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WORK TITLE: The River at Night
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 10/21/1958
WEBSITE: http://ericaferencik.com/
CITY:
STATE: MA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erica_Ferencik * http://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Erica-Ferencik/2084815883 * http://www.astorybookworld.com/2011/09/interview-with-author-erica-ferencik.html * http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/river-night-erica-ferencik/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born October 21, 1958.
EDUCATION:Boston University, M.F.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Former realtor.
WRITINGS
Author of screenplay, Mob Dot Com, with Rick D’Elia, optioned by Goodman Productions. Work has appeared in Boston Globe, Salon, and on National Public Radio.
SIDELIGHTS
Massachusetts-based Erica Ferencik is a former realtor and stand-up comedian who turned to writing with her 2008 novel, Cracks in the Foundation. She has since gone on to write two more novels, Repeaters and the 2017 thriller, The River at Night. Ferencik also collaborated with iconic Boston radio broadcaster Ron Della Chiesa on his 2012 memoir, Radio My Way: Featuring Celebrity Profiles from Jazz, Opera, the American Songbook and More.
After publishing her first two novels under her own imprint, Ferencik—who has a master’s degree in creative writing from Boston University—appeared to break through with her third, River at Night, gaining mainstream publication with an imprint of Simon and Schuster. In an interview on Storybook World Web site, Ferencik offered words of advice and inspiration for other prospective writers: “Never give up. Think of the writing life as a marathon, not a sprint. But marathons can be fun, if you like running, so make sure you like writing. Do more than you talk about doing. In fact, watch out about talking about what you’ve written before you’ve actually written it. It lets the air out of the balloon in some weird way. … The traditional publishing route is great for a lot of reasons but do your research on self-publishing as well. There are many pros and cons to both choices.”
Cracks in the Foundation
Ferencik’s debut novel, Cracks in the Foundation, is a humorous take on the real estate business. a subject she has personal experience with as a former realtor. Ginger Kanadoo is part of a long family line of realtors in Squamskootnocket, New York. Ginger is not having much success lately—her sole listing is a fixer-upper outhouse. So when her brother, and also her boss, tells her it is time to modernize, she is not overjoyed at the prospect of the new hire, buxom Tandy Brickenhausen, who promises to take the firm online. Ginger prefers things the old way, and she teams up with her aged aunt in a futile attempt to finally make a score. Meanwhile, Ginger’s daughter Heather, a Wiccan who is also bi-curious, offers to help out with a naked rite. Something has got to give for Ginger.
A Kirkus Reviews critic called Ginger an “older version of Bridget Jones, but instead of obsessing about her love life, she obsesses about her house sales.” The critic also had praise for Cracks in the Foundation, terming it a “wacky tale of heartache and heart,” as well as an “entertaining, cotton-candy read.” Writing in the MetroWest Daily News Online, Bob Tremblay similarly noted: “These days the real estate market has been about as cheery as a scurvy outbreak. Foreclosures multiplying, home values plummeting, sales stagnating. Hide the sharp objects. Given this bleak backdrop, what better time to release a comic novel about real estate?”
Repeaters
Ferencik’s second novel, Repeaters, is a tale of reincarnation that can only be stopped by finding real love. Dr. Astra Nathanson would appear to have it all—she is a psychiatrist, both wealthy and beautiful. But beneath the facade, Astra is desperate, doomed to eternal rebirth and half-life as a Repeater—someone who returns from the dead until he or she experiences true love. Her inability to do so, even with her blind daughter whom she abandoned when the girl was just six, has fated her to endless rebirth. Now the estranged daughter, Kim, and her college professor boyfriend, go to visit Astra one weekend and the mother-daughter rivalry turns deadly.
A Kirkus Reviews critic had praise for Repeaters, calling it a “petrifying tale,” but also noting: “With prose so poetic, it’s easy to forget this is a horror story.” A Blogcritics Web site writer also had a positive assessment, commenting: “The overall feeling I had when closing the book was positive. If you love fantasy novels, this will be right up your alley. … [T]he author keeps you on your toes until the … brilliant ending.”
The River at Night
Winifred “Wini” Allen is badly in need of a change in The River at Night. Her brother’s death and her own divorce have been hard blows for her. Thus, when one of her best friends, adventurous Pia, suggests a rafting trip on Maine’s Winnegosset River for the annual girls’ vacation, Wini agrees, as do other friends Sandra and Rachel. But this rafting adventure soon turns into a life-and-death struggle as their raft capsizes and the survivors must navigate the Maine wilderness. When they stumble onto a camp, they expect salvation, but in fact this contact puts them into even more deadly danger.
“Ferencik … continually surprises with as many plot twists and turns as the titular river itself,” noted BookPage contributor Amanda Trivett of The River at Night. “This is a novel that will burrow in your memory well after its conclusion.” Similarly, Library Journal reviewer Lynnanne Pearson noted: “In the tradition of James Dickey’s Deliverance, this exciting survival tale … hooks from the first page, but it is the strong character development that really stands out.” A Publishers Weekly writer felt that “this adventure tests the women’s friendship while also depicting their resilience,” while a Kirkus Reviews critic concluded: “The wilderness adventure part of this book is excellent; the heart-of-darkness horror movie in the third act less so. Still, you won’t put it down.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
BookPage, January, 2017, Amanda Trivett, review of The River at Night, p. 21.
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2012, review of Repeaters; October 15, 2016, review of The River at Night.
Library Journal, October 1, 2011, Larry Lipkis, review of Radio My Way, p. 81; November 15, 2016, Lynnanne Pearson, review of The River at Night, p. 77.
Publishers Weekly, October 17, 2016, review of The River at Night, p. 52.
ONLINE
Blogcritics, http://blogcritics.org/ (August 28, 2011), review of Repeaters.
Erica Ferencik Home Page, http://ericaferencik.com (August 3, 2017).
Kirkus Online, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (November 12, 2012), review of Cracks in the Foundation.
MetroWest Daily News Online, http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/ (October 3, 2008), Bob Tremblay, review of Cracks in the Foundation.
Simon & Schuster Web site, http://www.simonandschuster.com/ (August 3, 2017), profile of author.
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ (January 19, 2017), review of The River at Night.
Storybook World, http://www.astorybookworld.com/ (September 30, 2011), “Interview with Author Erica Ferencik.”*
Erica Ferencik
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Erica Ferencik
Erica Ferencik.jpg
Born October 21, 1958
Urbana, Il
Alma mater Boston University
Notable works Repeaters
Erica Ferencik is a Massachusetts-based novelist, screenwriter and stand-up comic.
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Works
3 Bibliography
3.1 Novels
3.2 Screenplays
3.3 Nonfiction
3.4 Awards
4 References
Early life[edit]
Ferencik was born in Urbana, Illinois and later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in painting and French from University of Massachusetts and later a Master of Arts in creative writing from Boston University.
Ferencik did stand-up comedy for ten years at various comedy clubs in Boston and New York and was also a material writer for David Letterman during the early years of his national late-night show.[1]
Works[edit]
Ghost wrote "The Mutation", one in a series by Katherine Applegate
Novella "The Inheritance" a finalist in 2005 Malahat Review Novella Competition
Wrote and made prizewinning short film "New Stepmom"
Frequent writer/performer for National Public Radio's "Morning Edition"
Bibliography[edit]
Novels[edit]
"The River at Night" -2017
Repeaters, Waking Dream Press - 2011[2]
Cracks in the Foundation, Waking Dream Press - 2008[3]
Screenplays[edit]
Thriller screenplay, "Mob Dot Com", co-written with Rick D'Elia, optioned by Goodman Productions
Nonfiction[edit]
Radio My Way, Pearson Education - 2011
Awards[edit]
Repeaters was awarded a starred Kirkus Review and named to Kirkus Reviews Best of 2012[4]
Erica Ferencik
Erica Ferencik is a graduate of the MFA program in Creative Writing at Boston University. Her work has appeared in Salon and The Boston Globe, as well as on National Public Radio. Find out more on her website EricaFerencik.com and follow her on Twitter @EricaFerencik.
QUOTE:
Never give up. Think of the writing life as a marathon, not a sprint. But marathons can be fun, if you like running, so make sure you like writing. Do more than you talk about doing. In fact, watch out about talking about what you’ve written before you’ve actually written it. It lets the air out of the balloon in some weird way. ... The traditional publishing route is great for a lot of reasons but do your research on self publishing as well. There are many pros and cons to both choices.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2011
Interview with Author Erica Ferencik
Bio:
Erica Ferencik is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Cracks in the Foundation. Her work has also appeared in the Boston Globe, on Salon.com, More.com, and National Public Radio.
Website: www.wakeupandsmelltheblog.com
Email: ebgf@aol.com
Repeaters:
http://www.wakingdreampress.com/books/repeaters/reviews.html
Cracks in the Foundation:
http://www.amazon.com/Cracks-Foundation-Erica-Ferencik/dp/0981574106
Interview
Deirdra: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
I wrote ever since I was a little kid – short stories, letters, remember those? bad poetry, you name it – but spent fifteen years as a fine artist, a painter, until one day I woke up and just had no interest in drawing or painting any more. I was a voracious reader and realized that I couldn’t express all I wanted with a paintbrush any more. So I pretty dramatically chucked it all and began writing. That was over twenty years ago.
Deirdra: What is your writing and educational background?
I have an undergrad in Painting and French from UMass Boston and a Master’s in Creative Writing from Boston University. Half a dozen unpublished novels and the same number of unproduced screenplays sit in my desk drawer, though two of the screenplays, Mob Dot Com (co-written with Rick D’Elia), and Fat Boy, were optioned. Though Repeaters is not my first foray into the supernatural thriller or horror genre, comedy is my first love. I did standup for ten years in Boston and New York, even sold Dave Letterman jokes many years ago before he had his own in-house writers. I’m done with standup, but I write a monthly humor column in my local newspaper, and my first published novel, Cracks in the Foundation, is a satire about an insane realtor who’ll do anything to make a sale. I’m also a ghostwriter. My latest project is Radio My Way, the life story of Boston radio personality Ron Della Chiesa, slated for release on November 1st by Pearson Education. So I’m a little bit all over the place, but it’s fun.
Deirdra: Can you tell us a little about your experience with screenwriting?
I loved writing screenplays, but ultimately the whole shebang became too frustrating for me because I don’t like counting on other people to get things done. And if you want your movie made, it’s all about playing well with others, lottery-winning luck, a fat bank account, and knowing the right people. But the wonderful thing about writing all those screenplays was that it finally whipped my ass into not only nailing strong dialogue, but also really learning story structure. Story, by Robert McKee, brought it all home for me. Since I tend to think visually anyway, it’s fun to bring that strong visual sense to novels, as well as a knack for pacing and a leanness that you learn from writing screenplays.
Deirdra: What was the pathway like for you to get your first book published?
After twenty years, four agents - some of them quite “powerful” - a series of almosts and ultimately no offers for publication from traditional houses, I decided to start my own imprint and do my own thing. I loved learning about every element of creating and delivering a book including cover design, layout, and marketing. It was the best decision I ever made. I’m not saying it was easy, but I sold thousands of books and many other wonderful things have come out of it as well. I’m sorry I waited as long as I did!
Deirdra: Were you ever discouraged along the way? If so, how did you deal with it?
Those years of almost getting a book published were a roller coaster of emotions. I couldn’t believe some of the kee-rap that was getting published. I still can’t believe it. You just have to remember that publishing is a business and it is driven by fear. Some editor chooses a book that’s “like” a bestselling book in hopes that it will hit and they will make a bundle or maybe just keep their job. Who can blame them? But frankly, I want to throw most book club books against the wall. Anything with Q&A in the back makes me want to shriek my head off. Like we can’t think for ourselves about a book. I’m not saying wonderful books aren’t picked up now and then, but a lot of brilliant stuff is passed over because of this horrendously stressful publishing environment. For a hilarious take on the publishing industry, read Steve Hely’s How I Became A Famous Novelist.
Deirdra: What is your writing schedule like?
Depends on what I’m working on, but I put in a couple of hours six days a week, unless I’m sick or on vacation. I also need to make a living, so in all honesty some weeks are more productive than others.
Deirdra: Can you tell us a little about your new book Repeaters, and how you came up with such a scary and complex plot. By the way, that title just gives me shivers.
Repeaters is about a young woman who comes back from the dead to to avenge her own murder by her mother’s hand.
Have you ever known someone with such an intense personality, presence, life force, that you can’t imagine them dead? For me, that was my mother. She was also cruel, manipulative, and lacked a conscience.
When my mother was alive she used to call me every day, which was one reason I hated the phone. This was before caller ID, so I would just helplessly pick it up when it rang, my heart in my throat.
Anyway, my mother died on a Saturday.
On Sunday morning while I was in the shower, the phone rang. As usual, my heart sped up, my breathing grew rapid and shallow. I stood there, shampoo in my hair, frozen, just listening to the phone bleating from the other room. I had to calm myself, tell myself: she’s dead, of course it’s not her. But still, I stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel, and went to the phone. I stood there dripping, listening for the answering machine to pick up, for the outgoing message to play, and finally, to the caller.
Whoever it was, hesitated. The person’s breathing was labored, just like my mother’s was in her last days. After a good thirty seconds, the caller hung up.
My hand was shaking so hard I could barely get the phone back in its cradle. I closed my eyes and forced myself to remember signing her death certificate the day before. But I couldn’t help myself. The power of her will was so strong. She was dead, so what? She could still pick up the phone…
So that was the inspiration for the story. If my mother could return from the dead, why not others? Why not a race of Repeaters?
And why would they come back? Two reasons made sense to me: you return if your life is taken with violence, or if you haven’t yet accomplished the most pressing of unfinished business: loving at least one human being on this earth.
Deirdra: How many beta readers review your manuscript before you send it to your editor?
What’s a beta reader? Wait while I google it…okay. I’d have to say at least twenty-five people have looked at it and given me feedback, not including my editor. That said, you can’t listen to everyone. You’ll go insane. You have to have this little core in you that recognizes stupid criticism. And even if it makes you groan in despair, you have to be equally sensitive to comments that are right on even if they force you to do a bigger rewrite than you can stomach.
Deirdra: Who has made the greatest difference for you as a writer?
Certain wonderful teachers encouraged me when I was very young. That and getting into the Boston University program was a huge lift at the time. These days, my husband, friends, and other authors have been a lifeline in terms of encouragement and support.
Deirdra: What’s your secret to making the characters in your books come to life and keep people awake at night?
I think those are two different questions!:) Books have been written on making characters come to life in fiction. As general advice, I’d say never stop learning your craft, whether that’s through reading what you admire or writing. As you read, NOTICE what grabs you and look deeper to find out what that author has done to make you feel something. In your daily life: never stop taking mental or actual notes about what is happening around you. Keep that third eye open.
Part two of your question: how to write truly scary fiction. Again, fine books have been written about that. Back to reading and noticing: what scares you? One thing that terrifies me is loss of control over my body. David Cronenburg, screenwriter and director, is a master of “body horror,” or the physical manifestation of the psychological, such as in The Brood, The Fly, and Dead Ringers.
Deirdra: What authors do you admire, and why?
Below is a list of just some of my favorite authors. I admire them because they take me into another world. Make me laugh out loud, scare the pants off of me, enrapture me, transport me.
Mary E. Mitchell, Jess Walter’s The Financial Life of Poets (hilarious), Paul Nelson, Louise Murphy, Justin Evans, William Peter Blatty, Joe Hill’s Heart Shaped Box (brilliant and the scariest book I’ve ever read,) Jeffrey Thomas – everything but especially Punktown, Sally Donahue, Thomas Tryon, Daphne du Maurier, Lionel Shriver, Muriel Spark, Alice Sebold, Judith Moore, Ian McEwan, Robert Goolrich, Kate Christenson, John Ajvide Lindquist, Jeanette Walls, Sarah Waters, Tobias Wolff, Jon Krakauer, everything by Diane Ackerman.
Deirdra: What do you hope readers will get from your books?
First and foremost, I hope they fly along with the story and have a hell of a good time reading the book. This is first and foremost entertainment, after all!
Deirdra: Besides writing what other talents or hobbies do you have?
I love to dance! Keeps me sane. Love to travel, see friends, explore the world and everything in it.
Deirdra: What words of advice do you have for other writers who desire to have their manuscripts become books in print?
Never give up. Think of the writing life as a marathon, not a sprint. But marathons can be fun, if you like running, so make sure you like writing. Do more than you talk about doing. In fact, watch out about talking about what you’ve written before you’ve actually written it. It lets the air out of the balloon in some weird way. Beware great titles that pop to mind: they will rarely match up with a brilliant book. In fact it can be damned near impossible to title something wonderful. Get a lot of people to read your work, not just friends and family. If you have a manuscript, submit it to – ideally – a couple of book clubs and bravely show up and listen to what everyone has to say. Then put it aside for three months and read it again. See how you feel about it, and go with that feeling. The traditional publishing route is great for a lot of reasons but do your research on self publishing as well. There are many pros and cons to both choices.
Deirdra: What are you working on now?
A collection of funny essays called Fifteen Steves, and sequel to Cracks in the Foundation called Fresh Ginger. I’m also tossing around this maddeningly elusive (because I can’t quite nail the plot) new supernatural thriller.
Deirdra: Where can our readers go to find your books and order them?
Amazon.com is really the best place, but if you are in the Boston area: Wellesley Books, Tatnuck Bookstore in Westborough, and the Paper Store all carry it.
Deirdra: Any final words you would like to share?
Never, ever give up!
Erica Ferencik Headshot
PHOTOGRAPH BY KATE HANNON
Erica Ferencik is a graduate of the MFA program in Creative Writing at Boston University. Her work has appeared in Salon and The Boston Globe, as well as on National Public Radio. Find out more on her website EricaFerencik.com and follow her on Twitter @EricaFerencik.
QUOTE:
continually surprises with as many plot twists and turns as the titular river itself
his is a novel that will burrow in your memory well after its conclusion.
The River at Night
Amanda Trivett
BookPage. (Jan. 2017): p21.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 BookPage
http://bookpage.com/
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THE RIVER AT NIGHT
By Erica Ferencik
Scout Press
$26, 320 pages
ISBN 9781501143199
Audio, eBook available
SUSPENSE
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
What do four girlfriends pushing 40, a collection of foregone dreams and need--that desire for something extraordinary and rejuvenating--become? The precursor for the horrors that unveil themselves in Erica Ferencik's latest novel, The River at Night.
Wini, Sandra, Rachel and Pia are the type of friends that remain close in spite of physical distance and ever-changing lives. Each year, the three take a vacation together. Adventurous Pia has finally convinced her three mates to face a new challenge: rafting the Winnegosset River. The foursome head into the Maine wilderness accompanied by a 20-something guide, Rory. Tension builds as some start to question Rory's competency, and intensifies when Pia impulsively begins an intimate relationship with Rory.
Despite the emotional chasm, cooperation is required in order to navigate the dangers of the river. Each bend and rush successfully maneuvered builds confidence.
But when unexpected tragedy strikes, the remaining group must struggle to survive in the remote woods of Maine--injured and with limited supplies. Roaming for help, the group discovers potential salvation ... but have they actually just revealed themselves to the most dangerous predator yet?
Ferencik, no stranger to creating an effective blend of dread and horror (showcased in her novel Repeaters), continually surprises with as many plot twists and turns as the titular river itself. Following the influence that the various characters' strengths, flaws, insecurities and determination have on the ultimate resolution is a captivating experience. This is a novel that will burrow in your memory well after its conclusion.
QUOTE:
In the tradition of Janies Dickey's Deliverance, this exciting survival tale by the author of Repeaters hooks from the first page, but it is the strong character development that really stands out.
Ferencik, Erica. The River at Night
Lynnanne Pearson
Library Journal. 141.19 (Nov. 15, 2016): p77.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
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Ferencik, Erica. The River at Night. Scout: Gallery. Jan. 2017. 304p. ISBN 9781501143199. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781501143212. F
The past few years have not been easy for Winifred Allen. Her younger brother's death and a divorce have left her emotionally drained. She hopes the annual trip with her three best friends, Pia, Sandra, and Rachel, will be a welcome respite from her problems. Emboldened by Pia's adventurous spirit, Wini, despite her fears, agrees to whitewater rafting in the uncharted wilds of Maine. After a long car trip, the ladies meet their guide and embark on the challenging rapids. When a log capsizes their raft, there are deadly consequences. Struggling to survive, Wini and her friends are faced with terrible choices when they stumble onto a camp and the salvation they expect turns into more danger. VERDICT In the tradition of Janies Dickey's Deliverance, this exciting survival tale by the author of Repeaters hooks from the first page, but it is the strong character development that really stands out. Wini is a compelling heroine, a flawed woman whose fears and regrets are fleshed out by flashbacks throughout the narrative. The friendships among the four women are well drawn and believable.--Lynnanne Pearson, Skokie P.L., IL
QUOTE:
this adventure tests the women's friendship while also depicting their resilience.
The River at Night
Publishers Weekly. 263.42 (Oct. 17, 2016): p52.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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The River at Night
Erica Ferencik. Scout, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-15011-4319-9
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
The decision of four female friends pushing 40 to spend their vacation whitewater rafting in a remote corner of Maine jump-starts this adrenaline rush of a novel from Ferencik (Repeaters). Winifred "Wini" Allen isn't keen on the idea, but she goes along to be with Pia Zanderlee, who arranged the trip, and two other close friends. Wini also needs to get away--her brother has recently died, her husband has left her, and she despises her job as a graphic designer for a Boston-based food magazine. Pia has hired a hunky 20-year-old Maine college student, Rory Ekhart, to be their guide. The river outing has barely begun when tragedy strikes and the group is left without their raft and most supplies. But battling nature pales when they realize that they aren't the only people in the area. Set over five days, this adventure tests the women's friendship while also depicting their resilience. Fans of John Dickey's Deliverance will enjoy this current take on the wilderness survival tale. Agent: Erin Harris, Folio Literary Management. (Jan.)
QUOTE:
The wilderness adventure part of this book is excellent; the heart-of-darkness horror movie in the third act less so. Still, you won't put it down.
Ferencik, Erica: THE RIVER AT NIGHT
Kirkus Reviews. (Oct. 15, 2016):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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Ferencik, Erica THE RIVER AT NIGHT Scout Press/Simon & Schuster (Adult Fiction) $26.00 1, 10 ISBN: 978-1-5011-4319-9
A gal-pal vacation goes over the falls and into hell."I folded my arms. Felt my friends' eyes burning into me. My God, I thought--how old do you have to be to listen to your gut?" Older than food-magazine art director Wini Allen, apparently, because despite the clanging alarm bells in her head, this tired, sad woman joins her longtime best friends on an extreme whitewater rafting trip in Maine planned by their ringleader, an Amazonian sneaker marketer named Pia Zanderlee. Gathering once a year for a group vacation, the foursome is "bound by invisible golden thread the fifty-one weeks a year we were apart. Tied in a golden bow the week we spend together....Dysfunctional in our own female-friendship way; but our bonds were unbreakable." Their adventure in Maine will be led by a studly college student named Rory who has "shoulder-length dreadlocks" and "eyes the exact green of an asparagus mousse we'd featured in our March issue." This is his fifth time on the largely inaccessible and untraveled river. In fact, the names for its passages--Satan's Staircase, Hungry Mother, The Tooth--were coined by Rory himself. Things get off to a tense start when Pia and Rory noisily hook up the first night, but in the morning there is "peach-colored light behind the mountains" and a thrilling run on the river during which even Wini believes in God. "Looking back, I equate this stage of enjoying the wilderness with the second glass of wine," she muses, falling back on a more familiar frame of reference. "Everything is lighter; you can see the funny side of disaster. But things rarely improve with the third, they get dangerous with the fourth, and you better pray to God someone is around to scoop you off the floor after that." Actually, it's far, far worse than that analogy would imply; at a certain point Ferencik's latest (Repeaters, 2011, etc.) takes a turn for the bloody and deranged. The wilderness adventure part of this book is excellent; the heart-of-darkness horror movie in the third act less so. Still, you won't put it down.
QUOTE:
petrifying tale
With prose so poetic, it's easy to forget this is a horror story:
Ferencik, Erica: Repeaters
Kirkus Reviews. (Aug. 15, 2012):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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Ferencik, Erica REPEATERS Waking Dream Press (Indie None) $14.95 9, 17 ISBN: 978-0981574110
The petrifying tale of a chain of reincarnations that can only be broken by finding true love. Kim is a blind college student who's in a relationship with her biology teacher. When they get engaged, he urges Kim to contact her estranged mother, Astra, a psychiatrist who didn't come back after leaving Kim at a school for the blind when she was 6 years old. For Astra, having a child was a failed attempt to feel love--the only way for a Repeater to conclude his or her string of lives. Finding herself incapable of the emotion, Astra abandoned Kim; but over a decade later, Astra finds the motivation to monstrously destroy her life as part of their grisly mother-daughter rivalry. The destruction bleeds into 16-year-old Lucy's life as well; she's a new patient who's been having blackouts and flashbacks from another life. Lucy doesn't yet understand that she, too, is a Repeater. With prose so poetic, it's easy to forget this is a horror story: One evil action collides with the next as a cursed Repeater ruthlessly seeks the true love she hasn't yet found in the hundreds of lives she remembers--love that would finally end her streak of reincarnations. More than a battle of good and evil, Ferencik's (Cracks in the Foundation, 2008) story is rich with layers, well-developed characters, and moments of gruesomeness and tenderness. The loveless malice contrasts sharply with characters--some Repeaters, some not--who feel love so deeply that they seem to glow from it on the page. The gripping pursuit and protection of the love of a lifetime.
Della Chiesa, Run with Erica Ferencik. Radio My Way
Larry Lipkis
Library Journal. 136.16 (Oct. 1, 2011): p81.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2011 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
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Full Text:
Della Chiesa, Run with Erica Ferencik. Radio My Way. Allyn & Bacon: Pearson. Nov. 2011. c.336p, discog, bibliog. ISBN 9780205252701. $29.99; pap. ISBN 9780205190782. $17.99. MUSIC
Della Chiesa, a legendary radio personality at WGBH in Boston since the 1970s, is best known for his commentary on the Boston Symphony and as the host of Music America. It was in this latter capacity that he interviewed dozens of jazz, pop, Broadway, and opera celebrities, and he follows the autobiographical portion of his entertaining memoir with recollections of these performers. Though not a trained musician, Della Chiesa has an obvious passion for a wide variety of genres (excluding rock), and his expansive, genuine love of this great diversity of styles shines forth. Readers of all ages will enjoy the vignettes of the performers, some of whom, e.g., Tony Bennett and Gunther Schuller, became his close personal friends. With a selective discography for each of the interview subjects. VERDICT This memoir, though not an essential purchase for all libraries, will certainly enhance collections in American musk and media studies. Readers who grew up in the golden age of radio will be particularly enchanted with Della Chiesa's reminiscences.--Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, PA
Lipkis, Larry
The River at Night by Erica Ferencik
by Elyse · Jan 19, 2017 at 4:00 am · View all 3 comments
The River at Night by Erica Ferencik
The River at Night
by Erica Ferencik
JANUARY 10, 2017 · GALLERY/SCOUT PRESS
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GENRE: Mystery/Thriller
The River at Night is a thriller that lives up to its name–it’s dark and twisty, fast-moving, and I was never entirely certain what was lurking beneath the surface. This book is far more action-adventure than murder mystery, but there are definitely elements that will creep-out some readers.
The book is narrated first person POV by Wini Allen, one of four friends who get together annually for a vacation. Over the years the women have grown apart geographically as well as emotionally, as often happens with friends over time. Wini is recently divorced, still reeling from the death of her brother. Sandra is trapped in a loveless marriage. ER nurse Rachel is contemplating a job change. And then there’s Pia.
I think that most of us have a Pia in our lives at some point: she’s the friend who is exciting and energetic and cool, but everything has to be on her terms. She’s also a narcissist–the friend who sleeps with your ex boyfriend days after the breakup. She’s the friend you think is a friend, but who is really just pulling you deeper into a morass of her own bullshit.
This year Pia has planned the trip and the group is going white water rafting in the middle of goddamn nowhere Maine. It will be just the four women and their guide, Rory. Rory who is a twenty-year-old white dude with dreadlocks and a “spiritual” connection to nature, almost forty miles from the nearest town.
What could go wrong?
Bill Murray asks "Nervous?"
Now I’d like to insert an aside here. A couple years ago I had to go on a kayaking trip for a work bonding experience. The river we were on was rated for toddlers. It was me and another woman, who also suffered from chronic illness, in the two-person kayak together struggling miserably. After that it was beer and being attacked by vicious Wisconsin mosquitoes. My fibro protested for weeks afterward. It was that day I that I realized I had to shatter the corporate glass ceiling because when I’m the big boss, all corporate bonding activities will be mani pedis and mimosas:
“Settle in, Stanley! Time to get your callouses shaved down! Emotionally and physically! Let’s learn to trust!”
Back to the review.
None of the other women are super thrilled about this trip, mostly because it seems dangerous and scary. Pia however is insistent. Wini especially struggles with her anxieties throughout the book. She feels like a person who is afraid of everything, the wet blanket in the group. I identified with this so much as I am also excellent at catastrophizing.
When Pia hooks up with Rory one night (in the next tent, where everyone can hear), the group begins to fracture:
Pia crossed her arms hard across her chest. “Well, that’s my fucking business, don’t you think? Last time I looked, I was a grown woman and could sleep with whoever I please, when I please.”
Rachel’s body recoiled into itself, but her face did not soften. I had a flash of Rachel’s promiscuous teen years, and for a second I thought Pia would knock her down with a few choice memories, but she didn’t go there.
“Maybe this is crazy, but I thought you might be happy for me,” Pia said. “He’s a nice guy.” She looked off and away, her manner momentarily regaining its former sex-stunned dreaminess.
“He’s twenty, Pia! You’re almost thirty-six!”
“So who are you, the sex police?” The cords in Pia’s neck stood out as she spoke. “Just because you don’t get any–”
“Come on you guys, stop it,” Sandra said from under her curtain of hair.
“–doesn’t mean I have to walk around with it zipped up the rest of my life–”
“That’s not what we’re saying,” I said.
“Then what the hell are you saying?” Pia held herself as a friend might. Looked at me. She began to cry. My chest tightened to hear it. I thought, My God, sometimes we are closer than lovers, we female friends. And sure that scares men, but sometimes it scares us even more. “I’m telling you, this is so fucked…”
“What was your plan, Pia, for this trip?” Rachel said, her voice a touch more gentle.
“Plan?” Pia said sarcastically. “I was planning on having a wonderful time in nature with my friends. Evidently, that won’t be the case. Evidently, I’m going to be demonized for–”
“We were planning the same thing, Pia,” I said. “As girlfriends. No guy drama.”
So the group isn’t doing great when they embark on their adventure. At first things seem to go okay, but then tragedy strikes:
Click for spoilers!
I had expected this book to be about four women who, lost in the wilderness, had to rely on each other to survive, and it largely is that. As a group they alternate between caring for each other the way only friends can (they all curl around Sandra, who is perpetually cold, warming her in, in a particularly touching scene), and tearing each other down, overwhelmed by the terror of their situation.
Then, much to my surprise, another creepier element was introduced. I’m adding it here as a spoiler so that readers who are on the fence can decide if they want to proceed. It’s definitely weird and could be nightmare-inducing.
Click for spoilers!
The women come across a camp and think they’ll be saved. Instead they run into a deranged woman and her mute, adult son who have been living off the grid in the forest for years in a camp of horrors. In a very Criminal Minds twist, the Very Scary Woman decides the women will lead the authorities to her and now the group must try and make their way back civilization while being chased by homicidal forest people.
The weirdness of the second twist worked for me though, and it certainly helped propel the story along. I finished The River at Night in one sitting, bleary-eyed and heart pounding when I’d finished. I may have said “holy shit.” From a suspense and pacing standpoint, this thriller is superb.
The only thing I didn’t care for was the end. There seemed to be a moral half-heartedly tacked on to the end of the story that felt out of place and didn’t make a ton of sense either. It isn’t how I’m used to thrillers wrapping up and it annoyed me a little.
If you aren’t afraid of Creepy Shit and you want a book that’s delightfully scary, a fast read, and focused on women coming together then I whole-heartedly recommend this book. If you like to hide under the covers during episodes of Dateline, you’ll probably want to give it a pass.
QUOTE:
the author keeps you on your toes until the very end. Erica Ferencik concludes her story with a brilliant ending.
The overall feeling I had when closing the book was positive. If you love fantasy novels, this will be right up your alley.
Book Review: Repeaters by Erica Ferencik
Posted by: margotlily August 28, 2011 in Book Reviews, Books 1 Comment
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Kim is a beautiful and young blind woman. She has perfect grades, studies marine biology with a full scholarship and has found the love of her life. Things could not be better for her in life. Her mother, Astra, who abandoned her when she was six; is just as beautiful as her daughter. However, under her perfect appearance, a secret is hidden. Indeed, she is a repeater. A soul that comes back after death, and starts all over again; until love is finally found.
The first thing I thought when starting the book was: oh no, not another perfect main character! I feel that this book is primarily aimed at teenagers and young adults; not that an older audience could not appreciate it, and books aimed at this particular market are usually filled with perfect heroes and heroines. You know, the type which have a perfect physique and are intelligent, get good grades at school or have an amazing career, and who, to top it all, are amazing at sports. Now, in what world do these people exist? The world of teen fiction, apparently. And sure, it’s great to read a book with a likeable main character, but perfection usually disables the human side of the characters. Without flaws, they seem to lack that humanity.
Anyway, back to the book! It starts off with the description of this beyond perfect, perfect girl. She’s blind, yet she lives life like a normal person — more power to her — and, on top of her beauty, she is super smart. If you like that kind of thing, then you won’t have a problem getting into the story; if you are, like me, researching for maybe a little more realism, just bear with it. I promise you, it gets better.
Repeaters is written in an elegant, but somewhat crude style. And this is what makes the interest of the novel. The story is interesting and gripping, but the sometimes almost raw descriptions are what make it stand out from the many teen fantasy novels. One example that springs to my mind would have to be Twilight, the style of which is very safe. Erica Ferencik takes risks by being so explicit, and it pays off as it adds dimension to the novel. This style of writing makes up for the earlier reproaches I had concerning the perfection of her characters. You actually end up accepting the perfection of most characters and grow to really like them; or in the case of Astra, fear them. Because Astra is definitely one of the scariest, most monstrous villains ever to have been written. She gave me some pretty frightening nightmares.
One of the themes addressed in the book is reincarnation. Indeed, Astra is a repeater, a soul that comes back and starts a whole new life. Repeaters come back as long as they haven’t found love, or when they have been murdered. Repeaters usually come back once or twice, which is enough to learn about love and find it. But Astra is no typical repeater. Indeed, she has come back hundreds of times and has experienced all sorts of lives, from that of animals to slave master. And if you thought reincarnation seemed like a cool idea, you might want to rethink that as, from Astra’s point of view, it looks quite awful. Do you imagine coming back for centuries, trying desperately to find love, without ever getting a break? To me, that sounds like endless torture.
All of this, of course, makes Astra a very rich character. Although she is described as having a size six body and being incredibly beautiful, she is flawed, deeply flawed. And she is fragile, though she hides behind what seems like a strong and cold personality. This makes her the most complex and most interesting individual of the book. The reader can definitely connect with her, and actually come to feel sorry for her.
The story is also very rich in plot twist. Every time you think you know what is coming up, something unexpected happens. Right from the start, you know that when Kim and her fiancé, Constantin, go to spend the weekend with Astra, something bad is going to happen; yet what happens is probably ten times worse than you had anticipated in your mind. A story like keeps you on your toes, makes you want to read more and more, to know what is going to happen next, how all of this is going to finish. And the author keeps you on your toes until the very end. Erica Ferencik concludes her story with a brilliant ending.
The overall feeling I had when closing the book was positive. If you love fantasy novels, this will be right up your alley. Although I find it is aimed at a young adult audience (maybe end of teenage years as well), it can easily be appreciated by anyone. Erica Ferencik’s pleasant writing makes for an enjoyable read.
QUOTE:
wacky tale of heartache and heart,
Ginger is an older version of Bridget Jones, but instead of obsessing about her love life, she obsesses about her house sales.
entertaining, cotton-candy read.
CRACKS IN THE FOUNDATION
by Erica Ferencik
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KIRKUS REVIEW
In this wacky tale of heartache and heart, a down-on-her-luck veteran real estate agent discovers that the economy isn’t the only thing in the toilet.
Spirited Ginger Kanadoo loves her job but hates technology. When her boss (and brother) announces that the family real estate firm is going online—and introduces a slick new addition to the firm, Tandy Brickenhausen, who will take them on the cyber-journey—Ginger decides to show her brother that she can still get things done the old-fashioned way. Unfortunately, her only current listing is a nonfunctional outhouse. With an impending foreclosure on her own home to combat, a teenage daughter to raise and a troubling dependence on white zinfandel to overcome, Ginger has a lot on her plate. But she determines to succeed, regardless of the outrageous listings the residents of Squamskootnocket throw her way. Ginger is an older version of Bridget Jones, but instead of obsessing about her love life, she obsesses about her house sales. She continually puts herself out there and falls flat on her face. Though Ginger has all of the action, Ferencik (Repeaters, 2011, etc.) allows her protagonist’s daughter, Harvest, to be the emotional core of the story. Harvest may be a typical teen who slams doors and groans with embarrassment over her mother’s antics, but this bi-curious Wiccan also takes on much of the caretaker role in the family, even adhering to punishments when Ginger isn’t around to enforce them. The story zips along briskly—sometimes a tad too briskly—as Ginger attempts one harebrained scheme after another. But like Lucy and Ethel, she rarely learns from her mistakes. Ginger must stop depending on the kindness of strangers and learn to “Kanadoo” things on her own. Luckily for her, there are always kind strangers on hand.
If readers can overlook the improbable zaniness of Ginger’s life, they’re in for an entertaining, cotton-candy read.
Pub Date: Aug. 15th, 2008
ISBN: 978-0981574103
Page count: 312pp
Publisher: Waking Dream Press
Program: Kirkus Indie
Review Posted Online: Nov. 12th, 2012
QUOTE:
These days the real estate market has been about as cheery as a scurvy outbreak. Foreclosures multiplying, home values plummeting, sales stagnating. Hide the sharp objects.
Given this bleak backdrop, what better time to release a comic novel about real estate?
Wise ‘Cracks’ - Local author adds humor to real estate biz
HIDE CAPTION
Framingham real estate agent and novelist Erica Ferencik. Allan Jung/Daily New staff
By Bob Tremblay/DAILY NEWS STAFF
Posted Oct 3, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 3, 2008 at 3:15 AM
These days the real estate market has been about as cheery as a scurvy outbreak. Foreclosures multiplying, home values plummeting, sales stagnating. Hide the sharp objects.
“Cracks in the Foundation”
By Erica Ferencik
Waking Dream Press
312 pages paperback, $14.95
These days the real estate market has been about as cheery as a scurvy outbreak. Foreclosures multiplying, home values plummeting, sales stagnating. Hide the sharp objects.
Given this bleak backdrop, what better time to release a comic novel about real estate? Framingham author Erica Ferencik calls her new book “Cracks in the Foundation” “the perfect antidote to this gloomy market.”
Ferencik should know. When she’s not writing books - “Cracks” is her fourth - penning screenplays, performing standup comedy and contributing to National Public Radio’s “Morning Stories” program, Ferencik works as a Realtor for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Sudbury.
“Cracks” follows the farcical exploits of Ginger Kanadoo, a veteran real estate agent in the fictional upstate New York town of Squamskootnocket. By pure coincidence, Ferencik grew up in the nonfictional upstate New York city of Schenectady.
Sadly, Ginger has become a victim of the region’s feeble real estate market where she has been reduced to trying to sell an outhouse as a “starter.” The commode abode does have water views of a weed-choked lake. Another property she’s trying to sell smells like...well, like something you’d find in an outhouse. Breaking this news to the homeowners requires a mother lode, so to speak, of diplomacy.
Not helping matters is the arrival of Tandy Brickenhausen, the Realtor from hell who would sell her mother into slavery for a listing.
How can Ginger do what Kanadoo used to do when the market wasn’t in such deep dog-doo? That’s the million-dollar question, subject to closing costs.
“I was searching around for a subject for a new novel,” says Ferencik, describing how “Cracks” came to fruition. “For years, right in front of me were all these absurd situations that I’d run into as a Realtor. Then I struggled with how to create an actual narrative from one ridiculous situation to another. Then it finally clicked. I needed an old-school Realtor who was hapless.” Enter Ginger Kanadoo, the white zinfandel-guzzling, gung-ho real estate agent with a good heart but bad figure.
The interviewer tiptoes around the question of whether the character contains any biographical elements. Actually, he steps right on it.
“Like Ginger, I have an Unsinkable Molly Brown spirit,” says Ferencik. “I published this book myself. I started my own publishing company - Waking Dream Press - and I refused to take no for an answer. I hope that’s where the similarity ends. Ginger is 40 pounds overweight and drinks too much.”
Some of the comical situations Ginger finds herself in Ferencik has actually experienced. For example, she has tried to sell homes with intractable odors and had to tell homeowners, ever so subtly, that their homes stink. In one scene, by carelessly opening a door, Ginger loses two dogs in the home she’s trying to sell. Ferencik didn’t lose the dogs in her home for sale, but that’s only because they were in a fenced-in yard.
“They were little suckers and I had to chase them all over the place,” says Ferencik of the wayward hounds. “It took me an hour to get them back in the house.”
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Ferencik has also met her unfair share of Tandy Brickenhausens. “They are the people who gives Realtors a bad name,” says the author.
One real-life story Ferencik didn’t put in the book concerns sellers who practiced a clothing-optional lifestyle.
“It was pretty much over after the first visit,” she relates. “I tried to act cool when the guy answered the door stark-raving naked. I tried to be, you know, nonchalant. I think I said something brilliant like, ‘Oh, I must be early. I’ll come back.’ And he said, ‘Oh no, don’t worry, we’re nudists. I hope that’s not a problem for you.’ And I thought, ‘Man, I do need the money.’ Here goes.
“So I went in the house and his wife and young son were on the couch and so was their dog who was, and I’m not kidding, one of the alien-looking hairless dogs. Everyone was so damned naked. They offered me a soda. I said, ‘No thanks.’ I didn’t want anybody to get up or walk around or anything.
“Anyway, I finally asked them if they would be able to leave the house for showings and they said no - they worked at home. So I asked if they would put clothes on for showings and they got defensive. In the end I had to tell them I couldn’t work with them. They would have to find a nudist Realtor. I suggested Remax.”
Cue rim shot.
Ferencik also calls “Cracks” “the antidote to ‘chick lit.’ There are no skinny women prancing around in New York, moaning about their boyfriends, their jewelry and their jobs. This is a timely satire on Realtors and real estate.”
Before becoming a Realtor eight years ago, Ferencik worked in a variety of publishing jobs. The UMass grad majored in fine arts - painting - and studied dance in Paris. “I was completely unemployable,” she quips. She has since received a master’s degree in creative writing from Boston University.
After the publishing jobs didn’t work out, Ferencik says she contemplated getting either an MBA or a Realtor’s license. “An MBA costs $65,000. A Realtor’s license cost $300,” she says. “Work the math.”
The family of the former Erica Bobone includes husband George Ferencik and stepchildren, Jessie and Mike Ferencik.
So is the author working on a new book?
“I damn well should be,” she says. “I’m working instead on getting this book out and sold. It is 24-7. At the same time, a sequel is running through my brain and I’m also working on a collection of funny essays.” The nudist tale may be in the sequel.
She’s also eyeing a return to the standup stage, a venue she worked in New England for 10-plus years.
She notes that Ginger Kanadoo has her own blog and podcast. The blog is called the Kanadoodler. “You can ask Ginger all your burning real estate questions,” says Ferencik.
The author says writing appeals to her because “it’s thrilling to truly express yourself. It’s fun to be funny on a page. I got a little burned out at standup because I have shy days and you can’t have shy days and be a standup comedian. I enjoy creating something that will hopefully outlive me.”
“Cracks in the Foundation” can be purchased at are Paper Store locations, Wellesley Booksmith, Tatnuck Booksellers in Westborough, Willow Books in Acton, Concord Bookshop and Back Pages in Waltham. It can also be purchased online at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com or on Ferencik’s own site, www.cracksinthefoundation.com. For more information on upcoming readings, including one on Oct. 29 at 60 Nobscot Road in Sudbury, go to www.wakingdreampress.com.