Writing Columns for the Love of It or Supporting Your Habit

The Art of Column Writing
By Suzette Martinez Standring
ISBN 9781933338261
Marion Street Press

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

I love writing columns. It’s one way I can share. I can’t help liking to do that. It must be the teacher in me (or vice versa) because I love teaching, too. Practically speaking though, many writers are columnists because they need to pay the bills while they write books.

Some don’t even know that’s what why they’re doing it. They came to write columns long after they started writing in other genres. Though I have heard columnists say that the paychecks aren’t big enough, I’ve never heard one of them claim that they don’t like getting paid.

Having said that, some write columns for no pay, or rather—more accurately—in trade for a byline, a good credit line that includes the writer’s Web site address, and (if they are also good negotiators) a little ad or image of their book’s cover or the logo of the writing-related service they provide that also pays the bills while they support their writing habits. Those not-quite-so lucrative writing habits may range from poetry to the writing of novels, and may well include several of those less practical pursuits all at once.

That isn’t to negate the skill it takes to write a good column. In fact, learning to write a great column can lead to better writing of about anything, to say nothing of fatter and fatter paychecks.

Therefore, I was glad to see Suzette Martinez Standring’s book The Art of Column Writing. It includes “insider secrets” from the likes of Art Buchwald, Tim Bete, and Arianna Huffington, but it also gives a writer the basics necessary to succeed.

One of my favorites is Standring’s chapter on “Elements of a Pulitzer Prize Winning Column.” As a past president of NSNC, Standring has access to the best of advice from the best of columnists, and some of the ideas in this chapter are from Keith Woods who spoke on the subject at the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Many are ideas he gleaned as he judged entries for the big “P” prize.

My very favorite chapter, though, is on copyright. I like it because my students and clients worry about it—sometimes to excess. This chapter will put many writing minds at ease, give them some guidelines so they feel more comfortable with both quotations and research. Pay special attention to her entry, number seven on page sixty-three.

So, if you are a writer without an itch to be a columnist, should you read this book? I think so . . .If you were my student, I’d want you to make a very good case why you shouldn’t. Like maybe you have already reached the top of your game. You are Dave Barry, Walter Brasch or Suzette Standring.
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Originally published at MyShelf.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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

Holly Weiss Garners Attention from Goodreads

Crestmont
By Holly Weiss
Author website http://www.hollyweiss.com/
Historical Fiction
ISBN 978-1-935188-10-0

Reviewed by Daphne Kalotay, author of Russian Winter



Holly Weiss’s debut novel is a nostalgic take on the goings-on at a fashionable 1920s inn, where the heroine, Grace, takes refuge as a housekeeper to escape a forbidden love. A likeable all-American girl, Grace bobs her hair and changes her name to Gracie, acknowledging the transformation ahead of her.


We meet other staff members and visitors to the resort, and more heartache awaits Gracie—but when, over halfway through the book, a famed opera singer arrives, Gracie’s natural talent is allowed its due.

Weiss’s omniscient narrator gives the reader a heartfelt overview of Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania and its history; the narrative is book-ended by multiple prologues (one of them particularly inventive) and an epilogue that reveals what becomes of Gracie.

There is real nostalgia in Weiss’s writing—for a simpler time. Just as the opera singer, Rosa, advises Gracie, Weiss too has chosen to “sing” something she truly loves. This is a historical novel for those who want to retreat to a 1920s free of grit, like Weiss’s smooth, efficient prose.


The author may be contacted at http://twitter.com/HWeissauthor .  Midwest review says of her book,
"Crestmont is a fine and riveting read for historical fiction fans, highly recommended."  Find the reviewer at http://www.daphnekalotay.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 read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine 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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

St. John of the Midfield author Garasamo Maccagnone

Book Title: St. John of the Midfield
Author: Garasamo Maccagnone
Genre: Sports Fiction - Adult
ISBN-10: 1608607925
ISBN-13: 978-1608607921
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing




Reviewed by: Irfan Faroqui, for The New Book Review

St John of the Midfield is a moving story, which plays out against the backdrop of the competitive youth soccer scene. Don't worry if you aren't a sports or soccer fan. The reader doesn't need a working knowledge of the sport to enjoy this human drama, which starts in Bulgaria and travels all the way to the soccer fields of America. Garasamo uses the intrigues generated by sports competition to ignite and fuel this engaging read.
St. John of the Midfield is above all a father's story. Mario Santini, half Sicilian, half Czech, narrates the tale and is torn between being a good father and being a good son. Mario has made a 'temporary peace' with his father Frankie's Mafia lifestyle, but balances two worlds as he tries to raise his son, Luca, on the legitimate side of the family business. Somewhere deep inside, Mario acknowledges that the differences between these worlds will have to be reconciled. In the meantime he is having a ball becoming an unintentional "soccer dad." Luca's talent as a soccer player is truly recognized by coach Bobo, a former world-class Bulgarian soccer player. The action rises with the appearance of Sonny Christopher, Bobo's former sports rival. Sonny renews his rivalry and soccer field politics become personal when he targets Luca, using malicious and dangerous tactics, in his attempts to destroy Bobo on and off the field.
This story touches everything from fatherhood, family loyalty, pride, revenge, justice, the husband and wife relationship, desires of the flesh, to questions about consequence, and personal responsibility. You will be halfway through without realizing how much time has passed. This book is riveting.

~Tomorrow, December 22, 2010, is day seven of the St. John of the Midfield virtual tour. Hosted by Lisa Jackson it is a Q&A written interview with Garasamo Maccagnone at http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/ . Follow this blogger on Twitter: @lisajjackson




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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 read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine 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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Amazon Project Thriller Reviewed

Title: The Wilco Project

Author: Daniel Springer
Website: http://danielspringer.com/
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
ISBN: ISBN-13: 978-1453884638

Reviewer: Publishers Weekly

Note: THE WILCO PROJECT was a semi-finalist in the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest.)

"The WILCO Project combines murder mystery with elements of a technological thriller, blending the genres in a deftly written manuscript. The author provides a gripping opening with a female college student murdered while playing a mysterious campus-wide game in the woods. Readers are soon introduced to the rest of the cast of characters: Dr Steven Archer, former Internet entrepreneur turned professor, who leads a team of young computer programmers in the creation of the ultimate cell phone game; Bobbi, a school reporter, determined to find out the truth about the murder, even if it means putting her own life in jeopardy; Jonathan Holden, creator of the game and all around cad; Patricia, the angry assistant on the team who is sleeping with the head of the wireless company, Larry Hershman; and finally, Peter, a techno-geek who is invisible. After Archer discovers that the dead girl is Jonathan's ex-fiance, he realizes that the The Wilco Project is a game of hide-and-seek, in which players use the phone to locate and destroy enemies. As Archer finds himself investigating the first murder and a subsequent one, he is led down one path after another. While this plot is a new take on an old thriller genre, the author delivers a well-executed thriller." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY


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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 read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine 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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Reviewer Gives Book on Meditation Top Marks

Title: Relaxing into Meditation

Author: Ngakma Nor’dzin
Publisher: Aro Books worldwide
Date: 13th August 2010
ISBN: 978-1-898185-17-8
Web page: http://bit.ly/nrprim
Contact: arobooksworldwide@gmail.com



Reviewer: Rossinna Ippolito

Relaxing into Meditation is the best book on meditation I've ever read, and I've been browsing them since the mid-70's. I say this because of the distinction made between relaxation and meditation, and the explanation of why relaxation must happen before meditation can begin. I have never seen it spelled out so clearly before, and in such a gentle, non-didactic manner. The writing draws you in and you come to love the teacher as if you were also a member of one of her meditation groups. I love that the chapters are short and not overwhelming. The author doesn't talk down to the reader and isn't too folksy. It is simple, but not "meditation for dummies."
Some years ago I was watching a cable-access show presented by one of the guru-types that so frequently make appearances on such venues. One thing he mentioned came through loud and clear. In his discussion on meditating the guru explained that one can't just jump into meditation and expect it to "work." Rather, he said that "the secret" is that your focus should be on "becoming meditative" rather than "meditating." That is, if you stop putting the emphasis on attempting to have the perfect meditation experience and just relax by performing the preliminaries, a meditative state will come upon you in a natural, non-forced manner.
This struck me, for having read various meditation books through the years I would become motivated to practice but would stop and start, becoming bored or frustrated with my lack of "progress." Thus, hearing about the idea of not trying so hard at it, but just relaxing into "becoming meditative" was very appealing. Unfortunately, I never saw that presenter's show again so I never learned what it meant to "become meditative" - that is, until I read Relaxing into Meditation.
The beauty of the text is in the presentation of the ways of becoming meditative, i.e. through breath-work, song or movement. Each exercise is enough in itself. There is no pressure to move on to the next technique, and the benefits of each level are given respect. That is not to say one is not invited to try other meditative techniques, just that each one is whole and respected in itself.
The illustrations of the text along with the warm and friendly manner in which it is written make attempting each new meditative technique a real pleasure. This is a fabulous book for those who have been curious about meditation but were a little hesitant, feeling they didn't have "the right stuff" to be successful at it. The text is gentle and fun and calmly inspiring, and even if you have dabbled in meditation before you'll learn new ways to think about what you have been doing. Relaxing into Meditation is sure to become a classic.



~The reviewer is a freelance back-of-the book indexer whose speciality is spiritual and religious texts: http://inDocsinDexing.com



~Aro Books worldwide may be accessed at  http://aro-books-worldwide.org/ . Tweeting at
http://twitter.com/arobooksworld .



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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 read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine 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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Title: Haint Blue

Author: Carl E. Linke
Author’s website: www.carllinke.com
Fiction (Southern Literature); 306 pp (paperback)
Publisher: Philip-Forrest Publishing
Publication Date: June 2010
Paperback: $14.00
Amazon (Kindle; $4.95)
ISBN: 978-0-982-74216-7


Reviewed by Sandie Kirkland for Booksiesblog

From the first pages of Carl E. Linke's Haint Blue, the reader is transported south to Beaufort, South Carolina, and its Lowcountry heritage and traditions. Spanish moss festoons the trees in front of stately old homes. Feasts of shrimp and grits, oysters, hush puppies, sweet tea and pecan pie fight the air for dominance with magnolias and gardenias. The book's title comes from an old belief that ghosts (haints) won't cross water and painting ceilings, doors and windows haint blue protects the inhabitants from them. Church is a big priority, followed closely by the fortunes of the local high school and college football teams. Above all else is the closeness to the land and the fortunes tied to the bounty found by fishing and farming.


But there is a darker side. This is an area built on the cruelty of slave labor. The descendants of those slaves, the Gullah people, are still here, mired in poverty with few prospects for work as the old powerhouses of the economy, seafood, tobacco, textiles and furniture leaves for other areas. Outside interests want to buy up property because of its location and charm, but then build megamalls and residential subdivisions that take away the very things they chased to the area. There are still vestiges of voodoo, Tarot cards, hexes and superstition.

Kip Drummond is caught in the middle. He bought the local oyster factory six years ago, and built a life in Beaufort for his wife and stepson. Now, he is being pressured by investors to sell the property, and they are playing hardball, buying off his suppliers and giving better prices to his buyers, squeezing the life out of the company bit by bit. His wife hates the area and wants to move back to her native Charleston. But on the other side, the workers who have worked in the factory their entire lives depend on him. Without the factory, there will be nowhere for them to make a living wage. Will Kip be able to keep his head and make the right decision? He is haunted by a deep secret that influences everything he does, and along with the other pressures, it threatens to come out.
Carl Linke has written a solid debut novel. He has captured the feel of the Southern Lowcountry so well that the reader can close their eyes and be there immediately with the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that seem more realistic than the room they sit in. His descriptions of tailgating parties, a typical Southern church service, the suddenness of weather changes, the aftermath of hurricanes, and the tensions between those born in the area and those moving in are spot on. The reader will want to find out what happens, and how Kip resolves his dilemma. This book is recommended for readers interested in regional writing that also hits broader themes of how the country moves forward to a new economy, and how people from different backgrounds can live together.

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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 read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine 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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Amazon Top 500 Reviewer Weighs in on Fiction by Lantin

Title: Come Here...and I'll Show You
Kindle Edition
By Derek Lantin,
Author's blog: http://dereklantin.booksabuzz.com/
Publisher: Bangkok Books

http://www.bangkokbooks.com/php/product/product.php?product_id=001009

Reviewed by Citizen John, Top 500 Reviewer for Amazon


This is Lantin's first published book and what a story! Edwards is a former Secret War soldier and expatriate who gets enticed into returning to the lands along the Mekong River where he reconnects with former comrades to resolve an inheritance matter. This guy has no sense of political correctness which improbably makes him a magnet for dangerous women.

A lot of the action takes place in some of the countries along the Mekong including Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. We get to know places where Lantin spent some of his formative post-RAF years such as Sihanoukville (literally, city of sandalwood), a port city of Cambodia and Vientiane, the capital of Laos as well as jungle highlands where remnants of the Hmong people are in hiding to this day. These are some of the places where belligerents of the Vietnam War operated in an unofficial proxy war fueled by the Cold War powers.

Edwards, like many expats, enjoys a "coupla beers" whenever the situation allows, which is quite often. He is single and has a kind of zest for life that one often finds in those that have seen their share of war like Hemingway, Dieter Dengler (Hero Found: The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War) and Zorba the Greek (Zorba the Greek). In short, he doesn't pass up an opportunity with beautiful local women. However, this novel is neither graphic nor filled with profanity. I found Edward's uninhibited style disarming and a great vehicle to lose myself in escapism, an experience that has become darn hard to find.

Having finished reading Come Here...and I'll Show You, I felt inspired to check out some famous scenes from Clint Eastwood movies on `Y-Tube.' I had forgotten how politically incorrect Eastwood's characters were. However, I was reminded of the magnetism they created. Such characters are far from amoral. They get into scrapes because they stand for something. That maybe why it's believable that women are attracted to them and what allows them to live in a way we can only imagine.

I couldn't easily put the book down. It's filled with information that would be helpful for one trying to survive in a jungle, in places like Laos or in cash-economy environments. Mainly it's great escapist entertainment.


~To connect with the author an Facebook go to FaceBook : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Come-Here-and-Ill-Show-You/111874615543613

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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 read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine 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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :