The New Book Review

This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.

Saturday, December 27, 2025

Reviewer Gives Joy V. Smith’s Newest Sci-Fi Adventure Five Stars


TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: VELVET OF SWORDS

 

AUTHORS NAME: Joy V. Smith

REVIEWERS’ RATING: 5 STARS

 

Available at https://pagadan.wordpress.com


 

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  Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite


Velvet of Swords is a science fiction adventure by Joy V. Smith. Pressured to marry a man she doesn't love, Velvet, a young woman from the House of Swords, leaves her home and sets out into the unknown to embrace her destiny. Her quest leads her to five Firstcomers, whose bodies are no longer intact. Along the way, she also becomes the regent to the young siblings and heirs of the Hill-Hold, Alex and Thea, after rescuing them from the clutches of their previous regent, Hutto. Now, Velvet faces her biggest challenge. She must rescue the descendants of the Firstcomers imprisoned in The Citadel by the Terran colonizers. But the mad scientist, Dr. Michael Rankin, stands in her way. What's next for Velvet?

Velvet of Swords is a captivating story for sci-fi fans. The narrative hooks you in from the very first page and keeps you glued until the last, featuring monstrous creatures, brave heroes, and thrilling action sequences. Author Joy V. Smith has created a believable alien world that feels lived-in and immersive. There are fleshed-out cultures and dynamics between different factions that bring a sense of realism to the world, making the story even more engrossing. Velvet is a fascinating protagonist. She is primarily driven by her desire to help others, which makes her very easy to root for. I enjoyed her scenes with the five Firstcomers, as well as her relationship with Kip. Overall, this is a great science fiction novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it
 
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

 
Joy V. Smith has been writing stories since she was a kid and made her own little books.  Her stories and articles have been published in print magazines, ezines, and anthologies; and her SF has been published in two audiobooks, including Sugar Time. Her books include Detour Trail; Strike Three; Sugar Time, a collection of her published short stories;and several ebooks.  She lives in Florida with Samwise Gamgee, a Chihuahua cross, and Pemberley the tortoiseshell cat in a remodeled house. (She's been practicing building and remodeling.) Learn more about her at
 https://pagadan.wordpress.com/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/JoyVSmith  



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More About #TheNewBookReview Blog
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. 

 Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in the right column of this blog home page (a silver and gold badge and threee silver-gray circles beneath it. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing HowToDoItFrugally http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews.

Friday, December 12, 2025

Everyone Should Read: CHANGE THE WORLD ONE BOOK AT A TIME:


TITLE OF YOUR BOOK:

Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words 


NAME OF AUTHOR OF BOOK: 

Nina Amir

 

THE REVIEW:

For writers who wish to make a real difference, this comprehensive guide is a must-read. As author Amir acknowledges in the first chapter of this book, attempting to become an author of change can feel hugely daunting—but 'someone needs your book.' In Change the World One Book at a Time, she leads (and cheerleads) you through every step of the journey—from clarifying your message for yourself to putting it on the page in a way that will most effectively reach an audience—making what might otherwise feel like an overwhelming challenge accessible for all."

Brooke Warner, author of Write on, Sisters! and publisher of She Writes Press


ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED: 

Nina Amir, the Inspiration to Creation Coach, is an 19X Amazon bestselling hybrid author. She supports writers on the journey to successful authorship as an Author Coach, nonfiction developmental editor, Transformational Coach, and Certified High Performance Coach (CHPC®)—the only one working with writers. 

    Nina is also a long time San Francisco Writers Conference volunteer and presenter. She now coordinates the Personal Growth for Writers track and the Writing for Change Summit. Nina’s most recent book, Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words, will be published on January 6, 2026 by Books that Save Lives. (It is now available for pre-order, and those who purchase prior to January 6 receive two valuable bonuses—a “Clarify Your Purpose” journal and a course about authoring change. Order here.

    Previously, she wrote three traditionally published books for aspiring authors—How to Blog a BookThe Author Training Manual, and Creative Visualization for Writers. Additionally, she has self-published a host of books and ebooks, including the Write Nonfiction NOW! series of guides. She has had 19 books on the Amazon Top 100 List and as many as six books on the Authorship bestseller list at the same time. 

    Nina is an award-winning journalist and blogger, as well as a successful nonfiction developmental editor. Some of her editing clients have sold 300,000+ copies of their books, landed deals with major publishing houses and created thriving businesses around their books.

    To further support writers, Nina created the Nonfiction Writers’ University, where members access a huge archive of resources, such as courses, ebooks, and interviews with writing and publishing experts, and receive monthly group Author Coaching. Additionally, she created the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge and Author of Change Transformational Programs. 

    Nina also founded the Inspired Creator Community, which provides group transformational (spiritual and personal growth) coaching around the topic of creating what matters. Many writers join this program to support their efforts to become authors.


AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: 

Visit www.ninaamir.com

And read her blog at ninaamir.com/blog   


Read her writing-related blogs at writenonfictionnow.com  and howtoblogabook.com as well.

 

Follow her on social media sites!

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/InspirationToCreation

X/Twitter https://twitter.com/NinaAmir

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninaamir

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/inspirationtocreationcoach/

YouTube   https://www.youtube.com/ninaamir 

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/ninaamir/ 

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@inspiredcreator?lang=en

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/ninaamir.bsky.social


ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW: 

√ Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to reprint their review in its entirety. 


REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Brooke Warner, author of Write on, Sisters! and publisher of She Writes Press


MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER: 


Brooke Warner is a passionate champion of writers and authors and her life’s work is supporting people to get published. She is profoundly grateful to have landed in this career at the tender age of 22. Brooke has worked across many segments of the publishing industry, and because of her background, she is publishing agnostic. She supports writers to get published—traditionally and independently (hybrid or self-publishing).    
Brooke started her publishing career in 2000, and worked for traditional publishers for 13 years. In 2012, she left her job as Executive Editor of Seal Press to co-found She Writes Press with Kamy Wicoff, founder of SheWrites.com. She tells the story of why I left traditional publishing in my TEDx talk: “Green-Light Revolution.”   Brooke invites you to join her weekly via her podcast, Memoir Nation (formerly Write-minded: Weekly Inspiration for Writers), which you can find wherever you listen to your podcasts, and also on her Substack, “Writerly Things,” where Brooke posts weekly dispatches about publishing and memoir. Brooke is currently the Board Chair of the Bay Area Book Festival. She is the past Board Chair of the Independent Book Publishers Association, an organization that’s near and dear to her heart. In 2024, she was awarded the Publishing Professionals Network’s Distinguished Service Award
    Brooke brings a wide range of disciplines and interests to coaching, including the Ennegram and the Diamond Approach®. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) with theCoaches Training Institute (CTI), a leading program in coaching that’s accredited by the International Coach Federation.
    Brooke earned her B.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University, and her M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from San Francisco State University.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Brooke has published several books, including Green Light Your Book, The Magic of Memoir, and Write On, Sisters! Find all her books here: brookewarner.com/books/

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS :

nina@ninaamir.com

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NinaAmir



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