The New Book Review

This blog, #TheNewBookReview, is "new" because it eschews #bookbigotry. It lets readers, reviewers, authors, and publishers expand the exposure of their favorite reviews, FREE. Info for submissions is in the "Send Me Your Fav Book Review" circle icon in the right column below. Find resources to help your career using the mini search engine below. #TheNewBookReview is a multi-award-winning blog including a MastersInEnglish.org recommendation.

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

White Fragility: Why it is so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism Book Review


We live in interesting times. We are living through history, of course. A pandemic, politicization of germs, and protest marches, to name a few. Some movies and books are being released for free rental by Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and others. I just watched Just Mercy and The Hate U Give. Excellent movies! The local library has released more copies of books about racism. It was easy to get the Kindle version of White Fragility. Because they won't accept any book returns, I hesitate to participate in a curbside pick-up at the library. Supposedly they won't be charging fines but I've never had a book out for several months before now.


White Fragility: Why it is so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism is a highly-rated and popular book at this time. The author, Robin DiAngelo, has years of experience as a diversity trainer. She asserts the society of the United States is based on white supremacy. She says all humans have prejudice. She states American life is shaped by segregation, and racism-free upbringing is not possible. Whites benefit while people of color suffer. Whites could not be “superior” unless there were others. 


DiAngelo thinks whites are “fragile” as they have not had to deal with issues of race. When told of their racist statements or actions, white people take it to mean they aren’t being nice or good. Most whites will say they are not racist. They get upset or defensive, instead of listening to the reasons their statements or actions were hurtful and learning from the situations. Yes, whites face barriers, but not racism barriers, and benefit from unearned advantages.


The author argues she thinks white progressives cause most of the daily damage to people of color. She argues reverse discrimination is not possible in our social system. She feels white people think they have nothing to ever learn about race. She says there is no color-blindness. American individualism, romanticism about the good old days, and the desire to be comfortable with the way things are helped form systemic discrimination. 


This book would be helpful for diversity training leaders, people unfamiliar with white privilege, those wanting more insight about racial relations, and for people who would like to work on recognizing their own microaggressions. There are checklists to consult for discussion, thinking, and learning. Clear analogies are made to further explain the points she makes. 


“The failure to acknowledge white supremacy protects it from examination and holds it in place,” according to DiAngelo.


Review by Carolyn Wilhelm

Carolyn Wilhelm is the author of The Wise Owl Factory site and blog. She has an MS in Gifted Education, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12, and has completed the KHT Montessori 12 month program. She makes mostly free resources for teachers and parents. Her children's books are available on Amazon. 

white-fragility-why-it-is-so-hard-for-white-people-to-talk-about-racism


MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. 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 on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Friday, June 19, 2020

Poet Carol Smallwood Interviews Author of Peeping Sunrise


Title: Toward a Peeping Sunrise
Author: Carole Mertz
Paperback: 17 pages
Prolific Press, 2019
ISBN 9781632751898
$7.95
Purchase Prolific Press
                                                                                                                                                                          Interview by Carol Smallwood

Carole Mertz, author, poet, and editor, has had works published in literary journals, U.S., Canada, Great Britain, and Africa. An Oberlin College graduate, she’s Book Review Editor for Dreamers Creative Writing;reader of prose and poetry for Mom Egg Review; member Prize Nomination Committee for Ekphrastic Review; advance reader WNBA 2018 Poetry Contest. Kendra Boileau, Penn State University Press noted: “Mertz is a master of poetic form, imagery, sonority, and wit.”

Smallwood: Your poems show a knowing of the darkness but also of the sunrises while “…searching for a distant view of everything.” The poems encompass childhood, courtship, marriage, maturity, and the reader is advised to “hang on to your memories.” How did you decide the chapbook’s title?

Mertz: Thank you for searching out my themes and encapsulating them so well. I suppose I wanted a title that would show a kind of awakening. For Toward a Peeping Sunrise I borrowed a line from one of the poems. 

Smallwood: You’ve said your chapbook follows an arc. What do you mean by that?

Mertz: I suppose there’s an arc to the thematic subdivisions, simply beginning, middle, end. But what I mean has more to do with the tempo of the poems. Progressing from one to the next with a rising tempo, as in “Dolly’s Broke” moving faster and louder into the implied dangers in “Ballast.” These urgencies settle down in the two final poems toward a quiet diminution, as if equivalent to a musical crescendo and decrescendo.

Smallwood: What have you learned from creating this chapbook?

Mertz: Selecting from fewer number of poems made it easier for me to arrange them around given themes. (When I worked with larger selections, I found I was unable to organize the greater number of poems coherently because too much of my work was as yet eclectic and impossible to group.) I also learned lessons after the chapbook’s publication—that you’re never prepared enough for the PR work that must follow. Writing is only the beginning; marketing and continued networking are additional responsibilities. These inevitably intrude on the writing time. Learning to balance these activities is always a challenge.

Smallwood: When did you begin writing poetry? Was it the first genre you used?

Mertz: I began writing poetry about twelve years ago, though I was then taking a course in writing short stories. A first poem about a snowstorm was accepted by a small digest. The success of it and seeing my name in print got me hooked on poetry, though I hope vanity was not the only motivator at the time. Soon a mystery won second place at the Toasted Cheese Literary Journal. But doing poetry became and remained the dominant genre for me.

My very first serious work, however, was writing nonfiction. After a week-long course at Concordia Publishing House, my writing, and that of my husband, was accepted for publication by CPH. During this shared project, we each wrote on 15 separate themes. I must admit, I enjoyed the subtle competitive element that entered in— I wanted to write as well as my husband.

Smallwood: Why did you choose the particular publisher for your chapbook?

Mertz: When Prolific Press chose my manuscript, I was approaching one of my decade years. Their acceptance came as a nice birthday present. The owner of the press promised a deliberate schedule that he followed throughout, meeting every one of his projected deadlines. Working with Prolific Press for a first volume was a pleasant way to learn the steps needed in matters of cover design, collection of blurbs, and decisions about layout. A former writing school instructor had persistently advised students to self-publish and I had planned to do that. But everything requires time and know-how. Working with Prolific Press was a non-stressful alternative.

Smallwood: What are some magazines/anthologies where your essays, stories, poetry, appear?

Mertz: Going back a few years, I’ve had work in Arc, Copperfield Review, CutBank, Conium Review, and World Literature Today. More recently I’ve published a series of reviews at Mom Egg ReviewEclectica, and Dreamers Creative Writing, with poetry at Indiana Voice JournalThe Write Place at the Write Time (recently discontinued), EclecticaThe Ekphrastic Review, and elsewhere. I was pleased to have a poem included in Journal VII, the 2019 anthology issued by the Society of Classical Poets, an online poetry site I regard as one of the finest. 

Smallwood: Why is that site of interest to you?

Mertz: The Society of Classical Poets furthers the writing of poetry in classical forms. I regard the preservation of these techniques as important as, for example, the retaining of classical forms in music. One cannot perform an Aaron Copland, for example, before one has studied a Beethoven Sonata or perhaps a Debussy Prelude. I don’t mean to preach, but I believe unless we preserve the old forms, we lose a great deal. A number of fine poets today are writing sonnets of equal caliber to Keats or Shakespeare, though written in contemporary language. The Society promotes these modern-day writers. The Society also values the concept of beauty which seems so lacking in much contemporary work I read.

Smallwood: Where are your most recent publications?

Mertz: In addition to Toward a Peeping Sunrise, recent reviews appeared in Main Street Rag, Into the Void, and Dreamers Creative Writing. I like the method of publication at Dreamers. First a 300-word review is published in the print edition. This is followed by a 700- to 1000-word review printed online. I like the process of writing on the same material in both the shorter and longer form. The long form first, and then condensed. But sometimes the process is reversed.

Smallwood: What poetry writing challenges have you won?

I was happy to win several poetry challenges issued by the Wilda Morris blogspot. Morris’s imaginative orinots differ each month. They taught me new ways of approaching poetry. One could write about colors, or about “memories of my father”, or use of numbers in poems—simple approaches, but they always taught me to innovate and also introduced me to classical poets and contemporary poets I hadn’t yet known. 

Smallwood: What’s your association with the Mozart Academy in Salzburg, Austria?

Mertz: My studies at the Academy gave me a year of learning not only in music performance (I’m a professional pianist and organist), but also in European history, the fine arts, and the German language. Seeing major artworks face-to-face in the museums of Paris, Vienna, Florence, and Rome created impressions during my early student days that have remained throughout my life.

Smallwood: You write with ease poems based on a picture. How do you select the pictures and what’s the name of this poetry form?

Mertz: In my family, two sisters are visual artists. Not a painter, myself, it became very satisfying to write my own impressions of paintings in poetic form, though initially I knew nothing about ekphrasis, which is an artist’s interpretation of another artist’s work. During 2019, I suddenly encountered all these wonderful works at The Ekphrastic Review, both the writers’ and the painters’, and began submitting my own poetry there. Lorette C. Luzajicowner of the review, makes it all very inviting. She simply requests poems (preferably unrhymed) or nonfiction pieces based on what you see or feel when viewing a work. “Have fun while you write,” she says. At her site, you can select a visual of your own choice or respond to one of her bimonthly ekphrastic challenges. These have ranged from works by Rothko to Joan Miro to Franz Kline. I’m musing here, but I suppose one could also write ekphrasis based on aural works, as well, or based on architectural constructions. Camille Paglia, for example, wrote an astonishing ekphrastic essay on the altar and the Pope’s Chair at the Vatican. Similarly, passages within a novel I’m reading (Josephine Wilson’s Extinctions) are written as ekphrasis on Marcel Breuer’s Wassily Chair, photos of which are included in the novel.

Smallwood: In the first poem in Toward a Peeping Sunrise, a chapbook divided into three sections, “Singularity” appears in the title—a word often used in physics. How did you come to select it? 

Mertz: I hadn’t thought of “singularity” as a physics term. I merely wanted a word to indicate something unique, something happening only once. If I may add something about that poem, “Seeing to the Singularity…” it’s almost shocking to me that I should have published a poem of self-affirmation. 

Smallwood: Why does that surprise you?

Mertz: In my old Pennsylvania Dutch upbringing, there was always the underlying tenet, spoken or unspoken, that one should avoid bragging in all its forms. This comes from the religious restrictions I experienced at the time. 

Smallwood: What are some of the topics you cover in your essays?

Mertz: I like to offer tips I think might be of use to beginning writers. I’ve written about how to establish good relations with editors of literary journals, the importance of MOOC learning, meeting writing deadlines, how a bird can teach you about persistence, about the selection of nominees for the Pushcart and other prizes, etc. But writing reviews is an entirely different matter.

Smallwood: Please explain MOOC learning:

Mertz: Many MOOCs are offered online free of charge. MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course. A participant simply logs into the website to sign up. Through interactive participation the writer MOOCs put writers in contact with numerous other writers across the globe.

Smallwood: Please tell us what you mean about a bird’s persistence:

Mertz: I wrote an essay that drew the parallel between the patience required of the writer and the persistence of the robin, sitting on the nest until her fledglings are hatched. The writer must use the same persistence as the bird, remaining at the desk until the work is completed. The bird sits long hours, she doesn’t run off for a “snack” until the male robin appears to take her place on the nest. Our writing requires similar care and devotion. 

Smallwood: What appeals to you about writing reviews?

Mertz: Each volume taken up is like receiving an entire new personality into my life. I’ve reviewed collections by Mary Jo Bang, Layli LongSoldier, Judith Swann, and Dovali Islam, for example. Each artist has her unique view, style, and content. It’s like entering a new country, each time. I don’t critique until I feel I’ve become thoroughly immersed in the given work, and personality, to the extent possible. Reading contemporary artists is what makes this business of writing such an adventure.

Smallwood: You look squarely at time and the importance of memories in free verse and formal. Your poem “Waking” is in a form reminiscent of Emily Dickinson. The poem looks at space, time, and “tiny tufts of pure thought.” Who are your favorite poets?

Mertz: Dickinson is certainly a favorite. But there are so many. Among the classics, Keats in particular. Then Whitman and Frost. Of late, Stafford, W.S. Merwin and Bishop. I’ve loved Wallace Stevens who always gets at things “not quite sayable,” to quote Carol Frost. And then contemporaries such as Gluck, Harjo, and so many others.

Smallwood: What are you reading now?

Mertz: My latest are Joan Gelfand’s You Can Be a Winning Writer (I hope its wonderful title rubs off on me!) and Clive James’s Poetry Notebook in which he offered reflections on the intensity of language.

Smallwood: Are you working on another chapbook or poetry collection? 

Mertz: It’s my intention. As I write more, it’s fun to consider how certain themes might combine into a cohesive whole. April Ossmann, author of Event Boundaries, a poetry collection, offers strategies in the ordering of poems in a collection. These useful tips appeared in The Practicing Poet, Diane Lockward, Editor.


HOW TO REACH THE INTERVIEWEE 

Readers can view Mertz's profile writer at Poets & Writers. Her website, as yet under construction, is www.carolemertz.com

 MORE ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER

Carol Smallwood, Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, is a literary reader, judge, and interviewer; her last poetry collection is Chronicles in Passing.

Poet Carol Smallwood Interviews Author of Peeping Sunrise


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!
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Dr. Bob Rich Praises New Self-Help Book: "Lyrical Language," "Transparent Honesty"

Title: Awakening to a New Reality
Subtitle: Conscious Conversations across the Horizon of death.
Genre: Spiritual, Self-help, After-Death Conversation
ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-8380152-0-6
Reviewer website:  https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/
Publisher:  Sleepy Lion Limited  
Some Purchase links:

Reviewed by Dr. Bob Rich 

I have the benefit, and used to have the handicap, of a scientific training. I don’t believe anything, but have created a tentative and always evolving model of reality. As new evidence came in, my reality progressed from complete scepticism to seeing the Universe as alive, and made of the unconditional Love all the great religions and philosophies describe. 

Janice Dolley’s account of her conversations with her friend Ursula Burton, before and after Lady Burton’s death, fit perfectly into my current model. I cannot treat it as evidence, because it is a personal claim that is only hearsay in the scientific sense, but it is the kind of thing that fits my understanding of Reality. 

If you are open to a more complex yet simple, holistic and sacred view of reality, if you agree with me that death is not the end of a book but the end of a chapter, then Janice’s (and Ursula’s) book will speak to you. 

Add to that the beautiful, clear, lyrical language, and a transparent honesty, and you can enjoy having your eyes opened (or, as with me, your established beliefs confirmed) in a most pleasant way.
All the same, the basic claim of conversations with a dead friend made me entertain the possibility that the book is a cleverly done fantasy. Even if it were, it presents Truth, and joining Janice’s Reality will make you into a better person. However, a simple internet search provided many bits of corroborative evidence, so I am confident that Janice honestly believes her account. As I said, my scientific training prevents me from saying more, but her account is so inspiring that it honestly doesn’t matter."

About the Author


Janice Dolley is the co-author of The Quest: Exploring a Sense of SoulAwakening to a New Awareness: Stories of Contemporary Christians and Christian Evolution. She is Development Director of the Wrekin Trust, which started as a spiritual education charity by Sir George Trevelyan in 1971 and she now travels the world, such as arranging the international conference on The Emerging Spirituality Revolution: Embodying the Spiritual imperative of our Time and has been a lecturer at the Open University for thirty years. Furthermore, she is director of the Findhorn College and Trustee of the Findhorn Foundation. Finally, she is the President of CANA, or Christians Awakening to a New Awareness, and she is striving to bring a holistic spirituality and positive message to many in the newly emerging future. As a Trustee of WYSE international, she aims to promote co-creating and encourages young leaders to rise to a greater potential. Bridging old and new faiths, her latest book aims to encourage everyone to create a better future and to reach authentically within themselves for truth and personal growth. Find her at:




MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Dr. Bob Rich is a visitor to this planet. At home, he is an historian of horrror which is why Earth is his favorite place in all the universe. It is the only place where sentient beings play a game where points are scored for the number of civilians killed (they call this “war”), where child-raising practices are designed to damage the children, and above all, where the global economy of an entire species is designed to destroy their life support system. This background is why he is interested in the opinions of another traveler, who has left, but still chatting with one of her friends. You can learn all about Bob at his popular blog, Bobbing Around https://bobrich18.wordpress.com and find him on Twitter, too, @bobwriting.

Awakening-New-Reality-Conscious-Conversations


MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG

 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 on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. 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. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Grab One of These Books for FREE. Help Another Author and Watch Them Return the Favor.



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Carolyn offers some hints for helping potential reviewers  say yes to you when they already feel stressed to the max. Here are two of them:

* Suggest your prospective reviewer include their expertise in the review. Example: "I am a chiropractor and found lots of new ideas for marketing my business, without seeming unprofessional, in this book." 

* Suggest your reader write a review between 100-450 words. This one bit of information can make them look more professional and they'll be grateful for that."  

How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically  - page 132
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
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STEP 1:  Read the descriptions to discover a book that appeals to you.
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Sunday, May 31, 2020

Dr. Wesley Britton Reviews Star Trek Actor's New Book

Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and After Star Trek
Walter Koenig
Publisher: Jacobs/Brown Press (April 24, 2020)
ASIN: B087N1HHFC
Available on Amazon


Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton originally for BookPleasures.com

Without question, the primary audience for Walter Koenig's new update to his 1999 memoir, Warp Factors, will be Star Trek fans who remember Koenig best for his role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek along with aficionados of his role as the evil Alfred Bester in Babylon Five.  Such fans shouldn't be disappointed, even those who previously read Warp Factors.

There may be those who question the value of a new version of Koenig's autobiography as it might not seem, at first glance, all that much has happened in the actor's life in two decades. Well, that's only if you are looking for insights into popular screen roles.   In fact, Koenig has much to talk about in an additional 100 pages that is new and does so with his very engaging writing style. In fact, I'd say Chekov and Bester aside, any reader wishing for insights into an actor's life in Hollywood from the '50s to the present should easily enjoy Beaming Up.

That's mainly because Koenig is a very expressive writer, his story full of self-deprecating humor,  lots of colorful imagery,  and the fact he doesn't merely recite events and anecdotes but shares his feelings and reactions to the moments, people, triumphs and missteps that impacted his life. Among other topics, He discusses his Jewish cultural background and his work ethic, his lesser known projects, including those never produced or those seen by small audiences. But never does the reader sense an agenda, a venting, a man settling any scores. We meet a man presenting himself openly and honestly with a wisdom accrued from experience with a lively approach to his craft and behind-the-scenes life.    

I'll admit, the story lags from time to time, mostly during his recounting of his appearances at fan conventions.  Those were anecdotes he couldn't not include, of course, and I noticed one story he told an audience at a convention I attended wasn't included in the book. He did retell it later in a radio interview I had with him and hope to get him to retell in a similar interview soon. As they used to say, stay tuned . . .

True, Koenig's descriptions of his early years as Chekov on Star Trek are not the long heart of the book some might hope for. But that is more than made up for in his tales regarding later projects, such as his working in fan-made web-episodes and his thoughts about Anton Yelchin taking over the Chekov role in the 2009 reboot trilogy. I think I already knew this, but I was surprised to read Koenig was 31 when he was cast to be Star Trek's answer to Davy Jones of The Monkees. Among the disappointments of his professional life, the purpose of his casting became a bit muted when CBS shifted the show's time slot to Friday nights when the young audience Chekov was supposed to appeal to weren't watching. At least, not then. 

But any reader interested in an autobiography well-told that is guaranteed to be entertaining should give this one a try, whether or not you're a fan of sci-fi television. There's so much more to the life and times of Walter Koenig and so much surprising wisdom to enjoy.  Beam on up  and get off with Walter Koenig for your summer reading and beyond--
   


MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Dr. Wesley Britton is an author in his own right and a longtime reviewer for reviews sites like #TheNewBookReview and #BookPleasures.

MORE ABOUT THE  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!

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Dr. Wesley Britton Reviews First in Dragonlite Legacy

Title: Lumina, Volume 1 The Dragonlite Legacy 
Author: PADDY TYRRELL
Publication Date: December 1, 2019
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
ASIN: B0827TDXQM
Purchase on Amazon



Reviewed by: Dr. Wesley Britton originally for BookPleasures.com


The first pages of Paddy Tyrrell's Lumina are a perfect model for how to start a novel. First, we're dropped into the middle of an action scene. Second, we are vividly introduced to two of the book's primary characters. Third, we immediately get insights into one of the main conflicts of the book, a cultural clash that defines a world in turmoil.

In but a few pages, we get striking samples of Tyrrell's descriptive gifts and begin to see the themes of intolerance and prejudice that are analogous to too many eras of our earth's history. I liked the fact this is the breed of science-fiction where character, world building, and cultural interaction are the thrust of the story and not exotic weaponry, space flight, or really strange creatures, although we get no shortage of the latter. I admit, these days I dread the idea of yet another overused dragon in my reading, but I have to say Tyrrell has a number of clever ways to play with dragons and baby dragons in her yarn.

Very quickly in Lumina, we can see the various paths of various distinctive characters in what opens up to be an other-worldly epic although many of the plots seem very grounded in earth lore. For example, one storyline involving the royal court of one country seems based on the life of concubines in an ancient Asian country. Other stories are obvious takes on the heroic quest involving the search for a lost brother, finding unlikely allies in a brewing war, and overcoming intolerance between humanoid species, especially against the golden-skinned genetically-engineered "Bronzites" who are excluded from human society.

So many characters in this book are memorable, some extremely admirable, such as Davron Berates who has to choose between friendship and his people along with his internal conflict over accepting his love for a strange Bronzite woman, the magical Chrystala who transforms in ways no one expected. Then there's my favorite, the lovely Salazai who suffers from the slowest-acting poison ever conceived. These characters and their friends and enemies are all center stage as war explodes in a multi-layered conflict spreading over a very wide and bloody canvas. The carnage of the climatic battle scenes is so epic it's amazing how this volume of the series could end on such a gentle note.

While this volume is a very long read, it's a welcome thought to know there is more to come that will hopefully resolve issues set up in the final chapters of book one. I want to know what will happen to the survivors of the war that left many heroes dead on the battlefield.


More About the Reviewer

Dr. Wesley Britton is an author in his own right and a longtime reviewer for reviews sites like #TheNewBookReview and #BookPleasures.


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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. 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!

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Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Tess Thompson's New Legal Mystery Reviewed by Carolyn Wilhelm

Title: Cold Vengeance
Authors: Tess Thompson (Sisters Charlene Tess and Judy Thompson)
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre: Legal Mystery
Publisher Email Address: 
novelsbytessthompson@gmail.com
ASIN: B087QSJVMV
Price $2.99 Kindle
Formats (Kindle)



Reviewed by Carolyn Wilhelm

Book three of the Angel Falls series does not disappoint, and the characters we know face more difficulties.
Two men, one an attorney and one a detective, have argued (fairly) in court before, but only “respect” each other. Angel Falls is not a large town, so the sister of the attorney happens to be the one Detective Flores turns to for help when his ex-wife disappears. His sons are worried, and her behavior is not typical. He cannot believe it when Kim, the private investigator, and sister of the attorney, suggests the sons may know more than they have shared with him.
Events progress, and eventually, the detective is accused of murder. Then, Kim asks her brother to required. What can Detective Flores do but go along with the plan? How will he get out of this tight spot?
The real killer takes the sons up in the mountains, and the situation turns dire. The ending is shocking and tense, although things do work out. The reader will not be able to see what is coming next.
This book is a satisfying read, of course, from Tess Thompson, but only after many twists and turns do the characters land safely.
Highly recommend! 

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Carolyn Wilhelm has an MS degree Gifted Education and MA in K-12 Curriculum and Instruction, and a BA in Elementary Education. 



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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. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing
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 on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at