Monthly Archives: June 2015

The Castro Valley Local Authors Fair is Today, Saturday, June 20th, from 1 to 4 pm!

Here is my press release regarding my appearance at the fair:

Lori Schafer, author of the award-winning memoir On Hearing of My Mother’s Death Six Years After It Happened: A Daughter’s Memoir of Mental Illness and the newly released romance Just the Three of Us: An Erotic Romantic Comedy for the Commitment-Challenged will be signing copies of her books on Saturday, June 20th at the first Local Author Fair to be held at the Castro Valley Public Library. It will be Schafer’s first public appearance after dislocating her shoulder during an ice hockey game in December.

“My memoir was released in November, and I had numerous book signings planned,” Schafer said. “But after the injury, my arm had to be immobilized in a sling for six weeks – which meant no driving, no writing, and only left-handed typing. I couldn’t even get dressed by myself.”

Schafer’s plans were further disrupted when she developed adhesive capsulitis, more commonly known as “frozen shoulder,” a condition in which calcium deposits build up in a joint during a lengthy period of immobilization, severely limiting range of motion.

“It was such a shock to me, finally getting out of that sling and discovering that my arm wouldn’t move. I couldn’t even reach the keyboard of my laptop at first. Plus being housebound for three months nearly drove me nuts.”

Schafer does physical therapy daily, but she is still looking at a lengthy recovery – perhaps six months to a year, after which she may still need surgery to correct tears in her labrum.

“I’ve got about 120 degrees in most directions, and that’s enough to allow me to do most things I need to do. The biggest improvement, though, is being able to drive again. It simply wasn’t practical for me to walk the two miles down to the grocery store and back – especially when I can’t even put on a backpack.”

Schafer was therefore thrilled to learn about the Local Author Fair in the Castro Valley Forum last month.

“I’m so excited they’re doing that. I’ve been reluctant to schedule events until I was able to get around on my own –I was very disappointed to have missed the Bay Area Book Festival – and now I want to do as many as possible just in case I have to have surgery next year. It’s likely to be a very long recovery if I do, as it’s probable that I’ll develop frozen shoulder again following the procedure.”

How will this affect the author’s plans for the future?

“The injury, the frozen shoulder, and the physical therapy have all put me way behind schedule on – well, everything! I haven’t even cleaned house in months, and I’m disappointed that I haven’t had more time for writing. But I figure if I might be looking at surgery then I ought to get around as much as I can while I can. I will be attending the 7th Annual NW Book Festival in Portland in July and am also trying to schedule more events to places where I feel comfortable travelling.”

There has been an unexpected plus side to the injury, though, Schafer asserts.

“I’ve worked a shoulder dislocation into the plot of my work-in-progress, a sequel to Just the Three of Us. It’s the culmination of a series of horrible events the protagonist endures on the heels of making a big mistake. Thanks to the personal experience, I’ve been able to detail it out in a way I never could have before – complete with screaming.”

In addition to On Hearing of My Mother’s Death Six Years After It Happened and Just the Three of Us, Schafer will also be offering for sale and signing two literary short story collections, an erotic short story collection entitled To All the Penises I’ve Ever Known, and her debut novel My Life with Michael: A Novel of Sex, Beer and Middle Age. Schafer assures readers not to worry about her damaging her injured arm.

“It is so stiff that if you try to push it to the side, my whole body moves! Trust me, this is the toughest this shoulder has ever been – I have no problem carrying boxes of books.”

The Local Author Fair will feature 39 Bay Area authors and will take place at the Castro Valley Public Library located at 3600 Norbridge Avenue in Castro Valley on Saturday, June 20th from 1 to 4 pm. Interested parties wishing to learn more about the event may also contact Chris Selig at (510) 608-1137.

My Interview with Dorit Sasson on Giving Voice to Your Story!

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Well, here it is – my first live interview and my first radio show!

As those of you who saw my post last week already know, last Thursday I had an interview with Dorit Sasson on her BlogTalkRadio program “Giving Voice to Your Story.” Dorit is a freelance writer, coach, and memoirist whose memoir Accidental Soldier: What My Service in the Israel Defense Forces Taught Me about Faith, Courage and Love will be published by She Writes Press in 2016.

I considered myself lucky to have such a good host, and I thought Dorit did a great job of making our talk sound more like a conversation than an interview. I also felt fortunate in being somewhat familiar with the BlogTalkRadio setup, which made me considerably less apprehensive. I knew, for example, that I needed to keep quiet once I heard the “Blog Talk Radio” intro, and also that the program would cut off promptly at the thirty-minute mark, so I was prepared for that. And although I tend to worry about technical issues, it went quite smoothly (on my end, anyway!) as all I had to do was call in at the appointed time and hang up when it was over.

As for the interview itself, I think it went pretty well. It was interesting discussing my memoir with someone who had her own distinct perspective on it. Dorit’s focus tended to be more on the mother-daughter relationship than on the illness, which is something that few people have emphasized, although it is, of course, a vital part of the story, and also a vital part of Dorit’s own forthcoming memoir. I really felt as though I learned something about my own book in the process, and I hope you will, too.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/givingvoicetoyourstory/2015/06/04/giving-voice-to-your-story-with-lori-schafer

Dorit Sasson, host of Giving Voice to Your Story and author of Accidental Soldier: What My Service in the Israel Defense Forces Taught Me About Faith, Courage, and Love

SALE! My Erotic Romantic Comedy Just the Three of Us is Just $0.99 through June 11th!

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The eBook version of my funny, sexy romance Just the Three of Us: An Erotic Romantic Comedy for the Commitment-Challenged is on sale for just $0.99 through Thursday, June 11th (borrow FREE with Kindle Unlimited). I’ve been incredibly pleased by how the book has been received by readers so far – some of the reviews have been quite entertaining, too!

Five Stars Not What I Expected… So Much Better

I wasn’t sure how much humor a book about a triad couple could elicit, but this one made me laugh out loud. From the start of the book when Kathy feel like a dirty old woman to the end where she finds her place in their world. There are laughs, tears and a few things that make you reference porn for logistics. All in all a well written book.

Five Stars Hot, Sexy, and Well-Written

Love comes in many forms, and although this books interpretation of a loving relationship may not fit many people’s idea of a healthy family unit, the author just somehow makes it work for the two men and woman in this book. The writing is clear and concise and the growing attraction between the characters as they struggle to find their way in this unusual relationship is honest, real and oh so sexy. There is plenty of sizzling three way sex in this book, but laid over it all is the love and care that the characters feel for one another. This book is a romance with well developed characters and lots of sexy scenes rather than porn with a throw away stab at building a plot.

NO CLIFF HANGER!! This is a stand alone book with another related book due to publish this year, and I am looking forward to reading more from this author. This book was well worth my time and I will revisit the characters in my mind, like old friends, for a long time to come.

In Which She Talks About Herself in the Third Person

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So here it is – two firsts. My very first radio interview, which I’ve announced in my very first press release:

Award-winning memoirist Lori Schafer to appear on BlogTalkRadio show “Giving Voice to Your Story” on Thursday, June 4th

Author Lori Schafer will give her first live interview concerning her award-winning memoir On Hearing of My Mother’s Death Six Years After It Happened on “Giving Voice to Your Story” on Thursday, June 4th at 11 am EDT. Schafer, whose memoir recounts her terrifying adolescent experience of her mother’s psychosis, won a spot on Dorit Sasson’s BlogTalkRadio program through a contest on the popular writer’s blog “The Write Life” earlier this year.

“I’m excited, but also a bit nervous,” Schafer admitted. “Dorit and I only met through the contest, so we don’t know each other at all. I have no idea what she’s going to ask me. It’s like a job interview – I’ll mostly be winging it and hoping to make a good impression on listeners.”

Schafer has high hopes for the interview, however. In fact, it was Sasson’s program that inspired her to begin a BlogTalkRadio show of her own.

“I’m currently looking at a fall start date,” she affirmed. “I had hoped to begin sooner, but my schedule has been so full this year that I had to postpone it.”

Schafer is planning an eclectic program featuring readings from her own work, discussion panels on topics of interest to readers and writers, and interviews like the one Sasson will be conducting with the author.

“I’m truly appreciative of this opportunity to interview with Dorit. Radio is a very different way of interacting with an audience, and I’m really looking forward to experiencing that. But the format feels strange to me – it isn’t like writing, where you get the chance to edit and re-edit your words if they come out wrong the first or second or twentieth time. Live is live – you only get one shot at getting it right.”

Schafer’s memoir has recently been the subject of critical acclaim. It was awarded a Gold Medal in the 2015 eLit Book Awards and was a finalist in both the National Indie Excellence and International Book Awards competitions.

“It’s a fascinating book, not only because of its subject matter, but because of its non-linear narrative structure. It will be interesting to discuss from both a literary and a psychological perspective.”

Listeners can tune in to the thirty-minute program live or listen to the podcast, which will be archived after the show airs at the following link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/givingvoicetoyourstory/2015/06/04/giving-voice-to-your-story-with-lori-schafer

Listeners are also encouraged to call in with questions and comments.

“I’ve really enjoyed discussing my book with readers on social media,” Schafer says. “But it can be hard to have a real conversation in 140 characters or less!”

Schafer, who originally intended to shy away from requests for live interviews, now welcomes them.

“Reader response to my memoir has been simply amazing. People have been incredibly supportive, but what’s really moved me have been the number of folks who have come forward to share their stories with me. It’s as if they, too, have been keeping this dark family secret and are glad to have someone finally reveal it.”

Schafer’s memoir is available in paperback at retailers worldwide and in eBook exclusively on Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0WYHDQ/). Interested parties may visit her website at https://lorilschafer.com/ for further information.