Support an Indie Author This Holiday Season and Win Something, Too!

Darcia Helle, an online friend of mine, is offering a selection of books in a kind of online holiday catalog and fun holiday party (with prizes!) for giving this season. Some are paperback and some e-books. E-books are a neat way to save on postage and still remember your special friends. Here is the link to the main event page:

http://www.quietfurybooks.com/holidayevent.html

Darcia says, “We have forty-seven authors participating and hundreds of print and e-books to give away. The event launches on December 1.


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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 :

The Great First Impression Book Proposal
Subtitle: Everything You Need To Know To Impress a Publisher in Twenty Minutes or Less
ISBN: 9781453690956
The Great First Impression Book Proposal (The How To Do It Frugally series of booklets for writers) is available for Kindle, too.

Yeah, this is my blog so I get to let you know about my new books here, too! (-:
Ta da! Here is a new booklet I just self published. It was once an Amazon Short, but Amazon gave up on their shorts and it became unavailable. So it’s back by popular demand. I hope you’ll all take a look at it. I know The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less works. Like all my books it’s based on my own experience with publishing, promoting and with working with my clients. And, if you love it, I’d love a review on Amazon—just a few sentences.
http://budurl.com/BookProposals

Anyway, I was able to bring this little booklet to you for only $6.95. These two booklets Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy (It's also available for Kindle),  are the seeds of a new easy-and-fast-learn series of booklets for writers.


Happy Writing, Editing, and Promoting!
Carolyn Howard-Johnson



----- 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 :

It's My Crisis and I'll Cry If I NEED To!

It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry If I Need To: EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge
by Yocheved Golani
Booklocker Publishing

Reviewed by Laureen G. Sussman



This is an inspirational self-help E-book full of information that people with an illness need. You can read it on your iPhone if you wish! That could be helpful when you're waiting at the doctor's or in long lines at a store. Booklocker Publishing thinks of everything.

Yocheved Golani has writen an excellent guide for people who are facing a medical crisis. As the parent of a child with multiple disabilities, I wish I'd had her book available to me when my son was born over 28 years ago. I discovered so much on my own and sought out or created the support network that my husband and I needed. With Yocheved's book, people in similar situations do not need to reinvent the wheel.

EMPOWER Yourself to Cope with a Medical Challenge informs you about how to see stressful events in healthier perspective. Some funny stories in the book made me laugh when I least expected to. Yocheved gives soothing advice and helps her readers to calm down so you can function better. The appearance of the E-book is good on the eyes. It looks like two open pages with pleasant fonts and graphics.

You'll really cope with a medical challenge better with this E-book. The back of the book lists worldwide resources that can help you to get free or low-cost top-quality medical care, medication and medical appliances, even medical air transportation! That saves so much time and anguish. The information is right there for you to use it!

The information is succinct and appropriate to various medical crises. I highly recommend it to anyone in need.

Find Yocheved Golani on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/yochevedgolaniink
She tweets at: http://twitter.com/yochevedgolani and blogs at: http://itsmycrisisandillcryifineedto.blogspot.com/

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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 loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index 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 the widget below:

Tina Carlson Review Smashing E-Book with a Twist

Thrift Me Deadly
By Wendy Dager
E-book
Available at: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/4474
Genre: Thriller, for mature audiences only due to graphic violence, language and situations.

Review by Tina Carlson for Smashwords

Wendy Dager writes a witty story of murder and dysfunction through the diary of Enid Barker, who collects vintage clothes, hates her job and suffers the judgement of family while killing anyone who volunteers to make her life harder than it already is.
The pace is fast and the murders are many as Wendy gives us a peek into vintage collecting and sociopathic behavior in a very funny way. This is a great read.

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Free sample and synopsis of this book is available online; book can be purchased for 40 percent off list price by using coupon code ML66J through December 31, 2009. For more about the author, visit www.wendydager.com.


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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 loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index 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.

Title: Adams Point -
Series: Book Three in the Legacy Series
Author: Elena Dorothy Bowman
Genre: Paranormal/Futuristic
ISBN: 1-59431-452-7
Format: ebook/print
Publisher and reviewer's rating: 4.5 Blue Ribbons


Reviewed by Chrissy Dionne for Romance Junkies Reviews

SNIPPET

Guests are disappearing, unwelcome ghosts are making their presence known and the resident ghosts are nowhere to be found. Welcome to ADAM’S POINT, the final book in Elena Dorothy Bowman’s LEGACY series. It is sure to hold you spellbound as you experience the wonder of an ancient prophecy and it’s effect on everyone who visits the area.

When we last visited Adam's Point in the previous book, Gatekeeper's Realm, readers were left with many questions regarding the spirits that inhabit the made over inn which had once been known as Pierce House. Guests have disappeared and there's a sinister wraith hoovering over the building. Some of the guests have opted to return to Caleb's Cove where they believe they'll be safe from the danger lurking at Adams Point, but are they really?

Ethan, Abigail and the guests who chose to remain at Adams Point have no clue what to expect from the wraith or what to do to appease it. With two couples already missing, Tony's mysteriously disappeared, and unbeknownst to anyone at Adams Point, Jill, one of the guests whom Ethan had dropped off in town has also disappeared. The apparition obviously intends to do whatever it has to in order to ensure his demands are met and until then Ethan, Abigail, Tony and the guests are all at its mercy.

Abigail harbors hope that Jacob, one of the original ghosts - and a friend, will escape the wraith's clutches long enough to clue them in on what needs to be done to release them all from the nightmare in which they've found themselves. In the meantime, the men devise plans to find and rescue the missing people while protecting the women. One of their plans is for the women to leave Adam's Point and stay at Caleb's Cove where they'll be safe. Only it soon becomes painfully obvious that the wraith's plans don't include allowing any of them any measure of safety. The only way to satisfy it is to return to the Inn and attempt to appease it somehow. Where have the missing people disappeared to and why? Will Jacob be able to break the wraith's hold and return to Abigail to let her know what's going on and what needs to be done to correct the situation?

After reading Gatekeeper's Realm I was fascinated with the characters and the vivid imagery that enthralled me throughout the storyline. I'm thrilled to say that Elena Dorothy Bowman's continuation of the story in Adam's Point contains all the same traits that have made the LEGACY series a thrilling read. I loved the men's alpha attitude and determination to protect the women and had to laugh at the women's not-without-us attitude. While the sinister apparition kept me guessing at what stunt it would pull next I was really hopeful to meet Jacob and learn just how he could help satisfy the wraith. I do have to confess while I was quite sure there would be a happy ending for the couples, I wasn't anticipating the emotions which I experienced at the end of the story - sorry I can't say more because it'd give too much away.

I would recommend reading all three of the books in the Legacy series - House on the Bluff, Gatekeeper's Realm and Adam's Point in order to fully experience the wonders carefully hidden and guarded in this fascinating house/inn.

© Copyright 2003 by RomanceJunkies.com
Reach the reviewer at RJchrissydionne@yahoo.com.

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Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.sarahslanding.com
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, founder of Authors' Coalition (www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com). 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 and reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page.

Jamieson Wolf Pens Witchy Tale--Just in Time for Fall Gifting

The Ghost Mirror
By Jamieson Wolf
eTreasures Publishing
www.etreasurespublishing.com
Copyright 2007
Ebook/Paperback
YA/Dark Fantasy
Available on Amazon

Reviewed by Mayra Calvani, The Dark Phantom Review


Thirteen-year old Mave is no ordinary girl. For one thing, she happens to be a black-eyed, redheaded powerful witch, so much so that even her own parents fear her. Not understanding her powers, her mom and dad have chosen to ignore and neglect her to the point of emotional cruelty.

The only person in the world who seems to love and understand Mave is her grandmother, and when she takes Mave to live with her in her big mansion, the young girl couldn’t be happier. Soon, however, Mave discovers a strange and mysterious old mirror in the attic. Grandmother warns her to stay away from it, but sometimes curiosity can be more powerful than reason. Mave touches the mirror, with dangerous consequences. She’s transported into a dark and magical world and faced with a grand mission: she’s to destroy the evil Lavender Man… or die.

Talented author Jamieson Wolf has penned a dark, sometimes macabre, beautifully written novel for young adults and adults alike. His lyrical prose flows like the magic in his story and has an old-fashioned tone to it which perfectly complements the plot. Some of the vivid images in the book are quite haunting, like the Tree Lady of the forest and the Lavender Man sucking the spirit from his victims. Above all, the beauty of the language stands out, as well as the author’s obvious love for storytelling. I was drawn from start to finish into Wolf’s darkly magical world and look forward to reading the sequel soon.

A Fantasy That "Rackets" Along by Jon Baxley

title: THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY
author: Jon F. Baxley
publisher: Five Star (an imprint of Thomson Gale)
Hardcover, Fantasy
445 pages including maps and annotations
E-book publisher: Twilight Times
ISBN: 978-1594144516

Reviewed by Julia Hayden for Blogger News :Julia Hayden, aka Sgt. Mom, Blogger

The Blackgloom Bounty is one of those rambling, picaresque fantasies which makes occasional hectic detours into a universe strongly resembling the 10th Century border region of present-day Northern England and Southern Scotland. The story rackets along at a tremendous pace; rather like an amusement park ride or a fiendishly complicated Dungeons and Dragons game. At the end of it, you are dumped out with a spinning head and a perhaps not-quite accurate memory of everything that went on, but in no doubt that you and everyone else had a tremendously amusing ride.

The reader remembers that there was an enormous cast of characters, rushing about, and it was all something to do with curses, stolen inheritances, a stalwart young heir hidden away, a feisty wench, brave warriors, secret tombs, ghosts, wicked noblemen, spells and shape-changing, magic stones and a treasure of wonderful wealth, a sea-monster… and then, and then and then… the review would be about as long as the book itself, if I attempted to do even a short recapitulation. And it wouldn’t be anywhere near as amusing. Just think of “The Blackgloom Bounty” as the fantasy-novel equivalent of the stateroom scene in the old Marx Brothers movie “A Night at the Opera”.

When young Daynin and his grandfather find a curiously carved stone while plowing their field, they have little idea that it is the legendary Scythian Stone… but a wandering magician named Kruzurk Makshare does… and with a few brisk preliminaries, Daynin is off and running on the adventure of his life, to find and liberate an enormous treasure, and then to keep hold of it. The author has concocted an intricate yarn, briskly paced, and in a writing style which is always workmanlike and quite frequently sparkles. He also has an ear for conversation, which also serves the story well. This is the first volume of a projected series, and a worthwhile read for any devotee of the fantasy-adventure genre.

And there is a bit with a dog, too.

“The Blackgloom Bounty” is available through Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594144516.
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Sgt. Mom is a free-lance writer to blogs at The Daily Brief. More about her own books is at www.celiahayes.com.