Media
TV/Radio/Online Magazine/Press
- WHCP Radio, "Shore Writers," Emily Rich interview, 3 February 2025
- WBAL Radio, Jayne Miller interview, 20 April 2024: Listen here (begin at 15:20-26:15)
- WMAR TV interview, "Midday Maryland," 15 February 2024: Watch here
- Author Interview. WE Magazine for Women, 11 July 2024: Read here
- "Rising Star" VoyageBaltimore Magazine, 11 March 2024: Read here
- An Eye for Art. "Meet Westminster Author Jean Burgess" Baltimore Sun, 18 Aug 2024 www.baltimoresun.com
- "Author crafts novel from life experiences." Beacon Journal (Baltimore), June 2024, p. 19, 21: Read here
Podcasts
- Tiny & Big Sparks of Creativity, akaRadioRed, 14 April 2025: Listen Here
- A Book Finds You, Rob Jolles, 28 February 2025: Listen Here
- Writing and Editing, Jennia D:Lima, 6 June 2024: Listen Here
- Briggs on Books, Mike Briggs, 29 May 2024: Watch here (available until 2 July 2024)
- Going North, Dominique Brightmon, 27 May 2024: Watch here
- Fractured Not Broken, Coach Reggie Smith, 17 May 2024: Watch here
Blogs
- Books By My Friends, Joy E. Held, 30 May 2024: Read here
- Books and Bevies with Kerry Fryar Freeman, 10 May 2024: Read here
- Lisa Haselton's Book Reviews & Interviews, 9 April 2024: Read here
- The Indy Author, 10 March 2024: Read here
- AuthorsPublish Magazine, 27 July 2023, Issue 530: Read here
- Elizabeth Holland, 14 December 2022: Read here
- Fine Arts Association Spotlight: Jean Burgess, December 2021: Read here
Press Releases
- "Maryland Writer Secures Publishing Contract for 2nd Fiction," Patch.com, 21 April 2025: Read here
- The Frederick News Post, "Get your reading and writing on: September literary happenings," 2 September 2024: Read here
- The Chestertown Spy, "Bookplate Author Jean Burgess' 'That Summer She Found Her Voice: A Retro Novel'," 18 August 2024: Read here
- The News-Herald, "Author Jean Burgess returns home to discuss new novel...," 26 May 2024: Read here
- "Maryland Author Jean Burgess' Debut Novel Now Available" Patch.com, 8 May 2024: Read here
Media Kit for Author Talks, Presentations & Publicity
Contact Info:
Jean Burgess
Email: jean@jeanburgessauthor.com
Website: https://www.jeanburgessauthor.com
Social Media:
Professional Organizations: Maryland Writers' Association; National Women's Book Association: Eastern Shore Writers' Association, Authors Guild
Book Available at Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retail outlets
Book Description for That Summer She Found Her Voice: A Retro Novel
Genre: Coming of Age/ 20th Century Historical/Women's Fiction
BISAC Categories: Fiction Women FIC044000; Fiction/Performing Arts/Music FIC133030; Fiction/Historical/20thCentury/General FIC014080
Blurb:
Set against a backdrop of the 1970's music scene, That Summer She Found Her Voice: A Retro Novel tells the story of 23-year-old Margie Stevens as she pulls herself out of a spiraling, heartbreak-induced depression and begins a personal journey of discovery.
Clarifying her own views on emerging feminism, social injustice, and personal spirituality - all while touring across the country as a singer in King Vido's Swing Band - Margie encounters sexist and moral challenges that cause her to question her future path.
Will Margie find the clarity to break away from her parent's set of values and determine her own path?
Will she find the courage to conquer fears of intimidation from the band leader and others on the tour?
And finally, will she learn to speak up for herself and discover her authentic voice?
Presentation Topics:
- The Inspiration, the Writing Process, and the Road to Indie Publishing
- The Road to Traditional Fiction and Nonfiction Publishing: One Author's Journey
- Historical Research Strategies in Writing Fiction
- Baltimore Music Scene in the Late 1970s
- The Search for Authentic Voice: 1970s and today
Additional Topics:
- You've Published Your Book, Now What? Creative & Practical Approaches to Direct Marketing"
- Take Your Author Reading from Drab to Dynamic: Tips & Practices to Improve Your Presentation
- Five Theatre Techniques That May Enhance Your Fiction Writing
- Turning Your Writing Into A Play: The Essentials You Need to Know
Target Audiences:
- Women or men who may be struggling to speak up for themselves and searching for their authentic voice.
- Any reader, young or young-at-heart, who enjoys the imagery-filled nostalgia of stories set in the 1970s.
- Readers who love a behind-the-scenes peek into the world of a performing band that tours across the United States. (Think Daisy Jones and the Six or the Tom Hank's film That Thing You Do.)
- Book clubs searching for books that will stimulate group conversations about personal values, social injustice, and spiritual beliefs.(Note: This book contains "Topics for Discussion." As a bonus, book clubs interested in receiving a FREE digital packet of Book Club Activities as well as book-related trivia can email me at jean@jeanburgessauthor.com.)
- Women who may have experienced sexual assault and understand suppressing the experience.
Trade Reviews/Advance Praise/and Honors:
**Recognized as a Top Notable Title in 2024 Fiction by Shelf Unbound**
"...a memorable saga of self-discovery, social transformation, and career-changing paradigms..."
Jean Burgess creates a memorable saga of self-discovery, social transformation, and career-changing paradigms in That Summer She
Found Her Voice. These explore more than one girl's evolutionary process, but also the changes buffeting America.
– D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
"...a raw and unvarnished portrait of friendships, dreams, heartbreak, and growth..."
A raw and unvarnished portrait of friendships, dreams, heartbreak, and growth. A nostalgic dance through the 1970s Mid-Atlantic region that will bring back so many memories of forgotten places and hidden treasures!"
- Kate Danley, USA Today Bestselling Author, Maggie MacKay: Maggie Tracker Series
"...meticulous attention to historical detail captures the flavor of the 70s..."
Not all young women were bra-burning feminists in the 70s, including Margie, the protagonist of That Summer She Found Her Voice. Margie's passage from a naïve recent college graduate to a woman who lives her values poignantly reflects the path of so many young women who came of age in the wake of the Second Wave of feminism. While traveling cross-country as a vocalist in a swing band, Margie also takes an inward journey, leading her to a place where she no longer defines her self-worth by her relationship with a man—be it her father, her boyfriend, or her boss. Burgess's meticulous attention to historical detail captures the flavor of the 70s, enhancing her engaging plot and compassionate characterization in a way that sheds light on the trajectory of feminism's influence on American pop culture.
- Barbara Van Aken, Ph.D. Department of English, Case Western Reserve University
"...a well-written and engaging story..."
Being from a family of Maryland musicians, I found Jean Burgess' novel a well-written and engaging story of living with a band on the road. The protagonist is Margie, a young woman beginning her career as a musician and thrilled at the opportunity of playing with a traveling band. Her experiences and the characters she meets ring true.
- Eileen Haavik McIntire, author of the 90s Club Cozy Mysteries
"...a passionate first-person account..."
That Summer She Found Her Voice is the story of a young woman, Margie, who finds her way out of a depression caused by a failed romantic relationship by touring the US as a singer with King Vido's Swing Band in the late 1970s. Burgess has curated a passionate first-person account of self-discovery. As an experienced theatrical director and playwright, she knows how to create sympathetic characters and compelling plots, using her considerable talent and craftsmanship to tell this story.
- Ira Domser, Professor Emeritus Dramatic Arts, McDaniel College
Author Bio (short):
Jean Burgess is an author, editor, playwright, and former theatre educator. She writes both nonfiction and fiction, enjoys presenting writing workshops and presentations, and volunteers as a facilitator with a local Teen Writing Club. Jean holds a Masters in Theatre from Northwestern University and Ph.D. in Educational Theatre from New York University.
Author Bio (long):
For over 40 years, Jean Burgess has told stories on stage as a theater director and actor. Her debut fiction, That Summer She Found Her Voice: A Retro Novel, was published in April 2024 by Apprentice House Press. The book has received 2024 Top Notable Title recognition by Shelf Unbound. Her contest-winning play, "Deleted," as well as two other short plays, is published in her book, Collaborative Stage Directing: A Guide to Creating and Managing a Positive Theatre Environment (Routledge/Taylor & Francis, 2019.) She presents writing workshops, freelances as an editor, and is available as a speaker on a variety of book and writing topics. Jean holds a Masters in Theatre from Northwestern University and Ph.D. in Educational Theatre from New York University. Her professional memberships include The Authors Guild, Eastern Shore Writers' Association, and Maryland Writers' Association, for which she volunteers as a Teen Writing Club advisor.
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