Author: Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent. Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

An interview with Gretchen Shuler of Fiction Addiction

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

What is your favorite area of your bookstore?

Walking into the front door. We are a small store, so when you walk into the store you are enveloped with the new book smell, and it is akin to getting a hug from the books.

What’s the coolest book cover that you like to have facing out on the shelves?

I have two favorite covers that I make sure are facing out: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, because of the beautiful colors and intricate designs that tells as much of a story as the book itself, and The Wedding Veil by Kristy Woodson Harvey, because it’s a beautiful bride walking in front of the Biltmore House.

If you had a staff pick for a recent new release, what would it be? Backlist pick?

My favorite new release staff pick right now is The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston. The idea of a ghost writer falling in love with a ghost was an intriguing idea. Then you add in Ashley’s punny antidotes and you have a book that will keep you giggling all the way through.

My favorite backstock pick is The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. It’s a modern twist of a gothic tale that follows three three prep school boys on a quest to find a lost king. It is my go to whenever I need a reading pick me up.

Do you have a strange customer story?

I don’t have a strange customer story, but I do have a very memorable customer experience that happened a few months ago. I had a family (grandmother, mother, and daughter) come to the store on a Saturday afternoon. They were very excited to be at the store. While they were looking around, they told me their story. They were on a book road trip from Alabama. The daughter was an avid reader, and loved in-person author events. However, the pandemic had stopped these events. So the grandmother gave her a road trip to all of the independent bookstores that had signed books of her favorite authors from Alamaba to the Northern Banks, North Carolina. We were the middle point of their journey. It was so much fun to hear about the different stores they had visited, and to see their enthusiasm while exploring the store.

What author have you been starstruck to meet or have gotten to host a fun virtual event?

I am a huge fangirl when it comes to authors. My work shirt says it all, “Professional Fangirl.” The best starstruck moment was meeting Alex London at YALLFest in Charleston, South Carolina. I had read his book Proxy, and I had made him a bookmark as a gift to celebrate his book. I was such a nervous wreck, I could not keep my hands from shaking. He took the time to talk to me and take a picture. It was one of my favorite moments meeting an author.

What are some misconceptions people have about working in a bookstore?

One major misconception I have seen is that people think we have read every book in the store.

What is your least favorite bookstore task? Favorite part about working in a bookstore?

My least favorite task is standing on a foot stool to get items off the high shelves. I am terribly afraid of heights (even the height of a step stool), and it always feels like I am walking on a tightrope. My favorite part of working in the bookstore is setting up the window displays. I love the ability to be creative and come up with new ideas. Some of my favorite window designs were our Black History Month window and Pride month window. I’m currently working on a Banned Books month display.

Can you recommend an underrated read alike book for one of the store’s top titles?

I actually had an encounter with a customer with a similar request a few weeks ago. She had just read Emma Straub’s This Time Tomorrow. She said she really enjoyed it, and wanted something similar but original. I recommend Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. The books are similar with mystical realism, time travel, and family dynamics.

What is the best dedication or first line of a book that you can remember?

My most favorite dedication was in My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, the dedication reads:
“For everyone who knows there was enough room for Leonard DiCaprio on that door.
And for England. We’re really sorry for what we’re about to do to your history.”

What’s YOUR favorite indie bookstore that you’ve visited besides your own?

Blue Bicycle Books in Charleston, S.C.

Gretchen Shuler is a bookseller at Fiction Addiction in Greenville, S.C.

Arab author’s new memoir contextualizes personal history within modern Middle East

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

BEIRUT, Lebanon – In her upcoming memoir, Amal Ghandour reflects on her life as a privileged member of the “silent” Arab generation that came of political age in the 1980s, seeking clarity from a twin excavation of the self and the world that gave shape to it. In doing so, she draws from personal histories and larger political and cultural trends to thread a generational tale of seeming early promise, cascading defeats, and devastating finales.

“This Arab Life: A Generation’s Journey into Silence” (Bold Story Press, Oct. 11, 2022) unfolds through a series of juxtapositions of private tragedies and epochal events, places and geographies, characters and lived experiences, innermost truths and shared realities. Through such depictions, the author pulls together half a century of Levantine and Arab history, even as she proceeds to disentangle it for answers.

“This Arab Life” begins in Amman in the summer of 1973 and concludes in Beirut in December 2021. But the narrative encompasses a world by turns distant and faded, near and vital.

“This Arab Life: A Generation’s Journey Into Silence”
Amal Ghandour | Oct. 11, 2022 | Bold Story Press | Non-fiction/Memoir

Advance Praise

“Unsparing of herself as ‘informant,’ in a book that is at once painful and a delight to read, Amal Ghandour probes the conscience and circumstances of a small but very influential section of Arab society. Stylish, witty and heartbreaking, this is a unique and critical contribution to our current soul-searching.”
– Ahdaf Soueif, best-selling Egyptian novelist and short story writer, and political and cultural commentator

“Amal Ghandour has written a nostalgic book with glimmers of brilliant personal, social and political observations and probing about Jordan and Lebanon, about wars and longings, about a rich life of upheavals and laments.”
– Raja Shehadeh, Palestinian writer and lawyer, and founder of the human rights organization Al-Haq

“This Arab Life is a sweeping retrospective on a generation’s historic complicity in the present travails plaguing the Arab world. The book is, at once, intimate, far-reaching, political, angry, melancholic, funny, and nostalgic. Ghandour’s reflections on her life, and on the decisions taken by her and her peers as they came of age in the eighties and nineties, offers important insight for anyone seeking to understand how we got to where we are today in the region. The book is a cautionary tale of political acquiescence, and one that is, like many Arabs, stuck between an urgent impulse to act, to change, to hope, alongside an overwhelming sense of despair and apathy.”
– Tarek Baconi, author of “Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance,” and president of the board of al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network

“The Arab world hasn’t fallen into silence. It has descended, not unlike other parts of the globe, into a logorrhea of reflexive grumbling, vacuous politics, and hopeless nostalgia. Amal Ghandour’s voice pierces through this noise: analytic, female, rebellious, acid yet soothing, if only because so much of the corrosion she describes is just begging for her brand of intellectual rust remover. Ghandour taunts the very elites she belongs to with questions few of the privileged ever ask themselves: Wealth aside, what is our worth? Who are we, as an elite, if we do little more than indulge and free-ride? Her own answers rise from a unique blend of acute insights, touching vignettes, and downright introspection, all caught up in the region’s traumatic historical arc, and bound together by Ghandour’s ever so tight, elegant style.”
—Peter Harling, founder of Synaps, a public interest research Institute

About the Author

Amal Ghandour is the author of “This Arab Life: A Generation’s Journey into Silence” (Bold Story Press, Oct. 11, 2022). Her career spans more than three decades in the fields of research, communication, and community development. An author (“About This Man Called Ali”) and a former blogger (“Thinking Fits”), Ghandour is Senior Strategy Adviser to Ruwwad al Tanmeyah, a regional community development initiative, a position she has held since 2009.

Ghandour was special adviser to Columbia University’s Global Centers, Middle East, from 2014 to 2017, sits on The Women Creating Change Leadership Council of Columbia University’s Center for the Study of Social Difference; the Board of Trustees of International College, Lebanon; the Board of Directors of Ruwwad, Lebanon; The Board of Directors of Synaps, a public interest research institute; and has served on the Board of Directors of The Arab Human Rights Fund (2011-2014). She holds an MS in International Policy from Stanford University and a BSFS from Georgetown University.

Follow Amal Ghandour on social media:
Twitter: @ghandour_ag | Instagram: @amalghandour

In an interview, Amal Ghandour can discuss:

  • Countering stereotypes about Arab women and their condition
  • The importance of native Arab voices in narratives about the Arab world
  • Understanding the meaning and lasting impact of the 2011 Arab uprisings
  • The current moment in the Arab world and the political and cultural trends sweeping through it
  • The collapse of Lebanon and its implications
  • Islamism and its place in Arab politics and culture
  • Straddling writing genres – including elements of memoir, cultural commentary along with historical and political context

An Interview with Amal Ghandour

How does “This Arab Life” differ from other memoirs by Arab women?

There aren’t many memoirs written in English by Arab women. Iranian women have been more visible on that front. But invariably, theirs (Arab and Iranian) are personal tales of persecution and struggle, escape or deliverance. In the case of translated older generation activists like Egyptian Nawal el-Saadawi, there is, of course, the noble cause-focused memoir.

“This Arab Life” stands this tradition on its head. Strictly speaking, it is not a memoir. It bestrides genres and the personal in it is to illuminate a larger generational story. It is written by a privileged woman and casts a sharp lens on the elites and their place in this story, tracing a journey of grand possibilities and wholesale abdication.

Were you aware of any stereotypes and tropes about Arab women that you wanted to stay away from in your writing?

I am always alert to stereotypes and tropes about women, both homegrown and foreign. But in writing “This Arab Life,” I didn’t set out to avoid or focus on any. I wanted them to reveal themselves naturally through what I witnessed and experienced as an Arab woman. For example, the growing influence of Islamism in the 1970s, when we were still teenagers, and how that began to change our world: the social norms, the dress codes, the personal status laws, the dos and don’ts.

I dedicate a couple of pages to the veil because of the extraordinary significance it has been accorded in the contrived cultural wars between the East and the West. I wanted to enrich the discourse with the nuance and humanity that suffuse our realities but are almost always absent in the furious back and forth. And I thought it’s important to show how we women (and inevitably the veil) have been conveniently weaponized by both sides.

You went to the United States when you were a teenager to do your high school and university studies, and then back to Jordan, where you grew up. How would you describe that experience of voyage and return?

Going to the U.S. for university studies was the norm for many middle and upper-class Jordanians. I went in the 11th grade, earlier than my friends, because of family circumstances. High school in the U.S. is like an early ticket into the American way of life. At the tender age of 15 or 15, you imbibe very quickly the culture and its quirks, the politics, the language, the habits… By the time I graduated from Holton Arms and was ready to join Georgetown’s Foreign Service School, I was intimately familiar with America and very much at ease in it.

America was an education. It was social freedom and political loneliness on issues like Israel and Palestine, for example. It was a mélange of unexpected friendships and fascinating encounters with political and intellectual adversaries. It was adulthood.

Returning was easy – at least for me. Amman was a cocoon, and cocoons, by their very nature, are cozy and comfy and safe. We knew the rules and most of us played by them.

In your book, you choose to reveal Lebanon, your birthplace, through dichotomies and juxtapositions. In one of them, you describe yourself as “the tourist.” Where did that come from?

The label was bestowed on me by some Lebanese friends who remained in Lebanon during the 1975-1990 civil war. Postwar, there was a rupture of a sort between those who stayed and those who left. I never, in fact, lived in Lebanon before 1991, so the tension was perhaps deeper.

For many of those who stayed, those who left were foreign to Lebanon and its mysteries, didn’t quite love and understand it, and didn’t have the right to criticize it because they had abandoned it. Every time I offered a critical perspective about any matter Lebanese, the comeback was, what do you know – you, the tourist?

So I use the term as a literary device to unpack Lebanon and its many paradoxes for the reader.

Connection is a theme that runs throughout your book. Connection with your family, connection with your culture and connection with yourself. Why was this important for you to write about?

Because much of contemporary history in the Levant and other corners of the Arab world (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Yemen…) has been that of uncertainty, dislocation, displacement, and disruption. Continuums and connections offer context, color, perspective, anchor. They help you locate yourself in the sweep of history, if you like.

I am not referring here only to the costs of political turmoil and war. Environmental degradation, modernity’s reckless assault on heritage, oppressive regimes’ intolerance of the lushness of culture. Your world becomes very lonely without connections, and hence my quest for them.

How did your educational and professional backgrounds influence your writing?

Politics, culture, and social themes permeate my writing – my old “Thinking Fits” blog, my first book, the pieces I chose to write for various publications, “This Arab Life”… My work as a journalist after graduation and my communication and community development career have given me invaluable insight into life outside the narrow borders that keep many of us in the Arab world in our tiny bubbles. Such insight naturally informs everything I do and write.

You straddle genres in your book, combining elements of memoir, history and cultural commentary. Did you find it difficult to insert your own voice into your writing, especially given your research background? How would you describe the tone of your writing?

I found it interesting and challenging, actually. Inserting my voice was not hard, because I had a personal story to tell. The question was how much of myself would I dare share. I decided that I would simply write with abandon and then see what I might want to delete.

But I did have to resist the habit of seeking support in quotations and citations. I worried about the disruption to the narrative that a seemingly academic tilt might cause. So, I minimized those to ones essential to the argument. I am hoping that the two styles danced well on the page.

Some people label the 2011 Arab uprisings as a “failure” – how do you see them?

In this opening act, I saw them as failures – both for the people and the regimes. And the consequences have, of course, been devastating. We have countries that have been dismembered, cities that have been laid to waste, regions that have been cleansed, entire generations that have been traumatized… Chasms checker the Fertile Crescent and vacuums poke it. Yemen does even worse, and North Africa is only modestly better.

But the uprisings have offered extraordinary lessons and revelations as well. Perhaps the most important among them is the real difficulty of dislodging police states.

You cover a lot of ground in your book. Are there any stories or experiences that were left on the cutting room floor that you wish you could have included?

Many. But I am happy for them to stay on the cutting floor. As I wrote in “This Arab Life,” my stories are excavations at their most delicate, and the introspections are constantly hiding frailties and awkward matters of the heart and mind. I shared all that I could share – for now.

Can you tell us about your previous book, “About This Man Called Ali?”

The book is a historical narrative of the contemporary Near East through the life and art of Ali al Jabri, a magnificent but rather obscure Syrian artist who was murdered in Amman in 2002. Ali was a dear friend, and when he died I thought who he was, how he lived, what he painted, and what he wrote in his diaries would offer very original insight into our modern history.

What do you hope readers take away from reading your new book?

Many things, I am hoping.

A knowledge of people, place, and time that is intimate. I hope I have succeeded in weaving a history from below for the reader.

And for decades, we Arabs have heard a painful description of us: Arab Exceptionalism. It became very popular after the revolutionary fervor that swept through East Europe in 1989 and seeming transitions to democracy elsewhere. A truism about us Arabs took root: that we are resistant to progress, stuck, incapable of renewal. My generation came of political age in the 1980s. Our silence was part of that narrative. In “This Arab Life,” I offer my own narrative about what transpired. I wrote to achieve clarity and build contexts. My hope, again, is that the reader has achieved the same when done with “This Arab Life.”

What’s next for you?

Another book. A new blog. More writing.

Download press kit and photos

Ask an Expert: A Conversation with Bryan Robinson on How to Build a Successful Author Brand (Without Burning Out)

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

It’s important for authors to protect their mental health; like any other job, failing to care for your mental wellbeing can result in serious burnout. As an author and a psychotherapist, Bryan Robinson understands the unique challenges authors face when caring for their mental wellbeing. Robinson has successfully published numerous titles about combatting both workaholism and burnout, and taking care of yourself, including Chained to the Desk (4th edition – 2023), #Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn on Your Life (2019), and Daily Writing Resilience (2018). Today on the blog, he’s sharing some of his top tips about how to build a successful author brand, while caring for your mental health.

  1. What’s your top piece of advice for writers when it comes to mental health?
    When you receive a rejection (and you will; every great writer has), don’t take it personally. You can’t have an up without a down, a right without a left, a success without a failure. Writing success is built on writing failure. That’s how you learned to walk. You fell down a few times when you were a toddler before you could walk and run on your own. Your mindset is essential for your success. So remember rejection and success are a package deal.
  2. Are there certain groups or resources you recommend for writers to help them protect and improve their mental health and wellbeing?
    My book, DAILY WRITING RESILIENCE is exactly for that. It has 365 readings to deal with all the obstacles writers encounter on their literary trajectory. Also joining organizations such as International Thriller Writers or Mystery Writers of America and conferences such as Killer Nashville are supports every writer needs to develop resilience and stay in the game. It’s a lonely enterprise and support is essential to boost your self-confidence.
  3. What’s something you wish someone had told you as a debut author?
    Your book isn’t as great as you think it is, but you can make it great with the right attitude, persistence, and skill. Perseverance is as important or more important than a well written book. Too many debut writers give up because they can’t take the hard knocks. If you want to see your writing in print, never give up, keep learning, and take that towel you want to throw in, wipe the sweat off your brow, and keep on plugging away. And you’ll get there.
  4. You are an expert at branding yourself as an expert. Why is “branding” important (particularly for nonfiction authors)? What tips would you offer to other writers who are seeking to publicly “brand” themselves as experts in the subjects they are writing on?
    You have to have a platform, credentials, or extensive experience to be an expert. Sometimes that takes years of schooling or years of practice so that you truly are an expert. If you don’t have one, the first step is to develop your platform by working as a consultant or a writer gratis to get the experience under your belt part. Then you have to promote yourself. That’s the sticky part. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. If you have a book, your expertise is part of the product. If you shy away from talking about yourself and your skills out of modesty, you’re sabotaging your branding. Of course, you have to be discreet. Nobody wants to hear someone drone on about how much they know about something. But you need to find that line where you feel comfortable promoting yourself without carpet bombing people with the promotions.
  5. Bonus: In your opinion, what does it mean to be a “successful” writer?
    It’s a life dream. When I was seven, I wrote stories to get away from a dysfunctional childhood. A teacher teaches, a doctor heals people, a realtor sells everyday. A successful writer writes everyday, not just on a whim. A successful writer pens their craft because they are passionate about writing, not because they want to be famous or rich. If you lose your passion and don’t consider it as a job, you’re dead meat.

 

Bryan E. Robinson is an author, psychotherapist, and Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is Chief Architect Officer (CAO) of ComfortZones Digital, Inc. He is a regular contributor to Killer Nashville Magazine, The Big Thrill, Thrive Global, and Forbes.com. He has authored forty nonfiction books, including his latest, the 4th edition of Chained to the Desk (2023) and #Chill: Turn Off Your Job and Turn on Your Life (2019). His books have been translated into fifteen languages, and he has written for over one-hundred professional journals and popular magazines. He has won two awards for writing and has lectured across the United States and throughout the world. His work has been featured on every major television network. Way DEAD Upon the Suwannee River has been made into a pilot for a television series under the name of Limestone Gumption, and he has completed the second novel in the series, She’ll Be KILLING ‘Round the Mountain. Robinson maintains a private clinical practice in Asheville, North Carolina and resides in the Blue Ridge Mountains with his spouse, four dogs, and occasional bears at night.

For more information, visit his website: www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com and www.comfortzonesdigital.com.

 

An interview with Giovanni Boivin of The Bookloft

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

What’s your favorite area of your bookstore?

This is a toss-up between our Sci-fi/Fantasy/Horror corner and our graphic novel section. I am a sucker for all things in both sections. Especially sci-fi/fantasy/horror graphic novels!

What’s the coolest book cover that you like to have facing out on the shelves?

When they say “don’t judge a book by its cover” they have never met a modern reader. The cover is what catches your eye and brings you in. One of the coolest (and creepiest) covers I love to have face-out is the horror novella Nothing but Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw. It’s a really disturbing cover and I love it.

If you had a staff pick for a recent new release, what would it be? Backlist pick?

One of my new staff picks is the novella, A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers. It is a lovely, meditative reflection on life and one’s journey. Conversely, the backlist pick is All Systems Red, book one of the Murderbot Diaries, by Martha Wells. Another novella, but I love the Murderbot diaries for the action and the antisocial awkward protagonist.

Do you have a strange customer story?

We have a lot of strange people and strange requests, but one that sticks in my mind is a woman coming in and asking for someone who doesn’t work here. She thought we were a completely different business, despite the numerous signs she passed, and it took a few minutes to convince her she had the wrong building.

What author have you been starstruck to meet, or have you gotten to host a fun virtual event?

We worked with a local theater company that hosts author events for bigger name authors and have the capacity for hundreds of people to come. We were able to meet David Sedaris as he was on a book tour for his title, Theft by Finding, and we sold this and other of his titles at the event.

What are some misconceptions people have about working in a bookstore?

A Bookstore is still a retail position. There is still customer service and a point-of-sales system to learn. Answering phones, putting stock away and cleaning up after people. We still have holiday rushes and the usual supply-demand issues as with any other retail business. Yes, we all love books and love to read, but there is still that face-to-face interaction with customers that may or may not know what they want or where to look. It’s a lot of hand-holding.

What is your least favorite bookstore task? Favorite part about working in a bookstore?

My least favorite part of the bookstore job is dealing with unhappy or disgruntled customers. We always have a few through the seasons where they refuse to comply with our mask mandates, demand a book we have on hold for someone else because they didn’t plan ahead, or don’t understand why a book they want isn’t available; be it out of print, or on backorder with the publisher.

My favorite part of the bookstore life is putting the perfect book in someone’s hand. Especially if it is one of my picks or favorites. I love sharing my passion for books with other people and seeing the joy on their faces when I hit the mark perfectly.

Can you recommend an underrated readalike book for one of the store’s top titles?

If you liked A Game of Thrones or the Song of Ice and Fire books, I highly recommend Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter. Not only does it have dragons and fantastic world building, it also has that classic underdog story, political intrigue, challenging the status quo and a mythology totally unique to its own world.

Giovanni Boivin is the Gentleman Bookseller (and the head book buyer for Adult titles) at The Bookloft in Berkshires, MA.

 

An interview with Nicole Brinkley of Oblong Books

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

What’s your favorite area of your bookstore?

All of it! I love our bookstore. But if I had to choose just one area, I really love our kids section. It’s open, airy, and full of beautiful and colorful books. I love seeing kids get excited about something new to read, so watching them run around and show off what they want to get is the best.

What’s the coolest book cover that you like to have facing out on the shelves?

I love a slightly creepy cover, so I am constantly falling in love with beautiful, oversized, stylized nonfiction books like Gothic and Memento Mori: The Dead Among Us. There’s just something really cool about books that feel like art pieces in-and-of themselves.

If you had a staff pick for a recent new release, what would it be? Backlist pick?

Most of the staff picks at our store are backlist! It’s never too late to discover a good book. One of my favorite backlist picks is This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, a sapphic time-travel novella following two time agents on opposite sides of a time war. I don’t think I have words that will do this book justice. I recommend reading in snippets or risk drowning in its gorgeous prose.

And one of my more favorite recent titles is The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston! I adore a good romance and adore a good fantasy, and The Dead Romantics manages to be both. This spectral romance is a balm to the spirit. When writer Florence Day has to return home for an unexpected funeral, she’s surprised to find herself visited by the ghost of… her stoic, too-handsome editor Ben. Romance readers will want Florence and Ben to haunt their shelves after reading: it’s soulful, punny, whimsical, and death defyingly romantic.

Do you have a strange customer story?

Oh, so many! But one of our favorites is the story of the ghost cane. A beautiful old wooden cane appeared in our store without its owner. We put it in our lost-and-found box and waited a little while to see if the owner would come and retrieve it. They didn’t! Upon further glance, there was a phone number on the cane. So we figured: hey, why not call it and see if the owner of the cane would like it back?

The phone number led us to a lovely lady in California, who—very confused but kind—explained that the cane belonged to her husband… who had died six months previously.
We have no idea how it got into the store. Apparently, a ghost wanted to do a little shopping.

What author have you been starstruck to meet?

I feel really lucky that we’ve hosted a whole bunch of my favorite authors, but the only one I ever got starstruck around was Alan Cumming! We hosted him at an offsite (bookseller jargon for an event not in the actual bookstore store; it’s not big enough for that crowd!) and I got to help him set up and sign books and chat with him. He’s so charismatic and charming in person that I suspect he might actually be fae folk. An absolute gem.

What are some misconceptions people have about working in a bookstore?

We don’t sit around reading! There’s always something to do. There’s customers to ring out, web orders to fill, books to receive, shelves to organize, displays to make, dogs to pet… the list is endless.

What is your favorite part about working in a bookstore?

I love, love, love handselling books to customers. There is no greater joy than connecting somebody to a book that they end up loving – especially if you loved it, too! Since some of my specialities are kids books and queer books, it’s especially a privilege to be able to connect young folks or traditionally underrepresented folks to a book that really speaks to them. It’s the reason I never want to leave bookselling: there’s no other experience like it, and I don’t ever want to give it up.

Can you recommend an underrated readalike book for one of the store’s top titles?

Oh, Oblong — like every bookstore — sells a ton of kids graphic novels. If you (or your kiddo) love the Dogman series by Dav Pilkey, you should try the InvestiGators series by John Green. (It’s alligators, in vests, doing investigating!) If Babysitter’s Club is more your jam, pick up Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright, about two twin girls who decide to compete against each other to become class president! And if you love fantasy graphic novels like The Witch Boy, you simply must pick up Star Knights by Kay Davault, a charming woodland fantasy about embracing who you are and looking past the differences of others.

Nicole Brinkley is a manager with Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, NY.

 

Unlikely warrior returns in action-packed fantasy series Good Morning America calls “terrific”

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

Independent Press Award winner releases anticipated Book 2

Farmington, CT – Emergency Room physician-turned-fantasy writer D.A. Mucci returns with the highly anticipated second book in his YA fantasy series: “Ignatius and The Battle at Dinas Affaraon” (September 2022, St. Bart’s Publishing). Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts heralded this fantasy adventure series as “just terrific,” and reviewers have praised the breathtaking detail of a “magical world full of fantastic beasts, some of which are not what you typically expect.”

The first book in the series, “Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw”, won an Independent Press Award and was well-received by YA fantasy fans. Now in the second installment of this acclaimed series, Iggy forges a sword from a meteorite–but will it be the weapon to save them?

As the obsessive Emperor Mallak plans to kill Iggy for his crystal amulet, Iggy remains entirely focused on becoming a master smith. Well, almost entirely–he is distracted by his crush, Raraesa, and can’t help but hope that she notices his newfound fighting skills (and fighting physique). There’s just one problem: a dark wizard, a Death Knight, and five thousand soldiers have been tasked with hunting him down.

Where will he hide? The mysteries of the Nostaw Warrior still haunt Iggy. There must be a repiceason he was given the sword, and he prays it will help him return to his place and time in Pennsylvania–but right now, home seems farther away than ever. Will he find he answers he’s seeking on the Island of Cambria? He doesn’t have much time to figure it out–an battle is looming, and it will change Iggy’s life.

Fans of coming-of-age YA fantasy with relatable teen protagonists, fantastic beasts, mysterious powers and incredible worldbuilding will love Iggy’s story. In Mucci’s newest novel, readers will meet exciting new characters, dive deeper into the rich world of Skye, and hold on tight as twists and turns abound.

“Ignatius and the Battle at Dinas Affaraon”
D.A. Mucci | September 2022 | Fantasy | St. Barts Publishing
Paperback | 978-1-7372778-4-2| $9.99
Ebook | 978-1-7372778-5-9 | $4.99

About the author:

After 40 years as an Emergency Room physician, D.A. Mucci turned to writing fantasy fiction in his spare time as an enjoyable escape from the pandemic stress. Mucci’s two adult children inspired his love of the fantasy genre during their younger years. His first book in the IgnatiusTM series was well received,winning an Independent Press award, that he now spends most of his time writing and only part-time with patients in the Emergency Room.

Mucci calls both Connecticut and Florida home, and with his wife Jeanne by his side, he’s constantly dreaming up new, fantastical creatures, daring escapades, and witty one-liners. He looks forward to writing more adventures for Iggy in this series, and hopes they provide readers the same delightful escape it brought him during the pandemic when Iggy’s adventures began. Learn more about the author and get excited for more adventures at damucci.com.

Follow D.A. Mucci on social media
Facebook: @D.A.Mucci | Instagram: @d.a.mucci

In an interview, D.A. Mucci can discuss:

  • How he expanded on the world he originally created in Book One and fleshed out Dinas Affaraon for the epic battle
  • How he relates to Iggy’s coming of age story, and how he hopes the character inspires readers
    Building the fantastical Kingdom of Skye and companion map to the book
  • Creating new languages for the book’s nearly 50 characters residing in different lands
  • His lifelong passion for literature, having helped young school kids publish their own stories over the years
  • What the writing process looks like for a series, and what makes it harder than writing stand alone books

Praise for the Ignatius Series

“He has written a YA fantasy adventure novel that is just terrific” –Robin Roberts, Good Morning America

“D.A. Mucci does such a great job of creating a universe that is entirely fantastical yet believable and relatable. Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw has an almost Harry Potter-ness to it in that we are guided into this world through the eyes of a character who is learning of it the same as the reader and who is a character very similar to its target audience. But, it is also entirely different in a good way. I have honestly not taken to a fantasy novel as much as this one in quite a long time. The author is an excellent storyteller and writer.” –Kate Leboff, Cornell Press

“Right from the start this story is breathtaking in how much detail surrounds the kingdom of Skye… a once luscious and beautiful place that had been filled with animals and people. Now it’s a kingdom with no beating heart. In desperation for a hero, a teen named Iggy finds himself becoming the hero these people need. Mastering a set of growing magic skills is a challenge but mastering the skills in handling the towering secrets that are claiming Skye is something else altogether. A wondrous journey in a finely painted world. Highly recommended.” –Lori, Goodreads review

“The author managed to create a quite intriguing magical world full of fantastic beasts, some of which are not what you typically expect from beasts – they are mighty warriors, living in seclusion, whose abilities in battles are legendary. The world building is really nice and takes your imagination to amazing places. Combine this with an awkward, introvert and insecure boy who gets swallowed into the greatest adventure of his life, one which is too big for him to understand at a time, but he grows and shows his worth and true power. Definitely recommend this book.” –Lia, Goodreads Review

An Interview with D.A. Mucci

How did you go about expanding the world you created in Book One?

Though the four lands within my fantasy world remain, as the plot and characters expand in Book 2, more locations within the Kingdom of Skye and Dinas Affaraon are revealed to the readers.

What was the process like in writing the sequel? Did you take a break in writing or are you just continuously writing the next one?

I took a break writing after Book One, just long enough to engage with my new readers on social media and in person. Then, I moved right along to continuing Iggy’s adventures in Book Two. This is my first time writing a sequel. When writing a second book I had to make sure that readers new to the series would find the adventure exciting and could relate to the characters previously introduced. I have a new appreciation for authors that write sequels so seamlessly.

Though Iggy is the star, you’ve also created new languages and nearly 50 different characters. Which are some of your favorites?

I love the Madam Trinity character. She doesn’t appear to have it all together, but underneath the crazy facade you know she is an extremely capable, intelligent and formidable person to have on your side.

I wanted a very diverse set of characters so readers of all ages had someone to relate to. Iggy is the geeky character, while rebellious Lecque fights for what he feels is right. Ansel is the strong mentor Iggy needs. Kylian is one of the strongest male characters, holding true to his principles while being imprisoned for years. Allistair is the most powerful man in Matreach and has a physical disability.

And there are strong female characters along with Madam Trinity, each strong in their own unique way: Raraesa is physically a strong sword fighter with a soft side she doesn’t often show. Trafalga has a bohemian carefree look with a gift that will help save many and guide Iggy. Nyreada is the strong, brave personality who is typically quiet unless she sees unethical practices. And Scathatch is known for being the best warrior that oversees all, helping in a stealthy critical manner.

I wanted to include different languages to highlight Iggy’s special ability to learn them, to showcase his intelligence. While this intelligence was ridiculed in a typical middle school and high school setting, language is one of Iggy’s strengths, and he will use it along the way to accomplish his quests.

What advice would you give to writers who feel like their time to write a book has expired?

At 68 years old I’m writing a story that caters to Young Adults. There is no age limit for using your creativity and imagination.

Without giving spoilers, can you give readers any sneak peek into the rest of the planned series? Will we meet new characters, visit new places, etc.?

In Book 3, the Resistance group’s efforts strengthen as many in the Kingdom of Skye work to curb Mallak’s growing power. Madam Trinity has to face decisions made in her past, leaving her to fulfill a task she dreads. Iggy continues on to another quest to help him gain the power and knowledge he needs to help himself get back to the place and time he calls home. While the Kingdom of Skye, Matreach and Dinas Affaron will still be featured, we learn more about Cambria in Book 3.

What was your experience working full-time in an emergency room during the height of the pandemic and writing the first book?

As a physician for almost 40 years, most of them in an Emergency Room setting, you see all kinds of ailments, accidents and death. While no two cases are exactly the same, experience and knowledge helps you decide quickly what action you’ll take to save a life or manage an urgent health condition. Then a pandemic hits that you don’t have a set of experiences to rely on to truly help you manage patients, and treating patients becomes a whole new level of stress as you make your best guess and read the latest medical news to help you treat those patients suffering significantly. All as you are praying none of your protective gear reeks so you don’t bring exposure home to the family you love.

These stressful circumstances pushed me to bring this fantasy world to fruition. Most of us binge watched shows during the pandemic, and I simply needed a different outlet after a while to feel like I was doing something to help others escape and relax for their stress. What started as a stress outlet has turned into a passion, helping others escape into a book as they need to.

 

An interview with August Thompson of The Ivy Bookshop

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

What’s your favorite area of your bookstore?

Honestly the entire grounds outside. We’re so lucky to be situated on a few acres of land that we own, and I’m always directing new customers to check it out. I especially like this little secluded area, a bench surrounded by a grove of trees; it’s a lovely place to sit and read! Within the store itself, my favorite part is the little poetry corner. We get a lot of compliments on our poetry section because it’s just phenomenally curated, and there’s a little display with one of our booksellers’ favorite poetry books.

What’s the coolest book cover that you like to have facing out on the shelves?

Oh this is such a hard question because so many books have great covers! I love love love the cover for “Margaret and the Mystery of the Missing Body” by Megan Milks, so that was really fun to have out on display during Pride month. But I also wanted to give a shoutout to the new release “Thrust” by Lidia Yuknavitch, which truly speaks for itself.

If you had a staff pick for a recent new release, what would it be? Backlist pick?

Recent new release: “The Kaiju Preservation Society” by John Scalzi. Honestly I think all a lot of us really need this summer is to escape into a fantastical new world of giant monsters. It’s fun, it’s snappy, there’s really cool fantasy biology. I think just about any sci-fi fan would love this book.

Backlist: “Convenience Store Woman” by Sayaka Murata. I read this book recently and absolutely loved it. Keiko is one of those voices that really stays with you a long time after reading, and as a retail worker who is also a little bit of an oddball myself, I really connected with her. The book has a ton of interesting things to say about capitalism and neurodivergence and alternate life paths, but really it was Keiko who kept me reading.

Do you have a strange customer story?

There’s one customer who I’ve never spoken to–only his secretary. I’ve seen his name around Baltimore and get the impression that he’s kind of a big deal, so it’s kind of fun when I get to call him up and let his secretary know his books are ready!

What author have you been starstruck to meet, or have you gotten to host a fun virtual event?

Definitely Casey Plett. While sadly I was only able to e-meet her as I was out on medical leave during the event we hosted with her, I was honestly a little starstruck to even be emailing with her and to get her to come out to the store. I’m still kicking myself for missing that event, everyone I know who went to it said it was absolutely phenomenal, but life does happen.

What are some misconceptions people have about working in a bookstore?

A lot of people think booksellers just hate when someone comes in to ask something like “What’s the book about World War I with the red cover that I read about in the New York Times?” In reality, 9 times out of 10 I can find that book just by googling “red cover wwi ny times book review”, and even if I can’t, then I just get to be on a fun detective mission for a few minutes trying to find your book! It makes me feel happy to solve a mystery, and the customer gets the book they’re looking for, and it’s generally a win-win interaction. So please don’t feel embarrassed to ask questions like this! (Just be kind on the rare occasion that we can’t find the book after all.)

What is your least favorite bookstore task? Favorite part about working in a bookstore?

My least favorite bookstore task is probably shelving overstock. Don’t get me wrong–it’s a crucial task, and I always keep that in mind when doing it. It can just be rough on the knees with all that bending and stretching. So I try to do it in small chunks, doing other tasks in between.

My favorite part about working in a bookstore is probably when I’m stationed at the front desk, getting to see what people are buying! It’s always so cool to see parents buying their children books I remember staying up all night reading because I just had to see what happens next, or to see people buy underrated books that I absolutely adore, or even to buy books I’ve never heard of with covers so intriguing they immediately go to my TBR.

Can you recommend an underrated readalike book for one of the store’s top titles?

We actually do sell a lot of “Circe” and “The Song Of Achilles.” I would point people to the newly released “Wrath Goddess Sing” by Maya Deane, which is a retelling of the Achilles myth. Deane’s writing is feminist and fierce, and she’s really done her research, which is fun to see in myth retellings. Plus, come on, that cover is gorgeous.

August Thompson is a bookseller at The Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore, MD.

Supernatural teen battles shapeshifters for cursed painting

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

“An eerie tone permeates the entire story, with even mundane events feeling off-kilter. The whole cast seems to have multiple personas, all tinged with darkness.” – Foreword Clarion Review

Fan-favorite author returns with exciting ending; perfect for Halloween reading!

Los Angeles, CA – An Amazon Editor’s pick in Science Fiction and Fantasy and praised by fans of its supernatural horror, Kevin Moore releases the widely anticipated climax to The Book of Souls. The Book of Demons (Books Fluent, Oct 11, 2022) takes Jack on a new adventure featuring new villains, but will he ever make it back to his 40-year-old self and return to his family?

Considered “a Spiritual roller coaster ride! Harry Potter meets the Exorcist,” by American Online Radio, Kevin Moore’s blend of darkness and supernatural belief brings hopefulness in a world that seems fraught with obscurity. Taking his personal experiences with lucid dreaming and speaking with his passed loved ones, Moore’s created a world that will take you on a mystical journey and not let go until the very end.

The exciting tale travels through time, battles real and inner demons, and helps ghosts find their way towards their afterlife. The Book of Demons brings new challenges while young teen, Jack Kelly, uses his mystical powers to save a cursed painting from a dangerous shapeshifter.

For fans of Dark Matter, The Book of Demons will keep you at the edge of your seat and leave you wanting to read more.

“The Book of Demons”
Kevin Moore | October 11, 2022 | Books Fluent
Paperback | 978-1-953865-53-3 | $11.99
Ebook | 978-1-953865-54-0 | $5.99
Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Horror

More about KEVIN MOORE

Kevin Moore is the author of The Book of Souls, a mystical ghost story, it is his first novel and the first book in the series featuring Jack Kelly and his paranormal abilities. The Book of Demons (think Harry Potter meets the Exorcist) is the sequel to The Book Of Souls. Moore also wrote Christmas Stories 7 Original Short Stories which is available everywhere. His play Conversations From The Sports Arena was performed at the HBO Theater in Hollywood. He also had his first children’s picture book Me and My Shadow released in 2021. Moore hopes to continue the Jack Kelly paranormal saga in a third book which he is currently working on. Moore practices Lucid Dreaming which has helped him with his writing. He is a Yogi and an Advanced Reiki Practitioner—most importantly he is Matthew and Madison’s father. You can find out more about Kevin at his website: ​​https://kevinmoorepublishing.com

In an interview, Kevin can discuss:

  • His connection with spirituality and reiki/yoga, and its incorporation into the story
  • The practice of lucid dreaming
  • How his upbringing in Manhattan, going to Catholic school, and living in tenement apartments helped shape young Jack
  • How we handle fear and the “monsters/demons” we all have conquered
  • The true events that inspired the novel
  • The differences between religion and spirituality and how they both play a role in the novel
  • The duality within his characters, the story, and how
  • How art plays into the story through one of the main characters

Start your journey with The Book of Souls

An Amazon Editor’s pick in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Jack Kelly remembers everything about his wife and children; the wonderful smell of his wife’s hair, the way she whispers to him at night, his three children running through the house, the sound of their laughter.

But that was his life before the accident. His near-death experience left him in the in-between space, somewhere between this world and whatever comes next.

When he awakens, he finds that he’s his thirteen-year-old self replacing his brother’s life-altering incident with his own and also with the ability to read people’s minds, recall their pasts, smell their feelings and fears, and see and hear dead people, demons, ghosts, and shadowy creatures. Thus begins Jack’s journey to help one soul cross over and, in result, resolves to find his way back to his true existence; with his family.

Praise for The Book of Souls

“An eerie tone permeates the entire story, with even mundane events feeling off-kilter. The whole cast seems to have multiple personas, all tinged with darkness.” – Foreword Clarion Review

“Prepare to feel like you’re lost in a maze: in total darkness. That’s Jack Kelly’s life now, and readers are going along for the ride” – Reedsy Discovery

“Moore has an incredible way of drawing you into the horrors of this universe. I can’t tell you how many times I felt my skin crawl at the creepy moments in which Jack is tortured by visions of demons and ghosts.” – Via’s Reads book blog

“This book was the right amount of intriguing, suspenseful, and at times creepy.” – Shelf 1ndulgence book blog

“I have never read a book quite like this or been caught up in a storyline like the Book of Souls.” – Goodreads reviewer Nick

“Chills to the core, edge of your seat good, a fantastic read by Kevin Moore. Definitely recommend this book.” – Amazon reviewer Renee

“This book is fantastic! Highly recommend reading it. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Some of Kevin Moore’s best work!” – Amazon reviewer

“I’m looking forward to book two, and how the journey ends for Jack.” – Permanent Nerd Network

An Interview with Kevin Moore

What was the “true event” that inspired this novel?

The Shadows coming to me in a dream and my son ending up in ICU was just like Jack’s son, Stevie, in the book. Only you have to read the second book The Book Of Demons to see if Stevie and Jack’s family are like the doctors say – a dream, a false memory caused by his fall, or if they are home.

There is a lot of play with dualities throughout the novel. Why was it important for you to discuss dualities not only within the characters, but also with Kasper’s artwork?

Yes, the artwork was so much fun! I wanted the art to represent the complexities of life, opposing forces, love vs hate, up and down, spirituality, good vs evil. The only way to truly know ourselves is to put a light on our shadows. Kasper does that in his art. The way Kasper viewed the people he painted as two lights; one portrait is a reflection of how they present themselves to the world, the second was their shadow that Kasper could see. I think all of the characters have their own duality. I wanted Jack and Kasper’s journey to tap into our own feelings on all that. I also think Jack and Kasper share a certain symmetry. They are both either scorned or feared and sometimes both.

Aside from helping inspire this novel, how has lucid dreaming helped you?

There are many scenes, characters, and words in the book that came from lucid dreams and conversations in those dreams I had with people who are on the other side. One of Jack’s spiritual guides in the book uses words that came from a classmate from Epiphany School whom I had not seen in 40 years. He passed away several years ago, but he came to me in a dream several times, totally unexpected. One of the dreams he came to me in was at my high school reunion. We had a deep conversation about the living and the dead and some of the nun’s guidance came from what he told me in the dreams.

Have you ever had a supernatural experience? Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes and yes, I believe in God and have since I was a child and if I believe in God that in itself is supernatural. The shadows in the story came to me in several dreams years ago. In the dream, they kept trying to take my son. I felt it was a notice from the Holy Spirit or my deeper self that wanted to prepare me for something I needed to be fully present for, fully ready to fight or give to my son that would take all my energy and faith. A few weeks later my son got very sick and ended up in the ICU. He was in the hospital for 3 weeks and almost died. I stayed with him every night; my wife was with him every day. I had a nurse like the one in the book tell me the room we were in had a ghost in it! And not a friendly one! However, for me I felt the room had very good energy and it was the best sleep my son and I had the entire time we were in the hospital. I use all that in the book.

Your book can fit into a few different genres (horror, paranormal, fantasy), but it also can fit into a spirituality genre. How do you feel this book is spiritual?

Well, first for me it is and should be in the spiritual genre. I believe that we are all spiritual beings at our core. Jack’s relationship to his family, himself, the world around him is spiritual. It takes on supernatural elements like near death experience, ghost, demons, but they all represent something in him. Jack faces his fears and allows the best part of himself, the light if you will, to help his friends, but also to try and free the indomitable ghost in apartment 3C at his own peril.

While Jack Kelly is the main character, Kasper Greenstreet is also an important character in the book. What inspired you to write Kasper?

Yes, I love Kasper! He really took on a life of his own. He was not supposed to be as large a character as he became. I wanted his back story as an artist to include his insecurity about his work and abilities, which is why he felt the need to use his blood to create magic. Any one who has ever started something creative, painting, music or written a word probably has those emotions; I’m having one with these two books! Also, as important or more important, he grew up in a time when being gay was considered a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association and his mother hated him for it, so he is carrying quite a heavy load. Not to mention that he was abused as a child by the very people who are supposed to protect him. Kasper uses all of that to create this amazing, mystical art. I also love that Kasper and Jack for different reasons are outcasts at times for who they are.

The Book of Demons is slightly different from The Book of Souls. What was your experience writing both of these books?

The Book of Souls was a very personal story for me because it started with a true event. The Book of Demons came directly from the characters. It is a straightforward Good vs Evil. I also did not have to build the world because it was already built in. So I just went for it!

Mr. Philips is a new challenge in The Book of Demons. How did you go about creating a villain like him?

He was tremendous fun creating. Villains are easier to color I think – at least in this case. He was a bad guys on steroids with all these wicked powers.

Will there be an appearance from any of the Book of Souls characters in The Book of Demons?

Yes, they all show up and I wrap up all of their arcs – even the very minor ones.

What’s the biggest takeaway for your readers in the duology?

Trust your intuition and trust your instincts!

Download press kit and photos

Noted CBS political journalist Major Garrett partners with elections expert David Becker to combat “the big lie”

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Coming this fall is a revelatory account of the 2020 election — the most secure, verifiable, and transparent in American history — how it has been relentlessly attacked, and the heroes brave enough to defend our democracy against these assaults.

“The Big Truth” (Sept. 20, Diversion Books) illuminates this crowning achievement in America’s quest for a robust democracy in the face of slander by sore losers and opportunists. Filled with interviews of the guardians of democracy — election workers, January 6th Committee members Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) and Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland), Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and more — it is an overpowering counterattack against the Big Lie. The book takes a sober look at the stakes, which could not be higher. It peaks around the corner at what could happen next if those pushing The Big Lie get their way, and succeed in sewing chaos, serving a death blow to American democracy as we know it.

CBS Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett and national elections expert David Becker, the Executive Director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, reveal why Big Lie “fraud” allegations evaporate under scrutiny. The authors report what actually happened in 2020, while calling out each Trumpian misdirection designed to con and beguile Americans into chasing phantom allegations of election crimes.

The 2020 election was not what Trumpist deniers claim. Our political parties knew the rules and procedures. We had record turnout and few election snarls. The result: an accurate count, a 7 million vote margin of victory, 306 electoral votes for Joe Biden, and Republican gains in congressional and state races. But then-President Trump stoked paranoia — never looking for evidence, contesting results even before anyone cast a ballot, and seeking to bend our system until it almost broke with a violent riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The Big Lie — the true corruption of American democracy — has shaken our confidence in stable self-government. On the heels of voter-fraud claims, the Capitol siege, and damaging voting laws, the next midterm and presidential election will test our democracy more severely than at any time since the Civil War. How we react may well determine if we are led into another war against ourselves. “The Big Truth” debunks the 2020 election conspiracy myth once and for all, while celebrating those who held up our democracy under arguably the most intense scrutiny in American electoral history.

“A thoughtful consideration of how and why to protect the vote—and, with it, American democracy.” – Kirkus Reviews

The Big Truth: Upholding Democracy in the Age of “The Big Lie”
Major Garrett and David Becker | Sept. 20, 2022 | Diversion Books
Nonfiction | Current Events | Politics
Hardcover | ISBN 978-1635767841 | $29.99

About the Authors

MAJOR GARRETT is the Chief Washington Correspondent for CBS News and the CBSN radio host of The Takeout and The Debrief. For over 30 years, his award-winning reporting and writing has tackled the nation’s pressing issues. Garrett is the author of four books, “Mr. Trump’s Wild Ride,” “The Enduring Revolution,” “The 15 Biggest Lies in Politics,” and “Common Cents” with former Rep. Tim Penny (D-Minnesota). He lives in Washington, D.C. Find out more about him at: https://www.cbsnews.com/team/major-garrett/

Follow Major Garrett on Twitter @MajorCBS

DAVID BECKER is the executive director and founder of the nonpartisan nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research, and serves as CBS News’ election law expert. He has worked in elections for a quarter-century, previously serving as a trial attorney in the Voting Section of the United States Department of Justice, and as Director of the Elections Program at The Pew Charitable Trusts. He received both his undergraduate and law degree from the University of California at Berkeley. He, his wife, and his teenage son live in suburban Maryland with their two dogs, Kramer and Elaine. Find out more about him at: https://electioninnovation.org/who-we-are/our-team/david-becker/

Follow David Becker on Twitter @beckerdavidj

For more information about “The Big Truth,” visit https://thebigtruthbook.com/

In an interview, Major Garrett and David Becker can discuss:

  • Debunking election conspiracy myths and focusing on the “big truths” of the 2020 election
  • How lies motivated by short-term political gains are damaging and can lead to the dissolution of America
  • The “guardians of democracy” working to combat mistruths, especially around elections
  • What everyday citizens and influencers can do to help counter “the big lie” and save democracy
  • How “the big lie” can impact and change history, even when there are ample facts to counter false information
  • Understanding the importance of the upcoming midterm and presidential elections – likely to be the greatest test of democracy since the Civil War
  • The likelihood of secession movements and what a modern civil war could look like
  • How American democracy works, why it works and why it is worth protecting
  • Changing the narrative around the 2020 election to acknowledge its successes, despite politicians’ claims
  • Understanding how the Supreme Court’s recent actions impact elections, especially as their decisions relate to voting laws and equity
  • The important role of election workers and professionals
  • Modern election security and transparency, and countering the lies that deem elections as fraudulent and untrustworthy
  • Understanding the stresses on American democracy
  • How to spot and call out political misdirections

Download press kit and photos

Advocate for human trafficking survivors pens thriller with a message of awareness and vigilance

Posted on | by Marissa DeCuir

A social worker’s perilous journey to avenge her sister

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Award-winning author and social worker Carla Damron, named by NAMI as an Outstanding Mental Health Professional of the Year, uses fiction to address social justice issues, and her latest release is no exception. Emotion-driven, The Orchid Tattoo (Koehler Books, Sept. 30, 2022) is one part of Damron’s work as an advocate for human trafficking survivors and people with mental illnesses. Her previous work includes The Stone Necklace, winner the 2017 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award for Best Novel, which led award-winning author Pat Conroy to say “this is a novelist to be read again and again.”

In The Orchid Tattoo, social worker Georgia Thayer can balance her own mental illness with the demands of an impossible job. Mostly. But when her sister vanishes in the dead of night, her desperate quest to find Peyton leads to a multi-tentacled human trafficking network. When Georgia learns that her sister was brutally murdered trying to help a young victim called “Kitten,” she picks up where Peyton left off, and travels a treacherous path to expose the kingpin of the Estate, a luxurious brothel servicing rich and powerful men, and rescue his victims. Kitten is determined to escape. She won’t be trapped like the others. She won’t sell her soul like Lillian, victim-turned-madam, feeding the dark appetites of international business moguls and government leaders. Aided by Kitten, Georgia maneuvers to bring down the Estate and expose its dark secrets, but her efforts place her–and the very few people she allows to get close–in grave danger.

“The Orchid Tattoo”
Carla Damron | September 6, 2022 | Koehler Books | Crime Fiction
Hardcover | $32.95 |978-1-64663-765-2
Paperback | $21.95 |978-1-64663-763-8
E-Book | $7.99 | 978-1-64663-764-5

Carla Damron: Carla Damron is a social worker, advocate and author whose last novel, The Stone Necklace (about grief and addiction) won the 2017 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award for Best Novel and was selected as the One Community Read for Columbia SC. Damron is also the author of the Caleb Knowles mystery novels and has published numerous short stories, essays, and op-eds. Damron holds an MSW and an MFA. Her careers of social worker and writer are intricately intertwined; all of her novels explore social issues like addiction, homelessness, mental illness, and human trafficking. In her spare time, Damron volunteers with the ›League of Women Voters, Sisters in Crime, Palmetto Chapter (President), her church, and Mutual Aid Midlands. Find out more about her at http://carladamron.com.

Follow Carla on social media
Facebook: @carladamronwrites | Twitter: @carlawritesfic | Instagram: @damroncarla

In an interview, Carla Damron can discuss:

  • Using fiction to fight human trafficking and bring light to the 40.3 million victims worldwide.
  • The importance of representation in literature for those with mental illnesses
  • Her work as an advocate for human trafficking survivors
  • The process of writing crime fiction grounded in important social justice issues
  • Representing diverse communities through her writing

An Interview with Carla Damron

How do you use your social work background in your writing?

My social work background is what drives my writing. Social issues that take a toll on the people I’ve served–mental illnesses, homelessness, addiction, and human trafficking–compel me to dive deep into the root causes of these problems.

I strive to put a human face on these complex problems in my fiction, and try to show that our hope to resolve them also has a very human face.

Is human trafficking a big issue in your home state of South Carolina?

Last year, there were 206 reports of human trafficking in SC–up 15% from last year. It’s a big problem everywhere: The Polaris Project reports that there are 40.3 MILLION victims globally. Why? Because it’s a hugely profitable crime, netting $150 billion worldwide. We’ve come a long way in combatting this crime, but we still have so far to go.

How are people with mental illnesses portrayed in fiction? How did you work to come up with an accurate portrayal?

People with psychiatric disorders can easily become cliche in fiction–particularly crime fiction. I worked very hard to offer a realistic portrayal of someone with a mental illness who refuses to be defined by it. Georgia Thayer, my protagonist, hears voices, but she lives her life. She has a successful, difficult career and a support system, and uses her personal experiences to help her patients. Georgia’s symptoms recur, but she manages them. Mostly.

What is something that would be surprising for people to learn about human trafficking and why is awareness of the subject so important?

People may think that traffickers forcibly kidnap their victims. While this sometimes happens, traffickers usually manipulate and groom them, playing on their vulnerabilities. I show several examples of how this process works in The Orchid Tattoo.

What have you learned as a writer from writing multiple books?

Each book has taught me something–about the writing process and about myself. I’ve learned how important it is to connect with readers, and I do that by creating characters that feel real to them and by story-telling that keeps them turning pages. I can’t say the process gets easier–the more I know about writing, the harder it is–but I love this career and the doors it’s opened up for me.

What do you want readers to take away from your novel?

I want readers to come away from The Orchid Tattoo with a better awareness of the prevalence of this crime. Trafficking doesn’t just happen overseas, it can happen in my neighborhood. It can happen to kids at my local middle school. But I also want readers to leave with a sense of what they can do to impact this crime–through awareness and vigilance. And, of course, I want the reader to be entertained. The Orchid Tattoo is a stormy, wild ride that builds to an explosive, satisfying end. If I engage, entertain, and educate my readers, I’ve done my job.