Peekskill landmark Firehouse Falls

Everyone loved this old firehouse. We're all kinda in shock.


http://video.aol.com/video-detail/new-york-firehouse-collapses/3815858558

Here's something on the history of the firehouse

Southampton Children's Literature Conference

Southampton Children's Literature Conference. A new conference for 2008, this event will feature a range of workshops for authors and illustrators. The conference takes place July 9-13 at the Stony Brook Southampton campus on Long Island, NY. Details at http://www.sunysb.edu/writers/children/

4th Annual Hudson Valley Literary Festival

Join us on Saturday, May 3rd for the...


4th Annual Hudson Valley Literary Festival

all events free and open to the public

The all-day festival includes...

BARGAINS! BARGAINS! BARGAINS! at the Lit Mag & Small Press Book Fair

Time: 11 AM - 4 PM
Location: Hudson Opera House, 327 Warren St, Hudson, NY
Hundreds of books and mags published by regional and national literary publishers on sale for only $2 an issue and $4 a book, with many publishers there to meet & greet!

A Reading & Chat to go with your Wine & Cheese!
Authors Wesley Brown, Alfred Corn, and Amy Scheibe; Moderated by Sarah Burnes

Time: 5 PM
Location: Hudson Wine Merchants, 341 1/2 Warren St., Hudson, NY
Literary agent Sarah Burnes moderates a frank discussion with the authors, following short readings. Wine and cheese recetion.

Karaoke + Poetry = Fun

Time: 8 PM
Location: Spotty Dog Books & Ale, 440 Warren Street, Hudson, NY
Read a poem, then sing a song, or drink a beer and enjoy the show! The infamous NYC event comes to Hudson.

RIF needs your help

Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF), founded in 1966, motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF's highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.6 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year. For more information, and to access reading resources, visit RIF's website at www.RIF.org

From Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO, of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF):


"President Bush’s proposed budget calling for the elimination of Reading Is Fundamental’s (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution program would be devastating to the 4.6 million children and their families who receive free books and reading encouragement from RIF programs at nearly 20,000 locations throughout the U.S."

“Unless Congress reinstates $26 million in funding for this program, RIF will not be able to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children. RIF programs in schools, childcare centers, migrant programs, military bases, and other locations serve children from low-income families, children with disabilities, foster and homeless children, and children without access to libraries."

To find out how you can help, visit http://www.rif.org/get-involved/advocate/what/


Check out RIF’s third annual Program Excellence Honors .

NYC walk for lupus now

On Sunday, May 18th at Battery Park here in New York, there will be a walk against Lupus.


Unfortunately for many, Lupus is never diagnosed properly, and they lose their lives before a true path toward healing is ever begun.

The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that at least 1.5 million Americans and 5 million people worldwide have a form of lupus. 90% of these are women, and a startling number of these women are African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans.

Lupus is a significant public health problem that requires action and more public and private research now! The LFA mission is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of lupus, support individuals and families affected by the disease, increase awareness of lupus among health professions and the public, and find the causes and cure, which are still unknown.

Our goal is to raise $250,000 through the Walk for Lupus Now®. This is the first annual walk, and I am very excited about fundraising for this cause. Please know that all the money raised will go towards supporting the 41,000 people in the New York area who have been diagnosed with lupus.

Please help us achieve this goal by making your tax-deductible donation to my team, THE MAMATHANGS! here:

HELP US WALK FOR LUPUS

If you are free on that Sunday morning, we'd love to have you walk with us. Join The Mamathangs!


Thanks and All Best,
Sheree R. Thomas
(Team Captain, The Mamathangs!)

*****************************
The inaugural Walk for Lupus Now® to benefit The Lupus Foundation of America is scheduled for Sunday, May 18th and I'm inviting you to join our team for a fun filled morning for a very worthy cause!

Please visit our Team Page using the link below to register online today...
http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?TSID=184465

Online registration is free and especially easy. By registering online, you will have the opportunity to customize your own Personal Fundraising Page which you can then email to others asking for their support.

This event will bring together families, friends, co-workers and community leaders.

Visit http://www.nycwalkforlupusnow.org for more information
Sheree Thomas

-----------------------------------
Our Team Information:
-----------------------------------
Team Name - The Mamathangs!
Team Captain - Sheree Thomas

Book Review: Gypsy Tears by Cora Schwartz

ISBN 978-0-9760896-9-8
$21.95
Published 2007
244 pages

Rating: Excellent
Gypsy Tears -- Loving a Holocaust Survivor By Cora Schwartz
published by Hobblebush Books,

Here's the blurb:

An unusual, beautifully written, and important first novel by Cora Schwartz, based on the true story of her life living with a holocaust survivor. In a magical and haunting style, Ms. Schwartz weaves an intense love story that answers the question asked so many times since her husband's death: "What was it really like living with a holocaust survivor?" As Ms. Schwartz carries us along in a grand sweep through Yugoslavia, Russia and Romania in the 1960s, the depth of her relationship with Rudy becomes a tragic work of art as she allows us a peek into the soul of a holocaust victim in an artful and deeply moving way. The timeliness of this cannot be overstated now when there are those who deny the holocaust happened.

My review is up at blogcritics

She also wrote another book:



Here's the blurb:

Forty-five Holocaust survivors in a small town in Ukraine would have been forgotten but for an American woman, Cora T. Schwartz. Cora first visited Mogelov with her companion, Rudy, who spent four years in a Nazi labor camp in the region. Although he is gone, Cora carries on their commitment to "never forget" these elderly citizens. The Forgotten Few is a small book with a big message conveyed in both text and photographs. Despite suffering and destitution, the seniors' faces light up when Cora arrives - laden with medicines and donations. Beauty is within them. Describing Frida Shvarzbahn, for example, the author writes, "Here is a woman...who has survived all the horrors of the camps, the ghetto and the war… and yet ...manages to create beautiful poetry. She sits in her little room, rations out 5 grams of sugar a day for her tea and writes about love."

Anyways, check out my review on blogcritics.

-CShe operates a Writers' retreat center called My Retreat in Soouth Fallsburg, NY

Podcast of local author's story

Please check out the podcast of Homecoming at the Borderlands Cafe over at Escape Pod. It takes about fifteen minutes to listen to. Please comment if you can. It's a story about race and religion in an alternate America.

-Carole McDonnell

My Retreat

Need a place nearby to write in peace?

My Retreat offers writers, poets, and "artists of life" a tranquil environment to write, read, paint, think, walk or just breathe.

The retreat was founded in the spirit of Olga Kobylyanska, a famous Ukrainian writer. Cora Schwartz, the present owner of My Retreat, is a published writer and editor. The retreat welcomes both men and women, singles, couples and small groups. There are no applications or qualifications for coming to My Retreat.

The retreat is UNHOSTED. Guests use secret keys and find kitchens stocked with light breakfast foods, emergency phone numbers and help-yourself supply closets. In an effort to keep rates down guests are requested to leave their units the way they would want to find them. This includes stripping beds and towels before leaving. Accommodations vary from shared to private units.


It is located in South Fallsburg (Sullivan county) in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, 90 miles northwest of New York City. Though My Retreat is on a quiet, dead end road surrounded by woods, the town of South Fallsburg is within walking distance. We are serviced by the Shortline Bus Company from Port Authority in NYC. The closest airport is Stewart International in Newburgh, New York.


Anyone who orders Cora Schwartz's book, Gypsy Tears from this blog gets a 25% discount and anyone who makes a reservation at MYRETREAT gets a 10% discount.

My first book signing

Well, I just returned from my first book signing for Wind Follower. It was a "Calling all authors" thingey to celebrate the anniversary of the local Barnes and Noble.

Anyways, I learned a lot from this experience so here goes.

First thing I learned: Do NOT eat mackerel and coconut before a book signing. I don’t know what possessed me but I just had to make the stuff. (It’s called run-down, by the way and it’s a Jamaican delicacy.) One spends the entire time asking one’s sitting mate: Do I smell fishy? (And of course the honest ones alsways say, “yes, you do.” So I was constantly going to the bathroom to wash my hands.)

Second thing I learned: Do NOT trust your older son to bring the car up in time. Just don’t. All night partying etc just doesn’t give way to mom-trying-to-be famous. I had to take a cab to the signing. That kid owes me.

I enter and Nick Olivieri, the CRM who is coordinating the event, is busy moving things and arranging things. The guy is good, let me tell you. Props!

Well, I noticed – cause well I noticed– that the writer I was sitting beside had her amazon reviews all printed out in front of her. Immediately, I tapped Nick. (I got really good at tapping and nagging the poor guy but he was a sport.) Could he go online and go to my website for my reviews? Ten minutes later, he returns with printed copies of my online reviews.

Next thing that happens, a big vase of roses arrives for yours truly. My friends, Mike and Lisa had sent it. They are responsible for feeding the folks at a local army base around here. I was so happy and just felt super-loved. Hey, nobody else had a dozen roses in front of them.

These things go on forever and if the CRM is an easygoing guy he’ll give everyone two or three chances at the apple. The first time I went up I was wonderful the second time I was flustered. This leads to two bits of education.

Third thing I learned: Have two or more ways of presenting the book. I ended up going up three times. First time was amazing. A real high. Then a second woman went and she read from her book. I realized I hadn't read. So at the end of the first round I got up and said to the people: "Oops, forgot to read!" So I read one of my favorite chapters (not the prologue, which is mighty powerful.) Then on the second round, I spoke again and got nervous cause I had already said what I had to say the first go round. And, after shouting out to the store: "I hope no one here has any torture issues" I read the prologue.

Fourth thing I learned: When you’re nervous don’t tell everyone. Two of the other writers told me they didn’t know I was nervous until I said.

Fifth: Bring business cards, postcards, bookmarks. Okay, okay, I should’ve known this one.

Sixth thing: Create a mailing list made up of names culled from people you met at your last store visit. This co-writing team had tons of visitors. Maybe it was cause they were writing a childcare book for parents, who knows? But while the other eight writers were sitting around looking forlorn, these guys seemed to sell a lot of books. Strangely, though, this leads to

the seventh thing I learned: bond with the other authors. The two aforementioned writers ticked the rest of us off. Not because they had all those fans but because they kept to themselves before and after the event and basically acted as if they were the hottest thing since slice bread. At the end when all the writers were exchanging business cards (see above) and news of future events no one approached these superior biddies who were obviously so convinced they were big fish among unimportant small fry. One of the writers I met is in charge of a writers group tour and she's signed me up to go to the Newburgh signing in January.

Eight thing: bring out the microphone early. Enough said.

Ninth thing: Bring a digital camera. Now I have to wait for Nick to send me a couple of photos from his digital camera.

Tenth thing: Bring something to eat. Or bring money to buy something. Better yet: Bring a gopher. These things go on forever sometimes. Note to self: Older son owes you.

Eleventh thing: Don't be too humble. There was a very kind man there with us. His name was Ralph something or other. He is a professor emeritus from New York University and he self-published a book. But he never got up to speak. He kept saying he hated marketing. We chatted a lot. But I don't quite remember his last name. Not good. I don't even remember the name of his book. Interesting, uh?

Twelth thing: Tell the store about other books you were involved in. I totally forgot about the anthologies I was in: Fiction anthologies such as So Long Been Dreaming, edited by Nalo Hopkinson or Fantastical Visions III edited by William Horner or Nobody Passes: essays on gender and identity, edited by Matt/Mattilda Sycamore Bernstein. He's got a great blog over at Nobody passes blogspot Very painful blog, though. So don't go there unless you can deal with sexual pain. Anyway, the thing is I totally forgot that I could have mentioned these other books.

Thirteenth thing: Bring a written list of Juno Authors or other friends' books. The only other Juno Books I saw in the bookstore were Gail Dayton’s The Eternal Rose and Matt Cook’s Blood Magic. I looked for Amberlight by Sylvia Kelso and several others but couldn’t find them. But, of course, I had to depend on my memory for several names. But there's something else about a list. Folks kept asking me stuff as if I was a font of knowledge. Who were good Black crime fiction writers? I thought of my good friend, Robert Fleming. A great writer. Mentioned him, of course, because his name was at the top of my brain. Mentioned Brandon Massey. Cause I remembered his name. But I didn't mention Walter Moseley. Simply forgot he existed. Other folks asked who some great black spec fic writers were: I mentioned Nnedi and Zahrah the Windseeker. Got messed up on how to spell Nnedi's last name. Wasn't sure if her last book was The Shadow Speaker or The Shadow Seeker. Remembered Tobias Buckell's Ragamuffin and Crystal Rain when someone asked about Black Science Fiction writers. Mentioned Tananarive Due, Sheree Thomas, Nalo Hopkinson, Steven Barnes. But for the most part, I was a total blank. So next time I'm gonna have a publicity packet which includes names and titles of black spec fic writers, black crime writers, black christian writers, and Christian writers. Yep, I've got a month and a half until the Newburgh B&N reading so I've got a lot to do.

Anyways, at the end of the presentation, Nick decided he would have an autograph table. So those of us who were eligible for the benefit were asked to sign some of our books. I signed ten. He had ordered 30 and I think we sold five while I was there. The others will be divided and placed in the Fantasy, Romance, and African American sections. I suggested (Okay, so I'm pushy. I'll admit it.) that he turn Wind Follower face forward so black folks walking in the Fantasy section would see that there was a black character on the cover.) Anyway, I am now in four different sections of the bookstore. I almost asked him to put Wind Follower on one of the endcaps but that would've meant another author being removed. I'm pushy but I'm not selfish. So I let that one go.

Other writers at the reading were:

Carolyn Doggett Smith who has self-published nonfictions such as The Absentee American and Strangers at Home. About American children raised in other countries. The book she was selling is called The House of the Faun: A novel of Pompei. The book is available on amazon and at The house of the faun

There was also Drs Albert and Alvin Silbert, educators who have written a book called, When Bad Grades happen to good kids. The book is on amazon. Their website is Strong learning

Norma Lehmeier Hartie, who is the Grand Prize Winner of the 15th Annual Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards. Her book, Harmonious Environment, competed against 2,404 total entries this year in nine different categories. Harmonious Environment was also a finalist in ForeWord Magazine’s Home & Garden category and a finalist in the Nautilus book awards. Her blogsite is harmoniousenvironment blogspot

Tony Higgins, A Jamaican Welshman now living in NY whose book True Believer: a violent tale of love, Greed, and betrayal is about a cop who finds himself in a governmental conspiracy.

My friends, Dan (also my webmaster), my friend, Margaret, and Christine (who dressed me and photoed me on the book jacket) and my husband's boss, Craig Yoe .

All in all it was fun. And may I say, I was born to be adored. Yep, I’m a ham who just eats up attention. And honestly, I am so lovable... and I have a weird kind of fun-loving quality that is downright catching. So, yeah, I had to tone down all this wonderful personality to let others shine. This kind of thing can become addictive, though. -C