In April, I was invited to read from my book Replacement Child at Central Connecticut State University. You can watch the video of that reading here. Just scroll down the page to the video.
Hope you enjoy it!
Archive for the ‘Book Events’ Category
Watch a Reading of Replacement Child
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010New Radio Interview for Replacement Child
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010New #radio interview for Replacement Child. Listen to Meet the Author interview of Judy Mandel.
Listen Live–Radio Interview on WXCI
Monday, May 17th, 2010Meet the Author is a wonderful radio show dedicated to highlighting new books by authors in Connecticut and New York. My interview will be live at wxci.org this Thursday 5/20 at 9:30 am and again on Sunday 5/23 at 9:30 am.
Hope you enjoy it, and follow the show for other great books.
Crash Anniversary January 22 – And a Trip to Remember
Monday, February 1st, 2010I scheduled a flight this year on the 58th anniversary of the plane crash that took my sister’s life, changed the lives of everyone in my family, and was the very reason I was born. Usually, my sister Linda would have sent me a warning email or called me to tell me not to plan a flight on this day. But, she’s gone now, so no warnings came when I planned this trip to LA for a book signing.
It was the last actual booksigning scheduled for the launch of Replacement Child, and I made it into a mini vacation for me and my husband to explore California together a bit. The northeast has been pretty brutal this year and I looked forward to thawing my bones a little as a bonus. Another bonus was that I got to see some old friends who are out there.
That part was truly special, to catch up with old friends and to remember myself as I was when we were all just teenagers. It is amazing what we didn’t know then–about ourselves, and about the individual challenges we all faced within our families. Talking to my two childhood friends I realized that although Replacement Child may be anchored in a unique tragic event, the family issues within its pages are universal. We all have internal barriers to our happiness and success that we had to surmount, either from our parents or siblings–or just circumstance. Parents were different with their different children, and each had their own experience–some better than others. Sometimes we barely recognize the description of a parent told from the point of view of our brother or sister. For many of us, it’s taken the better part of our lives to understand the reasons we may have sabotaged relationships, or chosen the exact wrong person to marry, or failed to take the risks needed for our success. But, what I discovered from my own writing is that it’s never too late to claim your life and to live out your dreams, whether they are lofty ones or just the hope that we can be quietly happy with someone who we love, and who loves us.
Oh yea, the rest of the trip was fabulous! California is a beautiful wonderland. Maybe that’s my next dream, to live in those gorgeous hills near the ocean where you can almost feel your spirit lifting out of your body and screaming in delight.
Replacement Aunt?
Friday, December 4th, 2009Heading off to Florida today for a book signing event at the Palm Beach Bookstore tomorrow, Dec. 5th at 1:30. My heart is conflicted in making this trip. My nieces, my sister’s daughters, are there and I am truly happy to be seeing them both–as well as my sister’s grandsons. They have planned a reception of friends to welcome my Florida book event–and that touches me very deeply. The last time I was in Florida this summer, though, I witnessed my sister’s last breath and said goodbye to my first best friend. When we were growing up and would have the inevitable fights and slamming of doors that all sisters have, my mother would break in with “when I’m gone, you’ll have each other–now make up!” She had promised that. We did have each other to lean on through our parents’ deaths, just five years ago. But, I wasn’t prepared to have lost my sister so soon–and now to have lost them all. Maybe we are never prepared for that. Packing for this trip, where I know the the weather will be warm and I won’t need my New England sweaters, I find myself reaching for a bundle of responsibility from my bottom dresser drawer and tucking it into the side pocket of my suitcase. I can’t wait to hug my nieces, to hug them for my sister, and to feel her with me through them.
More Replacement Children Come Forward
Monday, October 12th, 2009
Judy Mandel at Borders, Denver
At my very first book signing this Sunday, I met a few more people who identified with being a ‘replacement child.’ Also, after an interview appeared in my local paper (read it here) I received more emails from others who wanted to talk to me about either being a replacement child, or being a parent who made the decision to have a child after a child died. I hope to connect with them all in the next couple of weeks.
As I said, this was my first event for Replacement Child and actually my first book signing event period! I was very excited to get to the Borders in Denver and see that they had actually ordered a good quantity of my books and set up a wonderful signing table near the main traffic area of the store. Any published author knows that these events may or may not draw fans. Since my book only came out a few weeks ago, I was skeptical, but found that there were many people interested! Frankly, I was delighted just to be there with a table full of my books. Four years was a long time to birth this baby!
Friday I’ll be in Arizona at the Borders in Scottsdale on The Waterfront at 5 pm. Come join me if you are nearby! What a great ride I am having!