BestChickLit Reviewer Shares Goddess Rising

Title: Goddess Rising
Author: Melissa Bowersock
Web: www.newmoonrising.netGenre: spiritual fiction
ISBN: 1448677734


Reviewed by Elizabeth Wright originally  for BestChickLit.com

What they say:'Civilization as we know it has been destroyed, not through war or asteroid impact, but by a geologic holocaust of planetary proportions. The scattered survivors live simply, primitively, bonded to the earth and the Great Goddess. Their one hope lies in the dream-given prophecy that Greer the Sibling, a female savior, will rise and restore them to greatness.

An epic and magical story of one woman's exceptional destiny during exceptional times, Goddess Rising follows Greer's journey from simply obscurity to her prophesied reign. Acknowledged as the face of the Goddess on earth, Greer discovers the rewards of power-and the price-as she struggles through her own labyrinth of fear and desire, sexuality and sacrifice, love and death.'

What we (BestChickLit.com)  say - review by Elizabeth Wright:As spiritual fiction goes this novel does exactly what it is supposed to do. It has the reader questioning their own life, their own beliefs and wondering how it would all work if things were different. On the surface this is a good read. The narrative flows nicely and it ticks all the boxes of romance, challenge and resolution. But this is not a book to just pass the time of day with. It questions everything from a woman’s place in a work environment to the sex of a deity and everything in between.

Goddess Rising is ultimately a feminist stance on the Garden of Eden, as Bowersock recreates religion by resetting the world back to basics. To be at one with nature and have an entirely open mind is the ideal and every individual character is valued for the skill that they bring to the community. The reader is taken on the heroine’s journey, learning about the world as she does and Bowersock certainly has a knack for creating a believable fantasy. Through the trials and tribulations of our heroine, Greer, you cannot help but make comparisons with the real world. Overall this book is ideal for anyone searching for an insight into a world run by women.
~Author Melissa Bowersock also blogs at http://mjb-wordlovers.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 :

Online Book Tour: A Sci-Fi That Will Wow by Lisa Romanek

From My Side of the Bed by Lisa Romanek

Lisa Romanek is the wife of well-known extraterrestrial abductee/contactee Stan Romanek. Lisa realized that there are two sides to every story, two sides of every bed. She has learned the importance of taking that which is personal and at times embarrassing, and turning it into that which serves the public-especially those who've walked in her same slippers as spouses of abduction. Lisa takes you on her heart-wrenching and at times hilarious journey as the wife of Stan Romanek. Her courage and integrity mix well with her Nebraska-born charm and her decades of work with the elderly-all of which is reflected through the tenderness, compassion and warmth that she embodies and carries as a spokeswoman for those who feel alone in a world of extraterrestrial chaos beyond their control. As the wife of an abductee and mother of three children, Lisa has a simple message to share: Live without fear, and love without limit.

This is the first book I have found that describes alien abductions not from the abductee's point of view, not from an interviewer's point of view, but from the point of view of the abductee's spouse. Lisa (wife of Stan Romanek) takes you on a roller coaster ride of every possible emotion that the abductee, his wife and family experience over many years. She also includes some of the many photographs and documents they have collected.

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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 :

Vine Reviewer Loves Adventure Book

A Raucus Time: The Celtic Cousins Adventures
By Julia Highes
http://www.juliahughes.co.uk/
Fiction: Action/adventure
ISBN-10: 147756909X
ISBN-13: 978-1477569092
Five-Star Review
Available for Kindle

Reviewed by Nash Black (Amazon vine voice reviewer)

There are certain ingredients a story needs to make it better than just good. If any author can gather these ingredients and blend them seamlessly together, then they are always on to a winner.

For me, this is my first step into the world created by author Julia Hughes, a world that revolves around two teenage boys - Wren, the geeky brainbox and his cousin Rhyllann, a pilot wannabe and Wren's best friend. Add to this, Crombie, the copper and oft self-appointed social worker, the lost treasure (a treasure that includes the fabled sword of Arthurian legend - Excalibur) of King John, and a gang of villains who will stop at nothing - including murder - to retrieve said treasure and you have a story that takes all of those ingredients, lovingly mixes them together and creates a wonderful story.

Most authors would have been very happy with the fact they had created a `wonderful' story. But no. Not this author. If ever writing a novel can be compared to creating a meal, then Ms. Hughes grabbed all those correct ingredients and then, when no-one was looking, slipped in an extra, secret one that a lot of other stories lack, and created something very special. That special ingredient is - for want of a better word - love. Love of the story, love of her characters. Love of her ART. Because that's what storytelling is. It's an art and Julia Hughes is one hell of an artist!

This is a story that defies genre. It cannot be labelled as simply an adventure story, or a teen angst story, a thriller or a comedy. It is all of these and more. It made me laugh out loud; it made me turn pages (well push buttons - on kindle) at speed to see what came next. There is a section of the book that in a summer (July 2012) that has had torrential rainfall here in the UK; you will feel a particular kinship with the boys. I know I did.

The author has created believable characters that you will love from the off. Her storytelling is tight and flows seamlessly from start to finish. Her descriptive style pulls your imagination along and paints the places and people so vividly, they will stay in your mind long after you have closed the book or switched off your kindle.

The good news is that there two other stories featuring the characters you meet in `Raucous Time'. `A Ripple in Time' & `An Explosive Time'. I have just started `Ripple' and can already announce that I love it.

Make a note of the name Julia Hughes because in literary terms, it's a name I'm sure we're going to hear a lot of in the future and genuinely cannot wait!!!

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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 :

Kirkus Calls Dipwipple Book a Romp

Tongue-Tied With Stomach Knots (An Enlightened Comedy)
By Reginald Dipwipple
Fiction: Humoir/Thriller/Spy
ISBNs: 978-0-9833761-1-8 (Kindle ebook version)
             978-0-9833761-6-3 (Print version, pending).
Available on Amazon.com.

Brief Synopsis of Tongue-Tied With Stomach Knots (An Enlightened Comedy)

In a world wherein so much appears to be bizarre, insane, and beyond rational explanation, Secret Agent Reginald Dipwipple knows the insider truth: the world is incredibly incompetent. This is the world he operates in, fighting the good fight against terrorists just trying to make a living through mass intimidation. It is a world wherein words are weapons when they contain too many syllables. A world wherein computers have personality, geeks are cosmopolitan, and blondes are smart enough to deceive. A world of acronyms utterly indecipherable to the uninitiated: HUMINT, MASINT, GUTTER, USSR. A world wherein crises cause comedy.

And Dipwipple delivers. Join him at a spy school in rural Virginia where poachers encounter cute cuddly animals who shoot back. Dare to accompany him to Washington, D.C.’s fashionable neighborhood of Georgetown, to the high fashions of New York City, to the funky fashions of Greenwich Village, to the Italian fashions of Rome, to the frumpy fashions of American tourists. It is a journey intertwined with Biblical espionage, ancient Roman postal workers, prostitutes and politicians, Nazis and Communists, philosophers and phonies, comedy writers and other political appointees. From spies full of hot air (ballooning) to spies of the underworld, tunneling into East Berlin. From the sexy spies of the Civil War to the sexy spy planes of the Cold War, Dipwipple delivers. From the United Nations to divided states, from the science of humor to the art of the bad joke, Dipwipple delivers. From the great questions of theology to the questionable greatness of bureaucracy, Dipwipple delivers.

Dipwipple not only delivers, he takes it back. This is his story.

Kirkus Reviews declares: “In a literary landscape full of serious spy thrillers, this romp sticks out like a 7-foot clown in a police lineup. … Through his [beginner’s spy] coursework and on his first assignment, Dipwipple and the reader learn a great deal of trivia and true spy history. … The laughs never stop, but this one's more fun house than thrill ride.”

About the Author

Reginald Dipwipple, Secret Agent Extraordinaire, claims not to exist. Even those who know him say he's not much to look at. He has no known address, nor birthplace, nor a Social Security number, nor any verified qualifications for his supposed memoirs. Let's face it: he's a nobody. But he writes some great stuff, including a brilliant blog at SecretComedy.com.  The author also reports that tomorrow, August 1, for one day only, his e-book will be available for FREE for Kindle downloads — although even thereafter, it can be borrowed for free by Kindle users. Enjoy!

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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 :

Accountant Reviews Book That Inspired Him

Title: Yes You Can ! How to Be a Success no Matter Who You Are or
Where You're From
Author: Bill Townsend
Website: www.interminds.com
Genre: Self-help, motivational, business
ISBN-13: 978-1477659748
Reviewer: Naoto Takazawa, Accountant, Las Vegas, NV

For 9 years I have worked in the accounting department of a mid-sized
company. It is a good job, it pays fairly well, and I am thankful for
it. But I have often wondered if there is something else I should be
doing? Am I destined to move to another company? Should I start my own
accounting firm? Should I change careers completely? And each time I
ask myself these questions, something holds me back.
No longer.

Last week I read "Yes You Can ! How to Be a Success no Matter Who You
Are or Where You're From" by Bill Townsend (available at Amazon.com in
paperback and Kindle).

As a 37 year old with questions about my future, reading this book was
a revelation. It gave me not only the motivation to take action, but
the inspiration to do so. It also helped me determine how to do it, by
giving me tactics to follow. I find that part of the book unique among
self-help books because most talk about how to be better, but few give
you actual tactics to get there.

The author, Bill Townsend, isn’t a Harvard graduate and wasn’t born
with a silver spoon in his mouth. He grew up on a farm in Western
Pennsylvania. His mother had a stroke when he was 5 years old that
left her paralyzed and without speech. He taught her the ABCs and how
to tie her shoes. He earned a degree in art, then worked in
advertising. At age 27 ran for US Congress, almost winning. Then he
got busy. He was the cofounder of Lycos.com, sixdegrees.com (now
LinkedIn), Deja.com (sold to Google and eBay) and 9 other companies. A
pretty successful person by anyone’s thinking.

"Yes You Can! How to Be a Success no Matter Who You Are or Where
You're From" is a motivational book that teaches you how to take
control of your life to become successful in career, love, and life.
There are hundreds of stories of people who started with nothing and
made it: people like John Paul Dejoria, who started John Paul Mitchel
Systems with $700 and is now worth over $4 billion.
"Yes You Can ! How to Be a Success no Matter Who You Are or Where
You're From" is fun to read, nurturing, uplifting, regenerative, and
worth every moment spent in your hands.

P.S. I’ve decided to start my own accounting and bookkeeping service.

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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 tell your Facebook friends about it.  

Book Launch Save

Postponing launch for Ready for PreTirment

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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 :

Basics for Authors Considering DIY Publishing

Publish Like the Pros: A Brief Guide to Quality Self-Publishing and an Insider's Look at a Misunderstood Industry (Paperback)

Reviewed by

Carolyn Howard-Johnson "Author 'This is the Place,' 'Harkening,' 'Tracings' and 'The Frugal Book Promoter'" originally for Amazon

Well, here it is. In a little 79-page nutshell. The basics for any writer thinking about publishing a book on his or her own. It dispels the idea that anyone can or should self-publish. As Author Michele DeFilippo says, "It ain't easy." She then provides a roadmap--indeed a very succinct Mapquest directional--to the basics an author needs to know in order to produce a professional product (and yes, a book is a product!). Indeed, it will help authors evaluate whether this is a project they really want to tackle. And to avoid some pitfalls many first-time authors fall into when they decide to go for it.

"Publish Like the Pros" is a little short on resources, but a book can't be everything to everyone. This book calls itself a "Brief Guide." It also uses the words "QUALITY Self-Publishing." Generally speaking, this is the perfect way to get started. "Brief" and "Quality" being keywords.

There are tons of other books to delve into that cover any all aspects of self-publishing once an author has determined he or she wants to go that route. That includes books like:
Aiming at Amazon: The NEW Business of Self Publishing, or How to Publish Your Books with Print on Demand and Online Book Marketing on Amazon.com,

From Word to Kindle: Self Publishing Your Kindle Book with Microsoft Word, or Tips and Secrets for Formatting Your Text in MS Word and Converting Your Document to a Kindle Ebook (Version 2),

The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing: Everything You Need to Know to Write, Publish, Promote and Sell Your Own Book,

The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (How To Do It Frugally series of book for writer),

Book Promo 101: Learn the basics of Book Promotion,

The Frugal Book Promoter: How to get nearly  free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher,

1001 Ways to Market Your Books (1001 Ways to Market Your Books: For Authors and Publishers),

From Book to Bestseller: An Insider's Guide to Publicizing and Marketing Your Book!

Mosquito Marketing for Authors: How I self-published an award-winning book that is a consistent best seller in its category
and dozens of others.

The reason I'm recommending other books as well is that, though the author of this book is the owner of a service that helps writers publish and do it professionally (This little book is proof of that!), I worry that many beginning authors overspend on both production and marketing. They often spend more than they will ever earn unless they are among the very talented and very lucky few. Thus it is is wise to start with this very, very valuable overview. And--once committed--to learn as much as possible the frugal way (with books!) in order to determine what they might learn to do themselves or at least better understand how to hire the best at the best possible price.


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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 :