Clarissa Martinez, a biracial young woman, has lived in seven different countries by the time she turns twenty. She thinks it’s time to settle in a place she could call home. But where?
She joins a quest for the provenance of stolen illuminated manuscripts, a medieval art form that languished with the fifteenth century invention of the printing press. For her, these ancient manuscripts elicit cherished memories of children’s picture books her mother read to her, nourishing a passion for art.
Though immersed in art, she’s naïve about life. She’s disheartened and disillusioned by the machinations the quest reveals of an esoteric, sometimes unscrupulous art world. What compels individuals to steal artworks, and conquerors to plunder them from the vanquished? Why do collectors buy artworks for hundreds of millions of dollars? Who decides the value of an art piece and how?
And she wonders—will this quest reward her with a sense of belonging, a sense of home?
8 QUESTIONS WITH Evy Journey
What makes your book different from other fiction on art, artists, and art heists?
Few novels focus on illuminated manuscripts, especially stolen ones. This story is inspired by real events and goes deeper into motives other than financial gain for art thievery. It gives a glimpse into an esoteric art world, and of medieval manuscripts as precursors to today’s picture books.
Your book is set mainly in the Bay Area, but also includes scenes in Paris. Have you ever been to these places?
I’ve lived in different cities in California including the SF Bay Area and stayed for two to six months in Paris across several years. I presume to know these places fairly well.
How did you do research for your book?
I wrote a paper on illuminated manuscripts decades ago. But recent research usually uncovers previously unknown facts, and the scope of this book goes beyond manuscripts, so I read more books and articles and watched relevant documentaries. I also surveyed my email list to learn what and how many readers know or have read about illuminated manuscripts.
What is your next project?
How about a novel on Edouard Manet (“father” of modern art, Le Dejeuner SurL’herbe) and Berthe Morisot, one of very few female Impressionist painters? Were they more than friends, or was he just a mentor/painter to her student/muse? She eventually married his brother. If I find enough intrigue in what’s been written about them, I’ll be sorely tempted.
What genre do you write and why?
The freedom self-publishing gives me is that I can mix genres—a little mystery, a little romance, women’s issues, family life—all in one novel. So I say I write literary because it can accommodate all those, and it lets you probe into the inner lives of characters. Lately, I’ve woven well-researched real events into my fiction that I hope would raise a question or two in readers’ minds.
What is the last great book you’ve read?
It’s still Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, which I read in 2015. I’ve read a number of good books since, including Doerr’s latest, but this to me is still tops.
Which authors inspired you to write?
Austen and Dostoevsky—writers from my youth whose books I’ve read several times. Ms. Austen might be an obvious inspiration. Dostoevsky nurtures my characters’ existential angst, as well as mine.
Any encounters with celebrities?
I talked (kind of) to Francis Ford Coppola, dapper in a light brown linen suit, sitting by himself outside a café next to the short-stay apartment we were renting in Paris. I wrote about the encounter on my author website.
Teensy excerpts: “Polite in that guarded celebrity way, he doesn’t encourage much interaction, but doesn’t shrink from it, either.
Hero-worship shining in my eyes, I say, “I think you’re the best director America has seen in a while. I love your movies, especially Apocalypse Now.”
He smiles patiently, mumbles something nice and inconsequential. After a few more inane remarks, we realize we must leave him in peace so he can enjoy pretending he’s like everyone else who visits Paris.”
Evy Journey writes. Stories and blog posts. Novels that tend to cross genres. She’s also a wannabe artist, and a flâneuse.
Evy studied psychology (M.A., University of Hawaii; Ph.D. University of Illinois). So her fiction spins tales about nuanced characters dealing with contemporary life issues and problems. She believes in love and its many faces.
Her one ungranted wish: To live in Paris where art is everywhere and people have honed aimless roaming to an art form. She has visited and stayed a few months at a time.
What if crying out for help made you a target? Within hours of arriving in Montego Bay, Eddie Barrow and his friend Corey Stephenson witness a gruesome murder outside a bar. When the victim’s sister reaches out for help, they learn of machinations to conceal foreign corporate corruption and a series of horrific sex crimes. However, Barrow and Stephenson’s commitment to solving the case is put to the test once they find themselves in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal network—one that extends beyond the shores of Jamaica.
Jam Run by Russell Brooks.
11 Questions with Russell Brooks.
How did you do research for your book? I read several news articles to research the subject matter of Jam Run—especially the character and situation that were inspired by the murder of Dwayne Jones. He was a trans teenager who attended a dance party outside Montego Bay dressed as a woman. I read about other events that also inspired the story’s plot.
Further research involved consulting with experts, including locals in Jamaica, gun and martial arts experts, a Jamaican lawyer, a psychologist, and even an inventor who appeared on the TV show Shark Tank.
Your book is set in Montego Bay and its surrounding areas. Have you ever been there? Yes. I visited Montego Bay in January 2023 and spent two weeks visiting the locations in Jam Run.
Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest? Chevelle was the most challenging character to write. She’s a high-functioning autistic person who was raped when she was twelve and had a son. My knowledge of autism was limited before I created the character, so it was essential to consult with Nordia Sweeney—a Jamaican specializing in teaching intellectually disabled students—to make Chevelle realistic. Since Chevelle was also a rape victim, I had to approach that content very carefully to avoid offending readers who are either rape survivors or who know or work with them.
The protagonists, Eddie Barrow and Corey Stephenson were the easiest characters to write because I already wrote about them in Chill Run, the first book in the series. As an author, I learn more about the characters I write about as I progress with a manuscript.
How are you similar to or different from your lead character? The only similarities between Eddie Barrow and myself are that we’re both authors born and raised in Montreal and whose parents are from Barbados.
In your book you make a reference to the murder of Dwayne Jones…how did you come up with this idea? What made you write a book about…Dwayne? I read about Dwayne Jones’s murder while working on The Demeter Code. I was disturbed to read he was killed for dressing up as a woman while attending a straight party. What was worst was the way he was killed. The poor guy was stabbed, shot, and run over by a vehicle. That’s beyond hatred. It’s pure evil. And it says a lot about the killer(s). What also bothered me was the fact there were over 300 people at the party, yet nobody claimed to have seen anything—even though the incident began in the parking lot. The details of the murder were so disturbing I couldn’t ignore or forget. Full disclosure, Chill Run was initially written as a standalone. However, Dwayne Jones’s murder inspired me to write a sequel that deals with hatred, crimes, and injustices against the LGBTQ+ community because, in my opinion, these issues aren’t addressed in the Caribbean community often enough. Fortunately, some countries in the Caribbean have abolished laws that discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community. Others still keep these laws active, which I believe is unfortunate.
There are many crime thriller books out there about rape and hate crimes. What makes yours different? What makes Jam Run different from other novels in the genre is that 98% of the characters are Afro-Caribbean and inspired by events that mostly took place in Jamaica. What’s also unique is that Eddie Barrow is a young Black man of Barbadian descent born in Montreal, Quebec. We usually see crime-solving characters who are white and who are either detectives or former military. Sometimes we see Black characters who are tough and intimidating. Luther—played by Idris Elba—comes to mind.
Eddie is the opposite. He’s not a detective. He’s an author with no fighting skills, nor does he fit the tough guy image we’re used to. He’s the guy next door and one of the least intimidating people you can imagine.
But most importantly, we often read about stories of the genre with Caribbean settings. Still, the Caribbean culture is absent because they aren’t written by authors who are either West Indian or of West Indian descent. I wrote and researched Jam Run in a way that would not stereotype Jamaica or the Caribbean. This is why having the Jamaican characters speak as the average Jamaican living in Jamaica would speak—whether in Patois, broken English or English with local expressions was important. For instance, there’s a scene where Eddie, Corey, and a secondary character are trying to escape a burning house. Their acquaintance tells them they can exit through the washroom. Eddie’s puzzled until Corey yells that their acquaintance was referring to the laundry room.
What is your next project? My next project will be the fourth Ridley Fox/Nita Parris thriller.
What is the last great book you’ve read? Die Trying by Lee Child.
What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing your book? One of the challenges for me was raising funds to publish and market Jam Run. The story and subject required weeks of research due to the sensitivity of the content. While working on my first book, I read that the average person won’t be my only audience. There will be industry professionals such as police officers, martial artists, lawyers, and doctors who’ll read my books. But in this instance, I knew that I had to be extra careful so as not to offend rape survivors or those who know or have worked with these victims to be sure that the wrong message is not interpreted by either a sentence of dialogue or the way I describe a scene. The biggest reward as of today was that for the first time, I visited Jamaica and went to the locations that took place in the story. I also had a chance to experience Jamaica, meet the locals, and have one of the best times of my life.
Which authors inspired you to write? John Grisham, Vince Flynn, and Joseph Finder.
If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be? I want them to remember me as the author that kept them up late at night that they woke up late for work.
Russell Brooks is an Amazon bestselling author of several thrillers—Pandora’s Succession, Unsavory Delicacies, Chill Run, and The Demeter Code. If you enjoy heart-pounding thrillers with conspiracies, martial arts, sex, betrayal, and revenge, then you don’t need to look any further and
see why these are among the best mystery thriller books of all time..
Leaning into his experience as a preeminent international lawyer, Born weaves an exciting tale that spans Africa, the Middle East and Europe in a relentless pursuit of WWII Nazi intel that will enthrall the reader from the first page.
The File
Enter Sara West, a tenacious botany graduate student on a scientific expedition in the heart of the African jungle. During her research, she stumbles upon a cache of WWII Nazi files in the wreck of a German bomber hidden deep within the jungle. Those hidden files reveal the location of a multibillion-dollar war chest, secretly deposited by the Nazis in numbered Swiss bank accounts at the end of WWII.
But Sara isn’t the only one interested in the war chest. Former KGB agent Ivan Petronov and Franklin Kerrington III, deputy director of the CIA, both have deeply personal reasons for acquiring the files Sara has found.
With two dangerous men — and their teams of hit men — on her trail, will Sara be able to escape the jungle alive?
The File by Gary Born Release date March 28, 2323
6 QUESTIONS WITH GARY BORN
How did having a background in international law shape the planning and execution of this novel?
One of the central themes of the novel involves secret Swiss bank accounts, holding Nazi deposits from World War II. My practice in international law has involved both Swiss bank accounts and WWII assets, which provided vital background for this aspect of the thriller.
You tackle a lot of settings throughout the book, how do you do research to write about different settings and countries? Do you pull from your own personal travel experiences?
I have traveled almost everywhere in the world, for both work and pleasure. I drew on hikes in Uganda and Congo, on road trips in the Sahara, travels in Italy and many weeks in Zurich for the settings in the book. It is never easy to capture the heart and soul of a place in a few sentences, but these travels helped me along the way.
“A thoroughly enjoyable, engrossing thriller with a captivating young, beautiful American botanist at the center of the fast paced action. Rooting for Sara West as she evades a Russian assassination team through the dense jungles of central Africa – her expedition experience and wits her only weapons in a race to safety - will keep you up past your bedtime. Can Sara trust CIA operative Jeb Fisher or will the likable, attractive American also betray her trust? This well written adventure will take Sara from the rainforests of central Africa to the shores of north Africa and on to the cobbled streets of Europe as she struggles to identify friend from foe. Is it all a trap? The suspense will keep you guessing and eagerly awaiting a sequel…..”– Gina Haspel, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Sara is a 28 year old graduate student, why did you decide to write a main character with significantly different life experiences then your own?
Sara’s experience isn’t that different from mine, in some important ways. I spent time in the Ruwenzori mountains — without killers on my trail, to be sure — when I was Sara’s age. And I have a daughter who is also from Sara’s generation. I think the character has some of both my daughter and myself in her.
Did you conduct any kind of research to help write the book?
I spent time researching Nazi warplanes and Tempelhof; walked the streets of Zurich, imagining chase scenes; spent a few days in Lucca and the surrounding area, developing Jeb and Sara’s time there. I also researched what FSS and FSB operatives would and wouldn’t have been good at — thoughts that I passed along to Sara for her use.
What do you hope the readers take away from your book?
Many things, but especially Sara’s determination and resilience, even when nothing seemed possible. Her objectivity and resourcefulness. The complexity of Sara and Jeb’s relationship, as it unfolds. Sara’s reactions to her father’s death and fiance’s betrayal. The different forms of malice and evil that Petronov and Kerrington personified, and Sara’s responses to that.
“A taut globe-trotting thriller, as American and Russian intelligence operatives race to hunt down the discoverer of a long-buried secret, told with eloquence and ruthless efficiency.” – George Nolfi, screenwriter, “The Bourne Ultimatum”
What projects are you working on next?
Another thriller — “The Priest” — a former Mafia enforcer is posted abroad after giving up his life of mayhem and becoming a priest; by chance, he befriends a former high-ranking general, whose deathbed confession and will sends the priest in search of documents that would reshape the map of Asia, while chased by intelligence services intent on stopping the priest in his tracks.
The File by Gary Born will be available March 28, 2323.
Author Bio:
About the Author
Gary Born is widely regarded as the world’s preeminent authority on international commercial arbitration and international litigation. He has been ranked for more than 20 years as one of the world’s leading international arbitration advocates and authors. “The File” is his debut novel.
In the twilight of his NFL career as a middle linebacker for the Chicago Storm, Mike “the Steelman” Stalowski masks his physical pain and mental anguish with alcohol and painkillers. The fan favorite has a rebel image and a notorious reputation, and he plays a violent gridiron game fueled by inner rage. While estranged from his wife and living in the fishbowl environment of professional sports, he unexpectedly meets the fresh-out-of-college Kim Richardson. She sees through Mike’s star persona to who he really is—a kind guy from the Southeast Side of Chicago who has never forgotten his humble blue-collar roots. The lives of the star-crossed, seemingly mismatched couple collide during a whirlwind romance that culminates in a tragic series of events. The Walk-On is a timeless tale of love and loss that explores the consequences of personal decisions and the rewards of faith, redemption, and hope.
The Walk-On by Richard Podkowski
7 Questions with Richard Podkowski
What advice would you give budding writers?
I learned from experience that just because you have a story swirling in your head, you shouldn’t jump in and start writing. First and foremost, plan out your story and research your genre. In my case, writing a fiction novel was way more complicated than I expected. The process may have been less stressful if I’d had a basic understanding of elements like protagonist, plot, foreshadowing, conflict, and which, if any, fiction sub-genre the story in my head would ultimately be — before I started typing. Writing until I was “done” wasn’t a sound strategy either. Secondly, since word count is critical…refer to number one….plan out your story. An outline would have been helpful, especially to plot out important reveals from my protagonist’s past. I would have avoided problematic repetition by doing so. Especially since I wrote the first draft in fits and starts over eleven years!
Do you have another profession besides writing?
I am a retired career US Secret Service special agent. My assignments, both criminal investigations and protection, and duty stations took me not only around the country, but around the world. My experiences, the people I met and places I visited have inspired my writing. After retiring, I continued to do strategic security and risk management consulting for clients in the private sector. However, after forty years of protecting people and property, I’m eager to pursue my creative interests more. In addition to writing, I began taking acting lessons about ten years ago and have been lucky to book minor roles in TV, film, commercials, along with print work. I keep auditioning because I never know when I might get a big break, as evidenced by finally getting published after many years of querying literary agents resulted in dead ends and disappointment.
Where do you write?
I have a home office with a desk and computer. I rarely use a legal pad and pen to make notes anymore, instead organizing my thoughts with computer note-taking options. I try to eliminate potential distractions and have made it a point to not keep my cell phone nearby. Although I am inspired by everyday life and social interaction, I need solitude to sort and synthesize my ideas. Sometimes to stay focused, I work in a library where the atmosphere of concentration and quiet enhances my productivity.
Do you snack while writing?
Not usually. I do keep a beverage nearby. Usually hot tea which I drink pretty much year-round. If I need a snack or break for a meal, I get up and walk away to the kitchen or another room to eat and recharge. Plus, I hate getting crumbs or something sloppy on the keyboard or desk.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
I’m a baby boomer, born in the late 50s. I have this vision of a post-WWII idyllic life when America was getting back to living again after the atrocities of war. Large-scale projects such as the building of the US interstate system allowed for easier travel between states and the connection of big cities and the new suburban communities springing up as weary soldiers returned and started families. Cultural changes were afoot in music with the advent of rock n’ roll, automobile and clothing styles, movies, TV, and architecture. Good things were happening and I think it would be exciting to experience them as a young adult!
What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
As a Secret Service agent protecting US Presidents around the world, often under challenging circumstances, I carried a lot of responsibility. It’s a unique law enforcement mission. You never want anything to happen on your watch!
What is your theme song?
I’ve often been told I don’t take instruction well. It’s cliché, but I identify with Frank Sinatra’s popular song, “My Way!” I usually follow my instincts and my heart even though the path may be unconventional. At least until my wife changes my mind.
Richard Podkowski, a native of Chicago’s South Side, began writing fiction while studying criminal justice at Loyola University Chicago.
As a United States Secret Service special agent, Richard protected U.S. presidents and foreign dignitaries and investigated major domestic and international financial crimes until he retired in 2003.
Richard’s projects include a Christmas romantic comedy screenplay and a crime story, both
currently in the works. In his free time, Richard enjoys riding his road bike, working out, and
making Christmas ornaments. He currently resides with his wife in Los Angeles.
In The Walk-On, Mike “the Steelman” Stalowski is a blue-collar kid who grew up in the shadows of the Chicago steel mills, where hard-working immigrants poured molten steel 24/7 while smokestacks belched black smoke until they were shuttered in the mid-70s. The word steel in Polish is “stal” which is the root of the Steelman’s surname. Technically, my interpretation means he’s made of steel.
Chicago, one of the most diverse cities in the world, has many nicknames including Chi-town, City of Big Shoulders, Windy City, Second City, and oddly for most, the Third Coast. Although if you’ve ever been on the lakefront, you understand.
Many people have heard of the South, North and West Sides. No East Side as you’d be in Lake Michigan. The city has over 200 distinct neighborhoods. You’ll find the Steelman in Hegewisch, Lincoln Park, Little Italy, Wrigleyville and the Gold Coast. The long-standing North Side / South Side rivalry is real. One of my characters from the South Side mocks a friend from the North Side for not venturing farther south than Roosevelt Road. Technically, the dividing line is Madison Street. Ironically, both live in the western suburbs, which is another rivalry.
The South Side is known for being more blue-collar, and it definitely has some of the city’s most poverty-stricken neighborhoods. Conversely, the white-collar North Side includes the bustling downtown area, with its well-known skyscrapers, lakefront recreation and residential high-rises, mansions, upscale eateries and shopping options, and numerous cultural destinations.
I am proud to have grown up on the South Side. We were certainly blue-collar, poor actually, and I lived in a tiny cottage bungalow. Like Stalowski, my parents were Polish immigrants who came to Chicago seeking a better life. My dad toiled in the South Side stockyards until he became a printer. My mother worked on a Westinghouse Corporation factory assembly line, alongside other Polish and Hispanic women. She didn’t speak good English, and she didn’t speak bad Spanish. They got along just fine.
I didn’t visit downtown until I was in 1st or 2nd grade and never dreamed I would one day attend Loyola University on the North Side lakefront. In all fairness, I confess that after becoming empty-nesters, my wife and I lived in East Lakeview and loved it. We walked everywhere: grocery store, gym, church, Wrigley Field, live theater, restaurants, Lincoln Park and even to the glitzy Magnificent Mile on North Michigan Avenue. Can’t do that in the towns of area codes 708, 630, or 847.
The baseball rivalry is real too. The Cubs are the North Side heroes. The White Sox are their South Side rivals. Fortunately, the whole city roots for the Bulls, Blackhawks and Chicago Bears. In The Walk-On, the city cheers for the fictional NFL Chicago Storm. As the book begins, Mike “the Steelman” Stalowski, notorious hometown hero hailing from the South Side, has been a fan favorite for years.
I hope you’ll enjoy Mike’s escapades around Chicago — my beloved hometown.
Richard Podkowski, a native of Chicago’s South Side, began writing fiction while studying criminal justice at Loyola University Chicago.
As a United States Secret Service special agent, Richard protected U.S. presidents and foreign dignitaries and investigated major domestic and international financial crimes until he retired in 2003.
Richard’s projects include a Christmas romantic comedy screenplay and a crime story, both
currently in the works. In his free time, Richard enjoys riding his road bike, working out, and
making Christmas ornaments. He currently resides with his wife in Los Angeles.
Hope and Fortune by Marissa Bañez gives a lost little girl an adventure with a message. As Esperanza must continue through the forest she’s become lost in she meets 12 fairies who teach her lessons each of us could take to heart fora better us and a better world.
First, the art in the book is beautiful. Not in an overly artistic manner but one that should appeal to a younger reader but also give a bit of nostalgia to an adult that might be reading the story to a child. I got the feel of watching certain shows with my own son, when he was little. (Not so little any longer.)
The chosen fairies, each with a certain quality for a better person are appropriate and the fairies are inclusive of all types and parts of society we don’t normally see in the vast majority of children’s books.
The rhyming scheme of the text is fun but also educational. Larger words are used at times but once one gets the first word, then they can easily figure out the second rhyme.
I give Hope and Fortune a 4 out of 5 stars.
You may find Hope and Fortuneby Marissa Bañez at just about every online outlet including:
A first-generation immigrant to the U.S. from the Philippines, Marissa Bañez is a graduate of Princeton University and a lawyer licensed to practice in New York, California and New Jersey. She has published legal articles for the prestigious New York Law Journal and the American Bar Association, but her true passion for writing lies in her children’s stories. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. Her childhood was filled with many original stories and puppet shows made up entirely by her mom. In her free time, Marissa likes to travel, design and make clothes, cook, binge-watch Star Trek shows and Korean dramas, and occasionally strum a guitar.
She is currently working on her second book, Hues and Harmony (How the Singing Rainbow Butterfly Got Her
Colors), a story about mixed or multiracial children, self-discovery, and respect for others as told through the
life and adventures of a caterpillar. It is scheduled for publication on July 20, 2023.
Sylvia Wilson, a bar owner in St. Louis, Missouri, arrives at work to discover the body of an ex-police officer in her locked bar. The police focus on her as their primary suspect, so she decides to launch her own investigation into the dead man and his accomplices. But when the killer sends her clear messages that she and her loved ones are on his radar, she knows it’s just a matter of time before someone ends up dead.
On the Sly! by Wendy Koenig
11 Questions with Wendy Koenig
Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
Most people have great stories in their pasts. I borrow ideas from those and mix them up a bit. Also, the news fills in the blanks pretty well.
There are many mystery books out there. What makes yours different?
My main character is a kick-ass woman with no special education or training. She just doesn’t stop.
How did you do research for your book?
I grew up about an hour from St. Louis, so I just took a trip home. Kicked around the city a bit to let the feel of it flow through me.
If your book were made into a movie, who would star in the leading roles?
I think Karen Gillan would make a great Sylvia. She’s funny, uber smart, and tough as nails.
What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing your book?
This book was completely different when I first wrote it. When I finished, I just didn’t like it, so I started cutting, rearranging and adding. Love the final edition. It took about a year longer than I like, though.
What advice would you give budding writers?
Don’t stop. Don’t even take a long break. Momentum is hard to pick up again. Write what your heart tells you, but make sure you finish what you start.
What genre do you write and why?
Mystery and some science fiction. I love mysteries, but I grew up on SF.
Which authors inspired you to write?
Lee Child, Robert A Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, Michael Connelly, Vonda McIntyre, Brandon Sanderson, Kathy Reichs.
What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
I joined the US Air Force right out of high school.
Who was your childhood celebrity crush?
Neil Diamond. What a voice!!!
What is your next project?
I’m rewriting the next book in the series and scribbling occasional paragraphs for the third. I also have a science fiction book on the go.
You may purchase On The Sly: A Sylvia Wilson Mystery at Amazon.
Wendy Koenig
About the Author
Wendy Koenig is a published author living in New Brunswick, Canada. Her first piece to be printed was a short children’s fiction, Jet’s Stormy Adventure, serialized in The Illinois Horse Network. She attended University of Iowa, honing her craft in their famed summer workshops and writing programs. Since that time, she has published and co-authored numerous books and has won several international awards.
Big game hunter Richard Keeton unexpectedly finds himself in line to inherit a British Lordship, but with the family’s wealth in tatters Richard cannot afford the lifestyle commensurate with his pending title. Hell-bent on restoring riches, Richard realizes he can make a fortune poaching animals. With the help of Alijah, a tribesman, he’s soon secretly slaughtering animals and taking kickbacks to build a network smuggling rhino horns and elephant tusks. Richard’s poaching ring comes under threat when Michael Sandburg, an American researcher, starts dating his stepdaughter and becomes suspicious.
What will Michael do if he discovers the truth and has to choose between his future family and a newfound mission to protect endangered animals at all costs?
Jeffrey Ulin’s thrilling adventure weaves romance and intrigue against the tragedy of driving species toward extinction.
“An absorbing and highly enjoyable work. Don’t begin to read this book if you are pushed for time, as you’ll find it hard to put down once you start.” –David Philips, author of The Judas Conspiracy.
The Lord’s Tusks by Jeff Ulin
“Full disclosure, I am in love with Africa, her endless vistas, her majestic wildlife, broad savannahs and her people. The Lord’s Tusks transported me back to all of it. Jeff Ulin’s description of an elephant’s eye is more than worth the price on the stunning cover.”Bill Schweitzer, author of Doves in a Tempest
About Jeff Ulin
Jeff Ulin
After majoring in anthropology at Harvard, Jeff Ulin traveled to Africa volunteering with a unit capturing endangered rhinos and moving them to sanctuary areas. He jokes that stint prepared him for working on Indiana Jones, but it was his training in entertainment law that landed him on Skywalker Ranch working for George Lucas. After managing global sales/distribution for Star Wars, Jeff co-founded and ran animation studio Wild Brain where he created Disney’s hit Higglytown Heroes. Raised in Kansas City and Boston, Jeff spent many years working in California and has also lived as an expat in London, The Hague, and Mallorca. In addition to writing fiction, Jeff is the author of The Business of Media Distribution.
In 1991 Eddie Romano, an undersized, unconfident kid, finds an antique baseball glove while on a treasure hunt of the ruins of the old Comiskey Park in Chicago.
Instantly that glove becomes his obsession. While sleeping at night he’s transported to a dreary, decrepit ballpark where he learns the game of baseball from Billy, a skillful young ballplayer, who seems to be under the control of a dark, sinister figure who calls himself, “The Manager.”
Miraculously, Eddie becomes a better ballplayer and is rewarded for anti-social behavior by having his skills improve. As his bad attitude causes him to lose more and more friends on his team, he starts receiving phone calls from legendary baseball players Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig who attempt to steer his behavior in the complete opposite direction.
Unbeknownst to Eddie, two factions of “angels” are waging a war for his soul. What is the price of glory? Eddie will soon find out.
Satan’s Glove by Louis Anthony “Cousin Vinny” Agnello
What makes your book different from others in this genre?
If receiving a message from a godly being from another dimension doesn’t interest you (when you’re not insane and have no drug or alcohol problems) then you’re probably dead or might as well be.
How did you come up with this idea for your book?
The most incredible night of my life was spent watching a “mental movie” of this great tale. Although I did not drink, smoke, use drugs, or have any kind of mental illness, I received a telepathic message from a visitor in my room. This visitor shouldn’t have existed according to the laws of physics but I can attest that he was there and he informed me that I had a job to do and I better pay attention to all the details since it was a message for the world. The “mental movie” he presented to me was the most fascinating, heartwarming adventure that I would ever be part of. When this movie ended my heart was pounding and my forehead was sweating and I screamed out, “It’s beautiful! It’s perfect!” I knew if I went to sleep (what I planned to do), I would blow the greatest opportunity of my life because I would certainly forget the details. So, instead I stayed up and jotted down every detail that I could remember of this wondrous story and I am so glad I did, and so will you be, when you read it.
How did you do research for your book?
Since it is a period piece I had to look up the style of uniform worn by the dream coach “BILLY GREEN”. In order to do this, I had to find a famous ballplayer from that era for the Chicago White Sox and observe the uniform he wore to incorporate it into the novel. Also, I had to research the Chicago White Sox minor league system before 1952 and to my amazement their triple A team played in Hollywood, California. They were called the Stars and were owned by William Frawley from the “I LOVE LUCY SHOW”. For BILLY GREEN to play on that team really made my work easy.
Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?
Obviously, the BILLY GREEN character was the most difficult character to write for because he was so dated. The EDDIE ROMANO character (the kid who finds Billy’s cursed glove) was the easiest because I knew very well that time period.
If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?
I’ve been BILLY GREEN (the dream coach in the novel) who’s been 90 feet from reaching his goal. I’ve been on third base most of my life but I just can’t seem to score that winning run. It’s the most frustrating thing ever, to be so close to reaching your goal but so far away. I’m BILLY GREEN as a writer and just like him, at this juncture I’d probably make a deal with the devil to get to the Major leagues of book writing as he made a deal with the devil to play in the Major leagues of baseball.
In your book you state ____. Why is that?
That there’s hope. There’s always hope! I believe as long as you have breath in your lungs, you can change the road you’re on. I have. SATAN’S GLOVE is one of the great “anti-suicide” books you’ll ever read. If you want to end it all after reading SATAN’S GLOVE then you must’ve missed the message.
What advice would you give budding writers?
Don’t pursue it unless you totally believe in what you’re selling. If I was selling a murder mystery, detective novel, or something run of the mill, you wouldn’t be seeing my work being promoted. This book is my “Mona Lisa”, I will never write a more original or fascinating novel and I’ve lived a fascinating life. The late great BEN BOVA (science fiction writer with over 130 published novels and 6 HUGO AWARDS for best editor in the world) told me after signing a literary agreement with me, that SATAN’S GLOVE was the most fascinating novel he’d read in years. Maybe that’s why I believe in this novel.
How long have you been writing?
Since 1987. I used to write screenplays but was pushed to write a novel by people in the industry because many books become movies. You’ll notice that my work reads like a movie and that’s because I went to the best acting school in the country, “THE LEE STRASBERG THEATER INSTITUTE, NYC”. Everything is visual to me. And yes, I’ve appeared in some movies and soap operas (Nothing to write home over). I really began writing my novel seriously in 1991 until 1993 and then I decided to finally finish something as I’ve dedicated my spare time to writing from 2011 to the present.
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
When the late great BEN BOVA at 84 years old, decided to sign me to a literary agreement and promote my book. I was the last writer Mr. BOVA signed (It had been 10 years since BEN BOVA had signed a writer). I was honored to say the least and for him to tell me that “SATAN’S GLOVE” was the most fascinating novel he’d read in years really put me on cloud 9!
How are you similar to or different from your lead character?
Since EDDIE ROMANO is the lead character and is a victim of evil beings, I’m really not much like him except for his humanity and his realization that following the “golden rule” was his best bet. I try to walk the high ground in life. I’ve been blessed and even if SATAN’S GLOVE does not become a New York Times Bestseller as BEN BOVA predicted, I’ll live with it. The general public is finicky and if somehow they miss this exceptional book, then I’ll accept it. As the old adage goes, “You can lead the horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”
What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring author?
Find something interesting to write about and make sure you know what you’re writing about.
Which authors inspired you to write?
My father, Louis A Agnello Sr. had his own column in the Chemical Engineering News. He wanted to write the great American novel but he ran out of time here and I wrote SATAN’S GLOVE for him.
Do you write every day?
BEN BOVA said I should but life tries its best to steal you away from what you should be doing.
What is your writing schedule?
Whenever my editor Carolyn Rae emails me her take on my chapters.
In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?
Sure. Back in 1991-1993. It was a major problem scanning those pages into the present computer format.
What is something that made you laugh recently?
My wife does impersonations and speaks for the pets we own. She’s really good at creating voices and has unfortunately missed her calling.
What is your next project?
The rewrite of the sequel. I need it to read like SATAN’S GLOVE.
LOUIS ANTHONY AGNELLO Wherever controversy is found it’s likely you’ll find “Cousin Vinny” in the thick of it.
On the evening of August 22, 2008, Mr. Agnello was accosted by two gunmen and shot twice in the leg in Sleepy Hollow, New York. The motive for that shooting was never determined. As of this date, no one has been arrested.
Agnello recovered from the shooting and currently resides in Monticello, Georgia. This is the final evolution of a story that he received in a dream-like state back in 1991. “Cousin Vinny” believes that his colorful past gives him greater insight into the plights of the people we meet in our daily lives. He truly hopes you enjoy this adventure.
Visit Cousin Vinny on Facebook.
A child who loses her way seeks help from 12 multi-cultural and multi-generational fairies, who give her practical life advice to get on the right track.
Trying to possess its beauty, Esperanza chases after a butterfly, which inevitably leaves her behind, lost and scared. Then, she meets 12 Fortune Fairies. Among them is the Fortune Fairy of Beauty, who talks about the beautiful butterfly that flew away and comforts Esperanza by saying: “Beauty is not what you see with your eyes but with your heart.” The other Fortune Fairies likewise give Esperanza words to live by to discover her true path.
Hope and Fortune is a children’s book with positive and frank messages about empowerment and self-discovery, designed to stay with a child well beyond childhood.
Hope and Fortune by Marissa Bañez cover.
The 10 Questions
1. What would be your one sentence elevator pitch of what your book is about?
Hope and Fortune is a beautifully illustrated children’s book featuring
multicultural, multiracial, multigender and multigenerational fairies of various shapes
and sizes who give practical life advice to a lost little girl and get her on the right path.
2. What book/author/movie/tv show/song might a potential reader compare your book to in order to get an idea of its feel and why ?
The honest answer is I don’t know. I didn’t take inspiration for my book from any
other book, author, movie or song . . . at least not consciously.
Plus, my book is a relatively short children’s book that most likely would be read
at bedtime, which should be a quiet time without the need for music or other distraction
in the background. I’d want the child to focus on the story and appreciate the beautiful
illustrations without thinking about how it compares to other books, movies or shows.
That all said, in coming up with the Fortune Fairy of Beauty, I was inspired by a
Star Trek, The Next Generation episode in which certain aliens evolved from their
corporeal states into beings of pure energy. I didn’t feel comfortable depicting the
concept of beauty through physical attributes of a human because beauty is a
subjective ideal. So, I illustrated beauty as a life force radiating light and positive energy
from a heart to correlate with what the fairy says: “Beauty is not what you see with eyes
but with your heart.”
3. Why did you choose this topic for your book?
When my daughter was little, I wrote original children’s stories and created
puppet shows from the stories.
One of the stories from those days is the precursor to Hope and Fortune called
The Lost Foal. For my daughter’s 7 th birthday, I wanted to put on a show for her and her
friends at her party. She wanted a story about cowgirls, fairies, and her little stuffed
horse. I came up with a story entitled, The Lost Foal. In The Lost Foal, the stuffed
horse was the one that got lost in the forest and encountered “cowgirl fairies” played by
my daughter and her guests, each of whom wore fairy wings and pink cowboy hats and
gave the horse life advice to get it back on the right track.
Fast forward 16 years later to the pandemic and lockdown in 2020. I felt bad for
my daughter, her peers and those younger, all of whom faced unprecedented
uncertainties in life. Many of them were really lost. I then took The Lost Foal,
modernized it with a diverse cast of characters, and created a message that I hope will
resonate not only with the very young but also with those less so who may feel
rudderless and lost – in however way you want to define and contextualize those terms
– at some point in their lives.
4. What led to your choosing the setting for your book?
I always imagined – rightly or wrongly – that fairies lived in wooded areas, so I
created the world called the Fabled Fairy Forest.
I think more important than the overall setting for the book is how I depicted each
character’s setting within the forest. In writing and illustrating Hope and Fortune, I
learned that numbers, colors, and animals represent or symbolize certain ideals and
principles that dovetail nicely with what I wanted to say in the book. I then incorporated
a lot of that symbolism to make the story as multifaceted as possible. I explain all this in
greater detail in a document I created called the “Backstory of and Guide to Hope and
Fortune,” a copy of which I’m attaching for your background information. Another
blogger in this tour will be writing more about the symbolism that I used in the book.
5. How did you come up with the title of your book and what is its significance?
I finalized this book during the pandemic when everything was so bleak and
dreary. I wanted to put something out in the universe that was uplifting and conveyed
positivity.
Esperanza is my daughter’s middle name, and she is my muse for all my stories.
The protagonist in the book is named after her. Esperanza is also the Spanish word for
“hope.”
I also wanted to pay homage to my late mom, who along with my dad brought my 9 siblings and me to this country from the mountain province of the Philippines with
literally nothing more than the hope that we would all have a better life here. She is
depicted as the Fortune Fairy of Hope.
As for the “Fortune” part of the title, when I wrote the book, I wanted a nice
alliteration with the word “fairy” that has an optimistic feeling. My fairies were
dispensing life advice intended to bring good fortune to Esperanza in her path in life.
Hence, the Fortune Fairies came to life.
6. How has your own experience influenced your writing?
If you’re asking how my life experience/career influenced how I write, writing is
my favorite part of the job as a lawyer. Being a lawyer has made me confident in my
general writing and editing skills.
Children’s illustrated books usually have a limit of 1000-1500 words. It’s often a
challenge to get complex messages and concepts across with that limitation. But, as a
litigator, it’s my job to tell a client’s story in a concise and relatable way. From that
perspective, my experience as a lawyer positively influenced the way that I wrote about
the various principles or ideals discussed by the Fortune Fairies.
If, on the other hand, you’re asking how my general life experience influenced
what I write, I’ve found that as a mom, talking to one’s own kids about certain things can
be very difficult to start, much less sustain. As one reviewer has pointed out, this book
is “a great discussion aid” on topics that deal with self-esteem, self-discovery and self-
acceptance.
I’m also a very “visual” person, with some artistic leanings. I believe that artistic
expressions are simply different forms of storytelling. So, as more fully describe in the
attached backstory and guide, I intentionally curated the illustrations in Hope and
Fortune to supplement the fewer-than-1000 words I used to create a multi-faceted story.
7. What will connect the reader to the story?
The story had universal appeal. For example, in December, I did a reading of
Hope and Fortune at a local library in New York City. After I read the book, a 7-year-old
boy took a copy of the book to read to himself. He then followed me around until he had
my full attention to tell me how much he loved the book and that now he wants to write a
book someday too. Even though the book is about a little girl with a Spanish name and
fairies, the story still resonated with a little Asian boy – which is more than I could’ve
hoped for. How wonderful to be able to touch the hearts and minds of young children
with just a few words and illustrations.
And not only the young. Many grown-ups have told me they wish they had this
book when they were growing up. Also, several early readers have stated in their
reviews that this book should be read by adults as well as kids.
In addition to the story itself, the illustrations add another path through which the
reader could connect to the book. Many people have expressed their gratitude to me
personally for creating such a diverse cast of characters because they could see
themselves and their children represented in the book. When I say “representation,” I’m
not just talking about non-White people. Two incidents brought this home to me
recently.
The first incident involved an early reader of the book who has a little boy to
whom she read the book. She then wrote that the little boy “loves” the book, partly
because the Fortune Fairy of Innocence and Wonder looks like him – a beautiful blond,
blue-eyed boy. That’s precisely the type of reaction and narrative I wanted to create
with the Fortune Fairy of Innocence and Wonder.
Unfortunately, the second incident is far from uplifting but nonetheless
demonstrates the obvious need for diverse representation in children’s books. This is
what happened when I advertised my reading of Hope and Fortune at a local library on
a public page on Facebook:
She deliberately chose to ignore my conciliatory tone and further challenged:
“that doesn’t look like a white fairy.” What is a white fairy supposed to look like?!? Her
combativeness and willful refusal to acknowledge that non-White characters can – and
should – exist in children’s books is exactly why representation matters. In Hope and
Fortune, both Whites and non-Whites are represented. Everyone is exposed to the idea
that people that may look different from us may have something valid to say and
contribute for the betterment of humanity.
8. Did you have difficulty deciding your book was ready to publish?
Not really. I lived with the concept since my daughter was young and it just took
a little tweaking before I submitted it for publication.
9. What genre(s) and reader ages would your work fit best?
Children’s illustrated books, ages 5-10, although as I’ve said, I’ve often been told
that adults should read the book and learn from it as well. Sub-genres include diversity,
multiculturalism, self-esteem and self-reliance, social themes of values and virtues, fairy
tales.
10. What’s your next project idea?
I’m currently putting the finishing touches to my second book, Hues and Harmony
– How the Rainbow Butterfly Got Her Colors. It’s about multiraciality, empowerment,
self-acceptance and belonging as told through the life and adventures of a singing
caterpillar. I use common shapes, primary colors, and basic chemistry concepts to
convey my message.
Like Hope and Fortune, Hues and Harmony is a re-write of story and puppet
show from my daughter’s childhood entitled The Singing Rainbow Butterfly. At that
time, I created the puppet caterpillar in the story out of round silver pot scrubbers held
together by a wire, string, and popsicle sticks, not to mention a prayer. I think I still have
that caterpillar somewhere and intend to use it when I do public readings for Hues and
Harmony.
Esperanza and the Fortune Fairies from Hope and Fortune make a cameo – yet
important – appearance in Hues and Harmony, but it’s not a sequel.
I am using the same illustrator, and the dialogue/songs are also in rhyme so it will
have the same look, feel, and sound as Hope and Fortune. I’m happy with how Hope
and Fortune turned out and I want Hues and Harmony, as well as any other subsequent
books, to have the same quality.
Hues and Harmony is scheduled for official release on July 20, 2023.
You may find Hope and Fortuneby Marissa Bañez at just about every online outlet including:
A first-generation immigrant to the U.S. from the Philippines, Marissa Bañez is a graduate of Princeton University and a lawyer licensed to practice in New York, California and New Jersey. She has published legal articles for the prestigious New York Law Journal and the American Bar Association, but her true passion for writing lies in her children’s stories. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. Her childhood was filled with many original stories and puppet shows made up entirely by her mom. In her free time, Marissa likes to travel, design and make clothes, cook, binge-watch Star Trek shows and Korean dramas, and occasionally strum a guitar.
She is currently working on her second book, Hues and Harmony (How the Singing Rainbow Butterfly Got Her
Colors), a story about mixed or multiracial children, self-discovery, and respect for others as told through the
life and adventures of a caterpillar. It is scheduled for publication on July 20, 2023.
When her friend Sandy asks for help, Anne Wilson leaves her small, lonely life in Miami for the picturesque island of Saint Martin. But as soon as she arrives, Sandy is murdered, and her death exposes lies: an alias, a secret past, stolen money. Suspected of murder and trapped on the island, Anne is shocked when a cryptic message arrives:
Find the money. Take it and run.
She follows Sandy’s trail of obscure clues, desperate for proof of her innocence and must decide if she can trust the two men who offer help-the dark, mysterious Brit or the American with a wide grin and a pickup truck. When memories resurface-dark truths she’d rather leave buried and forgotten, her past becomes intertwined with her present.
Her only way forward is to face her own secrets.
Assumed by MHR Geer.
Which was the hardest character to write?
Anne. Have you ever disliked someone the first time you met them, but then as you got to know them you realized they were just shy and perhaps quite sad? That’s how it felt to write Anne. I
didn’t approve of her choices, but chapter after chapter she showed such strength, and I
warmed to her.
Your book is set in Saint Martin, an island in the Caribbean. Have you ever been there?
Yes. (sigh) Such a beautiful place. I want to go back.
Do you have another profession besides writing?
I’m a bookkeeper by day. It’s the opposite of creative writing.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve always journaled, but I began writing novels about nine years ago – which is about the time
my first marriage fell apart. Huh, I never made that connection before. Whew. That’s a
breakthrough of sorts, isn’t it?
What is your next project?
Book 2: Accused. Anne’s story continues! It will be released in 2023.
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. But the one comment that stands out is when
an Amazon reviewer said that Anne (my main character) was so REAL. That was amazing to
hear.
How are you similar to or different from your lead character?
We are very different, but we do have a couple things in common. She works in accounting like I
do, and we’ve both suffered significant loss – the kind of loss that you never really recover from.
Writing her character was so interesting because she dealt with her loss so differently than I did.
Favorite travel spot?
Kansas City. Such a friendly place. It always inspires creativity. I love the Nelson-Atkins
museum and City Market on the weekends. Also, there’s a place in Westport Plaza that makes
the best Matcha ever. Don’t get me started on the barbeque…yum.
Any hobbies?
So many hobbies. Knitting mostly, but I enjoy loads of crafts, jewelry and macrame. I want to try
pottery, but my yarn takes up too much space. I simply don’t have room in my life for clay. Yet.
What TV series are you currently binge watching?
A while ago, season 1 of Silent Witness popped up as a recommendation on my BritBox. It
should have come with a disclaimer like “Don’t watch this unless you’re prepared to commit
several months to it.” Sheeshers. I just finished Season 25. I don’t regret a thing. Well. Maybe I
regret some of the popcorn.
Tell us about your longest friendship.
Marie. We met in college because our boyfriends were roommates, and we both instantly had a
“you’re my person” moment. I live in California, and she lives on the East Coast, so we meet
annually in random cities in the middle of the country to hang out. She’s still my person after all
this time.
What is the strangest way you've become friends with someone?
One of my friendships started during the darkest period in my life. We were at a youth football
practice that my ex-husband was coaching. I can’t even remember why, but I had to move my
chair, and someone I barely knew carried it for me. That’s it. She carried my chair. It was a tiny
thing, but the gesture meant the world to me. And we’ve been close friends ever since.
MHR Geer.
Author Bio:
MHR Geer was born in California but grew up in the Midwest. She attended the University of California, Santa Barbara to study Physics. After school, she moved to Ventura, CA and started a small bookkeeping business. She lives with her two sons and her unicorn husband (because he's a magical creature).
Kadence, a new type of implanted defibrillator, misfires in a patient visiting University Hospital
for a routine medical procedure—causing the heart rhythm problem it’s meant to correct. Dr.
Kate Downey, an experienced anesthesiologist, resuscitates the patient, but she grows
concerned for a loved one who recently received the same device—her beloved Great-Aunt Irm.
When a second device misfires, Kate turns to Nikki Yarborough, her friend and Aunt Irm’s
cardiologist. Though Nikki helps protect Kate’s aunt, she is prevented from alerting other
patients by the corporate greed of her department chairman. As the inventor of the device and
part owner of MDI, the company he formed to commercialize it, he claims that the device
misfires are due to a soon-to-be-corrected software bug. Kate learns his claim is false.
The misfires continue as Christian O’Donnell, a friend and lawyer, comes to town to facilitate the
sale of MDI. Kate and Nikki are drawn into a race to find the source of the malfunctions, but
threats to Nikki and a mysterious murder complicate their progress. Are the seemingly random
shocks misfires, or are they attacks?
A jaw-dropping twist causes her to rethink everything she once thought she knew, but Kate will
stop at nothing to protect her aunt and the other patients whose life-saving devices could turn
on them at any moment..
Misfire by Tammy Eliano
How did you do research for your book?
I’m fortunate to be a professor at an academic medical center and therefore have access to the
medical professionals to ask questions and gain ideas. Also, I co-developed some medical
devices over the years and have been through the patenting and licensure process so it was fun
to include some first-hand knowledge, and to pick the brains of other scientists with whom we’ve
crossed paths.
Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
My inspiration comes from life experiences—working in academic medicine, talking with people
in technology and healthcare industries, and reading both fiction and non-fiction, and of course
the news (preferably science news, not all the other stuff).
What advice would you give budding writers?
Find a supportive group of other early career writers, read, take classes that provide
professional feedback, attend a writers’ conference if at all possible, develop thick skin, write
what you love, consider writing some short fiction for an earlier win.
Your book is set in north central Florida. Have you ever been there?
It’s where I’ve lived since undergrad. Though not Gainesville by name, and certainly not the
University of Florida, the book is set in the area, including Paynes Prairie where we’ve gone on
long walks, and Jacksonville, which we visit on occasion. It’s a great place to live and raise a
family, with springs and beaches nearby and (often) excellent collegiate sports to cheer for.
Do you have another profession besides writing?
I’m a physician, an academic anesthesiologist specializing in obstetrics. For 20+ years I’ve
taught, performed research, and cared for patients at the University of Florida’s hospital system.
I’ve now backed down to 60% so I can focus on writing…it’s never enough!
What is your next project?
Besides finishing up the third in the Kate Downey series, I’m working on a stand-alone that links
the Salem Witch Trials to a modern medical mystery. It’s based on a short story I published a
few years ago and I’m having fun plotting it out.
What is the last great book you’ve read?
In non-fiction, 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. In fiction,
Desert Star by Michael Connelly. I’m currently reading A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny,
my favorite series!
How are you similar to or different from your lead character?
We started out quite alike as far as careers go, but she lacks my idyllic backstory with a
charmed childhood and parents and husband very much alive. She’s also way cooler than I am!
In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like?
For the first in the series it was long, full of rejections, self-doubt, learning, and more rejections,
and finally extremely rewarding! Misfire was the second in a two-book deal, so far more straight-
forward.
Which authors inspired you to write?
Harlan Coben, Louise Penny
Favorite travel spot?
I love the mountains (said the Florida girl), especially hiking and downhill skiing. We’ve been so
blessed with incredible travel opportunities to all the major national parks in the US, Costa Rica,
the Galapagos, Europe, even New Zealand. Probably my favorite would be hiking in Wengen,
Switzerland.
Favorite dessert?
Hmmm, my husband’s home-made fruit crumbles with ice cream. Cookies and cream ice cream
with my dad. Who am I kidding – most ice cream with most anyone.
If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you?
(1) the entire Louise Penny Gamache series squished into one book cover, (2) an encyclopedia,
(3) The famous double book: “How to Make a Boat out of Sand, Salt Water and Coconuts” and
“The Joy of Cooking Without Actually Cooking”
Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.
My husband and I met playing flag football in college, taking turns at quarterback due to the
rules for co-ed sports. Now we still enjoy sports, but also seeking active experiences while
traveling – via ferrata, canyoning, rappelling down waterfalls, etc. We also follow the Gator
football team, though they’re trying our patience lately.
If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be?
That I’m a physician-turned-author who highly recommends reassessing your path and
goalposts at regular intervals. It’s not quitting, it’s pivoting to something better/different/more
suited to you today.
What is the oldest item of clothing you own?
Intramural sports championship t-shirts from undergrad. We were the geeky honors dorm kids
who crushed everyone else by planning ahead with football plays printed out using the earliest
version of drafting software…oh, and not being drunk at game time.
Tammy Euliano, author of Misfire.
Author Bio:
Tammy Euliano writes medical thrillers. She’s inspired by her day job as a physician, researcher and medical educator. She is a tenured professor at the University of Florida, where she’s been honored with numerous teaching awards, nearly 100,000 views of her YouTube teaching videos, and was featured in a calendar of women inventors (copies available wherever you buy your out-of-date calendars).
When she’s not writing or at the hospital, she enjoys traveling with her family, playing sports,
cheering on the Gators, and entertaining her two wonderful dogs.
Margaret Atwood meets Raymond Chandler meets Greta Thunberg: Jen Lu is back on the case when the death of a lawyer sparks an even more intriguing mystery in Michael Kaufman’s second book in the thrilling series.
It’s March 2034, six months after D.C. police detective Jen Lu and Chandler, her sentient bio-computer and wannabe tough guy implanted in her brain, cracked the mystery of Eden. The climate crisis is hitting harder than ever: a mega-hurricane has devastated the eco-system and waves of refugees pour into Washington, D.C.
Environmental lawyer and media darling Patty Garcia dies in a bizarre accident on a golf course. Of the seven billion people on the planet, only Jen thinks she was murdered. After all, Garcia just won a court case for massive climate change reparations to be paid out by oil, gas, and coal companies. Jen is warned off, but she and Chandler start digging. Signs point to Garcia’s abusive ex, a former oil giant, but soon Jen turns up more suspects who have an even greater motive for committing murder
Soon Jen is in the crosshairs of those who will ensure the truth never comes to light, no matter the cost. She has to move quickly before she becomes next on the killer’s list.
The Last Resort by Michael Kaufman.
“[An] outstanding series launch…Exceptional worldbuilding is complemented by sympathetic characters and suspenseful plot twists. Kaufman is a writer to watch.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
This is the second book in your Jen Lu series. How soon after finishing the first book did you know you wanted to continue Jen’s story?
The minute I read the first reviews. I knew I’d taken a risk writing a mystery that bent genres and that delved into political themes, but only when I started hearing from readers did I realize how much my approach — page-turning, serious themes yet fun to read — was something I wanted to continue doing.
You have decades of experience working with the United Nations, NGOs and various government officials and educators. How have you used this expertise to write about some complex topics like climate change and the intricacies of the oil and gas industry?
I’ve worked directly with presidents and prime ministers. I could answer that this has given me insights into the workings of political power. But here’s my real answer: We all need stories. Not only to entertain but to make sense of our lives. Right now, there is no more important issue than the quickly emerging climate crisis and the utter culpability of the oil, gas and coal industries in destroying our future.
“The Last Resort” has a secondary theme of men’s violence against women. How does this fit into the story?
It’s a critical theme in itself. Across the country and around the world, there is a rash of violence against women: in our homes, at work, at places of learning and on the streets. Engaging men as allies with women to end this violence has been my life’s work.
“An engrossing thriller set in a fascinatingly plausible near future, ‘The Last Exit’ centres on a human-AI partnership that’s as believable as it’s moving.” — Emma Donoghue, New York Times bestselling author of “Room”
There are a variety of politically charged themes throughout the book. What would you say to people who are looking for a fiction book that “isn’t political”?
First of all, “The Last Resort,” is entertainment. It’s fun; it’s exciting. My goal isn’t to educate — I leave that to my nonfiction books. At the same time, every moment of our lives is shaped by political realities, and that is nowhere more true than with the climate crisis. I believe that some of the most powerful stories ever written weave in the political and social realities of the day. Imagine if Tolstoy had left out the war part; his great novel would have read like a Netflix costume drama.
Speaking of politics, there are a lot of tough themes the book touches on, but the series’s tone overall is ultimately one of hope (surrounded with humor). Why did you choose to go this route?
The last thing readers need is another grim dystopia. I believe strongly in the human capacity to change, not simply at the individual level but our ability to imagine and then to create a better world. Faced with the existential realities of the climate crisis, we need that vision of hope and change more than ever. Shouldn’t fiction that digs into the tough issues we face today and in years ahead bring us up rather than bring us down?
What do you hope readers gain from the book?
Gain? I hope they gain some absolutely entertaining moments. I hope they can’t put it down. But I also hope it allows them to imagine a future that is certainly full of challenges but also possibilities for positive change.
Is there another Jen Lu book in the works? Are you working on any other projects?
Yes, there will be a sequel. I’m also at work on a traditional thriller as well as a literary novel and a screenplay. Plus, of course, I continue my advisory role with various U.N. agencies, governments, NGOs and companies. That said, I can’t wait to hang out again with Jen Lu and Chandler, her computer implant and wannabe tough guy.
“ ‘The Last Exit’ hits hard. Fast action — a melding of the mental and physical — keeps this smart futuristic thriller racing, and its contemporary implications keep the reader thinking.” —Thomas Perry, bestselling author of “A Small Town”
Author Bio:
MICHAEL KAUFMAN has worked for decades engaging men to support women’s rights and positively transform the lives of men. He is the co-founder of the White Ribbon Campaign, the largest effort in the world of men working to end violence against women. He volunteers as a senior fellow at Promundo (Washington, D.C.) and has worked in 50 countries with the United Nations, governments, NGOs and educators. He advised the French government in 2019 as a member of its G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council.
He is the author of numerous nonfiction and fiction works, and was awarded the Canadian Jewish Book Award for Fiction. His most recent nonfiction book is “The Time Has Come.” He’s also written “Why Men Must Join the Gender Equality Revolution” (2019) and his first Jen Lu novel“The Last Exit.” His books and articles have been translated into 14 languages. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, having lived in Durham, North Carolina, and now living in Toronto, Canada, he is married and has a daughter and a son. For more information, please visit michaelkaufman.com.
A message from LitWorldInteviews friend and one of my favorite people, Author Ritu Bhathal!
Firstly, let me apologise for not posting for..[a while].
What can I say…
Being a full-time teacher in management, having recently been through the OFSTED debacle (we got Good, so I’m not complaining, but still, STRESS!), on top of being mum to two teens at critical points in their lives and development, as well as wife and daughter… yadda yadda… well, put it this way, it leaves little time for the creative side of me.
Still, I have news and lots of it!
Over the summer, I finally completed the manuscript for my second book, which will be book two in the Rishtay Series, following on from Marriage Unarranged.
It was sent off to several readers, my editor and my publisher, and though tweaks are still happening, we have a release date of 1st June 2023 to coincide with PRIDE month!
We also have a COVER REVEAL for this next offering, entitled Straight As A Jalebi!
Aaaand… here is the cover! I’m a little bit in love with it. I hope you like it, too!
Here is a micro blurb to whet your appetites:
Who knew that an innocent trip to India in the year 2000 would have such an impact on his life? Sunny had only gone as a chaperone for his sister and her best friend and to attend to a few business matters while out there. He ends up with a deal that will change the shape of his professional future and possibly his personal one, too. But how would he be able to explain that to his family, who are gearing up to get him married off?
I am so excited about this one, but nervous, too, as some of the subject matter is out of my direct experience. This is why I have found a couple of sensitivity readers to ensure I have done the story justice.
The year 2000 and Aashi’s life was all set. New Millennium, exciting beginnings, new life. Or so she thought.
Like in the Bollywood films, Ravi would woo her, charm her family and they’d get married and live happily ever after.
But then Aashi found the empty condom box…
Putting her ex-fiancé and her innocence behind her, Aashi embarks upon an enlightening journey to another country, where vibrant memories are created and unforgettable friendships forged.
Old images erased, new beginnings to explore.
And how can she forget the handsome stranger she meets? A stranger who’s hiding something…
Ritu Bhathal is many things. Award winning Blogger. Author of a book of Poetry. Author of one full length published novel. One more book completed and ready for publishing. All of that is the easy part of her life. The hard part is too exhausting for me to list. ~Ronovan
Check out Ritu’s author site at https://ritubhathal.com/ to see the many ways to follow her on social media.
Mark the date. May 15th, 2023 for that June 1st release date. ~Ronovan
Thanks to my friends at Books Forward for sending me the first two books in The Peridot Shift series as well the Third, CAST OFF, to be released Dec. 6, 2022.
With amazing reviews, I can’t wait to jump into the adventure. If you’ve been visiting LitWorld for long you know I like some steampunk, scifi, and fantasy… but it has to be good for me to put down my other books to do it. Well, I’ve put the others down and am about to JUMP! I just hope CAPTAIN TALIS is there to save me.
On a planet cracked open by ancient magic, outlaws and pirates are the only ones with what it takes to save Peridot from its next apocalyptic threat.
What would be your one sentence elevator pitch of what your book is about?
In this trio of novellas, three game young ladies enter into dangerous liaisons that test each one’s limits and force them to confront the most heartrending issues facing society in the early twentieth century. The Phantom Glare of Day is a compelling interrogation of who gets to decide what is right and what is wrong.
[The novellas are set during the height of WWI and post-WWI Europe.]
What book/author/movie/TV show/song might a potential reader compare your book to in order to get an idea of its feel and why?
The Phantom Glare of Day might best be described as traditional, twentieth-century melodrama suffused with the following: Goth youth culture, the film Nosferatu, lots of Germanic brooding, the poetry and symbolism of Nietzsche, and a ravishingly beautiful figure-skating ballet just for good measure.
Why did you choose this topic for your book?
This topic chose me. These novellas arise from a deeply held obsession with grasping the essential ethical issues that face society. By writing the book, it is my hope that the novellas may challenge readers to think about and to come to terms with those same heartrending questions.
What led to your choosing the setting for your book? In part your mention of steampunk as used in your book.
Having traveled to London, Paris, and Prague, and having kept travel diaries for those beautiful cities, there was no way to avoid my setting stories in those remarkable places. Interestingly, though, my impressions of Prague were always informed by the genre of steampunk. What I mean by that is that Prague is the city with which I’ve always associated the science-fiction play Rossum’s Universal Robots. Because of this, Prague inspired me to write about steampunk/primitive robotic technologies—as such, these peculiar technologies and themes and obsessions appear in that tale. With regard to Weimar, that’s the most peculiar question for me because I’ve never been there. Still, the history of das Bauhaus has always fascinated me—and because of this, there was no way to avoid the temptation to set a tale there.
How did you come up with the title of your book?
The Phantom Glare of Day comes from a line in “Butterflies”—a WW-era Siegfried Sassoon poem. The title seemed perfect to me because various world religions have always associated butterflies with the immortality of the soul. For me, that metaphysical idea resonates because these three novellas amount to a new kind of metaphysical storytelling.
How has your world traveling impressed itself on your writing?
Nothing has impressed my writing more than my travels to London, where I became fascinated by British colloquialism and phraseology. Nothing else makes British characters come to life more than giving them authentic voices as they engage one another in dialogue. In short, dialogue has to be real. Characters must talk the way people really talk. This comes down to the fact it is the vernacular that makes characters and their stories seem genuine. My travel diaries provided me with all kinds of descriptions of various places, of course; nevertheless, my travel diaries were most important to me in that they included many, many lists of those remarkable terms that only the Brits use.
What will connect the reader to the story?
These novellas tell of how people struggle with issues that anyone can find relatable: school bullying, abortion, euthanasia, political extremism, and homophobia. As such, any reader should be able to connect with the characters. At the same time, the narrator’s voice remains solemn and philosophical; moreover, the writing is suffused in objective correlative—symbols intended to resonate with the reader’s unconscious mind. If the reader really gives my work a chance, the reader can and will connect.
Remember, though, when you read The Phantom Glare of Day, you’ll quickly see that it’s like nothing you’ve ever read before. Perhaps that’s why the work is fated to get so many mixed reviews. This work is weird and revolutionary in its style.
Did you have difficulty deciding your book was ready to publish?
Yes and no. Leonardo Da Vinci said it best: “Art is never finished, only abandoned.”
What genre(s) and reader ages would your work fit best?
As for genre, there are different possibilities: coming of age, urban fantasy, historical fiction, metaphysical fiction, melodrama, and perhaps even magical realism. In truth, the work is trans-genre. Also, who cares what the genre is? It’s literature. And it’s meant for anyone mature enough to embrace the idea of freethinking and/or open-mindedness and/or freedom for the sake of freedom.
What’s your next project idea?
My next project promises to be a complete mind-scramble. In the coming book, it is my intention to take the reader on a journey alongside a figure who resolves the riddle of the universe—and in the final movement of the tale, the character will in fact explain the riddle of the universe. For that matter, too, the answer provided will be accurate. And that is my pledge.
Biography of M. Laszlo
M. Laszlo is the pseudonym of a reclusive author living in Bath, Ohio. According to rumor, he based the pen name on the name of the Paul Henreid character in Casablanca, Victor Laszlo.
He has lived and worked in New York City, East Jerusalem, and several other cities around the world. While living in the Middle East, he worked for Harvard University’s Semitic Museum. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio and an M.F.A. in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York.
His next work is forthcoming from SparkPress in 2024. There are whispers that the work purports to be a genuine attempt at positing an explanation for the riddle of the universe and is based on journals and idea books made while completing his M.F.A at Sarah Lawrence College.
Daughters of Teutobod is a story of love triumphing over hate, of persistence in the face of domination, and of the strength of women in the face of adversity.
Gudrun is the stolen wife of Teutobod, the leader of the Teutons in Gaul in 102 BCE. Her story culminates in a historic battle with the Roman army.
Susanna is a German American farm wife in Pennsylvania whose husband, Karl, has strong affinity for the Nazi party in Germany. Susanna’s story revolves around raising her three daughters and one son as World War II unfolds.
Finally, Gretel is the infant child of Susanna, now seventy-nine years old and a professor of women’s studies, a US senator and Nobel laureate for her World Women’s Initiative. She is heading to France to represent the United States at the seventy-fifth anniversary of the liberation of southern France, at the commemoration site where her older brother, who was killed in action nearby, is buried. The site is very near the location where the Romans defeated the Teutons.
How did you do research for your book?
Online searches for everything about the Teutons to pre-war Pennsylvania and the earliest training of American Rangers, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and modern-day sites in Paris and Southern France.
Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?
Hardest? Ada.
Easiest? Gretel.
How long have you been writing?
After heart disease forced early retirement, I began attending the Iowa Summer Writer’s Festival in 2014. I began writing poetry, but soon began writing novels.
What is your next project?
A book entitled Chameleon, about a man in treatment for Borderline personality disorder.
What genre do you write and why?
I write character driven stories and historical fiction because those are what interest me.
What is the last great book you’ve read?
Chances Are by Richard Russo
If your book were made into a movie, who would star in the leading roles?
The only one I’ve had an instant intuition for is the elder Gretel, who would surely be portrayed nicely by Meryl Streep.
If your book were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
Not sure, but during closing credits, I could suggest Respect by Aretha Franklin.
What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing your book?
Greatest reward is the coming together of the various story elements. Greatest challenge is slogging through the research and persisting through the dialogues.
In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like?
It was painful and frustrating.
Which authors inspired you to write?
Philip Roth, Harper Lee, Richard Russo, Flannery O’Connor, Charles Dickens, Michael Crighton, Dan Brown, Kurt Vonnegut, Amy Hassinger
Fun stuff: Favorite travel spot?
Toledo, Spain.
Favorite dessert?
Sour cream raisin pie.
If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you?
To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tale of Two Cities, and the Bible.
Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.
I collect rock-n-roll memorabilia. Signed record albums and photos and so forth.
What is your theme song?
“You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor
Author Bio:
Kurt Hansen is from Racine, Wisconsin, and has lived in Kansas, Texas, and Iowa. He has
experience in mental health and family systems as well as in parish ministry and administration.
He holds degrees in psychology, social work and divinity. Kurt now lives in Dubuque, Iowa with
his wife of 44 years, Dr. Susan Hansen, a professor emerita of international business. Kurt is
the author of Gathered (2019). Daughters of Teutobod is his second novel.
Ila, a Mumbai-based teenager, is going nuts with Veena, her controlling, single mother who prevents her from stalking her pop idol, Ali Zafar. Veena wants her daughter to date real guys in the lead-up to finding a husband. But Ila decides that the only way to get her mom off her back is by finding her a boyfriend instead. With the help of her best friend Deepali, her crush Dev and her mother’s best friend Maleeka, they will come up with a plan to make it happen by setting up a profile in dating apps.
This interview has to start off with this question. In your book you make a reference to George Michael, how did you come up with this idea?
In my book, I make reference to George Michael of Wham, the famous English pop singer who I was desperately in love with in my teen years. And I know that I speak for just about every woman who grew up in the 80s! The George Michael anecdote is taken directly from my life – I stalked him in my teen years, and in mind you in those days there was no such thing as social media, cell phone – smart or dumb or the internet. So the fact that I traveled from Mumbai to London one summer and tracked him down is a real life example of investigative research that I take great pride in!
I guess here is the story – a year or two before I wrote the book, I was chatting with my brother’s friend at a party and somehow, we got talking about the whole George Michael episode. The guy listened with rapt amazement as I gave him the details of how I stalked the pop star through his cat. He said to me ‘That would make a great chick flick, you know!’
I was intrigued but know nothing about film so decided to turn it into YA chick-lit instead!
There are many books out there about the life of women in India, Mumbai in this case….What makes yours different?
Oh my goodness, do you like to laugh? If so then Operation Mom will hit your funny bone. I think that many of us Indians take ourselves too seriously and cliched as it sounds, laughter really is medicine for your mind-body. The BBC has done huge amounts of research on how it helps the aging process, supports fitness and keeps couples together. But this book is not simply about LOL moments, it’s about LOL moments in the Bombay context — it offers a real window into the trials and tribulations of the feisty Punjai woman in Bombay.
And then there is that whole element of predictability and safety in India. You don’t find stories where the daughter is setting the mother up – usually it happens the other way around. You don’t find stories which expose you to a variety of ethnic situations strewn around Mumbai – all ripe for comedic interpretation. That’s what I wanted to do. As a Mumbaikar…or a Bombay-ite, I feel like I have many affinities – to the Punjabi way of life, to the Parsi community, to places like Swati Snacks and Worli Seaface…these all found their way into my book.
How did you do research for your book?
Having grown up in Mumbai, the research was easy. I knew the places I wanted to set the story in. I knew what they were about and the kind of crazy character chaos that I would find in those locations. Of course, this being a YA book, me now being a full-fledged adult (at least in size if not maturity levels), I knew I had to be up with the ‘method of madness’ of the current Mumbai young adult. So I had huge amounts of fun talking to my school going nephew and his friends to learning the lingo, compare the mindset from my time to theirs and quickly adapt to the change. Then of course I had fun taking long bus rides through town and hanging out at places like Swati Snacks and Kalaghoda Cafe (locations referred to in the story) to people watch and eavesdrop on conversations. Research is really one of the most fun parts of creating a story.
In your book you seem to look at relationships between flawed characters….why is that?
In my book I talk about relationships among flawed characters because isn’t this who we are and what makes us tick? I capture the sometimes-difficult relationship between mother and daughter, friend and friend, husband and wife, and boy and girl. My exploration is that of coming of age in a world filled with imperfect people. I aim to be both humorous and heartfelt, and from beginning to end, I resist any attempt to apply makeup to innocence, or hide the stubbornness or intelligence of my characters.
If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?
Another hard one. While in many ways I myself identify with the plight of Ila and her mom, Veena, it’s hard not to fall in love with the wild and wacky Aunty Maleeka or Deepali. They are the very antithesis of the classic Punjabi woman and in many ways they are who Veena and Ila live vicariously through. Truth is, I think we all need a bit of Aunty Maleeka or Deepali in our lives!
Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?
Oof, this is hard to say. Ila and Veena (mother and daughter) are essentially the same woman in two different generational bodies. So when I look at the zany women in my own household, Yours Truly in particular, it isn’t hard to come up with traits and quirks that easily define these main characters. As to the hardest character again…there has been.
How are you similar to or different from your lead character?
Like I alluded to earlier, in many ways I identify with the plight of Ila and her mom, Veena. Both of these characters are essentially the same woman in two different bodies. When I look at them, I see aspects of my teenage self and my adult self. My traits ring through in both — obsessiveness, zest for life, indomitable free spirit, my insecurities….oh yes!
What is something you had to cut from your book that you wish you could have kept?
I am not sure about the book but there is plenty I have to cut from the screenplay…like the whole flamenco dance class scene.
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
Readers tell me that they can totally identify with my characters even if they are from a different culture. This makes me happy 😊
Also Chanticleer Reviews said: “This book will have you laughing out loud. It will keep you reading into the night to see what life has in store for these lovable characters who leap off the page and capture your heart and your imagination. Reenita Malhotra Hora’s novel, Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life and a Man, is a highly recommended and delightful five-star read.”
This made me happy too 😊
Which authors inspired you to write?
Oh goodness! So many!
As a child – Enid Blyton. Not the choice of children’s author for anyone who has been a child since I became an adult!
As a child and an adult – Lewis Carrol, Gerald Durrell, Eric Segal
As an adult – David Sedaris, Nora Ephron, Andrew Ross Sorkin.Walter Isaacson, and of course the inimitable JK Rowling.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
1980s. Bombay to relive my teens and London to see George Michael 😊
What song is currently playing on a loop in your head?
Duran Duran’s – Wild Boys. I just saw them in concert, that’s why.
Who was your childhood celebrity crush?
George Michael of course!!!!
What is your next project?
Oof, which one?! As far as books and stories go, I would say Shadow Realm – Part 1 & 2 of the Arya Chronicles series. This is a YA fantasy fiction story. Part 1 is already out as an audio series which you can check out here: www.thearyachronicles.com/podcast. We are currently in production for Season 2 which will launch in Spring 2023. The print book version of Shadow Realm will be next as far as books go, followed hopefully soon thereafter by a graphic novel.
I also have a historical fiction novel in the works – Playtime at the Bagh and Ace of Blades, the “Succession-like” memoirs of my later father, RK.Malhotra, the dynamic creator of India’s home-grown shaving products industry.
Operation Mom: My Plan to Get My Mom a Life… and a Man is available at
Author Bio:
Reenita Malhotra Hora is a founder, executive-level content, operations & marketing leader, and prolific writer. With multiple years of experience in media, entertainment, communications, tech/innovation and wellness industries in the USA and Asia, she grows organizations, ranging from early stage startups through mid-size businesses, through storytelling, creative marketing and business strategy.
Reenita has written seven books – five non fiction and two fiction. She is the writer, anchor and executive producer of Shadow Realm and True Fiction Project podcasts and founder of the Chapter by episode fiction app. She has contributed to The Hindu, South China Morning Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNN, Asian Investor, Times of India, National Geographic Kids, Cartoon Network Asia, Disney, and more.
How did you do research for your book?
Being in the business of weddings for years, our work was our research! We also interviewed our clients to ask them what information they wished they had known at the start of their planning journey.
Do you have another profession besides writing?
Yes! Edna is a wedding planner, designer and brander. Jeri is a floral designer. We have decades of experience in the world of weddings. We’ve collaborated on many events and even won some national awards.
What is your next project?
Currently we’re working on a companion workbook for Guide to Smart Wedding Planning. We also have other planning tools in the pipeline so stay tuned!
What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing your book?
The challenges- writing while also running a business full time. The biggest reward is holding the book in our hands and having people tell us that the information made a difference in their wedding planning experience.
In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like?
The road was steep and winding!
What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring author?
Just keep at it. No matter how long it takes
Fun stuff:
Favorite dessert?
Anything chocolate
Any hobbies?
Jeri is a certified yoga teacher. Edna likes to go on motorcycle rides with her husband. We are both cat lovers.
If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be?
The Real Deal Wedding Insiders® are your go-to source for wedding planning info!
What is something you’ve learned about yourself during the pandemic?
In March of 2020 we were getting ready to publish our book and then the world shut down. We had no idea what the future would bring so we paused. We did make some edits to the book post pandemic about the wedding planning process, but our general advice did not change. We’re very happy about that because that means our advice stands the test of time!
Tell us about your longest friendship.
Our friendship! It is not the “longest” but the reason why we wrote this book. We first met at a networking event in Boston. Then we did a few weddings together and started to learn that we had so many things in common. For example we grew up in neighboring towns, we each have 2 sisters, our fathers were physicians, we’re married to men named Jim. But then we discovered some unique connections; Jeri’s older sister was born in France while her father served in the Air Force and Edna was ALSO born in France while her father served in the Army. Then one day, Jeri was helping her aunt Eleanor plan her anniversary party. They were in a common area in her retirement home, discussing how to set up the space. There was a woman eyeing them from a corner. After a little while she approached Jeri and Eleanor and asked “are you planning a party?” Eleanor explained that Jeri was in the “wedding business” and was helping her. To which the woman responded “Really! My niece is a wedding planner!” Of course her niece was Edna! Jeri immediately texted Edna to tell her that “Aunt Mary says Hi.” At that point, we knew for sure that we were more like family than friends.
Author Bio:
With a combined 30 years and hundreds of weddings produced, Edna Dratch-Parker, founder,
and creative director of EFD Creative—Event Planning & Design, and Jeri Solomon, owner of
Jeri Solomon Floral Design, bring their depth of knowledge and real-life experiences to help
couples avoid common mistakes, reduce stress, and truly enjoy the wedding planning process.
Whenever sleep eluded her, Adélaïde would gaze out the window of the third-floor apartment she shared with her husband and think about colors. She’d stare hardly blinking for hours, noticing all the subtle variations of hue that, to a skilled eye, gave the sky as much movement and character as a living creature. Even as a child, she had understood that nothing was fixed, that light changed whatever it touched. Take the human face: Skin was not one color, but many, and never exactly the same from one moment to the next. She knew, for instance, that if Nicolas ever discovered what she was going to do that day, his face would take on one of the shades of thundercloud that had become more and more familiar to her as they drifted apart, and then she would be obliged to cajole him back to a placid pale pink.
He lay in the bed next to her, sprawled on his back, snoring open-mouthed and dripping saliva on his pillow. With a snort, he rolled away from her, and Adélaïde eased herself out from between the sheets, nudged her toes into her slippers, and stood.
“You’re up early,” Nicolas said, making her jump.
She pulled on her dressing gown as she walked into what served as kitchen and dining area. “I’ll wrap up some bread and cheese for you.”
Nicolas threw off the covers and shook himself from shoulders to toes before whisking his night shirt over his head and dressing for his job as secretary to the clergy. Adélaïde handed him the parcel of food as he strode by on his way out. He turned before leaving and stared at her. “You’ve stopped even making an effort to be attractive. You could at least put your hair up.” He let the door slam behind him and thumped down the stairs.
He’s right, Adélaïde thought. But she didn’t have time to worry about that now. As soon as she heard the heavy outer door of the building open and close, she hurried down to the courtyard, filled a basin of water from the fountain, and brought it up to the apartment so she could bathe. When she was finished, she put on her one good ensemble—the one she wore to church on Sundays with bodice and sleeves that had been trimmed with Mechlin lace in her father’s boutique. Her plan was to leave and come back without anyone noticing before Nicolas returned for dinner.
After waiting for two women who lived below her to finish their conversation in the stairwell, Adélaïde tiptoed out of the house and took a circuitous route to the Rue Neuve Saint-Merri and the Hôtel Jabach so no one might guess where she was going. She passed as swiftly as she could along the crowded thoroughfares with their boutiques and market stalls selling everything from leather goods to live chickens, picking her way around piles of dung and flattening herself against buildings as carriages clattered by. Such strange turns her life had taken, she thought. If she had waited—as her father begged her—until someone more worthy asked for her hand, she might have been the lady she’d just seen pressing a scented handkerchief to her nose as she flew past in a handsome calèche. But at the age of eighteen, her mother dead the year before and all seven of her siblings buried, Adélaïde had been desperate to get away from home, to leave the memories behind and start a new life. Enter the dashing Nicolas Guiard, who courted her passionately and made her feel wanted. Then, she couldn’t believe her good fortune. Now, she realized she’d made a terrible mistake.
It was only ten o’clock when she arrived at the iron gates that opened into the courtyard of the Hôtel Jabach. She stood for several seconds and stared, taking in everything, fixing the image of this moment in her memory. She, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, was about to enter the first exhibition where she would not just be a spectator but a bona-fide, participating artist. Two of her pictures hung in one of the galleries within, her entries in the annual salon of the Académie de Saint-Luc—not the Académie Royale, but nearly as prestigious. Her teachers—François-Élie Vincent and Maurice-Quentin de la Tour—had put her up for membership years ago, before she married, and she would be one of only two women exhibiting that year. It was a bold step, a leap in fact, beyond the trite watercolor miniatures she sold in Monsieur Gallimard’s shop to make a little pocket money. Those were not art.
As she passed through the gates and crossed the courtyard to the entrance, sweat ran down her back under the layers of stays and bodice and petticoats, pooled at her waist, and trickled down her legs into the tops of her wool stockings. She took the printed catalogue the concierge handed her at the door and started fanning herself with it before she even opened it.
The murmur of polite commentary echoed around her. Smartly dressed men and women sauntered in twos and threes, facing the walls and pausing occasionally to admire what caught their eye, then turning to examine the portrait busts and figures that dotted the middle of the floor on pedestals at regular intervals. From her earliest childhood, Adélaïde had been to many exhibitions like this one, in rooms that had been stripped of some of their furnishings and given over to the contemplation of art. She wanted to savor it all and take her time to feast her eyes on everything, to give herself a chance to appreciate the honor of having her own work displayed alongside that of more established artists.
It was in the second of the main galleries that Adélaïde first noticed a small group comprising a slight, dapper man, an older woman who could still be called attractive, and two young ladies of startling beauty. One of them had a face of such exquisite proportions that Adélaïde wished she’d brought a sketch pad and a pencil so she could take her likeness then and there. The other one, although not quite as pretty, exuded sensuality and was clearly aware of the power she had over men in general and the gentleman in their party in particular. She cast her eyes down, her long lashes fluttering against cheeks rosy with what might have been embarrassment if they hadn’t been carefully painted with vermilion stain. That was when Adélaïde overheard the gentleman say, “No, I insist. Your allegories are perfection, Mademoiselle.”
Adélaïde froze. Her allegories? That lady had pictures hanging in the exhibition? The only other female member of the Saint-Luc she knew of was the elderly Mademoiselle Navarre, a pastellist and miniaturist who painted still lifes, not allegories. This lady, whoever she was, must have been elected very recently. No others were on the roster of exhibitors the last time Adélaïde had seen it. She held her breath, willing herself to blend into the crowd, standing sideways to the group and pretending to examine a rather voluptuous rendition of Leda and the Swan. Her ears tingled as she strained to hear the rest of the conversation despite the ebb and flow of casual comments as visitors moved through the gallery.
Paris, 1774. After her separation from her abusive husband, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard is at last free to pursue her dream of becoming the premier woman portraitist in Paris. Free, that is, until she discovers at her first public exhibition that another woman artist is poised to claim that role — and she has more training and better connections in the tightly controlled art world.
To have a chance of competing, Adélaïde must first improve her skills in oil painting. But her love affair with her young teacher gives rise to suspicions that he touches up her work, and her decision to make much-needed money by executing erotic pastels threatens to create as many problems as it solves.
As her rival gains lucrative portrait commissions and an appointment as portraitist to Queen Marie Antoinette, Adélaïde continues to struggle, until at last she earns a royal appointment of her own, and, in 1789, receives a massive commission from a member of the royal family.
But the timing couldn’t be worse. Adélaïde’s world is turned upside down by political chaos and revolution. With danger around every corner of her beloved Paris, she must find a way to survive and adjust to the new order, starting all over again to carve out a life and a career—and stay alive in the process.
The Portraitist is based on the true story of one woman artist’s fight to take her rightful place in a man’s world — and the decisions she makes that lead her ultimately to the kind of fulfillment she never expected.
Author Bio:
Susanne is the author of twelve works of historical fiction for adults and teens, as well as an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach. Her love of historical fiction arose partly from her studies in music history at Yale University (PhD, 1999), partly from her lifelong interest in women in the arts as a pianist and non-profit performing arts executive. Her novel The Paris Affair won first place in its category in the CIBA Dante Rossetti awards for Young Adult Fiction. The Musician’s Daughter was a Junior Library Guild Selection and a Bank Street Children’s Book of the Year, and was nominated for the Utah Book Award and the Missouri Gateway Reader’s Prize. In the Shadow of the Lamp was an Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award nominee. Susanne earned her BA and an MA (musicology) from Smith College, and lives in Biddeford, ME, with her little dog Betty.
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