Tag: writers

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Hierarchy of Needs: The Sculptor Series Book II by Christa Wojciechowski

Title: Hierarchy of Needs: Sculptor Series Part II
Author: Christa Wojciechowski
Publisher: Christa Wojciechowski
Published: November 15, 2022
Page: 339

Part two of this wildly psychological series on the strength and depths of addiction continues Ona Price’s journey. She returns to the seedy underbelly of the drug scene due to the tragic event that closed book one. Her methadone will soon wear off while confined to the Plaza Hotel with Antoni, Oz, and Dr. Carver if she doesn’t do something fast. As the withdrawal symptoms take over, Ona fears everyone becoming aware of her addiction. She can’t have that and thus sneaks out of the hotel to meet Jojo, who will give her the much-needed dose to tide her over.

A woman who once celebrated Sonia Orlyk’s birthday gliding through her opulent house in a stunning gown soon finds herself hiding out at an apartment in Alphabet City with a group of Puerto Rican drug dealers. She currently shares a residence with four men—Jojo, Fatty, Lobo, Decoy—and Lobo’s mother who prepares the meals. Dazed most days and sleeping until eleven a.m., Ona returns to her toxic schedule.

Now Antoni is combing the streets of Manhattan in search of her.

We get a deeper glimpse into the internal darkness of drug usage from Ona’s and the other characters’ perspectives in book two, which is much more action-packed. Mr. Orlyk is also unhappy about what happened to his wife and intends to exact the most heinous retribution.

However, even though Ona’s circumstances are worse, it is refreshing to observe her in a world apart from the time she spends with Aunt Vee, the methadone clinic, the sculptor, and his estate.

Ona battles her addiction in Oblivion Black from a position of contentment. She believes she is cleaner than she actually is because of the methadone. She is enjoying her job, driving Aunt Vee’s lovely car, and developing feelings for Antoni. She is on the verge of becoming one of the “normies,” or non-drug users, and everything is flowing.

While this might seem like a good thing, it is the challenges we face that develop our character. So, Ona might have been doing well on the surface, but underneath, she was not really facing her addiction.

In Hierarchy of Needs, Ona is forced to confront both her own and other people’s demons when she descends to the bottom and must use all of her might to claw her way to the top. As the stakes rise and the threats multiply, more interesting characters are introduced.

While book two picks off where book one leaves (and it would be better to have read book one), book two is also a journey in itself. And while Ona and Antoni’s romance takes on a lesser role, I liked it because it highlighted the darkness that readers of dark literature may have been hoping for in the first book, which for most of the story, reads like a romance novel.

Once again, the author does a fantastic job illustrating withdrawal and the filthiness of life with addiction. It is poetic the way she weaves Ona’s words together.

“But if I accepted it as my god, if it was a sacrament to give and take of pleasure and pain, doing it would be an offering and getting sick would be sacrifice, and overdose martyrdom. Dealing would be the job of a missionary, to teach the ritual and spread its dichotomic communion. It was a way to worship any god.”

– Ona Price, Hierarchy of Needs

You’ll get chills down your spine and goosebumps on your skin after learning what happens to people who become addicted to the Russian Sleep Experiment.

It. is. wild.

Much of the specifics of book two are predicated on what happened at the end of book one, so I have to leave it here to not spoil it for you. But, if you liked book one, you haven’t seen anything yet. The second book is a wild ride.

(You can read my review for book one here!)

But it’s not over. Christa’s got a part three on the way!

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Ratings:

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

Grab Part 2 from Amazon Here.

HierarchyOfNeeds_FrontFINAL

To have your book reviewed on this blog apply here. The registry is open for a limited time.

Stay tuned for our next dope read!

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Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews is a reputable review service that features writers from all over the world, both traditionally and independently published. We are listed on Kindlepreneur as a top-tier book review blog and Reedsy as one of their vetted active book blogs that provide insightful, excellent book reviews.

*Books are read in the order they are received. Be sure to check the queue before booking.

 

Author Vending: Things to Consider Part I: Audience

I’ve been vending at events since 2018 when the owner of A Cappella Books refused to stock my self-published book and instead told me to get my name out there. He explained how hard it would be for me to sell my book in-store when no one knew who I was.

I wasn’t offended but encouraged, and I have since attended many events as a vendor to put myself out there. From his advice, I have also since been stocked in four stores in the Georgia area (Marietta, Morrow, Atlanta).

There is a message in this to revisit later, but for now, let’s talk about author vending.

Atlanta Decatur Book Festival

For independent authors, taking part in an event as a vendor can be lucrative (and I don’t just mean this financially). Utilizing the platform of another person will help you promote your books and business to a wider audience.

However, if we are not careful, it can also be an overly expensive and frustrating experience.

In this series, I share some of my experiences as an author vendor and some things to watch out for. In part one, I want to talk about the importance of the audience.

Audience

Author vending is not just about making money. It is also an opportunity to get in the room and build with others of like mind. But the ability to sell your books or services is still crucial.

You will have a harder time selling books if the event has little to nothing to do with books or your industry.

If you are vending at a conference or organization that is not conducive to people being able to walk around and network, this can also hinder you from making sales.

For example, in 2019, I attended MogulCon as a vendor. The event was nice but not a good place for author vendors. The tables were small, and the space was narrow. It was fitting for a business-type conference but not for my books, author swag, and large banner.

This was awkward. I didn’t know the set-up was going to be this way. I didn’t do my homework.

MogulCon was okay, but from an author vending perspective, it was a waste of money.

If I had known, I could have made it work by leaving the banner at home and bringing a briefcase instead.

Do Your Homework

When deciding to vend, understand what kind of event it is and the audience you will serve. Also, consider what kind of crowd you are looking at. You want to make sure there are enough people to network with and possibly make some money (or at least make your vending fee back.) And because the organization will likely not tell you your business isn’t a good fit, this is homework you will have to do yourself.

Crowd size is included in this. Does the event even have enough attendees for you to make a pitch, or is the host merely looking to maximize their profit from the few vendors they are able to bring in?

This is good practice for speaking engagements as well. Once, I was asked to speak at an event and prepared what I would say. But when I showed up, there were a lot of children. The host had not mentioned it was family-themed, and I had not intended to speak to kids. It could have been better organized, but I could have also done my homework on the host.

Events where you can engage with people are a plus!

So what kind of event is fitting for authors?

It depends on what your goal is for attending said event, but I believe that book festivals and conferences—that focus on books and literature—are the best because you won’t have to compete with the lady over there selling shea butter.

You can also target events that center around the theme of your book. Although many businesses were vending at the poetry life fest, it was appropriate for me to go because I write poetry. And to be true to my brand, I exclusively highlighted my poetry books. I only brought the books that were on topic.

Unlike MogulCon, the Poet Life Fest was best suited for my brand. My girl here is even matching the banner, ha!

Nowadays, there are a lot of requests for vendors because the income from the vending fee helps the organization pay for other expenses. When signing up, be strategic and intentional about who you work with.

It’s about being discerning and allowing that spiritual compass to lead you to the places you are ordained to be.

In part two, we’ll discuss the financial side of author vending and how to decide whether it’s worthwhile because the fees can be very expensive.

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Oblivion Black: The Sculptor Book 1 by Christa Wojciechowski

Title: Oblivion Black
Author: Christa Wojciechowski
Publisher: Christa Wojciechowski
Published: August 8, 2022
Page: 387

In this psychological romance, Ona Price nearly dies from a heroin overdose on the streets of Manhattan. As she shoots up in a McDonald’s where she and her Puerto Rican friend Jojo purchased the narcotics, this art school dropout almost kills herself. Fearful of losing her daughter to addiction, Ona’s mom Donna determines she should live with her aunt Vivian or aunt Vee in New Hope.

Ona is required to go there and attend weekly NA meetings in addition to taking daily dosages of the drug methadone to deal with the withdrawals. She gets into a flow but eventually finds her new life and routine mundane, so she looks for work. On her first attempt, she gets hired as the assistant to renowned Russian artist Antoni Azarov, also known as The Hands of God.

Immediately I sensed something was amiss. She got the job too easily, and there is something off about the boss. Azarov appears distant, arrogant, and unkind. A magnificent artist, he fashions clay into the bodies of beautiful women from the models sitting naked before him, creating a gorgeous statue. But, while Ona doesn’t like him at first, his coldness melts as the two soften to one another over cigarette breaks, and she becomes accustomed to working with him and Oz, the Black man who hired her and is like a father to Azarov. The physical link is evident between Antoni and Ona as she cuddles up against him on the back of his Ducati and sips bottles of wine at his affluent house, where she would spend many nights.

Yet, despite the growing tension, Antoni won’t touch her, and when she tries to touch him, he flings her across the room like a rag doll.

Either the man is gay or otherworldly.

This is the third book I’ve read from this author, and it is another psychological masterpiece. As someone who grew up around addicts, I can say the way Christa brings us into the world of addiction is strikingly accurate, from withdrawal symptoms to what addicts are willing to do for another hit. I also adored how diverse this novel is. Even though the author is not Black, she accurately captures the characteristics of the Puerto Rican youngster Jojo and the elder Black man Oz. Their identities didn’t come across as contrived or overly dramatic.

Speaking of characters, there is also the wealthy Panamanian from El Chorrillo. I enjoyed snobbish Sonia’s edge. Sure, she’s a harlot, but her story and character have depth. In my mind’s eye, she appears to be a real person with a past that has shaped who she is today. This story really starts to take off when she enters the picture. This wealthy wife purchases Antoni’s sculpture of Ona for ten million dollars. Determined to have The Hands of God put his hands on her body, Mrs. Sonia Orlyk is more than willing to pose naked in front of the extraordinary man in full glory.

Mr. Orlyk is a wealthy drunk his wife is no longer interested in.

But Sonia’s lust and seduction with Antoni Azarov go too far. Despite the fact that he is a brilliant artist, the tragedy that has characterized his life is beyond his control. Now Ona is about to be swept up in her boss’s drama while fighting her own demons. The dealer outside the clinic and Jojo, who is out of jail but back on drugs and wants to see her, are just two examples of the dangers of relapse lurking around every corner. She is already skipping meetings.

This book is not as dark as I thought it would be based on the description and cover, but the message is deep and layered. It is about the worst kind of darkness, the internal kind we cannot always see in others and even ourselves. It is what happens when our childhood traumas, unhealed and unchecked, follow us into adulthood. It is the study of the human mind and its addiction to drugs, lust, love, fame, and even art.

“Lovesickness. It was worse than dopesickness. Antoni was more dangerous than heroin.” – Ona Price

-Christa Wojciechowski

Oblivion Black is a lengthy read, but you won’t be able to put it down or forget about the characters.

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

Grab It From Amazon Here.

OblivionBlack_Front2

To have your book reviewed on this blog apply here. The registry is open for a limited time.

Stay tuned for our next dope read, part two in the Sculptor series.

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews is a reputable review service that features writers from all over the world, both traditionally and independently published. We are listed on Kindlepreneur as a top-tier book review blog and Reedsy as one of their vetted active book blogs that provide insightful, excellent book reviews.

*Books are read in the order they are received.

 

Remember to Back Up Your Content!

Photo by Anna Pou

I logged into my WordPress dashboard this morning, and my last 5-6 posts were gone, including paid book reviews.

Can you hear my heart breaking?

Thankfully, after about thirty minutes, they showed up!

My face after deleting my tweets cause I thought the links were dead.
Photo by MART PRODUCTION

Too bad I had already deleted the tweets to what I thought were now dead links. Way to go, Yecheilyah.

A glitch, maybe, but the scare was real!

Chile, I almost cried.

Then I put my big girl panties on and understood today’s message.

ALWAYS back up your content!

Make sure your photographs, graphics, videos, and articles are stored in a folder on your computer or on a USB drive. Before composing your posts in WordPress, it’s simpler to write them in a Word document (or whichever program you prefer) and save them to your computer.

Never depend on ONE social platform to reach your audience

I have never been a fan of putting all my eggs in one basket, and this experience reemphasized the importance. I am all for monogamy, but cheating on your other social media profiles with a backup plan is okay, lol.

It is not a smart idea to rely only on one platform, whether we’re talking about Instagram bugs or if US companies and content creators will no longer be able to use TiKTok. (Are you following the case with them? Back those videos up!)

Keep your options open and stay as informed of all the developments as you can. Even if we disagree with AI, for instance, it would be a bad idea to ignore how it is affecting the book publishing industry and how authors and publishers create and distribute their works.

Email is still useful

If these social media apps change their policies, having an email list can let you stay in touch with your customers, business partners, and author friends. Twitter and Instagram have already started using paid verified badges. Even further, Twitter claims that those who earned their blue checks will soon have to pay to keep them.

Wait, what??
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk

It is not farfetched to say that we might one day have to pay to use these apps. If that’s not your flavor, you will want to maintain contact with your people somehow.

Blogs are great alternatives to email lists since subscribing to someone’s blog mean you get an email for every update anyway.

If you simply use your blog, however, always refer back to point one and backup your blog content.

After all, we don’t own WordPress either.

Interested in joining my email list for updates you won’t get here or anywhere else?

Click Here!

If you only want updates on poetry contests, be sure to check poetry contest updates only when you get to the form!

Hang in there guys! Chat soon.

Baby Steps Still Move Us Forward

Photo by Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas

I am proud of myself for making it through this week. Since returning from Chicago, I have felt jet lagged because of the time change and have experienced some pain.

For those who don’t know, I live with a steel plate in my right thigh from being hit by a car when I was ten. Occasionally, it causes pain with the weather changes. No worries. It’s not as intense as it used to be. At least now I can predict when it will rain—little ole me, a superhero this whole time.

But as much as I wanted to stay in bed all yesterday, I got my butt up, put something on my stomach, and took my vitamins. I didn’t have it to do my walk so I finished reading a book.

Not only did I finish the book, but I wrote and drafted the review that I am scheduling for next week. (Ya’ll are gonna like this one!)

Next, I edited a video of a podcast I did weeks ago and posted a reel to one of my Instagram pages. I also drafted a post for my second page and drafted this blog post.

After responding to some emails and checking on some clients I closed my laptop, showered, and snuggled up with hubby for a movie.

Moral.

Just because you didn’t do everything on your to-do list or work yourself into an early grave does not mean you are not being productive. All those little things add up.

I fully intended on taking the day off. Instead, I just took baby steps.

Because baby steps still move us forward.

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Born this Way by Tammy Ferebee

Title: Born this Way
Author: Tammy Ferebee
Publisher: Tammy Ferebee
Published: January 11, 2018
Page: 135

Young, Black, and gay, Joseph feels rejected by his father, the local pastor of the small, southern town in Tammy Ferebee’s novel Born This Way. Joseph struggles with his self-esteem and worth as he faces judgment from his community after being manipulated into a scandalous relationship with an older white man, Bruce.

Joseph’s father wants nothing to do with him, and his mother is silent, choosing to support her husband. While residing with his aunt, the boy feels alone and battles despair, and abandonment. In light of this, he explores Craigslist and comes across Bruce, a man who serves as both a lover and a father figure.

Bruce uses his cleverness to slither into Joseph’s mind by telling him how wonderful he is and how much he is cherished and adored. Above Joseph’s head, the recognizable red flags flitted about like kites. The boy’s naivete is evident as this superb manipulator and pervert woo him. Bruce is a 56-year-old white man with no business flirting with young Joseph, but the boy’s sense of abandonment from his own family is blinding. For Joseph, Bruce is his first boyfriend.

This is a sad story with heavy topics. For this, I appreciated the light Nikki, Joseph’s best friend, brought to the table. She gave him positive words he could use to boost his self-esteem, told him the truth without sugarcoating, and gave him a safe space to vent. Nikki also makes an appearance in Still Black and befriends Malachi. 

Interested readers should read Born this Way before Still Black since it has a twist that is disclosed in this book’s ending.

Ratings:

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

Grab It From Amazon Here.

To have your book reviewed on this blog apply here. The registry is open for a limited time.

Stay tuned for our next dope read. Dark fiction fans hold onto your seats!

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews is a reputable review service that features writers from all over the world, both traditionally and independently published. We are listed on Kindlepreneur as a top-tier book review blog and Reedsy as one of their vetted active book blogs that provide insightful, excellent book reviews.

*Books are read in the order they are received.

 

Avoiding Plagiarism

There is a reason why you cannot edit your own book, even if you are an editor. This is because quality editing involves more than fixing spelling and grammar mistakes.

These days, there’s an AI for that.

Professional editors also help you to avoid plagiarism.

Plagiarism – to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own : use (another’s production) without crediting the source; to commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.

Most people don’t purposefully copy others works. They do not intend to use another person’s ideas or words as their own.

But this is exactly what occurs without mentioning the source of your material.

You are in danger of plagiarism anytime you present an idea, words, or quotes you got from someone else without citing them.

Suppose your work becomes popular—what we all hope for—and someone discovers that you have purposefully or carelessly used their words without their consent or crediting them. In that case, you could be subject to legal action, ruining your image as a writer.

A professional editor protects against this by noting where a citation is needed in your work.

On social media, this frequently occurs and without repercussion. However, if you do this in your book and then publish it, you can suffer grave consequences.

Solutions

  • Use end notes or footnotes to guide the reader to the back of the book, where you would have a notes section. In this notes section are your sources.
  • Remember that some sources require you to get permission before you print them. If you cannot get permission, consider removing the source altogether.
  • Also remember that nonfiction books intended to teach are not about personal opinion. It is about facts, proving and supporting those facts.

Just because self-publishing makes book publication quicker than traditional publishing, it does not absolve the self-publisher from the penalties associated with committing such literary violations.

Be sure to employ a qualified editor to prevent you from publishing a work rife with typographical, grammatical, and plagiarism errors.

Check Out More Indie Author Basics Here

Indie Author Basics streamlines and simplifies self-publishing so you can publish high-quality books without pulling out your hair.