story-telling
March 2023 Self-Promotion Party!
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(www.pixabay.com)
Hello to everyone! We are now in Spring, and I thought it would be a good time to share what you have been writing and what you have written. I want once again to offer an opportunity for all writers who follow this blog to share information on their books. It can be very difficult to generate publicity for our writing, so I thought this little effort might help. All books may be mentioned, and there is no restriction on genre. This includes poetry and non-fiction.
To participate, simply give your name, your book, information about it, and where to purchase it in the comments section. Then please be willing to reblog and/or tweet this post. The more people that see it, the more publicity we can generate for everyone’s books.
Thank you for participating!
Keep on writing!
(https://pixabay.com)
Celebrate and promote your writing! Shout it out to the world! Let everyone know about your work!
Don’t be shy. Be your own best promoter and publicist!
Feel free to promote a new or an older book!
I hope this idea is successful, and I hope many people share information on their books!
Available on Amazon
Get The Draft Done! is available here: Amazon.com
Gallows Hill can be found here in ebook.
Gallows Hill in paperback can be found here.
An interview about Gallows Hill can be found here.
Please follow the following links to find my novel:
Thank you!
My radio interview:
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
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I want to wish everyone a safe and joyous St. Patrick’s Day! As someone who is of partial Irish descent and who has lived in Ireland, the country of Ireland has a very special place in my heart.
St. Patrick’s Day, originally a deeply religious holiday, is also now one of secular importance; it is a celebration of all people Irish and the Irish culture.
So, please, even if you are Irish for today in spirit only, enjoy the day, stay safe, and have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day!
Sláinte!
What Is A Book That You Love?
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I am a teacher, a writer, and a lover of books. I cannot remember a time when I could not read, and the simple act of reading a book is one of the best pleasures in life. So, I was thinking today about a book, one of my all time favorites: The Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, that I have taught often, both at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA and Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. This novel is brilliant, funny, witty, Gothic, romantic, and deeply engaging. Can you tell I love it?
Here is a quotation from the back cover of the paperback:
“Wondrous . . . masterful . . . The Shadow Of The Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero.”
— Entertainment Weekly, Editor’s Choice
So, I ask you: what is one of your favorite books?
A Review of Lion Scream by Robbie Cheadle
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I received this book and read it in one sitting. It is staggering in its beauty and message. Robbie Cheadle has crafted an excellent book, filled with syllabic poetry, commentary, and a short story. Taken as a whole, this text is an important lesson on the impact of humanity on the wildlife of Southern Africa and, by extension, the rest of the world.
“Lion Scream”, the title of the book and one of the poems within, is my favorite. It is short but deeply impactful. Cheadle shows her talent with words as she creates this poem, and then many others in a fascinating form called the Double Enead, which has 99 syllables.
Cheadle’s book is a masterpiece! I do not use these words lightly or easily, but this book moved me emotionally and intellectually. I was shaken and in tears while I read it. As a man of my age and generation, I am not given to crying easily, but Cheadle’s words staggered me with their power, their beauty, and their message.
I recommend it to anyone who loves poetry, cares about global climate change, animals, and the craft of using words to create messages.
This book is a must read! I encourage everyone to get it as soon as possible. I hope the world soon learns of this extraordinary, beautiful, and excellent work.
What book(s) are you reading?
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I have spent the majority of my time on this blog writing about writing, so I thought I would address the most fundamental and most important part of this experience with books: reading.
I have been reading my entire life; in fact, I cannot remember a time when I did not read. And reading has informed my life in many ways, not only in terms of career but also in the joys of life itself.
I read books, I teach them, and I write about them, but mostly, I enjoy them. I remember my mother telling me when I was very little that you can go many places that you might not ever have a chance to visit, real and made up, if you read. And I have visited and continue to journey to real and fantastic lands.
I am not a reading snob. While I teach college English Literature, I read in a very wide range, from adventure and horror to drama and so-called high literature, although I am not so certain that this distinction is accurate. Both Shakespeare and Dickens were considered popular writers in their time. Hemingway straddled the mythical fence of literature and genre writing. Today, I happily read authors in a multitude of genres, including Stephen King and John Connolly, among many others. So, I read whatever I choose, in any area. And I get great pleasure from the reading.
I am currently reading, as I usually do, several books, including A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny, Twilight Of The Gods by Ian W. Toll, and Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt.
Happy Reading!
And a quick question: what is a book you are currently reading?
Quotations On Censorship
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“Censorship is to art as lynching is to justice.”
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
“Don’t join the book burners. Don’t think you’re going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don’t be afraid to go in your library and read every book…”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
“Having the freedom to read and the freedom to choose is one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me.”
Judy Blume
( By Moritz Daniel Oppenheim)
“Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings.”
Heinrich Heine
“In our current political climate, in which some politicians openly state their plans to ban books, it is time for those of us who love books and who honor and cherish the freedom to choose our reading, to oppose their censorship. Let our voices be heard. Stand up against censorship. Always remember that book banning is the act of a tyrant or someone who would be a tyrant.”
Charles F. French
Creativity Quotations
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“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
Maya Angelou
(www.pixabay.com)
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”
Albert Einstein
“Creativity takes courage.”
Henri Matisse
“Creativity is the expression of the human soul in the form of art. It brings meaning to our lives; creativity is essential to experiencing life in its fullest.”
Charles F. French
Here Is A Simple Wish For Writers
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To all the writers out there, whoever you are and wherever you may be, please remember to value yourselves, to respect your efforts, and to keep on writing.
Also please remember, writing comes from dedication and consistency and not from waiting for inspiration.
Trust your creativity, believe in yourself, value your efforts, and take joy from your writing!
(www.pixabay.com)
February 2023 Self-Promotion Party
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Hello to everyone!
We are making our way towards the end of winter, and I thought it would be a good time to share what you have been writing and what you have written. I want once again to offer an opportunity for all writers who follow this blog to share information on their books. It can be very difficult to generate publicity for our writing, so I thought this little effort might help. All books may be mentioned, and there is no restriction on genre. This includes poetry and non-fiction.
To participate, simply give your name, your book, information about it, and where to purchase it in the comments section. Then please be willing to reblog and/or tweet this post. The more people that see it, the more publicity we can generate for everyone’s books.
Thank you for joining the publicity soiree!
Keep on writing!
(https://pixabay.com)
Celebrate and promote your writing! Shout it out to the world! Let everyone know about your work!
Feel free to promote a new or an older book!
I hope this idea is successful and many people share information on their books!
I will continue to have this party every few weeks.
Available on Amazon
Get The Draft Done! is available here: Amazon.com
Gallows Hill can be found here in ebook.
Gallows Hill in paperback can be found here.
An interview about Gallows Hill can be found here.
Please follow the following links to find my novel:
Thank you!
My radio interview:
charles french words reading and writing 