Radio Readings of Excerpts Even Better Than Reviews

This is not one of my regular review posts. It is really about an opportunity for fiction writers to read from their works and for readers to hear fiction writers in their own voices. So, a little departure. I hope you won't mind.

Lillian Cauldwell and Carolyn Howard-Johnson invite authors for a frugal and fabulous reading and cross-promotion adventure starting March, 2010. Readers may drop by to hear our lineup then, and yes, there will be lots on this blog about how you can listen to this Passionate Internet Voices Talk Radio program.

Passionate Internet Voices Talk Radio will feature authors of published books of fiction to join in the first-ever serial weekly literary festival where authors read brief excerpts from their books over PIVTR’s radio network.
(Nonfiction and Poetry Weeks will come later in 2010.)

Book an exciting and wild read of your professional writing life with this awesome and first of its kind event:

$10 for 10 minutes payable via Paypal lillian.cauldwell@gmail.com
Entries are due no later than January 15, 2010.
Readings are recorded in advance.

Air dates: March 21 thru March 28, 10 to 11 p.m. (New York time) EXCEPT Wednesday evening when the show starts 10:30 and ends at 11:30 p.m.
First come first served
Name:
E-mail:
Date & time for recording session:
Text Lillian at 734-277-2733 Or E-mail: LSaraCauldwell@gmail.com for details!

Note: To benefit all, participants are asked to promote the series (and their own appearance) on their Web sites, in their blogs, social networks and wherever else they can. Promotion templates will be provided.

Extra benefits:

 Your favorite book review will be posted on this blog, The New Book Review blog: http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com.

 A special Authors' Page will be created on Passionate Internet Voices Talk Radio Where recordings of all the audio segments will appear in html script.
Lillian will make all MP3 streams (html codes) of participating authors' presentations available for $3 each plus shipping. Proceeds from the MP3 streams will go to Mission Socorro and Capuchin Soup Kitchen to help the homeless, migrant workers and recently released prisoners get back on their feet.

 The week will be promoted online, by Lillian and Carolyn and by participants.

Another Offer:
Internet Voices Talk Radio is running a host-your-own 30 minute program special for $49. for Carolyn's Sharing with Writers subscribers. Book now and avoid the rush. Price goes up after January 1, 2010.



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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.

Who's Ready for a Romantic Comedy?

One Apple Tasted
Josa Young
Genre: Romantic comedy
ISBN-13: 978-1904027713

Amazon.co.uk
***** five star

Reviewed by Amanda Craig for Amazon UK, Top 100 Reviewer



One Apple Tasted is by far the best-written new romantic comedy I've read this year, and I'm amazed it didn't find a more mainstream publisher.

Beginning with the adventures of Dora in the early 1980s (a period so well rendered you can almost smaell the Opium - or, in this social circle, the Floris Rose Geranium)it moves back in time to the 1950s and the 1930s, linking three generations of women in love. Dora, the second last virgin in Britain besides Lady Diana, a bright, [pretty Cambridge graduate, works on a magazine called Modern Woman (a thinly disguised version of Vogue)and is mad for the handsome, enigmatic, and it turns out depressive son of a rich man. Their mutual attraction involves much fumbling and tumbling but no actual sex, and it's something of a surprise when he proposes to her. You have to remember just how weirdly fashionable weddings were (even before Richard Curtis)to make sense of it, but they do, secretly, get married.

The story then cuts back to the start of the War, when two women meet each other in a Harley St obstetrician's. One is barely out of childhood herself, a French Jewish refugee, the other a middle aged Home Counties wife and mother. A rapport is struck, and the younger woman comes to stay with the elder. They give birth almost at the same time; opne dies and the other feeds the other's daughter. When they grow up, the refugee's child finds out how hard marrying love and lust can be.

It would be unfair to give away too much of the plot - and, unusually for this kind of novel, there's a lot of it, making it reminiscent of Nancy Mitford as well as Mary Wesley. The posh but poor Dora and her mother Hilly are so alike that they could be the same person - sweet, innocent, sensible and idealistic. They are absolutely charming creations, and needless to say, the men they adore come across as horribly selfish, immature and snobbish (by far the nicest is Dora's father Stephen, and I'd have liked to see more of him). I can't imagine that Dora's future is going to be a bed of roses but then she's too sensible (despite the one absolutely bonkers thing she does) to expect this.

This is very much a novel set in a particular segment of upper middle class life, where men work as art dealers and women dabble in journalism. There's a LOT about clothes, which will no doubt win Young an ardent teen audience. The scenes set in India come close to parody, and weaken the rest even if, again, this is a typical rite of passage. But what it is absolutely marvellous at is capturing the beauty and intensity of being very young and passionate, and not really knowing what to do with yourself.


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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.

Escucha y Habla Inglés! Listen and Speak English!

¡Escucha y Habla Inglés!
By Frank Gerace, Ph.D.
Leer Es Poder Books, N.Y. 2009
ISBN 978-1-4196-9812-5
Genre: Study Resource for Language Study
Available at: http://www.EscuchaHabla.com

Review by Miriam Guarena for Guacuru Notes

At last a book in Spanish for the Intermediate Learner of English!

This book was inspired by the author’s teaching of adult immigrants in an active New York City Community College. It has been field tested on the Internet in PDF and e-book versions.

The work presents some of the principal difficulties that Spanish Speakers have with grammar and pronunciation when learning English. It is not a complete course but is aimed at the Spanish speaking person “who knows some English and who wants to take a few steps forward”. It presents the principal “claves” or essential points dealing with the most common errors. The book is written in simple, conversational Spanish, free of regionalisms. There are multiple tables and examples to illustrate the problems dealt with. Points of pronunciation are illustrated in recordings made by a native speaker of East Coast United States English.

Among the grammatical issues treated in the first part are the framing of questions, the adjective-noun concordance, subject and predicate, possessive adjectives and pronouns etc. But the approach is light and “ungrammatical”, aided by charts and tables, and an occasional flash of humor.

The second part of the work deals with the principal errors of pronunciation that plague the Spanish Speaker. The vowels and nouns are related to similar Spanish sounds; the articulation and formation of the sounds are explained; and practice in identification of the unfamiliar sounds is provided.

An important feature of the book is the more than 140 brief sound files related to the points made in both the grammar and pronunciation sections. The reader is directed to a website to listen to the sounds while at their computer, to download them to their preferred mp3 player, or to “burn” them to a CD.

An important feature of the work is its utilization of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to indicate the pronunciation of English. This will free the user of the confusion of the different diacritical marks used in different dictionaries.


For an extensive sample (all in Spanish) click on:http://www.inglesparalatinos.com/Muestra_Escuchar_Hablar_Ingles.pdfFrank Gerace


Author Biography

Frank Gerace Ph.D currently teaches English in New York City at a CUNY college as well as maintaining a strong bilingual presence on the web. He has served in Latin America in UN and national Educational and Communication Projects, and has taught in Bolivian and Peruvian Universities. His prevous Book, "Comunicación Horizontal: Cambio de Estructuras y Movilización Social" was a key part of the surge in Communication Studies in Latin America.. He provides guidance on accent reduction and the proper American English accent. He also offers resources for Spanish Speaking learners of English at http://www.InglesParaLatinos.com and for English speaking learners of Spanish at http://www.InglesParaLatinos.com/SpanishCourses.htm. Dr. Gerace helps parents wanting their children to speak Spanish at: http://www.BooksLibros.com/SpanishForNinos.htm. He maintains a blog at http://www.InglesParaHispanos.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 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.

Tina Carlson Review Smashing E-Book with a Twist

Thrift Me Deadly
By Wendy Dager
E-book
Available at: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/4474
Genre: Thriller, for mature audiences only due to graphic violence, language and situations.

Review by Tina Carlson for Smashwords

Wendy Dager writes a witty story of murder and dysfunction through the diary of Enid Barker, who collects vintage clothes, hates her job and suffers the judgement of family while killing anyone who volunteers to make her life harder than it already is.
The pace is fast and the murders are many as Wendy gives us a peek into vintage collecting and sociopathic behavior in a very funny way. This is a great read.

--
Free sample and synopsis of this book is available online; book can be purchased for 40 percent off list price by using coupon code ML66J through December 31, 2009. For more about the author, visit www.wendydager.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 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.

Recession Calls for Special Job Search Skills

Title:Over the Gap
Author: Dave Patterson
Website:www.overthegap.comGenre: Business / Career
ISBN: 9780615316208

Reviewed by Linda Brandau for Bookvisions

Over The Gap is an excellent resource for those who are serious about looking for quality employment or are interested in a career change. Written in both instruction and workbook style, it challenges the reader to take a thoughtful look at their goals, skills, and area of employment they desire. The book has charts, worksheets, sample letters, and much more. The author, Dave Patterson, is a business executive and career coach with an understanding of today's job market, and his advice is a complete look at the challenge, the process of the search, and the targeted goal.

The book shows the reader how to market themselves for the career they desire. It explains proper networking, and the interviewing experience. Chapter 9: Creating a Position for Yourself might sound overreaching, but I especially enjoyed reading it because it actually happened for me a few years ago.

Finding your place in today's job market is hard work and takes research and skill. Over the Gap is a powerful book that will assist the job seeker in a systematic method to success. I recommend this book for individuals, schools, and employment assistance agencies.” – L. Brandau

Author Biography

Dave Patterson is an author, speaker, and leadership and career coach. Find him at www.OvertheGap.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 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.

Poetry Chapbook Reviewed by Poet Jennifer Poulter

Isn't it wonderful when poets see the result of promotion or of an honor. Maggie Ball and my chapbook of poetry was named a finalist in the poetry category at US Book News and Jennifer Poulter reviewed it. I just couldn't resist posting. (-: She Wore Emerald Then:

Reflections on Motherhood
By Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Genre: Poetry, chapbook
Published by The Compulsive Reader
ISBN 9781438263793
Illustrated with photos by May Lattanzio
Available at Amazon


Reviewed by Jennifer Poulter Just finished Maggie - utterly beautiful, painful - memorable


A book of finely cut gems to hold, admire, let their multi-facets flash their messages to mind, and the fine sharp edges of each plane hold the image indelibly.

The poets take us either side of motherhood and all the pain and joy held in between.

We visit, through Magdalena’s eyes, the arrival that makes a mother – the amazement, the awe, the juxtaposing of life’s simple statement ‘I am’ against the complexities of “The Genetic Code” that made the babe –

the organised complexity
of your extraordinary
beauty
couldn’t be simpler
as you reach a tentative
hand
towards the future

Then we are led by Carolyn, down the narrowing path to the final drawn out exit. The circle of life completes, the child is yet to know the mother, the mother has forgotten the child…

We all forget names, I say as numb
moves from hand to heart
because it is my name she has forgotten.

Gems sparkling here remind us of those seminal joys – the babe, the birth; other gems flash from the page and we recognise, whether we want to or no – the final pages turning to the close of one life’s book.
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The reviewer is Jennifer McRae/Poulter, j.poulter@uq.edu.au. Go to: http://www.uq.edu.au/~uqjpoult/ then hit 'proceed http://www.kbs.com.au/ Haiku,
J.R. McRae thumbnail moon print impressed on the flesh of a cool evening Humidity........ J.R.McRae Leaves tickle air Till its laughter Runs down their limbs

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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.

Fantasy Elucidates Autism

Title: There Are No Words
Author: Mary Calhoun Brown
ISBN: 978-09776300-2-8
Publisher: Lucky Press, LLC
Author's email: email@marycalhounbrown.com
Author's blog: http://blog.marycalhounbrown.com
Softcover $9.95
Hardcover: $22.00
Kindle: $4.95
Books available for purchase at the author's Web site. After Feb. 1, 2010, There Are No Words will be available at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Reviewed by Dr. Ruth C. Sullivan, first President of the Autism Society of America.

This delightful and gentle fantasy is told in first person by Jaxon MacKenzie, a 12-year-old girl with autism. Mute and not in school, she lives with caring and good grandparents. She knows hurt when people outside the home sometimes speak down to her or say unkind things, as though she wasn't (sic) there.

In the house hangs an old oil painting in which a happy girl and boy are holding hands as they dance away from a large tree. One night the girl in the painting reaches out to Jaxon saying, 'come with us. We've been waiting for you.' Helped out to the 'other side of the painting' (as she calls it) by a spritely and happy Sarah, Jaxon begins to talk. She has new adventures, is touched by warm friendships and is moved by their acceptance of someone who is not like them. After some interesting--one dramatically tragic-- experiences-- she finds her way home.

Mary Calhoun Brown has given us an unusual path in getting to the story of autism. Young teenagers, their teachers and parents will be happy to have this one in their library.


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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.