Journalist Pens YA Novel and "Gets It Right!"

Title: Maggie Vaults Over the Moon
Author: Grant Overstake
Author's Web Site www.maggievaultsoverthemoon.com
Genre: YA Fiction, Sports
ISBN: 978-1478296874

Publisher: CreateSpace
Customer Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Buy Link at Amazon.com

Reviewed by Diane Wahto for Goodreads

Grant Overstake, the author of Maggie Vaults Over the Moon, has created in Maggie Steele a courageous young woman who, despite self-doubt and grief, finds wholeness in a most unusual way, through the sport of pole-vaulting.

Being non-athletic myself, I wasn't sure how I would relate to a story of a teenager who took up pole vaulting as away to connect with her brother, tragically lost in a car wreck, and a way to heal herself. This is a young adult novel. Even so, I found myself caught up in Maggie's story. I believe readers of any age would find this book worthwhile.

In some ways, I don't relate to Maggie. I grew up in town and had little interest in my aunt and uncle's farm, or farm life in general. I would never, in my wildest dreams been elected homecoming queen. However, Overstake has made Maggie into a complex character, a teenager who has to navigate the halls and perils of her small town high school, much as I did in my hometown of Baxter Springs, Kansas.

Overstake gets everything right about Kansas. The story is set near Fort Scott, a town not too far away from my home town, and it is sweet to read about a land I knew so well. He also gets the people right, people, who with all their flaws, are still good and loving. Maggie's parents are particularly well developed. They are also caught up in the grief at the loss of their son, and we see that grief played out. However, they also understand Maggie's needs and try to help her as best they can.

Overstake is a former newspaper editor and sports writer. His background ensures that he know his stuff when it comes to writing about high school athletics. He is also an excellent writer.

Maggie Vaults Over the Moon hums along like a well-oiled, wonderfully written machine.

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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.

New Satircal Novel Has Fun with Baseball

Strike Five
By Aaron T Knight
ISBN-13: 978-1478303275  ISBN-10: 1478303271 
Genre: Humor / Satire / Sports
Author on Amazon
Available for Kindle

 

Reviewed by George Smith, originally for Amazon

Be careful what you wish for. Your dream might come true. This is a humorous story about Chad Smith who had his greatest hope fulfilled but with results he could never have imagined. His ambition was to play ball in the Major League. Only one thing held him back from playing professional baseball in the majors. Through a freak accident this shortcoming is removed but the transformation leads to an unorthodox style of play. His success arouses a number of emotions in the other players, team managers and owners of the baseball teams. He is swept away into a beehive of  contraversy.

 

There's an old saying that if wishes were horses, beggars would ride free. Translating that metaphor into the world of professional baseball, the author crafts a unique and genuinely hilarious sports novel in which it is clear almost from the get go that you should expect the unexpected.

Some achieve sports proficiency through hard work or innate talent. Others arrive as the result of a fluke. When our protagonist's twist of fate renders him a valuable commercial property, albeit a controversial one, many merely want to exploit him for immediate gain, while others believe that accepting a highly unorthodox road to fame and victory may come at the expense of the heart and soul of the sport.

This is a great fantasy for every sports fan who harbors just a little bit of Walter Mitty deep down inside them. It can be fun to play "what if?" when the consequences are entirely fictional. Three strikes and you're out of the real game, of course. But in our dreams and aspirations, we all long for a second chance, another at bat, that extra inning before it's time to go home.

Every sports fan who has contemplated going beyond being a mere spectator will identify with some of the fully formed characters in this devilishly clever story. The story unfolds in a rollicking manner which enables the reader to visualize making their dreams come true, stepping up to the plate, and slugging the ball out of the park. I couldn't wait to see how it ended, and, in a way, I am sorry that it did! That's a clear indication of a fully realized book in which both the characters and circumstances have truly come alive.

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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.

St. John of the Midfield author Garasamo Maccagnone

Book Title: St. John of the Midfield
Author: Garasamo Maccagnone
Genre: Sports Fiction - Adult
ISBN-10: 1608607925
ISBN-13: 978-1608607921
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing




Reviewed by: Irfan Faroqui, for The New Book Review

St John of the Midfield is a moving story, which plays out against the backdrop of the competitive youth soccer scene. Don't worry if you aren't a sports or soccer fan. The reader doesn't need a working knowledge of the sport to enjoy this human drama, which starts in Bulgaria and travels all the way to the soccer fields of America. Garasamo uses the intrigues generated by sports competition to ignite and fuel this engaging read.
St. John of the Midfield is above all a father's story. Mario Santini, half Sicilian, half Czech, narrates the tale and is torn between being a good father and being a good son. Mario has made a 'temporary peace' with his father Frankie's Mafia lifestyle, but balances two worlds as he tries to raise his son, Luca, on the legitimate side of the family business. Somewhere deep inside, Mario acknowledges that the differences between these worlds will have to be reconciled. In the meantime he is having a ball becoming an unintentional "soccer dad." Luca's talent as a soccer player is truly recognized by coach Bobo, a former world-class Bulgarian soccer player. The action rises with the appearance of Sonny Christopher, Bobo's former sports rival. Sonny renews his rivalry and soccer field politics become personal when he targets Luca, using malicious and dangerous tactics, in his attempts to destroy Bobo on and off the field.
This story touches everything from fatherhood, family loyalty, pride, revenge, justice, the husband and wife relationship, desires of the flesh, to questions about consequence, and personal responsibility. You will be halfway through without realizing how much time has passed. This book is riveting.

~Tomorrow, December 22, 2010, is day seven of the St. John of the Midfield virtual tour. Hosted by Lisa Jackson it is a Q&A written interview with Garasamo Maccagnone at http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/ . Follow this blogger on Twitter: @lisajjackson




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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :