Happy Thanksgiving!

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.

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.

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!

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