Spring is here!

I once heard Chuck Adams, a Simon & Schuster veteran editor, say about a good book: “It’s like in sex. If you are a good lover, you have a good time, but your partner has a better time.” As you can see in my photo, I am having a great time….

Spring has sprung, and with it a sense of renewal as my most recent novel, HOTEL MOSCOW, continues to make waves. The novel has received two great awards, the first, from USA Book News in the multicultural category. The second, The Book Excellence Award in the THRILLER category now has this digital seal!

No wonder!  The “thriller” part is what’s happening in Russia; it’s in the news often, and readers’ minds are stimulated when learning from HOTEL MOSCOW how the culture is still seeped in the Soviet mentality that makes the 25-year transition from communism so painful….


In the meantime, as I continue my public speaking, I’ve been greatly helped by my Toastmasters’ clubs, where I keep receiving these precious ribbons. Most importantly, Toastmasters has given me a community wherever I go. (Anyone who is in the public eye or needs to speak on the job should visit the local Toastmasters club to get the feel.)






Just as my book tour was supposed to end, new invitations have been coming my way. I’m finding myself re-energized by the great audiences. We are adding events, so please check my website for new ones that are in the process of being finalized in NY, NJ, AZ and FL!

Here, having fun with NYT bestselling author, Barbara Shapiro ("The Muralist," "The Art Forger") with whom I shared the stage in the Polo Club, Boca Raton (FL). In this photo we are comparing our opposing footwear....




Just as HOTEL MOSCOW is often being selected by book clubs, my previous novels are going strong too, leading by JERUSALEM MAIDEN. I Skype with groups often, so if you know of a book club among your friends, please suggest that they contact me at AuthorTalia@aol.com to schedule my participation. Needless to say, it adds a whole new dimension to have the author available to add to the discussion.


After hours of pleasure authors give you, you can do something for them—and I take the liberty of speaking on behalf of all of us who toil at the craft: Post reviews. Sometimes just a couple of lines would do.
Not surprisingly, authors whose readers are younger tend to get more digital reviews than authors whose readers are less engaged with internet sites and activities. I urge you to “act young” and post reviews for books you’ve enjoyed. (Here are my links for HOTEL MOSCOW on Amazon and GoodReads.)




There is no greater pleasure for an author than to share her work with appreciative audience. Thank you for taking this journey with me!

Thank you for your great support—and have a great Spring!

Talia
www.TaliaCarner.com

Early Fall Is Here!

Book tour takes me to magical places....

I accepted the invitation to present at Hadassah in Newport, RI for the chance to travel across the Long Island Sound by three ferries--always a delightful treat on a bright August day. My husband and I arrived the evening before to enjoy a seafood dinner in the heart of the tourist area in the marina. What a wonderful sunset! It felt just as magical when, the following day, over a sold-out luncheon of 200 attendees, I presented the background of HOTEL MOSCOW (to a great applause!)

My appearances continue into 2017!!!!

I love public speaking almost as much as I love writing--and apparently it shows, because invitations to keynote events are spilling into a second year of book touring for HOTEL MOSCOW. Long Island, Florida and New Jersey, here is my list of upcoming events confirmed. (If registration contact is not posted, please contact me directly.) Saturday, October 15, 2016, 12:00 PM American Association of University Women Smithtown Branch Voila, The Bistro, 244 Lake Avenue St. James, NY OPEN TO PUBLIC ($55.00/ Pre-registration required at caftiwalsh@yahoo.com) Thursday, October 20, 2016, 11:30 AM  Seaport Hadassah Chapter Annual Book & Author luncheon 1 Jefferson Ferry Drive, S. Setauket, NY 2017 Tuesday, January 17, 2017, 7:30 PM  36th Annual Miami Jewish Book Festival Alper JCC Berrin Family Futernick Art Gallergy 11155 S.W. 112th Ave., Miami, FL 33176 PUBLIC EXPRESSLY INVITED Wednesday, January 18, 2017, time TBD Fountains Country Club 4476 Fountains Drive Lake Worth, FL Tuesday, February 21, 2017, 10:30 AM  Yaffa Hadassah Valencia Shore 7751 Valencia Shore Drive Lake Worth, FL 33467 Thursday, March 9, 2017, 10:15 AM  Lunch & Learn Polo Club of Boca Raton 5400 Chamption Blvd Boca Raton, FL PUBLIC INVITED (pre-registration required.) Thursday, May 4th, 2017, 11:30 AM  Book and Author Luncheon Brandeis National Committee Middlesex NJ chapter Pine Manor, 2085 Rt. 27 Edison, NJ 08817 PUBLIC INVITED (pre-registration required.) (If your community or organization is having an event and needs an engaging speaker, please have them check the testimonials--and contact me Sharing the stage with other authors.... Readers are sometimes surprised that their favorite authors have not met in person, forgetting that most often we don't all live in the same neighborhood.... That's why I enjoy sharing the stage at some literary events with another author (or two,) whose works I admire.  This year I've had the pleasure of meeting in person bestselling authors B.A. Shapiro, David Greene, Lynn Cullen, Charlie Lovett, Jillian Cantor, Pam Jenoff, Ellen Meister, Naomi Eve, and Brenda Janowitz. (Photo, with Ellen Meister, author of the bestseller, "Dorothy Parker Drank Here.")

My previous novel, JERUSALEM MAIDEN has done it again!

In August, my previous novel, JERUSALEM MAIDEN was listed in Amazon Movers & Shakers. Once again--five years after its release(!)--it made it again to the top 100 digital list! I thank you all, devoted readers, who continue to share the buzz around. Many of you have asked for a sequel. I'm working on it in my head, since that story needs to brew.... (In the meantime I am hard at work on my 5th novel that, once again, tells a heart-wrenching--and mind-boggling--story that has barely been touched in fiction before.)

MOSCOW is hot!

Every day, news of global events continue to take center stage. Readers of HOTEL MOSCOW report how they better understand the Soviet psyche as it seeps into today's event. (Check the video book trailer.) This is most often the topic of my presentations titled, "Russia: When the rug was pulled out" or "The morning after: When a nation wakes up to 'Democracy'."

Happy [Jewish] New Year!

To all my Jewish friends and readers, let's hope that the coming year be one of sanity and peace, one of openness and common-sense.... Thank you everyone for your support and for sharing my publishing journey, Talia Talia Carner www.TaliaCarner.com

P.S. If you haven't yet read HOTEL MOSCOW, here are links  for both the trade paperback--about $13--or the digital format. You may read the first chapter on my website or download a digital sample.

"Who are you?" The author of HOTEL MOSCOW reveals

Talia in the IDF

"Who are you?"

Since I am yet to appear in any of my novels, my life and “adventures” often intrigue readers and you?” My background also fascinated Lucette Lagnado (author of the bestselling “The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit,” and a seasoned Wall Street Journal writer) whose probing interview appears in the back of HOTEL MOSCOW. I’ve also published personal essays, which you may read on my website. Each cracks open a window into my own history. (Photo: Talia as a soldier in Israel Defense Force.)

audiences, who ask, “Who are

The highlights of my career?

Chinese abandoned baby found in street

What were the high moments of my career? One event that stands out is my 2007 presentation at the UN on the subject of gendercide in China—the singling out of baby girls for death—the first time in UN history. Since then, unfortunately, my projections about the continued disappearance of girls in China have been proven correct even as China has just announced that it would allow two children per family. Only 1/3 Chinese families are expected to actually have a second child, and girls will still be the unwanted choice. (My UN PowerPoint presentation is available.)

 

NEWS!  

USA Book News announced the 2015 winners--and HOTEL MOSCOW took the prize in the Multicultural category. 

Indeed, the novel combines the harsh realities of Russia during transition from communism and an American woman's view as she visit there but must face her own family legacy.

Democracy or "Cleptocracy?"

We tend to have a romantic notion about the removal of an authoritarian regime, with our hopeful, utopian belief that a nation wakes up the next morning to democracy. How wrong! When laws are erased off the books, a nation wakes up to lawlessness, and the factions that are quick to fill in the void are the most greedy and violent gangs. That’s the backdrop of my novel HOTEL MOSCOW. (This four-minute book trailer shows rare footage of what happened in 1993.) 

My Paris was Attacked  

In my teens, I attended a French high school in Tel-Aviv and was fluent in the language. My Francophile side was abandoned upon my arrival in the USA and the focus on English—until Esther, the protagonist of my previous novel, JERUSALEM MAIDEN, ran off to Paris (supposedly in 1924) and I had to chase after her through the alleys of the Left Bank…. Since then, checking off my bucket list, I’ve spent longer time in Paris, with yet again a fresh view of the city that had once dominated my dreams. (Read my Paris blogs here in April-June 2013)

Great TV interviews:

The end of October has seen new airings of great TV interviews in which I discuss HOTEL MOSCOW, the background and the creative process of creating such a thriller. You may watch The Artists’ Forum here. (Click for additional TV interviews, including Sarder TV about my business life in the 1980s.)

"Talia Tells Tales" blogs are a hit!

   

Did you miss my previous monthly newsletters? If you are already here, scroll up and down and at

least glance at the photos. Judging by the number of hits this blog gets, readers enjoy the behind-the-scene peeks into book publishing.

Skype me!

Now that HOTEL MOSCOW has been out since June, book groups have been selecting it for lively, thought-provoking discussions. Yet, many groups do not realize that they can invite me to join their meeting via Skype. If you are not in a book group, please let your friends who belong to one know about this option. They will thank you.

My words on paper are only marching little ants. You, the reader, give them meaning. I continue to appreciate your great support!

Talia

www.TaliaCarner.com 

P.S.Florida here I come! 

This winter will find me in Florida, with a dozen speaking appearances. I do not do “a reading” (frankly, I find it boring,) but rather tell stories and anecdotes that have inspired my novels and my quest for social justice. Please check the schedule on my website and join me.

  

HOTEL MOSCOW--The Pleasures of Book Touring

On the road....

One of the pleasures of book touring at this time of the year is savoring the beauty of the changing of the season. This week alone, on visits to Boston, New Jersey, and Long Island (NY), I found myself looking forward to gulping more mileage on the road just so I could watch the sun ignite the leaves in the brightest yellow, orange, and red.

Russian living conditions are still so Soviet....

Photo credit: Yevgeny Kondakov

Take a look at this extraordinary photo of a family in a Russian communal apartment. Even today, almost a quarter century since the fall of communism, millions of Russians still live in such conditions, with no physical or emotional privacy. What has deprivation of one’s self done to the Russian psyche? That is one of the topics I speak about at my many presentations. Please join me in any of my coming up talks in NY, PA, NJ, FL, MI, and CT, a schedule that now stretches deep into May 2016. 

A peek behind the scene of book publicity:

Friends who get a closer peek behind the scenes at what my life is like these days often express amazement at what’s involved. Gone are the years when an author mailed a manuscript to her agent, then sat down to pen her next book. The concept of “promotion” doesn’t sound as elegant as “touring,” but the nitty-gritty is just that. Yes, I am invited for TV interviews, but how does each such an interview come about--and how does the video get onto YouTube? Yes, HOTEL MOSCOW garners reviews, but how do reviewers know about the book and the active links pop up on my website? And what about the “guest blogging”? These days, rather than review a book, some websites ask authors to post an interesting essay. That’s a great opportunity for me to expand on issues related to my novel, but it takes away from penning  my next book. 

Are you in a book group? Skype with me!

  

There is no greater pleasure for me than to interact with reading groups, which I often do over Skype. In fact,Reading Groups Choices has selected HOTEL MOSCOW as one of its featured book groups’ selection for 2016! If your book group selects HOTEL MOSCOW, please contact me at AuthorTalia@aol.com to set up the time for me to join online. (If you can't access Skype, the phone works superbly well.)

What does being Jewish mean to me?

Some of you have noticed that I skipped a September issue. It was due to the Jewish holidays. My non-Jewish friends find it interesting that like me, many Jews are secular, their Jewish identity well rooted in the traditions but not the faith. Here is one of my essays on the subject, titled "Jewish Through and Through." (More essays on topics ranging from the political, global and social issues to my family life can be read under My Writing.)

"Which of your books shall I read next?"

“Which of your books shall I read next?” I get this question often from readers who’ve come into my writing via HOTEL MOSCOW, my fourth novel. Since each of my books is entirely different in setting, topic and even voice, I suggest that you read the first chapter of each on my website to help you decide. (Audible versions are available too--including samples.) I promise that no matter which novel you choose, you’re up for an emotional adventure of the “can’t-put-it-down” nature.

The pleasure of sharing your reading with others

Short of writing your own book, sharing with others a novel you’ve enjoyed is part of the pleasure of reading.…Therefore, I have a favor to ask: Please post a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.com, (where you can now pose me a question.) Even a couple of lines will do for a review, but it gets those mysterious algorithms working.  

Onward with this adventure

And finally, if you’ve missed my previous newsletters, they are available right here on Talia Tells Tales blog. Just scroll down now!

Judging by the number of clicks they get, it seems that indeed, readers like you enjoy taking the journey behind the scene of publishing.

Thank you again,

Talia

Talia Carner

www.TaliaCarner.com

P.S. A librarian reader has sent me this quote by author William Styron: “A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.” That what she felt about HOTEL MOSCOW—but added that she felt elated and “a better person” for learning so much.…

HOTEL MOSCOW --The Adventure Continues

Fun literary events:

Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria

 The summer’s most star-studded literary event in the USA must be the East Hampton (NY) Authors’Night. Once again I was honored to be selected among the 100 invited authors to autograph my books. The reception—catered by the best wines and food offerings of the east end of Long Island—was swarmed by a couple of thousands visitors circulating among the celebrity authors and visitors.

Nelson DeMille, who's become a friend

Nelson DeMille, bestselling suspense author, was also honored at a private dinner following the reception, sharing the honor with Dick Cavett. To my surprise and delight, when DeMille rose to speak, he introduced me and talked about HOTEL MOSCOW! (His prior written endorsement is posted on the front cover of the book.)

Book groups are selecting HOTEL MOSCOW

Recording a video for Sutter Home book club

Is it the end of August already? When it came out of the gate, HOTEL MOSCOW was recommended by Reading GroupChoices directory (print and digital) as a book club discussion choice.

Indeed, the first group to Skype with me will so this week. Quite a few others have informed me that they are gearing up for a lively, thought-provoking discussion because the novel’s themes are so varied. (Many book groups simply do not realize that I am available for a phone or Skype participation, so please pass the word.)

A reminder: What is HOTEL MOSCOW about?

Set in Moscow in 1993 during the uprising of the Russian parliament against Yeltsin, the novel is both the story of the valiant Russians going through transition after the fall of Communism and the personal journey of a visiting American woman who teaches the sorely needed business to women. She becomes embroiled in investigating the mafia that controls their ventures, but soon must come to terms with her parents' legacy and her own personal secret that might compromise her future.

            HOTEL MOSCOW is an eye-opening portrait of post-communist Russia and a profound exploration of faith, friendship, and heritage.

Soviet life—before and after communism:

How much has Russia changed? Below is the layout of a typical Soviet communal apartment, where 13 families (20-30 people) share two lavatories, one bath and one kitchen. Millions of Russian still live in such conditions today. Read more about it in the novel.

                                                    A diversion from book tour:

I must share with you my experience of taking time off from writing and public speaking to fly to Berlin to attend the historical event of the European Maccabi Games. This was the largest gathering of Jews in that city since Hitler’s days, and the show of  Jewish power and pride took on a special dimension at the opening ceremony in the arena adjacent to the stadium where he had once banned Jews from participating. You may read more about the event here.

  

A complaint lodged to Amazon:

Rather than be redundant by posting another rave review of HOTEL MOSCOW, I'd like to share with you a fun "complaint":

"Dear Amazon.com;

            I'm writing to complain about Talia Carner's last book.
My husband is riveted to Hotel Moscow, and I cannot get him to come and play with me. In truth I did the same thing to him last month when he could hardly get me out of the bed in the morning because I had read the book half the night.
            This is almost never happened with the same book between us. But at least I don't have to cook, wash, or comb my hair until he finishes.
--- Page-turner widow"

                                             What’s next?

I hope you will all become “page-turner widows and widowers.” If you haven’t yet done so, please get your copy of the book in paperback or digital format by clicking here.

Thank you again, for making the launch of HOTEL MOSCOW a success. Please come and hear me in any of my dozens of speaking events coming up in  NY, CT, NJ, MA, PA, FL and MI.

Yours,

Talia Carner
www.TaliaCarner.com

P.S. If you have missed my previous monthly newsletter (and the interesting photos,) please check them out on my blog, Talia Tells Tales.  

P.P.S. If you’ve read HOTEL MOSCOW, may I ask that you post a comment on Amazon (and/or GoodReads) in the form of a review?  

HOTEL MOSCOW -- Summer Reading

Presenting against the backdrop of Cape Cod beach

Since HOTEL MOSCOW was released, I’ve been on a whirlwind of personal appearances. I do not do “readings,” but rather speak about the background of my novel: my experiences when teaching Russian women business skills and the grim reality of life of Russians during transition time--often worse than under communism. Some groups ask me to speak about the question of today’s secular Jewish identity (the protagonist’s haunting internal struggle.)

        While most often I keynote an event as the sole speaker, the occasional sharing of the podium with other authors is a great bonding experience. Such inspiring recent events were the literary luncheon in Cape Cod organized by a bookstore, Where the Sidewalk Ends, in the plush Wequassett resort (with bestselling authors Jane Green and Beatriz Williams above,) and the Stamford library event in Connecticut (with bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank.)

        In each event the organizers included a talented debut author showcasing her first novel, and it reminded me how far I've gone since 2002 when PUPPET CHILD was published--and how grateful I am forever for the successful authors who helped me along....

​Summer reading! 

  

HOTEL MOSCOW is taking its place as a serious summer read—“thought-provoking yet adventurous," a novel that readers claim to have taken to the beach because they couldn’t put it down. Library Journal joins the choir with this review: “…This tense thriller, based in part on author Carner’s (Jerusalem Maiden) own experiences in post-Communist Russia, is an eye-opening exposé of life following the collapse of the Iron Curtain. ….Carner’s novel of vividly drawn characters and taut suspense adds up to a real-life dystopian page-turner of the un-put-downable variety.” (Read more reviews on my site. )

The Surprise after "The End"

  But when the story ends, the book does not, because the publisher has prepared a series of surprises for you. Appearing as a "P.S.," the section contains “About the author” complete with my photos in Russia as well as exclusive photos of communal apartments, an insightful interview with me by bestselling biographer Lucette Lagnado, my essay “Russia Then and Now,” and a Reading Group Guide.

 TV interviews: 

Ann Bocock interviews me for Between The Covers

A few TV interviews have been particularly thorough and probing, each in its unique way. While Between The Covers  was conducted in front of studio audience and discussed my escape from Russia, which underpins the background of the novel, Jewish Education Media focused on my family heritage, personal life, feminist issues and cultural topics. Surprisingly, Sarder TV probed a topic rarely raised: my take on the nascent realities of women breaking into the business world in the 1980s as well as some of my contributions to shedding light on women entrepreneurs. 

Book tour:   

Presenting at Stamford library 

  

Dozens of speaking engagements are scheduled for the coming months, and many more are in the finalizing stages and will be posted next month. Come to hear me speak in NY, CT, NJ, MA, PA, FL and MI.(Please read the testimonials to get a sense of why you shouldn’t miss such an event.)

      Most importantly, I hope that HOTEL MOSCOW has or will give you a satisfying reading experience, with characters and eye-opening events that will stay with you long after you've finished reading. As a book review blogger, Black Dog Speaks , wrote: "Books contain an intense magic, so powerful that it can transport us to a different time and place... These wizards of words not only teach us about history, but they weave together the threads of history, humanity, thought and perception to create the most vivid tapestries, which tell the stories of places, people and the events in which they partake. Talia Carner’s wand has created such a tapestry that vibrantly depicts a time and a place that most of us know almost nothing about."

Book groups: 

Sutter Home winery selected HOTEL MOSCOW as its June book groups' read receiving 400,000 hits and complete with my recipe of blini caviar for a great book discussion meeting!

Watch the video of my book introduction, and please contactme to Skype your meeting.

And so the fun continues for both me and my readers.

Thank you for making the launch of HOTEL MOSCOW a success!

Yours,

Talia Carner

www.TaliaCarner.com

 P.S.  Did you miss the prior monthly newsletters? Please scroll down for more Talia Tells Tales posts..

HOTEL MOSCOW--The Launch

         My new novel, HOTEL MOSCOW was released in June with a great party, in which the ice sculpture was as much of a hit as the book.

          In my April  and May newsletters I  touched on my experiences in Russia: I was a consultant to Fortune 500 companies when, in 1993, I was sent by the U.S. Information Agency to Russia to teach Russian women the entrepreneurial skills they needed after the fall of communism. On my second visit, in October, I was caught in the uprising of the Russian parliament against President Yeltsin, was chased by the militia, and was threatened with jail.

Most intriguing: 

         In the dozen radio talks I’ve given these past two weeks since the launch of HOTEL MOSCOW, every interviewer was fascinated by the novel’s backdrop: the terrifying portrait of a nation in transition from Communism, of a world superpower undergoing a profound and violent change.

            It is hard for us to imagine the misery of life under Soviet totalitarian regime. It is even harder to grasp the nightmare of waking up one day to a world where all laws have been obliterated. While bewildered Russians struggled to learn new survival skills in new market economy, the corruption and brutality of the former Soviet regime was now imitated by thousands of mafia groups. HOTEL MOSCOW tells it with an inside view. As one reviewer wrote, “HOTEL MOSCOW taught me lessons about humanity, about what we, as people, are capable of.”

What has not changed? 

   

Photo by Yevgeny Kondako

In the new Russia young people discover new opportunities and restaurants are now store-front (formerly out of sight in basements or second floors.) Yet, dozens of industrial cities are as bleak and hopeless as before. And in beautiful St. Petersburg, the Soviet kommunalka, the communal apartment, where a family of three may live in a room as small as 5 x10 ft.—and shares a toilet, bath and kitchen with five to ten other families—is still home to millions of Russians. The lack of privacy is shown in this unique photo I was able to obtain. In HOTEL MOSCOW, readers get an inside view of such a life through Svetlana, one of the Russian characters.

 Author at launch time.... 

    “What does releasing the novel involve?” people ask me.

It’s exhilarating. But a book does not break out of the gate without long preparations and continued attention. The book launch was immediately followed by the release of my essays and blogs. My piece about identifying with Second-Generation—children of Holocaust survivors (even though I am not)—garnered a huge readership, as did my essay about my secular, faithless Jewish identity. Both are issues that the protagonist of HOTEL MOSCOW, Brooke Fielding, struggles with. 

            But it is the early morning commuter radio shows that present me with a physical challenge: How do I speak without sounding as though I had just woken up? I wake up 40 minutes earlier and reset my sleepy voice by belting out the ABC song. I am not up to anything more operatic….

Meeting you! 

            The most exciting part of publishing a new novel is my many speaking engagements. After years of toiling away at my keyboard in solitude, now comes the time when I share my passions with others. I don’t do “readings,” but rather talk about the background issues of the novel. Please join me in the coming weeks and months at the many events already scheduled in NY, NJ, CT and MA. (In August I’ll publish the travel schedule to Detroit, Pennsylvania, Boston and others.)

To say that my new novel, HOTEL MOSCOW was “long awaited” is a cliché that I, a writer, must avoid. But the thousands of readers who pre-ordered it and the dozens of bloggers that areposting their reviews give me a high that only an entertainer on stage can understand.

The bloggers are joining the chorus of bestselling suspense authors such as Nelson DeMille who wrote: “A finely drawn tale of a country emerging from its dark Soviet past into a present overshadowed by a new kind of terror and lawless corruption…. That will keep the reader mesmerized…. An insightful post-Cold War thriller.”

Thank you!

Talia Carner

www.TaliaCarner.com

 

P.S. While I encourage you to support your local indiebookstore, and I thank B&N for its loyalty, and Amazon is always a great online seller, I can’t not share with you that Costco now carries HOTEL MOSCOW (see below)!

HOTEL MOSCOW in Costco