Talia's most recent newsletters

 

January 2025:

https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2vy08p--18m52h-

 

 

December 2024:

krqqke26https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2vy08p--18m52h-krqqke26

 

 

October 2024:

https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2v3x10--188r3t-krqqke38

Talia's Most Recent Newsletters

 If you have missed, or want to catch up on prior updates, here are the links to my most recent newsletters. (To view previous one, please scroll down the blog):

October 2024: https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2v21sw--1877pc-hh6iff7

September: https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2upd06--17v22w-j3mj1xs2

August: https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2udgml--17lixf-gd55yr6

July:  https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2udgml--17lixf-gd55yr6

June: https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2tlegk--172n2p-gd55yr1

April: https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2t37z0--16ks1y-gd55yr7

March: https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2su6rc--16dmjt-gd55yr3

Feb: https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/6dns-2sgr2g--160o2w-gd55yr6

For prior listing, please check: https://taltellstales.blogspot.com/2023/12/

Thanks for your interest!

Summer is here--and you get a sneak preview!

I was planning to mail this newsletter last month with a big hello to summer! However, I had to wait for the green light from HarperCollins to give you, my subscribers, a sneak peek of the cover, so weeks passed by....

In the meantime, judging from my friends’ personal reports and social media postings, it seems that most of you alternate between international travel, lazy beach days, and summer feasts of food and music. We all deserve this break.

It’s also time to get on with our “to-read” list. I’ve been enjoying some great books, fiction and non-fiction. Please check my over-230 reviews on GoodReads.com under my name.

         

A sneak peek before the industry's big reveal:

       

The cover of  THE BOY WITH THESTAR TATTOO!

 There is a special moment in my the long cycle of conceiving an idea, researching, and letting it mature on the page into a full-length novel—and then revising and editing it dozens of times. That moment is when it all comes together in the vision of the artist who creates the cover. For years I submerge myself in the story, visualizing every character, hearing the dialogue as it is spoken, and watching complete scenes as if they take place on stage. Nevertheless, whatever visual I create in my head of the cover art, it is never as vivid as when a talented artist who comes into the process with fresh eyes crystalizes it.

The first thing you notice about any book’s cover is that its design reflects the genre: In a glance you discern a romance novel from a murder suspense. There are also trends in book publishing. My bestselling novel JERUSALEM MAIDEN (Harper 2011) featured a split cover art with four separate elements.

I prefer the more recent trend with a picture that tells a whole story, hinting about past, present and future. In this new cover of THE BOY WITH THE STAR TATTOO, you identify a mother and you sense that she is poor and from times bygone. What about her state of mind? Even without seeing her face, you can read her emotions…. You also see the baby’s foot with the telltale Star-of-David. You see the vast ocean with its association to immigration. And of course, there’s the Saar boat in the horizon….

           

HarperCollins description of the novel:

"In the vein of Pam Jenoff and Kristen Harmel comes an epic historical novel of ingenuity and daring, of love and loss weaving two yet-untold events set in France. One takes place in 1946 in the aftermath of the Holocaust, when agents from Eretz Israel roamed the European countryside to rescue hidden Jewish orphans (Youth Aliyah). The second is set in 1969, about the daring escape of the boats of Cherbourg, in Normandy, which were commissioned and paid for by Israel but whose delivery was blocked by a French arms embargo.

"Sharon, the assistant to an Israeli naval officer stationed in Cherbourg, is set to unravel the mystery of his journey from a French village to Israel. As she traces it to the tragedy of a mother who lost her baby in the mayhem of war, she is unprepared for the moral dilemma she must face upon solving the puzzle."

A beta reader has added: "The human drama of THE BOY WITH THE STAR TATTOO offers a back-to-basics narrative about the crucial role played by the rescuers of traumatic Jewish WWII orphans who’d lost everything. The novel is also a poignant reminder of the courageous spirit of those who committed themselves to Israel’s survival and the bravery and resourcefulness with which they faced the existential challenges twenty years after her establishment."

         

Surrounding myself with love....

Before I get back to my upcoming book, I'd like to share with you some personal stuff: In April, I hosted a party in Tel-Aviv for my closest friends and family for Tyler’s bar-mitzvah.

In May, I celebrated a milestone birthday, and was greatly moved at the elegant, yet intimate dinner with my wonderful Florida friend

I am so lucky to have roots on both sides of the ocean!

         

The buzz is getting louder--and I'm planning my book-tour appearances:

          There is no greater pleasure for this author than to share her work and passion with appreciative readers—you!

          Here are the plans, so far, for the launch of THE BOY WITH THE STAR TATTOO in February 2024:

• Join me at an open-to-all Zoom party (A few dates and links will be posted on my website under Book Tour).
• I will be based in Boca Raton, Florida, through April 2024. I will travel from there locally and also fly to some major literary events.
• I will be based in Long Island, NY, as of May 2024, from where I can cover the Tri-State area (NY, NJ, CT) and beyond.
• I always enjoy the ferry ride across the Sound with my husband Ron to visit groups in New England.
• We also plan a road trip to Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Southern Pennsylvania.
• Member organizations of The JewishBook Council can count me in! Next year, I will be listed as one of their touring authors.
• As a seasoned Zoombie, I will be delighted to Zoom to communities’ and groups across the country.

I can’t wait to visit your community in person or virtually. Please contact my event coordinator, Jim Walters at MecoxHudson@gmail.com or (617)329-5651.

         

You may pre-order THE BOY WITH THE STAR TATTOO!

Pre-ordering helps shoot a book up the bestselling list, so I would be enormously grateful if you join my team by preordering it either on Amazon or B&N:

And please do not forget your favorite independent bookstore! Not only you'll support it, but you will introduce my new novel to the owner and staff.

         

Salute with me July milestones in women's history:

 (Note: My newsletter was mailed in July)

July 19, 1848 – Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott spearheaded the first women’s rights convention in American History.

July 2, 1937 – Amelia Earhart’s plane is lost in the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island.

July 20, 1942 – Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps' first class (WAAC) begins at Fort Des Moines, IA.

July 6, 1957 – Althea Gibson is the first African American woman to win a Wimbledon title in women’s tennis singles.

July 2, 1964 – President Lyndon Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act; Title VII prohibits sex discrimination in employment.

July 2, 1979 – The Susan B. Anthony dollar is released.

July 7, 1981 – President Reagan nominates Sandra Day O’Connor as the first woman Supreme Court Justice.

July 12, 1984 – Geraldine Ferraro (D-New York) the first female to run for VP of the US with Walter Mondale (D-Minnesota).

 

Summer reading: My emotional-suspense novels:

How often do I hear "I read your book (which one?) and it was wonderful!"

I then remind the appreciative reader that I have had FIVE different heart-wrenching suspense novels, and "if you liked one, you are in for a treat." In fact, I know from thousands of readers' feedback that each gives a great thought-provoking reading experience!

 Please read the first couple of chapters of each on my website.                            

JERUSALEM MAIDEN --Spanning from Jerusalem under the Ottoman rule to Paris during the avant-garde era, a feisty young woman struggles between her passion for art and her faith.

CHINA DOLL--An American music icon on a concert tour in China tries to save a baby from death--only to face the wrath of the world's two superpowers.

HOTEL MOSCOW-- While empowering women in lawless post-communist Moscow, an American businesswoman must face both the mafia and her own past mistakes.

THE THIRD DAUGHTER--Lured from Europe to Buenos Aires in the 1890s, a valiant Jewish girl struggles to free herself from bondage and bring down the powerful traffickers' ring.

PUPPET CHILD--When the US system fails her daughter, a brave mother takes matters into her own hands in a race against time and political corruption.

  

 Thank you readers, book clubs, reviewers, and event organizers who continue to select my books, tell others, praise them, post reviews--and invite me to present!

        

Have a great rest of the summer!

I am looking forward to continuing to connect with you through the spoken and written word.

          Talia

          www.TaliaCarner.com

          AuthorTalia@aol.com

 

       
P.S. Galleys!!! Soon, HarperCollins will send out galleys of THE BOY WITH THE STAR TATTOO to book reviewers, media hosts, and bloggers. If you are one and would like to receive a copy, please write to me with details of your venue—publication, podcast, TV program, literary event—and its audience size so I can pass it along to their publicist.

We have a winner! Both the novel and the book group of the month!

(Note: This blog was sent to the mailing list in early December 2019) WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST IN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! "THE THIRD DAUGHTER" book clubs' monthly promotion:

We have the first drawing of a winner!  South Beach Book Club (Florida) has had a wonderful event into which I also Skyped. This group photo was drawn from several others submitted, and the group won the beautiful shawl, a replica of the one worn by the protagonist on the cover of THE THIRD DAUGHTER. Please continue to mail me your book club photos--and please contact me ahead of time to schedule a Skype visit, at AuthorTalia@aol.com . I often join at the second part of the meeting, after the members have had a chance to discuss the book on their own, exchange opinions and bring up some questions. There is no greater pleasure for an author than to share her work with appreciative audience, and I encourage you to contact not only me, but try other authors (via their websites.) I am certain that, time permits, many of my fellow novelists would be delighted to hear from you. No less important, of course, are your reviews. Amazon and GoodReads--as well as your favorite social media venues--are great places to post even a couple of lines of your impressions and let other readers know.

The mind-boggling historical secret revealed--and the surprising inspiration for the novel!

Set in the late 1800s in Buenos Aires, THE THIRD DAUGHTER is a story of a young Jewish woman lured under false promise of marriage from Russia to South America, where she's forced into prostitution. With faith and fortitude, she struggles to free herself, while trying to bring down the powerful traffickers' ring. Historically true, THE THIRD DAUGHTER was inspired by Sholem Aleichem's short story, The Man from Buenos Aires, that appeared in the same collection as Tevye the Dairyman. I invented the story of one of Tevye's daughters after the family flees a pogrom (--a sequel to Fiddler on the Roof.) They meet this mysterious, shady man, who lures the daughter from Russia to Argentina with a false promise of marriage--only to force her into a brothel.   Zwi Migdal was a legal union of traffickers headquartered in Buenos Aires, that operated with impunity for 70 years. THE THIRD DAUGHTER is a tribute to the estimated over 150,000 Jewish girls and women whose haunting voices impelled me to tell their truth.... But as the iconic Phyllis Chesler writes in her endorsement, the novel has "a satisfying, redemptive ending!"

A 1925 film dramatizing a cargo of "brides" heading from Russia to South America. (Source: "Jewish Luck," by director Alexis Granowsky.)

HOTEL MOSCOW (my previous novel) is Amazon Kindle's choice--at only $1.99 !

What a great compliment to the sustainability of this novel of Russia emerging from communism--and the effects of corruption on its people, particularly women--that Amazon has singled out this award-winning novel for Kindle's discounted monthly promotion! Here is what NYT bestselling authors said about HOTEL MOSCOW when it was released in 2015: "...Hotel Moscow is 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.... A wonderful evocation of time and place and an insightful post-Cold War thriller which reminds us that in Russia the more that changes, the more that stays the same.” -- Nelson DeMille author of Radiant Angel “With the urgency of a thriller and the sharp, atmospheric lens of a great documentary, HOTEL MOSCOW hurls you into the vortex of  the corrupt, outlaw world of the Soviet Union morphing into modern Russia. A fascinating and ultimately, gripping read!" -- Andrew Gross, author of One Mile Under "Talia Carner sweeps us away along with her brave and determined heroine to an exotic and complex time and place, and keeps us riveted with the tension and dangers of international intrigue. A real page-turner!" -- Tami Hoag, author of Cold Cold Heart  TO DOWNLOAD $1.99  HOTEL MOSCOW, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Please join me for an engaging literary event:

I do not do "readings," but rather deliver thought-provoking talks about the social issues behind each of my novels. Audiences and event organizers find them "enriching," "extraordinary," "engaging," "superbly performed," "eye-opening," and "unforgettable."  (You may check testimonials here.)

BNC Hartford (CT) Chapter, October 2019 My book tour for THE THIRD DAUGHTER continues. In the coming months you'll find me in New York Metro and Florida. For registration information (some events are limited to members,) please check my Book Tour page.  Tuesday, January 7, 2029, 7:00 PM Women’s League Book Club B’nai Torah Congregation, 6261 SW 18th Street Boca Raton, FL Tuesday, January 21st, 2020, 10 AM Trustees luncheon Jewish Women Foundation of the Greater Palm Beaches Temple Beth El West Palm Beach Monday, February 10, 2020, 11:30 AM Brandeis National Committee (BNC) Treasure Coast Chapter 21st Annual Literary Luncheon Island Dunes Country Club Jensen Beach, FL Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 1:30 PM Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (HBI) Conversations Sarasota, FL Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 12:00 noon Ponte Vecchio 7050 Catania Dr. Boynton Beach, FL Wednesday, February 26, 2020, 9:30 AM & 1:30 PM “Conversations with Jewish Women Writers” Jewish Federation of the Palm Beaches Friedman Center for Jewish Education Palm Beach Country Club Palm Beach, FL Thursday, February 27, 2020, 1:30 PM “Conversations with Jewish Women Writers” Jewish Federation of the Palm Beaches Friedman Center for Jewish Education Frenchman’s Creek Beach & Country Club Palm Beach, FL Friday, March 6, 2020, 10:00 AM Annual Book & Author Luncheon Brandeis National Committee Wellworth, Wellington, Wycliffe, Delray and Trails Chapters Wycliffe Golf Club & Country Club Wycliffe, FL Sunday, March 8, 2020, 5:30 PM Galbut Family Miami Beach JCC 4221 Pine Tree Drive Miami Beach, FL Thursday, March 19, 2020, 9:30 AM Hadassah Valencia Reserve Boynton Beach, FL Friday, March 20, 2020, 12:30 PM (TBC) United Nations Commission on the Status of Women UN Building, New York, NY Sunday, March 22, 2020, 10:00 AM Book & Author Event Neve Shalom 250 Grove Ave, Metuchen, NJ Monday, March 23, 2020, 3:00 PM Peninsula Public Library 280 Central Ave Lawrence, NY Tuesday, March 31, 2020, 5:30 PM Jewish Women’s Foundation of Boca Raton Boca Raton, FL Sunday, April 19, 2020, 11:30 AM Temple Israel of New Rochelle 100 Pinebrook Blvd New Rochelle 10804 Wednesday, April, 22, 2020, 8:15 PM Sisterhood East Meadow Jewish Center East Meadow, (Long Island) NY Thursday, April 23, 2020, 10:30 AM Sid Jacobson JCC East Hills, (Roslyn, Long Island,) NY For registration, please click. Sunday, May 3, 2020, 9:00 AM Temple Beth Sholom Sisterhood 1901 Kresson Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 Thursday, May 7, 2020, 11:00 AM Hadassah Nassau Region Rockville Centre, LI Saturday, May 9, 2020, 1:00 PM Port Washington Library 1 Library Drive, Port Washington, NY Wednesday, May 13, 2020,  11:30 AM (TBD) Commack Hills Hadassah Dix Hills Jewish Center 555 Vanderbilt Parkway Dix Hills, NY Tuesday, June 9, 2020, 3:00 PM (novel: JERUSALEM MAIDEN) Après Midi Café Le Marais Paris Tuesday, June 16, 2020, 2:00 PM Glen Cove Library 4 Glen Cove Ave, Glen Cove, NY Thursday, June 18, 2020, 11:30 AM BOOK & AUTHOR Migdal Hadassah North Shore Towers Little Neck, NY Sunday, July 12, 2020, 3:00 PM John Jermain Memorial Library 201 Main Street Sag Harbor, NY  (To schedule an event with me, please contact my event coordinator, Lisa Bernard at MecoxHudson@gmail.com or (203)919-8406 )

Thank you for your interest and support--and wishing you a great holiday season! Talia www.TaliaCarner.com P.S. You may read the first chapter of THE THIRD DAUGHTER on my website--and of course, order at your local indie store, on B&N, Amazon, and iTunes. P.P.S. The novel is available also in LARGE PRINT!

THE THIRD DAUGHTER is making waves!

First, I'd like to wish those of my readers, friends, and followers who celebrate the New Year, a healthy and peaceful one! And may we all find time to read more books!

THE THIRD DAUGHTER is making waves!

Second printing! A month after the release of my novel #5, THE THIRD DAUGHTER is going into a second printing--and garnering great reviews by prestigious literary sources:  *  The New York Journal of Books: "The character of Batya is a satisfying heroine, strong, resilient, brave, and vulnerable. The Third Daughter is a tribute to the women who endured... An important book!" * Library Journal: "Recommended for its complex characters and a story based on a little-known part of history."  * The Jewish Book Council: "Care­ful­ly researched and metic­u­lous­ly nov­el­ized....Carn­er is adept at illu­mi­nat­ing the injus­tices that women are subject to.... The brave, resource­ful, loy­al and fierce, protagonist is a Jew­ish hero­ine who shines bright­ly like a Shabbat candle..."   * Bloggers, too, rave about the novel. Please read more reviews here.

What is this historical novel about--and what sets it apart?

Set in the late 1800s in Buenos Aires, THE THIRD DAUGHTER is a story of a young Jewish woman lured under false promise of marriage from Russia to South America, where she's forced into prostitution. With faith and fortitude, she struggles to free herself, while trying to bring down the powerful traffickers' ring. Historically correct, THE THIRD DAUGHTER was inspired by Sholem Aleichem's short story, The Man from Buenos Aires, that appeared in the same collection as Tevye the Dairyman. I invented the story of one of Tevye's daughters after the family flees a pogrom (--a sequel to Fiddler on the Roof.) They meet this mysterious, shady man, who lures the daughter from Russia to Argentina with a false promise of marriage--only to force her into a brothel.   Zwi Migdal was a legal union of traffickers headquartered in Buenos Aires, that operated with impunity for 70 years. THE THIRD DAUGHTER is a tribute to the estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Jewish girls and women whose haunting voices impelled me to tell their truth.... But as the iconic Phyllis Chesler writes in her endorsement, the novel has "a satisfying, redemptive ending!"

Radio, Podcast and TV interviews:

This past month was filled with radio, podcast and TV interviews. It's a delight to speak with hosts who have read my new novel and are enthusiastic to share information about it with their listeners and viewers. In the photo, I am being miked for an interview on Linda Frank's program, "The Writer's Dream."

Book groups are selecting the novel!

THE BUZZ IS ON! Reading groups are always on the lookout for a book that will provoke thinking and be a great conversation starter. The social issue of sex-trafficking--and the historical secret revealed in THE THIRD DAUGHTER-- are sure to generate a lively discussion. And I am always game to join a part of the meeting by phone or by Skype. In a special promotion, all groups that sends a photo of members holding their copies of the novel (or the digital covers) will participate in a monthly drawing of an embroidered Spanish shawl! It is a replica of the one worn by the protagonist on the cover of the book,.  Please write to me at AuthorTalia@aol.com to schedule my visit--and/or to send your photo.

Please join me in person to hear the story behind the story:

My book tour has started with several successful speaking events already behind me, while invitations are still coming in for this Fall--in East Hampton, NY, NJ, and PA. This winter, you'll find me in FL and beyond, but that list is too long to post here, so please check my Book Tour page. Wednesday, October 16, 2019, 11:30 AM Annual Fundraising Literary Luncheon Brandeis National Committee Greater Hartford Golf Club of Avon 160 Country Club Rd, Avon, CT 06001 Wednesday, October 16, 2019, 7:00 PM “Meet The Author” Mark Twain Library Redding, CT Saturday, October 19, 2019, 6:00 PM Book party Janet Lehr Gallery 68 Park Place (Behind BookHampton, off Main Street) East Hampton, NY 11937 Thursday, October 24, 2019, 7:00 PM Book Club discussion BookMark Shoppe 8415 3rd Ave Brooklyn, NY 11209 Thursday, November 7, 2019 1:00 PM Literary Tea in honor of Jewish Book Month Main Line Reform Temple/ Beth Elohim 410 Montgomery Ave, Wynnewood, PA 19096 Wednesday, November 13, 2019, at 7:00 PM Stamford Hadassah & Beth-El Sisterhood Temple Beth El, 350 Roxbury Road, N. Stamford, CT 06902 (No charge, but please register.) Sunday, November 17, 2019, 11:30 AM Book & Author Luncheon Nathan Cember Memorial Lecture Series Congregation Sons of Israel (CSI) Nyack, NY Sunday, December 15, 2019, 10:00 AM Literary event  Merrick Jewish Center 225 Fox Blvd Merrick, NY Wednesday, December 18, 2019, 9:30 AM Bagel & Book Hadassah The Cascades (and others) Clubhouse at the Cascades 6601 Cascades Isle Blvd, Boynton Beach, FL (To schedule an event with me, please contact my event coordinator, Lisa Bernard at MecoxHudson@gmail.com or (203)919-8406 )

Thank you for your interest and support, Talia www.TaliaCarner.com  P.S. You may read the first chapter of THE THIRD DAUGHTER on my website--and of course, order at your local indie store, on B&N, Amazon, and iTunes. P.P.S. The novel is available also in LARGE PRINT!