Please check out my virtual booth at Detroit Bookfest from July 15 through July 17. You can get my Greenwich Meridian Memoir about the Konecny family immigration saga from former Czechoslovakia to the USA by clicking on the link below.
My other books from the Shifting Sands series will also be available in the virtual booth including my newest one The Lost Town set in the ghost town of Singapore, MI.
Also, stay tuned for an upcoming episode about The Lost Town on For the Love of Books Podcast at http://emmapalova123.podbean.com
“I want to dance always, to be good and not evil, and when it is all over not to have the feeling that I might have done better.”
-Ruth St. Denis
Dancing into the fourth week of the Winter Virtual Book Festival, I hear thawing snow drops falling from our gutters and making holes in the white cupola on the balcony. The sun flooded my Covid Sanctuary with golden rays. Most importantly I heard birds chirping in the pergola this morning.
Last night the festival participants marvelled at the readings of childrens’ book authors Carol Trembath, Jordan Scavone and MT Falgoust.
Children’s authors at the Winter Virtual Book Festival.
Leave behind your old misconceptions, that children’s books are for kids only. I’ve personally devoured the Indie authors presentations with illustrations like I would have a pepperoni pizza with tons of cheese.
Trembath and Scavone tackled serious subjects like Covid and grief. In her “Fairies and the Global Tree to the Rescue,” Trembath depicts scared fairies seeking help from the Global Tree. The fairies are told to wear a mask and wash their hands and “pixie wings” to stay safe from the “Fairy Flu.” The illustrations were so surreal, that the Global Tree even scared me.
In Scavone’s “Might-E Emilia”, Emilia searches for her inner superhero in the wake of her grandfather Abuelo’s death. Can she find the superhero?
MT Falgoust presented a tasty count down for young readers in “Ten little Crawfish” including a stop for a Mardi Gras parade.
In case you missed it, visit the festival PopUp Book Shop at pagespromotions.com and get your signed book.
I’ve learned so much in the festival workshops about social media marketing for authors presented earlier in the month. Last week, historical fiction authors JuliAnne Sisung and Xander Cross unraveled for us mysteries in histories such as: “Why does history repeat itself?” and that YouTube can be used for primary history research. Hm, who would have thought.
There’s still much more coming this final week as the snowbanks on our gravel road continue to melt. Tonight I will immerse myself with more historical fiction writers who are still undercover until they appear in the Zoom room. However, we will not know which book they are reading from; thus the festival theme “Blind Date with a Book.”
Last but definitely not the least of the festival workshops is “Building Suspense” by author Andrew Smith who will be giving away his “Slice of Fear” to workshop participants. Smith has also served as a backstage hand to the festival organizer Diana Plopa along with author Kate McNeal.
Don’t miss non-fiction readings on Thursday and science fiction this coming Saturday.
Stay tuned for the details on replays, the PopUp Book Shop and the Festival Wrap Up Party on Sunday.
Huzzah!
Copyright (c) 2021. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Rolling into the first weekend of the Winter Virtual Book Festival organized by Pages Promotions, LLC, we’ve covered genre from action and adventure, non-fiction to memoir. The theme of this festival is “Blind Date with a Book.”
Events
You pick an event by clicking on the caption below, and register on Zoom.
The participating authors read from their books without revealing the title. The screen shows scrambled covers, and it’s up to you to find the perfect fit.
If you match up the author with the book, you get the bragging rights on social media. Please use the hashtag #ppvirtualbookfestival.
Wheel of Happiness
Diana has given out a lot of prizes spinning the Wheel of Happiness, and a lot more is to come during the month of February. If you win a book, check it for the gold, silver or bronze ticket for major prizes.
If you don’t attend, you can’t win. Invite your friends, fans and family and cast the authors’ event on your TV.
PopUp Book Shop
Visit the festival PopUp Book Shop to meet your next favorite book. It will be up only during the festival month. So do not procrastinate.
Bannister, MI – The following are reviews of the “Greenwich Meridian Memoir” by Thomas and Diane Bradley of Bannister, MI. Both are Michigan State Polka Music Hall of Fame 2012 inductees. They are one of the founders of the Czechoslovak Harvest Festival known as “Dozinky” held annually in Bannister on the first Sunday in August. The Bradleys are members of the Western Fraternal Life Association, Lodge Michigan #225.
Czech folk dances during the Harvest Festival in Bannister.
Thomas Bradley
The “Greenwich Meridian Memoir” truly brought back memories of my trip with my grandmother to Czechoslovakia in 1960 when I was 17. We stayed with friends in one of those grey apartment buildings. The deal was you couldn’t talk to people without them looking around to make sure no one was listening. I knew part of what was going on but this book really provided insight as to what was truly taking place.
Also, I knew about the Charter 77 movement and this memoir helped to provide a bigger picture as to what was taking place. This book provided a great amount of insight into how the citizens of Czechoslovakia actually lived and their struggles during that period of communism. It was truly very informative.
Diane Bradley
I’ve heard many stories from my grandparents and elders in the family who immigrated to the United States from Czechoslovakia. Arriving between 1900 and 1910; they were from a different time and socioeconomic background.
I so enjoyed reading Emma’s family’s journey to a new and safer life. Their memories were of a new era and different circumstances. “Greenwich Meridian Memoir” truly broadened my perspective of immigrants’ lives and challenges.
About the feature photo: This is the cover of the “Greenwich Meridian Memoir” designed by graphic artist Jeanne Boss of Rockford.
Autumn Virtual Book Festival
Autumn Virtual Book Festival
Follow author readings and interviews during the month of October.
The festival features a variety of authors with diverse genres.
Lowell, MI – Welcome “Blue Moon” October with your two full moons, pumpkins, candy, spooky characters, books, Girls Nites Out in ugly sweaters and paranormal investigations in the Fallasburg historic village.
Pumpkins decorated with hair from wool.
The month started off strong with a full moon, a storm in the morning and a brainstorming session in the afternoon with Anthony Mora Communications for the PR of my upcoming book “Greenwich Meridian Memoir” about our family immigration saga from former Czechoslovakia to the USA. As part of the project, they will also be marketing my book no. 2 that never fully reached the market because of covid-19. Thank you Anthony and Lindsey for your work on this project.
While most of the events have been cancelled, the nature hasn’t canceled her show in hues of oranges, browns and yellows. Moreover, today was the Feast of the Guardian Angels. We each have a guardian angel, and this year we need more than one. As I drove to the Vergennes Township hall to pick up my absentee ballot, I noticed a sign on Bailey: “Jesus 2020.”
Shifting Sands: Secrets is book no.2 in the Shifting Sands short stories series.
Just 10 minutes before the brainstorming session, I found out from my Romanian poet/publisher friend Valeriu Dg Barbu, that my book has already been translated into Italian. Thank you Valeriu. Valeriu owns a small publishing house Editura Minela at:
Plus my husband and I celebrate our wedding anniversary on Oct. 7. Happy anniversary Ludek.
The Pala-Konecna wedding at the “Zlin Zamek” in former Czechoslovaka.
The socially distant Lowell Harvest Celebration will take place on Main Street on Oct. 10. This year, the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce is taking over the Larkin’s Chili Cook-Off. The chamber will be selling $5 wristbands for chili tastings at different venues.
Featured photo: Hannah Rietzema at the Springrove Variety, that is now closed.
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