FAMILY Archives - Shelley Blanton-Stroud

Will the Circle Be Unbroken

Shelley Admin2025-01-08T17:51:52+00:00Dust Bowl, Fact and fiction, FAMILY, historical fiction, History|

My father, Kelly Blanton, aka Poppy (art above done by McKenna Blanton), died one week before Christmas. We buried and [...]

Tools and writing

Shelley Admin2023-11-04T17:45:10+00:00#amwriting, Book Event, Book launch, Book signing, Capital Books, Fact and fiction, FAMILY, Gina Rossi, historical fiction|

I’ve always felt the power of objects. As a girl, I loved my Grandpa’s barn, all the little bits and [...]

Sacramento Women of World War II

Shelley Admin2023-10-30T15:54:49+00:00Book Event, Book launch, Book signing, Fact and fiction, FAMILY, historian, historical fiction, poster ghirl, Rosie the riveter, Sacramento Public Library, Wendy the Welder, women in history, world war ii|

If you're interested in Sacramento's regional history, you probably know James C. Scott, archivist at the Sacramento Public Library. And [...]

In conversation with Jasmin Iolani Hakes, HULA, at Capital Books

Shelley Admin2023-05-12T18:01:52+00:00AUTHOR, book club, Book Event, Book signing, Capital Books, Craft, FAMILY, historical fiction, Indie Bookstores|

Friday, 5/19 at 6:30, I'll be in conversation with Jasmin Iolani Hakes at Capital Books about her WONDERFUL debut novel, [...]

Book release party at Bogle Winery

Shelley Admin2022-06-03T22:06:01+00:00AUTHOR, Book Event, Book signing, Copy Boy, Dust Bowl, Fact and fiction, FAMILY, historical fiction, Launch, Publishing, Tomboy|

Tuesday, June 28, 2022, 6:30-8:30 Pacific. You're invited to help me celebrate TOMBOY’s publication day at Bogle Winery with wine and heavy [...]

Tomboy–Chapter One

Shelley Admin2022-05-05T20:04:13+00:00FAMILY, FREE, historical fiction, historical thriller, Tomboy|

As a sneak preview of Tomboy, publishing June 28, 2022, enjoy the first chapter here. CHAPTER ONE Monday, June 26, [...]

Start Jane Benjamin’s adventure with Copy Boy–free upload

Shelley Admin2022-03-02T19:27:48+00:00AUTHOR, Copy Boy, Dust Bowl, Fact and fiction, FAMILY, feminist, feminist noir, FREE, Giveaway, historical fiction, historical thriller, Noir, Publishing|

I loved Mona's cranky, disgruntled humor in Elizabeth Gonzalez James's debut novel, MONA AT SEA. That's why I was so [...]

Mustn’t let adults know

Shelley Admin2022-01-27T21:51:00+00:00AUTHOR, banned books, Fact and fiction, FAMILY, History, Justice|

I used to run The Banned Book Club for teenagers. We only read books that had been banned by libraries [...]

Interviews are dangerous

Shelley Admin2022-01-18T18:27:28+00:00audience, AUTHOR, Copy Boy, Craft, Dust Bowl, Fact and fiction, FAMILY, historical thriller, Interview|

It's like I'm a sophomore. It's fascinating to me how a person can turn sixty and still feel, well, sophomoric. To [...]

The passing of Joan Didion

Shelley Admin2022-01-18T18:29:12+00:00AUTHOR, COLUMNIST, Craft, Fact and fiction, FAMILY, History, Joan Didion|

Sacramento-born author, Joan Didion, who passed away over the holidays, had an outsized effect on me, especially this idea from [...]