"Almost Famous Memoirs" Introduction

When I set out to find an agent for my memoir, To Vegas and Back, I was told many things, but the most exasperating reply was, "You have a great story here, but you are not famous. Who is going to read this?" Another agent wasn’t quite as diplomatic and said I was a “nobody.”  

A year later, I got published and found my audience. The New York Post ran a two-page spread, books sold astronomically for one day and I had an "almost famous memoir." I had not become a household name, but my story was making a difference for those who did read it. 

Everyone has a story, and most are worth sharing. Writing a memoir takes a lot of gusto (and guts). Those of us who write them are somebody who write them for anybody who might be feeling like nobody. I created this platform to help showcase some of these life-changing, published works of art; stories like mine that are making a difference and remain relevant—regardless of the release date. 

My blog is not about critically reviewing, but rather about sharing my reflections on page-turning memoirs, supporting the authors, and generating interest in their incredible stories.

I give a book ten pages before I either can't put it down or move on. Between my kids and work, a story must grab me almost immediately to be worth the time commitment. So, get ready to learn about books that you can really sink your teeth into.

Finally, the authors of these memoirs may not be famous, but you can count on one thing. . . they will be extraordinary. 

Please feel free to send me memoir suggestions via my contact page at www.suzannekrauss.com. My goal is to blog about two to three memoirs a month. Sign up here to receive the blog. 

Thank you for joining me on this journey.  

Suzanne R.Krauss 

www.suzannekrauss.com

 

Gizelle's Bucket List

Author:

Lauren Fern Watt

Title:

Gizelle's Bucket List: My Life With A Very Large Dog

Memoir Speed Version:

After college graduation, Lauren Fern Watt moved to New York City with her 160-pound mastiff dog Gizelle (aptly named after the princess in the spectacular 2007 movie Enchanted). She moves into a small apartment into the most unlikely of neighborhoods . . . Times Square. Gizelle is there for Lauren through the ups and downs in the big city and is her confidant during her mother's struggle with addiction. It is when Gizelle gets sick that Lauren drops everything and pours her heart into creating a bucket list of activities to do with her dog before it is too late.

Why it moved me:

Dog lovers rejoice! Get ready to laugh and have the tissue box ready. Lauren is in college when her substance abuse mother decides that Lauren needs a "very large dog". Reasoning aside and knowing her father will not be pleased, Lauren falls in love with the mastiff puppy upon meeting her. The relationship between owner and puppy blossoms into an undeniable loving bond. Lauren takes Gizelle with her college and then to New York City, where she is determined to find a dream job and a happy life for her and her dog. Gizelle is her confident, her best friend and when Gizelle falls ill, Lauren creates a wonderful bucket list of activities for her and her loving companion. This was Lauren's way of focusing on Gizelle living, rather than dying. It was a beautiful way to protect her heart. This story is written with a precise humor, a lot of heart and will make you want to hug your dog a little tighter.

Gasp?

Lauren's roommate takes Gizelle for a walk in Times Square and neglects to bring a pooh bag. BIG mistake (yes, bigger and uglier than Vivian's "Big Mistake" in Pretty Woman).

Want more?

www.laurenfernwatt.com

This book will be available March 7, 2017

Missing: A Memoir

Title:
Missing: A Memoir

Author:
Lindsay Harrison


Memoir Express Version:
"During her sophomore year at Brown University, Lindsay received a phone call from her brother that her mother was missing. Lindsay and her siblings are extremely close to their mother and immediately sense something is amiss. Converging in their hometown in Massachusetts, they begin frantically searching. 

Missing is a page-turning account of the first forty days of the search for Lindsay’s mother, as it chronicles dealings with detectives, false sightings, wild hope, and deep despair. The balance of the story is a candid, emotional exploration of a daughter’s search for solace after tragedy." As summarized from her book jacket.

Why it moved me:
This is a gripping account of a family's drama from the point of view of the family's most vulnerable member. As Lindsay and her family track her mother’s actions on the day she goes missing, other pivotal family history is revealed. Lindsay's words make you feel as though you are with her on this emotional journey; you feel her feelings and share her grief. Her love for her mother is a focal point, but you also learn, in a way that didn’t seem obvious to Lindsay, that her mother was deeply, emotionally disturbed. Throughout their childhood, her mother tried to pin her children against their very well intentioned father, whom she divorced years prior. The most poignant part of the story was when Lindsay’s father picks her up at the hospital after a summer “incident”. It is here, that Lindsay finally realizes just how much her father truly loves her. This book is not only about coming to terms with tragedy, but about the beautiful relationship between a daughter and her father. 

Gasp!

After a nonstop forty-day search, Lindsay’s mother is found. If I reveal any more, I would have to sound off the spoiler alert. This "gasp" is rivaled with an incident she experiences while working at an overnight camp as a young adult.  

She is somebody:
Lindsay Harrison grew up in Massachusetts, and attended Brown University and Columbia School of the Arts. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.  This is her first book.


Want More?
www.lindsayharrison.com 

To Vegas and Back: a memoir

Title:

To Vegas and Back

Author: 

Suzanne R. Krauss

Memoir Express Version:

Suzanne seems like your average suburban mom – happy and involved in the community. No one would have ever guessed her past . . . a childhood filled with alcoholism, anti-Semitism, and abuse, set in the backdrop of Las Vegas's underworld and glamorous casinos.

Olivia is a mother who leaves her life as a Philadelphia housewife behind and moves to Las Vegas to follow her dream of being in show business. Among other setbacks, she encounters mobsters, casino owners and Ponzi schemers, but it is all worth it when her dream becomes a reality and she lands a lead in the famous Les Follies Bergere at the Tropicana. Things move along well for months until Olivia meets a man she decides to marry in just under three days. A man who nearly destroys her family over the course of six years.

Why it moved me: 

I cut and pasted the following reader's review from Amazon. As an author, I love the honesty and spontaneity of reader reviews posted on the internet:

“Please note I've begun writing this review at 3:31am on a Tuesday morning when I have to wake up for work in less than 3 hrs. And, I finished To Vegas and Back about 2 mins ago. I was supposed to stop reading hours earlier but I couldn't. That's the kind of story told here. It's infuriating and true and complicated and sad and, at times, funny. Like life. Like people. Like every meaningful relationship you've ever had. The author plants you firmly on the inside of a childhood growing up with a charismatic mom whose unusual career and desperate choices lead the family down a very dark path. Remarkably, sprinkled throughout this tale are glimpses of everyday life and lightness, past and present that remind you that you can survive the most challenging of circumstances and, possibly, even thrive. It's an especially impactful message because guiding you is an author with a real and likable voice who is very easy to root for. I highly recommend this book.”          

                                                                              

Gasp!

I have been told there are several. But this is my own story, so you'll have to read for yourself and let me know. 

She’s somebody:

Suzanne R. Krauss began her career as a film publicist for The Samuel Goldwyn Company in New York City. She then moved into magazine publishing for some of the largest brand names in the U.S., including YM and Cosmopolitan. She is currently a marketing consultant, supports Kids in Crisis and the NO MORE organization. Suzanne lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children, where she writes her blog Almost Famous Memoirs.

Want More?

www.suzannekrauss.com