If You Like Philip Marlow or Mad Max...

Title: TWIST
Author: Myron Night
Author's Web site link: www.MyronNight.com
Genre or category: hard-boiled detective novel, dystopian futureISBN-10: 1935961845
Name of reviewer: Beth Bacon (aka Beth A B)
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Reviewed by Beth Bacon (aka Beth A B) originally for Amazon.com
Review:

If you like Philip Marlow and / or Mad Max...
...You'll love Adam Twist, hardscrabble detective in the year 2075. He's living in a bleak, tough world where resources are scarce--and so is justice. Here's the story: The czar-like head of the INside world hires Adam to go OUTside to find his 20-year-old daughter, Dora. She ran away from her life of comfort to, she believes, help orphans. What I loved about Twist are the characters. Even the smallest roles have punch and life and spirit. No one is purely good or evil, though some are pretty close to evil. Myron Night's descriptions are gripping and full of vivid imagery. This is a fun, escapist read for those who get their kicks escaping to a world where environmental destruction has blighted the continent. It's a world where justice and liberty, like a huge tornado, have blown away leaving nothing but devastation in its wake. Adam Twist manages to find a rag-tag team of cohorts to help him fight the powers that be. I enjoyed the "twisted" and strangely whimsical references to the Wizard of Oz. I won't give away the ending, but Dora doesn't end up like Dorothy, and the OUTside is nowhere like Oz
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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.

Teresa Morrow Reviews Inspirational Book

Title: Awakening the New You
Author: Ricky Roberts III
Website: http://rickyrobertsiii.com
Publisher: Tate Publishing
ASIN: B00B2AX7QQ
Reviewed by Teresa Morrow http://teresamorrow.com originally for Amazon

Just like all his other books, Ricky Roberts III, does not disappoint with
his latest book, Awakening the New You. He offers his personal experiences
layered with his insight of how we all can live a life where we know we
are valued. Ricky always strives to bring the reader along for this
journey called life and wants each of us to know the value we can hold and
do hold in this world. He offers the message of peace, love and beauty
that no only surrounds us but also lives within us.

About the Author:

Ricky Roberts III lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.  He is the founder of
You Are Valued, a nonprofit organization that creates positive change by
embracing the value of every man, woman, boy and girl through community
involvement, outreach, discussion and inspiration.  This is Ricky's fourth
book, proceeded by:  You, What Really Matters, and Where did the Gift GO.
When he's not writing, Ricky is a speaker and youth advocate. You can read
more about Ricky and his book on his website at
http://rickyrobertsiii.com.

Review link:  Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-the-New-You-ebook/dp/B00B2AX7QQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1374089153&sr=1-1&keywords=ricky+roberts+iii


Submitted by:

Teresa Morrow, aka The Author's Cheerleader
Promotion Manager for Spiritual Authors & Speakers and Inspirational Author/Poet/Coach. She is the author of
Life Lessons from the Heart (2012 Smashwords) and
DISOWNED: A Journey of Transformation from Abandonment to Healing (2013 Amazon Kindle). Learn more about her at  http://www.teresamorrow.com and Facebook: @teresamorrow

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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.

Glen Aaron Reviews Historical Fiction

 

Title: The Middle of Nowhere

Author: Paula Duncan McDonald
Web link: www.pauladuncanmcdonald
ISBN: 978-1-62141-695-1
Publisher: BookLocker.com
Category: Historical FictionReview link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16209701-the-middle-of-nowhere
Rating: Four-point-three Stars

Reviewed by Glen Aaron, originally for MIDLAND REPORTER-TELEGRAM and Goodreads 

When an author brings you to the feeling of a character in her book without telling you how the character feels; when an author makes you either love or hate the protagonist without telling you to do so; when nature descriptions live by their own vitality, you know you are reading a novel written by a gifted author.

THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE by Paula Duncan McDonald begins west of the Pecos when Apaches had been cleared of the area and free land was being offered for settlement. It was “the middle of nowhere.: But the story quickly evolves from the settler family to the tale of their daughter, Skitchy, the second generation. It becomes her story of life and love, identity and survival, during the desperate years of the Great Depression in West Texas when severe drought and relentless dust storms wracked the land.

The history of the Pecos area as well as the landscape are woven into lives filled with authentic details. . . . Skitchy’s deeply personal and wrenching story took place then, but with little effort of focus by the reader, we quickly see it is our time as well.

The book quickly draws West Texans in with shared knowledge as it begins: “There are place on earth where life has to work harder to survive, and only the hardy, the most adaptable and resilient, thrive. The northern edge of the Chihuhuan Desert west of the Pecos River was such a place.”

It is no wonder that Paula Duncan McDonald can make us feel so intensely as she creates and relates this epic story. She draws her knowledge from [her own family] as well as solid historical research, as she takes off into “the middle of nowhere.”

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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.

Goodeads Reviewer Rates Cyber Thriller Excellent

Title:    A BORN VICTIM
Author:  R P Rochford
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
ISBN: 9781300850519
ASIN: B00BWYJ0BS
Publisher: Self-published
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-P-Rochford/263101677168540
Twitter: @R_P_Rochford
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=253852626&trk=hb_tab_pro_top


Reviewed by Sophie Bristow Harris originally for Goodreads
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Debut Cyber~Thriller

This review is from: A Born Victim (Kindle Edition)

I came across Richard Rochford's debut novel quite by chance and I'm so glad I did!

It started quite slowly, introducing the main character before leaving her behind for a bit whilst the story built up to bring her storming back in.
The book covers bullying at work, cyber violence that spilled into real life, sexual violence, verbal bullying and murder in the most horrible detail ~ I loved it!!
There was also simmering romance running through the book, some ended happily others never took off...
There were twists and turns galore. Just when I thought I knew who the perpetrators were I was cleverly (and I was happy it wasn't who I thought they were!) shown who they really were.

I really liked the way the main characters were all linked together and thought their personalities were well developed and on the whole very likable. The bad guys were described in a way that made me want to reach through the pages and cause them pain and fear like they did to their innocent victims.

I received this excellent novel from the author himself, Richard Rochford, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank You Richard, a well researched debut and I very much look forward to reading your future books.


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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.

Eric Trant's Tours Thriller

Title: Wink (#WINK)
by Eric W. Trant

Author Web site: www.EricTrant.com

Author blog: http://diggingwiththeworms.blogspot.com/
Author's  Facebook page
Paperback: 275 pages
Publisher: WiDo Publishing (April 16, 2013)
ASIN: B00CE4OP1K
Twitter hashtag: #WINKWink is available as a print and e- book at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

 

SYNOPSIS

A moving, fast-paced and incredibly emotional story about love, friendship and transformation.

In this thriller set in a rural Gulf Coast town, Marty Jameson finds refuge in the attic from his mother's abusive rages. But only during the day. At night the attic holds terrors even beyond what he witnesses in his home. With a family made up of a psychotic mother, a drug-dealing father and a comatose older brother withering away in the spare bedroom, Marty feels trapped.

Next door, wheel-chair bound Sadie Marsh obsessively watches Marty's comings and goings from her bedroom window, despite her mother's warning about the evil in that house. Evil which appears to Sadie as huge black-winged creatures.

Marty, emotionally torn by the violence and dysfunction in his family, is drawn to Sadie and her kindly mother. But if he is to save his new friend from the supernatural horror threatening them all, Marty must transform himself from victim to hero. And to do so, he must first confront what lurks hidden in the shadows of his attic.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 

Eric W. Trant is the author of several short stories and the novels Out of the Great Black Nothing and Wink from WiDo Publishing. He is an advocate for organ donation and lost his 18 month old son in May of 2012. Eric and his wife courageously donated their son’s heart, kidneys, and liver. The couple went on to begin  a foundation to support organ donor families. Eric speaks openly about this emotional journey on his blog and the topic of organ donation is very close to his heart.

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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.

Engaging, Character-Driven, Dystopian for Your Summer Reading List

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Title: Pipe Dreams
Author: Destiny Allison
Author’s Website: http://shapingdestinythebook.com/
Genre: Sci-Fi/Dystopia
ISBN-10 0615823742 (Kindle)
ISBN-13 978-0615823744 (Paperback)
5 Stars

Reviewed by Robyn Chausse


Due to bio warfare we are now under military control—a scary, yet common, dystopian scenario. But add some genetic engineering, an organized “underground”, spice it up with potential romance and stir with the manipulator of all manipulators and you have a novel that keeps the pages turning.

What I love about Pipe Dreams, and what frightens me the most, is the believable plot that could very well happen tomorrow. The story centers around current research into behavioral genetics, the identification of gene markers that scientists hope will help control or modify negative behavioral traits.

Allison keeps up the pace with plenty of plot twists and engaging dialog. She offers us a diverse cast of characters each with their own convictions and strives to illustrate “how our individual pursuit of dreams affects our collective reality.” She pulls us into the story with visually descriptive scenes conveying her character’s emotions as in this example where the main character encounters one of society’s outcasts:

“Something brushed her ankle. Jerking her leg away from whatever slithering thing had braved the morning, she slapped the pavement with her purse. Nothing moved and she dared a glance beneath her. Amidst dead and rotting leaves, an arm was barely visible. Vanessa startled, but did not scream. She didn’t need to rouse the callers from their dirty sleep. She just needed to leave. As she began to walk away, a tiny voice scratched out a noise that sounded horribly like, “Please.” Vanessa froze. In the silence that followed, there was no voice, no wind, no movement. The hushed world waited, as if everything would take its cue from her.”

Although listed as dystopian/science fiction, the current day placement of the story and character-driven focus makes this novel attractive to a broader range of readers.

This is Destiny Allison’s first novel, but it is her second book. Shaping Destiny, her memoir, was published in March of 2012.

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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.

Nine Fold Heaven: New Historial Fiction on Tour

Title – Nine Fold Heaven       

Author – Mingmei Yip

Author's website link – http://www.mingmeiyip.com  

Genre or category – Suspense, historic fiction

ISBN – 978-0758273543

  

In this mesmerizing new novel, Mingmei Yip draw readers deeper into the exotic world of 1930s Shanghai first explored in Skeleton Women and into the lives of the unforgettable singer-spy Camilla, the magician Shadow, and the gossip columnist Rainbow Chang.


The Nine Fold Heaven is the story of an ex spy and nightclub singer who undertakes an emotional and dangerous journey to reunite with her lost lovers and the baby she was told was stillborn, and to discover the secret of her parents’ murder. 


Click here to read the prologue and first chapter:

About Mingmei Yip

Mingmei Yip has been writing and publishing since she was fourteen years old and now she has twelve books to her credit. Her five novels are published by Kensington Books and her two children’s books are published by Tuttle Publishing.

 
Mingmei’s new novel is The Nine Fold Heaven (2013), the story of an ex spy and nightclub singer who undertakes an emotional and dangerous journey to reunite with her lost lover and the baby she was told was stillborn, and to discover the secret of her parents’ murder.

 
Mingmei’s fourth novel is Skeleton Women (2012), a story about a singer spy, a magician, and a gossip columnist scheming to survive the gang wars in lawless 1930ies Shanghai.


Her other four novels are equally exciting:

 
Song of the Silk Road, (2011) is a romantic adventure on China’s legendary ancient trade route with the lure of a three million dollar reward.


Petals from the Sky, (2010) is a Buddhist love story about a woman who tries to escape her dysfunctional family only to find she’s been running away from her heart.

 
Peach Blossom Pavilion (2008) her first novel, is the story of the last prestitous musician-courtesan of China, received numerous favorable reviews and is now in its fifth printing.

 
Mingmei is also the author and illustrator of Chinese Children’s Favorite Stories (2005) and Grandma Panda’s China Storybook, (2013).

 
Mingmei is also a renowned qin (ancient string instrument) musician, calligrapher and painter. In Hong Kong, she was a columnist for seven major newspapers. She has appeared on over sixty TV and radio programs in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and the US.

Visit Mingmei at: www.mingmeiyip.com

 
Comments about Nine Fold Heaven from Amazon –

 The latest book from author Mingmei Yip takes the reader on an epic journey -- both emotional and geographically. The Nine Fold Heaven is the story of a young Chinese woman, Camilla who is taken from an orphanage at the age of four, and forced to work for one of the worst gangs in Shanghai. Not that she has a bad life with them. In exchange for her various "services" to the gang, from sexual favors to singing entertainment to assassinations, she is well taken care of, as least in material objects. Her emotional life however, has been completely deprived and suffocated.

~*~

The prose and the description of the setting lends an authenticity to the story that made it feel like a real history to me. I was intrigued by the comparisons between Chinese culture and American culture (although this was in the 30s) and there are both positives and negatives to both in my opinion. The clashes between opposing viewpoints in politics and religion gave more dimension to the characters and created a thought-provoking larger conflict than just what Camilla was going through. But the most important thing, especially in historical fiction, is for the setting to feel realistic and I felt like the streets of Thirties Hong Kong and Shanghai were brought to life in this book.

~*~

Camilla is a noir heroine who readers will love to hate or hate to love. The author makes it clear she's a product of her environment and never apologizes for her behavior which she shouldn't. The narrative is colorful and an exotic mix of cultures and traditions and will bring the sounds and flavors of a troubled lawless past society to life. 

 Reviews for Mingmei Yip books -  

 Skeleton Women  “A guilty pleasure....enjoy the exotic location and characters.... This is a large, luscious box of chocolates. Go on. You know you want to." -- RTBook 4 star Review

Song of the Silk Road  “Lively…fascinating…filled with unique companions, unforeseen dangers, unexpected joys, and bitter sorrows…” -- Publisher’s Weekly

Petals from the Sky  “Strong…powerful…emotional…vivid…poignant…” -- Coffee Time Romamce

 
Peach Blossom Pavilion “Engrossing…atmospheric tale…fantastical escape!” – Honolulu Advertiser

 If you like strong women in exotic locations and like to learn about new people, places and times – Nine Fold Heaven is a must read.

 
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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.