To the Editors: I greatly appreciated Susan Faludi’s recent essay, “All the News That’s Fit to Feel” [NYR, August 15], on the attitudes and expectations that have historically greeted women in the press room. But I would like to stick up for the female journalists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Their work […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/10/03/just-journalists/
Some botanists maintain that peas are capable of associative learning, others that tropical vines have a sort of vision. If plants possess sentience, what is the morally appropriate response?
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/10/03/savvy-in-the-grass-the-nation-of-plants/
Ten years ago, I started interviewing women and girls who had escaped ISIS captivity. From 2014 to 2017, that terrorist organization swept through northern Iraq, tore girls and women from their families, took them to the Caliphate, and forcibly married all those who were nine or older. Under the group’s perverse laws, all this was […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2024/09/15/betraying-iraqi-girls/
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme
It’s getting darker earlier and earlier. Not only will I be another year older next month, but I can feel summer fading. I noticed some trees have already turned. Getting the newest Covid shot this week, and scheduled my flu shot for the first week of October. If you are in the US, I encourage you to register to vote. Every voice matters. You can register & check your registration here: https://vote.gov Stay Caffeinated.
A special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Tantor Audio & Montlake Press
12th Annual Ho-Ho-Ho Readathon. November 21st to December 2nd, 2024. Sign up Challenge Hosts Needed. Please email me if you are interested in hosting one of the challenges.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2024/09/sunday-post-645-signs-of-fall.html
In The Powerful Publicity Prescription, you explore the history and evolution of PR and stress the importance of purposeful PR management in business. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Many authors and entrepreneurs have come to me saying they lacked a PR resource to flip through and refer back to. I wanted to give them a resource that they could be empowered to take action with and to fill in the gap in the PR industry as much of the sector neglects and overlooks the author and entrepreneur communities.
I wanted to show authors and entrepreneurs that they too, can harness the power of PR to achieve their goals, that they deserve to fulfill their fullest potential to become global industry leaders trusted by audiences worldwide because PR isn’t just reserved for Fortune 500 companies.
In addition to giving them the history of PR and in-depth knowledge of every aspect of a PR campaign, I wanted to show them that authors and entrepreneurs in every genre and sector, just like them, have found PR success, which is why I shared my own client case studies and portfolio examples. I take it one step further by giving them tools and resources to save time and energy in every part of a PR campaign and resources to help them push past the fear, anxiety, and imposter syndrome stopping them from moving forward.
How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?
I started writing this book in 2022 and the draft started undergoing revisions a year later before I started working with my editor. With this book, I leaned on my client portfolio and experiences of authors and entrepreneurs I’ve worked with and presented webinars to over the last decade.
I framed the chapters of this book with a specific focus on questions my clients and audiences have had about why PR is powerful, why it’s different from advertising and social media, how mindset can stop you from moving forward, how to develop strong media pitches, and how to develop confidence with interviews.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about public relations?
A common misconception many authors have, which I address in the book, is that PR only works if you have at least $20K and an audience in the millions to launch a campaign. That myth is false, PR works for any author and entrepreneur who has a solid foundation of what their goals are, who their audiences are, and some ideas on what methods they want to incorporate into their strategies.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
That the knowledge they obtain helps them to build the confidence to take action on developing their own PR campaigns, even if it’s sitting down and brainstorming their goals.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Instagram | InRetrospect | LinkedIn | Amazon
Never run ineffective publicity campaigns again.
Unlock the secrets of becoming a global industry leader, powerhouse pioneer and trusted expert with this deep dive into the impactful world of public relations. This compelling book will guide you through how to recognize and push past limiting beliefs such as fear, anxiety and imposter syndrome to develop a resilient and positive mindset for PR and marketing. From its intriguing history to the powerful impact of media relations, you’ll receive invaluable step by step guidance on how to develop each element of a successful, global PR campaign to reach your goals.
You’ll learn:
And much more!
Armed with real world case studies and industry success stories from the author’s rich client portfolio, embark on this journey to gain the confidence to share your story with worldwide audiences and develop long lasting relationships with media, influencers and collaborative partners to harness the power of public relations to fulfill your fullest potential as a global industry leader.
Written with the creative entrepreneur, startup, nonprofit, and small business in mind, The Powerful Publicity Prescription will demystify the world of public relations including busting popular PR myths, to empower you to develop tailored, customized public relations campaigns to achieve your goals without spending thousands of dollars or having an audience that numbers in the millions.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/09/15/harness-the-power-of-pr/
Pennsylvania Fireside Tales Volume 2 is a delightful anthology that captures Pennsylvania’s heart and soul by retelling some of the folktales that have been passed on through the generations. Where did the idea for this collection come from, and how did it develop over time?
My inspiration was both homesickness and books by an early collector of central Pennsylvania mountain stories named Henry Shoemaker. After graduating from Penn State in 1967 I ended up working in New Jersey. I missed the mountains of my central Pennsylvania Tom Sawyer boyhood, and when browsing through books in Princeton’s Firestone Library I found many books by Shoemaker. His stories and descriptions brought home right into my lap since I recognized many of the places and family names he wrote about. After I had read all the Shoemaker materials I could find, the thought occurred to me that I could collect similar tales on my own and write about them. Not only would it give me a chance to roam the mountains I loved once more, but it would also alleviate my homesickness. And it did!
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this collection of tales?
When I started interviewing people to collect my tales back in 1970, we had just put a man on the moon, and I was looking for old-time Pennsylvania mountain folktales, legends, and human-interest stories whose roots went as far back as the Civil War, and even further back than that. Much to my surprise, the old tales could still be heard, and I’m finding some yet today! In fact, to get my arms around my collection I decided to categorize them into four types:
Native American-based episodes that included legends those aborigines passed on to early settlers related to landmarks and tribal traditions. Much to my delight I also found many human-interest stories handed down through families as oral histories that have never made the history books concerning how ancestors sometimes fought battles with Native Americans, sometimes were captured by them, etc.
Early hunting episodes when there were still packs of wolves and mountain lions in the Pennsylvania mountains, and stories about how people hunted them and were hunted by them – men and women alike, including one Little Red Riding Hood-type episode!
Ghost, witch, and supernatural tales. There’s a strong dose of that no matter which legendary domain you explore, and Pennsylvania is no different. What really surprised me the most when collecting these tales was how deeply rooted the superstitions are that form their basis. In fact, in 1970 I could still find old-timers in the more remote valleys who still believed in the old-time kinds of witches – those who could change themselves into black cats, ride broomsticks, cast evil spells, etc. One old-timer in particular stated, “They say there’s no such things as witches, but they’ll never convince me of that!”
Then my fourth category is kind of a catch-all. Stories of lost treasure, hidden gold, exaggerated animals, gypsies, moonshiners, and whatever else seems part of the genre.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
Unlike Henry Shoemaker, who I later learned was prone to much exaggeration and romanticization of his tales, and even inventing some on his own, I wanted to preserve the tales as they were told to me, but I also wanted to explore the history behind them. I, therefore, envisioned myself as an investigative reporter to put the tales in historical context, even though most sounded like the proverbial “tall tale.” By doing this I could decide whether the tales have any kernels of truth buried in them at all. Did they have any basis in fact at all, and what were their origins? It has truly blown me away sometimes by what I found using this approach.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be published?
My Sunbury Press publisher has asked me to write a fourth volume for my three-volume Pennsylvania Mountain Landmarks series that they have already published. No publication date has been set yet.
Author Links: Goodreads | Sunbury Press Authors | Pennsylvania Fireside Tales | Website | Amazon
In offering a second volume of Pennsylvania mountain legends and folktales to the reading public, the author does so with a note of appreciation to all who found the first volume of legends of interest – public and press alike. The old stories and folktales which appeared in my Pennsylvania Fireside Tales Volume 1 and which seemed to strike a “chord” within me, also apparently appealed to others as well. Most people like these survivors from a bygone day – a time that was simpler in many ways than this present hectic age. In turn, these “survivors” not only help to perpetuate that feeling of kinship some of us feel toward these rugged Pennsylvania hills, but they also connect us to a rich fabric of history and to the people who lived it. With that link or connection, they cause us to feel closer to the past; our life’s span seems extended, and we seem less mortal. It is with this background, then, that this second volume of Pennsylvania fireside tales is presented for the public’s reading enjoyment. As explained in the first volume of this series, the title “fireside tales” comes from the fact that these stories and legends are variants of, or are exactly like, episodes that were related by early settlers sitting around their fireplaces on cold winter evenings when story-telling was the only form of entertainment by which to relax. Return now to those days of old when the pace was slower and life was harder. Keep in mind, however, that people then seemed content with their lot, finding pleasure in simple things like a wolf’s howl, a panther’s cry, a firefly’s glow, or a flaming sunset sinking slowly behind the everlasting hills.
In this volume:
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/09/15/kernels-of-truth/
A Prophecy Awakened follows a young woman who, on her eighteenth birthday, is given an old diary and sent through the veil on an unknown journey. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Before I outlined A Prophecy Awakened, I knew I wanted a main character who lived in a world with challenges and obstacles. I wanted her to have to fight for what she wanted and for what she didn’t. I wanted her to fail and I wanted her to succeed because most importantly I wanted her to show tremendous growth from her first to her last chapter. Life is an unknown journey. We all have stories and experiences that have forced us to get back up and that’s what I wanted for Charlotte. My desire for her was to experience “life” and for her readers to run alongside and cheer her on!
When creating Charlotte did you have a plan for development and character traits or did it grow organically as you were writing the story?
I think a little of both. I knew magically that Charlotte would have a special touch with nature and that overall her personality would be gentle. At times during my writing I found that if I veered away from her peacefulness it pulled away from the story and made my writing awkward, so I would delete and get back on track. It’s interesting how characters can let the author know when something just isn’t right for them.
In fantasy novels, it’s easy to get carried away by the magical powers of characters. How did you balance the use of supernatural powers?
My desire was not to create a world that was completely fictitious, but rather one that was partially grounded with settings and opportunities that were both tangible and relatable to the reader. Gifted people walk beside us every day, so I imagined a realm where the supernatural played a role in human society, allowing some of their previous human qualities to emerge while they maintained their hidden talents.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
YES! There will be a third book, the final in the Immortal Wounds series. It is titled, Ravenglass, and it is where the prophecy will unveil. Ravenglass is in the early stages of writing but I am anticipating a publishing date late 2025.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Bookbub | Amazon
Family. Destiny. Magic. Lore.
Forced to leave behind her only known family, on the night of her eighteenth birthday Charlotte Delgado flees through the invisible veil that has granted her safety since birth, with only an age-old diary to guide her. Given less than a day to read the four-hundred year-old tales scripted amongst its pages, she barely understands the predetermined path her ancestor writes of, let alone believes it.
However, despite the dangers the journal warns of—supernatural creatures that will hunt her along her journey—it’s the ominous twist of fate that surrounds the last bloodline witch in her family that fills Charlotte with the most fear.
Is she that witch or merely a pawn moving the prophecy forward?
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/09/15/life-is-an-unknown-journey/
In The Toe Killer, Mike Slavin crafts a gritty and tense crime thriller centered around Katrina Moon, a homicide detective balancing her professional life and personal struggles. Set in Orleans Bay, just outside of New Orleans, the book throws you into a world of high-stakes police work where Detective Moon is tasked with solving crimes while worrying about her terminally ill daughter, Jamie. The narrative kicks off with Moon caught between a bank robbery, a notorious killer with a toe fetish, and corruption within her own police department, adding layers to the relentless tension.
One thing I really enjoyed about this book is how vividly it immerses you in the atmosphere of the story. Slavin’s descriptions of Orleans Bay — its streets, its criminals, and even its baked goods — are so rich that I felt like I was sitting in Katrina’s car right beside her. For instance, the opening chapter’s tension between her job and her emotional state, reflected in her concern for her sick daughter while she chases criminals, immediately hooked me. The authenticity in the police procedures and the sheer chaos of the streets is compelling and terrifying. However, at times, the heavy use of police lingo could make it hard for someone not familiar with crime fiction to follow along easily.
Slavin does an excellent job in developing Katrina Moon as a strong, complex character. She’s tough but compassionate. The way her personal life bleeds into her professional life adds a layer of realism. The scenes where she is talking to her daughter, praying that she survives, stand out as the most emotionally charged moments. You can feel the helplessness, the weight of her responsibilities.
The tension Slavin builds throughout the book is gripping. The moments leading up to confrontations with criminals are intense, especially the showdowns with the killer. The toe-killer storyline, while horrifying, sometimes takes a backseat to other elements, like internal police drama, which can cause the pacing to slow. Despite this, Slavin redeems the story with chilling and brutal action scenes that keep you on edge.
The Toe Killer is a high-energy and emotionally charged thriller that will appeal to fans of gritty crime dramas who enjoy flawed but resilient protagonists. If you are into police procedurals with a dark and twisted edge, then this book won’t disappoint.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/09/15/the-toe-killer/
In Finding Ricky, author Terrence Poppa presents a gripping premise, Would you be willing to expose your innermost thoughts to a mysterious, high-ranking supervisor in order to find your missing 13-year-old son? Could you risk losing your grip on reality to save the boy taken from you after his mother’s tragic suicide? These are the haunting dilemmas Cowboy, the novel’s protagonist, must confront. Set against the backdrop of a life shattered overnight, this psychological thriller delves into Cowboy’s desperate quest to locate his son. Under the watchful eye of his enigmatic supervisor, known as The Soup, Cowboy is forced to comply with increasingly difficult demands, including working with a drug dealer named Awesome. Each task completed brings him one step closer to learning more about his son’s whereabouts. However, Cowboy is also battling his own mind. Struggling with blurred vision, headaches, and unsettling hallucinations, he finds it difficult to stay grounded. These symptoms coincidentally—or perhaps not—began after his dealings with The Soup, adding an eerie layer to his unraveling psyche.
The fast-paced storyline keeps readers moving quickly through Cowboy’s journey, making for an exciting read. While the novel leans more toward action than deep psychological exploration, it still offers moments of tension and suspense that engage the reader. One of the highlights is the dynamic between Cowboy and The Soup. The relationship’s evolving complexity and the growing dependence between the two add an interesting layer to the narrative. The glimpses into Cowboy’s traumatic past provide emotional depth and make the character’s motivations more relatable. The story moves at a brisk pace, and these elements show promise, suggesting there is much to build on in future works. Finding Ricky delivers an interesting mix of psychological drama and action, offering readers a quick, engaging escape into its world.
Pages: 285 | ASIN : B0D99MF696
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/09/15/finding-ricky/