Publishers Weekly to renew US Book Show for 2022
Publishers Weekly to renew US Book Show for 2022

The first ever US Book Show managed by Publishers Weekly will return next year with live events for the first time since the pandemic began.

And Media Ink can exclusively report that it will be a hybrid with lots of digital events in the mix as well.

PW rode to the rescue with Book Show after Reed International permanently scrapped Book Expo and its consumer side kick, Book Con, after the Javits Convention Center was turned into an emergency field hospital — forcing it to go virtual last year.

Reed staged its virtual event in July, and then stunned the book world by bowing out completely on Jan. 1.

A return to the formerly freewheeling event at the Javits Center is not in the cards, however.

“In our model of making the show affordable for all, a return to Javits is unlikely,” said editorial director Jim Milliot. “Hard to say what others would think, but from our prospective we see a hybrid show that features online and in-person event,” he told Media Ink.

This year’s all-digital event, the first ever sponsored by PW, seemed to have everything, including keynote addresses by Oprah Winfrey and Elizabeth Warren, and addresses by Ijeoma Oluo, author of “So You Want to Talk About Race,” debuting her new book “Be A Revolution.”

It also featured a spirited debate on the future of political books as publisher face pressure to cancel books by leading Donald Trump officials. Despite the blowback, Simon & Schuster appears to be moving forward with books planned by former US Vice President Mike Pence and former Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway.

BookCon 2017 at Javits Center on June 3, 2017 in New York City.
The first US Book Show by Publishers Weekly will return next year.
John Lamparski/Getty Images
BookCon 2017 at Javits Center on June 3, 2017 in New York City.
The US Book Show will have live events for the first time since the pandemic began.
John Lamparski/Getty Images

To be sure, there were technical glitches that prevented people from easily logging on to the expo using their mobile phones and attendance was smaller than the live Book Expo of yesteryear.

Still, the book world — faced with the prospect of no major US show — can now breathe a sigh of relief. Without the PW show, the book publishing world would have had to rely on live events overseas such as the London Book Fair or the Frankfurt Book Fair.

“The US Book Show achieved its goal or reaching all quadrants of the publishing industry,” said Cevin Bryerman, CEO and publisher of PW, who confirmed that it will be back to stages in its second show next year, scheduled for May 25 to 27.

BookCon 2017 at Javits Center on June 3, 2017 in New York City.
The US Book Show will have keynote addresses by Oprah Winfrey and Elizabeth Warren.
John Lamparski/Getty Images

Milliot said that there were 5,200 virtual registrants, including 900 media registrants and at least 3,600 logged on to at least some of three-day event this year. “It’s not quite the numbers Book Expo used to get, but it’s not bad,” he said.

Milliot said “the show, exceed every benchmark we had,” He added, “Revenue was higher than we thought–but so were expenses.”

‘The History Makers’ book dropped in US for ignoring key black figures: report
‘The History Makers’ book dropped in US for ignoring key black figures: report

A new book called “The History Makers” has reportedly been scrapped from publication in the US after it was accused of not highlighting enough black figures.

New York-based writer Richard Cohen told the Guardian how he tried to address the criticism by agreeing to a major rewrite of the book that already took him 10 years to pen.

“It was to do with the publisher’s sensitivities,” Cohen, who moved to the Big Apple from London 20 years ago, told the UK paper.

“I was then asked to write more, and have done about another 18,000 words,” he said, with new sections focusing on pivotal figures like Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois and Toni Morrison.

But the rewrite was not enough for Random House, which last Wednesday suddenly dropped out of the estimated $350,000 deal, sources told The Guardian.

Cohen’s wife, leading US literary agent Kathy Robbins, is now urgently seeking a new publisher in the US, the outlet said.

The book, subtitled “2,500 years of shaping the past,” is still scheduled to be published in the UK by Weidenfeld & Nicolson on June 25, the report said.

Random House did not immediately respond Sunday to requests for comment on the report.

Richard Cohen responded to initial criticism by adding sections on black historical figures like Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois.
Richard Cohen responded to initial criticism by adding sections on black historical figures like Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois.
Getty Images

The company still features advanced publicity for the book, including praise from Hilary Mantel of Cohen’s “brilliant achievement” with his “scholarly, lively, quotable, up-to-date, and fun” book.

The Random House listing calls it “an unusually authoritative and supremely entertaining volume.”

“Rich in character, complex truths, and surprising anecdotes, the result is a unique exploration of both the aims and craft of history-making that will lead us to think anew about our past and the stories we tell ourselves about it,” the site says.

Captain Underpants Book Pulled by Scholastic Over Passive Racism Concerns
Captain Underpants Book Pulled by Scholastic Over Passive Racism Concerns

The Captain Underpants book series is losing one of its titles due to controversy over “passive racism.” Scholastic has announced that the publisher will no longer be distributing the book The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future, a spinoff of the Captain Underpants series. It will also be completely scrubbed from the official website to remove all mentions of the book, all with “the full support” of author Dav Pilkey.

“Together, we recognize that this book perpetuates passive racism,” a statement from Scholastic reads. “We are deeply sorry for this serious mistake. Scholastic has removed the book from our websites, stopped fulfillment of any orders (domestically or abroad), contacted our retail partners to explain why this book is no longer available, and sought a return of all inventory. We will take steps to inform schools and libraries who may still have this title in circulation of our decision to withdraw it from publication.”
RELATED: Captain Underpants Epic Choice-O-Rama Trailer Shows Off Netflix’s Interactive Special
In a letter posted to his YouTube account, Dav Pilkey offered an apology of his own. The author writes: “About ten years ago I created a book about a group of friends who save the world using kung fu and the principles found in Chinese philosophy. The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future was intended to showcase diversity, equality, and non-violent conflict resolution.”

“But this week it was brought to my attention that this book also contains harmful racial stereotypes and passively racist imagery,” adds Pilkey. “I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly apologize for this. It was and is wrong and harmful to my Asian readers, friends, and family, and to all Asian people. I hope that you, my readers, will forgive me, and learn from my mistake that even unintentional and passive stereotypes and racism is harmful to everyone. I apologize, and I pledge to do better.”

The children’s book author has also announced that he and his wife pledged to donate all of his advance and royalties from the sale of The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future to “charities that provide free books, art supplies, and theater for children in underserved communities; organizations that promote diversity in children’s books and publishing; and organizations designed to stop violence and hatred against Asians.”

A long-running series with 12 books and 11 spinoffs, Captain Underpants has been around since Pilkey released the first graphic novel in 1997. The story follows two fourth-graders, George and Harold, who accidentally turn their principal into the titular superhero. With over 80 million books sold, the last title in the Captain Underpants series was released in 2015, though spinoffs like Dog Man are still ongoing. Released in 2010, The Adventures of Ook and Gluk is presented as an in-universe comic written and illustrated by George and Harold.

DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox released the first movie adaptation, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, in 2017. Featuring the voices of Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, and Nick Kroll, the movie was a success and would later spawn the Netflix TV series The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants. There doesn’t seem to be any plans for a new Captain Underpants movie anytime soon, but the Netflix series has been on for four seasons. This news comes to us from Scholastic.

America’s Book Lover Patzi Gil Celebrates her Talk Show’s Anniversary Interviewing Best-selling Author Tasha Alexander
America’s Book Lover Patzi Gil Celebrates her Talk Show’s Anniversary Interviewing Best-selling Author Tasha Alexander


America’s Book Lover Patzi Gil Celebrates her Talk Show’s Anniversary Interviewing Best-selling Author Tasha Alexander – Book Publishing Industry Today – EIN Presswire

























  <div class="eh-ribbon">

      Trusted News Since 1995

    <span class="prof not-if-mobile-w820">A service for publishing professionals</span>
    <span class="not-if-mobile-w820">·</span>
    <span class="date">Monday, March 15, 2021</span>
    <span class="not-if-mobile-w430">
      ·
      <a class="article_live_counter" href="/live_feed">536,900,833</a>
      Articles
    </span>
    <span class="not-if-mobile-w550">
      ·
      3+ Million Readers
    </span>
  </div>
</header>

<footer>
  <div class="sitemap">
    <h2 class="subheading-osc g_roboto">News Monitoring and Press Release Distribution Tools</h2>
    <div class="row-fluid">
      <div class="span3">
        <section>
          <h3>News Topics</h3>

        </section>
        <section>
          <h3>Newsletters</h3>

        </section>
      </div>
      <div class="span3">
        <section>
          <h3>Press Releases</h3>

        </section>
        <section>
          <h3>Events &amp; Conferences</h3>

        </section>
      </div>
      <div class="span3">
        <section>
          <h3>RSS Feeds</h3>

        </section>
        <section>
          <h3>Other Services</h3>

        </section>
      </div>
      <div class="span3">
        <section>
          <h3>Questions?</h3>

        </section>
        <br/><section>

        </section>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</footer>









<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="/js/excanvas.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<![endif]-->



<!-- Start Alexa Certify Javascript -->

<noscript/>
<!-- End Alexa Certify Javascript -->
<!--[if IE 7]>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/json2.js"></script>
<![endif]-->

Joanell Serra discusses new book among this week’s author talks
Joanell Serra discusses new book among this week’s author talks

Book Passage: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera; 415-927-0960; bookpassage.com. March 9: Jason Dearen discusses “Kill Shot” with James Nestor. 5 p.m. online. Register online; March 10: Elizabeth Wetmore discusses “Valentine” with Julie Carlucci. 6 p.m. online. Register online; March 13: Joanell Serra discusses “(Her)oics: Women’s Lived Experiences During the Coronavirus Pandemic.” 4 p.m. online. Register online; March 14: Kazuo Ishiguro discusses “Klara and the Sun” with Pico Iyer. 1 p.m. online. $35. Register online; March 14: Julia Turshen discusses “Simply Julia” with Pati Jinich. 4 p.m. online. Register online.

Mill Valley Public Library: 375 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley; 415-389-4292; millvalleylibrary.org. March 11: The Mill Valley Public Library and the Marin Poetry Center present a book launch for “Why to These Rocks: 50 Years of Poetry from the Community of Writers.” 6:30 p.m. Zoom. Register online.

Point Reyes Books: 11315 Highway 1, Point Reyes Station; 415-663-1542; ptreyesbooks.com. March 8: James Canton discusses “The Oak Papers.” Noon online. Register online; March 11: Center for the Art of Translation presents Jessica Cohen, Allison Charette and Brian Bergstrom in conversation about “Elemental: Earth Stories.” 5:30 p.m. online. Register online.

Sausalito Books by the Bay: 100 Bay St., Sausalito; 415-887-9967; sausalitobooksbythebay.com/2021-events. March 10: Anne Evers Hitz discusses “Lost Department Stores of San Francisco” with Sausalito Woman’s Club member Denise Gustafson. 5 p.m. online. Register online.

Other talks

Community Media Center of Marin: cmcm.tv. March 10: Dain Bedford-Pugh discusses “The Prestige” for the Marin Movie Club. 7 p.m. Zoom. Register by emailing jill@marintv.org.

Corte Madera Library: 707 Meadowsweet Drive, Corte Madera; 415-924-3515; marinlibrary.org/events. March 9: Legal Aid of Marin staff attorney Tahirah Dean discusses “Housing Protections During the Pandemic.” 6 p.m. Zoom. Register online; March 11: The Corte Madera Library and the Alzheimer’s Association, Northern California and Northern Nevada Chapter, present “10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s.” 10 a.m. Zoom. Register online.

Marin Coalition: marincoalition.org/events/next-event-webinar. March 11: David Vautin, assistant director of major plans at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments, discusses “Plan Bay Area 2050: The Impact On Marin.” Noon on Zoom. Register online.

Marin County Genealogical Society: maringensoc.org. March 10: Author and journalist Laurel Hilton leads Marin County Genealogical Society’s writing group. 4 p.m. online. Email info@maringensoc.org to get access.

Wonderfest: wonderfest.org/lifes-edge. March 10: Wonderfest and the Commonwealth Club present science writer Carl Zimmer in conversation with CalMatter’s Rachel Becker. Noon online. Register online.

— Compiled by Colleen Bidwill
The literary calendar appears Sundays. Email listings to calendar@marinij.com. Photos should be 300 dpi JPGs with a minimum file size of 2 megabytes and should include caption information.

The Girl Who Wrote in Silk and Persuasion
The Girl Who Wrote in Silk and Persuasion

We had two great discussions in my two different book clubs this month. One book I enjoyed very much, while the other I did not. The two books were The Girl who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes and Jane Austen’s Persuasion. After I read the books and formed my opinion about them, I went online to read other reviews. I have decided that I cannot pick a book based on online reviews. I loved The Girl Who Wrote in Silk and it got mediocre reviews, and I disliked Persuasion, and people wax poetic about Jane Austen. Each person brings their personal bias to the discussion.

the girl who wrote in silk.21 t1000

The Girl Who Wrote in Silk (GWS) was divided into two stories—one historical and one current. While I normally don’t like the jumping back and forth in a book (which is all too common these days), I did not mind it in this book. In fact, I looked forward to the “old” story line featuring a Chinese-American woman named Mei Lien, more than I did the current story line featuring Inara. I did like both characters a great deal, and I learned a lot about Chinese Americans and how they were treated in the Pacific NW during the 1880’s. In several of our books, we are getting history lessons that were overlooked in our educations. I have enjoyed that immensely. I don’t think GWS was a perfect book. There were too many coincidences in the current story line to suit me, and I would have loved more development of Mei Lien’s son’s story. Once he is sent away, you really don’t get much more information about him. I am sure his story would have been fascinating. All in all, a very enjoyable book, which we all enjoyed. There were no naysayers in the bunch.

The same cannot be said for Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

Persuasion.21 t1000

Our group was quite divided on this one.

IMG 0435 t1000

Paula thoroughly enjoyed the book, and the movie—which she has watched numerous times. Cindy and Helen were glad they had read it, while Karen and I were not as enamored. Cindy and I paid to watch the movie, (an old movie and boring to boot, and I paid $3.99 to watch it!) and I thought it was tedious too. Obviously, not my style or genre. As Karen stated, no one got killed in the book! You know the saying, you can’t see the forest for the trees? In this book, you can’t find the meaning of the sentences for the words! Talk about run on sentences with grandiose and wordy prose. I read a lot and rarely get tired reading, but Persuasion was the best sleeping pill for me. Luckily, it was not a long book, but since I often had to reread the passages to make any sense out of them, it took me quite a while to read. The main character, Anne Elliot is nice enough, but lacks spunk, and allows herself to get taken advantage of. The lead male character I also enjoyed, Captain Wentworth, but again, it took them too long to get things done. It was an interesting look back on a bygone era, which thankfully we are not a part of anymore. But it did not catch my interest or make me want to read any other Jane Austen books. As Karen said, it felt like something we had to read for school. But I do know several people who adore Jane Austen—each to their own.

With all our bad weather, I have been reading quite a bit. Some other books I thoroughly enjoyed included the newest Ian Rankin -A Song for Dark Times, My Dear Hamilton, by Stephanie Dray, and Iris Johansen’s The Ugly Duckling. A new series I think I will start working on is by Thomas King. They are a bit reminiscent of the Longmire, Cork O’Conner Joe Picket books. The main character is Dreadful Waters. I somehow had the second book in the series, The Red Power Murders, so need to go back and read the first one too. They are mysteries, with humor. I made it through these other 5 books in less time than it took me to read Persuasion—says a lot about my opinion of the book! Sorry Paula.

Elena Bobkova publishes new book Russian Lawyer, Australian Immigrant A Moscow Mom’s Everyday Struggle for A Better Life
Elena Bobkova publishes new book Russian Lawyer, Australian Immigrant A Moscow Mom’s Everyday Struggle for A Better Life


Elena Bobkova publishes new book Russian Lawyer, Australian Immigrant A Moscow Mom’s Everyday Struggle for A Better Life – Book Publishing Industry Today – EIN Presswire

























  <div class="eh-ribbon">

      Trusted News Since 1995

    <span class="prof not-if-mobile-w820">A service for publishing professionals</span>
    <span class="not-if-mobile-w820">·</span>
    <span class="date">Monday, February 1, 2021</span>
    <span class="not-if-mobile-w430">
      ·
      <a class="article_live_counter" href="/live_feed">535,176,008</a>
      Articles
    </span>
    <span class="not-if-mobile-w550">
      ·
      3+ Million Readers
    </span>
  </div>
</header>

<footer>
  <div class="sitemap">
    <h2 class="subheading-osc g_roboto">News Monitoring and Press Release Distribution Tools</h2>
    <div class="row-fluid">
      <div class="span3">
        <section>
          <h3>News Topics</h3>

        </section>
        <section>
          <h3>Newsletters</h3>

        </section>
      </div>
      <div class="span3">
        <section>
          <h3>Press Releases</h3>

        </section>
        <section>
          <h3>Events & Conferences</h3>

        </section>
      </div>
      <div class="span3">
        <section>
          <h3>RSS Feeds</h3>

        </section>
        <section>
          <h3>Other Services</h3>

        </section>
      </div>
      <div class="span3">
        <section>
          <h3>Questions?</h3>

        </section>
        <br/><section>

        </section>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</footer>









<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="/js/excanvas.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<![endif]-->



<!-- Start Alexa Certify Javascript -->

<noscript/>
<!-- End Alexa Certify Javascript -->
<!--[if IE 7]>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/json2.js"></script>
<![endif]-->

The Very First Cover of the Book Review
The Very First Cover of the Book Review

This year, the Book Review turns 125.

It’s an institution that was born under the watchful eye of Adolph S. Ochs, who established the standalone supplement shortly after he became publisher of the paper in 1896. It has been known variously as “the Saturday Review of Books and Art,” “the Sunday Book Review,” “the NYTBR” or, mostly internally, simply “TBR” (not to be confused with “to be read,” though you can understand the confusion).

Over this anniversary year, we will bring you pieces from our archives to enjoy again or, more often than not, for the first time. The ethos of our pages has remained the same. We couldn’t put it better than the Book Review’s editors in 1913 who extolled “an open forum for the discussion of books from all sane and honest points of view.”

We begin here at the beginning with the inaugural eight-page issue that appeared on Oct. 10, 1896, including cover stories on Oscar Wilde’s suffering in jail and a (strangely familiar) report on how department stores were threatening independent bookstores. Among the 10 book reviews on the inside was a critique of Robert Barr’s newest one: “Mr. Robert Barr is a reasonably ingenious, versatile, fairly well informed writer, and to a sensitive person frequently an irritating one.” Sane and honest indeed.

Tina Jordan is the deputy editor of the Book Review and author of a book celebrating its 125th anniversary, to be published next fall.

Follow New York Times Books on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, sign up for our newsletter or our literary calendar. And listen to us on the Book Review podcast.

Grandmother’s First Book for Young Readers Also Helps Others to Share Legacy of Faith
Grandmother’s First Book for Young Readers Also Helps Others to Share Legacy of Faith

Grandmother’s First Book for Young Readers Also Helps Others to Share Legacy of Faith

NEWS PROVIDED BY
Buoyancy PR
Jan. 15, 2021

RESERVE, La., Jan. 15, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ — One gift of getting older is knowing how good God is, after relying on him to carry us through joys and sorrows. Debut author JoAnn Vicknair longed to give that gift to two of her grandchildren so she started telling them stories about what God has done.

Those stories became “It’s Storytime, Memaw!”, a new book of short stories for children ages 4-14 that compels them to draw closer to God.

Saying she’s not a writer, Vicknair, a retired nurse, did have a passion to share with all her grandchildren the faith that sustains her. Intensely praying, she asked God to tell her His story she could share because the children “needed God in their lives.”

She says she never expected the answer to that prayer would become a published book.

“I am not creative, and really never thought to write anything, but I did have family stories of faith and answered prayer,” Vicknair explains. “My grandchildren loved hearing the stories, and continued to ask for more, saying, ‘It’s story time, Memaw!’ How could I say no to that?”

Earlier this year, she created a digital document to preserve the stories.

Then during that process as she prayed earnestly for more to share with her grandchildren, God worked with her directly giving her more stories, guiding their development, then with instructions to publish them.

That started her on her unexpected journey as an author – finding a publisher, illustrator, website designer, videographer, and help with publicity and social media.

“I am an ordinary grandmother stepping out in faith to do that which God has led me to do,” Vicknair explains.

“I would like to tell my story of how this was of God’s doing. How He blesses and answers our prayers above and beyond all we could hope for or imagine! The stories compel a child, and the reader, to celebrate and brag of God Almighty,” she said.

“It’s Storytime, Memaw!” features 44 stories written in a child’s voice, simply told with details children love.

The book is now available at selected book stores, online retailers, and Vicknair’s website. The book trailer is on the website, as well on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxabWGvoBF8.

Vicknair is available for storytelling and speaking events.

“It’s Storytime, Memaw!” (ISBN-10 : 1952025192, $19.99) released in January from Carpenter’s Son Publishing. It is available from selected bookstores and online retailers. For more information, visit www.JoAnnVicknairAuthor.com.

SOURCE Buoyancy PR

CONTACT: Joni Sullivan Baker, 513-319-3231, jbaker@buoyancypr.com
 

Bestselling author Kelly Oliver talks new book, and future plans 
Bestselling author Kelly Oliver talks new book, and future plans 

This book is the second in the Fiona Figg mysteries series.

Oliver is an award-winning, bestselling author of three mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries, the middle grade Kassy O’Roarke, Pet Detective Mysteries, and historical cozies The Fiona Fig Mysteries. She garnered her Bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University in Washington and her Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

When she is not writing mysteries, she is a distinguished professor of philosophy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Her book, High Treason at the Grand Hotel: A Fiona Figg Mystery, is a perfect mix of romance, intrigue, suspense, and humor.

Oliver is the author of 13 scholarly books, 10 anthologies, and over 100 articles, which include work on campus rape, reproductive technologies, women and the media, film noir, and Alfred Hitchcock.

Particularly impressive about her work is that it has been translated into seven languages, and she has published an op-ed on loving our pets in The New York Times. She has been spotlighted in ABC television news, the Canadian Broadcasting Network, and various radio programs.

She resides in Nashville with her husband, Benigno Trigo, and her furry family, Mischief and Mayhem.

‘High Treason at the Grand Hotel: A Fiona Figg Mystery’ is book two in the Fiona Figg series. The first book ‘Betrayal at Ravenswick: A Fiona Figg Mystery’ was a huge success, what was it like for you to release the new book?

It’s so exciting. I can’t wait to see what readers think of Fiona’s latest adventures in Paris. I write three different mystery series, but I have to admit, Fiona Figg is the most fun to write. I love doing historical research. I learn a lot of interesting tidbits and sprinkle them throughout the novels. And, Fiona is one of my favorite characters to write. I also like the continuing characters. And the series gives me the opportunity to develop those characters, along with Fiona, and their relationships.

How has Fiona Figg, the protagonist in this series, grown in the second book?

Fiona has gone from being a file clerk in the War Office to becoming a professional spy. In High Treason, she’s still learning and gaining confidence. But she’s come a long way from Betrayal at Ravenswick, where her husband had just left her for another woman, and she didn’t know how she would survive without him. In the first book, she takes on the mission to forget about Andrew, her philandering husband.

In the second book, she jumps into the mission out of a sense of adventure and to prove herself. She’s very conscious of the restrictions on women’s movements and women’s roles in the early Twentieth Century. That’s why—against the orders of her boss—she resorts to male disguises. Even while she’s traveling through spaces off-limits to women, she is constantly trying to prove that a woman can do the job as good as a man.

Fiona’s proto-feminism motivates her sometimes reckless behavior, but it also gives rise to a lot of the humor in the novels. Fiona is a very funny character, whether she means to be or not.

While writing ‘High Treason at the Grand Hotel: A Fiona Figg Mystery’ what was the biggest challenge, and the biggest success?

The biggest challenge was also the biggest success—at least I hope so. Namely, developing Fiona as a character in relation to the two other major recurring characters, Clifford Douglas and Fredrick Fredricks. I had to show how the characters change and grow in relation to each other without changing them, or their relationships, so much that they’re no longer believable.

Also, getting the historical details right is always a challenge. Given that High Treason is based on real historical characters, it was even more challenging. I wanted to imagine the inner lives of these real-life characters while also writing a rip-roaring good adventure. So balancing truth and fiction—and using fiction to get at the truth—was sometimes tricky.

Did you write this book while the pandemic was going on? What was that like for you?

Yes. I started the book about the same time the pandemic hit early last spring in New York, where I have a lot of friends. Before coming to Nashville to take a job at Vanderbilt University, I lived and worked on Long Island.

Like a lot of you, I lived in a constant state of high anxiety and fear, which has abated somewhat but hasn’t gone away. I agonized for my friends in New York. And then the pandemic spread across the country. To say it was distracting is an understatement.

You’d think since I was working from home in my day job as a philosophy professor, I could get a lot of writing done. But the opposite was the case. Like so many others, I spent way too much time “doom-surfing.”

On the other hand, the pandemic inspired me to connect with old friends, some of whom I hadn’t talked to in months or years. The fear of death will do that.

Fiona will be heading into 1918—the year of the Spanish Flu pandemic—very soon. And the experience of the pandemic has given me a lot of feelings and thoughts about illness and death to draw on when Fiona faces the plague of her day.

I know you just released this book, but I still have to ask – what’s next for you?

Thanks for asking. I also just released the third book in my kids’ mystery series, The Pet Detective Mysteries. So that’s fun. And, right now, I’m finishing the very first rough draft of the sixth in my contemporary suspense series, The Jessica James Mysteries. It’s called Cottonmouth and it takes Jessica back West, this time to Wyoming. I’m having a lot of fun with a new character, a federal marshal named Lexington Colt, who is part Rylan Givens and part V. I Warshawski.

To learn more about Kelly Oliver and her book High Treason at the Grand Hotel: A Fiona Figg Mystery, check out her official website, as well as her Facebook page, and follow her on Twitter.

Bestselling author Kelly Oliver

Kelly Oliver

DKG’s ’The Book Club’ continues to meet by Zoom
DKG’s ’The Book Club’ continues to meet by Zoom


A book club that is associated with the membership of Alpha Delta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG) of Washington Court House simply named “The Book Club” is composed of 10 DKG members, including Marie Fetters, Cassandra Furlong, Nancy Mowery, Sandy Sowash, Susan Stuckey, Kim Bonnell, Dianne Junk, Debra Wing, Christy Eckstein, and Cathy White.

The Book Club was formally established in October of 2013. The club currently meets on the fourth Monday of the month and due to the pandemic has been meeting by Zoom in recent months. The club has found that there are advantages to meeting by Zoom.

The two members, Marie Fetters and Cassandra Furlong, who now live out of state can meet with us in person on a regular basis. Another advantage is the connection and friendship with Suzanne Lucey, the owner of the “Page 158 Books,” a book store in North Carolina. The club was introduced to Suzanne by DKG member Marie Fetters, who now lives in North Carolina.

Suzanne visited the book club by Zoom this past October when they decided to read “One Good Mama Bone,” by Bren McClain for the next meeting in November. Suzanne Lucey arranged for the author to visit with the club in person during the Zoom meeting on Nov. 23. It was a delightful meeting with wonderful insightful discussion with Bren about her book. It was interesting to hear her tell how her life experiences and interactions with others reflect in her writing.

Bren McClain grew up on 72-acre cattle farm near Anderson, South Carolina which was a great influence throughout her book One Good Mama Bone. She earned a BA in English from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She wrote for her local newspaper in Anderson, worked in radio and television, taught high school English for one year, and had a career in media relations before becoming a full-time writer.

Bren has won several writing awards, including the 2017 Will Morris Award for Southern Fiction, the 2019 Patricia Win Award for Southern Fiction, and the Great Book Reads by Women’s National Book Association. She is now working on her next book, “Took,” that also includes farm animals, which should be published within a year to a year and a half and has already won the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Prize for a Novel in Progress. Bren said she hopes to visit the club in person by the time Took is available. The Book Club can’t wait!

The Book Club is also looking forward to its continued friendship with Suzanne Lucey and her promise to bring new book titles and introduce us to other authors to visit in the future to discuss their books. In dark and difficult times opportunities often present themselves. In dark clouds there can be silver linings.

Delta Kappa Gamma is a sorority of professional women educators.

Looking for some last minute Christmas stocking stuffers? Check out these books
Looking for some last minute Christmas stocking stuffers? Check out these books

Books make great last-minute stocking-stuffers. Here are a few suggestions for every type of reader, young, old and everything in between. Hint: You can also use this column for some ideas on how to spend those book store gift certificates that you find in your own stocking this year.

https://www.dl-online.com/entertainment/books/6806774-Looking-for-some-last-minute-Christmas-stocking-stuffers-Check-out-these-books

First undocumented National Book Awards finalist says 2016 election ‘ignited a fire in my belly’
First undocumented National Book Awards finalist says 2016 election ‘ignited a fire in my belly’
The National Book Awards’ first undocumented finalist has said that the 2016 election put a “fire in [her] belly” and spurred her to write about her experience as an immigrant in America.

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, one of the first undocumented students to be accepted into Harvard University, was shortlisted in October in the non-fiction category for her book The Undocumented Americans, which was published in March.

In the book, Ms Cornejo Villavicencio details her own family’s story and profiles the lives of different undocumented immigrants across the United States.

She writes that the work is “for everybody who wants to step away from the buzzwords in immigration, the talking heads, the kids in graduation caps and gowns, and read about the people underground.”

“Not heroes. Randoms. People. Characters.”

Speaking to CNN about why she decided to write the book, the 31-year-old said the 2016 election ignited “a fire in [her] belly.”

“I had read a lot of books that I felt did not do a good job of representing migrants in an interesting way. It was mostly bad writing. It relied a lot on caricatures and cliches,” she said.

“And I always thought I could do better, but I just never felt like I had a fire in my belly until the night of the election.”

Those profiled for the book range from labourers on Staten Island to people who were on the front lines cleaning up wreckage after 9/11, families facing the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and women who are forced to turn to herbalists and healers in Miami.

Ms Cornejo Villavicencio explained to the broadcaster that it was important for her to give a “full picture” of those she talked to for the book because she did not choose “to write for a White audience.”

“I chose to write for children of immigrants. I chose to write for immigrants. I chose to write for people of colour. And, you know, that’s why it’s a book that has base notes in it. It’s not a simple fragrance,” she said.

She added: “I chose to not talk about reasons why people chose to come here, because that enables the readers to judge for themselves whether the reasons are worthy or not. And it’s none of their f****** business.

“If people cross deserts or oceans and risk their lives and then have a hell of a time here, who are you to say that this is a worthy enough decision to come here? We just don’t owe that to each other.”

She said she was “offended” that literary agents suddenly began showing intertest after she published an anonymous essay for The Daily Beast about life as an undocumented harvard student.

“It wasn’t about my writing. I knew that’s not why they were reaching out,” she said.

The book finalist told CNN that she would be taking a break from writing about immigration following the book’s publication as it took an “extreme toll on [her] mental health” and said that her next work will be a novel.

“I feel like I did what I set out to, and I stopped thinking that it’s a requirement of good writing to end the day shaken and to be immobilised by trauma the day after,” she said.

Ms Cornejo Villavicencio is no longer undocumented as she recently received her green card and became a legal permanent resident, according to CNN, but she told the outlet that this doesn’t simply fix everything.

“It gives me some amount of safety,” she told the broadcaster.

“But like people who understand the system know, it’s complicated. And it’s not like everything is OK now. My parents, my family, people I love are still undocumented and I could literally be deported for any small thing.”

Speaking of releasing her experiences and such intimate stories into the world Ms Cornejo Villavicencio said: “I hope people love them. I hope immigrants and children of immigrants are inspired by them to create their own art.”