Wife Goes Onby Leslie Lehr
http://www.wife-goes-on.com
Fiction
ISBN: 0758222416
Publisher: Kensington
Wife Goes On is the story of four women who become friends unintentionally and help one another during their divorces. It is the story of true friendship. Leslie Lehr shows that there is life after divorce and you do get a second chance at starting over. Wife Goes On will make you laugh and cry. It is funny and sexy. It is a lighthearted look at a serious subject. I think anyone who has ever been a in relationship will walk away with something positive from of this book.
Reviewed by Debby Block
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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.
This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Kathy Stemke Releases Book To Educate with Love
“MOVING THROUGH ALL SEVEN DAYS”
By Kathy Ann Stemke
Publisher: Action Alley Education
Action Alley Education is close to publishing, "Moving Through All Seven Days." This book inspires movement as children learn about the days of the week. The lyrical rhymes also teach them how to spell each day! The activities at the end of the book are designed to reinforce the concepts as well as give impetus to movement exploration.
Teachers, parents and kids will love this book for it's fun and colorful rhymes as well as the many great activity suggestions. Teachers will appreciate the resource pages that can be copied and used year after year. The book includes an 18 page action rhyme with colorful illustrations of the seven days of the week. There are 14 pages of activities that will help children learn how to spell the days of the week. Included in these pages are phonics practice activities and a coloring book of the seven days.
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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.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Rita Schiano's New Fiction Based on Real Life
Painting The Invisible Man
by Rita Schiano
Http://www.paintingtheinvisibleman.com
Fiction
ISBN: 0979534704
Reviewed by: BookFinds.com
What is often talked about in fiction writing is that every novel has pieces of the author’s life hidden in the details. In Rita Schiano’s emotionally riveting novel, Painting the Invisible Man, there is no hiding the parallels between Rita’s life and that of her main character, Anna Matteo.
Schiano explores what happens when Anna begins to learn the truth about her father through his brutal dealth. Rita Schiano learned the truth about her own father through his brutal death. And yet it is with this honesty and quiet depiction of reality that Schiano creates memorable characters and beautiful prose. Schiano explores the emotional ties that bind us to our family and our history. She shows that it is our past that gives birth to our dreams and it is our future that gives us hope.
Rita Schiano’s Painting the Invisible Man explores truth through the veil of fiction and highlights these truths with honesty and emotional intensity. A beautiful poetic read!
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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.
by Rita Schiano
Http://www.paintingtheinvisibleman.com
Fiction
ISBN: 0979534704
Reviewed by: BookFinds.com
What is often talked about in fiction writing is that every novel has pieces of the author’s life hidden in the details. In Rita Schiano’s emotionally riveting novel, Painting the Invisible Man, there is no hiding the parallels between Rita’s life and that of her main character, Anna Matteo.
Schiano explores what happens when Anna begins to learn the truth about her father through his brutal dealth. Rita Schiano learned the truth about her own father through his brutal death. And yet it is with this honesty and quiet depiction of reality that Schiano creates memorable characters and beautiful prose. Schiano explores the emotional ties that bind us to our family and our history. She shows that it is our past that gives birth to our dreams and it is our future that gives us hope.
Rita Schiano’s Painting the Invisible Man explores truth through the veil of fiction and highlights these truths with honesty and emotional intensity. A beautiful poetic read!
-----
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.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Well-Known Journaler Pens First YA Book
FourEver Friends
Young Adult
By Erica Miner
Available on Amazon
It’s autumn, 1960, and JFK's presidential campaign heralds revolutionary changes in the American social and cultural landscape. In a specialized inner city Detroit high school, four teenage girls have established the roots of lasting friendship. Their backgrounds are different, but their passion for classical music and angst over raging hormones link them irrevocably.
The girls’ school is a cultural melting pot of race and ethnicity in which students are judged by their intellect and talents, not the color of their skin or religious upbringing.
As the inseparable Jessica, Marg, Toma and Rachel negotiate the turbulent waters of adolescence and bond through their music performances throughout the city, forbidden loves and jealousies mar their closely-knit friendship. But they always remain loyal and true to each other.
In the end, poised for the leap into their post-high school lives, they question their ability to maintain their closeness in future years, when increased possibilities of separation by miles may threaten the sanctity of their group. Nonetheless, they swear lifelong loyalty as they set off on their new paths.
The author is Erica Miner, author of Travels With My Lovers
Fiction Prize Winner, Direct from the Author Book Awards
http://www.ericaminer.com. Contact her at:
Erica Miner
emwriter@earthlink.net
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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.
Young Adult
By Erica Miner
Available on Amazon
It’s autumn, 1960, and JFK's presidential campaign heralds revolutionary changes in the American social and cultural landscape. In a specialized inner city Detroit high school, four teenage girls have established the roots of lasting friendship. Their backgrounds are different, but their passion for classical music and angst over raging hormones link them irrevocably.
The girls’ school is a cultural melting pot of race and ethnicity in which students are judged by their intellect and talents, not the color of their skin or religious upbringing.
As the inseparable Jessica, Marg, Toma and Rachel negotiate the turbulent waters of adolescence and bond through their music performances throughout the city, forbidden loves and jealousies mar their closely-knit friendship. But they always remain loyal and true to each other.
In the end, poised for the leap into their post-high school lives, they question their ability to maintain their closeness in future years, when increased possibilities of separation by miles may threaten the sanctity of their group. Nonetheless, they swear lifelong loyalty as they set off on their new paths.
The author is Erica Miner, author of Travels With My Lovers
Fiction Prize Winner, Direct from the Author Book Awards
http://www.ericaminer.com. Contact her at:
Erica Miner
emwriter@earthlink.net
-----
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.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Stan Berenbaum Lends Expertise to New Business Book
LEAD THE CATEGORY
by Stan Berenbaum
iUniverse.com
Paperback Format
May 2009
Business and Investing/Professional and Technical/Business How-To
ISBN 978-1-4401-3228-5
Reviewed by K.J. Johnson
Finally, a businessperson provides the secrets of franchising and business success in a book designed for busy executives, business owners, franchisers and franchisees, and that businessperson is a great leader in this category. Franchise attorney and executive Stan Berenbaum draws on his experience as president and CEO of American Leak Detection as well as his former high-level position with Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc.
Berenbaum offers 95 secrets of effective business and franchise success. Each chapter has a "takeaway" that sums up the lesson Berenbaum delivers. In addition, the author often draws from his own experience and concrete examples to illustrate his points.
While many of the chapters involve the nuts and bolts of franchising, Berenbaum reminds us that business challenges--and solutions--are similar no matter what your market.
A sampling of Berenbaum's ideas demonstrates why this book is valuable:
--Wait until you have a free day to accomplish those goals. "Instead, try living your life in 5 or 10 minute increments." Build your skills and do your work a little at a time.
--"Category leaders make it painless for franchisees and customers to do business with them."
This book, with its secrets of franchising and franchise-specific information, as well as definitions, is a must-read if you are a franchiser or thinking of buying a franchise.
However, you don't have to be involved in a franchise business relationship to benefit from this book. Berenbaum's approach challenges business owners' thinking and provides solutions for many difficulties that anyone doing business faces--especially in this economy (Berenbaum has a lesson or two to cover that, too). This book should be on every category leader's shelf. Now you, too, can lead the category!
-----
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.
by Stan Berenbaum
iUniverse.com
Paperback Format
May 2009
Business and Investing/Professional and Technical/Business How-To
ISBN 978-1-4401-3228-5
Reviewed by K.J. Johnson
Finally, a businessperson provides the secrets of franchising and business success in a book designed for busy executives, business owners, franchisers and franchisees, and that businessperson is a great leader in this category. Franchise attorney and executive Stan Berenbaum draws on his experience as president and CEO of American Leak Detection as well as his former high-level position with Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc.
Berenbaum offers 95 secrets of effective business and franchise success. Each chapter has a "takeaway" that sums up the lesson Berenbaum delivers. In addition, the author often draws from his own experience and concrete examples to illustrate his points.
While many of the chapters involve the nuts and bolts of franchising, Berenbaum reminds us that business challenges--and solutions--are similar no matter what your market.
A sampling of Berenbaum's ideas demonstrates why this book is valuable:
--Wait until you have a free day to accomplish those goals. "Instead, try living your life in 5 or 10 minute increments." Build your skills and do your work a little at a time.
--"Category leaders make it painless for franchisees and customers to do business with them."
This book, with its secrets of franchising and franchise-specific information, as well as definitions, is a must-read if you are a franchiser or thinking of buying a franchise.
However, you don't have to be involved in a franchise business relationship to benefit from this book. Berenbaum's approach challenges business owners' thinking and provides solutions for many difficulties that anyone doing business faces--especially in this economy (Berenbaum has a lesson or two to cover that, too). This book should be on every category leader's shelf. Now you, too, can lead the category!
-----
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.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Vivek Chaturvedi Reviews Debutante Indian Author
Title: Knots and No Crosses - Heartbreak after heartbreak, he still dreams of as perfect wedding...Author: Hitesha Deshpande
Website: http://knotsandnocrosses.com/
Genre: Fiction, Humor, Romance
ISBN: 9788122310481
Reviewer's Rating: 4 out of 5
Reviewed by Vivek Chaturvedi
Debutante Indian Authors
Debutante Indian authors have been making quite some waves recently. The seeds may have been sown with Anurag Mathur’s ‘The Inscrutable Americans’, but there was a hint of a lull thereafter. The current scenario, however, has changed. Right from Chetan Bhagat becoming a sensation on debut, to Arvind Adiga picking the Booker for his first published novel, a section of modern Indian fiction seems to be coming of age. This shift is also characterised by changes in language, flow and appeal of the content. The urban woman oriented themes, clubbed as ‘chick lit’, are becoming more rampant and gaining popularity. Books like ‘Almost Single’ by Advait Kala, that has sold around 2000 copies by now, or the lesser known ‘Pink or Black’ by Tishaa, both debut novels, reflect this trend.
To add to this, is the trend of blogging that is proving to be a wonderful platform for a number of aspiring authors to test and hone their craft before attempting anything mainstream. So we have the likes of Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan, trying her pen via the blog ‘The Compulsive Confessor’ and then landing a contract with a major publication for her debut novel ‘You Are Here.'
Knots and No Crosses - The Book
Hitesha Deshpande, making her debut with the book “Knots and No Crosses”, falls in a similar league. Having had a strong following on her blog ‘Wild Imagination’ (http://wildindigestion.blogspot.com/) (just one of over 5-6 well read fiction blogs that she has created over last few years), she has now come up with her debut novel.
The brevity of her narration and her tact of connecting multiple threads of a story, and literally forcing the reader to remain glued to the book is most notable. The way the author connects one chapter to the other and how the story moves back and forth in time in a smooth and exciting manner displays her instinctive craftsmanship at story telling. Amusingly titled as ‘Knots and No Crosses’, roller coasters could learn a thing or two from this one hell of a reading ride.
The story is about a young small town lad called Akkie and his multiple relationships in life, culminating into the holy grail of an intended perfect wedding. A wedding that nightmarishly turns out to be almost everything except, perfect. The book captures multiple emotions and thought processes of the characters in a hilarious and crisp manner. Right from the comical description of the parental pressure of marital expectations and the ways to avoid them, to the almost insane behavior of a bride getting cold feet right before the day of the wedding, the book pulls you into its plot page by page. Weaved in between the wedding drama, is the past of this small town boy with big dreams, his multiple relationships and how he grows through them. Each relationship teaching him something about life, each relationship giving him something except what he wanted, but all of them ripping his emotions apart with equal mercilessness. The tagline of the book wonderfully captures the thought - ‘Heartbreak after heartbreak, he still dreams of a perfect wedding…’.
The story is imaginatively rich with anecdotal details and displays good understanding of the subtleties of human behaviour on the author’s part. For eg. this scene at the dinner table where young Akki has decided to boldly express to his father (and uncles) his intent of moving out of Jodhpur, to go to Pune to study Commerce and Germen, while the “women hovered around pretending to serve, but not wanting to miss out on even a bit of this exchange. It would make excellent gossip as they dried mangoes for their pickles on the terrace, the next afternoon.”
The book also grips you with an interesting unexpected twist that makes it all the more worthwhile a read. Without revealing much more of the plot, let me just say that this book is a great fun read, where each chapter makes you crave for the next and you can’t stop until you are done with it all! If you are the type looking for a light humorous gripping read, and don’t care that time flies by while you are at it, then this is just the right thing to pick. Once you pick it up, you just can’t put it down!
Book Site - http://knotsandnocrosses.com/
--
Reviewed by Vivek Chaturvedi
+91 9873693951
"Heartbreak after heartbreak, he still dreams of a perfect wedding..."
Check out 'Knots and No Crosses' by Hitesha Deshpande.
http://knotsandnocrosses.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 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.
Website: http://knotsandnocrosses.com/
Genre: Fiction, Humor, Romance
ISBN: 9788122310481
Reviewer's Rating: 4 out of 5
Reviewed by Vivek Chaturvedi
Debutante Indian Authors
Debutante Indian authors have been making quite some waves recently. The seeds may have been sown with Anurag Mathur’s ‘The Inscrutable Americans’, but there was a hint of a lull thereafter. The current scenario, however, has changed. Right from Chetan Bhagat becoming a sensation on debut, to Arvind Adiga picking the Booker for his first published novel, a section of modern Indian fiction seems to be coming of age. This shift is also characterised by changes in language, flow and appeal of the content. The urban woman oriented themes, clubbed as ‘chick lit’, are becoming more rampant and gaining popularity. Books like ‘Almost Single’ by Advait Kala, that has sold around 2000 copies by now, or the lesser known ‘Pink or Black’ by Tishaa, both debut novels, reflect this trend.
To add to this, is the trend of blogging that is proving to be a wonderful platform for a number of aspiring authors to test and hone their craft before attempting anything mainstream. So we have the likes of Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan, trying her pen via the blog ‘The Compulsive Confessor’ and then landing a contract with a major publication for her debut novel ‘You Are Here.'
Knots and No Crosses - The Book
Hitesha Deshpande, making her debut with the book “Knots and No Crosses”, falls in a similar league. Having had a strong following on her blog ‘Wild Imagination’ (http://wildindigestion.blogspot.com/) (just one of over 5-6 well read fiction blogs that she has created over last few years), she has now come up with her debut novel.
The brevity of her narration and her tact of connecting multiple threads of a story, and literally forcing the reader to remain glued to the book is most notable. The way the author connects one chapter to the other and how the story moves back and forth in time in a smooth and exciting manner displays her instinctive craftsmanship at story telling. Amusingly titled as ‘Knots and No Crosses’, roller coasters could learn a thing or two from this one hell of a reading ride.
The story is about a young small town lad called Akkie and his multiple relationships in life, culminating into the holy grail of an intended perfect wedding. A wedding that nightmarishly turns out to be almost everything except, perfect. The book captures multiple emotions and thought processes of the characters in a hilarious and crisp manner. Right from the comical description of the parental pressure of marital expectations and the ways to avoid them, to the almost insane behavior of a bride getting cold feet right before the day of the wedding, the book pulls you into its plot page by page. Weaved in between the wedding drama, is the past of this small town boy with big dreams, his multiple relationships and how he grows through them. Each relationship teaching him something about life, each relationship giving him something except what he wanted, but all of them ripping his emotions apart with equal mercilessness. The tagline of the book wonderfully captures the thought - ‘Heartbreak after heartbreak, he still dreams of a perfect wedding…’.
The story is imaginatively rich with anecdotal details and displays good understanding of the subtleties of human behaviour on the author’s part. For eg. this scene at the dinner table where young Akki has decided to boldly express to his father (and uncles) his intent of moving out of Jodhpur, to go to Pune to study Commerce and Germen, while the “women hovered around pretending to serve, but not wanting to miss out on even a bit of this exchange. It would make excellent gossip as they dried mangoes for their pickles on the terrace, the next afternoon.”
The book also grips you with an interesting unexpected twist that makes it all the more worthwhile a read. Without revealing much more of the plot, let me just say that this book is a great fun read, where each chapter makes you crave for the next and you can’t stop until you are done with it all! If you are the type looking for a light humorous gripping read, and don’t care that time flies by while you are at it, then this is just the right thing to pick. Once you pick it up, you just can’t put it down!
Book Site - http://knotsandnocrosses.com/
--
Reviewed by Vivek Chaturvedi
+91 9873693951
"Heartbreak after heartbreak, he still dreams of a perfect wedding..."
Check out 'Knots and No Crosses' by Hitesha Deshpande.
http://knotsandnocrosses.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 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.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Judi Silva Reviews "Writing the Breakout Novel"
Title: Writing the Breakout Novel
Author: Donald Maass
Publisher: Writer’s Digest Books
ISBN: 0-89879-995-3
My Rating - 5 out of 5
Reviewed by Judi Silva
Writing the Breakout Novel is one book that will definitely help you take your fiction writing to the next level. Whether you’re a first time novelist or a published author, Donald Maass can show you how write that novel that will stand out on the bookstore shelves and scream “Read Me!” If you want to find your novel on the best-seller lists, then this writing reference book is a must.
Writing fiction is a whole different ballgame than non-fiction. You have characters that sometimes get a mind of their own, plots that come to a screeching halt in a dead-end alley or times and places that just don’t seem to mesh together for one reason or another. What do you do?
First things first. Grab Maass’ book from out of the collection which stands neatly on your desk and open it up. Start with the encouraging forward by Anne Perry and then dig right in to the first of eleven highly-packed chapters. Be prepared, as the author doesn’t just give you the book to read but shows you how to use it.
You’ll learn how to write your breakout novel by learning the techniques to create your premise, characters, plots and multiple viewpoints, along with honing your skills in developing a theme, pace, voice, endings and much more, including the finer details. Breakout check-lists at the end of each chapter are very helpful in making sure you have everything covered before moving on to the next task at hand. Each component of every element of novel writing is broken down, covering what often goes wrong and how to remedy it. Identify the roadblocks and learn the systematic removal of them. Using other literary masterpieces, cases in point are made to show how it is successfully accomplished.
After you have a completed novel, you will learn how to “break out”, to find and work along with your agent and editor, as you venture into writing the pitch and outline (synopsis). As an author of seventeen novels and more than twenty years of experience as a literary agent, Maas gives sound advice on publishing and beyond.
“Every novel is a world unto itself. It lives, breathes, alternates between day and night, changes, grows and acts upon the characters or is indifferent to them. So build your world!”
Are you ready to take your writing to the next level? Then this book is essential to own.
Reviewed By Judi Silva
judi.silva@gmail.com
http://www.dark-horse-adaptations.com/
Originally published on Assoicated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/1968/simran.html
-----
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.
Author: Donald Maass
Publisher: Writer’s Digest Books
ISBN: 0-89879-995-3
My Rating - 5 out of 5
Reviewed by Judi Silva
Writing the Breakout Novel is one book that will definitely help you take your fiction writing to the next level. Whether you’re a first time novelist or a published author, Donald Maass can show you how write that novel that will stand out on the bookstore shelves and scream “Read Me!” If you want to find your novel on the best-seller lists, then this writing reference book is a must.
Writing fiction is a whole different ballgame than non-fiction. You have characters that sometimes get a mind of their own, plots that come to a screeching halt in a dead-end alley or times and places that just don’t seem to mesh together for one reason or another. What do you do?
First things first. Grab Maass’ book from out of the collection which stands neatly on your desk and open it up. Start with the encouraging forward by Anne Perry and then dig right in to the first of eleven highly-packed chapters. Be prepared, as the author doesn’t just give you the book to read but shows you how to use it.
You’ll learn how to write your breakout novel by learning the techniques to create your premise, characters, plots and multiple viewpoints, along with honing your skills in developing a theme, pace, voice, endings and much more, including the finer details. Breakout check-lists at the end of each chapter are very helpful in making sure you have everything covered before moving on to the next task at hand. Each component of every element of novel writing is broken down, covering what often goes wrong and how to remedy it. Identify the roadblocks and learn the systematic removal of them. Using other literary masterpieces, cases in point are made to show how it is successfully accomplished.
After you have a completed novel, you will learn how to “break out”, to find and work along with your agent and editor, as you venture into writing the pitch and outline (synopsis). As an author of seventeen novels and more than twenty years of experience as a literary agent, Maas gives sound advice on publishing and beyond.
“Every novel is a world unto itself. It lives, breathes, alternates between day and night, changes, grows and acts upon the characters or is indifferent to them. So build your world!”
Are you ready to take your writing to the next level? Then this book is essential to own.
Reviewed By Judi Silva
judi.silva@gmail.com
http://www.dark-horse-adaptations.com/
Originally published on Assoicated Content: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/1968/simran.html
-----
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.
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