Frugal Book Promoter Makes Marketing "Easier than Envisioned!"

Title: The Frugal Book Promoter
Subtitles: Nitty-Gritty How-tos for Getting Nearly Free Publicity and How to get nearly free publicity
 on you own or by partnering with our publisher
Second Edition
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Published by HowToDoItFrugally Publishing
Series: HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers
Multi Award-Winning including USA Book News Gold
Available on Amazon as paper or e-book
ISBN: 9781463743291

Reviewed by Lois W. Stern originally for Amazon
FIVE STARS

Carolyn Howard-Johnson does it again, with another super book in her 'How to Do It Frugally' series. When

 she plunges into publicity basics, she really plunges, giving her readers invaluable who, what, when, where 

detailed directions. What would you pay a consultant for all this advice? I wager a lot more than the price 

of this book. And that’s before I got to the pages with step-by-step instructions on building a media kit. 

Sure, I had read about the importance of media kits for eons, knew that was something I should tackle,

 but it seemed like such as daunting task that I managed to put it off for years. Then along came 

The Frugal Book Promoter, and with its step-by-step guidance, I shouted EUREKA, I can do this! 

Not only does Howard-Johnson provide her recommended 
outline for its development, but gives us specifics 

as margin and font sizes, page headings, types of content
to include with each page and other important

 features one might otherwise overlook.

To my delight, I realized I had already written most of these 
recommended bits and pieces, saved and scattered

 in different folders, so it was far easier than I envisioned. 
Once I searched them out on my computer,

 refined and updated them a bit, my media kit was almost 
complete. It never would have occurred to me to 

include a first person essay, or even that such a piece 
belonged in a media kit. What a clever idea! 

I had such fun writing mine, and it certainly adds flavor, 
giving the author a chance to provide the media with a

 peak into your personality.

Now I can’t wait to read her Section II: "Do-It-Yourself and Partner Publicity". I have learned that when I read 

a Frugal series book, I have my Post-Its handy so I can tab the pages with details I don't want to overlook.

Lois W. Stern
Author, Creator of Tales2Inspire

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Lois W. Stern is a passionate teacher and that passion carries over to her Tales2Inspire contests and anthology series. Learn more about her on Twitter @tales2inspire2.

Carol Smallwood's Poetry Gets Star Status from Literary Professionals

In Hubble’s Shadow
Carol Smallwood
Shanti Arts, 2017, Brunswick, Maine
98 pages
$14.95, paperback
Purchase on Amazon


Reviewed by Jennifer L. Dean

    The early 90s were exciting and troubling times—the Berlin wall came down, and the Iraq War began. A Gen Xer, this was the backdrop for my first year of college. When the Hubble Telescope launched into space in early 1990, sending us brilliant images of a world we had heretofore only imagined, it surprised and delighted us, showing us just how small we were. For me, these bright photographs helped to offset the images of the loss of the Challenger, a loss many in my generation still remember as one of our first shared tragedies. In Hubble’s Shadow, a collection of poems by Carol Smallwood, evoked this rush of memories for this reader, simply with its title.

    These memories were not the only ones that flooded my senses as I read Smallwood’s poetry. I delighted in scenes seemingly inspired from my own rural upbringing—from an exploration of spring’s arrival in the changing landscape of a dirt road in the brief “An Ode to Mud,” or the remembrance of summer’s bounty in the even briefer “The Sugar Beet Field.” These poems delight the senses and inspire wonder and laughter. But, darker images reside here, too. Faithless friends and partners in “Dreams of Flying Sestina,” and health concerns in “Live with It” and “Kitty Doesn’t Explore” rear their heads, weaving their way into this tapestry of a life lived in contemplation of our world’s complexity, whether underfoot, overhead, or right in front of us.

Taken as a whole, this collection reflects the full round of life, with all of its questions, beauty, and pain. This volume is accessible to all readers, no matter their knowledge of poetry and poetic devices. Although this collection includes several longer-form works, the majority pull you in with their brevity and knock you out with their depth of feeling and the poet’s ability to bring the reader right to the heart of the story. This collection meets the reader where they are, with just enough detail to inspire the wonder with which the author so clearly perceives the world and her place in it. Or, as Smallwood writes so eloquently in the last line of “Wind in Trees”—“the story lies with the interpreter.”

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Jennifer L. Dean is the Dean of University Libraries and Instructional Technology, Instructional Design Studio, at University of Detroit Mercy Libraries. 

OTHER REVIEWS FOR "IN HUBBLE'S SHADOW"
Scarlet Leaf Review
https://www.scarletleafreview.com/nonfiction4
January 15, 2018

Michigan Quarterly Review 
http://www.michiganquarterlyreview.com/2017/05/a-review-of-carol-smallwoods-in-hubbles-shadow/
May 16, 2017

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog 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.

Mindy Lawrence Reviews How-To for Self-Guided Journaling

Title: Journal Your Way to Creativity: A Self-Guided Journal

Author: Jen Nipps

Paperback: 106 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 25, 2018)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1986126889

ISBN-13: 978-1986126885

Reviewed by Mindy Phillips Lawrence

Author Jenn Nipps sent me a copy of her new e-book, Journal Your Way to Creativity: A Self-Guided Journal. I’d chatted with her and asked permission to review it since its title resonated with me, the subject matter close to my heart.

At first, this book seems simple, that is until you begin working with the prompts. Nipps’ introduction discusses how important creativity is and what it is and isn’t. Then ninety prompts pull you in and draw out your thoughts and insecurities. They lead you on a 90-day excursion into the blocks you have and direct you to discover ways to unblock them. Instead of telling you what to do in order to accept your creative life, this book leads you to discover the answers for yourself. 

The first prompt says, “Give your inner critic free reign for five minutes. Write everything it says. Then put it in jail. Put its words in an envelope and seal it. Don’t open it for at least a month or, preferably, after the end of this journal. Then see how you feel about what it said.” You reveal the weaknesses holding you back then you incarcerate them. Nipps asks you to be honest with yourself. Open the mental drawers and closets that hold the junk that keeps you from being free. 

Nipps includes a helpful list of books by other authors in the resource section that will give you more help in opening your creative life. She also lists her other works.

This book is as helpful as you allow it to be. You can add to the area in the printed version and say more. You can make your own file for the electronic version. Either way, if you allow the prompts to direct you and are honest with your answers, this book can greatly expand your creative life. 

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Mindy Phillips Lawrence is a writer and artist from Springfield, Missouri. She is the author of two chapbooks of poetry, co-author of The Complete Writer, and has been published in Writers’ Digest Magazine. Her reviews also sometimes appear on Amazon.com and Midwest Book Review. She is also a columnist for #CarolynHowardJohnson 's SharingwithWriters newsletter, http://HowToDoItFrugally.com and will soon publish a compendium of those columns.  

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog 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.

Doriana Fontanella Reviews Bonnie McCune's New Contemporary Romance

Title: Never Retreat

Author: Bonnie McCune

Author’s Web site: www.BonnieMcCune.com

Genre: Women’s fiction, contemporary romance

Name of reviewer: Doriana R. Fontanella

Publisher: Imajin Books

ISBN

Never Retreat paperback        
ISBN 978-1-77223-351-3

ISBN 978-1-77223-351-3
ISBN 978-1-77223

Never Retreat electronic book (Kindle/Amazon)       
ISBN 978-1-77223-350-6

ISBN 978-1-77223-350-6

ASIN   B079SY632Z

Review by Doriana R. Fontanella 

I have read Bonnie’s previous two novels and find that she does not have a cookie cutter approach to her writing. So many times in reading an author’s various works, we can tell that the plot is boiler plate and the characters just have new names. In Italian, we say “Cambia il maestro, ma la musica è sempre la stessa.” In other words, the characters change but it is always the same old story.

Especially in Never Retreat, Bonnie’s approach to story-telling has evolved and matured. There is such wonderful details and descriptions of the surroundings that they become part of the story even before the weather becomes a major character.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Doriana R. Fontanella

Write Connection LLC

Connecting Authors and Readers

writeconnectionllc@gmail.com

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bonnie McCune has been writing since age ten, when she submitted a poem about rain rushing down the gutter to the Saturday Evening Post (it was immediately rejected). This interest facilitated her career in nonprofits doing public and community relations and marketing. She’s worked for libraries, directed a small arts organization, and managed Denver's beautification program. 

Simultaneously, she’s been a freelance writer with publications in local, regional, and specialty publications for news and features. Her civic involvement includes grass-roots organizations, political campaigns, writers' and arts' groups, and children's literacy. For years, she entered recipe contests and was a finalist once to the Pillsbury Bake Off. A special love is live theater. Had she been nine inches taller and thirty pounds lighter, she might have been an actress.

Her true passion is fiction, and her pieces have won several awards. Never Retreat is her third novel and her fifth book of fiction. For reasons unknown (an unacknowledged optimism?), she believes one person can make a difference in this world. Visit her at www.BonnieMcCune.com, Bonnie@BonnieMcCune.com, twitter.com/bonniemccune, facebook.com/authorBonnieMcCune, www.linkedin.com/in/BonnieMcCune.

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND REVIEWS

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion and a whole lot you didn't know including how to use blurbs from reviews to sell books to catalogs. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically! 

This blog 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.

Veteran Poet Releases New Book from Poetic Matrix Press

  A Matter of Selection

 by Carol Smallwood
Publisher:Poetic Matrix Press (March 5, 2018)

Paperback:120 pages

ISBN-10:0998146986
Available on Amazon 
$17



Carol Smallwood, 
a whole battery of poetry chapbooks to her credit, has written another 
masterpiece.  By that, I don't mean something utterly impossible to
decipher or something that reminds the reader of poets' sonnets from her

11th grade English Literature class.  Many of the poems in Smallwood's 
A Matter of Selection are just as intricate, just as formulated. The thing is, 
you won't notice unless you make them into a puzzle to be unraveled 
or refigured like a Rubic's cube. And why would you want to do that?

Smallwood
writes intricate poems that are easy--even lazy. We read them for the spell
they create, the nostalgia, the wonder. Each is like images in the
opening poem: A melody. Morning fog. A path. 

Smallwood's
repetitive line, " . . . it makes sense to cut up pieces to sew with needle and
thread" in her poem "The Universe" lets her unraveling of the cosmos
be understood with subtle sounds. "Read," "bed," and, yes "dread." You
won't need a reviewer to tell you not to sweat it. You'll just go with the
gentle flow. 

Smallwood's 
A Matter of Selection are poems all the better in the moment. Save
analytics for another time, another chapbook another text. Like a child
listening to her mother's voice, no need to analyze. 

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion and a whole lot you didn't know including how to use blurbs from reviews to sell books to catalogs. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically! 

This blog 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.

YA Adventure Available as Ebook

Mirrored Kingdoms
Subtitle: The Shadow's Quest

by Antony and Eliza Gregwood

A Christian fantasy adventure book.

ISBN: B076HFL9MM

Ebook

Purchase at Amazon

When twelve-year-old orphan Matthew injured his ankle on a school trip, little did he know that taking shelter in a cave would lead him to a strange land, drawn by a blinding light, where nothing was familiar.

Raised by a farming family, Matthew slowly adjusted to their peculiar ways and their strange customs and he set out on a quest to discover the truth of where he was and how he'd got there.

As he struggled to understand the mysteries of this new land, Matthew had to face his fears and strive on through a journey of hope, danger and adventure and he finds an important sense of loyalty to the family that took him in. 

This would become a journey that would ultimately change his life....forever.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Find the author website at http://mirroredkingdoms.weebly.com. 

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everything from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion and a whole lot you didn't know including how to use blurbs from reviews to sell books to catalogs. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically! 

This blog 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.

Bonnie McCune Blends Techniques for Powerful Third Novel

Title: Never Retreat

Author: Bonnie F. McCune

ISBN: 78-1-77223-350-6 Kindle ebook
ISBN: 978-1-77223-351-3 Trade paperback
Available on Amazon and xxxxxxxx

A feisty single mom clashes with an ex-military, macho corporate star at a business retreat in the wild Colorado mountains, where only one can win a huge prize. But when a massive flood imperils their love and survival, they learn the meaning of true partnership.

Years ago, Ramona (‘Raye”) Soto faced harsh reality when a roving con man knocked her up. Now at thirty-something she’s concentrating on her career in a major telecommunications firm and funding college for her teenaged son. Enter Desmond Emmett—a fast talker and smooth operator. New to the office, the ex-serviceman possesses every negative quality for a guy Raye should avoid. Thrown together at a corporate retreat in the wilderness, the reluctant duo struggles to complete management’s extreme mental and physical tests for a huge reward. But only one can win the prize, and Des needs the money to underwrite medical treatments for his adored younger sister. See-sawing between attraction and antagonism, the mismatched couple, Raye and Des, face their biggest challenge: learning the meaning of true partnership. When a massive flash flood sweeps down the rocky canyon and threatens their love and survival, they must put aside their difference to rescue their colleagues—and their future as a couple.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bonnie McCune has been writing since age ten, when she submitted a poem about rain rushing down the gutter to the Saturday Evening Post (it was immediately rejected). This interest facilitated her career in nonprofits doing public and community relations and marketing. She’s worked for libraries, directed a small arts organization, and managed Denver's beautification program. Simultaneously, she’s been a free lance writer with publications in local, regional, and specialty publications for news and features. Her civic involvement includes grass-roots organizations, political campaigns, writers' and arts' groups, and children's literacy. For years, she entered recipe contests and was a finalist once to the Pillsbury Bake Off. A special love is live theater. Had she been nine inches taller and thirty pounds lighter, she might have been an actress. Her true passion is fiction, and her pieces have won several awards. Never Retreat is her third novel and her fifth book of fiction. For reasons unknown (an unacknowledged optimism?), she believes one person can make a difference in this world. Visit her at www.BonnieMcCune.com, Bonnie@BonnieMcCune.com, twitter.com/bonniemccune, facebook.com/authorBonnieMcCune, www.linkedin.com/in/BonnieMcCune.

FIND MORE REVIEWS:

“Few novels operate on such different levels, moving their characters to challenge not just each other, but their own perceptions. . .McCune provides just the right blend of comic relief, interpersonal encounters, and outside environment changes to make her story a powerful blend.” —Midwest Book Review. http://www.midwestbookreview.com/mbw/oct_17.htm#donovan; Donovan's Bookshelf


“. . .offering intriguing lead characters. . .the novel is a swift and satisfying read. The fresh air helps turn this office romance into a truly romantic adventure.” --Kirkus Review  https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/bonnie-mccune/never-retreat/

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion and a whole lot you didn't know including how to use blurbs from reviews to sell books to catalogs. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically! 

This blog 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.