Q & A with Susan Meissner, Author of Stars Over Sunset Boulevard + Giveaway!!

 I am beyond thrilled to have Susan Meissner, author of Stars Over Sunset Boulevard (check out my review HERE) on the blog today with a lovely Q & A. I really hope you enjoy it! Continue after for more information about the book and Susan, and leave a comment on this post with a question or comment for Susan relating to her Q & A for your chance to win a SIGNED copy of Stars Over Sunset Boulevard (please leave a relevant comment to be entered. This is open to US/CAN). Enjoy!

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Hi Susan and thank you so much for taking the time to stop by A Literary Vacation! To start off, can you tell us where you got the idea for Stars Over Sunset Boulevard? I was so happy when I discovered it had a connection to the Gone with the Wind movie...it's my favorite movie of all time!

I’ve only read Gone with the Wind once, but I’ve probably seen the movie a dozen times. There’s something about those characters, the cinematography, the costumes and that sound track that have always wooed me. I’ve wanted to set a story on the 1939 movie set of this film for a long time; I knew it would provide a detail-rich environment. Gone with the Wind is not very often described as being a story about friendship, but the more I’ve watched the film version, the more I’ve seen how complex Scarlett O’Hara and Melanie Hamilton’s relationship was. I long wanted to explore how these two characters at first glance seem to be polar opposites but are actually both fiercely loyal and aren’t afraid of making hard choices to protect what they love. I knew I could use Scarlett and Melanie’s fictional friendship as a template for telling a story about two studio secretaries who, like Scarlett and Melanie, are not as different from each other as we might first think.



So the story has a strong theme of friendship running through it?

Most definitely. I think friendship is the most remarkable of human relationships because it is completely voluntary. We choose our friends. There is no civil or legal code that demands we stay friends; no vows are spoken and no contracts are signed to be or remain in relationships with each other. And yet most of us have friends whom we love as deeply as those people we are legally and morally bound to. I know I have friends like that.  C.S. Lewis aptly describes friendship this way: “I have no duty to be anyone’s Friend and no man in the world has a duty to be mine. No claims, no shadow of necessity. Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”  I love writing novels about relationships, and friendship is a relationship unlike any other.

I've heard from other authors that they find quite a few surprises pop up during the research process. Where there any surprises you came across while writing Stars Over Sunset Boulevard?

Hollywood was like a dream factory in the 1930s and ‘40s. It was a place that produced in fantasy what people imagined life could be like after the horrors of the First World War and the demoralizing years of the Depression. The Golden Age of Hollywood was a chance to indulge again in beauty and wonderment. This era also interests me because Hollywood’s Golden Years ended so suddenly and without any warning. After World War II, most in Hollywood thought they could just pick up where they left off before the war started. But the arrival of television just a few years later changed everything. The beginning of WWII was actually the beginning of the end of Hollywood’s Golden Age and no one really saw it coming. I also didn’t fully appreciate how much easier it is to write a book in which the setting is hostile! I wrote SECRETS OF A CHARMED LIFE against the backdrop of World War II and A FALL OF MARIGOLDS employed the historical Triangle Shirtwaist Fire as well as 9/11 as settings. Hollywood in its heyday was a glamorous and benevolent location, so all of my tension had to come from within the characters. Yikes! I had forgotten how helpful it is to have a setting provide some of the angst!

 Is there anything in particular, other than the importance of friendship, that you hope readers will take away from their reading of the story?

I hope the theme that will resonate most is that love and fear can sometimes feel the same, though they influence our choices differently. When I have a decision to make that involves another person, fear often motivates me to choose what’s best for me. But love motivates me to choose what is best for the other person. Fear urges me to hang on to what is mine, while love can actually lead me to let go. My hoped-for takeaway from the novel is the idea that when you hold something you love tightly to your chest for fear of losing it, you actually risk crushing it against you.

Finally, because you know I'm already waiting excitedly, what are you working on now? 

I am two-thirds through the book I am writing next, which is tentatively titled A BRIDGE ACROSS THE OCEAN. One of its key settings is the HMS Queen Mary during one of its many GI war brides crossings. The Queen is such a perfect place to set a story, because she has such a marvelous past. She started out as a luxury liner, was remade into a troop carrier during the war, and has been a floating hotel here in California since 1967. She is also fabled to be haunted by numerous ghosts, a detail I simply cannot ignore. So there will be a ghost or two in this next book! This story thematically, though, is about three female characters, two of whom are war brides who meet on the Queen Mary in 1946. The current-day character, Brette, has the family gift of being able to see ghosts though she very much wishes she couldn’t. She also doesn’t want to pass along that hereditary gift to a child but her husband is anxious to start their family. All three characters will face a bridge they need to cross where the other side is hidden from their view. The concept of a bridge across the ocean – which seems impossible -- speaks to how difficult it is to go from one place to another when you can’t see what awaits you. This book will release in 2017.

War brides, the HMS Queen Mary, ghosts....oh my gosh, you have no idea how excited I am now! I'll be over here waiting as patiently as possible for this next adventure :). Thank you again Susan for stopping by and providing my readers with such in depth and intriguing information. Your books are always fascinating and immersive experiences and I cannot thank you enough for the hours of delight they've provided  me.

Readers, if you would like to enter my giveaway for a signed copy of Stars Over Sunset Boulevard  (open to US/CAN) please leave a question or a comment below for Susan regarding her post. I'll use a random number generator to pick a winner from the relevant comments on January 7th, 2016.

Good Luck!!

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Publisher: NAL
Publication Date: January 5th, 2016

Pages: 400

In this new novel from the acclaimed author of Secrets of a Charmed Life, two women working in Hollywood during its Golden Age discover the joy and heartbreak of true friendship.

Los Angeles, Present Day. When an iconic hat worn by Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind  ends up in Christine McAllister’s vintage clothing boutique by mistake, her efforts to return it to its owner take her on a journey more enchanting than any classic movie… 

Los Angeles, 1938.  Violet Mayfield sets out to reinvent herself in Hollywood after her  dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart, and lands a job on the film-set of Gone With the Wind. There, she meets enigmatic Audrey Duvall, a once-rising film star who is now a fellow secretary. Audrey’s zest for life and their adventures together among Hollywood’s glitterati enthrall Violet…until each woman’s deepest desires collide.  What Audrey and Violet are willing to risk, for themselves and for each other, to ensure their own happy endings will shape their friendship, and their lives, far into the future. 

Praise for Stars Over Sunset Boulevard

“Susan Meissner tackles Old Hollywood with her trademark heart, depth, and lyrical style. A touching portrait of two memorable women who will remind readers of the friendships that shape us.” —Michelle Gable, International Bestselling Author

“Susan Meissner deftly casts a fascinating friendship between two complex women against a glittering 1930s Hollywood backdrop. You will love this book for its very human characters and for its inside look at one of the greatest movies ever made.”— Marisa de los Santos, New York Times Bestselling Author

“Beautifully simple yet impactful" Romantic Times, 4 stars

"A lovely, well-crafted story that peeks at a fascinating moment in cinematic history and examines the power and vulnerability of sincere friendship." - Kirkus Reviews

 

 

Buy the Book

 Amazon | Barnes and Noble |  Books A Million | Indie Bound | Powell's

About the Author

Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker and writing workshop leader with a backgroundA Fall of Marigolds, named to Booklist’s Top Ten Women’s Fiction titles for 2014, and The Shape of Mercy, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the 100 Best Novels of 2008. A California native, she attended Point Loma Nazarene University. Susan is a pastor’s wife and a mother of four young adults. When she’s not working on a novel, Susan writes small group curriculum for her San Diego church.

in community journalism. Her novels include

For more information on Susan and her books visit her website, and connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.





Review: Stars Over Sunset Boulevard by Susan Meissner

Publisher: NAL
Publication Date: January 5th, 2016

Pages: 400

Synopsis

In this new novel from the acclaimed author of Secrets of a Charmed Life, two women working in Hollywood during its Golden Age discover the joy and heartbreak of true friendship.

Los Angeles, Present Day. When an iconic hat worn by Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind  ends up in Christine McAllister’s vintage clothing boutique by mistake, her efforts to return it to its owner take her on a journey more enchanting than any classic movie… 

Los Angeles, 1938.  Violet Mayfield sets out to reinvent herself in Hollywood after her  dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart, and lands a job on the film-set of Gone With the Wind. There, she meets enigmatic Audrey Duvall, a once-rising film star who is now a fellow secretary. Audrey’s zest for life and their adventures together among Hollywood’s glitterati enthrall Violet…until each woman’s deepest desires collide.  What Audrey and Violet are willing to risk, for themselves and for each other, to ensure their own happy endings will shape their friendship, and their lives, far into the future. 

What Did I Think About the Story?

Susan Meissner's last novel, Secrets of a Charmed Life, was my first 5-starred book of 2015. This being the case I was beyond excited to read her newest, Stars Over Sunset Boulevard, not only because she's one of my favorite authors but because Gone with the Wind is my all time favorite movie. I've watched it more times than I can count and have always marveled at the costumes and complicated characters. Getting to see beyond the spectacle into the real world making of the movie....yeah, sign me up for that! Sometimes this kind of high expectation has lead me to disappointment, but I'm delighted to say Stars Over Sunset Boulevard was just as wonderful as I expected!


The modern storyline involving Christine McAllister and her discovery of the iconic green curtain hat from the making of Gone with the Wind is told more as small snippets that connect Christine's past to one of our characters from the 1930's than as its own standalone storyline. The small mystery of how the carpet hat made its way out of the hands of the movie makers and into a woman's private collection and how that woman connected to Christine kept the snippets interesting, but the real heft and emotion of the story resides in Violet and Audrey's relationship starting when they meet as secretaries on the set of the movie.


Audrey and Violet make wonderful counters for each other and serve to represent two distinct kinds of women during this vibrant and unique time and place in history. Audrey wants nothing more than to be a movie star and is as vivacious, beautiful and outgoing as one could want in a woman with this ambition. Violet, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to be a wife and mother and is shy and naive to the ways of Hollywood. Both are hiding secrets from their pasts that hamper there ability to get what they want most. However, when circumstances present themselves that will allow both women the chance at their greatest happiness, they take it, not realizing the consequences that might come. Watching each sacrifice so much and make choices they know aren't right in the hope that the outcome will be was poignant and touching.  In the end the saying "be careful what you wish for because you just might get it" comes into play for both and they have to face the fact that what they thought they wanted might not have been worth what they did to get it.


While the gold of the story is the relationship between Audrey and Violet, I can't forget to mention the behind the scenes view into the making of Gone with the Wind, as it is as fascinating as you would imagine. Learning little tidbits, like the fact that Vivienne Leigh was not cast as Scarlett O'Hara when filming started, really fed my need to know more about the making of the movie. Susan Meissner did an exceptional job of perfectly describing this world so I felt completely immersed and could envision it all, from movie sets to Audrey's bungalow to the streets and sounds of old Hollywood. It was a perfect backdrop for this exceptional story.


I can't recommend Susan Meissner's novels enough for those that love glimpses into interesting times in history mixed in with a modern storyline that connects to the past. The characters are always well drawn and interesting and never fail to tug at my heart. Stars Over Sunset Boulevard is now another favorite of mine, and I cannot help but get excited to see what she comes up with next.  

What Did I Think About the Cover?

This might be my favorite cover of the year (it's a close tie between this and the cover for The Conqueror's Wife)! The woman on the front is just so elegant and her dress is to die for!! The green and blue and pink (my favorite!) all compliment each other so nicely. Great job cover designer!!

My Rating: 5.0/5.0 

I received a copy of Stars Over Sunset Boulevard from the author in exchange for an  honest review. Thank you so much, Susan! Continue below for more information about the author and her delightful new novel!

Praise for Stars Over Sunset Boulevard

“Susan Meissner tackles Old Hollywood with her trademark heart, depth, and lyrical style. A touching portrait of two memorable women who will remind readers of the friendships that shape us.” —Michelle Gable, International Bestselling Author

“Susan Meissner deftly casts a fascinating friendship between two complex women against a glittering 1930s Hollywood backdrop. You will love this book for its very human characters and for its inside look at one of the greatest movies ever made.”— Marisa de los Santos, New York Times Bestselling Author

“Beautifully simple yet impactful" Romantic Times, 4 stars

"A lovely, well-crafted story that peeks at a fascinating moment in cinematic history and examines the power and vulnerability of sincere friendship." - Kirkus Reviews

Buy the Book

 Amazon | Barnes and Noble |  Books A Million | Indie Bound | Powell's

About the Author

Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker and writing workshop leader with a backgroundA Fall of Marigolds, named to Booklist’s Top Ten Women’s Fiction titles for The Shape of Mercy, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the 100 Best Novels of 2008. A California native, she attended Point Loma Nazarene University. Susan is a pastor’s wife and a mother of four young adults. When she’s not working on a novel, Susan writes small group curriculum for her San Diego church.

2014, and

in community journalism. Her novels include

For more information on Susan and her books visit her website, and connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.



Q & A with Alex Palmer, Author of The Santa Claus Man

 

 

Alex Palmer is the author of the new history book The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York, which tells the story of a dapper con artist who used a Santa letter–answering scheme to make himself rich and famous. It’s a rollicking holiday caper that includes a kidnapping, stolen art, pursuit by the FBI, and the celebrities and famous NYC landmarks of the era. It is hard to believe the story hasn’t been told until now. I spoke with Alex about how he stumbled onto this forgotten chapter of Gotham’s Christmas past, and what inspired him to tell it. Enjoy and be sure to read on after the Q & A for more information on the book, the author, the blog tour and a special blog tour Christmas gift!

 

 

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New York City and Christmas go so well together, it’s hard to believe the story of how its Santa letters came to be answered has never been told before. How did you uncover this story?

 

 

 

I know! I couldn’t believe it had not been told either. I first learned about the story because John Duval Gluck—the title character—is my great granduncle. On Christmas Eve in 2010, a family member mentioned the story but had only the sketchiest details. I started digging into it and found there was much more than any of us realized.

 

 

 

The Santa Claus Man tells how Gluck started the Santa Claus Association in 1913, gathering together volunteers to answer letters to Santa that would otherwise go to the Dead Letter Office, and this really turned into a pretty big deal.

 

 

 

Yeah, the group became this phenomenon—tons of articles were written about them, celebrities like John Barrymore and Mary Pickford held benefits and did publicity stunts for them, politicians like Jimmy Walker and Al Smith supported them, and the group even made plans to build a huge Santa Claus Building in the center of Manhattan. Every year, the group answered tens of thousands of letters, matching kids who wrote to Santa with generous New Yorkers who would donate gifts to answer their Christmas wishes.

 

 

 

And weaved through all of this is the much larger tale of how Christmas came to be the holiday we celebrate today. A few major moments in Christmas history happen during the 15 years the Santa Claus Association was operating—the first citywide Christmas tree, the World War I Christmas truce, and the inaugural Macy’s Christmas Parade. But you go further into how the holiday was really created in New York. Were you surprised about some of what you learned about the holiday’s origins?

 

 

 

I always thought Christmas was this European tradition that we imported directly to the U.S., but what I learned while researching was that Christmas as we celebrate it today is really a New York invention. Santa Claus (the one with a big belly, red fur coat, and jolly laugh) was devised by Clement Clarke Moore at his Chelsea estate; Santa’s workshop was created by Harper’s illustrator Thomas Nast, drawing on his own cluttered Manhattan home; even the country’s first Christmas tree farm was in Manhattan.

 

 

 

All that, and the many touching Santa letters you quote from, make this a fun holiday read. But you also delve into some darker territory, particularly around the main character. As the title says, he’s a con artist.

 

 

 

That’s right. While the Santa Claus Association began innocent enough, once Gluck found himself at the center of the city’s attention and donations began to roll in, some darker aspects of his character surfaced. I won’t spoil exactly where things go, but will just say that once Gluck dedicates himself to keeping belief in the myth of Santa alive, he is soon spinning even more elaborate fictions of his own invention—and for his own enrichment. But Gluck is wily. While his schemes catch the attention of everyone from the district attorney to the FBI, he manages to stay a step ahead of the authorities—for awhile at least.

 

 

 

Was that hard to investigate, the darker aspects of your own relative?

 

 

 

Yeah, I felt a bit guilty about taking this idealized figure that embodied “Christmas spirit,” then pulling him apart and exposing all these darker schemes and lies he told. But in the process, he became a more sympathetic and interesting character to me—not a simple hero or villain, but a real person; an ambitious guy who used the tools available to him to improve his station in life. I found I could relate to that person much more than I could the simpler, purely good figure he began as. And the more complicated character is also a lot more fun.

 

 

 

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Publisher: Lyons Press

Publication Date: October 1st, 2015

Pages: 320

 

 

Miracle on 34th Street meets The Wolf of Wall Street in this true crime adventure, set in New York City in the Roaring Twenties.


Before the charismatic John Duval Gluck, Jr. came along, letters from New York City children to Santa Claus were destroyed, unopened, by the U.S. Post Office Department. Gluck saw an opportunity, and created the Santa Claus Association. The effort delighted the public, and for 15 years money and gifts flowed to the only group authorized to answer Santa’s mail. Gluck became a Jazz Age celebrity, rubbing shoulders with the era’s movie stars and politicians, and even planned to erect a vast Santa Claus monument in the center of Manhattan — until Gotham’s crusading charity commissioner discovered some dark secrets in Santa’s workshop.


The rise and fall of the Santa Claus Association is a caper both heartwarming and hardboiled, involving stolen art, phony Boy Scouts, a kidnapping, pursuit by the FBI, a Coney Island bullfight, and above all, the thrills and dangers of a wild imagination. It’s also the larger story of how Christmas became the extravagant holiday we celebrate today, from Santa’s early beginnings in New York to the country’s first citywide tree lighting to Macy’s first grand holiday parade. The Santa Claus Man is a holiday tale with a dark underbelly, and an essential read for lovers of Christmas stories, true crime, and New York City history.


Other holiday highlights found in The Santa Clause Man:

•        The secret history of Santa letters, including a trove of original Santa letters and previously unpublished correspondences between the post office and charity groups arguing whether Santa’s mail should be answered.

•        The surprising origins of Christmas as we celebrate it today. From “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to the image of Santa Claus popularized by Coca-Cola, this book outlines how modern Christmas came to be, and includes a standalone timeline of holiday milestones.

•        The rise of modern-day charity— and charity fraud. Unchecked giving exploded after the First World War and this book follows this growth, as well as some of the most egregious exploiters of the country’s goodwill (including the Santa Claus Man himself), and how they were finally exposed.

•        Dozens of original vintage holiday photos, including a sculpture of Santa Claus made of 5,000 pulped letters to Santa, and a detailed sketch of a proposed Santa Claus Building, planned but never built in midtown Manhattan.

Praise for The Santa Claus Man

“Highly readable” — Publishers Weekly

“Required reading” — New York Post

“A rich, sensational story of holiday spirit corrupted by audacity and greed, fueled by the media at the dawning of the Jazz Age.”— Greg Young, cohost of Bowery Boys NYC history podcast

“A Christmas pudding of a book, studded with historical nuggets and spiced with larceny.”— Gerard Helferich, author of Theodore Roosevelt and the Assassin

 

 

The Santa Claus Man was featured in this New York Times post entitled “Mama Says That Santa Claus Does Not Come to Poor People“.

 

 

 

Buy the Book

 

 

 Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

 

 

 

Special Blog Tour Christmas Gift!

 

 

 

 

 

Get a FREE Santa bookplate signed by the author, plus two vintage Santa Claus Association holiday seals. Just email proof once you buy The Santa Claus Man (online receipt, photo of bookstore receipt, etc.) along with the mailing address where you'd like the gift sent to santaclausmanbook[at]gmail[dot]com.

 

Email before 12/21 to guarantee delivery by Christmas. 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

 

 

Author Alex Palmer has written for Slate, Vulture, Smithsonian Magazine, New York Daily News

and many other outlets. The author of previous nonfiction books Weird-o-Pedia and Literary Miscellany, he is also the great-grandnephew of John Duval Gluck, Jr.

 

 

You can learn more about Alex Palmer on his website and connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

TLC Book Tour for The Santa Claus Man

 

 

 

Monday, November 30th: A Chick Who Reads – Excerpt 1
Tuesday, December 1st: Time 2 Read – Excerpt 2
Wednesday, December 2nd: Life by Kristen – review
Thursday, December 3rd: Bibliotica – spotlight
Friday, December 4th: All Roads Lead to the Kitchen – Excerpt 3
Monday, December 7th: No More Grumpy Bookseller – author guest post
Tuesday, December 8th: BookBub – “7 True Holiday Tales to Put You in the Christmas Spirit”
Wednesday, December 9th: From the TBR Pile – Excerpt 4
Wednesday, December 9th: Buried Under Books – author guest post
Thursday, December 10th: Books on the Table – review and guest post
Thursday, December 10th: Broken Teepee – spotlight
Friday, December 11th: A Literary Vacation – author Q&A
Monday, December 14th: Musings of a Bookish Kitty – review
Tuesday, December 15th: Mom in Love with Fiction – Excerpt 5
Thursday, December 17th: Open Book Society – review
Thursday, December 17th: BookNAround – review
Friday, December 18th: Dreams, Etc. – review
Thursday, December 24th: FictionZeal – spotlight

 



Guest Post: J. Russell Smith, Author of Longworth

Today I have a wonderful guest post by J. Russell Smith, author of Longworth, to share with all of you! In it Mr. Smith gives us his inspiration for writing Longworth, a novel about one man's transformative journey during the Vietnam War. Please enjoy and be sure to read on for more about Longworth and Mr. Smith. There is also a tour-wide giveaway so be sure to check out that information below as well!

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I have been asked what inspired me to write Longworth. While there was more than one reason, I would suggest that the primary reason was my desire to try to understand the Vietnam War and our involvement in it. That, along with trying to comprehend just what was happening during that vibrant, exciting, transitional period that we refer to as the 60s, drove me to examine other conflicts and historical periods in US history. What was happening during the 1960s that led to our involvement in Vietnam and how the reaction of the commonweal was so stratified? Why was that conflict so different from other major conflicts in which we, as a nation, had fought? How did Carson’s generation differ so dramatically from that of his parents? How, exactly, did we arrive at this transitional period in our history? What were some of the causes and why did it tear families apart?


As I began to explore the reasons for and the ramifications of our involvement in Vietnam, it occurred to me, in a subliminal fashion I suppose, that I simply did not possess the knowledge necessary to understand not just our involvement in Vietnam, but how we engage in all sorts of martial conflicts. In trying to grasp how I fit into the big picture, I began to study and learn as much as I could about the Vietnam War. That led, over the course of many years, to my insatiable thirst for knowledge in general, but also a quest to learn as much history as I possibly could. Because the war in Vietnam was such a seminal event and because of the impact it had on me, I had to know why. As I began searching, researching, and exploring how we arrived at that point in history, it became clear to me that beyond my quest for general knowledge, I needed to find an outlet to express my feelings.


It was not clear to me ab initio that I should put pen to paper. That really did not unfold until I found myself enduring sleepless nights, experiencing all sorts of bizarre nightmares. It was at that point that I quite reflexively decided to sit down and express my thoughts in the form of a novel. The entirety of this novel was written between the hours of midnight and 6:00am. That seemed to me the best time to coalesce my thoughts and to try to explain, as much for me as for the reader, just what it was I had to say, especially since I could not sleep. And, yes, there was a great deal of my own experiences that went into the body of this work. I am not certain how anyone could write such a personal tome and not refer to one’s own experiences.


I am unaware of how others approach a work such as this, though I have, over the years, heard various versions of how one approaches writing of any sort. Margaret Mitchell, in writing Gone with the Wind, for example, wrote the ending first, then filled things in as she felt the need. Others write an outline first then go from there. In my case, for better or worse, I just sit down and the words flow. I suspect all of my future endeavors will be in that format. I also suspect that the urgency to express myself around a particular event or era has greatly diminished since the completion of Longworth. My future writings, though they may be biting or political, will be written with less urgency and, hopefully, during the daylight hours.

 

 

 

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Publisher: Outskirts Press

Publication Date: October 7th, 2013

Pages: 386




Carson Longworth seem to have been born under a lucky star. Handsome and athletic, with a certain mystique that both intrigues the people around him and keeps them at a distance, he drifts through his high school years, focusing on music, dancing, dating, and having a good time. But while he is pursuing these easy pleasures, the world around him is changing. Carson leaves the warm cocoon of his family to go to college where he gets his initial dose of reality along with his first realizations that his peripatetic childhood has left him unprepared to relate deeply to the people around him. As the Vietnam begins to escalate, Carson is drafted into the Army, but instead decides to join the Marines. His experiences in the Marine Corps will begin to provide both the discipline he so desperately needs and the framework of domestic and international politics against which he will begin to rebel, defining and shaping his character in ways he could not have imagined.



While traveling form one duty station to another before leaving for Vietnam, Carson meets Kathy Wilkerson, a brilliant and beautiful young woman whose devotion provides the support and grounding that Carson needs in order to find his version of the truth. As a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, Carson will witness atrocities and absurdities that will reveal who he truly is: a formidably intelligent and ethical man with a need to understand the world and to stand up for what is right. Longworth is a unique coming-of-age story with a strong educational component, as well as a tender and inspiring love story. Broad in scope and beautifully detailed, Longworth is a deeply satisfying novel with thought-provoking themes that continue to resonate long after the last page is turned.

 

 

Buy the Book

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

 

 

About the Author

 

J. Russell Smith has spent a lifetime fighting for a sense of moral justice, on both a personal level and on a broader stage. His experiences in the Vietnam War and his graduate studies in intellectual history and political theory allow him to bring both an intimate perspective and a scholar’s analysis to the writing of Longworth. Smith is currently at work on his next two novels.

 

You can find out more about Mr. Smith on his website, and connect with him on both Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

Giveaway Time!!!

 

 

 

 

 

There is a tour-wide giveaway of the following:

1st Prize: Kindle Fire 7” WiFi 8GB Black plus ebook or paperback copy of Longworth

2nd Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card and ebook or paperback copy of Longworth

3rd Prize: ebook or paperback copy of Longworth

 

Go HERE to enter the giveaway.

 

Good Luck!!