. Also you've taken on one of the most loaded of topics so kudos for aiming to find reconciliation.
Per the dates, the fictional collapse of the wall was still in the future when you 1st released the book, so I was wondering if that stirred up any consternation back then, if you care to comment.
Hoping you're having a happy Passover,
Jan
Allan wrote: "Hello, Book Club Members,I am happy to announce the re-release of my novel, Father, Son, Stone, as an audio book. A historical mystery that takes place in Israel, my story of peace and reconcilia..."
Thanks, Jan. The Amazon process was interesting but not difficult. I first converted my two, shorter non-fiction titles to audio, and learned the mechanics of the process. You have to listen to the entire text in order to assure proper pronunciation and adjust words that are not properly pronounced. Hebrew was challenging. To adjust pronunciation, you click on the word and spell it phonetically until it sounds right. For example, Kibbutz=kbutz; Knesset=Kanessett. You can also speed up a word, for example Yochanan (which I also had to spell phonetically) was pronounced too slow so I speeded it up 1.5 times so it flowed properly.
Yes, when I published the book in 2014 the day the Kotel collapsed in my novel was in the future. As the date of the collapse came closer, I kept thinking of the 1979 movie "The China Syndrome" with Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas, about the meltdown of a nuclear reactor. The movie was released 12 days before the actual disaster/meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.
Does fiction foreshadow reality? I woke up on the date the Kotel would collapse in my novel, thinking that if it did collapse then or soon thereafter I would have written predictive fiction! As my scenario is based on fact - actual excavations under al-Aqsa mosque with a resulting bulge in the Kotel, it might yet occur.
Since publishing the novel, the Temple Mount has continued to be controversial, with the movement to rebuild the Temple, a fringe movement in 2014, becoming much more mainstream today, even advocated by some members of the Knesset. Hamas used the defense of al-Aqsa as one of the justifications for Oct 7, calling its attack/massacre "al-Aqsa flood."
As readers of Father, Son, Stone can see, my hope is for peace, with the ultimate resolution not depending on who controls the Temple Mount.
Pesach sameach to everyone.
Allan
Mod
Pesach sameach to everyone.
Allan."
Thanks, Allen.
Waking up on the date your fictional catastrophe happened must have been surrealistic!
Of course, I haven't read it, but was making me think of The Yiddish Policemen's Union--although that one did not have a peaceful resolution and I guess became too hot to handle as far as a film was concerned. Also it was somewhat dated after the Bush II administration ended.
I still have to congratulate you on your work to get the audio out. May not have been hard but must have required much persistence and meticulous effort.
Chag sameach to you, too.
Jewish Book Club
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Looks like three of our members have been very busy writing books.
Congrats to Leah, Helen, and Sarah. (see above)
Wishing all of you much success!!!