Sonoma County Literary Update

If you are a Sonoma County writer with a book or chapbook newly published, let’s help you celebrate! Just send your announcement to editor@socolitupdate.com. Book announcements are posted in the order received.

Include a book front cover image (jpg), brief book description, and information on how your readers can find out more about you and your work or order a copy. Please send this announcement as plain text, preferably in an email (no flyers, pdfs or docs with special formatting).  The most recent announcements are posted at the top of the page.

Your announcement will appear in its entirety in the emailed version of the Update for the month it is posted. Subsequently, authors’ names will be listed in the emailed Update with links to this page.

Archived pages of books in print may be viewed here for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Sonoma County writers published in local, national, and international literary journals or anthologies will be recognized here as well. If you have a publication in a literary journal or anthology (within the last 30 days) you’d like to announce, send the following information to editor@socolitupdate.com: Your name, title of the piece, name of the journal and date of publication (issue/volume), link to journal’s or publisher’s website (if available). This list of journal publications will be posted monthly and archived.

 

Sonoma County Writers Published in Periodicals

During March 2023, the following local authors reported their work has recently been published in journals, magazines or anthologies, both print and electronic. The links to periodicals are mainly for your information and do not always go to the poem or story itself. Unless specified otherwise, the works are poems.  For an archive of previous publications in periodicals, click HERE.

Donna Emerson:
“Making Your Bed,” Apricity Magazine, February 22, 2023

Nicole R. Zimmerman
“Stories of Quarantine and Upheaval: A Reading List on the Power of Personal Narrative” in Longreads, March 9, 2023
“Literacyworks Center in Petaluma helps low-income students build confidence,” The Press Democrat’s Sonoma Gives section, March 16, 2023

 

New and Noted Books by Sonoma County Writers in 2023

Rebecca Rosenberg—Madame Pommery, Creator of Brut Champagne

Champagne, France, 1860. Madame Pommery, an etiquette teacher and orphanage founder, loses her husband and is forced to support her family. With no experience, the forty-year-old widow decides to make champagne. Her unique vision is to change it from a sweet dessert beverage to a dry, crisp wine to be enjoyed anytime. When champagne makers refuse to teach her their craft, she forges ahead on her own and secretly begins the excavation of champagne caves under the Reims city dump. 

Soon after, her son and her entire crew are conscripted to fight the Franco-Prussian war, leaving Madame Pommery alone to struggle with her champagne dreams. After the Prussians invade France and occupy Madame Pommery’s house as an army headquarters, she uses her secret wine caves to hide the Francs-Tireurs, resistance fighters for France. But when her former lover, a Scottish baron, unexpectedly proposes marriage, Madame Pommery must choose between nobility and her passionate quest for fine champagne and the most beautiful winery in the world.

Based on a true story, Madame Pommery is a heroic novel about a mother and widow who fights the Prussians, the social class system, champagne patriarchs, and champagne tastes to create a champagne legacy.

Available for pre-order on Amazon

Frances Rivetti—The House on Liberty Street

Uncover the dark side of Christmas in this taut, 24-hour-compressed timeline, a compact, deep and gratifying tale of a resilient, all-female household on the brink of irreversible change. It is December 24th 2019 in a Victorian home in the small, Northern California Gold-Rush-era riverfront city of Petaluma. Festive tables are set, a roaring fire warms the tree-lit parlor and empty pillowcases rest at the end of the twin beds of widow Adamaria’s excited young granddaughters. Rain begins to fall as the four women of the house settle in for a cozy, uneventful holiday. What could go possibly wrong?

The House on Liberty Street is an intricately worked, ultimately uplifting story. It unfolds within slow-pleasured holiday preparations as Adamaria and her daughter Gracie prepare for a traditional Italian American wine country Christmas despite their meagre funds. In turn, heartwarming and harrowing, unexpected events unfold after a stranger disturbs the sleep of the widowed matriarch in the early hours of Christmas morning, intensifying the physical, financial and emotional conflicts faced by these formidable women.

Illustrated by Gail Foulkes 

Available to purchase at Copperfield’s Books, online at any bookseller in print and ebook format, preferably https://bookshop.org/lists/the-house-on-liberty-street-home-of-second-chances or in print directly from the author for $21.95 with tax, via PayPal (plus media mail) with a button on her blog site homepage: www.southernsonomacountrylife.com

Gwynn O’Gara—We Who Dream

The poems in We Who Dream strike so many deep chords—intimate, sexual, environmental, mythical, visionary. Gwynn O’Gara’s gift is the unexpected. There are lines that transport the reader to the threshold of the familiar, inspiring visions of what’s possible just beyond; others pirouette on that edge, opening to an utterly different reality. Mating harbor seals become sleeping beauties; a clam slowly unfolds into “secret, stranger, lover, moon.” Ultimately, these poems kindle a connection, take us to our human core where, like paper cranes, we are threaded each to each by miracles, by incantation, by dreams.
—Terry Ehret, author of Lucky Break and Night Sky Journey

Available from Copperfield’s Montgomery Village and Sebastopol and Finishing Line Press
https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/we-who-dream-by-gwynn-ogara

Stephen Altschuler—To Live a Life: 200 Ways to be the best person you can be

In To Live a Life: 200 Ways to be the best person you can be, Altschuler relies on his own experiences as well as spiritual and practical wisdom from Eastern and Western traditions, some of which he has practiced and taught. He is a retired mental health professional who has worked with a wide array of people in many community mental health settings. All of that has been distilled  into an easy-to-read volume that can be turned to at any point and place for some advice and guidance on…well…being a better human being. The late Barbara Renard, a long time Sonoma County resident whose photo is on the book’s cover, was an inspiration to the author in writing this book.

Sacajawea Press. You can find it in ebook or paperback format at Amazon at https://tinyurl.com/3u3xny9r. 

Susanna Solomon—Paris Beckons

“Evocative and personal, heart-wrenching and illuminating, Susanna Solomon’s Paris Beckons showcases 34 stories revealing what lies beneath our deepest fears and memories. Poignant and for those with pasts that refuse to remain buried.”
—Cara Black, author of the award winning Aimee LeDuc Mystery Series

“Often heart-rending, sometimes surreal, but always intriguing, Solomon’s Paris Beckons transports the reader to amazing places in and around Paris and in and around the human heart.”
—JT Morrow, artist, author

Sandra J. Anfang—Finishing School

“In these poems, a teacher urges her students to curiosity and sensory delight. She is the first in her school to tune in to Nine-Eleven and be the messenger of horror and fear. Perspectives vary: the Special Ed student, drawn out of self-rejection into feistiness; at the Continuation High, the “Throwaway kids . . . with meth-head fathers, cocaine mothers;” in science class, the “goofy” boy who earnestly asks about aliens. Ultimately, everything craves connection, like “the infant navigating the air with / the periscope of her lips.” This wise book, full of vitality, compassion and striking detail, should delight teachers and all readers of poetry.”
— Dorothy Gilbert, author of Fox Woman: Poems and Marie de France: Poetry

“Sandra Anfang’s poetry glides across the page and knows just how to land. The poems in Finishing School light the way and take us there, exploring the art and craft of teaching, as well as the wonder, and sometimes pain, of being a student, artfully illuminating how teacher and student discover and learn, together. These poems pulse with empathy and understanding and heart that move us “beyond speech or poetry or belief.” This collection is a bouquet of color, joy, and sorrow and connections and discoveries that evoke the beauty and power of poetry to understand, to heal, and to love, each poem crafted with eloquence, wisdom, and grace.”
— Guy Biederman, author of Nova Nights

Available from Kelsay Book: https://kelsaybooks.com/collections/all

Lakin Khan—Home Turf: A Bestiary of Sonoma State

Sonoma State University sits on the Russian River flood plain in Sonoma County, California. With a moderate climate, dry summers and wet winters, it is a welcome home to many endemic species of animals and plants. Anyone who explores the college campus with open eyes and heart can encounter an array of wildlife close up. Supported by the illustrations of Shane Weare, Lakin Khan communicates the special environment that comprises Home Turf.

Henry & Poppy Press
Available on Amazon and at Copperfields Books, Petaluma

Redwood Writers —On Fire: 2022 Prose Anthology

Redwood Writers is proud to announce the release of our latest prose anthology, On Fire. Presented by editor Cynthia Gregory, this collection of memoir and fiction stories written by Redwood Writers members shares a theme of fire, from literal to symbolic. Fire is a primal and mythic symbol in life, literature, and the evolution of humankind. Since the discovery of fire, igniting a flame has been a hallmark of warmth and comfort. We share ancestral stories around campfires, and a robust hearth is a symbol of a well-kept home. As a symbol, fire can mean being consumed by passion. Flames can be a comfort or a danger. Intense heat can refer to a supernatural world beyond our planet as in blazing comets and lava spewing interstellar volcanos. The mythology of fire has been used to represent transformation, ambition, and purification. In On Fire, members of Redwood Writers share true and fictional stories inspired by what fire means to them.

Price: $15
Available on Amazon.

__________

Redwood Writers Club 2023 Author Launch Books

The following books, to be featured at the Redwood Writers Club 2023 Author Launch on Saturday, February 18, 2023, were published between January 1, 2022 and February 1, 2023. Books by Redwood Writers previously announced on this site and not included below are: Mario Dell’Olio’s Letters from Italy, Robin Gabbert’s The Clandestine Life of Paintings in Rome, Mara Lynn Johnstone’s A Swift Kick to the Thorax, Crissi Langwell’s For the Birds, and Shawn Langwell’s Ten Seconds of Boldness. For descriptions of these books, see: https://socolitupdate.com/sonoma-county-in-print/2022-soco-writers-in-print. Susanna Solomon’s Paris Beckons (described above) will also be featured at the Author Launch.

Tenisha Bernal—Little Chef’s First 100 Words

Here’s a baby’s First Words book with a culinary twist! Little Chef’s First 100 Words introduces babies and toddlers to items that can be found in the heart of the home: the kitchen. This book presents everything from cooking utensils and common appliances to international cookware and baking supplies. The perfect gift for budding chefs & bakers!

Available on Amazon

Neil Burgstahler—A Trip Through Time & Other Short Stories

The animal version of the A-Team, rescuing their kidnapped loved one. A termite hosting a farewell party. An animal lover in trouble in school and at home. A mysterious visitor who helped a lonely youngster and his widowed dad. A bitter recluse who almost lost his two best friends. One abandoned youngster who learned what love is.

Simona Carini—Survival Time

Simona Carini’s poems are rooted in quiet observations of life events past and present. Illness imbues love and time with an intense flavor. There is blue in the poems, not all dark. There are stars, not all in the sky. And there is water—ocean, lake, lagoon, glacier. The book reflects a life lived fully immersed in spaces born or made sacred.

Purchase here: https://sheilanagigblog.com/sheila-na-gig-editions-quick-shopping/simona-carini

Nadine Condon—Confessions: Stories to Rock Your Soul

“The chronicling of an amazing woman and life, of an inspiring story arc that goes from rock and roll fanatic—and professional—to heart-felt work in hospice, and of lessons learned at both ends, thanks to her discovery of the Spirit.”
—Ben Fong-Torres, Sr. Editor, Rolling Stone

Available on Amazon

Pamela Heck—Amazing Animals: Fun Facts for Kids

Amazing Animals packs a powerful 1-2-3 punch with twenty-seven full color illustrations, whimsical rhymes, and truly amazing fun facts. Find out how elephants communicate with their feet, why crocodiles cry, and much more. A two-page glossary introduces children to new words specific to book content. Ideal for children ages 4 to 8.

Available on Amazon

Jon G. Jackson—Mostly in His Own Words

The story of the Jackson family in America begins when Maryland was still an English penal colony. In 1749, John Jackson and his wife-to-be, Elizabeth Comings, had both been convicted of stealing in England, and they were individually sentenced to transportation to America. They met on board the merchant ship Litchfield.

Purchase from Ink Monkey Press: www.artandpoetry.com/inkmonkeypress

Jeanne Jusaitis—Dragonfly Dreams

Dragonfly Dreams is a beautifully illustrated book of 17 read-aloud poems for children. The whimsical poems are in four categories: memories, seasons, this and that, and story poems. Most of the poems are written in rhyme and have a pattern. These are key elements in childhood literacy.

Available on Amazon

Dr. Carla Marie Manly—Date Smart: Transform Your Relationships and Love Fearlessly

Date Smart offers uplifting guidance in the art of creating authentic, empowering relationships through increased self-awareness. Using powerful mindset shifts and case studies, readers learn to replace illusions with healthy discernment. Date Smart draws the reader into an introspective realm to support healthy relationships from the inside out.

Available on Amazon

Brigitte Mendoza—The Emotions: The Impact of the Pandemic on Emotions

The book has two parts: One, analyses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s emotional health & how to avert future psychosocial crises. Two, provides the Comprehensive Method of Emotional Health Regulation, integrating mind – body – spiritual approaches to process the psychosocial impact of the pandemic, regulate emotions & regain wellbeing.

Available on Amazon

J. Curtis Moran—Lost & Found

An eighteen-year-old leaves his home in Philadelphia to get away from a drug-addicted mother and her abusive partner as well as to track down the man he thought was his deadbeat dad. His bus trip across the country and adventures in San Francisco, bring answers and unexpected discoveries for him—a young woman and fresh insights about his parents.

Purchase at: https://www.jcurtismoran.com

Rod Morgan—
A Wicked Web

Detective Dietrick, faced with the end of his career, decides to finally stand-up to the corrupt DA.

Dana Rodney—The Last Polar Bear

Part wildlife thriller, part nature narrative, The Last Polar Bear is a spellbinding journey into the near future of the earth’s vanishing wildlife.
In 2040, as poachers close in on the last polar bear on earth, an Inuit must use her shamanic abilities to save the bear’s life, even at the risk of her own.

Available on Amazon

 

Steve Trenam—Moonlight and Reflections: Nine Sonoma Poets

The nine poets in this anthology first met through my poetry-writing class in the Santa Rosa Junior College Older Adult Program. Our formation of Poetic License Sonoma led to a collaboration with the Sebastopol Center for the Arts for monthly poetry readings via Zoom.

Purchase: https://poeticlicensesonoma.com

Tommie W. Whitener—
The Circassian Beauty

Even after Pavel stole her heart and whisked her away from her lout of a husband, the beautiful Natalia didn’t know if the dashing young cavalry officer could be trusted. He promised her a glittery new life in the best salons of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, but would he deliver?

Available on Amazon

 

Books by Sonoma County Authors Published in 2022

For details, see: https://socolitupdate.com/sonoma-county-in-print/2022-soco-writers-in-print

• Sandra J. Anfang—Finishing School
• Robin Gabbert—The Clandestine Life of Paintings in Poems
• Guy Biederman—Translated From the Original: One-Inch Punch Fiction
• Mara Lynn Johnstone—A Swift Kick to the Thorax
• Mario Dell’Olio—Letters from Italy
• Chester Arnold and Bart Schneider—The Daily Feast
• Linda Bello-Ruiz—Betrayed
• Joan Frank—Juniper Street
• Joan Frank—Late Work: A Literary Autobiography of Love, Loss, and What I Was Reading
• Shawn Langwell—Ten Seconds of Boldness
• Jon G. Jackson—Practicing Silence
• Patrick Fanning—Three Layer Watercolor Landscapes: Try It Yourself
• Phyllis Meshulam, editor—The Freedom of New Beginnings: Poems of Witness and Vision from Sonoma County
• Stephen Altschuler—Beating Insomnia: A No-Nonsense Way to Natural Sleep
• Mara Lynn Johnstone—Spectacular Silver Earthling
• Hemu Aggarwal—The Forbidden Letters
• Redwood Writers 2022 Poetry Anthology—Crossroads
• B.K. Sweeting—Pearlized
• Crissi Langwell—For the Birds
• Stefan Kiesbye—But I Don’t Know You
• Nancy Cavers Dougherty—Heaven is in Truckee
• Ulalume González de Leόn—Plagios/Plagarisms, Volume Two (A bilingual edition, translated by Terry Ehret, John Johnson, and Nancy J. Morales)
• Kathleen Winter—Cat’s Tongue
• Redwood Writers Club—Remember When: Fiction & Memoir Tales of Memories and Times Past
• Molly Martin—Wonder Woman Electric to the Rescue
• Michael David Fels—Bodies in Motion: Short Trips in An Expanding Universe
• Leeann Lidz—Adventures on the Gringo Trail: An Artist’s Awakening
• Ed Davis—The Last Professional

Redwood Writers Club Author Launch Books, 2022:

• Richard Boyd—Irradiated: An Alien Perspective
• Robbi Sommers Bryant—The Darkness
• Joan Goodreau—Where to Next?
• Cynthia Gregory—What Is Possible From Here
• Kathy Guthormsen—The Story of Jazz and Vihar
• Lenore Hirsch—Schooled: Confessions of a Rookie Vice Principal
• Karl Kadie—Revenge of Nature
• Bruce Koepp (pen name, Bruce Ruben)—Pitfall
• Karen Misuraca, Secret Sonoma: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
• Joan Prebilich—Some Men Must Live
• Rebecca Rosenberg—Champagne Widows
• Steve Trenam—An Affront to Gravity
• Tommie Whitener—California Vignettes: Some Stories
• Natasha Yim—Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum