Some fun book tour highlights of 2015:

Starting 2016 with a bang!

       For my first of many keynote speaking events scheduled for the coming months, at Hadassah Cascades in Florida, I’ve had the pleasant task of pre-autographing all the 190 copies of my novel, HOTEL MOSCOW! It was included in the price of the brunch, and as always, my talk was not about the book itself but rather about issues relating to its background. (Organizers can choose from 4 suggested topics.)

Please check the list of many events coming up in Florida, Arizona, New York and New Jersey, and hopefully you’ll join me.(If you read the testimonials you'll see why my presentations are not to be missed.)

Some fun highlights of 2015:

         In my December newsletter I promised to highlight some of the many memorable/ unusual activities surrounding my book launch of HOTEL MOSCOW. It's hard to pick just a few from the series of events starting with the celebrity-studded book launch party at the Manhattan's famous Friars Club to the exhilarating luncheons and dinners where I connected with appreciative readers. I love the TV and radio interviews, which I invite you to watch/listen. But here is a look at "behind-the-scene":

1)  A tasty morsel to go with the novel: The request for a recipe to for a book-group meeting in which the novel is discussed brought out my culinary creativity. So here is my recipe for a Blini Caviar. It's easy to make for your next book meeting--and please remember to contact me to Skype your book discussion! 

2)  HOTEL MOSCOW was honored with the USA Books News award in the multi-cultural category.

The novel tells a universal story about people going through a political upheaval. Does the fall of a totalitarian regime mean that people wake up to Democracy--or to chaos and lawlessness? I hope that if you have not yet read this suspenseful, historical novel you will do so soon and get the inside view of this thought-provoking experience.

3) Authors’ endorsements:

The blurbs that HOTEL MOSCOW received from NYT bestselling authors were the ultimate

affirmation, and each took my breath away. It is a huge sacrifice for a working novelist—often under a contract to produce a new book each year—to take the time to read a full-length novel and lend his/her reputation to endorsing it. I am grateful to the many authors that have found HOTEL MOSCOW so worthy of their names—Nelson DeMille, Andrew Gross, Tami Hoag, Ellen Meister and many others!

4) Reviews:

As an author I toil in solitude and silence for about 5 years on each novel. Then comes the Big Bang

when the story is thrust out to the world and is embraced by both taste-makers and readers. Both ends of the process—the lonesome creative and its ultimate public reception—are equally satisfying, especially when my latest “baby” has received accolades such as:

“Stunning,” “A compelling narrative,” “Gripping,” “Unflinching and unforgettable,” "Skilled and vivid writing," "Fascinating," "An ambitious, timeless story," "Intriguing," “An eye-opening exposé ,” "Awesome," “Thought-provoking,” “A can’t-put-it-downer,”  “Action-packed, steamy and suspenseful,” “A moving, poignant, and heartening novel.”

All describe what I had sought to achieve in writing HOTEL MOSCOW.

5) Mah-Jongg tournament:

At a Book & Author luncheon in St. Petersburg, Florida, where I planned to arrive the night before, the organizers got a whiff of my love of Mah-Jongg. They asked me to participate in a special fund-raiser dinner and proceeded to sell tickets for attendees to play Mah-Jongg with the author! The fun was all mine.

6) HOTEL MOSCOW in Costco!

In its month-long run, the novel did so well that Costco continued the promotion for two more weeks.

From my very personal diary:

Some of you know that my husband, Ron, is the president of Maccabi USA. Over Christmas/ New Year we had the extraordinary experience of attending the Maccabi Pan-Am Games in Santiago, Chile, where the USA brought 400 Jewish athletes to compete against over 20 teams. It is a highly effective cultural- and Jewish-identity program that brings dispersed Diaspora communities together. It was a chance for me to reconnect with South-American friends I've made these past 30 years.

Finally,

In thanking you all, I’d like to offer you bookmarks. Many readers appreciate them, and I can send up to 30 at a time. Please write me at AuthorTalia@aol.com , and I will be delighted to mail them to you.

Thanks again, and wishing you all a great 2016!

Talia Carner

www.TaliaCarner.com

P.S. If you’ve read HOTEL MOSCOW, please post a review on Amazon or GoodReads. (Even a line or two would suffice--unless, of course, you want to articulate more.) If you haven't read the novel yet, here are links for both the trade paperback--about $12--or the digital format.