Thursday, November 29, 2018

Book Beginning: A Year of Living Kindly: Choices That Will Change Your Life and the World Around You by Donna Cameron

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING



Stories of kindness are everywhere . . . if we look for them.

-- from Chapter 1, "Being Nice Isn't the Same as Being Kind," in A Year of Living Kindly: Choices That Will Change Your Life and the World Around You by Donna Cameron.

I loved the idea of this book as soon as it caught my eye. I can't wait to dive in and the title of the first chapter intrigues me. What does this mean, being nice isn't the same as being kind?




Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING




Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Teaser Tuesday: Pay to Play: Sexual Harassment American Style by Tootie Smith



But let's consider the more hidden forms of sexism, which I believe are more prevalent in their influence in our workplaces and in our play-places and are most always ignored. For lack of a better term, I'll call it locker room talk

-- Pay to Play: Sexual Harassment American Style by Tootie Smith. Smith is a public speaker and consultant whose timely book offers a lively explanation of sexual harassment as well as common sense solutions.



Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by The Purple Booker, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Mailbox Monday: Essays Everywhere!

I picked up three books of essays last week. What books came into your house?



The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup: My Encounters with Extraordinary People by Susan Orlean. I saw the movie adaptation of The Orchid Thief, but have never read her books. Now I will.



Havanas in Camelot: Personal Essays by William Styron. Sophie's Choice is a gobsmacker of a book. I've never read his nonfiction.



A Hymnal: The Controversial Arts by William F. Buckley. I've been reading, and enjoying, Buckley's fiction and nonfiction since I was in high school. It's rare I find one of his books I don't already own, so I was excited to find this one.



Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Martha of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf.

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Author Interview: Stevan Allred


Stevan Allred is one of the most imaginative writers around. His new novel, The Alehouse at the End of the World, follows the hero on a quest to find his beloved on the Isle of the Dead. It's the latest title from Forest Avenue Press, with another eye-popping cover from Gigi Little.


Stevan recently talked with Rose City Reader about his new book, his inspiration, and what's up with the title: 

The Alehouse at the End of the World takes place in the sixteenth century, sort of, in a world filled with myth, lore, bird gods, adventures, and a very sexy goddess. What inspired such an imaginative story?

I stumbled my way into this novel without a plan or an outline. I wanted to write something untethered by the constraints of the everyday world. Inspiration came from books I have loved for decades, books from my childhood (The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, Winnie-the Pooh), books from my youth (Frank Herbert’s Dune, C. S. Lewis’s Narnia stories, J. R. R. Tolkein’s Middle Earth novels), books from my adulthood (Ursula LeGuin’s The Left Hand of Darkness, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Jan Morris’s Last Letters from Hav, Christopher Moore’s Lamb: the Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal). I put some brushstrokes of what might be called magical realism into my first book, A Simplified Map of the Real World. I hoped I was ready to go full bore into something fantastic, something I came to think of as mythical realism.

What is your professional and personal background and how did it lead to writing fiction?

Professionally I am a property manager, which is a people business, and affords me the chance to get to know lots of different kinds of people whom I might never meet otherwise. Sometimes I find moments of revelation in my day job that work their way into characters on the page.

I absorbed a love of books and writing from my mother, who valued a life of the mind while doing yeowoman’s work as a stay-at-home mom. I wasn’t an athlete, growing up, though I dearly wished I were, even though I lacked the coordination and strength to compete with my peers. But I was a very good student, academically speaking, and books were my companions, especially books that told a good story. My mother was interested in everything – science, religion, history, the natural world – and I grew up with her broad curiosity informing the casual conversation of our home life.

How did you come up with the title?

The title eluded me for a very long time, all the way through two complete drafts. Usually I would know the title of a work by then, but for three years this novel was known on my computer as Great Fish, a phrase I borrowed from the story of Jonah in the King James Version of the Bible.

Early on in the third draft the title came to me in the manner that Annie Dillard has famously described:
One line of a poem, the poet said – only one line, but thank God for that one line – drops from the ceiling. Thornton Wilder cited this unnamed writer of sonnets: one line of a sonnet falls from the ceiling, and you tap in the others around it with a jeweler's hammer. Nobody whispers it in your ear. It is like something you memorized once and forgot. Now it comes back and rips away your breath.
It was a couple of weeks before I realized that the title of my first book, A Simplified Map of the Real World, landed on the same word as the title of this novel. It was another six months before someone pointed out to me that I had unconsciously echoed the title of a Douglas Adams novel, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Douglas Adams and I are very different writers on the page, but our worldviews are not so far apart.

Did you know at the beginning how you were going to end the story, or did it come to you as you wrote the book?

In the beginning I had the fisherman, an incident with a whale, a quest that would lead the fisherman to the Isle of the Dead, and not much more. The rest I made up as I went along.

I like to discover the story as I write it. I like to let the characters and their language drive the writing forward. Had I planned the whole thing from the outset I don’t think I would have finished it. For me, the joy of writing a story is all in the discovery.

What did you learn from writing your book – either about the subject of the book or the writing process – that most surprised you?

I took great delight in stretching my imagination. The more I used my imagination, I discovered, the more I could use my imagination. It was like going into training for a marathon, building up the stamina and the range that would allow me to solve all of the problems my crazy version of the afterlife presented.

What kind of books do you like to read? What are you reading now?

I read a lot, mostly fiction, and my tastes are pretty broad. I love speculative fiction, and I love reality-bound fiction. I read YA novels from time to time, like Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus – so good I read it twice, back-to-back. I also read history occasionally, mostly with an eye toward the often astonishing accomplishments of our forebears, and the unintended consequences of those accomplishments. In that vein I am much enamored of Charles C. Mann’s two works, 1491 and 1493.

Right now I am reading Paul Souder’s excellent Arctic Solitaire, which is Souder’s account of going after the perfect polar bear photograph in the northern reaches of Hudson’s Bay. Before that Stranger in the Pen, Mohamed Asem’s memoir about being detained by immigration as he re-entered the UK after a trip abroad – my highly recommended, must-read for these troubled times. I’ve recently finished three exemplary novels, all of which are well worth the time: Octavia Butler’s Kindred, Tayari Jones’ An American Marriage, and Eva Hornung’s Dog Boy. I love books that take me somewhere I’ve never been and make that world come alive.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as an author?

It is far easier to make a bad sentence better than it is to try to write the perfect sentence in the first place. Writing is rewriting. You have to learn to live with your own bad writing until you figure out how to make it better. If you can learn to do that, and you get your butt in the chair on a regular basis, you’ll be okay.

Do you have any events coming up to read from or promote your book?

I have many, and you can go to my Stevan Allred website to keep up.


THANKS, STEVAN!

THE ALEHOUSE AT THE END OF THE WORLD IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOK SELLER TO ORDER IT. IT WOULD MAKE A GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR ANY READER WHO LIKES A GOOD YARN!



Thursday, November 22, 2018

Book Beginning: The Shame of Losing by Sarah Cannon

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING



On October 30, 2007, I was volunteering at a local arts center in our suburb, preparing for an auction.

The Shame of Losing by Sarah Cannon. This new memoir looks at how an ordinary wife and mother coped -- and didn't cope -- with her husband's traumatic brain injury. It's really good.





Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING





Happy Thanksgiving!




Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Teaser Tuesday: Give to Live by Arlene Cogan



Many of the families I’ve worked with wanted to give to charity, but also wanted to be able to take care of loved ones. You’ll be happy to know that you can do both.

Give to Live: Make a Charitable Gift You Never Imagined by Arlene Cogen. This seemed like an appropriate book for Thanksgiving week.

Arlene's new guide to philanthropy provides easy, straightforward, thorough information about charitable giving for individuals and the professionals who guide them.






Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by The Purple Booker, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Monday, November 19, 2018

Mailbox Thanksgiving Monday

What books came into your house last week? I got three nonfiction books, which seems appropriate for Nonfiction November.



A Year of Living Kindly: Choices That Will Change Your Life and the World Around You by Donna Cameron. As soon as I saw this book, I wanted to buy it. It will be the first book I read in 2019.



The Little Book of Lykke: Secrets of the World’s Happiest People by Meik Wiking. I loved The Little Book of Hygge. This new one is about lykke (LOO-ka), “pursuing and finding the good that exists in the world around us every day."



Warnings Unheeded: Twin Tragedies at Fairchild Air Force Base by Andy Brown. This is the true story about a 1994 mass shooting at the air force base, and an intentional airplane crash four days later, written by the man who ended the shooting spree.



Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Martha of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf.

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Author Interview: John Dodge


Journalist John Dodge is a veteran of natural disaster reporting, writing about the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens and the 1989 Bay Area earthquake, among other floods, earthquakes, and storms. His new book, A Deadly Wind, is a lively and comprehensive history of the 1962 Columbus Day Storm that ripped through the Pacific Northwest.


John recently talked with Rose City reader about his new book, big storms, and upcoming events:

Before we get to your book, can you introduce us to the Columbus Day Storm of 1962 to set the stage a bit?

The 1962 Columbus Day Storm was the strongest windstorm to strike the Pacific Northwest in recorded history. It was a mid-latitude cyclone fueled the remains of Typhoon Freda, and strong pressure and temperature differences in the atmosphere.

How did you come to write a book about the storm, A Deadly Wind?

I was drawn to this book project by several factors. One, I am a storm survivor, having experienced the storm as a 14-year-old living near Olympia, WA. Two, I accepted a challenge issued by University of Washington atmospheric sciences professor Cliff Mass, who, at the 50-year anniversary of the storm in 2012, urged someone to write the first full-length book about it.

How did you find the historical information and detail found in your book?

I relied on written, first-person accounts of storm survivors, newspaper articles, storm survivor interviews I conducted, books and articles dealing with meteorology, weather disasters, and Pacific Northwest history as well as my travels along the path of the storm.

Who is the audience for your book? What does it offer for readers who don’t have a personal connection to the Columbus Day Storm?

I believe that storm survivors make up a large part of the book’s readership. In addition anyone with an interest in Pacific Northwest history and/or severe weather should be drawn to the book.

What did you learn from writing your book – either about the subject of the book or the writing process – that most surprised you?

Given the many examples of risky behavior by people caught up in the storm, I was surprised that more people weren’t killed or injured. I was also struck by how primitive weather forecasting was in 1962.

What is your work background? How did it lead you to writing this book?

I had a 40-year career as a newspaper journalist and wrote in-depth features about the storm at the 25, 40, and 50-year storm anniversaries. The book research was a logical extension of my work as an investigative reporter, interviewer, and storyteller.

What do you like to read? What books are on your nightstand right now?

I’m an avid reader of fiction and non-fiction. I’m presently reading two books: Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean by Pacific Northwest writer, sailor, and conservationist Jonathan White and Weather Woman, a novel by Cai Emmons, an author and teacher in the University of Oregon’s Creative Writing Program.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as an author?

Some of the best advice I’ve ever received on writing came from the book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. He makes the point that writers need to do two things: Write every day and read every day.

Do you have any events coming up to promote your book?

I'll be at the 19th Annual Authors and Artists Fair at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene, Oregon from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on December 8, 2018. Additional book events as they are scheduled will be posted on my webpage and the Facebook Group Page called A Deadly Wind: The 1962 Columbus Day Storm.

What’s next? What are you working on now?

I’ve turned my attention to fiction writing in recent months, including a collection of short stories.


THANKS, JOHN!

A DEADLY WIND IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOK SELLER TO ORDER IT!


Thursday, November 15, 2018

Book Beginnings: Give to Live by Arlene Cogen


BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING



I grew up on Main Street, conquered Wall Street and, ultimately, returned to Main Street. . . . The result is that my mission in life is to help everyone experience the joy of giving and to give a gift they never imagined possible.

Give to Live: Make a Charitable Gift You Never Imagined by Arlene Cogen.

Arlene's new guide to charitable giving provides straightforward and thorough information about philanthropy for individuals and the professionals who guide them.

Give to Live is available in a Kindle edition for only 99¢, for a limited time.




Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING




Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Author Interview: Sarah Cannon


Days before she turned 33, Sarah Cannon's husband suffered a traumatic brain injury at work that changed everything about her marriage and the life they had planned. Her memoir, The Shame of Losing, tells how she found both suffering and joy as she navigated her new world.



Sarah recently answered questions for Rose City Reader about her book, being a writer, and using social media to connect with her readers:

How did you come to write The Shame of Losing?

I kept a journal in the early days of my husband’s rehabilitation at the trauma center in Seattle. Initially I thought that would be enough, but as time wore on, I needed something more. I craved a community of people who also had a drive to put everything out there and make a book, something readers would pick up and talk about. I wanted this because I was lonely, I guess. And I was also learning so much about this medical stuff I didn’t want to, and needed an outlet for my grief and confusion.

Your memoir is intensely personal – did you have any qualms about sharing so much?

Of course. I posted on Instagram last week how both my (ex) mother-in-law and my mother had received their advanced reader copies on the same day and began reading their copies right away. I jokingly (but not really) inserted the barf and sweat emoji’s, because that’s how I felt – barfy and sweaty. But, as some wise writing mentors told me in my MFA program, you never should censor for an audience. If artists did that, nothing great would ever be published.

You incorporate diary entries and letters written to your husband into the narrative of your memoir. Did you actually write the diary and letters while your husband was recovering from his brain injury?
 
The diary entries, yes. The letters, no. The diaries that ended up in the book weren’t transcribed from exact entries, but I was keeping records, and as I began to think of the arc, the diary entries – the dates – helped anchor the timeline, so things didn’t get too slippery or non-linear. The letters came from this desire to be loving toward him (my ex) as I was working hard to tell my truth. We had so many good times together. This is not the story of a nasty divorce or a man I came to regret marrying. Plus, I just love letters!

Did you consider turning your own experience into fiction and writing the book as a novel?

That was my number one goal, at first. I had worked in television and I love film, so I thought, well, I’ll get a mentor in this MFA program and learn about movie scripts and plays and produce this as fiction. I still love that medium, but as I got farther along, I learned that I love to read memoir more than scripts, and that I was going to spend all this money on a mentor, I might as well work to fill up some pages. I began writing essays, and a new mentor, a memoirist, basically said I was nuts to not write this as non-fiction. The cool part about going into a creative writing program is that you learn that non-fiction does not have to be boring. Yes, you must tell the truth, your truth, but that doesn’t mean you need to be a journalist with research or documentation backing up your story – unless you need to cite something, of course.

Who is your intended audience and what do you hope your readers will gain from your book?

I think my audience is anyone interested in examining loss, anyone who has felt voiceless or confused by situations out of their control. I think emerging memoirists or writers of any genre, hopefully, will appreciate what I’ve tried to do with the form, and I would hope that any reader simply feels compassion toward the characters – caregiver, injured person, children, and the affected TBI (traumatic brain injury) community – and learn something new they can use in life when they encounter a complicated situation like this one - invisible disability.

What kind of books do you like to read? What are you reading now?

I will read anything you put in front of me, or I’ll try. On my nightstand right now are an assortment of novels, poetry and crappy magazines. I use the library a lot, which keeps me deadline-oriented and also less broke. I am reading the Gilead by Marilynn Robinson and also Days of Awe by A.M. Homes. I need to return my copy of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, but I don’t want to! I always have the intense volume Against Forgetting: Twentieth Century Poetry of Witness by Carolyn Forche, at the ready. I am not above People, Vanity Fair, and Redbook magazines. ðŸ˜Š

You have a terrific website and are active on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. From an author's perspective, how important are social networking sites and other internet resources?

As a fulltime single parent to two teens, money is always tough. I knew I couldn't invest in a publicist for this book, or even pay professionals to consult on my website build. What I did was pay close attention to what other 'emerging writers' were doing out there, and followed in suite where it made sense and where I felt comfortable. I used Squarespace for my website build and spent a long time working on that so that it would be ready way before the book pub date. Facebook is not my favorite, but is sure is handy for connecting with other writers and old friends, who of will be the first to support you. I do love Instagram and I follow a lot of book lovers there, my people. I love that you can't add links and have to push your creativity a little bit on that platform.

My newsletter has been a great source of spreading the word that my book was on its way. I created my tribe, so to speak, and schedule for meaningful content to go out to subscribers every three months. For me, starting at home, with friends and family and writer friends, felt safe and supportive.

I have faith that the buzz will have a ripple effect as people begin to submit their reviews and spread the word.

Do you have any events coming up to promote your book?

I had a super fun launch party in my neighborhood on October 6th where I read for my family and dearest friends. Everyone brought flowers and the wine was flowing. With my teen kids there and both sides of the family, it was one of the most special nights of my life.

I have scheduled in Washington and California over the next several months that are all listed on the events page of my website. I hope to get events scheduled in Oregon after the holidays. The Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) will be in Portland this year, so I hope to do something down there in April when that happens. I love Broadway Books, and participating in anything at Powell’s would be a dream. I used to live in Eugene and Portland, and am fond of the area. (Go Ducks!)

Any tips or hints for authors considering writing a memoir?

Yeah, read everything you can get your hands on, understand the difference between therapy and creative writing, and definitely read Mary Karr’s fantastically helpful book, The Art of Memoir.

What’s next? What are you working on now?

This book was five years in the making, so to be honest, I’m feeling kind of wiped out. I do have a partner, though I still consider myself a single parent, since I have the kids full time and take care of most of their financial/emotional needs. I am working fulltime as a technical editor and project manager, all of which is to say I’m tired! I am participating in a new writing group – women in Seattle who are all moms and who are serious about writing and publishing and reading. They keep me on my toes. I would like to write for kids – teens – and I do have a storyline and some characters I keep going back to, but I am not as compelled as I once was to get it all down fast. I’d love to take a stab at script-writing for real and adapt my book for film. But no more memoir for me. Not for a while, at least. I’m looking forward to entertain you with fiction.


THANKS, SARAH!

THE SHAME OF LOSING IS AVAILABLE ONLINE OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOKSELLER TO ORDER IT!




Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Teaser Tuesday: The Alehouse at the End of the World by Stevan Allred



Contrary to his usual practice, the crow sat on his perch in his man form, his legs dangling, his skin oiled, his chest broad with pride. He was the undisputed King of the Dead, he was the master of all he surveyed, and now fate had sent him a woman -- a goddess, no less, worthy of being his consort.

The Alehouse at the End of the World by Stevan Allred, the latest release from Forest Avenue Press. Allred's new novel is the most imaginative book that has come my way in a long time!



Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by The Purple Booker, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Monday, November 12, 2018

Mailbox Monday: My Anniversary (Observed)

November 11 is my wedding anniversary as well as Veterans' Day. We try to celebrate with the "traditional" gifts, but after the 15th, the traditional gifts only come around every five years. Luckily for me, that meant Hubby got me books for our 18th anniversary!

He got me a stack of fancy Philip Roth books because Roth is a favorite of mine.



What books came into your house last week?



Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Martha of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Veterans' Day


Since today is the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, the day that ended World War I, a vintage "Remembrance Day" postcard instead of my usual Veterans' Day postdated seemed in order.

Here is the whole poem by John McCrae:

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead; short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe!
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.




Thursday, November 8, 2018

Book Beginning: The Alehouse at the End of the World by Stevan Allred

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING



The fisherman lived alone at the edge of the sea, in a shack beneath the shade of the tallest shore pine for leagues, on a bluff above a shallow cove.

-- The Alehouse at the End of the World by Stevan Allred, the latest release from Forest Avenue Press.

Allred's new novel is a feast for the imagination, following the hero on a 16th Century quest to find his beloved on the Isle of the Dead.

UPDATE: Oops! I forgot to include the opening sentence in my original post. It's there now.



Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING




Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Teaser Tuesday: Burnside Field Lizard by Theresa Griffin Kennedy



Darvella wore tattered blue jean cutoffs and a yellow calico halter top that was threadbare and thin, looking as if it came straight from a Goodwill bin. I was heading home from my job as a motel maid, walking east on Burnside when I noticed her large cerulean blue eyes watching me from a short distance away.

-- from the title story in Burnside Field Lizard and Selected Stories, debut fiction inspired by her hometown of Portland, from nonfiction writer and poet Theresa Griffin Kennedy.

Find my Rose City Reader Q&A author interview with Theresa here.


Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by The Purple Booker, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.

Monday, November 5, 2018

Mailbox Monday: Raw Material by Stephanie Wilkes

One absolutely fascinating book came into my house last week. How about you?



Raw Material: Working Wool in the West by Stephany Wilkes. How one woman's search for "local yarn" lead her to sheep shearing school and a growing community of hardworking Americans trying to bring eco-friendly wool to market.





Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday, a weekly "show & tell" blog event where participants share the books they acquired the week before. Visit the Mailbox Monday website to find links to all the participants' posts and read more about Books that Caught our Eye.

Mailbox Monday is graciously hosted by Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, and Martha of Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf.

Saturday, November 3, 2018

Author Interview: Javelin Hardy



Javelin Hardy is a poet, counselor, and social worker. She drew on her training and background to tell her own story of recovery from abuse in The Girl Inside Me, a collection of poetry, stories, and historic photographs. She just released her second book of poems, It Takes a Journey to Heal.


Javelin recently answered questions for Rose City Reader about her two books and her work with trauma survivors and their families:

How did you come to write The Girl Inside Me, your first book?

I’ve been writing since I was a small child and this book is a collaboration of poems and stories I’ve written over time.

Your poetry deals with your own journey through sexual abuse any trauma. Was it difficult to tell such an intimate story?

No, it wasn’t because I decided I had been suffering in silence way too long and it was time for my voice to be heard. Using my voice was a way to release pain and embrace my healing.

Who is your intended audience and what do you hope your readers will gain from your books?

The audience is overcomers and survivors of childhood sexual abuse and trauma.

You are now a social worker and counselor. Can you tell us about your practice?

I currently counsel students at college and in my private practice I do a lot of training, education, and one-on-sessions in the African American community. Most of my work is on healing from trauma, abandonment, and family addiction.

What did you learn from writing your book – either about the subject of the book or the writing process – that most surprised you?

I learned I was dealing with generational trauma and learned behaviors. I’ve shared with people before that I didn’t get my masters to become a counselor. I received my masters to understand the dysfunctions of my family and how I can break cycles of abuse and addiction.

Can you recommend any other books about healing after child sexual abuse?

All of Susan Anderson books: The Journey from Abandonment to Healing, Black Swan: The Twelve Lessons of Abandonment Recovery, and Taming your Outer Child: Overcoming Self-Sabotage and Healing from Abandonment. Also Healing from the Trauma of Abuse: A Women’s Workbook by Mary Ellen Copeland and Maxine Harris, PhD and books on Bowen Systems Theory.

What resources would you recommend for survivors of child sexual abuse? How about for their loved ones and supporters?

Find a counselor who is skilled in Trauma therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and family systems, and find support groups for family around the same therapy.

What can friends and family of abuse victims do to support them?

Believe them, listen, and allow them to speak their truth. Please don’t try to tell them what worked for you or people you may know. Everyone’s trauma is not the same.

What is the most valuable advice you’ve been given as someone working to help abuse survivors?

“Healing is a Process and sometimes we have to walk alone.” Which is a poem in my second book, It takes a Journey to Heal. You can’t rush anyone, understand your client will go through the stages of grief several of times and sometimes go backwards. They will need a loving, kind, compassionate person to work with them through their healing.

What’s next? What are you working on now?

I released my second book, It Takes a Journey to Heal, this past July and I'm working on book number three for maybe next summer or fall 2019.


THANKS, JAVELIN!

JAVELIN'S BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE FROM DANCING MOON PRESS, OR ASK YOUR LOCAL BOOK SELLER TO ORDER THEM.


Thursday, November 1, 2018

Book Beginning: Burnside Field Lizard and Selected Stories by Theresa Griffin Kennedy

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS

THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING



It wasn’t that I didn’t recognize Leatrice; it was that she looked so wholly transformed I couldn’t place the young woman with the child that she used to be.

-- from "The Librarian's Daughter; Young Leatrice Never Grew Up," the first story in Burnside Field Lizard and Selected Stories, debut fiction from poet and nonfiction writer Theresa Griffin Kennedy.

Find my Rose City Reader Q&A author interview with Theresa here.




Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

FACEBOOK: Rose City Reader has a Facebook page where I post about new and favorite books, book events, and other bookish tidbits, as well as link to blog posts. I'd love a "Like" on the page! You can go to the page here to Like it. I am happy to Like you back if you have a blog or professional Facebook page, so please leave a comment with a link and I will find you.

TWITTER, ETC: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book  Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up.

TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING




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