Steel meets saltwater. On the deck of the Coast Guard cutter Owasso, duty is a constant, and the sea is a relentless master. For Rat, a young deckhand, this voyage to Rio isn’t just a job—it’s a crucible.
Amidst the grind of shipboard life, a brotherhood is forged. From the seasoned veterans to the green cadets, each man grapples with his own demons, tested by the unforgiving rhythm of the ocean. The Owasso is a world unto itself, where sweat and steel define the day, and the bonds of shared hardship run deep.
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Equatorial Rhythms.
Copyright (c) 2025. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
For the two couples on the boat it felt like a vacation. It looked like a vacation. Heck, it even smelled like a vacation- but it was an elaborate trap.
To tip the scales in an ancient war, the plan demanded that at least one of the humans be sacrificed. If successful, this operation would reach through time, alter children, and alienate grandchildren-forever. They were betting everything to change the unrealized destiny of this family- by destroying their hope.
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Charity’s Fire.
Copyright (c) 2025. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Searching for Jake – Rich Nelson’s new book, and his first novel – tells the story of a closeted young athlete coming of age in a small Midwestern town of the 1970s.
Sponsored by Moravian Sons Distillery, Doc Chavent and author Lauren Persons.
Jake is a star hockey player in high school and college, fully immersed in a sport that is the epitome of masculinity. But the relentless voices in his head conflict with his perception of being all male, his emerging feelings of same-sex attraction drawing him into a journey to find and embrace his authentic self.
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Searching for Jake.
Copyright (c) Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
The Caving Grounds excavates the rubble of Negaunee, a small town in Upper Michigan hollowed by a century of mining.
Sponsored by Moravian Sons Distillery, Doc Chavent and Author Lauren Perssons
The extraction of hematite caused underground collapses and sinkholes; undermined neighborhoods were deemed unstable; homes, churches and even cemeteries were moved, and dangerous areas fenced. Thankfully, a guide will emerge: Rusty.
“The ‘pick and hammer’ was historically used in cartography to indicate the location of a mine. It emerges from my love of maps, which I reference in several of the poems, and the sheer abundance of those mine symbols on old UP Michigan maps: hundreds of historic mines in the Marquette Iron Range alone,” Heideman said about the symbol on the cover.
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of The Caving Grounds.
Copyright (c) 2025. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Only a true journalist like Ann Berman could make the connection between an Adirondack chair and an obscure half Jewish, part Indigenous entrepreneur from Marquette in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula who has been dead for close to 100 years.
Sponsored by Modern History Press, Moravian Sons Distillery and Doc Chavent.
Louis Graveraet Kaufman: The Fabulous Michigan Gatsby Who Conquered Wall Street, Took Over General Motors and Built the Tallest Building in the World is the story of the half Jewish, part Indigenous man from Marquette (1870-1942) who built and ran one of the largest banks in the country, changed the destiny of GM, financed the Empire State Building and built a grand apartment building at 625 Park Avenue. He was also the builder of some of Marquette’s most elegant architecture, including Granot Loma, a 26,000 square foot Adirondack style log and stone lodge on Lake Superior where he entertained celebrities at Gatsby-esque parties and plugged UP agriculture at his ‘gentleman’s farm.’ Wildly social and upwardly mobile, he and his family lived Jazz Age lives full of race horses, debutante parties and private rail cars…until a wrong turn brought the whole thing tumbling down and he retreated, defeated, to his beloved Marquette.
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Louis Graveraet Kaufman.
Copyright (c) 2025. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
A Teacher’s Gift is a book of inspirational stories and reflections garnered from over three decades of classroom experience.
Sponsored by Modern History Press, Moravian Sons Distillery, and authors Lisa Romence and Brian Talarczyk.
Each page provides insights into the complexities and challenges of a teacher’s typical day. This book is a timeless resource that teachers can reach for whenever they need encouragement and inspiration. The entries will refresh and recharge the reader, and remind them of the
significant role they play in the lives of their students.
Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of A Teacher’s Gift.
Copyright (c) 2025. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
About the feature photo: Socialist Cooperative Housing
I used the pic of Southern Slopes, a mega housing complex in former Gottwaldow for 30,000 people from the memoir. At the time, it was considered as one of the many successes of socialism. These were sprinkled around the country, mainly in big cities. In many cases, generations had to wait to get into an apartment. True, compared to condos, they were cheap and affordable. Sometimes, I have nightmares from living in these rabbit boxes.
Thank you reviewers and voters
I would like to thank all reviewers who took the time to write a review of my award-winning memoir since its publishing in 2020, and the voters who voted for me in the International Impact Book Awards in May.
I have just recently discovered the newest review by best-selling author Sue Harrison, who was a guest on my For the Love of Books Podcast show on May 8, 2025 with her book Rescuing Crash.
Harrison’s novels have sold more than two million copies and have been published in more than 25 contries and 13 languages. In 2023, she was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame.
The review written on the great Meditteranen Sea warmed my heart since I have visited the Med coast at least three times in my life. Often, I take my inspiration from the places I visit.
The memoir covers three continents and different countries such as formerJugoslavia, Austria and Germany, we used as means of escape. Other countries like Hungary enabled our cladenstine meeting with my father professor Vaclav Konecny before the fall of communism.
We are deeply indebted to all the countries that have welcomed us on our escape journeys, mainly as we awaited visas to Canada and the U.S. Without their help, we would be lost in a sea of ignorance or indifference to our ordeal that cast a shadow on entire generations after the invasion of Soviet tanks of Czechoslovakia in 1968.
I didn’t write the memoir to glorify the communists or socialists, I wrote it to preserve the stories of several generations. I hope anyone who has second thoughts about penning his or her life story, finds the courage to relive it and put the words down on paper.
Let it be it serve as encouragement and inspiration for other authors, writers and readers, current and future.
Definitely a 5-star on this one! Emma Palova gives us unparalleled insight into 3 forms of government: Socialist, Communist, and Capitalism. We view all three through her eyes as a child living in the midst, as a teen, and as an adult. We also see these systems through the eyes of her parents. She presents these points of view unapologetically and without prejudice, which I think is amazing, listing good points and bad of each. The joy of this book is that it is a memoir, not a treatise, and thus is highly readable, actually a page-turner. I’m in awe of this woman who is not only an author, but has her own podcast, within which she gives her listeners introductions to other writers and their work. I wish college students (and high school students) would read this book. It is an eye-opener, and also gives wonderful insight into Eastern European cultures and people, something we Americans often know little about!
I Just finished the book on my balcony overlooking the Med sea from the east shores of Napolean’s birthplace…I was waiting for a perfect opportunity to read this book at a moment when I wouldn’t be bothered by everyday hustles and tasks…as I put the book down I can’t stop admiring the incredible courage and resilience of all of the characters in the story…throughout the book we get drawn into their struggles and dilemmas and feel their sadness, joy and frustration…we feel proud of their perseverance in the quest for their dreams…The book pleased me as well by giving a brief look into the timeline of the political events that took place leading to democracy in former Eastern European countries…This is a very easy read, that will please fans of all kinds of genre of litterature…
Copyright (c) 2025. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Lauren’s rich and varied roles as actor, director, playwright, newspaper columnist, teacher, poet, wife, mother and grandmother have contributed to her latest role—children’s author of Lost But Found, The Real Story: Chappie’s Tale, What Happened to Chester, The Perfect Gift and Deer Diary.
Listen in for a chance to win signed copies of Deer Diary and What Happened to Chester?
Copyright (c) 2025. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
In a powerful display of camaraderie, Michigan Authors have become a staple of the Lakeshore Art Festival coming to downtown Muskegon this weekend June 28 &29 on Clay Street.
Sponsored by Modern History Press, Moravian Sons Distillery https://moraviansonsdistillery.com and authors Brian Talarczyk and Jennifer Raines.
Stop by this weekend to support more than 20 authors who write in all genres from children’s books to memoirs and mysteries.
Copyright (c) 2025. Emma Blogs, LLC. All rights reserved.
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