Tag Archives: literature

Author Karen Tintori pens Unto the Daughters

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ic3nu-135173d

In her memoir and historical mystery Unto the Daughters, author & former journalist Karen Tintori unveils a family secret set in turn-of-the-century Detroit. The inciting incident to break the silence was an obliterated passport, and then a wedding photo.

 

“I am Italian, ” she said. “My mother’s side of the family was from southern Sicily. You don’t tell family secrets.”

The story of her great-grandaunt Francesca haunted Tintori’s inquisitive mind for decades. After 12 years, three novels, and advice from the editor, Tintori re-imagined the haunting truth of an honor killing.

Listen in for a chance to win a signed copy of Unto the Daughters.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent and The Lowell Ledger, the hometown newspaper in Lowell, MI

 

Author Ann Dallman pens Cady and the Birchbark Box

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-bgg9h-133e9d9

Ann Dallman has lifelong roots in Michigan’s UP. She started out as a newspaper reporter/photographer and returned to journalism after retiring from teaching. 
In Cady and the Birchbark Box, Cady Whirlwind Thunder solves the mystery behind a weathered journal found inside a very old birchbark box. Why was the box buried behind a deserted garage?
 
This is the question her friend and “crush,” John Ray Chicaug, asks her after the two of them find it. And, what meaning do the notes in the book have? Cady’s grandma and her ever-present companion, a noisy blue jay, encourage her as she puts together the pieces and ultimately restores the reputation of a deceased elder.
Listen in for a chance to win an autographed copy of Cady and the Birchbark Box.
Sponsored by Doc Chavent and The Lowell Ledger

Author Carol Nickles pens Thumb Fire Desire

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-wuxsw-1334a75

This historical fiction novel was inspired by the biggest natural disaster in Michigan-the fire of 1881. Author Carol Nickles kept the idea for the story along with notes in a box for close to 20 years.

Then she decided either she was going to write the story or burn the box, and that’s how Thumb Fire Desire was born with the help of a developmental editor.

“I’ve always wanted to tell this story,” she said.

Listen to this inspiring interview for a chance to win an autographed copy of Thumb Fire Desire.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent, The Lowell Ledger, and Modern History Press.

 

Halfway through NaNoWriMo 2022 with Wrimo Experts

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-xckzw-13160d2

NaNoWriMo authors Jean Davis, Vera West, and host of For the Love of Books Podcast Emma Palova take you through the first half of the 50K writing challenge in this special episode. Their combined total log-in was just under 80,000 words.

Find out what they did to reach their writing goals on their journeys to publishing new books in 2023. Keep on writing past the challenge, and make it a daily habit, these experts say.

Watch for their books in 2023.

So listen in and jump on the NaNoWriMo roller coaster, because you can’t edit a blank page.

Copyright (c) 2022 Emma Palova

Nikki Mitchell’s Nightshade Forest

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-9b6zq-1304f67

In case you missed this summer episode with author Nikki Mitchell about her Nightshade Forest release.

Enjoy.

T.J.London pens prequel ’Man of War’

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-pt922-12e8bbf

It was actually fashion that got T.J. London interested in the American Revolutionary War as a young author as simple as it may seem.

“I was getting into my persona,” she said. “The look got me interested in that time period. Now it draws attention to my books.”

Yes, it was the red coats and tricorne hats that sparked the imagination of a young mind, and later served well as a counseling tool during a period of grief. Rather, than writing a journal, T.J. London went the whole way and wrote ‘Man of War.’

T.J. London is an expert at digging out little-known facts in history and asking herself questions. She was referring to battles in upstate New York that T.J. London didn’t know about.

“Why don’t we learn this stuff,” she said.

What fascinated T.J. London were all the changes that were happening at the same time.

“It was this incredible cataclysmic moment in history,” she said. “But in fiction where were those stories? I felt like I needed to know more.”

And the prequel is not just about the revolution, but also about digging deep into the roots of what was going on T.J. London’s life after the loss of her father.

It took her four years to write ‘Man of War’ backed up by solid research about the Royal Navy.

Come along on a journey with ambitious captain Merrick and revengeful India for a chance to win a signed copy of ‘Man of War.’

Sponsored by Doc Chavent and The Lowell Ledger.

How to survive NaNoWriMo 50k word challenge ending up with a rough draft of a novel

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-k8thk-12e89f0

That is the million-dollar question that today’s panelists authors Jean Davis, Vera West, and Emma Palova will attempt to answer. There is not a one size fits all guideline to win the 50,000-word challenge coming up in November.

At times, the challenge reminds me of final exams in college, when you had to pull it all together in one month, and in four different subjects. As authors, we each have a different approach to getting it done. I like to have some kind of pillars to rely on kind of like a suspended bridge, not necessarily a full-blown outline, but rather a synopsis as Davis suggested.

Davis has been participating in NaNo for 17 years, which has increased her productivity immensely. Out of that, she won 15 times. West enters every year but does not always win. So far, she has won once.

“For me, any progress is better than none,” she said.

True, if you enter and get 10,000 words written, that’s 10,000 words more than you had before entering.

These experienced NaNoWriMos offered invaluable tips in the special episode: Have two projects in the works in case you get stuck on one, and work hard in the honeymoon phase at the beginning before exhaustion settles in.

Don’t go back to fix anything, keep moving forward even if you don’t like the way the story is evolving; you might not like it two hours later either.

“There are two ways to go about it,” Davis said. “First you can outline that you have to write 1,667 words a day, secondly you can just work on something like I do.”

Whichever way you pick, just stick to your commitment.

Find out what to do when you do get stuck. And we all do, indeed.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent and The Lowell Ledger

 

Author Ash Bishop pens Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc.

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-e97i3-12d8066

In his first book, author Ash Bishop teleports protagonist Russ Wesley into another galaxy with a sugary cookie in his pocket, in this light-hearted sci-fi novel.

Listen in for the keywords for this week for a chance to win a signed personalized copy of Intergalactic Exterminators, Inc.

When Wesley finds an unusual artifact in his grandfather’s collection of rare antiquities, the last thing he expects is for it to draw the attention of a ferocious alien from a distant planet. Equally surprising is the adventurous team of intergalactic exterminators dispatched to deal with the threat. The exterminators specialize in “ecosystem preservation”— a thankless job that involves hunting down alien predators of all shapes and sizes. They’re so impressed with Russ’s marksmanship that they insist he join their squad . . . whether he wants to or not.

“Russ is an interesting fella,” said Bishop. “He doesn’t have close family, and his grandma needs money.”

So Russ goes off and works for a galactic space group.

“It’s heartfelt,” Bishop said. “Fifty percent of the story has to do with the characters.”

Based on the success of Intergalactic Exterminators, Bishop landed a deal to publish his previous book in 2023.

“They’re completely different books,” he said.

But, switching genres comes to Bishop easily.

Listen in for some tips on how to switch genres and for the keywords of the week to win Bishop’s book.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent and The Lowell Ledger

 

Author Sharon Kennedy pens The SideRoad Kids

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-sn6ek-12b4163

Happy Labor Day weekend.

Welcome back to another school year. Kennedy’s time machine will take you back to a simple era of the late 1950s. Find some time to read and reflect whether it’s on your own childhood or stories of the past passed from generation to generation. 

The SideRoad Kids follows a group of boys and girls as they enter the sixth grade in a small town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula during 1957-1958. The meandering collection of short stories is often humorous, poignant, and sometimes mysterious.

Laugh as the kids argue over Halloween treats handed out in Brimley. Although told by the kids, adults will remember their own childhood as they read about Flint, Candy, Squeaky, Katie, and their friends.

“Katie, Blew, Squeaky, and Daisy grew up on farms instead of high rises and used their imagination instead of fancy gadgets to make their own fun. An entertaining read for youngsters. And parents, you might enjoy a nostalgic flashback as well. I know I did.

                                           -Allia Zobel-Nolan, Author of Cat Confessions

Author Sharon Kennedy has been writing short stories and poems for 50 years, but she rarely submitted anything for publication. After teaching English composition at a community college and university, she began writing a general interest5 column in 2014 that ran in her local newspaper. 

She is currently working on a sequel and continues writing her newspaper columns for Gannett Media.

Sponsored by Doc Chavent, The Lowell Ledger, and Modern History Press.

 

Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey brings little-known Bible characters to light

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-yza5j-128df56

In her Christian fiction novel Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey, author Barbara M. Britton features five orphaned daughters of Zelophehad as the main characters with the eldest Mahlah taking the center stage in their fight for land.

“There’s so much Scripture in the Bible devoted to them, but no one knows about them,” Britton said.

Britton skillfully brings to life the characters of the orphaned daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their individualities are reflected in their age, and their skills based on the weapons they carry: brave and courageous Mahlah who faces off Moses carries a knife, Noah a whip for sheep tending and Hoglah cooks. Milcah is ethereal and the youngest Tirzah complains all the time.

The main storyline follows the Scripture right through as Mahlah approaches Moses with a request to inherit land to keep a promise to her dying mother.

In the Book of Numbers 27:1-11, the daughters say: “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons.”

“It was challenging to keep them as separate individuals,” Britton said.

The novel has its own villain Balaam according to the Book of Revelation and plenty of action such as God’s parting of the Jordan River and Joshua assuming leadership.

In response to the question what did she do right in the novel, Britton said.

“I brought the story to Biblical fiction,” she said. “You can get a lot of Scripture out of this.”

As a Christian fiction author, Britton has to find balance when putting romance into her novels.

“As the series goes on, you get more romance with Noah,” she said.

One of the most common responses Britton gets to her books is:

“I didn’t realize the Bible could be so exciting.”

Listen in to the episode for a chance to win a signed copy of Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey.

Sponsored by author Barbara Britton, Doc Chavent, and The Lowell Ledger.