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A New Year Means New Books!
Among plans to nurture our creative souls, the SDP authors have a lot of new books coming your way in 2023! We have mystery, history, historical mystery, music, mayhem, satire, adventure, and romance on the horizon. Whatever your reading tastes, you’ll always find a fresh take from an SDP author! Sahar Abdulaziz My 2023 writing plan is to have no plan—not to be confused with doing nothing. I want to do something. In fact, the likelihood of me doing lots of something is high. However, I’d like not to plan to do anything—more panster than a plotter, if you permit me to use a literary term to describe my future…
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A Conversation with Book Narrator Dawn O Watson
Today book narrator, author, and voice-over artist Dawn O Watson shares her insights about book narration with SDP author Sahar Abdulaziz and how she lends her voice to the spoken word. When Dawn’s not busy at her computer or narrating a book for Audible, she’s a professional dog trainer and owner of Brother of the Wolf, LLC. Sahar: I’ve read that when a person listens to something, both the left and right brain activate, and whether we read or listen to a book, the actual processing of the information occurs in the same areas of the brain. However, it has been said that audiobooks develop greater empathy in the listener.…
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Interview with Author Carol Sveilich
Today, SDP author, Sahar Abdulaziz, is speaking with Carol Sveilich—an award-winning author and blogger featured in many newspaper articles and television reports. Carol, a recipient of the 1994 ABC News Leadership Award, has also been a counselor for over 20 years, conducting large community seminars and support services for people living with persistent health challenges and chronic pain. Sahar: First off, Carol Sveilich—major congratulations and blessings on your newest publication, Reflections From A Glass House: A Memoir of Mid-Century Modern Mayhem! I recently listened to your memoir on Audible, and what fun! The narrator’s execution of your story was brilliant, and I loved how she brought your account and…
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BLOG POST FROM SHAGGY DOG AUTHOR SUSAN MOORE JORDAN
And This Shall Be for Music, my new novel, had been “percolating” for some time. I had begun the tale in 2017, but soon realized the book needed to be put on the back burner for a while. Four years and eight mystery novels later, the protagonist, Lindsey Cameron, reminded me she was waiting to tell her story. This time, even though it took a nearly a year and many re-writes, Lindsey was able to complete her journey. In my new blog post, read more about what this author experienced and learned from her characters and what happened to them. And how music, the center of their lives, never failed…
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Haute Hijab Speaks with SDP Author Sahar Abdulaziz
Haute Hijab, an online magazine dedicated to empowering women, spoke with our own Sahar Abdulaziz on “The Problem of ‘Not Taking Sides’ with Post-Divorce Relationships & Domestic Abuse.” This SDP author is also a Certified Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault Counselor Advocate, trained and qualified to weigh in on this topic. During her conversation with Haute Hijab’s contributing writer, Layla Abdullah-Poulos, Sahar explained that neutrality has no place in the face of abuse. “There is no such thing as ‘not taking sides’ when an abuse victim discloses,” explained Sahar. “All too often, people will claim neutrality when, in fact, they are looking the other way, making excuses for the abuser…
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Murder, Mystery, and Massage
Welcome to the October session of the Shaggy Dog View Club! We have a variety of experiences to recommend this month. I’ll start with what I’m watching, if only because it’s seasonally appropriate. Kelly Jensen After watching and loving Midnight Mass on Netflix last year, I was on the lookout for any new project from director Mike Flanagan. His latest offering, The Midnight Club is available just in time for the spooky season. I went in expecting more horror and came out with a new perspective on the idea of living every day as if it were my last. Briefly, it’s the story of eight teenagers with terminal illnesses living…
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Welcome to the Shaggy Dog View Club!
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Coming Soon: Shelf Life
Are you ready for more Hearts & Crafts? Shelf Life, the second book in the series, is now available for preorder. We revealed the cover this week and I was beyond excited for everyone to ‘meet’ Grayson Clery – baker, boardgame geek, and best friend ever. Good things come to those who bake. Grayson used to love baking, but the recipe for running his parents’ café changes every day. His dad, overwhelmed by grief, is no help. They can’t even talk about Gray’s mom, let alone the failing business. Of less help is the crush Gray has on Sporty—a trainer from the local gym. Gray barely has time for his friends, let…
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Beneath the Surface Lurks Truth Masked as Fiction
The Gatekeeper’s Notebook is a psychological thriller/suspense. It’s a bold and poignant story full of misplaced love and loss, a past colliding with the present, and the unimaginable devastation caused by spitefulness, arrogance, deceptions, and buried lies. The story is about a beautiful young widow named Kalila Rahim. After the sudden death of her husband, Bashir, Kalila finds herself without life insurance, a mortgage in arrears, a neighbor from hell, all the crushing responsibilities and upsets of single parenthood, and a woman claiming to be her husband’s second wife and mother to his newborn baby. Kalila’s heart is shattered, but grief can’t put a stop to the bill collectors. Upon…
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Welcome to the Shaggy Dog View Club!
What’s a view club? It’s like a book club with an expanded inventory. Each month, our authors will share their current inspiration, ranging from books to TV shows and movies to podcasts. Stories are everywhere and writers draw on all sources for ideas. We also like to relax with someone else’s story from time to time. Here’s what we’re enjoying in September: Sahar Abdulaziz My son recommended I read the book PHARMA: Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America by Gerald Posner for a book idea I am researching. The book was engrossing, and read more like a historical novel than a dry chronological accounting of how some of the…
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THE BOOK THAT ALMOST WASN’T
The fifth book I wrote, Memories of Jake, dealt with two brothers who served in Vietnam in the late 1960s-early 1970s, and the impact their service had on them and their families. Andrew, the older by two years, an artist and musician, enlisted from a sense of duty after his first year of college. His rakish younger brother Jacob, an athlete and ladies’ man, enlisted immediately after high school from a desire for adventure. During Jake’s time in Vietnam, where he served as a Green Beret, a helicopter crash resulted in severe retrograde amnesia. He could remember a great deal about the world, but almost nothing of his past life…
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Beneath the Surface Lurks Truth Masked as Fiction
