Tag: Rina Neiman

Blog Tour: Born Under Fire

Today I am part of the blog tour for Born Under Fire by Rina Z. Neiman.  Today she shares a guest post about how to make stories interactive. This is a must-read for all the writers out there!

This blog tour is brought to you by WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR.

Book Description:

Born Under Fire is a historical novel that tells the story of a girl coming of age and her drive to excel despite the devastating effects of long-term war. Born in Jerusalem under British rule in 1928, Shula grows up in a world in turmoil as Hitler rises to power and nations enter into war. Amid a landscape of ancient stone ruins next to modern Bauhaus architecture, and desert scrub ending at newly verdant farmlands, Shula grows into her independence as the State of Israel is born. Based on historical documents and events, Born Under Fire is also about the context surrounding the founding of the State of Israel, as well as the horrors and dangers of growing up in a conflict zone. Shula battles grief and depression due to the shattering events affecting her, her family, and the entire world. Despite this struggle, her resilient spirit enables her to reach great heights as a concert pianist..

Print Length: 258 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN-13: 978-1986349147
ISBN-10: 1986349144

Born Under Fire is now available to purchase on AmazonBarnes and Noble, and Thrift Books.


During the last draft stages of my novel, Born Under Fire, a friend of mine mused that it would be nice to hear some of the music mentioned in my book, since music plays a big role in the story. She mentioned a photography book that had a companion app. When you held your phone up to the icon in the book, a video about the subject played.

That got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be cool if I wrote:

Shula takes a breath and blows out the first few measures of the song Havah Nagila on her recorder.

And you can hear the sound of a recorder playing Havah Nagila. I searched YouTube and immediately found a video of Havah Nagila on the recorder.

Creating an app on my self-published book budget was not an option, but using QR codes was.

What’s a QR code?

A QR code is one of those ugly black and white bar code squares you see on bus stop posters and in museum exhibits that say SCAN ME!

What’s bad about a QR code, is it’s kind of ugly. What’s great about a QR code, is when scanned using a QR code reader app on a smart phone, it will take the user directly to a website. There are many free QR code generators online. Plug in the URL you want to link to and the generator makes your unique QR code. Download the QR code and insert into manuscript!

I made a list of all the music and historical events that I’d want to attach an audio or video cue to, and searched. In the end, I came up with a list of 25 videos that I linked to via QR codes.

But how to insert them? I didn’t want them to be intrusive to the reader. In the end, I decided to use the footnote approach, that way if someone wanted to ignore them, they could. And if someone was interested in hearing the whole speech that David Ben-Gurion gave on May 14, 1948, then they could delve deeper into the material online.

You can describe the sound of the oud, but hearing it adds to the experience.

For a list of the QR code links in Born Under Fire, click here.


About the Author:

Rina Z. Neiman is a writer, event producer and public relations professional. Born Under Fire is based on the true story of her mother, Shulamit Dubno Neiman, a Sabra, a musician and one of the first generation of modern-day Israelis. Rina lives in Marin County, California with her husband and son. This is her first novel.

You may find out more about the author and her book by visiting the website https://www.bornunderfire.com/. Also, you may find her on FacebookTwitter and Instagram


Praise for Born Under Fire

“I went to high school in Israel in the late 50’s and heard many personal stories about the early years and the struggle for independence. Your book makes these years really come alive. Also, most of my relatives’ tales were set in Kibbutzim and rural Palestine. Your book describes life in Tel Aviv as just as heroic. Lastly, I share your mother’s love for Yemenite embroidery and am happy that your book calls attention to this beautiful art form.”

Vita Hollander

“This lovely coming of age story provides a view into the challenges, conflicts and dilemmas facing the European Jews fleeing Hitler’s reach and trying to make Palestine their home. It pulls no punches and honestly acknowledges the dilemmas posed by the creation of this new country, but as it tells the story from the eyes of a young girl, we see those intricacies as she would have seen them, allowing the reader an understanding not only of historical events that readers may not be aware of (the proposed partition, the ethical dilemma posed by Jewish terrorist groups, etc.) but also of the emotional journey of these refugees and their children. This story is an important reminder of the effects of war and provides a critical piece of history necessary for understanding the world today.”

Nima M. Vincent via Amazon.com, 5 out of 5 star review

This story drew me in from the very first page. The vivid descriptions of smell, sights and taste, longing, disappointment and joy, evoked real emotion and made me wish I were sitting at the kitchen table with Shula and her aunts. I appreciated the many history lessons tucked into the adventures, and was relieved to discover details about this time period without being burdened by the author’s politics.”

Lisa Fliegel via Amazon.com, 5 out of 5 star review


You can find the whole blog tour here:

May 20th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin! So, grab your coffee and join us today as we celebrate the launch of Rina Z. Neiman’s book Born Under Fire. Read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book. http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

May 21st @ Karen Brown Tyson Blog
Make sure you stop by Karen’s blog today where you can read Rina Z. Neiman’s guest post about how to manage time and distractions during the book writing process. If you are writing a book – or thinking about writing one – this one is a post you don’t want to miss!
https://karenbrowntyson.com/blog/

May 22nd @ Coffee with Lacey
Grab some coffee and visit Lacey’s blog today where you can read her review about Rina Z. Neiman’s book Born Under Fire. https://coffeewithlacey.com/

May 23rd @ Coffee with Lacey
Stop by Lacey’s blog again where you can read the author Rina Z. Neiman’s guest post about why researching primary sources is so effective. https://coffeewithlacey.com/

May 23rd @ Bri’s Book Nook
Looking for a new book? Make sure to stop by Bri’s Book Nook and find out why you need to add Rina Z. Neiman’s book Born Under Fire to your reading list. https://brisbooknook.com/

May 24th @ One Sister’s Journey
Today is a can’t miss review by Lisa over at One Sister’s Journey blog. She’s sharing her thoughts about Rina Z. Neiman’s historical fiction book Born Under Fire.  https://www.lisambuske.com/

May 26th @ Reading Whale
You won’t want to miss today’s stop at the blog Reading Whale where you can read this Rina Z. Neiman’s guest post about when you can finally start writing your book after all that research. https://readingwhale.com/

May 27th @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf
Fill your bookshelf with good books! Stop by Veronica’s blog and read author Rina Z. Neiman’s guest post about writing biographical fiction and when to dramatize real events. https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/

May 28th @ Helen Hollick’s World of Books
Join Helen Hollick’s Tuesday Talk over at her blog and read Rina Z. Neiman’s guest post about how videos can reinforce your historical novel. https://www.helenhollick.net/

May 28th @ Book Collab Blog
Make sure you stop by Morgan’s blog Book Collab where you can find out what she has to say about Rina Z. Neiman’s historical fiction book Born Under Fire. https://morganbray15.wixsite.com/mysite

May 29th @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog
If you love historical fiction, make sure you visit Anthony Avina’s blog today where he features author Rina Z. Neiman’s blog post about how she researched her historical fiction novel Born Under Fire. You won’t want to miss this https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

May 31st @ Jess Reading Blog
Are you interested in writing history for young adults? If you are, you will absolutely want to visit Jess’ blog today where author Rina Z. Neiman talks about writing history for young adults and what grabs them and what loses them. https://jessbookishlife.wordpress.com/

June 1st @ The World of My Imagination
Come by Nicole’s blog today where you can read her review of Rina Z. Neiman’s book Born Under Fire and enter to win a copy of the book. http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com

June 2nd @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog
Can’t resist a good book? Visit author Anthony Avina’s blog today when he reviews Rina Z. Neiman’s incredible historical fiction book Born Under Fire. https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

June 3rd @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog
Looking for your next great read? Make sure you stop by Bev’s blog today and catch her opinion on this fascinating historical fiction novel Born Under Fire. https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

June 4th @ Amanda Diaries
Today’s stop is at Amanda’s blog where you can read what she thinks about Rina Z. Neiman’s historical fiction book Born Under Fire. https://amandalsanders1989.wordpress.com/

June 5th @ The Frugalista Mom
Visit Rozelyn’s blog today where you can not only read her review of Born Under Fire but also enter to win a copy of the book! https://thefrugalistamom.com/

June 7th @ Bookworm Blog
Feeling bookish today? Make sure you stop by Anjanette’s Bookworm blog where you can read her thoughts about Rina Z. Neiman’s powerful historical fiction book Born Under Fire plus read an interview with the author. https://bookworm66.wordpress.com/

June 8th @ Jessica’s Reading Room
Today’s tour stop is a fantastic guest post written by author Rina Z. Neiman about how to make stories interactive. A must-read for all the writers out there! http://jessicasreadingroom.com/

June 9th @ Jess Bookish Life
Need a new book in your life? Stop by Jess’ blog today where she shares her opinion about the historical fiction book Born Under Fire. https://jessbookishlife.wordpress.com/

June 10th @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog
Are you doing research for your novel? Make sure you visit Bev’s blog today where author Rina Z. Neiman is talking about top 5 ways to research secondary sources. https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

June 12th @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog
Get to know author Rina Z. Neiman at today’s stop over at author Anthony Avina’s blog where he interviews the author. https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

June 14th @ Bookworm Blog
Visit Anjanette’s blog today and read a guest post by the author who talks about making your story interactive and why adding music is so effective. https://bookworm66.wordpress.com/

June 15th @ Strength 4 Spouses
Visit Wendi’s blog at Strength 4 Spouses where you can read Rina Z. Neiman’s guest post about the importance of writing during deployment. https://strength4spouses.blog/

June 17th @ 12 Books
Visit Louise’s blog over at 12 Books and find out her thoughts about Rina Z. Neiman’s book Born Under Fire. http://www.12books.co.uk/

June 21st @ Choices Blog
Interviewing someone for your book? Make sure you visit Madeline Sharples’ blog today where Rina Z. Neiman talks about how to conduct interviews with people who are (and who are not) willing to talk with you. http://madelinesharples.com/

June 23rd @ Strength 4 Spouses Blog
Need a new book? Make sure you stop by Wendi’s blog where she reviews Born Under Fire by Rina Z. Neiman. https://strength4spouses.blog/