Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


My Famous Brain by Diane WaldMy Famous Brain by Diane Wald

Thanks to Madison Ostrander of Sparkpoint Studio, I am giving away one print copy of ‘My Famous Brain’ by Diane Wald.

Description My Famous Brain by Diane Wald


“My brain was famous, but I was not. Not every gifted child invents a pollutant-free fuel, paints a masterpiece, or finds the cure for cancer,” Jack MacLeod tells us. “Some of us just live out our lives.” Jack died in 1974; now, he’s ready to narrate his story from beyond the grave.

Jack’s prodigious memory, which allows him to memorize books, and his penchant for psychic connections give him unusual insights into the events of his past life and make him fiercely curious about his current state of existence. Jack immerses us in interconnected tales of his childhood participation in a research study on the intellectually gifted, his dual career as a clinical psychologist and university professor, his participation in the unmasking of an unscrupulous colleague, his long-term health issues, his brief but life-changing love affair with a student, his deep friendship with another man, and his eventual acceptance and celebration of the circumstances of his fate.

How Jack dies, and how he deals with the murder of someone close to him, mirrors how he has lived and grown, and marks the significance of everyone and everything that ultimately brings him to yet another level of brilliance.

Praise for My Famous Brain by Diane Wald


“[My Famous Brain] manages to deftly capture the mood and myriad voices of the academic world; however, it also narrows its focus to delve deeply into the sensitive mind of its introspective protagonist . . . [Wald is] a writer who understands timing as much as she does a beautifully crafted sentence. A sensitive and moody take on personal connections between loved ones.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Author Diane Wald has crafted a truly intriguing slice-of-life drama . . . with vivid details and insight . . . [R]eaders who enjoy deep literary portrayals of fascinating characters will be sure to adore My Famous Brain.” –Readers’ Favorite

About Diane WaldMy Famous Brain by Diane Wald


Diane Wald’s novel Gillyflower was published in April 2019 by She Writes Press, and won first place in the novella category from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, first place in the novella category from American Book Fest, first place in Fiction: Novella from International Book Awards, and a bronze medal from Reader’s Favorite. You can read more about Gillyflower at https://www.gillyflowernovel.com/.

Diane has also published more than 250 poems in literary magazines since 1966. She the recipient of a two-year fellowship in poetry from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown and has been awarded the Grolier Poetry Prize, The Denny Award, The Open Voice Award, and the Anne Halley Award. She also received a state grant from the Artists Foundation (Massachusetts Council on the Arts).

She has published four print chapbooks (Target of Roses from Grande Ronde Press, My Hat That Was Dreaming from White Fields Press, Double Mirror from Runaway Spoon Press, and Faustinetta, Gegenschein, Trapunto from Cervena Barva Press) and won the Green Lake Chapbook Award from Owl Creek Press. An electronic chapbook (Improvisations on Titles of Works by Jean Dubuffet) appears on the Mudlark website. Her book Lucid Suitcase was published by Red Hen Press in 1999 and her second book, The Yellow Hotel, was published by Verse Press in the fall of 2002.  Wonderbender, her third poetry collection, was published by 1913 Press in 2011.

A poetry collection, The Warhol Pillows, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press. A novel, My Famous Brain, is forthcoming in 2021 from She Writes Press.

Website: https://www.myfamousbrain.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sleeperina

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Giveaway My Famous Brain by Diane Wald


This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on October 22, 2021 midnight pacific time.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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Liability of Love by Susan Schoenberger


Thanks to Sabrina Kenoun of Sparkpoint Studio, I am giving away one print copy of ‘Liability of Love’ by Susan Schoenberger.

Description Liability of Love by Susan Schoenberger


Margaret Carlyle is searching for an epic love as she heads to college in 1979 after the loss of her beloved mother to cancer. When a charismatic boy named Anders rapes her on their first date, she wants nothing more than to forget it ever happened. But as the years pass, each life decision she makes seems driven by what happened that night.

When Anders becomes famous as an actor, Margaret can no longer ignore her past–and she must make choices that will affect everyone around her, most notably her husband, Douglas, and Fitz, the man who has loved her patiently since college.

This deeply moving novel is a window into class and privilege, the mysteries of marriage, and the destructive power of secrets–and an examination of what happens when we try to bury the past, as well as the consequences of confronting it.

Praise Liability of Love by Susan Schoenberger


“In matter-of-fact prose studded with pithy observational gems. . . the various players can only get what they deserve by speaking their own truths. A keenly observed, compassionate, and absorbing work.”
Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A poignant tale of love, loss, and secrets, The Liability of Love is a heart-wrenching, compassionate portrayal of survival–of what happens when old wounds are left untended, when quiet pain refuses to stay silent any longer, and when we allow ourselves a second chance. Gorgeously written; Susan Schoenberger has crafted a story that will remain with you long after you turned the last page.” ―Amber Smith, New York Times best-selling author of The Way I Used to Be

About Susan SchoenbergerLiability of Love by Susan Schoenberger


Susan Schoenberger is the award-winning author of A Watershed Year and The Virtues of Oxygen. With a linotypist as a grandfather, she has ink in her blood and worked as a journalist and copyeditor for many years, including The Baltimore Sun and 12 years with The Hartford Courant.

She currently serves as Director of Communications at Hartford Seminary, a graduate school with a focus on interfaith dialogue. She lives in West Hartford, Connecticut, with her husband Kevin. They have three grown children and a small dog named Leo.

Website: https://www.susanschoenberger.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/schoenwriter

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Perfectly Impossible by Elizabeth ToppPerfectly Impossible by Elizabeth Topp


Thanks to Michelle Blankenship of Blankenship Public Relations, I am giving away one print copy of Perfectly Impossible’ by Elizabeth Topp.

Description Perfectly Impossible by Elizabeth Topp


In this witty debut novel, Elizabeth Topp crafts a story that ventures behind the fanciful facade of Park Avenue and into the life of one lovable type A assistant.

Anna’s job is simple: prevent the unexpected from happening and do everything better than perfectly. An artist at heart, Anna works a day job as a private assistant for Bambi Von Bizmark, a megarich Upper East Side matriarch who’s about to be honored at the illustrious Opera Ball.

Caught between the staid world of great wealth and her unconventional life as an artist, Anna struggles with her true calling. If she’s supposed to be a painter, why is she so much more successful as a personal assistant? When her boyfriend lands a fancy new job, it throws their future as a couple into doubt and intensifies Anna’s identity crisis. All she has to do is ensure everything runs smoothly and hold herself together until the Opera Ball is over. How hard could that be?

Featuring a vibrant array of characters from the powerful to the proletarian, Perfectly Impossible offers a glimpse into a world you’ll never want to leave.

Praise Perfectly Impossible by Elizabeth Topp


“Readers who enjoy a glimpse into the outrageous lives of the one percent will find plenty to enjoy in the deviously decadent characters, exorbitant displays of wealth, and tongue-in-cheek humor…A fun…escape into moneyed madness.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Topp’s fizzy debut novel (after the coauthored Vaginas: An Owner’s Manual) hilariously pulls the curtain back on what it’s like to be the assistant to an über-rich Park Avenue matron…Topp leverages her behind-the-scenes view of the Bizmarks’ milieu and Anna’s trade for some entertaining, biting satire. The author’s gifts for humor and drama make this an engaging lark.” —Publishers Weekly

“Readers won’t want to put down Topp’s debut, which offers a peek into the world of the wild demands of the wealthiest of the wealthy.” —Booklist

About Elizabeth ToppPerfectly Impossible by Elizabeth Topp


Elizabeth Topp penned her first short story in the second grade and has been writing ever since. A graduate of the Dalton school, Harvard College, and the Columbia School of the Arts, Topp coauthored her first book, Vaginas: An Owners Manual, with her gynecologist mother while she worked as a private assistant, a job she still holds.

Topp lives in the same Manhattan apartment from her childhood with her partner, Matthew; their daughter, Anna; and their cat Stripes.

Website: https://www.liztopp.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizTopp

Buy Perfectly Impossible by Elizabeth Topp


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Giveaway Perfectly Impossible by Elizabeth Topp

This giveaway is open worldwide and ends on November 20, 2020 midnight pacific time.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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