Virtual Book Tour & Cover Reveal - Marie Conner, A Leading Lady: Her Life and Civic Leadership in a Bygone Era by Elle Mott

 

Marie Conner, A Leading Lady:

Her Life and Civic Leadership in a Bygone Era
by

Elle Mott

COMING IN MARCH!

About Marie Conner, A Leading Lady

 Marie was born a girl.

 That was only her first mistake, according to her father.

In an era when daughters and wives are not supposed to be concerned with matters outside the home, Marie is determined to prove him wrong. To do this, she must break down barriers placed on women in society, overcome difficulties that befall her, surpass hardships from the Great Depression, and then face an inevitable relocation.

Marie steps into her community and into the hearts of many people to give her time and help with their needs. She wants nothing in return other than her father's acceptance as a worthy woman and yet, she gains much in return, even if it is not her father's praise. This is Marie’s story—of a rise from her girlhood angsts to become a leading lady—and much more. 

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About Elle Mott

Elle Mott writes creative nonfiction. This is her third book. She is the author of “Out of Chaos: A Memoir” and “People Helping People.” Her other writing pieces have been featured in literary journals, news magazines, and anthologies. She has a background working in libraries, both at the college level and, for more than ten years, at the public library in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. While library work is her livelihood, writing is her passion. Elle grew up in Oregon and now makes her home in the suburbs of northern Kentucky with two cats and several pet birds.

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Book Review: Richard Coke: Texan by Rosser Coke Newton, Sr.

Richard Coke: Texan by Rosser Newton Sr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brimming with the passion of the past and the parallels with the present.

Richard Coke: Texan is a new biographical account of the 15th governor of the state, following the tumultuous period of Reconstruction under the radical unionist Governor Edmund Davis and ushering in a 100-year-dynasty of Democratic leadership. Fascinating reading, complemented by snippets from contemporary periodicals, the author’s deep research and engaging writing style make his story compelling and relevant, revealing eerie parallels in our current political landscape.

One of my favorite elements is the breadth of quotations from a variety of original source documents. The language, while formal and reflective of the discourse of the times, is still often bitingly critical of the political figures, decisions, and events. I don’t remember seventh-grade Texas history class ever being this compelling.

I recommend RICHARD COKE: TEXAN to those interested in Texas history, especially during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.


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10-Stop All-Review Blog Tour & Giveaway - Richard Coke: Texan by Rosser Coke Newton, Sr.

 

RICHARD COKE: TEXAN

By Rosser Coke Newton, Sr.

History / Biography

Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing

Pages: 300

Publication Date: November 4, 2024

SYNOPSIS

Richard Coke played one of the most crucial roles in Texas history. His leadership of his beloved Texas still resonates today—150 years after he became governor. Richard Coke: Texan weaves a rich mosaic of real people and events, immersing the reader in the life and times of Richard Coke.

Coke brought Texas out of Reconstruction following the Civil War and is often credited with restoring democracy to the state after this perilous time. Richard Coke: Texan tells the story of a young Virginia lawyer who emigrated to a Texas frontier village and changed history. It follows Coke as he starts a new life in Waco, Texas, serves in the Civil War, endures the hardships of Reconstruction, and is called to serve as governor to rebuild the state and restore rights to local government and the people of Texas. The story of Coke and his legislature taking office is one of the more dramatic moments in Texas history, with Coke’s predecessor, Edmund Davis, engaging armed forces to occupy the Capitol in an attempt to remain in office. But the true story lies in the leadership Coke demonstrated as a committed citizen, an honored soldier, a dedicated governor, and later as a respected senator—the effects of which still influence the government of Texas today.

Before the advent of digital technology, much of the record of this time was inaccessible to researchers. Authored by Rosser Coke Newton Sr., an indirect descendant of the governor, the book is enriched by first-person accounts, Coke family records, Richard Coke’s direct correspondence, and documented events from journals and debates of constitutional conventions, the Secession Convention, and legislative sessions. These are supplemented by newspaper articles, census records, city directories, and a myriad of other sources compiled at the time. These sources have been combined into Richard Coke: Texan, which not only delivers a rich history of the era but also offers a personal look at one of Texas’s greatest leaders.

Content Advisory: This is a historical account. The following topics are referenced: slavery, lynching, and war.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosser Coke Newton Sr., a native Texan and prominent Dallas businessman, is an indirect descendant of Richard Coke, the 15th governor of Texas. From an early age, he developed an interest in Texas history and 19th-century frontier life, a period in which Richard Coke played a crucial role.

Newton connects his love of history with philanthropy, serving in key positions with the Dallas Historical Society and the Alamo Letter Society. He is a founding member of the Dallas Arboretum Foundation, a director emeritus of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, and a supporter of many cultural and civic organizations.

He holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law. In 2002, he founded Petro Capital Group and has held leadership roles in numerous petroleum-related companies.

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Book Review: What I Must Tell the World: How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice by Jay Leslie, illustrated by Loveis Wise

What I Must Tell the World: How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice by Jay Leslie


Well done and thoughtful biography for upper middle-grade and older readers about playwright Lorraine Hansberry, the groundbreaking Black female playwright.

What I Must Tell the World: How Lorraine Hansberry Found Her Voice, words by Jay Leslie and pictures by Loveis Wise is a well-done and thoughtful introduction for upper middle-grade and older readers to the life of renowned playwright Lorraine Hansberry. The evocatively illustrated text presents the highlights of the first Black woman to have a show produced on Broadway (A Raisin in the Sun).

Starting with her surprising childhood as the daughter of a man who had to go to the Supreme Court of the land (and won!) to establish his right to purchase a home in the white Woodlawn area of Chicago and her preparation and journey in pursuing her dream of crafting a play representing the Black experience in America. There is a short, forthright discussion of her gradual awareness of her true sexual orientation, offering parents an opportunity to discuss and answer questions with their young readers. While this little book examines her life, it naturally brings up many important social issues that can also offer additional topics of one-on-one or group discussions with readers. Hansberry experienced the gamut of discrimination in her short life: for being Black, for being a woman in a traditionally male profession, and for being attracted to another woman rather than a man.

I recommend WHAT I MUST TELL THE WORLD: HOW LORRAINE HANSBERRY FOUND HER VOICE to young readers who want a look into the life of this fascinating woman.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy via Netgalley.


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Book Review: The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball by Barbara Radnofsky & Ed Supkis

The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball by Barbara Radnofsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The story of the warm and enduring friendship between The First American in Space and his barber, Carlos Villagomez, and a peek behind the scenes of the early days of the space program.

The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball was written by the wife and husband team of Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis, co-owners of the Brazos Bookstore in Houston, Texas, and both the grown children of a NASA engineer and a NASA scientist. Besides revealing the story of the souvenir golf ball, the book is a wonderful recounting of the warm and enduring friendship between Alan Shepard and his barber, a local cultural icon and civic leader, Carlos Villagomez.

The history is fascinating, and the shared anecdotes wonderfully humanize "The First American in Space," Alan Shepard. The book is thoroughly supported by the extensive research – reading and interviews – conducted by the authors, including memories of their and the space program’s formative years. Readers should be sure to read the lengthy Introduction, which explains the authors’ connection to the program through their fathers’ amazing careers. I really enjoyed the human history of the program participants as well as the many facts I’d never heard that were worked into the narration. I also gained new insights, more respect, and even awe for the courage of our astronauts and the innovation (especially when under pressure) of our engineers and scientists at NASA.

While much has been written about the stars of the Astronaut Program, this work provides a candid view of Shepard both at work and at home, revealing a sentimental and caring side to the man. It is also the story of Carlos Villagomez, and it is fascinating on its own. One of 13 children and a Navy man himself, what he did and accomplished in his life in his hometown of Webster, Texas, was especially noteworthy and inspirational reading. While Shepard was a national hero and an American icon, Villagomez achieved the same status here at home.

The story was a delightful surprise, and the Acknowledgments and extensive list of Sources at the end of the book provide additional works to check out. I recommend THE BARBER, THE ASTRONAUT, AND THE GOLF BALL to readers of biographies and memoirs, especially those interested in the American space program and real-life heroes.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.

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Children's Book Review: Salvador Dalí by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara; illustrated by Mariona Tolosa Sisteré

Salvador Dalí by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Simple yet vividly illustrated, capturing the artist’s eccentric life and groundbreaking work.

SALVADOR DALÍ (Little People, BIG DREAMS) is a new children’s picture book by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and illustrated by Mariona Tolosa Sisteré that portrays the life and work of famed Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. While aimed at children, older readers curious about the man who created the iconic “melting clocks painting,” The Persistence of Memory, would get a clear and basic introduction and perhaps be tempted to delve further; it’s that enticing!

Vegara tells about the man’s indulgent upbringing and his fascination with the Surrealist movement during the 1930s in Paris and concisely conveys the concept behind his art: consciousness vs. unconscious. Thoroughly enjoyable!

I recommend SALVADOR DALÍ (Little People, BIG DREAMS) to elementary-aged readers (and curious elders) with an interest in art, artists, or just that fascinating clock painting.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy via Netgalley.

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10-Stop All Review Tour & Giveaway: The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball by Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis

The Barber, The Astronaut, 

and The Golf Ball

By Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis

Biography / Golf / Space Travel

Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing

Pages: 202

Publication Date: September 17, 2024

 

SYNOPSIS

In 1971, famed astronaut Alan Shepard returned from the moon and went to get a haircut. Before settling into the barber’s chair in Webster, Texas, near NASA’s Mission Control, Shepard gave his longtime barber and friend, Carlos Villagomez, an autographed golf ball.

During his Apollo 14 moonwalk, Shepard had conducted a world-famous demonstration of gravity by hitting a golf ball in an out-of-this-world sand trap. It took him two tries.

Carlos, a Navy combat veteran and barber for numerous astronauts, says Shepard gave him the ball immediately after he returned to earth and was released from quarantine.

Had Shepard taken a third ball to the moon? And did he give it to his barber as a token of their long friendship?

The debate provides a backdrop for The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball, a story of two extraordinary men and their lasting friendship. The book offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of America’s space program at its pinnacle and shows the ordinary people who supported one of the nation’s most monumental scientific endeavors.

Praise for The Barber, The Astronaut, and The Golf Ball:

It’s perfect!! Barbara and Ed capture Daddy and his long friendship with Carlos. --Laura Shepard, Daughter of Alan Shepard

Brings back the glory days of the U.S. Space Program and the importance of the "little people" who made it happen. We see stern Shepard in a new and admirable light - in Shepard's high regard for the vast team of dedicated supporters who enabled astronauts to succeed. --Charlie Duke, Apollo Astronaut

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis grew up in the 1960s in the shadow of NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center and married in 1982. They have three children and five grandchildren. The couple —with many other community members — are co-owners of Brazos Bookstore, an independent bookseller. As children of NASA scientists, Barbara, and Ed had front-row seats to the development of the space program and the community built around it on rural cow pastures near Webster, Texas.

Barbara Radnofsky is a writer, mediator, teacher and lawyer. She’s the author of A Citizen’s Guide to Impeachment, a nonpartisan explanation of U.S. constitutional impeachment history and practice.

Ed Supkis, MD is a board-certified anesthesiologist specializing in cardiac anesthesia. He served as Director of Quality Assurance for the Division of Anesthesiology and as Medical Director of Respiratory Care for the Division of Surgery and Anesthesiology.

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Book Review: The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton by Nancy Thornton Navarro & Adriana Thornton-Conejo

The Merchant of Venus: The Life of Walter Thornton by Nancy Thornton Navarro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A fantastic biography, with the excitement of a treasure hunt!

The Merchant of Venus is a fantastic story, a biography of the authors’ father, initiated by the surprise discovery of an old photo of him in a feature film years after his death. Compelled to uncover the story behind the widely-used picture, the two sisters conduct extensive and impeccable research to reconstruct their dad’s early life, which occurred well before his marriage to their mother and their births and those of their four other siblings. With its intriguing impetus and accompanying photos, the sisters give readers a well-written, well-documented, true-life mystery and tribute to their remarkable father, a pioneer in modeling history, Pin Up King of WWII, and a leader in building and sustaining the morale of our servicemen and women during the war.

Walter Thornton’s life is revealed through alternating chapters by his daughters, Nancy Thornton Navarro and Adriana Thornton-Cornejo, of their years-long research project to uncover and understand their father’s early life. He had met and married the love of his life, Candelaria, who was 34 years his junior, in Mexico in 1960. Together, they had six children and were a devoted couple until his death in 1990 at the age of 87. It wasn’t until 2004 that his picture was spotted by his widow in a montage of photos during the screening of the film “Seabiscuit” at a holiday gathering at one of her daughters’ homes. The search for the story behind the iconic 1929 “bankrupt investor” photo led them to their father’s eye-opening, never-before-known past.

A lot of families have secrets, but few are on par with what Nancy and Adriana were to discover. Their father had been internationally famous throughout the early 1920s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. Not only had he been a highly successful male model for artists and photographers in commercial advertising, but he had also redefined the modeling industry with his concepts for a modeling agency. He was well-known as a beauty expert and one who encouraged and supported women, emphasizing their natural assets to their best and healthiest advantage. Known as “The Merchant of Venus,” a play on “The Merchant of Venice” by Shakespeare, he discovered and helped launch the careers of a number of Hollywood movie stars during that era. During WWII, he launched a massive campaign to send pinup pictures to our servicemen and women anywhere in the world, using his own models and at his own expense, boosting the morale of thousands of men and women separated from their homes and families. But despite his good deeds, he was targeted by an unscrupulous Queens, NY, district attorney in a sensational and devastating attempt to divert the press and public attention away from his own misdeeds, leading to him eventually closing his agency to pursue a new business opportunity in Mexico.

The authors recount their research and findings as well as firsthand memories in riveting detail, much like the story of an exciting treasure hunt. The narratives are well-written, easy to read, and compelling storytelling. It was a fascinating story and one that I am so glad to have encountered.

I recommend THE MERCHANT OF VENUS to readers of biographies and memoirs, especially to those whose own families may have had some interesting secret pasts or are interested in the early days of advertising modeling and origin stories of movie stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through WOW! Women On Writing Book Tours.

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One-Day Book Blitz: Second Lives: The Journey of Brain-Injury Survivors and Their Healers by Ralph B. Lilly, MD & Diane F. Kramer with Joyce Stamp Lilly

SECOND LIVES: The Journey of Brain-Injury Survivors and Their Healers

by

Ralph B. Lilly, MD & Diane F. Kramer

with Joyce Stamp Lilly

Read by

Loren C. Sheffy & Joyce Stamp Lilly

Audiobook / Biography / Medical Professionals / Neuroscience

Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing

Listening Length: 6 hours and 21 minutes

Publication Date: February 28, 2024

 

SYNOPSIS

“Discharged from a hospital just means you’re not dead.” These words of Ralph B. Lilly, M.D., describe his early struggle to recover from a traumatic brain injury. Lilly was a forty-four-year-old practicing neurologist sitting on his motorcycle at a red light when a drunk driver rear-ended him in 1980. In the ICU, after regaining consciousness and being told what happened, he asked, “What’s a hospital? What’s a motorcycle?” This tragic experience transformed his life and his approach to his neurology practice: doctors treat those with brain injury; but loved ones heal them.

Second Lives: The Journey of Brain Injury Survivors and Their Healers is written by Dr. Lilly and Diane F. Kramer. After his death in 2021, Kramer completed the book with the assistance of Lilly’s wife Joyce Stamp Lilly. This memoir weaves together Ralph Lilly’s experience with a collage of stories about his patients and their healers. After his recovery, Lilly retrained in the emerging field of behavioral neurology, which focuses on behavior, memory, cognition, and emotion after brain injury.

His clinical skills and expert witness testimony were sought by physicians, survivors, families, and attorneys to secure the best “second life” for survivors. His many patients marveled at his uniquely compassionate approach: “What doctor gives you his cell number and says call any time?” Lilly’s pioneering career spanned forty years from Brown University’s Butler Psychiatric Hospital in Rhode Island to Nexus Health System and private practice in Houston, Texas. He treated ER and hospital inpatients whose loved ones were in acute quandary, as well as outpatients who’d long given up finding a doctor who knew how to help. Lilly’s memoir is full of heart, not science, and will provide insight to general readers, family, and friends of patients with brain injury, as well as those who treat them.

His narration is unintentionally poignant, often punctuated by wry humor. He generously incorporates the words of his patients and their families in telling their stories. Their gratitude for his care is profound. As one former patient said, “Without Dr. Lilly, I’d be dead or in jail.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

A neurologist for over half a century, Ralph B. Lilly, MD had a passion for learning and teaching. A traumatic brain injury in 1980 shifted his focus from general neurology to behavioral neurology, the study of how brain injury affects behavior. After completing a fellowship in neurobehavior at the University of California, Los Angeles, he served as a clinical assistant professor with the Brown University Program in Medicine in Providence, Rhode Island, consulting with psychiatrists looking for possible neurological causes for their patients’ psychiatric symptoms. In Texas, he worked joined what is now Nexus Health Systems and became a clinical assistant professor at The University of Texas in Houston. Lilly focused his life’s work on treating brain-injury survivors and counseling their families, who were victims in their own right. He saw these “healers” as instrumental in guiding the injured loved one to a “new life.” He practiced in Arizona, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Texas, and wherever he was called to help. Before his death in 2021, Lilly lived in Washington, Texas, with his wife, Joyce, three dogs, six cats, and two horses.

Diane F. Kramer retired from the counseling and psychology departments of Austin Community College in 2008 and began writing personal essays, family histories, and fiction. As a volunteer with the Brenham Animal Shelter, she wrote a weekly column on animal welfare for The Brenham Banner Press. Her writing has also appeared in Alamo Bay Press anthologies and blogs Peace through Pie and Drash Pit. She currently writes website copy and press releases for Brenham Lifetime Learning and the Read of Washington County. She lives with her husband and their rescue dog and cat in rural Texas.

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Book Blast & Giveaway: Mama Dida: My Road to Canada by Leonida Teohari

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. 

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Memoir / Biography

Publisher: Tellwell Talent

Publication Date: May 31, 2023

Print length: 190 pages

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SYNOPSIS:

After experiencing the second world war tragedies and living through the socio-political changes in Romania, Grandpa Aurel and Grandma Dida for the love of their beloved grandchildren Darius and Anna, decided to leave family, friends and everything they built in Romania and start a new life in Canada. 

Nadia Comaneci's incredible gymnastic success at the Olympic games in Montreal was what they knew at the time about Canada. Grandpa Aurel and Grandma Dida’s courage and personal sacrifices were the foundation for the education Darius and Anna accessed in Toronto and the life they enjoyed in Canada.

 

The book presents real events and is based on a true story.

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READ AN EXCERPT:

When Constanta first got bombed, we had to rush to take cover in a trench made by a neighbour of ours behind our building. After this first bombing experience, Mother Voica packed her savings in a bag, took my sister Helen and me, and fled to Ovidiu, a nearby village. This was not before a heated discussion between my brother Costy and Mother Voica. Costy convinced Mother Voica that he should stay home to watch for the apartment and the furniture. This was all we owned, and my brother would rather risk getting bombed than lose it to the looters.

So, we said goodbye while all crying. Costy was on the balcony waiving at us until our carriage turned the first corner in the direction of Ovidiu village. Mother Voica cried for Costy the entire way, her first child and the only boy.

The war opened my eyes. To be a refugee even in our own country was not easy; imagine having to leave your country.

Mama Voica rented one room with a small cooking stove. From eggs to a litre of milk, everything was double the city prices. We came to the village hoping to save money, however the reality of war proved different.

This was the time to help my mother, so I started learning how to cook.

Helen had a talent for negotiating prices with the villagers and she also had fun doing it. Mother Voica used to refer to her as Jewish.

After few weeks, Mother Voica decided to return home. She told us that she was short of money but we both knew that she was worried about Costy. Helen and I approved immediately; we also missed our brother and the apartment.

Mother Voica hired a carriage and two soldiers, and we started our way back to Constanta.

REVIEW:

4 stars!

The fascinating life story of Ekaterina Teohari, the woman known as Mama Dida, to her family and friends.

Mama Dida: My Road to Canada is the life story of Ekaterina Teohari, a Romanian grandmother who, along with her two grandchildren, immigrated to Toronto, Canada, to reunite with her husband, son, and his wife, who had previously sought political asylum. After a two-year separation, Mama Dida, Anna, and Darius were finally back together as a family. Her son completed Dida’s story from her personal writings and is a lovely tribute to a mother who loved her family above all else.

 

Mama Dida lived through an amazing time in history. She is of the generation that experienced World War II firsthand, personally witnessing the violence of war as her hometown was bombed around her. She writes extensively about her mother, Voica, who successfully reared three children through this terror and did it alone. She presents numerous examples of how difficult these times were and how magnificently strong a woman her mother was. Later, Dida proves she learned well at her mother’s side as she displays time and again the same courage and strength.

This memoir includes detailed descriptions of life and the political changes in Romania after the close of World War II and how her family was affected. I was unaware of Romania’s history, and this made for eye-opening reading. 

I recommend MAMA DIDA: MY ROAD TO CANADA to readers of non-fiction, memoirs, and those who want to read about history from someone who lived through it.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Leo Teohari was born in Constanta, Romania. Leo holds both a law degree and a degree in international economics. Leo defected from Communist Romania in 1980, and settled with his family in Toronto, Canada, where he became a businessman. Today he writes about his experiences and runs an international food trade business. In 2004 he published his first book, Hawala, based on a true story about a government cover-up and diversion related to the Romanian revolution in 1989.

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