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.

Showing posts with label Author Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Author Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Show all posts

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Laura Sturza Recommends The Frugal Editor to Her Students


Title: The Frugal Editor
Subtitle: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets
Edition: Third Edition
Publisher: Modern History Press
ISBN: 9761615996001
Available on Amazon Hardcover, Paperback, E-book
Awards: 
       USA Book News, Reader Views Literary Award, 
       Next Generation Marketing Awardm Next Generation Indie Book Award, 
       Dan Poynter's Global E-Book Award

Reviewed by Laura Sturza originally for Amazon 

I am a writer and a writing teacher and I highly recommend this book to my students. It is particularly helpful for those writing a book as it includes detailed information about presenting the best version of one's manuscript when submitting it to agents and publishers. There is also lots of information to help those submitting work to magazines and newspapers so that editors don't reject an excellent story because it includes editing errors. While I have been steeped in the writing business for decades, this book taught me so much and helped me refine other essentials, such as decisions about a book's layout. Years ago, I met the author when she ran a writing group. By using personal stories and humor, Howard-Johnson brings that same, warm, conversational style to relaying information that I have found challenging to absorb from other sources. There were grammar corrections she covered that I have struggled with for years, and which she simplified. The book is also full of resources to further explore the topics covered. My copy is full of sticky notes to help me as I continue to edit my first book. When it is published, I have the author to thank for helping me create the strongest possible version of it so that readers can enjoy the story without the distraction of editing flubs.

Disclaimer: I received a book from the publisher of this book so I could write a fair and honest review.

 

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

 Laura Sturza is a writer/teacher living in Rockville, Maryland after 20 years in L.A., which remains her other home. Her work is published in The Washington Post, Shondaland, The Boston Globe Magazine, AARP's The Girlfriend, The LA Times, Lunch Ticket, and Hippocampus, among others. Laura is completing the memoir, Better Late: My Midlife First-Time Marriage. She was a nonfiction editor on the forthcoming book, Transformation: A Women Who Submit Anthology. She wrote, produced, and starred in the one-woman show, Finding the Perfect Place to Live in 111 Gyrations  laurasturza.com


MORE ABOUT #THENEWBOOKREVIEW BLOG
 
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. 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. 

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Sci-Fi Author Joy V. Smith Shares Writing Tips from The Frugal Editor

Title: The New Book Review
Subtitle: HowtoDoItFrugally Series of books for Writers
Edition: 3rd Edition
Author: Carolyn Howard-Johhson
Publisher: Modern History Press
Buy on Amazon
Multi award-winner including Reader Views, The Irwin Award
Pages 279

Reviewed by Joy V. Smith 

 From beginning to end, I learned what I needed to know--and there was so much I didn't realize I needed to know--to help me with my writing. She covers editing helps and resources, grammar, punctuation, computer aids, agents' pet peeves and warnings about CAPs, quotation marks, and exclamation points (one of my pet peeves), And a lot more! (heh, heh)

Of course I can't remember everything so I've used a lot of little flags. In checking some out for this review, I came across the cut and paste warning. Btw, that ruined a recent ms I sent out (the paste ended up after the end of my story). And I see there's a copyright shortcut. Don't miss the dialogue warning (cut back on those italics). Ah, there's helpful advice about hyphens and prefixes, etc. And helpful background on Smashwords and Kindle, plus info re: formatting. (I had to hire formatters for them.) I also needed to focus on front and back matter recently. (A little late....)

I wish I could memorize all that essential info, but that's what my little flags are for. (I'm glad we can end a sentence with a preposition.) I'll be rereading it.... Highly recommended because it'll save you from writing and publishing mistakes. (Nah, I'll skip the exclamation point this time.)

Note: I received a review copy from the publisher in return for an unbiased and honest review. 

 

More About the Reviewer

Joy V. Smith has been writing stories since she was a kid and made her own little books. Later she wrote articles--including interviews with editors, artists, and writers--and short stories. The closest she came to writing long stories was writing sequels to her stories. Then she learned about NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. She started writing novels then and finished several over the years; there was a lot of editing to be done; Joy owes a lot to her patient editors. Her books include: Strike ThreeSugar Time, Taboo TechVelvet of SwordsWell Met by Water, Detour TrailCold New PlanetPretty Pink PlanetHot Yellow Planet, Hidebound, and The Doorway and Other Stories. 
 
She also collects books by her favorite authors and pop-up books, and, of course, reference books and books on writing.

Friday, September 22, 2023

"Mermaid" Author Reviews Carolyn Howard-Johnson's Flagship Book



Promotional Shot by Author Leora G. Krygier

 

Title: The Frugal Book Promoter
Subtitle: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets
ASIN ‏ : ‎
 B07X2CCTGL
Publisher ‏ : ‎ 
Modern History Press; 3rd edition (September 1, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Published as e-book, paperback, paper
Text to speech enabled

 

Reviewed by Lorelei Kay, author or “From Mormonism to Mermaid originally for Amazon


5.0 out of 5 stars A Dynamite Book!

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2023

Carolyn Howard-Johnson really knows her stuff! And more importantly, she’s willing to share! This includes nearly all things a writer needs to know to promote a new book.

As every writer learns, the writing is only the beginning; then the work of promoting it – to many of us the hardest part – begins. In The Frugal Book Promoter, Carolyn extends a helping, willing hand and offers to share her extensive repertoire of knowledge to get this job done.

Thank you, Carolyn, for this fantastic, helpful book!


MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER


For fifty years Lorelei lived the life of a devout Mormon woman.

As a child, her mother told her stories of her pioneer ancestors who crossed the plains to find religious freedom. She grew up in Salt Lake City, was baptized in the Tabernacle font on Temple Square, performed baptisms for the dead in the Salt Lake Temple, and also played the world-famous Tabernacle organ. She attended Brigham Young University, was sealed to her husband for time and all eternity in the Los Angeles Temple, and always said yes to the many callings her bishops extended to her.

Her life revolved around Mormonism and its clearly outlined path leading to exaltation. Then life's dilemmas thundered around her as she studied and prayed, and the doctrinal foundation she had built her life on crumbled.

She is a member of the California Writer's Club and a published poet.

She's also named after a mermaid.


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. Pre-format the post editor for each new post. Cancel Save Post published

Saturday, August 5, 2023

Celebrating the 3rd Edition of The Frugal Editor

The Frugal Editor
Third Edition
Subtitle: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets
Author:  Carolyn Howard-Johnson 
Publisher:: Modern History Press
Hard Copy: 9781615996018, $41.95, 296pp
E-book: $8.95
Paperback book: $26.95
Review from Midwest Review may now be seen on Midwest’s Writing/Publishing Shelf  

Reviewed by Jim, Editor in Chief of Midwest Book Review


Synopsis: Whether you are a new or experienced author, this updated and expanded third edition of "The Frugal Editor: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets-From Your Query Letters to Final Manuscript to the Marketing of Your New Bestseller" by veteran author, editor and book marketer Carolyn Howard-Johnson will dramatically assist aspiring and experienced authors to present whistle-clean copy from a one-page cover letter to their entire manuscript in ways that will convince those with the power to say "yea" or "nay" to their book.

This third edition of "The Frugal Editor", is part of Carolyn's multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of Books for writers and has been awarded accolades from Reader Views Literary Award, Dan Poynter's Global Ebook Award, the coveted Irwin Award, and many others. This fully updated edition includes the new help you need from managing gender pronouns to maximizing the usefulness of front and back matter. Altogether, "The Frugal Editor" now provides 50% more information designed for the success of an author's title.

Critique: Speaking as the editor-in-chief of the Midwest Book Review, one of the most common problems that self- published authors exhibit is a lack of much needed editing with respect to the books they present for my review and for sale to libraries and the general public.

While this newly revised and expanded third edition of "The Frugal Editor: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets-From Your Query Letters to Final Manuscript to the Marketing of Your New Bestseller" should be considered as mandatory reading for beginners, and even the more experienced authors will benefit substantially from the experience, expertise, wit and hard earned wisdom of writing and publishing expert Carolyn Howard-Johnson.

While also available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9781615996001, $26.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.95), "The Frugal Editor" is a seminal and unreservedly recommended addition to professional, community, and academic library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections and supplemental Writing/Publishing Workshop curriculum studies lists

Editorial Note: Carolyn Howard-Johnson (www.HowToDoItFrugally.com) was the youngest person ever hired as a staff writer for The Salt Lake Tribune where she wrote features for the society page and a column under the name of Debra Paige. That gave her insight into the needs of editors, the very people authors must work with to get free ink and the ones likely to spot unprofessional editing when they see it. Being familiar with the way news is handled helps her see how different books fit into different news cycles.

Later in New York, she was an editorial assistant at Good Housekeeping Magazine. In the Big Apple she also handled accounts for fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert who instituted the first Ten Best Dressed List. There she started writing media releases (then called press releases) for celebrity designers of the day including Pauline Trigere, Rudy Gernreich, and Christian Dior instead of being one of those dreaded gatekeepers of releases who get to say yay or nay.

Carolyn has worked as columnist, reviewer, and staff writer for the Pasadena Star-News, Home Decor Buyer, the Glendale News-Press (an affiliate of the LA Times), and others. She learned marketing skills both in college (University of Utah, and University of Southern California) and as founder and operator of a chain of retail stores. That molded her understanding of how authors might best collaborate with retailers to affect both of their bottom lines. Carolyn's experience in journalism and as a poet and author of fiction and nonfiction helped the multi award-winning author understand how different marketing techniques might be used for each genre.

She was an instructor for UCLA Extension's renowned Writers' Program for nearly a decade and earned an instructor's certificate from that school. She studied writing at Cambridge University, United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University in Prague.

Carolyn turned her knowledge toward helping other writers with her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Her marketing campaign for the first edition of this book won Reader Views Award, USA Book News Award, and the marketing campaign for it won the Next Generation Indie Award for marketing.



 

Saturday, June 10, 2023

Poet Theresa Werba Reviews James A. Tweedie's Humorous Poetry

Title: Laughing Matters

Subtitle: Poetry with a Wink and a Smile 

Kindle Edition 

Poet Theresa Yerba Reviews James A. Tweedie's Humorous Poetry


Reviewed by Theresa Werba 
  •  

         This collection of humorous poetry by the excellent James A. Tweedie is more than a mere collection of clever jokings and funny sayings. James Tweedie is reveling in the power of language, and celebrates its gift-giving capacity in the ways in which words and phrases, and even various authors, and styles, and forms can be experimented with, played with, coaxed, and birthed into a fantastic array of poetic expression.

          James Tweedie is not only a first-rate poet, but is also a musician and composer, which is very refreshing to me, as I am also both a poet and a musician. You can hear the musicality exuding from his poetry. The meter is clean and precise, the rhymes are perfect, rarely slanted, so you get the full effect of the satisfactions inherent in perfectly-executed formal poetry. But it never upstages the humor and wit of Tweedie’s funny perspective, and the results are often quite unexpected! It is very refreshing and satisfying indeed to “hear” the sonorities and the rhymes and meter within my head as I read his work. 

         Tweedie is highly creative in his use of form. He employs the traditional Shakespearean form ABAB CDCD EFEF GG plus the variant ABBA CDDC EFFE GG. The opening poem “Fleet of Foot Pheidippides,” is an excellent example:


    Fleet of Foot Pheidippides 

     

    A Grecian runner named Pheidippides,
    From Athens, ran to Sparta with a plea.
    “We need your help to fight the Persians, please!” 

    But Sparta sent him back with, “Nosirree!” 

     

    Two-hundred eighty miles is what he ran, 

    For four or maybe five days he was gone. 

    But Athens received help from the god, Pan, 

    And Persia met defeat at Marathon. 

     

    Pheidippides, we’re told ran all the way 

    To Athens to announce that they had won. 

    That’s why it’s called a “marathon” today. 

    For twenty-six-plus miles he had to run. 

     

    They say he gave the message and dropped dead. 

    But why did he not ride a horse, instead? 

     

         Tweedy  also uses the Petrarchan form (in “I wrote a poem” ) as well as some unusual presentations such as an Anapest Dimeter sonnet, a Monometer sonnet, and a 20-line sonnet variant (as opposed to the traditional 14-line sonnet). He also creates a short piece of prose (in the poem ”Doublespeak”) from a sonnet by reformatting it, literally disguising the form and structure of the sonnet so it reads like a short essay. Ingenious! Some of his poems also have a Dr. Seuss-like quality to them, the prime example being the alliterative poem “Beastly Betty.” You can tell Tweedie was having fun while writing this one!

     

    Beastly Betty 

    An Alliterative Poem 

     

    Beastly Betty badly breaks her brother’s 

    Buttocks with a bat upon his butt. 

    Broken, beaten brother barely bothers 

    Bellowing at bawdy Betty. But 

    Because bad blood between both babe and bro 

    Builds baleful bias brought by Betty's bane, 

    Beleaguered Bob bestows a bitter blow.
    By blasting boiling bile on Betty's brain. 

     

     

         Tweedie often groups his poetry into cycles or themes: a sonnet cycle on the Brothers Grimm nursery stories, a set of “Equilateral Proverbs” (where the first and last words of the couplet rhyme), three limericks based on famous poems by Shakespeare and Dante, with the folksong Molly Malone thrown in, as well as a collection of seven riddles. He also has a poem on the death of Edgar Allen Poe, delightfully executed, and a collection of “Groaner Poems" with some truly groan-inducing puns. 

          There is such a joyous wordplay and reverie in language that exudes from Tweedie’s work! What I truly love about Tweedie’s poetry is his interesting rhyme combinations. I am delighted when I see such rhyming as death/shibboleth, if/glyphtease/Diogenesoogenesis/diaresisGuinness/amanuensis, and antipode/postal code. There is a love of language that just exudes from each poem presented, a reverie and a celebration of the poetic possibilities waiting to be uncovered. It’s truly enchanting! I couldn’t wait to see what he would come up with next as I read!

          I would have to say my favorite poem of the collection is “Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You,” which sold me on its very first line. Anyone who can put together “A pyroclastic vomit’s what I call it;” is a hero in my book!

     

    Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You 

     

    A pyroclastic vomit’s what I call it;
    An up-chuck from Mt. Shasta’s north west side.

     I bet you the last dollar in my wallet,
    That everything that lived beneath it, died. 

    The famous Captain Cook saw from the ocean 

    Its pillared smoke arising in plain view—
    A seventeen and seven-six commotion.
    A record of the last time Shasta blew. 

    Now every volcanologist agrees
    That since its active period reappears 

    In clockwork cycles of three centuries, 

    Its next eruption’s due in fifty years. 

    Because the end is near, I wrote this sonnet
    To warn you not to build your new house on it! 


          I also particularly like "Didn't Warn You"  because Tweedie employs the rhyme sonnet/on it, which I also have used in one my own sonnets.

    Another of my favorites is “The Perfect Poem,” a perfectly-executed sonnet on the creative process of formal poetry-making:

     

    The Perfect Poem 

     

    There is, I’m sure, in someone’s file drawer,
    A perfect poem, written on a whim,
    Perhaps, or, maybe as a simple hymn
    Of thanks and praise to God, and nothing more. 

    Or, then again, the poem could express
    The burning passion of a lover’s heart,
    A terse description of a work of art,
    Or soul-torn angst amidst some cruel distress. 

    All grammar, syntax, perfectly intact,
    Each foot a proper iamb, anapest,
    Or trochee, dactyl, spondee, at its best, 

    Each comma in its place, each rhyme exact. 

    In spite of flawless tittle, jot, and letter,
    There will be some who think they could do better. 


          Anyone who enjoys clever wordplay and creative use of language in novel and unexpected ways would be delighted to have their mind’s ear experience the rich variety of form and humorous content in Tweedie’s Laughing Matters. Highly recommended!


    More About the Author


    James A. Tweedie is a retired pastor living in Long Beach, Washington. He has written and published six novels, one collection of short stories, and three collections of poetry including Mostly Sonnets, all with Dunecrest Press. His poems have been published nationally and internationally in The Lyric, Poetry Salzburg (Austria) Review, California Quarterly, Asses of Parnassus, Lighten Up Online, Better than Starbucks, Dwell Time, Light, Deronda Review, The Road Not Taken, Fevers of the Mind, Sparks of Calliope, Dancing Poetry, WestWard Quarterly, Society of Classical Poets, and The Chained Muse. His poem “Pneuma” was a Laureate’s Choice in the 2021 Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest; his sonnet, “Forever Nine,” was chosen Best Poem in the Summer 2020 edition of The Lyric. He was a First Place winner in the 2022 100 Days of Dante poetry contest and was honored with being chosen as the winner of the 2021 SCP International Poetry Competition. He claims to be an optimist.



    More About the Reviewer


    Theresa Werba is the author of three books of poetry, most recently Sonnets, a collection of sixty-five sonnets (under the name Theresa Rodriguez, Shanti Arts, 2020). Her work has appeared in such journals as The Scarlet Leaf Review, The Wilderness House Literary Review, Spindrift, Mezzo Cammin, The Wombwell Rainbow, Fevers of the Mind, Serotonin, The Art of Autism, The Road Not Taken, and the Society of Classical Poets Journal. Her work ranges from forms such as the ode and sonnet to free verse, with topics ranging from neurodivergence, the writing process, love, loss, and aging, to faith and disillusionment. Her website is www.bardsinger.com, where you can view videos of her performance poetry and find information about her books. Follow Theresa on Instagram and Twitter @thesonnetqueen.

     

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. Pre-format the post editor for each new post. Cancel Save Post published

Sunday, June 4, 2023

Dawn Colclasure Lauds Carolyn Howard-Johnson's "The Frugal Editor"

I love author-edited newsletters like the one below from Dawn Colclasure below for information, yes, but especially for networking and building a loyal base.  You'll see from the "More About the Author" that Dawn is not only a prolific author, but among her books are career-boosting how-tos for writers--and you (my SharingwithWriters and TheNewBookReview subscribers and visitors) know how I am about books being the most frugal way (and often the most credible way!) to build writing careers. Today's post was a surprise from Dawn, perhaps my first quite like this. It is what I will call and "editorial review" or recommendation.  It will become a vital part of my celebration of the release of the 3rd edition of my #TheFrugalEditor. Here it is! Along with a sample of her newsletter!  


Welcome to the latest issue (the of the 

Thirteenth!) of the SPARREW Newsletter!


An Assortment of Dawn Colclasure's Poetry, Fiction, and About Anything
and Everything Else! 


The free monthly newsletter for self-publishers, authors, readers, reviewers, editors and writers! I am happy to have you aboard! Thank you for subscribing! And welcome to new subscribers!



Thanks to her lovely contributions to this newsletter, Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s newest release, the third edition of The Frugal Editor: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets-From Your Query Letters to Final Manuscript to the Marketing of Your New Bestseller is not an unknown book to me. If you’d like to read about Carolyn’s thoughts on why the update of this book was necessary, you can check it out in my article in First Chapter Plus here: On pages 16-17

 

But aside from getting new nuggets of editorial wisdom from this book, I was surprised by how Carolyn’s reminder to edit query letters really hits home. I have reviewed many rejected query letters and realized that, after some thought, they definitely could use some editing. Carolyn’s book can help whip those query letters into shape! It’s definitely a must-have book for every writer serious about making their work shine.

 

We got a great issue put together for you this month.

 

In a recent issue of The Wordling newsletter, I learned about self-publisher Paul Millerd. After reading about his success as a self-publisher, I knew I had to interview him for my own newsletter! Despite his VERY busy schedule, Paul was able to find some time to answer my questions. Check out his sage advice about self-publishing below!

 

The author interview is with an author I have know for some time: William Meikle. I met William decades ago, through the Absolute Write Water Cooler. Even though it’s been many years since I’ve participated at the Water Cooler, I kept track of William through other online platforms – mainly, social media. When I learned he had books coming out this month, I wanted to interview him so he could share all about them! Don’t miss my interview with William and learn all about his journey in becoming an author.

 

And finally, the writer interview is with another fellow scribe I have known for many years: Shanta Everington. I met Shanta when I was writing for a parent publication based in England, and we kept in touch on and off ever since. Shanta graciously took some time to answer questions for the writer interview and to share her wisdom about all things writing.

 

This month’s feature article is from a fellow author who I recently crossed paths with. After I won a book drawing through Jessica McCann’s newsletter, I wanted to return the nice gesture and asked her if she would like to contribute a guest post to this newsletter. Thankfully, Jessica agreed to do so, and I loved how her ideas for writing puts a nice spin on the process! Please check out her article to find out just how she does it!

 

I hope you enjoy this issue! Feel free to drop me a note or connect with me on social media! I'd love to connect with you!


Enjoy this issue!

Click Here to Read the Full Issue!

Feature Article:

Writing Bass-Ackwards

"My daughter and her circle of friends love Manga -- Asian graphic novels that you read from back to front, right to left. She gave me one to read once, one with a story she thought I would love. I tried to read it; I really did. Just couldn’t do it...."

Read More



More About  Dawn Colclasure's Newsletter and Other Projects 



Her SPARREW Newsletter is a free monthly newsletter for self-publishers, authors, readers, reviewers, editors and writers! Subscribe here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/oQMfjTl/spring. See a sample of her newsletter in this post and an image of her published books near the top of this post. 


More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

Help me celebrate the release of the 3rd Edition of "The Frugal Editor"


 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

Friday, March 31, 2023

Deborah Lynn Stanley Reviews The Frugal Editor, 3rd Edition

Title: The Frugal Editor

Edition: Third Edition

Subtitle: Do-it-yourself editing secrets

Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Publisher: Modern History Press

Available on Amazon

ISBN:  9781625996001


 


Reviewed by Deborah Lynn Stanley, originally for Amazon



Today I am sharing the third edition of my favorite self-editing book. Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a consistent source of encouragement for the writer’s journey!


Carolyn’s delivery style, always down to earth and illuminating, is headache prevention. Believe it or not, though I think we have all been surprised, grammar rules change over time and may not apply to fiction. In this third edition she has labored to clear up misconceptions and annoying style choices you may run into from the publishing world.


Carolyn has taken this opportunity to reorganize and add helpful new material for self-editing that may assist us in being better partners for our editors. 


The following additions stand out to me:


* A chapter for word-lovers and poets.
* Quick review of word processors.
* Spotting Scams: A list of dos and don’ts to help avoid publisher and agent scams.
* What to know about custom dictionaries.
* A list of twenty-one of the nation’s best editors tell their pet peeves.
* A lot of grammatically correct things that annoy publishers.
* Help to increase self-editing skills to catch what formatters and editors might miss. 
* Making Word Work for You and the Appendices you’ll love.

The Goal of the book is to equip writers, both aspiring and accomplished, with the best self-editing skills for successful publishing.


I recommend this book. It’s refreshing and empowers the writers' journey.  I was not required to write a positive review, I receive no compensation, and it was my choice to write this review.


Learn More About the Author:


Carolyn Howard-Johnson has published widely—from traditionally to alternatively, from journalism to fiction. She taught for UCLA Extension’s world-renowned Writers' Program for nearly a decade, speaks, and has national TV and radio appearances and commercials to her credit. She was awarded Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment by members of the California Legislature. Her hometown's Character and Ethics Commission honored her for her work on promoting tolerance, and the Pasadena Weekly named her to their list of “San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” for literary activism.  Learn more about her at: https://howtodoitfrugally.com/ She is a contributing Author for: WOTM  https://www.writersonthemove.com/

  

About the Reviewer            

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts. 
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/ 

"Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love" is available:
https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Lyn-Stanley/
& https://books2read.com/b/valuestories








Thursday, February 9, 2023

Author, Critic Shares Ten Fave Books About Movie Industry

Author and Critic Betty Jo Tucker Mini Reviews of Her Ten Fave Books About Movies 


TITLE Favorite Books about Movies: Part Three

AUTHOR: Betty Jo Tucker

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: www.BettyJoTucker.com  

GENRE Nonfiction

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL Adult

AWARDS: Author received five awards for books about films (see Bio below)


                          Favorite Books about Movies: Part Three

Most movie addicts like me want to read as much as possible about films and filmmaking. Below are ten more of my favorite movie-related books. Each one listed made me feel involved, entertained and informed.

Author, Actor Shares Nine Fave Books About Movie Industry



Twist of Lemmon. Chris Lemmon (Algonquin Books, 2006). Chris Lemmon wrote this acclaimed book about his father Jack Lemmon, one of Hollywood’s legendary movie stars. He has created a touching memoir, one that reveals the beloved family man behind Jack Lemmon’s star persona. Fortunately, Chris also includes many fascinating behind-the-scenes stories relating to his father’s remarkable movie career as well as personal tributes from such well-known show biz greats as Neil Simon, Cliff Robertson, Andy Garcia, Julie Andrews, Tony Curtis and Shirley MacLaine.   

Casablanca Film Trivia: Here’s Looking at You, Kid! Tom Barnes (Papyrus Publishing, 2008). Everything you’ve always wanted to know about the classic movie Casablanca can be found in this fun trivia book. Author Ted Barnes includes 1,130 questions about Casablanca. These questions cover such areas as history, actors, script, critics, images, characters, production staff, music, geography, goofs, and clothing. Each of the 33 chapters centers on a specific category or theme, and most of the chapters end with interesting “factoids” about this wonderful movie. I had a great time trying to answer Barnes’ questions while reading his book. I also learned some intriguing new information about one of my favorite movies

CLORIS. Cloris Leachman and George Englund (Kensington Books, 2010). The late great Cloris Leachman’s enthralling autobiography is such a candid, entertaining and inspirational book! As expected, it’s filled with delicious behind-the-scenes anecdotes about her work in films, television, radio and live theater. But it also reveals fascinating surprises concerning her private life and personal philosophy for living to the fullest. Cloris boasts a wealth of acting experience to draw from -- and she offers readers many humorous incidents to enjoy.  

Dishing Hollywood. Laurie Jacobson (Cumberland House Publishing, 2003). Film historian Laurie Jacobson writes about the most notorious scandals that have rocked Tinseltown from the early part of the 20th century up to the present. Her scintillating book contains tales of lives cut short, unsolved mysteries, dramatic suicides and steamy affairs fill the pages of Jacobson’s revealing romp through some of Hollywood’s biggest scandals involving stars like Gary Cooper, Lana Turner, Robert Mitchum, John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, Debbie Reynolds, Frank Sinatra, Natalie Wood, River Phoenix and many more. This one is a real page-turner, folks!  

In Search of Lost Films. Phil Hall (BearManor Media, 2016). Author Hall is on an important mission, and he reveals all about it in this impressive book. He explains why so many films throughout the world have disappeared. Hall also describes a number of these movies and discusses the difficulty of evaluating the work of stars like Theda Bara and Lon Chaney because so many of their films are missing. But my favorite part of the book lists the various (and sometimes strange) places where certain lost films have already been discovered.  After reading this book, I started looking closer at storage areas, closets and yard sales for suspicious-looking film canisters. 

In the Company of Legends. Joan Kramer and David Heeley (Beaufort Books, 2015). Kramer and Heeley describe interesting behind-the-scenes experiences while making their marvelous movie star documentaries. Starting with award-winning profiles of Fred Astaire in 1980, they produced film portraits of the lives and careers of many other Hollywood legends including Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, John Garfield, Errol Flynn, Katharine Hepburn, Paul Newman, Judy Garland, Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda. This dynamic duo established a reputation for finding the un-findable, persuading the reluctant, and maintaining unique relationships long after the end credits rolled. Their dedicated team work is something to be admired!        

Madeline KahnBeing the Music – A Life. William V Madison (University Press of Mississippi, 2016). Madison’s in-depth biography of this beloved actress who won so many fans by combining her musical talent and flair for comedy gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at Madeline Kahn’s personal and professional life. It’s an inspiring tale about the persistence and dedication of an insecure but highly talented artist.  Although earning a degree in speech therapy and receiving training as an opera singer, Madeline became famous as a popular star of film, stage and TV. She wowed me in Young FrankensteinBlazing SaddlesHigh Anxiety, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother. This book is a must-read for people who love Madeline as well as books about troubled showbiz stars.     

Shut Up! I’m Talking! Coming Out in Hollywood and Making It to the Middle. Jason Stuart (CCB Publisher, 2019). Jason Stuart was the first openly gay stand-up comedian. But he’s also performed character work in many feature films including Tangerine and The Birth of a Nation. He has the ability to take on various roles of any genre, and make them believable. And he has earned over 150 credits that prove he is talented, professional, and persistent. This memoir documents his long and curious career. As a mentor of many people “across all ages, straight and gay,” Stuart wanted to share what he learned, and that’s the purpose of this unique book.      

Tim and Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White. Tim Reid and Tom Dreesen. (The University of Chicago Press, 2009). Back in the tumultuous 1960s, actor Tim Reid and comedian Tom Dreesen began to use their talents as entertainers to help people deal with the serious problems of that chaotic time. This splendid book chronicles their experiences -- both positive and negative -- while entertaining and educating audiences as America’s first interracial comedy team. Reid has starred in many movies (including Trade, Dead Bang, and Say a Little Prayer), but he’s known best for his role as Venus Flytrap in WKRP in Cincinnati. Dreesen, a stand-up comic, has appeared on film in Man on the Moon and Spaceballs. 

Writing with Hitchcock: A Collaboration of Alfred Hitchcock and John Michael Hayes. Stephen Derosa. (Faber and Faber, 2001). Derosa explains how Hitchcock and Hayes worked together in four of Hitchcock’s early films (The Trouble with Harry, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, and The Man Who Knew Too Much). Biographical sketches of both men as well as a breakdown of all four films are included. For Avid Hitchcock fans like me, this book is a treasure. 

INFORMATION ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Betty Jo Tucker's review was originally published at her ReelTalk Movie Reviews.  She was editor/lead film critic for ReelTalk Movie Reviews for 20 years. She also writes film commentary for AuthorsDen and the Colorado Senior Beacon. She is the award-winning author of Confessions of a Movie Addict, Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick, Cinema Stanzas: Rhyming About Movies, and Cinema Stanzas Two: Poet Laureate of the Movies. Using the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, Betty Jo and her husband Larry co-wrote It Had To Be Us, a romantic memoir adapted for the screen under the title of CAKE: A Love Story, which earned First Place in the Short Film category at the NSAEN Online International Film Festival. She is a co-founder of the San Diego Film Critics Society, a member of the Online Film Critics Society and an approved Rotten Tomatoes critic.

TWITEER MONIKER: Betty Jo Tucker @MovieAddictRevu

EMAIL ADDRESS: reeltalk@comcast.net

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