By an odd turn of events, my third story was published first. The first two were near completion and ready for a professional edit. I think this may be how it happened:  I should have purchased the little caroler figurine at that summer tent sale, but instead I snapped a picture and set her to my desktop background—a “promise to keep Christmas in my heart”, until, one morning as I sat at my desk working, I sensed the caroler was trying to tell me something. I held my fingers poised over the keyboard, and listened; then I began to type. What neither of us thought to notice was the wooden ..read more

I hope you won't mind if I toot my horn, but I nearly had a heart attack (in a good way) when I read this review of The Caroler. That the reviewer, Cristina Prescott, was a careful reader, focused on detail and nuance, made it even more rewarding. That she had some really nice things to say about the writing, was a truly humbling experience for me. But I'll toot anyway and share it with the world: The Caroler by Liza Martini is a brilliant retelling of the tale of the Nutcracker, intelligently executed with lovable characters and strong plot points, bringing about a denouement that could ..read more

There is a tradition in children’s literature wherein animals are drawn to the manger on Christmas Eve to be near the Christ child. Legends from around the world tell the story of animals who are given speech on this night until dawn of Christmas day. It is an intriguing thought. Christ did not come just to save Mankind, but all creation—                                                                          ..read more

​When I met Carol, I felt as if I had always know her, there in her winter furs on the table at a summer tent sale, in the middle of July. She was a stoic little figurine, caught in a pose of perpetual song. But as a singer myself, I could see that she had excellent technique: her breathing and posture were correct, her lips shaped to the vowel, while here jaw was dropped and relaxed. She held her book up and out, allowing for less tension in her neck, and of course, to better see the choir director. By listening carefully I could just hear her sweet soprano voice. But not wanting to alar ..read more

Christmas has come with great predictability! Even the biggest curmudgeon among us cannot deny the feeling of cheer that creeps into the neglected undercroft of the soul. There is an abrupt sense of tolerance, noticeably absent the rest of the year. A smile for the stranger and a charitable heart can be found in us all. A world that is normally suspicious and uptight, finds a reason to pause and show benevolence. Suddenly, through the old carols, the name of the Christ Child is on the lips of everyone, as it should be.  What is Christmas without that but traffic, crowds, noise, busy-busy ..read more

Six years ago to the date, or November 23, 2014, I squirreled away a Washington Post newspaper article entitled, A GMO rescue for America’s iconic chestnut tree? By Tamar Haspel. Ms. Haspel was actually reviewing a book by Susan Freinkel called, American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree. What an odd coincidence that I should rediscover this story exactly six years later.  But then, maybe not.  It is fall, after all—the time when we start seeing chestnuts in the grocery stores or from vendors on city streets.  Maybe I just could not get them out of my head ..read more

​This morning, I ran across (more) research comparing digital reading vs. print, and I must say I lightly scanned the online article because my eyes were tired, so I may have missed a few things. As much as I adore children’s books in the hardcopy, I do find my Kindle easier to read, and more accommodating in the evening, when I prefer to linger outside after sunset with my cats and a few mosquito sticks. If I want to read in bed, it’s not necessary to turn on the light.  I love the electronic ink and find it perfect for all my pleasure reading. But when we read for information, hard cop ..read more

Are you COVID weary? Has the pandemic turned you into a germaphobe leaving little hope that things will ever go back to normal? One thing remains the same:  We can always escape to good books.  Run away and find a sunny spot, a cozy corner, or a patch of grass on which to spread a blanket.  Thank heavens for the [predominantly] nice weather we have been afforded to make this time more bearable. I imagine, that as the long summer stretches out before us, many of you have found routines that work for your family. I hope that those routines include books and story time.  It i ..read more

​I recently enrolled in an Early Literacy Predictors class presented by a delightful former kindergarten teacher, and sponsored by the county in which I reside. We have just completed the first session and I look forward to four more weeks of valuable and insightful information about how young children, ages 3-5, learn vocabulary and increase their success for literacy and comprehension. While the material we are using can red-flag learning disorders that might slow or prevent a child from hearing, speaking, or making the necessary associations required for literacy, our first session revolved ..read more

Hello, and welcome to The B-double-O-double-K-double-E and P-The Book Keep--the official home of Liza Martini. We hope you will make The Book Keep a go-to resource for all your academic and recreational reading. Liza currently has two books in development and you can be sure she will brag about them right here, so please keep checking back!  ..read more