Maybe you suffer from writer's block or maybe you feel your writing is flat. Perhaps, you're caught in a loop in which all of your work is starting to sound the same or just boring yourself to sleep.  Calls for writing are all over the internet. Use them. Anyone who writes over the long-term has periods of flat, dull and uninspi...

 Turns out my birthright wasn't entirely lost to me, it just took me longer than most to realize it.  A cherished family recipes for the most comforting hot cereal with butter and honey. I'm thrilled to have my recipe for Yemenite Harish published in The Nosher.  It's not new to combine food and recipe writing with story (f...

I wholly disagree that memoir is trashy, primitive or low-rent. It's tough. It's human. It's revelatory. When done well, it's the full-body shivers or deep-buried sigh or unbidden tears. I love interviewing authors and I particularly like hearing from my colleagues here in Israel writing in English as we share so many commonalities. I'm happy ...

 Jennifer Rosner is the author of the novels Once We Were Home and The Yellow Bird Sings, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award; the memoir If A Tree Falls: A Family's Quest to Hear and Be Heard, about raising her deaf daughters in a hearing, speaking world; and a children's book, The Mitten String, which is a Sydney Taylor Book Award ...

Keep the words you want in for authenticity and describe the scene for accessibility.  Ever found yourself deleting or avoiding Jewish words and expressions in your writing (whatever Jewish means to you, Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino)? Often writers tell me they are worried about alienating their general audience or sounding 'too Jewish' so they avo...

Bio Tara Ison is the author of the novels The List (Scribner), A Child out of Alcatraz (Faber & Faber; a Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Rockaway (Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press; featured as one of the "Best Books of Summer" in O, The Oprah Magazine). Her essay collection, Reeling Through Life: How I Learned to Live, Love, and...

My short story "Messianic Games" was accepted to  Arts & Letters (Georgia College & State University). Thanks so much to Editor Laura Newbern and Fiction Editor Chika Unigwe for accepting my story. "Messianic Games" involves several of my favorite characters: A Cat Lady and a Kabbalist as well as Miri, a character I wrot...

I have been reading a lot lately on writing forums about the costs of paying developmental editors. Most of these posts end in something like: Is there any other way? I just can't afford it.  As an author myself, who has paid thousands of dollars for professional editing over the years (and learned a ton!), I have some advice for tho...

I am excited and honored to have Meryl Ain back on gilagreenwrites. This time, she's here to talk about what it's like to launch her second novel, a topic I know many writers and readers want to learn more about.  Missed my interview with Meryl Ain about her first novel? "One of the unexpected blessings of the pandemic has been finding a robus...

There are just so many problems that can be resolved in one novel.  This article is advice for both editors and authors. It applies to fiction and memoir. If you think your manuscript suffers from "dancing at two weddings," I'd be happy to take a look.  Many writers out there struggle with their manuscripts because they are trying to writ...

Chana Shenderovich is a poet originally from Ukraine. Today she lives  in Israel and works as an ESL college lecturer, healer and trauma therapist. Her poem "Tel Aviv and Jerusalem" made me think of the daylight between the two cities. Both sets of my father's grandparents came to Ottoman Palestine in the early 1880s. His paternal grandparents...

"With A Good Eye" heroine, Luna Levi does not hide her love of donuts. When she feels she's at rock bottom, she heads to the bakery for a fresh sugary treat (and maybe even meets the love of her life there). Still,  when Hanukah rolls around in the novel, it's Moroccan sfinge she most craves. Full disclosure: the photo is one I took in Ti...

I'm delighted to announce that I received a publication date for "With A Good Eye" and guess what? It happens to be my birthday, so here's to August 18, 2024.  There are several foodies in "With A Good Eye": heroine Luna Levi loves donuts and anything homemade by anyone, Stephanie Baker (Luna's brother's girlfriend) uses he...

There is still space in my morning memoir workshop.  Join me at Lounge Writers for two hours of memoir writing.   3/28 Class - How to Start a Memoir with Gila Green - $40/$32 For Members$40.00 Only 10 available Date: 3/28 Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 PDT Cost: $40/$32 for members Class Level: Emerging - Intermediate Link and materials ...

I am thrilled to announce I've signed my fifth novel with AOS Publishing in Montreal. With A Good Eye is planned for summer 2024 publication.  Luna Levi is an ordinary 19 year old with extraordinary problems. Her mother's acting career is more important to her than the stage of real life. Her father struggles with PTSD as a...

In the way nothing happens for a reason, you can learn, grow and exploit what does happen.  TWO NOVELS OF ISRAEL AND SYRIA by Howard Kaplan   When I was a fledgling writer, I watched a Ken Follett television interview about his novel of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Though the locales were remarkably detailed, he explained that he h...

 3/28 Class - How to Start a Memoir with Gila Green - $40/$32 For Members$40.00 Only 10 available Date: 3/28 Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 PDT Cost: $40/$32 for members Class Level: Emerging - Intermediate Link and materials will be emailed at least 30 minutes before class. To register Memoir is as popular as ever. An increasing number of people have ...

There's something universal about the desire for change in general, and the urge to become the person you would like to be, not simply the person you were born as. I was delighted when Angela Himself contacted me and would like to extend a warm welcome to her today on gilagreenwrites. She speaks so to the point about the struggles many writers have...

Finding Your Freedom: Getting Past the Resistance That's Holding You Back "I was afraid. I was letting the resistance get to me. And by doing so, I was holding back on sharing my gifts with the world." "Wow, another one?" It's often said in one third admiration, one third disbelief, and one third - "Maybe slow down a bit." No, they're not talking a...

My colleague Marc Kornblatt continues to send me his original videos filmed in Tel Aviv. Thanks, Marc.  This YouTube "Imaginary Duck Street Art" is a must-watch if you enjoy Israel street art. From YouTube: "The images of Julia Shtengelov, an Israeli street artist working in Tel Aviv, inspired this montage by filmmaker Marc Kornblatt...

"The series was created because I wanted to do something to counter all the negative publicity Israel tends to get. I wanted to have a main character who simply had a love of the country." by  Stephen J. Gordon I am thrilled to welcome author Stephen J. Gordon to gilagreenwrites. Today he will be talking about his mystery-thrill...

This time with the link: http://malarkeybooks.com/free-samples/inheritance I would be happy to hear any comments you may wish to offer.  I have not submitted my work for a year (long for me, a once upon a time submission-addict). But after a couple of hard losses (yes, we've all had them) I realized I was--  A. Burnt out and  B....

This is a repost from one of my favorite Canadian writers: Brian Henry. EveryDay Fiction seeks flash fiction, 1,000 words max – no such thing as too short. Pays $3 U.S. For December issue, wants stories on holiday themes, including: are looking for winter and holiday stories for December 2022 issue, including: Winter Solstice / Midwinter / Yule, Ch...

I have four completed novels not yet published and I'm struggling to decide which one to focus on. When I try to focus on all of them, it's overwhelming.  I've decided to publish an excerpt from all four and ask for feedback. I wrote this one back in 2014 and can't seem to let it go.  Background This novel was accepted by Black Heron Pres...

 I'm reposting the November Jewish Book Carnival with special thanks to Marie Cloutier at bostonbibliophile for hosting. The Jewish Book Carnival is a monthly event, bringing together those who cover Jewish literature online to "meet, read, and comment on each other's posts". Organized by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL), the Car...

"I would encourage a Jewish young person to express their Jewish identity in any way that feels comfortable to them." Bio Jacqueline Jules is the author of over fifty books for young readers including the Zapato Power series, the Sofia Martinez series, The Porridge-Pot Goblin, My Name is Hamburger, Never Say a Mean Word Again, and Tag Your Dreams: ...

"Encouraging the publication of more Jewish board books by spreading the word of new Jewish board books is one of the best gifts you can give our kids." Bio Nancy Churnin is the award-winning author of multiple children's books including the National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Honor winner and Junior Library Guild selection Dear Mr. Dickens. ...

Testimonials "As members of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Gila and I have swapped several manuscripts as each other's beta reader. Her comments have been both helpful and supportive. She is a consummate professional, a writer/editor with a heart, delivering her services in a timely and diplomatic manner. I recomme...

START DATE: Ongoing. We choose the same day each month to meet. There are options for weekly or twice-a-month meetings. DURATION: 4 meetings with the chance to renew for additional meetings. LOCATION: Email, Google Drive, Zoom FEEDBACK: Instructor feedback and critique on a shared Google document and via Zoom (optional) CONTACT: Through this&n...

Author Joanne Levy

I am very happy to welcome Joanne Levy to gilagreenwrites today. I love this interview. It's packed with valuable information for readers and writers alike about a very important topic. Thanks so much, Joanne for stopping by. Please drop me a line when you're ready for another visit. BIO: Joanne Levy is the author of the Sydney Taylor Notable and C...

I am thrilled to be teaching at Lounge Writers this fall. Only 10 spots available Date: 10/2 Time: 10:00 am - Noon PDT Cost: $40/$32 for members Class Level: Emerging - Intermediate Link and materials will be emailed at least 30 minutes before class. Memoir is as popular as ever. An increasing number of people have realized that their oral his...

Not long ago, I received a beautifully illustrated book in the mail titled A Visit to Moscow, written by Anna Olswanger. The graphic novel takes place in the 1960s and is inspired by a rabbi who traveled to the Soviet Union as part of a rabbinical delegation to visit Jewish victims of government-sponsored anti-Semitism. I approached Anna for a...

I am writing from New Vessel Press to request permission to reprint your short story "Roller Coaster" in a collection of Chanukah stories to be published on September 12, 2023...The title of the book: One for Each Night: The Greatest Chanukah Stories of All Time. I received a very early Chanukah 2023 present this year and it's my birthday this...

"Within a couple of days he had produced an exquisite black and white storyboard that he had photographed himself and had arranged a meeting with his contacts at Hogarth Worldwide - London's premier post-production house."  Author Bio Back in the distant mists of time, Alex spent three years at art college in Maidstone; a college that David Ho...

"Something I discovered early on in the novel writing process is that all I needed to do was tell the story, describe the settings and the characters, and let the symbolism emerge on its own." Although I earned an MFA in Creative Writing thirty years ago and wrote a novel as my thesis -- a novel I never tried to publish, as it felt like more of a l...

"I say go wild! Use whatever you want to. Throw out the damn rule book. Who made it, anyway? Use whatever you want, only: learn your craft and use these things well."  In July I had the pleasure of participating in YA Thriller Con for the second year in a row. This gave me the opportunity to interview some talented, wonderful authors and ...

WATCH LIVE PANEL WITH Q&A: "How Do You Write a Novel? Pantsing Vs Planning" with Amy McCaw, Kathryn Foxfield, Tracy Darnton, Dawn Kurtagich, with moderator Gila Green. WATCH IT HERE. I had so much fun interviewing these talented published authors. There's a ton of excellent advice here for new and established authors. I tried to cover ever...

Sally Constain

Today on gilagreenwrites, I'm excited to welcome Sally Constain, author of The Keys to Fanny. In addition to writing, we both teach English as a Foreign langauge, so it's always nice to meet others from around the world with the same occupations and learn from their experiences. Plus, she says she was very close to her grandmother and mine is still...

Author Eileen Grace Brill

Today on gilagreenwrites, I wish to welcome debut author Eileen Brill. Brill's just released novel has a fascinating origin, an actual letter in the wall that she found in her own home. So many times I have been inspired to write a story about real life events that never came to fruition, so cheers to Eileen who followed up on an amazing inspiratio...

Fiction can be full of ideas and can tackle important issues, but I now understand that it's usually not interesting when the writer has predetermined the points he or she wants to impart. by Avner Landes I'm excited to have author Avner Landes visit gilagreenwrites today. Way back (in another life), I met Avner at Bar Ilan University while I was s...

April Jewish Book Carnival

I'm thrilled to be the host of this month's Jewish Book Carnival. Passover is a season for growth, famil,y and fun, but also for time off to read and explore new authors. Welcome! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of the contributing bloggers and to wish all of them and all of you a chag Pesach kasher V'Sameach!&nbs...

I love featuring authors monthly and learning from every one of them.  I particularly enjoy featuring fellow authors in Israel who write in English. I'm so pleased to say I've met Leah Scheier in person. Yes, I've had the honor and hope to do so again.  Leah's novel THE LAST WORDS WE SAID was just awarded the Sydney Taylor Honor...

BIO: Meryl Ain is a writer, author, and career educator. The Takeaway Men, her award-winning Post-Holocaust debut novel, was published in 2020. In 2021, she founded the Facebook group, Jews Love To Read! Her new podcast, People Of the Book, airs on Authors on the Air Global Radio Network beginning in February. A member of The International Advisory...

My colleague, Marc Kornblatt, has once again generously shared his latest short films with me. Worth watching! From YouTube: "Israeli-born artist Liran Bechar has travelled around the world, tripping over more than a few bumpy spots along the way. In this short video, filmmaker Marc Kornblatt celebrates Bechar's ability to turn his traumas int...

 Thank you so much to author Alex Pearl for including me in his new book.  Within these pages, authors from a wide spectrum of backgrounds wax lyrical about their backgrounds, motivations, and working methods. Among this throng, self-published newbies rub shoulders with award-winning bestsellers from all corners of the globe, including th...

 Photo by Robert Zunikoff on Unsplash Cost: $25  Time: Dec 19, 2021 11:00 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada) Each of us has a story to tell, we just need the impetus to get started. Join me for this 90-minute workshop. We will examine some readings together (sent to you beforehand), and then discuss how we can use objects from the pa...

Thanks so much to author Julie Zuckerman for this poster. I repost here from her site.   Spread some light this Chanukah with the gift of books! There's something for every type of reader here...The books here are written by members of a group of Jewish women writers I'm privileged to be in. Many of them have appeared at Literary Modiin a...

This is a repost of the November Jewish Book Carnival. Thanks so much to Shilo Musings for putting this together this month.  The genre of Jewish Books has many subgenres fiction, biography, history, children's books and even poetry. Please click on the various reviews I've included to read them in their entirety and get to know the different ...

Thanks so much to Alex Pearl for spending time with me this week. Alex Pearl is the author of Sleeping with the Blackbirds and The Chair Man. In 2015, his eclectic collection of blog posts appeared in paperback under the title Random Ramblings of a short-sighted Blogger. It gives me great pleasure to welcome Gila Green onto the website today. ...

I love guest posts, and this one particularly resonated with me. I like to think I'm not alone in beating myself up when my writing routine falls apart or in worrying when I struggle to write. I'm thrilled to have Rabbi Amy Grossblatt Pessah visit gilagreenwrites and offer some deep and meaningful reflections on the practice and art of writing. Wel...

I'm very happy to introduce you to author Jonathan Hale Rosen. Jonathan's new work "The Museum of an Extinct Race"  is a dystopian glimpse into a world in which Judaism has been eliminated. Please welcome, Jonathan Hale Rosen to gilagreenwrites.    For more about the author Bio Jonathan Rosen is a Family Physician who has w...

 Far from being only about books, this entertaining and thought-provoking series of eleven multilingual, eclectic events brings together some of today's top literary minds in interviews and inspiring lectures, along with film, workshops, concerts and Russian dance & culture. Insightful Q&A sessions follow most presentations. These one-...

There is an urgent need for books with religiously diverse characters who don't stand out because of their religion or beliefs.  by Author Marcia Berneger I want to welcome Marcia Berneger to gilagreenwrites. I'm so happy to have her here to share her thoughts on a topic on the minds of many readers and writers: diversity in children's books. ...

Thanks to Barbara Bietz for hosting this month's Jewish Book Carnival. On gilagreenwrites, author Nancy Churnin talks children's book trends, the women in Charles Dickens' life, and Jewish symbols in her new work. Shiloh Musings has reviewed Pamela Braun Cohen's memoir about her decades as an American activist to free Soviet Jewry in HIDDEN HEROES....

First Steps in Writing Your Memoir  The world should know your story.  When: Thursday, October 21, 2021 12 PM ET (2-hour workshop) 7 PM Israel Each of us has a story to tell, we just need to get started.  Cost: $25 Register at Institute of JewishExperience.org

"I wondered, does that mean G-d has stopped talking to people? Are we on our own?" by Evonne Marzouk I'm very excited to have Evonne Marzouk visit gilagreenwrites today. She shares some deep insights into the two decades it took her to write her YA novel The Prophetess and the world she invented with "everyday" prophets. Please welcome Evonne Marzo...

From my colleague Marc Kornblatt: I am proud of the piece, which brings together a number of key issues in my life: family, homelessness, aging, mortality, and persistence. Humor, too. I invite you to watch, comment, like, and share it, and hope you'll subscribe to my channel, too, if you haven't done so already.  Worth watching this solo...

I'm so excited to have Nancy Churnin visit gilagreenwrites. Her new children's book is an absolute delight to read! After all of these years with Charles Dickens, this book explores a refreshing, new (well, new to me), Jewish angle that is so well done. Nancy doesn't hit the reader over the head with a hammer, yet gets her message across about "spe...

Welcome to the July Jewish Book Carnival. This month eleven bloggers bring you their latest interviews, reviews, and insights into Jewish authors and books. The Jewish Book Carnival is a monthly event where bloggers who blog about Jewish books can meet, read and comment on each others' posts. A Jewish Grandmother reviews DISSONANCE A Nove...

At the times when you're feeling dispirited or disillusioned with the process – when you're bogged down in editing, or querying and getting nowhere – holding onto the reason you created the story you chose to can really help you to keep going and hold onto what matters to you. by Author Kit Mallory One of the nicest things about receiving invitatio...

 With panelists Gila Green, Stuart Gibbon, Kit Mallory (moderator), Caleb Roehrig, and Christina Hoag. About this event Join us at 3pm (BST) on July 9th 2021 for this panel on how true events inspire crime fiction. To Register

People who suffer from mental illness are individuals, they are not the illness. by Author Florence Kraut Today Florence Kraut visits gilagreenwrites. I just finished writing my seventh novel titled "A Good Eye," which explores narcisstic personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (specifically as suffered by veterans). As such, I was ...

"I briefly considered writing my story as a memoir, but I just couldn't do it, it was too painful, so I chose to go the fictional route." by Author Christina Hoag  I recently participated in a panel titled "How True Events Inspire Crime Fiction." Thank you UK-based author Madeline Dyer for inviting me to participate for the second ye...

I'm pleased to be hosting the July Jewish Book Carnival (coming up July 15th). Look for interviews and reviews from a range of bloggers including: Batya Medad, Deborah Kalb, Erika Dreifus, Mirta Ines Trupp and many more and yes, I have my own submission coming up. Expand your summer reading list right here on gilagreenwrites. Shoutout to Jewis...

Today on gilagreenwrites, I'm so pleased to share my interview with author Lori Banov Kaufmann. Lori is a fellow writer living in Israel, writing in English, so I was immediately drawn to her work and that was before I knew it took place in my favorite city: Jerusalem. As someone with deep roots in the Holy City, I am fascinated by this book, which...

Autofiction : Between Fiction and Memoir

"An author working in good faith can't win at this game. If she is forced to confirm that her material is autobiographical, then she risks forfeiting both the privacy and the power of transfiguration that fiction promises. If she denies it, then she surrenders a badge of authenticity that she may never have wished to claim in the first place, and l...

In 2011, I finished writing my first novel King of the Class (NON Publishing, Vancouver). It took me two years to find an independent press in Vancouver who agreed to publish it. In King of the Class, I envisioned an Israel of the future, divided into two states: one Halachikally religious and one staunchly secular. The prime minister? Yair Lapid. ...

Summer reading with this month's Jewish Book Carnival. Thanks so much to the Rachak Review for hosting this month's carnival. It's always an honor to be included.  In her monthly author interviews, Gila Green speaks to Barbara Stark-Nemon about her new work that deals with bilingualism, German roots, and the complexity in our writing that come...

Ann Bausum is an award-winning author of 16 works of nonfiction for children, teens, and adults. Her books often explore under-told stories and examine social justice history, but she's also written twice about a famous dog! Earlier this year National Geographic published her latest book for middle graders and up: Ensnared in the Wolf's Lair—Inside...

 Tell Your Sephardi-Mizrahi Story With award winning author Gila Green On Thursdays 27 May- 24 June at 11:00AM EDT 5 online sessions Registration required for the full course Have you always wanted to write your life story? Gila Green's new Middle Eastern flavored Autofiction Workshop explores a writing form that pushes beyond memoir and borro...

Barbara Krasner

"My main issue was to stay true to historical events and personalities." by Barbara Krasner  Barbara Krasner is one of those authors I've met online who I would love to meet in person. We share so many of the same interests, particularly history and a fascination with the 1930s and 1940s. While Barbara approaches this time period from a differ...

Please welcome author Barbara Stark-Nemon to gilagreenwrites. Barbara Stark-Nemon bio from her site An undergraduate degree in English literature and Art History and a Masters in Speech-language Pathology from the University of Michigan  led Barbara to a teaching and clinical career. She's come to appreciate the way different languag...

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

The 23rd Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival offers FREE thought-provoking, unbridled, multilingual events. This year, readers and thinkers can take advantage of the rare opportunity to enjoy compelling authors from around the world from their favourite armchair or book nook. Explore contemporary literary conversations, panels, intervie...

Tel Aviv Art Museum

Thanks so much to Mirta Ines Trupp for hosting the April Jewish Carnival.  This month on gilagreenwrites, Gila interviews author Sharon Kirsch on her new book The Smallest Objective. According to Kirsch, the book is categorized as a memoir but it is a "hybrid of genres." After a brief hiatus, Life Is Like a Library is back with a review of Reb...

Join my zoom class begining  May 27 for five weeks of story exploration.  Who should join? This class is for anyone writing a Sephardi-Mizrahi story. Struggling with your memoir or semi-biographical work? Writing your memoir but feeling constrained by the need to stick to the truth? Then auto-fiction might be the genre you'...

Photo by Edu Lauton on Unsplash

Thank you to Yael Shachar for posting this month's Jewish Book Carnival.  Some highlights, starting with my own talented visitor, Leslea Newman:  This month on gilagreenwrites, Leslea Newman shares her thoughts about poetry and promises and her new work.On her website, Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, Deborah interviewed Molly Golubc...

Author Sharon Kirsch

BIO Sharon Kirsch is most recently the author of The Smallest Objective, released by New Star Books, Vancouver. Her earlier book, What Species of Creatures, was an imaginative telling of first encounters between early settlers to North America and unfamiliar "beasts." Reviewers described the title as "remarkable" and "unsettling." The Smallest Obje...

I like complex, flawed and vulnerable characters who struggle with moral questions and try to navigate the world with a sense of purpose, and most importantly, a sense of humor. by Author Ann Lambert I'm so pleased to welcome author Ann Lambert to gilagreenwrites. Wonderful to have a fellow Canadian here with me and I'm sure many of you will be int...

"Creatures who roam the streets of Tel Aviv catch a curious wanderer's eye during the pandemic lockdown." My colleague, the multi-talented Marc Kornblatt, has spent some time during this pandemic making fantastic short films of Tel Aviv. He shares them with me and I'm happy to share them with you. This is one of my favorites. 

I am happy to repost the February Jewish Book Carnival from the Book of Life site (see below). The Jewish Book Carnival is a monthly roundup of Jewish literary links from across the blogosphere. Sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries, it is hosted by a different blog each month and shares book reviews, author interviews, essays, and other...

Author Eliezer Shore visits gilagreenwrites today. He offers advice to writers about "the creation of vibrant images" in the minds of their readers. Welcome to gilagreenwrites! BIO: Eliezer Shore is a Jerusalem-based writer, teacher and storyteller. His articles and stories have appeared in publications and anthologies worldwide. His most...

When meeting a Jewish Iranian, an important question needs to be: What city did you come from? Each city has a story of its own—leaving a unique imprint on generations to follow. by Esther Amini Recently I was interviewed by Drora Arussy as part of her New Works Wednesday Series on behalf of the American Sephardi Association and Institute of J...

Thank you to Harif's Lyn Julius for inviting me to speak in conversation with author Ayelet Tsabari. "A conversation between two writers – Ayelet Tsabari and Gila Green – about their work, their Yemenite roots, Israeli identity and connections to Canada. Ayelet Tsabari's latest book is 'The Art of Leaving'. Gila Green is the author of 'White Z...

It's that time of the month again. I'm happy to share with you the January 2021 Jewish Book Carnival. This month the carnival is hosted by Heidi Slowinski. "The Jewish Book Carnival is a monthly event, bringing together those who cover Jewish literature online to 'meet, read, and comment on each other's posts'. Organized by the Association of ...

Photo: Cody Engel Unsplash

Join me on zoom in conversation with author Ayelet Tsabari. Harif, the UK Association of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa has graciously invited me to speak about my writing, my Yemenite roots, Israeli identity and connections to leaving Canada. I'm honored to be speaking with Ayelet, who I've actually had the pleasure of meeting in ...

Ronni Robinson joins gilagreenwrites today with an important post about the pandemic and overeating. I'm sure many of you will find the information valuable and please forward to anyone you think might be benefit from reading it. Bio:  Ronni is a Sandwich Generation member; she's the tired lunch meat layered between two kids in college and agi...

 ALL THINGS ANIMAL – TOP READS FROM VOICELESS I'm so excited to share that my YA eco-novel No Entry is included in the "All Things Animal--Top Reads from Voiceless." My thanks to Ondine Sherman for reading and supporting No Entry, my YA novel that takes on elephant poaching and extinction set in South Africa's Kruger National Park. Check out t...

How should you publish your work? Traditionally? Self-publishing? This is in the top five questions writers ask me on a monthly basis. So, thanks so much to the wonderful Jane Friedman for this detailed post on the many options authors have today to publish their work. I have traditionally published since 2013 and, after four novel publication...

Today, I'm so pleased to welcome fellow Canadian Karen Schauber to gilagreenwrites. If I would have known Karen one year ago, I would definitely have met up with her last year in Vancouver to talk flash fiction, something I taught online for a decade.  As it turns out, I met her virtually only after my trip to participate in&nbs...

Looking for a roundup of what's in store for 2021 in these categories? New traditional publishing imprints (Big Five) Beyond the Big FiveChildren's and YAComics and graphic novelsNew publishersNew literary agencies and agentsNew agenciesNew agentsDigital media ventures If the answer is yes, this is the article worth reading and filing for refe...

 The Poetic Justice of Grief "You're already writing about your mother?" "It took me years to be able to write about my father." "Don't you need time to grieve?" "Wasn't it incredibly difficult to write about your parents so soon after they died?" These are the kinds of comments I received from people who couldn't believe I picked up my pen im...

Please welcome author Dr. Suzie Lowinger to gilagreenwrites. I'm delighted to have a former class participant as part of my site and I'm always happy to promote more English-speaking writers in Israel. Suzie shares her insights into character and character development and how our own creations can not only surprise us, but have something to teach u...

The two faces of autofiction

Since July 2020, I've been teaching autofiction online (and now on zoom) and I've already received enough feedback to share with you not only my number one question, but the number one stumbling block at the beginning of each class. So at the risk of sounding redundant (yes, I answered this question back in June, but that was pre-teaching...

I'm thrilled to repost NPR's Hanukkah Lights Stories of the Season for your perusal and enjoyment.   From their website: "Hanukkah is a time to share light, miracles and faith. It's been a difficult year and these stories will reflect that. They're darker than usual. But we hope the miracle of Hanukkah casts its light through these storie...

It is my pleasure to repost this month's Jewish Book Carnival from The Rachack Review and I'm so happy to have spent time with author Leah Kirshenberg who is a children's author, an educator, as well as an author of several educational books about language acquisition.    The Rachack Review is proud to serve as the December 2020 host...

 I'm delighted to share my Hanukkah podcast with you. It was, as usual, an honor to chat with Dave Pezza from NovelClass. We shmooze about the holidays, my Hanukkah-themed very short story "Roller Coaster"  from my White Zion novel-in-stories (Cervena Barva Press, 2019). We get into parenting teenagers, what Hanuk...

I am delighted to share with you my recent podcast with Galit Gottlieb on the New Books Network. Galit is the Chicago-based author of the Whipped and Sipped Mystery series and a host for New Books in Literature, a podcast of the New Books Network.  I'm so thankful for the opportunity to discuss my work with such a wonderful reader and lis...

I am so pleased to have been invited by Harif  to speak with talented author Ayelet Tsabari, (The Art of Leaving). I am a fan of Ayelet's work and honored to be in conversation with her to kick off 2021. Our talk will be moderated by author Lyn Julius, co-founder of Harif, the UK Association of Jews from the Middle East and Nort...

Register here.