Tag: novel

A Greek Cat

by eileentroemel, posted in Book Tour


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Novel, life story
Date Published: September 18, 2019

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“A Greek Cat,” by Moshe Karasso, artfully unfurls the incredible story of the son of a once wealthy, now impoverished Jewish family living on one of the Greek Islands.

In a spectacular feat of juggling, time is diverted forwards and backwards, between childhood and old age, presenting readers with a wide spectrum of events, people, and island vistas.

Karasso offers readers a glimpse into the lives of fishermen and their families, and, later in the novel, into the everyday culture of German Nazis both inside and outside their homes. All of these are recounted in the first person by a remarkably resourceful narrator who eventually loses his sanity.

Looking at this book in the broader context of Existentialist literature, one cannot help but compare it with the works of French writer Albert Camus, whose grasp of the absurdity of existence liberates man from the hope of a perfect human morality that demands life at any cost.



About the Author

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Born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1933. Married with three children. Lives in the Tel Aviv area of Israel.
Writes primarily essays and poems.
This is his first work of fiction.


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Dragon Lord’s Mate

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

This is my newest novel out.  The cover art is done by TJ Jahns.  She is amazing and talented.

Here is a description of the book:

Dragon Lord Arius must find his mate. During spring rites, he claims Pena, a healer from the Plains. He likes her small body, flame hair, and spunk. Pena wants nothing to do with the Dragon Lord. She wants love. She longs for long and comfort. Arius carries her away from her Plains village to be plundered like the days of old.
Arius saves her life from a large and deadly adder only to have Pena save his life from the deadly bite. In the healing, Pena loses her heart and gains a great love. Arius discovers the woman he lusted after has more depth and skill. He loses his heart to her. Binding her to him, and himself to her, he performs an ancient rite of fertility.
Upon returning to Measc Realta, the Dragon Lord’s home, Pena settles into being Lady of the Keep. The people of the mountains love their new lady and cherish her healing skills.
An old enemy for Pena and for the Dragon Clan rises in power. Indirez, connected to the shadow dragon, tries to steal Pena’s power and ruin the burgeoning love between Arius and Pena.

Betrayal, courage, strength, all help Pena and Arius face the challenges and danger that invades their town and their clan.
It is available on Amazon and Smashwords in ebook format and by the end of the week will have a paperback as well.  

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q0PITP2

My other books are available.  If you want to know where, go to my website and check out the links:  http://eileentroemel.weebly.com/

Damn that Inner Critic

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

Poetry is personal.  My short stories, novels, essays, while personal aren’t a microcsope of how I was feeling in a particular moment.  My poetry is an insight into how I was feeling in one particular moment.  It exposes sometimes raw emotion to whoever reads it. 

In many ways this is what makes it good (and dare I hope great) poetry.  I’ve been working on gathering up my poetry to publish.  I think I’ll have a few volumes of it.  I have two large binders full to choose from so I think I can come up with a couple different.  The first step for me in gathering my poetry was of course to go through to make sure all my files matched up – my binder with my spreadsheet of poetry with the actual typed files of poetry. 

As a writer, I have to tap into personal feelings often. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried or laughed or gotten angry while I wrote a scene. When I write my poems, I literally scrawl down my feelings – raw and real – that I’m having in a whatever moment is going around me. Sometimes this is the beautiful scene outside my window. Sometimes it is a social injustice I am railing against. Sometimes it is just a magical moment that needs to be remembered. 

As I was working on cleaning it up last night and looking through my work I started to hear that nagging annoying inner voice telling me the poetry wasn’t up to par and I should pick something else to publish.  I trust my instincts.  This grumbling voice is not connected to my instincts.  It is connected to my wish to remain private and protected.  If I share the poems then people will know what I think and what I feel.  This is dangerous because I am opening these thoughts and feeling to ridicule or rejection.

Now if I could just use some duct tape on this inner critic I would be in much better shape but I can’t.  She pops up when I least expect her.  Fortunately I’m very familiar with her tricks and tantrums.  Last night when I heard that voice telling me I shouldn’t publish my poetry it hit me hard as I was very excited about this project.  I’m working on the cover and thinking about how I want to organize it all.  The details are all in my head and I just need time to get it together. 

There I was working on the first step and my inner critic starts in with that poem isn’t good enough or who is going to be interested in this.  It made me pause.  It made me pause long enough to turn the page and look at a different poem and know I need to share.  Not every poem in my two binders is good enough to be published.  Some just don’t have the depth or are too personal.  There are many reasons to reject them but there are just as many that are worth sharing.  The sentiment in the poems will touch people I believe.  For that reason, I need to share them. 

I’ll work on shoving that inner critic into the back of the closet in my head.  I’ll work on the poetry books and will let the readers be the judge.  All I can do is put the work out and let the readers decide.   

Moon Affirmations
Available for sale at:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/432900
Available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Moon-Affirmations-Daily-Meditations-Energy-ebook/dp/B00K08TF3K/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1398791925&sr=8-5&keywords=moon+affirmations
Available on Barnes and Nobles:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moon-affirmations-eileen-troemel/1119387496?ean=2940045859738

Secret Past
Available on Barnes and Nobles:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secret-past-eileen-troemel/1119169953?ean=9781499159868
Available for sale at:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/426548
Available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Past-Eileen-Troemel-ebook/dp/B00JL38Z7C/ref=la_B00JL4PEJ8_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398097355&sr=1-1

Now Available in Paperback

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing
It seems silly but I was checking out my book on amazon.com to see how it was doing and if my paperback was available and what do I discover?  It is available in paperback.  I used the createspace.com to provide a POD (print on demand) version of my romance novel.  Here it is! 
I’ve also tweaked the description to be a bit more modern and romance novel like rather than – hey I need 5000 characters to describe my book.  It may not seem like a big deal to people but it is important to write this description, edit it and go through the normal writing process.  Actually it might be even more important to get this right because it is the window into your book.  What you put down in those 5000 characters can draw a reader in or completely turn them off. 
Now my book is available three different ways!  It sounds like a cliché for me to say I’m am super excited but I am.  This is the fulfillment of a dream.  I know the work isn’t done – I still have to work on marketing and getting people to come to my website http://eileentroemel.weebly.com/.  At the same time I need to move forward with the next volume I want to publish… on to my Moon Affirmations book which is a meditation book based on the moon’s phase.  Moving forward means I’ll be juggling a lot of different aspects of writing and publishing.  I’m ridiculously excited and almost giddy with anticipation of moving forward.  At the same time, I’m trying to make good business decisions about my brand and the products I’m creating. 
This first publication has given me ideas for other publications – like publishing some short stores and some poetry.  However, I want to make sure I’m putting out a really good product so people know that when they pick up one of my books it will be well edited and produced even if they don’t like the story or stories that are inside the book.

Getting this first book out there has been a boost to my confidence and belief in myself.  I noticed tonight that one of my customers was from Japan.  This couldn’t possibly be a relative or friend because I don’t know anyone in Japan.  That means that the description I wrote drew them in enough to have them buying the book.  That is an accomplishment for me.  

Secret Past

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing
My book is now available on Amazon.  You can find it by searching out my name or here is a link:
Sunday I published on Smashwords.  Monday I worked on improving the files so the document and cover picture would be accepted into their premium catalog.  Tuesday I redid the file.  Wednesday it was accepted into the premium catalog.  Now today I’ve got it set up on Amazon and it can sell around the world. 
My story – something concocted out of my brain – is available to people all over the world.  It is astonishing.  The process was daunting to start and even to finish the prep work.  Part of me kept trying to make everything perfect before I could “finish” the book and publishing process.  I made excuses – I have to finish organizing the office, bills, craft room, and so on…
I don’t know what hit me on Sunday but I sat down to my computer and went through the last few steps and then just got it done.  I was surprised at how simple it was to get it out there.  I’ve had anxiety – in a good way – about making sure it is accepted and then getting it out for publication on Amazon. 
Now I wait to see how it is received.  But I can’t just sit around and wait.  If I want to make sales then I have to figure out how to market my book. 
I’ve worked in marketing and it is not as glamorous as people think it is.  It is a lot of grinding to get people to take notice.  My little romance novel is sitting on the shelf amongst the hundreds, thousands and maybe even millions of other novels out there it is bouncing up and down saying “Pick me, pick me.”  But then so are all those other novels.  The question now is how do I get my novel to be noticed? 
Suggestions?  I’d love them.  Additionally if you want to write a review – I would love that too.  It is easy with Amazon, you can post it right on the page.  Do you know someone who likes to read romance novels?  Let them know mine is there waving its hand just waiting to be picked.  Meanwhile, I’ll be doing research on marketing… 

It’s Official

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing
I’ve published my first book!  This morning I spent four hours finishing up the prep for submissions to Smashwords.  It was complicated, frustrating, and exciting.  Secret Past by Eileen Troemel is out there for sale on their site!  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/426548
I’m only three months later than I planned but it is finally out there and available.  Please go look and buy if you feel inclined.  Vicki was the first one to buy a copy. 
You would think publication would be the end of the road for a book. I have to market the book through social media and however else I can.  Also this is an electronic version and the next step is to see how much it will cost to do a paper version.  Once that comes out, I’ll have to do more marketing. 
For right now though, I’m going to bask in getting my first book published and the momentary sense of accomplishment!  

Contest

by eileentroemel, posted in Uncategorized

I just submitted my 100 word blurb and 5000 word entry for a romance novel on www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com.  If you have a romance novel done (or near done), then check it out.

I’ve had this novel done for a while.  I’ve been meaning to submit it to Harlequin but never gotten around to it.  Now I’ve gotten around to submitting it for a contest.  All the first chapters are going to be posted for people to vote on.  The top 25 will be advanced with 3 more being selected by the editors. 

Now it is a wait and see thing.  Fortunately I won’t have to wait long as they will notify the winners by October 12.  Then there is another round where editors review and only three end up finishing.

I’m nervous about this but at the same time I know if this doesn’t work then I’ll figure something else out or just submit it again, and again, and … you get the picture.  Or I might actually figure out how to go through and self-publish. 

Wish me luck and let’s hope I get lots of votes…

 

Hiding Out

by eileentroemel, posted in Uncategorized

I’ve been hiding out for the last month.  School ended and I got two A’s in my classes. Yeah!!  But after I was so stressed out I retreated into escapism.  I’ve been watching tv, playing facebook games, reading and crocheting.  I just needed some down time from everything. 

In the last week I’ve started to do other things as well.  I’m back to writing and working on projects that I would LOVE to finish over the summer.  I went back into one project and realized it was 580 pages (double spaced) total of about 170,000 words.  I recently read that the average novel is about 64,000 words.  This means I have nearly three novels in this one project.  I’ve been rereading the first part and falling in love with the project all over again.  I’m trying to find a good cut off point so I can start working on completing the first novel and send it out to the world of publishers.  At the same time I want to keep working on the end of the story.  Rereading it helps refresh my memory of where I started and where I’m going.  I was thinking I would work on a couple of projects like this over the summer but it might be too much to do all of that. 
On the creative side of this though is that I may find myself drawn to a different story (there are currently three or four bouncing around in my head) and may want to work on something else.  The one thing I need to stop doing is staying up till one or two in the morning writing or playing on the computer. 
I have a week off coming up.  I’m looking forward to that.  I’d like to get my books cataloged and organized.  I’d also like to get my craft room organized so it is less junk room and more craft room.  Vicki will be gone volunteering for two days so I’ll have the house to myself on those days.  I am hoping to make those writing days.  I also want to see if I can get Stephanie’s afghan finished.  I’m down to like four and a half rows.  I think this will mean that I watch DVDs for a day (or more) to try to get it done.  I’m finishing up a smaller project right now and then I’ll go back to the afghan. 
We got new living room furniture.  Our old furniture was falling apart and so we got new.  I’m enjoying it so far.  We got a sofa and loveseat with recliners.  This meant that we cleared out and rearranged the living room.  It looks so much better now.  The craft stuff for Vicki and I are in one corner tucked out of the way.  It will get messy again I’m sure as we craft regularly – Vicki crafts daily.