Author: dholman472
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Late-Night Thoughts Before My Book Launch: A Letter from Mom (Sort of)
The timing is a little awkward — my new children’s book comes out this Sunday… and I’m leaving on vacation the very next day. Oops. Real life! Thankfully, my trusty writing assistant (who I call Scripty McPromptface) helped me map out a plan — launch soft now, with more buzz later in August when I…
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A True Story for Young Readers – Coming June 22
I’m thrilled to announce the upcoming release of my newest book, Doris’s New Home, launching June 22! This illustrated children’s book is based on the true story of my mother, Doris, who left Vienna with her own mother in 1938. Together, they escaped the growing threat of Nazi rule and made a new life in…
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Postmarked from the Past: A Message from Catherine
Today, Scott, one of the members of my writing group, the Daily Sprinters, gave us an assignment: Write a postcard to yourself from an ancestor using exactly 100 words. I chose to “receive” my message from Catherine, the protagonist of my forthcoming novel, currently titled Draped in Deceit: The Story of a Gilded Age Grifter.…
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Using AI Art to Illustrate a Children’s Book: Confessions from a Reluctant Collaborator
When I first started working on Doris’s New Home—the illustrated children’s companion to my novel Nothing Really Bad Will Happen, about a young Jewish girl fleeing Vienna in 1938—I didn’t expect to have so many sleepless nights over the pictures. Words? Sure, I know how to choose a verb, tighten a paragraph, untangle a timeline.…
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“Done-ish”: That Time I Finished My Book—Until Catherine Seeley Said Otherwise
I typed “The End,” pushed back from my desk, and smiled. My manuscript was done. Complete. Finished. I even told people so. Silly me. I was about 75% through reviewing my “finished” manuscript—one final read before sending it off to my writing coach for a developmental edit—when I decided to double-check a small fact. You…
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Three Times NOT the Charm: When AI Illustrations Go Off the Rails
When I set out to improve an illustration for my forthcoming children’s book, Doris’s New Home, I wasn’t expecting a breakdown of logic, perspective, and anatomy. I expected a quick revision. Just a few tweaks, really. I just wanted a warm family dinner scene. So I gave ChatGPT a clear prompt: “All the family members…
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Independent Bookstore Day at the Book Cellar: Stories, History, and a Few Good Laughs
On April 26, I had the pleasure of participating in an author talk hosted by the Friends of the Woodbury Library in celebration of Independent Bookstore Day. The event took place at the Book Cellar, the library’s used bookstore, tucked behind the library. Proceeds from the shop help fund the library’s many excellent programs. I…
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When AI Crosses a Line: A Lesson from a Steerage Scene That Looked All Too Familiar
Posted by Deborah Samuel Holman, Author of Nothing Really Bad Will Happen and the upcoming children’s version inspired by it NOTE: This post also appears on my family history and the book blogs—because it touches all three worlds. When I began adapting my adult novel Nothing Really Bad Will Happen into a version for my…
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Post RootsTech 2025 – Day 2 – Genealogy, Dessert, and a Nap (Not Necessarily in That Order)
Cheryl spent most of today at the Family History Library, making solid progress tracking down documents for her Mayflower Society application. Meanwhile, all the excitement from the past week—plus the whirlwind of family events before I even made it to Salt Lake City—finally caught up with me. I took things slow, working on marketing for…
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Post RootsTech Day 1 – Being a Tourist!
A Sunny Day in Salt Lake City (Despite the Forecast!) We woke up around 9:30 a.m. and headed downstairs to the hotel restaurant for breakfast—always a solid way to start the day. After that, we set out for a nice walk around Salt Lake City, revisiting a few places we’d been to on a previous…
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