C'mon Down! Grab that QueenPower!

TITLE: Grab the Queen Power
SUBTITLE: Live Your Best Life!
AUTHOR: Allyn Evans
GENRE: nonfiction
ISBN: 1-932993-20-7
Also available as eBook: $8 (order from Star Publish)

Reviewed by Kathe Gogolewski


It can be a lonely journey for a woman who feels something is missing in her life, especially if that something is her identity. Perhaps she harbors a desire to discover her authentic self, if she thinks she has one. This search can generate a painful and isolated experience, but it needn’t be that way.

Allyn Evans has written the companion traveler for women on this path. In her book, Grab the Queen Power, Live Your Best Life! she reveals inspiring accounts from her own life, as she maps out a cultural trail from girlhood to adulthood. Along the way, she unveils reasons that many girls and women have learned to subjugate their personal power to the needs of others. Interviews with other women are interspersed throughout and underscore her stories. Spell binding and highly personal, the stories captivate, as they may easily belong to me or you, or one our sisters or best friends.

Through the stories, we learn that our confidence and high self-esteem, those gifts from girlhood, may erode from an onslaught of cultural messages that instruct girls and women about our role in society. By the time we reach our teen years, our dreams may merely echo the vitality we once enjoyed. Evans takes the reader from there to her college experience, and then on to marriage and later years, navigating the testy waters with an uncommon blend of honesty, sensitivity and caring.

After exposing the conditions, Evans offers an alternative awareness. She dedicates the final third of the book to a new way of thinking. She outlines the attributes of, in her words, an “Authentic Queen,” and paints a vivid image of a woman who understands and accepts herself fully, who loves herself enough to give to others, who is truthful as well as merciful. It’s a heart-warming list, and leads seamlessly into the final section, where readers learn the steps toward actualizing their true selves. My favorite among the nine steps: Declare your intent. Be prepared to listen and act on inner promptings. Taken together, these nine steps create a rich menu that I know I will want to visit repeatedly. A highly recommended read.
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Kathe Gogolewski is the author of romance and children's literature and editor of a free e-zine, The Fiction Flyer. Subscribe at http://www.TRI-Studio.com New from TRI Studio -
She is also the author of Shorts from Amazon: Find them for 49 cents each Here:

The Gold Coin: http://www.amazon.com/The-Gold-Coin/dp/B000IB0JHK/ref=pd_ts_b_13/102-3993851-2836959?ie=UTF8&s=books

Weighing In: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HDZAXW/ref=dp_bib_1/102-3993851-2836959?ie=UTF8

The Right Stuff: Teacher Pens Fantasy for Elementary School Kids

Tato
By Kathe Gogolewski
Red Engine Press
Fantasy children’s adventure (Suitable for ages 8-13
Author’s Blog: http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/A21V32M89BJ4ZD/104-4354575-4721548
Publication date: November 2005
ISBN: 1-59088-486-8
Length: 119 pages
Format: Paperback, eBook (Available in formats of pdf, .html, .msr, Mobipocket, and Hiebook).

Review by Tracy-Jane, owner of Alternative Read Reviews


Refusing to believe his beloved grandpa, ‘Gankum’ had passed away, never to return, Michael Tate claims Gankum is still around, and they share regular chats together in his bedroom closet. No one believes him. His bossy sister, Nicole, thinks he is pretending that the imaginary visits are real because he is having trouble accepting Gankum’s death, but as she is only thirteen she is not sure what to do to help him.

Later, when Michael overhears his Mama talking to Nicole about special babies being born from potatoes, he decides he wants one too. Michael thinks a potato man is sure to love and understand him better than any of his family do, and most importantly will believe Gankum is real.

Eager to help her little brother get it out of his system, and take his mind off his pretend Gankum visits, Nicole decides to help Michael make a potato man. Together they gather the ingredients and prepare the mixture to the precise formula, unaware of the real dangers of getting the formula wrong. Unfortunately, Michael oversleeps and the formula is left for ten minutes longer than it should have been, and alongside the adorable talking Tato he creates, a second cold, evil creature is made by mistake!

To make matters worse, both Michael and Nicole are horrified to discover the bad creature has kidnapped their parents and is not going to give them back. In order to save them, the children begin a brave journey through an unknown world full of gigantic insects and other strange and magical happenings. Soon Michael and Nicole learn that their mission to save their parents is not going to be as easy as they thought. If only Gankum was still around to help, he’d know what to do!

Tato is not just an exciting family adventure, it also tackles the sad truth of a close relative dying, and how a seven year copes -- without being morbid or off putting to children reading. This sensitive issue is gently dropped into the storyline as a reason to start the adventure, and before long, you are whisked into a magical world where a family’s love and understanding for each other is a central theme, and the inner strength and courage of the children will determine the ultimate outcome. For the fantasy lovers, Michael and Nicole’s exploration into another world will entertain young readers, whilst the storyline delves into the more serious issues in a heart-warming, child friendly way.

My son and I read this together during one sitting, and we both enjoyed it so much we read it again the next day, which I can happily say I didn’t mind doing at all! Kathe Gogolewski is an adaptable writer, who can turn her hand to creating a children’s story with ease. It’s not surprising she trained as a teacher! I enjoyed the ending tremendously, and when I asked my son what he thought, he told me, ‘I liked the ending because it was happy, but kind of sad at the same time!’

This is a captivating adventure of magic and mayhem, where one child’s yearning for adult recognition throws him into an unfamiliar fantasy world, where he discovers his true inner powers – love and courage – are held within. Tato is guaranteed to thrill the younger audience and comes thoroughly recommended by us oldies too!
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About the Author:
Kathe Gogolewski has taught upper elementary school grades for a long time and now enjoys both writing and teaching in Southern California. Kathe continues her passion of reading stories to children. Teachers interested in an author visit to their classrooms my find out more information at http://www,tri-studio.com. She is also host of The Mother Daughter Club radio show
www.byforandaboutwomen.com and edits The Fiction Flyer: www.tri-studio.com/ezine.html

Reviewer Tami Brady Weighs in on the Frugal Editor

TCM Reviews
The Frugal Editor
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Red Engine Press
ISBN: 978-0-9785158-7-4
Non-Fiction, Writing, Editing

Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady for TCM Reviews



Editing is my absolute least favorite part of being an author. Like many writers, I find that my work flows more naturally if I type without really paying attention to all of the little details like grammar mistakes, typos, or redundancy of certain words (my biggest challenge). Unfortunately, at some point, I have to go back and fix the mess.

To help with this overwhelming task, I have collected a variety of books on editing, proofreading, and critiquing. I have now added The Frugal Editor to the most helpful of these resources. A good many of the books I already have on my shelf drone on endlessly about proper grammar, sentence structure, or the correct usage of commonly misused words without really guiding me towards solving any of my problems. Instead, they tend to lead me directly to confusion and frustration.

I believe that the problem is context. Most of these resources are made for school curriculums. The Frugal Editor knows that as writers we aren’t trying to impress our teacher for a grade. We are just looking to improve clarity so that we can share our best efforts with our readers. To this end, The Frugal Editor gets right to the point with straightforward suggestions and the most common mistakes made by writers during the editing process.

A Reviewer's Choice Memoir Pubbed by Scribner

The Glass Castle
By Jeannette Walls
Scribner, 2005
ISBN# 978-0-7432-4754-2

Reviewed by B. Lynn Goodwin for www.writeradvice.com

Jeannette Wall’s The Glass Castle is a compelling memoir that delves into resilience, self-discovery, and love. Dad is “half potted.” Mom is flighty and “nonchalant in the face of adversity.” The couple accidentally raises resilient children.

The author, one of their children, describes her upbringing with clarity, honesty, respect, and love. She leaves the judgments to others. The young narrator’s innocence, which remains intact throughout the memoir, turns tragic episodes into adventures. The children sleep in refrigerator boxes at a railway station. Dad turns the planet Venus into a Christmas gift. Mom refuses to sell inherited acres in Texas, claiming it is a legacy and must stay in the family.

What makes their behavior almost palatable is the love that comes from these two bizarre parents. They don’t mean to hurt their children. From her father, Rex, Wall learned that survival is all about bravado and craftiness. From her mother she learned that a bright and breezy attitude can turn any disaster into a blessing. Filled with the complexities love creates, The Glass Castle would be grim in less skillful hands. Wall leaves judgments about the parents and their dysfunctions up to the reader.

As a teenager Wall stayed at the school, which was heated, and worked on the school paper, The Maroon Wave. She becomes the first eleventh grader to be appointed editor. Adversity, in her case, led to triumph. She left her family, got educated with her brother in New York, married a successful writer, and today she writes for MSNBC. Her style and story make her an author worth watching. Get a copy of her book today.

Reviewed by B. Lynn Goodwin, www.writeradvice.com

Spirtual Fiction Released by Dragon's Beard Publishing

Sacred Vow
by C.G. Walters
Spiritual fiction
Copyright 2006
Pages 273
ISBN-10 0977427147
Price $13.95
Published by Dragon's Beard Publishing, LLC

Reviewed by Heather Froeschl of Book Ideas , http://bookreviewjournal.blogspot.com and www.Quilldipper.com



Can the wind of a butterfly’s wing effect climate on the other side of the world? Can the love of two souls heal a great wrong in the universe? C.G. Walters’ novel “Sacred Vow,” offers compelling thought to consider, and a page turning delight to cherish.

Ian Sarin enjoys his cup of tea but lately the ritual of it brings other delights. Visions of a woman play out in his perception, beckoning further visitation. Everything in the room must be just so, with teapot, caned chair, and Ian in place. He cannot hear her speak, but can see her mouthing words, sharing her life. Is this just a vision or is it something else? His reality soon becomes less important than the alternate one that he visits. Ian’s health becomes affected and soon he needs help. While visiting an old friend in the mountains, he is introduced to Djalma, an interesting man whose presence comes into play in a large way. He will interact in Ian’s life in ways he couldn’t have imagined. The visions of Katerina become more intense and play out like episodes of a movie he has seen before. The question so important… why are the visits happening? The answer awaits on a scrap of paper that Ian had tucked away, a remnant of a dream, years before. He was chosen for this…but what exactly is this?

Reincarnation, collective consciousness, and life purpose all play large roles in this book. It is a deeply thoughtful and provocative tale that I could not put down. I so enjoyed the read that I simultaneously couldn’t wait to get to the last page but also dreaded it ending. The author evokes a great understanding of these topics and the mysteries of the universe, yet shares his perceptions in a wonderfully easy to comprehend tone. Readers will come away wonder-filled and satisfied to have read “Sacred Vow.”
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Submitted by Karen Lawrence
Selby Ink

Reader Shares Helpful Business Books

The Complete Startup Guide for the Black Entrepreneur
By Bill Boudreaux, MBA, CPA

Reviewed by Angela Watkins

This is a book I do believe should be in everybody's library, writing class,etc. It will give you ideas on how effective the Internet can be, marketing, etc.

A good companion book is Position To Receive written by Michael Matthew. It has a chapter about getting out of debt, saving money, building credit and it has many website resources in it as well.


Both give many resources-websites that could save a person, business, etc.

One thing each person, class, non-profit, business, etc. needs to realize is that situations differ so no two can expect the same results.

I recommend these books for homes, for personal enhancement. It will also help churches/ministries/businesses set up enterprises or expand.

This library has this book and it may be bought at your local book store or from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com ) and Wal-Mart .
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Angela Watkins, Book Reviewer, Internet Coach

"Remarkable Novel" About Drug Addiction by Down Under Author

Sleep before Evening
By Magdalena Ball
BeWrite Books
2007, ISBN 978-1-904492-96-
$17.99
286 pages

Reviewed by Bob Williams


Sleep Before Evening is a first novel by Magdalena Ball, author of The Art of Assessment and a collection of poetry, Quark Soup. She is also creator and editor of the Web’s premier literary site, The Compulsive Reader.

Mari and her mother Lily form the nucleus of the novel. Mari is a brilliant, but limited, high school student. She has a scholarship to NYU and is an accomplished pianist. Her father faded away from his family early in her life and she has found a substitute in her grandfather, Eric.

Her mother, Lily, has remarried. She is an artist, subject to mood swings that are exhausting to Russ, her husband, and to Mari. Lily in fact drives Russ away by the jealousy that torments her.

Eric has a stroke that is severe enough to leave him unconscious and without brain activity. His doctor recommends the removal of life support. Mari is opposed to this and insists at least that she be made part of the decision respecting her grandfather. Lily and Russ agree to this, but decide without her and Eric is gone before Mari knows what has happened.

In an already difficult home Mari now experiences the extremes of alienation from her mother. Accustomed to visit the city at her pleasure, Mari begins to visit it more frequently. She meets Miles, a young street musician and, cast off and vulnerable, begins a relationship with him. A large part of the book becomes concerned with sex and drugs and – well, not rock and roll exactly – blues.

Ball is very good at showing the shabby musicians that alternate between hopes and disappointments. Miles, the harmonica player, and Cath, the singer, and the other band members lead lives of noisy desperation with a heavy dependence on drugs. In this environment Mari becomes addicted. The needs of her addiction take her from one life-blighting experience to another and she deliberately overdoses as she sits in the rain, abandoned by everyone, under some bushes in a park.

She is found. Doctors save her life and she enters a rehab unit. Reunited with her mother, who draws upon an unsuspected source of maturity, Mari lives through the rigors of rehab. Home once more, she finds that there are still many unresolved problems between her and Lily.

This is a remarkable novel, not one detail of which rings false. The setting is New York City and one of its suburbs and the time is the Reagan years. Ball has achieved the remarkable in recovering this particular time past and the drive of the narrative makes this a compelling and an exciting book.
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About the reviewer: Bob Williams has been collecting books all his life, and has done freelance writing, mostly on classical music. His principal interests are James Joyce, Jane Austen and Homer. His writings, two books and a number of short articles on Joyce, can be accessed at: http://www.grand-teton.com/service/Persons_Places