Today I’d like to welcome a timely author. Erika Robuck’s publisher timed the release of Call Me Zelda to happen alongside the new Great Gatsby film. Smart! Today Erika is giving away a copy of both her latest book and her last book, Hemingway’s Girl, please help me welcome her!
Introducing Erika Robuck
Erika Robuck self-published her first novel Receive Me Falling. Her novel, Hemingway’s Girl, was a Target Emerging Author Pick, a Vero Beach Bestseller, and has been sold in two foreign markets to date. Her next novel, Call Me Zelda, publishes on May 7, 2013, and begins in the years “after the party” for Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Erika writes about and reviews historical fiction at her blog, Muse, and is a contributor to fiction blog, Writer Unboxed. She is also a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Hemingway Society. Learn more about Erika at www.erikarobuck.com.
Learn about Call Me Zelda from NAL/Penguin, May 2013
From New York to Paris, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald reigned as king and queen of the Jazz Age, seeming to float on champagne bubbles above the mundane cares of the world. But to those who truly knew them, the endless parties were only a distraction from their inner turmoil, and from a love that united them with a scorching intensity.
When Zelda is committed to a Baltimore psychiatric clinic in 1932, vacillating between lucidity and madness in her struggle to forge an identity separate from her husband, the famous writer, she finds a sympathetic friend in her nurse, Anna Howard. Held captive by her own tragic past, Anna is increasingly drawn into the Fitzgeralds’ tumultuous relationship. As she becomes privy to Zelda’s most intimate confessions, written in a secret memoir meant only for her, Anna begins to wonder which Fitzgerald is the true genius. But in taking ever greater emotional risks to save Zelda, Anna may end up paying a far higher price than she intended….
Check our Erika’s YouTube trailer for Call Me Zelda.
Learn about Hemingway’s Girl from NAL/Penguin, September 2012
In Depression-era Key West, Mariella Bennet, the daughter of an American fisherman and a Cuban woman, knows hunger. Her struggle to support her family following her father’s death leads her to a bar and bordello, where she bets on a risky boxing match…and attracts the interest of two men: world-famous writer, Ernest Hemingway, and Gavin Murray, one of the WWI veterans who are laboring to build the Overseas Highway.I asked Erika three questions about our giveaway’s theme topic, self-expression:
1. Is self-expression an important part of your life today, why or why not?
It is. For better or worse, we are all the stars of our own Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, blogs, websites, Instagram feeds… It’s no substitute for human interaction, but it can be a valuable tool to share ourselves with our friends, our family, and other writers and readers. I’ve made new connections from the ways I share myself online. When the connection is true, it almost always leads to face to face meetings and real bonds, and I value the way self-expression through social media has enhanced my life.
2. What does self-expression mean to you and how do you do it in the world?
To me, communication is at the heart of self-expression. As a writer, words are my first and most comfortable form of expression. From notes to novels, I like the time and thought that go into writing, the chances we have at revision, and the way words on paper create permanence.
Second to writing, I enjoy photography. I love being able to snap photos of little moments of wonder with my children, my friends, or nature. When a single photo can communicate what a paragraph would, I prefer to let the images speak for themselves.
3. How does your self-expression impact the world—your family, your friends, your readers, and everyone else?
Specific to my writing, I’ve been surprised by and pleased with its impact on my relationship with other writers. Whether someone further on the path is reaching back to help me along, or I’m able to inspire and assist another who isn’t where I am, I’ve found a lot of generosity and willingness to help in my writing circles that inspires me to pay it forward.
And Now, Your Turn…
You remember how this works right?
Please read the complete rules at least once!
I ask you a question.
You answer in the comments for your chance to win a book each day.
Please just respond once, even if you make a typo. 
Answer in the comments in 50-200 words (no less and no more to qualify to win one of today’s books).
Who is your favorite author who is no longer with us? If you could meet one deceased author and have a conversation with them, who would it be?
Ready, set, comment! I will hold the drawing tomorrow and post the results here in my blog.
Thanks for participating in the Writer Mama Every-Day-In-May Book Giveaway!
And thanks for spreading the word. We will be giving away great books by wonderful women authors all month.
View the complete list of authors and books.
View the giveaway Pinterest board
Comments on this entry are closed.
For me it would be John Steinbeck, 1902-1968. The range of his work is amazing, his characters believable-sometimes to the point of being painfully truthful. He wrote joyous books but the majority touched on the hardships and sadness in life in a real and acceptable manner. As my kids said of cow manure-it’s so real! He not only entertained but he educated.
I thoroughly enjoyed Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, Travels with Charlie, Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row and The Pearl. I still have a few to read, and because I have had a keener interest in
WWII recently the next would be The Moon is Down.
Happy Memorial Day to all of the members of Writer Mama Every-Day-In-May Book Giveaway
When I discovered Jane Austen in my twenties I rampaged through her six books and even found a group of unfinished stories to read. She died far too young, and I wish she had been able to give the world more stories. There has been a lot of study on her life, many books written about her, and many fan fiction books after her, but it would be intriguing to step into her world and actually meet her. I would ask her about her doubts as an authoress and about her motivation. Did she write for fun? Out of boredom? To make a point about society? Did her family support her in the beginning? Did she make much money on them? What did she think of “fame”? Then we’d take a walk in the rambling countryside and go visiting at teatime.
I would absolutely love to meet Faulkner! I was stunned by the beauty in The Sound and The Fury. If I could sit on the veranda with him and discuss daily life I would be at peace. I’d want to just be there in the moment absorbing life and observing life. He is the essence of the Southern writer to me.
I am so excited about Erika Robucks new book centered on the fascinating character of Zelda Fitzgerald. I would love to be able to follow their whole circle around seeing the world through their eyes. All the writers from that period are intriguing.
Thank you for the opportunity!
I would have to pick Frank McCourt, for his lyrical voice and triumph over tragedy, for his persistence through all he faced in Ireland growing up then coming to America. He became a teacher and a writer instead of succumbing to his pain. I would love to talk to him about his process of going through the pain, putting it into words and on paper, and the effects and results.
I love Hemmingway, but for pure inspirational value I’d have to choose Adrienne Rich, an American poet who died last year. Although I don’t consider myself a poetry lover, I can be pulled into a volume of her work and lulled by its rhythm and power so that I continue to read from front to back. I especially like her poems about nature and adventure, such as Diving Into the Wreck. The melody of her words is both energizing and calming — what a perfect combination!
Hands down, I would choose to have a conversation with Madeleine L’Engle. The first time I read through ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ I loved it. The second time through I thought to myself, “Hmm. Is Madeleine a Christian?” (See, I already wanted to be on first-name basis with her, even then.) The third time through I learned something big and important and amazing about God and my faith. The point is, with ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ and all of L’Engle’s books, I’ve learned something new from them each time I’ve read them. L’Engle has such a refreshingly big perspective on life. She is determined that her readers see life not just from one little point of view but instead that her readers would step a few lightyears away from Earth and then look back and assess their lives and values. L’Engle died when I was in college and just discovering this about her. I would love to be able to go back and have a long conversation with her!
I would pick F. Scott Fitzgerald. I had read a lot of his short stories and essays, but it was when I picked up “The Crack-Up,” that I
really felt the power and vulnerability behind his words. He has such a way of describing how he feels about female characters. I assume that’s because of his bond with Zelda, but it’s so romantic in feeling. I’d love to be able to ask him questions about his relationship with her and just listen to him talk about writing all night. Plus, I’d ask what he thought of the new Gatsby movie.
I’d have to go with Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird really impacted me when I read it and continues to do so every time I reread it. I’ve been thrilled that three of my kids read it in middle school, and my youngest will next year. I also love Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Steinbeck, so this is a tough
question. If meeting one deceased author, I’d have to go with Booth Tarkington, a Hoosier. I was mesmerized by The Magnificent Ambersons, set in Indy in the early 1900s, and developed quite an appreciation for the history for my adopted home city. I’d love to hear him speak more about Indy’s rich history.
I have a lot of favorite authors who are deceased, but right now the one I’d love to have a conversation with would be Laura Ingalls Wilder. I fell in love with reading and her books as a child one hot summer. It was such a joy to read those books and I have such fond memories of blistering summer days spent searching the stacks in the library and finding her books – one after the other to keep on reading. Then as an adult, my travels for a job found me in DeSmet, South Dakota for a particularly difficult affiliate meeting. On my way into DeSmet I kept seeing signs about Little Town on the Prairie and Laura Ingalls Wilder so when I met with my client I asked him about it and he took me on a tour of the town, it was so amazing. The meeting didn’t go well, as I expected but the whole Laura Ingalls experience made up for it. I can’t imagine how difficult her life was back then, but I’d love to meet her and have a conversation with her.
Like MLTCG, I would like to meet George Steinbeck. He has a great saying about sleep I should have included in yesterday’s post: “It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.”
The Steinbeck house and museum is nearby in Salinas. They’re on my bucket list of places to visit. Considering it’s only a few hours away, I hope to get there this summer. Unfortunately, there are only five house tours a year and we’re busy on three of them, so I may have to settle for the museum only. While it won’t be quite as good as having a conversation with him, my writer friends tell me it’s pretty cool.
I would love to chat with F Scott Fitzgerald!! I’d love to find out more about North Shore Long Island and what it was like in his day. If I could I would also like to know he dealt with Zelda’ s illness. We have come so far dealing with Mental Illness- how was it for him?
PS Thanks Erika Robuck for posting about Book Mama and this contest– My first day – Can’t wait to read about Zelda!
I don’t know that I would say she is my favorite deceased author, but I first read the work of Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964) while in high school and was pretty fascinated. The Southern Gothic style with which she wrote always left me pretty stunned and speechless, particularly when you think about the time period that she was writing these stories. I would love to have a chat with her about the inspiration for her novels and short stories.
I’d like to sit down and have a chat with Charles Dickens. In many ways, he feels like a modern man since he seemed to be an author who pushed the edges of publishing norms much like authors are doing today with various forms of self- and independent publishing. I’d love to ask him what it was like to be a writer during the Victorian era when the societal and cultural norms were strict and somber, and how that effected his choices. His personal experiences called upon him to be resourceful. I’d love to find out more about how he motivated himself. And I wonder whether he considered: Did he write for self-expression? Or for profitability mostly?
Steinbeck is my favorite author. His writing is crystal clear and his scenes are so easy to visualize, and feel. His message is deep. I would like to know how he learned to write like that.