Indie Weekend is my effort to help Independent authors with marketing, which is a huge task. If I can help even a little, I’m happy to do so. You can help too by sharing this with everyone you know on social media. Below please see a book description, book review, author bio, and purchase links for From Meidelach to Matriarchs by Mirta Ines Trupp.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
BOOK REVIEW
This helpful journal provides interesting biographies of 100 remarkable Jewish women, and then gives the reader a chance to reflect, answer questions, and write their own thoughts in journal format at the end of each chapter. It is an informative and helpful resource. The journal questions appear to be structured primarily for those of the Jewish faith, but anyone can benefit from reading about these strong and accomplished women. Some of the inspiring biographies included are those of Author Edna Ferber, Journalist Anita Brenner, Artist Anna Ticho, Figure Skater Lily Kronberger, and 96 other women who contributed in the areas of education, business, philanthropy, politics, and more.
This inspiring book introduces the reader to women they might not have known about before. It is also a place to write down personal thoughts and ideas. This book is recommended to anyone of Jewish faith or anyone who wants to read some interesting histories that they may not have discovered before.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mirta is a second-generation Argentine; she was born in Buenos Aires in 1962 and immigrated to the United States that same year. Because of the unique fringe benefits provided by her father’s employer- Pan American Airlines- she returned to her native country frequently- growing up with “un pie acá y un pie allá” (with one foot here and one foot there).
Mirta’s fascination with Jewish history and genealogy, coupled with an obsession for historical period drama, has inspired her to create unique and enlightening novels. She has been a guest speaker for book clubs, sisterhood events, genealogy societies and philanthropic organizations. Sharing her knowledge of Jewish Argentina has become her passion.
Besides being an avid novel reader, she has had a lifelong love for choral music and is a devoted Beatles fan.
*Click on the cover below to purchase/view this book on Amazon.
BEFORE YOU GO…
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This is a comprehensive work that ranks the top 250 musical artists of the past 100 years, across all genres. The author explains in the Introduction how he used the following categories to try and make a fair list:
Popularity, including records sold, concert attendance, and longevity.
Impact, including musical influence and cultural influence.
Honors and Awards, including Halls of Fame, National Medals, and important awards such as Grammys.
Using these categories he created an algorithm of sorts to try and keep out his personal bias.
The main body of the book lists the artists from numbers 250 to 1. There is a profile of each artist which includes the year they began recording, their peak years of popularity, a short biography, and suggested songs for each artist.
I was really impressed by the amount of work that has gone into this. Not only has the author provided a biography and significant details about each artist, but he has gone the extra step of suggesting songs for each one. I was not familiar with some of the artists, so I immediately began listening to some of their suggested songs while I was reading, and this really added to my understanding and appreciation of their work. And now I can’t stop listening to Smokestack Lightning by Howlin’ Wolf.
Some of the rankings will surprise you. There are some artists left off that shocked me, and some not ranked as high as I thought they would be, but this was an enjoyable and informative read. The author himself acknowledges that this list will change in five years, as newer artists gain more popularity, impact, awards, and honors.
If you love music and music history, you will enjoy this look at some of the best. I suggest reading it while listening to the music of some of the great artists portrayed here.
My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no half-star option.
I received a free copy of the e-book, but my review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amateur musician, teacher, and historian, Steve Williams has been playing his guitar and singing for decades—on street corners, in sundry bar gigs, even in church, while making his living as a longtime, award-winning classroom schoolteacher across seven different states. Drawing on his lifetime love of music and history, this is Steve’s first published book. He and his wife make their home in Maui.
Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie authors with marketing. It’s a daunting task, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do it. You can help too by sharing this post far and wide with all your social media followers. Below is my review of Land of the Blue Mist, which I originally reviewed for The Historial Novel Society. The author, Susan Mallgrave, also graciously agreed to be interviewed, so please be sure and check out the Q&A below.
BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)
In the tradition of Jean Auel, Charles Frazier, and Tony Hillerman comes a work of historical fiction… Land of the Blue Mist: A Novel of Courage, Love, and Survival.
The Principal People, known as the Cherokee by others, have lived for millennia in the place they call the Land of the Blue Mist. Much of their ancestral land has been taken, over decades. But still more land is demanded.
Aster Sweetwater comes of age in this time of fierce pressure on her tribe in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Sent to boarding school to learn so-called civilized ways, she returns home to help her people fight forced removal from their mountains and valleys. But Aster returns home not knowing where she belongs. Who are her people? Should she remain in the Land of the Blue Mist or leave the only home she’s ever known, to search for her missing father?
After gold is discovered in Georgia in 1828 and the Indian Removal Act is passed two years later, the crisis intensifies, ending with U.S. troops invading Aster’s village.
Not all the Cherokee will travel the deadly Trail of Tears to the West. Having escaped capture, but with her family torn apart and her life shattered, Aster must find a way for a remnant of her people to survive in the Land of the Blue Mist.
BOOK REVIEW
The Land of the Blue Mist, or The Blue Ridge Mountains, is the home of The Principal People, also known as the Cherokee. In the 1820s, Aster is sent by her white father to a boarding school to learn the ways of his people. His intent is for her to then teach the Cherokee how to survive in a white man’s world, because he is going far away to avenge the death of his brother in another land. But then gold is discovered, and greedy politicians are determined to remove the Cherokee from their homeland and send them far out west. As Aster fights to find her place in a divided world, she is determined to save her people from removal.
This is a well-woven book about the events leading up to the Trail of Tears, the impact on the Cherokee at that time, and the fact that some Cherokee did escape from it. As we go with 9-year-old Aster to boarding school, we also watch political events unfolding in the U.S. that will lead to the horrors of removal. The author does a good job of building Aster’s world while also showing the government’s intrusion and her determination to stop it. Real-life events and people are woven in, such as John Ross, Principal Chief, who fought unsuccessfully against the removal. And it’s a fictionalized story of the small group of real Cherokee who fought back, hid, negotiated and were able to remain. Full of action, intrigue, politics, romance, and danger, this book is not to be missed. Fans of Native American History and the history of The Blue Ridge Mountains will enjoy this book.
AUTHOR BIO
Susan Mallgrave’s first novel, a work of historical fiction, is set in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains near her current residence and the surviving bent trees of which she writes. She is currently working on a sequel to Land of the Blue Mist. She also writes poetry, short stories, and creative nonfiction. When not writing, she can be found playing tennis, hiking, traveling, and handcrafting, especially knitting socks for family and friends.
Q&A WITH SUSAN MALLGRAVE
Bonnie: Susan, first of all, thanks for agreeing to answer my questions today.
Susan: Bonnie, it’s my great pleasure! Thank you so very much for reading my book and reviewing it. It’s a lot to ask of another person, a commitment of your precious time and I appreciate it.
Bonnie: Let’s go beyond the bio. Tell us something about yourself that we wouldn’t know from reading your bio.
Susan: I’ve always loved books of all sorts–adventure tales as a child (and now!), classics, mysteries, historical novels, and non-fiction. I’m probably not so different from your readers. I wasn’t one of those folks who always wrote stories though—I envy them! I recently went through journals I had kept intermittently. What I discovered was I had been talking about writing, thinking about writing, and writing about writing for years! I was circling. If I didn’t try, I wouldn’t fail. That sort of thing. I knew, intellectually, that you can only write if you write. But I didn’t believe it. I didn’t think I knew a thing about it. And maybe I didn’t: which is why I would need to write—to learn. Silly sometimes, aren’t we?
With too much time in between them, I wrote a dozen or so poems and a half-dozen short stories. Covid down-sized and then eliminated my remote job (in Communications) and as I lamented having to find another, my husband Harry said, “You keep saying you’d like to write a novel–maybe it’s time to get serious about that?” Well, yay! (He’s my biggest supporter. At one point during my struggle with the first draft, the only reason I kept writing the novel was because I didn’t have the heart to tell him I wanted out.
You can learn the craft of writing, but I believe much of the art of writing comes osmotically, in a way. The language carried me while I learned how to structure a novel-length work. The impetus to write and the words for writing came from my having been in love with books forever. Sacred objects. It’s always been a parallel world, my journey with books.
Bonnie: Your book, Land of the Blue Mist, is set during the time of the Indian Removal Act. What inspired you to write about that terrible time?
Susan: We moved to upstate South Carolina five years ago and I joined a writers’ group. I wrote some short stories to share with the group. Land of the Blue Mist started as one. But the story kept growing and the characters became real and compelling to me, especially after I began researching. I was—and am—in awe of the 19th century accomplishments of the Aniyunwiya—the people that others call Cherokee. I had no idea prior to my research, for instance, that by 1820 they had a system of government modeled on that of the United States. Also, at one point, the Cherokee were the most literate people in the country, due to a Cherokee warrior and silversmith named Sequoyah. He invented a syllabary—a written set of symbols based on the sounds of their spoken language, and it was a brilliant success. The tribe also published a newspaper from 1828-1834, named the Cherokee Phoenix—later renamed the Cherokee Phoenix and Indians’ Advocate. Each article was written in Tsalagi (the Cherokee language) and English, side-by-side. The paper has been revived and is now published in Oklahoma, by the way.
The people and their leaders went to great lengths to assimilate within the larger culture so that they could remain in the Land of the Blue Mist, which is what they called the Blue Ridge Mountains that they had lived in for millennia. I also admire their love of and respect for nature and the environment. They are an admirable people.
I also wanted to give an alternative end to the horrendous journey to the West, during which so many died, later called The Trail of Tears.
Bonnie: Tell us about your research process for this book.
Susan: I read James Mooney’s books, Myths of the Cherokee and The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee. Mooney was an early ethnographer, working under the auspice of the Smithsonian Institute, who lived with Cherokee clans in the late nineteenth century for several years. He wanted to chronicle as much as possible about the culture before all memory of it was gone.
I also learned from John Ehle, who wrote The Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation. As the title indicates, it included not just the expulsion, but other time periods as well, leading up to that ignominious ouster. I read biographies of Chief John Ross and Major Ridge, both of whom appear in the novel. I visited the Cherokee Museum in Walhalla, SC, gleaned from Native American websites, and plowed through some Eastern Cherokee census rolls. I read some scholarly articles and some editions of the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper. I read books on Cherokee herbology and gold panning. I researched for four months before writing, and then dipped in and out while writing the book.
Bonnie: Your main character, Aster, appears to be in Georgia during this book. Your biography says you live near the surviving bent trees, which were Native American trail markers. Where are the bent trees located?
Susan: The Cherokee had networks of trails for hunting and trading, as well as for “warpaths,” when engaged with enemies. These ran east to west and north to south. There was a warrior trail that connected Georgia to Pennsylvania and New York. A major trail from Charleston, SC was used to bring goods back from the coast to the northwestern corner of the state, where I live now. Because of these extensive trails, they needed guideposts. It’s speculated that’s the reason they created bent trees, starting with saplings, as “way signs.” A group called Mountain Stewards has mapped several thousand reputed marker trees in 44 states! Most of them, though, appear to be clustered where Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina meet.
Bonnie: Aster is a fictional character, but is she based on anyone in real life?
Susan: No. Well, maybe a composite. She was the trickiest for me to write, but I’m not sure why, exactly. Going Snake—Aster’s grandfather, her adopted brother Little Fox and Jayce, “the cowboy” more or less walked up to me and said “Howdy!”
Bonnie: One interesting aspect of all of this is that Aster’s father is a white man who goes back to England to avenge the death of his brother. Without giving away spoilers, it seems that there is a whole other world to possibly explore in another book. Is that something you have considered?
Susan: I thought the same thing! Great minds…I ultimately took a different direction. But I do like Timothy and may visit his life in the Lakes District of England at some point. I also may write a prequel to Blue Mist, so that I can explore Going Snake’s formative years—much happened in the Cherokee nation during his lifetime!
Bonnie: You are currently writing a sequel to Land of the Blue Mist. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Susan: The sequel takes place eighty years later, in the small, Southern Appalachian village that Aster and the others settled. The protagonist is Aster’s great-grandson, who returns to South Carolina in 1920 from the world’s war, suffering from shell shock. He finds many changes have taken place in his town while he was gone. Of course there’s a cast of other characters as well, including a young woman suffragist who yearns to leave the small town where they all live and to have a career in big city journalism. The new novel also contains entries from Aster’s 19th-century journal, so that readers discover what happened to the original group after they settled in the shadow of the Blue Wall. This is the Cherokee name for the Blue Ridge Escarpment, the sheer rock-face end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Bonnie: Land of the Blue Mist is your first Independently published novel. How was the experience of publishing your first book and what did you learn along the way?
Susan: I used Amazon Kindle, which was a learning curve for me, but when all is said and done, it’s quite doable, in terms of formatting and uploading and there’s plenty of guidance online. I also learned I should have done publicity ahead of time and still need much improvement on promotion and marketing efforts. It’s a bit overwhelming, but other writers are helping me—shout outs to you, Bonnie, and Gail Meath!
Bonnie: It was nice to meet you, Susan, and thanks for answering my questions today! Please come back when you publish the sequel.
Susan: I’ll be happy to come back—thanks for the invitation!
BUY LINK
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BEFORE YOU GO….
*If you read the book, please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
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Indie Weekend is my effort to help Indie Authors with marketing. Marketing is probably the biggest task authors have, and if I can help even a little, I’m happy to do it. You can help too by sharing this far and wide with your social media followers. Indie authors will appreciate that SO MUCH. Below please see my review of DREAMLAND by Patricia Furstenberg and take a historical and literary tour of Romania.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Discover the untold tales that shaped history and folklore in DREAMLAND through well-crafted 100-word stories: “A Captivating Read, Delightful and Fascinating”, “A Magical Tour Through Romania’s History and Folklore.”
Dreamland reveals the epic narratives and whimsical photography behind the legends we thought we knew, inviting you to dive deeper into a world where history meets myth.
BOOK REVIEW
DREAMLAND is an amazing collection of 100-word stories filled with the folklore and history of Romania. I learned so much from the history presented in this book. The 100-word stories are all excellent and pack a punch. It is not easy to convey a whole plot in 100 words, but the author does it well. The historical facts shared after each story are so well researched, and the author is definitely an expert in Romanian history.
I was fascinated by all the stories, but my favorites were “Elusive Decebalus and the Strei Treasure” and “Full Moon, Magic, and Wolves.” The best way to learn is to be entertained, and Furstenberg is a master at this, providing readers with magical stories while also imparting her great knowledge of Romania.
Dreamland is book two in the ROMANIA IN 100-WORD STORIES series. My review of Book 1, TRANSYLVANIA’S HISTORY A TO Z, is here.
I downloaded this book via Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amazon Bestseller and Award Winning writer Patricia Furstenberg is the author of JOYFUL TROUBLE, SILENT HEROES: When Love and Values Are Worth Fighting for (chosen One in Five Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime), and new releases DREAMLAND and TRANSYLVANIA’S HISTORY A to Z. With a medical degree behind her, Patricia writes about unconditional love and war, while her keen interest for history and dogs brought her writing, through a perfect loop, to her native Romania, Patricia being the creator of #Im4Ro hashtag, sharing positive stories.
Her latest books, “Dreamland” and “Transylvania’s History A to Z” are “a wonderful combination of stories, photos, history, and legends.”
When she’s not writing, Patricia enjoys reading, researching forthcoming books, and traveling with her family. She never counts how many cups of coffee she enjoys in a day.
Patricia lives happily with her husband, children, and dogs in sunny South Africa.
*If you read the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of assistance from all of us will help Indie authors go a long way!
Her trailblazer of a distant cousin forged a solitary, singular path during and after WWII. Unassuming and somewhat clueless, Christine eventually finds she has to do pretty much the same. A teen fully expecting her Midwestern life would be drab and ho-hum, she meets in Germany an elderly man who offered her a ride – and insight into a legacy she was going to rely on throughout her entire life.
Marrying the wrong guy, divorced, isolated, and responsible for four chronically ill children, she charged forward, brooking no fools to get her children the healthcare and education they richly deserved, even if that meant blackmailing the governor of Iowa. She took on the powers that be while always striving for the career she pined for.
Throughout all the decades of financial and personal setbacks and the chaos that swirled around her, Christine’s legacy constantly beckoned her: to be worthy of that distant cousin, WWII’s most decorated courier, and of a timeless love story she witnessed.
Christine’s life journey, including her 12 years in Poland (her other homeland), is a stirring testament to determination, imagination, and the power of perseverance.
BOOK REVIEW
This is the amazing memoir of journalist Christine Skarbek. It is written in such an engaging way that I was immediately invested and glued to the page. We follow Christine through her tough childhood, marriage struggles, divorce, and single motherhood, but her story is also full of travel, international adventures, and battles with government agencies. I think her fight for her kids and their health, physical and mental, stuck with me the most. She is a Warrior Mom at heart, and as a Mom and Grandmother, I can definitely relate to that. Intertwined with her memoir is the amazing story of the life of Christine’s namesake and distant relative, Krystyna Skarbek, also known as Christine Granville, an intelligence agent and courier during WWII. The way their two lives touched each other through inspiration and even a common acquaintance is really unusual, especially since Krystyna Skarbek died in 1952.
Another thing that stood out in this book is the travel. Although sometimes almost in poverty, Christine found a way to have life-changing adventures, even if they were local and inexpensive. But make no mistake, Christine traveled the world, and it’s all chronicled here for us to enjoy.
The author does share some of her personal politics, and that is not something that I review. However, I knew about it ahead of time, and it does not take over the book at all. This is a book about a woman who struggled, fought, traveled, and triumphed, and the history of another woman who inspired her. They were both named Christine.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Self-Published Saturday is my effort to help Self-Published and Indie authors promote their books. Today I’m reviewing Amanda in France: Fire in the Cathedral by Darlene Foster. This is an indie book published by Central Avenue Publishing, an independent publisher. Darlene also agreed to do a Q&A, and her delightful answers are below.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Amanda explores the exciting streets of Paris, the fabulous Palace of Versailles and the gardens of the painter Claude Monet, while being drawn into the mystery surrounding the destructive fire at Notre Dame cathedral.
Amanda is in love! With Paris – the city of love. She’s in awe of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and Notre Dame Cathedral. While there, she gets to work as a volunteer and stay in a famous book store, along with her bestie, Leah, and Leah’s eccentric Aunt Jenny. A dream come true for a book lover like Amanda.
Except, while she’s at the Paris Opera House there is a bomb threat. Then the lights go out during their visit to the Louvre. Worst of all, a devastating fire blazes in Notre Dame. Why does a mysterious man, who claims to be a busker, writer and artist, show up every time something bad happens?
Join Amanda as she explores the exciting streets of Paris, the fabulous Palace of Versailles, and the gardens of the painter Claude Monet, all the time looking for clues as to who would want to destroy such a beautiful, historic cathedral.
Join Amanda as she explores the exciting streets and sites around Paris, all the while looking for clues as to who would want to destroy such a beautiful, historic place.
BOOK REVIEW
This is another exciting travel adventure/mystery in the Amanda Travels series. It can be read as a standalone. This time, Amanda travels to one of my favorite countries to visit–France! As always, we are transported to this country and we experience it through Amanda’s eyes. With Amanda, we gaze at the city of Paris from the Eiffel Tower and stay in the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore. We visit The Palace of Versailles. And we watch with devastation as Notre Dame Cathedral begins to burn.
This book takes on tough topics as Amanda searches for clues as to what caused the fire at Notre Dame, and explores these topics with wisdom and tact. There are so many interesting facts about each place in France that Amanda visits, and they are presented in an engaging way that will fascinate readers, young and old alike. The mystery is compelling and engaging. Amanda is easy to connect with. Kids will see her as a friend. Adults will view her as a child, grandchild, or niece, and the bookish of all ages will recognize Amanda as a member of their community.
The descriptions of the famous sites of France paint vivid word pictures. This scene where Amanda approaches the Palace of Versailles entrance definitely transports you there…”In front stood a majestic statue of the Sun King, Louis XIV, on a horse. The huge entrance gate, covered in gold and topped with a golden crown on top of a large smiling sun, opened into an immense cobblestone courtyard. “I can see why they called him the Sun King,” remarked Amanda as she looked up at the grey slate roof covered in gold filigree and more smiling gold suns. Even the balconies and window frames were trimmed in gold.” This book is filled with more “gold” in the form of interesting nuggets of French history throughout.
There is a set of discussion questions at the end of this book which will start great conversations between kids and adults and encourage reading comprehension. Readers of all ages who long to travel to France should take a trip with Amanda. It’s an enjoyable, fact-filled excursion, with a mystery to boot.
I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Growing up on a ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamed of writing, traveling the world, and meeting interesting people. She also believed in making her dreams come true. It’s no surprise she’s now the award-winning author of Amanda Travels, a children’s adventure series featuring a spunky twelve-year-old who loves to travel to unique places. Readers from seven to seventy plus enjoy traveling with Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another. A world traveller herself, Darlene spends her time in Vancouver, Canada and the Costa Blanca, Spain with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot.
See my Q&A with Darlene Foster below. Thanks again, Darlene!
Bonnie: Let’s go beyond the bio. Tell us something about yourself that might not be in your bio.
Darlene: It’s no secret that I love to travel. But did you know I’ve traveled by car, truck, airplane, helicopter, kayak, boat, cruise ship, camel, hot air balloon and motorcycle? Even though I was brought up on a farm which later became a ranch, I never enjoyed horseback riding and never learned how to milk a cow.
Bonnie: Your Amanda Travels series follows young Amanda as she visits different countries and solves mysteries while she is there. In Book 9, Amanda goes to France. How do you choose which country Amanda will go to next?
Darlene: I usually choose someplace that I’ve visited and enjoyed. My husband, my dog Dot, and I were invited to visit friends who live on the outskirts of Paris four years ago. While there I kept thinking, that Amanda would love it here. Ideas were starting to form for a story. My friend took me to places she thought would work well in a story. Of course, I was at that time in the middle of writing a book so I took notes and pictures and parked the idea for a couple of years. I’m usually working on one story when another idea pops up. So many ideas, so little time.
Bonnie: What was your inspiration for starting the Amanda series?
Darlene: I visited a friend in the United Arab Emirates and was completely blown away. When I came home I felt the need to write about my amazing experience. I started to write a story, but it was boring. I recalled my friend saying I was as excited as a twelve-year-old while I was there. So I began writing a story based in the UAE from the point of view of a twelve-year-old. Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask was born and the rest, as they say, is history.
Bonnie: How do you research each book? Do you physically travel to each place you write about?
Darlene: Amanda doesn’t get to go anywhere I haven’t been. I am always doing research while visiting an interesting location, taking notes and many pictures. For the past ten years, all my vacations have been working holidays. (Writers seldom take time off to be honest, we are always thinking about our next project.) Hubby is used to it. Later, once I start writing the story, I do more research via the internet and talking to people. For instance for my book, Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action, I contacted a cousin whose father was born in Holland and was a young boy during WWII. She provided some useful information. Blogs and YouTube videos are great resources as well.
Bonnie: Amanda stays at the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore, an English language bookstore in Paris, which sounds absolutely fascinating. Visitors who stay there actually work in the bookshop as payment. Did you visit the bookstore, and what were your impressions? Would you stay there and work in the bookstore if you had the chance?
Darlene: Visiting Shakespeare and Company was high on my must-see list. It’s an amazing store with wonderful staff (and a bookstore cat). I bought a copy of Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises while there. I learned about the Tumbleweed program and thought it would be so much fun to do at some time. I’m not sure if I will get a chance to do this, but at least Amanda got to experience it.
Bonnie: Amanda talks about terrorism. Was it difficult to tackle such a tough subject in a kid’s book?
Darlene: It was, and I hesitated to include it at first. But I listened to interviews with other authors like Lawrence Hill, author of Beatrice and Croc Harry, who said that as authors, we should not shy away from including serious and difficult topics when writing children’s stories as they can handle them. Eric Walters, a prolific middle-grade author who tackles tough topics in his books, mentioned that it’s okay for kids to feel sad or bad when reading a story but there needs to be a certain sense of hope. It’s important for tweens to be aware of tough issues in order to develop understanding and empathy.
Bonnie: Notre Dame was my absolute favorite place to visit when I spent a weekend in Paris, many years before the fire. What was your favorite place to visit in Paris?
Darlene: That’s hard to say because I loved everything, but I was very impressed with the Musée d’Orsay. The building itself, an old railway station, and the collection of art were amazing. Seeing the originals of paintings I have loved all my life was incredible.
Bonnie: Amanda was in the U.S. in one of the books in this series when she traveled to New Mexico. Will she have anymore adventures in the U.S.?
Darlene: Of all the states I have visited, New Mexico is my favorite. But there are many other amazing places in the US, so there is always a chance she will visit other states. Alaska would be a great location for an adventure, don’t you think? Each state has its own unique personality, geography and history. The possibilities are endless.
Bonnie: Of all the places Amanda has been, which is your favorite?
Darlene: That is so hard to say. It’s almost like asking which is your favorite child? I must say the United Arab Emirates was probably the most unique and fascinating place I have ever been to. It was so completely different from anywhere else. And because of my visit there, I have a series of nine books written and published!
Bonnie: As an Indie author published by a small, independent publishing company, you have to do a lot of your own marketing. Can you share any marketing tips with Self-published/Indie authors?
Darlene: Connecting with readers is key. If people don’t know about your book, they won’t buy it. People talk about their work all the time, so why are authors uncomfortable talking about their books?
Having a social media presence is very important. I know it’s time-consuming and eats into your writing time, but it is worth it. Of all the social media sites, my blog has been the best way of getting the word out. The blogging community is so supportive and happy to share each others’ writing news. It is almost like the old-fashioned party line or phone trees. You tell one person and they tell two, who tell four etc. etc. It works. Writing articles for magazines and newspapers as well as guest blog posts is also a good way to market your books. Talking about your books in person is still the best if at all possible.
Organizing readings and talks at schools, libraries, book stores and other locations is fun as well. It’s amazing the people you meet. I’ve even sold books on airplanes to the person sitting next to me! Yes, always carry a couple of books with you!
Bonnie: Thanks so much, Darlene, for your great answers and for agreeing to this interview.
Darlene: Thank you for having me and Amanda as guests on your wonderful blog. You are amazing at supporting Indie authors!
*If you buy the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!
Self-Published Saturday is my effort to help self-published/indie authors with the daunting task of marketing. If I can help even a little bit, I’m happy to do it, and I encourage others to do the same. Below is a humorous and informative book by Bret Thoman, who relates his travels to and eventual life in Italy.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Travel deep into Italy with Bret Thoman as he narrates his lifelong journey from America’s Southland to the South of Italy. Initially drawn to Florence out of curiosity to discover his ancestral roots and study the language, he feels a lure to the South. There, in the slower half, dialects are spoken, America is still revered, and long, lazy lunches are the high point of the day. In his travels, he meets the woman he marries.
The culture of Southern Italy comes to life as experienced through Bret’s in-laws, Whether his mother-in-law is teaching him the secrets of Italian cooking or how to avoid getting sick by closing windows and turning off the air conditioning, his relationship with them wavers from “exasperating to enlightening.”
In the third section, Bret recounts the joys and vexations of living in Italy. While mundane events like getting a driver’s license, paying taxes, or going to a soccer stadium can be maddening, he is ultimately transformed by the Dolce Vita, the Sweet Life. He has become Italian.
If you are curious about your own Italian roots, if Italy is your favorite destination, or if you enjoy wacky travel stories colored by the Italian spirit, you won’t want to miss this one. With an eye for the zany, awkward, and just plain ludicrous, this book will not disappoint.
BOOK REVIEW
Now this is the way to educate others about a country they might not have had the pleasure of visiting! This book is filled with colorful stories, anecdotes, and travel experiences from Bret Thoman, who grew up in the Southern U.S. but ended up living in the South of Italy. With takes from historical to humorous, Bret relates his life and travel experiences in a fun and engaging way. It will make you want to visit Italy even more. I really enjoyed his description of Southern Italy and the vast differences between the Italian South and the North. I was intrigued by his description of the slower way of life there, and I’m all on board with the three-hour lunch! His journey from majoring in Italian in college to becoming a part of the Southern Italian culture is a delightful and informative read.
I downloaded this book on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bret Thoman
Bret has a master’s degree in Italian from Middlebury College, a BA from the University of Georgia, and a certificate in Franciscan Studies. He is an FAA-licensed pilot and flew professionally for six years logging over 3,500 hours of flight time. After he left flying, he started organizing and accompanying tours and pilgrimages to Italy for the company he founded in 2004.
Bret began writing initially to provide material for participants on his tours. That turned into a hobby, and then an avocation. To date, he has written six books and numerous articles and has translated over a dozen from Italian to English.
He lives in Loreto, Italy with his wife and three children.
**Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this for free. And it’s only $1.99 to buy the ebook.
*If you buy the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!
Self-Published Saturday is my effort to help Indie and Self-Published authors with one of the most difficult tasks they have to do–marketing. Indie authors have to do it all, from cover design to editing, marketing, and more. If I can help even a little bit with the marketing, I’m happy to do it. This week’s feature is the wonderful Leora’s Dexter Stories: The Scarcity Years of the Great Depression. the second in the Leora Series. This is the story of an American family struggling through the depression in rural Iowa.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The undertow of the Great Depression becomes poignantly personal as we experience the travails of Leora and Clabe Wilson, a displaced Iowa farm family. Gritty determination fuels this family’s journey of loss and hope, a reflection of what many American families endured during those challenging times.
In this true story the Wilsons slowly slide into unemployment and poverty. Leora must find ways to keep her dreams alive while making a haven for her flock of seven children in one run-down house after another.
BOOK REVIEW
This is a wonderful true story of a family of tenant farmers struggling to survive during the depression years in Iowa. Spanning from about 1927 to 1942, we follow the family as they move from farm to farm, working hard to make ends meet and put food on the table. At the same time, we learn the history of a country as it falls into the Great Depression and then tries to rise out of it. We watch the Wilson family suffer hunger, sickness, and heartbreaking loss in a time of great hardship. We watch them go from farming to odd jobs to unemployment, working hard and finding a way to survive.
When the two oldest go off to join the Navy, they put the family on their shoulders instead of leaving them behind, sending money to help keep them warm and fed. The mother, Leora Wilson, who was not allowed to go to high school, gets to see her children graduate against great odds. Through memoirs, letters, photos, and newspaper articles, we follow this family as they learn of the New Deal, finally accept some help from the government, and eventually go off to war. And through it all, we realize that despite their lack of money, they are rich in love, loyalty, grit, and fortitude. This saga of a family and a country speaks in detail of a way of life that no longer exists and documents it for all time. It is a part of American history that should not be missed.
I downloaded a copy of this book on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (In Her Own Words)
Joy Neal Kidney
I am the keeper of family stories, letters, pictures, research, combat records, casualty reports, and terrible telegrams. Active on several history and military Facebook pages, I help administer local ones–Audubon County, Dallas County, and Guthrie County, Iowa–the places where my motherline stories originated, as well as Depression Era Iowa.
Born two days before D-Day to an Iowa farmer who became an Army Air Corps pilot, then an instructor–with orders for combat when the war ended–and an Iowa waitress who lost three of her five brothers during that war. I spent my childhood in an Iowa farmhouse with a front porch. Now I live with my husband, a Vietnam veteran, in a suburban house with a front porch.
I’ve published two books (“Leora’s Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II” and “Leora’s Dexter Stories: The Scarcity Years of the Great Depression.”) I’m a regular contributor to Our American Stories.
Awards: 2021 Great American Storyteller Award by Our American Stories and WHO NEWSRADIO 1040
2021 – First place Our Iowa Stories award named for Joy Neal Kidney.
*If you buy the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!
Self-Published Saturday is my effort to help self-published/indie authors promote their books. Self-published authors have to do it all, from editing to cover design to marketing. If I can help promote their books in even a small way, I am happy to assist! Below I have provided a review, author bio, and links to buy of Joyful Trouble, which is a children’s book based on the true story of the only dog enlisted in the Royal Navy during World War II.
BOOK REVIEW
Joyful Trouble is a delightful children’s book based on the story of Trouble, a Great Dane enlisted in the Royal Navy. When Ana and Tommy go with their grandfather to a parade celebrating Joyful Trouble, they want to know his story. Throughout the following chapters, Grandad tells them stories of Trouble, the dog he knew in the Navy.
I really enjoyed this book, not just the story of Joyful Trouble, but the lessons built into this book about dogs. As Grandad was telling Trouble’s story, he was also teaching the kids valuable information about our canine friends. In this book, kids learn how to approach a dog, and they learn about the incredible senses of smell and hearing that dogs possess. They are also told about the many jobs dogs occupied in World War II, and lots of other facts and information about our incredible companion, the dog. This is a really wonderful, educational story. We learn about the special bonds between dogs and humans, and we see that bond between Joyful Trouble and Grandad. The author has a wonderful gift for telling interesting stories that also teach.
Children will love this book, but it is longer (225 pages) and I feel it is set up for parents to read to them, possibly a chapter or two at bedtime. I highly recommend this to parents, children, and dog lovers.
I downloaded a copy of this book on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patricia Furstenberg
(In Her Own Words)
I have always been drawn to discovering more about the people and the dogs who featured in historical and contemporary events. Why they chose to fight that war; what was it that they sacrificed, silently. What was the lay of the land that they walked upon, the color of the sky or the scent carried by the wind… It is such stories that I find they still resonate today. Discovering these secrets, writing these books, thrills me. Thus, my passion for historical and contemporary fiction books and historical events was born.
As an armchair historian, I love researching such tales, traveling (researching my next book we visited medieval Sighisoara), exploring hidden corners, and unearthing new facts, forgotten characters, or hidden clues. I love to give them a voice and to bring them into the light in my tales. Be it people, animals, or the land and its architecture, no details are too small, no voice is too soft. What was once overlooked now brings history alive in my historical or contemporary fiction books and short stories, such as the 100 Words Stories based on the history of Romania.
Facts belong in the history books, but the passion, the thrill, and the fantasy, these are the realm of the novels. Welcome to my writing world.
*Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this book for free.
*If you buy the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
*Please click on the “share” buttons below and share these books with your Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress followers. A little bit of help from all of us will help self-published authors go a long way!
eBook Publication Date: October 1, 2021
Lion Heart Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction
Triple-gold-medal-winning author Rebecca Rosenberg serves up a triumphant tale of talent and ambition, love and loss, betrayal and redemption, and accepting yourself and others for who they are.Champagne, France, 1800
Twenty-year-old Barbe-Nicole has inherited Le Nez (an uncanny sense of smell that makes her picky, persnickety, and particularly perceptive) from her great-grandfather, a renowned champagne maker.
Her parents, however, see Le Nez as a curse and try to marry her off to an unsuspecting suitor. But Barbe-Nicole is determined to use Le Nez to make great champagne. When she learns her childhood sweetheart, François Clicquot, wants to start a winery, she rejects her parents’ suitors and marries François despite his mental illness.
The Widow Known as Veuve Clicquot
Soon, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot must cope with her husband’s death. Becoming a widow known as Veuve Clicquot, she grapples with a new overbearing partner, the difficulties of making champagne and the Napoleon Codes preventing women from owning a business. All this while her father takes a military uniform contract from Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, who wages six wars against European monarchs, crippling Veuve Clicquot’s ability to sell her champagne.
Challenging Napoleon
Using Le Nez, Veuve Clicquot struggles through unbearable hardships and challenges Napoleon himself. When she falls in love with her sales manager, Louis Bohne, who asks her to marry, she must choose between losing her winery to her husband, as dictated by Napoleon Code or losing Louis. In the ultimate showdown, Veuve Clicquot risks imprisonment and even death as she defies Napoleon.
California native Rebecca Rosenberg lives on a lavender farm with her family in Sonoma, the Valley of the Moon, where she and her husband founded the largest lavender product company in America. A long-time student of Jack London’s work and an avid fan of his daring wife, Charmian, Rosenberg is a graduate of the Stanford Writing Certificate Program. Her books include: GOLD DIGGER, the Remarkable Baby Doe Tabor, The Secret Life of Mrs. London, Lavender Fields of America, and the Champagne Widows series.
Enter to win a paperback copy or eBook of Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg!
The giveaway is open to US addresses only and ends on October 29th. 10 winners will receive a prize pack including a signed copy of Champagne Widows, champagne earrings, champagne jellybeans, champagne bubbles, and a champagne bath bomb! You must be 18 or older to enter.
Champagne Widows
“For anyone who loves champagne, a must-read novel about Veuve Clicquot.” ~ Judithe Little, best-selling author of The Chanel Sisters”These first known women of Champagne/Sparkling winemaking may not have even realized how strong they were until they had to learn and do it all to survive for themselves and their wineries! Reading Champagne Widows makes it even more of an honor tolearn a craft still dominated by men.” ~ Penny Gadd-Coster, ExecutiveDirector of Winemaking, Rack & Riddle
“The sun-drenched vineyards of France, a real-life heroine who against all odds refuses to give up her dreams… and champagne. What’s not to love? And that’s just what Rebecca Rosenberg delivers in Champagne Widows. Barbe-Nicole Clicquot was a woman ahead of her time, a fascinating blend of ingenuity, heart, and sheer tenacity, with a nose for wine and a head for business. A 19th century widow who built an empire as war raged all around her. Note: This richly woven tale is best savored slowly, though with all delicious things, it won’t be easy.” ~ Barbara Davis, best-selling author of The Last of the Moon Girls.
“Champagne Widows is a witty, accomplished novel, featuring a tough and charming heroine of the first order. One can’t help but root for Barbe-Nicole, an astute businesswoman who brilliantly holds her own against none other than Napoleon Bonaparte. Although the events unfold two centuries ago, the story feels so modern, the characters could be your friends and neighbors. As easy to love as a glass of Veuve Clicquot, this may be Rebecca Rosenberg’s best book yet.” ~ Michelle Richmond, best-selling author of The Marriage Pact.
“Award-winning author, Rebecca Rosenberg returns with another Historical Fiction jewel in CHAMPAGNE WIDOWS. Meet the women who succeeded in creating world class champagne in a time men ruled business and society. Lovers of history, romance, and French culture will relish the multi-layered plot and cast of characters including the ultimate French icon, Napoleon Bonaparte.” ~ Johnnie Bernhard, award-winning author of Sisters of the Undertow
BOOK REVIEW
What a wonderful work of historical fiction! We are immediately transported back to the Napoleonic wars, and meet Barbe Nicole Ponsardin, the gifted “Le Nez” who can smell the hidden essence of the grapes she grows. Her sense of smell is so powerful that she sometimes thinks she can smell “..the stink of a lie, or the perfume of a pure heart.” She dreams of using this uncanny sense of smell to make champagne. We watch as Barbe Nicole refuses to give up the right to marry the man she loves, Francois Clicquot, and begins their wine business. The bloody path of Napoleon is recounted by Francois, a former soldier, who is haunted by atrocities he was forced to commit in war.
Barbe-Nicole becomes a young widow, the “Veuve Clicquot,” tragically losing Francois to illness. She continues to try to grow their wine business, employing many widows along the way. Her father is in a business contract with Napoleon himself, and Barbe Nicole is forced to deal with the Emperor while trying to protect her father, who is in fact a royalist. At the same time, she is trying to retain control of her winery. This inspiring story of the first “champagne widow” and owner of the champagne house Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is woven throughout with history of the Napoleonic wars. The portrayal of Napoleon himself is fascinating. The grit and determination of Clicquot to keep her lands and grow her business, even in the midst of war, is an inspiring look at the timeless and continuing fight of women for their rights. I especially enjoyed the cunning of “Le Nez” and her ability to continually thwart the plans that others made for her life. This spirit of independence possessed by Cliquot and others paved the way for the rights of women today.
Rebecca Rosenberg has made the past come to life. Barbe-Nicole’s determination sparkles as brightly as her champagne, and Napoleon is plagued by the devil that drives him to further and more shocking atrocities. Those interested in Napoleon, the Champagne Widows, or the history of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin will enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours (HFVBT). My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
Champagne Widows
by Rebecca Rosenberg
Bonnie Reads and Writes 
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