Tag: reviews

The Hard Truth About Publishing—What Writers & Readers NEED to Know

OK, last reblog of the day lol. Most informative post. Quote: “But these days reviews are more important than ever. I am not going to put in a one or two star and tank the author’s overall ranking because fiction is subjective. That author just cannot please everyone.”

Author Kristen Lamb's avatarKristen Lamb's Blog

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As we careen toward the New Year, many emerging writers have a goal to finally publish that novel and I hope you do! But the arts are kind of strange. We often get fixated on the creative side, without really understanding the business side of our business.

The publishing world is still in massive upheaval and it is a Digital Wild West. Old rules are falling away and new ones are emerging, but still? Knowledge is power.

In my book Rise of the Machines—Human Authors in a Digital World, I go into a LOT more detail and I highly recommend you get a copy if you don’t have one. I spend the first chapters of the book explaining how the various forms of publishing work so you can make an educated decision as you are building your brand.

All types of publishing have corresponding strengths and weaknesses and this is…

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Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Give into the Feeling by Sarah Zama

Title: Give into the Feeling

Author: Sarah Zama

Publisher: Sarah Zama

Publication date: 03/04/2016

Published: March 04, 2016

Words: 20,030

Language: English

ISBN: 9781310502927

My first time reading dieselpunk, Give into the Feeling is a Paranormal Romance, dieselpunk novella. We start off meeting Susie, a Chinese American who moved to the United States and is a dancer at a Chicago Speakeasy in the 1920s. When Blood and his brother Michael enter the place and that peculiar feather-brushing sensation overwhelms her, Susie stares toward the black man entering with the long black curly hair passed his shoulders. Except, Susie is already with Simon, the man with the dark lurking shadow following him.

Simon is with Susie, and no one will take her away from him. After all, he’d given her beautiful things, lovely dresses, and exciting nightlife. Still, Simon couldn’t make her body or mind feel as comfortable as when she was with this stranger. And was it any coincidence she was attracted to the man whose name was the color of the dress she wore that night? Was it any coincidence that blood couldn’t take his eyes off the woman in red?

This was a well-written story, and I thoroughly enjoyed the symbolism, the description of the speakeasy, and the attention to detail, especially how Susie was feeling. The emotional intensity and tension between her and Blood was hot.

I enjoyed reading about Susie’s internal struggle between Blood and Simon. How she struggled to deny herself the crush, she had on him for the sake of Simon. It was authentic how she brushed off her feelings for Blood and tried to convince herself she wasn’t attracted to him. This went along well with the hint of something more sinister taking place simultaneously; Simon’s jealousy contrasted against who he truly is.

Ratings:

Plot Movement / Strength: 4/5

Entertainment Factor: 4/5

Characterization: 5/5

Authenticity / Believable: 4/5

Thought Provoking: 5/5

Overall Rating: 4 / 5

Give into the Feeling is available at the following locations online:

BUY IT!

Smashwords | Barnes&Nobles | Kobo | iBookStore

Goodreads

The book is not currently on Amazon but is available for Kindle via Smashwords

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Be sure to follow this author online!

Blog: www.theoldshelter.com
Website: https://sarahzama.theoldshelter.com/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/JazzFeathers
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jazzfeathers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jazzfeathers/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Theoldshelterdieselpunk
Pinterest: https://it.pinterest.com/jazzfeathers/

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Stay tuned for next week’s awesome author!

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – House of the Hanging Jade by Amy M. Reade

Title: House of The Hanging Jade

Author: Amy M. Reade

Print Length: 246 pages

Publisher: Lyrical Underground (April 26, 2016)

Publication Date: April 26, 2016

Sold by: Penguin Random House Publisher Services

Language: English

ASIN: B0138NHCMO

Not willing to cope with Washington’s brutal winters, Kailani breaks up with restaurant owner Geoffrey and leaves her job to return home, returning to the warm weather and beauty of Hawaii, black sand, and the curling waves of the Pacific Ocean. In preparation to return, Kailani searches for employment and secures a position as personal chef to Lars Jorgensen, owner of Kaimana Surf Company, and his wife, Dr. Barbara Merriweather, on the West Coast of the Big Island in the district of North Kohala.

When she arrives, the Jorgensen’s house is beautiful, and this sous-chef is ill-prepared for what awaits beyond the lush tropical gardens of palm trees, midnight jasmine, red ginger, and pergola laden with hanging Jade. As Kailani settles in, a series of events begin to unfold that question the stability of the Jorgensen household. First, Lars and Barbie don’t seem to like each other much, which could have something to do with Barbie’s roaming eye.

When Barbie asks Kailani to make more nutritious meals to reduce her family’s craving for junk food, the kids dislike Kailani’s healthy cooking. Nevertheless, this is not the full scope of Kailani’s issues. As Geoffrey relocates to Hawaii to be with her, things start to become strange, and a body is discovered on the Jorgensens’ property.

I liked reading about the kinds of meals Kailani would make for the family because she is a chef, especially as she started to get inventive to convince the kids to eat healthily. I got a sense of Hawaiian culture through it.

I also like how the plot focuses on this one family. That gives the story a TV show feel, which I like. Whenever I put my Kindle down, I think about what I will read in tomorrow’s House of the Hanging episode. The Jorgensen’s are off the chain.

What’s really going on in the house with the hanging Jade?

Ratings:
Plot Movement / Strength: 4/5
Entertainment Factor: 4/5
Characterization: 5/5
Authenticity / Believable: 4/5
Thought Provoking: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4 / 5 stars

House of the Hanging Jade is available  now on Amazon!

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Be sure to contact this Best Selling Author at the links below!

Amy can be found online at the following places:

Website: www.amymreade.com

Blog: www.amreade.wordpress.com

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/8189243.Amy_M_Reade

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Amy-M.-Reade/e/B00LX6ASF2/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/AmyMReadesGothicFictionFans/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/readeandwrite

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/amreade

Instagram: www.instagram.com/amymreade

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Refocusing – Book Production Updates

refocusing

Morning!

You may have noticed I’ve been posting less frequently this past couple of weeks. I’d admit. I’ve been so into research of the industry that I’ve lost focus a bit on how I do things. So concerned about how it’s done that I’ve neglected my way of getting it done. You’ve been off focus Yecheilyah (Yes, I talk to myself, doesn’t everyone?) Now that I’ve disciplined myself, it’s time to refocus.

So, here’s what’s going on guys.

As you all know I’m writing a two-part novel series and I am approaching that six-month pre-release time. My hope is to launch Book One of The Nora White Story between June and July of next year. Though I haven’t decided on a date, I am putting together a plan that will help me to focus on execution. My husband says I suck at multi-tasking which takes someone who knows me well to see considering the load I carry.

The truth is I can only get away with doing so much due to maintaining a level of balance and by balance I mean deadlines and dedication. For instance, I host an online radio show every Thursday evening with a queue sheet that needs to be sent to my panel no later than Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning at the latest. These are deadlines I’ve given myself. That’s because I know myself and how much I need deadlines to keep me focused and as the excitement of another book release begins to creep in, I’ll be shifting my efforts to ensure everything is in its proper place.

I’ll admit something else too. I don’t like to reveal too much of what I’m doing during the writing and publishing process! At least not until I’ve met a certain goal. The reason is because I believe there are forces out there that are against us just as there are forces that are for us. I do not then think it is wise to reveal your plans or at least not everything that you’re doing. As I am refocusing I’ve noticed that my level of discretion is in need of a tune up so I won’t be divulging every detail but I will let you in on a little something-something!

  • Return on Time

The first thing I am focusing on is time management and ROT. We’ve all heard of Return on Investment. A high ROI means you receive a gain that is well worth the investment. Taking the ROI understanding and applying it to time, although I cannot foresee the details of the future I can take advantage of the time I am given in each day to dedicate toward some of the production work for this book. What I want to implement is practical tactics and execution that will produce a valuable gain from having put in the work, such as the completion of my work by the deadlines I set forth.

As of now, I’m thinking about things I can do to increase interest in the book (that I’ll implement later) that won’t be just a waste of time and resources. I truly believe hard work pays off and let’s just say it’s time to grind! Once I settle on a release date and announce that date, I do not intend on changing it, and if I manage my time right, I shouldn’t have to.

Speaking of release dates, I have my first real update for you!

December 2016

  • Book Launch Date
  • Book Cover Release
  • Matching Social Media Banners
  • Blurb

This is all tentative but if everything falls into place I’ll have a book cover and blurb to promote as early as December to accompany the decided launch date for next year. I’ve chosen to do this for several reasons, one of them being it’s different than how I released my other books and that’s what I love about Independent Publishing. With every book are new experiences so I love experimenting with different things. I also really want to have certain things done before I start promoting a release date. It’s important to me to have the Book Cover and blurb to go along with the date. This way the visual representation and a full idea of what the book is about will keep things exciting!

  • Guest Blog Posts and Email List

I enjoy blogging (*Waves to new subscribers, by the way!*) and consider it an important part of my work so of course, I’ll still be here but you should expect the number of posts to decline. (By decline I just mean I’ll be posting once or twice a day or every other day instead of my usual outrageous posting behavior). Instead, I intend to guest post on as many blogs as I can so I won’t be entirely out of the loop. As part of my refocus initiative, I am also dedicating time to building up and adding more value to my email list.

  • Book Reviews

Book reviews will commence. I know I’ve missed a couple weeks but I’ll have another author for you Friday. Those of you who submitted your book for a review I thank you for your patience. I’ll be reading and writing reviews as part of my refocus initiative so I should be churning them out more consistently. I do read a lot but that also includes my scripture studies (can’t neglect the word!) so I have to balance my time. If I haven’t responded to you yet no worries, I got them all and am organizing them to be read in the order in which they were received.

(P.S. I have a surprise, guess what’s coming back Friday? Black History Fun Fact Friday! Friday, I am officially bringing back this segment. Our first story is a group of beautiful women that not a lot of people know about. Their story is, well, something. You don’t want to miss it).

Amazon’s New Reviewing Rules – Could it Affect Authors in the Future?

Very interesting.

C thehappymeerkat's avatarHappymeerkatreviews

Sorry re-posting this had an error posting it, sorry if you saw that error 😮

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Today Amazon.com has banned all reviews for free and discounted products unless they are done via Amazon’s Vine program.  The reasons for this are clear and understandable but what implications will this have for future selling on amazon and while books are currently exempt from this, will they always be?

I’ve been reviewing on amazon UK for nearly two years now.  I started out reviewing video games and colouring books.  For those who have read more of my blog you’ll know that reviewing items on amazon gave me a way to cope with a traumatic event I suffered.  A way to keep my mind off of everything that had happened and to focus on something else.  I began by reviewing items I’d bought but once my ranking had reached a certain level I was approached…

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Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – SICKER by Christa Wojo.

Title: SICKER – Psychological SICK Series Book Two

Author: Christa Wojciechowski

Print Length: 107 pages

Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1533513538

Publication Date: April 13, 2016

Language: English

ASIN: B01CWGKIL0

I’m amazed that John can be even sicker in book two of Christa’s psychological thriller than in the first book. If you’re new to this blog, you can read my review of book one in this series here.

In book one, we pick up where Susan Branch left off, having just learned the truth about her husband’s ongoing ailments. Because of these circumstances, she was deprived of a fulfilling marriage and a feeling of self. These ailments compromised the most private aspect of her: her thinking. A disease brought on by a sick person robbed her of what may have been.

John’s secret is so bizarre that Susan is caught up in a wrath that consumes her and is forced to question her own sanity. As a medical professional, how could she miss so many of the signs that revealed the true nature of her husband’s illness? How could such an illness, so much more superior than physical bruises, have gone unnoticed?

Sicker focuses on the source of John’s obsession as he recounts a childhood riddled with sadness, loneliness, and trauma.

While my first impression from the first book was that he was mentally unstable, book two offers much more insight, changing my initial judgments. As crazy as this sounds, I almost feel sorry for John. This book made me think about the importance of love in our lives. The need to feel loved and be loved is critical to our operation and balanced and healthy individuals. People denied the privilege of this love become the same people we deem crazy in mental institutions. The truth is, it doesn’t matter whether you grew up with a silver spoon in your mouth or a plastic spoon; everyone everywhere at some point in their lives needs love, without which we are no longer human beings and can, therefore, be driven to do unspeakable things.

Ratings:
Plot Movement / Strength: 5/5
Entertainment Factor: 4/5
Characterization: 4/5
Authenticity / Believable: 5/5
Thought Provoking: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5 / 5 stars

SICKER is available  now!

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Be Sure to Follow Christa Online:

Blog:  http://christawojo.com/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@christawojo

Facebook: Facebook.com /WebbellaChrista 

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Need a review? Apply for one here.

Meet a Book Reviewer

Wow, I’m truly honored! Special thank you to Linda for introducing me!

Linda G. Hill's avatar

I’m writing this quick post to introduce you all to Yecheilyah Ysrayl, a book review blogger, author, and all-round nice gal here on WordPress. It’s not just because she reviewed my novelette, All Good Stories, and gave it 5 stars, I’m writing about her because she gives great (and helpful) reviews. In a market so full, it’s hard to choose what to read, isn’t it? We really need reviews these days that go beyond the minimalistic, “I liked it,” to know what we’re investing our money in. Because money doesn’t grow on trees. Neither do books anymore, for that matter. (Sorry for the cheesy joke, I’ve been watching too much Stephen Colbert.)

If you’d like to check out Yecheilyah’s reviews, you can find a great example by clicking here. (Spoiler alert: it’s mine. It’s a really fantastic review!)

And even more importantly, if you’d like her to review YOUR…

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