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News and Reviews






News
_______________________________________
October 28, 2011

Dear Readers:

I'm always tickled when I receive a letter from a complete stranger complimenting my articles or requesting
permission to quote an excerpt from them. No matter
where I am in my writing career, whether still doubtful of my abilities or an accomplished author, these messages boost my morale and double my energy to keep pursuing a profession with unpredictable results. Writing is a mad person's passion. Precious hours go to waste when an article is not accepted or a book lags on the
publishers' circuit for a long time. Yet there are days when the unexpected happens.

Why this crazy pursuit of the unknown? What is it that drives artists and writers to realize an impossible dream? Is it the challenge? Self-actualization? The need to prove
oneself? To save the world? To acquire fame and fortune? Or is it rather an illness, a fixation, dementia.

I wonder if writers write because they feel incomplete and look for their lost soul, or they write to share their feelings with the world, to communicate with kindred souls, to offer a panacea to sufferers by exposing their own fears. Sometimes we live vicariously through others, because we lack the courage to challenge life ourselves. Writing is a confession of secrets we would not dare express to our most intimate friends. Sometimes the characters we
create are the alter ego we don't dare to be. To me writing is a catharsis, never mind the results.

The journey to reach the acme of the profession may not be easy , but it certainly provides fun and a few
jitters. The harder the challenges, the sweeter the victory. One word from an interested reader, and I am recharged to continue my pursuit with new zeal. Stubborn, yes. Incorrigible, absolutely. Volatle,undoubtedly, otherwise how could I reach the unreachable heights?

I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter.

Sincerely,

Mary Terzian

Email: Nayri@aol.com
www.Maryterzian.com
www.authorsden.com/maryterzian
Author: The Immigrants' Daughter Winner, Best Books 2006 Award in multicultural nonfiction.

__________________________
MEDIA RELEASE:
February 12, 2011

Author Adds Accolade to Growing List

Terzian’s “The Immigrants’ Daughter,” a compendium of memoirs of growing up in Cairo, gets favorable commentary from organizers of Writer’s Digest Self-Published Books Competition.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Feb 12, 2011 – Whittier, CA – Mary Terzian of California and member of the Writers’ Club of Whittier, scored an average of four and a half points out of a possible five for her first book The Immigrants' Daughter', according to officials of the 18th Annual Writer’s Digest International Self-Published Book Awards. Organizers said that this year's competition was “particularly fierce” thanks to the quality of books submitted by the entrants. It appears that self-published books are no longer the step-daughters of the publishing industry and are making a significant dent in the bestseller booklist.

The following is the judge’s commentary:

"THE IMMIGRANTS' DAUGHTER is a totally enjoyable read from start to finish. Ms. Terzian’s narrative is laced with the perfect mix of drama and humor, with some occasional sarcasm thrown in for good measure. She is also a master at sensory detail, knowing when and how much to add so that readers are engaged in the surroundings without ever being overwhelmed. Women of all nationalities will be amazed at her strength and character as she takes them through her struggles to overcome Middle Eastern ideas regarding 'a woman’s place' in society in the 1940’s. The book’s design is clean and easy to read. The snappy chapter titles brought a smile to my face."

Terzian’s memoir also won the Best Books 2006 Award, and placed finalist in the Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards, both in the multicultural, nonfiction category. Asked about her reaction to the judge’s comments she states that she is gratified and hopes to reach the summit, “to prove that ESL (English as a second language) is no impediment to climbing up the ladder to success.” The book is available in paperback through amazon.com, Booklocker.com. regular stores and online through digital shelves.

- end –

Submitted by Sherry Barber
Acting Publicity Director, Writers’ Club of Whittier, Inc
E-mail Sherz88@aol.com
_____________________

Note: "The Immigrants' Daughter" is sold through www.Amazon.com, www.Booklocker.com, www.BarnesandNoble.com and other major online bookstores and digital shelves. It can also be ordered by a brick and mortar bookstore, through Ingram or downloaded from Booklocker.com. -----------------------


EXCERPTS FROM BOOK REVIEWS
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Spero News. Review Date 4-3-2008
http://www.speroforum.com/book/item.asp?ItemId=159113773X&ReviewPage=&SI=

Summary: AN UNFORGETTABLE MEMOIR

In The Immigrant's Daughter, Mary Terzian has crafted a page turning account of her experience growing up in Cairo in a family that considers losing their ties to the Armenian "Motherland" a betrayal of their forefathers' massacre. Vividly told, with amazing recall, Terzian makes a peaceful, pre-war era come alive, from the sights and smells of the marketplace, right down to the buttons on her school uniform. You feel her anguish at the loss of her mother at a young age, her fear during World War II air raids, and the pressure to excel as a student while enduring the scorn of her father over wasting money on a girl's education. Sheer determination, grit and resolve are underlaid with aching vulnerability and leavened with humor. Once you pick this book up, you won't want to put it down. Maureen O'Brien, Author of "Purgatory Behind the Wire".

Harut Barsamian , Mission Viejo, California, August 2007:

MUST READ . . .The impact of "The Immigrant's Daughter" goes beyond the Armenian-Egyptian bi-cultural environment. The ongoing industrial and economic globalization is creating multicultural societies across the continents. . . Consequently the adaptation of old traditions and cultures with prevailing conditions creates internal strife in families. . . children and subsequent generations could certainly benefit from Mary Terzian's real-life experiences by reading the loud message in her book. . .

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Richard R. Blake Reviews, (San Leandro, CA), June 27, 2006, Amazon.com. (Also in MBR Review, August 2006, Reviewers Bookwatch, Blake's shelf) http://www.midwestbookreview.com

AGAINST ALL ODDS

This is the moving dramatic story of the early life of Mary Terzian. It is told in a first person voice. The story progresses from Mary's birth and preschool through to her young adulthood. Mary Terzian spent her childhood in a community of immigrants in the city of Cairo. These people have been traumatized by genocide and deportation from Historical Armenia under Ottoman rule. This inquisitive young girl's questions go unanswered. She does not understand the "why" behind the disparity in gender roles, the importance of tradition, religious superstitions, and cultural issues . . .

. . .I found myself not wanting to miss a single word of this journey. The author has a unique way of using tongue in cheek humor to lighten the impact of hopelessness. Terzian is a talented writer with a wealth of experience to share. I hope she is working on a sequel to this captivating, heartwarming, and unforgettable book.

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Story Circle Reviews
Books About Women's Lives
http://www.storycircle.org/BookReviews Click "Enter Book Reviews..." at the bottom of the page then click T on alphabetical index for Terzian.

Reviewed by Susan Wittig Albert, Bertram TX

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY

"Where do you come from?" is the first question of Mary Terzian's absorbing memoir . . .a story about personal identity: of shifting cultural contexts within which a young woman must find, and finally create, herself. . .

. . . The book is a good read, a thoughtful presentation of a difficult life's passage, and a richly-colored portrait of Armenian immigrant life in pre- and post-war Egypt.

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Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (2/06)

“The Immigrant’s Daughter” is the story of Mary Terzian’s childhood in Cairo, Egypt. She is the daughter of immigrants who escaped genocide and settled in Egypt . . .

. . .From the very first page, we are able to see the spark in Ms. Terzian that no doubt helped her surpass many of the barriers she faced in her life . . .

. . . Ms. Terzian did a fine job of sharing her life with the reader. . . reads more like a collection of short stories than it does a traditional biography. . . through her . . . anecdotes, we are treated to an insider’s view of what it was like to grow up in Mahttp://www.speroforum.com/book/item.asp?ItemId=159113773X&ReviewPage=&SI=ry’s world . . .

. . . Mary ultimately triumphs . . .

Other reviews posted on Amazon.com.