St. John of the Midfield author Garasamo Maccagnone

Book Title: St. John of the Midfield
Author: Garasamo Maccagnone
Genre: Sports Fiction - Adult
ISBN-10: 1608607925
ISBN-13: 978-1608607921
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing




Reviewed by: Irfan Faroqui, for The New Book Review

St John of the Midfield is a moving story, which plays out against the backdrop of the competitive youth soccer scene. Don't worry if you aren't a sports or soccer fan. The reader doesn't need a working knowledge of the sport to enjoy this human drama, which starts in Bulgaria and travels all the way to the soccer fields of America. Garasamo uses the intrigues generated by sports competition to ignite and fuel this engaging read.
St. John of the Midfield is above all a father's story. Mario Santini, half Sicilian, half Czech, narrates the tale and is torn between being a good father and being a good son. Mario has made a 'temporary peace' with his father Frankie's Mafia lifestyle, but balances two worlds as he tries to raise his son, Luca, on the legitimate side of the family business. Somewhere deep inside, Mario acknowledges that the differences between these worlds will have to be reconciled. In the meantime he is having a ball becoming an unintentional "soccer dad." Luca's talent as a soccer player is truly recognized by coach Bobo, a former world-class Bulgarian soccer player. The action rises with the appearance of Sonny Christopher, Bobo's former sports rival. Sonny renews his rivalry and soccer field politics become personal when he targets Luca, using malicious and dangerous tactics, in his attempts to destroy Bobo on and off the field.
This story touches everything from fatherhood, family loyalty, pride, revenge, justice, the husband and wife relationship, desires of the flesh, to questions about consequence, and personal responsibility. You will be halfway through without realizing how much time has passed. This book is riveting.

~Tomorrow, December 22, 2010, is day seven of the St. John of the Midfield virtual tour. Hosted by Lisa Jackson it is a Q&A written interview with Garasamo Maccagnone at http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/ . Follow this blogger on Twitter: @lisajjackson




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

Amazon Project Thriller Reviewed

Title: The Wilco Project

Author: Daniel Springer
Website: http://danielspringer.com/
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
ISBN: ISBN-13: 978-1453884638

Reviewer: Publishers Weekly

Note: THE WILCO PROJECT was a semi-finalist in the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest.)

"The WILCO Project combines murder mystery with elements of a technological thriller, blending the genres in a deftly written manuscript. The author provides a gripping opening with a female college student murdered while playing a mysterious campus-wide game in the woods. Readers are soon introduced to the rest of the cast of characters: Dr Steven Archer, former Internet entrepreneur turned professor, who leads a team of young computer programmers in the creation of the ultimate cell phone game; Bobbi, a school reporter, determined to find out the truth about the murder, even if it means putting her own life in jeopardy; Jonathan Holden, creator of the game and all around cad; Patricia, the angry assistant on the team who is sleeping with the head of the wireless company, Larry Hershman; and finally, Peter, a techno-geek who is invisible. After Archer discovers that the dead girl is Jonathan's ex-fiance, he realizes that the The Wilco Project is a game of hide-and-seek, in which players use the phone to locate and destroy enemies. As Archer finds himself investigating the first murder and a subsequent one, he is led down one path after another. While this plot is a new take on an old thriller genre, the author delivers a well-executed thriller." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY


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

Reviewer Gives Book on Meditation Top Marks

Title: Relaxing into Meditation

Author: Ngakma Nor’dzin
Publisher: Aro Books worldwide
Date: 13th August 2010
ISBN: 978-1-898185-17-8
Web page: http://bit.ly/nrprim
Contact: arobooksworldwide@gmail.com



Reviewer: Rossinna Ippolito

Relaxing into Meditation is the best book on meditation I've ever read, and I've been browsing them since the mid-70's. I say this because of the distinction made between relaxation and meditation, and the explanation of why relaxation must happen before meditation can begin. I have never seen it spelled out so clearly before, and in such a gentle, non-didactic manner. The writing draws you in and you come to love the teacher as if you were also a member of one of her meditation groups. I love that the chapters are short and not overwhelming. The author doesn't talk down to the reader and isn't too folksy. It is simple, but not "meditation for dummies."
Some years ago I was watching a cable-access show presented by one of the guru-types that so frequently make appearances on such venues. One thing he mentioned came through loud and clear. In his discussion on meditating the guru explained that one can't just jump into meditation and expect it to "work." Rather, he said that "the secret" is that your focus should be on "becoming meditative" rather than "meditating." That is, if you stop putting the emphasis on attempting to have the perfect meditation experience and just relax by performing the preliminaries, a meditative state will come upon you in a natural, non-forced manner.
This struck me, for having read various meditation books through the years I would become motivated to practice but would stop and start, becoming bored or frustrated with my lack of "progress." Thus, hearing about the idea of not trying so hard at it, but just relaxing into "becoming meditative" was very appealing. Unfortunately, I never saw that presenter's show again so I never learned what it meant to "become meditative" - that is, until I read Relaxing into Meditation.
The beauty of the text is in the presentation of the ways of becoming meditative, i.e. through breath-work, song or movement. Each exercise is enough in itself. There is no pressure to move on to the next technique, and the benefits of each level are given respect. That is not to say one is not invited to try other meditative techniques, just that each one is whole and respected in itself.
The illustrations of the text along with the warm and friendly manner in which it is written make attempting each new meditative technique a real pleasure. This is a fabulous book for those who have been curious about meditation but were a little hesitant, feeling they didn't have "the right stuff" to be successful at it. The text is gentle and fun and calmly inspiring, and even if you have dabbled in meditation before you'll learn new ways to think about what you have been doing. Relaxing into Meditation is sure to become a classic.



~The reviewer is a freelance back-of-the book indexer whose speciality is spiritual and religious texts: http://inDocsinDexing.com



~Aro Books worldwide may be accessed at  http://aro-books-worldwide.org/ . Tweeting at
http://twitter.com/arobooksworld .



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

Title: Haint Blue

Author: Carl E. Linke
Author’s website: www.carllinke.com
Fiction (Southern Literature); 306 pp (paperback)
Publisher: Philip-Forrest Publishing
Publication Date: June 2010
Paperback: $14.00
Amazon (Kindle; $4.95)
ISBN: 978-0-982-74216-7


Reviewed by Sandie Kirkland for Booksiesblog

From the first pages of Carl E. Linke's Haint Blue, the reader is transported south to Beaufort, South Carolina, and its Lowcountry heritage and traditions. Spanish moss festoons the trees in front of stately old homes. Feasts of shrimp and grits, oysters, hush puppies, sweet tea and pecan pie fight the air for dominance with magnolias and gardenias. The book's title comes from an old belief that ghosts (haints) won't cross water and painting ceilings, doors and windows haint blue protects the inhabitants from them. Church is a big priority, followed closely by the fortunes of the local high school and college football teams. Above all else is the closeness to the land and the fortunes tied to the bounty found by fishing and farming.


But there is a darker side. This is an area built on the cruelty of slave labor. The descendants of those slaves, the Gullah people, are still here, mired in poverty with few prospects for work as the old powerhouses of the economy, seafood, tobacco, textiles and furniture leaves for other areas. Outside interests want to buy up property because of its location and charm, but then build megamalls and residential subdivisions that take away the very things they chased to the area. There are still vestiges of voodoo, Tarot cards, hexes and superstition.

Kip Drummond is caught in the middle. He bought the local oyster factory six years ago, and built a life in Beaufort for his wife and stepson. Now, he is being pressured by investors to sell the property, and they are playing hardball, buying off his suppliers and giving better prices to his buyers, squeezing the life out of the company bit by bit. His wife hates the area and wants to move back to her native Charleston. But on the other side, the workers who have worked in the factory their entire lives depend on him. Without the factory, there will be nowhere for them to make a living wage. Will Kip be able to keep his head and make the right decision? He is haunted by a deep secret that influences everything he does, and along with the other pressures, it threatens to come out.
Carl Linke has written a solid debut novel. He has captured the feel of the Southern Lowcountry so well that the reader can close their eyes and be there immediately with the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that seem more realistic than the room they sit in. His descriptions of tailgating parties, a typical Southern church service, the suddenness of weather changes, the aftermath of hurricanes, and the tensions between those born in the area and those moving in are spot on. The reader will want to find out what happens, and how Kip resolves his dilemma. This book is recommended for readers interested in regional writing that also hits broader themes of how the country moves forward to a new economy, and how people from different backgrounds can live together.

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

Amazon Top 500 Reviewer Weighs in on Fiction by Lantin

Title: Come Here...and I'll Show You
Kindle Edition
By Derek Lantin,
Author's blog: http://dereklantin.booksabuzz.com/
Publisher: Bangkok Books

http://www.bangkokbooks.com/php/product/product.php?product_id=001009

Reviewed by Citizen John, Top 500 Reviewer for Amazon


This is Lantin's first published book and what a story! Edwards is a former Secret War soldier and expatriate who gets enticed into returning to the lands along the Mekong River where he reconnects with former comrades to resolve an inheritance matter. This guy has no sense of political correctness which improbably makes him a magnet for dangerous women.

A lot of the action takes place in some of the countries along the Mekong including Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. We get to know places where Lantin spent some of his formative post-RAF years such as Sihanoukville (literally, city of sandalwood), a port city of Cambodia and Vientiane, the capital of Laos as well as jungle highlands where remnants of the Hmong people are in hiding to this day. These are some of the places where belligerents of the Vietnam War operated in an unofficial proxy war fueled by the Cold War powers.

Edwards, like many expats, enjoys a "coupla beers" whenever the situation allows, which is quite often. He is single and has a kind of zest for life that one often finds in those that have seen their share of war like Hemingway, Dieter Dengler (Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War) and Zorba the Greek (Zorba the Greek). In short, he doesn't pass up an opportunity with beautiful local women. However, this novel is neither graphic nor filled with profanity. I found Edward's uninhibited style disarming and a great vehicle to lose myself in escapism, an experience that has become darn hard to find.

Having finished reading Come Here...and I'll Show You, I felt inspired to check out some famous scenes from Clint Eastwood movies on `Y-Tube.' I had forgotten how politically incorrect Eastwood's characters were. However, I was reminded of the magnetism they created. Such characters are far from amoral. They get into scrapes because they stand for something. That maybe why it's believable that women are attracted to them and what allows them to live in a way we can only imagine.

I couldn't easily put the book down. It's filled with information that would be helpful for one trying to survive in a jungle, in places like Laos or in cash-economy environments. Mainly it's great escapist entertainment.


~To connect with the author an Facebook go to FaceBook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Come-Here-and-Ill-Show-You/111874615543613

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

Perfect Little Gift for Writers on Your List

The Great First Impression Book Proposal
Subtitle: Everything You Need To Know To Impress a Publisher in Twenty Minutes or Less
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/great_first_impression_book_proposal.htm
A booklet in the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers
$6.95
Available on Amazon: www.budurl.com/BookProposals


Reviewed by Jennifer Akers, reviewer and editor for MyShelf

If you’re interested in writing a book, then I’ve found a great resource for you. Written by PR guru, award-winning writer, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, The Great First Impression Book Proposal guides you through every step you need to know to impress a publisher.


Do you know the differences between fiction and nonfiction writers trying to sell their books? The former writes their book first and then sends a query letter, including a specific number of chapters (requested by the publisher or agent). Their book must be ready to go because the publisher may want to contract their work.

Nonfiction writers send proposals, in which they need to impress the publisher on the idea of their work. The book isn’t written. Before that sounds like the easier path of the two, it isn’t. A book proposal is well researched and formatted; the process is similar to writing a book and can be complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing.

To the rescue, The Great First Impression Book Proposal! In six chapters, you’ll learn how to get past gatekeepers, entice jaded gatekeepers, get an open invitation, and keep those doors open. You’ll also have a checklist to make sure your proposal is at its best. The resource section includes a basic query letter sample, suggested studies, and resources for editing, grammar, book promotion, publishing and more.

A book proposal is a mysterious beast. It’s not something you can bypass; it’s a necessary “evil” of the publishing world. To do it correctly, you need to know the guidelines. In essence, you’re proposing a business deal, but your letter shouldn’t be too formal. It needs to be friendly with eye-attracting titles without being too cozy or using over-the-top language like “amazing”. It’s a fine balance; one you’ll need to learn to be successful.

You’ll learn about the publishing industry; the correct way to research, write, and format your letter; and the steps to make yours a winning proposal. This is a jammed-packed resource, with the tag line “Everything You Need To Know To Impress A Publisher in Twenty Minutes or Less”. A quick read with everything to write a winning proposal.

Howard-Johnson writes with the experience of a professional and the candor of a best friend who doesn’t want you to fall on your face. With humor and friendliness, she offers solid, practical tips. She is one of my favorite authors, and her books always top my must-have list. This one is no exception. It’ll stay on my resource shelf.

If you’ve ever thought about being an author, you need The Great First Impression Book Proposal in your resources.

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

Humor and Romance Mix Pleases Happily Ever After Reviewer

Title: Confessions of a Liberal Lover

Author: E.M. Muller
Author's Website: http://emmuller.com/
Publisher: Red Rose Publishing
Genre: Mainstream Fiction: Contemporary, Chick Lit, Comedy

Reviewed by Kylie for Happily Ever After Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5 Tea Cups

E.M. Muller's Confessions of a Liberal Lover is poignantly funny from start to finish. Not just a story of finding the right guy, but of finding oneself.
After failing to live up to expectations one too many times, Maud leaves home at 19. She is thrust into the world of full time work, part time school, and one disastrous relationship after another. Which includes such enjoyable calamities as receiving a rifle instead of a ring, a delightfully disastrous wedding, and the most perfectly comical divorce. Along for the ride is Maud's pet gargoyle, who dispenses wisdom, advice, and wit, all rolled into one. Maud's gargoyle steadfastly refuses to let her give up on herself or settle for less than she deserves. Forget the fairy godmothers, ladies; what we all really need is a gargoyle.
Maud's sexual encounters run the gambit from Young Republicans, mishaps with the missionary position, to riding cowboys, and much more. From faking orgasms to fellatio, nothing is taboo. While never explicit, Muller's frank honesty and witty portrayal of sex will have you laughing with delight and cringing in understanding.
With a sassy and smart heroine, and a gargoyle that's part fairy godmother and part Jiminy Cricket, Confessions of a Liberal Lover is the perfect book for any girl who ever felt overshadowed by a sibling, misunderstood by a parent, or turned herself inside out for a guy.

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

Movie-Optioned Book Reviewed by Wendy Thomas

Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever
By Judith Marshall

Author's Web site: http://www.judithmarshall.net/
Women’s Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-9825046-0-4



Reviewed By Wendy Thomas Of Bookpleasures.com

In an updated and timely story reminiscent of The Big Chill, this touching and poignant narration of mature women, friends since high school, who come together over the death of one of their group will remain with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
Six young very different girls met in high school and at one birthday party decided to form a pact of “no secrets” between them. They remained friends throughout adulthood weathering the storms of divorces, abuse, financial instability, and ultimate success always with brutal honesty and love toward each other.
Liz, the narrator of the story is in turmoil. Her perfect boyfriend has taken a job and asked her to move with him from California to New York. Unwilling to leave her job in corporate Human Resources, as well as her friends, the decision of whether to commit to Sam is made even more complicated when after years of service she is laid off after her company acquires another company making her job redundant. With grown children who have left the house, Liz finds herself, for the first time in her life, anchorless and adrift with no definite destination in site.
The accidental death of Karen, the adventurous risk taker of the group takes them all by surprise as they begin to question their lives, mortality, and what is really important in life.
Skillfully written, this story moves at a steady pace slowly unfolding to give us more and more insight into these convincing and highly likeable characters. The dialog is well done and the characters utterly believable from Gidge the gum-snapping smart aleck who uses her humor as a barrier to others to Jo who through the help and support of her friends found the confidence to escape an abusive marriage.
A touching and realistic story that presents strong characters as credible, thoughtful, and at times frustrated women, this book is spot on. Anyone who has married, had children, or who has struggled with a relationship will be able to relate.
Intelligently crafted, Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever is one of those books you just want to sit down with a glass of wine and have a conversation about it with your friends.
The book was recently optioned for the big screen.


~Reviewer Wendy Thomas lives in Southern New Hampshire with her husband and six children, ages 9-17 She has been published in various regional magazines and newspapers. She writes a weekly column, Simple Thrift for the Nashua Telegraph.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Medical Satire Available in All Formats

Title: Postmodern Medicine

Author: Trevor Price
Genre: Literature/Satire
ISBN:9781452425979
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
http://untreedreads.com/
Publication Date: 17/08/2010
Available at Amazon.com and Borders.com in all formats.

Reviewer's Rating: Three Stars



Reviewed by Debra Martin, http://martinandsmall.com/,  for Two Ends of the Pen


This quirky story opens with Yusuf duping his Turkish cousin, Mr. Mardin, into traveling to England to take a position with a fledgling company, FromBirth Ltd. Yusuf is sketchy with the details about what exactly the position will be, the pay, the accommodations and this avoidance of details sets the stage for the rest of the book.

FromBirth Ltd harvests human organs, which is not a new idea, but FromBirth Ltd takes it one step further. With the introduction of new immuno-suppressants from a partner company, they can now literally use
every part of the donor body.

Mardin is delegated to be the PR guy although he has no PR experience, and he must make a promotional video about a recent donor, Ayeshia Smith, on a shoestring budget. In fact, everything about the company
seems to be on a tight budget. Mardin finds this out first-hand when his living arrangements turn out to be a cot in his office.
Author Trevor Price speeds us along from one crazy situation to another mostly involving interviews with the recipients of the donor organs to a trip out to the Glynnebourne Organic Farm, a new “green” company.

The author has a flair for dialogue and I found myself chuckling at some of these interviews. The story is filled with an interesting cast of characters including the kind of creepy, Dr. Groome who harvests the body parts, Mr. Stewart Wymer, the business partner who makes decisions on the fly no matter what the consequences, Yusuf, the cousin who isn’t exactly helpful to Mardin, and Debbi, the overworked, moody receptionist.


Mr. Price presents us with a satirical commentary with this story, but it made me think about the state of modern medicine and perhaps that was his purpose all along or maybe it's just a dark urban fantasy after all.

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

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

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

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

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


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

Spell Kissed
 by Kari Thomas
Publisher: Black Lyon Publishing, www.blacklyonpublishing.com
Date published: July 2010
ISBN: 978-1-934912-28-7
Paranormal Romance
PRINT and E-book

Reviewed by Valerie for LoverRomanceandMore blog

Awarded Five Roses


Brianna Adair is a witch who is the keeper of The Sphere. Trouble is, her spells go awry when she’s in a highly emotional state. When she accidentally burns her house down, her friend, Cynthia offers her a place for the time being. Cynthia has two sons, both with the police force, Sloan and his brother, Hunter. Hunter has been asked to take some leave as he is practically on burn out and Sloan has asked him to come home and help him with a strange case. When Brianna and Hunter meet, the sexual attraction is strong. Soon, Hunter and Sloan are helping Brianna retrieve The Sphere that has been taken from her. They are fighting demons and are believing that there is more out there than the eye can see. All the while, Brianna and Hunter are discovering feelings that threaten Brianna’s spells to go completely crazy.
Kari Thomas gives her readers a wonderful story with some compelling and exciting characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I love stories with witches and Brianna is a witch, although she often gets her spells wrong. This causes no end of trouble and some comical moments. Her hero, Hunter is all macho, protective, jealous, stubborn and he has sure met his match in Brianna. They are wonderful together as Brianna turns the world as he knows it upside down, and Hunter causes Brianna’s emotions to almost run out of control. Ms Thomas keeps the sexual tension on boiling point almost throughout the whole story and the reader will be simmering along right with them both. So, when they finally do the deed, the characters are not the only ones to experience the relief. There is a good, solid conflict that will keep you turning the pages to find out what will happen next and to see if everyone survives. Towards the end, there was a moment where I had to almost shed a tear…that always puts a book on my keeper shelf. If you haven’t yet tried a story by this author, I can highly recommend her and know that when you read one, you’ll be scrambling for her backlist!

~Kari Thomas is an asward-winning author. Learn more about her at http://www.authorkari.com/.




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

New Sensual Contemporary for Romance Lovers

Title: The Arrangement
Author: Delaney Diamond
Author's website: http://www.delaneydiamond.com/
Genre: Contemporary romance
ISBN: 978-1-936279-57-9

Reviewer's rating: 4.5/5.0

Originally reviewed by Dottie for Romance Junkies, http://www.romancejunkies.com/


Leonardo de Silva is a ruthless business man in a multi-million dollar telecommunications company started by his father. His competitors fear him more than they respect him, but he is a worthy adversary. Half Brazilian, he spent much of his life in Brazil when he was younger. Work consumes a great deal of his life, making his business prosper, but his home life has suffered. His wife Alexa left him four months ago. He is desperate to have her back, but, being the strong silent type, he does not admit to his feelings easily. Whenever he makes mistakes, he does not dwell on them. Instead of thinking of his past problems, he figures out ways to correct them in the future.

Alexa de Silva loves her husband, but he seems to care more for his business than he does for her. Tired of being alone all the time, while he spent way too many hours at work, she had finally left him several months ago. She buried herself in her own activities; helping her brother Xander at his bakery and working at Second Chance Closet, a charity she had formed to provide gently used career clothing and formal wear to women. She had never been interested in her husband’s money. The only thing she wanted was his time and his love; the two items she feared he would never be able to give her. She and Xander lost their parents at a young age, so the two of them are very close.

Alexa has been trying to get her brother to hire a business manager. Xander is a fabulous baker, but he does not have a head for business. Facing major financial problems with his bakery, especially when his loan was called in to be paid in full, Xander asks Alexa to go to her husband and seek his help with the loan. Alexa is shocked and does not want to do it, but she knows it is the only chance Xander has to keep his bakery.

When she goes to Leo’s office and asks him for the loan, he agrees under two conditions. First, Xander must hire a business manager and secondly, Alexa must return home and resume their marriage in every way, for two months. Shocked, but knowing she has no other way to help Xander, she agrees. However, she is not entirely dismayed about returning home, just seeing her husband again has made her desire him all over.
Leo knew that his actions with his wife were underhanded, but he was desperate to get her to return home to him. He only hopes she never learns the lengths he would go to in order to get her to return to him. Can he convince her within the next two months that they belong together for a lifetime?

Deliciously titillating, THE ARRANGEMENT is a very sensual and heartwarming contemporary romance that I found impossible to put down until I had finished reading the very last word. Leo and Alexa are deeply in love, but the one thing lacking in their marriage is communication. Physically, their love life could not be more perfect, but they are unsure of each other’s love as neither one will proclaim it to the other. Brimming with steamy hot sensuality, believable dialogue, complex and compelling characters, an interesting plot, plenty of love and some surprising plot twists, this book is a winner. THE ARRANGEMENT is the first book I have read by author Delaney Diamond, but I look forward to reading more of her works. THE ARRANGEMENT is a terrific read for a lazy afternoon’s escape.

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

Title: Akeldama

Author: Kristine Lowder
Author's Website: http://www.kristinelowder.com/
Author's blog: http://www.kristinelowder.wordpress.com/
176 pages
Genre: Inspirational fiction
Publisher: Living Stones Fellowship International, Warrens, WI
ISBN: 978-1-885054-74-6

Reviewed by  William P. Oakes


Review:

"I have read only a few Christian novels worthy of the name. My favorite Christian authors are C.S. Lewis, Stephen R. Lawhead, Joseph F. Girzone, and now Kristine Lowder. I must tell you that her book, Akeldama, touched me so deeply that I cried like a baby as I read the final chapter. Yes, the final chapter is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ—not a new subject. But something in her telling of it blessed me with joy, gratitude, awe, and wonder. I cannot remember a time when I wanted to re-read a book as soon as I finished it. Treat yourself to a great book!" ~William C. Oakes, Senior Pastor, Living Stones Fellowship, Warrens, Wisconsin

Synopsis:

Step into the pages of this historical novel of Faith. Meet beautiful Yo-hannah, whose tortured past has imprisoned her body and heart. Walk in the stooped steps of Veronica, whose mysterious malady has made her ceremonially unclean. Thirst for living water with a half-breed whose checkered past is about to catch up with her.
Thrown together from dead-ends, each woman seeks answers to her own desperation. Will Yo-hannah find the peace she craves? Can an unclean woman receive a touch of mercy? Where can a despised half-breed go to be made whole? And what about old Hadessa, whose enigmatic past is as mysterious as the young Nazarene who crosses each woman's path?
Each woman's life and future hinges on the Nazarene's answer to one question: Who are you?

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

Margaret Fieland Reviews Christmas Poetry Chapbook

Blooming Red : Christmas Poems for the Rational
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball
Poetry Chapbook
ISBN 9781449948245
Buy Link: www.budurl.com/BloomingRed

Reviewed by Margaret Fieland

Looking for a holiday stocking stuffer? Want something to read aloud at holiday dinners, something the whole family can enjoy? Then treat yourself to is delightful collection by poetic collaborators Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball.This is a delightful little volume, 58 pages consisting of thirteen poems by each poet. I love reading poetry aloud, and this volume is full of delight. A couple of favorites:
Christmas Magic Wrought by Google's Keyword Elves by Carolyn Howard-Johnson.
begins with:

At the stroke of dawn on November first
gremlins tired from their Halloween

and ends with:


That's when Google's
keyword elves gave me the gift of all

Christmas gifts. It's called
the make-dinner-reservations

-at-McCormick-and-Schmick
system of revenge.

You're sure to recognize yourself in this holiday tale of woe. The poor narrator is having a hard time at the holidays.. Ants attack her turkey, the oven thermometers are on the fritz and the Kitchen Aid has died just as its warranty runs out. And are more disasters to come. I laughed but, like the narrator, we, too, have contemplated just chucking the whole thing and going out to a restaurant.


And another, this one by Magdalena Ball - fond memories, Six Million Years Ago, when we were kids:


Six million years ago
when we were just kids
upright in thin desert air
bi-pedaling in anticipation
of holiday seasons yet to come.
Time was different then.

and ends:

the first law of thermodynamics
what cannot be created or destroyed
your burning
youthful
matter.

Do yourself a favor, and create some memories of your own by buying this book and then sharing it with the whole family over the holidays.

About the reviewer:Born and raised in New York City, Margaret Fieland has been around art and music all her life. She is an avid science fiction fan, and selected Robert A. Heinlein's Farmer in the Sky for her tenth birthday, now long past. In spite of making her living as a computer software engineer, she turned to one of her sons to format the initial version of her website, a clear illustration of the computer generation gap. Her poems have appeared in journals such as Melusine, Front Range Review, and All Rights Reserved. Her book, The Angry Little Boy, will be published by 4RV Publishing, LLC, in early 2013. You may visit her website, http://www.margaretfieland.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 read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Reviewer Suggests Book for Holiday Gifts

A Packet of Dreams
Paperback (June 6, 2008)
By John Howard Reid
Author's Web site: http://www.authorsden.com/johnhowardreid
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Lulu.com (June 6, 2008)
Language: English ISBN-10: 1435719859
ISBN-13: 978-1435719859


Reviewed  by Joyce White

"The short stories are like a recipe book of different tastes. They encompass humor, romance, reality and fiction. All are smooth and heartwarming. Five Stars from me for Amazon and the author, John Howard-Reid."



This book, A Packet of Dreams, is John Howard-Reid’s third collection of short prose stories. It is a spirited little paranormal drama that takes place in a circus-like atmosphere between a concession barker and a mysterious but attractive young girl. Reid wrote the main character, Arthur Knight, as the slapdash old-fashioned barker and owner of the merry-go-round concessions. In the distance he heard and felt beckoned, “Dreams for Sale! Dreams for Sale!” The voice called out to his greed first and foremost. The young girl was dressed in what I perceived to be dowdy navel-like smock with silver buttons. Arthur was not impressed although he thought she was pretty. He said to her, “Even if you sell a dozen packets of dreams a day, I still don’t like it.” She replied quickly, “I don’t sell them, I trade them.” I thought it interesting that the young girl was trading dreams stationed right opposite the laughing clowns.

There were more questions than answers for Arthur. Who was this girl? Surely, she was no angel. Then he wondered if she was would-be religious nut or just plain nut. I think the girl’s uniform gave us the perception that she was a formal organization like the Salvation Army. He was still her first and only customer. She explained to him how our dreams flow from our inner hearts, thoughts, and longings. Our dreams reflect the very fiber of our souls much like any creative expression. Arthur was no longer amused when he heard how his packet of dreams would cost him but he couldn’t resist her. I loved this little piece for Reid’s optimism, imagination and courage to write such a fable that taught a good lesson for us all.

The next story was “The Reclamation of Edwin Drood. Charles Dickens' unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, has been a source of speculation and controversy ever since it was featured in a monthly edition of news daily years ago. There have been many films and books devoted to giving Dickens’s story a proper ending. He intrigued readers with a sort of soap opera of weird characters that appealed to the creative license in many writers. Some believe the final chapter was to have been set in the prison where Jasper awaits execution for the murder of Edwin Drood.

“It is no fun being buried alive,” remarked Edwin, stepping into the lamplight…but not scaring his murderer, Jasper …I am wrong. Wronged and wrong. Disguise from you is impossible. You know already that I come from somewhere and am going somewhere else.”

Some believe this story was a fictionalized account of the last five years of Dickens’s own life. Unfortunately, Dickens died before completing the last half of the novel. Some even believe Charles Dickens was trying to overcome skepticism of the supernatural. Perhaps, he was chasing his own ghosts when writing A Christmas Carol, so popular during the holidays. Dickens was known to have declared, “I have endeavored, in this Ghostly little book, A Christmas Carol, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humor with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.”

I’ve heard it said those that write do and those who can’t are critics. Obviously, they haven’t come upon John Howard-Reid. He is a bestselling, prizewinning author and writing contest judge, who have also worked as a publisher, editor, critic and bookseller. This third story I am reviewing is a short, comical and philosophical conversation about how to interest their library patrons into reading new authors and more recent books. I kind of agree there is not much instantaneous gratification for writing our hearts. This third story showed a simple little test of will power for a group of library patrons and writers. It was named Contest Blues. This story is a perfect example of how no two people are inspired in quite the same way. We each have innate talents and interests and we’re all quite stubborn in fulfilling our mission in life.

Mrs. Winthrop, the Chief Librarian, was described like many older female librarians, way too partial to the classics and a little dingy ready to retire this coming year. Unfortunately, it was very hard for any of the five selected judges to agree on anything. I enjoyed the line, “Cunning is the head that aspires to wear a crown.” They each aspired to wear the crown. The six finally decided they would hold a contest on original, unpublished work. They decided on 3,000 words and then argued about themes like prose, poetry, philosophy, true-life or essays. Each annoyed the other.

Honeywell, one of the judges referred to prose as a polished exposition of its central character’s dilemma, predicament or situation. James Joyce, the popular author, felt writing in English was devised to punish sins committed in previous lives. “It was decided about after four names and ninety-eight inconsequential words had been changed; and they finally picked the number one winner.” This was the first and final Jacobs County Literary Competition. I wonder why? The short stories are like a recipe book of different tastes. They encompass humor, romance, reality and fiction. All are smooth and heartwarming. Five Stars from me for Amazon and the author, John Howard-Reid

I like to end my review with one of the poems tucked in at the back of the book, Written In Exhile, by Rafael Alberti and Translated by Richard Ledham:

Who are you? You who call me from behind
So voicelessly from so far away?
With thoughts so terrifying, grave not gay,
Whispering my name to the appalled and silent wind?
Who are you? What cries do you try to find
What distant sounds endeavor to convey…
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Reviewer Joyce White may be found at http://www.wingedforarttherapy.com/ and http://www.sculptingtheheart.com/. She writes Sculpting the Heart Book Reviews and is author of Sculpting the Heart: Surviving Depression With Art Therapy and Sculpting the Heart’s Poetry.

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