James Minter's Blog: Writers do it in Public..., page 3

Procrastination is our own doing…

The Power of Creativity (Book 3): How to Conquer Procrastination, Finish Your Work and Find Success by Bryan Collins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really like this Author and what he has to say. He can be counted on to give great stories and examples of what needs to happen to become more creative. There are lots of learnings, and I feel he’s really on my side, and perhaps even understands me a bit!

It’s always reassuring to be given examples of how others who have come before, have struggled with the same issues I have, and it inspires me to become better than I perhaps thought I am.

This is book 3 from Collins on the Power of Creative, and it contains many nuggets of information. However, I feel he does himself an injustice since they should be pointed out to the reader, not simply embedded inside paragraphs. I believe this book would have more impact with better formatting. Having said that, it is still well worth the read.

The author provided me with a copy of the book for the purposes of reviewing it.



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An Author's Guide to Goodreads

An Author's Guide to Goodreads: How to Network with Millions of Readers by Barb Drozdowich

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Based on the premise we, as authors, need to find our audience, and Goodreads is a free platform with over 50 million subscribers worldwide, it’s a potential goldmine for writers to connect with readers – but of course, it’s not without hard work and commitment. Drozdowich, in this second book on Goodreads.com, focuses on the need to network. Actually, this book comes as a responses to her first book- The Ultimate Goodreads Guide for Authors - and the fact the visual (screenshot) approach didn’t work across all reading devices, and that in the intervening years Goodreads has changed.
Drozdowich has dropped the embedded graphic approach and instead included links to screencasts – a free series of mini-courses which contain the visual elements supporting her narrative. A great feature of eBooks.
The written content provides a succinct yet worthwhile introduction to each feature of the Goodreads platform, and is ideal for both novice and seasoned users. Well researched and written, it’s a useful time-saver for us hard pushed writers…
In my opinion, Barb could include some hacks or how-to-get-the-best-out-of-Goodreads pointers, but hopefully, they may be forthcoming.




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Values and authentic happiness

My 31 Practices: Release the Power of Your Values for Authentic Happiness by Alan Williams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


My first reaction to seeing the book was excitement! It is about values and authentic happiness – two things close to my heart, and I was very keen to learn something new about myself.

However, I found the book lacks a little structure – maybe it was because I was working with a PDF file, but personally, I needed a little more explanation. All the information is interesting, helpful, and even inspiring, but I found it difficult to understand the pathway. I was hoping to learn what my values are, what they mean to me, and what changes I could make to enhance my life. It was only after understanding the book can be used in conjunction with the website I began to appreciate it a better.

I love the cover and illustrations. The ‘Pause for thought’ sections are helpful, and the quiz is a great idea to give readers an opportunity to identify what they’ve learned.

Potentially an excellent book for people who are the journey of self-discovery and who are open to all the possibilities available to them, but I needed more guidance on how to get the best out of the content.
The authors provided me with a copy for review purposes.




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Guest post: "Billy Saves The Day" reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite

Billy Saves The Day: Billy Growing Up, Book 6, Self-Belief is a novel for children, grades 4-6, written by James Minter and illustrated by Helen Rushworth. It was only eight weeks until year 5 would be over, and Miss Tompkins had a plan for the class's year-end production. They would be performing a musical play called The Keymaster, which told the story of a teacher who could travel through time and visit different eras in history. Miss Tompkins handed out copies of the play to all her students and asked them to read the play for homework. The next day, they were to tell her which part they wanted. A number of people were interested in being the Keymaster, and she would hold auditions for that and any other popular roles. While Billy, Ant and Tom were riding their bikes home after school, Ant told them that he wanted to be the Keymaster. He thought he'd be the best actor for the role, but Tom wanted a chance at the part as well. Billy was not at all happy with the whole idea of the play. He didn't think he'd be any good at acting and singing up there on the stage. His Granddad, however, was convinced that Billy could do it, and he would be more than willing to help Billy rehearse.

James Minter's novel for children, Billy Saves The Day, follows the three friends, Billy, Ant and Tom, as they and their classmates prepare for their end-of-term production. I loved seeing how Miss Tompkins and the class progress from that first day of looking at the script and proceed through holding auditions, building the set, learning about stage directions and holding rehearsals. The reader gets a real feeling for the conflict Billy faces as he deliberates whether to try out for a part. Inside, he really wants to be the one who gets up there on the stage and performs, but he doesn’t think he’s good enough. Minter admirably addresses the fears and stage jitters any actor - no matter how seasoned and accomplished - feels when they're preparing to perform. The reader just can't help but get involved in Billy's dilemma and caught up in the excitement of putting on a play. Can Billy be a superhero and save the performance that so many worked so hard to put on? Billy Saves The Day is a marvelous story that shows kids how great things can happen if you believe in yourself and are willing to put in the necessary effort. It's most highly recommended.

A disturbing but gripping read…

Scent of a Killer by Kevin Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Lewis’s work is new to me. I was recommended the author/book by a friend, and lent a copy. Lewis’s own upbringing was very troubled, and with his hard won knowledge and experience of south London estates, crime and violence he brings realism to his story many readers will find disturbing. Combined with great research into police process and procedures, including the role of a pathologist, a vivid imagination and ability to tell a story, he has written a very engaging, if not disturbing book.
It’s usual for fiction writers take normality and add twenty percent exaggeration to keep the reader turning the pages – I hope this is the case with this story! Combining reality, with imagination and research, Lewis has produced a gripping read – jeopardy is in abundance. My only negative is a chapter on dog fighting which I felt was gratuitous violence and could be omitted – it didn’t progress the story.
If you are a fan of CSI type television programs you’ll love this book. I’m now going to seek out “The Kid,” Lewis’s debut novel.



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Is that what we humans are really like ...?

The Humans by Matt Haig

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I was lent this book by a friend, but beforehand I had no knowledge of Matt’s work. I’m so glad she loaned me the book.
The Humans is an insightful and humours look at the human condition told through the eyes of an alien on a mission. For a start, this is a great writing device, and expertly used by Matt. Second, Matt has teased out many of the idiosyncrasies of modern day life; how we humans say something and mean something totally different. Or how all actions are context based, and if, as is the likelihood when you are an alien, you don’t understand the unspoken context, you misunderstand the intention. And third, the importance of love – to love, and to be loved.
Matt has a good observational eye, and ability to write in a way that resonates with many people; a highly recommended read. I’m off to check out Matt’s other works.




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Sensitive treatment of a difficult subject

The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair by Lara Williamson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Modern family are frequently complex with single parents, separations, divorces, remarriages and many other combinations and variations in between. For adults this is a testing time, but for children of all ages, it’s often incomprehensible.
In “The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair”, the author Lara Williamson, follows the lives of the brothers Billy and Becket Rumsey. With no mother their father is doing his best to give them a family life, but his life is not so simple either. The story is told through the eyes of Becket, aged eleven and the elder of the two boys, as he struggles with his father’s relationships on the one hand, and his younger brother Billy, who blames himself for them having no mother. At seven years of age Billy has a confused view of what happened, and believes that somehow it was his fault for the trouble the family finds themselves in. As children do, Becket wants to make it alright for Billy, but he’s being told platitudes by his dad, who in turn wants to protect his son’s from what’s happening in his own life, and make everything okay. On top of all this, Becket is troubled by good-byes, and the fact he never had chance to say good-bye to his mum.
Lara handles the whole situation with care and sensitivity. This is a children’s book primarily, and she is conscious that what she writes has the potential to impact her audience who may be dealing with very similar situations happening in their own lives.
Her writing style and use of humour first seen in her debut novel “A Boy Called Hope” is maintained in this book making for an engaging and enjoyable read.



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A children’s book that can be enjoyed by animal lovers of any age

by Maretha Botha

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Having lived in southern Africa on the edge of a game reserve, Maretha Botha has first-hand experience of life in the region, and draws upon it to inform her stories. She is a champion of conservation, and keen to help young ones appreciate the importance of looking out for, and seeing the plight of many creatures, especially those in the wild.
Though this is a children’s book, it will be enjoyed by animal lovers of any age. It’s an entertaining adventure story that parents will enjoy reading to younger children, or will be appreciated by older independent readers. It’s thought provoking using the descriptive imagery of Africa to set the scene for the series to develop.
Flame and Hope are best friends, and the stories are told through the eyes of Hope. Since Hope is a bird perched high in an Acacia tree, he has an uninterrupted view of the remote cattle farm where Flame, a dog, lives. Flames and Hope are also friends with many other and varied animals and birds that live in the vicinity. On occasions the creatures gather around the tree where Hope is perched, and from where he recounts tales of past goings on.
This is a great writing device, and Maretha uses it well. Although the stories are engaging and well told, I have a slight reservation with the book for the newly independent reader: typically eight years old and upwards. Having said that, Roald Dahl’s Gobblefunk added over a thousand words to the English language of no relevance or meaning and his books are highly successful. Unlike Dahl, Maretha does include a dictionary in her book to help with pronunciation – look out Roald, you have a new contender chasing your heels…




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A must read for every individual intending to start their own small business...

A Practical Guide to Setting up Your Business by Katherine Baines

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is for intending, new or recent individuals starting out on the tricky road to commercial success. Having a great business idea for your new product or service is only a small, yet very crucial part, of setting up and running a successful business. However, there are many additional components you need to take into consideration, as well as a raft of skills to acquire, and knowledge to gain.
Ms Baines is a qualified accountant who started her own practice a couple of years back – she knows what she is talking about, and has her own considerable success to prove she cannot only talk-the-talk but also walk-the-walk. And her success has been widely recognised by her peers, and for which she has received several awards and commendations.
“How to …” books are a valuable addition to any entrepreneur's toolkit – it saves you doing loads of work yourself which has already been done by others. This book is no exception. Although not in-depth, and not just about accounting, it’s a great place to start before you commit yourself to a new start up business. Broken down into logical and manageable chunks, the book lays out all the areas you’ll need to address as you navigate your journey. A must read for anybody wanting to be a self-employed sole-trader, or form a partnership, or a limited company. Highly recommended.




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Essential reading for authors growing their platform...

Blogging for Authors by Barb Drozdowich

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As a self-published fiction author, besides writing great stories, I’m like all other authors, and need to jump through many hoops to get my books in front of my readers. Time is a premium, and in my opinion, “How to … “ books are a life saver, especially when written by Barbara Drozdowich. She is always honest and authentic, and writes her books to help—they are detailed, inclusive, tried and tested.
Looking at the Table of Contents will give you a quick insight to the breadth and depth of her coverage, yet she doesn't overburden the reader with unnecessary detail. The chapters are littered with links to other useful resources, which allows the reader to have a very personal experience when reading this book – a great benefit of digital books. To follow or not to follow a link, the choice is yours.
This book is essential for any serious author building their platform, and one that should prove a sound investment. Having read this book I now need to enact the advice, hints and tips, and that’s down to me. Highly recommended.




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