Sybil Baker Offers Up Chicklit in "Life Plan"

Title: The Life Plan
Author: Sybil Baker
Genre: Women's Fiction/Chick Lit
ISBN-10: 1934081167
Format: Paperback, 192 pages
Publisher: Casperian Books LLC (March 1, 2009)

Review by Joanne Hirase-Stacey

I’ve never been to Thailand, but author Sybil Baker made me feel like I was there with Kat Miller.

For Kat, life was all planned out. She is a patent attorney on her way to becoming a partner at Pratt, Simpson & Livingston. She and her husband, Dan, created their Life Plan and five years into their marriage, Kat is certain everything is on schedule. But after Dan loses his job and starts taking yoga classes at the gym, Kat becomes suspicious of his fidelity.

When Dan announces he’s going to Thailand to learn massage techniques, Kat’s best friend Susan, a divorced divorce attorney, and Kat’s mother prod her into going along. Kat finally agrees after she meets Tiffany, a beautiful Asian woman in Dan’s yoga class, who just happens to be going to Thailand as well. Kat wants to save her marriage and make sure the Life Plan stays on track because she is almost 30, and if she has to start over with another man, it will push back all her plans of buying a home and starting a family.

Once in Thailand, Kat tries to be fun and spontaneous, but she really wants to return home to their normal life, and to her mom and Susan who are each experiencing life changing circumstances as well. After Kat hurts her foot, Dan takes off, and Kat meets some interesting characters: Jean Paul, Lucy, and Chad, who take Kat outside of her structured, controlled world.

But Kat desperately wants to find Dan and work out their problems. A series of events leads her to him, and ultimately to realizations about herself and her need to follow the systematic life plan she and Dan created.

Read The Life Plan to find out what happens to Kat and Dan and to their Life Plan.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Behind the Scenes at the Faire

Knight Errant :Death and life at the Faire
Written by Teel James Glenn
Edited by Joan McNulty-Pulver
Author’s e-mail: Tjglenn@aol.com
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Published by ePress-Online
Isbn#: 097722454
Priced at 14.99 for paperback version, $5.99 for e-book version


Review from Renaissance Magazine issue #66

The hero’s carefree life of beer, pizza, knocking the heads of punk robbers, and renaissance faire combat is shattered when his best friend tom is mysteriously killed. This action packed novel will keep the fan of hard-boiled renfaire mysteries on the hedge of his seat.

About the Author
Teel James Glenn) is a professional fight choreographer, actor, and film stuntman who’s has appeared in over sixty films, hundreds of soap opera episodes, too many plays to name, and over forty seven renaissance faires. He has written for several dozen magazines including Fantasy Tales, Anotherrealm, Afterburnsf, UnEarth, Blazing Adventures Black Belt, Aces, Mad Magazine, and the Fantastic W orlds of E.R.B.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Katie Hines Reviews Much-Needed Book about Interracial Adoption

TITLE: Red in the Flower Bed
AUTHOR: Andrea Nepa
PUBLISHER: Tribute Books
SUBJECT: Interracial Adoption
ISBN-13: 978-0-9814619-9-1
ISBN-10: 0-9814619-9-9
READING LEVEL: Picture Book
RATING: 5 Stars out of 5 Stars

This review by Katie hines originally appeared on her blog.

Imagine you have made a secret promise that can lead you to an incredible treasure and an ancient power. But in order to fulfill that promise, you must defeat an age-old sect determined to claim the treasure and power themselves.


This beautifully illustrated book about interracial adoption follows the story of a poppy seed that couldn’t thrive and grow in its host environment. Through a journey, the poppy seed comes to rest, grow and blossom in a flower bed where there were other flowers of different types.

Just as a child is incorporated with joy into a new adoptive home, so was this poppy welcomed and allowed to thrive and grow in her new home of rainbow flowers. The book treats the subject of interracial adoption with tender, loving gentleness. A must read with your adopted, interracial child.

Reviewer Katie Hines is a children's author. Find her on Facebook Children's and Twitter. Her "Guardian" a middle grade urban fantasy, will be published in June.

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Incredible Resource for Homeschool Families!

Through Endangered Eyes - a poetic journey into the wild
Written and Illustrated by Rachel Allen Dillon
www.RachelDillon.com
Children's Nonfiction Book
ISBN-10: 0893170674
ISBN-13: 978-0893170677


Reviewed by D. Mitchell (Northern Arizona) for Amazon



This book is beautiful!

Rachel uses her detailed artwork of dot painting as a medium to attract the kids to individual animals that are endangered. Then engages them even more with the simple poetry. Simple but engaging.

If you or your kids are taken in by a specific animal then you just flip to the back of the book for more. I tell ya this little book is a charm! The back of it is packed full with resources. Each animal has more specific information as well as more general resources for all endangered animals. These resources help you find ways we can make a difference in our own homes, organizations involved with endangered animals and even some lesson plans for elementary kids.

So, in ONE book you get art, language arts and science. My children are ages 3,4,6,& 8 and all of them love it. It is even the right size for little hands to hold and enjoy.

I hope you purchase this book and find it as enjoyable and rewarding as our family is. It is a keeper! Just as the author's dots come together for a beautiful picture our small acts come together to make a difference.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Carol McManus Shares Love of Family, Cooking and her Foody Business

Table Talk - Food, Family, Love
A cookbook by Carol McManus
Paperback: 114 pages
Publisher: Vineyard Stories (August 13, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 097713847X
ISBN-13: 978-0977138470

A Series of Quotes from Reviews

"An attractive and temptation-filled cookbook...chock full of recipes to encourage and entice. Sitting at a table is about feeding the body and soul, and Table Talk celebrates both the love of eating and the love of family." --Martha's Vineyard Times

"Full of tasty recipes with New England flair and abundant color photos of island life, the new cookbook from Carol McManus is about as gift-basket ready as it gets. The vibrant paperback...comes off as warmly authentic. The recipes are fairly simple and straightforward, making them a boon for both time-starved and skill-deprived chefs. All in all, Table Talk has the makings of a great little keepsake, the kind you're tempted to keep around for yourself." --Boston Magazine

"When Table Talk arrived in my mailbox, I was immediately sucked in the second I opened the cookbook and read Carol s forward. Then I continued to flip through the book and you know what... I sat there and read through the entire thing, front to back. The recipes are very appealing, simple and special... the majority have ingredients I already have on hand. The photography is stunning. Most importantly, the core values of Carol and her family shines through in each little snippet, quote and story behind life on Martha s Vineyard and the recipes to accompany such a life." --dineanddish.net

Synopsis

What owner of a popular cafe tells you to stay at home and eat? And why does she start her book with the words, "We need to bring back the family meal." Carol McManus, proprietor of Espresso Love, a well-known cafe on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, raised five children and put a meals on the table each day, while still working full time. She has written a cookbook that stresses family meals and included 80 recipes that help you put your family back to the table. Citing scientific studies that show family meals impact on everything from children's school grades (they get better) to premature sex (they wait longer), she recalls her own beliefs: "When my children were small and started to bicker, I'd gather them in a huddle and ask, 'Where's the love? We're family.' And one place we could always count on getting together, every night was the dinner table."

This is family-friendly food, designed to help recapture life the way it was meant to be lived. The ingredients are from items grown close to home, and the recipes are easy enough for every day preparation--many simple enough to reassure even the most inexperienced cook. The cookbook is divided into six useful sections: the Dinner Table, the Breakfast Table, the Healthy Table, The Weekend Table, the Dessert Table and the World's Table, designed to satisfy our more global palates. The recipes range from the simple to the sublime. Many of them feature food Carol's mother, to whom she dedicates the book, cooked, such as a home-made veggie burger called "The Mama."

Others are food served in her garden cafe off Main Street in Edgartown, on Martha's Vineyard. Accompanying the recipes are charming photographs, quotes and stories. Here you'll find the recipe for Presidential Muffins, created for former President Bill Clinton when he vacationed on the Vineyard during his presidency. Carol offers up the story of when the president came into her then-tiny shop in the corner of one of the Island's hotels to buy his muffin, dazzling both her and the Secret Service.

The book's bright, attractive design also makes use of quotes from people as diverse as comedian Buddy Hackett and movie star Sophia Loren (who notes, under a picture of spaghetti and meatballs, "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.")

Accompanying the cookbook are tips and suggestions for getting meals to the table, including ways to engage children in cooking without letting them slow down the process. This is a must-have cookbook for every household with children -- or just people who like to eat.
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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

New Feature: Margaret Fieland Is April Feature

I am starting a new feature on this blog. Every month or so on the 1st day of the month I'll feature a new author. I'll include a brief biography and an excerpt of his or her work or an interview. The first in the series is Margaret Fieland. She was born and raised in New York City. Her poems, articles and stories have appeared in journals and anthologies such as Main Channel Voices, Echolocation, and Twisted Tongue. In spite of making her living as a computer software engineer, she turned to one of her sons to format the initial version of her Web site, a clear illustration of the computer generation gap. You may visit her website at http://www.margaretfieland.com.

AN EXCERPT FROM THE UGLY LITTLE BOY
An Unpublished Manuscript.

Alvin's eyes burned and his chest felt tight when he remembered the last time he'd visited Grandma he'd driven there with Mom and Dad. Now Mom was dead and Dad still in the hospital. Alvin peered out the window of Grandma's car as they passed through Millbank and down the tree-lined road that led to Pine Crest point. As Grandma drove past the lake with the community beach, down the road and into her driveway, Sam, Alvin's collie mix, put his front paws on Alvin's lap and barked.

"Yes, Sam, we're here," Alvin said, ruffling Sam's soft ears as they all climbed out of the car. Alvin noticed that he was almost as tall as Grandma, and that she looked even thinner and frailer and with her reddish-gray curls more faded.

Alvin, Sam and Grandma followed the flagstone path down the hill, past the rock garden. The marigolds, petunias, and geraniums lifted their faces to the sun.

The house, a ranch, was stained brown, surrounded by several large trees.

"Was there really a fence here when Dad and Uncle Arthur were little?"

"Yes, and your Grandfather and I really did tie the gate shut so they wouldn't fall into the lake." The lake was right across the road.

Grandma opened the front door, and Alvin followed her into the big living room. Paneled in pine, it had windows on both ends, a dining table at one end, couches and chairs at the other and a large fireplace in the middle.

Sam trotted up and dropped a ball at Alvin's feet.
"Grandma, Sam found a ball."

"Sam always manages to find a ball." Grandma stared at Sam, who opened his jaws and grinned a doggy grin. "You two go outside if you want to play catch. No playing ball in the house."

"That's what Mom always said." Alvin's throat felt tight. He frowned and rubbed his eyes.

Alvin pushed open the door and went outside. Standing on a flat spot in front of the house, Alvin threw the ball up the hill and Sam ran to get it.

It was beginning to get dark when Grandma called, "Alvin, time for dinner. Come in and wash your hands."

"Grandma, when will me and Dad have our own house again?" Alvin said when they were seated at the dining table.

"I don't know, Alvin. I don't know whether your father will try to rebuild your old house when he gets the insurance money." Grandma handed Alvin a hamburger and put one on her own plate. Alvin took a big bite. His throat felt almost too tight to swallow.

"I miss our house. I miss Mom and Dad. I wish everything would go back the way it was."

Grandma looked at Alvin and said, "Alvin, you're nine years old. That's old enough to know your mother isn't coming back."

Alvin ate a few more bites. Grandma put down her half eaten hamburger and stood up. "I guess we aren't very hungry tonight. Let's clear the table and wash the dishes. Then you can brush your teeth and get ready for bed."

Alvin picked up his plate and glass. He followed Grandma into the kitchen, Sam at his heels.

Grandma put the dishes on the kitchen counter. "Just scrape the hamburger into the trash and then put the dishes into the dishpan. I'll wash and you can dry."

"We could give the hamburger to Sam. I'll bet he's still hungry." Sam sat by Grandma's feet and panted hopefully.

"Hmmph," said Grandma, but she broke the hamburger into pieces and put them into a bowl on the floor. Sam grinned, then started to eat.

"At home Dad always did the dishes. "I just cleared the table." Alvin looked out the kitchen window at the front yard. He could feel the soft breeze through the open window. The sky was a dark blue with a few fluffy white clouds. Grandma's flowers swayed back and forth. It looked very peaceful. "I wonder if Mom can see the flowers from Heaven?"

"Here we both clear the table, I wash and you dry." Grandma handed Alvin a blue and white striped dishtowel. "Stack the dishes on the counter and we'll put them away when we're finished."

"At home Mom just left the dishes in the dish drain and put them away in the morning," Alvin said.

"I like my dishes in the cabinet," Grandma said as she pushed her lips together. Alvin remembered that when Grandma came to their old house she always dried and put away the dishes and Mom would get annoyed. It made him smile to remember. Dad always used to stay out of the kitchen when Grandma visited.

"All I have is one pair of pajamas, Grandma," Alvin said later when they walked out of the kitchen.

"We'll go shopping tomorrow," Grandma said. It made Alvin feel funny to think that his beloved quilt and all his clothes and books were gone forever.

"Mom used to read with me to every night. We'd just started The Fellowship of the Ring." Alvin glanced at the full bookshelves as they passed through the living room.

"We can buy you another copy. Or I might have an old one of your father's around somewhere."

"No thanks, Grandma. It wouldn't be the same. When we stopped, Mom said we'd read more tomorrow. That was the last thing she said to me. Except goodnight and stuff." Every time Alvin thought of the book his chest felt tight.


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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

First Novel Compulsion Is Thriller

Title: Compulsion
Author: Jennifer Chase
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Website: http://www.outskirtspress.com/compulsion/
ISBN: 9781432734169

Reviewed by Sarah Moore, Writers in the Skyhttp://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/2009/03/jennifer-chase-set-to-join-podcast-on.html

There are certain types of books that are almost guaranteed to keep me turning the pages into the late hours of the night. The first is any novel that develops a compelling story of the complexities found in human relationships. Second, I love a great piece of historical fiction that places me in a previous moment in time. And, finally, I gravitate towards thrilling mysteries that are filled with breath-taking action and plot twists. For literary satisfaction on the last count, I am so excited to have discovered new author Jennifer Chase. Her first book, Compulsion, is a fascinating story of serial murderers, pedophiles, and the one amazing woman who is able to bring them all to justice. When a book contains these elements and is well written, which Compulsion most certainly is, you have the recipe for an amazing read.

Author Jennifer Chase introduces us to the great character of Emily Stone. Working anonymously with her camera, computer, and trusted weapon at her constant disposal, Stone goes on the hunt for some of the most violent and deplorable criminals one can imagine. She uses her police background and natural ability to get inside the criminal mind to gather detailed, on-the-scene evidence. Then, she sends her information to the police and another villain is taken off the streets. When Stone’s identity is revealed to the latest killer on her radar screen, the fast-paced action that unfolds becomes the heart of the story and takes the reader on an amazing journey of heightened adrenaline and fear.

One of the greatest strengths in Chase’s writing is the careful unfolding of her characters’ personalities. The man known to the readers for most of Compulsion’s pages only as The Killer is first revealed through the gruesome crimes he commits. We learn of his brutal style of murder through the description of police on the scene. Further into the book, we are let into the mind of The Killer and the motivation behind his violent spree. Chase’s portrayal of a man sitting alone with his twisted thoughts brings the character into a more frightening focus. When the name and full story behind The Killer is finally revealed, the weight provided by the complete picture of this terrifying man is felt. The author employs this same development technique for her other characters, which adds an important element to the tension and sense of uncertainty. But don’t think that you are necessarily on the right track when learning more about a person in this novel. I found myself fooled by Chase’s convincing efforts to lead us down a path of assuming the guilt of an innocent person on more than one occasion.

Both the language and overall format of this book are evidence of Chase’s genuine talent in the genre of thrillers. For example, the tension and terror of the book escalates as The Killer and The Accomplice become more voracious in their need for prey. As they drive across the country with the intention of murdering Emily Stone, their need to commit violence at every step is overpowering. Readers can envision these men clenching their fists and tapping their feet with nervous energy and Chase reminds us at the close of every chapter in this climactic series of events that, “The Killers are coming.” It is a taunt that helps to create a sense of terrified anticipation. Each chapter is also quite short, often not more than three or four pages in length. This purposefully abrupt, snapshot approach jostles the reader from one event to the next, and is wonderful at generating the way that Emily Stone must feel when moving from one case to the next and not knowing who or what may be around the corner.

The new novel Compulsion by Jennifer Chase is a captivating thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page is read. The careful character development results in real, three-dimensional men and women, even if some of them are almost unimaginably horrifying. The plot, with its slowly revealed layers, is one that engages the readers immediately and takes them on quite an adventure. I was excited to read on Chase’s back cover that she is currently at work on the next book in the series. She can be certain that this new fan will be among the first to read the next installment. I believe that you, too, will find that Compulsion will leave you excited for more.

Reviewed by Sarah Moore for Writers in the Sky

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.