Amazon Reviewer Recommends American Novel

Title: Beauty Rising

Author: Mark W. Sasse
Genre: Literary Fiction/General Fiction
Publisher: Kindle Direct Publishing
ASIN: B00AIOYC1G
Purchase at : http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Rising-ebook/dp/B00AIOYC1G/ref=cm_cr-mr-img
Author's Website: http://mwsasse.wordpress.com/

 

Review by Richie Morrison: (Amazon Reviewer)

I highly recommend Mark's book Beauty Rising. It is definitely a page-turner that I had a hard time putting down and wanted more when it ended. Mark does an excellent job of creating characters that are real and endearing. He led me through a range of emotions and had me laughing at times from my own memories of Vietnam and being the `fat' foreigner. Anyone who has been to Vietnam will have to chuckle as Mark vividly describes the mannerisms of the Vietnamese people. I especially enjoyed the taxi driver Tan. In the character Tan, Mark really captures the spirit of a majority of Vietnamese people, fun, loving, and always willing to help the `foreigner.'

In addition, Mark addresses many underlying, and darker, issues many Nam vets and their families faced after returning home. Through his novel, I believe people will come away with a deeper understanding of some of the emotional and generational issues that the Vietnam War has caused in America. He also sprinkles in some interesting history that has tied Vietnam and America together long before the Vietnam War began.

Finally, I believe that Mark has written an American novel that captures the flow and feel of a traditional Vietnamese poem or book. Anyone who has read the famous Vietnamese poem `The Tale of Kieu' cannot help but see its influence in Mark's book.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. 

Free Last Minute Christmas Book Offer

Blooming Red
Subtitle: Christmas Poetry for the Rational
Coauthors: Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Genre: Poetry
Awards: Honored by Military Writers Society of America and USA Book News
Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/BloomingRedKindle
Dates of Free Offer: Dec 14-18.
Artwork by Vicki Thomas
Website: http://howtodoitfrugally.com/poetry_books.htm

 

Multi award-winning poets Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball figure nothing is more meaningful at any holiday than a poem—a real poem, not sing-songy impersonal verse from the shelves of card shops. They also noticed that many folks remember many people they forgot when it may be too late. 

Ta Da! We have are offering you our "rational" Christmas chapbook to procrastinators free. Enter the KDP Select free e-book feature. All you do is go to http://amzn.to/BloomingRedKind on Dec. 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 and click.

 

Anyone can send it free to anyone they'd like to have a thoughtful—and fast—Christmas gift with a click of a mouse (no not the same mouse that's in "The Night Before Christmas" poem!). The booklet Blooming Red: Christmas Poetry for the Rational was honored by the Military Writers Society of America and USA Book News award.

It's a mini gift and greeting card in one!

 

Blooming Redincludes Maggie’s science-inspired and Carolyn’s nostalgic poetry. It also includes some humorous poems for fair measure.

 

Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected CompulsiveReader.com review site.  She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, which was published to unanimous 5-star reviews.  Her novel Sleep Before Evening was a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist and she just released a new novel set in Australia. It is Black Cow.  

Carolyn Howard-Johnson's poetry appears frequently in review journals. She is listed in Poets & Writers and her chapbook of poetry, Tracings ( http://budurl.com/CarolynsTracings ), was given the Award of Excellence by the Military Writers Society of America and She Wore Emerald Then won its highest honor of gold. One of her poems recently won the Franklin Christoph Poetry Prize. She is also an award-winning novelist and short story writer and instructor for UCLA Extension Writers' Program.

For more information on any of the chapbooks in the Celebration series, contact either of the authors, or visit media rooms at http://howtodoitfrugally.com  or http://magdalenaball.com. To learn more about artist Vicki Thomas and to see her selections of her work, go to http://www.vickithomasartist.com .

 

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Please let your friends know about this offer. Support material available electronically or by post on request. Contact MaggieBall@CompulsiveReader.com.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Heather Leister Reviews Children's Electronic Picture Book

 Title: Brave RooneyAuthor: Gerry Renert

Author website link: http://www.gerryrenert.com
Genre: Children's Electronic Picture Books.
Publisher/Developer: Bacciz LLC
Buy Link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brave-rooney/id444860680?mt=8

Reviewed by Heather Leister, the iPhoneMom

Brave Rooney is a fantastic storybook app for the start of a new school year. It’s the story of a boy named Rooney who finds himself going to a brand new school. At this school all of the kids are literally superheroes but he is just ordinary Rooney, a boy who’s having a tough time fitting in. One day the school has a poetry recital and the brave and fearless superheroes become scared to death about getting in front of each other. Rooney has the courage to be the first one to share and he shows them all a different kind of bravery. This is a terrific story about accepting others differences and being okay with your own self.

Brave Rooney was written by Gerry Renert who is an award winning and Emmy nominated children’s television writer. He’s tapped into this familiar worry, “Will I fit in?”, and he presents it in a humorous way that I think children will really understand and relate to. I know my kids did! The illustrations are fun and there are interactions woven throughout the story. This story is a winner for back to school or any time of the year!

~Learn more about the author at  http://www.gerryrenert.com 

 

 

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Christmas in July: Prepare Memorable Greetings Now

Blooming Red: Unconventional Christmas Poetry
Co-authors Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Genre: Poetry/holiday
Author's Web site: www.howtodoitfrugally.com/poetry_books.htm

Little Known Poetry History: Chapbooks, a tradition in the poetry world since Elizabethan times, are named after the itinerant chapmen who travelled from village to village selling their goods.

Award-winning poets Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball figure nothing is more meaningful at any holiday than a poem—a real poem, not sing-songy impersonal verse from the shelves of card shops. They also noticed that many people order imprinted holiday greetings (very expensive ones!) in July. With that in mind they are offering a great Christmas-in-July incentive to those early birds who want to gift a chapbook Blooming Red: Christmas Poetry for the Rational to their most cherished friends. .

But how would poetry lovers, literature lovers and those who just like something different and beautiful to use as mini gifts or greetings know if this little booklet is for them?

These multi award-winning authors have arranged to get the e-book version for 50% off until August 6. That means your sample comes to you for a mere $1.98 using the special coupon code ZZ47S when you go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/45393

Then, when you fall in love with the exquisite poetry and the beautiful artwork by award-winning California watercolorist Vicki Thomas, you can order 25 full paperback booklets for only $3.00 each. This is a substantial discount from Amazon’s price of $6.95 each. They become your card and gift in one and orders of 12 or more come autographed by one of the poets. That’s got to be more personal than an imprint.

You just send your shipping address with your check or money order to:

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

PO Box 1101
LaCanada-Flintridge, CA 91012-1101

Include $6. Ship charges for the continental US and $12 worldwide, any quantity. Please order before August 15^th.

 Blooming Red includes Maggie’s science-inspired and Carolyn’s nostalgic poetry. It also includes some humorous poems for fair measure.

Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected CompulsiveReader.com review site.  She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, which was published to unanimous 5-star reviews.  Her novel Sleep Before Evening, was a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist. 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson's poetry appears frequently in review journals. She is listed in Poets & Writers and her chapbook of poetry, Tracings (www.budurl.com/CarolynsTracings ), was given the Award of Excellence by the Military Writers Society of America and She Wore Emerald Then won its highest honor of gold. One of her poems recently won the Franklin Christoph Poetry Prize. She is also an award-winning novelist and short story writer and instructor for UCLA Extension Writers' Program.

For more information on any of the chapbooks in this poetry series, contact either of the authors or visit media rooms at www.howtodoitfrugally.com or www.magdalenaball.com. To learn more about artist Vicki Thomas and to see her selections of her work, go to www.vickithomasartist.com

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Support material available electronically or by post on request. E-mail hojonews (at) AOL (dot) com.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

No Review: E-Book Week Celebration Instead

Magdalena Ball and I are celebrating Read an E-book Week by giving e-book copies of our poetry to all comers from March 6 to 12.

Our chapbooks of poetry include Cherished Pulse (for anyone you love) with artwork from California artist Vicki Thomas, She Wore Emerald Then (for mothers on your gift list) with photographs by May Lattanzio, Imagining the Future (for Fathers), and Blooming Red, a Christmas chapbook. All are priced to compete with greeting cards at any time of year but this is a celebration of F r ^ ^ (and e-books!).

Chapbooks have been a tradition in the poetry world since Elizabethan times. The Celebration Series goes beyond the clichéd sentiments in most greeting cards—and does it for about the same price.

Now the full series is being offered for f r ^ ^ during Read an E-book Week from March 6 to 12 to help raise public awareness of electronic reading. Read an E-book Week’s Web site (http://www.ebookweek.com ) provides information on the latest e-book reading devices, different e-book stores, benefits of e-books, as well as the history and the future of e-books. Visitors will be able to download free reads from different major retailers, authors and publishers during the Read an E-book Week event period. The Celebration books can be read in over nine digital formats on any computer or portable reading device anywhere in the world. This is a revolution for both authors, both of whom started their writing careers when the latest technology was a typewriter and carbon paper for copies. To access the free books, visit:


http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/maggieball


Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected www.compulsivereader.com review site. She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, published to unanimous 5-star reviews. Her novel Sleep Before Evening, published in 2007, was a Next Generation Indie Book Award finalist. You all probably know about my poetry except for the one published quite a while ago by Finishing Line Press, (www.budurl.com/CarolynsTracings ), which isn’t being offered f r ^^ by contractual agreement. For more information on any of the chapbooks in this poetry series, contact either of the authors or visit media rooms at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/

 or http://www.magdalenaball.com/

.Happy promoting, writing and poetry reading!

Your New Book Review blogger,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Support an Indie Author This Holiday Season and Win Something, Too!

Darcia Helle, an online friend of mine, is offering a selection of books in a kind of online holiday catalog and fun holiday party (with prizes!) for giving this season. Some are paperback and some e-books. E-books are a neat way to save on postage and still remember your special friends. Here is the link to the main event page:

http://www.quietfurybooks.com/holidayevent.html

Darcia says, “We have forty-seven authors participating and hundreds of print and e-books to give away. The event launches on December 1.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

The Great First Impression Book Proposal
Subtitle: Everything You Need To Know To Impress a Publisher in Twenty Minutes or Less
ISBN: 9781453690956
The Great First Impression Book Proposal (The How To Do It Frugally series of booklets for writers) is available for Kindle, too.

Yeah, this is my blog so I get to let you know about my new books here, too! (-:
Ta da! Here is a new booklet I just self published. It was once an Amazon Short, but Amazon gave up on their shorts and it became unavailable. So it’s back by popular demand. I hope you’ll all take a look at it. I know The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less works. Like all my books it’s based on my own experience with publishing, promoting and with working with my clients. And, if you love it, I’d love a review on Amazon—just a few sentences.
http://budurl.com/BookProposals

Anyway, I was able to bring this little booklet to you for only $6.95. These two booklets Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy (It's also available for Kindle),  are the seeds of a new easy-and-fast-learn series of booklets for writers.


Happy Writing, Editing, and Promoting!
Carolyn Howard-Johnson



----- The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

It's My Crisis and I'll Cry If I NEED To!

It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry If I Need To: EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge
by Yocheved Golani
Booklocker Publishing

Reviewed by Laureen G. Sussman



This is an inspirational self-help E-book full of information that people with an illness need. You can read it on your iPhone if you wish! That could be helpful when you're waiting at the doctor's or in long lines at a store. Booklocker Publishing thinks of everything.

Yocheved Golani has writen an excellent guide for people who are facing a medical crisis. As the parent of a child with multiple disabilities, I wish I'd had her book available to me when my son was born over 28 years ago. I discovered so much on my own and sought out or created the support network that my husband and I needed. With Yocheved's book, people in similar situations do not need to reinvent the wheel.

EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge informs you about how to see stressful events in healthier perspective. Some funny stories in the book made me laugh when I least expected to. Yocheved gives soothing advice and helps her readers to calm down so you can function better. The appearance of the E-book is good on the eyes. It looks like two open pages with pleasant fonts and graphics.

You'll really cope with a medical challenge better with this E-book. The back of the book lists worldwide resources that can help you to get free or low-cost top-quality medical care, medication and medical appliances, even medical air transportation! That saves so much time and anguish. The information is right there for you to use it!

The information is succinct and appropriate to various medical crises. I highly recommend it to anyone in need.

Find Yocheved Golani on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/yochevedgolaniink
She tweets at: http://twitter.com/yochevedgolani and blogs at: http://itsmycrisisandillcryifineedto.blogspot.com/

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

Tina Carlson Review Smashing E-Book with a Twist

Thrift Me Deadly
By Wendy Dager
E-book
Available at: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/4474
Genre: Thriller, for mature audiences only due to graphic violence, language and situations.

Review by Tina Carlson for Smashwords

Wendy Dager writes a witty story of murder and dysfunction through the diary of Enid Barker, who collects vintage clothes, hates her job and suffers the judgement of family while killing anyone who volunteers to make her life harder than it already is.
The pace is fast and the murders are many as Wendy gives us a peek into vintage collecting and sociopathic behavior in a very funny way. This is a great read.

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Free sample and synopsis of this book is available online; book can be purchased for 40 percent off list price by using coupon code ML66J through December 31, 2009. For more about the author, visit www.wendydager.com.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Title: Adams Point -
Series: Book Three in the Legacy Series
Author: Elena Dorothy Bowman
Genre: Paranormal/Futuristic
ISBN: 1-59431-452-7
Format: ebook/print
Publisher and reviewer's rating: 4.5 Blue Ribbons


Reviewed by Chrissy Dionne for Romance Junkies Reviews

SNIPPET

Guests are disappearing, unwelcome ghosts are making their presence known and the resident ghosts are nowhere to be found. Welcome to ADAM’S POINT, the final book in Elena Dorothy Bowman’s LEGACY series. It is sure to hold you spellbound as you experience the wonder of an ancient prophecy and it’s effect on everyone who visits the area.

When we last visited Adam's Point in the previous book, Gatekeeper's Realm, readers were left with many questions regarding the spirits that inhabit the made over inn which had once been known as Pierce House. Guests have disappeared and there's a sinister wraith hoovering over the building. Some of the guests have opted to return to Caleb's Cove where they believe they'll be safe from the danger lurking at Adams Point, but are they really?

Ethan, Abigail and the guests who chose to remain at Adams Point have no clue what to expect from the wraith or what to do to appease it. With two couples already missing, Tony's mysteriously disappeared, and unbeknownst to anyone at Adams Point, Jill, one of the guests whom Ethan had dropped off in town has also disappeared. The apparition obviously intends to do whatever it has to in order to ensure his demands are met and until then Ethan, Abigail, Tony and the guests are all at its mercy.

Abigail harbors hope that Jacob, one of the original ghosts - and a friend, will escape the wraith's clutches long enough to clue them in on what needs to be done to release them all from the nightmare in which they've found themselves. In the meantime, the men devise plans to find and rescue the missing people while protecting the women. One of their plans is for the women to leave Adam's Point and stay at Caleb's Cove where they'll be safe. Only it soon becomes painfully obvious that the wraith's plans don't include allowing any of them any measure of safety. The only way to satisfy it is to return to the Inn and attempt to appease it somehow. Where have the missing people disappeared to and why? Will Jacob be able to break the wraith's hold and return to Abigail to let her know what's going on and what needs to be done to correct the situation?

After reading Gatekeeper's Realm I was fascinated with the characters and the vivid imagery that enthralled me throughout the storyline. I'm thrilled to say that Elena Dorothy Bowman's continuation of the story in Adam's Point contains all the same traits that have made the LEGACY series a thrilling read. I loved the men's alpha attitude and determination to protect the women and had to laugh at the women's not-without-us attitude. While the sinister apparition kept me guessing at what stunt it would pull next I was really hopeful to meet Jacob and learn just how he could help satisfy the wraith. I do have to confess while I was quite sure there would be a happy ending for the couples, I wasn't anticipating the emotions which I experienced at the end of the story - sorry I can't say more because it'd give too much away.

I would recommend reading all three of the books in the Legacy series - House on the Bluff, Gatekeeper's Realm and Adam's Point in order to fully experience the wonders carefully hidden and guarded in this fascinating house/inn.

© Copyright 2003 by RomanceJunkies.com
Reach the reviewer at RJchrissydionne@yahoo.com.

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Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.sarahslanding.com
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.

Jamieson Wolf Pens Witchy Tale--Just in Time for Fall Gifting

The Ghost Mirror
By Jamieson Wolf
eTreasures Publishing
www.etreasurespublishing.com
Copyright 2007
Ebook/Paperback
YA/Dark Fantasy
Available on Amazon

Reviewed by Mayra Calvani, The Dark Phantom Review


Thirteen-year old Mave is no ordinary girl. For one thing, she happens to be a black-eyed, redheaded powerful witch, so much so that even her own parents fear her. Not understanding her powers, her mom and dad have chosen to ignore and neglect her to the point of emotional cruelty.

The only person in the world who seems to love and understand Mave is her grandmother, and when she takes Mave to live with her in her big mansion, the young girl couldn’t be happier. Soon, however, Mave discovers a strange and mysterious old mirror in the attic. Grandmother warns her to stay away from it, but sometimes curiosity can be more powerful than reason. Mave touches the mirror, with dangerous consequences. She’s transported into a dark and magical world and faced with a grand mission: she’s to destroy the evil Lavender Man… or die.

Talented author Jamieson Wolf has penned a dark, sometimes macabre, beautifully written novel for young adults and adults alike. His lyrical prose flows like the magic in his story and has an old-fashioned tone to it which perfectly complements the plot. Some of the vivid images in the book are quite haunting, like the Tree Lady of the forest and the Lavender Man sucking the spirit from his victims. Above all, the beauty of the language stands out, as well as the author’s obvious love for storytelling. I was drawn from start to finish into Wolf’s darkly magical world and look forward to reading the sequel soon.

A Fantasy That "Rackets" Along by Jon Baxley

title: THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY
author: Jon F. Baxley
publisher: Five Star (an imprint of Thomson Gale)
Hardcover, Fantasy
445 pages including maps and annotations
E-book publisher: Twilight Times
ISBN: 978-1594144516

Reviewed by Julia Hayden for Blogger News :Julia Hayden, aka Sgt. Mom, Blogger

The Blackgloom Bounty is one of those rambling, picaresque fantasies which makes occasional hectic detours into a universe strongly resembling the 10th Century border region of present-day Northern England and Southern Scotland. The story rackets along at a tremendous pace; rather like an amusement park ride or a fiendishly complicated Dungeons and Dragons game. At the end of it, you are dumped out with a spinning head and a perhaps not-quite accurate memory of everything that went on, but in no doubt that you and everyone else had a tremendously amusing ride.

The reader remembers that there was an enormous cast of characters, rushing about, and it was all something to do with curses, stolen inheritances, a stalwart young heir hidden away, a feisty wench, brave warriors, secret tombs, ghosts, wicked noblemen, spells and shape-changing, magic stones and a treasure of wonderful wealth, a sea-monster… and then, and then and then… the review would be about as long as the book itself, if I attempted to do even a short recapitulation. And it wouldn’t be anywhere near as amusing. Just think of “The Blackgloom Bounty” as the fantasy-novel equivalent of the stateroom scene in the old Marx Brothers movie “A Night at the Opera”.

When young Daynin and his grandfather find a curiously carved stone while plowing their field, they have little idea that it is the legendary Scythian Stone… but a wandering magician named Kruzurk Makshare does… and with a few brisk preliminaries, Daynin is off and running on the adventure of his life, to find and liberate an enormous treasure, and then to keep hold of it. The author has concocted an intricate yarn, briskly paced, and in a writing style which is always workmanlike and quite frequently sparkles. He also has an ear for conversation, which also serves the story well. This is the first volume of a projected series, and a worthwhile read for any devotee of the fantasy-adventure genre.

And there is a bit with a dog, too.

“The Blackgloom Bounty” is available through Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594144516.
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Sgt. Mom is a free-lance writer to blogs at The Daily Brief. More about her own books is at www.celiahayes.com.