I wrote so many short
stories during my school years but after I took a different direction as a
career path. I woke up every day hating what I did and decided to make a
change. I began to study history then came up with an idea for my first book.
At that moment I once again found that desire and passion that I had
growing up. I was always told to follow my dreams and even though it was later
than I had wanted, I did just that.
Why historical fiction?
History is my passion
and one of my many inspirations. I set out to bring different aspects of it to
life for my readers. We can learn so much from the past and if I can teach
others a small part of it then I have succeeded in achieving one of my goals.
What else inspires you?
I am very close to my
family and even though I had the confidence and willingness to undertake such a
change in my career, they were there alongside me every step of the way. Their love and support drive me to take
things every further. I collect antiques and holding an object in my hand and
thinking about how much history is attached to it also inspires me to write.
What do you think sets
you apart from other historical fiction authors?
One of the many goals I set for myself when I wrote my first book was to
bring different aspects of the past to life. I wanted to be unique and I
believe the writing style I use will confirm just that.
How do you come upwith story ideas?
Sometimes ideas come to me in an instant and sometimes I will
study a particular period of history in depth to come up with a storyline. At
present, I have made notes about many other ideas for future books. A few times
I have been approached by people who have a family story they want me to
write.
Cecilia House deals
with a very sensitive subject, have you dealt with any criticism because of
that?
As a writer you have to be prepared to deal with a certain amount of
criticism however there have been certain people and organizations who don’t
want some aspects of the past to be spoken or written about. This particular
subject was upsetting to write but someone needed to be their voice and speak
for them when long ago not many were willing to do so. If I provided only a
small portion of the research I conducted to those who question my motives, I
am sure most of them would change their way of thinking.
What was the most
difficult thing you encountered when writing this book?
I knew once I decided to write it I would come across some disturbing
stories and I was absolutely correct in my assumptions. The children who
suffered at the hands of those whose responsibility it was to care for and protect
them were scared beyond belief while it was occurring but they were just as
afraid many years later. You can look into the eyes of a sad child in one of
the many very old photos of them from the 1930s and you can immediately see the
pain and sadness in their eyes.
Was it easier to write
a book that was based near your hometown?
It was easier from the standpoint of the research because I was able to
visit the town and meet the locals. The beginning of the book is set in a
city about 15 minutes from me and I grew up spending a lot of time there so I
already knew so much about the history of it. Being able to drive through the
streets and seeing the old homes helped me provide my readers with a glimpse
into life in the late 1930s.
What have you given up
to become a writer?
I gave up living
the life most people do, I invested most of my money to publish my first book.
My social life ended and it took 8 years before I was able to take a holiday.
It made me a better person and I regret none of it.
What advice would you
give to young writers?
Be in it for the long
haul, nothing happens overnight. Believe in yourself and use any negative
feedback you receive to help you become a better writer.
Are you available for
events such as book signings and book clubs?
Sure! I love getting out there and meeting new people and talking
about my books. Unfortunately, like everyone else I have been confined to my
home but with the wonders of technology, I use Skype, WhatsApp, and Facebook to
connect with my readers.
What
kind of mystery hides within the walls of ‘Cecilia House’?
Simon
Gandossi’s latest novel tells story of a young girl who, despite
her innocence, finds herself experiencing unimaginable pain
Growing
to be one of the best up-and-coming historical fiction writers, Simon
Gandossi
pens “Cecilia House”(published
by Xlibris AU),
a novel
based on the abuse by the Catholic Church in the 1930s.
Life
is a precious gift and it can change within the blink of an eye. This
is something Patricia discovered at a young age. After an extremely
tragic event, her loving family, good friends along with many dreams
and aspirations were all gone. As an unwanted child, she is sent to
what was supposed to be a place of lovingness and warmth. But coming
to Cecilia House sets in motion Patricia’s life downward spiral.
She soon discovers that those responsible for her care added so much
more pain and sadness to many lives instead. What occurred within the
walls of Cecilia House was one of the most despicable and atrocious
acts to ever happen within an organization whose duty is to protect
innocent children.
Gandossi,
through Patricia’s story, allows readers to experience the same
feelings and emotions as the main character (and of the innocent
children who suffered abuse from the hands of those supposed to
provide them welfare and care).
Born
and raised in Western Australia, author Simon Gandossi grew up on a
small quiet farm. At an early age, he began to visit museums. As he
looked at the various antiques, he created stories about each of them
in his mind which would later come to life when his father bought him
his first computer. This passion for history grew over the years
making him one of the best up-and-coming historical fiction writers.
His first two books, “Elsa” and “For Beau: The Sarah Ashdown
Story,” have gained outstanding reviews from several major
bookstores and critics. His unique perspective carries on to his
newest novel, “Cecilia
House.”
I never set out to publish a series of essays on Sherlock Holmes,
but as a trained social scientist, it evolved naturally. When I began my first
book in The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes (The Adventure of the
Murdered Midwife), I knew Sherlock had said, “my ancestors were country
squires.” I had to know what life was like for a country squire to be able to
write about Sherlock’s early life. As I researched, I thought it might be nice
to share this information with others—first, with those who are part of
Sherlock Holmes societies across the world and in need of items for their
newsletters; and then with those who might have an interest and didn’t know
that such societies exist.
As a result of these efforts, I’ve made acquaintances with
Sherlockians all over the world. My essays have traveled more than I have!
Dr. Sherwood-Fabre has collected these essays into her series,
“The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes.” Volume Three has just been released,
and the first two are now available in eBook as a box set.
The
Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes: Essays on Victorian England
Box
Set Volumes 1 & 2
by
Liese Sherwood-Fabre
Genre:
Non-Fiction
Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle's stories are full of everyday Victorian
activities and events that send the twenty-first-century reader to
consult their reference books. Few, for example, are intimately
acquainted with the responsibilities of a country squire, the
importance of gentlemen's clubs, or the intricacies of the Victorian
monetary system.
These
forty-eight short essays, gathered together from the first two
volumes of "The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes" series,
explore various aspects of life mentioned in the original stories.
Readers gain modern-day insight into the nineteenth-century world.
Untangle the complexities of inheritance, the Victorian wedding, and
the treatment of brain fever. Discover the pleasures of the circus,
the Turkish bath, and beekeeping. Such examinations bring deeper
meaning and color to the adventures of the world's most famous
consulting detective.
The
Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes: Essays on Victorian England
Volume
Three
What
do "slop shops," "scissorizing," "agony
aunts," and "foolscap" have in common?
These
and other Victorian references appear throughout the original
Sherlock Holmes tales. What was part of everyday existence to the
Victorian has the modern day reader running to references books to
discover its significance. These twenty-four short essays explore
various aspects of life mentioned in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s
original Sherlock Holmes tales, providing modern-day insight into the
nineteenth century world. Topics include:
*Violins
*Electric
vs. Gas Lighting
*Scrapbooking
*Agony
Columns
*The
Agra Fort
*Cardboard
*Sound
Recordings
*Telephones
*Jellyfish
*Rugby
*Brandy
*The
Opera
*The
Crown Jewels
*Yellow
Fever
*Snakes
*Italian
Political Organizations
*Banks
*Diabetes
*Pocket
Watches
*Writing
Paper
*Coroners
*Pawnshops
*Clothing
*Calling
Cards
This
collection also includes a bonus essay—"Evil Women: The
Villainesses of the Canon," originally published in the Baker
Street Journal.
Liese
Sherwood-Fabre has won awards for her thrillers, romance, and
literary short stories, and NYT bestselling author Steve Berry
describes her writing as "gimmick-free, old-fashioned
storytelling."
In
the second grade, she knew she was destined to write when she got an
A+ for her story about Dick, Jane, and Sally's ruined picnic. After
obtaining her PhD from Indiana University, she joined the federal
government and had the opportunity to work and live internationally
for more than fifteen years. She draws upon these experiences to
endow her characters with deep conflicts and emotions.
Frequently
Asked Questions Series: How I do research for my novels
Readers
often ask me how much research I do for my novels. I thought I would mix things
up and do a video instead of writing details about my research. The video
is below. Enjoy! There will be an audiobook out soon.
Best,
Carmela
Between
the Cracks
One
Woman's Journey From Sicily to America Book 1
by
Carmela Cattuti
Genre:
Historical Women's Fiction
Join
Angela Lanza as she experiences the tumultuous world of early 20th
century Sicily and New York. Orphaned by the earthquake and powerful
eruption of Mt. Etna in 1908, Angela is raised in the strict confines
of an Italian convent. Through various twists of fate, she is married
to a young Italian man whom she barely knows, then together with her
spouse, immigrates to the U.S. This novel is an invitation to
accompany the young Angela as she confronts the ephemeral nature of
life on this planet and navigates the wide cultural gaps between
pre-World War II Italy and the booming prosperity of dynamic young
America.
Author,
artist, and teacher Carmela Cattuti created Between the Cracks as an
homage to her great-aunt, who survived the earthquake and eruption of
Mt. Etna and bravely left Sicily to start a new life in America.
The
sequel to Carmela Cattuti's first novel, Between the Cracks,, this
story invites the reader to accompany Angela Lanza as she builds her
life in America during the first half of the 20th century. A Sicilian
immigrant, she manages to assimilate into the social life of a small
town outside of New York City. Through the horrors of war, domestic
tragedy, and raising her sister-in-law's children, hers is a
successful immigrant experience. Angela seeks to transcend organized
religion and develop her spirituality. She influenced three
generations of Americans through her artistic sensibility and a
sharpened intuition. The book parallels America's growth with
Angela's growing sense of who she is in the world.
Carmela
Cattuti started her writing career as a journalist for the Somerville
News in Boston, MA. After she finished her graduate work in English
Literature from Boston College she began to write creatively and
taught a journal writing course at the Cambridge Center for Adult
Education As fate would have it, she felt compelled to write her
great aunt's story. “Between the Cracks” has gone through several
incarnations and will now become a trilogy. The second book is "The
Ascent."
What do you think about the general knowledge of the Holocaust?
Like most members of my generation, born three decades
after the end of World War II, I came to my own story with almost no real
understanding of the plight of Jews in the Holocaust, much less that of my own
grandmother. With no real, personal connection to the Holocaust, I think it is
unrealistic to expect others to have much more than a brief, general
understanding of the Holocaust. Unfortunately, as time goes on, this will be
even less so. I am very grateful that in my home state of Arizona, legislation
is currently being considered to make Holocaust education mandatory. The
Holocaust Education bill has passed in the House of Representatives and then
will need to be voted on in the Senate before being sent to our state’s
Governor to sign it into law. Should this get accomplished, children will be
required to learn about the Holocaust as part of the school’s curriculum.
Writing biography as a memoir will become a new genre
of books that will be both unique and important for future generations. With
the passing of time, and fewer Survivors living, we will have less and less
memoirs dedicated to detailing their stories of survival in the first person.
As such, we will become more dependent on others to write these non-fiction
books outlining the events that took place during the Holocaust. Likely, more
second and third generation survivors will need to take over the task of
learning the Survivor’s history, doing the research, and writing their story.
Doing so will be imperative in order to keep their stories alive and help
future generations by learning what is at stake if we don’t stand up against
discrimination.
In a nutshell, my grandmother’s story is about a
17-year-old girl who was living in a beautiful community surrounded by friends
and close family. As the Nazi regime gained power and Jews were targeted her
entire life changed in an instant. She went from being shy and the youngest in
her family to being an orphan, alone, and having to fend for herself.
Miraculously, she was able to survive three pogroms and escape to the forest
where she met some others in hiding. From there she was liberated and
eventually emigrated to Canada with her husband, another Survivor she met in
the forest, and their young girl. From Canada she moved to the United States
and before she passed away, her family totaled 2 daughters, 5 grand-daughters,
and 9 great-grandchildren. She left behind beautiful passages of poetry and
prose written about her life in Europe, the Holocaust, and her feelings.
Hatred and bigotry led to the worst genocide in world
history. While there are so many lessons to be learned from the Holocaust, and
while we would expect to see more empathy and understanding today, instead,
hatred and violence are on the rise. Jews are being targeted and anti-semitism
is as real today as it was during WWII. As we get farther and farther removed
from the Holocaust, trying to apply the lessons of the past when facing the
issues of today has become a real challenge. We must keep these stories alive
as they provide detailed information, a chance for a young reader to connect
personally, with the story of a Survivor. We need a constant reminder of what
unchecked hatred can lead to. And that’s why testimonials and stories such as
my grandmother’s are so important today. They speak of hope, resilience, love,
and determination.
Living
Among the Dead:
My
Grandmother's Holocaust Survival Story of Love and Strength
Holocaust
Survivor True Stories WWII Book 3
by
Adena Bernstein Astrowsky
Genre:
Biography, Memoir
This
is the story of one remarkable young woman's unimaginable journey
through the rise of the Nazi regime, the Second World War, and the
aftermath. Mania Lichtenstein’s dramatic story of survival is
narrated by her granddaughter and her memories are interwoven with
beautiful passages of poetry and personal reflection. Holocaust
survivor Mania Lichtenstein used writing as a medium to deal with the
traumatic effects of the war.
Many
Jews did not die in concentration camps, but were murdered in their
lifelong communities, slaughtered by mass killing units, and then
buried in pits. As a young girl, Mania witnessed the horrors while
doing everything within her power to subsist. She lived in
Włodzimierz, north of Lvov (Ukraine), was interned for three years
in the labor camp nearby, managed to escape and hid in the forests
until the end of the war.
Although
she was the sole survivor of her family, Mania went on to rebuild a
new life in the United States, with a new language and new customs,
always carrying with her the losses of her family and her
memories.
Seventy-five
years after liberation, we are still witnessing acts of cruelty born
out of hatred and discrimination. Living among the Dead reminds us of
the beautiful communities that existed before WWII, the lives lost
and those that lived on, and the importance to never forget these
stories so that history does not repeat itself.
*2020
Reader's Favorite Gold Medal Winner in the Non-Fiction – Biography
Genre!!
Adena
Astrowsky has dedicated her career to helping the most vulnerable of
our society. She did this by prosecuting child sexual abuse cases and
domestic violence cases within the Maricopa County Attorney’s
Office. She became the local expert concerning the prosecution of
domestic violence-related strangulation cases and taught extensively
on that subject. Currently, she handles post-conviction cases on
appeal and foreign extradition cases. Adena taught Sunday School at
her temple for eight years, and in her last two years she co-taught
"Character Development Through the Studies of the Holocaust."
Adena contributes articles to MASK (Mothers Awareness on School-age
Kids) Magazine, often writing about children's safety, drugs, law and
order, etc. Once a month Adena volunteers at a local Scottsdale
library with her therapy dog, Charlie, as part of the Tail Waggin'
Tales Program. Adena has also chaired events to raise money for the
Emily Center of Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Adena’s greatest
role, however, is as the mother of three very active children. She,
and her husband, Brad, are kept very busy with their respective
dance, theater, music, and athletic activities.
I am a complete cinephile. I love movies, before COVID19 I loved going to the cinema with my husband, my son, friends, and even alone. I love to watch old movies, new movies, animated films, the lot!
I
cannot choose a favorite movie, but I choose a film that felt like it was “made
for me. The mystery suspense; Dead Again with Kenneth Branagh as both
director and main character. A cast fit for the best: Andy Garcia, Derek
Jacobi, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Robin Williams. I
love Robin Williams; I am old enough to remember when Mork and Mindy
first aired. I was in college, and we were all talking about how talented, and
funny the alien, Mork, was. In Dead Again, his role is minor but with an
amazing impact, a psychiatrist who lost his license and right to practice
working as a butcher. I
am also old enough to have experienced the curiosity incited about past lives
and past life regressions by Dr. Brian Weiss through his book Many Lives,
Many Masters. By the time Dead Again hit theaters in the USA, I had already
had my first past life regression and had a strong physical reaction that remains
with me to this day, almost thirty years later. In
my regression, I went back hundreds of years to Mexico. In it, I was an Aztec
Indian involved in a ritual on a pyramid. I was not the sacrifice, but I
tumbled, fell, broke my neck, and thus died. In this lifetime, I always felt
like a misfit in Mexico, primarily because I am tall, and I was always tall
compared to my peers. In Mexico, I towered as a child over my contemporaries,
always the last one in line. When
I was 12 years old, and my father’s work transferred the entire family to
Washington D.C., I was thrilled. My height was perfect for the USA. I am 5’9”
tallish but not the tallest girl ever again! I adapted to my new life
seamlessly, and my Spanish speaking friends were from a wide variety of countries,
the same years later in France and Sweden. As such, because of my physique, and
when I spoke, neutral Spanish with no discerning accent, people never guessed
where my country of origin. Imagine the difference between a Brit, an American,
and an Aussie, using the same language but not the same accents. In
1991, after my first past life regression, I suddenly developed a strong,
clearly Mexican accent in Spanish. At the time, I worked retail and had many
Spanish speaking tourists as customers, overnight they stated “Mexicana,” they recognized the Mexican accent, although
I have never lived in, or interacted much with Mexican people, other than my
family or through social media, it is there. Because
of that experience when I wrote The Bridge of Deaths, I had Bill develop
a habit he had never had. The bridge between the past and present that I love
to believe exists.
Death of a Sculptor in Hue, Shape and Color
by M.C.V. Egan
Genre: Suburban Women's Fiction
Color-coded love stories and revealing female anatomies lead to the murder of world-renowned sculptor, Bruce Jones.
In life, the artist loved women, almost as much as women loved him. Adored for his art and colorful personality, Bruce is mourned by the world at large. The tale is launched with the multifaceted perspectives of four ex-wives, the current wife, and his new love interest and their children.
Mary, Bruce’s wealthy first love, is always in perfect pink; the color of love. Mother of Clair the famous actress and Aaron the corporate lawyer.
Leslie The Second’s color is yellow for her sunny nature as much as for her fears and insecurities. Her only son Bobby is vulnerable and lost. Mourning his father’s death, he finds himself.
Petra The Third, is outstanding in orange, representing not only her native Holland but also her love of the fruit. Cherished her freedom and had no children of her own.
Toni The Fourth is a vibrant passionate Italian red and part of the eventual glue that creates and solidifies this dysfunctional Jones family. Her teenage daughters Tina and Isa are as different as night and day.
Brooke The Fifth a gold-digger. Green, her color, reflects the color of money and envy. Her young son’s Kyle and Caleb are too young to understand why their world has been turned upside-down.
Mara, as blue as the ocean was the last woman to steal Bruce’s heart. Mother to newborn Baby Peter is an unexpected gift and surprise.
Bruce Jones’ eight children speak out, too. They are as distinctive as the women he loved, their mothers.
Loose ends are tied up by the insights of Sylvia, Aaron’s wife and a trusted keeper of secrets; Scott, the private investigator and family friend; Nona, the quintessential grandmother everyone loves but to whom few are truly related; and Detective Jim Miller who will not rest until he discovers Bruce Jones’ murderer.
A word, a single word defines a moment for Anne. She needs to find a new one when her spouse, Frank, leaves her at the age of forty-seven, coming out of the closet literally in a closet.
She finds herself back in her hometown of Skvallerby, Connecticut among her high school friends which she had left in her past.
An inheritance from a frenemy leaves her with the means to meddle and spy on the lives of mutual acquaintances.
In an attempt to run from her reality Anne becomes engrossed in a game of fun and flirtation with her friend and fellow sufferer Connie.
Their fun games turn into a deadly reality. It is no longer a game. Life, death and not even a defining word can stop the reality of manipulation.
On August 15th, 1939, an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nykøbing Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before, Hitler invaded Poland. With the world at the brink of war, the manner in which this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust. The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve "one of those mysteries that never get solved." Based on true events and real people, The Bridge of Deaths is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico and the United States. The story finds a way to help the reader feel that s/he is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions. Cross The Bridge of Deaths into 1939, and dive into cold Danish waters to uncover the secrets of the G-AESY.
On August 15th, 1939, an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nykøbing Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before, Hitler invaded Poland. With the world at the brink of war, the manner in which this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust. The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve "one of those mysteries that never get solved." Based on true events and real people, The Bridge of Deaths is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico and the United States. The story finds a way to help the reader feel that s/he is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions. Cross The Bridge of Deaths into 1939, and dive into cold Danish waters to uncover the secrets of the G-AESY.
M.C.V. Egan is the pen name chosen by Maria Catalina Vergara Egan. Catalina is originally from Mexico City, Mexico. Catalina has lived in various countries and is fluent in four languages; Spanish, English, French and Swedish.
Her first book The Bridge of Deaths revolves around her maternal grandfather's death in 1939. A true-life pre-WWII event. It has over 200 footnotes with the resources of her extensive search through Archival materials as well as the use of psychometry and past life regressions. It is more fact than fiction.
The revised edition of The Bridge of Deaths; A love Story and a Mystery focuses on the story-line as opposed to fact, but all footnotes and facts are available through the website for any curious minds. thebridgeofdeaths.com
Defined by Others taps into the dark quirky side found even in the best of people. With the 2012 American elections as a backdrop and the fearless reassurance that the world might end on December 12, 2012, as predicted by the Mayan Calendar.
Death of a Sculptor; in Hue, Shape, and Color is a novella written in sixteen different voices. It is a murder mystery. She is currently working on a sequel; Bruce (title subject to change).
M.C.V. Egan lives and works in South Florida. She loves cooking and crafting. She is married and has a son. Aside from writing Astrology is one of her passions and careers she pursues.
You can find M.C.V. Egan everywhere online
