Guest Post: Five-Star Book, Five-Star Book Review

The following is a guest post from Nikolas Baron on behalf of Grammarly. 

A few lines of a dust jacket impel you to read a novel or place it back on the shelf. Book reviews are even more powerful because many readers already have an interest in the featured book. Your review is the weight that tips the scales in favor of reading a book or moving on to the next possibility. Do not fight the power! A successful book review contains a titillating review and an honest critique. The following six tips demonstrate how to write a book review that is equal to its task.

Go for the Extreme!

The best selections for a book review are extreme in some feature. If the plot is pitifully slow or artfully crafted, one easily draws attention to its flaws and qualities. If the ending is predictable as a sunset or as unforeseeable as a flash flood, the readers want to know. The choice of an author is also important. A controversial author attracts more interest than an unknown scribe.

Read the Whole Shebang

Once you have selected a provocative publication, read it from cover to cover. The book jacket provides a synopsis that you can echo in your review. The introduction, or preface, contains valuable background information about the writing and the author. By reading the entire book and taking notes, you have an opportunity to note the principal themes and outstanding quotes. Your review will stand out as thorough and comprehensive.

Summarize, Don’t Plagiarize

Reading other critiques offers inspiration, but be careful not to plagiarize. The same caution applies to quoting from the work of literature. Use quotes judiciously. There is a useful plagiarism checker online. Using this device ensures that your work is viewed as original.

Spoiler Alert!

As a reviewer, your mission is to discuss the merits and the faults of the literature. To do this, briefly describe the plot. Rarely, however, does a book review contain more than 1500 words. Keep it short and simple! Also, be careful not to give away too many details of the plot. Do not reveal surprising plot twists. Read professional reviews of books to see how the experts accomplish this task.

It’s Okay to Hate When You Evaluate

Be honest. Do not be afraid to criticize. If you support your remarks with evidence from the writing, you demonstrate that your comments are not mere negativity. Some writers find this candid feedback useful to improve their next foray into writing. Your readers will respect a review that tells it like it is.

Proofread with the Shoe on the Other Foot

Think about the targeted reader base for the publication that you are evaluating. Ensure that your review appeals to the potential readers. An overly cerebral or simplistic review will turn off even the hardiest of bookworms. Remember to read the entire novel. Discern the genre and target demographic. Then, write with this reader in mind. Ask, what type of review would appeal to fiction readers? How should I present information to industry experts? Will teenagers want to read this review?

Why does a dull book deserve a grabbing review? It is your job to warn the readers! As for an amazing book, how will the readers find out its value unless your review reveals its worth? Choose among the extremes. Take time to read the entire novel to discern themes. However, leave some mystery in the plot and conclusion so that people desire to read the novels that you recommend. Be honest and speak with your heart. Write with the target demographic in mind. There is a solemn responsibility in writing book reviews. A great deal of power lies in your hands. Use your power for good and write a reliable and honest book review.

Nikolas Baron

Guest Post by A.K. Morgen: Wolves, Myth and the Legend of Wolf Boy

Wolves, Myth, and the Legend of Wolf Boy

Blogger Book Fair Guest Post

For as long as I can remember, I've loved mythology. The various ways society has interpreted life, religion, and the mysteries of the Universe over the years fascinate me. As a writer of paranormal and fantasy romance, I often find myself searching out obscure myths with the hope of someday incorporating them into the worlds I build.

One of my favorite subjects is the wolf. Every culture views wolves a little differently, so there are an abundance of myths and legends out there dealing with this majestic, fierce animal.

In Finland, for instance, wolves have long been hated. They've also had a bad rap with the Christian faith, where they're often viewed as an enemy of man, or as a representation of various sins and evils. And in the Hindu faith, Krishna created wolves at one point specifically to frighten the Vraja into doing as he required.

Other faiths and people have a much more positive view of the wolf. In Chechnya, Mongolian, and Japanese myths and folklore, wolves are revered. And in Roman mythology, a wolf was responsible for the founding of Rome after having saved Romulus and Remus.

In other areas of the world, wolves fall somewhere in the middle. They play many roles and are viewed in many different ways. This is nowhere as true as in the myths and lore that sit at the center of Norse culture.

In Norse mythology, Odin's most beloved pets were wolves named Geri and Freki. Odin fed the pair from his table and took them everywhere with him. When Odin and the Æsir created man, they sent Geri and Freki to teach them how to care for and love one another.

The warriors of the Norse people were also said to be able to transform into wolves during battle, and were better able to defend their people as a result. And, on the other end of the spectrum, of course, sits Loki's son, Fenrir. According to Norse belief, Fenrir is destined to kill Odin at Ragnarök after the twin wolves Sköll and Hati devour Mani and Sol, the moon and sun gods.

The wolf myths of the Norse people take center stage in my upper young adult series, The Ragnarök Prophesies, but oddly enough, my favorite wolf legend doesn't come from the Northern people. It comes from the Kiowa in a story called the Legend of Wolf Boy.

The story tells of a young boy who refuses to betray his brother by sleeping with his wife. This angers the boy’s sister-in-law, so she traps him in a hole in the ground and tells him that she will only release him if he agrees to do as she requires. He refuses, so she leaves him there, tells his brother he died, and then returns with her husband to their home.

Eventually, a pack of wolves hear the boy crying in the hole and ask him why he’s down there. When he explains what happened, the wolves rescue him. They raise him as one of their own.

Many years later, the boy’s people find him, and he tells them what happened so long ago. The wolves then tell his people to bring the woman to them, and they kill her for the wrong she committed against the boy and her mate. 

You can read a version of the entire legend here.

I love how accurately this legend portrays the real-world behavior of wolves. Obviously, wolves aren't running around chatting with people, but they are pretty amazing animals. When wolves mate, they mate for life. A wolf is faithful to his or her mate, and they're very much a "family first" species. In most instances, the pack itself is a nuclear family unit, and they are very nurturing of one another.

When a pack adopts a new member, the new member is accepted into the family without reservation. While adopted members tend to be young wolves, there are numerous accounts out there of wolves adopting abandoned human children into their packs and raising them as one of their own, too.

The Kiowa legend captures this reality perfectly, I think. Not only do the wolves rescue the young boy, but they reward his loyalty to his brother by adopting him. And years later, when they come across the boy's deceitful sister-in-law again, they punish her for her sins against their pack-mate as much as for her disloyalty to her mate.

The wolves in my stories are a lot like those in the Kiowa legend. They're honorable, noble, and incredibly loyal. They're also pretty scary when the occasion demands it, because, let's face it, nothing is more frightening than an angry wild animal!

About the Author:

A.K. Morgen lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband, three dogs, and demonic cat. She has a graduate degree in Criminal Justice and Law, and plans to save the world some day. When she’s not writing, she spends her time teaching her niece and nephews how to cause mischief. You can also find her dancing in the grocery store, building a spork army, and fundraising for nonprofits close to her heart.

You can learn more about Ayden at http://akmorgen.com or by following her on Twitter, GoodReads, or Facebook.

FADE – The Ragnarök Prophesies: Book One –

Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance

Summary:

What do you do when you realize nothing in your life is what you’ve believed it to be?

When Arionna Jacobs loses her mother in a tragic accident, her world is turned upside down. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father. Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at her new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.

When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don't understand what's happening to them or why, and they're running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them.

Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.

FADE is available from Curiosity Quills Press at Amazon US, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

Blog Tour Stop: Dancers and Divas by Kathy Petrakis

The Dancers and Divas book series follows hip hop dancer Elena Martinez and her best friend, actor Sebastien Duval, as they navigate their way through New York’s top Performing Arts School. They not only have to deal with auditions, rejection and endless rehearsals, but also their own personal journey and that of their friends and enemies, in order to discover their true selves and their dreams.

Passion and Pain - (which will be $0.99 during promotion)  http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Pain-Dancers-Divas-ebook/dp/B009D4PNME/

Bittersweet - http://www.amazon.com/Bittersweet-Dancers-and-Divas-ebook/dp/B00CKBJDE6

Kathy has stopped by today to talk about the significance of New Adult books.

Why write New Adult books?

For a long time Young Adult was the talk of the town – the new genre to separate teens from children. But the problem was a thirteen year old and a nineteen year old how very different maturity levels, interests, challenges and reading levels. How can one genre accommodate people at such different points in their life? It can’t. Then New Adult came along – some people claimed it was Young Adult with sex or Mature YA. I definitely think that is one way of describing it. For late teens, sex, its introduction, experience and misuse plays a major role in their life. But for many, new adult is the college years when independence begins – first jobs, first time out of home. To me it’s both - it’s mature teenagers taking on new worlds regardless if they are still in high school or are now living independently or starting college.

In the Dancers and Divas series, the main characters are teenagers but they experience just about everything a young adult possibly could from sexual awakening, independence, bullying, self-doubt, lust and of course friendship, love and loyalty. There are some who have to find a way to survive on their own, others fighting their parents’ expectations, and others supporting their parents through illness. Their age is irrelevant except that many of these experiences are new.

Is there sex? Of course there is. Especially at that age, sex is the cause of so much angst, happiness and confusion. There are teenagers holding onto their virginity, others who are comfortable with their sexuality and use it to their advantage and others who experience the worst of sex. It’s definitely not an erotic book but sex is definitely one thing these teenagers need to face one way or another. It’s real and sometimes it’s scary and sometimes it’s great – but it’s only important in that it has an impact on a character.

There is no doubt that everyone experiences new things in their life, whether they’re five or fifty-five. But late adolescence is such a vital time for forming your identity that I love having my characters at that age. There is so much that comes their way, both good and bad that it opens up so many avenues of creativity for me. I never set out to write something for New adults or Young adults – these were my characters and this is what they experienced while still in high school and it definitely isn’t for a twelve year old!

And it’s not just teenagers reading in the YA /NA genre – many adults do also which just goes to show how these experiences can affect everyone! Many of my future novel ideas still include characters in the same age band for that same reason as do many TV shows.

I hope you enjoy reading the series as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Guest Post by Shattered Illusions Author Leigh Hershkovich

Thanks so much to Leigh Hershkovich for stopping by today! Look out for her upcoming debut novel Shattered Illusions.

            As a child, I looked at the world with rose colored glasses. I recall myself at the age of five or six, seeing the world with a much brighter and perhaps unrealistic tone of the world. It was only after I experienced the first act of being bullied that the shade of the world suddenly turned from pink to gray. My eyes were opened to the harsh realities of the world, and though as times the warm hue returns, it never stays for long.

            The harsh matter of the world is that reality is incredibly difficult. There are times where the hustle and bustle of daily living may make the world seem all the more exciting, thus distracting a person from the harsh consequences of life. At times when things are calm and even boring, it becomes difficult to recall that life is meant to be lived, not merely struggled through. In every scenario, both when life seems nice and easy, as well as when the struggles are prominent, the facts remain: Living is not simple or easy. Life is grueling, though the aches and pains are all the more worthwhile in the long run.

            In the case several of the characters in Shattered Illusions, the harsh realities of the world are often either lost on them or over exaggerated due to their perspective of the world. Though they all struggle through separate pains and distresses throughout the course of the novel, it is the shared difficulty of witnessing a murder that truly exemplifies their take on life.

            Though the characters eventually come to a small sense of inner peace as the novel progresses, life only gets worse before it gets better. Four strangers with equally difficult pasts, strung together by witnessing the murder of a local business owner. The four of them, though worlds apart, must put their distances aside for the sake of the case as well as for the sake of their sanity. It forces them to quickly grow up, and face the world as it truly as. Each character is no stranger to pain, having endured life altering, devastating experiences throughout their lives. The two younger characters, Ella Sansburg and Danny Michaels, have barely come out of their high school shells, but have experienced  more grief than what most people experience over the course of a lifetime. The same can be said of Sarah Grigg and Marco Santorini, the seasoned, well adjusted adults. Their harsh realities are made all the more grueling by the fact that not one of them know how to face life with even an ounce of positivity or joy. Though their bleakness is exposed and expressed in different manners, to a certain effect, they are all feeding off the emotions of one another.

            The lives of my characters began to make much more sense to me after I completed writing the novel. Though I was well versed in manners of the world when I first began writing Shattered Illusions at the age of eighteen, when I had completed it, I was struggling to live on my own and find a decent job for the first time in my life. I became well aware very quickly of just how much the lives of my characters would very well be my own, had the circumstance deepened. Thankfully, it did not. Reaching for the stars and striving for a goal is not as easy as my teachers told me it would be throughout my schooling career. Life is about hard work and perseverance. It is not always rosy, and tragedy strikes when least expected. My reality all but changed once I was on my own. The world can be a very cruel place, but within the cruel crevices lies hope.

            It was through the journey of the characters I created that I learned the true meaning of grief, but at the same time, I learned about self healing and overcoming harsh difficulties. I hope that my readers will find that they learn the same lesson, or even a greater one, through reading Shattered Illusions as well.

Leigh Hershkovich’s writing career began almost at infancy. Born and raised in The City by the Bay, Leigh was never seen without a pen and paper by her side, and was never without a story to share. With her vivid imagination and sharp writing tactics, she has taken the world by storm twice over. Now, with her debut novel Shattered Illusions, readers will get a first time glimpse into her first full fiction attempt.

An avid reader, accomplished pianist, passionate scholar of the language and the arts, Leigh currently resides in New York with her imagination.

You can learn more about Leigh and the world of Shattered Illusions by visiting her website (http://www.leighhershkovich.com), her blog (http://www.leighhershkovich.blogspot.com) or by following her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LeighHershkovich). Shattered Illusions can also be found on Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16104490-shattered-illusions).

The Morning Star by Tania Penn Blog Tour Stop With Guest Post and Giveaway

Publication Date: January 10th, 2013

Publisher: self-pub

Purchase HERE

Being the daughter of Lucifer keeps seventeen year old Dawn Belial busy. For almost her entire lifetime, she has been trying to think of a way to free her Archangel mother, Michaela, whom her father has held captive for centuries. She's also attending high school - balancing trigonometry, history, and recruiting souls for her father along with her wicked half-sister, Venus.

There has been no time for love until she meets mysterious Gabriel, a British exchange student. As they fall in love against their will, she discovers a startling secret about him, and a shocking connection to her mother that changes everything.

THE AUTHOR:

Author of debut young adult novel, The Morning Star. Currently working on the sequel, Equinox, as well as a chick-lit, rom-com, slightly sleazy and funny story with a twist, Catching Frogs. And, because I'm loco in the roco, I've got about 12 more on the back burner. When I'm not writing I can be found kayaking, hiking, ninja-training, traveling, and taking a ferry over to the San Juan Islands to search for the elusive creature known as the "Orca." I also am constantly adding ridiculous wants, needs, must-see's and do's to my ever expanding bucket book. 

I covet a delicious malbec with a rare steak and make a killer salsa.

GOODREADS | BLOG | TWITTER | 

Guest Post: Writing Inspiration

Inspiration for me can come from the most inopportune and random time, a bizarre dream (that's what I get for mixing a lemon drop martini and wine before bed!), or just one word, one stinkin' solitary word and that will set off a chain reaction in my brain of "holy hell, I need to turn that into a novel!” One time, when I had a band while living in California, we were having a rehearsal at my house. My friend and guitarist BJ played a quick lick on his guitar while our friend and drummer, Bret, took a bathroom break. In 2 minutes, I had written a complete song from that 2 chord lick, we rehearsed it for about 5 minutes, then quickly recorded it right then and there on my handheld recorder so we wouldn’t forget, then recorded it in the studio a few days later. I remember Bret saying, “I just went to the bathroom, and you guys wrote a song?!” That’s still my favorite song and recording we had done. But that kind of on the spot inspiration for me usually proves to be the sweetest.

It's the random, “hey that just came to me” ideas that are inspiring and fun to write. The ability to think up, mold, create and play with (in my head at least) with my imaginary friends is greatly rewarding, and sometimes headache inducing. (Cue more wine...) I have about 18 stories on the back burner right now, including the sequel to The Morning Star, that I’ve been working on. Which is great, because if I get stuck on one, then I’ll mosey on over to one of my other stories, and they are all different. Horror, thriller, dystopian, horror-comedy, horrotica, middle grade, sci-fi. All completely different beasts, but somehow, if I get stuck on one, inspiration will rear it’s beautiful head for another one. I try on any given day to write out at least 1000 words. My thoughts are constantly in motion, even when I’m trying to sleep. If I get stuck on a chapter, I’ll go to bed imagining those characters on pause at where I can’t continue to write, and try to figure out what they would do or say next. That usually helps me.

Events that have occurred at various times in my life have served as inspiration as well. I usually travel around with a small notepad to write down occurrences that may prove to be useful down the line, from funny little quips that come out of my or my friend’s mouths (Thank you Stephanie for your many contributions to my upcoming novel, Catching Frogs!), to something that catches my eye.

With The Morning Star, I wanted to write a Romeo and Juliet type of story, but with biblical characters and expanding on that, being mindful to be respectful, and that there would be those who would find it blasphemous. (A few of my friends did, actually.) There are a few embellished events and/or characters that served as inspiration.
That’s another thing about inspiration, sometimes pain and heartache will bleed out of the pen, or keyboard in my case!

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Guest Post: Four Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Freelancing

Hi everyone! Today I'm welcoming writer Kate Wilson to my blog. She has shared a piece she wrote on freelance writing. If you have followed my blog, you know how much I recommend freelance writing to make a supplemental income.

I'd like to address the writers, designers, and entrepreneurs out there who're considering giving up their day job for a career as a freelancer.

Starting out as a freelancer sounds like a great gig, especially when you're daydreaming about it at a typical 8-5 desk job. But I can tell you from experience that the realities of freelancing are much more nuanced and far less glamorous than whatever you might be dreaming up while typing up a fresh batch of reports for the office. Some bloggers make freelancing out to be the best thing since sliced bread—and while it is a great vocation, there are some aspects of the job that aren't for everyone.

That's not to say that I want to discourage your from starting out on your own as a freelancer, far from it. I just want to equip you, dear reader, with the realities of a life change as drastic as working for yourself. So without further ado, I'd like to share with you four tidbits of advice that I wish I had known before I started out as a freelancer myself. Enjoy, and good luck to all those who do set out on their own!

Money will be tight for a while

I saved about three months' worth of salary before quitting my day job to become a freelancer. I had no illusions about the fact that it would take me quite some time before I could hope to earn a sustainable income, so I had to play it as safe as possible.

Let me tell you this: three months' worth of salary from a decent desk job will only stretch so far when money's tight and projects are few and far between. I was paying for upkeep on my own supplies and appliances, lunches with potential clients, travel expenses, etc. While there's no magic number to save before setting out on your own, one thing is for sure: if you have some money saved, chances are that it's not enough. In other words, save as much money as you can and then some before you quit your job!

Don’t be choosey about clients, even those that are difficult to work with

There is no guaranteed work as a freelancer; you're only as financially stable as the number of clients and projects you have in your docket. That means that you really have to be proactive about finding new sources for work and keeping those that you already have happy and content with your work. Sometimes you'll come across clients that seem like a godsend, ones that can articulate what they want and how they want it done, whether it’s a batch of writing or a web design. These clients are to be cherished.

Many more clients (in my experience) aren’t as skilled at articulating what they want exactly from freelancers. They'll sketch a rough idea of how they want a project to turn out, and it's up to the freelancer to meet those expectations and try to produce content that will please them. Typically this process involves a lot of back-and-forth between the client and the freelancer, including several critiques and maybe some snarky emails. But this is all familiar territory for freelancers: clients are clients, money is money, even if it comes from employers that aren't exactly pleasant to work with.

Get an agreement in writing from a client before working on a project

Which brings me to the subject of making money. This should go without saying, but it's absolutely critical that freelancers get paid for all the work they do for a client. If you're uncertain about how a client will pay for your services, be sure to enshrine your rates and policies in a contract that they will agree to and sign prior to doing any work on the project.

At the very least, your contract should include hourly rates, stipulations for overtime, and precise language on acceptable methods and dates of payment. There's nothing worse than working on a project for a client before they've signed anything, only to find out that they no longer want your work. Make sure it doesn’t happen to you by writing up a solid contact and you'll be fine.

Being your own boss is a lot of work

Again, when I pictured being a freelancer, I thought of all the stereotypes: working in my pajamas, waking up whenever I wanted to, accepting and denying work at my leisure, and taking long lunch breaks. But once you start freelancing, you quickly realize just how responsible you have to be to earn a sustainable living. Sure, you can wake up at 11AM every day as a freelancer, but you probably won't win over many clients that way. Freelancing could be a harsh wakeup call for writers and entrepreneurs who aren't used to so much responsibility, but it could also be a springboard into success for people who can handle it.

Kate Wilson is a freelance writer currently writing about political involvement in higher education for collegecrunch.org. Kate also covers topics related to higher education and mobile tech innovations, especially when both of those topics intersect. Feel free to send some comments her way!