- Positive Vibes
- Posts
- A Host of Ghosts
Hello again!
It’s been another busy month on my end—and on yours, too, I’m sure!
This past Sunday, I appeared on an author panel at the Southern Festival of Books to talk about Walk through Fire and the Waverly Train Disaster of 1978, and our session was recorded by C-SPAN for Book TV! I’ll send out an update when that session is available for viewing online.
As I’ve mentioned before, it was a dream come true to be a featured author at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, because I’ve been attending it as a reader and observer (and book lover!) since I was a teenager!
I was also so grateful that one of the book’s main “characters,” Mr. Frank Craver, was there to represent the survivors and first responders. He got a full round of applause from the audience at the Festival—and it was standing-room only!
Below, you’ll find photos from the event, as well as updates on my upcoming novel, The View from the Cliffs !
Best wishes for a happy and safe Halloween!
‘Til next time,
Yasmine
The Southern Festival of Books: Event Photos
As part of the author panel at the Southern Festival of Books
With Frank Craver in the book signing tent
With fellow author panelists Emily Strasser and Rachel Louise Martin
Tennessee State Library & Archives, where the panel was held
Quick Poll
What is your preferred method of reading books now? |
Update on My Next Book: The View from the Cliffs
By the time this newsletter goes out next month, I should have a book cover to reveal to you for my debut novel, The View from the Cliffs! I am super excited about this—you’ll see why soon!
As I’ve mentioned before, The View from the Cliffs is a literary romance (clean), infused with medical drama. In case you missed the book’s description from my last newsletter, here it is again:
The View from the Cliffs: A Novel.
Three physicians. Three continents. Two decades. One love story.
In the sweeping pages of this captivating literary romance, prepare to be drawn into a world where friendship, desire, and destiny converge.
Meet Gabriel O’Brien, a meticulous Irish neurologist who falls hard for the brilliant, career-focused cardiologist and Nashville native, Ranya Abbasi. There’s just one problem: she’s the girlfriend of Gabriel’s best friend, Rasheed Haddad, a handsome, charismatic heart surgeon from Ramallah.
How can Gabriel reconcile his love for Ranya with his loyalty to his best friend Rasheed? And how will Ranya find balance among her career ambitions, the pull of her Palestinian heritage, and her growing attraction to Gabriel?
Follow their epic journey in this international saga that extends from Nashville, Tennessee, in the heart of the American South, to the breathtaking beauty of Ireland, to the rich culture of the Middle East and back again, in a narrative that transcends borders and cultures. The View from the Cliffs is a poignant exploration of love, identity, and the ultimate redemption.
This is a timeless story of love in all its forms, but it is even more than that: it’s a journey through histories marked by strife, a quest for meaning, and a testament to the enduring power of love and friendship. Gabriel, Ranya, and Rasheed seek a narrative different from the tumultuous stereotypes that have been handed down to them for generations, and in their hearts, they find the strength to transcend the shadows of the past.
Discover a story that will touch your soul and linger in your heart long after the final page is turned.
A Host of Ghosts: The Origins of Halloween
One of the places to which my novel, The View from the Cliffs, will transport you is the city of Galway, on Ireland’s west coast:
And it was in Galway that I first heard the full story of the origin of Halloween, which started as the Eve of Samhain (pronounced “Sow-en”), the traditional Gaelic holiday and festival that was first celebrated in Ireland about a thousand years ago. It was an important festival that marked the end of the bright half of the year and the start of the dark half.
The Gaels (a branch of the Celts native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man) believed that on the Eve of Samhain, spirits of the dead (ghosts!) could visit our world in the land of the living. The Gaels dressed up in scary costumes and lit bonfires to ward off the evil spirits. They also carved Jack-o’-lanterns—but from turnips, not pumpkins.
As you might imagine, Halloween is still a huge deal in Ireland, and especially in Galway, a city renowned for its festivals and parades:
Although my characters visit Galway at a different time of year, I wanted to pass along this fun tidbit about an equally fun and captivating place in our world, on the lovely Emerald Isle!
Quote of the Month
“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”
(Photo by Tennessee State Museum)
This newsletter contains affiliate links.