Blog Archives
Make the Best of Your Life Now
Sudden Widow shares your emotional true story of losing someone deeply connected to you and your journey through grief. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wrote the book for many reasons. My own process and hoping to help other widows/widowers feel understood. I wanted to write something raw and authentic. A book that did not say ‘your life is definitely going to be great again.’ I wrote a book that says, ‘your life is tremendously different than the life you thought you would have and yes, it may be less colorful, but you still have to attempt to make the best of your life now.’
What is a common misconception you feel people have about loss and grief?
The most common misperception is that grief ends after a loved one passes away. Grief changes over time and you learn to manage it differently, but it does not end.
I appreciated all the great advice and experiences you share in this book? What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
I hope anyone that lost a spouse or partner feels understood, validated, and a bit of solace from reading the book. I hope people close to a widow or widower gain a better understanding of what their surviving loved ones may experience.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you lost your spouse?
Don’t expect people to understand what you’re going through, just hold on to your process and try everyday.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
A Memoir of a Jewish Teacher in a Catholic School
Forgive Us Our Trespasses tells your personal story as the only Jewish person teaching in a Catholic school and shares memorable moments as well as your experiences with anti-Semitism. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Originally, I wasn’t going to try to have the book published. It was just going to be a documentation of my experiences to pass down to my children. I was encouraged by the publisher, the main student in the book, and my husband to share the story on a widespread basis. I believe that it is a story people from all walks of life can learn from. And it sends a positive message about diversity and inclusion in the world.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about teachers and teaching?
A common misconception I think people have about teachers and teaching is that they don’t realize the incredible amount of hours teachers put in to the job that they most likely aren’t even getting paid for. Most teachers teach because they love our children and want to make a difference in their lives. Instead, parents are often at odds with the teacher and don’t realize the teacher has the child’s best interest at heart. When I meet with any of my children’s teachers, I always say to them, “Thank you for teaching my child.”
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
I hope one thing the reader takes away from the book is that we should not hold preconceived notions about any person or group of people. Instead, we should get to know them. And we should educate our children to do the same.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you first started teaching?
The one piece of advice someone could have given me when I first started teaching was to make sure that I carve out time for myself because it’s easy to work around the clock and become all-consumed with your work.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Amazon
Sudden Widow
In Sudden Widow, Bella Thompson writes of finding the love of her life only for him to be taken away from her by a heart attack. Suddenly alone, she had to figure out how to survive and raise her two boys alone. She speaks of her experiences, of grieving, trying to keep her household afloat, and keeping it all together for herself and her two sons.
Thompson’s words spoke to me and made me feel for her. I cried reading this book because they had such an incredible love that most people wouldn’t understand, it was a real love that lasted each day he was alive. When the author describes her experience of the moment her husband died, I began to cry because I felt her pain. This is a testament to how well the author is able to relay emotions through text, along with the profound experiences shared in the book. Reading about the author and her son’s grieving process makes you reflect on your own life and how you handle grief. After losing everything, she had to find a way to live and survive while making sure that her children could survive as well. While this is a story of loss and love, it’s also the story of a mother who would do anything for her family. She writes at the end that her love for Paul will forever be a thing of beauty and joy, and that was the sweetest thing I had ever read. It was disappointing to hear the author describe how others would tell her she should be over the pain of losing her husband. As author Bella Lynn Thompson writes, time doesn’t heal the wound, you learn to manage it better and learn to get through it.
Sudden Widow is a heart wrenching, honest, enlightening and humorous read. This book will not only take you on an emotional journey but will also have you reflecting on your own life. This is a great read that will not only provide support for those grieving but guidance to those who know someone who is grieving.
Pages: 122 | ASIN: B08QSFJ2JJ
Forgive Us Our Trespasses
![Forgive Us Our Trespasses by [Diane Gensler]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41OgXjkchjL.jpg)
Diane Gensler couldn’t be more out of her element. She is Jewish and teaching in a Catholic school. The two worlds colliding around her are just the beginning of her experience educating the students of the parochial Baltimore school. Gensler finds herself facing anti-Semitism in addition to what can already be a challenging career path. While she has looked forward to being a teacher in her own classroom, she can only begin to guess what this particular position has in store for her. What Gensler finds out in her first days at the Catholic school is that even creating a welcoming atmosphere and being an eager teacher might not be enough to battle the preconceived notions of others.
Forgive Us Our Trespasses, by Diane Gensler, is the story of the author’s time spent teaching in a Catholic school in Baltimore. As a Jewish woman, she experienced biases and treatment to which her coworkers were immune. Her first year as a teacher should have been filled with joy and rewarding firsts, but she was subjected to prejudices–some veiled, others not so much.
As a teacher, I found so many truths in Gensler’s story. There is a seemingly endless number of things you are not told when you enter your first year, and she reveals them all plus more. I felt every one of her frustrations over losing instructional time to extra and unexpected duties. Nothing prepares you for all of the additional tasks, and Gensler explicitly lays out each and every one of them with all of the brutal honesty of a teacher eager to educate but overwhelmed by the magnitude of her job.
Gensler handles herself with a finesse not always known to first-year teachers. From dealing with attending Catholic church services to coping with parents who seem out to prove her incompetent, she persists and does so with much success. I was amazed at how well she dealt with coworkers who snubbed her without reason and the coldness of her principal. It takes a strong person to do this job and handle that kind of treatment.
I am giving Forgive Us Our Trespasses, by Diane Gensler, 5 out of 5 stars. If it were possible to give it more stars, I would do so enthusiastically. Gensler has put into writing what every teacher feels and given voice to some of the most challenging aspects of our jobs. Her words are not only relatable; they are filled with all the raw emotion of a woman experiencing the sting of prejudice while facing some of the most important work that can be done.
Pages: 188 | ASIN: B08BNPNP3J
To Beat The Big Guys
Words Whispered in Water uses your personal experiences to tell the true story of Hurricane Katrina, the aftermath, and how we can be better prepared. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I wanted to correct the record about the flooding of New Orleans during Katrina. I also hoped to inspire.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about the cause of the disaster?
Most people believe the cause of the disaster is the storm itself, and the people who lived in New Orleans. The cause was engineering mistakes, so egregious that an engineering 101 student could have seen them.
What is one thing that people can be doing right now to prepare?
Two-thirds of the American population lives by federal levees. People should find out if they live in a county protected by a federal levee.
Do you plan to write other books on this same, or similar topic?
You don’t need deep pockets or special training to beat the Big Guys. I plan to write a book about the mechanics of standing up to powerful people, and winning.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
“Anyone who is interested in Hurricane Katrina, and in America’s failing infrastructure, will want to read this book told in a fast-paced narrative.” ―Scott G. Knowles, Drexel University professor and author
#1 New Release in Civil Engineering & Environmental, Urban & City Planning, Development, and Disaster Relief
In the aftermath of one of the worst disasters in U.S. history, Words Whispered in Water tells the story of one woman’s fight―against all odds―to expose a mammoth federal agency―and win.
It’s a horror story, a mystery, and David and Goliath story all in one. In 2005, the entire world watched as a major U.S. city was nearly wiped off the map. The levees ruptured and New Orleans drowned. But while newscasters attributed the New Orleans flood to “natural catastrophes” and other types of disasters, citizen investigator Sandy Rosenthal set out to expose the true culprit and compel the media and government to tell the truth. This is her story.
When the protective steel flood-walls broke, the Army Corps of Engineers―with cooperation from big media―turned the blame on natural types of disasters. In the chaotic aftermath, Rosenthal uncovers the U.S. corruption, and big media at root. Follow this New Orleans hero as she exposes the federal agency’s egregious design errors and eventually changes the narrative surrounding the New Orleans flood. In this engaging and revealing tale of man versus nature and man versus man, Words Whispered in Water proves that the power of a single individual is alive and well.
If you enjoyed books like The Johnstown Flood, Breach of Faith, or The Great Deluge, then Words Whispered in Water is your next read!
Words Whispered in Water: Why the Levees Broke in Hurricane Katrina
![Words Whispered in Water: Why the Levees Broke in Hurricane Katrina (Natural Disaster, New Orleans Flood, Government Corruption) by [Sandy Rosenthal]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vDhgSE8EL.jpg)
Words Whispered in Water by Sandy Rosenthal narrates the personal experiences the author had with her family during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The levees intended to protect the city of New Orleans broke and as a result, an entire city was almost wiped from the map. Her personal experience propelled her to get to the heart of the storm and find out why things unfolded the way they did, and possibly how they could have been handled differently.
She lays out the timeline of events, even going as far as to include government decision-making that preceded the storm but eventually had a huge impact on it’s effects. She gives anecdotes that coincides with newscasts, giving the reader a sense of the feeling of oppressive foreboding one would feel while the events unfolded. Her research and hindsight allows the reader the unique experience of observing the anticipation people must have felt hearing about the pending storm, the pressure leaders must have felt to make quick, efficient and pertinent decisions and also the disappointment or relief that would have been felt depending on how affected one was after the storm. The author did an awesome job of expressing the gamut of emotions she went through with her family and also the empathy she felt for others who were not as fortunate as she was.
But this is only one aspect of the book. It is not just about how her family survived. It is also about how she made the decision to investigate and reveal the bureaucratic system behind the fatal decisions that made the storm such a definitive event. It is also about how she tried to shed light where the media wouldn’t. It is not just about how she fought to help her family adjust after the storm. It is also about how she rallied support to help others and find ways to make sure the devastating effects would not reach the same level again.
Words Whispered in Water is a riveting account of a tragic natural disaster. I would recommend this read to anyone interested in being more informed about the political decision-making processes that can seem insignificant one day and become life-changing the next. A truly informative and enlightening book.
Pages: 330 | ASIN: B08BJCSRF9
Wales High School: First Diagnosis – Book Trailer
It’s the year 2003. Teenagers are messaging each other online, listening to punk music on MP3 players, and writing blogs on LiveJournal to fit in. One such teen is walking the halls of Wales High School with bright shirts, leather jackets, and blue hair: Jacques Peters. He’s determined to become best friends with one of the coolest guys in school, Davis Mavis. But he soon discovers that smoking, skipping class, and putting up a front aren’t as cool as they seem, particularly when mental health is involved. His friends gossip behind his back, push him out of their clique, and turn a blind eye to the cuts on his wrists. He’s dragged into a life that leads to a long stay in a psychiatric ward he hates, full of therapy, pills, and a strict routine.
That troubled teen is me.
When I was discharged, I was in a daze. Numbed by medication and left with few friends, I spent my days listening to music and giving my teachers lip. Eventually, on a cold winter night home alone, I posted a single word on my blog: “goodbye.” I took a cocktail of pills and hoped to slip into an endless sleep.
LITERARY TITAN 