Author: Zane Smith
Title: Retreads
Publisher: Real Time Publishers
ISBN: 978-1-84961-034-6
Genre: Business novel

Reviewed by Terrence Ward for Allbooks Review


Retreads is a business novel about an up-and-coming predatory industry in the wake of the Great Recession: career marketing companies. Author Zane Smith introduces us to a cast of mostly unlikeable characters – unlikeable not because they aren't realistic, but because they are. The amoral attitudes and soulless closing techniques will be chillingly familiar to anyone who's had a brush with a professional scammer.

Set in the offices of fictional Executive Careers International in bustling Atlanta, Retreads takes the reader into the lives of some of the slickest operators and “bunko artists” in the career marketing industry and shows how they take advantage of people down on their luck and desperate enough to fork over what little money they have left to get back on their feet. Written as an illustration of how these operations are different than legitimate career counseling firms, the vibrant characters and very real conflicts left this reviewer feeling tense and genuinely interested about what would come next – pretty impressive for business fiction. A great read for someone looking for gripping slice-of-life fiction, and required reading for anyone who's been pounding the pavement looking for an executive position.

Terence Ward, Allbooks Review. www.allbookreviews.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.
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Chiron Book Series Is Winner According to Midwest Book Review

The Taker and the Keeper
By Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin
Genre: Fantasy for preteens
ISBN: 978-1935178033
Publisher: Chiron Books


This review was originally on Children's Bookwatch at Midwest Book Review

The Taker and the Keeper is a Red Monocle series paperback that features middle-school protagonists and reluctant heroes Gregory Guest and Yolanda Torres. Through use of the red monocle, Gregory and Yolanda travel through time into the legendary court of King Arthur of Camelot, where with the help of Merlin an his apprentice they must outwit the enchantress Morgan le Fay to rescue parallel worlds, ancient and modern. Written to appeal to an audience age 8 and up, The Taker and the Keeper is part of an award -winning group of juvenile literature that promises to continue educating and enchanting young readers. The plot is tight, the writing is fluid, the action is packed, the suspense is palpable, and the novel ends with the three magic words "to be continued..." Three cheers and a heads up for the talented authors of the Red Monocle Series!

Find the video trailer.

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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:

Tons of Tips, Advice and Ideas for Authors Who Want Their Books to Succeed

Reviewed by Tony Eldridge

The Frugal Book Promoter is a solid source for any author who finds out the cold, hard truth that most of the publicity for their book is up to them. It covers book promotion from the time before the book is out to well into its publication. While it mentions traditional book promotion activities that can cost thousands of dollars, it is true to its title by providing more frugal tips, ideas and guidance than one author could possibly use.

Most authors have little knowledge or experience with book promotion. This book will help them look at things that often go overlooked. For example, the book discusses marketing aspects of blurbs, cover design and even author photos. It also gives suggestions on how to approach and communicate with people who can help you promote your book. This just scratches the surface of the tips found in this book.

Book promotion can be overwhelming to many authors, but The Frugal Book Promoter has so many great ideas in it that keeping it at arm’s reach will definitely pay off for the author with a new or upcoming book.

Tony Eldridge
Blogging at Marketing Tips For Authors
Author: The Samson Effect
"1st rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure"- Clive Cussler
Read Now online at BookBuzzr.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.
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Imaginiation on Board Author Reviews Elizabeth Fackler's "My Eyes Have a Cold Nose"

My Eyes Have a Cold Nose
Elizabeth Fackler
Sunstone Press
Box 2321, Santa Fe, NM
87504-2321
(800) 243-5644
Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 0865346992
ISBN-13: 978-0865346994
$17.95 Amazon


Elizabeth Fackler’s My Eyes Have a Cold Nose, published by Sunstone Press is a great example of how an author can blend history, mystery, and fiction. Ms. Fackler begins with a historically accurate character, Elizabeth “Gigi” Garrett, daughter of sheriff Pat Garrett. Gigi Garrett lost her sight as a baby, but with her father’s encouragement, did the things a normal child would: went to school, climbed trees, rode horses, studied music and became a nationally known concert pianist.

My Eyes Have a Cold Nose opens during the Depression. Now in her mid-fifties, Ms. Garrett has retired from the concert stage and gives music lessons to the children in the New Mexico town where she has settled with her seeing-eye dog Teenie. The town and the dog are real. Ms. Fackler once lived in the house owned by Ms. Garrett. Discovery ot Teenie’s grave in the backyard led to the author’s interest in Gigi.

From the truth of Gigi Garrett’s life, Elizabeth Fackler develops a fictional mystery. Chauncy, an orphan who has spent his childhood shuttling between foster families, stands accused of murdering Gigi’s down-the-street neighbor, 15 year-old Eleanor Fielding. Gigi does not believe Chauncy to be guilty. Using her sharpened senses of touch, smell, taste, and hearing, she guides the local sheriff, Sly Rendt, through a maze of clues and possible suspects.

In the process, truth weaves back into fiction. The real Ms. Garrett somehow learned to identify color by odor, an ability which may have combined with faint visual memories since she was not born blind. She could also estimate accurately size, weight, position, and gender of a person by listening to movement.

Using this information, Ms. Fackler creates superb suspense in My Eyes Have a Cold Nose. This suspense is unlike any found in mysteries featuring sighted detective heroes. To explain just why would spoil the fun of My Eyes Have a Cold Nose. Suffice to say that Ms. Fackler uses Gigi’s abilities to create moments that tie a reader’s insides into knots, particularly when an intruder creeps into her house assuming she will not know anyone is there; or when Teenie bolts from Gigi’s, stranding her in the middle of a hostile crowd.


Between the heart pounding moments, Ms. Fackler describes the relationship between a blind person and a seeing, eye dog as a blind person would experience it. Teenie curls her body around Gigi to warn her of steps or rough sidewalks. Gigi can feel changes in the dog’s mood and focus by touching her harness.

Without one visual image, Ms. Fackler conveys a sense of the unnamed town where Gigi lives simply by describing what she feels as she walks the streets, hears traffic, and listens to the comings and goings of others.

As My Eyes Have a Cold Nose’s plot develops, the author sprinkles in Ms. Garrett’s reflections on life with her father: things he used to do, favorite sayings, tidbits he shared about law enforcement, and paternal advice. All the memories come from documented sources concerning Ms. Garrett and her family.

No piece of information is wasted or gratuitous. Throughout My Eyes Have a Cold Nose, fact drives plot and develops character to create fine fiction, a deep understanding of how blind people function, and a strong sense of New Mexico as a particular place in a particular time.

Reviewer Connie Gotsch is the author of A Mouth Full of Shell and Snap Me a Future. Her quote if featured featured in "The Complete Writer's Journal" --www.redenginepress.com
Learn more at www.conniegotsch.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.
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Forced to Become Wealthy

Book Name: You Will Be Forced To Become Wealthy
Book Author: Finifid
Website: www.AgeOfLogic.com
Genre: Adult

Reviewed by Sophia Ofshtein


When I first got this book, I was positive it would be just another "get-rich scheme" but to my pleasant surprise, only it's underlying message was that. The bulk of the book was so much more. So much of the book is dedicated to discussing those questions we all always wonder about, especially today, in a day when there are so many more people questioning religion and faith.

Some of the content discusses a theory (which has me convinced) about our origins on this planet, and has me re-thinking some of my previous beliefs. The book definitely provides one with a ton to think about, but as you read on, you get more and more into the ideas, and really start to see the light, so to speak. It's difficult to really tell about the content, because some of the ideas are expressed so perfectly by the author, I wouldn't know how to reproduce them. Definitely not an easyread, but absolutely worth it. I'm pretty sure this book changed my life, and now I just need to get around to reading it again!

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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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E. Joyce Moore's Poetry Reviewed

Ramblings Through the Attic of Thought
Author: E. Joyce Moore
Author's Site: www.moorehamenterprises.yolasite.com
Genre: Poetry
ISBN: 0-9822056-2-7
ISBN13: 978-0-9822056-2-4
Publisher: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43348745
five star rating



Originally Reviewed by Timothy Stelly Sr. for Useless-Knowledge



E. Joyce Moore is one of my favorite writers, from essays to poetry, her missives tend to be heartfelt, yet analytical. Her poetry Ramblings Through The Attic Of Thought, is no exception. This a poignant potpourri of poetic style and musings, from haiku to hip-hop; covering subjects ranging from broken hearts to the state of black America . Moore fires at the reader from point-blank range.

2009 SORMAG Poetry Book of the Year

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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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Soccer Lovers Alert! New Book for You

Book Title: The Game of Their Lives: The Untold Story of the World Cup's Biggest Upset
Author: Geoffrey Douglas
Publisher: It Books
Publisher's Address: New York, NY
ISBN: 978-0060758776
List Price: $13.99

Reviewed by Raja N. Krishnan for Amazon


I grew up watching soccer. I enjoyed playing soccer with friends and then later for my high school team. In this country soccer is considered to be mostly enjoyed by kids. It is growing in popularity; it just has not crossed that threshold or the tipping point to take it into the mainstream. After watching the U.S. Soccer team’s great run in the Confederation Cup this past summer culminating in the loss to Brazil, the most feared team of this time, I was inspired to find a book written about the game of soccer. I came across a book titled The Game of their Lives authored by Geoffrey Douglas and this is the subject of this review.

The setting of the book is about a famous soccer match between the United States and England, the most feared team of that time, in the 1950 World Cup. Although at times in the beginning of the story the detailed play by play account of the soccer match can seem to be tedious reading, the author does convey the beauty of the game of soccer in a concise manner and also providing some history throughout the book. The author provides some of the best descriptions of the game of soccer in small doses throughout the book. At one point in the beginning of the book, the author goes on a smooth ride describing the gorgeous game of soccer. The following is an example from the book comparing the sport of soccer to other sports:

“The rhythms of most sports rely on stop-and-start devisements: four downs, nine innings, eighteen holes-and play is halted, breaths are caught, adrenaline depletes. In soccer, where play is continuous-there are no huddles, inning changes, set pieces, or lulls between tackles or points-the rhythms determine themselves.”

Throughout the book the author appropriately conveys the reason why soccer is an exciting game. Having stated that, this book is not only about soccer, it’s about the lives of the players that were on that famous 1950 US soccer national team. The book gives a glimpse about how it was like growing up in America during the depression of the 1930’s.

Furthermore it’s also about the life of immigrant families during that time and also the family life. As the author indicates he was sharing the living history of these soccer players. Living history……..yeah I think that’s what a good historian does. I thought that at times the back and forth transitions between the soccer match and the history of the players on the team seemed to not flow smoothly and also diminished the building suspense of the soccer match, I think with some patient reading Douglas does communicate this living history. It is a challenging task to merge two different aspects, such as a description of the game of soccer with a history of the players; in this case I thought it was a valiant effort and with some patient reading Douglas does communicate this living history.

I would recommend this book for those young soccer players, and also for those that are interested in the account of this 1950 United States vs England World Cup Match. This is an apt book to consider reading ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa. Also, this would be an interesting reading for those that are interested in history, particular the history of immigrant families in the United States. The book gives a nice perspective on the life of immigrant families.

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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: