First Chapter Plus is the e-Magazine where readers connect with Indie Authors and their work.
CONNECTING READERS TO INDIE BOOKS FIRST CHAPTER PLUS SEPTEMBER 2023 CONNECTING READERS TO INDIE BOOKS
MORE THAN A: BY DAWN COLCLASURE BOOKS INSPIRED BY DREAMS Let Them Read GOING BACK IN TIME THROUGH JOURNALING
RUSSIA, A LAND FOR LOVERS OF LITERATURE
HELP SPREAD DEAF AWARENESS BOOKS BY AUTHORS WHO ARE DEAF
MEET THE AUTHOR SUZ EGLINGTON ABOUT HER NEW BOOK
Born Torn
I Have Something to Say Note from the Editor
Going Back in Time Through Journaling Time passes unforgivably, and unapologetically. In one blink of time, we suddenly find ourselves to be a shadow of who we were or a thousand greater of who we were. But we never stayed the same. So, when you reflect upon who you were and who you are today, do you wish to go back in time? And if you do, how would you do that? If you are like me, you built your own time travel machine one journal entry or one picture on a photo album at a time. As my time to become a grandmother gets closer, I find myself exploring the past in search of who I was when I was becoming a mother… To read how I felt, what I thought, and what I feared after having lived that stage is an experience I can’t describe. The beauty of time passing by is how you can compare all your experiences and get different things from past stages of your life when you look back and re-visit yourself through a journal.
Managing Editor Susan Violante
Check out the “How To” section for journaling tips!
85 ABOUT ME Born and raised in Venezuela of Italian immigrants, Susan completed a BA in Political Science and Business Administration before moving to the US . She built a career as a Business Analyst/Accountant, while keeping herself active as a freelance writer in the US; publishing articles, poetry, children’s stories, and illustrations since 1996. She published her first book in 2009, and released her revised edition: Innocent War: Behind An Immigrant’s Past in 2011. Her picture book: Tuma: The Tribe’s Little Princess was published in early 2013 under her own label. Currently, Susan Violante is the Managing Editor/CEO/ Partner of I Have Something to Say Press and Book By Book Publicity, Author, Reviewer, Publicist and Publisher. She resides in Austin, TX with her husband Michel and her dogs, Canela and Karina,
IN THIS ISSUE
04 BOOK VIDEOS
05 PODCAST OF THE MONTH
06 BAREFOOT LIBRARIAN
08 READER VIEWS BOOKS OF THE MONTH
11 MEET THE AUTHOR
14 BOOKS AND AUTHORS
18 CAROLYN HOWARD-JOHNSON
21 FIRST CHAPTER PLUS COLUMNIST DAWN COLCLASURE
SUBSCRIPTIONS https://www.firstchapterplus.com EMAIL: admin@firstchapterplus.com https://www.firstchapterplus.com/contact www. firstchapterplus com
22 BOOKS BY AUTHORS WHO ARE DEAF HELP SPREAD DEAF AWARENESS
Copyright 2023 First Chapter Plus
24 TIPS FOR THE JOURNALIST
MANAGING EDITORS Susan Violante & Sheri Hoyte CREATIVE EDITOR Janice Miller
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100% GREEN First Chapter Plus e-magazine IS Environment conscious. Please consider the environment before printing.
BOOK VIDEOS The best tool in any book campaign! Just like movie trailers, book videos allow the audience to take a peek at a book and get a feeling about it.It also gives information about the author as well as, what others think about the book. All this in a very visual way in a short time frame which can be share in all social media platforms.
JM
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PODCAST The OF THE MONTH
TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
About Baby Senses and the inspiration behind the creation of the book. An innovative, accessible approach to presenting a broad spectrum of sensory systems. How animals sense electric vibes and see light! Using the Glossary; a friendly learning guide for inquisitive minds of all ages.
Introducing the younger generation to neuroscience.
AND SO MUCH MORE!
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Dr. Jaya Viswanathan is a neuroscientist and artist born and raised in India. She earned an engineering degree, a Master's in neuroscience, and a Doctorate in cognitive neuroscience. She then worked as a postdoctoral fellow before joining the Division of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging [C]. Her research was focused on understanding how brains interpret the world through vision and audition. She was invited to write a Neuronline article about Baby Senses as an educational resource and nominated for the Science Educator Award by the Society for Neuroscience. She loves art and is a part of Tuesday Night Group in DC. Her Neuroscience art has been featured in several art shows and she has been featured in several podcasts.
Learn more about Jaya and her work at: babysensesbook.com
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THE BAREFOOT LIBRARIAN Let Them Read
As librarians, educators, and booksellers would hope, the children's book industry is working harder to publish relevant books. This means there are more books (but not enough) featuring diversity, inclusiveness, racial topics, socialization, mental health status, emotional issues, social issues, environmental challenges, climate changes, strong characters from all walks of life, and the LGBTQ+ community. However, these newer books that reflect our times are some of the most targeted for removal from library shelves. As I have mentioned in previous articles, publishers and authors are fighting back by taking cases to court. And librarians, educators, and parents are taking a stand in school districts, local governments, and state legislatures. But these actions will take time. Meanwhile, thousands of books around the country remain of the shelves while these cases are resolved. So how would those fighting to get many of these children's books banned feel if books they deem important for their kids to read are challenged and removed from shelves? Well, recently, this happened. In Utah, a parent challenged having the bible in schools because it contained "vulgarity or violence." After reviewing the bible, the Davis School District voted to remove the bible from elementary and middle school libraries and classrooms. Parenting styles differ, so it should be up to each parent to decide what their children should or should not read. Parents have every right to object to books for their children and should take steps within their household to ensure that their children don't read these books. However, the freedom to read is essential to our democracy. And I think Judy Blume got it right - “Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear.” Before all this furor started, were the children of those fighting to remove these books actually reading them? Kids nowadays are so glued to screens of every type. Sadly, I wonder how many children are reading books at all, much less these particular books.Frankly, the Internet provides easy access to many topics addressed in these challenged books in a much more explicit and often less valid way.
This uproar has led to a focus on books in the news. Maybe a happy outcome will be that more children will read books to see what the commotion is all about. Wouldn't having more kids picking up books and reading be great?
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Change Sings Written by Amanda Gorman and Illustrated by Loren Long
Change Sings by Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, is a hopeful book inviting children to be a part of the change that is happening now in the world and not be afraid of it, stating, “There is love where my change sings.” Among the themes included are diversity, tolerance, helping our neighbors, and contributing to one’s community. Certain statements in the book make it a probable candidate for removal, such as the author saying she will “…take a knee to make a stand,” referring to those who took a knee during the national anthem to raise awareness of racial and ethnic inequality in America. They, She, He, easy as ABC Co-authored by Maya Christina Gonzalez and Matthew Sg, Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez They, She, He, easy as ABC is a colorful and joyful celebration of inclusive pronouns presented in the format of an ABC book. The book is from the author-owned Reflection Press, which publishes a series of books that support the Gender Wheel Curriculum - “…a holistic, nature-based approach to understanding gender.” End notes explain the use of they, ze, ne, ve, per, and thon. Some children choose to switch their pronouns back and forth, create new words, or use only their names instead of pronouns. This essential and practical diverse book should be on your bookshelves.
Eve Panzer reviews books for Reader Views Kids as well as her own business, Barefoot Librarian. Monthly she publishes the Barefoot Librarian Newsletter.She sells children’s books published by Barefoot Books and Usborne Books & More at book fairs, educational conferences, community events, and online. She earned her Masters in Library and Information Science from the University of Texas in Austin and worked as a school librarian before retiring to start her own business.
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BOOK OF THE MONTH
BEHOLD the MONSTER Author Jillian Lauren
Sourcebooks (2023) ISBN 9781728293530
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Reviewed by Terri Stepek for Reader Views (08/2023)
85 This is a mind-blowing read as the author lays out the childhood, abuse, decades of murder, and the mindset of this man. Born to a poor family in the Deep South, this black man with blue eyes; eyes that even his family referred to as “devil’s eyes,” started life with no roots. He was abandoned early and often; no home, no parents, no hope. As an adult, he racked up a rap sheet over 100 pages long with various crimes from 24 states. That’s half of the contiguous US. Yet he slipped through the fingers of law enforcement in one way or another each time, doing only minor sentences for a few small offenses...Fans of true crime thrillers and students of criminal minds alike will find this a fascinating and sometimes terrifying read. It is not for the faint of heart, as raw descriptions of Little’s heinous acts as well as crime scene photos give flavor to this work. While her research would earn a stellar 10 stars, I’m only allowed to give 5 for the book itself. I can easily recommend “Behold the Monster: Confronting America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer” by Jillian Lauren.
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To Read complete review visit readerviews.com
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BOOK OF THE MONTH
UNMASKED Author Julie Cadman
Cadman Communications (2023) ISBN 9780967299365
Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Reader Views (08/2023)
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“Unmasked” by Julie Cadman is a compelling family saga about secrets, survival, and discovering what’s important. This is the story of three generations of females whose lives could be altered in irreversible ways. Set in the time of a pandemic, we find Jen, Kylie, and Patti with their individual wants, needs, and concerns. Kylie is sixteen and stuck at home, unable to be with her friends and the sport she loves. Patti is the grandmother who feels vulnerable in these uncertain times. And then there is Jen, swamped with responsibilities and stuck between the younger and older generations. This drama will absolutely suck you in and won’t let you go until the last page. Cadman brings us a rich tapestry of story by way of multi-dimensional and believable characters so real, you feel like you could know them in real life. Her style of writing is easy, but packed with emotion, heart, and weight–every sentence counts. It’s easy to get lost in a story like this because it’s so relatable in today’s world.
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To Read complete review visit readerviews.com
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BOOK OF THE MONTH
Ria and Vik’s Seasonal Adventures
Author: Neeti Agarwal TOBschool (2023) ISBN 9798988499206
Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Reader Views (08/2023)
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85 The idea in the book that encourages children to start a nature journal is a really fun idea, too. For a book that will quickly become a favorite and appeal to children’s natural curiosity, “Ria and Vik’s Seasonal Adventures” by Neeti Agarwal, is a winner. To Read complete review visit readerviews.com “ Ria and Vik’s Seasonal Adventures (Ria and Vik’s Explorations, Book 1)” by Neeti Agarwal iis an exciting seasonal learning adventure for children. We are introduced to best friends, Ria and Vik, who learn a lot by exploring new things and finding adventure. They are curious children, and this time they want to know why the weather changes. Mrs. Johnson is their teacher, who explains the idea of what the seasons are, which sparks quite an interest in the children... Agarwal has crafted a book that is enjoyable, educational, and appeals to children’s joy of learning. The illustrations by Nia Kurniaawati are colorful and lively, adding so much to the story. I like how the characters are best friends but have their own personalities. Ria is creative, and curious about a lot of things. Vik is up for any challenge and craves adventure. Learning about the weather appeals to both of them...
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Suz Eglington Meet the Author
Hi Suz! Welcome to Reader Views. Tell us about your writing journey. What inspired you to become an author? Was there a particular event, book, or author that sparked your interest in writing?
HI was inspired by how stories can pull emotions from a reader. How these non- existent characters can come to life and make an impact on the readers.
I started reading paranormal romance back in 2005. I loved Jeaniene Frost and Patricia Briggs but I crossed over to romance with Carrie Bebris and the classics from Jane Austin, then followed back to paranormal with Stephanie Meyers and the new love of reading opening my writing career in 2012 in the romance genre under Suzanne Eglington. By 2019 I needed a fresh genre to write besides a happily ever after, and my Pike Evans action/adventure series came to life under Suz Eglington. Since the Pike Evans series, there has always been the YA Fantasy brewing in me. I didn’t know where I wanted to go with it. The last four years of events in the world brought me to write Born Torn in 2023.
ABOUT SUZ Living in North Central Massachusetts with fur babies, teenagers, and textbooks. Writing is a passion for Suz Eglington. These stories allow her to play God, Queen, and Ruler in the worlds she creates. Breathing life into characters. They can experience all the wonders and successes of living or be destroyed as quickly and painfully as they see fit. Writing is a craft, allowing her to create and entertain, to awaken emotions in a reader, drawing them in, to satisfy a thirst they did not know exists.
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What is Born Torn about? I want to entertain my readers first and foremost. Give a story that can potentially impact them while giving a gentle reminder to readers that we need to take care of this earth, and peace begins inside of all of us. There are two sides to every decision we make and Kiara learns the consequences of her choices.
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Kiara’s relationship with nature, especially her safe space in the meadow, is significant. Can you talk about the symbolism of nature in your book? Undeveloped areas are shrinking and they are so important to our eco system. We are our own worst enemies and that message needs awareness. Kiara is not your typical teenager. She’s trapped in a Colorado reservation and dreams of travel and photography. Can you share what drives this unique character, her dreams, and her situation? Kiara is in the dark about who her father is and any extended family. Willow, her mother, thinks by keeping it a secret she will protect Kiara and they will never have to return to Willow’s childhood land where it is cruel, demanding and restraining. She wants a different life for Kiara. Willow wants Kiara to experience the world through her own eyes and decisions, even if it comes to sacrificing Willow’s one true love and living without the love from a partner. Your novel deals with serious coming-of-age themes, dark subject matters, and mature revelations. What motivated you to delve into these deeper philosophical themes in a YA novel? They are themes young adults are already facing. Telling a story that may provoke thought is always good for the soul. Our reviewer lauded Born Torn for its intricate world-building. What challenges and triumphs did you experience while creating this distinctive universe? Jumping into the Fantasy genre had me learning new ways of storytelling. I love learning and the craft of world building gave me new fuel to experiment with my writing. This Mother Nature Series is going to be so much fun. I am currently expanding on this craft as the next book, Rebalance, is well under construction. Kiara is to visit all the provinces of the Homeland and this is a society that does not like change and expected Katana to become Queen.
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The narrative balances a breezy style and boundless energy with dark, serious undercurrents. How did you strike this balance in your storytelling? T hat is the fun part of storytelling. The banter, the discovery, pushing the characters forward into the next scene. Dropping the breadcrumbs. There is always something new to learn and my favorite part of being an author is how much fun you can have with dialogue. The novel concludes with Kiara at a crossroads between a peaceful life on the reservation or a purpose that transcends death and preserves nature. How did you decide on this moral conflict for your protagonist? With great power comes great responsibility. It is a universal decision we all must make. I believe this will resonate with every human being. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while creating Born Torn? Did any part of the process or the themes you explored surprise or challenge you in any way? Getting environmental awareness, values and virtues, and coming of age issues out there without being too much in the faces of the readers, and hinting that even grown-up decisions can be difficult for adults as well. You have a diverse portfolio of work across various genres. How do you adapt your writing process to suit different genres, and do you have a favorite genre to write in? I write what comes to me, but being diverse in genres allows me to pull those others into the genre as the B story line makes it fun and interesting. I am clearly in love with writing YA Fantasy right now and getting Kiara’s story told for everyone to enjoy.
Read Full Interview
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AUTHORS
& BOOKS
Marshall pulls directly from the headlines and leverages knowledge gained from his career to deliver Squeeze Plays, an intriguing and action-packed tale of financial shenanigans, Russian oligarchs, sexual blackmail, and covert violence in the financial capitals of London and New York City. DAVID KEENAN, SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW
Author: Jeffrey Marshall
Fiction - Financial Thriller Publisher: Atmosphere Press (2022) e-Book - 263 pages
$7.99 ISBN: 9781639883691
VIEW ON AMAZON
Synopsis: Set principally in New York and London, the novel finds a bank CEO and a tabloid publisher at odds over a loan. A Russian oligarch, eager to expand his influence, offers to rescue the publisher. An investigative reporter then probes this financing and delivers a front-page expose that puts the main characters in a negative light. Along the way, financial and sexual affairs occur amid an often satirical take on the lives of the well-heeled.
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FEATURED BOOK & AUTHOR
The
by Anne K. Hawkinson Ghost Writer
Synopsis
After the sudden death of Jenna's best friend Padma, Jenna discovers her unfinished story and vows to complete it in her honor. Set in medieval times, Jenna struggles with it until Padma steps in and helps her from beyond the grave. Jenna becomes a ghostwriter, guided by a ghost. When Jenna travels to Scotland’s Dunnottar Castle for research, she meets Sir Thomas deKeith, the handsome clan chief who captures her attention and her heart.
Publisher: Bowker Identifier Services (2022)
Fiction - Historical Tradeback - 561 pages ISBN: 9781732017559 $15.99 VIEW ON AMAZON
" This is a refreshing, gently compelling story rich in adventure and fantasy as well as real-life triumph over grief and loss. It is welcome respite for any reader weary of 21st century strife.” ~Amazon review - M.R. Wilson
"It would appeal to fans of historical romance who like a dash of paranormal thrown in." ~Judge, 10th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published E-book Awards
I consider myself fortunate in that I was raised in a family that valued learning. By the time I entered kindergarten, I knew how to read, print, and write in cursive. Bedtime stories were a mainstay, and trips to the local library were as regular as those to the grocery store. I had no way of knowing then, but they were instrumental in my becoming a writer. I'm all grown up now, writing historical fiction stories that I hope will find their way into the hands of an eager reader, ready to embark on an adventure that I've imagined, crafted, and tucked between the covers.
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Russia A Land For Lovers of Literature By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Russia is in the news. And it isn't good. But I hope Susan's First Chapter Plus’s peeps will give me a minute to share my memories of it in perhaps its singular moment of glory aside from moments when its historical stars of literature and music were allowed to shine, the times of Tchaikovsky and Pushkin and a panoply of others (Keep reading!). I was lucky enough to be studying in St. Peterburg in that glorious time when "Bush the Younger" was president of the US, Russia had begun to be a democracy, and the people were in the streets eager to talk to us students because— as one of them said in fluent English—"it has been a very long time since we've been able to know what is happening in the rest of the world." So we had our post-Soviet era chat over a bowl of her homemade borscht without fear.
I journaled about this brief visit unaware that things would not go as well as we had hoped that lovely night dining near a window overlooking the Neva. I share it with you today hoping people from every country can begin to think of Russia (and other countries) as a smorgasbord of peoples with an emphasis on the best of their achievements even as we become critical of their politics. "Yesterday I returned from literary neverland. Or was it the day before? Time- and-energy-lagged, I cannot be sure. Still, I needed to share...in spite of a time-lapsed brain, in spite of memories that feel as if they are drifting through a sieve. The place is St. Petersburg, Russia (though St. Petersburg is a place quite unlike the rest of Russia—not old Muscovy, but a vigorous and tender European city). I am absolutely sure that the occasion was a giant St. Petersburg party for writers called Summer Literary Seminars run by Mikhail Iossel, a native of Peter the Great's western-like city. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1986 (and now lives in Canada). The rest, however, is hazy. The city is so full, our writers' program so jammed that I couldn't possibly consume even a fraction of the literary cuisine this city had available.
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1. By all means visit St. Petersburg when (if?) the time is allows you to go safely. It is the city of Gogol and Dostoyevsky and Akhmatova. If you read Russian writers, you'll recognize some of the very sites that these authors describe in their most famous work. 2. I took a class from a young writer who celebrated her thirty-third birthday while we were there. Aimée Bender is the author of the imaginative The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, a collection of stories, and a novel called An Invisible Sign of My Own. The New York Times raved about the latter. Aimée also teaches at my alma mater, the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. If you enjoy literature that is slightly wacky and very original, you'll want to learn more about her.
3. Another instructor, Mark Halperin helped me struggle through the rudiments of poetry for one of my poetry books in progress. He teaches at Central Washington University and is the author of poetry volumes like Near and Far (with Robert Bixby). This man is a charmer, and you may want to look up his poetry if you don't already know it. 4.Robert Olmstead was there, too. He is the author of A Trail of Hearts Blood Wherever We Go . He writes prose like a poet. He is one hell of a conversationalist at places known to foster good chats in this city of white nights like The Mad Dog and The Idiot. 5.Robert Creeley [now deceased] spoke to the group and was a guest lecturer at one of my classes. I felt honored and edified. One of his recent books is a Review of Contemporary Fic tion: Brigid Brophy/Robert Creeley/ Osman Lins. He is known for his poem " For Love." 6. A few names to watch for in the literary world are: Matt Perez, David Beaty, Joyce Epstein, Jean Grant, Nina Roy and Carolyne Wright. Of course there were many more but, as I told you, my brain is in third gear. Classmates who were neglected will forgive me, I know."
85 PS: A lesson I take from this experience is to grab down opportunities as the universe presents them. This memory comes from a brief moment at the beginning of the new millennium. The world moves even more quickly than it did then. I am ever grateful for the places my love of books and writing took me. Many of my favorites are unavailable for travel for a variety of reasons in this year of 2023. Reading can be nearly as good. Of course if you read avidly or write go on a web treasure hunt to find more about composers, authors, and poets like Solzhenitsyn, Prokofiev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Nabakov, and Stravinsky. And art collectors like Catherine the Great who founded the Hermitage in 1764 and made it a world treasure by including great European artists of the time and maybe even more about this amazing writer's conference where attendees slept in spare Herzen University dorm rooms and stayed up at night to see they city where the night sky looks like malachite just before the sun sets at two a.m.
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CAROLYN HOWARD-JOHNSON
Tips and Tidbits
Each month in this box, Carolyn lists a writing or promotion tidbit that will help authors and a tip to help readers find a treasure among long-neglected books or a sapphire among the newly-published.
Writers' Tidbit: Amazon offers a new service absolutely free. In addition to an author's regular buy page, it is a special page that lists all e-books in a series. Don't think of it as a page for genre fiction only. I just did one for the series of poetry chapbooks I wrote with Aussie Magdalena Ball. As a self- publisher of that series I was able to do this myself using my KDP Bookshelf. My publisher did this one at amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T for my series of books for writers. Either way, it's absolutely free! Amazon also produces the triptych images for these pages free. Beyond New Authors Reading Tip: Those who have not read Amy Tan's "Joy Luck Club" should not miss it. Those who have read it, may want to review it for the language and for the insight into Asian thought that is found in its pages.
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CHAPTER
FIRST CHAPTER PLUS COLUMNIST
PARENTING PAUSES: Life as a Deaf Parent
By Dawn Colclasure ISBN 9781619501942 View in Amazon
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Being a deaf parent isn't just about not being able to hear anything-it's more. From limited access to information in the medical establishments to daily challenges in dealing with discrimination and communication hurdles, the world of deaf parenting is one fraught with trials, fears and tribulations that no other parenting experience will offer. But at the same time, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Deaf parents CAN conquer those trials, they CAN overcome those fears and they CAN work around those tribulations in order to make deaf parenting work. Parenting Pauses will give readers, both deaf and hearing, an inside look into the world of one deaf parent, along with some tips and techniques learned along the way.
85 Dawn Colclasure is a writer who lives in Oregon. She reviews books for Reader Views. She is also a freelance writer. She is the author of several books. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites and anthologies. Her websites are www.dawnbooks.com and Her Twitter: @dawncolclasure.
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BOOKS BY
DEAF AUTHORS September is Deaf Awareness Month and what better way to spread awareness about the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing community than through books? When Deaf Utopia: A Memoir by Nyle DiMarco (HarperCollins Publishers, 2022) was published and gained national attention, it was a ray of hope that, finally, more books on deafness and by authors who are deaf were receiving the kind of national recognition they deserve.
BY DAWN COLCLASURE
HELP SPREAD DEAF AWARENESS
A lot of other authors who are deaf and their books may not also receive that same kind of attention, but this is not stopping them for marching on with their words, their work, and their books.
My own book, Parenting Pauses: Life as a Deaf Parent (Gypsy Shadow Publishing, 2014), was submitted to a publisher only because, at that time, I could not find any similar books anywhere. There were many books about being a Deaf parent of Deaf children, as well as a hearing parent of Deaf children, but hardly any about being a Deaf parent of hearing children.
There are a variety of books which were written by authors who are deaf. As someone who is deaf myself, I’m always on the lookout for books by Deaf authors, as well as books containing characters who are deaf.
85 For nonfiction, the most common type of book by an author who is deaf is the memoir or autobiography. For example, Helen Keller wrote her autobiography, titled My Life (W.W. Norton & Company, 2003). Biographies have been written about the famous inventor Thomas Edison, who became deaf at a young age. Among these books are the titles The Wizard of Menlo Park (Crown Publishing Group, 2008) and Edison (Random House, 2019).
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HELP SPREAD DEAF AWARENESS
85 The time is now for all creatives living with deafness to come forward and share their skills. Accept the challenge and show the world what you’ve got. Today’s readers welcome more variety in books by authors who are deaf. The authors above chose to share their own creations with the world. Let us hope that the next generation of Deaf creatives will do the same in getting their work out there for all to enjoy. Many of us in the Deaf/HOH community are still, at least, satisfied that more Deaf writers are becoming Deaf authors. "It's refreshing to see more and more deaf/hard of hearing authors,” Putz noted. “When I first started writing books back in 2010, it was very difficult to interview hearing people. Today, we have more access options and it's much easier. We still face challenges – for example, getting a last-minute interpreter for a live interview on TV." Mark Drolsbaugh agrees. “Our work is never done,” Drolsbaugh, the author of books such as Deaf Again (Handwave Publications, 2019) and People Suck: A Cheat Code for Introverts (Handwave Publications, 2023) notes that in a perfect world, more and more Deaf writers, artists, and even dancers would bravely enter the public stage and show off their skills. “I have been writing about Deaf issues since 1997, and a generation later, I’m seeing my own Deaf kids and their peers going through the same thing. Accessibility has absolutely improved, but awareness has not. We have to keep advocating and advocating so that more people ‘get it.’ We need more Deaf writers and artists and performers and professionals from all walks of life to keep stepping up and show the world what we’re all about.” Raymond Luczak has been writing poetry for years, and many of his volumes of poetry have received wide acclaim. Some of his poetry books include the titles Chlorophyll (Modern History Press, 2022) and the upcoming collection, Far From Atlantis: Poems (Gallaudet University Press, 2023). Karen Putz is an author who is deaf who has been writing about issues relevant to the deaf community for years. One of her many books includes Unwrapping Your Passion (Morgan James Publishing, 2017). She, too, notes the need to see more Deaf authors writing a larger variety of books. "I would love to see even more deaf/hard of hearing authors in every genre,” she said. Even so, readers would love to see more variety when it comes to authors who are deaf. This need is answered by Deaf authors Raymond Luczak, Karen Putz and Mark Drolsbaugh. Alot of other authors who are deaf and their books may not also receive that same kind of attention, but this is not stopping them for marching on with their words, their work, and their books.
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TIPS FOR THE JOURNALIST
STEP/01 STEP/01 - CHOOSE THE RIGHT JOURNAL: SELECT A JOURNAL THAT APPEALS TO YOU, WHETHER IT'S A PHYSICAL NOTEBOOK, A DIGITAL APP, OR AN ONLINE PLATFORM. FIND A FORMAT THAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH.
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STEP/02 - SET ASIDE REGULAR TIME:
DEDICATE A SPECIFIC TIME EACH DAY OR WEEK FOR JOURNALING. CONSISTENCY IS KEY TO BUILDING A HABIT.
START WITH A PROMPT IF NEEDED: IF YOU'RE UNSURE WHERE TO BEGIN, USE PROMPTS TO KICKSTART YOUR WRITING. QUESTIONS LIKE "HOW WAS MY DAY?" OR "WHAT AM I GRATEFUL FOR TODAY?" CAN BE GREAT STARTING POINTS.
STEP/04 - WRITE FREELY:
BE VULNERABLE, HONEST, ADN FORGET ABOUT THE GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION. LET YOUR THOUGHTS FLOW FREELY WITHOUT SELF-CENSORSHIP; AND DESCRIBE YOUR EMOTIONS IN DETAIL. THIS CAN HELP YOU GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW YOU FEEL AND WHY.
USE YOUR JOURNAL TO REFLECT ON YOUR EXPERIENCES, THOUGHTS, AND DECISIONS. WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THEM? HOW CAN YOU GROW FROM THEM? STEP/05- FOCUS ON SELF-REFLECTION:
STEP/06 - TRY DIFFERENT STYLES:
EXPERIMENT WITH VARIOUS JOURNALING STYLES, SUCH AS STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS, BULLET JOURNALING, OR CREATIVE JOURNALING WITH DRAWINGS AND COLLAGES. FIND WHAT RESONATES WITH YOU.
STEP/07 - USE QUOTES AND INSPIRATION:
INCLUDE QUOTES, POEMS, OR INSPIRING PASSAGES THAT RESONATE WITH YOU. THEY CAN PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND MOTIVATION.
STEP/01 STEP/10 - REVIEW AND REFLECT PERIODICALLY REVIEW YOUR PAST ENTRIES. THIS CAN HELP YOU SEE PATTERNS IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS AND TRACK YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH. STEP/09- DON'T JUDGE YOURSELF: AVOID SELF-CRITICISM ABOUT YOUR WRITING STYLE OR CONTENT. YOUR JOURNAL IS FOR YOU, AND THERE ARE NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAYS TO DO IT. STEP/01 STEP/08 - KEEP IT PRIVATE: UNLESS YOU CHOOSE TO SHARE, KEEP YOUR JOURNAL PRIVATE. KNOWING IT'S A SAFE SPACE CAN ENCOURAGE HONEST SELF-EXPRESSION.
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