AFTER THE ROMANOVS: Russian Exiles in Paris from the Belle Epoque Through Revolution and War by Helen Rappaport is a nonfiction novel about the Russian emigres specifically in Paris from the 1870’s to the early 1930’s. While most people are interested in the history happening in Russia during this time, this is an interesting look at many who fled.
Paris is a city of cultural excellence, fine wine and food, and the latest fashions, but it is also a place of refuge for those fleeing persecution before and after the Russian Revolution and the fall of the Romanov dynasty. For years, Russian aristocrats had enjoyed all that Paris had to offer, spending lavishly when they visited, but the brutality of the Bolshevik takeover forced Russians of all social backgrounds to flee their homeland, sometimes leaving with only the clothes on their backs.
Many former soldiers worked in the manufacturing plants and former princes learned to drive taxicabs and waite tables, while their wives who could sew worked for the fashion houses or set up their own. Talented intellectuals, artists, poets, philosophers, and writers struggled in exile, eking out a living at menial jobs. Some encountered success over time, but it was not always lasting. Political activists sought to overthrow the Bolshevik regime from afar and reestablish the monarchy while double agents on both sides plotted espionage and assassination. Many could not cope and became trapped in a cycle of poverty, depression, and an all-consuming homesickness for the Russian homeland they felt forced to leave.
I found this novel very interesting because I always read about the history in Russia itself and never really considered the refugees other than the few who left and then made names for themselves worldwide after the Revolution. I felt the plight of the refugees is described without bias. Not only did they have to deal with their losses, but the world was dealing with an economic depression at the same time which always makes the acceptance of refugees in another country difficult. The story of the first generation of refugees was depressing and sad, whether you agree with the Revolution or monarchy, due to the human suffering and lost dreams.
This nonfiction book can easily be the stories of refugees anywhere at any time which makes it an important read.
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About the Author
Helen Rappaport is a historian specializing in the Victorian period, with a particular interest in Queen Victoria and the Jamaican healer and caregiver, Mary Seacole. She also has written extensively on late Imperial Russia, the 1917 Revolution and the Romanov family. Her love of all things Victorian springs from her childhood growing up near the River Medway where Charles Dickens lived and worked. Her passion for Russian came from a Russian Special Studies BA degree course at Leeds University. In 2017 she was awarded an honorary D.Litt by Leeds for her services to history. She is also a member of the Royal Historical Society, the Genealogical Society, the Society of Authors and the Victorian Society. She lives in the West Country, and has an enduring love of the English countryside and the Jurassic Coast, but her ancestral roots are in the Orkneys and Shetlands from where she is descended on her father’s side. She likes to think she has Viking blood.
An intimate and light-hearted memoir by viral sensation and three-timeEmmy-nominated musical comedian Randy Rainbow that takes readers through his life—the highs, the lows, the lipstick, the pink glasses, and the show tunes.
Randy Rainbow, the man who conquered the Internet with a stylish pair of pink glasses, an inexhaustible knowledge of Broadway musicals, and the most gimlet-eyed view of American politics this side of Mark Twain finally tells all in Playing with Myself, a memoir sure to cause more than a few readers to begin singing one of his greatest hits like “A Spoonful of Clorox” or “Cover Your Freakin’ Face.”
As Randy has said, “There’s so much fake news out there about me. I can’t wait to set the record straight and finally give people a peek behind the green screen.” And set the record straight he does. Playing with Myself is a first-hand account of the journey that led Randy Rainbow from his childhood as the over-imaginative, often misunderstood little boy who carried a purse in the second grade to his first job on Broadway as the host at Hooters and on to the creation of his trademark comedy character. In chapters titled “Pajama Bottoms” (a look back at the days when he wore pajama bottoms on his head to pretend he was Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz), “Yes, It’s My Real Name, Shut Up!” (no explanation necessary…) and “Pink Glasses” (a rose-colored homage to his favorite accessory), Playing with Myself is a memoir that answers the question “Can an introverted musical theatre nerd with a MacBook and a dream save the world, one show tune at a time?”
PLAYING WITH MYSELF by Randy Rainbow is an entertaining and heartfelt audiobook memoir with the author himself narrating, because who else could do it justice? If you want to laugh and deal with the occasional tissue worthy tears, then this is the memoir for you.
Like many people, I discovered Randy Rainbow, yes that is his real name, on my social media feed during the previous administration and pandemic and was immediately addicted. He made me laugh and sing along to his videos through the scary and unbelievable. This audiobook is his life story to date narrated by himself. He tells stories of his grandmother always believing in him, his difficulties with his father and his unconventional path in the entertainment industry.
There are many ups and downs that are both humorous and heartbreaking and I felt it was all told from his soul. There is also plenty of name dropping and stories of Randy himself being a crazy fan as he meets his all-time favorite Broadway and entertainment stars. I enjoyed listening to him tell his story to date.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is playing baseball like no other since the legendary Babe Ruth. Ohtani’s dominance as a two-way player, one that pitches and bats effectively, has taken the Major League by storm. Since entering the league, he won the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year, competed in the 2021 Home Run Derby, started in the 2021 All Star Game as both a pitcher and hitter (the first player to ever do so), won the 2021 Most Valuable Player award, and was named to Time 100’s list of most influential people of 2021. The question on everyone’s mind is how is this Japanese phenom doing this? And how far can he go?
As the next generation of baseball superstars cement themselves, Ohtani, who can pitch a 100mph fastball and was a Top 3 home run leader at the end of the season, stands out amongst them all. Major League Baseball has found the new face of the sport.
In Sho-time, Jeff Fletcher will examine the player’s path from his early days in Japan, his transition to the MLB, and a start-to-finish inside look at his historic 2021 MVP season. Along the way, Fletcher will detail other players who have crossed over from Japan to the major leagues, how Ohtani brought his phenomenal talent to the game at a time when technology is exploding as a means toward maximizing performance, and the role that Ohtani and his otherworldly teammate Mike Trout are playing in helping to lead baseball into the next generation.
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Elise’s Thoughts
Sho-Time by Jeff Fletcher tells the inside story of the Los Angeles Angel’s Shohei Ohtani, a “two-way” baseball player. From the time he started playing baseball for the Angels he has become a celebrity. Shohei is a unique player, a unicorn to use baseball language, because he can pitch and hit, in the same game. Ohtani just made history as the only player to be named to the ALL-STAR team as both a pitcher and hitter two years in a row.
Jeff Fletcher uses his own experiences to explain the Shohei phenomenon. As the writer for the Orange County Register for the last eight seasons, he uses his vast knowledge of baseball and the Angels to delve into the challenges, triumphs, and journey of this baseball superstar.
The book covers Ohtani’s path through Japanese baseball including a championship with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, to his desire to play American Major League baseball. Readers get details about the recruiting war by Major League clubs, why he picked the Angels, Ohtanis’s 2018 Rookie of the Year campaign, the injury-riddled seasons, and his MVP year in 2021 with 157 strikeouts, an ERA of 3.18 ERA, 46 home runs and 10 triples. Most people believe that Ohtani is a dominant pitcher and a powerful designated hitter, a once in a lifetime player.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Why is he considered a one-of-a-kind player?
Jeff Fletcher: There has not been anybody succeeding in such a significant degree as both a hitter and pitcher since Babe Ruth, who did it more than 100 years ago. Ruth was a pitcher who realized he was a good hitter and decided not to pitch anymore. He did not intend to be a two-way player the way Shohei has. He does not match up with anyone.
EC: In the book there is this quote by Babe Ruth, “I don’t think a man can pitch in his regular turn and play every other game at some other position, to keep that pace year after year.” Do you think Ohtani will be able to do it?
JF: I do not know the answer to that. Since no one has ever done it, there is no precedent for it. He obviously has had some injury problems. Hopefully he can be productive and healthy as he had this last year and a half. Everyone should enjoy it while it lasts. What Ohtani did was harder than what Babe Ruth did. The level of competition today in the Majors is so much higher, especially with the analytics and the defensive positioning. Yet, today no one could do what Babe Ruth did, playing outfield for four days and then pitching. It has certainly helped Ohtani to be a designated hitter when he is not pitching.
EC: How would you describe Ohtani as a player and a personality?
JF: As a personality he has a good sense of humor that can be seen through his interaction with his teammates, happy, and enjoys playing baseball. As a player he has so much talent, being able to pitch and hit at such a high level, which is incredibly difficult.
EC: Is he a better pitcher or hitter?
JF: I think he is a little better pitcher because he is more consistent. If someone ranked all the pitchers and hitters in baseball, he probably is higher on the pitcher list. Shohei has had stretches as a hitter where he has struggled a month at a time. But he has never really had that as a pitcher, except for injuries.
EC: He will be a free agent in 2024, do you think he will sign a new contract with the Angels?
JF: It is hard to know the answer since there is no precedent how a player like this will be paid. The problem is no one can predict what his performance level will be like. Although this is true for all players, there is nothing to compare it to for him. Eventually his contract will need to have clauses and triggers, such as he gets paid x amount if he is a pitcher and a hitter or will be paid y amount if he only does one skill. I do think he will sign a contract with the Angels. They know what they have in him, a great player and someone very good for business. The only reason he would not sign is if he does not think the Angels can win.
EC: Why do you think he signed with the Angels?
JF: He did not decide to go with a team that had another Japanese player. This was and is not his primary goal. His goal is what feels comfortable to him. He did not choose the Angels because they had this great winning tradition, because they don’t. It was basically the people who talked to him convinced him it is a comfortable environment to be in and this is still the case.
EC: In your book you discuss Ohtani being managed by Mike Scioscia versus Joe Madden. Who was the better manager for him?
JF: Hindsight is 20-20 so obviously Joe Madden. He got the better performance out of Ohtani. Mike Scioscia treated Ohtani the way he pitched in Japan. He did not hit the day before or the day after he pitched and very rarely hit the same day he pitched. Also, they were under the impression Ohtani would not speak up if he were tired or needed a break. All that was true at the time. Now he says when he needs a break and when he does not, knowing himself a little better.
EC: Why was he better in 2021?
JF: He did a lot of training at Driveline in the winter before the 2021 season. This helped give him real hard data on what his energy levels were like. In that way, he would know when he needed a break.
EC: Did he ever comment that he has an advantage being a hitter and a pitcher. When he is hitting does he think like a pitcher and vice-versa?
JF: He has said he feels it is an advantage for him that he is a hitter and a pitcher. He sees the way pitchers approach him and the way hitters do it. He files all that a way. He has a nice perspective that other hitters and pitchers don’t have considering he is a two-way player.
EC: Relationship with Mike Trout?
JF: They are like other teammates. There is a scene in the book how Mike Trout called him during home run derby and said just relax. Mike Trout understood what the spotlight is like.
EC: Will he be a role model for other children who come up through the system and will there be more two-way players?
JF: I don’t think so. What he does is so difficult. A player would have to have a lot of physical talent.
EC: In your book you quoted him saying that Home Run Derby was fun, but tiring. Will he play this year?
JF: I don’t think it had any impact on his performance for the second half of the season. It makes no sense. Home Run Derby was on July 13th, and he started his slump on August 20th. This year, I am sure he can use the break so I do not think he will participate. Either will Mike Trout. He has never had an interest in doing it because he also wants to relax.
EC: Do you think Ohtani and Trout are striking out too much?
JF: Ohtani is striking out less than last year, while Trout is striking out more. First off everyone is striking out more than people would like to see. Strikeout numbers for the last 15 years have gone up exponentially. I think there are more strikeouts than hits, which is disturbing.
EC: Where can people get the book if they want to?
JF: Bookstores and on Amazon. It is available on Kindle and on Audio. It has been translated into Japanese. I am doing a book signing in a little bookstore in Tustin, the “RV Company” on July 17th. People can go to my website, https://jefffletcherwrites.com/ to get the latest information.
EC: Will this book appeal to all baseball fans?
JF: Yes. People who are not Angel fans might enjoy the book more since Angel fans might know a lot of stuff. Anyone who wants to learn about Ohtani might want to read this book since he has done something that no one has done in a hundred years.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
Welcome to Triple Stripe Stables, a farm in the heart of Canadian Thoroughbred horse country… He’s racing cross-country, looking for a safe place to land.
She’s dreading a future that was never her choice.
They both want the same thing: to leave the past behind.
September means school, but this year, Nate’s not going back. He’s heading east, and while everyone at home thinks he’s pursuing a career as a jockey, he’s really just running away.
After always being a student, he lands a job as a teacher — of young Thoroughbreds, starting yearlings on a small but classy farm in Ontario. It’s the perfect place to hide, until a jockey’s agent comes along promising to give him everything he thought he ever wanted. How can he say no to a fast track to the career of his dreams? But can he go back on his commitment to the farm that gave him a break when his world had fallen apart?
Liv likes the new guy she hired to start the babies, but she kind of hates him too. He’s doing what she wants to do herself — dropping out to chase a future on the front lines of horse racing. She wishes she could be content, accepting the path vet school has firmly set her on. But a filly named Claire has captured her heart and ignited her real passion: riding racehorses. Does everyone get to follow their heart?
Meanwhile, a cherished mare on the farm carries a foal that will change both their lives and remind them… good things come to those who wait.
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Elise’s Thoughts
Bright, Broken Things by Linda Shantz is a very enjoyable read. As with all her stories, this novella will allow readers to understand more about horses and racing along with very relatable characters.
The story includes the backstory on how Nate and Liv meet. She decides to hire him to help train the horses. Although there is an attraction at first sight, Nate realizes that Liv is hands off. What they do have in common is the love of horses and racing. Along with her sister Emilie who is the direct opposite of Liv, and a filly named Claire that stole Liv’s heart, readers get more of an understanding of the personalities of each character.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Why write this novella?
Linda Shantz: After the books I had readers who requested a prequel. This will lead those who have not read any books into the series, the backstory of Liv and Nick. I am thinking of writing the backstory on some of the other characters.
EC: You have this quote by Liv about her feelings?
LS: You are referring to this one, “The safest place is on the back of a racehorse. It is sanctuary.” Take for example what happened to me. I hurt my ankle. So being on the ground is hard, while being on a horse allows me to borrow their body. Horses provide for Liv the safety where no one can touch her.
EC: How would you describe Claire, the young thoroughbred?
LS: Flighty and excitable. She has a good head on her shoulders. Nothing ruffles her. She is ready to take on the world. A solid buddy who is a horse.
EC: What about the sisters Liv versus Emilie?
LS: Even though there is a physical resemblance they are quite opposite. Emilie does not have the competitive drive that Liv has for riding. Emilie is much more balanced. She is not obsessed with horse racing like Liv. She does not have the same need to be immersed in the whole horse racing world that Liv does. While Liv is standoffish, serious, with trust issues, seeing the glass as half empty, broken, and aloof; Emilie is mischievous, carefree, talkative, and easy going.
EC: What did you want to point out about horses being drugged?
LS: There are people who put money above horses. Racing gets a bad rap because of the drugging of horses. The vets play a big role. I point out in the book the vets are essentially working for the trainers who know what drugs are available and do things under the radar. Sometimes people have an unfair advantage because testing has not caught up with finding the drugs. Unfortunately, the vet received a very light sentence. Up here in Canada it is taken very seriously.
EC: Why is it so bad?
LS: There is not one governing body in horse racing. Each state gets to make their own decision on horse racing and drug testing. If the US adopted a single governing body, I am sure Ontario, and the other Canadian tracks would be a part of it.
EC: Next book?
LS: I am going to write the Emilie and Tim book next, probably out around Christmas. In that book Liv is going to go to England for a big race so there will be a lot of Nate, but not her.
EC: Are you still painting?
LS: Yes, I have some commissions of horses and dogs.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
Today I am sharing by Feature Post and Book Review on the Blackthorn Book Tour for RIEBECKITE by O.R. Lea.
Below you will find book description, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Dangerous spores gather on Earth after an asteroid strikes the moon. Humanity watches the skies…but the real danger is at their feet.
After an asteroid strike on the moon, a strange blue dust began to flow down through Earth’s atmosphere. It’s harmful to breathe, but at least the microscopic creatures within the dust are dormant. Or so we thought.
Tahira made a childhood promise to a friend that the crisis would bring their people together… before a violent riot tore their lives apart. Now, as an adult, Tahira works as a biologist for a corporation constructing experimental towers to force the spores—known as riebeckites—to germinate into harmless colonies.
Except they’re about to learn everything they think they know about the dust is wrong. The real threat isn’t the asteroid that struck the moon and by the time humanity figures it out, it might be too late.
Riebeckite combines suspense and conspiracy with heart-in-mouth action sequences and nightmarish encounters, all in an immersive near-future setting and, at its core, a heartwarming story of friendship against the odds.
RIEBECKITE (Bruised Moon Sequence Book #1) by O.R. Lea is an engrossing mix of speculative fiction, sci-fi and horror that comes together in a story that is impossible to put down. It is also a story of friendship that spans not only years but cultural prejudice and politics.
We meet best friends Tahira who is Azerbaijani and Zareen who is Iranian when they are eight years old. They are separated as children when the Iranians are annexed and held behind an electrified cable wall.
Decades later, the two may be separated by a wall, but they are in touch and friends once again. Tahira studies the biology of the riebeckites that large turbines clean out of the air and deposit in the seas. They are from the moon dust and may not be as benign as the population has been led to believe. She discovers the monsters Zareen has been telling her about in the Annex, that the Azerbaijanis believe are urban legends, are real monsters. The riebeckites are a bigger threat than anyone believed. Will humanity survive?
I loved this novel! It was in a genre I usually do not gravitate toward, but I could not stop reading it. Not only is it in a different genre, but it is set in the Persian Gulf, which is unusual too. Tahira and Zareen are both strong female characters, but in differing ways. It is partially due to their circumstances, but their personalities are very different even as young girls. The riebeckites are such an interesting new biological species that are equal parts believable and disgusting. The author’s descriptive writing at times sent shivers up my spine as well as turned my stomach. The plot moves at an ever-increasing pace with plenty of action scenes especially in the second half of the story. There is a satisfying climax and conclusion to tie up many plot threads, but there is an opening for more.
I highly recommend this unique book and I am excited to read future books in this series.
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Author Bio
Raised and educated in North Wales, Oliver spent his early 20s working for a theatre-in-education music troupe for as long as it took to feel like his GCSE in Welsh language had provided its money’s worth. Since then, he’s lived in Portsmouth and currently works as a laboratory analyst. His biggest failure as a writer has been in his attempts to settle on a genre, having written about Middle Eastern vampires, African mercenaries and supernatural Welsh murderers. His first ‘properly’ published novel, “Riebeckite”, is a near-future speculative fiction story set in the Persian Gulf.
I order another bourbon, neat. This is the drink that will flip the switch. I don’t even know how I got here, to this place, to this point. Something is happening to me lately. I’m drinking too much. My sheets are soaking wet when I wake up from nightmares of decaying corpses. I order another drink and swig it, trying to forget about the latest case I can’t shake.
Crime-solving for me is more complex than the challenge of the hunt, or the process of piecing together a scientific puzzle. The thought of good people suffering drives me, for better or worse, to the point of obsession.
People always ask how I am able to detach from the horrors of my work. Part of it is an innate capacity to compartmentalize; the rest is experience and exposure, and I’ve had plenty of both. But I had always taken pride in the fact that I can keep my feelings locked up to get the job done. It’s only been recently that it feels like all that suppressed darkness is beginning to seep out.
When I look back at my long career, there is a lot I am proud of. I have caught some of the most notorious killers of the twenty-first century and brought justice and closure for their victims and families. I want to tell you about a lifetime solving these cold cases, from Laci Peterson to Jaycee Dugard to the Pittsburg homicides to, yes, my twenty-year-long hunt for the Golden State Killer.
But a deeper question eats at me as I ask myself, at what cost? I have sacrificed relationships, joy—even fatherhood—because the pursuit of evil always came first. Did I make the right choice? It’s something I grapple with every day. Yet as I stand in the spot where a young girl took her last breath, as I look into the eyes of her family, I know that, for me, there has never been a choice. “I don’t know if I can solve your case,” I whisper. “But I promise I will do my best.”
UNMASKED: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases by Paul Holes is a candid look into the professional and personal life of a man who chases monsters. This book is part true crime, part memoir and wholly fascinating for a person interested in true crime like me.
Paul Holes was fascinated with the TV show, Quincy growing up and he aspired to be just like the character. He went to college and received a degree in biochemistry and was hired initially in a crime lab to process biological evidence samples, but he continually studied and read books in other areas of forensic study and investigation. He wanted to be in the field and not just in a lab. He was inquisitive and pushy enough to meet and befriend investigators who helped him advance with both sides of criminal investigations and cold cases, forensic and investigative.
He discovered he was especially intrigued with cold cases and giving the victims and their families resolution. The cold case file on the East Area Rapist (EAR) was the case that led to his obsession with these types of cases and ultimately, even with all his other successes, it was the one that led to the trail and ultimate unmasking of the Golden State Killer (GSK). Even though he has retired, he continues to investigate cold cases across the country and co-hosts a podcast with Billy Jensen called The Murder Squad.
I found the cases in this book engrossing, and I was also impressed with Mr. Hole’s candid accounts of his personal problems. I find the people willing to chase the most depraved killers and rapists as interesting as the crimes and criminals themselves. Mr. Hole’s admits to personal problems his professional obsession has caused and yet he continues. He has an empathy for victims and their families that continually pulls him into that next case.
I highly recommend this true crime/memoir!
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About the Author
Paul Holes retired as a Cold Case Investigator after spending over 27 years working for the Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices during his tenure in Contra Costa County located in the Bay Area, California. Having experience in both forensic and investigative assignments, Paul throughout his career specialized in cold case and serial predator crimes, developing and applying investigative, behavioral, and forensic expertise in notable cases such as Zodiac, Golden State Killer, and Jaycee Dugard. Paul is frequently sought out by investigators to consult on the most complex and high profile cases and has played a part in putting several serial predators on Death Row such as Darryl Kemp, Joseph Naso, and Joseph Cordova Jr.
As an FBI Task Force Officer while employed with the DA’s Office, Paul teamed with FBI and Sacramento DA personnel to apply innovative technology that identified Joseph DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer, the most prolific and cunning serial predator in U.S. history.
Since the arrest of DeAngelo, Paul has been very involved on the media side continuing to assist law enforcement and victim’s families with their unsolved cases, through the television show The DNA of Murder with Paul Holes and with the podcast Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad.
