Thursday, August 31, 2017

Jefferson Parish Library to offer family history seminars

Gwen Kelley, a librarian who specializes in genealogy and local history, will lead a series of 10 seminars focusing on family research seminars this fall at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie. Each event is free and open to the public. There is no registration.

The events occur at the following times and dates:

7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 6 – “Using Census Records”

7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 13 – “Searching Vital Records”

7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 27 – “Searching Newspapers and Obituaries”

7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 4 – “Searching Cemetery Records”

7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 11 – “Searching Immigration Records”

7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 18 – “Using Fold 3 and Researching Military Records”

7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 25 – “Using FamilySearch.org and the Family History Library”

7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 1 – “Using Ancestry.com

7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 8 – “Genealogy and Google”

7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 15 – “Genealogy and Facebook”

For more information regarding this event, contact Chris Smith, Manager of Adult Programming for the library, at (504) 889-8143 or wcsmith@jplibrary.net.

CherĂ© Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country.” She writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Tuesday Ebook Spotlight: Joyce's 'Heart's Desire'


Award-winning author Linda Joyce of Louisiana has a new book out and it’s only 99 cents to download until Thursday.

“Her Heart’s Desire” centers around Lia, who has loved Lucas for years, unbeknownst to him. Lucas loves Lia as well, and thoughts of her have kept Lucas alive while fighting overseas. But she’s the sister of his best friend, and when he returns home he’s promised to keep the wrong kind of guys away from her. Family, Mother Nature, and the bank are standing in the way of their happily-ever-after. But will their love have a chance to bloom?

The 99 cent special ends Aug. 31. Click here for more information.

Louisiana Book News is written by journalist Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. The first books in her award-winning series are FREE as ebooks! For more information and to sign up for her newsletter visit www.cherieclaire.net.

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Joanne O'Sullivan revisits Katrina in heart-wrenching young adult novel, 'Between Two Skies'

Evangeline Riley is quite happy living at the bottom of the world, in a small fishing village known as Bayou Perdu in Plaquemines Parish. Even though she’s chosen by default to reign as Fleet Queen during the annual blessing of the shrimp fleet, Evangeline wears jeans and white rubber boots. She is, after all, the daughter of a shrimp fisherman and loves every minute of it.

Joanne O’Sullivan opens her young adult tale “Between Two Skies” with Evangeline happy in her native habitat — even though she also wears a shrimp tiara for the festival. It’s this juxtaposition of her love of nature versus modern expectations that will resonate throughout the book when Hurricane Katrina destroys Bayou Perdu and sends Evangeline and her family to Atlanta. After the family evacuates and realizes that returning home is a long-term option, they head to Georgia where Evangeline’s aunt resides. The Riley family acquire through a family member furnished housing, receive charity for clothes and start school at one of Atlanta’s best high schools. But it’s heart-breaking for all. Without his livelihood, the father falls into a depression, Mandy has difficulty making the cheerleading squad and Evangeline floats rudderless through each day. Her saving grace happens when she meets another evacuee, a boy whose blues resonates in her soul and helps her to rebound.

“Between Two Skies” is the perfect read for this time of year, when the Katrina anniversary looms and we’re reminded of how life as we know it in Louisiana can be easily washed away. It reminds us of the precious commodity we call home, both physically and with the people we love. O’Sullivan’s lyrical writing paints this story with a delicate brush. I suddenly was back in 2005, experiencing that anguish through the sweet, tender heart of a 16-year-old missing the bayous and Gulf waters of her South Louisiana home.
 
L-R: Clara Martin, Kristen L. Gray. Cassie Beasley, Kimberly Willis Holt, Alison McGhee

Mississippi Book Festival
Last week I had the pleasure of attending the annual Mississippi Book Festival in Jackson where I heard several outstanding female authors speak, all at the gorgeous and historic Mississippi State Capitol. Two panels stood out for me, one on middle grade authors and another emphasizing the female story, both encouraging to both readers and writers.

Several middle grade authors, including Kimberly Willis Holt who has ties to Louisiana, spoke of how books at a young age allowed them to experiment and envision who they wanted to be. Alison McGhee, author of “Pablo and Birdy,” said she felt empowered reading at age 10. Holt chose the genre because it represents a time when “anything is possible.”

“Middle grade readers are so enthusiastic about books,” said Cassie Beasley, author of “Tumble and Blue,” where an alligator narrates the story. “I feel there is no such thing as a reluctant reader. They just haven’t found the right book.”

Holt credits teachers for putting her on the path to publishing, after a friend and two teachers complimented her on her creative writing in middle school. “I went to school thinking I couldn’t be a writer and I went home thinking I could be a writer,” Holt said. “And it was all because of those three people.”
           
In the panel, “Her Story,” four outstanding women spoke of their road to publishing, its challenges and successes. “Write your story,” said Mary Ann Connell, long-time Mississippi lawyer, professor and author of the memoir, “An Unforeseen Life.” “Take pictures. Record your stories. You can do whatever you want to do regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, if you work at it.” Other “Her Story” authors included Jessica B. Harris, a ground-breaking African American author of 12 cookbooks; Suzanne Marrs, a Welty Foundation scholar-in-residence at Millsaps College and author of “Meanwhile There Are Letters: The Correspondence of Eudora Welty and Ross Macdonald;” Norma Watkins, author of the memoir “That Woman from Mississippi;” and Susan Cushman, author of “Cherry Bomb.”
 
National Book Fest
Ernest Gaines will launch his new book, “The Tragedy of Brady Sims,” and New Orleans’ Jesmyn Ward will launch, “Sing, Unburied, Sing,” Saturday at the 2017 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. The event marks the festival’s 17th anniversary, with more than 100 authors on 10 different stages. For information, visit  loc.gov/bookfest/
                  
New releases
David Cappello, a business writer who lives in New Orleans, will discuss his new book, “The People’s Grocer: John G. Schwegmann, New Orleans, and the Making of the Modern Retail Worlds” at 7 p.m. Thursday at the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie. The book is a business-based biography of Schwegmann, founder of a New Orleans’ supermarket chain. His 1951 Supreme Court victory over “fair trade” laws played a key role in legalizing discount pricing. Cappello is a business writer, musician, poet and playwright in New Orleans.

Award-winning author Linda Joyce of Louisiana has a new book out and it’s only 99 cents to download until Thursday. “Her Heart’s Desire” centers around Lia, who has loved Lucas for years, unbeknownst to him. Lucas loves Lia as well, and thoughts of her have kept Lucas alive while fighting overseas. But she’s the sister of his best friend, and when he returns home he’s promised to keep the wrong kind of guys away from her. Family, Mother Nature, and the bank are standing in the way of their happily-ever-after. But will their love have a chance to bloom?

Book events
Price Ainsworth discusses and signs his novel partially set in New Orleans, “A Minor Fall,” at 2 p.m. today at the Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans.
 
The Jeanerette Museum presents writer and roots music scholar Todd Mouton in a music history talk at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 500 E. Main St., Jeanerette. Mouton will give a multimedia presentation and discussion of the zydeco musician Clifton Chenier and the many musicians he influenced. Mouton is the author of “Way Down in Louisiana: Clifton Chenier, Cajun, Zydeco, and Swamp Pop Music.” This free talk is suitable for an adult audience, seating may be limited and taken on a first come, first serve basis and a book signing will follow.  For more information, visit www.jeanerettemuseum.com or email jeanerettemuseum@yahoo.com.

“The 10 Secrets of E-book Self-Publishing Success” by author Deborah LeBlanc and members of the Writers Guild of Acadiana from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in the large meeting room at South Regional Library in Lafayette. There will be a one-hour lunch break at midpoint of the workshop.

CherĂ© Coen is the author of the “Viola Valentine” Louisiana paranormal mystery series under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Cookbook Thursday: 'Healthy Greek Cooking'

Looking to get healthy? It doesn’t require extreme sacrifices but healthy food choices. A good way to start is with a cookbook that outlines such choices. Anna Naltzatzian Bourla has written “Healthy Greek Cooking: An improved Mediterranean Diet” after she visited Greece following a diagnosis of breast cancer. She combines her mother’s experience as a Greek chef, advice from the medical profession and the Mediterranean’s monks to develop recipes that are both healthy and delicious — with lagniappe on their healthy properties. Whether you’re suffering through a life change due to illness or just want to live a healthier life, Bourla’s “Healthy Greek Cooking” offers a way forward, with a decidedly Greek slant. The book is available through Pelican Publishing of New Orleans.

About the Author
The daughter of a painter and a chef, Anna Naltsatzian Bourla is an artist who has worked as an actress, restorer, and homemaker. Raised on the island of Corfu, she lived in New York City for more than forty years. Naltsatzian Bourla was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and moved back to Greece to recover her health and pursue her artistic passions. She lives in Athens.

Tzatziki Yogurt Dip
Strained yogurt (thicker yogurt) can be found in Greek delicatessen shops. Otherwise it can be easily made at home, starting with plain, unsweetened yogurt.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 small cucumber, peeled and seeded
2 cups Greek strained yogurt (yaourti sakoulas)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsps. first pressed olive oil
1 ⁄2 cup finely chopped fresh dill
Pinch sea salt

Directions: Line a colander with cheesecloth or a large flat-bottomed coffee filter. Put a bowl underneath the colander and add the yogurt. Refrigerate for at least an hour, until all excess water has drained and the yogurt has thickened. Coarsely grate the cucumber in a medium bowl. Drain the cucumber well, and then pat it dry with a paper towel to remove any remaining liquid. Return the cucumber to the bowl and add the yogurt, garlic, olive oil, dill, and sea salt, mixing well. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Serve with olives and hot pita bread.


CherĂ© Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country.” She writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Tuesday ebook spotlight: Sorrell's 'Shadow of Death'

Jean Sorrell of Lafayette, a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Ph.D. in English, creative writing, has published a new novel titled "Shadow of Death" that's only $3.99 to download as an ebook (but also available as a paperback). Sorrell was editor of Classical Magazine, an instructor of humanities and life writing at ULL and author of screenplays, articles and her debut novel "The Returning."

Here's the book description of "Shadow of Death:"

1940 Louisiana. The body of Sister Mary Gretchen is discovered hanging from the balcony in a deserted mansion next to the leper colony on the banks of the Mississippi River.

In New Orleans, her sister, Catherine Lyle, doesn’t want to retrieve the nun’s body. It’s not because she doesn’t love her older sister, but because she’s afraid to go outside her house. For almost 20 years Catherine has lived with a terrible secret, carried deep inside her subconscious, suppressed behind the safety of her portraits and her restoration of damaged works of art. But while the journey terrifies her, Catherine knows she has no other choice but to go.

As Catherine tries to put her fears aside, she finds compelling reasons to reject her sister’s death was suicide. From the hemp noose around her sister’s neck to the brutal murder of a leper patient, strange, unrelated clues are compiled: clues of Nazi infiltration of the colony and death threats to others. As Catherine gets closer to discovering the murderer, she finds herself marked for death. In the midst of the lush, exotic setting of a lonely leper colony on the banks of the Mississippi River, readers will find themselves transported to a time and a place that is no more.

Louisiana Book News is written by journalist Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. The first books in her award-winning series are FREE as ebooks! For more information and to sign up for her newsletter visit www.cherieclaire.net.