Start 2015 With Career-Building Book for Authors

The Frugal Book Promoter
Subtitle: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Winner USA Book News Award
ISBN: 978143743291
Available on Amazon in paperback and e-book
Author’s Web site: http://HowToDoItFrugally.com

Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin originally for Amazon

An Excellent Book for Authors Got
Even Better With This Updated Version

When I want to increase my understanding of book promotion, I turn to sources with experience and wisdom. One of those sources is Carolyn Howard-Johnson and her excellent, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER. The information in this book is practical and tested and perfect for a first-time author or one with many published books. The experienced voice of the author echoes on each page of this book. It’s not just theory but these are ideas Howard-Johnson has put into practice with results.

As she writes toward the end of her book, “It’s never too late and it’s never too early to promote. Rearrange your thinking. Marketing isn’t about a single book. It’s about building a career. And new books can build on the momentum created by an earlier book, if you keep the faith. Review the marketing ideas in this book, rearrange your schedule and priorities a bit, and keep at it.” (Page 364)

This new edition has more than 100 additional pages from the first edition yet THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER is practicing frugality—and maintains the same retail price as the first edition. I recommend every author get this book and take action on the multitude of ideas.

________________________________________

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. To help writers, he has created 12-lesson online course called Write A Book Proposal. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com.  Learn more about him and what he does for authors at
Straight Talk from the Editor (FREE Ebook): http://straightalkeditor.com
Follow him onn Twitter: http://twitter.com/terrywhalin
His blog, The Writing Life (over 1,000 entries): http://www.thewritinglife.ws

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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.

Lorraine Brodek Channels Erma Bombeck

Title:  A Nobody in a Somebody WorldBy Lorraine Holnback BrodekPublished in 2012 by Tate Publishing & Enterprises, LLC
USA Book News FinalistISBN: 978-1-62147-195-0
Author's Web site: www.LorraineBrodek.com
Available on Amazon

Reviewer: Helen Dunn Frame, first published on Amazon.com, Five Star

Perhaps you, like me, can name a few well-known people you have met. For example, I appeared in MS Pinafore with problem child (according to our 6^th grade teacher) James Cann. Ted Koppel, his future wife, and I attended Journalism classes together at Syracuse University, and Robert Frost read poetry try to one of my elementary classes.

These brief encounters pale when reading Lorraine Holnback Brodek’s book A Nobody in a Somebody World. She recounts her life growing up in Beverly Hills with the offspring of many famous people and counting among her friends Erma Bombeck.

Nobody is an easy read, whether done in one sitting or not. Lorraine finds humor everywhere, even in truly dangerous situations that she survived.  The book provides insight about living among celebs in Hollywood when you are not one, documented by photos. Her chapter titles play on words. To sum it up, it’s an affectionate and funny book to add to your library.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lorraine was born in Hollywood and raised in Beverly Hills. She was graduated from Harvard-Westlake in 1958. She received her radio/television degree from USC where she met her producer-husband Tom over 50 years ago. In 1971, she started the volunteer program for Public Television in Phoenix, AZ. Back in Los Angeles, she created the award-winning Warner Bros. Catalog featuring celebrities modeling studio merchandise and became VP of Direct Marketing until 1991.

Because of her outstanding accomplishments, she received the City of Los Angeles’ Mayor’s award. She was recognized as Humor Author of the Month by the University of Dayton and the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. Published in 2012,  The Tale of Peeky Peeper, is a whimsical Christmas children’s book and game that she wrote and illustrated for Logan. Her hilarious memoir, A Nobody in a Somebody World; My Hollywood Life in Beverly Hills was honored this month as Finalist for Best Humor Book by USA Best Book Awards.

 

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Helen has written everything from articles, columns, and public relations materials, as well as edited newsletters and others’ books, but when she “retired” to Costa Rica, she was able to focus on writing books other than her  Greek Ghosts, published in 2003. Secrets Behind the Big Pencil, Inspired by an Actual Scandal recently joined Retiring in Costa Rica or Doctors, Dogs and Pura Vida (Second Edition )where you will find references to other books about Costa Rica and lots of data for doing due diligence. They are all available on Amazon.

Learn more about her at:

Website: www.helendunnframe.com 

Author's Page:  https://www.amazon.com/author/helendunnframe.com 
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHelenDunnFrame


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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.

Time of Year for Children's Picture Book

Title of Book: Adventures of Nutty and Twittles, Oh Nuts! I Lost My Little Sister

Author: Dennis Marcoux
Illustrator: Amy Rottinger
Follow Dennis Marcoux at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dennis-Marcoux/286869338186554
Publisher: Halo Publishing, Int.
ISBN Number: 978-1-61244-274-7
Publication Date: September 2014
Genre of Book: Children’s Picture Book

Review provided by: World of Ink Network

About the Book: Nutty and his sister Twittles set out to play a fun game of hide "n" seek with their friends. When Twittles is the only one missing, the game quickly changes.  Nutty has to find his sister because she may be lost in the dark and dangerous Forrest.

 EXCERPT:

Nutty gathered his friends together to explain the rules of the game.

“First, Robby, you can’t hide in the tree tops because no one else has

wings and that wouldn’t be fair.”

Robby flicked his tail when he heard the rule, but he finally said, “Ok.”

Rule number two was no peeking. They all agreed to that one.

“Ok, let’s get started,” said Nutty, his nose twitching with excitement.

“I’ll count to ten and you run and…”

“Hold on a minute,” said Speckles, “I’m a turtle, remember? I don’t

move too swiftly. If you only count to ten, I will still be standing next to

you when you open your eyes.”

This time Nutty’s tail flicked, but he knew Speckles was right. “Ok,” he

muttered, “I will count to twenty-five but no more than that.”

Nutty was about to start the game when he noticed Twittles hanging

back. “What’s wrong Twittles?” asked Nutty.

“I don’t think I want to play,” she answered.

“Why?” Nutty asked.

“Because I always get found first, I never win,” she answered.

Nutty looked at all his friends and thought what can I do?

Speckles broke the silence. “Twittles I have a feeling that today is going

to be a lucky day for you.”

“Really?” Twittles replied as her eyes opened wide.

“Really!” said Speckles.

Nutty covered his eyes with his paws and started counting. “One, two,

three, four….” Everyone scrambled off to find their favorite hiding place.

“Twenty-Five, ready or not here I come.”

What Reviewers Think:

“This is a super-cute story for kids 3 to 8 about siblings and the importance of following rules. The illustrations and the story will keep kids of all ages captivated and glued to the pages of this wonderful picture book.” ~Irene Roth (http://rothsinspiringbooksandproducts.wordpress.com/2014/09/29/book-review-adventures-of-nutty-and-twittles/)

“Kudos to Dennis Marcoux for giving children an exciting story with fun animal characters who keep young readers engaged and interested.” ~Terri Forehand (http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com/2014/11/book-review-adventures-of-nutty-and.html)

“My daughter brought this book into her Kindergarten class and shared the story with her friends. Her teacher and classmates loved this book! It's a great story that all children can relate to and my daughter is looking forward to more adventures with Nutty and Twittles!” ~Lynn Hudak

“As a child play therapist, I especially appreciate the important message that encourages children to hear adult warnings not as constraints, but as critical details meant to ensure a fun, safe and enjoyable experience. This book is a welcomed addition to my office library. I eagerly await the next adventure of Nutty, Twittles, and their friends.” ~Deborah Haggett, Ed.D, MSW, LCSW

 

About the Author: 

Dennis Marcoux lived in Worcester, Massachusetts for most of his life and now resides in Cape Coral, Florida. He has been writing children stories and poems for many years and is passionate about children reading to expand their imagination. In his spare time, you can find him reading books as a volunteer in elementary schools and children's hospitals. He is a member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association of Fort Myers, Florida

Places where available for sale: Halo Publishing International, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

e-Book Available Nook & Kindle 

 

About the World of Ink Tours

Virginia S Grenier  is

Founder & Partner, World of Ink Network

Bringing Authors and Readers Together

http://worldofinknetwork.com

Office: 435-625-1743

She is also Director & Co-Chairman St. George Book Festival

http://stgeorgebookfestival.org and author of Babysiting Sugarpaw

 

Award-winning Author

http://vsgrenier.com 

Follow on Twitter

Like on Facebook

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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.

Empath Continues Path of Helping Others with New Book

Title: The Sensitivity Factor:
Subtitle: The Missing Piece of Understanding Our Health
Author: Janice Carlin
Author Website: http://janicecarlin.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/theFHS
FB fan page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=189617147787827

ISBN:978-1492855248
Genre: health/wellness

Reviewed by: Matthew  originally for Amazon

This book has been helpful to me in understanding my own
hypersensitivity. It is a good overview of the healing process.
She writes with compassion and joy and gives a lot of good
information about healing and all sorts of things. Her own
journey is fascinating and I can relate to much of what she has
experienced. Some of it I skimmed through as it can be a little
repetitive and I am already familiar with the concepts such as
energy, resonance, and vibration.For anyone who is a very
sensitive individual or for someone who is looking for answers
for difficult health issues, this book will be helpful and could
be a life saver. This is a much needed book for a world that is
becoming more and more hectic and unhealthy, and is seeing more
and more immune system disorders from all the toxins (energetic
and physical). If holistic practitioners would read this they
would be able to better help a whole segment of people. I am
going to order her foundations healing process guidebook right
away which is a self healing method that allows you to clear,
stop reactions immediately, and stay grounded. Thank you Janice.

About the Author:

Janice Carlin is the author of The Sensitivity Factor, Be Free,
Toward Ascension, Empathic Sensitivity, and The Foundations
Healing System Guidebook, a natural healing system she developed
for highly sensitive people. She has also authored several
documents and e-books, including Lightworkers Guide To Working In
The Light and Working With Sensitives, Feeding Healthy Families,
Star Child (a children’s Ebook), Helping Your Child To Heal, and
has a chapters in the Transform Your Life! series. Janice is an
author, healer, intuitive channel and teacher. She is a highly
sensitive empath who has learned to use her sensitivity and her
other gifts to be of service in the most beneficial ways that
she can. As a channel, she is committed to sharing only that
channeled information, which is from, with and within The Light
in the highest benefit to all. Janice has a Masters degree in
music conducting and is a certified K – 12 teacher. She spent
many years teaching music to children in public and private
school settings. She developed her healing and intuitive skills
due to her sensitive son’s health needs, as well as her own.
Desiring to follow a path of natural healing and wellness, she
felt entirely helpless in caring for their needs without the
skills and knowledge that so many of the healers they were
seeing had. This led her to embark upon a ten year journey of
learning, awakening, profound healing and transformation. Now,
she and her son are self sufficient in living healthy, thriving
lives. As she experienced her own journey, she realized that so
many other sensitive people and parents of sensitive children
were also feeling frustrated and helpless to create thriving
within their own lives. She became impassioned to share all that
she had learned and developed that was new, different and
completely empowering. Visit her online at Empowered Thriving,
www.janicecarlin.com


SUBMITTED BY
Teresa Morrow aka The Author's Cheerleader
http://theauthorscheerleader.com
Creating opportunities for spiritual authors to gain visibility
on the web. She is host of "Inspiration Nation Radio"
http://blogtalkradio.com/inspirationnationradio, Sharing Inspiration through the World of Words, the author of Life Lessons from the Heart, and Healing from Broken Trust: A Journey of Transformation'
Visit her Web site at http://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.

Story about Foster Care for Puppies

Title of Book: The Adventures of Sir Buddy and Mr. Pupples: The Rescue

Author: Richard McEwan
Illustrator: Amy Rottinger
Author Website: www.twodogstales.com
Publisher: Halo Publishing, Int.
ISBN Number: 978-7-61244-307 -2
Publication Date: November 2014
Genre of Book: Children’s Picture Book

Review provided by: World of Ink Network

About the Book:

This is an engaging story for children to read or have read to them about a lost puppy. Hopefully, it will encourage young ones to think about the story when they come upon a stray dog or cat; and seek the guidance of an adult in helping to find it's family...or new home.

This is a really cute story from a lost dog's point of view. It starts out with a lost pup, named Pupples, scared, dirty and alone in the woods near a road. As the story begins, little kids learn Pupples will not leave or venture too far from where he is lost in case his family comes back to find him. What we liked about this part is it teaches children to also remain where they are if lost. 

As the story continues on, children learn the process animal rescue goes through to find new homes for dogs or any animal, how they find an animal’s owner if lost and also that sometimes animals end up in foster care until a new home can be found.

We found this book to be very universal on topics within and also the picture themselves can be used to enhance storytelling and understanding how a story evolves.

EXCERPT:

Pupples paced the edge of the road. He sniffed, but he could not find the scent of

his mother or siblings. The stench of cars burned his nose. He whimpered. If only
he hadn’t crawled off to sleep under the bush. But his brother had poked and rolled over him so many times that he couldn’t get comfortable. When he woke his family was gone. He had barked and searched, tracking their scent until he lost it at the road.

If he could cross, maybe he would pick it up again. He placed a paw on the black

surface. He took two steps then froze as a car swerved to miss him. A horn blared and he raced back to the side of the road. He crouched panting and shaking amongst the weeds. He waited until it was quiet and forced himself to try again.

Every time Pupples took a few steps onto the road, cars appeared forcing him to
run back. He howled in frustration.

 

About the Author: 

Richard McEwan retired to the Outer Banks of North Carolina after a long career in sales, marketing and advertising. He lives with his wife, Christie, and their two dogs, Buddy and River, one cat named Oyster and many photos of foster dogs. He was inspired to begin writing because of his grandchildren's love of books.

 

BOOK TRAILER : http://youtu.be/0ZdOCfAO99s?list=UUjcOpPUInovIAsrR8HLtxYA

To learn more about the World of Ink Tours visit http://worldofinknetwork.com. Virginia S. Grenier is founder and partner. Phone: 435-625-1743. Follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook.  Virginia is the author of Babysitting Sugarpaw. Learn more about her at http://vsgrenier.com.

 

 

----- 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.

Bone Up on Puccini and Have an Italian Crime Romp

Book title: Murder in Hand
Series: Alicia Allen Investigates Book Three

Author: Celia Conrad
Website: http://www.aliciaalleninvestigates.com
Where to buy the book: Amazon http://tinyurl.com/njd3bwl
Genre: Crime fiction
ISBN: 9780954623340 (Paperback) Also available in all ebook formats
Publisher: Barcham Books

Reviewed by  Marlan Warren originally for

“Dancing in the Experience Lane” Open Salon Blog

 

"Murder in Hand": Italian Probate, Puccini, & Dead Lawyers

 

Lawyers aren't the most popular people, Miss Allen..."

—Murder in Hand

 

     In her cerebral legal mystery, Murder in Hand, Celia Conrad pulls her feisty London Probate/Estate lawyer heroine, Alicia Allen, deeper into the quagmire world of unscrupulous attorneys, the unfortunates who work with them and their unsuspecting innocent victims. In this third book of the Alicia Allen Investigates Trilogy (AAI), Conrad hits her stride as a bona fide puzzle master in the tradition of Agatha Christie. The easy-to-follow plot line keeps readers guessing and the pages turning, while great pleasures lie in Conrad's refusal--or perhaps inability--to write for the lowest common denominator of brain power. Instead she aims for the highest. 

     If you want to roll with Alicia Allen...better bring your A-Game (and some knowledge of the Classics wouldn't hurt).

      Murder in Hand could be enjoyed as a stand-alone book if readers don't mind not knowing the history between the justice-loving attorney Alicia Allen and her adoring cohort Alex Waterford; her investigator friends, Jo and Will; or her cultured elderly neighbor Dorothy. 

     The story takes off when Alicia's Italian American client Fabio confides that he believes someone is trying to kill him. Fabio's family ties span New York, England and Italy/Sicily; and when his sister is killed in the midst of doing some family estate research in Italy, Alicia embarks on a quest to find the killer. 

"I can't leave you alone for a few hours without somebody else being murdered."—Murder in Hand 

 

      As in Books 1 and 2 (A Model Murder and Wilful Murder), Alicia leaps where proverbial angels fear to tread, resisting Alex's concerns for her safety. and soon he is helping her sort the puzzle pieces as the body count goes up (with the neat twist that as they hone in, it is lawyers or their assistants who are now dropping dead). Their relationship has matured into an easy partnership built on love, trust and the potato chip that rhymes with "Tingles." It provides a soothing stability that contrasts with the dark, random world of mayhem they are navigating together.   

 

"I generally advise my clients to make both a British and an Italian Will."—Murder in Hand 

 

     All the AAI books turn on classical theater or operatic references or clues. Murder in Hand pays homage to Gianni Schicchi (which Puccini based on Danté's Divine Comedy), a comic opera about a dead man's Will gone wrong, schemers and estate swindlers. And it won't be spoiling too much to divulge that key action takes place in the Italian town that hosts an annual Puccini festival.

     The book's title is a double entendre. British police refer to an investigation in progress as "in hand." And as for the other meaning...well, you'll just have to read the book, won't you?

      (Hint: Bone up on your Puccini!)

 

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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.

Outdoors, Pennsylvania Make Book a Winner for Goodreads Reviewer

Title: A Season on the Allegheny

Author: Robert T. Hilliard
Author's Website: http://www.facebook.com/ASeasonontheAllegheny
Genre: Nonfiction, Outdoors
ISBN-13: 978-1475201161
Available on Amazon

Reviewer Name: Diane (Goodreads Reviewer)

Reviewer's Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Even though I'm not a hunter, and I've never been to the Allegheny National Forest, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. OK, part of it is chauvinism: I'm a Pennsylvanian, and the author makes clear the uniqueness of this chunk of Pennsylvania, which makes me proud. I'm also a big fan of public ownership of wilderness lands, having spent many happy vacations camping, hiking, kayaking and canoeing in national and state parks. The merits of the book itself, though, are what I found most appealing. Although much of it is the story of a nine-month season of hunting in the ANF, the author weaves in a great deal of information about the forest, its history, its current uses (recreational and commercial), disputes, and stories of other hunters, both those he hunts with in this season and some from history. 

For me it was also a very intriguing look at the interrelationships between hunters, the damage caused by over-large deer populations, and the ability of the forest to maintain itself, as well as glimpses of the science behind the Forest Service's interventions and attempts to strengthen the health of the forests, rivers, marshlands, etc. It gave me greater respect for hunters, and a compelling desire to spend some time in the Forest, myself. This one's a keeper!

 

About the Author:
Robert Hilliard has written numerous feature articles for magazines such as Upland Almanac, Pennsylvania Wildlife, Pittsburgh History Magazine, ESPNOutdoors.com, Ohio Game and Fish, and Pennsylvania Game and Fish. Hilliard was also a contributing author for the 2000 book Rivers of Destiny. 

You can follow Rob on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ASeasonontheAllegheny , Google+ at plus.google.com/+RobertHilliard , or on Twitter @RobHilliard_66

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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.