The New Book Review

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.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Lois W. Stern's Stories to Tickle the Funny Bone Reviewed for The New Book Review


TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: Tales2Inspire ~ The Crystal Collection 


SUBTITLE OF YOUR BOOK: Stories that Tickle to Funny Bone


NAME (AUTHOR OF BOOK): Anthology of short stories written both by Lois W. Stern (Publisher) and the following winning authors of her annual contest: Jamie Sadler , Maurice Levenbron, Rod DiGruttolo, Joan Nadjari, James Osborne, Mort Laitner, Joe Satriano, Barry Nisman, Jeff Rimland, Cami Ann Hofstadter, Ph.D., Mark H. Newhouse, Micki Peluso, Nancy Kalikow Maxwell, Jan Hurst-Nicholson, Gerald A. Walford, Ph.D., Kenneth J. Stern, David Shwaiko, Frank D. Iannella, Alastair Henry


GENRE OR CATEGORY: Anthology of Non-fiction, humorous short stories


ISBN-10: 1518678790

ISBN-13: 978-1518678790

  • ASIN: B0184JSI7K
  • FORMATS: Paperback, Kindle, PDF


PAGE COUNT: 139  


AMAZON LINK:://www.amazon.com/Tales2Inspire-Diamond-Collection-IIIFeathers/dp/1695618165/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=Tales2Inspire+Collection&qid=1582728148&s=books&sr=1-8


CLICK TO BUY


AUTHOR/PUBLISHER BIO:

Lois W. Stern is a multi award-winning author whose work has been featured in The New York Times, on Local Access TV, and in live presentations in many varied venues. She has now published ten Tales2Inspire books of her contest winners' stories. Fans of Chicken Soup for the Soul are particularly enamored of Tales2Inspire books, because aside from their dynamic inspirational themes, they are filled with original photos to enhance the power of each story. Lois invites interested readers to get a FREE Tales2Inspire sampler book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts and to learn more about entering the next Tales2Inspire contest at: http://tales2inspire.com/enter-author-contest/. 

She is also a regular contributor to this blog. 


E-MAIL ADDRESS: tales2Inspire@optimum.net


FAVORITE LINKS: 

 http://www.tales2inspire.com,

 www.twitter.com/tales2inspire2

www.facebook.com/tales2inspire.com


BEST REVIEW:

Lois W. Stern, creator of ‘winning stories by talented authors from across the globe’, has outdone herself with her latest collection of stories; the first collection ever of strictly humorous stories. As author and publisher Stern admits, funny stories are more difficult to write, edit and judge since what strikes one person's funny bone might go right over the head of another. This is not the case with these unique stories encompassing all walks of life, and unusual situations — did I mention funny?

My personal favorite, the story about a ’chicken zombie’ is a laugh out loud story that is almost unbelievable. I know I'll never feel the same toward chicken again. In another story, leaving two little girls alone with gallons of different colors of paint makes one smile. One story proves with slapstick humor that machines can be extremely mean to young housewives.

“You can't spell ‘DON’T without ‘DO’” is proven in a hysterical short story about a young boy who cleverly beats the system, avoiding punishment. “Love in Bloom . . . Remembering When” is a sweet funny love story, a thoroughly satisfying read. Author Stern adds her own comical account of how a redhead proves she's a true redhead.

Each of the stories in this collection of humorous anecdotal tales is well-written, the authors are all contest winners and their work is edited to perfection. The lovely crystal on the book cover is perfect for these types of stories as some shine with brilliance, others are sharp and witty, and still others smooth and pleasant. But as the creator, Lois W. Stern writes, they are all ‘sparkling crystals of laughter.’

The type of stories in the Crystal collection is perfect reading while traveling or waiting for appointments. Just be careful where you chuckle or burst out laughing. Those enjoying this book in the Tales2 Inspire series will want to check out the other collections. I know I did.


REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Micki Peluso, Author and Journalist


MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER: (in Micki's own words:)

 

“I have written since I learned to hold a pencil. But life interfered with serious writing until a tragedy struck my family. This time I took up the pen and wrote as a catharsis to my grief--where spoken words failed, written words helped heal my wounded soul. 


My first short story of the incident was published in Victimology:an International Journal, launching a career in journalism. When writing for newspapers there were no more rejections, a nice surprise. I became a staff freelance writer for a bi-weekly award winning newspaper and freelance slice of life writer for my local paper, serving a city of 600,000 people. The diversity of writing for newspapers let me experiment in many areas of writing from essays, commentaries, interviews, humor, pathos, analogy, and short fiction.


I have recently published my first non-fiction book, . . .AND THE WHIPPOORWILL SANG, dedicated to the one I lost. Published by LspDigital, it is a funny, poignant celebration of life rather than a eulogy of death. My newly released children's book, 'The Cat Who Wanted a Dog' is a coloring and illustrated book for ages from 4-9 years old. I love writing short stories, my favorite category, which has culminated into a collection of slice of life, humor, and multi-genre short fiction and non-fiction, called, 'Don't Pluck the Duck’"..


Twitter Talk: A Reality Check to Your Trepidations, Safety and Other Concerns


Twitter Talk


by Your Review Acquisition Coordinator

Lois W. Stern



The Twitter accounts of several prominent personalists including Elon Musk, Joe Biden, and Kim Kardashian, had been hacked in a Bitcoin scam setting off a wave of alarm about this platform’s security. The hackers obtained control of employee credentials and hijacked accounts of some influential people who appeared to be tweeting out for those account followers to send them Bitcoins. This hack led to a lot of concerns about the security of the social media platforms. Although #FreePress is an inalienable right in our democracy, #FreePress does not include freedom to spread false information or damage someone else through libel or incitement. 


You might have read about the accounts of other prominent personalities twitter has closed down for similar reasons, but since I am not an Elon Musk or other high profile personality, I’m not concerned about having my Twitter account hacked. But since this issue recently came up again when I suggested that authors whose books are listed as part of my TheNewBookReview free book review query service hop onto Twitter, I wanted to address it. 


Note that I used the word suggested. It is hardly a requirement that you join Twitter to have your book listed at http://bit.ly/FreeBookstoReadandReview It’s just that having a presence on Twitter is simply an effective way for us to help you get many more eyeballs focused on your book. So I will repeat those suggestions below, but first let’s address the security issue.


PART 1: 

How to protect your Twitter account from hackers


 



Although I have not done either of the following to safeguard my Twitter account, if you have concerns about your security, here are two things you can do to further protect your account: 


1. Turn on two-factor authentication. This feature adds a secondary layer for a hacker trying to crack into your account. For a hacker who does not have internal access, this is a very difficult layer to crack. Keep scrolling for my easy instructions on how to add this layer. *

 

2. Unfollow and Block: If you find that a user is stalking you or troubling you on your platform, you can either unfollow them to stop seeing their tweets or block them, to make them vanish from your Twitter feed and messages altogether. *


*(See footnote below for details on how to engage those features.)



PART 2: 

Here are the suggestions I already sent out to the authors whose books are listed at:  http://bit.ly/FreeBookstoReadandReview



If you’re not yet on Twitter, please try to establish your page now. Here is a super video I recommend - clear and very easy to follow.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwKwOyb62xs



My advice: Go slowly, you don’t have to learn Twitter all at once. 


Just follow the steps on this YouTube guide to set up your profile now, and learn more about other ways to use Twitter as time goes on. 


Whether you are a newbie or seasoned Twitter users, here is what I am suggesting you do: 

Once you have a Twitter account, go to the upper right corner of the screen and type in @tales2inspire2 to follow me and @FrugalbookPromo to follow Carolyn (the founder and owner of this blog).


Here’s why: Carolyn and I will begin tweeting about each genre of books listed at http://bit.ly/FreeBookstoReadandReview. Once you are following us, watch for our tweets relevant to your genre, because that’s your chance to jump in, retweet our tweets, and add a few tempting words to attract readers to your book. To do that you use the little icon underneath every tweet that looks like a comic dialogue bubble as pictured below.


Now suppose your book is listed in the MYSTERY genre. When you see Carolyn or me tweet about the this genre, grab that opportunity to expand on that tweet by clicking on it and adding a comment as 

“Nothing like a good mystery thriller! Check out (your mystery book title here). . . about  (. . .) by clicking on the MYSTERY icon at http://bit.ly/FreeBookstoReadandReview.” 


Don’t forget to click on the + sign next to the blue TWEET to add a picture of your book cover, because Twitter viewers love images.


We are hoping to make this a game changer for you and your book(s)! 


This is another free service from #TheNewBookReview. 


To jump on the bandwagon and have your book listed as well, follow the steps listed at: 

https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/p/ethical-free-reviews.html

________________________________________


Footnotes:


How to enable two factor authentication on twitter?

 a) Scan the left column of icons to select 




 b) Click on the gear icon 





c) Select Security and Account Access to make your selections. 



Lois runs an annual Tales2Inspire® contest for both talented newbies and seasoned authors alike. True to her 'Authors Helping Authors' philosophy, she charges no submission fee for folks to enter her contest. That's right folks, it's FREE to enter and winners get lots of free branding opportunities as well.  All submission details, including her 2021 theme, Turning The Page are explained in detail HERE. To date she has published 10 (ten) Tales2Inspire® anthologies filled with winners' stories, from winning authors coming from across the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Visit Lois at these Media Marketing sites to learn more about her and her Tales2Inspire® Authors Helping Authors project/contest at: 
http://www.tales2Inspire.com

Spend some media marketing time with Lois at: 


___________________________________________________________________________________



More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the form at https://www.bit.ly/FinishedReviewSubmissions. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. And know that Carolyn Wilhelm, our IT expert, award-winning author, and veteran educator, makes an award image especially for those who volunteer to write reviews from Lois's review-request list and post them in the spirit of her "Authors Helping Authors" project. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Friday, February 5, 2021

LB Sedlacek Earns Prolific Poet Designation

Four New Books: Chuck Town, Suicide Pumpkin,
   The Blue Eyed Side, The Poet Protection Plan
Author: L. B. Sedlacek
Publishers: See author bio in this post.
Purchase URLs listed with each synopsis






NEW FROM POET AND AUTHOR, LB SEDLACEK




Head on down the cobblestone streets onto Rainbow Row in this Charleston, South Carolina 
themed poetry book from award winning poet, author and poem critic, LB Sedlacek. Visit Folly 
Beach, Murray's Lighthouse, Waterfront Park, the Battery, the USS Yorktown, Mt. Pleasant and 
more in this brand new collection.  





Mikeal is a kite surfer in North Carolina, raised by his grandparents.  After they are murdered, he 
rents the inherited cottage to Alexis, an actress.  Together this unlikely pair decides to investigate.  
Award winning poet, LB Sedlacek, takes you into a dark mountain tale in this new poem novel 
published by Cyberwit, “The Blue Eyed Side.”   Cover photo of Blue Ridge Parkway by LB Sedlacek. 
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Eyed-Side-L-B-Sedlacek/dp/9388319303  





The suicide plans of a would-be actress in Hollywood fall apart when she meets her Prince Charming 
who comes complete with a white Porsche & a pumpkin. Get to know Jessica & Jeremy in this 
humorous but twisted Cinderella story.  






From the Publisher and Editor of the long time free resource for Poets, "The Poetry Market Ezine," 
comes a book on being a poet!  The essays or articles in this new book are about writing, or 
marketing yourself as a writer. Navigating your life as a writer or poet, may be difficult. Do you 
have another job besides writing? Even if you have a writing related job, you are probably doing 
that to supplement your writer life income. There’s hope! At least, that’s what these essays are 
all about, how you can gel your regular work life with your work as a writer.  


More About L.B. Sedlacek

L.B. Sedlacek's is the former editor of "The Poetry Market Ezine" and a prolific poet. She has written many poetry chapbooks, like Mars or Bust, many of them reviewed here on MyShelf.com and here on the #TheNewBookReview. (Use this blog's search engine to find them.)  Synopses of some of her latest books are included in this post. Recent books include  "The Blue Eyed Side" (Cyberwit), "Happy Little Clouds" (Guerilla Genesis Press), "The Poet Next Door" (Cyberwit), "The Architect of French Fries" (Presa Press) and "Words and Bones" (Finishing Line Press).  Her short story collection, "Four Thieves of Vinegar & Other Short Stories" is available from Alien Buddha Press.  

FIND OUT MORE:  
Facebook - @lbsedlacekpoet  @poetryinla
Twitter: @lbsedlacek   @frugalpoet
Instagram:  @lbsedlacek    @poetryinla



MORE ABOUT BLOGGER AND WAYS TO GET THE MOST FROM 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. 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.



Note: Participating authors and their publishers may request s social sharing images like the one in this post by Carolyn Wilhelm at no charge.  Please contact the designer at:  cwilhelm (at) thewiseowlfactory (dot) com. Provide the name of the book being reviewed and--if an image or headshot of the author --isn't already part of the badge, include it as an attachment. Wilhelm will send you the badge to use in your own Internet marketing. Give Wilhelm the link to this post, too!

 Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Monday, February 1, 2021

Idelle Kursman Reviews Six Books That Gave Her Comfort in the Year of Covid

Books of Comfort and Consolation after Living Through 2020

 

Reviews by Idelle Kursman

The year 2020 needs no introduction. Many people will agree it was the year from hell. Job losses, schools going remote, and worst of all, losing loved ones. My father passed away in June (non-COVID related) and my mother passed in December (COVID-related). This has put me in a new cold stark reality along with the hassles of wearing a mask every time I go out, continually washing my hands, and coping with an extremely restricted social life. I know countless other people have their stories as well.

But there were a few bright spots: I wrote and published my second novel, I took online courses in copyediting, proofreading and SEO copywriting. I also took on a few projects in these areas. And I read some books that helped me stay sane and grateful. I would like to share my list of books that gave me comfort and consolation during 2020.

The Authenticity Project
Author: Clare Pooley
Released: February 2020
ISBN: 1984878611
Genre: Sisters Fiction, Mother & Children Fiction


An elderly artist who once enjoyed a prominent career now lives as a recluse. When he leaves his personal journal behind in a cafe, Monica, the café owner, finds it and adds her own innermost thoughts. Other characters find it and add their own entries. They meet the artist, who ends up teaching art lessons in the café where the characters bond as they learn how to draw.  

The Authenticity Project is the perfect book to read when you are forced to stay at home and need some cheering up. It can also restore your faith in the goodness of special people.

 

The Friendship List
Author: Susan Mallery 
Released: August 2020
ISBN: 1335136967
Genre: Friendship Fiction, Women’s Divorce Fiction


Two lifelong friends find they are in a rut and dare each other to try new things and actually learn to live. One of the women is 34-year-old Ellen Fox, who accidentally became pregnant at 17 and was abandoned by her boyfriend before the baby’s birth. She has been raising her son and supporting him while never venturing back into the dating world. Her friend, Unity Leandre, also 34, married her husband at 18 and became a widow at 31. She is still keeping vigil for her late husband and has never dated since. These ladies make a pact: Each writes a list of things she wants to do and whoever actually accomplishes the most on her list will pay for the two of them to go to a luxury spa for a weekend. A few of their goals include having a serious relationship with a man, getting a tattoo, and skydiving.


The Friendship List is about overcoming challenges and the highs and lows of taking chances in the quest to live a full, satisfying life. 

 

The Last Watchman of Old Cairo
Author: Michael David Lukas 
Released: May 2020
ISBN: 0399181180
Genre: Magical Realism, Literary Fiction


Joseph, an English graduate student at Berkeley, receives the news that his father in Egypt has passed away. He lives with his mother and stepfather and has only visited his father a few times. Joseph has a Jewish mother and a Muslim father and has never felt particularly connected to either group, yet when he receives a mysterious package that his father directed to be sent to him, it propels Joseph to travel to Cairo, Egypt. There he learns about his father and his dedication to being the last in his family’s line to serve as watchman of the Ibn Ezra Synagogue, a job that has been in the family for over a thousand years. After his journey Joseph not only understand his father but also finds himself.

Losing my own father and mother, I was able to relate to Joseph’s sadness, introspection, and the realization of how special my parents were.

Yes to Life: 
Subtitle: In Spite of Everything
Author: Victor Frankl 
Release: March, 2020
ISBN: 080700555X
Genre: History of Judaism, Medical Psychoanalysis


The Austrian Jewish psychiatrist Victor Frankl was the author of the classic Man’s Search for Meaning. Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything is from the author’s series of lectures he gave almost a year after the holocaust. His message still resonates today: it is essential to find purpose even after experiencing setbacks and tragedies. Having a purpose in everyday living sustains a person and allows them to be productive and happy so as not to give in to despair. This is coming from a survivor of the holocaust who  lost his wife and unborn child in the death camps.


Yes to Life: In Spite of Everything gives the reader a newfound appreciation of life and strength to carry on.

 

The Book Collectors
Subtitle: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through a War
Author: Delphine Minoui 
Released: November, 2020
ISBN: 0374115168
Genre: Historical Middle East Biographies, General Books & Reading


In the early years of Syria’s civil war, the Assad regime bombed the town of Daraya daily and cut off basic supplies in order to force out the inhabitants. A group of young Syrian men resisted and hid in a library. They read books such as Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, discuss their ideas and beliefs, and talk and communicate with a journalist via the computer about their plight. The journalist then wrote this book to capture their spirit and strength while their lives were at risk on a daily basis.


The Book Collectors: A Band of Syrian Rebels and the Stories That Carried Them Through a War was a reminder that although we are suffering from the COVID lockdown, there are people in the world who are enduring even worse trials.

 

The Book of Revelations by Idelle Kursman 
Released May 2020
ISBN: 0996592237
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Family Life


This is my own women’s fiction book that I wrote and published this year. It is a story about self-acceptance. After going through much upheaval earlier in her life, Christine Goldberg is married and works as a representative for a modeling agency. Her husband adopted her twins, a boy and a girl who want to learn about their biological father, but Christine refuses to divulge his identity. But her past catches up with her and she is forced to not only deal with the challenges she has worked so hard to escape but also deal with new ones. Christine must face her old demons now, including her estrangement from her parents and her children’s questions about the mystery of their biological father.

For those who feel like they failed to live up to their life-long dreams and goals, this story is about being easier on yourself and looking at all you did accomplish.

Idelle Kursman is the author of the award-winning thriller, True Mercy, and the women’s fiction novel, The Book of Revelations. She is also a SEO copywriter, copyeditor, and proofreader. See more of her blogs on her website, https://www.idellekursman.com.

Idelle Kursman Reviews Six Books That Gave Her Comfort in the Year of Covid



More About #TheNewBookReview Blog 

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. 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 and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the form at https://www.bit.ly/FinishedReviewSubmissions. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's "Authors Helping Authors" service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. And know that Carolyn Wilhelm, our IT expert, award-winning author, and veteran educator, makes an award image especially for those who volunteer to write reviews from Lois's review-request list and post them in the spirit of her "Authors Helping Authors" project. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing