Paranormal Romance Just Released by Victoria Roder

The Dream House Visions And Nightmares
Victoria Roder
Paranormal Romance
ISBN 978-1-934337-64-6
Asylett Press
4 bricks out of 5

Reviewed by Bea Ware for Writers Wall, Valerie J. Patterson forhttp://valeriejpatterson.wordpress.com:80/

When I sat down to read Dream House—Visions and Nightmares, the debut novel by Victoria Roder, I expected a book full of ghosts and attempts at spine-tingling scenes. What Roder actually delivers is a taut story with an ending only the most attentive of readers will figure out prior to reading the final chapters.

Roder strategically introduces characters, allowing the reader to gradually learn their significance. This prevents information overload, but also affords Roder the opportunity to develop multifaceted characters the reader comes to either care about or despise. Every good book has a villain, but Roder offers up more than one—and they all have their place artfully etched out in the plot.

The book opens with Hope Graham fighting off sleep and losing the battle. Nightmares plague her. Horrible, unsettling nightmares. The lack of sleep and plentiful nightmares begin to intrude on Hope’s waking hours, causing her boss at the resource center where she works to issue the ultimatum: Get it together or get out. After one nightmare too many, Hope calls her sister, Samantha and, at 3 in the morning, decides she’s going back home to Sheboygan where her sister still lives and where the house of her dreams can be found.

Hope begins to unravel the purpose of the haunting nightmares by investigating the house those nightmares center around. With a little bit of help from her sister and a lot of help from the locals, Hope not only uncovers history about the house, but she unearths secrets that force her to dig deep into her own past and confront the very real nightmare she lived through as a child.

The sunshine in the darkness of the plot comes in the form of very sexy bakery owner, Brock Cooper. Brock offers Hope all the things her ex-husband couldn’t: romance, friendship, support, encouragement, tenderness, understanding, and love. He’s her sounding board, her confidant, and her romance when she needs a break from the intense mystery surrounding her dream house. Roder holds back and successfully allows the romance to slowly blossom between these two, which is refreshing given the fact this is not a romance, but rather a paranormal thriller that serves up a happily ever after in spite of the odds against it happening.

Hope also finds an ally in the elderly busybody living across the road from the dream house. Ida is full of knowledge, but is not as forthcoming as Hope—or this reader—wants her to be. Instead, Ida has a foresight most people wished they had, and there’s a purpose for disclosing information slowly. Hope’s on a voyage of self-discovery and too much information too soon not only makes for a short book, but would defeat what Roder obviously worked so hard to combine into one exciting, unpredictable plot.

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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.

Wow! A review and how-to publicity post in one!

 

Title—Beyond Nostalgia

Author—Tom Winton
Author’s web link--http://tomwintonauthor.com/
Genre—Romance/Literary Fiction
ISBN--1460920937

ISBN--978-1460920930

Reviewed by Mark Williams International

 

Fellowship Of Kindle Writers: Tom Winton

Time was, only women read romance novels, and only women wrote them.

Of course, that’s not strictly true.

Barbara Cartland has a lot to answer for!

In fact many (most?) of the great novels of English literature have been romances, and not just the obvious ones like Pride & Prejudice or Jane Eyre.

Easy to forget that so-called “horror” classics like Dracula and Frankenstein are first and foremost romance novels.

Love, of course, is one of the eternal themes of literature.

Love is what separates man from beast.

That, and the ability to write.

No wonder so many novelists choose it as a central theme.

Enter: Tom Winton and Beyond Nostalgia.

“‘Beyond Nostalgia’ is a monumental romance, a ‘Gone with the Wind’ set not against the backdrop of the burning of Atlanta, but against the rumbling disaffection of America itself. “

So said one reviewer on Amazon.com, and plenty of others share those sentiments. Not least, me!

As male romance writers blossom in the brave new world of e-publishing (two in the UK Kindle top ten!) it is writers like Tom who have a great future ahead of them as word spreads and promotes their work to a wider and appreciative audience.

But Tom Winton offers not just a great novel for us as readers.

He also has an inspiring story for those writers among us struggling against great odds (ie all of us!).

Here, in Tom’s own words, is the story behind the story.

The Struggle of the Aspiring Author

I can’t speak for all authors, but the road to the recent publication of my novel, Beyond Nostalgia, has been fourteen years long and full of potholes, bumps, and more than a few depressions. But wait… don’t throw away your pens and give your computer the old heave ho quite yet!

It doesn’t have to be that way.

I read somewhere that Robert James Waller wrote his mega-selling novel, The Bridges of Madison County, in three short weeks.

Much of my delay was self-inflicted. What I am going to say here has nothing to do with blowing my own horn. It is meant to convey a message — do not give up.

It took me two and a half years to write Beyond Nostalgia, on a part time basis. While doing the seven drafts I laughed, I cried, and I even got turned on a few times.

I loved the process and I hated it.

When I finished it twelve years ago, I sent out a fair amount of queries. Two or three agents showed interest – read a few chapters — but there was no cigar.

Disgustedly, I threw the manuscript into a closet, and there it stayed for eleven years. Alongside it, on that closet floor, I left a piece of my soul.

I wrote virtually nothing from then on and wasn’t the most pleasant person to be around. No longer experiencing the high I’d always gotten after a good thousand word session, I was not happy.

Then, in December of ’09, I was at my local library one day and, after choosing a few books, I sat down and started reading a copy of Writer’s Digest like I used to years earlier. I read an article about online writers’ communities and thought, “heck… maybe I can give this a shot.” A day or two later I had the missus upload the entire manuscript onto Harper Collins’ authonomy website. I was absolutely stunned by what happened next.

I’ll never forget the first of over 400 reviews I received.

Other than those few agents who’d taken a peek, the only people who’d ever read Beyond Nostalgia were my wife and I. I’d always believed I had a good book but had very limited feedback.

When I read the first review I received, chills ran up my arms and the smile that rose on my face was far wider than it had been in many years. The reviewer, who was very experienced on authonomy, said, “This is far better than most of the books I’ve read on this site”.

And what happened after that blew me away.

Many, many of the reviews I received were more like raves. Beyond Nostalgia climbed to number 61—out of a field of 6,000 books– in less than three months.

The first two months, in the monthly ratings, it was ranked #3 or 4 in romance and in literary fiction. It also got to #9 in all genres. Harper Collins has since changed some rules which make it possible to rise faster, but back then things didn’t happen so quickly.

One morning, after those three months, I burned out and no longer wanted to do so many reads and reviews. But I had become a much better writer.

I then did an eighth and ninth draft and started sending out queries. That was the most difficult writing I’d ever done.

How, I asked myself, can I possibly tell these agents what my 87,000 word story was about in just two or three paragraphs?

While waiting for responses a friend recommended I put the manuscript on Random House’s YouWriteOn site. He said it was very low maintenance, and since he too was an authonomy veteran who had done lots of time in its trenches I thought I’d give it a shot.

After receiving eight reads (the minimum required for a ranking) Beyond Nostalgia was ranked 13^th. The next day it hit number one, where it stayed most of the month. Only at the very end of the month, when I accidentally deleted the wrong review, did I finish in fifth. But the top five are considered Best Sellers, and my novel is now in contention for Random House’s YouWriteOn “2011 Book of the Year”.

I was riding high after being one of YouWriteOn’s Best Sellers last July. Then responses from those queries I’d mailed out started trickling in.

I suppose I shouldn’t say “trickling in”, because in one month I had ten agents request to see part or all of Beyond Nostalgia–four of them in one day.

Son of a gun, I had Brad Pitt picked out to play my mc in the sure to come movie. Martin Scorcese was to be my director. Even the sound track played in my head. Then, over the next couple of months, everything went poof! I didn’t have one agent offer to represent my book. Three said they were sure I’d find an agent “soon”. But it didn’t pan out. I was almost ready to throw Beyond Nostalgia back in the closet.

But I didn’t.

At the eleventh hour Tim Roux at Night Publishing took a look at my book when one of his authors recommended it. A couple of days later he offered to publish it.

We first did a test run for a few weeks on Smashwords, and it did very well. It did so well that Online Novels declared it one of February’s two “Most Popular” novels in their General Fiction category–and It hadn’t come out until February tenth.

Tim is a small, new publisher, and we are trying to make a go of it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other online outlets. The book can be ordered at any Barnes & Noble brick and mortar store, but I only wish they would stock it.

At any rate, after being on Amazon for just four weeks, Beyond Nostalgia made the Literary Fiction “Best Sellers” list for a short time last week. It is also on Amazon’s “Highest Rated” and “Hot New Releases” lists in both Literary Fiction and Contemporary Romance.

It will take a lot of work, and luck, to keep the book out of Amazon’s sea of obscurity, but this time I will not give up.

And any aspiring author who believes in their book needs to do the same thing.

Hang tough!

Don’t make the mistake I did.

With the online market growing as you read this and all the helpful online writer’s communities available today, we all have a chance to go up against the big boys.

It won’t be easy, but we have that platinum opportunity.

Click on the links above to visit the sites I mentioned and one more called Agent Query, which is the only one you’ll need when you’re ready to chase down that elusive agent.

Keep writing!

Tom’s book is available in paperback through Amazon.com and as an e-book from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and smashwords.

Unquestionably a great romance novel. Unquestionably not Barbara Cartland!

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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 :

Chelsea Falin Reviews Karen A. Wyle's Second in Cowbird Series

--Title: What Frees the Heart 

--Series: Second in Cowbird Creek

--Author: Karen A. Wyle

--Author's website: Karen A. Wyle Author Website 

--Genre/category: Western historical romance

--ISBN: 978-0-9980604-7-7

--Publisher: Oblique Angles Press

--Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BKDDVDP/

Reviewed by Chelsea Falin, originally for Goodreads and Pen Possessed 

Five Star on Goodreads

THE REVIEW

I was so excited for this book to come out. I read and fell in love with “What Heals the Heart” and was excited for another Cowbird Creek title to come out. Wyle did NOT disappoint. This story may have been even more gripping than the first, and I absolutely loved to see yet another “not so

common” romance bloom.

One of the things I love best about this book is that it takes two flawed people and puts them together. Anyone who has read my reviews knows I love flawed characters because it creates a more realistic story for me. Perfect heroes and heroines are so hard to relate to. But I also love the combination of old fashioned and female empowerment Wyle uses in her stories. The females aren’t helpless, but they do need help. They can do much of everything on their own, but the few things they can’t, the hero can – while the heroine can do what he can’t. It’s less a damsel in distress and more a real union of meeting the other’s needs.

I highly recommend this title to anyone who wants a realistic yet swoon-worthy romance that will leave you begging for more. I also recommend it to anyone who enjoys westerns, historicals, or mostly clean romance.

The cover is engaging and offers an accurate depiction of what readers should expect inside the story.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen A. Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but moved every few years throughout her childhood and adolescence.  After college in California, law school in Massachusetts, and a mercifully short stint in a large San Francisco law firm, she moved to Los Angeles, where she met her now-husband, who hates L.A.  They eventually settled in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. They have two wildly creative daughters.

Wyle's voice is the product of almost five decades of reading both literary and genre fiction.  It is no doubt also influenced, although she hopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice.  Whether writing science fiction, afterlife fantasy, or historical romance, she tends to focus on the often-intertwined themes of individual identity, liberty, family, communication, unintended consequences, and the persistence of unfinished business. She has also published one nonfiction book, a resource for authors, law students, or anyone else interested in understanding more about American law.

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ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Chelsea Falin is a multi-genre author of 35+ books, including The Growing Roots Series, Taming the Dragon Clan Chronicles, and Think You Know Your States? series. Learn more about her at https://cfalinhammond.wordpress.com/

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 the social sharing image 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

Romantic Reading Escapes Reviewer Gives Novel a WOW!

Title: Loving David
Author: Gina Hummer
Books website link: www.lovingdavidnovel.com
Genre: Contemporary / Romance
ISBN: 1466343303
Name of Reviewer: Kathryn Hamilton
Reviewers link: romanticreadingescapes.com
Reviewers rating 4.5

Reviewed by Kathryn Hamilton

WOW! I am one big blubbering mess right now. From laughter to tears SOBS, this book raised every possible emotion to the surface. I had read somewhere that the author, Gina Hummer, has been compared to Nicholas Sparks in her writing...well, let me assure you that it is my belief that Nicholas Sparks must be channeling his inner Gina Hummer when he writes, not the other way around, because she is the queen at eliciting that WOW response from me.

David King, a well known British Hollywood actor in his early 30's, is trying to enjoy a private vacation in Southern California away from the hustle and bustle of L.A. When a fan catches a glimpse of him, David is forced to hide away in the most convenient place he can find at the time....the back floorboard of Charlotte's jeep. Charlotte is a romance writer in her mid 40's and is on a writer's retreat with her divorcee and widowed fellow writer friends. Before David has a chance to escape the uncomfortable floorboard, Charlotte takes off down the highway, almost wrecking her jeep when she notices a pair of piercing emerald eyes staring at her through the rear view mirror. After getting past the point of almost macing David to blindness, a beautiful friendship develops. Don't be misled by thinking this is just another Hollywood celebrity focus...it definitely is not. As a matter of fact, David's celebrity status is rarely touched...the focus remains on Charlotte and "Loving David."

"Loving David was the easiest thing I've ever done. It was effortless. I fell more in love with him every day to the point where I thought I would burst."

I love the slow-building relationship between Charlotte and David that Gina Hummer gave me. She allowed me, the reader, to really develop a strong connection with the main characters and envelope them in such a way as to invoke in me every smile, tingle, pain, and angst that Charlotte felt when interacting with David. Charlotte is a very strong woman who has experienced love and loss of love in life before. However, Charlotte didn't let her circumstance break her. She has such compassion for those whom others would spit on had they experienced the betrayal Charlotte experienced in life. But, she tends to make lemonade out of lemons and moves on in life....enter David, the sexy and handsome Brit who can have any blonde bombshell he wants, but he just wants to find someone to love him for who he is and not for his high celebrity status. He is what I would call a hot and sexy hometown boy with love for his family and strong roots to keep him grounded. He is definitely a swoon-worthy hero. He is perfect for Charlotte, no matter the age difference.

The secondary characters in the novel are stellar as well:

Emma - the near 80 year old widowed writer with a libido made me laugh out loud with her first impressions of David and her flirtatious banter.

"Nice huh?" Emma said. "I may have a whole new reason to change my Depends today," she said as she nudged Karen, who shrieked.

Karen and Hendra - the straight-laced, no nonsense, 'play by our ya ya sisterhood rules' women whose strength and resolve melts when exposed to David's natural charms. They are complete busy-bodies when it comes to Charlotte, but completely acting - and advising - out of love and in Charlotte's best interest.

"It's not like you're gonna have some great romance with him. Have a fling with him. A little sex never hurt anybody." Karen paused. "I mean safe sex."

Olivia - the selfish *bleep* I really enjoyed hating. She is a blonde Barbie-doll who will stop at nothing to manipulate and use others in the name of love, but with her, there is a fine line between love and revenge for not loving her back. She is completely hate-worthy.

This book is chocked full of love, romance, angst, heartache, and sadness. I don't normally comment on a book cover or title, but both, in this case, are so significant to the story of Charlotte and David, they are perfect. The 'happily ever after' in this book is in the eye of the reader. Gina Hummer brings to the table a big-screen worthy novel that is touching and sensitive to anyone with compassion and feeling. The writing is smooth and fluent, making it a fast read. But, don't mistake this novel for being just another romance; it contains its share of steamy sex, angst, heartbreak, and hurt to keep this story with you a long time after finishing. I give this book 4.5 stars and recommend it to all the Tissue-Owner's Book Clubs with a hankering for that next great read.

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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 :

Appellate Attorney Pens Western Romance, Earns Five Stars

Title: What Heals the Heart

Author: Karen A. Wyle

Author website: http://www.KarenAWyle.com

Genre: historical romance [whether it's Western historical romance depends on people's definition, given the absence of ranches, cattle drives, gunfights, and outlaws, and only a passing reference to cowboys]

ISBN:  978-0998060453 (10-digit version  0998060453) 

ASIN B07VH1Q6C6

Reviewer's rating: five stars

Purchase at Amazon 

Reviewed by Kathryn Blade originally for Amazon

I received a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

What Heals the Heart by Karen A. Wyle is a romance in the years following the Civil War in America. Joshua Gibbs moved to the town of Cowbird Creek after the war. He serves as physician to the residents in the area. He meets Clara Brook. Their attraction is immediate.

Ms. Wyle’s understanding of the time period described in the book is impressive. The world of Cowbird Creek is interesting and well developed. Characters are interesting and develop over time. There are plot twists that keep the reader interested. The love story that develops is endearing and timeless. Another strong point is Ms. Wyle’s style of writing. Reading What Heals the Heart is easy as the writing flows in a relaxed, almost conversational style. My world felt right while reading this book, as if I’d found an old friend and sat for a while to drink coffee and chat about life or love.

I give What Heals the Heart five out of five stars. It is one of the best modern historical romances I have read in recent years. Fans of historical romances will enjoy this book.

Ms. Wyle, if you’re out there reading this, just know I’m a huge fan now.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Kathryn Blade is an indie author and book reviewer. She writes book reviews, poetry, and light romance.  She says, "Check out the recent cool things I've been up to: 

Tons of book reviews posted on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub. 

My interview on the NF Reads website. 

My guest blog post on author Matt Brown's blog. 

​Ebooks of my first works are available on Amazon. 

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen A. Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but eventually settled in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers herself a Hoosier. Wyle's childhood ambition was to be the youngest ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age 10, she was mortified to learn that some British upstart had beaten her to the goal at age 9.

Wyle is an appellate attorney, photographer, political junkie, and mother of two daughters. Her voice is the product of almost five decades of reading both literary and genre fiction. It is no doubt also influenced, although she hopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice. Her personal history has led her to focus on often-intertwined themes of family, communication, the impossibility of controlling events, and the persistence of unfinished business.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER, THIS BLOG, AND ITS BENEFITS FOR WRITERS

 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. 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 the social sharing image 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.

Interview: Women's Fiction Writer Skartsiaris Shares Secrets

Hi! I am Carolyn Howard Johnson, your trusty New Book Review blogger and author of the multi award-winning HowTo Do It Frugally Series of books for writers. This blog has heretofore been exclusive for reviews but I thought I’d do a special series of interviews after I chatted with Jeanie Loiacono, President of Loiacono Literary Agency – Where ‘can’t’ is not in our vocabulary!  I thought sharing the interviews would help the many subscribers and visitors to this New Book Review blog, including authors, reviewers, and, of course, readers who just might find a new favorite author among the featured books and authors.

So, today welcome Jeanne Skartsiaris.

When not writing Jeanne Skartsiaris also works as a Sonographer. Prior to that she was a medical/legal photographer for a plaintiff’s law firm. She attended creative writing courses at Southern Methodist University and is a member of Romance Writers of America’s local chapter, Dallas Area Romance Authors. Also the author of Surviving Life and Snow Globe. She lives in Dallas, Texas.

1. What is your genre? Is it fiction or nonfiction? Young adult and women's fiction
2. What made you want to be a writer? To quell the voices in my head.
3. Of all the authors out there, who inspired you most? There are so many! Jodi Picoult, Pat Conroy, David Sedaris.
4. What is your writing style? Do you outline? Linearly? By scene? Why? I let the characters move the story forward. I'd like to do more outlining, but the characters usually do whatever they want no matter how hard I try to control them.
5. Do you write every day? How much? How long? No. I work full time. My weekends are my busy writing time. Although if inspired, usually while driving or walking, I'll jot down ideas.
6. Do you think reading is as important to writing for an author? Why? YES! Writing is a craft and it opens the reader to another world or life. If you're a storyteller then you enjoy stories. End of story. J
7. What are some of the things you would like to share with budding authors? Write. Read. Learn the art of slashing, not horror but editing. A writer opens their soul a little when creating a character and it's hard to take criticism and rejection. You need a tough hide. Never give up.
8. Do you have any marketing and promotional advice, referrals, tips you would like to share? As I'm still not on a bestseller list, no. I'm trying to learn better marketing skills.
9. Do you think conferences are beneficial? If so, what have you learned? Which ones do you frequent? Yes. The resources a writer can get from a conference can be invaluable. I've been to book signings where I've not sold anything, but I've made important connections. I'm also a member of Romance Writers of America and have learned much from authors there.
10. Where can we find you, your books and when is your next event? My YA books are available on Amazon and in a local specialty bookstore in Dallas. I've just gotten them into a Dallas library—Surviving Life and Snow Globe. I'm hoping my women's fiction novel, Dance Like You Mean It, is acquired 2016. www.jeanneskartsiaris.com  http://www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/jeanne-skartsiaris/

MORE ABOUT THE SPONSORING AGENTS

Represented by Loiacono Literary Agency, Melissa Carrigee Melissa.C@llallc.net http://www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com/authors/drake-vaughn/ Agent,  Marketing and Publicity – Melissa Carrigee

Facebook  Melissa Carrigee Covers  Melissa Carrigee Book Trailers

Carrigee Graphic Art Contract Template

Reading and writing is a way of life for Melissa Carrigee.  As a literary agent and award winning graphic artist, she combines her two passions of business and writing.  She has published works in newspapers and magazines as well as a published novel. Featured Columnist for The Family Forum, Parents and Kids Magazine – Mississippi Gulf Coast.

I want a horror book to read all night long while I check behind the doors for the boogey man.  I’m looking for a thriller that keeps me reading and guessing (and just when I think I’ve figured it out, I’m wrong).  I’m looking for children’s books that engage the parent and the child.  I’m looking for young adult novels – but NOT Twilight and not wizards.  That’s been done.  I’m looking for any story with a great plot.  Something I can sit and read in a few days with characters that make me think about them long after I’ve finished the book.

Genres: horror, science fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction, mysteries, thrillers, dramas, historical romance, children’s (picture and mid-grade)—any book that has a great story with unforgettable characters.

Jeanie Loiacono, President, Loiacono Literary Agency - A facilitator of dreams, Jeanie Loiacono represents over eighty authors. Her forte is mystery, romance, thrillers, historical/military/southern fiction, and all quality fiction/nonfiction. Her passion is to see her authors succeed.

“There is nothing more rewarding than to hold one of my author’s books and know I helped bring it to fruition. I am so blessed and privileged to be able to work with some of the most talented writers in the world.” Jeanie.L@llallc.net  www.loiaconoliteraryagency.com

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE INTERVIEWS--TO FIND GREAT READING OR TO NETWORK WITH AUTHORS--PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG. YOU ARE A WELCOME ADDITION TO THIS FAMILY WHO LOVES BOOKS! YOU'LL FIND A WINDOW TO DO THIS AT THE TOP OF THIS BLOG PAGE.

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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.

Lori Soard Writes Heat-Tugging Romance

Cupid’s Quest

By Lori Soard

Genre: Fiction Romance/Christian

2016

ISBN: 9781519389064
Purchase at Amazon

A Heart-Tugging Romance

When a radio station in Hoosier country runs a scavenger hunt with a big cash prize, it turns out that money could be put to good use by at least two deserving residents in this Cupid Corners and, amazingly, it isn’t just the intrigue about which of them might win (or not win!), but also the conflict one feels about who to root for and how that conflict could possibly be resolved.

It has been a long time since I read a romance; so many of them didn’t stay with me beyond the moment I turned the last page. Cupid’s Quest by Lori Soard  is not one of those romances. It is a well-written story about dimensional characters that tug at one’s heart. They are living in situations all too familiar these days. It has characters that every generation can identify with. Anyone who loves romances and wants reading that is fun, easy, and heartwarming  should make a point of visiting Cupid Corners and following Cupid’s Quest.

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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.

A David Russell Novella Gets Worldwide Attention

TITLE: Self's Blossom

SUBTITLE: A liberating holiday

AUTHOR: David Russell

GENRE: Inspirational Romance

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL: 30s onwards, people with a literary bias

PAGE: 189

PUBLISHER: Independently Published - Amazon kdp

Available on Amazon UK

Pitch or Short Synopsis

Self's Blossom is a short novella in the erotic romance genre, with Selene, a woman in search of her sexual identity, as the vibrant main character. Selene is intellectual, independent, free-spirited and totally trapped in the limitations of her peer group and society. Find more info on Goodreads. 

Reviewed by Miranda Moondawn, originally for Goodreads

Self’s Blossom by David Russell. A Romantic Quest of Self Discovery.  

 

Self’s Blossom is a short novella in the erotic romance genre, with Selene, a woman in search of her sexual identity, as the vibrant main character. Selene is intellectual, independent, free-spirited and totally trapped in the limitations of her peer group and society. pragmatic best friend Janice describes her as a dreamer, living in the cuckoo land of her imagination. Desperately looking to find herself and get a bit of erotic adventure, Selene goes on holiday to South America. Brought to life by the Sun, sea and holiday atmosphere, Selene's first erotic awakening comes about through the ocean – “the spirit of love beckoning her with a pulsing sinewy body”. After this, Selene searches for a lover and has a brief sexual encounter with an eighteen year old local. 

 

But it is her through her meeting with the American anthropologist Hudson that Selene' erotic nature is awakened and she explores herself on many layers. Hudson is her intellectual rival and mentor, and he introduces Selene to the other side of South America – the primal elemental energy of the carnival, the 10,000 year history of South American civilisation and the breathtaking and often cruel power of its environment and landscape. With Hudson, Selene's holiday adventures suddenly become fraught with danger and intrigue – she is threatened with death by hunters when she plays environmentalist with Hudson and his friends, she is bitten by a deadly snake when she goes exploring with him, Hudson has to save her from a barroom brawl with the locals which suddenly explodes due to a sexual indiscretion. The indigenous population have an entirely different culture and life-rule than Selene knows from her predictable friends in London. Although Hudson is the catalyst for Selena’s awakening, it is fair to say that she challenges him intellectually and opens his world weary eyes for the magic of the moment also.  

 

Their mutual search for something beyond the mundane leads them both to the top of a South American pyramid, where Selena visualises herself as a modern God Queen and Hudson as her God King. They have both gone on a dangerous and fascinating journey down through time and braving a foreign culture and environment. It is therefore significant that Selene does not seek full surrender to her lover in the passion of the moment on the moonlit beach – in fact she slaps his face when he attempts to do so – Instead she wants their love to be fully consummated through the pampered and luxurious Western trappings of the hotel Bridal Suite. “True Seduction was total theatre”, “The true ideal lay in laced artifice” not in ‘ideals of naturalness’. Here, in the luxurious trappings of traditional Western romance and eroticism, the adventure ends and the God Queen and God King sublimate their experience like some modern day High Priest and Priestess and the alchemy is complete.  

 

Knowing that they will be unable to ever rival or surpass this moment of absolute sexual apotheosis, the lovers now part and go their separate ways – Hudson to his job in the US and Selene back to London. But the author leaves us with a sense that more has been accomplished here than just a nice holiday memory for Selene and her lover. Selene can now return to the humdrum of her everyday existence and the emptiness of her London life with the alchemical blossom inside her – the Blossom of the self which has been totally awakened inside her. There is the very real sense that Selene will never be the same again after this.  

 

More About the Reviewer

Miranda Moondawn, author of Mooniana and the Secret of the Lost Chronicles of Sophia. 1-7-2015 Copenhagen Denmark. 

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 submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. 

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