Holly Weiss's Blog: News from Crestmont author - Posts Tagged "holly-weiss"

Hop on over to E Bay http://bit.ly/9NdzTD

Bidding starts August 20 at $0.99 for an autographed copy of Crestmont by Holly Weiss.

A big thank you to Erdajean, who posted this 5 star review of Crestmont on Amazon, August 24, 2010.

"Needed: an Adirondack chair, a cool, tall glass, and a transporting story, like this one, to leave the current age of tabloid trash and in-your-face dysfunction far behind.

Holly Weiss does not quite tell us why hopeful young singer Grace Antes was an unhappy girl, in her small-town Pennsylvania home. Or why her family, devout Moravians, seemed to care so little about her that no one went looking, when, with no adieu, she set out in search of a better life.

What Ms. Weiss does is to plant her gentle heroine in an excellently-drawn era of social stoicism, when "a family's business stays at home!" Any intimation of pain, personal angst (or ecstacy!) was considered Vulgar. Jerry Springer and Oprah would have found the well dry, in that time, when polite ladies still addressed their closest friends as Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Jones, and husbands were "The Mister."

It is a major act of daring when, once liberated, Grace bobs her hair, in timely flapper fashion, and then renames herself "Gracie," maybe the first frivolous thing she's ever done.

It becomes, increasingly, a joy to watch from the lakeside shadows as this lovely, innocent and gutsy young woman takes on the world, in the milieu of an old-time,upper-class resort, where she is maid, confidante, unwitting rival and, increasingly, object of affections.

The aura of the staid, class-conscious and studiedly non-intimate society holds well, throughout. There are things the reader would have loved to be privy to, along the way, and a few loose strands dangling, at the end. What really became of nemesis Bessie -- who WAS vulgar? And what happened to the men Gracie loved, but could not, would not marry?

Oh well -- that's the way it was, in that time -- it was just thought too coarse and common to let it all hang out!

A really good read, and recommended."

Thank you, Erdajean.

Holly Weiss

I invite you to join me for the interview conducted by Feathered Quill on my historical fiction novel, Crestmont.
Interesting questions and a behind the scenes look at the writing/researching experience and the summer inn for which the novel was named.
http://bit.ly/99qjUE

A huge thank you to Beth Adams from Pacific Book Reviews for her review of Crestmont.

"Dainty as crochet doilies placed under a crystal bud vase next to a velvet draped curtain around a curved bay window in an old Victorian Inn, Holly Weiss transports the reader to a different, unhurried era of the early 1900’s in her masterpiece Crestmont.

With a decorous style of writing, the reader is pleasantly introduced to Grace Antes, known simply as Gracie, a young lady finding her path to her singing career being circumvented for practical reasons of needing more money. Leaving home simply by writing a note to her family, which hints to a saddened upbringing, she sees an ad in a newspaper requesting seasonal staff help at a resort hotel located in the hills of Pennsylvania, a town called Eagles Mere, the resort is the popular Crestmont. Visited by aristocrats and regular customers alike, the Crestmont is a destination for society’s rest and relaxation during the decades of yesteryear. Beautifully appointed in décor, and staffed with professionals each there for their own reasons, Gracie falls into the “click” of the pace and prestige circulating amongst the guests. Her co-workers truly become family to Gracie; they adopt her with welcoming arms seeing the hard working ethics and honesty in her, and accept her into the hotel’s culture. This is a very heartwarming aspect of the storyline, as the reader feels they also are being taken into the confidence and trust of these fine people.

In the economic days where a quarter actually was worth something, and $2 was fair daily wage, Gracie is asked to care for an elderly disabled woman, Mrs. Cunningham, as new challenges are brought forth. Working one day a week, on her day off from the Crestmont, Gracie begins a friendship that brings Mrs. Cunningham into a quasi maternal role. This caused a bit of alienation with Madeleine, her daughter, and the dynamics of this relationship play out in a surprising way.

Set in the mountain retreat, the reader gets acquainted with wonderfully unique cast of characters with “character” – such as her co-worker Bessie who isn’t so keen on Gracie, and Mr. and Mrs. Woods, the proprietors. You have the husband and wife workers, Isaiah the hotel chef and Olivia a seamstress. A dapper young man named PT who attends to many tasks and is proud to be the personal gofer for Mr. Woods. Guests include the flamboyant and famous Rosa Ponselle, an opera singer with a unique kindness. As the reader is taken on the exploits of these marvelous interactions, one feels the relaxed pace, the isolation of a luxury retreat atmosphere and the sense of the times, culture and mannerisms in fantastic detail. The book pages like a period piece with every detail researched for accuracy, consistency and credibility.

Just as traveling to the fresh air of the mountain hotel would have taken time for a person to get there, the book takes time for the reader to “get there” as well. Once “there” you find yourself transported to a place, amongst friends, enjoying a summer holiday in Victorian style, and in a place that unfortunately nowadays can exist only in one’s imagination. The Crestmont is a splendid work of fiction written by a once guest of the hotel, Holly Weiss, while she was looking at the furnishings, observing the details of the building and the grounds, and wondering just what types of people constituted its clientele. As Holly Weiss would close her eyes to think, her written words open our eyes to this splendid place in time."

Crestmont



Buy this book at Amazon.com

I was so happy to film this on the porch of The Crestmont Inn, where my novel is set. It's about two minutes long.
Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0fwyh...

Crestmont

I'd love it if you would pop in on my Question and Answer Group about Crestmont and how I came to write it. The group is open to all and runs from December 5 - 22.
Just follow this link http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4...

I hope to talk to many of you there!

When post polio syndrome forced me to retire from singing, I turned to writing. Crestmont was born.

Here is a two minute clip with some of my thoughts. Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILVd6M...

http://www.hollyweiss.com

Hear ye, hear ye!

Crestmont
is available in all ebook formats for
$2.99.

Kindle - http://amzn.to/ev52aR

Nook - http://bit.ly/hkoHk2

Other formats - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view....

Win a paperback to hold in your hands in the Goodreads giveaway running until February 24th. http://bit.ly/dFVQT5

Crestmont was awarded first place in the Reader Views 2010 Literary Awards for the Mid-Atlantic region. The novel is set in the 1920s in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania. Regional and Global winners were announced on February 25, 2011.

I’m honored to be a guest at The Sunny Room Studio http://www.sunnyroomstudio.com/2011/0...

Please visit the blog for my story of ending a thirty-year singing career and moving into writing. Changing from one form of creative expression felt like the old axiom, "Barn burned down, now I can see the moon." The challenges of post-polio syndrome turned into a blessing - One voice led to another.

Crestmont, my historical fiction novel set in the 1920s was born. http://amzn.to/kmMq4P.

I hope you'll visit the post and leave a comment.