Author Advocate Terry Whalin Lauds The Frugal Book Promoter

 

Dear Subscribers and Visitors: 

I am sharing this review with special thank you. It is for the flagship book in my HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers, it’s 3^rd edition after serving writes for over three decades. It’s also an opportunity to do regular contributors to this blog to follow him. With over 180,000 X/Twitter followers, over 14,900 LinkedIN connections and over 4900 Facebook friends, no one should miss out on his experience and wisdom. He is a model for the magic that reviews can be in the marketing campaigns of authors of books—any book, any genre!

Best, 
Carolyn

 Reviewed byTerry Whalin, originally for Amazon and Goodreads

1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars[ 5 of 5 stars ]

The Frugal Book Promoter

3rd Edition

Subtitle: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher

by Carolyn Howard-Johnson (Goodreads Author)

Publisher: Modern History Press

Available as e-book, paperback and hardcover on Amazon’s Series Page

it was amazing

Every Author Needs This Resource

There are over 11,000 new books which enter the marketplace every day. This truth is daunting for every author. If you aren’t telling others about your book or need some innovative and experienced ideas to reach new readers, you need THE FRUGAL PROMOTER. Carolyn Howard-Johnson has some unique background as a retailer and promoter of other books as well as her own. Read this book and act on the ideas which will help your book succeed where others fail.

In the early pages, Howard-Johnson writes, “This book is for authors who want their books to soar and do not want their careers to languish. It is structured so authors can select chapters that address aspects of their marketing plan most needed at any given time…THE FRUGAL PROMOTER is not a textbook. It contains opinions—some as black and white as the page you find them on. It is me talking to you, sharing with you.” (Page vi)

This resource is an idea cornucopia and I highly recommend every author use it often and make their pages dogeared.

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S REVIEWER TERRY WHALIN 

W. Terry Whalin is an editor and the author of more than 60 books including his recent 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author NEEDS. He is an author advocate, and avid reviewer as well as a prolific author.

 

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

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. 

Love Story Turned Movie Reviewed by Film Critic and Poet

TITLE It Had To Be Us

AUTHORS: Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: AuthorsDen (http://www.authorsden.com/harryandelizabethlawrence)

GENRE Romantic Memoir

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL: Adults of all ages.

PAGE #: 98

AWARDS: First Place in E-Book category at the 2006 Hollywood Book Festival

PUBLISHER: Long Story Short Publishing Company

LINK TO WHERE THE BOOK MAY BE PURCHASED:

 https://amzn.to/3LBogDw   

The Stuff That Love Is Made Of 

Reviewed by Richard Jack Smith originally for Amazon

It Had To Be Us, a funny and original memoir, overflows with detail from both sides of their love story. For this special romantic odyssey, Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence take turns illuminating events, often shedding light on little moments which the other person might have missed.

From the initial encounter to scenes both light and heavy, it's a narrative bathed in the glow of Technicolor. The potential for a feature length motion picture is strong here. (NOTE: It’s already been made into an award-winning short film titled CAKE: A Love Story, which can be seen on YouTube.)

After the reconciliation love affair ends, we get some excellent appendices. Readers can indulge themselves in a tasty selection of movie treats, including well-written critiques of romantic fare such as "Music and Lyrics" and "Love Actually."

This tome maintains a beautiful flow throughout, and it's exactly the kind of literature you want to read again instantly. 

You'll laugh and wish that all true stories could be this enchanting. 

Highly recommended. 

More About the Reviewer 

Film critic and poet Richard Jack Smith was born in London and currently resides in South Wales. His unique movie and soundtrack reviews and poems can be found on ReelTalk Movie Reviews (www.reeltalkreviews.com).Richard also wrote the Foreword for Cinema Stanzas Two: Poet Laureate of the Movies, an award-winning E-Book by Betty Jo Tucker (www.bettyjotucker.com). Richard’s own website link is https://www.facebook.com/hipnoticcritique. Reach him at  filmscorer@mail.com. 

More About the Author

Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence (not their real names) live in the same Colorado town where they were born in the early 1930s. They married soon after high school graduation and divorced after 24 years of marriage. Estranged from each other for  nearly two decades, they met again and rediscovered their lost love. A former educator, Elizabeth now writes poems and reviews films for various outlets. Harry, once a hardworking engineer, enjoys his retirement by watching movies and T.V. with Elizabeth plus keeping up with the world of golf.    Reach Harry and Elizabeth at reeltalk@comcast.net. 

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

Computer Graphic by Gene Cartwright

Cover graphic by Doug West

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

Joy Lynn Goddard ReviewsTales2inspire ~ The Diamond Collection - Series V

REVIEW FOR: Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection - Series V

SUBTITLE: Stories of Turning the Page

 

SERIES TITLE: Tales2Inspire

AUTHOR: Anthology of contest winning inspiring stories

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: https://www.tales2inpsire.com 

GENRE: Inspirational, non-fiction personal stories 

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL: 15 +

PAGE COUNT: 236

PUBLISHER: Independently Published

PURCHASE LINK: 

REVIEWED BY: JOY LYNN GODDARD

A True Inspirational Gem

As a voracious reader and a novelist, I look for two elements in a book before investing time in it. It must have emotion—a story that moves me long after I’ve finished the last page—and it must teach me something. In the Moonstone Collection Books 1 & 2, I found both traits in every story. The stories were honest and raw because the authors weren’t afraid to speak the truth, their vulnerabilities on display. Even if I were hard-hearted (which I’m not, honestly), it would be difficult not to stand up and cheer for them. In “Happily Ever After,” I was gobsmacked by the abuse writer Donna Peczak suffered as a child at the hands of her parents and applauded when she pulled herself up.

I don’t know whom I admired more in “Setting my Lifeline Free,” writer Ellen Lenox Smith or the service dog who saved her life. Both taught me about the indomitable spirit.Love and laughter weave throughout the pages of both books. Although there is sadness underpinning “The Last Laugh,” I laughed out loud when author Ronnie Padwa Pelie described her elderly mother driving a motorized shopping cart. I couldn’t help but remember my own elderly mother’s experience with her motorized scooter. In the last stages of her life, she rammed her electric scooter through a plate-glass window (didn’t get a scratch) and then blamed the scooter for the accident!

As a former teacher, I also identified with author Laura Coy’s “A Blessing in Disguise.” She left a teaching career she loved to put her life back on track. Many words wandered through my thoughts when reading these stories—real, poignant, bitter-sweet, happy, inspirational, and . . . But the word that climbed to the top was strength. Each author showed the strength to turn the page in his or her life and make it better! 

Many words wandered through my thoughts when reading these stories—real, poignant, bitter-sweet, happy, inspirational, and . . . But the word that climbed to the top was strength.

Each author showed the strength to turn the page in his or her life and make it better!

And behind each writer was their champion—Lois W. Stern—an accomplished writer who for more than a decade has embodied the spirit of writers helping writers. Kudos to her and all the authors in this collection of stories—a true inspirational gem.

REVIEW LINK HERE

How to get #FreeBooks to read and review

This is your how-to page for getting FREE books 

to read and review.

From Yours Truly,  

Your #NewBookReview Review Acquisition Coordinator

Lois W. Stern

How Listing Your Book on #TheNewBookReview Helps With #AuthorBranding

Has TheNewBookReview Helped You 

Get Reviews For Your Book?

by Lois W. Stern

Your 'Authors Helping Authors'
NewBookReview Acquisition Coordinator

Hi! 

It's Lois W. Stern here, with some more information on the lists I offer authors seeking reviews for their books, right here on Carolyn Howard-Johnson's TheNewBookReview blog.

Has TheNewBookReview helped you get reviews for your book?

If not, don't despair. Just having your book posted on our blog is a good thing, and an especially good thing when it is part of my list of book review requests. Here's why! It helps google discover your book, bringing your title higher up in the search engines. But there's more, something I've learned along the way from all my 'Authors Helping Authors' projects:

The more I lend a helping hand to other authors, the more benefits I get in return, sometimes quite unexpected. It's all about BRANDING. Many of you now know my name. That’s a big plus for any author. And several of you, who likely had never heard of Tales2Inspire® before, submitted stories to my 2021 Tales2Inspire® contest. One of them even became a 2021 winner. 

There are some tricks to BRANDING yourself while writing reviews for other authors - spelled out in my article: Taking the Pain Out of Writing Book Reviews, While Adding a Touch of Glory. CLICK HERE to read it now. 

If you do write a review for another of our posted authors, we have some neat thank you gifts for you:

GIFT #1:    

Our talented banner gal will create a unique banner for you, with your headshot and book cover included, free for you to use for all your marketing endeavors. CHECK IT OUT.

 

GIFT #2: GO HERE, and click on the MYSTERY or KID LIT genre sign. Check out the far right column under: 

Just scroll down that column to see how we thanked two of our reviewers. And everyone else on this genre list will note that you caught our 'Authors Helping Authors' spirit!

Dr. Wesley Britton Reviews "A novel about the Beatles (Subtitle)!"

Title: The Boys Next Door

Subtitle:  A novel about the Beatles 

Author: Dan Greenberger

Publisher: Appian Way Press (July 18, 2020)

ISBN: 979-865570

ASIN: B08D7YMWVP

Available on Amazon 

 

 

Reviewed by: Dr. Wesley Britton

 

It’s been a very long time since I’ve had so much fun reading a book, and this time around that happened for a variety of reasons.

 

First was the setting of Hamburg, Germany in 1960  when the Beatles—then John, Paul, George, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best—were in residence at Bruno Koschmider’s rough and hard-edged nightclub, the Kaiserkeller. Any Beatle fan will recognize the cornucopia of the details of Beatle lore Greenberger incorporates into his fictional autobiography of Columbia University student and poet Alan Levy after he takes up quarters in the room next to the Beatles above the gritty Bambi Kino theatre.

 

At first, Levy dislikes the musicians next door as they are loud and keep him awake while he is a guest student at a Hamburg university.  He doesn’t like rock and roll. He’s an intellectual snob who becomes beguiled by photographer Astrid Kirchherr who slowly draws Levy into the Beatles orbit as he fantasizes about her while she is moving closer and closer to a relationship with Stuart Sutcliffe, much to Levy’s distress.

 

The main storyline of the tale is Levy’s journey of self-discovery in a city that gives his New York innocence a serious trouncing. The seedy Reeperbahn is a lively district largely populated by Strippers, transvestites, prostitutes, thugs, and a few arty types like Astrid Kirchherr. One of the strengths of the book is Greenberger’s gift for description as he vividly takes readers to the city and the KaiserKeller while painting the spirit of the times and the flavor of the distinctive Reeperbahn.

 

Another entertaining element to The Boys Next Door is Greenberger’s clever slices of humor that will get you laughing out loud. Two examples: early on, Levey spends time in a library where he finds the sounds of popping gum from someone in the next cubicle a welcome relief from hours of listening to the Beatles pounding out “Money.” Later on, he masturbates to a photo of himself taken by Kirchherr. Throughout, we get tiny bits of Beatle humor when Greenberger tosses in little bits like a refrain of “You have found her, now go and get her,” referring to the alluring photographer but all readers are likely to know how that line would later play in Beatle history.  Or when Levy takes up the guitar and jams with the group on a rooftop which ends with Levy saying, “I hope I passed the audition.” Again, what Beatle fan wouldn’t know how this foreshadows the rooftop concert in Let It Be.

 

Yes, we get enough character development of each of the Beatles to see them as the historical figures we all know and love.  We meet the musicians just as Levy does through the interactions between Levy and the band members which are doled out in bits and pieces as the story progresses, layering in the group, their live performances, their Hamburg circle, their changing relationships, especially regarding Sutcliffe and Best, and more and more, the cranky neighbor living next door.  

 

Putting the band aside, the transformation of Alan Levy takes many surprising twists and turns and makes this more than a typical coming-of-age tale.  To say more would verge on providing spoilers; suffice it to say, you won’t expect what happens and, for the most part, you’ll be happy to see a would-be poet’s growing depth as a person and an artist.

 

In short, you don’t have to be a Beatle fan to enjoy The Boys Next Door and might find yourself hoping Greenberger will provide us further adventures of Alan Levy, Beatles in his future or no.   I give this book six stars out of five . . .

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Dr. Wesley Britton is a frequent review for #TheNewBookReview and #BookPleasures as well as an author of genre fiction in his own right. See his other reviews on this blog by using the convenient search engine in the left column. 

 

 

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

Poet LB Sedlacek Shares Her Love of Poetry with Reviews

Title: In My Eyes
Genre: Street Poetry
Author: By Juelz
Copyright 2010
60 pages
ISBN: 978061542407
Juelz Publishing

Review by LB Sedlacek

Juelz put together this book of poems as a way to reach out to youth like him. He starts off this collection with a poem about growth. He follows that with a poem about being chosen by God and what his purpose should be. He has set himself the task of inspiring others from the start and he has done that so well.

From the poem “When my star dropped”: “I stared into the night time sky, I guess wondering why. No / tears, my eyes dry, wondering who we are, then I looked / over and noticed a star.” Juelz writes in a completely modern relatable way. His words are like a chorus of real life plus hope. Every line sizzles with good intentions.

From the poem “Struggle”: “My life is a struggle and I eat off my hustle. The concrete / I walk on is as hard as the souls of the youth.” His poetry obviously means something to him and he wants it to mean something to his readers, too.

The book is divided into 5 chapters. Original photos of the author are interspersed throughout.

From the poem “Violence and Guns”: “Five bullets, stuffed snug in a cold clip, compressed into a / handle with a comfortable rubber grip. The pain this can / cause is more than you can imagine, our young left dead.” Juelz’s poems cut right to the heart, his words are meant to touch and to transform.

These poems dwell on suffering, but also encourage change. He forces us to see for the first time maybe things we wish to avoid or pretend aren’t really happening. Each word has purpose.

The poems are mostly written in free verse, prose with some rhyming. They are well suited for most all ages. Plus they are relatable poems you can understand.

Juelz inspires with these poems with a message that is loud and clear. He brings the verse home, and that’s not always easy to do.

“In My Eyes” is his first poetry collection. “In My Eyes II” and “In My Little Eyes” are the follow up books.

~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

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