Frequent #TheNewBookReview Contributor Delves into Catherine Bybee's Recent Mystery

A Thin Disguise

Subtitle: Richter Book 2

Author: Catherine Bybee

Published: July 6^th, 2021

Publisher: Montlake Pub.

ISBN 9781542009959

May be purchased on Amazon

 

Reviewed by Elise Cooper

 

A Thin Disguise by Catherine Bybee delves into forgiveness, love, and redemption. There are very few authors that can write a riveting mystery with gripping characters. Bybee does both along with humorous dialogue, a lot of action, and romance.

 

The story has FBI Agent Leo Grant working a protective detail for a child witness against a Russian mob boss engaging in sex trafficking. Olivia Naught, a former assassin and Richter student, is working the same detail for MacBain Security, keeping her eye on the witness and the people protecting her. Although Olivia knows about Leo, he knows nothing about her. They meet on the Las Vegas Strip where Olivia takes a bullet meant for Leo.  Following this incident, she suffers amnesia. To protect her and to make Olivia a permanent part of the team, MacBain Security seizes upon the opportunity of her memory loss to show her, with help from the smitten Leo, the new life she could have if she no longer worked alone. As Olivia’s memories return, she feels guilt and unworthy of love because of her past. The team, Leo, and Olivia try to figure out who is responsible for the shooting, while the unlikely pairing of Leo, an FBI Agent and Olivia, a former assassin, navigate their personal feelings and chemistry for each other. 

 

“Leo gave Olivia humanity and heart.  He is outgoing, loyal, and assertive, helping Olivia make choices in her life. They had a tug of war going. In the beginning she was in charge, but after she is shot, he gets some control until she gets her memory back.  Once that happens, she has an internal battle. Overall, they are two peas in a pot that are attracted to each other.  She would not have fallen for him if he was not an FBI Agent. I think she was more of a teaser than Leo.”

 

Olivia realizes how much she cares for the team and decides to disappear, fearful if she stays, she will jeopardize their lives. She has wit, strength, and intelligence. Bybee does an excellent job is peeling away all the layers of this female protagonist. 

 

“I wanted to redeem Olivia. She was an assassin, but I wanted her to be sympathetic.  The only way I could do that is to have her get Transient Amnesia.  Once she could not remember anything she became the person who was a student at Richter. She felt connected to the team and knows she can count on them.  She allowed herself to feel for others. She was afraid to love because she did not want anything to happen to those she cared about.  After she had graduated from Richter, she thought she was being a spy who was good and altruistic.  She did not see the sinister side because she was young and naïve. She wanted to connect but would not allow herself to.  Olivia is bold, stubborn, and independent.” 

 

The Bybee readers are once again treated to another wonderful story.  The team of Claire Kelly, Cooper Lockman, Jax Simon, Sasha and A.J. Hoffman and Neil and Gwen McBain joined by Olivia and Leo are riveting characters. They are not only a team but a pseudo family who care, protect, and do anything for each other. It is a story of characters who survive in spite of the circumstances of their pasts. Hopefully, this series will continue with a lot of future books that have this team of characters.  It is one of those series that should have a book out every year.

More About The Reviewer

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women's fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband

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 "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and 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

Elise Cooper Shares Newest in J.A. Jance's Mystery/Thriller Series

Title: Unfinished Business 

Subtitle: An Ali Reynolds Book 16

Author: J. A. Jance

Published: Gallery Books Pub.

Release: June 1^st, 2021

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

ISBN: 9781982131111

Reviewed by Elise Cooper

Unfinished Business by J. A. Jance brings back the Ali Reynolds character. As with all her books Jance knows how to build tension and is a fabulous storyteller.  This series, more than her other series, focuses and highlights the characters. In this installment there are three sub-plots: A new character, Mateo, has just been released from prison after sixteen years; a tenant who has anger management problems and sees everything as a humiliation; and Ali’s father who has dementia. 

 

Mateo Vega will hopefully be added to the High Noon Enterprises team and readers can see his character grow in future books. Ali Reynolds and her husband B. Simpson own High Noon Enterprises, a computer security service based in Cottonwood, Arizona. Mateo was accused of killing his girlfriend, and though he was innocent, took a plea to avoid a life sentence. When the board finally paroles him, the only job available is working at a thrift store. Because he was a computer expert, while in prison he kept up his skills and decides to ask his former boss, Stuart Ramey, for a letter of recommendation. Stuart happens to work for High Noon Enterprises and is impressed with Mateo’s skills.  Since there is an opening at the firm, Mateo is quickly hired. Just as he begins his new job, another employee goes missing.

 

“Mateo Vega has a case that strands both Arizona and Washington.  I thought, who better to help solve the case than my perfectly good cold case guy, Beaumont. I wrote his scenes in the first person, so the readers understand his point of view, where he is coming from and what he is thinking.  The Ali books are written in the third person.  I tried to write him in the third person for this story, but he said, ‘no way Jose.’ After a few days of absolute frustration, I gave up.  My new editor at Simon & Schuster never read a Beaumont book and tried to change his voice to third person. The moment I read that part I realized he was no longer this living, breathing character but was suddenly a cardboard cut-out.  I hope readers will give it a chance and see that it ties into the story.”  

 

The High Noon business complex contains extra offices, which are rented out to tenants for additional income. One renter is Harvey McCluskey, a crooked home inspector who's two months behind on his rent. Ali and her employee, Cami Lee, go to McClusky's office to serve an eviction notice, which Cami films on her IPAD. McClusky is embarrassed and infuriated, and vows revenge against the ladies. He kidnaps Cami and plans on torturing her.  Needing all hands-on deck, they turn to the artificial intelligence Frigg who can hack into anything. This AI handles everything from background checks to strategic planning and can apply cyber-magic to tracking down Cami’s kidnapper.

 

“I wrote the protagonist as disturbing from the beginning.  The reader knew the High Noon folks were in jeopardy long before those working there knew.  He turned out that way because of his environment.  His mother was mean; I based her on my parental grandmother.  All three had anger issues, were easily humiliated, never took responsibility, and held grudges.  I came to realize now how my grandmother influenced the writing of these characters.  I did not see the resemblance between Broomy, his mother, and my grandma Busk until you asked the question.”

 

While all this is going on Ali must also handle family concerns.  Her father, Bob, has dementia, and her mother, Edie, is having a hard time continuing to be his caregiver. They tried hiding the fact that he's losing his memory and acting out. Edie is exhausted, Bob is depressed, and the couple have been isolating themselves.  As the situation goes downhill fast Ali insists that her parents get help.

 

“I put in this book quote, ‘Lucid and rational one minute to off the charts the next.’  I spent several months the last year corresponding with a woman who had to put her husband into a memory care facility due to dementia.  She cared for him at home until she could no longer do it.  She died six months after he did.  The cost on the caretakers’ health is insufferable. I was thinking of her in the back of my mind as I was writing these scenes.  Seeing what happened to Ali’s mom was sad yet realistic.”  

 

Serious real-life issues are addressed in this story.  The characters make the story come to life and Jance does a wonderful job telling their story.  Making a cameo appearance, speaking in the first person instead of the book’s normal third person, is J. P. Beaumont, the retired detective who is now solving cold cases. Fans of Beaumont will understand how his presence is only enhanced with first person narratives.  This does not affect the flow of the story which is very fast paced.

More About the Reviewer

Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best selling authors since 2009. Her reviews cover several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women's fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband. She is a frequent reviewer for #TheNewBookReview. Use this blog's search engine (in the right column of the home page) to find more of her reviews.  

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 "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and 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

Elise Cooper Reviews Melissa Koslin's Debut Book

Title: Never Miss

Author: Melissa Koslin

Publisher: Revell Pub.

Release: May 4^th, 2021

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Christian

ISBN:  9780800738396

Reviewed by Elise Cooper

 

Never Miss is Melissa Koslin’s debut book.  If her future novels are anything like this one, she has a long career as a romance suspense novelist. The story has a unique premise in that the heroine is a female sniper who worked for the CIA. The other piece of the story is a man-made virus used as a weapon.  Although readers might have fatigue having gone through Covid-19, the essence of this plot is finding those who want to unleash the deadly biological weapon, not the weapon itself.

 

Readers are introduced to the heroine, Kadance Tolle, who is on the run.  Having been a part of a family of assassins she no longer wants that job, but her family has other ideas.  While in her car she notices a glint from across the street.  Realizing someone is trying to kill some strange man, Lyndon Vaile, she risks her own life and pushes him away from the bullet.  Despite the danger she feels compelled to help Lyndon discover why and who is after him.

 

“I wrote Kadance as super wise, while with other things she is super sheltered.  Her family has isolated her.  She has a unique family in that they all are assassins.  Because she is a marksman and a CIA operative, she has deceptive skills. She is a loner, someone who strives to achieve justice. Kadance is very observant, keeps everyone at a distance, a control-freak, and is sometimes judgmental, but she is also kind.”

 

Kadance finds out that he has three doctorates and has researched how the Ebola virus is man-made (sound familiar?) and can be weaponized. Unfortunately, someone doesn’t want his discovery to come to light, making Lyndon the ultimate target. They decide to work together to stop the mastermind behind the attack and save as many people as possible. Kadance and Lyndon are being stalked, pursued, watched, and targeted as they make their way across the country to stop a disastrous event. 

 

“Lyndon is a paradox.  He can be analytical and logical yet cannot lie.  He can recognize the difference in behavior but doesn’t understand the emotions behind it. Lyndon has a photographic memory.  He has three doctorates, in Microbiology, Pathology, and Epidemiology, plus a master’s in cyber security.  Besides being a genius and a scientist, he has a strong faith. He has an unusual alliance with Kadance because he is so different from her in many ways. These are two people who have different backgrounds, different philosophies on life, and different faiths, yet they come together.”

Blending science and intrigue into an intense action-packed story will keep readers on the edge of their seats.  But there is also humor, thanks to a Maine Coon cat named Mac that offers a welcome relief from the riveting plot. This first attempt by Koslin was hit out of the park. 

More About the Reviewer

Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best selling authors since 2009. Her reviews cover several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women's fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband. She is a frequent reviewer for #TheNewBookReview. Use this blog's search engine (in the right column of the home page) to find more of her reviews.  

 

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 "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and 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

LB Sedlacek Turns Her Review of "Defense Mechanisms" into a Poem

Title: Defense Mechanisms
Author: by Jessica Goody
Publisher: Phosphene Publishing Co.
Phosphenepublishing.com
ISBN 978-0-9851477-7-8
Copyright 2016
114 pages

Reviewed by LB Sedlacek

The first poem “The Mermaid” that opens
Jessica Goody’s poetry book is a frank look
at turning a mermaid into a human. It’s a
captivating poem, chock full of startling
images of what would most likely happen
to a real mermaid on land. It’s a stark
welcome to a world of poems that touch
on many different emotions, circumstances
and experiences with varying approaches.

Other poems in Part One (Being Handicapped)
are exact looks at real life in poetical form:
From “Drawing Blood” – “I feel the pinch
and snap of the sterile / tourniquet clinching
my flaccid bicep,” and from “Extraction” –
“They don’t look like they belong in the
body, / but are foreign objects meant to be
removed. / My swollen cheeks are soft and
foreign to the touch.”

The poem “Awakening” compares puberty
to the tale of Rip Van Winkle. “Fog People”
melds a fog like existence to dealing with
the outside world and physical limitations.

In Part Two (Green Sentinels) of the book,
the poem “Suicide Methods” is a poignant
take on a razor/bathtub death presenting it
in such a way that it almost seems okay.
“Fallen Apples” turns harvesting apples
into a soft subtle memory and a real
experience almost like being there. Read
this poem and it will make you crave an
apple. From “Ode to a Sea Lion” –
“Your cough-like back warns / he is unwelcome
on your turf. / It is a gang war, bull versus
bull.” This is a poem that will make you
channel just that, a sea lion!

Part Three (Other Voices) seems to head
into a kind of gray area almost like
a meditative chart. From “The Color of
Rain” – “…The damp concrete glints,
bathed in the afterglow / of a passing
storm.”

Goody’s work is just like a storm –
it starts slowly, grows large and
powerful then subsides. You’ll be
glad you read it if you pick up this
work.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER 

~LB Sedlacek is the author of the poetry collections “I’m No ROBOT,” “Words and Bones,” “Simultaneous Submissions,” “The Adventures of Stick People on Cars,” and “The Poet Next Door.”  Her first short story collection came out last year entitled “Four Thieves of Vinegar & Other Short Stories.”  Her mystery novel “The Glass River” was nominated for the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award.  She writes poetry reviews for “The Poetry Market Ezine” www.thepoetrymarket.com. YouA frequent The New Book Review reviewer you can read another of her reviews on poetry, "Septuagenarian," published by Modern History Press. 

Learn more about her at www.lbsedlacek.com

Facebook:  @lbsedlacekpoet

Twitter @lbsedlacek  

Instagram:  @lbsedlacek  

Tumblr:  @lbsedlacek  

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 "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and 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

Frequent New Book Reviewer LB Sedlacek Takes On "Ignition Point" by Gary Beck

Title: Ignition Point
Author: By Gary Beck
Publisher: Cyberwit Press
116 Pages
Copyright 2021
ISBN: 978-93-90601-02-8
http://www.cyberwit.net

Reviewed by LB Sedlacek 

Beck’s passion for poetry leaps off the pages in this new poetry collection.  Each poem covers a real life event, observation or emotion.  The words are vivid and raw, but also soothing.

From “Last Resort”:  “I lost my job / when they hired a kid / at half my salary.”

From “To the Fires”:  “Combustible materials / frequently fall / into the wrong hands.”

You feel like you are a part of his poetical world as you read each poem.  The poems wash over you with feelings of relating to the situations in them or they come at you in a hurry making you really think about things.

From “Purchase Power”:  “persistent to obtain / the promised land, / denied entry / by callous servants / of the lords of profit,”

My favorite poem from the collection was “Renewal.”  Lines from the poem:  “Magnolias briefly bloom / dazzling the eyes / with elegant beauty, / intoxicating the  nose / with nature’s finest scent / never duplicated / in contrived laboratories.”

What ease I felt reading this poem and imagining the giant magnolia trees in my back yard where I grew up. 

Life in the big city (NYC), cell phones use, and so many other interesting views fall into the rest of the poems that round out this collection.

From “Purchase Power II”:  “Patrons of the art world / bid at auction / competing for masterworks / against rival appetites, efforts rewarded / by acquisition,”

There’s so much to feel, think and absorb here.  This is a must have collection for your poetry shelf!

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

~LB Sedlacek is the author of the poetry collections “I’m No ROBOT,” “Words and Bones,” “Simultaneous Submissions,” “The Adventures of Stick People on Cars,” and “The Poet Next Door.”  Her first short story collection came out last year entitled “Four Thieves of Vinegar & Other Short Stories.”  Her mystery novel “The Glass River” was nominated for the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award.  She writes poetry reviews for “The Poetry Market Ezine” www.thepoetrymarket.com  You can find out more about her at www.lbsedlacek.com

Facebook:  @lbsedlacekpoet

Twitter @lbsedlacek  

Instagram:  @lbsedlacek  

Tumblr:  @lbsedlacek

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 "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and 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

Dr. Wesley Britton Reviews for Star Trek Fans and Hercules Devotees

Swords, Starships and Superheroes--From Star Trek to Xena to Hercules: 

Subitle: A TV Writer’s Life Scripting the Stories of Heroes 

Author: Paul Robert Coyle

Foreword by Steven L. Sears

ASIN : B08M953MG2

Publisher : Jacobs/Brown Press (October 28, 2020)

Available on Amazon

Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton originally for BookPleasures.com 

 

I've read enough entertainment insider memoirs  to know most fit into one of two categories.  The first includes reminiscences by performers, writers, directors or other well-known participants from movies, television, or other performing arts whose names are all it takes to stir up reader interest. The second are autobiographies by participants who aren't especially famous in their own right. But they've had to good fortune to work on projects with large fan bases. Their memoirs appeal to the sorts of fans hungry for behind-the-scenes tidbits from insiders from stuntmen to scriptwriters to visual graphics -designers.

 

Paul Robert Coyle's Swords, Starships and Superheroes clearly falls into the second category. True, he's had his brushes with fame by appearing at fan conventions for devotees of, in particular, the cult hits, Zena: Warrior Princess  and Hercules, The Legendary Journeys.   

 

Coyle's look back over his career includes quick discussions of his freelance scriptwriting for shows from The Streets of San Francisco to Superboy to various series in the Star Trek franchise. (Anyone remember Gerry Anderson's one season obscurity Space Precinct? I didn't).  So there are chapters for Star Trek devotees to dive into, especially lovers of Deep Space Nine. But it's mainly aficionados of Xena and Hercules who are going to want to scoop up this major peek behind the curtains of these shows' productions.

 

For such fans, Coyle doesn't just share his own memories. True, we get a full accounting for his career as a script-writer as he spent many years as a free-lancer pitching stories before graduating to being a staff writer/ producer and going to fan conventions where he had to bite his tongue to not give away production secrets for Zena and Hercules. Beyond describing his duties and relationships with the writers and producers of these shows, Coyle gives us passages from scripts, sometimes two variants of script drafts,   along with other production documents.  He shares stories of things that might have been and of how problems were solved, notably how the writers and producers had to deal with the absence of Kevin Sorbo in the 4th and 5th seasons of Hercules due to the star's serious health concerns.

 

Of course, Coyle's book is akin to many like it, that is, sharing glimpses into the profession of TV script-writing with suggestions about the things other writers should do to succeed and, just as importantly, the things not to do. In short, this is the sort of book for a niche market--those into the productions Coyle was part of and those wanting to learn about the industry he has worked in for decades. It's all very readable and well told, as you'd expect from an inventive  writer who's been drawing from his own creative well for many years now.

 

 

 More About the Reviewer

 

Dr. Wesley Britton is the author, of The Beta Earth Chronicles and a frequent reviewer for

BookPleasures.com and this review blog, The New Book Review. Learn more about him at 

 

Explore the Beta Earth Chronicles website:

 

Follow Wes Britton’s Goodreads blog:

 

Check out Wes Britton’s Beta Earth Chronicles Facebook page:

 

Enjoy the videos at Wes Britton’s YouTube Channel

 

MORE ABOUT BLOGGER AND WAYS TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog 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.

 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

Dr. Bob Rich Reviews Ten Journeys or "Ten Case Studies of the Best of Humanity"

Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet
Author: Rod Taylor 
Publisher: Odyssey Books (October 2020)
Publisher Website: https://www.odysseybooks.com.au/titles/9781925652789/
ASIN: B08N5WS43W
ISBN: 978-1925652789
Pages: 284
Price: Kindle $9.99, Paperback $27.95

Reviewed by Dr. Bob Rich

This book could be titled “Ten case studies in the best of humanity.” It so happens that I am Australian, the author is Australian, and all ten of the interviewees are Australians, but this is incidental. The events, environment and culture that provide the setting would be different in another land, but there are jewels like these ten everywhere.

While the book features ten jewels, my review is about eleven. Rod writes in a very personal style, and never blows his own trumpet, but comes through to be like his interviewees.

Here is a sample of Rod showing himself: “In my youth, there was talk of nuclear war and the possibility that our world would be consumed by the insane strategy of Mutually Assured Destruction. To us it was a theoretical proposition, a disaster that could happen. We had the possibility of calamity, but climate change is different because it is actually happening. In my lifetime it’s gone from just being a possibility to us seeing glimpses of what a disrupted global climate system looks like. Nuclear weapons and global warming aren’t going away. Humanity is doing a poor job on both fronts.”

These eleven are people who care, who have made a difference through intelligence, perseverance and creativity. Some are well known, others I’ve never heard off, but all have a passion for truth, science, decency, being of service. Because of these attitudes, they are all alarmed by our environmental crisis, and in different ways are doing their best to work for a survivable future.

I can’t do better than to quote Rod on what the book is about: “If there’s one defining attribute shared by the people in this book, it’s motivation — these are people who understand why we need to act. Each has seized upon the idea that there is something important; that there’s something they can do for the environment and for the community. The people in Fragile Planet are fiercely driven to avert the worst of climate change.”

I really enjoyed Rod’s style of bringing a person to life, faults and all. While staying the journalist interviewing someone, he has the skill of showing his subject’s inside reality, “what makes her tick.” For example, I got to really like maggot farmer Olympia, and strongly approve of what she is doing: in effect converting agriculture from a single-line process of fertiliser-to-waste to a circular economy of waste providing feed in a forever-loop.

Ten Journeys on a Fragile Planet would be admirable compulsory reading for high school kids, to inspire them, and to educate them in what matters.

More About the Author

Rod Taylor is a Canberra-based science writer and broadcaster, whose latest book is Ten Journeys in a Fragile Planet (Odyssey 2020).  He has written a science column for The Canberra Times newspaper for the past 10 years. His background is in IT and business systems. He is currently co-editing a major book on the Green New Deal (Springer). He rides both a unicycle and an off-road motorcycle, and has fallen off both.

More About the Reviewer

Dr Bob Rich is a grumpy old man who can’t convince people of his grumpiness. They keep laughing at him. This is just as well, because there is not that much to laugh at in today’s insane world. So, he works for a sane future where people cooperate, care for each other, and prefer credit for karma to credit in the bank. He does much of this at his blog, Bobbing Around https://bobrich18.wordpress.com. Tweet with him at @bobswriting.

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MORE ABOUT BLOGGER AND WAYS TO GET THE MOST FROM THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog 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.

Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!

 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

Author Dr. Bob Rich Offers His Book-Review Secrets

My way of getting (fair) reviews

 

Guest post by Dr. Bob Rich

 

 That wonderful lady, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, has set me a task: to tell the world about my method for getting [quite a lot of]  reviews for my books. And who am I to disobey her? So, here are a few thoughts on the subject.

 

Review what?

The first requirement is excellence. No one but no one sees my work until I consider it perfect. Then I send it to beta readers who prove that it isn’t. I am a professional editor, so there are few typos to pick up in my writing, but my raptor-eyed friends do notice even the extra blank space, the missing [quotation marks] and the over-repetition of some word (we all have those).

 

If you don’t yet have the skills to edit your writing to near-perfection, having it edited by someone knowledgeable is not a luxury but a requirement. As a beginning writer, I hired three different editors for three different books, and each time my writing skills advanced enormously.

 

Writing is both an art and a craft. When my words make you laugh, cry, seethe or ponder, it is because I designed them so, not in some heavy-handed way, but intuitively, the way a master chef produces a great meal. And all prose is poetry: if you read one of my stories aloud, there will be no awkward sentences to leave you breathless, no “Huh, what was that again?”

 

Finally, content also needs to be the best it can, though I could write a book about what that means. No, go away, not now!

 

OK, how?

Being a great magician, I wave a wand, and hex people to read my books and then post 5-star reviews.

 

When that doesn’t work (it hasn’t yet, but I keep trying), I rely on several approaches. All are applications of my philosophy. This is, the more you give, the more you grow, and also, the more you give, the more you get. When I answer the phone, I say, “Bob Rich here. How can I be of service to you?” Send out good, you get back good. Send out crap, and it hits you in the face.

 

So, I don’t chase people to buy my book. Certainly, where appropriate, like on my book pages, I do ask people to post reviews, and provide them with very convenient links to the exact pages where they can do so.

 

Rather, my motivation is to be of service to my friends, followers, fans, and soon-to-be fans. My task is not to get money out of them, or reviews, or referrals, but, depending on the book, to entertain, amuse, challenge, instruct or inspire them.

 

I also have a policy of many years’ standing. Anyone who emails me proof of purchase of one of my books has the right to a second title free, in electronic format. A review of the book is proof of purchase (unless of course the book was free from me. I may be old, but not that senile yet).

 

To get reviews, offer reviews

 

Occasionally, I edit or beta read a book that gets me enthusiastic, and I want to do everything possible to tell the world about it. So, I return it with an advance review. Also, fellow writers have occasionally asked me for an advance review or endorsement, and if I approve of the book, I provide one.

 

Because I’ve been posting reviews since 1999, a steady sprinkling of writers approach me out of the ether, and ask me to review their book. If the opening looks good, I agree. In addition, if I see what promises to be a good book, I track down the author and request a review copy to be emailed to me (No! Not a paper one! Paper is trees.) I may occasionally buy a book, believe it or not, but since I deliberately live below the official poverty level of my country as a form of environmental action, it is not often I can spare the money. If I have a few extra dollars, I donate it to some charity or movement I passionately believe in, like Medicins sans Frontieres, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, or the Climate Council of Australia. That’s more important than buying even the best book.

 

I am a reviewer for a few web services like Book Sirens and when I have the time, I grab a book from there.

 

My very strict rules for reviewing a book are:

 

If I consider a book to be worth 4 or 5 stars, I will provide a public review. I’ll publish it in my newsletter Bobbing Around http://wp.me/P3Xihq-1and happily post it on any website the author specifies.

 

However, I don’t trample on another writer’s baby. If I don’t consider the book to be excellent, I will privately let the author know why, pointing out what in my opinion are its good points, and where it needs improvement.

 

The return

 

Hey, but the topic is how to GET reviews, not how to give them, right?

 

Yes, but every time I read a book for review, I request a review of one of my books in return.

 

Since my books are good, almost always I get an enthusiastic acceptance. Now, a second aspect of my philosophy kicks in: “I can ask anyone anything, as long as I can accept a no, and vice versa.” I don’t know the other author’s circumstances. There could be all sorts of reasons that prevent this person from doing anything too much more than breathing, so a no-response or a refusal doesn’t make me react in kind.

 

Amazon considers review exchanges to be dishonest. Well, they can be, if you deliberately lie about the value of the other book, inflate your rating, in the hope of getting the same back. In my case, I am confident my work doesn’t need such sleazy treatment, because it is good stuff, and as I said, I prefer to be of service to the other person with suggestions for improvement instead of a review if I have concerns about quality.

 

In any case, I read much faster than most people. Typically, my review is posted and buried under many others before the return makes its appearance. I have never had my reviews refused for this reason.

 

It would be a poor thing if all reviews came from people I have had prior contact with. Whenever I check, there are those from strangers. If I can track them down, I draw their attention to the free book earned, and hopefully expand the single review into a series, and more important, into a friendship.

 

There is one more source of reviews. Since 1999, I have established a list of subscribers to my monthly newsletter, many of whom are almost family by now. More recently, my blog has been attracting followers. Each time I post something, I get Likes and Follows from complete strangers. I do my best to contact them, which is not always possible, and send a standard message. It is the same each time, but from the heart: “Thank you for choosing to follow my blog, Bobbing Around. I hope my words will be of service to you for a long time.”

 

Many of my subscribers and followers go out of their way to recommend my books to their contacts, and I am immensely grateful for this. I am glad they benefit from the “More you give, more you grow” rule.

 

How to write a review?

 

Being a conservationist, I like to recycle. Rather than give review writing instruction here, I invite you to read a post on the subject: https://wp.me/p3Xihq-1NF

Summary

I make it as easy as possible by placing links to specific web pages where a review will be of help. These are the selling pages of the book, and its Goodreads page.

 

If someone emails me a review of one of my books, I offer a second book, free.

 

Rather than seeking reviews as such, I ensure my books are the best they can be, and that I am of service to people in every way possible.

 

I review many books, and request a return review.

PS: I’m keen to find out what you think of my ideas. I'd love to hear your ideas, too.  So, here is a prize: I’ll randomly select one commenter, who will receive a free edit of 3000 words of your work--or a free electronic copy of any of my books, which are listed at https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/bobs-booklist.  

More About the Blogger and Ways to Get the Most from This Blog

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog 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.

Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request the social sharing image by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!

 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