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Cobblestones – A New Orleans Tragedy

Book Title: Cobblestones

Series: n/a

Author Name: S.R. Perricone

Publication Date: July 30, 2025

Publisher: Historium Press

No. of Pages: 586

Genre: Historical Fiction

Any triggers: No triggers.

Twitter Handle: @cathiedunn @marylschmidt

Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #NewOrleans #TrueEvents #TheCoffeePotBookClub #BlogTour

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/08/blog-tour-cobblestones-by-s-r-perricone.html

Book Title and Author:

COBBLESTONES 

by S.R. Perricone

Blurb:

The turbulent history of Post-Reconstruction New Orleans collides with the plight of Sicilian immigrants seeking refuge in America.

Antonio, a young man fleeing Sicily after avenging his father’s murder, embarks on a harrowing journey to New Orleans with the help of Jesuit priests expelled from his homeland. However, the promise of a fresh start quickly sours as Antonio becomes entangled in a volatile clash of cultures, corruption, and crime.

In the late 19th century, Italian immigrants in New Orleans faced hostility, exploitation, and a brutal system of indentured servitude. Antonio becomes a witness to history as a bitter feud over the docks spirals into violence, culminating in the assassination of Irish police chief David C. Hennessy. The ensuing trial of nine Italians and the shocking lynching of eleven innocent men ignited international outrage, threatening to sever ties between the United States and Italy.

Caught in the crossfire of prejudice and power struggles, Antonio fights to survive while grappling with his own past and future. His journey weaves a gripping tale of resilience, betrayal, and the enduring hope for justice. Cobblestones: A New Orleans Tragedy is a poignant reminder of the human cost of intolerance and the courage it takes to rebuild a life from ashes.

“A phenomenal epic account of a forgotten slice of New Orleans history for fans of Scorsese / Coppola-type cinematic dramas such as Midnight Vendetta and The Godfather!”
~ HFC Reviews

Excerpt 2:

When Charles Dickens created his character, Samuel Pickwick, in The Pickwick Papers in 1837, he could have not imagined that twenty years later a group of soi desant elite white male Protestants in New Orleans would have appropriated his character’s name, and fictional club as inspiration for the formation of a secret society, which fostered white supremacy. Dickens was an ardent abolitionist. The club’s first president, Adley Hogan Gladden, wanted a means to celebrate the fledgling observance on the city’s Mardi Gras, while preserving New Orleans’ own variety of eugenics. Only the finest families from selected professions were selected to join. Most of the membership were attorneys, doctors, non-Jewish merchants, businessmen, and owners of the local newspapers. Most claim to be of an Anglo-Saxon pedigree, and refused to tolerate anyone whom they view as having an inferior social standing in a city carved from a cypress swamp by French Catholics, Indians, and African slaves. Every member, during the Civil War, swore allegiance to the Confederacy, and were inveterate Democrats. Indeed, Gladden, who joined the Confederate army, was killed on April 12, 1862, during the battle of Shilo, Tennessee. But the Pickwick Club endured. It endured the Union occupation of New Orleans, and the post-war Reconstruction.

The Pickwick Club had a companion club, which had many of the same social aspirations—the Boston Club. It took its name from a popular card game of the time, but some viewed its membership a social notch below the Pickwick Club, though both clubs shared and welcomed each other’s members. And both enforced and enjoyed the caste system, which controlled New Orleans. Despite some political differences, however, the clubs sometimes found their members supporting different candidates for mayor and other elected and appointed offices, which, sometimes, caused contused feelings.  The Pickwickians self-identified as Bourbonist and more sophisticated than their Bostonians counterparts, who self-identified as The Ring or the Regular Democratic Organization. Every election found candidates in heated campaigns between the Bourbonist and The Ring, and often the mayor’s office and city council would switch sides every election. Since the end of Reconstruction, no republican dared to run for public office in New Orleans.  In fact, the last Republican mayor of New Orleans, Benjamin Flanders was voted out of office in November 1872. The insular city despised republicans, and avoided them like yellow fever. Though it had been twenty-three years since the end of the Civil War, many nativists recalled vividly the Union yoke of Reconstruction. Long memories have long knives.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link:  https://books2read.com/u/mdOKMd

Author Bio:

Sal Perricone, a graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans with a BA (1975) and JD (1979), has dedicated his career to law enforcement, legal practice, and public service. Beginning as a sergeant with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department, he progressed to detective with the New Orleans Police Department before practicing law privately in New Orleans. In 1985, he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Supervisory Special Agent, specializing in financial crime investigations and organized crime.

In 1991, Sal Perricone transitioned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, where he served as Chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force and Senior Litigation Counsel until retiring in 2012. Over his illustrious career, he prosecuted significant cases involving La Cosa Nostra, public corruption, and white-collar crime. He earned numerous accolades, including multiple Director’s Awards and the Attorney General’s Award for his role in establishing the Katrina Fraud Task Force.

An adjunct professor at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans, Sal Perricone has trained law enforcement professionals across the nation. Post-retirement, he has authored two novels with positive Catholic themes, Blue Steel Crucifix and The Shadows of Nazareth. A Brother Martin alumnus, he continues to inspire with his dedication to justice and ethics.

Author Links:

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/sal.r.perricone/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/srperricone

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/S.-R.-Perricone/author/B00RKH1OP6

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/57777507.S_R_Perricone

This entry was posted on September 24, 2025. 1 Comment

Finnegan and Schmidt Take Gold

Finnegan and Schmidt Take Gold

Reader’s Favorite announced their chosen books for medals September 1, 2025. Local Solo Gold medal winners include Willa R. Finnegan for her debut book, Snow: Cursed, in the Young Adult Mythology/Fairytale Category. Mary L. Schmidt won her gold medal for Shadow, in Children’s Pet Books. Reader’s Favorite is on hiatus so the awards in Miami will be in November 2026 for both years. 

This entry was posted on September 23, 2025. 6 Comments

Flash Flooding

We were dumped on with water and the town flooded in low lying areas. Pictures are not perfect as they are drive by.

This entry was posted on September 22, 2025. 6 Comments

Justifiable Death

Book Link

From Amazon:

Pawns in a game of greed…

Sacrificed and tossed aside…

Detectives Kacy Lang and Dave Capello team up with newly promoted Detective Greg Stevens in a perplexing case of cat and mouse. Why would three happy teenage boys with everything to live for hang themselves? And why does someone believe their deaths are justified?

With nothing more than cryptic clues from a disturbed mind, Kacy must play the game to rescue the maiden, and find the queen. A chilling mantra echoes in her mind…The queen is evil—don’t listen to her voice.

An addictive crime thriller for those who love detective stories!

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars Kacy Lang is on it

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2025

Verified Purchase

Another book in the Kacy Lang series. She must have quite the adrenaline running around to hardly get much sleep in these twisted murder mysteries she works on solving. Caffeine just isn’t enough. Just when one thinks they have part of the novel figured out, boom! Another twist to twist the twisted or evil person’s in the story.

The Price of Loyalty

Name: Malve von Hassell

Book Title: The Price of Loyalty: Serving Adela of Blois

Series: n/a

Publication Date: August 21, 2025

Publisher: Historium Press

Pages: 376

Genre: Historical Fiction

Any Triggers: Some violence, some references to rape [not graphic]

Twitter Handles: @MvonHassell @cathiedunn @marylschmidt

Instagram Handles: @mvonhassell @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #medieval #France #crusades #AdelaofBlois #WilliamtheConqueror #StephenHenrydeBlois #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/08/blog-tour-the-price-of-loyalty-by-malve-von-hassell.html

Book Title and Author Name: 

The Price of Loyalty

by Malve von Hassell

Blurb:

In a time of kingdoms and crusades, one man’s heart is the battlefield.

Cerdic, a Saxon knight, serves Count Stephen-Henry of Blois with unwavering loyalty-yet his soul remains divided. Haunted by memories of England, the land of his childhood, and bound by duty to King William, the conqueror who once showed him mercy, Cerdic walks a dangerous line between past and present, longing and loyalty.

At the center of his turmoil stands Adela-daughter of a king, wife of a count, and the first to offer him friendship in a foreign land. But when a political marriage binds him to the spirited and determined Giselle, Cerdic’s world turns again. Giselle, fiercely in love with her stoic husband, follows him across sea and sand to the holy land, hoping to win the heart that still lingers elsewhere.

As the clash of empires looms and a crusade threatens to tear everything apart, Cerdic must confront the deepest truth of all-where does his loyalty lie, and whom does his heart truly belong to?

Excerpt 1:

Bayeux Cathedral

Here Harold has sailed the sea, and with sails filled with wind has come into Count Guy’s territory. — Here they have given Harold the king’s crown. Here sits Harold as King of the Angles. — Here Angles and Franks have fallen together in battle. Here Bishop Odo holding his staff encourages the younger soldiers. Bayeux Tapestry

1077 Bayeux

Adela’s feet itched. She was tired of standing still. “Stop wiggling,” she murmured, kicking Henry in the side with her elbow.

“You are wiggling too,” he hissed.

At least they stood in the front row on one side of the cathedral. Adela craned her head to watch her father and mother with her father’s closest advisors on the opposite side.

The new cathedral was massive. Despite the hot summer day, the cavernous expanse felt damp and chilly. There was only one large round opening and several smaller ones allowing sunlight into the interior. Candlesticks set up along the perimeter made the stone pillars and niches and the high ceiling appear even more imposing. Gilded candelabras illuminated the dais. The cathedral wasn’t finished; there was still scaffolding in some areas. The workers had set up temporary wooden stakes all along the outer wall for displaying the tapestry, one segment on the left, another segment on the right, and two others flanking the entrance.

“I expect you to be still and to refrain from talking,” Adela’s mother had told Henry and Adela, fixing them with a stern look. “Bishop Odo will bless the church with holy water on the outside. He must walk around the entire building three times and then repeat the blessing inside.”

A loud knock reverberated through the hall. Nobody moved. Another knock. Silence. At the third knock, the wide double doors opened, and the procession filed in, the monks chanting as they moved along. The chanting grew louder, drowning out all sounds from the people inside the church. “Let this temple be sanctified and consecrated,” the monks intoned. The bishop circled the interior three times, followed by other priests and monks. He sprinkled holy water on each section of the wall. After that, he anointed each of the crosses along the walls with oil.

Adela pressed her lips together to keep from giggling. It made her think of maids at home wandering around with dusters and polishing the silver. Then she sobered as the chanting of the Benedictus washed over her. “O how fearful is this place; truly this is no other than the house of God, and the gate of Heaven.”

She glanced at her father, tall and heavy next to her mother. His reddish curls were hidden under his crown; his beard had lately acquired a new shade of gray and yellow. He was frowning, his lips pursed as if something about this ceremony irritated him.

Maybe her father was annoyed with his brother, the bishop. She’d worm it out of him later. When he was in a good mood, he liked to explain things to her. Only, when he went on too long, sounding just like her tutor, her mind wandered. Noticing her abstraction, he’d laugh and pull on her hair as if she were a horse. “I’m glad you are asking questions, but run along now.”

Bishop Odo held his head and chin high, glancing down his nose at the scene in front of him as he made his circuit around the interior of the church, resplendent in his vestments and miter. The gold threads along his long sleeves glinted as he continued to sprinkle holy water on the walls. He certainly appeared prominently on the tapestry. In one scene during the battle of Hastings, he wore full armor and a helmet and held a huge mace in his hand. Adela hadn’t thought that bishops would go to war. But it did look impressive.

“Your uncle supported the production of the tapestry; most of the work was done at the embroidery school of Cambridge,” her mother had told Adela the day before. “So he deserves a place on it.”

She had taken Henry and Adela to a visit to the cathedral for a private viewing of the tapestry. “Tomorrow, during the ceremony there won’t be time.” She told them how much work it took to create all these scenes. “Just imagine how many women had to sit there for many hours over many days placing the individual stitches in accordance with a drawing.”

“If women did all this work, why aren’t there more women shown in the tapestry?” Adela asked.

“War is fought by men.” Matilda studied her daughter from the side. “You should know that by now. Women act on another stage.”

Adela had stopped listening. “Look, there is a woman next to someone on a bed. Who is that?”

Matilda stepped closer and peered at the lettering. “Oh, that’s Edith, the wife of King Edward, at his deathbed.”

Adela pursed her lips. She loved all the animals along the edges, some unlike any she had ever seen. There were wild beasts from Africa and from the East, lots of horses, dogs, and all manner of birds.

“What’s that?” she asked, mesmerized by a bright blue bird with a huge multicolored long tail that fanned out like a carpet.

“That’s a paon. The English say ‘peacock,’” her mother explained.

“Oh, a paon,” Adela said dismissively, as if she had known that all along while she repeated the strange word to herself.

“Why isn’t that man wearing any clothes?” Adela pointed and then quickly pulled her hand back. She had been chewing her nails again, and her mother would scold her.

“No clothes?” Matilda peered at the edge of the tapestry. Then she laughed. “I suspect someone might have put this in as a joke.” She pondered the skillful embroidery. “Come to think of it, there are several scenes here where I am not sure of the intended meaning.”

“Look, mother!” Henry pointed at another section. “Here they are cooking!”

“Well, soldiers need to be fed.”

“Why did that house get burned down?”

“It’s a battle, silly.” Adela poked him in the side. “Things get burned.”

“You wouldn’t like it if it happened to you.” Henry made a face at his sister, while poking her back.

“Remember where you are. You shouldn’t argue inside a house of God.” Matilda led them to the end of the tapestry. “Any battle is hard and full of bitter loss for many. But that doesn’t mean these battles shouldn’t be fought.”

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bpo2vg

Author Bio:

Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. Working as an independent scholar, she published The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002) and Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993: The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996). She has also edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell’s memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich – Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994).

Malve has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College, while continuing her work as a translator and writer. She has published two children’s picture books, Tooth Fairy (Amazon KDP 2012 / 2020), and Turtle Crossing (Amazon KDP 2023), and her translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay, Rennefarre: Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012).

The Falconer’s Apprentice (namelos, 2015 / KDP 2024) was her first historical fiction novel for young adults. She has published Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades, and The Amber Crane (Odyssey Books, 2021), set in Germany in 1645 and 1945, as well as a biographical work about a woman coming of age in Nazi Germany, Tapestry of My Mother’s Life: Stories, Fragments, and Silences (Next Chapter Publishing, 2021), also available in German, Bildteppich Eines Lebens: Erzählungen Meiner Mutter, Fragmente Und Schweigen (Next Chapter Publishing, 2022).

Her latest publication is the historical fiction novel, The Price of Loyalty: Serving Adela of Blois (Historium Press, 2025).

Author Links:

Website: https://www.malvevonhassell.com/

Twitter / X: https://x.com/MvonHassell

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malvevonhassellauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mvonhassell/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/malvevonhassell.bsky.social

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/malve-von-hassell

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Malve-von-Hassell/author/B0CTGLDQ7P/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/471746.Malve_von_Hassell

This entry was posted on September 18, 2025. 6 Comments

Willow Lake

Book Link

From Amazon:

New York Times and USA Today best selling author, Linda S. Prather, steps out of her comfort zone to bring readers a cozy novelete of crime/mystery and ghosts.

Kay Jamison had always kept an open mind about ghosts, spirits and psychics—until the dead owner of her new home showed up.

Could she solve the mystery of his death and rid herself of his annoying presence, or would her efforts reveal the secrets she was hiding and destroy her newfound peace?

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars Great short murder novelette

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2025

Verified Purchase

Great short murder mystery novelette. One hour read packed with elements such as a real ghost who could be seen by one human and one dog.

Honorable Death

Book Link

From Amazon:

Everything a detective novel should be–gripping, clever, and filled with deep characters.

Ninety-nine shovels of dirt on the grave, ninety-nine shovels of dirt…

Brilliant but troubled Detective Kacy Lang and her partner, Dave Capello, aren’t the perfect detectives, but they are the perfect team. When the body of Kacy’s twin brother washes up from the icy depths of the Chicago River she’s positive she knows who did it. The same man who buried her alive two years earlier. A killer more ghost than man as no one had ever seen his face and lived to tell about it.

Kyle had been a druggie and small time thug. He’d taken something, and someone out there was desperate to get it back. Bodies were piling up and her adoptive parents were at the top of Kacy’s list of suspects. The killer wasn’t finished, and the only thing she knew for sure… he was coming for her.

A multilayered, fast-paced archaeological dig of a mystery.

My Review:

I loved this book. I’ve become a fan Prather’s writing and each story I try to figure out who did what for what reason. The author has a way of tossing in a wrench you don’t see coming. There’s nothing better than hiding in plain sight. As with any murder/mystery book, murder does happen, and there some graphic scenes written within. I loved the book.

Shades of Yellow

Name: Wendy J. Dunn

Book Title: Shades of Yellow

Series: n/a

Publication Date: September 7th, 2025

Publisher: Other Terrain Press

Pages: 350

Genre: Women’s Fiction / Literary Fiction / Dual-Timeline

Any Triggers: Adult themes and with a few well-deserved F words included.   

Hashtags: #ShadesOfYellow #Forgiveness #AmyRobsard #WomensFiction #DualTimeline #Romance #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Twitter Handle: @cathiedunn @marylschmidt

Instagram Handles: @wendyjdunnauthor @thecoffeepotbookclub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/08/blog-tour-shades-of-yellow-by-wendy-j-dunn.html

Book Title and Author Name:

Shades of Yellow

By Wendy J. Dunn

Blurb:

During her battle with illness, Lucy Ellis found solace in writing a novel about the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley, the man who came close to marrying Elizabeth I. As Lucy delves into Amy’s story, she also navigates the aftermath of her own experience that brought her close to death and the collapse of her marriage. 

After taking leave from her teaching job to complete her novel, Lucy falls ill again. Fearing she will die before she finishes her book, she flees to England to solve the mystery of Amy Robsart’s death. 

Can she find the strength to confront her past, forgive the man who broke her heart, and take control of her own destiny?

Who better to write about a betrayed woman than a woman betrayed?

Shades of Yellow

Excerpt 1:

‘So, you’re Stephen’s Australian granddaughter. I’ve heard a lot about you over the years.’
A flush warming her face, Lucy shook his hand and smiled back. ‘I hope Pop told you only good stuff.’

Tom laughed. ‘Yes. Only good stuff.’ He waved towards the door he had just come out of. ‘Shall we get started? We get to the Bell Tower from inside the Queen’s House.’

Lucy blinked to adjust her eyes to dimmer light when she reached the narrow spiral stairwell of Bell Tower. Knowing her good fortune to have a private tour of the tower and the ramparts, she steeled herself to surmount a demanding climb. To her relief, not long into their ascent, Tom halted and pointed out a cell with a toilet.  The heavy porcelain toilet bowl and its honey-coloured wooden seat seemed to come from around the 1930’s. Lucy gulped back a giggle. Despite its obvious age, the toilet looked incongruous in its ancient setting.

‘They say this is where they planned to place Hitler in World War Two.’

Jo peered into the cell. ‘Dad told me about the plot to capture Hitler. Sounds rather mad to me.’

‘Desperate times result in desperate measures,’ Tom responded. ‘The Second World War was a desperate time for Britian.’

Lucy pretended interest in the story as she caught her breath, only to become fascinated when Jo and Tom talked about the efforts of an English witch coven to win the war.

Tom laughed. ‘Like I said, desperate times, desperate measures.’

They returned to climbing to the ramparts. By the time the three of them emerged from the stairwell to daylight, Lucy’s heart thudded hard against her chest. Wobbly and a trifle ill, she gathered the remnants of her strength and headed straight to the waist-high wall of the rampart to look out at the view of modern London, seeing again the newly rising Shard from a fresh vantage point. She prayed Jo’s attention was all on the view and not on her. Her aunt may discern she was lingering at the ramparts for other reasons than the gorgeous outlook of London.

Tom came to stand next to her. ‘I’ve served here close to twenty years and never tire of coming here.’

Jo joined them to take photos.

Relieved to no longer hearing her heart drumming loudly in her ears and feeling better, Lucy waved her hand from right to left. ‘It would have been so different in the sixteenth century.’

Tom leaned on the wall. ‘Time always changes things. Even the Tower. We can all be thankful that Victoria and Albert both appreciated England’s history so much that they rebuilt it.’

Lucy laughed. ‘Hooray for old Queen Victoria.’

‘Well, yes.’ Tom grinned. ‘But she wasn’t old Queen Victoria then, and it didn’t mean they rebuilt everything. John Taylor, the second man in charge of the rebuilding program, caused an awful stink by pulling down far too much.’

Lucy peered over the top of the wall. ‘I, for one, am happy they left some things to our imagination, like the moat. For centuries, they called it a cesspool. It was a source of illness to those who lived close by.’

‘You’re right.’ Tom returned to his soldier’s stance. ‘It destroyed the health of many of the men who drained it, too.’

‘Thank you for bringing us here, Tom,’ said Jo, recapping her camera. ‘You said you need to go back before twelve? Time for us to walk the leads before we head to our next stop, don’t you think, Lucy?’

‘Walk the leads.’ She paced along the narrow walkway and looked over her shoulder at her aunt. ‘The people of the past had such a lovely way of describing their surroundings. I adore how it describes walking the ramparts. Weird to think of Elizabeth walking here and causing time to rewrite it as Queen Elizabeth’s Walk.’

The sky was now the same shade as the stones of the Tower. The wind picked up, blowing colder. She stilled near the wall. The world around her disappeared. Her Amy in 1554 possessed her mind’s eye.

On the ramparts, Amy shifted a little away from Robert, gathering her cloak tighter around her chilled body. Below, the moat glittered as clouds broke away from the sun. Smoke from chimney stacks of nearby houses eddied in the air and tickled her lungs. The spire of St Paul’s pierced the sky. Robert rarely brought her here. But, after John confided this was the place her husband most often met with Elizabeth, Amy had entreated Rob to take her to the ramparts. Now she pretended to study the view, all the while imagining Rob holding Bess in his arms, like he had just done with her. Rob kissing Elizabeth. Telling her he loved her. The thought cut Amy’s heart into pieces.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mqPGgd

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Author Bio:

WENDY J. DUNN is a multi-award-winning Australian writer fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of Dear Heart, How Like You This, her first Anne Boleyn novel, which narrated the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder.

Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their holdings. It seems very likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.

Wendy gained her PhD in 2014 and tutors in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. She loves walking in the footsteps of the historical people she gives voice to in her books.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.wendyjdunn.com/

Newsletter: https://wendyjdunn.substack.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authorwendyjdunn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyjdunnauthor/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wendyjdunnauthor

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wendyjdunn.bsky.social

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/wendy-j-dunn

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyjdunn

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Wendy-J.-Dunn/author/B004FRTZFA

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/197156.Wendy_J_Dunn

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-wendy-dunn-6358181a

This entry was posted on September 9, 2025. 2 Comments

Meet George Yuhasz

Please welcome George Yuhasz to my blog. Good morning, George. Shall we get started?

Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.

I’m George Yuhasz, author of the children’s book IMAGINE THAT: THE MAGIC OF THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS and most recently the thriller novel RIGHTEOUS ALLEGIANCE. Both books have won numerous awards and have received great reviews. Very grateful. My thanks to you for taking time to read about my writing and me.

Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?

I did not begin writing until after I retired. My professional career and family were my main focus and did not afford time for writing.

How difficult was it writing your first book?

It was a challenge to write a children’s story. However, I was inspired by my granddaughter, who is the protagonist in the book, and was driven to create a special story for her as a gift.

Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?

I never thought about giving up. Not an option.

Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?

I never dreamed to be a writer. It’s a self-motivating thing with me; I prefer to live being a writer and it’s a great life. Being creative, working with ideas and random thoughts, putting all the pieces together-exciting! As an added bonus, you meet wonderful readers and creatives like Mary Schmidt (I couldn’t resist, Mary). Much support has come to me in all shapes, sizes, and colors and has been most welcome.

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Having the freedom to read and write what you desire is precious. Hold it dear, fight for it if you have to.

What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-from his poem “The Builders.”

Nothing useless is or low

Each thing in its place is best

And what seems like idle show

Strengthens and supports the rest

What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?

My target audience are those readers who are looking for something beyond being entertained by a story.  Life lessons. A new approach to solving a problem. Increased awareness and appreciation of our natural world. These are just some of the things that are important to me and I hope will resonate with my readers as well.

Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?

I worked with wonderful artists/illustrators for both books who understood my goals for writing each story.

What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?

I am working on another children’s story and also a sequel to RIGHTEOUS ALLEGIANCE. Both projects are in beginning stages at this time.

Any last words before we wrap things up?

Someone once asked me what I value as a writer. A heavy question. My response was in effect the following: I believe holding myself accountable in bringing my best efforts to creating meaningful, thought provoking and entertaining stories encouraging love, kindness, friendship, hope, and reverence for our natural world. My profound gratitude to all who continue to support and inspire me on this amazing journey.

George media photo 2

AUTHOR BIO

George Yuhasz is a former U.S. Government intelligence officer, special agent, and contractor. He has also worked in the private sector, owning and operating his own global security and investigative consultancy. RIGHTEOUS ALLEGIANCE, a Book Excellence Awards winner, is his first novel and was an Amazon #1 bestseller. Yuhasz is also the author of the multi-award-winning children’s book IMAGINE THAT: THE MAGIC OF THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS (Gold medalist Wishing Shelf Book Awards). He earned a B.A. degree with a double major in international service and government from American University, and holds a M.A. degree in psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. Yuhasz is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and is a Certified Protection Professional Life Member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina.

Website: https://www.georgeyuhaszauthor.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Allegiance-George-Yuhasz/dp/1977275621

Barnes and Noble: https://BarnesandNoble.com/Righteous-Allegiance-George-Yuhasz/1146435338

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