Readers' Favorite Reviews Joy V. Smith's "Detour"

Title: Detour Trail

Author:  Joy V. Smith 
Genre: Western

ISBN-10: 1612355706
• ISBN-13: 978-1612355702

Publisher:  Melange Books
Reviewer's rating: 5 stars
Available on Amazon : 

 

Reviewed by Michelle Robertson originally for Readers’ Favorite

Lorie Emerson, like many others of this era, is traveling with her uncle on a wagon train headed west on the Oregon Trail. But after the unexpected death of her uncle, Lorie is asked by the wagon master to leave the group at the next town. Not willing to give up so easily and determined to make a home in the west, Lorie finds others needing help and willing to travel with her. She organizes their little group, preparing supplies and leading the group to their destination, but not without a struggle. Lorie must fight the elements, enemies, and face problems within the group before they all can settle in the frontier. Detour Trail by Joy. V. Smith is a unique western novel introducing readers to the era of the Oregon Trail, western frontiers, harsh elements, thieves, death, hardship, love, hard work, and determination. 

Author Joy. V. Smith takes a bold approach when writing a western with a heroine instead of the typical male hero taking the lead role. Although not totally unheard of, a female heroine in the Oregon Trail era was uncommon. The elements were rough and life was hard, not fit for most women. Creating a main female character is refreshing, exciting, and honors those few women who did succeed on the Oregon Trail in the same way as the book character Lorie Emerson. Detour Trial is a book for readers who enjoy reading about courageous men and women and their adventures, love, suspense, grief, and enlightening experiences as they crossed the frontier on the rough Oregon Trail to create new homes and lives for themselves.

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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.

Hawaiian Reviews Ballou's "Wai-nani"

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Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i

Author: Linda Ballou
Historical Fiction
ISBN 978-1-932993-88-2
Author's Web site: http://www.LindaBallouAuthor.com
Available as e-book on Kindle

Reviewed by Toby Neal

 

Press in to really "get" this book. Wai-nani’ s story is told in a hypnotic, fairy-tale or high legend voice that took me a chapter or two to get into--but once I did, I was fascinated with the way Linda Ballou had taken us into the intimate and unknown world of the Hawaiian people through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine. Wai-nani is fierce, passionate, and deeply connected to the land and ocean--and to her complex and multi-faceted warrior husband. It reminded me how fully developed the civilization of the Hawaiian people was, and how large their population, before the fateful arrival of "Kapena Kuke" and his "floating heiau."
Thanks for this journey to another time and a Hawaii seen through a princess of its people.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

 

Life-long island resident, Toby Neal is the author of the Lei Crime Series, and the poster child for successful online book marketing. I am so pleased that Toby found Wai-nani worthy and has given me permission to share her review. Go to www.TobyNeal.net to learn more about her books and how she connects with readers.

 

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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.

Bob Rich Reviews Psychologist's Self-Help for Anxiety Disorders

Book Title:  “Calm Ground: Grounding tools to help you feel safe and solid in the present”

Author:         Megan Williams
Website:      www.calmground.com
Where to buy book:  Available on Megan’s website
Genre:        Self help for anxiety, stress and trauma.
ISBN:          978-0-646-90948-6
Publisher:  Self Published

Reviewed by Bob Rich originally for his newsletter “Bobbing Around”

Modern society is designed to make us dissatisfied, worried, unhappy. Contented people don’t need to buy things. So, we all need tools apart from retail therapy to relieve distress.

Nearly on third of people will qualify for a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder at one time or another, and people in the “normal” range also suffer stress and anxiety far more than is good for them. So, Calm Ground by Megan Williams is an invaluable tool for most people.

This little book is a plain language primer on anxiety disorders, and evidence-based techniques for dealing with them, but it’s more than that. It is also a collection of magnificent photos of Australian landscapes including peaceful forests, beaches and mountain streams. Understanding is also aided by helpful diagrams. The pictures are tools for self-soothing.

Although relevant psychological theory is explained, the words and concepts are simple enough for a high school student to follow.

There are useful exercises that anyone can do. They will help at times of anxiety and worry, and more generally will lead to inner peace.

So, do yourself a favour and study this mini-manual, and follow its suggestions.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Megan is a  registered psychologist.

 

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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.

Debut Novel of Suspense and Romance Tours Blog

Danger In Her Words

Author:  Barbara Barth
Publisher: Gilbert Street Press 

ISBN-13: 978-0983171539

Romance/Suspense

Available on Amazon and Kindle   Link to buy:  http://amzn.com/098317153X

 

 

Synopsis:

What if writing a book brought a serial killer to your back door and you had no one to call for help.

A TV sitcom pitch gone wrong at a writers’ convention turns dog-column writer Susan Meyers in a tailspin. Sex Sells was the topic of the day. Worried her writing style had become stale, Susan decided to try something new. A steamy romantic novel seemed just the answer to bring in a new audience.

Susan, a widow who had not dated in three years, was out of practice with men and sex. She turned to an online dating site to find inspiration for her book and unleashed a predator with the words she wrote. Tucked an hour away from her friends in a small town where she kept to herself, with only her tiny dog for company, Susan felt safe from the world. Little did she know her life was about to change.

Danger In Her Words is a book within a book. There is Susan’s story and the book she is writing, where you meet Jamie, a widow like Susan who has also been out of the dating scene. Your character takes you on your journey. Susan heard that about writing fiction and quickly discovers it is true. Jamie has a mind of her own and Susan is dismayed as her novel takes some surprising turns. Jamie knows she wants a relationship, Susan still has that to learn about herself. Both find themselves in harm’s way as romance comes close.

Set against the background of a fictional country town an hour outside of Atlanta, Georgia, Danger In Her Words is full of farmhouses, antiques, girl-talk, a touch of murder, a sprinkle of suspense, a bit of naughty fun, and a dog that will steal your heart.

Two widows looking for love in all the wrong places might still get it right if they live long enough.

About the Author:

Barbara Barth is the author of The Unfaithful Widow, a memoir on the first year on her own. It placed as a finalist in the 2011 USA Best Book Awards. Her work has appeared in On Purpose Woman Magazine and on many on-line sites, including The Balancing Act with Lifetime TV, Skirt.com, Silver & Grace, and The Red Room.

Author, blogger, sometimes antique dealer, and dog whisperer, although some days she has to bark to be heard at home. She lives in the metro Atlanta area with six dogs from local animal shelters.

Danger In Her Words is her first work of fiction. Visit the author’s website at www.barbarabarthwriter.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 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.

Amazon Top Reviewer Loves New Mystery

Title: The Threshing Circle.

Author: Neil Grimmett
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Author's Web site: www.neilgrimmett.com
Available for Kindle
5-Star Amazon Review

Reviewed by B. Case, originally for Amazon
 

One of the major reasons I continue to read and write book reviews is because I look forward to the rare chance of being exposed to outstanding fresh literary talent. As an Amazon Top Reviewer (in the U.S.), I get solicitations to read and review thousands of books a year. Most of these solicitations do not appeal to me and I ignore them. However on occasion, a few catch my interest and I agree to read them in exchange for an honest review. Despite my discriminating selection process, I’m often sorely disappointed. Every now and then, I discover a genuine gem. “The Threshing Circle,” by Neil Grimmett, is a case in point.

This book is exceptional on so many levels. Most important, it’s one terrific story! It grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go. The characters are authentic. The plot was challenging, complex, clever, and thoroughly entertaining; it is filled with every variety of intense human emotion. The writing was polished, the pacing almost perfect. And the ending…well, blew me away!

It’s a mystery-suspense thriller set in modern-day Crete and that’s a significant part of its charm. The book so authentically captures that specific island culture, I honestly felt I was there…tasting the food, smelling the aromas, basking in the brilliant light, walking the ancient streets. The proud people and culture of Crete are definitely unique. The island is part of Greece, but it is an ancient culture of its own. The author is British, but has spent a great deal of time living in Crete. He obviously knows these people and this place intimately. More important, he has the skill to make us part of that world, too. This is one of the chief reasons I fell in love with this thriller.

The story begins during World War II when the Germans have occupied Crete and there is a strong underground resistance movement underway among the island citizens. A resistance fighter named Kapetanios Michaelis falls deeply in love with a stunning visiting English artist named Marianna. They marry and relocate to a small village where Michaelis hopes Marianna will be safe while he continues his clandestine resistance activities. There she gives birth to their daughter, Athena. Their love is ideal and pure; however, it is built on a perilous lie: Kapetanios Michaelis is already married. Marianna has no knowledge about her husband’s bigamy. Unfortunately, Crete is an island where everyone knows everyone else’s business and it is an island where family honor, blood feuds, and vendettas are paramount. Naturally, the family of Kapetanios Michaelis’ first wife is driven to avenge the loss to their family honor. They devise a cunning plot that will cause Marianna to be captured and killed by the Germans. It is successful, but Marianna’s death does not satisfy the blood feud. There are many loose ends to this convoluted affair that carry forward generations into the present day. What these complications are, and how they evolve over the years, form the mystery and drive the fast-moving action of this novel.

The central contemporary storyline focuses on two main characters: Kristy, a 36-year-old Scottish expat who owns a kafenion (a typical Greek café and gathering place) and Barba Yiorgos, the 71-year-old son of Kapetanios Michaelis, a colorful and beloved local citizen. Into this world come two foreigners, Eleni and Patrick, a loving young couple who tell everyone that they are on vacation. But this charming couple end up doing some strange snooping around that catches the attention of both families wound up in the multigenerational family vendetta that started with Kapetanios Michaelis and Marianna more than a half-a-century earlier. Soon, Eleni and Patrick disappear under extremely questionable circumstances and Krista and Barba Yiorgos become partners in trying to figure out the mystery of what might have happened to them. Are they kidnapped? Why? Where are they? Who has them? Can they be saved?

This is a powerful thriller with believable, authentic, and charming main characters. The writing is superb, strong, literary, but never gets in the way of the story; Neil Grimmett is a careful skilled craftsman.

As a woman, I loved this book, but I get the feeling that men might enjoy it even more because there are significant masculine thematic elements. Read it. I’m betting, you won’t regret it. It’s a first-rate mystery-suspense novel in every way.

See all of Case's reviews on Amazon.

----- 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.

Meditation Illuminated Reviewed by Fran Ponick

Title: Meditation Illuminated: Simple Ways to Manage Your Busy Mind

Author: Joy Rains

Author's Web site: www.joyrains.com
Genre: Nonfiction, Meditation
Publisher: Whole Earth PressPaperback: 172 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9886699-0-1Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x .04
Price: $15.00
Purchase from Amazon: www.tinyurl.com/amazon-meditate
Name and Web site of Reviewer: Fran Ponick  http://www.Leadership-English.com/
Review Originally Published: The Washington Times Communities   www.tinyurl.com/washtimesreview

Desperately seeking Alpha: 'Meditation Illuminated' by Joy Rains

WASHINGTON, November 3, 2013 – Joy Rains, author of Meditation Illuminated, defines meditation as “a discipline of training the mind through the practice of awareness.” She states that the nature of the mind is to generate content, or stuff, meaning Stories, Thoughts, Urges, Frustrations, and Feelings. 

Most of us react to life and the “stuff” that’s in it. Meditation is a way to control your stuff by learning to become aware of it. If you can become directly aware of your stuff, you can respond to it—and to your daily life—consciously. 

Desperately seeking alpha: Beyond the monkey brain 

Think about it: Never in the history of the world have we humans been more aware that our brains are actually electrochemical computing devices. But never in the history of the world have so many individuals been bombarded with so much data. 

Outside stimuli produce what are termed high beta frequencies in the brain. It’s hard to think straight if your brain is buzzing along at 14–40 cycles per second (cps), which is what’s happening when you’re in that state. These are your “monkey brain” moments. Trying to get something done, make a decision, solve a problem, or learn anything? You’d be better off swinging in trees. 

All the things that fall into the general category of cogitation simply can’t be done in beta. You need to get to alpha (7.5–14 cps), or maybe even theta (4.0–7.5 cps).

What we need is some kind of surge protector. It’s time to conserve our circuitry by controlling our random reactions to more data hits than we can handle. We need to stop the craziness of beta and figure out how to think straight. That’s supposedly a simple activity, but why is it so hard to sustain? And how do you even get there? Meditation is one path. 

The monkey brain explores meditation 

The profundity of meditation is its simplicity. Meditation Illuminated reflects that not only in its content, but also in its design. It’s a beautiful book that feels good in the hand.  It begins with an engaging Preface, continues with a helpful Introduction, and concludes with an encouraging Epilogue. 

Not a word is wasted, yet the writing throughout is graceful and generous. Even the Appendix and Endnotes, which support the science of meditation and the author’s assertions, provide solid scholarship without the heavy burden of ivory tower intellectualism. 

The book is divided into five parts. The first part describes STUFF, while the second presents the essence of meditation and how it works. The simple language, short sentences, and easy flow of the writing will calm even the most hurried reader. 

Rains’ writing style is deliberate without being boring, respectful without currying favor, and hypnotic without being controlling. Each chapter begins with a title supported by an explanatory subtitle and ends with a brief summary and a preview of the next chapter. These guideposts provide the reader a sense of place in the narrative, yet are neither repetitive nor didactic.

Part 3 of the book, entitled “How to Meditate,” introduces the selection and use of an anchor, or object of awareness, as a resting place for one’s attention. Rains is careful to point out that we need not abandon nor ignore thoughts and feelings while meditating. Rather, a meditator notices and acknowledges emerging thoughts and feelings, then redirects attention to the chosen anchor.

Thus, the continuous cycling of attention between stuff and anchor as described in Part 3 can help make meditation far less random and far more intentionally active than most people think it is. 

One banana at a time

Once the reader has learned the basic tools and activities of meditation, Part 4 introduces the practical application of meditation to daily life. Part 5, the longest section of the book, introduces twenty-one approaches to intentional meditation. Beware of the variety in these choices if you have any inclination toward monkey brain thinking! 

After reading this book and gradually learning to say “yes” to meditation, you will want to try them all. Now. Your best bet is to back up to the paragraph titled “Busy Mind” in Chapter 13, “Strategies for Addressing Common ‘Obstacles’ to Meditation,” and reread the final sentence: “The quality of your awareness is more important than the quantity of your stuff.” 

Be aware that you have just turned all twenty-one suggestions for different types of meditation into stuff. 

Select one, promise yourself the remaining twenty, and begin.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Fran Ponick, MA, is certified in P-ESL (Pronouncing English as a Second Language) and provides training in business presentations and interpersonal conversation skills for native and non-native speakers of English. Her company, Leadership English™, offers communications skills, training and coaching for non-native and native English speakers, as well as award-winning writing and editorial services for businesses large and small.

 MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joy Rains is a
Meditation Speaker, Author, Guide

breathe.relax.repeat.

Meditation Illuminated: Simple Ways to Manage Your Busy Mind

Find it on:  www.tinyurl.com/amazon-meditate

Book Review: www.tinyurl.com/washtimesreview

website: www.joyrains.com

twitter: @joy_rains

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/joyrains

T: 301-530-0583

 

 

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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.

Short Fiction Anthology Shared by Writers Drawer

 

Title:A Certain Kind of Freedom: Stories and Poems from The Writer's Drawer

Compiler and Editor: Beryl Belsky

Editor's Website Link: http://www.thewritersdrawer.net/

Genre: anthology (short fiction, “stories from life,” and poetry)

Publisher: CreateSpace

No. of Pages: 182

ISBN: 978-1492890317

Reviewer: Lenora at Author Ingrid Hall  and subsequently at Amazon

 Available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Certain-Kind-Freedom-Stories-Writers/dp/1492890316

 

This compact collection brings together 30 or so new writers of all ages and abilities from all over the world.  The book is divided into short fiction, essays and poetry, and the common link is The Writer’s Drawer website rather than subject matter.  Belsky’s stated aim is to present not only stories of literary merit, but also those that provide cultural insight into the writer’s own countries.

I was lucky enough to be given a paperback copy of this collection to review.  Initially I dipped into it, beginning with a few of the poems.  I was immediately impressed by the poetry of Jane Tarlo, ‘Debris’ and ‘It’ were both haunting and perceptive poems that stayed with me long after I had read them.

From there I began at the beginning and found it very hard to put the book down.  Almost all of the stories, essays and poems are of a high standard, clearly some stood out more than others.  The title story ‘A Certain Kind of Freedom’ by Susan Rodgers was an outstanding piece of writing.  A young couple embark on a kayaking trip on a beautiful, yet cursed, coastline. The landscape perhaps reflects Kate and Ryan’s passionate but ultimately doomed relationship, while an impending sense of tragedy quickly unfolds.

‘The Villager Who Dared the Spirits’ by D. Othniel Forte, the tale of a lazy and foolish villager who mocked the woodland spirits and paid the price for his pride is told in a charming folklore style.  The ‘Cry of the Fish Eagle’ by Leandre Grobler  presents the tragic clash between an ancient indigenous/aboriginal culture and modern ‘civilization’ when the last remaining Khoisan couple find refuge in an Eden-like valley, only to be pursued by well-meaning but misguided academics.  Perhaps the bigger lesson in this story is that modern ‘civilized’ society cannot be forgiven for its disregard of more traditional ways of life.  Of the other stories, I enjoyed the Noire-ish and conspiracy theorist tale ‘Nuked’ by Robert Walton and the time travel fantasy ‘Immortal Beloved’ by Tyger Schonholzer.

In the essays section, I loved ‘All the Cats in the World’ by Mina Sephri, writing of her and her family’s love of cats set against the backdrop of revolutionary Iran.  There is a bittersweet poignancy in the final message of this story.  Aside from some very poignant and touching writing, the collection also contains some very pithy personal essays – I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with Vincent Quek in his essay ‘Punctuality is the Politeness of Kings’.  My other favourite in this section was ‘The Smoke Bird’ by Bryan Clark, a beautiful story about an aboriginal mystic and how the dead can still watch over the living.

All in all, barring a couple of pieces that jarred with the overall quality of this collection, Beryl Belsky has selected an engaging and at times highly moving collection of writing.  Credit must be given to her undoubted skills as an editor, despite the challenges of editing works from writers of many nationalities who may not have English as a first language, Belsky’s collection is extremely polished and eminently readable.  I would recommend this book both as a cover-to-cover read, and for dipping into.  I certainly won’t be giving Ingrid [Author Ingrid Hall – BB] my copy back (sorry Ingrid) as I will definitely be re-reading many of these works.  Beryl Belsky has expressed the hope that this will be the first in a collection of books based on works from The Writer’s Drawer and I certainly hope she achieves this aim.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Beryl Belsky is an academic editor and writer, and owner and operator of the free, intercultural, literary website The Writer's Drawer (www.thewritersdrawer.net). She launched the website in early 2012 as a showcase for "shy," or drawer, writers to post their work. Since Beryl also offers free editing support for submissions, the site attracts writers from all over the world, many of them non-native English speakers.

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The Writer's DrawerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewritersdrawer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beryl_belsky
Book:

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A Certain Kind of Freedom: Stories and Poems from The Writer's Drawer

"Comments are always appreciated.
They are to a blogger like coins to a busker.
Come and join in a conversation."
Gabrielle Bryden

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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.