A New Mystery a la Sherlock Holmes

Title: Along Came A Fifer
Author: R. Michael Phillips
Published by Asylett Press, July 2009
ISBN 1-934337-62-5
Genre: Mystery

Reviewed by L. Boyer for Carlisle Sentinel, Oct 22, 2009

'Fifer' a mystery inspired by Holmes
Pennsylvania author R. Michael Phillips captures everything a mystery needs in his first novel.

Never judge a book by its cover — an age-old saying that applies perfectly to R. Michael Phillips’ Along Came a Fifer. Upon first glance, one would see a painting of a young boy in military uniform with a small fife. It looks like this is going to be some historical book, probably laden with boring narrative about some Revolutionary War battle.

Au contraire, mon ami. The cover actually shows Manet’s “The Fifer,” a painting that plays a crucial role in the novel’s plot. In fact, “Along Came a Fifer” is an exciting mystery set in modern-day London and Paris. But the historical feel isn’t far off.

Written with the likes of the great Sherlock Holmes in mind, “Along Came a Fifer” oozes Victorian-era detective crime-solving. The East London Adventurers Club works for the Royal Family, solving the crown’s most delicate matters quickly and quietly.

The most recent addition to the club, Ernie Bisquets, is a former pick-pocket selected personally for the job by Patterson Coats, leader of ELAC. Coats believes Bisquets’ unique insight into London’s underground criminal culture will serve the ELAC well, but it’s up to Bisquet to decide if he wants a part in the group’s sometimes life-threatening hobby.

Along Came a Fifer is actually the first in a series about the East London Adventurers Club. In it, Bisquets and his gang must unravel the mystery of a botched art robbery, which leads to murder and more. The next book, due out in fall 2010, is titled, Rook, Rhyme and Sinker.

Phillips, a Pennsylvania resident, does a fine job with his first mystery novel. The characters are relatable and dynamic. The novel has everything a mystery needs — humor, deception, unrequited love and, well, a good old-fashioned mystery.

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Along Came a Fifer is available online on Amazon, B&N, Fictionwise or from your favorite bookshop.

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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 Author Reviews The Frugal Book Promoter

A review of The Frugal Book Promoter by Sally Bair

I just finished self-publishing a juvenile novel, Williwaw Winds, and consider Carolyn Howard-Johnson's book, The Frugal Book Promoter, as one of the most helpful resources in marketing my book.

Carolyn not only addresses nearly every aspect of marketing, she includes very detailed instructions in how to pitch your book to a host of sources, how to receive free publicity, and how to make up your media kit. Her instructions and tips are sprinkled throughout with important, helpful Web sites and samples. I haven't had my copy of her book very long and already it's dog-eared from such frequent use. It's a winner!"
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Reviewer Sally Bair is author of Williwaw Winds at www.sallybair.com and a member of Wisconsin Regional Writers Association.


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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.

Haunted Books from Simon and Schuster Reviewed by Radio Host

Author: Chris Eboch
Haunted The Ghost on the Stairs
ISBN 978 1-4169-7548-9
Haunted The Riverboat Phantom
ISBN 978 1-4169-7549-6
Kids Simon and Schuster
$5.99 US $7.99 Canada
Available Amazon

Reviewed by Connie Gotsch

Jon’s a typical 13 year-old, annoyed when his mother loves on him, wary of Bruce, his new step father, and not quite enjoying this summer of traveling the country with the ghost-busting TV show that his mother produces.

His sister, Tania is a typical 11 year-old pain, giggly and over dramatic. Actually, she’s a nice pain, and he loves and protects her, patiently explaining the world, a la their scientist father, whom both kids miss a lot.

Then Tania announces she can see ghosts. Jon has no response to that. Is she putting him on? Is her imagination in over drive? Has she gone crazy? Or is she telling the truth?

The fun of Chris Eboch’s Haunted series begins. Tania decides to accept her psychic abilities as a gift. Jon isn’t sure what to think, so he keeps an open mind, especially when rooms turn cold, Tania collapses for no apparent reason, and he feels an unexplainable chill or two himself.

Tania elects to tell no one what she sees. Jon supports her. As she deals with the ghosts that come to her, she and Jon hatch plans to avoid snoopy Mom, curious Bruce, Mean Mick a member of the TV crew who doesn’t like kids, and Madam Natasha, the actress who fakes being a psychic.

The first volume The Ghost on the Stairs, introduces a bride who haunts a hotel looking for the husband who vanished right after the wedding. The second “”The Riverboat Phantom” presents a steamboat pilot who lost his concentration, ran aground and killed several passengers. Now he must haunt the pilot house until he can make amends for his mistake.

Around the ghost stories, Eboch weaves river lore, Mark Twain, tidbits concerning steamboat operation, and morals, manners, and customs of late 19th Century America that could just entice someone to pick up “Tom Sawyer,” or go learn something about mining towns.

Eboch has a nice writing style, and she crafts her stories well, carefully building suspense, showing her action, and setting scene. She discusses various theories of what ghosts might be and ghost hunting, without drawing conclusions as to whether or not they exist.

Each book stands alone. Family dynamics and history come out clearly, though Mean Mick and Madame Natasha are a lot easier to picture in “The Ghost on the Stairs” than in “The Riverboat Phantom.” Ms. Eboch might consider keeping character descriptions as strong as she keeps motivation across the volumes. She might also let her characters grow a bit from book to book. Bruce might move beyond the not-so-hot step father. Madame Natasha just has to go some time. Otherwise the relationships between people might get repetitious.

She plans to send Tania, Jon, and the TV show to New York next, to a museum that might or might not be haunted. If she mixes the history of one of America’s oldest cities with her fantasy, and continues to let her characters develop, she’ll probably have another fun filled story.


----Reviewer Connie Gotsch is author of A Mouth Full of Shelland Snap Me a Future. She is featured in The Complete Writer's Journal from Red Engine Press. Her books are available at Amazon.com. She is the host of Write On! radio show in the four corners area.



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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.

Author Questions Evolution and Darwin

The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol. 1: Exposing Life’s Inexplicable Origins & The Cult of Darwin
Author: Lisa A. Shiel,
Genre: Science / Life Sciences / Evolution
ISBN 9781934631300
Slipdown Mountain Publications, 2009

Reviewed by Carol Hoyer, PhD, for Reader Views

Author Lisa Shiel has given readers an opportunity to challenge their views on evolution and how man became. Too many times we have learned to accept what we were told by those in authority, in the school system and those in religion. We have just accepted it without question and now through this well-researched book we can actually begin to question life.

What I particularly liked about this book is the author is not saying evolutionists are wrong- she is just questioning how we came up with certain answers without any true observation or clear definition of terms. Often researchers and scientists believe that the general public is not intelligent enough to understand how research works and how they came upon their results. Having just finished my PhD in 2006, I had to take several research methods classes and from my experience and what I know of evolution they cannot use the term theory as it doesn’t meet the criteria of scientific methods.

The author takes us right from the beginning of the definition of life, through genetic clues to naming species and subspecies. She clearly provides thoughts on what we have been told, providing examples of her own research that question original thoughts. Each chapter provides additional resources and clear definitions of terms used. “The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol.1” by Lisa A. Shiel is not a book one can breeze through, however it is easy to read. Everyone should take the time to read this book and develop their own thoughts and learn to question what is told to us. I have taken what I read from this book and used it in my psychology classes with my students to teach them that sometimes what we know or have been taught may not be true.


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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.

Booklist Reviewer Shares Women's Literature Review with The New Book Review

The Fence My Father Built
Abingdon Press, October 2009
By Linda S. Clare.
Genre: Women’s fiction, contemporary
ISBN: 13:987-1-4267-0073-6.
Author's blog: www.godsonggrace.blogspot.com.
Hardcover, $13.99


Reviewed by Lynne Welch for Booklist


Muri Pond arrives in Murkee with her two children (daughter Nova, 15, and son Tru, 11) for a quick visit to settle her long-lost father’s estate, while she regroups from an unpleasant divorce and the loss of her job, her home, and her social standing. Determined to remain aloof, Muri nonetheless finds herself slowly adjusting to central Oregon’s high-desert ranching culture, so vastly different from Portland’s lush green suburban lifestyle. And while she attempts to bridge the gap between her father’s Nez Percé heritage and her mother’s obsessively white middle-class upbringing, Muri finds herself on a journey of self-discovery, encouraged by her aunt Lutie’s and uncle Tiny’s everyday, casual expressions of faith. Drawing from her own experience discovering her Native American heritage while searching for her biological father, Clare’s rich and thoughtful contemporary inspirational novel vividly portrays the day-to-day struggles of a neglected people against poverty, racism, substance abuse, and more, while holding out the enduring hope for second chances.









The Fence My Father Built, a novel from Abingdon Press

View the Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/3a36t7
Visit my Blog! http://www.godsonggrace.blogspot.com

Making Peace With a Dangerous God
Revealed: Spiritual Reality in a Makeover World
Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them
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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.

Founder of Mom's Choice Awards Comments on New Release

Choosing Honor, An American Woman's Search for God, Family and Country in and Age of Corruption
By Ficalora
Genre: Nonfiction, Spiritual/Social/Political
ISBN 978-0-9799359-0-9

Review by Tara Paterson, Founder of Mom's Choice Awards


"I had no idea when I sat down to read Choosing Honor how powerful it would be. I honor Ficalora for having the courage to put this out there. A lot of people wouldn't have done it for fear of their safety. It’s a sign of how things are slowly changing and truth is beginning to surface."



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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.

Ahhhh! November! Month of Celebration and Books!

I am participating in a fun blog tour with a variety of authors--everything from nonfiction writers to poets. I thought that if you followed along it would be fun and you'd see how Karen Cioffi planned this. Not a bad thing for you who have never done a tour using your own blog. Plus, it would give you a chance to win some prizes. And for those visitors who are readers! Wow! A plethora of books in many genres.

So, watch this blog on November 11 for just one of the tour entries, the famous Old Silly, Marvin Wilson.

Here is the tour schedule for the rest of the month of November. There is a prize on each stop, so make this list your reading one-stop-shop!

November 1 Dianne Sagan is hosting Heidi Thomas
http://www.diannesagan.wordpress.com


November 2 Harry Gilleland is hosting Karen Cioffi
http://harrygillelandwrites.blogspot.com November 3 Karen Cioffi is hosting Martha Swirzinki
http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com


November 4 Kathy Stemke is hosting Brigitte Thompson
http://educationtipster.blogspot.com

November 5 Nancy Famolari is hosting Deborah Weed
http://nancygfamolari.blogspot.com


November 6 Margaret Fieland is hosting Elysabeth Eldering
http://www.margaretfieland.com


November 7 Crystalee Calderwood is hosting Harry Gilleland http://crystaleecalderwood.blogspot.com


November 8 Katie Hines is hosting Heather Paye
http://katiehines.blogspot.com


November 9 Helena Harper is hosting Steve Tremp
http://helenaharpersblog.blogspot.com


November 10 Liana Metal is hosting Crystalee Calderwood
http://lianastories.blogspot.com

November 11 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is hosting Marvin Wilson http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com
Note: You will go to my New Book Review blog to see this. While you're there, you'll want to check the guidelines in the left column to see how your review(s) can be utilized for more exposure.

November 12 Gayle Trent is hosting Dianne Sagan
http://www.gayletrent.com/blog/

November 13 Mayra Calvani is hosting Carolyn Howard-Johnson http://mayrassecretbookcase.blogspot.com

November 14 Marvin Wilson is hosting Gayle Trent
http://theoldsilly.com

November 15 Linda Asato is hosting Mayra Calvani
http://lindaswritingdesk.blogspot.com

November 16 Heather Paye is hosting Katie Hines
http://heatherpaye.blogspot.com


November 17 Steve Tremp is hosting Helena Harper
http://stephentremp.blogspot.com

November 18 Elysabeth Eldering is hosting Linda Asato
http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com

November 19 Darcia Helle is hosting Liana Metal
http://quietfurybooks.com/blog/


November 20 Deborah Weed is hosting Nancy Famolari
http://deborahweed.ning.com

November 21 Brigitte Thompson is hosting Margaret Fieland http://www.writersinbusiness.blogspot.com

November 22 Martha Swirzinki is hosting Darcia Helle
http://movementplus.com


November 23 Heidi Thomas is hosting Kathy Stemke
http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com

Each day there will be prizes offered. All you have to do is leave a comment on the host's site on the day he/she is posting for their guest and you may a winner! Note, Mayra Calvani, author of a great book on how to review books for fun or for pay, will be hosting me.

The Winner will have a choice of ONE of 2 or 3 books of our members or other related gifts, OR a one day guest spot on this blog site!

Prizes being given away evert Day from November 1st through November 23rd!

OH! Wait a minute! That's not all! We will also have a Mystery Site Giveaway and the SUPER-DUPER PRIZE is a $25 (US) GIFT CARD to either Amazon, Target, or an American Express Gift Card.

Winners will be notified the day after each posting. The Mystery Site Winner will be notified Sunday, November 29th.

Come celebrate with us and you may be the winner of a great gift in the process.




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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.