Author Sheyna Galyan will visit Scout & Morgan Books in Cambridge 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 14 for a signing of her new suspense novel “Strength to Stand.”
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The book is the second publication in the Rabbi David Cohen series. The first book, “Destined to Choose,” was a 2015 National Indie Excellence Award Finalist.
“Strength to Stand” was released Sept. 1 and continues the story of the rabbi, this time through the eyes of his female colleague Rabbi Batya Zahav. Set in Minneapolis, Zahav is the victim of an anti-Jewish stalker who is sending her anonymous threats. As the threats continue and become more violent, Zahav seeks the help of Cohen and her husband, Arik, an Israeli-born Minneapolis cop, before the chilling threats are carried out.
Galyan is from the San Francisco Bay area but has lived in Minnesota for nearly 23 years. She began writing stories when she was just 7 years old, inspired by the books she was enamored with at the time.
“In third grade, I was all about girl-horse stories, and I’d read all of the girl-horse books in the school and local libraries. I even read a bunch of boy-horse stories,” she said.
Galyan asked her teacher for a specific book she wanted to read, but she didn’t know the title or the author. Galyan’s teacher did not think such a book existed, so she suggested Galyan be the one to write it herself. Immediately, the thought that she could write stories that could be in a library for others to read astounded her, and she began her writing career. Image may be NSFW.
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Galyan has advanced degrees in psychology and education. She has worked as a counselor, consultant, lecturer, journalist and Jewish educator. She also writes short stories and is working on future novels in the Rabbi David Cohen series.
“I write by the seat of my pants. I let the story come to me, or more specifically, I let the characters tell their story. Often, it seems like I’m simply the conduit through which the characters share what they went through and how it changed them,” she said.
Galyan said her writing process usually begins with a piece of dialogue or situation and she allows the story to unfold from there. She said she is very connected with her characters and they often become very real to her. In the David Cohen series, she works from an actual calender, where she notes where plot points happen on what day as well as actual events happening in the Twin Cities and even the weather that day.
“I don’t know how the story will end until it does. Sometimes the identity of the bad guy, or his or her motivations, surprise me. Oftentimes, my characters make me laugh. Or weep,” she said.
Galyan revealed “Strength to Stand” was inspired by a question: “How much intolerance must we tolerate? And if the answer is ‘none,’ then isn’t that also intolerant?”
“On the surface that’s a very easy question to answer. But if you drill down deeper, it gets complex,” she said. “When someone hates you because of who you are, and then tries to act on that hatred by removing you from the world, at what point is the hater expressing his or her right to freedom of expression, and at what point does it cross into criminal behavior?”
Many of the stalker’s initial actions against Zahav are protected by the First Amendment, so she struggles with how to cope with them. When the identity of the stalker is revealed, Cohen must help protect his colleague’s life.
Galyan’s writing integrates some of the things she loves most: Judaism, teaching, community and family. She was inspired by Harry Kemelmann’s Rabbi Small series, where a rabbi solves a mystery for every day of the week.
“I read a lot, at least a book a week, and I’m in awe of the talent we have in Minnesota. Minnesota mystery-suspense-thriller authors have a special place in my heart,” she said.
Galyan plans to share funny stories about how she got into writing, researching for her books as well as the importance of diversity in fiction at her signing.
“I’m not entirely sure why, but some people are wary about reading a suspense novel with a rabbi protagonist, as if it’s only intended for Jewish audiences. I can tell you with complete authority that these books were written for readers of any or no faith, and they need not have any knowledge or understanding of Judaism to enjoy the books,” she said.
In her book, Galyan includes a glossary of Hebrew and Jewish terms for readers who are not familiar with the terminology. Galyan compares her Jewish protagonist to the large amount of other religious protagonists in suspense and thriller novels, though most of them are Christian.
“I’ve actually found that Christians particularly enjoy my books because they tell me it enhances their own faith. I would encourage readers to stretch a little out of their comfort zone, because they just might find some new fictional Jewish friends,” she said.
Galyan currently lives with her husband and two sons in the Twin Cities. She said her family is what keeps her going. She spends her free time volunteering with several different organizations, including her synagogue and sons’ school, and renovating her 97-year-old house. She also teaches informally.
“I am awed and humbled that readers love my books. A few have even said my words changed their lives. One woman said that after reading ‘Destined to Choose,’ she decided to give her spiritual life another chance, went back to church after a decades-long absence and wound up meeting the people who would become her closest friends. Words have power, and I am honored to have a job that allows me to use that power for good,” Galyan said.
Scout & Morgan Books is located at 114 Buchanan St. N., Cambridge, and can be reached at 763-689-2474.