The 2012 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will get underway in Dubai on Tuesday March 6th.

As the Middle East's largest celebration of the written and spoken word, the five-day event is set to bring 115 authors, writers and speakers from around the world to the emirate.For more information about the festival, visit http://www.emirateslitfest.com/.

Review: Acrocanthosarus: The Bones of Contention

Author: Russell Ferrell

So many kids dream of dinosaurs. Stories of these giant beasts and the magnificence of the time when they dominated the earth fill more fantasies than any age of man. Even this reviewer would pick up rocks, and still does, and examine them for traces of a past of which only dreams can be made. Oh so few people actually do stumble upon remnants of creatures that may have lain the seeds of our greatest legends of prehistory.
Cephis Hall, a self-described country boy, and his partner Sid Love discover an intact femur bone of a rare and massive prehistoric predator on property owned by a major corporation. The author intricately describes the attempts of these two locally known fossil hunters to circumvent the involvement of the corporation that owned the land containing the fossil, but as the importance of the find became known it most assuredly drew the attention of the landowner as well the eyes of those in academia who are naturally skeptical of new finds which question the status quo. This is when the true story begins.
Russell Ferrell has crafted an exquisitely detailed account of the journey of this collection of old bones. It is much to his credit that he doesn’t shy away from the ploys of Cephis to gain some sort of permission at the lowest level possible to carry out his dig. The resulting legal and academic circus caused by Cephis’ shortcuts and short-sightedness is quite accurately and somewhat excitedly portrayed by the author.
Whether or not the reader agrees with the contentions of the author on the ability of fossil and mineral hunters to use public and some private lands for their own purposes, this book does make for an interesting read. It provides ammunition for both sides of the discussion.
This is this author’s first published work and shows a dedication to his craft and a great feeling and passion for his subject. This book is available through booksellers everywhere. Reviewer: John Helman, M.A., Allbooks Reviews. Int. www.allbooksreviewint.com.

Title: Acrocanthosarus: The Bones of Contention
Author: Russell Ferrell
Publisher: Malloy
ISBN: 978-0-615-43814-6
Pages: 448
www.thebonesofcontention.com

Male Reviewer has done it again

So here we are again. I thought after the Great Jonathan Franzen Debacle of 2001, no man would ever again dare to suggest publicly that there is an inferior class of books that only women read. Then Douglas Brinkley did it in this morning's New York Times Book Review. In his review of Jodi Kantor's "The Obamas," published in January, he wrote:

Call it chick nonfiction, if you will; this book is not about politics, it's about marriage...

"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-wheeler-johnson/jodi-cantor-the-obamas_b_1287823.html?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D136959

Review of One Small Victory by Maryann Miller

Excellent! That is one small word that hardly describes a novel written with such heart. This is a story of a young mother who is faced with the death of her teenage son. He is not involved with drugs but his friend who was driving was, and this friend survived. The crush of pain left me breathless as I read and tried to imagine how Jenny must feel as she mourns. The description of this period in time was so intense that I had to cry along with her. Yet, Jenny must be strong because her daughter and youngest son need her. As the fog begins to clear she is given the chance to become an informant for the police and help eradicate a major drug ring in her town. These people are selling drugs to the local kids and she has been a witness to these handoffs. But the lies silence and intrigue that is entailed in helping the police turns her son and her best friend away from her. She wonders if it is worth the possibility of losing those most important to her. Is it worth the risk of losing her own life? But with strength and trepidation, Jenny moves forward with her plan. She is a master at changing her identity from doting mother to street walker looking for a fix, but many times she is so close to a degree of danger that no ordinary mother would ever experience. She must go ahead, for her dead son, her remaining two children and for all of the young people in her town.
Maryann Miller is an accomplished writer, weaving her tale of intrigue, romance and determination. She takes her readers on a wild ride of adventure that will not be soon forgotten.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Reviewer: Elaine Fuhr, Allbooks Reviews Int. www.allbooksreviewint.com

Title: One Small Victory
Author: Maryann Miller
Publisher: Books We Love Publishing Partners
ISBN: 978-1-926965-4
For more info: http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com/

Review of The Ordinary Life & Extraordinary Death of Josh Turner

Author: David Treciak

I’m advising readers to read, re-read, and study the ending of this book because it is, in my estimation, pure literary genius. Not an easy job, conveying a dying man’s myriad thoughts and interactions throughout a whole novel in a manner that keeps the reader turning pages, but the author does it with a cerebral, yet tongue-in-cheek style that smacks a little of J.D. Salinger. Yep, it’s that good.
Josh Turner is dying, a painful and slow cancerous death. His mind whirls with amazing insights and he examines his fears and philosophies even as he’s forced into a retreat of Coltrane tapes and morphine. The author tells us this about Josh’s pain, quote: “The beast has come out to play and it’s brought a chainsaw.” Well said, huh? And Josh’s companion on this Jack Kerouac-style journey of the mind toward resolution is a cosmic apparition, a stubborn extra-terrestrial named Max. Between nostalgic, surreal excursions with Max, Josh deals with a continual stream of nurses and visitors to his hospital bed, including a fascinating run-in with a determined evangelist. And there are Josh’s well-meaning friends, colorful characters who have him illegally pigging out on fast food and even sort have him of playing cupid—all done with snappy, engaging dialogue. When you pick up this book, be prepared to be engaged with humor, sarcasm, joy, fear, regret, great chunks of delicious nostalgia, and a wide spectrum of emotions all bracketed by quantum physics, visions of reincarnation, and even thoughts about the Kevorkian solution. Make no mistake: this is a hugely entertaining book, even as it is quite profound.
The author bio tells us that David Treciak is an award-winning writer with a number of stories and screenplays to his credit. He now lives in L.A. but originally hails from Detroit. They say he’s an avid student of life. Yeah, well, that’s self-evident in his writing. They say he tells tales that’ll make us laugh, cry, and scratch our heads in wonder as the profundity of what he has written sinks in. True enough, and like Treciak’s compelling literary style—well said. Highly Recommended by reviewer: Jan Evan Whitford, Allbooks Reviews
Published by: Amberlin Press ©2011
ISBN: 978-0-9836694-0-1
Trade Paperback 197pages
US $15.95
For more info: www.davidtreciak.com

Review of Covert Element by John L. Betcher

America’s war on drugs has touched an untold number of lives and cost national treasure that could have been used in so many better ways. This story of a small town detective’s involvement in this war makes for compelling reading.
The seeds for this episode were laid in a U.S. Special Forces operation some years before in Mexico. The raid was successful in its initial goal, but it set the stage for the problems that would soon face James Becker and his wife in northern hamlet of Red Wing, Minnesota as evil will always fill in gaps and look for new paths of expansion.
This is the third book in a series featuring detective James “Beck” Becker and his wife Beth. If the first two volumes are close to this one in being skillfully crafted and well written they should be worth seeking out.
This reviewer was quite impressed with the detail with which the opening scenes were written. The detail with which the soldiers who carried out the raid provided a plausible reality of how such feats are accomplished relying on limited supply without the fantasies provided to us by Hollywood.
The foundation of this admirable thriller though is the display of the entrepreneurial spirit of the drug traffickers/manufacturers. They know all too well that is far easier and way more profitable to shorten lines of supply. If the drug can be manufactured close to the source of consumption then the risk of law enforcement intervention is greatly reduced. Why bring cocaine from South America when there is just as great a demand for methamphetamine which can be produced in large quantities cheaply near the consumer.
Yes, this is a fictional thriller, but having an exceedingly realistic plotline runs a chill up this reader’s spine which commends this book very well.
Reviewer: John Helman, Allbooks Reviews.
Title: The Covert Element
Author: John L. Betcher
Publisher: John L. Betcher
ISBN: 9781461084532
Pages: 264
Price: $15.95
For more info: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/john-l-betcher.html

Interview with Karl Puttlitz, author of 'Red, White and Boom'

Please state your name and location. (city and State or Province, Country)
Karl Puttlitz
Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
Tell us the title and publisher of your book:
Book Title: Red, White and Boom
Publisher: Adventure Street Press

When was the book released?:
September, 2011

Give us an overview of your book.
Special Agent Jeb Foster and the Rapid Intervention Team he leads are recruited to help the Russians retrieve quantities of stolen weapons-grade nuclear material. He was informed that an estimated 500 tons of highly-enriched uranium not covered by treaty was scattered at various sites around Russia - enough to produce 20,000 to 60,000 nuclear weapons. The problem was that although the U.S. and other countries were assisting the Russians to secure these stockpiles, many were known to be vulnerable. In fact, there was an additional quantity used for non-weapons purposes at facilities only lightly guarded or not guarded at all, making it easy for nuclear thieves to take what they wanted. This situation posed an inviting condition for the uranium to fall into nefarious hands. Almost from the beginning Jeb had a really bad feeling about the assignment when learning that not one, but multiple thefts had taken place from supposedly secure locations. His initial fears erupted into a nightmare with the mission constantly being thwarted by old-school, hard-line Russian politicians and military officers, and so too by unknown adversaries who anticipated his every move. Jeb and the A-Team’s quest took them to secret cities where few outsiders had ever set foot. Sabotage left him stranded in the Arctic wilderness having to deal with the unforgiving conditions of the Siberian winter, from which survival is near impossible. Additionally, as time was running short Jeb feared the thieves would escape Russia with the stolen nuclear material. The body count of those who could have provided valuable information had steadily mounted, making his task all the more difficult. He knew if the stolen material passed into the hands of terrorists, who likely contracted for its theft, it would be for the sole purpose of delivering an unthinkably devastating blow to several major American cities.

What inspired you to write this book?
In addition to providing readers with a suspenseful novel, I also wanted them to be mindful that we live in dangerous times—in just a few moments everything can change. It occurred to me how often I’d been in the Twin Towers with family and friends before they were toppled and reduced to ruble without warning on a beautiful, clear, sunny September day. As horrific as that was, the truth is it could have been much worse—it could have been an explosion involving nuclear, that is, radioactive materials. This book makes it clear that scenario is an all-to-real possibility. We need to be vigilant as never before.

How is your book different from other books in this genre?
Given my rather unusual background as an author, PhD in metallurgical engineering—with some formal studies in atomical nuclear physics, my more than 4 decades as a research and development engineer, having been retained in more than 150 litigation matters as a forensic metallurgist, and having lectured all over the world, I bring to the table vast, diverse, and unique experiences to draw upon and apply to my writing that are not found in other works.

Where can people buy your book?
The book can be purchased at www.adstpress.com, www.atlasbooks.com, or at your favorite online bookstore.

Are you working on another book? If so when do you expect it to be published?
Yes, I am working on another book and expect it will be published sometime in the first quarter of 2013.

If you self published, what advice can you give to fellow writers?
The various self-publishing guide books all have one thing in common—giving you the impression it’s a done deal following a few easy steps—it’s not! First of all, there are many steps and it all takes longer than you might have anticipated. As authors, we all feel a great sense of accomplishment with the final-draft manuscript in our hands and are certainly entitled to that. But the reality is the real work is yet to be done—successfully marketing that work. My advice, therefore, is to actively pursue every marketing opportunity. You personally must get involved. If you wait for others to make your book a success it probably will not happen.

Can you share one of your marketing successes with us?
One of the best opportunities we’ve run across is to have the work displayed at a regional book show—not just any show, but one specifically designated for librarians. Realizing they can’t review all the books at the show, those interested in follow-up from authors and publishers leave a complete set of contact information as part of a database from which mailings can easily be made. We have typically received between 50 to over 400 contacts from each such show. These are people empowered and ready to purchase.

How did you find Allbooks Reviews and what are you hoping for in your relationship with us?
Allbooks Reviews was among a list of review organizations that came to our attention through a lot of research on our part. Our relationship interest is two-fold: obtain a fair appraisal of the novel “Red, White and Boom”—which was done and we are very grateful; and gain publicity for the book via internet postings of the review and this interview, as well as other methods you utilize to gain publicity.

Was the low cost a surprise? What other things would you like Allbooks Reviews to offer writers?
I very much appreciate Allbook Review’s desire to assist talented and hardworking writers gain a vehicle for recognition in a very cluttered and difficult-to-navigate field. Accordingly, what would benefit me, Adventure Street Press, and I presume all of your clients are a compilation of various marketing methods that others have found to be successful. Not just things cited in self-publishing handbooks to fill pages, but tried-and-true methods that others have found to be worthy of investing time and money.

Thank you for this interview and best of luck with your book.