The New Book Review

Well Met By Water, Another Winner by Joy V. Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 03:30:00 -0700

BOOK TITLE: WELL MET BY WATER

AUTHOR OF BOOK: Joy V. Smith

GENRE: Science fiction

ISBN: 979-8-232-59597-5

PAGE COUNT: 210

AMAZON or FAVE LINK to BUY BOOK:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Well+Met+by+Water&i=stripbooks&adid=082

VK13VJJCZTQYGWWCZ&campaign=211041&creative=374001&tag=x_gr_bb_

amazon-20&ref=x_gr_bb_amazon

THE REVIEW ITSELF:

Review Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewed by David Jaggart for Readers’ Favorite

Joy V. Smith's WELL MET BY WATER is about a family of mermaid–human hybrids trying to live

peacefully while protecting themselves from danger. The main character, Cathay, is a young

woman who can breathe underwater, swim with dolphins, and move between land and sea.

Her entire family shares this gift, although only the daughters inherit the full merfolk abilities.

Their tranquil life suddenly changes when Cathay rescues Rand, a former thug, chained under

a dock and left to drown. After saving Rand, Cathay encourages him to leave his criminal past

behind and use his life for good. This incident sets off a series of events involving hardened

criminals, polluted oceans, kidnapped merchildren, and the ongoing quest to keep the family’s

identity a secret. Follow Cathay on this riveting journey as she protects her loved ones from

impending danger.

WELL MET BY WATER is a captivating tale that feels a lot like stepping into two worlds at once — the human

world and the hidden, fascinating world beneath the surface. I love how Joy V. Smith defines Cathay's family.

Her family doesn't portray classic mermaids from traditional fantasy-based stories. They depict an authentic

family with real concerns, disagreements, and loyalty. Their merfolk abilities add another layer to the many

challenges they already face, especially with secrecy, safety, and identity. I deeply appreciated Rand's character

arc. His presence brings uncertainty and hope, showing how a person with a dark past can find redemption

when given a second chance. The environmental themes stand out, too. The author clearly cares about the

ocean and uses the story to highlight pollution and the importance of protecting marine life in a way that feels

natural to the plot. I enjoyed reading this intriguing tale and you will too! Highly recommended.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joy V. Smith has been writing stories since she was little and created her own little

books. Her stories and articles have been published in print magazines, ezines,

and anthologies; her SF has been published in two audiobooks, including Sugar

Time (also available in print). Her books include Detour Trail, a western; Strike Three; Sugar Time, Velvet of Swords; Cold New Planet; Seedlings and Crystal Quest, the sequel; a collection of her

published short stories, The Doorway and Other Stories. She lives in Florida with

Samwise Gamgee, a Chihuahua cross, and Pemberley, the tortoiseshell cat.

X Permission to publish the the review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joy V. Smith has been writing stories since she was little and created her own little books. Her stories and articles have been published in print magazines, ezines, and anthologies; her SF has been published in two audiobooks, including Sugar Time (also available in print). Her books include Detour Trail, a western; Strike Three; Sugar Time, Velvet of Swords; Cold New Planet; Seedlings and Crystal Quest, the sequel; a collection of her published short stories, The Doorway and Other Stories. She lives in Florida with Samwise Gamgee, a Chihuahua cross, and Pemberley, the tortoiseshell cat

MORE ABOUT #THENEWBOOKREVIEW BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in Lois W. Stern’s silver circle icon in the right column of this blog, in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in the right column of this blog’s home page (a silver and gold badge with three silver- circle icons beneath it. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing HowToDoItFrugally https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews.

Want to Sell More Books? Check Out This Tip from TheNewBookReview Affiliate, Lois W. Stern

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:00:00 -0700

SECRETS FOR SELLING MORE BOOKS

By Lois W. Stern

Founder, Contributor and Editor of the #Tales2Inspire Series of anthologies

Contributing #AuthorsHelpingAuthors associate here and on the #SharingwithWriters Blog

Did you ever think of selling your books from the comfort of your home? At one time I thought about it too, looked into several inernet pay options, but nixed them all as they seemed too involved.

Then I learned about ZELLE.

The name of this game is SAFE, QUICK 'n EASY and FREE.

Zelle is a safe, flexible, no fee way to make or receive a payments - all from the comfort of your home.

SAFE: Despite all the talk of internet scams, when used properly, Zelle is extremely safe because you are not giving out either credit card or bank account information. This bank to bank transfer of funds moves a dollar amount from the buyer’s account to the account of the seller. The buyer’s bank simply transfers that inputted amount from one account to the other, without revealing the account number of either party. If you already pay your bills online, you're good to go. Once you sign in, there will be a drop down menu for paying bills. At my bank it looks like this:

You can set up your Zelle account using either your cell phone number or your email address. I set up my Zelle account with my email address because I knew those placing book orders would be familair with the words Tales2Inspire, but preferred to keep my cell number private.
QUICK: When making a Zelle payment, you simply input the amount owed, the name and identifier (either e-mail or cell number, but not both) of the person you are paying, click a button and DONE. An immediate Bank-to-Bank transfer of funds takes place.

EASY: I asked Siri to compare Zelle with traditional payment options and up came the chart, below.

FREE: Absolutely no charges for this service.

Most major banks now use Zelle. Many are now incorporating an additional step, such as multi-factor authentication, for first time payments to any given party.

STILL NOT CONVINCED? If you're still not sure this is for you, do what I did: Ask a friend if you could Zelle them $1. Once it arrives, have them return the favor and Zelle $1. back to you.

CAUTION

Only use Zelle to make payments to people you know and trust. To avoid falling victim to a scam, never use Zelle to buy goods or services from online marketplaces or strangers.

SINCE USING ZELLE, MY BOOK SALES HAVE TRIPLED:

Since I have published all twelve of my Tales2Inspire books with Amazon KDP, I came up with a creative idea for selling more books while offering Zelle as a payment option. It all starts with a Jotform I created, and you can create one too, for free. Click here, to check it out (or copy and paste https://form.jotform.com/260094023611041 into your browser).

COMING SOON: A whole new Sharing with Writers section, where I'll be sharing details of my project and inviting readers to post their best marketing tips as well.

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S CONTRIBUTOR

Lois W. Stern, the book review facilitator for TNBR (The New Book Review.blogspot.com), is the founder, editor and contributor to Tales2Inspire, an authors helping authors project to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. As such, she has now published twelve award winning Tales2Inspire® treasured anthologies of her contest winners' stories. Lois is a multi award winning author herself, whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview Associate, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

CLICK HERE to learn details about entering this Free contest

CLICK HERE to get a FREE Tales2Inspire Sampler book.

https://www.facebook.com/tales2inspire

#AuthorsHelpingAuthors associate here on the #SharingwithWriters Blog

MORE ABOUT #THENEWBOOKREVIEW BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in Lois W. Stern’s silver circle icon in the right column of this blog, in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews Authors and publishers will want to access use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors services. All are free and listed in her silver-circle icons in the right column. WARNING some cell phones cut off the right column of the blog, so try it using your desktop!) Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing HowToDoItFrugally https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews.

Owner of The New Book Review Extends Invitations for You To Extend the Power of Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 21:01:00 -0700

Dear Visitors and Subscribers to The New Book Review:

Maybe you’re visiting this blog to find great new reading. Maybe you’re a reviewer looking for great new books to review or to extend the exposure or the many reviews you have already written! Maybe you’re an author who would love to like to do your book a favor by having more people read a review of your book that you love--or of a way to thank a reviewers for reviewing your book! You are in the right place. The New Book Review isn’t like other reviews. We’ve made a place for everyone. Even publishers who have similar motives to the ones I mentioned above.

Here are a few more reasons to stick around along with an invitation and some answers to other questions you might have!

Maybe if you ran across a review you’d like to publish! (-: : Have you become an author to give your business more credibility? I’d love to have you participate in my free book review blog. It offers alternative processes that allow me to serve more of the readers of my HowToDoItfrugally Series of books for writers. Start with recycling one of the great reviews you already have ready to go! If so, you’ll find a tab at the top of the home page of this blog titled SubmitYourFaveBookReviewHere where you’ll find submission guidelines or surf for this free service and a couple other ways to participate—free of course! (http://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com). And, yes. I say it is FREE, right?

I’ve been dong this blog with and without help from fellow authors who are also believe in lending a hand to fellow authors since early in the new millenium. Have you noticed the changes that my associate Lois W. Stern and I are doing? It’s a sure thing, I couldn’t do it without her. There are lots of new perks and you’ll find them in her lovely little silver circle icons in the right column of the blog if you are using a desktop. (Unfortunately, many smart phones don’t display that column. It’s worth checking it out with your Microsoft, Dell, Apple or other device! Your invited. Try it once and come back with another--a month later with another review for the same book or another book you’ve written. Yep, use that same template each time.

Did I mention that Lois sends all participant their own banner featuring their book cover image and headshot to use in any and all of your book promotion--even your e-mail signature!

Sending best wishes to each of our peeps--past participants or newbies. We are grateful for including #TheNewBookReview in your promotional plans!

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

MORE ABOUT #THENEWBOOKREVIEW BLOG

Example of one of Lois W. Stern’s FREE Banners: All participants need to provide is the cover image and headshot!

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in Lois W. Stern’s silver circle icon in the right column of this blog, in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews Authors and publishers will want to access use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors services. All are free and listed in her silver-circle icons in the right column. WARNING some cell phones cut off the right column of the blog, so try it using your desktop!) Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing HowToDoItFrugally https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews.

GREAT REVIEW FOR RON ROMAN'S BOOK, OF ASHES AND DUST

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:53:00 -0700

BOOK TITLE: OF ASHES AND DUST

AUTHOR OF BOOK: RON ROMAN

GENRE: THRILLER

ISBN: 978-1-59211-178-7 (hardcover);

ISBN: 978-1-59211-240-1 (eBook)

PAGE COUNT: 260

AMAZON or FAVE LINK to BUY BOOK: https://a.co/d/jjafFfS

THE REVIEW ITSELF: FULL REVIEW (Permission Granted)

REVIEWER: Ramon Mesa Ledesma

5.0 out of 5 stars

AS GOOD A STORYTELLER AS YOU'RE LIKELY TO READ...

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2025

Format: Paperback

As if from above, I saw myself walking naked in this world and asked God to forgive me for any crimes I had committed during the war at the behest of the American Government in the name of democracy. All the shame, the guilt I carried within me for years, decades, came rushing out. I shook violently and wept uncontrollably with such intensity I could barely breathe. My tongue rolled back, and I choked on the spit and mucous pooling inside my mouth. I almost vomited in my throat. Wave after wave of remorse and penitence washed over me and then, abrupted as the convulsions had begun, they ceased.
And I was made whole

As well written as I've ever read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Associate Professor of English, ESL, and Humanities, Ron Roman taught with the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC- Asia) since 1996. He retired from full-time employ and later as adjunct during the COVID-19 crisis (2020). He has written extensive travel, academic, and political articles for regional, national, and international publications. He studied writing (both fiction and creative) for his third graduate degree (Humanities) from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Currently he resides in South Korea with his wife where he works on US military installations assisting US military retirees and dependents. He continues to write and has acted in numerous Korean TV dramas and motion pictures like Operation Chromite portraying Admiral Forrest Sherman opposite Liam Neeson as General Douglas MacArthur. His alternate-history apocalyptic doomsday thriller Of Ashes and Dust was a November 2022 release by Histria Books. It was a 2023 Finalist for the Chanticleer International Book Award (CIBA) Global Thrillers category. He is the recipient of the UK’s THE POET magazine international POET OF THE MONTH award (May 2022) for his contributions.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER: Ramon Mesa Ledesma is the author of several full-length critically acclaimed books. Check out his website at migrantsun.com

EASY, PEASEY HINTS FOR WRITING GREAT REVIEWS

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:50:00 -0700

A FEW HINTS FOR WRITING EASY, PEASEY BOOK REVIEWS

👉 Write a catchy heading for your review in 10 words or less. (HINT: Use strong words for your title as that is what other readers will see first, and sometimes the only part they read. So make it pop!)

👉 Highlight one or two things you particularly liked about the book, or a single feature you especially enjoyed. Book Review Questions for many titles can be found online. I include such questions routinely at the end of each of my Tales2Inspire anthologies, to spark fresh ideas for reviewers with limited time. I also provide a sneak peak into each story through my CONTENTS pages (found at the beginning of each Tales2Inspire book), offering reviewers the opportunity to focus on just one or two stories of interest to them while crafting a meaningful review.

👉 Be sincere: Focus on the positive, but give the book the number of stars you think it deserves.

(1 is the lowest score, 5 is the highest. A 5-star rating means that you liked the book a whole lot, 4 stars means you thought it was very good, 3 stars, just okay, etc.).

👉 Sometimes you can even craft your review to highlight one of your own accomplishments and make some magic for yourself. For example, “As an author myself, I am keenly aware of . . ., and (author's name) handled it so well.” “As a psychologists, I understand the torment of those afflicted with . . ., and appreciate the way (author's name) depicted the emotional upheaval of . . .”

👉 End your review with your actual name, not a pseudonym. Readers will take more notice of your words if written by a person with an authentic name.

👉 Read over your review to correct any errors before posting.

👉 If you’re not camera shy and own a copy of the book, (or borrowed a library copy), post a selfie holding the book you are reviewing. (This assures Amazon that you actually have the book in hand and most probably read it.)

👉Now that you've read through all these helpful hints, I'd love it if you'd write a review for one of my Tales2Inspire books!

Lois W. Stern is an Associate & Review Coordinator for TheNewBookReview. She is also the creator of Tales2Inspire®, an Authors Helping Authors project/contest to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. And best of all, it’s Free. Lois has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured Tales2Inspire Jewel Collection anthologies and six Tales2Inspire 2-in-1 Diamond Collection anthologies. Lois is a multi award winning author whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

Get a FREE Tales2Inspire book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts

Visit her Tales2Inspire blog HERE.

For some lively conversation, join Lois on her Facebook page HERE.

Review of Taboo Tech - Another Winner by Joy V. Smith

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0700

BOOK TITLE: TABOO TECH

AUTHOR OF BOOK: Joy V. Smith

GENRE: Science fiction

ISBN: 978-0-359-5167-5

PAGE COUNT: 288

AMAZON or FAVE LINK to BUY BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=taboo+tech+by+joy+v+smith&i=stripbooks&crid=PDR267QR8HLF&sprefix=taboo+tech+by+joy+v+smith%2Cstripbooks%2C165&ref=nb_sb_noss

THE REVIEW ITSELF:

Carolyn Wilhelm's Bookshelf Taboo Tech
Joy V. Smith
Lulu Publishing
www.lulu.com
$16.95 PB, $4.99 Kindle, www.amazon.com

This author's favorite genre is science fiction and I'm sure that helped her imagination as she wrote this book. Here is a "rule" the protagonist, Lacie, remembers when in a tight spot.
"...remember the course on Blending into Other Cultures, aka Undercover Coping. Among non-humanoids, acting lost and scared can work. On humanoid planets, find out what other humans are doing that you can do. Do it."
Lacie's parents have to leave her and she manages to cope with the help of what she learned in class and technology. Danger is close at hand many times which is often solved with brainy and complex solutions.
I found the information from classes such as Blending into Other Cultures aka Undercover Coping to be believable. The names of the ships, security characters, robots, aliens, and planets were clever and fun to read. There is a character map in the back of the book (instead of a family tree) to help keep the many characters, humanoids, princesses, miners, families, and interactive plants straight. The ships and robots
personalities and can adapt to changes and grow in knowledge.
Characters are suspicious of each other at first as it is difficult to tell which are trustworthy. Being safe is of utmost importance and there is cloaking and traveling and secrecy involved. An energy net pulls a damaged ship to where it can be repaired. A school is a central focus, SAKAWE, and people with criminal intent take it over for some time. Students, however, are not injured. (less)
Carolyn Wilhelm, Reviewer
I received permission to publish this review. __X_Yes ___ No
More Words About Taboo Tech:

“…I have one piece of advice for readers. Wear a helmet. When this story gets its feet under it, it takes off.”

Matthew Joseph Harrington, an author of Man-Kzin Wars stories

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joy V. Smith has been writing stories since she was a kid and could write; she made her own little books--with covers. Her stories and articles, including interviews with writers, editors, and artists, have been published in print magazines, ezines, and anthologies; and her SF has been published in two audiobooks, including Sugar Time. Her books include Detour Trail; Strike Three; Sugar Time, Well Met by Water; Velvet of Swords; Cold New Planet; Pretty Pink Planet and its sequel, Hot Yellow Planet; Crystal Quest; a collection of her published short stories, The Doorway and Other Stories; and several e-books. She lives in Florida with Samwise Gamgee, a Chihuahua cross, and Pemberley, the tortoiseshell cat, in a remodeled house. (She's been practicing building and remodeling.)MORE

ABOUT THE BLOGGER: Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

Metropolita Opera Violinist Writes Aria for Murder

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:21:00 -0700

BOOK TITLE: ARIA FOR MURDER

AUTHOR OF BOOK: ERICA MINER

GENRE: MYSTERY/THRILLER

ISBN: 1685121985

SERIES: JULIA KOGAN OPERA MYSTERIES

PAGE COUNT: 254

AMAZON or FAVE LINK to BUY BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Aria-Murder-Julia-Kogan-Mystery/dp/1685121985/

THE REVIEW ITSELF: By Midwest Book Review

FULL REVIEW

Excitement mounts as the moment arrives for brilliant young violinist Julia Kogan's debut in the orchestra of the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera. But the high-stakes milieu of this musical mecca is rocked to its core when, during an on-stage murder scene, Julia's mentor, a famous conductor, is assassinated on the podium.

Thrust into the investigation when her closest colleague in the orchestra is named chief suspect, Julia teams up with opera-loving NYPD detective Larry Somers to solve the murder. In the process, they are shocked to discover the venerable opera house is rife with a web of secrets, intrigue, and lethal rivalries. But all bets are off when Julia suddenly finds herself the real killer's prime target!

Critique: A cosy mystery at its very best, "Aria for Murder" is the first of novelist Erica Miner's 'A Julia Kogan Opera Mystery' trilogy from Level Best Books. A fun read from cover to cover, "Aria for Murder" deftly combines the elements of a traditional 'whodunnit' detective mystery with a memorable crafted amateur female sleuth. The stuff of which Hallmark TV mystery movies are made, "Aria for Murder" is an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Aria for Murder" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Formerly a Metropolitan Opera Orchestra violinist for 21 years, Erica Miner now enjoys a multi-faceted career as an award-winning author, lecturer, screenwriter, and arts journalist. Erica's passion for Bringing Murder and Music together is embodied in her 3-part Opera Mystery novel series published by Level Best Books: "Aria for Murder" (which draws on Erica's own real-life experiences working at the New York Metropolitan Opera); “Prelude to Murder” and “Overture to Murder.”

Erica’s debut novel, “Travels with my Lovers,” won the Fiction Award in the Direct from the Book Awards. She recently received the Readers House Magazine Editor's Choice Award of Literary Excellence. Erica has given workshops for Sisters in Crime; Los Angles Creative Writing Conference; EPIC Group Writers; Write on the Sound; Fields End Writer's Community; Savvy Authors; and numerous libraries on the west coast.

NITTY GRITTY BUT IMPORTANT PUBLISHING STUFF

X Permission to publish this review.

Author’s Website: https://www.ericaminer.com.

Get a FREE Tales2Inspire book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts

Visit her Tales2Inspire blog HERE.

For some lively conversation, join Lois on her Facebook page HERE.

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.

A 5 STAR REVIEW FOR DETOUR TRAIL - ANOTHER JOY V. SMITH WINNER

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Fri, 6 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0800

BOOK TITLE: Detour Trail

AUTHOR OF BOOK: Joy V. Smith

GENRE: Historical Western

ISBN: 978-1-61235-570-2

SERIES: (If relevant.)

PAGE COUNT: 136

AMAZON LINK to BUY BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Detour-Trail-Joy-V-Smith/dp/1612355706/

THE REVIEW ITSELF:

*Detour Trail* by Joy V. Smith is highly recommended by Midwest Book Review as a captivating Western novel featuring a strong female protagonist, Lorena Emerson, navigating the perilous Oregon Trail. The story follows her journey through challenges after her uncle's murder, showcasing themes of resilience, teamwork, and empowerment.

By Midwest Book Review

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Established in 1976, the Midwest Book Review is an organization committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. The MBR publishes a number of monthly book review magazines specifically designed for community and academic librarians, booksellers, and the general reading public.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joy V. Smith has been writing stories since she was little and made her own little books. Her stories and articles have been published in print magazines, ezines, and anthologies; and her SF has been published in two audiobooks, including Sugar Time. Her books include Detour Trail; Strike Three; Sugar Time, Well Met by Water; Velvet of Swords; Cold New Planet; Crystal Quest; a collection of her published short stories, The Doorway and Other Stories; and several e-books. She lives in Florida with Samwise Gamgee, a Chihuahua cross, and Pemberley, the tortoiseshell cat, in a remodeled house. (She's been practicing building and remodeling.)

X Permission to publish the review.

Author’s e-mail address: Pagadan@aol.com

ABOUT TNBR REVIEW COORDINATOR:

Lois W. Stern is an Associate & Review Coordinator for TheNewBookReview. She is also the creator of Tales2Inspire®, an #AuthorsHelpingAuthors project/contest to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. And best of all, it’s Free. Lois has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured Tales2Inspire Jewel Collection anthologies and six Tales2Inspire 2-in-1 Diamond Collection anthologies. As a multi award winning author, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

#THENEWBOOKREVIEW BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in Lois W. Stern’s silver circle icon in the right column of this blog, in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing HowToDoItFrugally https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews.

ENTER YOUR FAVE MARKETING TIP HERE

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Thu, 5 Mar 2026 10:30:00 -0800

Hi, it's Carolyn Howard-Johnson here, creator of the blogs: #NewBookReview and #SharingWithWriters.

MY INVITATION TO OUR SHARINGWITHWRITERS FANS

Do your have one successful marketing tip to share with your fellow authors, publicists, readers and book marketers? Just send it to me at carolynhjohnson@icloud.com with the words "My fave marketing tip" in the subject line, using the format below. We will publish your tip and give a special award to the one which receives the greatest number of views that month.

A MESSAGE FROM MY ASSOCIATE, LOIS W. STERN

This is an opportunity to get more eyeballs focused on you, whether you are an author, publisher, editor or publicist.

We all know that even the best of books won’t go far without some good marketing behind them, so how about sending Carolyn your FAVE marketing tip, using the form below. Then Carolyn and I will select one marketing tip each month as the WINNER OF THE MONTH, based on the number of views it gets, and post it on this blog and TheNewBookReview blog too. And that’s a big deal ‘cause it gives you one more opportunity to highlight your accomplishments as an Author, Editor, Publisher or Marketing guru. and i'll kick it off with one of my own, THE ZODIAC.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR FAVE MARKETING TIP:

To make the submission process easier, first copy and paste the template below to help you gather all your data. Then I will post it for FREE at: https://SharingwithWriters.com/

TEMPLATE for SUBMITTING a FAV MARKETING TIP

YOUR NAME:

YOUR CREDENTIALS:: How you want to be known

(Author, Publicist, Editor , Marketing guru . . .)

TITLE(S) OF BOOK(S) YOU SUCCESSFULLY MARKETED:

MARKETING TIP ITSELF, of course!

IMAGES: Please include JPEG IMAGES of your choice, (ie Your logo, Your photo, Anything that helps define you and the book you marketed). Kindly send each with an identifying caption.

ABOUT YOU, THE MARKETING GURU: With Optional Biography/credit line.

(Don’t be shy. This is your opportunity to let readers know of all your wonderful accomplishments.)

YOUR FAVE LINKS:

YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: ____________________________

Do you want this email to be included with your marketing tip?

___ Yes ___ NO

LAST CHECK: NITTY GRITTY BUT IMPORTANT PUBLISHING STUFF

YOUR SUBMISSION WILL INCLUDE:

Your name as submitter of this marketing tip.

Title of book you are marketing.

Actual marketing tip.

Permission to print your marketing tip.

Photos of your choice in JPEG format.

Caption to identify each submitted photo.

Note #1: If you would like to quote a testimonial or blurb of twenty-five words or less at the end of your marketing tip, please feel free to do so.

If you need help editing blurbs, read Carolyn’s “The Frugal Editor” using the Index to find appropriate entries.

Note #2: Watch for our new feature--a marketmatic free contest to select a winning marketing tip from among all those submitted each season--a veritable zodiac of winners!

Yay! A way for us to extend one more lucky participants exposure a bit farther, and give them a chance to tout another win!

And, I think I have talked Lois into making an award-emblem for winners to use in their own campaigns... forever afterward.

Note #3: Did you have trouble choosing which marketing tip to submit? Not to fret, you can make a regular habit of sending them. But only one a month, and ONLY one in each submission email.

We accept more than a single marketing tip from any given participant, spaced at 30 days or more apart. Please send each tip separately.

ABOUT THENEWBOOKREVIEW ASSOCIATE:

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in the right column of this blog home page (a silver and gold badge and threee silver-gray circles beneath it. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing HowToDoItFrugally http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews. Pre-format the post editor for each new post. Cancel Save Post published

http://SharingwithReaders

Best Selling Author, James Osborne Give Kudos to the Newest Tales2Insire Diamond Collection Anthology

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 04:00:00 -0800

BOOK TITLE: Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection - Series VI

AUTHOR OF BOOK: Anthology with Lois W. Stern (Creator, Editor, Contributor): Non-fiction, Memoir

ISBN: 9798271640995

SERIES: VI

PAGE COUNT: 238

AMAZON or FAVE LINK to BUY BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Tales2Inspire-Diamond-Collection-VI-ebook/dp/B0G9QF97TW/ref=sr_1_3?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6KyQYjQgbywfUNG2O-h0DMHydBDRtA77GqGHEhGGBYblkSJrCi-ElbClsJMRt6ktHDMQNV7vnW_Wf5R1PfiPK075y6d8udDbLOwy61fECecuQ1cTzxLX2aaL2T98Z-Blh0xzaQGPjsDt9FtdOOcRb_4a7z5m2wY37D9dhRA1vk9jIQM9jWJNl8YvNCngp_JhEvSYTrqXQRHKVNqvGAkvQqudW91S_iixvz1DTcRtE90.w8l3cRyw18qGGXb5ZRcXktXC6mfvtRwO2-vYnkwh12Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=Tales2Inspire+Collection&qid=1770913565&s=books&sr=1-3/

THE REVIEW ITSELF:

By James Osborne, Originally for Amazon.com

Lois Stern's series of books, Tales2Inspire, is an inspiring contribution to our world's well-being. In a global environment seemingly preoccupied with anger and strife, the stories in Tales2Inspire offer a welcome refuge from that storm. Thank you Lois for all your hard work bringing these wonderful stories to us!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lois W. Stern is an Associate & Review Coordinator for TheNewBookReview. She is also the creator Tales2Inspire®, an #AuthorsHelpingAuthors project/contest to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. And best of all, it’s Free. Lois has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured Tales2Inspire Jewel Collection anthologies and six Tales2Inspire 2-in-1 Diamond Collection anthologies. As a multi award winning author, her work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

Lois W. Stern. pictured above, with her complete selection of anthologies, especially designed for gifting the right inspiration for the special reader in your life.

Get a FREE Tales2Inspire book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts

Visit her Tales2Inspire blog HERE.

For some lively conversation, join Lois on her Facebook page HERE.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER: James Osborne’s novels and short stories have won many international awards, including an Amazon #1 bestseller rating for his thriller novel, THE ULTIMATE THREAT. His varied career has included investigative journalist, college teacher, army officer, corporate vice president and business owner. Samples of his work can be found at www.JamesOsborneNovels.com.

X PERMISSION TO PRINT REVIEW

Note #1: Watch for our new feature--an authormatic free contest to select a winning review from among all those with reviews published each month--a veritable zodiac of winners! Yay! A way for us to extend one more lucky participating author’s exposure a bit farther

and give them a chance to tout another win!

And, I think I have talked Lois into making an award-emblem for winnersto use in their own campaigns... forever afterward!

Note #2: We accept more than a single review for any given

book, spaced at 30 days or more apart. Please send each

review separately.

MORE ABOUT #TheNewBookReview ASSOCIATE & AUTHOR ADVOCATE

Lois W. Stern is an Associate & Review Coordinator for TheNewBookReview. She is also the creator of Tales2Inspire®, an #AuthorsHelpingAuthors project/contest to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. And best of all, it’s Free. Lois has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured Tales2Inspire Jewel Collection anthologies and six Tales2Inspire 2-in-1 Diamond Collection anthologies. Lois is a multi award winning author whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

Get a FREE Tales2Inspire book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts

Visit her Tales2Inspire blog HERE.

For some lively conversation, join Lois on her Facebook page HERE.

MORE ABOUT #THENEWBOOKREVIEW BLOG

Please see submission guidelines in Lois W. Stern’s silver circle icon in the right column of this blog, in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at https://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in the right column of this blog’s home page (a silver and gold badge with three silver- circle icons beneath it.

Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.

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

Send Us Your Fave Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 04:51:00 -0800

Hi, it's Lois W. Stern here, your #NewBookReview Associate and Book Review Coordinator, with another idea to help you get more eyeballs focused on your book. We all know that reviews help sell books, so how about sending me your FAVE book review using the form below, and I'll post it for you and make a nifty banner for you to use forever after to highlight your accomplishments.

HOW TO GET THIS FREE MARKETING TOOL

FOR YOUR BOOK & FOR YOUR REVIEWER:

Did your book get one fabulous review that you wish you could share with the world? Well wish no more. Now you can. Just send it to me at tales2Inspire2@gmail.com. Put "My fave book review" in the subject line using the format below, and I'll post it for you on TheNewBookReview blog. That’s a big deal ‘cause Carolyn and I join you in networking your review across the web. And Lois creates a banner for you to use FREE in your marketing campaigns!

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR FAVE REVIEW:

To make the submission process easier, first copy and paste the template below to help you gather all your data. Then I will post it for FREE at: https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/

TEMPLATE for SUBMITTING
(Metadata for Book)
BOOK TITLE:

AUTHOR OF BOOK:

GENRE:

ISBN:

SERIES: (If relevant.)

PAGE COUNT:

AMAZON or FAVE LINK to BUY BOOK:

THE REVIEW ITSELF: (Including reviewer’s byline, of course!: Use this format: )

By (xxName of Reviewer, Originally for (xxName of Publisher or Media)

FULL REVIEW

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: (Optional Biography/creditline. Please include JPEG IMAGES of author, book cover.)

ABOUT THE REVIEWER: (Optional Biography/creditline, JPEG image.)

NITTY GRITTY BUT IMPORTANT PUBLISHING STUFF

Permission to publish the the review. (Reviewers always own their own reviews unless they were written for pay or under contract. If that is the case, authors should ask them if they would like a little more exposure with links and search engine access.)

Author’s or submitter’s e-mail address, or both.

Photos as requested above.

Did you have trouble choosing which best-of-best reviews for us to publish? If so you can send the other one following this template. In fact, you can make a regular habit of sending them. But only one a month, please, and ONLY one in each submission,

LAST CHECK: YOUR SUBMISSION WILL INCLUDE:

Author’s metadata as shown above.

Author’s e-mail address.

Permission to print review.

Review with reviewer’s byline as shown above.

Images for author and book cover as shown above.

Images for reviewer. (Optional. As shown above.).

Note #1: If you would like to quote a testimonial or blurb of twenty-five words or under

at the end of your review, please feel free to do so. If you need help editing blurbs,

read Carolyn’s “The Frugal Editor” using the Index to find appropriate entries.

Note #2: Watch for our new feature--an authormatic free contest to select a winning review from among all those with reviews published each month--a veritable zodiac of winners! Yay! A way for us to extend one more lucky author’s exposure a bit farther and give them a chance to tout another win!

And, I think I have talked Lois into making an award-emblem for winners to use in their own

campaigns forever afterward!

MORE ABOUT #TheNewBookReview AUTHOR ADVOCATE

Lois W. Stern with her complete selection of anthologies especially designed

for gifting the right inspiration for the special reader in your life.

Lois W. Stern is an Associate & Review Coordinator for TheNewBookReview. She is also the creator of Tales2Inspire®, an #AuthorsHelpingAuthors project/contest to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. And best of all, it’s Free. Lois has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured Tales2Inspire Jewel Collection anthologies and six Tales2Inspire 2-in-1 Diamond Collection anthologies. Lois is a multi award winning author whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

Get a FREE Tales2Inspire book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts

Visit her Tales2Inspire blog HERE.

For some lively conversation, join Lois on her Facebook page HERE.

MORE ABOUT #THENEWBOOKREVIEW BLOG

Conversation opened. 2 messages. 2 messages unread.

New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson.

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 use the template and directions on this page to submit your

fave review to its exposure, help get the readership it deserves.

Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are

indexed by genre, reviewers' names, author’s names and more so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource

for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog’s

search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers.

Find Carolyn’s other writer-related blogs at #SharingwithWriters and #TheFrugalSmartandTuned-InEditor.

Carolyn’s #HowtoDoItFrugally Series for writers include multi-winners: #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #TheFrugalEditor, #HowtoGetGreatBkReviews #GreatFirst-ImpressionBookProposals #GreatLast-MinuteEditsforWriters. Watch for her newest “Word byWord” from Modern History Press in 2026.

Reviewer Gives Joy V. Smith’s Newest Sci-Fi Adventure Five Stars

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

TITLE: VELVET OF SWORDS

AUTHOR’S NAME: Joy V. Smith

REVIEWERS’ RATING: 5 STARS

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON and WORDPRESS

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka originally for Readers’ Favorite

Velvet of Swords is a science fiction adventure by Joy V. Smith. Pressured to marry a man she doesn't love, Velvet, a young woman from the House of Swords, leaves her home and sets out into the unknown to embrace her destiny. Her quest leads her to five Firstcomers, whose bodies are no longer intact. Along the way, she also becomes the regent to the young siblings and heirs of the Hill-Hold, Alex and Thea, after rescuing them from the clutches of their previous regent, Hutto. Now, Velvet faces her biggest challenge. She must rescue the descendants of the Firstcomers imprisoned in The Citadel by the Terran colonizers. But the mad scientist, Dr. Michael Rankin, stands in her way. What's next for Velvet?
Velvet of Swords is a captivating story for sci-fi fans. The narrative hooks you in from the very first page and keeps you glued until the last, featuring monstrous creatures, brave heroes, and thrilling action sequences. Author Joy V. Smith has created a believable alien world that feels lived-in and immersive. There are fleshed-out cultures and dynamics between different factions that bring a sense of realism to the world, making the story even more engrossing. Velvet is a fascinating protagonist. She is primarily driven by her desire to help others, which makes her very easy to root for. I enjoyed her scenes with the five Firstcomers, as well as her relationship with Kip. Overall, this is a great science fiction novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joy V. Smith has been writing stories since she was a kid and made her own little books. Her stories and articles have been published in print magazines, ezines, and anthologies; and her SF has been published in two audiobooks, including Sugar Time. Her books include Detour Trail; Strike Three; Sugar Time, a collection of her published short stories;and several ebooks. She lives in Florida with Samwise Gamgee, a Chihuahua cross, and Pemberley the tortoiseshell cat in a remodeled house. (She's been practicing building and remodeling.) Learn more about her at https://pagadan.wordpress.com/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/JoyVSmith. Buy this book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G31LHGFW and find reviews of her other books on this blog using “Joy V. Smith” in the mini search engine in the right column.

Everyone Should Read: CHANGE THE WORLD ONE BOOK AT A TIME:

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:18:00 -0800

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK:

Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words

NAME OF AUTHOR OF BOOK:

Nina Amir

THE REVIEW:

For writers who wish to make a real difference, this comprehensive guide is a must-read. As author Amir acknowledges in the first chapter of this book, attempting to become an author of change can feel hugely daunting—but 'someone needs your book.' In Change the World One Book at a Time, she leads (and cheerleads) you through every step of the journey—from clarifying your message for yourself to putting it on the page in a way that will most effectively reach an audience—making what might otherwise feel like an overwhelming challenge accessible for all."

~ Brooke Warner, author of Write on, Sisters! and publisher of She Writes Press

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED:

Nina Amir, the Inspiration to Creation Coach, is an 19X Amazon bestselling hybrid author. She supports writers on the journey to successful authorship as an Author Coach, nonfiction developmental editor, Transformational Coach, and Certified High Performance Coach (CHPC^®)—the only one working with writers.

Nina is also a long time San Francisco Writers Conference volunteer and presenter. She now coordinates the Personal Growth for Writers track and the Writing for Change Summit. Nina’s most recent book, Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words, will be published on January 6, 2026 by Books that Save Lives. (It is now available for pre-order, and those who purchase prior to January 6 receive two valuable bonuses—a “Clarify Your Purpose” journal and a course about authoring change. Order here.)

Previously, she wrote three traditionally published books for aspiring authors—How to Blog a Book, The Author Training Manual, and Creative Visualization for Writers. Additionally, she has self-published a host of books and ebooks, including the Write Nonfiction NOW! series of guides. She has had 19 books on the Amazon Top 100 List and as many as six books on the Authorship bestseller list at the same time.

Nina is an award-winning journalist and blogger, as well as a successful nonfiction developmental editor. Some of her editing clients have sold 300,000+ copies of their books, landed deals with major publishing houses and created thriving businesses around their books.

To further support writers, Nina created the Nonfiction Writers’ University, where members access a huge archive of resources, such as courses, ebooks, and interviews with writing and publishing experts, and receive monthly group Author Coaching. Additionally, she created the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge and Author of Change Transformational Programs.

Nina also founded the Inspired Creator Community, which provides group transformational (spiritual and personal growth) coaching around the topic of creating what matters. Many writers join this program to support their efforts to become authors.

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS:

Visit www.ninaamir.com

And read her blog at ninaamir.com/blog

Read her writing-related blogs at writenonfictionnow.com and howtoblogabook.com as well.

Follow her on social media sites!

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

X/Twitter https://twitter.com/NinaAmir

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninaamir

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/inspirationtocreationcoach/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/ninaamir

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/ninaamir/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@inspiredcreator?lang=en

Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/ninaamir.bsky.social

ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW:

√ Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to reprint their review in its entirety.

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Brooke Warner, author of Write on, Sisters! and publisher of She Writes Press

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Brooke Warner is a passionate champion of writers and authors and her life’s work is supporting people to get published. She is profoundly grateful to have landed in this career at the tender age of 22. Brooke has worked across many segments of the publishing industry, and because of her background, she is publishing agnostic. She supports writers to get published—traditionally and independently (hybrid or self-publishing).

Brooke started her publishing career in 2000, and worked for traditional publishers for 13 years. In 2012, she left her job as Executive Editor of Seal Press to co-found She Writes Press with Kamy Wicoff, founder of SheWrites.com. She tells the story of why I left traditional publishing in my TEDx talk: “Green-Light Revolution.” Brooke invites you to join her weekly via her podcast, Memoir Nation (formerly Write-minded: Weekly Inspiration for Writers), which you can find wherever you listen to your podcasts, and also on her Substack, “Writerly Things,” where Brooke posts weekly dispatches about publishing and memoir. Brooke is currently the Board Chair of the Bay Area Book Festival. She is the past Board Chair of the Independent Book Publishers Association, an organization that’s near and dear to her heart. In 2024, she was awarded the Publishing Professionals Network’s Distinguished Service Award.

Brooke brings a wide range of disciplines and interests to coaching, including the Ennegram and the Diamond Approach®. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) with theCoaches Training Institute (CTI), a leading program in coaching that’s accredited by the International Coach Federation.

Brooke earned her B.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University, and her M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from San Francisco State University.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

Brooke has published several books, including Green Light Your Book, The Magic of Memoir, and Write On, Sisters! Find all her books here: brookewarner.com/books/

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS :

nina@ninaamir.com

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/NinaAmir

Conversation opened. 2 messages. 2 messages unread.

New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog.

Lois W. Stern, the Book Review Coordinator for TNBR blog spot, is the creator of Tales2Inspire, an authors helping authors Free project to help aspiring writers on their paths to discovery. As such, she has now published twelve Tales2Inspire® treasured anthologies of her contest winners' stories.Lois is a multi award winning author whose work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsday, Long Island Press, Barnard Magazine, on Local Access TV and in live presentations in varied venues. As TheNewBookReview review coordinator, Lois serves as an outreach to help other authors brand themselves as authors of talent.

Get a FREE Tales2Inspire Sampler book at: www.tales2inspire.com/gifts

Visit her Tales2Inspire blog at: https://www.tales2inspire.com/blog Visit her Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/tales2inspire

Yay! Discount for Writers’s Seasonal Gifts That Keep Giving to Carolyn’s...

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 20:35:00 -0700

...subscribers and visitors. It’s a reprint from WinningWriters’ newsletters, but my peeps can use it, too! You need the code GOFRUGAL when you go directly to Modern History Press’s website that includes my HowToDoItFrugally Series. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on your choice...or, actually, all of the books where the discount appears for you. They’re make great gifts for your author friends for the holidays, thank you gifts for industry peeps who have supported you, or--best still--a treat for yourself.

You might (SHOULD!) also subscribe to Adam Cohen’ and Jendi Reiter’s WinningWriters newsletters including the ones full of contests you can trust. It has been around for years vetting the best of contests using their stringent set of qualifications. It’s yours to avoid all those naysayers that contests are scams. The good ones allow you to set your book apart from the dozen (zillions?) of similar titles out there. Pay special attention to their own #NorthStreetBookPrize and several individual contests that cost nothing to enter but pay winners considerable awards. Every one including their own must meet their stringent expectations.

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REVIEW OF DESIGN FOR YOUR MIND: LEARN HOW TO RENOVATE YOUR HOME TO RECHARGE YOUR LIFE

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 02:54:00 -0700

**TITLE: HOW A MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST RENOVATED HER HOME TO RECHARGE HER LIFE – AND *DIDN’T BREAK THE BANK***

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME Annie Guest

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS annieguestdesign@gmail.com

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: https://www.annieguestdesignforyourmind.com/

ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW:

X I am the reviewer and give TNBR permission to print this review.

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Abigail Adams

THE REVIEW:

Design For Your Mind is an inspiring tale of how someone can cope with the loss of their parents and sorting out the possessions that they have left behind. In the case of Annie Guest, the author of this book, she inherited her parents’ house and renovated it to be a suitable home for its new occupant—which was Annie herself. The book tells not only how she did this, but how she was able to rediscover herself in the process.

As a mental health therapist, Annie understands how the environment in which we live can affect our mental health. She shows how it is possible to retain the precious family memories which we acquire as we grow up in our family home, and then put our own contemporary stamp on the home to make it habitable for ourselves—and how to do all of this in a cost-effective way!

Design For Your Mind is in part a practical manual on interior design, and Annie lays out the process in a clear and easy manner. The book systematically goes through each room in her house and outlines what methods she applied to renovate these rooms. Readers will find these methods readily applicable to their own homes.

Annie has given her own name to the type of design she describes in Design For Your Mind: “Benessent Design.” Annie explains that the term “Benessent” comes from the Latin phrase for well-being, bene essere. What she means by Benessent Design is the design of rooms and furnishings that can meet “the emotional and intellectual needs of real people, so they have what they need to thrive as whole human beings.” For Annie, the “four pillars” of an enriched environment are good nutrition, high-quality sleep, regular aerobic exercise, and social support.

Annie takes us step-by-step through her quest to renovate her parents’ home and make it her own. Her methods and explanations are easy-to-follow, meaning you do not need to be a qualified interior decorator or a certified mental health therapist in order to get to grips with Design For Your Mind. Her Benessent Design theory provides the framework for why all of the steps she took were taken, and the “before” and “after” pictures give a clear visual illustration of what steps she is discussing throughout.

As well as her underlying theory and her practical steps, Annie makes the book personal with a great store of heartwarming family anecdotes. This helps to make Annie’s book very relatable, as many of us will be able to identify with the sort of tales she has to tell, or recognize ourselves within them. It ties in nicely with her theme of blending old memories and traditions with new innovations that help to make a home truly your own.

The blend of sound theory, practical steps, and personal anecdotes all help to make Design For Your Mind a terrific, practical book from which we can learn a lot about interior design, and about ourselves. Very highly recommended.

This review was originally published at Story Circle Book Reviews. The link to the original review is https://www.storycircle.org/book_review/design-for-your-mind-how-a-family-caregiver-and-mental-health-therapist-renovated-her-home-to-recharge-her-life-and-didnt-break-the-bank/.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER:

I’m Abigail, and I’m a big book lover who is interested in all genres.

REVIEWER'S TWITTER MONIKER: @AAdams22700

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED: Annie Guest had a varied career in book publishing, advertising, and law, before she took another jump to work as a mental health therapist and publish her first book. In DESIGN FOR YOUR MIND, Annie combines her passion for people and their potential with her love for interior design and her appreciation for the design choices that support mental health.

AUTHOR IMAGES:

Cover of Design For Your Mind by Annie Guest

Profile Photo of Annie Guest, author of Design For Your Mind

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS annieguestdesign@gmail.com

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: https://www.annieguestdesignforyourmind.com/

ADD THIS ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW:

I am the reviewer and give TNBR permission to print this review.

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Abigail Adams

INCLUDE THE THE REVIEW ITSELF, of course!

Design For Your Mind is an inspiring tale of how someone can cope with the loss of their parents and sorting out the possessions that they have left behind. In the case of Annie Guest, the author of this book, she inherited her parents’ house and renovated it to be a suitable home for its new occupant—which was Annie herself. The book tells not only how she did this, but how she was able to rediscover herself in the process.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER: I’m Abigail, and I’m a big book lover who is interested in all genres.
REVIEWER'S TWITTER MONIKER: @AAdams22700

AUTHORProfile Photo of Annie Guest, author of Design For Your Mind

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in the right column of this blog home page (a silver and gold badge and threee silver-gray circles beneath it. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

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Visit her Tales2Inspire blog at: https://www.tales2inspire.com/blog Visit her Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/tales2inspire

REVIEW OF DANCING WITH RED FLAGS, AN INCREDIBLE SELF-HELP BOOK

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 04:32:00 -0700

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: DANCING WITH RED FLAGS

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME: Anna Rajmon

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Abigail Adams

THE REVIEW:

Anna Rajmon, author of the incredible memoir Elis: Irish Call Girl, has delivered an interesting self-help book in Dancing with Red Flags, a book intended as a guide to help women understand the manipulative behaviors that define toxic relationships, in the hope that they will not get trapped in them. Rajmon shares her own experiences and insights in recognizing red flags in dating, and has studied the psychology behind those red flags. She is really good at explaining psychological ideas in a way that makes sense to people who do not have a psychology background.

The notion of “women’s intuition” is often referred to in everyday life, but Rajmon demonstrates that it is a very important tool in detecting red flags. Sometimes, we “know” that there is something not right with how someone behaves, but we do not have the words or ideas to properly explain to ourselves what it is that is wrong. That is our intuition in action—and Rajmon says it is the voice we should listen to most closely. She also notes that it is the voice we are most likely to ignore, and she insists that we cannot afford to do this if we want to be happy.

Anna Rajmon has brought to Dancing with Red Flags the same style of sarcastic humor, lovely drawings, and great writing that made Elis such a good book. She can describe awful behaviors like the silent treatment, love bombing, and ghosting in a way that will make you laugh as much as it will make you think. Her examples and her drawings all make her points very clearly, so that you never feel like you are reading up for a college course with some dry textbook—it’s written in a way that makes you feel as if Rajmon is having a friendly and funny conversation with you directly.

While Dancing with Red Flags is primarily meant for women, there is no reason men cannot learn from it too. Unfortunately, there are also toxic women who use some of the cruel and controlling tactics which Rajmon outlines here. No matter who we are, it would certainly benefit us all to learn what these tactics are so that we can recognize abusers for what they are before it is too late. Not just for relationships that we are directly in, either—it helps if you can spot when a friend or a family member is involved in a toxic relationship, too. It could be the first step toward doing something about that situation.

Overall, I found Dancing with Red Flags to be a very eye-opening book that unveils the nature of toxic relationships and can help us to “stop giving your best self to the worst people” as Rajmon puts it. The lessons her book teaches are ones thtat will be beneficial to us all, and especially to the women it is intended for. Very highly recommended.

This review was originally published at Story Circle Book Reviews. The link to the original review is https://www.storycircle.org/book_review/dancing-with-red-flags/.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER: I’m Abigail, and I’m a big book lover who is interested in all genres.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED: Despite her education and professional achievements, Anna Rajmon found herself in a difficult situation where she turned to prostitution to support her daughter. This experience inspired her to write a book to shed light on a world that many are curious about but few understand. Her story has been featured in Bella Caledonia, Global Comment, and the Irish Examiner, among others. She lives in the Czech Republic. www.annarajmon.com.

She is on Twitter/X at @annarajmon

__________________________________________________________________________

Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in the right column of this blog home page (a silver and gold badge and threee silver-gray circles beneath it.

Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books.

Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

UNWIFEABLE - Can Excessive Hedonism Be a Fulfilling Way of Life?

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Thu, 5 Jun 2025 05:30:00 -0700

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: UNWIFEABLE

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME: Mandy Stadtmiller

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS mandystadt@gmail.com

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: https://mandystadtmiller.com/

ADD THIS ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW:

X I am the reviewer and give TNBR permission to print this review.

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Abigail Adams

INCLUDE THE THE REVIEW ITSELF, of course!

Mandy Stadtmiller’s Unwifeable is an unrelenting book, which shows the limits of excessive hedonism as a fulfilling way of life. It also shows what is truly necessary for genuine personal fulfilment, and in that way provides inspiration and hope.

Newly divorced in 2005, thirty year old Mandy upped sticks and made her way to the Big Apple for a fresh start, taking on a role with the New York Post. She is driven to make a name for herself, but discovers that the world she has entered is nowhere near as glamorous in reality as it appears from a distance. In fact, the more she gets to know it, the less attractive it becomes. This separation between attractive appearances and raw realities is one of the dominant themes in Unwifeable.

Sharing an apartment with a couple, Mandy takes up her role as a dating columnist – though her own experiences in the dating scene are lurid to say the least. She lives a heady life of booze-filled parties and casual sex – a life which becomes progressively more shallow and meaningless to her the longer that she continues to pursue it. The deep sense of shame which she feels for living this way gnaws at her, yet she persists with it – largely because to stop would be to admit that starting to live this way was a mistake. Insights of this kind are constant in Unwifeable.

Mandy does not shy away from sharing the decisions she made, the consequences of those decisions, and her reflections on her experiences. She is very honest about her experiences, and about the fact that she was searching for something she had all along but neglected. She was looking for her soulmate, and her soulmate was none other than Mandy herself.

There’s a rawness to Unwifeable that can be uncomfortable, but this is what makes it credible. You don’t doubt that Mandy is telling you the truth, as there is way too much detail in her stories for it to be created by a fantasist. She doesn’t hold back on just how self-destructive her way of life was, and is harsher on herself than she is on anyone else.

It’s a very human story in a lot of ways – Mandy has her insecurities and fears, but lived as though these didn’t exist and embraced all the hedonism that was on offer to mask her inner doubts. Many readers will be able to identify with this trait, pursuing a way of life and acting fearlessly while being plagued with all sorts of doubts. It helps you to connect with Mandy and her journey, and maybe learn from her experiences in facing up to your own difficulties in life.

While you might not have the same colorful setting as the media world of Manhattan, it doesn’t mean that Mandy’s life experiences can’t be useful to you. Unwifeable is an uplifting and inspiring tale, and it is very, very funny. It’s also very poignant, for Mandy lays bare all her personal struggles and her efforts to overcome them. I won’t say too much more, but the ending is worth the price of the book alone. The journey to that ending, however, is also worthwhile. Very highly recommend.

This review was originally published on Goodreads, and the link to the original review can be found here.

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER: I’m Abigail, and I’m a big book lover who is interested in all genres.
REVIEWER'S TWITTER MONIKER: @AAdams22700

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED: Mandy Stadtmiller is an author and columnist for New York magazine, former editor-at-large of xoJane, "Girl Talk" columnist for Penthouse and host of the comedy podcast "News Whore." She is also known for her dating column in the New York Post, called "About Last Night."

She is on Twitter/X at @mandystadt

James Sale’s DoorWay Reviewed by Theresa Werba

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 21:26:00 -0700

The Rhymes and Reasons of James Sale:

A Review of DoorWay, Vol. 3 of the English Cantos

DoorWay, Vol. 3 of the English Cantos

Author: James Sale

Independently Published

ASIN: B0F27M6BK3

Released March 2025

$11.61 (Paperback) $2.99 (Kindle)

194 pages

Available on Amazon

Reviewed by Theresa Werba

I have had the honor and pleasure of knowing James Sale as a poetic colleague and ofttimes mentor for many years. I asked him once why he chooses to use imperfect rhymes in his poetry, because I had been under the impression that as formal poets we are never, ever to do it, and that is isn’t following the rules of formal poetry to do it. His response was “There simply are not enough rhyming options in the English language, unlike Italian, which is full of options.” At first I was uncomfortable with the seeming license he was taking in this what I perceived to be a sacrosanct element of formal poetry. How does he get away with that? Is that really allowed? When I first started reading his trilogy The English Cantos, this was really getting to me. It caused me to look constantly at the rhymes, to the detriment of my ability to read the actual poetry.

But I have come to realize what James Sale is doing with rhyming in his poetry is anything but a lack of discipline, or skill, or oversight : it is liberation, innovation, and re-creation. James Sale is not using “lazy rhyme;” he is deliberately, carefully stretching the boundaries of what is acceptable rhyming convention in English formal poetry. He uses his slant rhymes, half rhymes, near rhymes, assonant rhymes, consonant rhymes, light rhymes, and syllabic rhymes with abandon. With joy. With freedom. Lavishly. He is demonstrating that our language is a language that by default doesn’t always perfectly rhyme— but when you get close, it can be as beautiful, and powerful, and in many instances, more effective than a perfect rhyme can ever be. I have come to appreciate his poetic moxie, his brazen iconoclasm, his stretching of the normative, his ingenuity. Whereas I was once rather religious in my approach to rhymes, I now see in James Sale’s work how imperfect rhymes can be effective and of great beauty, and how he does not stray into the realm of formal poetic heresy. It is providing us with another way to look at English rhyming in poetry. It also provides an intentional alternative to the “predictability” inherent in perfect rhyme.

DoorWay is the third volume of the English Cantos trilogy. James Sale recounts his battle with cancer and descent into hell (HellWard, Vol. 1), his visit to purgatory (StairWell, Vol.2) and his ascent into heaven (DoorWay, Vol. 3). Jospeh Salemi aptly describes the trilogy as a “medieval dream vision,” and throughout the entire work we encounter unusual, mystic, human, emotional, spiritual, and metaphysical realities. In DoorWay James Sale moves through the celestial constellations as he meets loved ones and poets (including, of course, Dante) and ultimately encounters God Himself. He combines mythology, astrology, and Christianity into a syncretic expression of the ultimate spiritual experience.

James Sale has written all three volumes of The English Cantos in terza rima form. This form consists of three-line stanzas, with groups of three rhymes alternating in a chain-like, interlocking pattern (aba bcb cdc). Whereas with a sonnet, you need only find one rhymed pair per quatrain (in the Shakespearean or Spencerian forms) or per octet and most sestets (in the Petrarchan form), with terza rima you need three rhymes per two tercet sets. The option to employ imperfect rhyming opens many unexploited poetic possibilities for rhyming in this challenging form.

Consider this set of tercets, from Canto 4 (“Detour to Taurus”):

“In turning then, to glance at what I’d see

Making disturbance so, and seeing, froze:

I saw its wings beating effortlessly;

Yet as they did flesh shifted, changed its clothes,

Me glimpsing glimmerings of some star’s right

To be to which it must metamorphose:”

We have a delightful use of the word “metamorphose” as the rhyme to “froze” and “clothes”, yet it is a near-perfect rhyme. Compare this with the following imperfect rhymes in Canto 2 (“St. Dismas Speaks”):

“Reminding me before I made my flit

Upwards, one action more to do, be sung:

Even to contemplate, my soul was lit.

‘Hail!’ and I turned, and saw the women’s tongues

Like flames of fire ascending to the heights,

All nine, and one apart, more lovely, strong,”

Here we have the addition of “s” to “tongues” to rhyme with “sung” (some poets do this as a matter of course and do not consider this a form of imperfect rhyme, though I normally would), but then we have “strong” as a consonant rhyme to “sung” (where the final consonant rhymes but the preceding vowel is different). Contrast with the assonant rhymes in the following two tercets (Canto 1, “St. Dismas speaks”):

“So heavy that, despite Nenya which saves,

My knees buckled and lungs collapsed like shelves;

Yet for all that: epic faces, and braves:

‘Hail! Hail! Great Muse, Calliope herself!

Visit me now and with your beauty let

Me soar where you taught John those secret spells;"

Here we have “shelves”, “herself”, and spells”, which all have the same vowel, but the ending consonants are different.

An example of eye rhyme further illustrates expanded rhyming possibilities (Canto 2, “Family Scales”):

“Such runes as testify His glory’s due;

Though meshed in flesh, embedded in deep mud

As you are; yet for all your filth accrued,

Still chosen because His Will produces good

Despite unworthy vessels of His grace.

You know (I know!) and sing about His blood.’”

Here we have “mud” “good” and “blood”, and I have seen “good” and “blood” rhymed in Elizabethan poetry when I am pretty sure the words did actually rhyme, but we keep them as eye rhyme nowadays.

A particularly interesting use of imperfect rhyme is found in Canto 2 (“Family Scales”):

“So high, and first equal of those God made.

Like twins they were, the one called Lucifer

Who fell to where no light is, no words prayed—

His balance lost and righteousness tipped over—

So that in the midway of highest heaven

Michael held firm to prove ultimate victor.”

I found this set of rhymes particularly interesting because I never thought to see Lucifer get his own rhyme! I also see that this is an actual perfect rhyme, because the schwa sound at the end of “Lucifer”, “over” and “victor” are the same sound, though spelled differently. So an eye rhyme of a different sort!

I approached reading DoorWay with the idea to listen to the rhymes in my head with a different place in the ear than what I am used to utilizing. I now think of James Sale’s poetry more as the way I might listen to a song, where imperfect rhymes are perfectly acceptable. Then it becomes more of an ornament to the pulses and rhythms and phraseology and storyline. I alertly relax, and enjoy the ride.

Not only did James Sale cause me to reconsider how to rhyme a poem, but he has filled me with wonder at some of the most inventive use of language I have ever read in poetry! Consider the following various lines:

“One hullabaloo, hubbub of joyous cries,”

“Some hypnagogic state holds one in lieu—“

“No sagging, sickly sorrows plaguing flesh,”

“My lips ablaze—cremating all my lies;”

“Linear, pillar-like of hot blue steam,”

“Behind, her hinds who fed on trefoil’s leaves

Whose trifurcation tallied being blessed”

I have enjoyed every one of these poetic gems of language, and DoorWay is replete with them.

Another fine feature of DoorWay are the excellent annotations by fellow poet and literary critic Andrew Benson Brown, who provides supplemental information and insight throughout the work. The Kindle version makes accessing the annotations very easy, and you do not lose your place as you are reading!

I started as a wary member of the School of The Perfect Rhyme At All Cost, but James Sale has made me a convert to the School of Rhyming Possibilities. In my own poetry going forward I hope to be more open to the sounds and variables inherent in imperfect rhyme. I recommend DoorWay, and the entire English Cantos, as an impressive and satisfying reading experience, a work of technical skill and artistic achievement, a masterpiece for the ages.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Sale has over 30 books to his credit listed on Amazon. In the U.K. his poems and literary work have appeared in the Bright Star Anthology, Heavenly Hymns: the 10th International Collection of English Poems, Footnotes, Iota, Krax, Linkway;,The Little Word Machine, Lynx, New Hope International, Ore, PN Review, Quaker News and Views, The Schools Poetry Review, Terrible Work, The Third Half, Towards Wholeness, and DawnTreader.In the US he has appeared in The Anglo Theological Review, Ancient Paths Literary Magazine, Bible Advocate, New Poetry, The Epoch Times, October Hill Magazine, Art Times Journal, Lowestoft Chronicle, Midwest Review of Books,The New Book Review, New Poetry, The Unchained Muse, and Honest Rust and Gold. Sale won First Prize in the Society of Classical Poets 2017 poetry competition and also First Prize in the 2018 Society of Classical Poets prose competition. Find more information about James Sale’s The English Cantos at https://englishcantos.home.blog/

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Theresa Werba (formerly Theresa Rodriguez) is the author of eight books, four in poetry, including What Was and Is: Formal Poetry and Free Verse (Bardsinger Books, 2024) and Sonnets, a collection of 65 sonnets (Shanti Arts, 2020). Her work has appeared in such journals as The Scarlet Leaf Review, The Wilderness House Literary Review, Spindrift, Mezzo Cammin, The Wombwell Rainbow, Fevers of the Mind, The Art of Autism, Serotonin, The Road Not Taken, and the Society of Classical Poets Journal. Her work ranges from forms such as the ode and sonnet to free verse, with topics ranging from neurodivergence, love, loss, aging, to faith and disillusionment and more. She also has written on autism, adoption and abuse/domestic violence. Find Theresa Werba at www.theresawerba.com and on social media @thesonnetqueen.

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in the right column of this blog's home page (a silver and gold badge and threee silver-gray circles beneath it.

THE MONOCLE, A WILDLY FUN, SMART AND EXCITING YA SCI-FI ADVENTURE

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Fri, 4 Apr 2025 13:59:00 -0700

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: THE MONOCLE

AUTHOR’S NAME: Mark Cavanagh

NME OF BOOK SERIES: The Monocle Trilogy

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS markcavanagh2014@gmail.com

_x_ Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to reprint their review in its entirety

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Christine Rodriguez, Fiction Addicted – Reading Books and Exploring Worlds. She is a prime reviewer for Reedsy, having authored 1203 reviews. This review originally published in Reedsy Discovery.

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE SALES LINKS:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Monocle-Mark-Cavanagh/dp/B092P6WTDR

Must read 🏆

Two teens find a mysterious monocle that bends reality—but they're not the only ones after it. Secrets, danger, and adventure await!

SYNOPSIS

In the quiet corners of a mundane 1960s town, two curious teenagers are about to trade the hum of their bicycle wheels for the crackle of cosmic energy… and unknowingly change their lives forever.

When best friends Viv and Mick stumble upon an alien artifact and a notebook of secret code, they unlock a strange new world where space folds and time travel is possible. As the adventurous teens master the powers of the extra-terrestrial monocle, friendship takes on new dimensions as they attempt to outrun federal agents and face fearsome creatures torn from the very fabric of nightmares!

As they grapple with the unfathomable supernatural powers that they unlock from the monocle, Viv and Mick must decide whether they want to make the ultimate gamble – venture further into the unknown… and risk losing not just each other, but their very lives.

Will their friendship withstand the trials of this spectral journey or will the very forces that brought them together tear them apart?

REVIEW

Some books hook you with action, others with mystery. The Monocle by Mark Cavanagh grabs you with pure wonder—that feeling of being a kid again, discovering something strange and incredible, and knowing that nothing will ever be the same. This YA adventure delivers a thrilling mix of nostalgia, mystery, and mind-bending science fiction, making it a must-read for fans of Stranger Things, A Wrinkle in Time, and The Goonies.

The Monocle is a coming-of-age adventure with a twist. Mick Sullivan and Viv Oulette, two curious and fearless teens, stumble upon an alien artifact—a mysterious monocle hidden inside a metallic clam-shaped shell. At first, it seems like a weird trinket. Still, when they unlock its abilities—seeing other dimensions, teleportation, even weaponized energy beams—it quickly becomes apparent that they've found something way bigger than themselves. And they're not the only ones interested. Enter Agent Flanders, a shadowy government official who wants the monocle for his own agenda, and suddenly, Mick and Viv are in a game much bigger (and far more dangerous) than they ever imagined.

What makes this book shine? For starters, Mick and Viv are fantastic protagonists. Their friendship feels genuine, fun, and full of personality—Their sharp, witty, and natural dialogue makes them feel like real teens rather than just "characters in a book." The Monocle is also an intriguing mystery. It slowly unravels the secrets of the monocle, blending sci-fi elements with a classic small-town adventure feel. Every discovery brings more questions, making it impossible to put down.

Mark Cavanagh has also given us a really strong sci-fi concept. The monocle itself isn't just a gimmick—it's an artifact with fascinating, reality-bending properties, and how the book explores its power is genuinely exciting. The blend of hard and soft sci-fi elements makes it feel both grounded and fantastical at the same time. I also loved the tense government conspiracy angle. It's not just a story about cool powers—there's a sense that something massive is at play, and Mick and Viv are in way over their heads.

The Monocle is a wildly fun, smart, and exciting YA sci-fi adventure that blends mystery, government intrigue, and coming-of-age friendship perfectly. If you love books that capture that nostalgic sense of discovery while keeping you on the edge of your seat, this one's for you. A great YA read for young and old alike!

REVIEWED BY

Christine Rodriguez

Following

Christine is a 7-12th grade English teacher, a library assistant, and a bookworm with a passion for good literature. She has a keen eye for good literature and reads books across genres. Her favorites are dystopian lit, sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary literature.

Christine Rodriguez links: https://fictionaddicted.com https://www.instagram.com/chrisofcourse2025 https://x.com/csrodriguez1970

AUTHOR BIO. Mark Cavanagh, author of The Monocle Trilogy, Big Blue Society, The Zen of Laundry and RV Time Machine, lives with his wife by the Dark Swamp in northwestern Rhode Island where H.P. Lovecraft searched for the legendary IT. He co-wrote and produced Zombie Dearest, a feature film, and directed the award-winning Youth Vision program, recipient of the Action for Children’s Television Award.

Author website: https://markcavanaghbooks.de

The Monocle Book Trailer Links:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/62417144829536698/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/62417144829536709/

https://www.tiktok.com/@dorothysflyingmachine/video/7487626535676005674

https://youtu.be/Jd3efdBLsSQ

https://rumble.com/v6rgcat-the-monocle-the-monocle-trilogy.html

YOUR TWITTER (X) MONIKER: @CavanaghBooks

https://x.com/CavanaghBooks/status/1908148725349839061

Publicist Carol Baldwin Published YA Novel, 18 Years in the Making

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Wed, 5 Mar 2025 15:42:00 -0800

Title: Half-Truths

Author: Carol Baldwin

Author’s Website: https://carolbaldwinbooks.com/half-truths/

ISBN: 978-1-957656-85-4

Available on Amazon and both paper and e-book on B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/half-truths-carol-baldwin/1147046554?ean=9781957656854

Reviewed by Linda Phillips,

author of CRAZY, published by Eerdmans

Kate Dinsmore, the teenage protagonist in this book you won’t want to put down, and the author, Carol Baldwin, have a lot in common. They both have a way with words and aim to use them to make the world a better place to live. In her first fiction YA novel, Baldwin has used her keen research instincts to give us an historically accurate and compelling picture of racial tensions in both rural and urban settings in 1950s North Carolina. Against a backdrop of KKK rallies and racial prejudice, Kate dreams of going to college and becoming a reporter. When it looks like her tobacco-farming family will likely not be able to afford it, her wealthy Charlotte grandparents agree to let her live with them to attend school. Kate knew living with her aloof and society-minded grandmother would be challenging, but she had no idea how the young, hired help in the household would change her life forever. Kate’s curiosity and observations soon lead to questions about her family tree. There are material items and story fragments in the house and among family members that don’t add up. Baldwin effectively uses the fragile relationship between Kate and her newfound cousin, Lillian, to illustrate the importance of truth-telling, especially across racial lines. I highly recommend this book to teachers and students for its accurate depiction of pre-Civil Rights and the Jim Crow era.

More About the Reviewer:

Linda Phillips is passionate about mental health and has written two novels in verse for teens relating to that topic: Crazy, Behind these Hands. She also has published one chapbook, Thoughts on Crossings. Learn more about her here: https://www.lindavigenphillips.com

More About the Author:

Carol Baldwin's debut YA historical novel took eighteen years to research, write, and publish. Besides writing, Carol loves teaching writing to kids and adults and is the volunteer publicist for Monarch Educational Services, L.L.C. Find her on Twitter at @CBaldwinAuthor and learn more about her at her website at https://carolbaldwinbooks.com/half-truths/ and her blog, https://carolbaldwinbooks.com/grid-of-posts-2x3/. Visit her favorite social network,

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

SEX WORK IS NO LAUGHING MATTER: READ REVIEW: ELIS - IRISH CALL GIRL

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Sat, 1 Mar 2025 04:15:00 -0800

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: Elis - Irish Call Girl

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME: Anna Rajmon

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: www.annarajmon.com

ADD THIS ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW:

X I am the reviewer and give TNBR permission to print this review.

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Abigail Adams

INCLUDE THE THE REVIEW ITSELF, of course! [Note—this book is rated 18+. -Ed] I’ll say this up-front: Elis is an absolutely incredible book. This memoir tells the tale of a single mom who got caught up in toxic relationships and ended up going into sex work to make ends meet. The author, Anna, suffered the sorts of things many of us should be thankful to never encounter in our lives. She doesn’t mince words or try to glamorize the life she led, and that makes her story a very honest and emotional one. When you pick up this book, prepare yourself for an emotional roller-coaster, because there are scenes here that will really get to you. Funnily enough, you’ll find yourself laughing a lot when you read this book as well. Anna is very funny in how she describes the people she met, the places she has been to, and the situations she found herself in. That she is able to treat some of the awful experiences she had to deal with in a joking way is inspiring. This is a really strong woman—she’s very open about the fact that she was treated badly, but she vows to carry on and enjoy her life with her family now that she got out of sex work. You can’t help but admire the determination that she shows, even when she admits to the pain that she carries within her as a result of her experiences. The book is very well written, and there are some lovely pictures that she has drawn to help tell her story. But while the great writing, the humor, and the pictures do help bring some levity to Anna’s story, the story itself is overall a very heavy one, and the situations that Anna found herself in are ones that many women could too easily find themselves in. Even though she is a smart woman with professional work experience, Anna Rajmon found herself in sex work because her financial situation forced her to find additional means to support her family. No woman, whether they choose to go into sex work or not, deserves to go through what happened to Anna. The horrible treatment that she suffered from her clients is unforgiveable, and it is something that many women who find themselves in sex work endure as a daily occurrence. It must have taken a lot of courage for Anna to write this book and share her story with the world. We all should read it, and learn from it. What happened to Anna could happen to any woman—your sister, your daughter, your friend, anyone. The greater awareness that Elis will bring to your view of the world is one of the many benefits you will get from reading the book, for while Anna’s experiences happened in Ireland and the Czech Republic, they are experiences that can happen anywhere. I wish Anna Rajmon the very best of luck, and hope that she has a lovely life with her family. She deserves it, and she also deserves our thanks. Because in writing Elis, she has provided us with a clear window into a world which a lot of us either don’t know about or misunderstand completely. Her memoir is a great corrective to any misunderstandings around sex work. Very highly recommended. This review was originally published at Story Circle Book Reviews, and the original review can be found here: https://www.storycircle.org/book_review/elis-irish-call-girl/

MORE ABOUT THE REVIEWER: I’m Abigail, and I’m a big book lover who is interested in all genres.

REVIEWER'S TWITTER MONIKER: @AAdams22700

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED:

Despite her education and professional achievements, Anna Rajmon found herself in a difficult situation where she turned to prostitution to support her daughter. This experience inspired her to write a book to shed light on a world that many are curious about but few understand. Through her story, she hopes to caution girls considering entering the world of escorting and bring awareness to the dangers associated with this lifestyle. She is on Twitter/X at @AnnaRajmon

A Trove on Book Help for Authors from Midwest Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Sun, 8 Dec 2024 16:26:00 -0800

I couldn’t resist publishing this note from the Editor-in-Chief of MidwestBookReview.com, Jim Cox. With his standing permission to publish his letters (but I still always double check!) It has so many possibilities for the visitors and subscribers to this #TheNewBookReview who probably already know I think books from bona fide experts at the most frugal way to keep up-to-date on everything authors need to know (yes, including mine!) for the success of their books in this fast-moving world of publishing--regardless of the the press they decided to print their books. No #bookbigotry will you find here! But still plenty of respect for traditional publishers and their authors.

Dear Carolyn

Great to hear from one of my oldest cyber-space pen pals.

And of course, I always get a smile on my face when hearing that something I wrote proved of interest and get quoted accordingly!

Jim Cox

Midwest Book Review

On Dec 4, 2024, at 12:40 AM, mwbookrevw@aol.com wrote:

Dear Publisher Folk, Friends & Family:

Even though I've been an active observer of the publishing industry for going on five decades now, I am still regularly discovering new resources for authors, publishers, and bibliophiles. That is one the most treasured perks of being a book reviewer, as well as the editor-in-chief of the Midwest Book Review.

In the course of writing a review of author Sarah Fessel's book, "Switchling", I noted that she had registered it on something called Books 2 Read -- a kind of "Universal Link" for the online marketing of books. That was a new one to me and it is a website that apparently allows authors to have their books automatically registered with several different online booksellers (including Amazon & Barnes & Noble) at one go -- for free.

I asked Sarah for further information on this online book selling resource and she helpfully replied:

Dear Jim

The universal link is free to generate. If you register on the site (also for free) you can edit it later on. It was created by Draft2Digital, the self-publishing service. There are some FAQs here:
https://books2read.com/faq/author

I first heard about it through Alli, The Alliance of Independent Authors and also through Sally Jenkins' blog https://sally-jenkins.com/2020/04/21/universal-buy-link-for-all-e-book-retailers

Any author can use this service. I'm hoping there aren't any hidden drawbacks that I have not yet realized! Books2Read's written agreement seemed OK, though I'm not any kind of legal expert.

Thanks again for all your help and support,

Sarah Fessel

If anyone else has had experience with Books2Read I would very much like to hear your opinion about it. Here is the direct link to the Books2Read website:

https://books2read.com/links/ubl/create

Quote of the Month

"Just as books are important to review, so are the people who review them!" -- Steve Schafer

Website of the Month

Young Writers Project

https://youngwritersproject.org

Here are reviews of new books that will be of special interest to authors, publishers and bibliophiles:

The Next Chapter: Writing in Retirement
Julie A. Gorges
I-Form Ink Publishing
https://iforminkpublishing.com
9798990106512, $27.99, HC, 290pp

https://www.amazon.com/Next-Chapter-Writing-Retirement/dp/B0DJD47763

Synopsis: "The Next Chapter: Writing in Retirement" by Julie A. Gorges contains a wealth of 'real world practical' and essential information to help any aspiring writer achieve their literary ambition. But, if you're retired or looking for an encore career, this combination instructional guide and 'how to' manual is written specifically with you in mind.

As an international award-winning author, blogger, and freelance writer for over three decades, Julie A Gorges has drawn upon her years of experience and expertise to write an empowering book to help you write your way to a happy and fulfilling retirement. It is her justifiably contention that you are never too old to pursue your passion to write!

"The Next Chapter: Writing in Retirement" provides just the inspiration and motivation you need while sharing Gorges' extensive knowledge and experience to jump-start your writing during your golden years.

With plenty of encouragement and help, you will explore all the many options available today - whether you want to write for pleasure or profit. Once you decide which direction to take, this DIY manual will guide you down your path with easy-to-understand steps to accomplish your goals.

The comprehensive guide includes vital tips on how to:

Find inspiration for ideas
Create the perfect writing space and develop a writing routine
Write a novel, non-fiction book, or your life story
Find an agent and/or publishing house
Become an indie writer and self-publish at no cost
Promote and market your book
Write articles that sell and find freelance gigs on the Internet
Start, promote, and monetize a blog
Write travel articles and books
Pen poetry or write a play
Start a journal

For further inspiration, "The Next Chapter: Writing in Retirement" includes interviews with retirees who successfully took up writing in their golden years. They share a variety of viewpoints, share a practical and realistic portrayal of what it takes to get started in this industry, and explain how they overcame challenges.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and comprehensive, "The Next Chapter: Writing in Retirement" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation. This hardcover edition of "The Next Chapter: Writing in Retirement" by author Julie Gorges must be considered essential reading for anyone of any age who seeks to write and publish a novel, memoir, non-fiction book, or blog. It will prove invaluable to anyone who aspires to become a freelancer or travel writer, pen poetry, start journaling, and write a play as their encore career in retirement. While also available in a paperback edition (9780976327493, $17.99), "The Next Chapter: Writing in Retirement" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, community, Senior Citizen center, college and university library Writing/Publishing collections and Creative Writing Workshop curriculums/studies lists.

Editorial Note: Julie A. Gorges (https://juliegorges.com) is an international award-winning author and a member of the Authors Guild. Hundreds of her articles and short stories have been published in national and regional magazines including "Woman's World," "True Romance," and "Cricket." She received three journalism awards from the Washington Newspaper Association and her blog, "Baby Boomer Bliss," was recognized as one of the top 50 baby boomer blogs on the web.

Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay
Nancy Slonim Aronie
New World Library
www.newworldlibrary.com
9781608689309, $18.95 PB, $9.99 Kindle, 240pp

https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Secrets-Perfect-Personal-Essay/dp/1608689301

Diane Donovan
Reviewer

Aspiring writers committed to telling their stories via the personal essay form receive important guidelines to making the most of this format in Nancy Slonim Aronie's Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay.

Her guide uses examples from her own work and those of others to review quality and diverse approaches to creating a personal essay that will easily resonate with writers. Some of these include basic writing guidelines, from how to create a 'can't-put-it-down' hook from the start to employing structure and themes in a manner that elevates the personal essay's production and format.

Readers interested in developing top-notch writing skills in this genre should place Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay at the top of their reading lists.

"The Midwest Book Review Postage Stamp Hall Of Fame & Appreciation" is a monthly roster of well-wishers and supporters. These are the generous folk who decided to say 'thank you' and 'support the cause' that is the Midwest Book Review by donating to our postage stamp fund.

Laurie Schnider -- "Gittel"
Paulette Mahurin -- "Two Necklaces"
Sarah Mars/SG Fessel -- "Switchling"
Brad M. Meslin -- "The Moldavian Gambit"
Suzanne Rizzolo -- "The Rose in the Wheel"
Charlotte Parker-Caminos -- "New Beginnings"
Steven Byers -- "Son of the Doomsday Prophet"
Momoko Uno -- "Bringing Sunshine back to my Mind"
Alexander Reynolds -- "Manifest Your Immaculate Conception"
Satyam Press
Lost Lakes Press
Book Award Pro
Aaxel Author Services
Girl Friday Productions
Fickle Dragon Publishing
Kama TImbrell Communications
Gary Greenbert -- Pereset Press
Artie Knapp -- Noodle Poodle Books
Elizabeth Frazier -- Waldmania! PR

In lieu of (or in addition to!) postage stamp donations, we also accept PayPal gifts of support to our postage stamp fund for what we try to accomplish in behalf of the small press community.

Simply log onto your PayPal account and direct your kindness (in any amount and at your discretion) to the Midwest Book Review at: SupportMBR [at] aol.com (The @ is replaced by "[at]" in the above email address, in an attempt to avoid email-harvesting spambots.)

If you have postage stamps to donate, or if you have a book you'd like considered for review, then send those postage stamps (always appreciated, never required), or a published copy of that book (no galleys, uncorrected proofs, or Advance Reading Copies), accompanied by a cover letter and some form of publicity release to my attention at the address below.

All of the previous issues of the "Jim Cox Report" are archived on the Midwest Book Review website at www.midwestbookreview.com/bookbiz/jimcox.htm. If you'd like to receive the "Jim Cox Report" directly (and for free), just send me an email asking to be signed up for it.

So until next time -- goodbye, good luck, and good reading!

Jim Cox
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI, 53575

PS. If you aren’t already subscribe to Jim’s newsletter, know that it’s free and there is no one out there more familiar with the exigencies of the last...mmmm...maybe 50 years than he is!

Happy holidays--frugally from my co-author Magdalena Ball and me.
Quick Delivery of the e-books on our Celebration Series of Chapbooks on Amazon’s New Series Page.
Just use Amazon’s Amazon search engine with those magical keywords to find it.

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in the right column of this blog home page (a silver and gold badge and threee silver-gray circles beneath it. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author and veteran educator, she also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing HowToDoItFrugally http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews. Pre-format the post editor for each new post. Cancel Save Post published

Review of Stacey Bartlett's Page Turning Book, FREE SINGS THE SEA

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 05:32:00 -0700

BOOK TITLE: FREE SINGS THE SEA

AUTHOR OF BOOK: Stacey Bartlett

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS: staceybartlettauthor@gmail.com

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: https://linktr.ee/staceybartlettauthor

ADD THIS ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW:

__ Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to reprint their review in its entirety.

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: Cordelia Tait, originally published at Goodreads

THE REVIEW:

Free Sings the Sea is an exquisite tale of hope over adversity where the promise of freedom for the female characters had me turning the pages into the wee hours to quell my craving.

Shanna’s fierce sense of protection towards her younger sister and mother shone as brightly as the moon over the misty, Blue Ridge Mountains—and it is from these soaring mountains and plush valleys nestling their trailer—where I embarked upon my journey of willing the characters to overcome the obstacles stacked against them from the festering cruelty of the antagonist stepfather and husband, Travis.

The backdrop of some of Mother Nature’s finest creations cocooning the cruel terror that existed in the family trailer lent a poetic, breath-holding slant — the expectant universe waiting for growth and freedom to bloom.

The striking scenery, a salve for the darker themes that lurked throughout this story, was beautifully captured by the author: I could smell the pine trees in the woods, zigzag through them while running free with the wild deer, taste the ripe pears, be enthralled by the horse under that big ol’ moon. Exquisite fairytale vibes of snaking danger coiling through the natural beauty and seemingly elusive escape from terror.

There’s a realistic depiction of the insidious and progressive nature of Domestic Abuse. The survival tactics used by the characters expertly captures the strategies utilised by victims of DA: the placement of the glass of water the night before, the creeping about the trailer and grounds, the various tones of voice used to placate the perpetrator, and the expert skills honed by victims to analyze said perpetrator’s current, twisted deployment.

This book was fantastic in creating the atmospheric tension: “Lia cries and pulls the blanket tightly over her head, because everyone knows that if you hide under a blanket, the monster in the room can’t get you. This one can, though. My one thought is to get him away from her and Mom who’s asleep at the end of the hall. And I need to do it fast.”

Travis’ dark character, and the abusive relationship he has with Shanna’s mother, is juxtaposed with the parallel relationship between Shanna and Free, a burgeoning bond that depicts the healthy tenets of a relationship built on trust, friendship, and boundary establishment, but mostly, respect.

This novel was a beautiful and satisfying read. Where there was tension, there was tenderness. Heartbreak turned to hope. Moments of despondent despair, balanced by delectable victory, and where a delicious denouement occurs and the nuanced title continued to wash over me long after I closed the final page.

REVEWER'S TWITTER MONIKER:

@corrietait_:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stacey is a writer living in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. Two of her novels will be published in September 2024 and February 2025 with Monarch Educational Services, and her work appears in the eleventh edition (2024) of County Lines Literary Journal. Her story COUNT ON THE MOUNTAINS was published in the spring 2024 issue of Reckon Review.

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A Seldom-Heard Voice of Autism Speaks

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn Howard-Johnson) — Thu, 5 Sep 2024 21:12:00 -0700

Title: Finally Autistic:
Subtitle: Finding My Autism Diagnosis as a Middle-Aged Female
Author: Theresa Werba
Publisher: Bardsinger Books,
Genres: Nonfiction, Women;
Nonfiction Health; Memoir
ISBN: 978-0-9656955-3-4
Released August 2024
$12.95 paperback
124 pages
Find it on Amazon

Reviewed by Andrew Benson Brown

Finally Autistic: Finding My Autism Diagnosis as a Middle-Aged Female is a revealing portrait of one woman’s lifelong struggle with autism.

As someone who worked in mental health for nearly a decade, I can testify that this memoir shows a level of insight and awareness that many people with mental health issues struggle to achieve, and never find. Werba herself groped towards awareness after being misdiagnosed for years, and admits to still struggling with the underlying emotional and behavioral issues that come with an Autism Level 1 diagnosis. As she put it, “Why, with grey hairs abounding, do I still have problems when people ask me, ‘How are you?’

Calling it a memoir is not entirely accurate. It is more of an autobiographical case study.
Werba’s personal reflections and anecdotes are firmly rooted in data: an autism assessment, school report cards that highlight her “unsatisfactory” levels of self-control, and even developmental reports from when she was in preschool (all reproduced in full within these pages). Her blending of subjective reflections with objective data points make this a unique work.

This is not Werba’s first go at autobiographical writing. She is also the author of Warning Signs of Abuse: Get Out Early and Stay Free Forever (2015), and When Adoption Fails: Abuse, Autism, and the Search for My Identity(2001). Even further back, as she tells us in the pages of this book, she wrote her first autobiography in second grade: “I was ‘a baby that cried a lot,’” she tells us.

Theresa Werba’s life story is fascinating in the worst possible way. “Childhood was difficult, challenging, painful, and even sad for me,” she writes. Born of a teenage sex worker, adopted by members of a religious cult who abused her, getting in constant trouble at school, self-harming as an adolescent, struggling to hold jobs as an adult, being disinherited by her adoptive mother, living in an abusive marriage to a drug addict: these experiences are superficially similar to those of many who end up on the wrong side of the criminal justice system, or in a psychiatric institution.

Somehow, though, Werba did not end up like so many others. Quite the opposite, in fact—she became a successful classical singer and poet. She had a litter of children, all of whom are successful today. In short, she beat the odds.

How? Well, as she described it, things got better for her “as I developed the ability to ‘mask’—the face I learned to put on when singing and in social activity.” Interestingly, she attributes her successful masking to her identity as an artist, since eccentric behavior is tolerated more in this social type. Her talent for singing music and performing poetry, she tells us, turned out to be her “saving grace.” It not only provided her with a creative outlet, but allowed her to communicate with an audience in socially acceptable ways.

My own familiarity with Werba, prior to reading this book, was through poetry. She is a widely acknowledged master of formal lyric verse, one of the best sonneteers writing today. Reading her published work or watching her perform, one would not have any idea that she struggles with neurodivergence, and most who know her from this world remain ignorant of the fact. I’ve known her for several years now myself and had no idea about any of this until a few months ago. Her masking, as she put it, has “led to many close friendships throughout my life, as well as more lovers and entanglements than I care to remember.”

I read this book in one sitting, unable to put it down. I think this, in part, has to do with humankind’s addiction to schadenfreude: while it is illuminating and usually sad, it is also entertaining in a tragicomic sort of way. Werba chronicles, in detail, all the jobs she was fired from for behavioral issues that affected her performance, as well as social situations that wrecked many of her personal relationships.

One disastrous social situation highlights the book’s instructive and entertaining aspects. Once while substitute teaching for a Kindergarten class, Werba decided to bring some historical context to a reading of “The Night Before Christmas.” Conditioned by her religious beliefs to believe that presenting fairy tales as truth was bad, she told the children about the real Saint Nicholas, saying that he died in the 4th century. This somehow turned into children going home and telling their parents that “Teacher said Santa Claus is dead,” which turned into a teacher’s visit to the principal’s office, which turned into an interview with a local news station. “I ended up getting hate mail from all over the country,” Werba said. This in addition to being fired from substitute teaching at that school.

The explanation she gives for her behaviors here could well stand in for every situation in the book: “I was rigid and inflexible when confronted with this dilemma and I could not see any nuanced resolution to my problem.” This is, in a nutshell, how people with Autism Level 1 deal with the world.

In uncovering the roots of her “rigid and inflexible” nature, Werba highlights the surprising connection between autism and religion. She partly attributes her early lack of proper diagnosis to living in a conservative Anabaptist community and the black-and-white thinking this engendered. “My one-minded obsessive thinking could be interpreted as religious fervor,” she writes, observing that people with autism are prone to being drawn towards fundamentalism, “and even cults.”

Werba does not go into much detail about her years in a fundamentalist religious community or her abusive marriage, events she has previously recorded in When Adoption Fails and Warning Signs of Abuse. While this would no doubt make for more fascinating reading, she stays focused on the topic of neurodivergence and only relates life events directly relevant to her autism.

A chapter that describes being wrongly classified as having bipolar disorder goes into the horrors of misdiagnosis. During a particularly difficult time when the responsibilities of life were overwhelming her, Werba’s psychiatrists placed her on a bevy of medications she shouldn’t have been on. She was largely bedridden for five years.

Werba remained misdiagnosed for three decades, into her early fifties. Eventually it was a relative, not a medical professional, who first noticed that Werba was probably not bipolar. After reading about autism in a psych 101 textbook, her daughter-in-law told her son, “this sounds like your mom.”

“Bulls**t,” said Theresa when her son brought it up. “I am bipolar with anxiety. I don’t have autism.”

She slowly came around to the idea, though, and “welled with tears” when receiving the results of her 2015 autism assessment. “I was glad and sad at the same time,” she writes.

The book ends on an inspiring note. Since being properly diagnosed, she has been living her best life: tracking down her Jewish biological father, studying Hebrew and exploring Judaism, publishing numerous books of poetry, and living independently.

Finally Autistic is good source for professionals researching this area. More generally, it is useful for anyone seeking to understand people with this diagnosis. Above all, it is a window into the mind of a great artist.

Andrew Benson Brown is Arts Columnist at The Epoch Times and author of Legends of Liberty.

Theresa Werba the author of eight books, four in poetry, including What Was and Is: Formal Poetry and Free Verse (Bardsinger Books, 2024). Her website is theresawerba.com and she can be found on social media @thesonnetqueen. She is frequently reviewed and reviews of her books appear often on this The New Book Review blog. She also frequently shares reviews of others’ books here have published several reviews of my books before in addition to books I have reviewed.

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog

GREAT REVIEW FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING – Banish the Butterflies by JanHurst-Nicholson

noreply@blogger.com (Lois W. Stern) — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 04:56:00 -0700

TITLE OF YOUR BOOK: PUBLIC SPEAKING – Banish the Butterflies

AUTHOR OF BOOK's NAME: Jan Hurst-Nicholson

AUTHOR'S EMAIL ADDRESS jannev@mweb.co.za

AUTHOR'S FAVORITE LINKS: https://just4kix.jimdofree.com/

ADD THIS ASSURANCE TO SATISFY COPYRIGHT LAW:

_X_ Yes, I have received permission from the reviewer to reprint their review in its entirety.

REVIEWER’S BYLINE: (Karen Siddall, public speaker, originally reviewed on Amazon.com )

INCLUDE THE REVIEW ITSELF, of course!

5.0 out of 5 stars

MUST-READ FOR NEW PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND RENEWING FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR AWHILE

REVIEWED in the United States on Amazon.com

As a career public speaker, I can say that this book was an awesome little breath of inspiration and renewal. Good, common-sensical tips are presented in a practical way. Very helpful and refreshing and full of good ideas that I wish I’d had when I was just starting out. I especially enjoyed the asides of actual experiences “on the road.” I recommend this book especially to those that find themselves having to speak up and speak out at public gatherings of any kind! There is even a section regarding being chosen to say grace before a public meal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR WHOSE BOOK IS BEING REVIEWED:

Jan Hurst-Nicholson began her writing career over 40 years ago by penning “Letters to the Editor” (a good exercise in brevity, and winning letters can pay handsomely). She then went on to write magazine articles, short stories, humour, children’s and teen books, a variety of novels and non-fiction. After winning her first writing award 35 years ago and begging the MC not to ask her to give an acceptance speech she realised she needed to join a public speaking club. This gave her the self-confidence to promote her books by speaking at libraries, schools, clubs and various events (writers can become minor celebrities in their community) and she went on to become an educator in public speaking. In this book Jan shares her experiences as a public speaker hoping to encourage others to learn this life-changing skill. She has also added some fun anecdotal stories from other speakers about the pitfalls and pratfalls they encountered. Jan originally lived in the UK but now resides in a retirement village in South Africa, where she finds plenty of ideas for another novel. Learn more about Jan’s writing on her website https://just4kix.jimdofree.com/

REVIEWER'S TWITTER MONIKER: https://twitter.com/just4kixbooks

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