Allbooks Review Oct. 2012 Newsletter

Allbooks Review is the review and author promo source for POD AUTHORS as well as traditionally published authors. Authors around the world use our service. Great coverage for your book for twelve months +.Our complete review and author promotional package is less than $50.U.S Unbelievable value!! http://www.allbooksreviewint.com/ For complete details contact us. Tip: Five Search Engine Optimization Tips~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~By Karen Cioffi If you’re new to the writing game, you may not be aware of some of the essential steps needed to get in the game - - steps that will make your name, and brand visible. Visibility is a biggie if you want to increase traffic to your site and move forward in your writing career. Why is it important to become familiar with SEO blog tips? Simply put, the answer is to generate visibility. So, what are some tips to help you get started in the right direction? Well, the very first and most obvious tip is to have a Web site or blog site. Once you have one set up, it’s your job to post content to it on a regular basis, no less than once a week, two or three times a week is better though. So, here is the strategy (SEO) that allows the search engines, such as Google, to find your site and content and to categorize and index your content. This in turn makes it available to online searchers. Five SEO Blog Tips: 1. Use a keyword in your article title. Try one of the free keyword search tools to find an effective keyword. I use http://googlekeywordtool.com/ A keyword, according to Compendium.com, is “any word or phrase a searcher might use to describe or identify a desired resource on the Internet.” 2. Use that keyword in your article’s subheadings, and be sure to bold or italicize your subheadings. So, what are those other tips? How do you make those keywords work for you? And what the devil is a long - tail keyword? See the rest of the article on my Sharing with Writers blog: http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2012/02/increase - traffic - to - your - site - five - seo.html ~Learn about writing and marketing with Karen Cioffi at http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com. Sign up for her free newsletter, A Writer’s World, and get TWO free site - related e - books for subscribing, and ONE more just for stopping by. For professional and affordable writing services check out http://dkvwriting4u.com . FEATURE: Motivation Excerpt from Write Like the Wind vol. 1, by Aaron Paul Lazar, pub. August 2012 What motivates you to write? Is it a yearning to connect with humankind? To share your cherished visions with readers? To breach that lonely cold gap stretching between souls? Do you hope to reach into someone’s heart, and really, truly make a difference? Or do you simply write for yourself? Do you need to control a parallel universe that performs at your command, whose heroes are vivid and alive in your brain, and whose villains bow to your will? Is your own life so out of control that this writing thing, this whirling, compelling, demanding art form, does wonders as a coping strategy? Maybe you don’t care if your books ever get published: you just need to satisfy that inner drive to write. It itches until you scratch it, lures you like a lover, and enslaves you like a drug. And it’s very unforgiving. If you don’t get your daily fix, you get grumpy. Supremely grumpy. Some write to purge demons from a childhood trauma, or to escape painful reality. Others create romantic relationships that fill emptiness in their own lives, or invent critters to help heal the ache after losing a beloved pet. Some imagine bizarre aliens in a world so unlike ours that tantalizing characters and stories are born into new galaxies. And there are those who create scenes with characters strangely like their dear departed grandparents. Writing can be comforting, thrilling, romantic, and scary. But under no circumstances should you write simply to sell a book. That kind of motivation will only disappoint you, and writing for money is often a surefire way to guarantee disappointment. If you do, you may be selling your writer’s soul. Instead, write from your heart. Write to soothe your spirit. Write to instill order in a chaotic world. Write to entertain, to create twisted plots that electrify or shock. Let’s say you’ve written already your heart out. You’ve pumped out a few great books. Suddenly you go dry. What motivates you now? Look around you. The world is crammed with topics. Watch your favorite movies. Dissect them, list the ideas that stir your imagination, and make an inventory of your favorite themes (see Write Like the Wind, volume 3, “Plotting – Comfort Movies”). Is it unrequited love? Time travel? Gentle giants falsely accused? Delicious twists that shock and surprise? Spunky lady cops who save the day? Heroic animals? Fantastical fairies? Gritty city secrets? Keep your ears open. Listen to news stories. The often unfathomable, sometimes horrific accounts will stir your creative juices. Imagine a twist on them. Then twist it again and change its literary color or scent. Don’t worry if it’s been done before, because just about everything has been done before in one fashion or another. Just put your mark on it and write it with passion. Tune in to real life dramas at work, church, or school. Think about your friend whose wife died from a rare complication of a cardiac virus, your cousin who suffers from depression, your daughter whose college boyfriend from Albania is suddenly deported. Real life is fertile and rich, full of angst, splendor, terror, and adventure. It offers a mosaic of ideas, and waits for you to pluck your new favorites to mix and match into a dynamic storyline. Last of all: read, particularly from your genre. Read incessantly. Read in the grocery store line. Read at the doctors. Read at the Laundromat. Read while you wait for the kids after soccer practice. Read before you go to sleep at night. It’s not only the best way to charge up your imagination, but sitting at the virtual feet of the masters of the craft is the best way to learn to write. Life is full of material. Sometimes the hardest part is choosing your themes. Pick a few, and toss them around to coat them with new variations. Make your time traveler a dog, instead of a boy. Put an alien in your tearjerker romance. Create cute little cockroaches instead of bunnies in your children’s book. Or stick to cliché themes, but shake your own writer’s salt on it. Mix up your hat full of ideas and see what falls out. It’s all up to you. Now go get ’em, and remember to write like the wind! Ever wish you could peer into the brain of a published author and learn what tips he’s absorbed? Join award-winning mystery author Aaron Paul Lazar as he shares the cream of the crop from seven years of writing blogs in this fresh and unique offering of advice for fellow scribes.Write Like the Wind, volume 1, is available for 99 cents through Twilight Times Books and on all online book stores. Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Write-Like-the-Wind-ebook/dp/B008UYQF0M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1344557114&sr=1-1&keywords=write+like+the+wind Allbooks Reviews INTERVIEW: Please state your name and location. Suzanna E. Nelson, Geneva, Switzerland Tell us the title and publisher of your book: The Helpers, published by CreateSpace, March 2011 Paperback price: $15 Tell us about yourself: I work for the United Nations and I am a published author of two award-winning novels. I have lived and worked in Africa, Europe and United States, and I am a strong advocate of human rights issues like anti human trafficking, protection of war children and child education. My first novel "Nightmare Along the River Nile" is set in Uganda and Sudan. It is a story about a student who was abducted by the LRA and sold into slavery. It was inspired by actual events that happened to many young boys and girls in northern Uganda in the 1990s. The story was conceived from many interviews conducted with survivors and former child soldiers who managed to escape the LRA. My second novel "The Helpers" is an international tale of espionage and corruption, and is set in Democratic Republic of Congo, but spans to Europe and United States. When was the book released?: The First Edition was released by iUniverse in March 2010 The Second Edition was released by CreateSpace in March 2011 Give us an overview of your book. American journalist, Jenny Osborne, has just received her first big assignment abroad to report on the war situation between the government and rebels in Congo, but soon after their arrival, she and her photojournalist, John Spencer discover that things are not as they seem. When Kai, a local schoolgirl, decides to end the psychological and sexual abuse that she and her mother have endured at the hands of Gaston, she seeks out Jenny for help. Kai gives Jenny damaging information that could bring down "The Helpers" - a very powerful underground organization whose members include international businessmen and high priests. Their main aim is to maintain a stronghold on the natural resources of Congo and they will stop at nothing to prevent Jenny from exposing them. Jenny finds herself on the run, caught in a web of intrigue, espionage, assassinations and corruption spanning from Congo to Europe, and as far reaching as the United States. Her only hope is Lance Lemmand, a veteran French Intelligence Officer in Congo, and his handsome sidekick Pierre-Jean Philippe. But will they find her before it is too late? Or will "The Helpers" silence them once and for all. Find out in the startling conclusion of: The Helpers. What inspired you to write this book? I always enjoyed reading spy novels, so after finishing my first novel, it seemed logical to indulge in my dream of writing a spy novel, set in Africa. Democratic Republic of Congo was the logical choice because of its history and vast natural resources. How is your book different from other books in this genre? Although the story is fictitious, much of its background was inspired by historical events that happened during colonial times. The reader will learn more about the history of the country. Where can people buy your book? Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/helpers-suzanna-e-nelson/1100367847?ean=2940013524972 Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1460942809 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1460942809 http://www.amazon.de/dp/1460942809 http://www.amazon.fr/dp/1460942809 Are you working on another book? If so when do you expect it to be published? I am working on the sequel of ‘The Helpers’ and I hope it will be published in the first or second quarter of 2013. If you self published, what advice can you give to fellow writers? If you write fiction, make sure you get a professional Developmental Editor to evaluate your work, and then give the manuscript to a Content Editor to go over the grammar. I recommend proofreading the book several times before you publish the book, even if it doesn’t guarantee that there will be no typos. Can you share one of your marketing successes with us? Most of my marketing success has come the old fashioned way: word of mouth. How did you find Allbooks Reviews and what are you hoping for in your relationship with us? I found Allbooks Reviews on the Internet, and I hope to have a long lasting relationship with them. Was the low cost a surprise? What other things would you like Allbooks Reviews to offer writers? The low cost was a surprise because I paid more money to be reviewed by other groups. The speed by which this book was evaluated was an added bonus. Thank you for this interview and best of luck with your book. www.allbooksreviewint.com

Allbooks Reviewer Jan Whitman

All of us at Allbooks Review Int. send our sympathy and our healing prayers to Jan Whitford, one of our reviewers, in the loss of his son. May your memories help you through this time of grief. Shirley Roe, Managing Editor

Review of 'The Man Who Could Not Make Up His Mind' by Ed Brodow

The opening of The Man Who Could Not Make Up His Mind is absolutely captivating. The main character, Clifford Day Vanderwall, struggles to make a decision of seemingly simple proportions: buy the chocolate cake, or the chocolate cookies? That it is such a monumental task to commit to one or the other, tells one fact about Vanderwall's character, one around which the entire short story revolves. The imagery with which author Brodow describes the dilemma, as well as the character's resolution, captures the reader in the mind of a man who has a vivid and realistic problem with making decisions. Clifford is an unremarkable member of New York City's social elite, occupying the very dregs of the top 1% of that city. With plain looks, a job dead-ended by his weak leadership skills, and less-than-satisfactory abilities with the opposite sex, he still manages to find a romantic partner. The story follows Clifford through the evolution of that relationship. Alas, the breathtaking way in which our protagonist is introduced is somewhat muted by the very subdued writing style the author selects for the remainder of the tale. Brodow shies away from dialogue, and clearly prefers the passive to the active voice, so when there is no occasion for vivid imagery, the narrative goes quiet. It's as if the reader, who at first was in a high seat surrounded by the action, has been whisked away to a secure glass bubble, where everything can be seen and heard, but the colors are dulled and the sounds muted and distorted. Nevertheless, The Man Who Could Not Make Up His Mind weaves a very human tale which is both poignant and engaging. The distant way in which it is told, shields the reader from some very raw emotion, allowing Clifford's take of love and marriage to unfold realistically, but without the danger of that being swept away when he experiences setbacks. At less than 40 pages, the author chooses to focus on developing the main character, and relegating the supporting cast to mere sketches. If they appear as caricatures, it is more because of the narrow way that the protagonist views them than because they were stereotyped or neglected. Despite its need of a bit of polish, The Man Who Could Not Make Up His Mind is a worthwhile read for those enjoying contemporary fiction. Reviewer: Terence P Ward, Allbooks Review. www.allbooksreview.com Title: The Man Who Could Not Make Up His Mind Author: Ed Brodow Publisher: Ed Brodow For more info: http://www.fixerbook.com/mind.html Feb 2012

Review of Bastion: Prequel to War by A.L.Collins

The day Rigil is to take his final challenge to become a city guard is the day his life changes forever. And not in the way you may think. The challenge was a distraction and while he (and his team) were distracted; Rigil’s home, his city, his friends and colleagues burn to the ground or fight trying to escape. Seeking the root of the problem and justice, Rigil uncovers a plot to, in a sense, take over the world. He meets up with a cast of characters and sets off to right the wrongs. The first bit of the book essentially describes the history of the world that the author has created. Throughout the novel we generally follow Rigil and his crew, but occasionally we get either another history lesson or meet a new cast that Rigil and team has yet to be introduced to. As a result, these changes can be a bit confusing, especially when trying to piece everything together – we are given only the pieces of the puzzle and somehow, we have to fit them together to make sense of it all. Most of the book is written through Rigil’s point of view. However, other than the instances mentioned previously, sometimes the point of view shifts within a scene (several times at that), and it’s confusing as to whom the she/he being referred to actually is. The plot, after the first history lesson, moves pretty fast and there are a lot of action (and magical) scenes. However there are a few instances where the plot really dragged, so I think there is some room for tightening up the plot. There is an interesting host of characters with witty (and sometimes awkward) dialogue. The conclusion – there is not one. There is no cliffhanger. The story is incomplete. A. L. Collins is a young author from the state of Maryland. He recently graduated High School and has a love writing stories. This is his first novel. I think there is potential here for a really good story, but it still needs a little bit of work. It’s still considered a good read by: Margaret Orford, Allbooks Reviews. http://www.allbooksreviewint.com/index.html Title: Bastion: Prequel to War Author: A. L. Collins Publisher: AuthorHouse ISBN: 978-1-4670-7636-4 Pages: 333 pages Price: $27.95 US Feb 2012

Review of 'THE STAMP' by Ed Brodow

Good looking, athletic Lieutenant Tommy Courten has a bad guy, good guy personality. Rough and ready to go at a moment’s notice, necessary attributes for the front lines of Vietnam, with a gentle, thoughtful interior that gives him the control and ability to reason, making it possible to live in an ordinary society. He marries but that doesn’t work. He works for IBM, but that company is too confining and controlling. He just doesn’t fit. Though Tommy doesn't really fit the Marines either, he does his best and learns some valuable skills he will soon need. Then his kid sister, Ellen, is killed. Her boyfriend cannot keep her around once she becomes pregnant because he is married. If she had just left him alone, it would not have happened, he theorizes. Tommy must get revenge. The police and military do not seem to be able to do anything because the accused, Private Rodney Zapata, has fled to Bogota. Tommy takes justice into his own hands and flies to Columbia in search of Rodney. There he finds his prey but he also finds Luz from an area called Guajira. Only Luz and her people can save Tommy’s life, not just his physical body but also his heart and soul. Ed Brodow has written a crisp, intense story about the life of one man, Tommy Courten through the eyes of another, a friend of Tommy’s. This unique treatment gives this novel a sense of intensity as his friend sees Tommy’s life through his own reflections on his life and those of friends and family close to him. Tommy’s friend sees different experiences as “Stamps on the Forehead” of individuals. The Vietnamese War was a stamp on Tommy’s forehead, a time in his life that would change him and not allow him to move forward. Then, as he is trying to do just that, Ellen’s death again forces him back into his old pattern. Only exceptional wisdom and love can change the stamp on Tommy’s forehead. This is an exceptionally well written story and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. Reviewer: Elaine Fuhr, Allbooks Reviews www.allbooksreviewint.com Title: THE STAMP Author: Ed Brodow Ebook format For more info: http://www.fixerbook.com/thestamp.html Feb 2012

Review of Finding Thomas by Christopher J. Holcroft

Christopher J. Holcroft’s fourth written novel Finding Thomas is a well-tied package of murder, suspense, rescue, and adventure. I strongly recommend this book for teenage boys (around ages 14-15) because of the alluring sense of crime that is woven throughout the entire plot. Girls who enjoy books with danger are also encouraged to try this read. Right from the prologue of this book, Finding Thomas grabs your attention. It begins with a phone call, a sobbing mother on one end and her comforting husband who works for a politician on the other. Her shattering cry of her son being dead will immediately bring forward questions. From there on, the story only gets more captivating. The son and also protagonist, Kit Green, is miraculously brought back to life but after his revival, he is not the average teenager that he was before. He now possesses the ability to see and talk to spirits that have passed away. Finding Thomas now diverts the plot so that it has more of a supernatural feel. The deceased son of the politician (that Kit’s father works for) befriends Kit in order to stop their fathers from being killed by a shady police officer. And thus, their thrilling crime adventure begins. There are many twists and turns during plotline and will always keep you wondering what will happen next. This book is written in third person and therefore you can understand and read situations from the eyes of different characters, although it mainly is from Kit’s point of view. As you dwell further into the book, you will start to love Kit Green and his wistful character. Holcroft has added many characters that you may be attached to and will cheer on as the plot progresses. Finding Thomas is one of those intense books that will never bore you. Although it may not be the type of book that you will be forever glued to but you will definitely finish it enjoyably. As mentioned before, typical teenage boys will take a great liking to this book but not all girls will enjoy it as much as I did. Christopher J. Holcroft has much experience with journalism, communications, media training, and complex public information planning and implementation. After serving 35 years as Venturer Scout Leader and member of the Australian Army Reserve, he decided to write adventuring boy-like novels, encouraging young men to read more. Finding Thomas is his fourth book, greatly inspired by the passing of his brothers and his belief that there is life after death. He is now married to Yvonne and has three sons. The family enjoys outdoor recreational activities such as camping and scuba diving. Highly recommended by Reviewer: Iris Park, Allbooks Review Int. www.allbooksreviewint.com Title: Finding Thomas Author: Christopher J. Holcroft ISBN: 978-0-7414-6475-0 Publisher: Infinity Publishing for more info: www.christopherholcroft.net Date of Review: Jan. 2012

Interview with Luke E. Hayes: Psychic Detective

Please state your name and location. (city and State or Province, Country) Luke Edward Hays from North Chelmsford MA, United States of America Tell us the title and publisher of your book: “Outskirtspress” is a self publishing company I found through Google.com. They have been very helpful in providing affortable “Publishing Packages.” Tell us about yourself: I was born on March 29, 1991 in Dover New Hampshire, my family and I then moved to Chelmsford Mass where I now am currently living working on my literature and finding ways to market my work. When was the book released?: March 7, 2012 Give us an overview of your book. During the Spring of 1883, Pinkerton Detective Henry Larson leaves his home state of New York to travel to a town in California called Littleton to investigate the unsolved Grim Reaper case. With the victims hearts cut out of their bodies and many theories established by previous Detectives and Inspectors, Henry Larson has one advantage that the previous investigators didn't, his psychic ability. Through herbal tea and smoking the herb leaf in his pipe and using it as tobacco for cigarettes, Henry uses the herbs to clear his mind, giving him the power to see into the future through his dreams. But what he finds in the end is only a game of cat and mouse between him and the Grim Reaper. What inspired you to write this book? I love murder mysteries, some of my faviorite stories are the Connon Doyle “Sherlock Holmes” novels, “From Hell” with Johnny Depp (a murder mystery about Jack the Ripper), a fasination towards real life murders such as “The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacure” and in essinascene the dark side of human nature. How is your book different from other books in this genre? Too be honest I do not know how to answer this. Where can people buy your book? People can purcahse my literature on Amazon.com by searching the name of the book or my name where they can go to my author page where both my books are present. Are you working on another book? If so when do you expect it to be published? I am currently working on my third novel and I don’t expect it to be published for the next five years giver take. It is a large story and is going to take a lot of time and effort, espcially if you add in my editor’s editing time. If you self published, what advice can you give to fellow writers? Find ways to get your work known, such as send out a massive email to all of your friends and relatives, don’t shut up about it on Facebook, create cards with the information about your novel and where to find it and give those out to people. Do internet searches for author interviews and most importantly, don’t give up. Eventually you will in due time become a well known writer. If published traditionally, tell us how you benefited: If I had published through a professional publisher I proballly would have a agent by now and would have book tours booked and I would most likely be writing fiction full time and living my American dream. Can you share one of your marketing successes with us? I create cards with the names of my two novels with my name, where the novels are being sold, and what format like paperback and kindle. How did you find Allbooks Reviews and what are you hoping for in your relationship with us? I found “Allbooks Reviews” through a site called “Writers in the Sky.” Was the low cost a surprise? What other things would you like Allbooks Reviews to offer writers? No, the price was not a surprise. Ways to get in contact with literary agents. Thank you for this interview and best of luck with your book.

William Lyon Phelps quote:

"Every time your acquire a new interest, even more , an new accomplishment, you increase your power of life"

ADVICE FOR NEW AUTHORS

So you have written your first book, so first of all congratulations. Relish this moment before moving to step two. Now before you go any further have a friend or preferably, a professional read your manuscript to see if it is ready or needs a little more work. Is it a viable subject? Are your characters believable? Etc. Once you know you have a viable product, get it edited. This is the most important step. Your freshly edited manuscript is now ready for publishing. You can publish it very easily yourself into an ebook, via the internet. There are many, many sites offering self publishing at a very low cost. You can also produce a print version. A review is very important and can be done pre publishing, so that you can include part of it on your cover or immediately after publishing to promote the book to the masses. Good luck with your book and be sure to check out Allbooks Review International www.allbookreviewsint.com We offer editing, pre reads for new manuscripts,reviews and promotional packages.

Allbooks Review Int. sponsors review contest for Friday Kids Club

Award-winning North Gower author and reviewer, Emily-Jane Hills Orford is working with a group of creative young writers in Kanata, Ontario. These young writers belong to the Friday Kids Club. They are working on various writing projects including a book review challenge and competition sponsored by Allbook Reviews International. (www.allbookreviewsint.com This competition features the work of Dawn Beaumont Lane who generously supplied the students with copies of her book, "The Witch's Tale" for review. Author Dawn Beaumont Lane lives in Ontario, Canada. Originally from England, Dawn suffered the pains of dyslexia as a child. Having overcome this difficulty, she continues to write and encourages others with this learning disability to live their dream. Her first children’s story book was Fairy Glade and Other Enchanting Tales. We wish to thank Dawn for her generous donation of 12 books for our contest. Please look for copies of The Witch’s Tale on Amazon.com. www.Theebooksale.com, www.amazon.co.uk , Book stores ... Canada... Coles Books Store, Indigo/Chapters and US Barnes and Noble and Borders, in the UK at Waterstones. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you Shirley A. Roe Managing Editor,Allbooks Review International www.allbooksreviewint.com More than 3000 hits per week We highly recommend you become a member of iFOGO. Just click this link to join. http://www.ifogo.com/buy/order_abr.html and another great author site you can join for free: www.independentauthornetwork.com