Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

This folder is for readers and writers of memoirs.

Welcome! Please post your books or leave a comment!

My husband and I have "Which One Am I?" a memoir about Darrell's life growing up with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and about our search for his birth father. "Which One Am I?" is currently under consideration for the psychology curriculums at 5-6 universities across the nation including Yale and UC Berkeley. http://www.WhichOneAmI.net.

Good evening fellow authors. I am a new memoir author; I published my first book in April. I wrote it to clear my heart and find healing. The surprise has been the thousands of people who have read it and found something of value within my pages. It makes it all worth while.

Marianne Curtis
Author
Finding Gloria
Moondust and Madness: A collection of Poetry
Finding Gloria ~ Special Edition
Behind Whispering Pines
Brian's Last Ride

Hi everyone, I too would appreciate anyone interested in reviewing a memoir: Rainbow Colored Eyes. An excerpt is posted here. If the style is appealing, it is consistent throughout with an upbeat pace.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/reader/31439...

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Colored...

The book is a candid and authentic journey through the sometimes glorious, sometimes treacherous terrain of the mind and spirit of a young man seeking to know the world he is floundering in and find his place in it. Eric’s exploration into manhood begins when he makes a break from the expectations of parents, friends, and society and, on a whim, quits university in Boston to head out with his older brother on a road trip across the country to Vancouver. He wants to find out what life is all about. He wants to find something worth living for. He wants to know what his destiny is. From Vancouver, the trip becomes a solo journey to San Francisco, and then on to Guatemala, Central America, and South America. He is often conflicted between joy and despair as he faces fears, both internal and external, in a self-constructed rite of passage that takes him to the summits of mountains, into the deepest jungles, and into war torn countries.

Thanks so much,
John

I am having a promotion for my grandmother's WWII Memoir entitled, Strictly G.I. Letters of Cpl. Wanda M. Renn. It is free today Jan. 17 & Jan. 23 on Amazon. She was one of the first female acknowledged Army soldiers. She was a teletypist, and this book has some light-hearted moments. Enjoy this read, she was stationed in North Africa.

Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004V02GCA

Hi Pat, I downloaded your book; It looks very interesting and I love reading books like this; I can not wait to read it and post a review. Thank you

Hi Everyone! I recently published my first book "The Real Verdict" a memoir detailing my abuse as a child and learning to cope as an adult. I wrote this book for therapy and it turned out to be very healing for me. My book has been an inspiration for many abuse survivors and loved ones. Excerpts of my book can be read here www.therealverdict.com

The Real Verdict: My Quest for the Freedom I Never HadNitra Gipson

Hey Nitra ~ as a fellow survivor, I will be checking out your book and offering a review. Thank you!

Thank you for your support Marianne I hope you enjoy! :-)

DRAWING THE LINE - A PASSIONATE LIFE received the Eric Hoffer Award honorable mention for memoir.
"surprising nuance and depth" - Kirkus reviews
"most interesting and impressive" -Drunken Boat
"'a work to savor.... imbued with the same vitality, restraint, and dignity as a perfect line." - Blood Lotus

DRAWING THE LINE has rich, lively descriptions of exotic settings and cultures with personal insights of landmark occurrences in a changing society. The story winds from New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. to Korea, Japan, Mexico, and Santa Fe, with
unflinching recall of the painful and joyous experiences in the determined struggle to become a recognized artist and poet.

available from www.spdbooks.org or www.redmountainpress.us Susan Gardner Drawing the Line

Drawing the Line ~ A Passionate Life received the Eric Hoffer Award honorable mention for memoir.
"surprising nuance and depth" - Kirkus reviews
"most interesting and impressive" -Drunken Boat
"'a work to savor.... imbued with the same vitality, restraint, and dignity as a perfect line." - Blood Lotus

DRAWING THE LINE has lively descriptions of exotic settings and cultures with personal insights about landmark occurrences in a changing society. The story winds from New York City, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. to Korea, Japan, Mexico, and Santa Fe, with unflinching recall of painful and joyous experiences in the struggle to become an accomplished artist and poet.

available from www.spdbooks.org www.redmountainpress.us Susan Gardner

Lesbian Crushes and Bulimia: A Diary on How I Acquired my Eating Disorder ...

My memoir presents, in diary format, my struggle with my sexuality, which lead to my eating disorder:

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Goodreads

(review | tweet)

Normal is the narrative nonfiction account of my survival and recovery from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. Self-published as an eBook in August 2012, the paperback version was released January 2013 by Monograph Publishing. The book has received 10 5-star reviews on Amazon and several great Goodreads reviews - and some of the positive feedback has come from people I don't know. A share of the profits from the book is donated to The Brain Aneurysm Foundation to help fund patient support and research into early detection and prevention of ruptures.

You can check out my GR author page for more information, or to read reviews and an excerpt.

Thank you for your interest.
Janet Bettag

Sounds very interesting.

Taylor wrote: "My three travel books are memoirs in that they tell of my experiences while traveling. They are not travel books in the sense that they tell you where to go and what to do, but in the sense that I ..."

Taylor -- I've added your three books to my list of "want to read." They sound fascinating! I'm working on a travel memoir, too, that presents stories, mundane and exciting alike, about a trip I took in the U.S. in 1988.

My book giveaway competition is now open for February. For a chance to win a copy of Lesbian Crushes and Bulimia: A Diary on How I Acquired my Eating Disorder, in the digital format of your choice, please leave your reason(s) for wanting to read it in the comments section of my website.

http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com/bl...

Bonjour everyone - I hope you will enjoy my book trailer video and newly released ebook/paperback available on amazon, called "Solitary Desire - One Woman's Journey to France"
http://twentyfourseveninfrance.com/20...

Hello! Could someone recommend a Memoir of a true love story that really touched their hearts and felt the person really captured the meaning of love between two people. I am currently reading Paris a love Story by Kati Marton and want a memoir that I can compare it too in depth and meaning. thank you!

Hello! Just now getting my feet wet in Goodreads. What a huge and rich "pond" this is. My second memoir is MY NEXT HUSBAND WILL BE NORMAL - A St. John Adventure. It's part travel memoir, part relationship drama -- told with humor.

From the back cover:
" . . . a couple from Montana moves to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. But soon after unpacking their flip-flops, the husband realizes he is really a she. Told with a generous heart and a tragicomic style, with added heat from a cast of colorful cats, customers, and Caribbean personalities. Toss in a few sex toys, some steel pan music, a pinch of voodoo. . . and stir."

I'd be happy to provide an ebook copy to anyone with an open mind and a sense of humor who would like to read the book and write a review. Thank you. http://tinyurl.com/6wrge85

Here's a little preview of our "Words & Music" tour with Kelly Zirbes providing a live soundtrack to "Which One Am I?"

http://youtu.be/J_h7-v2gPHA

Hello:
I am Harry Leslie Smith and below are three of my books: 1923: a memoir, Hamburg 1947, The Empress of Australia. These books explore my early life during the Great Depression in Yorkshire,my tine in the RAF during WW2, my life in Germany as a member of the allied occupational forces and finally my experiences in post-war Britain.



Cheers,
Harry Leslie Smith

Hi, I'm Kim Defforge and I am the author of the book and book trailer, "SOLITARY DESIRE - One Woman's Journey to France"
http://twentyfourseveninfrance.com/20...

Hi all,

Bruce Littlefield here. Thanks for letting me join the discussion! I've written plenty of books but am venturing into self-publishing with a new book coming out soon. Check out my website for info on my published work and I can't wait talk more with all of the talented authors in this thread!

xo Bruce
http://www.brucelittlefield.com/

Congratulations, Bruce - I found self-publishing to be relatively painless and hope it goes well for you. Good luck!

Hi all,

There's a giveaway of my new food memoir, Tasting Home: Coming of Age in the Kitchen. Enter before March 16.

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

I just wanted to share my free read 25 Years in the Rearview Mirror: 52 Authors Look Back. It features 52 writers looking back 25 years into their pasts. I wrote it as a companion book to my novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today. Meet Lieutenant Pink Shoes, the mysterious Red Man and a singing telegram; find out who got suspended from school, who almost missed the prom and who was the oldest campus editor; discover anecdotes of lasting romance, not-so-lasting love and raising a family; be riveted to real-life tales of a hurricane, fire and tsunami; gain insight into the writing journey of today’s top authors; and find out what makes your favorite characters tick.

This collection of poignant and uplifting essays will warm your heart, raise your spirits and compel you to examine your own life.

It is available for free at this time on Barnes &Noble, Sony, iBookstore, Smashwords, and Kobo.

http://stacyjuba.com/blog/25-years-in...

Hi,
I wrote my biography "Odyssey through Hell" you can find it here http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00BM9EKSG,
It relates the quest of whilst searching for the proverbial pot of gold, I found something else much more valuable.

How do you reach a specific group of people interested in memoirs? I am a newly published author who wrote this memoir to add some closure to a very tough part of my life. I also wanted others to know of the struggle I had with the medical system, even being a healthcare practitioner. It is a story I am sure many can relate to and some haven't survived. I feel like I hit a road block with targeting audiences. Grateful for any advice.

INFANTRY SCHOOL: A Soldier's Journal Twelve months from recruit to 2nd Lieutenant, preparing to go to war in Vietnam. Free on Smashwords
Vietnam A Soldier's Journal
Thirteen months served with the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam chronicled in this highly readable memoir. Available on Smashwords for only $.99

These two memoirs chronicle my experiences in the U.S. Army during the heat of the war in Vietnam, including the 1968 Tet Offensive. I knew little of military service before I enlisted other than what I had read in Beetle Bailey comics or watched in WWII propaganda films. Readers will be just as surprised as I at the differences between the rumors they had heard and the reality.

French Illusions: My Story as An American Au Pair in the Loire Valley.

Most lies are told with the expectation that no one will uncover them. In the summer of 1979, when I was twenty-one, I told a monumental lie, fully aware that mine would be discovered.

"Adventure and romance fills this captivating memoir. French Illusions by Linda Kovic-Skow touches the heart and inspires dreams." -Cheryl C. Malandrinos, The Book Connection

"This is a wonderful debut memoir, made much more appealing because it is true. A well written, fast-paced book enhanced by sprinkles of French..."

Watch my the book trailer - it's a lot of fun! http://lindakovicskow.com/

Sorry to be speccy ... but beautiful typography, Linda :-)

So happy to find this group. I have just written a memoir on aging with gratitude. I turned 50 and my grandmother turned 100. It is filled with funny and touching stories and her life lessons.

Stumbling Through the Dark is my memmoir of the last year of my husband's life and the first of my life alone. Not too happy, as you can imagine, but it does have a midnight adventure with a possum to liven it up. I'd love reviews if anyone is interested. I have review copies available.

Hi everyone. My memoir, Goodbye Junie Moon is NOT a sad book. It is quite an adventure story ( I was a whistle blower) with some sadness and a happy ending. It is not erotica but WARNING, the prologue is rather erotic - the reason clear as you read further. But skip those two pages if you are prudish. It will be free on Amazon on 21 April- if you haven't forgotten it by then.

Hi everyone. I'm Mirta. I've been on Goodreads for a couple of months and am just trying to get a handle on the various groups and all the amazing information that is being provided. I wrote a Creative non-Fiction (aka a memoir) after fifty-odd years of explaining my Jewish faith, my Argentine culture and my Russian ancestors. I probably could have written a completely separate novel about my transatlantic romance, but I think I did a good job incorporating the material into one solid book! I love history and genealogy; romance and adventure. I think my book is a great mix of these things...a little bit "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" mixed with "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret" and a dash of "I Remember Mama".

You can read a "Sneak Peek" on Indies Unlimited:
http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2013/0...

Or check out my F/B: www.facebook.com/withlovetheargentina...

Or right here on GR!With Love, The Argentina Family: Memories of Tango and Kugel; Mate with Knishes

Lillie wrote: "Good Reads Over Coffee Book Club wrote: "Hello! Could someone recommend a Memoir of a true love story that really touched their hearts and felt the person really captured the meaning of love betwee..."

My memoir is a love story of sorts, about my husband's final year. I'd be glad to trade reviews with you.

Hi all!

My new book, MOVING IN: Tales of an Unlicensed Marriage is out now and available on Amazon! It chronicles the hilarious adventures partner and NYC broker Scott Stewart and I had while fixing up a home in the country. I'll be hosting a giveaway for the book soon but I wanted to get the word out here first! Check out the funny trailer for the book and if you know of anyone who'd be interested, please share.
http://youtu.be/ZuFZlQMfZ9s

Has any memoir author found a successful way to grasp the attention of audiences that appeals to the specific subject of their book. I would love to write about it on my blog. Any thoughts, strategies, trends, ect. I would greatly appreciate the information.

My second book about our life in Cañar, Ecuador: "Our House in the Clouds: Building a Second Life in the Andes of Ecuador," has just been published by University of Texas Press.
"While many baby boomers are downsizing to a simpler retirement lifestyle, photographer and writer Judy Blankenship and her husband Michael Jenkins took a more challenging leap in deciding to build a house on the side of a mountain in southern Ecuador. In this absorbing memoir, Blankenship tells the interwoven stories of building their house in the clouds and strengthening their ties to the community. Blankenship writes vividly of the rituals of births, baptisms, marriages, festival days, and deaths that counterpoint her and Michael’s solitary pursuits of reading, writing, listening to opera, playing chess, and cooking." Joanne B. Mulcahy, author of Remedios: The Healing Life of Eva Castellanoz.

The Writer's Drawer is an intercultural showcase for writers of all levels and all genres (poems, short stories, memoirs...), including writers whose native language is not English. Free editing service for submissions and reader feedback. The site also offers book reviews and recommendations, and a free book promotion service for authors and editors. Check it out at, http://www.thewritersdrawer.net/index....

Suggestion for Nitra: I opened my memoir story with self-posed questions, to try to have readers empathize with the situation. Don't know if it's "successful" but related to my story as a way to grab readers' interest.

Thanks Kim! That sounds useful. I will add that to my blog post. I will include the information about you and your book for my readers.

Thanks, Nitra - I appreciate it very much!

Nitra wrote: "Has any memoir author found a successful way to grasp the attention of audiences that appeals to the specific subject of their book. I would love to write about it on my blog. Any thoughts, strateg..."

Hi Nitra, I';ve been told that my title, "Praying to the Goddess of Mercy, A Memoir of Mood Swings" caught the attention of some customers. I chose it because there was something desperate yet hopeful about my situation and the act of prayer. From what I've gathered, desperation and hope was conveyed on the cover, including the graphics.

Hope this helps.

Nitra wrote: "Has any memoir author found a successful way to grasp the attention of audiences that appeals to the specific subject of their book. I would love to write about it on my blog. Any thoughts, strateg..."

We've found with "Which One Am I?" that it is just as important in our promotion efforts as it was during the writing to point out the book's larger purpose. We are always looking to emphasize that this isn't just the story of one person's life but that the way he grew up and the trials he faced are universal in nature. Specifically, since the study of those with multiple personalities has fallen by the wayside we have to get our audience to consider what other human conditions are overlooked.

Hi I'm Heather and I just published my first novel about the true story of my adoption, abuse and finding my biological family. If you would like to read the first chapter I have added a blog. I have been told by many that this first chapter immediately grabs the reader. Most have said they can't put the book down and have read it in 2 to 3 days.Enjoy.

http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...

Hello all. My new memoir, Rare Atmosphere, is available in both paperback and for Kindle on amazon.com. Visit my GR page - www.goodreads.com/rachellerogesauthor for more info and a link to my blog, LUMINATIONS. Excerpts can be found on my website: www.rachellerogers.com

The back cover description of Rare Atmosphere begins:

When, at age fifty-nine, Rachelle Rogers was told in a channeled conversation about a man she didn't know, yet felt she'd been waiting for all her life, it initiated an extraordinary six year inter-dimensional affair of the heart…

Praise for Rare Atmosphere includes:

"… a richly poetic journey that reflects the beauty and resilience of the human spirit."
—Mindy Lewis, author of Life Inside: A Memoir

"An unusual, touching account of a woman’s search for self-acceptance."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Many more of us have had an experience of an altered reality than have had the courage to write about it, and few who have written of their metaphysical journey have done so as honestly and convincingly as Rogers…
—Peggy Tabor Millin, author of Women, Writing, and Soul-Making: Creativity and the Sacred Feminine

This seems like a wonderful group and I look forward to connecting.

My new memoir, Stumbling Through the Dark, about my husband's and my final year together will be featured in a live interview on www.TheAuthorsShow.com in the non-fiction section tomorrow (Thursday, May 16). Hope you'll tune in and let me know what you think.

Thank you for listening and for your kind comment