Your Health: Empowering Book Reviewed

Title: Nurturing Wellness Through Radical Self Care: A Balance in Wellness
Guide and Workbook
Author: Janet Gallagher Nestor
Author Website: http://mindfulpathways.com
Twitter: @janetnestor
FB fan page: http://facebook.com/janetnestor
ISBN:978-1452560502
Genre: Health-wellness


Reviewed by: C.A. Webb originally for Amazon

About the Author:

As an author, speaker and Licensed Counselor Janet is committed to her
work in personal empowerment and positive living. Using various Energy
Psychology techniques as well as Mindful Lifestyle Training she is
passionate about teaching, empowering and working with clients and groups
in finding their life path and reconnecting to their joyful essence.

An expert is stress and anxiety management, Janet is the author of two
empowering books on the subject. Pathways to Wholeness, a mindfulness
guidebook empowering readers to adopt a more re-laxed, now focused and
joy-filled life and her newest book Nurturing Wellness Through Radical
Self-Care: A Living in Balance Guide and Workbook is an inspirational
guide sure to be your constant companion on the journey to lasting
wellness.


Submitted by
Teresa Morrow
aka The Author's Cheerleader
Promotion Manager for Spiritual Authors & Speakers
Inspirational Author/Poet/Coach
Life Lessons from the Heart (2012 Smashwords)
DISOWNED: A Journey of Transformation from Abandonment to Healing (2013Amazon Kindle)
Learn more at:   http://www.teresamorrow.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.

A Must-Read First Novel

 

Title: Black Breath

Author: B. A. Ritzenthaler
Author's Web site: www.baritzenthaler.com
Genre: Science Fiction
ASIN: B000EBUW5XA
Reviewer: Dark Wolf
Publisher: Self-published

Available at: www.amazon.com/Black-Breath-Common-Series-ebook/dp/B00EBUW5XA/ref=cm_pdp_rev_itm_title_1

Reviewed by Dark Wolf originally published on Amazon

Reviewer's rating: 5 stars

 

B. A. Ritzenthaler gets everything right with his debut novel. There is no padding, no waffle. It's straight to the nerve endings with this book that will manage to induce both fear and hope. With an appealing freshness and confident, unique voice, the author weaves a tale that will leave you eager for more.

 

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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.

One Tough Woman Takes on the West

Title: Detour Trail 

Author: Joy V. Smith 

Genre: Western
ISBN: 9781612355702
Reviewer: Amy Peterson
Reviewer's link: http://www.amylpeterson.com/
Review was originally published on Amazon
Publisher:  Melange Books
Reviewer's rating: 5 stars
Available at:
http://www.melange-books.com/authors/joyvsmith/detourtrail.html

 

Reviewed by Amy Peterson, author of Something Furry Underfoot and From Zero to Four Kids in Thirty Seconds

 

One tough woman takes on the West

 

The main character in this book is Lorrie, a strong, courageous woman that goes off the Oregon Trail and blazes her own life in the West. She's the embodiment of what a woman of that time period had to be like: able to make decisions, able to pull and use a weapon, and with the people skills needed to survive and thrive. This is a pleasant read that will take you into the Old West and leave you with a good sense that the West was not won by cowboys taking on Indians, it was won little town by little town, because of women like Lorrie.

 

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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.

Amazon Reviewer Rates Nonfiction on Relationships a Five

Title: THE (IN)FIDELITY FACTOR: Points to Ponder Before You Cheat

Author: Elda M. Lopez

Author's links: http://theinfidelityfactorbook.com, http://eldamlopez.com

Publisher(s): Amazon, first publisher (e-book), EML & Co. (print)
Genre: Nonfiction, Self-Help, Relationships
ASIN: B00ATSB73C
ISBN: 978-0-578-12159-8
Available @ Amazon: http://THE-IN-FIDELITY-FACTOR-e-book/dp/B00ATSB73C

 

Reviewed by Neal Fugate originally for Amazon

Reviewer's rating: 5 stars

 

Ms. Lopez has written an entertaining, well researched addition to the body of self help and relationship mending literature. Her writing style is conversational and witty and she deals with a potentially grim subject in a fairly lighthearted and humorous manner while citing the high costs of infidelity on a personal and societal level. Anyone who has been tempted to cheat, has already given into the temptation or has been on the other side of the equation should read The (IN)Fidelity Factor for help with this potentially devastating situation. You may not agree with every point Lopez makes but her passionate treatment of the subject is well worth the read.

 

About the Author

Elda has been on both sides of the (in)fidelity fence. Her experiences, and those she's witnessed one time too many, led her to write a credible account of the whys and why nots before stepping into the infidelity pit. A native Southern Californian; she was born in Glendale, reared in Lincoln Heights until the age of two, and lived in Norwalk thereafter. She left the fold of her loving home at 17, attended Rio Hondo junior college, studied at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Whittier College.

Elda has led a diverse life due to her exploratory nature in and out of the box. A sampling being: She's parasailed in Puerto Vallarta, zip lined in Costa Rica, skied the Austrian Alps, and swam with stingrays in Moorea. Her love of travel will keep her crawling around this fascinating planet. She worked in the entertainment industry for many years in various capacities: dialogue coach, voice-over, casting, performances on stage, screen and radio. Her primary focus was acting (her first love). She has also taught English in Japan and has tutored Language Arts in the underserved communities within Orange and Los Angeles County. She has volunteered for a variety of causes, with an emphasis on children. Her joys are reading, dancing, music, reveling in humor and expanding her horizons externally and internally. She loves, loves, loves, flamenco! She currently lives in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles.
With her recent incarnation as an author, she hopes to promote awareness of the value of healthy, honest relationships and personal accountability therein via her new book, THE (IN)FIDELITY FACTOR: Points to Ponder Before You Cheat.
 

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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.

Indie Book Reviewer Likes "The Waters Edge"

Title: The Waters Edge

Author: K.V. McMillan
Author Website: http://www.goodreads.com/KVMcMillan
Reviewer: Zach Tyo
Reviewer website: http://indiebookreviewer.blogspot.com
Reviewer twitter: @ZachTyo

Reviewed by Zach Tyo originally for Indie Book Reviewer

 

 As writers we all look towards family for that initial "You can do it" when it comes to our work. Most of us have at least one person that swears our work is worthy of publication and that we are on the right track. The writer of my next review, K.V. McMillan, had a friend take a story she had written for her 'love' and build a whole new publishing company around her work The Waters Edge.
      We have all read stories by authors that were never intended to be published, and the fact that the author was writing for his/herself sometimes enhances the story since the stresses of worrying about the audience is drastically reduced.

      The story follows Cedwynne McKenzie, a young deputy U.S. Marshall, in the 23rd century. Cedwynne is not a typical 26 year old woman, and it becomes apparent early on as she slowly reveals her ability to see the Aura's of living things in addition to a few physical traits that are considered relatively common mutations, known as G-3 mutations, that give her an enhanced muscle and bone density.

      Soon into the story Cedwynne is called into her bosses office and offered a position with a new branch of law enforcement, Counter Section. Little is known about this secret agency, and its clear early on that, despite her many qualifications, Cedwynne's problem with authority and straightforwardness are not taken lightly with her new supervisors.

      Once the true nature of Counter Section is revealed Ced becomes privy to her predecessor's work; though the realization that the existence of certain nightmarish characters draws a bit of both fear and doubt out of the anti-heroine.

       Things become even hairier once she closes, or at least thinks she closes, her first case and the discovery of a plethora of supernatural beings. Ced finds herself in well over her head when a fellow agent orders a hit on her, and afterwards explains that the order came from way above him.

       Everything comes to a head as Cedwynne must decide who she can trust. The mysterious man who speaks in riddles that cuts her grass, those that 'supervise' her activities, the handsome wheirwolf whose pack she helped save, or even herself as the thrills really begin to come out in this supernatural thriller that is true to both of its roots.

      Its easy to see why McMillan's friend became so vested into this story that he built his publishing company around it. There are so many great things about it, and here are a few of the pros that I feel help set it apart:

• The story, while on paper may seem like yet another supernatural love story, feels fresh and new. McMillan does a wonderful job combining a thriller and an adult supernatural story into something new and entertaining.
• Each one of the characters is his/her own person. Whether its the hard-nosed anti-heroine, or the soft-spoken man with a heart of a poet, even the President of the United States has his own voice and is easily recognizable throughout the story.
• The semi-dystopian United States is something I haven't read about before, at least not in this way. The story of the rise and fall of the country, and the whole world is done differently but in a way that isn't so far fetched that you could truly picture what it has become.

      The cons for this particular piece were a bit harder to pick through. I couldn't find any true con to the story, but I did find one small personal note, though I must stress personal:

• The main character, Cedwynne, is almost a bit to brash. I'm all for an anti-heroine, but on a few, and I have to stress very few, occasions her actions seem a bit to extreme. I do have to note that there is an incident that justifies these later on in the story, I'm just referring to one or two things at the beginning of the story.

      K.V. McMillan's debut novel, The Waters Edge, is a huge must-read from me. The creativity and skill that this story brings, coupled with the true thrills it contains will keep you turning the page throughout.

      Overall I'm going to give The Waters Edge a 9/10 based on:

      9/10 for readability- The way this story flows surprised me, being this authors first published work. Each chapter transitions smoothly from one to the other, and the ideas seem to keep coming throughout adding more layers to the overall story.

      9/10 for story- McMillan brings a creative story that flows well. Each chapter offers a new piece of the overall puzzle that delves deep into political turmoil, interestingly enough there's both turmoil in the human government and the politics of the wheirwolf pack Cedwynne befriends.

      8/10 for characters- As I mentioned earlier, each character truly takes on a life of his/her own. I especially like the way the characters from the wolf pack really feel like, based on the way they speak and act, they are part of a true hierarchy and behave based on their position in the pack.

     9/10 for thrills- I do like the reinvention of the supernatural creatures, but the thriller aspect is what really sets this story apart for me. It has all the aspects of a great thriller with a small degree of mystery thrown in to keep you guessing just how deep Cedwynne's rabbit hole really goes.

      I have to thank K.V. McMillan for allowing me the opportunity to read and review her novel. I really do look forward to reading the next installment in the career of Marshall McKenzie.

      If you would like to check out The Waters Edge click here.

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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.

Review and FREE Offer for New Crime Novel

South on Pacific Coast Highway
By Gary Paul Corcoran
Stargazer Press
ASIN: B00E4TQ3U4
338 Pages
Crime
http://garypaulcorcoran.com/

Reviewed by Joe Hempel, originally for Top of the Heap Reviewshttp://topoftheheapreviews.com/  

Crime novels can be tricky.  You have to keep the reader engaged the plot, and tell a smart and compelling story with characters that are relate-able.  How does Gary Paul Corcoran’s first foray into this complex genre fair? 

 

The first in a series of throwback crime novels, inspired by the Phillip Marlowe and Sam Spades of the author’s youth, Michael is himself a throwback private detective, preferring persistence to gadgetry and brains over guns and brawn. Operating a one man shop out of Laurel Lagoon, modeled after Laguna Beach, CA, South On Pacific Coast Highway is at once an affectionate ode to everything LA, from the cookie cutter communities to the seedy shops dotting the beach towns along that stretch of coastline, a portrait of the moral and cultural arc of Southern California from the sixties to the growing disillusionment of contemporary times, and lastly, on a personal level, it is simply the tale of a man haunted by a woman’s uncanny resemblance to the redhead he once loved.

Self described as a crime “throwback” novel, you can easily grab comparisons to Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe.  From the way Michael Devlin draws his conclusions, his interactions with the other characters, and his internal monologues, you grab that smokey, gritty world of the under-paid and under-appreciated PI almost immediately.  That in itself is worth the price of admission here.  It pays respectful homage to crime novels of the past.

The plot in itself starts out fairly simple.  Michael Devlin’s friend is thrown in jail for murdering his wife, and he is out to clear his name.  What happens is a couple more murders, a romance between Devlin and a redheaded bombshell, and international arms dealers that stretches from Mexico to Russia.

How Gary connects point A to point B with all the twists and turns in between is something to read.  Usually first or even second time authors have trouble linking things together, and you have to make a leap of faith in order to accept the conclusion.  That doesn’t happen with this book.  Every move that is made is calculated, and makes logical sense.  By the time the finale happens you don’t have to wonder how Michael got there, it was well mapped out.

This is not to say that it’s not going to throw you along the way.  Each character has their own motives, their voice, and they are all interconnected in some way.  You’ll be second guessing yourself throughout the entire experience.

The characters are all brought out well.  Even the villains are a little likeable at times.  Gary is able to create separation and distinction to each character so you are never confused as to who is in what scene.

The romantic tension is done incredibly well.  There is no gratuitous sex, but you know that the sex is wild, loud and passionate without the book turning into erotica.  You feel for Michael as we wrestles with whether or not he should get involved, and you feel the consequences right along with him and his decisions.

The Bottom Line:  Quick wit, smart plotting, and prose that reflects his influences in crime, South on Pacific Coast Highway is one book that you’ll not want to put down.  When the final pages are turned, you’ll want to re-visit Michael in another book and follow him to find out if he finds peace, if he finds true love, and if he can come to terms with life around him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
20 Free Copies of South on Pacific Coast Highway!

That's right! The first 20 people to click on the "Contact" button of the author’s website and leave a brief hello, along with their name and e-mail address, will be gifted a free copy of South on Pacific Coast Highway! Be sure to specify the e-book format of your choice! And when they're gone, they're gone!   http://garypaulcorcoran.com/

Also, please note. It is the author's stated policy. No spam. No sharing of contact information with any third parties, for any reason and no unwarranted contacts going forward.

 

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

The product of an Irish/Italian family, Mr. Corcoran was transplanted as a boy from the clapboard New England of his youth to the cookie cutter, stucco subdivisions that began to litter the disappearing ranches and orange groves south of Los Angeles in the 1960s. True to his rebellious nature and the folk music/coffee house idealism that helped shape his early worldview, Mr. Corcoran chose to resist the Vietnam War, was a man without a country for several years as the result and can count incarceration in a Mexican prison as one of his many colorful experiences from that era.

Having pursued a love of reading and writing in various forms all his life, Mr. Corcoran finally sat down to take this passion seriously around the turn of the millennium and has dedicated the remainder of his days to authorship. As the result of his rough and tumble experiences in life and his undying affection for the fairer sex, adventure romance would best describe the character of Mr. Corcoran’s work.

 

Mr. Corcoran currently resides in Laguna Beach, California but fancies completing the circle one day soon and settling into a little cottage in the woods of New England.

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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.

Editor Is Fan and Reviewer for New Thriller

Title – "Breaking Limbo"

Author – Kelly O’Callan

Author's website link - http://www.facebook.com/kelly.ocallan?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

Publisher: Kelly O'Callan; First edition (September 1, 2013)

Genre or category – mystery & thrillers, suspense, paranormal

ISBN-10: 1490484744

ISBN-13: 978-1490484747

Available on Amazon

Kindle ASIN: B00EXBVFCE

Reviewer: Nina Meditz

I am Nina Meditz, editor and friend of the author, Kelly O'Callan. I have known Kelly a couple of years and had the privilege of reading some of her earlier work, which I loved. When she told me she needed an editor for her new book, Breaking Limbo, I immediately volunteered to help her with the process. To say that I am a fan of her work would be an understatement.

Breaking Limbo is unlike any book I have ever read before. Kelly tackles the unspeakable subject of teen suicide, an issue that is all too relevant in today’s world, from the perspective of eleven teens. These young souls have all taken their lives due to extremely difficult personal problems and end up together in a limbo-like, supernatural realm called Destaris. There they are introduced to Maree, a spiritual guide, whose mission it is to help them learn the lessons needed to leave this realm and move on to the next world. Maree, however, has her own reasons for wanting them to succeed. In order for her to be freed from this realm and reunited with her own soul mate, all eleven souls must leave Destaris. 

Kelly does a wonderful job of creating each of the characters with detailed background stories. The reader is allowed into the minds and personal circumstances of the teens and Maree prior to their arrival in Destaris. Her vivid description of this unusual realm makes all the supernatural events easy to visualize and quite believable. The element of surprise and constant unpredictability of the story keep the reader engaged page after page, chapter after chapter. The bottom line is that this is a unique and riveting story which makes it difficult to put down once you start reading it.

You can find Kelly’s book, Breaking Limbo, on Amazon in Kindle (currently being offered for free) and print format at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=breaking%20limbo%20kelly%20o'callan

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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.