Happy New Year!

2022- the year that finally felt like somewhat normal again (I FINALLY made it back to live theater-I saw the new stage touring production of To Kill a Mockingbird starring Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch who was excellent...and I made it to two new countries, a first since 2020. I have no doubt that my passport breathed a huge sigh of relief with each new stamp procured. And so I'm finally back on track of reaching my goal of visiting 40 countries before I turn 40 in 2025 (I'm up to 35 countries visited now in case you want to start keeping track).

And of course 2022 also saw the release of my third novel, Red Clay Ashes which is set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Although I'm incredibly proud of all my books that I've written, I think I'm proudest of all of my newest one, a story about one of American history's most tragic but also misunderstood periods (especially considering there's an extreme dearth of it in the historical fiction genre).

So many people of my generation but especially those born after me, know next to nothing about this time. It's imperative more than ever that this period of American history is forever known; teaching it and keeping it alive is the best form of remembrance we can give to the young men who were sent there to fight- those that made it home and those who died far too young.

I'm also very honored that one of my reviews for Red Clay Ashes is

from a Vietnam War combat vet.

If you're new to my site and my books in general, here's a synopsis for Red Clay Ashes:

Present-day: Who was Hazel Cerny? That’s the question her daughter Bee asks herself after her mother’s death upon discovering that Hazel was not the long-time recluse Bee had always thought her to be but actually an award-winning Vietnam War journalist. And that Bee’s earliest years were completely different from what she had believed them to be.

1967: Hazel Cerny has always wanted more in life, more than what her small Pennsylvania town and societal norms of 1960s America were willing to offer her. Following her graduation from college, she decides to throw caution to the wind and travels to Vietnam, determined to pursue her journalistic aspirations. Through grit and luck she becomes a war reporter, making her mark in a field predominantly male, breaking down the psychological barriers and mindsets that for too long had said, “you don’t belong here.” From the chaotic streets of Saigon, to the tunnels of Cu Chi, to the Tet Offensive, Hazel covers it all. She becomes the type of journalist most people only dream about becoming. And encounters a love that most people only dream about finding. But with love comes loss and everything else that war often brings.

Red Clay Ashes is available for purchase in both paperback and Kindle formats on Amazon (and remember, even if you don't own a Kindle, you can still buy the eBook version with the Kindle app for iPhones/iPads). If you purchase a copy, I thank you with all my heart in advance for your support. It means everything to me!

“When a woman comes to Vietnam to cover the war, she's called a 'girl reporter.' When a man comes here, he's just called a reporter. I want to change that."

Red Clay Ashes

Book Clubs  

If you've read any of my books and belong to a book club, I'd love to join your group sometime! I've been a guest at two book clubs in the past (one virtually, one locally to Pittsburgh) and would love to connect with new readers so please reach out!

Books I've Read 

Okay, so I "technically" didn't finish it until January 1, (however, I read 97% of it in 2022) but Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah was hands down my favorite read of last year.

And this newsletter's "books I've read" section is very much of a

Paris theme in case you could't tell...

Jacqueline in Paris by Ann Mah

This is my third book by Ann Mah that I've read (one non-fiction, the other fiction) and have come to the conclusion that she is THE person to read when you want to become thoroughly engrossed by La France.

Although I vaguely remember reading at some point former first lady, Jackie Kennedy being fluent in French, I had no idea that she studied abroad there for a year when she was in college. I equate study abroad with being more of a "modern" thing, something that gained popularity in the final decades of the 20th century. I never imagined that someone like Jackie Kennedy studying there in 1949-1950, mere years after the end of World War II and the Nazi occupation of the capital, especially since at that time, higher education for women wasn't necessarily, de rigueur. But Mah covers all of that- Jackie's fight to be able to go at all (at that time, women of Jackie's station would of course travel to Europe on a grand tour but not study there lest they become caught up in some "less than desirable" romantic entanglement with a foreigner) and the harsh conditions that still permeated everyday life in Paris in the years following the war. History tends to forever lump Jackie in with her marriage to John Kennedy, someone without her own voice- but now Mah has finally given her one and shows the literary world just how far she could have gone in life if societal dictates and norms of the time had not held her back.

For anyone who has ever loved Paris and/or studied abroad before regardless of the locale, this one's for you. Said by someone who both loves Paris and studied abroad in three countries during college.

Emily in Paris: The Official Cookbook

Anyone else obsessed with the Netflix show, Emily in Paris? I'm not going to lie, the other thing I was looking most forward to in December (after my epic bucket list trip to Egypt that is) was the release of Season 3. Although the accents by les Américains when they're speaking French are atrocious (especially the character of Madeline who is supposed to have a master's degree in French and speak it fluently??) and the stereotypes of both the Americans and French are sometimes cringeworthy, it's still wonderfully engrossing in a soap opera kind of way and the filming on location of beautiful Paris, well, it's reason enough to watch.

So when I saw that there was a cookbook of the show- I checked it out and was pleasantly surprised to see how wonderful sounding many of the recipes appeared to be (I also love how it's broken out into a very French culinary organizational system-recipes grouped by cafe...bistro...brasserie...restaurant...patisserie- because yes, they are all totally different from one another in terms of what's on the menu at such spots). I'm most anxious to finally make my own Kir Royals and Soupe au Pistou for starters. And of course, book a trip there too...It has been three years since I was last there...

And I know I say it every time, but if you have read either of my novels, The Tears of Yesteryear and/or The Dead Are Resting (and when you do, Red Clay Ashes), please leave a review for them on Amazon and Goodreads. It needn’t be long or eloquent, a sentence or two is perfect. But as someone who is independently published, reviews, not just ratings, are everything and help in spreading the word out about my books. So, if you enjoyed either or both of them, please let fellow bibliophiles know by writing a review.

Actual written words, not just clicking on a

star rating mean everything to me.

New book ideas...

Well, I came back from Hungary in August somewhat set on the idea of writing a book about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. But now? I'm intrigued by the idea of setting a book against the backdrop of the golden age of travel (i.e. turn of the last century) in...Egypt. Stay tuned!

I also updated my website, so be sure

to check it out! Until next time!