The New Book Review

Monday, August 19, 2013

Mystery Reviewed by Cozy Readers Corner

Special Interest
Aaron T Knight
Comedic mystery

Published by Aaron T knight

ISBN-13: 978-1439211083

Available at Amazon/Kindle

Reviewed by Megan originally for A Cozy Readers Corner

Joe has just relocated after having a broken engagement and being forced out of his accounting job. Everything appears to be getting along nicely with his new life until his flowerbed reveals a mysterious clue to a murder. Soon Joe is involved in a risky operation involving a new energy source that could change how the world operates. Joe soon finds out that there are limited people that he can trust and many special interest groups are after the clues to this energy source and will stop at nothing to obtain the information, not even murder. Joe doesn't want to be involved in this scheme but soon a love interest and his best friend are entangled as well and he finds that he has no choice but to help solve the puzzle.

Overall I thought the author had a creative idea and I was captivated and wanted to know how the story would end. The characters' motives were hidden well until the end of the book when the author did finally start to place doubt in your mind about who was the good guy and who was the bad guy. The science behind the energy source was unique too - would be nice if such a thing existed!

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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.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Goodreads Reviewer Gives Erotica Five Stars

Title: Water Ecstasy

Author: Alexa Busnell
Genre: fiction, erotica, paranormal
AISN: B00E57E7XA
Published by Amazon Kindle KDP

Reviewed by Meghan R for Goodreads and Amazon

A fantasy story with a refreshing erotic bent, Alexa Busnell’s ‘Water Ecstasy’ is something I haven’t seen in years: a well-written tale you will actually love sinking your mind-teeth into.

‘Water Ecstasy’ is about a girl, Coral, who has the ability to create—“conjure” is the preferred word—water. Apparently, it is a rare, important power, yet Coral cannot accomplish it without having the necessary elements. And so she embarks on an arduous, highly risk journey toward a far-away continent, along with her most loyal friends. Obviously, it’s not at all a walk in the park, as the journey has to wend its way through dangerous landscapes and unfriendly territories, and Coral and her party have to use wit, cunning and skill to survive and reach their destination. And believe me, the journey is a white-knuckled, edge-of-your-seat adventure—sexually charged in the right places, of course.

A novel of the fantasy genre, ‘Water Ecstasy’ is so skillfully written—Busnell is such a seasoned writer that she has deftly sinewed this tale with enough verisimilitude to make every moment—every character—as believable as today’s headlines. You take ownership of Coral’s desire to do what she has always wanted to do—and you’re there, beside the girls and their new-found allies, as they persevere to get what they want. The emotional resonance of their ultimate goal is such that you keep turning the pages, starving to know what happens next. And for me, that’s what a good fantasy story is all about—to make you suspend your disbelief so much you forget you’re reading fiction.

Fans of the erotic fantasy genre—especially those who love a strong-willed heroine—will love every page of Busnell’s ‘Water Ecstasy’. A perfect read on a rainy weekend. Five stars, no less.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Truman State Prof Reviews New Historical Fiction

Title of novel: Antigone and Creon: Guardians of Thebes

Authors of novel: Victoria Grossack & Alice Underwood

Website: www.tapestryofbronze.com
Genre: Historical Fiction
ISBN-13: 978-1482794410
Number of pages: 432 pages
Publisher: Create Space

Reviewed by Bob Mielke, Professor of English at Truman State University

Antigone and Creon: Guardians of Thebes by Victoria Grossack and Alice Underwood is their fifth, latest and best installment of the Tapestry of Bronze series.

Antigone is certainly the most iconic and evergreen character in Greek legend, a timeless embodiment of civil disobedience for the right reasons. She gives our authors a lot to work with. Appropriately, they do her full justice. Not only is she fleshed out psychologically far beyond what Sophocles could accomplish in his drama; her life is given surprising (but defensible) plot twists. So -- as was not the case with their earlier Jocasta -- the complacent reader will have the narrative rug pulled out from under them on occasion.

This book works on every level: as a thriller and a mystery, as a deep evocation of ancient Greece right down to the minutiae of its folkways, as thoughtful entertainment. Grossack and Underwood join the likes of Mary Renault, Robert Graves and Norman Mailer as unsurpassed revivifiers of antiquity. Hollywood should option this!

Meanwhile, prepare to be enthralled by the print version....

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Mainstream/Literary Read on Culture Gets Five Stars

Title: Tall man small shadow
Author: Vipin Behari Goyal
Author's Web site link: http://vipinbeharigoyal.blogspot.in/
Genre: Fiction/ Literature
ISBN : 978-8182534124
Book Cover

Available on Amazon
Rating-5 star

Reviewed By Rosa Maria originally for Amazon.com

TMSS: The Power of the Cultural Matriarch, July 30, 2013

This novel is truly a challenging read on many levels. Each vivid character is faced with a highly emotional life situation that threatens his/her cultural traditions and social standing. Just as we begin to fear that the central characters cannot possibly get their lives on the right track and the threat of suicide is ever present, the true power of the cultural matriarch comes to light each and every path. The honor of editing this novel for Cyberwit was mine, and the author is truly a skilled writer with engaging philosophical insights. Definitely a 5-star rating on this one, and I look forward to his next novel.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vipin Behari Goyal, viping19@gmail.com, Mobile No:9928805905. He blogs at: Author's Diction--My Blog

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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.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Midwest Book Review Celebrates the Environment

Sublime Planet

Celebrating Earth Day and the Universe
Magdalena Ball & Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Cover Photography by Ann Howley

Genre: Poetry/Environment
CreateSpace, www.createspace.com
ISBN Paperback: 9781482054705 $12.95

Kindle www.amazon.com $4.95

Reviewed by John Burroughs, originally for Burroughs' Bookshelf on Midwest Review

Award-winning poets Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball present Sublime Planet, a poetry compilation with a strong ecological theme. Some of the free-verse poems have been previously published in a variety of print and online journals; now they are gathered into a single volume to celebrate Earth Day, and promote environmental awareness. Lucid and erudite, Sublime Planet succinctly reminds one that the body that it is part of a much greater ecosystem, and stirs the soul with its call to the duty of stewardship.

"The Giraffe"

A tongue generous

as my head he reaches

for me, barriers no match

for his long neck, sniffs

my hair, kisses my face.

He is unaware

he is endangered,

I unaware he might

be dangerous.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Science and Religion: A Discussion by Daniel Friedman

Title: The Broken Gift
Author: Daniel Friedmann
Author's Web site link: http://danielfriedmannbooks.com/
Genre: science/religion
ISBN 978-0978457228
Book Cover: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DZDxJYbmgw0/UdNHrcHuWcI/AAAAAAAAA8w/vZ2cSyIR7Ng/s320/The-Broken-Gift-1000x1600-no-subtitle-1.jpg
Available: http://www.amazon.com/The-Broken-Gift-Daniel-Friedmann/dp/0978457226

THE STORY BEHIND THE BROKEN GIFT

In my fourth year at university, some fundamental questions concerning our origins began to re-appear. The research involved in answering these questions at one level took most of my life but most intensely about 2 years. It took a year or so to write it all down and back up every statement with a peer reviewed source or biblical source. Publication of The Broken Gift proceeded over the past 6 month or so.

In discussion with my nephews who experienced a very detailed science education on origins seemingly in conflict with Sunday school teachings were not getting satisfactory answers. I knew I could get a better understanding of our origins from our two largest sources of knowledge - Science and the Bible.
Many have asked how can one even compare religion and science on this issue- they come from very different points of view? True, but they both claim to know what happened and when - one or both must be right? The Broken Gift focuses on hard evidence of what happened and when - once that account is reconciled it discusses how it happened, which for science and religion is somewhat different.
How did you pick the points to compare? Science has developed a certain timeline of events from apes to modern day. Genesis also contains a timeline of events from the beginning of time until 4000 years ago. I picked the key defining moments of those timelines to compare against each other and to compare and contrast what happened, when and how. This knowledge was exciting and fresh and I was encouraged to write the book, The Broken Gift, sharing what I had found.

So what did I find? That the Bible and science are mostly in agreement as to what happened and how - although not completely on when it happened, and by studying both the Bible and science we can get as close as we have ever gotten to understand how we came to be.

So, how did we get here? Reading The Broken Gift can encourage quality time with your family. They will enjoy having a discussion about science, religion and the meaning and purpose of life.

Whether you agree or disagree. Either way, you will be fascinated! Visit Banyen Books & Sound November 7th, I will be available to talk with or autograph your book.

ABOUT DANIEL FRIEDMAN

Daniel Friedmann is CEO of MDA Corp., specializing in robotics. He has a master's in engineering physics and 30 years' experience in the space industry. He has published more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific papers on space industry topics. He is also a longtime student of cosmology and religion. Daniel Friedmann has been mentioned in the National Post, Toronto Star and Idea City. Connect with Daniel Friedmann on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Genesis-and-Science/141524692605591
and at http://danielfriedmannbooks.com/.

SUBMITTED BY:

Yvonne Wu
Internet Publicist | Author & Speaker Assistant
The YP Publishing
Canada: 905-341-0997
USA: 1-347-674-9951
http://theyppublishing.com
http://speakerspromotion.com/

Friday, August 9, 2013

Lit Amri Praises New Romance Novel

Crocuses & Blackbirds

Book 1 of The Golden Path Quintet

Author Margaret Montrose

Author's Web site: www.thegoldenpath.co.uk

Genre: Romance

Reviewed by Lit Amri originally for Readers' Favorite : Rating: 5.0 stars
The Golden Path Quintet: Crocuses & Blackbirds is Book 1 of the Golden Path series by Margaret Montrose. Nineteen-year-old Julie finds her way to the Cathedral, a place which will ease her troubled soul and guide her way toward the enigmatic Ellen MacAlister.

The Golden Path Quintet is as mesmerizing as an intricate poem. It is a story with more layers than one could expect. There is something about the story that I cannot quite put my finger on it. Perhaps enlightenment is a suitable word, but this novel is by no means religious. It certainly has depth that will satisfy the readers, as it did me. The relationship between Julie and Ellen is somewhat surreal yet beautiful at the same time. The novel explores not only storytelling but also love, faith, and friendship. While the story is not hard to read, Montrose has a subtle way of asking more from the readers through her amazingly beautiful prose than the typical contemporary romance requires.

The story is told in a fantastic and charming manner. With The Golden Path Quintet, Montrose has indeed presented the dynamics of life that we often forget or intentionally refuse to acknowledge. Readers who enjoy novels with a dreamlike realism will definitely love this novel. Read, think and cherish it; share it with your loved ones, friends, and other book-loving enthusiasts that you know, because this might be one of the best books you will read this year.

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