So, the summer is here. Where are you spending your holidays? I’m here in Isola della Scala… I’ll have to make it do.
But I am having my holiday and that’s always nice. I’m trying to take my time (what a beautiful sensation not having to check the time constantly) and trying to catch up with the ton of things I’m always leaving behind.
I’ve even join a challenge to read all of Agatha Christie’s books in chronological order, one a month. I really don’t knwo what I was doing.

And news of news, I’ve finally joined Facebook.
Yeah, I know, I’ve resisted for a long time, but I’ve seen a few things changing lately on othe rplatforms, and I had a very illuminating conversation with fellow writer Margaret Verble, and so I’ve finally decided. Let’s see how this works out. At the moment, I’m overwhelmed and I really don’t knwo what I’m doing, but hey!

Check out my Author Page here. Go like it!!!

And so, time for a new roundup.

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America in Color

The Smithsonian Channel is releasing a series of documentaries about American history, using lots of era footage mewly colorised. Every episode is a decad, spanning from the 1920s to the 1960s. The first Episode about the 1920s as just being aired. Unfortunatley, because I like outside the US, they won’t allow me to see but a teaser of it, but if you can, do have a look. It looks great.

“The 1920s was a decade of unprecedented change for America. Soldiers returned from war. Well-paid jobs were plentiful. Women cast aside “proper behavior,” and the Jazz Age erupted. It was an era of vibrant times and colorful characters, but for nearly a century, many have only seen it in black and white, until now. For the first time, we present the Roaring ’20s in color, from Ford’s assembly line to Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight and from speakeasies to New York’s Wall Street, before and after the crash.”

The History of Dieselpunk I: Proto-Diesel

Piecraft is a dieselpunk theorist who has written about the genre at Wikipedia and for the Gatehouse Gazette. The darker, potentially post-apocalyptic side of dieselpunk is named “Piecraftian” in recognition of his contributions to the genre.

In this article he addresses both the way dieselpunk came into being, its relation with Steampunk (which is often considered a bigger brother of Dieselpunk) and the very first influence on the genre, dating back from the actual diesel Era.
This is one of the best articles I’ve read on the subject. Not many people address the genre with this kind of insight, not even inside the dieselpunk community. To me, there’s more to Dieselpunk than the mere aesthetics, and this article splendidly proves it.

Theme Month! July 2017: It was a dark and stormy night…

Yes, Fritzl is inaugurating a new month of silent film reviews and it looks gorgeous. I can’t resist a theme like that, can you? Cant’ wait to read the reviews, but in the meantime, like me, you can kill the time reading the old reviews. always well worth it.

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Electric Shadows of Shanghai by Clare Kane

It’s 1931 and British diplomat William Graves and his wife, Amelia, are flung headfirst into the enticing, neon-lit streets of Shanghai. As Will helps to maintain the fragile peace between China and Japan, Amelia, alone in a foreign city, seeks solace with a Russian ballet troupe that are more than they seem. Whispers of protest, revolt, even war, buzz through the city as Will is tasked with rooting out Communist propaganda that could push tensions over the edge into war. But the city’s streets hold other intoxicating allures. Will falls into a deep obsession with Feifei, a beautiful silent film star, who is desperate to escape the volatile city and sees Will as her only chance at freedom. As Amelia starts to sense Will’s betrayal and the personal and the political begin to blur, will they lose themselves in the electric shadows of Shanghai?

Vaudeville Wars: Book Review

In the 1920s, the world of Vaudeville was waning, but it was still a fascinating world, full of very peculiar, very specific traditions and attitude. Mary Maley tells us a bit abotu it while reviewing a book about the subject. She focuses in partiuclar on Keith and Albee, who worked hard to make vaudeville – that was traditionally considered quite the bawdy show – a family friendly kind of entertainment.
Not something that I expected.

Fatherland by Robert Harris: Book Review

After years that I had it on my TBR pile, I’ve finally read Fatherland. I can say I had been meanign to read it since it came out. I still remember reading the newspaper article when it first came out.
There will be a Thursday Quotables about it, of course, but I can say here that… honestly, I wos expecting a bit more.

Anyway, of course I browse around for articles and infoa botu it and I stumbled upon thsi one, which is pretty interstign and adds soem info that helped me understad the novel a bit better. For example, I didn’t know it was originally meant to be an essay, but this explains quite a few things.

Anybody read this?

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Richard III

The Diesel Era encompasses both World Wars, so – maybe naturally – many dieselpunk stories and renditions are involved with one or the other of the Wars. I understand this has proved to be quite controversial, especially in the US, but it makes for some  intense stories and retelling.

In 1995 Shakespeare’s Richard III was filmed as set in a fictitious Third Reich-like world. I haven’t seen the film yet, but I must admit the trailer makes for an outstanding impression.

The Growing Role of the SS in 1930s Nazi Germany

And so of course I became curious of what the organisation of the Nazi police truly was.
We all know these terms: SS, SA, Gestapo, but do we really know what they meant? I for one didn’t, really. I always feel unconfortable reading about this part of history, but I aware we must knwo and remember. Thsi was a highly organised form of police, and sometimes I wonder whether the high level of organisation help dehumanise them and the people they policed upon.

Sarah Plugs Her Own Stuff

Recently I decided that I should be more active outside of my blog and try to get people to know my work and my book a bit better. Who knows? They might decide they like it and buy it. So here’s what I’ve been up to this last month. There’s a bit of everything, guest post, reviews, interviews, spotlights. I don’t want you guys to miss anything.

21 June 2017 – Give in to the Feeling by Sarah Zama – Book Review – Whispering Stories
Always exciting to get a review.
“The book is a quick and easy read, and I read it in one sitting. It had enough action to keep me hooked, and a well thought out storyline that naturally flowed, and didn’t feel forced.”

23 June 2017 – The Object of Desire: The Voiceless Power fo the Femme Fatale – Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo
I really enjoyed writing this guest post. It ties up nicely with the AtoZ Challenge theme of this years and it’s about one of my favourite topics. Even during the challenge, the posts about the film noir ‘characters’ were my fevourites.

24 June 2017 – Give in to the Feeling by Sarah Zama – Megan Morgan Blog
I met Megan during the AtoZ last year. She writes spicy supernatural romances, sometimes with a SF inclination. She regularly blogs about the art of writing, good stuff, guys.

26 June 2017 – Indie Author Friday: Sarah Zama #IndieAuthor #dieselpunk #paranormal @JazzFeathers – Teri Polen YA author
So i’ll admit it, interviews are fun. And Teri’s questions were really inspiring and ifferent… well, most of them. I really anjoyed writing this interview.

And so, this is it for this month. We’re heading towards the deep summer months, so expect some light stuff in the next couple months… if you are aroudn to read my blog, that is, though I sure wish you to be somewere on a sonny beach. Expects lots of books and some fun stuff. Let’s charged for starting a new season in September!

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