My Gangster Father And Me! by Marcia Rosen ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 6, 2024 in Excerpt, giveaways, Memoir
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for My Gangster Father And Me! organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Marcia Rosen will award a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

My Gangster Father And Me!

by Marcia Rosen

 

 

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis

Happy Fathers Day.
Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions and as writers impact our words and stories.  Mine most definitely has. My father was a gangster. Really!

This is my story about my relationship with my father and how his profession affected me and my life, “He called me Sugar Plum. Both a blessing and a burden, I learned interesting lessons from my father: about generosity and determination, taking risks, and certainly finding the willingness to live life as an adventure.”

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Enjoy this peek inside:

There were mixed messages and expectations for my generation. My friends, mostly high school sorority sisters, fell in line. They married, had fancy weddings, and wore beautiful white wedding dresses. For me, they were the symbol of years of living an unwanted life. It was expected of them. They had dreamed of being a bride and about their wedding since playing dolls and dress-up as little girls. They lost themselves and who they could be, shoving aside what they were capable of being, to do what was expected.

 One brilliant girl I knew wanted to be a doctor. Instead, she became an accountant. What a waste. Another wanted to be an actress, another a dancer, another a social worker. They found it best to leave those dreams tucked away so they would be approved of by their families. The sadness of not fulfilling their dreams caused them to feel an emptiness much of their lives.   I had many women tell me this when I toured the country with my first book, “The Woman’s Business Therapist.” One woman had told me her whole life she felt as if she could never fill the emptiness. Now a senior, she realizes why. She had abandoned her education for marriage. Why couldn’t she have had both? Men do.

Throughout my life I felt as if I was being strangled by such demands. I did my best to untangle their grasp. The mixed messages for women amounted to being a good wife and mother. The man is the head of the household and breadwinner, meaning his needs and wants are more important than yours.

 Oh, oh. My mistake? I began making more money than my now ex- husband.

 I was to have his dinner on the table when he came home from work. I often begrudgingly did.

 Oh, oh. I hate to cook.

Never refuse to have sex with him. (Honestly, my father’s mother told me this when I first got married.)

Oh. Oh. I failed again.

Really, I tried to do what was expected. All my friends were already married, what was I to do?

First, I married a hippie and had a baby. Oh, oh, the two-year marriage ended in divorce.

So, why not try again. Another marriage, another child. This time the disaster lasted twenty-one years. He was a cheat and a womanizer. No more oh, oh. Only good riddance!

 A couple years later in therapy, I commented, “He was lucky I didn’t kill him.”

The voice of reason calmly asked, “What good would that have done?”

I not so calmly shouted, “I could have hung his head on the wall, same as when someone shoots a deer and hangs it on their wall.”

“You might need more therapy,” the therapist replied.

Me: “No, I feel great about the idea!”

My parents had wanted me to marry a nice Jewish boy and live in a beautiful house in a beautiful neighborhood. At least my mother surely did. I hadn’t met her expectations. Neither did my father.

How is it possible to meet our parents’ expectations when our ambitions and interests are far different than theirs? My mother’s own disappointments created her dreams for what I might become, how I might live my adult life. I never felt my father had those same expectations. He was, however, disappointed with the two men I married. We both were.

The thing is, we women had mixed messages and expectations in our heads, voices shouting at us, holding us back from stepping outside the box women were told they fit into. I often refused to listen to those voices. I didn’t make my life easy.

I wanted to live a life beyond the ordinary. Have I paid a price for my wanting to live differently than what was expected of a woman of my generation? Probably so. Mostly, it’s been worth it to me. It would have been lovely to be married to the right man for me—one who would have been as supportive and proud of me as I would have been of him.

Constantly pushing myself to succeed. I found myself in situations where I was financially responsible for my sons, their education, and my own needs. But I did it. My dad’s voice was in my head. “Never be a quitter.”

I’ve hardly ever told anyone about the time I was asked to run for Congress in NYC—a “no” I have regretted.

 Wow, my dad would have been thrilled.

~~~~~

About Author Marcia Rosen:

.

Marcia Rosen is an award-winning author of twelve books including nine mysteries, the most recent is An Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock, and Me Mystery: Murder at the Zoo. She is also the author of The Senior Sleuths, the Dying to Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (Menus by her son Jory Rosen). She wrote The Woman’s Business Therapist and My Memoir Workbook and has given Memoir Writing presentations and classes for close to twenty years. Her Memoir Blog can be found on her website. For twenty-five years she was owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency.

 

Marcia has frequently been a featured speaker at organization meetings, bookstores, libraries, and Zoom Programs presenting talks on Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…Not A Mystery and A Memoir Detective…Writing Your Life Story. She has also helped numerous writers develop and market their books.

 

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Southwest Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Public Safety Writer’s Association, International Memoir Writer’s Association, Women’s National book Association and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors—for which she is also a board member.

Website

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Comments
  1. Mary Preston says:

    A fascinating insight with this read.

  2. Thank you so much for featuring MY GANGSTER FATHER AND ME! today.

  3. marcymeyer says:

    This sounds like a really interesting story.

  4. Anne says:

    A captivating and unforgettable memoir which interests me greatly. Brave, smart and creative. What a a talented woman and author. Thanks for this fabulous feature and giveaway.

  5. Rita Wray says:

    Souds like a good book.

  6. Deborah Wellenstein says:

    This sounds very interesting. Thanks for the giveaway!

  7. mglendarosen says:

    I loved writing the story of my Dad and Me, it was his love for his family that gave us courage and hope. Thank you all for lovely comments, Marcia

  8. paige chandler says:

    Really enjoyed the Peak Inside. Good work.

  9. lisasvance says:

    This sounds like an interesting read.

  10. allibrarycefdb51301 says:

    When you were a child, what genres did you read?

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

  11. Ann Fantom says:

    This sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.

  12. Wendy Hutton says:

    sounds like an interesting book

  13. Denise Duvall says:

    What an interesting life the author has led! Sounds like a fascinating read!

  14. mglendarosen says:

    Thanks everyone for nice comments, Marcia

  15. Sherry says:

    Sounds like a good read.

  16. David Hollingsworth says:

    Sounds like a great book.

  17. Hope it does well!

  18. Cynthia Conley says:

    The synopsis is interesting. Thank you for sharing it.

  19. lisasvance says:

    Great synopsis. Thanks for sharing.

  20. Wendy Hutton says:

    when did you start writing

  21. Nancy P says:

    Congratulations on your book.

  22. lisasvance says:

    How many books have your written in total?

  23. David Hollingsworth says:

    What do you like/dislike about Summer?

  24. Wendy Hutton says:

    this sounds pretty interesting

  25. Deborah Wellenstein says:

    Have a super weekend.

  26. jalapenomamamn says:

    I enjoyed reading this well done excerpt.
    Thank you for sharing it.
    Barbara Montag

  27. David Hollingsworth says:

    Hope you have a good end of the weekend.

  28. lisasvance says:

    Sounds like a super interesting story.

  29. jalapenomamamn says:

    Have you ever started a book that you decided not to finish?
    Barbara Montag

  30. Wendy Hutton says:

    ar eyou a full time writer or do you have a day job

  31. jalapenomamamn says:

    What inspired you to write this book?
    Barbara Montag

  32. Wendy Hutton says:

    congrats on the release

  33. Deborah Wellenstein says:

    I hope you have a good week.

  34. lisasvance says:

    Love the cover art.

  35. Julia Wilkie says:

    The book sound intriguing.

  36. David Hollingsworth says:

    How’s your season going so far?

  37. lisasvance says:

    Sounds super interesting!

  38. Wendy Hutton says:

    what is your favorite type of book to read

  39. Deborah Wellenstein says:

    I hope you are having a wonderful day.

  40. susan12151962 says:

    This sounds like an interesting book.

  41. jalapenomamamn says:

    How do you come up with names for the characters?
    Barbara Montag

  42. David Hollingsworth says:

    Do you prefer comedy or drama?

  43. Deborah Wellenstein says:

    Happy Wednesday!

  44. Wendy Hutton says:

    who is your inspiration

  45. lisasvance says:

    Happy Thursday

  46. Wendy Hutton says:

    how long have you been writitn

  47. Deborah Wellenstein says:

    Have a wonderful Thursday!

  48. lisasvance says:

    Do you write as your primary gig or have another job?

  49. David Hollingsworth says:

    This book sounds like brilliant.

  50. jalapenomamamn says:

    What part of the book was the most fun to write?
    Barbara Montag

  51. lisasvance says:

    Do you have any further writing plans?

  52. Wendy Hutton says:

    HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKENd

  53. David Hollingsworth says:

    Hope your week was okay.

  54. Wendy Hutton says:

    hows the weather where you live, been pretty cool here

  55. Deborah Wellenstein says:

    Enjoy your weekend.

  56. lisasvance says:

    What was the hardest part of the book to write? Most fun?

  57. Nancy P says:

    Hope you’re enjoying your book tour.

  58. jalapenomamamn says:

    Did you have any writing education?

  59. David Hollingsworth says:

    This looks like a really intriguing book!

  60. jalapenomamamn says:

    Does writing energize or exhaust you?
    Barbara Montag

  61. Wendy Hutton says:

    hope you are enjoying Fathers day

  62. lisasvance says:

    Happy Father’s Day

  63. Deborah Wellenstein says:

    I hope your Sunday was great.

  64. lisasvance says:

    Love the use of your photos on the cover.

  65. Wendy Hutton says:

    do you use the same cover designer each book

  66. Deborah Wellenstein says:

    Enjoy your Monday!

  67. jalapenomamamn says:

    Did you ever write a book that made you cry?
    Barbara Montag

  68. lisasvance says:

    This sounds like a fascinating story

  69. David Hollingsworth says:

    Do you get stressed?

  70. jalapenomamamn says:

    What advice do you have for writers?
    Barbara Montag

  71. Wendy Hutton says:

    does it take a lot of research for a book

  72. Deborah Wellenstein says:

    Have a super Tuesday!

  73. lisasvance says:

    Hope you have a super Hump Day

  74. jalapenomamamn says:

    Do you have a favorite author or genre?
    Barbara Montag

  75. Wendy Hutton says:

    have a wonderful day

  76. Carolyn D says:

    Never live up to anyone’s expectations but your own. I do not blame you for wanting to live a life that was beyond ordinary. Your memoir sounds intriguing.

  77. David Hollingsworth says:

    I hope life is treating you well.

  78. lisasvance says:

    Your story sounds very interesting.

  79. Wendy Hutton says:

    happy writing

  80. Daniel M says:

    looks like a fun one

  81. rustysr says:

    Wow – can I ever relate to this book!

  82. jalapenomamamn says:

    How many hours a day do you write?
    Barbara Montag

  83. Wendy Hutton says:

    thanks again for the giveaway, best wishes with the book

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