Grandma C's BlogGMAS Blog

Grandma Carole's
French
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Grandma Carole

Hi, I'm Carole Carson. I moved to France at 80 to re-invent myself once again—and to write novels!

Over the decades, I've played many roles: wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, educator, entrepreneur, community organizer, and survivor. But I’ve always been a writer.

I've published over 800 articles between the Nevada Union newspaper, AARP, and other websites and written two non- fiction books.

At GMASBlog, you'll find posts on whatever catches my interest and content about my four-book fiction series, starting with Blackbird.

The second novel in the quartet (My Mother’s Daughter), third (The Perfect Mother) and fourth (The First and Last Lesson) will be published later in 2023 and represent my vitae opus.

Blackbird Series: Reviews & Trailers

I began writing Blackbird in 1966, the first in a four-book fictionalized memoir chronicling the life of Jane Bertram. Love, loss, abuse, abandonment, hope, seduction and despair give color and texture to her story. Telling Jane’s story made me richer, freer, happier and more loving. May readers receive the same blessings. Additionally, book two My Mother Daughter is now out.

Book One: Blackbird

Leslie Kathleen HankinsProfessor and Chair, Department of English and Creative Writing, Cornell College
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“Powerful. Compelling. Honest. Searing. I read Blackbird nonstop. I could not put the book down. In stark times, we need stories of earned triumph—and Carole Carson has delivered one. Blackbird is a must-read.”
Ayumi Moore AokiFounder and CEO, Women in Tech
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“Blackbird is the story of a bright girl abused by a toxic mother, making a lie of the myth that all mothers are loving. Jane finds an escape through education on her journey to heal and break the cycle of violence. But her raw experiences along the way reveal the high price women pay for being held back. I look forward to Carole’s next book.”
Jan BorgmanFounder of Literary Miners Book Club
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“Once I started reading, Blackbird was hard to put down—I was eager to find out what happened next to this gifted girl determined to escape the dysfunction of her family for a better life.”
G. RileyArtist
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“Reading Blackbird was a wow experience. The abundance of descriptive yet succinct dialogue sometimes felt like a play, so I could pretend no one would have to endure such a negative upbringing. All the way to the end I worried Jane’s indomitable spirit might falter, yet somehow this young girl grew up not only gaining freedom of personal choice but evolving an ability to value living, love learning, respect decency, and objectively understand others.”
Debra WagnerRetired Director of Business Development, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital
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“Blackbird grabs your attention in the first chapter. You eagerly read to see how Jane will survive her tragic childhood. Her story inspires others to never give up! An amazing accomplishment.”
Susan Bridgit CooperLife Coach
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“In her new novel, Carole Carson tells a riveting tale of pain and transformation. Once I started reading it, I didn’t want to put it down. It is both heartbreaking and inspirational! I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series.”
Kathy TrioloNevada County Camera Club
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“Carole Carson has written a compelling story with a woman’s voice of endurance, survivorship, perseverance amidst overwhelming neglect, and raw emotional-tsunami events."
Rev. W. Thomas ClarkRetired United Methodist pastor
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“A riveting novel that reveals the spirit of a human being who is able to overcome devastating traumatic experiences and find fulfillment in life. It reflects ultimate hope when one is able to grasp the possibilities life offers.”
JoelAnn FooteRetired manager, agriculture business
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“This is a disturbing story, yet I could not put the book down. At first, the display of unjust brutality made it hard to read, but ultimately empathy and understanding set in. The story, laced with relationships, gives hope that despite grim circumstances, one can still realize success—and hopefully happiness.”
Rhonda Cundy
Rhonda CundyProfessional singer, stage director, and retired university professor
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“Carole Carson’s writing is transformative art—a brave and well-crafted testament to artistic expression that both helps sustain health and surely heals!”
Helen HansenVice President, Hansen Bros. Enterprises
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“Blackbird demonstrates that it doesn’t matter where you come from. Jane Bertram rises above her circumstances and makes her own path with hard work. And yes, even when she misses a few steps along the way, you are confident she will still achieve her dreams.”
Dr. Linda Pitcherformer Assistant Superintendent, Northville Public Schools
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“I found reassurance and certainty in Blackbird—an unwavering conviction that our lives have meaning.”
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Book Two--My Mother's Daughter

Leslie Kathleen HankinsProfessor and Chair, Department of English and Creative Writing, Cornell College
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“Caught in a strange dynamic of both arguing with her abusive mother and becoming a version of her, Jane must dive deep and wrestle through the hot messes she all too often makes.”
Debbie Wagner, retired Director of Business DevelopmentDignity Health
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“Trying to change her family trajectory and escape a dead-end childhood, Jane is forced to strike out on her own. She makes costly mistakes, but her resilience, perseverance, and determination to build a better life sustain her. You will be reminded that new beginnings and redemption are always possible.”
Linda Krause
Linda Krauseretired educator
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“Jane shows us what is possible when one is willing to take charge of one’s life. The Jane Bertram who speaks at the conclusion of this book is not recognizable as the woman I met at the start. Her harrowing experiences helped her become her own person.”
Dr. Linda Pitcher
Dr. Linda Pitcherformer Assistant Superintendent, Northville Public Schools
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“Jane starts a new life in Chicago. But although she leaves her mother behind in Iowa, she can’t escape her mother’s voice—it is lodged in her head. I’m looking forward to reading the next book to see if she becomes the person she wants to be.”
Elisa Parker,
Elisa Parker,Equal Future, Fund for Women’s Equality
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“It became clear Jane is a hostage to forces she does not understand, as her life and mistakes eerily echo those of her mother, despite her best efforts to the contrary.”
Julie Marlay
Julie Marlayretired Industrial Engineer, John Deere
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“Jane is learning to live without her mother’s direct influence. However, she continually fights the negative thoughts of self that her mother instilled. A fascinating tale of working against the defeatist view she learned while fighting to become her own woman.”
Ernie Norris
Ernie Norrisretired businessman
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“As she continues grappling with the emotional scars her horrific childhood experiences created, Jane struggles to perceive the differences between loving, being loved, and making love. She is unwilling to be a victim and won’t give in to the many challenges she encounters.”
Karen Uglem
Karen Uglemwife, mother, and retired schoolteacher
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“Jane is ready to leave her past behind, but her mother’s voice keeps haunting her. One passage that struck a chord for me was when Jane had to tie her own knots for ziplining, emphasizing the point that our lives are in our own hands—food for thought!”
Annette Domgaard
Annette Domgaardetired insurance secretary
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“Jane struggles to overcome her abusive past and avoid becoming like her mother. She begins to understand herself and her mother when she is forced to confront the messes she makes resulting from her poor life decisions. I am rooting for her.”
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Hi, this is Carole again. Can I ask you a favor?

People who've read my first novel, Blackbird, have said they couldn't put it down.

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