Thursday, November 5, 2020

You Will Have a Black Labrador: Guest Post

 


GENRE: Nonfiction, creative nonfiction, essays, short stories

 

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BLURB:

Love, memories, family, enduring friendships, cooking, movies, dogs, travels, hairstyles, and saying Yes to many No’s in a witty, yet often sentimental, journey of self-discovery… 

 

You Will Have a Black Labrador is a collection of semi-autobiographical essays forming a narrative about a modern Georgian woman. Her stories range from the search for a perfect romantic partner to exploring food as an integral part of the Georgian culture. Many of the vignettes center on childhood memories or weird family traditions, such as the way family members stay connected no matter if they’re deceased or alive. One essay reveals how making a simple omelette can change your life; and that No can be the most powerful word in any language. She shows us, too, that a haircut can be a tribute to the movies you love as well as a path to your freedom; and how owning a dog always brings unexpected experiences. In this poignantly humourous collection, reality mixes and interferes with an imaginative world in so many surprising ways. 

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Excerpt 

For my first-ever cooking fiasco, I blame my brother and the day he asked me to make two boiled eggs. I threw myself into the task unaware of the consequences it would have on my life.

‘Don’t forget to salt them, okay?’ he told me nonchalantly, and that detail of adding salt completely ruined my teenager years. The dish I prepared after an hour of struggle resembled boiled eggs like a giraffe resembles a cat. I had no idea how to boil and salt the eggs simultaneously, so I decided to simply smash them into the hot water. By the end of my first-ever culinary attempt, we had no more eggs in the house and I had to clean every surface in our kitchen, accompanied by my brother’s hysterical laughter.

This story became an anecdote. My family members would tell it over and over to their friends and to friends of friends. It mercilessly followed me everywhere I went, and resurfaced when I least expected it. Two boiled eggs—the embarrassment of my life.

That’s why, from the age of eleven or twelve, I was willing to have a go at any new challenge except, well, cooking. But—I have to add a huge but here—in my family, cooking and serving a meal always was, and still is, quintessential. The most important question you’d hear at our house is either ‘Are you hungry?’ or ‘Have you eaten?’ presuming that as long as you were not hungry, everything else was secondary.



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

"You Will Have a Black Labrador" is Nino Gugunishvili’s recently released collection of short essays.  She is also the author of a women’s fiction novel, Friday Evening, Eight O’Clock, published in English and Russian. She resides in Tbilisi, Georgia.

 

https://www.amazon.com/You-Will-Have-Black-Labrador/dp/1709596066

 

Twitter: @NinoGuguni

Instagram: ngugunishvili

Facebook Author page: Nino Gugunishvili

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14276355.Nino_Gugunishvili

 

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 Several Reasons You Should Read My Book

 

Reason #1

Have anyone ever honestly told you the story of their epic culinary fails? No?  Well, let it be me! I can guarantee that after reading this book, you'll at least know how not to prepare an Omelette.

 

Reason# 2

Are you a hopeless romantic? There's a story for you, too, that'll make you want to get a ticket and run in search of your future romantic partner.

 

Reason #3

 Do you like dogs?

There are two stories about two adorable dogs! Spoiler alert: one is very sad and a little funny. .. Maybe you should first get a dog and read this book afterward? I think it's negotiable….

 

Reason #4 

What about family photo albums? Old Polaroids? Missing your childhood? Your memories, your family? Does any of these words make you teary-eyed or sentimental?  Then, this book is for you!

 

Reason #5

It's short and funny (mostly), just like life. 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Nino Gugunishvili will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 



4 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting me on your lovely blog! I'm truly delighted to be here!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I enjoyed the excerpt and the 10 reasons certainly convinced me! Thanks for sharing with me!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the cover and the excerpt.

    ReplyDelete

I try to get comments published as quickly as possible. I don't always reply to comments on my blog, but I do try to visit as many people as possible when I participate in blog hops and I share links where possible to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and such so others can discover your work. I do read and appreciate your comments.