The New Book Review

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Maggy Downey "Fell in Love" with This Book!

Title: The Girl Who Could Fly

Author: Victoria Forrester

http://www.victoriaforester.com/home.html

ISBN: 0312602383

Reviewer Name: Maggy Downey

Link: http://maggydowney.blogspot.ca/

Originally published: http://maggydowney.blogspot.ca/

Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/The-Girl-Who-Could-Fly/dp/0312602383

Genre of book: Children, fantasy

Hooray for the Girl How Could Fly

Let me start off by saying Victoria Forrester is an exceptional storyteller.

Eleven-year-old Piper McCloud lives in Lowland County on a farm. She has been gifted with the extraordinary ability to fly since birth.

When Piper learns about her unique talent she decides to hone her God-given gift by flying from her parent’s roof top. That is until her parents learn about it and put a complete stop to it, well they tried to anyway. But like any tenacious child that went in one ear and came out the other. ‘How could she stop flying? She was made for this,’ Piper thought.

However, when the people in Lowland County learn about this the gossip mill goes so far out that it reaches the headquarters of the Institute of Normalcy, Stability, And Non-Exceptionality (I.N.S.A.N.E), a government institute for children with extraordinary talents. Naturally, Piper becomes the latest recruit to join this talented pool of children.

Happy to be surrounded with children like herself, Piper settles into her new life at I.N.S.A.N.E. But just before she becomes all-too comfortable, her fairy-tale world begins to crumble, leaving her with shattered dreams and an urgency to get back home to her once simple life.

This story is so gorgeous and rich with quality writing. I could not put this book down. Each page came to life for me. It is a turn pager for sure. I fell absolutely in love with the children, especially Conrad. There was a poignant part in the book that just left my heart broken in two.

I highly recommend The Girl Who Could Fly for children both young and young at heart.

I hope she makes this into a series.

SUBMITTED BY Maggy Downey.

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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.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Lisen Minetti Reviews Paranormal Romance

Title: Fallen Redemption

Author: RB Austin
Author's Website: http://rbaustin.com
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 978-1-61935-260-5
Link to Purchase Book: http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Redemption-Trihune-Series-ebook/dp/B00E49OQ12/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381662190&sr=8-1&keywords=fallen+redemption

Reviewer by Lisen Minetti originally for her blog

Synopsis:

Cade committed himself to saving lives before he learned the full consequences of his life-altering decision. It wasn’t until he was tending his sick wife that he learned the enormity of what he’d done and he was unable to save her from the monster he had become. Consumed with guilt and praying for absolution, he threw himself into killing every Fallen he could find to save the humans he’d sworn to protect. But then Emma, deliciously mortal and completely forbidden, swept into his world, stirring an overpowering desire. Now he’s not only fighting soulless creatures, but also his inner cravings, trying to maintain his distance and continue on his path to forgiveness. He can’t afford to lose control again and sacrifice another love.

Review:

In her debut novel, RB Austin has taken a subject that has been done to death and breathed new life into it. In a world where we have millions of books to read and ideas are no longer new, this is extremely difficult, but she does it with ease.

For me, this was far less a novel about vampires than it was about the internal struggles of Cade as he battles centuries worth of regret only to question everything he knows when meets Emma. RB’s writing shines in her depiction of Cade’s inner conflict and his journey to overcome it. Emotions swirl and I was sucked into his turmoil, and his uncertainty, right along with him.

And then there is Emma. Spunky, strong-willed Emma. I have found in most romance novels, the leading lady never truly stops to question why she is falling fast for her hero. Not so much with Emma. She wonders every minute what the hell is wrong with her. Whereas Cade is busy dealing with his centuries of fear and doubt, Emma questions her sanity at every turn when she is confronted with Cade’s world and any feelings she may have for him. And I love that about her. She is not one of those sappy female characters who swoon and flutter for the man – jabbing her finger into his chest while giving him a piece of her mind is more her style.

The interaction between them, and between Cade and the rest of his brothers (the Trihune) is engaging to say the least, and I really hope that RB explores those secondary characters more in her next book.

Of course, Fallen Redemption is not all about the feelings that have sparked between Cade and Emma – Cade and his brothers still have to worry about saving the souls of the humans around them from the Fallen, including dealing with a force stronger than they have ever encountered before.

I know earlier that I said this was a novel about vampires, but I think just leaving it at that sells the story short. When I think of vampire novels, the same old images are conjured up – evil blood sucking fiends allergic to sunlight and garlic that have a penchant for hunting the innocent. Or the opposite: the Stephenie Meyer induced phenomena of sparkly teenage vampires who just want to be normal(ish).

RB has created a universe where her characters are nothing like this. In fact, she almost never refers to the Trihune as vampires – she only uses the word six times in the entire novel. I personally wouldn’t even consider it a book about vampires. Because really it isn’t. Two forces of immortal beings fighting against one another in the ultimate battle of good vs evil – light vs dark; yes. Vampires, not so much.

I highly suggest giving this book a read, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

If you want to connect with RB Austin you can find her on her blog, 2unpublishedgirls, which she co-writes with her sister. In fact, that’s where I first found her – which then inspired me to go get her book. You can also find her on Goodreads, or even better go right to Amazon, where her book is for sale, currently for $2.99 (less than you’ll spend on coffee this week! And it will last longer too!)

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

RB Austin
www.rbaustin.com
Creating worlds in which love transcends the normal
FALLEN REDEMPTION, available NOW, published by Soul Mate Publishing
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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.

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Crystal J. Casavant-Otto Reviews Swimming with Maya

Title: Swimming With Maya
Author: Eleanor Vincent
Author's Webssite (Link): http://www.eleanorvincent.com/
Genre/Category: Family Relationships / Motherhood / Memoir / Loss / Organ Donation
Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Maya-Mothers-Story-ebook/dp/B00BCMCUX0/
ISBN-10: 0988439042

Swimming with Maya appeared on my TBR (to be read) pile toward the end of my pregnancy. The memoir was said to be "heartbreaking and heart-healing," but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to handle the heartbreaking part under the circumstances. I picked up Swimming with Maya and put it down after a few pages. I loved the story but was fearful of how I might deal with the loss and heartache Eleanor had to endure. Vincent’s writing and her triumphant spirit kept pulling me back in. I was so drawn in by the heart-healing part of the story that I found myself enjoying the memoir so much I couldn’t put it down.

No parent wants to think of the unthinkable death of a child; and yet each of us does. We don’t want anything to happen to our children, and yet as we carry them we fear miscarriage, after they are born we worry about sudden infant death syndrome, then there are school shootings, traffic accidents, etc… since death is a fact of life, we encounter thoughts and fears of loss each and every day. Eleanor Vincent raised her two daughters, Maya and Meghan, virtually as a single-parent and in my opinion this makes the mother-daughter bond even stronger.

It’s impossible to imagine what Eleanor Vincent was feeling when her 19 year old daughter, Maya falls from a horse and is left in a coma which eventually took her life. Eleanor's made the courageous decision to donate Maya's organs. Eleanor uses her difficult situation and Maya’s death to tell an inspirational and motivational story and Eleanor is even stronger (as is the reader) at the end of the story.

Swimming with Maya was more about triumph than I had imagined. I was thankful to have read through the difficult times to see the memorable and motivational message. I admire Eleanor Vincent for being able to put her story down on paper for all to read. I cannot imagine the tears that were shed as she relived those moments that would forever change her life. Thank you to Eleanor, Maya, and Dream of Things Publishing for sharing this triumphant story with readers everywhere. My personal thanks to Eleanor for writing in such a way the healing is more pronounced than the hurt – it was this reason alone I was able to read and finish Swimming with Maya.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Author, Speaker, and Life Coach Pens Memoir

Book Title: Bringing in Finn

Author: Sara Connell (Seal Press Pub. October 2013)
Genre: Memoir / Family
WOW! Blog Tour Dates: 10/21/2013-11/21/2013
Book Hashtag: #BIFinn
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Seal Press (August 28, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1580054102
ASIN: B00BJYM6IU

Book Summary: Bringing in Finn is an incredibly moving story of surrogacy and how it created a bond like no other between a mother and daughter

In February 2011, 61-year-old Kristine Casey delivered the greatest gift of all to her daughter, Sara Connell: Sara’s son, Finnean. At that moment, Kristine—the gestational carrier of Sara and her husband Bill’s child—became the oldest woman ever to give birth in Chicago. Bringing in Finn: An Extraordinary Surrogacy Story tells this modern family’s remarkable surrogacy story.

After trying to conceive naturally without success, Sara and her husband Bill dedicated years to a variety of fertility treatments—but after Sara lost a third pregnancy (including the loss of twins at twenty-two weeks), they started to give up their hope. When Kristine offered to be their surrogate, they were shocked; but Kristine was clear that helping Sara become a mother felt like a calling, something she felt inspired to do.

In this achingly honest memoir, Connell recounts the tragedy and heartbreak of losing pregnancies; the process of opening her heart and mind to the idea of her sixty-one-year-old mother carrying her child for her; and the profound bond that blossomed between mother and daughter as a result of their unique experience together.

Bringing in Finn is the true story of a couple who wanted nothing more than to have a family and a mother who would do anything for her daughter. After unsuccessfully trying to conceive naturally, years of fertility treatments, miscarriage and a late term loss of twins, Sara and Bill Connell were emotionally and financially depleted and at a loss as to how they could have a family. When Sara’s mother Kristine offered to be their surrogate, the three embark on the journey that would culminate in Finnean’s miraculous birth and complete a transformation of their at-one-time strained mother-daughter relationship. - See more at: http://www.saraconnell.com/books/#sthash.2dbPO5eJ.dpuf

Bringing in Finn is the true story of a couple who wanted nothing more than to have a family and a mother who would do anything for her daughter. After unsuccessfully trying to conceive naturally, years of fertility treatments, miscarriage and a late term loss of twins, Sara and Bill Connell were emotionally and financially depleted and at a loss as to how they could have a family. When Sara’s mother Kristine offered to be their surrogate, the three embark on the journey that would culminate in Finnean’s miraculous birth and complete a transformation of their at-one-time strained mother-daughter relationship. - See more at: http://www.saraconnell.com/books/#sthash.2dbPO5eJ.dpuf

Author Bio:

Sara Connell is an author, speaker, and life coach with a private practice in Chicago. She is a frequent contributor in the media and has appeared on Oprah, NPR, WGN, FOX News Chicago- upcoming: Good Morning America, Nightline an The View. Sara's writing has been featured in: Elle Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Parenting, Psychobabble, Evolving Your Spirit and Mindful Metropolis magazines. Her first book- Bringing in Finn; an Extraordinary Surrogacy story- nominated for Book of the Year 2012 by Elle Magazine- is Sara's first book. (Sept 4, 2012 Seal Press)

Finding Sara online:

http://www.saraconnell.com

http://www.saraconnell.com/blog

https://www.facebook.com/SaraConnellAuthorSpeakerCoach

https://twitter.com/saracconnell

List of Guest Post Topics----- 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, October 19, 2013

Kit Lit Review Winget's Book for Middle Grades

Title: A Smidgen of Sky

Author: Dianna Dorisi Winget

Author site: http://www.diannawinget.com
Genre: contemporary middle grade
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2012)
ISBN# 9780547807980

Reviewed by Sue Morris originally for Kid-Lit Reviews

About the Story: Eleven-year-old Piper Lee’s mama is engaged to marry Ben Hutchings, a prison guard. Piper’s daddy disappeared while flying his Piper Cub plane and is presumed dead. Piper refuses to believe this, and keeps waiting for the day he walks back through the front door. Five years is a long time to wait. Ben also has a daughter who is Piper’s age, but they are as different as a horse and a zebra. Piper is looking for a plan to stop the wedding of her mama and Ginger’s daddy and finds one in Operation Find Tina.

What I Thought: A Smidgen of Sky is wonderfully written, with distinctive characters and full of Southern charm. Piper Lee is the narrator and her voice is unforgettable. She is holding on to her father’s memory, hoping he will find his way home and life can return to normal. Mama has made her peace and is ready to move on by marrying Ben. Piper doesn’t understand this and plans to stop the wedding. She finally gets her plan when finding out Ginger’s mother left her shortly after being born. The plan is to reunite Ginger with her mother, who will then reunite with Ben. How Piper does this is both humorous and heartbreaking. The debut middle grade novel A Smidgen of Sky, is a wonderful read kids will love. Ms. Winget explores blended families, single parents, death and mourning, Internet predators, and a few others as Piper Lee grows from a petulant ten-year-old to a wiser eleven-year-old.

Find the author online:

http://www.diannawinget.com/

http://www.twitter.com/DiannaMWinget

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5573825.Dianna_Dorisi_Winget

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Psychologist Pens First Psychological Mystery

Title: Shadow Play
Author: D.A. Lampi

Publisher: North Star Press

Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 0878396896

Purchase signed copies at author's Web site.

Also find it at
Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-play-d-a-lampi/1115165341?ean=9780878396894

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Play-Debbie-Lampi/dp/0878396896

Reviewed by Annelyse Blatch originally for Everything Books and Authors

Synopsis: Shadow Play:

Psychiatrist Grace Rendeau struggles to make sense of her husband’s untimely death. Left a widow with two children, Grace forges a new life for her family, abandoning her private practice and moving to Minnesota to take on a prestigious position at the Rochester Forensic Center for the Criminally Insane, work that will allow her to spend more time with her children.

At the Center Grace is immersed in a maelstrom of lives in disarray, the anguish and struggle of the inmates to regain a footing in sanity and face the devastating consequences of their criminal actions. In striving to heal her patients, Grace herself finds healing, a new strength, and a sense of possibilities.

Among the possibilities is a budding romance with Alex Sawyer, a divorced doctor engaged in humanitarian work. Romance blossoms into love and Grace accompanies Alex on a medical mission to Indonesia. They return committed to a new life together.

But their joy is short lived. Grace returns home not to her children, but to an empty House – and a chilling kidnapper’s note. It makes no demands and holds out no hope for the return of the children. It is clearly an act of pure vengeance.

Suspects are legion: a disgruntled security guard at the center with a grudge against Grace; Alex’s bitter ex-wife; a recently escaped insane inmate. Enemies known and unknown haunt Grace’s every waking hour. Where are her children? What has happened to them? Who is attempting to destroy her?

Grace’s riveting story illuminates the hopes and fears of every wife or husband, mother or father, woman or man, caught in life’s turmoil and striving to overcome it.

Reviews:

Bart King of crime Book Beat reviewed An Unfortunate Death and gave it a and a very favorable review, saying, "...it's a conventional wisdom that the kids of shrinks are whacked. Ms. Lampi knowingly examines such a case using her protagonist to reveal the potentially malignant impacts of an analysts's own talents turned inward. The author does so in a 'lite' romantic style. She avoids excessive belligerence and eschews bump-and-grind intimacies. Rather, she builds her mystery, increases tensions and evolves relationships through cinematic-like crafting. I look froward to future installments."

http://www.crimebookbeat.com/search/label/Debbie%20Lampi%20-%20Suspense

Other reviews:

Everything Books and Authors, reviewed by Annelyse Blatch.

http://www.everythingbooksandauthors.com/1/post/2013/05/book-review-shadow-play-by-da-lampi.html

I have been very lucky to receive some fantastic debut novels to review and I was not let down by Debbie Lampi's `Shadow Play'. This beautifully written novel deserves a lot of praise. Fast paced and not lacking in suspense, I would recommend this novel to any adult who likes quality time with a good mystery.

The characters are strong and well written with air of secrecy about all of them. They each have a past that laces them together even during conflict. Bud appears rough and malicious but is he really? Josie always has an excuse. What is her purpose? Is Alex really who he says he is?

Grace is a psychiatrist healing from the death of her beloved husband 2 years prior and raising her children, Dane the innocent 5yr old boy who loves dinosaurs and Caleigh, the typical moody teenager... or is she? Beginning a new job in a new town, Grace hopes this will be healing for them all as she is finding her place in the world as a widow, trying to put one foot in front in of the other and get to Dane's ball games on time. Earth shattering events take place that both full her with love and emptiness at the same time. Grace must overcome her fears and doubts if she is to have any future. From Minnesota to Indonesia and Puerto Rico, Debbie Lampi takes us on a journey of self-discovery entwined with the all-enduring mothers love. Can it conquer all?

Other Blurbs:

“A gripping story of one woman’s struggle amid life’s best hopes and worst fears, full of drama, intrigue and suspense, and rich with insight into the complexities of the human spirit.”
Paul Negri, former president and publisher of Dover Publications, Inc.

“No author writing today knows the unexpected dark corners of the human mind like Debbie Lampi. Ms. Lampi proves this point with terrifying conviction in her page-turner Shadow Play, a new psychological thriller that puts the tenacious and vulnerable Grace Rendeau, MD in the cross hairs of a quietly individual. Miss a night’s sleep, but don’t miss this one!”
John Klawitter, Hollywood Writer/Director

D.A. Lampi probes the psyche of her characters in a voyeuristic and sensual way. Shadow Play is a novel (based) on the complexity, beauty, and darkness of the human soul.
Annelie Wendeberg
Author of The Devil’s Grin

AUTHOR BIO

I attended New York University and The New School for Social Research where I earned a Master of Arts in psychology. I am a member of Sisters in Crime and the Twin Cities Sisters in Crime. My first novel, Shadow Play, was published by North Star Press in June 2013.
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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.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Eleanor Vincent's Memoir on Parenting Goes Digital

Book Title: Swimming with Maya (Dream of Things Pub. March 2013)

Author: Eleanor Vincent
Genre: Memoir/Parenting
WOW! Blog Tour Dates: 10/14/2013-11/15/2013
Book Hashtag: #SWMaya
Print Length: 340 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0988439042
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Dream of Things (March 26, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00BCMCUX0

Book Summary: In a memoir that has been called "heartbreaking and heart-healing," Eleanor Vincent shares an inspiring true story of courage, creativity, faith, and sheer tenacity as she seeks to find balance after unthinkable tragedy.

Previously available only in hardcover, Swimming with Maya demonstrates the remarkable process of healing after the traumatic death of a loved one. Eleanor Vincent raised her two daughters, Maya and Meghan, virtually as a single-parent. Maya, the eldest, was a high-spirited and gifted young woman. As a toddler, Maya was an angelic tow-head, full of life and curiosity. As a teenager, Maya was energetic and independent - and often butted heads with her mother. But Eleanor and Maya were always close and connected, like best friends or sisters, but always also mother and daughter.

Then at age 19, Maya mounts a horse bareback as a dare and, in a crushing cantilever fall, is left in a coma from which she will never recover. Eleanor's life is turned upside down as she struggles to make the painful decision about Maya's fate.

Ultimately Eleanor chooses to donate Maya's organs. Years later, in one of the most poignant moments you will ever read about, Eleanor has the opportunity to hear her daughter's heart beat in the chest of the heart recipient. Along the way, Eleanor re-examines her relationship with her daughter, as well as the experiences that shaped Eleanor as a woman and as a mother to Maya.

An inspirational/motivational true story recommended for anyone who has experienced tragedy, who is grappling with traumatic experiences of the past, or who wants to better understand the strength and healing power of the human spirit.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxZvYn_nQ1-ZEguAh4diTyF68x8IQqNdYDoUDlcaCR3JQfmFdj49ZOtCkZ21C8i1ikx9zXAJkytRkZ-7h3LbgSfv2hpLANOSFYBAnvuA6aj9GHSbwK49niv9YDeVVS37PiC3NhVyDHth7/s1600/Eleanor+Vincent+Head+Shot.jpg

Author Bio:

Eleanor Vincent is an award-winning writer whose debut memoir, Swimming with Maya: A Mother’s Story, was nominated for the Independent Publisher Book Award and was reissued by Dream of Things press early in 2013. She writes about love, loss, and grief recovery with a special focus on the challenges and joys of raising children at any age.

Called “engaging” by Booklist, Swimming with Maya chronicles the life and death of Eleanor’s nineteen-year-old daughter, Maya, who was thrown from a horse and pronounced brain-dead at the hospital. Eleanor donated her daughter’s organs to critically ill patients and poignantly describes her friendship with a middle-aged man who was the recipient of Maya’s heart.

Since the initial publication of Swimming with Maya in 2004, Eleanor has been a national spokesperson on grief recovery and organ donation, appearing on CNN and San Francisco’s Evening Magazine. She has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, and been interviewed on radio and television programs around the country.

She was born in Cleveland, Ohio and attended the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College, where she occasionally teaches writing workshops on creative nonfiction and memoir.

Her essays appear in the anthologies At the End of Life: True Stories about How we Die(edited by Lee Gutkind); This I Believe: On Motherhood; and Impact: An Anthology of Short Memoirs. They celebrate the unique and complicated bonds between mothers and daughters, making hard decisions as a parent – whether your child is 14 or 40 – and navigating midlife transitions with grace and authenticity.

She lives in Oakland, California.

Finding Eleanor online:

http://www.eleanorvincent.com/
https://www.facebook.com/eleanor.vincent
https://twitter.com/eleanor_vincent
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/eleanor-vincent/8/895/a95
http://about.me/eleanorvincent

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