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February 2023 Virtual Book Tour for BLACK FOAM by Haji Jabir, translated by Sawad Hussain and Marcia Lynx Qualey

“A captivating tale of one man’s tireless journey to belong. Perfect for readers of East African literature and historical fiction.” ―Booklist

“A searing exposé of the plight of Ethiopian Jews who immigrate to Israel. There is a cinematic quality to BLACK FOAM, a discovery of new worlds, with Haji Jabir pointing a camera, up close and intimate, at his protagonist’s anxieties and fancies. Scenes slice as Muslim Dawoud becomes Christian David then Jewish Dawit, accompanied by a haunting soundtrack of loneliness and the indomitable will to survive.” ―Leila Aboulela, author of River Spirit

Haji Jabir, the award-winning Eritrean author, is one of the most significant Arabic-language authors writing today. In BLACK FOAM, he weaves together a poignant tale about identity, belonging, refugees and racism that will resonate with many readers long after the last page is turned. Longlisted for the 2019 International Prize for Arabic Fiction, one of the most prestigious prizes for fiction in Arabic, BLACK FOAM will be published for the first time in English, translated by Sawad Hussain and Marcia Lynx Qualey (February 7, 2023; Amazon Crossing, by arrangement with the African Literary Agency).

With a unique poetic writing style, Jabir focuses on a community of Ethiopian Jews who move to Israel, and he creates a protagonist, Dawoud, who is on the run from his murky past, aiming to discover where he belongs. He tries to assimilate into different groups along his journey through North Africa and into Israel, changing his clothes, his religious affiliations, and even his name to fit in, but the safety and peace he seeks remain elusive. It seems prejudice is everywhere, holding him back, when all he really wants is to create a simple life he can call his own. A chameleon, Dawoud―or David, Adal, or Dawit, depending on where and when you meet him―is not lost in this whirl of identities. In fact, he is defined by it.

Dawoud’s journey is circuitous and specific, but the desire to belong is universal. Spellbinding to the final page, BLACK FOAM is both intimate and grand in scale, much like the experiences of the millions of people migrating to find peace and safety in the twenty-first century.

Check out the line up of stellar bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month of February. We hope you will follow along!

Monday, February 6 – This Browne Girl Reads

Tuesday, February 7 – We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie

Wednesday, February 8 – Traveling Bookshelf

Thursday, February 9 – Subakka Bookstuff

Friday, February 10 – Bee is for Books

Monday, February 13 – Reading with Nicole

Tuesday, February 14 – Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Wednesday, February 15 – Tina May Reads

Thursday, February 16 – Lexijava AND What Is That Book About

Friday, February 17 – Sue the Bookie

Monday, February 20 – Translated Gems

Tuesday, February 21 – Bathtub Book Worm

Wednesday, February 22 – MJ Beauchamp

Thursday, February 23 – Bookalong

Friday, February 24 – Books and Coffee MX

Monday, February 27 – Girl Who Reads AND Danish Mustard Reads

Tuesday, February 28 – Mel Reads All The Things AND Gloriana Wong

Filed Under: Blog Tours Tagged With: Amazon Crossing, fiction, Literary fiction, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations

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January 2023 Virtual Book Tour for A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN by Shirley Russak Wachtel

“This is a story about immigration, adaptation to new cultures, and, for Esther, a chance to grapple with the traditional roles that women play. The house itself is an important part of the story … a solid choice for book clubs.” ―Library Journal

“A vibrant family saga…A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN is an impressive debut novel that illustrates the many ways that the Holocaust continues to impact contemporary Jewish life; a deeply felt hatred of fascism gives the novel its heft and lasting relevance.” ―Foreword Reviews

For fans of Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House, Lauren Fox’s Send For Me and Linda Cohen Loigman’s The Two-Family House comes a moving and heartfelt immigration story of one man’s dream to have a family and build a home in America, a place where anything is possible. In A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN (Little A; January 1, 2023), critically acclaimed author Shirley Russak Wachtel pens her debut novel, an engaging and beautifully written tale that explores three main themes: the importance of following one’s dreams; the enduring nature of family and friendship; and the idea that home is a reflection of the lives within its four walls.

In 1944 Poland, Jacob Stein and Zalman Mendelson meet as boys under terrifying circumstances. They survive by miraculously escaping the brutalities of the Holocaust, but their shared past haunts and shapes their lives forever.

Years later, Zalman plows a future on a Minnesota farm, and Jacob has a new life in Brooklyn with his wife, Esther. When Zalman travels to New York City to reconnect, Jacob’s dream to build a home in Brooklyn becomes a reality. With Zalman’s help, they build a house for Jacob’s family and for Zalman, who decides to stay. Modest and light filled, inviting and warm, it’s a castle to call home for each of them.

Then an unforeseeable tragedy―and the grief, betrayals, and revelations in its wake―threatens to destroy what was once an unbreakable bond, and Esther finds herself at a crossroads.

Life goes on as others, with their own dreams, move into the home.  Eventually, the novel comes full circle as those who remain come to understand the true nature of friendship and family.

When asked about the inspiration for her novel, Wachtel explains, “I am defined by my parents’ legacy. Growing up the child of Holocaust survivors, never knowing my grandparents and with only a handful of extended family members, I came to understand the importance of family and am driven to express this idea in my writing.  From a young age, I learned of the horrific experiences my parents endured and their desire to build a better life for their children.  Their story is the story of so many others seeking to build a new home in America.  I wanted to express this idea in A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN.”

We have a great line up of fantastic bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month of January. We hope you will follow along to learn more about this wonderful new historical fiction!

Monday, January 2nd – We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie

Tuesday, January 3rd – Cassie’s Books Reviews

Wednesday, January 4th – The Caffeinated Reader

Thursday, January 5th – Sue the Bookie

Friday, January 6th – Booklover Laura

Sunday, January 8th – Books N’ Yoga Pants

Monday, January 9th – Bookoholic Café

Tuesday, January 10th – Books Writing and More

Wednesday, January 11th – Lit by Lilli

Thursday, January 12th – Danish Mustard Reads

Friday, January 13th – Andrea C. Lowry Reads

Sunday, January 15th – Bookphile Belle

Monday, January 16th – Books and Coffee MX

Tuesday, January 17th – Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Tuesday, January 17th – Gloriana Wong

Wednesday, January 18th – Sarah and Her Bookshelves

Thursday, January 19th – Tina May Reads

Friday, January 20th – The Book Club Mom

Saturday, January 21st – Subakka Book Stuff

Sunday, January 22nd – Girl Who Reads

Monday, January 23rd – Momfluenster

Tuesday, January 24th – Storeybook Reviews

Wednesday, January 25th – Bookalong

Thursday, January 26th – Sarah’s Bookstack

Friday, January 27th – We Break For Books

Monday, January 30th – Kim Reads and Reads

Monday, January 30th – Books on my Mind

Tuesday, January 31st – The Book Review Crew

Tuesday, January 31st – Lexijava

Filed Under: Blog Tours, Uncategorized Tagged With: Amazon Publishing, fiction, historical fiction, January release, Jewish author, Jewish fiction, Literary fiction, Little A, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations

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December 2022 Virtual Book Tour for AN IMPOSSIBLE RETURN by Caroline Laurent, translated by Jeffrey Zuckerman

WINNER OF THE PRIX MAISON DE LA PRESSE, THE PRIX LOUISE-GUILLOUX, AND THE PRIX DU SALON DU LIVRE DU MANS

“Franco-Mauritian writer Laurent, in her potent English-language debut, overlays a tragic love story onto a powerful account of historical injustice in the Chagos Archipelago….The many moments of gruesome colonial brutality are undercut by the Chagossians’ tenderness, courage, and simmering rage in response to incalculable loss. Gabriel and Marie’s saga, which involves a hunger strike, murder, and other dramatic episodes, is interspersed with a piercing 2019 narrative from an adult Joséphin: ‘Believe me. Our fate affects you all,’ he notes. Thanks to Laurent’s devastating work, readers will, indeed, have their eyes and hearts opened.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

AN EPIC LOVE STORY SET AGAINST A BACKDROP OF INJUSTICE, DEVASTATING SECRETS, AND THE PAINFUL PRICE OF INDEPENDENCE.

 “It’s a story my mother told me. Not a fairy tale or a fable, no, but a true story that she scratched at every so often like a nasty wound. An island tragedy,” says award-winning novelist, Caroline Laurent. “My mother described her childhood in Mauritius, long before—before Europe, before exile, before me—and then a word escaped her lips, Chagos, with its two easy syllables, sha and go, that could have been tossed just as easily as jacks. Her face darkened. Her gaze was lost momentarily, or rather turned inward, digging deep within herself. The archipelago was tormented. Its poor people had been sold off! Sitting in the kitchen, I could make out the tragedy even though I didn’t understand any of it.”

Inspired by a shocking travesty of justice, the repercussions of which still reverberate more than fifty years later, bestselling Franco-Mauritian author Caroline Laurent has written an exquisitely beautiful and tragic novel based on the authentic story of the inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago. In AN IMPOSSIBLE RETURN (Amazon Crossing; December 1, 2022), expertly translated by Jeffrey Zuckerman, Caroline Laurent paints a shimmering portrait of island life, a sensual paradise lost, and a gorgeous star-crossed love story against all odds.

It’s 1967 in the Chagos Archipelago—a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean—and life is peaceful and simple for hardworking Marie. Her fierce independence and love for her home are quickly apparent to Gabriel, the handsome and sophisticated Mauritian secretary to the archipelago’s administrator; it’s love at first sight. As these two lovers from neighboring islands welcome a new son, Joséphin, a bright future seems possible. But Gabriel is hiding a terrible secret. The Mauritian government is negotiating independence from Britain, and this deal with the devil will mean evacuating the Chagos, without warning or mercy—a betrayal that will put their love to the test.

A novel of exile, heartbreak and hope, AN IMPOSSIBLE RETURN serves as a beautiful tribute to the Chagossian people.

We have lined up a wonderful schedule of highly acclaimed bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month December. Follow along to learn more about this award-winning novel in translation!

Thursday, December 1 – BLUNT SCISSORS BOOK REVIEWS

Thursday, December 1 – NURSE BOOKIE

Friday, December 2 – SUE THE BOOKIE

Friday, December 2 –  BRITT READS A LATTE BOOKS

Saturday, December 3 – MOMMA LEIGHELLEN’S BOOK NOOK

Sunday, December 4 – BOOKS, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING

Monday, December 5 – AIMEE DARS READS

Monday, December 5 – WHAT IS THAT BOOK ABOUT

Tuesday, December 6 – BLACK, BIRACIAL, AND BOOKISH

Tuesday, December 6 – LILACS AND LITERATURE

Wednesday, December 7 – TINA MAY READS

Thursday, December 8 – WE LOVE BIG BOOKS AND WE CANNOT LIE

Friday, December 9 – SUZY APPROVED BOOK REVIEWS

Saturday, December 10 – WE BREAK FOR BOOKS

Monday, December 12 – MEG’S BOOK CLUB

Tuesday. December 13 – LITERARY QUICKSAND

Wednesday December 14 – BOOKS N BIKRAM

Thursday, December 15 – BOOK LOVER LAURA 

Friday, December 16 – SUBAKKA BOOKSTUFF

Friday, December 16 – DAI 2 DAI READER

Monday, December 19 – DANISH MUSTARD READS

Saturday, December 17 – MELANN ROSENTHAL

Tuesday, December 20 – GLORIANA WONG

Filed Under: Blog Tours, Uncategorized Tagged With: Amazon Crossing, An Impossible Return, BIPOC fiction, Caroline Laurent, fiction, historical fiction, Literary fiction, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations, translated literature

By otrpr Leave a Comment

September Virtual Tour for BIG RED: A Novel Starring Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles by Jerome Charyn

“Cinematic and bittersweet…[Charyn] subtly evokes F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ in telling his saga of star-crossed charismatics through the eyes of an all-seeing peripheral figure, an outsider-insider named Rusty Redburn…His novel, with its multiple layers of fiction and fact, resurrects the vanished world it celebrates and explicates it in all its grand illusion.” – Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

“If you love stories about Hollywood’s golden age, you’ll be swept up by this dazzling fictionalized account of a doomed Tinseltown marriage…Charyn’s obvious affection for his subjects lends humanity and depth to the depictions of personal drama…BIG RED is an unforgettable portrait of American film royalty” ―Apple Book Review, Best Books of August

“Charyn (The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King) plausibly recreates another chapter in American history in this affecting and searing portrait of Silver Screen superstars Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles…Charyn offers rapid-fire dialogue and slapstick action…along with affecting character development. It’s a rewarding paean to some of cinema’s greats.” ―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Thanks to Charyn’s lifelong obsession with Welles’ Citizen Kane and fascination with Hayworth’s fragility, readers benefit from a probing analysis of their seminal films while being treated to an intimate, fly-on-the-wall look at a legendary, tumultuous romance.” ―Booklist

“The veteran author’s charm and easy sense of irony further lift this surprisingly affecting book. A novel that transcends concept with its human touches.”  ―Kirkus Review

“Jerome Charyn is an American original.  His prose is scintillant, seemingly without effort or strain, yet unfailingly brilliant & audacious.  In BIG RED the characteristic virtuosity is present – but beneath, a tender, bruised heart.” ―Joyce Carol Oates, author of Blonde: A Novel

“BIG RED is the most entertaining book I’ve read all year. It’s as if Herman Wouk and James Ellroy had a love child, and that love child was given a typewriter at birth. This is a wise, hilarious and very deep look into Hollywood’s ambitions, dreams, and indulgences. I hope Jerome Charyn is already at work on its sequel” ―Brian Koppelman, co-creator and showrunner of Billions

“Jerome Charyn’s movie-love dances like a flame over every page of BIG RED. Like its gloriously outspoken narrator—who never existed but should have—the book is bewitched by cinema and also hard-headed about the crass, exploitative reality of the dream factory. It’s a dazzling romp through old Hollywood, and a fiercely loving effort to set the record straight.” —Sara Imogen Smith, film critic and author of In Lonely Places

It’s 1943. The Germans rule Europe, and the moguls rule Hollywood. Attendance is better than ever. Not even radio can compete with the Saturday matinee. The heart of America has become Hollywood Boulevard. And Rusty Redburn, a feisty lesbian visionary who works as a lowly servant to Harry Cohn at Columbia’s publicity department, lives right on the boulevard at the Hollywood Hotel.

Harry is worried about his biggest star, Rita Hayworth, who has moved in with the “Boy Genius” Orson Welles. He’s never had a star before Rita arrived. He schemes to have Rusty pretend to work as Rita’s private secretary while spying on her. Rusty is far more clever than Harry Cohn. She worships Orson and Citizen Kane. And thus the story begins.

Nothing will last, neither the war, nor Harry Cohn, nor the marriage of Rita and Orson. And it’s Rusty who tells their tale.

BIG RED: A Novel Starring Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles (Liveright/W.W. Norton; 8/23/22) is Jerome Charyn at his very best and promises to consume both Hollywood cinephiles and neophytes alike.

We have a fantastic schedule of bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month September. Follow along to learn more about the book and perhaps to win a free copy!

September 2 – Reading with Nicole, AND The Book Decoder

September 4 – The Caffeinated Reader

September 6 – Hot Cocoa Reads

September 7 – Rozie Reads and Wine AND Secret Reading Life

September 8 – Sara’s Book Stack

September 9 – The Bookish World of Yrralh

September 10 – The Real Momma Leighellen

September 12 – We Love Big Books and We Cannot Lie

September 13 – Momfluenster AND Bookalong

September 14 – Tina May Reads AND Celtic Lady’s Reviews

September 15 – Nurse Bookie

September 16 – What’s Better Than Books AND Well Read Traveler

September 17 – We Break for Books

September 18 – Books and Coffee Please

September 19 – It’s Bibliotherapy

September 20 – Sue the Bookie

September 21 – Suzy Approved Book Reviews AND The Book Review Crew

September 22 – Lilacs and Literature AND Beth’s Book-Nook

September 23 – Bookphile Belle AND The Book Connection

Filed Under: Blog Tours, Fiction, Uncategorized Tagged With: Golden Age of Hollywood, Liveright, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations

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September Virtual Book Tour for BROKEN SUMMER: A Novel by J.M. Lee, translated by An Seon Jae

“What is the statute of limitations on betrayal? How long can a secret be buried before it turns into an earthquake? And will revealing the truth—that slippery concept—provide resolution or peace? Skillfully rendered into English by translator An, the novel contemplates these issues in a murder mystery notable for its nuanced storytelling… A subtle psychological thriller.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Lee excels at psychological realism, and Hanjo’s quest to learn the truth feels naturally driven by deep, painful emotions…This exquisite portrait of minds torn apart by mourning will appeal not just to mystery readers.” – Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“This is an engrossing and beautifully written mystery, with complex characters that Lee delicately strips bare.” – Library Journal, Starred Review

J.M. Lee is one of Korea’s most renowned authors and a master storyteller.  Since his literary debut over two decades ago, he has written eleven novels, many of them becoming bestsellers.  His latest, BROKEN SUMMER, was an instant bestseller in Korea and will be published for the first time in English on September 1, 2022 by Amazon Crossing.

Lee Hanjo is an artist at the peak of his fame, envied and celebrated. Then, on his forty-third birthday, he awakens to find that his devoted wife has disappeared, leaving behind a soon-to-be-published novel she’d secretly written about the sordid past and questionable morality of an artist with a trajectory similar to Hanjo’s. It’s clear to him that his life is about to shatter and the demons from his past will come out. But why did his wife do it? Why now?

The book forces Hanjo to reflect on a summer from his youth when a deadly lie irreversibly and tragically determined the fates of two families.

Each of these wonderful bloggers will share spotlights, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month September. Follow along to learn more about the book and perhaps to win a free copy!

Thursday, September 1 – Bone Chilling Books

Friday, September 2 – The Real Momma Leighellen

Saturday, September 3 – Always with a Book

Monday, September 5 – Booxoul

Tuesday, September 6 – The Reading Owlvina + Bookphile Belle

Wednesday, September 7 – Andi Reads 2022

Thursday, September 8 – The Caffeinated Reader

Friday, September 9 – Danish Mustard Reads

Saturday, September 10 – Oh The Books She Will Read

Monday, September 12 – Rebecca Reviewed It + The Book Review Crew

Tuesday, September 13 – Nurse Bookie

Wednesday, September 14 – Where The Reader Grows

Thursday, September 15 – Momfluenster

Friday, September 16 – Katie Needs a Bigger Bookshelf

Monday, September 19 – Aimee Dars Reads + Books The Thing

Tuesday, September 20 – Reading with Nicole

Wednesday, September 21 – Tina May Reads

Thursday, September 22 – Books N Yoga Pants

Friday, September 23 – Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Saturday, September 24 – We Love Big Books and We Cannot Lie

Monday, September 26 – Bathtub Book Worm

Tuesday, September 27 – The Bookish Alix + Angels Mom Reads

Wednesday, September 28 – The Page Ladies + Gloriana Wong

Thursday, September 29 – Bookoholic Cafe

Filed Under: Blog Tours, Fiction, Uncategorized Tagged With: An Seon Jae, blog tour, Broken Summer, fiction, J.M. Lee, OTRPR, Over the River Public Relations, thriller, translated fiction

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