Check out my
fun interview on YouTube. 😃
I was the guest today on "Book Chat with Victoria Young Bennison". We
discussed flash fiction and cozy mysteries and whether a didgeridoo is a lethal
weapon, lol!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOq_xVUOo4g
I'm excited
that my new book, Five Fortunes, is out on Amazon today! Message me if you'd
like a free ebook. 😃 I'd love to collect some reviews.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTP3BY4P/ref=sr_1_24?crid=5IY822FE357Y&keywords=barbara+venkataraman&qid=1675346795&sprefix=%2Caps%2C91&sr=8-24
Blurb:
When five fourteen-year-old girls get their fortunes from an arcade machine
just for kicks, it turns their world upside-down and their close-knit group of
friends starts to fall apart.
Misunderstandings abound as allegiances shift and outsiders start to come
between them. The fortunes seem to be self-fulfilling prophecies - whether the
girls believe in them or not.
Do our beliefs color our perception of the world? Do we ever see ourselves the
way others see us, and why is change so hard?
Budding romance, angry bees, teenage fashion influencers, and parents who just
don't get it make Barbara Venkataraman's 'Five Fortunes' a fun story you won't
soon forget.
It's almost
Valentine's Day and what better way to get ready than to read sweet little
Valentine's stories? For just 99 cents you can enjoy a variety of authors and
their take on Valentine's Day with VALENTINE SHORTS: FLASH FICTION.
Blurb:
Valentine Flash Fiction, what could be more fun? The challenge: capture a mood,
a memory, a romantic encounter, using exactly 100 words. Stories like Unmasked
and Never Stop Asking will touch your heart while others like Glory Days, Puppy
Love and Swipe Right will make you smile. Enjoy stories by: James J. Cudney,
Jeff Homberger, Julie Morrall, Didi Oviatt, Kaitlyn Sutey and Barbara
Venkataraman. This short book will lift your spirits and brighten your day, any
day of the year.
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Valentine-Shorts-Flash-Fiction-ebook/dp/B08W9WDR3R/ref=sr_1_21?crid=1YUYOJUTKUMHB&keywords=barbara+venkataraman&qid=1675272221&sprefix=%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-21
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My wonderful publisher, Next Chapter, is now selling book-related merchandise
and it's all so fun! There are posters, coffee mugs, playing cards, t-shirts,
jigsaw puzzles, tote bags, and stickers.
Check it out here: https://www.litmatter.com/search?q=barbara+venkataraman&options%5Bprefix%5D=last
Today begins Black History Month in which we celebrate the achievements
of Black Americans and take a sobering look at how far we have to go to achieve
equality for people of color.
As a Floridian, I watch with horror as our governor tries to erase black
history in Florida and marginalize people of color, banning books from
classrooms so students can't learn about Rosa Parks Frederick Douglass, or
Martin Luther King Jr., or read books by Toni Morrison. It's gut-wrenching and,
together, we need to raise our voices in opposition.
Ironically, the only thing Governor DeSantis ever did for the black community
was posthumously pardon the Groveland Four and he wouldn't have if it weren't
politically advantageous at the time.
The Groveland Four were four young black men falsely convicted of a
heinous crime in Jim Crow Florida in 1949. Their story is all too familiar but
stands out because Thurgood Marshall chose to represent them in their appeal.
Gilbert King told the story of this shameful chapter in Florida history in his
Pulitzer Prize winning book: Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the
Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America.
After reading this book in college for an assignment, my son Josh
decided to help the families pursue posthumous pardons for the men and, after
four years and many setbacks, he was successful.
If you would like to read about his quest for justice and become
inspired to start your own, I'm giving away FREE EBOOKS of our book:
"Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four" for the entire
month of February.
Blurb:
Discover the incredible four-year quest for justice for The Groveland
Four, and learn how to pursue your own causes, whatever they may be.
Accidental Activist is a primer for positive action, and a journey
through Florida's past as well as its future. Some of the things you will learn
by reading this book:
Everything takes more time than you think
Nothing ever goes according to plan
Help can come from unexpected places
Time is on your side
Everyone is connected
You can reach your tipping point for success and not even realize it
Your goals can change along the way
Flexibility is key
Let's get started, shall we?
Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Activist-Justice-Groveland-Four-ebook/dp/B07Z5TYNT7/ref=sr_1_15?crid=1ZL1Y6Z6J91R0&keywords=barbara+venkataraman&qid=1675270554&sprefix=%2Caps%2C221&sr=8-15
