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.

Review for Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection - Series III

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection Series III (a double header 

combining all the stories from the Pearl and Garnet Collections)

NAME (AUTHOR OF BOOK): Anthology of short stories written both by Lois W. Stern (Publisher) and winning authors of her 2019 contest)

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

ISBN-10 : 1695618165

ISBN-13 : 978-1695618169

ASIN: B07YLX8C72

FORMATS: Paperback, Kindle

PAGE COUNT:  238

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

BEST REVIEW:

Perennial Inspiration - Right on Time

Over the ages, a diamond has been viewed as a love-crystal which is 'dependable in its virtues when given as a gift'.

Half of this lovingly-compiled collection is written by and about some 'Awesome Kids', with the remainder focusing on the 'tails' of animals. As a longtime lover of theTales2Inspire series, The Diamond Collection - Series 3 is my absolute favorite. Each of these 31 stories is a perennial reminder that miracles can happen with all ages, sizes, and species.

If you need an infusion of optimism, healing, and love, this timeless book is 'right on time'. Consider sharing with a special child in your life as well. Inspiration is infectious in the best of ways.

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

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Maria Couchara-Jordan, MSN, RN

Author and Nurse Instructor

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Maria Jordan lives near historic Valley Forge, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania with her husband and two dogs. Throughout a thirty five year nursing career, she has served a number of clinical, consultative and administrative roles in the field of Mental Health and Community Nursing. Maria currently works as a professor in a local university where she has developed a course on “Safety and Recognizing the Signs of Potential Workplace Violence”.

Check out more of Maria’s books and writing at: www.marcoujor.com

Noir Short Stories Reviewed: Move Over Stephen King

Title: Bloodstains On The Wall / Three Stories From The Dark Side

Author: Mike Dennis
Author's website link: http://mikedennisnoir.com/
Genre: Noir
ISBN-13: 978-0615455389
ISBN-10: 0615455387


Originally reviewed by Walter Schmida for Amazon  
Rating: ***** (five stars)


Enter the 'noir' mind of Mike Dennis and you're in another zone, an area where you suspend disbelief. These three entertaining short stories are eerie in inspiration, spare and terse in their language,and brilliantly original in concept. "Block" especially blew my mind. While fresh and original, it had a Rod Serling feel to it that had me humming the theme from The Twilight Zone. I can't wait to read more stories quarried from the dark side of this guy's mind. Move over Stephen King.

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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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Splinters On The Carpenter's Floor

Author: Randolph Nicholas Alvis
Website: www.CreationsCarpenter.com
Genre: Spiritual Help
ISBN: 978-1-60383-183-3
Publisher: Holy Fire Publishing Company

Reviewed by Dominique Sessons, originally for Apex Reviews

 

Stuck in the midst of a deep, worsening depression, Randolph Alvis prayed fervently to God to release him from his metal and emotional affliction. In turn, God not only heard Randolph's prayers and freed him from his spiritual plight, but He also directed him to record his prayers in written form for the benefit of the countless others worldwide who continue to suffer from depression everyday. As a result Splinters On The Carpenter's Floor is the fruit of Randolph's labors.

Comprised of more than 40 insighful musings, Splinters addresses a wide range of different topics, allowing Alvis to strike a personal chord with readers from all walks of life. Touching on everything from having patience to fighting peer pressure to adopting a more humble attitude, Splinters is a ready source of constant inspiration for anyone struggling to overcome the vast and sundry challenges of their lives. From the start, Alvis doesn't claim to be a biblical scholar, but his sagacious insights are based on the considerable wealth of his real life experiences, and, therefore, have just as much potential to have a sound, solid impact on the lives of many who seek such practical direction and guidance.

 

From a deep, heartfelt place, Randolph Alvis has forged an inspirational, deeply moving offering sure to serve as a balm for the daily spiritual maladies of the masses. Kudos to Alvis for taking such a courageous, selfless step in helping to improve the lot of his fellow man.

 

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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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Mainstream Fiction Gets Crack Review from Quilldipper

TITLE: Twelve Months
AUTHOR: Steven Manchester
AUTHOR'S WEB PAGE: http://www.StevenManchester.com 
PUBLISHER: The Story Plant
RELEASE DATE: August 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-1611880533
GENRE: Commercial Fiction
Available on Amazon
Reviewed by Heather Froeschl originally for Quilldipper.com

 

"Life. A series of lessons for the soul? What is our purpose here on earth? That’s up to you. Life is what you make of it, or don’t make of it. For Don Dimarco, at age 57, he’s going to make the best of it. In Steven Manchester’s newest book, Twelve Months, readers will experience the hardest thing we have to face as human beings and will be grateful to the author for the reminder to live.

Don discovers that he has colon cancer. At stage four there really is nothing humane that can be done and the doctor tells him to live life to the fullest for what will be at best, twelve months longer. After the natural reaction of denial, resentment, anger, frustration and sorrow, Don gets on with the business of living. He writes a list of the top five things he’s always wanted to do and with the help of his dedicated wife, he sets out to accomplish them. What happens is more than he expected and greater than his family could have anticipated. The love between Don and his wife blossoms to the fullest capacity and through their shared adventures, readers will feel it radiating off the pages. The support and love from his family, as well as complete strangers, will bolster the reader’s feelings for humanity. Witnessing the growth of Don himself is a miraculous and amazing thing.

Facing the past, playing cowboy, declaring his love, confronting his demons, visiting paradise on earth…all are chapters in Don’s book of life and all are written with exquisite detail and deep feeling. You will experience each moment through outstandingly descriptive writing. Steven Manchester made me cry. I don’t think there is a reader who could get through this book without a tissue and a good healthy sob. What’s more important is the reminder the author gives us to live our own lives. Such a level of inspiration can be found here, such clarity of portraying the massive emotions of the characters, that one is in awe of the author’s wisdom. Steven doesn’t just write books; he authors life lesson plans.

Twelve Months is a powerful work of fiction."
~Contact the author at  http://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorStevenManchester

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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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Excerpt from a Book with Staying Power

Spanish Mountain Life
Juliette de Bairacli Levy
#3 in series
Ash Tree Publishing
Available at www.wisewomanbookshop.com

Note: Because this book is a re-release, The New Book Review is publishing an excerpt from titled The Gypsies to give readers a taste of why it has the staying power it does:

Oh, that flamenco singing of the night of Saint Juan!  The age-old passion and frenzy and grief of the Moors within, and without, the howl of the winds from barren Spanish plains and mountain heights, the croon of mountain streams and pouring fountains. And the beat of the tambours: tambours for war and tambours for love.

                                                     

Not one of the family of the water-mill came to visit Luz that night. Patrocinio, who had mothered my baby for nearly two months and must know that she was passing from life, was too busy selling wine and soda drinks to the people making fiesta. Alone, Señor Jose came faithfully to bring me water from the fountain, and to carry Rafik — who was overcome by sleep while enjoying the revelry — from the courtyard to his bed.

The old woman, El Antigua, came around midnight with her daughter, declaring that I should not be alone at such a time. The daughter, Pura, told me that her own child, Carmen, had been abandoned by the doctors but had recovered.  I knew Carmen well and admired her for her vivacious nature and the brightness of her singing as she washed clothes in the river. Pura said that she would send for Carmen to confirm this and thus to give me faith.

Carmen came later, around one in the morning, and confirmed her mother’s account of her near death, and told me that she had a premonition that Luz, also, would not die.  Then the Gypsies left my room for I told them that I would not steal their sleep; I knew they all had work to do on the morrow; and furthermore Rafik was company. No matter that he was asleep; my little lad was company and also inspiration.  I was inspired! The baby had much pain from the weeks of faulty diet and improper care. Her pain had kept her from sleep for a day and a night. I suddenly bethought myself of a group of white opium poppies which I had seen in flower in the upper mill garden. Those poppies were certainly part of that night of Saint Juan, for they died away then and never came again, while I was at the water-mill, and I don't remember seeing them in flower before. I made a brew of the gray-green heads from which the white petals had fallen, and gave Luz sips of that medicine mixed with honey. This very quickly lessened the pain, but I knew that it was a desperate and dangerous medicine, for it made yet colder her already over-cold body. But she did not die. That night of Saint Juan she was as cold and white as the opium poppies themselves, but she did not die.

The next day she remained the same, but with the night, she suddenly worsened. That was the crisis. I remembered that the Gypsy Carmen had not died and she had promised that Luz would not die. I sent for the doctor, wanting him to check her heart and respiration; and then the great wound came to me.  He said, in quick Spanish to Patrocinio, that Luz was dying and she must be prepared for this.  “Cuando?” (When?), I asked of him, and his face paled at my having heard his words and at the way my voice sounded.  “Any hour,” he replied, lowering his eyes.  I will not write about the symptoms of life’s ending which I saw upon my baby. But well I recall my quite childish words.  “I will not let her die!” I cried. I held Luz against my heart. I was like a child about to be deprived of a doll which she loved. I would not give her up to anyone; I would not.

Dr. Moran said that Luz must have penicillin injections.  That was a great test for me. I am absolutely opposed to injections. Always they are a shock to the body and do much damage to the nerves. Any medicine of any value at all should be able to be taken into the body by the mouth: the natural place for medicines. But penicillin is at least plantlike and was not evolved from cruel experiments on animals, therefore I agreed to that medical treatment.  I also continued with the opium medicine, and a further brew of dill seed with much honey, to save the tiny laboring heart. The following day a different  doctor suggested tissue infusions of the medicinal water of Lanjaron. To this, also, I agreed. Which part of the treatment saved the baby, I do not know. But she lived!  As with Rafik, so Luz’s illness also passed. The dawn came, the swallows twittered, and my baby lay safe in her Gypsy cradle. Personally, if I were to choose the treatments which I think most helped her, indeed saved her, it would be the three days’ fasting from all food, combined with an external treatment which I had learned a summer ago from Portuguese fisher-women, of massaging the stomach area time and again, night and day, with hot olive oil and pounded aniseed. To me, these were the most important remedies of all the many which kept my baby from death. And further:  Fervent prayer, and the good wishes of the Gypsies who came to Luz that night of Saint Juan and thereafter, surely saved her.  When the crisis was one week ended, Rosario Heredia, an eighteen-year-old Gypsy girl, came to offer her milk for Luz. She had a son, Juan, born close to the same time as my baby. I remember the birth of Juan: I used to send gifts of goat’s milk for Rosario, who had been rather weak at that time. Luz fed at the gypsy’s breast for nearly one month, until Rosario’s milk became insufficient. It seemed to me a Gauguin picture: Rosario with Luz at her tawny breast, red geraniums in her charcoal-black Gypsy hair, her short strong body squatting — Native American-fashion — upon the green turf by the mill-stream in the shade of the quince trees, which were at that time decorated with their pale green-yellow lamps of fruit. Rosario sang to Luz, songs almost as endless as the chant of the coursing mill-stream, Gypsy songs and other songs of Spain. The one which Luz seemed to like best and which Rosario sang most often was a sweet and simple thing:

Oh green eyes! Green as the eyes of cows,

Green as the first tassels of the wheat

And green as the early lemons.

Rosario had none of the sweetness and kindliness of my other Gypsy friend Maria of the basket-makers. Rosario was tawny and fierce as a tiger; perhaps she reminded me of a tiger because she preyed on others. She was an incurable monger — a Gypsy word for beggar. She came from a mongering family. From her equally tiger-like but very tall mother to her youngest sister, all pestered me for money and articles which I was often in need of for my own family. I never gave to that begging family one peseta. But to Rosario I gave a new green apron, and a green and white skirt which she chose, of exactly the same material and pattern as my own.  We looked like sisters when we went into the town together!  And I gave her also a gaudy scarf such as the Gypsies love, for her milk had greatly helped my baby.  I found Rosario intelligent and humorous and I loved to talk with her because, as with most mongerers, her speech was fanciful. For instance, she told me once of another water-mill which was to be rented. She described a paradise!

 Excerpt from Spanish Mountain Life

By Juliette de Bairacli Levy

----- 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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Inspiration! Travel! Self-Help! Review for Watching the Daisies

Title: Watching the Daisies

Subtitle: Life Lessons on the Importance of Slow

Author: Brigid P. Gallagher

Genre: Inspirational, Memoir, Self Help, Travel.

ISBN: 978-0-9935923-6-2

Purchase: 

https://amazon.com/dp/B01N3M9VJ0

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/watching-the-daisies-brigid-p-gallagher/1126231153

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/watching-the-daisies

Reviewed with permission by Wendy Hodgson  originally on Amazon.co.uk

"I loved this book - so much so that I read it twice which isn't something I do very often. The book took me on a journey combining practical tips with an inspiring insight into destinations I've never been to. I'm tempted to add some of the destinations to my bucket list!

This is a really relaxing read and very inspiring as it shows how you can overcome adversity to live an inspiring and fun life. The author is never daunted by her experience of living with fibromyalgia and pushes through with courage to visit far off destinations and rise to new challenges. The journey takes the reader on a path full of emotion - laughter, sadness, fun and frolicks - the route has them all!
A truly lovely, gentle and relaxing book which makes a perfect holiday read."

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brigid P. Gallagher aspired to becoming a doctor but it was not her destiny. Instead she embarked on studies to become one of the first natural medicine practitioners in Scotland, eventually becoming a tutor for community projects, a women's prison, and the Open Studies and Summer Schools of Stirling University from 1993 to 1999. In 1999, she relocated to Donegal, Ireland - the home of her ancestors. Four years later she succumbed to a mystery illness that was eventually diagnosed as fibromyalgia. "Stopping the World"  forced her to reassess her life, and creative writing became a significant aid in her recovery. She eventually retrained in organic horticulture, worked in the glorious gardens of Glenveagh Castle, and inspired children and teachers to create organic school gardens.

Learn more about Brigid P. Gallagher at:

Website: https://watchingthedaisies.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watchingthedaisies/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/watchingthedai1

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.

Bailey Jacobs and the Disappearing Dogs Series Novella One

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. 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.

Bailey Jacobs and the Disappearing Dogs, Series Novella One

• Title: Bailey Jacobs and the Disappearing Dogs
• Author: VJ Barrington
• Print Length: 41 pages
• Language: English
• Available on Amazon

Bailey Jacobs is a down-and-out 17-year-old goth, having lost her job and breaking up with her boyfriend.  However, she isn't the only one with problems in town; there have been many dogs disappearing without a trace.  Bailey happens upon a clue, but when she reports it to the police they do not believe her as she already has a bad reputation due to the actions of her ex-boyfriend.  She decides that she is the only hope for the dogs and plays amateur detective to find out who is responsible for the missing canines.  She is certain she knows who is behind it, but the only way for her to convince the authorities to act may be by committing an offense herself!

This first novella nicely sets the scene both for this book, as well as Bailey's future antics.  There are several possible paths the future books could take based upon the hints given in this first story.

The target audience for this book is young adults, but I enjoyed it as well and look forward to the next installment of this series.  VJ Barrington is sure to have a wide and devoted following in no time.

Bailey Jacobs and the Disappearing Dogs is VJ Barrington's first book in this first series. Each series will have 12 episodes; every 4 episodes (1-4 and 5-8 and 9-12) will be combined into an omnibus (about 80k words long) and then printed as a hard copy and made into an audio-book, narrated by VJ Barrington.  He has plans for another 2 series, as well.  Each episode will publish at the rate of about one a month, so keep checking in for the newest adventure of Bailey Jacobs in her unconventional female detective role.

Next in the Bailey Jacobs series:

• Bailey Jacobs and the Flying Thief
• Bailey Jacobs and the Bungled Burglary
• Bailey Jacobs and the Dealer's Den

About the Author

VJ Barrington was born in Africa in 1966. Having lived and worked abroad most of his life, he has settled down with his wife and dogs in a quiet Victorian town on the Antrim Coast of Northern Ireland.

He enjoys stories with plenty of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. This can be seen in his writing and his preferred authors who include Jeffrey Deaver and Agatha Christie.

If you’d like to know more or would like to follow VJ Barrington, you can connect with him through his website, Facebook, and YouTube.

Review by Crystal McClean

Crystal is a Mom, wife, homeschooler, virtual assistant, ex-pat, and more. If you’re looking for fun activities, educational ideas, recipes, multiculturalism, reviews, freebies, and giveaways, you’ll find it all at Castle View Academy with a little dose of inspiration thrown in for good measure.

A Book About Depression for Everyone!

Title: From Depression to Contentment: A self-therapy guide

Author: Bob Rich, Ph.D.

Reviewer: Theresa Hortley I

Author Website: http://bobswriting.com/psych/depression.html

Genre: Nonfiction: Psychology self-help

ISBN-13: 978-1-61599-435-9 

Rating 5 stars

Buy link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1615994351/    

Reviewed by Theresa Hortley 

I don't suffer from depression, but read this book because I am privileged to be one of Bob Rich's beta readers. All the same, "From Depression to Contentment" has proven to be immensely useful to me personally.

Depression is everywhere. Every year, a distressingly high proportion of the kids I teach are obviously depressed. Friends, relatives, colleagues -- it's all around me. Now, I can understand where they are coming from, and can be more effective in helping them, though not as a therapist of course.

But this is far more than a self-help book. It is an inspiration. One sentence late in the book has captured me: "knowingly or unknowingly, all of us are apprentice Buddhas."

Depressed or not, if you read this book, you will become a better person.

You wouldn't expect a book about depression to be humorous, but in typical Bob Rich style, he got me chuckling time and again. Just one example: a patient told Bob that he'd known all his life that he didn't matter. Bob's reply: "Right. You crawled out of the womb believing you didn't matter?"

All of Bob's novels I've read are full of therapeutic lessons. Here is a book designed as a set of therapeutic lessons that is as enjoyable to read as any novel.    

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Theresa Horley is a high school teacher of English which makes her a formidable beta reader.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Bob Rich, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in psychology in 1972. He worked as an academic, researcher, and applied scientist until “retiring” the first time at 36 years of age. Later, he returned to psychology and qualified as a Counseling Psychologist, running a private practice for over 20 years. During this time, he was on the national executive of the College of Counselling Psychologists of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), then spent three years as a Director of the APS. He was the therapist referrers sent their most difficult cases to.

Bob retired in 2013, but still does pro bono counseling over the internet. This has given him hundreds of “children” and “grandchildren” he has never met, because many of these people stay in touch for years. His major joy in life is to be of benefit to others, which is why he wrote a book that’s in effect a course of therapy.

You can get to know him well at his blog, "Bobbing Around," https://bobrich18.wordpress.com. Follow him on Twitter @bobswriting and find his newsletter at https://bobrich18.wordpress.com. 

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS AND ANOTHER FREEBIE

 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.

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Wisconsin Tale Impresses Reviewer

Legends of the Lake

By Philip Nork

Author's Website: www.PhilipNork.com

Link to buy: www.createspace.com/3742301

ISBN: 978-146804369

Also available for Kindle

Review: Originally posted on www.AngieMangino.com by Angie Mangino

Rated 4 of 5 stars

In Legends of the Lake, Nork has shared a unique look at four generations of family in a backdrop of Chicago, and most especially, a lake in Wisconsin, spanning the years from 1910 into the 1980’s.

Central to the story is Eddie and Connie Kron, the narrator’s great-grandparents, who bought the cabin by the lake. Readers venture into this summer cottage from the start, watching it change and develop as the family grows and changes. The cottage on the lake is the visual constant that reflects the roots of this family.

In the true definite of legends, the family story credits Eddie and Connie as the inspiration for many a unique well-known invention and neighbors with an infamous man. These add a perfect balance of levity to bring a chuckle to readers, while leaving the rare possibility that some of it may actually be true.

 

What is most important, however, and is the true strength of this work, is the family dynamic. This is a family to which readers can relate, with real dialogue and characterization that truly brings this family to life.

Connie’s favorite quote was, “If it makes you happy, that’s just fine with me.” This reviewer can almost hear her saying that to readers today who will be happy reading Legends of the Lake.

 

About the Author: Phil Nork, author of Misguided Sensitivity, Legends of the Lake, You're Never Alone and coming soon Life Is a Balance ... It's Not Only About You.  www.philipnork.com

Follow him on facebook at www.facebook.com/authorPhilipNork

 

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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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Can a Book Be a Vacation? Holly Weiss Thinks So

Crestmont
By Holly Weiss
Historical Fiction
ISBN 978-1-935188-10-0
Publication May 2010
StarPublish LLC

Reviewed by Betsy Rider, owner of Indie Bookstore, Otto Bookstore, Williamsport, PA

Can a Book Be a Vacation?

Take one with Holly Weiss in 1920’s Eagles Mere in the new book, Crestmont.

Four years ago, Holly Weiss, a music teacher and former opera singer, stayed at the Crestmont in Eagles Mere. She was captivated by the peaceful ambiance of today’s Inn and by the rich history of the founder and previous owners. So she wrote a book about them, filling out the known facts with fictionalized motivations and relationships.

After briefly sketching the Native American legend about the creation of the unique spring-fed lake from the tears of the mourning Great Spirit, Weiss re-creates the inspiration of William Warner, a visitor from Germantown who saw a challenge in the cyclone ravaged hill-top overlooking the crystal clear lake. Warner, who was driven by a need for excellence in all his endeavors, planned the Crestmont and hired two hundred carpenters to complete it in a year’s time. It was to be the very best in accommodations and in service. His staff was trained to anticipate every need and whim of the guests. His memory of the desires of the previous years’ visitors never failed to impress one and all.

According to Weiss’ fictionalized time-line, when Warner’s health deteriorated slightly more than a decade after the opening, his daughter, Margaret Woods and her husband, William, continued his legacy of outstanding hospitality. When Margaret Woods died in 1941, her daughter, Peg Dickerson, ran it until her health gave out, thus seeing it through three generations of the same family. It was sold in 1977 to a couple who replaced the “Big House” with condominiums.

But I get ahead of myself. The owning and running of the legendary Crestmont is only the background for a moving story of Gracie Antes, a young girl trying to find her place in the world outside her repressive family upbringing in Moravian Bethlehem. She could sing. She knew it, even if nobody else did. But she needed money to follow her dream of singing in the Vaudeville circuit. So she answered an ad for summer employment at the Crestmont in Eagles Mere. She left her home and didn’t tell anyone she was still alive for a month and even then she didn’t tell them where she was working.

Gracie grew from a shy, young dreamer with a pocket full of words she needed to look up and a notebook nowhere near full of the names of the friends she made, to an assured young woman who found her family and place in Eagles Mere, where she discovered singing was only one of her many talents.

Even more compelling for me was the character development of Margaret Woods, who was drowning in her father’s legacy of outstanding service to their clientele. She never took time for herself and didn’t discover until long after his death that her father had found a retreat in an attic hideaway. That he needed respite from his responsibilities too. When a mistake made by Gracie sends her into a debilitating depression, she barely copes until her family and a favorite older employee gradually help her recover her former energy.

The book is filled with just enough other characters to welcome you into their world: PT, the young manager of the Inn’s bowling alley (and all around go-fer) who escapes his murky past by pouring himself into his piano jazz; Dorothy, a teacher who leaves her classroom to wait on the pampered rich and oversee the young staff; Bessie, an angry housemaid who hides her hurt under her anger; Mrs. Cunningham, an elderly blind lady who needs Gracie’s help and care while providing love and understanding in return; and the most famous guest, Rosa Ponselle, an opera singer who also takes Gracie under her wing.

The author has researched her material with the same kind of thorough care that the legendary Inn provided. Her knowledge of the American culture of the “Roaring Twenties” serves her well. She liberally sprinkles references to neighboring towns and events. Her pace is leisurely and her characters lovable. Readers will feel refreshed after their vacation, reading “Crestmont.”


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Holly Weiss will be signing her book at the Otto Bookstore in Williamsport, PA, this Friday. Learn more about Crestmont on the bookstore's Web site www.ottobookstore.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 loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index 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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using the widget below:

Inspiration Through the Divine

Title: Miracle: the novel
Author: M.L. Bushman
Genre: Inspirational fiction
ISBN: 978-1-934340-55-4/1-934340-55-3
Rating: Five cups (highest possible)
Publisher: Jigsaw Press

Reviewed by Lettetia @ Coffee Time Romance

Carol Flannigan lost her fiancé through a suspicious accident. He was trampled to death by the horse he took so much pride in. Or was he really? Carol has lost faith with God, life, and with everything else in her life. Her father’s ranch is failing and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, and all she can think of is ending it all. Rory Flannigan lost one of the very best horsemen when he lost his future son-in-law to a senseless accident. He has been praying for a miracle to help them find out what happened to Chase and to help his daughter overcome the numbing grief and suspicion clouding the ranch.

Micah Divine is a heavenly being on his latest mission. Overseen by Gabriel, he first encounters Carol when she flings herself off a cliff, only to be caught by Micah. He is not quite sure what to make of the human form and vocabulary, but one thing is certain; there is a killer at the Flannigan ranch. Kerry Penfield is in charge of the horses now that Chase is dead. Caught by Rory and Micah whipping a valuable stallion, he shows a vicious streak. When Micah shows him what a true “horse whisperer” really is, Kerry is reassigned to work as a plain ranch hand. Resentful, he is full of secrets and plans; is he responsible for the death of Chase? He is the only witness after all.

Micah, Carol, Rory and the hands all have their suspicions about the death of Chase, but it will take divine intervention to bring them healing and resolution. While Micah is becoming more adept at the nuances of human form, he is also on the trail of a killer. Will he discover who the villain is in time, or will someone else have to die first?

M.L. Bushman captures the essence of a spiritual being, flaws and all, with an impressive flair. Micah is indeed “Divine” and a much needed healing presence in the lives of so many wounded souls. The storyline kept a steady pace, with plenty of intrigue and tension to keep this reader turning pages to finish the story. Riveting, realistic, fascinating, witty and emotional; all of these add up to a whale of a tale that I will re-read again and again. Bravo, Ms. Bushman, Miracle is truly one of a kind!
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Lettetia
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance