Family Relationships: Perfect Gift for Father's Birthday of Father's Day

Title: Fathers’ Wisdom –

[A Powerful Collection of Stories from Fathers around the World.]

Author: Jennifer Karin Jordan

Genre: Family Relationships

Publisher: Square Tree

Release Date: June 15, 2015

ISBN-13: 978-0990319054

Available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Wisdom-powerful-collection-stories/dp/0990319059 

Reviewed by Marlan Warren

"I view all my children as angels of God whom He has entrusted to my care."

 —Darwin Bicknell ("Wisdom from a Stepdad") “Fathers’ Wisdom”

 

I could not read Jennifer K. Jordan's “Fathers’ Wisdom” without thinking of my own father. He took his parenting role very seriously, and would have appreciated a book like “Fathers’ Wisdom, ” which sets out to honor all fathers everywhere, and was inspired by Jordan's love for her father. Both her parents were no longer alive when she interviewed her first dad. Now, fourteen years later, “Fathers’ Wisdom” has emerged with over 50 fathers' stories. The California author spoke not only with American-born dads, but sought out men whose roots ranged from Germany to Afghanistan to Japan.

What I expected were sugar-sweet tales told by fathers who would want to put themselves in the best light possible. What I got was impressive honesty, and a nearly anthropological study of what makes good fathers tick.

"It's incredible to see my heart in someone else's body."

 —Gabriel Hall ("Yoga Dad") “Fathers’ Wisdom”

Fathers include a yoga teacher; golf entrepreneur; magazine editor; artist; actor; Holocaust survivor; pastors; as well as Japanese Americans who experienced World War II "internment" and battle. On board are also fathers outside of the nuclear family paradigm: foster dad, divorced dad and stepdad.

One of the most moving moments is when Holocaust survivor Bernard Sayone must explain to his son what happened to his own father at the hands of the Nazis. In a world that often values machismo in all its various forms, it's refreshing to hear tales of male sensitivity, longing and heartbreak.

“I teach my kids to be honest, whether they are alone or someone is watching.“

—Bob Gilder ("Integrity") “Fathers’ Wisdom”

All the fathers speak with admirable candor about their relationship to their children, and their view of fatherhood itself. As different as they are, they all seem to agree on one thing: lead your children by example.

“There isn’t just one way to be a father.”

—Pastor Bayless Conley, Cottonwood Church ("God in All") “Fathers’ Wisdom”

Each chapter concludes with an uplifting author suggestion of how to honor the wisdom shared by each dad, such as: “Today let’s be people that others can count on.”

If I were packing a Time Capsule, “Fathers’ Wisdom” would be one of the first items I'd put into it. For if the world should almost end in fire or ice, it would be nice to show future generations the good that men were once capable of doing.

========================================================================MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Website: http://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Wisdom-powerful-collection-stories/dp/0990319059

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fathers-Wisdom-Book-1468257520134855/

Twitter: @jkjwisdomseries

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Marlan Warren

Roadmap Communications

Book Publicity by Marlan

1831 Winona Blvd., #104

Los Angeles, CA 90027

(323) 347-6762

roadmap.girl@hotmail.com

Roadmap Girl's Book Buzz

http://roadmapgirlsbookbuzz.blogspot.com/

Book Publicity By Marlan

http://bookpublicitybymarlan.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 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.

Literary Contests: Off Focus With a New Focus on Great Beginnings

I rarely wander from my mission of presenting readers of The New Book Review with great new or overlooked reading opportunities and of extending the opportunities for authors and publishers who want to extend exposure of their books.  But, because the beginnings of books are so important and because so many of the followers of this blog are authors, here is an interesting and accessible contest that authors will love and readers might find very interesting. (-:

Enter Writer Advice’s Fourth SCINTILLATING STARTS Contest. Grab and hold us with your opening paragraphs. Submit up to 1500 words by 11/10/15. Details at www.writeradvice.com

If you’re opening is shared on Writer Advice, you’ll be able to tell prospective agents, publishers, and book buyers that you were one of the winners of Writer Advice’s Fourth Scintillating Starts Contest. Cash awarded to those whose work is shared. This contest is open to anyone who has not signed a contract for the book submitted. Additional details and link to Submittable at www.writeradvice.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.

Midwest Reviews Hopeful Book Set in Alabama

Letter from Alabama
Subtitle: The Inspiring True Story of Strangers Who Saved a Child and Changed a Family Forever.
Publisher is Workman & Associates, Inc.
Author is David L. Workman,http://www.workman-inc.com
Genre include Biography / Memoir and History 
Categories include Family Relationships, Extended Family, Parenting
Pages: 204 in ebook, 212 in paperback
Information: www.workman-inc.com and www.facebook.com/letterfromalabama
 Available most anywhere you buy books, including: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VQIIODK
Available as:

    An Amazon Kindle ebook (ISBN 9780996230902). $2.99
   An Amazon paperback (ISBN 9780996230919). $8.99
   A second paperback (ISBN 9780996230926) available from Ingram Books and bookstores supplied    by Ingram. $8.99
   A second ebook (ISBN 9780996230933) available from several major and independent booksellers.   $2.99

Review originally from Midwest Book Review

Synopsis: David's life could turn out very, very badly. His mother dies suddenly when he is an infant. Then at age two, he is gone. Vanished, with his father, and abandoned in a far-away place. His future hangs on a letter from Alabama, a piece of paper that must travel hundreds of miles in an envelope. Then it must land in exactly the right place in a busy office where nobody is under any obligation to read it or pay any attention to it. "Letter from Alabama: The Inspiring True Story of Strangers Who Saved a Child and Changed a Family Forever" is the true story of that letter, and all that will transpire because of it. It's the story of human failure, and human triumph. Forgiveness and redemption. It is a testament to, and a prayer of thanks for, good and decent people everywhere who stand up for a child when they don't have to -- when they have nothing to gain and perhaps much to lose. It's a tribute to those who see the potential in a young person and give that person a chance to be the best that he or she can be. They are the heroes for whom this story is now committed to writing.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Letter from Alabama: The Inspiring True Story of Strangers Who Saved a Child and Changed a Family Forever" is a compelling and inherently fascinating read from beginning to end. An extraordinary and heartwarming account, "Letter from Alabama" is very highly recommended for community library American Biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Letter from Alabama" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

ABOUT MIDWEST REVIEW

This review is from the Biography Shelf of Small Press Bookwatch dated August 2015. James A. Cox, is Editor-in-Chief of the Midwest Book Review, 278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Workman is author of "Letter from Alabama," a true story of two children saved by grace and a family's love -- and by a letter. Friend him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/letterfromalabama. 

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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.

Senior Editor Gives Women's Novel Five Stars

:

Breaking the Silence
Diamante Lavendar
D&L Productions
9781502381255, $12.99 Paper, $2.99 Kindle

Genre:  Women's Fiction

Author's Website:  Diamante Lavendar - Author and Writer

Purchase at Amazon: 

Reviewed by Diane Donovan originally for Midwest Review

Joan Eastman is put on bed rest for the length of her uncertain pregnancy and buys a diary to occupy her time and Breaking the Silence is what she reveals in her diary: a saga of growing up repressing psychological and sexual cruelty and falling into substance abuse as one reflection of the self-hatred she feels.

Plenty of fiction and nonfiction sagas stop here, chronicling that abuse and its lasting impact; but the strength of Breaking the Silence lies in its ability to proceed past the pain to the other side, using the forthcoming birth of Eastman's child and her diary to foster the process of moving beyond past injustices into healing.

Any who have struggled with past abuse, wondering how to shake its shackles and move into a future unencumbered by past tragedy, will relish the first-person diary entries in Breaking the Silence, which follows a way out of the maze. It's a powerful saga of a woman determined to undertake the work that will truly release her from self-destructive patterns and reactions that pass between generations.

Juxtaposing the progression of pregnancy with life lessons learned from her experiences, Joan's story is a haunting survey of life, death, and everything in between, and a powerful saga not for those who would lead the unexamined life; but especially recommended for readers struggling with their own dark pasts and its implications for the future.

Plenty of stories capture the experience. Too few chart the course between devastation and destruction to spiritual and emotional rebirth. Breaking the Silence is one such gem - and is a top revelation especially recommended for spirituality readers who want an account of finding not just a way out, but God.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

-Diane Donovan, Senior Editor, Midwest Book Review

				Diamante Lavendar - Author and Writer Diamante Lavendar - is an author who writes young adult fantasy adventures. Her latest book published is The Secrets of Yashire: Emerging From the Shadows.
				View on www.diamantelavenda...	Preview by Yahoo

MORE ABOUT MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW AND THE REVIEWER

MBR: MBR Bookwatch, August 2015

				MBR: MBR Bookwatch, August 2015 Cowper's Bookshelf Brain Flexers Kristin Einberger & Janelle Sellick Health Professions Press 409 Washington Avenue, Suite 500, Towson, MD 21204 www.healthp...
				View on www.midwestbookrev...	Preview by Yahoo

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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.

Diamante Lavendar Praises Literary/Sci-Fi Novel

• Title: Rarity from the Hollow
• Author: Robert Eggleton
• Web site link: www.lacydawnadventures.com  
• Genre: Literary Science Fiction
• ISBN: 9781907133060; 1907133062
• Name of Reviewer: Diamante Lavendar
• Review Site: Diamante Lavendar 
• Purchase Links:

                        http://www.amazon.com/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B007JDI508

                        http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rarity-Hollow-Robert-Eggleton-ebook/dp/B007JDI508

http://www.doghornpublishing.com/wordpress/books/rarity-from-the-hollow

Reviewed by Diamante Lavendar originally for http://diamantelavendar.com/ 

Synopsis:  

Lacy Dawn is a true daughter of Appalachia , and then some. She lives in a hollow with her worn-out mom, her Iraq War disabled dad, and her mutt Brownie, a dog who’s very skilled at laying fiber optic cable. Lacy Dawn’s android boyfriend has come to the hollow with a mission. His equipment includes infomercial videos of Earth’s earliest proto-humans from millennia ago. He was sent by the Manager of the Mall on planet Shptiludrp (Shop ’till You Drop): he must recruit Lacy Dawn to save the Universe in exchange for the designation of Earth as a planet which is eligible for continued existence within a universal economic structure that exploits underdeveloped planets for their mineral content. Lacy Dawn’s magic enables her to save the universe, Earth, and, most importantly, her own family.

Review:

Rarity from the Hollow dives into the trenches of the human condition and explores dark societal issues such as sexual abuse and psychological problems.

While not for the faint of heart, Rarity from the Hollow is peppered with satire to lighten the tone of the story. This story is intended for adult reading as it has frequent reference to sexual situations. However, the author of this book has written with a tone of sarcasm and wit that will appeal to those who have dealt with the “trenches” in society…those who can relate to the hardships of the human condition and accept them for their true nature.

Rarity from the Hollow is well written. The author has truly come to understand and reference many problems found in society. If one reads this book with a semi serious nature, one will come to understand the mindset of those who have suffered greatly from the addressed societal traumas in the storyline. Abuse in the life of those who have suffered almost becomes an accepted, every day way of living. Rarity from the Hollow expounds on this fact.

Rarity from the Hollow was written to help children who have been abused. I commend the author and wish him all the best in his endeavors. His book is interesting with its mix of science fiction, fantasy and satire. 

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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.

True Stories of US Enlisted Men Pilots

Author:  Michael G. Uva
Product Details
1    Paperback: 178 pages
2    Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform;
3    First Edition (January 5, 2015)
4    Language: English
5    ISBN-10: 1506015832
6    ISBN-13: 978-1506015835
Genre: Historical Fiction


Reviewed By Michelle Stanley for Readers’ Favorite
Review Rating:
5 Stars!


“There are only two types of fairy tales told in the Corps; one begins with, “Once upon a time…” the other, “This is no shite!” - Tippy (Tales of Flying Sergeants) Enlisted Fighter Pilots in WW11.

Robert “Tippy” Tipatue, a skilled mechanic, enlisted in the Marines after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was an ingenious, courageous, forthright man who took his mechanical assignments seriously at the Maw Airbase. This enabled him to move quickly through the ranks to become a fighter pilot, much to the regret of First Lieutenant Goldberg, a commissioned Officer who disapproved of enlisted men becoming pilots. Tippy and other trained enlisted pilots had many close encounters with death while fighting the Japanese, and their living conditions were basic, but they learned to keep their spirits up with moral support, a few fights, and pranks.

Michael G. Uva has written this very poignant military fiction as a warm-hearted tribute to Master Gunnery Sergeant Charles W. Tippy, a “salty old Marine” with whom he served. He wrote compassionately, recollecting tales filled with sadness, nostalgia and mirth of the war. Surviving Marines who pay tribute to Pastor Tippy at his funeral narrate with stirring tales of their friendship with the deceased throughout intervals in the book. Pastor Tippy rarely spoke of his Marine years, so his grieving congregation were surprised to see politicians, actors, other public figures, and a Japanese veteran turn out to pay their respects. The cover illustration is lovely and the story made a very interesting read. 
                   
SYNOPSIS

World War II is raging. The war is going badly for the Americans. A young, backwoods car mechanic from Louisiana enlists in the Marines after Pearl Harbor is hit.
The U.S.A. has more planes than pilots. Several U.S. Marine mechanics, (both auto and aircraft) get a crash course in flying fighter planes. Now they find themselves in a battle for their lives against superior, outnumbering forces.

Problems soon occur on base when a Harvard educated officer joins the squadron. He does not believe that enlisted men have the ability to fly as well as officers. Soon after, all the mechanic pilots are relegated, back to ground duty. During a surprise attack, the enemy forces surround the pilot’s quarters, trapping them. One enlisted pilot manages to takeoff in a fully loaded P-51. Within minutes, the officers are freed and soon join the lone enlisted man aloft. Now the Harvard officer is forced to fly as a team with the enlisted man, in a fight for their lives.
The story unfolds in a series of flashbacks at the enlisted hero’s current day funeral by some of the former fighter pilots he fought alongside of.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 Tippy  was inspired by true stories of US “Enlisted Men” that were elevated to the positions of “Fighter Pilots” during WWll. Author Michael Uva says, " I had the honor and privilege to have personally flown a few flights out of El Toro air base with one of these Heroic Marine Enlisted Pilots while I served in the Marines."

Tippy is a “Historical Fiction.” The story is an amalgam of fiction and history, with a slight bias toward authentic history.


---- 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.

"Friendly" Prose Makes Mindfulness Accesssible

Title:  Shortcuts to Mindfulness: 100 Ways to Personal and Spiritual Growth

Author:  Catherine Auman, LMFT

Author Website: www.catherineauman.com

Genre: Self Help

ISBN:  978-0-9898305-3-9

Link to buy the book: www.shortcutstomindfulness.com

Originally reviewed by Hadley Fitzgerald, MA, for The Therapist, March/April 2015

Shortcuts to Mindfulness: 100 Ways to Personal and Spiritual Growth a jewel of a book with many more jewels to be found inside. “Shortcuts,” yes, but don’t let the title fool you. The essays are brief, but the operative word is indeed “mindfulness.” The author has the gift of writing in a way that gets your attention immediately and then stirs something deeper. No self-help pabulum here, just page after page of genuine, refreshing, soulful nourishment.

After a lifetime as a professional psychotherapist, Catherine Auman has skillfully and elegantly brought together her own brand of the best of self-help and the wisdom traditions presented in 100 condensed two- or three-page essays. Quick, short, and phenomenally easy to read, it’s 100 books in one. It is intelligent self-help, offered without backstory, unnecessary detail, or historical review, with no tedious case-building. This book essentially says: “Here’s the gist of what you need to understand – and here’s what you might do to benefit yourself. Here are suggested support and resources.”

In Shortcuts to Mindfulness, Auman has accomplished the exceptional: quick commentaries on ordinarily complex and difficult subjects, written in a friendly, clean prose that renders her well-distilled wisdom and constructive advice accessible to just about anyone – CEO and barista alike – while retaining all of the benefits one would not expect to find in such aptly titled “shortcuts.” Essay titles such as “You Don’t have to Kill Your Parents,” “Menopause Misunderstood,” “Sex as RotoRooter,” “The Great Art of Doing Nothing,” “You Can Induce Bliss at Any Moment,” and “The Bossa Nova Cure” can be easily read, fully digested, and effectively actualized during a short subway ride or a long smoke break.

The book provides quick, easy, rewarding reading on relevant, meaningful, and significant subjects essentially delivered in the equivalent of Zen sound bites. These essays often read as if she’s sharing her thoughtful insights with you at the kitchen table. In lesser hands this work might have been a smart book for dumb people, or even a dumbed-down book for smart-enough people. But thanks to Auman’s good intentions and gift for plain speaking, it amounts to a set of easily garnered lessons and guideposts for modern life’s tasks and trials, recommended for anyone and everyone who has ever had a problem and five minutes to spare.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catherine Auman, LMFT is a licensed therapist with advanced training in both traditional and spiritual psychology with thirty years of successful professional experience helping thousands of clients. She has headed nationally-based hospital psychiatric programs as well as worked through alternative methodologies based on ancient traditions and wisdom teachings. Visit her online at www.catherineauman.com

----- 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.

Readers Favorite Reviews Can't-Put-Down Novel for Young Adults

Title: Novus
 Series: The Cresecren Chronicles, Book1
Author: Crystal Marcos
Web site: http://crystalmarcos.com
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN: 978-0984389988
Links to buy eBook: Amazon http://amzn.to/1IGbLDd
Nook edition: http://bit.ly/1JDP56T
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1ho25me
Links to buy Paperback: Amazon http://amzn.to/1NiIIbG
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1Vmtvrm

 Originally reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers’ Favorite 
 Rating: 5 stars


I would recommend not starting Novus (The Cresecren Chronicles, Book 1) by Crystal Marcos if you have anything planned for the rest of the day, as you will most likely not want to put the book down!

Cayden, the main character, is a Cresecren, similar to humans, but made to serve them. Cayden ended up in a colony of Cresecrens who are either not fit to serve any longer or who have been outcasts for some reason. One day, Cayden's life changes completely. He meets an interesting human girl, and then is involved in a rather unpleasant chain of events (which I can't mention as that would be spoilers!) which lead to him and a group of others being on the run, and finding out that the world out there is full of things that are not as they seem.

 Novus by Crystal Marcos is one of those gems that make you care about the characters within the story, and while you definitely want to know what happens to them, you can't help but also not want to get to the end of the book. It's the kind of book whose characters you miss when you finish the book. There is good news though, it's the first book in a series and if Crystal writes as well in the second book then it will also be a fantastic read.

There still is a lot to explore, quite a few issues to be resolved, and I am sure that more interesting characters will be waiting for readers.

 ----- 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.

Marie Lavender's Writing in the Modern Age: Writing to Tickle the Funny Bone by Lois W. Stern

Marie Lavender's Writing in the Modern Age: Writing to Tickle the Funny Bone by Lois W. Stern: WRITING TO TICKLE THE FUNNY BONE by Lois W. Stern On the fourth year of my Tales2Inspire "Authors Helping A...

----- 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.

Joys of Reading: Book Tours, Prizes, Trilogies

Today we are being visited by a virtual blog tour celebrating the completion of author Mary E. Martin's second series, The Trilogy of Remembrance. We would like to welcome followers of the tour joining us from  Book Pleasures,  http://www.bookpleasures.com and from other sites on the tour.  Learn more about the tour and its associated contest by scrolling down.

Title: Night Crossing 

Author: Mary E. Martin 

Series: The Trilogy of Remembrance 

Publisher: iUniverse (June 20, 2014) 

ISBN-10: 1491737158 

ISBN-13: 978-1491737156 

Reviewed by: Vonnie Faroqui of Ink Slinger's Whimsey

Rating: 5/5 Star

Link To Purchase: http://amzn.to/1KB6JtE

Savoring Night Crossing

When you drink wine, do you gulp it down; racing to the bottom of your glass? Do you savor it; holding it in your mouth; flicking it with your tongue; allowing yourself the pleasures of experiencing its texture, the changing flavors as it rolls over your taste buds, splashing against your palate. Night Crossing is a story that, like pleasing wine, deserves to be savored.   

Alexander Wainwright is at a personal and professional crossroads. His reputation and skill as a painter are being challenged to expand and grow. The creative mile stones of his past have brought him to a turning point. In order to expand creatively he is being pressed to create something new, to broaden his understanding of life and how much of it he is willing to experience. A vision guides his next adventure. A vision of the cosmic egg floating before him. Life places a mystery in his path, and guides along the way. Alexander must discover for himself answers to questions about his capacity to create as an artist and his ability to love another. Can he give himself to love and remain true to his art? What about his vision? Where did it come from and how could his vision be found in the work of an artist completely unknown to him? As he is drawn into the mystery surrounding his vision and a painting found and brought to him by his agent, Alex is led to journey to Paris, taking the ferry, a night crossing. When the ferry meets with disaster, Alex is forced to choose between saving the life of an older passenger, with whom he has made a deep creative connection, and a young mother with infant child. How does one choose which soul to save, which life holds more value? Life often chooses for us and in so doing life pushes Alex further down the road toward discovery and the edge of sanity. The mystery of his vision deepens and carries him from Paris to St. Petersburg, where he meets the artist who shared in a vision of the cosmic egg.

The Trilogy of Remembrance comes to an inspired and satisfying conclusion in, Night Crossing. Alexander Wainwright's heroic journey takes him into a swirling dream like progression of thought, darkness, light, and dancing rhythms which open windows to the heart and soul of creative experience. He is the student and the observer of life. He journeys, inspired and driven by compulsions and forces he does not understand, meeting guides and antagonists along the way. Each in turn adds to the mysterious patterns being woven around him. Their destinies entwined.  His muse Daphne, faithful narrator Jamie, and friends both new and old will enter your heart and find their way to places that resonate. A new story unfolds, new mysteries are explored as Alex frees his unique inner light and searches for the place love holds in his art and in his life. These characters breathe. They hurt and love, like we hurt and love. Their stories, choices, and struggles give us pause because they are stories we recognize as versions of our own. I love Mary’s writing, which is eloquent and full of human insight. In Night Crossing, as in the previous books of the trilogy, she reveals surprising depths of interest and perception –both spiritual and aesthetic, into the visual, musical and performance arts. Through her story telling she has the reader pondering many ideas, concepts and truths relating to creativity, spirituality, and life. Her writing illuminates much and yet leaves room for further exploration. I find her work entrancing and provocative, without being pushy. I will miss Alexander and find myself wondering how she might work him into another novel or series now that his trilogy is complete. Do I recommend Night Crossing? Oh yes, yes indeed, I do. 

Mary E. Martin is the author of two trilogies: The Osgoode Trilogy, inspired by her many years of law practice; and The Trilogy of Remembrance, set in the glitter and shadows of the art world. Both Trilogies will elevate the reader from the rush and hectic world of today and spin them into realms of yet unimagined intrigue. Be inspired by the newly released and final installment of The Trilogy of Remembrance, Night Crossing. 

 
​MORE ABOUT THE TOUR

Followers of the tour have an opportunity to enter in a $200 Amazon gift card giveaway, sponsored by the author, as well as to receive a purchase incentive package donated by the tour sponsors. Entries in Mary's $200 Amazon gift card giveaway will be accepted until midnight on August 31, 2015 with an announcement of the winner posted from Mary's Blog on September 1, 2015. Anyone submitting a proof of purchase entry in the giveaway draw will receive as an added benefit the tour purchase incentive rewards package of free e-books and discount coupons donated by tour hosts. For a full tour schedule of events, as well as details on how to enter the lottery drawing for the gift card and receive the purchase incentive rewards package, visit Mary E. Martin at  http://maryemartintrilogies.com/virtual-tour/

We encourage our followers to join the tour further by visiting The Avid Reviewer,  http://avidreviewer.com/ for a review from Mary's first series, Final Paradox: Book Two in the Osgoode Trilogy.  

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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.

An Uncomfortably Close Look at the Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic

THE BITTER TASTE OF DYING

A memoir

by Jason Smith

ISBN-10: 0996402012

ISBN-13: 978-0996402019

Web site: authorjasonsmith.com

Available on Amazon

Available at iBooks

Reviewed by Christa Wojciechowski originally on MySweetDelirium.com

Just a few years ago, Jason Smith was lying in his bathtub, the blood slowly draining from his slit wrists. Now he is here to tell us how he reached the point of suicide after his long, dark descent into prescription opiate abuse. The Bitter Taste Dying is a story of resurrection told by an author who has literally come back from the black grip of death.

Today’s junkies are not just on the street corner anymore. Big Pharma are the suppliers, and doctors are the pushers, cultivating (perhaps inadvertently, but that’s debatable) a massive population of addicts from all demographics.

After a severe car accident, Smith has back surgery and is given a perpetual menu of painkillers and muscle relaxers by his physicians. It doesn’t take long for the high schooler to realize that by taking more than the recommended dosage, he could obtain the warm, euphoric mental and physical comfort only opiates can bring. But all too soon he also discovers the pangs of withdrawal whenever his medication runs out.

If anyone has difficulty understanding what an addict feels like, Smith describes it with painful accuracy.

“You know that feeling of having your head held under water, the last of your oxygen depleted, where very fiber of your being screams at you to get to the surface for more air? That’s the feeling of needing more drugs…”

As Smith grows into a man, his addiction grows to mammoth proportions and he must go through heroic efforts to keep himself in pills and Fentanyl patches. Smith tells the story in an approachable, conversational tone that may have you laughing out loud at some parts. As horrendous as it is watching how far he would go and how morally low he would sink to get more drugs, it’s difficult not to marvel at his ingenuity and boldness.

At the same time, Smith writes with tender honesty and cutting unabashedness that is rare in any writer, much less any human being. The reader immediately feels very close to him, making his shocking confessions feel like blows.

The Bitter Taste of Dying is an important book that underscores the urgency with which society has to address the prescription drug abuse epidemic. It allows us to watch with uncomfortable closeness how easy it is to develop an addiction to pain medication and how quickly and mercilessly it can devour one’s entire life.

From aspiring football star to international criminal, Smith shows us step by step how opiate addiction can happen to anyone you know, and very likely destroy them. Most importantly, The Bitter Taste of Dying reveals the light at the end of the tunnel–even the most hopeless addict can make it out alive.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason Smith is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, whose work has been published extensively in both online and print media. Jason Smith is also the Creative Director of TheRealEdition.com, a recently launched website that allows addicts, recovering addicts, and their loved ones to publish their stories of addiction. Jason currently lives in northern California with his wife Megan and two children, Jaden and Isabella.

The Bitter Taste of Dying was released July 6th, 2015 by Thought Catalog and available in Kindle, iBooks, and his website http://authorjasonsmith.com.

Jason Smith is available for interviews, contributions, and appearances. To schedule a media event, order books, or request review copies, please contact christawojo at gmail.com.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Christa Wojciechowski is an author and freelance internet marketer living in Panama. You can visit her blog at christawojo.com and follow her on Twitter at @christawojo.

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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.

Second Book in Luana Ehrlich Series Maintains the Thrills

Title:  Two Days in Caracas
Series: A Titus Ray Thriller

Author:  Luana Ehrlich

Website: http://www.luanaehrlich.com

Genre: Christian thriller

ISBN: 1511628650

ASIN: B00ZPQYHIK

Amazon Purchase Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Two-Days-Caracas-Titus-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00ZPQYHIK

Originally reviewed by Ron English for Amazon

It has been said that a new author often will produce a good book on her first time out, but then struggle to produce a second. That has not been your case Luana Ehrlich. Two Days in
Caracas beautifully dovetails into the wake of your first book, One Night in Tehran. I somewhat expected your new work might have toned down the action of Titus Ray, or at the least just drift into his next adventure. No. That was not the case. 

Two Days in Caracas delivers new thrills, more depth into the mind and life of your growing character, Titus Ray, while promising more intrigue from future stories. You delivered such skill in drawing me into Titus Ray’s background of family and old hurts and then wove into his heart a new, growing affection for the police detective, Nikki Saxon. Where one might expect a passionate display of fast moving sex and love you handle this relationship with the kind of drama I recall from the old westerns where the cowboy has grace and reluctance and then rides off into the sunset leaving the reader wanting more. This book has it all. Danger—plenty of that, travel to foreign lands--for sure; characters that are so believable you might sense you know these folks. You surely develop an interest in turning the page to see what will happen next. Since I live in Norman, Oklahoma, I kept hoping that Titus Ray would return and let me glimpse more of his new life in our familiar surroundings. You did not disappoint. I marvel at the way you let Titus Ray grow into his new faith. You have not forced any religion onto these pages, but let this part of his life make a gentle impression on the reader as it does so in his expanding experience. His learning to pray is so new to him it reminds one of a child growing in grace and knowledge. His faith, while strange to him, is such a natural part of who he is and who he is becoming. His love for Nikki is refreshingly tender with just the right amount of desire and fear one might expect from a decent man living a dangerous life and chasing bad guys. And chase them he does. Not a curse word in the book and yet nothing is taken away from this adult story of action, love, assassins, kidnapping and murder. Great book. You have introduced me to a new kind of fiction where I can believe this story is a true life adventure of a man, his work, his love, his dog making me care for them all. Now I must wait for your provoking promise of Titus ray’s next adventure in Washington. Hurry, please.

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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.

Chief Editor at Midwest Book Review Praises The Frugal Editor

The Frugal Editor, second edition

Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson
HowToDoItFrugally Publishing
www.howtodoitfrugally.com
ISBN: 9781505712117

$17.95 pbk / 

$9.00 Kindle 

Available on Amazon 

Reviewed by James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief Midwest Book Review for Library Bookwatch (July  2015), the Jim Cox Report, and the Writing/Publishing Shelf at Midwest Book Review

Now in an updated second edition, The Frugal Editor is part of the "How To Do It Frugally" series for writers and publishers, and an absolute "must-have" for virtually all aspiring and practicing authors in these tough economic times. Tips, tricks, techniques, and do-it-yourself editing secrets will aid in improving one's writing at every stage of the process - from creating an initial query letter to revising rough drafts, putting the finishing touches on the final manuscript, and marketing the published work. 

"Remember when you first realized that a blow-by-blow account of a movie bored your parents? It's true with books, too. When space is limited, your plot should be a mere logline, pitch, or teaser. Your credentials or experience will be far more impressive to an agent or publisher." 

Extensive appendices filled with useful things like professional sample cover letters or query letters, tips for Kindle formatting made easy, and more round out this top-notch guide by award-winning author and former New York publicist Carolyn Howard-Johnson. 

Also highly recommended is the second edition of "The Frugal Book Promoter" (9781463743291, $17.95 pbk / $9.95 Kindle).

 

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Jim Cox and the Midwest Book Review have a long history of providing credible reviews to authors regardless of the press they are printed on. Find them at http://www.midwestbookreview.com. Cox also edits the Library Bookwatch, an online magazine, and his own e-mail newsletter, the Jim Cox Report.

 

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn t 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.Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers.

Poet Published Short Book of Philosophy and Religion

Strength to Be Human
Author: Mark Antony RossiLoyal First Books
2015 Kindle E-Book Editions
48 pageshttp://www.amazon.com

 Review by Sy Albright originally for Loyal First Books

Tackling the existential existence of humanity on a global scale would be a topic too large for even a War and Peace length volume, but Rossi’s Strength to Be Human manages to boil down his poignant distillations in less than fifty pages. Quite a feat when considering he neither dances around political opinions nor runs away from criticizing Science and Religion as potential negative elements that hold back humanity from its fullest potential.

In “What We Learned” Rossi states…..We waste our time building the better machine rather than raising the better child. The sum of our species is naught if we simply carry our fear and hostility to the Cosmos?

This is the first time I have ever read a book that successfully pushes back on religious thought and science philosophy without calling for extreme measures or proposing to exchange one idiotic ideology for another. He plainly points out that religion and science are most dangerous to peaceful coexistence when allowed to lament on humanity’s lack of superhuman or supernatural powers. Powers he clearly shows are unwanted and unneeded.

There is a certain poetry in these writings that ease the deeper thoughts into your mind as with the closing lines of “Prime Mover “--- “But the ultimate beauty of the human creation is the indomitable desire to rise above the sum of our shortcomings. In this journey the happiness of humanity stands the strongest chance of building a better world and finally finding a love capable of pushing back the primal instinct.”

These essays read like meditations for the well-being of four billion people. It’s a heady goal but likely a beneficial mission suited for the world-at-large. If Poverty and War have a permanent cure the medicine will arrive by natural means. No test tube or holy touchstone can bring people closer to peace until they settle the war raging in their own hearts. The mechanical and the metaphysical have a place in our dreams if humanity takes care to ensure our deepest decisions are made from personal experience and common sense.

About the Author:

Mark Antony Rossi is an Italian-American poet, fiction writer, playwright and future science author. His poetry, fiction, nonfiction and criticism have been published in Another Chicago Review, The Antigonish Review (Canada), Anak Sastra (Taiwan), Bareback Literary Review (Canada),  Black Heart Review, Brain of Forgetting (Ireland), Coe Review,  Deep South Journal, Dirty Chai,  Dogplotz,  Enclave, Entropy, Farther Stars Than,  Flash Fiction (Italy), Gravel, Heart and Seoul (South Korea), Mad Swirl,  Peaches Literary Magazine, Ploughshares,  The Muse (India) New Delhi Review (India), On The Rusk, Poetry Kanto (Japan), Petite Hound, Purple Patch (England), Japanophile, Satire, Scribble (New Zealand), SchitzoRealism, Scrivener Creative Review (Canada), The Journal of Poetry Therapy,  The Poet’s Haven,  The Sacrificial,  TransNational (Germany), Toad Suck Review, Tracer, Twisted Vines Literary Review, Yellow Chair Review and hundreds of others in ten countries. His poetry and fiction book titles include Tints and Timbres, Variations on Virtue, Songs the Season After, Church of Jazz and No Town of Mine.  His also the author of two nonfiction books Strength To Be Human and The Intruder Bulletins: The Dark Side of Technology a major bioethics paperback and ebook that became highly popular in American Colleges and Latin America after the Spanish-language version was released. He lobbied against Human Cloning Research was congratulated by then President George H.W. Bush for his ethical writings and principled stand on increased ethical consideration regarding biotechnology. A USAF combat veteran he devotes his spare time to supporting veteran causes in his community. And he has been a frequent radio guest (Weissbach, The Jeff Rense Show, X Zone, Across The Net, The Byte Show, Paranormal Front) to promote bioethics and veterans rights. His paper “Poetry as Therapy: Self and World Analysis” has been used a basis for poetic therapies to treat post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans.

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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.

King's Traveling Man Called "Deviant Thriller"

The Traveling Man 

 Series: The Travelers: Book One

Author: Michael P. King

Author's Web site: https://michaelpkingwriter.wordpress.com/

Genre: Crime Thriller

ISBN-13:9780986179600

Purchase The Traveling Man  

Reviewed by Kirkus Review

Husband and wife con artists must get back on their feet after a scheme goes spectacularly wrong in this criminally good debut by King.

Married hustlers Tom and Patty (or, at least, those are their aliases) arrive in a small town alongside their partner, Buddy Ray, with the intention of pulling off a lucrative con—selling contaminated lakefront land for a high price. Everything proceeds according to plan, until Buddy and Patty go against Tom’s instructions and take on a doomed side deal. From there, things take a dangerous turn, and Tom and Patty are left to pick up the pieces of their business and personal relationship (and heal more than a few physical wounds). After taking a monthslong break, the couple tries to get back in the game—with similarly messy results. On the spectrum of grays, these two are much closer to black than white. They cheat, steal, manipulate, blackmail and even kill when the moment calls for it. Yet readers might still find themselves white-knuckling their books (or e-readers) when the pair is in a tight spot. Despite the couple’s more questionable values, Tom and Patty’s relationship is based on love, loyalty and trust, and even they have their red lines: “We don’t scam civilians. Rule number two. We use them; we pay them; we stay out of jail.” Charismatic, levelheaded Tom is especially likable despite his criminality. It also doesn’t hurt that Robert and Pamela Johnson (as they call themselves in the second half of the book) are more than once pitted against an even more cutthroat thug who makes them look like the good guys. Surrounding them is a cast of superbly sketched characters whose competing motives constantly trip up their plans, such as Marcie, the overconfident, small-time real estate agent they’ve looped into their land-sale con. With a story every bit as intricate and entertaining as the personalities who fill it, King’s uncommonly solid debut is a must-read.

An absorbing, deviant tale of redemption.

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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.