Simon Barrett Reviews Chip Wagar's Historical Novel

Title: An American in Vienna

Author: Chip Wagar

Genre: Historical Fiction

Website: www.anamericaninvienna.com

ISBN: 978-1-4502-6766-3

Publisher: iUniverse, January 26, 2011

Reviewed by Simon Barrett for  Blogger News Networt: Book Review

Fiction is a hard taskmaster. The author must weave the fiction elements into the harsh reality of the facts. When done well (a rare occurrence) you have a book where fact and fiction blend so well that the reader does not know where one ends, and the other begins.

These are lofty goals. But there is one even higher. Weave fact and fiction together and create a work that not only entertains but also teaches. I found that in Chip Wagar and his debut novel An American In Vienna.

The First World War or Great War has been written about many times. Authors have labored long and hard on books about the battlefront, the inhumane conditions, the horrible torture that those brave men faced. Few authors though dare to tread in the ‘back story’. How did a gun shot start a conflict that consumed the Western World for four years?

Chip Wagar has taken a very unique approach. Through the eyes of a vacationing young American visiting Vienna we are exposed to how this war escalated and forever changed the world map.

Andy Bishop has just graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in journalism. His plan is to join his father in the family business, a newspaper in Columbus, Ohio. However before he ’settles down’, he wants to explore Europe, most particularly Austria, which seems to be where the family roots are. And when an invitation is extended to visit these relatives Andy sets sail for the adventure of his lifetime.

Andy Bishop quickly discovers that his Viennese cousins are not regular middle class merchants and bankers, but rather members of Austrian aristocracy with close toes to the Kaiser himself.

The brutal slaying of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie sets the wheels in motion for world war one. This information is hardly new, and almost any High Schooler will recite this fact. But what is far less well understood is why this senseless murder was so pivotal in shaping the events of the ensuing months.

1914 might in retrospect seem a poor choice of date to visit Europe, but minor skirmishes between countries had been going on for hundreds of years!

Chip Wagar is to be congratulated, he has taken a very complex political history subject and presented it in a fashion that any reader will enjoy.

Using the character Andy Bishop as the storytelling conduit is a master stroke, it is sheer brilliance. Andy being an American is at best naive as to the the politics in Austria, and in the rest of Europe

Through Andy Bishop we meet Johann and Maria. Johann is the the young and debonair aide-de-camp to Franz Ferdinand, and Maria his aristocratic, but very forward thinking fiance. It could be argued that what results is a love triangle, but it is very far from the standard one. I prefer the term Dynamic over Love Triangle. There is a unique dynamic between these three people.

An American In Vienna is a very unique book. There are three ways to approach Historical Fiction, live the life vicariously through other books, and increasingly resources found on the Internet. The second approach is write about an area that you spent at least a little time in, this allows you the luxury of being able to describe the location with a sense of ‘being there’.

The third approach is the rarest and always most effective, total immersion.

An American In Vienna is clearly written using ‘total immersion’. The dead giveaways are found in the very opening pages. It is the minutiae of everyday life that is mentioned. ‘Hoch’ German is not so much a dialect of speech as it is a lifestyle.

I talked to Chip Wagar a little about An American In Vienna, my guess about ‘immersion’ was correct, Chip spent a considerable amount of time in Vienna as a student.

An American In Vienna is well worth the price of admission, it is a book that has wide and diverse appeal. You can read it as a great adventure novel, or you can read it as a very interesting discussion of the causes and in someways effects of World War One viewed from the Austrian perspective.

A saying popped into my mind when I put this book down, ‘there are three views about any situation, there is mine, there is yours, and there is the truth which lays somewhere in between’. I am a fan of history, but as George Orwell alludes to in 1984, the history books are written by the victors.

You can get your copy of this very thought provoking book by using the Amazon link above. This is a book destined for great things.

----- 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 :

Deb Hockenberry Reviews Quirky Kids Zoo

TITLE: Quirky Kids Zoo

AUTHOR: Pat Brannon

PUBLISHER: Wandering Sage Publications http://www.wanderingsagepublications.com

FORMAT: Paperback

PAGES: 32

PRICE: $11.99 (US), £7.46 (UK), CDN$ 11.39 (CA)

ILLUSTRATOR: Jimena Pinto-Kroujiline http://www.amelia2.blogspot.com

ISBN – 10: 1933300833

ISBN – 13: 9781933300832

 Reviewed by Deb Hockenberry originally for Deb's Book Reviews

 

Hi! Welcome to a different kind of zoo. We’re going to see some strange sights. What’s that you say? What kind of strange sights? Well never fear, there’s nothing scary here.

Do you have you camera ready? You can take pictures of different things here. What’s different here? Look over there; did you ever see porcupines with fur so soft? Let’s walk down this walk. Look over there. See the elephants playing leapfrog with the ants? See the gorillas roller skating? There’s a lot to take pictures of in this quirky zoo!

Children and adults both will love this book by Pat Brannon. Children will love laugh at the quirky kids’ zoo’s inhabitants. They will love the fact that they can help read the book by counting. Adults will love the rhyming story because it teaches kids to count from one to twenty five. Both parents and children will love the imaginative and silly antics (like gardening kangaroos) of the inhabitants. This interactive book makes reading time fun!

The brightly painted illustrations by Jimena Pinto-Kroujiline brings this delightful rhyming story to life.

I loved reviewing this children’s book and highly recommend it. It’s so imaginative and just a pleasure to read. From beginning to end, the Quirky Kids Zoo kept a smile on my face!

To learn more about Pat Brannon, just visit her website. You’ll find it at: http://www.patbrannon.com. While you’re visiting websites, you can visit Jimena Pinto-Kroujiline’s website at: http://www.amelia2.blogspot.com.

You can purchase Quirky Kids Zoo for your children or grandchildren at a variety of places. Among them are: http://www.amazon.com or http://www.barnesandnoble.com in the United States. In Canada you can go to http://www.amazon.ca or pick it up in the United Kingdom at: http://www.amazon.co.uk.

 ~Reviewed by Deb Hockenberry

The Bumpy Road http://thebumpyroadtopublishing.blogspot.com

Deb's Book Reviews http://debsbookreviews.blogspot.com

"When God closes a door, He always opens a window."

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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 :

Excerpt from a Book with Staying Power

Spanish Mountain Life
Juliette de Bairacli Levy
#3 in series
Ash Tree Publishing
Available at www.wisewomanbookshop.com

Note: Because this book is a re-release, The New Book Review is publishing an excerpt from titled The Gypsies to give readers a taste of why it has the staying power it does:

Oh, that flamenco singing of the night of Saint Juan!  The age-old passion and frenzy and grief of the Moors within, and without, the howl of the winds from barren Spanish plains and mountain heights, the croon of mountain streams and pouring fountains. And the beat of the tambours: tambours for war and tambours for love.

                                                     

Not one of the family of the water-mill came to visit Luz that night. Patrocinio, who had mothered my baby for nearly two months and must know that she was passing from life, was too busy selling wine and soda drinks to the people making fiesta. Alone, Señor Jose came faithfully to bring me water from the fountain, and to carry Rafik — who was overcome by sleep while enjoying the revelry — from the courtyard to his bed.

The old woman, El Antigua, came around midnight with her daughter, declaring that I should not be alone at such a time. The daughter, Pura, told me that her own child, Carmen, had been abandoned by the doctors but had recovered.  I knew Carmen well and admired her for her vivacious nature and the brightness of her singing as she washed clothes in the river. Pura said that she would send for Carmen to confirm this and thus to give me faith.

Carmen came later, around one in the morning, and confirmed her mother’s account of her near death, and told me that she had a premonition that Luz, also, would not die.  Then the Gypsies left my room for I told them that I would not steal their sleep; I knew they all had work to do on the morrow; and furthermore Rafik was company. No matter that he was asleep; my little lad was company and also inspiration.  I was inspired! The baby had much pain from the weeks of faulty diet and improper care. Her pain had kept her from sleep for a day and a night. I suddenly bethought myself of a group of white opium poppies which I had seen in flower in the upper mill garden. Those poppies were certainly part of that night of Saint Juan, for they died away then and never came again, while I was at the water-mill, and I don't remember seeing them in flower before. I made a brew of the gray-green heads from which the white petals had fallen, and gave Luz sips of that medicine mixed with honey. This very quickly lessened the pain, but I knew that it was a desperate and dangerous medicine, for it made yet colder her already over-cold body. But she did not die. That night of Saint Juan she was as cold and white as the opium poppies themselves, but she did not die.

The next day she remained the same, but with the night, she suddenly worsened. That was the crisis. I remembered that the Gypsy Carmen had not died and she had promised that Luz would not die. I sent for the doctor, wanting him to check her heart and respiration; and then the great wound came to me.  He said, in quick Spanish to Patrocinio, that Luz was dying and she must be prepared for this.  “Cuando?” (When?), I asked of him, and his face paled at my having heard his words and at the way my voice sounded.  “Any hour,” he replied, lowering his eyes.  I will not write about the symptoms of life’s ending which I saw upon my baby. But well I recall my quite childish words.  “I will not let her die!” I cried. I held Luz against my heart. I was like a child about to be deprived of a doll which she loved. I would not give her up to anyone; I would not.

Dr. Moran said that Luz must have penicillin injections.  That was a great test for me. I am absolutely opposed to injections. Always they are a shock to the body and do much damage to the nerves. Any medicine of any value at all should be able to be taken into the body by the mouth: the natural place for medicines. But penicillin is at least plantlike and was not evolved from cruel experiments on animals, therefore I agreed to that medical treatment.  I also continued with the opium medicine, and a further brew of dill seed with much honey, to save the tiny laboring heart. The following day a different  doctor suggested tissue infusions of the medicinal water of Lanjaron. To this, also, I agreed. Which part of the treatment saved the baby, I do not know. But she lived!  As with Rafik, so Luz’s illness also passed. The dawn came, the swallows twittered, and my baby lay safe in her Gypsy cradle. Personally, if I were to choose the treatments which I think most helped her, indeed saved her, it would be the three days’ fasting from all food, combined with an external treatment which I had learned a summer ago from Portuguese fisher-women, of massaging the stomach area time and again, night and day, with hot olive oil and pounded aniseed. To me, these were the most important remedies of all the many which kept my baby from death. And further:  Fervent prayer, and the good wishes of the Gypsies who came to Luz that night of Saint Juan and thereafter, surely saved her.  When the crisis was one week ended, Rosario Heredia, an eighteen-year-old Gypsy girl, came to offer her milk for Luz. She had a son, Juan, born close to the same time as my baby. I remember the birth of Juan: I used to send gifts of goat’s milk for Rosario, who had been rather weak at that time. Luz fed at the gypsy’s breast for nearly one month, until Rosario’s milk became insufficient. It seemed to me a Gauguin picture: Rosario with Luz at her tawny breast, red geraniums in her charcoal-black Gypsy hair, her short strong body squatting — Native American-fashion — upon the green turf by the mill-stream in the shade of the quince trees, which were at that time decorated with their pale green-yellow lamps of fruit. Rosario sang to Luz, songs almost as endless as the chant of the coursing mill-stream, Gypsy songs and other songs of Spain. The one which Luz seemed to like best and which Rosario sang most often was a sweet and simple thing:

Oh green eyes! Green as the eyes of cows,

Green as the first tassels of the wheat

And green as the early lemons.

Rosario had none of the sweetness and kindliness of my other Gypsy friend Maria of the basket-makers. Rosario was tawny and fierce as a tiger; perhaps she reminded me of a tiger because she preyed on others. She was an incurable monger — a Gypsy word for beggar. She came from a mongering family. From her equally tiger-like but very tall mother to her youngest sister, all pestered me for money and articles which I was often in need of for my own family. I never gave to that begging family one peseta. But to Rosario I gave a new green apron, and a green and white skirt which she chose, of exactly the same material and pattern as my own.  We looked like sisters when we went into the town together!  And I gave her also a gaudy scarf such as the Gypsies love, for her milk had greatly helped my baby.  I found Rosario intelligent and humorous and I loved to talk with her because, as with most mongerers, her speech was fanciful. For instance, she told me once of another water-mill which was to be rented. She described a paradise!

 Excerpt from Spanish Mountain Life

By Juliette de Bairacli Levy

----- 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 :

Jerry Simmons Reviews Lois Stern's Beauty Book

Title:  Tick Tock, Stop the Clock ~ Getting Pretty on Your Lunch Hour

Author: Lois W. Stern

Author's Web site:  www.ticktockstoptheclock.com

Genre: Nonfiction: Self-Help/Health  

ISBN #: 0-7414-5359-2

Reviewed by Jerry Simmons, Indi Publishing; Former Vice president The Time Warner Book Group
Published on Amazon

“Congratulations to Lois Stern for following up her fabulous book Sex Lies and Cosmetic Surgery with an equally informative one. Tick Tock Stop the Clock is well written and filled with incredible information from renowned experts in the health and beauty field. This book is for anyone serious about affordable ways to enhance their appearance.”

 

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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 :

How-to Book That Could Make You Money Revieweed

Remodeling: Buying and Updating a Foreclosure By Joy V. Smith
Author's Web site: http://pagadan.blogspot.com/
Genre: Nonfiction: Self-helpISBN: 978-1-4524-3318-9

Reviewed by Vincent Miskell  originally for Smashwords and Amazon.

Joy Smith’s Remodeling ebook takes the reader on an upbeat odyssey of house selling, house buying, and house remodeling (or perhaps house rebuilding). Her style is lively, detailed, and, at times, quite amusing. She integrates the details (setbacks, struggles, and mini-triumphs) of her efforts, along with the help of a small army of contractors, plumbers, and others, so well into her virtually day-by-day narrative that we speed happily along with her toward the wonderful ending that we know must lie just ahead. Anyone thinking about remodeling (really transforming) a fixer-up house (that might also need extensive landscaping) will gain insight, courage, and many, many practical tips from her first-person reports that begin in January and end in June when her beautiful home finally becomes ready for its house warming party.

~  Learn more about the author and media tidbits at  http://pagadan.livejournal.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 :

Geralyn Magrady Reviews Cox Mystery

The Meaning of Night: A ConfessionAuthor: Michael Cox
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 978-0-393-33034-2
Originally Reviewed by Geralyn Magrady originally on her blog, The Roles of Writing
It's been a while since I read The Meaning of Night: A Confession by Michael Cox, but I placed it at the top of my favorite books list for a reason. The Meaning of Night is written in a style reminiscent of Wilkie Collins or Charles Dickens, taking the reader on a journey through the times and landscapes of mid-19th century London, and the mystery that is exposed on these pages is one of haunting excitement. It's a lengthy and gothic tale, one of frantic suspense filled with multi-layered characters and deep subplots that explore love and vengeance, sacrifice and entitlement, secrets and deceptions. The chapters read like the serials of years past, cliff-hanging, urging the reader to keep going.

The main character and narrator, Edward Glyver, is tormented and consumed with revenge. Readers will not connect with him at the start, thinking him cold and detached and plain-old unlikeable. The first line of the book (a "Confession") matter-of-factly states: "After killing the red-haired man, I took myself off to Quinn's for an oyster supper." As the plot unfolds, however, and Edward's story is revealed, the same readers are psychologically transformed against their wills to accept Edward, and then understand Edward, even sympathize, until they find themselves wanting desperately to shout out as his friend, "No, Edward! Don't!"

At some point in time, we all want to place blame anywhere but within ourselves for life's misfortunes. Sometimes there is truth and honesty in that charge; other times it is an excuse or crutch or, in Edward's case, a complete obsession. Phoebus Daunt, a life-long nemesis, is the target of Glyver's compulsion. As readers, we are well aware of calculations and plans for Phoebus' demise, but the author masterfully builds the tension throughout 700+ pages, creating an epic literary experience for all who pick up this highly recommended thriller.

The sequel, The Glass of Time: A Novel is equally as entertaining. Even though, in my humble opinion, it does not capture the depth of suspense which exists in the author’s first book, it too, is a worthwhile read. Tragically, Michael Cox passed away in March, 2009 after battling a rare form of cancer for five years, the same period he feverishly wrote these works. If you love Victorian mysteries with a Dickens flair, you won’t be disappointed. The only letdown is in the knowledge that another novel will not be offered by such a great 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 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 :

Inspired by The Secret, On Being God Takes You Beyond Your Life's Purpose!

In Carl Bozeman's profound and deeply compelling On Being God: Beyond Your Life's Purpose,  the author reveals an experience that changed his life and led to the inspiring revelations so beautifully described in his book. Bozeman puts forth the convincing belief that we are not a composite of the people, events and experiences beginning at birth, rather we are the "now" endowed with infinite creative energy as to make each of us gods. Knowing this, and fully recognizing what exists within us will direct us beyond the routines of life and into the realm of embracing our infinite and divine nature. Only then can we recognize that what we perceive as our reality is, in truth, only a small part of who we are.

The Book helps us find this true and exquisite authenticity, which brings purpose and joy into our lives. If you are a Seeker longing for a deeper spirituality, this book will inspire you!

The author says, "Our true purpose in life is to know God; in other words, our life-long intention is to know the higher form of existence we truly are."

Inspired by the movie, The Secret Carl Bozeman, leaves no doubt that he believes we are all God and God is within us all!. It is amazingly exciting to learn and realize that you are responsible for everything you choose to create in your life and if you choose, you can use your creative energy to create happiness and joy.

 

In this profound and deeply compelling book, On Being God: Beyond Your Life’s Purpose, the author reveals an experience that changed his life and led to his inspiring revelations. Bozeman puts forth the convincing belief that we are not a composite of the people and events and experiences beginning at birth, rather we are the “now” endowed with infinite creative energy as to make each of us gods. Knowing this, and fully recognizing what exists within us will direct us beyond the routines of life and into the realm of embracing our infinite and divine nature. Only then can we recognize that what we perceive as our reality is, in truth, only a small part of who we are. On Being God helps us find this true and exquisite authenticity, which brings purpose and joy into our lives. Read more: http://bit.ly/n01UJt

One reader said, " "On Being God" is not a flight of fancy, in it you will find very practical chapters on dealing with fear, on being non-judgmental, and on forgiveness. You will read this book twice; once to let it flow over you as it resonates with your deepest knowledge, and the second time with your highlighter in hand. But of course you knew that, after all, you are God."

And, in addition to this amazing book, you'll receive dozens of amazing downloadable bonus gifts donated by the author's friends and colleagues. Check out the book: http://bit.ly/n01UJt

~Book tour by Denise Cassino, publicist and book marketing specialist,
www.wizardlywebdesigns.com
www.spiritoftheseasoncatalog.com
www.mybestsellerlaunch.com
Follow me on Twitter @DeniseCassino

Friend me on Facebook Denise.Cassino

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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 :

Western/Historical Fiction Reviewed

Title: Santa Fé mi casa, June 2011, Western Trail Blazer

Author: Harlan Hague
Web site: http://softadventure.net
Genre: historical fiction/western
ISBN: 978-1463601140

Reviewed by  George Aubrey, originally for Amazon  

Dr. Hague has written a unique novel. It contains romance, adventure, human suffering set in the background of the broader conflict of the Mexican-American War. He follows the protagonist, John Henry, from blissful first love in Santa Fe, across the brutal terrain of the southwest deserts and mountain passes to the coastal plain of disputed California. The reader’s heart will ache with the young man's misery of body and soul. The action gradually picks up reaching a perfect crescendo at the end of the book. The writing is spotless and the dialogue crisp and believable. This is a book that is unlike most others, and hard to pin down to one genre, as it contains the best elements of several. I highly recommend this book and look forward to what this erudite author may have in store for us as screen plays.

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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 :

Joy Smith Reviews Sci-Fi

Rescuing the Future: A Naomi Kinder Novel (e-book)
By Vincent Miskell (Smashwords, 2011)Link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/76371
Genre: Science FictionISBN 978-1-4659-5330-8

Reviewed by Joy V. Smith originally for Joy's Live Journal and at Smashwords

Reviewer's rating: 5 stars

Naomi Kinder is back with her friend Bonnie and her friend and lover, Leo, plus some new friends she makes along the way. This adventure is even more complicated for Naomi because it involves time travel and how they became the stuff of legends--or at least a children's story (dating back to their tussle with a black hole in Godspeed Inc)--and nanobots (the little dickens).

I loved the characters (the Medusan Marines were outstanding!), and I really enjoyed the story; as a matter of fact I finished it in one reading because I had to know what happened to everyone, including the main characters, the infested people, and especially Earth! (I did take breaks--to take the dog out, etc.--because reading for pleasure at the computer is something l rarely do. For the first time I saw a reason for buying a reader like Kindle or Nook.) I recommend this book because it's a great story, the quality of the writing is excellent, and the beauty and science of the background don't interrupt the story.

Note: Adult content

 

~ The reviewer blogs media tidbits and more at http://pagadan.livejournal.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 :

Josh Hathaway Reviews Guide Book for TV Program

Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D.

By Barbara Barnett

Author's Web site: http://barbarabarnett.com
Genre: Adult non-fiction
ISBN: 1550229559

Reviewed by Josh Hathaway originally for Blog Critics

House M.D. returned for its seventh season this week and not a moment too soon for the millions of fans worldwide. The award-winning show is one of the richest in recent television history, preparing to traverse a minefield this season that has torpedoed many acclaimed shows before it (I'll refrain from being more specific than that for those wishing to avoid spoilers). The show has sailed dangerous waters before with mixed results but through it all has flourished due to a magnetic force at its center. As Season 7 debuts, now is the perfect time to reflect on how the show reached this pivotal moment in its history and there is a new book that is perfect to do just that.

Chasing Zebras: The Unofficial Guide to House, M.D. by Barbara Barnett is an outsider's look at the inner workings of one of the best shows that has ever hooked me. I say outsider because Barnett was not hired by the studio that produces the show (NBC Universal) nor has she ever worked for the show in any capacity, but she has gotten access to several of the show's writers, producers, and actors and used that access to help craft as comprehensive a look at the show as you're likely to find anywhere.

Before we leave that idea of access behind, now would probably be a good time to disclose the fact that a significant part of the evolution Chasing Zebras happened here at Blogcritics, where Barnett is a writer and editor. Before any of you start screaming conflict of interest, know this: neither Blogcritics nor I are getting cut in by the author or the publisher. Remember, writers and reporters who have worked for the New York Times or Washington Post have had their books reviewed by their home paper. Legendary journalist Bob Woodward just completed a book about President Obama and the war in Afghanistan. You'll probably read mention of it in thePost. My point is this: the work of Chasing Zebras is entirely that of Barnett and the review you're about to read is solely my opinion with no pressure to do anything other than review the book. With that out of the way, let's discuss Chasing Zebrasand House M.D.

One of Chasing Zebras' strengths is its structure. It is structured in a way that allows for a long read in one sitting but can also be used for picking and choosing your topic of interest or to quickly refer back to notes on a particular episode. There is more to the guide than simply recapping episodes. Barnett traces the evolution of characters and storylines, how they relate to one another, and like the show's main character brilliantly portrayed by the amazing Hugh Laurie she assembles the clues and does her own differential diagnosis.

It becomes clear throughout the guide Barnett is relentlessly enthusiastic about the show and obsessive about it, but that doesn't prevent her from offering criticisms or recognizing criticisms of other House fans about different aspects of the show and its workings. She discusses casting changes and how those were resolved and fan issues with them. She also notes a storyline in Season 3 that introduced a new foil for Dr. House was not entirely well received. She also looks into technical features such as how changes in the Fox network's commercial breaks caused the writers to structure and pace the show differently and the challenges that presented.

Chasing Zebras' greatest strength is its ability to be a primer for fans new to the show who want to catch up or delve deeper as well as rewarding obsessives like me who have seen every episode multiple times. I was continually amazed as I read through the examinations of the individual episodes and the broader themes at all the things I missed or never clued in to because I was following the horse, not the zebra. Barnett has spent a lot of time pouring over these episodes and connecting dots in a compelling way, and that's important because even if you don't reach the same conclusion on this point or that, she makes her case persuasively throughout.

Over the course of the guide, we learn interesting tidbits about how art imitates life and life imitates the art of House. We get examinations of the principle characters using Barnett's critical eye and in many cases through the eyes of the actors who portray and experience these characters and the writers who put words in their mouths. The music, settings, and ethical dilemmas that are so much a part of what makes the show great are also dissected. We become aware of things we've missed as we read these sections and also understand how they add to the impact of the more obvious dynamics in the show.

There is also a section devoted to recapping each episode through six seasons. The medical puzzle is discussed as are major plot points that are developed over multiple episodes. The book also identifies the "Eureka" moment, when some seemingly trivial piece of dialog or random occurrence leads House to the solution to the puzzle. My wife refers to this as the "Ham Sandwich moment," as House could seemingly find a cure for some obscure, infectious disease by looking at or eating a ham sandwich. It's a favorite moment of many of the best episodes and it's always fun to see the look on House's face when the final piece of the puzzle is put in place and to follow him to the end of that conclusion to episode's end.

Chasing Zebras

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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 :

Free Posters for Reader 'n' Writers

My friend (and the designer of the new book cover for 2^nd Edition of The Frugal Book Promoter!) has a new kind of club going. It is marketing genius, a way to introduce people to his graphic talents. He is Chaz DeSimone, www.chazdesimone.com.

His typographic design project features what he considers the most interesting and beautiful character, the ampersand.  He says,

• “Did you know that the ampersand used to be the last letter in the English alphabet?
• “And do you know how it got its name?
• “In fact, did you ever wonder why it is the shape it is, and why it has been designed in so many different configurations, most of which are valid and express exactly the same meaning? (Some are not true ampersands, probably because the "designer" did not know what the symbol is supposed to represent.)

“I will be explaining (and maybe surprising) you with the answers to the above questions, as I send you each AmperArt poster in the series. You'll also get some creative ideas from other subscribers on how they display their AmperArt pieces.

Right now, however, let's start your AmperArt collection with the first poster in the series, "Art & Design."

After you’ve signed up, your art comes to you with printing suggestions, etc. I can see this one in the office where I writer (it has yellow furniture!). Subscribe here: http://forms.aweber.com/form/91/119176491.htm

Visit Chaz's blog to see how he publicizes his clients and a little more on this poster project: http://chazdesimone.wordpress.com

Wait until you  see his first few designs in this future. You'll want to spice up your office for sure! And watch for the cover he did for me on my soon-to-be-released book!

~Chaz DeSimone may be reached at  Chaz DeSimone Graphic Design, 12228 Venice Blvd. #156, Los Angeles, CA 90066, USA

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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 :

Dr. Bramhall Battle for Tommorrow Highly Recommended

Title: The Battle for Tomorrow: a Fable

Author: Dr. Stuart Jeanne Bramhall

Website: www.stuartbramhall.com

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

ISBN: 978-1-61204-219-0

Genre: Fiction

 

Reviewed by Cecilia Lee for Allbooks Review International

 

In “The Battle for Tomorrow: A Fable”, you will read about current catastrophes facing our world from a totally different perspective.

This fascinating tale is about a vivacious 16-year-old girl who is headstrong and clearly independent. She has been through a lot - two pregnancies, and an equal number of abortions. She has to care for a disabled mother because the caregivers rarely last more than a few months. However, her little world is shattered when she develops a relationship with a 23-year-old nurse-cum-activist. He exposes her to his political and environmental ideals - combating the way the government deals with climate change and the downward spiraling economy. Soon, she believes in her boyfriend’s ideals as much as he does, even joining him on her first protest march! She becomes concerned about the effect these issues will have on young people like herself. In fact, she is so concerned about them that she leaves her home in Seattle and makes the long journey to Washington, D.C. She journeys that far for a non-violent resistance- training course - basically code for getting-arrested-for-civil-disobedience training. Not that she really wants to be arrested. Nevertheless, she jumps at the chance to be totally independent and is soon off on a journey that will change her life forever.

Dr. Stuart Jeanne Bramhall strikes me as a superb author, showing remarkable insight into the mind of this 16-year-old activist. This award-winning book will captivate and inspire the inner activist in all who read it!

Highly Recommended by reviewer: Cecilia Lee, Allbooks Review International, www.allbooksreviewint.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 :

Well Known Southwest Author Pens New Children's Book

Title: Belle’s Trial

Author: Connie Gotsch
Author's blog:  conniegotsch.blogspot.com
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 152 pages
Publisher: Artemesia Publishing (November 30, 2010)
Publisheer's Web site: apbooks.net
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1932926127
ISBN-13: 978-1932926125
Sequel to Belle's Star

The little rescue puppy, Belle, loves being Darcy’s pet, but dislikes lazy afternoons doing nothing. In search of a job, she digs out of the yard, knocks over waste baskets, and encourages Buster into all kinds of mischief. Darcy’s parents discuss giving her to a farmer who needs a working dog. Finally, they allow Darcy to put Belle into agility training, but Belle must complete the 4-H agility trial at the county fair before she can stay. Learning agility is hard, especially when it comes to climbing the terrifying teeter totter. She is so sure she’ll fall off, that she jumps wildly off the obstacle every time she faces it. She’ll be disqualified from the class and lose Darcy forever. Can she conquer her fear and and discipline herself to succeed?

 

~Connie Gotsch is an award-winning author listed in A History of New Mexico Press Women by Sandy Schauer and Denise Tessier. She has two published novels for adults, Snap Me a Future and A Mouth Full of Shell.

 

----- 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 :

Romantic Full Moon Bride Tours The Web

Full Moon Bride
By Shobhan Bantwal

Review by Lily Azerad-Goldman, B.F.A. is an artist and a children's author.

The Full Moon Bride is Shobhan Bantwal’s fifth book. Her first four books tackled serious and often complex topics of interest to contemporary women – especially women in India or of Indian culture. In her latest book she takes us inside the experiences of a young woman who is going through the arranged marriage process.

About The Full Moon Bride

What makes a marriage—love or compatibility? Passion or pragmatism? THE FULL MOON BRIDE is a compelling story that explores the fascinating subject of arranged marriage, as young Indian-American attorney Soorya Giri navigates the gulf between desire and tradition.

In choosing between two very different men, Soorya must reconcile her burgeoning independence and conservative background. And she must decide what matters most to her—not just in a husband, but in a family, a culture, and a life.

About Shobhan Bantwal

Award-winning author Shobhan Bantwal calls her writing “Bollywood in a Book”—romantic, colorful, action-packed tales, rich with elements of Indian culture—stories that entertain and educate. Shobhan has five published novels by Kensington Publishing, with a sixth slated for 2012. Shobhan can be contacted through her website: www.shobhanbantwal.com or Facebook.

Since 2002, Shobhan's articles and short stories have appeared in a variety of publications including The Writer magazine, India Abroad, Little India, U.S. 1, Desi Journal, India Currents, Overseas Indian, and New Woman. Her short stories have won honors and awards in fiction contests sponsored by Writer's Digest, New York Stories and New Woman magazines. Shobhan can be contacted through her website: www.shobhanbantwal.com or Facebook.

What People Are Saying –

Shobhan Bantwall is certainly a prolific author with her fifth book, The Full Moon Bride just released. After writing about serious social issues as India's dowry system, female-fetus abortions, the repressive lives of some women and political violence in India, she has chosen a lighter subject, the Indian-American immigrant experience. Her compelling characters and fine writing will keep readers enthralled.

Women's Fiction with a touch of romance and sometimes a little mystery is what Shobhan Bantwall is all about. She enjoys incorporating the rich elements of her Indian culture, religious beliefs, myths, legends, superstitions, foods, scents, recipes, clothing, accessories, language including slang, history, geography, and most anything that she feels adds to entertainment and knowledge.

Moreover, she beckons her readers to travel with her on adventures where they not only experience different places, tastes, smells and feelings through her characters, but also perceive their thrills, joys, sorrows and triumphs.

Written in the first person, The Full Moon Bride is charming and engaging. Soorya Giri has everything, wealth, a rich doting Indian family and a successful career. Despite the fact that Soorya is intelligent and a successful lawyer, she is very shy and at age thirty has not yet been on a date, let alone been kissed! She lacks the self-confidence of American girls. Thanks to her Indian upbringing and customs, she considers an arranged marriage, without giving it a second thought! Under the auspicious purnina (full moon) her parents invite a prospective groom and his family. She believes she will be rejected because of her “homely” appearance, as has occurred previously.

Much to her surprise, she likes the charming prospective groom Roger, but her self-confidence is such that she does not believe he is attracted to her. Perhaps, he will only like her because of her money and rich father. He has grandiose dreams of putting up a play on Broadway that require a substantial investment.

A game of cat and mouse ensues with Roger. Does she or does she not like him? Does he truly love her? And at about the same time, she is attracted to a widowed black lawyer. We cannot wait to see who is going to gain her heart.

The author mixes this love triangle with Indian culture, cuisine and customs from the old country. She brings to life her characters with a lot of bantering dialogue and authentic descriptions of their lives in America. Join Soorya on her bumpy journey to find that nebulous, elusive thing called “love!”

Bantwall's new novel explores the complicated patterns of self-confidence, love and attraction, trying to balance Indian customs and American experience. She has created credible characters, with all their vulnerabilities, flaws, quirks, virtues and vices! The characters were so true to life that I found that I missed them a lot when I finished reading The Full Moon Bride! Maybe they will come back in Ms Bantwal's next novel. This one is a real page turner, don't miss it!

Title – Full Moon Bride      

Author – Shobhan Bantwal

Author's website link – http://www.shobhanbantwal.com 

Genre or category – Women’s Fiction, Suspense, Ethnic Fiction

ISBN – 978-0-7582-5884-7

(Review originally posted at - http://www.bookpleasures.com/websitepublisher/articles/3504/1/Shobhan-Bantwalls-The-Full-Moon-Bride-Reviewed-By-Lily-Azerad-Goldman-of-Bookpleasurescom/Page1.html)

For much more information about Shobhan Bantwal and Full Moon Bride, you can visit her website http://www.shobhanbantwal.com and you can order your own copy at http://www.amazon.com/Full-Moon-Bride-Shobhan-Bantwal/dp/0758258844

----- 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 :