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 Vol 78 Number 2
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Spring 2015
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President's Letter
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Dear WNBA members,
When I was in my twenties and a member of the New York chapter of the WNBA, I remember being intimidated when I was asked what committees I wanted to join. I figured I didn't really have any skills for those sorts of things, and surely they had more important, more experienced people doing them already. Plus, if they really needed my help, they'd ask again, directly, right?
That's not a good assumption. The WNBA is an all-volunteer organization. We need everyone's help. Instead of hanging back and waiting to be asked, we should all be stepping up to help. In fact, I think instead of a small core of members who do the majority of the work, every single member can help out in some way. You might be saying, "But I'm way too overextended to take on additional responsibilities." Fair enough. But chairing a committee or serving as an officer aren't the only options. The member who I think has given the most help in my own Charlotte chapter has never been on our board. In fact, she often is only able to come to a couple of events each year. But she spreads the word. We have more members because of her outreach than for any other reason. That's what she does for the WNBA and it doesn't take any extra time at all. She just talks about us to bookish people she knows.
Maybe you don't have time in the fall, but you do in the spring. You could offer to help out with a couple of the spring events. Or if you only have time in the fall, you could work on NRGM. If you have some time on the weekends, but only if it's computer work you could do at home, the membership database or your chapter's website are perfect things to help maintain or update. If you hate organizing but love networking, be a greeter at events. Heck, maybe the way you can be more involved is simply by committing to attend more events! Or make yourself a promise to meet one new person at each event you go to. Or remember to finally send your Bookwoman correspondent the details about your short story being published. These smaller commitments are just as important-if not more so-than the big ones.
I want to issue a challenge to all members: come up with one extra thing you can do for the WNBA this year. You can make a difference.
Cheers,
Carin Siegfried (Charlotte)
WNBA National President
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President's Letter
Amy King Announced as the Winner of the 2015 WNBA Award
Welcome to WNBA-SOFL--Our New Chapter in South Florida!
Chapter News
* Boston
* Charlotte
* Detroit
* Los Angeles
* Nashville
* New Orleans
* New York City
* San Francisco
* Seattle
The Whole Story
We explore the story behind bestselling author Kimberley Griffith Little's YA novel Forbidden.
Write-a-House
By Willetta Heising (Detroit)
WNBA Reads
The Photograph by Penelope Lively reviewed by NC Weil (DC)
UN CornerFrom the Editors
Valerie Tomaselli reviews Wolf Hall, which has been adapted for MASTERPIECE on PBS. Win a copy of the bestselling novel!
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WNBA's Executive Officers
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President
Carin Siegfried (Charlotte)
VP/President Elect
Jane Kinney-Denning (NYC)
Secretary
Shannon Janeczek (Detroit)
Treasurer
Gloria Toler (Nashville)
Past President
Valerie Tomaselli (NYC)
For further information on the national board, chapter, presidents, committee chairs, please go to the WNBA website.
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Deadline for submissions to the Summer issue is May 1. Please contact your chapter's Bookwoman correspondent with your news.
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WNBA Award 2015 -- Winner Announced!
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 The Women's National Book Association is pleased to announce Amy King as the winner of the 2015 WNBA Award.* Ms. King is a poet, professor of Creative Writing at SUNY Nassau Community College and executive board member of VIDA--Women in Literary Arts. ( VIDA's mission as a research-driven organization is to increase critical attention to contemporary women's writing as well as further transparency around gender equality issues in contemporary literary culture. ~ VIDA) The award will be presented at a special event on June 6, 2015, as part of WNBA's annual meeting, to be held this year in New Orleans, Louisiana. Full press release and a list of previous winners of the WNBA Award are available on our website. * The WNBA Award is presented every second year to a living American woman who derives part or all of her income from books and allied arts, and who has done meritorious work in the world of books beyond the duties or responsibilities of her profession or occupation.
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WNBA's New Chapter in South Florida!
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Welcome to our new chapter in Florida! Primarily based in the Fort Lauderdale area, they have elected officers, written their letter of intent, and will present their bylaws at our national meeting in New Orleans in June.
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Linda Rosen & Michelle Putnik
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Kudos to WNBA-NYC members Andrea Baron and Linda Rosen who made it their mission to found a chapter in the sunshine state. They hosted an informal meeting at an independent bookstore there in December, and Linda received a call the following day from local author Michelle Putnik who was interested in setting up a new chapter. From Michelle Putnik, WNBA-FL's first president:
"I became interested in WNBA when Linda Rosen and Andrea Baron held a meeting at Murder on the Beach Bookstore in Delray Beach, Florida. Joanne Sinchuk, the independent bookstore's owner, hosted the evening. I was hooked as soon as I heard what this organization was about. I know that WNBA is just what South Florida needed to kick it in its creative behind. My board consists of authors, journalists, screenwriters, and stage play writers. We are looking forward to educating the public about the writing field, and hope to attract agents, publishers, and authors who are willing to help us in this journey. In just a short time, I've met some incredible, supportive, and talented WNBA ladies. Can't wait for the WNBA Conference in New Orleans."
Michelle is a novelist, poet, screenwriter, teacher, and speaker. She is the Letters Chair of the Boca Raton Branch, National League of American Pen Women, and is also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the author of Fish Wish and Dobin. For more about Michelle, please visit mjputnik.com, and you may get in touch with her at: wnbasofla@gmail.com. If you or someone you know is interested in forming a new chapter, please contact WNBA's Development Chair, Joan Gelfand at: joan@joangelfand.com. |
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Boston
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www.wnbaboston.org
Opera Star Deborah Voight in Conversation
with Daphne Kalatoy
 The Boston chapter is looking forward to two events this spring. Daphne Kalotay will speak with Deborah Voight about Voight's book,Call Me Debbie, February 4, at a ticketed event, sponsored by Brookline Booksmith and Berklee School of Music.
Anne Ipsen will read from her book, Abigail's Legacy, on February 5 at Concord Public Library and on February 10, at Uxbridge Public Library.
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Detroit
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www.wnba-books.org/detroit
Anthology and Potluck
We are pleased to announce that The Detroit Anthology, our featured program title for September, has recently been named a Michigan Notable Book. Last fall, the anthology editor, Anna Clark, and several of her contributors presented their work to an enthusiastic audience, which included a creative writing class from Michigan State University. Two dozen students and their professor chartered a bus for the ninety mile trip from East Lansing to the Dearborn Public Library.
In early December, our holiday potluck was hosted by past president Cynthia Dooley at her home in Grosse Pointe. Good food and lively conversation were enjoyed by all.
We are looking forward to a Dossin Great Lakes Museum Tour and lunch at the Detroit Yacht Club in April, followed by two of our favorite spring events. In May, our members and their guests will enjoy the Metro Detroit Book & Author Luncheon, where five national best-selling authors will talk about their latest books. We will close the program year with our annual spring pot luck at Redford Township District Library, where we will share our favorite reads of the past year and elect a new president and secretary.
Watch for WNBA Detroit's banner over the bowling lane we sponsor annually at their big fundraiser bowlathon in March. Members sponsor teams, individual bowlers, and more, supporting the world of books for those who adore reading with their fingertips! Debra Bonde (see below) has produced over a million pages of braille books! However we can, WNBA supports the community of the book.
Member News
Debra Bonde will be honored as Livonia's First Citizen at a banquet February 19! Read all about it here. WNBA is proud of her life's work and has honored her with our Bookwoman award in the past. Debra's continuing commitment to providing braille books for children is one of our chapter's "causes" and is near and dear to our hearts.
Willetta Heising WNBA-Detroit president, has been interviewed by bookreporter.com for a new feature called "Sounding Off on Audio," where audiophiles discuss their favorite narrators and most memorable and recent reads. Heising reports having listened to more than five hundred audiobooks in the past fifteen years, including one hundred and one titles read by George Guidall.
Shannon Janeczek, Detroit board member and national secretary, will speak at the Novi Public Library on March 25 at 7 p.m. Her program, "So You Wrote A Book, Now What?" will discuss options for self-publishing, including vendors and costs. A Q&A session will follow the program, which is free and open to the public.
Report by Willetta Heising
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San Francisco
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Shebooks, SFWC, and Pitch-O-Rama
San Francisco Chapter's January 10 mixer at the Oakland Main Library began the new year with a start-up publisher, Laura Fraser, cofounder and Editorial Director of Shebooks.net, a new digital storytelling platform for women. Laura discussed how the shifting media landscape from print to digital doesn't have to be negative for women writers and readers, but is full of new opportunities for telling your story. WNBA-SF members in attendance were invited to beta-test a Shebooks editing tool now in development.
We're looking forward to the San Francisco Writers Conference, February 12 - 15, the largest, most prestigious conference for writers on the West Coast at the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill. WNBA members will contribute in key roles for SFWC, as presenters, coordinators, and volunteers. We are proud to be officially recognized sponsors and exhibitors with our chapter logo on the website and even on the conference bags.
In March, we'll produce our annual fundraising event, 12th Annual Pitch-O-Rama: Meet the Agents & Editors, Saturday, March 28, 2015, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Women's Building, San Francisco. CA. It is a rare opportunity to pitch to literary agents and acquisition editors in a private, supportive setting and receive feedback from some of the best publishing professionals in the Bay Area. This year we are pleased to announce rental of a vast, two-story space with acoustical panels, the Auditorium in the Women's Building. With plenty of space for sound to diffuse, we promise to make this an exciting and productive event.
Member News
 Lisa Alpine's Wild Life: Travel Adventures of a Worldly Woman is the winner of the Best Travel Book winner at the 2014 North American Book Awards & Second Place for Best Book Cover. It is also featured in Foreword Reviews.
Henri Bensussen's chapbook Earning Colo rs is out and available from Finishing Line Press and Amazon. "These poems are life-affirming transformations."~ Ellen Bass. Bensussen serves on and manages the blog of the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference board.
 Catharine Bramkamp's new book Future Girls was just released by Eternal Press. October 10, 2145. Eighteen-year-old Charity Northquest's whole future is ahead of her--and the future sucks. October 11, 2145: she unexpectedly has a chance to fix it.
Marsha Toy Engstrom, Bookclub Cheerleader, posted her Top Ten Book Club Books of 2014. She managed to read (listen to/dream about) seventy-three titles--some for business, some for pleasure, and many others to try to find that perfect book club read.
 Pam Frydman is teaching Hebrew chant from her book Calling on God. Join Pam on Saturdays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on 1/25, 2/7, 3/7, 4/ 4, 5/2 and 6/6 at Congregation Beth Sholom, 301-14th Ave., San Francisco.
B. Lynn Goodwin will be teaching two online classes this spring for Story Circle Network. One is called "Freewriting, Journaling, & Blurt Drafts: Tools for Opening Your World" and the other is "Independent Study for Prose."
Sally Kim is being promoted to associate director of children's marketing at Chronicle Books.
Julaina Kleist-Corwin, editor of Written Across the Genres, teaches creative writing classes in Dublin, CA, called "Polish Your Writing" in a series of eight sessions. The present series is focused on subtext.
Teresa LeYung-Ryan and Mary E. Knippel present their new class, "For Theme Sake! Edit Your Own Manuscript!" for writers of novels, memoirs, and biographies. Even if you're preparing to hire a professional editor, identify your core themes now. http://WritingCoachTeresa.com
http://YourWritingMentor.com
 Laura Diana Lopez, contributing author, You are Whole, Perfect, and Complete, now available on Kindle--a must-read for women and men to break through the barriers that "we" allow to hinder our inner beauty and potential.
Mary Mackey will give three presentations at the San Francisco Writers Conference on February 13 at the Mark Hopkins Hotel: "From Verse To Prose;" "Being a Poet In The Digital Age;" and "The Pleasures of Writing Historical Fiction." http://marymackey.com/events/
Christina Nicol's debut novel, Waiting for Electricity was listed by the Wall Street Journal in their Top Ten Fiction Books of 2014. WSJ published a recent satirical article by Christina to savor her take on vintage port, "Novelist Christina Nichol on Croft Quinta da Roeda 2012 Vintage Port."
Eva Schlesinger has an essay coming out in Chicken Soup For The Soul: Thanks To My Mom. She is also a contributor to Changing Harm To Harmony, edited by Joseph Zaccardi.
Charlotte E. Thompson, M.D., pediatrician and author of eight books, has two books: Prescription for Parenting:How to Raise Healthy Infants and Children and Your Personal Parenting Guide: Infant and Childcare Wisdom from a Top Pediatrician to be published this year.
Miche lle Wing, Ann Hutchinson, and Kate Farrell just launched a website to accompany the anthology they co-edited, Cry of the Nightbird: Writers Against Domestic Violence, to serve as a resource for community professionals and agencies serving DV survivors.
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Seattle
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www.wnba-books.org/seattle/
Celebrating a Debut Novel
We all know that it takes passion, talent and some wonderful x factor to break into the world of publishing. It is deeply satisfying when one of
the WNBA's friends succeeds.
 Dr. Susan Meyers, one of our favorite program presenters, who has shared insightful, thought-provoking, and useful programs on writing "voice" and on structuring stories well, hit a trifecta in the past year. She received a promotion to Director of Creative Writing at Seattle University. She also had debut books published both in nonfiction and fiction in 2014. Wow. Many congratulations, Susan!
On January 22, Dr. Meyers read from her debut
novel, Failing the Trapeze, at the Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle. Failing the Trapeze is the story of a circus family faced with the kind of calamity that comes from family secrets and disconnections, in this case fueled by a terrible past failure on the trapeze that no one will talk about. It opens with a boarder found dead by suicide in the front yard of their home, which leads to family revelations.
 Failing the Trapeze is a creative treatment of Dr. Meyer's family's experience. They owned a circus in the early twentieth century, and the stories Dr. Meyers gleaned over the years from her grandmother, who was a trapeze artist and shared much of the family's history (including the dead body in the front yard), inform it throughout.
What a treat it was to celebrate this debut with her.
Member News
CN Bring has won multiple accolades for The Celia Kelly Mystery Collection. Honors include: International Book Award, ABA Literary Excellence Award for Mystery/Suspense, Wise Bear Books Award for Military/Mystery, Amazon bestseller status in Christian Mystery & Suspense and in Christian Collections and Anthologies.
Jennifer Lesher, a Seattle area author of contemporary fiction, has recently signed on with Booktrope and will be publishing her novel, Raising John, this spring. Ms. Lesher will also publish the sequel to Raising John in early 2016.
Report by Linda Gray
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Charlotte
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www.wnba-charlotte.org
Annual Luncheon and Happy Hours
Just before Christmas, Charlotte's annual luncheon was held at the City Tavern near Southpark--a great time to see friendly, familiar faces and catch up, but also a good time to introduce new faces. And in efforts to help keep these connections going, Happy Hours have been hosted at different venues monthly. With busy schedules, members drop in when they can. This makes for an intimate new mix of people and conversation each time.
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A booklover's dream at Charlotte's Book Swap!
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In January, we started off the year with good friends, good wine, and hundreds of books to choose from! Every year, Kristen Knox, our chapter president, graciously readies her home for the stampede. Book-loaded bags are hauled in and emptied onto the table for sharing and suggestions. No one leaves this party empty-handed! By the end of the night, the bags are filled again and carried away as goodbyes are said. All in all, it's good to know that members' bookshelves and nightstands will have stacks of good books for months to come!
Member News
Shani Gilchrist, author and freelance journalist, has launched a thought-provoking campaign to sweep social media with one question: What does diversity mean? #diversitymeans. She is now represented by MacKenzie Fraser-Bub at Trident Media.
Linda Vigen Phillips's YA novel, Crazy, is a Junior Library Guild selection, was selected as one of the New York Public Library Best Books for Teens 2014, received a YALSA BFYA nomination for 2015, and was selected as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People 2015.
Jenifer R uff''s psychological suspense novel, Rothaker, is being released on April 1st, 2015 by World Castle Media. Rothaker is the sequel to Everett.
Report by Tracy Sottosanti
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Los Angeles
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WNBA-LA to Collaborate with Mount St. Mary's Univerity to Present the LA Writers Conference!
Our chapter's biggest (and best!) news is that we have joined in collaboration with Mount St. Mary's University to present the 2015 WNBA Los Angeles Writers Conference! This has been an annual event for our chapter, but collaborating with the university, or with anyone, is a new venture for us. Our keynote speaker is, internationally known poet, Nikki Giovanni. The conference will be presented on the historic, tree-lined, Mount St. Mary's campus in downtown LA on March 14.
Also of note was our Holiday Potluck in December. It included excellent food (including Sharmagne's homemade eggnog,) new chapter members, members who have been a part of our chapter for more than 30 years, a fun word definition game, networking, and donated books for an underserved school. It was great!
Member News
Lisa-Catherine Cohen put her book, The Loaded Cufflink, on hold to write KUKA--The Miracle Child in the Red Coat-A Story of Courage, Love, and Survival for a child Holocaust survivor. Michael Berenbaum has written its foreword.
Cali Gilbert had a stellar year as four of her six books reached bestseller status. She is currently working on her seventh book titled Pearl, the sequel to her #1 international bestseller, It's Simply Serendipity.
Danielle Miller's blog, Stories Unfolded , is celebrating its 3rd Anniversary in March. She'll be hosting a month long celebration with several giveaways. If you want to promote your book & provide a giveaway copy send an email to danielle.elisemiller@yahoo.com.
 Nancy Young won six book awards for her debut novel Strum: 2014 USA Best Book Award (Finalist Fiction: Literary); Independent Publishers Book Award (Silver Medal - Best Regional Fiction, Canada-east); Hollywood, New York, San Francisco and Great Northwest Book Festivals (Hon. Mention - General Fiction). More here.
Report by Ruth Light
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Nashville
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www.wnbanashville.org/
Annual Holiday Dinner
At what has become one of its most well-attended events, the annual holiday dinner, WNBA-Nashville members gathered in December to hear Lacey Cook, program officer with Humanities Tennessee. Lacey updated members about the Tennessee Young Writers Workshop, which each summer brings together professional writers with area students in grades 8 - 12 who have an interest in creative writing. Two student participants from the 2014 workshop, Lillie Muedas and Kennedy Musgrave, read from their work. "It was delightful having the young women with us," said Amy Lyles Wilson, Bookwoman correspondent. "Their talent was obvious, and their poise while reading aloud to a group of strangers was impressive. I couldn't have pulled that off when I was their age." During the dinner, money was raised for the scholarship that WNBA-Nashville sponsors for the Tennessee Young Writers Workshop.
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New Orleans
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WNBA-NOLA on Facebook
Reading Round the Bayou & the Art of the Book
 We had a great National Reading Group Month Event October 18, partnering with the New Orleans Museum of Art for a Saturday gathering of book groups called Readings Round the Bayou. Tulane University's Molly Travis presented a fascinating history of reading groups in New Orleans, and members of many local groups spoke about their histories and priorities. The afternoon program featured author presentations by Ann Benoit (New Orleans Best Ethnic Restaurants), Amy Conner (The Right Thing), Laura Lane McNeal (Dollbaby), Michael Moffitt (Granddad's Dictionary), Michael Pitre (Fives and Twenty-Fives), Katy Simpson Smith
(The Story of Land and Sea) and Rebecca Snedeker (Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas) presented their books, followed by an afternoon tea and "speed-dating with authors"--each author switched tables after ten minutes.
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Susan Larson,
WNBA-NOLA's president
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Our November event was the second annual Art of the Book exhibit and fundraiser November 8; for this we partnered with Baskerville: A Letterpress and Book Arts Pied-a-Terre in New Orleans, with live music and great food. Guests toured the studio, printed bookplates designed for the evening, and awards were presented in three categories. We made about $1,300 this year.
Our annual holiday party was held at Pelican Bay Restaurant, along with a book drive for the Metropolitan Women and Children's Shelter.
In February we will have a speaker about the upcoming millage vote for the New Orleans Public Library, and March 26, we will present the second
Pinckley Prizes for Crime Fiction at the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival.
Member News
 Elizabeth Harris won the 2014 Gival Press Award for the meta-novel Mayhem: Three Lives of a Woman, forthcoming October, 2015. A well-connected rural Texas woman of 1936 is outcast for occasioning a
traumatic crime. Read an excerpt here.
Report by Ann Benoit
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New York City
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www.wnba-nyc.org
Twitter 101, Query Roulette, Intersection of Literary and Commercial Fiction
and How to Sell Your Book!
 After having to cancel our holiday party due to inclement weather (which will be rescheduled as a networking event later in the spring) we kicked-off 2015 with member Melissa A. Rosati, leading members in a workshop titled "Twitter: A Beginner's Guide for Publishing Professionals" January 14 at Pace University. The presentation is available to all.
Query Roulette, our annual writer-agent "speed dating" event, at AAP, was sold-out well in advance of the event date, March 3. Participating agents included Emily Forland, Josh Getzler, and Jennifer Weltz.
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President Jane Denning addressing the writers
and agents at Query Roulette 2015
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"Exploring the Intersection of Literary and Commercial Fiction" will take place March 27. Co-sponsored by the NYU Creative Writing Program and moderated by WNBA's Harriet Shenkman, the panel will include Amy Einhorn (Senior Vice President and Publisher, Macmillian's Flatiron Books); Suzanne Gluck (Co-Director of the literary department, William Morris Endeavor); Seth Fishman (Writer, Literary Agent, The Gernert Company); and Melissa Flashman (Literary Agent, Trident Media Group, LLC)
"You Wrote It, Now You Have to SELL It! Sales, Marketing & Publicity in Today's Publishing Climate" will take place at Wix Lounge, where authors will learn how to market and sell their work. This panel will help shed light on the sales, marketing, and publicity practices that most publishing houses undertake on behalf of their authors. But most importantly, it will help authors understand how they can effectively help sell their book.
Thank you to the AAP and Wix Lounge for their support of our chapter!
Member News
Sarah Burningham of Little Bird Publicity recently welcomed a daughter, Nora, in early January. Nora joins big sister Leigh and dad Grant in the Burningham family. All are doing well, reading up a storm!
 Breena Clarke, a new WNBA-NYC member, is the author of the best selling River, Cross My Heart (an Oprah Book Club selection). Her blog, by the same name, follows her journey of writing her latest novel.
Report by Jane Denning & Jessica Napp
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The Whole Story
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The Book
(HarperCollins 978-0062194978)
In this edition of The Whole Story, we are delighted to bring you the team behind bestselling author Kimberley Griffith Little's latest release, Forbidden. "In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden's tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden's turn to be honored. But by the next morning, Jayden's world has changed forever-she is betrothed to Horeb, the boy she does not love. With their tribe's move to the Summer Lands, Jayden is forced to accept her fate. . . With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family's survival on the line, Jayden must finish the deadly journey to save the ones she loves-and find a true love for herself." ~ Jacket copy
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 Author
Kimberley Griffiths Little
For many years I had a secret, long-time passion for the beautiful and sensuous art form of belly dance. Finally, I signed up for a belly dance class and loved it. I even performed a solo and impressed my family!
The history of belly dance fascinated and shocked me when I learned how the Goddess Temple Priestesses used the dance as part of their sexual fertility rites four thousand years ago. That's when I knew I had my story: A girl caught between her grandmothers' tribal roots of the dance and the illicit rites at the Temple of Ashtoreth. A girl betrothed to the prince of her tribe, whom she doesn't love, torn between family duty and the secrets of her heart.
Soon I was engrossed in research about Arabic nomadic tribes, King Hammurabi of Babylon, and the secret frankincense lands where Jayden meets a mysterious stranger who's been wounded in a caravan raid. I took an unforgettable trip to Jordan and Petra and fell in love with its rugged beauty and the wonderful, generous tent people of the desert. You can see pictures from my trip: here. Gorgeous belly dancers:here.
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 When it was time to submit Forbidden (which was then titled Goddess) to editors, I pitched it as "the YA Red Tent" because I'm a fan of Anita Diamant's bestselling The Red Tent. Forbidden is similar in both ancient sisterhood and desert setting, so it was an obvious comparison. Plus, the industry was buzzing about YA crossing over to adult readers, and Forbidden would definitely fit into that growing category. Karen Chaplin loved it from the start. Both she and her team were full of enthusiasm, and for just the right reasons. Karen emailed me:
"Everyone really loved this, and was so intrigued by Kimberley's writing, the wonderfully depicted desert setting, and the romance. Jayden is such an amazing protagonist, and what she goes through on her journey is just remarkable."
That is music to an agent's ears, and after some frantic airport-based negotiation, I was thrilled to pass their offer along to Kimberley.
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Book Designer
 The design team wanted to evoke the spirit of Jayden and the time period in which she lived. We used a lot of rich, red fabrics as well as strong hits of gold jewelry to bring forth both the heat and lushness of Mesopotamia. We also needed a model that could move and dance to bring out the romance that is rooted so deeply in Jayden. The amazing photograph (shot by Michael Frost) and the gold type treatment on the cover fully illustrate Jayden's historical world and story.
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Editor
Karen Chaplin
Senior Editor
HarperCollins Children's Books
When I first received the manuscript for Forbidden, I was instantly intrigued by the agent's pitch. It was described as The Red Tent for the YA market. I had loved Anita Diamant's The Red Tent, so I was thrilled to get something similar for young adults. I immediately started reading--and just couldn't stop.
Kimberley's gorgeous descriptions of the time period and the setting swept me up, and the romance between Jayden and Kadesh kept me turning the pages. I knew from the first few pages that this was something very special. And when I finished reading, I knew I had to have it. I was so excited to be able to make an offer for such a wonderful project!
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Publicist
Tracey Daniels
 Kimberley's agent, Tracey Adams, was the first to reach out to us regarding Forbidden--and she had us intrigued!
Kimberley and I had a long conversation about her goals about how Forbidden came "to be," her publicity goals for the book, and what Harper had planned. It was a terrific conversation as Kimberley clearly understood what it takes to publicize YA and how traditional media, social media, and events dovetail to create the "publicity machine" for a YA title. Proposals and contracts were drawn up, and we were off and running on an exciting journey of pre-publication buzz building, author tour excitement, and the satisfaction that comes from spreading the word about this fabulous book to the media and, ultimately, to readers everywhere. |
Reviewer
Author and Senior Editor
Books for Youth, Booklist Magazine
I was  delighted when Forbidden came across my desk. We get thousands of books into the Booklist Youth department, but very few of them are set in biblical times, and even fewer feature a strong female protagonist. Since many of the books I write are about women's history and religion (though not usually together!) I was curious to see how the author would handle these two potent subjects. Happily, she did both justice, and moreover this is one those books that sweeps you away.
"In the unforgiving desert of Mesopotamia, 1,700 years before the birth of Jesus, lives Jayden's tribe, descendants of Abraham and believers in the one God. For Jayden, her life is filled with certainty. She is betrothed to Horeb, who will one day become tribal leader, and until their wedding, she lives with her loving parents and sister, Leila. Then all falls apart. Her mother dies in childbirth; her sister insists that she will move to the Temple of Ashtoreth, where she will live in luxury as a pagan priestess; and Kadesh, a stranger, comes to her aid and into her heart. Jayden tries to fight a relationship that is strictly forbidden, but as Horeb's cruelty becomes more and more evident, Jayden must make choices between dishonor and freedom. At its core, this is a romance, with all the push and pull that goes along with impossible love, and Little elevates the story by creating a perilous landscape, both outward and inward, as Jayden must deal with the hardship of desert life as well as her own desires. This fits neatly into the new adult category, and an apparent sequel will be anticipated."
~ Ilene's Booklist review. (Used with permission from the American Library Association.)
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Write-a-House in Detroit
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By Willetta Heising 
WNBA-Detroit
When Write-A-House (WAH) first appeared on our chapter radar last winter, the Detroit board voted to make a donation to show our support. We were intrigued by the idea that construction trainees from Young Detroit Builders would be involved in renovating vacant homes, which would then be given to deserving writers, who would, in turn, energize the Detroit writing community.
We were equally curious about one of the Write-A-House founders, Toby Barlow, creative director at Team Detroit, the super-agency that directs Ford Motor Company advertising worldwide. Since moving to Detroit from Brooklyn in 2006, Barlow has published two novels, produced a documentary film, opened a design store in Midtown, launched a nonprofit letterpress, and has plans for a restaurant in Corktown.
After spending an evening with Barlow in late April, none of us were surprised that within six months, more than 300 applications were received, and a panel of blue-ribbon judges (including former U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins) convened to choose the first WAH recipient. The winner was announced in October and Casey Rocheteau moved to Detroit in November.
Born and raised on Cape Cod, Rocheteau describes herself as a writer, historian, and performing artist. Her published work includes two albums and a 2012 book titled Knocked Up on Yes. Like Barlow, she is a Brooklyn transplant who has spent the last decade on the move--colleges in New Hampshire and New York and writing retreats as far away as Sicily.
The 29-year-old poet, who recently completed a master's degree in history, describes her move from Brooklyn to Detroit as "personally revelatory" and says she finds herself less tense, with the time and space to dream and create. "It's quieter than anyplace I've lived," she discloses.
In a recent interview with the Detroit News, Rocheteau described 2015 as "the year of relentless optimism." In that spirit, she says it will be a good year to learn how to drive. WNBA Detroit is looking forward to meeting her in person and hearing more about her Detroit experience.
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WNBA Reads
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The Photograph (Penguin 978-0142004425)
By Penelope Lively
Reviewed by NC Weil (DC)
Penelope Lively is the most precise writer since Henry James. Where he carries the reader to the heart of his observation in a closing spiral of phrases set off by commas, Lively offers carefully-spun details, the particulars of work and relationships. And where James offers a Pointillist view of his subject, those dots of deliberately expressed color coalescing at a distance into an image, Lively weaves in tapestry fashion--these threads, these shadings--from which patterns emerge, become vivid; yet, a few more passes of the shuttle subtly change what we see. And when she is finished, Ah. We know she's done, every thread has been incorporated, nothing remains to say, the picture is complete.
 Lively's novel The Photograph begins straightforwardly enough: Glyn, a landscape historian rummaging through old papers in his closet, discovers an envelope he's never seen. The photo inside is of a group of people: his wife, Kath, her sister, her sister's husband, a woman friend, and her man friend. And his wife and her brother-in-law are holding hands in an intimate clasp, unseen except by the camera. Kath has been dead some years--how can this revelation make a difference now? And yet, as Glyn confronts those in the photo with its evidence, one person after another finds life shaken from its moorings. This sylph with her vital glow revisits them all, undoing their certainties, reasserting the mystery that surrounded her.
Lively uses her found-object catalyst to examine people's relations to work, to family, to friendship, to the entire range of emotions from dissatisfaction and jealousy to the full storm of love.
This slight novel, 231 pages, pulls no punches, employs no gimmicks, promises nothing it does not deliver. We are in the hands of a master. There is no bombast, only the struggles and escapes familiar to us all, directed and pointed to illuminate a life. If you appreciate clear, simple language which lays bare the hidden heart in all its complexity, you should read this fine book.
NC Weil's short stories have appeared in the anthology Electric Grace (Paycock Press, 2007) and the online journal ArLiJo, and her book Karmifornia is now available from Foolscourt Press and Amazon. NC is National Website Co-Chair and WNBA-DC newsletter editor. Check out her blog here.
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UN Corner
The Women's National Book Association is a NGO associated with the
United Nations Department of Public Information
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A special UN edition of The Bookwoman will be published in the coming weeks.
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From the Editors
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Wolf Hall (Picador 978-0312429980)
By Hilary Mantel
A Brief Review
By Valerie Tomaselli (WNBA Past President)
Who would have expected that an independent, left-leaning book woman would be so captivated with the ruthless, somewhat Machiavellian, character Thomas Cromwell? Henry VIII's advisor, fixer, front man, indeed henchman, is made so human in the hands of Hilary Mantel in Wolf Hall and its sequel, Bring  Up the Bodies, that this reader was totally taken in.
His shocking life as a boy at the hands of an abusive father, his deepest feelings, especially the pain at the loss of his wife and children in the flash of an eye to a ravaging infection, even his calculating manipulations in service to his king--all leave this reader in awe. In addition to falling in love with Thomas Cromwell, the history buff in me was grateful for such an engaging narrative of sixteenth-century British political and social history. I can hardly wait--though in trepidation as I know the outcome for Thomas Cromwell--for the final installment.
MASTERPIECE on PBS will air a six-hour adaptation of Wolf Hall on Sundays, April 5 to May 10, 2015 at the special time of 9:55 p.m. Starring Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Damian Lewis (Homeland) and Tony Award-winner Mark Rylance (Twelfth Night). Watch a preview of the series here.
Bookwoman Staff
Editor: Rhona Whitty (NYC)
Assistant Editors: Nicole Ayers (Charlotte) & Tracy Jean Sottosanti (Charlotte)
Copy Editors: Annette Marie Haley (Detroit) & Gloria Toler (Nashville)
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Important Copyright Information for Contributors
We only accept articles written by the author or copyright holder. The Bookwoman, website, and other publications of the Women's National Book Association adhere to all local, national and international copyright laws. By submitting an article to us you are granting permission for its use on our website in our resource library (articles), in our member resources area and/or in our magazine and newsletters. Contributing authors retain all copyrights to their individual works.
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