I have been reading Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy, by Colin Dickey. He relates various panics in our history, from the Salem witch trials to QAnnon. He states that “enduring narratives (are) that… secret groups are conspiring to pervert the will of the people and the rule... Continue Reading →
Caravans in the Dark by B.K. Oldre. A historical fiction novel about a Romani teenager named Jana in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, who becomes a resistance fighter by smuggling secret messages from Prague Castle. The coming-of-age story follows Jana and her friends as they navigate love, loss, and the fight against oppression during WWII, highlighting the lesser-known story of... Continue Reading →
Lord knows, Minneapolis is not perfect. Anyone who has driven down our streets, swerving around crater-sized potholes, or past trash-filled homeless encampments can tell you that. Our city council often seems more interested in renaming lakes or squabbling than in solving real-life problems. However, I was never prouder of my city than this past couple... Continue Reading →
August 1941, Slovakia: Jana, a young Romani woman, leaves her family's campsite in the rugged, forested hills for her first solo mission to the Partisan camp. When she returns just before nightfall, her family's campsite is deserted. She contacts Otto, the Prague liaison with the Czech Resistance, for help. He sneaks across the border, and... Continue Reading →
Here are the 2022 sales numbers of print, front-list books, published by the top ten publishers, as excerpted from an article by Len Wilson titled, “How Many Copies Does it Take to Become a “Bestselling” Book?” and turned into a pie chart. These are the numbers he cites: 0.4% or 163 books sold 100,000 copies... Continue Reading →
Caravans Pursued will be published by Flock Publishing. They say it should be out in about six months. Hurrah! It has been a long journey to publication. I wrote this WWII historical novel in 2018 while attending a yearlong novel writing class, The Novel Writing Project, at the Loft Literary Center. Then, I spent some... Continue Reading →
The past few months have been pretty distracting. Between six (!) visits to the dentist in the fall, a family member's wedding, the holidays, and national events a few things fell by the wayside. So, I have not yet posted this review of my most recent mystery novel, Fatal Farming, which was published in October.... Continue Reading →
Have you ever shopped at Aldi? If so, you know it has the lowest prices of any grocery store. It is a bare-bones store featuring mostly generic brands. I hit it, every now and then, when I happen to be near one and feel the desire to save a bit more money. Today I made... Continue Reading →
Silent Winter Solstice is available in audiobook format It has been a journey. I learned a lot in creating this audiobook. From how to pick and work with a narrator, to working with Amazon to produce the audiobook. I think the narrator did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. Take a listen, a free... Continue Reading →
Health Care is good here in Minnesota if you can get over the hurdles. I have experienced difficulties in access and expenses. In spite of paying for Part B Medicare, and an additional Health Partners monthly premium, almost every encounter with the health care system involves added costs, even for a phone conversation or e-mail... Continue Reading →
Bonnie's Books & Things 