Welcome back to the Extra Edition newsletter! I’m excited to bring you bonus content each month with a special inside look at my novels and the history behind them.
What’s in this Edition:
Sing it Loud – Book-Inspired Playlists on Spotify
Is that my Samovar? – Adventures in Thrift Store Shopping
What would you like to see next? – Share your thoughts!
Sing It Loud
Do you enjoy listening to music? How about playlists inspired by your favorite books? I recently joined Spotify (yes, I know I’m behind with the times) and have added playlists for each of my 7 published novels and my work in progress. These are the songs I feel fit the mood of the story or brought me inspiration while writing different scenes. Most of them are Christian-based and would also make for good praylists. In the future, I also plan to move several of my personal playlists over and create new ones to share. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, I invite you to follow me and share your favorite playlists, too.
Legal Disclaimer: Please note that none of the music artists or their production companies have endorsed my books or paid me to promote their songs.
Is That My Samovar?
Last week, my kids and I went thrift store shopping. Originally intending to find some clothes, we came across a very different, yet spectacular find – a samovar. What the heck is a samovar, you ask? It’s a metal urn, used by Russians for heating water and making tea. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, its origins are in the 1830s.
So, why were we so excited to find one? Why not just buy a teapot? A few years ago, my children’s school put on a performance of Baba Yaga, based on the Russian fairy tale of a witch who lives in a house with chicken feet and kidnaps and eats little children. Happy stuff, right? Well, their version was surprisingly comical and involved one line where Baba Yaga asks, “Is that my samovar?” Not only did this provide an occasion to learn a new word, but became an inside joke in our house. The kids spent their own $10 to purchase their new treasure.
For health reasons, we’re not going to actually drink out of it, but it goes nicely with our other antique china, such as the teacup and saucer in the photo above. Those are my great-grandparents’ from Czechoslovakia, which was as close as I had to Russia.
What would you like to see next?
In June, I concluded my series on social media discoveries. Due to the positive feedback received, I would like to continue offering serialized (3-6 month) newsletter articles on topics of interest. At this time, I am planning to include these articles within the Extra Edition newsletter, rather than the main monthly newsletter, and would love to hear your feedback. I’ve included several suggested topics in the form below, along with an area to write in your own ideas. All responses are anonymous. Thank you in advance!
Let me know what you’d like to see next.
Until next month, happy reading!
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Kelsey
Purchase signed copies of my books: kelseygietl.com
Due to variability in social media algorithms, the best way to receive this newsletter is through e-mail. If you were directed to this site via social media or a search engine, you can subscribe to updates by entering your e-mail on the Contact page. E-mail addresses are never sold or distributed. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Follow me on:
COPYRIGHT © KELSEY GIETL 2024
Purple Mask Publishing
2025 Zumbehl Rd, Ste. 33
St. Charles, MO 63303
