Speed-b-b-bumps
By Darrell House
Spoken word CD
27:15 min.
Prod. by Maggie Music.
ISBN 978-0-615-31853-0
$16.95.
South Florida children’s author and musician Darrell House has just earned a Parents’ Choice Gold Award for his newest release, a spoken word CD collection of mostly humorous poems for kids and families titled Speed-b-b-b-bumps. The material was written to entertain his daughters when they were young, and it reflects interests and ideas with which children easily identify.
Parents' Choice says:
"Parents seem to enjoy [House's] music and stories too."
MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann Elementary School, Binghamton, NY and reviewer for the Library Journal says, "House’s enjoyment is contagious, and listeners will be smiling, laughing, and asking for more."
Author Bio:
Children’s author, poet, storyteller, singer/songwriter Darrell House
wears a lot of hats. Described as Grizzly Adams meets Key West, he has a magnetic personality and is a powerful performer. Having presented in more than 60 schools and a hundred libraries, he is also a regular performer at Reading Festivals and Early Childhood Education Conferences. Miller the Green Caterpillar, his children’s picture book, is an inspirational story of setting goals, and his two CDs of original music, Underneath the Cushions on the Couch and Makes Me Feel Like Singing are full of original songs. His most recent release, Speed-b-b-b-bumps, a spoken word CD collection of mostly humorous poems, has just earned a
Parents’ Choice Gold Award. He blogs as Suburbanhobo at www.bolognabrain.com
----- 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:
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Deb Hockenverry Reviews Christian Fiction
TITLE: Third Time’s a Charm: A Novel
AUTHOR: Virginia Smith
FORMAT: Paperback, Kindle
PAGES: 327
PRICE: $10.19 (print), $9.99 (kindle)
ISBN-10: 0800732340
ISBN-13: 9780800732349
Reviewed by Deb Hockenberry
Tori Sanderson is the youngest of the three Sanderson sisters. She loves to shop for designer clothes and shoes.
Her two older sisters fix her up with Ryan, a farm boy from her hometown. Over time Tori slowly falls in love with Ryan, much to her two older sisters’ delight. Unfortunately, Ryan’s busybody sister-in-law interferes way too much, showing up at their first date with her two sons. The two older Sanderson sisters are also not quite as bad at interfering but they do invade their sister’s love life asking Ryan for details after each date. In fact, they go as far as to show up at the hardware store where Ryan works!
Tori works at a very high pressure job in a nearby town and has a boss that expects her to work 24/7. She’s also up for a promotion along with her coworker, Mitch. If Mitch gets the promotion, Tori would work for him so the competition between the two is fierce!
Mitch also has his eye on Tori and can’t figure out what Tori sees in Ryan.
Tori’s possible promotion adds further complications to their relationship since she has to work harder than ever hardly leaving her time to breathe much less date. She has to do her regular job as well as garner experience and get a presentation together for the owners of a restaurant. Whoever has the best presentation and wins the restaurant owners over, gets the promotion. So, the competition between Tori and Mitch is fierce!
I truly enjoyed this easy to read book but was a bit disappointed in the beginning. Tori is at the mall buying a gift for her sister, Joan’s, wedding shower present. While she’s in the mall she sees a pair of designer shoes that she thinks she has to have. This makes her late for Joan’s wedding shower! How can you be late for one of your sisters’ biggest events in her life? From there on the book got much better.
This is the last book in the Sister-to-Sister series. As a sister myself, I could relate to the three sisters. I’ve never read a book from this trilogy before but after reading this book, I would like to read the other two books. This Christian book is easy to read without being ‘preachy’. This book has to be in any church library and in your own personal library!
To learn more about the author please visit: http://www.virginiasmith.org .
The reviewer Deb Hockenberry may be reached at kidztales@verizon.net. Also find her review site at http://debsbookreviews.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:
AUTHOR: Virginia Smith
FORMAT: Paperback, Kindle
PAGES: 327
PRICE: $10.19 (print), $9.99 (kindle)
ISBN-10: 0800732340
ISBN-13: 9780800732349
Reviewed by Deb Hockenberry
Tori Sanderson is the youngest of the three Sanderson sisters. She loves to shop for designer clothes and shoes.
Her two older sisters fix her up with Ryan, a farm boy from her hometown. Over time Tori slowly falls in love with Ryan, much to her two older sisters’ delight. Unfortunately, Ryan’s busybody sister-in-law interferes way too much, showing up at their first date with her two sons. The two older Sanderson sisters are also not quite as bad at interfering but they do invade their sister’s love life asking Ryan for details after each date. In fact, they go as far as to show up at the hardware store where Ryan works!
Tori works at a very high pressure job in a nearby town and has a boss that expects her to work 24/7. She’s also up for a promotion along with her coworker, Mitch. If Mitch gets the promotion, Tori would work for him so the competition between the two is fierce!
Mitch also has his eye on Tori and can’t figure out what Tori sees in Ryan.
Tori’s possible promotion adds further complications to their relationship since she has to work harder than ever hardly leaving her time to breathe much less date. She has to do her regular job as well as garner experience and get a presentation together for the owners of a restaurant. Whoever has the best presentation and wins the restaurant owners over, gets the promotion. So, the competition between Tori and Mitch is fierce!
I truly enjoyed this easy to read book but was a bit disappointed in the beginning. Tori is at the mall buying a gift for her sister, Joan’s, wedding shower present. While she’s in the mall she sees a pair of designer shoes that she thinks she has to have. This makes her late for Joan’s wedding shower! How can you be late for one of your sisters’ biggest events in her life? From there on the book got much better.
This is the last book in the Sister-to-Sister series. As a sister myself, I could relate to the three sisters. I’ve never read a book from this trilogy before but after reading this book, I would like to read the other two books. This Christian book is easy to read without being ‘preachy’. This book has to be in any church library and in your own personal library!
To learn more about the author please visit: http://www.virginiasmith.org .
The reviewer Deb Hockenberry may be reached at kidztales@verizon.net. Also find her review site at http://debsbookreviews.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:
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Veteran Reviewer Likes Book on Parenting
Title: The Power of Your Child’s Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success
Author: Charlotte Reznick, PhD
Category: Parenting
ISBN: 978-0399535079
Reviewer: Stephanie Ward http://laughingstars.net
Publisher: Perigee Trade
Review by Stephanie Ward originally for Barnes and Nobel,Amazon and her Laughing Stars blog.
Adults often forget that children experience tremendous anxiety. They are beginning to absorb everything going on around them and starting to understand that loss and death are part of life. They’re also developing expectations for themselves, personally or academically, and worrying that they don’t measure up. The Power of Your Child’s Imagination offers strategies for helping kids use their own inner strength to cope with stress. I think other parents, especially those who – like me – have sensitive, intense kids, will find this book to be a gem.
Dr. Reznick points out that each of us, including young children, has an internal compass that seems to know more than we do. She offers imagination techniques we can teach our children to help them tap into that internal wisdom.
In the first section, she starts by suggesting simple ways we can encourage our children to use their imagination to “see” things in their minds and envision their lives changing for the better. She offers tips for setting goals with our kids. Sometimes they don’t share our goals for them, so it’s important to find common ground. Then she describes nine guided imagery tools to use with children. Some of these strategies draw on the power of archetypes, like a wise wizard, that have deep roots in our psyche. For each tool, she provides a script, possible variations, a real-life example of the technique in action, and troubleshooting tips. She corroborates these techniques with evidence from neurological and physiological research. She also explores ways to incorporate art and music, and she encourages parents to mix and match these methods to fit our children’s individual needs.
In the second section, she discusses how to apply the nine tools in more depth, using brief case studies. She offers guidance on molding these tools to address specific issues, such helping a child with low self esteem, building an appropriate sense of responsibility, and coping with fear of abandonment or death. She delves into sleep problems and bed wetting. She addresses aggressive behavior, sibling rivalry, and peer issues. She also looks at helping kids with academic problems, whether they stem from learning disabilities or an environment that does fit a child’s developmental needs and learning style.
As an educator-type, I appreciated her thoughts on learning issues. Some of you know that I’m a bit of an evangelist for delayed academics and honoring children’s developmental needs and learning styles. This is one of the reasons we homeschool. Dr. Reznick touches on the fact that many children are academically pushed much too early and that traditional classroom methods don’t fit some students.
One of the things I appreciated most about this book was Dr. Reznick’s warm, empathetic attitude toward parents and her acknowledgment that no “expert” can offer a “perfect” way to parent. “Caring parents … want to get it “right” But there is no such animal. Not here.” She also acknowledges that we have regrets as parents, and urges us to have compassion for ourselves.
This fits well with her articulate, approachable writing style. While there is some scholarly information woven into this book, it flows smoothly and is easy to read. It’s like sitting down with a compassionate friend — the type of person who has a lot of positive energy and intuitive wisdom — and having a chat over coffee.
I recommend this book to parents, teachers, counselors, and other caregivers and to any adults who want to incorporate stress management techniques into their own lives. The guidance Dr. Reznick offers is clear and supported with a wealth of specific examples, and readers will appreciate her nurturing, compassionate approach to guiding parents.
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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:
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Must-Have Book for Retailers Reviewed by Rober Medak
A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions
by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Reviewed by Robert Medak for Stormy Writer and Amazon.com
A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions lists a series of frugal ways of promoting your business, in good economic times as well as bad; and not break the bank in the process. Anyone in the retail business should read this 120-page book. There is a good deal of information in a small book that is of use to retailers, and their business no matter the present circumstances.
Many of the ideas are common sense, but also things that retailers may not have thought of. There are many inexpensive concepts that are easy to implement in your store, whether it is large or small. The size does not matter, the ideas in this book are what can help retailers grow their customer base with a few simple adjustments to present stock and how to deal with it. Simple promotion ideas that may cost only a few dollars, to free can increase your business over time. Fortunately, the few ideas listed in this book may trigger some things retailers can come up with on their own.
Do you need more business in your store? A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions can help you with simple ideas form how to move and arrange your stock and more. There are also some simple and effective ways to garner publicity in your local newspaper and have customers send you business with ideas that may cost you nothing expect some time and training of your employees.
A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions is an easy to read book that can help all retailers do more promotion for your business without spending a lot of money.
I recommend this book for any retailer and award it a four star rating.
Endorsement Disclaimer: All reviews posted on this site and written by this reviewer are personal opinions of the book by this reviewer. The reviews are NOT paid endorsements of the book or the author. They are not advertisements. All reviews are honest, forthright and the opinion of this individual reviewer. This reviewer’s opinions are not for sale. (There is however, a small fee for some reviews, and sometimes this reviewer receives complementary copies from the author.) Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255 (http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)
The reviewer is a freelance editor and writer.
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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:
by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Reviewed by Robert Medak for Stormy Writer and Amazon.com
A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions lists a series of frugal ways of promoting your business, in good economic times as well as bad; and not break the bank in the process. Anyone in the retail business should read this 120-page book. There is a good deal of information in a small book that is of use to retailers, and their business no matter the present circumstances.
Many of the ideas are common sense, but also things that retailers may not have thought of. There are many inexpensive concepts that are easy to implement in your store, whether it is large or small. The size does not matter, the ideas in this book are what can help retailers grow their customer base with a few simple adjustments to present stock and how to deal with it. Simple promotion ideas that may cost only a few dollars, to free can increase your business over time. Fortunately, the few ideas listed in this book may trigger some things retailers can come up with on their own.
Do you need more business in your store? A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions can help you with simple ideas form how to move and arrange your stock and more. There are also some simple and effective ways to garner publicity in your local newspaper and have customers send you business with ideas that may cost you nothing expect some time and training of your employees.
A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions is an easy to read book that can help all retailers do more promotion for your business without spending a lot of money.
I recommend this book for any retailer and award it a four star rating.
Endorsement Disclaimer: All reviews posted on this site and written by this reviewer are personal opinions of the book by this reviewer. The reviews are NOT paid endorsements of the book or the author. They are not advertisements. All reviews are honest, forthright and the opinion of this individual reviewer. This reviewer’s opinions are not for sale. (There is however, a small fee for some reviews, and sometimes this reviewer receives complementary copies from the author.) Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 255 (http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)
The reviewer is a freelance editor and writer.
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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:
Monday, 26 April 2010
RJ Medak Reviews Fun Grammar Brush-Up Book
Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Published by HowToDoItFrugally.com
EAN-13: 9781450507653
Paperback booklet
55 pages
$6.95
Reviewed by Robert Medlak for Amazon and asorted review sites
This pamphlet is only around fifty pages, but filled with an assemblage of word trippers written in a conversational style that will help writers from aspiring to seasoned with their copy.
The best way to appear amateurish as writers is to make simple word usage errors. There are homophone words that writers should know the difference, and which one of them to use in their copy. Some of the most common errors found in editing by author and editor, Carolyn Howard-Johnson lists in “Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers.”
This reviewer found this pamphlet to be inspirational and a brush up for any writer. Any time a writer submits copy not up to professional standards there is a gatekeeper who will bounce it. Reading this pamphlet can save writers the embarrassment of receiving a rejection slip for poor writing.
“Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers” is a postscript to Carolyn’s book, The Frugal Editor. No writer is a consummate writer in every sentence and word choice. Writers can only strive for perfection, but not consumed by it.
This reviewer found this small pamphlet chock full of useful information for all writers. Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers receives a five star rating by this reviewer.
The Reviewer
Robert (Bob) Medak is a writer/editor/reviewer. He reviews for AllBook Reviews and New York Journal of Books. He is acquisitions editor for Real Time PUblishing. Find him at Stormy Winter. He tweets at www.twitter.com/RJ_Medak.
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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:
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Published by HowToDoItFrugally.com
EAN-13: 9781450507653
Paperback booklet
55 pages
$6.95
Reviewed by Robert Medlak for Amazon and asorted review sites
This pamphlet is only around fifty pages, but filled with an assemblage of word trippers written in a conversational style that will help writers from aspiring to seasoned with their copy.
The best way to appear amateurish as writers is to make simple word usage errors. There are homophone words that writers should know the difference, and which one of them to use in their copy. Some of the most common errors found in editing by author and editor, Carolyn Howard-Johnson lists in “Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers.”
This reviewer found this pamphlet to be inspirational and a brush up for any writer. Any time a writer submits copy not up to professional standards there is a gatekeeper who will bounce it. Reading this pamphlet can save writers the embarrassment of receiving a rejection slip for poor writing.
“Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers” is a postscript to Carolyn’s book, The Frugal Editor. No writer is a consummate writer in every sentence and word choice. Writers can only strive for perfection, but not consumed by it.
This reviewer found this small pamphlet chock full of useful information for all writers. Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers receives a five star rating by this reviewer.
The Reviewer
Robert (Bob) Medak is a writer/editor/reviewer. He reviews for AllBook Reviews and New York Journal of Books. He is acquisitions editor for Real Time PUblishing. Find him at Stormy Winter. He tweets at www.twitter.com/RJ_Medak.
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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:
Sunday, 25 April 2010
#Entrylevel Tweet for Business Help
Title: #Entrylevel Tweet
Author: Heather Huhman
Genre or category: career and business
ISBN: 978-1-61699-024-4
Publisher: ThinkAha
Reviewed by Teresa Morrow for www.successful-blog.com
This week I would like to share with you a book I have read and one I am working with the author entitled #EntryLevel Tweet by Heather Huhman.
The author was questioned why she wrote #EntryLevel Tweet and Heather replied, “Hiring managers expect young professionals to be job hunting experts. And there’s a strong need for quick, easy-to-digest information about entry-level job searching.”
When I was reading #EntryLevel Tweet I found myself shaking my head in agreement due to several of the points stated in the book are right on, such as:
"Don’t beat yourself up for not making the right choice at first–most of us don’t!" —>How true this is! I was going to be a marine biologist, until I went to college and found out I was not as good as math and science as I thought I once was in this subjects.
She goes on to say,"You need to choose a career that makes you happy and excited about going to work, but remember that not every day on the job will be fun". —>there is some part, it may only be 1% of your job, that you will not like doing as part of your job.
Huhman then continues on to discuss how the world for those seeking their first job out of college has changed. “Even in a candidate saturated market, there are many more (and better) ways to get in front of hiring managers than there used to be." —>Oh, yes, this is certainly true. There are people who can do a video resume for you. *Actually that is how my niece landed her first job as a reporter.
She seeks to help recent grads by providing them stepping stones to secure the proper tools to obtain in order to be more successful at landing the job.
About the Author:
Heather R. Huhman is a career expert and Founder of Come Recommended, an exclusive online community connecting the best internship and entry-level job candidates with the best employers. As an experienced hiring manager and someone who has been in nearly every employment-related situation imaginable, Heather knows and understands the needs of today’s employers and internship and entry-level job seekers.
Her expertise in this area led to her selection as Examiner.com’s entry-level careers columnist in mid-2008. The daily, national column educates high school students through recent college graduates about how to find, land, and succeed at internships and entry-level jobs.
The reviewer is Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners, LLC, providing marketing & publicity solutions for writers, coaches, and speakers
(727-644-1773) and contributing editor at large at WE Magazine for Women.
Follow her on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/teresamorrow
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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:
Friday, 23 April 2010
Just What Mothers-in-Law Need!
Title: The Mother-in-Law’s Manual: Proven Strategies for Creating Healthy Relationships with Married Children
Author: Susan Abel Lieberman, PH.D.
Genre: Nonfiction/Family Matters
Publisher: bright sky press
ISBN: 978-1933979410
Originally reviewed by Karen Cioffi for Bookpleasures.com
The Mother-in-Law’s Manual is a wonderfully insightful and at times humorous advice manual for dealing with not only in-laws, but also other family members. Having recently seen a commercial for Monsters-in-Law, with Jennifer Lopez, it was refreshing to read a much more realistic portrayal of mother-in-laws, especially since I am one myself.
Lieberman’s first chapter explains that when our children are young we are afforded an abundance of advice from professionals such as Dr. Spock. But, when our children are grown, leave the nest and marry, we are left to fend for ourselves. Lieberman’s analogy for the marriage is: “They are moving to a new country that they will create together. Yes, we get territorial. Use my bill of rights. Celebrate my holidays. Serve my food. Even if we don’t see it like a competition, we are likely to consider each deviation a loss.”
Situations that never existed before are now ones that can cause hurt, sadness, and even anger, along with satisfaction and happiness. This book delves into all the emotions that come into play. The child who was once yours now belongs to someone else. The author alludes to the fact that this is more of an issue when it is your son and you are dealing with a daughter-in-law. But, whether son or daughter, the dynamics of the family change.
The Mother-in-Law’s Manual is jammed packed with bits and pieces of wisdom. One of my favorite gems comes right after the “10 most recommended rules” for mothers-in-law which are all the same, “Keep your mouth shut.” Lieberman cleverly explains: “Even if we could follow the rule(s) and not say one word that would be heard as contentious, judgmental, argumentative, or critical […] our children would still hear contentions, judgments, arguments, and criticisms.” As a mother and mother-in-law, these are words that ring true. At times it seems you just can’t win. I thought this section was so funny, I had to read it to my husband.
It is difficult to do justice to all the pearls of wisdom in this book. It explains not to fret over the small things, our perceptions and our intent matter, when not to offer advice, and so much more. It even considers the roles of grandparents, children’s relationships to aging parents, and the aging process itself as Lieberman coins as “zippy to droopy.” She even includes a glimpse of her relationship with her own mother, the frustrations and sometimes guilt that is inevitable when a parent reaches an old age or is ill. Having taken care of a quadriplegic mother my experiences are somewhat different, but in some aspects they are the same. When watching your parent age, you wonder if you’re looking at your future.
Lieberman’s efforts produced an impressive book that all family members should read. Her research involved interviews with as many mothers-in-law across the country and from different backgrounds as she could. She even interviewed a number of daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. Many of these interviews are in the book. Some of their stories/advice sounded familiar, others were surprising. But, they all brought another element of enlightenment. Adult children who read this, married or unmarried, will hopefully gain insight into their parents as not only Mom or Dad, but as individuals with a life of their own including hopes, needs and feelings.
One final gem from the book that struck a chord with me is in Chapter Ten: “I understand my children are not my friends, that our relationship is that unique connection between parent and child. But, there is a way in which we are candid and honest with close, old friends, yet show a carefulness, a respectfulness that can be forgotten with parents. As soon as we begin to feel superior to a friend, the nature of the friendship shifts.” Lieberman hit just about every nail on the head with The Mother-in-Law’s Manual. I give this book 5 Stars and highly recommend it.
About the author:
Susan Abel Lieberman currently lives in Houston and works as an executive coach. She has written five books, including New Traditions: Redefining Celebrations for Today’s Family. The Mother-in-Law’s Manual springs from the realization that her assumption that anyone would be thrilled to have her for a mother-in-law was off base. Rather than accepting family tension, she put her skills as a researcher and an executive coach to work to improve the situation. Ordained as an interfaith minister, Lieberman also holds a master’s from Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburg. As a wife, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother, she is well-versed in the challenges presented by every stage of family life. The Mother-in-Law’s Manual brings her personal and professional insights together to help mothers-in-law everywhere start a new chapter in their family life.
About the reviewer:
Karen Cioffi-Ventrice may be reached at
http://www.dkvwriting4u.com
http://karencioffi.com/media-page/
She blogs at http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com and is co-Author of Day's End Lullaby. She is also author of The Self-Publisher's Guide, Writing, Publishing, and Marketing - You Can Do It!, and Walking Through Walls
Tweet with her at http://twitter.com/KarenCV
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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:
Author: Susan Abel Lieberman, PH.D.
Genre: Nonfiction/Family Matters
Publisher: bright sky press
ISBN: 978-1933979410
Originally reviewed by Karen Cioffi for Bookpleasures.com
The Mother-in-Law’s Manual is a wonderfully insightful and at times humorous advice manual for dealing with not only in-laws, but also other family members. Having recently seen a commercial for Monsters-in-Law, with Jennifer Lopez, it was refreshing to read a much more realistic portrayal of mother-in-laws, especially since I am one myself.
Lieberman’s first chapter explains that when our children are young we are afforded an abundance of advice from professionals such as Dr. Spock. But, when our children are grown, leave the nest and marry, we are left to fend for ourselves. Lieberman’s analogy for the marriage is: “They are moving to a new country that they will create together. Yes, we get territorial. Use my bill of rights. Celebrate my holidays. Serve my food. Even if we don’t see it like a competition, we are likely to consider each deviation a loss.”
Situations that never existed before are now ones that can cause hurt, sadness, and even anger, along with satisfaction and happiness. This book delves into all the emotions that come into play. The child who was once yours now belongs to someone else. The author alludes to the fact that this is more of an issue when it is your son and you are dealing with a daughter-in-law. But, whether son or daughter, the dynamics of the family change.
The Mother-in-Law’s Manual is jammed packed with bits and pieces of wisdom. One of my favorite gems comes right after the “10 most recommended rules” for mothers-in-law which are all the same, “Keep your mouth shut.” Lieberman cleverly explains: “Even if we could follow the rule(s) and not say one word that would be heard as contentious, judgmental, argumentative, or critical […] our children would still hear contentions, judgments, arguments, and criticisms.” As a mother and mother-in-law, these are words that ring true. At times it seems you just can’t win. I thought this section was so funny, I had to read it to my husband.
It is difficult to do justice to all the pearls of wisdom in this book. It explains not to fret over the small things, our perceptions and our intent matter, when not to offer advice, and so much more. It even considers the roles of grandparents, children’s relationships to aging parents, and the aging process itself as Lieberman coins as “zippy to droopy.” She even includes a glimpse of her relationship with her own mother, the frustrations and sometimes guilt that is inevitable when a parent reaches an old age or is ill. Having taken care of a quadriplegic mother my experiences are somewhat different, but in some aspects they are the same. When watching your parent age, you wonder if you’re looking at your future.
Lieberman’s efforts produced an impressive book that all family members should read. Her research involved interviews with as many mothers-in-law across the country and from different backgrounds as she could. She even interviewed a number of daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. Many of these interviews are in the book. Some of their stories/advice sounded familiar, others were surprising. But, they all brought another element of enlightenment. Adult children who read this, married or unmarried, will hopefully gain insight into their parents as not only Mom or Dad, but as individuals with a life of their own including hopes, needs and feelings.
One final gem from the book that struck a chord with me is in Chapter Ten: “I understand my children are not my friends, that our relationship is that unique connection between parent and child. But, there is a way in which we are candid and honest with close, old friends, yet show a carefulness, a respectfulness that can be forgotten with parents. As soon as we begin to feel superior to a friend, the nature of the friendship shifts.” Lieberman hit just about every nail on the head with The Mother-in-Law’s Manual. I give this book 5 Stars and highly recommend it.
About the author:
Susan Abel Lieberman currently lives in Houston and works as an executive coach. She has written five books, including New Traditions: Redefining Celebrations for Today’s Family. The Mother-in-Law’s Manual springs from the realization that her assumption that anyone would be thrilled to have her for a mother-in-law was off base. Rather than accepting family tension, she put her skills as a researcher and an executive coach to work to improve the situation. Ordained as an interfaith minister, Lieberman also holds a master’s from Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburg. As a wife, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother, she is well-versed in the challenges presented by every stage of family life. The Mother-in-Law’s Manual brings her personal and professional insights together to help mothers-in-law everywhere start a new chapter in their family life.
About the reviewer:
Karen Cioffi-Ventrice may be reached at
http://www.dkvwriting4u.com
http://karencioffi.com/media-page/
She blogs at http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com and is co-Author of Day's End Lullaby. She is also author of The Self-Publisher's Guide, Writing, Publishing, and Marketing - You Can Do It!, and Walking Through Walls
Tweet with her at http://twitter.com/KarenCV
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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:
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
#DreamTweet a Fun Concept in Self Help
Title: #DreamTweet
Author: Joe Heuer, aka The Rock and Roll Guru
Publisher: ThinkAha Books
Reviewed by Theresa Morrow
I would like to introduce a book I have read. I have also and worked with the author. It is #DreamTweet by Joe Heuer, aka The Rock and Roll Guru published by ThinkAha books.
While watching TV a few weeks ago, I began to notice the commercials were predominately about the Winter Olympics. I watched and listened to the athletes as they talked about what it meant to them to be a part of this worldly event. The described how much dedication it took for them to reach this goal of a lifetime but they wouldn’t have it any other way because it was their DREAM. It was so important to them, that no matter what, it was the one thing they wanted to do it was a part of who they are as a human being.
Well, this is the kind of advice, tips and inspiration you will receive when you read, #DreamTweet by Joe Heuer.
Here are just a few of the wise words from Joe in #DreamTweet:
Be specific in creating your dream. Clarity provides tremendous power. (pg 3)
~Find people who are living their dream and study them. (pg 19)
~You absolutely, positively gotta be the number one believer in your dream. No ifs, ands, or buts! (pg. 28)
~Fear is your dream’s adversary. The most effective technique for casting off your fears is to bathe them in the
light of love. (pg. 49)
~Each day spend time imagining your dream in all its resplendent glory, while feeling the rush of positive emotion that accompanies it. (pg 74)
And Joe is a great role model for his kids because they had this to say about their dad: “Our dad is the perfect person to write ‘DREAMtweet,’ since he’s living his own dream as the Rock and Roll Guru!” –Alex and Rachel Heuer
What else more can I say? So Rock on and live your dreams!
You can order your copy of download a copy of #DreamTweet at ThinkAha website.
Author Bio:
Joe Heuer, is known worldwide as the Rock and Roll Guru (http://RockandRollGuru.com ). An entertaining speaker, author, and full-time rocker, he shares the nuggets of wisdom he has gleaned from Rock & Roll with professional audiences throughout this third rock from the sun.
He believes that in addition to being a groovy musical genre, rock and roll is a way of life that has served as his constant companion and inspiration. Joe has lived numerous dreams, including a stint as the youngest collegiate head basketball coach in the country… who never played the game.
He has written several books. Recent titles include ‘The NEW Rock and Roll Guru Guide to Customer Loyalty’ and ‘The Rock and Roll Guide to Patient Loyalty.’ He also has several rock and roll books in the works.
His wife calls him an idiot savant for his uncanny recall of obscure rock and roll lyrics and trivia.
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The reviewer is Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners, LLC, providing Marketing & Publicity Solutions for Writers, Coaches, and Speakers
727-644-1773 www.twitter.com/teresamorrow
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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:
Author: Joe Heuer, aka The Rock and Roll Guru
Publisher: ThinkAha Books
Reviewed by Theresa Morrow
I would like to introduce a book I have read. I have also and worked with the author. It is #DreamTweet by Joe Heuer, aka The Rock and Roll Guru published by ThinkAha books.
While watching TV a few weeks ago, I began to notice the commercials were predominately about the Winter Olympics. I watched and listened to the athletes as they talked about what it meant to them to be a part of this worldly event. The described how much dedication it took for them to reach this goal of a lifetime but they wouldn’t have it any other way because it was their DREAM. It was so important to them, that no matter what, it was the one thing they wanted to do it was a part of who they are as a human being.
Well, this is the kind of advice, tips and inspiration you will receive when you read, #DreamTweet by Joe Heuer.
Here are just a few of the wise words from Joe in #DreamTweet:
Be specific in creating your dream. Clarity provides tremendous power. (pg 3)
~Find people who are living their dream and study them. (pg 19)
~You absolutely, positively gotta be the number one believer in your dream. No ifs, ands, or buts! (pg. 28)
~Fear is your dream’s adversary. The most effective technique for casting off your fears is to bathe them in the
light of love. (pg. 49)
~Each day spend time imagining your dream in all its resplendent glory, while feeling the rush of positive emotion that accompanies it. (pg 74)
And Joe is a great role model for his kids because they had this to say about their dad: “Our dad is the perfect person to write ‘DREAMtweet,’ since he’s living his own dream as the Rock and Roll Guru!” –Alex and Rachel Heuer
What else more can I say? So Rock on and live your dreams!
You can order your copy of download a copy of #DreamTweet at ThinkAha website.
Author Bio:
Joe Heuer, is known worldwide as the Rock and Roll Guru (http://RockandRollGuru.com ). An entertaining speaker, author, and full-time rocker, he shares the nuggets of wisdom he has gleaned from Rock & Roll with professional audiences throughout this third rock from the sun.
He believes that in addition to being a groovy musical genre, rock and roll is a way of life that has served as his constant companion and inspiration. Joe has lived numerous dreams, including a stint as the youngest collegiate head basketball coach in the country… who never played the game.
He has written several books. Recent titles include ‘The NEW Rock and Roll Guru Guide to Customer Loyalty’ and ‘The Rock and Roll Guide to Patient Loyalty.’ He also has several rock and roll books in the works.
His wife calls him an idiot savant for his uncanny recall of obscure rock and roll lyrics and trivia.
---
The reviewer is Teresa Morrow of Key Business Partners, LLC, providing Marketing & Publicity Solutions for Writers, Coaches, and Speakers
727-644-1773 www.twitter.com/teresamorrow
-----
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:
Monday, 19 April 2010
Two Faces, Two Dreams: A Novel Not To Be Forgotten
When She Sleeps
By Leora Krygier
Toby Press, 2004
ISBN: 1592640869
Adult/Mainstream Fiction
Author’s Site: www.leorakrygier.com
Toby Press, a small publishing house with a knack for discovering prize-winning authors features Leora Krygier’s When She Sleeps in their fall fiction lineup. It looks as if they have acquired another winner.
Leora Krygier weaves the enchanted world of Vietnam and the asphalt streets and privileged hillside homes of LA into an intricate story. When She Sleeps is as much about language and how we are shaped by it as it is about two girls in different parts of the world who are attached genetically to one another but who have no knowledge of the other’s existence. Out of neglect and destitution, the child of war-stricken Saigon takes to living her Vietnamese mother’s life through the fragile woman’s dreams; the American daughter of a doctor in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley finds little sleep and when she does, it is troubled.
Two stories are told with distinctive voices that somehow are entwined. Their real lives throb with vibrant sights, sounds and smells while their dream sequences feel much like a song that was sung in the past and remains with us as we walk our every day lives. The reader comes to understand the emotional needs that draw the two to one another; the sisters are like two parts of a Miz Pah coin, each worn as a charm by strangers a half globe away. Inevitably the jagged edges begin to fit and the mystery of their lives is revealed.
Krygier has woven a kind of magical realism that fits this literary category and, at once, is uniquely her own. Publishers often become jaded, believing that there nothing new is offered to them; some don’t recognize it when it comes to sit in their laps. This press deserves much credit for taking a chance on a story entirely its own, on a book--from the story line to the melody--consuming and beautiful.
This book is out of print but you should still be able to get it on Amazon's New and Used feature. The author is also wrote another book I love, First the Raven.
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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.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:
By Leora Krygier
Toby Press, 2004
ISBN: 1592640869
Adult/Mainstream Fiction
Author’s Site: www.leorakrygier.com
Toby Press, a small publishing house with a knack for discovering prize-winning authors features Leora Krygier’s When She Sleeps in their fall fiction lineup. It looks as if they have acquired another winner.
Leora Krygier weaves the enchanted world of Vietnam and the asphalt streets and privileged hillside homes of LA into an intricate story. When She Sleeps is as much about language and how we are shaped by it as it is about two girls in different parts of the world who are attached genetically to one another but who have no knowledge of the other’s existence. Out of neglect and destitution, the child of war-stricken Saigon takes to living her Vietnamese mother’s life through the fragile woman’s dreams; the American daughter of a doctor in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley finds little sleep and when she does, it is troubled.
Two stories are told with distinctive voices that somehow are entwined. Their real lives throb with vibrant sights, sounds and smells while their dream sequences feel much like a song that was sung in the past and remains with us as we walk our every day lives. The reader comes to understand the emotional needs that draw the two to one another; the sisters are like two parts of a Miz Pah coin, each worn as a charm by strangers a half globe away. Inevitably the jagged edges begin to fit and the mystery of their lives is revealed.
Krygier has woven a kind of magical realism that fits this literary category and, at once, is uniquely her own. Publishers often become jaded, believing that there nothing new is offered to them; some don’t recognize it when it comes to sit in their laps. This press deserves much credit for taking a chance on a story entirely its own, on a book--from the story line to the melody--consuming and beautiful.
This book is out of print but you should still be able to get it on Amazon's New and Used feature. The author is also wrote another book I love, First the Raven.
-----
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.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:Sunday, 18 April 2010
Writing Character: Essential Writers' E-Book
The Three Dimensions of Character: Going Deep and Wide To Develop Compelling Heroes and Villains
By Larry Brooks
E-book
www.storyfix.com
Synopsis
Larry Brooks, the creator of Storyfix.com and the bestselling author of five novels, has released a new ebook entitled, "The Three Dimensions of Character -- Going Deep and Wide to Create Compelling Heroes and Villains."
The ebook is available from his Web site for $14.95.
Brooks takes a unique approach to the essential task of characterization by breaking the process down into three realms of depth, each with a succinct aspect of character and each with inherent risks and rewards, as well as criteria for effectiveness. The common shortfall of characterization, says Brooks, is that writers stop short of fully vesting their heroes and villains with all three dimensions, rendering them shallow stereotypes based on only the first dimension of quirks, ticks, habits and surface identity choices.
Group licensing and bulk order discounts available.
Brooks has two other ebooks available from his site, one on story structure and the other offering 101 "slightly unpredictable" tips for writers. His new novel, Whisper of the Seventh Thunder releases in March, and he has a writing book coming out in early 2011, published by Writers Digest Books. He is a frequent workshop instructor and keynote speaker at writing conferences across the United States. You may contact him at storyfixer@gmail.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.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:
By Larry Brooks
E-book
www.storyfix.com
Synopsis
Larry Brooks, the creator of Storyfix.com and the bestselling author of five novels, has released a new ebook entitled, "The Three Dimensions of Character -- Going Deep and Wide to Create Compelling Heroes and Villains."
The ebook is available from his Web site for $14.95.
Brooks takes a unique approach to the essential task of characterization by breaking the process down into three realms of depth, each with a succinct aspect of character and each with inherent risks and rewards, as well as criteria for effectiveness. The common shortfall of characterization, says Brooks, is that writers stop short of fully vesting their heroes and villains with all three dimensions, rendering them shallow stereotypes based on only the first dimension of quirks, ticks, habits and surface identity choices.
Group licensing and bulk order discounts available.
Brooks has two other ebooks available from his site, one on story structure and the other offering 101 "slightly unpredictable" tips for writers. His new novel, Whisper of the Seventh Thunder releases in March, and he has a writing book coming out in early 2011, published by Writers Digest Books. He is a frequent workshop instructor and keynote speaker at writing conferences across the United States. You may contact him at storyfixer@gmail.com.
-----
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.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:Saturday, 17 April 2010
New FREE Book for Writers Offfered to New Book Review Subscribers
It doesn't hurt to try something NEW on this New Book Review now and then. And get a little bonus for being a subscriber or regular reader. It's a FREE book from novelist K.M. Weiland called Crafting Unforgettable Characters: A Hands-On Introduction to Bringing Your Characters to Life.
Crafting Unforgettable Characters: A Hands-On Introduction to Bringing Your Characters to Life Features some of K. M. Weiland's most popular tips on character crafting. This pdf offers a good starting place for understanding the basics of character building, as well as some tips for troubleshooting. You’ll also discover inspiring quotes from successful authors, writing prompts, and creativity exercises. Of course, the discussion of character is far too vast a subject to be covered in a 50-page e-book, but this information will give you the tools you need to tackle your latest batch of characters.
You creceive your copy by signing up using the form in the top of the left-hand column on her blog Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors: http://wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com/2009/12/free-e-book-crafting-unforgettable.html.
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So, now, don't you want to subscribe so you don't miss a single offer like this? Use the subscription form in the left column of this blog.
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.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:
Crafting Unforgettable Characters: A Hands-On Introduction to Bringing Your Characters to Life Features some of K. M. Weiland's most popular tips on character crafting. This pdf offers a good starting place for understanding the basics of character building, as well as some tips for troubleshooting. You’ll also discover inspiring quotes from successful authors, writing prompts, and creativity exercises. Of course, the discussion of character is far too vast a subject to be covered in a 50-page e-book, but this information will give you the tools you need to tackle your latest batch of characters.
You creceive your copy by signing up using the form in the top of the left-hand column on her blog Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors: http://wordplay-kmweiland.blogspot.com/2009/12/free-e-book-crafting-unforgettable.html.
-----
So, now, don't you want to subscribe so you don't miss a single offer like this? Use the subscription form in the left column of this blog.
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.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Poetry Available on iPad
Celebration Series of Poems iPad Bound
Technology is ever changing. It’s almost impossible to keep up with the latest news, gadgets, and trends, especially when it comes to e-books and reading habits.
Yet the least likely of tech-geeks, authors Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball, are always keen and to meet their readers’ needs, and when Smashwords.com announced its new deal with Apple to produce formats suitable for the iPad and Apple’s new iBookstore, the authors immediately agreed, and jumped into action, pulling together the appropriate formatting for all of their celebration series books and putting them forward for conversion.
The celebration series has been designed specifically to replace the trite, cliché sentiments of greeting cards, at prices that are little more than the cost of a high end card. Many of the books are beautifully illustrated with paintings or photographs, with poetry designed along themes that focus on mothers (She Wore Emerald Thenwww.budurlcom/MotherChapbook for the paperback and http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/8846 for the e-book versions ), fathers and other men (Imagining the Future , www.budurl.com/Imagining for the paperback and http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/11189 for the e-book versions), and love (Cherished Pulse, www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse for the paperback and http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/8086 for the e-book versions).
More books are in the works, including a Christmas chapbook. Hard copies of all the books are available at Amazon as giftable, low-priced paperbacks, or you can pick them up in whatever format suits, including the iPad, Kindle, Epub (Stanza reader),.pdf, LTF (for Sony reader), and more at Smashwords.com, http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/maggieball. Note: As this date Smashwords doesn’t accept coauthor listings. That these formats are evolving is evident!
So, though two authors are involved, this page lists only Ball who set the page up.
As far as Howard-Johnson and Ball are concerned, whatever format suits their reader suits them. It’s all good.
Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected compulsivereader.com review site. She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, which was published in December 2009 to unanimous 5-star reviews. Her novel Sleep Before Evening, published in 2007, 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. 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 .
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Support material available electronically or by post on request.
Other headshots and book cover art is available.
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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:
Technology is ever changing. It’s almost impossible to keep up with the latest news, gadgets, and trends, especially when it comes to e-books and reading habits.
Yet the least likely of tech-geeks, authors Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball, are always keen and to meet their readers’ needs, and when Smashwords.com announced its new deal with Apple to produce formats suitable for the iPad and Apple’s new iBookstore, the authors immediately agreed, and jumped into action, pulling together the appropriate formatting for all of their celebration series books and putting them forward for conversion.
The celebration series has been designed specifically to replace the trite, cliché sentiments of greeting cards, at prices that are little more than the cost of a high end card. Many of the books are beautifully illustrated with paintings or photographs, with poetry designed along themes that focus on mothers (She Wore Emerald Thenwww.budurlcom/MotherChapbook for the paperback and http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/8846 for the e-book versions ), fathers and other men (Imagining the Future , www.budurl.com/Imagining for the paperback and http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/11189 for the e-book versions), and love (Cherished Pulse, www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse for the paperback and http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/8086 for the e-book versions).
More books are in the works, including a Christmas chapbook. Hard copies of all the books are available at Amazon as giftable, low-priced paperbacks, or you can pick them up in whatever format suits, including the iPad, Kindle, Epub (Stanza reader),.pdf, LTF (for Sony reader), and more at Smashwords.com, http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/maggieball. Note: As this date Smashwords doesn’t accept coauthor listings. That these formats are evolving is evident!
So, though two authors are involved, this page lists only Ball who set the page up.
As far as Howard-Johnson and Ball are concerned, whatever format suits their reader suits them. It’s all good.
Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected compulsivereader.com review site. She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, which was published in December 2009 to unanimous 5-star reviews. Her novel Sleep Before Evening, published in 2007, 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. 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 .
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Support material available electronically or by post on request.
Other headshots and book cover art is available.
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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:
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Calling Cat Lovers Everywhere!
Title: Buckley's Story - Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher
Author: Ingrid King
Genre: Pets, Memoir
ISBN: 9781440166242
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views
If you’ve ever had the great honor to share your life with a pet, “Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher” will not come as any surprise to you, but it will certainly make you shake your head in agreement and cause you to smile often, particularly when you’ll reach some parts which will greatly remind you of your pet’s habits. Animals could – and do! – teach us so much, if only we stop for long enough and truly listen to them.
Buckley was a small cat with a huge personality and an even bigger heart. She entered Ms. King’s life with a whisper, as the “office cat” in the veterinary hospital which was managed by Ms. King at the time. An extremely affectionate tortoiseshell cat, she became a constant companion who was very much missed when Ms. King decided to explore other career paths and left the hospital. After a couple of not immediately successful attempts to assimilate into Ms. King’s household, Buckley finally came home for good. Amber, the “original” cat sharing Ms. King’s home, had to adapt to the new situation, and she learned to share “her human” with another cat quite quickly. Sadly, Buckley was diagnosed with a heart condition after two years of her arrival into the new home, and the second half of the book deals with the treatments, challenges and final acceptance of the situation. The many moments of pure joy were always tainted with sadness over the inevitable final outcome of this situation, and Ms. King managed to capture the process of ultimate acceptance in incredible vivid detail.
Warm, intelligent and wise, this is a beautiful book that will touch the hearts of animal lovers, particularly those who are grieving over the loss of their companions or who are living with the knowledge that their companions will not be able to share their lives with them for much longer. It shall also prove useful to anybody who might be thinking of adopting an older and possibly not so healthy animal, showing very clearly why that might be a particularly good choice. The detailed information on Buckley’s diagnosis and treatment course, with clearly described challenges and rewards, might very well make some pet owners reconsider the path they are taking and make them realize that oftentimes we would do better to follow our instincts more and feel less obliged to blindly accept the mainstream information. And more than anything, “Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher” by Ingrid King should make you realize again how much we should and do learn from the animals who graciously share their love and life with us.
Author Contact:
Ingrid King may be found at www.ingridking.com. Connect with her on
Facebook www.facebook.com/ingrid.king
and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/consciouscats
-----
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:
Author: Ingrid King
Genre: Pets, Memoir
ISBN: 9781440166242
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views
If you’ve ever had the great honor to share your life with a pet, “Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher” will not come as any surprise to you, but it will certainly make you shake your head in agreement and cause you to smile often, particularly when you’ll reach some parts which will greatly remind you of your pet’s habits. Animals could – and do! – teach us so much, if only we stop for long enough and truly listen to them.
Buckley was a small cat with a huge personality and an even bigger heart. She entered Ms. King’s life with a whisper, as the “office cat” in the veterinary hospital which was managed by Ms. King at the time. An extremely affectionate tortoiseshell cat, she became a constant companion who was very much missed when Ms. King decided to explore other career paths and left the hospital. After a couple of not immediately successful attempts to assimilate into Ms. King’s household, Buckley finally came home for good. Amber, the “original” cat sharing Ms. King’s home, had to adapt to the new situation, and she learned to share “her human” with another cat quite quickly. Sadly, Buckley was diagnosed with a heart condition after two years of her arrival into the new home, and the second half of the book deals with the treatments, challenges and final acceptance of the situation. The many moments of pure joy were always tainted with sadness over the inevitable final outcome of this situation, and Ms. King managed to capture the process of ultimate acceptance in incredible vivid detail.
Warm, intelligent and wise, this is a beautiful book that will touch the hearts of animal lovers, particularly those who are grieving over the loss of their companions or who are living with the knowledge that their companions will not be able to share their lives with them for much longer. It shall also prove useful to anybody who might be thinking of adopting an older and possibly not so healthy animal, showing very clearly why that might be a particularly good choice. The detailed information on Buckley’s diagnosis and treatment course, with clearly described challenges and rewards, might very well make some pet owners reconsider the path they are taking and make them realize that oftentimes we would do better to follow our instincts more and feel less obliged to blindly accept the mainstream information. And more than anything, “Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher” by Ingrid King should make you realize again how much we should and do learn from the animals who graciously share their love and life with us.
Author Contact:
Ingrid King may be found at www.ingridking.com. Connect with her on
Facebook www.facebook.com/ingrid.king
and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/consciouscats
-----
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:
Friday, 26 March 2010
Russian Reviews Fateful Love
Fateful Love
By Mary Sanglante
Based on Lost on Earth by Lily Alex
(280 pages)
ISBN: 9781604414899
Reviewed by Aglaia, Moscow, Russia
This romantic thriller is easy to read. I was not able to put the book
down until I finished it. The plot flows so smoothly, that changing
chapters is almost unnoticeable, the intrigue absorbs you completely
and the new heroes are introduced in a very comfortable way.
I especially liked to track how Martha's love grows. It's impossible
to hold back sympathy for Robert Noirson, despite the fact that he's
an antihero. All he does to impress Martha involuntarily affects the
reader as well. However, you can feel the increasing tension, and it's
obvious for Martha that it won't be a happily-ever-after marriage.
When Brandy appears, at first I felt pity for her, but when she starts
her revenge, only because of her jealousy, the sympathy for her fades
and you just want to say: "Get out of here!"
During the whole story, the author shows unstopping conflict between
Goodness and Evil, and often humans act much worse than demons. The
author shows that people have freedom of choice, and can't always use
it properly.
In the mean time, there is so much evil in this world that this book
makes us think how we act when contacting with others, how we all are
connected and how we affect each other. It's sad that Martha's love
overpowered her faith, but it's understandable and you don't feel
anger, but pity for her.
A few times the author shows the Power of God and the blessing of
forgiveness and repentance. I like the allegories and metaphors that
the author uses during the narration.
The scene that impressed me the most - when Martha was unable to go back.
The illustrations are also great! They illustrate the events without
strife with your own imagination
-----
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:
By Mary Sanglante
Based on Lost on Earth by Lily Alex
(280 pages)
ISBN: 9781604414899
Reviewed by Aglaia, Moscow, Russia
This romantic thriller is easy to read. I was not able to put the book
down until I finished it. The plot flows so smoothly, that changing
chapters is almost unnoticeable, the intrigue absorbs you completely
and the new heroes are introduced in a very comfortable way.
I especially liked to track how Martha's love grows. It's impossible
to hold back sympathy for Robert Noirson, despite the fact that he's
an antihero. All he does to impress Martha involuntarily affects the
reader as well. However, you can feel the increasing tension, and it's
obvious for Martha that it won't be a happily-ever-after marriage.
When Brandy appears, at first I felt pity for her, but when she starts
her revenge, only because of her jealousy, the sympathy for her fades
and you just want to say: "Get out of here!"
During the whole story, the author shows unstopping conflict between
Goodness and Evil, and often humans act much worse than demons. The
author shows that people have freedom of choice, and can't always use
it properly.
In the mean time, there is so much evil in this world that this book
makes us think how we act when contacting with others, how we all are
connected and how we affect each other. It's sad that Martha's love
overpowered her faith, but it's understandable and you don't feel
anger, but pity for her.
A few times the author shows the Power of God and the blessing of
forgiveness and repentance. I like the allegories and metaphors that
the author uses during the narration.
The scene that impressed me the most - when Martha was unable to go back.
The illustrations are also great! They illustrate the events without
strife with your own imagination
-----
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:
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Title: EGYPT, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: CRITICAL SUSTAINABILITY PERSPECTIVES
Category: Nonfiction / Environment
Author: Tarek Selim
Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd., London
Publication date: July 2009
ISBN (hardcover): 978-1906704506
ISBN (paperback): 978-1906704513
Pure environmentalism and pure resource exploitation can be integrated together to form an encompassing sustainability solution. This is the main message of this book based on an innovative “structure-concentration-incentives” methodology applied to Egypt. This methodology provides a basis for achieving environmental sustainability based on endogenous source-driven forces of change in contrast to the traditional effects-dominant oriented approach. Though the book’s methodology could be used as a framework of analysis in environmental sustainability research for any developing country, Egypt provides a rich case study because of its historical, socio-economic, and political constructs.
Sustainable development is generally seen as a tradeoff between resource efficiency and social equity such that total resource essentials in society can become sustainable in the long run in a manner that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Environmental sustainability cannot be implemented without the direct inclusion of structure (form), concentration (effect), and incentives (drivers) as critical policy choices because: (1) they constitute a necessary condition in any country’s path towards sustainable development, (2) they must be implemented simultaneously as a target and constraint, and (3) they require social and political sacrifice complemented by endogenous-based systems in contrast to authoritarian solutions.
Egypt, Energy and the Environment presents research on Egypt’s energy and environmental resources from multidisciplinary perspectives. It offers sustainability solutions to many of the country’s problems relating to energy, pollution, water, gender, wildlife, politics, economics, management, ecology, and information technology. The book’s method of analysis can be applied to other developing countries as well.
Author info:
Tarek H. Selim is Associate Professor of Economics at the American University in Cairo and Faculty Affiliate to Harvard Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. He has published extensively in leading international journals and presented papers in many conferences. His research output includes more than fifty research articles and book reviews, and he won his school’s research excellence award in 2006. Professor Selim has PhD in economics from George Washington University, MBA from Johns Hopkins, and holds professional certificate programs from MIT, Harvard, Georgetown, Oxford, and Imperial College.
-----
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:
Category: Nonfiction / Environment
Author: Tarek Selim
Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd., London
Publication date: July 2009
ISBN (hardcover): 978-1906704506
ISBN (paperback): 978-1906704513
Pure environmentalism and pure resource exploitation can be integrated together to form an encompassing sustainability solution. This is the main message of this book based on an innovative “structure-concentration-incentives” methodology applied to Egypt. This methodology provides a basis for achieving environmental sustainability based on endogenous source-driven forces of change in contrast to the traditional effects-dominant oriented approach. Though the book’s methodology could be used as a framework of analysis in environmental sustainability research for any developing country, Egypt provides a rich case study because of its historical, socio-economic, and political constructs.
Sustainable development is generally seen as a tradeoff between resource efficiency and social equity such that total resource essentials in society can become sustainable in the long run in a manner that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Environmental sustainability cannot be implemented without the direct inclusion of structure (form), concentration (effect), and incentives (drivers) as critical policy choices because: (1) they constitute a necessary condition in any country’s path towards sustainable development, (2) they must be implemented simultaneously as a target and constraint, and (3) they require social and political sacrifice complemented by endogenous-based systems in contrast to authoritarian solutions.
Egypt, Energy and the Environment presents research on Egypt’s energy and environmental resources from multidisciplinary perspectives. It offers sustainability solutions to many of the country’s problems relating to energy, pollution, water, gender, wildlife, politics, economics, management, ecology, and information technology. The book’s method of analysis can be applied to other developing countries as well.
Author info:
Tarek H. Selim is Associate Professor of Economics at the American University in Cairo and Faculty Affiliate to Harvard Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. He has published extensively in leading international journals and presented papers in many conferences. His research output includes more than fifty research articles and book reviews, and he won his school’s research excellence award in 2006. Professor Selim has PhD in economics from George Washington University, MBA from Johns Hopkins, and holds professional certificate programs from MIT, Harvard, Georgetown, Oxford, and Imperial College.
-----
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:
