Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Stories Matter continues tonight at Alexander Books with Joe Worthen, Carol Rice and Cherie Claire

Alexander Books of Lafayette, a wonderful bookshop that sells mostly used but some new books and includes a number of adorable cats, continues its Stories Matter reading series tonight. The live reading event features short story writer and Ph.D. student of creative writing Joe Worthen, poet Carol Rice and yours truly, Chere Coen (although I'll be reading works from books under my pen name of Cherie Claire.) In addition to the spoken word, there will be wine, good conversation, book browsing and cats.

Carol Rice has been writing poetry for many years and is the author of a book of poetry. She participates in Lafayette's Word Crawl, a fundraiser for Festival of Words, and participates in the festival and Lyrically Inclined, both spoken word and poetry festivals.

Joe Worthen hold a masters degree of creative writing from the University of North Carolina Worthington and is currently studying for his Ph.D. at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. His work has appeared in NOO Journal, The Master's Review, Hobart, Wag's Revue, Bodega and others.

Chere Coen (that's me) is the author of this blog plus five non-fiction titles and numerous novels under the pen name of Cherie Claire. I have a journalism degree from LSU and work as a freelance food and travel writer.

Want to hear the three of us discussing our writing, our books and our upcoming event? We were interviewed on Apres Midi with the incredible Judith Meriweather on KRVS. Click here to listen.




Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.


Sunday, July 29, 2018

Exciting new releases by Louisiana authors

One of the true joys of writing this blog is meeting authors who I admire and watching their success and seeing writers that I love produce books of their hearts.

Margaret Simon of New Iberia has been writing for years and is a multi-published author but she’s also a gifted teacher and we mean that in both senses of the title. She’s been working for 31 years as an elementary school teacher, most recently teaching gifted students in Iberia Parish. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting her classroom and it's clear her love of creativity and literature has spread to her eager students.

Simon has just published “Bayou Song: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape,” a charming poetic journey that introduces readers to Louisiana life, then encourages them to write their own tales, draw their own renditions. I’m sure the focus of this small but inspiring book is on children as well as teachers looking for creative writing prompts, but I believe all ages will love exploring its pages.

“Any child who has this book has a sourcebook, field guide, workbook, nature guide, and a wonderful set of poems that teach everything a beginning poet needs to know…” wrote former Louisiana Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque.

“Bayou Song,” published by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, was selected to represent Louisiana in the “52 Great Reads” children’s book program at this year’s National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.  

Viola Fontenot lands in the second category. Vi has been in my life writing (memoir) class for many years and wrote a series of stories growing up during the Great Depression on the Cajun Prairie near Church Point, Louisiana. Her family struggled with simple necessities, things we take for granted, such as indoor plumbing and affording new shoes. Her stories, although heartbreaking at times, also showcase the joie de vivre of Cajun life — the lively music and dances, the rich culture, growing up bilingual, and living close to the land.

Fontenot’s stories were published this summer by the University Press of Mississippi as “A Cajun Girl’s Sharecropping Years.” The publisher aims the title at young adult audiences but it’s fascinating for adults as well.

David Cheramie, CEO of the Bayou Vermilion District and former executive director of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, said this about the book: “With ‘A Cajun Girl’s Sharecropping Years,’ Viola Fontenot offers us not a glimpse, but a panoramic view of rural Cajun life on the cusp of a radical transformation, from scratching out a meager living on the fertile fields and bayous of southwest Louisiana to the promise of modern life in mid-20th-century America. Many scholarly books and articles have been written about the Americanization of the Cajuns, but never before have we had such a passionate and elegant first-hand account of what those changes felt like to someone who lived through them. Fontenot tells an un-romanticized tale of the struggles, heartbreak, and simple joys of growing up the daughter of hard-working, hard-living sharecropper. It is above all the true story of Cajun culture’s survival in spite of much adversity.”
Fontenot will sign copies from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, at Books Along the Teche, 106 E. Main St. in New Iberia.

I had the pleasure of meeting Sami Parbhoo and learning of both his books and travels. Parbhoo lives in Lafayette now but has lived, worked and traveled throughout the world. He believes in the educational power that traveling offers a person.

“Traveling can make us humble and not so rigid in our ways, for there are many ways of living, many solutions to the world’s problems, many lessons to be learned,” he writes in his book, “Travels in the Seven Directions.” 

The book is a fictional collection of stories following Yonotan “Yono” Ekzista in his travels around the world, experiences based on Parbhoo’s own travels. The book is peppered with colorful photos of his travels as well.
 
Other new releases
Amos Wright of Alabama, who now calls New Orleans home, has written a debut book of literary fiction titled “Nobody Knows How it Got This Good,” published by Livingston Press of the University of West Alabama. Kirkus calls the collection of contemporary Southern stories, “a finely crafted collection that perfectly evokes a place and culture.” 

Alison Pelegrin, who teaches at Southeastern Louisiana University, has published the chapbook “Our Lady of the Flood” with Diode Editions. Pelegrin is the author of four poetry collections, most recently “Waterlines” with LSU Press. The recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Louisiana Division of the Arts, recent work of hers appears in The Southern Review, The Cincinnati Review and Image.

Douglas Villien Sr., a native of Abbeville and resident of Baton Rouge, who has written books about Maurice and Baton Rouge, has published “Des Montagnes aux Prairies: From Mountains to Prairies,” a bilingual short history of Maurice. His work has been featured in numerous regional publications.




Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Fall 2018 genealogy classes at Metairie library

The New Orleans Public Library will present four genealogy classes for beginners and intermediate researchers this fall at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie. This event is free and is open to the public. There is no registration.

7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018 - 
Obituaries for Beginners
New to obituaries?  Always wondered what an obituary is and what it can be used for? This introductory talk will explain how to find, read and understand obituaries. A story usually starts at the beginning, but sometimes genealogists can learn more by starting at the end.

7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018 - Navigating Historic New Orleans Newspapers
Learn how to use online databases and get the most out of a search. This course will focus on how to navigate the Historic Newspapers database (Newsbank), including printing and saving. It will also walk patrons through various searching methods and provide lessons on how to ensure patrons are searching most efficiently. 

7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018 - Introduction to Property Research Resources 
This class will provide beginners with an introduction to property research resources focusing on Orleans Parish. This includes free resources available online as well as resources housed in the Louisiana Division/City Archives.

7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018 - Introduction to Ancestry and HeritageQuest
Patrons will learn how to access and navigate both the Ancestry and HeritageQuest genealogy databases. Staff will explain the available resources, review searching methods and tips, and provide examples. This class will also cover some general troubleshooting methods. 

Amanda Fallis will lead the first and fourth sessions. She has been a professional archivist for more than two years and has been an employee of New Orleans Public library for more than five years. She received her Masters of Library and Information Science with a special certification in archives and special collections in 2015 from the University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Library and Information Science. Amanda joined the Louisiana Division/City Archives and Special Collections that same year, where she has worked with the department’s extensive genealogy and city records, as well as with hundreds of other historic collections. Fallis is a member of the Society of American Archivists, Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association, and the Louisiana Library Association.


--> Christina Bryant will lead the second and third sessions. She is a Certified Archivist, has worked as the Head of the Louisiana Division/City Archives and Special Collection at the New Orleans Public Library since 2015. She previously worked on Hurricane Katrina recovery projects and as an archivist at the Notarial Archives before joining the staff at the Louisiana Division/City Archives in 2013. She manages a collection that dates back to 1769 and whose contents are housed across three floors of the Main Library. Bryant received her master’s degree in Library and Information Science with a specialization in archives from Louisiana State University in 2005. She currently serves as the president of the Greater New Orleans Archivists and the Chair of the Local Government Records Section for the Society of American Archivists. 





Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Tuesday Ebook Spotlight: 12 pawsome reads!

Want to read some howlingly good mysteries from best-selling authors and donate to no kill animal charities? Here's your chance and it's only 99 cents to download. 

"Summer Snoops and Cozy Crimes: 12 Mysteries for the Dog Days of Summer" includes never before published books from:

Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Judith Lucci - Gawd Almighty & the Corn

WSJ Bestselling Author Cindy Bell - Murder at Pawprint Creek

WSJ Bestselling and New Orleans Author Colleen Mooney - Dog Gone and Dead

USA Today and WSJ Bestselling Author Amy Vansant - Summer Teeth

WSJ Bestselling Author Colleen Helme - A Midsummer Night's Murder

WSJ Bestselling Author Kim Hunt Harris - The Murder of Bandera Bandito

USA Today Bestselling Author Anna Celeste Burke - A Body on Fitzgerald's Bluff

Ava Mallory - A Dream Stray-Cation

Sandi Scott - Croquembouche Murder

Susan Boles - Death on the Beach

USA Today Bestselling Author Sam Cheever - Toxic Tech

Anne R. Tan - Just Lost and Found

Bonus recipes from the authors are included!



Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Monday, July 23, 2018

Jefferson Parish Library to offer boating safety classes

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will offer three free boating safety classes this fall at two Jefferson Parish Libraries. This class is free and open to the public. 

The classes will occur at the following times and locations.

9 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 25 – River Ridge Library, 8825 Jefferson Highway, River Ridge.

9 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 3 – East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

9 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 1 – East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

The class lasts between six and eight hours and is completed in a day. Pre-registration is not required but is recommended by going to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website.

The course includes information on choosing a boat, classification, hulls, motors, legal requirements and equipment requirements, many navigation rules, navigation charts, trailering, sailboats, and related subjects that include canoeing, personal watercraft and more.

Students who complete the course will be issued a vessel operators certification card.

Mandatory Boating Education - All persons born after Jan. 1, 1984, must complete a boating education course and carry proof of completion to operate a motorboat in excess of 10 horsepower. The person may operate the boat if accompanied by someone older than 18 years of age who has completed the course.

For more information regarding this presentation, contact Chris Smith, manager of adult programming for the library, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.





Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Tuesday Ebook Spotlight: Charlaine Harris's ‘All Together Dead,’ Lauren Tisdale's 'Circle of Secrets'

If you’re missing “True Blood,” that sexy vampire series on HBO that took place in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, go to the source. The story originates with Charlaine Harris and her long-running supernatural mystery series featuring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. The books were New York Times bestsellers and “All Together Dead” — available right now at the discounted price of $1.99 — has more than 63,800 five-star Goodreads ratings.

Here’s the book description:
Sookie Stackhouse has her hands full with shapeshifter Quinn—a possible new man in her life—and the upcoming central U.S. Vampire Summit on the shores of Lake Michigan. Sookie's job at the summit is to support Vampire Queen Sophie-Anne, whose power base was weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans. But Sookie is about to discover just how dangerous that job can be, as she is drawn further and further into the vampire world...

This past week I was honored to speak at the Bayou Teche Writers Group in New Iberia, Louisiana, headed by Vicky Branton, author of the children’s book, “Donkey Otie’s Forever Birthday Story.” We reviewed Vicky's book in a previous column

Among the participants were several authors, including Lauren Tisdale, author of the ebook “Circle of Secrets.”

Here’s the book description:
Meet Helen-an older woman, who enjoys her part-time work at the local hospital where her husband is a doctor. Ghosts of her past haunt her and when a secret is revealed, she must push past the pain to forgive and piece together a puzzle in order to find what she’s looking for.

Meet Marissa-a woman in her thirties, single parent to Sophia. She loves to teach but is haunted by the clock slowly ticking away due to her failing health. When a secret is revealed, she must figure out what it means before her time runs out.

Helen and Marissa are total strangers but one thing connects them—family secrets. Their mysterious pasts intertwine and they don’t know it until a family secret reveals that everything they’d once known was a lie. Now, they must fight their own battles to figure out the truth, before it’s too late for one of them.


Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.

Sunday, July 15, 2018

New releases - University Press of Mississippi


Viola Fontenot grew up the daughter of a sharecropper in southwestern Louisiana where life was difficult for the family but joyous in many ways. She writes about both experiences in "A Cajun Girl's Sharecropping Years." explaining working as a child in the fields, living without electricity, and driving a mule into town but also the Cajun children's games she played, the house dances with family and friends and her undying love of Cajun music. It's a small book with a powerful story offering great insight to growing up on the Cajun Prairie.

Fontenot is also the contributor to "Growing Up in South Louisiana" and is currently working on a children's book titled "Le Petit Chaoui Du Grand Bois," about her childhood pet raccoon.

George T. Malvaney loved to disappear as a child, driving his parents crazy. The writing was on the wall. The Mississippi native joined the navy and started a Klan group that resulted in a mutual discharge, then he planned an armed coup attempt on Dominica in the Caribbean. The FBI caught up with him and landed him in jail, and that’s where he turned his life around to become a leader of the Mississippi cleanup effort of the Gulf Coast after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It’s all part of Malvaney’s wild memoir, “Cups Up: How I Organized a Klavern, Plotted a Coup, Survived Prison, Graduated College, Fought Polluters, and Started a Business.” Today, the author is a partner at Enhanced Environmental and Emergency Series and Malvaney and Associates.
  
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said of the book, “The hardships of George’s youth did not define him. Rather, his determination to overcome those unfortunate circumstances makes his story one of redemption. I am glad he is sharing it.”

Ann Brewster Dobie, professor emerita of English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, examines 11 well-known Louisiana authors and several on the rise in “Voices from Louisiana: Profiles of Contemporary Writers.” The authors highlighted in her book include former Louisiana Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque, James Lee Burke, Ernest Gaines, Tim Gautreaux, Shirley Ann Grau, Greg Guirard, William Joyce, Julie Kane, Tom Piazza, Martha Serpas and James Wilcox. Newcomers profiled include Wiley Cash, Ashley Mace Havird, Anne L. Sion, Katy Simpson Smith, Ashley Weaver, Steve Weddle and Ken Wheaton.

Dobie is also the author of “Something in Common: Contemporary Louisiana Stories,” “Uncommonplace: An Anthology of Contemporary Louisiana Poets” and “Wide Awake in the Pelican State: Stories by Contemporary Louisiana Writers.”

A gorgeous, massive book that looks beyond the debutantes and New Orleans’ elite society is “Unveiling the Muse: The Lost History of Gay Carnival in New Orleans” by Howard Philips Smith. Gay krewes began in the late 1950s in New Orleans, Smith asserts, many times celebrated in secret, but by the 1980s were almost eliminated by the AIDS crisis and persecution. The book contains krewe interviews, photographs, ephemera, ball costumes, posters, programs and more.

"In Unveiling the Muse, Howard Philips Smith presents a lively and comprehensive history of New Orleans's gay Carnival organizations formed in the post-World War II era,” writes Priscilla Lawrence, executive director of The Historic New Orleans Collection. “In addition, he takes a wider look at the places, people, and non-Carnival annual calendar of events that are allied with it. His use of archival sources, both public and private, enhances the narrative and adds a stunning visual element to the history of the krewes, clubs, and society that has defined and transformed gay Carnival in New Orleans for over half a century."


Smith grew up on a farm in rural Mississippi and attended the University of Southern Mississippi and the UniversitĂ© de Bourgogne, Dijon. He began writing about pre-AIDS New Orleans and the gay ball scene during the early 1980s, the so-called Golden Age of Gay Carnival. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband and three cats.

Published in the spring was “Discovering Cat island: Photographs and History” by John Cuevas with photographs by Jason Taylor and a foreword by Delbert Hosemann, Mississippi Secretary of State.

“Cat Island is truly one of Mississippi’s greatest natural resources,” Hosemann writes in the foreword. “This barrier island is rich in history, dating back to its discovery by the French in 1699. Our island has survived centuries of changes in ownership and tropical storms. It is a part of the culture of Mississippi and remains a jewel of the Gulf Coast.”

Cuevas served as creative director of his own advertising firm in Atlanta for more than 25 years, where he won gold awards in radio, television and print advertising. Taylor is an artist, photographer and environmentalist whose work is inspired by his passion for the outdoors and Mississippi Gulf Coast.






For information about these and other University Press of Mississippi titles, click here.


Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.