One Tough Woman Takes on the West

Title: Detour Trail 

Author: Joy V. Smith 

Genre: Western
ISBN: 9781612355702
Reviewer: Amy Peterson
Reviewer's link: http://www.amylpeterson.com/
Review was originally published on Amazon
Publisher:  Melange Books
Reviewer's rating: 5 stars
Available at:
http://www.melange-books.com/authors/joyvsmith/detourtrail.html

 

Reviewed by Amy Peterson, author of Something Furry Underfoot and From Zero to Four Kids in Thirty Seconds

 

One tough woman takes on the West

 

The main character in this book is Lorrie, a strong, courageous woman that goes off the Oregon Trail and blazes her own life in the West. She's the embodiment of what a woman of that time period had to be like: able to make decisions, able to pull and use a weapon, and with the people skills needed to survive and thrive. This is a pleasant read that will take you into the Old West and leave you with a good sense that the West was not won by cowboys taking on Indians, it was won little town by little town, because of women like Lorrie.

 

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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.

Author Praises New Memoir by Wooden Supporter

Wooden & Me
by Woody Woodburn
Author's Web site:

http://www.WoodyWoodburn.com

Genre: Memoir

Reviewer: Ken McAlpine

John Robert Wooden was teacher, mentor and friend to many, but few have gotten to the heart of Wooden (and, with Wooden, it’s the heart that matters) like Woody Woodburn. Woodburn’s Wooden & Me is a marriage made in writing heaven. Two men cut from the same mid-Western cloth -- woven with integrity, honesty and a need to do for others – Woodburn, a national award-winning columnist, and UCLA coaching legend Wooden forged a special bond, and a friendship that lasted over 20 years.

Woodburn first met Wooden as a youth basketball camper in 1975 and the magic begins here. But this is not a book about basketball. Wooden’s gift was to see the bigger picture, and Woodburn possesses the same gift. The end result is a book that moves and motivates and makes you care about the not-so-simple values that make this world a better place.

John Wooden’s sporting accomplishments were almost beyond belief. His won-loss record, his NCAA championship wins, we could list the numbers here, but Coach made little of these accomplishments. “What was the biggest highlight of your career?” he was once asked. “When Nellie married me,” he said. This was a man, writes Woodburn aptly, of “rare grace.” Rare grace also sums Woodburn’s prose. Wooden was larger than life because he didn’t try to be; Woodburn writes a lovely book because he has a simple, unselfish aim. “Coach helped shape my life, and grandly,” writes Woodburn. “My friendship/mentorship with him was a precious gift, one that came wrapped with a bow of responsibility to share with others the life lessons he shared with me… the best I can strive for is to pay forward in some small measure by sharing his wisdom with others…”  

That Woodburn knew Wooden doesn’t distinguish him from hundreds of others: what distinguishes Woodburn is he cares about people and good things and Wooden knew this and so the two became real friends (Woodburn has a stack of letters from Coach that he keeps in a fireproof safe along with other pen-and-paper family heirlooms). Because they were real friends, Wooden & Me touches every chamber of the heart. At times the book is funny and upbeat, at times, poignant and bittersweet. Woodburn often got through his own difficult times with help, actual and inspired, from Coach, and Woodburn returned the favor. Together they raised friendship to an art.     

The value of friendship, honesty, integrity and hard work, these are things that always merit reminding. Woodburn turns the lessons he learned from Wooden into lessons we can all use. “Remember, Woody,” Coach told him more than once, “good things take time – and good things should take time. Usually a lot of time.” 

This book is a very a good thing. 

Pre-order your copy of Wooden & Me today at http://www.woodywoodburn.com/

Author Bio

 

Woody Woodburn is a national award-winning sports columnist and currently a general interest essayist with The Ventura County Star. National recognition for Woodburn's writing includes First Place for Column Writing by the Associated Press News Executive Council; E.W. Scripps Newspapers “Columnist of the Year”; Copley News Service’s “Columnist of the Year”; and the James S. Copley “Ring of Truth” award. Woodburn's work has also appeared in The Best American Sports Writing anthology, The Sporting News, and The Los Angeles Times Op-Ed pages. In 2004 he co-authored Raising Your Child To Be A Champion In Athletics, Arts and Academics with nationally renowned speaker and coach Wayne Bryan.

 

Inspired by Coach John Wooden’s philanthropic spirit, Woodburn, 53, has held an annual Holiday Ball Drive that has collected and donated more than 6,000 sports balls to disadvantaged youth since 2001.

About the Reviewer:

 

Ken McAlpine is the author of the novels Together We

 

Jump and FOG and the nonfiction books Off Season: Discover America

 

on Winter’s Shore and Islands Apart: A Year on the Edge of Civilization.

 

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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.

New Book Trains You To Experience Less Pain

ReflexerciseBy Scott MusgraveGenre: Nonfiction: Health and Wellness

The new information in this book, Reflexercise, heals chronic conditions through techniques that help you train your brain to be LESS reactive to stress, anxiety, chronic pain, depression, trauma and PTSD right from home!

If you suffer from any of the following:

• Chronic Pain
• Trauma
• Depression & Anxiety
• Post Traumatic Stress
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Adrenal Fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Insomnia
• Limiting Beliefs

So many need this book.

If you've found that there are no answers provided or results achieved, regardless of whether your doctor is using Eastern, Western or combined medical philosophy. If you are not responding, you will eventually be pushed aside and relegated to the medical garbage dump and/or simply deemed as "crazy, all in your head!"

This is not because you are beyond help...sadly, it's because there is a poor understanding of the causative source of the pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress, irritable bowel syndrome, etc. To learn more watch this Youtube video.  

 

Dozens of people have offered testimonials to the effectiveness of this treatment and exercise which you can do at home or anywhere. You see, you may be stuck in a loop that won't let go. Once you break that cycle, relief is yours. It's simple, easy and you can do it at work, at home, anywhere and everywhere. http://bit.ly/Reflax

One woman went from severe spasmodic torticollis:

She had twisting of the neck and a bulging muscle which kept her head twisted. She also had major pain in the neck and back muscles. After treatment (a few months of the exercise), she is much better.

Learn more now.

Because this book is part of a book tour from book marketer Denise Cassino, those who order now are offered a battery of free whitepapers and books. To be sure you can access them order from this page: The launch page is http://scottmusgrave.homestead.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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Accountant Reviews Book That Inspired Him

Title: Yes You Can ! How to Be a Success no Matter Who You Are or
Where You're From
Author: Bill Townsend
Website: www.interminds.com
Genre: Self-help, motivational, business
ISBN-13: 978-1477659748
Reviewer: Naoto Takazawa, Accountant, Las Vegas, NV

For 9 years I have worked in the accounting department of a mid-sized
company. It is a good job, it pays fairly well, and I am thankful for
it. But I have often wondered if there is something else I should be
doing? Am I destined to move to another company? Should I start my own
accounting firm? Should I change careers completely? And each time I
ask myself these questions, something holds me back.
No longer.

Last week I read "Yes You Can ! How to Be a Success no Matter Who You
Are or Where You're From" by Bill Townsend (available at Amazon.com in
paperback and Kindle).

As a 37 year old with questions about my future, reading this book was
a revelation. It gave me not only the motivation to take action, but
the inspiration to do so. It also helped me determine how to do it, by
giving me tactics to follow. I find that part of the book unique among
self-help books because most talk about how to be better, but few give
you actual tactics to get there.

The author, Bill Townsend, isn’t a Harvard graduate and wasn’t born
with a silver spoon in his mouth. He grew up on a farm in Western
Pennsylvania. His mother had a stroke when he was 5 years old that
left her paralyzed and without speech. He taught her the ABCs and how
to tie her shoes. He earned a degree in art, then worked in
advertising. At age 27 ran for US Congress, almost winning. Then he
got busy. He was the cofounder of Lycos.com, sixdegrees.com (now
LinkedIn), Deja.com (sold to Google and eBay) and 9 other companies. A
pretty successful person by anyone’s thinking.

"Yes You Can! How to Be a Success no Matter Who You Are or Where
You're From" is a motivational book that teaches you how to take
control of your life to become successful in career, love, and life.
There are hundreds of stories of people who started with nothing and
made it: people like John Paul Dejoria, who started John Paul Mitchel
Systems with $700 and is now worth over $4 billion.
"Yes You Can ! How to Be a Success no Matter Who You Are or Where
You're From" is fun to read, nurturing, uplifting, regenerative, and
worth every moment spent in your hands.

P.S. I’ve decided to start my own accounting and bookkeeping service.

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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 tell your Facebook friends about it.  

Time Machine Troopers

By Hal Colebatch
Sequel to H. G. Wells' The Time Machine.

Genre: Science fiction

ISBN: 978-1-4475-6091-3

Originally reviewed on Amazon

5 stars out of 5

Publisher: Acashic (2011)

Review

by Joy V. Smith

Time Machine Troopers by Hal Colebatch

I enjoyed Time Machine Troopers. It took up where H. G. Wells' book, The Time Mchine, left off. Actually, it delved deeper into the hero's mind as he worked his way through the despair of losing Weena and deciding to do something about the Morlocks and the Eloi. Choosing a companion was an interesting process as he considered such possibilites as Churchill, General Gordon, and even Wells. Major-General Baden-Powell, the Hero of Mafeking, was perfect. (He accomplished a lot later in his life also.) And deciding what supplies, including weapons, to take--being limited in space--was challenging. Baden-Powell helped a lot with that--and other things.

This story is a rousing adventure, while at the same time taking a look at history and choices with fascinating background and literary references. Fighting Morlocks and training Eloi wasn't easy. It's a good thing he had back-up. And some assumptions he had made turned out to be wrong... I can't say more and spoil your enjoyment of the story, but it is imaginative, well-written, full of twists and turns and setbacks and the carnage of war. Highly recommended. This is a classic. And one of the best sequels to any story I've ever read.

Check it out at:

 

Amazon.com: Time Machine Troopers (9781447560913): Hal Colebatch: Books

Joy V. Smith loves and writes science fiction. Some of her stories are collected in her latest e-book, The Doorway and Other Stories, available from Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007SV1FB2 . However, her upcoming novel, Detour Trail, is a story of the settling of the western frontier.

----- 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 :

Author and Blog Reviewer Loves Sci-Fi

Man-Kzin Wars XIII 
Man-Kzin Wars series
By Larry Niven
Note: The authors vary in each anthology

Available on Amazon  

Genre: Science fiction
ISBN: 978-1-4516-3816-5
Publisher: Baen (2012)

Reviewed by Joy V. Smith, originally for Amazon

5 stars out of 5

I liked all the stories, but Bound for the Promised Land, Tomcat Tactics, Pick of the Litter, and Misunderstanding (the quirkiest) were my favorites. This anthology is highly recommended. (It's rare when all the stories in an anthology are this good.)

Misunderstanding by Hal Colebatch & Jessica Q Fox is a fun story where the Kzin are befuddled by some strangely different aliens.

Two Types of Teeth by Jane Lindskold: I enjoy stories where Kzin and human work together to confound other Kzin or humans.

Pick of the Litter by Charles E. Gannon: Humans attempt to capture and raise and socialize Kzin kits... This premise caught my attention right away. Well executed.

Tomcat Tactics by Charles E. Gannon: A Wunderland (the planet) story. Humans fight back against Kzin occupying their planet. Another good premise, and I was happy to see another Wunderland story.

At the Gates by Alex Hernandez: Humans and Kzin inhabit a lost colony of Earth when a damaged Kzin ship appears above the planet. Suspenseful with a good payoff. (Hmm. I could have added this to my favorites, but I didn't want to include them all!)

Zeno's Roulette by David Bartell: A story involving the Puppeteers and a secret they use humans to retrieve. The Puppeteers aren't my favorite characters, but it was interesting to see them included in another anthology--and it was a puzzling mystery.

Bound for the Promised Land by Alex Hernandez: Bobcat, a tailess Kzin telepath, comes across an opportunity to escape his ship with a telepathic ARM agent hot on his trail.

About the reviewer: Joy V. Smith loves and writes science fiction. Some of her stories are collected in her latest e-book, The Doorway and Other Stories (available from Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007SV1FB2). However, her upcoming novel, Detour Trail, is a story of the settling of the western frontier.

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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 :

Carol Upton Reviews and Reveals A Quarter Horse Love Story

Horse at the Corner Post:

Our Divine Journey

By Denise Lee Branco

Strolling Hills Publishing

Soft Cover, 2010, $17.95 U.S.

ISBN: 879-0-9845888-0-0

Available at http://www.horseatthecornerpost.com

Reviewed by Carol M. Upton – www.dreamsaloud.ca

I have been blessed with many animal friends in my life, but you were unique. I had a connection with you since your wobbly foal legs held you up and until your aged arthritic legs no longer allowed you to stand. ~ Denise Lee Branco

In the award-winning Horse at the Corner Post, Denise Lee Branco writes straight from the heart about her deep, lifelong connection to her quarter horse, Freedom.

At an outsider’s first glance, there may have been nothing special about this particular foal. Yet, Branco and Freedom connected almost immediately, soul to soul. Sharing hugs, playing racing games alongside the fence, and winning 2^nd Place in a Kindergarten Western Pleasure Class, the two youngsters formed a powerful relationship. All that changed as Branco neared college age and her uncle took a fancy to the horse. Thinking Freedom would have a great temporary home, Branco let him go, only to discover some years later that he had been sold.

What ultimately takes place is an astonishing tribute, not only to the profound relationship between a girl and her horse, but also to the deep support of a family that understood this bond and cared enough to see it through.

The strength of this book lies in Branco’s skilled and honest storytelling. The reader is there every step of the way, reminded of the animals that may have graced their own life.

Branco’s hope in writing about Freedom is that it will encourage animal adoption. This inspired family reading achieves all of that and more.

~ About the author: Denise Lee Branco spent her childhood on a California ranch, befriending all the furry and feathered residents there. From reading horse books to competing in western shows and gymkhanas, Denise has always felt horses are a part of her identity. Visit her at:

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

K. M. Weiland Reviews Little Booklet on Editing and Wordtrippers

Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips

The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avloiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy

Author: Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Genre: Nonfiction for Writers/Editing/Grammar

ISBN: 9781450507653

Available on Amazon in paperback or for Kindle

Paper: $6.95, Kindle $2.99

 

Reviewed by K. M. Weiland

 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is well known among writers for her helpful book The Frugal Book Promoter, and she continues to encourage and guide writers through her many other projects, including this fast read (56 pages), which she advertises as a supplement to her book The Frugal Book Editor. After opening with an intro, reminding authors of the importance of crossing our T’s and dotting our I’s in both our queries and our published works, she launches into the meat of the book: page after page of handy references for spotting and fixing tricky word pairs.

Organized alphabetically with word pairs separated by slashes (e.g., “bereft / bereaved”), the book makes it easy to look up definitions and identify which word should be used in specific circumstances. Although the book’s diminutive length prevents it from anywhere close to exhaustive, it’s a good starting place and can easily be backed up with the more complete list in The Frugal Book Editor.

Priced reasonably (especially the Kindle version) and packed with lots of writerly wit and humor, the book makes for both an enjoyable read and a worthwhile reference manual.

K.M. Weiland is the author of the historical western A Man Called Outlaw and the medieval epic Behold the Dawn. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, her book Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success, and her instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.

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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 :

Don Blankenship Calls Memoir "Best"

Title: South to Alaska: A True Story of Courage and Survival from America's Heartland to the Heart of a Dream
Author: Nancy Owens Barnes
Website: http://www.southtoalaska.com

Book Link: http://www.amazon.com/South-Alaska-Survival-Americas-Heartland/dp/098239022X
Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel
ISBN: 098239022X (Rushing River Press)

Reviewed by Don Blankenship, Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer, (http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1MC6BFHWY6WC3 ), written originally for Amazon
5 out of 5 stars

Nancy Owens Barnes stated in the forward of this work that "Some suggested I fictionalize the story. By doing so would allow me to drive drama to a higher level and to void my worries about maintaining truth."

Well thank goodness and lucky for us she made the right decision and went with the truth. I cannot imagine how adding a bit of fiction to this story would in anyway "add to the drama" or make this a more satisfying read. I have to tell you that at the end of each year I sort of do an informal review of the books I read during the past twelve months and rank them in order of pure reading enjoyment. I will tell you right now that this read made the top three and it is quite debatable whether or not I should stick it in first place. My goodness, this book has so very much going for it.

This true story, put in a nutshell, is the telling of the remarkable journey of her father - an odyssey really, starting from the time he was a young child; a child of the Great Depression, living in Oklahoma, through his remarkable voyage in a boat he built himself and sailed it from Fort Smith, Arkansas (of all places) all the way to Alaska...for the most part, completely alone. But the book is so much more than just a sea voyage; a scary one, I grant you, but a voyage never-the less. It is also the story of her mother, Cecil Marie, a rather remarkable woman in her own right.

The author's parents, Melvin and Cecil Owens had a dream. They wanted to live in Alaska. Both these individual lived the majority of their lives in either Oklahoma or Arkansas - they were not sea dwelling people. George Owens worked construction and was one of those individuals (alas, I am not one of them) that could build just about anything he set his mind to. We are taken through the three years, where in his spare time, Mr. Owens built the ship they named "Red Dog" in his backyard and then through his remarkable journey down the Arkansas River, the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, through the Panama Canal and then up the western coast of Central America, America, all the way to Ketchikan, Alaska where he and his wife finally made their home. (They ended up living in a home built by Mr. Owens near the water and forest for over twenty some odd years - remarkable!)

We travel with Melvin as he navigates river ways, crooked customs officers in foreign ports, the open sea and rather evil conmen, storms, sickness, anxiety..... Speaking no language other than English this quiet but determined man made a journey of a life time against tremendous odds.

Now let me be frank and explain. When I first heard of this book and the homemade craft, the Red Dog, I had visions of something like what I would build which would have been hammered and wired together out of scrap lumber, orange crates and empty oil cans. Mr. Owens though was a craftsman and the boat he built with his own two hands and spare parts was actually quite a sophisticated and seaworthy craft. The building alone; the process he went through absolutely amazed me.

But don't think this book is just about his two year voyage. This is actually the story of a family; a family of like mine and yours. Good hardworking people; a close family full of love and respect for each other. The author has used the techniques of flashbacks throughout the book to bring a vivid picture of a family who made it through the depression, worked extremely hard all of their lives and above all, followed their dream. (I consider myself an amature historian when it comes to the Great Depression and I have to tell you that I learned much from this book. The author was able to capture the essence of those times perfectly. I felt she could have been writing about my own family at times). I also grew up in the same area (Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma) so I knew much of the physical background the author describes and can assure you she is spot on.

Furthermore, not only do we have a wonderful story here, but we have a story written by an author that can actually write and I might say, write extremely well. Her prose borders on lyrical and her ability to describe puts her on the same level with all the great travel writers....folks, this is one talented lady!

If you have not already read this work I would strongly suggest you do so. It is a great true story that has been written by a true master writer.

Learn more about author Nancy Owens Barnes, freelance writer and author, at www.NancyOwensBarnes.com and

www.SouthToAlaska.com  She blogs at WritingNorthIdaho.blogspot.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. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Mary Hitchcock Cone’s Clear Effortless Writing Delivers Vivid, Memorable Characters

Book: Moose Mash and Other Stories

Author: Mary Hitchcock Cone
Website: http://www.moosemash.com
Genre: Literary fiction, short stories

Publisher: FolkHeart Press

Available: Moosemash.com, Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Reviewed by  Barbara Swift Brauer of WordsWorth (www.wordsworthofmarin.com)

It’s hard to tell just what it is about Mary Cone’s collection, Moose Mash and Other Stories that carries the reader along so enjoyably from the first paragraph of the title story to the last paragraph of “Point of No Return.” Is it the light, engaging style? Down-to-earth characters, the wonderful humor, or rare insight into the complexities of human nature? Most likely, it is a fine interplay of all these qualities.

The subjects of the stories cover an amazingly wide range: from the humorous (a moose loose in a shoe store, a ghost looking for its murderer, siblings banding together to rescue the household from their bargain-crazy father) to the poignant (a young woman facing uncertain love, young soldiers leaving home for war).

At the heart of each story is the author’s exceptional ear for voice and dialogue. “Odd Socks,” for example, in which a late-night radio talk show host fields listeners’ calls on the subject of mismatched socks, is entirely dialogue — the wonderful assortment of characters revealed only through their commentary on the topic.

           

Many stories are told in the first-person, the tone and pace of the characters’ narrative providing insight into who they are. This is most apparent in the Rashomon-style “Incident on Number 50,” in which five individuals each respond to the mishap of a fellow bus passenger.

In a few brief paragraphs, a portrait of each is expertly drawn. Wallace has been prescribed bifocals, and laments, “that meant he was officially middle-aged! His view of himself as a man of vigor, steely eyed at work, sexy-eyed at the Pagoda Bar, was no longer defendable.”

Laura, sitting behind Wallace on the bus, observes him taking his seat and thinks, “Edgar never would have sat down like that. If Edgar was with her now, he would purse his lips at the man in disgust. Ever-groomed, perfectly coordinated, intensely organized, critical Edgar. Laura suppressed a desire to pat the stranger on the shoulder as a gesture of fellowship.” She is on her way to the lawyer’s to sign the divorce papers.

Cone’s attention to visual detail is similarly acute. In “Ferry Ride,” Karen stands at the railing and notes, “Windows on the hillside houses catch the sun. They shine like shields protecting a suburban army. The rosy horizon gives way to turquoise blue. The outline of the hills across the bay sharpens.”

 

In every story, clear, effortless writing carries the narrative along. Whether broadly humorous, subtly wry, or deeply moving, there is an unfailing honesty about the author’s observations of her characters — honesty and a profound compassion. At the end of “Joseph the Appreciator,” the protagonist contemplates the pull of relationship with his own need for independence. His epiphany is at once elated and wise:

“Western rays of the sun provided backlighting and the greens brightened. The sight filled him with fierce appreciative joy. He laughed. There it was. He would be an appreciator. Joseph the Appreciator, not a bad job for a man up in years . . .”

Long after the last page, the people encountered in these stories remain vividly alive in our imaginations. Their portraits are drawn so true to life, so much like ourselves, we feel as if we’ve known them. In some sense, we have.

~Reviewer Barbara Swift Brauer is a writer, editor, and poet, and, with husband Laurence Brauer, co-owner of Wordsworth publishing services. She is co-author of Witness: The Artist's Vision in “The Face of AIDS” (Pomegranate Artbooks, 1996). Barbara’s poetry has been widely published. Her full-length poetry collection is forthcoming from Sixteen Rivers Press.

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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 :

Political Thriller Important Study in Culture

Title: The HomeGrown: Narrative of a conversion
Author: Harry Deshpande
Author's Website: www.thehomegrown.info
Genre: Political thriller
ISBN: 1460998316



When recent college graduate Anwar, a Muslim born in Denmark, marries Nahgma, an Indian Muslim, her prosperous father is keen to celebrate the union by treating them to a honeymoon in Hawaii. However, Anwar's father has a markedly different idea in mind to launch their marriage: a visit to the family homeland of Pakistan to acquaint the new bride with Pashtun culture. Reluctantly agreeing, Anwar finds himself in the province of Quetta, and in the forbidding company of Hamid, a member of his extended family who has a palpable madness in his eyes.

Regrettably, this meeting will forever alter Anwar's worldview. When he takes up Hamid's offer to visit a site of American attack as proof that the United States is targeting innocents, Anwar lands in the middle of a skirmish between American Special Forces and the jihadist elements. From there, one traumatic event after another calls into question Anwar's accepted Danish mores, his relationship with his new bride, and his comprehension of Denmark's complicity to Pakistani atrocities at the hands of Americans.

From there, rigorous Jihadist brainwashing quickly transforms a benign Western accountant into an avowed Muslim with a new wife, for whom he has a passion that even surprises him. With that love rendered asunder, Anwar now has the fire to enact the unimaginable, right in his once-beloved Denmark.

With each turn, The Homegrown charts the grave and all-too-common trajectory from world citizen to public enemy, casting crucial light on why terrorists succeed with their message of hatred, and why the United States may be losing in the war of propaganda.

The story is told through Anwar's eyes; fundamentally, it is the story of the definition, breaking, and re-making of his character. Thus he moves from being a more or less vague, dissatisfied, vacillating, and anonymous character to an equally anonymous character, albeit re-made and somewhat hardened in the mold of a terrorist. The irony at the heart of the story is that, in the end, Anwar is no more his own man than he was at the outset, but his closely mentored suffering, combined with his exposure to an exotic and seductive religiosity that appeals to his weak and sentimental nature, makes him an ideal weapon in the hands of higher-ups who, like officers of every stripe, nationality, and era remain safely behind the lines.

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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 :

Simon Barrett Reviews Chip Wagar's Historical Novel

Title: An American in Vienna

Author: Chip Wagar

Genre: Historical Fiction

Website: www.anamericaninvienna.com

ISBN: 978-1-4502-6766-3

Publisher: iUniverse, January 26, 2011

Reviewed by Simon Barrett for  Blogger News Networt: Book Review

Fiction is a hard taskmaster. The author must weave the fiction elements into the harsh reality of the facts. When done well (a rare occurrence) you have a book where fact and fiction blend so well that the reader does not know where one ends, and the other begins.

These are lofty goals. But there is one even higher. Weave fact and fiction together and create a work that not only entertains but also teaches. I found that in Chip Wagar and his debut novel An American In Vienna.

The First World War or Great War has been written about many times. Authors have labored long and hard on books about the battlefront, the inhumane conditions, the horrible torture that those brave men faced. Few authors though dare to tread in the ‘back story’. How did a gun shot start a conflict that consumed the Western World for four years?

Chip Wagar has taken a very unique approach. Through the eyes of a vacationing young American visiting Vienna we are exposed to how this war escalated and forever changed the world map.

Andy Bishop has just graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in journalism. His plan is to join his father in the family business, a newspaper in Columbus, Ohio. However before he ’settles down’, he wants to explore Europe, most particularly Austria, which seems to be where the family roots are. And when an invitation is extended to visit these relatives Andy sets sail for the adventure of his lifetime.

Andy Bishop quickly discovers that his Viennese cousins are not regular middle class merchants and bankers, but rather members of Austrian aristocracy with close toes to the Kaiser himself.

The brutal slaying of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie sets the wheels in motion for world war one. This information is hardly new, and almost any High Schooler will recite this fact. But what is far less well understood is why this senseless murder was so pivotal in shaping the events of the ensuing months.

1914 might in retrospect seem a poor choice of date to visit Europe, but minor skirmishes between countries had been going on for hundreds of years!

Chip Wagar is to be congratulated, he has taken a very complex political history subject and presented it in a fashion that any reader will enjoy.

Using the character Andy Bishop as the storytelling conduit is a master stroke, it is sheer brilliance. Andy being an American is at best naive as to the the politics in Austria, and in the rest of Europe

Through Andy Bishop we meet Johann and Maria. Johann is the the young and debonair aide-de-camp to Franz Ferdinand, and Maria his aristocratic, but very forward thinking fiance. It could be argued that what results is a love triangle, but it is very far from the standard one. I prefer the term Dynamic over Love Triangle. There is a unique dynamic between these three people.

An American In Vienna is a very unique book. There are three ways to approach Historical Fiction, live the life vicariously through other books, and increasingly resources found on the Internet. The second approach is write about an area that you spent at least a little time in, this allows you the luxury of being able to describe the location with a sense of ‘being there’.

The third approach is the rarest and always most effective, total immersion.

An American In Vienna is clearly written using ‘total immersion’. The dead giveaways are found in the very opening pages. It is the minutiae of everyday life that is mentioned. ‘Hoch’ German is not so much a dialect of speech as it is a lifestyle.

I talked to Chip Wagar a little about An American In Vienna, my guess about ‘immersion’ was correct, Chip spent a considerable amount of time in Vienna as a student.

An American In Vienna is well worth the price of admission, it is a book that has wide and diverse appeal. You can read it as a great adventure novel, or you can read it as a very interesting discussion of the causes and in someways effects of World War One viewed from the Austrian perspective.

A saying popped into my mind when I put this book down, ‘there are three views about any situation, there is mine, there is yours, and there is the truth which lays somewhere in between’. I am a fan of history, but as George Orwell alludes to in 1984, the history books are written by the victors.

You can get your copy of this very thought provoking book by using the Amazon link above. This is a book destined for great things.

----- 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 :

Western/Historical Fiction Reviewed

Title: Santa Fé mi casa, June 2011, Western Trail Blazer

Author: Harlan Hague
Web site: http://softadventure.net
Genre: historical fiction/western
ISBN: 978-1463601140

Reviewed by  George Aubrey, originally for Amazon  

Dr. Hague has written a unique novel. It contains romance, adventure, human suffering set in the background of the broader conflict of the Mexican-American War. He follows the protagonist, John Henry, from blissful first love in Santa Fe, across the brutal terrain of the southwest deserts and mountain passes to the coastal plain of disputed California. The reader’s heart will ache with the young man's misery of body and soul. The action gradually picks up reaching a perfect crescendo at the end of the book. The writing is spotless and the dialogue crisp and believable. This is a book that is unlike most others, and hard to pin down to one genre, as it contains the best elements of several. I highly recommend this book and look forward to what this erudite author may have in store for us as screen plays.

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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 :

RoundUp Magazine Reviews Thunder to Breakfast

From Thunder to Breakfast
by Writer Gene K. Garrison, and Storyteller Hube Yates.

Xlibris.com. 248 pages
$21.99 Softcover
$31.99 Hardcover,
ISBN 978-1-4010-377-7 and 978-1-4010-0376-0
Nonfiction.

Reviewed by Western Writers of America's RoundUp Magazine

From Thunder to Breakfast is not so much a novel, but rather a series of stories told by a master storyteller and immortalized in ink by a more than capable writer.

The story begins when a young Hube Yates and his family move from Oklahoma to
Arizona by covered wagon. If Arizonans didn't know what was coming their way, they sure found out quickly. Yates is a character like none other; a firefighter, a family man, and a lifelong cowboy, Yates' memoirs tell of a man who has seen it all and has the stories to back it up.

Starting as a young boy and only getting better with age, Yates had a knack for being a real prankster. From scaring the heck out of border patrol agents to making a nurse almost vomit, he could take almost any situation and turn it into a humorous story that will leave you with nothing less than a smile on your face. If you want a real belly laugh or just a good old-fashioned story, From Thunder to Breakfast is a hard hand to beat.
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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 :

Karen DeGroot Carter Explores Tolerance, Race and Grief

Title: One Sister's Song
By Karen DeGroot Carter
Author Web Site: http://www.karendegrootcarter.com/

Mini Synopsis
Audrey Conarroe, a biracial woman, never planned to move back to her small, predominantly white, hometown in western New York. But when she was named guardian to her teenage nephew, she had no choice but to do just that. Eight months later, Audrey prepares to sell her sister’s old farmhouse when a series of discoveries forces her to rethink everything she’s ever assumed about love, race, and respect.


One Sister's Song explores challenges faced by individuals and families of mixed-race heritage as well as single parenting, grief recovery, and the Underground Railroad.

For other book and film suggestions on the topic of tolerance go to www.howtodoitfrugally.com/tolerance_and_utah_link.htm 

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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 :

Search for Consciousness Self Help Here!

Title: Conscious Footsteps

Subtitle: Finding Spirit in Everyday Matters
Author Name: Dianne Eppler Adams
Publisher Name: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-4520-1147-9
Genre: Self-help – General; Religion – Spiritual



Synopsis

Conscious Footsteps is an idea generator for finding Spirit in ordinary life experiences, inspired by the author's deep, heartfelt search for life's greater meaning. Read it to awaken personal happiness and notice the interdependence and sacredness of everything. Discover how Spirit manifests in your daily affairs, bringing greater joy and fulfillment.
Underlying the book is the assumption that you won't find Spirit by moving away from the world; you find it by going more open-heartedly into ordinary life. Though written by an astrologer, you do not need to understand or believe in astrology to gain from the book. Those who want to know more will find answers to many common questions about astrology in the appendix. Open this book to any page at any time and use it to inspire your day.



Reviewed by Tracy Riva Book Reviewer for Amazon
RATING: (5) STARS

Conscious Footsteps: Finding Spirit in Everyday Matters by Dianne Eppler Adams is a unique find in the world of books of spirituality. Dianne draws upon her own heightened awareness and her experience as an astrologer to bring an entirely new refreshing perspective to books on spirituality.
Conscious Footsteps: Finding Spirit in Everyday Matters is a self-help book in that it does help highlight practices you could now be doing to help you and the world around you to achieve better balance and happiness. Adams recognizes we are going through difficult times and acknowledges that more of the same is likely, but she shows ways, such as focusing on the positive or helping with a charity, to get through these times. As she aptly points out the key to surviving these times is to take the focus off of ourselves and put it on someone, or something else.
Another thing Adams emphasizes is the fact it is better to say nothing at all than to tell even a "white lie." She uses the example of someone asking us how we are and the fact we almost invariably reply with "fine." Adams points out that it's better to say nothing than to answer that you are fine if you aren't. Don't be rude or anything, just come up with a true, but non-committal answer.
Adams also strongly emphasizes out uniqueness and how important our opinion is, even when it differs from that of the world around us. Voicing our opinion can help others see another side and may help bring balance, or a better resolution to a situation. She also points out that we need to honor ourselves in our lives, opinions, relationships and interactions with others and the world around us. We need to find ways to both give and receive in our relationships so we can be fulfilled and have an inner well of strength to draw on. We need to not allow fear to hold us back. That only brings about more fear and a constriction in the natural flow of things.
I'm giving away way too much of Dianne's book, but let me point out that these examples are only a very small portion of the life-changing examples of Adams work and these are all in the first few chapters. Also, you can use the book as a daily reference - or whenever you want/need to - just pop it open to a page and apply that point for the rest of the day. It works great.
What follows is an excerpt from Conscious Footsteps: Finding Spirit in Everyday Matters:
"I remind myself that I did not create myself. Therefore, I am not the beginning and end of the strength on which I can call to manage my life. I frequently call on Spirit during the day with an inner thought or wish or prayer. I ask for strength when I feel weak. I ask for clarity when I am confused. I ask for patience when I am frustrated.
The operation of Spirit is not something I fully understand, but I trust it. I consider it humorous that, with our little brains, we think we might understand the vast wisdom of Spirit. For this reason, I believe all religions and belief systems are only partially true. All mystics, seers, and prophets see part of the Truth but not the Whole Truth. They are trying to access the Truth with a puny (relatively speaking) instrument called "the human mind." When I am fearful, I call on the strength that comes from beyond me and trust that Spirit is handling everything."


Author Bio

Dianne Eppler Adams, CAP, is a certified astrologer, practical mystic and author of the book, "Conscious Footsteps: Finding Spirit in Everyday Matters." She writes a popular monthly New Moon newsletter (signup at www.SpiritinMatters.com) from which Conscious Footsteps was drawn.
Since 1995, Dianne has maintained an astrological consulting practice in Alexandria, VA using a Western psychological-spiritual approach and inspiring others to live in alignment with their authentic selves by recognizing life's higher purpose. She is certified by the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR) and also holds membership in the National Committee for Geocosmic Research (NCGR)and the Organization for Professional Astrology (OPA).
In 2004, after 35 years in the corporate world, she transitioned her astrology practice from part-time to full-time. Dianne is also the founder and director of the Holistic Entrepreneurs Alliance, an alternative business networking group in the Northern VA area.
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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 :

Political Science Book Reviewed

Title: Redoubts
Author: Richard J. Johnson
Genre: Nonfiction Political Science
Publisher: CreateSpace (March 13, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1451546467
ISBN-13: 978-1451546460

Review originally published by Richard J. Jonson at New-Books-Reviewed (setup before coming across your site... :) )

Redoubts offers a realistic, non-“PC” examination of the course of western civilization and the forces working against it. A three-tour (military and civilian) Vietnam veteran, former stockbroker, and security specialist, the author explores a number of historical, political, economic, scientific, and cultural topics; providing his positions and unique ideas accentuated with reflections based on a lifetime of personal experiences. The book’s underlying tone harkens the West back to common sense, traditional moral values, individual liberty, minimal government and away from globalist elites' strategy for social change and concentration of power. Available on Amazon.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:

Dark Diva Reviews Western Romance

Emma the Outlaw
Publisher: Eirelander Publishing
Historical/American Western/romance
By Laura Hogg
ISBN: 1449584586


Reviewed by Tammy for Dark Diva Reviews


A bit about the story:

Emma looks down at the crowd from a hanging platform.

Her father was framed, and she took the blame for the crime to save him from
execution. Where is her beloved husband, Nate? She looks around and sees her
husband on a horse, guns blazing. In a whirlwind rescue, she hops on the
back of his horse, and they're off, realizing that they will spend the rest
of their lives as outlaws.

They capture a wanted man and leave him at the doorstep of the sheriff's
office. The sheriff finds Emma and Nate and makes an interesting deal with
them: they will capture the bad guys behind the scenes and allow him to take
all the credit…this in turn for not being run in. For this couple, ahead
lies a life of excitement and passionate love.

Tammy’s Review:

Emma the Outlaw by Laura Hogg is a good book. The love that
Emma and Nate share is shown in various ways throughout the book. Emma the
Outlaw will hold the reader with everything from love, suspense, and family
loyalty.

Emma and Nate are very likable characters with a great sense of the law and
family loyalty. Some of the choices made in the story line may not be the
right ones, but Emma and Nate find a way to correct their mistakes.

The story lines follow closely with the western outlook from the old west.
Laura Hogg has written a very good story, from the laws to the towns. The
ending was finished, but with just enough of a twist that the author could
write a second book. I would love to read this author again.

Rated 5 Delightful Divas by Tammy!


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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.
And while you're at it, as a courtesy to the author, please retweet this post:

Mary Jean Kelso's New Book Reviewed

Title: Back to the Homestead
Author Mary Jean Kelso
Genre: Western Fiction
ISBN 978-1-59705-431-7.
Publisher: Wings Press


Reviewed by Claudia Valiquet, publicist/literary agent

Mary Jean Kelso’s historical romance, Life on the

Homestead, was not only entertaining, but also informative about western life! Western fiction has been a passion of mine now for several years. I confess that Louis L’Amour is my favorite and I actually get a little bored with Zane Grey. Ms. Kelso’s book, while teaching me some new facts about life on the range, kept me in suspense the whole way through and I didn’t want to stop reading.

I fell in love with the Westerman family and agonized along with them as they dealt not only with the day-to-day chores and other tribulations that western pioneer families faced, but also with great adversities such as mental illness, cattle rustling, and severe childhood illness. Ms. Kelso dealt with racism as Charlie Cooper and his new wife, Effie Mae, a black couple settling onto the range, have to fear for their lives.

Despite all of the drama in the book, there are some wonderfully humorous portions, too, especially the marble game and a small matter about one boy who is not very good at handling guns. The book is action-packed and flows well, yet there is no blood or death--which is very refreshing. I’m ready for more!


Available through wings-press.com or ask for it at your favorite book store.

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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.

Unintended Review: This Is the Place Takes Publisher's Reading Pile Honor

This review is really an unsolicited letter to me about my novel, This Is the Place. I don't run my own review often, but this one was irresistible and it seemed, well... fair is fair. It is still available used (sometimes for only $1 or $2!) on Amazon. And I thank Mindy Philips Lawrence, publisher of Thinking Stone Press and author in her own right, for her kind words. Sometimes the best reviews are the unintended reviews!

This Is the PlaceBy Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Published by AmErica House
Fiction, literary, historical, women's, western
ISBN: 1588513621

Unsolicited Comment by Mindy Philips Lawrence

This is The Place is so motivating! It’s an excellent lesson in tolerance or, more than that, acceptance. It’s going to go in my pile of books to dissect and study. Few books make it to that pile. I’m reading David Balducci now (two books) and have to say he’s good but won’t go in my pile (Dan Brown made it because of the intricacy of his plot in The DaVinci Code). What my reading now is teaching me is to have depth to my writing and not just random characters doing stuff. Your book, Laila Lalami’s book and V.I. Naipaul’s book all show characters operating in a backdrop of either history, geography, religion or something larger than just an individual’s story. That’s what I am seeking to do with my novel . . . still too underdeveloped to write.

Thought you’d like to know.
Mindy Lawrence, Publisher THINKING STONE PRESS

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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.