This Review for Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection - Series II Says It All!!

Now the recipient of a National Indie Excellence (NIEA) Finalist Award

_________________________________________________________________________

Author’s Name: Lois W. Stern (Creator, editor, contributor)

Author’s email: tales2Inspire2@gmail.com

Title of Book: TALES2INSPIRE ~ THE DIAMOND COLLECTION - SERIES II

The complete editions of the Ruby (Gifts of Compassion) and Sapphire (Timeless Memories)  Collections under one cover 

Number of pages: 268

Age/Interest level: 10 +

• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1507618050
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1507618059

Amazon link: bit.ly/3sQ8AbO

Reviewed by: Foluso Falaye 

Posted on: Readers' Favorite

Review: Tales2Inspire: The Diamond Collection - Series II is created by Lois W. Stern is a riveting collection of nonfiction short stories by award-winning authors. Each story inspires consciousness, empathy, and appreciation for the little things we take for granted. The book is divided into two sections. The first part focuses on stories of compassion while the second one is about timeless memories. In one story, we see how training dogs helps in teaching dropouts to be responsible. Another story reveals the effect of the horrors of the Holocaust on a survivor. An assistant DA shares the values he stands by while relating an encounter with some good-looking burglars. As these stories are told, each author is introduced with an "about the author" page that follows their brilliant contribution. We experience their amazing stories and connect with their important memories, as well as the life-changing messages they hold.

I found several parts of the book quite relatable, especially being judged by a lover's parent for having different hair. Additionally, I loved that each story doesn't have too many characters or themes but maintains a concise structure that allows for quick assimilation and deep intrigue. The collection includes themes of family, loss, health challenges, pets, sports, mental illness, and romance. Apart from the stories, readers are engaged with the book's other fantastic features, including book club discussion questions, pictures of protagonists and authors, and an "about" section. I loved all the tales so much that I am now convinced that everyone should tell their story. Like the authors in Tales2Inspire: The Diamond Collection Series II, everyone has a profound experience of life that sheds light on what truly matters. All nonfiction short story fans will be happy to read this beautiful, heartwarming book by Lois W. Stern.

Escape Rooms Introduce Novels with Sample for The Hurricane Code by James Aura

Escape Rooms Introduce Novels with Sample for The Hurricane Code by James Aura

Previously, I wrote about The Hurricane Code by James Aura and provided discussion questions. Book groups and high school teachers alike could use another free resource to help readers better understand the 2099 climate change fictional story (Cli-Fi). The activity is auto-graded for teachers and group leaders. The book is not required for using the free digital escape room at this link. We hope the escape room will motivate a reader to want to locate a copy of the book. 

The video below explains the escape room for this particular book. Digital escape rooms are similar but not all the same. They use free Google apps: Google Sites, Google Slides, and Google Forms. Incorrect answers are marked in red as answers are entered, so people know if they successfully unlocked a code or not. There are number code locks, text code locks, directional code locks, and color code locks. Answers should be in all caps with no spaces for this room. 

 

If that didn't explain it, this answer key will help. I am providing answers as escape rooms are new and are a learning experience for most, at this time. Digital escape rooms are similar but use different icons for the locks. Instructions should be followed such as capitalization or lowercase, spaces or not, and so on. Each room could be different as they are made individually by people like me.

The book captures life in North America to Canada as the year 2099 brings pythons moving north due to the warming climate, chocolate as a rare treat, and an exodus of people trying to get north. Travel agents are not honest. An engaging read worthy of discussion, The Hurricane Code was an All About Books Goodreads group pick last summer. This is where to find it: on Goodreads and Amazon.  Author Aura has a link/tr.ee, also. 

Thank you for reading, 

Carolyn Wilhelm, reviewer

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 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

Be a Hero: Make Some Magic for Yourself

Be a Hero: Make Some Magic For Yourself

Add Some Subtle Self-Promotion to Your Book Reviews 

👉 Write a catchy heading for your review in 10 words or less. (HINT: Use strong words for your title as that is what other readers will see first, and sometimes the only part they read. So make it pop!)

👉 Sincerity counts. Give the book the number of stars you think it deserves.

 (1 is the lowest score, 5 is the highest. A 5-star rating means that you really liked the book, 4 stars means it was very good, 3 stars, just okay, etc. ).   

                                                         

👉 Try to promote yourself a bit while writing your review, but be subtle about it. 

(One example: If you are an author or editor, you can say something like, "As an author myself, I appreciate books with messages that . . . ", BUT DO NOT name the titles of your books, publishing company etc. or your review is likely to be turned down flat! )

(Another example: If you are an expert or professional in any field, and somewhere in the book the author speaks favorably about that subject, you can say something like: "As a dedicated ___ myself, . . ., I particularly appreciated the way the author depicted . . . ")

👉 Ask the author to provide you with a few questions about their book to help you create your review. (I include Book Discussion Questions at the end of each of my Tales2Inspire books, but you can always ask the author to send you some questions as suggestions for topics they would like you to address.)

👉 Ask the author to suggest page numbers from one section of their book to give you its flavor. (Of course, if you have the time and desire to read the entire book, that's great! But we all have busy schedules, and readers should be able to get a sense of the author's style and writing skills by reading a section of 100 pages or less.)

👉 End your review with your actual name, not a pseudonym. Readers will take more notice of your words if written by a person with an authentic name.

👉 Read over your review to correct any errors before posting it on Amazon or any other credible online book review site.

👉 And once your review is posted, send the link to me at: tales2inspire2@gmail.com with the words Book Review for TNBR in the subject line.

Some Quick and Easy New Ideas for Getting More Book Reviews

A Fresh New Approach to Getting Reviews for Your Book

BY LOIS W STERN 

YOUR ADVOCATE FOR GETTING NEW REVIEWS FOR YOUR BOOKS!

Hi, I'm Lois W. Stern here, your Review Acquisition Coordinator for Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s THE NEW BOOK REVIEW BLOG. I have a fresh new idea for those of you on my list of book review requests to help you get more reviews for your book. 

I just initiated a mini review writing contest for Tales2Inspire, which I want to share with you, so that you can adapt it to initiate your own mini review contest.

My Octopus Teacher Film 10 Discussion Questions

My Octopus Teacher Film 

10 Discussion Questions

I loved the film, My Octopus Teacher. My daughter who has never liked cephalopods so much I could barely mention the title to her didn't watch it. She doesn't know what she is missing, in my opinion. Although there is a lengthy discussion guide online, I wrote ten discussion questions to encourage people to talk about the movie. The site's critical consensus reads: "A heartwarming look at the way a meaningful bond can transcend just about any barrier, this documentary will leave you asking your friends to come and see My Octopus Teacher with you." Living in a pandemic, that left me to watch it alone as no one in my so-called bubble wanted to watch (or discuss) the movie. So, that leaves me to write a blog post. Having watched it months ago, I still feel the impact of what I learned. 

For the questions that are less easily answered from only viewing the film, please see the long yet engaging official discussion guide. Here are my questions to get started:

Why did Craig Foster begin a daily diving regimen? How was it filmed? Where was it filmed?

2.    Did you connect with the protagonist, the octopus? Did the protagonist have a name? Did she have a memory?

3.    What portion of the life of the octopus did Foster record? What is the usual life expectancy of a cephalopod? How did you feel when he did not intervene or help at critical moments, like when the shark attacked or she gave birth?

4.    Do you think this movie was part of why the UK declared some octopuses, crabs, and lobsters as sentient beings in 2001?

5.    What is the range of temperatures in a kelp forest? Why? Describe the self-discipline needed to form a relationship with the octopus and record the information.

6.    How is climate change affecting kelp seaweed forests? How do kelp forests help climate stability?

7.    Why do you think Foster said, “What she taught me is to feel that you are part of this place. Not a visitor. And that’s a huge difference.”

8.    How did the story show love, friendship, connection, and hope? Do you think it was a love story?

9.    How does cold water stimulate brain activity? How long did Foster and the filmmakers have to hold their breath?

1             What is living science, according to the Sea Change Project?

Have you had a “teacher” in nature? Tell about your experience. 

If you have not seen the film, I hope to encourage you to do so. Here is a trailer that might help. 

Last, but hopefully not least as they say, here is the free instant download question guide I wrote. Click on the next link to download your copy. 
Discussion questions free instant download PDF

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm of the Wise Owl Factory LLC 
 

 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

Books, Book Reviews and Hens' Teeth

James Gilmore, a mid nineteenth century American, is said to have coined the phrase, Scarcer than Hen’s Teeth. Well, since hens don’t have teeth, in effect he was saying that something was so scarce as to be nonexistent.

 

Let’s not have that happen to our books posted here on TheNewBookReview blog.

We all want those FREE Amazon posted reviews, so let's make it easy for the reviewer. Here’s how:

 Be ready to select a small section of your book listed here on The Book Review blog - perhaps 25 to 50 pages - just to give the reviewer its flavor. And potential reviewers, don’t be afraid to ask.

I have spent the last few weeks updating my Tales2Inspire books, to make it as easy as pie for potential reviewers to write those reviews. But you can develop some of these same features and have them ready to e-mail to potential reviewers, even if they’re not printed in your book. 

For example, I’ve included:

• A brief synopsis of each short story on the Contents pages at the front of each of my Tales2Inspire books. (You can write synopses for chapters or book sections of your book instead.)
• Thoughtful Book Club Discussion questions, at the end of each Tales2Inspire book, targeting the specific stories, so readers can pick and choose those of particular interest to them. (You can write some thought provoking questions now to e-mail to any reviewer from our list who contacts you .) 
• Some really great hints for helping your potential reviewers write reviews, without breaking a sweat, (while showing them how to do a bit of self-promotion along the way.) Click here to check them out.
• And don’t forget, there are some rewards just waiting for each reviewer, to heighten your visibility. Click here to see how we honor our reviewers.

It’s a New Year. 

Go here to select the genre of your choice, choose a title of interest to you from our treasured book listings, contact that author for a free book, and do your stuff.

And here’s why:

No Hen’s Teeth for us!  

As caring, responsible authors, let's each do a little bit to help a fellow author.

Your NewBookReview Coordinator,

   

 

Lois W. Stern

I Miss the Rain in Africa by Nancy Wesson Discussion Questions

I Miss the Rain in Africa by Nancy Wesson Discussion Questions

Title: I Miss the Rain in Africa: Peace Corps as a Third Act

Author: Nancy Wesson

Publisher: Modern History Press

Publisher Website Address: www.ModernHistoryPress.com

Publisher Email Address: info@ModernHistoryPress.com

ISBN-10: 1615995757

ISBN-13: 978-1615995752

ASIN: B0949MFWP6

Page Count: 296 pages

Formats (P.B., H.C., Kindle)

Price: $24.95 Paperback, $37.95 Hardcover, $7.95 Kindle

Discussion and Book Review by Carolyn Wilhelm

This book is a marathon of learning about northern Uganda, the Peace Corps there, and the many difficulties Wesson experienced along the way to her ultimately successful projects to help the population. Some books leave us exhausted and perhaps depressed at the end, but this author manages to shine a light on the positive aspects of her experiences in Africa. She does still miss the rain. 

Discussion questions for book clubs and secondary teachers

1. Why did Wesson end up in Uganda? Where was she supposed to go at first? Do you think she realized how Peace Corps Volunteers would be housed? What is the name of chapter one, and why? 

2. How did the most recent war led by Kony leave the citizens with almost insurmountable problems? What were his weapons? Where is he now? Can you imagine living through such an ordeal? 

3. Given the situation of most of the people in northern Uganda, how do you think the Peace Corps Volunteers felt about how effective they could be at first? How did Wesson's thoughts change near the end of the book as she reflected on her projects?

4. Explain travel difficulties from the point of view of a Westerner in Uganda. 

5. Why was the southern part of Uganda so different from the north? 

6. Of the 46 volunteers, 34 remained after about a year. What do you think caused some people to leave? Was it understandable or not?

7. How did the pillowcases project begin and develop? Did it surprise you that Wesson had to design her projects, such as the children's library? Were you expecting the Peace Corps would have had job descriptions and just sent people to locations to fit into predetermined roles? 

8. How was time different in Africa? How were schedules for travel different? 

9. Discuss the story Wesson shared about getting dental help, traveling in the mud and dark on the way to and from the bus station.

10. Why was returning home also a challenge? How had things changed? How had the author changed?

Carolyn Wilhelm is a veteran educator and author. She contributes study guides for books and film to this blog frequently. She says, "We hope you like our discussion questions! We have others found by checking this link. Thank you for reading, Carolyn" 

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

The Midnight Sky Film Discussion Questions

The Midnight Sky Film Discussion Questions 

The Midnight Sky film is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi story that stars George Clooney, Felicity Jones, and David Oyelewo. It is a Netflix movie. October would be a good month to watch the film as we are thinking of scary things like the apocalypse anyway. However, this is a thought-provoking and sad movie about how the world might end. 

The Midnight Sky Discussion Questions

1.     Do we know what happened to the earth? What do you think happened?

2.     Who is Augustine Lofthouse?

3.     Why does Lofthouse want to warn the spaceship returning to Earth so it would not return?

4.     The abandoned child appears and does not speak. What happened that may have caused her to not speak?

5.     Describe the crew onboard the Aether.

6.     In the book, Sully was not pregnant. In the film, they built the fact she actually was pregnant into the story. Do you feel it added tension and depth to the story?

7.     Lofthouse goes to great lengths almost beyond human endurance to warn the people on the spaceship about the problems on earth. Why?

8.     Lofthouse loses his dialysis equipment in an accident. How did that affect the story?

9.     How does Sully describe K-23 to Lofthouse? When she says her name is Iris, what did that imply?

     Screenwriter Mark L. Smith also co-wrote the Revenant. Previously, we posted discussion questions about the Revenant movie and book. Does this information tell you The Midnight Sky might be serious?

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm

Carolyn Wilhelm, Reviewer 

BS Elementary Education, MS Gifted Education, MA K-12 Curriculum and Instruction

Wise Owl Factory LLC

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 form at https://www.bit.ly/FinishedReviewSubmissions. 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. And know that Carolyn Wilhelm, our IT expert, award-winning author, and veteran educator, makes an award image especially for those who volunteer to write reviews from Lois's review-request list and post them in the spirit of her "Authors Helping Authors" project. 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

Carnival Lights by Chris Stark Book Club Discussion Questions

Title: Carnival Lights
By: Chris Stark
Publisher: Modern History Press
Publisher Website: https://www.modernhistorypress.com/
Author Website: https://www.christinestark.com/
ISBN-10: 1615995781
ISBN-13: 978-1615995783
Price: Hardcover $37.95, Paperback $24.95, Kindle $6.95
Page Count: 268
Formats (HC, PB, Kindle)

With good reason, two teens run away from a reservation and get jobs at the Minnesota State Fair. Although the book has a linear story within the pages, it also has a spiraling story going back generations explaining how families pass down their problems. Society also hands down its ills, of course.

"The grief of her people lived within her and was a way of knowing, with or without her conscious understanding."

Stark, Chris. Carnival Lights (p. 221). Modern History Press. Kindle Edition. 

What a read! Oh, my. This book hit me especially hard being a resident of northern Minnesota as well as Minneapolis. I walked exactly where the girls walked, went to the fair, and understand 1969 - the setting of the book. I was about their age in 1969. Of course, I was aware of the poverty in the Native American reservations. However, we attended Pow Wows and visited some people, so that I was unaware of the danger to women and children. I have been to Duluth dozens of times and cannot again pass through there looking at the ships with ignorance. We lived in Grand Marais on Lake Superior and I knew there was trafficking, but thought it was all at the border for some reason. 

10 Discussion Questions for Carnival Lights

Download your free PDF by clicking this link

1. How does Stark set up the first chapters so we are convinced Sher and Kris had no choice but to run away? What are several of the convincing reasons provided? 

2. Did you expect the girls would get to the fair rather quickly and experience problems there? What surprised you about the book with generational stories interwoven with the experience of the girls' bus trip and arrival in Minneapolis?

3. Why did the girls spend several days in downtown Minneapolis? Who did Sher call, thinking they might find help? How did they get food? The Vietnam war protest added drama as well as helped explain the times. How was Kris always going ahead and doing things while Sher wanted to hold back?

4. How do they meet Tricia? Why does she say the following:

“Get this,” the woman said, “a couple of farm girls showing me the city.”

Stark, Chris. Carnival Lights (p. 118). Modern History Press. Kindle Edition. 

5. Why do they decide or were told to leave several of the places they briefly stayed? What was the one place they wanted to stay? Why?

6. When in Minneapolis, Stark again sets up the reasons why the girls do not try to find help. Why would they not reach out to a social worker? Why do you think the church where they sat on the steps asked them to leave, probably knowing they were in trouble? 

7. How does the author explain most of Sher's family acceptance and knowledge of her as contrasted with what her mother thought:

"Sher’s mother had admonished Sher for her broad shoulders, her narrow hips, and wearing her brother’s hand-me-downs, as if these oddities sprang from Sher alone, and did not come from the loins of her parents, from her family, from the Creator."

Stark, Chris. Carnival Lights (p. 195). Modern History Press. Kindle Edition. 

8. Were you expecting Sher and Kris would meet different people and find different problems than they did? How were the things that happened to them in Minneapolis worse or better than what you thought? 

9. Why do you think they didn't go home but remembered the good people and things that happened? Their memories helped them cope. Could they have gone home? 

10. The foreshadowing of the ending strongly suggested something terrible would happen. Did you expect what happened or not? How did close calls to people who seemed to think about helping them add to the plot's tension? How was the ending both happy and sad? 

Why do you think Stark wrote this book? What was the overall message? 

Carolyn Wilhelm, Reviewer 

BS Elementary Education, MS Gifted Education, MA K-12 Curriculum and Instruction

Wise Owl Factory LLC

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