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.

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.

Book tour: What's next?

A frequent question I and other authors are asked is, “What are you working on now?”

I’ve been pondering why do I get this question more often than one asking me to give an overview of my previous novels? Why are readers more interested in yet-unwritten books when there are so many out there crying to be read?

The answer may lie with interest in the creative process. How does an author sit down and pours out a 400-page novel, or 110,000 words that are meaningful, entertaining, and leave a mark—even if that mark is as transient as an ebb created by a stone thrown into a pond.

That is why, at my event at the East Meadow Jewish Center (Long Island, NY,) rather than focus on the [fascinating] historical, political and cultural aspects of Russia and its people during a painful transition time--the focus of HOTEL MOSCOW--I spoke about, “Take A Skeleton Out Of The Closet—And Dance With It.”

That speech, covering the breadth of my four published novels, allowed me to share with the audience the way a social issue grabs me and doesn’t let go. The subject may ferment in the hinterland of my consciousness for years, with bits and pieces of exposure or insights feeding it. Finally, the subject ignites a fire in my belly and demands that I explore it in depth. I am almost feverish, distracted from my immediate world, as I crawl under the skin of the protagonist as she learns the tragic realities. Like in a dream, I see the sights, hear the sounds, smell the aromas, and feel the emotions. Inevitably, what interests me is the story of the human spirit as it rises over the forces that shape our lives. That is also when you, the reader, encounter a memorable protagonist that stays with you and gives you what I call “a good reading experience.”

In the process of writing, suspense is the key. I take a page from author Stephen King who fine-tuned this art form into every sentence and every paragraph. But there is also the larger suspenseful arc of the entire story. I call it “get the cat on the electric pole, then get the cat off the electric pole.”

Until I am ready to speak about my novel-in-progress (yes, there is one,) please turn to any of my

previous novels, PUPPET CHILD, CHINADOLL, JERUSALEM MAIDEN, and most recently, HOTEL MOSCOW. I can promise you a great reading experience—each novel a journey that stays with you long after “The End.”

The book tour for HOTEL MOSCOW continues!

My appearances for HOTEL MOSCOW have been so successful, with captivated audiences raving about the thought-provoking talks, that invitations are spilling into a second year. In the second half of 2016 and early 2017 I’ll be covering mostly Florida and the Northeast, including Newport, RI this summer. Since the list gets updated every month, please check it periodically.

And if your community has a fund-raiser or a meeting that can benefit from a keynote speaker  that engages and inspires, please contact me or my events coordinator.

Q: How does an author know that she’s “made it?”

 

A: When she is asked to endorse a novel in the form of a blurb to appear on its cover.

Just as I have received endorsements over the years from top bestselling novelists, it is my duty and

pleasure to give forward by helping other authors on their way up. I will be forever grateful to Tess Gerritsen, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Nelson DeMille, Tami Hoag, Andrew Gross and more than a dozen other successful authors who put aside their precious writing time to read my manuscripts. By lending their names to my novels they have sent messages to readers that the new book was “a must-read.”

To such requests recently got my attention—and my full endorsements. One is a translated novel by an Israeli author, Sarit Yishai-Levi, “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem,” which I found fascinating. It was released last month with my blurb on the back. (The other will be released in September, so I’m withholding my announcement until it is available.)

“Discovering” a new world through HOTEL MOSCOW:

“I loved the book. I learned so much, and I tell everyone about it.”

Often, a reader who “discovers” a good book can’t wait to share that experience with friends. Word-of-mouth indeed is the best way for a book to get traction. That is why, in today’s fragmented marketplace, bloggers with only a few hundred followers each create a tapestry of devoted readers that collectively often surpass the effect of a review in a major newspaper reaching hundreds of thousands. It is the personal testimonial of a reader that carries trust with other readers.

Therefore, may I ask that you share your reading experience of HOTEL MOSCOW with the world by posting a review on Amazon or GoodReads? (Even a line or two would suffice--unless, of course, you want to articulate more.)

Book groups’ reactions to HOTEL MOSCOW:

* “It was fascinating to grasp the nightmare of waking up one day to a world where all laws have

been obliterated.”

* “We’ve had the best meeting! The terrifying portrait of a nation in transition from Communism came to life.”

* “HOTEL MOSCOW taught us all lessons about humanity, about what we, as people, are capable of.”

Has your group select HOTEL MOSCOW for discussion? Please contact me, and I will join your meeting via phone or Skype.

My Personal Corner:

 

Happy post-Mother’s Day to the mothers and grandmothers among you. My birthday happens to coincide with Mother’s Day, giving me a double blessing (but some years half the celebration.) Here I am, with the mothers and grandmothers of my immediate family with our children and grandchildren--after we excluded the men from the photo.

Thank you all for your great support!

Talia Carner
www.TaliaCarner.com

P.S. If you haven't read HOTEL MOSCOW yet, here are links for both the trade paperback--about $12--or the digital format for under $10.

Or, you may read for free the first chapter of HOTEL MOSCOW on my website or download a free sample digitally. 

Book Tour Reaching New Heights

(If you’ve missed my previous newsletters detailing my journey

through the release of HOTEL MOSCOW peek behind the scene by 

scrolling down, or clicking on the right bar by month.

And you may read the first chapter of HOTEL MOSCOW on 

my website or download a free sample digitally.)  

Readers’ frequent question: What has changed in Russia since 1993? 

   

In the new Russia, young people enjoy new business and career opportunities, while restaurants are now store-front (formerly hidden in basements or second floors and accessed only by a code knock.) Businesses cater to consumers' needs--an unheard of concept before 1991. Yet, dozens of industrial cities are as bleak and hopeless as before. Even in the beautiful St. Petersburg, millions of Russians still live in the iconic Soviet kommunalka, the communal apartment, where a family of three may occupy a room as small as 7 x10 ft.—and shares a toilet, bath and kitchen with five to ten other families. (Photo: Notice the bed hung under the ceiling.)

Professor Terry Walker

News!!!

 1) HOTEL MOSCOW is being taught at a university in Brazil, at an English-language business class. The professor explained his choice: “The novel covers both the cultural nuances of doing business

abroad while it gives a fresh view of a country going through the upheaval of transition from communism.”

2) Broward County  library, (FL) has selected HOTEL MOSCOW as its March reading at all its 7 branches! At each such meeting, a leader gives a talk about the background of the novel or reviews the book. When I Skype into the meeting, I am fascinated by their professional take and must remind myself that I had written this book they analyze and praise.

With organizers
and author David Greene,

3) I’ve had the honor of being the very first author at the very first literary event at the first year of the Collier County (FL) Jewish Book Festival. I’ve been to many similar events, and I must say that this one was so well organized it was hard to believe that they worked without a prior blueprint.  

4)  Two more blogger interviews were just published. In the changing world of publishing, the aggregate of bloggers have replaced mainstream book reviewers with their collective impact. Each gathers followers who share similar tastes, and the questions 

they pose in their interviews reflect the readers’ curiosity. Read Mercedes Fox and Sylvie Books & Film (and check for more Q & A on my website.)

My pleasure of meeting other authors

With Sonia Taitz

Where do authors hobnob? While most of my appearances are keynote speeches where I am alone on stage, I greatly enjoy events I share with other authors. Sometimes it’s consecutive presentations, other times we share a panel that focuses on specific topics. It’s my chance to connect with other authors.

Three such events are coming up—two panels in Tucson Book Festival, and a panel I will be moderating in Long Island, NY.  Don’t miss them.  

 

Book groups’ reactions to HOTEL MOSCOW:

o “What a meeting we had! The terrifying portrait of a nation in transition from Communism came to life in the novel of a world superpower undergoing a profound and violent change.”

o “We hadn’t imagined the misery of life under Soviet totalitarian regime. It was even harder to grasp the nightmare of waking up one day to a world where all laws have been obliterated.”

o “HOTEL MOSCOW taught us all lessons about humanity, about what we, as people, are capable of.”

Please contact me to join your meeting via phone or Skype.

  

My Personal corner:

Readers and interviewers often ask: What do you do besides writing? The answer is: A lot. Here are a couple of items:

1) Toastmasters:

Being a member of Toastmasters—the organization that teaches public speaking engages me through

the three separate clubs to which I belong. While I continue to perfect my speaking skills through specific assignments (there are various manuals to choose from, each focuses on different skills,) Toastmasters offers me an instant community wherever I travel—also  internationally. I am proud to say that I’ve just finished two manuals and achieved Advanced Bronze Communicator level.

I often listen to people in business or leadership deliver well enough, yet they are unaware how much they could still benefit from feedback. I suggest you search for your local clubs and come as a guest. You’ll be hooked. 

2) Study French:

In my youth I attended a French high school in Tel-Aviv and was fluent in the language—I even wrote French poetry. However, I gave myself a virtual lobotomy when I moved to the USA and immersed myself in English.

One day, though, Esther, the protagonist of JERUSALEM MAIDEN ran off to Paris, and I had to follow her. Unlike my many visits to Paris since my youth, this time I had to research libraries and interview historians. Now I make time to recoup my lost French through an online program, Frantastique, that is both humorous and effective. (Try it for a free trial month at any level.)

 

 Thank you again for sharing this publishing journey with me. I hope to see you in any of my upcoming dozens of events, or via Skype at your book group meeting.

Wishing you all a the best,

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.)

P.S.S. If you haven't read the novel yet, here are links for both the trade paperback--about $11--or the digital format for under $10.