It's October!

October is book month—a time to celebrate one of my favorite things!

As much as we are accustomed to iPads, Kindles, iPhones, nothing beats an old-fashioned book—admiring the cover, holding it in your hands, and turning pages. Over time, sadly, we are moving further away from the enjoyment of reading. Content like social media gives us quick pleasure and excitement. For some, after spending a whole day reading documents at work, coming home and reading more doesn’t sound all that attractive. For others, it’s a lack of time. 

For me, reading always meant discovering the world, experiencing empathy, and learning different styles of writing. As a new author, I admire and appreciate a good read. I encourage you to grab a copy of my book, The One and Only. Bringing this book to life took everything I had in me. I made sure that every story captured the hearts of my readers. They are stories about my personal struggles to have a baby, and the experiences of the 40 families I interviewed, who have one child, either by fate or by choice. Raising only one child in a society where most families have at least two, is often met with judgement. Once you are done reading, let me know how it made you feel.

My writing passion has always been inspired by my brilliant mom, Natalya Dragunsky. For as long as I have known her, she always read and wrote. She is a philologist and professor, taught Russian language at the Moscow University and then at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. She is an incredible writer, and her novels explore powerful new perspectives on twentieth-century Russian life. She serves as a great example for me as a writer—how to properly describe people, their feelings, the internal and external world they live in. 

My writing circle wouldn’t be complete without the incredible Gina Maza, my remarkable editor and writing coach.

And now, one of my dearest friends, Rodney Phillips, is an author as well. Dissension: A Disagreement That Leads to Discord is a thrilling tale of crime and suspense that tests the human resolve.

Books are awesome: they make you laugh, cry and feel. They make you think. Grab a book. Let’s talk about it.

La Dolce Vita!!