Category: Publicity
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From Ancestry Message Board to Arson Files: Uncovering Catherine Seeley’s True Motive
NOTE: This post has also been cross-posted to my genealogy blog, https://whoweareandhowwegotthisway.com/ I didn’t set out to write about a con artist. I wasn’t even researching criminals. I was trying to get the facts straight about my husband’s great-grandmother, known in the family as Catherine C. Fitzallen. I was scrolling through an Ancestry message board,…
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From Family Tree to Novel: The Real Lives Behind My Books
NOTE: I first shared this story over on my genealogy blog, but I wanted to post it here too for those who follow my adventures in writing! On Saturday, October 4, I had the pleasure of being a vendor at Family History Day, sponsored by the Connecticut Society of Genealogists. I always enjoy chatting with…
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Finding Catherine, Finding Connection
On the third day of our writing retreat in Ireland, Lynn Palermo asked us to reflect on the following questions: Think about the connections your story makes possible. What connections brought you to this story? Who are you hoping to connect with through your writing? How do you want that connection to shape the way…
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From Gilded Age Grifter to Aer Lingus Diva
I’m sitting at Gate 9 at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, waiting to board a 6:05 p.m. plane to Dublin. The seats are filling fast. Uh oh. Does that mean some poor schmuck is going to get wedged between me and my husband? He likes the window. I like the aisle. (Seventy-year-old bladder. Two kids.)…
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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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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…
deborahsholman.com 