D.G. Kaye's Blog, page 148
August 20, 2016
#BookReview – Marcia Meara – Wake-Robin Ridge
Sunday book reviews continues with my review of Wake-Robin Ridge, a romantic mystery by Marcia Meara. Read the review below:
Available at Amazon
The Blurb:
A PHONE RINGING AT 2:00 A.M. never means anything good. Calls at 2:00 A.M. are bad news. Someone has died. Someone is hurt. Or someone needs help.”
On a bitter cold January night in 1965, death came calling at an isolated little cabin on Wake-Robin Ridge. Now, nearly 50 years later, librarian Sarah Gray has quit her job and moved into the same cabin, hoping the peace and quiet of her woodland retreat will allow her to concentrate on writing her first novel. Instead she finds herself distracted by her only neighbor, the enigmatic and reclusive MacKenzie Cole, who lives on top of the mountain with his Irish wolfhound as his sole companion.
As their tentative friendship grows, Sarah learns the truth about the heartbreaking secret causing Mac to hide from the world. But before the two can sort out their feelings for each other, they find themselves plunged into a night of terror neither could have anticipated. Now they must unravel the horrifying events of a murder committed decades earlier. In doing so, they discover that the only thing stronger than a hatred that will not die is a heart willing to sacrifice everything for another.
My 5 Star Review: – A Hard Book to Put Down
I have to admit, I was more than surprised at how much I loved this book. I enjoy this author’s writing and I’d been looking forward to reading one of her books. At first I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy the genre, but Meara has a way of captivating her readers. She could probably re-write the telephone book and I’d read it. With all the plots and twists along the way, I couldn’t help but get back to reading in my stolen moments.
Marcia Meara chose a clever method of blending two romantic relationships from two different eras into one story. This kept me wondering what one couple were doing while I was reading about the other until her story linked both couples together.
This book touched me with several emotions. I found myself smiling, crying, frightened, anticipating the outcome of the relationships right through to the end. Meara knows how to hook a reader, and naturally I’ll have to read the next book.
Visit Marcia’s author page at Amazon and check out all of her books!
August 19, 2016
STORIES OF #COURAGE & #SURVIVAL– #ABUSE — Women of Wisdom Series™ |
Dorothy Sanders is a memoir writer. Her blog Aging Abundantly is a place she shares her thoughts and wisdom on life and notable changes and gratitudes, – changes in attitudes, growth, experience and how experiences affect the choices we continue to make after fifty.
About Dorothy:
PUTTING WORDS TO INTUITIONS
I write to put words to the feelings, truth, and intuitions that live within me, to find answers to life’s most pressing questions and to share what I discover along the way with those who are searching and /or suffering. I share my words, my discoveries, my thought processes, and my love and support through articles, books, workshops and one-on-one coaching. As I continue to search for my voice, my truth, my raison d’être, I love to share my journey and support others who are doing the same. Read more about Dorothy HERE
Dorothy has started a new series, Voices of Wisdom, where she has invited several memoir writers, including myself, to share some of our own wisdoms on subjects that became important in our lives. You can read my contribution Here.
Recently, Dorothy has written a beautiful article on memoir writers, and how our words have the power to encourage others who resonate with the emotional and physical abuse that we share in our stories, offering hope to the many who have yet to find their voice or claim their power. I was honored and humbled to find that me and my book Conflicted Hearts was chosen to add to her article, and I was deeply moved by her synopsis of my story. Please have a look at this article below.
“As part of The Women of Wisdom Series™, I am introducing three memoirs, each addressing the issue of abuse. Though the stories are different, the message is in many ways the same. Each memoir sheds light on the impact of abuse on us and provides lessons in survival. The women describe their journeys from a place of strength and courage, characteristics they undoubtedly honed through their difficulties.
These women are people just like you and I and what I love about memoirs. Thanks to modern technology, and the increase of Indy Publishing, we are able to see into the lives of everyday people It’s so exciting that women are stepping up, one by one, and sharing their stories. They benefit from the telling, we benefit from the listening.
We all can learn from an author with a compelling story to tell. It doesn’t matter whether or not the book is worthy of a literary award. What matters is what we take away. . . Continue Reading
I want to share here, the beautiful statement Dorothy wrote regarding my book Conflicted Hearts:
CONFLICTED HEARTS: A Daughter’s Quest for Solace from Emotional Guilt by D.G. Kaye
“A girl’s relationship with her mother lasts a lifetime, but it is often not until we reach midlife that the complexity of a difficult connection comes into focus. What we come to believe about ourselves as adults through our interactions with our mother’s as children, is often not an accurate reflection of who we really are. This conflict, this inner disparity, either drives us toward disintegration or the truth.
D.G. Kaye took on this battle. In her book, Conflicted Hearts
, she shares her story as she struggles to come to terms with her challenging and complex relationship with a mother she both loved and despised. It is a journey that all of us can relate to in one way or another. Kaye writes with honesty, candor, humor and courage as she peels back the layers and gains understanding and perspective. In the end we not only learn about the author, we learn about ourselves and may even come to see our own mother/daughter relationship a more clearly.
Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy this journey into one woman’s world. When you put down the book, you will feel as though you’ve gained a friend.”
As a memoir writer, I can honestly say writing in this genre is often difficult. There are days when I have to walk away from writing to put my head in a different space, like coming up for air. I began writing Conflicted Hearts after years of journaling about my life, and consequently it led to writing a sequel, P.S. I Forgive You, a closure to that part of my life that existed within me for most of my life, written after my mother’s eventual death. But through the writing, it became a release of the emotional pain, and the best part about sharing pain and learning how to overcome is the reward that comes along with it. It’s inspiring to find that I have helped others in some small way, others who have endured similar paths with their own emotionally abused issues. We are not alone. And together we have the power to lift and enlighten one another and those who’ve yet to find the courage to walk away from what doesn’t serve them as healthy.
Visit Dorothy’s books
Source: STORIES OF COURAGE & SURVIVAL– ABUSE — Women of Wisdom Series™ |
August 18, 2016
The R’s of Life – Chapter Seven – Reading, Riting and Rithmatic = Reasoning | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life
Today I’m reblogging another fascinating chapter of Sally Cronin’s newest book – The R’s of Life. This article encompasses factual information on literacy and changes in education systems through the years. A fascinating read!
Reading, Riting and Rithmatic
When I was handed over at the tender age of four years old to Mrs Miller, the infant class teacher, I could already read to a basic level. With two older sisters, I was lucky enough to know my letters, and had already enjoyed a number of fairy tales and other illustrated children’s books.
In those days the aim of early education was to give you a solid grounding in the Three R’s which included Reading, Riting and Rithmatic. Obviously spelling was not part of the offering! I would say that based on my memories of the time, we spent the next two years, reaching the required standard in those three subjects, before moving onto basic geography, history and biology.
I also seem to remember, that there were not many children who by the end of primary school, had not reached a reasonable level across most subjects; enabling them to move onto secondary education. Nearly sixty years later, I find myself wondering at the numbers quoted for illiteracy in the UK and US indicating that education has not progressed as far as it should.
The Literacy Trust states that one person in six in the UK is living with poor literacy. Continue Reading
August 16, 2016
#Bookpromotion Menowhat? A Memoir – #Kindlecountdown
Just a heads up peeps, my book Menowhat? A Memoir will be on Kindle Countdown promotion starting tomorrow Thursday August 18th until the 25th. It’s unfortunate that Amazon is still keeping with it’s pre-historic policy to only allow readers from the U.S. and the U.K. to purchase books on sale with the countdown. So if you’re American or British, you can take advantage of the .99 cent promo for a few days, and after the 3rd day it will rise to $1.99 before the promo ends.
Get Your Copy Here
BLURB:
“I often found myself drifting from a state of normal in a sudden twist of bitchiness.”
From PMS to menopause to what the hell?
D.G. adds a touch of humor to a tale about a not-so-humorous time. While bidding farewell to her dearly departing estrogen, D.G. struggles to tame her raging hormones of fire, relentless dryness, flooding and droughts and other unflattering symptoms.
Join D.G. on her meno-journey to slay the dragons of menopause as she tries to hold on to her sanity, memory, hair, and so much more!
From PMS to #Menopause to what the hell? #kindlecountdown Aug.18-25 Menowhat? A Memoir by D.G. Kaye
Click To Tweet
Excerpt: Did I Move to the Sahara?
Remember when we were younger and our youthful bodies produced enough moisture that we didn’t feel like alligators? It doesn’t seem like so long ago, yet now I’m left wondering: How is it that I can reapply body cream three and four times a day, but within an hour or two, it completely disappears? Where does it go? Has my body become the keeper of Vaseline Intensive Care? Am I storing it subcutaneously?
Is this why I look bigger?
Winter, spring, summer, or fall—the seasons change nothing when it comes to this symptom of menopause. My skin is dry all the time, and so is my hair, leaving it like straw if I don’t use heavy-duty conditioner. Argan oil has become a mainstay for me, right up there with toothpaste.
Every time another body part fell victim to this reptilian syndrome, I gasped in disbelief. There was actually more to come!
Review:
Humorous and Informative Memoir
ByMolly Flanderson November 15, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
What a treat of a memoir. For men it helps to learn about one horrendous phenomenon that women are punished with, and for women to be warned or reminded of what is to come, and most of all: for all of us to laugh. As the author puts is herself: Laughter is the best medicine, especially in something so unpredictable and unavoidable as the menopause.
Kaye writes with her signature style of honesty and humour, not pulling her punches and telling it is like it is. She describes the stages of the menopause and how she dealt with them and what the alternatives are; all the while keeping it light-hearted.
A quote: “this menopause **** is going to cost you extra bucks in the beauty department..”
Hers is a refreshing and wonderful approach. Having lived through it and having ridden the storm the natural way, she shares a lot of well researched information that led to her chosen and described choices in the battle with the menopause.
I must say, I did not expect this subject to be so enjoyable to read as it is. This contains sound advice, is practical and has a welcome focus on the best way to deal with this emotionally.
Read some more reviews HERE
Please share around by hitting some of the social share buttons below to help spread the word. Thanks a bunch.
#Writing #Sequels as Standalone Books – Indies Unlimited
I came across this interesting and timely article on Indies Unlimited about writing sequels.
I thought it timely because my newest book, P.S. I Forgive You is getting nearer to publication, and although it was intended as a sequel to my first book and memoir, Conflicted Hearts, it’s also a stand alone book because although it hitches on to my first book, it’s a separate journey about learning forgiveness for my mother’s narcissistic behavior and for my decision to not go back to her after several years of estrangement, even when she was dying.
This article explains the elements involved to writing a sequel. It mentions points such as: adding pertinent information from the first book without rehashing, how not to talk too much about the first book in the new book’s blurb to avoid readers deterring to read the new book because they may not have read the first one, and making sure your cover art relates to the first book.
Have a look at the article below by Vicki Lesage:
Following the advice of indie authors who’ve been there, you decide to pen a sequel. What? You haven’t? Well you should. It’s daunting – that first book didn’t write itself! – but having multiple books is one of the best ways to increase exposure and sales.
Think of all the energy you put into writing and marketing your first masterpiece. Now your next book can ride that wave of success.
A good sequel should accomplish two things:
Satiate readers of your first book who are chomping at the bit for more. The sequel should be just as high quality as the first and make people want even more.
Be readable on its own while making readers curious about your first book.
I recently released a sequel and while I did a few things right, I made a Continue Reading
August 13, 2016
#BookReview – Forget the #Viagra, Pass me a Carrot – Sally Cronin
Today’s book review is on Sally Cronin’s book ‘Forget the Viagra, Pass me a Carrot. Sally is a brilliant writer and writes in different genres. This book just happens to offer a lot of her wisdom and knowledge Sally acquired as a nutritionist, on health and nutrition and the human body.
From the Author:
The latest headlines in the Media recently are constantly highlighting the fact that men are at risk as they ignore early symptoms of life threatening disease. Cardiovascular and Prostate disease if caught in the early stages can be treated and managed but surveys indicate that men do not know what symptoms they should be looking for.
Despite the title, Forget the Viagra, Pass me a Carrot! is not just about the physical causes of sexual dysfunction and the dangers of taking a drug that is bought without medical consultation, but about men’s health in general. A workshop manual takes the working parts, describes how they function, what can go wrong and how to prevent problems in the future. This men’s health manual – does just that – takes all the major organs, illustrates how they work, the symptoms to look for and also how to avoid the problems in the first place.
It is never too late to make changes that can give your body a great chance at a long and vital life.
Blurb:
This is a health and Nutrition book aimed at men – and their partners who are interested in keeping them fit and well. It provides a fundamental understanding of how to deliver essential nutrition to support all the major organs, with a focus on keeping a healthy sex life into old age.
Get Your Copy Here
Visit Sally’s book page on
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/author/sallycr...
My Review:
This is a book for everyone to have on their bookshelves. The blurb states it’s aimed at men, but don’t be fooled, this book has a wealth of health information for everyone. It is similar to having a manual or a dictionary about keeping our bodies in optimal function with suggested nutrients, vitamins and minerals, causes of bad health, and suggested methods of repair for the whole human body.
A fascinating read which will have every reader identify with at least some part of the book pertaining to their own health issues.
If you want to learn how our organs function, what it takes to keep them running efficiently, and live in health, I highly recommend this book.
August 12, 2016
Guest Post – #Booklaunch Jacqui Murray
Today I’m featuring author, editor and word specialist, Jacqui Murray’s new book release, a thriller, ‘To Hunt a Sub’.
Jacqui has been a teacher for fifteen years at a college, and besides her blog Worddreams where she posts informative articles about writing, she also runs a blog called ‘Ask a Tech Teacher’ where you will find loads of great information on tech tips for writers.
Book Summary:
An unlikely team is America’s only chance
The USS Hampton SSN 767 quietly floated unseen a hundred fifty-two feet below the ocean’s surface. Despite its deadly nuclear-tipped arsenal of Trident missiles, its task for the past six months has been reconnaissance and surveillance. The biggest danger the crew faced was running out of olives for their pizza. That all changed one morning, four days before the end of the Hampton’s tour. Halfway through the Captain’s first morning coffee, every system on the submarine shut down. No navigation, no communication, and no defensive measures. Within minutes, the sub began a terrifying descent through the murky greys and blacks of the deep Atlantic and settled to the ocean floor five miles from Cuba and perilously close to the sub’s crush depth. When it missed its mandated contact, an emergency call went out to retired Navy intel officer, Zeke Rowe, top of his field before a botched mission left him physically crippled and psychologically shaken. Rowe quickly determined that the sub was the victim of a cybervirus secreted inside the sub’s top secret operating systems. What Rowe couldn’t figure out was who did it or how to stop it sinking every other submarine in the American fleet.
Kali Delamagente is a struggling over-the-hill grad student who entered a DARPA cybersecurity competition as a desperate last hope to fund a sophisticated artificial intelligence she called Otto. Though her presentation imploded, she caught the attention of two people: a terrorist intent on destroying America and a rapt Dr. Zeke Rowe. An anonymous blank check to finish her research is quickly followed by multiple break-ins to her lab, a hack of her computer, the disappearance of her three-legged dog, and finally the kidnapping of her only son.
By all measures, Rowe and Delamagente are an unlikely duo. Rowe believes in brawn and Delamagente brains. To save the America they both love, they find a middle ground, guided with the wisdom of a formidable female who died two million years ago.
Preview Chapter from To Hunt a Sub:
Three days before present
Ten hours and thirty-seven more minutes and the crew of the USS Hampton SSN 767 would be home. Seasoned submariners, the six-month covert intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance tour down the eastern seaboard of South America had gone flawlessly and silently. The Atlantic is a large ocean and the Los Angeles-class sub’s noise footprint small. Once the boat cleared Cuba, the crew would relax.
The Captain sipped the morning’s fourth cup of burned coffee when the hair on the back of his neck prickled. He glanced around, trying to identify what bothered him.
“Captain,” the Watchstander’s gaze bobbed from the Executive Officer to his watchstation. “Navigation is non-responsive.” Confusion tinged his words.
That was it. A change in the deck’s subtle rumble. Before the Captain could react to the impossibility that guidance controls had crashed, every monitor in the sub’s nerve center shut down.
He hadn’t seen this in twenty years of driving subs. All personnel made a hole as he rushed toward the Control Center, shadowed by the XO.
“Sonar readings?” The Captain called to Sonarman Second Class Andy Rikes in the compartment just aft of Control, barely larger than a broom closet but elbow-to-elbow with operators, fingers flying across keyboards and eyes locked onto screens that blinked a dull grey.
Rikes answered, “Negative, Sir. The hydrophones are working, but aren’t sending raw data, like someone pulled the plug and flushed everything out to sea. Trying to fix it.” His voice was hopeful.
If the screen had worked, Sonarman Rikes would have seen the ping, a final gasp before everything electrical collapsed.
The COB—Chief of Boat—interrupted, “Captain. Reactor Scram!” The sub’s nuclear power had evaporated. “Nuclear technicians isolating the problem. Battery back-up is being attempted.”
“Shift propulsion from main engines to EPM,” an auxiliary electric motor that could turn the propeller.
“Negative, Captain. Non-responsive.” Fear leaked from his voice.
The depth meter no longer worked, but the XO guessed that the sub was angled downward at 10 degrees
“Blow main ballast tanks!”
“No response, Captain.”
“How deep is the ocean floor in this sector of the Atlantic?”
The Sonarman answered, “It varies between 1,000 and 16,000”
16,000 feet was well below the sub’s crush depth.
“There are seamounts and ridges spread throughout. We could get lucky and land on one. Or not.”
“Inform US Strategic Command of our situation.”
“Sir, comms are down.”
“Release the message buoy,” though all that told the world was they were in trouble. It could quickly drift miles from their position.
The Captain continued, voice calm, face showing none of the worry that filled his thoughts, “I want all department heads and Chief Petty Officers in front of me in five minutes. I want the status on every system they own and operate. Wake up whoever you need to.” He had a bad feeling about this.
“Gentlemen, solutions.” The Captain looked first at XO, then COB and finally NAV, the Navigation Officer who turned to the senior chief of navigation.
“It’s like an electromagnetic pulse hit us, which can’t happen underwater…” then he shrugged as though to say, I have no idea, Sir.
They practiced drills for every sort of emergency, but not this one. No one considered a complete electrical shutdown possible.
“We’re checking everything, but nothing is wrong. It just won’t work.”
“Where’s CHENG?” The Chief of Engineering.
“Troubleshooting, Sir.” COB’s voice was efficient, but tense.
The Captain didn’t wait. “Condition Alpha. Full quiet—voices whispers, all silent, no movement not critical. Defcon 2,” the second-highest peacetime alert level.
No one knew who their enemy was or why they were under attack, but they had one and they were.
“XO, get lanterns up here.”
Within an hour, the massive warship had settled to the ocean floor like the carcass of a dead whale. It teetered atop an ocean ridge, listing starboard against a jagged seamount, and the gentle push of an underwater current from a cliff that plunged into a murky darkness. Every watertight door was closed. As per protocol, the oxygen level was reduced to suppress a fire hazard. Without climate controls, the interior had already reached 60 degrees. It would continue dipping as it strove to match the bone-chilling surrounding water temperature. Hypothermia would soon be a problem. For now, though, they were alive.
The hull groaned as though twisted by a giant squid.
The Captain peered into the gloomy waters that surrounded the sub. “Thoughts, XO?”
“We’re stable for the moment, barring a strong underwater current.”
Based on the creaking protests from the hull, they were at or beyond crush depth. Any deeper, the outside pressure would snap the HY-80 outer hull and sea water would roar into the living compartments. Everyone would be dead in seconds, either drowned or impaled on the ragged remains of the sub by a force in excess of a Category Five hurricane.
“We’re beyond the depth of the Steinke Hoods,” escape equipment that included full body suits, thermal protection, and a life raft. Budget cuts had eliminated funding for more advanced solutions.
XO pointed toward a darker expanse of black just yards from the sub. “No telling how deep that crevice is.”
“Gather the crew in the Forward compartment. Seal all other compartments. Ration water. Start O2 candles when levels reach 50% normal. Did the message buoy launch?”
“Yes, sir.”
That was a relief. The Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) deployed in emergencies from shore couldn’t assist if it didn’t know they needed help.
Book information:
Title and author: To Hunt a Sub by J. Murray
Release Date: August 15, 2016 by Structured Learning available now on Amazon
Genre: Thriller
Cover by: Paper and Sage
..
Available now at Amazon www.amazon.com/dp/B01K7VSPBW
Author bio:
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB , Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers , monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning .
Visit Jacqui:
http://facebook.com/kali.delamagente
http://pinterest.com/askatechteacher
August 11, 2016
One Lovely Blog Award – Toni Pike
Thank you so much to my newest blogging friend and author Toni Pike for nominating for the One Lovely Blog Award.
I’m always touched when someone thinks of me and honors me with an award. I’ve been blessed to have many. And as I can’t bring myself to post an ‘Award-Free’ blog zone, and my protocol has always been not to single out any one person who is deserving, I welcome all my blogging friends here to copy and paste this award and post it to your own blog from me to you because I enjoy all of your blogs.
And if you wish to share and nominate others, the rules are posted below.
1. Thank the lovely person who nominated your blog and follow them.
2. Display the award and add this set of rules to your post so that your nominees will know what to do.
3. Nominate 15 other great blogs listing them in your post and notifying them via a link in one of their blog posts.
4. List 7 interesting facts about yourself to the post.
I can’t think of anything exciting about me in this current moment because I’m squeezing in this post in gratitude to Toni, and my plate runneth over with all things editing and blurb writing for my upcoming book. So I’ll keep it short with my 7 things about me:
I’m: Driven, Optimistic, Inquisitive, Empowering, Loyal, Friendly, Compassionate
August 10, 2016
What Makes Bad #Writing? | BREVITY’s Nonfiction Blog
I came across this interesting article On Brevity’s Nonfiction Blog. The article speaks of writing a compelling story, not just what we as writers feel would be a great story, but what it takes to make it a good story.
“We’ve all read a bad book. Most of us have read a bad published book; many of us have read a bad manuscript, perhaps a friend-of-a-friend’s, that we were obligated to read to the bitter end. And then tell the author something noncommittal and encouraging. . . Continue Reading
August 9, 2016
What do we get from #Writing #Book #Reviews?
We’ve all come across many blogs posting reviews of books read. And as writers, we all know that receiving a great review inspires us and helps keep us motivated in knowing our words were inspiring and/or enjoyable to readers. There are many benefits to writing a book review for a book we enjoyed and sharing it on our blogs.
We are sharing valuable information for other readers to learn about that book. Perhaps they aren’t familiar with the book and our review has piqued their curiosity.
We are validating ourselves by sharing our interest in a subject someone else may be interested in, thus forming a common bond with a new reader.
We attract more book readers to our blogs.
We may attract those authors to our blogs, who may in turn review one of our books on their pages.
All these factors go back to the old adage” ‘Sharing is caring’. I know the value of a good review as a published author. That’s why I always make it a point to write a review on Amazon and copy and paste it to Goodreads so my followers there can see it and decide to read that same book based on my review. On Goodreads many book lovers read our reviews. And consequently, I’ve noticed many authors sending me messages from there, suggesting another book they’ve read that I may enjoy on the same topic.
Let’s be honest, how many of you book lovers go to Amazon to purchase a book and feel compelled to read a few reviews on the book while you’re there to help decide if you want to download it?
I’m no different. I love feedback. I even read some of the crappy reviews. Why? Because if I see a book has mostly 4 and 5 stars, I’m compelled to read a 1 or 2 star review (there’s always one) to see what one person out of so many didn’t like. Does that deter me from buying the book? No. But curiosity gets the best of me, and usually the bad review is ridiculous and doesn’t say much more than, “I don’t like this genre or the author” or something of the like. Those kind of reviews aren’t helpful and certainly the majority of people that read didn’t feel the same way. (Which brings to mind my first crappy review I ever received on my first book, a memoir, saying the book was all about me, well, no shit Sherlocke, it’s a memoir) But I digress.
What I want to say is, I never realized the power of sharing some of my many reviews of books here on my own blog. You may have noticed I’ve been pulling a few reviews out of the Amazon archives and have been posting at least one a week here. I realized that by sharing my written reviews on book sites on my own blog, the value I’m adding to a book I’ve enjoyed by helping that author get some added exposure for a worthy book.
I can say with the utmost enthusiasm that there is nothing more rewarding for an author than to find their own book posted on somebody else’s page with a five star review, why wouldn’t I want to do the same with the books I’ve enjoyed.
Here’s what I’ve noticed lately by posting reviews of books on my blog:
The book has attracted comments from readers who enjoy the genre.
In turn, the author of the book usually pops by and interacts with the commenters.
Subsequently, by attracting more readers, that book gets more people interested in purchasing it.
Sharing is all about giving back. And for those who know me well, know that I’m all about the universe – the law of attraction, and we must give to receive, not ask. I’ve noticed my own books being posted on quite a few blogs lately – some quite by surprise, and some where I’ve been invited to post as a guest. From the posts, I’ve met many new authors and bloggers through their comments, and subsequently have formed friendships with, some even telling me they’ve just purchased my book.
All of these components help build our blogging/writing/reader community. And who wouldn’t want that? For what other reason do we write and blog other than to share our thoughts, ideas and work and hope to engage like-minded readers and potential new friends. So please, consider writing reviews and sharing them for the authors whose books you’ve enjoyed, and to let others know you found a book interesting to read and why.
Tips for writing a review:
It’s easy to write a review. You can copy and paste your review from Amazon to your blog. You can also copy and paste the book image to your blog and add the link to the purchase page. Copy and paste the book’s blurb so the reader can get a sense of the premise of the book before reading your review. And if you’re feeling a bit more ambitious, you can write a few sentences as an intro to the review. How easy is that?
