INCIDENT AT SAN MIGUEL BY A.J. SIDRANSKY—A REVIEW BY VERONICA JORGE
May 22, 2023 by Veronica Jorge in category Book Reviews by Veronica Jorge, Write From the Heart by Veronica Jorge tagged as A.J. Sidranksy, book review, Incident at San Miguel, Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
Incident at San Miguel
By A.J. Sidransky
Black Opal Books 2023
ISBN 978-1-953434-96-8
1950s Cuba, the pearl of the Caribbean, is the idyllic home of the Cohen family whose ancestors found refuge in Cuba after being exiled from Poland during World War II and the Nazi regime. The two Cohen brothers, Aaron and Moises, are up and coming young men ready to make their mark on the world.
Aaron, a bank lawyer, enjoys the relaxing nonchalance of the tropics and is eagerly hoping for a promotion, and planning his wedding.
Moises, somber and studious, and at odds with his family over his political stance, spends his time engrossed in Marxism, grappling with what he sees as the corruption inherent in the current society.
The relaxing nonchalance of the island paradise is thrown into an uproar by the fire of revolution, and the eventual overthrow of the government by Fidel Castro and his brother Raul.
Moises, enraptured by the revolution, determines to fight against “the cathedral of capitalism and its den of thieves.”
When property and businesses are confiscated, the young men’s parents find themselves living their own parents’ nightmares of having to flee their native country.
Marked an enemy of the working class, Aaron the banker, is sidelined and must now kowtow to former aides. Attempting to obtain visas out of the country for his family, he finds himself trapped in a cruel game of cat and mouse.
Desperate to save his family, Aaron seeks out his brother Moises for help. But he’s part of Fidel’s group. Will he help? Can he trust him?
How strong will family ties prove for two brothers on the opposite sides of revolution and history?
Destructive alliances, family ties, and the uplifting power of faith, culture, and love make Incident at San Miguel a compelling and engrossing read.
For more of Alan Sidransky’s books, in which he writes about ordinary people faced with extraordinary events and situations, check out his website at www.ajsidransky.com. You can also read my reviews on this blog of some of his other titles.
Veronica Jorge
See you next time on June 22nd.
Other Books Reviewed by Veronica Jorge
Alina K. Field May Featured Author
May 21, 2023 by Alina K. Field in category Featured Author, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Alina K. Field, Featured Author of the Month, Regency Romances
Award winning author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but her true passion is the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwest, after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California where she shares a midcentury home with two furry four-legged girls and keeps a dependable stash of lollipops for the munchkins in her life.
She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances, but loves to hear from readers!
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Using Your Characters’ Emotional Wounds for Character Development
May 19, 2023 by marianne h donley in category Ages 2 Perfection Online Class, Online Classes tagged as creating backstory, Deborah bailey, Developing Characters, discovering conflict
Presented by: Deborah Bailey
Date: June 12 – 23, 2023 (two weeks)
Registration Closes: June 20, 2023
Pricing: A2P Member fee: $15
Non-A2P Member fee: $25
About the Workshop:
Develop your characters and create backstory using emotional wounds and inner conflicts. Discover the inner conflicts that might be inspiring protagonists and antagonists in your story. We’ll cover topics such as: how to determine the wounds that make sense for your characters, how to raise the stakes by using triggers to push your characters forward, aligning backstory with character wounds and traumas, developing strong character goals and motivations.
About the Presenter:
Deborah A Bailey’s Romantic Fantasy, Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance novels include suspense, a bit of mystery and a lot of romantic heat. Her short stories have won awards from the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference and have been published in US1 Magazine and the Sun and are included in, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales.
In addition to her fiction work, she’s published non-fiction books and articles for online publications.
She’s presented workshops to organizations including the Sayreville Public Library, the Carteret Public Library, Piscataway Public Library and SavvyAuthors.com.
https://AuthorDebBailey.com
Writing Sex Scenes
May 17, 2023 by marianne h donley in category Ages 2 Perfection Online Class, Online Classes tagged as jennifer D. Bokal, romance writing, Sex scenes, writing
Presented by: Jennifer Bokal
Date: June 1 – 30, 2023 (one month)
Registration Closes: June 16, 2023
Pricing: A2P Member fee: $20
Non-A2P Member fee: $30
About the Workshop:
From First Blush to Climax: Writing Sex Scenes
A well-crafted sex scene can move a story from mundane to unforgettable, while a badly written sex scene can ruin an entire book. Beginning with the premise that sex scene is at the most basic level an action scene, we will explore ways to effectively use a sex scene in any story. Topics covered will range from pacing, to character arcs, plotting, heat levels and more. Due to the adult content of this workshop no one under 18 will be allowed to take the class.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this workshops, participants will:
~Identify the heat level of their work in progress.
~Understand personal comfort with chosen heat level.
~Determine how to combine action, narrative, and emotion to create a compelling sex scene.
~Explore and define the terms scene, pacing, time manipulation, dialogue, description and setting as well as how they are used in writing sex scenes.
About the Presenter:
Jennifer D. Bokal penned her first book at age eight. An early lover of the written word, she decided to follow her passion and become a full-time writer. From then on, she didn’t look back. She earned a Master of Arts in creative writing from Wilkes University and became a member of Romance Writers of America and International Thriller Writers.
Jennifer is the author of author of several books, including the Harlequin Romantic Suspense series, Rocky Mountain Justice, the connected series, Wyoming Nights, and several books that are part of the Colton continuity. The first book in her upcoming Texas Law series, Texas Law Undercover Justice will be released in December 2022.
Happily married to her own alpha male for more twenty-five years, she enjoys writing stories that explore the wonders of love. Jen and her manly husband live in upstate New York. They have three beautiful grown daughters, two very spoiled dogs, and a cat who runs the house.
Decision Paralysis as a Busy Momma Writer
May 16, 2023 by Renae Wrich in category Writing tagged as BusyMom, Mom, Momlife, VelrcoPuppy, WriterIt’s a quarter to seven on a Sunday morning. The house is quiet. I’m up before my family. It’s just me, my velcro-puppy, and the birds chirping outside my window. There are no sports today which is a STARK contrast from the daily rat race of fastpitch softball, dance classes, obedience training, talent show practice, Girl Scout meetings, birthday parties, house work, and the job that actually pays me.
But today I’m up early and this time is mine. Sure, I contemplate getting in a morning work-out, taking aforementioned velcro-puppy on a walk, or making a nice breakfast for my family.
Today, writing wins.
Which of my writing projects should I work on? Sometimes this decision is so easy, but today it is not. Typically, I select the book that is speaking the loudest to me. I can hear the characters talking to each other, just waiting for me to start typing their conversations. But today, no one is talking. That would be way too convenient!
I make my coffee and settle in on the loveseat in the living room. My favorite non-ergonomic writing spot. Velcro-puppy claims her rightful spot next to me.
Indecision joins too.
Should I open that finished children’s book (the one that I hadn’t planned to write) and work on edits?
How about Mac and Cheese, Please, Please, Please the sequel? Am I feeling like a rhyming qween this morning?
Oooh, maybe I’ll work on my romance novel?
Side note- Total rookie mistake but I not-so-accidentally wrote the second novel of my four-book series before writing the first novel. Whoops!
The second novel is talking. No! That one is done. It’s edited. It’s waiting on book one! Let’s write book one!
Moon rhymes with spoon! DUH! Of course moon rhymes with spoon! It’s a nursery rhyme ya dummy!
I finally click into book one of my romance series and I’m ready to write. I navigate to where I left off and place my hands on the keys, just as the door to my daughter’s room opens and small feet start padding down the hallway.
I tried, I lie.
Goodbye!
Damnit.
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