Today's post is a casual review/recommendation of a course, rather than a book. It came to me from a trusted fellow writer from the UK, Mark Logie, and because so many of the subscribers to this blog are writers and publishers, I thought it would be a service to post his letter of recommendation.
Here is the metadata:
General info from: The Writers Bureau (www.writersbureau.com ), Manchester, UK
Course info: www.sell-book-course.com
Course type: home study
Price: £274 (about $470)
Here is his note to me, reprinted with Mark's permission:
Dear Carolyn,
In The Frugal Book Promoter you stress the importance of authors educating themselves in marketing books. I found the Writers Bureau correspondence course “How to Market Your Book” very useful.
When I took this course (November 2013 – May 2014) there were a small number of mistakes (such as a few out-of-date Web links, and one or two features on Amazon it suggested using that had changed or been discontinued), but it did motivate me to start a blog, which I had been putting off
because I was finding it very difficult. There was excellent support
from my tutor too.
With very best wishes,
Mark Logie
More about Mark:
Mark Logie is the award-winning author of On the Road to Infinity and Deadfall,
in which a young tearaway leads the battle to prevent the world's worst
terrorist attack. It is written for young people twelve years and over. Find it on Amazon. Thanks to inspiration offered by good books and courses on marketing books, he now blogs at Goodreads.
-----
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.
This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Friday, July 4, 2014
Beth Fowler Reviews Young Adult Novel
White
PineSubtitle: My Year as a Lumberjack and River Rat
By Caroline Akervik
Akervik's website: https://www.facebook.com/#!/HorseNamedViking
Published by Melange Books LLC's YA imprint Fire and Ice.
ISBN 9781612358260
By Caroline Akervik
Akervik's website: https://www.facebook.com/#!/HorseNamedViking
Published by Melange Books LLC's YA imprint Fire and Ice.
ISBN 9781612358260
Original
review by Beth Fowler
"Be
a man that people can count on," 14-year-old Sevy Anderson's father tells him.
Because Sevy's father broke his leg in a sawmill accident, the boy must quit
school and earn money for the family among rough and tumble lumberjacks and
river rats who harvest the white pine forests of Wisconsin.
White
Pine begins
where every good story starts: On the cusp of an irreversible, life-changing
event for the protagonist.
Told
in the first person from Sevy's point of view, readers are privy to the teen's
inner emotions of fear, pride, remorse, affection and homesickness. With a deft,
light hand, author Caroline Akervik, through Sevy, describes aspects of
lumbering and lumberjacks that give readers confidence that this is a reliable,
accurate depiction of life as a North woodsman in days gone by...which means
readers can settle in and enjoy the story.
Roget,
a giant of a lumberjack, objects to Sevy's presence in the lumber camp. "He's is
a boy. He has no place here." Problems escalate when Sevy's forgetfulness causes
what becomes known as "the incident." Sevy vacillates from carrying the heavy
burden of paying for his father's dream to own a farm, to the simple joys of
hearing bells jingling on the horses, and eating salt pork and biscuits after a
long day of dangerous, hard work in the numbing cold.
The
tension, while varying in intensity, never goes slack. The story doesn't veer
from Sevy's struggles to live up to the command his father gave him and his own
desire to be a true North woodsman, in this coming-of-age novel.
Readers
who love Gary
Paulsen's young adult coming-of-age stories set in the
wilderness will treasure White Pine, as will fans of
Laura
Ingalls Wilder's books.
No
warnings about content are needed for this wholesome, credible, engaging story.
White Pine is a book that parents
and other adults can read to young children and give to pre-teens and teens to
read on their own. As with the best of this genre, adults can enjoy the story as
well. The book belongs in school libraries and on family bookshelves. And more
importantly, in the hands of young readers.
MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Beth Fowler is also the author of Ken's War,When culture shock & teen rebellion collide. She writes under the name B.K. Fowler
-----
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.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Targeted Resources To Get You Invited To Be a Radio Guest!
This is not exactly the usual New Book Review review. I am running it on this blog because I know that many of the authors and publishers who have offered their reviews to The New Book Review will find this series of booklets useful. They offer up-to-date opportunities for radio interviews. The author, Fran Silverman, is also the author of
Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How To Get Invited published by McFarland Co. 2009. It was a National "USA Best Books 2009" Awards winner in the Business: Reference category. And her new booklets are especially valuable because they are targeted to specific topics and genres and are frugally priced!
The following ebooks for radio guests are available from Fran:
Animals ($12 for 46 shows) - Covers animal advocacy, health, care, competition, communication, behavior, longevity, dog relationships, pets and the paranormal, pet peeves, wildlife, training, shelter and rescue.
Authors ($12 for 52 shows) - Covers writing, editing, publishing, marketing, literary agents, Christian authors, author spotlights; genres include thrillers, suspense, action/adventures, novels, teen/YA, romance, poetry, science, historical, baseball, screenplays, songwriting.
Business ($25 for 274 Shows) - Covers workplace issues, innovation, entrepreneurship, business strategies, careers, finance, small business, sales, home-based businesses, law, investments, insurance, money management, customer service, and real estate.
Entertainment ($20 for 176 Shows) - Covers art, fashion, movies, music and comedy.
Environment ($12 for 39 shows) - Covers green lifestyles, sustainable communities, conservation, cleaner energy, natural healing and medical remedies, environmental news, non-toxic living, wildlife, and activism.
Food and Travel ($12 for 64 shows) - Covers grilling and barbequing, wines and spirits, tea, chefs and recipes and raw food, parties, special event planning; all kinds of travel: budget, frequent, upscale, good deals, cruises and medical and health tourism.
Health ($20 for 178 Shows) - Covers healthy living and lifestyles, fitness, health as a business advantage, natural healing, alternative medicine, medical travel, issues, education and treatment, and overcoming adversities.
House and Garden ($12 for 26 shows) - Covers gardening, growing vegetables, going green, home improvement, repair, and remodeling, healthy home design trends, buying and selling homes, feng shui, organizing vegetable garden
Men and Women ($12 for 67 shows) - Covers chick lit books, female and Christian entrepreneurs, fun for women over 40, men's comedy, girl's math and science, women empowerment, life makeovers, interesting women, women's health, parenting, women's ministries and spirituality, women in business, medicine, politics, gay, lesbian and transgender issues.
New Age - ($25 for 220 Shows) - Covers astrology, metaphysics, Tarot, Angels, psychic development, paranormal, parapsychology, holistic health, healing, mysticism, occult, and mediums.
Parenting ($15 for 64 shows) - Covers parenting issues and pressures, education, security and safety, family life, parenting parents, health, home-school, child development, schooling, charter schools, mom entrepreneurship, homebirth, adoption, marriage, military moms, single mothers, childhood cancer, and money management.
Politics ($20 for 216 Shows)- Covers current events, conservatism, Christian conservatism, liberalism, Libertarianism, government, pop culture, U.S. Constitution, Tea Party movement, democracy, the military and labor.
Relationships ($15 for 72 shows) - Covers dating, relationship strategies, weddings, marriage, sex and divorce.
Science and Technology ($12 for 50 shows) - Covers hardware, software, wireless communication, clean energy technology, nanotechnology, engineering, film and video production, biology, astronomy, geology, robotics, physics, and outer space.
Self-Help ($20 for 231 Shows) - Covers personal and professional goals, growth and empowerment, emotional freedom techniques, motivation, creativity, living one's calling, making for a better world, transforming your life and self-realization
Sports ($20 for 100 Shows) - Covers wrestling, biking, gaming, fantasy sports, golf, fitness/health, football, baseball, basketball, hockey, tennis, thoroughbred racing, hunting, fishing, camping, birding, hiking, skiing, kayaking, and performance.
To order go to her buy page on her Web site: http://www.talkradioadvocate.com/Ebooks.html
Or e-mail her for more information at:
franalive@optonline.net.
-----
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.
Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How To Get Invited published by McFarland Co. 2009. It was a National "USA Best Books 2009" Awards winner in the Business: Reference category. And her new booklets are especially valuable because they are targeted to specific topics and genres and are frugally priced!
The following ebooks for radio guests are available from Fran:
Animals ($12 for 46 shows) - Covers animal advocacy, health, care, competition, communication, behavior, longevity, dog relationships, pets and the paranormal, pet peeves, wildlife, training, shelter and rescue.
Authors ($12 for 52 shows) - Covers writing, editing, publishing, marketing, literary agents, Christian authors, author spotlights; genres include thrillers, suspense, action/adventures, novels, teen/YA, romance, poetry, science, historical, baseball, screenplays, songwriting.
Business ($25 for 274 Shows) - Covers workplace issues, innovation, entrepreneurship, business strategies, careers, finance, small business, sales, home-based businesses, law, investments, insurance, money management, customer service, and real estate.
Entertainment ($20 for 176 Shows) - Covers art, fashion, movies, music and comedy.
Environment ($12 for 39 shows) - Covers green lifestyles, sustainable communities, conservation, cleaner energy, natural healing and medical remedies, environmental news, non-toxic living, wildlife, and activism.
Food and Travel ($12 for 64 shows) - Covers grilling and barbequing, wines and spirits, tea, chefs and recipes and raw food, parties, special event planning; all kinds of travel: budget, frequent, upscale, good deals, cruises and medical and health tourism.
Health ($20 for 178 Shows) - Covers healthy living and lifestyles, fitness, health as a business advantage, natural healing, alternative medicine, medical travel, issues, education and treatment, and overcoming adversities.
House and Garden ($12 for 26 shows) - Covers gardening, growing vegetables, going green, home improvement, repair, and remodeling, healthy home design trends, buying and selling homes, feng shui, organizing vegetable garden
Men and Women ($12 for 67 shows) - Covers chick lit books, female and Christian entrepreneurs, fun for women over 40, men's comedy, girl's math and science, women empowerment, life makeovers, interesting women, women's health, parenting, women's ministries and spirituality, women in business, medicine, politics, gay, lesbian and transgender issues.
New Age - ($25 for 220 Shows) - Covers astrology, metaphysics, Tarot, Angels, psychic development, paranormal, parapsychology, holistic health, healing, mysticism, occult, and mediums.
Parenting ($15 for 64 shows) - Covers parenting issues and pressures, education, security and safety, family life, parenting parents, health, home-school, child development, schooling, charter schools, mom entrepreneurship, homebirth, adoption, marriage, military moms, single mothers, childhood cancer, and money management.
Politics ($20 for 216 Shows)- Covers current events, conservatism, Christian conservatism, liberalism, Libertarianism, government, pop culture, U.S. Constitution, Tea Party movement, democracy, the military and labor.
Relationships ($15 for 72 shows) - Covers dating, relationship strategies, weddings, marriage, sex and divorce.
Science and Technology ($12 for 50 shows) - Covers hardware, software, wireless communication, clean energy technology, nanotechnology, engineering, film and video production, biology, astronomy, geology, robotics, physics, and outer space.
Self-Help ($20 for 231 Shows) - Covers personal and professional goals, growth and empowerment, emotional freedom techniques, motivation, creativity, living one's calling, making for a better world, transforming your life and self-realization
Sports ($20 for 100 Shows) - Covers wrestling, biking, gaming, fantasy sports, golf, fitness/health, football, baseball, basketball, hockey, tennis, thoroughbred racing, hunting, fishing, camping, birding, hiking, skiing, kayaking, and performance.
To order go to her buy page on her Web site: http://www.talkradioadvocate.com/Ebooks.html
Or e-mail her for more information at:
franalive@optonline.net.
-----
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, July 2, 2014
Gut Reaction Reviews of Psychological (and Literary!) Fiction
TITLE: Saints in the
Shadows
AUTHOR: Alana CashISBNs: 13: 978-1497511170
10: 1497511178
GENRES: Psychological/Paranormal/Literary Fiction
Reviewed by Don Grant originally for Gut Reaction Reviews and Amazon
Wow.
Sometimes one finds a diamond in the rough. Having been asked to review this
book I bought it for my kindle as I was drawn to the description which said it
“dabbles in provocative subjects such as psychic phenomena, economics, morality,
masochism, color, jazz, history, and a bit of romance with an NYPD detective”.
I was not disappointed.
First,
let me talk about the negative aspect of the book. The author would have made
this even better with just a bit more editing and maybe one more pass with a
copy editor. Each scene change has a heading which in the beginning was
distracting but I will say as the story developed this was not as
bothersome.
The
story itself is gripping and I found it hard to put down. The writer draws you
in quickly and at times I forgot I was reading a work of fiction. If you have
ever seen a film with a famous actor who makes you forget that you are watching
them act, then you know what I mean. The transition from past to present was
easy to follow and never “pulled” me out of the story.
The
character, Maud Strand, is one I would like to read more about. She seemed to
me, to be more interesting than Madame Budska. Based on the title the author
seems to disagree, hopefully she will change her mind.
The
ending was slightly rushed and left me wondering about what was going to happen
to Maud. Maybe it all wrapped up too fast. But I will say I look forward to more
books by Alana Cash. This gets a well earned four
stars!
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, June 30, 2014
Anna Aizic's Memoir Spans Continents
Subtitle: My Ukrainian Family's Odyssey of Secrets, Love and Survival from Pre-War Odessa to the Promised Land and America
Author: Anna Aizic
Print Length: 152 pages
Print Length: 152 pages
Publisher: Meir Publishing Press (May 3, 2014)
Available on Amazon as an e-book
Language: English
ASIN: B00K41Y2GI
Author's Web site: http://www.annaaizic.com/Author's Biography: http://amazon.com/author/annaaizic
There is an elemental quality inherent to the works of Anna Aizic. Her artistic progression and interest in the nature of properties has led her to experiment with a variety of media including wood, stone, metal and glass in addition to efforts in painting, photography and writing; she recently published her first book (memoir in letters:The Circles of Life), and working on other writing projects.
Aizic was born in Communist Odessa of Ukraine; she has been working for over twenty years with people with Special needs, developmental disabilities,mental illness and psychiatric rehabilitation.[ her parents hoped she will become a concert violinist :-) Sorry Mom:-)]
Born into an artistic family, Aizic was educated at The Art School of Jafa in Tel Aviv, and trained in jewelry design, yet it is in paintings and sculptures that her fascination with energy and divinity found full expression: in her art, figures come forth from their amorphous abstraction, at once fluid and crystalline, they twist and recede upon themselves, defying gravity while reflecting the color and light of surroundings.
There is a playfulness and freedom in the work of Anna Aizic, yet the joy seems ephemeral and but a momentary glimpse at the true joy of existence. Anna Aizic lives and works in New Jersey with her husband, daughter, son and a cat.
Book Blurb:
A fascinating read, coupled with captivating details that allow the reader to truly see and feel your gripping story.Your book contains valuable lessons and touching anecdotes of struggle, strength and perseverance.An enduring message of hope and inspiration for your family and so many others. ~ Rabbi Mendy Lewis, Chabad of Old Tappan, NJ
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, June 27, 2014
Marie Lavender's Writing in the Modern Age: Marketing Your Book While on Vacation by Lois W. S...
Marie Lavender's Writing in the Modern Age: Marketing Your Book While on Vacation by Lois W. S...: Going on vacation? Bet you can’t wait! But with a little advance planning, you can combine your fun in the sun with some book marketing. ...
----- 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.
----- 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, June 16, 2014
Readers' Favorite Reviews Joy V. Smith's "Detour"
Title: Detour Trail
Author: Joy V. Smith Genre: Western
- ISBN-10: 1612355706
- ISBN-13: 978-1612355702
Reviewer's rating: 5 stars
Available on Amazon :
Reviewed by Michelle Robertson originally for Readers’ Favorite
Lorie Emerson, like many others of this era, is traveling with her uncle on a wagon train headed west on the Oregon Trail. But after the unexpected death of her uncle, Lorie is asked by the wagon master to leave the group at the next town. Not willing to give up so easily and determined to make a home in the west, Lorie finds others needing help and willing to travel with her. She organizes their little group, preparing supplies and leading the group to their destination, but not without a struggle. Lorie must fight the elements, enemies, and face problems within the group before they all can settle in the frontier. Detour Trail by Joy. V. Smith is a unique western novel introducing readers to the era of the Oregon Trail, western frontiers, harsh elements, thieves, death, hardship, love, hard work, and determination.
Author Joy. V. Smith takes a bold approach when writing a western with a heroine instead of the typical male hero taking the lead role. Although not totally unheard of, a female heroine in the Oregon Trail era was uncommon. The elements were rough and life was hard, not fit for most women. Creating a main female character is refreshing, exciting, and honors those few women who did succeed on the Oregon Trail in the same way as the book character Lorie Emerson. Detour Trial is a book for readers who enjoy reading about courageous men and women and their adventures, love, suspense, grief, and enlightening experiences as they crossed the frontier on the rough Oregon Trail to create new homes and lives for themselves.
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.
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