Ingrid Hall's Blog, page 4
January 22, 2016
Review of Doing Germany by Don Sloan
Doing Germany by Agnieszka Paletta
Agnieszka Paletta (née Mroszczyk) was born in Cracow, Poland in 1978. When she was 9 years old, her family moved to Toronto, Canada. She graduated from the University of Toronto with a double-major in English and Criminology. Many jobs followed, both in North America and Europe, with no sequential relevance or career logic. By the age of 32, she had already worked in the fields of publishing, IT and teaching, been an executive assistant and a waitress, anything and everything in order to pursue adventure, travel and a restless spirit.
Doing Germany is a book about a woman’s struggles to come to grips with her adopted country (by marriage). It is, at once, a charmi, funny — and yet annoying — reminiscence by someone from Canada who has chosen to live in Germany, but cannot seem to figure out why (other than the fact her husband is there.)
Agnieszka is originally from Poland by way of Toronto. Her husband, only known throughout the book as “M” for some reason, is a banking consultant who was making a living working in Europe long before Agnieszka got there and found him — THE ONE, she calls him romantically.
She spends the first three months in Germany in a tiny, ill-furnished apartment, eating chocolate by the liter and going with her new husband to events she barely comprehends the purpose of, such as Oktoberfest.
As soon as she gets done with that, it’s off to the German wine country, where she imbibes so much she is practically carried out of the last winery by her long-suffering husband.
One day she tries the Munich subway. She is nervous about the first-time experience, yet also strangely elated.
“I glanced nervously around the subway car. But having looked at the expressions of the people around me, the butterflies in my stomach dropped dead. As if some tiny little German gnome took out a machine gun and went wild, laughing hysterically.”
To her chagrin, no one on the Monday morning subway car would even look at her, much less share her enjoyment of the moment. She remains similarly non-plussed throughout the book. On rare occasions, however, her mind takes flight over the most prosaic of scenes.
She visits a pond and has a vision about the turtles she finds there. Some, it seems, are more active than others.
“Or maybe those were the young and the wild, with their adrenaline pulsing and the wind in their hair. I tried to take a better look.”
Agnieszka tries hard to fit in — she really does. But she is seemingly thwarted at every turn — first by her inability to learn the language, then by unsuccessful trips into the countryside, trying to find or build a suitable home for them both.
Through it all, “M” remains a stalwart companion, putting up with her increasingly outrageous behavior and observations.
If you like collections of anecdotes that at times comes close to insulting the German people, you might enjoy this. Overall, however, it’s mostly a self-indulgent recounting of two years living in what is, for most people, a pleasant place.
I give this book a generous four stars, based on the fact that it is at least well-written. I hope Agnieszka eventually found happiness with her husband and new baby in the countryside. He, at least, deserved some.
January 21, 2016
January Sale – 20% off Blurb and Synopsis Writing Services
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January 19, 2016
Leave your ego at the door!
When it comes to writing a really great book, what is your biggest hurdle? Could it be that writer’s block that comes to us all in one shape or another? Or maybe it is just that you don’t have enough time to dedicate to your masterpiece.
Actually, it is neither of those things but … and the truth may hurt here…. It is your ego! That’s right your pride is most definitely getting in the way of your ability to put a book out there that truly affects your readers as you want to affect them. What it comes down to is this; no matter how well we say we can handle criticism, positively encouraging it is a whole different ball game!
Ego is the biggest reason why writers do not hire an editor.
Want to read more? Follow this link to continue reading!
January 15, 2016
Review of Ravage Me by Don Sloan
Ravage Me by Mikael Winters and Cheyenne Morgan
Mikael Winters and Cheyenne Morgan are co-authors of Ravage Me: How to Indulge in Your Desires and Avoid the Lunacies of Love, Sex & Relationships.” As writing partners, we have been afforded the opportunity to have shared a zany, synergistic friendship, spanning over the course of fifteen years. Through the years, our common thread as writers has been our love of self-improvement and weaving incredible tales of adult fiction…mayhem, madams, mischief and the like.”
Ever feel like your (a) relationship, (b) your sex life, or both are going nowhere? If so, this might be the book for you. Candid, witty and well-written, this short read uncovers a few of the mysteries that were deemed too hot to handle in Men Are From Mars; Women Are From Venus.
The authors — one a Jewish/Black woman in her late thirties, the other an Anglo couples therapist — comment on the reasons we often choose the wrong partners, discuss why we can’t get the sexual gratification that we need, and argue — convincingly — why failed relationships can often be traced directly back to our parents and our upbringing..
Indeed, they contend that something as simple as a father showering compliments on his young daughter, or bringing her flowers from time to time, can stave off later codependency issues.
In the chapter entitled “Love Starved,” the authors discuss ways in which relationships between people of vastly different ages or backgrounds get started — and why they’re sometimes a vital addition to someone’s life. However, they can also be dangerous.
“If you’ve ever been in a love-starved situation, you’re easy prey for someone to manipulate and discard like flavorless gum.”
In the same chapter, they offer more sage advice: “The best way to get over someone is to get under someone new.”
It’s important for a young girl to understand that she doesn’t need a man to validate her. “If this is not embedded in her mind at an early age, a woman will fall hard for the first man that tells her she’s pretty.”
In a later chapter, they explain the importance of desire in a marriage or long-term relationship. If it’s not there, one party or the other goes shopping for a new partner — one that provides intense heat. And it’s the main reason why affairs are so hard to terminate once they’re in full bloom. Who wants to settle for ho-hum sex at home when you can experience the carnal delights of an illicit lover?
“Would you leave the intense heat of an industrial-strength oven to try and get warm under the flicker of a mere match?” the authors ask.
And, on the subject of the absence of foreplay in a sexual relationship, the authors are amusingly candid: “Sparse foreplay is like the dentist giving you the bare minimum of Novocain — right before a drill hits your tooth.”
This book is not for those easily put off by swearing or the graphic depiction of various sexual acts. It’s all in the spirit of handing out some refreshing advice that could just save your marriage or relationship.
I give Ravage Me five stars for being a trailblazer in the often-stale genre of self-help books.
January 14, 2016
Spotlight on Emma Wood – Beasts and Savages Book One of the Beastly Series
Emma Woods is a small town girl from the Midwest and the oldest of four. As a youngster, she was a book nerd/marching band geek, and Girl Scout. She went to college to become a teacher, but fate had other plans. She writes YA stories because they are her favourite to read. She has so many stories playing out in her head that she thinks it would be a shame not to write them down and share them with the world!
Beasts and Savages
Lea Corre was taught to value community, family, and the hunt. Her blood stems from a long line of proud hunters. When Lea’s monthly changes come, and she prepares for her own hunt, she questions the brutality and morality of the deadly custom. As she uncovers dark secrets and delves into her mother’s broken past, she determines she will make her own fate. Along the way she encounters Tanner, her intended prey. His village has decided to take a stand against the tyranny of women. When Lea’s prey becomes her captor, she learns more about their lives, the world, and herself. In the end, Lea must choose between two worlds, in which neither she belongs.
You can find Emma at the following places:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theemmawoods/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theemmawoods
WordPress: https://theemmawoods.wordpress.com/
January 12, 2016
Review of Stop The Diet by Don Sloan
Stop The Diet by Lisa Tillinger Johansen
LISA TILLINGER JOHANSEN is a Registered Dietitian who counsels clients on a wide range of health issues. Her debut nutrition book, Fast Food Vindication, received the Discovery Award (sponsored by USA Today, Kirkus and The Huffington Post). She lives in Southern California.
You’ve tried diet after diet, including the ones found in books, magazines, on the Internet — they are more prolific than ever. And you’ll always find someone to heartily endorse the latest one. Thankfully, this book brings clinical, informative insight into the issues surrounding dieting — why we need to diet and, when we do, how to go about it — safely and effectively.
Dr. Lisa Tillinger Johansen brings years of solid experience as a dietitian and nutritional counselor to thousands of people, and, in her book Stop the Diet, I Want to Get Off shares her wit and wisdom — in terms an ordinary person struggling to maintain a safe weight can understand.
In her foreword, she sums up the problem with the plethora of crazy diets out there now:
“Celebrities prance across our screens, promoting a variety of weight loss schemes on talk shows and infomercials. Medical doctors star in their own syndicated television programs, exposing millions to weight management techniques often unsupported by medical research. It’s classic information overload.
“They just plain don’t work,” she adds, “particularly over the long term.”
She adds that three in ten Americans are trying to lose weight. Fifty-five percent of men have tried to lose weight at least four times, and a whopping 73 percent of women have tried dieting seven times in their lives.
It’s a big, big industry, and an even bigger problem for the average American.
Dr. Johansen goes on to debunk the long-term benefits of switching to glutin-free products (if you’re not clinically allergic to glutins), the so-called Scarsdale Diet, and something called the Paleolithic Diet — so named because it takes the dieter back to eating the way our ancestors did — lots of meat, fish, poultry, eggs and other staples. Of the Paleolithic Diet, she observes ascerbically:
“While cavemen didn’t have a lot of the lifestyle diseases we have today, they didn’t live as long, either.”
So, what’s the bottom line in this fact-filled guide to a thinner you? KISS. “Keep It Simple, Smarty!”
She advocates dividing your plate into imaginary quarters, placing fish, poultry, and eggs in the first quarter. The second quarter is for foods such as pasta, rice, corn and peas. Size of the portions matter, too, and you’ll want to watch the amount of fat you take into your body.
There’s so much more in this fact-packed book that can’t be summed up here, but suffice to say this is a guide that everyone who’s serious about maintaining their weight should own. No, it’s not a “Get-Thin-Now” miracle diet. But it does educate you properly on what foods are best to consume, and in what quantity — all in clear, layman’s English.
I give this book five stars and call upon everyone with a weight problem to give it a read.
January 9, 2016
Book Reviews
Hi everyone,
Due to the huge backlog of review requests that we have pending and the fact that other commitments mean that it is only possible for us to post one review per week, I am closing our review queue to new submissions. If you have already submitted a book for review, then it will still be considered. However, there are no guarantees.
I am still available for all other queries, including editing, manuscript assessments, blurb and synopsis writing. If you are interested in any of these services, simply follow this link.
January 8, 2016
Meet “The Owl Lady…”
Viv Drewa is an exceptional children’s author who has turned her love of owls into beautiful, works of fiction that children adore. The arts were very strong on both sides of her family. Her father’s side were the singers. Her Dad wanted to be an opera singer but after getting married, drafted to the army during the Korean Conflict, and returning home and become a father to Viv and her later brother dashed his hopes.
On her mom’s side were the storytellers. Her mom was a storyteller and poet who won several contests for her poetry. Viv tried writing poetry but found that she preferred writing stories.
Like many authors, it was overcoming adversity that pushed her to write. She suffered two mini-strokes in 2013, her doctor suggested puzzle games and Viv asked him if writing would work instead. He said yes, and that is how “The Angler and The Owl“ came to be.
Once she started, she found that she couldn’t stop, and has finished several works since then including her latest release, “Midnight Owl” (A Joe Leverette Mystery Book 1)
You can find out more about “The Owl Lady…” here
January 3, 2016
Date nights just got HOTTER…
Relationships take work… whether you have been together for two months or twenty years, keeping the magic alive requires effort and more than a little bit of imagination! Sexy little surprises can add that extra sparkle and are a wonderful way to keep your partner ‘on their toes’ … and what better time than their Birthday or Valentine’s Day?
Introducing Sensual Cards by Luna Ballantyne
A brand new collection of sensually inspired cards that is sure to add that extra bit of spice to a special occasion! Within the range we have also included a naughty Booty Call Card – perfect for making date nights even more memorable and keeping the romance alive.
This brand new collection is available NOW simply follow this link to discover my brand new range of cards that is sure to have hearts racing!
To celebrate the launch of my Sensual Cards range I am running a competition centred around “the marriage proposal.” First prize is a £200/$300 gift voucher for Agent Provocateur! Follow the link here for details! Good luck!
January 1, 2016
Review of Breach by Don Sloan
Breach by Nyong Atkin
Nyong Atkins, the reader of many New York Times bestsellers–some even to completion, lives in Central
Florida with his wife, their Yorkshire Terrier Charley, and an enduring obsession with fiction writing.
When your boyfriend is a hit man, and you decide to do a reality TV segment recording his deadly deeds,
you have the makings of an entertaining but disjointed book called Breach, by new author Nyong Atkins.
This is a thriller that’s also fun and quirky — if you don’t mind the murders and all (for the record, he only
kills drug lords and other bad guys).
Chris Greaves, the hit man, is coerced by his girlfriend, Ella, to become the star of an extended video
segment in which she follows him around the country snuffing people, with the intention of presenting
it as a pilot for a new network or cable show.
But wait — who’s that stalking them with a shotgun? It seems the hunters have themselves become prey
to another hit man — this one with a unique physical deformity. He has no reproductive organs. Makes
him mean. Well, meaner than any other hit man, anyway.
It seems Genetech’s board of directors has given this other hit man the same list of ten people to
murder that Chris is pursuing. The unlikely trio eventually winds up in California, pursuing people on
their respective lists of targets. Chris likes California:
“In his opinion, California had the best days, and New York City the finest nights — every sunset there
was a birth; each nightfall there was a death.”
Then, out of nowhere, comes Vito White, who has taught a specially trained pod of tuna to swim from
Mexico to Hermosa Beach, with heroin stuffed in their bellies. As a sub-plot, it’s diverting, but also a
little confusing as we struggle to make the connection between White and Chris Greene, and Ella, and
the dickless hit man.
Without warning, the scene shifts to a whorehouse in Brooklyn. Chris is trying to find a prostitute named
Nicole. Eventually, he encounters and kills her. Another check mark off his list. Then, Ella is pursued into
a bathroom stall by a man with a knife. Understandably, it discombobulates her, and, in one of the more
innovative turns of phrase in the book, she responds to his threat:
“Disbelieving, she just stood there, dribbling vowels like a toddler. ‘ You, you, ah, ah,’ she said.”
The scene resolves without the expected rape, and the book plows ahead. It seems Ella is now on the hit
list, and both Chris and the dickless man — whose name, oddly enough, is Richard — are both charged
with killing her.
This increasingly seems to be a collection of odd incidents in search of a plot, all in search of a viable
novel. If the reader can ignore the swarm of red herrings thrown over the wall by the author, he will
eventually make his way to the book’s surprising resolution.
But getting there was a long, tedious journey, and I’m afraid I can muster up only three stars for this
well-meaning, yet schizophrenic read.
