John Gorman Combines Love with Comedy for Literary Novel

Shades of Luz
By John Gorman
Published by All Things That Matter Press
Genre: Fiction: Literary
ISBN 098409847X


Reviewed by Jen Ochs Originally for NY Book Cafe


Shades of Luz is a whimsical love story with a touch of comedy. Gorman’s quirky little novel is certainly entertaining for those with a sense a humor. Packed with suprises, Gorman displays his skill as a writer with this refreshing, yet somewhat unusual coming of age story. I would say Gorman’s writing is compatible with Ben Winters and his quirky novels, Pride, Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.

This story centers around Benny, a graduate school dropout. Without his graduate degree, times are tough. While he is selling stuffed animals on the street, he comes to meet Luz. Benny falls for Luz and falls hard. Luz, although periodically in and out of Benny’s life, attempts to persuade him to go back to school and finish his thesis. Then there is Mungo.

Through a strange series of circumstances, these two become a big part of each other’s life, as Benny is forced to work for Mungo, who is an underworld bookie. We are then thrown into the bizarre world of thumb-wrestling, however, with Gorman’s descriptiveness, one would think it was an MMA competition. Nevertheless, through it all, Benny’s heart is set on Luz. Benny and Luz are subsequently reunited at his family’s house, as the two of them share a memorable holiday dinner that neither of them will soon forget.

Gorman manages to keep this story going. Although many of the themes in this novel are a bit peculiar, and at times, a little eccentric, he does a fine job in keeping the interest of the reader. The characters are certainly rich while Benny is on his quest to get his girl. For a quick humorous fiction fix, Shades of Luz delivers!






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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.
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A Book with Hope for a Boom

Beyond the Crisis: The Future of Capitalism
By Adjiedj Bakas

Beyond the Crisis: The Future of Capitalism is by an assoiciate of mine. It explains the economic crisis with hope for future BOOM – plus bonus gifts you can give this season.

Beyond the Crisis: The Future of Capitalism, is about the current economic crisis, its origins, and what’s behind today’s headlines: A Cleanup Before a Grand New Age Begins.


In Beyond the Crisis, Bakas explains the natural flow of the economy with ups and downs. He envisions Boom after Doom, yet a totally different kind of Boom than we used to know. This insightful, inspiring book really helps you through the most severe crisis of our lifetime. It’s not your usual dry diatribe, but a book filled with photos and outstanding concepts both past and present.

Futurologist Adjiedj Bakas researches economical, technological, cultural and spiritual trends all over the world. With roots in three continents, he is a global citizen, a man of today's fast moving world. His books are sold in more than 40 countries, in several languages. Worldwide he has sold more than 500,000 copies of his books, and he appears frequently in the media. He is the first author worldwide to combine economical, technological, political and astrological trends in this unique book about the current crisis and the way out of the mess.

“Detroit can only be saved and renewed, if it goes bankrupt first. Stop the bailout," is an example of his quotes. His books are used at universities, among government officials and within most industries. He lectures for universities, companies and governments.

This can be a gift of hope to your friends & family for this holiday season!

Bonuses are available for those who buy during this launch at http://beyondthecrisis.homestead.com/jvbonuspage.html

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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.

Kristin Johnson Reviews Poetry Chapbook For and About Mothers

She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood
By Magdalena Ball and Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Poetry Chapbook
Purchase: www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook

Reviewed by Kristin Johnson, founder of The Warrior Poet Project


What relationship is more complex or more elemental than the mother-child bond? Abraham Lincoln said, 'All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.' Toni Morrison wrote, 'Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that suppose to mean? In my heart it don't mean a thing.'

Both of those quotes, as well as one by Honore de Balzac at the beginning of SHE WORE EMERALD THEN, perfectly describe this collection of poems by Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball---poetry that catches at your soul. Both of them reprise their poems from Ball's QUARK SOUP, Howard-Johnson's Tracings, and their joint collection, Cherished Pulse. Fans of Cherished Pulse will be pleased to learn that the poets continue to write poems that don't sound either like banal Hallmark cards or the bitter-at-dysfunctional-family jeremiads that habitually torture MFA writing workshop participants.

The two poets complement each other (with words accompanied by stunning photography by May Lattanzio). The opus covers both the grand sweep of the birth of all universal life and the private universe populated by only an adult daughter watching her mother struggle to eat dinner and remembering how her mother washed her one slip.

While Ball explores the cosmic continuum and traces us all back to the mother spark that set the stars burning, Howard-Johnson concentrates her portraiture on the deeply personal. But Ball also talks about the oxytocin haze of giving birth and her mother vomiting from cancer drugs. To quote the last poem in the collection, 'Hallmark Couldn't Possibly Get This Right.' When you read about the tough love of the universe or Ball's sienna childhood photograph or Howard-Johnson's mother forgetting her name, you want to cry and hug your mother (and your children, if you have them), because they capture the eternal tug of war between joy and sorrow in the mother-child bond."
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Kristin Johnson is a poet, author, screenwriter and founder of the Poet Warrior Project, http://poetwarriorproject.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.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:

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.