A publication for readers and writers. We regularly publish book reviews, prepublication reviews, author promotion, spotlights, resources & the latest publishing news and topics.
C.J. Leger is a Professional Reader, Librarian on LeafMarks & has a presence on various book related social networking sites. C.J. is a writer & editor
In today's interview we sat down with author Jeanbill of Almost A Millennium, a historical fiction book that has brought together two individuals who lived almost a millennium apart and tether when one discovers the almost 1000-year-old journal texts of the other, a monk witness to the Christian Crusades of his time. The monk’s accounts later cause the protagonist to question his beliefs.
About "Almost A Millennium"
Almost a Millennium, by Jeanbill,is an eclectic novel about the unlikely connection between an English monk and an American physician that lived nearly 1,000 years apart, one of today and one in the medieval period. It begins at their birth, traveling through time to their adulthood.
Using cryptography, Paul, a monk at Llanthony Abbey in Wales, writes a four-page document about his life and a harsh critique of the crusades. He places his writings in safekeeping in the hope that it will survive the crusades and eventually land in the hands of someone who can decipher his secrets. When Fred unexpectedly comes across Paul’s book and ciphers Paul’s cryptic message, he has no idea that four pages of millennial history will challenge him to rethink Christianity.
Interview with Author Jeanbill
The author, who goes by the pen Jeanbill, explained to us how he came up with the idea of this unique historical fiction novel and what inspired the idea.
As stated in our October Calendar Queue, this month we will be reviewing a remarkable book about British influence on Tsarist Russia. Written by Roderick Heather, “An Accidental Relationship” proves to be a prospective addition to my favorites library and that of anyone else who is an avid reader of historical, storytelling literary works. We caught up with Roderick Heather and did an interview with the author for our readers, and we wanted to publish it before publishing our review, to give you a chance to get to know the author and his work.
About the Book
“An Accidental Relationship” by Roderick Heather is the fascinating story of the remarkable lives and experiences of the British in Tsarist Russia.
Why did a Russian general wear a kilt, who built the Russian navy, why is Captain Cook remembered in Siberia, where did the British discover rhubarb and how did a Grand Duchess come by her Irish brogue? Ever since the days of Muscovy, British voices have been heard in the courts of the Tsars and hands and minds from the British Isles have shaped Russian history and culture, explored Russia's geography, developed its industry and won Russian souls for Christ. The British were active right across this vast country from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Some were fascinated by Russia whilst others loathed it. Over the generations, a large number of Anglo-Russian families became established and a successful few made their fortunes or achieved great honours. Others experienced bad luck or extreme hardship and many died there. Rarely have two cultures so unalike interacted so closely for so many centuries.
Interview with Roderick Heather
We were eager to ask him a few questions, specifically about what influenced his decision to write this book and this is what he had to say:
Today's review is on Maternal Threads by Frances S. Brown; it's a book we've been reading for a while and have wanted to produce a super polished review on this incredible historical memoir. I'll start by saying that from the moment I opened the book, the first line hit me so hard that my curiosity spiked, tripling my initial interest. Frances S. Brown introduces us to her book, "Maternal Threads". with the following line:
"Somewhere wedged into Prohibition and the Jazz era, in early 20th century America, an un-girdling of the Gibson girl birthed a new breed of bitch.The flapper."
By then, the book was almost constantly on my mind. Throughout lectures, other compromises, and the daily to do's, I found myself jogging back to my Kindle reader for more. But before I go into detail, here's a bit more about Maternal Threads and its fresh approach to storytelling.
About the Book:
Maternal Threads by Frances Susanne Brown
Publisher:High Hill Press
Maternal Threads Trailer
"Maternal Threads is a compelling story that weaves one woman's search of her childhood, with the secrets that have been kept from her since birth. While researching her family, Frances Brown finds herself unearthing stories of flappers, prohibition, and strangers that seem to never quite materialize. It isn't until the death of her mother that she's driven to explore the details of her maternal heritage."
Before I get into the review, we want to let the readers know that the author agreed to do an online reading of this book, which will be publishing this week. We also did an interview with the author, which we will include in this feature as well.
Frances S. Brown Book Signing | B&N FL
Impression: Venturing into this book was like catching a compelling episode of "Who Do You Think You Are" on TLC where the preview glues you to your couch, leaving you running to finish up your chores before the next segment begins. Well, that's what I felt like when I read the first page. I remember having a stack of review requests in my hand and an unfinished slice of desert cheesecake; by God, by the time I flipped to page two, I had discarded the stack to the side, poured myself some tea, and retreated to my reading chair in my office. This is what my journey was like.
Brown describes the life of her aunt Charlotte and the neighborhood in which she grew up alongside her mother, a neighborhood that has all since been absorbed by neighboring communities. Her tale reminded me of the time I opened up Google Maps, and showed my grandmother the house in which she had raised her children in New York, while everything else had changed, that house still boasted the same tan and green paint that brought a bounty of memories flushing back. If a book could ever capture feelings of this magnitude, it would be this one. I felt as if I was living, experiencing the memories of her family myself.
The author talks about her life as a wife and mother, letting us into her personal thoughts - thoughts that I found to be comfortingly real and ones you'd only experience with a life-long friend.
"I was fifty-two years old and had raised three reasonably normal children, a daughter and twin sons. I remained happily married to the same man who fathered them for over half my life."
"We were living in Massachusetts, which placed twenty-one years and thirteen hundred miles between my only daughter and me. But thanks to the modern conveniences of a cellular signal and hands-free devices, we commuted together every morning. We both rose and began our workdays early, in certain seasons before even the sun was awake."
Highlights: This theme of comforting intimacy transports itself throughout the entire book, making me feel as if this incredible story was being told to me from across a chair in my dim-lit office. One of my favorite sections of the book was the beginning of Chapter 4 - where the author describes experiencing one of the very first self-aware moments in her life when she entered public school. Before then, attending Catholic school, Brown's identity had been dormant, hidden behind structured uniforms and vague, almost general adornments, that is until she reaches public school and realizes she has absolutely no idea how to dress, how to be, or who she really was in the sense of individualism.
Frances S. Brown Book Signing | Middleton Thrall Library N.Y.
She describes this in a way that pierces the senses, stripping back our "idea" of what we know and making us reevaluate what we "thought" we knew when we were twelve; how something as simple as uniformity could dig away at our own selves. I could go on about this book; it's enchanting. But I'll say that I never once felt so loved before, that an author could write this way - so immersive and open for a reader like myself to enjoy.
Quality: In terms of quality, this book met the expectations a reader has when they pick up a memoir. Dedicating hours of reading to the story of another person's life requires that the book to be written by an author with unsurmountable skills, taste, and flare. Frances S. Brown has all of those things, her physical aura alone, reads of an author classically born into the publishing world with a seemingly inherited ability to capture one's soul.
Interview with the Author
We asked the author a few questions about her book and her recent signing events. I'm hooked, so we asked the author if she was working on any new projects:
"Yes, I am presently working on a spooky romance entitled Spirits of the Heart. It is set on the grounds of an abandoned mental asylum in the town where I grew up, in Middletown, N.Y. My first book in this genre, Phantom Traces, was released by Soul Mate Publishing on Feb. 17, 2015."
I asked Frances if there was a literary agent behind her, and was impressed to learn that the author has handled the marketing and pitching of her works on her own, landing herself this commission with High Hill Press. When asked if there were any other commissions scheduled with this publisher, she said,
"At the present time, I do not have any other commissions scheduled with this particular publisher, though I do intend to write another personal memoir story in the near future, which I will of course submit to HHP.
I also write for Soul Mate Publishing under the pseudonym Claire Gem, and for Lachesis Publishing as Charlotte Daly. The contemporary romance series coming from Lachesis is called The Lake George Series, and Book One, Memories of You, is due out later this year."
Looking forward to that memoir, be sure to note these pseudonyms for more work by this author. Still caught up in the magic of this book, I asked the author what inspired her to create such an astounding book:
"Maternal Threads began as my thesis for my MFA in creative writing at Lesley University. What began as an academic venture blossomed into an intense exploration of my maternal heritage, resulting in this memoir. "
Signings & Readings
Frances S. Brown has engaged in a few book signings over the past month, notably one on August 13 at a Barnes & Noble in Tampa, Florida; she also graced fans with her presence for a special signing at the Middleton Thrall Library in New York in June.
The author has upcoming scheduled signings on September 12 for The Booklover's Gourmet in Webster, Ma at 2:00pm. There's also another possible signing in the works for the Barnes & Noble located in the Prudential Center in Boston, Ma.
You can catch her ay the Middleton Thrall Library in New York again on the 27th of Sept. for an author/illustrator event at 1:30pm.
Also remember to check back here, as we will have an online reading selection from Maternal Threads by the author.
Readers can follow the author via Twitter @FrancesSBrown & Amazon.
Get the Book
If you've been touched as I was by this book, You can purchase it on:
Readers can have a favorite book and even a favorite author, but that love for a creative mind is amplified when authors open up to their readership via interviews.
That's why we, at CJ Leger.com, love to bring you a good mix of book reviews, author spotlights and interviews; today we've got an interview for you with author S.K. Kalsi. We will be talking about his past, his future projects, and his most recent book, "The Stove Junker".
One of our greatest interests when it comes to authors is finding out what has inspired them to become one of the talented individuals that can put into words complete stories, lives, and character personalities created within the parameters of their brain. We asked asked S.K. Kalsi following:
When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?
"What inspired you?I realized I wanted to be an author when I was in college, studying business. As a semi-professional musician, I had always been a creative person, but writing stories seemed so far beyond the realm of possibility as to render it a mute dream. When I quit music, I needed a creative outlet to replace it. I was in my mid-twenties, struggling with school, in danger of failing, and so writing became a calling then. I realized I found a deep abiding sense of comfort when I wrote, back then poems mostly. I took a literature class, realized there was nothing more I wanted to do than commit my life to the written word, explore ideas, feelings, create characters, and throw these characters into conflict with themselves and each other. So I changed my major to Creative Writing. My earliest inspiration was the work of poets, mainly Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, and then Emily Dickinson, and then Neruda, Wallace Stevens, and Rainer Maria Rilke. Through their pondering, I discovered deep thinkers, philosophers pondering the mysteries of existence and our place in life, Emerson, Thoreau, and later Wittgenstein."
Kalsi's latest novel, "The Stove Junker", is a unique one; S. K. Kalsi’s aging protagonist, the eponymous stove-junker Somerset Garden, finds himself in the home he used to share with his wife and their son, the rebel who disappeared at eighteen – only now, in the midst of a snowstorm, he shares it with a strange young boy. In Somerset’s attempts to renovate the house, he examines not only the debris and wreckage of his home but of his own past.
With characters so involved, we ask Kalsi where the inspiration for his characters came from.
Do you draw personality features from your own self to evoke the personality of Somerset?
"Very much so. Somerset is a composite character, made up of bits of my own personality, my father, my uncle, and yet he is his own personality. I very much follow the dictum, “Write what you know, but not all of what you know.” Let the imagination color in the rest."
As authors become more experienced and delve into personal creation interests, they often fall into different genres along the way. Usually, authors may take a trip around several genres, discovering new literary outlets before falling back into their original calling, we wanted to know what genres Kalsi was likely to delve into the future.
In the future, what genre do you see yourself doing the most work in?
"I am passionate about psychological realist literature, though certain elements of mystery and noir, horror and magical realism are sure to creep into my work."
We see that you have delved into poetry, is this something you may return to in the future?
"Though I love poetry, and though much of my work reads like prose-poetry, I don’t have the patience to strictly write poetry."
While having a literary agent can make it easier to get your book published, Kalsi is one of those shining examples of authors who can land publishing contracts solely based on the quality of their work and the determination present in their work ethic. He currently does not have a literary agent, but we wanted to know more about his experience in publishing his book. This is what he had to say:
What was your experience like launching this book?
"From when I received the message from my publisher stating they wanted to release my book, to the day they launched it, has been a great journey. I realize how collaborative the process really is, from our earliest stages of editing, shaping, polishing once again what I thought was polished, them soliciting my help in shaping the artwork/cover design. There’s a level of trust and freedom that I am not sure I would have received from the larger publishers, but you never know."
Was it hard to get it published?
"Nothing is hard until you give up trying. The entire process took a little under a year. There were at times when I thought to give up, especially when every agent I queried turned me down. Many praised the book for its lyrical merits, but they simply “didn’t know what to do with it.” I turned to the independent publishers after an agent at William Morris suggested I try. I did. I got published."
What was your reaction when Little Feather Books retained your work?
"Honestly, I had mixed feelings about going with an independent publisher, even though now I don’t regret the decision. I always wanted to be on an agent’s roster who found my book a home at a large publishing house. That is the dream for most writers, I think. So when that didn’t happen, and Little Feather snapped it up, I was afraid. I asked myself questions about their reputation, about their ability to successfully launch my book, about so many other things. But they were forthright and continue to be so and I find their level of honesty a rare thing. They have been incredibly supportive and have provided me with a level of access and intimacy with the process of publication and promotion I am not sure I would receive from the larger publishing houses. Moreover, their belief in my abilities as a writer makes me want to work harder, improve my craft, and deliver books that live up to my creative values.
Do you have more planned commissions with this publisher?
"Not currently. I am working on a new novel."
We went back to the author's latest novel, "The Stove Junker", and asked him about the main character's decision to return to the setting of this unique book:
If possible, without revealing too much, what leads Somerset to return to his old home and renovate it?
"Exile, even one that is self-imposed, always triggers yearning for home. Having come to the end of his life, with his wife Nona dead, his son missing long ago, Somerset returns to his home in northeastern Pennsylvania to account for his life."
We always offer a free section for the author to say anything that's on your mind, anything they want the readers to know, or just anything they'd like to project to the world. S.K. Kalsi left us with this:
"A writer’s success begins with writing a good book and ends with finding good readers. I hope that I find good readers, and by “good readers” I mean sensitive ones, readers attuned to the nuances of language, who love complex characters, are not afraid to cheer on anti-heroes, and read to reveal the inner structure of a book. By writing The Stove-Junker I have lain my soul bare. There is, as Hemingway said, “blood on the page.” I have opened my vein. I hope to find readers who understand that writing a work of art is a great value to civilization and that I hope they find great value in my novel."
About the Author:Kalsi's voice has been influenced by poets, musicians, and philosophers, as well as his past work as a poet. S.K. Kalsi holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of San Francisco, a BFA in Creative Writing from Long Beach State, and a diploma in Screenwriting from UCLA. His short stories have appeared in numerous literary magazines, including The Gettysburg Review,Glint Literary Journal, and The Criterion, among others. His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
BOOK INFORMATION:
The Stove Junker
Literary Fiction; Little Feather Books; April 2015; $16.95; 344PP; ISBN 9780990779063
, by Jeanbill, is an eclectic novel about the unlikely connection between an English monk and an American physician that lived nearly 1,000 years apart, one of today and one in the medieval period. It begins at their birth, traveling through time to their adulthood. 
