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tragedy

Real-Life Mysteries Set Stage for “Black Diamond Fall”

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The disappearance of a college student. The vandalism of a famous poet’s residence. Throw in a frightful skiing accident and you’ve got the setup for Black Diamond Fall, a literary mystery by Joseph Olshan (Polis Books), best known for his works Clara’s Heart and Cloudland. The story takes place in wintry Vermont, where the author spends much of his time, and the book’s central themes are drawn from his own real-life experiences. Olshan offered some insight into the book, the plot, the characters and his writing in this BookTrib interview: BookTrib: Black Diamond Fall is based on two real events that happened in Vermont. Tell us about those events and how you tread the line between facts and literary fiction. Joseph…

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Gaynor and Webb’s ‘Last Christmas in Paris’ Mixes Relationships and Tragedy

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At BookTrib, we are constantly searching for the best ways to connect readers with writers, opening their eyes and worlds to fresh ideas! This is how we came across a wonderful group known as the Tall Poppies, who are not only avid readers, but extremely talented writers as well! This week’s Tall Poppies review of Last Christmas in Paris relays a beautifully crafted story love and dreams in the wake of war human tragedy. War changes everything–individuals, relationships, priorities, dreams– so it’s not surprising that stories set in wartime are so popular and, in this case, so engrossing. In Last Christmas in Paris, best friends Will and Tom head off to fight the Germans, leaving behind Will’s sister, Evie, and, soon…

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Spartan Up! How Bart Yasso Turned Tragedy into Triumph

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Typically, those that have reached the top are no stranger to being at the bottom. Chief Running Officer of Runner’s World Magazine Bart Yasso happens to be the perfect example. After a tragedy in his personal life left him questioning everything, Yasso knew the only option he had was to make a life change and go after everything he’s ever wanted. Here, he talks to Spartan Up’s Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan Race, about accepting new experiences, being smart about the people you choose to have around you and how running saved his life. For more, watch the Podcast above. ABOUT SPARTAN UP! THE PODCAST: Every day, Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan Race and a New…

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Review: Stacy Schiff’s ‘The Witches’ Filled with Surprises and Lessons

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In 1692, at the edge of colonial settlement in the New World—a place that a visitor once called a “remote, rocky, barren, bushy, wild-woody wilderness”—panic had set in. It began during an exceptionally raw Massachusetts winter, when, without warning, a minister’s niece inexplicably began to scream and convulse. It ended less than a year later, after 19 men and women—and two dogs—had been executed for witchcraft. The most educated men and prominent politicians were involved in the terror that swept over the young colony. “A daughter accused her mother, who in turn accused her mother, who accused a neighbor and a minister,” writes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff. “A wife and daughter denounced their husband and father. Husbands implicated wives;…

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So Gorgeous They Hurt: 3 Tough Tearjerkers Worth Every Tissue

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Sometimes you just want a book that shreds your heart and sheds your tears. This week BookPeople in Austin, Texas recommends three gorgeous books that will bring the feels in a major way. BookPeople is a well-loved landmark in Austin voted the best bookstore in Austin for 20 years, and voted Bookstore of the Year by Publisher’s Weekly in 2005. Their booksellers recommended these titles: Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg (Gallery/Scout Press, September 1, 2015) Recommended by Raul Chapa, inventory manager, who said: “This great work encompasses the vast emotional range brought on by considerations of mortality and a hopeful awareness: we are stories that live on in others. We are aware of some of them…

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