Monday Roundup: Texas Literary Calendar for Aug. 30-Sept. 6, 2020

Bookish goings-on in Texas for the week of August 30-September 6, 2020, compiled exclusively for Lone Star Literary Life by Texas Book Lover. 

Special events this week include the international Hay Festival, live online from Dallas. Most events are still online via Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Zoom, and other venues. 

For a complete calendar of bookish events in Texas this week, including special events, daily listings, and exhibits, visit the GO! Calendar at Lone Star Lit.    

Lone Star Literary Life - Aug. 30, 2020

Lone Star Literary Life is brand new, hot off the pixels, and nutritious. 

Follow the link for the latest Texas bookish news, reviews, interviews, and goings-on, then subscribe to the newsletter--it's free! 

Review: A PLACE AT THE TABLE

I reviewed A Place at the Table (Clarion Books) by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan for Lone Star Literary Life! This middle-grade novel, about the transformative power of friendship, is a joy. 

"Through cultural and religious misunderstandings (“Sometimes talking with Sara is hard work.”), involving Halloween and pierced ears; through biryani, samosas, and tarka daal, instant mashed potatoes, Hot Pockets, and mac and cheese; with the mezuzah next to Elizabeth’s front door and the Quranic verse in Arabic over Sara’s front door, Faruqi and Shovan exude possibility, writing about the ways we are more alike than we usually know."

Click here to read the entire review at Lone Star Literary Life!

Monday Roundup: Texas Literary Calendar, Aug. 23-30, 2020

Bookish goings-on in Texas for the week of August 23-30, 2020, compiled exclusively for Lone Star Literary Life by Texas Book Lover.   

Special events this week include the Writers’ League of Texas Virtual Summer Writing Retreat, ArmadilloCon 42, Independent Bookstore Day, and a fundraising screening of Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins. Most events are still online via Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Zoom, and other venues. 

For a complete calendar of bookish events in Texas this week, including special events, daily listings, and exhibits, visit the GO! Calendar at Lone Star Lit. 

Lone Star Literary Life - August 23, 2020

 Lone Star Literary Life is hot off the pixels!  

Follow the link for the latest Texas bookish news, reviews, interviews, and goings-on, then subscribe to the newsletter--it's free!

Author Interview & Giveaway: NACHO'S NACHOS

NACHO'S NACHOS

The Story Behind the 

World's Favorite Snack

by

Sandra Nickel

Illustrated by 

Oliver Dominguez

Genre: Picture Book / Nonfiction / Food History / Latinx Interest  

Publisher: Lee & Low Books 

Publication Date: August 11, 2020 

Number of Pages: 32

 Scroll down for the giveaway!

NACHO’S NACHOS is the deliciously true story about how nachos were invented—about what happened when a regular customer asked Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya for something new, and there were no chefs in the kitchen. 

2020 is the eightieth anniversary of the invention, and Oliver Dominguez’s illustrations transport us back to the border of the Rio Grande in 1940, when Nacho’s quick thinking resulted in a snack now eaten everywhere from Texas to Paris to Hong Kong!

CLICK TO PURCHASE:

  Amazon ┃ Barnes & Noble ┃ IndieBound ┃ Book Depository 

    

An Insider’s View of the Victory Club, where nachos were invented, 

with Sandra Nickel, author of Nacho’s Nachos

Ignacio Anaya invented nachos eighty years ago at the Victory Club in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. Sadly, the Victory Club no longer exists. However, Sandra Nickel, the author of Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack, is here to give us an insider’s view into the legendary restaurant.

If you had to choose one word to describe the restaurant, what would it be?

“Posh.” It was very stylish, with white tablecloths and waiters in white jackets. It had a moonlight patio for dancing and a small orchestra. If my memory is correct, there was even a pianist entertaining guests during the day.

What type of things were on the menu?

Things Julia Child would have been proud to make—lobster thermidor and duck à l’orange. But it also had wonderful Mexican specialties, such as tampiquieña. And, of course, Ignacio Anaya’s nachos were on every menu!

Where exactly was the Victory Club located?

The Victory Club, or the Club Victoria, as it was called in Spanish, was in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, right across the Rio Grande from Eagle Pass, Texas. It was a few hundred feet from the international bridge. In fact, if you stepped out the door and turned left, you would have been crossing the bridge in only a few minutes.

Who came to the Victory Club?

Guests from both sides of the border. There was greater freedom of movement in 1940, and I don’t think people thought twice about crossing the Rio Grande for dinner. There was a US military base in Eagle Pass at the time, and I believe the Victory Club was a favorite of the officers, enlisted men, and wives.

Who was the owner?

Rodolfo de los Santos, who plays a role in the nachos story. He recognized the brilliance of Nacho’s invention and immediately put it on the menu. When the Victory Club closed in 1961, de los Santos helped Anaya set up his own restaurant.

Have you seen pictures of the Victory Club?

Luis Anaya and Roberto de los Santos Jr. shared a few with me. I’m sorry I don’t hold the rights to pass them on to you. However, you can visit the Lone Star Lit Book Blog Tour’s Sneak Peek to see what a fantastic job Oliver Dominguez did of recreating the Victory Club that shows the outside, with Ignacio Anya and Rodolfo de los Santos. It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?!

Sandra Nickel writes books and poetry for young readers. In 2020 and 2021, she has three books coming out: Nacho’s Nachos: The Story Behind the World’s Favorite Snack (Lee & Low), The Stuff Between the Stars: How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe (Abrams), and Breaking Through the Clouds: The Sometimes Turbulent Life of Meteorologist Joanne Simpson (Abrams). Sandra’s poetry can be found in SCOOP magazine. 

Sandra holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has presented workshops on writing for children and young adults throughout Europe and the United States. Sandra has twice won the Katherine Paterson Prize for picture books.

  Website ║ Blog ║ Facebook ║ Instagram ║ Twitter ║ Amazon ║ Goodreads 

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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

FIVE WINNERS!  

3 Winners: Print Copy + Recipe Card; 2 Winners: Recipe Card. 

AUGUST 20-30, 2020 

(US ONLY)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE 

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, 

or visit the blogs directly:

8/20/20	Author Interview	All the Ups and Downs
8/20/20	Sneak Peek	Hall Ways Blog
8/21/20	Review	Book Fidelity
8/21/20	Guest Post	StoreyBook Reviews
8/22/20	Review	Book Bustle
8/23/20	Author Interview	Texas Book Lover
8/24/20	Review	The Page Unbound
8/25/20	Review	Rainy Days with Amanda
8/25/20	Scrapbook Page	Reading by Moonlight
8/26/20	Guest Post	Forgotten Winds
8/27/20	Review	The Clueless Gent
8/28/20	Review	The Adventures of a Travelers Wife
8/28/20	Top Ten	Missus Gonzo
8/29/20	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
8/29/20	Review	That's What She's Reading

   

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Book Trailer & Giveaway: AIRBORNE

AIRBORNE

by DiANN MILLS

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense 

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Date of Publication: September 8, 2020

Number of Pages: 400

Scroll down for the giveaway!

Heather Lawrence’s long-awaited vacation to Salzburg wasn’t supposed to go like this. Mere hours into the transatlantic flight, the Houston FBI agent is awakened when passengers begin exhibiting horrific symptoms of an unknown infection. As the virus quickly spreads and dozens of passengers fall ill, Heather fears she’s witnessing an epidemic similar to ones her estranged husband studies for a living—but this airborne contagion may have been deliberately released. While Heather remains quarantined with other survivors, she works with her FBI colleagues to identify the person behind this attack. The prime suspect? Dr. Chad Lawrence, an expert in his field ... and Heather’s husband. The Lawrences’ marriage has been on the rocks since Chad announced his career took precedence over his wife and future family and moved out. 

As more victims fall prey days after the initial outbreak, time’s running out to hunt down the killer, one who may be closer to the victims than anyone ever expected.

=== A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR The story line for Airborne came to me three and a half years ago. All I had was a what-if: A virus unleashed on an international flight. 

The search to find experts who were willing to give me accurate information took another year. Along the way, God placed the right people in my path: a woman and new friend whose doctorate is in microbiology and immunology, a man who trains flight attendants for the airline that I envisioned in my story, a pilot who not only flies for my designated airline but is also a suspense and thriller writer, the amazing people and resources of the CDC, and the wisdom and guidance of the FBI. Tyndale House Publishers saw my passion for Airborne. 

This book was completed and edited before COVID-19 spread across our globe. My mission then and now is to show a story that weaves hope, reality, and the sacrificial work of first responders when a deadly virus spreads through innocent people. My prayer is people will experience God’s presence during our current global crisis. Will you join me in that prayer?

CLICK TO PURCHASE

Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Books-A-Million

Christian Book Distributor || Google Play

Apple Books || IndieBound || Kobo

Murder By the Book || Tyndale

Youtube

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; director, alongside Edie Melson, of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and Mountainside Retreats; and a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. 

DiAnn is passionate about helping other writers be successful and speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston. DiAnn is very active online and loves to connect with readers on social media and at diannmills.com

Blog Posts ║ Facebook ║ Instagram ║ Youtube 

Pinterest ║ Goodreads ║ LinkedIn ║ BookBub ║ Twitter 

-------------------------------------

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

FOUR WINNERS Each gets a signed, personalized hardcover edition of Airborne + choice of either $25 Amazon or $25 Barnes and Noble e-Gift Card August 18-28, 2020

(U.S. Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY. 

Or, visit the blogs directly:

8/18/20	Book Trailer	Texas Book Lover
8/18/20	Review	Forgotten Winds
8/19/20	Author Video	Max Knight
8/19/20	BONUS Post	Hall Ways Blog
8/20/20	Guest Post	Librariel Book Adventures
8/20/20	Review	The Clueless Gent
8/21/20	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
8/22/20	Excerpt	The Adventures of a Travelers Wife
8/23/20	Excerpt	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
8/24/20	Scrapbook	All the Ups and Downs
8/24/20	Review	Momma on the Rocks
8/25/20	Character Interview	Book Bustle
8/26/20	Review	Tangled in Text
8/26/20	Author Video	The Page Unbound
8/27/20	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
8/27/20	Review	Reading by Moonlight

   

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