Hard to believe that it's almost been a year since my second novel, The Dead Are Resting, came out. As someone who is independently published, there's a lot of work involved to "get your book out there." Well, I'm happy to say that advertising on Facebook has been great in that regard although I'm not just talking about sales. What's filled me with so much immense pride and happiness has been reading people's thoughts and opinions on my book. So for everyone who saw my Facebook ad, purchased a copy as a result, and then took the time to tell me how much they enjoyed it, thank you! There's no shortage of historical fiction literature on World War II and the Holocaust (I should know, I read a ton of it myself). So when I read comments from readers of The Dead Are Resting telling me how much they enjoyed the uniqueness of it...how it was one of the best books on the Holocaust they have ever read...how they read it all in one sitting...how well-written and researched it was...I could not feel any more proud of my work. And finally, if you have read one or both of my books, please take the time to write a review either on Amazon or Goodreads (or better yet, both sites). It doesn't need to be a New York Times level review, a couple of sentences would be perfect (no one's critiquing the content). But your review helps me immensely as it's a great way to keep "getting the word out." If you've already done so, a million thanks. |
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Stolpersteine As The Dead Are Resting is a work about the Holocaust, I wanted to share a topic related to it that many people are not familiar with. Stolperstein is a German word and literally means “stumbling stone” and metaphorically translates to “stumbling block.” Stolpersteine (the plural form of stolperstein) are of course mentioned quite prominently in The Dead Are Resting when the main character of Becky visits Berlin, Germany. A stolperstein is a ten-centimeter cube bearing a brass plate inscribed with the name and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination or persecution.They are laid into the pavement in front of the victim’s final residence or if he was not arrested at home, sometimes his place of employment. I personally think stolpersteine do an eloquent job of remembering the individual victim, as opposed to a collective memorial when the victims are just remembered as a number. Stolpersteine began in Germany but can now be found throughout Europe. The photo above is of four stolpersteine of a family I stumbled across in the former East Berlin. |
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My (5) most recent favorite reads: -Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon -The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer -The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore -All the Frequent Trouble of Our Days by Rebecca Donner -When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father's War and What Remains by Ariana Neumann For my complete reviews of the above mentioned titles (and other books), be sure to follow me on Goodreads! |
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Travel On March 9 it will be two years since I was abroad (that was the day I flew home to the United States from Singapore). I did visit Puerto Rico in December (my first time there and certainly not my last) and had a great time. To me there is nothing better than warm weather, good food, and those awesome tropical vibes. And Old San Juan is definitely one of the most photogenic places I have ever been (as you can see in my photos here). Although the last two years have added pressure to my "40 before 40" goal (visit 40 countries before 40, for the record I'm at 33 countries), I hope to make up for lost time later this year as I have not one but two big international trips booked (and the one is huge, epic bucket list status). More on that to come, hopefully by the next newsletter! And of course there will be some domestic travels thrown in too along the way. |
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Progress on my new bookI’m delighted to say that in 2022 I’ve returned to working on my book and am making good progress once more (my writer’s block that I experienced at the end of 2021 was definitely a case of COVID malaise). I’ve been doing a ton of research but as any (good) historical fiction author will tell you, research is of the utmost importance. My new book (my third novel) is another work of historical fiction although this time it takes place during the Vietnam War, centered on a female journalist. It’s the most “recent” time period of my three books and so the research angle is even more critical and more time consuming because at that time, everything was documented, and watching a war unfold on television from the comfort of one’s home was the norm. And even though the Vietnam War is on the “newer” side of history, I am learning so much which as an avid history buff, is such a wonderful thing. I was born in 1985, ten years after the end of the Vietnam War. Because it was so “fresh” when I was in school, it was of course never taught in the curriculum. But now as an adult in my mid-30s, I am giving myself quite the education on it through my reading and research |
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