Title: Novus
Series: The Cresecren Chronicles, Book1
Author: Crystal Marcos
Web site: http://crystalmarcos.com
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN: 978-0984389988
Links to buy eBook: Amazon http://amzn.to/1IGbLDd
Nook edition: http://bit.ly/1JDP56T
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1ho25me
Links to buy Paperback: Amazon http://amzn.to/1NiIIbG
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1Vmtvrm
Originally reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers’ Favorite
Rating: 5 stars
I would recommend not starting Novus (The Cresecren Chronicles, Book 1) by Crystal Marcos if you have anything planned for the rest of the day, as you will most likely not want to put the book down!
Cayden, the main character, is a Cresecren, similar to humans, but made to serve them. Cayden ended up in a colony of Cresecrens who are either not fit to serve any longer or who have been outcasts for some reason. One day, Cayden's life changes completely. He meets an interesting human girl, and then is involved in a rather unpleasant chain of events (which I can't mention as that would be spoilers!) which lead to him and a group of others being on the run, and finding out that the world out there is full of things that are not as they seem.
Novus by Crystal Marcos is one of those gems that make you care about the characters within the story, and while you definitely want to know what happens to them, you can't help but also not want to get to the end of the book. It's the kind of book whose characters you miss when you finish the book. There is good news though, it's the first book in a series and if Crystal writes as well in the second book then it will also be a fantastic read.
There still is a lot to explore, quite a few issues to be resolved, and I am sure that more interesting characters will be waiting for readers.
-----
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.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Marie Lavender's Writing in the Modern Age: Writing to Tickle the Funny Bone by Lois W. Stern
Marie Lavender's Writing in the Modern Age: Writing to Tickle the Funny Bone by Lois W. Stern: WRITING TO TICKLE THE FUNNY BONE by Lois W. Stern On the fourth year of my Tales2Inspire "Authors Helping A...
----- 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.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Joys of Reading: Book Tours, Prizes, Trilogies
Today we are being visited by a
virtual blog tour celebrating the completion of author Mary E. Martin's second
series, The Trilogy of Remembrance. We would like to welcome followers of the
tour joining us from Book Pleasures, http://www.bookpleasures.com and from other sites on the
tour. Learn more about the tour and its associated contest by scrolling down.
Title: Night Crossing
Author: Mary E. Martin
Series: The Trilogy of
Remembrance
Publisher: iUniverse (June 20,
2014)
ISBN-10: 1491737158
ISBN-13: 978-1491737156
Reviewed by: Vonnie Faroqui of Ink Slinger's
Whimsey
Rating: 5/5 Star
Link To Purchase: http://amzn.to/1KB6JtE
Savoring Night Crossing
When you drink wine, do you gulp it
down; racing to the bottom of your glass? Do you savor it; holding it in your
mouth; flicking it with your tongue; allowing yourself the pleasures of
experiencing its texture, the changing flavors as it rolls over your taste buds,
splashing against your palate. Night Crossing is a story that, like pleasing
wine, deserves to be savored.
Alexander Wainwright is at a personal
and professional crossroads. His reputation and skill as a painter are being
challenged to expand and grow. The creative mile stones of his past have brought
him to a turning point. In order to expand creatively he is being pressed to
create something new, to broaden his understanding of life and how much of it he
is willing to experience. A vision guides his next
adventure. A vision of the cosmic egg floating before him. Life places a mystery
in his path, and guides along the way. Alexander must discover for himself
answers to questions about his capacity to create as an artist and his ability
to love another. Can he give himself to love and remain true to his art? What
about his vision? Where did it come from and how could his vision be found in
the work of an artist completely unknown to him? As he is drawn into the mystery surrounding his vision
and a painting found and brought to him by his agent, Alex is led to journey to
Paris, taking the ferry, a night crossing. When the ferry meets with disaster,
Alex is forced to choose between saving the life of an older passenger, with
whom he has made a deep creative connection, and a young mother with infant
child. How does one choose which soul to save, which life holds more value? Life
often chooses for us and in so doing life pushes Alex further down the road
toward discovery and the edge of sanity. The mystery of his vision deepens and
carries him from Paris to St. Petersburg, where he meets the artist who shared
in a vision of the cosmic egg.
The Trilogy of Remembrance comes to
an inspired and satisfying conclusion in, Night Crossing. Alexander Wainwright's
heroic journey takes him into a swirling dream like progression of thought,
darkness, light, and dancing rhythms which open windows to the heart and soul of
creative experience. He is the student and the observer of life. He journeys,
inspired and driven by compulsions and forces he does not understand, meeting
guides and antagonists along the way. Each in turn adds to the mysterious
patterns being woven around him. Their destinies entwined. His muse Daphne,
faithful narrator Jamie, and friends both new and old will enter your heart and
find their way to places that resonate. A new story unfolds, new mysteries are
explored as Alex frees his unique inner light and searches for the place love
holds in his art and in his life. These characters
breathe. They hurt and love, like we hurt and love. Their stories, choices, and
struggles give us pause because they are stories we recognize as versions of our
own. I love Mary’s writing, which is eloquent and full of human insight. In
Night Crossing, as in the previous books of the trilogy, she reveals surprising
depths of interest and perception –both spiritual and aesthetic, into the
visual, musical and performance arts. Through her story telling she has the reader pondering
many ideas, concepts and truths relating to creativity, spirituality, and life.
Her writing illuminates much and yet leaves room for further exploration. I find
her work entrancing and provocative, without being pushy. I will miss Alexander
and find myself wondering how she might work him into another novel or series
now that his trilogy is complete. Do I recommend Night Crossing? Oh yes, yes
indeed, I do.
Mary E. Martin is the author of
two trilogies: The Osgoode Trilogy, inspired by her many years of law practice;
and The Trilogy of Remembrance, set in the glitter and shadows of the art world.
Both Trilogies will elevate the reader from the rush and hectic world of today
and spin them into realms of yet unimagined intrigue. Be inspired by the newly
released and final installment of The Trilogy of Remembrance, Night
Crossing.
MORE ABOUT THE TOUR
Followers of the tour have an opportunity to enter in a $200 Amazon gift card giveaway, sponsored by the author, as well as to receive a purchase incentive package donated by the tour sponsors. Entries in Mary's $200 Amazon gift card giveaway will be accepted until midnight on August 31, 2015 with an announcement of the winner posted from Mary's Blog on September 1, 2015. Anyone submitting a proof of purchase entry in the giveaway draw will receive as an added benefit the tour purchase incentive rewards package of free e-books and discount coupons donated by tour hosts. For a full tour schedule of events, as well as details on how to enter the lottery drawing for the gift card and receive the purchase incentive rewards package, visit Mary E. Martin at http://maryemartintrilogies.com/virtual-tour/
We encourage our followers to join the tour further by visiting The Avid Reviewer, http://avidreviewer.com/ for a review from Mary's first series, Final Paradox: Book Two in the Osgoode Trilogy.
----- 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, August 18, 2015
An Uncomfortably Close Look at the Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic
THE BITTER TASTE OF DYING
A memoir
by Jason Smith
ISBN-10: 0996402012
ISBN-13: 978-0996402019
Web site: authorjasonsmith.com
Available on Amazon
Available at iBooks
Reviewed by Christa Wojciechowski originally on MySweetDelirium.com
Just a few years ago, Jason Smith was lying in his bathtub, the blood
slowly draining from his slit wrists. Now he is here to tell us how he reached
the point of suicide after his long, dark descent into prescription opiate
abuse. The Bitter Taste Dying is a story of resurrection told by an
author who has literally come back from the black grip of death.
Today’s junkies are not just on the
street corner anymore. Big Pharma are the suppliers, and doctors are the
pushers, cultivating (perhaps inadvertently, but that’s debatable) a massive
population of addicts from all demographics.
After a severe car accident, Smith
has back surgery and is given a perpetual menu of painkillers and muscle
relaxers by his physicians. It doesn’t take long for the high schooler to
realize that by taking more than the recommended dosage, he could obtain the
warm, euphoric mental and physical comfort only opiates can bring. But all too
soon he also discovers the pangs of withdrawal whenever his medication runs
out.
If anyone has difficulty
understanding what an addict feels like, Smith describes it with painful
accuracy.
“You know that feeling of having
your head held under water, the last of your oxygen depleted, where very fiber
of your being screams at you to get to the surface for more air? That’s the
feeling of needing more drugs…”
As Smith grows into a man, his
addiction grows to mammoth proportions and he must go through heroic efforts to
keep himself in pills and Fentanyl patches. Smith tells the story in an
approachable, conversational tone that may have you laughing out loud at some
parts. As horrendous as it is watching how far he would go and how morally low
he would sink to get more drugs, it’s difficult not to marvel at his ingenuity
and boldness.
At the same time, Smith writes with
tender honesty and cutting unabashedness that is rare in any writer, much less
any human being. The reader immediately feels very close to him, making his
shocking confessions feel like blows.
The Bitter Taste of Dying is
an important book that underscores the urgency with which society has to address
the prescription drug abuse epidemic. It allows us to watch with uncomfortable
closeness how easy it is to develop an addiction to pain medication and how
quickly and mercilessly it can devour one’s entire life.
From aspiring football star to
international criminal, Smith shows us step by step how opiate addiction can
happen to anyone you know, and very likely destroy them. Most
importantly, The Bitter Taste of Dying reveals the light at the end of
the tunnel–even the most hopeless addict can make it out alive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jason Smith is a graduate of the
University of California, Davis, whose work has been published extensively in
both online and print media. Jason Smith is also the Creative Director of TheRealEdition.com, a recently launched
website that allows addicts, recovering addicts, and their loved ones to publish
their stories of addiction. Jason currently lives in northern California with
his wife Megan and two children, Jaden and Isabella.
The Bitter Taste of Dying was
released July 6th, 2015 by Thought Catalog and available in Kindle, iBooks,
and his website http://authorjasonsmith.com.
Jason Smith is available for
interviews, contributions, and appearances. To schedule a media event, order
books, or request review copies, please contact christawojo at
gmail.com.
ABOUT THE
REVIEWER
-----
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.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Second Book in Luana Ehrlich Series Maintains the Thrills
Title: Two Days in Caracas
Series: A Titus Ray Thriller
Series: A Titus Ray Thriller
Author: Luana
Ehrlich
Website: http://www.luanaehrlich.com
Genre: Christian
thriller
ISBN: 1511628650
ASIN: B00ZPQYHIK
Amazon Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Two-Days-Caracas-Titus-Thriller-ebook/dp/B00ZPQYHIK
Originally reviewed by Ron English for
Amazon
It
has been said that a new author often will produce a good book on her first time
out, but then struggle to produce a second. That has not been your case Luana
Ehrlich. Two Days in
Caracas beautifully dovetails into the wake of your first book, One Night in Tehran. I somewhat expected your new work might have toned down the action of Titus Ray, or at the least just drift into his next adventure. No. That was not the case.
Caracas beautifully dovetails into the wake of your first book, One Night in Tehran. I somewhat expected your new work might have toned down the action of Titus Ray, or at the least just drift into his next adventure. No. That was not the case.
Two Days in Caracas delivers new
thrills, more depth into the mind and life of your growing character, Titus Ray,
while promising more intrigue from future stories. You delivered such skill in
drawing me into Titus Ray’s background of family and old hurts and then wove
into his heart a new, growing affection for the police detective, Nikki Saxon.
Where one might expect a passionate display of fast moving sex and love you
handle this relationship with the kind of drama I recall from the old westerns
where the cowboy has grace and reluctance and then rides off into the sunset
leaving the reader wanting more. This book has it all. Danger—plenty of that,
travel to foreign lands--for sure; characters that are so believable you might
sense you know these folks. You surely develop an interest in turning the page
to see what will happen next. Since I live in Norman, Oklahoma, I kept hoping
that Titus Ray would return and let me glimpse more of his new life in our
familiar surroundings. You did not disappoint. I marvel at the way you let Titus
Ray grow into his new faith. You have not forced any religion onto these pages,
but let this part of his life make a gentle impression on the reader as it does
so in his expanding experience. His learning to pray is so new to him it reminds
one of a child growing in grace and knowledge. His faith, while strange to him,
is such a natural part of who he is and who he is becoming. His love for Nikki
is refreshingly tender with just the right amount of desire and fear one might
expect from a decent man living a dangerous life and chasing bad guys. And chase
them he does. Not a curse word in the book and yet nothing is taken away from
this adult story of action, love, assassins, kidnapping and murder. Great book.
You have introduced me to a new kind of fiction where I can believe this story
is a true life adventure of a man, his work, his love, his dog making me care
for them all. Now I must wait for your provoking promise of Titus ray’s next
adventure in Washington. Hurry, please.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Chief Editor at Midwest Book Review Praises The Frugal Editor
The Frugal Editor, second edition
Author: Carolyn
Howard-Johnson
HowToDoItFrugally Publishing
www.howtodoitfrugally.com
ISBN: 9781505712117
HowToDoItFrugally Publishing
www.howtodoitfrugally.com
ISBN: 9781505712117
$17.95 pbk /
$9.00 Kindle
Available on Amazon
Reviewed by James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief Midwest Book Review for Library Bookwatch (July 2015), the Jim Cox Report, and the Writing/Publishing Shelf at Midwest Book Review
Now in an updated second edition, The Frugal Editor is part of the "How To
Do It Frugally" series for writers and publishers, and an absolute "must-have"
for virtually all aspiring and practicing authors in these tough economic times.
Tips, tricks, techniques, and do-it-yourself editing secrets will aid in
improving one's writing at every stage of the process - from creating an initial
query letter to revising rough drafts, putting the finishing touches on the
final manuscript, and marketing the published work.
"Remember when you first
realized that a blow-by-blow account of a movie bored your parents? It's true
with books, too. When space is limited, your plot should be a mere logline,
pitch, or teaser. Your credentials or experience will be far more impressive to
an agent or publisher."
Extensive appendices filled with useful things like
professional sample cover letters or query letters, tips for Kindle formatting
made easy, and more round out this top-notch guide by award-winning author and
former New York publicist Carolyn Howard-Johnson.
Also highly recommended is the
second edition of "The Frugal Book Promoter" (9781463743291, $17.95 pbk / $9.95
Kindle).
MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Jim Cox and the Midwest Book Review have a long history of providing credible reviews to authors regardless of the press they are printed on. Find them at http://www.midwestbookreview.com. Cox also edits the Library Bookwatch, an online magazine, and his own e-mail newsletter, the Jim Cox Report.
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn t 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.Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Poet Published Short Book of Philosophy and Religion
Strength to Be Human
Author: Mark Antony RossiLoyal First Books
2015 Kindle E-Book Editions
48 pageshttp://www.amazon.com
Author: Mark Antony RossiLoyal First Books
2015 Kindle E-Book Editions
48 pageshttp://www.amazon.com
Review by Sy Albright originally for Loyal First Books
Tackling the existential existence of humanity on a global
scale would be a topic too large for even a War and Peace length
volume, but Rossi’s Strength to Be Human manages to boil down his
poignant distillations in less than fifty pages. Quite a feat when considering
he neither dances around political opinions nor runs away from criticizing
Science and Religion as potential negative elements that hold back humanity from
its fullest potential.
In “What We Learned” Rossi states…..We waste our
time building the better machine rather than raising the better child. The sum
of our species is naught if we simply carry our fear and hostility to the
Cosmos?
This is the first time I have ever read a book that
successfully pushes back on religious thought and science philosophy without
calling for extreme measures or proposing to exchange one idiotic ideology for
another. He plainly points out that religion and science are most dangerous to
peaceful coexistence when allowed to lament on humanity’s lack of superhuman or
supernatural powers. Powers he clearly shows are unwanted and unneeded.
There is a certain poetry in these writings that ease the
deeper thoughts into your mind as with the closing lines of “Prime Mover
“--- “But the ultimate beauty of the human creation is the indomitable
desire to rise above the sum of our shortcomings. In this journey the happiness
of humanity stands the strongest chance of building a better world and finally
finding a love capable of pushing back the primal
instinct.”
These essays read like meditations for the well-being of
four billion people. It’s a heady goal but likely a beneficial mission suited
for the world-at-large. If Poverty and War have a permanent cure the medicine
will arrive by natural means. No test tube or holy touchstone can bring people
closer to peace until they settle the war raging in their own hearts. The
mechanical and the metaphysical have a place in our dreams if humanity takes
care to ensure our deepest decisions are made from personal experience and
common sense.
About the Author:
Mark Antony Rossi is an Italian-American poet, fiction writer,
playwright and future science author. His poetry, fiction, nonfiction and
criticism have been published in Another Chicago Review, The Antigonish Review
(Canada), Anak Sastra (Taiwan), Bareback Literary Review (Canada), Black Heart
Review, Brain of Forgetting (Ireland), Coe Review, Deep South Journal, Dirty
Chai, Dogplotz, Enclave, Entropy, Farther Stars Than, Flash Fiction (Italy),
Gravel, Heart and Seoul (South Korea), Mad Swirl, Peaches Literary Magazine,
Ploughshares, The Muse (India) New Delhi Review (India), On The Rusk, Poetry
Kanto (Japan), Petite Hound, Purple Patch (England), Japanophile, Satire,
Scribble (New Zealand), SchitzoRealism, Scrivener Creative Review (Canada), The
Journal of Poetry Therapy, The Poet’s Haven, The Sacrificial, TransNational
(Germany), Toad Suck Review, Tracer, Twisted Vines Literary Review, Yellow Chair
Review and hundreds of others in ten countries. His poetry and fiction book
titles include Tints and Timbres, Variations on Virtue, Songs the Season After,
Church of Jazz and No Town of Mine. His also the author of two nonfiction books
Strength To Be Human and The Intruder Bulletins: The Dark Side of Technology a
major bioethics paperback and ebook that became highly popular in American
Colleges and Latin America after the Spanish-language version was released. He
lobbied against Human Cloning Research was congratulated by then President
George H.W. Bush for his ethical writings and principled stand on increased
ethical consideration regarding biotechnology. A USAF combat veteran he devotes
his spare time to supporting veteran causes in his community. And he has been a
frequent radio guest (Weissbach, The Jeff Rense Show, X Zone, Across The Net,
The Byte Show, Paranormal Front) to promote bioethics and veterans rights. His
paper “Poetry as Therapy: Self and World Analysis” has been used a basis for
poetic therapies to treat post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans.
-----
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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