54 | SEPTEMBER 21 • 2023 

I 

n a hectic career of writing, teaching and 
participating in organizations, Lynne 
Golodner is building on her experiences 
to branch out into two new ventures — the 
release of her first novel, Woman of Valor, 
and the establishment of a hybrid press, 
Scotia Road Books, aimed at women over the 
age of 40.
A virtual program about the book will be 
on Sept. 26, and a reception about the book 
will be on Oct. 1.
Golodner, 52, with a husband and four 
children, wakes early in her Huntington 
Woods home to write. Administrative 
responsibilities for her many associations 
come in the afternoon.
“I always wanted to write novels, but I 
didn’t feel earlier in my career that the skills 
were there,
” said Golodner, who has report-
ed for the Detroit Jewish News. “I’ve written 
eight other books (poetry and nonfiction) 
that have been published.
“
A novel is something that you create from 
start to finish — worlds, characters — and 
the story has to flow in a way that is com-
pelling for a reader. I think I just needed to 
develop my writing skills to what I felt was 
worthy of publishing.
”;
Woman of Valor, inspired by Golodner’s 
10 years of observing Orthodox Judaism, has 
to do with a woman at personal crossroads, 
coping with marital frustrations, a son facing 
abuse in school and encounters with a past 
love.
“The book is steeped in the community 
and observance,
” said Golodner, a member of 
Congregation Beth Ahm and holding on to 
some Orthodox practices. “I hope that read-
ers of all faiths and communities see a differ-
ent window into the Orthodox Jewish world.
“I had to think about what I’m bringing to 
the marketplace as a fiction writer. A big part 
of my author brand is that I am committed to 
writing about compelling Jewish characters. 
This book happens to be a very Jewish book.
”

Although Golodner had started an earlier 
novel, it never reached a point of satisfac-
tion, and she put it away. This new book was 
started in 2021, and just as it is about to be 
introduced, a second is on its way.
“My next novel is in revision right now,
” 
she said. “It’s not a religious story. It’s about 
grappling with Jewish identity and what you 
want it to mean to you. I think that’s a consis-
tent message in forming all of my books.
“I want to show the beauty of Jewish 
observance. You can choose to be a 
free-thinking, independent woman and still 
have a dynamic and passionate marriage. All 
of those things can go together.
”
Golodner, an entrepreneur since the 1980s, 
holds a bachelor’s degree from the University 
of Michigan and a master’s degree from 
Goddard College, based in Vermont. She 
came to start Scotia Road Books believing 
that she wanted to see books published in her 
way and in the way of each author, many of 
whom had been discouraged from taking on 
writing responsibilities.
“I created Scotia Road Books to give 
women at midlife an option to publish where 
their strong voices are not only heard but 
celebrated,
” Golodner said. “Women who 
find publishers often have to find their own 
resources to market their books.
”
In Golodner’s hybrid publishing, a mix 
of independent and traditional publishing, 
authors have to submit manuscripts to be 

read by about three people. If a manuscript 
is selected for publishing, there is a contract 
that has the author paying a price to have the 
book marketed. 
Authors, she said, can get up to 60 percent 
royalties on the sale of books in her firm.
In doing her work, Golodner hopes her 
children accept that they are responsible for 
their success, and they can create lives they 
love to live. Only one, a high school senior, 
still lives at home.
“I also hope that they learn from me that 
relationships come first because I’ve always 
put them first,
” she said. “My husband, Dan, 
is very proud of me, and he’s always an early 
reader of my books. He gives very honest 
feedback.
”
Scotia Road Books will be available in 
print and digital formats. She hopes to reach 
a point where they are available in audio 
renditions.
“It’s never too late to write and publish 
a book,
” she said. “I want to distinguish 
between writing a book and building an 
author career. The latter requires you to write 
book, after book, after book.
“It’s so important to surround yourself 
with other writers. There are amazing 
writing communities that I’m a part of, 
such as Michigan Writers, so supportive of 
one another. You cannot do this alone. It’s 
important to have that community around 
you.
” 

Woman of Valor

 New novel by Lynne Golodner is ‘steeped 
 in community and observance.’

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ARTS&LIFE
BOOKS

Details 
Woman of Valor will be introduced 
virtually at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 
26, by going to https://tinyurl.
com/49exeuwz. To register for 
attendance at the reception — 3-5 
p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1 — email lynne@
yourppl.com. 

