More award-winning books from the 2022 Feathered Quill Book Awards. Check them out! Learn more at
#bookawards #featheredquill
Friday, February 25, 2022
Monday, February 21, 2022
Sunday, February 20, 2022
#AuthorInterview with Julie Scolnik
Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Kimberly Trix Lee is talking with Julie Scolnik, author of Paris Blue: A Memoir of First Love.
FQ: Sharing your own story to the world and laying bare all of the thoughts, decisions, and actions you’ve had throughout the years must have been a difficult decision to make. How did you make that decision?
SCOLNIK: I might begin by quoting Maya Angelou, who said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” It wasn’t an actual “decision” I made. I always knew that I had a story to tell, and that I would one day need to tell it. I explained in the book that I began this story just after my break up with Luc in 1978! For three months I captured all the details from our early courtship and romance and my ultimate heartbreak, and then put it away. Every ten years or so I would haul it out and work on it again. It was never a “decision” I had to make. I had to share this story with the world. And I thrilled that my instincts were correct: every day I receive emails from readers who tell me that the story resonated deeply and brought back stories of their own. Grown straight men have written that they couldn’t stop crying at the end.
FQ: When Julie was 22, weeks after finally taking a stand and leaving Luc in that Boston apartment, what made her go back? What were the thoughts in her head at that time?
SCOLNIK: I had just established myself in Boston, and was beginning my new life, when the specific date of his departure back to France suddenly resurfaced one night. I had not been thinking about him or our ending and had compartmentalized the trauma of the summer, and put it all in a little box! But when suddenly I realized Luc would be leaving the next day, I figured that whatever our encounter might be like, it was my very last chance to speak to him. I think you need to remember that whether one is twenty-two or sixty-two, life is not black and white, and most human beings struggle with the emotional ambivalence! My jumping on my bike to have one last conversation, I believe, was out of curiosity more than anything else.
FQ: In a lot of instances in Part Three, the now-married-and-with-kids Julie seems to be torn; vowing not to communicate with Luc again because “that ship has sailed” and yet keeps on sending emails and letters and having meet-ups. To me as a reader, the message is clear: Julie has not moved on even until then. Could you explain the thought process?
SCOLNIK: I can understand why some people might have that reaction, but I think you oversimplify in saying that the adult Julie had not "moved on.” What I hoped to explain and what I believe most people have understood is that situations like this are nuanced: I had indeed found true love and happiness with my husband and family. Of course I was frustrated and critical of myself that I continued to hope to find answers in meeting Luc over the next few years when he came to Boston on business, but it was always with the hope that I would gain some insight, some closure to the trauma I had experienced with him at age twenty-two. I tried again and again to release the immutable grief buried in a deep corner of my being. That is very different than not “moving on."
FQ: “I couldn’t deny that I had chosen it to look my most alluring. But why? I didn’t want Luc. I just wanted him to find me prettier, sexier, and more sophisticated than when he knew me at twenty. But when would I stop wanting him to regret our ending? And when would I stop searching for something more from these visits?” - Several paragraphs before this, Julie said that it had been 25 years and that the attraction was gone. I could understand the desire to be seen as more alluring to who you were at 20. I could also understand the desire to want the other person to regret but I suppose what I don’t understand is the concept of holding on to these feelings 25 years after. Can you expound more on this and why Julie still felt this even as a married woman with kids?
SCOLNIK: I will try to explain this further. I can understand why some people might have difficulty with this. The answer to this question is essentially the whole point of the book. Human emotions are complex. When a passionate first love ends suddenly without answers or closure and at the hands of someone who is unable to communicate, this trauma can embed itself deeply into heart and soul of the person. It is understandable to be frustrated by it while reading it, and many readers have told me they did an actual fist bump in the air when I finally wrote my own letter on the last page. I essentially wrote my own ending.
FQ: Michael sounds like an amazing and very understanding man. I am happy you met him. Could you tell us more about how you communicated this entire story to him and what his reaction was?
SCOLNIK: As if he didn’t already know this entire soon after we met! I think it goes without saying that my amazing husband gave his full support to this long-suffering literary endeavor because he is secure in his deep belief of our attachment and depth of our marriage. He knows this story is but ancient history in the big picture. He knows that I wanted tell the universal truth about the grip of first love. It is so obvious to my readers that our marriage is the true love story of the memoir.
FQ: What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
SCOLNIK: HA! I really don’t know how to answer this! Even though this story caused me a great deal of suffering at age twenty-two, I probably don’t wish it had happened any other way. If I answered something like, “I wish someone had told me that married men stay married” or “I wish someone had advised me to read the signals,” that would be way too simplistic and would not do justice to the subtleties of this fairytale.
FQ: Now that Paris Blue is complete, is there another book that you have thought of writing and if not, what’s next for you as an author?
SCOLNIK: That’s a good question, and one that others have asked me during my interviews. I am flattered by it, because even though this memoir has been resonating deeply with people across boundaries, I would still never call myself a writer! I am still in shock when people comment on the beautiful writing and lyrical silken sentences. I feel that I wrote the story very simply and just told this story from the heart. As for my future as a writer, I am not sure. I have to confess that I enjoyed the process very much, and even now miss the daily process of polishing sentences and finding the best way to say something. I know I could never write fiction, and I certainly have a lot more autobiographical material. And I like telling stories. So I will be thinking about this in the next few months. Another thing to mention is that the arc of the book ends about twenty years ago. There is in fact another 25 years since then that I am tempted to recount. But I think also that this may be my one and only oeuvre.
#BookReview - Paris Blue by Julie Scolnik
Paris Blue: A Memoir of First Love
By: Julie Scolnik
Publisher: Koehler Books
Publication Date: October 2021
ISBN: 978-1646634699
Reviewed by: Kimberly Trix Lee
Review Date: February 17, 2022
First loves are unforgettable. All of the enchanting moments and the giddy romance where nothing seems impossible and love trumps all. In Paris Blue: A Memoir of First Love by Julie Scolnik, we find out all about the indelible first love that she carried with her for 25 years.
It was 1976 and Julie Scolnik, a 20-year-old American student, had just arrived in Paris to study the flute and literature. The City of Lights fascinated her with its rich culture, quaint cafes, and intriguing residents and, with her strong grasp of the language, she was able to assimilate pretty quickly. Despite that, feelings of loneliness still sometimes caught up with her until she eventually found a local choir where she signed up to sing as a soprano. This was where Julie first laid eyes on the quiet and intelligent-looking handsome man in the bass section of the choir. The choir placement made it easy for her to continue sneaking glimpses at him until one day, she decided that just observing from afar was no longer enough and she finally took the chance to approach him. From that moment on and for the next twenty-five years, her life would never be the same.
Julie was enamored with the reserved tax lawyer, Luc. The big issue was that the older man was already married with a three-year-old son but Julie took his word that Luc and his wife were already separated and that the marriage would soon be dissolved. With this assurance as well as Luc’s news that he could probably go and work in the US, their affair bloomed. Theirs was a winter romance with the two of them bonding over their shared passion for classical music and opera. Until, of course, it was time for Julie to go back to the US. Luc’s poetic love letters kept Julie hopeful and reassured of the love they shared until, when Julie was 22, Luc went to the US for the summer to study English. From the moment Julie picked him up at the airport, he was disgruntled and irritable, demanding and ungrateful. He was disrespectful to her parents and showed utter indifference when Julie cut her finger with a kitchen knife. Gone was the lovely man who she loved deeply. Five days after Luc landed in the US, Julie left him with a goodbye letter. Weeks after, Julie went back to the apartment and came face-to-face with Luc’s wife and what began as a winter romance would turn into years of confusion and pain.
Paris Blue is a coming-of-age story about a young woman who had a romantic affair with a married Frenchman in 1976. It’s a story about love and heartbreak and the desire for closure all set against the enchanting backdrop of music. It was an emotional rollercoaster ride, with me feeling the need to warn the 20-year-old Julie against having an affair with a married man (with a child!), then feeling proud of the 22-year-old Julie for finally taking a stand and getting out of such a messy relationship, then just a few pages after, feeling like I wanted to tear out my hair when Julie came back to the Boston apartment she had just left. Ten, fifteen, twenty-five years later and after very many instances of questionable decisions made by the full-grown adult Julie and me feeling the frustration of an outsider who can see the situation objectively, I applaud the author for the sheer honesty in sharing this story to the world, laying bare all of the flawed thoughts and questionable decisions made by the narrator/author. This was a well-written story and Scolnik took the readers to 1976 Paris with her emotionally charged descriptions and personal introspection.
Quill says: Paris Blue is a memoir that is both a love letter to Paris and music and a closure of an indelible first love.
For more information on Paris Blue: A Memoir of First Love, please visit the author's website at: www.juliescolnik.com/
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
#AuthorInterview - Black, White and Gray All Over by Frederick Douglass Reynolds
Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Diane Lunsford is talking with Frederick Douglass Reynolds, author of Black, White, and Gray All Over: A Black Man's Odyssey in Life and Law Enforcement.
FQ: I want to thank you for the pleasure of reading your memoir. I am in awe of how you set the tone in the very beginning in that while racism is a theme you intend to address throughout the story, it is not the defining premise. Were there moments when it was difficult not to go too deeply down the proverbial rabbit hole and if you found yourself heading there, how did you redirect?
REYNOLDS: Thank you for the kind words. There were indeed moments where I knew that if I went down that hole, it would take away from my story as a whole. I redirected myself by doing exactly what I have done my entire life: staying true to myself in the end. I wanted to tell my story as it happened, and although racism was certainly part of the story, it was not the centerpiece. As long as I kept that in mind, I knew that I would be able to stay on course.
FQ: It’s difficult for me to site one experience in your book because there are so many, and they cover a vast spectrum of situations. However, I was fascinated with your work on the narco investigation and the corruption within the division. How difficult was that on your home life while working this case?
REYNOLDS: It was extremely difficult. Because I knew that whoever was involved in the corruption would have access to all my personal information, such as address, phone number, wife’s employer, even where my children went to school. I received threatening phone calls, ostracism at work, and vandalism to my personal property. But my wife, being in Law Enforcement as well, knew the importance of what I was doing and also that all it takes for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing to stop it. I would like to give credit for that quote to Edmund Burke, but there is discussion as of late that it was falsely attributed to him. I really don’t care who said it. All I know is that it is true.
FQ: In line with my previous question, how difficult was it for your wife Carolyn to cope while you worked this case and was there a defining moment when the pressure valve blew, and you had the proverbial epiphany of: ‘no job is worth sacrificing this or that’ and what did you do to get back on a more balanced course?
REYNOLDS: It was difficult for us to cope. She saw the extreme amount of stress that I was under, but she supported me wholeheartedly. She also knew how stubborn I am when I think I am doing the right thing. If I was too afraid to stand up to evil and corruption, then I certainly had no right wearing the badge. And I had gone through too much to earn that right.
FQ: You brought tears to my eyes when you shared your feelings toward your son Desmond’s diagnosis of autism: ‘I looked up at her, no longer concerned with trying to hide my tears. I said, “I can’t help Desmond, Carolyn, I’m lost right now. I have spent my whole life helping others, but now I feel so helpless. What did he do to fucking deserve this?” This is so raw and honest, and your style and tone portray many sentiments like this throughout your memoir. Is there a scene you wish you would have left in your book, but opted to send it to the ‘cutting room floor’? If so, can you share now?
REYNOLDS: Yes, there were many instances where my father was drunk and I had to get him undressed and help him into bed. There were even times where he was too drunk to drive and I had to take the wheel even though I didn’t have a license. But he was the kindest, gentlest soul. And I miss him dearly, every day.
FQ: What is one of the most harrowing experiences you had while serving on the force in Compton and was there a fleeting moment when you thought that could be the moment your life ends? How did you cope with the aftermath of emotions?
REYNOLDS: There were numerous fleeting moments when I thought I was going to lose my life. But just as harrowing a thought was the possibly that I would be forced to take a life. I did not want to kill another human being. I knew that there could come a time at any moment when I might be forced to do that, but I did not relish that thought. The high-speed pursuits, the gang-fights where literally dozens and dozens of people were fighting and I had to enter the fray, the sniping at us during the riots, the face-offs with individuals under the influence of mind-altering drugs. It was never-ending. I would drink on occasion, but most-often I would engage in emotionless one-night-stands. It was only until years later that I realized I wasn’t picking up women for pleasure; I was picking them up to get my mind off what was going on in my life and at work.
FQ: You mentioned your father’s alcoholism and there were references to your own propensity to drink in excess throughout your book. Alcohol has many demonic traits. How do you keep the devil at bay?
REYNOLDS: Although I realize that alcoholism can be hereditary, I knew that I didn’t want to be an alcoholic so I fought hard against it. I knew that if I did allow myself to go down that path, I was going to let a lot of people down. I have a tremendous amount of self-control when I set my mind to it, even if I was sometimes self-destructive. After traumatic events, I would sometimes drink for days. And just as suddenly, I wouldn’t drink for weeks. In a strangely odd way, I found my balance in that way, rather than drink every single day.
FQ: Politics are a tenuous topic and there is an adage that one should never talk sex, religion, or politics in mixed company. I’ll touch the surface just the same. We are living in volatile times these past couple of years and it pains me to see the lines of division on many fronts drawn. You mentioned at one point that racism is a learned behavior, and I could not agree more. If you were in front of a group of young people today, what would be the message you would like to resonate with all of them when it comes to practicing harmony?
REYNOLDS: Treat everyone the way you would want to be treated. We are all the same. Children don’t see color, they see who they either like, or don’t like. Perhaps we as adults should take our cures on race-relations out of the mouths of babes.
FQ: What words of encouragement would you have for your fellow officers today given how they are often ostracized and disparaged?
REYNOLDS: Law Enforcement is a calling. It is more than just a job; it is more than just a paycheck. You have to truly believe in the job in order to do it correctly and with compassion. Community sentiment is fickle. After 9/11, cops were loved. After George Floyd, they are demonized. Community sentiment is largely driven by politics. But as long as a cop stays true to him or herself, at the end of your shift and you go home to hug your family, you will realize that just by your having been on the streets that day, you may have allowed someone that you will never meet to go home to theirs.
FQ: Now that you are retired, what is your favorite pastime?
REYNOLDS: I spend a lot of time with my wife and son Desmond. I also write, of course, and I love to draw. I’m pretty good at it, as is Desmond. We have actually collaborated on a work of art which is framed and on the wall in his room.
FQ: In line with my previous question, please tell me one of those ‘favorite pastimes’ is writing. If so, are you working on your next book and are you able to share?
REYNOLDS: Yes, one of favorite pastimes is writing. I am currently working on something. Fictional, this time.
FQ: I want to thank you again for your exceptional memoir. I am honored to have been the one to read and review it. I thank you for your time and most importantly, thank you for the years of service and placing yourself in harm’s way, and your inherent commitment ‘to serve and protect.’
REYNOLDS: Thank you so much. It was my pleasure. It was a thrill-filled 32-year ride, and despite the general sentiment toward law enforcement, I would do it again in a New York minute.
#BookReview - Stumbling Through Adulthood
Stumbling Through Adulthood: Linked Stories
By: John Sheirer
Published by: Janice Beetle Books
Publication Date: July 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-5789-3552-2
Reviewed By: Amy Lignor
Review Date: February 15, 2022
Coming from the mind of an ordinary human who has had the luck to experience some truly cool adventures throughout the years, I want to first say that this book offers some very extraordinary stories.
Do not let the somewhat drab cover fool you here; this is not a self-help book about how difficult being an adult is and how to handle age. I know we are visual folk and want something to “jump right out at us” in the library, but if you take the time to pull this one off the shelf or see it on Amazon, read the synopsis on the back. You will see that this is a collection of stories that gift the reader with quirky characters who are written with many layers of emotion. From humor that runs rampant, to the spectrum of feelings ranging from serious to lighthearted that occur in everyday life, this author shows his talent at taking the “norm” and transforming it into stories that tug at the heart, make you think, and perhaps rethink your ideas. He delves into topics such as mental illness and the political realm (which may just be one in the same, if you think about it), and he allows you to feel better knowing you are not the only ordinary person feeling these emotions or thinking these thoughts.
If I had to beg the gods for something (besides a lot more money in my bank account), it would be that all readers out there pick up this book and read “Mass.” In this world of social media, where the internet is the ‘one and only’ for so many, this is one tale that teaches us all how important kindness and friendship are, and how helping others is a good thing and not an annoyance—which is a lesson that really needs to be taught to a new technological generation. Personally, that was my favorite tale out of them all simply because it screamed of reality, and the author was charismatic enough to deliver his words with the grace and wisdom of Obi-Wan.
When it comes to pure and utter laugh-out-loud funny, however, which is something all of us hard-working, depressed, sick-of-this-pandemic people need, my request is that you sit down with this book in hand and meet Fred. Mr. Fred Moffitt is the man who drives a story set in the gym, and even though you understand your surroundings, Fred remains absent. He’s completely oblivious to the world, people, and words spoken all around him, and I can promise you will never laugh so much in your life.
Although I can’t say every single piece hits on all cylinders, I can tell you that a majority of them do. In a strange way, it also touches your heart. You can see some of your own background in these characters. You can picture your childhood companions and you remember the struggles that both you and your friends had to overcome when climbing up that long ladder that either led you into the world of being an adult, or led you into the Devil’s chamber. (Again, depending on the day, these could be one and the same, if you really think about it.)
You will feel parental anguish for some of these characters, as they come face-to-face with maturity, and you will scream “Bravo!” or “You Go, Girl!” (depending on your preference), when these characters do the right thing or make the right choice that allows them to basically check that lesson off their “to do” list in order to move forward in life.
This author has a gift for baring his soul and showing a lowly reader like me the sympathy and love he has for the people he created on these pages. He did this so well, in fact, that he had me feeling the same empathy and understanding for them.
Even if you are not a lover of short stories and are always on the hunt for that epic saga, buy this one, friends. Here you will receive some true adventures that erase the ordinary and leave nothing but the extraordinary behind.
Quill says: Taking personal viewpoints and combining them with the beliefs of society at large, this collection is poignant, charming, and downright kind.
For more information on Stumbling Through Adulthood: Linked Stories, please visit the author's website at: www.johnsheirer.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)