Guest Post – Rosie Amber on FictionZeal.com #wwwblogs @dino0726

Getting to know: ROSIE AMBER (blogger for rosieamber.wordpress.com)

Hi there!  Today I just wanted to host a guest post for another book review blogger.  Rosie Amber became my one and only blogger friend when I first started my blog.  She placed her digital arm around my digital shoulder and said ‘There, there, it will be OK.’  She’s helped me in many ways since then.  But, if you take the time to get to know Rosie, you’ll discover that is not so unusual.  She truly cares for others.  Since April 2013, after being inspired by A Year of Good Deeds written by Judith O’Reilly, she has committed herself to performing some good work each day.

Rosie’s Post:

Here on my blog I focus on book reviews and helping authors spread the word about their books. I began writing reviews of books I’d read and then I offered to review books, slowly the blog built up and I invited authors to be guests on the blog.  I post my reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. I’m lucky enough to also have two local magazines that I write monthly book reviews for, they both have on-line editions which is great for my featured authors who are spread across the world.

For the last three years I’ve taken part in the April A to Z Challenge and I blogged my way through the alphabet using books each time. It’s a great way to meet loads of new people from across the world and I have stayed friends with many of them.

During April 2013 I read Judith O’Reilly’s book A Year of Good Deeds and I decided to set my own challenge of doing a Good Deed a Day for a year. Often my deeds are as small as picking up litter, or writing a book review, but I was so thrilled when I managed a whole year that I have continued my challenge. I post weekly updates on a Sunday and I have encouraged others to follow in my footsteps which is really great.

In September 2013 I joined with Stephanie Hurt from USA and we ran a joint Romance Book Tour. Thirty authors got the chance of two posts about their book on their allotted day, stretched across the world to a wider audience. The concept worked really well and we ran a second tour in 2014. Places on the tour were snapped up in a week, we had a waiting list and people are already asking us about a 2015 tour which is fantastic.

I ran a Mystery Book tour all through last November, 30 books, 30 authors and 30 days. There were all sorts of sub-genre books taking part in the tour.

I’ve just run a Beach Read fortnight with guests telling us about the five books they’d take on vacation as well as their favourite destinations.

I really believe in the value of book reviews helping to sell books as we move more and more into buying books online. In June 2014 I ran a book review challenge for a week with posts giving advice on book reviews, guest book reviewers, authors and a publisher all talking about the need for more written book reviews. I had authors offer free copies of their book and challengers were invited to read the book and try writing a review. It went down so well that on the back of this I set up a book review team. This is a no pressure team who review books they choose around their busy lives. They commit to reading and reviewing a book within a reasonable time and we posts reviews to a minimum of two sites plus I get a copy of all reviews to go on my own blog. That way authors get access to several reviewers at once and can get some good feedback on their book. We publish all reviews, many bloggers feel pressured to only post 5* reviews, my policy can lead to disgruntled authors, but hey we’re here to show we are readers with our own opinions.

I love blogging and offer a busy blog for people who love books in all sorts of genres. I’m passionate about reading and I’m always recommending books to others or passing on copies of books I’ve read. Plus I’m happy to get other people who love reading involved with my book review team.

Rosie – I thank you for allowing FictionZeal to host you and your blog today.  You have a wonderful blog and always keep it new with unique and fresh ideas.  

My questions to Rosie:

First, would you provide a link to a few of your most favourite books as featured on your blog?  Tell us why you loved them so much.

Swamp Ghosts – Marcia Meara (Romantic Suspense) http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-7Qf

Florida beauty and dangerous animals mixed with a serial killer with time for a bit of romance.

 

Back Behind Enemy Lines – Chris Bridge (Historical WW2 fiction) http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-6GA

A WW2 secret agent now faces a war against her family in the book split into two time eras.

 

Walking On The Edge – Zee Monodee (Romantic Suspense) http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-6tL

A woman with amnesia starts to recall her past, but first she must escape those who are keeping her captive.

 

I Listened To my Heart – Rosemary Gallagher (Spiritual Romance) http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-6h6

Angels and spirit guides feature in this search for a soul mate.

 

The Parrot Told Me – Rachel Rawlings (Murder Mystery) http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-64Y

Great mystery, where it’s the talking parrot who can tell who the murderer really was. Had me hooked from the start.

 

A Place In The World – Cinda MacKinnon (Contemporary S. American setting) http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5VC

A coffee finca in the cloud forests of Colombia are the setting for this tale about discovery and survival.

 

Craving – Sophia Grey (NA psychic romance) http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5TR

A sexy leather jacket wearing young psychic gets involved with chasing away the evil.

 

Backpacks and Bra Straps  – Savannah Grace (Travel) http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5Qu

Second travel book about a Canadian family who sold up and went backpacking around the world, very good.

 

The Soul and the Seed – Arie Farnham (YA fantasy thriller) http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5Hy

Scary storyline about testing teenagers and experimenting on them to extreme lengths.

 

A Woman’s Choice – Annie Thomas (Historical Fiction) http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5di

The turn of the 20th century and one young lady steps foot on America to make a better life for her and her mother. I liked all the historical details.

As a reviewer, what does the rating scale mean to you?  Do you ever review books on your blog that are 2 stars or under?  Do you finish everything you start or have you DNF (did not finish) any?

I keep to the 1-5* rating. I don’t do any 4.5 or 3.2 stars, and I post the same star rating on Goodreads and Amazon. So within a 4* rating I’ll have books which just made it past a 3* and books which weren’t quite perfect for me. I’ll try to make the rest of my written review show how much I liked a book or what I felt didn’t quite work.

If I have a review which will go below 2* from an author who has asked me to review their work, I’ll go back to them with an appraisal of their book, it may have massive editing errors, or be very unrealistic with characters doing impossible things, even fantasy has to be believable. Some of my appraisals are for books I could not finish but I’ll try to read at least 20% before I give up. I think this type of approach is more helpful to an author than silently posting a 2* with barely a review, it doesn’t give them a chance to see where they need to improve.

If one of your favourite authors added you as a character to one of their books, how would you like to be portrayed? 

Whenever I see a character called Rosie in a book I get a shiver and love seeing how these Rosie’s develop in their storylines. If I was a book character I would like to be in a book about self-discovery as fun, carefree and a good friend. I’d have my eyes wide open to the opportunities life experiences offer without the restrictions of the modern world. I’d enjoy being in a storyline about finding  or digging into my past lives, I’m a believer that we’ve all been on this earth before and that each time we return it’s to learn something new or sort out some bad Karma. I’d want my characters to travel to places which connect to those past lives, I have a yearning for Ireland, Africa and more of North America/ Canada (The wilder parts). My journey would begin with some past life regression work, deep meditation training (I’m enjoying reading about meditation at the moment and trying to put it to practise) and move on to just what I can do to make this a better place to live.

If you could have an author from the past write one more book, who would it be?  What would be the genre of the book?

I’d like Maeve Binchy to write another of her Irish family dramas, I grew up reading much of her work, there were lessons within her writing which were good to be guided by.  Contemporary drama.

I know blogging can be both rewarding and challenging.  What are the greatest rewards for you, and what are your biggest challenges?

Rewarding: Meeting lots of lovely people, giving something back in life – if I can help spread the word about books, writing and useful tips to others then that’s a great payback for all the books I get to read.

Challenging: At first it was finding interesting topics to fill my blog, and developing useful feedback in a book review, my first review post was only a couple of lines and barely said anything useful to other readers. Now I make notes as I read so I can write a better review at the end of a book. My main challenges now are firstly dealing with authors who disagree with my review, some forget we all read a book differently and see and like different things. Some authors get so close to their work that they struggle to accept any idea that the book could be improved, they let their ego get in the way of developing their craft.

Secondly my challenge is with fitting in all the admin needed to run a review blog, a review team and finding the time to visit and share other bloggers posts/ tweets etc plus juggle this with a part time job and full time mother/ friend and housewife in my everyday life.

 

If you are not familiar with Rosie Amber’s blog, I encourage you to spend a bit of time there.  It’s awesome!

Re-blogged from Diane Coto at FictionZeal.com

Beach Reads Blog Tour 2015 Day 6 #BeachBooks @dino0726

It’s Day 6 of our Beach Reads Book Tour and today my guest is book reviewer Diane Coto from FictionZeal.com

FictionZeal’s ‘Summer Beach Reads’ Suggestions:

Some people like to travel to the mountains for a holiday, and I can understand why. In the heat, the trees often provide some much appreciated shade. However, I’m a beach goer. The ocean water totally relaxes me and if I have a book along … well, it really adds a whole other dimension to relaxing and enjoying the beach. I love sitting on the balcony with a book, feeling the ocean breeze; hearing the gulls and the ocean waves and families chattering below … it’s about as close to heaven as I can imagine while here on earth.

My preferred beach is Myrtle Beach, SC. It only takes about 2.5 hours to get there from our home. The beach is beautiful and kept-up very well. I’ve listed five books that I have thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend no matter where you choose to spend your summer vacation.

Mercy’s Rain by Cindy K. Sproles –

I read this only a few weeks ago. Set in the mountains of Tennessee in 1897, it is the story of Mercy Roller who had been abused by her father who was also the pastor of Wadalow Mountain. It’s her story of taking part in the killing of her father and being sent away by her mother. After traveling for a few days, she finds another pastor she calls ‘Preacher’. Why should she think he would be any better than her father? Once she gives herself a chance to get to know him, she finds out he is quite different. Link to full review on FictionZeal.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Reluctant Midwife (A Hope River Novel) by Patricia Harman –

This is also a historical fiction novel set in 1934 in the midst of the Great Depression. As the book begins, Nurse Becky Myers is driving from Percyville, VA to WV; Dr. Isaac Blum is her passenger. They are relocating as there is no work to be found. She is taking care of Dr. Blum who is catatonic, not having said anything since his wife’s death a year before. They begin to rebuild in Hope River, both taking help as well as giving it. It was a dire time in America and people had little choice but to pull together and assist each other in order to just have enough food to eat. Link to full review on FictionZeal.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio –

Another historical fiction but with a twist. One story is about Vera Ray in 1933. An alternate story is about Claire Aldridge in current day. The setting is Seattle in early May in which there is an unusual snowstorm pattern nicknamed Blackberry Winter. Claire Aldridge is a newspaper reporter who is assigned with a story for the storm. Unhappy with the assignment, she finally stumbles across a small article about Vera Ray whose three year old son Daniel had gone missing. I loved watching both of these women as the novel alternated between the two. Link to full review on FictionZeal.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Virtues of Oxygen by Susan Schoenberger –

This would be classified as ‘women’s fiction.’ Vivian contracted polio at the age of six in 1955 .. about three years before a vaccine became available. She had all but lost the ability to breathe on her own, so she’s placed in an iron lung. The story of Vivian begins when she is 65. She’s managed to become very successful in the stock market. She’s still in an iron lung and the people in the small town she lives in volunteer their time to take care of her .. round the clock care. This could be a very boring and depressing story, but it’s not. The personality of Vivian makes up for her inability to get around. The author was inspired to write this story from the true life of Martha Mason who resided in North Carolina. She lived her life in an iron lung until she passed at the age of seventy-one. Link to full review on FictionZeal.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Shady Cross by James Hankins –

I was hard pressed for the fifth book as there are several more, but finally decided upon Shady Cross. I’m a mystery buff, yet this is the only mystery on my Beach Reads list. Stokes is not a good guy. He lies and steals, but he doesn’t kill anyone … until one day he caused a man to careen off a mountain road. Even then, he takes a bag full of money from the back seat of the ‘now dead’ driver’s car. On a bus heading back to town, a phone rings from inside the bag. As people get more and more annoyed, he has to answer the phone. A little girl says, “Daddy, … Are you there? Can you hear me? They told me you’re coming to get me soon. That if you give them money, they’ll let you take me home.”
Link to full review on FictionZeal.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Book Review Challenge – Writing Book Reviews by Diane Coto from Fictionzeal

Day 4

Today Diane Coto joins us from Fictionzeal and talks about book reviews. Plus a quick look at Shelfari and I go in deep talking more about what you can look for whilst reading a book ready for a book review.

Over to you Diane.

1)    Where can readers and writers find your blog?

http://www.fictionzeal.com

 

2)    Where do you post your book reviews as well as your blog?

I provide links back to the review on Twitter; Facebook; Google+; and bookblogs.ning.com.  Then I provide the review on Amazon; GoodReads; and Shelfari. 

 

3)    What type of books will you consider for review?

Even though my preferred genre is mystery & suspense, I leave myself open to review outside of my ‘comfort genre.’  I also really enjoy romantic suspense; historical fiction (not Tudor); and many YA books.  I tend to avoid horror and sci-fi.

 

4)    What format do you like books to be in for review?

A MOBI file for my kindle is the most convenient book format for me.

 

5)    What’s the first thing you do when beginning a book review?

I actually start the book review while reading the book.  As I see things that stand out to me, I’m already thinking of how I’d want to express it to my readers.  I make notes as well, especially if there are a lot of characters to follow or a complicated plot.

 

6)    How do you proceed after that?

After I read the book, I like to write my own synopsis first.  I don’t want to use the same synopsis as Amazon or Goodreads.  I want it to be my own and I try as much as possible to grab attention with the first line.  I place my thoughts below the synopsis emphasizing what I felt worked in the story and what didn’t.  I’m a hard reviewer; I see a lot of 5 star reviews on Amazon, but a book needs to completely captivate my emotions and make me not want it to end to give it a 5. 

 

7)    Is there an average time you spend reading a book?

Being a blogger has changed this for me.  I no longer casually read a book.  I try to read more quickly considering I’d like to post a new review at least three times per week. 

 

8)    When you’ve finished a book do you write the review immediately? Or wait a while?

I generally start right away while the thoughts and feelings are still fresh.  Once I write it, I tend to give it a day or two before actually posting the review.  That gives me time to add any new ideas or correct any grammatical errors.

 

9)    Do you start a new book before writing up a review? Or do you ever read more than one book at a time?

I will occasionally read more than one book at a time.  On my Shelfari shelf (displayed on the sidebar of my blog), I generally have two or three – a book I’ve read for which the review is not posted; the book I’m reading; the next book I’m likely to start.

 

10)What points would you try to write in a review?

I think readers are interested in how a book will make them feel so I try to build that in.  In the synopsis, I try to include the location and the time period.  I always conclude the review by giving the book a rating.  This is more difficult than it would seem.  I don’t like to give bad reviews, but it does become necessary from time to time.  Remember, that you’re trying to build your blog around your readers who want a fair and honest opinion.  Your review is not to build ratings for the author; however, it should be constructive and not intended to ‘bash’ the author.

 

11)What would you try to avoid putting in any review?

I don’t want to ‘tell’ someone what to read and I don’t want to misrepresent the book.  I want to write the review so that it can help a person decide based on their own interests and desires.  If I’ve done my job, the review will help the reader to make up their own minds. 

I also avoid giving ‘spoilers’.  If someone is interested in reading the book, they want to discover the author’s ‘secrets’ (important turn of events details) and the ending for themselves.

 

12)If you find you really dislike a book, would you write a negative review?

Yes — That’s the short answer.  However, as stated above, I won’t use my blog to ‘bash’ an author’s hard work.  The reviews should contain facts to allow readers to know what the book is about and the blogger’s thoughts about the author’s writing unique to the story.  I’ve had a couple of requests for which I did not want to continue reading.  I contacted the authors to let them know I can’t continue the book nor provide a review.

 

13)Do you work with any publishers or groups who regularly ask you to review books?

Yes, I work with several.  They are within the sidebar of my blog. 

 

14)Tell us about any book which you’ve recently read and reviewed which really impressed you.

I read and reviewed Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio in April 2014.  It received a 5 star review from me.  The author pulled the paths of past and present together – that of Claire Aldridge within the present and Vera Ray from 1933.  

Thanks Diane.

What’s Shelfari?

1) Shelfari was launched in 2006 and is an online community for book lovers.

2) In 2008 is was acquired by Amazon.com

3) Users can build virtual bookshelves of the books they own or have read.

4) Readers can join discussion groups and send book recommendations to friends.

5) The main feature are the virtual book shelves. These can be linked to blogs to show visitors what books are on the users shelf.

Writing that book review – Rosie’s own Point of View. **WARNING – we’re going in deep**  Don’t feel shocked, below are lots of points to consider, but only use a selection in a book review. Otherwise you’ll feel out of your depth.

So when I wrote my very first book reviews they were only about a couple of lines long. I would finish a book, think about what I’d read but I only remembered bits especially if I’d read the book over a week or two. I might write something like this ” I really liked the American court room drama. There were lots of twists and turns and the ending really surprised me.”

Looking back, all I can say is that it’s a starting place. My reviews slowly got longer and more detailed. However it wasn’t until I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote down small notes whilst I read the book that things really took off and I began feeling proud of the pieces I was writing.

Now when I’ve finished a book, there are lots of details for me to fall back on when I go to write a review. You could look at it as writing practise. Or your own form of Flash Fiction. Ask yourself how can I make someone want to pick up this book to read without giving away too much of the plot? You are in fact creating a unique selling point. You have the potential to make or break a sale. Ever thought about yourself being a salesman? I Haven’t until now.

Here’s something else too. If you are a writer yourself or want to be, reading other people’s work is like taking a free writing course. Make a note of styles you like, how did the dialogue work? Too much?  Too little? Did it sound genuine? What voices did you hear in your head as you read the book? Did they have accents because of the way the author wrote the piece? For me ” ‘eh up young Charlie, me lad, how’s tha’ doin’?”  can only be a strong Yorkshire dialect.

Take a look at the start of a book. Look at the Title, when you’ve finished the book, ask yourself how the title fitted the book. If you have a book cover (Not always so with an e-book) what expectations about the book does it give you? Book covers sell books. If you are in a bookstore, library or looking at an on-line bookstore, book covers sell books! Think about how you make a choice about a book you know nothing about. Book genres: You might want to make a note of the book genre and see if you agree after you’ve read it. Many books will cross genres, you might have a romantic mystery, a paranormal thriller, a historical crime, there are very few set genre lines. However when you read books for younger readers these are often more defined, children, teens, young adult, new adult. Even then books will depend on the maturity of the reader.

Let’s begin reading. Did the book begin with a Prologue? Or were you plunged straight into a dramatic opening scene? Which works for you? Your answer might vary depending on the storyline of the book.

Now have a look at the chapters. How does one chapter end and another start? Does it leave you with a “hook” which has you rushing to find out what happened in the next chapter? Or does it have a natural end, one where you feel you can take a break now, get up and make a cup of tea or switch off the bedside light? Every book is different. It will also depend on what mood you, as the reader are in.  I’ve read books that I can’t put down and have ended up reading long into the night, getting to the end exhausted but on a high from the storyline.

What about a back story? These are used to explain people, places and reasons for the current situations. They can be very useful to flesh out the story and the characters. A Back story can make you have more empathy for a person or a situation. If the book you’re reading has a back story how useful was it? Too much? Too Little? Did it disrupt the main storyline or did it add to the value of the book? Perhaps there wasn’t a back story and you would have liked to know more about the characters.

Descriptive words. There’s a lot of talk about over use of descriptive passages. Should you put them in? Are they just filling space? A lot depends on how the book has caught the imagination of the reader. An author writes a book and all the pictures are in their head as they write down the words, but have they successful transformed those images to the head of the reader? Think about this; “Chloe walked down the stairs” what image did you get in your head? “Chloe descended the stairs” Did your image change? ” Chloe took a breath before descending the formidable spiral staircase”, now what picture do you have? Sometimes an author might over-kill a description. “Chloe walked down the twenty-four evenly spaced steps of the stairway, one step at a time”, do you get my drift? – Descriptive words can make or break a picture in you head and your enjoyment of a book.

Book pace; I love Dan Brown books, but sometimes they frustrate me. All the action is in a very short period, often forty-eight hours. His characters hardly ever eat, sleep or rest for a second. The books leave me exhausted. However the style works, Dan is extremely popular. On the other hand I don’t want to be bored reading about every meal break, cup of coffee and bathroom visit, I want to get on with the story. In real life we do all the boring things like eat and sleep, but in books we often want to escape to a more exciting life. Think about the pace of the book, did it work with the story-line?

The Ending. The all important ending. Was the book a happy ever after (HEA)? Did you guess the ending way before you got there? Was there an unexpected twist which left you gasping? Did the book make you sad? Emotional? Did you need a box of tissues? Did you feel you’d learnt a life-lesson from the book? Was the ending a cliff-hanger which leads you on to the next book in the series? Is there an epilogue? The first three Harry Potter Books all have a neat ending at the end of the school term, yet because there are more in the series a reader might look forward to the next book. Towards the end of the series the books certainly enticed me onwards I wanted to know more and when the last one finished I still wanted more.

That moves me on to my last point. Would you ever be able to read this book again? Ask yourself that question. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve read all the Harry Potter series. There is so much in each book that every time I read them I feel like I discover more. The same goes for the Twilight series. In between book reviews I’m re-reading the Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney. These are actually aimed at children (mature readers who can cope with Harry Potter) but I really enjoy them. – So what were your very last impressions of the book?

Now you should have plenty of material to think about for a book review.

Tomorrow we meet book reviewer Ionia Martin who blogs at Readful things, plus The Importance of book reviews by author Adrienne Vaughan, posting a review on Amazon, ARC’s and gearing you up to write your review.

Monday 30th June – The Importance of book reviews by Lizzie Lamb + Authors should walk to the book reviewers side of the fence.

All books have now been sent out and request are now closed.

  Do you fancy an adventure in the forests of Windemere with young warrior Luke Callindor sent to protect the heir of Duke Soloman? REQUEST A COPY OF BEGINNING OF A HERO BY CHARLES E. YALLOWITZ (Fantasy) (1 copy left)

  How about a modern twist on Tudor history? Relive the life of Henry VIII through the eyes of Harry Lanchester and his merry wives. REQUEST A COPY OF KINGS AND QUEENS BY TERRY TYLER (Contemporary) (All copies have now been requested)

  Are you in a romantic mood? How about a romantic Highland fling? REQUEST A COPY OF TALL, DARK AND KILTED BY LIZZIE LAMB (Romance) (2 copies left)

  Or how about a romantic romp with journalists in Norfolk with wedding bells in the air? REQUEST A COPY OF BOOT CAMP BRIDE BY LIZZIE LAMB(Romance) (1 copy left)

  Want to escape your superpowers? Null City is they place to be in this New Adult paranormal fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF ONE WAY FARE BY BARB AND HANNAH TAUB(Paranormal NA Fantasy) (All copies have now been requested)

  More tales from Null City, can be easily read as a stand alone or part of the series.. REQUEST A COPY OF DON’T TOUCH BY BARB TAUB(Paranornal NA Fantasy)

  How about a bit of  witches and history? England 1647, civil war and Matthew Hopkins sweeps through the land as the Witchfinder. REQUEST A COPY OF THE BLACK HOURS BY ALISON WILLIAMS (Historical)

  Could you see yourself at a tournament of Gamesmen as they play a game of Comet? There’s a mystery man and a potion maker in this fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF THE BIRR ELIXIR BY JO SPARKES (YA Fantasy) (2 Copies left)

  Love a thriller? Travel with John Cannon as his relaxing leave of absence turns into a nightmare when his boat is attacked by terrorists. REQUEST A COPY OF MY GRL BY JOHN W. HOWELL(Thriller) (1 copy left)

  Can we tempt you with a spiritual quest? Albion, is the oldest name for Britain. Wen and Don take you on a mystical journey through Myths and Legends of these blessed Isles. REQUEST A COPY OF THE HEART OF ALBION BY SUE VINCENT & STUART FRANCE ( A spiritual quest around England) (All copies have now been requested)

  Crime? The first book in the Georgie Connelly crime series. Join feisty documentary film-maker Georgie as she dangerously plans to expose Gentleman’s Clubs. REQUEST A COPY OF BUSINESS AS USUAL BY E.L.LINDLEY(Crime) (1 copy left)

NON-FICTION here’s the chance to get some help promoting your work. REQUEST A COPY OF HOW TO PROMOTE AND MARKET YOUR BOOK BY MADI PREDA (Non-Fiction) (2 Copies Left)

  There’s more romance on it’s way.  Marianne Coltrane’s writes an award winning scoop about the sale of babies. Destiny will take her to an island off the wild west coast of Ireland. Love a mix of Ireland and romance? REQUEST A COPY OF THE HOLLOW HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN(Romance) (2 copies left)

  If you’ve read The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan, here’s your chance to loose yourself in more Irish themed romance with the second book in the series. REQUEST A COPY OF A CHANGE OF HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN (Romance) (2 copies left)

  How about a murder mystery set in a coastal resort in Maine? REQUEST A COPY OF DEATH IN A RED CANVAS CHAIR BY N.A GRANGER (Murder Mystery) (All copies have now been requested)

 Step back in time to Georgia and the deep south for this book, real people struggling to survive with segregation and inequality. This is a fictionalised real story. REQUEST A COPY OF RED CLAY AND ROSES BY S.K. NICHOLLS (1 copy left)

 TJ Therien has his fantasy book for FREE on Smashwords and Barnes and Noble (Nook), so no limit on the number of copies but he’d still like reviews. (Fantasy) Only

 British comedy comes in the form of the Derek series, we have the first book available as a kindle download for UK reader/ challengers only. REQUEST A COPY OF PLEASE CALL ME DEREK BY MAC BLACK (British Adult Humour)

 1867, the American Wild West. British raised girl Annie meets wild man Colt McCall after a stagecoach crash. Fantastic cowboy romance. (Voucher from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com to download the book.) REQUEST A COPY OF AN ENGLISHWOMAN’S GUIDE TO THE COWBOY BY JUNE KEARNS (Historical romance) (1 copy left)

 1924, the English Shires. Jazzing flappers and a half share in a million acre ranch in Texas. (voucher from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com to download the book.) REQUEST A COPY OF THE 20’S GIRL, THE GHOST AND ALL THAT JAZZ BY JUNE KEARNS (Historical Romance) (2 copies Left)

 16 year old Jade discovers her Grandmother was murdered. She sets out to find the mystery commune killer. REQUEST A COPY OF JADED BY KRISTY FELTENBERGER-GILLESPI.(YA Thriller) (1 copy left)

Book review Challenge Series – How I write a book review

Day 1

Welcome one and all to our Book review challenge, I just want to thank everyone who is supporting this series it means so much to me. So what have we got for you?

I truly believe that books and book sales are changing as people browse virtual book stores to buy their books. This is where the book review really will help sell a book in a market place full of millions and millions of books. If I had a £1 for every-time someone said to me in the last week “Since I starting writing my book I’ve come to realise how important book reviews are” well, we’d be well on the way down to the nearest bookstore to stock up on books!

So today I’m in the spotlight talking about book reviews and giving you some simple easy tips to start you off book reviewing. I’ll get you thinking about reading a different genre and we have a guest piece from Melissa Newman at Martin Sisters Publishing.

We’ve been busy signing readers up who want to read and review one book from the line up we have to offer. There are still copies available of many of the books.

 

Thursday 26th June – Book reviewing by Bodicia from A Woman’s Wisdom + How to download a PDF file of a book to your kindle+ non-fiction reviews.

Friday 27th June – The Importance of book reviews by author Terry Tyler + a look at Goodreads + A bad or negative review, should you write it?

Saturday 28th June – Book Reviewing by Diane Coto from Fictionzeal + Shelfari + Going in deep, talking more about reviews.

Sunday 29th June – Book reviewing by Ionia Martin from Readfulthings + Reviewing to Amazon + Gearing up to write that review.

Monday 30th June – The Importance of book reviews by Lizzie Lamb + Authors should walk to the book reviewers side of the fence.

Let’s find out more about Rosie Amber’s book reviews.

1) Where do I post my book reviews as well as this blog?

I choose to regularly post my book reviews to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. I write for 2 local magazines and post 5 selected book reviews to each magazine per month. The magazines go out to 7000 readers in my local area and both have on-line versions. (Featured authors tell me they love this because they can visit my book review pages from all over the world)

2) What type of books will I consider for review?

I enjoy romance, paranormal, humour, murder mystery, mild thrillers, spiritual and YA/NA books. I will read both non-fiction and fiction.

3) What format do I like books to be in for review?

I really like paperback books best, but I also enjoy using my Kindle as an alternative.  I do understand the cost of sending books to reviewers, so I accept books in Mobi or PDF. Authors can also gift me books or send me a voucher to cover the cost of buying their book.

4) What’s the first thing I do when beginning a book review?

I have a note book with me when I read books and I write down the title and author, the day I begin the book and I start noting character names and places, jobs, relationships etc as I go through the book.

5) How do I proceed after that?

Then I’ll note down specific events from the book, or small phrases or even things I don’t understand which may become clearer later in the book. I usually fill an A5 sized sheet with notes per book. Occasionally I’ll write more.

6) Is there an average time I spend reading a book?

I would say 2 days per book.

7) When I’ve finished a book do I write the review immediately? Or wait a while?

I always try to write the book review straight away while it is fresh in my mind.

8) Do I start a new book before writing up a review? Or do I ever read more than one book at a time?

The only time I might start a new book before writing a review is if I’m away from home. Occasionally I have more than one book on the go at a time, but the second book would usually be a non-fiction book which I could pick up and put down and is possibly one I’m reading for pleasure rather than review.

9) What points do I try to write in a review?

I like to tell the readers who the characters are, perhaps outline where and when the book takes place. I might hint at some of the plot developments and drop in a clue or two as to what happens. I try to entice the reader to go and buy the book. Sometimes I’m specific about the genre of the book, but not always because people can make their own choice about what they might like to read.  Often at the end I say what I liked about the book.

10) What do I try to avoid putting in any review?

I try to avoid spoilers and telling the reader too much. If I read a review that is full of all the book plot I find there is nothing left for me to discover myself, so I would not buy and read the book. I won’t say I don’t like a book in the review, but I may say if I found parts difficult or challenging to read. There are ways to use words so that hopefully they don’t offend the author.

11) If I find I really dislike a book, would I write a negative review?

No! People have spent a lot of time and effort writing their books. I may let them know that the book didn’t suit me and I feel I’m unable to write a review for them.

12) Do I work with any publishers or groups who regularly ask you to review books?

No, I have reviewed a couple of e-books for Sainsbury’s and a book for booktrope.com. Otherwise it’s just my 2 local magazines.

13) Tell you about any book which I’ve recently read and reviewed which really impressed me.

Roy Dimond writes some fantastic books which make you think about yourself deeply and the world around you.

Saving out Pennys

The Singing Bowl

The Rubicon Effect

Guest Piece from Melissa Newman at Martin Sisters Publishing

I asked Melissa about the importance of book reviews from a Publisher’s point of view. Here’s what she had to say;

1)     When an author approaches you with their work, do you ever research them to see if they have written and published any other books?

Yes. We do research authors. We like to see what they’ve written and how or if they market themselves. If they do it’s a big plus for us. Some writers believe that once the book is published then the heavy lifting is done – not so. The heavy lifting is just beginning. Your work is not truly complete until someone reads it; and for that you need to market your work.

2)     If you saw an author had previously self-published a book and had several book reviews, how many reviews and what ratings would impress you?

We are not turned off by self-publishing but if an author has self-published we like to see that he/she has implemented a good plan for reaching potential readers.

3)     When reading a book review, what types of comments would make you feel it was from a genuine reader and not just a friend of the author?

Genuine readers don’t usually use cliché’s, hyperbole and what I like to call “sales speak.” They are honest about their feelings toward the author and his/her work and it shows.

4)     How important are book reviews to the book industry?

Book reviews are extremely important to the book industry but just like everything else in marketing, when the message is obviously controlled then it spoils the book review industry as a whole. Word of mouth is still the best marketing tool and if you give readers a platform to speak opinions then book reviews work – when those reviews are paid for and the message is controlled, they don’t.

5)     Would you ever consider representing a book that had previously been self-published?

Martin Sisters Publishing may consider a book that has been previously self-published but it’s not likely. The initial launch of a book is crucial – that’s when you get the most “oomph.” If it has already been released the “oomph” is gone and it’s much harder to build an audience.

Thank you so much Melissa for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us. Find more about them here http://www.martinsisterspublishing.com/

Easy tips for writing a book review – I’ll look at it again in a deeper article later in the week.

1) Have a note book and pen handy.

2) Make a note of the Book Title, author, publisher and date you start the book. You might want to state the genre/ category the book falls into.

3) The first paragraph – what did it tell you? Note down names, places, time frame, any first impressions you get.

4) The first couple of chapters may well introduce lots of characters, note them all down they may be significant later.

5) As you go through make small notes or just use 1 or 2 words about the main events, such as a tournament, a party, a wedding, new job, a journey, etc to jog your memory when writing the review later.

6) At the half way stage of the book you should now have a good feel for the book. Is it fast paced? or Slow? Are there several characters narrating? Are there a couple of places or time frames being used? Can you guess where the book is leading? If its a thriller or mystery, are you being lead down dead end routes just when you think you’ve guessed the plot?

7) Has the feel of the book changed since the start? For instance a thriller may turn very sinister.

8) For the second half of the book, there may be less notes to make, you know the characters, the know where the book is set. Note any twists and turns in the storyline. After half-way the book will be well into the story I probably won’t use much of this material now for my book review because I’m in danger of adding spoilers and giving too much away.

9) The end. So after you’ve read the last page, how do you feel? Sad? Elated? Enlightened? Frustrated? Some books have cliff hangers leading on to the next in the series. If this is part of a series does it have you wanting to grab the next book? Did the ending surprise you?

10) Now think about a review. Think about what you would personally look for when choosing a book? What do you like to read on the back cover of a book? Or in the general description when you buy on-line?

11) Try writing no more than 10 lines to start with about the book in a way which would entice yourself to pick it up. Some reviewers start a review using the published book description and then go on to talk about how they liked the book.

Or perhaps you didn’t like the book, try writing a bit about the plot and the characters, but say how they didn’t work for you. Think about your choice of words, someone has spent hours writing and producing this book. If you really have strong reasons for disliking a book, no review may be kinder than leaving a rude one.

Genres; Moving out of your comfort Zone.

Be aware that many, many books these days cross genres; YA thrillers, romantic mysteries, historical adventure. There are so many sub-genres within the book world that you shouldn’t be blinkered and limit the type of books you try. There is just so much choice out there now with the explosions of e-books and self publishing.

Be adventurous and come out of your comfort zone every once in a while. Challenge yourself to read something new or an old classic. I even read a “New Classic” recently. Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada is marketed as a New Classic by Penguin. Throw in a non-fiction book every now and again, mix it up and if you’ve been in a rut lately you might just be inspired by some of the new up and coming authors. I think we’ve a great selection for you here on this series.

Tomorrow you’ll hear from Bodicia a book reviewer who blogs at A Woman’s Wisdom, downloading a PDF file of a book to your kindle and non-fiction reviews.

  Do you fancy an adventure in the forests of Windemere with young warrior Luke Callindor sent to protect the heir of Duke Soloman? REQUEST A COPY OF BEGINNING OF A HERO BY CHARLES E. YALLOWITZ (Fantasy) (2 copies left)

  How about a modern twist on Tudor history? Relive the life of Henry VIII through the eyes of Harry Lanchester and his merry wives. REQUEST A COPY OF KINGS AND QUEENS BY TERRY TYLER (Contemporary) (1 copy left)

  Are you in a romantic mood? How about a romantic Highland fling? REQUEST A COPY OF TALL, DARK AND KILTED BY LIZZIE LAMB (Romance) (2 copies left)

  Or how about a romantic romp with journalists in Norfolk with wedding bells in the air? REQUEST A COPY OF BOOT CAMP BRIDE BY LIZZIE LAMB(Romance) (2 copies left)

  Want to escape your superpowers? Null City is they place to be in this New Adult paranormal fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF ONE WAY FARE BY BARB AND HANNAH TAUB(Paranormal NA Fantasy) (1 Copy left)

  More tales from Null City, can be easily read as a stand alone or part of the series.. REQUEST A COPY OF DON’T TOUCH BY BARB TAUB(Paranornal NA Fantasy)

  How about a bit of  history? England 1647, civil war and Matthew Hopkins sweeps through the land as the Witchfinder. REQUEST A COPY OF THE BLACK HOURS BY ALISON WILLIAMS (Historical)

  Could you see yourself at a tournament of Gamesmen as they play a game of Comet? There’s a mystery man and a potion maker in this fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF THE BIRR ELIXIR BY JO SPARKES (YA Fantasy)

  Love a thriller? Travel with John Cannon as his relaxing leave of absence turns into a nightmare when his boat is attacked by terrorists. REQUEST A COPY OF MY GRL BY JOHN W. HOWELL(Thriller) (1 copy left)

  Can we tempt you with a spiritual quest? Albion, is the oldest name for Britain. Wen and Don take you on a mystical journey through Myths and Legends of these blessed Isles. REQUEST A COPY OF THE HEART OF ALBION BY SUE VINCENT & STUART FRANCE ( A spiritual quest around England) (All copies have now been requested)

  Crime? The first book in the Georgie Connelly crime series. Join feisty documentary film-maker Georgie as she dangerously plans to expose Gentleman’s Clubs. REQUEST A COPY OF BUSINESS AS USUAL BY E.L.LINDLEY(Crime) (2 copies left)

NON-FICTION here’s the chance to get some help promoting your work. REQUEST A COPY OF HOW TO PROMOTE AND MARKET YOUR BOOK BY MADI PREDA (Non-Fiction) (2 Copies Left)

  There’s more romance on it’s way.  Marianne Coltrane’s writes an award winning scoop about the sale of babies. Destiny will take her to an island off the wild west coast of Ireland. Love a mix of Ireland and romance? REQUEST A COPY OF THE HOLLOW HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN(Romance) (2 copies left)

  If you’ve read The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan, here’s your chance to loose yourself in more Irish themed romance with the second book in the series. REQUEST A COPY OF A CHANGE OF HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN (Romance) (2 copies left)

  How about a murder mystery set in a coastal resort in Maine? REQUEST A COPY OF DEATH IN A RED CANVAS CHAIR BY N.A GRANGER (Murder Mystery) (All copies have now been requested)

 Step back in time to Georgia and the deep south for this book, real people struggling to survive with segregation and inequality. This is a fictionalised real story. REQUEST A COPY OF RED CLAY AND ROSES BY S.K. NICHOLLS (1 copy left)

 TJ Therien has his fantasy book for FREE on Smashwords and Barnes and Noble (Nook), so no limit on the number of copies but he’d still like reviews. (Fantasy) Only

 British Adult comedy comes in the form of the Derek series, we have the first book available as a kindle download for UK reader/ challengers only. REQUEST A COPY OF PLEASE CALL ME DEREK BY MAC BLACK (British Adult Humour)

 1867, the American Wild West. British raised girl Annie meets wild man Colt McCall after a stagecoach crash. Fantastic cowboy romance. (Voucher from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com to download the book.) REQUEST A COPY OF AN ENGLISHWOMAN’S GUIDE TO THE COWBOY BY JUNE KEARNS (Historical romance) (1 copy left)

 1924, the English Shires. Jazzing flappers and a half share in a million acre ranch in Texas. (voucher from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com to download the book.) REQUEST A COPY OF THE 20’S GIRL, THE GHOST AND ALL THAT JAZZ BY JUNE KEARNS (Historical Romance) (2 copies Left)

 16 year old Jade discovers her Grandmother was murdered. She sets out to find the mystery commune killer. REQUEST A COPY OF JADED BY KRISTY FELTENBERGER-GILLESPI.(YA Thriller) (1 copy left)

Twas the night before Chri…..the Book Review Challenge!

“Twas the night before Chri…” opps!(The Wrong Book and exactly six months adrift)…The Book Review Challenge!

If you’re not familiar with the plain honesty of this blog, then COME ON IN, everyone’s welcome, there’s plenty of room, find yourself a cosy couch (Yes we spell things the English way and the typo way here.) I’m sure over the next few days I bubble over with so much enthusiasm to bend your ear and generally encourage you to take up a book and write a review, that I’ll offend a few readers with my typos and my opinions. I’d like to hope they’ll make you smile rather than cringe and that you’ll indulge me as I rabbit on.

So what have we got lined up for you?

Coming up on Wednesday 25th June – Book reviewing by Rosie Amber + easy to follow tips for writing your own review+ genres; moving out of your comfort zone+ How Martin Sisters Publishing views Book reviews.

Thursday 26th June – Book reviewing by Bodicia from A Woman’s Wisdom + How to download a PDF file of a book to your kindle+ non-fiction reviews.

Friday 27th June – The Importance of book reviews by author Terry Tyler + a look at Goodreads + A bad or negative review, should you write it?

Saturday 28th June – Book Reviewing by Diane Coto from Fictionzeal + Shelfari + Going in deep, talking more about reviews.

Sunday 29th June – Book reviewing by Ionia Martin from Readfulthings + Reviewing to Amazon + Gearing up to write that review.

Monday 30th June – The Importance of book reviews by Lizzie Lamb + Authors should walk to the book reviewers side of the fence.

Then it’s over to you…

From July 1st 3 e-copies of the following books will be sent out FREE for you to read. All we ask is for you to read just 1 and write a review which will then be posted here and other sites where possible.

You can request a book anytime, I shall try to keep posts up to date with book availability. Do check-in with me if you think you haven’t heard back.

When books are requested I will confirm by e-mail. Please check your SPAM folder if you think you haven’t heard from me. Similarly when books get sent out by authors they may go into SPAM please do check. I always try to reply within a reasonable time but super efficient spam folders do foil me sometimes.

First come first served.

  Do you fancy an adventure in the forests of Windemere with young warrior Luke Callindor sent to protect the heir of Duke Soloman? REQUEST A COPY OF BEGINNING OF A HERO BY CHARLES E. YALLOWITZ (Fantasy) (2 copies left)

  How about a modern twist on Tudor history? Relive the life of Henry VIII through the eyes of Harry Lanchester and his merry wives. REQUEST A COPY OF KINGS AND QUEENS BY TERRY TYLER (Contemporary) (1 copy left)

  Are you in a romantic mood? How about a romantic Highland fling? REQUEST A COPY OF TALL, DARK AND KILTED BY LIZZIE LAMB (Romance) (2 copies left)

  Or how about a romantic romp with journalists in Norfolk with wedding bells in the air? REQUEST A COPY OF BOOT CAMP BRIDE BY LIZZIE LAMB(Romance) (2 copies left)

  Want to escape your superpowers? Null City is they place to be in this New Adult paranormal fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF ONE WAY FARE BY BARB AND HANNAH TAUB(Paranormal NA Fantasy) (1 Copy left)

  Perhaps you’ve read One Way Fare? Here’s a chance to read the second book in the series. REQUEST A COPY OF DON’T TOUCH BY BARB TAUB(Paranornal NA Fantasy)

  How about a bit of  history? England 1647, civil war and Matthew Hopkins sweeps through the land as the Witchfinder. REQUEST A COPY OF THE BLACK HOURS BY ALISON WILLIAMS (Historical)

  Could you see yourself at a tournament of Gamesmen as they play a game of Comet? There’s a mystery man and a potion maker in this fantasy. REQUEST A COPY OF THE BIRR ELIXIR BY JO SPARKES (YA Fantasy)

  Love a thriller? Travel with John Cannon as his relaxing leave of absence turns into a nightmare when his boat is attacked by terrorists. REQUEST A COPY OF MY GRL BY JOHN W. HOWELL(Thriller) (1 copy left)

  Can we tempt you with a spiritual quest? Albion, is the oldest name for Britain. Wen and Don take you on a mystical journey through Myths and Legends of these blessed Isles. REQUEST A COPY OF THE HEART OF ALBION BY SUE VINCENT & STUART FRANCE ( A spiritual quest around England) (All copies have now been requested)

  Crime? The first book in the Georgie Connelly crime series. Join feisty documentary film-maker Georgie as she dangerously plans to expose Gentleman’s Clubs. REQUEST A COPY OF BUSINESS AS USUAL BY E.L.LINDLEY(Crime) (2 copies left)

NON-FICTION here’s the chance to get some help promoting your work. REQUEST A COPY OF HOW TO PROMOTE AND MARKET YOUR BOOK BY MADI PREDA (Non-Fiction) (2 Copies Left)

  There’s more romance on it’s way.  Marianne Coltrane’s writes an award winning scoop about the sale of babies. Destiny will take her to an island off the wild west coast of Ireland. Love a mix of Ireland and romance? REQUEST A COPY OF THE HOLLOW HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN(Romance) (2 copies left)

  If you’ve read The Hollow Heart by Adrienne Vaughan, here’s your chance to loose yourself in more Irish themed romance with the second book in the series. REQUEST A COPY OF A CHANGE OF HEART BY ADREINNE VAUGHAN (Romance) (2 copies left)

  How about a murder mystery set in a coastal resort in Maine? REQUEST A COPY OF DEATH IN A RED CANVAS CHAIR BY N.A GRANGER (Murder Mystery) (All copies have now been requested)

 Step back in time to Georgia and the deep south for this book, real people struggling to survive with segregation and inequality. This is a fictionalised real story. REQUEST A COPY OF RED CLAY AND ROSES BY S.K. NICHOLLS (1 copy left)

 TJ Therien has his fantasy book for FREE on Smashwords and Barnes and Noble (Nook), so no limit on the number of copies but he’d still like reviews. (Fantasy) Only

 British Adult comedy comes in the form of the Derek series, we have the first book available as a kindle download for UK reader/ challengers only. REQUEST A COPY OF PLEASE CALL ME DEREK BY MAC BLACK (British Adult Humour)

 1867, the American Wild West. British raised girl Annie meets wild man Colt McCall after a stagecoach crash. Fantastic cowboy romance. (Voucher from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com to download the book.) REQUEST A COPY OF AN ENGLISHWOMAN’S GUIDE TO THE COWBOY BY JUNE KEARNS (Historical romance) (1 copy left)

 1924, the English Shires. Jazzing flappers and a half share in a million acre ranch in Texas. (voucher from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com to download the book.) REQUEST A COPY OF THE 20’S GIRL, THE GHOST AND ALL THAT JAZZ BY JUNE KEARNS (Historical Romance) (2 copies Left)

 16 year old Jade discovers her Grandmother was murdered. She sets out to find the mystery commune killer. REQUEST A COPY OF JADED BY KRISTY FELTENBERGER-GILLESPI.(YA Thriller) (1 copy left)

Book Review Challenge Series

Book review Challenge Series

How often do you write and post a review of a book you’ve read? Ever wondered if your review would be of any use to anyone? Don’t know how to write a review?

Readers

I have a book review challenge series planned over the next few weeks. We will be hearing from several book reviewers on how they go about writing a review and from authors about the importance of reviews.

Coming up on Wednesday 25th June – Book reviewing by Rosie Amber + easy to follow tips for writing your own review.

Thursday 26th June – Book reviewing by Bodicia from A Woman’s Wisdom + How to download a PDF file of a book to your kindle.

Friday 27th June – The Importance of book reviews by author Terry Tyler + a look at Goodreads + A bad or negative review, should you write it?

Saturday 28th June – Book Reviewing by Diane Coto from Fictionzeal + Shelfari + Going in deep, talking reviews

Sunday 29th June – Book reviewing by Ionia Martin from Readfulthings + Reviewing to Amazon + Gearing up to write that review

Monday 30th June – The Importance of book reviews by Lizzie Lamb + Authors should walk to the book reviewers side of the fence

Readers and Writers

Then at the end we will have a small selection of books for challengers to try their hand at writing an informative and interesting review on offer. Anyone can join in authors, readers, writers or someone who just loves books.

Writers

I’m looking to have up to 3 e-copies of several books for challengers to choose just 1 to read and review at the end of the series. I’m looking for romance, fantasy YA, thriller or contemporary books. Contact me via e-mail or the contact form at the top of the blog if you have a book you would like considered.

I already have authors who have offered their books. I will add more books as authors get back to me. You’ll be able to choose  from the following books to read and review;

I Have 3 e-copies of Beginning of a Hero by Charles E Yallowitz (Fantasy)

Luke Callindor was born into Windemere’s most decorated family of adventurers. Since his birth, he has been treated with the greatest amount of respect and awe. Now, with a lifetime of training and the reckless cockiness of youth, Luke has set out to prove that he deserves the admiration that comes from being a Callindor.

Luke gets his chance when he convinces a royal messenger to hire him to protect the heir of Duke Solomon. This future leader is secretly attending Hamilton Military Academy, an esteemed school run by the former mercenary, Selenia Hamilton. It is a dangerous secret mission requiring that Luke pretend to be an average student while keeping an eye out for any sign of danger. Unfortunately, Luke has no idea which student the heir is and a demonic assassin is already several steps ahead of him. Finding himself in over his head and constantly in trouble, the young warrior realizes that the only things he has on his side are some new friends and his unwavering courage.

Can Luke find and protect the heir while keeping his own head attached to his neck? And, can he avoid being suspended long enough to see his mission through to the end?

We also have 3 e-copies of Kings and Queens by Terry Tyler. (contemporary)

KINGS AND QUEENS” tells of the life and loves of charismatic Harry Lanchester, which just happen to mirror the story of Henry VIII and his six wives. All the passion and suspense of the Tudor court, but set in modern times.

Harry’s realm is his South of England property developing company, Lanchester Estates, while his ‘wives’ are the twentieth century sisters of their historic counterparts: Anne Boleyn is reincarnated as the equally intriguing Annette Hever, and Henry VIII’s fifth wife with the risqué past, Catherine Howard, lives again in 1999 as Keira Howard, a former lap dancer.

The saga is narrated by each of the six women, in turn, interspersed with short chapters from the point of view of Harry’s lifelong friend, Will Brandon.

Lizzie Lamb will have e-copies of her romance books on offer, either Tall Dark and Kilted or Boot Camp Bride.

Notting Hill Meets Monarch of the Glen . . . Fliss Bagshawe longs for a passport out of Pimlico where she works as a holistic therapist. After attending a party in Notting Hill she loses her job and with it her dream of one day being her own boss. When she’s offered the chance to take over a failing therapy centre, she grabs it with both hands. But there’s a catch – the centre lies five hundred miles away – in Wester Ross, Scotland. Fliss’s romantic view of the highlands populated by hunky Men in Kilts is soon shattered when she has an up close and very personal encounter with the Laird of Kinloch Mara, Ruairi Urquhart. He’s determined to pull the plug on the business, bring his eccentric family to heel and eject undesirables from his estate – starting with Fliss. Faced with the dole queue once more, Fliss resolves to make sexy, infuriating Ruairi revise his unflattering opinion of her, turn the therapy centre around and sort out the dysfunctional Urquhart family. Will Fliss tame the Monarch of the Glen and find the happiness she deserves? Read Tall, Dark and Kilted to find out…

Boot Camp Bride – Lizzie Lamb

Charlee Montague is an up-for-anything rookie reporter desperate for her big break. She dreams of something, anything, which will take her away from the daily grind at celebrity-driven magazine What’cha! When she is sent undercover to a boot camp for brides on the windswept Norfolk marshes, it seems as if all her Christmases have come at once. Posing as a blushing bride-to-be, Charlee has to get the skinny on supermodel Anastasia Markova and her oligarch Russian boyfriend. However, every rookie needs a more experienced partner as backup and Charlee is no exception. At her side (posing as her fiancé), is award winning photographer Rafael Ffinch. World-weary Rafa has recently survived a kidnap attempt in Colombia and is no mood to cut inexperienced Charlee any slack. Furthermore, he makes it plain at the outset of their assignment that there is no room for love in his complicated life. Once the investigation is over, their partnership and fake engagement will be terminated.

Barb Taub has offered readers a choice from her mature YA books; One Way Fare and Don’t Touch.

Superpowers suck. If you just want to live a normal life, Null City is only a Metro ride away. After one day there, imps become baristas, and hellhounds become poodles. Demons settle down, become parents, join the PTA, and worry about their taxes.
Null City is the only sanctuary for Gaby Parker and Leila Rice, two young women confronting cataclysmic forces waging an unseen war between Heaven and Hell. Gaby and her younger brother and sister are already targets in the war that cost their parents’ lives. Should they forsake the powers that complete their souls and flee to Null City? Meanwhile, Leila has inherited a French chateau, a mysterious legacy, and a prophecy that she will end the world. Gaby and Leila become catalysts for the founding and survival of Null City.
It just would have been nice if someone told them the angels were all on the other side.

Book 2 in the series;

Hope flares each morning in the tiny flash of a second before Lette touches that first thing. And destroys it. Her online journal spans a decade, beginning with the day a thirteen-year-old inherits an extreme form of the family “gift.” Every day whatever she touches converts into something new: bunnies, bubbles, bombs, and everything in between.
Lette’s search for a cure leads her to Stefan, whose fairy-tale looks hide a monstrous legacy, and to Rag, an arrogant, crabby ex-angel with boundary issues. The three face an army led by a monster who feeds on children’s fear. But it’s their own inner demons they must defeat first.

Alison Williams has 3 e-copies of her book The Black Hours.

‘Look upon this wretch, all of you! Look upon her and thank God for his love and his mercy. Thank God that he has sent me to rid the world of such filth as this.’ 1647 and England is in the grip of civil war. In the ensuing chaos, fear and suspicion are rife and anyone on the fringes of society can find themselves under suspicion. Matthew Hopkins, self -styled Witchfinder General, scours the countryside, seeking out those he believes to be in league with the Devil. In the small village of Coggeshall, 17–year-old Alice Pendle finds herself at the centre of gossip and speculation. Will she survive when the Witchfinder himself is summoned? A tale of persecution, superstition, religious fundamentalism, hate and love, ‘The Black Hours’ mixes fact with fiction in a gripping fast-paced drama that follows the story of Alice as she is thrown into a world of fear and confusion, and of Matthew, a man driven by his beliefs to commit dreadful acts in the name of religion.

Jo Sparkes has offered us copies of her YA fantasy The Birr Elixir.

When a young apprentice makes a mysterious elixir from a recipe in an old book, she’s suddenly the talisman for a daring Gamesman – and the weapon in the conspiracy against a prince.

John W Howell is offering us e-copies of his thriller My GRL

My GRL is the story of John J. Cannon, successful San Francisco lawyer, who takes a well-deserved leave of absence from his firm. He travels to a small Texas fishing town and buys a boat, unaware that his new purchase, renamed My GRL, had already been targeted by a terrorist group. John’s first inkling of a problem is when he wakes up in the hospital. He learns he was found unconscious next to the dead body of the attractive young woman who sold him the boat in the first place. John now stands between the terrorists and the success of their mission.

Sue Vincent & Stuart France are offering us copies of The Heart of Albion

What does Jack and the Beanstalk have to do with a spiritual quest? What, for that matter, is the nature of the relationship between Salome and the Jester? Why is Wen conversing with a llama in the Yorkshire Dales? And what links the beautiful and sacred landscape that is the Heart of Albion with Breakfast in Slug Town? These, and many other questions, must be considered as Don and Wen continue the journey begun in The Initiate exploring the shadowy roots of the ancient myths and legends of these Blessed Isles, steering a perilous path through the murky waters of religious symbolism and iconography. Join them on their continuing quest for knowledge and understanding as they explore the landscape of England and people it with strange creatures and even stranger theories, using sacred intent and guided imagination to penetrate into the mysteries unfolding before them. Illustrated in full colour throughout.

E.L. Lindley is offering you the first in her Georgie Connelly crime series, Business As Usual.

Documentary film maker, Georgie Connelly, wonders if her life can get any worse when, after a misunderstanding, she is arrested and forced to do community service. The answer comes back as a resounding yes when she is stalked by a vengeful white supremacist whose hate crimes she exposed in a previous documentary, whilst becoming embroiled in the seedy world of Maxim Petrov, a Russian gangster and the subject of her current project.

Adrienne Vaughan is offering two romance books with Irish themes; The Hollow Heart and A Change of Heart.

Marianne Coltrane is a feisty, award-winning journalist who is far from lucky in love. Taking herself off to the wilds of the west of Ireland to recuperate, she literally runs into Ryan O’Gorman, the most conceited, infuriating man in the world.

Escaping to a remote Irish isle, journalist Marianne Coltrane had not bargained for a tumultuous affair with movie star Ryan O’Gorman. When Ryan leaves to pursue his career, Marianne remains to care for those who need her most, but Ryan soon realises he cannot live without her and returns to woo her back. Tricky enough without his problematic ex-wife or the contract he cannot break, but when a good deed puts all they treasure in jeopardy, it’s time to take stock and fight for what matters most …or is time running out for this charismatic couple and everything they hold most dear?

Madi Preda is offering 3 copies of this Non-fiction book. How to Promote and Market Your Book.

If you are looking to take advantage of social media this book is a good overview, with many tips and creative ideas. How to make the most of social media marketing, where to start? Detailed, accessible and practical advice on what to do and how to do it. Planning and research are often forgotten in the rush of get a book published and drawing up a marketing plan and carefully planned campaign are the only way to ensure the success of your book and to meet the readers’ requirements. See the benefits in minutes.

Noelle Granger is offering 3 copies of her mystery. Death in a Red Canvas Chair.

On a warm fall afternoon, the sweet odour of decay distracts Rhe Brewster from the noise and fury of her son’s soccer game. She’s a tall, attractive emergency room nurse with a type A personality, a nose for investigation and a yen for adrenalin. This time her nose leads her to the wet, decaying body of a young woman, sitting in a chair at the far end of the soccer field. Her first call is to her brother-in-law, Sam Brewster, who is Sheriff of Pequod, the coastal Maine town where she lives. Sam and Rhe’s best friend Paulette, Pequod’s answer to Rachel Ray, are her biggest sources of encouragement when Rhe decides to help the police find the killer.

Rhe is thwarted in her investigation by an old frenemy, the Dean of Students at the local college, and her husband, a professor at the college, who resents her involvement in anything other than being a wife and mother. While looking for a name and information about the young woman, Rhe discovers an escort service using college students, which leads her to a high class brothel at a local seaside estate and a company dealing in stolen body parts. She can dodge bullets, but is no match for the kidnappers who leave her to die in a mortuary freezer.

Susan Nicholls is offering copies of her fictionalised real life story. Red Clay and Roses.

Outside the realm of genre fiction, Red Clay and Roses is literature in the form of a “faction” novel; a fictionalized true story of life in the Deep South during the time of Jim Crow Law, and before Roe vs. Wade. Women were supposed to keep quiet and serve, abortion was illegal, adoption difficult, and racism rampant. The discovery of an old ledger opens a window into the dynamics of the 1950s-60s, when the world was beginning to change.

A different option from TJ Therien for his book Scrolls of Scion. This book is FREE to download only on Smashwords or Barnes and Noble so has no limit to the number of copies available, but he’s still appreciate reviews.

For five thousand years after the Great War, the world of Brynmor knew peace. The Orc had been driven from the land and the uprising of the Dark Elf ended in the near extinction of their Race. What survived of the Drow fled the crypt city of Sion and for five thousand years they dwelled in secret and shadow restoring their numbers deep in the Iron Hills. Not since Lolth had there been a Drow more ambitious than Rianon, High Priestess of the Cult of the Spider and Queen of the Dark Elf. Follow Rianon as she plots and schemes to reclaim Sion, the fallen city of the Dark Elf and the lost scrolls of Lolth that contain the ancient and forgotten dark spells of the God-Queen.

Mac Black is offering 3 copies of his first book in the humorous Derek series Please Call me Derek (Uk readers only Kindle download)

Derek travels from child to confused adult, from reporter for the local paper to any job available, doing everything he thinks he should, but doing it his way. Pursuing life and employment leads Derek to fling himself into the sort of sticky situations he won’t want to have to explain to his friends or his family. With determination, gritting his teeth, doing everything for the best, how could anything go wrong.

June Kearns is offering readers copies of her two books. An Englishwoman’s Guide to the cowboy and The 20’s Girl, the Ghost and All that Jazz. Available for UK readers and we’re working on a plan for the rest of the world.

The American West, after the Civil War -a wild and restless place. Into this background, wanders a party of Englishwomen. Well-bred, bookish spinster, Annie Haddon – (product of mustn’t take off your hat, mustn’t take off your gloves, mustn’t get hot or perspire Victorian society)- together with an aunt the last word in snobbery, and a spoiled and brittle cousin.
After a stagecoach wreck, Annie is thrown into the company of Colt McCall – a man who lives by his own rules and hates the English. Can two people, moulded by their backgrounds and pasts, overcome that conditioning? Annie and McCall find out on their journey across the haunting, mystical landscape of the West.

1924. The English Shires, after the Great War. When her jazzing flapper of an aunt dies, Gerardina Mary Chiledexter inherits some silver-topped scent bottles, a wardrobe of love-affair clothes, and astonishingly, a half-share in a million-acre ranch in south-west Texas. Haunted by a psychic cat and the ghost voice of that aunt Leonie, Gerry feels driven to travel thousands of miles to see the ranch for herself. Against a background of big sky, cattle barons and oil wells, she is soon engaged in a game of power, pride and ultimately, love, with the Texan who owns the other half.

Kristy Feltenberger-Gillespi has offered us 3 copies of her YA thriller Jaded

After sixteen-year-old Jade discovers her late grandmother was poisoned, she’s devastated yet determined to find the killer commune member and their motive. With help from her mysterious friend Tyrian, and Peaches, the commune leader’s sweet daughter; Jade unearths dark secrets that involve her mother’s affair, her maternal grandparent’s abandonment, and a plethora of murders. To make matters worse, someone is hell bent on ending Jade’s mission for the truth.

The Review

Each challenger’s appropriate review will appear here on this blog and other platforms where possible. You’ll have the month of July to read and review your book of choice from ones on offer here or a book you’ve chosen yourself. You may have a book sat at home that you’ve been meaning to read for ages but just haven’t got around to it. Books will be sent to readers from the authors at the beginning of July. No more than 3 books from each author is available and books can be requested at any time between June 17th and June 30th. Bookings will have to be on a first come first served basis, by requesting a book you agree to guarantee to read and write a review by the end of July 2014. 

Your Feedback

Let me know if you’re interested in taking part either as an author or reader.