The New Book Review

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Great Marketing Advice: Zero Stress Selling

Title – Zero Stress Selling: 5 No-Fail Strategies to Get More Clients and Fill Your PracticeAuthor – Sue KassonAuthor's website link – http://www.zerostresssales.com Genre or category – Business, Sales, MarketingISBN – B006LQUAAM (Kindle)
Available on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Sue-Kasson/e/B006MMJHRM/

Your journey towards your thriving, full and successful practice will be simple yet practical – 5 no-fail strategies to help you achieve your goal of filling your practice with your ideal clients. You will learn the no-fail strategies of building your list, selling your services, doing profitable teleseminars, creating products, marketing with articles and how to connect with joint venture partners.

Zero Stress Selling is written for:

· Business owners

· Female business people

· Solopreneurs

· Entrepreneurs

· Salespeople

· Other Business and Sales people

Some of the topics you will find in Zero Stress Selling include:

· Developing a Zero Stress sales system

· Strategies to build an effective email list

· Strategies to hold profitable teleseminars

· Strategic article marketing

· How to participate in joint ventures

· How to find effective and appropriate joint venture opportunities

You may wonder why Sue Kasson is qualified to write about these topics. Here is some information about her background.

About Sue Kasson

Sue specializes in helping coaches, Soloprenuers and Professional Service Providers get more clients by having relaxed, authentic and confident client enrollment conversations. She is on a mission to help business owners fill their practices and learn to enjoy getting clients without stress or fear. Sue has a 20+ year sales and sales management background with several Fortune 500 companies and, in the last 11 years, has trained and coached hundreds of people to help them get more clients and sell more of their products and services.

What Are People Saying About Sue Kasson and Zero Stress Selling –

“Great Strategies… A Must Read….”

“Follow these strategies, and your business will be busier than you could have ever imagined.” Emma Garcia

“Clear, Concise and Extremely Helpful….”

“I like that each strategy was broken down in a way that made it easy and realistic for me to do. Each chapter is worth it’s weight in gold…” Susan Woods

“A Gem of a Book”
“This book reads as a detailed, step by step guide on how to make your business thrive with clientele!” Tracy from Canada

“Advice to Live By”

“… what I found inspiring in this book is how the author uses her personal experience to distill the basics of marketing down to clear, easy to understand and practical lessons.” Jeff

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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 :

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Fred Warren Reviews Christian Nonfiction

Title: Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life

Author: Karina Fabian and Deacon Steve Lumbert
Category: Christian, devotionals, spirituality
ISBN: 9780982256534
Available from: Publisher (Tribute Books)
or Amazon or other online dealers
For More Info: http://whygodmatters.com
Amazon link: http://amzn.to/dI7jbp

Reviewed by Fred Warren for http://frederation.wordpress.com/

I know Karina Fabian best from her speculative fiction–tales of dragon detectives, spacefaring nuns, superhero misfits, and zombie cookery, filled with engaging characters, sly puns, and wry observations on human nature. While her faith informs all her writing (her tagline is “Fiction, Faith, and Fun”), that faith is front-and-center in this very non-fiction collaboration with her father, Steven Lumbert, a Catholic deacon.

There’s still plenty of fun. Why God Matters is primarily a devotional guide, in the spirit of Brother Lawrence’s The Practice of the Presence of God, but it’s also a personal memoir and meditation on the joys and challenges of life, shared by a father and daughter who love each other very much.

The book provides a series of topical meditations, “life lessons,” each with a scripture passage, an excerpt from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a pertinent quotation that summarizes the chapter’s main idea, and a vignette from Karina or Steven.

The vignettes are what really bring this book to life. Karina and Steven share some very personal moments when they’ve recognized God’s presence and intervention in their lives. Sometimes it happens in something as simple as a shared family meal or the give-and-take of a relationship with a friend. Sometimes it’s a life-changing incident, a momentous decision, or a miraculous answer to prayer. These are situations we all encounter, and it’s encouraging to read these accounts of how God met Steven and Karina there and strengthened their faith in the process. As they note in the introduction,

The stories you’ll find here are ordinary, because quite often, we find our faith in the day-to-day living. After all, what could be more ordinary than taking a step—or a breath? Yet, as St. Patrick said, “Christ’s breath in mine.”

This book is written from a Catholic viewpoint with a Catholic audience in mind. I think, though, that any Christian reader would enjoy and benefit from the insights it offers, which transcend sectarian borders. Protestant Evangelical Fred certainly gained a renewed appreciation of how important it is to be aware that God is working in my life every day, and of my corresponding need to respond to that work and cooperate with Him in my spiritual development, becoming more like Him, and participating in the divine nature. That’s what being a Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ, is all about.

It’s not complicated, but it takes commitment, and you’ve got to keep your head in the game. In its glimpses of one family’s faith journey, Why God Matters illustrates many practical ways to cultivate a daily walk with God. It’s helpful, it’s inspiring, and it’s heartwarming. A great combination, and well worth reading.

Author Bio:
Deacon Steve Lumbert and Karina Fabian are father and daughter who came to their faith in different ways. Karina was raised in it, while Steve discovered his calling later in life. Steve is a Deacon and parish administrator in Pueblo, CO. Karina is a writer, military wife, and mother of four.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Nonfiction Intrigues Veteran Reviewer

Title: From Zero to Four Kids in Thirty Seconds (2011)

Author: Amy L. Peterson

Book link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006NQHFGC

Nonfiction

ISBN: 978-0-615-55589-8 (Smashwords)

Reviewed by Joy V. Smith originally for Amazon

5 out of 5 stars

I came across this book online; it sounded intriguing--and fun, so I got it. I enjoyed it from Amy and Mark's first meeting in the workplace when he rejects her proposal (for a study grant), their tentative attempts at getting to know each other and date--despite her understandable reluctance to get involved with a man with four children. She gives us the background too on why--though they worked there for five years--they never connected. (He was married; now he's divorced.) He persists, and together they overcome a variety of challenges. This story illustrates those challenges--her family, his children, the ex-wife, and the usual speed bumps, but Amy makes meeting them a fun read, while at the same time not being afraid to expose her conflicting feelings along the way. See Tip #11: "If your first meeting with the kids doesn't go well, rest assured that it won't be the last thing that won't go well." And that was why I wanted the book--for the funny takes on her life--reminding me of Erma Bombeck--and for what happened along the way and how they survived the challenges and succeeded. This is a romantic story, btw, and I sympathized with both of them as they felt their way along the path to marriage and beyond.

The tips for step-parents are helpful and funny. #1 sets the stage: "Behind every successful stepmother is a man with at least one child." There are 70 tips; #70 introduces the epilogue: "You won't be able to predict what the kids remember, or what they'll like the most. So try to enjoy it all." I believe she and her new family did enjoy it; and I enjoyed their story. Highly recommended.

Note: I read the paperback edition, which I received directly from the author.

~Learn more about the reviewer and helpful house and ecorating hints on her blog at http://pagadan.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 :

Friday, February 10, 2012

Must Read for the Business Side of Writing

How to Write It
Second Edition

Subtitle: A complete guide to everything you’ll ever write
By Sandra E. Lamb
Ten Speed Press (2011)
ISBN: 9781607740322
Nonfiction/How-To (Writing)
Contact Reviewer: hojoreviews@aol.com
Publisher's Site: www.tenspeed.com

The Business Part of Writing—Down and Dirty

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This Is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings, a chapbook of poetry and the How To Do It Frugally Series of book for authors

I wasn’t impressed by the title of How to Write It! It’s so general. And the subtitle? So all inclusive! How could it be a guide to everything you’ll ever write? And, truth be told, it isn’t. Not if you are a write of fiction. Or a poet. But even if you write those things, stop! Don’t go away. You’ll find in this book much that you need to know to build a successful writing career no matter what you write. And that was probably the intent of Author Sandra E. Lamb. She wants your writing career to soar. And this book will give you the tools to make sure it does. At least the tools outside the box that might be labeled “craft.”

And here’s one more aspect of this very fat, very thorough volume. It has much in it that many books for writers don’t cover. I’m not sure why. Maybe “proposals and reports” and “orders, credit and collections” don’t have the sizzle that that creative hearts yearn for, but those hearts need to manage their careers, too.

So, don’t go off in a snit. This book is an absolute must for freelance writers, but it is a darn good reference for writers of any ilk, especially those who don’t have a lot of business experience in those lives we often lead apart from our writing lives. Hooray for Ten Speed Press for bringing this to our attention.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards.

Her book of creative nonfiction Harkening, won three. A UCLA Writers' Program

instructor, she also is the author of another book essential for writers,

USA Book News' Best Professional Book of 2004, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't. (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo). The second in the HowToDoItFrugally series, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor) covers writing successful query letters and includes helpful hints from twenty of the nation's top agents. Learn more about Howard-Johnson at her new site http://HowToDoItFrugally.com.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Mary Hitchcock Cone’s Clear Effortless Writing Delivers Vivid, Memorable Characters

Book: Moose Mash and Other Stories

Author: Mary Hitchcock Cone
Website: http://www.moosemash.com
Genre: Literary fiction, short stories

Publisher: FolkHeart Press

Available: Moosemash.com, Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Reviewed by Barbara Swift Brauer of WordsWorth (www.wordsworthofmarin.com)

It’s hard to tell just what it is about Mary Cone’s collection, Moose Mash and Other Stories that carries the reader along so enjoyably from the first paragraph of the title story to the last paragraph of “Point of No Return.” Is it the light, engaging style? Down-to-earth characters, the wonderful humor, or rare insight into the complexities of human nature? Most likely, it is a fine interplay of all these qualities.

The subjects of the stories cover an amazingly wide range: from the humorous (a moose loose in a shoe store, a ghost looking for its murderer, siblings banding together to rescue the household from their bargain-crazy father) to the poignant (a young woman facing uncertain love, young soldiers leaving home for war).

At the heart of each story is the author’s exceptional ear for voice and dialogue. “Odd Socks,” for example, in which a late-night radio talk show host fields listeners’ calls on the subject of mismatched socks, is entirely dialogue — the wonderful assortment of characters revealed only through their commentary on the topic.

Many stories are told in the first-person, the tone and pace of the characters’ narrative providing insight into who they are. This is most apparent in the Rashomon-style “Incident on Number 50,” in which five individuals each respond to the mishap of a fellow bus passenger.

In a few brief paragraphs, a portrait of each is expertly drawn. Wallace has been prescribed bifocals, and laments, “that meant he was officially middle-aged! His view of himself as a man of vigor, steely eyed at work, sexy-eyed at the Pagoda Bar, was no longer defendable.”

Laura, sitting behind Wallace on the bus, observes him taking his seat and thinks, “Edgar never would have sat down like that. If Edgar was with her now, he would purse his lips at the man in disgust. Ever-groomed, perfectly coordinated, intensely organized, critical Edgar. Laura suppressed a desire to pat the stranger on the shoulder as a gesture of fellowship.” She is on her way to the lawyer’s to sign the divorce papers.

Cone’s attention to visual detail is similarly acute. In “Ferry Ride,” Karen stands at the railing and notes, “Windows on the hillside houses catch the sun. They shine like shields protecting a suburban army. The rosy horizon gives way to turquoise blue. The outline of the hills across the bay sharpens.”

In every story, clear, effortless writing carries the narrative along. Whether broadly humorous, subtly wry, or deeply moving, there is an unfailing honesty about the author’s observations of her characters — honesty and a profound compassion. At the end of “Joseph the Appreciator,” the protagonist contemplates the pull of relationship with his own need for independence. His epiphany is at once elated and wise:

“Western rays of the sun provided backlighting and the greens brightened. The sight filled him with fierce appreciative joy. He laughed. There it was. He would be an appreciator. Joseph the Appreciator, not a bad job for a man up in years . . .”

Long after the last page, the people encountered in these stories remain vividly alive in our imaginations. Their portraits are drawn so true to life, so much like ourselves, we feel as if we’ve known them. In some sense, we have.

~Reviewer Barbara Swift Brauer is a writer, editor, and poet, and, with husband Laurence Brauer, co-owner of Wordsworth publishing services. She is co-author of Witness: The Artist's Vision in “The Face of AIDS” (Pomegranate Artbooks, 1996). Barbara’s poetry has been widely published. Her full-length poetry collection is forthcoming from Sixteen Rivers Press.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Earth Day Reading for Kids

Title: Trouble on Earth Day

Author: Kathy Stemke

Illustrator: Kurt Wilchen

Published by Wild Plains Press

ISBN: 978-1-936021-36-9

Genre: Children's Lit

Reviewed by Karen Cioffi

As a proponent of conservation and the environment, I love children’s books that approach this topic in an engaging and entertaining format. Trouble on Earth Day by Kathy Stemke does just that.

The story begins with the main character, Shelby the squirrel, winning the Earth Day poster contest; the young reader is quickly brought into the focus of the story, our environment. Shelby’s poster has “Rethink, Reuse, and Recycle” boldly and colorfully written on it.

As the story progresses, Shelby and her parents discuss the different ways individuals and families can conserve, such as using old clothing for a quilt.

It also delves into the effects of deforestation. When Shelby hears the cries of a “little bird,” she searches until she finds it, then asks the bird what’s wrong. The bird explains, “The workman cut down my tree and my nest. I found a new tree, but I can only find twigs to make a new home.”

Using ingenuity and what she learned from her parents, Shelby helps the bird build a new nest using recyclable items from her home. Trouble on Earth Day will quickly heave children asking about the environment and looking around their homes for items that can be recycled.

Adding to the invitingness of this delightful story are amazing full page illustrations by Kurt Wilchen. Each page has vivid and bold illustrations that will surely grab and hold a young reader’s attention. Along with all this, Stemke includes pages and pages of activities, and additional information about conservation and the environment, all to help children better understand the story’s theme. It even includes a song titled “The Fuzzy Squirrel” that children can sing to with the music from “I’m a Little Teapot.”

Some of the activities and information include in Educator’s Edition:

Reading comprehension activities
Original topic related lyrics that children can sing to the melody of classic favorites
Discussion topics, such as Why Trees are Important and What Things Can be Reused
Games, including the Going Green Game
Recycling activities, such as making napkin rings using recycled toilet paper rolls, recycling old CDs to make ornaments, and how to recycle old crayons
Dolch Sight Word activity page

My favorite information page in Trouble on Earth Day briefly explains what went on before the first Earth Day in April 1970, what the focus of Earth day is, and why it’s so important.

Learning how each of us can take steps to protect our environment is important for children and adults alike. It will take all our efforts to help improve the environment for a healthier tomorrow. Trouble on Earth Day is a great start for children.

~Reviewer Karen Cioffi is a published author, ghostwriter, and editor for 4RV Publishing. For writing and marketing information, and to find out more about Karen and her books, visit: http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com. While there, be sure to sign-up for her newsletter, A Writer’s World.

Learn more about the author, Kathy Stemke. She is an award-winning author, educator, and freelance writer. Her Trouble on Earth Day and Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep earned the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter, Movement and Rhythm: http://educationtipster.blogspot.com/

Monday, February 6, 2012

Noir is Back!

Reel Life Crime
Author: Cary PepperAuthor’s Website: www.carypepper.comGenre: Fiction/Detective/CrimeISBN: 978-1-4658-4263-3
Amazon: B0068438WE

Reviewed by cemag originally for Amazon

Five-Star Review

A GREAT READ for those of us who love the old movies and this genre.

The author takes us back to the days of Spade and Marlow: nicely done with some surprising twists! Based on the story every movie-lover knows - The Maltese Falcon - the author builds on little-known facts about the movie's production and creates a new story around this well-known tale.

While taking us on a tour of San Francisco, a modern noir P.I. tries to put the pieces of this bird puzzle together. The dialogue is crisp, the characters are skillfully drawn and delightfully offbeat, and the plot, while intentionally tracking the original, is new and fresh. And, of course, there's a beautiful woman knee- (or thigh-) deep in the case.

Perhaps the beginning of a series...

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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 :

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