Title: The Sensitivity Factor:
Subtitle: The Missing Piece of Understanding Our Health
Author: Janice Carlin
Author Website: http://janicecarlin.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/theFHS
FB fan page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=189617147787827
ISBN:978-1492855248
Genre: health/wellness
Reviewed by: Matthew originally for Amazon
This book has been helpful to me in understanding my own
hypersensitivity. It is a good overview of the healing process.
She writes with compassion and joy and gives a lot of good
information about healing and all sorts of things. Her own
journey is fascinating and I can relate to much of what she has
experienced. Some of it I skimmed through as it can be a little
repetitive and I am already familiar with the concepts such as
energy, resonance, and vibration.For anyone who is a very
sensitive individual or for someone who is looking for answers
for difficult health issues, this book will be helpful and could
be a life saver. This is a much needed book for a world that is
becoming more and more hectic and unhealthy, and is seeing more
and more immune system disorders from all the toxins (energetic
and physical). If holistic practitioners would read this they
would be able to better help a whole segment of people. I am
going to order her foundations healing process guidebook right
away which is a self healing method that allows you to clear,
stop reactions immediately, and stay grounded. Thank you Janice.
About the Author:
Janice Carlin is the author of The Sensitivity Factor, Be Free,
Toward Ascension, Empathic Sensitivity, and The Foundations
Healing System Guidebook, a natural healing system she developed
for highly sensitive people. She has also authored several
documents and e-books, including Lightworkers Guide To Working In
The Light and Working With Sensitives, Feeding Healthy Families,
Star Child (a children’s Ebook), Helping Your Child To Heal, and
has a chapters in the Transform Your Life! series. Janice is an
author, healer, intuitive channel and teacher. She is a highly
sensitive empath who has learned to use her sensitivity and her
other gifts to be of service in the most beneficial ways that
she can. As a channel, she is committed to sharing only that
channeled information, which is from, with and within The Light
in the highest benefit to all. Janice has a Masters degree in
music conducting and is a certified K – 12 teacher. She spent
many years teaching music to children in public and private
school settings. She developed her healing and intuitive skills
due to her sensitive son’s health needs, as well as her own.
Desiring to follow a path of natural healing and wellness, she
felt entirely helpless in caring for their needs without the
skills and knowledge that so many of the healers they were
seeing had. This led her to embark upon a ten year journey of
learning, awakening, profound healing and transformation. Now,
she and her son are self sufficient in living healthy, thriving
lives. As she experienced her own journey, she realized that so
many other sensitive people and parents of sensitive children
were also feeling frustrated and helpless to create thriving
within their own lives. She became impassioned to share all that
she had learned and developed that was new, different and
completely empowering. Visit her online at Empowered Thriving,
www.janicecarlin.com
SUBMITTED BY
Teresa Morrow aka The Author's Cheerleader
http://theauthorscheerleader.com
Creating opportunities for spiritual authors to gain visibility
on the web. She is host of "Inspiration Nation Radio"
http://blogtalkradio.com/inspirationnationradio, Sharing Inspiration through the World of Words, the author of Life Lessons from the Heart, and Healing from Broken Trust: A Journey of Transformation'
Visit her Web site at http://TeresaMorrow.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.
Thursday, 11 December 2014
Monday, 8 December 2014
Story about Foster Care for Puppies
Title of Book: The Adventures of Sir Buddy and Mr. Pupples: The Rescue
Author: Richard McEwanIllustrator: Amy Rottinger
Author Website: www.twodogstales.com
Publisher: Halo Publishing, Int.
ISBN Number: 978-7-61244-307 -2
Publication Date: November 2014
Genre of Book: Children’s Picture Book
Review provided by: World of Ink Network
About the Book:
This is an engaging story for children to read or have read to them about a lost puppy. Hopefully, it will encourage young ones to think about the story when they come upon a stray dog or cat; and seek the guidance of an adult in helping to find it's family...or new home.
This is a really cute story from a lost dog's point of view. It starts out with a lost pup, named Pupples, scared, dirty and alone in the woods near a road. As the story begins, little kids learn Pupples will not leave or venture too far from where he is lost in case his family comes back to find him. What we liked about this part is it teaches children to also remain where they are if lost.
As the story continues on, children learn the process animal rescue goes through to find new homes for dogs or any animal, how they find an animal’s owner if lost and also that sometimes animals end up in foster care until a new home can be found.
We found this book to be very universal on topics within and also the picture themselves can be used to enhance storytelling and understanding how a story evolves.
EXCERPT:
Pupples paced the edge of the road. He sniffed, but he could not find the scent of
his mother or siblings. The stench of cars burned his nose. He whimpered. If onlyhe hadn’t crawled off to sleep under the bush. But his brother had poked and rolled over him so many times that he couldn’t get comfortable. When he woke his family was gone. He had barked and searched, tracking their scent until he lost it at the road.
If he could cross, maybe he would pick it up again. He placed a paw on the black
surface. He took two steps then froze as a car swerved to miss him. A horn blared and he raced back to the side of the road. He crouched panting and shaking amongst the weeds. He waited until it was quiet and forced himself to try again.Every time Pupples took a few steps onto the road, cars appeared forcing him to
run back. He howled in frustration.
About the Author:
Richard McEwan retired to the Outer Banks of North Carolina after a long career in sales, marketing and advertising. He lives with his wife, Christie, and their two dogs, Buddy and River, one cat named Oyster and many photos of foster dogs. He was inspired to begin writing because of his grandchildren's love of books.
BOOK TRAILER : http://youtu.be/0ZdOCfAO99s?list=UUjcOpPUInovIAsrR8HLtxYA
To learn more about the World of Ink Tours visit http://worldofinknetwork.com. Virginia S. Grenier is founder and partner. Phone: 435-625-1743. Follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook. Virginia is the author of Babysitting Sugarpaw. Learn more about her at http://vsgrenier.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.
Saturday, 22 November 2014
Bone Up on Puccini and Have an Italian Crime Romp
Book title: Murder in Hand
Series: Alicia Allen Investigates Book Three
Author: Celia ConradSeries: Alicia Allen Investigates Book Three
Website: http://www.aliciaalleninvestigates.com
Where to buy the book: Amazon http://tinyurl.com/njd3bwl
Genre: Crime fiction
ISBN: 9780954623340 (Paperback) Also available in all ebook formats
Publisher: Barcham Books
Reviewed by Marlan Warren originally for
“Dancing in the Experience Lane” Open Salon Blog "Murder in Hand": Italian Probate, Puccini, & Dead Lawyers
Lawyers aren't the most popular people, Miss Allen..."
—Murder in Hand
-----
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.
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Outdoors, Pennsylvania Make Book a Winner for Goodreads Reviewer
Title: A Season on the Allegheny
Author: Robert T. HilliardAuthor's Website: http://www.facebook.com/ASeasonontheAllegheny
Genre: Nonfiction, Outdoors
ISBN-13: 978-1475201161
Available on Amazon
Reviewer Name: Diane (Goodreads Reviewer)
Reviewer's Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Even though I'm not a hunter, and I've never been to the Allegheny National Forest, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. OK, part of it is chauvinism: I'm a Pennsylvanian, and the author makes clear the uniqueness of this chunk of Pennsylvania, which makes me proud. I'm also a big fan of public ownership of wilderness lands, having spent many happy vacations camping, hiking, kayaking and canoeing in national and state parks. The merits of the book itself, though, are what I found most appealing. Although much of it is the story of a nine-month season of hunting in the ANF, the author weaves in a great deal of information about the forest, its history, its current uses (recreational and commercial), disputes, and stories of other hunters, both those he hunts with in this season and some from history.
For me it was also a very intriguing look at the interrelationships between hunters, the damage caused by over-large deer populations, and the ability of the forest to maintain itself, as well as glimpses of the science behind the Forest Service's interventions and attempts to strengthen the health of the forests, rivers, marshlands, etc. It gave me greater respect for hunters, and a compelling desire to spend some time in the Forest, myself. This one's a keeper!
About the Author:
Robert Hilliard has written numerous feature articles for magazines such as Upland Almanac, Pennsylvania Wildlife, Pittsburgh History Magazine, ESPNOutdoors.com, Ohio Game and Fish, and Pennsylvania Game and Fish. Hilliard was also a contributing author for the 2000 book Rivers of Destiny.
Robert Hilliard has written numerous feature articles for magazines such as Upland Almanac, Pennsylvania Wildlife, Pittsburgh History Magazine, ESPNOutdoors.com, Ohio Game and Fish, and Pennsylvania Game and Fish. Hilliard was also a contributing author for the 2000 book Rivers of Destiny.
You can follow Rob on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ASeasonontheAllegheny , Google+ at plus.google.com/+RobertHilliard , or on Twitter @RobHilliard_66
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.
Monday, 10 November 2014
Creative Stock Advice Rated "A Keeper"
Title: Dual Momentum InvestingSubtitle: An Innovative Strategy for Higher Returns with Lower Risk
Author: Gary Antonacci
Author website: http://www.gary-antonacci.com
Nonfiction: Investing>Stocks
Nonfiction: Investing>Stocks
ISBN 10: 0071849440
ISBN 13: 978-0071849449
ISBN 13: 978-0071849449
Book publisher: McGraw-Hill
Reviewed by Brenda Jubin for originally for Reading the Markets blog
In 2012 Gary Antonacci won the Wagner Award for his paper “Risk Premia Harvesting Through Dual Momentum”; the year before he was the runner-up with “Optimal Momentum Investing.” Now, with Dual Momentum Investing (McGraw-Hill) he has given the investing world a first-rate book-length analysis of the two kinds of momentum and how to combine them to beat the market.
For those who think momentum investing is “so 90’s,” Wesley Gray, coauthor of Quantitative Value, sets them straight. In his laudatory preface to the book he quotes Eugene Fama, who, despite the apparent challenge to his efficient market hypothesis, admitted that “momentum is pervasive.” But why is it pervasive, and how can investors capture the momentum anomaly?
Antonacci focuses on the second question but does address the first in a short chapter “Rational and Not-So-Rational Explanations of Momentum.” Let me start there. The rational explanation for why momentum works is that “high momentum profits are compensation for assuming greater amounts of risk.” The “not-so-rational” explanation is that “investors behave unexpectedly and irrationally in systematic and predictable ways.” (p. 36) In a nutshell, “herding/anchoring/ confirmation bias and the disposition effect complement each other and can lead to a unified, behaviorally based concept of momentum-inducing behavior.” (p. 43) If behavioral finance is more or less correct, “momentum lets us profit from human behavioral biases instead of being subject to them in adverse ways.” (p. 44)
All well and good, the reader might say. But we are all familiar with the adage that the trend is your friend--until it ends. How can the investor profit from momentum instead of being swept away by it?
Antonacci has thoroughly researched this question. Most important, he distinguishes between relative and absolute momentum. Relative strength “compares an asset to its peers in order to predict future performance. In academic research, relative momentum is often the same as cross-sectional momentum, which involves sectioning a universe of individual assets into equal segments and comparing the performance of the strongest segments (‘winners’) to the performance of the weakest (‘losers’).” By contrast, when viewed on an absolute or longitudinal basis, “an asset’s own past predicts its future.” (p. 84) Absolute momentum is “a bet on the continuing serial correlation of returns, or, in cowboy terms, absolute momentum says, ‘A horse is easiest to ride in the direction it’s already going.’” (p. 85)
The major weakness of relative momentum investing is that “relative strength does little to reduce downside exposure. Relative momentum may even increase downside volatility.” (p. 84) Absolute momentum, by contrast, not only provides greater downside portfolio protection than relative momentum; it even provides more downside protection than low volatility portfolios do “while preserving more upside market potential. It can also do this without the tracking error, sector concentration, and high turnover issues associated with low volatility portfolios.” (p. 88)
Antonacci’s recommendation is a deceptively simple one: “use absolute and relative together in order to gain the advantages of both. The way we do that is by first using relative momentum to select the best-performing asset over the preceding 12 months. We then apply absolute momentum as a trend-following filter by seeing if the excess return of our selected asset has been positive or negative over the preceding year. If it has been positive, that means its trend is up and we proceed to use that asset. If our asset’s excess return over the past year has been negative, then its trend is down and we invest instead in short- to intermediate-term fixed-income instruments until the trend turns positive.” (p. 89)
This is a dynamic approach to asset allocation, using only stocks and bonds for reasons that the author explains. The model (Global Equity Momentum--GEM) switches between the S&P 500 and the ACWI ex-U.S. based on relative strength momentum and uses aggregate bonds as a safe haven during bear markets based on absolute momentum signals taken from the S&P 500.
Between 1974 and 2013 GEM had an annual return of 17.43%, which soundly trumped relative momentum (14.41%), absolute momentum (12.66%), ACWI (8.85%) and ACWI + AGG (8.59%). Its annual Sharpe ratio was 0.87, in contrast to 0.52, 0.57, 0.22, and 0.28. And its maximum drawdown was 22.72%, as opposed to 53.06%, 23.76%, 60.21%, and 45.74%. “GEM benefited from absolute momentum in 1982, 2001, and 2009, when relative momentum offered no advantage over the market. On the other hand, GEM benefited most from relative momentum in 1986 through 1988 and 2004 through 2007 when stocks were strong and absolute momentum provided no advantage over the market.” (p. 105)
Although GEM is a simple long-term model, it is powerful. Antonacci’s extensive research and his clear-headed thinking have led to a book that every investor should read. The academically oriented reader will be grateful for his occasional excursions into the weeds, his carefully laid-out data, and his lengthy bibliography. The practically oriented investor will find a road map for moving ahead and staying out of really big trouble. And those who enjoy an infusion of humor will laugh at his mini-essay “All Aboard!” that wraps up the main text of book. This one’s a keeper!
MORE ON THE AUTHOR For those who think momentum investing is “so 90’s,” Wesley Gray, coauthor of Quantitative Value, sets them straight. In his laudatory preface to the book he quotes Eugene Fama, who, despite the apparent challenge to his efficient market hypothesis, admitted that “momentum is pervasive.” But why is it pervasive, and how can investors capture the momentum anomaly?
Antonacci focuses on the second question but does address the first in a short chapter “Rational and Not-So-Rational Explanations of Momentum.” Let me start there. The rational explanation for why momentum works is that “high momentum profits are compensation for assuming greater amounts of risk.” The “not-so-rational” explanation is that “investors behave unexpectedly and irrationally in systematic and predictable ways.” (p. 36) In a nutshell, “herding/anchoring/ confirmation bias and the disposition effect complement each other and can lead to a unified, behaviorally based concept of momentum-inducing behavior.” (p. 43) If behavioral finance is more or less correct, “momentum lets us profit from human behavioral biases instead of being subject to them in adverse ways.” (p. 44)
All well and good, the reader might say. But we are all familiar with the adage that the trend is your friend--until it ends. How can the investor profit from momentum instead of being swept away by it?
Antonacci has thoroughly researched this question. Most important, he distinguishes between relative and absolute momentum. Relative strength “compares an asset to its peers in order to predict future performance. In academic research, relative momentum is often the same as cross-sectional momentum, which involves sectioning a universe of individual assets into equal segments and comparing the performance of the strongest segments (‘winners’) to the performance of the weakest (‘losers’).” By contrast, when viewed on an absolute or longitudinal basis, “an asset’s own past predicts its future.” (p. 84) Absolute momentum is “a bet on the continuing serial correlation of returns, or, in cowboy terms, absolute momentum says, ‘A horse is easiest to ride in the direction it’s already going.’” (p. 85)
The major weakness of relative momentum investing is that “relative strength does little to reduce downside exposure. Relative momentum may even increase downside volatility.” (p. 84) Absolute momentum, by contrast, not only provides greater downside portfolio protection than relative momentum; it even provides more downside protection than low volatility portfolios do “while preserving more upside market potential. It can also do this without the tracking error, sector concentration, and high turnover issues associated with low volatility portfolios.” (p. 88)
Antonacci’s recommendation is a deceptively simple one: “use absolute and relative together in order to gain the advantages of both. The way we do that is by first using relative momentum to select the best-performing asset over the preceding 12 months. We then apply absolute momentum as a trend-following filter by seeing if the excess return of our selected asset has been positive or negative over the preceding year. If it has been positive, that means its trend is up and we proceed to use that asset. If our asset’s excess return over the past year has been negative, then its trend is down and we invest instead in short- to intermediate-term fixed-income instruments until the trend turns positive.” (p. 89)
This is a dynamic approach to asset allocation, using only stocks and bonds for reasons that the author explains. The model (Global Equity Momentum--GEM) switches between the S&P 500 and the ACWI ex-U.S. based on relative strength momentum and uses aggregate bonds as a safe haven during bear markets based on absolute momentum signals taken from the S&P 500.
Between 1974 and 2013 GEM had an annual return of 17.43%, which soundly trumped relative momentum (14.41%), absolute momentum (12.66%), ACWI (8.85%) and ACWI + AGG (8.59%). Its annual Sharpe ratio was 0.87, in contrast to 0.52, 0.57, 0.22, and 0.28. And its maximum drawdown was 22.72%, as opposed to 53.06%, 23.76%, 60.21%, and 45.74%. “GEM benefited from absolute momentum in 1982, 2001, and 2009, when relative momentum offered no advantage over the market. On the other hand, GEM benefited most from relative momentum in 1986 through 1988 and 2004 through 2007 when stocks were strong and absolute momentum provided no advantage over the market.” (p. 105)
Although GEM is a simple long-term model, it is powerful. Antonacci’s extensive research and his clear-headed thinking have led to a book that every investor should read. The academically oriented reader will be grateful for his occasional excursions into the weeds, his carefully laid-out data, and his lengthy bibliography. The practically oriented investor will find a road map for moving ahead and staying out of really big trouble. And those who enjoy an infusion of humor will laugh at his mini-essay “All Aboard!” that wraps up the main text of book. This one’s a keeper!
Gary Antonacci is a portfolio management consultant and award-winning writer. Learn more at http://optimalmomentum.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.
Saturday, 8 November 2014
Barbara Venkataraman Leaves You Smiling
“A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities”
By Barbara Venkataraman
Author's blog: www.barbaravenkataraman.blogspot.com
Published on Amazon
Reviewed with five stars
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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.
By Barbara Venkataraman
Genre: Humor
ASIN: B00IO94GAYAuthor's blog: www.barbaravenkataraman.blogspot.com
Published on Amazon
Reviewed with five stars
Reviewed by Brad Teare originally for Amazon
This review is from: A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities: Quirky Essays for Quirky People (Audible Audio Edition)
This is a collection of humorous stories akin to Erma Bombeck to which the author will be oft compared. Some of the stories were laugh-out-loud funny. I especially enjoyed Lazybones and Gadget. Writing comedy is really hard and I take my hat off to any author who can do it well. I listened to the Audible book audio and I really liked the narrator. Her voice is similar to Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars). Her voice has a young, perky timbre that is easy to listen to and apropos for humorous writing.
The only reason I deduct a star is I didn't think the first two stories were the best and I felt the collection was marred by them being first. It's a slight gripe I know but if I were editor I would have started with Lazybones which was very insightful as well as funny. But that bit about being a waitress and the customer wanting the omelet pie (I don't want to spoil anything) was hilarious. I think I will add a star just for that episode alone. So five stars it is!
The only reason I deduct a star is I didn't think the first two stories were the best and I felt the collection was marred by them being first. It's a slight gripe I know but if I were editor I would have started with Lazybones which was very insightful as well as funny. But that bit about being a waitress and the customer wanting the omelet pie (I don't want to spoil anything) was hilarious. I think I will add a star just for that episode alone. So five stars it is!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Winner of the "Indie Book of the Day" award and Honorable Mention for nonfiction humor in the "Readers' Favorite" Contest. At 8,000 words, this collection of humorous essays explores such quirky topics as: disastrous home repairs, ("A Trip to the Hardware Store"), an unfortunate dinner party ("Dinner is Served"), the truth about lazy people ("Lazy Bones"), the weird life of a debt collector ("Your Account is Past Due") and obsessions with gadgets ("Gadget Girl"). Other essays examine how surreal the aging process is ("Where Did the Time Go?"), why you shouldn't judge a person by their job ("Beyond Belief"), and how to complicate simple transactions ("High Finance"). Like the author's first work, "I'm Not Talking About You, Of Course...," these essays will give your spirit a lift and leave you smiling.
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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.
Thursday, 6 November 2014
New Fantasy Features New World Mythologies
Title: The Obsidian Mirror
Author: K.D. Keenan
Authors website: http://theobsidianmirror.net/
Genre: Urban fantasy
ISBN: 978-1-940820-16-3
Name of reviewer: Linda M. Duyanovich
Publisher: AEC Stellar Publishing
Reviewer's rating: 5 stars
Purchase on Amazon
Author: K.D. Keenan
Authors website: http://theobsidianmirror.net/
Genre: Urban fantasy
ISBN: 978-1-940820-16-3
Name of reviewer: Linda M. Duyanovich
Publisher: AEC Stellar Publishing
Reviewer's rating: 5 stars
Purchase on Amazon
Format: Paperback
“The Obsidian Mirror” is an urban fantasy based on New World mythologies and legends. It’s an action-packed page-turner, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. There are plenty of tense moments and some really evil bad guys, but it’s all enlivened by the author’s ability to weave humor throughout the drama.
I enjoyed the well-rounded characters—especially Fred, who’s a mannegishi (sort of a Native American leprechaun). Fred’s a greedy, irresponsible little thief, but you’ll wind up loving his brand of goofy innocence. Chaco, another supernatural character, is another of my favorites. Chaco is kind of a lech, but he’s so cheerful and good-natured that he never offends.
The action mostly takes place in modern-day Silicon Valley, and at the heart of the story is how an evil Aztec/Mayan god takes advantage of modern technology to execute his dark plans. For those familiar with Silicon Valley or Northern California, you will recognize the locale and the culture of the Valley. If you aren’t familiar with this area, take my word for it—the local color is dead-on accurate.
There’s a friendship that forms among three secondary female characters that I particularly enjoyed. None of the three are acquainted before the story begins, but as it unfolds, they form a sort of sisterhood that I found very appealing. I found myself believing in their role in the story and cheering them on.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. It has basically everything I love in a story: characters I care about, action, drama and humor, all tied up with creative storytelling that has enough unexpected twists and turns to keep me interested—and make me genuinely sorry when the story ends. I hope there’s a sequel."
I enjoyed the well-rounded characters—especially Fred, who’s a mannegishi (sort of a Native American leprechaun). Fred’s a greedy, irresponsible little thief, but you’ll wind up loving his brand of goofy innocence. Chaco, another supernatural character, is another of my favorites. Chaco is kind of a lech, but he’s so cheerful and good-natured that he never offends.
The action mostly takes place in modern-day Silicon Valley, and at the heart of the story is how an evil Aztec/Mayan god takes advantage of modern technology to execute his dark plans. For those familiar with Silicon Valley or Northern California, you will recognize the locale and the culture of the Valley. If you aren’t familiar with this area, take my word for it—the local color is dead-on accurate.
There’s a friendship that forms among three secondary female characters that I particularly enjoyed. None of the three are acquainted before the story begins, but as it unfolds, they form a sort of sisterhood that I found very appealing. I found myself believing in their role in the story and cheering them on.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. It has basically everything I love in a story: characters I care about, action, drama and humor, all tied up with creative storytelling that has enough unexpected twists and turns to keep me interested—and make me genuinely sorry when the story ends. I hope there’s a sequel."
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
You can reach K.D. Keenan at kdkeenan@theobsidianmirror.net and learn more about her at:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1sA84Iv
Website & Blog: http://bit.ly/Obsid
Facebook: http://bit.ly/fbObsid
Twitter: @silverbough
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22039676-the-obsidian-mirror
Noveltunity: http://www.noveltunity.com/profile/Mannegishi
Google+: Google.com/+KathyKeenan
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1sA84Iv
Website & Blog: http://bit.ly/Obsid
Facebook: http://bit.ly/fbObsid
Twitter: @silverbough
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22039676-the-obsidian-mirror
Noveltunity: http://www.noveltunity.com/profile/Mannegishi
Google+: Google.com/+KathyKeenan
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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.
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Santa's List for a Better Writing Career?
Midwest Review’s Top Books for Writers
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In an article in his newsletter, Jim Cox, founding guru of the Midwest Review, included his suggested titles for writers and I'm flattered (and glad) to be one of them. At this season I think of it as his gift list for writers. Just think! A holiday gift that could lead to a better writing career in 2015.
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In an article in his newsletter, Jim Cox, founding guru of the Midwest Review, included his suggested titles for writers and I'm flattered (and glad) to be one of them. At this season I think of it as his gift list for writers. Just think! A holiday gift that could lead to a better writing career in 2015.
Cox said, "There are a lot of excellent how to instruction manuals and guides available to the novice publisher and the newly self-published author on what has been termed 'guerilla marketing' strategies offering a wealth of tips, tricks, techniques, and strategies for those of limited financial means. You will find them reviewed and listed at:
"There you will find such informative and "every author/publisher should read this" titles like:
"1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer
52 Ways To Sell More Books! by Penny C. Sansevieri
The Author's Guide To Publishing And Marketing by Tim Ward & John Hunt
Book Marketing De-Mystified by Bruce Batchelor
Book Promotion Made Easy by Eric Gelb
Brilliant PR by Cathy Bussey
The Complete Guide To Book Publicity by Jodee Blanco
The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing by Linda F. Radke
The Frugal Book Promoter: 2nd Edition, by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Grass Roots Book Marketing by Rusty Fischer
Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers by Shel Horowitz
Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World by Shel Horowitz
Grumpy's Guide To Global Marketing For Books by Carolyn Mordecai
Maverick Marketing by Lisa Messenger & Mel Carswell
Maximum Exposure Marketing System by Tami DePalma & Kim Dushinski
Mosquito Marketing for Authors by Michelle Dunn
Musings Of An Online Bookseller by John Landahl
Online Book Marketing by Lorraine Phillips
Publicize Your Book! by Jacqueline Deval
Publishing For Profit by Thomas Woll
Red Hot Internet Publicity by Penny C. Sansevieri
Sell More Books! by J. Steve Miller & Cherie K. Miller
Sell Your Book Like Wildfire by Rob Eager
Selling Books as Premiums & Incentives by Marilyn & Tom Ross
The Selling Of An Author by Bruce E. Mowday
Simple Guide to Marketing Your Book, by Mark Ortman
The Step-by-Step Guide to Self-Publishing for Profit! by C. Pinherio & Nick Russell
Why, When, Where, & How To Write, Publish, Market, & Sell Your Book by Bill Thurwanger
Write, Publish & Market Your Book by Patrika Vaughn
You Can Market Your Book by Carmen Leal
52 Ways To Sell More Books! by Penny C. Sansevieri
The Author's Guide To Publishing And Marketing by Tim Ward & John Hunt
Book Marketing De-Mystified by Bruce Batchelor
Book Promotion Made Easy by Eric Gelb
Brilliant PR by Cathy Bussey
The Complete Guide To Book Publicity by Jodee Blanco
The Economical Guide To Self-Publishing by Linda F. Radke
The Frugal Book Promoter: 2nd Edition, by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Grass Roots Book Marketing by Rusty Fischer
Grassroots Marketing For Authors And Publishers by Shel Horowitz
Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World by Shel Horowitz
Grumpy's Guide To Global Marketing For Books by Carolyn Mordecai
Maverick Marketing by Lisa Messenger & Mel Carswell
Maximum Exposure Marketing System by Tami DePalma & Kim Dushinski
Mosquito Marketing for Authors by Michelle Dunn
Musings Of An Online Bookseller by John Landahl
Online Book Marketing by Lorraine Phillips
Publicize Your Book! by Jacqueline Deval
Publishing For Profit by Thomas Woll
Red Hot Internet Publicity by Penny C. Sansevieri
Sell More Books! by J. Steve Miller & Cherie K. Miller
Sell Your Book Like Wildfire by Rob Eager
Selling Books as Premiums & Incentives by Marilyn & Tom Ross
The Selling Of An Author by Bruce E. Mowday
Simple Guide to Marketing Your Book, by Mark Ortman
The Step-by-Step Guide to Self-Publishing for Profit! by C. Pinherio & Nick Russell
Why, When, Where, & How To Write, Publish, Market, & Sell Your Book by Bill Thurwanger
Write, Publish & Market Your Book by Patrika Vaughn
You Can Market Your Book by Carmen Leal
"There are a lot more titles where these came from. I take a justifiable pride in the Midwest Book Review web site as having the largest writing/publishing bibliography data bases in all the world!"
Naturally, I thought I'd pass his suggestions on to you. I always say, "One book on the writing and marketing of books is never enough."
You can subscribe to Jim's newsletter at http://www.midwestbookreview.com. I love it.
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.
Saturday, 1 November 2014
Holly Fox Vellekoop Reviews Self-Help Book from Valerie Allen
Title: Beyond the Inkblots: Confusion to Harmony
Author: Valerie Allen Author's Web site: www.ValerieAllenWriter
Non-fiction: Psychology>Self Help>Motivational
ISBN 10: 1478146117
ISBN 13: 978 1478146117
Purchase at Amazon.com
Format: book, ebook, large print, and audio
"A book of simple truths about the psychology of everyday living; where we are in life, how we got here, and what we want to do next. It focuses on personal responsibility for our words and behavior, our choices and decisions."
Like learning from a sage and a good friend
Reading Dr. Allen's book is much like learning from a sage and/or having coffee with a good friend who provides practical advice and a much-needed dose of reality on topics which all of us must face in life. In these changing times, many young people and adults alike have no one to turn to for the wisdom the author imparts in this book. As Dr. Allen so aptly writes in the 'Introduction,' "This book is meant as a journey with musings about life's big questions. It is a place to begin a search and rescue mission for your true self." Read it once, read it twice, then read it again and heed the advice. Be sure to buy "Beyond the Inkblots" for your siblings, grandchildren, friends and anyone else whom you believe would enjoy a good read while gaining direction and self-discovery.
About the Author:
Dr. Valerie Allen, psychologist, author, and speaker is an experienced writer in many genres. For several years she wrote a weekly newspaper column, Family Matters. Many of her articles have been published in parenting magazines. She has written two children's books for ages 7 - 12. She also writes fiction, non-fiction, and short stories. Her contemporary novels focus on families dealing with a child in peril. She is a popular author of numerous short stories centered on facing that "moment of truth" within our relationships. Reach her at
ValerieAllenWriter.com , and Facebook.com/Valerie.Allen.520
ValerieAllenWriter.com , and Facebook.com/Valerie.Allen.520
Her books include:
Beyond the Inkblots: Confusion to Harmony
Write Publish Sell!
Summer School for Smarties
Bad Hair, Good Hat, New Friends
Amazing Grace
Sins of the Father
Suffer the Little Children
----- Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Redheads Unite! Read Upon Your Honor!
Title: Upon Your Honor
Author: Marie Lavender
Author's Web site link: http://marielavender.webs.com/
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN: 1625260423
Name of Reviewer: Kayla West
Amazon Reviewer's Rating: 5 Stars
Book Publisher: Summer Solstice Publishing
Universal Purchase Link: http://smarturl.it/uponyourhonor
Author: Marie Lavender
Author's Web site link: http://marielavender.webs.com/
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN: 1625260423
Name of Reviewer: Kayla West
Amazon Reviewer's Rating: 5 Stars
Book Publisher: Summer Solstice Publishing
Universal Purchase Link: http://smarturl.it/uponyourhonor
Reviewed by Kayla West Originally for BookLikes.com
I loved this book so much! SO MUCH!!!I know that I have probably mentioned this before in a previous review of mine, maybe not, but ever since I was a little girl I have had this love for ships. Sailing ships. I love the terms for everything. I love the idea of being able to traverse oceans and leading a band of miscreants, and just the camaraderie that happens when you sail for months at a time. Sure. there are bad days too when it comes to the sea, but I just absolutely it. (Okay, so my kinds of ships are normally only in books, and the groups I'm talking about are mostly pirates, not those on a trading ship like the men on La Voyageur, but it's kind of the same principle, right?) Anywho...that was one of the things I absolutely adored about this story. The fact that most of it takes place on a vessel of the seas.
I also loved the characters, mostly the supporting characters, my favorite being Gabriel's father. He just seemed like such a sweet man, and his daughter Adrienne was a bit of a firecracker in comparison. Gabriel's mother was also very sweet when it came to Chloe, and you could definitely tell she was a strong woman, considering what she herself went through for true love.
It also doesn't hurt that she was a redhead...REDHEADS UNITE!! *ahem* Sorry, kinda slipped out. And Gabriel was a redhea....AUBURN. Sorry, his and his mother's hair is auburn. The characters are kind of berating me for not getting that right. Now...where was I... Oh, yeah. I loved that I could sort of relate to those two because of hair color.
While Chloe was an integral part of the story - without her running away from her fiancé there would be no story - she definitely wasn't one of my favorite characters I have ever read. I liked her, don't get me wrong, I just sometimes felt a bit annoyed by the fact that she was SO proper, SO well brought up. At one point I just wanted her to spit on a bad guy or her fiance, just once. I was completely rooting for that to happen. That would have made my day. But other than that, she was a good character.
All in all, this was really great story. I freaked out a bunch of times while reading it, especially near the end, where...well, you'll have to read to find out. This reaction always indicates to me that whatever I am reading has to be good. At first I couldn't figure out how the other books were connected to this one, since this is the first I have read from the series, but it made me smile when I was able to connect all three with characters that I was pretty much introduced to in this second book. It reads very well on its own, but the other books are definitely on my to read list for the future.
MORE ABOUT THE AUHTOR
Learn more about Marie Lavender, Romance Author, at:
http://www.marielavender.webs.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://www.facebook.com/UponYourReturn
https://www.facebook.com/MagickMoonlight
https://www.facebook.com/UponYourHonor
https://www.facebook.com/WritingintheModernAge
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104926404745289477307/postshttp://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10ahttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavenderhttp://www.amazon.com/Marie-Lavender/e/B00C10Q94I/
http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00JTKTODGhttp://bookgoodies.com/a/B00IRKN5P2
http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00I0D9LQ8
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
“A true man does not need to romance a different girl every night, a true man romances the same girl for the rest of her life.” -Ana Alas
http://www.marielavender.webs.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://www.facebook.com/UponYourReturn
https://www.facebook.com/MagickMoonlight
https://www.facebook.com/UponYourHonor
https://www.facebook.com/WritingintheModernAge
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/104926404745289477307/postshttp://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10ahttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavenderhttp://www.amazon.com/Marie-Lavender/e/B00C10Q94I/
http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00JTKTODGhttp://bookgoodies.com/a/B00IRKN5P2
http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00I0D9LQ8
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
“A true man does not need to romance a different girl every night, a true man romances the same girl for the rest of her life.” -Ana Alas
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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.
Sunday, 12 October 2014
Ebola in the News? How About a Hot Virus?
Title: Strike Three MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Joy has a writing blog at
http://pagadan.wordpress.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.
Author: Joy V. Smith
Genre: Science fiction (post-apocalyptic)
ISBN: 9781936099658
Reviewer: Midwest Book Review
Publisher: WolfSinger Publications
Reviewer's rating: NA
Available an Amazon
Reviewed by Midwest Book Review
Because of the 'hot virus', World War III's scenario is more deadly than any nuclear-powered conflict, and the missiles fired during conflict are far more deadly than any conventional battle could have envisioned. But the message of Strike Three isn't just about altered warfare, but altered survival mechanisms honed by feisty protagonists who seek to start over, against all odds and against the backdrop of an Earth devastated on many different levels. Against this scenario are a series of vivid protagonists who battle for not just survival but a revised world - and within their efforts to rise again will be the rudiments of a new kind of humanity. Strike Three is exceptional reading for any who enjoy apocalyptic stories, and offers many twists and turns unpredictable even for avid readers of end-of-world sagas.
Joy has a writing blog at
http://pagadan.wordpress.com/
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Thursday, 9 October 2014
The Secrets to Great Reviews
I usually post only reviews on this blog (see the submission guidelines in the left column!). It is open for authors, publishers, reviews, and readers who want to spread the word about the books they read. Today, I'm republishing a note I wrote to the subscribers of my SharingwithWriters newsletter because it deals with reviews--and, I believe, can be helpful to all those who contribute and visit these pages. Here it is:
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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.
Dear Subscribers:
Perhaps the hardest job I have is to convince my clients that a critical review can actually be beneficial to the sales of their book. (The other is convincing them that marketing a book is not selling a book but an act of consideration—that is identifying their readers so they can be helped or entertained in the way they like best!)
Back to reviews. I was reading a review for The Small Big: Small Changes That Spark Big Influence by Steve J. Martin and Noah Goldstein with Robert Cialdini in Timemagazine. And there! Right there! Was the clincher. It leads with, "At first glance, little differentiates Berkshire Hathaway stockholder reports from those of any other major corporation. But look closer. Even in years when Berkshire has been unimaginably successful, [the Berkshire Chairman draws attention] to a snag or strain in the company."
"What," you may ask, "does that have to do with my book, or reviews for my book?"
The review amplifies a bit: "Researchers who study persuasion know that messages can be amplified when people present a small weakness in them, which in turn garners a higher level of trust."
As those of you who have read my The Frugal Book Promoter know, I don't advocate slash and burn review tactics—for authors who review books or authors who take the lowest road and denigrate their competitors' books. But a review that is honest, one that tempers praise with a little helpful critique, can be of far more value than one that looks as if it were written by the author's mother.
Apparently this book also suggests that those with something to sell might "arrange for someone to toot your horn on your behalf." It gives an example of the old switch tactic that I've had car salespeople use on me when they turn me over to someone who is "more experienced," or "in a better position to cut me a deal."
Another lesson: Use potential. Facebook users introduced to "someone who could become the next big thing" were more convinced than they were from a mere list of his or her credentials, however stellar.
And while we're at it, one of the first "lessons" I learned about endorsements (they're sort of like mini reviews, right?) is that you can write them and present them to someone in a position to influence your particular readers in the query letter you write to them. You tell them that if they prefer they can chose one one of your prepackaged endorsements--edit it or not--or write one of their own. It's a way of keeping control over the aspects of your book you'd most like to have at the forefront of readers' awareness and—at the same time—being of service to the person you are querying. You will also up your success rate for getting an endorsement because many movers-and-shakers aren't necessarily writers and the idea of writing an endorsement from scratch scares the beejeebees out of them!
You can do the same thing with a review. Write one the way you would like to see it (using some of the techniques outlined in this note to you), and let someone else—someone with tons of credibility--sign off on it. If no one does, you can use the review in your media kit with a note that it is a "sample review." That's honest and sometimes needed when you're finding it hard to get that first review! By the way, that's another tip you'll find in The Frugal Book Promoter along with ways to avoid paying for a review and why you shouldavoid paying for one.
Happy writing, editing, and promoting,
Carolyn
PS I’d love to see those of you who live in the LA area at the coming Digital Conference (http://www.wcwriters.com/dasp/program.html) for sure, though hotel accommodations are available for out-of-towners. I’ll be speaking on “Using Createspace as a One-Stop Shop for Digital and Paper” and “Digital Marketing Made Simple.” Get more details by scrolling to the bottom of this newsletter for my coming presentations.
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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.
