The conversation I had with Sharon Neiss-Arbess was right in my line department store or stores. I remember when I used to go to the shopping malls, which was very exciting for me. Now shopping online has a different aspect. I will still go to a department store to shop. I love to see and touch what I am buying. Keepin It Real w/Caramel Podcast "As We Say 100" spoke with Sharon Neiss-Arbess and we talked about the difference between department stores shopping and online shopping. Sharon wrote a novel about a department store, so let's find out all about Sharon Neiss-Arbess. After Sharon graduated from Concordia University's Communication Studies program in Montreal and Algonquin College's Creative Advertising program in Ottawa, writing novels had to wait a few years to fulfill her dream of being a copywriter in Toronto. Once Sharon's children were born, she left the advertising world and became the CEO of the Neiss/Arbess household. Duties included mastering the act of breastfeeding, driving carpool, becoming a short order cook, and volunteering at her children's schools, synagogues, and several charity organizations. During this time, the writing bug began to fly around Sharon's ear, so, she began to write at her local coffee shop where her debut novel and middle school cult classic Me and My So-Called Friends was written. Once published and distributed, the feedback was tremendous and triggered a need for additional related resources. Together with an educator, Sharon produced a teacher's manual called Brave the Waves. Sharon's love for writing YA was continued with her second book Get Up, which contains a collection of meaningful short stories, functional exercises, and inspirational quotes from mentors. Sharon has written for several online magazines, has been featured in Living Legacies, a Collection of Narratives by Contemporary Jewish Women, The Toronto Star, and writes blogs on her website about really cool people, insanely easy recipes, and what she thinks the world should know. NOW A SYNOPSIS ABOUT THE NOVEL: THE MOST AMAZING DEPARTMENT STORE - Stepping onto the floor of Sunderland’s means stepping into a whole new glamorous world for two women whose lives and loves are forever changed by their time working at the famous Department Store in downtown Montreal in the 1940s and 1950s.

Sunderland's is the place to be — The Mecca of Luxury — when shopping for a blouse, a pair of shoes, lipstick, or fragrance was met with displays of lavishness and luxuriousness, shoppers met with impeccable sales manners, and where women could spend entire days, enjoying a slice of independence acceptable during these eras. After Lilly leaves her husband, she can't believe her luck getting a job at Sunderland’s, where she finds more than the self-sufficiency she yearns for. She meets another Jewish woman, Vivian, a sharp-tongued, vivacious whirlwind. They become best friends and face antisemitism, sexism, and rejection — all imposed on them, when Jews were not “normally” hired — while also testing the limits of their own very different ambitions.

When Vivian almost loses everything she's worked so hard for, and Lilly decides on a fresh start, the pair will never be the same. Their friendship might not survive, no matter how significant it played in their lives. Pre-Order The Most Amazing Department Store:

https://www.amazon.ca/-/fr/Sharon-Neiss-Arbess/dp/1738945243

If you would like to follow Sharon on social media, you can follow her by Sharon Neiss-Arbess - https://sharonneissarbess.com/meet-sharon/ or Media Inquiries:

Sasha Stoltz Publicity:Sasha Stoltz | [email protected] | 416.579.4804 https://www.sashastoltzpublicity.com

Booking Inquries: Rebecca Eckler

Founder and Publisher of RE:BOOKS

Thank you for listening to and supporting the podcast. If you want to be heard, email [email protected] or follow me on Instagram @mscaramellucas - TikTok @caramellucas - Facebook - Caramel Lucas