A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy

Sometimes during the over 500 shows I have introduced there is a guest that my family, mainly my children pick up on and follow. When Amy Fellner Dominy previously appeared on the show as one of the Class of 2K11 YA authors with her debut book "OyMG", not only was the hour spent with Amy a totally fun show, but her book has become a firm favorite with my whole family, who have been waiting and perhaps pestering Amy for a follow up novel now with her new book "Audition & Subtraction", there wish has been granted, my daughter was also lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Amy's new book... WHICH THEY LOVED!

For those who do not remember “OyMG” here is a brief synopsis.

Ellie Taylor loves nothing better than a good argument. After all, she’s been arguing with her Zeydeh (that’s grandfather in Yiddish) since she could talk. So when she gets accepted to the Christian Society Speech and Performing Arts summer camp, she’s sure she can win the final tournament and a scholarship to the best speech school in the country. Unfortunately, the competition at CSSPA is hot—literally. His name is Devon and whether she likes it or not, being near him makes her sizzle. Luckily she’s up for the challenge—until she begins to suspect that the private scholarship’s benefactor has negative feelings toward Jews. Will hiding her true identity be worth a shot at her dream?

While Amy’s books fit between middle grade and YA I can tell you from my own reading and from numerous other reviews that Amy’s books are for all ages.

About “Audition & Subtraction” (Taken from Amy’s web site)

Best friends Tatum and Lori are used to doing everything together—including a clarinet/flute duet for District Honor Band auditions. But all that changes when Michael transfers to their middle school, and into their band. Suddenly, not only is he competition for Tatum’s spot on stage, but he’s stealing Lori, too. Tatum is determined to stop him, and hold on to what she’s got. 

She enlists the help of her good friend, Aaron, but now he seems to believe her fib that they’re boyfriend and girlfriend. And her mom, to cope with a separation from her dad, is performing in Community Theater, of all things! Amy Fellner Dominy composes an equally heartwarming and hilarious story of how holding tight to what you have can keep you from reaching for your dreams—and how oftentimes the best way to move forward is by going solo.

While I can’t hear about band camp without thinking of the American Pie “One time at band camp…” it is a pleasure to see the people in this new book are “normal” not “Band Geeks” to them it’s just a another subject that is taught at school. Also it is great to see that though the parents are separated there is no, good or evil parent, it is like most divorced families that though separated the main aim of the parents was to support their children.  

The book covers many issues  from friendship to standing on your own two feet and being by Amy there is always humor, it is certainly a book that not just myself but my whole family can recommend.

 

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Amy Fellner Dominy"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Amy Fellner Dominy - Audition and Subtraction"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Daniel Haight

Daniel Haight is today’s guest on “A Book and a Chat” raised on Star Wars and Star Trek he has always been a fan of science-fiction. He wrote his first story when in Sixth Grade, an epic tome featuring the adventures of a guy named ‘Daytona Titanium’. From this early experience Daniel went on to write short stories which received rave reviews by fans and professionals alike from all over the world.

This success and contact from fans lead him to make the step and create “the big one” his debut novel “Flotilla”.

About Flotilla (Taken from Daniels Web Site)

Flotilla is the gripping post-apocalyptic science fiction novel that has been described as “Mad Max meets Master & Commander.” Jim Westlake is a teen in the near future just out of rehab raising fish with his father on an ocean colony off of the coast of Los Angeles. Jim wants to put his past behind him but the fact that they live with several thousand strange and dangerous people, doesn’t help.

All of this changes when disaster strikes. Multiple terrorist attacks force Jim’s father to abandon him and head to the mainland. Now Jim has to save his sister from angry drug dealers and pirates. How will Jim rise above his past to survive his future? The answer will keep readers hooked until the very last page.

This first book of what now promises to be a series has already received some great reviews and is being enjoyed by all ages. As one reviewer wrote…

Every once in a while, a book will come along and remind you what storytelling is all about. Flotilla is one of those books. A fast-paced tale with plenty of laughs and thrills while a troubled teen survives two very crazy summers on an experimental ocean-based colony.

There's two things I love about Flotilla: Interesting ideas and lovable characters. You won't have any trouble identifying with Jim, the recently-sober teenager who has to overcome some poor choices and grow up fast among some dangerous and hysterical adventures. The lifestyle on the Colony in Flotilla has a lot to recommend it - living aboard a yacht while raising fish for sale in a community that's long on freedom and short on safety.

Despite his poor start, Jim has to take a big step forward to adulthood when his estranged father is drafted and sent to shore due to a national emergency. Some angry drug pirates, the DEA and some half-crazed colonists line up to exact revenge - now what is he supposed to do? I found Jim's fear and love to be a great metaphor for some scary life choices that I had to make when I was his age.

A second book is already planned along with a book of Daniels short stories and I can see the name of Daniel Haight being on many people’s must read books.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Daniel Haight

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Daniel Haight

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Daniel Haight"

You can find out more about my guest at:
"Daniel Haight - Flotilla"


Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK Including my Olympic Blog - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Christopher Profeta

Catching up on a couple of show I missed from being sick, I am glad to say I have Christopher Profeta author of “Live in Pieces” a set of three stories that fall together beautifully to show that we are never too old to come of age.

Chris is a stay at home father dad who teaches writing at nights and weekend at a local community college. Being a full time parent, like the character in the book it has been a struggle for him to find the time to write while taking care of his two young children. The book however brings together some of these thoughts plus a few ideas into a three story , each one written in a different tense, everything he has wanted to say for a long time, master piece.

About “Live in Pieces”: (Taken from Jeanz Book Reads N Reviews)

Life in Pieces," tells the story of an unemployed stay-at-home-dad who wakes up one morning and reads the paper only to find out he is running for congress. The unlikely candidate's thoughts serve as a pointed satire of politics and the economy, as well as a moving love story about the strength and importance of family.

In the second "piece" of the story, Michael Langley, a college freshman, struggles to find his place in a new setting that doesn't make much sense to him. When he finally meets a group of friends that make him feel at home, he realizes that if he is to build a life with what might be the woman of his dreams, he'll have to give up everything he thought he ever wanted.

And somewhere, a crazy old man couldn't care less about either of these stories. This last "piece" follows two old lovers who have figured out a way to ignore the struggles of the world around them and be comforted only by their love as they reach the end of their earthly lives together, and resolve the conflicts of their past.

In "Life in Pieces," all these stories come gracefully together to show that we are never too old to come of age.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Christopher Profeta

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Christopher Profeta"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Christopher Profeta

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Christopher Profeta - Life in Pieces"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with U.L. Harper

It’s always good to have previous guests back on the show even more so if that author has produced a new book we can chat about, though sometimes the technical gremlins seem to get in the way.
Today was one such show when U.L. Harper who was previously on the show chatting about his debut book, “The Flesh Statue“ was back to chat about his new book “The Darkness”.

However the show was a little spoiled with some form of echo on when I spoke, no matter what phone etc I used, still the best way around that was to let this great young author do most of speaking about his book, the characters and what is next for him.

For those who missed the first show, this is a brief description of “The Flesh Statue”

Tired of watching his ailing grandfather wither away from Alzheimer's, 19 year old Langley Jackson moves from his middle class home and subsequently struggles to survive in downtown Long Beach. Here he finds himself part of a social movement bent on destruction and retribution. Through all of this, Langley must decide on trying to subsist in a complicated and unlawful new world of graffiti and poetry or endure in a disheartening old one outlined by the death of his mother and his sick grandfather.

“The Darkness” as U.L describes it…

“Is a coming of age story about three young adults. Through them you witness and alien invasion. The big question being, how many would you let die to save yourself?”

As U.L shared during the program some people who like his first book are surprised at the pacing and style differences with “In Blackness”. There is also what does the book come under, “coming of age”, “science fiction”, ”horror”? To be quite honest what does it matter?

It’s a great book which has received many great reviews. I one reviewer recently wrote…

I really liked this book.

I opened it up the afternoon I received it from the author, U.L. Harper, fully intending just to have a quick glance, to get the idea of it. Well..... I didn't put it down again until I'd read the last page.

Now, it's not a rock-em-sock-em kind of story with lots of fireworks, and obvious in-your-face action. Oh, no, it's more insidious than that. :O)

The tone for most of the book is really quite level, but the author still keeps you turning pages, needing to know what will happen next.
The tone of this book is also the reason you reach the last page realizing that... hey, this could really happen, and with the world as self absorbed as it is, it could really happen this way...

Definitely looking forward to the next installment!

As we learned,that reader will not have long to wait as he is already racing through book two of “The Darkenss” series, with a third book in the pipeline.

So listen now and share an interesting and entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with U.L. Harper".

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with U.L.Harper

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"U.L.Harper"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"U.L.Harper - The Blackness"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy

My guest on today’s one hour “A Book and a Chat” is another member of the “Class of 2K11” the group of debut authors whose books are released in 2011.

Amy Fellner Dominy debut novel “OyMG” has come from a literary background, from those early days of short stories, and like many of the authors she speaks to, she still has many of those early efforts still on her book shelf, or hidden away to be produced into a masterpiece at a later date.

Her love of the written word lead her to career as advertising copywriter, until Amy went back to school and in 2004 she got her MFA in 2004 with an emphasis in playwriting.

Amy’s plays have been staged across the country and she’s published in both children’s plays and short stories. “OyMG” is her first teen novel, though not her last.

Amy grew up in an area of Phoenix where the only other Jewish kids in school were her brothers and sisters. She tells the story how when she was fourteen, she was fired from a babysitting job when the family found out that she was Jewish.
It was something she had never experienced before, such hate like that. At the time it made her wary, and there was a temptation to hide the part of herself you think someone might not like.

The question is how much of yourself would you be willing to hide? From that question came the creative juices behind OyMG.

About “OyMG”

Jewish girl. Christian camp. Holy moly!

Ellie Taylor loves nothing better than a good argument. So when she gets accepted to the Christian Society Speech and Performing Arts summer camp, she's sure that if she wins the final tournament, it'll be her ticket to a scholarship to the best speech school in the country. Unfortunately, the competition at CSSPA is hot-literally. His name is Devon and, whether she likes it or not, being near him makes her sizzle. Luckily she's confident enough to take on the challenge-until she begins to suspect that the private scholarship's benefactor has negative feelings toward Jews. Will hiding her true identity and heritage be worth a shot at her dream?

Debut author Amy Fellner Dominy mixes sweet romance, surprising secrets, and even some matzo ball soup to cook up a funny yet heartfelt story about an outspoken girl who must learn to speak out for herself. (from The Story Siren blog)

The book has humor, a great story and a moral; many reviewers have told Amy how it helps them understand how other people’s lives can be affected by religion. The book is sprinkled with pieces of Yiddis, Tuchus (your behind) Schlep (carry) Kvetch (to whine and complain) Nosh (to snack).

As in: “Quit your kvetching, move your tuchus and schlep in these grocery bags or you’ll get nothing to nosh"

Amy’s wish for the book is that it will help the reader realize we're all different in our own ways. And that's it's okay to speak up and speak out--to be ourselves. It's always easy to find people to tell you that you're "less than" but we should all listen to our own voices. We should celebrate our uniqueness, not hide it.

With her second book coming out next year I am sure we will hear a lot more of Amy Fellner Dominy.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend sixty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy".

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Amy Fellner Dominy"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Amy Fellner Dominy - OyMG"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Daren Krupa

My guest today‘s "A Book and a Chat" is Daren Krupa, at the age of fifteen he was given an assignment by his English teacher, who obviously knew the potential laying within the none creative writing Daren, to write a “meaning of life” essay. As Daren said during the show, “how could a boy of fifteen have any idea about the true meaning of life?”

This did not stop Daren from going into the realms of literature as he worked as a newspaper reporter, photographer and editor.

Seventeen years ago he wrote his first and as yet unpublished novel entitled “Squaw Peak”, typing it out on an old manual typewriter, cutting and pasting until he had a completed draft.

Seventeen years later, his second and first published novel “Such a Nice Boy” was much easier to produce though as Daren shared it did take him ten years and numerous re-writes and edits.

"Such a Nice Boy" is about a man who leads a gay life because he’s afraid of his feelings for women. It’s a lifelong conversation Daren has been having with himself about sexuality. He wanted to write a contemporary gay-straight romance since my early Twenties, when he was dating women and made himself admit he liked looking at guys. The writing of the book has not only helped Daren come to terms with his life but also been somewhat of a healing process.

About “Such a Nice Boy”:

It’s the summer of 1999 in Denver. Alan Hovey is living the life he dreamed: sex with handsome, buffed, eager men. Except he isn’t gay. Made no difference until he crossed paths with female co-worker Lindsey Ronan and her infant son Morgan. He starts getting notions about Lindsey, and being a heterosexual father whenever he’s holding Morgan.

Lindsey is married and afraid of Alan because of a traumatizing incident during college.

At work Alan has become a pariah for having boldly stood up for himself. He draws the attention of Frank Lively, VP of HR, homophobic and deeply closeted. Frank tries to harass Alan into quitting.

After Lindsey verbally demolishes him while shopping for making eyes at another, Alan meets a young man who says you’re with me because you’re mad at Lindsey.
Alan becomes more confused after accidently seeing Lindsey at work with her blouse off, and displays a very obvious reaction.

The path Alan follows and the choices he makes form the heart of a boy who at age forty two becomes a man. He crawls out of a family upbringing filled with death and chooses life. His coming of age is unique and compelling.

Daren shared with us, how he is already working on his next book, which I’m sure will take a lot less than ten years to write and will provide further proof that the English teacher knew inside Daren there was a budding author waiting to share his talent with the world

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Daren Krupa".

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Daren Krupa"

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Daren Krupa"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Daren Krupa - Such a Nice Boy"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with Gae Polisner

Judging by the photos I have seen of today’s guest on “A Book and a Chat", Gae Polisner must be part mermaid, and the fact that she states she actually writes (not types) in the water only adds to this view.

Gae writes women’s and young adult fiction, though as yet neither of her women’s fiction novels “The Jetty” and “Swim Back to Me” have made it onto the book shelves, though “The Jetty” was a Top Semifinalist in the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Instead her debut publication is the wonderful YA novel “The Pull of Gravity”.

She wrote “The Pull of Gravity” as homage to the books she loved as a teenager by the likes of Zindel, Konigsburg, Blume, and L’Engle, with a secret nod to one of her favorite books “Don't Take Teddy, by Babbis Friis-Baastad”, which as we learned during the show has nothing to do with small stuffed bears.

A practicing family law attorney/mediator and a very keen swimmer, Gae waited until her sons had grown up before rushing down the first draft of “The Pull of Gravity“ in one month’s concentrated brain dumping.

The novel is about friendship, first love, and the true nature of family, and for a change written from the view of the boy, which with two sons is something Gae aimed for. The characters you’ll want to become friends with and a narrative voice that sparkles with wit make this a truly original coming-of-age story.

About “The Pull of Gravity”

While Nick Gardner’s family is falling apart, his best friend, Scooter, is dying from a freak disease. The Scoot’s final wish is that Nick and their quirky classmate, Jaycee Amato, deliver a prized first-edition copy of “Of Mice and Men” to the Scoot’s father. There’s just one problem: the Scoot’s father walked out years ago and hasn’t been heard from since. So, guided by Steinbeck’s life lessons, and with only the vaguest of plans, Nick and Jaycee set off to find him.

You’ll learn to love the characters including the quirky female character Jaycee Amato, whose wardrobe includes the liking of warring Troll dolls on a string around her neck.

As one reviewer put it…

Gae Polisner's first novel is a big hit. She has a beautiful way with words and is a master storyteller. I was quickly draw in to the story and became very attached to all the characters. It will touch your heart in a very unique way. I always look for stories like this mostly in inspirational novels. While I usually don't read young adult novels, it was recommended by an author friend (Michael J Sullivan). I'm glad he recommended it to me because now I can share it with my daughter and friends. I hope Ms. Polisner continues to write more stories because she is so talented...

With other books already on the road to publishing including her favorite one about “Frankie Sky” I’m sure the reviewers wish will soo be granted.

So listen to an interesting and hugely entertaining show as I spend thirty minutes sharing "A Book and a Chat with Gae Polisner"

Barry

Direct link to the show
"A Book and a Chat with Gae Polisner".

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"Gae Polisner"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"Gae Polisner - The Pull of Gravity"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

A Book and a Chat with John Ames

My guest on today’s “A Book and a Chat” is John Ames author of the wonderful “coming of age” type novel “Adventures to Nowhere”.

John was raised in Tampa, before going to the University of Florida originally to train as an actor, but after a season treading the boards summer stock convinced him that a lot of theater people are crazy, so he changed his major to English.

After his graduation John built a rustic “pole” house and lived, for several years, on the edge of a spiritual community located near Gainesville, Florida. He produced and appeared in numerous short films and videos, including the interesting “Tub Interviews,” wherein all the interviewees were required to be in a bathtub. From making lamps to co-writing Renée Richards two biography books, John eventually found his way to his first novel “Adventures to Nowhere”.

About Adventures to Nowhere:

Adventures in Nowhere is the story of ten-year-old Danny Ryan, a crafty youngster with lots of problems. He has an unstable father, a sick sister, another sister who is an emotional powder keg, and a mother distracted by overwork. Worse yet, they are crammed together in a tiny three-room house. Danny thinks he is the only completely sane member of his family, and he tries his best to keep things at home balanced, but it’s a big job for a small boy. Danny thinks he might be cracking under the strain when he starts seeing a mysteriously changing house across the Hillsborough River. Thanks to the help of some quirky characters in his neighborhood, Danny manages to rise above his problems and see that life offers beauty even in the most trying of circumstances.

This book is a great page-turning read coming of age type novel along the lines of Huckleberry Finn and Catcher in the Rye that will have you reliving your own childhood.

So sit back and listen to today's interesting and entertaining show as I host today's "A Book and a Chat with John Ames".

If you enjoy these radio shows why not become a follower of the prgram at a A Book and a Chat

Barry

Direct link to the show

"A Book and a Chat with John Ames".

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
"John Ames"

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
"John Ames - Adventures in Nowhere"

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK - Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests - A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World - Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry