“Tales of the Normal”: A Flash Fiction Collection
Posted: November 30, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Stories | Tags: Book Review, DeAnna Knippling, Flash Fiction, Micro-fiction, Tales of the Normal 1 Comment
Tales of the Normal, by DeAnna Knippling is an intriguing collection of flash and micro-fiction that is anything but normal. In fact, I’ve never seen a collection of stories quite like this one. As with all short fiction, some of the stories don’t quite feel complete, but others may leave you haunted.
A flash collection gets a flash review. Tales of the Normal kept me reading and made me think. I give it four quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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Artemis: From Vigilanty Diety to Superhero
Posted: November 23, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Comic Hero, Fiction, Horror, Speculative Fiction, Super Hero, Uncategorized | Tags: Artemis, Book Review, Chris Snider, Dark Fantasy, horror, Mythology, Speculative Fiction, Superhero, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
One town, two killers and the body count is rising. Artemis, by Chris Snider is the tale of how freak set of circumstances turned an ordinary scientist on the brink of death into something no longer human. With superhuman powers, including the ability to command animals, Joseph Art becomes Artemis, defender of animals and the innocent or vulnerable. The police don’t know whether they should string him up as a vigilante, or pin a medal on him. After he comes face to face with the evil clown axe murderer, the stakes are raised and the hunt becomes personal, and no one knows what will happen when the two killers confront one another a final time.
The individual storylines are skillfully woven into a single plotline and action filled climax. I give Artemis four quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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“Operation Hail Storm”: A pleasant surprise
Posted: November 9, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Thriller | Tags: Book Review, Brett Arquette, Drones, Opperation Hail Storm, Spy Thriller, Thriller, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
From the cover, I thought Operation Hail Storm, by Brett Arquette was going to be a military action tale, but I was a little surpised because it’s not. It’s more of a spy thriller with a touch of romance worked in. It’s got spies and lots of action and the coolest drones.
Marshall Hail is in the business of nuclear energy and stealth operations using high tech drones in this futuristic thriller. As a wealthy enterprenuar, Marshal Hail has found a way to offer cheap nuclear energy to underprivaleged countries, and it has made him even richer. He chooses to use those riches to build his own team of operatives and take out the worst of the world’s worst, but the U.S.A. is unsure if he’s a good guy hero or a bad boy vigilante and they send one of their top operatives, Kara Ramey, to gather intelligence and help them decide. But their is something in the air between Hail and Ramey that’s ensures a gradually budding romance is on the horizon whether either of them is willing to admit it.
This tale is repetitive in places, has headhopping omnipotence, and the snappy banter of many action novels which I dislike if it’s not done well. In spite of all that, it is a good story that kept the pages turning, and that’s what counts. I give Operation Hail Storm three quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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“How I Sold 80,000 Books”: Advice Every Author Should Know
Posted: November 2, 2018 Filed under: Books, marketing, Nonfiction, Promotion, Writing, Writing Tips | Tags: Alinka Rudowska, book marketing, Book Promotion, Book Review, How I Sold 80000 Books, marketing 1 Comment
How I Sold 80,000 Books: Book Marketing for Authors (Self Publishing Through Amazon and Other Retailers), by Alinka Rutkowska offers authors valuable marketing tips coming from the business end of writing. Coming from a marketing background, Rutkowska shares tips on the art of successful book marketing, which might be applied to increase book sales and push the author’s name up on the bestseller’s listings.
Although the advice in How I Sold 80,000 Books is aimed mostly toward nonfiction works, Rutkowska claims it can easily be applied to works of fiction, too. The book takes readers through the author’s step-by-step marketing system, which she uses to sell her own books. She shares her secrets for producing a quality product that sells, talks about the best outlets through which to offer your books, discusses how to put the best price on your books, and effective ways to promote your books. Although every step may not be applicable by every author, they are all good, solid book marketing advice.
The valuable book marketing advice contained within may be why this book was a Readers’ Favorite Book Award winner, and why every author should add How I Sold 80,000 Books to their must read list. I will use much of the advice received from this book and I give it five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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“Lost Girl”: A paranormal thriller mystery just in time for Halloween
Posted: October 26, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, Suspense | Tags: Ann Francis Scott, Book Review, Lost Girl, mystery, Paranormal, Parnormal Mystery, Suspense 4 Comments
Lost Girl, by Anne Francis Scott keeps the suspense ratched up to high, with more twists and turns that a serpentine spiral. This paranormal suspense mystery is crafted with skill that keeps readers guessing, but in a good way. Her search for her past draws Alison to Dawson Mills, where some very strange things occur. She is haunted by a past that she can’t quite remember, one just as disturbing as the ghost children she sees in the woods around the large Victorian she intends to make her home. But, does the danger lie in the ghost children, or is there a greater menace lurking in the shadows?
Ghosts, suspense and questions galore, Lost Girl has all the elements of a good scary story. I give it five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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“Webs of Perception”:The Final Chapter of a Saga
Posted: October 19, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Commercial Fiction, Fiction, Suspense | Tags: Book Review, Darlene Quinn, Webs of Perception Leave a comment
Webs of Perception is the final novel in Darlene Quinn’s Webs series – the saga of a high profile family in the high-end retail industry, the Taylors, who meet with more than their share of adversity, but always stand tall and come out stronger for it.
In this final novel, disaster strikes once again, in the form of a gigantic rogue wave, which blindsides an ocean liner, with the two Taylor twins on board, and it appears one was swept overboard and the other has developed amnesia from the impact, leaving open many questions and few answers. The reader is caught up in the mystery almost from the moment they open the front cover.
The use of multiple POVs and multiple voices is daring and inovative – creative way to get around the question of how to refer to an amnesia vicim, whose identity hasn’t been established. Short chapters keep the story moving at the perfect pace. This book is a relaxed read which never falters in tone, and is a smooth, easy read.
As the last book in the series, I can see how Webs of Perception might not work as a stand alone novel. I believe there are too many characters, as well as too much background to read this novel without the knowledge from earlier books in the series. I’ve read and reviewed two, (Twisted Webs and Unpredictable Webs), and still I had difficulty keeping track of the who’s who among the secondary players. But, as a wrap-up novel for the series, which it was crafted to be, I felt it was absolutely perfect.
I give Webs of Perception five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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Dark Visions: A Horror Anthology You Won’t Want to Miss
Posted: October 12, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Speculative Fiction, Stories | Tags: Book Review, Dan Alatorre, Dark Visions, horror, Short Fiction 27 Comments
October is the month for scary things, and a horror anthology filled with spine chilling short stories from over thirty authors is the perfect read for the season. The release of Dan Alatorre’s compilation of Dark Visions anthology is October 15th, and you won’t want to miss it. In addition to a wonderfully original and entertaining prologue, and his own story, “The Corner Shop”, Dan has lined up a slew of writing talent to include in this tomb of short horror tales.
Not only does this anthology have a very cool cover, (Check it out above), but it also has some very well crafted short fiction, some that will stay with you in times to come. These shorts cover a wide spectrum of horrors; nightmares, voodoo, vampires, apparitions and spirits, and even demons. The stories found here prey upon your inner fears, making brief little ditties from the stuff of nightmares.
None of the stories I read from this collection would rate less than three quills, meaning even the mediocre stories are pretty good. Among my favorites are “The Devil’s Hollow”, by Adele Marie Park; “Road Kill”, by Ernesto San Giacomo; “Behind the Leather Apron”, by Alana Turner; “The Bloody Dagwood Tree”, by Dabry Farmer; and “Ice Cream”, by Geoff LePard.
Not to say that other stories in this volume are not noteworthy. Many of these stories will keep you awake at night, including: “The Haunting of William”, by Robbie Cheadle; “Nightmare”, by Lori Micken; “Swimming”, by Frank Parker; “Lucifer’s Revenge”, by Christine Valentor; “What If”, by Geoff LePard; “Ghosts of Tupelo” by Sharon Cathcart; “Where the Black Tree Grows”, by M.D. Walker; “The Right Time to Move”, by Jennifer Ruff; “The Stranger”, by Allison Maruska; “The Storm”, by J.A. Allen; and “Spirit Lake”, by Sharron Connell.
I may be difficult to please when it comes to short fiction, because I like my stories to feel complete and often short fiction fails on those lines, but most of the tales in this collection did not fail to satisfy. Most of them were also a little creepy, which is essential when it comes to horror. And, did I mention it has a really cool cover? Put all of that together, and I give Dark Visions five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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“Doomed to Repeat”: A Mystery in History
Posted: October 5, 2018 Filed under: Action/Adventure, Book Review, Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller | Tags: Action, Book Review, mystery, Tim Baker, Time, Time travel 1 Comment
Doomed to Repeat is author Tim Baker’s latest crazy crime novel, complete with his usual cast of lovable characters; Ike, Brewski, Ralph Donabedian and the Golden Lion Staff.
Ike and Brewski get a blast from the past when Nazis with amnesia show up in Flagler Beach. As they work to unravel the mystery of how they came to be in this time, while trying to stay one step ahead of the white supremicist who is trying to muscle Ralph Donabedian and the other Flagler Beach business owners into selling all of their properties, they learn their new found friends may hold the evidence to prove two great historical myths to be truths. But, with the bad guys, the C.I.A. and the Russians all closing in, can they save their new found friends and the secrets they carry with them without getting themselves killed or letting their secrets fall into the wrong hands?
When you pick up a novel set in Flagler Beach, and find Ike and Brewski sitting in the middle of it, you know the story will be entertaining, and Doomed to Repeat does not disappoint. I give it five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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“Twisted”: An Unusual Body Switching Tale
Posted: September 21, 2018 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, romance, Romantic Comedy, Speculative Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Dark Fantasty, Humor, Paranormal Romance, RA Winter, Speculative Fiction, Twisted, vampires, werewolves 3 Comments
We’ve all heard tales which involved body switching, but what does one do when they are switched into the body of, not only the opposite sex, but that of a different species, one that is your sworn enemy? Twisted is a Vampire Werewolf Freaky Friday novelette, by R.A. Winter which deals with just such a delimma. And the worst part is, they are going to have to work together if they want to save their world.
This funny, quirky novelette explores the unthinkable and makes it believable and entertaining. The humor is on the adult side and may be a little over the top for the YA crowd, but it will keep the pages turning. It’s a fun read andI give Twisted five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
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The Well-Fed Writer: How to make your writing pay
Posted: September 14, 2018 Filed under: Books, Copywriting, Nonfiction, Writing | Tags: Advertising, Book Review, Brochures, Commercial Copywriting, Emails, Flyers, Newletters, Peter Bowerman, The Well-Fed Writer, White Papers 4 Comments
As some of my friends and followers know, I’m determined to turn my writing into my full time job. With that in mind, I’ve been delving into the arena of commercial copywriters, because it’s something I can do from my home office, it involves my favorite activity of writing and allows me to make money from it, and it is something I can start out at part-time and move into full time as the money starts rolling in.
The Well-Fed Writer, by Peter Bowerman should be required reading for all freelance copywriters. Bowerman is himself a successful freelance commercial copywriter, sharing his knowledge and experience, as well as a collection of advice from other freelancers.
This book is a basic guide to building a lucrative freelance commercial copywriting service, covering everything from gaining and dealing with clients to the different types of copywriting skills there are to add to your repetoir. It offers advice from successful copywriters who are making their freelance businesses work for them and makiing their writing pay. Although it does not feature many examples of the different types of copywriting projects you might want to offer, it does give links where you can find samples and explore those avenues; from white papers, to emails, to newsletters, to brochures and flyers. And Bowerman offers suggestions for other useful books you may want as well.
The way I see it, this book is like a bare basics copywriter’s handbook, and no copywriter that is serious about his or her craft should be without it. I found The Well-Fed Writer to be very helpful in knowing which direction I need to go to get my own commercial copywriting service off the ground. I give it five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
