The New Book Review: February 2016

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Editor of Bookwatch Calls Poet "Exceptionally Skilled Wordsmith"

Imperfect Echoes

Subtitle: Writing Truth and Justice with Capital Letters, Lie and Oppression with small
Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 9781515232490

$9.95, PB,

148pp,

Purchase: http://bit.ly/ImperfectEchoes

Web site: http://HowToDoItFrugally.com/poetry_books.htm
Also available for Kindle and other e-readers.

Reviewed by Jim Cox for the February 2016 Issue of Wisconsin Bookwatch

Accepted for inclusion in Poets and Writers prestigious list of published poets, multi award-winning novelist and poet Carolyn Howard-Johnson is widely published in journals and anthologies. With the publication of "Imperfect Echoes: Writing Truth and Justice with Capital Letters, Lie and Oppression with Small" Carolyn has showcased the best of her free verse poetry to date. An exceptionally skilled wordsmith, her poetry will linger in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Very highly recommended for community and academic library Contemporary American Poetry collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Imperfect Echoes" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

'Utah's Song'
Snow hums a quiet melody, rhythmic drifts,
polar staccato on cheeks and nose.
Quiet harmony here.
Solace in the pulse of canyon winds,
hush of gurgling creeks
sway of clouds moving high.
Symphony of silence
in thin mountain air.
Bars, staffs, and whole notes.
Tranquil self-destruction.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Jim Cox is Editor-in-Chief of Wisconsin Bookwatch. He has been a staple in the review industry for decades. . His business address is 278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575 and his business e-mail is MWBOOKREVW@aol.com.

ABOUT THE POET

Accepted for inclusion in Poets & Writers prestigious list of published poets, multi award-winning novelist and poet Carolyn Howard-Johnson is widely published in journals and anthologies. She is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list “Fourteen San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts. One of her poems won the Franklin Christoph poetry prize. She was an instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program for nearly a decade. Learn more about her and follow her Amazon Author page at http://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile or at http://howtodoitfrugally.com/more_on_imperfect_echoes.

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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.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Interview: A Twenty-Five Year Love Affair Writing Books for Children

Hi! I am Carolyn Howard Johnson, your trusty New Book Review blogger and author of the multi award-winning HowTo Do It Frugally Series of books for writers. This blog has heretofore been exclusive for reviews but I thought I’d do a special series of interviews after I chatted with Jeanie Loiacono, President of Loiacono Literary Agency – Where ‘can’t’ is not in our vocabulary! I thought sharing the interviews would help the many subscribers and visitors to this New Book Review blog, including authors, reviewers, and, of course, readers who just might find a new favorite author among the featured books and authors.

So, today welcome Ruth Wiseman.

Ruth Wiseman has been writing children’s stories since 5th grade, when her English teacher, Mr. Lavrov, inspired her talents. She has been writing children’s books for over twenty-five years and co-edited Broken Glass, Broken Lives: A Jewish Girl’s Survival Story in Berlin 1933-1945 by Rita J. Kuhn. She hopes to be published soon and to share her stories with even more children. She is a grateful mother of two young daughters and two step-sons, and lives in Passaic, NJ.

What is your genre? Is it fiction or nonfiction? I write children's literature and I am trying my hand at a novel. I've only written the first chapter, but I have to start somewhere! I am also working on a midgrade.

What made you want to be a writer? When I was twelve-years-old, I had a wonderful English teacher. He engaged my imagination by giving us pictures from which to write stories. Some of them were very silly. I found a whole new voice inside me when I wrote. I was a rather quiet student, but suddenly I found a world in which I could have a strong voice and I wouldn't be teased. My teacher provided feedback as though I were a serious writer. That experience stayed with me all these years. And need I say how much I love the feeling of a new pen and paper?

Of all the authors out there, who inspired you most? I love so many authors, it's hard to name just one. For children's stories I love Barbara Park, Mo Willems, Cynthia Rylant, Bracha Goetz. For middle school books, I adore J.K. Rowling, Sharon Creech, Andrew Clemens, Julie Kagawa, R. J. Palacio, J.R.R. Tolkien. In adult literature, Tolstoy is magnificent, Jhumpa Lahiri is lovely, Amy Tan has colorful, multi-faceted characters, Herman Wouk, John Grisham, Edith Wharton. Really an assortment of writers. I don't have a specific genre that I seek out, just pure, good writing.

What is your writing style? Do you outline? Linearly? By scene? Why? For my children's stories, I will sometimes be given the gift of a full story coming to me in one piece. That is exhilarating. Other stories, I need to massage and rewrite and rewrite. Each one has its own personality. The midgrade I am working on right now (and will probably complete when my current middle school child is in college!), I write by scenes. I think this is because I am seeing the images unfolding in my mind's eye, and it then develops into a narrative. This story, though, is giving me a lot of trouble because I started it in one style and changed the style midstream. I am going to have to go back and rework the first several chapters once I have moved the story line far enough along.

Do you write every day? How much? How long? Ha, that would be nice! I aspire to that. Somehow with a full-time job, an eleven-year old, and a six-year old, I just can't seem to find the time or energy to write every day. I also need a certain physical and mental space for my writing. If I can be in a quiet place—a library, a cool cafe, an empty park—then my concentration is enhanced and the words just flow out of me. But if I am sitting in my office in a slow moment, or waiting to see the doctor, or sitting in my room once my girls are asleep, those times are harder because my mind is on overdrive with other concerns. But those are also the ‘lost moments.’ It's a quandary. I am working on trying to use those moments for some creative purpose. My characters tug at me to listen to them, and I really suffer when I don't.

Do you think reading is as important to writing for an author? Why? Absolutely. It is an excellent way of distinguishing your own voice to read other people's works. I recently read a midgrade book similar in some fashion to the one I am working on, but I finished that book feeling that my concept and writing style is very different and, in my humble opinion, better. I don't always close a book feeling that way. Certainly not the Harry Potter series; Rowling is just sheer inspiration. I want to run and get my quill and go into my characters’ worlds, without thought for my style or my chances of publication. Some writers give me an artistic thirst for creating.

What are some of the things you would like to share with budding authors? Just keep writing. Try not to be your own editor. You have a unique voice, and you do not need to sound like anyone else. The imaginings and perspectives that you have will resonate with a certain audience. Trust in that!

Do you have any marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? I don't have any just yet, other than the Yiddish word chutzpah. It means ‘you've got to have nerve.’ That is how I found my wonderful literary agent, Jeanie Loiacono. I walked up to a children's author and asked her for publishing advice. She gave me Jeanie's name. It took a year to build up the nerve to contact her, but when I did, I was not sorry that I did! Both those instances involved a certain amount of chutzpah. Any time you put yourself on the line, you are promoting yourself. Any time you tell your colleagues about your work, you are promoting yourself. Just keep believing in your stories, and you will come up with ideas.

Do you think conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you frequent? I haven't attended any conferences for purely logistical reasons. However, I love being in writing workshops. Any forum that is going to help you focus your creativity and make you take yourself more seriously as a writer is beneficial.

Where can we find you, your books and when is your next event? Keep your eyes peeled for my three children's titles scheduled for publication in 2016 with Saturn Moon's Press, an imprint of Cactus Moon Publications LLC. You can see more about me at: http://ruthcwiseman.wix.com/storywise# http://www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/ruth-wiseman

MORE ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENT

Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary Agency

A facilitator of dreams, Jeanie Loiacono represents over eighty authors. Her forte is mystery, romance, thrillers, historical/military/southern fiction, and all quality fiction/nonfiction. Her passion is to see her authors succeed.

“There is nothing more rewarding than to hold one of my author’s books and know I helped bring it to fruition. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to work with some of the most talented writers in the world.” Jeanie.L@llallc.net www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Interview: Reading for Jewish Children

So, today welcome Bracha Goetz.

Bracha Goetz is the Harvard-educated author of thirty children’s books, including Remarkable Park, Let Your Fingers Do the Mitzvos and The Invisible Book. She also coordinates a Big Brother Big Sister Program for Jewish Community Services in Baltimore, Maryland.

Her first published piece was a poem that appeared in McCall’s magazine when she won a Junior McCall’s contest as a twelve-year-old. Years later, she was the editor of her high school paper, and later on, helped coordinate and contributed an essay to the anthology, Women Look at Biology Looking at Women, while at Harvard, which became a text for many women’s studies courses nationwide. Her writing has, since then and up until now, almost exclusively been aimed at the religious Jewish population; being interviewed twice (2009, 2010) on the Zev Brenner Radio show in NY, the most popular Orthodox Jewish radio show. What Do You See on Purim? A fun way for toddlers to learn vocabulary! Teaches toddlers about the holiday of Purim with a bright and colorful word-and-picture book! Children will learn basic vocabulary while becoming familiar with the objects and concepts that are unique to this special holiday. It’s available from Judaica Press and in the local Jewish bookstores!

She also has a chapter entitled “From Harvard to Homemaking” in new release from Coffeetown Press called Torn: True Stories of Kids, Career & the Conflict of Modern Motherhood.

She has recently released What Do You See At School? and Because of a Smile . Available online and in Jewish bookstores – What Do You See On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?

Her latest release is Hashem’s Candy Store

“What do you think you would see if you opened the door? What would you find on the shelves in Hashem’s Candy Store?

In this adorable book by bestselling author Bracha Goetz, kids will learn the most amazing things about some of the yummiest “candy” available on the market – namely, the delicious fruits and vegetables that Hashem created.

“Children will devour the captivating rhymes and illustrations…and don’t be surprised if you soon find them beginning to devour their fruits and veggies, too!” — Bracha

Hashem’s Candy Store is available both online and in Jewish bookstores.

1.      What is your genre? Is it fiction or nonfiction? I am the author of thirty picture books. Some of them are fiction and some are non-fiction.
2.      What made you want to be a writer? I love reading children’s books, and I wanted to write the kind of books that I wished I could have read when I was a child—spiritual children’s books with answers to life’s deepest questions, presented in a delightfully simple way.
3.      Of all the authors out there, who inspired you most? Anne Frank
4.      What is your writing style? Do you outline? Linearly? By scene? Why? When ideas pop into my head, I jot them down, even if it is in the middle of the night. I keep a pad and pen near my bed for that purpose so I can go back to sleep after writing it down. Then when I have some time, like when I am a passenger in a long car ride or taking a plane trip, I play with the ideas that I have jotted down and see where we can go.
5.      Do you write every day? How much? How long? I probably write something every day, whether it’s editing a piece I once wrote, or communicating about my writing to others.
6.      Do you think reading is as important to writing for an author? Why? I think reading is as important because it opens up the writer’s mind to go in new directions.
7.      What are some of the things you would like to share with budding authors? As soon as I get a rejection, I try to do something with the manuscript, whether that means sending it to a different place or revising it. If I don’t respond quickly, then it will just sit and go nowhere, and I wrote it to get it out into the world.
8.      Do you have any marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? Email blasts are still very effective when new material is published, but the emails need to be kept short as they are often viewed on phones now.
9.      Do you think conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you frequent? I attended conferences when I began writing professionally and found them very helpful at that time. I think they must have helped me learn how to get my foot into doors.
10. Where can we find you, your books and when is your next event? All of my books can be found on my Author Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/spiritualkidsbooks-brachagoetz . These are picture books for Jewish children, but soon I will have spiritual kids’ books for all children (and their parents and teachers) to enjoy as well! My next event that is open to the public (not at a school) is on Sunday, December 12 from 10 to 11:30 am at the Leon Weiner Jewish Library in the Young Israel of Houston in Houston, Texas. I will attach a flyer I just received about this event. Amazon Author Page – Bracha Goetz  David Clarke Blog Talk Radio Interview Bracha Goetz books/images Listen to Bracha reading her books
Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency, Jeanie Loiacono

MORE ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENT

Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary Agency

“There is nothing more rewarding than to hold one of my author’s books and know I helped bring it to fruition. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to work with some of the most talented writers in the world.” Jeanie.L@llallc.net www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS--TO FIND GREAT READING OR TO NETWORK WITH AUTHORS--PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG. YOU ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THIS FAMILY WHO LOVES BOOKS! YOU'LL FIND A WINDOW TO DO THIS AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG PAGE.

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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.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

An Emerging Literary Star of Magical Realism

Unspeakable Things

By Kathleen Spivack

Knopf

ISBN: 978-0-385-35396-0

Adult/Literary

304 pages

Contact Reviewer: HoJoNews@aol.com

A New Author That Shines and Sighs on the Literary Horizon

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers.

The title of Unspeakable Things by Kathleen Spivack isn’t misleading. Don’t fool yourself into believing this book will be an upper—at least not in terms of your mood. Unless, of course, your mood is positively affected by beautiful language, unusual plotlines, and any tendency toward daring literature.

The language is this book reaches poetic heights that will thrill those who speak English, breaks new ground in the genre of magical realism and it does it all within the boundaries of difficult themes like immigration, survival and pedophilia and spins on the recognition of the destructive underbelly of secrets kept.

I adore Spivack’s literary skills. I hope she takes on something that will appeal to a broader audience in the near future (though I urge readers to stretch a bit and try this one, too!) Having said that, even if you think this book isn’t your cup of tea, track Spivack’s literary progress. She is a not-to-be missed new star that shines and sighs on the literary horizon.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of the award-winning fiction This is the Place ,and Harkening, a book of creative nonfiction short stories. Her newer efforts, Here’s How I Don’t Cook and This Land Divided, are being shopped by agent Terrie Wolf. Howard-Johnson is also the author of fifteen books and chapbooks of poetry including her most recent Imperfect Echoes (http://bit.ly/ImperfectEchoes), that was recently honored by USA Book News.

Friday, February 12, 2016

EMPOWERMENT IS JUST A WORD...UNTIL YOU LIVE I

Title: THE SKIN OF WATER
Subtitle: Defending The Dreamcatcher
By Cristina Salat
Publisher: Green Flame Omnimedia
Pub date: Feb. 14, 2016
Trade Paperback: ISBN-13: 978-1518829000 ISBN-10: 1518829007Mass Market: ISBN-13: 978-1523793624 ISBN-10: 1523793627E-edition: ISBN 978-1311502605
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015957072
Purchase Links:

Available through your local library and wherever fine books are sold

Also: Amazon's Match Book program

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019BI3FAI (the purchase of print edition comes with accompanying Kindle version at discount).

Signed copies available through: http://creativecornucopia.miiduu.com

Reviewed by Nikki Nigari, jorascknigari@hotmail.com

There are books you read and workshops you enjoy. And then there are books and activities that ROCK your world.

In these uncertain times my children are aware that their school, the mall, even our church is no longer necessarily a guaranteed safe zone. The complex dangers and economic hardships going on everywhere seem to be making anything truly inspiring in great demand, yet short supply.

In wanting a break from violence while not wanting to stick my head in the sand, I found an unusual new book: The Skin of Water: Defending The Dreamcatchers by Cristina Salat. It heralds a modern-day pueblo teen who winds up changing her life in ways you will not see coming that are likely to also change your own!

From the jacket copy:

"Lisel Martinez is not a rough-&-tumble kind of girl, so what is someone more interested in books and plants than in having a hot social life doing out on the most dangerous streets in San Francisco? Is there actually anything one 16-year-old without a home can do to keep herself safe in a world that seems anything but?!

From the award-winning author of books for the young and young at heart comes a contemporary quest from the mesas of New Mexico to the streets of San Francisco, as one modern-day First Nation girl searches for a life different than the one that seems destined to be her fate."

This is the kind of book that becomes a friend, no matter what age you are. The second I finished it, I started again from the beginning. Cleaning out the garage would just have to wait!

It aroused discussions between children and adults, including a teenager and her friends who don't often like to participate in family discussions about anything! One character's comment: "It's not enough to just Take Back the Night, we need to take back the world!" particularly made my daughter cheer.

Dedicated by the author to "all who are loved, and all who deserve to be," the novel champions the idea that "Empowerment is just a word...until you live it." It is an evocative, empowering gift in an age when beloved children's book authors like Judy Blume in the collection Letters To Judy: What Your Kids Wish They Could Tell You says she receives volumes of requests from children of all ages, educators, and those who work in social services imploring her to write about kids whose lives include things like: dangerous family members, unconventional living situations, and real life circumstances such as surviving on the streets long enough to escape them.

Ms. Blume's understandable response is: "no one author can write about every situation, and most of us write out of our own experiences..." but she hopes one day someone else might write just such a book...and that book is now here.

There may be no easy answers to today's pressures around giving children wings while keeping them safe, but there are fresh ideas. New possibilities.

In an age of vampire love stories, wizards, and child wars in mythical lands, there can also be Real Magic in this world, right here, right now.

The Skin of Water: Defending The Dreamcatchers made me cry and had me shouting "YES!" during the rousing self-defense scenes.

In my opinion, there is no better gift to give to someone you love and want to see safe.

The book is available in trade paperback, mass market, and E-editions.

In the spirit of community, why not give it also to someone who isn't as loved as they deserve to be, along with your local libraries and schools?

Empowerment is just a word...until we live it

The Skin of Water: Defending The Dreamcatchers by Cristina Salat.

Get it.

Experience it.

Spread the word!

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Interview: Author Tells How To Get Away From It All

So, today welcome Jocko Lee.

Jocko Lee has one published novel, Tar Kyler: Time Traveling Mercenary (Rogue Phoenix Press, 2015), and two scheduled for release: Buffalo Island (Deer Hawk Publications, 2016) and Glass Wind Chimes (Deer Hawk Publications, 2017) In the last two mentioned, he has done a remarkable job in detailing the complexities regarding the establishing of your own island, and subsequent country, so convincingly that it stirs a great longing to live in the Paradise Islands and cast this harried existence aside. Having spent over fifty years in several professions including being a fisherman, boat owner and working in the shipping industry, his writing is authentic and most believable. His latest under consideration, The Travels of Jacob Spach, is a fictional account based on the travels of his grandfather around the early 1900’s.

What is your genre? Is it fiction or nonfiction? I don’t have a specific genre. I have written science fiction, fantasy and some romance. All my work is fiction.

What made you want to be a writer? I was kinda tricked into it. I was in a depression and I got there by thinking about my problems too much. So I decided to think happy thoughts and wrote them down. My Mom read them and said that I had a start to a good book, and to finish it. So I did. My Mom is the one who wanted to be a writer. I must have got the bug from her.

Of all the authors out there, who inspired you most? I like Louis L’amour, Tom Clancy and Zane Grey, all for different reasons. L’amour can make you feel that you are there while Zane Grey can give you the sounds. Clancy makes you think about what you are doing. Jean M. Auel can educate you in the medicinal value of plants if you read her Earth’s Children series. Many writers, even though they are writing fiction, stick to actual facts.

What is your writing style? Do you outline? Linearly? By scene? Why? I have no idea what my style is. That is one thing I miss, not studying writing. I don’t outline, I just put pen to paper and the story comes out. Sometimes I have no idea how a sentence will end when I start one. I have been surprised. I have told others that the pen writes the story, I just hold it upright. The first manuscript I wrote had over 100K words.

Do you write every day? How much? How long? I don’t write every day. Sometimes I go weeks without writing. And then the story hits me and I have to start putting it down. When I tried to force myself to write, nothing came out right. Writing is like giving birth, the baby comes when it’s ready.

Do you think reading is as important to writing for an author? Why? Reading was very important, to me. I have loved to read and have read all my life. Reading is how I learned to write.

What are some of the things you would like to share with budding authors? I am also a budding author, so I don’t have a lot of tried and true tidbits yet. The best thing I can say is write what is in your head. Don’t let someone else tell you how your story should go unless they are speaking from a marketing standpoint, and have the results to back it up.

Do you have any marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? Find the best agent you can and listen to that agent. They are in this business because they love what they do and they make a living doing it.

Do you think conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you frequent? I have no thoughts about conferences, mostly because I have never been to one. I have mobility problems at the moment but in the future I plan to see if they might help.

Where can we find you, your books and when is your next event? I have a web site, www.jockolee.com. My book Tar Kyler: time Traveling Mercenary may be found on all the online sites: Amazon, B&N and the publisher’s website www.rougephoenixpress.com. Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency, Jeanie Loiacono www.loiaconoliteraryagency/authors/jocko-lee

MORE ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENT

Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary Agency

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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.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Interview: Wife of Submarine Vet Shares Experiences

So, today welcome Mary Nida Smith.

As the wife of a submariner, she lived through many troubled day. Her husband, Melvin T, Smith, was one of these honorable men. He is a lifetime member of the USS Submarine Veterans Inc., (Holland Club) and the Vice Commander of the USS Submarine Veterans Base, Mountain Home, Arkansas and also former member of the Idaho Spuds-USS Submarine Veterans of WWII and the Northwest Regions/Idaho/Montana/Oregon/Washington. Through it all, she stuck by him—and wrote.

Mary Nida Smith, author, freelance writer, poet and photographer has lived in several states, submitting and publishing in local magazines and newspapers. Magazines: The Ozarks Mountaineer, Ozarks, Arkansas Living, Good Old Days, Polaris (WWII), Grit, Northwest Living (Field Editor), Storyteller (photographed cover), Salute, Journal of the Ozarks and contributed to the anthologies Echoes of the Ozarks and Women in Nature. Newspapers: Magic Valley Farm Lines (South Idaho Press-Clark newspapers), Port Orchard Independent (Washington- weekly column), Ozark Mountain News (Mountain Home, AR), and Oregon Journal (Portland - book reviews). Newsletters: U.S. Submarine of Veterans of WWII (Arkansas Diamond Chapter), Salute, Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI- Australia), SCBWI-Missouri, SCBWI-Arkansas, Ozarks Writers League (OWL), and Missouri Writers Guild.

What is your genre? Is it fiction or nonfiction? Nonfiction, but I do write other genres.
What made you want to be a writer? My first/second grade teacher said she liked my stories. I had lots of sisters and brothers I use to tell stories to, since we had no books in the house.
Of all the authors out there, who inspired you most? Jesus. Most were songs since we were a singing family.
What is your writing style? Do you outline? Linearly? By scene? Why? I outline in my head and then put it on paper. That’s what storytellers do.
Do you write every day? How much? How long? I don’t write every day. I put words down every day. Sometimes they find themselves in a story or book.
Do you think reading is as important to writing for an author? Why? Yes, that helps you learn.
What are some of the things you would like to share with budding authors? Write, be yourself, don’t listen to naysayers and never give up.
Do you have any marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? Be the best sales person you can be; if you’ve ever worked in retail stores you would have had to, or you may lose your job. Be kind to everyone.
Do you think conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you frequent? Yes! Weekend retreats, workshops and conferences are great for making contacts, and learning from each other and speakers. Most of all, for me was to build confidence and to know I wasn’t dumb or silly to reach for my dream of being a writer.
Where can we find you, your books and when is your next event? Just Google me and my books and blogs all come up. My latest nonfiction is, Heroes Beneath the Waves: Submarine Stories of the Twentieth Century, which I dedicated to my loving husband, Melvin, who went on “eternal patrol” November 2015. http://submarinestories.blogspot.com Mary Nida Smith Events Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency, Jeanie Loiacono http://www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/mary-nida-smith

MORE ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENT

Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary Agency

Monday, February 1, 2016

A FREE Book, Intro to New Sci-Fi Series

The Greatest Force in the Universe

Author: Dr Bob Rich

Author's Web site: https://bobrich18.wordpress.com

Genre: Science fiction

No ISBN: this book is available free, and is the lead-in to a series.

Reviewed by Gary Clough

The Greatest Force in the Universe, reviewed by Gary Clough

I wish I had Bill Sutcliffe’s intelligence and abilities, but I wouldn’t want his job with it. Humanity is killing all complex life on Earth (this is actually true: we’re officially in the 6th great extinction event of our planet), and aliens have come to help us. They’ve been genetically modifying people to ease us onto a better path, but note an active force opposing them. Unlike with millions of other species they’ve helped, humans are racing toward extinction anyway. So, as an emergency measure, they choose the most gifted of their “children” to be the Doom Healer. That’s Bill, aged only 14 at the start of the story.

I’m used to Bob Rich’s humour from his other writings, and I wasn’t disappointed. In the middle of a discussion of really serious topics like the nature of reality, or action like setting drug-addict rapist kids on the right path, there is the unexpected twist, or a choice or words, that makes me laugh.

As I’m writing this review, I’m halfway through the second volume, You Can’t Escape Destiny, and let me tell you, you’ve got to read on. I find this series as gripping as any science fiction I’ve ever read, and at the same time it makes me think about the most serious issues.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Bob Rich has a wonderful, eclectic newsletter with a section in it for writers at Bobbing Around http://wp.me/P3Xihq-1 Learn more about him at

http://bobswriting.com. Find what he considers his best book at http://bobswriting.com/ascending.html

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Pages

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Monday, February 1, 2016

The Greatest Force in the Universe, reviewed by Gary Clough