Category Archives: Publicity

Box of Rain Showcase, Part 2

Part two of the Showcase by Author Dayna Leigh Cheser which complements the review of Box of Rain posted earlier.

Debra R. Borys

DaynesiteI  almost forgot to post a link to part two of the Showcase of Box of Rain, which is an interview of me by Author Dayna Leigh Cheser.  Here’s one question you might not have heard before, but click through to read the rest and see what new information you might find.

How do you choose names for your characters?

Main character names are just a matter of brainstorming until I find something that feels right. The one exception to that is Christopher Robert Young, from ‘Painted Black’. I actually decided on the name before I knew my character very well. I’d met a young artist with name at a folk music concert once and since I was toying with the idea of having my main street kid be a graffiti artist, I thought it was perfect that the young man’s initials are CRY. So that is Chris’s street…

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Watch for reviews coming soon

So far,  the following book reviewers have agreed to read and review Box of Rain. Watch this site for links to the reviews as they come in.

 Jenn’s Review Blog: Jennifer Zuna reviewed both Painted Black and Bend Me, Shape Me and gave them excellent ratings, so I’m hoping she will like BOR too.  She also reviews products on her site.

M. J. Joachim’s Writing Tips: MJ not only found Bend Me Shape Me to be worth mentioning on both her blogs, but she asked to see all future books in the series and seemed eager to read BOR.  She has a second website, also, called Effectively Human, which recently published an essay by me about a young man I met on the streets of Chicago.

Windy City Reviews: This site is a book review service offered by Chicago Writers Association.  Last year, reviewer Starza Thompson did a lengthy and thoughtful review of Bend Me, Shape Me and has agreed to read BOR, too.

Kathryn’s Inbox: Kathryn published an interview of me earlier this year and has agreed to let me write a guest post, too.  Watch for that soon, and her review of BOR.

Portable Pieces of Thought:  Bridget Koch is a new reviewer to the Street Stories family, but sounded eager to read BOR since the issue of homelessness is important to her.  She won’t have time to do a review until early 2015, but I look forward to hearing what she thinks of the book.

Wistfulskimmie’s Book Reviews: Kim Tomsett feels like an old friend, thanks in part to her awesome reviews of the first two books in the series.  If you visit her site you will find a huge assortment of reviews to help you decide what your next read should be.

Juniper Grove: Jaidis Shaw has been a faithful supporter since the start of the series, having reviewed Painted Black and posting one of my first interviews. She released a YA paranormal romance this past summer and has some short stories in anthologies available.

Author Dayna Leigh Cheser: This is actually the pen name of Julie Jordan, the author of three books. Her website also posts interviews and features for other writers, and will be posting an interview of me later as well.

To see reviews of the first two Street Stories books, click the following links:  Painted Black or Bend Me, Shape Me.

If you are interested in reviewing Box of Rain, either on your own website, on Amazon.com, BarnnesandNoble.com, or Goodreads, please contact me using the form below.  The book is available in mobi or epub formats.

 

Jenn’s Review Blog features BOR release date

JennsReviewBlog

Download the e-book today!
Download the e-book today!

Jennifer Zuna has been a great supporter since the beginning of the Street Stories series.  She posted a feature on the day of Box of Rain released and agreed to do a review as soon as she can,

Thanks, Jenn, for all you do to promote writers and the Street Stories books in particular.

Box of Rain Book Launch Event

wpid-boxofraincover.pngTuesday night, December 16 at 6:30 the Princeton Public library will commemorate the e-book release of author Debra R. Borys’s novel, Box of Rain, with a program about homelessness awareness.

Box of Rain is the third book in Borys’s Street Stories suspense series about homeless youth living in Chicago. Borys spent over 15 years volunteering with service organizations in Chicago and Seattle. Her books combine quirky suspense plots with realistic portrayals of what life on the streets looks like for the unsheltered.

Borys will read from her new book and talk about the conditions she encountered in Chicago, then introduce three local representatives to talk about services available in LaSalle and Bureau Counties for those who find themselves without shelter and in need of assistance.

Carol Alcorn, Executive Director at the Illinois Valley PADS shelter, will emphasize the importance of having a safe place for the night and explain what resources they offer in addition to beds and meals, such as referrals, service plans, and assessments. IV PADS partners with local communities to offer resources and case management free of charge to achieve results through support and opportunity.

Dr. Rebekah Dees-McMahon from Freedom House in Princeton and Kelly Carlson, their medical/legal advocate, will discuss the services they offer to those who are homeless due to domestic abuse. Freedom House is both a Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence program that offers counseling and therapy in addition to shelter and prevention programs. All their services are free of charge for women, men, teens and children.

Steve Graham of Tiskilwa will speak about informal homelessness networks. Homelessness is a fact of life for many in Princeton and the surrounding area due to a variety of circumstances. Listening to people’s stories and getting to know them helps alleviate any misunderstandings and prejudices that might exist.

The Princeton Public Library is located at 698 E. Peru Street in Princeton, IL. All programs at the Princeton Public Library are free and open to all. For more information on upcoming programs and on Princeton Public Library services, go to http://www.theprincetonlibrary.org or call 815-875-1331.