Oana asked me to do a blurb for the piece she wrote about her experiences living under communism. I hope it helps her sell more copies than I do of my own books. Here it is:
We in the Western world, especially the United States, need to be constantly reminded of how fortunate we are. This piece will do that. Here is an eye witness account of someone who survived totalitarianism. In chilling detail, she recounts what Romanians suffered. The free world must forever be on guard against the monsters who would enslave human beings. Those of us privileged to have lived in freedom must be made aware that it is not a birthright, that it can be taken away. Oana does that, and we should all be grateful.
I bought 100 shares of stock in Facebook when it was offered to the general public, a little more than a year ago. Afraid the price would skyrocket immediately, I didn't want to be left out of the bounty, as I had been with Google, Amazon, Netflix and Snapple, products I loved but was to cowardly to invest in. I got in at 42 and watched it tumble to scary depths. Today it climbed above 43. I will be tempted to sell if it hits 50, even though I love the site and think its potential price is considerably higher. What scares me most is the overall economic climate. I'm not confident that it will improve, especially since the next phase of Obamacare will be kicking in at the start of 2014. Then again, so many entities, including congress, have been granted waivers. The economy may not be affected until 2015. Decisions, decisions - that's why they call it life.
The floating bookshop needed a change of pace, so I decided to venture to the hipster haven of Park Slope, allegedly the most literate neighborhood in Brooklyn. It looked like a dumb move when I rolled up to 9th Street. The area where I've set up, 8th Street just below 7th Avenue, was three-quarters blocked off, as the subway station's entrance is under renovation. I thought about setting up in front of John Jay H.S., which was closed for the Jewish holiday, but there wasn't an open parking spot anywhere in its vicinity. I decided to make one more pass and, as I was waiting for the light to change at 6th Street and 6th Avenue, a car ahead was pulling out. I faced a long slog uphill, as I used to when the area was part of my regular schedule, so I was able to haul only a third of my wares. I'm not as young as I used to be. I set up on 7th Avenue, near 5th Street, in front of a Rite Aid, just up the block from Barnes & Noble. I hadn't used that spot for at least three years. I recognized many of the staff from the nearby adjunct of Methodist Hospital, even though some seemed considerably older. My thanks to the kind folks who bought books, especially the nurse who purchased January Valentine's Head over Wheels. My good luck this week is now officially scary.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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