Book Reviews – Page 23 – Self Publishing Advisor

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “A Journey Through My Soul”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Pearl’s Book Journey:

A Journey Through My Soul

by Lena Sousa Day

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478754367

Synopsis:

I want you to get my message … And I want these words to shine a light. A Journey Through My Soul is a collection of one passionate, thoughtful, lyrical young woman’s path from early adolescence to the present day. Many of the poems reflect her teenage years, giving wonderful insight about the wonder and wisdom of emerging maturity, with experiences ranging from the ecstatic thrill of first love and crushes, the deep comfort and bonding of true friendship, and the heartbreak of learning to deal with betrayal and the end of relationships. You will be carried along on an expanding world view that includes the quiet despair of longing for loved ones stationed overseas, the joys and fears of motherhood, and the multifaceted discovery of true and lasting love. These poems reflect experience that is both universal and unique, illuminated by a personal voice and sensitivity that allow the reader both a sense of community, and a glimpse into something beyond the everyday. Moving, inspiring, and honest, A Journey Through My Soul is a perfect companion for every life path.

Critique:

A Journey Through My Soul is a quick and easy collection of beautiful poems. I finished this in one sitting and I’m glad that I was able to experience such thoughtful and sensible verses.

I admire how the author was able to write poems based on her personal experiences. I love reading poems, although I am not an expert of it. I don’t even know how to construct one (I tried years ago and that was when my high school teacher assigned us to write one. lol but it was lame), so reading the series of poems written here kind of dazzled me because wow, they’re created in a very delectable way. I have plenty of favorite poems in this book and one of them is from chapter 1 called Crying Soul which was written to inspire fiction lovers like me. It’s a very heartbreaking story and it ended in tragedy, but the thing that made me like it was the life lesson it instilled.

Another favorite of mine is the poem called Our Anniversary which was dedicated by the author to her husband. The prose simply made me fall in love because of how sweet it sounds.

To give you a glimpse:

“And if you ever wonder
Why I love you so
Just look into my eyes
And then, you’ll really know

I’ve loved you since I can remember
Or at least for a very long time
I’m so glad that we’re together
And that I can call you mine

The day we met was a special day
About that, I have no doubt
Because I met the love of my life
And that’s what life’s all about”

Overall, A Journey Through My Soul is a sweet, inspiring collection of poems. It’s a great read for people who are soul-searching and who just simply love to devour poems.

[ reviewed by Pearl on Pearl’s Book Journey ]

Here’s what another reviewer is saying:

This book is a collection of poems by this author that span from her adolescence to more recent experiences in her life. Wonderful reading and an enhancement to the soul to see the this author’s journey over time, including challenges but also triumphs, along with her burgeoning talent as a writer! Highly recommend this to others and I look forward to seeing more from this author in the future!

– Amazon Reviewer SouthPaw

A hit in the bull’s eye of average

These poems fall right into the category of average, the author shows promise and should be encouraged to continue, but right now there is little to move the reader. Some of them sound like they would be more appropriate if they were in a children’s book. For example, the opening stanza of the poem called “Narrow minds” is:

Prejudice and discrimination
They’re everywhere you go
People claiming to love their neighbor
It’s a put-on, don’t you know

The general structure is a series of four line stanzas where the second and fourth lines rhyme. In many cases the conclusion of a stanza reads as a bit forced, generating a lack of smoothness.
The majority fit on a single page where there is whitespace between the stanzas, making each a delivery system for a basic message. The messages themselves are about life, the good as well as the bad and are easy to discern.

– Goodreads Reviewer Charles

Book Trailer:

Thanks for reading! Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

Self Publishing Advisor

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “Soulful Transitions”

Soulful Transitions

by Lorena Muñoz

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478759492

Synopsis:

Soulful Transitions is a collection of poems that chronicles one woman’s pilgrimage from pain and heartache to healing. Each expressive poem offers a glimpse into a soul struggling with various life lessons, and each is dated to document the evolution of growth and recovery. Full of faith and hope, Soulful Transitions offers reassurance that we, too, can survive the dark nights of our soul-and face the morning light stronger and wiser.

Critique:

This collection of poems consists largely of emotional anguish, describing what appears to be a love affair that has gone wrong. There is discussion of betrayal, addiction to him, perpetual deceit and other related aspects of break-ups. The prose appears stiff in the sense that there is not a smooth flow, it generally has the feeling of being forced. After a point, the reader hopes for a change of subject and a little more of a light-hearted manner.

There is a transition to a bit more of a positive tone later in the book, but it is not a great change. This is a book that one does not read in order to make an emotional change from the down to the up. For it never really gets that far up.

If you are someone that enjoys reading prose that is generally dark and brooding, then you might like this book. However, if you prefer the light and positive, then you will not find this book one that will bring the up crease of a smile to your face.

[ reviewed by Charles on Goodreads ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

This book is amazing.
Such an inspirational read.
From all the ups and downs described in this book, the words are extremely touching.
The cover is also beautiful. Makes my book collection look extra pretty.
Definitely recommend this book to everyone.

– Amazon Reviewer Sakura22

Beautiful and inspiring! A brave journey and reminder that when we must be unafraid to examine our thoughts and emotions if we want to understand, learn and grow.

– Amazon reviewer Meghan Grosso

An awesome read. Truly brings you into the author’s world and illuminates pathways of promise and self-fulfillment.

– Amazon reviewer Michael Freeman

I felt every word and emotion spilled onto this book. The chronological form of how it was written was almost that of a re-birth or a metamorphosis. A must read for those in need of a soul filled similarity.

– Amazon Reviewer Amazon Customer

Thanks for reading! Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

Self Publishing Advisor

amazon reviews, Book Reviews, outskirts press, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized

Saturday Book Review: “The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird”

The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird

by Anne Toole

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478756378

Synopsis:

Little bird wanted something else to be, Instead of a bird in a tree. He knew what he had to do, so off he flew, to search for another kind of animal he would rather be. Read the story and you shall see, which animal he chose to be. Read the story and you shall see.

Critique:

Have you ever wished to be someone else? In today’s world of social media it seems that everyone is putting their “best self” forward. It’s all to easy to become jealous and wish to be someone else…even if it’s just for a little while! We have to step back and remember that we are exactly who we need to be!

“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” by Anne Toole, is the story of a little bird who doesn’t want to be a bird. He dreams of being something else…anything but a bird. Little bird goes off on a journey to find out exactly what kind of animal he would rather be. Which animal will he choose?

“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” has an important message for us all about self acceptance. It’s all to easy to believe that being someone else would make us happier. As little bird explores the world about him, he soon learns that all those things he once thought so wonderful about everyone else just weren’t the things that would make him happy. Just like little bird, we need to look closely about the things we “think” we need to be happy. What makes someone else happy, just might not be the thing that is perfect for us.

The illustrations are adorable, full of bright colours. The text is easily read. The book is written in rhyme but I did find that some of the “rhymes” just didn’t work when I read the story aloud to the kids.

The kids and I started a conversation about the things we love and the things that we don’t like so much about ourselves. We talked about what to do about those things that we really dislike ourselves. Are they things we can change? How do we work towards changing while still loving ourselves for who we are? We discovered that some of the things we think are our faults are those very things that someone else loves about us.

“The Bird That Didn’t Want To Be A Bird” is a great story for children of all ages about loving ourselves. For more information on this book check out Outskirts Press.

[ reviewed on Penny Minding Mom ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

Children all dream of what they want to be when they grow up. Some want to be firefighters, others imagine being sports stars or actors. Playing make-believe is a great way to try out different roles, and so are looking at characters in stories and TV shows or movies. This particular story shows a little bird who has decided that he doesn’t want to be a bird, even though his mother tells him that a bird is what he is meant to be. So he explores the area and checks out the other creatures, trying to find one that he would enjoy spending the rest of his life in their place.

As older readers will guess, there is no other life that would suit the little bird better than the one he already has. Human beings have a lot more choices open to them than animals, obviously, but trying to be something you’re not is still something we have to deal with. Developing a sense of identity and being comfortable “in the skin you’re in” is a life skill we all need. The story is told in rhyme and supported with brightly colored illustrations. Some of the wording may seem a bit awkward to adult readers, but the target audience of beginning readers will probably not notice.

Author Anne Toole was a first grade teacher and ESOL instructor before she began writing children’s books. She understands the issues that children deal with on a daily basis – making friends, what makes them special, fitting in, etc. This is the type of story that parents, teachers, and guidance counselors can read with a child (or a group), and then discuss the moral of the story.

– Amazon Reviewer Suzanne R. Costner

A rhyming book about being happy with who you are. A young bird tells his mother he does not want to be a bird. So he ventures out into the world to explore being a different animal. What he finds out is that every animal has positive qualities he likes but they also have qualities that do not suit him well. In the end he decides that being a bird is what is best for him. The book is easy to read and filled with dolch sight words for emergent readers.

– Amazon reviewer Yvonne Mullen

Thanks for reading! Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

Self Publishing Advisor

Book Reviews, elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, outskirts press, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Putting the Pieces Together

Figuring out how to navigate the world of book marketing can be a hazardous task, with many unmarked dangers–and shortcuts to safe passage–awaiting the self-publishing author. Over the last three weeks, I have introduced some of those campaign components which I happen to think are vital and important:

generating credible book reviews;
putting together a polished press release; and–
crafting an impactful and easily shared book video trailer.

The problem, of course, is that while all of these probably sound like good ideas, they also require a lot of work. And by “a lot of work,” I mean they require both time and a fairly discrete set of skills––each. That is, the skills and even equipment required to craft that polished press release may have very little natural overlap with the skills and equipment required to craft an impactful video trailer.

“Well, what about Google?” you ask, and fairly. “What about YouTube? Can’t I look up some tutorials and put something together myself?”

Yes, yes you can! And there are some really fantastic free guides out there. I always recommend looking to the “making-related” articles in peer-reviewed periodicals like Publisher’s Weekly and WIRED throughout the year, even when you’re not working on a specific project, to see what sorts of new ideas and tools are being put out there. And the quality of instruction on YouTube videos has improved greatly! I’m not going to lie: the Internet is my go-to place when I need to learn how to do something for the first time, whether it’s to refine my (practically nonexistent) origami skills or how to snake my toilet. (Don’t ask.)

But some of the “barriers to entry,” as we like to call them, are still up–even with the Internet and YouTube and Google in play. I successfully snaked my toilet … after an hour of “practicing.” (Read: “flailing wildly.”) I know I didn’t have an hour to burn that day, but the toilet needed to be done. And snaking is a relatively simple task compared to some of the many involved in, say, acquiring the rights to an audio file you want to play behind your book trailer video. Or tracking down email addresses for booksellers, reviewers, and other industry influencers to create an email distribution list. Templates and virtual instructions can sometimes fail us at crucial moments–or inflate the time required to accomplish what needs accomplishing beyond what we can spare.

If only there was somewhere we could turn that provided professional insight and assistance with our marketing campaigns! Okay, okay, I know it’s a little on the nose, but I really do recommend paying for at least one consultation with a PR Publicist when you’re looking to put out a press release, a graphic designer or videographer when you’re crafting your book trailer video, and someone on the inside–with real experience–when it comes to tracking down credible book reviewers.

There are, as always, several ways you can go about this–you can contact these people individually, or you can opt to pay for a bundle of services that put all of these professionals under one roof (digitally speaking, at least). Do your research, shop around for the best deals, and weigh your priorities against your marketing budget. (Yes, you need one of those!) Do what needs to be done to get you back to what you really love–writing–and cuts down on the time you spend fumbling around with that toilet snake.

You are not alone. ♣︎

ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “Dream World”

Dream World: Tales of American Life in the 20th Century

by William Charles Krebs

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478745396

Synopsis:

The Andersons are in Ocorlampa, Florida to look at the college for their daughter Liz. They saw their daughter move into a family home of the Wilsons. At the same time a young man, Willie, has come to Florida to settle in so he can go to the local college. He finds a room with an elderly widow. Both of these young people find jobs at “Dream World” where they are destined to meet. Therefore Liz and Willie begin dating. Neither are very experienced in dating, so it is new for them. They fall in love, but Willie gets scared as he is not ready for marriage yet, so he drops Liz without any explanation. Sue, who fancies herself ‘the complete woman,’ pursues Willie. She does not think Liz is right for Willie and they have heated relationship. Liz is puzzled. Willie does not love Sue, and by Christmas has broken up with her, and then sets out to get Liz back. This takes some maneuvering to get Liz back, and he signs up to be in the same class in the new term. Another young man, Mike, is in the class becomes competition for Willie. The three of them end up going to lunch together. There is much lively discussion in class. Mike also gets to know Sue. Willie and Mike get into a fight, and Sue claims they were fighting over her. Read the book to see how it turns out.

Critique:

Dream World: Tales of American Life in the 20^th Century by William Charles Kreb is a story about two young college students who are entering a world without their parents’ watchful eye and into the world of love, lust and expectations in marriage.

The story opens with Liz Anderson, 17, who dreams of going to college in another state and her parents make her wait. It isn’t until her 19^th birthday that she decides to go to Lake Shore College in Florida and assert her independence. The summer before school starts she gets a job as a tour guide at Dream World, an amusement park, which many students from Lake Shore work. It is there she meets, Willie Johnson, a young man who comes to Florida for spring break and decides to come back for college. He soon gets a job at Dream World. Liz and Willie casually date during that summer when something happens which leaves Liz hurt and Willie dating someone else. Willie soon realizes his mistake about breaking up with Liz and now he must fight to win back her affections as a new man enters her life. Both Liz and Willie struggle to find their place in the world, to form their own ideals and forge their own paths in life. Will Willie be able to win Liz back? Will someone win her heart?

I liked this book. I enjoyed the sparing between characters about life, love and marriage. Willie is the frugal man who wants love and marriage and Liz doesn’t know what she wants. The new man, Mike, is the typical egoistical pig who thinks he can get any woman because of his money. I love the scene where Liz gives Mike a speech which shows him that she is not the kind of woman who falls in love (and bed) with any man just because he flashes money and a handsome smile her way. I love how she poked holes in his proposal when basically points out that he wanted a wife without the legal bidding marriage. She also shows Willie that if he wants her back, he will have to work hard to win her heart. I also loved how the ending leaves the reader without a definitive answer if Willie and Liz get back together.

[ reviewed by Jennifer Lara of Observations From a Simple Life ]

Here’s what another reviewer is saying:

This is the first offering by William Charles Krebs. The novel was very long and rather drawn out. I finished reading it; however, it took me almost a third of the book to actually start caring about what happened to the various characters present in the story. It was well written but the pace was inconsistent and choppy, and for most of the book it was relatively slow and hard to keep up with due to the slowness. The story is that about a group of young people in what ends up becoming a love square instead of just a triangle. The back if the book indicates that there are future novels possible, this would not be a bad thing unless they are over 500 pages as this one was. I feel like it could have been about 200 pages shorter and left with a minor cliffhanger so to speak and it would have been a much smoother enjoyable read. I know this seems to be a rather negative review and I do not mean for it to be so; I just was unable to derive nearly as much pleasure as I had anticipated. I will gladly read another book by this author especially if it is a continuation of this story.

The Good: The characters, the premise of the story as a whole.

The Not So Good: The pacing of the story at times.

The Bad: The overall length of the book.

Rating 6/10

Recommendation: Literary fiction fans that like a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

– Blogger Victoria Roberts of Bookjunkie’s Book Blog

Book Trailer

Thanks for reading! Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

Self Publishing Advisor

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