Sci-Fi/Romance Available as Free E-Book on Some Sites

Title: Surviving the Fog
Author: Stan Morris
Author's Web site: https://sites.google.com/site/stansfreeebooks/Home
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Ecowitch
Where this review was published: smashwords.com https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/712
Publisher: Stan Morris
Reviewer's rating: four stars
Available at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes
Reviewed by Sam Ecowitch, originally for smashwords.com
I was strangely taken by this book, despite it appearing like (and me kind of expecting) a post-apocalyptic/end of the world story when it really isn't. This follows the fortunes of a group of young teens as they try to survive following the appearance of a strange and deadly fog that has covered much of the planet (it can't go above a certain altitude) that has resulted in the 'disappearance' of the adults that run the camp. Ultimately this is a story of survival and of how, given the right leadership and tools, even the youngest can survive the most extreme situations. The writing was descriptive and engaging and created the right mix of tension, fear, hope and optimism to give credence to the work and the possibility that kids really could do this. But some of the more difficult situations and how they're resolved didn't quite sit right given what we know about the kids present. They not at a survival training or outdoor activity camp, it is in fact a sexual abstinence and education camp so the fact that every kid/teen present is able to use spears, bow and arrow, hunt etc to some extent does at times seems a little stretched at times (especially when taking on 'bad men'). However this does not detract from the story too much as Morris' writing makes it somehow okay, acceptable and strangely believable."


----- 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 :

How To Get Your Book Reviewed

How to Get Your Book Reviewed:

Sell More Books with Reviews, Testimonials and Endorsements

By Dana Lynn Smith
Web site: www.GetBookReviews.net
Book Marketing/Publishing/Authorship/Self-Publishing
ISBN: 0-9823804-0-2
5 Stars

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson originally for Amazon

Note: I rarely review books on this blog myself. But, in this case, this book is so pertinent to the needs of the many, many participants on this blog--everyone from the authors to the publishers to the reviewers themselves--I thought I'd include it.

When I'm working with clients or answering questions for the readers of my HowToDoItFrugally book The Frugal Book Promoter: Second Edition: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher., reviews are always among the biggest concerns. Yes, there is book bigotry out there. Yes, it is a tough row. But it can be done.

Lots of how-to books for writers touch on the subject of getting reviews. But Dana Lynn Smith's new how-to is the most complete guide for getting reviews around. It's must for an author's e-cabinet of book promotion essentials! I hope each and every author finds Dana's book and reads up on the subject before his or her book is published.

It's never too late to get reviews but knowing about reviews early on will benefit books much more if an author has the essential information early on. It will put them in a better position to do it themselves or partner with their publisher.

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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 :

Goodreads/Amazon Reviewer Likes Adventure Book

It's Always Darkestby Steve Spencer
www.PaulDMallory.com
Action-adventure/thriller (self-published)
Available for both Kindle and Nook
http://amzn.to/qRX28j
http://bit.ly/o7iCl9

Reviewed by Julia Hughes (http://amzn.to/nQpfbn), originally for Amazon
This ebook appealed to me enormously. The author writes with authority and
deftness. I identified very easily with the main character Paul Mallory,
an easy going journalist content with his lot who enjoys old films and
collects trivia just to perplex a geeky work colleague. Paul is jogging
along in life doing well enough - when the mysterious and vaguely sinister
Bentley Cramer approaches him with an offer he can't refuse.

Quote: "He was large enough and round enough to join the solar system with
no questions asked. The cigar that protruded from the right side of his
mouth would have been a full day's work for the best torcedor in Havana,
and if he was worried about the stadium being a smoke-free location, he
gave no sign of it. Gave no sign, in fact, of ever being worried about
much of anything." Throughout the book, characters are sketched so
convincingly they step from the page and go home at night to their loved
ones.

Before Paul can say wtf? he finds himself working for the irrepressible
Bentley and in Russia reporting on a handball competition. But he soon
learns there's something very funny going on. Or at least it would be
funny, if people weren't getting murdered. Before long Paul is on the
trail of a psychopathic killer who would give Fredrick Forsyth's 'Jackal'
a run for his money.

Paul Mallory's point of view is written in the first person, which creates
an immediate bond. When the action moves elsewhere it is described in 3rd
person pov which I appreciated, as some scenes are as you would expect in
a hard hitting thriller such as this, violent.

This book worked for me on all levels. I liked the characters, enjoyed the
action scenes and locations and appreciated the author's knowledge of his
craft. Parts of the book made me smile at the sly humour the author allows
his main character to display from time to time. I felt as though I'd made
a new friend in Paul Mallory and I'm certain I won't be the only one by a
long shot to become a fan.

In case you're wondering, I have a little system in place when reviewing
indie authors. I know how hard it is to get the formatting, grammar etc
correct when you're editing your own work. So any indie ebook
automatically gains points when these are correct, in this book they are
impeccable. I then add points for storyline, originality and enjoyment.
This book scores all five points. If I'm reviewing a book which is
published by a 'house,' I automatically expect some of the money I've paid
to have been spent on an editor.

~Find more reviews by Julia Hughes on Goodreads.
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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 :

Award-Winning Author Reviews Killing the Cancer Beast

Killing the Cancer Beast
By Maria D.Georga
Genre: Nonfiction/Holistic Health
Available at www.lulu.com and Amazon

Mini Synopsis: The real story of a woman who was left with no hope after she was diagnosed with Cancer. An actual fight of her and her family with the only weapons which were left to them: love, strong will and a belief that God should have thought of an antidote before humans would.

Reviewed by Shirley Cheng, Award-Winning Author

Imagine that, during surgery, doctors unexpectedly discovered a
malignant tumor in the person closest to your heart. Would you give way
to bitter resentment, or would you look the cancer straight in the eye
and challenge a fight? Maria D. Georga chose the latter route and took
matters into her own hands when her mother Angela was diagnosed with
not only a very aggressive type of cancer but also at the worst stage.
"Killing the Cancer Beast" is the true story of Maria's journey of
helping win her mother's battle alongside her. Written in a
no-nonsense, easy-to-read style, this short book demonstrates that
nature's medicines not only cure the patient but the caregivers as
well. What are those natural ingredients? They come in both tangible
and intangible elements: God-gifted strength, determination, a positive
attitude, but more so a strong love for her mother, were the intangible
components that helped Maria cope during their difficult time. The
tangible medicines lie in the plants God abundantly supplies us, yet
many are ignorant of their values. For example, did you know that
Vitamin B17, apricot seeds, and intravenously injected Vitamin C can
have the same effects of chemotherapy without the adversity? And did
you know that millet contains all the essential amino acids required to
sustain our life?

"Killing the Cancer Beast" is not simply a
heartwarming story of a stranger, but it is more so a gentle guide that
can lead you and your loved ones to a better life. No, it does not
guarantee treatments nor is it a replacement to professional medical
advice, but it will open doors you may not otherwise open without
reading it. Life is a giant school with countless opportunities to
learn, but we can not learn everything from only one class--we need to
attend as many classes as we can in order to learn as much as possible,
and this book is just one of those many classes. Why not sign up for
this class to learn something new today that may help someone tomorrow?

Reviewer Shirley Cheng is a blind and physically disable multi award-winning author and motivational speaker. Learn more about her at www.ShirleyCheng.com. She is nine-time winner of the Parent to Paren Adding Wisdom award and advocate board member of World Positive Thinkers Club.

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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 :

Book Promotion: It Is Never Too Early or Too Late

Rather than run a review today, I thought I'd run an article that will help all the authors and publishers who have participated in this blog over the years. With my thanks, of course. 

Book Sales Getting Musty?

Note: Carolyn Howard-Johnson celebrates the release of the second edition of the multi award-winning Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo) with this excerpt and a little rundown of what readers will find in the new edition that weren’t in the old one.

In the world of publishing as in life, persistence counts. Of course, there is no way to keep a book at the top of the charts forever, but if you keep reviving it, you might hold a classic in your hands. Or your marketing efforts for one book may propel your next one to greater heights.

I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen authors who measure their success by book sales give up on their book (and sometimes on writing) just about the time their careers are about ready to take off. I tell my students and clients to fight the it’s-too-late-urge.

Publicity is like the little waves you make when you toss pebbles into a lake. The waves travel, travel, travel and eventually come back to you. If you stop lobbing little stones, you lose momentum. It’s never too late and it’s never too early to promote. Rearrange your thinking. Marketing isn’t about a single book. It’s about building a career. And new books can build on the momentum created by an earlier book, if you keep the faith. Review the marketing ideas in this book, rearrange your schedule and priorities a bit, and keep at it.

Here are a few keep-at-it ideas.

• Run a contest on your Web site, on Twitter, or in your newsletter. Use your books for prizes or get cross-promotion benefits by asking other authors for books; many will donate one to you in trade for the exposure. Watch the 99 Cent Stores for suitable favors to go with them.

Hint: Any promotion you do including a contest is more powerful when you call on your friends to tell their blog visitors or Facebook pals about it.

• Barter your books or your services for exposure on other authors’ Web sites.
• Post your flier, brochure, or business card on bulletin boards everywhere: In grocery stores, coffee shops, Laundromats, car washes, and bookstores.
• Offer classes in writing to your local high school, college, or library system. Publicizing them is easy and free. When appropriate, use your own book as suggested reading. The organization you are helping will pitch in by promoting your class. The network you build with them and your students is invaluable. Use this experience in your media kit to show you have teaching and presentation skills.
• Slip automailers into each book you sell or give away for publicity. Automailers are envelopes that are pre-stamped, ready to go. Your auto mailer asks the recipient to recommend your book to someone else. Your mailer includes a brief synopsis of your book, a picture of the cover of your book, your book’s ISBN, ordering information, a couple of your most powerful blurbs, and a space for the reader to add her handwritten, personal recommendation. Make it clear in the directions that the reader should fill out the form, address the envelope, and mail it to a friend. You may offer a free gift for helping out, but don’t make getting the freebie too tough. Proof-of-purchase type schemes discourage your audience from participating.
• Send notes to your friends and readers asking them to recommend your book to others. Or offer them a perk like free shipping, gift wrap, or small gift if they purchase your book for a friend. That’s an ideal way to use those contact lists you’ve been building.
• While you’re working on the suggestion above, put on your thinking cap. What directories have you neglected to incorporate into your contact list? Have you joined any new groups since your book was published? Did you ask your grown children for lists of their friends? Did you include lists of old classmates?
• Though it may be a bit more expensive than some ideas in this book, learn more about Google’s AdWords and AdSense. Learn about these opportunities on your Google account page. Many authors of niche nonfiction or fiction that can be identified with often-searched-for keywords find this advertising program effective.
• Check out ad programs like Amazon’s Vine review service. You agree to provide a certain number of books to Amazon and pay them a fee for the service. Amazon arranges the reviews for you. It’s expensive, but it gets your book exposed to Amazon’s select cadre of reviewers who not only write reviews for your Amazon sales page but also may start (or restart!) a buzz about your book.
• Connect and reconnect. Start reading blogs and newsletters you once subscribed to again. Subscribe to a new one. Join a writers’ group or organization related to the subject of your book.
• Record a playful message about your book on your answering machine.
• When you ship signed copies of your book, include a coupon for the purchase of another copy for a friend—signed and dedicated—or for one of your other books. Some distributors insert fliers or coupons into your books when they ship them for a fee.
• Adjust the idea above to a cross-promotional effort with a friend who writes in the same genre as you. He puts a coupon for your book in his shipments; you do the same for him in yours.
• Explore the opportunities for speaking on cruise ships. Many have cut back on the number of speakers they use, but your area of expertise may be perfect for one of them. I tried it, but found ship politics a drawback. Still many authors like Allyn Evans who holds top honors in Toastmasters and Erica Miner have used these venues successfully. For help with the application process from beginning to end, contact Daniel Hall at speakerscruisefree.com.

LEARN IN THE SECOND EDITION of The Frugal Book Promoter
WHAT YOU DIDN’T IN THE FIRST

We all know that book promotion (and life!) has changed since The Frugal Book Promoter was first published in 2004—particularly in ways that have to do with the Web, but in other ways, too. As an example, the publishing world in general is more open to indie publishing now than it was then. So, this new edition is updated but it also includes lots of information on ways to promote that were not around or were in their infancy a few short years ago.

So here is what is new:

~The Second Edition has been reorganized.
~The Second Edition is almost twice as fat—read that “twice as chock full of promotions you can use.”
~The Second Edition still includes the basics that make you into an on-your-own publicist or a great partner
for a professional publicist. That includes everything you need to know to put together the best,
most effective media releases, query letters, and media kits possible. And how to utilize what you love to do
most—write—to get the word out about what you love most—your book. If you loved the chapters
like the ones on writers’ conferences, getting reviews, book fairs or tradeshows, you’ll love the
updated ones even more.
~You’ll love the chapters on what I call the game changers. These really are game changers!

There’s information on using online bookstores to your benefit. There's information on how to make your blog actually work for you! And how to save time with your blogging! And ideas for blog posts—even if you write fiction or poetry!

~There is new information that answers questions like these:
§ What is Carolyn’s simplified method for making social networks actually work—without spending too much time away from my writing?
§ How can I avoid falling into some of the scam-traps for authors?
§ How can I get into one of those big tradeshows like BEA?
§ What are the best “old-fashioned” ways to promote—the ones I shouldn’t give up on entirely?
§ There is even an updated section on how you go about writing (and publishing) an award-worthy book. And, of course, you’ll find it loaded with resources you can use—but they’re all updated.
§ How can I use the new QR codes to promote my book to mobile users? And to others?
§ What are the pitfalls of using the Web and how can I avoid them?
§ What are the backdoor methods of getting reviews—even long after my book
has been published?

----- 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 :

Deb Hockenberry Reviews Young Adult Novel

TITLE: The Story Of Don Luis

AUTHOR: Stuart G. Yates
PUBLISHER: Triskaideka Books http://www.triskaidekabooks.co.nz
FILE SIZE: 280 KB
FORMAT: E-book
PRICE: $2.99 (US), £2.14 (UK),
ASIN: B00584P5MG
GENRE: Young Adult Fiction

Fourteen – year - old Luis has so many problems in his young life. His father marched off to war only to be murdered. Luis is left as the man of the house caring for his sick mother and younger sister. Each day, he rises earlier than anyone else in his household to go to his job of delivering bread to people that can afford it. Upon returning home, Luis feeds his family breakfast of bread and some water that he carries from the village well each day. But Luis has the determination not to live in poverty for the rest of his life. So, Luis is being educated by Senor Martinez. Everyday, he’s bullied on his way to Senor Martinez’ house by the other boys in his village.

 This reviewer liked The Story Of Don Luis and would recommend it to any young adult who’s interested in history. Even though this is fiction, this is a well – written ebook. It’s very detailed and shows what life is like in a small Spanish village in the 1600’s. It shows the everyday struggles and prejudices that people faced everyday back then.The author created characters so well that I could see them in my minds’ eye. He paints pictures with his words so that you can see the furniture, houses and even the kitchen utensils! I have reviewed the author before and this was a very different kind of book than he usually writes. He usually writes historical paranormal mysteries for young adults which are historical but much more action – packed and mysterious. Personally, I like his historical paranormal mysteries better but that’s just my own taste.

 

If you would like to find out more about Mr. Yates just surf to http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/stuartgyates. Maybe you would like to read more about The Story Of Don Luis. If you do, please visit http://donluisbystuartgyates.weebly.com/index.html. If you would like to buy this ebook, you can pick it up at http://www.amazon.com or http://www.amazon.co.uk. Or if you prefer you can go to http://www.smashwords.com to pick up The Story Of Don Luis.

~Reviewer Deb Hockenberry is the author of The Bumpy Road To Writing For Children http://thebumpyroadtopublishing.blogspot.com  Find her at Deb's Book Nook http://debsbookreviews.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 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 :

Goodreads Reviewer Sees New Novel Grounded in American South Literature

Title: Remain In Light
Author: Collin Kelley
Web site: www.collinkelley.com
Genre: Mystery/suspense
ASIN: B005Q133EI (ebook out now; print in January 2012)

Reviewed by Marshall Moore originally for Goodreads.com
Rating: Four stars


Fast forward two years, after the tumultuous events of Conquering Venus. Collin has done an admirable job here, layering history, mystery and travelogue to create a story that is thoughtful and substantial, immensely readable without being fluff. I can't speak to how well the book works as a stand-alone novel: although Collin intended it to be accessible to readers unfamiliar with Conquering Venus, I've read that book and can't experience this one without that background knowledge. My advice would be just to read them both.

One of the reasons this book works for me is that, despite its Paris setting (with excursions to Berlin, St-Etienne, and Chambery), this is Southern writing. Collin comes from that literary tradition, and readers familiar with the literature of the American South will recognize the use of language; the embrace of flawed, cracked characters; and the strong sense of place in this novel. The cover suggests the grotesque being rendered lovely; that's exactly what Collin is doing here. The novel won't be for everyone: it isn't an easy fit in any genre, it's sexually frank, and it thumbs its nose at a few mores that an increasingly right-wing America holds dear. But then, the best Southern writers don't spoon-feed baby food to their readers.






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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 :