HAPPY 2015!!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Year End Review for 2014
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Monday, December 29, 2014
Sarah Daltry's Book Sale @ $0.99!!
Book Sale @ $0.99
Sarah Daltry
Sarah Daltry
College was supposed to be perfect. She was supposed to be perfect.
For Lily Drummond, life is about following the rules. To be specific, her mother’s rules. College fit into the plan – maintain perfect grades, date the perfect guy, and live the perfect life. On her own, though, Lily realizes that she doesn’t actually have a plan. Without being told what to think and do, she fears she keeps making mistakes.
Away from home, the perfect facade begins to shatter and Lily realizes that things have grown toxic. After things are pushed too far, Lily determines to let go of what is good enough for everyone else - and to define herself by her own standards.
Buy @$0.99 HERE
A modern reimagining of the classic poem in novella form.
A man, bewildered by time and memory, begins to lose touch with what is real and what he has imagined. Told in breaks between memory and now, he narrates his emotions as he recalls the man he was, the man he had hoped to be, and how he became the man he is.
Buy @$0.99 HERE
For fans of The Guild and Scott Pilgrim comes a story of Xbox, Denny's, and awkward beginnings...
Not too long ago, in a town that, depending on your current location, is either not super far or actually quite close…
It is a time of chaotic hormones.
Two nerdy gents home for winter break have discovered a female gamer at a midnight release.
During the break, the gamer trio manages to reveal the game’s secret boss, a hidden enemy with enough power to destroy anything in its path.
Pursued by other gamers who want to be the first to beat this boss, George and Katie race to level up, and, in so doing, restore decency and sexual activity to their personal galaxy…
Buy @$0.99 HERE
It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a fun meme hosted by Sheila @ Book Journey. This is where we share the books we have read the last week and our reading plans for this week.
Book Reviewed
“A weirdly wonderful short story collection exploring the Holocaust from diverse perspectives in literary styles ranging from gothic and romantic to phantasmagoric.”
I Truly Lament—Working Through the Holocaust is a varied collection of stories: inmates in death camps; survivors of these camps; disenchanted Golems complaining about their designated rounds; Holocaust deniers and their ravings; collectors of Hitler curiosa (only recently a few linens from Hitler’s bedroom suite went up for sale!); an imagined interview with Eva Braun during her last days in the Berlin bunker; a Nazi camp doctor subtly denying his complicity; and the love story of a Hungarian cantor, among others.
4-star book review HERE
Books + Movie for Review
“When Christmas Comes Again” by Beth Wiseman
Katherine knows the first Christmas without Elias will be hard for her and the children. But when a mysterious Englischer appears with photographs of her late husband, Katherine begins to wonder what other blessings Christmas could have in store.
“Her Christmas Pen Pal” by Ruth Reid
Joy was expecting a wedding proposal from Henry; what she got instead was news of another woman. But when her heartfelt letter to a cousin ends up in the hands of a young cabinetmaker, an unexpected correspondence between two strangers gets interesting fast.
“A Gift for Anne Marie” by Kathleen Fuller
Anne Marie and Nathaniel have been best friends since they were kids. Now things are evolving . . . in ways everyone else predicted long ago. But when her mother suddenly decides to remarry in another state, Anne Marie’s new chapter with Nathaniel looks doomed to end before it begins.
“The Christmas Aprons” by Tricia Goyer
Vanilla crumb pie has been Esther’s mem’s calling card for decades. But when Esther finally gets her hands on the secret recipe, she discovers that vanilla crumb pie is more than just dessert . . . it’s bachelor bait.
It is All Hallows Eve and Spencer the spider suddenly realizes that he is no longer alone in his attic.
He is introduced to three enchanted toys and together they embark on a journey that leads them through an abandoned old house where they meet Rumsforth the rat, and a mischievous hobgoblin.
Later that same night, Spencer, and his newfound friends, find themselves deep in the middle of the dark and spooky woods that lie just behind that house.
They are searching for the withered, old, green-faced witch that lives there, to ask for her help in ridding the house of its troublesome hobgoblin.
Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) lives in a futuristic world in which society is divided into five factions. As each person enters adulthood, he or she must choose a faction and commit to it for life. Tris chooses Dauntless -- those who pursue bravery above all else. However, her initiation leads to the discovery that she is a Divergent and will never be able to fit into just one faction. Warned that she must conceal her status, Tris uncovers a looming war which threatens everyone she loves.
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Book Spotlight with Excerpt: Dust by Sarah Daltry
Dust
Author: Sarah Daltry
Publisher: Little Bird Publishing House
ISBN: In Process
Pages: 412
Publication Date: November 7, 2014
Amazon Paperback Link
Kindle Edition
File Size: 2770 KB
Print Length: 224 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Little Bird Publishing House (LBPH) (November 6, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link
About the book:
Who makes YOUR choices?
"I was once the type of person who was impressed by starlight; the type of person who would dance beneath glass ceilings and let the world swim in its loveliness. The sky reminds me of the parties we used to throw - parties like the one last night. The memories bring back the trill of harps and endless ripples of satisfied laughter. Now, though, when I try to recall what I felt, all I hear is screaming."
In a world ravaged by war and oppressive forces of evil, a princess must fight to claim her bloodright and save her people.
When the princess, Alondra, falls for the beautiful, blue eyes of a hooded stranger, it awakens in her a taste for freedom and an escape from her duty.
But her parents have other plans; they have a kingdom to protect and Alondra must marry to ensure the peace between nations. Only what happens when your parents choose a cold-hearted assassin as your betrothed?
As lies, illusions, and long hidden vendettas surface, the princess has to confront a very secret history. One that makes her realize that she not only risks losing her liberty, but also everything she has known and loved.
Excerpt
PART ONE (Dust)
Now
Overhead, the sky is sparkling. The hills crest right below the moon and the tableau, in other circumstances, would be breathtaking. However, as I wade through corpses, I’m not focused on scenery. My quiver is by my side and I’m plucking arrows from the dead. This is not a time for waste.
I was once the type of person who was impressed by starlight; the type of person who would dance beneath glass ceilings and let the world swim in its loveliness. The sky reminds me of the parties we used to throw – parties like the one last night (or another party, not that long ago, but one that belongs in another lifetime.) The memories bring back the trill of harps and endless ripples of satisfied laughter. Now, though, when I try to recall what I felt, all I hear is screaming.
The troops are gathered, ready for my command. It is senseless. I have no military experience; no concept of how to lead. They come with their bows, and swords, and guns and they look to me for direction. My father’s last words before we watched our city fall were to assign me as his envoy. Because it is their duty to obey, the soldiers heeded his decision, even though it was clear they did not agree with it. They followed blindly, and now I stand holding the remnants of a man’s life in my quiver, having never spilled blood myself.
Over the hills, we’re not sure what awaits us but it is likely no different than the field of gore through which we trek. I look to the sky again and feel I can hear the moon laughing. Red stains the entire landscape. Where there were trees now stand charred remains and plumes of smoke. Bones are scattered across the earth, buzzards circle, and the smell of rot and death invades my senses. I want to wash myself, but even a long, hot bath could not erase the ruin that clings to me.
Behind us is only suffering. The kingdom has been shattered. Anara stands on the precipice.
Demoria, we were told, was the first city to fall, although the Demorians were fortunate in that the majority of them were stationed in camps around the other kingdoms. Syllab was ashes before the news even reached us in Kooram. While we danced and thrilled ourselves with frivolity, the world’s teleportation centers were demolished, cities were razed, and death marched on us like a silent sentinel.
The air is full of the stench of carnage. I continue to gather arrows as we move, but the bodies at last are thinning. The remnants of war are visible in the atmosphere and the once fertile prairie is now an arid stretch of debris. Sanguine rivers intercept our path.
“Alondra, we must continue to move. Their troops are amassing and it will not be long before they reach us. We must make camp before daybreak and I worry that we are running out of time.”
Ereditus is right; if the sun comes up and illuminates our position, the war will be over. Although the objective is to end the war, it is not to end it with my death. As our military leader and strategist (despite the fact he has never seen anything resembling war before) Ereditus is the only person who knows what the next steps should be.
I nod and continue the path through the remains of my kinsmen and my people. The sun is coming and we must get to the caves. I feel a hand on mine and turn to see Seamus. His sword is dripping crimson. Ragged marks lace his arms and hands. His eyes are dark and his sorrow is palpable.
“Only a bit further,” he says, trying to comfort me.
We have hours to go, but if we can make it to the caves, we can regroup, tally our losses, and strategize. “I, for one, am ready for a nap.”
“It is uncanny that you can joke right now,” I tell him, but he still coaxes a small smile. There is a strange security in the casualness of his comment, and his hand feels warm. I squeeze it, happy to have the familiarity of his touch.
“I aim to please.” His returned smile morphs into a grimace, thanks to the slash that runs across his cheek. It’s funny to think that only a few months ago, I was preparing myself for a date with Seamus, having my hair braided and my eyes lined with shadow, angry about something as petty as betrothal. What is marriage now that the world is dying?
As we walk towards dawn, I clench his hand tighter and try not to think on how we got here.
Want to read more? Click HERE
About the author:
Sarah Daltry is the author of No Such Thing as Perfect, Dust, Backward Compatible, Bitter Fruits, and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. As a former English teacher and YA library coordinator, Sarah has always loved books and her passion in life is writing - weaving tales of magic and beauty. She originally wrote romance, but Sarah's real focus is lyrical and introspective fiction that gets to the heart of being whole.
Sarah is an obsessive Anglophile who spends more time watching BBC TV than any human being should, as well as a hardcore gamer, feminist, hermit, and sarcastic nerd. She's extremely introverted and craves quiet and solitude, but she does enjoy hearing from readers. Find her online at http://sarahdaltry.com
Friday, December 26, 2014
Book Review: I Truly Lament: Working Through the Holocaust by Mathias B. Freese
I Truly Lament:
Working Through the Holocaust
by Mathias B. Freese
Publisher: Wheatmark (September 15, 2014)
Amazon Paperback Link
Kindle Edition
File Size: 456 KB
Print Length: 252 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Wheatmark (November 9, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link
Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Mathias B. Freese. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.
Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★
My thoughts:
I Truly Lament is a collection of Holocaust short stories. I have read too many Holocaust books, short stories published in newspapers/internet, I thought I have read everything I need to know. Some stories here still shocked me.
One story was about how a doctor performed operations on Holocaust patients. Hospitals didn't have much medical supplies then. He has been operating patients without anesthesia, some died on the table while the operation is ongoing, just imagine performing surgery without drugs? Another story was when a mother was taken in front of her son. They knew they would not see each other again. Slaves work for weeks without food or rest, they crave death. . . Heart breaking.
There were some I found amusing, Hitler's sex life with Eva Braun and the auction of Holocaust items, including Hitler's shorts.
While this is a good Holocaust book, I had to take out one star. Stories were confusing at first, I imagined them to be true accounts of Holocaust victims/survivors. And then halfway, I realized these short stories are fiction based on true stories. It was mentioned at the back of the book but missed it.
All in all, I highly recommend this book.
** got a note from the author:
1) Not one of these fictional pieces was based on a true story, not one!
2) each story was imagined and fabricated.
The stories felt authentic, hence the confusion while reading the stories. . .
About the book:
I Truly Lament—Working Through the Holocaust is a varied collection of stories: inmates in death camps; survivors of these camps; disenchanted Golems complaining about their designated rounds; Holocaust deniers and their ravings; collectors of Hitler curiosa (only recently a few linens from Hitler’s bedroom suite went up for sale!); an imagined interview with Eva Braun during her last days in the Berlin bunker; a Nazi camp doctor subtly denying his complicity; and the love story of a Hungarian cantor, among others.
A description meant to entice booksellers, librarians, reviewers and readers might be this: A weirdly wonderful short story collection exploring the Holocaust from diverse perspectives in literary styles ranging from gothic and romantic to phantasmagoric.
Moreover, this book in manuscript form was chosen as one of three finalists in the 2012 Leapfrog Fiction Contest. It was selected from out of 424 manuscripts.
About the author:
Mathias B. Freese is a writer, teacher, and psychotherapist. His recent collection of essays, "This Mobius Strip of Ifs," was the winner of the National Indie Excellence Book Award of 2012 in general nonfiction and a 2012 Global Ebook Award finalist. His "I Truly Lament: Working Through the Holocaust" was one of three finalists chosen in the 2012 Leapfrog Press Fiction Contest out of 424 submissions.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
Book Spotlight with Chapter 1: Murder Across The Ocean by Charlene Wexler
Murder Across The Ocean
by Charlene Wexler
Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; F First Edition Promotional Copy edition (July 23, 2014)
Amazon Paperback Link
Kindle Edition
File Size: 704 KB
Print Length: 235 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1500439428
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link
About the book:
Seventy-something American Lori Brill thought she’d have a pleasant, uneventful vacation in London visiting her granddaughter, Cate.
Lori’s trip started out even better than she could have imagined when she ran into Josh, her old high-school boyfriend, in line for the same flight at the airport—resulting in an unexpected night of passion in a London hotel room. Lori was all smiles as she stepped out of the shower the next morning, ready to slip back into Josh’s arms—until she saw his bloody corpse lying in the bed where they had made love only a few short hours before.
The London police naturally suspect Lori of murdering her lover, but the case becomes more complicated when it is discovered that international ladies’ man and real estate mogul Josh has swindled millions of dollars from hundreds of people—a fact that broadens the case beyond the Scotland Yard team led by Inspector Geoffrey Holmes and brings in American FBI agent Jordan Gould.
Also on the case are Lori’s granddaughter Cate and Cate’s fiancé Joseph, two London solicitors. Complicating matters are Cate’s and Jordan Gould’s growing mutual attraction as the investigation progresses; another growing mutual attraction between Lori and Inspector Holmes; and Lori’s family’s unexpected connection to Joseph’s father, Lord Roger Lunt, and to the wealthy German nobleman Baron Joseph Braun and the horror of the Holocaust.
So who killed Josh? Was it Josh’s beautiful girlfriend Suzi, who unexpectedly appears in London? Was it Josh’s Chinese financial backers? Was it British mobsters, led by the evil Roland McKeifer, who kidnap Lori in an attempt to find Josh’s hidden millions? Was it Baron Braun, who summons Lori to Germany to tell her a 70-year-old secret? Was it someone whose money had been stolen or heart had been broken by Josh? Or was it someone else? Find out in Murder Across the Ocean.
Lori stood in the shower feeling sensuous and alive as she enjoyed the spray of hot water cascading over her body. She ran the bar of floral scented soap over every part of her skin, appreciating the fullness of her breasts and the mature expanse of her hips. She lingered longer than usual; it had been a long flight to London yesterday, and a rather physically challenging, but wonderful, evening. Remembering how she’d spent the night, she blushed at the thought of the wild sex she’d enjoyed—too wild for her years—and of how his hands and mouth had tenderly caressed her whole body.
She shrugged off her momentary embarrassment and, humming happily to herself, turned off the water and stepped out of the shower into the bright morning sun shining through the small bathroom window. As she reached for her towel, she heard a sudden pounding noise coming from the adjacent bedroom. She dismissed it as nothing more than the sound of room service bringing breakfast.
Lori ran her tongue over her lips and smiled while saying aloud, “Josh.” Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she realized she glowed. Yes, she thought, last night with Josh was almost as wonderful as the senior prom. At that moment, she felt like a teenager again instead of a seventy-year-old grandmother.
She toweled and then dabbed herself with Chanel No. 5, put on her expensive flowered silk dressing gown, slipped on her complimentary hotel slippers, and stepped out of the bathroom into their luxurious suite in the world-famous Palace Hotel.
Her eyes immediately stung from a smoky cloud hovering in the air; her nostrils twitched from the thick metallic scent of blood. Fear grasped her entire being. She slowly edged farther into the room while cautiously calling his name.
“Josh? Josh!
He didn’t answer.
Slowly, she approached the bed, then stopped cold, gasping in disbelief. Bright red blood spattered the rich tan-colored wall and the mahogany headboard, continuing down to the unmade bed where Josh’s body hung over the side of the mattress. White bone and gray-red brain matter dripped from the side of his head, staining the white silk sheets and the lush beige carpet. A burst feather pillow, also besmirched with blood and gore, lay on the floor.
Lori fixated on Josh’s face; a shower of white feathers clung to his forehead and cheek. Where once was a beautiful blue eye, there now appeared a mangled, bloody hole. It took a few moments for her mind to gather this information, process it, and allow a scream to escape.
Once she began screaming, she was unable to stop.
by Charlene Wexler
Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; F First Edition Promotional Copy edition (July 23, 2014)
Amazon Paperback Link
Kindle Edition
File Size: 704 KB
Print Length: 235 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1500439428
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link
About the book:
Seventy-something American Lori Brill thought she’d have a pleasant, uneventful vacation in London visiting her granddaughter, Cate.
Lori’s trip started out even better than she could have imagined when she ran into Josh, her old high-school boyfriend, in line for the same flight at the airport—resulting in an unexpected night of passion in a London hotel room. Lori was all smiles as she stepped out of the shower the next morning, ready to slip back into Josh’s arms—until she saw his bloody corpse lying in the bed where they had made love only a few short hours before.
The London police naturally suspect Lori of murdering her lover, but the case becomes more complicated when it is discovered that international ladies’ man and real estate mogul Josh has swindled millions of dollars from hundreds of people—a fact that broadens the case beyond the Scotland Yard team led by Inspector Geoffrey Holmes and brings in American FBI agent Jordan Gould.
Also on the case are Lori’s granddaughter Cate and Cate’s fiancé Joseph, two London solicitors. Complicating matters are Cate’s and Jordan Gould’s growing mutual attraction as the investigation progresses; another growing mutual attraction between Lori and Inspector Holmes; and Lori’s family’s unexpected connection to Joseph’s father, Lord Roger Lunt, and to the wealthy German nobleman Baron Joseph Braun and the horror of the Holocaust.
So who killed Josh? Was it Josh’s beautiful girlfriend Suzi, who unexpectedly appears in London? Was it Josh’s Chinese financial backers? Was it British mobsters, led by the evil Roland McKeifer, who kidnap Lori in an attempt to find Josh’s hidden millions? Was it Baron Braun, who summons Lori to Germany to tell her a 70-year-old secret? Was it someone whose money had been stolen or heart had been broken by Josh? Or was it someone else? Find out in Murder Across the Ocean.
Chapter 1
She shrugged off her momentary embarrassment and, humming happily to herself, turned off the water and stepped out of the shower into the bright morning sun shining through the small bathroom window. As she reached for her towel, she heard a sudden pounding noise coming from the adjacent bedroom. She dismissed it as nothing more than the sound of room service bringing breakfast.
Lori ran her tongue over her lips and smiled while saying aloud, “Josh.” Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she realized she glowed. Yes, she thought, last night with Josh was almost as wonderful as the senior prom. At that moment, she felt like a teenager again instead of a seventy-year-old grandmother.
She toweled and then dabbed herself with Chanel No. 5, put on her expensive flowered silk dressing gown, slipped on her complimentary hotel slippers, and stepped out of the bathroom into their luxurious suite in the world-famous Palace Hotel.
Her eyes immediately stung from a smoky cloud hovering in the air; her nostrils twitched from the thick metallic scent of blood. Fear grasped her entire being. She slowly edged farther into the room while cautiously calling his name.
“Josh? Josh!
He didn’t answer.
Slowly, she approached the bed, then stopped cold, gasping in disbelief. Bright red blood spattered the rich tan-colored wall and the mahogany headboard, continuing down to the unmade bed where Josh’s body hung over the side of the mattress. White bone and gray-red brain matter dripped from the side of his head, staining the white silk sheets and the lush beige carpet. A burst feather pillow, also besmirched with blood and gore, lay on the floor.
Lori fixated on Josh’s face; a shower of white feathers clung to his forehead and cheek. Where once was a beautiful blue eye, there now appeared a mangled, bloody hole. It took a few moments for her mind to gather this information, process it, and allow a scream to escape.
Once she began screaming, she was unable to stop.
Amazon Buy Links
Book Spotlight with Chapter 1: Lori by Charlene Wexler
Lori
by Charlene Wexler
Paperback: 342 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 14, 2014)
Amazon Paperback Link
File Size: 781 KB
Print Length: 343 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1500431052
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link
About the book:
A clash of cultures. A domineering mother-in-law. An alcoholic husband. A fatally ill child. The possibility of economic ruin.
The sheltered, comfortable, liberal upbringing undergone by Lori in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago in the United States did not prepare her for marriage into the difficult and quirky working-class family of her husband, Jerry—or for the sweeping societal and social changes of the last quarter of the 20th century.
Lori deals with relationships between family and friends, divorce, alcoholism, infidelity, homosexuality, the judicial system, the Holocaust, and financial booms and busts. Most importantly, it deals with cancer from the points of view of both the victim and the survivors.
Lori’s seemingly perfect suburban world is in constant peril. Fortunately, her lifelong best friend, Adele, is there every step of the way to provide support and advice—until Adele faces her own tragedy. When separated from Adele by thousands of miles, Lori also finds she can count on her new friend, Rain—an ex-flower-child with a surprising connection to Lori’s past that holds the key to Lori’s future.
Lori is the story of a woman gaining strength she never knew she could achieve, and of victory over adversity—a story with tragedies and triumphs to which every reader will be able to relate.
1970
CHAPTER ONE
Lori, was wiggling around and staring out the window like a cat ready to bolt.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jerry asked. “We’re just going to my family’s house for a Friday night Sabbath dinner. They won’t bite you. They’re eager to meet you.”
“Jerry, I’m not used to driving through bad neighborhoods, okay?” They made their way through the section of the city that held Chicago’s Cabrini Green housing development. Lori looked warily out the window. “I’m checking windows for flying bullets. Why didn’t you stay near the lake on the outer drive where its safe?”
“Hey, Lori,” Jerry replied, “you’re twenty-four. Maybe it’s time for you to venture out of Northfield.”
He drove on through the dirty streets filled with groups of black teenagers mulling around dilapidated buildings. I should have taken a different route knowing she was with me. Then the thought came to him, Maybe Mom was right. Maybe Lori is too much of a Jewish princess for me. The thought of what his mother said left him as he turned and look at her. He melted, quietly noting how cute she looked with her long curly black hair, enormous green eyes, and those beautiful legs showing through her short skirt.
Lori relaxed some as they drove out of the low-income housing project, turned east on North Avenue, and then right on a street called Orchard.
When they approached Jerry’s house, Lori noticed, that contrary to most buildings on the block, Jerry’s house had a very large vacant lot next to it. This was unusual in an area that was congested with houses, apartment buildings, and stores.
Thinking of the recent riots that took place in their city, she asked Jerry, “Was the house next to yours burned down after Dr. King was shot?”
“Lori, that was two years ago, and this part of the West Side was not where the riots were. Close, but not here. And anyway, I highly doubt any riots are going to break out tonight.” He tried to be reassuring and maneuvered the conversation to a less sensitive subject. “There were never any buildings on this lot as long as I can remember.” Jerry maneuvered his car into a parking space on the street and stepped out of the car, opened Lori’s side door, and helped her get out. “We’re here.”
Nervous about meeting the family as well as having driven through the seedier parts of Chicago she had only heard about and never actually seen first-hand, Lori grabbed onto Jerry’s arm as they got out of the car and walked up five wide stone steps to the entrance of an old one-story bungalow. The two white stone lion heads that stood on either side of the building reminded her of the Art Institute. The door, heavy and wooden, held within its frame a beautiful stained-glass pane with pictures of blue birds and red flowers. On the right side of the door was a small mezuzah. They entered an open door and quickly passed through an average-size front room with plastic covered furniture. The interior of the house was much smaller than Lori thought it would be.
She asked Jerry, “How did your family manage with only two bedrooms and four kids?”
Jerry gave her a funny look. What a strange question, he thought.
“When my sister Eileen was living here, she used the den, and my brothers and I slept in the second bedroom.”
He walked Lori into his bedroom. The room looked like the young men had never moved on. There was one bunk bed, one twin bed, and two dressers. The walls were still covered with sports team posters, especially banners sporting the logo of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. There were toy trucks and a basketball on the floor, and a red lava lamp sat on the dresser.
Lori opened her mouth, ready to say something, but before it came out, Jerry said, “Yes, as the youngest, I slept on the top bunk.”
She smiled but didn’t say what she was really thinking. It must have been very crowded. My single bedroom with the princess bed was twice this size.
“Where do you sleep now?” she asked.
With a broad grin, Jerry answered, “On all three beds.”
Lori smiled as they moved on through the other rooms of the house. She glanced at the numerous family photos on the walls of the hallway, then rested her eyes on the ones of the boys. It was easy to find Jerry. He always had a devilish grin, or he was in a funny pose. That’s my guy, Lori thought as she reached for his hand. Life with him would be fun. She noted an absence of photos of Eileen, but before the thought fully formed, Jerry had moved her into the dining room. She noticed that even though the family’s furniture was at least forty years old, it was in perfect shape. The green and pink patterned sofa was still covered with plastic and looked like nobody sat on it. Every counter and tabletop had a knickknack resting on an embroidered doily. Radiators warmed the house, and open windows adorned with lace curtains, cooled it.
The family had watched their neighborhood go from being a poor Jewish area to a predominately poor black one, and now in 1970, it was on an upswing to a middle-class area.
To Lori, their whole way of life seemed to be out of another century, the old country.
She and Jerry passed through the dining room into a large red and yellow tiled fifties kitchen containing a Roper gas stove, a metal sink, a patterned linoleum floor, a chrome and vinyl kitchen set, and a counter covered with plants and knickknacks.
As they entered the kitchen, they encountered Shelly, Jerry’s mother, who was busy with a dish of food.
“And make sure the wine’s on the table! Carol! Carol, honey, take this from me, will you? I have to check the oven.” It was immediately obvious that Jerry’s mother – standing only five feet tall, weighing barely one hundred pounds, sporting a head of gray hair, and endowed with a formidably booming voice – was definitely the boss.
“Jerry, you’re late!” Jerry’s mother screeched, slamming down the platter of food onto her Formica kitchen counter. “Where is Carol?” she mumbled to herself. “The sun is down, I’s time for the candles.” She waved her hand impatiently at her son and moved to the stove, not once looking up to greet him or Lori. “Go, seat your girl next to Carol.”
Lori joined the family in the dining room around the table as Shelly, in her floral-patterned, loose fitting house dress and traditional lace head covering, quickly followed them into the dining room, lit the Sabbath candles, and recited the prayer. Following Shelly, Jerry’s father, Jack, held up his glass of wine and recited the Brachah over the wine: Baruch Ata Adonai eloheinu melech ha olam borei brie hagoffin. All at the table held up their own glass of wine. At the end of the prayer, in unison they said “Amen” and then took a drink of wine from their glasses. The sweet Mogen David wine brought back to Lori memories of her youth.
Lori looked around the table at the family she planned to join. The Brill brothers’ physical features were as different as their parents. Jerry and Steve were short and stocky, similar to Shelly’s build. They had hazel eyes and thick black curly hair. Joel, with straight sandy brown hair and green piercing eyes, was tall, thin, and wiry like his dad. Darrell and Danny, Steve and Carol’s twelve-year-old twins, were adorable with their matching dimples. There were some missing family members. Lori knew Jerry had a sister, but she couldn’t get him to talk about her, and she knew Joel was married, but his wife was also absent.
Dressed in a casual tan sweater and brown pants to match her brownish-red hair, Carol was about Lori’s height and build, only much heavier. As the friendliest of all the family, she hugged Lori with open arms and said, “Great to meet you! Jerry’s told us quite a bit about you!” She turned and winked at Jerry. “All good, of course. Come and help with the serving so we can talk and get to know each other.”
Lori smiled shyly as she and Carol joined Shelly in the kitchen. Shelly handed them soup bowls. She never looked at the two young women in the face. She didn’t talk, not even a friendly hello; she just loudly issued orders like a short-order cook.
“This bowl goes to Steve. He likes extra matzo balls. And this one here goes to Joel. He likes an egg in his soup.”
The doorbell rang. Carol leaned in to Lori and winked. “Go answer the door. You’re dressed too nice to be serving soup.”
Lori was relieved. She would hate to spill soup on her new blue knit skirt. A wash-n-wear polyester pantsuit would have been more appropriate, she said to herself as she smoothed down her short skirt with her hands and moved to the front of the house and answered the door. Two women dressed in shabby and faded cotton house dresses similar to Shelly’s rushed pass her, shouting salutations to an unseen Shelly.
Shelly yelled out, “Rachel, Emma, you’re in time for dinner. Pull up a chair!”
Both women joined Shelly in the kitchen and quickly took over the serving. Lori went back into the dining room and sat down next to Jerry. She tried to say something to him but quickly gave up. It seemed like everyone at the table was talking in loud, fast voices. They seemed so at home. She looked around her. Wasn’t this what she longed for? A large, busy, happy family, something she never had. She would try her best to fit in.
Rachel, one of the women similarly dressed as Shelly, walked into the dining room, put down a plate of brisket on the table, picked up a bowl of broccoli, and with a big grin, yelled back to Shelly, “I knew you would have broccoli! It was on sale at Phil’s Grocery.”
Jerry’s brother Joel joined in the conversation by yelling into the kitchen, “Nineteen cents a pound at Jewel. Mom, did you beat that?”
Soon, everyone but Jerry’s dad seemed to be shouting something at each other.
As Carol picked up Lori’s soup bowl, she leaned down towards her and said, “Get used to it. This family strives on bargains and arguments.”
“Carol, who are those two women?” Lori asked of the two new members of the dinner party. “Are they family?” she asked softly.
Carol laughed. “That’s another thing you’ll have to get used to. Shelly’s house is a cosmopolitan rendezvous.”
“A what?”
“An open house, with people from everywhere coming and going.”
Lori nodded and then reached over for some food. With each taste of the traditional Jewish Sabbath dishes of well-done brisket, garlic roast chicken, and perfect moist and crispy potato kugel, she found herself lingering between bites as memories of her youth when her grandmother, her father’s mother, lived with them and cooked like this. So engrossed was Lori in her memories that she failed to respond to the excitement around her until Jerry poked her, saying, “They’re at it again.”
She looked up to see a serious scuffle between Jerry’s two brothers, with Joel punching Steve in the arm and screaming, “You’re cheating me out of money!”
Like a bat out of hell, Shelly came running out of the kitchen with a rolling pin.
“Enough!” she yelled. “Joel, take out the garbage. Steve, help Carol in the kitchen!”
The boys quieted down and obeyed without saying another word. Lori noticed that throughout the excitement, their father sat in front of the TV in his green vinyl lounger, ignoring everyone. In fact, the only thing the man said all night was the blessing over the wine. Speaking of wine, Lori wondered what had happened to the expensive bottle she had brought as a house gift.
Carol and Rachel brought out tea and strudel, and everyone sat back down, dismissing the fight like it never happened. After dessert, the table quickly cleared of its occupants. The men moved to the living room, but instead of sitting on the furniture, all three brothers plopped down on the floor in front of the television, next to the twins, who were watching a football game.
Carol sat down next to Lori and asked for her phone number, saying, “We should get together now that you will be part of the family.” Carol was the only one to acknowledge that Lori and Jerry were planning to get engaged soon. Steve had said, “Hi,” and the twins had waved when Jerry introduced her as, “This is Lori,” and his parents barely acknowledged her presence.
She didn’t talk to Joel until she and Jerry ended up walking out of the house with him, and he took her arm and maneuvered her towards a bright red Corvette parked in front of the house.
Grinning, he asked, “Why would you go out with my baby brother when you can travel in style with me?”
“Aren’t you married, Joel?”
He smiled and got into the car. She moved back to where Jerry was waiting for her and got into his five-year-old Chevy Nova.
She turned to Jerry with a million questions about his family. “Jerry, Steve said he was a financial planner. What does Joel do?”
“It depends on the day. By the way, the Corvette belongs to his friend. He wrecked up his car again.”
“Where was Joel’s wife?”
“Caryn usually doesn’t make it to anything. She’s always sick.”
“What about your sister?’
“She lives in California. Don’t ever mention her name around my parents!”
“Why?”
Jerry dismissed the question as he drove on and found himself dodging many of Lori’s inquiries about his family. When they pulled up in front of Lori’s house, Jerry pulled her to him and gave Lori a big kiss. “Honey, you ask too many questions.”
Lori was surprised to see the lights on in her house. Walking in, she found her father waiting for her.
“Why are you still up, Dad?”
“I wanted to find out about your evening.”
“Dad, you won’t believe what it was like. It’s like I’m marrying Woody Allen or something. What a crazy family!”
“He’s from a more traditional Jewish family, Lori. It’s going to be different than our Reform Jewish family in many ways.”
Lori rolled her eyes. “Plastic on the furniture, old ladies in house dresses. The house hasn’t been redecorated probably since Jerry’s folks were first married, but they all seemed so comfortable with each other.
Lori laughed at her recollection of the chaotic family get-together. “I can hardly wait to talk to Adele and tell her all about it.” She bent to kiss her dad on the cheek and saw a piece of luggage near the chair where he sat. “Why do you have a packed suitcase?”
“Honey, I’m leaving on business early in the morning,” he explained.
“I thought you were slowing down.”
“This trip can’t be helped.”
“Where’s Mom?”
“Sleeping, with a migraine.”
“Dad, make sure you will be here for my wedding,” Lori half-seriously admonished. “No surprise extended trips away from home!”
As Lori headed up the stairs she thought, At least Jerry has a large family, not a mom who is always sick, and a dad who is always gone.
by Charlene Wexler
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 14, 2014)
Amazon Paperback Link
File Size: 781 KB
Print Length: 343 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1500431052
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link
About the book:
A clash of cultures. A domineering mother-in-law. An alcoholic husband. A fatally ill child. The possibility of economic ruin.
The sheltered, comfortable, liberal upbringing undergone by Lori in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago in the United States did not prepare her for marriage into the difficult and quirky working-class family of her husband, Jerry—or for the sweeping societal and social changes of the last quarter of the 20th century.
Lori deals with relationships between family and friends, divorce, alcoholism, infidelity, homosexuality, the judicial system, the Holocaust, and financial booms and busts. Most importantly, it deals with cancer from the points of view of both the victim and the survivors.
Lori’s seemingly perfect suburban world is in constant peril. Fortunately, her lifelong best friend, Adele, is there every step of the way to provide support and advice—until Adele faces her own tragedy. When separated from Adele by thousands of miles, Lori also finds she can count on her new friend, Rain—an ex-flower-child with a surprising connection to Lori’s past that holds the key to Lori’s future.
Lori is the story of a woman gaining strength she never knew she could achieve, and of victory over adversity—a story with tragedies and triumphs to which every reader will be able to relate.
Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
“What’s wrong with you?” Jerry asked. “We’re just going to my family’s house for a Friday night Sabbath dinner. They won’t bite you. They’re eager to meet you.”
“Jerry, I’m not used to driving through bad neighborhoods, okay?” They made their way through the section of the city that held Chicago’s Cabrini Green housing development. Lori looked warily out the window. “I’m checking windows for flying bullets. Why didn’t you stay near the lake on the outer drive where its safe?”
“Hey, Lori,” Jerry replied, “you’re twenty-four. Maybe it’s time for you to venture out of Northfield.”
He drove on through the dirty streets filled with groups of black teenagers mulling around dilapidated buildings. I should have taken a different route knowing she was with me. Then the thought came to him, Maybe Mom was right. Maybe Lori is too much of a Jewish princess for me. The thought of what his mother said left him as he turned and look at her. He melted, quietly noting how cute she looked with her long curly black hair, enormous green eyes, and those beautiful legs showing through her short skirt.
Lori relaxed some as they drove out of the low-income housing project, turned east on North Avenue, and then right on a street called Orchard.
When they approached Jerry’s house, Lori noticed, that contrary to most buildings on the block, Jerry’s house had a very large vacant lot next to it. This was unusual in an area that was congested with houses, apartment buildings, and stores.
Thinking of the recent riots that took place in their city, she asked Jerry, “Was the house next to yours burned down after Dr. King was shot?”
“Lori, that was two years ago, and this part of the West Side was not where the riots were. Close, but not here. And anyway, I highly doubt any riots are going to break out tonight.” He tried to be reassuring and maneuvered the conversation to a less sensitive subject. “There were never any buildings on this lot as long as I can remember.” Jerry maneuvered his car into a parking space on the street and stepped out of the car, opened Lori’s side door, and helped her get out. “We’re here.”
Nervous about meeting the family as well as having driven through the seedier parts of Chicago she had only heard about and never actually seen first-hand, Lori grabbed onto Jerry’s arm as they got out of the car and walked up five wide stone steps to the entrance of an old one-story bungalow. The two white stone lion heads that stood on either side of the building reminded her of the Art Institute. The door, heavy and wooden, held within its frame a beautiful stained-glass pane with pictures of blue birds and red flowers. On the right side of the door was a small mezuzah. They entered an open door and quickly passed through an average-size front room with plastic covered furniture. The interior of the house was much smaller than Lori thought it would be.
She asked Jerry, “How did your family manage with only two bedrooms and four kids?”
Jerry gave her a funny look. What a strange question, he thought.
“When my sister Eileen was living here, she used the den, and my brothers and I slept in the second bedroom.”
He walked Lori into his bedroom. The room looked like the young men had never moved on. There was one bunk bed, one twin bed, and two dressers. The walls were still covered with sports team posters, especially banners sporting the logo of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. There were toy trucks and a basketball on the floor, and a red lava lamp sat on the dresser.
Lori opened her mouth, ready to say something, but before it came out, Jerry said, “Yes, as the youngest, I slept on the top bunk.”
She smiled but didn’t say what she was really thinking. It must have been very crowded. My single bedroom with the princess bed was twice this size.
“Where do you sleep now?” she asked.
With a broad grin, Jerry answered, “On all three beds.”
The family had watched their neighborhood go from being a poor Jewish area to a predominately poor black one, and now in 1970, it was on an upswing to a middle-class area.
To Lori, their whole way of life seemed to be out of another century, the old country.
She and Jerry passed through the dining room into a large red and yellow tiled fifties kitchen containing a Roper gas stove, a metal sink, a patterned linoleum floor, a chrome and vinyl kitchen set, and a counter covered with plants and knickknacks.
As they entered the kitchen, they encountered Shelly, Jerry’s mother, who was busy with a dish of food.
“And make sure the wine’s on the table! Carol! Carol, honey, take this from me, will you? I have to check the oven.” It was immediately obvious that Jerry’s mother – standing only five feet tall, weighing barely one hundred pounds, sporting a head of gray hair, and endowed with a formidably booming voice – was definitely the boss.
“Jerry, you’re late!” Jerry’s mother screeched, slamming down the platter of food onto her Formica kitchen counter. “Where is Carol?” she mumbled to herself. “The sun is down, I’s time for the candles.” She waved her hand impatiently at her son and moved to the stove, not once looking up to greet him or Lori. “Go, seat your girl next to Carol.”
Lori joined the family in the dining room around the table as Shelly, in her floral-patterned, loose fitting house dress and traditional lace head covering, quickly followed them into the dining room, lit the Sabbath candles, and recited the prayer. Following Shelly, Jerry’s father, Jack, held up his glass of wine and recited the Brachah over the wine: Baruch Ata Adonai eloheinu melech ha olam borei brie hagoffin. All at the table held up their own glass of wine. At the end of the prayer, in unison they said “Amen” and then took a drink of wine from their glasses. The sweet Mogen David wine brought back to Lori memories of her youth.
Lori looked around the table at the family she planned to join. The Brill brothers’ physical features were as different as their parents. Jerry and Steve were short and stocky, similar to Shelly’s build. They had hazel eyes and thick black curly hair. Joel, with straight sandy brown hair and green piercing eyes, was tall, thin, and wiry like his dad. Darrell and Danny, Steve and Carol’s twelve-year-old twins, were adorable with their matching dimples. There were some missing family members. Lori knew Jerry had a sister, but she couldn’t get him to talk about her, and she knew Joel was married, but his wife was also absent.
Dressed in a casual tan sweater and brown pants to match her brownish-red hair, Carol was about Lori’s height and build, only much heavier. As the friendliest of all the family, she hugged Lori with open arms and said, “Great to meet you! Jerry’s told us quite a bit about you!” She turned and winked at Jerry. “All good, of course. Come and help with the serving so we can talk and get to know each other.”
Lori smiled shyly as she and Carol joined Shelly in the kitchen. Shelly handed them soup bowls. She never looked at the two young women in the face. She didn’t talk, not even a friendly hello; she just loudly issued orders like a short-order cook.
“This bowl goes to Steve. He likes extra matzo balls. And this one here goes to Joel. He likes an egg in his soup.”
The doorbell rang. Carol leaned in to Lori and winked. “Go answer the door. You’re dressed too nice to be serving soup.”
Lori was relieved. She would hate to spill soup on her new blue knit skirt. A wash-n-wear polyester pantsuit would have been more appropriate, she said to herself as she smoothed down her short skirt with her hands and moved to the front of the house and answered the door. Two women dressed in shabby and faded cotton house dresses similar to Shelly’s rushed pass her, shouting salutations to an unseen Shelly.
Both women joined Shelly in the kitchen and quickly took over the serving. Lori went back into the dining room and sat down next to Jerry. She tried to say something to him but quickly gave up. It seemed like everyone at the table was talking in loud, fast voices. They seemed so at home. She looked around her. Wasn’t this what she longed for? A large, busy, happy family, something she never had. She would try her best to fit in.
Rachel, one of the women similarly dressed as Shelly, walked into the dining room, put down a plate of brisket on the table, picked up a bowl of broccoli, and with a big grin, yelled back to Shelly, “I knew you would have broccoli! It was on sale at Phil’s Grocery.”
Jerry’s brother Joel joined in the conversation by yelling into the kitchen, “Nineteen cents a pound at Jewel. Mom, did you beat that?”
Soon, everyone but Jerry’s dad seemed to be shouting something at each other.
As Carol picked up Lori’s soup bowl, she leaned down towards her and said, “Get used to it. This family strives on bargains and arguments.”
“Carol, who are those two women?” Lori asked of the two new members of the dinner party. “Are they family?” she asked softly.
Carol laughed. “That’s another thing you’ll have to get used to. Shelly’s house is a cosmopolitan rendezvous.”
“A what?”
“An open house, with people from everywhere coming and going.”
Lori nodded and then reached over for some food. With each taste of the traditional Jewish Sabbath dishes of well-done brisket, garlic roast chicken, and perfect moist and crispy potato kugel, she found herself lingering between bites as memories of her youth when her grandmother, her father’s mother, lived with them and cooked like this. So engrossed was Lori in her memories that she failed to respond to the excitement around her until Jerry poked her, saying, “They’re at it again.”
She looked up to see a serious scuffle between Jerry’s two brothers, with Joel punching Steve in the arm and screaming, “You’re cheating me out of money!”
Like a bat out of hell, Shelly came running out of the kitchen with a rolling pin.
“Enough!” she yelled. “Joel, take out the garbage. Steve, help Carol in the kitchen!”
The boys quieted down and obeyed without saying another word. Lori noticed that throughout the excitement, their father sat in front of the TV in his green vinyl lounger, ignoring everyone. In fact, the only thing the man said all night was the blessing over the wine. Speaking of wine, Lori wondered what had happened to the expensive bottle she had brought as a house gift.
Carol and Rachel brought out tea and strudel, and everyone sat back down, dismissing the fight like it never happened. After dessert, the table quickly cleared of its occupants. The men moved to the living room, but instead of sitting on the furniture, all three brothers plopped down on the floor in front of the television, next to the twins, who were watching a football game.
Carol sat down next to Lori and asked for her phone number, saying, “We should get together now that you will be part of the family.” Carol was the only one to acknowledge that Lori and Jerry were planning to get engaged soon. Steve had said, “Hi,” and the twins had waved when Jerry introduced her as, “This is Lori,” and his parents barely acknowledged her presence.
She didn’t talk to Joel until she and Jerry ended up walking out of the house with him, and he took her arm and maneuvered her towards a bright red Corvette parked in front of the house.
Grinning, he asked, “Why would you go out with my baby brother when you can travel in style with me?”
“Aren’t you married, Joel?”
He smiled and got into the car. She moved back to where Jerry was waiting for her and got into his five-year-old Chevy Nova.
She turned to Jerry with a million questions about his family. “Jerry, Steve said he was a financial planner. What does Joel do?”
“Where was Joel’s wife?”
“Caryn usually doesn’t make it to anything. She’s always sick.”
“What about your sister?’
“She lives in California. Don’t ever mention her name around my parents!”
“Why?”
Jerry dismissed the question as he drove on and found himself dodging many of Lori’s inquiries about his family. When they pulled up in front of Lori’s house, Jerry pulled her to him and gave Lori a big kiss. “Honey, you ask too many questions.”
Lori was surprised to see the lights on in her house. Walking in, she found her father waiting for her.
“Why are you still up, Dad?”
“I wanted to find out about your evening.”
“Dad, you won’t believe what it was like. It’s like I’m marrying Woody Allen or something. What a crazy family!”
“He’s from a more traditional Jewish family, Lori. It’s going to be different than our Reform Jewish family in many ways.”
Lori rolled her eyes. “Plastic on the furniture, old ladies in house dresses. The house hasn’t been redecorated probably since Jerry’s folks were first married, but they all seemed so comfortable with each other.
Lori laughed at her recollection of the chaotic family get-together. “I can hardly wait to talk to Adele and tell her all about it.” She bent to kiss her dad on the cheek and saw a piece of luggage near the chair where he sat. “Why do you have a packed suitcase?”
“Honey, I’m leaving on business early in the morning,” he explained.
“I thought you were slowing down.”
“This trip can’t be helped.”
“Where’s Mom?”
“Sleeping, with a migraine.”
“Dad, make sure you will be here for my wedding,” Lori half-seriously admonished. “No surprise extended trips away from home!”
As Lori headed up the stairs she thought, At least Jerry has a large family, not a mom who is always sick, and a dad who is always gone.
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